3 Meals

3 Meals

How many times have we been told to never skip a meal? And further, the meals we do choose have to be balanced and nutritious; not just a fly by kind of meal. You can't just grab the first thing you see and consider it good, Snickers and Tootsie rolls just don't count! If you know that your eating habits aren't the best, you will probably agree with me when I give you the symptoms of what will happen to you if you don't listen to what you've been taught all your life. Weight gain, feelings of being bloated, crabby moods, no energy, etc. Sounds great doesn't it? There is nothing about missing your daily fill that sounds appealing.

Why is it that many of us would never skip our food, but daily, weekly, monthly, even yearly, we skip out on feeding our spiritual lives? How many of you would tell me that there is NO way that you can "fill up" spiritually 3 times a day? A lot of you may not even find it possible to do it once! There may be some that are reading this and will confirm that they checked Bible study off of their list today. But my question to all of you is that when you sit down to a "meal", is it meat, vegi's and fruit that you are eating, or is it candy and junk food? Do you really get fed or are you just getting by?

We all know what happens to our physical bodies when we don't eat right, what you may not have thought about before is what exactly happens to us spiritually when we don't.

Jesus says:

John 6:35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty."

How many of you feel that hunger ache all the time? I am not talking about your physical bodies, I am talking about that ache that you just aren't satisified with life but yet you just don't know how to be. You find yourself looking and searching for "the answer". But everything new you buy, or weight you accomplish, or friend that you make, or promotion you get, etc…just doesn't seem to cut it. You, sooner than later, find yourself dissatisfied and hungry once again.

So are you ready to stop searching? Want me to tell you the secret you have been dying to hear? Go back up to John 6:35…see it mixed in between those words? Yep… there it is…JESUS. Amazing how He seems to be the answer for everything huh? Now imagine for a minute filling up on Jesus 3 times a day! Not just open your Bible and read something quickly without digesting it kind of Jesus. I am talking about real conversation, pouring your heart out, hands wide open, surrender kind of time with Jesus. Imagine taking every single care, worry, and problem of your day and laying it at His Feet! Not just once a month…I am talking about all during the day.

Jesus says that HE is the bread of life. He is not just another bread of life…He is THE one and only. He says that if anyone comes to Him and believes in Him, they will not be hungry or thirsty! But there is a catch in that verse that we can't overlook. The word COME. You have to COME to Him!! It is not enough to just believe (even the demons believe). NO!! You have to come to Him to receive the bread!

I don't know about you, but I am feeling hungry! Want to stop searching for other avenues to walk down and walk down the path that leads to Him? I'll go with you…let's go fill our plates!

I'm Yours Lord…take me, shape me, fill me…I'm done running and I'm done searching! You are it for me!

Wet Waders

Wet Waders

Many of you have heard the story of my husband and his little swim last weekend. We can joke a little about it now, but at the time, I assure you, it wasn't anything to laugh about. The reality is it changed our lives forever! Our perspective has been slammed into place and not anytime soon will I take for granted just how powerful and in charge MY GOD is!

I will recap a little bit for you…

Luke was stranded in the middle of a lake in December (we are in Indiana…which equals...FREEZING!)!

Luke was wearing waders. Not just hip waders but rather chest waders with boots. He has assured me that even when they are dry on land, the waders are super hard to get off; being wet while still in the water, the waders became impossible to remove!

While simply sitting in the boat, the waders aren't extremely heavy. I mean, they obviously add more weight and are bulkier, but nothing unbearable. It became quickly obvious though, that when submerged in water, the waders became a huge problem. The problem didn't occur at first. The problem occurred the longer he sat in the water. As they began to slowly hold more and more water, the waders became so heavy, Luke new that eventually they would pull him under. Even with a lifejacket on, he felt sure that the waders would be what caused him to drown if he did not secure another way to stay afloat. Praise the Lord (I do not say that lightly!) that he was able to swim 40 yards and grab a couple bags of duck decoys. The decoys were able to hold his weight and keep him afloat until help arrived!

I was struck with the similarities between this story and the story that every one of us face when we deal with sin. It really isn't that different!

Just go with me a moment as a draw a mental picture. Imagine that sin is like those waders. You fall into sin and choose not to get rid of it. You "put" sin on like Luke put on those waders. They may seem funny to walk around with at first, but after a while, they get comfortable. You may even forget that they are heavy. This is exactly where satan wants you! He wants you to think that it is no big deal and that you can handle holding onto whatever is actually weighing you down! But it doesn't stop there. Eventually the weight of sin will increase. As you get more and more tired, the "waders" become heavier and heavier. Sin will be so sneaky just like this. It won't just drown you instantly; it will be a slow fade. Sometimes so slow that you won't even notice it until you are at the point of drowning. You may think that you have things in place to help you out. You put your "lifejackets" on and feel a false sense of security. You bank on the fact that you won't drown because you can handle it! The truth of it is: you need a savior. Luke would not have survived if he was not rescued and to be honest we are the same way!

Listen to me carefully…you cannot get yourself to shore when satan has his claws around you! The
only way to freedom is by accepting help from Jesus!

What is weighing you down? Do you have something that you are hiding in hopes that you can just ignore it and that no one will ever find out? Do not be the fool who thinks that they will be fine no matter what. Sin will eventually take you under. And if you have walked around with it for any amount of time, I am sure you will understand completely the weight that I describe. Aren't you sick of it? Don't you just want to strip it off and "run with perseverance the race marked out for you?"

It teaches us in Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS…"

This is a loaded verse! We have people watching…your life can either be one where people watch you drown or they will watch you run to Jesus. Each one will powerfully affect others and possibly lead them down the same path that you choose!

So what are you going to choose? Are you sick of treading water yet? Are you sick of feeling that heaviness on your chest? Doesn't solid ground sound good about now? Then fix your eyes on Jesus…the author and perfector of our faith! The answer is simple and it will never change…if you want freedom, if you want to rid yourself of the heaviness that is weighing you down then you have to make a choice…life or death?

It's time…Reach out your hand and take His!

Flickering Light

Flickering Light

I got the privilege of putting lights on our Christmas tree today. Many of you will gasp when I tell you this, but today is December 17^th! Yes, I know, there is only one more week before Christmas! It never fails in our household though, the days fly by and before we know it; we have to get our tree up before it's too late.

I am the kind of person that doesn't like to fuss much with decorating. I have walked into people's houses where their trees are absolutely perfect, the decorations all match and the lights are like a million little twinkling stars. Our tree will never be that. But it reflects us so much I wouldn't change it for the world! As I watch my kids hang their homemade decorations, I see holes where a decoration could go, but I keep my mouth shut and just enjoy the masterpiece they are creating!

Before they went to work, I took 2 strands of lights and started wrapping. I hate doing this because I get poked a million times trying to put the lights where they should go. But the most annoying part is when you come to the ones that are burnt out! But even that was not what made me stop and think. My focus was caught on one little yellow light; a little yellow light that was flickering. We do not put up flashing lights, or blinking lights. We put up colorful lights that stay on all the time. So to have one flashing, made me wonder what was wrong with it. I watched it for a few seconds and tried to wiggle it to make it come all the way on, but my attempts were worthless. In the end, the light burnt out.

And just like that it made me wonder if this is what it's like when one of our spiritual lights "burn out".

Mt 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

 

Do you let your light shine so brightly that men can actually praise God by just witnessing it? Or do you find yourself flickering? Will people walk into a room and know that that there is no way that you are burning out or do they not even realize that you love Jesus?

