Life is A Journey - What Road are You on?

How many of my friends reading this love watching movies? I love movies. My husband and I regularly go to the movies for our date nights. We’ve gone so much, that we’ve earned free passes to the next show we attend. The thing that I love best about a movie is the story it tells. No matter if it’s a comedy, drama, sci-fi thriller, biography, or animation, movies take you on a journey. And through that journey you experience a wide variety of emotions and physical reactions. I think for most of us, its the journey that attracts us to movies. We sit, eagerly awaiting each twist and turn, excited about what will happen next. But in life, it seems that it’s in the journey where we find ourselves anxious about the twists and turns; overwhelmed by the unknowns; and fearful of getting stuck or defeated. Everything that would normally thrill us in a movie, seem to cripple us in real life.

If we look back over our life stories, I’m sure that we can recall times where we thought we could not live beyond a specific moment. We thought that the end was upon us and that the last chapter of our lives was written. Whether we were being over dramatic and way too emotional about a particular event or we truly experienced a life-or-death circumstance, our feelings were real.

Similarly, I am confident that we can look back over our lives and find moments of prosperity and joy; moments filled with love and grace; moments that reassured us that our lives were moving forward in hope and with a promise of success.  And at those moments, we too felt something so deep and so real, we knew that the blessings of today would carry us into our next adventure tomorrow.

In both types of experiences, negative and positive, we survived. We continued down the road of life and the story of our journey did not end. We may have had a few Cliff Hanger moments, but life still continued on. Oliver Goldsmith once said, “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.”  Isn’t that so true!?! Geez. Some days it feels like you drove over every pothole, was delayed by every car accident, and encountered every negative nobody possible. But still, you must journey on through life. We aren’t promised any luxurious accommodations or clear paths. And we sure aren’t promised that we will survive it. But when we do (survive it), we are expected to keep pushing forward. We don’t just stop and celebrate like we’re dancing the jig at St. Patty’s celebration. Just like the actors in our favorite movies, we must take instruction from our director and carry through to the next scene. (ooh – that was good Gina, that was good. Stay with me. its about to get better.)

Think of your life journey this way. Our Director, aka the man upstairs aka the Holy of Holies aka God is sitting in his platinum plated (gold is too 1970s for me) director’s chair providing direction. You turn to Him and say, “but what is my motivation?” He places His head in His hands then lifts it up to stare at you blankly. He wonders why you are questioning His direction (but He isn’t really wondering because He is all-knowing. He knew you were gonna do that foolishness.). You proceed with the scene and as it was written. The script calls for you to go to the grocery store to buy some items for the week. As you proceed to the cashier, you realize you forgot your wallet. You ask the cashier if he can hold on to the items for you so that you can check your car for your debit card. Panicked, you run to the car and realize that both your wallet and your debit card are missing. You search your mind and walk through the places you had been that day. You remember that you did have your card with you when you entered the store. You then walk through each aisle where you shopped. Now your heart is racing and you are thinking that your card is missing and that someone is probably having a great time with it. You humbly go back to the register and say that you can’t make the purchase. The young clerk smiles and says that someone paid for your groceries. You smile, thank the cashier and as you pick up your groceries you see that your debit card had fallen down in with the apples and your wallet was in the shopping basket. You decide to pay your blessing forward and buy the next person’s groceries.

My favorite author Anonymous said, “Life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most off all experiences to enjoy.” Finding balance between the negatives and the positives, sorrow and joy, grief and hope, the now and the not yet – will help you to push through to the next scene. What if you wouldn’t have pushed through those “scenes?” What if you remained in your funk and continued to question the Director? What if you pouted and just stomped off to your car and didn’t even return to let the cashier know the status of your search? What if?

Two weeks ago when we discussed Lent and explored what it means to truly sacrifice and honor God’s sacrifice of the Holy Lamb, we talked about how important it is to sacrifice and hold on until the end. As you continue your Lenten journey, don’t wallow in your frustration about the “stuff” you gave up or the sacrifices you are making. No. Focus on the goal. You are journeying through a time of sacrifice, increased prayer, and daily quiet time with the Lord to honor Him and all He has and continues to do for you.

I want to remind you that, “It can be quite overwhelming to ‘forsake our own agenda and follow God’s plan.’ It can feel quite lonely to journey into the “unknown” alone.” But, if you allow Him to direct the film of your life; allow Him to author the story of your existence you might just get better than you hoped for and definitely better than you deserve. Read Romans 15:13.

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Are you fully alive?

Happy Lenten Season friends! Ash Wednesday was commemorated on March 1^st of this year. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and always falls 46 days before Easter. Typically understood as a Catholic tradition, this ritual is held to “prepare church members to better appreciate the death of resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial.” The priest, using blessed ashes then marks a cross on each parishioner’s forehead and says ‘Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return’ (Genesis 3:19).”

No matter if your church observes Ash Wednesday or not, most of us Christians observe Lent. We spend several days (or maybe the day before), planning which terrible habit to stop, temporarily or permanently ending poor food choices, or any other lifestyle changes to make. The goal should be more about self-denial as an offering of sacrifice to honor the sacrifice God made by sending His son Jesus Christ to live as man and then die on the cross for our sins to then be resurrected on the third day. What the goal has become, is more of a nuisance, an item marked on complete on our check list of obligatory Christian commitments of faith. Ouch! Truth telling time for sure.

