He Loves Us – Part 2

Exodus 3:10 [NIV] “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my peole the Israelites out of Egypt.11 But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ 12 And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’” [emphasis mine]

After carefully reading this, I see many modern day Moses’ around me. Too many people say, “Who am I? I can’t do that. I’m not qualified!” But, look at the promise the Lord makes to him. . . I will be with you. Not only with He be with us, but He will provide assurance that we are on the right path! Have you felt called to a certain career field? Volunteer ministry? Relationship? Dream? Instead of saying, “Who am I?”, receive the blessing that the Lord is preparing you for! You can do it! Until tomorrow. . .

He Loves Us – Part 1

What have you been called to do? What makes you feel so fulfilled that you can’t imagine anything else that could come close to what you are doing or want to do? Do you feel threatened by your dreams? Are you afraid of failure? Think about these things as I share with you what the Lord has been speaking to me.

Let me take you to Exodus 3. This is the passage where Moses hears from the Lord from a burning bush. The Word says that once the bush got Moses’ attention, [Exodus 3:4] “God called to him from within the bush. ‘Moses! Moses!’” First, seeing the bush and walking toward it required action from Moses. He would have missed an encounter with the Lord had he stayed where he was. Second, the Lord called his name. See, the Lord knows us and calls us by name. We just haven’t taken action – maybe haven’t been still enough, or listened in order to hear Him speak to us.

The Lord goes on to tell Moses that He has heard the cry of His people, is concerned about them, has come to rescue them, and will take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. This excites me every single time I read this because it says so much in that short little section. The Lord hears our cries, knows our hurts, desires, dreams, and is concerned about what is important to you! He also promises that He will come to our rescue and place us in a comfortable place-a place that we belong!

The next section talks about the specific call that God places on Moses. I’ll pick up here tomorrow!

Telling Everything You Know

My kiddos make me proud when they talk about praying for others! I’m proud of them when they have academic successes. I love it when they make the right decisions to do the right things! But, there are times that they also tell everything they know – and then some! Of course, like all children, my girls can also embarrass the fool out of me! As I was listening to one of them tell me a story about what they told someone, and I was utterly mortified, I had this thought. My Father loves when I pray for others. He is proud of my successes. He loves for me to do the right thing at hard junctures. I can also embarrass Him by what I say and how I behave. OUCH!

It isn’t necessary to tell everything you know every time you speak to someone. Pray that today, the things that come to your mind and out of your mouth are pleasing to the Lord.

On a side note, gossip is just plain wrong. I once heard a pastor say that it is gossip if you are not part of the problem or solution. So, check the things you feel the urge to say. Especially if it may hurt another person.

Just a thought!

What makes you you?

There are things that stir you to action.

For me, music drives me from my very core. It lifts me from a down place at times. It soothes me. It is my security blanket.

What makes you proud?

My family and friends make me so proud – especially if they are following the will of the Lord. Also when they choose to do the right thing even if it is the hard thing!

What makes you stop short of nothing to achieve _______ ?

What runs through your blood?

What drives you?

What is in the center of you?

What are your goals? Your dreams?

One goal I have is to record an album from start to finish. I will do this one day!

I challenge you to write down these things and put them in a place to refer back to them when you’ve gained success in a goal. You may have to change this list from time to time, but what is it that YOU value? Where ARE you going in your life? What are the most important things in your life? If you’ve never sat down to do this, I urge you to take the time! It’s SO worth it! I’ve only given a few examples because I want these things to be your ideas and not mine. Sit down and think! Pray! Now, write! Watch your dreams come alive! Let me celebrate with you! Share some of your dreams and goals!

Choices

I have found myself in a very strange place today. I have a strange emotion running through. I have a choice to make. I want to make the right choice. My heart hurts and because of that, I get mad. I don’t understand. The Lord called me to do something very difficult this past weekend. I fought Him. I didn’t want to be obedient. In the end, I chose to obey and sit down and write a letter to someone. What was difficult about this situation is that He was dealing with MY heart on some things – things I didn’t even know were still there. When I finished, I can’t tell you the weight that was lifted. I have a new task now – to praise Him through it all – and lift a new family up to Him every day in prayer. It was my choice to be obedient or not. We all have those choices. What choices do you find before you? Will you stand strong and make the right choice – even if that choice isn’t your first choice?

