While I've had friends visit recently, I'm also going to visit friends and that leaves me little time to write. So, I want to encourage my readers to go to the side bar and open some older posts from the archives to read! You will find such wonderful insights there that the Holy Spirit has spoke through me! I would love to come back and find some comments on the blog too! Blessings and courage, Dee
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
The "F" Word, FEAR
The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
As I awoke this morning the Holy Spirit began to guide my mind and fill it with this message. The funny thing is that my brother came up with the idea of writing a book called, "The "F" Words" and to cover words like, FAITH, FRIENDSHIP, FELLOWSHIP... But I never got the prodding to write about that concept till this morning! It FASCINATES me that God hears everything, the thoughts in our minds, the FEELINGS in our emotions and of course the words of our mouths. It was as if God woke me this morning and said' "Okay, write it now." I'm smiling as I'm writing because I absolutely love when God pops into our presence like that! It's hard to explain but for that moment, He's not "out there", He's "right here!"
When we neglect to "FEAR the Lord" properly we choose a myriad of other "F" words. For one, we FIGHT Him. Without having a healthy FEAR of the Lord we have no problem lifting our FISTS to the sky and not only cursing the King of Kings but blaming Him as if He were some serf that we were entitled to cast our blame upon. The humbling FACT is that Christ did become a servant to the crown of His creation. He humbled himself to not only serve us, wash our feet... but He crawled to the cross, bloodied, humiliated and FALSELY accused, FOR US. That act of love should take the fight out of us at every remembrance. There is one reason why the FIGHT continues though and that is unbelief, (lack of FAITH). If you are FIGHTING God, then the problem is not complicated, you simply don't believe Him. You may believe IN Him but you don't believe Him.
In our FITS of selfishness we tend to kick up a dust storm that discombobulates most people but not God. We think that we can confuse God and get Him to second guess himself. We actually think that if we toss a diversion "over there" that God will be distracted by it and get off His pursuit of us, like a dog with a ball. Right now I am covered with shame at this truth. We have all done this and until we FEEL the FLUSH of embarrassment on our FACE and the sick FEELING of shame in our gut, we can't move on. God doesn't want us FEELING like that! He wants to set us FREE of guilt and shame but until we trust Him we remain in our cells. The doors of the cells have been opened by Christ when He rose from the dead but we continue to sit in them because of our unbelief. So silly yet sad how we act. Yet, He adores us and NEVER gives up on us!
Another thing we do is FLOUNDER. We live lives that are in actuality, powerless. At our disposal is the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ but we FLOUNDER through life as if we were unworthy. Our thoughts, marriages, lifestyles are like fish in a boat, FLOPPING, FLOUNDERING, gasping for air, no hope. When, in all biblical truth, we can rise at any moment and proclaim God's promises through Jesus Christ! So often we choose the ineffective and devalued life because we simply don't believe how much He loves us. We think because some obstacle got in our way that God has it out for us. NOT TRUE. God is ALWAYS for us, He is NEVER against us! Romans 8:31, ...We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus...If God is for us, who can be against us?
God's power is right there and the only reason you either have it or you don't comes down to ONE CHOICE, do you believe His promises or don't you? If you believe them then you are assuredly reading the Word, fellowshipping, praying, listening to Christian music, expressing a grateful heart, sharing your blessings, showing kindness, practising patience, sharing the good news...If you don't believe God, then, these may be some FEELINGS that you deal with...FRUSTRATION, impatience, FEAR, agitation, unfairness, emptiness, loneliness, uneasiness, or deep inner sadness. Even contemptuous, jealous and envious thoughts. Also hopelessness, FATIGUE, disinterest and sarcastic behavior with angry outbursts. Without FAITH in His love we are just FLOUNDERING FISH.
How can we begin digging our way out of our living graves? It starts with one "F" word, FORGIVENESS. Ask for it and give it. Christ gave it on the cross and offers it to us on a daily basis. This is the plain truth, none of us is sinless. So many of us FIGHT to prove ourselves. If only we had the confidence and belief in Christ that He knows the truth and that's all that matters. Think for a moment, there He was, the Son of God hanging in His loincloth being mocked and spit upon. Who had a better excuse to defend himself through any means? We must ask each day, "Where is my heart positioned?" Because we know, deep in our hearts that our entitlement and pathetic argument is so wrong on so many levels. Quit pushing others to beg you to stop your tantrums. Grow up by telling yourself the truth and believing it! God is good (Psalm 136:1, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever.). God loves you (1 John 4:8, The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.) God is faithful (Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and His faithfulness endures forever.) God knows your pain (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, ...the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction...) God heals (Psalm 147:3, He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.) God loves you, so stop trying to prove Him wrong.
Stop running from God and run toward Him instead. If you would just turn around and FACE your Savior you would FIND that His arms are out-stretched to you, offering complete FORGIVENESS and tender love. Jesus said, "I did not come into this world to condemn it but to save it." God saves through love because He IS love. You know that you're not happy, that those around you aren't, so surrender, and FEEL joy for the FIRST time in a long time! FORGIVE yourself, FORGIVE others, ask for FORGIVENESS from God, and start living a life of FREEDOM.
For those reading this and thinking, "I'm not like that at all!" Please remember that we are all running from God in some area of our life.
"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up." James 4:10
Book suggestion:
How to forgive when you don't feel like it. by June Hunt
Enjoying God by S.J. Hill
As I awoke this morning the Holy Spirit began to guide my mind and fill it with this message. The funny thing is that my brother came up with the idea of writing a book called, "The "F" Words" and to cover words like, FAITH, FRIENDSHIP, FELLOWSHIP... But I never got the prodding to write about that concept till this morning! It FASCINATES me that God hears everything, the thoughts in our minds, the FEELINGS in our emotions and of course the words of our mouths. It was as if God woke me this morning and said' "Okay, write it now." I'm smiling as I'm writing because I absolutely love when God pops into our presence like that! It's hard to explain but for that moment, He's not "out there", He's "right here!"
When we neglect to "FEAR the Lord" properly we choose a myriad of other "F" words. For one, we FIGHT Him. Without having a healthy FEAR of the Lord we have no problem lifting our FISTS to the sky and not only cursing the King of Kings but blaming Him as if He were some serf that we were entitled to cast our blame upon. The humbling FACT is that Christ did become a servant to the crown of His creation. He humbled himself to not only serve us, wash our feet... but He crawled to the cross, bloodied, humiliated and FALSELY accused, FOR US. That act of love should take the fight out of us at every remembrance. There is one reason why the FIGHT continues though and that is unbelief, (lack of FAITH). If you are FIGHTING God, then the problem is not complicated, you simply don't believe Him. You may believe IN Him but you don't believe Him.
In our FITS of selfishness we tend to kick up a dust storm that discombobulates most people but not God. We think that we can confuse God and get Him to second guess himself. We actually think that if we toss a diversion "over there" that God will be distracted by it and get off His pursuit of us, like a dog with a ball. Right now I am covered with shame at this truth. We have all done this and until we FEEL the FLUSH of embarrassment on our FACE and the sick FEELING of shame in our gut, we can't move on. God doesn't want us FEELING like that! He wants to set us FREE of guilt and shame but until we trust Him we remain in our cells. The doors of the cells have been opened by Christ when He rose from the dead but we continue to sit in them because of our unbelief. So silly yet sad how we act. Yet, He adores us and NEVER gives up on us!
Another thing we do is FLOUNDER. We live lives that are in actuality, powerless. At our disposal is the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ but we FLOUNDER through life as if we were unworthy. Our thoughts, marriages, lifestyles are like fish in a boat, FLOPPING, FLOUNDERING, gasping for air, no hope. When, in all biblical truth, we can rise at any moment and proclaim God's promises through Jesus Christ! So often we choose the ineffective and devalued life because we simply don't believe how much He loves us. We think because some obstacle got in our way that God has it out for us. NOT TRUE. God is ALWAYS for us, He is NEVER against us! Romans 8:31, ...We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus...If God is for us, who can be against us?
God's power is right there and the only reason you either have it or you don't comes down to ONE CHOICE, do you believe His promises or don't you? If you believe them then you are assuredly reading the Word, fellowshipping, praying, listening to Christian music, expressing a grateful heart, sharing your blessings, showing kindness, practising patience, sharing the good news...If you don't believe God, then, these may be some FEELINGS that you deal with...FRUSTRATION, impatience, FEAR, agitation, unfairness, emptiness, loneliness, uneasiness, or deep inner sadness. Even contemptuous, jealous and envious thoughts. Also hopelessness, FATIGUE, disinterest and sarcastic behavior with angry outbursts. Without FAITH in His love we are just FLOUNDERING FISH.
