A Walk of Faith

Wings Like an Angel

2012-01-31T11:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, there was a great big thunderstorm and Madison is very afraid of thunderstorms. Normally she just lays in my bed while I get ready. But this morning, because she was scared, she wanted to come into the bathroom with me while I got ready. She was very scared and told me that she wanted to go see baby Chase.

I immediately took heed and listened carefully. I hugged her, and as if I needed more evidence that God is real, she started to say some amazing things. Keep in mind...we’ve never really talked about where heaven is or anything like that. When we talk about Chase, we simply say that he is in heaven.

So I responded, "Oh you want to see baby Chase? He is in heaven."

Madison then said, "I want to go up to the sky, and I want to go see him." I did suddenly recall that we had done the "Walk to Remember" Chase in October, and at the end of the walk, we did a balloon release. Madison must have remembered the balloon release and rationalized that heaven is in the sky.

I almost started to cry, but I kept it together. I smiled and told her, "I want to go see him too."

She said, "I want to get wings like him. I want to have pink wings so I can go up and see him."

How she would know that a child has wings in heaven, that angels have wings, I do not know. But she does. And even at her little age of three, never knowing her baby brother, she missed him. And she found it comforting that he was in heaven - a place that she too wants to be someday.

God often speaks to us through those who are truly innocent and sweet to give us evidence of his reality and his existence in our lives - that he is watching out for us.

Madison's sweet words and the image of baby Chase with his beautiful wings gave me such comfort. And knowing that we have spoken of God and heaven in such a way that she knows in her heart that it's a place she wants to be someday...that is all a part of God's plan. I am thankful that we have been able to use our experience to teach our children about the joys and beauty of heaven. I pray for everyone that it doesn't take loss or pain to move you to speak with others about our Savior, but when those things come along...know that God has a purpose for them. And if losing Chase means I can eternally save my three living children eternally, then Chase served a purpose far greater than I in this world.

Looking Forward to 40

2011-08-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

In February of next year I will be 39 years old. For some this may be a scary time, a year of
painful anticipation of that milestone called "40". For me, it is a year of looking forward to the best that is yet to come. Because over the past few years God has brought me so much joy that I know the future only holds that much more joy. I know this because as the years have gone by and I have given Him more of my heart, He has returned to me only that much more joy.

In the past six months, I have gone through the most painful experience of my life, the loss of an infant son. But through that, I have already begun to see some of God's miracles, some of the pieces of the puzzle, some of the outcomes from that life altering occurrence.

I think the number one thing I've learned in the past six months, though it may sound a little backwards, is that I must put myself first in some situations. Not first above God, but just first on this earth. That I must care for myself. In the past, I have always seen putting my own needs above anyone else's, for any reason, as a negative thing. When in fact, I have come to realize that taking five minutes to enjoy my morning cup of coffee, taking an extra 10 minutes to spend a little extra time on my hair, or taking five minutes in the evening to paint my fingernails, makes me feel good. And where it may not have any impact on anyone else directly, the impact is the confidence that I feel, the happiness and self-satisfaction that I feel, that I can then outwardly display those things: be a better mom, be a better wife, be a better co-worker, be a better boss, be a better friend.

And so, as I near 40, as I ponder the amazing things that are yet to come, the amazing miracles, the challenges, the pain, the laughter, I look forward to it all because I know that God is bringing it all into my life. Allowing it to happen, so that His greater plan for me and for those that I impact will come to pass.

Fasting Today

2011-05-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

So I returned to work this week. And it's been, well...tough. Not because of the work (though I admit my heart hasn't been in it as it used to be), but because I miss my kids. I miss the life I had with them at home. I was very angry with God this weekend, and I feel He let me down in some areas. I feel like I also let Him down too though.

So I started asking Him this week, what do I do to get my swagger back? To get back the passion I felt last year or the passion I felt just after Chase passed. For some reason, I was so spirit filled and in love with God just after Chase passed. But then I feel it started to fade. I want to trust Him, I want to crave Him, I want to follow Him. And yet here I am with these dreams that seem like they will never come true. And He could make them come true.

So when a friend at work came to my office to visit (she always seems to show up just when I need spritual encouragement) and discuss something going on in her life...I listened carefully. She mentioned that she'd fasted for this situation...and then I stopped listening. Because I knew I needed to do it too.
Since so many wonderful things were happening in my life and my heart two years ago when I started fasting, I figured maybe this was a way to draw closer to God. I was right.

I picked up a couple of bottles of Naked juice from Kroger and mentally prepared myself. Don't get me wrong, I only fast for a day...but when you wake up at 5:45 to get 3 kids ready, drive two and a half hours a day into downtown Houston, then do homework, dinnner, games, etc with 3 kids...no food for even one day is a monumental sacrifice. So I got my juice, which I sip through the day, and I was ready.
I woke up this morning EXHAUSTED. Mentally and physically. I have no idea why, other than to think that the return to work was taking its toll. As I got in the shower I thought, I can't do this. I have a huge presentation to prepare, I am so tired, and I just won't have the energy. So I thought, I will just do it tomorrow.

But then it hit me...isn't thinking, "I can't do it" what it is all about? It is for me anyway...I know that during my fasts I have had to lean on God to give me the strength to make it through the day, that my mind was filled with so many thoughts of Him, that I read scripture more, and that I prayed harder. What better time than today to show Him that I am still His. That I will not let the enemy keep me from leaning on God and trusting him to see me through this day. I anticipate a lot of emotion today, but hopefully I will emerge stronger and more faithful.

And There Are Still More Tears

2011-05-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last week my office called to discuss my return to work. I lost it. Hysterical inside at the thought of leaving this life I've come to know where I can take the kids to school, do things around the house for them, take them to Bouncin Bears in the middle of the day, plan their afternoon activities and snacks, pick them up from school...in one call, all of the joy and love I'd come to know from those experiences were vanished. I return to work in one week, and I am honestly dreading every second of it. Were it not for finances, would I return? No. Not because of the work itself (very challenging and interesting) or the people there (very supportive and kind), but because of where my heart lives.
I just got home from dropping off the kids at school because I only have a week to get tons of things done before I go back. I was crying before I pulled into the garage. I came inside and cried out, literally cried out to God. I hit the stairs on my knees and prayed for a miracle, even if the miracle were for Damon to surrender his heart to God and know that God would provide for our needs. I was crying in such agony, wondering if how I could have ever gone back to work if Chase were here - or do I just feel this way because my eyes have been opened to what's truly important because I lost Chase?
As I was praying for the miracle and movement in Damon's heart...my cell phone rang. It was Damon. How weird - he is usually at work by now, and doesn't call me in the morning. He said that something was bothering him inside, and he just wanted to hear my voice. I broke down and lost it. How could he have known? God. The spirit did move inside him, and it nudged him. He listened. Perhaps God is trying to show me that He is working on Damon's heart - has been for a while now. And that I am the one who needs to trust. I need to trust God to work this out in Damon's heart too.
Until the day where I can be home, I do know there will still be more tears. But at least I feel better knowing God will work this out.

The Future

2011-04-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

So the other night Damon sat down next to me at the kitchen table and said, We need to talk about some things. He makes me so nervous when he says things like that. But turns out, they were things I'd already been thinking about. Mostly, it was about planning for what's next...where do we want to go from here? I melted that he wanted to talk about these things - that he wanted to spearhead the future of our family, and lead us in the direction that we both agreed on. For years I've been praying that he would step up as the spiritual leader of our family...that he would take his place as the leader of our family. Trust me, I had to pray equally that I would give up those reins I'd held so tightly in years past. And here he was, answering my prayers. And at a time like this, I am so grateful that God has placed in Damon's heart the manly need to be resilient and make plans (even though as he said...they are just a guide, nothing concrete).

Were it not for that short but very important conversation we had at the table, I might not have been able to see beyond our loss. All of the decisions and thoughts in my head have been completely based on the emotion of this loss. Until he asked about our future, I really hadn't even thought about it. I admit that at first, it was overwhelming to imagine, much less plan, for the future. But the very act of considering "the future" filled me with hope that our family would go on. That we could never forget, that we might always cry, and that there would always be an emptiness inside me...but that our family would go on.

Baby Chase

2011-03-31T04:13:00.000-07:00

Proudly posting a photo of dear baby Chase...

Chase Reginald Haynes

March 24, 2011

God Knew He Could Not Stay

2011-03-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

As I am sure I will do over the coming weeks, months, and maybe years, I seek to piece together what I can of the events leading up to the loss of baby Chase. As I do this, I can see so clearly, the many ways that God demonstrates:
1. His knowledge of the coming loss, and
2. His protection and grace in helping us through this.

Though some of the things below may seem like simple coincidences, the result of busy lives, or simply because this was our fourth child, I do not believe that. I believe that they are the direct result of His divine guidance, nudging, and speaking into my life and the lives of those around me.

Though we had completely decided against it through most of the pregnancy, we decided to sell our house just 2 months before the baby's birth. I already had Madison's room set up so that the crib and changing table were in there for Chase. In order to show the house and make it more appealing, we had to move the crib and changing table to a storage unit. We did not bring it back before baby Chase's death.
Our house did not sell.
I am a planner, so I bought tons of diapers ahead of time. They are all in storage (thinking our house would sell before baby), and we could not get to them the days before I went into labor. I had one diaper for Chase in the house when we lost him.
One of my friends tried to meet up with me many times to deliver some baby boy clothes, but we never seemed to connect - even though she lives only 30 minutes away and works 15 minutes away from my house.
Another one of my friends brough baby clothes and diapers to the office last Wednesday, the day I went to the doctor and was told to go home and rest. I was not able to get everything from her, so she said she'd just bring it by someday in the future - Chase was born and died the next day.
Again, I am a planner, so I bought tons of Similac formula with these amazing coupons I had. I was bummed early on when the stores where I shop ran out (everyone else had the coupon too). I only got two bottles that would expire this June. Several weeks later, a new shipment came in, and I stocked up. The expiration date on those bottles? 2013.
Knowing the baby would be here within a week, Damon went to the storage unit to retrieve what he could for baby Chase. He brought home the bassinet and a box with my nursing stuff. He put it in the garage. We never brought it in or set it up.
I literally had not one outfit for baby Chase because it was all in storage. The day I went into labor, I'd stopped at the store and just bought a few little things for him to get through a week, maybe $30 worth. Did not take any tags off, and it all sat in a bag. The tons of baby boy clothes remain packed up in bins in the storage units.
Last weekend, out of nowhere Damon asked if I wanted to go to Fellowship of The Woodlands for Saturday evening service. We had not been there in about four years. I don't know why - but we went. The sermon preached on "legacies" and the joy of having children and raising them in a relationship with Christ. That night both of our sons were throwing up all night, and we were unable to go to our home church Sunday morning. Four days later, Chase was born and died.
The day before Chase was born and died, a neighbor and dear friend told me to trust God's purpose in why our home did not sell. Maybe He knows we need to stay close to the neighbors and friends who love us and our kiddos.

I am sure there will be more things that are revealed as I look back over time. For now, I take comfort in these little things that God did or moved other people to do so that our pain could be spared, if even just a little. Is God real? Most certainly. Will He continue to help me through this? You bet.

Week One

2011-03-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (King James Version)

One week ago, I was in labor. One week ago my baby died. The unimaginable happened, my baby became an angel before I even knew him. During this first week, I have felt just about every emotion, felt extreme exhaustion, felt like I could eat and eat, felt like I didn't want to eat a thing, been sad, been confused, sorrowful, grateful...the list goes on and on. I have uttered the typical words, God has a plan. One day I will find purpose in this. It gets harder before it gets easier. All the things people say when they have lost something so precious and dear to them for what seems like no good reason (much less any reason at all).

I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support for our family. I am also amazed at the small pieces of God's grace that I have come to understand over the past week. Friends who wanted to give me baby clothes but we never seemed to be able to meet up. A house we tried to sell so we didn't even have a crib or changing table out. The one single diaper I had in the house on the day I went into labor. All of these things seem to have been God's way of helping make this even just a fraction easier on us. He knew this was coming.

Sure - I did think - He took Chase, so he owes at least that grace to me. But that thought has been fleeting. I know He owes me nothing. Someone I barely know offered some great comfort to me the other day. God knows what it is like to lose a son. Those words had so much power in them for me. Especially at a time when I really want to be angry with God. I actually tried to be angry with Him. And maybe there will be a day when I am. But right now, I just want to run right into His arms and let Him protect me. I guess I sort of feel like if I turn my back on Him now, then He might not reveal to me the purpose in all of this. And I need to know that someday He will reveal the purpose.

I don't know what I feel right now - the other piece of advice I've lived with over the past week is - live moment by moment. I can't even make plans for what I will do in two or three hours. I just know that I will breathe, I will love, I will pray, I will smile, and I will cry. For right now - that's all I need to know.

2011-01-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Isaiah 55:10-11
This is a verse very befitting of my new daily reflections and an attempt once again to commit to study God’s word. I began this as a result of attending a class on the topic with my Pastor. I’ve been challenged for some time now on how to do a daily quiet time or daily reflection, and I like the approach I learned at the class. Read the verse over and over a few times. Then think about it for a little while. Then write. Then pray.

So God’s word is like nourishment. But it goes beyond that. His word is the seed, and that seed takes root, and it grows, and it multiplies. By reading and studying it, I will always gain something from it. No, it might not always be what I wish or the answer I want, but if I can find God’s direction in it, then that’s all I need. Because if I follow his desires for me as defined them in His word, a seed is planted in me, and that seed takes root, and the seed grows, and then it multiplies. So…I’ve been trying to figure out how I could better reach out to people to bring them to Christ, to bring them to Joyful Life…even going as far as to think of an alternative career in this area. But I never knew how, and I never understood how to get there. It’s His word. It’s about me knowing His word…simple as that. It seems to me that once I begin to really study His word, to know His teachings, they will plant inside me, and they will take root, and they will grow, and THEN (and ONLY THEN) can the multiplication effect take place.

Regular study and reading of God’s word = the Multiplication effect

Until I fully engage in regular study of God’s word, the multiplication effect cannot fully occur in my life. That can apply to my dreams of staying home more with the kids, my desire to help others know Christ’s joy in their life, my desire to learn HOW to show people about the promises of salvation (and the ability to defend/teach it to the non-believer), my desire to serve others in great need on a daily basis, Joyful Life to take off, to write a book….all of these things take second to the first step of engaging in God’s word. I am trying to start with the bread. I want the end result, but I don’t know how to get there. I have not taken the time to let the seed produce, the grain to grow, and the rain and snow to fall. If the rain and snow from the heavens are the same as God’s word….how can I possibly expect to have bread for the hungry if I don’t have the rain and snow to grow it? How can I possibly expect to make true all of the desires for my life if I don’t start with the word? I’ve been waiting for the bread in a drought.

Revealed to me here is this…I have made great progress in tithing, in prayer, in church attendance and commitment to the right things. And God has blessed me richly and continuously. But I still have not made much progress toward those things above. There is one key ingredient missing…His word. He is sending it out, and I am ignoring it. From it, the fruit will grow. What a fitting first verse for my first daily reflection of the new year.

I won't likely post every reflection, but I'd love it if you helped me stay accountable to my Bible study! Drop me an email every now and then to ask me how I am doing with it...and pray for me to continue what God has called us all to do. Blessings in the new year!

