Obedience Is The Sacrifice, and The Path to Your Promise.

Obedience is better than sacrifice.
 Heard it a million times probably.
 Never truly stopped and thought about it until the Lord hit me on the head with it. 
Thankful He loves me enough to get my attention.

Throughout time God has used the foolish, crazy things to test man's faith, to shore up his obedience, not because He wants us to fail, but because the testing of our faith strengthens it. God wants us to be able to have faith in our own faith in Him.  He wants to remove our faith in all the other things we so easily lean upon such as money, family, possessions, knowledge, etc. This brings a whole new level to Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

God sometimes speaks to us and tells us exactly what to do, but in our own humanity, we have a better way, forgetting His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.  His ways are higher, even when they make absolutely no sense at all, which they usually don't! God generally uses our plans as a way to show us how it won't work!

Look at the story of Abraham and Isaac.  God called Abraham by name.  There was no doubt to whom God was speaking.  When Abraham answered, "Here I am.", God told him to take his only son and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on a mountain He would show him.  The bible further shows us that this was a test of Abraham's obedience.  Isaac was never to be the sacrifice.  The OBEDIENCE of Abraham was the sacrifice. However Abraham did not know that for sure.  His faith in God caused Him to believe that God had a plan, but the bible does not tell us that Abraham had any indication that God did not intend for him to follow through with the burnt offering plan.  Abraham was obedient even to the binding of his son upon the altar. He passed the test.

Then there was Moses, who chose to elaborate on the commandment of God.  God told him to speak to the rock, but Moses got all dramatic and hit it twice.  He wanted a show! God was not pleased and the bible even tells us God was dishonored in Moses' action. , Because of this disobedience, Moses was not allowed to experience the promise.  Those he led were allowed to ride into the Promised Land on the back of Moses disobedient sacrifice! The ultimate fail.

The following experience I am sharing at this point is not something I prefer to share. However, in obedience, I share it.  I do hope that others will be able to more clearly hear what God is speaking to them, through me sharing my own long term act of disobedience.

For several years God has gently prodded me to get up early in the morning and pray.  Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person... at all! If early morning came about noon time I would be most happy. Not that I sleep till noon,  I don't, but I generally am slow going till around 10:00.  It is not that I hate mornings, it is just that my body and mind do not work together for a couple hours after I wake up and I generally feel awful.  I enjoy getting up around 8:30 -9:00 and drinking a quiet cup of coffee.  On my days off I like to go out on the patio and read or write for thirty minutes or so and then go pray for a bit.  On my work days I get to work around 10 and like to read the bible and pray for a few minutes to start my day.  Infrequently,  I have gotten up and prayed a little earlier than normal, but I have never made it habit to do so. 

A few months back a young lady in our church shared with me her story of God prodding her to get up early and pray, and her obedience to do so, no matter what faced her that day.
As she began to share with me, I wanted to tell her to hush. I knew where this was going, and why she was sharing this particular experience with me.  More of God's prodding.  Time went on and I did not heed to the almost daily bidding of God to get up at a certain time and pray. I flat out did not want to do it.  So as a special offering to Him I would give Him my lunchtime.  I work at the church and the guys usually go to lunch around the same time all together.  I had that time alone, in the church, down at the altar that I would give to God. What a wonderful sacrifice that would be!  How proud I felt of myself knowing God would be so pleased with my offering. Ha!  I have definitely had some wonderful prayer times alone with God during that time and He always met me there. I have experienced His most amazing presence many times over the past several years.  I made a commitment to daily offer Him this extra sacrifice.

Time passed and I faithfully offered up my daily "sacrifice" of praise.   Soon the time came when I began to earnestly pray for a particular promise I had been given, that has yet to be fulfilled.  I approached the promise from every angle possible in prayer.  I used Praise, Petition, Thanksgiving, tried The Prayer Wheel, groanings that could not be uttered!  You know the drill! I became more and more frustrated in my prayer and never felt I had reached that place the Lord was trying to get me to. I could not feel His touch, I could not hear His voice. 

After a most frustrating day wrestling with this unfulfilled promise, I headed back down to the altar offering up my sacrifice once again! On that day God met me in the most peculiar way, by the absence of His presence. I walked and prayed, praised and prayed, cried and prayed, ... nothing.
I began to pray a prayer of repentance. I repented for everything I did, thought of doing, and didn't do just in case! I was led by God from my repentance into asking for forgiveness for letting the fleshly desires of this vessel clutter my soul. When I began to pray in that way, He met me with the force of a gale and began speaking to me.  He began to reveal to me the main clutters in my life and how they were stealing my promise.  Just as Moses' disobedience had stolen the Promise from him, mine was doing equal damage.  My manipulation tactics were not going to work with God.  They had become filthy rags of my selfish unrighteousness, and it was as if He was saying to me, "Get those stinking things out of my face, I do not want your idea of sacrifice, I want obedience." In that moment I laid down all my silly self-sacrifices and made a commitment to wholeheartedly OBEY His voice.

I did not just make a commitment, I put action to my commitment. I realized God meant business, so I got down to business!  I set my alarm for 7:am (His time!) I knew it would be difficult and I would most likely submit to my snooze, so I set it for 5 minute intervals!  I put a special prayer inducing song as my alarm sound, I wrote the words "Prayer; Obedience" so that when I look at that alarm those words stare me in the face. The first morning I woke up, went into my closet (His place) ready to pray. Excited even.  Second morning the same thing.  Third morning ... not so much, Fourth...stumbled into my closet and fell before Him in tears! The next few days after that were just pitiful.  But I remained true to my commitment.  I obeyed daily His voice. While I sometimes still have my noon time prayer, I remain to this day faithful to the time He chose and the place He chose.

I will admit at times my prayers are void of my own understanding, but I am acknowledging Him in my obedience and that is the way to my promise. I have more than once fallen asleep in my closet.  I have trouble in the small space getting up and down, and have more than once gotten stuck in a very painful position. It doesn't seem like my thoughts form together and make much sense, but I have noticed I don't spend the time asking for things.  My prayer is mostly filled with thanks and praise and Him speaking thoughts and assurances to me.  I leave from these times assured that He is with me no matter what the day brings. I know in my obedience He is bringing my promise to fulfillment.  I have a greater faith in Him than ever before, and when I need Him, it as if He is at my beck and call! The things He has called me to do I feel equipped for.  When I am attacked by insecurity, inadequacy, abandonment, loneliness, His voice resounds, guiding me back into His security. Through this obedience, I have learned to instantly recognize the sound of His voice.

He has recently been speaking to me to read the Bible the very last thing I do at night before I fall asleep.  I am obedient.  On the nights when I forget, or if after I read the Bible, I read something else, I usually awaken way too early and have fitful sleep.  On the nights I do it right, I sleep through the night with no interruption. I don't know the reason why He has asked these simple changes, but I trust Him. Completely!  The things He asks of us may not make sense, but He doesn't owe us an explanation.  He owes us NOTHING!  We owe Him EVERYTHING.  The least we can do is listen to His voice and honor Him with obedience.  My obedience is very sacrificial, trust me.  Much more than the so-called sacrifices I had been offering up.  Usually the things we choose to "sacrifice" are not really all that hard for us.  We offer a "fast" for a couple of meals, and think we have really done some great sacrifice, then we break that fast by eating enough for two meals. We commit to pray thirty minutes, and watch the clock like it is restraining us from our day.  We wonder why we are not reaching the lost.  We wonder why this feeling of frustration and lack of fulfillment. Our vessel is so clogged with our fleshly desires, that our sacrifice has become nothing sacrificial,  and our prayer cannot flow as necessary.

We must lay aside the weight.  This requires a physical act. We have to put away, remove every hindrance and be obedient to His voice no matter how crazy it may sound! It seems to me He would much more enjoy my eloquent prayer at noon rather than my mumblings at an hour when I am not coherent.  But it is obedience He wants, and obedience He shall have!

