Moving On

My Dad and I at Green Gables National Park.

Have you ever visited a destination so marvelous that you simply desired to stay there forever?  Perhaps it was a sunshiny sandy beach or a majestic mountain vista.  You know, the kind of place that tugs at your heartstrings and seems almost like a dream.  From a Swiss chalet at the foot of the Matterhorn to a quaint bed and breakfast in my ancestral home of Inveraray, Scotland, I often find myself wanting to stay in such a gorgeous place just a little longer.  This summer, I had the opportunity to visit Prince Edward Island.  As someone with a Master of Science degree in English, seeing all of the Lucy Maud Montgomery sites was somewhat overwhelming.  The idyllic scenery on the island drew me in like a bee to honey.  I must admit that I have visited several locations that were so dear to me that I became misty eyed when it came time for us to leave, and this was one of those times for sure.  While there are many different places that cause me to leave a little piece of my heart behind each time I have to leave, I know that I cannot stay in one place indefinitely.  Eventually, it is time to move on.

Jesus’ disciples even found that they often had to move on when they were traveling with Jesus.  One day they went up on the mountaintop to pray with Jesus.  Peter said, “‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.  If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah’” (Matthew 17:4 NIV).  The location was so glorious and the experience was so profound that Peter wanted to build homes and begin living on that mountaintop.  Of course, Jesus knew that He could not stay on the mountain forever.  He knew that He would have to walk through the darkest valley of His life.  He knew that all too soon He would be hung on a cross to die.  Surely He would rather have stayed on that mountain, secluded from the rest of the world.  Yet He knew that He had to move on in order to obey His Father’s will.

As Christians, we often get comfortable at certain points in our lives.  We find a job that suits us well, locate a church that makes us feel welcome, or discover a vacation destination that we enjoy so much that we’re ready to move in, much like Peter was willing to place roots down on top of the mountain.  While all of these are blessings along the way, we must remember that our purpose is to follow God’s plan for our life.  Sometimes this means we must leave that “comfort zone,” whatever it may be, and press on to something different that lies ahead, whether it is a negative change or a positive one.  Either way, we can rest assured that every valley we cross and mountain we summit along the way is a step in the right direction.

Paul wrote, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV).  As Christians, we should have the same goal in mind.  To forget the past with all of its disappointments and failures and push on toward the abundant life that awaits us.  Jesus Christ knows every joy and every difficulty that we may encounter on life’s road.  He knows every opportunity we may miss and every door we may walk through.  No matter what we face during our journey on this earth, Jesus Christ gives us the assurance that better things await us.  So don’t look back.  Look ahead.  Seek the Lord’s will for your life.  Keep moving on.  Cherish each moment of your life with the knowledge that every step you take will bring you one step closer to Jesus Christ.

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

Be a Mountain Mover!

 

 

As a little girl, people always asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.  While I considered being a veterinarian, lawyer, or nurse, I always wanted to be a teacher.  And I especially wanted to be a writer, singer, and musician.  Now that I am older, there is one additional occupation that I’ve determined to strive toward.  I want to be a mountain mover!!!

Now, before you start jumping to conclusions, please allow me to explain.  I don’t really picture myself sitting atop a gigantic piece of machinery, maneuvering dirt, rocks, and gravel from one place to another.  And I realize that no matter how hard I try, I cannot physically pick up a mountain.  Nor can I bring a mountain home from North Carolina, Switzerland, or any other gorgeous mountainous region that I have had the opportunity to explore.  A mountain is just a little too large to set in the back of my SUV and drive home to Florida.  Even though I would absolutely LOVE to have a mountain in my backyard!  I am not even talking about a literal mountain that may be standing in my way.  I’m talking about those mountains that I encounter every day.

In life, there are many mountains that we must climb over, dig through, or go around.  They do not have trees, streams, and waterfalls covering them.  Instead, they have sicknesses, financial crises, and other difficult situations that arise to create obstacles for us to traverse.  But even in the face of adversity, when the sun is going down, our alternate light source is burned out, and we still haven’t even made it to the top of the mountain yet, God is right ahead of us.  He is walking each step ahead of us to ensure that no danger ensnares us.  He will always be our guide, over mountains and through valleys.  And sometimes, we can just tell the mountains to move!

You may be wondering, “How could I tell a mountain to move?”  It’s very simple.  Matthew 17:20 (NIV) says, “‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.’”  God’s Word is telling us that we can do anything!  Nothing is impossible for us, if – yes, it’s that little word “if” that seems quite big at times – if, we have faith.  Now, the good news is that God can take a little bit of faith and make it go a long way.

