Hurry Up and Wait?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

It does not seem possible that this is the last day of 2012.

Lately, the Lord has been putting the act of hurry on my heart. Prior to becoming an empty nester, I remember wondering how I would handle living life at a slower pace. Five years into empty nesting and my life has yet to slow down!

 I watch people driving in the passenger lane and imagine myself driving like that.  I tried it once, driving in the passenger lane, and all the slower vehicles frustrated me, so I’ve given up on that idea.

As God would have it, this morning’s email devotion discussed being hurried and the author stated that Hurry is a condition of the heart. Ok, Lord, I get the message.

Contemplating, it occurred to me that my hurry is due to worry. Of course sometimes we need to hurry and get something done or be somewhere but was I showing distrust in God by worrying too?

I never once remember reading that Jesus hurried during His earthly ministry or that God did anything in a hurry and look at all He’s accomplished?

Yes, sometimes we want God to hurry our circumstances along. But there’s actually been times that I wished God hadn’t answered my prayers or once the hurdle was over, relieved that God hadn’t done it my way.  We have to ask ourselves: are we ready for the size of what we’ll receive from God? When the student is ready, the teacher shows up.

As you usher in 2013, may you also think about the act of hurry in your life. Is your hurry due to worry?  I’m going to try not being in a constant hurry in 2013.  If I pass you on the roadway, just beep at me, I’ll remember.

Wishing each of you a blessed and healthy New Year!

Let’s pray.  Lord, You know our hearts and our hurried circumstances. Thank you for Your many promises and that we can lean on these in times of worry.  As we get ready to close out this year and attend to a new one, may our walk of faith with You be stronger than it has ever been; may each of us commit to Your ways, and not to the world’s.  In Jesus’ strong name. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

Celebration

Last evening my husband and I read about the birth of Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 1:18)

The Magi traveled, upwards to 2 years to finally arrive in Jerusalem, home of King Herod, and to be only about 5 miles from the birth city of Bethlehem. Imagine being so close to your destination and yet still not knowing the truth. The Magi continued their search until they found Him, the Christ Child.

This Christmas morning, I challenge each of you to be like the Magi as you celebrate Christmas today. Rejoice in His birth. And tomorrow morning, when all gifts have been opened and the pies have been eaten, let nothing stop you from your journey towards Christ.

'Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.'  Matthew 6:33

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas~

Until next time~
Blessings, Nancy

Merry Christmas –The Greatest Love Story

 ‘But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’ Luke 2:10-11

My family of origin has embraced and celebrated Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ my entire life.  As a young mom, I was caught up in shopping for just the right gifts; the excitement and anticipation of watching my children open presents on Christmas morning. 

Some of our adult children were home during the recent Thanksgiving and we watched old family movies. We laughed. I cried. Where did those days go to?  But as I sat viewing footage from Christmas, 20 years ago, I was struck by how quickly the gifts were unwrapped in order to get to the next gift, wrapping paper piling higher on the floor around a growing sea of new toys.

 I wanted to stop the movie and shout, ‘No, that’s not what happened. No, we weren’t that family.’ Our children knew the meaning of Christmas. They participated in Christmas pageants and we sang songs like Away in a Manger. But as I watched the home movies, I wondered if I had missed something.

Reflecting back to my own childhood, I recalled a season where everybody celebrated Christmas. It didn’t matter if you said Merry Christmas to your Jewish friends. Nobody got offended. People shopped for Christmas presents. Decorated Christmas trees. Put up Christmas lights. Kids made Christmas lists. And on Christmas Day we acknowledged Jesus.  Yes there was the marathon gift opening but we were not confused about our heritage and we thanked God for the blessings.

Today, I still love the Christmas season.  The hustle and bustle; the lights and singing carols and even though there’s less of it - yes, finding that perfect gift.  And this Christmas I have more unanswered prayers and sadness looming within me than I’ve ever experienced, yet, I understand Christmas more this year than any other. The Christmas story seems more relevant to me. This year Heaven’s good news has taken on a deeper meaning for me. God’s love story is more profound in my life. I can sense God’s love and protection even in my desperate hours.

