So, this month has been dedicated to that voice in our head saying I can't. Even though I have a general thought for each week, God usually points out what He wants me to write about. This week was no exception. We learned at the end of last week that one of the girls I work with was starting through a huge storm. Her 12-year-old daughter just found out she has cancer.
Thanks to the Internet, and her caring bridge site, we are able to keep up with what is going on and I believe, though, I'm sure it doesn't seem like it to their family, the doctors are moving quickly. It still doesn't cover the fact; this is their child.......and she has cancer....
I have to tell you, my absolute, without a shadow of a doubt, biggest fear is losing my son. It was seriously what I was afraid would happen while he was still growing up. A big reason I was afraid was it seemed to be the one thing I couldn't turn totally over to God. I always assumed anything else God would throw my way, I could handle, but I have always figured I would just go off the deep end and yet, deep down inside, I knew if it happened, I would have no choice but to look to Jesus for my comfort.
I know the deep under-thought would be to be upset with God for letting bad things happen. It has to be natural to want to blame Him for cancer but even though we know He did allow it to happen, please remember there are two forces alive in this world. God didn't give my friend's daughter cancer but Satan did. Satan's whole purpose is to see how he can beat us down. If you don't believe it, read Job! There is nothing good in Satan.
I image anyone going through a trial will ask at least once, "God, why me?" Even though once you get your head on straight, you realize, "Why not me?" and then further "How can I glorify God through this?"
Until now, I've wrote about encouragement through life's little annoyances, today we are moving it up to where to look when you truly don't think you can move on. When you feel like you have been punched hard in the gut, you can't breath and you think it would be easier to just quite breathing all together than it would be to try to start again.
I'm going to go way back in time today. I have had two of those days in my life--roughly a year apart. I was thirteen when the first one happened, 14 with the second one. I have seriously felt like I have held my breath for years waiting for it to happen again. The first one was the day my dad died. I will never forget opening the door to my school Principal's office and my mom walking towards me, saying, "He's gone". To say I worshipped my dad was probably an understatement. My mom will tell you she didn't really have me until after he died because I was with him constantly. As unnatural as it is to lose a child, losing a parent when you are still a child has to follow closely behind.
Was I mad at God for letting this happen? Absolutely, But it took a matter of minutes to realize I needed to cling to Him to get through this. A year later, at 10 pm, I was standing outside ICU as a doctor was telling me and my sister that our mom was in a grave condition. He needed her to be moved to Springfield and because of everything going on, he didn't really believe she would make the trip alive. He had shared this with her and she had made the decision not to be moved. She didn't want us girls to get to Springfield in the middle of the night, by ourselves, only to find out we were orphaned. Was I mad at God that night? Beyond words.
The thing is, while I was in the midst of being mad, God was raining down miracle after miracle. I was too busy being mad to notice at the time. The first thing that happened was a couple from our church just decided to stop by the hospital (after 10 pm) on their way home from a ballgame in Charleston. Not a huge deal until you take proximity into account. See, they lived at Hidalgo, 30 miles straight south of where they were. We were in Effingham. Easiest way to put this into perspective? It would be like stopping in Chicago if you are traveling from Indianapolis to St. Louis. "On the way" doesn't cut it. This particular couple were some of my parent's best friends. There would have only been a handful that Mom would have requested such a favor, but here they were standing in her hospital room and when she asked if they would go, right then, with us girls to Springfield, there was not even a second hesitation.
When we got to Springfield, we found out that a doctor who specializes in what Mom was needing was on staff at the hospital. He had been overseas for six weeks teaching his new micro-surgery technique and had been back in Springfield less than a week. I love the fact that even though I wasn't opening my heart to God right at that moment, I look back and see how he was pouring out blessings.
What I want for everyone to take with them this week is in two separate parts. One part, for those who are in this big or biggest of your life "I can't" and the other one for those who see this going on in a friend's life. If you are going through a path that feels more accurate to describe as a hurricane than a storm, the number one thing I am asking you to do is don't turn your back on God. It may be hard to talk to Him but please remember He loves you and He has a plan. Matthew 5:45 reminds us that He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
We want so badly to believe that nobody has had to go through what we are going through but we know that is not the truth. I seriously know now, how many days God simply carried me thorough. At the time, I couldn't figure what possible good could come of all the things God allowed to happen to me when I was a young teenager. Now though, I deal with families in crisis on a daily basis. Some not as severe as what I went though, many; worse, much worse than I could have imagined. I feel it has equipped me better than some for working with these families. That all being said, I still have questions that I don't know the answer to.
My main one is why God chose the path that He did for my mom. I don't think she has had an easy, no worry day since my dad died 35 years ago. She always put her trust in Him and I never saw her take her eyes off of Him. After my dad died, I had a tendency to feel sorry for us, and to complain. If she heard me, I was sent to a seat with my Bible and told to read Job. Sometimes I am a little hard-headed. I have probably read the book of Job at least 100 times, most of those before I was 18. I know she knows her reward is waiting for her in Heaven. I just truly wish things could just be easy for a while here for her.