How can we begin digging our way out of our living graves? It starts with one "F" word, FORGIVENESS. Ask for it and give it. Christ gave it on the cross and offers it to us on a daily basis. This is the plain truth, none of us is sinless. So many of us FIGHT to prove ourselves. If only we had the confidence and belief in Christ that He knows the truth and that's all that matters. Think for a moment, there He was, the Son of God hanging in His loincloth being mocked and spit upon. Who had a better excuse to defend himself through any means? We must ask each day, "Where is my heart positioned?" Because we know, deep in our hearts that our entitlement and pathetic argument is so wrong on so many levels. Quit pushing others to beg you to stop your tantrums. Grow up by telling yourself the truth and believing it! God is good (Psalm 136:1, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever.). God loves you (1 John 4:8, The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.) God is faithful (Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and His faithfulness endures forever.) God knows your pain (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, ...the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction...) God heals (Psalm 147:3, He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.) God loves you, so stop trying to prove Him wrong.
Stop running from God and run toward Him instead. If you would just turn around and FACE your Savior you would FIND that His arms are out-stretched to you, offering complete FORGIVENESS and tender love. Jesus said, "I did not come into this world to condemn it but to save it." God saves through love because He IS love. You know that you're not happy, that those around you aren't, so surrender, and FEEL joy for the FIRST time in a long time! FORGIVE yourself, FORGIVE others, ask for FORGIVENESS from God, and start living a life of FREEDOM.
For those reading this and thinking, "I'm not like that at all!" Please remember that we are all running from God in some area of our life.
"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up." James 4:10
Book suggestion:
How to forgive when you don't feel like it. by June Hunt
Enjoying God by S.J. Hill
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Happy Middle
There's nothing like a party to get you to clean your house and yard! It's almost a sub-conscience aching inside that tells us to invite people into the "DOME" so we will be forced to finish our projects and shake up our stagnant life! My husband and I love it and I know a few others who do too! The only problem is that when the party is over and company leaves...we crash of exhaustion! Why is it that most of us live lives of highs and lows, busy or bored, happy or sad...
How about a high school reunion to get your butt to the gym and hand staying away from your mouth. How hard we work to lose weight when in the back of our mind is only one thought, "When can I stop depriving myself." Up and down, up and down we go. Sometimes we scream, "I'm done! I'm just going to live a balanced life and no more diets!" but then we gain 15 pounds or more. So, we then say, "I am starting a new life today! I am going to manage all aspects of my life and get healthy and thin." Then, we either live a strict life becoming our own Drill Sgt. (Which can't last a lifetime) or we crumble under the pressure because we soon discover how depriving it is. Where is a happy middle?
The old saying, "When it rains it pours." is typically true. But I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Deep down in our psyches most people have a desperate desire to feel alive, excited and hopeful. We may take time to center ourselves and restore peace to our lives but then there is this twinge that prods us to start thirsting for challenge and change again! Everyone treats this desire differently but we rise to its occasion. Some plan a trip, others have a party. There are people who sky-dive, have affairs, change their appearance with dramatic weight-loss or surgical procedures. Thinking that one change is going to make everything better. We all know that it's only temporary but the high of it gives them false hope.
The question isn't how do we live a more balanced life but how do we handle the ups and downs that this life inevitably brings. You know what I'm talking about, just when we think we're happy, we either need to ramp it up again or dial it down. There doesn't seem to be a HAPPY MIDDLE!
Our happy middle will not be a lifestyle but a moment by moment exercise. Life just brings too many variables for mere humans to tame. Have you ever seen those people who seem to be living a life of pure discipline and order! They are out running every day no matter what the weather, they eat a balanced diet of healthy foods, once a week they knock out a 400 page book, their weight never fluctuates and so on. Well, I couldn't be more opposite and it frustrates me and often depresses me that I am not like that. I'm discovering that for those of us that are not like that, we are just setting ourselves up to think that we can tame life into a box.
The simple truth is, we don't have that power. But we can take each moment in sections and win several small battles a day. Each thought, each meal, each choice can be a victory. When we lump all the moments into one 24 hour period, we have given ourselves only one proclamation for that one day, success or failure. When we take our day in segments then we have much more balance and it enables us to be kinder to ourselves and live several daily victories.
Beating ourselves up everyday because we didn't do EVERY THING right is defeating and demoralizing. God is showing me more and more that our lives are segmented pieces that make up a day, a month and a life. Manageable steps rather than one big project! For those of us seeking more balance in our life, this is a beautiful concept and action plan. We can choose each battle and regulate our responses to achieve more of a happy middle. Even our desires for adrenaline and rest will be on a more level playing field. No more crazy day vs. uneventful day, but a day filled with hills and dips instead of mountains and valleys.
Now, in all truthfulness, there are people who want their lives hitting the ceiling and crashing to the floor daily. I don't believe God desires that but it's their journey. Someday, when they're worn out I hope they remember these truths and find some peace. Each of us has to find our own happy middle. A good start is to not leave things to the last minute. Try doing that with just one thing this week and see if it helps to diminish the craziness. Each segment we practise will become a part of our new way of thinking (notice I didn't say, "New life.") Stating that we are going to start our "new life" is just setting ourselves up. A better broadcast would be, "Today, I'm going to make a lot of good choices."
I plan on writing on this topic for awhile as God's unfolds deeper truths. This world is crazy and it's not easy living in it. You can't just send your kids or grand-kids out to play anymore because of all the evil. So, where parents in prior generations got more time and rest, this generation is on constant alert which is exhausting. Jobs and careers are not lifetime appointments anymore where there's a pension at the end. They are places riddled with stress and uncertainty. Technology has not made everything easier but rather added an albatrose around our sub-consciense of passwords, tech- support calls, chargers, smart tv's... Life is not easy and one thing we can be certain of is that it is constantly changing and we need to keep up. So what better choice do we have than to manage it better by finding our "Happy Middle". Bit by bit, step by step and moment by moment.
Finding "your" happy middle should be something that you enjoy each day, not a hammer to the head if you don't have a completely successful and perfect day! Small steps make up a mile and there are lots of fun places along the way. Each moment is a choice and we will make some good choices and some bad. Our goal is to make more good ones and let the peace and joy of those good choices settle our minds and spirits. I used to put either a smiley face or sad face icon on my calender each day depending on whether I felt it was a successful day or not. It became a very depressing overview, so now each day I just put a peace sign and say, "Good day Dee!, You made a lot of good choices!"
May the Lord bless you, and keep you; may He make His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; may He lift His countenance on you, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
How about a high school reunion to get your butt to the gym and hand staying away from your mouth. How hard we work to lose weight when in the back of our mind is only one thought, "When can I stop depriving myself." Up and down, up and down we go. Sometimes we scream, "I'm done! I'm just going to live a balanced life and no more diets!" but then we gain 15 pounds or more. So, we then say, "I am starting a new life today! I am going to manage all aspects of my life and get healthy and thin." Then, we either live a strict life becoming our own Drill Sgt. (Which can't last a lifetime) or we crumble under the pressure because we soon discover how depriving it is. Where is a happy middle?
The old saying, "When it rains it pours." is typically true. But I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Deep down in our psyches most people have a desperate desire to feel alive, excited and hopeful. We may take time to center ourselves and restore peace to our lives but then there is this twinge that prods us to start thirsting for challenge and change again! Everyone treats this desire differently but we rise to its occasion. Some plan a trip, others have a party. There are people who sky-dive, have affairs, change their appearance with dramatic weight-loss or surgical procedures. Thinking that one change is going to make everything better. We all know that it's only temporary but the high of it gives them false hope.
The question isn't how do we live a more balanced life but how do we handle the ups and downs that this life inevitably brings. You know what I'm talking about, just when we think we're happy, we either need to ramp it up again or dial it down. There doesn't seem to be a HAPPY MIDDLE!
Our happy middle will not be a lifestyle but a moment by moment exercise. Life just brings too many variables for mere humans to tame. Have you ever seen those people who seem to be living a life of pure discipline and order! They are out running every day no matter what the weather, they eat a balanced diet of healthy foods, once a week they knock out a 400 page book, their weight never fluctuates and so on. Well, I couldn't be more opposite and it frustrates me and often depresses me that I am not like that. I'm discovering that for those of us that are not like that, we are just setting ourselves up to think that we can tame life into a box.
