Webs Of Worry

Today's post is from the book "Jesus Calling." I love the analogy about weaving webs, because worry is something that keeps many of us in bondage. I have been there so many times... Entangled. Unable to move. Paralyzed. Worry shows us that we are more focused on the problem than we are on God.

Stop worrying long enough to hear My voice. I speak softly to you, in the depths of your being. Your mind shuttles back and forth, hither and yon, weaving webs of anxious confusion. As My thoughts rise up within you, they become entangled in those sticky webs of worry. Thus, My voice is muffled, and you hear only "white noise".

Ask My Spirit to quiet your mind so that you can think My thoughts. This ability is an awesome benefit of being My child, patterned after My own image. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or that of your own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Sit quietly in My presence, letting My thoughts reprogram your thinking.

"Jesus Calling"
by Sarah Young
Thomas Nelson Publishing

Psalm 24:8

"Who is the King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty.
The Lord, mighty in battle."
-Psalm 24:8

Today, I felt led to simply share this verse from Psalms.

Whatever battle you are facing, know that the Lord is with you. He is mighty. He is stronger than anything you will face. In Him and through Him, we have victory.

God's Word

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
-Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

I was unable to make it to church yesterday, so I attended church online via Valley Bible Fellowship. The pastor who was speaking, Jim Crews, is a good friend of ours and he was talking about the importance of filling our minds and hearts with the right things. One of those things is the Word of God. Duh, right? But in all reality, how much Word really penetrates our lives?

Reading the Bible is truly a blessing we have in this country, many others around the world do not have this privilege. And while reading the Word is vital to the Christian walk, do we go beyond simply reading words on a page? Do we go beyond study and devotions?

Do we really let the words of Scripture take root in our hearts and minds?

The Bible is full of amazing passages and stories that will encourage you, challenge you, guide you... I know that God has used His Word to speak to me too many times to count. What are you going through right now? Let me challenge you to find a scripture that will speak to you and/or your circumstances (many Bibles have a topical index in the back). Then take the time to memorize it. Once you have that allowed that word to penetrate your heart and your mind, whenever you need it, it will be there.

For example, God has given me several words from the Bible as we have been navigating this crazy season of life. Whenever I am struggling with doubt or discouragement, I can simply recite that scripture to myself and let it remind me of the promises God has given me and help me change the thoughts and attitude of my heart.

There are so many benefits to knowing the Word of God. But one of the most important is that God SPEAKS THROUGH it. The Word of God truly is living and powerful.

Follow The Peace

Charlie was a spiritual mentor in my life for many years. To nearly everyone that knew him, he was a spiritual giant of sorts. He was like Yoda, always seeming to have a nugget of wisdom for nearly any situation. One of the things he would tell me whenever I was facing a tough decision was "Follow the peace". Pray about your decision, find where the peace of God leads you, then follow it.

In Joyce Meyer's "Starting Your Day Right" she writes, "You may have to step out to find out the right thing to do. If you don't hear clearly from God, just step in the direction you think you should go, and then wait for peace. If you lose your peace, back out of wherever you were headed."

My husband and I recently faced a big decision and everything in us wanted to say yes, but regardless of what we felt or wanted, God's peace just wasn't there. As tough as it was to turn it down, we knew it was the right choice. God was leading us in a different direction.

Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. You see, God's peace is different that our desires or emotions or thoughts. It's deeper than any human understanding.

Where is the peace of God leading you?

Real Authenticity

"Deep down, I want to be Velveteen-Rabbit real: threadbare and worn, and loved even more for it."

This statement in Alece Ronzino's blog post about her love/hate relationship with authenticity struck a chord with me.

“Being real” is a term that is thrown out there all the time. People say how much they admire when someone is "being real". Especially in the church world, where being a hypocrite is a cardinal sin, authenticity is embraced and “fake” Christianity is despised.

But when people begin to get deep with their authenticity, others run from it. I've been guilty of it. Sure, share your prayer requests and struggles, we are supposed to bear one another's burdens, right? But whatever you do, please don't show any kind of emotion or get too deep on me because that might get awkward. I may even have to avoid your phone calls or pretend I don't see you at church.

I know for some of us, it's a lot easier said than done. But we can ask God to help us have a heart for the burdens of others. Sometimes all people need is for someone to just be there, instead of running away. If we truly value "being real" then lets allow people the opportunity to BE real.