Thinking About Gifts

2010-11-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Hebrews 2:4

On my way in to work this morning, and as the radio announcer told us about the upcoming Christmas music to start 24/7 after Thanksgiving...I began thinking about gifts. At first I thought about the gifts my kids want for Christmas. But then that thought led me to look at my growing belly and think about all the people who still can't believe I am having a fourth child. I still ponder why we decided we wanted four children. It's certainly not the norm by today's standards!

But my thoughts turned back to the gift giving, and a thought came into my head - my children are my gift to the world. I guess that kind of sums up my parenting philosophy overall. I look at my children as my gift to the world, and shouldn't I do all I can to give this world the best gifts it can get? Our children are so often overlooked, and they so often send us messages directly from God. So often we miss the warnings and the signs of how we should proceed, and so often God's gifts and guidance lie within our own children.

I take great comfort in the thought that someday my own children will comfort those in need, tell someone about Jesus's love, and live noble lives. To teach them to serve themselves or the earthly things of this world is not a gift to the world, it's a curse. But to teach them to honor God first, to be compassionate for others, and to strive to use their talents for betterment...that's a gift.

As I reach the halfway mark through my pregnancy, I delight in picturing the new little face that will light up when he sees his brothers and sister. I take comfort in knowing that God trusts me with this blessing. It is my duty to use my four little blessings to glorify God as often as I can. For they are my greatest gifts from God to this world.

Memories of Spaghetti and Love

2010-10-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Psalm 103:8

I must have been around 7 years old when this happened. I recall being so excited because my mom had made spaghetti for dinner. She served me a great big plate of it, and I took off with it. I enthusiastically ran down the hall, really anxious to dig in. If you have never noticed, spaghetti noodles can be quite slippery. And in one quick, heartbreaking moment, my spaghetti slid right off the plate, crash landing onto the floor. Crushed and filled with despair, I went back to the kitchen in tears. Who can guess what my mom did? Did she yell because I had been running with my plate? Did she tell me I'd have to eat bread since I wasted all that spaghetti? Did she get annoyed with the fact that she would soon be picking hundreds of spaghetti noodles out of the 70's shag carpet?

My mom did none of those things. Without missing a beat, she simply gave me a hug, wiped my tears, and made me another plate. Of course, she did add, walk a little slower and carefully this time.

Last night I had my own mommy spaghetti moment. My four year old son came upstairs crying. I asked him what was wrong, and between big sobs and sighs, he said, "I dropped my ice cream". I wasn't sure what he meant, so I gave him a hug, and walked him downstairs. Halfway down, I noticed an overturned bowl of ice cream on the stairs. It was all I could do not to burst out in my own tears as I was reminded of that moment in time where my spaghetti went sliding. I pictured my son running up the stairs with the bowl of ice cream, proud of how he'd gotten it himself, and excited to eat it. Then the despair of seeing it drop to the floor popped into my head with such familiarity. I looked down at his sad little eyes and told him that it was perfectly okay, ice cream can be cleaned up. We went downstairs, and I got him another bowl. As I watched him enjoy it, I realized just how far a showing of love can go. Though seemingly insignificant to my mom at the time, her actions of love and understanding have stayed with me, and taught me how to be a better mom myself.

Tyler may always remember the despair of that overturned bowl of ice cream, but I pray that this despair is immediately followed by a rush of love and understanding. The enemy seems to sit and wait for your moments of despair so he can pull us down at just the right moment. Instead, remember God's promises and let your soul be filled with a rush of love and understanding. There will always be trying times, times where anger fills your veins, and being patient goes against your initial thoughts. But remember that the little moments of love and understanding last far beyond the moment in which they happen.

Living in the Now

2010-09-22T04:31:00.000-07:00

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

If you follow this blog, then you know pretty well by now that I have hopes and dreams on my heart that seem to be taking God a long time to bring to fruition. For much of the past few weeks I felt as if I were living in a bit of a fog. Going day by day looking forward only to the evenings and weekends when I could be with my family.

I was actually avoiding calls from friends for the past few weeks because I was in such a funk. Just not really happy. All I could think of was...why can't I live the life I want now? Why must I suffer with these unfulfilled hopes and dreams? Why would God put so many things on my heart if they weren't going to come to pass.

Despite my fog and my growing depression and hurt, I continued to pray. Not with much enthusiasm, I admit, but they were prayers nonetheless. Then, out of nowhere, just as God always does. He sends me a message. I was heading from the lunchroom at work and ran into a dear friend and prayer warrior. This friend works on a different floor, and yet we always seem to run into each other at just the right moments. On this particular day, she had several messages for me. The one that really stayed with me was that my hopes and dreams were a part of the process. Just as much as what I am doing today. God is intentional, and the daily life I have now, the things I am learning, the people I am meeting...they are all a part of the process God has created for me. And within that process are my hopes and dreams. Without the process, I would lack some of what I need to see those hopes and dreams come to pass.

I was blown away. And though it was so strange, I was truly lifted out of the fog within just a few hours of pondering this idea. I'd gotten to the point that I hated my daily work because I it wasn't what I wanted to spend my days doing. I felt that if I were to show God how unhappy I am right now, that he'd have to make changes in my life quickly. I thought that if I were to enjoy what I did day to day, then God would think I was content to live the rest of my life this way...and my dreams would never come true!

I laugh even looking at those words. God knows so much more than we do, and while we often get bogged down in the minutia of this life, He sees the big picture. So I resolve to continue to enjoy the "process" rather than hope so much for the future that I forget to enjoy the present.

Teaching Gratitude to a 5 Year Old

2010-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

This weekend I took my kids to Borders to get their free book in the Double Dog Dare Summer Reading Challenge. All was going smoothly until they decided they needed to use the restroom. Of course, the restrooms are conveniently placed at the back of the store, just next to all the lovely toys and games that kids can buy. Suddenly, the selection of free books seemed to mean very little to my oldest son. I mean, really... when you put the free books next to the Star Wars Lego sets, who cares about a free book?

I tried to keep them moving past the toys, but of course my son stopped in awe. When I enthusiastically told him it was time to get his free book, he stomped towards me with an incredible amount of discontent. I thought, did I raise this ungrateful child? I cart three kids to the bookstore on a Saturday to retrieve his reward, and he has the nerve to stomp when he doesn't get what he wants?!

Ah, the life and worries of a five year old. It was a wonderful teaching moment and because my mom was there too, I was able to pull him aside and tell him a thing or two about gratitude.

Every day God must feel like I did in that bookstore. He watches us whining about the things we don't yet have, the jobs we don't like, the cars we can't afford, the life we wish we had. My little trip to the bookstore sort of pales in comparison to giving up your only Son for a bunch of miserable sinners.

God commands us to be thankful for what he has provided. And just before that he calls us to let Christ live in our hearts and to be peaceful. I tried this today. I have had a few days with a very ungrateful attitude, so I decided to let Christ fill my heart. As I did that, it was really difficult to continue being so ungrateful.

So the next time I am tempted to stomp my feet as God calls me a certain direction, I'll try to let my heart be full and be grateful for what he has intended. After all, I know that just as my son could not know what wonderful things lie in the free book, I can only imagine the amazing things God has planned for me!

Discipline

2010-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Hebrews 12:11-13

So my husband decided to take on a bet that he’d make it through a 90 minute spinning class. As a former track star, he has a lot of endurance. In fact, I often think that he replaces intelligent, rational thought with endurance. Some examples…He’s torn his ACL playing chase with a group of children at a church function. He tore his achilles tendon playing basketball with some friends from college at a reunion (of sorts). And now he’s decided he can spin for 90 minutes?!

So when I saw this verse, I could not resist applying it to our daily lives. Discipline is by its very nature a tough thing. If it were easy, it would not be discipline, right? So in almost all cases, discipline is at first painful. But as it says in Hebrews, over time, so much is gained from those efforts. Our hearts and minds are led to do the right thing, to live according to God’s law.

So many of us are plagued with the devil on our shoulders telling us we’re too tired to get the exercise we need – or the REST we need, to eat right, or to stay diligent about daily time with God. And when you do finally exercise, eat a healthy meal, or something else that took some discpline, you always say to yourself, (you know you do!)..."That was great. I really need to start doing that more often".

So then do it more often! What have you been thinking about doing but feel that you just don't have the time or the motivation? Focus on that desire for the next few minutes.

How could 5 minutes a day be used to help you achieve that desire?

Who can you share your desire so that he or she can help you stay accountable?

List the reasons you don't think you can do it. Now crumble it up, tell God you give them to Him, and throw it away.

DO IT

God is a really great personal trainer whether your goal is of the mind, body, or spirit. Allow him to help you stay disciplined, and watch how he strengthens you so you can strengthen others. Oh yeah, did my husband win the bet? Most definitely - and he didn't even have to go to the hospital afterwards.

God's Rescue Squad

2010-06-11T04:14:00.001-07:00

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.
Psalm 138:7

During moments of discouragement and doubt several days ago, I did what I usually do. I curled up in a little ball and just cried like a baby. Not really…actually, I just closed my eyes and prayed. Okay, maybe there were a few tears.

But this faith thing has gotten really tough lately, and I’ve grown weary of waiting. So the other day I prayed and prayed, a little here, a little there and very intensely at moments. I literally cried out to Jesus and asked Him to tell me what to do.

No response. The night wore on and the new day arrived. I was on my way to work, and that little voice I heard last week spoke to me again. This time it said very clearly, I gave you what you wanted.

For hours I pondered over what this meant. Did it mean that I’ve already been given what I wanted so stop asking for more? Did it mean that I am and I have everything God intended for me already? Possibly. But when I stopped trying to analyze the sentence, and took it as fact, I saw it for what it was. God gave me what I asked for. I had dreams as a child that have come to pass, I have had hopes and wishes that have come to pass, and in most all situations, God has given me what I asked for. It was in His time (which always ended up being just the right time) and it was never without waiting or a little pain.

So why would I doubt that the future will be any different? Perseverance is a tough thing, and it is faith that allows you to persevere. What's even harder is being happy and joyful while you wait. I think about that and picture a guy on a deserted island singing praises to God, filled with faith that he will be rescued. I for one am not sure I'd be singing praises if I were stranded on a deserted island.

Yet sometimes we are out on that island, waiting for God to answer our prayers and provide for our needs. And just when we are ready to call it quits, we sing a little louder, worship a little harder...and along comes God's rescue squad.

Prayer: God, I shout your praises high and thank you for the amazing gifts that you have already given to me. Help me to live out my faith in every day life and to serve as a reminder to others that we have been saved from the captivity of sin. In Our Savior's Name I Pray, Amen.

I Could Hear Them Praying

2010-06-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:26

I have been praying quite a bit lately. After listening to a great book on CD and reading a few great books about the power of prayer, the messages started to sink in. I pray for just about everything, even things that couldn't possibly come to pass for many years to come (like a wonderful Godly spouse for each of my children). So I am really committed to the power of prayer and to praying for God to move in the lives of others. If you find yourself wishing you could spend more time with someone, say a prayer for them. It's a really great way to stay "in" their lives, even if only spiritually!

What I had not considered until a couple of days was this...there are people out there praying for me too. I came to this realization after I'd had a really good day that followed several not-so-good-days. I could not figure out why I was happier, more content, more peaceful. Nothing had changed and nothing was different. Then on my drive home, it hit me. I just knew it inside...this sense of peace that I was experiencing was the result of someone's prayer for me. I just knew it. I have never before felt this way. I have always known that my mom and husband prayed for me, and maybe friends have done so in certain situations. But on this particular day, it was almost as if I could hear their voices in my head. It was this reminder to me...not only does the power of prayer live through my own prayers, but through those around me.

For many months, I have been praying for my husband in very certain ways (Read The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O'Martian). And I've seen the changes. I have sat back and throught, Wow, I am so sneaky. I can actually help my husband through certain situations by asking God to move in him. NEVER did it cross my mind that my husband, or anyone else, is doing the same thing for me!

What a miraculous and comforting thought...even when I am tired or weary, ready to throw in the towel, there is someone else out there who has God's ear with prayers that will keep me going.

It is so simple, and yet I had not truly allowed myself to realize that so much of who I am, what has happened to me, and what opportunities have come into my path...much of that is thanks to the prayers of others. The day I realized this, it was as if I could hear them praying.

How can I pray for you today? Leave me a comment here or send me an email. Many blessings to you!

Prayer: Dear Lord, My ability to talk to you through prayer is one of your greatest gifts to me. Through the Spirit, I will find the words to speak and know who and what to pray for. In all things you work for the good of those who love you. Keep my mind and spirit open to receiving and sharing those blessings you have chosen for me. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Freedom of Choice

2010-05-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
I Peter 4:10

Last night I took a trip to the store to buy my daughter some new tennis shoes. I was pretty excited because it meant my little girl was growing! Though I went to a popular discount store, I was really surprised at the great selection of shoes. I pondered over them for quite some time, then wound up taking all four of the ones I liked. I know, I know...

This morning when I woke her up, I was really excited to show her the new shoes. I took her downstairs to behold the parade of choices. What I did not forsee was the confusion and frustration these many choices might cause her! My beautiful little girl sat there trying on one pair then taking them off, then trying on another pair, then taking them off...this went on for at least 10 minutes. And though it sounds fun, I assure you. She was not having fun.

I finally took all of the shoes back to the basket by the door. My son then brought over just one pair--which my daughter proudly and immediately put on her feet.

In today's world, a woman has more choices than ever before. She can be just about anything she wants, and she can achieve success in ways women of the past could not have imagined. But quite often, when we have too many choices before us, our minds start to spin. We lose focus and become distracted. We are taken in by the shiny images portrayed on TV and movies or in the latest gossip magazines. Society today has given women many hats to wear, and in many circles, women are expected to wear them all.

A very wise mom of two grown children once told me that a woman cannot have it all. At the time I disagreed completely, thinking that one day I would have it all. Today, I believe that a woman can have it all - just not at the same time. As women, we must heed God's call for our lives and more often than not, it means sacrificing our own desires to serve those around us.

God has laid out many choices for us, and the enemy has laid some out too. If you're having trouble, and your head is spinning because you cannot choose, narrow your choices. Saying no to some of them doesn't mean you're saying no forever. It just means you choose to wear the pink shoes today. After all, the white ones will match tomorrow's outfit better anyway.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to make wise decisions as I steer my way through life. I am blessed to have so many opportunities and options in my path. With your guidance, I can choose the ones which will put me closer to the purpose you have for my life. I do not fear making decisions because you have already blessed my path, no matter what choice I make. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Connecting the Dots

2010-05-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Isaiah 30: 20-21

I owe the inspiration for this blog to Luann Prater, a Proverbs 31 ministry sister (she has a great blog, check it out at http://luannprater.com/.

How often have you sat back and reflected on the many different ways life could have turned out if you'd done this or that? If you'd made different choices than those you did. Seen things a different way or listened to those who advised you.

Well, quite frankly, those kind of thoughts are wasteful. Because while we might make choices that seem to throw us off a chosen path, God uses those choices to connect the dots of your life. He knows your purpose, and how to get you there. Sure, we do have free will, and that causes us to make unGodly choices from time to time. But it's okay, because God is still there with us.