I fight my own urges to do things MY way, but He has greater plans for me than that! This is one of those moments where I have to sit still and let God be God. I think it’s a test for me to see if I will stand His course – no matter what. This makes me think of a movie scenario…Facing the Giants is an incredible movie. In the middle of the movie, the wife of the coach is trying to have a baby. Coach asks, “will you praise Him anyway – even IF we can’t have a baby”? She didn’t answer. As she got news there would be no baby, she walked to her car, lifted her hands in surrender and says, “I WILL praise You anyway!” I choke every single time I watch that movie at that part!

So Lord, I will praise You though I face good times, bad times, and ugly times. I’m Yours. I have a vision, a purpose, and no man, woman, child, or devil can take me out of Your will. I am determined to stand fast and watch what You do in this situation and praise You for the miracles You have yet to do. Thank You for choosing me. It’s more than I deserve!

What kind of attitude is present when you face difficulties or choices to do something you aren’t sure you are ready to do? How do you handle those situations? Are you going to praise Him anyway?

How To Park (The Right Way)

So, I have a friend, that, uhm, has a parking problem. I am already giggling as I begin to write this post. She cannot park straight for anything. Her car is always either crooked, on the lines, or somehow “jacked up” in the parking space. She refuses to attempt to park in some places because they are “too hard” for her to get in to.

If I’m honest, I will admit to laughing hysterically at her when we go somewhere. In fact, I always want her to drive so that I can laugh about her parking, or lack thereof, style. Most of you reading this already know how to park – the right way – but I was doing my quiet time and the Lord spoke this into my heart, so I figured I’d share with you all.

1. The right spot - People always drive around looking for the right spot – you know, that perfect place to park you car. You know…the one you will drive around the lot so many times to get THE spot. Most everyone wants to find the park closest to their destination so that they can get in and out quicker. Let me ask you a question. Are you too busy looking for the perfect “park” that you miss all of the other opportunities the Lord has provided to you? Once you’ve chosen ‘your’ spot, its up to you to get your vehicle into the spot, correctly.

2. Get between the lines. Everyone hates those people that park on the lines making it near impossible to get into the park beside that one. The Lord showed me that, not only is it important to be in the right place, but I couldn’t just settle for parking in any old fashion. See, how you park, affects the places to either side of you. OUCH! That means that I couldn’t continue just throwing myself half-heartedly into doing what He has called me to.

3. Sometimes, it requires backing up and readjusting. I laugh at my husband every time HE tries to park [yes, he has parking troubles too haha!] because ten out of ten times, he HAS to back up to readjust himself. Shocked at what I heard, the Lord ever so gently whispered to me, “Sometimes it DOES require backing up, reassessing, and readjusting!” I always thought of that as failure, but as He spoke to me – readjustments simply mean I’m better aligning myself with His will.

The Value Of A True Friend

This is an old blog I felt worthy of re-posting.

Friendship. It’s strange to blog about the obvious, but I’ve been thinking lots lately about what true friendship really like. Here are a couple of things to check your relationships by. I don’t think I’ll ever underestimate the value of real friendship – ever again because I found a “soul sister” to share my life with!

1. Transparency. You can’t be very close if you can’t be real. Having to hide who you are or how you feel is the first signal that you don’t have the friendship you think you may have. You can’t wear masks or hide behind things with friends or you’ll never grow and nurture that relationship. True friends love you when you’re angry, happy or sad. They see you when you don’t have your hair fixed or makeup on, but they don’t judge you for not having ‘it all together’ or being ‘lazy’. Transparent vulnerability has led to pain for me in some instances, but that pain only served to make me stronger in the end. I am who you see. No masks.

2. Empathy. You can say, ‘I feel so sorry that you’re experiencing’ something, but unless you’ve lived it, you don’t really know how to ‘console’ them. I believe God puts people in your path to help you through things. I have just realized that there is another being on this earth that has struggled with the VERY same fight I have had for most of my life. After experiencing what empathy means on THAT level, I understand how important that is within a friendship! Sure, you can feel sympathy for people experiencing things, but its not the same! For example, I honestly couldn’t know HOW you’re feeling if you were trying to tell me your dad abandoned you. My daddy loves me and would do anything in the world for me – I couldn’t imagine him abandoning me. My heart would hurt for you, but I couldn’t TRULY understand because I haven’t walked it. Look for those people that have similar experiences and positively grown from them. Don’t sit around bashing ‘dad’ together. GROW! Pour into one another and use the similar experience to deepen your bond.

