Notes from Dad

I went to Belk a few days ago to purchase some new products at the makeup counter. Remembering the gift card I had received from my dad at Christmas, I handed it to the cashier.

"Oh, Ma'am...I'm sorry" I said, "but could I please have the outer card back. There's a note on it from my dad that I really wanted to keep."

She obliged and I safely tucked the treasure back into my purse. I felt a little silly asking for the note back - - but had she refused, I might have jumped the counter to get it!

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For His glory,

I Needed Forgiveness

Just the other day...I needed forgiveness. Someone had said something about me that hurt me deeply, however, this person didn't even know that I knew it. So the poisonous, bitter feelings I had conjured up were mine to deal with alone, or so I thought.

There are verses in the Bible that talk about God searching our hearts (one example is 1 Chron 28:9 "for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts"). God searched my heart and found it in a disgusting state. Everywhere I turned, I kept hearing about forgiveness, but the nail in the coffin for me was a sermon series my husband just "happened" to preach on the subject.

Although I felt completely misrepresented and misunderstood...

although I felt justified in my anger...

although before a court of others, I would have walked away scot-free...

before the court of the Lord, I stood guilt-ridden and dripping with sin.

So I went to my offender, shaking and scared, but knowing in my heart it was the right thing to do. After a long discussion that included hugs and tears, I was forgiven...

understood...

and free.

It felt wonderful!!

The Word says in Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

The Lord, the diligent searcher of all, graciously lets us know when a situation is ours to correct. And when He does, it is our job to quickly obey.

What about you? Has He shown you a situation you need to correct, maybe even brought to mind the name of a person you need to go to? If so, I implore you to do it...today!

Go shaking. 

Go scared.

But go.

Your freedom is waiting.

_____________________

Here's an awesome song on forgiveness by TobyMac! You're gonna want to listen....
Link to VIDEO on YouTube

Linking up at: A Pause on the Path, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Raising Homemakers

For His glory,

Thankfulness is a Choice

Mountains of laundry, a sink full of dishes, toys scattered here, there, and everywhere...that's the state of my house since all 5 of us have come down with the flu bug over the last four days. Besides that, we've traveled the last two weekends for speaking engagements and such, so there are still suitcases waiting on my energy to return so they can be unpacked and put away. Life for me right now is, well...disorganized, messy, and very off-schedule! There's certainly no homeschooling going on at the moment.

It would be easy for me to get anxious and uptight, especially because there's so much going on over the next few weeks as Christmas approaches, but I am choosing instead to rest in Him. I am choosing to trust in His goodness, knowing that He knew all of this "inconvenience" was going to take place. God is right here with us during this time of sickness, and for His care and keeping, I am truly thankful! In fact, if I understand His heart correctly, I bet there is a pretty good reason all of this was allowed into our lives...we just can't see it.

Perhaps this was meant to slow us down for a bit, and if so, for that I am grateful. We've been huddled up together for days now...watching movies, cuddled up with blankets, sipping on soup, wiping noses, and covering coughs. High fevers and feeling bad? Yep...those aren't fun. Being together? Well, that has been great!!!

Whatever the state of your life is at this moment...I pray that you will choose to sincerely thank the Lord, remembering 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, "in everything give thanks". I realize that for different reasons, the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons can be painful for some.  If that is the case for you, I pray that God's love and joy will surround you during this time. I also pray that you'll fully trust in our Father's heart, knowing that He never brings more than you can handle and that He always has your best in mind. We live in a fallen world and will all be touched by sickness, pain, and difficulty...sometimes greater difficulty than we ever imagined. Our reactions to those times are great indicators of our faith.

Will you choose to exercise your faith - - to trust God and rest in Him, no matter what you're facing right now? 

Will you choose to be thankful?
________

"We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Romans 5: 2-4

WISHING YOU A JOYOUS THANKSGIVING!

Linking up at: A Pause on the Path, The Better Mom, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers

For His glory,

A Spirit of 3 Things

Just the other day...I was bound up in fear. I had a heart full of desire to help others, to share my life, and to live my faith "out loud", but the taunting lie that I believed over and over again was this...

"You're not good enough."

It was easier to believe that lie than it was to step out in faith.

So I buried my "talents", tried to funnel my desires in "safe" ways, while I prayed earnestly to find my life's calling.

God graciously led me to the blog of Ann Voskamp, a lady who also battled fear, only hers was, amazingly, worse than mine. If I was bound up in fear, she was completely paralyzed. In reading her stories of courage and obedience, I became inspired. Something new began to emerge in my own life...a gut-level, undeniable belief in the following verse for the first time in my life.

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Tim 1:7

I had heard it my whole life - - "fear is not of the Lord".

That's true. It's not.

But I had to come to the point where my love for the Lord and my desire to obey Him overcame my desire to protect myself from impending doom and failure. Pride and self-love had to be put to death. I had to seriously decrease before He could increase!