 

Where is your walk at right now? Plug yourself into the source that will continually power you to show His Light! The longer you are away from Him, the quicker you will burn yourself out. Don't be flickering on and off, don't be satisfied to be anything other than full wattage!

Chosen

Chosen

What do the following names mean to you?

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali

Now what does this name mean to you?

Joseph (the coat of many colors)

All of the men that are mentioned here are brothers. They all were born to Jacob and they all ended up in Egypt. But there is one word that separates the first 11 from the last one: CHOSEN. (You can read about this account starting in Genesis 37.)

Joseph was the brother that no one liked, so they sold him into slavery. Thinking that they would never see him again, they covered up what they did by lying and telling their father that he was killed. Never in a million years would they have thought that God would turn what they did into the biggest miracle they ever witnessed!

Hard times came and the brothers had no option but to go in search of food. What they found was much more than simple grain. They came face to face with the reality that God had chosen one of their own to work a miracle through. All HE had needed for that to happen was ONE person saying yes to Him even when things weren't going their way! Joseph was that man.

A really amazing friend of mine told me recently that he wanted to see a miracle this year. But more importantly, he not only wanted to witness it, he wanted to be a part of it! He doesn't want to be one of the brothers, he wants to be a Joseph.

Which brother do you find yourself most like?

Can you see the vast difference between the two? If a miracle is to occur, many of us will find ourselves as mere observers. Sadly, a percentage of those people will be content to be just that. Can you believe with me for even just a second that our amazing God wants to blow you away with something that can only be explained by His power? More than letting you be just a witness, though, He wants to use
you for it!

This is exactly what God wants to see happen in all of our lives! But He won't use just anybody. He wants to use people that are willing to give Him their whole lives, no matter what, saying "Use me for Your Glory!" That is when you will find yourself smack dab in the middle of a miracle! Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---this is your spiritual act of worship."

I want to challenge you to rethink how you want to live your remaining years on this earth. If you are happy not seeing anything amazing happen, or don't really care to see how big God can be, then there is nothing more that you really have to do…it will probably happen just like that for you.

But if you are anything like me and my friend and want more, you want to see things happen that can only be explained by God, then say yes to HIM right now! Don't get caught doing things your way, but surrender everything to God's plan and purpose. Every step of the way!

Say yes to God in everything He asks, and you will find yourself standing in awe of what He will do with you, through you, and to you. No doubt you will also find yourself repeating the words of David in 2 Sam. 7:18 "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?"!

Don't waste an opportunity and don't get caught being left out! A miracle is waiting for you!

Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Have you ever watched a child on Christmas morning get so excited to open presents? There was one year when my oldest was the only grandchild, and he literally had a stack to open that was taller than he was. Sadly, that was only one house…he had more to come from other places. By the end of the day, he didn't even feel like unwrapping anymore things.

 

Can you remember what you got for Christmas 5 years ago? How about 4? Oh come on….surely 3 years ago? If you are like most people, you probably can't recall at all. My son wrote down candy, but that doesn't count. The point of that line of questioning is to show all of us what Christmas has become.

Every year I try to get my shopping done before Thanksgiving. I hate the rush, the crowds, the pushy people. It all just gives me a headache. So it is much easier if I just avoid it all by shopping early. Inevitably though, it gets to be about 2 weeks before Christmas and I begin to feel that "I haven't gotten my kids enough" feeling. So I go back out and get them the little things…you know…movies (which we can rent), more candy (that gets thrown away), little $1.00 toys to fill their stockings (they always break). Just useless "stuff". I can bet a million bucks that they can't name what I went out and bought them last year either!

 

Why do we do this? Why is it such a thrill for us to give worthless gifts? Is it really worth that 30 seconds of excitement that lights up their faces? As I have gotten older, I realized that my parents always tried to make Christmas really special. But you know what I remember most about my childhood Christmas's? I remember being really excited about a game that I had gotten, and I even remember playing it for a little while, but most of all I recall a huge cardboard box that gave us endless hours of fun! A cardboard box! I know that many of you are shaking your head in agreement right now. You know that it is true! A simple cardboard box would have been all that my parents would have had to give us!

 

Besides reading the title, how many of you have thought about Jesus throughout the story so far? My guess is that your minds were probably going back to bits and pieces of memories that are floating around in your heads. But Jesus…yeah, happy Birthday Jesus, I guess.

 

Have you ever had a party or been to a party where some guest totally upstages the host? When everyone is supposed to be celebrating your big day, and instead, all attention is on someone who is just being louder than everyone else?

 

How do you think Jesus feels?

 

Especially about those who call Him Savior?

We praise Him for giving His Life, and count on Him to pull us through the hard times, but when it comes down to the ONE specific day that we get to actually proclaim as His, we make it about ourselves. Are you depressed yet?

 

We had a sermon on Sunday that had an awesome quote in it. Imagine God asking you to "redeem Christmas like I have redeemed you!" What a challenge! Every year I hear people say things like, "I spent so much money on toys that aren't even going to get played with", "I can't believe I have to give a gift to that person", "maybe I can just give her something out of my closet, she will never know". We spend so much time rushing, griping & wanting, that we forget the most important question yet: "what do you want Jesus?"

 

You know what His response will be? It's the same whether you ask it in July or in December…He will undoubtedly answer "your heart". I can easily have a dialogue with Him about this one. "You have my heart Lord…", "No, I want it ALL, hold nothing back from Me!", "But Lord, I love You, and I live for You daily!" He takes both of my hands in His and looks me directly in my eyes and whispers. "Then feed my sheep…" (John 21:17). Whoosh…all the air goes out of my lungs as I realize my mistake. I am not feeding His people. I am leading them in a way that says: "stuff will make you happy, you need more things to make Christmas special!" Sure we teach our kids that Christmas is Jesus' Birthday, but really, is that what we make Christmas all about? If we truly love Him, we will feed His sheep…not feed our selfish hearts! Not feed our need for just wanting more! We will fill a need rather than fill our toy rooms and closets!

 

Let's really do it this year! Don't just agree that something needs to be done and vow to do it next year!

Please don't take this the wrong way and not give any gifts what so ever…I am not telling you to do that! I am just challenging you to change your mind set on what Christmas really is about, and how we can reclaim it to be the holiday that celebrates Jesus, the ultimate gift, not robo-man, the gift that will break and get thrown away in 3 weeks.

 

Christmas time is about giving, but make sure that first and foremost, you give Jesus what He wants! A completely surrendered heart will in turn celebrate this upcoming B-Day the way it should be celebrated; Christ as the honorary guest, with no one upstaging Him!

So how about it? Is this the year to change things up a little bit?

 

Instead of Merry Christmas you…what about Happy Birthday Jesus?

My Husband's Voice

Yesterday could have been such a horrific day.  It could have been one that changed our lives drastically for the worst.  But instead, i got to watch my husband walk back into our home with our kids swarming him on both sides and his nephew in his arms!

All of my blog posts come from inspiration from God.  I will never claim to be anything but a vessel.  This post is no different.  Without God's powerful Hands of protection, this post would not be happening.  The following will be the story from my husband's eyes.  Please remember that there is so much more to add when you consider each of the guys' perspectives.  There may be a day in the future when I can write theirs also, but for now, this is Luke's.  Please also note that this is the "quick" version with some details left out here and there. 