God's Faithful Promises

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
-Hebrews 10:23

I was talking with a dear friend of mine yesterday and she was updating me on some really tough circumstances her family has been dealing with. After many tears, setbacks, and prayers, they finally received some good news about their situation. Yet even with the good news, there was still some doubt...was God really going to come through for them?

I can totally relate, can you? God has spoken something to you. You believe. Hardships come to test your belief. You feel disappointed. Some of us have been on this merry-go-round for what seems like an eternity. So much so, that you feel almost scared to hope for fear of being disappointed yet again.

"If we have faith, we have hope."
-Charles Spurgeon

If we BELIEVE in God, then we must believe IN God. We must believe that He is who the Word says He is. That He can do what He says He can do. We must continue to put our hope in Him, even if things don't work out the way we would desire them to. Because He promises that His grace is sufficient. He promises to never leave us. He promises to love us unconditionally. And He who promised, is faithful.

The Blessings Of Today

"He that fears not the future may enjoy the present."
-Thomas Fuller

It has been a wonderful weekend... great weather, lots of laughter, lots of quality family time. Yet instead of cherishing all of that 'wonderful-ness' in my heart, I am anticipating the week to come, and my heart is filled with dread. This week, our family begins another season of craziness, and to be honest, I'm not looking forward to it at all.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
-Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Why do I struggle with that so much? Instead of looking at the negative, I need to rejoice at the positive! I have a lot to be thankful for, but in being anxious, I am robbing myself of enjoying God's blessings in my life. If you are having a hard time finding positivity in your life right now, maybe it's because you are so focused on the negative that you are robbing yourself of not only seeing God's blessings, but enjoying them.

I have many blessings. I have a lot to be thankful for. God is good.

My heart is full.

What Goes Around Comes Around

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days, you will find it again."
-Ecclesiastes 11:1

Being involved in ministry for so many years, I have had the great honor of "leading" a lot of pretty amazing people. From the nursery to young adults, you name it and I have been involved. I don't say that to brag, but to express how truly humbled and grateful I am that God allowed me those opportunities to speak into people's lives. But what I truly consider one of the greatest things about my years in ministry is when it all comes back around.

I've been walking through a tough season in life. There have been some high points, but also many low points. It's been in those valleys where God has been using some of those people who I invested in to pray for me, encourage me, and speak His truth into my life. What I used to pour into them, they are now pouring into me. The students have become the teachers.

As Christ followers, we all need to be pouring into someone on a daily basis. Who are you pouring into? You never know...what you give to them today may be given to you tomorrow.

Seeing Treasures

My daughter was playing outside when she suddenly comes running into the house shouting, "Mommy, Mommy!" Seeing that she was okay and obviously excited, I asked her what was going on. "Look Mommy! I found a TREASURE!" I looked down to see her clutching a small freshly picked flower in her pudgy little hand. Some people would look and that and think, "aaand...?" No big deal right?

My daughter loves flowers. She especially loves to collect them. Not only that, but she had been through a whole winter season without any flowers, so to her, this was truly a treasure.

Where did we lose that as we grew into adults? How many everyday treasures do we miss? Maybe we are too busy to see them, are too consumed looking at other things to notice, or don't recognize them for what they are truly worth. There are treasures all around us, but it's all a matter of seeing them as such. I pray that God will open our eyes, that we may see the extraordinary in the (seemingly) ordinary.

Keeping The Fast

We are currently in the season of Lent and many people are fasting. The first part of the fast can be extremely difficult, and often the hardest time. I want to encourage you to persevere in the thing(s) that you feel God has called you to give up for Lent.

Be prepared for the spiritual attacks in these days you are fasting. The enemy will try to tempt you, distract you, and discourage you. The Bible reminds us that satan is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Don't let him rob you of the things God wants to do in you and through you during your fast.

If you are feeling weary, remember the reason for your fast. Draw even closer to God and ask Him for strength and endurance. Push through the temptation to give in and, instead, move forward towards the transformation that God wants to do in you.

A House Divided

There's an old song that we used to sing in Children's Church that said, "They will know we are Christians by our love..." Unfortunately, many of today's Christians are viewed as judgmental, negative, and prideful. And most of that perception is based on how we treat each other.

