BELIEVE

I absolutely love this time of year.  The magic that happens as you decorate, craft, bake, and wrap.  My son no longer is a “believer”, but helps us carry out the magic for our 8 year old daughter.  The magic in her step in the morning as she searches for the shinanigans that the elves have done once again.  The magic in her eyes as we read Christmas books.  She BELIEVES!  I know that this BELIEF will fade as she gets older, but I want to hang onto as long as possible.  I want her to BELIEVE as long as possible.  I want that innocence to stay pure and strong.  BELIEVING in the magic is what I desire for her to have forever.   Once that belief grows faint, my heart will be saddened.  

The children of Isreal had a strong belief as they busted through the gates of Egypt.  As they wandered the lands for 40 years, their excitement and belief faded.  They grumbled.  They feared.  They wanted to give up. God promised them that this would be worth fighting for once they entered the Promised Land.   He stayed with them each and every step of the way.  Whether it was a pillar of cloud or fire, He was present.  He gave guidance.  

Fear began to win. They began to look at what was around them - taking in the horizontal view rather than the vertical view.   

Numbers 14:11 New Life Version (NLV)

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people turn away from Me? How long will they not BELIEVE in Me, even after all the great works I have done among them?

God cherishes His relationship with us.  He wants nothing more than for us to BELIEVE.  That belief wavers every day, and sometimes every hour.  Just as I want my daughter to hold on tight to her BELIEF, He wants us to embrace His promises to us.  He wants us to live by His word and surrender all to Him.  

Isaiah 43:10 New Life Version (NLV)

10 “You can speak for Me,” says the Lord. “You are My servant whom I have chosen so that you may know and BELIEVE Me, and understand that I am He. No God was made before Me, and there will be none after Me.

Be reminded of Him as you see the magic of the season around you.  If you are in this season and feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, etc., that is you having a belief that is wavering.  Take time to open His word and be with Him.  Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.  

Be Blessed!    

Falling and Failing vs. Waiting and Winning

Navigating new territory can be a bit scary when you don’t have Google Maps, Wayz, or any other form of GPS by your side.  The moment you feel lost, you begin to scramble and become anxious.  You grasp at anything that can give you direction.  

Scrambling and anxiousness is what has made me weak the last few months.  That is where Satan started scheming against me.  If you haven’t read the blog post titled “Rapid Rivers and Stepping Stones” from August 15th, you might want to go back and read that to see the foundation God placed in front of me to warn me of this season.  God had prepared me, but I wasn’t strong enough to fight what Satan was putting down.  I started grasping for every possible direction to get me out of my situation.  I was looking beyond what God had put in front of me.  The more I fought and grasped, the more tangled I became.  I became so tangled that it exhausted me and everyone around me.  I finally gave up and gave it to God.   I dove into His word and started journaling to Him again.  I put the armor of God back on and fought with God by my side.

Ephesians 6:10-11 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on ALL of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

I started to feel the web around me loosen and my fighting ceased.  I could feel God telling me to be patient that His plan was greater than anything I had tried to map out myself.

Hebrews 10:36 New Living Translation (NLT)

36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

You see, I have been struggling with trying to find my purpose.  God has given me several gifts and one of them is working with students, particularly students with special needs.  He also has placed a vision of what He wants me to do in the future, but it is not in the immediate future.  I won’t uncover that journey here at this time, but it all wraps around special needs families.  God is so good in working with both our gifts and our purpose.  We just have to release control and let Him lead the way.  

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[a] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

This past Monday, I was given a new position at my school.  I will be working with the Special Education students.  God is wanting to equip me for what is to come.  He wants me to sit on the other side of the table and see another perspective.  GENIUS!  

I have to laugh at the fact that I drove myself, my husband, and a few others batty the last few months with my crazy fight.  God had it sitting right in front of me the whole time.  I just had to put on my armor and fight with Him when I was weak.  I had to have patience and persistence with what God had in store.  Because what we see, is not what He sees.  He sees something much more.  

Here is something that my mom recently shared with me from from Charles Swindle:

“When I am scared, I run.  

When I run, I fall.  

When I fall, God waits.  

When In wait, God fights.  

When God fights, He wins.  

When God wins, I learn.”