I use to be afraid of being alone. I remember as a teenager that most of my girlfriends couldn’t wait for their parents to let them stay home alone. Not me. Give me lots of people in the house; the more the better.  

Today, as I choose Christ as my center, I don’t so much mind being alone because I seldom feel lonely with Jesus in my life. He’s my life partner and He can be your life partner too! 

So let me ask. Where are you this Christmas?  Perhaps you are that young mom scrambling for the perfect gifts. Or you are single and have feelings of loneliness without a partner.  Or perhaps you are recently separated or divorced and wondering why God isn’t fixing your pain.

Would you do a favor for me and stop what you are doing and put your hope in Jesus right now? God is able to do more than you can ever imagine, right in your current situation. I am literally watching Him remove more and more dirty ashes within my life and replacing them with the type of internal peace and wholeness that makes me thirsty for more of Him.

 Even if you have to praise Him now and feel it later…don’t allow your circumstances to steal your joy. ‘I sing for joy because of what You have done.’  Psalm 92:4

Come and get refreshed. Let go of what the world tells you and fall in love with the greatest love story ever told. Because when you do, you’ll experience overwhelming peace. The kind of peace that only comes from knowing and walking the path of your life with Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas!

Let’s pray. Father, I’m not sure who is reading this. Perhaps they haven’t prayed to you since they were a child; perhaps they need a miracle from You.  Lord, whoever it is, show them the things that You’ve shown me. Bless them with the sufficient grace that I’ve found with You in my life. May each person find a new meaning of Christmas this year. May they find Jesus, the way You meant Him to be found. In Your strong name I pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas,

Blessings, Nancy

Humbled By How Much God Loves Me

‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’  Romans 8:38-39

I remember a time when I could lavishly purchase items for myself, my family or friends. Never worrying about how much the grocery shopping would cost. I was privileged to never worry. 

Then, due to some unwise financial decisions, I lost all my personal and retirement savings. In fact I almost lost my home; and I’m still not solvent.

It’s painful and I can sometimes feel like such a loser – particularly to my children and especially during occasions like birthdays and Christmas. Gifts bought now are minimal and not very creative. 

Throughout our difficulties, my husband kept reminding me, ‘what if nothing changes about our street address and the only worthwhile change occurs inside of us? What if the only thing that changes is that we become more humble?’

 This past summer, my husband and I received a note card with a monetary gift inside. The inscription read: Isaiah 55. 

Other items came…a book by a well known Christian author; notepaper with the handwritten words to ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.’ Again, signed - Isaiah 55

The memory of how we felt opening these gifts, was in itself, an everlasting incredible gift.

Being a hardy Mainer, and Irish, I was born self-sufficient.  My husband and I have an addiction...we fix things, or at least we think we need to fix things and people too.  In fact my adult children call him “The Closer.”

Someone obviously knew about our situation and was being obedient to God in their attempt to help us. Really? Us? But we're nobody special. Being self-sufficient and probably a bit prideful, it became my personal mission to investigate.  Because aspects of the gift prevented me from finding out who sent it to us, I finally sensed God’s peace of acceptance. God was clearly saying - ‘Nancy, I heard your prayers. Rest assured that I will take care of your circumstances.’  So we praised God and asked Him to doubly bless our gift giver.

‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ James 1:17

Recently, and quite unintended, we came to realize that our gift giver was a related, stranger.  I say stranger because we have never met and related because we are spiritually related through the blood of Christ.

Our gift giver, we were told, had been interceding in prayer on our behalf for several months. The next morning, during our regular prayer time, I heard my husband say, ‘God, it is incredible to me that You think we are this important to You, to send us help through another person.’ 

The tears came quickly and we sat humbly before His Throne Room as His deep love and care washed over us.

There have been other ‘gift givers’ during this time. Money mysteriously tucked inside my pocketbook or a gift card would appear just as I needed to purchase groceries; plane tickets for my birthday; countless gifts of prayer and appreciation at work and from total strangers. 

Humble. Yes, God was definitely pushing His agenda onto us.