3. Honesty. A true friend creates an atmosphere for you to feel comfortable being honest – with everything – the good, bad, and ugly. This atmosphere is conducive to counsel without fear of rejection or judgement. If you cannot be honest with someone, check your motive behind befriending them.

4. Encouragement. On a down day, you look to your friends to listen and ‘advise’ you on your situation. You’re looking for wise counsel. I had a friend tell me that she was thinking of leaving her husband for an old flame. As she sat there telling me everything wrong with her husband – and right w/Mr. Facebook, my mind literally flooded with counsel. Some of which wasn’t wise. It was just ME! When she stopped sharing, I said, “You know, your husband may not show you in the best possible way, but he is crazy about you. How do I know that? He goes to work every day so that you can stay home and raise your children. He does everything within his power to get you anything you want.” Sure, I could have agreed with the ugly things about her husband, but the truth is, he IS crazy about her. She was just blinded by his inability [at that time] to speak her love language. I loved her enough to speak the truth to her. I think because I encouraged her instead of discouraging her, they have gone on to have an incredible marriage.

5. True friends make you a priority in their life. They are always happy to see you and when you need them, they are only a call, text, or visit away!

Friends are special people. I challenge you to take an inventory of the friendships you have and see how healthy those relationships are. If they are life giving relationships, count yourself in the lucky few category because most people only experience a strong acquaintance with others. They lack TRUE friendship. If you are in a friendship that speaks ‘death’ or zaps your energy, trust God to show you how to end it. Your health, physical and spiritual are worth far more than a damaging friendship.

I have pulled away from friends that were amazing, but when we spoke, there was always some sort of gossip. It hurt, but I’m learning how to make ‘not gossiping’ one of my “friend requirements”. Isn’t it funny how your perspective changes when you begin to grow up?

Changes Start Today

Well, as I sit here today, I have begun to reflect on the many changes in my life. I don’t really know where I am going in life, of one thing I am certain! I am following the Lord ALL the way there. I admitted to a friend today that my conversation with God has suffered from  busyness. As I began to speak those words from my mouth, I began to realize…He is NEVER too busy to speak to me, to move on my behalf, to make me a priority. That said, today…I have to make a change. If I am going to claim He is the number ONE, I have to let Him BE the number ONE!

Lord, You have my life-You have blessed us beyond measure, and I am grateful for that! I am Yours. Anything and everything that I have is Yours. I know that when I give my time completely to You, You’ll make the way for everything to be completed, and I will stand in awe of having ‘done so much in so little time’. I thank You for Your unyeilding love. I am so grateful You never give up on me-even when I deserve it!

Changes in my life today-start with this-He is my everything! I have to make Him a priority in every part of my life! He hasn’t changed His residence in my heart – even when I decided that I was going to be disobedient or do what I knew wasn’t ‘right’. I must continue to maintain my relationship with Him. He’s my Rock, Refuge, Shelter when I need Him-He’s my Ever-present Help-He’s ALL I need…even when I don’t “need” Him. He’s only a breath away. Isn’t it amazing that He never gives up on us when it appears to Him that we’ve given up on Him?

 

Fight for your life!

“I start to feel like I can’t maintain the façade any longer, that I may just start to show through. And I wish I knew what was wrong. Maybe something about how stupid my whole life is. I don’t know. Why does the rest of the world put up with the hypocrisy, the need to put a happy face on sorrow, the need to keep on keeping on?… I don’t know the answer, I know only that I can’t. I don’t want any more vicissitudes, I don’t want any more of this try, try again stuff. I just want out. I’ve had it. I am so tired. I am twenty and I am already exhausted.”

That was a quote from a person that suffers from depression. She probably nailed it on the head when she said that she couldn’t maintain the façade any longer. Many people don’t understand how crippling and defeating the illness can be. Many sufferers of depression try to hide behind a façade of happiness that leaves them feeling even emptier on the inside.

