I received an email yesterday from someone who thought I was saying in my devotion, What Does It Mean to Believe, that "faith plus works" equals Salvation. This is far from truth and far from the meaning of my devotion. It is difficult to get clarity when a devotion only consist of 600 words on average. I’m sure you can understand that.

The purpose of my devotion was to point out the difference between acknowledgement--which brings about no change in a persons life, and what the result is when someone truly believes.

I’ve been in ministry for 10 years and the gospel is my passion. I receive emails from both women and men who ask me why after saying the “Sinners Prayer” no change has occurred in their lives.

If you read my article carefully, you’ll see I’ve stated the problem.

To "believe" means much more than simply acknowledging Christ's death on a cross. Unfortunately, for many today that word has been reduced to just that - a mere mental acknowledgement. Like me, multitudes have said the sinner's prayer because they believe Jesus died on a cross. But without the call to confess sin and commit to a life of following Christ in obedience, no transformation takes place. That's the problem with knowledge alone. It requires no commitment and brings about no lasting change.

Again, to clarify... my devotion is more about the meaning of “belief” and the result it has on our lives. Many have a mental acknowledgement of what Christ did on the cross. This is not faith. James tells us that even the demons believe. They know who Christ is and tremble! Saving faith believes to the point of repentance and surrendering their entire life to Christ. (When you believe something you live by it.) I’m not talking about works. I’m talking about the result of true belief/Salvation can be SEEN by a changed life. Not a life who is striving to win God’s approval, but is so gripped by His love, mercy and grace they can’t help but show it in all they do and say.

Striving to do good works to win God’s approval will never result in Salvation nor peace we all seek. Striving only robs of us our peace and joy. Good works drain our energy and produce a constant feeling of inner exhaustion, depression and discouragement—just as those who write me express. They feel as if God’s salvation isn’t for them because it’s not working. Imagine that! Perhaps they’ve never been taught (or didn’t get it) what to do after they believe—and that’s to practice a relationship with God through trust, love and obedience.

Salvation comes by faith alone. What is faith? What does it mean to believe? It means more than mental acknowledgement. I can acknowledge that George Washington was our first President, but he can’t save me.

It’s more than saying a prayer. True belief causes me to confess my sin and surrender my life to Christ the Lord. The result is transformation.

My brother is a great example. He was chemically addicted for 20 years. Experts say he should be dead. Many times we thought he was. He “tried” for years to give up his addition. He would even tell God, “I’m gonna do better. I promise.” It wasn’t until he went into LifeChallenge and committed to bible study for a year that he fell to his knees, confessed his sin, and surrendered his life. He is completely different! That’s what happens when we give God our mess. He makes it our message.

He started a construction company because it was the only thing he knew to do. With one broken down truck, he’d bid on jobs. When he did, he would brag on God by telling his story.

“I went from being unemployed to owning my own business. From being homeless to being a home owner, from being single to being married, from being bound by drugs, to freedom in Christ.”

Within a year and half, my brother had four brand new trucks and four crews. Don’t you love it when God shows off! Brag on Him like my brother does and you’ll discover that God is still parting red seas!

I'll be in IL this weekend speaking on "Contentment." Your prayers are greatly appreciated!
May God bless your weekend abundantly!

Women have a need for friendships. And our friendships often run deeper than men’s relationships. Men like to “do things” with their friends. Women want to “know things” about each other. Sure, we like to do things together too, like shopping! But we want to talk about things while we do it! Girls are naturally drawn to each other and develop deep relationships. That’s why a girl’s first experience with heartache may have been over a lost “best friend” rather than a “boy friend.” Women value friendships and when they are lost, we grieve them.

Women don’t’ grieve just over the friendship itself, but also for the secrets shared, the trust given and the acceptance enjoyed. If betrayed, the pain runs deep. No one can cause you more harm than someone who you have trusted in deeply.

Think about your best friend in high school. No one knew you better. She knew who you had a crush on, which schoolmate you are afraid of, who you allowed to kiss you on the first date. Your best friend knew that you still kept your Barbie’s and that you listen to Barry Manilow records at home, though you deny it in public. Your best friend knew that you cried for a week when Donny Osmond got married. And that you tore up all of your posters and mailed them to him. She knew everything there was to know about you.

Most of us can also recall a situation when our trusted friend hurt us. Maybe she proved to have looser lips than we expected and spilled our secrets. The pain cut you like a knife. And if it happened more than once, you probably started to put up some walls even then. That is when it starts – the creation of the mask. The “you” that you are willing to let the world see.