While I do not believe He is necessarily requiring this same commitment from others,I do know if you will examine your heart you will find there is something that He is leading you to do as an act of obedience.  Maybe I am the only one who has had a struggle being obedient, but I really doubt it!  If you are struggling in your prayer life, if you have things that are weighing on you, that you cannot seem to pray through to the answer, try just listening to His voice and, with sincerity, see if there be some thing He is asking of you that you have not yet given.  Just obey, it's much easier than ignoring His voice!

Trusting With My ALL..even when "sea billows roll".

It is well? We sing the song and have heard the story of how it was written, and think it to be such a beautiful anatomy of trusting completely, yet when a little storm comes our way we often react with fear and doubt.  At times when I have seen the storm coming, I have retreated into my own little world of thought as though I was my own God trying to figure out a way to protect myself.  It seems I trust my own ways more than His, even when I know I can't make it without Him. How human we are!
Proverbs 3: 5-6 is a scripture we can all quote in our sleep, but can't seem to remember when the sea billows roll!  Trust in the Lord WITH ALL your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge HIM, and He will direct your path.  Key words being WITH ALL and IN ALL!

I am convinced that the reason for lack of trust in God results from not exercising it in the small things!  If we are only calling on HIM when in trouble, therein lies the reason for our trust issues.  We cannot have a relationship where trust is not cultivated. Daily communion with the One in whom we should place our trust, cultivates love, without which we cannot have trust. It is not that hard to set aside time each day to spend on our relationship with God, yet we often put it off, denying Him that communion. Is it that we are lazy, undisciplined or do not have our priorities straight? We must overcome the temptation to put God last in our life.  There must be a daily focus on Him.

There is a reason Paul gives us an example to die daily.  We must decrease in order for there to be room for HIS increase or direction.  If I do not maintain a relationship with God outside of asking Him to supply my own needs, I will never learn to trust Him with my all. If I do not give Him my ALL, but keep bits and pieces of trust in my own strength, then I will never experience what it is like to fully trust HIM!


His strength is only realized when we acknowledge our own weakness.  When we finally stop trying to figure things out on our own, acknowledging that HE is our source of strength, our only hope for rescue, then He can freely direct our path. If we keep depending on our own resources, we are not giving God ALL of our heart.  God is wanting to perfect that which concerns us, but with our hands and thoughts and ways continually getting in His way, we will constantly be left with imperfect outcomes.  The sooner we learn that, the quicker we are on the road to fully trusting with ALL!  Once we conquer trusting Him with our ALL, there is no end to the joy and peace that we will enjoy on a daily basis. The peace which passes all understanding comes when we quit having to try to understand Him because without hesitation, we trust Him.  His ways are higher than we can ever comprehend! He sees the whole picture, the before and after of the storm and He knows what is best for us in the middle of that same storm!

I have learned when the storm lingers and the waves crash, and it's dark and scary, I may not be able to stop the moments of fear from coming, but I don't have to allow them to roar into a full blown panic attack. I must walk in faith. If I entertain the questions pounding my mind, they will eventually literally shut down my trust in God.  He is our maker, our savior, so if we truly trust Him, we must allow Him to do whatever He so chooses, and not let HIS outcome become our biggest question!  We must stop allowing the questions of life to weigh us down, to slow us on our journey toward His intended purpose. Just keep walking on against the winds of question, knowing that your all-knowing all- seeing God is holding your hand and leading you into what is best for you.

 What on earth is a sea billow? It is defined as a swelling or surging mass.  When the sea swells, when all hell threatens to break loose!  A tsunami,  so to speak! When sorrow upon sorrow, storm upon storm, the hail, the winds, the rain, the fog all assail you at once would be a sea billow. When wave upon wave threatens your destruction and you cannot see your hand in front of you, much less hear the voice of God, those are the tsunami's of life.  It is during those times that you must exercise blinding trust. When you cannot hear His voice, you must still know He is there. Trust Him with ALL your heart!  He will do what is best concerning you! It is only when you break that trust that you find yourself going in the wrong direction.  It is He that must direct our path! He knows the way you should take! Trust His plan even when the outcome is not to our liking or understanding  He is always working all things for our good.

 "Whatever the course, thou has taught me to say...It is well with my soul!" Let the words of this song fill your heart. When question assaults the fibers of your faith, shake them off.  Read His Word, quote it, sing of His faithfulness. Keep walking on, no matter the force of the storm! "I trust you Lord, with my ALL!  Even when I cannot see one step ahead, I will trust that you are still going to bless, keep and deliver that which I commit into your most capable hands."

The Great "I Am!"

Jesus Christ, Our All in All!
Anything we need, He said "I Am!"
"I AM YOUR NEED!" It is ALL in HIM!
He is our security, our insurance, our safety!
He is our source of strength, our power, our steroid!
He is our portion, our supply, our resource.
He wants far more for us than we want for ourselves.
He is our biggest fan, cheerleader, coach, and team mate all in one!
He is proud of his creation!
He wants to elevate us!
He desires for us to reach our full potential in Him.
He is constantly cheering us on!
He is always with us!
Always looking out for us!
He is our constant defender, protector, our guard!
All the strength we will ever need is in Him alone!
He is approachable and always on call! Available at the whisper of His name!
We can just think of Him and He swoops in to share a moment with us!
He always hears our cry and attends unto our need!
He is our rescuer, our retriever, our 'always on time' help!
He loves us with a love that never ever EVER ends!
He is our healer!
He is our provision!
He is our road map, our navigator, our guide, our GPS!
He propels us to our highest possible peaks and walks with us through our darkest lowest valleys!
He carries us when we cannot stand! He gives us rest when we are weary!
He is our peace maker and our peace keeper!
He is the beginning and end of our every breath!
He is the first and the last of all our blessings!
He is the joy in all our successes!
He is the all knowing, ever loving, ever present God of our universe!
... How could we not succeed?
We are completely and unequivocally secure in Him! With the God of our universe at the helm of our ship of life, we wont be lost in a sea of sorrow!
He will bring us into all fullness of joy.
We have the assurance that with Him as captain of our vessel, we can do all!
We are going to make it!
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

"Get UP!"

 “I get knocked down… but not for long!”

In the beginning hours of a new day I was awakened out of a fitful sleep with these words spoken with great emphasis; “GET UP!”  Being startled out of my restless dreams, I angrily looked over at my husband with a “How dare you?” glare only to see that He was fast asleep.  In confusion I lay there for a second as my dazed mind quickly came to realize what had just happened.

I “got up!” … and fell on my face before the Lord because in that instant I knew He was speaking to me and that He meant much more than just “Get up!”. I realized why my sleep was so interrupted and had become a restless fitful lesson in futility rather than peaceful rest.  It was time for me to quit stalling and get about His business.  The talents He had equipped me with were not being used as intended and His patience with me was wearing thin. I had become self-serving and unfulfilled. I had taken my talent and hidden it, protecting it from criticism so that it wouldn't be damaged. I was in great danger because of my selfish desire to protect myself.  It was time to be about The Master’s business if I expected to continue to have the privilege of calling Him my master.  He is patient and merciful, ever gracious, and never giving up on us, but at the same time He will not force Himself through our clutter, nor will He shine through us if we hide our light under a bushel. So if you are willing, walk with me as we dig out our talents and God-placed abilities, and begin to use and multiply them to serve His purpose!

God understands our insecurities and even placed them within us to gain strength through the exercise of overcoming.  He allowed for and expected growth when He created us. However, if we are not doing what we know to do, He cannot flow through us with the intended purpose.  Insecurity is the one thing that will completely stop the flow.  Overcoming is the gateway to our success or failure in His purpose for us.  Insecurity will halt all progress.  If there is an area of my life that I am not giving my all, where my full potential is not being realized, most assuredly it is an area where I have allowed my insecurity to reign. 

Feelings of inadequacy have to be actively dealt with.  Insecurity does not just disappear without any effort. We don't just wake one day and the fear which has frozen our activity is gone. We have to take authority over the wilderness in which we are aimlessly wandering. There must be a physical active acknowledgement and resistance to insecurity before it will ever be conquered.  Whether by honing our skills through education, or through exercise of the knowledge already placed within us, we must physically attack our areas of insecurity. Let me encourage you to face your wilderness, acknowledge it by name, and begin to make steps to get past it!  Don't wander 40 years!  There is a promise ahead! Better to enjoy it now, rather than later! If the hardships of life, rejection, or great loss has got you fenced in your wilderness, I will be more than happy to pray with you to find the strength you need to tear those fences down and walk through the gates with assurance into your promised land.