Christians are notorious for "shooting the wounded". When a brother or sister falls, instead of loving them, many fellow Christians tend to judge them. Instead of helping them back up and on their feet, we hold their actions over their head, keeping them in a state of defeat. We are so concerned with the minors and trying to keep fellow Christians "in line" that we are completely neglecting one of our primary purposes as believers...TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.

"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."
-Mark 3:25

I love the way that the New Living Translation says it, "A family splintered by feuding will fall apart." The arguing and backbiting among the Church causes splinters of division that will slowly lead to a broken and weakened body. Don't you think that's exactly where the enemy wants us? There are people who desperately need God's message of hope, peace, and forgiveness! But if we are constantly focusing on other believers, pointing out ways they could live their lives better, how will we have the time and energy to go and seek out the lost? Beyond that, how can we tell them about Christ's love when our actions towards those in our own Church family show the exact opposite?

While we ARE to hold each other accountable, we shouldn't major in the minors. We shouldn't look at fellow Christians with a microscope, but rather through the lens of God's grace, mercy, and love.

When Things Need To Change

If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
- Mary Engelbreit

Life can be frustrating. Last night, I was venting to my husband about the many things I am frustrated about right now. There are circumstances in my life and around me that I wish would/could change, yet they are beyond my control. But there are also circumstances in my life and around me that I wish would/could change, and I have all the power to make it happen.

For many of us, our issue doesn't come with RECOGNIZING what needs to change, but in IMPLEMENTING change itself.

My young daughter can get upset over the smallest things sometimes. In those instances, I tell her, "Don't get upset over something you can change." As I was venting last night, I realized that complaining was getting me nowhere in changing my circumstances. Instead, I need to take my frustration and use it to fuel me to make the right adjustments. For those things that are beyond my control, the thing I need to adjust is my attitude.

Look at the thing in your life that you are most unhappy about or that you tend to complain about the most, then (prayerfully) find a way to change it. If it's something that you can't change yourself, then take it to prayer, ask God to change your perspective, and trust Him with the rest.

A Post On Lent - Focus On The Purpose

Yesterday was the beginning of Lent, and many are participating by fasting something for 40 days. For some, it may be a certain type of food or drink. For others, it might be something that consumes their time, such as TV or internet. If you are fasting as part of Lent, I want to encourage you to keep your focus on the purpose of fasting. A fast is not to make us religious. A fast is not to make us more spiritual than others. A fast is not to call attention to ourselves.

I read a great take on the purpose of fasting by Joel J. Miller this week...

"Fasting denies the flesh and its desires. But why? For the express purpose of better enabling us to put on Christ, to grow in Christ, to become more like Christ. Fasting is a means to an end. We deny ourselves to transform ourselves."

When you fast, you are giving something up. But whatever you give up, you must replace it with God. In place of the time you would be devoting to whatever it is you are fasting, spend time in prayer, worship, reading the Word. As you draw closer to God, He will draw closer to you (James 4:8). Listen for God to speak to you and allow God to transform you.

God Alone

Most of us would never acknowledge God as God alone if we didn't experience crisis when no one else could help.
-Beth Moore

God never intended us to walk through this life alone. But there will be times that you will FEEL alone. Maybe you feel like no one understands what you are going through. Maybe you feel that you have no one to talk to about your situation. Maybe you feel that you are beyond help. Let me tell you this--God is there. Wherever you are at, whatever you are going through...

God is there.

One of Satan's most common battle tactics is to get us isolated. To focus on ourselves and our problems and sink into that pit of self pity. We are then paralyzed and powerless. But you have God on your side! You don't have to face your problems alone.

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
-Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

I believe that sometimes God allows us to be put in situations to where we have no other choice but to rely on Him. Where you can't help but realize that He is the only One you need. Where you come to acknowledge Him as God and God alone.

The Lord Is Our Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul..."
-Psalm 23:1-3

Psalm 23 was written by King David. Before he became a king, he lived his life as a shepherd. If anyone knew the responsibilities of that job, it would be him. David knew that a shepherd's main objective was to take care of his sheep. In doing so, a shepherd leads his sheep where they need to go...places where they can find food and water, where they can find safety, where they can find rest.

As the psalm says, The Lord is OUR Shepherd. He is there to take care of us. He is there to lead and guide us.