The second part is for the friends who are surrounding the ones going through the storm. Our jobs are to do, and the first thing to do is pray. Never discount the power of prayer. One last look to the book of Philippians, chapter 4:6-7. says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When you are going through a super storm, that first goal is to get to the other side--to that point that just as Jesus calmed the storm on the sea, you can feel Him calming the storm inside. I have said it before, I have seriously felt the peace that comes with others praying for me.
Prayer is NOT a little thing.
Today's song is fitting, Casting Crown's Praise You in This Storm. I have always wanted to sing this song at church but I still can't get through it without crying, remembering all the times He has truly calmed the storm in me. So, now, I listen to it in private and thank God for bringing me through to the other side.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Fake It til You Make It.....or not.
This may be the longest devotional I have done to date. I have opened a proverbial can of worms on myself this week and at the moment, I can't whittle down to fewer points, so I'm sharing them all.
Fake it til you make it has become a popular catch phrase in these times. I really didn't realize it has also become very controversial until I started doing a bit of research.
I have used the phrase myself on those days when I really would rather stay home, pull the covers up over my head and just not participate that day. I get up, plaster a smile on my face, plaster some make-up over that and away I go. Philippians 2:14 tells us to "Do all things without murmurings and disputing". I have always thrown this action into that category. After really probably over-analyzing it this week, I have come to the conclusion that calling that "faking it" is really short changing not only ourselves, but God. I'm not really "faking" anything, I am still trying to do my best in a situation where I may have odds stacked against me. And God is right there, handing me grace; grace that is to be sufficient for those days that are less than great. See, He knows we are going to have bad days, He gave us His son though, so that our very best day here on earth won't even compare to the days we have laid up for us in Heaven. And when I think about having a bad day, didn't Jesus probably have the very worst day that ever existed on earth? Being hung on a cross for something He didn't do, and for absolutely everything else that the rest of us ever did, or ever will do?
Anyway......faking also implies lying to some people. I had really never put it in that category, but if the shoe fits, well..... I think some Christians get tagged as "sugar-coated" because they always act like they don't have problems and life is perfect. I have probably been put in that category a few times more than I would like, but; the bottom line for me anyway is I like to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. I want people to see the good God is doing even when He is taking me through a rough patch. Deep down, I know He is going to bring me through the rough patch and I will be stronger and better than I was before. THEN, I will tell you all about it.
As far as society in general, another way people are using this phrase is for when they don't really know what they are doing, I had never even thought of it that ways and I feel faking knowing what you are doing really is wrong. If you don't know what you are doing, ASK!! I was 20 years old when I was tossed into a position of kitchen manager at Richard's Farm. I was given that job on Mother's Day eve. Just for the record, one of the craziest days of the year for a good restaurant is Mother's Day. That day actually went fine but things started going downhill the next week. I was brought the order book from the owner and was told to do the ordering. He handed me the book and left. I went through and wrote down what we needed according to the book. There were some things on the list that I didn't know what were but decided we surely didn't need them if I didn't know what they were.
The next Saturday evening, at 6 p.m., we ran out of the giant 3 gallon bags for our tea machines. You don't really understand how much tea a restaurant can go through until you are out. Of course, everybody was busy so sending someone to the grocery store to buy a case of tea bags presented its own fiascos. That was one of the worst working days of my life and it was all because I didn't know what I was doing and didn't think I needed to ask for help. Folks, that's not faking it. That is making a mistake. If you don't understand something, don't pretend you do. Ask and learn.
We do this with our Christian lives too and we shouldn't. If something comes up and you don't understand why God let something happen, find another Christian friend and see what their insight is. and just for the record, sometimes, Christians think wrong too. We have a tendency to see something and know immediately how we feel about it and then God steps in and tells us that maybe we need to rethink. My biggest one is seeing someone who has committed a crime and thinking, "that person will go to Hell". I had one particular incident, that I carried around for ages, taking great comfort in the fact that someone was going to Hell. Then God woke me up one day and just said, "You do know my forgiveness is perfect, right?" I was reading Psalms 130, verses 3 & 4, "If you , O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness." That was a numbing day for me. If this person asked Christ to be their Savior, and asked God to forgive them, they will be in Heaven. I also realized that day, almost 25 years ago, that sin is sin. We try to make some sins out to be worse than others-but God says sin is sin. I can't tell you how guilty I have felt over the years for wishing someone were truly in Hell. When our jobs on earth as Christians is to spread the Gospel, I have a feeling wanting someone to be in Hell is not what I am supposed to be doing.
