Empty Your Heart of the Uneasy

Matthew 6:25, 33-34 - Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried).... But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.... So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow...

It is so easy today to DAILY go against Matthew 6:25. Stop being perpetually uneasy, anxious and worried. Is it just me? Do you find yourself easily drifting into a state of worry? Or maybe being uneasy? Anxious? Maybe anxious about your dreams and goals. Maybe it's being worried about how God will come through with your finances & paying some bills. Maybe it's being uneasy about fitting everything you need to get done into the allotted time that you have to do it? Maybe it's having grocery money for the week when your account shows $0.00? Maybe it's your marriage. How could you not stress out and worry, when everything looks like it is falling apart?

Friend, I'm here to tell you (and remind myself), God has everything under control if you will KEEP your situation in HIS hands! So often, I know that I'm guilty of this.... see if you can relate: At some point in time, I may hand over a situation to God. Maybe it's something that I've allowed to stress me out, so I verbally (or in writing in my journal) give the situation to him. Often, later that day or a few days later, when the "microwave" of God doesn't shoot out my answer in the "microwave" time period that I want.... like a true woman, with my actions I do this, I GRAB that thing right out of His hands and like I'm talking to my child, or even my husband, I say, "Let me just do it. I'll get it done quicker." (Because no one can do it better than "me", right?! "I will do it! At least I know the job will get done right!) So, there I go, taking the care, concern, worry back onto my shoulders thinking that maybe I can come up with a quicker solution, since GOD didn't manifest it as quickly as I wanted him to.  

I'm just going to remind you (and me), he DOES have a divine plan. He does have divine people lined up to HELP YOU! He has situations LINED up that are going to turn the situation to YOUR FAVOR!!! BUT.... there it is, the big BUT.... BUT, if we keep taking the situation OUT OF HIS HANDS, then we are prolonging those divine things to LINE up that HE has pre-orchestrated, that He has set up to happen! Our WORRY and ANXIOUSNESS, us dwelling on UNEASY is like giving that "thing" or "situation" priority over WHO GOD IS! GOD CAN and WILL handle the situation if we will only LEAVE it with Him. Let Him do His job!

So friend, whatever it is for you today, empty out your heart of the uneasy. Empty out your heart of the anxious thoughts. Empty out your heart of the stress. Empty out your heart of the sadness. Empty out your heart of the pain. Empty out your heart of the stress. Do it one more time, do it today. Cast that care and worry, cast your situation, your spouse, finances, dreams, relationships onto the Lord. ALLOW HIS plan to be carried out. Leave your situation with Him instead of giving into the temptation to take it back again. Watch as HE directs you step by step. He may not give you the whole unraveling of how everything will unfold, BUT if you will LISTEN today, friend, HE WILL give you the next step. It may just be ONE step, but the ONE step that you need to take next is ALL YOU NEED!

Is this you? Make a verbal commitment to someone today that you are casting it on the Lord. Or even just post a comment as your PIVOTAL decision. Just write, "I'm CASTING it on the Lord today. I'm emptying out my heart today." Pick up GOD's peace. I guaranty, having that in your heart will ALLOW you to smile today even when you feel like a smile shouldn't be possible.

Love you! :)
xoxo.

I'm going to start with my comment below..... 

Favoritism or Favor?

Genesis 37:2-5 - ... Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives ... Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a [distinctive] long tunic with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace [in friendly greeting] to him or speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream...

If television/media wanted a good juicy story with infertility, jealousy, favoritism, sibling rivalry, scandal, attempted murder, imprisonment, wealth & riches, rise to power and salvation of a nation because of one man's dream, they would not have to look any further than the story of Joseph. What a story!

Let's take a look at two people. Jacob & Joseph. By the end I want you to answer the question of, Whom do you most relate too? Let's take a look at the story and a few dangers before we really dig down to the main premise.

The age of today's High School senior, 17 years old, Joseph was doing the menial things of life. Nothing real special or elite, he was tending flock. He was out in a field, herding them, making sure they stayed together, making sure none wandered off. At some points of the day, he most likely sat on a rock watching them, completely bored as they ate grass, no iPhone to look at and check his FaceBook, no AngryBird game to play. He just sat. Sat looking at sheep. But, Joseph had a dream. He was given a dream by God. Ultimately, his dream revealed his brothers and parents bowing down to him. If Joseph did anything wrong, it was telling his brothers his dream, which in his dream he was positioned himself in a place of authority, favor and power over them.

Now, unfortunately, if we really wanted to pin Joseph's problems on someone, we could look back to his father, Jacob (Israel). Because of his love, Jacob was the main contributor to setting his son on a path of hardship. "Love?" You may ask? How could love set someone on the path of hardship? Jacob's love moved from not only love, but to favoritism. Favoritism brought Joseph down to the pit. Thankfully, in the end, God's Favor brought Joseph to the palace.

The short version back story, Joseph was the first son to Jacob's favorite, most beloved wife, Rachel. Because Joseph was Rachel's son, born in Jacobs old age, Jacob loved him more than ALL his other children. In the eyes of Joseph's older brothers, their father didn't even see them through the love he had for Joseph. Joseph was the fair-haired child, the loved, the favorite.

Think about how you are with your own father. What is it, growing up & now as an adult, that you have always desired the most? I don't know what it is with children and their fathers, but I would bet you would say one of the following: to make dad really proud, for dad to love me, to have attention from dad, for dad to spend time with me. Something about a son or daughter, making their father proud is one of the most important life goals I think most of us have.