On that morning of literal awakening, God spoke volumes to me about my lazy response to areas of insecurity that He expected me to overcome.  He showed me His disappointment that I had not progressed further.  I was so ashamed that I had allowed the trick of the enemy to completely rob me of my God-given abilities.  It is one thing to write of insecurity, but entirely another matter to deal with my own feelings of inadequacy, especially in the face of adversity! A feeling of inadequacy will quickly develop into a very real inability to grow if never dealt with. My growth had become stunted and thankfully God awakened me from my self-serving unsatisfying slumber.

Without growth it is impossible to live a life pleasing to Christ.  Let me challenge you to recognize your insecurities, attack them with a vengeance, and grow past them to a place of effectiveness for the Kingdom of Christ.  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing tools which have helped me to “GET UP!”

He alone receives the glory, and praise for being merciful to me and compelling me to share my experiences of insecurity with you.  It is in the sharing that I am overcoming, and in my overcoming that He receives Glory.  It is in my writing and sharing that I am growing and learning.  That is why I share.  If I stop out of laziness, or stubbornness, my spiritual growth stops.  It is not for my own self-gratification that I share my failings.  If left up to me, I would never show my weaknesses.  But He is pushing me, pulling me and prodding me and practically YELLING at me to “GET UP!” and get busy with HIS plan for me. He is showing me that I am not the only one fighting this fight.  Everyone who walks on this earth deals with feelings of insecurity. In sharing we find strength in others who are overcomers walking alongside us on this journey!  I hope in my own transparency you find tools to help you accomplish His dream for you.  When His dreams are being realized in us, that is the only place of true contentment. 

My Prayer

“If you can use anything, Lord, use me.  Don’t let the enemy celebrate my demise, as if He is in charge, but let me offer up to YOU ALONE all the glory as I  become  an overcomer by the word of my testimony!  I need you Lord, and I am realizing that in allowing you to flow through me as you choose,  I find you.  I seek you Lord, and I find you in servanthood. I walk with you and receive your direction because I pursue the plan you have laid out for me.  In denying that path, I have allowed the flow of your spirit to become clogged.  Remove the clutter from me oh, Lord, Show me my heart.  Cleanse me from my self-satisfying ways. Wake me, Lord anytime you see fit.  Remind me that it is not what I do that is effective, but it is what YOU do when your spirit is allowed to flow freely through me.  Cleanse me from the sin which does so easily beset me. Thank you for telling me to “Get up!” I did get knocked down, but this is me getting up again!"

I'm Baaaaack !

Just a little teaser coming this week... "I get knocked down... but not for long!"
I know, it's been a little while but I've been very busy keeping the roads hot enjoying my new grandbaby Landry and his fabulous big brother Mason, who I now get to see as often as I want, thanks to God moving them closer to me! I have some great news to share soon and have been working on new material for this blog which I will begin posting again this week!  I am so excited about the doors God is leading me to and giving me the option to walk through!  Please keep me your prayers as I follow His lead.  I only want to be a blessing and a stepping stone for others needing a word of encouragement! I am willing to be an open book for HIS Glory!  Every time I have faced a mountain He has been my strength! Every time I have walked through the valley low, He has been my guide! Along the way there have been times when a word or two of encouragement propelled me on and I want to pay it forward through the talent He has placed within me and trusted me to multiply.    Thank you all for being patient with me... and thank you to those who have been a little impatient too!  You have made me feel wanted and needed!  It's been a great summer, and I am encouraged and strengthened to write another 100 miles or so! Love you all... see you soon!

God is Now Here!

This is an excerpt from my notes the beginning of the year on the night I spoke at All Night Prayer - I have had a few people ask me to share and I felt impressed to share part of it tonight.  I will probably continue it next week!  Thanks for understanding I was speaking... not reading! lol... sorry if it gets a little tangled! That's just me!

One day several years ago I was in Wichita Falls just coming out of a Ladies Prayer Meeting and I was holding the hand of a little four year old boy named Ian. Ian walked out of the hall and over to the glass paned doors, put his hand to the glass. With both hands framing his face he peered into the dark auditorium and said ..."Where's God at?"  His mother and I had a good laugh knowing that in his little mind he was thinking Pastor Elms was God and he wasn't at his spot on the platform!

How many times though I have asked myself that same question!  Tonight I will attempt to answer that question for myself!
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I love this time of year when everything is fresh and new. We enter into it with a clean slate, so to speak!  We have this entire untouched untarnished year ahead of us and we are determined to be our
best self!  Old things are passed away... or have they?

We ride along till about March, when it all comes tumbling down on us!  We wake up one day having once again loaded ourselves down with cares of this life, responsibilities, and busy"ness"!  We stop and think, What happened?  We had such bright plans.  We were focused, motivated, and suddenly it all went south!  Where did we go wrong?  How have we lost focus?  Why are we already burned out, discouraged and feeling defeated in every area? Possibly we just planned and scheduled and busy"ed" our self right of God's presence!

Once again we have to go back and adjust our focus.
We must refocus!
Definition of refocus - to bring back to focus, to look again.
It does not mean to look back.  It means to bring to the present.

We start out with clarity of purpose.  God speaks to us and we feel Him directing us and speaking to us, but quickly we find ourselves having lost focus, forgetting the words He spoke, and losing direction. We look ahead or behind.  It is the enemy's business to distract us!

So tonight here we stand... at the beginning of 2013 refocusing! Beginning again!  Automatically we start to look back at 2012 where all our faults and failings, doubts and stumblings scream at us, grab us and sometimes choke us with the memory of the failure.  They attach themselves to us like barnacles before we even realize what has taken place.  With this weight already heavy on our heart we look forward to the future and we think "God, I have so much looming before me and behind me that I didn't get accomplished. There is much I see that you want me to accomplish in this year and still so many promises yet unfulfilled from last year.  We become overwhelmed, unfocused.

We must realize, He needs us to be PRESENT where HE is PRESENT to accomplish His goals for us.  We must remain in His Presence! We must be present where his presence is present, here in the present!  Scripture tells us that to God one day is as a thousand years... That is beyond my comprehension so I had to find a place in my little ole brain to handle it!

Focusing on the here and now...You see, God is not present with us in yesterday, He was there, but it is now past! He MOVED ON! (So should we).
He is not present with us in tomorrow because we are not there.. He will be when the time comes, and He certainly holds our tomorrows, but...
HE is PRESENT with us TODAY!  We are here living in TODAY!

He has focused on us TODAY to accomplish TODAY what He is PRESENT NOW to assist us with!
So I figure that one day is as a thousand years can be possible because He can work through each and every one of us in a thousand different ways in a day!  So He can accomplish a thousand years of work in one day through all His focused, present and available children!  Just my little take on it!  I am sure it wouldn't hold water in a theologians mind!

Don't look back at yesterday.  Don't drag all that stuff with you and expect Him to be present with you and work through you as you remain unfocused on the task at hand today!

Then we have the future...  and all the promises that have been given to you for tomorrow. I have promises yet unfulfilled that, if I allow it, they weigh on me,
and I become unfocused.  Sometimes I look ahead and wonder "How will it ever all come to pass?"  Have you ever been so inspired and the hope for your future become so exaggerated in your head that when you contemplate "How?", you feel as though you must live an entire life in one day just to get to the promise?  God does not give us promises to overwhelm us, or to burden us.  He gives us promises for us to be strong in faith, to not faint, but to have hope, and to remind us that He HAS A PLAN for us.  He expects us to focus on the plan that He is PRESENT in TODAY, for without today we can never accomplish tomorrow.  Our steps are ordered of the Lord.  We cannot skip the steps of today... They are important!  They are part of the plan and the process!  Don't get ahead of yourself, and don't lag behind.  Yes, look at yesterday and tomorrow, but as pictures, a photo book if you will, to look at and then turn the page to focus on now!  He has our future in HIS focus.  We cannot afford to become unfocused on today by trying to focus on what we are to become tomorrow.  He is the omnipresent, omniscient one, not us! 