The third major area of using faking it til you make it is when you are lacking confidence or are insecure. This sorta ties back to the first but there are some differences. Some of what I was reading this week on the subject pointed out that sometimes you have to go through the motions for a while before it feels comfortable. There were several examples of addicts and not really feeling comfortable without their addiction. This has to fall back to God's grace also. I used to smoke. I smoked for 12 years. When I quit, I very much missed the feel of a cigarette in my hand. My husband actually brought me a small lag bolt, the same size as a cigarette. I would roll it between my fingers for comfort. I would laugh at thinking of getting addicted to my bolt but after a while, I was comfortable without it. Like all the other things listed above though, I was trying, I was getting better every day and I seriously think calling it faking would be a mistake.
So after much soul-searching (and internet searching), I have decided to ban the phrase from my vocabulary. Last week a friend posted that it was a day to fake it til you make it, I replied, "Surely that isn't all bad, you are at least doing something." But I have changed my mind.
My conclusion is we should like the word, "try" til we make it. God wants us to be the best us we can be. God gives us grace, some days LOTS of it! that can cover the insecurities, the doubts, and the "I can't" in our head. I know "fake it til you make it" sounds cooler than try but that is where I'm heading. Lots of prayer, ASKING God to see me through each day, with a secure hope that no matter, how bad the day here, one day, I will have one perfect day after another.
Another friend just posted that she is tired of faking it until she makes it and she never makes it anyway. I think this perfectly describes the failure that phrase sets us up for. If we are just faking, we have no chance to grow, or get stronger.
Speaking of getting Stronger, I am sharing Mandisa's Stronger with you this week. Carry this around with you for those times that you feel like falling into that faking it until you make it trap and instead, ask God to give you grace to be Stronger.
Fake it til you make it has become a popular catch phrase in these times. I really didn't realize it has also become very controversial until I started doing a bit of research.
I have used the phrase myself on those days when I really would rather stay home, pull the covers up over my head and just not participate that day. I get up, plaster a smile on my face, plaster some make-up over that and away I go. Philippians 2:14 tells us to "Do all things without murmurings and disputing". I have always thrown this action into that category. After really probably over-analyzing it this week, I have come to the conclusion that calling that "faking it" is really short changing not only ourselves, but God. I'm not really "faking" anything, I am still trying to do my best in a situation where I may have odds stacked against me. And God is right there, handing me grace; grace that is to be sufficient for those days that are less than great. See, He knows we are going to have bad days, He gave us His son though, so that our very best day here on earth won't even compare to the days we have laid up for us in Heaven. And when I think about having a bad day, didn't Jesus probably have the very worst day that ever existed on earth? Being hung on a cross for something He didn't do, and for absolutely everything else that the rest of us ever did, or ever will do?
Anyway......faking also implies lying to some people. I had really never put it in that category, but if the shoe fits, well..... I think some Christians get tagged as "sugar-coated" because they always act like they don't have problems and life is perfect. I have probably been put in that category a few times more than I would like, but; the bottom line for me anyway is I like to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. I want people to see the good God is doing even when He is taking me through a rough patch. Deep down, I know He is going to bring me through the rough patch and I will be stronger and better than I was before. THEN, I will tell you all about it.
As far as society in general, another way people are using this phrase is for when they don't really know what they are doing, I had never even thought of it that ways and I feel faking knowing what you are doing really is wrong. If you don't know what you are doing, ASK!! I was 20 years old when I was tossed into a position of kitchen manager at Richard's Farm. I was given that job on Mother's Day eve. Just for the record, one of the craziest days of the year for a good restaurant is Mother's Day. That day actually went fine but things started going downhill the next week. I was brought the order book from the owner and was told to do the ordering. He handed me the book and left. I went through and wrote down what we needed according to the book. There were some things on the list that I didn't know what were but decided we surely didn't need them if I didn't know what they were.
The next Saturday evening, at 6 p.m., we ran out of the giant 3 gallon bags for our tea machines. You don't really understand how much tea a restaurant can go through until you are out. Of course, everybody was busy so sending someone to the grocery store to buy a case of tea bags presented its own fiascos. That was one of the worst working days of my life and it was all because I didn't know what I was doing and didn't think I needed to ask for help. Folks, that's not faking it. That is making a mistake. If you don't understand something, don't pretend you do. Ask and learn.
We do this with our Christian lives too and we shouldn't. If something comes up and you don't understand why God let something happen, find another Christian friend and see what their insight is. and just for the record, sometimes, Christians think wrong too. We have a tendency to see something and know immediately how we feel about it and then God steps in and tells us that maybe we need to rethink. My biggest one is seeing someone who has committed a crime and thinking, "that person will go to Hell". I had one particular incident, that I carried around for ages, taking great comfort in the fact that someone was going to Hell. Then God woke me up one day and just said, "You do know my forgiveness is perfect, right?" I was reading Psalms 130, verses 3 & 4, "If you , O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness." That was a numbing day for me. If this person asked Christ to be their Savior, and asked God to forgive them, they will be in Heaven. I also realized that day, almost 25 years ago, that sin is sin. We try to make some sins out to be worse than others-but God says sin is sin. I can't tell you how guilty I have felt over the years for wishing someone were truly in Hell. When our jobs on earth as Christians is to spread the Gospel, I have a feeling wanting someone to be in Hell is not what I am supposed to be doing.