Here in the story of Joseph, we see all Jacobs son's, born before Joseph, and they ALL recognize that they are NOT their father's favorite. They see "Dad" pouring all this love and affection into their younger brother. They see "Dad" giving their younger brother special gifts, the greatest of the gifts extremely & very evident to show the partiality. It's an elaborate, colorful, very decorated coat from Hollister. (Ok, maybe it wasn't Hollister... but it was so cool, it was the Hollister of that day!) This coat, given to Joseph, set him apart. So.... what began to happen in the hearts of Joseph's older brothers? They began to get bitter. They began to have malice in their hearts, hatred. All from a parent doing ONE dangerous thing, Showing Favoritism! Favoritism that eventually led to a plot of murder!

What if Jacob would not have shown favoritism? What if he would not have set Joseph up for this "so-called" journey of unfortunate events? His brothers throwing him in a well to die, staging his death by bringing his coat to "Dad" with animal blood on it, saying Joseph was killed by an animal. We all know what happened next, sure Joseph, was mourned by his father, but Josephs brothers ultimately ended up selling him as a slave to the Midianites. From slavery, the journey began. Sold to Potiphar, promoted to supervisor over Potiphar's house, wrongfully accused of attempted sexual advancements to Potiphar's wife, imprisoned for years, while in prison promoted as "Head" of the prisoners, then ultimately elevated to 2nd in charge to only Pharoah, after interpreting Pharoah's dream. A fairytale ending, right?

What would have happened if JACOB, if DAD, would not have positioned Joseph to be the HATED little brother? How uncomfortable for Joseph. He probably just wanted his brothers to like him, instead they couldn't even say a nice "Hello." Joseph was put in a place of hatred by his family, by ALL his brothers. What if Jacob, Dad, would have shown ALL of the brothers equal love? I dare say that Joseph could have avoided years and years of hardship, maybe even enjoyed growing up with fond memories of his brothers.

Granted, yes, we do know Romans 8:28 worked out in Joseph's favor, all things worked together for Josephs good. But, WHAT IF, Joseph's dad would not have showed that favoritism? The end of the story, Joseph was 2nd in command over ALL of Egypt and was able to be directed from the Lord how to SAVE the nation from the famine that was about to happen.

Who do you most relate with?

• Jacob. Are you SHOWING favoritism on someone. Through your love, are you setting someone up for ultimate hardship? Be it from their siblings, or peers? Has the depths of your love, elevated to favoritism? It's not to late to repent and ask for forgiveness!  (James 2:9 - But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders.) 
• Joseph. - Now Joseph had a dream... - Do you have a dream?! Does your dream feel like something that is so great and so big it's overwhelming? Friend, allow God to lead and direct you in this dream. No matter how big or how small, no matter what you are going through right now... maybe you feel like you are in the pit? Maybe you feel like you are imprisoned by a job you despise. Maybe you have been wrongfully accused, and through all your work of excellence, you've been stripped of your dignity. Friend, wherever it is that you are at right now, PRESS ON! Do you realize that YOU could be on the path to SAVING A NATION!?!? You could be on a path, as ugly as it may look right now, YOU could be on the path of CHANGING HISTORY! Press on! Do you have a dream? Friend, PRESS ON! Don't let that dream die within you. Pursue that dream and allow GOD to elevate you to a place of favor!

Who do you relate to? Are you the one showing Favoritism, Jacob? Or are you the one allowing God to elevate you to favor, Joseph? It is YOUR choice who you want to relate to. If you need to, make a change today. Line up with where you know you need to be, that is in line with God!

Will you share your story? How you have experienced the results of Jacob or being the Jacob? Or the dreams of Joseph? I'd love to hear from you! 

Persistence That Pays Off

Luke 18:1-8 - Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up) ² He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary. ⁴ And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man, ⁵ Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming .... ⁶ Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says! ⁷ And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf? ⁸ I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?

This was me in 1998. I had met this man on July 7th. We were in England and a week later, on July 13th, I had a vision that he was the man I was going to marry.  Upon returning home from England, I woke up praying, I prayed during the day, I prayed during the night, I prayed while I got ready, I prayed while I drove. I prayed. I pleaded. I begged. And then, I prayed some more. Lord, pleeeeeeease let him know that he is going to marry me. Pleeeeeeeease! 

We were separated by 14 hours and about 4 states. Day in and day out, I prayed. For 18 months I prayed non-stop. It seemed like an impossible feat. I knew that I could not pursue him, and the I had to let him pursue me. How could I convince him he was to marry me if I couldn't even call him? And to him, I was merely the girl who lived in Indiana, a far cry from his future wife.

Nonetheless, I prayed.

I was like the widow. The judge granted her what she asked of him because she annoyed him with her constant pleas. That was me.

Today, I know a bit more about prayer than I did back then, but the reminder of persistence is another wake-up call for me.

Lets say, as a child, your dad told you he was going to buy you a bike for your birthday. A few weeks before your birthday came, you went and "test drove" bikes. You tried them out. You picked out your favorite color. You got the tassels for the handle bars. You got the little horn that you honk. You even decided to get a basket you could add onto the front. You found the perfect bike. Purple and pink, your favorite colors. Your dad, stood back as you finalized your decision. And it's made. He stands back just smiling. Then, the bike goes on order to be delivered on your birthday.

Over the next 3 weeks... let's check out 2 scenarios.

(1) Your dad told you he was going to get you a bike, and you already picked it out, but daily you continue to ask your dad for a bike. "Daddy will you buy me a bike? Can I pleeeeeeease have a bike. Daddy can I have a bike? Daddy, I really want a bike. Can I have a bike Dad? Dad, Dad, DAD!!! Can I have a bike? Will you get me a bike?" Your dad has already ordered the bike for you, why all the begging? "It's coming," your dad would respond at each request. 

