Obedience. (quick post!)

Proverbs 7:1 - MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments (for use when needed) and treasure them. 

Just wanted to share a quick verse today.  It's very appropriate that this was the first verse I read. Have you ever had scripture convict you of something you should be doing? Or have you ever had a prompting or the Holy Spirit tell you something that you need to do? Here, in this verse, we are reminded to KEEP HIS WORDS. Obey.

I'm still working on crucifying the flesh... specifically when my alarm clock goes off! Say a prayer for me if you think about it! I NEED to wake up earlier!

What about you? Is there anything you are working on? Are you "keeping HIS word?" Are you being obedient to what His last direction was for you and your life? 

#229 - Cut Yourself Some Slack!

Proverbs 31:10 - A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

Let me just be honest, is that OK with you? This morning as my alarm went off at 6:30, I hit snooze. At 6:35 I hit snooze again, then again at 6:40, 6:45.... and so on until after 7:00 I heard Tyler downstairs and jumped out of bed just because I didn't want him to leave with my Bible still in the car (I accidentally left it at church Sunday so I had to pick it up yesterday.) 


Why do I say all of that? Well, to be transparent, because I've felt as of lately I've been in a bit of a funk. As I sat down this morning to begin journaling and talking to the Lord... the first 10 lines or so of my journal was equivalent to a whining session to the Lord. Really just telling Him all the areas I feel I've maybe dropped the ball, or felt 'dry' in certain areas, lacked motivation in others. One clue that quickly revealed my state to myself has been the 'snooze' button. Where at one time, even not too long ago, my alarm went off, and I looked forward to jumping up, getting out of bed, beginning my morning routine of writing in one of my books, spending time with the Lord, talking, fellow-shipping, then writing a daily devotion from the insights the Lord gave me. I enjoyed delighting in getting up. I enjoyed the fact that I looked forward to getting up to spend time with the Lord. I anticipated that I would hear from Him. I looked forward to what He was going to say to me. Would He direct me in a certain way? Give me insight into something? Reveal a break-through revelation in the Word? Or maybe just pour hope & belief into my heart?

After my brief whining session, the Holy Spirit cut in. Well... I actually took a brief moment to stop whining and decided I would focus on listening. What did He have to say? Was I off-base in my frustration? My failed attempts to be the super woman of productivity, would He give me some insight into how, why & where I failed? Would He give me a 3-step solution to being better, more productive, more accomplished in my days? Being a stay-at home mom, I am the one in control of my daily calendar. "If only I was a 'female version' of Tyler," I've often thought, "I'm sure I would get more done. Have a system of execution. Be better. Be more. Be SUPER!" You see, I am married to a 'self-starter,' someone who constantly is working on improving himself. When he is not diligently (& consistently) reading in one of the 3-4 books he's reading at the current moment, he is planning, watching some amazing leader or minister on-line, listening to a pod-cast or audio about 'improvement'.... since he was 17, he has been a walking, living, breathing reflection of someone always getting better. Indeed, amazing! You may also be able to see where it COULD be easy to compare myself to him? :) Praise the Lord I'm married to such an amazing man.

Well... as I stopped this morning, and chose to stop & listen to give the Holy Spirit a moment to maybe give me some insight, He did. Praise the Lord. Here are just a few of the nuggets He shared with me in the 3 pages that I journaled....

You will have seasons of what seem like great productivity. You will also have seasons of rest, preparation. During this time, don't get discouraged or be despaired. Take this time to enjoy Me. To sit & drink in from My well, from living waters, to get refreshed daily in My communion. Amy, I don't want you to feel pressure from Tyler about being "productive." I don't even want you to feel "pressure" from Me. My intentions are not to push. My intentions Amy, are to mold & make you, through TIME, into the woman I have created you to become. The key is - TIME. It's a process to develop & does not, can not be done overnight! Trying to do it overnight causes burnout & frustration. 

His Words led me to flipping open to Proverbs 31, verse 10, like I have done countless mornings. What more could be hidden in this Word? What more could He have here? As I read the first verse that talks about this amazing godly woman, I realized, like it jumped off the page to me, it coincided exactly with what the Holy Spirit said to me. One word, TIME.

