Anxiety in the Storm

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

Today, the storm clouds have rolled in!! While the rains are a much welcomed sight and sound, however, the flooding and havoc that comes with it are not! Thankfully, I was able to wrap up my outside "doings" this morning before the clouds released their bucket loads!
As much as I was inconvenienced by the rains, the end result was worth it. God promised to care for His creation, His grounds and creatures, and of course, so much more importantly, His people. Matthew 6 tells us to "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  
God tells us not to be anxious, because He knows that we will be anxious at the onset of storms or trials. When storms approach, while we acknowledge they are there, how we respond to them is important. We can stand in fear and worry or we can take shelter and wait. Some storms are just plain out frightening! Lightening and strong winds certainly get my heart rate going as I rush around closing windows and gathering kids and pets to the indoors safely. But once inside, I don't need to be so frazzled. I have done all I can do to prepare and simply need to wait it out. 
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
The times I seem to get the most anxious are when I am alone in the house, my husband may be gone or the kids are already asleep, and there I sit frazzled, on edge attempting to remain calm and alert without totally freaking out at the crack of lightening just outside my window and winds tossing my outdoor furniture around as if it was made of paper. It is scary to be alone in a Texas storm! This is also true when "other" storms come into my life that leave me drenched by "rain and strong winds" of heart and soul. Some can be seen from the "radar" but so many come without warning. All of a sudden, winds knock us over leaving us frazzled and afraid, seeking shelter through the storms. These are as real as a real storm. Winds push against me, waters surround me and my thoughts drenched by fear and worry. Where is my Shelter? How long will this storm last? 
While Jesus is our Ultimate Umbrella and Shelter, our Rescue and Refuge, He gives us spiritually strong people to wait out the storms with us under their umbrellas. What a beautiful sight to see someone coming towards you with an umbrella, rain boots, jacket and a hot cup of coffee! Their presence and help brings comfort and peace to a drenched and weary soul. What a comfort knowing you are not alone in your storm. In rare cases, when you find yourself caught in the middle of a (private) storm and no one else knows, you can be sure Our Sweet Lord and Savior is with you. He sees you. He will protect you. He will care for you. 
Next time you find yourself in a storm, look for nearby umbrellas, as you run to the shelter of His Word. His arms are open wide and His shield will be your comfort.

"For it is You who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. 

For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 

This God--His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. 

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?-- 

the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. 

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and Your right hand supported me, and Your gentleness made me great. 

You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip." Psalm 18:28-36

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." 
Matthew 28:20b (ESV)

"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. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." Philippians 4:10-14 (ESV)

Thank You Lord for your steadfast Love and Your faithfulness to shelter us, provide for us, and care for us. Thank You for the Sun, and the Storms. Help us trust You and wait. Thank You for Your Umbrella and those you send our way with umbrellas of Faith to stand with us in our storm. You are a gracious God and loving Abba Father. Bless Your Name, amen.