I can't tell you how it happened. I can't point to an exact moment in time. All I know is that as God began gently prodding me to take baby steps out of fear, instead of no...instead of self-protection...I chose Him. I chose obedience.

I said YES...and I found Him to be faithful.

Each time I said, "yes"...no matter how scary the situation, He came through! As a result, I learned that He is good and that He is indeed, trustworthy.

The funny thing I realized is...I'm NOT good enough. I never was and never will be.

However, MY GOD IS GOOD ENOUGH! He is all-sufficient and because HE is enough, then I am, too.

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Truth #9 - You have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

Power - to go through any trial or persecution you may be facing.

Love - to love the Lord and your fellow man.

Sound Mind - to remain balanced, just, and prudent in all of your ways.

Fear tries so many times to raise it's ugly head against all of those...making you feel like you are alone in a trial, like you don't have what it takes, like the Lord doesn't really love you, like others dislike you, like you are unworthy of attention, like you'll never get it right, like you're going crazy, like you just can't take it one more day, etc. The list of satan's lies could go on and on and on.

Today...this day...is the day to put an end to it all!

Your birthright from God did not come stamped with the "spirit of fear"! It came fully-loaded with power, love, and a sound mind. That is your identity as a Christian. Trust in it! Live it!

Need to catch up on this series? 

Introduction, Truth #1, Truth #2, Truth #3, Truth #4, Truth #5, Truth #6, Truth #7, Truth #8

Last post in the series:

Truth #10

Linking up at:

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Soli Deo Gloria

Cornerstone Confessions

Women Living Well

Raising Homemakers

Salt and Light

Truth # 8 - You are salt and light.

Matthew 5: 13-16 says,

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Now, I rarely do this, but here is the same passage out of "The Message". I don't use "The Message" for my primary Bible reading, but I do love to see what it says sometimes...and I kind of love how it expresses these  particular verses.

"Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

Honestly, after reading those two versions, I don't think there's much more that I can say to explain them, but I do want to encourage you, my sisters and brothers in Christ - -

Please, don't let the world shut you up! Don't allow the "political correctness" of your statements or actions be your measuring stick. The Word, coupled with the leading of the Holy Spirit, is to be your primary guide.

Imagine this - the moment you became a Christian, it's like a light switched on not only on the inside of you, but also on the outside. Just as the smallest candle can illuminate a room once full of darkness, the light of Christ inside of you is there to make a difference in this world!

Let me ask you: Are you making a difference? Are you a light to the people in your "sphere of influence"? Are you salt to them? 

If so, I believe you'd know it.

Imagine I was sitting right beside you. If I asked, I believe you should be able to tell me two things immediately: 1) how Christ has made a difference in your life, and 2) how He is using your life to make a difference in this world.

I can only make that statement and ask those questions because there are portions of my life that I know I was certainly NOT being "salt and light". I couldn't have answered those questions because I did not have a relationship with God, I had "religion". God was on the back-burner of my life and other things had become idols to me, more important than God. I used God for convenience and went to church out of duty. He was not "my everything", as He is now. I wish I could have that time back...wish I would have done things differently.

Don't be like I was...don't be lukewarm. Be HOT! Live a life of passion, overflowing with love for God and love for others! Ask God to open your eyes to see, daily, how He can use you as "salt and light" in this dark world. Stay yielded to Him. Be quick to obey.

Determine to make a difference because Christ has made a difference in you!

Need to catch up on this series? 

Introduction, Truth #1, Truth #2, Truth #3, Truth #4, Truth #5, Truth #6, Truth #7

Next post:

Truth #9

Linking up at:

Beholding Glory

Tim Tebow, Please Be "The Real Deal"

Just the other day...my husband read to me the headline we have all now heard about: a company wanting to pay 1 million dollars to any woman who can prove she slept with Tim Tebow, which would mean that he had lost his virginity. My first reaction was to become disgusted, shaking my head at what a sick, perverted world we live in. However, I think the Lord has used this story to get me to realize to an even greater degree what I already knew: this world is ACHING to see "the real deal".

Share Your Story, Bring God Glory

The most freeing experiences of my life have come out of obeying God by "letting my light shine". Remember singing "This Little Light of Mine" in church as children? My favorite part was always, "Hide it under a bush? Oh, no! I'm gonna let it shine!" As an adult, that's has become my mantra.

Yes, I get scared.

Yes, there are moments I want to hide under my covers. 

Yes, I sometimes share and then wrestle with overwhelming doubts. 

But, you know what? The more I decide to step out on faith, the more He uses it...even the things I think are "nothing". Very little becomes MUCH when committed to our great big God!

I want to encourage you all today...please obey the Lord when He prompts you to share your testimony with others! My very wise husband always says, "People can argue with anything you tell them, but they can never dispute your testimony because

IT'S YOUR STORY!"

I personally believe it's never going to be any easier to share the gospel (the good news!) of Jesus Christ than it is today. Times are changing and moods are shifting. Intolerance for those who believe is growing. I don't think "shining our lights" is going to look the same even 10 years from now!