The third major area of using faking it til you make it is when you are lacking confidence or are insecure. This sorta ties back to the first but there are some differences. Some of what I was reading this week on the subject pointed out that sometimes you have to go through the motions for a while before it feels comfortable. There were several examples of addicts and not really feeling comfortable without their addiction. This has to fall back to God's grace also. I used to smoke. I smoked for 12 years. When I quit, I very much missed the feel of a cigarette in my hand. My husband actually brought me a small lag bolt, the same size as a cigarette. I would roll it between my fingers for comfort. I would laugh at thinking of getting addicted to my bolt but after a while, I was comfortable without it. Like all the other things listed above though, I was trying, I was getting better every day and I seriously think calling it faking would be a mistake.
So after much soul-searching (and internet searching), I have decided to ban the phrase from my vocabulary. Last week a friend posted that it was a day to fake it til you make it, I replied, "Surely that isn't all bad, you are at least doing something." But I have changed my mind.
My conclusion is we should like the word, "try" til we make it. God wants us to be the best us we can be. God gives us grace, some days LOTS of it! that can cover the insecurities, the doubts, and the "I can't" in our head. I know "fake it til you make it" sounds cooler than try but that is where I'm heading. Lots of prayer, ASKING God to see me through each day, with a secure hope that no matter, how bad the day here, one day, I will have one perfect day after another.
Another friend just posted that she is tired of faking it until she makes it and she never makes it anyway. I think this perfectly describes the failure that phrase sets us up for. If we are just faking, we have no chance to grow, or get stronger.
Speaking of getting Stronger, I am sharing Mandisa's Stronger with you this week. Carry this around with you for those times that you feel like falling into that faking it until you make it trap and instead, ask God to give you grace to be Stronger.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Waiting for My Ship to Come In
If you haven’t noticed yet there is a theme running through this series. January’s theme is actually encouragement. I want the whole month to work on that voice that says, “I can’t”. You may have also noticed a common thread in passages. The first two devotionals had passages from Philippians; this one will as well. I have different books of the Bible for different thoughts but my favorite book to look for encouragement is Philippians. It’s a short read, 4 chapters, but there is just so much there to help you press on. I seriously read the whole book when I know I’m thinking negative thoughts.
This week I want to talk about the past. We have a tendency to not see the past as it truly was. We romanticize what our lives used to be, especially when we are having a bad day in the here and now. Last week, I committed myself to better self-care only to end up with a week of set-backs and sick days. It was so very easy to look back and say, “Last time I tried to do this, it was so much easier.” But when I really examine it, I know, that is a lie, brought down on me by the Devil. It is secretly sending that voice of “I can’t” without me even realizing it.
Before Christmas, it seemed so many of my friends were struggling. This devotional series was already on my mind, so I tried to post some words of encouragement. A very dear friend and mentor replied to remember that in a car, you have this huge windshield and this tiny rear view mirror. I love the object lesson there and if you ever look out your side mirrors, you know you are seeing a distorted image, designed to be able to see more of what is going on behind you at once. Again, seeing all of the good in our past all at once isn’t really how it normally happened.
That all being said, we still need to remember our pasts, as they are what has helped us to where we are today—good or bad, it is part of our fabric. We do need to be careful though to not live in the past, or dwell on what our lives were like in our so called glory days. I find it easy to fall victim to this, but I have to remember that distorted view. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” (Message version) I don’t think Paul is saying never think about our history, but not to let yesterday have an impact on today. If I had a setback yesterday, today is my chance to make it right. The rest of that verse says to keep your eye on the goal. That is really what our whole existence should be about, reaching for Him; reaching for everything He has set out there for us.
So, I have clients that I say have “ship syndrome”. They are waiting for their ship to come in and then everything will be okay. I have to admit, I used to do that a lot too. Then it dawned on me. I DON'T HAVE A SHIP….. Before I can get that ship to come in, I have to build it. If it’s your self-image you are working on, that means taking care of you today. Don’t neglect yourself today, that puts a board on your ship. If it is money, see how well you can keep your budget today; that is another board on your ship. BUILD THAT SHIP.
One of my friends that I mentioned inspired this blog is getting ready for a marathon. She had a really hard run this week and seriously thought about quitting. She is running to raise money for breast cancer research. God turned her thoughts to those who couldn’t just quit as they battle this horrible disease. She did 25.9 miles at one time, which was her goal. Her last comment was she did it with lots of walking, and thinking, and praying. She made the statement she wasn’t really built for this. She doesn’t really look like she could run a marathon. I beg to differ, Kiddo, and am so very proud of you. This week is now one of rejoicing for her instead of defeat.
