This morning, I had an encounter with God as I was reading in Acts chapter 9. At first, the familiar story seemed dull. You know how it is when you’ve read or heard the same story over and over. But then, a new revelation merged from the content. It’s funny how old stories of the Bible become fresh and timely for the present, isn’t it?

When I got to verse 21, I started to see the word “rejection” in my minds-eye. Paul had just been transformed from Saul, who murders Believers” to Paul, the disciple of Christ. Because of his past reputation, many rejected Paul, the disciple. This was only the beginning of Paul’s trouble. Throughout his ministry, Paul experienced rejection, suffering and trials that seemed unfair.

Think about it. Here he was working for the Lord, and yet, he was shipwrecked and thrown into prison falsely accused more than once. Doesn’t that seem odd for a man called of God? Wasn’t God’s favor strong enough to protect him from such adversity?

I thought about my sickness this summer. Like Paul, I was shipwrecked unable to do life and ministry. I began to feel rejected by God. I wondered if I had lost His favor. It didn’t make sense. I was serving God—trying to do what’s right--ministering Jesus in any way I could. Then, without warning strong winds blew in. Clouds hung overhead and it began to storm. Before I knew it, I was shipwrecked.

You’ve been there, too.

Some of you have been rejected by family, friends, and co-workers. Others have been falsely accused or imprisoned by your finances or the consequences of someone else’s sin. It seems so unfair!!! You’ve tried to live right. You walk in obedience the best you can. You take God at His word and trust in His promises. Shouldn’t a faith like this call for smooth sailing instead of finding yourself shipwrecked?

And yet, Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts and plans are higher than ours.

If we follow Paul’s journey, we find God working through the rejection, the trials, the prison time, and the shipwrecks. God used these hardships to position Paul on top. Not for fame but to increase the Kingdom of God. How else could Paul have witnessed to the Pharisees if he hadn’t been rejected and thrown in prison? How else could the people see God’s power at work in Paul than when he survived the storms—when the snake bite didn’t kill him—when the jail walls shook? Because of these things, people believed.

That can only mean one thing. God doesn’t waste our pain, rejection or our shipwrecks. He’s using them to bring about His plan—to put you at the top so that others can see God’s transforming power.

That being said, I believe our challenge is this—to rise from the wreckage so that our lives will give testimony that draws others to the Master. I choose to rise.

Hey there blogging friends,

Today, I'd like to share a post with you written by my dear friend and colleague, Marybeth. She was asked an interesting question...

"Are all the Proverbs 31 ladies just blissfully happy all the time?"

To read about her answer, click here http://marybethwhalen.blogspot.com/2009/08/blissfully-happy.html

May joy be yours today because of what Christ has done!

It’s funny how life goes through cycles. Sometimes everything in my life seems to go wrong. Other times it appears as if everything is going right! After living in the “everything is going wrong” period of three months this summer while suffering with Mono, finally I’m in the “right” period of life.

I'm finally feeling better. My son had an incredible baseball season. He even intercepted a pass in last night’s Jr. High football game—which we won! My daughter is flourishing in her endeavors as well. She made Theater at school and is on the school’s newspaper team. Last but not least, my eldest son has decided to return to college! Yippee!!!!

It seems like God is finally on my side! He is listening, cares about my concerns, and is making things happen. I couldn’t be happier.

As I praised God this morning for His abundant blessings, I found myself wondering this… “When God doesn’t answer my prayers or has me on ‘wait,’ why does it feel like God isn’t on my side?”

Feelings can trip us up. Have you noticed? My emotions can be so powerful that they lie to me. Has this happen to you before? It happens to me often. I’m not saying that our feelings aren’t real. I’m saying that they can’t always be trusted. The truth is just because God doesn’t answer right away doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.

Country singer Garth Brooks, who is my friend’s neighbor, (how cool is that?) had a hit song in which he recalls his impassioned prayers for God to melt the heart of a high school sweetheart—later it became apparent to him that she was a terrible choice for a mate. Sometimes God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

Why can’t we see that?