I love the serene picture that David paints...green pastures, quiet waters...it almost relaxes me just reading about it. I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for some peaceful surroundings right now! The good news is that God, as our Shepherd, wants to lead us there.

Right now, your life may not even come close to resembling the beauty and serenity of that picture. But even in the midst of turmoil and chaos and busyness, we can (and must) take a break, quiet our minds and our hearts, and let God lead us to the green pastures of His word and the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit.

When we allow ourselves to be cared for by our loving Shepherd, we will find peace, rest, and restoration.

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior."
-Habakkuk 3:17-18

This week has been rough. My kids were sick and my husband was gone. Nothing was going right. I was exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually. To top everything off, I had to rush my son to the ER in the middle of the night because he started having trouble breathing. Praise the Lord, he is ok and my family is all back together safe and sound.

But I remember driving home from the hospital in the dark early morning hours praying, "God, where are You in this? When will this season of difficulty be over?" No sooner had I spoken those words, the song "Blessed Be Your Name" pops into my head.

Part of that song is taken from Job chapter 1. After Job lost nearly everything he had (in very tragic circumstances at that), it says he "fell to the ground in worship and said, 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.'”

This doesn't mean that Job was naturally joyful or happy about his circumstances. In fact, we see that he experienced all the human emotions of great loss...grief, anger, confusion. Yet even though Job didn't understand what was going on, even though he didn't see God in his circumstances, even though he questioned God...in the midst of his darkest hour...he KNEW that God was still worthy of his praise.

Talent Envy

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us."
-Romans 12:4-6

You are unique. God created you with a purpose in mind. He gave you specific talents and giftings. So why do we feel the need to compare ourselves to others? I'm not talking about 'keeping up with the Joneses,' I'm talking about ministry. Working in ministry for many years, one thing I consistently heard is "I want to be a pastor." As if that was God's highest calling in life. Being a pastor is an incredible calling...but it's exactly that--a calling, for specific people. It's not "better" than anything else. But for some reason, we as Christ-followers seem to be so focused on wishing we had other people's "better" gifts and talents, that we neglect our own.

I love the way the New Living Translation translates verse 6...
"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well."

There are so many wonderful gifts listed in the Bible: encouragement, serving, teaching, to name a few. All of them are important and needed in the body of Christ. My challenge to you: do not focus on the gifts and talents you don't have or wish you had more of, but embrace the ones that God has given you. And not only embrace them, but work to grow and strengthen them. God gave them to you for a purpose...use them for His kingdom and for His glory.

Praying God's Word - Purify My Heart

Today's post is from Beth Moore's book, "Praying God's Word Day By Day". Are you in a desert season? Maybe God is testing your heart...

Any 'No' an earnestly seeking child of God receives from the throne is for the sake of a greater 'Yes'.

Father, help me to remember in my impatience that the end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride (Ecc. 7:8).

You led your children, the Israelites, all the way in the desert for forty years, to humble them and to test them in order to know what was in their hearts, whether or not they would keep Your commands (Deut. 8:2).

Help me to understand that sometimes You lead me on certain paths to humble me also, to see what is in my heart.

Purify my heart, Lord, so that I will be patient in the waiting times, and so that You will take joy in what You find.

Praying God's Word
by Beth Moore
B & H Publishing

Guilt-Trippin'

If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. My counsel now is to pour on the love.
- Corinthians 2:7-8 (MSG)

We've all done it. Someone has forgotten an important occasion, didn't live up to expectations, made a mistake...and we made sure they knew about it. Instead of addressing the matter in a mature Biblical way, we decided to give them the silent treatment, read them a laundry list of all their past mistakes, or go into a self-pity act. Not you? Have you ever been mad at someone, they ask you what's wrong, you reply with a curt "nothing"? Ah yes, I thought so!

Guilt-trips aren't a God-response but rather a flesh-response. They are a way of trying to control and manipulate. Why do we do it? Many times it's because we feel a lack of control over something in our OWN lives so we react by trying to control someone else's.

The Bible says that we ALL fall short of the glory of God...and yes, that would include me and you.

Let's try to remember that the next time our emotions want to get the better of us. There are times when people must be called out. There are times when your emotions are completely justified. There are times when God will use you to bring CONVICTION (not guilt). Ask God to show you how He wants you to handle the situation. It may not bring satisfaction to your flesh but it will give you victory over it.