Thoughts on Emails & Social Media

Being in the public eye for the last 18 years, I get my share of critiques. With the advent of the internet and social media, they come more often than they would should someone take the time to sit down and write a handwritten letter to express their disdain. I remember asking my predecessor, the late Woodie Assaf, if he received as many emails as I did when it came to critical viewers? He said, "If I did, I wouldn't care because I'd tell them where they could put it."

I received these emails just this week:

"Maybe I should get a job as a weatherman. It's the ONLY job I know of that a person can be 100% WRONG and still keep their jobs. You and others have said, "make your plans for there's no rain in the forecast". So, that's what I do, to ONLY be poured on. Today is only one example of the past weather reports. What bothers me the most, we get your forecast, make our plans, and when the weather is TOTALLY different from the forecast, then the reporting changes to fit the actual weather. Seems to me, a "WEATHER ROCK" would be a lot more accurate. If what you all report is coming from some other source, such as National Weather Service, maybe another source would be a thought. Please don't take this personal, because it's not meant to be."

"You look great tonight. There are about 50+ of us women watching  from all different walks of life.

You look very professional. But can we get you to cut you hair?" Anonymous

I had even posted one of these emails on my public Facebook page this week. While many were shocked that viewers take the time to email their critiques, one viewer sent me this suggestion:

"As with many jobs in dealing with the public and being such a public figure being in tv as you are I'm sure there are many trying times. I would greatly appreciate it if you would just ignore the comments from negative thoughts and negative persons comments to you and please don't share on Facebook. As one adult to another we have to look over these comments and move forward. Thank you and have a blessed day. PS-- whining gets nothing accomplished."

A few people have asked why I share some of my emails? My reasoning is simple: to expose how superficially critical we can sometimes be. It's amazing the freedom we feel when we can hide behind a computer keyboard, throw stones and hide. And let's face it, emails and social media have made us more susceptible to everyone else's opinion, barbs, jabs and yes, even the "constructive criticism" (is there really such a thing?)

I began to think how I would be taken if I were to walk into my local bank and tell the bank teller, "I don't like how you're doing your job. My first grader can count money faster than you. And honey child, that outfit you have on is a hot mess. I hope you don't mind that I'm giving you constructive criticism because you know I love you. I just want to help you do your job better since so many people come in here every day and look up to you." I believe I'd be sucker punched and then thrown OUT of the bank. So why do we think it's perfectly permissible to tell others what we think of them?

Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

Tapping out your thoughts on a keyboard is easy to do. Before you do, think about the implications of what you're about to share. Would it be considered acceptable in the Lord's sight? If not, hit the backspace key and try again.

Don't Put Him in a Box

Until last weekend, we haven't moved in 16 years. One thing I've learned about moving: the boxes multiply like bunnies. Just when you think you've emptied all of the boxes and put things into their proper place, you find more boxes waiting to be unloaded. It's a never-ending pile it seems.

While I stared at the pile of empty boxes, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of the many times I've placed God in a box. While I may have prayed for an answer to a complex situation and begged for God to move on my behalf, I've spiritually limited Him by not believing He would REALLY answer my prayer or perhaps I believed I hadn't been good enough for Him to be concerned about my worries. So, without knowing it, I've put God in a box.

Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him."

If God has no limits, then neither should our prayers. God exists and operates outside of the four space-time dimensions of boxes and the world He created. Therefore, we should pray that way. Even our hardest prayers are easy for the One who created, sees and knows all. And it doesn't matter how long or how loud you pray. It all boils down to if you believe there is no limit to God's power to answer your prayer.

God can answer your prayers. Because He can, you can pray with fervor, ferocity, focus, and see His favor on your circumstance. God is not going to stay in the little box I've put Him in.

(Barbie will be the guest speaker this Thursday at First Baptist Church of Madison's ladies dinner.)

The Writing on the Floors

Our new home is almost ready for the Bassett family to take up residence. It's been 16 years since we last moved. It was at that time in 1996 that I have left my television job in Chattanooga to move back home to Mississippi and marry my husband. Now 3 kids later and lots of acquisitions, it's a bigger project and it takes much longer, too.