Well, if you’re like me it’s because we want what we want. We think we know what we need and what’s best for our lives or circumstances. But do we—really?

Rick Warren writes:

"What would happen if God answered every prayer? By answering every possible prayer, God would in effect abdicate, turning the world over to us to run. (That’s scary!) History shows how we have handled the limited power granted us: we have fought wars, committed genocide, fouled the air and water, destroyed forests, established unjust political systems, concentrated pockets of superfluous wealth and grinding poverty. What if God gave us automatic access to supernatural power? What further havoc might we wreak? Most of us learn, over time, that some prayers prove better off unanswered."

The fact is like a loving father God cares about us so much that’s he’s willing to withhold what isn’t best for us. Whether His answer is “yea” or “nay” God is always on our side. So let’s rejoice in His provision no matter what our emotions may say.

Hi friends. If you've come to my site after hearing my radio interview today, welcome. I imagine you'd like to know more about my book and how you can find freedom from fear. Below I've pasted and article I wrote for Crosswalk.com. The information in this article is found in my book, An Untroubled Heart. I hope you know that it's God's desire that you have an untroubled heart. Seek Him. Cast your cares upon Him, and allow His presence to fill you with peace.

Overcoming The Fear Factor
By Micca Campbell

Worry, fear, and anxiety were never meant to be a part of our vocabulary, and yet most of us worry more than we’d care to admit. What are you afraid of? Are you scared of waking up to an intruder in the middle of the night? Perhaps it’s flying on an airplane. Maybe it’s the fear of sending your child off to college. Perhaps your greatest fear is not being able to provide for your family. Most of us can find something that haunts us.

Panic best describes the emotion I felt when the nurse rolled Jimmy out into the living room. Both of his legs and most of his fingers had been amputated. Jimmy was the father of my son’s friend. Beset with diabetes, he was at the end of his life, but refused to let go. Concerned about whether Jimmy knew the Lord or not, I had phoned his wife, Juanita, and asked if I could visit him. I wanted to be sure that Jimmy would meet his Creator as Savior and not as Judge.
Jimmy’s deteriorating condition took me by surprise. When I saw him I was terrified. I whispered to the Lord under my breath, "Oh, God, how can I minister to this man when I don't know what he's been through?" Even though I was scared stiff, somehow I knew God would show up to do what I couldn’t do. That’s exactly what He did because God’s given us this promise. ““I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
As Jimmy and I talked, it was apparent that he knew the Father, but I sensed there was more. We weren’t far into our conversation when I discovered the real trouble with Jimmy — he was afraid to die.

I told Jimmy Bible stories about God sending angels to people in need, people just like him. Those angels had a special message: “Fear not, for God is with you!” As I shared with Jimmy, peace washed over his face as he received the message for himself.

At Jimmy's funeral his wife shared Jimmy’s last moments with me. Jimmy would often wake from his sleep wide-eyed and call out, "I'm afraid!" Juanita would pat him gently and remind him of God's promise: "Don't be afraid, Jimmy. God is with you." Then he would sleep again. The last time Jimmy opened his eyes, he just stared at the ceiling. His wife asked, "Jimmy, are you afraid?" Jimmy whispered, "No, I'm not afraid. I'm just looking at the angels." With that, Jimmy stepped from this world into the next.

I find it interesting that while Jimmy’s outcome didn’t change, the way he experienced death changed because he trusted in the promise of God. I experienced this same truth in my life. Even though I pleaded with God to save my first husband from death, it wasn’t God’s plan. Yet I chose to trust God’s purpose. In spite of my fear, I chose to believe what I couldn’t understand. Doing so changed the way I journeyed through life and the valley of death. I had a companion named Jesus.

Jimmy’s story reminds me that when I’m afraid, I need not fret because the same promise God made to Jimmy, He makes to you and me: “Fear not, child, for I am with you.” In fact, did you know that the phrase “fear not” is stated in the Bible 366 times? That’s one “fear not” for every day of the year, with one extra left over for those really hard days.

Why does God faithfully remind us over and over to “fear not”? He does so because we are not created to live in fear. Second Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” You and I were created to live by faith, and in God, we have all the power we need for a faith that is stronger than all our fears.

