Apparently, It's Summer!

So really, since the beginning of March, my little boy has been begging for me to fill up his pool. The first time he asked mind you, snow was still on the ground. SO, using the bit of common sense I still have, I said NO to that one, and told him to be patient. (yeah yeah, i hate that answer too)

So today, when the temps soared to 68 degrees...out came the pool, and the rest, I'm going to let speak for itself. Lets just say, we had a blast and it was well worth the 20 trips with buckets of warm water to fill up this small pool. We had to fill it several times because somehow, the water kept "falling" out of the pool...hmmm....anyways, enjoy!

When your tired

Have the faith to remember that with God all things can be made new. Your past is just that. But your future in him is limitless. All God looks for is a desire to begin moving in the right direction, and he will be there to embrace you.- Woman of faith

I started out my day feeling a little defeated... As I mentioned yesterday, every battle we win for the Lord, we stomp Satan. Well, the Lord and I have been stomping on Satan all morning and he's gone, but I'm tired from the war.

Just when you think you've got something figured out, the reality of what it really means to win the battle sets in. You may walk away victorious, but the battle can still leave you tired. And this is how I feel now...

So now I'm moving forward, or attempting too, my heart was pierced slightly in battle and I'm limping a little, I will admit, I had the wind knocked out of my sails, and I'm sitting here with the word of Lord open before me, as He sooths my wounds.

I feel a little bit like that disciple who keeps asking the Lord to reveal the meaning behind His parables, and He continues to tell them in plain terms, but gets a little frustrated with them because of it...

Maybe He's not frustrated with me, but I'm tired of having to ask Him to reveal to me the meaning behind His lessons. Why can't I just take them for what they are? And have the wisdom to understand? I know I do not know everything, and that's probably a good thing...but discouragement is not found at the end of the victory so this is where I need to pick up on God's promised to me...

Trust in me with all your heart child and lean not on your own understanding...

It's my human understanding that gets me into trouble in the first place and just knowing that the enemy is being defeated makes me want to trust even more...

So know this friend, discouragement does come at times, fatigue does set it here and there, but staying there, is not of the Lord, and He has a much better place for you to rest..

And it's beside His still waters...we just have to go there and be willing to leave our discouragement behind us. I know that even when Jesus was on earth He got discouraged, we all do, and it's normal. But, it's the staying there that is not of Him....we need to run to the healer, and He will give us the spiritual balm that will heal our tied hearts, our feet that have blisters from the constant walking on His path, and the wounds from the enemy that pierced us while doing battle. Do you ever feel like you leave a battle ground with an arrow still stuck in your back? I have felt this way, and that is especially the time we need to go to the Lord for healing and for Him to bath us in His pure clean water of truth...to restore our souls and remind us that He has won the final battle...

He knows all and is in charge of all...we learn lessons because we need to. Something needs fixing and we need to be more refined. Each time we fight with the tools of the Lord, we defeat evil and conquer the desire the enemy had for us to succumb to. God trumps Satan when we fight with His tools. So I know my friends how tiresome this battle can be. It is hard...and getting lost in the defeat of battles lost also can wage war on the peace in our souls. God forgives, forgets and takes us onward to a new day, all He wants is a willing heart, ready to take up His sword, in His name, and in His power. Remembering all along, this battle, this victory, this outcome, is not about us, it's about the power of the Living God...the God who conquers all evil, and rejoices in the obedience of our lives.

So go out there and kick this enemy, put on your sword, and fight. Not in your own power, but in His...and I'm right there next to you...

Even when there is blood on my face, and tears in my eyes, I know that as I keep slinging my sword of truth at the enemy, he is brought down and defeated by the power of my Great God...a God who has not abandoned me....

Take heart warriors..the battle is not ours to win alone, it's God's. And in that I can fight with courage, and not linger on my despair, be released from my discouragement and rejoice in the Lord and all of His great power...and glory.

Every Little Battle

I know at times, I've spoken of the battlefield, and how the enemy tries to gain our hearts on these battlefields...

Well, I'm tired of fighting. Anyone with me? I'm sick and tired of trying to do it on my own. I'm tired of walking up to my giant Goliath and realizing too late that I did not collect the five stones God called me to. To often, I fight empty handed.. I do not prepare myself nor allow God to equip me with the tools I need.

This life my friends is a constant battle, but we need not be exhausted, and we need not be discouraged, God is our protector. He is the one who does the fighting, we only need to be obedient to Him in circumstances that are pulling for our attention, and in those moments, God stomps Satan because of our obedience, and how his ultimately brings glory to God. Discouragement only surfaces when we are relying upon our own strength to win and conquer, and that is not God's plan for us. We are to rely on Him alone. Him alone.

The best verses on His protection can be found in Ephes 6. This is that chapter where He calls us to put on His armor of protection, and this of course is all well and good, but how my friends do I actually put on my breast plate of righteousness? What is that for me exactly? How do I do something and put something on that I do not fully understand? Through prayer. Righteousness is selfless. Righteousness is a constant chasing after God and His desires for us, righteousness is a laying down of self. And sacrifice of desires because we know, He knows best. Do you think that the morning that David fought Goliath, he really woke up saying, "I'm really just wanting to fight that giant today...." um, I think not. No, I think it went a little bit more like this, (and this is how our giants are defeated as well my friends) we awake, fresh, ready for day that will hopefully bring our hearts joy and make us happy. Right? I'm sure David was no different, he thought that it'd be fun to go see all his brothers who were of course encamped around the front lines of where Goliath continued to each day come out and taunt the people about their God. And David is shocked and mortified by this philistine and He exclaims..."Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that should taunt the armies of the Living God?" (1 Samuel 17: 26b)

And really by this, we are the same way...we walk into work, and overhear the Lord's name in vain and we are discusted, and righteously angry because someone is using the Holy name of God in a way that brings Him to a lowly position of a curse, and really, defies the first commandment which is to "love the Lord our God..." and we kindly, respectfully but rightfully so, stand up for the Lord and make a statement that brings His Holiness into view of those who were slamming God with their words.

That my friends, is a battlefield. We of course know how David's battle ended, God won, and Satan was defeated. David's example is just one among many, but it's a lesson we all need to be reminded of, myself very much included, this is a lesson I'm currently learning. If anything is to be done, and done with victory, it's to be done in the strength of the LORD. The most Holy Lord. Reading also in John chapter 17:1-16 the Lord, our Lord, prays on our behalf to the Holy Father for our protection. This was His big final prayer before His death on the cross, so the fact that He prays this prayer of protection when time is short for Him makes me think that this protection is of most importance. We are by nature, self sufficient people. We like to do things ourselves and we feel a sense of accomplishment when we succeed by no-ones help but our own, but that is so contrary to how we are to be in the faith. God is the source of our success in all of life's battles, big and small. My husband and I have been musing about the idea that every time we choose the right choice in the name of righteousness to honor our Father, Satan looses. Isn't that cool? There are always two choices, and usually the one we are more humanly drawn to is the easy choice, and also, the wrong one. On one side lies righteousness and the other side, lies human temptation. Whether it's the temptation to freak out on your three year old son who is taking your to the edge of your patience, or it's the temptation to glorify yourself rather than God, it's a temptation, and therefore, it's a battle, and a battle calls for armor, ranks of many troops, and God's protection. Enlist your friends to pray for you, surround yourself with friends that encourage you in your faith and pray for the protection of Christ as you pay Holy reverence to your Fathers desires for you and win battles in His name, to honor, His name.