While the floors were in transition in the new house, I asked the children to come up with their favorite Bible verses, handed them a jumbo black Sharpie marker, and gave them the instructions: write on the floors. Will, our 7 year old, had a look on his face that read 'Last time I did this, I got in trouble' and asked, "You mean we can write on the floor and not get in trouble?" After asking why I was allowing them to write on the floors their scriptures, I explained how nice it would be to be surrounded by God's Word all of the time, especially when they're having difficult days. So, they commenced to writing first in the children's den.

Afterwards, they went to their bedrooms to write another favorite verse along with the verse I chose to pray over each of them while I was expecting them and still pray over them to this day which I shared in my first book "Forecasts & Faith: 5 Keys to Weathering the Storms of Life".

Did you know the act of writing scripture is dotted all throughout the Bible? God wrote on stone tablets for Moses (Deuteronomy 10:1-2), the Israelites wrote scriptures on their door frames (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), the Israelites wrote on the stones taken from the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 27:1-8), and writing would be a witness against Israel (Isaiah 30:8). John even stated in John 21:25,  "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you."

I want our new home to be a place of spiritual revelation, peace and loving wisdom. It was a lesson for our children that we're not only hiding God's Word in our hearts, but hiding it in our home, too.

(Inquiries are being taken for the remainder of 2013. If your church or organization is wanting Barbie to speak at an upcoming conference, please visit www.barbiebassett.com and click "Contact Info".)

Living With Accusers

Have you ever been accused of saying something you didn't say, doing something you didn't do or taking something you didn't take? Here recently, a couple of people whom I dearly love have been accused of doing something they didn't do. Their names were printed in news papers, posted on pseudo-news blogs and even mentioned briefly on television news reports. It wasn't pleasant to watch, read or listen to because I knew the truth of the matter. When you've been wrongfully accused of something, it's a tough road to travel.

The word "satan" in Hebrew means "adversary, one who plots against another". In the Greek translation, "satan" is diabolos which means "slanderer, one who throws (something) across the path of another". Also in Greek, another translation is the word epiboulos which means "plotter".

Are you seeing a connection here? The truth is no where near someone who is accusing another, who plots against another, who slanders or plots against another. 

Chances are, you've been accused of doing something you truly did not do. When you are facing accusations, it's a natural reflex to defend yourself, your character and your integrity. But God says He will defend you. Zechariah 4:6 says, "Not by might not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty."

So what do you do when you find yourself in someone else's cross hairs? Stay strong. Press against the slandering words, the hurt and the pain which the adversary is throwing your way and look at what Psalm 34:7 says, "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them."

There's no need to fear man's words when God has His angels surrounding you on all sides. Your accuser doesn't have God's blessing of angels around them.

Stay Steady!

Just a few weeks into the new year and it's about time for people to slack off on their resolutions. It happens, right? I began to wonder: why do we falter just after a few weeks on what we set out to accomplish with such vigor previously? The word the Holy Spirit placed on my heart was diligence.

God spoke specifically about this when He gave the children of Israel the condition upon which He would bless them. Deuteronomy 28:1 says, "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God...." Then God lists what will happen *if* His children are obedient listing a myriad of blessings.

To "fully obey" the Lord is to be diligent.  According to Websters dictionary, diligence is: constant in effort or exertion to accomplish what is undertaken, steady; not careless, not negligent; attentive and persistent. 

Notice in Deuteronomy 28 the promise says the blessing doesn't come until you are STEADY. Often times, people wonder why God allows bad things to happen or they question why God does things? Why do they question God? Because they aren't being steady and constant in application. The difference between winners and losers is the same difference between stayers and leavers! 

There are people who will do what God says, every so often, if it fits their dream for their life. But they won't obey the Lord if it doesn't fit what they want to do.

If you're beginning to question *if* God will come through for you on your need, you're not being steady with your faith in Him and what He wants to accomplish in your life.

(Barbie's first book, Forecasts & Faith: 5 Keys to Weathering the Storms of Life, is now SOLD OUT.)                                                                                                                

New Year, New Season

A move is coming for the Bassett family. We are slowly looking at what is needed and what is no longer needed.