Fear is a faith problem.
The truth is, most of what we worry about never comes to pass, but we insist on tormenting ourselves anyway. Worrying about what may or may not happen can nearly drive us crazy. A lot can go wrong in life, but God doesn’t want us to become worrywarts.

It takes faith to battle fear and learn to live with assurance in a God we can bank on. Unfortunately, most people go through life missing opportunities because they’re afraid to really live the way God intended. Fear becomes a stumbling block that leaves us with regrets. Relying on our faith allows us to live fearlessly.

False Advertisement

My youngest son loves chocolate milk. One day as I stirred syrup into a tall glass of milk, I noticed that the label on the bottle read “Genuine Artificial Flavor.” I was shocked! What appeared to be look and taste real was actually artificial! I felt cheated and deceived. This was false advertisement.

In the same way, the father of lies specializes in false advertisement. He’s good at making our fears look real when they are not. In fact, Satan’s greatest tool for causing us to doubt God’s protection is the fear that God will not follow through with His promises. The Enemy works hard to convince us that God is too busy to do anything about our concerns. If anything is going to be done about our situation, we’ll have to do it ourselves. Like the boogeyman, Satan’s spooks are all smoke and mirrors. We can easily expose his trickery by determining if there is really something to fear or if our concerns are simply…

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

This acrostic for fear is the kind of shock wave Satan uses to stun us. While the sting of fright feels real, in truth it’s merely the trickery of Satan that gets our heart pounding. It’s important for you and me to determine if our fears are real or simply Satan’s hocus-pocus. If it’s a real concern, I heed its warning. On the other hand, if my worry is false evidence that just appears real, then I know the Enemy is involved.

You may be skeptical right now, but when you realize you were created for faith, not fear, things will begin to change for you. You’ll learn how to rely on God’s care while giving Him your cares, you’ll be able to identify His goodness and mercy in your life, and you’ll overcome your fears of loneliness and insecurity. Before you know it, you’ll be able to say along with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

It’s after midnight, but who can sleep!! We won over North Carolina tonight 5-1. That leaves three teams standing—Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. South Carolina drew the bye and gets to sit out the first round.

Starting at 11:00 in the morning, we’ll go head to head with North Carolina once again. The loser comes in 3rd place. The winner plays South Carolina at 7:00pm that evening to determine 2nd place and the World Series Camps!!! We are so close we can taste it!

It means more to us Tennesseans than just a win. We’ll be making history! Joey Hale and his dad, Jerry Hale, coach our team. Thirty years ago, Jerry Hale also coached my husband’s 11/12 year old All-star team, AND they won the World Series!

Here we are…thirty years later, and twelve year old Parker is playing for Coach Joey and Coach Jerry. How awesome would it be if Parker’s team also won the World Series just like his dad did at his age?! That’s not all! There’s another player on Parker’s team, Zander Jett, whose dad also played for Coach Jerry when he was 12 years old. They, too, won the World Series four years after my husband’s win.

So there you have it, friends. History in the making!

Oh, one more thing. Parker has averaged one homerun per game in the World Series. If he gets one more homerun, he’ll break the record set 1979. What a thrill and life-time memory that would make for Parker. Ya’ll pray!

Here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excerpt taken from Dixie Youth Website:

Lightening never strikes the same place twice, but when it comes to this incredibly talented Tennessee team, it seems to happen often. Tonight, lightening struck for Alex Junior as he accomplished what most pitchers never achieve in their life. Alex followed in Austin Franklin’s footsteps from the State Tournament and overwhelmed the Mississippi hitters throwing a four inning PERFECT GAME no hitter. This one was never, EVER in doubt as the white and orange nation swarmed their opponent from every direction. Mississippi was completely ambushed in this one.

The game started at 6:00pm and was promptly over at 6:47pm. That’s 47 minutes ladies and gents! That has to be a record for a Dixie Youth World Series game. Even Serena Williams can’t end a game any faster.