My church, Vineyard Columbus, observes Ash Wednesday. Although not a Catholic church, Vineyard hosts two Ash Wednesday services annually and integrates and major faith building campaign during Lent. This year, our campaign is called ‘Fully Alive.’ The Fully Alive campaign is created to help members engage the ‘body of Christ’ in a full Lenten experience that includes a six part sermon series, interactive small group studies, and a service activity. The campaign is centered on the quote, “The glory of God is a person fully alive" - Irenaeus 180 A.D. and the scripture Habakkuk 2:4. The scripture reads, “Look at that man, bloated by self-importance – full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive” (The Message).

Through this series, the pastoral leaders will share messages to inspire and equip the congregation to live lives that are spiritually, physically, relationally, emotionally, and financially healthy. Biblically and psychologically, we know that experiencing health in every area of life, creates environments where we are more productive, positive leaders in our personal and professional lives. Living a life fully alive not only brings joy and peace to us personally, it also positively affects those around us – including our families, our co-workers, our employees, our communities, our world. But such change can be drastic and overwhelming. These changes, although positive, can be life altering and require a level of commitment that stretches us far beyond our mediocre sacrifice of chocolate during Lent.

Is God calling you to pursue a life that is Fully Alive? Is He calling you to “leave the mediocrity and comfort of your life and enter into a radical unfamiliar territory” that is your Promised Land? Too often we are unwilling participants in God’s plan for our lives. We’d rather live in the comfort of our lives, no matter how truly outrageous and uncomfortable of a life we’ve created. We would rather stick with our “known” circumstance, than risk moving toward a blessed “unknown” that God has created and is waiting for us to pursue. I recently read this statement, “Our comfort is eternally insignificant, but our faith and trust in God will endure forever.”

It can be quite overwhelming to “forsake our own agenda and follow God’s plan.” It can feel quite lonely to journey into the “unknown” alone. This is why community is so important to God’s plan for us. We need community to grow. Remember our last conversation when I shared that God spent some significant time weeding my garden. I shared how I had planted some weeds and allowed them to intertwine with the beautiful flowers that filled my garden aka my life. So to help me get to my Promised Land, he gave some gardeners. We need gardeners (prayer warriors) to plow and till our garden. We need seeds planted, soil watered, and weeds removed. Journeying through this life alone is not how God intended. Granted, there are moments where He allows us to be alone; but ultimately, He has intended for His family to live as one body, the body of Christ.

Friends, during this Lenten season, I encourage you to find the “courage within you to move you’re your fears and unexpected challenges that may arise.” I encourage you to find the “faith to believe that God is good and for your good.” Right now, during this season of sacrifice, you are living between the now and the not yet. You are challenged to push past what you’ve known so that you can live in what is yet to be. Realize that God has an ultimate plan that you may not see or know every detail yet; but trust that He has His best planned for you. Wow! That is such good news.

Remember that sacrifice of sweets, commitments to exercise, and a promise to pray and read the Bible are all good things; but true “spiritual transformation takes place incrementally over time with others in the context of disciplines and practices that open us to God.” If you’d like to know more about experiencing such a transformation, consider reading the book, “Life Together in Christ: Experiencing Transformation in Community” by Ruth Haley Barton.  

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Weeding my Garden

So I had a great, fantastic, awesome-sauce birthday. Thank you for asking. How have you been these last two weeks? What’s new? How is it going? You are just about half way through your 40 days. Have you heard anything from the Lord? Have you taken the time to sit quietly, free from all distractions, so that you could hear from him?

I’ve thought more about our last conversation. In short, we were talking about how much God can do in 40 days and in one year. Do you remember? We also discussed how sometimes we allow our fear of the unknown, doubt of our abilities, and misunderstandings of our capacities to dictate whether or not we answer the call on our lives. I then challenged you to “commit the next 40 days to listen and hear from God.” After our chat, I realized that there were some areas of my life that still needed some tending to; some areas of my life where I was still allowing fear and doubt and misunderstanding.

Often times, when I am struggling with a decision or how I am feeling about something in my life and seeking the Lord’s guidance, I will begin to pray. I will then share it with my husband and ask him to pray for me to discern what God is saying and use wisdom. And if necessary, I then ask trusted (note the word trusted) family and friends to join in prayer with me. Lets pause here for a minute.

When I use the term trusted in regards to family and friends, I am referring to those who you know without a shadow of a doubt that they can and will pray for you and do their best to live in obedience to God. Folks who don’t fit that description include: gossipers, one-uppers, negative nancy’s (sorry for anyone who is named Nancy – Ms. Nancy at East End – I love you.), whiners, constant comparers, and so on. This list could probably go on for days. The point is that, if when you share something with that person they dismiss you, deplete you, discourage you or defend you (as in when you are wrong, you know you’re wrong but you call someone who is going to defend your foolishness), then they need not be on your “first call” list. Are you allowing diminishers in your life? Is the man or woman in the mirror a diminisher? Or are you surrounding yourself with multipliers? Are you a multiplier?

