According to one poll, 83% of American's identify themselves as Christian. While another poll cited that 70% considered themselves Christians, and nearly half shared that they attended church on Sundays.
Let's take the lower number for this blog, let's stay with the 70% for a moment. Taking into account that 70% of American's consider themselves Christians, is it believable that our country is in the state that it's in?
According to some data online (search yourself if you'd like) On average, 93 American's are killed with guns in a day. There are 12,000 gun related homicides in a year. In 4 months time, as of this moment right now, there have been 342,135 abortions. (romans322.comdaily-death-rate-statistics.php) I've only taken murder as an example because it is the most extreme form of violence- the taking of someones life, a person who doesn't want to die. Every being, the moment it begins to take a life form, yes, at the moment of conception, that being begins to have a "will." People have been murdered since the beginning of time.
"Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering— fat potions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.' Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." Genesis 4:3-8 MSG
Doesn't that just make you sad? More than sad, grieved? God even had a pep talk with him about doing what is right and yet he still carried out his plan to kill his brother. If we as the 70% of Christians in the US, if we were doing what is right, do you think there would be as many murders as there are in our country? We don't have the authority to take another persons life! I know, you're thinking- I've never murdered anyone... Okay, let's move onto something a bit lighter but problematic, because— a sin, is a sin, is a sin.
I really enjoy reading my Bible, like look forward to it each day. I can't wait to spend time with my Daddy at the end of the day. I love going to sleep with His word on my mind. I tell you what though, it's worthless unless I actually apply it to my life. THIS is where we get these statistics of the 70%-83% of Americans being Christians. This is where the truth come ushering in.
"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:23-24
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22
Can you imagine looking in the mirror, walking away and forgetting what you just saw? It's as though you never looked in the mirror at all. Or committing to sitting down to watch your favorite movie of all time, spending two hours watching it and not remembering a single thing you just saw. James is a difficult book to read for many, it stings to read such things that remind us how senseless it is to read the Bible and do nothing about it— living as though we've never read a single page. To put it another way, writing on your resume for a job that you know how to tear down the engine of a car and rebuild it. You get hired, based on this admission. Your boss sets you to work, you have an engine to tear down and rebuild. You haven't the faintest idea how to do it, finally, you admit to him that you read about it once. How much longer will you have that job, if you're not fired on the spot. This is something we can't fail at friends! This is not the time to be hearers and not doers. Our fellow humans need us. They need us to be who we say we are. Have you considered that this is why some folks don't like "us?" Because we're just as nasty as the rest of the world and yet, we claim to be something else? If you're not applying what the Bible says or what you hear at church on Sunday, you're deceived and you're doing nothing more than keeping a seat warm at church.
"If i could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophesy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient... keeps no record of wrong... never gives up... endures in every circumstance... They're just words if they're not lived out. Do you have any idea how often this scripture is used during wedding vows? But the truth is, the love that is spoken of is to be applied— everywhere and to everyone!
"A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you live one another." John 13:34-35
Jesus loved us so much He died and rose again. That's some serious love. I still can't, at times, wrap my head around that one. Not only did He die for me, He died for everyone. We are called to love everyone. "Yeah but this one woman I work with always says horrible things to me." "There's this one girl scout mom who gossips untrue things about me." "This one guy is just a ****."
I know... It's not easy. And sometimes we just don't want to love but this is where yielding comes in. Yielding to the Jesus within us. He's in there if we have a relationship with Him and if we're in the Word everyday. It's a matter of setting our flesh aside and yielding to His will which loves at all times. Oh my gosh, the blessing! The pure and utter blessing it is to be like Christ and to be Christ to others! Leave people wondering "What is so different about him or her?" Don't you want to be that person? Don't you want to be an individual and not blend in with the pale landscape of the crowd? Oh man, the life! Doing everything as unto the Lord gives so much more meaning to life! Life will never be boring or pointless ever again, I assure you of that.
We need to stop just being "hearers" and become faith in action. Become love in action. Can you imagine what our country would look like if the 83% that claimed to be Christians behaved like followers of Christ? Or even the 70%? Think about that for a moment. 7 out of 10 people you encountered acted or spoke from a heart full of love. The ripple effect that would occur, if the 3 that are cut from the equation came toe to toe with Christ every single day, being the minority- possibly wondering if possibly the way they're living isn't right. Maybe they don't have to be angry all the time. Maybe they don't have to hate. Maybe they can be kind. Can you imagine the influence for the Kingdom you would have? All for God's glory and how beautiful it is!
Go and BE Jesus to others. Go out and love. Go out and love on others from the outpouring of Christ's love in your heart. If you're not familiar enough with God's word, don't be afraid to read it. In fact get excited about reading it, it will change you but I guarantee it will change you for the better. It has that effect on us, it's a beautiful thing. All glory and praise to God! All for His glory!
Be blessed today friends by blessing others.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
When your heart breaks
I used to think I was a nice person when I was younger... I was nice to the people I knew, I would give them the shirt off my back if they needed it. Paying for lunch was my pleasure. I wasn't afraid to smile at strangers. I'd watch the news and hear stories but would carry on with my life. I figured as long as it wasn't near me or wasn't anyone I knew, it was almost as though it wasn't real. It was on TV, it didn't feel real. I avoided thinking about the pain, I didn't want to. Who wants to feel pain? But the truth was, my heart was stone. Until I met Jesus my heart was made out of stone. He is the only one who can give us a new heart, one that is soft and kind. No matter how good we think we are, we have no shot at anything perceived as goodness unless Jesus is our savior. And even then, the goodness that does come from us is in fact His goodness radiating from us.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
My heart broke in an irreparable way. Sure, I don't walk around with my head hung low, sobbing every day anymore. God soothed and mended my broken heart but the crack that occurred 3 years ago is still there. It doesn't hurt the way it used to. Now, I feel, mostly love pours forth from it. It wouldn't have been possible without God, this I assure you.
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 146:3
I absolutely counted on that scripture to become a reality in my life and eventually, after I stopped trying to force myself to live again, that scripture became a reality to me. It wasn't just some quaint fragment that someone once shared with me. It was something I read and was written on the tablet of my heart. I prayed and poured over it. I begged that it would become real to me because I didn't want to be lost in the darkness anymore. And once I began to reemerge again, I felt the Spirit tell me that the crack in my heart that I suffered would remain because that was where His light would shine through. I had two choices; be bitter or let His light shine through- through my deepest pain. Here I am. I'm not bitter. I don't "feel" broken. My heart swells with His love and my own wonderment. He is my strength. He is my peace. He is my rock and my salvation.
I often look back across this journey with Cookiepants and dote upon the work of God in our lives. The utter lengths we've been taken to and the lessons we've learned from them and the growth that we've yielded. But none of this would have been made possible had our hearts not been stripped bare of all the "worldly overgrowth." Whether it's the correct answer or not, I've come to the determination that this was necessary. God is still sovereign. He is still on the throne. He will birth good from this, He already has.
I look into Cookiepants' eyes and wonder what she sees? Does she see her mom? Or am I just some nice lady that kisses her and tells her she's beautiful? Does she know that I love her? Does she know she's safe here with us and that we'll care for her even unto our last breath? Will she stay here for a while longer? These are some hard questions that pass through my mind, often. I try not to ask them or even entertain them in my mind because they're far more painful than anything any parent truly wants to think about. They often cause me to cry, from deep within the crack in my heart- the one that never fully healed but yet, is mended. God is there. God is here. I've often prayed that when Cookiepants is quietly giggling to herself, the angels are telling her about her life here, in a way that she understands. I pray that they tell her how much we love her and that I feel honored to be her mom. Oh when those bright blue-green eyes look up at me, I feel nothing but love. A love like no other I've ever felt...
So you see, the break is still there. God has filled it in and continues to, in a way only He can. I'm happy to let Him, He will do a far better job than I ever could. One last bit of encouragement—
"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8
He will. I assure you of this one thing. Earnestly seek Him in your brokenness and He will be there.
We live in a fallen world, where fallen things happen. But God is good, all the time. There is nothing about Him that isn't good. We often don't understand the things that happen in the world, I certainly don't. I don't love this world, I love many people who are passing through here... But there is a place where things are all made right. I yearn for it. I long for it. There is an "alarm" that often goes off within me, reminding me of how wrong the world is... I am grateful this isn't my home. But Jesus is making a place for me and for anyone else who trusts in Him. I will be elated when-
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4
One day dear friends... One day.
Be a blessing to someone today, they need it.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
My heart broke in an irreparable way. Sure, I don't walk around with my head hung low, sobbing every day anymore. God soothed and mended my broken heart but the crack that occurred 3 years ago is still there. It doesn't hurt the way it used to. Now, I feel, mostly love pours forth from it. It wouldn't have been possible without God, this I assure you.
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 146:3
I absolutely counted on that scripture to become a reality in my life and eventually, after I stopped trying to force myself to live again, that scripture became a reality to me. It wasn't just some quaint fragment that someone once shared with me. It was something I read and was written on the tablet of my heart. I prayed and poured over it. I begged that it would become real to me because I didn't want to be lost in the darkness anymore. And once I began to reemerge again, I felt the Spirit tell me that the crack in my heart that I suffered would remain because that was where His light would shine through. I had two choices; be bitter or let His light shine through- through my deepest pain. Here I am. I'm not bitter. I don't "feel" broken. My heart swells with His love and my own wonderment. He is my strength. He is my peace. He is my rock and my salvation.