Use the time He has given you wisely,

Pray,

Capture His heart for this generation,

and by all means...SHARE YOUR STORY!!!! 

If we all do that, 

Can you IMAGINE the IMPACT we can make...

FOR HIS GLORY???

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"In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matt 5:16

So in love with Him,   

A Mouse & A Lesson on Complacency

Just the other day...I decided it was time to do some cleaning out around here. It's been "time" for a while, but I think I just needed some motivation. An excellent dose of motivation came when nine family members decided to come for a visit. Yep, that'll do it!

Purpose. Undeniable Purpose.

Just the other day...as I was reading through the Bible, I noticed some words that seemed to jump off the page at me. Don't you love it when that happens? It's like God saying, "Look a little closer. Tune your ear. I'm speaking." What I read was this:

Mom, Is Your Heart Tired?

Just the other day...I was thinking about the saying "being a mother is like taking your heart out of your chest and watching it walk around". Moms, isn't that the truth?! There are some moments I've experienced as a mother that have literally made my heart physically ache. Want to hear about some of them? Well, kick back, cause here goes...

"God, My Will and Not Yours"

Just the other day...I sat praying, begging even, for God to give me something that I just knew was going to make my life amazing. It was certainly what He wanted me to have ("wink") because of the way little details kept falling into place...so, it just had to be a "of Him", right?!

Ah, how easily we allow ourselves to be tricked when we are blinded by our own desires!

I was praying for something that was out of His will for my life. I was dead set that He would answer my prayer just the way I wanted, though and determined that I would "just pray hard enough". And while God kept nudging me to move on, I kept going back to MY plan like a gazelle so full of thirst, it foolishly drinks out of a pond teeming with crocodiles.

Looking back, I can admire one thing alone, my tenacity to go to God with my request again and again and again. Tenacity in prayer and seeing a 'result' through eyes of faith is a WONDERFUL thing and is something the Bible clearly teaches. But continuing to pray for something when it is against the will of God...that just keeps you stuck. Like, really stuck.

In my pride, I basically said to God, "I trust MY will, and not Your will."

Ouch.

Sounds a lot like the nation of Israel, right?! Stuck in the dessert. Going in circles. Unwilling to trust and surrender.

I stayed there for a while. Stuck. Wandering. Wasting time. Gaining lots of head knowledge, but not applying it to my life. I kept walls up, against God, as I insisted in going my own way.

Yeeeaaars later (that's a long time, people)...I finally got it. I let go. I surrendered. I obeyed. I finally said, "Not my way. Your way. Please God...I'm sick of being stuck".

And can you guess what happened next?

The dam broke. Life flowed...abundantly. His plan and His way engulfed my very small life. Imagine standing in a river at the bottom of a mountain in the middle of a monsoon...you WILL get swept away!

"...but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Matt 16:25

"...I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Later on, even years after I surrendered and the "dam broke", my full-of-mercy God graciously showed me why He said no to my prayer. He doesn't always show us why. He doesn't need to show us why. In this case, I certainly didn't ask Him. But sometimes Daddies like to surprise us with gifts...especially the kind that teach us to walk in even greater freedom.

The night He showed me why my prayers went unanswered was powerful, to say the least. Life-changing. I ended up oozing tears as the truth washed over me and set me free and proved to me what I already knew but can stand to learn over and over...

My God is SOVEREIGN.

Those years I wasted, thinking He was withholding from me...

He was really just loving me.

Because that's what fathers do.

___________

You can trust the Father.

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails." Prov 19:21

For His glory,

Will the World End in 2012?

Just the other day…I heard that 2012 is the year that the world is going to end. Have you heard that? It's funny that I keep hearing that because the Bible says that no man knows the day or the hour (Mark 13:32)…not even the Son himself, so I don’t get too wrapped up in anyone saying that the world is going to end on this day or that. But, if you will, let’s just suppose that the world does end sometime during the next year. You know what I say?

Bring it on!!! Let’s get the party started!!!!!


I'd be doing the happy dance all the way up to heaven:)

You see, there is nothing in this present world that fills me up like the Almighty God. Try as I might, nothing here is ever going to satisfy the deepest longings in my heart...no relationship, no hobby, no material thing, no vacation, no drug, no food, no experience. It would all just leave me empty. I was made for Him and therefore, my God is the only one who satisfies the deep aching of my heart. I admit that sometimes, I get weary of the divide between heaven and earth. Don't you??? I want to see my Lord...to stand face-to-face with the my Love. At times, my heart simply longs to be at home…my home there, not here...my TRUE home. 

And you know what, I know He wants me there with Him, too.

But not yet.

You see, there's a reason, many reasons, why I'm left here...why He hasn't come yet. If you’re reading this, you’re still here because you have yet to fulfill His purposes as well! Perhaps you're still here because you don't yet know Him...and He's waiting on you. I pray with all that I am that this will be the year you run to His loving arms and give your life over to Him!!! (Please head on over to the "Just Jesus" tab at the top of this page to explore this topic if you know you are without Christ in your life.)