(2) You know your bike is on order. Over the next few weeks you crawl up into your dad's lap, "Daddy, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me that bike! Thank you for the tassels that you let them add. And the purple and pink! I'm sooooo excited about riding it Dad! Thank you SOOOOO much! I love you sooooo much dad! You are the best dad ever!" And conversations like this happen a few times a day. Every time you see your dad, you tell him how great and wonderful he is. You tell him how thankful you are that he bought you that bike, each time you hug him, each time you thank him, his shoulders straighten, he wells up with pride that he has made his daughter happy. He is just as excited about the bike to be delivered as you are, just to see the joy on your face. With every compliment of how wonderful he is, he is far from annoyed with you, but each compliment of appreciation makes him want to bless you even more. 

Faith is now. When we pray the FIRST time and ask in FAITH, we can be sure that God has heard our prayers. Since faith is now, when we pray, we believe we have received what we have prayed for and then we can do like the girl did in the second example. EVERY time we come back to the throne of grace, we can come to our Father and THANK HIM for that desired outcome. Thank Him for what we had prayed for, in faith. And... we can still apply the same persistence. We can still thank Him several times a day. We can pray, sing, shout in THANKSGIVING!!!! "THANK YOU GOD FOR BRINGING THIS TO PASS!!! You are such an awesome Father! You are so good to me! Thank you Father! Thank you for answering my prayer! Thank you for loving me!! Thank you for your faithfulness!! THANK YOU FOR THIS____________. What a loving and gracious God you are! Thank you Lord!!" As we shower Him with love and gratitude, just like our natural father, I can only imagine that our heavenly Father would swell with pride and love for us too. Even during some times of prayer and thankfulness, maybe we would be crying to the Father out of our gratitude and thankful heart. With such sincere gratitude, I just see our heavenly Father wanting to love us and so happy to be appreciated and loved by his daughter. Smiling, just as our earthly father would as we "climbed up on his lap" at the throne of grace.

Our God is different than the unjust judge that it talked about in Luke 18. Our God wants to give us the desires of my heart (Ps 37:4)! Now... when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8). To answer Luke 18:8, will we be those who continued in FAITH and in PERSISTENCE? 

July 13th 1998, I had a vision that I was going to marry Tyler. July 13, 2000, exactly two years later he asked me, "Would you be willing to be #2 in my life for the rest of your life? Will you marry me?" I said yes. Six months later on January 6th, we were married.

Persistence pays off. Don't lose heart or grow weary. Dig in and be persistent. For those who cry out to God day and night, will God defer YOU and delay help on your behalf?  I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge YOU speedily.  (Luke 18:7-8)

Do you want some answers speedily? Take the advice of Luke 18:7 - PRAY, CRY OUT, THANK GOD, COME, DAY AND NIGHT! What are you longing for God to do in your life? Well friend, let's THANK GOD day and night! Let's be persistent and watch Him show off how much He loves you!

Refuse to Worry!

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Have you, like me, ever had something... an event, a challenge, a person, an opportunity that consumed your mind? For good or for bad, you've thought about it during most of your waking hours, whenever your thoughts had the opportunity to wander. Your wandering thoughts went directly to this situation, maybe this problem.

Well... I've been experiencing that with a situation for the last several weeks. A consuming thought that, on my own, I would try to fix, make it work, figure it out. I would walk down the hallway as I was rounding the steps to go upstairs, and in my mind, I would be stressing about this situation. How can I fix this. How can I make this work? The thought seemed constant, and quite honestly was getting exhausting.

Granted, like every good Christian, I prayed about it. :) I mentioned it to God a few times in prayer. Not that I had ever really given Him an opportunity to comment back to me, but I threw it up there to Him. Then, I went right on about my business stressing out about it, and worrying about it.

Finally, yesterday... I had the opportunity that I had to face the situation. And.... in my spirit, I knew I had to be a pressure release valve, instead of forcing the outcome to be one which I had "sold."  The outcome had gone as expected. I did go with my spirit, and didn't force the situation. Which still left me back to ground 0, back at the starting line.

"Ok God. Now what? I'm tired of worrying about this. I'm exhausted trying to figure this out."

For the first time during this ordeal, I heard that still small Voice say, "Then don't."

"What?"

"Then don't try and figure it out."

It finally clicked. I had REALLY been trying to do all of this on my own, instead of doing what I KNOW to do, which is the answer found in 1 Peter 5:7, cast ALL of your cares on the Lord! For weeks I had been carrying the stress, the care, the concern, the pressure about this situation. My waking thoughts constantly drifted to this area of frustration and unresolve.

Finally I did what I should have done weeks before, I said out loud, "Lord, I CAST this care on YOU! I'm going to let YOU handle this! I'm going to let YOU take care of this and work it out. YOU know just what I need, and you know how to bring it about perfectly! I haven't been able bring it about for the last 4 weeks, so, I'm DONE! I CAST THIS CARE ON YOU!!"

That, was yesterday morning. A few times throughout the day, probably out of habit, I caught myself worrying about the situation again. As SOON as I caught myself worrying about it I said, "NO! I have CAST that CARE on the LORD! I refuse to worry or be concerned about it. Thank you Lord for handling it for me!" I had to do that at least twice yesterday.

I had heard a minister say once, "When you try to carry your own cares, like YOU can handle it, it is actually an area of PRIDE. It's like you are telling God, you do not need Him and you can do it on your own."

