Press On!

This past weekend, my husband and I served in KAIROS prison ministry at Dolph Briscoe Prison in Dilley, Texas.  I’m always amazed that in such a very dark place, we see such light, laughter, hope and forgiveness among the brothers-in-white.

During the closing ceremony, a veteran brother-in-white and KAIROS graduate spoke to the 42 men who had just graduated. As I listened to his talk, I thought of you and I. We all could benefit from his reminder to Press On.

P is for Press- Press means “To urge with force or weight.” Pressing weights in the gym is something we’ve all done. We do so to improve our overall body strength and develop our core. In the bible, Paul states “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ) Paul is saying “It is the habit of my life to keep pressing on.” His faith is a lifelong commitment. He is all about pressing on! Are you passionate about your faith?  Are you pursuing Christ in your life? Whether you’re in prison or the free world, press on! Don't give up!

R is for Reading- Read God’s word. I find that starting my day by reading scripture helps me in so many ways. God’s Word is living and alive and sharper than a double-edged sword. God’s word can encourage me, convict me, challenge me, and guide me in daily life. To be sure, reading the Bible has the potential to transform your life! There are tons of great bible reading apps to help you start!

E is for Endurance-Can you imagine being locked up for year after year, never seeing past a wired fence? Brothers-in-white experience so much rejection, aloneness, shame, un-forgiveness, losses of family, privileges and freedom.  There are times that we, in the free world, experience these things too. Do you have the presence of an inner strength and hope to get you through whatever comes your way?  God can give us this endurance, we only need ask!

S is for Surrender-Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours, our property, our time, our “rights.” Surrendering to God means that we simply acknowledge that we “own” what belongs to Him. He is the giver of all good things. Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God’s best for our lives. (Following Jesus: Surrender to God) Surrendering to God can sound like a bad idea for  many. Far from it! Sometimes we miss the fruit of surrender because we’re so scared to let go and trust God fully.

S is for Singing-When was the last time you worshiped God? Whether it’s listening to your own worship music as you work out or worshiping at church, God loves when His people worship Him. When we worship, we lift our minds and hearts to God, giving Him praise. We realize God is God and we are not.

Pressing On is a message for our brothers-in-white. It’s also a message for each of us. Press On. Don’t give up. Life your eyes off of your current circumstances and see the freedom that God can give you! That freedom is available even in a prison cell.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Beautiful Messes

I keep forgetting I’m not 20 years old anymore. This past week, I pulled a crazy stunt on my horse. I decided to go bareback riding after a long ride in the saddle. I jumped from a mounting block and attempted a-kind-of-dive toward the soft part of Daisy’s back, but somehow landed on the bony part of her withers. I immediately heard a crack. An Urgent Care visit was not on our schedule for the day. I’m thankful for my new normal…. ribs-that-hurt-like-crazy-but-not-broken. I guess I should be relieved? I’m hoping no one notices how I make these weird noises when I try to cough or sneeze. Maybe no one will observe how I attempt to get in and out of my car. I resemble Flash, my favorite sloth working in the DMV in the movie Zootopia. Its. Really. Really. Slow. Somehow, this new normal describes what we all sometimes feel. On the outside, we appear like all is well. But, on the inside, we got stuff going on that's not cool. Hurts. Pains. Bruises. Emotions. Brokenness. Fears. Concerns. How do we live in the tension? I love Lady Antebellum and really love Hillary Scott’s music. I kind of get the concept of a beautiful mess. I’m living it. Beautiful Messes Are you spinning in a lie that keeps on telling you That you’re not good enough When you’re looking in the mirror Do you see someone impossible to love? Full of fragile broken pieces We’re all rough around the edges We ain’t perfect no We ain’t even close We got holes in our hearts We got scars we don’t show But all that baggage we Keep on dragging around Anytime we start laying it down. Lay it down at the foot of the cross Give it to the one who can carry it all Even at our worst, to him we ain’t lost causes Just beautiful messes.   We’re all David’s we’re all Mary’s We’ve been liars, thieves and everything between But don’t forget God used the misfits just like us To do the most amazing things.   So bring your faults, your flaws, your secrets And watch Him use those broken pieces…… Written by: BEN GLOVER, CONNIE HARRINGTON, HILLARY SCOTT I’m so grateful for my beautiful mess. I can’t believe God wants to use even the broken pieces of my life for His glory. I don’t have to hide my faults and flaws from God or anyone for that matter.   Don’t forget… God wants to use all of us, flaws and all. He wants to use us to do amazing things. Will you partner with Him for the ride of your life? Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Dog Gone Disaster

I couldn’t believe what I saw when Zoe, our English Springer, came prancing out of the dog groomers to greet me! Picture a child getting a hold of a pair of scissors and deciding it’s time for a massive haircut. It’s usually not a good thing.

What was I to do? Zoe had a Canines for Christ event at our church's Upward Basketball games on the weekend. She looked awful! Now I know this hair cutting disaster is not a big deal when it comes to things like world peace, but it marginally affected my otherwise very good day. (Thankfully, the children flocked around her at the game and didn’t even notice.....)

I began to think about it after the shock of her appearance wore off. Frankly, Zoe didn’t care a thing about how she looked. She pranced out of the groomers like she was queen for a day! And it hasn’t bothered her a bit since that frightful day. She’s just as loving. Just as sweet. Just as happy.

We humans can be so focused on our outer appearances! Just yesterday, I was looking at the amazing wrinkles that are just coming out of nowhere on me! It’s fascinating how they arrive over night! I can’t wait for more! NO! We don’t say that! Instead, I try to do what I can to hide them, but alas, nothing seems to work.

I love the heart of God! He tells us what’s most important to Him! In 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”  We can become so focused on how we look that we forget what’s most important to God. We forget that God looks at our heart. What does He see when He looks at your heart?

Do you focus more on your body at the expense of your spirit? I can work out until I’m blue in the face. That wouldn't be good either. But, what if I miss the most important thing?

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

A Void @ la Madeleines

As I walked into la Madeleines, I heard the lady in front of me quietly visiting with the hostess. Something seemed very wrong. I looked up and saw a sign on the register in front of me. The sign told about upcoming services for a man named Don. The name didn't register with me at first. All at once it hit me! Don was the man who ALWAYS greeted and took my order at la Madeleines. I shared my condolences with each staff person as I walked down the line toward the register to pay.

Even though I didn’t know Don personally, I was so sad as I ate my Caesar Salad. I had been coming to this restaurant for years and he was a fixture. Here one day and gone the next. I thought about how exceptional he was in his role of welcoming, greeting and helping patrons order.

Welcoming others seems so simple, but often a lost art in our society. Don did it so well! Showing hospitality is not about impressing others with our lovely decorated homes or gourmet cooking. In our work environment, it’s not just about showing off our great YMCA facility. Hospitality is a way of loving our neighbor in the same way God has loved us. (Adele Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, page 139) It’s about sharing and caring, loving and listening.

Safe places and safe people are few and far between these days. Truly welcoming and nurturing people can be a lost art with our phones in our faces. It takes men and woman who can put our phones down and engage with people with the welcoming heart of God. What a difference we make when we do!

There is a void @ la Madeleines today. But, take note. You can be a new face of hospitality. Parker Palmer describes hospitality as a way of “receiving each other, our struggles, our newborn ideas with openness and care.” Who doesn’t want to be a part of such a movement?

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7

“Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!” Hebrews 13:1-2 The Message

"People will forget what you sad, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

"Do what you do so well that they want to see it again and bring their friends." Walt Disney

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.