I often look back across this journey with Cookiepants and dote upon the work of God in our lives. The utter lengths we've been taken to and the lessons we've learned from them and the growth that we've yielded. But none of this would have been made possible had our hearts not been stripped bare of all the "worldly overgrowth." Whether it's the correct answer or not, I've come to the determination that this was necessary. God is still sovereign. He is still on the throne. He will birth good from this, He already has.
I look into Cookiepants' eyes and wonder what she sees? Does she see her mom? Or am I just some nice lady that kisses her and tells her she's beautiful? Does she know that I love her? Does she know she's safe here with us and that we'll care for her even unto our last breath? Will she stay here for a while longer? These are some hard questions that pass through my mind, often. I try not to ask them or even entertain them in my mind because they're far more painful than anything any parent truly wants to think about. They often cause me to cry, from deep within the crack in my heart- the one that never fully healed but yet, is mended. God is there. God is here. I've often prayed that when Cookiepants is quietly giggling to herself, the angels are telling her about her life here, in a way that she understands. I pray that they tell her how much we love her and that I feel honored to be her mom. Oh when those bright blue-green eyes look up at me, I feel nothing but love. A love like no other I've ever felt...
So you see, the break is still there. God has filled it in and continues to, in a way only He can. I'm happy to let Him, He will do a far better job than I ever could. One last bit of encouragement—
"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8
He will. I assure you of this one thing. Earnestly seek Him in your brokenness and He will be there.
We live in a fallen world, where fallen things happen. But God is good, all the time. There is nothing about Him that isn't good. We often don't understand the things that happen in the world, I certainly don't. I don't love this world, I love many people who are passing through here... But there is a place where things are all made right. I yearn for it. I long for it. There is an "alarm" that often goes off within me, reminding me of how wrong the world is... I am grateful this isn't my home. But Jesus is making a place for me and for anyone else who trusts in Him. I will be elated when-
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4
One day dear friends... One day.
Be a blessing to someone today, they need it.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Waking up
"All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:8-10
"Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding." Proverbs 15:32
"They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." Ephesians 4:18
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
"I have given then your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." John 17:14-16
We are in a time and have been for some time now, that needs your careful and full attention. You are no longer in a comfortable and familiar place. The things that happen around you are no longer acceptable, nor have they been for quite some time now. Every single thought that streams through your mind each day, not everyone of them is your own. If ever there were a time that I needed you to read this until the end, I implore you to do so now. This is important. This is life saving. This is soul saving. You know you have a soul, right? Something so highly coveted by an enemy that wants nothing more than complete and utter destruction of your soul. He will stop at nothing in order for that to happen. But we have weapons; wisdom, the Word and Jesus. All these in combination with one another will keep us from the snares of the enemy that searches endlessly for ways to trap us into his schemes.
In this world today there is more information available to us than there ever has been. It's remarkable really. I can pop on the internet in a moments notice and find out just about anything I want in a flash. Whether it's song lyrics; what actor was in that one film, when the Eiffel tower was built or what ingredients are needed to make a cake from scratch. It's all there. Everything I could possibly want. It's great but we have a few problems with it.
There is a lot of information but not enough wisdom. Wisdom comes from only one place, God. It's been a slow process really. One that was designed not to cause alarm and it was successful. Once upon a time when all the televisions were aglow in each home and long before Wi-Fi, Maybe even before the advent of radios, I'm not sure... But people used to read their Bible in order to gain wisdom. Through prayer more wisdom was gained and throughout the daily life those things learned in the Bible and from God we applied and perfected. You lived in a town where you knew the man up the road was great at fixing shoes and the woman down the street baked the best pies. And your husband, well, he was the local doctor. No one had degrees, they just knew how to do what they did- and you know what, they were good at it. God gave them the wisdom to do these things, the gift of doing these things.
You see, we live in a time now where there is so much information out there but no wisdom. We have adopted the idea also to have institutions that dole out a degree- stating that so in so know how to do such and such and should handily fit into the community serving out their deemed diploma. Head knowledge may enable you to do so but it is wisdom that overrides head knowledge, especially in the face of something that obviously contradicts the head knowledge. We have puffed ourselves up so big that we've made up in our hearts and in our minds that we just don't need God anymore. We've begun to worship ourselves and our ability to retain and recite information. Information- that's all it is. Especially when it contradicts common sense and evidences in the contrary. We are essentially playing God with our lives and the lives of others because we continue to assert our own way.
Do you see how the enemy has snuck in? His plan to ruin us all and continues to perpetuate because we keep caving in. We call it empowerment but we're not empowered to have "our own way" because it's the enemies way, he's convinced you it's your idea or your plan. Not every thought you have is your own. Do you not see that the enemy whispers in your ear? He has a plan for your life just as well as God does. The enemies plan is destruction. God's plan is to prosper you. Which path will you choose. If you don't believe me when I say this, I pray this message stay somewhere in the back of your mind and comes around back to the forefront of your mind before it's too late.
World hunger is a most disturbing topic. 21,000 people die a day from hunger. They starved to death. Can you imagine that? They were so deprived for so long that they actually died. "Corn is the primary U.S. feed grain accounting for more than 95% of total feed grain production and use. More than 90 million acres of land are planted to corn, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region. Most of the crop is used as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed." Google search results.
World hunger would literally end, yes, end, if there was no longer a desire to eat and consume animal products. Think about that for a bit.
Our food that we have modified, whether you believe it or not, is killing us. We have altered the structure of plants and their yields. Introducing "non-food" sources to them, making part of them "not food." Our bodies then, don't know how to break down something that isn't food. Not being able to pass it though the body, the body them stores it in the soft tissues. Later, causing various odd and foreign problems and diseases. Do you ever wonder why cancer is on the rise? Or why all these new diseases are coming about? Or why there is a new prescription drug for everything imaginable under the sun? 128,000 people die each year from prescription medications and that number is on the rise, heart disease; 614,348. Cancer; 591,699. We're doing something wrong here friends, something has gone terribly wrong. If we have more "information" than ever, shouldn't we be getting better?
If we did what we were supposed to do in the first place, we wouldn't have to go this route. We wouldn't have to be pushed to the end of ourselves and our health and our sanity before an alarm goes off.
There is an almighty God that has an answer for everything under the sun. And He has a Son who died for you. God knows everything! Literally everything. He created everything- He once called everything "good." What we have here now, is not good. It's not even close.
So all of us with our degree's; head knowledge, experience, opinions and bloated views of ourselves- we need to just stop. Stop what you are doing. Silence what you are thinking. Put your degree aside and consider what is really going on around you! Are you really so certain of what you've learned that you can't manage to humble yourself and consider the possibility that it's a lie and it's meant to perpetuate a machine that you are only a mere cog within? Yes, a cog. A cog in a machine that is far more wicked that you can even begin to imagine! If it doesn't bring healing; wholeness, health, prosperity, love and the grace and beauty of God- that machine you are taking part in is evil. Where ever you spend your money, you are casting a vote. Where ever you go, you are supporting a business what supports...? What do they support?
There is an all out assault launched against us human. We have to start peering behind the veil and humble ourselves enough to say- "I don't know it all but I know the One who does!" Do you know how many belief systems have come and gone? How many sciences books have been retired due to being proved false? Feelings change, nothing should be based on feelings. Just think about diets for a moment- how many have there been that were sworn to be the one that would work? They all took your money and went laughing all the way to the bank. We've been given over to traps and schemes. There is only one way to navigate them, God. That is all, just God. There is no magic pill here to dash everything away. It's going to be work but it will be a joyous work. There will be a peace in your heart like no other.
We must humble ourselves acknowledging that what we see around us isn't right and that we can no longer participate in it. Our very soul hangs in the balance. God has the answers. His Son died to give us life. Ask God for wisdom and He will give freely of it to you.
I urge you friends to just think about what you're doing... Seek God's wisdom. We need to rise up and fight to put an end to the foolishness and return to a time where everything is simpler. Life has been made far more complicated, unto the point where it is literally out of control. If you can't see that it's out of control, take a look around you. My heart aches as I type these words, we can't continue on this way. Open up the Bible and read God's word, answers are within it's pages. And God is eager to hear from you and to be included in your life. He really does love you, far more than anyone of us could possibly understand.
Much love and blessings dear friends.
"Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding." Proverbs 15:32
"They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." Ephesians 4:18
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
"I have given then your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." John 17:14-16
We are in a time and have been for some time now, that needs your careful and full attention. You are no longer in a comfortable and familiar place. The things that happen around you are no longer acceptable, nor have they been for quite some time now. Every single thought that streams through your mind each day, not everyone of them is your own. If ever there were a time that I needed you to read this until the end, I implore you to do so now. This is important. This is life saving. This is soul saving. You know you have a soul, right? Something so highly coveted by an enemy that wants nothing more than complete and utter destruction of your soul. He will stop at nothing in order for that to happen. But we have weapons; wisdom, the Word and Jesus. All these in combination with one another will keep us from the snares of the enemy that searches endlessly for ways to trap us into his schemes.
In this world today there is more information available to us than there ever has been. It's remarkable really. I can pop on the internet in a moments notice and find out just about anything I want in a flash. Whether it's song lyrics; what actor was in that one film, when the Eiffel tower was built or what ingredients are needed to make a cake from scratch. It's all there. Everything I could possibly want. It's great but we have a few problems with it.