So often I pray for God to guide me when I have tough decisions to make. I hear others who say they've done the same, but never heard from God. I don't literally hear a booming voice from heaven either, but in most all cases, I hear an inner voice or feel compelled to go a certain route. Most of the world might think of this as women's intuition, or a well-analyzed plan. But I know that it's really the holy spirit speaking God's guidance into me. I also know that even if I choose not to listen to that inner voice, God still knows where I will end up. He will still put the right people, opportunities, and situations in my life to lead me to his purpose for me.

This afternoon, take some time to think about your life - not reflecting on how things could have been, but instead on how things have come to be. Think about the prayers you've prayed over time, and how they have come to pass. They may not have come true in the way you imagined, but God used them to connect the dots of your life.

I think about my childhood dreams and God's speaking voice in my heart at that time. I was so pure and filled with hope of a life unlike the one I'd grown up with. For quite some time, my path was very misguided. I was completely out of touch with God's will. But I look back at even the bad choices I made, and I can now see how God used them to connect the dots and put me exactly where I am supposed to be today.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for your constant and unfailing love, guidance, and protection. I will keep my heart and mind open to the words you have provided in the Bible to guide my life. I will pray and listen, resting in you, so that you can connect the dots of my life, and show me the way. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

My Life in La La Land

2010-05-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6: 33-34

My faith grows stronger every day. I know this because my husband tells me so…though not in those words. The words he jokingly uses are “La La Land”. Recently, he has told me quite often that I am living in La La Land. More so recently because I’ve begun to share with him hopes and dreams that seem completely unattainable right now. Completely unattainable in the natural world anyway.

The great news is…I don’t place my faith in the natural world! Though my husband jokes affectionately about my life in La La Land, I have to admit it; if living in La La Land means trusting in God to provide and direct me, or living one day to the next with the real joy of a relationship with Jesus…then put it down on the tax records. I have taken up permanent residence in La La Land!

I say all of this partly in jest, but with a very real confidence. I know certain things will come to pass in the next few years. I see them in my mind, and I feel what God has placed on my heart. I have no idea when these things will happen or if they will be exactly as I imagine, but I know they will because I trust in Him.

Faithfully, I get up in La La Land and stay hopeful, prayerful, mindful, and free. I am free from the ones who say it will never happen. I am free from the ones who say it can’t be done. I am free from the ones who say I don’t have what it takes. I am free from the enemy’s power to make me give up on God.

You may have dreams in your heart that seem utterly impossible. Think about one right now. Then pray the prayer below, and join me in La La Land.

Prayer: Dear God, It’s no wonder why I have these amazing hopes and dreams in my heart. You have placed them there to be a beacon of faith. My dreams and hopes are no accident, but are a part of your purpose for my life. Though I cannot know when or how, I trust you to equip me with the skills, the opportunities, and the timing necessary to see abundant joy and blessings in my life. I want to experience real freedom from the negative words that try to steal my faith, and I want to seek first your glorious kingdom. Thank you for that freedom through your son, Jesus Christ. In His Name, Amen.

Make Them Want the Kool-Aid

2010-04-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

Sharing your faith is not always easy. Perhaps you feel that you don’t have a right to tell people what to believe, or perhaps you think your family or friends are so far from God that they’d never follow Jesus. Or you feel strange sharing it at work because of what your boss or co-workers might think. So then how do we follow God’s command to become a fisher of men, saving people left and right in the name of the Spirit?

Get joyful and get loud about it. Live for God. When you wake up and decide to praise God every chance you get, when you give God the glory in every day actions, others see what’s going on inside of you. This very morning I gave God the glory for the toothbrush I used to clean my teeth, then when I went downstairs to make my coffee, I praised him many times over for the warmth of that cup. As I was making my coffee, my husband caught me singing to the latest Toby Mac song on the radio. He kind of chuckled then went on about his business.

I know that he witnessed just how joyful I was, and that he left that moment thinking, wow. I want some of that Kool-Aid. Negativity is contagious. But the great news is this…so are outward expressions of joy and God’s love.

You might be thinking of someone right now who you just wish would become as strong in their faith as you are. Someone you wish you could share God’s word with. It might even be your own husband. Well, beyond prayer, what will work best is to live loud about God. Show through your actions and when something bad happens, don’t get down about it. Don’t express frustration or worry. Instead, tell those around you, I am not worried, I know that God will turn this around. You’ll leave everyone thinking, wow, can I get a glass of that Kool-Aid? Or they might just think you’re crazy. But no matter what, you now have their attention.

And once people see you living with joy, they watch. Primarily because they can’t understand it. At first, they might listen to the enemy telling them how crazy you are, how naïve or trusting. But over time, as they see the miracles happen in your life, as they see how God turns bad to good and dreams to reality, their hearts will start to soften.

And then soon, you’ll not only be serving up tall glasses of Kool-Aid to everyone you know, but they’ll be asking you for the recipe.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Please help me to live out loud for you. The joy I receive from reading your word, praying to you, and witness through your miracles is a joy that I want to share with others. Help me to see and act on the many opportunities to share your love with others. Lift me with courage and faith to reach out to those who seem unreachable. Let my joy be contagious and inspiring to others. In Jesus's Name I Pray, Amen.

It's Just Stuff

2010-04-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
2 Peter 1:5-7

Well, I did it. I cut off 11 inches of my hair. I closed my eyes, and it was over in no time. I admit it--cutting my hair wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. When I started growing it out 18 months ago, I thought...it's just hair. So then why was it more difficult to cut it than I thought it would be?

Part of the reason is that I was focused on the wrong thing. My purpose in growing my hair was never to have long beautiful hair, but to donate it to Locks of Love. But then when my hair came in shiny and beautiful, I started to focus on keeping it all for myself, rather than on what it could do for someone else.

So often, we fill our lives with shiny beautiful stuff and focus our eyes on things with very little meaning. We accumulate a lot of stuff. And that stuff becomes the place we put our faith. Don't get me wrong, I love "stuff", especially things I can put on the walls of my home that make it look pretty. But before I decide to get myself more stuff, I ask myself two questions:

1. Have I already given back to God what is His?

2. If this new thing I purchase were lost, stolen, or destroyed, would I be crushed?

Don't put your faith in stuff. Of course, there are sentimental losses like photos or great grandma's gravy boat. But those are important to you because of the experience or person associated with them rather than the thing itself. Stuff is just stuff. What's really important are the people around you, and the precious time you have with them. Spend those precious moments wisely, focused on the people and not the stuff.

Having a new car, a new computer, some new shoes, or a new haircut is great, but if you can't answer yes to question 1 or if losing the new stuff would be crushing, take stock in what you already have and count your blessings. Then keep on praying and saving until you can say YES! to question one and NO! to question two.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to keep my eyes focused on the things that really matter in this world. I may not have the biggest house, the nicest car, or the most money, but thanks to your sacrifice, I have so much more. You have blessed me beyond my dreams and in faith, I believe you will continue to enrich my life with your word and promises fulfilled. In Your Son's Name I Pray, Amen.

Become a Farmer

2010-04-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isaiah 11:2

This week I attended a fantastic seminar on leadership. It was inspiring and motivating. The best part about it was that one of the speakers mentioned the Bible as a great guide to leadership around. So true…and it got me to thinking about the kinds of things I am doing and NOT doing to be a leader to those around me.

Jesus never missed a teachable moment. He always took the time to stop, sit down, and teach. As I reflect on the fast pace of my day to day life, I wonder – how many teachable moments do I miss every day? Being a leader means becoming a farmer. Yes, I said farmer.

Of course, you don’t need to rush out to buy some overalls or test drive John Deere tractors. The seeds you will sow don’t require those things. I am talking about becoming the kind of Christian that uses teachable moments to sow seeds of faith. Perhaps it is as simple as a telling your co-workers about something great your pastor said at church on Sunday. Or spending two extra minutes at the end of the night to tell a friend or spouse why you are so glad that God brought her or him into your life. If you have children, you know that nearly every waking moment of their lives is a teachable moment. No…you can’t be there for every single one of them, but following Jesus’s example for even just a few of them allows the seeds to take root and grow.

Take the time to sow the seeds in those around you. Maybe you can’t see the immediate results of the encouragement you give, the work you do, the hour long heart to heart chats, the time outs for punishment, etc. But you are planting seeds, and those seeds will grow.

The real trick is to remain committed to planting fruitful seeds and not weeds. It is tough in today’s world where we, as women, wear so many hats and play so many roles. Be wary of getting in too deep that you can no longer plant the fruitful seeds. Your children, friends, spouse, and family do not benefit when all you have time to sew are weeds.

Take the time to sit down and be a leader to those around you—to take advantage of the teachable moments. And plant the seeds that you want to take root. God will pour down showers of blessings on those seeds. Then stand back…because once you plant them, there’s no telling how God will help them flourish.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Your son, Jesus Christ, was an amazing being. I look forward to opportunities to share and grow faith within others. Give me the courage to lead others to the joy and love that I know through you. Give me the words to speak as I encourage my friends and family through hard times. Help me to manage my day so I can take advantage of the blessings that come from acting on a teachable moment. In your son’s name I pray, Amen.

Man Proposes, God Disposes

2010-03-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to have a guest blogger this week. My friend Janean is the founder of BROKEN Ministry. She shared the notes from her March meeting with me, and I found them so on point that I wanted to share them with you. Blessings to you during this Holy Week as we celebrate grace through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah, we are free!

I’m a planner! It has always been in my nature to plan everything out and in past when something didn’t go exactly as I planned, I would get upset and grumpy, I wouldn’t be flexible and couldn’t just “go with the flow” so to speak. I must say, that is one of the things God is continually working in me - flexibility, the ability to set aside my plans for His plans. Not just flexibility in allowing His plan to flow but also to have a reaction that is right and pleasing to Him. This is not always easy but Proverbs teaches us about planning and allowing God’s plan to operate in our lives.

1. Proverbs 16:1 “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.”
2. Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
3. Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

As I read these scriptures, it’s clear to me that the Lord will direct us when we plan. Sometimes it means we will have to change our plans and at others, God will make sure the plans we’ve made will succeed – as long as they are committed to Him.

What does it mean “from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue?”
The message translation says “Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the final word.” In short, the final outcome of plans we make really is in God’s hands. I have found this to be so true in my life! There have been many times where I’ve made my plan to buy “this” house or “this” car, take “this” trip, or marry “this” person, but ultimately God had the last word concerning those plans. Sometimes it went according to my plans, when they were His plans, and other times it didn’t.

If that’s the case, then why make our plans?
I would surmise that this means “planning” is a partnership between us and God. It is possible that, as we make our plans and seek Him (Prov 1:3), He will guide us as we trust Him. It’s about trusting in & partnering with God, seeking and hearing from Him, then being flexible enough to let Him guide us. (Prov 3:6 – In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight).

But what if it’s not what I want?
Part of trusting is relying on or having confidence in the fact that God has our best interests at heart. How bad could that be? Many times He has guided me in a direction I didn’t necessarily want to go, but in the long run, everything worked out for the better!!! If we acknowledge and trust in Him, follow His direction, then how can we fail? I mean He holds the universe!

Let me make one thing clear, God is not going to force us to do anything. That is why He has given us free will. However, isn’t it much better to follow His plans if he is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, the author and finisher of our faith?

We must recognize that we are called/chosen by God to do His work, but in order to effectively do so we must continually remain in His presence so we are positioned to hear His voice. Moses was positioned to hear from God – both physically on the mountain and spiritually. John 10:4 - …."and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice." How do the sheep know the voice of the shepherd? Because that are continually in the shepherd’s presence….they know the voice of their master. So it is with us; we must continually be in the presence of God – praying, worshiping, seeking and loving Him!!

God then said to Moses in Ex. 25:9, "According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it."

It was God who gave Moses the plans to build. He not only gave him the plans, but he provided the means by which to accomplish the work according to God’s design. He also provided the workers.

So where was Moses and how was he positioned? Moses was:
· Chosen by God
· He came near to God
· He stayed in the presence of God

In addition, He was also:
· Postured to hear from God
· Open to listen to God
· Obedient to follow God

As a result, the tabernacle where God would dwell and meet with His people was built exactly as God designed. We must follow the example of Moses and position ourselves to hear from God, be willing to follow the instruction of God no matter what our plans may be, and then execute the plans as God instructs.

To read more about BROKEN and Janean Partridge, visit http://brokenministry.com/.

Change Through Prayer

2010-03-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.
1 Samuel 12:23a

While I was in college, someone once told me that people can never really change. To clarify, he noted that while people could certainly change “habits”, we are who we are. The character traits we’ve exhibited through life will always be with us. He gave me this example, a person with an anger problem might be able to go to anger management classes and, over time, get it under control. But when faced with an “emergency, adrenaline-pumping” kind of situation, the individual would revert back to the innate angry behavior. How discouraging this classmate was!

At the time he told me this, I was in a period with much less faith than I have now, and I actually bought into what he said. Because it really wasn’t rocket science or particularly intuitive. In fact, it’s a part of pop culture – you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right? WRONG.

Whoever says that a person cannot completely transform, leaving behind negative behavior, habits, character traits, etc…does not know God. I believe that it is 100% possible to pray it right out of someone! There are bound to be people in your life who you’d like to change…your boss, your husband, your kids, your best friend, your parent…but only they can truly make the change. Or so you think!

If your best friend does something you know is damaging to her health or well-being, pray about it. If your husband refuses to help you around the house, pray for God to give him the desire to help you out. If your child has turned into the class bully, pray that God intervenes and cloaks your child with feelings of kindness and confidence.

Though I feel like many of my blog posts have been about prayer lately, it’s because I am a true believer in its power. Pray in bed, pray in the shower, pray in the car, pray everywhere! Pray for everything! At first it might feel like nothing is happening – you’re praying for the same thing ten different ways, and you see no results. But don’t give up. God rewards patience and faith. Believe me, you will start to see amazing changes start to take root and will one day look up to see the flourishing garden your prayers created. You’ll look back and be unable to remember a time when you had to pray for the changes! Then what do you do when the garden has bloomed? Keep praying of course…!

Prayer: Dear God, As we prepare to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice you made for us, help us to find many moments to come to you in prayer. Help me to lay down my worries at your feet and to look up with confidence and a boldness that can only come from knowing that I am free through faith. I will pray to you all those things I feel I cannot change, because through you, all things are possible. Amen.

Face Forward

2010-03-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2: 4-5

When driving your car, it is important to keep your eyes on the road. Peripheral vision is what allows us to see to the sides and to the rear. Every so often, it's important to see what is behind us when we're backing up or practicing defensive driving. But your eyes are only focused on the rear for those brief moments. So what would happen if you are driving 30 miles per hour on a busy highway with your eyes focused on the rear view mirror for a full minute, or even thirty seconds? In all likelihood, the result would be a rear ending of the car in front of you, and possibly even those in front of that car.

When you are driving, it is only those specific instances where it really makes sense to keep your eyes focused on what's behind you. If you are too busy looking at the road behind you, then you cannot see the road that lies ahead.

Same goes for life. We're all sinners. We've all made mistakes. And we've all done things we wish we could undo. But the fact is, we can't undo most things, we will always make mistakes, and we will always be sinners. Now for the great part...thanks to God's grace through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, we don't have to keep our eyes focused on our mistakes or what we wish we could undo. No...your eyes can face forward and look ahead to those days that will be brighter and where you are that much wiser.