Being Ready for the Stage

She changed her diet drastically to get rid of all the sugars and fats. She gave up hours in her day to be at the gym and work out, eventually giving up nearly whole days to be up at the gym doing cardio and weights. She drank enough water she probably should have a river named after her! She was very intentional about everything she ate and did. Everything working in one accord is what is was going to take to get her where she needed to be.
Then there is me, sure, I have given up most sugars, sodas except on very rare occasions, I enjoy plenty of cream in my coffee and I love my breads!!! And while I was exercising 3 times a week for a while, I now only make it to the gym once a week. So, of course I am frustrated that I have gained weight because of my choices. I stand next to my friend and feel fat!! I see her at the gym and I want to just quit. "I'll never make it to that!" Honestly, I don't want to have a competition body, but a tone and healthy body full of energy would be awesome!!! I know what my end goal is and what it would take to get there, so why don't I just do it?!?
What about you? What in your life are you wanting to achieve so bad and you know what it will take to get there and yet you find yourself standing still staring off into space?!  Going back to school? Spring cleaning the house? Reading certain books? Loosing weight? Changing the family diet? Getting back into church? Deepening your relationship with the Lord? Finding a bible study to join? Seeking counseling for personal struggles, parenting or marriage? Learning a new hobby? Starting a business? Taking the time to catch up on letters? Planning and Saving for a vacation or mission trip? What do you want? You might slowly move towards it, which, hey, forward is better than backwards, but...why are we dragging our feet when it's something we want?! Maybe we don't want it bad enough. Maybe it requires too much hard work? Maybe it means we will have to make sacrifices.
How can we justify our complaining about not having "it" when we are not being intentional to do our part to attain it? I whine and fuss about not looking and being as healthy even half as good as my friend, and yet, I can't complain cuz I am not doing what needs to be done! I have no right to complain. I have no one to blame but myself. My friend can confidently slip on that bikini and look fabulous on stage at the end of her training because she did everything she needed to do to be ready for that moment on stage while I would be horrified due to my own lack of preparation. If only I would have trained. If only I would have done what I was instructed to do to be ready.  
This is sooo true when it comes to our walk with the Lord. We have to be intentional and continually prepare our self so when it's Showtime, we can be confident. When times get hard, do we find ourselves ready and trained up? Have we prepared for the "stage" of betrayal, anger, temptation, illness, unemployment, crisis? My friend was lucky in that she knew the date of her Competition and could plan out her exact daily schedule. We, on the other hand, do not know when we will be placed on the "stage". We must live prepared and ready!
This is why it is crucial to be in God's Word daily! It's why we must gather together and not forsake fellowship with Believers. It's why we must confess our sins and ask God to cleanse our hearts from the unhealthy toxins and make it healthy and pure. This is why we must have accountabilities as we live in community that help us stay serving, growing, focused, motivated and equipped. Our goal as a Believer is to glorify The Lord our God with our life, to be His Light here and show His Love through our lives. It's takes being intentional in planning and consistent disciplines to accomplish that. There will always be reasons and excuses but are we ready to stay disciplined and intentional towards our end goal?! Can we stay motived instead of feeling defeated?!?
So, back to my original questions: You might slowly move towards it, which, hey, forward is better than backwards, but...why are we dragging our feet when it's something we want?! Maybe we don't want it bad enough. Maybe it requires too much hard work? Maybe it means we will have to make sacrifices.
I don't about you but I want to know God deeply and intimately. I want to hear God. I want to feel God. I want His strength and peace and comfort. Ultimately, I want to bring Him honor. The question is How badly? If I wanted it bad enough, it would not matter what the cost to me would be. Look at the example of Christ? He wanted you bad enough that He sacrificed greatly for you. He brought glory the Lord which was His ultimate goal. Whatever it took.
Now, what about you? Are you ready to be "on stage" in life? Will you be confident when trials come? One day, it will be the Heavenly Stage and we will stand with full confidence and beauty, fully complete in every way, lacking nothing!! Oh, Amen!!!!!

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." James 1:12-14

Better at reading people than books!