Always remember, even if you don’t have your plan in place, God does. Ask Him when you don’t know how you are supposed to tackle something. I have one last verse for today.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
There it is, He knows our ways, and we need to listen.
I have a song for this week as well. Music is a huge part of my life and I feel like a simple song can sometimes do more than a half hour of preaching, teaching, reading, etc.
So, to take you on your way today, here is Point of Grace with How You Live.
Remember to turn up the music, take a few chances, BUILD YOUR SHIP, and stop looking back thinking it was better then.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Misplaced J-O-Y
If you are at least in my generation, you have grown up hearing that the way to true joy is to put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself, last- hence J-O-Y. In this crazy life we have created for ourselves, it seems the only way to get everything done would be to have a few more hours in every day and a few more days in every week. I read a devotional not too long ago that pointed out God is not going to reward us for being busy. I found that kind of sad because I'm not busy to try to impress God with my busyness, but I am busy because I'm trying to do my best to be a good steward of what He has given me. I then decided maybe there should be a disclaimer that if our being busy is centered around what God wants us to be doing then yes, He will probably reward it--or at least expect it. I can already hear some of you, "God is not going to expect you to work yourself into a state of being sick", (or maybe that was just the two people who showed up in my office yesterday morning to remind me the same). After all, we have also heard all our lives that idle hands are the Devil's workshop. There are tons of verses in the Bible about not being idle. Of course, Proverbs 31, that describes that "as close to perfect as a human can get" Christian woman tells that "she does not eat the bread of idleness" (vs. 27).
So, we all seem to be busy, and hopefully we are leading Christ-centered lives but when it comes to who gets the short-end of the stick, I am afraid it is ourselves--or the Y in J-O-Y. If you know me personally, you know I have struggled with weight all my life. I remember my doctor telling my mom when I was about 8, "She will never be a Twiggy". It didn't keep me from wanting to be though. As I got older, got married, and had my son, I fell straight into the dark hole of taking care of everyone else. Something had to give and that something was usually taking care of me. That was my excuse on and off for about the first 18 years or so we were married. I would get everything else done on my list but when I got to the exercise part, I would declare I was too tired and it was just for me so no big deal, and wipe it off the list. Big mistake!
We all know that our ancestors had a lot harder road than we do. The thought of any of them needing to go to the gym after a day of manually pushing a plow is absurd. It is, however, the price we need to pay for having all these modern conveniences; we have to find a way to keep our bodies fit. I also know, they had a lot more "self" time, or maybe "God" time than we do. I know just the time I spend mowing the yard, I can gain so much clarity of what God is wanting from me. I can't hear the cellphone, I can't hear music, I am just alone, me and God. I think we so often forget that God tells us to "Be Still and Know that I am God". I can mentally see myself like an anxious 5-year-old wanting to tell his parent something, or probably more often, asking his parent for something, "Can I please, oh, can I?? Huh, huh?" When all along, just like the parent, God has the answer all figured out. And just like that child, he needs to say, "Wait, let ME talk". I love when I know with all certainty that God has given me clarity on an issue. You have a peace with it that you never imagined. Not going into too much detail but there was something in my life a couple of months ago that I had prayed about, HARD. I knew what I wanted, but God immediately told me to sit back and think about WHY I wanted it. He sent me to some particular verses, Philippians 2:3-4. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others." I was so convicted, I printed it off and have it clipped in a place I can see at work; reminding me several times a day. The next week, as I was at Holy Yoga, would you believe Susan, our instructor, read those very verses. That was my confirmation that God wanted me to hear it. He sent me answers, He sent me clarity, and most of all, He sent me peace. I knew I was asking for something for the wrong reasons and thus, it became a non-issue. I truly no longer wanted what I thought I did.
I have quiet time and Bible Study every morning, but somehow God talks to me differently if I am doing something like mowing the yard, or walking on the treadmill---which brings me off of the rabbit track and back to my main point, :-)
As a result of my own crazy life, I have developed Ulcerative Colitis. Nobody will say it is caused by stress but they will tell you stress irritates it. This week I had a colonoscopy--the results were not what I wanted to hear. I was expecting to hear things were better than 3 years ago--instead they were worse. On the way home though I really got to thinking about the fact that I was once again neglecting self-care. A couple of years ago, I got on a really good roll and lost 50 lbs. (which is now back plus 20). I was eating right and exercising. I made the statement on facebook at the time for young moms to make sure they take care of themselves, it isn't an option, it is necessary to be able to take care of everyone else. One of my lifelong friends who lost his mom when he was young commented that if his own mom was here, he was sure she would say the same thing.
So, starting today, I am putting my focus back on taking care of myself and though I am certainly not throwing out the J-O-Y acronym, I just have to remind myself, that PART of putting Jesus and Others first is taking care of myself so I am able to put them first.
I am also going to give you with a few more verses to ponder.