May be this describes you. We’ve all been there—exchanging one mask for another depending on who we are with or where we are going. We are desperately trying to fit in.

There are two verses I’d like to share with you today:

Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

I tell my daughter, “You were not created to fit in but to stand out through your own God-given uniqueness.” You were, too. Besides, God sees behind the masks…and He loves you anyway.

1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Don’t let those negatives from long ago creep into your mind and heart over and over again until you subcome to their influence for your life. Instead, remove the masks and be who God says you truely are...

You are chosen. You have been given mercy. You are holy. And you are royalty—a Princess of the King!

What a weekend! Not only was it my birthday, but I had the privilege of speaking at the Baskets of Hope Benefit in IA. I can’t begin to tell you how blessed I was to meet and serve along side of Renee and her team. Renee is a tiny woman with a BIG heart! My faith was strengthened as each woman shared her story of triumph over cancer and other serious illnesses. The day was an awesome reminder that we serve a God who is faithful.

That remembrance started at the airport when Cheri and I missed our plane.

Panic flooded my entire being when I realized we had missed the plane. I jumped up and somehow cut my forehead. Blood gushed. I had no idea so much blood could pour from a minor cut to the head. Luckily, I had a tissue. Holding the Kleenex over the wound, I applied pressure until I reached the nearest restroom. Cheri headed to Customer service. I was to meet her there once my bleeding stopped.

In the bathroom, I soaked two paper towels with blood before the flow slowed enough for me to catch up with Cheri at Customer service. Once I arrived, Cheri informed me that we had two choices. One, we could try to board the next flight as a Stand-by. Or two, we could pay $150.00 for a guaranteed seat.

“What? One hundred and fifty dollars,” I questioned.

“Yep.” Replied the service rep. “Won’t your company pay for it?” she added.

“No.” I said frankly. “They won’t. They are a non-profit organization that provides hope for children with cancer.”

“Oh.” Said the service rep. “What do the two of you do?”

“I’m a worship leader and she’s the key note speaker for a benefit that helps children with cancer.” Answered Cheri.

“Okay. You’ve got me,” replied the service rep as she typed out two tickets for the next flight to Iowa. “We do something similar for underprivileged kids here at the airport during Christmas. Santa comes, dinner is served, we go the whole nine yards.”

Cheri reached into her bag, pulled out one of her worship CD’s and handed to the clerk as a thank-you for helping us out.

Since God got us out of our pickle, we knew He had big plans for the weekend. Women were not only filled with hope, but a mom and daughter both gave their lives to Christ!

Because Christ so freely gives to me, I decided to give away four copies of my book for my birthday. The lucky winners are…

Kelly
Amy
Linda
Cindy in PA

Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was a grand day! You made it all the grander!

It's my birthday, but I'm giving away the presents.







My in laws did the coolest thing this year on their birthday's. They gave each family member a gift! It was not only a wonderful surpise but a great blessing!

I'd like to be a blessing, too. Enter your name and email address in the comment section and be one of four to win my new book "An Untroubled Heart."
I'll annouce the winners on Monday...

I’ve not been chatty this week because I’ve been battling a cold. I’ve had it all—the runny nose, the stuffy nose, the swore throat, tiredness, droopy swollen eyes that make my wrinkles stand out—you know what I mean. I’ve had the miseries!

The only good about lying around sick is while I try to drink plenty of fluids, I also take advantage of my down time to drink and God’s Word, too. I love it when I come across a passage or quote that helps me see God as He truly is…MAGNIFICENT!

I got that from David Jeremiah yesterday, and just had to share it will you. I hope as you read it lightens your load. For me, everything grows dim in the light of who God is!

Because God is infinite, we always underestimate Him. Logically speaking, it's an unavoidable inevitability. The Lord has no boundaries or barriers, no limits or restrictions. He is endless in direction and duration, in space and time. His unfathomable attributes are bottomless seas without shores. Our minds can't grasp the depths of His presence, majesty, power, glory, and grace. There's no ceiling to His love, wrath, wealth, and intelligence. Our minds are astonished with God, and we can no more fit Him into our thoughts than we could fit the ocean into a thimble.

There is no way for us to comprehend the fullness of His infinity. So it would seem logical to say: Because God is inestimable, we always underestimate Him.