Its one thing to listen to God, its another thing to answer His call on your life. Once you’ve answered the call, you then need to survey your surroundings. Are you living in, working in, growing in an environment that will allow you to answer the call? Is your environment fertile ground that will allow you to bear much fruit? Will you be able to make good on your answered call?

 

For me, I’ve always been blessed to live in, work in, and grow in positive, multiplying environments; but I haven’t always surrounded myself with the best people. These people were diminishers, depleters, dismissers, discouragers, and defenders. They were connected to me in my personal life, at work, and in my community. Although I had fertile ground, the people that I allowed into my garden, were intertwining with my flowers. They were weeds strangling the life out of me, removing me from God’s calling. And the worst part, I planted them!

All of these folks are no longer in my life. In many cases, God removed them. I actually had very little to do with their removal. The weeding out happened in ways that only God can explain. But the residual influence of their permitted existence in my life, occasionally pops its ugly head. I am a work in progress. I am only the middle of our 40 days. I am sitting and listening to hear God. I’ve asked Him to help me finish weeding the garden.

Fortunately for me, the flowers are still blooming and I have great gardeners (prayer warriors) helping me tend the garden. But in order to keep growing, I must not forget that I’ve been cleansed of my past sins (2 Peter 1:9) and that each day I actively grow, I am making every effort to confirm my calling (2 Peter 1:10).

I hope that you will continue to grow with me friends. Keep sitting, listening for God to speak. Commit to answer the call. Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Called to Be ME - Who are You Called to Be?

Today is my birthday (originally published February 5)! I love birthdays! I love celebrating my birthday! No – its not out of conceit or wanting people to celebrate me or give me gifts. No – not at all. I love birthdays because I love celebrating another year of life, another opportunity to thank God, another day to celebrate my time on this earth with family and friends. I love birthdays.

On the morning of my birthday (at least in recent years), I sit and reflect on all that happened over the last year. Now, for those of you who pay attention to my articles (blogs), you are saying to yourself, “Gina, you just reflected on all that happened over the last year for New Year’s Eve. How much reflection can one person do? And, it was only like a month ago girl. What the heck can happen in one month?” Ok. Ok. You’re right. I do spend significant time on December 31 of each year to reflect on the year before. And you’re also right that February 5 is only a month later. But, if you really, really do pay attention to my articles, you know that God can do a whole lot in one month. Now high five the person in the room with you or go look in the mirror and high five yourself to celebrate what God can do in less than 40 days! I’ll wait. Lets talk about what God can do in less than 40 days. As always, I’ve got a story. Are you ready to read it? Lets go.

On December 1, 2015, Paul Martinelli, President of the John Maxwell Team, one of five companies of leadership expert, best-selling author, and my mentor, John Maxwell interviewed me as a part of a new series of programming calls titled, Success Stories. I was one of a few team members who regularly worked with youth and was using John’s materials to reach young people. While on the call, Paul says that he is going to have me provide my insight and collaborate with him on a new arm of youth programming. After the call that hosted hundreds of team members from around the world, Paul called me back and said he wanted to discuss an opportunity with me. He asked that I connect with evangelist, best-selling author, and world-renowned speaker Nick Vujicic to develop the next level of our youth programming for the John Maxwell Team. Elated and overwhelmed by the enormity of the request, I happily said yes. He then said I had 40 days to prepare the curriculum, have it reviewed and approve by Nick’s team, and then (on the 41^st day) get on a plane to Los Angeles to lead the recording and production of Nick’s video messages that will be seen by youth throughout the world.

“This is great. I am humbled that you trust me with this work. I promise to do my best,” I responded. It was great. In many ways, it was an answered prayer. For about 3 years, I had been asking Paul to create some additional materials or have a faculty member devote some time to youth specific programming.  I never really thought it would be me. I responded to him confidently, but inside, I said, “Um. Ok. Yeah. Um.” But I didn’t have time to really process my fear, I did the interview and the call while my colleagues were facilitating an event at Penn State Fayette. They covered me while I took a break for the call. We were hosting our first Night Owls event, assisting students with preparation for their research projects and studying for finals. I had no time to react. I had to serve.

As my 40 day countdown began, my fear started to set it. I thought to myself, “I don’t have time to do this. How am I going to research and find the best practices to share with a team of 10,000 around the world? I am not good enough to work on this platform. Nick Vujicic is a world-renowned and highly respected leader. Who am I to work with him? How am I going to manage this major project and serve my team and students at Penn State Fayette? I am transitioning out of my job and my life and God gives me this, now? Too many people need me. Too many tasks need to be done.” I am sure there were several more barriers I chose to focus on instead of putting my energy into the work I was asked to do. But then I remembered, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” I also remembered that, for those who “delight [themselves] in the Lord, He grants the desires of [our] heart” Psalm 37:4.