If the world does end in 2012 (ya know, hypothetically)…there are billions who have not yet given their lives over to the Lord!!!! A quick search of google puts the number of Christians worldwide at 2.1 billion, out of 6.9 billion people alive on the planet. Can you believe that there are still 4.8 BILLION people who know nothing of the amazing and awesome love of Christ?!? That makes my heart ache…but even more so, it makes His heart ache. The darkness that pervades this world is so evident right now...and He is our one HOPE. It is His desire that all people come to Him. I am determined that if He can use this tiny life to somehow help spread His message, then by all means, I’m willing to live with the longing for heaven in my heart for years on end, until He calls me to my real home. Christians, there’s so much work to do!

It is time to quit talking about it and just do it!!!!

 It's time for us to be the light we were created to be!!!!

Matthew 13:44 says…..

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field."

If you have given your life over to Christ, you have found a treasure…the treasure above all treasures!!! But burying it and keeping it to yourself is not the right response. I challenge you this year...

when the Holy Spirit puts words in your mouth...speak them. 

When God prompts you to do something out of love for another..do it.

Quit doubting that you are good enough, or righteous enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough, or any of the other thousands of excuses you might come up with. The fact is...you're not enough...but He is!!! And if He lives in you then just by that fact alone you can rest assured that you carry Him with you into any situation you might face this year. He's going to be there for you. You just make sure you show up for Him and by that I mean...LIVE IT. SPEAK IT. SHOUT IT. SHINE IT. DO IT. BE WHO HE MADE YOU TO BE!!!!! Let Him have all of you, even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone.

In this journey of mine, I've considered um, sitting down so-to-speak and being a little less vocal about my passion for the Lord...cause I know there are some out there that must think I'm a little over the top. However, I have recently come to the realization that I don’t think I could shut up if I tried. If I try to shut up I will either burst or rot away…and neither one of those sound very appealing.

So excuse me while I blog on and on and on about JESUS this coming year!  He has captured and captivated this heart of mine and by all means, I am determined to serve out my days in praise of Him…whether those days are spent here on earth in 2012 or in His presence.

I’ll leave you with a song that I’ve been playing a lot in recent days. It speaks a little about what I have shared here.

"Sovereign God" CFNI 37

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! MAY A NEW BOLDNESS IN THE LORD OVERWHELM YOU IN 2012. THAT'S MY PRAYER FOR MYSELF AND FOR ALL OF YOU!


Linking up at:
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
lowercase letters
Seeds of Faith
Time Warp Wife
Raising Homemakers

For His glory,

Princess #3 and a Panic Attack

Today, on Princess #3's second birthday, I was reminded of a blog post I wrote a while back and never shared...honestly...out of pride. I didn't want to be seen as weak. If you listened to the recent radio show I was on, you'll recall that I said something like, "I don't get much out of a relationship when people aren't real. When we open up and get really honest, then we can encourage and inspire each other." It was something like that. Anyways, I stepped on my own toes with that one! So, here it is...my story of weakness exposed in hopes the Lord can use it to help one of you!

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Just the other day, I was as still as I could be as my upper chest passed through the open tube of the massive machine. Alone, in that cold room, with my heart racing and unexplained pressure in my chest, I quoted scripture one after the other after the other. I prayed desperately that this wasn’t “it” for me. The ER doctor had ordered the CAT scan about an hour earlier, after blood had been drawn and other tests performed. My precious husband and mother were waiting back in the examining room, their own emotions running wild as they tried in vain to quiet my very hungry 5-day-old baby girl.

Fear had enveloped me months before as a doctor coaxed me into voluntary house arrest due to the H1N1 virus spreading through our community. “Pregnant women are dying from this flu and we don’t know why” he had said. Then, as time inched closer to my third c-section, all I could think of was the last c-section when my epidural had not worked. What if it didn’t work this time? What if they had to put me to sleep again? Last time, I was blissfully unaware of the risks. This time, I knew them all too well.

Thankfully, our baby girl entered this world on a blustery-cold November morning, beautiful and healthy as can be! During my c-section, the epidural had not worked, but thankfully the “spinal” did. Our little princess was precious from the start, but also about as cranky as they come! So, after arriving home, more fearful thoughts began, “How in the world am I going to handle a baby that cries constantly along with two other young children at home?” I tried to push those thoughts out of my head and told myself the continual crying was temporary. Surely things would be better by the time my parents went back home (they had come to help out for a little over week).

On top of all of my apprehension, while trying to heal, some nasty complications developed from the surgery…things I hadn’t experienced after my previous c-sections. I had noticed pressure developing in my chest, but with so much going on, I brushed it off. Then, a few heart palpitations started and I began to take notice a little more. Within hours, I was getting short of breath, so I finally called my doctor. “Get to the ER!” she said…along with something about the possibility of blood clots.