I worked for a company that believed in letting people make mistakes. One executive told a story about an employee who'd made a very expensive one. When asked, did you fire that employee? The executive said...heck no, why would I pay $100,000 to teach that employee a lesson then let him go use his wisdom for some other company?

God knows we aren't perfect, and through his grace, we don't have to focus on our imperfections. He wants us to do a quick check in the rear view mirror every now and then, but to keep our eyes, spirit, and heart focused on what lies ahead--life everlasting in his heavenly kingdom.

Even though I have forgiven others and myself for the past, I am sure that I spend far too much time dwelling on silly nonsense that I cannot change. I have gotten alot better about being able to push those useless thoughts to the side to focus on the amazing plans God has for the future. Because he really does. If we keep our eyes focused on him first, putting him above all things, anything is possible in our lives. Things that seem unnatural become possible thanks to the supernatural powers of grace.

I encourage you to stop wasting time dwelling on things you can't change from the past, and focus on what God has planned for the future. It's a much brighter and joyful place to be!

Prayer: Father God, In just weeks we will celebrate the resurrection of our savior. I know that I no longer have to fear my ability to overcome my past because you have blessed me today, and you will bless me in the future. Your love and your power far exceeds all the natural things I could see for my life. I hand you all of my mistakes, doubts, or fears from today and yesterday. And I know that I need only look forward to what lies ahead. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

God's Not a Mind Reader

2010-03-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

Okay, so that title was more of an attention getter than truth. Because God is a mind reader. He knows everything we do and everything we think. He knows the precise number of hairs on our heads. So then, what does that title mean?

During difficult times, you've probably been talking with your girlfriends and said something to the effect of, "Yeah, all I can do now is pray about it." Or, "I have been praying alot about it." But were you really?

Praying does not mean thinking about your desires or your wishes. Praying does not mean pondering how God could move in your life. Praying means talking to God. Releasing your desires, your fears, your joys, and anything else you can think of. I used to think that because God knew my thoughts, I did not need to ask him to help me when I needed it. I, like most women, assumed he should know what I want. Sound familiar? Yes, at one time or another, most every woman has gotten upset at a man who should have "known" what we wanted.

Truth is, men don't always know what we want until we tell them. And unfortunately, our womanly way of thinking is often imposed on God himself. It doesn't work with the human men in our lives, and it doesn't work with God!

Though God does know what we want, he wants us to be in a relationship with him. He loves to help us, to inspire us, to bring us hope, and to make us joyful. But we have to tell him what we want, we have to ask him for his help. Asking God for what you want is a way of exhibiting your faith in his ability to provide it to you. If you just think about how you hope your kids make it home from school safely...or you just think about that promotion you'd love to have...or you think about your grandmother who has been ill for a while...you aren't saying to God, "I know you can bring my kids home safely, you can give me the wisdom to propel myself into that promotion, and you as the ultimate healer can give comfort and health to my grandmother."

So if you wonder why isn't God answering your prayers...think about whether you've truly asked him for what you need. He's always listening, and he's always ready to hear what's on your mind.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for your gift of prayer. Help me to bring my fears, my needs, my thanks, and my dreams to you. You are my father, and I place my trust in you to listen and respond to my every prayer. Through your son, I will come to you with everything. Amen.

Downtown Shopping

2010-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 22:9

The other day, as I drove to downtown Houston for another day at work, things weren't very unusual. Traffic was bad, the drive was long, and I had already consumed 2 cups of coffee. I was feeling pretty tired of the long commute and wondering why I did this every day.

I entered the outskirts of downtown and was stopped at a red light. Still nothing all that unusual. Then as I sat waiting the agonizing minute or two for the light to change, I noticed a man approaching the walkway to cross while the light was red.

He was clothed in many layers, none of which went unstained. His hair was matted, and he wore the street on his face and hands. Though it was freezing outside, he had on no gloves. This gentleman was pushing a cart and while it had a blanket draped over it, I garnered a peek inside what must have been all of his worldly posessions. There were some cans (no doubt collected for a little change), some other clothing items, and what looked to me like a whole lot of garbage.

I could not explain why, but I suddenly began to cry. This man did not look at me, he did not stop. He walked on through the cross walk as if he had someplace to be. Making no eye contact with the cars around him, he pushed on to his destination. I am quite certain that this man was not pushing his cart to do some downtown shopping.

As I sat there in my nice warm car wearing a suit and drinking coffee that I'd made in my nice warm home, I felt so moved to tears. Not because I wondered about how earthly posessions could be so unevenly distributed in this world, but because I wished that I could do more. And I wondered if I were doing enough to help the world outside of my own.

It is so easy to get caught up in our daily lives and stresses that we forget to be grateful for even the tiny things with which we are so richly blessed. We always tell our children, the most important things in our house are the people. Stripped of everything else, we still have each other.

The 24 Hour Rule

2010-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Luke 4:1-2

The further along I get in my walk with God, the more aware I am of the presence of the enemy. I was telling my husband the other day…it seems that on a day where I am feeling very close to God, I am praying, I am seeing his vision for my life more clearly, and I feel called to take certain actions in his name…all I have to do is wait 24 hours, and the enemy will appear.

Life has not always been like that, or maybe it was but I was not as aware of the enemy's presence because I did not fully belong to God. But I’ll be sure as heck…since I began this walk of faith, within 24 hours of truly being in God’s presence, wham! The devil tries to steal my joy. He comes in many forms, a ruined schedule, a bounced check, a rude driver, a car accident, an argument, misplaced blame. And because I am so taken by surprise to be plucked from my blissful oneness with God, my focus turns completely to the enemy. That’s how the enemy wants it!

To illustrate, imagine that you are getting a massage (wouldn’t that be nice!). The lights are low, the air is warm, and you are very relaxed. All of a sudden the door slams open. For that moment, you completely lose the relaxed feeling, the warmth, the deep breathing. And suddenly your full attention is on the doorway.

That’s sort of what happens when we’re sitting in God’s presence, fully aware of his work in our life and his desire to fulfill our dreams. We are filled with bliss and peace. The devil just jumps right up there and slams the door open to announce his presence. He wants us to take our eyes off of God and pay attention to him. He wants us to be pulled out of God’s presence to follow him.

Don’t let him do that! Sure, your head might turn momentarily, but if you are aware that the enemy is approaching, you have the power to make him go away. You can lay your worries or fears at God’s feet, you can open the Bible or log onto biblegateway.com, you can look into the eyes of your children, whatever you have to do to keep your eyes on God.

I used to deal with an issue that I'll keep private, but which I fought for many years. I could not imagine a day when it would no longer be an issue. Once I began this walk, I realized that those days would come. I am not saying that the enemy will leave you alone. He will never do that. But with each time you say no, you give more power to your faith in God and less power to the devil.

The first time to tell him no he is shocked. He fights harder. Then you tell him no. And he fights harder still. But eventually, the more times he hears no, the less frequently he'll come around to tempt you with that issue. Oh, don't get me wrong...he'll find something else to pick on. But by then, your faith is so strong, you may jump when the door slams open, but your inner peace will remain in tact.

Meditation: How has the enemy tempted me today? Did I give in or did I allow God to show himself through the enemy's presence?

Prayer: Dear God, Help me to pray bold prayers that keep the enemy at bay and keep me walking stronger and taller in my faith. Help me to stay focused on you so that when I am tempted to focus on the negative, my thoughts, words, and actions reflect an unwielding faith in your grace and protection. In your son's name I pray, Amen.

Everyone Has a Gift

2010-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
I Corinthians 12:7

Yes, I realize Christmas is over and all the gifts have been opened. The tree is down, the lights are put away, and we've already started putting our Christmas gifts to use. But are you putting your spiritual gifts to use?

I recall joining a church in Houston where my first new member Bible study was focused around "spiritual gifts". I remember thinking, well...I write press releases, so maybe I can write some for church events and submit them to local newspapers. My spiritual gift must be the gift of generating publicity. And that was a good contribution to the church. But it wasn't until recently that I have come to a clearer understanding of God's spiritual gifts.
Each one of us, every single one of God's creations, has spiritual gifts. Biblically, there are a number of gifts which God may have bestowed upon us. But the point is, each one of us has a gift (or gifts), and once we come together as believers in Christ, our gifts are interdependent. We are one body of Christ, and God purposefully arranged the body parts just as he intended them to be. He placed gifts within us so that we could share our gifts with others just as the hand shares its purpose with the mouth (to bring food closer).

So what if one of the parts isn't functioning? What if you aren't using your spiritual gifts for God's blessing - or aren't even aware of what those gifts may be? Well, let's use our hand/mouth example again. If someone were to lose use of their left hand, would she starve? Not if she has a right hand. The right hand will step in where the left hand cannot. But what if she loses both hands? Now we have a bigger problem.

And so...when there is a need to fulfill, whether in your church, your family, or your community...what if the one with the spiritual gift to fulfill that need (the left hand) does not step forward? Someone else will usually step in, and though it may not be a perfect fit, it works. But what if no one steps in (no right or left hand)? Now we have the bigger problem again.

Sure, the world goes on "business as usual" when spiritual gifts aren't being utilized as God intended. But just imagine the power we could unlock if we all used those gifts we were given. When you use your gifts as God intended, it unlocks the gifts within someone else...and then they unlock the gifts of another...and the body begins to work together. Truly using your spiritual gifts means you are using them to help other parts of the body function...you are helping others use or discover their spiritual gifts as well. It wouldn't have to be "business as usual"...it could be so much better than that! I encourage you to take some time to read the passages on spiritiual gifts. Discover yours, then put them in action as God moves you to do so!

Meditation: What spiritual gifts has God given to you? How can you use those gifts to bring others into a relationship with Christ? Are there any gifts which you hold inside, unwilling or afarid to share with others?

Prayer: Dear Lord, You have blessed all of your people with a unique spiritual gift. Help me to not only find those which you have given to me, but help me to see the gifts in other people. As your Word states, we are all one body and no one part can exist without the other. Help me to see how I can share my gifts with others so that they can come to know you in a way that revitalizes their body, mind, and spirit. In your son's name I pray, Amen.

Be a Gift on Your Birthday

2009-12-24T04:34:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since the last post...see, I've been busy on my walk of faith! But I could not let Jesus's birthday pass by without a little celebration. The past week I have had the luxury of spending a lot of time with my children. And every day, I am falling more in love with them.

I cannot even imagine the pride, wonder, and pain that Mary went through raising the child who would one day save an entire world. I have high hopes that my children will grow up feeling loved and secure. I pray that their every step is taken with faith that God will not let them fall. And I see great things for them, whether they are doctors, teachers, preachers, coaches, bus drivers, or scientists. Because it is not about what they do for a living, but about who they are while they do it.

It was never about what Jesus did for a living. It was about how he interacted with people, how he chose to give love freely without judgment or fear. So often, we turn our backs on those in need because we are afraid. Afraid of losing something of ourselves.

What I hope most to teach my children is to give as Jesus would--freely without judgment and fear. We are all only human, so no one can match the gift of salvation that Jesus gave us. But we can walk with the faith that every thing we give we get back tenfold. I will challenge them to be a gift to others every year as they celebrate another year of life.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Meditation: How can you give more in the new year? No matter the resource, time, talent, money, or objects, we have all been given gifts which God desires us to give to others as he gave us his son.

Prayer: Lord, as we celebrate the birth of your son, our Savior, please help us to find more ways to give of ourselves. Please help us to be merciful and kind as we remember the long, faithful journey taken by Mary and Joseph. As we sleep this Christmas Eve, let us give thanks for the rising star and symbol of our freedom and hope. I want to be a gift to others so that I can share the gift of salvation with others.

Power Up with Faith

2009-11-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Raise your hand if your energy of choice is coffee. How about Red Bull? Any Powerbar ladies out there? Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a really encouraging message after she read an email I'd sent around 11:30pm. In it, she talked about faith as the best energy pill around. I must say...I agree 100%.

With so many things keeping me busy these days, I pray every morning for God to give me the energy to do it all. And then I pray again on my way home for God to give me the energy to keep going. :-)

As if we aren't busy enough, how do we keep going when life hands us disappointing news? The kind of news that makes us just want to curl up, fade away, and wish we'd never even gotten our hopes up. How do we keep our energy up when we get that kind of news, and we have a job to do, kids to feed, homework to be done, people to manage, a bible study to lead....the list goes on.

There are lots of earthly ways to do it...the aforementioned coffee, Red Bull or powerbars...plus exercise, laughter, tickling your kids, and a hug. And those are all really great (well, not the Red Bull, I think it's pretty yucky). But when you can't run out for a jog or your kids aren't with you to tickle, power up with faith.

All day I have been looking forward to this evening because I have nothing planned, and I can spend it with my babies. But this very day, I received some disappointing news. And I admit it, I let myself feel the pain of it. I sat staring at the computer screen trying to process what it meant. I probably still need to cry just a little to let it out.

So I prayed, and asked God what this meant. I thought of several things...first was...read the Bible. So I did. And the verse above is where I wound up. It was just right there, waiting for me to need it. Just like God. He is your greatest supporter, your best energy pill! When you just cannot go on, and you give it up to him and pray that he give you the strength to go on...he will. I cannot even explain it, because I can be exhausted from disappointment or lack of sleep. Then I pray, I really pray. And it is not long before I am overcome with the ability and energy to be productive, contributing to those around me.

That's just faith. If you rely on your faith to power up, you'll quickly discover an endless supply of energy...and who couldn't use that? Power up!

Meditation: Breathe in a deep breath. Exhale deeply. Close your eyes and raise your hand to heaven. Continuing to breathe deeply, take in God's power and his energy. Pray to yourself the following prayer.

Prayer: God, give me the strength to accomplish all of those things you have put it on my heart to do in this world. Help me to make it through another day despite the problems, the pain, and the worry that attempt to chip away at my faith. I take in your strength and courage through faith in your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

All in God's Time

2009-10-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Highly motivated and always looking for ways to do more with what I have been given, I have historically had a very difficult time waiting on God. Why does everything have to be in his time anyway? But as I’ve gotten older, I have realized the value in waiting on God. During that time, he teaches us, he guides us and sometimes allows us to be tested. What could I possibly do with prosperity if I do not know yet how to use it? While we’re waiting on God, he prepares us for what we are to do when prosperity comes. So that when we do have our first children, do find our soul mates, or do get those promotions, we are ready to use them for his glorification.

If you make every day one that glorifies God, you just never know when something miraculous can happen in your life. But it’s key that you do not dwell on what could or will happen in the future. Only God knows those things, and he has very specific plans for you. Of course, we must all have hopes and dreams for the future. God likes that, in fact, most times, he puts those dreams and hopes on our hearts.

But if we don’t enjoy where we are today, the current station we have in life, then we are missing the many opportunities God has given us to bless others with his love. No, you may not be in the job you dream of, you may not yet have the husband you long for, you may be tired of the cramped living quarters of an apartment; but no matter where you are, God will meet you there if you open up and let him. When you have Christ in your heart, you can see past the superficiality of your current station in life and see your higher purpose.

In your day to day life, live out the higher purpose of serving others as Christ would do, of telling others about him, of showing kindness to those who hurt you. If you do this, no matter how humdrum or routine or “still” your life might feel, the spirit is moving within you and those around you. Do not sacrifice the beauty of today with your eyes open only to tomorrow. All in God’s time…

Meditation: Think of one thing you wish you could change about your life. Pray the prayer below and put in your change request with God below!

