CHALLENGE BOX

What are you holding tight too?  This week I challenge you to take whatever is weighing you down, off of your shoulders and hand them over to God.  Quit trying to control everything and take it one day at a time!  Remember that the more that you try to control, the more you will worry.  I have proven this theory more than just one time!  Give God control of your thoughts, and everyday, walk around with hands wide open!

Then What?

Then What?

I have a son that is 3 weeks older than his cousin. Almost immediately we could see that these 2 boys couldn't be more differentJ! It has made us chuckle many times to watch how each one will handle a situation in their own little way. Kolt (mine) is a full speed ahead kind of kid. He doesn't take time to think through the fact that bones may break if he jumps off of something tall; that running full speed with your hands full may result in a face plant. He just goes. Ethan (my nephew) is the polar opposite. You can almost see his wheels turning as he contemplates the consequences of each choice before he makes it. He has a great grasp of the need of asking himself "then what?" before making a series of choices that will only land him in trouble or get him hurt.

I have had the opportunity, if that's what you want to call it, to watch many people (including myself) make some wrong choices that have landed them on a road they never imagined existed much less that they would travel it! It was one that they didn't choose out right, but rather got there by not stopping and thinking before plowing ahead with their own agendas. They failed to ask themselves the "then what?" question.

Sin has a really tricky way of trapping us before we even know that we are walking on thin ice. It can start out really innocently. It ALWAYS is a progression! Here are some examples. Just imagine how different it could have been if the "then what" question would have been applied at the beginning of these situations.

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  Getting to know someone and claiming that you only held hands…nothing was hurt…then what? Where will it lead from there? A little kiss? Then what?
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  You were at a party and only tasted the mixed drink. Everyone was doing it and it wasn't like you got drunk…then what? The next weekend you realize that nothing happened with a little sip, so why not try just a little more…then what?
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  You were swamped at school and could barely keep up, cheating didn't really count because you were only doing it this one time to not fall behind further…then what? It was pretty easy and really convenient…maybe just one more time!...then what?
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  You were too tired to wake up for church…your week was so packed, you just needed this one day to sleep in…then what? The next week you have something going on that you just can't miss, and the following week you have to clean the house, etc…then what?
  
  
  
  Are you getting the picture yet? One little time left unchecked can and will easily lead you to many more times of making wrong choices that turn into addictions and habits. In every one of these situations you find yourself looking back and wondering how you ever let yourself get so far off track.
  
  
  
  I want to paint a different "then what" picture. One that hopefully will leave you wanting something different than what your life may be looking like right now!

Imagine getting up 15 minutes(or more) early every day to start it in Bible study…then what? Then as you walk through your day, you pray continually, never breaking your dialogue with God…then what? You seek Him before making decisions and strive to have your choices match up to His Word…then what? He begins to stir your heart and equips you to do some pretty amazing things!...then what? You find opportunities to share Him with others around every corner….then what? You lead people to a stronger and deeper relationship with Him…then what? You see change start to happen in the community around you…then what? You find yourself smack dab in the middle of God's Will for your life..then what…you grow old…you look back on a life that was jam packed with making Jesus famous!…then what…you hear this:

Mt 25:21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

Now look over the two roads that you can choose. Know without a doubt that every choice has a "then what". Would you rather find yourself hurt, broken, and beat up, or does it make more sense to stop yourself right now. Be still before God and ask Him the "then what" question. There may be something right now in your life that will only lead you to a lot more headache than you want. Especially when it can all be avoided!

You many think that you can handle whatever it is you are doing, but let me assure you that you are not as invincible as you think. Anytime you put yourself in situations where the end result could land you in trouble, you can bet that satan is right there beside you saying that just one more step won't hurt anything! GUARNTEED!

We are stronger than this! We have a God that is stronger than this! He has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to fight the schemes of satan. Don't give in, don't give up and certainly don't run ahead without asking yourself exactly what will be the "then what"!

1John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Playdoh

Playdoh

Jeremiah 18:4 "But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him."

I had an opportunity 2 weeks ago to take a really good look at what condition my heart was in, not only now but in the past. I know my testimony, I have given it several times, and I could give it a million more without even thinking about it. But something was different this time around. I really prayed and sought God's perspective on it. I realized, maybe for the first time, that some of my mistakes that I continually have blamed others for were actually choices that rested squarely on my shoulders alone. Sure, I may have been influenced in one way or the other, but when it came down to it, it was my choices that landed me in the pits that became home for as long as I kept digging them.