‘…And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.’ 1 Peter 5:5   

Are you wondering how the ‘gifts’ and people’s sensitivity to our troubles affected us?  
On the lighter side, I can now accept gifts without being embarrassed! But seriously,
one word- Humility.  Like you, I’m a work in progress.  I know that my flesh is inadequate, yet through the circumstances of these past years, I have a better understanding of who God wants me to be in Christ.

When you constantly find yourself on the losing end of life, do you begin to dig your heels into the world with an attitude of expectancy? God says don’t become that person because He’ll fight your battles.  If God came to bring us love and peace then you and I need to do likewise. I’ve learned to trust the power of God’s Holy Spirit, rather than trust my own personal power.

Do we want to be solvent and have the ability to be ‘gift givers’ again? You bet! Humility is not about being a doormat or about expecting others to support us.

Humility is about being strong….about putting others first…being obedient to God…about being a peacemaker when others around you are losing their tempers…about peacefully dealing with unfair treatment…about not wanting revenge…to be forgiving and to ask forgiveness.

‘Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.’   Philippians 2:3

Christmas is almost here.  Because finances have yet to be resolved, this year’s gift giving will be minimal. Yes, it still bothers me, but loved ones seem to understand and they never make me feel like a loser.   We’re in agreement that God’s gift of His Son and His free gift of salvation is plenty for all of us. 

My prayer this Christmas season is that you will experience His love in a way that will take your breath away.  That you will come to know, like we did, God's deep love and care for you; and just how incredibly important you are to Him.

If you are in the same financial strains as us, remember, gifts are certainly great to give and receive but the gift of salvation is one that will carry you into eternity. Wrap up the gift of time and give it away this Christmas season. Go out and give them Jesus! They’ll forever thank you ~

Let’s pray. Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross so that we could live with You forever; sparing us from an eternity in hell. Father, thank you for the many gift givers in my life. I pray that You would immensely bless their lives. Thank you for showing me humility and how to surrender to it; thank you for loving us first. Amen.

Until next time,

Blessings, Nancy

Is There Always a Lesson to Learn?

“When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." Jonah 4:8

Recently, I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my brothers. He was traveling on business and would be an hour south of my home so I traveled there to meet up with him.

As I turned into the parking garage, near our lunch destination, my vehicle steering became difficult followed by an unfamiliar noise that I assumed was from driving on the parking garage floor. The noise was too unsettling so I pulled over and got out of my vehicle.  Never did I imagine this sight…I had 2 flat tires! As I surveyed the damage, a text arrived from my brother asking if I was in the neighborhood yet.

What do we do and how do we react to the unexpected events in our lives?  We learn about Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9. Saul was going about his business when God physically blinded him. Days later, when scales fell from his eyes and his physical sight had returned; Saul was different. The Lord had opened up the eyes of his heart.  He was a new creation in Jesus Christ. He now had spiritual eyesight.

You might wonder, ‘what has this to do with a flat tire?’ While I was walking over to the restaurant, pondering my unique situation, I asked God the same question. ‘Lord, what’s this all about?  Lately, You’ve been opening the eyes of my heart to many personal situations, is this why You’re providing me 2 flat tires?'

‘…the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort…’ then ‘the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.’ (4:6-8)

When we are saved by the blood of Christ Jesus, we are made into a new creation, the old passes away. We no longer think or act the same.  Do we take God’s grace for ourselves and not extend it to others? No, God faithfully supplies our needs even in the midst of unexpected events. 

Have you had some unexpected events in your life? How did you handle it? Would you have done anything differently? Talk to God right now and tell Him. He's ready to listen.

My brother had business calls to make after our lunch and since my van was unavailable to drive, I tagged along.  We enjoyed a time of laughing and reminiscing about our parents; siblings sharing time with one another.  

Did God provide a hunk of metal for me to run over in the entrance to the parking garage for this purpose only? Possibly; possibly not. There’s not always a lesson to learn. Trouble happens while we live our daily lives. It’s how we react to our trouble, that counts.