Be Blessed!

Treasure

My daughter loves to find trinkets and treasures in store bought toys.  Whether it be LOL dolls, Hatchimals, or whatever the new trend is, she can’t wait to get home from the store and carefully unwrap the package.  It doesn’t take long for her to push that new treasure aside and forget the excitement she had in those first moments of opening that new treasure.  

God gives us treasures in our lives.  Whether it be in the form of a relationship, a new possession, accomplishments, or whatever arises, we find the thrill of that experience to be short lived.  It is not long until that treasure starts to loose its magnificence.  

When we are God-centered, we realize that He is the only thing that will never disappoint or loose His splender.  In times of feeling lost, abandoned, confused, depressed, anxious, worried, etc., we need to reach for His Word.  

Psalm 119:162 New Life Version (NLV)

162 I am made happy by Your Word, like one who finds great riches.

We will begin to fine tune what He is sketching out for us in that season.  What we learn during that time becomes our treasure and our strength.

Proverbs 24:3-6 New Life Version (NLV)

3 A house is built by wisdom. It is made strong by understanding, 4 and by much learning the rooms are filled with all riches that are pleasing and of great worth.

5 A wise man is strong. A man of much learning adds to his strength. 6 For by wise leading you will make war, and the fight is won when there are many wise men to help you make the plans.

Even in our darkest times, secrets are hidden.  They may not be revealed all at once, but they will eventually be pieced together.  

Isaiah 45:3 New Life Version (NLV)

3 I will give you riches hidden in the darkness and things of great worth that are hidden in secret places. Then you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

Once you find a peace that only He can give you, you will find the glorious treasure He has place right in front of you.  One that you should have seen before, but didn’t.  

Matthew 13:44 New Life Version (NLV)

44 “The holy nation of heaven is like a box of riches buried in a field. A man found it and then hid it again. In his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Take that treasure and plant it deep in your soul.  It is more precious than rubies.  

Proverbs 3:15 New Living Translation (NLT)

15 

Wisdom is more precious than rubies;  nothing you desire can compare with her.

So wherever you are in and whatever season you find yourself in, make sure that you are looking for the treasure He has placed before you.  If you are in a season of abundance and happiness, hold that treasure close and be grateful.  The only thing that truly lasts forever until we truly find Him and rely on Him.  

Enjoy Phil Wickham ~ Till I Found You (Lyrics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvWimPwi8qE

Be Blessed!

Unanswered Questions

Questions…we all have them.  Are we real with our answers?  Are we real with our answers we give to others AND to ourselves?  We live in a world that tends to gloss over questions that really need to be scratched open and dug into a little deeper to find the answers.    Sometimes we need to let our questions sit and simmer for a bit.  However, we are an instant gratification society.  If we can’t have the answers immediately, we move on or make up an answer that fits the situation.  I keep asking, but am I truly seeking?  

James 3:17 New Life Version (NLV)

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not.

I’m in a season where I’m asking A LOT of questions to God.  I keep asking Him to place a clear path in front of me.  I keep asking Him for clarity.  However, life happens and I tend to let that fog the process to finding those answers.  This week I have had a lot happen.  

A precious friend had some life altering news, a kidney was found for her.  No longer will she have to live through dialysis for survival.  He spoke this over me: 

Jeremiah 33:3 New Life Version (NLV)

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’

Another friend had an episode that landed her in the hospital. They found a mass on her brain, which led her to brain surgery on Friday.  The results turned up that she had an infection that could be taken care of with antibiotics.  She had perfect peace, over those 6 days, that only He could provide.  As I walked with her through that, He spoke this over me: 

Psalm 23:3-4 New Life Version (NLV)

3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. 4 Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me.

We lost our 13 year old dog to old age.  She was the only dog my kids have known to be loyal, caring, and just a good ‘ol pal.  I found strength that only He could provide as I wiped away the tears from my sweet babies cheeks.  He spoke these words to me: 

John 14:27 New Life Version (NLV)

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give peace to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

As I sat down to write this message tonight, I reflected on my week.  At first, I was disappointed because He didn’t reveal any answers to my questions this week.  But then I bowed my head to pray.  He revealed all that He had done this past week.  All for His glory.  

You may be lost and looking for answers.  Take a moment and look deeper.  Scratch the surface a little more.  Take time to just listen.  He is speaking and covering us with His answers.  

Enjoy the song that is on repeat this week in my car. 

Lauren Daigle ~ Your Wings (Lyrics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrcmXU8bonQ

Be Blessed!

Self-Awareness vs God-Awareness

2 Corinthians 10:5 New Life Version (NLV)

5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.

1 Peter 3:15 New Life Version (NLV)

15 Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect.

Luke 2:46-47

6 Three days later they found Him in the house of God. He was sitting among the teachers. He was hearing what they said and asking questions. 47 All those who heard Him were surprised and wondered about His understanding and at what He said. 

Absent-minded is a good state to say that I have been in lately.  I have been so engrossed in everything that is going on around me, that I have forgotten small details or find myself walking aimlessly around on auto pilot.  

I am one who likes to pinpoint the “why” behind my feelings and state of mind.  I have been putting the blame on the 20 students that sit in my class daily.  To paint a picture of my class, go step on an ant pile and observe what the ants are doing.  They are going in every direction except the correct one.  Listening to directions or to instruction is almost an impossible task with this group of students.  I just wish that they would listen.  They are so engrossed in everything going on around them that they are missing small details and making mistakes.  That is when I realized that in God’s eyes, I’m just like my students.  I’m not listening to His direction or instructions.  If God had a foam finger and slapped me in the face, I still would miss what He is pointing out.  Why?  I am in a state of mind where I find myself in a Self-Awareness mode vs a God Awareness mode.  I’m turned inward.  My environment is feeding my emotions.  I am scattered in all directions looking for the correct direction.  I need to be more aware of God and looking vertical to Him rather than looking horizontal on what is going on around me. 

Is God trying to slap you with His foam finger?  Is God sending you little messages and you are just walking right through them?  Are you making mistakes and missing the small details?  If we would filter all of our thoughts through Him, how much easier would our lives be?  Grab onto a verse this week that really sits on your heart.  Memorize that verse.  Memorize it to the point of where you can’t help, but think of that verse in the toughest moments.  

Be Blessed!

He provides

Isaiah 26:3 New Life Version (NLV)

3 You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You.

Psalm 130:5 New Life Version (NLV)

5 I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word.

Hebrews 4:16 New Life Version (NLV)

16 Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.

Have you ever been in a situation in which you were praying for answers, but didn’t receive them?  Wouldn’t it be nice to just wake up every morning and pull up an app that gave us direction for each day, month, year, decade?  Sign me up.  Where can I download that app?  I would love for HIM to scream those directions to me daily.  

Sometimes I feel like I could be looking so hard that I look right the finest details that HE is putting in your path. 

In those seasons, God is doing something inside of you.  He is wanting you to pay close attention to what HE sets in your path DAILY.  He is wanting us to not worry about tomorrow.  Pay attention and pray over each action and step.  

Matthew 6:26 New Life Version (NLV)

26 Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds?  27 Which of you can make himself a little taller by worrying?

I read that verse this weekend while sitting on my lanai.  I stopped to listen to the birds chirping around me.  God has got this and will provide.  You just have to have FAITH and know that if you keep your eyes on HIM, you will be able to take today’s steps peacefully.  

Shaping and Molding Us

Jeremiah 18:1-6 New Life Version (NLV)

The Pot-Maker and the Clay

18 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2 “Go down to the pot-maker’s house, and there I will let you hear My words.” 3 So I went down to the pot-maker’s house, and saw him making one on the wheel. 4 But the pot he was making of clay did not come out like he wanted it. So the pot-maker used the clay to make another pot that pleased him.

5 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “O people of Israel, can I not do with you as this potmaker has done?” says the Lord. “Like the clay in the pot-maker’s hand, so are you in My hand, O people of Israel.

Mackenzie, my 8 year old daughter, loves crafts.  She will spend hours perfecting each movement she makes on the pieces she is creating.  Tonight she brought me a ceramic pumpkin that she had been painting.  With tears in her eyes, she showed me her precious  pumpkin.  The black she had used for the eyes had bled into the orange.  She had tried to fix it, but that had made it worse.  I took her precious piece of art, sat with her, and helped her paint over the black traces.  It will need another coat of orange tomorrow, but she saw hope in her creation.  She saw that the mistakes could be fixed and made new.  She went to bed pleased with what she had done.

