Author Archives: Rhonda J. Smith

The Healing Truth

Posted on by
5

I’m not pretty.

This is the lie I believed growing up.

You may think it’s not much, that a lot of girls believed this, but I couldn’t see beyond the pimples and plump and stubby pigtails. I couldn’t see that complexions change and weight and hair can, too. One day when I was overwhelmingly blinded, I struggled through my faucet of tears and jerky heaves to tell my mother “I’m ugly.” She almost laughed, but pulled that in and me onto her lap, wiped my tears and cuddled me, and I suppose she told me how ridiculous what I said was. I don’t remember. I just remember that when she loved me I didn’t think of pimples and plump or pigtails; I thought about my mother’s love and that cradled me. Whether I was pretty or not or could change or not wasn’t the real issue (though most girls do want to be pretty). It was the ‘therefore’ that caused my fountain to flow.

  • I’m not pretty therefore boys won’t like me.
  • I’m not pretty therefore I won’t have as many friends as my sister.
  • I’m not pretty therefore people will tease me.

    • When we embrace a lie we live in the therefore, which often is the lie or a bigger lie than what we initially believe.

  • Gideon lived in the therefore. I’m too small. I’m too weak therefore I can’t defeat.
  • Naomi lived in the therefore. My family is deceased therefore I must cease.
  • Elijah lived in the therefore. I’m the only one therefore I can’t overcome.

    • And in each instance someone was there to give them another ‘therefore’ to push them on to defeat and to not cease and to overcome. We need those mamas and daughters and angels and God to minister to us to help us forsake our ‘therefores’ and live in the truthful ‘therefores.’

    I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) therefore

      1. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
      2. I can stand against the wiles of the enemy (Ephesians 6:10-18).
      3. I can redeem the time (Ephesians 5:15-16).
      4. I can mature to the full stature that Christ intends for me (Ephesians 4:13).
      5. I can walk in the Spirit so I won’t fulfill the lust of my flesh (Galatians 5:16).
      6. I can love my husband and my children (Titus 2:3-5).
      7. I can lay aside anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6).
      8. I can witness to others (Acts 1:8).
      9. I can love my enemies (Matthew 5:44).
      10. I can forgive (Matthew 18:15-35).

    The time is now to forget our ‘therefores’ and believe God. Happy New Year as you seek to live in God’s ‘therefores’ and make 2011 a year of healing truth.

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

    Harmless Lies

    Posted on by
    2

    “There is no Christmas without Santa Claus.” This I heard an 8-year-old girl say after a little boy told her he didn’t believe in Santa Claus. They went back and forth a bit, trying to reason with each other as only innocent 8 year olds could do. I was silent, pondering the conversation and seeing how easily she, even knowing that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth, could be drawn into the myth of Christmas. Continue reading →

    The Feast

    Posted on by
    1

    Our Ethiopian Feast-Before


    Our Ethiopian Feast-After

    We came together to feast, me and a former cop and soldier now mother and multiple business owner; an office manager and former divorced mother of three big boys, now a married mom of four; a former entrepreneur turned married homeschooling mom of six; a rapper who showcased skills on 106 and Park who now sparks the spiritual into the secular; and an engineer married to an engineer and mom of a boy and girl. We came together to feast, all ministry leaders and me the top ministry leader leading them into something different, something good, and they ate it up, this, my favorite, Ethiopian food that none had tried and one didn’t like after having the same four times before.

    Throwing Down

    We feasted on something different, food never touching their palates, food transforming their palates into something new. We, a table of used to be’s and wanna be’s now wanting to be whatever Jesus wants us to be and we are open. We are willing to consume the feast He has for us, no matter how different or how many times we did or didn’t like it, we will try, knowing it could even be yummy like our Ethiopian meal.

    Standing: Taivia; Nicole, Charyse and Chevelle; Seated: Helena & Me

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

    Merry Christmas: Have Fun in Christ

    Posted on by
    1

    Tomorrow I will look at a tree and see what’s meant so much to me for years: a heaping of hedonism. But that tomorrow will become my yesterday because of how I’ve labored with creating my greatest Christmas gift ever from God to me and from me to you: “The 39 Days of Christmas.” For three months I have been consumed with Christ, reflecting on His biblical presence before His physical presence on earth. And now this blog series is complete and wholly ready for you to use this Christmas or next or any other time that you need to remember that Jesus is the reason for Christmas and why we even exist. I have compiled the beginnings of each post here for you to sing to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”* You can also click select links to read posts from this series.

    Have a Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy singing this and have fun in Jesus Christ.

