Relationships

      Reality is a strange thing... It isn't what we think it is either. There is a whole other alternate realm in which we move about, yet can't see. I know there are some twisted teachings on this, some more new age twisted ones. I know because I used to read the material and "practice" it. As always the enemy takes what is good and twists it.

    There are things that we can't see that we're protected from, sometimes we find out what those things were and other times we don't. We are always in danger of some snare somewhere.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 
     There are things God protects us from and there are pitfalls we can avoid but being aware and by praying continually. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
It sounds complicated, praying all the time. I think of it as talking to Jesus all day long, even if what you're saying is what you would deem boring. It's a relationship in which you share everything, even your silly little trivial thoughts. He already knows what you're thinking, the obedience and gesture of friendship is in saying those things out loud.

     Jesus can even help you make decisions. "Lord, is this your will? What do you want me to do in this circumstance?" The Holy spirit knows when it's time to speak and when it's time to keep your mouth shut. If I didn't heed the Holy Spirits prompting I would say all kinds of things that weren't helpful or of use to others. It's not hard, it just requires a bit of obedience on our parts. Talking to God all day is far more real than the chair your sitting in. God is eternal. This world is temporal. That sums it up. And if Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior and you're going to spend eternity with Him, don't you want to talk to Him everyday- all day long? I know I do! I get distracted. There are so many things to distract me away from what is most important. But that is also part of the enemy's plan too.

    When you're feeling that ancient spirit of getting over whelmed- know that readjusting your gaze back to God will diminish it. Life says- do everything NOW. God says- in My timing. Our enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10;10) Talking to God will help you discern what needs to be attended to immediately and what doesn't. It's amazing the things that will distract us away from what matters more.

     We also live in an age where being social means logging into our social media account. Which doesn't supplement real human contact but in some cases, we've allowed it to. We have successfully substituted real friendships for "only at my convenience" and "just give me a quick rundown." Does that really replace face to face communication? No! We are accepting cheap substitutes for real friendships. Is social media nice to keep in touch with people who don't live in the same country or state as you? Absolutely, yes. But if it's a legitimate friendship, you're not keeping tabs on one another just by your status update and choreographed pictures that are posted.

     Our enemy is quite crafty when it comes to the allure of what he has in mind. Everything that he does offer is nothing but a cheap substitution. It's like paying Prada prices for a knock off bag where the stitches are all misaligned. That's not Prada.
      I listened to a sermon yesterday that served as a good reminded for all friendships, not just marriages. There was one scripture that stood out to me the most-  "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17 
Born for a time of adversity... Real family and friends are the ones that stick around. Real friends and family are the ones that bear your burdens with you so the weight of it isn't so heavy. Jesus was the ultimate weight bearer but we are designed to be in community with one another too. Do you step up when your friend is in need? Or just when it's merely convenient to be friends with them? The light and trivial stuff.
     I've seen a recent outcry against fake friends and superficial relationships but where is the effort? Where is your effort? Are you putting in the time and the effort? Or are you happy to live in the superficial world that has been laid out before us? The one that will not stand the test of time. First and foremost our relationship with God needs to be in good order, constant communion with Him. Second, our family relationships and friendships will either fall into place to lay by the wayside. I know there comes this point of frustration where you've exhibited the effort necessary to sustain a relationship but the effort hasn't been reciprocated. What answer is there for that? Pray for them and forgive them. We all must live from a place of constant forgiveness. Many times the offense against us isn't on purpose but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

   God is sovereign, if God is sovereign then our friendships are contingent upon who He allows in our life too. If a relationship is wildly out of balance as concerns effort maybe it's just a closed door and it's time to stop banging on it and walk away.

    God is so good. His goodness is all around us if he are willing to be of sober mind and thank Him continually for His goodness. Don't settle for less than God's best in your life, that goes for everything that is available to us. Whether it's friends, things or places. There isn't anything that isn't from God that is worth having. You will always be left with a feeling of emptiness.

   Have a blessed day friends.

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!

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.

I don't need to understand.

      Sometimes we find ourselves asking "Why?"
I know I have found myself there more than a few times in my life. Crying it out loud at some points in my life. I felt alone; lost, hopeless and exhausted.
     Once the dust settled, I realized it was my mind that was exhausted not my legs. My mind was tired because I didn't give it up to my Father to sort out.
     His plan is not our plan. How could we possibly even begin to understand what is at work in our lives. He knows it all.
      "My frame was not hidden from you when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!" Psalm 139 


      I think Psalm 139 says it all. If you read it in it's entirety You would see for yourself it says it all.
He knows things we don't. The before, the after. Our thoughts before they're formulated in our minds.

     Think of a time when you got yourself into a bind... Focus on that for just a moment. You weren't following God were you? Your best idea for yourself, lands you into trouble. And still at that moment, you thought to yourself, Why? Why did this happen to me? Or, how did I get here? You know how you got there. You had an idea. A not so bright one and now you've made a mess and you're sitting in it. That's what happens I guess. For every poor action, there's a consequence. I know it's a huge pill to swallow. I've swallowed that pill before too.
      Or how about when you're doing everything you feel God is asking you to do and still, something goes wrong. This surely a time when you would ask Why? Like, why are you doing this to me?
Here is what is difficult for all of us to accept. It's His will... His will. His plan. His thoughts. His view- because he can see it all, the beginning and the end. We make sacrifices here while we're in this life, that if given the choice we never would have made them. Losing a job, a loved one, money, a child, our homes. Hurricanes and tsunami's rip through peoples homes at night while they're fast asleep. And if they are blessed enough to wake up the next day or in the midst of the chaos, would you hear them saying- Why? Or would you see them dropping down on their knees, saying: "Thank you Lord for sparing my life." When rising to their feet again, shuffling through the rubble and collecting what's left of their lives.

       I don't need to understand. I just need to follow. Because I know he's there. He has been every where I could possible be. He is everything and the nothing in between. I can take heart knowing He has been every where I could wind up being. There would be no point in our existence if we already knew everything there ever was and will be. What would be the point of this life. We were created to be in fellowship with Him who put us here. We were made to worship Him. But He loved us so much that He wasn't about to "Make" us love Him, or follow Him. It's our choice. Free will. So, you decided to take the wrong path... Why ask why. You know why. And even when you did take the right path, His path and something goes wrong, take heart, it's His will. He's got it all under control. All of it.

     Find peace in this world, please. Ask Christ to come into your heart to live there and be your rock. If you don't, life is going to seem like a really long pointless road. At least if you know Jesus, you have someone you can count on to be there through all of your storms.

God bless.



         "The Lord is with you where ever you go." Joshua 1:9