God is consistently molding us and making us new.  We may spend so much time trying to cover up our mistakes or decisions by trying to make them right.  Sometimes that works, but other times our “fixing the problem” can make it worse.  If we hand our problems to our Father, He will take our mistakes and mold them into something beautiful.  With that, we will see hope.  We can know we can be made new again.  We can rest our heads pleased with what He has done.  

This sounds easy, but unless you truly hand over your problems to Him and lay them at His feet, He cannot make it new.  We have to be willing to give Him control of our next steps.  We may not understand the way the Lord is molding a situation, but if we trust and obey, it will turn out to be a beautiful, perfect piece of pottery.  

Be Blessed!

Fearful, vulnerable, lonely, weak, unsure...

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 New Life Version (NLV)

8 I asked the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Fearful, vulnerable, lonely, weak, unsure…

Those are words that can slap us hard in seasons where you are being molded by Him.  When you face the rushing world around you, it is hard to hear and see what He is putting in front of us.  This summer I had the vision below placed on my heart (this was taken from an earlier Thoughtful Thursday in August):

Imagine that you are standing on the banks of a river.  This river is not a calm flowing river, but a river that rushes in front of you.  A river that has waves and ripples that come crashing into anything that it meets.  The whirling of the rapids can be exhilarating and spectacular to watch.  However, you have to cross this river on foot.  There is no steady foothold in sight.  You take a deep breath and pray.  As you open your eyes, a stepping stone comes to surface.  This stone is one that is not covered in moss and is not going to waver.  It is a sturdy place to step.  You take your first step, trying not to let the rapids falter your balance.  The minute you look to one side you loose focus, and anxiousness begins to take ahold of your mind.  You close your eyes, pray, breathe, and then open your eyes to see another stone has been placed before you.  Just like the stone you’re standing on, this one is just as secure.  You continue to take one step at a time.  As you are crossing this river, you continue to have moments of anxiousness.  You may even fall into the river, but then pray that He pulls you out so that you can continue to move forward.  

I reread those words in awe of WHY that vision was placed on my heart this summer.  Because now…I’m in the middle of those rushing waters.  I have waves slapping me down, but God is reaching out to rescue me.  He is making huge moves in my life.  These pieces that He is putting into place are so beautiful and exciting.  However, there is a huge gray area that is clouding my vision of what He is asking of me.  So the words of the song “GOD HELP ME” by Plumb have been washing over me this week:  

“Help me to move

Help me to see

Help me to do whatever you ask of me

Help me to go

Help me to stay

I feel so alone here

I know that you are faithful

I can barely breathe

God help me!”

Let them wash over you: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wRpTySE_8A

Be Blessed!

The Potential in a Seed

John 15:4, 11 New Life Version (NLV) 

Get your life from Me and I will live in you. No branch can give fruit by itself. It has to get life from the vine. You are able to give fruit only when you have life from Me.  v11. 11 I have told you these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be full.

Matthew 13:31-32 New Life Version (NLV)

31 Jesus told them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like mustard seed which a man planted in his field. 32 It is the smallest of seeds. But when it is full-grown, it is larger than the grain of the fields and it becomes a tree. The birds of the sky come and stay in its branches.”

This past weekend I had the blessing of sitting in a room full of 700 women looking for hope and inspiration. I had a beautiful friend that shared about how we are so similar to seeds.  A seed can come in a packet at the store.  If the packet is never taken off the shelf and emptied into the soil, it will just stay a seed.  Once that tiny seed is planted, the potential of the seed begins.  First, the hard outer shell starts to soften, slowly the seed begins to root into the ground.  Once the roots are solid, sprouts begin to show above ground.  The next few pieces of the process are visible to the naked eye.  That is, if #1 I planted the seed and #2 it has the right nutrients to flourish.  