There is a lot of information but not enough wisdom. Wisdom comes from only one place, God. It's been a slow process really. One that was designed not to cause alarm and it was successful. Once upon a time when all the televisions were aglow in each home and long before Wi-Fi, Maybe even before the advent of radios, I'm not sure... But people used to read their Bible in order to gain wisdom. Through prayer more wisdom was gained and throughout the daily life those things learned in the Bible and from God we applied and perfected. You lived in a town where you knew the man up the road was great at fixing shoes and the woman down the street baked the best pies. And your husband, well, he was the local doctor. No one had degrees, they just knew how to do what they did- and you know what, they were good at it. God gave them the wisdom to do these things, the gift of doing these things.
You see, we live in a time now where there is so much information out there but no wisdom. We have adopted the idea also to have institutions that dole out a degree- stating that so in so know how to do such and such and should handily fit into the community serving out their deemed diploma. Head knowledge may enable you to do so but it is wisdom that overrides head knowledge, especially in the face of something that obviously contradicts the head knowledge. We have puffed ourselves up so big that we've made up in our hearts and in our minds that we just don't need God anymore. We've begun to worship ourselves and our ability to retain and recite information. Information- that's all it is. Especially when it contradicts common sense and evidences in the contrary. We are essentially playing God with our lives and the lives of others because we continue to assert our own way.
Do you see how the enemy has snuck in? His plan to ruin us all and continues to perpetuate because we keep caving in. We call it empowerment but we're not empowered to have "our own way" because it's the enemies way, he's convinced you it's your idea or your plan. Not every thought you have is your own. Do you not see that the enemy whispers in your ear? He has a plan for your life just as well as God does. The enemies plan is destruction. God's plan is to prosper you. Which path will you choose. If you don't believe me when I say this, I pray this message stay somewhere in the back of your mind and comes around back to the forefront of your mind before it's too late.
World hunger is a most disturbing topic. 21,000 people die a day from hunger. They starved to death. Can you imagine that? They were so deprived for so long that they actually died. "Corn is the primary U.S. feed grain accounting for more than 95% of total feed grain production and use. More than 90 million acres of land are planted to corn, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region. Most of the crop is used as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed." Google search results.
World hunger would literally end, yes, end, if there was no longer a desire to eat and consume animal products. Think about that for a bit.
Our food that we have modified, whether you believe it or not, is killing us. We have altered the structure of plants and their yields. Introducing "non-food" sources to them, making part of them "not food." Our bodies then, don't know how to break down something that isn't food. Not being able to pass it though the body, the body them stores it in the soft tissues. Later, causing various odd and foreign problems and diseases. Do you ever wonder why cancer is on the rise? Or why all these new diseases are coming about? Or why there is a new prescription drug for everything imaginable under the sun? 128,000 people die each year from prescription medications and that number is on the rise, heart disease; 614,348. Cancer; 591,699. We're doing something wrong here friends, something has gone terribly wrong. If we have more "information" than ever, shouldn't we be getting better?
If we did what we were supposed to do in the first place, we wouldn't have to go this route. We wouldn't have to be pushed to the end of ourselves and our health and our sanity before an alarm goes off.
There is an almighty God that has an answer for everything under the sun. And He has a Son who died for you. God knows everything! Literally everything. He created everything- He once called everything "good." What we have here now, is not good. It's not even close.
So all of us with our degree's; head knowledge, experience, opinions and bloated views of ourselves- we need to just stop. Stop what you are doing. Silence what you are thinking. Put your degree aside and consider what is really going on around you! Are you really so certain of what you've learned that you can't manage to humble yourself and consider the possibility that it's a lie and it's meant to perpetuate a machine that you are only a mere cog within? Yes, a cog. A cog in a machine that is far more wicked that you can even begin to imagine! If it doesn't bring healing; wholeness, health, prosperity, love and the grace and beauty of God- that machine you are taking part in is evil. Where ever you spend your money, you are casting a vote. Where ever you go, you are supporting a business what supports...? What do they support?
There is an all out assault launched against us human. We have to start peering behind the veil and humble ourselves enough to say- "I don't know it all but I know the One who does!" Do you know how many belief systems have come and gone? How many sciences books have been retired due to being proved false? Feelings change, nothing should be based on feelings. Just think about diets for a moment- how many have there been that were sworn to be the one that would work? They all took your money and went laughing all the way to the bank. We've been given over to traps and schemes. There is only one way to navigate them, God. That is all, just God. There is no magic pill here to dash everything away. It's going to be work but it will be a joyous work. There will be a peace in your heart like no other.
We must humble ourselves acknowledging that what we see around us isn't right and that we can no longer participate in it. Our very soul hangs in the balance. God has the answers. His Son died to give us life. Ask God for wisdom and He will give freely of it to you.
I urge you friends to just think about what you're doing... Seek God's wisdom. We need to rise up and fight to put an end to the foolishness and return to a time where everything is simpler. Life has been made far more complicated, unto the point where it is literally out of control. If you can't see that it's out of control, take a look around you. My heart aches as I type these words, we can't continue on this way. Open up the Bible and read God's word, answers are within it's pages. And God is eager to hear from you and to be included in your life. He really does love you, far more than anyone of us could possibly understand.
Much love and blessings dear friends.
Friday, March 24, 2017
If these walls could talk!
I thought for sure this post was going to happen yesterday but yesterday had other plans. I woke up thinking about what to write about but nothing stood out at me. The days where I wake up with something on my mind and on my heart to write about tend to be the most successful.
First of all, I just want to thank my faithful readers, it appears that my readership has grown here on this blog. So, I'm excited and grateful for that! So thank you dear reader friends, sign up for email alerts every time I post on here. I try my best not to disappoint and to just keep it real here. I figure so much of the world is a mirage, I feel compelled to speak truth and life. With that being said... Onto today's post.
Here it is, the day is here— moving day! Am I scared? No. Nervous? A little... I just want everything to go quickly and smoothly. My husband is in charge of orchestrating the moving portion of it, so I have full confidence in him! Originally they forecast rain for today but they've changed it several times. I think they've decided it will rain but not until later today. *sigh* This is Wisconsin after all folks and the weather is never predictable.
I've been feeling a bit emotional the last few days as I gaze around each room, now packed (as neatly as possible) in boxes. What a wild and crazy almost 5 years here. So much life was lived here- in a relatively short time. There were so many life lessons I learned while living here, mostly hard ones or ones that came at a great cost. There were so many tears here, there was a lot of praying done here, a lot of crying out. But there was also a lot of planning and praising and laughter. There is no real way to condense everything I learned down into one blog post, it would probably be a short novel filled with bullet points. So, I will do my best to pass along the big ones, the real head scratchers.
Life isn't about stuff or what you accomplish, it's more about who is in your life and how you treat them. This was a difficult and frustrating lesson in some ways. There is nothing like tragedy to separate the real deal from the fakes. The people who are in remain while the "only when the sun is shining" type of people disappear. Wow! This was a real eye opener. This was a hard lesson. But you take a deep breath in, remind yourself that God is sovereign- which means He's sovereign in your relationships too.
Life isn't about you, it's more about them. Whoever them is, whether it's your spouse, your children or anyone else God has put in your care. It's about them, not you. Sure, take care of yourself too but you're not number one.
Stop trying to control everything it is a fruitless endeavor. Really, it is. You will be frustrated and far more exhausted that you would be if you just handed it over to God! Just surrender. It will be the wisest decision you've ever made. But what if things don't turn out the way I wanted them to? Or what if it's not what I want. What if I'm not happy? -------Do you hear all the I's in there? Oh yeah, it's not about ME. Forget the "I" and let go and let God! Your life is not your own anymore and God has a plan for your life, find out how you can follow it. Relinquish control, there is freedom to be found there.
Worrying is stupid. No, really it is. It's so pointless. Do you have any idea how many nights I've been kept awake most of the night with worry? Maybe you've suffered the same self inflicted torture. It was dumb wasn't it? Did it turn out to be the disaster you were picturing in your head? Probably not. Why do we do this to ourselves? It's so stupid. Just stop. Once again, let it go. God is already ahead of you anyway. Let Him handle it.
Sanctification isn't church attendance. If you go to church and help at the local food shelter and donate to this or that charity- don't be counting yourself as the biggest saint there ever was. And certainly don't be looking at others who don't do those things as sinners. God looks at the heart of a person. We can't go ahead and get caught up in a whole mess of "works" of the flesh and think, I got to church or help this or that person, I'm good... No, we must examine ourselves— daily! Examine ourselves daily before God. Father, please reveal to me anything within me that displeases you or isn't of you. It's a hearty prayer but a good one.
Life is less about doing and more about being. Oh boy this one really spun my head around once I really sunk my teeth into it and got it. It's life's finest art, it truly is. I will preface this short blurb by saying I wrote an entire book on this subject matter because this has been, for me, the most freeing experience I have ever crossed paths with. The book is called "Human, Being." It has been changing the lives of the people who have been reading it and I feel so honored God set me on the path to such a touching and meaningful writing project. Please check it out, I'll leave the web address at the end of this blog. Okay, being. Yes, just being. Not doing- everything- all the time. That's what we as humans have been conditioned to do, is do everything. We twist; contort, control, bend until we break— literally. Stop! Stop the madness, stop trying to do everything all at once! Slow down. Enjoy life. Take it all in. This is the finest experience of life, just being. Being who God created us to be! Oh this one is so good, so freeing, so life giving.