Because once again my friends ( as i begin to feel like a broken record, but it's what God is teaching me) It's all about bringing glory to His name...that God may be praised, that others may pick up and hear of the victory, the miracle or the battle won and praise His name also. The bottom line, is that God is reverenced, because He is Holy...and that God is glorified, because He is God and we are not.

The fact that He keeps coming at me with this lesson makes me think that I'm not properly giving Him glory or doing it as much as He would desire...and I do not want it only to be lip service. So my friends, as you read this, will you pray for me in this as well? This life I'm learning is so deeply, not about me. And I over time been most thankful for that knowledge, it has offered me great freedom, and in that I can better understand my purpose for that which I was created. It does not matter how small the circumstances, God can be glorified in all of it...and this the desire and really, the goal of my heart. This life is not a sprint, it's a marathon, and only be His sustenance am I going to finish this race strong. We all need to know that we are not running alone, am I right? Well friend, I know this for sure, I am not alone, and neither are you. Now doesn't that make you want to glorify the Lord? :) I know I do. What understanding we posses, what great gifts of knowledge we are are blessed with, and only by His grace will we be able to understand them and be able to apply them to our lives to learn, to grow and be who He made us to be. Rejoice in Him today.

How does your garden grow?

I confess, I am not a Gardner, but I do wish to be. I have a good friend who always has lovely fruits and vegi's and her desire to grow things for her family has inspired me to want to do so for mine...So this year, I will plant some seeds and water than and pray and hope, that they grow. :)

Today as I was spending some time with the Lord, (the fact that I can freely do that is beginning to feel like such a gift to me...) and I was reading through Matthew chapter 13..

It starts like this, and love this, because it gave me a very vivid mental picture of Jesus, and what He did...

" That same day, Jesus, went out and sat by the lake..." vs 1

I don't why that hit me so hard other than the fact that I love the lake, and that I love hearing details about the Lord...it's comparable to when your dating the one you love, and you all of a sudden hear a intimate detail about what they did that day, your ears pick up and you take notice, because everything about that person is exciting to you and all they do is important.

So I like that when I heard that My Lord, sat by the lake, and where Jesus was, crowds were not to far behind, so soon Jesus's quiet moment by the lake was interrupted by crowds of fans. Longing to hear some words from Him...and of course this is why He was there, so He began to speak in parables of the crops. And what He said, spoke to my heart that is fresh from a hard week of lessons about my own obedience and my own loyalty to Father in the midst of troubled circumstances, and I was humbled...again...

"But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and chocked the plants..." vs6

Then Jesus goes on the explain this to His crowds who still did not understand, and He said this...

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes in and snatches away what was sown in his heart.." vs 19

And so, of course I began to think about my own seeds...and when I experienced sun and choking thorns what did I do? Well this is all what I have currently been learning so I found it rather "ironic" that I came to this lesson now. I lived in place where I was very shallowly rooted for quite some time...and for a time, when all was well I was fine. The sun was not to hot nor the thorns to tight or tall, and I lived in shallow place of happy for a bit. But then my friends, like in everything, the sands began to shift and things began to get uncomfortable and I realized, my faith was small for the sun beat down, and I wallowed in self pit for "how hot I was.." and I began to shrivel.

I want to be in deep deep, rich, fulfilling, life-giving soil. And the only way I am going to do this is by embedding myself in the rich soil of God's word, God's love, God's provision and plans.

And this is where my roots can grow...why you ask? Why do I want my roots to grow so deep? So that I can be the plant that is full of life, growing the biggest most beautiful flowers that show their lovely faces up to the sun to bring the most possible glory to the Father.

Not because it's pleasing to myself, (although this is where I am the most joyful) not because I'm being "big" in man's eyes...but because this is why God made me. TO grow...to move mountains...to profess His name with the most honest passion.

"But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." vs. 23b

And this of course my friends, can only be done when one immerses themselves so deeply in the rich soil of the Father so that He can give them the nourishment they need to be the plants that yield the crop the He desires them to yield. Not because it's always easy, not because it will make us live our "best life now" (by the worlds standards) but because it's what will bring the Kingdom purposes to earth, and the most glory to God. SO, this is what I want. This is what I need to be the plant that grows as The Lord desires...and this is why I stay close to His words like I do, and will continue to do...

This is why Jesus came to us, to woo us, to call to our hearts, and tell us the promises of His Father...
" I gave them the words that you gave me, and they accepted them..." John 17:8

And of course, we can still accept those very same words today as we read and experience the greatest gifts the Lord ever gave us, the word, and as we understand it by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I am continually humbled by the fact that each day as I open the word, God speaks to me. GOD! creator of all, speaks to me! And friend, He speaks to you too...now all we need to is this...Here are your secretes to a joy filled life..listen up:

we need to number one: Seek God with all our souls, otherwise said: Know Him. Not know about Him but know Him. And the only way we do this, is by spending time in His word.

Secondly: We need to obey Him, and this means, we are obedient to His plans for us, and allowing Him to take over our hearts...be in control...follow His lead.

That's the secret to peace in our hearts. Trouble comes, waves crash, sun scorches and thorns will grown, but if we are deeply rooted in the soil of the Lord, we will have a protection around our hearts so the enemy will not accomplish what he wants to, and that is to ultimately destroy our faith and trust in God.

Don't let this happen...we are not promised perfection on earth, but we are given the chance to live this life with the most joy possible by trusting in the one who knows it all...now, doesn't that feel a little less stressful? It's not our job to make sure we are the biggest plant, it's Gods! I am only a little seed in the hands of a faithful Gardner and only him do we grow.

May we all grow in Him today.

My Greatest Lesson Yet...

Let me just start by saying this, I am learning so much about God and it's so amazing. A giant shift has taken place in my thoughts towards God and about God.

My doubt is diminishing and my trust is increasing, and my desire to be obedient to Him is ten-fold what it was even last week. I'm understanding this, through Him, it is finished.

What do I mean by that? Of course, this is what Jesus said as he prayed before He died, and then as He hung on the cross He said it again, but what does this mean for me?

It means many things, because in this world we have many troubles, and He does warn us of this

in John chapter 15,16...but I always took that as a curse...and I bottom line, I feared it.

Meaning, at the very core, I feared God's plan for me, because I was always afraid that He would put me through trials simply because He was God. What a flawed perspective I had. Somehow, I could understand Jesus, He was a man that the Bible depicted as loving and for the most part, kind. But God's person was not someone I felt I could easily relate to, and when I said that I feared Him, I did, but I was afraid of Him causing bad things to happen to me, not fearing Him because of His awesome, trust worthy, perfection and all knowing attributes.

And for this flawed perspective, i'm very grieved. I have told God these things, (although I know He has known them all along) And I have asked for forgiveness, but I am understanding I have so much to learn now. I have spent my entire christian walk being afraid of the very one I was serving, and not trusting in His ultimate plans for my life. So whenever I hit a speed bump in my walk I questioned God's very personality. I questioned his motives, and that is not a place I ever want to be again. God did not intend for me to pumped for painful circumstances, but He most certainly did not intend for me to blame Him when trials (that He already warned me about) came. This is how flawed I was in my thinking. Oh Father, I'm sorry.

The qualities of God are things I want to now discover on a new level and as I discover each one, I want to praise Him for them, delighting in the very glory that is His and rejoicing in the knowledge that I can be apart of His mighty plan. I am, for Him.

Who is this king of glory? Who pursues me with His love?

This was an aspect I never really got...His love. I mean, you always hear, "God loves you..." and of course, i've said this to quite a few people myself, but do you know friend that God's love is our everything? It's His best for us. And this is why He talks so much about it throughout His word. And this is why the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God. Because if we do not love Him, we cannot trust Him or do any of the other things He calls us too, we cannot abide and truly know someone we do not love. We cannot walk with and live for someone we do not love, and we cannot understand His love the way He wants us to if we do not fully buy into His plan. It's all interconnected and all apart of His plan.

I have so much more to grasp before I feel like i'm really getting a handle on what it is that He is teaching me here, but one thing is for sure, I want to bring Him glory..

I want to learn all that He has for me learn so that I can be all that He wants me to be for Him and my friends, this is His plan for me. And that is all I need to know. I many want to know the end result of His plans and purposes, but I do not need to know, because i'm safe in the arms of God wherever I am. I do not always need to know my where-abouts, because God does. All I want to do, is be the person who is bring glory to the Father. It's not scary anymore. Before I would have started all of these thoughts with, "wow, this is really frightening...i mean, taking that blind leap is so scary..." But nothing is uncertain with Christ...Nothing.

Nothing can be feared unless we step outside of God's will...so, how do I stay in God's will you may ask? I'm asking that too, and only through seeking God's direction and word will I find the God in this...

Oswald Chambers put it like this..." In prayer, we get a hold of God, not the answers..."

So that reassures me also, I don't need the answers. What I need is God. And God has got my best plan in His hands...my best plan. It's that plan that I want. The only time fear and anxiety can enter into our lives is when we take a hold of the "plan" and tell God that we have a better one. It's as if we say, "Ok God, You hold onto that plan, just in case mine doesn't work out. Until then I'll check in from time to time, to tell you how things are going, and trust me God, I'll call out to you if I need some help...but don't really expect to hear from me until i'm in real trouble."

Scary!!! That is the only time we really should be fearful. When we are driving this car...blind.

I would never ask a blind man to drive me home, and so it is with myself...how could I possibly know whats best for me when I can see past my big toe. It's frightening that I took so much control into my own hands only a short while ago...

I know this is a whole lot of change for me, and I'm just asking the Lord to help me learn what is most important for me to learn right now. BUT...Friends...Perfect love drives out fear, and that is exactly what has happened here.

Are you in agreement with God's plan for you life? If not...why? And how, oh how, can we ever expect to do this thing called life all by ourselves? We cannot. But take heart my friends, He has overcome the world...and now I say, with every ounce of my being, TO GOD, BE THE GLORY.

And in Him, Through Him, By Him Because of Him our pain and fears are conquered because it's because of Him that it is finished...

A paradime shift

Friends, have you ever had this moment where something comes to head? A moment where you think something that you've thought about a million times, but suddenly you think it differently..

Well, I've had that. And my thought is about God, His character and why we do what we do for him. What are the motives behind being a "obedient" child of God? Let me tell you in complete honesty..most of my life, most of my obedience was for the simple truth that I thought it would help me get from God what I wanted from Him. All my prayers were requests, all my thoughts were, "if I do this, will it help Him want to give me this gift more?" And so was my relationship. Until today. This morning, as I was wrestling with this idea my stomach churned and my heart lept to my throat because of the simple truth that I have put everything else, all of my desires in my heart before God, and all the while saying, "oh of course God comes first..." Does HE? Does He really come first? So how do I put Him first differently now? I began by focusing on His qualities..who He is...the things that make Him so amazing. All that is this world was created to bring glory to God. The flowers, with beautiful pink lines of detail that reflect the sun and smell oh so sweet...those were created to shine his beauty. The baby that he knits together in a womb, that was designed to show his great care of detail, and really, I believe his most awesome display of talent. How creative is our God.

"All the ways of the Lord are loving and Faithful.." Psalm 25:11

I wrote in my prayer journal today after reading that verse that I think those two qualities are the two main things that all people need. Do you agree friends? We all need love, and faithfulness takes on many different forms...but to know that someone is faithful to you is one thing that is beyond comparison.

So, now I know, He is loving, He is faithful, and listen to this:

"The men where amazed, and asked...What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey Him..." Matt 8:27

(and this is on the wings of Jesus commanding the sea to be still...)

And now I know He has authority and power. Which makes me feel safe...Doesn't that make you feel safe friends?

God is sovereign...and the idea of this has always left me feeling like i'm always looking for a little more...let me explain..

If God could stop earthquakes...why doesn't He? If God could save a man from drowning...why didn't He? If God could save children from death why doesn't He?

Two thoughts have given me comfort on the wings of these questions...1 of them being, He is God, and after all of the attributes I listed above, it means there is no error in God or His ways, and this means, I must trust Him even when the trusting is difficult. And our relationship with Him is not based off of how well things are going in our lives.

I have had a difficult winter emotionally...it's been a little wintery in my heart, I've had some days of feeling upset with God, doubting Him, questioning Him, and now finally, I am seeing some light because I never quit searching.

I read till my eyes strained and I cried out to Him until my voice grew hoarse. I think more believers need to say, God is in the bad times too.

It is in those times, I felt the most held, spoke to the most and the most ministered to. And now, having come up for air on the other side, I am looking at God a bit differently. He is not a being I cannot relate too...and yet I recognized that all of this, you, I and the world we live in was in fact created to glorify Him.

He has to come first. I always thought it so extreme and was very turned off by the statements Jesus made in the gospels about how if we are to follow Him we must pick our crosses and follow him, letting the dead bury their own, and leaving your families for Him.

What he revealed to me was this, it means my children, or my husband cannot be more important to me that God. Because in the end, God is all I have, and I was created for God, by God to worship God and live my life for God. Basically, it's all about God. And it's that very realization that I was just not ok with. My children were my everything. They were my biggest blessing. Now, I truly consider them my greatest gift. And I thank the Lord with my every breath that He gave them to me. (And my husband also...love you honey..:))

But its the realized that He comes first. And although I sort of had the attitude as "yeah, yeah, of course God comes first. God comes first because i'm a christian.."

It's different now. God comes first, because that is how it was created to be...and I have to mean in my soul when I say it. Don't say it if you don't mean it. God sees right through that and I know He did with me...which is one possible reason for my dark winter.

So, am I there yet. No. Never. :) But, I'm understanding something more about this God i've served for most of my life. And, the gifts He gives, they are just that, gifts...but they are not the sole motivation for my having a relationship with Him.

Hard thoughts for me tonight friends, but I feel as though I'm on to something in my own heart here...and i'm praying God takes me where He wants me with my new understanding about who He is. If i'm here to serve Him, than I want to that to the very best...

Being human is not a reason to let myself off the hook of learning the hard lessons...and i'm sure, He has plenty more for me learn. Although, I am going to ask for some leading besides still waters, but I know this:

"The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not be in want..." Psalm 23:1

Thoughts anyone?

Waiting on the Lord

Friends, have any of you ever felt like you were constantly waiting for something? Well, late last night, as I lay in bed, questions swirled around in my mind. And I wanted answers. I needed answers. But, at the bottom of my heart, I knew the knowledge something God alone only knew and I need to wait on Him for my answers. But it's the in between times that are difficult, the points in between being confident in what Christ tells you about His plans for you, and the opposite extreme, the doubting human mind that wants answers yesterday.

I tend to air on the side of wanting answers yesterday and so what do I do to try and quench that unquenchable thirst? I use google. Yes my friends google is my best friend and worst enemy. Because as soon you find 1 answer that seems to fit your problem, do you see the terrible ramifications of having this now google diagnosed problem. It's just terrible, you have a swollen lump in your throat, (not one that you can see, but your sure it's there) and now, based off of what google just told you, you have cancer in the glands in your throat and you will most definitely die tomorrow. Now, aren't you glad you made that search? I know. We all feel much better. Breath a sigh of relief, the world has answered your question, and guess what? STILL no peace. Oh friends. This is how I work, and I wish I would only make God my first choice rather than my last resort. And so, this is what I'm currently learned, when I wait to search out human answers, and wait on the Lord to supply me with my comfort, (answer or no answer) I am so much more at peace. Because first of all, I've handed my stresses over to Him and second of all, I know that I no longer have to do anything in my own power. It is all the Lords...and I like it that way. I wish I could learn to call on the Lord like I call on my friends...Because first I google, then I call my trusty friend. Now, friends are amazing, and they are God's gift to us, and we DO need them. However, in situations where they do not know, the cannot help. Other than perhaps to pray, and I have a friend who is that for me, so you all should get one of those prayer friends, but the ones who just tell you want to hear...they may not be ones to call in these moments of panic.

What am I getting at here? God is our only true solution. It does not matter the question, it does not matter the problem or the fear, the answer is God, and His love for you is written all over His word. (That He wrote for situations such as yours, so you would have a place to turn)

I began scouring His word like a hungry animal looking for His peace...and of course, I found it. Friends, this God we serve longs to speak to us, longs to calm our fears..calmed fears do not always mean answered prayers, but it means strength to carry on, and peace to quiet stormy hearts. It means, a way out from under "it"...and is that not what He tell us in His word..."No temptation has seized you except what is common to man?" He will not test you beyond what you can bear and He will provide and way for you out from under it..."

I know I'm paraphrasing a little here, but it's what He tell us and He means it. He is not a God who leads you out onto the water and the lets go. No my friends. Never. He will never abandon, or forsake, and this promise gives my questioning heart peace.

"This God, is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end." Psalm 48:14

"The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

Do you feel like a watered garden? I do now. Every single time I doubt, He reminds me that He has got this in the bag. I wish I could hold that feeling endlessly. But, that is why I am so thankful to have the word accessible at any time. It is my biggest blessing. The knowledge of the truth is my biggest blessing. My relationship with the Lord is my biggest blessing. And let me tell you friends, there was a day not so very long ago, that those words would not have been what followed, "my biggest blessing..." Something else would have taken that spot of royalty and I understand this now.

God is in control. God comes first. God is my guide. God is my plan. God is my everything. God has "this" in the bag. (wishing the bag was clear so I could see inside) :)

But just the same, He's got it and that's what I need to remember. Perhaps you friend, need to remember this too...He is God, and we are not. And for that, I am thankful.

Dance

Hey friends.
This is your opportunity to stand up, wherever you are, at your desk, in your home, in car, (for those of you who are rocking the i-phone, and dance.
(don't stand up if you are in your car. That causes accidents and I don't want to be responsible for that)
But the rest of you, I posted this song, especially for you, to dance to. Enjoy, and dance!
Have a great day resting in God's love for you. "Oh brother can't you see, i've got the victory, just STOMP!"
peace out homies.

A Sunny Sunday at the Park!

We had a great day. This morning, Daddy and Children played outside for hours after church, and Mommy got every closet organized in the joint... which was much needed..and took several hours. BLAH!

However, after all this was complete, we went to the park after we all rested up with sunday naps, and then the real fun began! Here are the pics and footage to prove the joyous sunday we all had, enjoy!

How to clean a cup

Here is the situation, you are in a hurry, you really need to have that last cup of coffee before you head out the door, you grab a mug off of your counter, but to your disgust, there is yesterdays cream still stuck in the bottom of it! Whoever did the dishes did not wash the inside of this mug and although it sparkled on the outside, so much so you considered it clean, it was not. The cup was in fact disgustingly dirty and desperately in need of a good scrubbing. Well, that's how Jesus feels about folks who call themselves clean, and who look really ship-shape on the outside, but inside things are dead and disgusting, molding, and beginning to deteriorate from the inside out. Have any of you ever felt this way about yourself, or possibly someone else? I'm sure if you are anything like me, we have all had these realizations about ourselves...and I did that yesterday.

There has been this topic that has always brought frustration to head between my husband and I, and as we discussed it last night I found myself getting increasingly more upset with my sweet husband, (the one whom the Lord gave to me to cherish and respect...yeah, that one.) And as I stomped off to the bedroom to do my bible study, (i know, i know...) the Lord of course got hold of my heart. It was as if He began to gently instruct me, I started my reading out in Hebrews and of course it began to melt my heart, as the Lord spoke to me on my stinky insides I had to listen because He was only speaking the truth for me...He whispered to my heart and began to see what He was showing me. First He spoke to me about His love, in John chapter 17...(if you have not read this chapter lately, you should because it's all on His prayers to His father on behalf of those He loves...) I was touched that He took the time to reinstate His intense love for me before He began to instruct me. Isn't that what we all need and want? To know that despite the fact that we have (huge) faults, He still wants us to know, first and foremost, that He loves us...

So then I was led the book of Matthew and as I was reading chapter 23 my eyes came to this verse and felt the sting of my sin hit my heart..."First, clean the inside of the dish and cup, and then the outside also will be clean..." vs 26

Here is what has happened friends, I am the only other person besides God who truly knows what is on my mind and heart...I can lie if I don't feel like telling the truth, but God knows, and God convicts. The issue was minor to most, but to me, it felt like I was lugging around a mountain...I thought.." Have I been wasteful with the gifts the Father has given me? They are all His after all, and as He asks me to offer them up to Him as a sacrifice, He then gives them back to me to take care of them for Him.."

So, head in hands, I asked for the forgiveness of my Father once more, and as I did, I knew I also had to go and tell my husband a few things that I really dislike saying, one of them being "your right!" and the other one being, "I'm wrong.." I know. Ouch, right ladies? anyone with me? It's hard, but you know what friends, our husbands usually know best.

So my lesson that I have learned is this, it does not matter how small the problem is, if it's causing the inside of your cup to even be a little bit dirty, then your cup is not fully clean, and God is not fully being glorified. Because that is why we do what we do...to glorify the maker, and He turn loves us, cares for us, and makes sure we are always wrapped up in His peace.

I do not claim to have the answers to anything, and that is why I'm so humbled when the Lord takes the time to reveal something to me. I mean, I could seriously walk around blind my entire life, if it were not for the grace of God. So all I can be is thankful, humble and obedient and for me, there in lies my peace. Take care of your cups my friends, clean them, handle them with care and in the end they will be filled, to the point of running over...and oh how your insides will shine! Clean equals Honest, and honesty in all areas of life, equals peace in your soul.

Going down to the core

Something must begin somewhere...and just as God breathed life into vast nothingness, so our sin is given birth to at some point, some-where, some-how. This has been the concept of my thinking over the past morning and I'm fabricating some sort of a defense against the origins of my sin. Basically, fighting sin where it all began. It may not have "felt" like sin when this whole thing first began, (whatever the "thing" is for you and I) it mostly likely felt like an idea, something that we were just pondering. Soon, a "what if" scenario began in my mind, and then the idea gave birth to action that resulted in me, saying "no thank-you" to God's plan for me, and "yes please," to myself. That is where it began. When I whispered to myself in places that no-one else could hear, "I want this more than anything else in this world..." and my dreams ran away with my heart. A heart that once belonged fully to God, was now divided and not giving it's best to the ultimate giver. I took what was intended for Him and gave it away to my dream, and it was not long before I realized my mistake(s).

SO here is where I stand, at the edge of this great abyss with a little better view of where I was, I am humbled, and crushed all the same time by my missteps and wondering how He, The Father continues to take me back even after all of my folly.

I always knew that He was jealous for my affections, I just did not recognize the absolute importance of rendering Him the first of all of me, not just pieces. With my mouth I was stating, "God would want me to have this, God would want me to be happy, right?" Well, the answer is not a big red "wrong" entirely...I do thing the Lord desires joy for me, that is why He gave me His son first and then His Holy spirit to guide me into places that would bring me joy. But I have to be listening to the direction of the Holy Spirit in order to get to those places He designed for me. I'm learning so many things about myself in this journey. Anyone relate?

Ray Stedman said this on this particular topic and I "randomly" came across it this morning. Ha.

How random.

"We must reject those basic assumptions that have caused our trouble in the first place- putting them off, rejecting them, ridding ourselves of them just as you take off your dirty clothes."

In short, every time we long to return to the "old" way of things, ( the thing that got us into this mess in the first place) we must run away. And find a way to refute it each and every time it comes into our minds. Easier said than done, but once a habit is begun to be formed, refuting the lie gets easier each time. I know this to be true with other things I've struggled with over the course of my short life. Every time the origin of that sin tries to get in, perhaps in a different form, I can recognize it for what it is. The lie. So what is "your lie?" Is the lie of self? The lie that your desires are better than God's? The lie that you can do this without His help? Or perhaps it's the lie I believe..."I'm in control."

The sin of self is as bitter as gal and it leaves you so empty. It's so hard to see this when your in the moment, when your caught in the throws of this sin. It's the desire to be something your not. It's the desire to have something that you know you should not. It's the desire to put you first before God. And whether or not we are all willing to admit it, it's there in each of us in some form or another and the enemy knows this. He studies his victims and He knows their weak points, and after a lifelong of knowing your particular weakness, he strikes, and he fights for your affections. Anything that pulls you away from the High King is fine with the enemy and lets face it, at the core, we all like ourselves alot. And pleasing ourselves is an easy path to follow. (for a time)

Then the emotional distresses hit. Why is this friends? I have found it true in my own heart. Once we see that making ourselves content and joyful on our own is impossible, (we do this through many attempts of trial and error) and then in order to get back to the only place we know of that gives us real joy, we know we have some laying down of self to do. And there in lies the real battle field. This is where the enemy pulls out all the stakes and your heart is on the line.

God holds what is absolutely, perfectly, peacefully the best for us, and somehow, we find it within ourselves to fight that. God is contrary to sinful nature and we friends, are sinful nature at the core. That is why we are his adopted children, through Jesus, we now can bare His name, but we need to divorce who we were before.

"We must do this because the corruption of life comes from these wrong attitudes. Paul says the former manner of life is corrupt—decayed, dead, foul, selfish, unhappy, restless. These are the things that have made life unhappy or miserable. He points out we can recognize these attitudes by the way they operate. They are "deceitful lusts." Unfortunately, this word lust is greatly misunderstood in our day. We invariably associate it with something sexual. But this word is much broader than that. It means any urge or basic drive. We will get closer to the essential meaning of this word if we use the term urge. These deceitful urges are constantly coming to us as we react to various situations in which we find ourselves." - Ray Stedman

"God did this so that by 2 unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who fled to take hold of the hope offered us, may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

- Hebrews 6:18-19

Who here can raise their hand and say with absolute confidence "I am firm and secure." Well, I know one thing, my future is secure in Christ, but my heart here on earth can become more and more secure in the hope that I profess. Not just secured, but anchored. Anchored to bottom of the sea of God's joy, contentment and hope.

Hope is something we all take for granted when we have it, but I do not anymore. I recognize the gift of hope, and now the gift of His mercy and grace. One round of the fight may have been won for my heart, and now I'm even more motivated to stay on my guard, quick on my feet and constantly listening to my coach for the next step to take.

I wish there was a way to communicate how humbled I am by the opportunity that Christ continues to offer me, as I feel like step after step I fail Him. But as I lay there on the ground covered in the mess I've made, I look up and friends, do you know what I see? I see Jesus, extending His hand to me. Have you ever felt that?

If not, know this, the hand is extended to you as well, we all start at the same place, no-one person is better than another and God loves us all equally. Isn't that comforting to know? We all need to be reminded of that. So take these words with you today, and when you find yourselves in a battle, on the ground, covered in mud, just look up, then hand is there, waiting for you my friend to take hold.

The Biggest Loser

For those of you who know me well, you know I really like the show " The biggest Loser". There are many reasons why I like this show, one being that it takes people who are near death most of the time, in a very desolate place both emotionally and physically. And the two trainers of the BL take on these people and turn them into confident, successful people who are full of life. Does this story sound familiar to any of you? That in reality is what Christ does for us. When we are in a place of absolute desolation, most of us know we really have only one place to turn, and it's either for help, or the alternative, (not nearly as attractive) not make it.
Well this is the place the most of the BL contestants are as they enter into this program. The trainers take something practically dead and turn into a thriving, happy human being.
It's not all about the trainers though either, the people have to have the desire to change, they too have to recognize the desolation of the state and take steps towards changing. And on this show do they ever take steps. They are on a military training program, and one they could never do alone, and so the trainers walk them through each step, holding their hands, screaming their names as they fail to continue and chanting their name as they are succeeding, and even shedding tears as they shed they excess pounds. This show is one big success story. Do you know what else is a big success story? The Bible. It's full of story after story, case after case, person after person who recognized their desolate place of existence, recognized all the "excess pounds" they had to loose, things that had built up slowly over the years that was really killing them slowly. What seemed like a good idea at the time, "the extra cream puff" led to more and more disruptive habits. Soon, those Jesus saved, got to a place that knew they could no longer "do this" on their own. So lets take this home as I did last night as I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep because of this concept that I'm writing on right now. What are my excess pounds? What is the weight that is killing me slowly? Take me to a place that I am so weighted down I cannot even take another step? Well, sin is the big thing that weighs me down, and it's sin in my thoughts, sin in my actions and attitudes of sin I hold in my heart. Those are things that turn me into an invalid who is unable to skip and jump in the freedom of someone who is healthy in Christ. Oddly enough the show is titled the "Biggest Loser" but the biggest looser is the one wins the most. And the same is true with Christ, those who loose the most of themselves are the ones who experience Christ on a very intimate level...looking at His disciples, they lost alot for His name, (including their lives) and they said "to live is death to die is gain.." that concept is amazing to me, and it's a journey that few walk. Few are willing to loose that much for Christ.
So today, lets examine our "spiritual bodies" and determine is their weight that needs to be lost? I'm not talking about the stuff that others can see...I'm talking about the stuff that only you can see. Because it begins in the heart. Everything can be ship shape on the outside but there can be 200 lbs of sinful stuff that covers our insides. I'm right there with all of you, that is why this thought was so convicting to me. It's not about the outward things, because those really only follow when the attitudes turn into fabricated action. The sin is given birth to in your heart and mind and this is the place this sin grows until it becomes outward...and that point many of us are so heavy we need a spiritual boot camp before we can be made healthy again.
But here is the joyful news I have for all of you friends...this "biggest Loser campus" (God's campus) is available to anyone, anytime. We must only admit that we need saving, we must admit we have a problem and name our excess weight for what it is. Sin.
After that, great things can be done with us. We then are mold able, changeable and can be "biggest losers."
It's amazing to me as you see the joy that washes over these people as they see the physical pounds melt away, how much more would it be when the spiritual weight and bondage they are in would only fall. It's the only plan that really works, recognizing you have an issue and laying it in the hands of people who can help and teach you how to change. Step by step the weight falls off and breath by breath you learn how to do life in a healthy way. So, who is up for the challenge? Do you want to be the biggest loser? Do you want to conquer the "weight" that you are dealing with? What is the "weight" you battle? Lay it down and watch as God turn something terribly unhealthy, something absolutely desolate into something living, breathing, healthy and able to run, skip and jump. When was the last time you "skipped"? Been a while? Don't be afraid, He is the ultimate trainer and He will take you down a path that will change your life forever.

"Though you walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me; you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and you right hand will saves me. The Lord will perfect what concerns me." Psalm 138: 7-8

So today my friends, take the first step. And watch as your success begins to take flight. He is the only trainer you will ever need and the only one who can truly help you. ( Even though Jillian is pretty great) God is the only one who can truly fix you.

What You Know

There are many things in life I do not know. It shakes me, the fears that linger...but I want to focus on the things that I DO know.

One thing I know, first of all, and foremost, God loves me.

Two, I know He felt what I feel..

Three, He never turns His back on me, He never leaves me deserted in the barren lands.

Four, I'm not alone, ever.

Five, He promises me future joy. (whether here or in heaven.)

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning it's shame." Hebrews 12:2

I came across this verse this morning in my devotions, and it hit me for a couple of reasons, one reason was the great reminder to fix my eyes on Jesus. Keeping my eyes on Him will not allow me to see the lies swirling around me.

Secondly, that He (Jesus) went to the cross, with the idea of the joy set before Him...His pain, was bearable because He knew the stakes, He knew the reason, and He saw the future joy.

So I took this to heart, recognizing that my Father did this, and so must I. It may not be a literal cross that My Father has led me to, but it's a laying down to death my human and earthly desires. Watching them die, and fixing my eyes on Christ, knowing His plans are always better then mine.

What are those plans my friends that we cannot give up? Those desires that burn in our hearts, that as much as we pray, they don't go away? Name them, and lay them at the foot of the cross..

Hold them no more, and then as you stand up, put your eyes directly on the cross, directly on Jesus, and watch as you walk back home, not the way you came, but the way He has set out for you.

Jonah had to do this. He was scared, He was doubting that God's desires for him would ruin him. But it was Jonah's disobedience that ruined Him, but then, after he was puked up back on land after those three days and nights, what did He do? He RAN in the direction of God's plan...

Human paths always fail. Maybe not all at once, and maybe not visibly to others, but you know and feel in your heart and soul...disobedience never feels good.

I can only imagine how Johan felt. He stunk, He was exhausted from all the running, I'm sure He was as good as dead when that fish threw him up on shore. But after he cleaned himself up, he started in on God's intended plan, and felt the triumph of a life lived God's way.

God is not punishing us friends, he's giving us what we need. He can see what we cannot...

So, I know it's something I've said a million times, but now I have to believe it. And the only way I'm going to be able to get my human mind to believe in a God sized plan, is to fix my eyes on Jesus. To Fix your gaze on something means to stare it, even as the tears fall, and your eyes strain because of being so tired, fixing your eyes on Christ will help you to see the truth about your circumstances. His truth is the lamp that leads us down our crooked mountain pathways and twisting roads...knowing you will not be walking in the mountains forever, eventually you WILL come to a valley.

How do I know this? Because He tells me so...

" God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." 1 Cor. 10:13a

and

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Are you feeling more encouraged? I am. This God I serve does not leave me hanging. He does not abandon us, and He does not enjoy watching us in pain. It's OK to tell God your hurting. It's OK to tell God your upset...but then, ask God to help you see what He wants you to see, rather than what you think you are seeing.

When I'm dealing with painful circumstances in my life, unanswered prayers...I ask the Lord to help me learn whatever it is I'm to be learning while I'm here...so that when I make it to the other side of the Jordan, I can take with me what I learned and apply it to life, when I'm in the next place He has taken me.

This life is a series of learnings, and lessons to make us better equipped for the next stage in life. This is why they call life the great Journey, you are never really "there" until heaven, but along the way, lives can be changed, and more people can be brought to the saving knowledge of the cross...

If you feel like your drowning...know this, you are not alone, and God is never going to let you sink. You are getting stronger with each stroke, each stride, each breath. Giving up only cuts you short of where you could be, and doing it in our strength only means we stop before His great work is done. If these thoughts are challenging to you, don't worry, they are challenging to me too, and that is why we are all here for one another as believers. Your not swimming alone, walking alone or riding alone. Reach out and grab the hand of your Father, and in the other, some earthly brother, and keep going.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way yet, without sin. Let us approach the throne with grace and confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. " Hebrews 4:15,16

The difference between drowning and swimming is asking for what we need. Ask Him for the strenght, ask Him for the courage, ask Him for the grace, peace, patience, kindness, and for almost all of us, the perseverance. His will reward you friend. Be encouraged. He is there and you are never alone. The valley will come. The green pasture with streams and quiet waters await your soul. Keep hiking. You are almost there. Don't believe me? Ask Him! He'll tell you!

My little bugaboo

Here she is, sitting in her hot pink bean bag as if she was 14 years old. So grown up, and yet still my little bugaboo.

enjoy!

Under the Authority

Placing oneself under the authority of another, a leader, a ruler, a husband, a master, or God is not something that most people would think of as a gift. However, there is great freedom in knowing you are not the one calling the shots, making the decisions or driving the huge ship. My husband is not only the head of my household, the maker of the decisions, the one who calls the shots, I'm thankful that he's the one who does those things and not I. And because he is good leader and respectable husband, he usually includes me in those choices and talks them through with me. The leadership of a husband mimics in many way the relationship we have with our Father in heaven, and it's to be a delight to be under this authority.
David spoke of this issue and it really struck me this morning as I read, hear what he has to say,
" I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is heaven. As the eyes of a slave look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord, till he shows us His mercy." Psalm 123:1,2
Whats interesting about this scripture to me is that David was a king, one in great authority in his land, and who had power beyond belief. And yet, he recognized the power of GODS authority and how it was not a curse, or a chain, but a delight. To be under this authority was to be provided for, and we continue to look to the Lord as we know He will show us mercy.
Slavery is not something many people are comfortable with and of course the slaves we hear of are the ones who were badly mistreated and that of course is wrong. But the slavery of the Bible times was actually something many people chose to enter into, because they and their families were then forever provided for, and it was gift in those times, because they simply did what their masters directed, and life was peaceful for them. We enter into a commitment of serventhood when we commit to the Lord our lives, but friends, never will one experience such freedom but when they are under that mastership of this great Lord. He is the most just master that you will ever serve, only asking His servants to do what He knows they are capable of, never pushing us beyond the limits of our human ability, all the while wrapping us in the warmth of His fire. If a slave had food, water and warmth, he was provided for, not only does our great Master do all those things for us, He calls us friends, children and His sheep. All names of endearment that we shall never feel as though we are mistreated or not loved.
Are you seeing more of what I'm getting at here? I am not in control, and this is a good thing, My Master tells me my next step, so I have no fear in loosing the way, nor do I worry that I'm out of His will for me, because as I stay in his guidelines of leadership. And the big thing for me is that I trust Him. I trust him because He gave me first the greatest sacrifice of love that any master could ever give, He gave me His son. And for those of us who begin to think that our Master is unfair, or Lording over us, think no father than the cross. That death of His son was real my friends it's that gift of death, that is saving you. SO that when our Master looks at us, He sees us through the sacrifice of Christ, and all He can have for us is perfect love, because He loves us with the love He has for His son. Now that is amazing....
SO the next time you start to feel as though the hand of the Master is leading you in places you don't like, consider this, that He sacrificed His best, and He wants His best for you, so there should be no fear in that. Placing yourself under His authority should be the best, not always the easiest, but definitely the best for you. Do not doubt, when you know you are in His hands, there is no fear, because perfect love, casts out all fear.

The Inner Peace

I recognize that this life is a process of learning, being taught new things constantly. What I did not realize is that this is exactly how the Holy Spirit works within us to open our eyes to Christ, His truths and point us to Christ more and more as we grow in our walk.

I heard it said that the Holy Spirit is like a "tour guide" and shows us all around the Bible, opening our eyes, showing us points of interest, hi lighting things that are applicable to us and then helping us find real ways to remember what we've learned. I know I see that as a testimony to the truth of that statement.. Two years ago, if I were to have read the things I am reading now in the book of John, it would have made no sense at all. In fact, I did at times read the passages I am currently reading (and being struck by every day) without a second though. My devotions and time spent with God were like a duty to me, a job I must do because that is what a good Christian must do. Not so now my friends.

There are those moments where finally, something gets you, something grabs hold of your hand and won't let you go, because it's your time to hear what the Holy Spirit has for you, ultimately, what the Father has for you. The Holy Spirit does the convicting, and points you the direction of the Father, from His word and then He gets all the glory, and you receive the inner peace that you have never before experienced.

This peace that I speak of can only be had one way, through the understanding that the Father is first of all fair, just and true, secondly, that He has your best interests at mind, and three, that anything else would pale in comparison to the plan of the Father.

It's relayed to me in this way from the book of John chapter 16:5-33. The Lord is telling his disciples that He is going to have to leave them "for a little while." In this statement He introduces an idea to them that is going to be very sorrowful for these disciples, who walked and talked with Jesus every day as I do, but only in the physical form. So the thought of not being able to be "with him" for a time, was heart wrenching. But it was only through this absence and time of grief that they would receive the ultimate gift of being able to be "with Him always" through the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately this was not information that they could really understand, and it wasn't until they believed on Him after His death and ascension, and received the Holy Spirit that they truly "got it." Had they not gone through the sorrowful time of life, they would not have learned the lessons they needed and life would not be as good as it was on the other side of the sorrow. They had to go through the storm, to appreciate the sun. Is any of this sounding like something that you personally could relate to? I know I can. I have had many storms in my life. I think in some way, I'm always sort of in some storm or another. Some storms are bigger than others and some are more painful, but I have learned this, the storm is necessary for the growth of faith, the growth of trust and now finally I'm getting the third dimension of the storm, and how to have peace when you there. Peace is defined as this friends, it's: Wholeness, completeness and security. Three adjectives that did not describe me even a couple of weeks ago. But I have discovered something huge...one of the things Jesus told His "children" or disciples before He "left" was they had the gift of being able to go the Father and ask for anything "in His name" and receive what ever they asked for. But what this means literally translated is that we say to the Lord, " Lord, Jesus wants me to have this." So, whatever we ask for, goes into through that filter and it makes a soul very careful about what the attach Jesus's name to. Today, I said this to the Lord..."Lord, Jesus wants me to have peace in my storm...I don't understand why sorrow is apart of my life, but whatever you Father are teaching me, I know that Jesus wants me to have peace while I'm here."

And as it turns out, He does want that for me. because no sooner did those words leave my lips did I feel the peace flood in. This is how God works friends. He gave us His Holy Spirit to direct us in places where we could learn the most, for what we are dealing with most, He then gives us the words, points us to the Father, we ask, and we are answered, and God gets the glory.

It's a perfect system, created by a perfect God, to be enjoyed, discovered and brought to life by imperfect people, and if nothing else, this puts the great love of Christ on display for all to see.

Without the sorrow of the cross, we would not have any of this. I don't know about you but today I find myself thanking my Father in heaven, even in the storm. What a lesson learned. Praise be to My Father.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

On The Other Side...

You've heard it said, "the grass is always greener..." and you think in moments of peace and sanity in your life, surly, the grass in most def. not greener. But then the storm clouds roll in, the sun disappears, you gain 20 lbs, your car breaks down, your child gets terminally ill, and suddenly, the grass does look greener. I've been there, and it's hard to look at your seemingly dead and brown ugly grass and say, "I like this!" Thankfully, we don't have to say, "I like this," to have peace with our brown grass...we only have to look no farther than the Father who is the giver of life and provider of all peace and contentment. Well, it does take a little trusting on our part, but that is the deal sealer in these types of situations.