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

This personal testimony encourages my insecure heart to be one of courage. I don't consider myself one of academic smartness, rather life smartness. I tend to navigate the things of the mind, the heart, intuitions easier than things of intellectual equations. I am better at reading people than books! As I have gotten older and have a desire to learn, it is much easier to spend hours reading and studying; however the thing of which I am reading, my Bible first and foremost, then Bible studies, not for proofs of science but understanding the love of God, what faith looks like, honoring and serving the Lord and others. The very title and beginning of this blog, Where Faith Is, is still the center of my heart, as my fears and doubts bow their knee to my faith and are overcome by the Gracious Name of Jesus our Lord! 
I do not consider myself a strong leader/teacher but I am a strong Believer! I do not jump at the chance to "teach" but given a chance to "encourage" I will leap!! (Of course I say that and I have nearly thrown up before I lept!! lol) Over the years as I have sat under the teaching of incredibly gifted teachers in the public arena as well as in my very own churches or community, I am blown away at their knowledge and graceful and exciting speaking abilities. Then, I find myself wishing "why can't I be that good?" And two things come to mind, 1.) God has given them this call and they have been gifted and equipped, and 2.) They are speaking from the heart from Where their Faith Is about what they are passioned about. It is soooo obvious when a person is teaching "material" or "testimony" from the heart. 
One who teaches or encourages from their heart has a fire lit up within them. You can see it and feel it! My husband lights up the minute He starts talking about sports. My teen lights up when you start talking about trucks. My other son lights up when he is challenged in theory. My daughter lights up with dance and music. My little guy lights up at the mention of cupcakes! Me, I light up when I hear about God. Nothing fires me up more than when God gives me a front seat to His demonstration! His healing! His miracle! His overcoming! His joy! His peace! His testimony! His LOVE!!! Here we go!!! Don't get me started...heehee!!!
I sat with one of my sweet mentors recently and she shared with me her nervousness about an upcoming speaking opportunity. Immediately I laughed, You? Nervous? Come on! You are one of the strongest, most obedient women of God I have ever met. How can you be nervous?! I just don't have it down myself. God touched my heart with these scriptures. What God wants from us is not perfection or accomplishments to testify, but  for us to testify of His Love, His help, His abilities. The wisdom to share is our testimony of Christ, not "lofty speech" or "plausible words." What a relief!! I can do THAT! I love when God allows us to encourage our mentors back and you see that little smile within their heart of gladness:) Seriously, what an honor to ignite that flame of hope and belief even in the strongest of them all!
When we share what God has done in our lives, or is doing, it ought to be a "demonstration of the Spirit and of power," not our intelligence. So, I can let go of being fancy in my words and simply share from the power of my faith deep within my heart that is consumed by Him! I don't want people to hear me speak of my accomplishments in my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, my ministry. My heart for encouragement is (hopefully) a demonstration of God's amazing Love for us. I have not arrived at the other side of victory at every one of my weaknesses, but I can testify where I have found my strength, my reasons, my whys, my hows on my journey towards healings and victories! I can show you where I have been and where I am an and where I am going!! 
No one, not even the wisest person you think you know, has it all together. May we be careful as Believers not to only share what we have been healed from, but Who our Healer was. Not how we became strong, but Who is our Strength. Not how we conquered victory, but Who is our Victory! Not how we have rest in our soul, but Who is our Rest, our Peace, our Comfort.
May we testify of His glory and wisdom alone so that our "faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." If you rely on me, I will let you down. The world will let you down, but GOD, He is faithful!! Let Him be your wisdom in all things!

God help us to share, teach, encourage one another in the pure Gospel of Who You are. Help us resist the temptation to over explain, over analyze and over teach. You are more than enough! May Your Word be our Healing, our Hope, our Joy. Lead us Holy Spirit closer to the heart of God so our testimony will reflect His wisdom and Way! May our lives, our healings, our blessings, be a demonstration of Your love and not about us! To YOU be ALL glory, power, rest and strength. By faith, we come. Amen.

Crazy Water and Still Water...I love them BOTH!!!

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." 

These words of Psalm 23 filled my heart, soul and mind today as I took my morning walk, praying, asking, searching and listening. And He was faithful to answer! 
Recently, I took a little Beach Day and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the beach. The waters where I live are certainly nothing to brag about, especially after encountering a slab of tar, but the cooler water, constant crashing of the waves, and salty smell were the perfect little get away for a day of refreshment and chillaxing!
I LOVE beaches, so I am eager to kick off the shoes and get my toes in the water! For a walk along the water, you can really only go in to your knees, because as you beach people know, when a wave comes, it's gonna hit ya higher! Waist deep and you're sure to get a smack in the face!!! I have discovered walking in the waves makes for a great leg work out too! Walking in sand is a lot more laborious than walking on dry ground. Beachside days, in one sense, is relaxing and yet at the same time kicks the adrenaline up a little with a little fun, hard work and a little fear. The waves are unpredictable in strength and size and they can carry you further than you planned to go. I am constantly monitoring the kids yelling, "Come back this way!!! You've gone too far!"  