I had tried for weeks to get a handle on the fear growing within me. I even called on friends to pray for me. Still, the comforting peace that I was accustomed to could not be found, and that was confusing! I was tempted to take it as God’s answer that this was “it” and soon I’d be seeing Him face-to-face! Looking back, that thought seems so ridiculous, but I can assure you at the time, fear caused me to waver.


Ultimately, after over four hours in the ER, it was determined that I had just suffered my first, and prayerfully, my last, panic attack. It was not a fun experience to say the least. I struggled with what to do with the news. I wish I could say that all of my feelings of anxiety vanished immediately, but unfortunately they didn’t. For weeks after that, I would begin to feel the pressure in my chest and then cry out to the Lord for help. Thankfully, I never had another attack. I feel certain that my raging pregnancy hormones had a lot to do with it. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

So why didn't peace come immediately for me? I can't tell you. Sometimes answers come easily, sometimes they don't. I do believe that it was some sort of a test for me. It’s like God was saying, “You know I love you, baby girl, but this time I want you to stand on your own spiritual two feet and fight. You may not feel me, but you KNOW I’m with you. I’ve told you in my Word and proven it to you over and over again. Trust me.”

I felt like fear was like a blanket of darkness covering me and trying to smother me. I may have stumbled around in the darkness a bit, but Praise Him, I did not fall! The unseen hand of my Father was grasping mine the entire time. His Word says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Also, Psalm 37:23-24 says, "If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."

I know that many times the Lord does indeed comfort and guide by His peace. However, there are times when, for whatever reason, that "feeling" doesn’t come. Are we to be led by our feelings? Absolutely not! He’s still “got” us even when we don’t feel like He’s anywhere around! The Word says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10) 

The Lord also speaks of those who are His in John 10:29 when He says, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand." Did you read that?! We are His and He ALWAYS takes care of His children. He is ALWAYS with us, whether we “feel” Him or not. When He seems to hide, we are to stand firm in what we KNOW. It’s at those times more than ever that we must stand firm on the promises of His Word!

One of my all-time favorite quotes is from a powerful woman of God named Corrie Ten Boom:

“Faith is believing in the dark what God spoke to you in the light.”

Exactly.

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*Linking up at Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Joy in this Journey, and A Pause on the Path

For His glory,

Taste and See

Just the other day...I dropped out of college. I had gone to college for literally two weeks. I attended a church service that second weekend and after it, I just knew I was following my own path instead of the path the Lord was calling me to walk. So, to make a very long story short, I began to seek the Lord about what the next steps in my life needed to be. It was then that I finally understood what intimate fellowship with Christ looked like.

In seeking the Lord, I would go into my room, close the door, turn on my closet light, and sit on the floor. I would open my Bible in front of me and just read. Sometimes I would read for hours. Sometimes I would read it and just cry. Sometimes I would journal my prayers to the Lord. Sometimes I would pray out loud, other times I would pray in my head. Sometimes I would just sit in silence and wait on the Lord. As I read and cried out and waited and listened, I was changed. Every time...not rarely, not occasionally, not "just on my good days", but every time...God met me there! It was during that time, I believe, that my true relationship with the Lord began. My heart was captivated by the Him and a romance was ignited.  Christianity became more than just fire-insurance (a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, if you will) and more than just head-knowledge. I devoted myself earnestly to the Lord; and He won my heart and my full affection. Before that, I was a "good girl". I tried to follow the rules, but it was in my own strength and I failed miserably (read here). There had been no depth to my relationship with the Lord because I had not truly sought Him.

There are so many Christians today who are making the same mistake I was. So many believe that "being saved" means just that..."I am saved from having to face an eternity in Hell". But, what about the abundant life God talks about in John 10:10? He longs for His children to know Him and to experience Him, not just know about Him. It's pretty much like someone telling you about how good, let's say, chocolate is. They can talk about it until they are blue in the face and you may leave with knowledge that it's good, sure...but there's no way you can really understand unless you taste it for yourself! It's the same with the Lord Jesus. Someone else can explain to you how wonderful Jesus is your whole life long...and you might even go away saying "God is good!" and truly believe it...but you'll never understand it unless you decide to earnestly seek a relationship with Him yourself. The Bible says it best:

 " Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!" 

Psalm 34:8 

How I pray that you would earnestly seek Him today! Find out for yourself just how amazing He really is!!!

