Allergic to Change? You have Two Choice.

I am not allergic to beaches!

Do you have allergies? Maybe to certain foods, products, or pets...what about allergies to change? Anyone else struggle with seasons of change? Whether the change was a good one or bad, initiated or forced upon us, we will each experience a type of reaction to the seasonal changes. 

I hadn't really thought about it until I was sharing words of encouragement to a friend of mine and we got to talking about this topic of changes and circumstances we struggle with. It's more than simply praying about the change. And no, just because you don't like change, doesn't mean you are less of a Christian. Let's go ahead and say that truth! Read Ecclesiastes 3...there's a season for everything, for everyone. None of us are exempt.

While we cannot prevent the seasons of change in our lives, the days when things don't go our way, however, we do have control over our response to them. We have 2 choices: Attitude or Adjustment. Yes, you can get angry, pout, fear and shout oooooorrrrrr you can make the necessary adjustments and adapt to move along. 

Does either response change the circumstance? No. 

Does it make you any less frustrated or hurt? No. But we have to choose how to move forward in the reality of the season of change because the change is here and now we must respond.

When it comes to managing our allergies to change, it's important to find what calms the allergen otherwise we stay itching. I am not a health guru, so we will discuss how to soothe our soul reaction. Our souls flourish in the light of hope, peace, love. 

A calm soul calms the whole body, mind and spirit. It affects our energy and this energy will impact the environment, hopefully with the goal of making it better, not worse. There are a bazillion blogs, videos and books about managing stress in life. I highly recommend learning some basics to address the healing. I do pray this blog is a resource of encouragement to you. I will share a few of my basics helps in a minute.

What about when we can't "Keep Calm!? What about when it lays us our flat and we feel like we were run over and we find ourselves angry, overwhelmed, consumed, drowning? Has anyone ever felt that way?

When we give way to our flesh and respond negatively in anger and fear, we exasperate our whole being and shift the energy in our environment. It's a humbling thought to think the very thing we are upset about, we contributed to in our response to change. Our hearts deplete, our minds circle, our bodies explode then drain. However, when we allow our souls to be filled by positive and hopeful anticipation, we respond with a surrendered will, eager heart and mind set on faith. 

We have the ability to change our world with the very change that has happened inner deepest place. We have been changed by grace, taken from ashes to life, from lost to saved and blind, to seeing. When we realize His Way is not our way, we receive the change with anticipation and grace. Yes, we need to be healthy in our body too, because an unhealthy body will not allow the rest of our body to level up. In the season of change, we also must accept the truth it's not always about us. Acceptance helps us submit to the fact it is bigger than us! In possibility and faith, we will powerfully and prayerfully respond in trust to what we believe in our core is true about our belief system. 

Do we believe God has our best interest at heart? 

Do we believe He is for us? 

Do we believe He will never forsake us? 

Do we believe we are sealed and never to be snatched away by the enemy?

We have to get passed the mindset that things are happening TO us and believe things are happening FOR us and THROUGH us. It may be about you and your "health," but at the same time, it may be that you are simply an instrument of grace for someone else.

It is in times of trials our souls face the testing of our belief. In an odd way, we should be thankful for the careful and gentle guiding through trials, the testing of our faith. The Scriptures are full of such instructions. And yet the enemy whispers, "You must not be worthy of...You must not have enough faith...You don't pray good enough...You must not be good enough...You don't deserve that...Can you believe this is happening to you...You should fight back...You mine as well give up...You're not important...No one cares about your...You're in the way and easily replaced..."

In a world of chaos, skepticism, evil, negativity, pride and selfishness, the only way to stay in the spirit of hope is to stand firm in our faith on the Cornerstone of Christ Jesus. How do we remain firm standing up against the allergens attacking our faith? Trust, Pray, Ask, Seek, Knock, Repent, Surrender, Hope, Believe, Trust and Obey, Worship, Love, Serve.