The simple truth is, we don't have that power. But we can take each moment in sections and win several small battles a day. Each thought, each meal, each choice can be a victory. When we lump all the moments into one 24 hour period, we have given ourselves only one proclamation for that one day, success or failure. When we take our day in segments then we have much more balance and it enables us to be kinder to ourselves and live several daily victories.
Beating ourselves up everyday because we didn't do EVERY THING right is defeating and demoralizing. God is showing me more and more that our lives are segmented pieces that make up a day, a month and a life. Manageable steps rather than one big project! For those of us seeking more balance in our life, this is a beautiful concept and action plan. We can choose each battle and regulate our responses to achieve more of a happy middle. Even our desires for adrenaline and rest will be on a more level playing field. No more crazy day vs. uneventful day, but a day filled with hills and dips instead of mountains and valleys.
Now, in all truthfulness, there are people who want their lives hitting the ceiling and crashing to the floor daily. I don't believe God desires that but it's their journey. Someday, when they're worn out I hope they remember these truths and find some peace. Each of us has to find our own happy middle. A good start is to not leave things to the last minute. Try doing that with just one thing this week and see if it helps to diminish the craziness. Each segment we practise will become a part of our new way of thinking (notice I didn't say, "New life.") Stating that we are going to start our "new life" is just setting ourselves up. A better broadcast would be, "Today, I'm going to make a lot of good choices."
I plan on writing on this topic for awhile as God's unfolds deeper truths. This world is crazy and it's not easy living in it. You can't just send your kids or grand-kids out to play anymore because of all the evil. So, where parents in prior generations got more time and rest, this generation is on constant alert which is exhausting. Jobs and careers are not lifetime appointments anymore where there's a pension at the end. They are places riddled with stress and uncertainty. Technology has not made everything easier but rather added an albatrose around our sub-consciense of passwords, tech- support calls, chargers, smart tv's... Life is not easy and one thing we can be certain of is that it is constantly changing and we need to keep up. So what better choice do we have than to manage it better by finding our "Happy Middle". Bit by bit, step by step and moment by moment.
Finding "your" happy middle should be something that you enjoy each day, not a hammer to the head if you don't have a completely successful and perfect day! Small steps make up a mile and there are lots of fun places along the way. Each moment is a choice and we will make some good choices and some bad. Our goal is to make more good ones and let the peace and joy of those good choices settle our minds and spirits. I used to put either a smiley face or sad face icon on my calender each day depending on whether I felt it was a successful day or not. It became a very depressing overview, so now each day I just put a peace sign and say, "Good day Dee!, You made a lot of good choices!"
May the Lord bless you, and keep you; may He make His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; may He lift His countenance on you, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Glass Door
This post that I am about to write has been written before. During the winter, the Lord spoke to my heart through a very painful time and revealed this analogy to me. I sat all afternoon and poured my heart out into my writing and just upon completion...it somehow got erased! My old computer had a habit of doing that and in all honesty it sent me into a tailspin because it's like loosing a part of your soul. Imagine...the God of the Universe speaking through you and in the process you are emptied and exhausted of yourself and your own abilities. You sit almost in a daze as your fingers are furiously typing the words given to you by the Holy Spirit and you seem to be in some sort of zone. The structure of the piece takes on a balanced form and the message is clear and defined. The evidence of the experience lays there before you in writing, and POOF it's gone! I was so angry that I didn't write for months and the loss burned inside me at every thought of it.
Upon reflection of my reaction I now see that it was a lesson taught to me by The Most High. I let "self" come before "His will" and no matter what mask I tried to put on it...it was pride. I had to come to realize that if He calls me to write a thousand pieces and He desires for all of them to be erased, then blessed be His Name! (The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21) I had to realize that I write for God and what He chooses to publish is His sovereign will. (Your will and not mine be done. Luke 22:42b) I am the pen in His hand...He gives me grace to write. So, here it goes...one more try at "The Glass Door"...
Have you ever tried to get through to someone but to no avail? How many times has someone tried to get through to you (even God) and you just would not lower your protective wall that you've raised up around you? I call it the glass door because as much as we want to think we have shut ourselves in or everyone else out, we are standing there vulnerable and exposed. Depending which side of the glass door you're on, you can either be the one requesting, pleading, or begging, or you are the one in a stubborn, prideful or angry stance. All relationships in life have this power struggle to some degree. One person is a pursuer and the other an avoidant. One an agitator and the other a co-dependant...the scenarios can go on and on. Needless to say, everyone, no matter what side, wants something. It may be that one wants more attention where the other may want to be left alone.
I've had glass door scenarios where I pounded and scratched at the door, wanting the person on the other side to see how they were hurting me. I begged them to just hear me but received only a dead stare in return. Yet, other examples were of someone wanting to get through to me but I didn't want to deal with the issue so I turned my face from them. The glass door is an unspoken force field that we use or get blocked by, it either prevents us or protects us from the pain of another person or ourselves. We can use it to throw a fit against or to sincerely pour out a plea to someone for grace. It is often used to block out someone or to punish them. Many times it is a prison that the pursuer waits in while the aviodant deflects.
Since losing my original blog post, I am shocked at the deeper insights that God has given me regarding this topic. My first draft was written from an angry heart and had a bend of fury and revenge entwined throughout it. God did not want His message delivered in a soiled package. It was never about me and how I saw it all. God used all those experiences, brought them to a battlefield in my life and His desire was for me to humble myself before Him. Letting Him shine His insight into the web of my conscience as He unraveled truths and wisdom. Where we get into trouble is when we think we have figured anything out on our own.
Every interaction in life is done from behind a glass door. You may think you have stepped out from behind it when you are lambasting someone, but trust me, none of us wants the pain that would be accompanied by a rebuttal! We live in fear of rejection, truth, pain or even sometimes getting what we THINK we want. I used to think the glass door was a curse but now in retrospect I can see it as a protective layer that God in His grace puts between us and what we can not handle yet. Our selfishness and entitlement often makes us believe the lie that, we know what is best for us. When in truth, God wants to use our situation rather than remove it.
I have stood at the glass door and demanded from others what they simply were not able to give at that time. God's will was for me to calm down and allow Him to unfold matters of the heart so that His perfect will could be done. Yet, I screamed, kicked, cried, begged and demanded, causing nothing but more pain for all involved. I was so self-involved that I lost sight of the suffering of others. As I kicked my situation around before God, He opened my eyes to be able to see that the same pain I was feeling was happening to many around me. What they needed from me, I was not equipped to give. It was in that time with God that He showed me that there was a divine process that needed to unfold. Just as I could not get what I needed when I wanted it, I also could not give what others needed from me at that time.
God's timing is perfect, yet, we enter each day with demands and a self-righteous entitlement that puts us instantly at a disadvantage. We wonder why God is letting us suffer and why things aren't changing at our pace. Relationships are strained and where peace should be, there is conflict and turmoil. All because we want to take the lead from God because we think we know what is best.
Isaiah 40: 27-31 says, "How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait upon the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." God is not impotent to do miracles in your life. He is ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING and ALL PRESENT in your life!
Stop trying to control everything. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I AM God." Children of God, still yourselves, calm down, take a breath, focus on Him, lay it all down. Stop demanding from others what you yourselves are not even able to give. Trust in the Giver of all good things and you will find in that sweet silence, rest. For it is in our surrender that He blesses.
"I will sing to the Lord because He has been so good to me." Psalm 13:6
Upon reflection of my reaction I now see that it was a lesson taught to me by The Most High. I let "self" come before "His will" and no matter what mask I tried to put on it...it was pride. I had to come to realize that if He calls me to write a thousand pieces and He desires for all of them to be erased, then blessed be His Name! (The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21) I had to realize that I write for God and what He chooses to publish is His sovereign will. (Your will and not mine be done. Luke 22:42b) I am the pen in His hand...He gives me grace to write. So, here it goes...one more try at "The Glass Door"...
Have you ever tried to get through to someone but to no avail? How many times has someone tried to get through to you (even God) and you just would not lower your protective wall that you've raised up around you? I call it the glass door because as much as we want to think we have shut ourselves in or everyone else out, we are standing there vulnerable and exposed. Depending which side of the glass door you're on, you can either be the one requesting, pleading, or begging, or you are the one in a stubborn, prideful or angry stance. All relationships in life have this power struggle to some degree. One person is a pursuer and the other an avoidant. One an agitator and the other a co-dependant...the scenarios can go on and on. Needless to say, everyone, no matter what side, wants something. It may be that one wants more attention where the other may want to be left alone.
I've had glass door scenarios where I pounded and scratched at the door, wanting the person on the other side to see how they were hurting me. I begged them to just hear me but received only a dead stare in return. Yet, other examples were of someone wanting to get through to me but I didn't want to deal with the issue so I turned my face from them. The glass door is an unspoken force field that we use or get blocked by, it either prevents us or protects us from the pain of another person or ourselves. We can use it to throw a fit against or to sincerely pour out a plea to someone for grace. It is often used to block out someone or to punish them. Many times it is a prison that the pursuer waits in while the aviodant deflects.
Since losing my original blog post, I am shocked at the deeper insights that God has given me regarding this topic. My first draft was written from an angry heart and had a bend of fury and revenge entwined throughout it. God did not want His message delivered in a soiled package. It was never about me and how I saw it all. God used all those experiences, brought them to a battlefield in my life and His desire was for me to humble myself before Him. Letting Him shine His insight into the web of my conscience as He unraveled truths and wisdom. Where we get into trouble is when we think we have figured anything out on our own.
Every interaction in life is done from behind a glass door. You may think you have stepped out from behind it when you are lambasting someone, but trust me, none of us wants the pain that would be accompanied by a rebuttal! We live in fear of rejection, truth, pain or even sometimes getting what we THINK we want. I used to think the glass door was a curse but now in retrospect I can see it as a protective layer that God in His grace puts between us and what we can not handle yet. Our selfishness and entitlement often makes us believe the lie that, we know what is best for us. When in truth, God wants to use our situation rather than remove it.
I have stood at the glass door and demanded from others what they simply were not able to give at that time. God's will was for me to calm down and allow Him to unfold matters of the heart so that His perfect will could be done. Yet, I screamed, kicked, cried, begged and demanded, causing nothing but more pain for all involved. I was so self-involved that I lost sight of the suffering of others. As I kicked my situation around before God, He opened my eyes to be able to see that the same pain I was feeling was happening to many around me. What they needed from me, I was not equipped to give. It was in that time with God that He showed me that there was a divine process that needed to unfold. Just as I could not get what I needed when I wanted it, I also could not give what others needed from me at that time.
God's timing is perfect, yet, we enter each day with demands and a self-righteous entitlement that puts us instantly at a disadvantage. We wonder why God is letting us suffer and why things aren't changing at our pace. Relationships are strained and where peace should be, there is conflict and turmoil. All because we want to take the lead from God because we think we know what is best.
Isaiah 40: 27-31 says, "How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait upon the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." God is not impotent to do miracles in your life. He is ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING and ALL PRESENT in your life!
Stop trying to control everything. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I AM God." Children of God, still yourselves, calm down, take a breath, focus on Him, lay it all down. Stop demanding from others what you yourselves are not even able to give. Trust in the Giver of all good things and you will find in that sweet silence, rest. For it is in our surrender that He blesses.
"I will sing to the Lord because He has been so good to me." Psalm 13:6
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Fleas, Tigers & Donkeys
Last week I wrote a post entitled, "Lord?" and posed the question to God that I just don't "get Him" sometimes. The Holy Spirit has been working in me all week revealing answers to that query that befuddled me. While watching the news last night there was a story about Bennie Adkins, a soldier who fought in Vietnam 48 years ago. He was just awarded the Metal of Honor for his bravery in battle and his story was startling. He spent three days in a brutal battle against the enemy while trapped with his fellow brothers in arms on a hill. Wounded eighteen times while relentlessly displaying repeated acts of courage, he and the remaining men began their escape through the jungle. Pursued by the enemy, their lives in mortal danger, they noticed a tiger in their midst. How much worse could it get? Was God making their already horrible situation even more impossible?
Where is God when our lives appear to be being devoured by the enemy? Where is He when our way of escape seems to be barricaded and we are exhausted and discouraged? Why can't God just simply deliver us, or for that matter, keep us from danger in the first place? Simply put, that is not how life works. Life is a continuing journey of hills and valleys, hurdles and long distance races. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can see God in all of it and the sooner we can leave the realm of fantasy and disappointment.
That same tiger that apparently was a threat to Bennie and his fellow soldiers turned out to be what saved them. The enemy that was pursuing them was much more afraid of the tiger, and that fear gave way to the escape of Bennie and the other men. God used a tiger.
Corrie Ten Boom was a woman in her fifties who was imprisoned in the horrible death camp of Ravensbruck. Her and her sister Betsie were taken there for the crime of hiding Jews from the Nazis. In their barracks at the concentration camp there was an infestation of fleas! Corrie could not see the blessing in it but her sister proclaimed the scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Later, it was found out that because of those fleas, the women in that barrack were able to have times of rejoicing in the Lord. They read the bible that was snuck in, sang praises, shared the gospel and had times of counseling. The guards would not enter that barrack because of the fleas! God used fleas.
How many times have we had wonderful plans for our children but because they lacked faith and were impatient they actually sabotaged themselves and lost the gift. We see it so clearly when observing others not being able to see God's greater plan in their circumstances yet so often miss it in our own lives.
Balaam was a man who tried to bypass God's will. In the book of Numbers, chapter 22, verses 21-39, the story unfolds as Balaam tries to take his own message rather than God's. An angel tries to block the donkey which Balaam is riding to divert the path of disobedience but Balaam beats the donkey at every attempt. Finally, God speaks through the animal and reveals the angel, Balaam's eyes are opened to God's will. God used a donkey.
There are stories upon stories from the bible and from fellow believers where God used what we would consider added hardships to deliver his children. His will is bursting with purpose and love yet we fight Him so relentlessly with all our doubt. We scream, "Where are you!", we shake our fist at Him, we withdrawal in despair, we give up on Him. Yet, He continues to save us, bless us, pray for us and love us! God does not demand perfection from us. He is the Savior, not us. All He wants is for us to trust Him. The goal for our life is a simple one, one where we say, "God used ME."
Philippians 4:6-7, Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:1, Whatever happens...may the Lord give you joy.
1 Peter 1:7, These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold, and your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Christ Jesus is revealed to the whole world.
Habakkuk 3:17-19, Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine: even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren: even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.
So, my brothers and sisters, may we see God in everything.
Where is God when our lives appear to be being devoured by the enemy? Where is He when our way of escape seems to be barricaded and we are exhausted and discouraged? Why can't God just simply deliver us, or for that matter, keep us from danger in the first place? Simply put, that is not how life works. Life is a continuing journey of hills and valleys, hurdles and long distance races. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can see God in all of it and the sooner we can leave the realm of fantasy and disappointment.
That same tiger that apparently was a threat to Bennie and his fellow soldiers turned out to be what saved them. The enemy that was pursuing them was much more afraid of the tiger, and that fear gave way to the escape of Bennie and the other men. God used a tiger.
Corrie Ten Boom was a woman in her fifties who was imprisoned in the horrible death camp of Ravensbruck. Her and her sister Betsie were taken there for the crime of hiding Jews from the Nazis. In their barracks at the concentration camp there was an infestation of fleas! Corrie could not see the blessing in it but her sister proclaimed the scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Later, it was found out that because of those fleas, the women in that barrack were able to have times of rejoicing in the Lord. They read the bible that was snuck in, sang praises, shared the gospel and had times of counseling. The guards would not enter that barrack because of the fleas! God used fleas.
How many times have we had wonderful plans for our children but because they lacked faith and were impatient they actually sabotaged themselves and lost the gift. We see it so clearly when observing others not being able to see God's greater plan in their circumstances yet so often miss it in our own lives.
Balaam was a man who tried to bypass God's will. In the book of Numbers, chapter 22, verses 21-39, the story unfolds as Balaam tries to take his own message rather than God's. An angel tries to block the donkey which Balaam is riding to divert the path of disobedience but Balaam beats the donkey at every attempt. Finally, God speaks through the animal and reveals the angel, Balaam's eyes are opened to God's will. God used a donkey.
There are stories upon stories from the bible and from fellow believers where God used what we would consider added hardships to deliver his children. His will is bursting with purpose and love yet we fight Him so relentlessly with all our doubt. We scream, "Where are you!", we shake our fist at Him, we withdrawal in despair, we give up on Him. Yet, He continues to save us, bless us, pray for us and love us! God does not demand perfection from us. He is the Savior, not us. All He wants is for us to trust Him. The goal for our life is a simple one, one where we say, "God used ME."
Philippians 4:6-7, Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:1, Whatever happens...may the Lord give you joy.
1 Peter 1:7, These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold, and your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Christ Jesus is revealed to the whole world.
Habakkuk 3:17-19, Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine: even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren: even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.
So, my brothers and sisters, may we see God in everything.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Die to Live
A new life, mind-set or heart change can not be built where our pride exists above God's grace. We must allow God to bring us down. For no good foundation is ever built in lofty places. It is only in the dirt from which we came that He can tend and grow us to be a glory to Him.
John 12:24, Unless a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But, if it dies it bears much fruit.
John 12:24, Unless a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But, if it dies it bears much fruit.
Living Sacrifice
I had to lay something precious on the alter of God last night. Instead of letting my emotions spiral I rested in His promises and accepted His peace in place of my anxiety. Rather than praying for deliverance I prayed for a trusting heart. The theme in my life lately has been to calm myself first rather than becoming a ball of emotions at the get-go, so I thought I would put it to the test. God's peace was right there, as I see now that it always was. I never saw it before because my inner station was always tuned into a manic state rather than a trusting one. Children of God, if I could convey one truth to you it would be this, that God is there and ever-present in your trauma. It is our own storm of emotions that keeps us from experiencing Him in those troubled times.
I realized this morning that not only did I have to lay my precious one on the alter, but I too had to lay down upon it.
John 14:27, My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
1 Peter 1:13, Think clearly and exercise self-control.
Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
1) Calm yourself (the devil wants you confused and angry)
2) Get your bible! Read TRUTH (The Psalms for starters)
3) CHOOSE truth in your mind over emotions.
4) Talk to God like a friend. Pour out your lamentations.
5) Use scriptures to deflate the lies.
6) Rest and trust. (See yourself with Christ, allow Him to love you)
1 Peter 5:6-7, So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.
I realized this morning that not only did I have to lay my precious one on the alter, but I too had to lay down upon it.
John 14:27, My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
1 Peter 1:13, Think clearly and exercise self-control.
Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
1) Calm yourself (the devil wants you confused and angry)
2) Get your bible! Read TRUTH (The Psalms for starters)
3) CHOOSE truth in your mind over emotions.
4) Talk to God like a friend. Pour out your lamentations.
5) Use scriptures to deflate the lies.
6) Rest and trust. (See yourself with Christ, allow Him to love you)
1 Peter 5:6-7, So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
I'm Right Here
Psalm 94:17-19...Unless the Lord helped me, I would soon have died. I cried out, "I'm slipping!" And Your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
God loves when we need Him. He fills every dark place.
When we are troubled in soul, spirit and mind there is a vital truth to remember...We cannot hear God over our static. He has been speaking to me for a long time now about calmness. Calming ourselves before Him will tune our spirit to His and all His truth and blessings will be like a sweet song and gentle hand to our brow.
Psalm 91:14-16, The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me, I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer, I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. I will satisfy them with a long life and give them my salvation."
In Psalm 46:10, God says, "Still yourself and KNOW that I AM God."
He makes three declarations...Calm yourself, Know (not wonder) that He IS God, and third, that He is the Great "I AM". When we cry out, "Who is the One who will save me?" He replies, "I AM."
Peace and blessings.
God loves when we need Him. He fills every dark place.
When we are troubled in soul, spirit and mind there is a vital truth to remember...We cannot hear God over our static. He has been speaking to me for a long time now about calmness. Calming ourselves before Him will tune our spirit to His and all His truth and blessings will be like a sweet song and gentle hand to our brow.
Psalm 91:14-16, The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me, I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer, I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. I will satisfy them with a long life and give them my salvation."
In Psalm 46:10, God says, "Still yourself and KNOW that I AM God."
He makes three declarations...Calm yourself, Know (not wonder) that He IS God, and third, that He is the Great "I AM". When we cry out, "Who is the One who will save me?" He replies, "I AM."
Peace and blessings.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Lord?
For years I have struggled with depression but through years of seeking God within it, I have found that He is ALWAYS right there to guide me out. The other day as I felt it creeping in I said to God, "I just don't get you." There were a few things on my mind that were perplexing me but I made the decision to seek Him rather than sink. I opened my bible to Ecclesiastes 11:4,5 and read, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in his mother's womb."
He ministered to my heart and I began to see that I didn't get Him for two reasons, one that His ways are not my ways (Isaiah 55:8,9) and I'm not meant to get Him. TWO, I was looking at Him through eyes of entitlement rather than eyes of a child. I will never understand God but I can with 100% certainty know that He is in control. I understand now that I have to stop throwing myself on the floor (figuratively)in a fit of "It's not fair!" and start running into His arms for ALL I need!
After I told God that I didn't get Him, I remember the Holy Spirit whispering to me, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." That CHOICE to turn to Him rather than to my darkness changed my whole day! I was hit by the revelation that I am not created to be able to function on my own. God created us to need Him and I saw with my heart's eyes that my struggle with depression is not a curse that He punishes me with but a gift that He has given me so that I will always curl up at His feet to let Him love me! My degrees of suffering were deep because I entertained lies in my mind rather than truth. Truth does set us free. If we turn down the volume of our own inner dialog and the lies of the devil and grasp God's Word at the beginning of the episode, then, we can avoid falling into the abyss.
I'm done blaming God and others for not meeting all my needs. As I spent time with my Lord this week He spoke to my heart about many things. Each circumstance brought lessons and I grew above my depression. There was a special gift within His presence that opened my eyes to a new perspective. I can freak out because of my inabilities or I can rest in His calmness because of His abilities. Satan is a dominating force in this world BUT HE IS NOT A DOMINATING FORCE IN MY LIFE! I can allow him to grab my tail and whip me around or I can rip it from him and proclaim, "I am NOT your property! I am the property and possession of Jesus Christ!" Making that proclamation stops the descent into darkness so in turn keeps us in the light of Christ.
Is God readily available to yank us from the storm as He did for Peter (Matthew 14:29...)? YES! Do we laser focus on calling out to Him first when we are sinking or do we get overwhelmed by the crashing waves and gasps for air? More than not we let the circumstances draw us down like water down a drain, spinning us into a vortex of "WHYS". Let us change those "Why Lords?" into "What Lords?" by IMMEDIATELY drawing near to Him when we sense our first need. Apart from His Word (the bible), His Presence (prayer & meditation) and Christian fellowship (Church, study groups...) we will sink. Like Peter, thrust your arm up and call out, Lord, help me! and He will draw you near to Him. Just like you have to drive to the store to get bread, so we must go to Him, The Bread of Life.
Romans 5:5, ...and hope never disappoints, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Never give up, for the lesson is in the storm and it will not only bless you, but others also. You have a purpose, you are precious in His sight, you are not alone, nothing can separate you from the love of God! Find the voice of truth and dwell there till He says it's safe to leave. Upon leaving, don't leave without Him!
Book recommendation:
Hinds Feet on High Places. Hannah Hurnard
Telling Yourself the Truth. Backus and Chapian
There's Hope for the Hurting. Robert Lee
Enjoying God. S.J. Hill
Through the Wilderness of Loneliness. Tim Hansel
WHERE THERE IS GOD, THERE IS HOPE.
I have developed a systematic approach to monitoring my experiences with depression. I ask myself 1) Did I seek God sooner? 2) Did I reach out to a trusted confidant? Was the bout shorter than it used to be? Was the bout less intense? If I answer yes to the first two questions then the answer to the last two is always yes. That is an excellent result! God is good.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
Read the Psalms for hope and love.
He ministered to my heart and I began to see that I didn't get Him for two reasons, one that His ways are not my ways (Isaiah 55:8,9) and I'm not meant to get Him. TWO, I was looking at Him through eyes of entitlement rather than eyes of a child. I will never understand God but I can with 100% certainty know that He is in control. I understand now that I have to stop throwing myself on the floor (figuratively)in a fit of "It's not fair!" and start running into His arms for ALL I need!
After I told God that I didn't get Him, I remember the Holy Spirit whispering to me, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." That CHOICE to turn to Him rather than to my darkness changed my whole day! I was hit by the revelation that I am not created to be able to function on my own. God created us to need Him and I saw with my heart's eyes that my struggle with depression is not a curse that He punishes me with but a gift that He has given me so that I will always curl up at His feet to let Him love me! My degrees of suffering were deep because I entertained lies in my mind rather than truth. Truth does set us free. If we turn down the volume of our own inner dialog and the lies of the devil and grasp God's Word at the beginning of the episode, then, we can avoid falling into the abyss.
I'm done blaming God and others for not meeting all my needs. As I spent time with my Lord this week He spoke to my heart about many things. Each circumstance brought lessons and I grew above my depression. There was a special gift within His presence that opened my eyes to a new perspective. I can freak out because of my inabilities or I can rest in His calmness because of His abilities. Satan is a dominating force in this world BUT HE IS NOT A DOMINATING FORCE IN MY LIFE! I can allow him to grab my tail and whip me around or I can rip it from him and proclaim, "I am NOT your property! I am the property and possession of Jesus Christ!" Making that proclamation stops the descent into darkness so in turn keeps us in the light of Christ.
Is God readily available to yank us from the storm as He did for Peter (Matthew 14:29...)? YES! Do we laser focus on calling out to Him first when we are sinking or do we get overwhelmed by the crashing waves and gasps for air? More than not we let the circumstances draw us down like water down a drain, spinning us into a vortex of "WHYS". Let us change those "Why Lords?" into "What Lords?" by IMMEDIATELY drawing near to Him when we sense our first need. Apart from His Word (the bible), His Presence (prayer & meditation) and Christian fellowship (Church, study groups...) we will sink. Like Peter, thrust your arm up and call out, Lord, help me! and He will draw you near to Him. Just like you have to drive to the store to get bread, so we must go to Him, The Bread of Life.
Romans 5:5, ...and hope never disappoints, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Never give up, for the lesson is in the storm and it will not only bless you, but others also. You have a purpose, you are precious in His sight, you are not alone, nothing can separate you from the love of God! Find the voice of truth and dwell there till He says it's safe to leave. Upon leaving, don't leave without Him!
Book recommendation:
Hinds Feet on High Places. Hannah Hurnard
Telling Yourself the Truth. Backus and Chapian
There's Hope for the Hurting. Robert Lee
Enjoying God. S.J. Hill
Through the Wilderness of Loneliness. Tim Hansel
WHERE THERE IS GOD, THERE IS HOPE.
I have developed a systematic approach to monitoring my experiences with depression. I ask myself 1) Did I seek God sooner? 2) Did I reach out to a trusted confidant? Was the bout shorter than it used to be? Was the bout less intense? If I answer yes to the first two questions then the answer to the last two is always yes. That is an excellent result! God is good.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
Read the Psalms for hope and love.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Prayer to Abba
Lord of all Creation,
Balance me today. Balance my thoughts, my desires, my cravings. Balance my responses, my reactions, my interactions. Lord, balance the heart within me from which all things flow and balance my mind, body and soul. You, O Lord, who holds the endless universe in perfect balance, who can suspend planets in mid-air and who tells the sea where to stop, balance me today.
Make Your will - my will, Your desires - my desires. Remind me all day that through Your Holy Spirit, anything that comes into my life has had to come through You first and is a lesson to grow from. Let me not expect life to be easy but to know that it will be interesting, fascinating and sometimes a puzzling journey of joys and sorrows and that I will never walk it alone. Keep me mindful that every bad thing has goodness to be found in it, if we will only look for it. And, when our plans do not fit Your plan - bless me with peace that Your plan is best and that it is safe to follow You anywhere. Our purpose here is not to be comfortable but to be comforting, not to be stuffed with empty "things" of this earth but to be content with whatever we have and to share it with others. Balance me today in every way, encourage me to release the things I covet and I desire above all that You alone fill my wanting hands and heart.
Make my day a prayer to you, so I am connected to You every moment. Let not my pride think that I can do anything apart from You. Give me a constant hunger in my heart to be satisfied and filled only by You and to recognize You as my full portion. Above all Lord, reveal and cement in my heart Your deep and committed love that you have for me. Make me ever thirsty for Your Word and Your presence in my life. Let no one and no thing rob me of Your gift of peace knowing that Your Holy Spirit has filled me and I am sealed by Him, the giver of all Your gifts. Give me Your wisdom generously to be able to stand in all hope of You.
You are my Redeemer, my Savior, Lover of my soul and my friend. May all those I pray for find You to be all those things to them also. Whatever shape each persons emptiness is - fill it perfectly Lord as only You can do. Whenever one of them is alone, worried or scared, let Your presence comfort them and assure them. Show the lost that You are the Way and that Your truth and light will guide them and give them hope. May our desire be to see You glorified in our lives.
Thank you for giving and for also not giving, for you alone know what’s best for me. I thank you for everything, even the undesirable situations of my life. Keep me focused on You and not those puzzling things so that I can have peace and joy even in my storms. I love you Lord, and it’s only when I turn elsewhere rather than to you that I loose my way. Give me a heart that gives you my self-pity, anger, resentment and bitterness and receives from you your goodness instead! My nature is to turn to my complaining but I ask you to change that nature by giving me a humble heart that surrenders willingly and joyfully to You alone. Your boundless love surrounds me and your kindness and forgiveness brings me to joyful tears! You are meeting me right now in my spirit, my Daddy in Heaven, and I feel safe and so loved! You are my hope and joy. Amen
Balance me today. Balance my thoughts, my desires, my cravings. Balance my responses, my reactions, my interactions. Lord, balance the heart within me from which all things flow and balance my mind, body and soul. You, O Lord, who holds the endless universe in perfect balance, who can suspend planets in mid-air and who tells the sea where to stop, balance me today.
Make Your will - my will, Your desires - my desires. Remind me all day that through Your Holy Spirit, anything that comes into my life has had to come through You first and is a lesson to grow from. Let me not expect life to be easy but to know that it will be interesting, fascinating and sometimes a puzzling journey of joys and sorrows and that I will never walk it alone. Keep me mindful that every bad thing has goodness to be found in it, if we will only look for it. And, when our plans do not fit Your plan - bless me with peace that Your plan is best and that it is safe to follow You anywhere. Our purpose here is not to be comfortable but to be comforting, not to be stuffed with empty "things" of this earth but to be content with whatever we have and to share it with others. Balance me today in every way, encourage me to release the things I covet and I desire above all that You alone fill my wanting hands and heart.
Make my day a prayer to you, so I am connected to You every moment. Let not my pride think that I can do anything apart from You. Give me a constant hunger in my heart to be satisfied and filled only by You and to recognize You as my full portion. Above all Lord, reveal and cement in my heart Your deep and committed love that you have for me. Make me ever thirsty for Your Word and Your presence in my life. Let no one and no thing rob me of Your gift of peace knowing that Your Holy Spirit has filled me and I am sealed by Him, the giver of all Your gifts. Give me Your wisdom generously to be able to stand in all hope of You.
You are my Redeemer, my Savior, Lover of my soul and my friend. May all those I pray for find You to be all those things to them also. Whatever shape each persons emptiness is - fill it perfectly Lord as only You can do. Whenever one of them is alone, worried or scared, let Your presence comfort them and assure them. Show the lost that You are the Way and that Your truth and light will guide them and give them hope. May our desire be to see You glorified in our lives.
Thank you for giving and for also not giving, for you alone know what’s best for me. I thank you for everything, even the undesirable situations of my life. Keep me focused on You and not those puzzling things so that I can have peace and joy even in my storms. I love you Lord, and it’s only when I turn elsewhere rather than to you that I loose my way. Give me a heart that gives you my self-pity, anger, resentment and bitterness and receives from you your goodness instead! My nature is to turn to my complaining but I ask you to change that nature by giving me a humble heart that surrenders willingly and joyfully to You alone. Your boundless love surrounds me and your kindness and forgiveness brings me to joyful tears! You are meeting me right now in my spirit, my Daddy in Heaven, and I feel safe and so loved! You are my hope and joy. Amen
Friday, June 27, 2014
Today
I don't want to figure anything out today. I just want to rest in the civilized order and solitude of this day. There is peace and I shall lay in it, softly and kindly unto myself. Undisturbed and disturbing no one...I hear only my breathing and the birds. A day of this kind can only be known as a pure and precious gift, not earned but blessed with. Treasuring it, respecting and loving it and wishing it could last forever and ever and ever and ever...D.A.H.