Alex Junior, who opened the action with a leadoff bunt and advanced to second after a wild throw to first base. Jacob Jarreau moved Junior over to third and Parker Campbell did what Parker Campbell does…he had soup for dinner feasting on a Mississippi fast ball depositing it promptly over the left center field fence for a 2-0 lead. That’s three consecutive games Parker has gone yard. When will these guys learn?

The carnage was not over. The first inning was just getting started as Braden Sloan crushed a line drive past the short stop for a base hit and “Mr. Dependable” Daniel Lankster, the smallest guy on the team, sent a fast ball of his own over the left field fence for an insurmountable 4-0 lead. After the first inning barrage, there wasn’t much to report during Mississippi’s time at bat as Junior mowed down the huge boys like he was cutting grass.

Meanwhile, back at the O.K. Corral, the guys reloaded their guns and sent Mississippi running for cover as they scored two more runs in the second with the highlight of the inning coming from the newest member of the squad, Nathaniel Brown, who belted a two-run homerun to left field. The 5’10” right handed batter is starting to find his groove in “AP’s” absence after missing the first two tournaments.

The third inning was much the same as Campbell roped a single to left, Franklin was hit by a pitch, and both scored on a line drive single from Daniel Lankster. Alex Junior continued to do his part on the mound, keeping the Mississippi bats at bay with nine “K’s” for the game while Zander Jett promptly put them out of their misery with a leadoff homerun in the bottom of the fourth for the final nail in the coffin. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! REVENGE EXACTED!!!!


Tomorrow’s game will pit Tennessee vs. Alabama for a re-match from the first game of the tournament at 6:00pm.

It’s 11:30 pm and we are just getting back to our hotel. What a night for baseball! Excitment filled the air as we entered the complex at the World Series. The weather couldn’t have been better. The day before, it was 105 in Mississippi. This evening the clouds rolled in and created a cool breeze. Everything appeared to be prefect!

The team seemed relaxed instead of nervous. That’s always a good sign. I think I was nervous enough for all of them. Parker, my son, started us off. His first time at bat, he swung at the first pitch. The ball soared over the fence 250 yards. Now that’s how you open the World Series by hitting a homerun! (Something he definitely got from his father!)
We scored 3 runs that first inning. Our momentum was up and went over the top when we held Alabama to zero for three straight innings.

Then, they caught up with us in the fourth. When we didn’t score a single run in the fifth inning, our memento began to fall off…but just a bit.

The crowd cheered as we entered the sixth and final inning. We had to score—and we did! Our ninth batter, Braden, hit homerun sending in the kid on first. And Alex got a triple and then stole home making the final score 6-3. It was a real nail bitter!

In the morning, the team will worship together at a nearby church. A heavy lunch will follow. Then, it’s back to the baseball field to face Arkansas.

Go Tennessee!!

I also want to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your wonderful comments, emails, prayers and encouraging words you've sent me...about my brother, Tiffany, and how God spoke to you through one of my sessions at She Speaks. I'm amazed and honored.

I don't know why God chooses to us me--or any of us--but he does. Nothing means more to me than to hear that God spoke through me. I rather hear that than, "Micca, you're a great speaker." When God's spirit stops showing up...so do I.
Thanks, for the encouragement! You are dearly loved and appreciated!

Be blessed!

My story today did not come directly from She Speaks. It does, however, carry with it the She Speaks philosophy...everyone has a story that testifies to God's transforming power.

Many of you know that my brother is a recovered addict. For twenty years, he was absent from our family. Countless times we thought he was dead. According to statics, he should have been.

But God…

The Lord had a plan and calling on my brother’s life. After entering many programs that promised success but failed, my brother finally found the answer. Jesus. It wasn’t until my brother met the Lord that healing and transformation occurred. Suddenly, all things became new!

This is true in anyone’s life. We don’t have the strength, will power, or ability to free ourselves from bondage no matter what the bondage is—drugs, lust, gluttony, pride, anger, or fear. Until we renounce our sickness and surrender to Christ, we will never experience freedom. On the other hand, when we are willing to give King Jesus our mess, He turns it into our message.