Nothing is a surprise to God, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He sees the past, the present, and the future in one glance. Whatever our thoughts are about the return of Christ and our eternal home with Him, the reality will be even better. We'll say with the Queen of Sheba that the half was not told.

Good stuff—right?! Oh, how I underestimate my God and King. Today, however, I believe nothing is impossible with God!

What say you??

Micca Campbell--Helping Women Live Carefree in God's Care

Lately, I’ve had to make lots of decisions for myself, my family, and my ministry. The hard thing about making decisions is worrying if I made the right choice. If I could settle that, I’d be at peace. Finally, I found contentment one day when I came across this truth:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” Palms 32:8, NIV

You and I may not know our future, but God does. Through the Holy Spirit, God directs our steps by the way of peace or lack of it. when peace rules, we can move ahead with confidence and contentment. If there is a lack of peace, I need to revisit my decision. Either way, we are not alone in the process. We have a heavenly helper.

Our heavenly helper works in our lives much like a referee does in a basketball game.
As long as the players stay within the boundaries of the court, they are free to move about. But when there is trouble on the court or the ball goes out of bounds, the referee blows his whistle. The sound of the whistle stops the game until the referee restores order and puts the ball back into play.

Likewise, we have a heavenly Referee—the Holy Spirit. When there is a lack of peace in our lives, that’s our signal He has blown the whistle and called for a time out to redirect our path.

Sometimes our ball has gets kicked out of bounds by unexpected adversity in our lives. Other times, we step out bounds on our own by giving way to temptation and sin. In each of these circumstances, the Holy Spirit will blow the whistle to gain our attention. If you and I are smart, we’ll wait on our heavenly Referee to restore our peace and put the ball back into play.

For peace to return, we need to wait and listen to the instructions of our Referee. You and I seek those instructions through prayer and meditation of God’s Word. It may also involve repentance before we can move forward. Either way I assure you that stepping out of bounds doesn’t mean God will call “game over.” As we respond and obey the Holy Spirit, He simply puts the ball back into place. Those who have learned to play under the guidance of their heavenly Referee will never stray long outside of the boundaries God has set for their life.

The afternoon is my most stressful time of day. When the kids come home from school, it seems like all chaos breaks out. It’s worst on days I don’t time to spend with God.

Yes, I admit it. Sometimes I get up running so fast that I don’t realized I missed God until I crawl back into bed weary and frustrated by the events of my day.

The thing is while I’m home alone, I can be so holy. But when the kids come home and everybody suddenly needs me at once, horns pop out knocking my halo to the ground.

Do you ever feel like the whole world needs you at once? Perhaps you feel they are all knocking at your front door? Maybe it’s your office door while you’re trying to escape the demands of a busy day at work. Or, if you’re a mother, maybe it’s your bathroom door. You’re trying to get five minutes alone…but someone is knocking, and the phone is ringing and buzzer on the stove is going off. Apparently, you and I are the only one who know how to answer the phone. In the stress of the moment, my three kids feel like thirty-three. It’s only a matter of time before I BLOW!!!!!

How do you and I keep from losing it?

We do as Jesus did.

It may seem strange to you but Christ’s day wasn’t much different than ours. He got up every day and went to work teaching in the church. He faced distractions and divine appointments. He even knew what it felt like to have the people depending on him and pressing in on him. How did he do it? How did he go through the day without losing it?!

His secret is found in verse Mark 1:35. “Very early the next morning, Jesus got up while it was still dark and went to a scheduled place and prayed.”

Jesus’ time with God wasn’t something He tacked on to an overcrowded schedule. It was His highest priority, and where He discovered God’s priorities for His life. This is where He got renewed, resorted and ready for whatever the day brought. And this is precisely where you and I so often miss out.

Unlike Jesus, I often attempt to live life in my own energy. I think that I can keep giving out without being replenished. Then, wearied by the life, I often become impatient and annoyed with the very ones God puts my life. That is not how I want to live. It’s not how you want to live either. God offers us something better. Time alone with Him.

Just think about it. We have an open invite to throne room of grace every day. Think of what time spent with God does. It empowers us; guards against temptation, it smoothes away our fear, anxieties. Prayer refreshes and lifts our spirits and it allows us know God and his plan for our lives.

When you and take the time to get our orders each day, the distractions will fall away and the important things with take center stage. Not to mention we’ll go to bed minus the guilt and disappointment. Instead, we’ll know we’ve accomplished something great—like nurturing our children without fuss and fear. And that’s a nice close to the day.