Bill Gaither wrote the song that says:
"We have this moment to hold in our hands and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand; Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come, But we have this moment today."

Be present and accounted for in the PRESENT... where HE is PRESENT!  He had a plan for yesterday. It brought you to today. It equipped you for the present!  He has a plan for tomorrow, but you cannot skip today and expect to reap the promises He placed in tomorrow's hands.

Now is the time.
He has brought you to this place for such a time as THIS!  The here and now!

Let us enter into this new year with this simple plan of action:
   To be present (show up) allowing God to work His purpose in us TODAY!
    To remove barriers or defences and insecurities and boundaries we have placed on ourselves that cause us to feel inadequate to do His work.
   Let us let go of our wills and intellects, our insecurities and shortcomings.  The yesterdays and the tomorrows.
Lord, remind us of how you lived on this earth.  No matter what He faced on this earth He never lost sight of where He was headed. He never lost sight of His purpose.  He kept focus!

The atheist wrote;
  "God is nowhere."
His little daughter, who had been taught to sound out her letters,  read it aloud -
"God is now here." 
The sound of his daughters voice saying that touched his heart and he was converted in that moment!
Our ever PRESENT God can melt even the coldest heart.
Wherever you are He is.  He wants to be with you always!  He will always be reaching for you! 
He is NOW HERE!  He is present with you in the here and now!  Are you?  Let go of yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow!  Be here, now where His presence is!

Be You! Do What You Do!

 "Be You! Do what you do!"

This sentence has become my guiding motto since becoming more secure in Christ.  Through all my failings, as I look back over my journey, I see a pattern.  In failing to apply this particular scripture, my stumbling became a fall.
 II Corinthians 10: 12-13
"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
13; But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
...
17 - But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord!"

The Message sums it up in saying basically to stick to the limits God has set for you, and don't try to move into someone else's territory!  Don't demand a place in the sun with others, don't try to step over and work in someone else's ministry!  If you want to claim credit, claim it for God!  What we say about ourselves or others means nothing in God's work! It is what God says about you that makes the difference!  While the writer is referring to literal territory, his underlying meaning is not missed!  Read it, It's great!  Use YOUR God-given tools, and don't try to borrow someone else's! 
BE YOU!  Do what YOU do!

We are the hardest critics of ourselves!  We can sabotage every step forward we make if we begin to compare ourselves to others and try to measure up to their standard.  There are two sides of the fence in comparing.  You either end up on the "I am better than you." side, or the "I am not as good as you." side.  Both sides of the fence are going to be your ultimate fall!  We cannot exalt ourselves above another without having a fall from grace, nor can we diminish ourselves and ever hope to get back up as long as we are comparing ourselves to others. 

Unfortunately, we are also the quickest ones to want to claim credit, or to have our peers think we have finally arrived!  God knew we would struggle with these flaws and gave us many scriptures to use as a tool to overcome.  We must study to show ourselves approved! Study His Word! Compare yourself to the Word! It is the only perfect measure! We must walk a long while to be worthy of that respect we are so needy for ! Respect and status will come in time, but don't seek after them. Seek after wisdom and understanding of the Word of God. We must continually keep our face turned to Christ and ask Him to show us our insecurities, so that we may overcome them, and not sabotage our walk every single step of the way! We must be alert and watch where we are going, slow down and take each step securely in HIM!

 I Corinthians 1: 25-31
The meaning of this scripture and the complete understanding of it must be applied and obeyed in our lives for any spiritual success to be realized.   All glory and all honor are to be given to the one true God!  ...that no flesh should glory...  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness. There is none good but God!

There are many spiritual mentors in my life who are great prayer warriors.  They have taught me how to pray, walk and live this life.  These people have poured into me all my life and I owe much to each and every single person who has helped me on my journey forward. I try to pattern my life after their example.   I could never have reached whatever place I am in Christ now without their influence. They are my examples, my mentors, my warriors to follow! This post in no way negates or takes away from their influence in my life.  However I cannot compare myself to them. I cannot put my walk with God on any parallel plane with theirs.  When I begin to, my failings are overwhelming, and it leaves me with feelings of unworthiness and hopelessness.  If I were to compare my walk with God to that of my Grandmother's, or my mothers, there could be no comparison.  My experiences have not been parallel to theirs in this life by any measure.  I have walked a completely different path than them, so if I begin to compare, I am going to fall short.  Thinking and looking at myself in a negative way, is always harmful to my progress. I know we must not think too highly of ourselves, but neither should we think too lowly of ourselves!  We must find BALANCE! While I want to follow the example of my heritage, I will never measure up by my own comparison.

         Stay with me, this is going to blow your mind!... Well, maybe not yours, but the revelation of it has blown mine! It has completely changed the way I measure my walk with God!

Sincere Christians often fall because they compare their walk with God to a great christian warrior, only to quickly realize they cannot attain the height it seems their hero has reached. Each one of us has a different experience in Christ based on the time we have known Him, and the amount of effort we have put into it. This leaves no place for ANY type of comparison to have a part in our self-evaluation.  It is an impossible mind set we entertain to try to compare ourselves to another.We are setting ourselves up for failure if we do not understand the wisdom of this.  It is a "No-Win" game you are playing if you continue to compare yourself to any but our one true living example.
The children of God are all on an indefinite, ever-changing level with Christ.  We rise and fall in that level depending on our humility and dedication to time spent in prayer and study of His Word. He desires for us to be continually growing and stepping higher in Him, but He also leaves the progress up to us! 

If you could look into the window of those whose spiritual walk you admire the most,  you would see that they often fail miserably. God continually humbles them to repentance. While entertaining the folly of comparisons, the mentee can't measure the time their mentor has spent on the potters wheel, neither can he hear the words of humble repentance which often pours from heart of the mentor. He only sees the seemingly unachievable height he must strive for. If he continues to compare himself, shortcomings will become magnified and appear impossible to overcome. Being inexperienced in walking with Christ, he may focus on these failings, deciding he cannot ever measure up to the level of the mentor.  He will often lose hope of ever reaching those levels and ultimately give up.  One must learn the difference between following an example, and in making a comparison.

On the other hand, I have also seen the exact opposite scenario end with similar results. Many who aspire to be great warriors in this spiritual battle, draw close to God, walk with Him, then, as He begins to do great works through them, they forget to hold on to humility. They claim the glory as their own. There is very obvious attitude of "see what I have done."  An arrogant Christian will have the hardest, longest fall, and once they fall, they may never attain the same level of Christ they once enjoyed.  Be sure, as you reach higher levels in Christ, that you keep humility. Remember our God is a jealous God and He will not share His Glory! We must daily decrease in order for Him to increase.  We must allow His love and His grace to flow through us. At all cost, He must be visible.  I pray daily that when others look to me as an example, they do not see me, but that they see Christ.  I want to be as Paul and die out to self every single day. This flesh seems to want to do everything it can to increase itself, both spiritually and physically.  We must keep it in check, constantly measuring ourselves to the Word of God. Anything I do to gain attention over Him, is my own failing that I must overcome.  He is leading me into the heights and levels that HE has planned for me, not those that others have reached!  We all have different life experiences which form us.  It is our responses to these life experiences that determine the level of our road!  Sometimes there are highs and other times lows, but His Word is our only proven scale for balance.

We must have balance.  The only way to keep balance with Christ is to; 

Daily humble ourselves before Him.

Stop comparing ourselves to others.

Listen to the leading of HIS voice.

Deafen your ears to the praises of man.

  It is by God's grace we are not consumed all the day long.  His mercies are fresh and new each morning, because He knew we were ONLY human and would fail daily. This is why it is so very important to have set aside DAILY communion with Him. We need that daily loading of benefits!