Duck hunting in freezing cold weather, with windy conditions=perfection.  The guys went out for one last really good hunt before the season ended.  On board was Luke, Jay and Ray.  They had a successful hunt and was ready to load the boat back up and head home.  On their way to the boat launch Jay started yelling that they were taking on water.  Luke, without any sense of fear, turned around to throw the boat in reverse and hit the bilge pump.  As he turned back around he found that Jay was halfway under water.  Luke remembers that it wasn't just a little water coming in, but rather gushing over the nose.  Less than 10 seconds, and the boat was gone.  Luke describes the feeling as if the boat just dropped out from under them.  Thankfully they had their lifejackets within reach, because that is all they had time to grab. 

The icy water literally took their breath away!  Luke immediately grabbed his phone and dialed 911.  The call got cut off, but then they called Luke's phone back.  Unfortunately Luke couldn't open the phone and answer it!  With virtually no hope around, Luke starts looking for a way to get out of the situation.  Jay and Ray were closer to each other than Luke was.  Jay immediately grabbed Ray and helped him get into his lifejacket.  As Jay was yelling for Luke to help hold Ray up, Luke knew that the only chance for him to stay afloat at all was the drifting bags of duck decoys.  Luke was the one out of the group to have waders on that day.  In one sense, he believes that the boots and neoprene helped keep his body temperature warmer, but all of that wouldn't have mattered if he didn't get to those decoys, because the waders were taking on water and becoming extremely heavy.  With no hope of getting them off because they virtually suction cup to your body, Luke had to start swimming because he knew that his lifejacket wouldn't have held him up.  As he reached the bags, he turned around to take them back to the guys and realized that they had floated 50 yds. apart.  Luke starts back paddeling.  He is being guided by Jay's voice.  He gets to within 10 feet and simply can't get any closer.  If you know Jay and Luke at all you will understand how tired they both had to be to say that they simply couldn't get any closer.  Luke's arms had gone numb at this point and all he could do was drape himself over the bag, pray, kick and wait.  They start screaming for help and wonder if anyone can hear them. 

At this same time, I was at home doing the office work, and a physical feeling came over my knees, prompting me to pray.  I had no idea what God was prompting me to pray for but i just kept praying, going a couple times back to Luke and protection over him.  It dumbfounds me how much God was in control.  Something i totally know, but in a moment like that, ALL of His Promises become a reality!

Finally they start seeing people on shore.  They are desparetly trying to get some sort of boat in the water to get to them.  One boat was without oars and the other was chained up.  They were helpless to just watch.  Finally the rescue team showed up with a boat and they were able to drag all 3 men on board.  At this point Ray was unconscience so they flew him immediately to a bigger hospital.  Jay and Luke rode in the same ambulance to the nearby hospital.  Upon arrival, Luke's core temp. was at 86.1.  The doctor assured me that it was "close" for Luke.  He said that he hasn't seen too many people as cold as him. 

All three guys took a couple of hours to warm completely back up. But by the grace of God, they all 3 went home that same night! 

As I layed beside him last night, him and i both had the same thought, "what if this was the first night without him."  what if this and what if that!  The reality of it is, God just said "not today boys".  Luke will tell you without hesitation that it is nothing but God's Hand that pulled them out of the water.  Nothing else can explain why for 20-40 minutes in freezing cold, Luke was completely coherent, and Jay was able to hold a man up along with himself.  All of these men wearing layerrrrrrssssss of clothing!  I have talked to an ER doctor friend of ours and he said he can not believe that they were able to do that!  ME EITHER! 

I pray that through this story, God is glorified over and over...i am thankful beyond words as well as the rest of all of our families that we get to hear their voices ringing throughout our homes tonight!  It is the best sound i've ever heard!

Keep Fighting

Keep Fighting

Do you think that Moses ever got sick of fighting? What about the Israelites themselves? Do you remember the conditions that they were living in when Moses came to rescue them? SLAVERY. Not just slavery for a couple of months. No…slavery for years!

So Moses shows up and they take a whole bunch of stuff with them. They get out of their bondage and start their escape route. Not long after, they realize that they are being followed. Once again, God comes through and rescues them. 3 days later, they begin to grumble about the bitter water. It was 3 days after God parted a whole entire sea for them to walk through that they begin to grumble about water!! The pattern continues from there! God provides, they are satisfied, things get tough, they grumble. Finally, at one point they wish that they would have just died back in Egypt. They even question Moses as to why he ever rescued them in the first place.

You see, the Israelites had lost the desire to fight. What were they supposed to be fighting for? Their freedom!

You and I do this same exact thing. I look at the Israelites and question how they could have been so stupid. I have caught myself several times saying that "if I would have seen that sea part, then there would have been NO WAY I would have ever wanted to go back to slavery ever again." But the reality of my situation is that I have lived in bondage and God has set me free. Over and over again, in fact. He parts my sea, and I walk on through. But just like the Israelites, when the thrill of the victory goes away, I find myself not wanting to fight for the freedom that Jesus died to give me.

I read a quote yesterday that said "sometimes you have to fight the battle more than once to ensure the victory." I couldn't amen that statement more. There are struggles in my life that have held me captive for years. During those years, I would win little victories here and there, but for some reason, at some point, I would just quit fighting and feel a comfort in slinking back to the pit that I was continually stuck in. Do you know what I mean? I would find myself stuck, frustrated, and useless. Then I would wake up and pick the sword back up. I would fight my way back out…I could taste freedom. I would be pumped for a while, and then something would distract me…again I would forget to fight. The cycle can be endless!

How do we break the chains?

First get a desire to live out Romans 12:2

"Do not conform any longer to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds."

Then (here's the action part) do 1 Peter 1:13-14

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, DO NOT CONFORM to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance."

It is all about the fight you guys! God has made a way and has ensured us victory! We have to decide every single day to never start grumbling because grumbling leads to defeat…defeat by surrender.

It's hard to fight; it's harder to keep fighting and still harder yet to never stop. It's a decision that is made every time you come to that battle line, whether you realize it or not. You make that choice over and over and over. The next time you come face to face with your chains, choose to cut them and run, just don't let yourself look back.

Your reward is coming…the battle is close to being over for good! Don't quit…and one more thing… I have a secret to tell you…

GOD WINS!!…keep fighting!

FLEE

Flee

What do you envision when you hear the word flee? I first think about someone running away from someone else. The setting is usually a dark alley with a lot of shadows. The person running is constantly looking over their shoulder, sure that they are being followed. Running in a direction, they hope will lead to safety. Did I come close to what you envision?

I think of the story in the Old Testament of Joseph and his master's wife. The story goes that Joseph would not sleep with her. One day, she tried to seduce him and he fled from her. He literally ran away from her. He didn't try to reason with her, or talk her out of it. He knew danger was near and so he ran from it.

Isn't this a lesson for us? I whole heartedly believe that we have gotten too comfortable with our world. I don't even think that we recognize when something is dangerous anymore. I have heard more than once that the music listened to is not so bad, only one little bad part. Or the movie that we are watching only says the "s" word. Shoot, I have made these comments myself! No big deal. It isn't affecting us. I recently was told the story of someone baking a pan of brownies for their Sunday school students. Right before the brownies were ate; he stopped to tell them a little bit about how they were made. He informed them that he had picked out the best kind at the store. After putting all the ingredients in, he realized that he was a little short on one thing. He looked in his cabinets and found nothing to substitute for the missing ingredient. So he took a spoon outside and scooped up a little dog poop. It was just a little, no big deal. He finished mixing everything together, baked them and passed them out. You can imagine the kids' shocked faces when he told them this. Not one of them ate the dessert this time; just a little bit of something bad, ruined the whole batch.