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for all that you have blessed me with today. I pray that today you put opportunities in my path to bring glory to you. I know you have a plan for my life, and I keep my heart open so that you can show me the way. Please guide me as I seek to _______________________. While you prepare me for this answered prayer, show me the beauty of my wait. I know that you have something even better than I can imagine for my life. I hand my desires over to you, and I no longer worry about whether or not I will make it there. Through you, I will. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

The Importance of Family Roots

2009-09-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

Matthew 13:6
But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

A long time ago my dad gave me that speech about “putting down roots”. He told me that it was time to stop traveling the country, to pick a place to live (preferably close to him, no doubt) and to plant some roots. For so many years I thought he was crazy, I didn’t need roots, I wanted to fly and be free!

Oh, the thoughts of a young woman. But many years later, I finally came to my own understanding of “roots”. To be rooted, does not mean that we are “tied down” or inflexible. To be rooted means that we are strong, powerful, and firm. Despite my initial misconceptions, I have come to not only respect the need to establish roots, but the desire to do so.

When I think of that word (roots), I picture an entanglement of yucky, brown, dirty stringy things. And above it, I picture a beautiful oak tree giving shade to young children at play. What’s amazing to me is this, in order for the oak tree to protect those children with its shade, it must be held up by the dirty, yucky roots that at first seem so unappealing.

God wants us to have roots. He wants us to go through life’s difficulties with one another and to be connected. Every year brings a new challenge to the strength and connection of every family. The loss of a family member, the challenge of illness, children acting out in school, a job change or loss…these are things that can cause strife within families. While they are happening, you wonder, will we make it through this? Your mind is flooded with negative thoughts. Think about the oak tree. In order for it to protect the children with its shade, it had to have the yucky, dirty roots. In order for a family to stand strong, it must often go through some of life’s yucky, dirty messes. The family that stays right with God, prays, and leans not on its own understanding can use those dirty yucky situations to build protection for itself.

It is important for us to go through struggles in life, and the family unit is affected by the struggles it goes through as a whole, and the struggles that affect just one of its members. Those struggles may at first seem so dirty and unappealing, but in time, their purpose is revealed.

I am now proud of my “roots”. They have made me stronger. They have provided my family with what it has needed to weather the bugs that try to eat up our leaves, the transplants from one location to another, and the storms that have tried to knock us down. I continue to improve on investing time in strengthening my roots. Is probably an area we could all improve upon. How strong are your roots?

Meditation: After times of struggle, have you looked back to talk as a family about what you went through and how you made it out? Recall a difficult time in your family’s life and discuss together how you made it through.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you so much for the roots that you have given me. My roots help me to grow and to stand strong against the Enemy standing at the gate. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stay connected through my church, my family, and your word. Please help me to help others see the beauty of their roots and the grace of your love. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Are You Qualified?

2009-09-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 2:6

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

At work, I’ve had to pour over resumes, searching for just the right candidate to fill an open position. Miles of degrees, years of experience, and umpteen references make hiring an employee a very daunting task. Even after the interview, you still only have a snapshot of what the candidate may be able to accomplish. Yes, finding qualified candidates to fill a position is tough.

So it’s a really good thing that God approaches “hiring” a little differently. An email I received today contained the words, “God doesn’t call on the qualified, God qualifies the called.” Read that sentence again, “God doesn’t call on the qualified, God qualifies the called.”

God has so many jobs to be filled. It should come as no surprise to us that as the Creator of the universe, God is smart enough to know that in order to fill those jobs, he is going to have to equip people certain skills, talents, and wisdom. Imagine it, God is just sitting around twiddling his thumbs and thinking, I sure wish Joyce Meyer would brush up on her public speaking skills so she could encourage others in my name. Seems pretty silly to think that God would sit around just waiting for his will to be done. I mean, really – he’s GOD!

So then why do we have so much doubt in what we can accomplish? If you are walking in a relationship close to God, he would not put it in your heart to take on a new assignment, to try out that new exercise class, to accept a volunteer position, to paint the fence, to cook a perfect soufflé, if he weren’t going to qualify you to do it. If you live your life bringing glory to God, and you trust in him to guide your decisions, he will not let you down. He will give you the tools, the knowledge, the skills to accomplish those goals.

As any good teacher would, he will also let you fail when it’s necessary. But you’ll fail with him at your side, helping you up to try it again. God loves those who don’t give up. Think of “failure” as his way as qualifying you to do what he has planned for you. Sometimes it’s hard to see that, and often it takes a very long time. But it’s coming. What is your call today?

Meditation: God calls on us all day long. His calling is not isolated to the “big picture” for our life. What has he called you to do today that just feels a little scary? Pray, then do it anyway.

Prayer: God, through you all things are possible. Open my eyes to see this truth despite my tendency to believe I am not qualified. As I study your word and lean on your understanding, you will qualify me to answer your calls for today, for tomorrow, and for my life. In your son’s name I pray. Amen.

You Always Hurt the Ones You Love

2009-08-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Job 42:10
And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.

Though the song "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" first became popular in the 1940’s, it’s not hard to understand how it grew legs and became a song redone over and over. Why do we hurt the ones we love? And why do they hurt us back?

As women, we are very emotional creatures, and even when we put on our thick skin, we are still hurt by some of those we love the most. The hardest part is when we’re hurt by those we put faith and hope into—that really hurts.

Recovery from that kind of pain is often very difficult, so we often set it on the backburner. With so much to do in our day to day lives, who has time to get over the pain? We have to move on and make do, right? Hardly. True, we cannot often take the time we need to deal with our emotions right at the moment we need to. But just letting them fester is unhealthy mentally, physically, and spiritually.

During times of pain, it is so naturally human to withdraw from others, to focus on the negative, to look only at our inner selves. We wonder, why me? Or how could I ever get over this?

But we must rise above our human nature. God does not want you to go it alone. Not only because He wants to help you, but because He gave you resources for that help. Spouses, friends, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins…all of those people are God’s gifts to you—even when they are the ones hurting you.

If you have been hurt by someone, pray for them. Pray honestly and sincerely for them (trust me, God will know the difference!). To often, we try to change the people who hurt us. You know what I mean…you’ve probably tried it. Did it work? No. But by planting seeds of prayer, He can work miracles and magic in the hearts and spirits of those around us.

Very important to remember is forgiveness. We often run away from those who hurt us when what we really need to do is run right into their arms. Sometimes you might have to fight through crossed arms or a sour face. And sometimes you might not even make it through (that’s when you go back and pray some more!). God knows your pain. So pray, forgive, and let God replace your pain with joy.

Meditation: Has someone you love caused you to hurt this week? Pray for that person now. And reflect on how you can deny power to the Enemy as he tries to steal your joy. How can you stay focused on what God has called you to do instead of giving power to what the Enemy is trying to ruin?

Prayer: Dear Lord, Though it is often difficult to see your power at work in my life, I know that those who have hurt me will not destroy what you are building within me. Give me the strength to turn away from my anger or sadness at being hurt. I want to move past that pain and find joy again with those who have hurt me. With Jesus at my side, all things are possible. In His name I pray, Amen.

God: Infinity, Devil: Zip

2009-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Last week I received an email that really stuck with me. It read:

Be the kind of woman who wakes up every morning and makes the devil say, Oh crap! She’s up!

I grinned from ear to ear when I read this. Now, I am not an aggressive person, and I don’t even like to argue. But when I read a statement like that, it makes me hold my chest and head up a little higher. It makes me want to put on my boxing gloves to fight whatever the devil decides to throw at me. And it makes me feel solid and strong inside.

Like I said, I don’t like to argue or fight with my fellow sinners, but taking on the devil is an entirely different story. Oh, sure, there are days when I am 100% certain that I am just not up for the fight. There are days when I look to God and ask Him how I can make time for Him too when I am already under water with so much work. There are days when I feel so discouraged and so tired that I am sure He has nothing good in store for me. Then the next thing I know, there He is calling me to the fight again. I stop and think, God just doesn’t give up does He?

No, He doesn’t. And we should not either. Life is tough. But when you make it through the fight, you always come out a winner with God. Wouldn’t it make you feel good to know that God is looking down on you and thinking, I am so glad that woman is on my team.

It may seem that while the devil is roaring about like a lion, he devours far more than God can keep up with. But that is simply not so. With every action we take to wake up and denounce the evil within the world, we give the devil a little less power over us. When you wake up and say to God, I am going to follow you today. I am going to live for you today. As I change the diapers, as I take out the trash, as I prepare that report for my boss…God…I am living for you today!

When you’re on God’s team, you know you’re going to win. You will spark fear within the enemy, and he will know that he could never win this fight. Because when you’re on God’s team, the score is always -

God: Infinity
Devil: Zip

Meditation: Tomorrow morning, wake up and repeat this, “God, today I will live for you. Today I will fight with you against evil and wrongdoing. I am a woman of God.” Tape it to your mirror if you have to, but just remember to say it. Then live it!

Prayer: Lord, Give me the strength to look the devil straight in the eyes when he presents himself. I will raise my hand to you in praise and watch as he retreats in his cowardly way. Through you, I need not give the devil any power over me. Through your salvation I am strong. Amen.

That's Not How it Was Supposed to Happen

2009-07-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Man, if I had a dime for every time something didn’t go as I’d planned it, I’d be able to buy all of my readers a new car. Raise your hand if you are a planner. Yep, I knew you were out there. Planning is a beautiful thing, and if you are a mother, planning is as important as breathing. Heck, there are entire jobs centered around planning – wedding planner, party planner, scheduler, urban planner, project manager...

But what do you do when things don’t go like you planned? For months you planned a vacation, then one of your kids gets strep throat the day before the trip. All week you planned a special dinner with your husband or boyfriend only to have him call you at 5pm to say, Sorry, honey, I have to work until midnight. Your boss tells you that a promotion is coming, but the next day the company goes bankrupt, and your promotion is out the window.

Living a life for God means knowing that when things don’t happen as you’d planned them, it just means that God had a different plan. And if He can create this entire earth, don’t you think He knows what is best? Often it is so much easier to focus on the rain cloud that ruined the family picnic, the boyfriend who decided it “just wasn’t working”, the boss who refused to see your worth. But when you open your heart to let God rule, your focus changes.

Instead, you are able to experience the great joy and plans He has for you. No, maybe things didn’t go as planned. Maybe the course you took was completely different from the one you planned. Sure, you are allowed to feel disappointed that things did not work out as you planned. Cry it out, jump up and down, tear up the to do list! But only for a moment, because once you stop looking at what didn’t happen, God will show you what’s about to happen!

Meditation: What plans did you have last week that did not go as you wished? I challenge you to watch how God’s guidance allows you to step forward into even better plans ahead. Open yourself to seeing God’s ability to pick up the pieces of your broken plan only to show you an even better plan!

Prayer: Dear God, Come into my heart and allow me to submit to your plans for me. I know that when the big or small things do not go as I’d hoped they would, you have something better ahead for me. By commiting to you rather than my plans, I know I will see your glory unfold before my eyes. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Living Outside of Your World

2009-07-08T14:23:00.001-07:00

I Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Life moves along so quickly. One day you're playing with Barbies (or GI Joes as my brother made me do) and then the next you are buying those toys for your own kids. We get very self-absorbed in the world we've created around us. I am not saying there is anything wrong with being present in that world. Hopefully, it is a positive place to be on most days! But what I have found is that if I don't make a conscious effort to live outside of my world for just a little while, I lose touch with a few things.

Before I react to someone's story, venting, question, or news, I try to step outside of my own judgments. I used to do a lot of flying in a former job, and at every airpoint, I'd watch people. I'd make up stories in my head about where they were going, what they did for a living, the joys or sorrows that lie waiting at the end of their flight. I always wished I could talk to all of them to hear their stories and the many different ways they'd all lived their lives. I wanted to see life outside of my own world.

Your "world" may not be a physical location. It might be a state of being or a living situation. Only you can define your world. And only you can choose to step outside of it to see the view from another vantage point. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, before you get annoyed, try to see the view from their world. Perhaps that person just got fired, or perhaps she is rushing home to a sick child. No, those things don't excuse the thoughtless behavior of others. But if we try to live outside our own world a little, we might not fret over frivolous things as often. We might also learn to appreciate the differences in one another. And we might even show a little love for someone who didn't know how to ask for help.

God's love is not of this world. Our belief in Christ Jesus is not of this world. When we believe in those things, we are living outside of our own worlds. We are choosing to live in a world where love, patience, kindness, and forgiveness rule our hearts. Choose to live outside of your world, if even for just a little while. Choose to love outside of your world, if even for just a little while.

Meditation: Define your "world". Identify two ways that you can step outside of your world to lead another to the eternal world of life in heaven.

Prayer: Dear Lord, You created us as one church, one world, one faithful community of followers. Please help me to find ways to unite this world through an expression of your love and kindness to all those I meet. I am grateful for the wonderful blessings in my life. I will stay focused on the opportunities you provide me to step outside of my own world and bless the lives of others. In Your Son's name I pray, Amen.

The Greatest Gift for a Child

2009-06-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Matthew 10:30

And even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Think back to your childhood and adolescence. Your parents were perfect, right? They cared about every single thing you did, never put their needs before yours, and they never did anything wrong - right? Probably not. After all, they are only human. Even the most awesomely super of super moms is still...just a human.

As parents, we should mirror God's love for us as His children. We should express a love that is unconditional, sacrificial, forgiving and commanding. As parents we should know every little detail about our children and their lives. We should love our children in the same way God loves us as our Heavenly Father.

I am not asking for much am I? Yeah, right. If you are already a parent, you'll know what I am talking about. If you are not yet, you'll see what I mean. Before we had kids we thought about all the things we said we'd never say to our children, the voices we'd never raise, the pacifiers we'd never let them use, the TV we'd never let them watch, the ban on video games, the no-dating until 20 policy, and the Doritos and donuts that would never constitute "dinner". Oh my, how things change when those little bundles of joy are actually living our homes 24/7! My list of "nevers" is already a mile long, and I have small children!

I try so hard each and every day to model God's love for me in the love I express to my children. But I am human. I will make mistakes, and I could not possibly protect my children, love my children, or forgive my children as much as God can. I will keep trying, but I could never love them in the way that God can.

I am a perfectionist, and I love my children very much, so this is a harsh reality for me. What do I do with that reality? Well, the very best gift a mother can give to her child is an introduction to God, teaching her child to walk in His light in prayer and thanksgiving.

I say it all the time...I don't know how people with no faith in God can let their children leave the house. Knowing that God is there, loving my children and watching over them in a way that I never could just gives me a warmth that rivals only the image of their smiles. As a parent, you will make mistakes, and you will do things you said you'd never do because the phone is ringing, the dog is barking, and dinner is burning. But take comfort knowing that God cares about every detail of your child's life, right down to the very last hair on that precious little head.

Meditation:

Do you have family, friends or neighbors who have not introduced God into their child's life? Encourage them to do so. Visit a Christian bookstore for some fun ways to give the gift of God to child in your life.

Prayer:

Dear God, As my Heavenly Father, you fill me with your spirit and love in a way that no one on this earth could ever do. I want to grow closer to you every day, sharing your love with the children in my life. Help me to be a better role model for them, and help me to teach them how to walk with you through life's ups and downs. Thank you for watching over and guiding the children in my life just as you care for me as your child. Lord, I am yours God. I submit my all to you. In your Son's name I pray, Amen.