Throw away the picture you have in your head because it will become your enemy. That picture you have in your head of how things should be will mock you and cause you more grief than you could ever connect the dots enough to understand. I'm not calling you stupid, what I'm saying is that the small picture we have for our lives has much deeper roots than we realize and the ripple effect is far more reaching than we could ever imagine! I have no idea how many lives I reach and touch through my writing. I don't know until a reader reaches out to me and tells me and even then I still don't know about the many others. The picture you've set in your mind of what life should look like will be your downfall. First of all, God has a grand plan for all of our lives and it's far bigger and more extravagant than we can envision. Secondly, by setting a picture in our minds of precise specifications you are setting limits for yourself when we worship a limitless God. God isn't a genie so I don't think it would be wise to treat Him as such but He is limitless. He hears your prayers dear friend, ask. And my third point here is; by setting preconceived pictures in our mind, when things fall desperately short of those pictures we are infinitely disappointed. Now, if you're willing to go along with God's plan- which you cannot see, you have no expectation other than the fact that God will lead you.
Different isn't bad. Different is just different. When Cookiepants was born she wasn't what we expected, she came out needing all types of help, serious medical help. She was born different than us. This was difficult to accept, we had no indication while I was pregnant that anything was wrong with her. It didn't matter to us that she wasn't what we expected, we loved her no less and actually, have come to love and cherish her even more than we ever could have imagined. I lead a different kind of life, ranging from my life as a wife and mother and even down to my diet. I handle things differently than most people do. When some panic and worry, I'll pray. When out to eat for a nice meal, some order steak- I'll order just vegetables. I'm quite firm in what I believe, it's taken me my entire life to come to these conclusions and decisions and I've felt as though I've been lead here by the Holy Spirit. It's where I am, this is my life. I've learned not to judge others just because they're different, it's a constant and conscious practice. Every time I encounter someone new or someone I know, conversations are exchanged, opinions are exchanged- there is no room for judgement. From me or from them. It's not my place to judge and their life isn't mine, we haven't walked the same path or come to the same conclusions. One of the greatest mistakes you can make is assume you're being judged by someone with firm beliefs. Just because they believe something in an unshakeable way doesn't mean that they're looking at you, believing you're wrong because you're not living the way they are. Make sense? I'm vegan. When I walk into a restaurant and see meat on everyone's plate I don't think to myself- "look at all these meat eaters, what a bunch of disgusting low life jerks, eating their meat happily." (Really, I don't) What I think about is how I used to eat meat and what it was that I was brought to in my life to make the decision to go vegan. I will never win over a person in the case of veganism by telling them how "wrong" they are and shoving my beliefs and facts down their throat. How many souls have been won over in the case of Christianity like that? By living in this way you're playing the role of judge. So both parties are guilty of passing judgement. Let others live their lives and be different and love them. Sure, share truth with them, whether it's health related, the Gospel or whatever it is, share truth but don't judge and don't try and force your hand. We're called to plant seeds in the lives of others, God takes care of growing those seeds.
Oh I knew I was going to run into this, it's too hard to pick just a few things to talk about here. If these walls could talk I would need to learn how to type faster so I could take better notes. It really has been a wild and crazy last several years, I can't believe the people who are walking out of this place. Who we've become and the people God is shaping us into being. I am so blessed and feel so honored.
Just a couple last minute things because it's nearing the hour of commotion... If you feel as though you can't go any further be prepared to go just a little bit further. That's where growth happens and that's where the fruit is. And the things you think that you can't accomplish are the very things you should fight hard to accomplish through prayer and just doing it. Those will be crowning accomplishments! Those will be a part of your testimony of your life. Those will likely be points scored for the Kingdom.
Well, I think that's it for now. It's bittersweet closing up a last blog post in this home. So much was learned and accomplished here. I hope this has helped at least one person. Keep going, life is turbulent at times and at others times we're on the highest mountain peaks! Hang on, cling to Jesus. He really does know what He's doing and He never does leave. I can say that with certainty. We've endured enough to know He has never left our side and we know He is already awaiting us in our new home. It's so exciting, this new chapter we're embarking on. I have no idea what lay ahead but I know the One who does.
Much love dear friend, I hope you have an especially blessed day!
First of all, I just want to thank my faithful readers, it appears that my readership has grown here on this blog. So, I'm excited and grateful for that! So thank you dear reader friends, sign up for email alerts every time I post on here. I try my best not to disappoint and to just keep it real here. I figure so much of the world is a mirage, I feel compelled to speak truth and life. With that being said... Onto today's post.
Here it is, the day is here— moving day! Am I scared? No. Nervous? A little... I just want everything to go quickly and smoothly. My husband is in charge of orchestrating the moving portion of it, so I have full confidence in him! Originally they forecast rain for today but they've changed it several times. I think they've decided it will rain but not until later today. *sigh* This is Wisconsin after all folks and the weather is never predictable.
I've been feeling a bit emotional the last few days as I gaze around each room, now packed (as neatly as possible) in boxes. What a wild and crazy almost 5 years here. So much life was lived here- in a relatively short time. There were so many life lessons I learned while living here, mostly hard ones or ones that came at a great cost. There were so many tears here, there was a lot of praying done here, a lot of crying out. But there was also a lot of planning and praising and laughter. There is no real way to condense everything I learned down into one blog post, it would probably be a short novel filled with bullet points. So, I will do my best to pass along the big ones, the real head scratchers.
Life isn't about stuff or what you accomplish, it's more about who is in your life and how you treat them. This was a difficult and frustrating lesson in some ways. There is nothing like tragedy to separate the real deal from the fakes. The people who are in remain while the "only when the sun is shining" type of people disappear. Wow! This was a real eye opener. This was a hard lesson. But you take a deep breath in, remind yourself that God is sovereign- which means He's sovereign in your relationships too.
Life isn't about you, it's more about them. Whoever them is, whether it's your spouse, your children or anyone else God has put in your care. It's about them, not you. Sure, take care of yourself too but you're not number one.
Stop trying to control everything it is a fruitless endeavor. Really, it is. You will be frustrated and far more exhausted that you would be if you just handed it over to God! Just surrender. It will be the wisest decision you've ever made. But what if things don't turn out the way I wanted them to? Or what if it's not what I want. What if I'm not happy? -------Do you hear all the I's in there? Oh yeah, it's not about ME. Forget the "I" and let go and let God! Your life is not your own anymore and God has a plan for your life, find out how you can follow it. Relinquish control, there is freedom to be found there.
Worrying is stupid. No, really it is. It's so pointless. Do you have any idea how many nights I've been kept awake most of the night with worry? Maybe you've suffered the same self inflicted torture. It was dumb wasn't it? Did it turn out to be the disaster you were picturing in your head? Probably not. Why do we do this to ourselves? It's so stupid. Just stop. Once again, let it go. God is already ahead of you anyway. Let Him handle it.
Sanctification isn't church attendance. If you go to church and help at the local food shelter and donate to this or that charity- don't be counting yourself as the biggest saint there ever was. And certainly don't be looking at others who don't do those things as sinners. God looks at the heart of a person. We can't go ahead and get caught up in a whole mess of "works" of the flesh and think, I got to church or help this or that person, I'm good... No, we must examine ourselves— daily! Examine ourselves daily before God. Father, please reveal to me anything within me that displeases you or isn't of you. It's a hearty prayer but a good one.
Life is less about doing and more about being. Oh boy this one really spun my head around once I really sunk my teeth into it and got it. It's life's finest art, it truly is. I will preface this short blurb by saying I wrote an entire book on this subject matter because this has been, for me, the most freeing experience I have ever crossed paths with. The book is called "Human, Being." It has been changing the lives of the people who have been reading it and I feel so honored God set me on the path to such a touching and meaningful writing project. Please check it out, I'll leave the web address at the end of this blog. Okay, being. Yes, just being. Not doing- everything- all the time. That's what we as humans have been conditioned to do, is do everything. We twist; contort, control, bend until we break— literally. Stop! Stop the madness, stop trying to do everything all at once! Slow down. Enjoy life. Take it all in. This is the finest experience of life, just being. Being who God created us to be! Oh this one is so good, so freeing, so life giving.
Throw away the picture you have in your head because it will become your enemy. That picture you have in your head of how things should be will mock you and cause you more grief than you could ever connect the dots enough to understand. I'm not calling you stupid, what I'm saying is that the small picture we have for our lives has much deeper roots than we realize and the ripple effect is far more reaching than we could ever imagine! I have no idea how many lives I reach and touch through my writing. I don't know until a reader reaches out to me and tells me and even then I still don't know about the many others. The picture you've set in your mind of what life should look like will be your downfall. First of all, God has a grand plan for all of our lives and it's far bigger and more extravagant than we can envision. Secondly, by setting a picture in our minds of precise specifications you are setting limits for yourself when we worship a limitless God. God isn't a genie so I don't think it would be wise to treat Him as such but He is limitless. He hears your prayers dear friend, ask. And my third point here is; by setting preconceived pictures in our mind, when things fall desperately short of those pictures we are infinitely disappointed. Now, if you're willing to go along with God's plan- which you cannot see, you have no expectation other than the fact that God will lead you.