We will become better, stronger, more faithful. We learn to walk and live securely in HIM.  We can eventually get to the place where we feel we have become secure in our own walk with God, but we cannot know any other person's daily struggles.  If we have our eyes on others constantly, we are never going to have our eyes on Christ.  You MUST Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Follow the good examples others set in areas of faithfulness, steadfastness, faith, prayer, holiness; but do NOT compare your own walk with God to anyone else.  You will find yourself standing on the fence losing balance and falling one way or the other.  When you see an experienced gymnast on a balance beam, you do not see them looking at their feet, the floor, other competitors, or their coach.  Their eyes are on the goal!  We must keep our eyes on the goal!  The one who loves us beyond comprehension,  the one who sees our faults and failings, and is willing to pick us up and put us back on the right path if we are willing to pattern our lives after Him alone.  Every person you know who is strong in the Lord, is keeping their eyes on HIM, drawing nigh unto HIM... daily seeking after HIM!  They do NOT compare themselves or their own walk with another because they have learned that is the quickest way to fall!

Be secure in your own experience with the Lord, by following His lead, and being the best you that you can be!  Follow good Christ-like examples but Be YOU!  Do what God would have YOU do! 

In Sync with Christ!

 I have been thinking the past several days about the perfect timing of God.  He never ceases to amaze me!  It seems the past few years have been full of hurry up and wait experiences.  I am a thinker and a planner, and like things organized  and to follow a plan. But life has not been organized or planned out the past few years.  Being under submission to the will of God has been messing up my perfectly planned idea of how life should go.  It is just NOT happening my way at all! I know with head knowledge that His timing and ways are perfect, but my heart hesitates to completely trust.  I have to keep telling myself that His timing is always right. He knows my weakness thankfully and  He never ceases to give me a word of faith just in the moment I need it.  His Word is always perfect in timing as well!  There are hopes, dreams, and promises that are yet unrealized, and at times I lose faith that they will ever happen.  Lately I have just had to throw them all up in the air, and let God catch them! I really don't want the dreams and hopes that do not include His will and timing. Things that are not in His Will grow strangely dim in my mind when I begin to draw nearer to Him. Although I pray daily, and study His Word,  in order to completely trust my life into His hands I still need to draw nearer to Him.  I must at times purposefully set aside everything and just "be" with Him. 

James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

I own an Apple iPad and iPhone and thanks to iCloud I can share information between them when they are synced!  Any time the two devices are together that I have Internet access, they automatically sync.  It is phenomenal!  I don't have to do a thing more than just get them together and there all my information is on both devices. If we walk close to God and have kept our lines of communication open, then our relationship with God should work the same way.  We should automatically sync.  If not, something is broken.  I recently purchased a fitbit electronic tracking device which would automatically sync all my exercise information whenever I was near the hub which connected to my computer.  However, I left it connected to my shirt one fine day, and washed and dried it. ;( It is now a perfectly clean device that is completely useless. Complete fail! In my walk with God I must be vigilant and pay better attention to detail! Thankfully God keeps me on track with gentle reminders as needed! (which is often!)

Hebrews 10:22

 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

If we are in sync with Christ, then we can be assured that He will keep that which concerns us. In other words, He will take care of us and all that concerns us without us having to do anything more than keep our faith turned on! In other words, trust in Him with all our heart, for His way is perfect. He will perfect that which concerns us. So why do we worry and fret? Most likely because things are not going our way!  His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts.  We must be in sync with Him so that when His ways differ from ours, we trust Him enough to go in HIS direction.  Usually that means... wait!... Don't go anywhere!  And that goes against everything we want to do. 

One thing I learned early on regarding my Apple devices is that I must enable my syncing option on both devices. From a spiritual aspect, God's syncing is always ready to go, It is on my end that I must keep it enabled.  I can very easily walk "out of range" and get off track very quickly.  I must keep myself abiding in Him and He will automatically abide in me. (John 15:7)  It is very simple to remain in sync with Christ if I remain alert and continually reaching after Him.   I must stay under submission to His will. I must continually seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. 

I find when I walk in HIS ways, when I stay in sync with Him, I feel completely secure!  It is when I get out of range and have been drawn away that I begin to fear the unknown.  The great "Unknown" never bothers me when I am close to Him, when I am perfectly synced with Him!

Lord I want to be synchronized with you. I want to walk hand in hand with you, and do exactly as you would have me do. I want to be in perfect timing with you. I want my will and ways to be deleted as you infuse me with the information that YOU have deemed your will for my life. I want to be continually synced to YOUR plan of action for my life.

I Can't Be Robbed of My Security!

As I was praying this morning and thanking God for his SAVING GRACE, I felt compelled to write the words I found myself praying and use them for my blog.  The ONLY REAL peace or security is in Him alone. If we have our hope in this world only, we are of all men most miserable.  Our security, our hope, all that we can really trust is all wrapped up in God, His Name -  Jesus, and His Word and the power and life that comes from Him alone.

  As some of you may know, our precious son ( I am dropping the in-law part, I hate it as it somehow implies that he is less than my daughter to me. That is not the case!) manages a bank in Mississippi.  Yesterday around 11:am his branch was robbed at gunpoint by two angry masked men. I won't go into all the details of that, but a gun was held at his chest and the men were angry and frustrated at him for sounding the alarm. When that happens to you there is no time or place for anything but  to call upon God.  He was forced to the ground and Shelly said he was certain he was going to die. In that moment, his prayer was "God you have to help me out of this!" -

This was what I found myself praying this morning - You are my Hope, You are All that I need!
I thank you, Lord for this day that you have given us to walk and work for you. I thank  for your peace and safety. I thank you for your security, and that our family is intact today. I thank you for Donna and Keith who taught their son to trust in you and call upon you when in trouble. I thank you for your mighty hand upon him and that you have called him and anointed him to spread your great gospel. I thank you for the great faith and patience that guides him and saved him to be able to rise up this morning and bless you and his branch and all those fearful employees. May your hand of peace rest upon every security guard, every single employee that is there and may you flow through Josh to touch each and every one of them.  I thank you for every battle and every tear that brought him and Shelly together. I thank you that you taught them how to fight! I know that together they are a mighty force of FAITH and STRENGTH that the enemy would like to stop!  I am thankful you have ALL power over heaven and earth and there is NO weapon formed against them that shall prosper and NO enemy that can come against them that will win!  I am so thankful that we have you to turn to in ANY situation.  Thank you for being their Comforter when their parents cannot be there. You are their Heavenly Father and You are ALWAYS with them. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are our rock, our fortress, our deliver, our keeper. You are THE GREAT I AM, Whatever we need you to be you are there.  I thank you for the security we have in you, your name, and that our words of thanksgiving and trust do not fall on deaf ears. 

Thank you Lord for the exact moment in time that you rescued Josh from the hand of the enemy.  You were right there and know the thoughts that guided the hand of that gun, and YOU RESCUED HIM.  Thank you Lord, for all the things you were to him yesterday.  Thank you for that peace that passes all understanding.  YOU ALONE are our shield!  YOU ALONE are our SECURITY!  In moments like this there is no time or place to go for any weapon to ensure our security other than the almighty powerful name of JESUS and before we even call upon you, you are right there in an instant changing the course of our life.  You ALONE have us completely in your hand.  There is none like you.

 I am so grateful for every step of this life you have led us down.  I trust you with ALL.  Thank you for the path even though sometimes I don't like where it looks like I am going, YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHATS BEST FOR ME!  Lead me Jesus, I will go WHEREVER YOU LEAD, or I will STAY WHEREVER YOU LEAD!  For every mountain, you've brought me over, for every trial, you've seem me through, for this I give you praise.  I praise you from the mountaintop, I praise you on my way down into the valley!  I will follow you wherever you lead because I KNOW in whom I have believed.  I know that ALL things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are the CALLED! I cannot praise you enough, I cannot find the words that suffice to express the gratitude I feel for you today1 Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. MY HOPE!

My Security is IN Christ!

What a lovely day!  I woke up early with a song in my heart which reminded me of why I am alive! I live to worship HIM! Beautiful song sung by our New Life Choir last night, sung with such anointing that I still bask in the spirit of reverence that resulted from the New Life experience!