Fast forward to one year later. On December 1, 2016, exactly one year after that first call, that first commission, I was called by Paul again and asked to lead another project. In less than 40 days, he, Nick and I would be on a call with over 1,000 team members to announce the John Maxwell Team Global Youth Initiative. On January 7, 2017, we launched the initiative and 30 days later, I am in the midst of leading thousands of team members to host free programs around the world with a goal to equip 500,000 youth with leadership skills during the week of April 24 – 30, 2017.

Today friends, I ask you, what opportunities has God given you that you’ve allowed fear of the unknown, doubt of your abilities, and a misunderstanding of your capacity to dictate whether or not you answer the call? Commit the next 40 days to listen to hear from God. Listen to hear what He has for you. And before your next birthday, commit to identify and follow the call on your life. What are you called to do? To be? Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

I Survived the Transition - Will You?

Transition. Last year, actually for two years, my one word was transition. I was intentional about that being my one word. I didn’t even hesitate when deciding what my one word would be. Last year was truly my year of transition. I had actually been in transition for a few months prior to January 2015. But at that time, the calendar year of 2014, my one word was alignment. And before that, it was transformation. Lets take a moment and focus on last year’s word – transition.

As a noun, the word transition is defined as “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.” And as a verb, transition is “to undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition.”

Typically when I choose my one word, I am looking for a word that best defines where I want to go, who I want to be, where I hope to end up. The word transition better represented where I was. Reflecting back on this now, I find that I may have landed and then stayed on that word because transition is where I needed to remain in order to successfully move to the next level(s) in my life. I knew, maybe only subconsciously, but I knew that I needed to stay focused. I needed to walk this thing out. I needed to get on the other side, moving from where I was to where I was called to be. Yep. The last 18 months have probably been the most exhausting, terrifying, and exciting months of my life.

Have you ever been required to transition to something new? Or asked to do something completely different that you are comfortable doing? I’m sure you have. Think about it. For some of us, moving outside of our comfort zone trying new foods may be a big deal. To add a new menu item to our list of 10 foods we like is major. And when it happens, although rare, it is a sight to be seen and celebrated. You laugh, but for some people that is a very real experience. The amount of anxiety that rises up in them when a new food item is placed in front of them is palpable to those in the room with them. We all know that this is not my problem. Child, please. You better bring me that food you made. I am a foodie. I plan trips around restaurants. For real. I just went to Memphis to attend a conference and enjoyed Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken and some Central Barbecue. A-MAZ-ING!

So maybe food isn’t your big hurdle. What about learning new technology to do your job? Yep. I knew it. I knew that some of you would raise your hand on that one. Or still there might be others who have had to battle flying so that they could attend a conference for work? Or relocate their families half way across the world because of work or calling? What is the major transition that caused you to move out of what you know well?

Imagine knowing that God is requiring you to transition from everyone you know, every place where you’ve made memories, everything you (well just about) love. Imagine every bit of comfort that your life, the life you worked hard to build, for good or for bad (cause some of us are just simpletons living comfortably in chaos – but that’s none of my nevermind) will never be the same again.

It sounds like it would really suck doesn’t it? Well for all intensive purposes, that describes my life. The transition God prepared me for and had me live through the last 18 months to 2 years was not a dream, it was real life. I transitioned from the job I love. I transitioned from the community I served. I transitioned from the home I worked hard to own. I transitioned from the neighborhood where I was cared for and made memories. I transitioned from everything I ever knew. And you know what!?! I survived! I did more than that – I thrived and am thriving! And more importantly, the job (team) I transitioned from continues to serve and bless students. The community I transitioned from has new and upcoming leaders who are eager to add value. The home I transitioned from now is home to a wonderful family, blessing them with new memories. See – we can survive transitions. We can thrive through them. We can be blessed because of them! 

As I write this article for you, I am witnessing the transition of power from former President Barrack Obama to President Donald Trump. I am grateful for the peaceful transition that former President Obama (James 1:12) led for President Trump.  I pray Philippians 4:12, Psalm 37:5, Proverbs 27:3-5 for President Trump and Vice President Pence; and for our country I pray Ephesians 4:11-16.

Oh! By the way, I’ve decided on my one word. Kaizen. Yep. My word is Kaizen. A focus to continuously improve upon myself, how I live my life, how I serve my family, how I do my job, and so on. I am committed to continuously improve. I am committed to living life beyond the transition. How about you?

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Kransekake and Kaizen in 2017!

Happy New Year friends! I pray that you had a wonderful holiday season filled with memory-making moments with family and friends. Did you celebrate New Year’s Eve? What did you do to ring in the New Year? Did you host a party or maybe you attended someone else’s festivities? Did you eat some pork and sauerkraut? Or maybe you ate some black eyed peas? I didn’t do any of the above. My husband and I started a new tradition. We made a big ol’ meal of our favorite seafood and watched the Ohio State Game for like 5 minutes. (We watched it a little longer than 5 minutes. For my sports fans out there, you know exactly why the channel was changed.) Then we watched a movie, fell asleep, woke up at midnight, kissed each other, said a joyous “Happy New Year,” and then went to bed. Yep! Party animals right here baby!