To my surprise, by the end of the day, the Lord had brought about not ONE, but TWO alternatives to the situation. Alternatives that appear to be WAY better than the one that I had been trying to force. Granted, the situation isn't fully resolved yet, but I look forward to an AWESOME report since I'm FINALLY traveling down the road of letting the LORD fully resolve and make perfect the situation!!

Sooooooo.... what is it that YOU have been holding onto? Is there something in your life that you keep picking the care back up? You put "the care" in God's hands, but to only take it back an hour later and begin again to worry and stress about it? Is it your weight? Your marriage? Your business? Your children? Is it a relationship at work? Is it trying to keep your house clean, but the never-ending cycle of busyness seems like it's making it impossible?

Are you holding onto a care that you've been carrying on your own for a long time. The stress and pressure of it just weighs you down? Friend.... I encourage you to, once and for all, cast that care on the Lord! He really does care for you, and I GUARANTY, HIS outcome will be better than ANYTHING you could have manufactured on your own! :)

We have a joke in our house... when we have a situation that we catch ourselves worrying about, we say, "I could CARE LESS!!! I could CARE LESS! I CAST that CARE on the Lord! I refuse to care or worry about anything!"

God is in control! Amen?! :) Be blessed friend!

UP a Notch!

Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Have you been coasting? Have you gotten into a place in life where it is comfortable, and instead of pressing in, you have found yourself coasting in. 

I remember my most memorable college track meet of all time. I was running the 1500 meter dash. I was up against my biggest competitor, the girl who was projected to win our conference meet, MaryBeth was her name. I felt good going into this race. Mentally, I was ready. Physically, I was more prepared than ever. Today was going to be my day. 

The gun went off and we breezed off the start line at a pace just under a sprint. Today was going to be a sub-5:00 run, I could feel it. My best run to date had been a 5:04. Racing with MaryBeth in this 6 team meet was going to force me to run fast the WHOLE race. We circled the track, passing the start line with our 1st 300 meters under our belt. I sat right on MaryBeth's heels, off her right shoulder, tucking in behind her as we rounded the curve. My goal, was to just stay with her until the end, then I would make my move. We completed lap 2, our 400 meter splits were showing it was going to be a time well under 5:00. Lap 3, done. As we rounded the curve going into our last lap, I was determined to apply my dad's secret technique that made him a State Champion in his day. I would begin my final kick with 300 meters left in our 1500 meter run. As we rounded the back stretch, I pulled around MaryBeth and began to create a gap between us. 200 meters to go, I maintained my speed, and began to pick it up just a little. With 100 meters left, I did something I had NEVER done before! EVERY meet prior, the last 100 meters I had sprinted, but never allowed my body to really go to that next level, the level where you push to see what your legs really have left. How fast could my legs go during this last 100 meters if I gave it all I had? If I allowed them to really go? We were on pace to run a 4:40-4:45. 

In first place, I decided I was going to really leave EVERYTHING on the track. With 100 meters to go, I pushed my legs to go to a new level. I pushed my legs to go to a new speed. With everything I had, I began my final sprint into the finish line. 

60, 50, 30 yards to go. My legs began to slow. And my legs got heavier and heavier. 

20 yards. 15 yards... picking up each leg as if they weighed 200 pounds, my speed was probably not much faster than a struggled looking walk. 10 yards and I went down. My legs collapsed. I fell. MaryBeth whizzed by me, I crawled a few steps, was able to push my self up to take the last 3 strides to the finish line, and I had finished. 3rd place. 

Not only 3rd place, but even with a fall, I still managed to be 6 seconds under my best time ever! 4:58. 

To this day, of all the 100's of races I've run in my lifetime, this race is the MOST memorable. I chose to see what my body could do. If only I had more races like that. More practices, where I pushed my body to the max to see what I really could do. This day, though third place, this day was an EXTREME victory to me! 

Yesterday in my Quiet Time, the Lord was talking to me about "levels of faithfulness." I've known for some time, that waking up at 6:00, was something I should be doing.... and eventually that time would be moved to 5:00. I was consistent for quite awhile, and even had a 2-3 week stint of waking up at 5:00. Then... through a series of events, allowed circumstances, the dark morning, tiredness, my flesh to let me crawl back in bed... until finally I'd pull myself up around 7:00-7:15. 

Granted, I still had my "Time with the Lord"... but it was like I was being given a choice. Yes Amy, you can choose 7:15. Or 6:00. Or 5:00. But the level of your faithfulness is going to determine the speed of fruition for the desires you have. I could sleep in, but it may take longer for some of my dreams to come to pass. 

What is it for you? Are you looking to lose weight? Going to the gym, being consistent with working out? How about taking it up a notch. Not just working out, but making your workout count! Leaving it all on the "treadmill." Really giving it all you've got. Maybe it's your business? Your relationship with your spouse? Your goal of writing a book? Your goal of playing an instrument? 

My encouragement today... take it Up a Notch. PRESS ON towards the GOAL! Shoot to WIN THE PRIZE! 

Give it all you've got. Leave everything you've got on the track! And just wait... it may take some time, it may happen right away... but as you are faithful, watch as God shows up and shows HIS faithfulness! 

Let's Step It UP A NOTCH! Are you with me? 

Repenting for Not Loving.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3,11 - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Wow! Let's just say it was a morning for a good spiritual spanking. Have you ever gotten one of those? What conviction I received as I read this morning, all started from a book I'm finishing up. The topic of the section I was reading was "love."