Philippians 1:6 says, " Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath done a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
He is basically telling us He brought us into this world exactly the way He wanted us. We all know we have free will so we need to work harder (or I do anyway) on taking care of the very first thing He gave us, our lives.
We also want to remember Psalm 139:14, " I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
and lastly, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body."
This takes us back to we are HIS.
We need to remember being a good steward of what He gave us included taking care of our bodies.
I'm starting (over) today!!!
I am leaving you with Jason Gray's Remind Me Who I Am. It touches on a lot more than just not taking care of yourself--or maybe it doesn't. Maybe all of the people in the video really started with not taking care of themselves too.......a final point to ponder.
So, we all seem to be busy, and hopefully we are leading Christ-centered lives but when it comes to who gets the short-end of the stick, I am afraid it is ourselves--or the Y in J-O-Y. If you know me personally, you know I have struggled with weight all my life. I remember my doctor telling my mom when I was about 8, "She will never be a Twiggy". It didn't keep me from wanting to be though. As I got older, got married, and had my son, I fell straight into the dark hole of taking care of everyone else. Something had to give and that something was usually taking care of me. That was my excuse on and off for about the first 18 years or so we were married. I would get everything else done on my list but when I got to the exercise part, I would declare I was too tired and it was just for me so no big deal, and wipe it off the list. Big mistake!
We all know that our ancestors had a lot harder road than we do. The thought of any of them needing to go to the gym after a day of manually pushing a plow is absurd. It is, however, the price we need to pay for having all these modern conveniences; we have to find a way to keep our bodies fit. I also know, they had a lot more "self" time, or maybe "God" time than we do. I know just the time I spend mowing the yard, I can gain so much clarity of what God is wanting from me. I can't hear the cellphone, I can't hear music, I am just alone, me and God. I think we so often forget that God tells us to "Be Still and Know that I am God". I can mentally see myself like an anxious 5-year-old wanting to tell his parent something, or probably more often, asking his parent for something, "Can I please, oh, can I?? Huh, huh?" When all along, just like the parent, God has the answer all figured out. And just like that child, he needs to say, "Wait, let ME talk". I love when I know with all certainty that God has given me clarity on an issue. You have a peace with it that you never imagined. Not going into too much detail but there was something in my life a couple of months ago that I had prayed about, HARD. I knew what I wanted, but God immediately told me to sit back and think about WHY I wanted it. He sent me to some particular verses, Philippians 2:3-4. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others." I was so convicted, I printed it off and have it clipped in a place I can see at work; reminding me several times a day. The next week, as I was at Holy Yoga, would you believe Susan, our instructor, read those very verses. That was my confirmation that God wanted me to hear it. He sent me answers, He sent me clarity, and most of all, He sent me peace. I knew I was asking for something for the wrong reasons and thus, it became a non-issue. I truly no longer wanted what I thought I did.
I have quiet time and Bible Study every morning, but somehow God talks to me differently if I am doing something like mowing the yard, or walking on the treadmill---which brings me off of the rabbit track and back to my main point, :-)
As a result of my own crazy life, I have developed Ulcerative Colitis. Nobody will say it is caused by stress but they will tell you stress irritates it. This week I had a colonoscopy--the results were not what I wanted to hear. I was expecting to hear things were better than 3 years ago--instead they were worse. On the way home though I really got to thinking about the fact that I was once again neglecting self-care. A couple of years ago, I got on a really good roll and lost 50 lbs. (which is now back plus 20). I was eating right and exercising. I made the statement on facebook at the time for young moms to make sure they take care of themselves, it isn't an option, it is necessary to be able to take care of everyone else. One of my lifelong friends who lost his mom when he was young commented that if his own mom was here, he was sure she would say the same thing.
So, starting today, I am putting my focus back on taking care of myself and though I am certainly not throwing out the J-O-Y acronym, I just have to remind myself, that PART of putting Jesus and Others first is taking care of myself so I am able to put them first.
I am also going to give you with a few more verses to ponder.
Philippians 1:6 says, " Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath done a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
He is basically telling us He brought us into this world exactly the way He wanted us. We all know we have free will so we need to work harder (or I do anyway) on taking care of the very first thing He gave us, our lives.
We also want to remember Psalm 139:14, " I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
and lastly, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body."
This takes us back to we are HIS.
We need to remember being a good steward of what He gave us included taking care of our bodies.
I'm starting (over) today!!!
I am leaving you with Jason Gray's Remind Me Who I Am. It touches on a lot more than just not taking care of yourself--or maybe it doesn't. Maybe all of the people in the video really started with not taking care of themselves too.......a final point to ponder.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
A New Beginning
So, it’s the second day of January—did you make New Year’s Resolutions? Have you already screwed them up?
I don’t know why we impose such stringent restrictions on “starting over”. Do you think God ever told a sinner coming to him, “wait until January 1, or at least until in the morning- the beginning of a new day”. We see the absurdity in that so we should be able to see it in our setting limitations for change. The best time to change something you want to change is now.