Honesty From An Author I Love

She Makes It Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen She was beautiful, thin, smart and could cook too. I, on the other hand, knew next to nothing about cooking and couldn't seem to lose the baby weight. She never seemed to doubt what she was doing as a mom. I worried all the time about it. We were quite a pair, but that didn't stop me from being around her every chance I had ... hoping some of whatever she had would rub off on me. Sometimes we would double date with our husbands. I liked going out with them because I thought our marriage would morph into theirs if we were around them enough. One night we took our children and the wait at the restaurant was especially long. Feeling equipped and qualified for once, I produced my pièce de résistance for our whiny squirming toddlers: a bag of M&Ms, kept for "emergencies" such as these. Internally I beamed as the children quieted and munched happily. I had saved the day. For once, it was me with the answers, me with the plans. After dinner we got in the car and my husband said, "I don't think she liked that very much, you giving her daughter M&Ms." I got defensive. "Why would she mind?" I countered. "I got us through dinner without either of them having meltdowns!" I could feel my resolve and goodwill begin to melt like chocolate candy held in a toddler's warm hands too long. Frantically I scanned my brain for some evidence that he was wrong. Was my friend unhappy when I gave her child chocolate? I thought of all the times she'd insisted on fruit and not fries, how she wanted her daughter to have water and not juice. It made sense that she wouldn't want her to have chocolate. How had I missed the polite signals? I rode the rest of the way home in silence, feeling like I had fallen off my self-constructed pedestal. There was no chance I could ever get back up, much less make it to the top where my friend sat. How I had wanted to impress her! Yet in my quest to look capable, I had managed to mess up. I often think back with vivid clarity on that moment. For me, it was one of several defining moments as I learned to stop looking at other women as my gauge for perfection. I was consistently putting other women on pedestals, convinced that one had a better marriage, another had a better house, one had a better body, and yet another had better-behaved children. In playing this bitter comparison game, I always came up short. Comparison, as they say, is the death of contentment. And then something started happening to the women I admired. There was the woman who seemed to have it all together ... until her husband lost his job and they were dragged through an awful court case. Still want her life? I heard God whisper as I prayed for her. There was the woman who had shown me the beautiful plans for her gorgeous new home ... months before her husband left her for another woman. Still want that house? God challenged. There was the woman who had six children and managed it all so beautifully, while staying thin. I've watched her mount countless hurdles in the past few years. And God has reminded me each time that her life is no more perfect than mine. There is something in each of us, something that harkens back to Eve and the Garden of Eden. We have so much, we are so blessed, and yet our souls are restless, looking for more. Our eyes scan the landscape, searching for something to light on, something we don't have. We see thinner, richer, prettier, better and we want it. We reach and we strive and ... like I did, fall. Sometimes the fall is horrible, humiliating and harsh. Sometimes it is quiet and we are the only ones who know it happened. I once heard a story about a group of people who were asked to write all their problems down and lay them in the center of the room. Then they were invited to go and pick up any problem they wanted instead. After much pondering and picking through the problems, each person went back and chose their very own. You see, they realized they were uniquely qualified to handle their own issues. God knows that. And slowly, with practice, I do too. I don't want to be like the elusive "her" anymore. I want to be like me. She might make it look easy - but it's not. For anyone. Knowing that truth, I can grab tightly onto God's hand and embrace the wild adventure He has for me. Personally, I am going to pack some M&Ms for my journey. Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. The family lives outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Marybeth is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries writing team and a regular contributor to their daily devotions. Her first novel, "The Mailbox," was released last year. Her next novel, "She Makes It Look Easy," has been recently released. Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads, Proverbs 31 Ministries' fiction division. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com **Reprinted with permission from the author.**

Faithful Father

Just the other day, I was flipping through my personal journal. I came across a prayer I had written to the Lord. The entry date was a little over a year ago. I sat amazed because everything I was praying about then, God had answered!!! Not only that, He had answered beyond what I ever could have expected! To be quite honest, I had forgotten about that prayer. But God did not. And that’s just like Him. It’s what He loves to do with His children. He loves to surprise us with more than we thought possible! 

Oh, I know, sometimes the roads we travel down are…well…immensely difficult…but the outcome is so worth the struggle! So often, we run from the pain and the discomfort, when in actuality, we should learn to embrace it. There are lessons to be taught in the place of pain. No amount of time “on the mountaintop” would ever produce the same benefits. Do I think the Lord causes the pain? No. Do I think the Lord uses what “satan meant for evil” to produce some really great stuff in our lives? Yes!

If we understand the Lord as the perfect Father, we understand that it is NEVER His intent to bring us harm. Never. It is His desire to see us whole and healthy…physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally…all the way around! His word says that He came so that we may have abundant life and I’m telling you, that kind of life can be found even in the midst of pain if you make the Lord, your Father, your dwelling place…your home...your safe haven. And you know what I realized that day as I was reading my journal? I honestly think that maybe for the first time in my life, I really did go a whole year making Him my safe haven…running straight to Him with everything…especially with the hard stuff that I didn't understand. I know that must sound ridiculous, saying this is the first year I had done that, but in the past, truthfully, I would get some crazy thought in my head (a lie from satan) and decide to let it build a wall between the Lord and I (you can travel over here to read an example). This year, I actually relied on faith, believing NOT on what I saw or felt, but rather, on the truth I saw in His word or the truth He impressed upon me. I prayed through the doubt and I took my stuff straight to Him. Would you believe that it works!? Ha! Trust me…you can trust Him!!!