You get my point? Why don't we treat the things we have become accustomed to like this pan of brownies. Instead of viewing it like it is no big deal, we need to view it like God sees it.

2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

We are to flee our evil desires. We are to run away. Far and fast! We are not to look back over our shoulder. We are to just run!

It's so hard though isn't it? "The evil desires of youth" says to me that I have had these desires a long time. And what do they say: "old habits are hard to break?"

I have for a long time, thought that if I was to flee; satan would be breathing down my back while chasing me. You can just picture it now can't you? He is the big bad wolf who is constantly stalking his prey. But I found another great verse tucked away in

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

It's funny to see this word appear in both of these verses. One is a command of what we should do, and one is a promise of what will happen if we persevere against the devil and resist him. This is so reassuring to me.

It not only reassures me but also changes my view of satan. I think for a very long time, he has wanted me to believe that he had the upper hand. That I was scared and running and I needed to constantly be watching my back because he was just behind the next corner. I realize now that when I am in this mindset, I am not trusting in the power of the name of Jesus. I am telling myself that satan has power over me. The reality of the situation is that all I have to do is resist him. Resisting may include fleeing from him. Not because of how scary he is; but because we don't want to be close to anything of evil…we will eventually get too comfortable with it. Then we will eventually not even realize that it is harming us.

 

The most eye opening thing about this whole little lesson I have learned is that satan will flee from me. It's a promise that I intend to cling to! I am liking this turn of events. Instead of feeling that I will have to run forever and never stop because he is constantly running after me, all I have to do is stop and speak the name of Jesus, and resist him…and then he is the one who has to flee. It's awesome isn't it?

 

The word flee use to bring a sense of dread. It was always associated with something hidden, scary, and unexpected. The unknown is always a bit nerve wracking. But my view is changing drastically. I actually feel a bit empowered right now. I have decided to not believe the lies that I have lived under from the enemy. He does not have power over me. In fact, I think I am just now realizing the power that Christ has given us over satan! I know that this change in attitude is not always going to be easy to keep, but I know that this is the way God wants us to live! We might as well start somewhere, and it might as well start now! Let's start resisting him…how cool will it be to see him fleeing instead of us J!

don't give up on me!

hey to all my followers and readers...i just realized today that there has been 10 days between posts!  i am crazy swamped right now and sadly this blog got pushed to the back burner!  DON'T GIVE UP ON ME!!!!  please pray that i can find time...that i keep focused on God!  for some reason He has given me devotions to write...this is the only reason that i can do it!  so there must be a purpose right??!!  please pray that these devo's can touch who they are supposed to touch and are used whenever and for whoever HE wants them for!  thanks for being supporters!  i love watching where those little red dots are going to pop up on the map next! (cluster map at the bottom of this page ;))

Extra Air

Extra Air

Every day I start out by packing 3 lunches. It is something that I, at times, dread. It seems like as the school year flies by, there is less and less time to get everything ready in the morning. Most days, I find myself stuffing the baggies into lunch boxes as the kids are running out the door.

One day last week, this is exactly where I found myself. I started rapidly zipping shut baggies and tossing them into their lunch boxes. But in my haste, I realized that I left too much air in the bags and couldn't stuff everything in. It made me have to go back and open every baggie, release the air, and start over again. Frantic and frustrated are probably really good descriptive words to describe my mood that day.

After the kids actually get out the door, I have about 5 minutes where I feel completely relieved. As I was thinking back over my baggie problem that day, I realized that the Christian life can be so much like a packed lunch.

Aren't there days when you just feel like you can't fit everything in? Seriously, my life is crazy busy sometimes! I am sure I am not alone in feeling that way. You have a pile of "baggies" that need to be fit into a "lunch box" and some days, they just don't fit. Can you see my point?

The more air that you let out of those baggies, the more room you have to pile all the stuff in. But the problem that will happen, and the risk that you are taking is that without the extra air, your chips might get squished, your sandwich squashed and your cookies crumbled. You will end up packing everything in, but what condition will it actually be in by the end of the day?

What would it look like if we compared that extra air to the Holy Spirit? Are there times when we neglect to take the Holy Spirit with us, releasing Him out of our activities? Instead of using Him for protection, we don't take the time to spend with Him, and rather quickly shove as many things into our days as possible? I know that I have gotten into ruts where this is my EVERY day life! The end result is a whole bunch of activities that are done with ½ a heart and look like a crushed bag of chips. It may get done, but in the mean time, I get exhausted & drained, even burnt out at times. Have you felt that way too?

What is the solution? For me, I believe wholeheartedly that we just need to learn to re-adjust our focus. So many of our problems come when we try to take on too much because we can't say no. We worry about hurting someone's feelings or failing them, when in reality, by taking on too much, we actually fail God, because we can't do everything with our whole hearts for Him.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

 

After reading this verse, do you feel that you do everything like you were doing it for the Lord? Or can you see an area that may be a baggie without any air? Are you in danger of being squished?

Check out what you put into your day. If the only way to fit everything in is by letting HIM out, I think it's time to reevaluate what is important and what is not. You don't want to end your day with a crumbled mess!

Do you belong with HIM?

Do you belong with HIM?

Go with me just for a second to the stage of the Academy Awards. You can almost feel the electrifying air can't you? Now just picture me making an announcement that we need Brad and Angelina to come to the stage. Would you know who I was talking about or would you have to ask me to clarify? Most people wouldn't hesitate to get excited because they would immediately know that I meant Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

My question to you would be how do you know? What about those two makes it obvious that it was them I was calling? Don't you think that there were probably more Brad's in the audience than just him? Probably at least one other Angelina too! But they would know as would most everyone else, that I wanted Pitt and Jolie specifically.

The reason is because they are a couple. This equals spending time together, hanging out, going places together, talking all the time, etc. They have all the classic signs of 2 people that do life together.

Now go with me to a different audience. An auditorium filled with people, and at least 20 have the same name as you. The announcer comes to the front of the stage and grabs the microphone and announces that he needs "Tina" and Jesus to please come to the front. Would you know without a doubt that he was talking about you and Jesus?

Go through the checklist. Do you:

• Spend time with Him
• Seek Him out
• Do you go places together
• Do you talk all of the time?

Psalm 23 "A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever."

Does He walk with you like He walked with David? Does He lead you, restore you, guide you, and anoint you? Do you let Him?

I think it's time to stop and ask yourself: Do people know that you belong to JESUS?

Starbucks

Starbucks

Today is one of those days.

My little guy spilled his water all over his sister as I was doing her hair. My oldest son spilled his orange juice twice. This was all within 15 minutes of leaving for school. I of course am rushing to get 4 lunches packed and everything else that needs to be in the car before we head out the driveway. To make the day even crazier, I got called into sub; gym class. If you know me at all this is the perfect job! I get to wear sweats and a sweatshirt with my hair in a ponytail. I am thinking that this day is going to be a breeze; until that first class comes roaring through the doors. One class after another with a 5 minute break in between is how my whole morning panned out. I am typing this on a much needed break, the first I've gotten, in a hallway closet with the lights off. I am fighting off a headache and hunger. I need my Starbucks!