What a message of hope my brother has.

He and his family are in town visiting from San Antonio, TX. Last night our families gathered for dinner at Red Lobster. His treat! Twenty-six year old, Tiffany was our waitress. Right away we noticed two things about Tiffany. She was a natural with people, and she was very much pregnant. While we enjoyed her kind service, we had no idea that God would turn the tables and call us to serve her in a very unique way.

It started when my sister refused to allow my brother to buy her dinner. While my sister loves to give to others, she’s not so good on the receiving end. I, on the other hand, understood that it gave my brother great pleasure to pick up the check. Lord knows I didn’t want to deny him his blessing!

Poor Tiffany found herself caught in the middle of the argument. Eager to win, my brother said to our waitress, “You see, I was a drug addict for years. During that time, my sisters did a lot for me. Now, I just want to bless them as they have blessed me.”

Tiffany’s eyes widen. “You were a drug addict?” she inquired. “I would have never gussed.”

“Yes. I was.” My brother replied. “But Jesus changed all that.” From there he told Tiffany his life-transforming story.

“I went from being lost to being found; from being homeless to being a home owner; from being an employee to owning my own business; from being bound by drugs to being free in Christ.”

Can I get an A-men!!!!!

When your story becomes your message, God uses it to transform the lives of others.

Tears filled Tiffany’s eyes as we shared God’s love with her, told her how she could know freedom, and encouraged her to go to church this Sunday. Tiffany told us that wouldn’t be a problem. Those she worked with have been inviting her to go with them for some time now.

Getting up from the table we all hugged our new friend. I promised Tiffany a book. I plan to take it to her tomorrow at work. I think I’ll tuck a gift card from Baby “R” Us inside the front cover…just to bless her day.

Welcome! In my devotion today on “Genuine Faith,” I explain that a growing passion for God leads to an unwavering, genuine faith. It’s a simple life in Christ. Genuine faith is about believing God and trusting in His promises. It’s not about a long list of performances to gain His attention or the approval of others. No. Genuine Faith is about living a spirit filled life. This life is real. It’s not a made up life. It’s the life we’re looking for and God longs to give us. If you decided to partner with God today and commit to your role, then here’s the benefit:

• an increasing desire to know the Lord on an intimate basis.
• a desire to obey God that supersedes the need to fulfill personal desires.
• you’ll be moved to confess the moment we become aware of sin.
• a growing passion to live for Christ.
• a loving acceptance for God’s desired plan for our lives.
And life marked with peace, power, and purpose.

To maintain genuine faith and a passion for God we must heed our relationship responsibilities. They are:

First: We stay connected by staying committed: So often our faith becomes stale and passionless because we’ve lost our commitment. We lose our commitment because we lose that loving feeling for God. David didn’t lose that loving feeling. Listen to his heart in Ps 63:1

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” That comes from a passionate and committed heart.

Do you remember signing in church, “I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back no turning back. We do great on the decision to follow Jesus, but most of us turn back just like some of the disciples did when things got too tough. But genuine faith is a committed faith. It decides no matter what…I belong to Christ and I won’t turn back.

Secondly, we must confess sin daily. Christ doesn’t expose sin in our lives to cause us undue pain, but to restore fellowship with God. When there is something between us and God it has to be dealt with. If not, that’s when prayer seems to go unheard, when we lose understanding of spiritual things and our own desires take over. When our fellowship with God is broken by sin, it’s no different than when fellowship is broken with our spouse, or child, or friend.

For example: say you have a argument with your husband because he’s done something that really upset you. Even though you decided to let him live, you’re angry. Immediately you feel separated. Your relationship hasn’t changed. You are still his wife and he is still your husband but your fellowship is broken until there has been reconciliation—until someone says, “I’m sorry.” The same is true with our relationship with God. When you and I sin, we are still God’s child but our relationship needs mending.

1 Peter 2:1-3, "So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God."

Each phrase of this motivates me. To have a genuine faith, I need to examine myself for symptoms of malice, pretense, envy, and hurtful talk. I need to stay close to God in order to grow in my faith and to stay connected the Spirit of God so he can work in and through me.