I decided to check into how long it takes a precious gem to form. You'll notice some of my "inserts" in parenthesis. Here is what I found (www.SmithsonianMag.com):

There have been attempts to try to date inclusions in different parts of diamonds, and those have largely been unsuccessful. It may be that diamonds (Godly Women) form over periods as short a time as days, weeks, months to millions of years. Typically, as with many crystals that grow on the Earth, it's not a continuous process. The diamonds (godly woman) may start to grow and then there may be an interruption for some reason – a change in conditions (marriage), temperature  (job change), pressure (having a baby), source of carbon (moving), whatever—and they could sit for millions, hundreds of million of years, and then start growing again. That's part of the problem of trying to put some sort of a growth period on them; things don't always occur continuously...

I found similar information about the formation of a pearl. The one common thread between diamonds and pearls is this, TIME. It takes TIME.

What can we conclude? We are a work in progress. We take time to develop. This woman of God, this Proverbs 31 woman, is said to be more valuable than rubies or pearls. We can conclude, she does not become this woman overnight. She isn't just born with all of these qualities & attributes. It has taken her time. And maybe, just maybe, like the formation of the diamond, there are interruptions at times. The growth process is halted, or may even temporarily stop for a season of rest or change. Ultimately though, it is ALL part of the creation of this beautiful gem. Ultimately the pressure, the pauses, the time, the growth, is all part of the process of this rare & beautiful woman forming into who we know as the Proverbs 31 woman.

So.... today.... cut yourself some slack! Allow time to be on your side. Allow time to do it's work. Relax in the TIME. Relax in the process of becoming. Let God do His work in you! Because we know according to Philippians 1:6, I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.


God is not going to leave you! He is going to COMPLETE the work that He has begun in you! So... cut yourself some slack! Rest in the Lord. Enjoy the process. But mostly, cut yourself slack! You are becoming. You are in the process. Love yourself where you are. You are a process!

Xoxo! Have a blessed day! :) 

Amy

#202 - Don't Hurry!

Good morning! :) We are going to get right into the Word this morning...

Proverbs 7:21-23 - With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along. Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle. Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.

Proverbs 31:16a - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties] ...

Ok... I guess today is going to be "Transparent Thursday." Don't get me wrong... sometimes it's not fun to be transparent, but this morning I learned a lot from Proverbs 7. As you read through Proverbs 7, you see that like Proverbs 5, it discusses the "loose woman." The stage is set as an onlooker in verse 6 sees what is about to take place. The onlooker sees this young man coming "NEAR" danger, "NEAR" where the loose woman has set her trap. From verse 9 on, we see the loose woman beginning to work her "magic" on this man who has come by her house. She has begun to lure him in, persuade him, and get him to not "think" with his right mind. She is trying to get him to avoid his "consciousness" which may have otherwise led him away from her house.

Isn't it interesting, that at all levels of sin, this is what happens? In Proverbs 7:23, we see just a quick glimpse of it in two words, "he hastens." Haste or Hastens is defined as follows: to hurry, accelerate, speed, urgent need of quick action, thoughtless, rash, unnecessary quick action, rush. Let's just look at a simple example, the tray of brownies on the counter. Have you ever walked into the kitchen or break-room, see the yummy treat and in your mind you have a quick conversation with yourself something like this, "You know you shouldn't have any brownies. You are trying to drop 10 more pounds and that is not going to help at all...." And right as your "consciousness" is trying to get you away from the tray of brownies, you cut it off, grab 1, 2 or maybe even 3 (if they have carmel, chocolate AND pecans!) and eat them as quickly as you can so you can't be talked out of it. It's like you are running down the hall, trying to hide and enjoy them quickly. I must say, I have done things like that before. "Made haste." Done things that though my consciousness (aka: the Holy Spirit) is trying to get me away, I partake before I talk myself out of it because I know the temporary "goodness" that will be associated with it.

I just recently did this just a WEEK ago! I look back and think it was such a "kid" thing to do. I was part of a conversation with several other people online. I typed up this long message that I thought was very helpful for those involved. BUT.... here's the kicker.... it was late, Tyler was driving, and instead of doing what I knew I should do... I hit send right away because I figured Tyler would talk me out of sending it. "But it is so well spoken and so well written." I reasoned with myself. After hitting send, I decided to read it to Tyler. Like I assumed, his recommendation was for me NOT to send it. He played the other side of the coin, and everything he said was right. Everything he said was COMPLETELY right. After listening to him, like a dog with my tail between my legs, I knew I shouldn't have hit "send." At the time, I just wanted to QUICKLY HASTEN to send it because I KNEW I would otherwise be talked out of my well written rebuttal.

Here in Proverbs 7, we see because this young man HASTENS, though he doesn't know it, it is actually going to cost him his life. His quick decision to go down the wrong path is not a wise one. We can compare the difference between what the Proverbs 31 woman does, she acts in all situations with such wisdom. She considers before making a decision. She expands or acts prudently before moving forward with something. She is not in a hurry to just rush into something. When her gut says to hold off, she listens.

James 4:7 reminds us to resist the devil and he will FLEE from you! Sometimes that may mean, literally leaving your house, or escaping your thoughts and watching a good movie. The bottom line is this... don't run haste-fully into sin. Consider your ways. Be Prudent (wise, careful).

Enjoy your Thursday!

#191 - Keeping the WORD at the Forefront

Good morning! I pray you are having a blessed day so far as I am! Finished Day #2, back writing/editing first thing when I wake up.... it feels so productive! Praise God for counsel from others. :) OK... let's get going this morning....

Proverbs 7:1-3 - MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them. ²Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye. ³Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Deut. 6:5, 7 - ...love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.... teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Proverbs 31:14 - She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country].

Keep my commandments & live. I am on a bit of a time schedule this morning, but the Holy Spirit assured me that He had a Word for today. I was impressed, as I often am, that the Holy Spirit did quickly pull together His Word from God's Word. Often in the Bible, like in Matthew 4, the Word of God is compared to food. In Matthew 4, Jesus is being tempted by Satan to turn rocks into loaves of bread to eat. Jesus uses the Word in His defense and tells Satan that the WORD of God IS His food. Proverbs 7 this morning begins with keeping and observing the Word, God's commandments, for doing this we will live. Further, if we flip back to Deut 6, we are told to even impress and continually teach our children the Word. To impress upon their minds, daily, consistently, upon waking and upon going to sleep, we are to remind our children AND in doing so, we remind ourselves that we, "Love the Lord with all our heart, soul & might." By saying it outloud, we remind our MIND, and as we continue in the Word, those words we tell our children begin to take ROOT in our hearts. As we do this, we are "raising up a child in the way they shall go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it." Verbalizing our love for the Lord, our commitment to love and be obedient to him, plants something powerful in our hearts, plants something powerful in the pliable hearts of our children. Pliable: easily bent, flexible, easily influenced, adaptable, adjusting readily to change. As our children grow older and older, the world will want more of a say in how they believe. As parents, we have a responsibility, like it talks about in Deuteronomy 6, to TEACH them early on, to raise them up in the Word of God, to instruct them of God's commandments, to abide & follow them. We are raising up a godly generation that this world so desperately needs!

I looked at Proverbs 31:14 in a new way this morning, thanks to the Holy Spirit. "She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs." The Bible often refers or likens "food" to the "Word of God," in this situation, I could see how it may be doing the very same thing! Our Proverbs 31 mother, is LOADED with the Word of God! "She brings her household FOOD from afar." Our Proverbs 31 woman acts with a purpose. She is purposeful. She is planting the WORD of God into her children and anyone who is in her household! She comes, DAILY, bearing the Word, just like it commands us to do in Deuteronomy 6. Upon rising and upon going to bed, planting the Word, setting reminders of the Word, remembering the Promises of the Word.

I'm reminded of how important is the REMEMBER the Word. In Proverbs 7, it talks about binding the Word on your fingers, placing them upon the tablets of your heart. Setting out reminders! Remembering the Word. Today.... what does that mean to us? For Tyler and I, it often means setting reminders on our cell phone. Our cell phone rings often throughout the day to remind us of one of God's promises, to remind us of a Word that we are standing on for our life. For you, it may mean, writing the Word on your bathroom mirror, putting a scripture on the door as you leave for work, putting a scripture on the dash of your car so you see it as you drive. Setting out those IMPORTANT reminders, keeping the Word at the forefront of our minds.

What is going to be YOUR reminder today of God's promises in YOUR life?? Hold on to them! They are hope! They are true yesterday, today & forever!

Have a blessed day! :)