Personal Prayer:

Please add to your prayers Will Herndon, who has been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disease that has caused vision loss. Will, 6, needs our prayers. Lift him up in prayer, and be a part of this miracle.

Windows and Doors

2009-06-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Psalm 86: 17
Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

There is a distinct difference between windows and doors. When we’re inside our house, windows allow us to look outside. And with no requirement that we engage in the activity outside the window, we are free to observe through it. If we decide we like what we see, we can open the window and become engaged in the activity. Though I do recommend walking through the front door rather than crawling through the window! Which brings me to my next point.

Unless the door has a peep hole, or it is the front or back door with a fancy design, most doors are solid. There is no glimpse at what’s on the other side, no way to observe what’s there before you open it. Or is there?

In life, there are windows and there are doors. There are decisions you make through the window such as which outfit to put on in the morning, what to eat for lunch, and which toilet paper really is the softest. You can observe those choices before you actually engage in the action.

And then there are the doors of life. Are we ready for a child? Should I change jobs? Is it time to let go of the past? Until you open the door on some of these decisions, you cannot really see what lies ahead for you. Oh, you’ll think you have a good idea of what it will be like. But I am talking about the kinds of decisions where you later say, “If I knew then what I know now…”

Do you remember the game, what’s behind Door #2 (or maybe it was a game show or something)? The gist of it is this: you have three doors before you and you guess where the best prize is. But how in the world can you do that when you can’t see what’s on the other side?! It’s 100% a game of chance.

So are we also destined to leave those big decisions to chance? Do we just open the door and what we get is what we get?

That depends. If you choose to make God the center of your life, then rest assured that no matter which door you open, something glorious and wonderful lies on the other side of it. One of the best parts about being a Christian is the comfort that even when I have opened a door I shouldn’t have opened, by surrendering myself to Him, I can turn this door into the right door.

Before you walk through your next door, talk to God about it. Stay open to being guided. Even if you don’t heed His advice, He’ll be waiting for you on the other side to make every door the right door.

Meditation:
Think about the last door that you walked through. How did you prepare to walk through it? Did you spend time prayerfully considering your options and asking for God’s guidance? How can you ensure that God is the one opening the next door you encounter?

Prayer:
Father God, I want to let you open the doors in my life. I know there will be times when I fail to listen to your command, and I fail to open those doors you desire. But please—stay with me. Turn my mistakes into triumph and my failures into character. Help me to make the kind of choices that open the doors you desire for my life. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

It's Not About You

2009-06-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Phillipians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

It's not about you...that is the first sentence of the book "Purpose Driven Life" by Pastor Rick Warren.

Selflessness is a very hard thing to achieve. As I carry the laundry to the washing machine and do yet one more load, I ponder why I am the only one who carries this burden. I work all day then spend time with the kids, clean, get things ready for the next day, do baths, and get everyone to bed...and by maybe midnight...it is laundry time? Yes, that is how it goes. I suppose I could act like a martyr and accept my "role" as a working mom and wife with a very full plate. OR...I could look at the dirty size 4T shirt with spaghetti stains all over it, and think about the laughter around the table as my son slurped his spaghetti.

I could agonize and fret over the dirt that seems to magically reappear right after I vacuum and mop. OR I could do my best to keep it clean and know that the magical reappearing dirt is just a sign of life with a happy dog and three amazing kids.

You see, because it is not about me. None of this is. It's about living for God. It's about doing life's mundane things, even when I am completely exhausted because they are a sign of the blessings which God has chosen to give me. Oh, don't get me wrong, I will still mutter under my breath every now and then when I am rushing to get dinner made, the kids are wild, and it just seems like I'll never get to sit down. But even at those times, I keep it in my heart that when I do these things for others, God is smiling.

I am not a completely selfless person, and I do not believe that you should always sacrifice your own needs for those of others. At times - it is very necessary to do for yourself first. For example, when I am starving, I can do no good for anyone. So I know that at times, I need to shovel some kind of food into my mouth so that I can feed and take care of everyone else. It's sort of like when the flight attendant tells the parent to cover his or her mouth with the gas mask FIRST then put on their child's. If the mother did not put on her own gas mask first, she may pass out or be unable to help her child. But the very minute her gas mask is on, her eyes are turned to helping her child.

God designed women a certain way, emotional, loving, gentle, and kind-hearted. He delights when we live that out in our families, communities and churches. As women we are pulled in so many directions. Someone once told me that I could not have it all. And I did not believe her. But now I understand what she meant. I can have it all--just not at the same time!

So if you are feeling like the sacrifices you are making are going unrecognized or are just burdens which you bear, focus instead on the reason you do the things you do. Once you identify why you do them, you can more clearly see the joy others feel because you do them. And then perhaps some of them can wait for another time in your life, another day, or just another moment. Remembering always that "it's not about you," choose carefully how you spend your time, and make today something special for God.

Meditation:
What chores or tasks in your life seem meaningless, routine, or mundane? Think of the benefit those provide to someone else. Make the decision to delight in all of those things because they are a blessing to others.

Prayer:
Dear God, You have blessed me in so many ways. Help me to strive to live up to your Word, putting selfish interests aside so that I can serve others as if serving you. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

What is Faith?

2009-06-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

I am sitting at my computer both excited and afraid of the new adventure and opportunity that lies ahead for my family. And I am not talking just about the things far out in the future, I am writing about the things that might happen over the next few months. My mind spins at the notion of what lies ahead because of a few leaps of faith my husband and I have made recently.

Leaps of faith. Why leaps? Why isn’t the saying skip of faith or turn of faith? Why is it a leap of faith? Faith is one of those tough things to explain. Not only is it intangible, but it is defined as "a belief in something for which there is no proof". So I guess when you have faith in something, it requires not just a skip or a turn, but a great big LEAP!

Sure, you can hear stories, sermons and testimonies—you can even witness miracles—that are purported to “prove” that God is real. But are those things really the kind of proof that would hold up in court?

Your honor, I’d like to enter Exhibit A, little Amillia Sonja Taylor, born at only 10 ounces and 18 weeks early. I'd also like to enter Exhibit B, Amillia, the day she left the hospital at 4 ½ pounds and just around 38 weeks old. And now Exhibit C, Amillia as a healthy, happy 19 month old. This is a miracle. God must be real, and here is the proof.

I believe God is real when I hear stories like this, but it is not because there is proof that meets a court’s standards of evidence. I believe that God is real because I have faith that this is proof.

As I sit, contemplating the choices before me, I am led to take this leap of faith because I know that God will not let me do it alone. I have faith that He is always there. I cannot see Him, I cannot touch Him. He cannot tell me out loud what it is that I need to do. He cannot hit “send” on an email that could change my future. And He cannot erase what is already done.

But what He can do, if I let Him, is bring me moments and people in my life that guide me toward choices that glorify Him. God knows I am a human, He created me that way. He delights in the human choices that I make. He delights at seeing how I use the things I have been given. I cannot make a wrong choice when God is beside me. I can feel safe when I make my leap of faith because God...is...there. And because God is there, I can take my leap of faith. The worst thing that could happen is that I will land in His arms. And that does not sound too bad.

Meditation: Take a moment to look for proof of God's existence in your life. How has He revealed Himself to you? What leaps of faith have you taken? Did you put your faith in God's ability to catch you?

Prayer: Father God, Give me the courage to make bold decisions. Give me the wisdom to make smart decisions. I know that you are here with me and that you will guide me through the calm and the storms. In your son's name I pray, Amen.

Speed Traps and Cows Walking

2009-05-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Yesterday I was driving in to work in my husband’s giant SUV after I discovered that I had a flat tire on my minivan. Heading down the highway and already late for work, I admit it—I was not obeying the speed limit laws. Off in the distance I noticed a white car sitting on the side of the road. With a gentle foot, I slowed up, fearful of the ticket I was sure to get. God was merciful! Or at least the constable was. I passed him without being stopped. I decided that perhaps I should slow my roll to 65 (the speed limit).

Just as I made this conscious decision, I noticed another constable parked on the side of the road just up ahead. But my attention quickly turned to a much more interesting sight. Along the highway was a very long line of cows following one another down a field (only in Texas!). It was remarkable how they walked in line, one after the other. My kids have trouble doing that!

Just as I pondered those cows walking, I noticed that I’d let my foot get a little heavier on the gas pedal. Then the very next thing I noticed was a third constable sitting up ahead on the side of the road. And THEN, would you believe that just up ahead I saw yet a FOURTH constable. No doubt – it was a speed trap. And I almost got caught the first time, then AGAIN because I was busy thinking about those cows walking in line.

You might see where I am going with this. Too often we fall into the trap—we sin. There are no negative consequences. We feel bad about the sin. We take steps to stop the behavior and walk with God. Then something that seems more interesting comes along, and we take our eyes off of God. Slowly, we start to drift…drift…drift…until we find ourselves at the start of the cycle again. We sin…there are no negative consequences…

Life is going to be filled with speed traps and cows walking because temptation is all around us. But when you arm yourself with the tools God has given you—prayer, the Bible, faith, the spirit, Christian friends, and family—it gets easier and easier to keep your eyes on God so that you see the speed traps ahead without getting distracted by those silly cows.

We will all falter, and we will all triumph. Through God’s grace, we need not feel guilty about getting caught in the speed traps. Just look above and thank God for the sacrifice that allows us to move beyond our sins and the temptations. With Him by your side, you can smile and wave at the speed traps and think—not this time!

Meditation:

Think of a time when you sinned and felt very guilty about it. Did you take any steps to deal with the nature of the sin? Or did you find yourself falling into a pattern of repeated behavior?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, With your help, I can keep my eyes focused on your will for my life. I pray that you will use the spirit to move within me to make choices that glorify you. Give me the strength to show others the power of your love. Thank you for the undeserved grace that you have provided through the gift of Jesus Christ. In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

Dare to Dream

2009-05-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Romans 12: 6-8
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

When you were young, how did you picture your life at the age you are now? Did you have big dreams and high hopes? Did you think you’d spend your summers watching TV, swimming and playing forever? Most all children have some idea of what it would be like to get older. My son tells me he will get married someday, but it can’t be to mommy because she’s already married to daddy. The tears come to my eyes when I think of his words because it means several things:

1. He sees his future life as one shared with a mate.
2. He has no fear or belief that it might never happen.

The honest and raw faith that children have in their dreams and visions of the future is so enviable to us as adults. Because something happens when we get older. The realities of life hit us, and usually at a million miles an hour. (If you read my post last week, that’s another question for God—did you give us subtle hints that we just ignored or was it your intention that we get hit like a ton of bricks?)

As we move through childhood into adolescence, we encounter messages, people, and experiences that tell us, you will never achieve that, or that’s just not in your future. Dream crushers! Daring to dream takes courage. It is easier to write off those childhood dreams when there are bills to pay and only 5 minutes left in the day once everything gets done. But let me tell you a secret…God can make even the most impossible of dreams come true.

If at one time you had a vision for your life, and you are not living it, place your dreams in God’s hands. In His time, your dreams will come true. Do you know why? Because He made you, and your dreams a part of His plan. You might even say that your dreams were His before they were yours.

Meditation: Think of one person you know who is living out his or her life’s dream. Did his or her path lead directly to that dream or were there bumps and bruises along the way? How did he or she get back on the path?

Prayer: Dear Father, Open my heart to the unfailing hope that is found within childhood dreams. Help me to realize those dreams which you have placed on my heart. As you have commanded, I will pursue those dreams as if serving you every step of the way. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Don't Give Up

2009-05-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I don’t think there is a single Christian that doesn’t have her short (and for some, LOOOONG) list of questions for God. Why didn’t you just eradicate cancer? Why do some go hungry while others have no food? How can you create man for woman then at times let them be such complete and total opposites? Seriously…roaches? What are those about?

Lots of questions, lots of questions. But perhaps when we get there (heaven!), none of those questions will matter. Perhaps those questions are of such an earthly nature that when we get to heaven, our minds will be unable to comprehend them.

Life can get really tough and things happen that make you wonder, God – how could you have allowed this to happen? Despite the praying, and the hoping, and your obedience, things just don’t go as you’d prayed or hoped. So you look upward and wonder, why didn’t you just stop it? You think, God, why didn’t you just reach down and change the outcome?

I hear you, and I have been there.

Through difficult times, there is one message that everyone needs to hear—there is hope, and things will get better. There are so many people in this world who have overcome some devastating setbacks—setbacks far worse than you or I could imagine. And at first, their lives seemed completely off track. But over time, prayer and encouragement allowed them to emerge stronger, brighter, and even more faithful than ever before.

I cannot say that I know why tragedy occurs or why life can be so grand in one moment then overwhelmingly difficult the next. But I can say that perseverance and prayer will get you through it. Just don’t give up—because hope does not disappoint us.

Meditation: Do you know of someone going through a very difficult time in her life? Stop now to pray for her.

Prayer: Dear God, In you I will one day find out the answers to those questions I ask. I will understand your will and your plan for our lives. I pray that you place your guidance on ____________ and fill her with the Holy Spirit so that’s he can see the hope that lives through perseverance. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Ready for Swimsuit Season?

2009-05-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:2-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Aren't you ready for swimsuit season? I mean, I am...I have a bikini and I look great in it. It's hot pink and has these little ties on the sides...not really. Remember, I have given birth to three children! So unless by "bikini" you mean a t-shirt over a tankini, I am just joking.

For many, the start of swimsuit season marks a time of stress and self-doubt. Visions of the awful shopping trip to pick out a suit that doesn't quite fit and that bowl of chips and salsa you devoured (by yourself) dance in your head. You get so down about it that you wonder if your kids wouldn't just be happier with one of those little baby pools in the backyard rather than a trip to the community pool.

But really, why the stress? You ARE beautiful exactly the way you are right at this very moment. God loves you whether you have wrinkles, cellulite, scars, brown hair, purple hair, or whatever. He says you are beautiful in Prada or Wal-Mart's finest. As women, we receive many messages about beauty, and for some reason, those that stick with us the most are the ones which cause us to doubt our own beauty.

None of this is to say there is anything wrong with a closet full of purses or shoes in every color, that stuff is just plain fun sometimes. But when your self-confidence and self-value are rooted in the soles of those shoes instead of the soul within you, it becomes more difficult to feel a constant self-worth.

When you are beautiful inside, that beauty radiates outwardly, regardless of what you're wearing or what your thighs look like in that bikini. Your self-confidence should be rooted in knowing that God gave His only Son for YOU, so that you could be a wife, a mother, a sister, or a friend who shines with His glow. When you are filled with inner beauty, you allow yourself the freedom to enjoy the beautiful moments in life.

Happy Mommy's Day to all the mothers out there, and Happy Day to all you beautiful women!

Meditation:
How much time do you spend preserving and preparing your external beauty? Do you spend as much time developing your internal beauty and self-confidence?

Prayer:
Father, you made me the beautiful woman that I am, flaws in and out. I can walk with confidence because I know that I am loved in the way that only you can love me. You have given me so many gifts and so many blessings. Please help me to use those gifts to see my own inward beauty and to help all of those around me to see the beauty within them too. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Good News Channel

2009-04-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

I was talking to my brother this morning, and he told me how quiet his house was with the kids at school and his wife at work. Because I so RARELY have the opportunity to enjoy that, I admit it—I felt a little jealous. He said he needed to turn on some music or something for background noise, so I suggested he turn it to my favorite Christian radio station. One thing we both agreed on—don’t turn on a news channel unless you want to be depressed.