How are we like seeds?  How do we have the same potential as a seed?   You may feel that your seed is buried in dry soil.  The circumstances you are planted in seem hopeless and difficult.  However, if you put a tiny bit of water on that seed, the shell begins to soften.  Your shell needs to soften to grow.  The water in this scenario is God’s love.  When we accept God’s love, our hearts are softened.  If we nurture our hearts with God’s love, His word, a community that encourages and prays over us, we will begin to see something happen both below the surface and above. 

You are a seed.  Are you a seed sitting on a shelf?  Are you a seed that is sitting in dry soil?  Are you a seed that is growing slowly?   Are you a seed that has become dormant in this season?  You may even be going through a pruning season of reflection and growth.  You could be going into a fruitful season.  Regardless of where you are or what you are…you have potential to do anything.  Just wake up each day and know with every morning’s light you are redeemed.  

Enjoy Lauren Daigle’s Power to Redeem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDM3d2IjFTA

Be Blessed!

Strength!!!

2 Corinthians 5:5, 7 New Life Version (NLV)

5 It is God Who has made us ready for this change. He has given us His Spirit to show us what He has for us.

7 Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.

Psalm 46:1-5 New Life Version (NLV)

God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. 2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, 3 and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.

4 There is a river whose waters make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. 5 God is in the center of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when the morning comes. 

The definition of STRENGTH, according to GOOGLE, is “the quality or state of being strong, in particular”.  We have seasons of feeling strong and then other seasons of needing to find strength.  We must find our strength and encouragement in our faith.  For HE will not let us down.  We will face times of trouble.  We will feel the earth shake around us.  The storm will rage and waves will slap us down.  However, if our faith is centered and stays centered, we will find a supernatural strength.  

It is necessary for us to go through those hard times.  We won’t understand them while they are happening or even after they happen.  Those times mold us and become apart of us.  Beth Moore states, in her study title The Quest, the strength we find in Him is supernatural.  “It promotes growth in our faith, increases the size and strength of your spiritual muscle, and improves your soul’s endurance in your arduous journey to the kingdom.”  

My prayer for you today is that He gives you the strength needed.  To give you the supernatural strength and patience only He can supply.  I pray that you feel His presence as He does the heavy lifting.  I pray that you rest when you feel called to rest.  Our spiritual muscle will always stay engaged if we rest in Him.  

Be Blessed!

P.S.

Ladies - I am excited to be co-hosting an 8 week bible study based on the book Ruth.  If you are hungry for a community of women that provides spiritual relationships, we welcome you.  Please respond in an email and I will get that information to you personally.  We will be starting next Thursday, September 27th from 6-7:30.  If you feel a tug on your heart, follow your heart.  That is God whispering to you.  

256 Shades of Gray

Galatians 5:16-18 The Message (MSG)

16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

Ephesians 5:8 New Life Version (NLV)

8 At one time you lived in darkness. Now you are living in the light that comes from the Lord. Live as children who have the light of the Lord in them.

There are actually 256 shades of gray.  Yeap, there are more than 50 shades.  Got your attention?  When choosing gray as your paint color, it can look so different on the swatch than on the wall.  We can even bring samples of it home, slap it on the wall and it takes on so many different shades throughout the day.  The color tends to lend itself to the lighting in the room as the day rolls on.  In fact, in our last home we had our room painted the color Manhattan Mist (what I thought was a strong gray).  I came home that night and was very pleased with the color.  Then woke up the next morning to find that it actually looked more baby blue than gray.  

Did you know that there is NO opposite color of gray?  I googled it, and I believe everything I Google ;)  “Colorless gray has no opposite color. It doesn’t exist.”  Most grays have a touch of one or more colors.  Ok, so how does this all tie into a Thoughtful Thursday message…

It is so easy for us to blend in and melt into different shades.  We tend to go along with the flow of things and change our thinking along the way.  While changing, we can easily just change into another shade of gray.  God doesn’t want us to melt into another shade of gray.  He wants us to be bold and look different.  He wants us to take on a bold color in the color wheel and be that color.  Yes, there are times we are more a blue than a yellow, but God did not put us here on Earth to become a shade of gray.  What color are you today?  If you are finding yourself a shade of gray, I pray that you take time to silence your life, open the word, and find your color.  “Without rain there would be no rainbow.”  Gray is not in the rainbow, but it is necessary to have rainy seasons.  Don’t let the rain flood your hearts.  Look for the rainbow because it will be there.  Grab your color!  Grab it boldly!  Shine Bright!    