Whether you partied it up on December 31^st, watched Mariah Carey sort-of perform on Dick Clark’s Rockin New Year’s Eve, ranted on Facebook about losing Channels 11 and 4 because of contract disputes with DirecTV, or fell asleep on your couch, the New Year came and its here! It’s a new year! 2017 is upon us and another 365 days of opportunity await us.

According to 2013 article posted in the Business Insider, folks from around the world maintain various traditions when celebrating the New Year. For example, in Spain, they eat 12 grapes for good luck. In Belgium, children write letters to their parents or god-parents to commemorate the New Year. In Greece, onions are hung on the door and pomegranates are broken on the doorsteps to mark the New Year. In Denmark (and Norway) people gather to eat a rather large cake called “kransekage” (kransekake in Norway). Timeout.

Listen…y’all know how much I love food. One of the best things I’ve ever, ever, ever ate is kransekake. When I travelled to Norway nearly 6 years ago through an initiative sponsored by Rotary International. During that trip we celebrated Norway’s Constitution Day. As a part of the celebration we ate kransekake.  When I tell you my life changed…believe me, it did. I returned to the U.S.A. and began a desperate search for a baker who specialized in making kransekake. My searched rendered no results so I started to search for feverishly through the internet for the recipe and special pans needed to make this delectable dessert. I still have yet to make the dessert; but know that I fondly think of it often. If anybody wants to make me this cake, I will gladly accept it. Just sayin. Ok. Time-in.

Speaking of food, did you know that in Estonia, folks eat up to 12 meals on the night of New Year’s Eve? 12 meals. I love food but that is just gluttonous. In Argentina, folks eat beans before the stroke of midnight hoping to bless their careers with great fortune in the New Year.  

And in Germany people eat marzipan pigs as a token of good luck.

I think you get the idea. Folks all around the world make and keep traditions to celebrate an important day like the beginning of a new year. In our family we are discovering new ways to celebrate each holiday and make it special to our clan. But one tradition that we are continuing that I started when it was just Christian and me (and all of you – my wonderful friends) is spending time during the month of January praying, fasting and reflecting on what God would have our focus be for the upcoming year. Through this process, we find our one word for the year. I am still in the midst of our process, devoting time and energy to sit still and listen to what God is saying to me. I don’t want to rush Him or rush the process. I allow myself time. I allow God to reveal himself to me in his time. I am normally moving so fast that slowing down in January is almost a reward for the speed and effort given in the year before.

This week, sooner than I thought He would begin to reveal himself to me, God spoke through a gentlemen I met for the first time. A meeting was scheduled for me to discuss his services in the community center and how we can better partner together. Additionally I needed to speak with him about a potentially difficult topic. You see, in my job, I am responsible for making seemingly difficult decisions and working with hundreds of folks to identify the best solution for various issues. Often times I don’t know what the conversations will render. I am usually unsure of the motives of the folks I am working with or meeting with. And even more often, I am unaware of the history of the situation, partners involved, nuances of the relationship, and so on. Basically, most of the time, I am flying blind.

During my meeting with Mr. Walt we found that God had already been revealing to him that he was to move on from working with our center and step out into his own practice. Our conversation served as a confirmation for him and what God was calling him to do. We learned a lot about each other during those 30 minutes and even got to pray together to close the meeting. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Walt asked me if I ever heard of the Japanese term “kaizen” before. I said no. He shared that kaizen means to continuously improve, working hard to find solutions, to be better and do better for everyone, everywhere.

I’m not sure if kaizen will be my word for 2017, but I do know that God used me to confirm Mr. Walt’s calling and God used Mr. Walt to confirm mine. What is God doing or what has God done to confirm your calling or identify the path you should follow in 2017? Friends, I challenge you to take time and sit quietly to listen to what God has for you. This year can be your year of forgiveness, of rebirth, of stepping out, of continuous improvement. But how will you know if you refuse to slow down, press in and hear what God is saying?

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Gift-Giving 201: Kids can be the BEST Gift-Givers!

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Buon Natale! God Jul! Meri Kurisumasu! Chuc Mung Giang Sinh! Happy Birthday Jesus!

It is one of the greatest days of the year! I looooooooove Christmas! (Imagine that I just screamed that at the top of my lungs while typing it. For real. It happened.) If you remember, during our last conversation, I shared with you how much I love Christmas and gift giving. Even when I have a budget and make a commitment “to do less this year,” I overdo it. I can’t help it. I love finding just the right gift, with the perfect meaning, created special for a family member, friend, or colleague. Did I mention I love Christmas!?!

Giving gifts is not the only thing I love about Christmas. I love receiving gifts too. Duh! Who doesn’t love receiving gifts!? I especially love the handmade gifts from my nieces or the personally signed cards from one of my god-children. Some of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received were from Christian when he would bring home some Santa Secret Shop presents that he bought and picked out just for me. He was so proud. He loved and still loves shopping to this day. He is a crazy gift-giver too! Kids, when encouraged, appreciated, and taught, can be the most awesome gift-givers ever! Don’t you agree? I know of one amazing kid who gave the best gift ever; let me tell you about him.