• Trust He is a Keeper of Promises and is the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
• Pray and know He is near, hearing every word, seeing every tear.
• Ask for His help to believe and follow.
• Seek His will, way and strength to endure.
• Knock on The Door that leads you on the Way that leads to Peace.
• Repent from the old ways and turn to the path that leads your heart and soul to peace and joy.
• Surrender to the One who knows all, sees all, made all.
• Accept the change as necessary and for divine purpose.
• Obey the calling divinely purposed for such a time as this.
• Worship the One True God Who knitted you in your Mother's womb and has poured His Greatest Love over you.
• Count your blessings and seek first His Kingdom daily.
• Do not forsake fellowship with your local church for refreshment and accountability. Plus, there is great blessing to serve others. #itsnotalwaysaboutyou
• Keep a healthy attention in body-mind-soul...good nutrition, healthy living, exercise, watch your thoughts, meditate on what is worthy of praise, serve and love others.

If you find yourself dealing with the allergies of change, remember you are not alone in the change of season, you also have two response choices...attitude or adjustment. I pray the next time the seasons change and you begin to feel that itch, your mind responds in acceptance and adjustment. If you have an attitude, may it only be one of gratitude. As we walk season to season on this Earth, may our hearts be found in adjustments of grace.

Philippians 4:

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

Feeling weak, weary and worried?

Ever have those days or sometimes months where you feel attacked and overwhelmed. The little things in life seem so much bigger and you feel the weight crushing you? I'd like to share a prayer woven through the scripture with you that I am praying in my own life. It is the protection instructed to be worn in Ephesians. The actual scripture in ESV is in italics and my words are the rest.
I pray you will find strength and a renewed hope as you remember Who Your victory and Strength are in. It is not within you to overcome. It is Christ in you that gives you the victory.Trust Him. Prepare yourself for battle and pray endurance till the end!!  Gird up your faith and hang on! Saturate yourself with His Word and hide it in your heart!! It's a crucial weapon you must have with you!!!
If this isn't you and you know someone who needs to be encouraged today, please pray this over them. Jesus is our healing, our victory and our hope. He is the answer! Blessings in His name, Michele


Father God, today I lay my broken and weary soul at the crown of Your Holy and Healing feet. My spirit cries out to You Lord God that I Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Help me Father God, Warrior King Jesus to Put on the whole armor of Yours God, that I may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore help me Lord to take up the whole armor of God, that those of us who serve You may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Lord Jesus, as both a witness to Satan and his evil destroyers and as a witness testifying to Your Conquering Victory, I Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,  refusing and rebuking all the lies he tells me that I am weak and defeated, worthy of death, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, that in my anguish I will choose good over evil, guarding and protecting my heart in Jesus' Name that my heart will remain fully and completely consumed by the Love of my Savior. Steady my feet Lord to walk  and witness to Your Love in a manner worthy to honor You above all others, wearing as shoes for my feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, especially those that are difficult, leaving me to feel exhausted and weary, help me Holy Spirit take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the  flaming darts of¹the evil one as he seeks to devour me day and night; and take my permanent helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your word God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Recall to me Your Word hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You and encourage and strengthen me with fervor in your Word each morning and throughout the day.  
To that end it is my deep desire to keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, getting outside of my own troubles and intercede for those God has placed in my world to stand alongside, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Lord open my eyes to see what You see before and around me and grant me strength and endurance to persevere through each and every circumstance, escaping the schemes and traps of the enemy laid out to destroy me. I am Yours Lord God and I trust in Your strength. Guard me in Your Name King Jesus. May my courage be a bold witness to the enemy and rebuke him to his crushed place under my feet and lift my eyes to where You are so my heart and mind may be restored. Cleanse me and revive me Lord for You are my God! I worship and adore You alone. It is with eager anticipation and holy determination that I count it all joy today as I stand on the battlefield. No weapon of the enemy shall proper where You are so Lord today, keep watch over me that I may not give the enemy a foothold! I stand in You! Thank you and Bless you Faithful God. AMEN!