He will come through for you. He will fight for you. He will defend you. He will heal you. He will make the path straight. He will guide you. He will teach you. He will sustain you. He will carry you. He will shower blessings upon you. He will be a Father to you. He will love on you. He will comfort you. He will bring you peace. He will be your strength. He will answer your prayers…

even if you forget that you asked them.

Because that’s just who He is…

Faithful.

Please watch the following video. You'll be blessed!

 

Guard Your Heart

 Just the other day, when I was a young girl in high school, I began a friendship with a guy, thinking I could “win” him to the Lord, but before long I was the one who was in trouble. Soon, I convinced myself that he and I were in love, and before I knew it, I had given my heart away. I wrote these words in my boyfriend’s yearbook: “I give you my heart” (that makes me nauseous just thinking about it). It’s not the words that sicken me as much as the thought behind the words and the very fact that I opened up my life to someone who didn’t deserve to have that honor. I allowed myself to become vulnerable to another person who could never have been my husband (“Romeo and Juliette” type of thing). I used to joke and say, “I think God will have to move me 1,000 miles away from that guy to ever get me out of this relationship.” With His impeccable sense of humor, the Lord landed me at college exactly 982 miles from my doorstep.

Sure enough, the relationship ended and both of us moved on, but the damage of three years of emotional bondage had taken its toll on my heart. I found myself comparing every other person that I tried to date with my high school boyfriend and if they didn’t measure up, it was over before it even started, so-to-speak. Thankfully, one very perceptive Christian guy came into my life and pretty much told me he wouldn’t compete and he felt it was useless to try, or for anyone to try for that matter. That’s when my eyes were opened and I finally realized, I had to let God do some heart surgery on me.

 I’d like to say that emotional healing happened overnight and (POOF!) I was ready to be real and open with my heart again, but it didn’t. It was a long walk and I had a lot of feelings and baggage to deal with. I had to go through a lot of sacrificing and a lot of laying my “stuff” down.

Eventually, God got me ready and in the right place so that I could meet my husband (you can read that story here). Still, the fact that I even had to walk this road grieves me to no end. I was forced to pay a high price for not guarding my heart (my emotions/feelings) and if anyone can learn from my pain, I’d shout it from the rooftops!!! I realize that in all relationships, there is an element of risk, but for a young girl to form such an overwhelming connection was unwise and dangerous. Think about it, I was just a few years away from having played with baby dolls and pretend tea sets! Having girls now myself has helped me to realize how unprepared I was. I wish I had been taught early on the importance of guarding my heart. I wish I could have spared myself the heartache. And for those of you out there with preteen or teenage girls, I pray that you will diligently teach them to guard their hearts, for it is a precious treasure!

Even as a grown woman, I have noticed the need to continue to guard my heart. This realization has happened vicariously, mostly through others who have failed to create “safeguards” in their lives. Others may think chatting on the computer with members of the opposite sex is fine, but to me, as a married woman, it’s off limits. Others may think sending text messages or emails to another man who is “just a friend” is okay, but not me. I’ve decided not to do it unless my own husband, the other person’s spouse, or a trusted friend is in on the conversation. Others may think that flirting with their husband’s best friend or their child’s teacher is just innocent fun, but to me, it’s crossing a line. You just never know when the person you are talking to is vulnerable and furthermore, you might have a blind spot to your own weaknesses.

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” His seeking is so subtle. What I might think is innocent and harmless can quickly become a recipe for the destruction of my marriage if I am not on guard. Know yourself! Guard your heart! There are too many marriages and families in ruins today because someone decided to let their guard down, someone foolishly decided they were incapable of falling, or someone decided to act selfishly in the moment.

How can you guard your heart? Read on...

The easiest way to make sure you are on guard is by staying in an intimate relationship with the Lord. He is your Creator and your Father and because of that, He’s an expert in all that you need. Make sure you are filling up with Him throughout your day! Read the Bible, keep devotions open on your desktop to read when you have a pause in your day, play worship music, get alone to pray and wait on the Lord. Soak up His presence! Simply put, stay in constant communication with Him. Rely on Him, especially in those times when you know you are emotionally needy!  Philippians 4:  6 – 7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Another safeguard is to make sure you are maintaining intimacy with your spouse and I’m not just talking about sexually (though that’s an important component)! Make time to connect, to really talk beyond the surface stuff like, “Honey, what’s for supper?” or “Don’t forget the kids’ game on Friday”. Schedule time together and don’t let anything get in the way of it. Make your relationship with your spouse a priority!