A little over 2000 years ago, a baby was born to a teen mom who was in a committed relationship with her fiancé. They didn’t have much money or resources but they had each other. From the day he was he conceived, folks knew how special he was (Luke 1:26-2:20). His purpose foretold by ancient prophecies (Isaiah 9:6) and the legacy of his life (Luke 23 and 24) would change the world forever. Throughout his life, he shared all that he had. From a great story about living humbly and loving your neighbor to the woodwork he would create with his “step-dad” to meals – even his last meal, this kid shared it all. He was a great, humble, loving, and the most ultimate gift-giver EVER!

If you don’t know by now who I am talking about, I am referring to Jesus. He was the kid born to an engaged teen mom who had very little earthly riches. I’m sure she and her husband Joseph, gave Jesus everything that they could. But lets be real – he wasn’t getting any PlayStations, Xboxes, or Hatchimals. And in gratitude, he gave them respect, love, and appreciation. I’m sure he gave them some great handmade gifts as well; but more importantly, he gave them a life lived as a servant leader that they could be proud of. I mean, he was (and is) the Savior of the World. He had a lot to do in 33 years.

Through his life and death we received the greatest gift we will ever receive – salvation. He freely gave his life on a cross so that we may have eternal life with him and his father in Heaven. No greater gift can come from a friend (John 15:13).

A few weeks ago, I shared a very personal experience with you about un-forgiveness. I shared that I would be giving myself the best gift I could think of and that was forgiveness. I forgave myself of holding on to the memories of pain. I forgave myself for not seeking freedom sooner. And I forgave the person who caused me the pain. Forgiveness was just the first step. Living free in relationship with Jesus Christ is where my true blessings come from. Don’t you want that too? A life free from past guilt, festering pains and stolen dreams? I thought you might want that. Let me share a gift with you my friend. I can’t give it to you, but I know who can.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and commemorate his life through the giving of gifts, the sharing of meals, and spreading the messages of joy and hope, let us not forget what his life means to us. His life represents a new beginning, a new chance to live in peace, sharing peace; live in hope, spreading hope; live with gratitude and showing appreciation. Celebrating his life every year, celebrating your life (on your birthday) every year is a way for you to recall your birth story and in many ways, be born again. Receive the gift of Jesus Christ today. Commit your life to the Lord and live renewed, reborn (Read Romans 12:1-21).

Renascido! Rinato! Renaissant! Weidergeboren! Renaissance!

May God bless you and your families as you celebrate the holiday season. Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa to our friends celebrating other religions.  Don’t forget to spend the next several days considering and praying about what one word you will focus on for the New Year. What will 2017 bring you? Let your one word guide you into your renaissance!

Thank you Christian for inspiring this article. You are the best, my son. I love you.

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Gift-Giving 101: The Gift of Forgiveness

“Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la. La la la la.” Its almost that time of year…Christmas! “I am singing. I am writing an article and I’m singing!” (If you don’t get the reference for the last lyric, watch the movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell. You’re welcome.) 

Don’t you just love this time of year? I do. I love Christmas so much. I love celebrating and sharing the love and joy of Christmas with everyone. Most importantly, I love commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Each year, as we place the baby in the manger, I sit in awe that Christ’s life was freely given as a sacrifice for each of us – us who were yet to be created. Us, who were born into sin. Us, me and you. I can’t imagine a better gift. Can you?

What kind of gifts do you like to give at Christmas? Or in general? I love giving gifts that have additional or deeper meaning. You know, like purchasing gifts from sites like The Grommet – where you can purchase items that created by underrepresented entrepreneurs or innovative small businesses or folks who support social enterprise. I also like to purchase simpler things like a person’s favorite candy bar or copy of their most favorite movie that they watched growing up as a kid. Items that bring back memories are among some of the best kinds of gifts to give. Other gifts on that list of best gifts to give include some free gifts as well. A gift like forgiveness is free to give and arguably blesses the giver way more than the receiver. Let me tell you about my experience with un-forgiveness.

Boy have I had a busy week. Multiple events, time spent working at different jobs, little sleep, my eyes are twitching, my body is aching – it has been a rough week. When I have a busy week like this one and if I have a chance to get some rest, I either sleep very deeply or I am restless and wake from vivid nightmares. This week, I had a nightmare about someone from my past returning to my life. I woke up remembering each part of the nightmare, wondering if I had imagined it or if in fact it was real.

The scenario played out like a Lifetime Movie. The person entered into the room, like they had been a part of our family without interruption. Our connection was terminated a very long time ago. In this scenario, the person was speaking to me as if we were friends. They were interacting with my family as if nothing ever happened. In this nightmare, I was looking around the room, yelling at everyone, wondering why they weren’t offended by this person’s presence. Why were they back? Why were they here? I began to scream, yell and physically assault this person; but my actions produced no change. They were unaffected by my words or my physical attack. I woke up.

Why was I even thinking about this person? They were deleted from my life a long time ago. My survival method has always been to “delete” people from my life. If you cross me or my family, it is so convenient and easy to just delete you. Its almost as if you never existed. Legit – I will walk past someone who has hurt me and I act like I’ve never met them before and have no desire of meeting them now. If you hurt me or my family, you become a ghost of my memories walking in the shadows of the day. I don’t even see you. Isn’t that mean? But it so true. Ugh.