I had just returned from an errand and had our youngest, Lilly Faith, with me. As we pulled into the driveway, we both noticed a couple of car seats at the curb. She wanted to know why her car seat was being thrown out. "Well, you can't fit into your car seat anymore," I said. "You're in a booster seat now and we don't need car seats." Lilly Faith was not happy. "So we're just going to throw them away?" she asked. We got out of the car and I began to unload the car. I turned around to find Lilly Faith with her baby doll in her arms at the curb next to the car seats. She had put her baby doll in one of the car seats and she had commenced to sitting in the next one behind her doll. She was having a conversation with her baby doll the whole time. It was obvious Lilly Faith was not thrilled with the idea of putting out the old and moving on with the new!

We just recently ushered in a new season of Winter. Seasons change. They don't last forever. And just as seasons change with the weather, seasons change in our life as well. But letting go of things, people, habits, hurt and circumstances isn't easy. Although we may be miserable with them, it always seems harder to do away with them. The way the Lord knows whether we move into our new season with faith in Him or in unbelief, because of our worry of a change, often happens with our mouth.

Zechariah was a priest and a man of God. When the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him his wife Elizabeth would be having a son, Zechariah couldn't believe it. He asked in Luke 1:18, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." It's almost like Zechariah was saying, "I hear what you're saying, but I can't see it happening." Even after Gabriel explained how it would happen, Zechariah seemed doubtful. God was ready to move Zechariah into a new season, but doubt was clouding the picture. The angel was trying to tell Zechariah, "This is going to be bigger than you are!"

When God brings a new season into your life, you can't talk the language of the old season. You've got to learn to speak a word in the season you're in. That comes by faith. That comes by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Because of Zechariah's doubt, the angel had to put his mouth on hold until he could speak a word in due season (verse 20). Zechariah began to speak a word in due season in Luke 1:68. This time around, Zechariah didn't question God, he didn't scrutinize the word, but he praised God!

Sometimes you may wonder why the flow of the Holy Spirit may have stopped for you. It could be because your mouth isn't cooperating with the Holy Spirit and what God is wanting to bring you. Many times, God will give you hints or tokens of what He is wanting to do for you next before He even does it. It's like God is saying, "I'm so anxious, I just can't wait any longer! I've got to show them what's coming!"

God is getting ready to move you into a new season. Curb your tongue, your emotions, and your personality and know angels are listening to you. Seize the moment so that you can become resourceful for God and so He can use you to accomplish His plan. God will show you things that haven't even been conceived yet as He gets ready to move you to a new season with Him!

Is He Trying To Stop You?

It's "the most wonderful time of the year"...or so the song says? But even through the pageantry, lights, gift giving and Christmas carols, the devil's devices are alive and well. In many cases, they are multiplied. The more time people spend together, the more words can be spoken and more hearts can be broken. The devils of discouragement are at work even at the most glorious time.

Being in the public eye I'm always receiving emails, voice mails and anonymous letters from viewers who have an opinion about me they need to share. Over the last few weeks, viewers have told me I'm "fat", criticized my growing out my hair to donate it, and have even accused me of "tempting godly men who are trying to stay pure" (whatever that means).

What good is a spirit-filled Christian if they aren't going through adversity?

Before the devil can quiet your voice for God, he will try to stop you through other people. Most often times, the devil uses professing Christians to do his dirty work. When the opposition comes, you often feel like you're running through quick sand---you are having such adversarial conditions that your forward movement is slowing down. The winds of opposition blow and you gradually shut down and stop. The devil doesn't necessarily want you to go backward in your Christian growth, but he does want to stop you from going forward. God is about progress. Satan is about sitting still, caving into the pressures and doing nothing.

The Galatians were a people who used to be on fire for the Lord. But the devices of Satan came in and began to infiltrate their minds and their emotions and eventually slowed them down in their spiritual growth and influence. Paul told them in Galatians 1:6, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion..." The devil will have other people to misuse you, confuse you, and abuse you.

When the comments, critiques, trials, and accusations increase, don't stop moving forward. Just pause. Ask the Holy Spirit to touch you with a fresh word. Psalm 46:10 gives great advice: "Be still and know that I am God."

Occupying the blessings of God isn't going to come in a day. It's a process. Spiritual warfare is necessary.

(Barbie is the guest speaker tonight at Oakland Baptist Church's ladies night out in Corinth. She will be speaking and signing her books this coming Tuesday, December 11 at the Walthall County Library in Tylertown at 11am.)