These days, you’re hard pressed to find any good news on CNN, MSNBC or even the local stations. Oh, yesterday there was some great coverage on Earth Day, but that was after the news of the economy, this murder and that robbery, who did what to whom, etc. Don’t get me wrong—I understand the need to stay informed and educated about even the not-so-great things going on in this world. And they do try to include some local upbeat stories. But watching the news every day can really drag you down.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there were a good news channel that had nothing but news stories of people doing good things, feeling good, getting good news, lives that were saved, good, good, good, all the time! You get the picture.

I mean, I am a loyal blog follower of just a handful of the thousands (who knows, maybe it’s millions) of blogs written by Christian people sharing great stories of triumph over evil, answered prayers, and inner strength. So why doesn’t that kind of news get more air time on the leading news channels?

It’s supply and demand, ladies. The demand was set years ago in the Garden of Eden when our human curiosity for the forbidden became stronger than our obedience to God. Don’t let this happen to you in your daily life. There is so much on TV, on the internet, and on the radio that brings absolutely no glory to God (except American Idol of course – go Danny!). Now, it’s unrealistic to abandon all of your “guilty” pleasures, but ask yourself if you’re giving more play to those guilty pleasures than you are to God.

There is a growing supply of ways to get uplifted through technology (or you can always rely on the time-trusted source and open your Bible). I am following some really uplifting and funny blogs, and I have discovered some good Christian television stations out there (though they don’t exactly offer American Idol). Look around, there is lots of good news out there, you just have to find it! Perhaps someday the demand for good news will be so high that there really will be a live Good News Channel!

Meditation:
How have I spent my time with technology? Did it glorify God in any way or detract from my focus on His will for me? Take stock of the shows you watch, the sites you visit, and the time you spend in online social communities.

Prayer:
Lord, give me the power to resist the many temptations toward negativity in this world. Help me to find ways to give you glory in the way I treat my temple, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

Baby Christians

2009-04-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4: 14-15

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Several years ago, I worked with a woman who was very headstrong and independent. I assumed this was the reason she refused to follow organized religion. Until one day we were talking, and she told me that she came from a family of heathens. All of them would party, drink to the excess, express inappropriate behavior, but then when Sunday came…there they were at church. All dressed up and washed of their sins. My co-worker simply could not understand how those hypocrites could believe in Jesus then act the way they do.

That kind of observance is very common. Judgment is human nature, even (and sometimes particularly) for Christians. The stereotypes are everywhere—if she were really a Christian, she wouldn’t do this, or she wouldn’t wear that. If he were really a Christian, he wouldn’t have yelled at that red corvette that just cut off his wife and kids in the minivan. (Ummm…yeah, I just made that one up!). To those without faith, Christianity can seem like a rampant wave of socially accepted hypocrisy!

Seeking a way to explain God’s grace for all people, I turned to another friend who shared with me one of her Pastor’s messages about “Baby Christians”. A baby Christian is one who has accepted the belief that Jesus is her Savior, sacrificed for her sins. Then the baby Christian goes about her merry way, living life not-so-differently from the way she had always lived. The family members my co-worker mentioned are baby Christians. Even to those “born” into faith—those whose parents took them to church so they’ve just always “been” Christians—can be baby Christians. Having grown up in the church, I was a baby Christian well into adulthood.

As the baby Christian begins to grow and mature, she learns to talk to God. She learns to read His Word. She learns how to explore and discover Him. And then…she conquers the big one…with strength and determination, she learns to walk. So baby Christian becomes toddler Christian, and then adolescent, and then teenager Christian, walking in the path set out for her by God.

I was going to write that the best part about maturing in your walk with God is looking back at how far you’ve come. The things that once seemed impossible have become reality. Because through God, all things are possible. And that is a really great part of the walk. But the absolute best, best, best part about moving along in your walk of faith is when you are able to look beside you and behind you to see the other women who, because of you, have chosen to embark on their own walk of faith.

Think about a Christian woman you know who seems extra saintly (though I assure you – she is not!). She probably appears this way because she is no longer a baby Christian. She has learned to think about what God would have her do in her daily life and apply it. She no longer gives the devil equal play time. And she holds her head high with confidence because she knows that she is all grown up and God is on her side.

Meditation:
Where are you on your walk of faith? If you’re a baby Christian, align yourself with someone you know to be further along in her walk. And if you are further along in your walk, insert yourself in the life of a baby Christian so you can lift her up as she embarks on her own journey.

Prayer: Dear God, Only you know how far I am in my walk with you. Help me to apply your teachings in my daily life so that I might be an example to others. Help me to express your love and grace through my words and actions. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Step Up!

2009-04-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 12:13
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

Every day I trek back and forth from The Woodlands to downtown Houston –and then back again. Yes, it is a very long drive. But also during that drive, I spend some QT with my mom. She tells me that the ringing of their yellow rotary phone every day at 5:30 is the highlight of her day. For the most part, we just chat about the day, the weather, the latest news, which child did what the night before, and all such things that make up our daily lives. The other day though, my mom decided to veer from the formula and say something that really struck a cord with me. Setting the small talk aside, mommy (yes, she is still my mommy) said, “It’s time to step up to the plate. God is calling.”

As is often the case these days, we were talking about the state of the economy and the people it has affected. By this point, small talk was out of the question. I had to know more about what she meant. With the confidence and revelation I rarely see her put forth, my mother shared her belief that difficult times are God’s call to His people. He’s calling out “batter up!”. And we are the players. While God may not make bad things happen, sometimes He does let them happen. But why? Only He knows the answer to that, but when those things do happen, we must follow His command to serve others as if serving Him.

If you don’t obey God’s commands when He calls you to do something, the work simply will not get done. He might call you to volunteer to help hand out water at a charity fun run. You don’t do it. No harm done, right? Well, maybe not. God picked you, He called you for this seemingly small task. And if you don’t do it, it just won’t get done. He may call someone else when you say no, and He might not. So the work just might not get done.

I am not saying that you need to become a “yes” woman. But when God calls you to do something, instead of turning away because you are fearful or too busy, ask for time to pray about it. When God calls you, if you do not feel moved to give an immediate and enthusiastic “yes”, don’t just say no and turn away – pray about it.

So many women ask me, how do you do it all? How do you manage to get so many things done? The easy answer is that I am very organized with my time, and my husband is on board with most of my crazy ideas. But the answer that’s more difficult for others to understand and put into practice is that I am very aware of my strengths. I know what I like to do and my ability to get it done. If I am asked to step outside of those things, to do something I might fear for one reason or another, I pray about it. And if God continues to push me toward it, then I know He will give me the resources (time, money, strength) to do it. And if I say no, but there is no resistance, I know that He is okay with my decision. My best example of this is the following:

I am very quick to volunteer for things at church because I really love the people with whom I serve. So when I saw that they needed a Communion Assistant for the fifth Sunday of the month I signed up. I thought, why not? How often is a fifth Sunday? The laugh is on me, because I signed up in February and of course, there was a fifth Sunday in March. I have spoken in front of hundreds of women, maybe thousands. I have flown all over the country, getting picked up at the airport by strangers and sharing in their lives for a week, only to get on a plane and do it again the next week. So why in the world would pouring some wine in a little cup and saying, “The blood of Christ is shed for you,” make me a nervous wreck?

Only God knows. But that Sunday morning that I was supposed to serve, I was having anxiety attacks about it! I have no idea why, it’s really bizarre. So I told the Pastor that I just didn’t think I could do it. He was calm and smiled and said, no problem at all. I have not heard a word about it since. God told me that it was okay for me to turn down that opportunity because someone else would answer that call. He understood that there were so many other ways for me to serve Him.

But in so many instances, if I had not stepped up and said, “I’ll do it,” the work simply would not have gotten done. I primarily speak of the work we do in our every day lives. The small stuff, holding open the door for someone struggling to carry a lot of packages, seeing someone sleeping in a downtown corner and walking right by, knowing about a friend who is hurting emotionally and not picking up the phone. Those are all seemingly small ways God might call us to do His work. And if no one does it, the work just might not get done.

Meditation:
I challenge you to think about ways that you can step up. How is God calling you? Big or small, it’s time to answer the call.

Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for the many blessings I have in my life. I look forward to heeding your call and using my spiritual gifts to glorify you. Through your sacrifice, I am set free from those fears that hold me back from fully committing my life to you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Why go to church?

2009-03-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Galatians 6:10

As a member of a mission (start-up) church in The Woodlands, I have had the privilege of exploring the many reasons why church attendance gets a bad rap. The list of reasons is long, but none of them compares to the reasons in favor of regular worship. I know, I know…it’s your only day to sleep in, you dress up every day for work and want just two casual days off, you haven’t found a church you like, signing is not your thing…the reasons/excuses/justifications are plenty.

Don’t get me wrong, if you think I’ve been a faithful churchgoer since birth, you’re wrong. My life was very empty for many years, and a lot of things were missing. But at the top of that list was a community of believers with whom I could regularly share my fears, my faith, and my hopes. For many years I had no church home, and they were some of the most difficult years of my life.

Since finding a church home where I receive an incredible sermon/message, a place my kids love to come, and some of the most giving and uplifting people on the planet, my life has never been more fulfilled. Yes, you can be a Christian and not go to church. But that’s like saying you are a runner, but you only own a pair of flip flops. Wouldn’t a pair of running shoes help you run better with a lot less blisters? Going to church helps you become a stronger Christian with a lot less blisters.

What is church all about anyway? Communion, robes, preaching, candles, pews – NO! Those are merely tools used during a worship service. A church is a group of people with whom you carry out God’s law in daily life. If you’ve put off going to church because you just can’t find one you like, keep looking and praying. If you’ve put it off because you’re afraid of judgment, keep looking and praying. God will lead you to the place where you can feel at home and reap the benefits of coming together in the household of faith.

My husband sent me a funny email about a year ago, and I saved it because I knew it would come in handy at some point. Here goes:

A churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I've gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I' m wasting my time, and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this—they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!”
There are so many reasons to go to church, and the reason YOU should go is between you and God. But if you’re unsure of what that might be, here are just a few of the reasons why I have chosen to make regular church attendance a priority in my life.

I enjoy the worship service. It took years for me to try out the contemporary worship setting, but it was the best decision I could have made. I had no idea that this kind of service existed, and it proved to be a perfect fit for me. Explore worship format options, and find the one you like best. I actually look forward to going to church, and you should too.

Community and support. In times of trouble, I can count on my faith family to rally around me. They have genuine concern for me, and I for them.

Friendship for me, my husband and my children. Not only have I developed some wonderful friendships with women who uplift me, but I have begun my journey towards being that for other women. I see my husband moving in this direction as well, and amazing things are happening inside of us. It gives me so much comfort to know that my children look forward to coming to church so they can see their friends.

Strengthened in His word. Though I listed it fourth, it is the number one reason I go to church. If I have to miss a Sunday service for some reason, my entire week if just thrown off. I feel like something is just missing.

Teaching and example setting for my children. How in the world can I pray that my children grow up to live a Christ-centered life if I do not show them how important Christ is to me? By making church attendance a priority, they see how important it is to come together in worship.

Reminder of God’s grace through communion and baptism. If you let the grind of daily life move your focus from “grace” to “guilt”, this one’s for you. Every Sunday I am reminded of God’s grace through worship rituals such as prayer confessions, communion, and baptism.

Great music. I just had to throw that in here because I love contemporary Christian music (though I do love a good hymn every now and then too!).

Opportunity to help others/volunteer. You will find not only the opportunity to serve others within your church, but most churches host opportunities to serve the community through various outreach projects. I fully believe in the therapy of giving, and a church is a great place to start your therapy.

Lots of worship times. Wanting to sleep in on Sundays is hardly an excuse these days. Churches all over offer several Sunday worship opportunities and many offer Saturday night services.

Building of family traditions. I have this “Days of the Week” learning poster I made for my kids. Sunday mornings, they find comfort in putting the cross on the board. To them, church is something we do together as a family. It’s the routine of this ritual that will continue to provide them a feeling of comfort and security in the years to come.

This weekend, if Satan is knocking at your door, telling you to sleep in or that you don’t need church, respond with this—“Jesus, could you get that for me?”

Meditation:
If you are a member of a church, list 5 things you like about your church and vow to volunteer in one of those areas. If you are a member of a church and can’t think of 5 things you like about your church, consider moving on. If you do not have a church home, list a couple of churches you think you’d like to try then vow to visit one on Easter Sunday.

Prayer:
Lord, I am thankful to you for providing me with the opportunity to come together with other Christians in worship and prayer. Help me to do good for all people, particularly those of the household of faith. Filled with your spirit, I promise to spend more time with you and with others who seek your grace through Christ. In His name I pray, Amen.

Celebrate!

2009-03-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Do you know what today is? Break out the party hats, colored balloons, and piñata because today is Celebrate For No Apparent Reason Day! Hallmark might not make a card for it, and you won’t find it on your monthly calendar, but it’s real – and it’s today! Okay, so maybe I just made it up, but isn’t Celebrate For No Apparent Reason Day a really great day?

To a believer in Christ, every day is a day to “Celebrate For No Apparent Reason”—except, that we have a really good reason to celebrate! With Easter just weeks away, Christians everywhere will soon celebrate Christ’s resurrection. But why wait? Why wait for a “special” reason to celebrate the day? Every day is special because every day we experience freedom from sin and rejoice in the celebration of God’s grace.

Your own celebration Celebrate For No Apparent Reason Day could take many forms. If you’re unsure of how to get started in your celebration, here are a few ideas.

1. Reach out to a friend.
Do you know of a friend who is going through a tough time right now or someone who needs some encouragement? Send him or her a card and wish them “Happy Celebrate For No Apparent Reason Day”! Then remind your friend that God’s grace is a reason to celebrate, even in times of great struggle.

2. Invite your neighbors over.
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to have your neighbors over, grab some crackers, chips, and sodas from the store, then open your home for an hour or so—“just because”. The flyer might be something hand drawn by the kids or printed on the computer – or simply a phone call.

3. Pray.
Prayer is an excellent way to celebrate! I get prayer requests from friends and family throughout the day, and it’s tough keeping up with them. My response used to be, “I’ll be praying for you.” But with so many things to do in the day, by the time I’d get around to praying for everyone, I couldn’t remember who to pray for, or I fell into bed exhausted and disobedient to my promise. So instead of waiting until the end of the day and approaching God with my mile long list of prayers, I have started a new “pray in the moment” philosophy. Immediately after I read a request or hear of someone in need, I pray. Now my response to those with prayer requests is, “I have prayed for you.”

4. Have a party.
If you have kids, they’ll love this one! Grab those silly party hats, bake some cupcakes, fill the room with balloons and streamers, and you can even make up some goodie bags or games. What a great time to share with your party-goers that God’s love is a reason to celebrate every day!

5. Buy a friend or co-worker a cup of coffee.
And of course, don’t forget to wish them Happy Celebrate For No Apparent Reason Day!

6. Use your blessings to bless others.
I have a good friend who tells me all the time that I am truly blessed. And she is so right; I really am blessed in so many ways. In fact, I am so blessed that I often ask God the question, why me? Why have you bestowed so much to me? So many blessings for just one woman? The other day, a Christian friend at work came to visit me. We don’t see each other very often , but she always seems to come with a message she could not have known I needed.