Evidently the storm in Mexico was causing greater pressures in our winds and waters which caused thundering waves that pounded our Texas shore. Blankets holding snacks and shoes had to be moved several times further up the sand as the waves tossed up sudden waves into the dry spots, so I thought they were anyway! I ended up having to keep an eye on the waves to make sure they didn't invade my things, making wet what was to be dry and...those sneaky waves can carry off things like flip flops, toys, glasses, etc! It was relaxing, but it was also work. We will call it High Maintenance  Waters. Lakes on the otherhand, Still Water!! NICE!!! It's just a different kind of rest.

Then, there was today, walking by my bayou. How still this water was. How lush the grass that lined it's banks. Turtles sunbathing along the logs would quickly slip into the water causing a small ripple of the water for a few short seconds, but quickly, the stillness resumed. My Granny Beagle at the beach was jumping waves, running in and out. Here, she was gliding in the water and would slip out and just walk calmly along the bank. It was just as a relaxing and peaceful, but less stressful.
I was certainly NOT thinking of Psalm 23 at THE BEACH!!! But today, God prompted me to the old familiar Psalm 23 verses...The Lord is my Shepherd...He makes me lie down in green pastures. Not dry ones. Not sandy ones, but green ones. That tells me there is nourishment present and comfort provided as I lay on the ground. He leads me beside still waters. I can't help but wonder if it's because it's just less stressful...you don't have to worry about being overcome by waves, or being carried away!! He restores my soul! How would that happen if I am constantly having to check on my stuff that it hasn't been saturated or swept away or blown away!?!  Hallelujah for still waters!!!

When we are in the midst of what resembles standing out in the ocean, waist deep, sand in our eyes and stuff flying in the air, may we ask God to bring us out of the unpredictable waters and lie us down in the green pastures, beside the still, predictable waters.

 God, You are our Peace and our Rest. Thank You for the many ways You bless us with rest. I could sit for days Lord, amazed at the wonder of Your creation on the banks of a lake, river, or stream equally as I could at any beach's shoreline! I LOVE being in Your waters. God, when life feels out of control and we feel ourselves being knocked around, sand in our eyes, salty taste in our mouth, please draw us out and into Your still waters and green pastures! Thank You Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father! You really are an amazing and practical God!! Thank You for Your Love, Protection, Provision and Care, amen!!!   

   

My Thinkings at the Bayou today about Deep Waters.