Many of you need the fix that I desire. It is spelled out simply: caffeine. As I walked through the school this morning, I noticed an abundance of high schools kids with coffee cups. I stopped one kid and told him that he was addicted. He not only readily agreed but told me that his dad is the one who got him hooked! It's crazy how your body can become so dependent on a substance; so much that without it, you simply can't function properly. How many have felt instantly better as soon as they see the Starbucks sign? It's like the cure is within sight!

Think with me for a minute…what would it be like if my Starbucks was replaced by my Jesus?

Are you addicted to Him like you are to your coffee? Do you need Him every morning just so you can properly function? Do you crave Him, seek Him, and virtually die without Him?

If you can't even imagine having that kind of a relationship, or think it is impossible, then it's time to take a look at what you are calling your rock.

Ps 62:2 "He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

Ps 62:6 "He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken."

 

Is He alone your rock? Because if He is then you will never be shaken. So I guess the question is: Do you get shook? Do you find yourself running for a quick fix: friends, alcohol, caffeine, books, internet, nicotine, etc? (The list goes on and on)

Or do you have a foundation that begins and ends with Christ and has you running to Him during the day?

Tomorrow, how about we try something different? Starbucks is great and I will always love their iced green tea, but I can't depend on them to help me through the day. My one and only fix needs to come from the rock on which I stand! JESUS!

I hope that this will make you stop and ask yourself what exactly your rocks name is.

And whether it might just be time for a switch.

Firefighter

Firefighter

Have you ever watched a firefighter at work? It is amazing how quickly their adrenaline gets pumping when they get a call that there is a fire somewhere. It is only a matter of minutes before they are completely geared up and ready to take on any fire. They work so hard to keep the fire under control, eventually putting it out completely.

Have you ever had a firefighter fight for you? Not in real life fire situations, but in real spiritual life situations? Let me explain a little bit. I believe that we all have firefighters in our own lives. You may not be able to think of one right now, but let me try to change the path that I think you may be on. We all view firefighters as hero's who come and rescue us, which, when it comes to a fire raging through our house, that is absolutely the case! But when it comes to a spiritual fire that we get when we are so pumped about God, "firefighters" in our lives are not heroes at all, but rather robbers and thieves. Amazingly, the similarities are endless. They both arrive on the scene quickly. They aren't lazy about the job, instead facing it head on, not quitting until the fire is effectively under control.

I have seen so many people come off of a mission trip, come out of a revival meeting, or a praise and worship concert and are so in tune and on fire for God. Then in the next instance, literally it may take only days, they are back walking like everyone else. I can see immediately that they have had people come alongside them, and instead of encouraging, they throw buckets of water on them (in a spiritual sense). I have had kids make commitments to me that they are dead set on seeing through. Wherever they have just been, they are ready to take the next step with God. It becomes more than frustrating for me to watch friends try to convince them that what they want to do is stupid. It just doesn't look like "normal", and for some reason, everyone wants to be just that.

I want to take you to the scene of a different kind of fire. A fire that is purposely set. Have you ever driven past a whole field that had been expertly charred? Or, more than likely, you have seen side ditches completely black. These fields and grasses have been set on fire for a purpose. They want the dead grass from the year before to be gone so that the new can grow greener and healthier than it would have had the old stuff never been taken care of.

That is what God wants us to do too! He wants us to be on fire! He wants us to be His messengers that devour up the dead and old and help to bring healing and growth to this world!

Psalm 104:1-5 " Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent. And lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

In the King James, verse 4 reads: "His ministers a flaming fire"! Ministers can also be translated as servants. So read it like this…"He makes His servants a flaming fire!"

I want you to read this passage again, out loud. If you are daring enough, read that whole chapter! Picture saying it to God's Face as you do.

Now you tell me…do you want to be a firefighter against that kind of fire?

I want to be someone who tries desperately to keep those flames from dying out. I will tell you from experience, that encouragement is the quickest way to make a spark into a roaring fire! We all have the ability to use our words to either hurt or help. If you hurt, it is so extremely discouraging that you will see dead grass from the previous year all around. But just as easily, you can be the biggest encourager to someone, and give them the energy to keep fighting with all that God has given them. The fruit may not be seen immediately, but you will soon be able to witness just how much good encouraging words can do. You will see a fire spreading throughout your friends, throughout your church, and eventually throughout your whole community! Can you imagine what God will do with people who refuse to use water?

It's time for a change. We need to prepare our ground for a new crop!

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

It just depends on what you want to see growing around you. If you like dead grass, well I guess that's your choice. But for me…I'm going for the flames!

Stop Sign

Stop Sign

I stopped at a stop sign today; funny how that is just the obvious choice. Not many of us would purposely run right through it. As I was coming to a complete halt, I realized just how close I would have come to wrecking had I decided to go right on through. There was this cute little SUV coming right at me that would have simply plowed me over!

Why is it that a red sign with white letters has so much impact on our lives? Every single person that sees it knows without a doubt what it means. 99% of people don't ignore it, and 100% of people fear what will happen if they do. Everyone knows that the reason the stop sign is there is to protect you. No one questions that. They all stop and look, listen and proceed with caution.

In our lives, God has put stop signs along the way too. But sadly, the percentage is almost a swap. I would not hesitate to say that there are more people that run those than actually heed the warning. The result is exactly what you would think…they get plowed over. Except there aren't any cute little SUV's, but rather the schemes of satan.

Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

 

How many of us really, I mean really, actually put on the armor?

I have talked to a ton of people about what their habits are in a day, and a big percentage of them do not set aside time to spend with God. Are you in that group too?

 

Can't you just picture it now: satan scheming to take you down? It's like he has memorized your patterns, knowing everything that trips you up. He waits for you to get to a "stop sign" where God is trying to tell you that you need to be cautious. But because you didn't take the time to get in tune with Jesus that day, you don't even realize that the stop sign is there, or you think that you don't need to stop just this one time. But in reality what happens, is that while running right on through, satan slams into you without you even knowing what hit!

 

What it looks like is a confrontation with a co-worker that turns into a heated argument, you losing your patience or temper. It could be picking back up that addictive habit, after living free of it for weeks, just getting to your breaking point and feeling like there was no other option. Using the cheat sheet someone gave you rather than throwing it away. Joining the crowd while they make fun of someone instead of standing up for the weaker person (yes even you adults!). The list could go on and on. In a nutshell, it is just making bad choices over and over and not living set apart.

 

Are you feeling convicted? Even as I write this, I am picturing areas in my life where I totally get slammed. They are areas that are so common; I almost just quit trying to change them. It is just who I have become. But, to tell you the truth, I am miserable at times. I know that this is not the freedom Christ died for! He did not die so that I would live chained to some addictive habit, or some pit of worry! He did not hang on a cross so that I could just say, oh well, that is just who I am and I just can't change it! Those thoughts and feelings are not truth…and if they aren't truth, guess what you just bought into: satan's lies.

 

So now what? How can we change? First off, you have to make a deliberate choice to want to change! This can't be some half hearted 50% effort kind of change. You may think that that will work for you, but let me reassure you…it won't! You have got to be all in here or, you will fall back into where you are right now! All in means every day! There is no resting on this side of Heaven. The battle rages whether you want to engage or not! You can't just take a day off because you don't want to fight! Satan wants you to think that a nice long 2 week vacation is all you need, but when you are talking about spiritual matters, even on vacation, you better be packing your Bible!