God began to reveal to me that there were 3 different stages that my heart went through. During my high school years, I was a sand hearted rebel. I did whatever I wanted, making choices that were a byproduct of a very prideful heart. I knew who God was, but I had never yet chosen to walk with Him, nor make Him my savior. This lead to years of choices that I am still paying for today. Pits that have lasting effects that I battle daily to stay out of. Regrets are usually always a part of this heart condition, and I have plenty of them.

The second stage that He revealed to me was the stage where my heart was instantly turned to stone. This happened almost immediately after I became a Christian. Instead of seeking out a relationship, I tried hard to follow what I thought a Christian was supposed to look like. A human perspective that caused me to build very thick walls around my heart. Even as I was saying that I was choosing God, a part of me was choosing a religion rather than a relationship. Although this has not handed me near as many regrets, it has been the hardest to get out of. You have to understand, that even though I was living as a Christian, I was still not allowing my heart to be molded by HIM.

One day though…Christ picked up a chisel!
 

I don't know why…but I am telling you that when I sit and think about that moment it drops me so fast and has me praising so loud. As I am sitting here typing, I have this feeling in my stomach that is just screaming, "why me?"!

This, of course, leads me to my most recent stage that my heart is in. This is where my little analogy comes into play…

Have you ever seen a little kid play with playdoh? My kids love to get every single color out, and build huge elaborate things all over my table. They twist and turn it. They shape it into chicken nuggets, houses, trees, birds, baby dolls, etc. The list is endless to what they have made. It is fun…as long as they keep it in the house. The problem starts when one of them decides to play with it in the stones. You can imagine what is going to happen next can't you? Without fail, as soon as they would take it outside it would "accidently" fall out of their hands into a pile of stones. It isn't the kind of stone that is so huge that it wouldn't stick, it is the type that is really little and not only sticks, but embeds into the playdoh. Tears start flowing as they come find me, hoping that I can fix it. In my mind, I am thinking, no way…might as well pitch it. But as I take a look at their streaked faces, I know that I have to try. So I start picking each piece out one by one. It is pretty easy to get the ones that are visible. I think that I am finished about 20 times, before I feel another one just under the surface. It's the ones that are embedded into the playdoh that are hard to get rid of. To be able to get every single one, I have to constantly massage through it, sometimes ripping it apart and putting it back together again. It is like finding a prize when one begins to surface so that I can get rid of it.

This sums up the stage my heart is in now. It is just like this ball of playdoh that has been dropped in the stones. I wish that I could be the piece that never came outside, but it is too late for that. I chose to leave the house a long time ago. But as I dropped my heart over and over again into the rocks, and covered it with stone chips, embedding them deep inside, I realized that all it took was for me to come running to my FATHER with tears streaking down my face and hands wide open for Him to pick up my mess and start fixing it. It has taken me being ripped apart and stuck back together, it has taken me allowing Him to continually shape and form, massaging out all of the little stone that are hidden. I know that my heart may never be removed of all the pieces that are either left behind from my sand days, or are fragments of my stone walls. It is sad for me to think that I messed up so badly at times! But one thing I do know…God is NOT giving up on me! He will never look at my heart and say "it's too messy". He continually is finding pieces that He wants to mold into His masterpiece. I am at the point, where I don't ever want to take it back and drop it again. So I stand beside Him with expectancy in my face, and hope in my heart that one day, every piece of stone will be removed and I will be exactly the way He wants me to be. But in the mean time, I will leave my hands wide open to Him and keep my heart in full surrender to the only one that can make me whole again!

Psalm 139:23-24  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Heaven is closing in, every day we are just one step closer. If that is your goal, if that is your end destination, I want to leave you with one question. Do you want to give God a heart filled with rocks, or are you going to give Him control right now of your playdoh mess? Let me assure you that you are never the one with too many rocks, or too big of a mess. Don't let the enemy tell you that you can't be fixed! God is patient, full of grace, promising never to leave us. He will pick out every single rock as long as you willing let Him! Trust me…if He can fix me, He can fix you! Don't give up…the fun is just beginning!

Last Minute

Last Minute

Ecclesiastes 8:7-8 "Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death.

The other day I was doing laundry in my new washing machine. I finally got a front loading washer simply because my other one broke beyond repair. I was admiring all the new digital lights and settings, when I realized that it had a timer that counted down to the last minute. I was amazed and stared at it until it started playing this little musical tune, signaling that it was finished.