I was walking on the bayou this morning with my Granny-Pup and the higher the sun rose, the more she wanted to take a dip in the murky water to cool off. (Working up a good sweat myself, I admit I was a bit jealous! But the thought of snakes kept me on the dry land:) Being off her leash for the run, she has the freedom to jump in and take a dip as she pleases...however, with the freshly mowed grass around the edges of the bayou, God caused my attention to the depth of the stream. The closer we walked to the source of the flow, the deeper the water went. 
Of course, this makes sense. Have you ever jumped off a waterfall? Everyone knows that the deepest part of the waterfall is where the water pours down. The further down the stream or river you go, the shallower it gets. So, if you are going to jump, you want the deepest part, which is the closest to the source, aaaaaaaand...you want to make sure there are no underground boulders should you go for a pencil drop:) LOL!!!!! 
I happened to be listening to the Book of John on my audio Bible app and just as God was turning my attention to this seemingly "random" thought about the bayou water, my app read to me these words, "The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
At first I wasn't tuned in, as my thoughts were thinking about the deep water and not wanting my Granny-Pup to run and jump in, and slowly the Scriptures began to cut thru my thinkings..."the well is deep..The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up."
I stood there staring at the culvert where the source of my bayou began, processing these seemingly random thoughts and then like a flower that opens it's petals, God showed me about these deep waters. I felt the pull in my spirit to turn and look down the bayou where I had just been and I noticed all the trash piled up, the trashed that got trapped up along the edges and the algae laced water due to stagnant waters. But here, back at the beginning, at the source, it was fluid, flowing, powerful and purer, and here I stood at "the deep end."
This connected in me, the message Pastor Nathan preached to us yesterday in service...it's about the depth, not the breadth. As we walk with the Lord, the closer we get to Him (The Source), the deeper our waters get. The waters are purer, fresh, clean and abundant. However, if we walk away from The Source, the further down the river we go, we will find trash, shallow waters, stagnant growth causing impure waters. 
So, how do we find the deeper waters? How do we stay there and not float downstream? It is about drawing water from The Source of Life: The Lord, being satisfied in Him alone. His Word is the Well of Life. His well is pure and deep. Once you have taken a drink from the pure water, you won't be easily satisfied by filthy, stagnant waters any longer. But if you choose to turn away from the deeper waters and journey downstream (aka: stop reading The Word of God and stop seeking Him), there will be temptations out of desperation, to take self-satisfying, quick dips in the murky waters as you seek refreshment from the heat. Carelessly, you willing exchange the pure (eternal) water for a temporary fix, only to find that you become sick amongst the filthy waters. Left unsatisfied and desperate for a sip of cool, fresh water, you will gather strength to pull yourself out of the filth and look once again for the Source and return upstream where the Living Water flows and drink from the pure waters (aka: get back into The Word, seek forgiveness and fellowship with Him). We stay in the deep waters when we desire life. We immerse ourselves in The Word of God and see with His discerning eyes, the waters that are pure and satisfying. 
I have also found that when I have accountability in a "walking buddy" I keep moving forward. I am less likely to make excuses, get off track, jump into murky waters. If our common goal is to head upstream, it's very likely we will get there together, where the waters are gathered together (Genesis 1:9) and welling up at The Source (John 1:1-2)!!  

"...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:22-25 

Father God, Your well is deep. Father God, we know that You are The Source of Pure Living Water to us, if we would just come and draw from You. Quench our thirst. Holy Spirit, lead us to Your springs of water that are welling up to give us eternal life in You! God, here in the depths of the waters of Your well, we are satisfied and made clean. Forgive us Father when we choose to satisfy our selfish desire for a dip into the shallow, murky waters amongst the trash. If we could see how filthy the water really was, we would wait to get to the depths where it is pure, safe and clean. Give us Your eyes Lord. May You as our Source cause in us a deeper place cut out from Your Living Water. Give us depth where fresh water flows and helps us to be aware when we began to move downstream. God keep us at The Source of you were there is no trash, but pure clean waters. In Your Pure Name, Jesus our Source of Life, we drink, amen.


They say the depth is as great as the height above the water....interesting thought, especially when you think about How Great is Our God!!!!! Here is the Most Powerful Waterfall I have ever seen, Niagara Falls:

Love is in the Dirt too!