And its not because I wasn’t taught or shown forgiveness. I had a great teacher in my mother. She seems to have a super power that enables her to forgive effortlessly. I doubt that it is an easy task to do; but she makes it seem like it. Although my mom has shown me the value in forgiveness and that it is better to forgive, it is obviously something that I continue to struggle with. And through that struggle, I’ve learned these 3 truths about un-forgiveness. 1 – the Pain it causes you. 2 – the Dreams it steals from you. 3 – the Residue it leaves on you.

I always thought that by removing people from my life, I was removing the pain that they caused or that I allowed them to cause me. In reality, removing this person and their junk didn’t remove the scars that their behaviors caused. I needed to do more than place them and their stuff in the garbage. The memories of their toxicity haunted me. My memories returned in the form of nightmares. While I am supposed to be dreaming about my goals, my future, and what God has in store for me, I am torturing myself with the pain of my past. So not only is the person and their stuff in the garbage, but my mind is there too. My mind is not the only thing consumed by this person and what pain they caused me, my daily actions had a residue on them that couldn’t easily be removed. 

So this Christmas, I think I’m gonna give myself the best gift I’ve ever given anyone yet. Forgiveness. I forgive myself for holding on to the pain. I forgive myself for refusing to dig deeper and seeking God to help me to forgive. And I forgive the person who stole so much from me.

Poof. Magic. I’m fixed. Syke! Its not that easy friends; but this is a start. Consider what un-forgiveness you are holding onto and let it go. Seek God and find out how you can live free from the pain of someone else’s behaviors, free from the pain of your own past, free and living fully alive in Jesus Christ! Live free my friends. I’m going to try to and you should too! Read Matthew 6:14-15.

Gina Jones is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

What kind of Helper are You? Are you really helping?

The Parent Trap (c) 1961 - Una Merkel and Hayley Mills

Happy Thanksgiving friends! Wow! I can’t believe that it’s the end of November. December is soon upon us. And the balance in your bank account is evidence of your ridiculous spending on Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, and We Just Need to Spend the Rest of Our Money Sunday. Mmmhmmm. But that ain’t none of my nevermind. I ain’t here to judge. Just make sure your utilities are paid, the mortgage is current, your car note is up to date, and most importantly, that Jesus got his 10%. After that, do what you want. But like I said, that’s none of my nevermind and I ain’t here to judge. (FYI – completely stole that line from the original Parent Trap circa 1961. Verbena, played by Una Merkel gave life to those words and I’ve never forgot them.)

Anywho, back to today’s task, writing this commentary. Lets start with a note of thanks. That seems apropo, doesn’t it? First, let me give of thanks to God. You already know that I am unapologetically and woman of faith – so why should today be any different. Thank you God for sending your Son to earth to die for our sins. Thank you Jesus for giving your life for us so that we might one day join you in Heaven. Thank you for choosing me to share the good news of your love, your grace, and your mercy. Thank you for providing me with opportunities to serve and bless others daily. Thank you for blessing me with family and friends to love and for giving them the ability to love me in return. Thank you Father. You are just so good to me.

Isn’t God good? He is. It always amazes me, literally everyday, how He can love us like He does. I mean think about it. Lets take this unnecessary shopping that we all just did. (Technically, I didn’t shop this year. But I feel like if I say “we,” it will make you feel better and more willing to receive the message. Am I being a little too transparent here? Oh well. Now you know why I often use the word “we” when we chat.) We spend more money than we should on items that depreciate upon purchase and then we sit in church or at home, praying and asking God to provide for us until our next paycheck. And somehow, some way, God shows up. Our all knowing, all loving, all forgiving God shows up and makes sure that we have what we need – even though we don’t deserve it. Could you be so forgiving? Could you extend that much grace to someone? What if a close friend, a child, a parent, someone you love dearly, always made poor choices and then reached out to you to help them, to bail them out – would you do it?

Over my life, I’ve found that when it comes to the question above, we humans tend to fit into three different categories of helpers. We are either “Saviors,” “It Dependers,” or “None of my Neverminders.” Lets start with the “Saviors.” Some of you are really good at helping people out of their messes. You always consider the question, “What Would Jesus Do?,” hoping that it will shed light on what you should do and how you should help your beloved. You desperately believe that God placed you in a position to help this person, otherwise He would not have brought them to you. You also believe that you should serve at any and all costs – you might even be a martyr.

Then we have the “It Dependers.” This group of people are those who need to thoroughly review and understand the situation being presented to them before they help. Once they understand the situation (is this a repeat offender or a one-time I need some help circumstance), they then consider how well they know the person. For some IDs, it is more likely for them to help folks who they know and have an established relationship. For others, they prefer to only help those who they will NEVER see again, or at the very least, the likelihood of them seeing that person again is minimal.

Finally, we have the “None of my Neverminders.” The “Neverminders” are those who can smell “trouble” coming from a mile a way. They have no interest in using their time, their money, their resources to help someone who seems to constantly get themselves into bad situations. They believe that the best help is no help. They firmly assert that if folks figured it out on their own, they would stop being buffoons.

Here’s the deal. There is value and truth in each of those “Helper Types,” but none of these are completely right. We should strive to be a combination of the three. You can’t save anyone – there is only one Savior and that’s Jesus Christ. Serving and helping others in need shouldn’t depend on our mood. And although we are not called to be saviors, that doesn’t mean that we turn away from others. Our gifts are not just for us and us alone. We have been uniquely gifted with talents and resources to bless others. Read Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 3:23-24, Matthew 25:34-35; Ephesians 6:7.

So this Thanksgiving, I urge you to find balance and be grateful for the opportunities that God gives you each day to show His love, His grace, and His mercy in this world. You never know who you might bless by being a little more like Christ – it might be you who gets the biggest blessing of all.

Gina Jones is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.

Living Your Life to the Fullest: Faith to Continue

The seasons of our lives seem to be dictated by major milestones that occur during that time. Some of us are in the season of exploration as we leave our homes and start college; others are in the season of settling down and creating a home for a family to grow; and yet others are in the season of retirement and creating a new life, a different pace from the last 30 or 40 years. As we age, we experience different seasons. How we experience those seasons determines how we will thrive in or just barely survive them. What season of life are you in? Are you enjoying this season? Are you living your life to the fullest?

Take our friend Joe. He started to believe that in this season of his life, he was being overlooked. He started to believe that God forgot about him and favored Declan over him. He limited his ability to see God at work in his life. He allowed his confession to agree with his senses instead of his faith. He allowed his current situation to determine his belief in God and God’s plan for his lie.  A younger, hipper, kid with new ideas was being elevated to positions of influence that Joe once held. A kid young enough to be his son was now communicating directives to Joe and his team about how they can better do their jobs. Joe thought that his latter years would be better than his former years (Haggai 2:9); but with each new day, that belief lost its value and was now only a distant dream.

In each season of our lives we can choose to live with a purpose or we can choose to live in the pain of our circumstance. Joe’s daily walk moved from waking up with joy in his heart and a passion to boldly pursue God’s plan for his life to waking up with fear about change and anger in his heart. He became a disgruntled Mr. Wilson. You know – Mr. Wilson from Dennis the Menace. Mr. Wilson was always yelling at that seemingly out of control, always enthusiastic, over-the-top extrovert Dennis. He just couldn’t understand why this kid, a kid who he explicitly tells to stay out of his yard, keeps coming back and getting in his way. He just wanted to live his retired life quietly and at peace. He didn’t need the chaos that Dennis was bringing to his life. In many ways, Joe felt the same way about Declan. Declan was disrupting his plan that he had to finish his career and enter the next season of his life. I wonder if Joe saw Declan as an opportunity to leave a legacy rather than a hindrance to his future plans or a reminder of what he failed to do, would he feel the same way?

On Sunday, November 6, Pastor Rich Nathan of Vineyard Columbus continued his series, The Journey of Faith. In this series, he is exploring the life of Abram, known to most of us as Abraham. In Genesis, God instructs Abram to leave his homeland and journey to the promise land. Several years later and after many twists and turns (because of Abram’s choices, not God’s direction), Abram and his wife Sarai (soon to be known as Sarah) are nearing what they believe to be the “winter” of their lives. But even in this season, God reveals that He still has a plan and a purpose for them that is yet to be fulfilled. He tells Abram that he will be the father of many nations. More than a decade passes since the promise, Sarai is beyond childbearing years and fears that if Abram does not have a child, He will not be the father of many nations as God has promised. Well-intentioned but lacking all faith in God’s plan, Sarai gives her servant Hagar to Abram so that he can have a child. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael.

Click on the photo to watch the Message

Thinking that their plan was better than God’s, Sarai and Abram create more problems than they originally had. Sarai is now jealous of Hagar and begins to treat her poorly and casts her out into the dessert. Even though God saw what they had done, He eventually (still even more years later) gave Abram now Abraham and Sarai now Sarah a son, Isaac. (Read Genesis 14-18 to read the Abraham’s Journey of Faith).

Why is this story relevant to our discussion of Joe and Declan? Well, Joe had his mind set that God had forgotten him. He had his mindset that his plans to retire the way that he wanted to were now ruined. He had a mindset that his latter days will not be better than his former days. My friends, God has a plan for you. The promises He has for you are not forgotten. He is strategic in his timing and in what season of life that He will give them to you. He must be trusted. You must believe.

To me, Declan was Joe’s opportunity to live far past his life here on earth. Joe didn’t even realize his impact on Declan. He was so caught up on what he didn’t have (according to his plan) that he missed out on what God gave him. Hmmm. Have you ever done that? Been so caught up in what you lost or didn’t have that you missed out on what God gave you? And maybe you chose to take care of it yourself because you thought God forgot about you? Do you have an Ishmael because you refused to wait for your Isaac?

Friends, no matter what season of life you are in, God has you. He is there walking with you and carrying you through the good and the bad. He has made promises to you and is working things out for your good. I challenge you to give God this season of your life and see just how good He really is. The journey of faith is not always an easy one; but if you stay the course, it will pay off in the end.


Gina Jones is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.