The author gave the analogy of dirty pipe. In one side of the pipe, an ABUNDANCE of water was gushing in. On the other side of the pipe, only a small trickle of dirty water was coming out. The water gushing in represented the glory of the Lord. The pipe, represented "our" spirit. The trickle of water coming out of the pipe represented the presence of the Lord after going through us. The Glory of the Lord in its fullness, came out of the pipe in such minimal proportions, that it would create a dirty, yucky pond at best. Why? Because of all the dirt in the pipe. All of the sin, unforgiveness, lack of love that was in the found in "our spirits." What this was doing? It was LIMITING the Blessing of the Lord to show up in our lives, in any and all areas. 

I hesitantly allowed myself to begin to reflect. Were there any people that I held unforgiveness or bitterness towards? I allowed my mind to run through possibilities. What about love? Was there anyone who I had not shown love to? I immediately had a few people come to mind. They were people that I chose not to associate with. Why? Because they were completely different than me. Different political view, different spiritual view, different personality, different everything! Ok.... I'm airing my dirty laundry here, so put down your stones for a minute. So here this person is, I have had the opportunity to show love to, and I have not. Not even once. Instead, I put on judgmental glasses, in my heart felt more disgust towards them than anything. It makes me sad to just say that "out loud." All because they are different than me? And, of all people, the Lord reminded me as I received my spiritual spanking, 

"Amy, as it stands, _______________, is currently on the path to hell. So is her husband and children, unless people step in with love. Amy, you did nothing but in your heart condemn her because she is not like you, because her beliefs are different. Amy, I desire you to see people with MY eyes, through eyes of love. Judgement is not for you to do. One day, based upon people's decision, judgement will come, and if you have LOVED them, hopefully they will be judged as righteous, and enter into the Kingdom of heaven."

My lack of love, was not getting this person anywhere closer to coming into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. After receiving what I needed to receive, other than being thankful that I listened, I immediately had to repent. What a skewed focus I have had on people, all because of differences. My love or lack of love, may be the ONLY thing some people see that may ever draw them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. If I look through the eyes of love, I would see people who need Jesus. Not only them, but THEIR CHILDREN!

I am repenting for NOT LOVING. It should be my UTMOST desire to show and share the love of Jesus, because the lives of FAMILIES depend on it. I think of 3 year olds and 2 year olds, newborn babies. Based upon how their parents believe is going to be how these kids are raised for the next 18 years. If the parents KNOW Jesus, the kids will grow up in a Christ-Centered home. If the parents DO NOT KNOW Jesus, these kids will grow up in a World-Centered home vs Christ-Centered home.

I need to show love.

Lord, forgive me! Forgive me for not loving! Forgive me for being judgmental. Lord, forgive me for being selfish! I will do my best to show love from now on. Lord please quicken inside me if I revert back. Please remind me, when I'm around those who are different than I am, remind me to show love. Remind me to be attentive. Allow me to hear your Voice in how to minister to them. Whether it just be listening to them, asking them questions about their life, offering to help them in some way. Lord help me to love. Help me to show Your Love to people who desperately need it. Help me to love people the way YOU want them to be loved!! Lord please CHANGE ME!!! Change ME, so that I can encompass love, so that I can show love. Please help me not to get caught up with acting like those I am around. I don't desire to be like others, Lord I desire to be like You!!! Father thank you that according to 1 John 1:9, you forgive me! Thank you for forgiving me! It is my desire to do better! It is my desire to show love! I love you Father! I praise you! And THANK YOU for loving me! Thank you for correcting me! Thank you for steering me back on course. I love you!

#255 - Resting Keeps out Unbelief!

Hebrews 4:9,11 -  So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God... (11) Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] ....

When was the last time you really had a rejuvenating day? When you really rested? When you really took the time to re-charge your batteries? 

In today's day and age of goals, accomplishing things, moving up the corporate ladder, getting ahead, hustle and bustle, keeping up with the Joneses, keeping up with laundry & cleaning, meeting financial desires for savings, bank accounts, homes or cars... with all of that, when is there really time to rest? 

Taking a full day to just rest and recharge our batteries can almost seem like an impossibility. "How could I give up a FULL day to just rest? I have so much to accomplish!"

In a recent post, we talked about Proverbs 31:17 and discussed in detail the description of the word "gird," since it's not a word we use to often today. Just to recap, the thesaurus gives some further definitions... Gird: fortify, secure, support, are just a few. 

I'm confident that our Proverbs 31 woman took some time to rest. Just yesterday I ran into a revelation from Hebrews that I had never seen before. As you read in Hebrews 4:9, you see it talking about taking a complete Sabbath-rest. In the amplified version of the Bible, it goes on to say be zealous and exert yourself and strive diligently to take that rest! The NEXT part is what really got me!!! Let's look at the end of Hebrews 4:11, that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

What does entering that rest do? It is MORE than just recharging your batteries. It is MORE than just taking a break? We often think of weak people are the ones who need a break. Weak people take time off. Weak people stop. Weak people take breaks. 

Friend.... I'm here to tell you just the OPPOSITE! In Hebrews 4:11, it is telling us the IMPORTANCE of taking that day of rest, that Sabbath day to rest, so that we will not FALL. So that we will not be in unbelief and disobedience!! Not only is the Sabbath day of rest there to simply rejuvenate us, BUT it is there to KEEP US OUT OF UNBELIEF! It is there to KEEP US OUT OF DISOBEDIENCE! 

I know for myself, I have noticed when I do not take a day of rest, I'm much more prone to temptation than the weeks when I take a day of rest. It has been much easier for me to fall, or sin when I'm running on fumes. When I've missed a week of having a day of rest. I can tell that my spirit seems weaker. I feel weaker. I've noticed it's harder to stay steady when I'm tired or run down. 

According to Hebrews 4, a day of rest is going to help you to walk in BELIEF! It's going to help you walk in OBEDIENCE! 

Friend, I'm going to encourage you, pull out your calendar, mark out when you can have a day of rest this week! Maybe work it out with your spouse to watch the kids for a few hours (or the whole day!) But, equally, do the same for your spouse! Encourage them to rest, rejuvenate, recharge their batteries! 

Maybe you can't get a full day of rest in. Maybe you have kids and there is no one who can watch them so you can actually feel rested. Well, do what you can, God WILL HONOR IT! Maybe prepare food the day before so you can just plug in the crock-pot, have an empty dishwasher when you start your day of rest. Let the kids watch a movie. Don't clean. Don't do laundry. Don't do any major cooking. Pull out a fun craft, or watch a movie yourself. Read a book. Get in the Word. Worship. Take a nap. :) Just have a day that is a fun filled day of recharging your batteries!! :) 

Friend.... from experience, having a weekly day of rest (DOR) has literally changed my life and my energy levels!!! I highly encourage it! :) 

Be blessed!! 

#254 - REJUVENATE! Take a BREAK! :)

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.

Ok ladies... let's get down to it. Today, let's talk about your strength level. Have you felt run down? Tired? Frustrated? Follow me on this... we're going to jump through a few word studies to really dig in and get a deeper understanding... and by the end, I really feel like the Word is going to help you. In the least, I feel like It will give you a place to start, where you can begin to come out of some of the exhaustion you may be feeling right now.

We don't typically use the word "gird" on a regular basis, so I decided to look it up to get some other definitions.... one of the 2 definitions was strengthens. To get a more firm, overall description, I checked out the synonyms as well. Here were a few of my favorites:

• secures, supports, reinforces, encompass, fortify, ready, prepares. 

Some of my favorite synonyms for strengthen included:

• bolster, empower, enhance, increase, intensify, regenerate, rejuvenate, renew, restore, support, sustain, add fuel to the fire, built up

As a mom, working woman, business owner, wife, or a woman seeking to pursue and chase God, I know you most likely have days where you feel run down, exhausted, worn out. Maybe you have those days where you'd just like to rewind time and go back to when it was simple. Maybe a day before kids? Not that you'd trade them in or anything, you obviously love them... but the days before you felt like all you were doing was wiping noses, fixing food, doing dishes, picking up spilled food from under the table, cleaning up toys, changing someones clothes again, and then fixing the next meal! Some days it seems like a never ending cycle?! Or maybe you are in the corporate world, and you are fixing their problems... maybe different than a 3 year olds, but the same thing just different. Returning email, answering questions, answering the phone, fixing problems, changing pricing, refunding money, working late, checking voicemail, talking to your boss, analyzing your numbers, and the list goes on. 

All the more reason this is for you!!!

Let's check out our verse again, you are going to LIKE the outcome!!! A break is in store for you!!! Get excited!!

As we look at the life of the Proverbs 31 woman, I don't know about you, but for me if I just read about who she is & what she does, it could DEFINITELY be overwhelming! Here she is this perfect person, doing everything, making money, traveling afar to get food for her house, waking up early, staying up late.... I mean really, when does this perfect woman sleep?!? And GOD, I'm suppose to be like her?!? I'm exhausted already, how can I do more?? --- Does that sound like the conversation you have with God when you consider this Proverbs 31 woman? Well, lets dive into some good news!! :) 

In the past, I viewed Proverbs 31:17 from a fitness perspective. I always focused on the later part of the verse, "girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong and firm." So, "Great," some of you may be thinking, "Not only am I suppose to do all this other stuff, but I'm ALSO suppose to work out and attempt to get buff arms?! Who has time for that? I'm already not sleeping if I'm attaining to be this woman!" 

Let's plug in a few of the synonyms that we looked up... 

• Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself in strength...
• She rejuvenates herself in strength... 
• She prepares herself renewed...
• She fortifies herself being built up...
• She adds fuel to the fire for herself being rejuvenated ...

Take a snapshot. Run down. Tired. Worn out. Going every day. There is never a break for mom. Always more to do. Things to be done. Laundry. Food. Dishes. 

How can you add fuel to the fire and be rejuvenated? What are some things that rejuvenate you??? I can think of a list of things for me. Let's start out... you list out yours... but here are a few things that rejuvenate me:

• Going to see a movie by myself (without kids) .... or with my husband.
• Watching a good chick flick on netflix. Maybe in sweats and a sweatshirt, on my laptop, in my bed, eating popcorn. Hummmm..... a few favorites.... The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, Letters to Juliet
• Taking a bubble bath. 
• Doing a CRAFT project. Maybe something I saw on Pinterest (things that I typically wouldn't do because I would consider them unproductive, frivolous, extras)
• Writing.
• Working on a scrapbook. 
• Sitting in a coffee shop by myself. :) 

Those are just a few for me. Well, our PROVERBS 31 WOMAN, this Perfect picture of a woman, She actually TOOK TIME FOR HERSELF!!!

Those of you who know me, know that Tyler and I both take ONE day a week where it is our Day of Rest. On that day, we rejuvenate! For Tyler, his "rejuvenating" looks like a documentary.... (arghhhh, just the word documentary practically puts me to sleep!). To me, rejuvenating, means unwinding my brain and sewing something for Trinity or making a headband for me, doing a craft project for my home, watching a movie, getting out by myself! 

We also know that God Himself, worked 6 days and rested ONE! Tyler and I have worked it into our schedule that we work 6 days and rest 1. We REJUVENATE 1 day out of the week! Now... some weeks it isn't perfect, it may be a 1/2 day. Or maybe it doesn't work out for Tyler to have the kids, so I still have to be "mom" and feed people. But even on those "unperfect" Day of Rests (DOR's), I still do fun, restful thing. Maybe I veg-out and watch a movie while the kids nap. Maybe they play outside while I read on a blanket. Even on the "unperfect" DOR's.... we still make it work. Instead of fixing dinner (aka: mom working), we may go to Cici's where kids eat free! I don't have to cook, so I get a break... and it's a break of the normal routine! 

MOM's - YOU being rejuvenated is IMPORTANT for YOU! Your health! Your husband! Your kids! Your spiritual walk! Your dreams being accomplished! I've tried it both ways! I've tried it working 7 days a week, never taking a break or breather, 365! And I've tried it rested. Getting 1 day/week where I mentally take off, and 6 days of working. I can tell you, from experience, when I am rested from that 1 day, I accomplish MOUNDS more on the other 6 days! On my DOR, I can plan, evaluate my goals, talk to God, dream about where I'm going. 

So.... 

PERMISSION GRANTED... obviously check for yourself .... but, mom's (and dad's...and non-parents)... take a DAY OFF! :) Biblical, from what I read, I say YES, ABSOLUTELY. If you're spouse can't give you a complete day off... that's ok, take it anyways. If they are not going to participate, let them know YOUR plan. "Honey, today, I'm taking a DOR. Pizza for dinner tonight. I'm not cleaning, cooking, or doing anything that looks like work. I'm going to REST. And tomorrow, I'll hit the ground RUNNING! Being rejuvenated and ready to TACKLE our dreams and goals (and laundry!)!" 

Rejuvenate. 

xoxo!

(OK.... kids are awake now! My apologies for not going through to spell-check! Thanks for your grace if there are grammatical errors!)

 

 

An excerpt from, "Fairytales Do Come True"...

Good morning friends! :) As many of you know, I have written a book entitled, "Fairytales Do Come True." After writing this fiction book, for a year or more I put it down. I was not ready to begin to dig back through it in order to get it editor and publisher ready. I needed a break. I needed to step away. 

Well, over the last few months, I have picked it back up to get it editor ready. I am currently on page 81 of editing this 191 page book..... around 80,000 words. Before sharing this excerpt, here is a quick description of the book. 

Newly saved, college sophomore enters into a relationship that can only be described as missionary dating. In her attempts to see Rick saved, she is ultimately drug down into a pit of decision. At an all-time low in her new Christian walk, does she choose to give up all of her newfound, passionate beliefs for Rick? Or does she choose the path of God, and go on her scheduled mission trip to England? Could God really redeem her from messing up? From her mistakes, even more, the mistakes she has made as a new Christian? Would she ever be worthy of a real man after God's own heart? Or will her past of guilt & condemnation keep her from experiencing God's very best for her life?

I'm in the process of changing the main characters name... wanna help?? Needs to be able to end with a "y" or "i"..... My top picks I'm considering are: Gaby/Gabi, Abby/Abbi, Kelly/Kelli .... feel free to tell me what you think! :) 

Anyways... here's the excerpt from part of what I edited today.... 
__________________

The last notes played and great applause filled the arena. The drama team waited just a moment before exiting the platform. Laura’s pastor came to the microphone and thanked COI for such an amazing drama performance. He offered another round of applause for the Americans and Canadians who had come over with COI in order to minister to their town. A great applause went up through the arena and he invited up David as the next speaker. 

I was surprised to see him walking up onto the stage. Whoa. David had a lot of surprises I didn’t know about. I just found out he was amazing at acting, and now he was going to speak?! My interest was now even more sparked. David began to talk. I sat in the stands in a bit of shock. “Wow, this guy is quite talented.” I thought. ‘Mr Congeniality’ sure did have his way of surprising me, I was noticing. He took me off guard. Upon meeting him, I had no intentions of liking him. Where I referred to him in my mind as Mr. Congeniality, he was now becoming David, and a very appealing David at that.

I was amazed at his ability to communicate with the audience. He had us all hanging on every word. Hanging on the very next word that was going to come from his mouth. It was breathtaking. He began to share about his relationship with a Savior, a Savior who had went and suffered, and died so that he could have life. A Savior who had given up everything for him, for us. He told us of a Savior, a Savior full of love who had a desire to have a relationship with each of us. He accounted out the details of what Jesus went through on His journey to the cross. The torture, & betrayal. Beating Him with the cat of nine tails, not just a common whip, but these tails had charred glass woven into their leather-like braids. Jesus received each of the 39 lashes across his back, while the tails  were tearing the very flesh from parts of His body. 

To hear about what Jesus went through made me cringe. I could hardly believe it myself, that Jesus did this for me, He endured it for me. I wasn’t sure that I could handle even one lash from such a horrific object. I felt almost queasy. 

He continued sharing that Jesus was an innocent man. A crown of thorns had been beaten onto his head, blood rolling down his cheeks from the sharp thorns piercing his scalp. As David described what Jesus went through, he explained that it was for US. Jesus went through all this pain as an innocent man, so that we could be saved and forgiven of our sins. Through our confession and belief in what Jesus did for us, we could be saved. His sacrifice would give us the opportunity to enter into heaven when we died. All we had to do was make the decision. All we had to do was choose Him. Choose to believe. Choose to follow. Choose to trust. Choose to put our hope in Jesus. 

Passion filled David’s face. A yearning encompassed his expression. His face was enveloped with an agony of desire as his words grabbed us like a hook. His words tugged at the hearts of everyone who was in listening distance. The gymnasium was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. The air was thick and heavy. You could feel it. You could feel it’s thickness. You could feel the hearts that were heavy and you knew that today would be the day of salvation for many. 

The band began to softly play worship music in the background, and the mood was one that pulled you in. Pulled you into Jesus. A longing to come was there before there was even an invitation. There was a feeling in the air that people were ready to do whatever they needed in order to meet this Jesus. 

David closed, “Today is the day for you to receive Jesus. Today is the day for you to meet Him, to receive Him as your Lord and Savior. If today you are saying, ‘I want to meet Jesus. I want to have Him in my life’ then I’m going to invite you to come down here now. I’m going to invite you to get up out of your seat and come down front. We are going to pray together. I’m going to lead a prayer to allow you to invite Jesus to come into your life. If that is you, if I have been talking to you, I’m inviting you to come. Come down now. Come down and meet Jesus. Get up out of your seats and come.”

I noticed the first person who stood up, it was a thin young man. He was in the bleachers and began running down to the stage. The sound of other feet on the metal bleachers filled the air. David stood on the stage, his eyes closed and his hands reaching towards the heaven, praising God. I looked around in tears. Tears and tears flooded my cheeks. People all over were coming down to meet Jesus. People were hungry. Some were running down. Some couldn’t get there fast enough. Children, young people, adults. People flooded towards the stage. 

“Continue to come. If that is you, if you want to meet Jesus tonight, continue to come. For those of you still in your seats, I want to ask you this question. Are you 99% sure that you are going to heaven? You feel pretty confident? Well friend, if you are 99% sure, you are 100% unsure. I invite you to come, make 100% sure that on the day that you are taken up from earth, you will spend it in eternity with Jesus! I invite you to come. I invite you to be 100% sure that YOU are going to heaven. I invite YOU to come.” 

More people got up out of their seats and began to come. Older people, distinguished people. More people began to come. Some immediately, some slowly, but they got up out of their seats and made their way down front.....

Not Going Back!

2 Samuel 22:19-22 - ¹⁹ They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. ²⁰ He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. ²¹ The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands. ²² For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Jeremiah 29:11 -  For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

As I sit and reflect on how good my God is, I just stand in awe with gratefulness. I reminisce on days of my past when I was walking that tightrope with Him. When I was partially in the world, and partially with God. At that point of decision, when I was so close to choosing the world. When dangled in front of me, the luster, the temptations, the shiny glimmer and luring promise of what the world had to offer. It wasn't even a promise though. Because who knows this, everything that is not God is a lie, it may just be a shade, it may just be the beginning of a lie, but if the ROOT is not in God, it is a lie.

I remember that time when what I saw, what was drawing me in was so strong, it was so powerful and it felt so right and so wrong. The danger of the world, but the temptation to choose it over my God was so powerful. During that time, maybe you have had a time like this too, where I held a choice of the world, the other the choice of my God. If I chose one way, I would begin and remain down a path that led to and was defined by godliness. The other would take me down a path that would forsake the Truth, would forsake a true moral compass, would choose flesh over what was right, would ultimately be filled with lies, deceit, compromise. Though the path would feel good at the time, if chosen, I would have ended up miserable.

When I think back to that VERY MOMENT of decision, with all the wrong, with all the bad I had done, with all the forgiveness I needed. It is amazing to me to think GOD WAS THERE! He saw it all and still loved me. He saw it all and still loved me. Even when I had turned my back on him. Even when I made mistakes. He still loved me. AND, He loved me enough to give me a CHOICE. He didn't force me to choose Him, He allowed me the CHOICE to choose Him or the world. He was such a gentleman. In my mental anguish, as I went back and forth. Would I forsake all, throw in the towel and just choose my flesh & the world. Or, would I do the hard thing? Would I give up the things that were holding me back? Would I sever ties that were binding me to the world & its ways?

Praise God in that time, He accepted me. Weak, hurt, disheartened. He accepted me.

He loved me. He never left me.

I think back to that time, almost 15 years ago, my life could have been so different. A life without God, indefinitely would not have given me the promises that the world dangled. Because promises from the world, are not really promises. Promises from the world would have ended up in lies, disappointments, bad roads, bad paths.

THANK YOU LORD!!! Thank you for staying near me even in that time.

With GOD we have the promise of a FUTURE! A good future! A bright future, one with hope!

I don't know about you, but I AM NOT GOING BACK!!! When I look forward, the ONLY way I see a bright future, one with success and happiness, is a future founded on the Word of God. Once you have seen, you can't go back! Once you've seen what God wants for your life, nothing else is better. He promises a good future. An awesome life.

So are you with me? Let's MOVE forward this year! In 2013, lets plant our stake in the ground! Lets determine that WE ARE NEVER GOING BACK! We are MOVING FORWARD! We are accomplishing the dreams in our heart. Those God-given desires that were placed there, in 2013 we are going to pursue them!

In 2013, lets move FORWARD! Lets only use the rear-view mirror for a short glance of how far we've come. But the highway ahead of us, let's put it in full gear, drive and let's DRIVE! Let's hit the road to success God's way! The Success that He has planned for us since before even in our mother's womb when He knew us! We were created with a purpose. We were created with a plan. Let's fulfill the calling on our life. Let's begin today!