    On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).
    On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a way to balance my dualities (Zechariah 9:9-10).
    On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple (Haggai 2:9).
    On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a look at His judgment and His peace (Zephaniah 1:2-7).
    On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me feet like hinds’ feet (Habakkuk 3:19).
    On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His peace in the midst of wrath (Nahum 1:2-8).
    On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me greatness as a baby (Micah 5:2).
    On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me an offer to repent after day three (Jonah 1:17 & 3).
    On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three reasons to always believe Him (Obadiah 15-21).
    On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gets the job done (Amos 9:11-15).
    On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His word to sustain me (Acts 2:37-38).
    On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior who purchased me (Hosea 3).
    On the 13th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of destroyed kingdoms (Daniel 2:34-35).
    On the 14th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a picture of reigning reality (Ezekiel 21:27).
    On the 15th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who will weep over me (Jeremiah 3:20-22).
    On the 16th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a righteous, beyond super King (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
    On the 17th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a face to change my reality (Isaiah 52:14).
    On the 18th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a love that would ever be true (Song of Solomon 7:10).
    On the 19th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the one shepherd who could guide me (Ecclesiastes 12:11).
    On the 20th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, wisdom, the key to all life (Proverbs 8:35).
    On the 21st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a chilling prophecy (Psalm 22:16 & 18).
    On the 22nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who redeems from tragedy (Job 19:25).
    On the 23rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gave up comfort for me (Esther 4:11).
    On the 24th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the power to build anew (Nehemiah 2).
    On the 25th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His faithfulness and restoration too (Ezra 10:10).
    On the 26th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a temple for his honor and glory (2 Chronicles 2:1).
    On the 27th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a word for those who feel defeated (1 Chronicles 4:1)
    On the 28th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, hope, grace and life to settle me (2 Kings 4:3-7).
    On the 29th day of Christmas my true love gave to me wisdom to help me daily (1 Kings 3).
    On the 30th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a glimpse of eternity (2 Samuel 7).
    On the 31st day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a prophet, priest and a king (1 Samuel 7).
    On the 32nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior fit to redeem even me (Ruth 4-8-9).
    On the 33rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a ruler as a savior and king (Judges 4:4).
    On the 34th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a leader with the ultimate guarantee (Joshua 3).
    On the 35th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a prophet sent to guide me (Deuteronomy 18:15).
    On the 36th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise that he’d always be with me (Numbers 14:14).
    On the 37th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a burnt offering for all of my sins (Leviticus 1:1-17).
    On the 38th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a guide out of my slavery (Exodus 3:2-10).
    On the 39th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise of Satan’s defeat (Genesis 3:15).

    The difference with my “The 39 Days of Christmas” is that each day gives you a singular gift—Jesus Christ—so when you sing about the gifts from days 2-39 you announce the singular gift, i.e., On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple, a way to balance my dualities and a man to usher Him in.

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

    Care-less Christians-The 1st Day of Christmas

    Posted on by
    Reply

    On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).

    A sister told me she heard financial guru Dave Ramsey say this: “Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. They’re actually broke.” In this season a lot of us needed to hear that, like months ago. We skipped paying bills, maybe worked some overtime, borrowed some cash or charged our cards to the limit to buy our children Christmas toys so they wouldn’t feel left out, so we wouldn’t feel left out, so we could keep up with the Joneses. We forget that as Christians, we were never meant to fit in, to be like everyone else, and that includes how we operate during the Christmas season.

    Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.—Malachi 3:1

    Here in Malachi God the Father tells of the role of John the Baptist as the herald of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew we see John in action and as a man who wasn’t trying to fit in and didn’t care a bit what people thought about him.

    In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.—Matthew 3:1-8

  • John preached in an unconventional place.

    • He was in the wilderness, but those dry in spirit and wet with curiosity came to him.

  • John preached to unconvinced people.

    • He didn’t try to be like the religious leaders but challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees not to be hypocrites.

  • John wore unusual clothes.

    • Camel’s hair was different than the common clothes of linen, flax and wool.

  • John ate strange food.

    • I suppose that when you are in the wilderness, follow a Nazarite diet, and your main mission is to tell people about the coming of Jesus, insects and sweetener are prime food choices.

    John was a minimalist so he could focus on the maximum message of the coming of Christ. This is our message: to minimize things that gratify our flesh so we give fully to ministering the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came. He died. He rose again. He did it for all and will be with and in all who accept His sacrifice and receive Him as Savior and Lord. This is what we are to give at Christmas, caring less about what’s under the Joneses’ tree and more about who may not be in their hearts.

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith