There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

But! That doesn’t mean we are going to like, or even understand, everything that happens when it happens. Yet we are called to trust in the One True God whose sovereign purpose and love will one day reveal to us how:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 

Until that time—whether our seasons bring birth or death, weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing, war or peace—we are Always in a Time to Trust in the One who is Eternal, True, Righteous, Wise, and Loving.

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Have you ever started something—maybe a new job, a new course of study, a new career, a new hobby, a new relationship, a new move out of your old neighborhood…or out of your old comfort zone—and then hit some kind of challenge, confusion, distraction or frustration?

You’re left wondering:  So then, WHAT happens? WHAT should I do?

In order to live out our faith in Jesus Christ—whether it is a fairly new faith for us OR we have been on this faith journey with Jesus for a long time—God gives us all the same clear, full answer to the question: So then, WHAT??

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live in Him,

rooted and built up in Him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness!

Colossians 2:6-7

No matter WHAT challenge, confusion, distraction or frustration we may face in our faith journey with Jesus—our Loving, Living, Fully Present, Powerful Lord lets us know exactly WHAT we need to do—and provides everything for us to be able to do it…now and for all the times yet to come! 

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,

in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

Colossians 2:2-4

God uses the Apostle Paul as His vessel to reveal God’s own passionate, powerful purpose for all of us who have put our trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord:

• God purposes us to be encouraged in heart—given strength, hope, confidence and courage at the very core of who we are, what we think and what we do
• God purposes us to be united in love by the love of Christ—to truly belong to each other as God’s children, as brothers and sisters in faith, who will actively love, care, protect and support one another because of our oneness in Christ
• God purposes us to have, and be eternally and outrageously blessed by, the full riches of complete understanding…by all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…found in God’s revealed truth that was once kept as mystery:
• Jesus Christ is the Living God in Human Form
• Jesus died for us to Forgive our sins
• Jesus rose from the dead to Conqueror death
• Jesus will come again!
• God purposes us to know and understand all this fully so that no one and nothing will deceive us. Not ever.

So! Be encouraged! Love powerfully and unselfishly! Be filled with God’s lavish gifts of understanding, wisdom and knowledge through the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

I love the humble, honest heart of King David that admits his flaws and cries out to God for His constant intervention! 

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Like David, I, too, need my God to continually and strongly guard, watch, rule over and manage my mouth! And my thoughts from where those words form and flow!

God loves us so much. And the good, life-filling transformation He has for us needs to be clearly evident through the words that fill our mouths.

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Psalm 141:5

Now, just so you know, I’m not running right out and eagerly inviting the most righteous man or woman I know to get all up in my face to tell me what my sins and habits are that are marring and diminishing my life in, and my witness for, my Lord Jesus Christ.

No. This is definitely not a scenario I purposefully try to create in my life.

Then, I stop and think…or rather, my God who loves me so much and wants the very best for me, makes me stop and think: “Why not? Why not intentionally invite someone I trust—who is seeking God’s love, grace and truth—to keep me accountable, keep me teachable, keep me growing and transforming more and more into the likeness of Jesus?”

Then the question is: “How will I respond to that righteous wisdom—that may, at first, cause me some temporary pain, shame or selfish indignation…before I get to the humbly accepting place where I recognize these words as coming from the very heart of God?”

Yes, it is a Brave Invitation for a Transforming Purpose. But! Why Not?

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

I have been reminded of your sincere faith…For this reason I remind you to fan into flames the gift of God… For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Sometimes we just need someone else to remind us of who we are and what amazing, unlimited resources we have within our very souls. All given to us through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So! REMEMBER—daily, moment-by-moment—to passionately, courageously live out who you are in Jesus with all the power, love and self-discipline you have been given through the Spirit of the Living Christ!

June 2009—TBG Newsletter

A SIMPLE TRUST…AN OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM!

 (on www.theTBloG.org  for June 22)

I have a simple trust in an outrageous claim.  Jesus said:

“Because I live, you also will live.”

John 14:19

I am convinced that Jesus is the Lord of Life who laid down His life for mine, and rose from the dead to give me eternal life with Him. I trust Jesus.

That’s why I have a simple–albeit passionate and life transforming–trust in His outrageous claim.

I hope you have this same simple trust in this outrageous claim Jesus made. It makes all the difference in the world–for this life and the next!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,

Sylane

 Speaking Events Completed:

May 2-Rachel Mack had the privilege to speak at Trinity Bible Church in Bristol, PA for their Ladies’ Tea-where she knew many, including her mom! Sylane served as prayer support and cheerleader! The twenty women in attendance enjoyed food, fun and fellowship, and were blessed as Rachel shared lessons gleaned from John 11 (Raising Lazarus from the dead). Specifically: how God would want us, as mothers and wives, to respond when our loved-one is going through a trial:  Praying, remembering God’s attributes and praising God for who He is, what He did in the past and what He will do in the future. These actions help us to see our loved-one’s trial from God’s perspective.

Remember to join us on the 10th day of each month as we passionately PRAY for God’s life-giving, life-freeing, transforming work to be done in the lives of all with whom we minister-at conferences, counseling sessions or on corners and in coffee shops!

May 16-Lydia Austin spoke at Neshaminy Valley Baptist Church.  The ladies hosted a beautiful Spring Tea - their first women’s event in years. Rachel Mack traveled with Lydia, and having known quite a few of these ladies, was able to reconnect with many. Excitement, fellowship, and joy filled the room!  Lydia spoke about keeping JOY (Jesus Over Yourself) in your life and used the analogy of the three layers of a tea sandwich:  The bread -Notice the Blesser. The yumm(sometimes surprise-ing) middle -Notice the Blessing, The bread - Thank the Blesser. 

May we all remember to keep JOY in our lives!  May our glasses overflow with abundant joy!  AMEN!

Upcoming-”Home-Coming” Speaking Events

July 1-Sylane Mack will be at Ontario Bible Camp (OBC)-Oswego, NY. This is such a joy for Sylane because this is the camp where she accepted Jesus as her Savior as a seven year old little girl! And the first time she’s been back in 42 years! Our God truly is the Alpha and the Omega!

The healing and transformation that Christ alone can bring into a life will be her focus. First, via a Counselor Training Session on Leading a Child to Christ and then, after dinner she will share her testimony and encouragement during the Commissioning Service for Counselors and Staff.

PRAY that ALL who serve will take up the full joy and power of being an Ambassador of Christ to the children and their fellow staff members at OBC Summer Camp 2009! PRAY that many children will have their lives transformed for all eternity as they come to know the loving salvation of Jesus Christ for themselves!

July-Labor Day-Sylane will be on Sabbatical to WRITE (and finish!?) CONVINCED! the story of her own life. PRAY for the Spirit of God to lead every word she writes, for just the right publishing path to come about and for the transforming grace of Jesus to be fully revealed through the reading of this book in the lives of many, many people!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Galatians 5:1

• Please read and pray for the impact of Sylane’s daily devotional posts for A Time for Grace and Truth on www.theTBloG.org

Please JOIN us as a Partner in Grace! Your prayers and financial gifts provide the tangible and greatly needed support for both the Counseling and Conference Ministries carried out through Transformed By Grace!

 Gifts may be sent to P.O. Box 976, Newtown, PA 18940. Thank you all!

JUNE 2009

“If you love me…”  Go ahead, fill in the blank.

How have you finished that line when speaking to someone else? How has someone else finished that line when speaking to you?

God’s love for us is NOT conditional. It can’t be. Because the condition of God–His very nature–is LOVE.

Yet God does ask that we show our love—live out our love—for Him by obeying His commands. And even in this, our LORD does NOT leave us alone. He gives us His omnipresent Holy Spirit to lovingly, truthfully lead us, empower us and counsel us to obey our God! 

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 

And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

John 14:15-17 

Basically Jesus is finishing the line, “If you love me…” far differently than many of us would with our loved ones.

We expect them to figure out what we want or need to feel loved. You know…if they really loved us they would know what would mean something to us, or be special for us, that would make us feel loved.  And if they really loved us they would darn-well-better be able to figure out just how that needs to be done! Beause we certainly shouldn’t have to tell them! Not if they really loved us!

As a counselor of individuals, couples and families, may I just say that is really ego-centric and totally ridiculous thinking?! (Was that blunt enough?!)

Jesus is so good to finish the line, “If you love me…”  with…”I will tell you exactly how to love Me: obey My commands. And I will give you everything you need to show Me your love—through the guidance of My Presence–the Wonderful Counselor–My Spirit of Truth. I love you so much and I know that calling you to obey My commands, and giving you My Spirit to empower you to do so, is really My way of loving you.” 

God has given us His life and His Spirit to show His love for us! Let’s give our Lord Jesus back some love, just the way He likes it: Obey His Loving, Truth-filled, Life-transforming Commands!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

I have a BLURSE. Actually, I have quite a few, but don’t worry a BLURSE is not contagious. And besides, you probably already have at least one BLURSE of your own.

Some of you know what I’m talking about when I mention BLURSE.  A BLURSE–is my own special, made-up word that means: the combination of a Blessing and a Curse. 

A BLURSE can be just about anything. A circumstance, an event, a relationship, a responsibility, a personality trait. Right now I’m confessing a personality trait BLURSE–but just one today, because I don’t want to run out of blog space.

My BLURSE: I am so darn stubborn and hard-headed when it comes to getting things done that I think I have to do and when I have to do them! That’s the Curse part! The Blessing part is that I am also tenaciously persistent, faithful and willing to work very hard and even re-organize my schedule—including sleeping and eating and play-time (Oops! That’s the Curse part again!) in order to finish the work I have to do.

The only cure for a personality trait BLURSE is to be BALANCED and CONFORMED more and more into the likeness of Jesus. This is one of God’s greatest purposes for us. And I’m sure it brings great pleasure to God! And to us, it brings so much  peace and BALANCE to our minds, our lives, our everything as we let God transform us—and our BLURSE—more and more into a Blessing instead of a Curse.

…to be conformed into the likeness of God’s Son…Romans 8:29

…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

 I have a simple trust in an outrageous claim. Jesus said:

“Because I live, you also will live.”

John 14:19

I am convinced that Jesus is the Lord of Life who laid down His life for mine, and rose from the dead to give me eternal life with Him. I trust Jesus. That’s why I have a simple–albeit passionate and life transforming–trust in His outrageous claim.

I hope you have this same simple trust in this outrageous claim Jesus made. It makes all the difference in the world–for this life and the next!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane