Jesus, my perfect Judge.

Don't plead or appeal with man who has no real control over you. God always has the final word. Take your case up with Him who has ultimate control. This is why we are told " Do not worry about what you will eat or what you will wear." For our heavenly Father knows what we need! Striving to meet our own needs or desires, attaining that which we long for is futile if it is apart from His will for us. Sure, we can strive and work to achieve our deepest desires, but it will be a cheap imitation of the goodness God desires for us. If we settle for the short term, temporary satisfaction that "seems right" at the time, but fail to seek Gods will and direction, then our peace and joy will fade as quickly as the newness of our newly attained thing. God indeed does know what is best for us. What person loves the new car they purchased on credit when it's 10 years down the road? Of course not, they have already moved on to "better" cars, going deeper into debt. I'd rather place myself in the hands of the one who controls the wind and the rain. The One who paints the skies portrait every morning, and the One who places children in a womb. That is whom I run to when I have a thought, a desire or a need. And even more astounding is that before I even tell Him of my longings, He finishes my sentence for me. Yes, that is the One I will turn to. In my impatience I turn to mans solutions. In my ignorance I try to pull one over on the Living God. Claiming there's nothing wrong with my striving. No!!!! With Jesus the striving can cease! And when I quit my striving and grasping at straws to attain, accomplish or succeed in my own power, I see Him rend the Heavens and come down on my behalf. If God is for me, who then can be against me???? With Jesus I stand, with Jesus I rest. With Jesus I rest my case.

What is in your load Traveler?

I watched a man walk down a dirt road. He was alone, and he looked like the kind of person who had been carrying a heavy load two miles too long. The traveler kept shifting his big heavy bag from one shoulder to the other, trying to shift himself into a position that will make the load he carried a little bit lighter.
What is so important that someone would carry around such a load for so long I mused. The man was clearly weary. He was  obviously in need of a friend to help him carry this load, a friend to give him a lift. As I watched, another man approached him. "This just got interesting..." I thought to myself. I now no longer minded that my ride was late. I wanted to see this interaction!
The man who approached the traveler asked the man what he was carrying? He asked to see inside the bag.
The traveler hesitated, but seemed to welcome the opportunity to lift the load off of his shoulders if only for a moment. So with a little hesitation, the traveler set down his bag. I watched as the two men chatted a bit, the man opposite our traveler motioned to see what was inside the bag. I wanted to see too! The traveler said quietly, "Oh, this is just all my old stuff." The other man responded, "must be pretty important stuff for you to carry it all this way." The traveler looked down. "What's going on here.." I wondered.
The traveler sort of kicked some dirt back and forth between his feet, shifting a bit before he reached into his bag. With eyes wide I watched as he took out a box that was clearly very heavy. On it was written something, I think it said, "I can't forgive her."
"What's that?" asked the man opposite the traveler. The traveler said, that's my box of stuff I can't let go of. "oh really?" was the reply.
"What else do you have in that bag?" Asked the man...
So I watched as the man began to unload his bag right there on the dirty road. A box labeled, "Hate." Came out next. Followed by "Shame." And then finally "Miserable."
When the contents of the bag were all laid out on the road, exposed to the sunlight, the traveler stood there and stared. So did I. So did the man who stood with our traveler.
"Now what?" asked the man...
Traveler paused, looked up and said, "I haven't looked at this stuff in a while."
"Do you need this stuff?" asked the other man...
Traveler looked down at his collection, then back up at the man. What happened next is something I promise you I will never forget. The man, who was with the traveler, slowly began to one by one, pick up Travelers boxes, and put them back in the bag. After the bag was full again, (and heavy) Travelers new friend picked up the bag. He put in on His shoulder. He put His free hand on Travelers shoulder and said, "How about I carry this stuff for you?"
"What are you going to do with all my old stuff...?" asked a confused, baffled Traveler.
The man looked at Traveler and said this:
"I will help you get rid of what weighs you down. Now, look at your hands, they are free. They are empty of all the old stuff. Now your hands are free to do things that bring life to you, and to others. Use your hands for good, not evil. Bless others with those free hands. Do you want this from me? "

Traveler stood their speechless. He slowly nodded. The other man turned around and started to walk away, his new load in tow.  Traveler dropped to his knees. I heard Him whisper "Thank you." To the now distant figure of the man who took the load from Traveler.

I found myself wiping tears from my eyes.

Then Traveler stood up, looked at his newly freed arms and hands, he raised them up, and at the top of his lungs he cried.."THANK YOU!"

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." -Jesus

Freedom is a gift we accept from the hands of Jesus as He takes our burdens, frees us up for lives that can now be filled with praise. The loads we carry, the burdens we hold on to do not bring us freedom. They only weigh us down. Everyone is a Traveler at some point in their life. And Jesus, is always there, always available, and always present. All we need to do is accept our need for His help, and the rest is history.

When Your Not " There" Yet.

No one likes the wait and the journey can get tiresome. No one likes the unknowns. But the truth that holds me fast is this: I wait on the Lord, and NOT in my own strength. Your on a road with ups and downs. Twists and turns, joys mixed with sorrow. Lessons are learned. Refinment is taking place. And you know it's really for your good, and His glory. God is really doing something here, and even though it hurts a little at times, most real change does. For with change, something old is shed, and something new is put on. Like trading slavery for freedom, your will for His, your plan for His plan. Not knowing has never been more peace filled. Why? Because we know and are known fully by the author of our story. We trust His plans for the story of our life. How can we trust Him so? Because anyone who would give their life for ours, is trustworthy. Think on that fellow traveler. The one who plans your walk for each day is constant. Never leaving, always teaching, always offering instruction, and encouragement. He holds out words of life to nourish you for the road ahead. Consider today how much stronger you are now compared to when you first began! Don't get discourage. He who began a good work in you will carry it out into completion. See the road that leads winding into that mountain ahead? It's beautiful, but steep, and He will lead you the entire way! He will never leave you as orphans. He is an ever present help. Don't get weary! Remember who your walking with. He renews your strength! Today is another day to rest in His strength. Be encouraged!!!! You are never alone.

Is Facebook bragging, or is it really harmless sharing?

A young man lives a neighborhood. He never talks to any of his neighbors really. He has over 200 neighbors. One day he walks out his front door and at the top of lungs he cries, "I just ate pancakes." His neighbors who were out in their yards thought the young man's  exclamation was strange, but they sort of found it interesting also. So the next day, someone who lived a few houses down from the pancake man, walked out his front door and yelled, "I love my wife!"
His wife followed by, "My man is the coolest!"
Cute isn't it?
No one asked them, but they thought they'd share.
In the following weeks the announcements from people's door steps continued, and it grew by the daily, pretty soon everyone was doing it!
Things like, "I just watch an awesome movie!" or, "That actor is so cute!" Were being yelled from windows, doors and walkways for all who cared to listen or hear.
What the trend seemed to do was to give people a voice who were once silent. People started talking, not really to each other, but at least they were talking right?
The trend was fun, even good for a while, but then one day, a man walked out his front door and said something controversial. That in and of itself wasn't bad I guess, but it didn't really need to be said in that setting.
Then next day, a woman shared in great detail about her new car.
And then a man copied her later that day, by bragging about the way his business just hit record highs in sales that day.
The business man who lived next door to that business man felt pretty bad about himself because of what his neighbor loudly proclaimed moments ago.
The bragging trend was aired in light of, "sharing good news.." but to those whom the good news felt more like bragging, the news brought them down.
One woman repeatedly talked of her "amazing husband..." but the woman who lived a few doors down who's husband just left her, felt really bad everyday when she heard the "happily married woman's" daily status.
It began to make people wish they could move.
People said, "if you don't like hearing what we say every day, then you should move."
So some people did.
Others just opened their windows or doors at the "quieter, safer times" of the day, so they could still be apart of the neighborhood, but they started to get ostracized by certain folks who were annoyed with their inability to tolerate the fun new habit most of the neighborhood had really begun to enjoy.
Because, if they tolerated their neighbors bragging one day, even giving them a "thumbs up" from time to time, then they, the other person could share their "good news" the next day.
It was hard from some though, like one woman, who was trying to have a baby, she had been unable to conceive for 8 years, it was miserable for her every time one of her neighbors would talk about how, "annoyed she was with her kids..." Or when the neighbors would loudly proclaim how easy it was for them to get pregnant. I think that woman did end up moving. It's too bad ya know? That she had to leave because of what other people said carelessly or bragged about.
Anyways, it's sort of an interesting story, and it was a good reminder for me to always keep in check when I walk in my neighborhood and share my daily thoughts. It made me think, "if what I say doesn't encourage others, then I shouldn't waste my breath."
Speaking life, is what I've heard it called.
Saying words the breath life into others.
It's good sometimes to share good things that are going on in my life with people, but I usually wait to share that news until I`m asked by the couple of friends I`m face to face with.
It's not that sharing things with ALL of my neighbors is bad, but I started thinking, "maybe this news would cause someone else to be troubled, or discontent with what they have." Or how about the new house remodel, my parents might enjoy hearing about that, or a few select friends, but my whole neighborhood? They probably wouldn't really care about that.
If I shared my tri-yearly vacation pictures of the beach, it might make my friends feels bad who can't afford to take a beach vacation. Well, maybe these things I've been thinking are yesterdays news for you, or maybe they are good food for thought! These words were good for me at least.
SO I decided to make THIS post my "neighborhood status" for a while. You can do the same if you'd like!

Weeds In Marriage (It's not over)

Matthew 13:24-28

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

Weeds can grow in a marriage without the couple even knowing when and how they were planted. The enemy can come in and whisper seeds of bitterness, frustration, and resentment. Before the couple knows what happened, their hearts are hard towards one another. Weeds strangle the plant from the root up. And in all honesty, some weeds look like pretty flowers, so the marriage garden can still look pretty on ground level. But underneath, death is taking place as the pretty little weed slowly strangles the root. Couples beware. Your enemy crouches like a roaring lion ready to deceive you. He will plant seeds according to your weaknesses and slowly cultivate a stronghold of separation in your marriage if you are not careful. As believers we need to always be on our guard against the tiny seeds the enemy can put in our minds. How then shall we survive?! You ask... With our ever present Help in times if need. But also through prayerful connectedness with one another. Pray with your spouse. Prayer produces a vulnerability before each other and God. I cannot count the number of times conflict has been detected by the Holy Spirit and resolved before the seed has had time to grow because we, " took it to the Lord in prayer." Can you not even put your fingers on what's wrong? Your advocate the Holy Spirit can reach His fingers in and extract what He discerned is wrong. So to ward off, detect and uproot the weed seeds being scattered in marriage we need to pray together as a couple, alone and sincerely, without ceasing. Prayer is like air, without it, you won't live ( be spiritually alive) very long! You and your spouse are not helpless victims. You are not a product of your difficult circumstances. Do not reduce your ability to thrive to circumstantial evidence. You are a product of Jesus Christ. Your marriage is a replica of how Christ loves His church. 
Recently my husband and I had a brief "weed" situation. Something came into our marriage that played on my insecurities, and of course, what the enemy planted twinged an old wound. Before I knew it my mind was running like wild fire. I was all bent up inside, thinking our marriage was backsliding and fast. How quickly our marriage does falter when I take my eyes off of my Savior and His truth, when we finally came to the bottom of what was actually go on, and we invited the Holy Spirit to come in and weed out our garden, we found freedom once again, and we rejoiced in the work of what He did. We delighted in the fact that what we were unable to do, the Holy Spirit did with ease. 
He is our advocate, our lifeline, and the one we call in and out of season. I do sincerely love my husband, but the enemy can cloud my vision with a mere moment of lies, and who I once was very attracted too and loved to enjoy my moments and days with, suddenly becomes the shadowland I want to escape.  It's actually frightening how quickly I can be swayed, and all the more proving my desperate need for Jesus's constant influence in my life and my marriage.
Do not be discouraged dear friend if you are facing marital conflict, because you have a Father who  is more than capable of healing any rip or tear you feel in your marriage bond.
Jesus is the healer of all things, and this situation is not too big for Him, nor Is the Father angry with you or your spouse!  You are both His children, and He knows all children fall into temptation and folly, so not only is His ability to save completely sufficient, so is His grace!  You are not fighting against flesh and blood, but rather the enemy whom you cannot see, an enemy who wants your marriage to fail in the worst way. The enemy hates marriage because it represents what the Lord has with His bride the church, and it's God's design. The enemy hates God's design. So thanks be to God that we have a God who's "arm is NOT to short to save." 
Take it to your knees, no matter how foreign it may feel. DO not give the enemy a foothold. Pray with your spouse, pray for your spouse and pray without ceasing. 

I'll Never Measure Up

Inside of every person lies the desire to be the best. And if not the best, as close to that as possible.
The desire for excellence is great. Even Godly. But, what happens when suddenly, my best is no longer good enough, because "that girl over there" seems to do it better than me? (at least according to my judgments) And so begins the endless cycle of comparisons.
There is a lot that goes on in this thinking that is flawed, and there is a little bit that is good. It is good to do your personal best, reliance on God at the forefront of thinking, prayerfully taking on each task at hand, and giving God your all! This is good.
Where things "go sour" is when we start looking at what someone else is doing and line it up with what we can do. We now have taken our eyes off our "heavenly Role Model" and fixed our eyes on a mere human model.
This comparison can take place in any field, genre or situation.
What is the reason I do this? Why do I compare my ability, my body, my home, my (you name it) to someone else's?
I'll tell you what this type of thinking produces and what it does not produce.
This comparison mindset only produces a self demoting mentality. Dissatisfaction and discontentment with both who I am, and what I can do.
And really what it points to is my self focus. "If I'm not happy with me, I'm not happy at all."
It shows that I am so concerned with me, (even if it's self demotion of me) that I will let myself and thoughts about myself get me down.
This type of comparison thinking does not produce joy.
It does not produce productivity and it does not make me closer to my Heavenly Father.
I am not saying that we ought to walk around talking about "how great we think we are." But rather, in our hearts, recognize that God made us individual, with unique gifts and abilities.
Instead of comparisons, I should rather think about I can "spur another on with love and good deeds" as the Bible states.
And how to build others up in the Lord! In doing so, I am already on the right track to forget about my mental comparison because I am focusing more on what builds up then that which tears down.

I've heard it said, "Always leave a room with a good word on your lips, and people will always be excited to see you come back in." - Joyce Meyer

And in all honesty, we feel better when we do this.
But there is missing piece here because lets face it, we are all human, no one is perfect (not one) and we all can do well at things for a time, and then in our fatigue our flesh begins to take over.

I am queen of starting out strong in the Lord, and ending tired in the flesh. How does this keep happening? It's because I let my spiritual guard down, I get over confident and I rely on the flesh. I essentially say, "Thanks God for getting me started, but I've got this now...." AND of course, my flight tail spins.

So each day I start in a similar fashion. In the Word. I know I am rendered useless without His instruction. It's my life line.
And it's yours too!
No one ever has ever, (EVER) in their own strength pleased God.
Rather, we rely on the Spirit to propel us in love, good deeds and faith. We live expectantly for what the Lord will do with our meager offerings, and know that the God who turns streams in dry land and vise versa, will do good things with our mess.

I start out the day often feeling insecure, insufficient, overwhelmed and a bit fatigued. (motherhood can do this to a girl) but what I find when I pour into the pages of His word is this: I find strength, support for the day, fuel for each event, words where there normally are none, peace where it normally it is not found, and joy in difficult circumstances.

In His strength I find the energy He has provided for countless people over countless years. He simply gives what I cannot give myself.

And in this, I find peace. Where peace lies, dissatisfaction disappears. When I am feeling dissatisfied with myself, my circumstances, my position in life, my (whatever) I have to start to examine once more where my eyes are resting, and in whom my trust is in.

If I have begun to rely upon myself, I will slip.

But God is my ever present help. (Psalm 46) and in HIM my hope is found.
HOPE. You need that today?
Peace? Feeling anxious, or inadequate?
God is completely adequate to meet all your needs, refocus your gaze on Him, (and off of that girl who is so much skinnier than you) and allow you the strength and ambition to be joy filled and productive for Him.

Each day I say this in my weakness, "Lord, propel me to do what you want me to do. Give me the strength to be who YOU want me to be today. Allow the ability and ambition to accomplish what you want me to accomplish and help me to care and think on only what YOU want for me."

"FIX your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith" Hebrews 12:2

Your happiness does not lie in being more like your "idle" if your idle is not Jesus. Trust me, only He can make you what you want to be. Only He can give you the love your going to need. Only He can turn your life into the story you long for.
Let HIM write your days. Trust me, His ending is perfect!
And, it goes without saying, He loves you, because He loved you, because He loved you first. Not because you performed well, sang the best, ran the fastest or looked the prettiest. He loves you because you are His child. Chew on that today dear friend.
And...ENJOY YOUR DAYS WITH JESUS!

Maker of it all

GOD. Maker of all things. The brains behind all that exists. And yet- He takes the time to speak to mankind. Not just a few select people either, He speaks to all His children. I find myself marveling at this amazing truth. Faithful God, who made our world in 6 days, who sits enthroned on high, and commands the sea to rise and fall, also speaks to me. He places words of praise on my lips and delights over me with songs of deliverance. He took the slave and made her free, He cherishes me as a child is cherished by her mother. He gives me good gifts, blesses me with peace, joy and contentment, and places my feet on solid ground! What more could a child ask for? Provision, satisfaction, met needs and love. All my jars are full, and it's not because of anything I have done or ever will do. God in His grace has blessed me, and I am overwhelmed by His faithfulness each day. Only God fills. Only God creates. Only God can make a child of His be so content. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.