I just wonder if there is a timer like that for our lives. Does a little choir of angels start singing a song, signaling the end?

Ever hear about planes crashes that leave nothing in tact except a sacred little black box? They search the wreckage endlessly until they locate it. All for what? Why is it so special? It's special because it records the last minutes in someone's life. It is a treasure to find out exactly what was said before they were taken. It is simply priceless.

So what would you say if I told you that we all have those little black boxes? The difference in yours and mine though, is that it is trapped in people's memories. It is not an actual physical box, but rather scattered images that tons of people have as they encounter you for what may be the last time.

My question for you is how do you want to be remembered? What do you want people to say about how you left them? Will their memories reflect your true self, or will it be a distorted view of a person that you don't want to be? Do you show people Christ? Or do they catch you in a moment of weakness?

God wants us to be prepared to meet Him at any moment, and since we don't know when our timer is going to run out, I think that we need to start living like this could be our last minute!

~CHALLENGE BOX~

Challenge for the week:  Before your feet hit the floor, make a conscience effort to  commit your day to God.  Asking Him to open your eyes to the battle, and arming yourself to come away victorious.  Asking also that He will lead you where He wants and put the people in your path that He wants you to influence! (then be aware all day of any God moments and write them down!)

you guys have been great!  this blog is absolutely a blast to have!  thank you for all the encouragement that you have sent me!  God is good...even when it seems like He has forgotten you, HE HASN'T!!  remember that He never changes, so if it seems like He is far away, you can't blame Him!  I am going to start posting weekly challenge boxes.  I hope that you all are growing from the devos, but now it's time to put a little action into play too.  i'd love to hear how you are all committing new things to the Lord!  Keep encouraged!  it is way easier to fight this battle with a whole bunch of warriors!  so glad you are joining the army!

Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard Boiled Eggs

The other day I was making brownies with my youngest son. My friend taught me a new trick in making them better. I now put 2 boxes together for a really thick brownie with a crusty outside and a chewy middle….soooo good! With using 2 boxes, it causes me to use double the ingredients also. This particular day I needed 4 eggs. Eggs are something that you just assume you have enough of and never really check. This day was no exception, with confidence, I opened both packages without knowing if there were enough or not. There weren't. I had 3, not 4. While I was contemplating what I should do, my son, remembering that he had seen a container of eggs in the fridge, decided to check again for me. Sure enough, he had found several more eggs. I could tell that he was excited to be able to show me his find. There was just one problem with the eggs he found; they were hard boiled. Even after I explained to him that they were not the right kind, he was still wearing a very confused expression on his face. They looked the same. They came in the same container. To his little mind, there was no difference.

But what a difference there was! This is when God starting opening my eyes to the lesson He wanted me to learn through this brownie making experience.

From the outside, a heart is a heart. There are not many differences if you are just looking at them. But to God, who knows better, there are day and night differences.

Just like those brownies, God needs specific ingredients to make His missions the way He wants them. He knows the outcome the He wants and He won't settle for any substitutes.

I think that at times, we feel that we are the right person for the job. We really want to be used and we really know that we can get it done right for God. Then we are confused when it seems that He has chosen someone else for the "assignment". Why not me? I have asked myself this question many times.

The problem with that question is that we are asking in the wrong way. Most times, I think that it comes out a little huffy. We feel that we were overlooked. We feel shorted. We feel that we need to make ourselves known. We want to make sure that God knows that He overlooked something pretty good. Instead, we need to take the attitude of humbleness. Instead of being arrogant, we need to ask "why not me?" in a way that makes it about wanting to really know what needs to be changed. Why He didn't feel my heart was ready.

Psalms 139:23 " Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."

 

We have to be able to go to God and ask Him this verse and be fully prepared to hear His answer. If we don't want to hear the answer and don't want to change what He says to change, then we are in some serious danger. Our hearts won't change appearance all that much. But instead of being able to be the right form to be used, we will become like a hardboiled egg. We will be passed up when the time comes to get the mission done. We will not be able to be used. Is it worth it to you? I think it is time for all of us to have a heart checkup. Find out what category of egg that you fall into! If you find yourself a little bit on the hard boiled side and want a change, ask God to change you around! Be ready though! When He is done with you, you might just feel like a pile of scrambled eggs! But don't fear…God will get you to where He wants you to be. Useable. Useable if you are willing. If you can get there, I can guarantee you that God will want to use you somewhere! You won't be overlooked to get a job done! You won't sit in the fridge useless while there are brownies to be made! You will be chosen! Be ready!