Different isn't bad. Different is just different. When Cookiepants was born she wasn't what we expected, she came out needing all types of help, serious medical help. She was born different than us. This was difficult to accept, we had no indication while I was pregnant that anything was wrong with her. It didn't matter to us that she wasn't what we expected, we loved her no less and actually, have come to love and cherish her even more than we ever could have imagined. I lead a different kind of life, ranging from my life as a wife and mother and even down to my diet. I handle things differently than most people do. When some panic and worry, I'll pray. When out to eat for a nice meal, some order steak- I'll order just vegetables. I'm quite firm in what I believe, it's taken me my entire life to come to these conclusions and decisions and I've felt as though I've been lead here by the Holy Spirit. It's where I am, this is my life. I've learned not to judge others just because they're different, it's a constant and conscious practice. Every time I encounter someone new or someone I know, conversations are exchanged, opinions are exchanged- there is no room for judgement. From me or from them. It's not my place to judge and their life isn't mine, we haven't walked the same path or come to the same conclusions. One of the greatest mistakes you can make is assume you're being judged by someone with firm beliefs. Just because they believe something in an unshakeable way doesn't mean that they're looking at you, believing you're wrong because you're not living the way they are. Make sense? I'm vegan. When I walk into a restaurant and see meat on everyone's plate I don't think to myself- "look at all these meat eaters, what a bunch of disgusting low life jerks, eating their meat happily." (Really, I don't) What I think about is how I used to eat meat and what it was that I was brought to in my life to make the decision to go vegan. I will never win over a person in the case of veganism by telling them how "wrong" they are and shoving my beliefs and facts down their throat. How many souls have been won over in the case of Christianity like that? By living in this way you're playing the role of judge. So both parties are guilty of passing judgement. Let others live their lives and be different and love them. Sure, share truth with them, whether it's health related, the Gospel or whatever it is, share truth but don't judge and don't try and force your hand. We're called to plant seeds in the lives of others, God takes care of growing those seeds.
Oh I knew I was going to run into this, it's too hard to pick just a few things to talk about here. If these walls could talk I would need to learn how to type faster so I could take better notes. It really has been a wild and crazy last several years, I can't believe the people who are walking out of this place. Who we've become and the people God is shaping us into being. I am so blessed and feel so honored.
Just a couple last minute things because it's nearing the hour of commotion... If you feel as though you can't go any further be prepared to go just a little bit further. That's where growth happens and that's where the fruit is. And the things you think that you can't accomplish are the very things you should fight hard to accomplish through prayer and just doing it. Those will be crowning accomplishments! Those will be a part of your testimony of your life. Those will likely be points scored for the Kingdom.
Well, I think that's it for now. It's bittersweet closing up a last blog post in this home. So much was learned and accomplished here. I hope this has helped at least one person. Keep going, life is turbulent at times and at others times we're on the highest mountain peaks! Hang on, cling to Jesus. He really does know what He's doing and He never does leave. I can say that with certainty. We've endured enough to know He has never left our side and we know He is already awaiting us in our new home. It's so exciting, this new chapter we're embarking on. I have no idea what lay ahead but I know the One who does.
Much love dear friend, I hope you have an especially blessed day!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Trust
It's been a long week and it's only Wednesday... This happens often. It's been a whirlwind few months, this happens often too.
Our trust isn't in ourselves alone because it's fallible. Our strength isn't in ourselves alone because our strength runs out. We don't rely on our own wit or wisdom because we can't see what will happen even 5 minutes from now. I do know Who has an endless supply of strength; wisdom and who is faithful. God!
God brings us through with each step, His Son never leaves our side. He is the steady hand on my shoulder as I work quickly to bring a fever down. He is the quiet voice amidst the crying, He is the calm in the middle of the storm. He is, I am.
We've seen Him present in everything over the course of the last several months. From the femur fracture with Cookiepants, to the surgery and it's timing and now this monster cold that has over taken her. We trust in His loving care to cause her to thirst again. We trust in the fellow believers praying on her behalf, that those prayers are affecting her recovery in a positive way. We trust in His leading, knowing what to do with her and when.
To the world and the worldly mind it sounds like utter madness but it makes perfect sense to us. There is this path we have been traveling along for a few years now that has brought us to this point. To a point of utter reliance and being present. We are here, being who God created us to be, doing or not doing the things He has ordained or asked us to refrain from. That is all. Worry doesn't cloud our thinking nearly as much as it used to. Worry doesn't add to a circumstance, it only takes away your presence of mind. Trying to do everything and all at once- no longer necessary. It never was necessary, we just hadn't understood that yet.
Though our problems aren't solved and our circumstances haven't changed much- though they've improved slowly, I still have peace today. We don't know what the day will hold, as it is unpredictable every day. There is no general thrumb to pick up on and ride the wave through the day. Floating through the day would take away from the intricate details, the little ones that are the reminders that God is still here and His hands are all over everything. I want to see that, I don't want to bury myself in mock busyness just to take my attention away from my current reality. I don't want to displace the pain because I know it would inevitably revisit me and show up somewhere else. Pain has a way of doing that. So don't avoid it, stare it in the face. Be bold. Be brave because God is right there with you.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do no be afraid." John 14:27
This is why I trust Him, if He said it, it will be so. Or the peace that surpasses all understanding. He said it, it will be so. I know that I can trust Jesus, trusting Him doesn't make things easier but I know His promises are true. Much of the things that happen, I don't understand but He does. And I trust Him.
We're still here being who God created us to be, exactly where we are supposed to be. Brighter things are on the horizon, we know this but for now, we trust in His timing and trust His direction.
We used to live within the most common option, which was to trust in ourselves for everything. It didn't work out well and we were exhausted. Trusting in God has alleviated much of the stress and mental and emotional exhaustion. This is where I would rather be, this is where I would rather live my life- over here with God.
With trust, comes peace. Reach out to the only one that knows, He will never leave you nor forsake you.
For more insight on this subject matter pick up a copy of: Human, being. Now available online.
www.lulu.com/spotlight/sarastjohn
sarastjohn.wixsite.com/author
God bless.
Our trust isn't in ourselves alone because it's fallible. Our strength isn't in ourselves alone because our strength runs out. We don't rely on our own wit or wisdom because we can't see what will happen even 5 minutes from now. I do know Who has an endless supply of strength; wisdom and who is faithful. God!
God brings us through with each step, His Son never leaves our side. He is the steady hand on my shoulder as I work quickly to bring a fever down. He is the quiet voice amidst the crying, He is the calm in the middle of the storm. He is, I am.
We've seen Him present in everything over the course of the last several months. From the femur fracture with Cookiepants, to the surgery and it's timing and now this monster cold that has over taken her. We trust in His loving care to cause her to thirst again. We trust in the fellow believers praying on her behalf, that those prayers are affecting her recovery in a positive way. We trust in His leading, knowing what to do with her and when.
To the world and the worldly mind it sounds like utter madness but it makes perfect sense to us. There is this path we have been traveling along for a few years now that has brought us to this point. To a point of utter reliance and being present. We are here, being who God created us to be, doing or not doing the things He has ordained or asked us to refrain from. That is all. Worry doesn't cloud our thinking nearly as much as it used to. Worry doesn't add to a circumstance, it only takes away your presence of mind. Trying to do everything and all at once- no longer necessary. It never was necessary, we just hadn't understood that yet.
Though our problems aren't solved and our circumstances haven't changed much- though they've improved slowly, I still have peace today. We don't know what the day will hold, as it is unpredictable every day. There is no general thrumb to pick up on and ride the wave through the day. Floating through the day would take away from the intricate details, the little ones that are the reminders that God is still here and His hands are all over everything. I want to see that, I don't want to bury myself in mock busyness just to take my attention away from my current reality. I don't want to displace the pain because I know it would inevitably revisit me and show up somewhere else. Pain has a way of doing that. So don't avoid it, stare it in the face. Be bold. Be brave because God is right there with you.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do no be afraid." John 14:27
This is why I trust Him, if He said it, it will be so. Or the peace that surpasses all understanding. He said it, it will be so. I know that I can trust Jesus, trusting Him doesn't make things easier but I know His promises are true. Much of the things that happen, I don't understand but He does. And I trust Him.
We're still here being who God created us to be, exactly where we are supposed to be. Brighter things are on the horizon, we know this but for now, we trust in His timing and trust His direction.
We used to live within the most common option, which was to trust in ourselves for everything. It didn't work out well and we were exhausted. Trusting in God has alleviated much of the stress and mental and emotional exhaustion. This is where I would rather be, this is where I would rather live my life- over here with God.
With trust, comes peace. Reach out to the only one that knows, He will never leave you nor forsake you.
For more insight on this subject matter pick up a copy of: Human, being. Now available online.
www.lulu.com/spotlight/sarastjohn
sarastjohn.wixsite.com/author
God bless.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
We had no idea...
I think back to 3 years ago when I was just a couple months pregnant with Lily... I try to remember the challenges I faced and my attitude and reactions to them. I try to think about what my idea of lost sleep was or what feeling "heart-broken" felt like to me then. I think about these things because I had no idea that I'd be sitting here, having experienced the things I have experienced since then.
I try to think about the things that used to get under my skin... Uncontrollably screaming children. Grinding teeth. Vomiting. No sleep. Opposition at every corner. Constant mind numbing pain in my back.
I think by now, you can guess where this is going. I'm there, all these things listed above happen or occur on a daily basis. If you know me, I don't seek pity. I have no interest in it, I write these blogs just to give a glance into the window known as our life. I view the aforementioned irritants as sandpaper to grind away at the things that never should have bothered me. Does that make sense? There are things we let bother us or that we judge but we don't know the back story behind those things. Maybe I made a mistake along the road and judged something or someone and that's why they're my sandpaper now. I don't know and I likely won't find out this side of heaven. All I can do is accept these things and move on.
I am not the woman I was 3 years ago, there may be a mere scrap of her left. Though I know we have suffered some form of PTSD from all of this, I feel like we're slowly coming out of it. My plan is to emerge from all this trauma stronger than I ever was, more certain of who I am. What matters most, is who I am in Christ and boy have I ever gotten to know that version of me better than ever. Never in my life have I had to depend on God so much, someday's just to get through the day in tact.