Lastly, make time for friends, even if you only have a moment to squeeze in a quick phone call. “A friend loves at all times” (Prov 17:17). God has given you friends as gifts! Make time to connect with them. I don’t know about your husband, but I know my husband would appreciate not having to converse about new trends in children’s clothing or the latest cute shoes;) That’s what girlfriends are for! Actually they are for much more than that, but I think you “get me” here!

~~~~~~~~

I hope I’ve encouraged you be wise in your decisions and to protect your heart/emotions! The Word of God, as always, says it best:

 Above all else, guard your heart,
   for everything you do flows from it.
 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
   keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
   fix your gaze directly before you. 

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
   and be steadfast in all your ways.
 Do not turn to the right or the left;
   keep your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:23-27

For His glory,

I'm Featured Today!!!

Check out Destiny in Bloom to read my piece called "Walk with Dad". I pray God will use it to speak to your heart! Please leave me some "comment" love over at DIB:)

The Place of "Not-Knowing"

Just the other day, my husband found an old video. It was of my first daughter's 2nd birthday party. As I stood watching part of the video, I admired the amazing cuteness of that precious girl on the screen. She looked like a little princess in her pink party dress, which was adorned with balloons, ribbons, and a "2" in the middle of her chest. Oh, but then came the part where I was on camera. Groan. Aside from the obvious fact that I was much skinnier back then (grrr!), I was immediately hit with one single thought, "I wish I could tell that girl (me) what's coming. I wish I could encourage her just a bit that it's all gonna be ok and that in the end, the result will be worth it." Wouldn't that be GREAT if we could somehow encourage our future selves about what's around the corner?! Not so that we could blab every detail, but so that we could just assure ourselves..."It's not gonna be fun, in fact, you're about to walk through some really hard times, but things work out beautifully, trust me! I can't wait for you to see it!"

Yeah...that would be awesome...

or would it?

Really...would it???

Once I truly thought about it, I realized the "not-knowing" is what has molded me into who I am today. The place of "not-knowing" has been my classroom. In fact, it has kept me dependent on the ONE Who Matters Most. It has had me on my knees...weeping, begging, pleading, and finally leaving "it" in His capable hands. The "not-knowing" is what has driven me to trust...to have faith...to hope when all hope seems lost. And the end result may or may not be what I had hoped for, but the Lord weaves His beauty and His glory into it, always making it better than what I had hoped. In the end, His decision is always the right one, whether I deem it be or not. And frankly, it's the process of going through, the process of making it to the other side, where some of the richest treasure is to be found! It's the resistance and the struggle and the learning to give it all to God that makes warriors out of babes. If anything, I have learned this...when I try to fix everything in my life, I fail miserably. When I give it to the Lord, I always win!

Do I have battle scars?

Yes.

Are there things I don't understand? 

Absolutely. 

Does it keep me from running to the Lord when I find myself in the place of "not-knowing"? 

NO. 

The Lord told His servant Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12: 9)

You and I, my dear friends, are wise to take up the same declaration as Paul: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor 12: 10)

True strength will always be the result of a life broken before the Lord.

And the place of "not-knowing" is where the wise declare, "Break me."

How Quickly Things Can Change

Just the other day, we were sitting at a restaurant and the owner came up to our table. He greeted us with the usual, "Hi, Folks. How are y'all? Are you enjoying the food tonight?" Then, his tone changed, "I just wanted to let y'all know there's been a tornado spotted up the road from here (still a few miles away). It may be headed this direction. Our plan is to pile into the cooler, if we need to. We will keep you informed."

One minute, we had been enjoying our meal...ya know, just talking and laughing like normal, but in the next minute, things drastically changed. Suddenly, our minds started racing..."Should we leave? Should we stay? Lord, help us to know what to do." It was hard, after that, to really focus on anything "normal". Well, as it turned out, we were fine and ended up riding home in some very dark clouds, but that was it (thank you, Father). However, as I thought about it later that night and as I sorted through photos of areas of the Southeast that were hit by devastating tornadoes, I was impressed by just how quickly things can change. And it also made me think about this:

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business - eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building - until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."  Luke 17: 26 - 35

On THAT day, when Christ returns, alllllll the stuff that we debate, argue, and go round-and-round about will not matter one single bit!!! When I was sitting at that table thinking about what to do next if the tornado came our way...the trivial stuff like our house or our car, those things didn't matter. What mattered was the life of each member of my family around that table! Don't you know the same thing will matter on that great day when our Lord appears?! It will be all about LIFE and if you chose to hold onto yours, living it by your own standards, or if you chose to give it to Your Heavenly Father, letting Him take full control. It is by that decision that you choose where you will spend all eternity.

When the Lord returns, the Bible says it will happen in the "twinkling of an eye". There will be no time to make a final decision about your eternal life. The time for that is NOW, while you have a chance!!!!

If you've been thinking about making a decision to follow Christ, please seek Him right now by CLICKING HERE.

And, please, let me know if you are seeking Him! I would love to encourage you and send you some links to help you. (I read all comments prior to publishing them and will not post yours on this blog if you ask me not to do so...promise!) Please read my previous post called Nothing Compares. You will find that I am CONVINCED that there is nothing better to be found (in this life or the next) than a relationship with Jesus!!!

Please turn to Him while there is still time, for none of us knows what tomorrow holds and things can change quickly.

For His glory,