 

Eph 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

 

Do you realize that the past 2 verses both say to put on the full armor of God, and they both come from the same chapter! I think that there might be something God is trying to adamantly tell us! Let's listen! You can be different! You can change! You don't have to settle for the chains that bind you down, even if they have been there for the past 10 years! Don't buy into the lies anymore! It's time to throw off everything that blinds us to those stop signs and start slowing down before we even get to them!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right Hand of the Throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 – Hebrews 12:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheap Grace

Cheap Grace

My oldest son came to me with what he explained was something from God. It was this idea about a devotion, and I couldn't have been more proud of him. The following was his idea, he just asked me to make a devotion out of it.

Have you ever noticed that in a lot of families there is a certain order to which things are done? My son is 12, so he has more chores than my 7 year old daughter, who has more chores than my 4 year old son. Year by year, they are expected to help out a little more. This doesn't always go over so well. I hear a lot that "he doesn't have to help", or "I do allllll the work". I am sure that you have observed something similar in your own families or amongst your friends' kids. Without fail, though, amongst our kids, the youngest has got it figured out.

You will often find him mysteriously quiet about the time I have handed orders out. Most of the time, there is a time limit. Or maybe they won't be able to do something until all the work is done. When my older 2 are scrambling to make the deadline, the youngest develops a strange case of "I need help picking up" syndrome. I always have two eager faces running up to tell me they are done, before the third decides to start. It is amazing how much of a mess one little boy can make, all by himself too. But when it comes to cleaning it up, he suddenly has no strength to go on. So inevitably, he gets help. You can hear a defeated sigh come from my oldest, as he patiently starts picking up hot wheel cars. When they are finally finished, Kolt hops up with a huge grin on his face, ready to play! It works every time!

Cheap Grace.

What does that mean? Ever make a mess and just take for granted that someone else will be right there to clean it up for you? You start taking for granted that all the pieces will get picked up! You even start using that person just a little bit here and there; to better fit your schedule.

Have you ever stopped and thought about the fact that that person may feel used? Ever wonder if that person will ever just say, "Enough! I won't do it anymore?"

Jesus fills those shoes, doesn't He? He offers us "grace" to make it through our day. He offers comfort and joy, laughter and tears. He stands beside us as we get bogged down with too much stuff to do, and cleans up the mess as we go onto the next project. The only difference that I have found in my life is that Jesus NEVER gives up.

It's something that I think I will never understand. How can He continually pick up my scattered pieces and put everything back together again? How many times have I done something with the thought that I know He will forgive me? What a dangerous mindset to be in. It is at this point that we just cheapened the Grace that He gives and have taken Jesus Christ for granted!

He had nails piercing His Hands and Feet. He hung on a cross with His Blood dripping off of Him. He was beaten beyond human recognition. He did that for me? He died so that I could live? And we choose to live lives full of sin and unrepentance because we know He will always take us back.

Can we for a minute fathom a life without God's Help? That's what Grace is, you know. God's Help. He offers it to us pretty much free. He already paid the price for us to have it. He got to have a front row seat to watch His ONLY Child suffer. He did the unthinkable for us! Then He gets to sit in that same front row and watch us trample all over His sacrifice! He watches us cheapen what He did for us. He pursues us and calls us back to Him, wanting so badly for us to live a life that brings Glory to His Name. Sadly, half the time (or more), He is left cleaning up after the messes we make.

What is your choice going to be? Who is ready to step up to the plate? Anyone feel like they live a life that cheapens the sacrifice that was paid? I dare you right now, to fall on your knees and repent of the attitude that so many of us fall prey to. The attitude of forgetfulness! Do whatever it takes every morning to remember the price it took to give you a ticket into Heaven. Don't fall prey to the lifestyle of cheapening it! Grace came after a pretty hefty price was paid! It's time that we repay Him with our lives! Take a good look at who you are and what you have become. Ask Him to give you a new and clean heart. Renew your Spirit! He will do it, every time! How great would He feel to find us trying hard not to make a mess in the first place! Imagine His delight to finding you cleaning up after yourself! Life is not about us and our pleasures and comforts. Life is about Him. He doesn't owe us anything; we owe Him SO very much! Let's just make sure we don't get that confused. Grace comes because He wants to give it to us. Let's accept the gift out of a humble heart, rather than an expectant one. We aren't the ones with a crown on our heads; let's not act like we deserve anything.

Grace came at such a cost, let's not get caught cheapening it!

Useless Story

Useless Story

I took a book just the other day and decided to tape it shut with that heavy duty clear tape. I then passed it around the room and asked a whole bunch of kids what they saw. Most of the answers were obvious ones. "It's a book, it has pages, it has a title, etc..." I still hadn't heard the response that I wanted so I started prodding a little. When I asked them if they thought that there was a story in there they all answered yes! I asked them how they knew, and they told me that it was a book, and every book has a story. I begin to grin as my whole analogy starts coming together. I asked one last question: What would you do with this book if you had to clean your shelf off and throw something away? They all replied that this would be the book to go because it is pretty much worthless.

The point behind this story is simple. Each and every one of us has a title, has pages, and has some sort of story. If you are a Christian that story is laced with Jesus Christ and His story through you. But I am fearful that what many of us do is tape our stories shut so that no one can read them!

How do you know anything about Jesus? He has a story, doesn't He? And that story is in a book that is wide open for all of us to see! We were all changed because He never hid who He was but freely shared everything He was about.

Now how about you? Do you think that anyone out there could possibly benefit from reading your book?

A good question to ask yourself is whether or not you even know what your story is. My guess is that step one needs to be going back and recognizing where all Christ has put His Fingerprints. Go back and actually write down your story! That is a challenge I want you to take! You will find just how amazing God has been all throughout your life. How He has taken you from here to get you there. You will find redemption and restoration written all over your pages!

This week I want you all to pray for an opportunity to open your books and let someone be wowed by how awesome God is! Your story was not written to be put on a shelf, but instead to show someone else just how powerful He can be!

Borrowed Goods

Borrowed Goods

I found myself in a frustrating situation many years ago. We had gotten a "new" truck and someone wanted to borrow it. If any of you know my husband, you know that there was no way he would have ever said no. He just has that kind of a heart. He will let anyone, anytime, borrow anything that we have. Most of the time, we usually get the object back in great, if not better condition. This time however, we got the truck back with an empty tank of gas. Instantly I was mad. How could someone ask to use something, then give it back after using all the gas that was in it up, and not even think to refill it? I couldn't comprehend how someone thought that it was o.k. and acceptable to return a vehicle in that condition.

Dumbfounded me actually.

Can you think of a time that you had to borrow something from someone else? What kind of care did you take to make sure that you didn't break it, or get it dirty? How many of you actually tried to return it in better shape than when you received it?

My parents rent cottages from people every year for vacation up at the lakes. It has been a family tradition since I don't even know when. Our whole family used to come up, but it has dwindled down to our immediate family now. But it is still a blast... until that final day. My mom is a stickler for cleaning those cottages. We would end up cleaning for hours. It used to drive us absolutely crazy! But in the end, her way won favors. The people we would rent from would take money off because they knew that they wouldn't have to come in and clean after we had left. I am sure that more than once, we were told that it was cleaner than when we first got it.

1 Cor. 6:20 "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body"

What does this verse mean to you?