Be Blessed!

Decorating Our Heavenly Home

Psalm 84:4-12 New Life Version (NLV)

4 How happy are those who live in Your house! They are always giving thanks to You.

5 How happy is the man whose strength is in You and in whose heart are the roads to Zion! 6 As they pass through the dry valley of Baca, they make it a place of good water. The early rain fills the pools with good also. 7 They go from strength to strength. Every one of them stands before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of all, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. 9 Look upon our safe-covering, O God. And look upon the face of Your chosen one. 10 For a day in Your house is better than a thousand outside. I would rather be the one who opens the door of the house of my God, than to live in the tents of the sinful. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and a safe-covering. The Lord gives favor and honor. He holds back nothing good from those who walk in the way that is right. 12 O Lord of all, how happy is the man who trusts in You!

I have a confession.  I may be a little obsessed with Chip and Joanna Gaines.  (Side note - If you haven’t watch “Fixer Upper” on HGTV, find a way to watch a few of those episodes and you will understand what I am talking about. In fact, I have read her book and have Chip’s book sitting on my table to read next.)  When we first moved into our house (2 years ago in November), I envisioned what I wanted it to look like.    However, my mind likes to dream and our wallet restricts.  Slowly, over time, I’m making this house our home.  Recently, I was blessed with some beautiful antique bookshelves from my dad’s mom and pop 1950’s soda fountain pharmacy.  Now I’m slowly decorating and putting things on those shelves.  Basically, I’m playing house.   This is our forever home.  But truly, it is not.  

I write the paragraph above not to highlight my blessings, but to highlight my Earthly thinking.  This is home, this planet, is a temporary home.  The purpose of this home is to take what He puts in our hands and move forward with His purpose in mind.  We are pilgrims that are set out to do His works.  When I read the verse above, I see 

“Blessed am I when my strength is in You, when my heart is being troubled.  As I pass through hard times, help me make it a good place.  Give me strength with each step.  I know that you will carry me through.  Show me my part in this season.”  

So for now, I will enjoy playing house.  Not my just physical house, but my spiritual walk.  Making what I have beautiful.  I will place each item carefully the shelf and then if I feel led to move it, I will.  I will place each moment at His feet.  He will give me guidance as to where I should put it on His heavenly shelf.  God has a home for me (of course designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines) in heaven.  ;)

Be Blessed!

Stop Believing the Lies

1 John 3:1 New Life Version (NLV)

See what great love the Father has for us that He would call us His children. And that is what we are. For this reason the people of the world do not know who we are because they did not know Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 The Message (MSG)

9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

Lies!  We tell ourselves lies constantly.  This past weekend I was asked this question, “What lie have you been telling yourself?  Are you still believing that lie?”  Take a moment and really think about that question.  Do you tell yourself that you aren’t worthy, you are fat, you are ugly, you aren’t…the list goes on.  Insert a few of those lies in the blanks in the verse below:

Galatians 3:28 New Life Version (NLV)

28 God does not see you as _____________. He does not see you as a___________ or as a _________. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ.

The lies that we tell ourselves may not be evident to those around us, but they burn inside of us.  They burn until they scar us to the point of where it is a permanent mark within us.  

The lie that I had been telling myself is that I’m not a leader.  I am just a normal gal with not much to offer.  I am someone who may have good ideas, but not good enough to act on them.  I have been working on breaking the chains of that lie for a while, but have really felt more freedom from that lie more recently.  However, when reflecting on WHERE this lie came from, it came from experiences from childhood that rolled into my youth and continued into my adult life.  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, my daughter had started falling into that same rhythm.  ENOUGH!  I’m not going to let that be the lie that she rattles around in her head.  I’m stripping that lie away and modeling what it is to be a leader not a follower.  We are children of God and He never wants us to believe those lies.  You are not a slave to those lies because you are a child of God.  Enjoy the song below and stop believing those lies.  

“No Longer Slaves” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k

Be Blessed!

PS  My father put a little reminder on my mirror growing up reminding me daily that I am a child of God.  My mother had this framed with a picture of us on my wedding day.  Keep reminders around you that help you break through those lies.