Upon awakening, I immediately went to my phone and there was a reminder to read my Devotion!  I opened my Bible app and MY scripture was up!  Philippians 4: 13 It's going to be a real good day!

"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!"

I can accomplish the whole part of anything that I face, or whatever God brings me to do for Him, because of my fixed position in Him, my anointed Messiah.  This knowledge and faith I have in Him gives me freedom, confidence, strength, rest and courage to do even greater works for Him.

Then my thought process took me to II Cor. 10: 4
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God, even to the pulling down of strongholds.

Then to Romans 8:6-7
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,  because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.


We must let the law of Christ rule in our heart for to refuse it is spiritual suicide.  The only way to be free from oppression, is to walk in His laws and to meditate upon them day and night!  His Word is life!

If you are feeling oppressed, inadequate, fearful, or anything less than "I CAN!", there is reason for concern.  God has given you every tool you need to walk in the spirit of peace. You just have to take hold of the Word (the tool) and USE it!

You see, because of my FIXED position in Christ, I am free from the oppressions and strongholds that once had me frozen in place!  I am released because I figured out the "I CAN!".  Now that I walk in freedom, my faith soars, and this releases even more strength for me to accomplish ALL that He has brought to me to do for Him! 

Oh How I love Him
How I adore Him.
My breath my sunshine,
My All in ALL!

Hope you walk in freedom today and are living the blessed life that God intends for you! YOU CAN!

Your Breakthrough! From Fear to Faith!

Hello, all!  I have enjoyed a nice long mental and physical vacation! I spent the time kissing my baby grandson Mason! I enjoyed time talking, cooking, and shopping with my lovely daughter, Shelly, (who I can say has become one of my closest friends), and being picked on by my sweet son-in-law, Josh, who I am so very proud of! He is a wonderful daddy and husband and adores my daughter! What more could a mom ask for? They are doing such a great job of raising a family, putting God first. I am so blessed to have them walking with Christ and being productive for His Kingdom. There is no greater blessing than to know your children are giving their entire life to further the cause of Christ. I admire their perseverance and tenacity. I learn much about patience when I am with them as I watch them walk daily waiting patiently on the Lord as a waitress would patiently wait on a patron of a restaurant.  My time away was so refreshing, and I am renewed and happy to be back home  in the swing of things. 

I cannot tell you how much I missed my blog sessions with God!  Nothing like time alone with Him, His kind of music, His Word, and just letting Him do the talking!  I have spent a few days now dwelling on the thought "What is holding us back?" I feel the Lord is showing me and I pray He speaks to you through my ramblings! 

Often in our walk with God in the area of reaching out to others, a thought or an idea will pop into our head and we quickly quell it without realizing it was from God and that the motivation for squelching it came from fear.  If questioned or told we are full of fear, or called cowardly, we will quickly rise to dispute it.  It is difficult to admit that fear has guided you. In fact I am so surprised at how many people have reached out to encourage me in my blog privately, because we just don't really want others to see or know that fear has sometimes ruled in our heart. I often use myself as an example, but just as often my words are shared from others who wish to remain anonymous! Fear is a bad word in anyone's world, but rest assuredly, if you are stopping yourself from doing something productive for the Kingdom, fear most likely is being allowed to rule you.  It is that simple.  We are emotional beings and fear is an emotion we feel, certainly, but know it is also a spirit outside of emotion which comes directly from the enemy of our soul who is very knowledgeable of our emotional weaknesses. I cannot get into the depths of this with just one blog, but I will try to address one aspect today in hopes that the recognition of it in yourself will lead you to the freedom Christ has intended for you.

What is really holding you back from stepping up to the plate in the area God is leading you to be productive? I am so bold as to say the war is going on entirely in your head and you have most likely not even voiced it to anyone else. If there is something God is prompting you to do and you have not yet stepped up to the plate, and are miserable in your indecision, you are being guided by fear.

Examine this thing that you feel to do:
Is it something you are equipped for in reality? 
    Fear will tell you you are not equipped, but in reality you are perfectly capable of accomplishing it! Doesn't the scripture say "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me?" Well, there ya go!
Does it require you to reach outside of yourself to touch others?
Does it involve you stepping outside of your comfort zone?
Will it be a stepping-stone for others?
If your answers are all yes... then it is high time you responded!  If God is still dealing with you, it is not too late. Just get on board with it. Do the first step and you will be hooked!

One of the first battles we must fight when God is leading us higher into His work is this:
"Is this of God or is it just me?"... Most of us stop and won't get past this silly question!  Yes we must have wisdom and know God is leading us, but really, I ask you,  is it going to be the Devil who is calling us to do a work for Christ? I don't think so!  So right off the bat, (lot's of baseball references today!) let's get past that question once and for all.  If you are feeling to take action for the Kingdom of God, it is GOD who is compelling, even tempting you!  Yes I said tempting you!  He is holding a proverbial carrot before you and leading you upward saying, "Would you like to go higher in Me? Do this one thing I ask."  God's instruction is always simple and can easily be done one step at a time.  He gives clear direction! And in scripture how many times does his direction involve the word "GO!"? "Go thy way..., "Go and sell", "Go and tell no man"!  Go and do that one thing!
Many times we fail right here because we are so busy praying "God, is this you?" and the moment passes.  God tells us in scripture to walk in prayer.  If one is walking in prayer, faith and wisdom will be no problem.  We will be instant in following the prompt of the Holy Spirit and won't have to question the validity of the voice of God! So next time God prompts you to go pray with someone, or simply give them a hug, Tell yourself, "This is God wanting to flow through me." and then GO!  DO THAT ONE THING! 

How often have I been prompted in the Holy Ghost to go speak a word of encouragement to a sister, or go pray with someone, and I have sat miserably, heart pounding, questioning God, because I was afraid of the rejection of that person.  Yes, in all honesty, that is what we are afraid of!  Rejection! You and I are simply afraid of one another! ha!  There, I said it!  We will never ever get anywhere in this walk if we do not quit comparing ourselves among ourselves and get up off of our duff and go be loving and kind to one another, walking in love and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to let HIS LOVE flow through us.  Will we ever get the message that this life is NOT about I, Me, MY?  What does it matter in the scope of salvation really if you are rejected?  He was rejected, despised, abused and crucified! Yet still we sit in service after service fearful of one another, fearful of our guests and fearful of allowing God's love to flow freely!  It's the silliest thing when put in print, yet it is what will shut down a move of God.  Have you ever been in a service where the spirit of God was mightily moving, and then suddenly it just uncomfortably shut down?  That is because someone was quenching the spirit which was trying to flow through them. 

Many times I have been in a place of business and felt so desperately to speak to someone or invite them to church, or just a simple thing like speak a word of love to them, but I have stopped, frozen in place, questioning!  Truth be told, my flesh was looking for an out!  My fleshly desires do not parallel with my spiritual being.  Pastor Paul Springer preached a message while I was in Mississippi about the two twins that live inside of you.  Everyone has a twin.  The good twin and the bad twin. It was a beautiful message and has captured my thought path these days.  The twin you feed is the one who will rule the temple! We must step past this flesh if we are ever going to thrive in living for God. We must feed the spiritual man in prayer and study of His Word so that we can be free to walk in faith and in wisdom.  Next time you are in a battle of what to do, mentally put your flesh down (the bad twin) and step over it.  You will quickly find freedom and fulfilment as you (the good twin) are freed to walk in faith toward that thing which God is prompting you to do for Him!

 Anyone feel the need to stop and pray for yourself right now?  I do!  Let's do it.... Let us stop right now and pray for ourselves.  Pray for the good twin!  Pray for freedom from the fear and flesh that tries to rule us.  Ask God's forgiveness for not walking in prayer and for not being guided by faith.  In prayer, picture yourself laying down this obsession with feeding self (the bad twin) and walking forward in faith and confidence that God will use you (the good twin) as a river of life to flow to others showing them the way to HIM!  That's what it's all about! 

Lay down self and make space for His love to freely flow through you! The breakthrough from fear to faith is simply a matter of time spent in prayer and then taking action to let Him flow!