"I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD."  Psalm 40: 1-3

Have you ever felt like you were in a pit? The ground in which you found yourself standing became dusty, crawling with critters and it was gonna be a doozy to get out of? Maybe you are in one right now. How big is your pit? Enough to twist your ankle and limp on a little or is it over your head and you stand in darkness? No matter your pit, God can rescue you!
There is no such thing as "A perfect person." (Otherthan Christ Jesus, of course!) No one has it all together even if it seems to you they do. Everyone gets hurt sometimes. Everyone makes a mistake sometimes. Everyone looses their cool sometimes. Everyone responds in ways they wish they hadn't sometimes. Some times, we find ourselves in a pit. A pit of betrayal. A pit of anger. A pit of loss. A pit of addiction. A pit of loneliness. A pit of depression. A pit of lies. A pit of rejections. A pit of laziness. A pit of rebellion. A pit of debt. There are a lot of pits which anyone can fall into, sometimes.
I think we tend to look at other people and think they've got it easy or that they never fall. I believe this is a clever lie Satan plants in our hearts, not so much in way of comparison...but by exalting another person above us, we then lower our own adequacy and it heightens our awareness of our imperfections. We tell ourselves things like I am a failure...I can't win this battle...I'm not good enough...Things will never get better...Someone else can do it better...I'm a looser...I will never conquor this thing...It's no use...I am nothing. 
And if we have any sense of hope in our heart, we will turn towards God and then pitifully sit in shame, fear, lacking anything to present as "good" before our Gracious and Holy God. And yet, God is the Perfecter of our Faith, Strength in our weakness and a rescue in times of need. Just as He drew Peter up out of the pit of disbelief in the water, just as He brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the pit of fire of injustice, just as God gave provision and protection to Daniel in the lion's den and Jonah from the pit of disobedience in the belly of the whale...God will rescue us too. God is a God who gathers together His people in His ark and delivers them from death. Over and over in the scriptures, we find God in the depths and dirt with us.
I am soooo thankful that God meets me where I am along my journey and even if I find myself stepping in a pit, He has "heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God." He is not a God who sits on the throne judging and shaking His head. He is compassionate and empowering, as He sent His Son to the dirt of the earth to place His feet on the road marked with suffering, in order that we can see Him, feel Him, touch Him, and by His infinite Grace and Mercy, be saved by Him from the pit of darkness. 
Lord, thank You for being a God and Savior that knows when I fall into a filthy pit and graciously draws me out of it. I know my tears are heard and seen. Help me Lord God to be a demonstrator of your Amazing Grace and Compassion as You "set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.." May others see You and fear You. May my life be a testimony to Your healing from less paths with pits to more paths of righteousness. May others trust You for their rescue as I testify how You alone rescued me!! Thank You for Your sweet, sweet Love, that can even be found amongst the dirt. 
PS. See the glass heart in the dirt? Love and Hugs right when you need one! We KNOW He loves us but there are times when you just need to know-know. Sweet Lord!!!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:14-17

SHE knows. Do YOU?!?!

Today was salon day for this girl!!! Since I was 17 years old, I have cut and colored my own hair. On rare occasions I did go to a Salon once a year or every other YEAR, more of a special treat for me to change up the style in a way I didn't know what to try. A dear friend of mine owns a salon and begged me to come there, so sometimes I do. The budget doesn't allow me to go often, but I have learned to budget it every few months just to be taken care of for a time. As a Mom of 4 kids and Wife and Friend and a Sunday School teacher's wife, I spend most every day of every week of every month, taking care of someone's care or concern. I have learned to delight in a little care for me a few times a year!! (I used to feel so guilty.) 
So, this morning I sat down for the royal treatment of low-lights and a few snips at the ends. She asked me the typical questions of style and color preferences I replied back with ,"Whatever-just no rainbow colors in my hair and no buzzing to cut my hair." I am open to anything not-crazy!! My personality can't pull off a Spunky or Attention-Getting hairstyle. 
NOT SO with the lady who was sat in the chair next to me! She knew exactly what she wanted and she placed her order! The stylist stood there shaking her head, probably thankful to have a little (a lot actually) direction. I thought, "Wow, she knows that she knows what she wants and why she wants it." "I'm a 6 figure salary professional and this is what I need to represent to my clients and the bosses...." and on and on she continued with her "order." What confidence she had to boldly proclaim her need. She made it very clear what she wanted and what she didn't want. Unable to see her (or avoid hearing her), I could picture her in my head and once I saw her after- yep, there was the lady with the order for "long layers, choppy and highlighted dark hair and not brassy."
Her boldness seemed border line arrogant and bossy and yet, she had an assurance of what she wanted. I found myself feeling a little small and weak-willed. It's not something others can see within you, but you who struggle with anxiety or inadequacy know that heart sinking feeling. I can quickly be brought back to inferior thoughts about myself and my abilities although, praise God, He quickly captures those thoughts and shows me His!!
Now, I recognize there are different "personalities" and that I don't have an aggressive one but there is truth that I need more confident-courage and this is an area of my life I am growing in. I have a friend who refers to me as, "Her friend on Valium"). And another friend partners with me in ministry and friendship and I am most certainly The Good Cop and she is The Bad Cop. It's true...not much makes me angry quickly. I am very patient most often and tend to extend extra mercy...however, we all have hot buttons. I am challenged in my passiveness to be assertive and have a confident approach for those things I know I want or need, or don't want or need...especially spiritual things.
Ecclesiastes teaches us there is a season for everything and we know that God created us to fit in harmony with one another, and how much more efficient a working Body when all things work together, with confident assurance?! There's not room for passiveness when there are specific needs waiting to be met.
God has been good to me and I think funny at times, to place soooo many Courageously Confident people in my life, one being my husband of over 20 years! He is certainly the "Ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission" type, while I hardly ever move without permission!!! I have a few friends whom I will not mention any names who are the same in my life. They have gumption, courage, and assertiveness to do what they know they need or want to do! These "God's Go Getters" have pushed me outside of my well established comfort-zone frequently! That's one of the beautiful things about Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron," that there will be refining sparks when our jagged edges encounters theirs, and we are more finely sharpened in our heart and spirit because we have engaged and encountered one another, which is ultimately heart to heart and spirit to spirit.
So, as I sat there in my pampering chair, God used my captured attention to speak into my heart. Michele, come to Me with that kind of confidence to Me in who I Am. Rest assured that I am working in your life and in those whom you bring to Me. You can trust me, I assure you. Stand with confidence that I am with you and have gone before you already, you need not be afraid. Ask with boldness what you need. You have permission to ask for what you want, be it for yourself or another. I am The God who satisfies, creates, provides and helps. I am above all things and will be your strength, healing and victory. 
God doesn't call us to bark out orders to Him, arrogantly assuming our "order will be right out" but rather humbly approach His throne of grace and abundance with confidence: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 and James 1:6 says, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."  