Monday, March 24, 2014
My Fluid Friend
I dream of the sound that water makes when it taps timely against my window pane... during a rain. The rhythmic surge of the ebb and flow of the sea and how it calls to me. In my dreams I dangle my feet in the crisp waters of the mountain stream. I stare at the falling water that rushes without hindrance to keep her full and flowing for me. His power gives me comfort and peace. My dream always takes me to where the rivers flow. Why? I think I know....
I love the living waters, where they come from and where they go. How they cut their path through mighty mountains and find a way to flow. The hot springs bring their healing, the mountain springs refresh. The gentle waters cleanse us, all attest. We conceive , grow and come from it. It's secrets I've promised to keep. I've been fooled though to think, it was my choice to float or go deep.
I've wondered at the rainbow and ran from the rain, knowing rainbows were a promise and rain causes no pain. My boots have splashed the puddles and my hands have splashed my friends, water always blesses me, it's source never ends.
I remember wet grass as it tickled my toes and sandy beaches and hidden coves, where we found and touched anemones while the tide rose, and only darkness drove us home.
Sprinklers and pricker bushes causing me to hop, squirting the hose in the air and dodging all the drops. The summer sun shot prisms through the water as it sprayed. We'd run and laugh till suppertime came and robbed our day.
The water rescued us from a sun so hot it made the air wavy. Keds kicking up dirt, throwing stones, seeing drips of sweat clear the dirt on our legs and arms. Then, jumping into that liquid relief head first! Ice cold water! Submerged, drenched, washed! All was new! Laughing and yelling! The water gave its permission that we could exhale and just be kids.
You also let the winter freeze you. Perfect crystals ~ snowflakes ~ each designed by His hand ~ each unique and brilliant just like us! I loved when the moon lied upon you and you drew me in with your purples! As a child you let me skate on you, dig tunnels through you, build snowmen and make angels in you. Then, as a young woman I kissed while you fell around me. Today, I chase my grandchildren around in you.
My life has been beautified by you! Our God gave you to me and I have felt you. I have been playful in you and let you fall upon me whether warm, chilled or frozen. You have healed me, revived me and lulled me. My wounds have been washed by you. You have fallen from my eyes in joy and in pain. You have made my garden grow. My child was held by you and later, his children. I have been saved from you and baptised in you. You fell from my mother at my birth and you fell from the clouds when she died. You have brought and you have taken. I long for you always...your sound, your touch and even the clouds you bring are a cover for me when I feel exposed and tender. And, I am sure that it will be in you that I will be carried home.
Revelation 22:2
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God..
I love the living waters, where they come from and where they go. How they cut their path through mighty mountains and find a way to flow. The hot springs bring their healing, the mountain springs refresh. The gentle waters cleanse us, all attest. We conceive , grow and come from it. It's secrets I've promised to keep. I've been fooled though to think, it was my choice to float or go deep.
I've wondered at the rainbow and ran from the rain, knowing rainbows were a promise and rain causes no pain. My boots have splashed the puddles and my hands have splashed my friends, water always blesses me, it's source never ends.
I remember wet grass as it tickled my toes and sandy beaches and hidden coves, where we found and touched anemones while the tide rose, and only darkness drove us home.
Sprinklers and pricker bushes causing me to hop, squirting the hose in the air and dodging all the drops. The summer sun shot prisms through the water as it sprayed. We'd run and laugh till suppertime came and robbed our day.
The water rescued us from a sun so hot it made the air wavy. Keds kicking up dirt, throwing stones, seeing drips of sweat clear the dirt on our legs and arms. Then, jumping into that liquid relief head first! Ice cold water! Submerged, drenched, washed! All was new! Laughing and yelling! The water gave its permission that we could exhale and just be kids.
You also let the winter freeze you. Perfect crystals ~ snowflakes ~ each designed by His hand ~ each unique and brilliant just like us! I loved when the moon lied upon you and you drew me in with your purples! As a child you let me skate on you, dig tunnels through you, build snowmen and make angels in you. Then, as a young woman I kissed while you fell around me. Today, I chase my grandchildren around in you.
My life has been beautified by you! Our God gave you to me and I have felt you. I have been playful in you and let you fall upon me whether warm, chilled or frozen. You have healed me, revived me and lulled me. My wounds have been washed by you. You have fallen from my eyes in joy and in pain. You have made my garden grow. My child was held by you and later, his children. I have been saved from you and baptised in you. You fell from my mother at my birth and you fell from the clouds when she died. You have brought and you have taken. I long for you always...your sound, your touch and even the clouds you bring are a cover for me when I feel exposed and tender. And, I am sure that it will be in you that I will be carried home.
Revelation 22:2
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God..
The Courtesy Gate
It's called being proper, a gentlemen or a lady will practice it. Some call it restraint, politeness or self-control. It is all of these things and more. Most of us stand behind it and do our dealings toward others, while holding back the deep truths of our hearts so as to not cause emotional injury. It can also be used as a platform to conjure up desired results through subtle manipulations. The courtesy gate serves many objectives besides its original purposes of generosity and humility.
Another abuse of the courtesy gate is the unabashed attacker who flings it wide open to lambaste those who defy them. They hurl a slew of unattractive verbal maladies intended to cause injury because they lack the beautiful fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Some through no fault of their own were never taught and had vicious examples. Others freely choose the fight. Those types have never chosen or practiced self-restraint because of their immaturity, lack of humility, strong pride and ignorance.
The courtesy gate is not a fickle thing, it is us, the humans, who use it to our benefit. How easy it is to manipulate others with it by either taunting them over it or simply telling lies over it because of our inability to be honest in a kind and thoughtful way. Of course we will turn that around to serve us in the end by blaming them for not responding to our requests or hints. We then enter the judgement phase!
Judging others is like playing in a toxic waste dump. We will get sick eventually as we continually choose to go play there. We miss out on most of life's beauty because instead of being present in life we are off to the side playing with our toxins. They aren't even the toxins of the realistic situation! The toxic playground we are at is the one we have filled up with our bitterness, jealousy, resentment, anger, etc... We choose it all day as a place to wallow as the inflamed accusations swell and pierce deeper. Our only goal at that point is a chronic state of selfishness where we make our bed in the stench and refuse to rise till the others change first!
Thinking only of ourselves and our comfort will always lead to tantrums, internal and external, conscious and unconscious. Kicking, yelling and flailing as we make sure that no one else around us can be happy either. "Suffer with me!", our gut screams! "Make my inconveniences go away! Make everything comfortable for me!" We become embedded in the quicksand of poisons spitting out cries for help. But our idea of relief and God's is very different!
It is a slippery slope into the evil behaviors of self-preservation. There are a few who dive straight in but most start with a dipping of the toe. Slowly, one dissatisfaction, one misunderstanding, one infraction, and before we know it we are over our heads in self-focused behavior. (I could go very, very deep into this subject touching on personalities and temperaments but I will leave that up to you. I will make recommendations at the bottom for books referrals.) God gave me an insight years ago that has helped me tremendously with handling my struggles with spiritual growth. He told me to always be aware of intensity and quantity. To ask myself on a regular basis if I am doing a bad behavior less and with less vigor. If we make ourselves aware of those two things we will see if we are growing spiritually or not. Do we do our selfish behaviors on a lower intensity level and less frequent? Do we see this pattern set on an upward trajectory? Then there is evidence of our surrender and the Spirit's work! All God asks is that we provide Him with a willing heart.
God is able and our growth would be exponentially faster if we would just let go of our pride and desire for control. I don't know about you but I have put way more energy into taking my stance than praying for a kinder heart and less self comfort. Most of us have a courtesy gate that we use and on the outside we appear to be so thoughtful and so Christian but it is what lies in our hearts that God cares about. In the book of Hosea 6:6, God says, "I don't want your sacrifices, I want your hearts!" (read Hosea ch.6 for full context). What does that mean for us?
Basically, God is saying that we should always start by looking not only in the mirror first but also even deeper, into our own hearts. Just as a mountain climber carries a pick and is always prepared to use it, we should always have God's Word poised and ready to wield as our sword to stop us instantly from sliding down the slippery slope of self. Let us all desire for our courtesies to be an overflow of our heart and not just a show for others as we are stewing inside.