Cccccooourage! YOU do the math!

Today I will be traveling to Mississippi to get my fix!  I have been planning this trip since Christmas and I am ready to get there already. However first one thing has happened, and then a storm.... well sorta!  I had intended to leave last night, but that fell through... I intended to leave at 4 am... but the weather man predicted a storm.  So I intended to leave at 6, then 7, then 8:30... in order to get behind the storm.  As you can see it is 9:20 and I still haven't left.  You know what... I am saddling up... and riding anyway! This waiting for a storm that may or may not happen where I am, is for the birds.  I trust in the Lord to be my help, my guide, my protection.  I have been cautious, Now I am taking courage by the reigns and singing, "Ride, Lolli, Ride! 
Think about the word courage, and all that you know about the meaning of it.
(I am travelling today so I want you to do your homework!) Look up the definition.  Look up scripture references. Study!  Google it!
What are your areas of weakness, insecurity?  Who do you feel insecure around?  Are they people who can help you, or hinder you? Decide how important they are in your life and agree to let them be who they are.  Understand you cannot change others, but you can change you and how you react to them. Rise above everything and everyone that intimidates you.  Remember cast down every imagination!  Many fears are completely unfounded.  Maybe it is storming somewhere close by, but I only see raindrops!  I am moving on!
 Look deep into yourself! Find YOUR courage!  The cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz finally got his courage, but my goodness at the trouble he had to go through first!  GET YOUR COURAGE!
Picture yourself being the best you, walking in courage and in victory!  What do you see yourself achieving in this mental picture?... Now... Go ...do THAT! 
You can do it!
I CAN!

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me!"

Well, this is NOT a blog I wanted to write today. When you make the conscious effort to be completely obedient, you have to follow through, even if it hurts a little! 

          Matthew 11:29-30
29. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30.  for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
 (This scripture may not seem relative right now, but it will before you finish, I promise!)

 Today's subject is about learning to live with the fact that there are people who just do not like us! Oh sure, they say they love you or me with the love of the Lord, but their heart is not in it! It is obvious, and we all know it! They know it and (I am sure they hope I do not), I know it! I just do, and that is that! In some instances others have out and out told me that another doesn't care for me! I know this has happened to you as well. For the record, that "other" person probably doesn't have your best interests at heart either! Yep... a difficult thing to swallow, but there it is nonetheless and I am left to deal with this lovely knowledge! And DEAL with it, I MUST!

Yeah... not what I wanted to share today. I had this entirely different blog ready about the fear of the Lord! It was awesome!  I've spent the entire week preparing it!  And now God says this... and even confirmed it through a sweet text someone sent me:
             "As leaders, when we demand perfection, we tell people to look to us. 
              When we are transparent with our own imperfections and are gracious
               of the imperfections of others, we point people to Him."

Sooooo... I guess today I am pointing toward HIM with a big foamy finger! lol!

This blog may seem a ramble of thoughts and junk, but maybe that is what God is trying to say to me! "It's just junk. Shred the junk"! I certainly haven't conquered this one, but I am learning that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. 

For years I lived under the assumption that everyone just looooved me!  (I was fortunate to be somewhat popular in school and I have many loving lifetime friends who add to my life daily. I know that I am very blessed.)  Then I grew up and came to the abrupt revelation that there are people who were raised differently than me with different insights, abilities, and patterns of thought.  I will meet new people throughout all the stages of my life and they will not know all that I am. They will form judgements of me through the words of others, or through misperceived judgements of their limited interactions with me.  There will ultimately be a thousand other reasons why some people will just never click with me! Not everyone will agree with me on every level, and often I must agree to disagree! In fact, I must accept the profound revelation that not everyone I come in contact with is going to love me. I will face many people along the way who choose to have very little interaction with me at all.  They are uncomfortable around me for whatever reason and it is most likely through no fault of my own. I cannot do enough random acts of kindness to change that fact! I must realize this is simply a part of humanity and I am not alone in this boat of life. Every single person alive faces these same issues.  Some are able to deal with it better than others.  I want to be one who deals with this level of insecurity by taking it to the One who created me, the One who knows how to fix me, in ALL my insecurities!

Several years ago I read a thought that I have tried to make part of my process when it comes to those who don't respond to my personality in the way I think they should. To put it more boldly, they do not like me, or even worse, they remain completely indifferent to me regardless of the effort I put into gaining their affection. The following is not a direct quote, but the main point:

           If someone does not like something about you, there is not much you can do to change the situation. You must learn to accept that there are people who will never embrace your particular personality.  Ask God to mold you into the best person you can be, but accept that there will always be people with whom you will never be able to build a relationship.  No matter how you may reach out to them they will not respond to your efforts. You will walk away feeling rejected and bruised.  That is a given! Saddle up and RIDE anyway! However, you must not let bitterness fill that void in your heart that rejection has dug.  You are still required to give them grace enough to allow them to not like you!  You must, in your heart, say to them;

          "It is okay that you do not like me, but it is your problem, and I will let YOU deal with it.

           I will not waste one more moment trying to change anything about myself to conform

           enough to fall into your graces!" 

When you fully come to those terms, you will be freed to move on! The reasons another has for not liking you is their problem, not yours.  The sooner you grasp this, the happier you will be, and the more free you will feel. If you are truly walking in Christ and trying daily to please HIM, then you cannot spend time fretting over these trivial matters of who may or may not like you, or what you can do to fall into their graces.

           Sadly, often the reasons for someone not liking you are their own naughty bunnies they have not yet slain! Jealousy, malice, envy, pride! I will add that quite possibly they feel threatened by you on some level. (jealousy, envy). Sometimes I find that the people who do not care for me are those who are most like me... and vice versa!  However I make it a strong point to never show my distaste for them, for I see myself in them.  That often leads me to the conclusion they are being just as critical about me as I am about them.  And I am often wrong! Be very careful not to compare yourself to anyone, or you will find yourself entrapped in this vicious cycle for far too long and much damage will be done before you realize the err of your way.
 ... read between those lines! haha!

 I have heard that if you want to win someone's affection, give a tangible gift to the person.
 Proverbs 18:16 "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men."
I have given and given and given! And I will continue to do so, because it is my nature, but I have also learned there are people who it will not move emotionally in the direction I wish. At least they will never let you know that it does.  Those are the people who have problems that I cannot fix. I must completely place them in the hands of God. They will just have to deal with their own problem. I cannot give enough, pray enough, change enough, or help them in any way to overcome their problem with me.  It is just a personality conflict that I will have to learn to live with and remain victorious over, regardless of how anyone else feels about me. I pray often that God blinds me to any one or any thing that distracts me from being obedient to Him.

Often we feel compelled to go to the person to talk the situation over.  It is certainly within reason to do so, but I have seldom found it to be helpful. I have left feeling more vulnerable and empty and become a target for more of their naughty bunny tactics!  Often they do not even realize the animosity they feel toward you, so when you approach them, it immediately puts them on the defensive. You may then find a whole world of anger dumped on you!  Trust me, I have tried "the talk" and have come away with bear claw marks that left gaping scars even worse than the original offense.  Don't misunderstand me, I am not referring to misunderstanding caused by actions that you need to repair. I am talking about personality conflict itself, not an actual situation that may have caused a rift.  The Bible strongly guides us to go and talk together and do your best to repair these damages.  The subject I refer to in this blog is about insecurity that causes you to feel you must do something to win the attention, approval, or affection of someone whose continual rejections cause you a great deal of heart pain. It is not pleasing to God to walk in this type of pain. You should accept it as your responsibility to free yourself from the yoke of pain, and recognize it as an opportunity to experience a different level of  love from God Himself, a love that He requires you to learn of Him. It is entirely possible to come to a sincere love for any person regardless of whether they feel the same toward you, for we are commanded to love one another! There is no getting around this. This part of the equation is YOUR problem to solve!  You must do the work in prayer with obedience to God in order to resolve it within your own heart.