This brings the first voice that we need to face—the “I can’t” voice. This one is probably the most prevalent in my own head. I hear it more than I want to admit—worse yet, I LISTEN to it more than I want to admit.
Our first Bible passage is going to be from Philippians, and many of you can already hear, “I can do all things” going through your head; and yes, Philippians 4:13 tells us just that. I want to back up a few verses and look at verses 10-12 and then on to verse 14.
The KJV says But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
But I love the way the Message Bible phrases it:
I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.
There is so much in these verses. First of all, notice that he is telling the Philippians thanks for thinking of me. Thanks for praying for me. This is our sign; we need to be constantly lifting each other up.
Then Paul goes on to say that he has learned to be content. This has been a big deal for me this past year. Our life changed drastically when my husband decided to start his own business. Our surety of four paychecks a month was no longer a reality. We now had two, which basically cut our guaranteed pay in half. I was scared to death and in the months that were lean in work for him, I would get angry. I was angry because God wasn’t sending work, I was angry that we couldn’t go out every Friday night and I was angry that I couldn’t go spend money at the mall just because I had a bad day. That’s when this verse really hit me. See, there has never been a time when a bill went unpaid or that we were in any danger of losing our home, a car, or starving to death. God said, “Be content”. I am so content now that my latest thing to be angry about is how much money I have wasted on “stuff”. My January home project is cleaning out the attic; it has got to be a sin to have this much “stuff”.
Of course we get to Verse 13: King James says:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
In the Message Bible, it says: Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
There it is, the one we all know, focus on that one for just a minute. But then, let’s look at verse 14
I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
Did you see what Paul did there? He put the importance of your friends in Christ up there too. Yes, I can accomplish what I need to accomplish, but it is important that you pray for me as I do it. Likewise, Paul mentioned many times that he prayed for his followers.
Have you ever “felt” someone praying for you? I feel it most when I have that unnatural peace I feel in a situation where I should be pulling my hair out. It is not only a good thing for us to encourage each other. It is what we are supposed to do. Another passage that tells us this is Hebrews 10:25. It says :
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
As times get tougher, it is going to get harder to stay true to Christ and our beliefs. We need our friends to hold us accountable.
This is going to be the first thing that may ruffle some feathers. I see lots of post of fb about this, there is one that currently says, I may not go to church every Sunday…. But I pray to GOD every day!!!!!!
Do you ever really look at that? Can you read that as “I’m too busy to give God a couple hours of my undivided attention but I will ask Him to do what I want”? Really? I feel this is getting long, so I won’t share the story – let’s just say that I did this myself. I wasn’t going to church but was asking God to work a very big miracle for a friend. He convicted me on this so I’m just passing it on. I was using the excuse that I wasn’t home to go to my home church. God told us not to forsake the assembling of HIS people, not MY people. I found us a church.
So after all of this, the points I want you to take with you this week.
- You don’t have to wait to start something over—Right now is fine.
- You can do whatever you set your mind to, but learn to be happy with where you are first. If you can’t be happy where you are, you are going to be miserable until you get to where you want to be. Get “NOW” in order first, (and truth be told, if you think another point in your life is what it is going to take to make you happy, you will probably be disappointed when you get there).
- It is vitally important that we as Christians encourage each other and pray for one another, and keep one another accountable.
- Don’t diminish the importance of fellowship and worship with other believers.
- I leave you with a video from Matthew West. Remember, God’s time is eternal—any day, any hour, or any second can be Day One.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Day One
Happy 2016!!!!
Here we are, embarking on a beautiful, shiny, new year. Welcome to Louder Than the Voices. Hopefully, this will become a stopping point for a weekly cup of inspiration, encouragement, and remembering what God is trying to tell us. I am so very excited about starting this venture as it has been rumbling through my head for years, and most recently, I have been very focused on this date for months.
Hello, my name is Mindy (and if you just heard a Matthew West song tumble through your mind, you are one of my kind! ;-) ) I am setting off on a year long journey of bringing devotionals to my friends and family through the use of the ever popular blogspot. If you are one of my friends who has faithfully followed my personal blog, you had a little foresight that this was coming. If you are a first time visitor and/or was invited by one of my friends (that IS a hint, thanks in advance!), let me fill you in on the background.
I actually posted this on my personal blog on Tuesday:
See, I have felt the calling to write for years, seriously, years. I have used that in little bits and pieces. When I had the Jr. High and High School AWANA kids, I would right short devotionals based around their lives and things going on in the world. Usually having them read a verse a day to get them in their Bibles at least a minute each day. I have also written some random devotionals here and there and sometimes even here on this blog. I have been feeling a stronger pull lately though, it seriously started with the night we went to see Matthew West.