Anyway – she was telling me about God’s favor on her life as she purchased a new car for her daughter, Valencia (who is heading to college in the top 10% of her class and needs our prayers that her scholarship comes through). Valencia sat in bed for hours the night after she got the car and repeated, “Thank you God, Thank you God, Thank you God!” How cute is that?

God really laid some favor on my friend in the purchase of the car, but the best part of the whole experience was witnessing her daughter’s appreciation of the fact that everything we have is a blessing from God. Then my friend said something to me that I know was spoken to her from God. Like I said, she could not have known my recent questions to God about why I have been so blessed. She said,

The Lord blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.

The words are simple, and I know I have heard them before, but God’s word is not always about hearing the message, but hearing the message at just the right time. You know what I mean?
So use what you have to help others, it’s why God gave it to you in the first place. God’s blessings are a great reason to Celebrate For No Apparent Reason!

Meditation:
Are you ready for Easter? Prepare yourself through daily prayer and Bible study. If you haven’t seen the Passion of the Christ, consider watching it. I warn you, it is a graphic depiction of Christ’s suffering. But the movie truly tells the tale of our Father’s sacrifice for His people.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to rejoice with you today. With a pure and hopeful heart, I will allow you to guide me in my celebration so that it brings you glory. For at least this day, I cast my fears and worries aside and stand ready to celebrate the gift of your Son. In His name I pray, Amen.

Having Trouble Sleeping?

2009-03-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3: 23-26
Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

Let me guess…the minute your head hits the pillow, you are fast asleep. And every night you drift off into a peaceful slumber awakened by whistling birds; you are refreshed and ready to meet the day head on. I am right, yes? NO.

If you’re like most women, by the time you’ve washed your face, thrown on your favorite jammies, and settled into bed, you’re exhausted yet completely unable to shut off your brain. Maybe the end of the day is the only time you have to focus on what’s bugging you, so although you have great intentions of getting your eight hours, you start to worry and think about those things. Or you’re like me – you lie awake making lists in your head (hmmm…tomorrow I need to buy the boys some cowboy boots for Go Texan day at school…and I better not forget to send my mom a birthday card, buy dog food, water the plants, bake snacks for church…well, you get the picture!).

If the drama stopped there, perhaps our delayed slumber might not be so difficult to overcome. But it doesn’t stop there, does it? BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ….the alarm clock sounds and you want to throw it across the room. Where are the whistling birds and the beautiful rays of sun greeting me with their warm glow? And why am I still so tired? Didn’t I just get six hours of sleep? Okay, so it’s not the required eight, but shouldn’t six hours of sleep at least make me a little less groggy!?! Medically speaking, the answer is yes. But we weren’t born yesterday, were we, girls? We all know the logic and experience behind the phrase sleep like a baby. A baby’s only daily task is to sleep and eat so she can grow. But as we age, our daily task list grows and GRows and GROWS! Until we get to a point where sleep just becomes really difficult.

I see two issues before us:
1. We can’t get to sleep.
2. We don’t want to wake up once we get to sleep.

Everyone knows that sleep is necessary, but for most, good sleep is a luxury. I’d like you to take a little “sleep quiz” that might help you sleep and wake up a little more peacefully. Which of the following is most likely to help you meet sleep challenges head on:

a. Find a full time job as a professional mattress tester or sleep study participant
b. Start getting ready for bed at 6pm (the kids can bathe themselves and who needs to eat)
c. Ambien or Tylenol PM
d. pick up a copy of the Encyclopedia of Law and start at page 1
e. none of the above

If you guessed “a”, you’re right. Just kidding! You know that the correct answer is “e”, otherwise this article would probably end without a very good message!

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about prayer. We started sharing stories about how good we slept when we prayed before going to bed. When I was a small child, I would lie in bed and start to pray. Before I’d get halfway through my prayer, I was asleep. Over time, of course, I realized that if I were going to accomplish anything through prayer that I had to actually finish my prayers! But to this day, if I lie in bed and start the prayer I have always prayed, (Dear God, Bless mommy and daddy, all my friends and family, all those who are sick…), I am asleep by the word sick. Honestly, I can’t even remember much of the rest because I rarely make it any further.

This is certainly no magic prayer for anyone but me, but what I have grown to realize is that the magic is not in the prayer itself, but in the peace I feel when I end the day by talking to God. God made our bodies in a way that they require sleep, so of course He wants us to sleep and rest. He wants us to wake up energized so we can face our daily giants and share stories of His blessings with others. Starting a prayer life that includes starting and ending the day talking to God is an amazing sleep aide – far better than any of those in the quiz! To get started, you could make your prayers very simple. When you wake up, ask for His help and strength to start the day. Then end the day thanking Him for His grace throughout the day.

In addition to starting and ending the day “on your knees” in prayer, here is another idea that has helped me start the day feeling good. Alarm clocks that buzz are so yesterday. Get a clock radio and set it to wake you up to your local Christian radio station. My favorite in Houston is 89.3, KSBJ. Or if you’re really hip, buy one of MP3 player alarm clocks and load your favorite Christian music on it. Either way, the point is that although there might not be birds whistling outside your window in the morning, hearing about God’s love first thing in the morning just seems to get the day started off right.

Meditation:
Write or print this word “PRAY” on a small piece of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror, headboard, bedside lamp, etc. Hopefully it will serve as a small reminder of God’s helpful sleep aide.

Prayer:
Dear God, Thank for your constant love and attention, for giving me the strength and energy to move when I did not have it on my own. I want to wake up every day and commit myself to you. I want to end every day giving up my worries to you and thanking you for the many blessings in my life. Help me to be unfailing in my prayer life so that I enjoy the innumerable benefits that will abound. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Help is on the Way

2009-03-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6: 25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Lisa S. - I hope you will share this with your two friends.

If you’ve ever had to care for a sick infant, then you know how helplessness feels. Too young to take medicine and too new to understand what is happening to them, our poor babies have no other recourse than to cry it out. Oh, how heartbreaking it is! All we can do is hold them and try to offer whatever comfort our warm arms and soothing lullabies might bring.

Much like the helpless feelings we have in caring for a sick child, we open ourselves up to the feeling of helplessness in far too many other aspects of our lives. At this point in time, you are probably hard-pressed to find anyone who isn’t concerned about losing their job, how they will pay for college tuition for their kids (and yes, people whose kids are barely in preschool are even worrying about this!), or how they will ever afford to retire.

Everyone always seems to have great advice during those moments when helplessness invades our hearts. During times of trouble, strife, and worry, you’ll often hear – “count your blessings”, “it could be worse,” “there is a reason for everything.” And all of those things are true, but who wants to hear that when you are busy worrying about yourself and how you’ll manage to get through your troubles?

As a woman, I am great at worrying. I think it’s in my DNA! And then when I became a mother, I took worrying to new heights. I mean, what’s not to worry about? Will my kids grow up to be productive citizens? Did that night when I yelled at them because they were fighting over a Spiderman toy scar them for life? I missed that school play, will my daughter ever forgive me? When will my son finally stop sucking his thumb? What if my daughter isn’t good at ballet? Oh, the list of worries for a mother just goes on and on. And no matter how silly they are, the laundry list of worries whisks, stirs, and pours through our minds like the glorious preparation of a three egg omelet with extra cheese. Except that our worries aren’t as easy to stomach as that three egg omelet.

My husband just can’t understand why I seem to worry about some of the craziest things (no offense to men, but I just don’t think they get us women and our “worrying”). So what if I am worried whether or not the fitted bed sheets I just purchased for 75% off will match the pillow shams I paid full price for? What’s it to him? It drives him crazy that I worry. And then it drives me crazy that my worrying drives him crazy! It’s a vicious cycle, I tell ya.

But seriously, I do have to give credit to my husband for the reason behind his stance on worrying and feeling “helpless”. He believes – why would you worry so much when you know that God is in control? Hmph. Good point. (Thanks to Pam for reminding me of that tonight at Bible Study).

And you know what? God knows all of our worries. He knew that we would be worried before we’d even let the energy-draining worry enter our minds. Thank God (literally!) that He does know these things. Because do you know what the most almighty, amazing Creator does for us? He sends us help! That’s right! And sometimes, He’ll even send help when we don’t ask for it.

So can you imagine what happens when you actually ask Him for help? Right again! He not only sends help, but He’ll send an army of help. What you need to do is place your feelings of helplessness in His hands. You can raise your hand in the air and look upward, praying out loud for help. Or you can think the words silently to yourself. However you choose to ask Him for help, He is always listening.

A Christian who feels helpless is one who is not using their greatest resource – prayer! Perhaps it’s because I am a woman, and we statistically have more thoughts and speak more words than men, but I personally find that God has a really great ear. He’ll never stare at the TV pretending to listen. He’ll never think about his next sentence before you’ve even finished speaking yours. He does not look away at the group of passers-by who are apparently more interesting than you. What more can I say, God is the greatest listener I know!

I was in the elevator at work the other day and noticed something I’d never seen before. There was a button that said “Help is on the way.” I am sure the button had always been there, but in my haste to push the button for my daily destination, I’d never noticed it. I stared at that button the entire elevator ride and thought about how great it would be if we just had a button we could push for God to send us help. Then I realized that we do have that button. It’s not tangible, but it’s there, and it’s called prayer.

The next time you catch yourself getting worried into a frenzy, stop and talk to God. Push the prayer button because “Help is on the way.”

Meditation:
For today’s meditation, I want to quote some lyrics from my favorite band, Mercy Me. The song is called Hold Fast.

To everyone who's hurting
To those who've had enough
To all the undeserving
That should cover all of us
Please do not let go
I promise there is hope

Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is His grasp
So hold fast

Father God, I want so much to feel your constant presence in my life. Only you can help me through any situation. Please take away my feelings of helplessness and replace them with hope. In your son’s name I pray, Amen.

Living Without Fear

2009-02-24T07:30:00.001-08:00

Job 11: 13-19
Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor.

Life without fear? Is that even possible? Many years ago, I would have said, No way. And I think if you polled most people, they would say that they can’t imagine a life without fear.

Now don’t get me wrong, God commands us in the Bible to fear Him, and we should. The fear God speaks of is the type of fear that -- when harnessed properly -- can make us stronger and more obedient. But I am not talking about that fear. I am talking about the fear that lies in our subconscious. Perhaps you grew up in an abusive household, a close relative died while you were very young, or you were simply exposed to in appropriate messages on television as a child. All of those things create fear and doubt within our subconscious mind.

There is young woman I once knew who wanted so desperately to play sports as a child. For whatever reason, her parents discouraged her from participating. All the while, she watched her friends and cousins hit homeruns, bring home trophies and celebrate winning (and losing!) over pizza. Oh how she longed to be a part of that. As she grew older, her fear of sports manifested into a fear of trying anything new. And then that fear eventually grew into a fear of the unknown.

Sure, those fears are normal! The enemy sits at bay just waiting to whisper into our ears, Be afraid, be very afraid.

And most people will listen! Can you imagine? The enemy is hovering in all its evil nature just waiting to talk to anyone who will listen– and we listen to it INSTEAD of listening to God!

Can I tell you how much better of a life you will have if the only fear you live with is the fear of God? Any other fear is useless, unproductive, and against God’s will. God doesn’t want us to fear this world – He only wants us to fear His judgment on what we do while we are in this world!

I am sure you’re wondering what happened to that young woman I spoke of earlier…her story has a happy ending. One beautiful summer day God began His work within her. The young woman was mentoring a group of children indoors. The children decided that the day was much too pretty to stay inside and excitedly chanted for a soccer game. Looking around at their excited and eager faces, her first instinct was to run away in fear as she recalled her perceived inability to play sports.

Only God knows if it was those eager faces or the spirit moving within her, but this time she listened not to the enemy, but to God’s voice. Through loads of laughter and lots of missed opportunities for a goal, she embarked on her journey toward living without fear.

Meditation:
Write down 3 things that you are afraid of then pray this prayer, “Father God, I come before you humbled in fear of (list yours). In your hands I place these fears, and wait patiently for the hope I know will take their place. I want to devote my heart to you so that I may stand firm without fear and shame. In your son’s name I pray, Amen.

The Therapy of Giving

2009-02-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 18:16
A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.

For some time now, I have wondered if I am really on to something with this concept. I call it the “Therapy of Giving”. I have no idea what Dr. Phil would think of this idea, but I am going to share it with you anyway!

One of the many things my children’s school does really well is provide the children with opportunities to honor their parents. I’ve been to a mother’s day brunch, had my baby’s footprints framed, and hung handmade ornaments on my Christmas tree every year. All of these were delivered to me with great, big Kool-Aid smiles on my children’s faces. They not only loved creating these items, but they loved giving them.

Don’t you feel great when you give someone something? And the really best gifts aren’t the expensive ones, they are the ones that are given with a loving spirit. God spelled that out very clearly for us when He gave us the gift of His only Son. Giving ushers us into the presence of the great.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to work for a company that was led to success by a man who gave about 50% of his income to charity. He was a very Godly man, so he was never boastful and preferred to remain unrecognized as an individual giver. I gained so much insight on giving as I listened to him speak, and I studied his success. Of particular interest though was not just the large sums of money he donated, but the amount of time he donated. Here he was, running a multi-million dollar business and raising a family while also volunteering his personal time to aid others. And he always appeared so positive, not stressed or worried. I thought to myself, now this guy has really got it figured out.

The “Therapy of Giving” is simply this: 1) take your eyes off of your own needs, 2) focus your eyes (as Jesus would have done) on the needs of another, and 3) watch how your own needs are met. As it was stated in Proverbs, A gift opens the way for the giver. I cannot say that if you need a new car but focus your attention on someone else’s needs, a Cadillac Escalade will be delivered in your driveway with a big red bow on top. I know—booooooo! But that’s not really how it works.

We leave stones unturned all the time, but God does not. If we open ourselves up to let Him, God will lead us to the stone we need to turn. When you focus yourself on meeting someone else’s needs, you smile inside. Your heart opens up, and your spirit is lifted. It is at this point that the Holy Spirit speaks to us and guides us through meeting our own needs.

So how do we put it into action within our own lives? The “Therapy of Giving” put into action is: when the enemy approaches and stands in front of you, taunting you with your weakness, needs, or problem, give of yourself to someone else.

That sounds like a quick easy fix in writing, but it is not so easy to carry out during tough times. But just try it. What you give does not have to be tangible–your gift might be kind words to a friend, co-worker, or family member. Or it could be tangible! Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line. Pick up an extra pack of crackers at the convenience store and give them to the panhandler on the street corner. Read an extra book to your child before bedtime. Gather up some old clothes and take them to a nearby church or shelter. Make a homemade card “just because” for your husband or best friend.

Giving to others not only fills you up with joy, but it can bring you so much closer to God—into the presence of the great. Try the “Therapy of Giving” for a month, and watch the miracles that can begin to take place in your own life.

Meditation:
1. Identify 3 things you could do for someone else or give to someone else this week.

2. Pray: Father God, you gave us the greatest gift one could ever know, eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. Please help me to keep my eyes focused on your gift to me. In doing so, help me to see the opportunities to help others that you have laid before me. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

3. GIVE!!!!!!!!