Well if you were bought, you were obviously for sale…right? And if there was one buyer, there surely was two…right? What did your buyer have to do to out bid the other buyer? Some of those sales get pretty ugly. I have seen people outbid others, and in the end, end up paying 3 times too much, just to win the prize. What price was paid for you?

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

Wow! What a price huh? Christ died to "buy" us. So in essence, our bodies are just being borrowed…right? So do we do the rest of that verse? Do we honor God with our bodies? Are you living like you have something borrowed you are using? Do you view your body as something that you can use as you wish, or do you view it with a sold sign stamped across it?

Think about how you would feel if your truck came back empty. Would you be a bit upset too? Now think about how God feels to see us using our bodies for things that do not glorify His name!

 

The price He paid is matchless. There is no way we can ever repay the debt. He knows this too…so He has made a plan up. Honor Him with our bodies. He gave His Son's body and life for yours, the least you can do is dedicate your body to Him.

 

Just think, the day will come when you will have to face God. Wouldn't you love to hear to Him say, "WOW….I think it looks better than when I gave this to you. Great job!"

 

The battle is hard, and the road is long! Keep fighting to keep your "borrowed body" shined up good. You never know when you will be asked to "give it back".

Windshield Wipers

Windshield Wipers

I have the worst windshield wipers ever. Even if there is just a tiny little sprinkle happening, without fail, as soon as I turn them on, it smears the water to a point where it would have been better if I would have left them off. You can just imagine how worthless they are when it is a down pour!

One thing that I realized the other day though, was that I have had the same wipers for a few months. Why I can't remember to change them, I don't know! When there is no storm, I forget all about the need. It is only when the rains come that I know without a doubt just how foolish I was in not preparing. I truly can't see a single thing through all the water that is clouding my view. I find myself trying to find the white line, the yellow line, or the grassy edge…anything to just keep my focus on the road! Sometimes there is no other choice but to stop completely in fear of wrecking.

How about you? What happens when the storms of life start coming down? It may start as a trickle and you may think that you have time; but just how many of us rush out right away and prepare for the true battle that is ahead?

In Ephesians it states "when the day of evil comes". In every study of that phrase it claims that there WILL be a day that comes when evil will hit! There is no maybe about it! God tells us to withstand satan, to persevere under trials, to constantly seek Him and lay all our burdens at His Feet! Do you do all of those things? Or are you like so many that don't even recognize satan or his schemes, therefore you don't engage in any battle, finding that you keep all your troubles heaped on your own shoulders, causing you to stumble and fall; leaving you exhausted and confused, without a hope in the world of persevering?

Are you in a place where you just want some clarity? Do you feel like you can't hear Him clearly? Today is the day when you need to refocus on HIM! It is a battle every single day, but I assure you that it is a battle that you desperately need and should want to win!

Psalm 9:10

"Those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You!

Do you KNOW His Name? The word "Know" in this verse means: to learn to know, to know by experience. It is about seeking Him with your whole heart so that when the storms do hit, you will have the confidence that He will be shining bright for you to focus on. You will KNOW that He is the rock you need to cling to! It is all about changing your wiper blades way before you need them to see through the rain! It is about being prepared to face any trial and struggle you have with the confidence that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do!

I want you to walk away from reading this with a renewed reminder that the day to get to know Jesus is not tomorrow…it is right now! The day to start fighting is today! We are never promised tomorrow and too often, we live as if we are!

Prepare yourself right now for the battle that is guaranteed to come! Fight with all you are worth and never take your eyes off of Him! Live with the confidence that when those first drops start hitting your windshield, you will, without doubt be able to wash them away and see clearly the rock that will guide you home!

Hot Water

Hot Water

There is nothing like a really hot shower when you just need to relax. In fact, there are days when you could stand in there forever. The other day was one of those days for me. It was like I was closed off to the world and everything that was swirling around in my schedule. I had an appointment that was just looming…but I was willing the clock to stop moving. Finally there was no other option but to shut the water off and face the reality of the day!

So many times when God prods us to do something, we just stay in our little comfort zone and wish that we didn't have to step out into the "cold". We know what He is asking us to do, but man, the discomfort that we fear freezes us into staying right where we are and not taking a chance on God.

He has an agenda. He is calling the lost! He has people that He is pursuing (a lot!). He has a lost world that He is continually calling to Himself. He puts people in our walks every day that He wants us to talk to. He gives us opportunities all the time to engage in this fight. And every day, tons of people stay under that hot water and tune it out. You know, God is going to get done what He wants. It isn't like if we decide to not jump in, then all those people will never get reached. He will just enlist someone else. You will have to watch someone else get to do for God what you could have done. This has happened to me, and let me tell you right now…the regret is so thick, it makes me want to choke!

What is it in your life that God has prompted you to do? Is there something that you just kinda shelved and walked away from? The challenge today is to say yes! Don't get so comfortable in your little world that you miss the rewards that God wants to pour out on you! The opportunities are endless. If you think you are too busy to do anything for God, then you are in trouble at the heart of it all. If you don't actively pursue Him every day, I am afraid that one day you will look back and wonder how you fell so far from Him!

The hot water is nice, but the longer you stand in it, the harder it becomes to take a step away. But remember that the hot water is a diversion…it will soon run out. And probably about the time that the opportunity has passed you by. Get out before you miss out!

The only thing you need to be totally comfortable about is not being comfortable at all! Get to a place where you are ready and willing to change whatever needs to be changed, whether it's plans, schedules, routines, or your heart and attitude! Then you will be right where you need to be, to be ready to jump when God starts calling!

Do something for me right now…ask God to move you out of any area where you are "too" comfortable. Then get ready! The ride is way worth it!

Stuck Pages

Stuck Pages

I love to read. On most of our trips, I take 500 books and constantly have one in my hands. It helps my hubby out a lot because then he doesn't have to constantly hear me jabbering, or screaming that he needs to slow down ;). On more than one occasion he has calmly asked me to just keep reading.

The other day I was doing just that. We were almost to the hotel and I was getting into a good part of the book. I flipped the page and just kind of sat there, a little confused. The page that I had turned to made no sense at all. It was like the story line changed completely around. I flipped back and forth a couple of times before I realized what the problem was. There were 2 pages that got stuck together. A full 2 pages of words that were skipped, leaving me with a story that just didn't completely make sense. After I unstuck them, I continued on and the story was crystal clear once again.

How many of us want to glue part of our pages together? Is there a place in your past that you would rather just skip over and not share with anyone?

I have learned along the way, that if you ever truly want to get to know someone, you have to know where they came from and what they walked through. Have you ever heard that phrase "you need to walk a mile in their shoes"? Well that is so much truer than you know. It is impossible to "judge a book by its cover". But yet, so many of us do exactly that!

If you look back on your past, how many of you really ever have shared everything? How many of us glue maybe ages 16-21 together and pick back up at 22? We may summarize a whole 5 years into one simple phrase: "those were my rebel years". Or something like that! Our books will never make sense to anyone except those people that walked through it with us and actually watched you write those pages. So everyone else only sees bits and pieces. They have a distorted view of who you really are and why you are the way you are!

So if you have glued your pages together, don't you think that the person you maybe can't stand might have a few stuck pages too? It might be surprising to you to really get to know them before snap judging who they are. (I, by the way, am the worst at this!)

Jesus came for not just you and not just me! I heard part of a Casting Crowns song this morning that says "Jesus paid way too high a price, for us to pick and choose who should come". Wow! I find myself picking and choosing…what about you?