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 

 

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21 

 

May it be so for all of us who call on The Lord our God as Savior, Father and Friend. Amen.    

  

Get Out of the Ant Bed!!!!!!!!

When there is good news to share, who do you call first? When a crisis comes into your family, where do you run? When the stress of life heightens to volcanic levels, how do you simmer down? When your insides are all twisted up, how do you unwind?
As a Believer, our answer ought to be first, "God!!" But if we are all honest, our first response is usually a person or a thing, then the Lord.
When panic and anxiety first came upon me, I went to Google. I read stories, testimonies, books, articles, self-help websites and bought books. I learned how to cut out certain triggers in my diet like sugars and caffeine. (Yes, I had to completely stop drinking sodas and coffee and cut out all desserts; and yes, I lost about 5lbs almost immediately!!!) Then, I studied breathing techniques. I also learned a lot about how stress hurts our bodies and the benefits of Conscious Language. There was lots of "wisdom" to be learned about handling anxiety and panic attacks. But what about healing my anxiety?!?
And while these "things" were helpful, they weren't healing. Truly, God is our Healer. It wasn't until my mentor had me in The Word of God that I began to understand my circumstances, my body, my mind...my war. Healing began "In the Beginning." The medication and help I needed was God's Manna of Daily Bread and drinking up The Living Water on a daily basis, and being satisfied fully! The Word of God is alive and it heals the soul. The sword of the Spirit is how wars are won!  (Ephesians 6)
Let me ask this: If you found yourself standing in an ant bed, would you simply just keep standing there putting ointment on as your body was under attack? Of course not! You would jump out and run, being sure to never step in that spot again and to be sure that never happened again, you'd return only to drop some death on that sinful spot! And yet, we allow ourselves to stand in emotional or spiritual "ant beds." We try to stop the pain from the bites without success because we don't remove the "ants." We will not find relief until we get out of the sinful spot!!
I am surprised at how long we will keep standing there apply ointment when what we need to do is flee!!!
I could talk (and blog-lol) forever about this but I think it's simply said, "Friend, stop standing there!!! Jump out of that ant bed and drop some death on that sinful spot!!" Get into The Word of God and let the healing blood of Jesus rescue You and grant you peace that surpasses your understanding and comfort beyond compare!