The scripture says we need “faith as small as a mustard seed.”  Did you know that the average mustard seed weighs only 0.002 grams?  That translates to 2 milligrams or 0.000070548 ounces!  By comparison, a U.S. dollar bill weighs 1 whole gram.  One single plain M&M candy weighs 2.2 grams.  But in order to move a mountain, we only need faith the size of a mustard seed!  Think about it.  God doesn’t require us to have the faith of a giant in order to move mountains.  We only need a small amount of faith to move seemingly insurmountable objects!

Recently, I wrote a song titled, “Pray and Believe.”  I pray that God will use the lyrics from the chorus will minister to you in a special way.

Pray and Believe

Words and Music by Jennifer Campbell/BMI

Chorus

Anything is possible,

When you pray and believe.

God still works miracles,

If you have faith to receive.

Don’t give up on broken dreams,

There’s still dreams left to dream.

For anything is possible,

When you pray and believe.

Whatever you may be facing in life, remember this one thing: God wants you to be a mountain mover!  Nothing shall be impossible for you if you have faith to receive the miracle that God has in store for you!  I know firsthand that many things in life are difficult to handle.  There will be times when you feel like giving up.  I want to encourage you today.  God will never give you more than you can bear.  God is greater than anything that may come against us – divorce, war, cancer, anything!  Have faith.  Pray.  Believe.  God will work a miracle in your life.  With a mustard seed of faith, you can move mountains!

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

A Grand Adventure!

 As I sit here looking at photographs from my summer vacation, I am reminded of picturesque places we explored, amazing sights we saw, and delightful destinations that I hope to see again.  Above all, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude, both to my dad and to my Heavenly Father, for the amazing adventure that I was blessed to enjoy.  While I wish you could have experienced our entire journey firsthand, I pray you enjoy traveling vicariously through my story.  So, pack your bags, grab your passport, and join me as we travel across Europe.  It’s going to be one grand adventure!

One experience that was extraordinary special was our visit to Ephesus in Turkey.  As I stepped off of the bus, the hairs on the back of my neck curled with excitement as I thought about the fact that the Apostle John and Mary had walked on those streets and that the Apostle Paul preached in the theater there.  At the same time, it saddened me to know that they ran him out because they did not believe that there was one true God, shouting, great is the god of Artemis.  Standing in the theater, my dad and I both proudly proclaimed, “Great is the God of the Apostle Paul!”  This day is one that I will always remember, as it was not only exciting to see a new country, but it had a spiritual meaning to my dad and me as well.

Of all of the places we were blessed to explore, one of my favorites was Santorini, Greece.  The brilliant blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea crashing against the bottoms of towering cliffs create a sight to behold.  Following a picturesque ride on a tender and then a cable car, we were soon at the top of the cliff where we picked up our rental car for the day.  We drove across the island to Perissa Beach, a beach that has volcanic black sand.  The water was so refreshing and the three and a half hours spent here were paradise.  We stopped at a local bakery on the way back to town and shared some baklava and apple spice cake.  Between the time spent swimming in the crystal clear water and the satisfaction for my sweet tooth, I felt as if I was on cloud nine.

Perhaps my most cherished stop of all was that of Zermatt, Switzerland.  Here, we stayed in a chalet hotel with a balcony overlooking the Matterhorn.  I was in awe of the beauty that was ours to behold.  We had picnics on the balcony and I sat there, glued to the mountain vista as a child might be glued to a television set airing a marathon of their favorite program.  The goats being herded through the streets in the mornings and evenings just added to the atmosphere.  A cable car ride, fondue, and apple strudel rounded out our Swiss experience.  But still, everything else paled in comparison to the beauty of the magnificent Matterhorn.

We encountered so many incredible sights, from the ancient ruins of Olympia where the Olympic torch is lit to the city of Pompeii where structures still stand, even after enduring a massive volcanic eruption.  We stood on the Acropolis in Athens, rode a gondola in Venice, and saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  We walked the wall in Dubrovnik, enjoyed the sights in Paris, and even set foot on the continent of Africa with a visit to Tunisia.  While it was a wonderful opportunity to see archeological sites like the Acropolis or Colosseum, my dad and I agreed that we do not need to see them again.  But when it comes to places like Perissa Beach or the Matterhorn, we could keep returning, time after time, and they would never grow old.  The things that God has created for us to enjoy have a timeless beauty.  They capture our attention, not for a moment, but for a lifetime.  And even greater than our summer adventure, all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be going on a grand adventure one day that makes all vacations here on earth pale in comparison.  One day, our grand adventure will not start on a bus, a train, or a plane.  Instead, the true Grand Adventure will begin when a trumpet sounds.  Won’t you join me on the ultimate Grand Adventure?

In Christ's Love,
Jennifer