Thirdly, You and I must talk with God through prayer. We were created by God for God. That’s why we exist--to have an ongoing personal relationship with God where we allow him to guide our lives and set our priorities. He wants to guide us in everything…what career we choose and whom we marry. Now, you’re not going to find your future spouses name in the bible, but if you take time to know god and his ways, you will discover what to look for in a godly mate.

Because we are so busy, we fail to make time for God. That’s a problem. If we were made to fellowship with God and we don’t take the time to so, our lives suddenly become off balanced, stressful, and downright unpleasant. It doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus shows us how we can have a balanced, peaceful life.

Take time to read Mark 1:21-35 today. You’ll discover that Jesus’ day was not much different than our day. As he went about his job teaching, he was often met with distractions—some bad and some where divine appointments. He felt the pressure of the crowds. He knew what it was like to have people depending on Him just like those who are counting on us. So, how did Jesus know which interruptions were distractions and which ones were divine? How did Christ handle all that responsibility, stress and strain without losing it? He got away with God and prepared himself for whatever the day brought.

Finally, you and I must live a surrendered life: You may be wondering…isn’t that what I did when I first came to Christ…surrender? Yes, but that was only the beginning of a lifetime of surrender. Once we have surrendered our lives to Christ as Savior and Lord, we must now learn what it means to live out a surrendered life—to continually say no to self and yes to God.” Daily yielding your life to Christ is the secret to having a powerful, victorious Christian life.
There is more to receive from Christ than forgiveness of sin and ticket to heaven. He wants to give us life-His life. That happens when we decide to nail ours to the cross with all our rights, attitudes, pain, fears…you fill in the blank.

Each morning, I use Gal 2:20 as a guide. I claim, “I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live but Christ lives in me and the life I live now I live by faith in Him who died for me.” When we do that—abandon ourselves then, Christ is free to occupy all. What’s the result? It’s the life you desire and Christ’s longs to give you. It’s a simple life of genuine faith in God alone.

For more encouragement on developing genuine faith, pick up a copy of my new book, "An Untroubled Heart...Finding A Faith Stronger Than All My Fear."

Where to start??? It was a GLORIOUS weekend. Women filled the halls as they rushed from one session to the next filling their toolboxes with the tools they need to fulfill their calling. Women would stop me and share, “This is the best conference I’ve ever been too. I’ll definitely be back next year!” Even the hotel staff was drawn in. Curiously, they would peek into the conference room’s wide-eye in wonder. “What’s going on in there? What’s this conference all about?” They’d inquire.

Ah! Don’t you love it when God draws others in such a way that it causes them to ask, “What’s it all about it and how can I be a part of it?” Many hotel workers and staff took time from their busy schedules to enter into our prayer room and meet with God.

Remarkably, that’s what our Speaker/Writer Conference is all about. Don’t miss understand me. Sure, we teach others how to be a better speaker, how to write a book, and market themselves. BUT, our main purpose is to make God known as we were challenged to do Saturday night by our guest speaker, Jennifer Rothschild.

Proverbs 31 Ministries wants women to experience God in a deeper way. We want them NOT to pursue ministry but rather pursue God. Why? Because true ministry is birthed out of our relationship with God. That’s freedom, girls!

We don’t have to work at it, compete in it, or wonder what God wants from us when we’re seeking Him. When you and I are seeking the Lord, we’ll find ourselves on the path of His plan and purpose for our lives. And here’s the cool thing…nothing on earth or under earth can prevent God’s plan from happening. Nothing!

The bible tells us that God’s plans alone stand. That’s confidence for when we’re in the wait, girls. Though it may seem like the speaking engagements will never come or our book will never be published, remember it’s all in God’s timing. That’s how it has worked for me.

I spoke for eight years before I had my own book published. However, while I was in the wait, I had articles and devotionals published. I also co-authored three books. It’s true. God’s timing is not always our timing. But, this we know… His promises are certain, and when we’re ready they are delivered right on time.

Come back this week. I have many She Speak stories to share with you! Now…go make God known today!