I want to challenge every one of you to change our mindset on a couple of things! First off, what would it take for us to go back through our own books and tear apart any pages that may be stuck? I know that it may be painful…definitely more for some than others. But, I want you to think about how freeing for you and eye opening for others that may be! One thing with testimonies that I have learned: they are not for my pats on the back! They are so powerful when we openly share everything because it shows the redemptive powers of Jesus! It shows that He can love a wretch like me, pick me up out of the mud, wash me clean, and USE ME!! It shows that no one is helpless and no one is worthless! It shows Jesus' story through you!

So think about that as you change your mind set on one more thing. How we view others and how we love them too! Remember that they have things hidden just like you. Something in where they have been has made them who they are today! Before you write them off, look for the hidden pages and after reading everything, you may just find that their story makes so much sense!

Let's all remember why we are here: for Jesus! We aren't here for ourselves or to bring ourselves glory. If you want to keep the selfish mindset, then keep those pages glued together! But if you want to fully live out the purpose of bringing glory to God…start tearing apart any and all pages that you have tried to hide! You will see the effects reaching so many! They too will see just how powerful Jesus can be!

Green Light

Green Light

The other day I was sitting behind a truck at a stop light. The vehicle in front of me was big enough (or maybe I was too close), either way, I couldn't see the light. All of the sudden, I hear the truck start to take off and instinctively, I put my foot on the gas pedal too. It wasn't until I was half way through the intersection that I thought about how stupid that was. I did not even look to see if the light had turned green. I just watched the person in front of me and did what they did. The results were fine this one time, but just think of the tragedy that could have come out of that had someone been coming and I wasn't really supposed to go yet!

This same habit is something that many of us do in our spiritual walks too. We sit behind someone that may be a "leader" and just wait until they start moving. Without even second guessing whether it is right or not, we start going when they do and assume we are going to make it through the intersection without crashing.

If you are not a natural leader, I am not dogging you. I am not saying that everyone has to lead. Every situation has a leader and followers. It is just the way it is! But what I am saying, is that we have got to make sure God has given us a green light at the same time that He gave them one too! Not always is God saying "this is the path that I have for you". He may have given clear direction for the person you follow to start walking. But He may want to mold your heart a little more before sending you out. Or whatever the case may be!

Once we get into this habit of walking without first looking, we start to depend more and more on what we want to do and less and less on what God wants us to do! Our purpose becomes to look to see where the leader is going and doing that, instead of stopping to look at where God is working and joining Him!

Let's put the brakes on, and for some us, put it in reverse! Each of us has to take time to seek Him out on our own! That is why it is called a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus. Someone else's won't get you into Heaven, my friend! You are going to have to learn to "Be still and know that I am GOD." Not follow the person that you think is a Christian and do what they do. He made us all with special gifts and equipped us all with unique talents. If you wait on Him and His timing, you will be right where He wants you to be and will be able to use all those specials things He has given only you! The joy, peace and fulfillment that you will have will make you hesitate before ever plowing through the next stop light! God's purpose is right; His timing is never late or early! Follow Him and there is no way that you will ever be in danger of getting blindsided and crashing!

I love you THISSSSSS much!!!!!

I love you THISSSSSS much!

The other morning I was watching my 4 year old little boy playing in the sink. I was overwhelmed all of the sudden with just how much I loved him. I told him, "Kolt, I love you!" Without even looking at me, he said, "love you too." It just wasn't enough for me! I said, "No, Kolt I mean I REALLY LOVE you!!!". Again without even looking at me, he repeats, "love you too mom." I was hit with the realization that he had no clue how much I really love him, or what I would do for him.

How many times a day does God get overwhelmed with the thought that He REALLY loves us? I look back over my day and realize that He was trying to truly tell me, and I must have responded with a simple, "love you too", if I even responded at all.

 

I wanted to grab Kolt and make him look me in the face until he realized that I really, really loved him. But I think even then, he wouldn't be able to fully understand. He can't fully understand because he doesn't fully know the whole story. He sees Luke and I for who we are supposed to be; his parents. Our jobs are to feed, clean, and play with him. If we are doing that then he is good to go. Not too much more to think about. But on our side of it, it is about sacrifices. The more we sacrifice, the more we love. That is my theory at least.

Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 both say the same thing:

"where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

My heart used to be wrapped up in things that I wanted, places I wanted to go, games that I wanted to play. Now my days are wrapped up in fruit loops, candy land, and swing sets. But you know what? I love it! It has come at a cost, though. The cost is giving of yourself for the happiness and goodness of another person. It is hard not to get selfish and greedy. But in the end, it is worth it. I know that none of my 3 kids can comprehend until they have given of themselves as we have for them.

 

It is because of this that I know that I will never be able to understand God's Love for me either! I try. I certainly feel it at times! But when He is really trying to tell me, I know that I probably make Him frustrated when my answer is nonchalantly "yeah I know!" But He still keeps on loving me!

Psalms 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.

Do you know how many times the phrase "His Love endures forever" is mentioned in the Bible? 41! There are times that I don't feel like loving. I get hurt and disappointed. I get frustrated and mad! It makes this verse so much more impactful doesn't it? When we don't feel like loving, He never quits! When we feel like walking away, He promises to always be there!

I understand more clearly now why the first part of the verse is there. Thank You ~Thank You~ Thank You~ that Your Love endures forever! What would we do if He got upset and reacted like we do? This thought alone, makes me want to praise Him for being who He is rather than who I am!

 

Most of us would lay down our lives for our kids, wouldn't we? At all cost we would protect them! You would, most likely, not even need to think about your reaction. It would just happen, without regret. Sacrificial Love.

 

Now think about laying down your own child's life for the life of someone else. Could you volunteer to do that? Even if you knew that the people would not even be thankful for your sacrifice? Even if you knew that people would forget all about it? I honestly can say that I don't think I could ever do that! But God did! There was no one else standing in line and raising their hand to go first! He knew what needed to be done and He did it!

 

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

This is why I know without a shadow of a doubt, that I can't comprehend how much He loves me! I can never give what He gave! He gave the unthinkable because He loved me and you! Even knowing that we would reject His gift and spit in His face! The truth is: you and I were worth it for Him! How can we ever truly thank Him? A lifetime of loving Him is all He requires, but it doesn't seem even close to being able to cover the cost!

 

You hear of parents giving up on their kids. You hear of parents leaving them behind. I personally can't even imagine. I can see kids getting so mad that they leave you, but never a parent. Sadly, it happens every day. Thankfully with God though, He promises that nothing can separate us from Him. Romans 8:39 "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We can get mad, we can wander away, we can say hurtful things. But He still will fight for us and love us like crazy! Just like the prodigal child, He will be waiting with open arms! Satan will try his hardest, but he can't separate us! Others may laugh and point and call us names, but they can't separate us! We serve a God that pursues us and wants nothing else but to have us walking in His truth! He has given the greatest sacrifice for us to have a glimpse of what true love is.

 

My kids have taught me many things, but none with the same meaning as when they spread their arms really wide and say, "mommy I love you THiSSSSSS much!". I think, at this point, that they might, just might understand how much I truly love them! It's with this analogy that I kind of begin to understand just how much God loves me too.

 

He watched His only Son spread His arms on that cross. It was as if He was saying right to me: "I love you thissssss much!" Amen!

 

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."