Ephesians 6:13-43

Why Lord?

"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on GOD who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On HIM we have set our HOPE that He will deliver us again. YOU also must HELP US by PRAYER so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the PRAYERS of many." 2 Corinthians 1:9-11

Have you ever felt like you were going die? That your circumstances were so great you thought you were going to die, or maybe you wanted to die? Illness, family crisis, unemployment, loss of a loved one, emotional distress, broken or difficult relationships, physical ailments and extreme anxiety just to name a few of life's heartaches that can drop us quickly to our knees.
We wonder Why Lord? Why is this happening? Does He hear me? Will He help me? How will I make it through this? Satan would like us to feel overwhelmed and feel like we are not in control and headed over a cliff. But, we actually do have control over our mind and heart. We have the choice to sit in despair or set our hope in Him. It is soooo easy to sit in despair, shut down, become self-absorbed and close ourselves off to the outside world. That's exactly what Satan would hope you would do but the Lord is LIFE. Life Who conquers death! AMEN!!! John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. "
When we search the scriptures, we find the steadfastness and faithfulness of God for those who believe and set their eyes on Him. Those who wonder, fear, fail have taken their eyes off Him and went out on their own wisdom. It is important to take time in these moments to give thanks as you remember how the Lord has been faithful in providing deliverance in your own life and even in the life of others that you yourself have witnessed. That doesn't mean every time your life has been perfect, but every time the Lord has provided and rescued you, bringing comfort even amidst the trial.  
The Lord is faithful, He will do it again. This passage gives us two ways we can stand firm and keep our spirits up...1.) Our hope must be set on Him and 2.) we must ask for prayer. We are helped by the prayers of others. They are actual BLESSINGS!!!
Whatever you are facing today, are you relying on yourself or on the God who raises the dead? Have you been lost in despair and lost hope? May these words today set your hope back on Him. May you reach out today and ask for the prayers of many? As much as our journey is personal between us and the Lord, it is part of the working and growing of The Body. As we live life together, we have to be in eachother's lives so that we can be part of the process of healing and hope which ultimately highlights and reflects the glory of our faithful and loving Father.
What do you need prayer for today? Who is God asking you to bless by the offering of your prayers?  

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him." Psalm 28:7

Rock vs Sand

""Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."" Matthew 7: 24-27

With the new change of the season, less humidity and cooler temps, I have found myself spending more time outdoors. In this Texas heat, it's a rare treat to spend full days outside without drowning in sweat! This verse came to mind today as I was returning home from my bike ride. Just outside my neighborhood, there is an area of rugged terrain I pass through to get home. For the most part, it is either sand or dirt. 

As I come flying off the street and make the transition into this "unstable" area, I must be paying attention to the unevenness of the ground so that I don't fall. Tree stumps, rocks, holes, branches and even trash fill the area. If I am not watching where I am going, I am surely gonna slip and fall.

This happened to me this morning. I wasn't paying attention as I crossed the now very familiar grounds, and my bike slid sideways on the shifting sands. I was not planning on sliding, or going sideways, but that is the way I went because I was careless. God brought this verse to mind.

Why do we "build" on "rock?" Because it is steady and dependable. Sand can be compacted down but it still gives way to pressure and it can be easily manipulated and moved. If it is our intent to build something that will withstand the pressure and rains of our circumstances, not quickly shaken or lost, then wisdom would say build on The Rock.

So it is with God. When we build our lives on God our Rock, we will withstand the pressures and rain that come against us. We won't crater and fall. Our circumstances will not control us. We will stand firm on Our Rock and endure.

Do you feel "loose?" Do you feel as though you continue, time after time, to be tossed around, heart and mind slipping and sliding, never at rest? Then may I suggest you check your foundation. You may need to replace some of that sand with a Bigger Rock!