Somehow, we have to get our eyes back onto what matters and that is being in the center of Christ's plan for us. This world is chalk full of sin, sin that leads to terrible circumstances. We are married to sinful people and we ourselves are sinful people, so when we wrong one another and as a result sinful, painful circumstances arise, we then look to "other side" and think, that IS better. So, then we have, divorce, suicide, loveless lives and hurt that cannot be let go of. But rejoice my friends, this is not the end of our story, and praise God for that. When we take hold of the plan that God has for us and believe on Him in trust, knowing that despite, sin, despite terrible choices and circumstance, we can grab hold of His peace, it gives us hope for yet another day. I cannot tell you the number of times I have found my mind wallowing in self pity, screaming questions at God as to why things are "this way" or "that way" but in those moments, I was only focused on what 'I wanted' rather than what God's purposes might be big picture.

It really does not matter the circumstance I'm in, taking my eyes off of the Lord, always proves to leave me feeling hopeless and dead inside from all the worry, fear and anxiety...you see, those things set in for me when I start trusting in my own wisdom to "fix and solve" problems instead of relying on my Creator.

What am I getting at here? No one person has it better than you. That's the end of it. God's plans for you, are not God's plans for them. And any other line of thinking only makes me focus on my desires rather than God's desires for me. Every time I hear my heart start to quake with envy for something "better" I can calm it almost instantly by whispering His words to my heart, about How His plans for Abraham were different for His plans for Noah or Job. And in each of those men's lives, had they been in a position to compare themselves, there would have arisen such discontent on all of their parts...

Abraham wanted lots of children, Noah was most instrumental man of faith of His time, and Job seemingly had it all, but lost it all, only to gain it all back ten-fold...

God's plans, are God's plans. And taking our eyes off of that truth can lead us to such disappointment. SO, what are God's plans for you? Seek Him! Knock and the Door and He will answer, practically speaking, read the Word...Pray...and immerse yourself in things of Christ and you will see His plans for you start to manifest in your heart. What used to be the thing that envied, now can be rejoiced over as another receives it. And God is the giver of this gift, to you, the gift of contentment for where you are at. So much so that the green grass over there, now looks a little brown compared to your lush side. It's not physical movement, but movement of the heart, because that is where it all begins my friends, the attitudes of the heart give birth to all sorts of evil and on the flip side, all sorts of good, when God is the sole keeper of your heart. Do you love Him? Do you cherish His laws? Do you hang on His every word? Do your sins grieve you so much you cry at the thought of them? Well, me neither all the time, but I do strive to have YES be the answer to all of those questions.

Don't look over the fence, and stare at that grass, ask Him to allow you to see your existing grass how HE sees it, and watch as the peace begins to take over. It's not an overnight transformation, but little by little, as Christ takes over every part of us, this become our reality. And it's a wonderful place to be, and you feel as I do at times, that it's the ONLY place to be. Right where God places you. That is home. That is peace, and Oh friends, is it lush!!!

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall in to the heart of the sea, though it's waters quake with their surging. There is a river who streams make glad the city of God, the holy place, where the most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46: 1-7

Be encouraged friends, the Lord Almighty is with you! Take that good news into your day and be greatly encouraged.

Alive In Christ

The opposite of being alive is death. On the wings of hearing some tragic news this weekend about a couple of accidents that resulted in death it led me to the thought of discussing life. Life on earth. Yes, if you are here, and you are reading this, physically you are alive. But, are you alive spiritually? Are you growing, thriving, and becoming more and more like your Father?

Some days I am, and some days I am only dragging my feet, head down, breathing in stale air because my head is so far down I can't even see where I am going. Does that image describe you ever? Death spiritually is just as tragic if not more tragic that death physically. Obviously, we are so sorrowful to see our loved ones go, having lost some ones dear to me over the course of my short life I know the sting of death. But just as the verse states, "where o death is your sting?" that is what we can say in the face of death like circumstances when we have Christ alive in us and breath air into us. His air is what sustains me friends. If not for His air, I would be dead every morning when I wake. Every morning, because of Christ I can open my eyes and say, today is a day that the Lord has made for me to be alive in, and that is something to rejoice about! There was a time in my life when every day I opened my eyes and the first thing I thought about was the pain of my circumstances and the dissatisfaction that I lived in. I always was wishing and wanting for something more or better than what I awoke too, and it was killing be slowly, right here in front of my own eyes. The sorrow on my face could be seen by others and heard in my voice, and then burden I carried, I carried by choice. This death-like attitude that I wore around my neck like a string of pearls ( I say like a string of pearls because if you owned pearls, you'd never part with them) because I felt that I was destined for this life of discontent. Discontent is another form of death on earth, because you are no longer looking at the glass as full or even half full, it's always empty. Does this description describe you? If it does, do not despair my friend, life is available to you and it's available to you in the fullest measure...so much so that your cup is going to run over. Don't believe me, look in His word...it's full of this stuff and it's all good useful for waking up a dead soul.

"Because of His great love, God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ, even when we were dead in our transgressions. It's by grace you have been saved." Ephes. 2:4,5

That is the missing piece to our puzzles of life. Grace. Need for a savior, equals life on earth, in Christ. Peace, joy, breath that is exciting.

Are you excited for life? Does the idea of tomorrow excite you? Well, it can. Wouldn't you want to know about this recipe for excitement in life if you knew it was available? Well, it's more than available, it's waiting for you. Being alive in Christ is like taking your first lung filled breath of fresh spring air, and breathing in deep...you know that smell? The smell of new, fresh, perfect crisp air? That is the kind of breath you can have all the time! It almost seems idiotic for myself to be able to share these words with all of you because this, what I just described, used to be the polar opposite of who I was. I was dead dead dead. The stench was unbearable, I even hated myself for it. But Christ washed all that away. Is it smelling dead in your heart today? Don't be down. Christ has given you a way out...and it's right there in word...

Come to me, all who burdened and I will give you rest!!!

I am the bread of life!!!!

I give you water not as the world gives you!!!

I can make alive again!!!

Such are the claims of Christ. His words are available to you anytime you open your Bible...if you don't have a Bible, get one, it will be the best 20 dollars you ever spent. Turn off the TV. Get yourself settled in your favorite chair, open up the window to let in the night air, and as you drink your favorite beverage, read His life giving words. They will feed you. They will nourish you. They will grow you strong and bold..and most of all, they will take what was once dead, and breath life into it.

You can be as alive as John the baptist, have the wisdom of Solomon and the strength of Sampson..and you can learn so much more than I could ever possibly describe to you in one blogs length. His words are better than life, and my lips will glorify Him...(King David said that somewhere in the psalms) and for a king to say that, you know it must be good, a king who had anything at all imaginable at his finger tips, those words should speak volumes to us.

We are commoners on earth, dead in our transgressions. In the acceptance of Christ, and the forgiveness of sins we experience new life in His name, and we are no longer anything like the former self we once called normal. It's in the acceptance of this grace, and the laying down of selves and sins we experience this white wash of peace...contenment...joy my friends!!!!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. IN this world you will have trouble, but take heart!!! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD." -John 16:33

If we can wrap our heads and hearts around the hope that is the content of this verse we may never have to have a "dead" day again. For those of you who have lost someone to death, my heart is grieved for you, but know this, in this world there is pain, however, in the next life, the life we shall spend with our Father, Creator, Savior and Friend, there IS NO MORE SORROW. And we can have this heart of hope even as we exist on earth. Take heart friends, our God, has overcome the world. Glory be to the Father we serve. Amen.