Robert got us tickets for this concert and I have to tell you I was thrilled to death. Matthew West is my absolute favorite singer/songwriter/performer. I love the fact that he writes his music based on people's lives. When he wrote the song, Do Something, it reminded me so much of why I go to work everyday. However, at that concert, we got to visit with Matthew before the main event. He had asked me what my favorite song was (after I asked what his was, and he never did answer). He told me this song came back to haunt him though because he would get to feeling like he really didn't do enough. THAT was when it started.
So, I know I get to do an awesome job that helps people and truly changes lives. I try to make sure Jesus shows in me with every person I come into contact with ( and yes, I fail at this :-( but I do try). But, I also know I bring home a paycheck for this work too. I have heard the Lord tell me I need to do more for Him out of the shear "want" to do more for Him.
It was not three days later, that a friend of mine (and the wife of one of our past pastors) posted something to my timeline about How to Write for the Lord. It was a series by Lysa TerKeurst (author of Made to Crave-one of my favorites). This made the bells go off even louder, how did she know to do that? Well, duh.....
So, I have been following what I can of that, most of that followed into how to be published, and I'm not sure I even want to go there right now, I am more concerned about getting some devotionals out there to help my friends, and their friends, and probably, truth-be-told, more than anyone else, it will help me.
A few days after that another friends had ran 16 miles (I think), getting ready for a marathon. As many of us encouraged her on through facebook, she made some statement about that little voice in her head that told her she couldn't do this. I made the statement to let us be louder than the voices. That phrase stuck in my head. God can be louder than the voices (who I sometimes just downright claim is the Devil talking), WE can be louder than the voices for each other too and that is what I am hoping to accomplish.
Because of our crazy busy lives, I am only committing myself to one post a week, on Saturday mornings, when hopefully, you have a little time to sit and unwind, and gear up for another week.
So as you can tell by this, the first "official" devo will be posted tomorrow, January 2nd. See you then!
Here we are, embarking on a beautiful, shiny, new year. Welcome to Louder Than the Voices. Hopefully, this will become a stopping point for a weekly cup of inspiration, encouragement, and remembering what God is trying to tell us. I am so very excited about starting this venture as it has been rumbling through my head for years, and most recently, I have been very focused on this date for months.
Hello, my name is Mindy (and if you just heard a Matthew West song tumble through your mind, you are one of my kind! ;-) ) I am setting off on a year long journey of bringing devotionals to my friends and family through the use of the ever popular blogspot. If you are one of my friends who has faithfully followed my personal blog, you had a little foresight that this was coming. If you are a first time visitor and/or was invited by one of my friends (that IS a hint, thanks in advance!), let me fill you in on the background.
I actually posted this on my personal blog on Tuesday:
See, I have felt the calling to write for years, seriously, years. I have used that in little bits and pieces. When I had the Jr. High and High School AWANA kids, I would right short devotionals based around their lives and things going on in the world. Usually having them read a verse a day to get them in their Bibles at least a minute each day. I have also written some random devotionals here and there and sometimes even here on this blog. I have been feeling a stronger pull lately though, it seriously started with the night we went to see Matthew West.
Robert got us tickets for this concert and I have to tell you I was thrilled to death. Matthew West is my absolute favorite singer/songwriter/performer. I love the fact that he writes his music based on people's lives. When he wrote the song, Do Something, it reminded me so much of why I go to work everyday. However, at that concert, we got to visit with Matthew before the main event. He had asked me what my favorite song was (after I asked what his was, and he never did answer). He told me this song came back to haunt him though because he would get to feeling like he really didn't do enough. THAT was when it started.
So, I know I get to do an awesome job that helps people and truly changes lives. I try to make sure Jesus shows in me with every person I come into contact with ( and yes, I fail at this :-( but I do try). But, I also know I bring home a paycheck for this work too. I have heard the Lord tell me I need to do more for Him out of the shear "want" to do more for Him.
It was not three days later, that a friend of mine (and the wife of one of our past pastors) posted something to my timeline about How to Write for the Lord. It was a series by Lysa TerKeurst (author of Made to Crave-one of my favorites). This made the bells go off even louder, how did she know to do that? Well, duh.....
So, I have been following what I can of that, most of that followed into how to be published, and I'm not sure I even want to go there right now, I am more concerned about getting some devotionals out there to help my friends, and their friends, and probably, truth-be-told, more than anyone else, it will help me.
A few days after that another friends had ran 16 miles (I think), getting ready for a marathon. As many of us encouraged her on through facebook, she made some statement about that little voice in her head that told her she couldn't do this. I made the statement to let us be louder than the voices. That phrase stuck in my head. God can be louder than the voices (who I sometimes just downright claim is the Devil talking), WE can be louder than the voices for each other too and that is what I am hoping to accomplish.
Because of our crazy busy lives, I am only committing myself to one post a week, on Saturday mornings, when hopefully, you have a little time to sit and unwind, and gear up for another week.
So as you can tell by this, the first "official" devo will be posted tomorrow, January 2nd. See you then!
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