I faced this illness. I fought this illness. I know what it is like to feel like hiding behind a façade of happiness or “I’ve got it together-ness.” I remember the day that I couldn’t get out of bed for anything-nothing could bring me to my own two feet. Dread of facing anything outside my own bedroom seized me with a fervor I had never experienced. It all started when I heard some of the most terrible rumors about myself. You say, “How old are you?” or “Who cares what others say? You know the truth.” But what made it worse for me was that people I thought knew me and loved me were one, believing these rumors, and two, spreading them.

I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I feared losing my children because some of the rumors involved me being a terrible parent and not taking care of my children. My children and my husband are the only family I have here in this area. Fortunately, they were at their grandparents’ home when the news reached me and they didn’t see me struggling through that week trying to force myself to live life. I couldn’t keep a happy face on for anything. Heck, I could hardly get out of the bed. I felt like I was in a pit all by myself and for the moment, I didn’t think I would ever get out of it.

My husband and best girlfriend were the most incredible support to me. They kept a check on me to see if I was okay. They let me cry. They let me scream. They let me hurt. They loved on me. They didn’t judge me. They truly wanted to help me through it. I think back to those days and wonder if they weren’t in my life what I would have done – because they nurtured and loved me out of that pit. They became unconditional love that day to me. I realized how much I meant to them both through this situation.

I know what it is like to lose all hope. I know how it feels to feel alone. I’m here to tell you that there really is hope and the illness is taking away your hope. You really are not alone – there are people in your life that love you and support you. Seek them out. I’m not talking about acquaintances, I’m speaking of REAL friends or family. They will support you and love you on the path to healing and freedom. Don’t hide from the illness and try to maintain a façade that everything is okay. It really is okay that you suffer from this illness – just don’t die to it. Don’t let it take over your life to the point of giving up. Find someone to talk to because it really does make a difference if you have someone in your life that you can talk to candidly about how you’re feeling. They won’t judge you…like I said, they will love you through the healing process!

I share a little of my story to say that there is hope for those of you that suffer from depression. Sometimes you can pray your way out. Sometimes you need to see a doctor. For the record, there is nothing wrong with seeking medical treatment during those times. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. What you really have to do to begin the process is accept that you are fighting the illness and then. . . FIGHT for your life! It doesn’t belong to an illness called depression and YOU are WORTH fighting for!

Plan B

I have just completed reading Pete Wilson’s Plan B [What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought He would?] book for the second time. I cannot give enough kudos to this book!

If you have ever struggled with anything or faced any sort of crisis in your entire life, this book is for you. Growing in any kind of way has always triggered questions for me. Pete has offered the hope of God in a different way than I have ever heard it presented. His transparency gives you a feeling that he truly cares about what your desert pain is. He doesn’t pretend to have every answer to the hard questions you are asking.

What he does, is asks you to look inward and upward. Have you become too busy to stop and spend some quality time,  not check-the-box-off-your-list time with God? Has busyness become an idol? Your giftedness? TV? Money? Relationship? What is distracting you from giving God 100% of yourself. Those are hard but necessary questions to ask ourselves.

Most times Plan Bs are times of transformation. During the difficult moments, we don’t focus on the real reason why. We cry out to God why in the world things ‘suck so badly for us’, but we are asking the wrong questions. At this point, I’m grateful I’m not Job! I think it’s safe to say that I haven’t suffered quite like he did! I have experienced a particularly difficult Plan B, if you will. No, I didn’t have a spouse cheat on me or abuse me. I didn’t have children born with health problems. I haven’t experienced financial ruin. My Plan B was just the situation that God used, and I needed to wake me up from the robotic motions I was living in. Nothing went as I planned. Nothing turned out as I planned. I hurt like I have never hurt before, but God had my Plan B laid before me – where I would grow and develop into the woman He has called me to be.

If you have experienced anything painful, I strongly urge you to get your hands on this book! Pete Wilson has done a phenomenal job at walking the suffering person through to victory at the feet of Jesus! Thank you Pete for pouring your heart into this book. God is using your book to reach many broken, hurting people and bringing them into His presence for restoration!

Ps 130:5 I wait for the Lord to help me, and I trust His word. – - Do you?