When we think about starting a family or expanding one, we get this cushy feeling. One of love and warmth and completion. I know I did. I still do. (no, we're not expanding the family anymore) When we embark on such a wondrous journey with our husband or wife, the mere thought of it is exciting! It's also scary because it's unknown territory, instead of 2 of us, there will be 3 or 4 or 5, etc. When we embarked on this journey, we had no idea that we would have such a high calling. A calling that only God could see us through.
I was never much for relying on people or asking for help, I was always a "I'll do it myself" kind of gal. I think or two reasons, one- people fail you and two- pride. I've come to realize that people still fail you but I've also come to realize that there's no room for pride in my life. I don't want anything to do with it, in fact, I pray the Holy Spirt continues to convict me of any pride.
Never in a million years did I think we'd have an unhealthy baby... Pride. There I stood, spiritually naked, pride-less. And all the things above that used to get under my skin, I was forced to replace with a feeling of love and sympathy.
There were so many things I didn't understand about life and the people here. There are still so many more things I don't understand and will likely never come into contact with in my lifetime. What I do know is that there were things that I had never experienced or dismissed as irritating that I am now faced with everyday. My heart swells with love for those of us who are on such a complicated journey... We all are really, as no two lives look the same. We're all faced with challenges and complications. But it's all a matter of how we view them. I guess I was just extra stubborn and the only way to change me was to break me. And the only way to get me to seek God or look to Him in every aspect of my life was to bring me to my knees.
We all bleed and breathe, we all desire love. In my early 20's I was blind to that fact. If you were lousy toward me, expect a double dose back! Now... I believe it's a waste of time and I'd rather just pray for them. For most of us, there are defining moments in life when that light bulb lights up above our heads. There will always be nay-sayers, don't let them stop you if you know it's right. We need to keep pressing on, moving forward, in the right direction. Our attitude defines who we really are! I know my attitude needed some fine tuning, though for now I'm still tired and my body is hurting I certainly feel like I have a greater purpose to my life. I was broken so that God's light can shine through me better. It was painful being stripped spiritually naked but I'm grateful it happened.
Keep pressing on friends, let your hearts be filled with love for those around you even if they don't treat you well. Pray for them instead. We've all walked a path none of us knows anything about, love on them rather than judge. I share this because I know at points and places in my life, I made these mistakes. Being broken isn't ugly, it's beautiful- God's light can shine through...
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Just passing through...
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it's own. As it is, you do not belong to the world but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: 'a servant is not greater than his master,' if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." John 15:18-20
I wanna pick this apart a little bit, really zoom in there if we can. "If the world hates you," let's start there... Why do they hate you? Are you a jerk or do they hate you because 'you take this Jesus thing too seriously?' Do you not share in all the world views? Do you follow along with Jesus when others think you've completely lost your mind?
If you're a jerk, knock it off! Life is too short to project your misery onto everyone else. And whether you believe it or not, you'll have to take account for everything you've done. We all will. I know I don't want to stand at the judgement seat of God and have to give account for a bunch of miserable things with no other excuse than my own sad attempt at excusing myself. No excuse holds water as far as God is concerned. But there is one way to get pardoned, Jesus.
So, you take the "Jesus thing" seriously... Fantastic! Jesus is far more real than your hand in front of you.
It is an immediate response to retaliate when someone makes an offense against you, right? It crosses our minds even if we don't follow through. Jesus says forgive 70 times 7, essentially He says, keep forgiving and don't keep track.
"As it is, you do not belong to the world but I have chosen you out of the world."
If you ever feel unspecial or unimportant, you're not. You were chosen, you are dearly loved by the God of the universe. He tells you in the Bible countless times! If you don't believe me, have a look for yourself. He also tells us not to worry about our lives here. I know that sounds hard to do because we do get a bit attached to things and people here but there is something far better than here. It is with Him in heaven. And He can tell you not to worry because He is assured of this place and you can be assured if only you trust and believe.
"A servant is not greater than his master, if they persecuted me they will persecute you also."
I'd have to say this one is pretty obvious, we're not exempt just as Jesus was not exempt. The Pharisees and other religious leaders of that time were always seeking to kill Him. Jesus was always ducking out of crowds and seeking refuge in quiet far off places any chance He could get. He was in trouble. He was an outlaw for the right reasons.
Are you an outlaw for the right reasons? Are you sought for advice and help? Is your insight requested?
It's quite alright to stick out in a crowd, Jesus certainly did. It's alright to be an outcast, Jesus was. If you take up your cross daily and follow the Lord and you're met with ridicule by those who are of this world, you're in good company. The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate ans narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it."
"Few will find it," -Wow, few... You are one of few. Checking google today, there are 7.4 billion people in the world right now. So of those 7.4 billion, few will find the narrow path that leads to life, eternal life, that is. I want to be one of the few. I will follow Jesus even while everyone around me doesn't understand or laughs at me. I will follow Him, He's more real than this temporal place that I live in. He's more real that my "real life problems," He's also bigger than my "real life problems." My problems and troubles pale in comparison to the glory that is coming! Oh what a fine day it will be.
I had it on my heart to share this message today, someone needed it, including me. It's a message I continually need to be reminded of myself, the world, the life, all seems to huge and so real sometimes. When really, we're only passing through. We've all got a set time here. We've all got a set list of goals to accomplish and lessons to teach others. One day it all will make sense, we're assured of this.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Adulting doesn't have to suck.
Psssssssst..... come'ere, I wanna tell you a secret... Come a little closer- there, that's perfect. You ready?
-Just because we're adults, our life doesn't have to suck... No really, It doesn't. -Yes, of course I'm serious, you don't have to look so bewildered.
I've recently come to the conclusion that it doesn't have to be all work and no play or laughter or planning everything to the nth degree. I've seen a meme going around the internet that the Bible says: "Fear not" like 365 times but I think it may actually be more. I haven't counted, that would take a lot of time. Okay, cross check, Google says it is indeed 365 times. So guess what, that's no coincidence and there is in fact one "fear not" for each day of the year!
Think about that for a minute, what is the root of all your adulting anxiety? I know what mine is, FEAR! I had one smart college professor that professed that fear was- False Evidence Appearing Real. That really stuck with me!
I still have days where my mind starts spinning out of control with all the what if's and believe me, there are a lot of them. But honestly, as of late, I really just don't care. They're not my problem. Jesus told me to come to Him and He would give me rest and give me His yoke which is much easier than mine. So guess what, daily (dismissing fear) I turn over my burdens to Him. He's got it. Yes, He's strong enough. Who else could have managed to die on the cross for all the sins of the world? God in the flesh, that's who.
With my new "fear not" banner waving proudly in the air (courtesy of Jesus, of course) I've had the distinct pleasure of feeling alive again. Yes, alive. No, I wasn't dead before but I surely wasn't living... I was getting by each day, head hitting the pillow exhausted. Oh I'm still tired some days, I'm human but my heart isn't so heavily weighed down with all the burdens of life.
We of course have a unique circumstance in our house, our daughter... Whose fate we can't be certain, we don't know any of our fates but there is one things we do know about our fate- where we're going. That is one thing that helps me sleep at night, should anything happen to any one of us, we will one day be together again. Thank you Lord Jesus!!! I can't thank Him enough and I can't manage to live my life enough for Him either! It's a debt I simply pay nor did He expect me to. He just wants me to trust Him. So, everyday I wake up there is an exchange that takes place. I hand over my stuff and He gives me His peace. Yes, It's that easy... There are times throughout the day where the enemy tries to steal it but it's as simple as readjusting my vision back to Him.
It has absolutely broken me how little I've been "living" rather than just getting by and surviving the day. Yes, broken. It's been like a thick cloud of oppression. It was dark and thick and miserable in there. I wasn't alone in there, maybe it was something I needed to go though to get to where I am now and have some staying power here. I never knew a sadness like I became acquainted with other the last two years, it was debilitating. There are still days where I feel emotional but I've learned that I need to experience them rather than suppress them.
On the difficult days I know I can kneel at the foot of the cross and surrender everything over to Jesus once more. There isn't a limit. There is no end to His love and understanding. He will never tell me to go away. And He will never leave my side.
I'm re-learning how to be an adult, the most responsible way I know how. It's been a matter of erasing everything I thought that I knew and replacing it with His truths. I'm letting go of the wheel and giving it over to Him, Jesus will do a much better job of avoiding the pot holes and pit falls of life than I will. I can have a bit more fun too because I'm not shouldering all that unnecessary responsibility that just isn't mine. It's not mine, say it with me. IT'S NOT MINE! Now give up. Really, it's safe, give up. Give it over to Jesus and start to live for Him rather than for whatever the world is telling you to live for. If you're living for Him, you're loving people in all the right ways. You're doing your part in the world but the stress is gone. Poof! Gone.
The heck with stress and anxiety and all those other awful things were plagued with. Screw them all! We don't need them, do we? Life is so hard that we don't even get out of here alive... Haha... sorry, a little humor there. But we can have eternal life and that friends, that is a beautiful thing!
Hey, don't let adulting get you down. Talk to Jesus, He'd love to hear from you and He'd love to share in your burdens with you and your triumphs. He's an amazing man.
I'm off to go color in my blanket fort, have a stellar day friends!
-Just because we're adults, our life doesn't have to suck... No really, It doesn't. -Yes, of course I'm serious, you don't have to look so bewildered.
I've recently come to the conclusion that it doesn't have to be all work and no play or laughter or planning everything to the nth degree. I've seen a meme going around the internet that the Bible says: "Fear not" like 365 times but I think it may actually be more. I haven't counted, that would take a lot of time. Okay, cross check, Google says it is indeed 365 times. So guess what, that's no coincidence and there is in fact one "fear not" for each day of the year!
Think about that for a minute, what is the root of all your adulting anxiety? I know what mine is, FEAR! I had one smart college professor that professed that fear was- False Evidence Appearing Real. That really stuck with me!
I still have days where my mind starts spinning out of control with all the what if's and believe me, there are a lot of them. But honestly, as of late, I really just don't care. They're not my problem. Jesus told me to come to Him and He would give me rest and give me His yoke which is much easier than mine. So guess what, daily (dismissing fear) I turn over my burdens to Him. He's got it. Yes, He's strong enough. Who else could have managed to die on the cross for all the sins of the world? God in the flesh, that's who.
With my new "fear not" banner waving proudly in the air (courtesy of Jesus, of course) I've had the distinct pleasure of feeling alive again. Yes, alive. No, I wasn't dead before but I surely wasn't living... I was getting by each day, head hitting the pillow exhausted. Oh I'm still tired some days, I'm human but my heart isn't so heavily weighed down with all the burdens of life.
We of course have a unique circumstance in our house, our daughter... Whose fate we can't be certain, we don't know any of our fates but there is one things we do know about our fate- where we're going. That is one thing that helps me sleep at night, should anything happen to any one of us, we will one day be together again. Thank you Lord Jesus!!! I can't thank Him enough and I can't manage to live my life enough for Him either! It's a debt I simply pay nor did He expect me to. He just wants me to trust Him. So, everyday I wake up there is an exchange that takes place. I hand over my stuff and He gives me His peace. Yes, It's that easy... There are times throughout the day where the enemy tries to steal it but it's as simple as readjusting my vision back to Him.
It has absolutely broken me how little I've been "living" rather than just getting by and surviving the day. Yes, broken. It's been like a thick cloud of oppression. It was dark and thick and miserable in there. I wasn't alone in there, maybe it was something I needed to go though to get to where I am now and have some staying power here. I never knew a sadness like I became acquainted with other the last two years, it was debilitating. There are still days where I feel emotional but I've learned that I need to experience them rather than suppress them.
On the difficult days I know I can kneel at the foot of the cross and surrender everything over to Jesus once more. There isn't a limit. There is no end to His love and understanding. He will never tell me to go away. And He will never leave my side.
I'm re-learning how to be an adult, the most responsible way I know how. It's been a matter of erasing everything I thought that I knew and replacing it with His truths. I'm letting go of the wheel and giving it over to Him, Jesus will do a much better job of avoiding the pot holes and pit falls of life than I will. I can have a bit more fun too because I'm not shouldering all that unnecessary responsibility that just isn't mine. It's not mine, say it with me. IT'S NOT MINE! Now give up. Really, it's safe, give up. Give it over to Jesus and start to live for Him rather than for whatever the world is telling you to live for. If you're living for Him, you're loving people in all the right ways. You're doing your part in the world but the stress is gone. Poof! Gone.
The heck with stress and anxiety and all those other awful things were plagued with. Screw them all! We don't need them, do we? Life is so hard that we don't even get out of here alive... Haha... sorry, a little humor there. But we can have eternal life and that friends, that is a beautiful thing!
Hey, don't let adulting get you down. Talk to Jesus, He'd love to hear from you and He'd love to share in your burdens with you and your triumphs. He's an amazing man.
I'm off to go color in my blanket fort, have a stellar day friends!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
The purpose in life...
Let me just preface this by saying, I love the book of Ecclesiastes... I think about the wisdom in just that book alone because I have a lot of time to think about life and what it's all about. I don't know many people who do enjoy reading it, if you don't interpret it correctly, it's the most depressing book ever! But I love it.
So, we're going to go through and ponder some of the things that are brought forth to our attention and how it relates to now. Don't be shy, read on. And No I'm not gonna hit you over the head with a Bible either.
"I have see all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecc 1;14
Now what do you suppose that means? He digs in...
"I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects; I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them...... I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." Ecc 2:3-5, 9-11
Wow, this guy had everything imaginable but still his ultimate revelation was- he wasn't happy and really, it was all still just meaningless.
Have you ever been there? You thought to yourself that you had everything that you wanted (without even being greedy) this was it, this was all you needed? I think we all have. I know I have at one point or another. But then, something else came along, something else that would make the picture even more complete. It would be the icing on the cake- so they say. Let's say you achieved it, but there is always going to be something else.
Have you ever wondered if everything that you do serves no purpose but to keep you entertained while you're here? We take everything so seriously, it seems. Except the right things. Think about that for a moment. Your car that you wax every weekend during the summer, do you buy your wife flowers every weekend too? Or the cell phones that never leave our sides, do we take such notice and care to regarding the food we put in our bodies? I think you get my point, I hope so...
I'm not standing on a soap box as I type this, I'm guilty on where my priorities are, I write these blogs more for me than for all of you. I'm just hoping to start some kind of a revolution here, one that's filled with love instead of hatred. I know the word love gets tossed around an awful lot but is it really love???
What else does the teacher say in this book?
"He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil- this is a gift from God." Ecc 3:12-13
Oh I love this book!
... set eternity in the hearts of men? Somewhere deep within us, we know this isn't it. I think to fill the void, the grasping and grabbing, we try to fill this "knowing" with everything imaginable other than God. Oh yeah... guilty. I used to love shopping, it made me happy for a little while, then I'd find something else that I wanted.
"There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling' he asked, 'And why and I depriving myself of enjoyment.' -This too is meaningless- a miserable business." Ecc 4:8
That's really sad, all that stuff and work put into it, with no one to share it with. Notice, the teacher says, 'miserable' here? It is miserable and lonely and meaningless!
"Naked a man comes from the womb, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." Ecc 5:15
When you pass on, who gets your empire? Okay, so you have a beneficiary designated. Will they spend it wisely? Share the wealth while you're here, at least then you'll be obeying Gods commands AND you'll know where the good are going.
"The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." Ecc 7:18
All extremes of what? (to paraphrase) perishing in righteousness, wickedness, overly righteous, foolishness...
"Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every detail into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil." Ecc 12:13-14
Why these? These are some of my favorites from this book, outlining some of the key points made through out the book. What good is wealth with no one to share it with? Finding satisfaction in what we're doing, knowing that it's a blessing from God, not just luck or fate. We came here with nothing, we will leave with nothing... It's not depressing, it's just facts. Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man to have ever lived is the one known to have written this book. The entire book is packed with wisdom. Wisdom is what he was known for.
Keep Gods commandments... Jesus came and had what is often referred to as the greatest commandment. It's found in Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it; 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."
If you're loving God with all you have and loving others, which often gives birth to enjoyment in what you do while you spend your days under the sun... This is the point of life then, isn't it? So If you've even wondered what the point to life is, this is it. The root of it is love, love God and love others.
Hey, thanks for reading along with me. Read Ecclesiastes on your own if you wish, it really is a fantastic book. And it's not break neck long either.
Love! It's all about love, the real kind. Not the manufactured garbage the world pumps out, love originates from God. We can love others because He loved us first.
So, we're going to go through and ponder some of the things that are brought forth to our attention and how it relates to now. Don't be shy, read on. And No I'm not gonna hit you over the head with a Bible either.
"I have see all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecc 1;14
Now what do you suppose that means? He digs in...
"I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects; I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them...... I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." Ecc 2:3-5, 9-11
Wow, this guy had everything imaginable but still his ultimate revelation was- he wasn't happy and really, it was all still just meaningless.
Have you ever been there? You thought to yourself that you had everything that you wanted (without even being greedy) this was it, this was all you needed? I think we all have. I know I have at one point or another. But then, something else came along, something else that would make the picture even more complete. It would be the icing on the cake- so they say. Let's say you achieved it, but there is always going to be something else.
Have you ever wondered if everything that you do serves no purpose but to keep you entertained while you're here? We take everything so seriously, it seems. Except the right things. Think about that for a moment. Your car that you wax every weekend during the summer, do you buy your wife flowers every weekend too? Or the cell phones that never leave our sides, do we take such notice and care to regarding the food we put in our bodies? I think you get my point, I hope so...
I'm not standing on a soap box as I type this, I'm guilty on where my priorities are, I write these blogs more for me than for all of you. I'm just hoping to start some kind of a revolution here, one that's filled with love instead of hatred. I know the word love gets tossed around an awful lot but is it really love???
What else does the teacher say in this book?
"He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil- this is a gift from God." Ecc 3:12-13
Oh I love this book!
... set eternity in the hearts of men? Somewhere deep within us, we know this isn't it. I think to fill the void, the grasping and grabbing, we try to fill this "knowing" with everything imaginable other than God. Oh yeah... guilty. I used to love shopping, it made me happy for a little while, then I'd find something else that I wanted.
"There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling' he asked, 'And why and I depriving myself of enjoyment.' -This too is meaningless- a miserable business." Ecc 4:8
That's really sad, all that stuff and work put into it, with no one to share it with. Notice, the teacher says, 'miserable' here? It is miserable and lonely and meaningless!
"Naked a man comes from the womb, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." Ecc 5:15
When you pass on, who gets your empire? Okay, so you have a beneficiary designated. Will they spend it wisely? Share the wealth while you're here, at least then you'll be obeying Gods commands AND you'll know where the good are going.
"The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." Ecc 7:18
All extremes of what? (to paraphrase) perishing in righteousness, wickedness, overly righteous, foolishness...
"Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every detail into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil." Ecc 12:13-14
Why these? These are some of my favorites from this book, outlining some of the key points made through out the book. What good is wealth with no one to share it with? Finding satisfaction in what we're doing, knowing that it's a blessing from God, not just luck or fate. We came here with nothing, we will leave with nothing... It's not depressing, it's just facts. Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man to have ever lived is the one known to have written this book. The entire book is packed with wisdom. Wisdom is what he was known for.
Keep Gods commandments... Jesus came and had what is often referred to as the greatest commandment. It's found in Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it; 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."
If you're loving God with all you have and loving others, which often gives birth to enjoyment in what you do while you spend your days under the sun... This is the point of life then, isn't it? So If you've even wondered what the point to life is, this is it. The root of it is love, love God and love others.
Hey, thanks for reading along with me. Read Ecclesiastes on your own if you wish, it really is a fantastic book. And it's not break neck long either.
Love! It's all about love, the real kind. Not the manufactured garbage the world pumps out, love originates from God. We can love others because He loved us first.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The slow unraveling of faith...
The slow unraveling of faith…
I
am going to press a spiritual hot button because I think it needs to be done
and because I’ve been there. Read on if you’ve got the stomach and heart for
it.
“In
this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
This
is what Jesus has told us of this life we live… It sounds to be a bit of an
understatement when you pan over the struggles of your life, doesn’t it? On Earth; in our lifetime, maybe on a daily
basis, we experience; loss, sorrow, pain, frustration, hunger, anger, fear,
confusion, brutal attack…. The list could go on forever. And I can only speak
on behalf of myself here.
Let
me set this up by saying that today, when you woke up, you awoke amidst a
world- wide battle.( I'm not talking about the horror you see and hear on the news) The moment you were conceived in your mother’s womb, you
entered into enemy territory. Now I know you didn’t ask to be born. None of us did
but now that we have options we can make the best decisions possible to thrive
and survive. You can choose to either be tossed about by every wave of difficulty or you can be aware of it and fight back!
You
may be reading this thinking I’m crazy but quite frankly, I don’t care if you
think I’m nuts… I know that this, is
the truth. There is more going on
around you than you’re aware of. There is
more going on around you than you can see.
“Put
on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11-12
This
is a serious warning. Read it again…
When something is bad you warn your family and
friends, right? Or if you go to a restaurant and every time you go, you get
food poisoning? You would warn those you love, wouldn’t you? Or if someone you
knew was going to buy something that was a piece of junk. Or do something that
would bring harm to them? You would have the heart to tell them, wouldn’t you?
I hope you get my point… I’m not trying to be all doom’s day here. I’m not
trying to scare you. But I want to re-direct you back to this warning in the
bible.
Jesus
warns that we will have trouble in this world. There seems to be no way to
avoid it. Things are going to happen, it’s inevitable. But… We can turn to Him
in our time of need because He already has overcome the world. What does
“overcoming the world mean?”
How many people do you
know that died and rose back to life three days later? How many people do you
know raised others back to life? How many people do you know that made the
blind see again or the paralyzed and crippled walk again? If we are on enemy lands, and Jesus who once
walked this earth, repeatedly healed and made whole the sick and even the dead-
in enemy territory, who won the battle? Who won the overall battle?
“And having disarmed
the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over
them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15
He accomplished the one
thing none of us were capable of doing. Triumphing over the evil forces of this
world. The battle has been won. The devil has been defeated. Jesus died for you
and for me!
But why don’t we see a
victory? Why are all these things still so far from perfect? From peaceful? Far
from love? We are still in enemy territory. We’ll get our plane ticket out of
here when Jesus returns or when you reach your final destination, hopefully it
will be the destination with Christ in heaven.
Two scriptures I read
in James I think are best suited for this entry today.
“Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself
from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (emphasis mine)
“Submit yourselves,
then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and
he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8
I felt led to both of
these scriptures to share here because they are a key, I believe. If we are in
enemy territory, our earth and we allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in the
things around us it does become a poison to us. Also, when tempted to turn to
worldly things, we are encouraged to resist them and turn toward God.
I’ve wanted to cave in.
I can’t tell you how many times over the last year, especially, that I have
wanted to throw in the towel and just check out. I’m not talking about suicide.
But if you’ve gone through recovery of any kind, you know what I’m talking
about here. It has been tempting to just neglect responsibilities; be wreck
less, have a break down or ten, not get out of bed, or give into whatever the
devil is pushing you towards. But there has always been a very quiet voice, a
gentle push back into the right direction. Encouragement in my spirit that
re-directs me back to where I need to be. That re-direction…? Hit the floor. Get
down on my knees and pray. That’s always been a good place for me to start when
my flesh is feeling anxious and I can’t take the weight of it all anymore.
Jesus often went off to secluded places to pray to the Father all the time. He
stayed connected to the source. Why do you think we get so distracted? How
connected to the source are we?
“Very early in the
morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to
a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35
Jesus has been the only
one in history to have been victorious when He walked this earth. He is the
only one who figured out and did navigate His way through this life, the right
way. That is the man I want to follow. Those are the footsteps I want to walk
in. I know I am greatly opposed because I am in this world. By faith I will
walk behind Him because there is no one else who died and three days later
arose from the dead and was able to share His story, no one.
A bit more hope and
peace of mind:
“Let us not become
weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up.” Galatians 6:9
I pray that this entry
has served to reignite that fire for recognizing and standing against the dark
forces of this world and reminded you to turn back to the only one who knows
how to fight against it, our savior, Jesus.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
The pursuit of playdom
The
pursuit of playdom.
I
remember when I was a little girl, playing was incorporated into everything
that I did, naturally. As a child that was naturally where my thoughts went-
how I could play with this and that of my surroundings. Remember how easy it
was to play and quickly get whisked off into a different world comprised of
make believe and wonder? In my early twenties, I think I still knew how to
play. They were just more adult games, like darts or pool or poker. I still
knew how to kick back and relax back then too.
Now
that I’m in my early 30’s, when I wake up in the morning, my mind is flooded
with the tasks that need to be carried out for the day. All of the needs of
others that need to be fulfilled. There are some days that when my head hits
the pillow at night, that even though everything got done that day, I still
feel as though nothing got done. I’ve begun to think it’s because there was no
play time. There was no fun involved. Maybe a few moments on the phone, playing
some time waster game- just to take the edge off the day, momentarily. Other
than that, where did all the fun go?
There
is a pulse to our nation that can be heard in nearly every commercial; media
outlet, schools and just about anywhere else. Strive. Succeed. Don’t stop. Keep
pushing. Keep planning. Keep working. Don’t rest. This is where all the play
has gone. The idea has been knocked off the drawing board of the adult life and
replaced with endless striving. There is a book in the Bible that speaks about
all the things of life, Ecclesiastes. The first time I read it, I thought it
was really depressing. But then the next time I read it, I felt the Lord open
my eyes to the real point behind it all. That life is meaningless without God.
God is
the author of all things, whether it is work or it is play. You can see the
nature of our Creator in all things. Although we are the only ones made in His
image.
“I have
seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a
chasing after the wind.” Ecc 1:14
“Naked a man comes from his mother’s
womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he
can carry in his hand.” Ecc 5:15
I am not suggesting lazy-ness
either, I am suggesting not so much busyness. Busyness keeps our sight off of
what is most important; God and our families. Growing in love and in
relationship with both. Having fun together. Playing. Living rather than just
surviving and striving.
We can’t achieve our way into
approval from God. There are days where we are going to fall miserably short of
God’s glory, that is every day but that is what we have Jesus Christ for. We
will all stand before the judgment seat of God, whether you believe that or
not. I will not stand there and explain away all the things that I did in this
life and all the things that I had. All the money I had in the bank, all the
awards I won and how respected or feared I may have been. I want to stand there
and tell Him that I loved my family with every ounce of love He filled my heart
with. And on the days I felt myself slipping, I turned to His Son for my
strength to go on. That is what I hope to take with me when I depart.
If you sit and look out your window
on a fall or spring day and watch the squirrels you will see a wonderful
example of work and play. Squirrels are usually hard at work; collecting,
gathering, building. But in the midst of it all, they play. You see them
chasing one another up and down trees, from limb to limb. Or what about dogs?
Who do you think it is that gave your dog a mind to play fetch? Or what causes
the birds to rejoice after a warm spring rain? I can see outside my window,
even though it is bitter cold, squirrels playing. And when the wind picks up, I
can see them cuddling together for warmth in their tree top nests.
Some
would argue that animals are almost “programmed” to be this way or that it’s
just their nature. That may be true but maybe they are the smarter ones for not
replacing the original program. Do you think we were always supposed to strive
unto death? Until we are thread bare and white knuckled? Why do you suppose
more and more people need sleeping pills just to sleep? Or depression
medication? There is something going on here that we are all ignoring- this
life we are leading, the one we are pushed to lead due to our environments and
our newly programmed mindsets, is taking away from what matters most. The thing
that gives us peace. God. Family. And some good old fashioned fun.
“By
the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh
day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it
holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Genesis 2:2-3.
I don’t think God rested because He
was tired… He rested because He knows how important resting is. It’s an example
and outline set forth for us to follow. We need to rest too. We also need to
play. It is in our nature, remember, you played as a child. You ARE still the
person you were as a child, you’re just older now and your playdom has been
stolen by all of your tasks and endless striving. Find that person again. He or
she is still in there. Don’t think about how silly you will look, playing. Just
go where your heart leads you. Play in a way that of course wouldn’t be harmful
to others or displeasing to God. Or if that’s too big of a step, then just be
still…
Good luck finding your way back to
playdom, your inner child will be there waiting for you…
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