  I prayed recently and told God that this issue seemed to be a yoke of bondage around my neck.  His response was... "Let that yoke guide you! It is for your protection!"  OK!  Wow!  That is one of the most relevant words God has EVER spoken to me.  I have begun to thank Him for the "Yoke"!  I found it is only through that act of thanksgiving that I am able to overcome and share this with you today.  It is in the process of cleaning out my heart and filling it with thanksgiving, that I am freed from the bondage of this particular insecurity!  The yoke is still in place but the GUIDE is my loving God and with that realization I have been able to move freely in my life doing His work without seeking others approval, love, or even guidance! In so doing, I have found more love, approval, and guidance coming to me from those who genuinely love me and have my best interests at heart!

Often we try to attach ourselves to those who everyone seems to admire or respect, or who holds a particular level of status. We think if they approve of us, then the Hand of God's approval will rest upon us. No greater level of wrong ever existed!  It is not the approval of man that we must yearn for, seek after.  If Christ approves of me, flows through me, and blesses others through me, what other approval do I need?  No one else's opinion of me should matter. I have alluded to this in previous posts, but today I am nailing it on the head.  DO NOT SEEK AFTER THE APPROVAL OF MAN! Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God?  or do I seek to please men?  for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Often times in pleasing Christ you will displease man.  You should be prepared for this because you must stand your ground!  Again, "Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might!" Ephesians 6:10

There will always be people who do not respond to my particular brand of humor, personality, communication, blogging! lol!  Yep! There will always be a few usual suspects who only read my blog so they can find more opportunity to disagree with me or prove me wrong. That is ok! I put myself out there fully aware that when I am effectively working for the Lord, I must accept there will be many fiery darts which come my way.  I know how to dodge them, and it makes me more agile! So... Keep em comin'!  I need the exercise!  I have become secure in HIM so nothing can shake me or dissuade me from His purpose for me.  I will not stop, back down, run in fear, be frozen in my commitment! I will not be governed by bitterness, resentment or any other naughty bunnies who try to foil me with their silly plots.  Jesus Christ is God and Governor of my life. He is my guide and I know beyond the shadow of doubt, that He is calling me, equipping me and leading me into territory I have not yet discovered!  With this knowledge I will strive to remain humble to His leading, accepting to any word He sends my way through any avenue. I will remain willing to turn the other cheek if my yoke so nudges me!  I still have a way to go, but I am further than when I began! My security is in His grace!

"Your grace and mercy, brought me through.
I'm living this moment because of YOU!

 I want to thank you, and praise you too!
Your grace and mercy has brought me through."

And now I will stop and sit at His feet for awhile and let Him place His yoke upon me once again, and I will bear it with the same mercy and grace He has shown me.  I will follow His lead and go through whatever door He so chooses to open unto me for I must be obedient to His yoke. 

Hope this helps someone who is struggling in this area of insecurity! Look to Him! He will guide you. His yoke is easy and He will make the burden light! It is for your protection!

Security "Equip"ment!

In securing one's home against intruders, one must first assess the danger entry points. A person secures their home because they have either experienced an intrusion, or intuition is guiding them to potential danger zones.We are to secure our heart in the same manner.  Proverbs 4: 23 tells us to "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." If we are living in fear and insecurity we cannot accomplish God's plan for us.   He means for us to be tough and fight the good fight without timidity or fear. We are commanded to put His Word into our heart.  We must daily guard our heart and keep it secure!

To further assist in securing your heart, I offer a few tools which have equipped me in this ongoing battle of keeping my heart guarded. I am only free from fear when I am "EQUIP"ped! The moment I let my guard down, you-know-who tries to break in and steal my "stuff"! There is unequivocally NO tool more powerful than the Word of God.

Hebrews 4: 12-13

"For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."

The following is a list of scriptures, books, music, quotes, and quips that have led my thoughts as I have prayerfully begun this process of securing my heart against the dangers of fear and insecurity. I will use verses from the King James Version because it is where I begin all my studies and the version I use for all memorization.  If I need further explanation I usually go first to the Message, then to the Amplified and then on to the NIV and end up back again at the KJV! Just for further interpretation I may also read through several commentaries and concordances.  I love the Commentaries by John Phillips, and am currently enjoying the Strong's Concordance app!  I enjoy the YouVersion Bible app for iPhone and iPad as it has many versions as well as audio in several versions.  I also refer to Olive Tree Bible Study app because I like the easy Verse Chooser, and its resourses and commentaries.

The main scripture that keeps propelling me forward is as follows:

Matthew 25:14-30

King James Version (KJV)

^"14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

¹⁵ And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

¹⁶ Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

¹⁷ And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

¹⁸ But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

¹⁹ After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

²⁰ And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

²¹ His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

²² He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

²³ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

²⁴ Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

²⁵ And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

²⁶ His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

²⁷ Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

²⁸ Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

²⁹ For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

³⁰ And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
It is through the study of this scripture that I realized God was calling me to something He had already placed in my hands to do.  He had equipped me, but I was afraid and buried my abilities instead of increasing them.  I now read this scripture often to propel myself forward.  I want to hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"  I know my purpose and no longer walk in fear, but in trust!

 

 

The following are additional scriptures which I read, study, or often quote aloud:
 (no specific order)

Scriptures of EQUIPment:

• Hebrews 12: 2 - "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

• Hebrews 12: 3 - "For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

• Galatians 6: 9 - "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

• Hebrews 12:15 - "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."

• Ephesians 4:31 - 'Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."

• Song of Solomon 8:6 - "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals thereof are the coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."

• II Timothy 2: 20-21
• 20. - "But in a  great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
• 21. - If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

• Proverbs 16: 18 - "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

• James 5: 16 - "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

• Ephesians 6: 16 - "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

• II Timothy 1:7 - 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

• James 4:7 - "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

• Ephesians 6:10-18

10. "Finally, my bretheren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil days, and having done all to stand,
14. Stand therefore,having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

• John 16:24 - "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

• Philippians 1: 6 - "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

• Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit with in me."

• Psalm 51;12 - "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

We can find thousands of tools of Security Equipment in His Word, but these are the tools God used to speak to me. As you dig deep into your heart and into His WORD you will find Him speaking to you in so many more areas.
Which brings me to my favorite all time scripture. It just seems to cover ALL!

Philippians 4: 13  "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I interpret it two ways:

1:  I can do anything He asks me to do because He will give me the strength to do it.

2: I can do all things GOING through Christ (by taking everything to Him), and He will equip me to do anything because it strengthens me to come to Him!

Books I read while on this journey which address this subject matter.

1.   "Courage, 100 verses for your daily journey."  published by Freeman Smith.  A  devotional book which is a compilation of scripture, and quotes and quibs by various authors and speakers.
2. "So long, Insecurity!" by Beth Moore
3. "So long, Insecurity Group Experience Leaders Guide" by Beth Moore
4. "Do it Afraid" by Joyce Meyer
5. "Eat the Cookie, Buy the Shoes" by Joyce Meyer
6. "The Courageous Woman" Devotional by Joyce Meyer
7. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
8. "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews
9. "The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews
10. "The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness" by Timothy Keller
11. "More to Life" Bible Study by UPCI
12. "Alive in Him" by UPCI
13. "Keepers of God's Dream" - by Joy Haney
14. "Put on Your Warcoat and Fight" by Joy Haney
15. "The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer " By Edward M. Bounds

A few quotes and quips that have kept me spurred on:

• "You can't unscramble eggs!"  I heard a message by Billy Graham where he said this.
• "The best is yet to be!" - Corrie Ten Boom
• "Life is tough! It's even tougher when you're stupid!" - John Wayne
• "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway!" - John Wayne
• "The only way you can experience abundant life is to surrender your plans to Him." -Charles Stanley
• "Are you fearful? First, bow your head and pray for God's strength. Then, raise your head and look Old Man Trouble squarely in the eye.  Chances are, Old Man Trouble will blink."  - Jim Gallery

Finally I will end on this note!

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest!"

 

There are NO acceptable EXCUSES for living in fear or uncertainty in your walk with God or for not thriving in the areas He wants to use you. Trust in Him, and if you are afraid, Saddle up, anyway!