From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12;34b
Let your character speak for itself. (Mat 5:37, Jam 5:12)
Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not take notice of the log in your own?! Matthew 7:3
...the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God... Ephesians 6:17
Book references:
The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
The Four Temperaments, by Tim LaHaye
The DNA of Relationships, by Gary Smalley
Another abuse of the courtesy gate is the unabashed attacker who flings it wide open to lambaste those who defy them. They hurl a slew of unattractive verbal maladies intended to cause injury because they lack the beautiful fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Some through no fault of their own were never taught and had vicious examples. Others freely choose the fight. Those types have never chosen or practiced self-restraint because of their immaturity, lack of humility, strong pride and ignorance.
The courtesy gate is not a fickle thing, it is us, the humans, who use it to our benefit. How easy it is to manipulate others with it by either taunting them over it or simply telling lies over it because of our inability to be honest in a kind and thoughtful way. Of course we will turn that around to serve us in the end by blaming them for not responding to our requests or hints. We then enter the judgement phase!
Judging others is like playing in a toxic waste dump. We will get sick eventually as we continually choose to go play there. We miss out on most of life's beauty because instead of being present in life we are off to the side playing with our toxins. They aren't even the toxins of the realistic situation! The toxic playground we are at is the one we have filled up with our bitterness, jealousy, resentment, anger, etc... We choose it all day as a place to wallow as the inflamed accusations swell and pierce deeper. Our only goal at that point is a chronic state of selfishness where we make our bed in the stench and refuse to rise till the others change first!
Thinking only of ourselves and our comfort will always lead to tantrums, internal and external, conscious and unconscious. Kicking, yelling and flailing as we make sure that no one else around us can be happy either. "Suffer with me!", our gut screams! "Make my inconveniences go away! Make everything comfortable for me!" We become embedded in the quicksand of poisons spitting out cries for help. But our idea of relief and God's is very different!
It is a slippery slope into the evil behaviors of self-preservation. There are a few who dive straight in but most start with a dipping of the toe. Slowly, one dissatisfaction, one misunderstanding, one infraction, and before we know it we are over our heads in self-focused behavior. (I could go very, very deep into this subject touching on personalities and temperaments but I will leave that up to you. I will make recommendations at the bottom for books referrals.) God gave me an insight years ago that has helped me tremendously with handling my struggles with spiritual growth. He told me to always be aware of intensity and quantity. To ask myself on a regular basis if I am doing a bad behavior less and with less vigor. If we make ourselves aware of those two things we will see if we are growing spiritually or not. Do we do our selfish behaviors on a lower intensity level and less frequent? Do we see this pattern set on an upward trajectory? Then there is evidence of our surrender and the Spirit's work! All God asks is that we provide Him with a willing heart.
God is able and our growth would be exponentially faster if we would just let go of our pride and desire for control. I don't know about you but I have put way more energy into taking my stance than praying for a kinder heart and less self comfort. Most of us have a courtesy gate that we use and on the outside we appear to be so thoughtful and so Christian but it is what lies in our hearts that God cares about. In the book of Hosea 6:6, God says, "I don't want your sacrifices, I want your hearts!" (read Hosea ch.6 for full context). What does that mean for us?
Basically, God is saying that we should always start by looking not only in the mirror first but also even deeper, into our own hearts. Just as a mountain climber carries a pick and is always prepared to use it, we should always have God's Word poised and ready to wield as our sword to stop us instantly from sliding down the slippery slope of self. Let us all desire for our courtesies to be an overflow of our heart and not just a show for others as we are stewing inside.
From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12;34b
Let your character speak for itself. (Mat 5:37, Jam 5:12)
Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not take notice of the log in your own?! Matthew 7:3
...the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God... Ephesians 6:17
Book references:
The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
The Four Temperaments, by Tim LaHaye
The DNA of Relationships, by Gary Smalley
Friday, February 14, 2014
Surrender Dorothy
"With acceptance comes relief, and relief allows the body, mind and soul to heal." D.A.H.
Shackled and tied to my defiant attitude, I pulled at the rusty metal bounds. Twisting and writhing my angry thoughts till my mind passed-out from exhaustion and weariness. Unconsciousness was my only peace. If I try to pull myself together then everyone will assume that all is well and my martyrdom will float away as swiftly as it came. Things are happening in my life and I have no control. There is no way out and no hope. I hate it, I hate it all and I want it to end now!
That's how I felt for a long time. The somewhat carefree days of innocence were hidden away now and reality came with it's teeth showing. Whether my circumstances or yours, it doesn't matter. Hopelessness is a dark and oppressive state where isolation and crushing loneliness bring pain in many forms. Few understand and our worse enemy is not the people who come to cheer us up, but ourselves. We build a nest of pride, stubbornness and defiance and each day we fluff our bed till the change we want comes. I crossed my arms, planted my feet and basically told everyone including God, that I wanted what I wanted and I wanted it now! I was not happy and I didn't like it! Enough has happened and I refuse any more!
Needless to say, the clouds did not open up with Jesus himself coming down. My visions of Him coming to remove all the discomforts of my life never happened. And, no one in my life had any power to change my circumstances. So, I added all that rejection to my stubborn stance and dug in even deeper! But....still nothing. No angels, no Nicholas Cage in a limo, no army of supporters with "We're here to save Dorothy" signs....just me and my bitterness and it was eating me alive. My health crumbled, my attitude was not suitable for company, I retreated from church and developed a negative inner dialog. God allowed me to remain there until I FINALLY got sick of myself! So much so, that I became worse than the original circumstance!
Just as God stayed with me even while I acted like a complete jerk, He was right there with me when I surrendered. Brothers and sisters, even when life is horrible...God is good! The blessings, lessons, endurance, strength, patience, courage and love that I emerged from this with are jewels in my crown that I will flaunt to His glory! My prayer is that our first instinct would always be to crawl to Him first and not to our prickly nest. My selfishness made me waste too much precious time! Acceptance of my situation has already begun its good work...my body is healing, my mind, spirit and soul are rejuvenated and I'm a part of life again!
Praise God for the light and the darkness, for even darkness is light to Him!
It's not how much you do, but with how much love you do it with. Mother Theresa
God likes it when we work for Him, but He loves it when we sing while doing it!
Surrender to God, not to the enemy!
Shackled and tied to my defiant attitude, I pulled at the rusty metal bounds. Twisting and writhing my angry thoughts till my mind passed-out from exhaustion and weariness. Unconsciousness was my only peace. If I try to pull myself together then everyone will assume that all is well and my martyrdom will float away as swiftly as it came. Things are happening in my life and I have no control. There is no way out and no hope. I hate it, I hate it all and I want it to end now!
That's how I felt for a long time. The somewhat carefree days of innocence were hidden away now and reality came with it's teeth showing. Whether my circumstances or yours, it doesn't matter. Hopelessness is a dark and oppressive state where isolation and crushing loneliness bring pain in many forms. Few understand and our worse enemy is not the people who come to cheer us up, but ourselves. We build a nest of pride, stubbornness and defiance and each day we fluff our bed till the change we want comes. I crossed my arms, planted my feet and basically told everyone including God, that I wanted what I wanted and I wanted it now! I was not happy and I didn't like it! Enough has happened and I refuse any more!
Needless to say, the clouds did not open up with Jesus himself coming down. My visions of Him coming to remove all the discomforts of my life never happened. And, no one in my life had any power to change my circumstances. So, I added all that rejection to my stubborn stance and dug in even deeper! But....still nothing. No angels, no Nicholas Cage in a limo, no army of supporters with "We're here to save Dorothy" signs....just me and my bitterness and it was eating me alive. My health crumbled, my attitude was not suitable for company, I retreated from church and developed a negative inner dialog. God allowed me to remain there until I FINALLY got sick of myself! So much so, that I became worse than the original circumstance!
Just as God stayed with me even while I acted like a complete jerk, He was right there with me when I surrendered. Brothers and sisters, even when life is horrible...God is good! The blessings, lessons, endurance, strength, patience, courage and love that I emerged from this with are jewels in my crown that I will flaunt to His glory! My prayer is that our first instinct would always be to crawl to Him first and not to our prickly nest. My selfishness made me waste too much precious time! Acceptance of my situation has already begun its good work...my body is healing, my mind, spirit and soul are rejuvenated and I'm a part of life again!
Praise God for the light and the darkness, for even darkness is light to Him!
It's not how much you do, but with how much love you do it with. Mother Theresa
God likes it when we work for Him, but He loves it when we sing while doing it!
Surrender to God, not to the enemy!
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