Father God, forgive us when we turn to other people or things before turning to You, the True Healer and Comforter, our Great Physician of our body, heart, mind, spirit and soul. Thank You for those You have given to us as Your hands and feet of healing and health, bless their ministries to us in this dark and sick world. May You be the source of glory through them. But Father, remind us to run to You first. May we put to death the "ants" in Your Name, in Your Power alone. Hear our cries for mercy as we stand bitten fiercely and please rescue us quickly! Heal our hurts God. Lead us into Your Refuge and place Your ointment of grace on the wounds left on us. Heal our anger, bitterness, fear, doubt, tongues, illness, addictions, impurities. "Create in me (us) a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (us)." There is none like You and Your blood surely is our Covering Ointment and Victory!! In Your Holy and Gracious Name, we come. Amen!

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. " Colossians 3:1-17  

Where's the discretion & respect?!?

Discretion: the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment

Respect: an act of giving particular attention; a high or special regard

As much as I want World Peace, I wonder if there would be more peace if we had more discretion and respect. In this "It's-all-about-me" "have-it-your-way...NOW!!" culture we live in, I think we are quickly loosing peace because we are loosing discretion and respect.
For most of us, these aren't intentional disregards. But I am afraid for some, they just don't care, or know. To some extent, we all miss the mark on occasion. There are days I am completely in a hurry and I am not paying attention to the wake I leave behind me. Sometimes I am just so stressed out, I can't get past my own agenda or attitude.
I grew up under the authority of a "Military Dad" and the "Everyone's Best Friend Mom." My parents were both very respectful of others and this was at the core of our training up. (No, that doesn't mean my sister or I were perfect, but we were taught and held accountable when we didn't display these. Remember the ol' Soap in the Mouth?!? Blech!! ) And now that I am a parent, I am focused on not only my behaviors (ultimately my heart for the Lord's witness) and my example but the training up of my own 4 children to be respectful to others and using discretion in what they share with others and how they share it. Ultimately, having a heart desiring to honor God.

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18

You always hold the door for others, especially young mothers and the elderly. You always say Please and Thank You. You pay special regard to elders. If someone drops something, you pick it up and give it to them. You never take the last thing in the house without making sure someone else would want it or need it. You drop your trash, you pick it up. You spill it, you clean it. You borrow something, you give it back. You break something, you fix it. You use the last of something, you replace it. You don't say bad words or words that sound the same. You don't talk back in sass. You take off your shoes at the door, not wherever. When you are in public, you don't make out, PDA is private. You don't let others see more of your skin than clothes and you definitely don't let people see your bra or underware! Bras were for support, not accessories. Underware was for under-ware, not over-ware. (Wedgies were a cosequence if they were spotted on boys!) And bathing suits were made for covering not revealing. You speak quietly in public so others don't hear your business. No one wants to hear all about the local gossip or about your issues when they are paying for  peace and pampering!! Movies are a place to be quiet, as are libraries, spas, nail salons, steam rooms, and certain restaurants. And by the way, you do not answer the phone/text/email (cell or land) or read the paper while sharing a meal with someone unless it's urgent and/or an emergency-not an update. Belching and Tooting were things of great embarrassments if heard or seen, not badges of honor. Guests are always served first and you wait for the "chef" to sit down before saying grace and eating. Taking care of the house was a family job, not Mom's job. Computers were for education and keeping intouch, not for selfish sin. Friends are precious, not disposable. Dating is for purpose and not experimentation. The Bible is for life and not decoration. God is a Holy Name not an angry blurt. The news was balanced, helpful and fair. Having your own car as a teen was a great privilege, not expectation. Car radios were for your own personal enjoyment, not a public service announcement. The Great Outdoors was to be kept, not trashed. We used to cut the plastic soda rings. When someone asks you to hand them something, you handed it, not threw it at them. Kisses were for your significant other, not roll call. Chips should be eaten not carried. Gentlemen were gentle men.

It all begins in the heart. God, gives us Yours so that Your glory may be revealed!! Amen.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

 

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul," Deuteronomy 10:12

 

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9