We all make choices.  That day, I made a choice to enjoy the additional time with my brother and to trust God with the circumstances; to not lean on my own understandings but to acknowledge Him; the One who loves me and always wants to delight me with His love.

Later, my husband came to my rescue. As we emerged, $300 lighter, from a local Tire Shop, and as we were discussing our finances for the trip home, I glanced down at my feet to find $8 staring back up at me. He needed $4 for tolls and I needed $3 to get my car out of the parking garage. ‘We’re rich’ I laughed, ‘with a dollar to spare!’ 

Let’s pray. Father, You give and You take away. How precious are the gifts You give to us. All good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of Heavenly Lights. Even when we don’t know we need Your protection, thank you for always protecting us from harm.  Show us how to keep our eyes on You. Show us how to be thankful in the midst of our trials. In Christ’s strong name we pray, Amen.

Post script: Once back home and 48 hours later, my husband and I caught a movie matinee – we came out of the movie to find yet another flat tire! Our new tire must have had a bad spot. Praise God we purchased the new tire from a franchise that has a location in our home town. Tomorrow it gets fixed. God? Are you trying to tell me something?

Thanksgiving 2012

‘Pray without ceasing.’  1 Thessalonians 5:17

Have you ever prayed without stopping? As a mom, praying without stopping is like breathing – it’s natural.  

I don’t know about you, but my prayers are rarely answered in the way that I originally prayed. Whether for marriages, families, church, work, etc. – I typically pray one way and God answers in ways that I rarely understand. But if there is one thing that I’ve learned in my many years of praying, it’s that God’s timing, purposes and end results are far better than anything I can imagine.

“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’”  Lamentations 3:22-24

Our family has been praying without ceasing for a young woman, Ashley. She grew up in our home town, she was in school with my sons, her mom was their music teacher…you get the picture.  

In my prayer time, besides asking God to heal Ashley from a lung transplant and complications from a stroke, I have also been asking Him to allow her to go home for Thanksgiving so she and her family could have a break from hospital life.

God had other plans.  Once again, my prayers might not have been answered like I thought but I’m sure you’ll agree that His plans were pretty awesome and had greater impact.  Below is an excerpt from her mom’s Face book blog. They’ve prepared a Thanksgiving dinner at the apartment where they’ve been living while their daughter is in the hospital~

It was a nice little gathering of people who otherwise would never have met each other let alone shared a Thanksgiving meal together.  We shared each other's stories of hospitalizations and setbacks and almost getting home times with each other. Though we all come from different parts of the country, today we had much in common and I know God used that to bring encouragement into each of our lives.  Justin (Ashley’s boyfriend) came over and got a plate of food when Ashley was napping.  She had a few bites later but was more interested in her strawberry jello. 

Later on, we all tried a plate of the cafeteria's Thanksgiving meal, too.  It was pretty good and the servings were big.  We were thankful for it; though it just wasn't like home cooked and we missed the green bean casserole with fried onions on top.  But we'll have time for that when we get home. For some reason God was showing us this year that it's not about the food - it's about people and we need to really listen and have compassion for our neighbor - our neighbor being anyone within an earshot.  My father shared those words with us a few days before he passed away.  He wept as he said we need to take care of our neighbor and have more compassion for people.  After his 40 years in education as teacher and principal and several years in retirement...his very essence of being had only enough energy to utter those words - the sum of what he found was most important in this life to share before he left us...."we need to take care of our neighbor and have more compassion for people."  He even asked why he hadn't done that....but we all knew he had.  Tom (Ashley’s dad)  felt it was important to get that dinner ready for whoever might come...he was more in tune with what was important than I was... I realized it during our conversations with those lovely ladies from upstairs.  

Afterward, we took Ashley over the catwalk to the Shapiro building and up to the 10th floor where we had tried to see the fireworks last July.  We then went back to the Brigham toward the transplant clinic area and then down toward the corridors where the neurology area is.  On the walls down there are a series of big professional black and white photographs of many of the pioneers of medicine in many different areas such as: the doctor who performed the first organ transplants, the doctor who invented insulin, the doctor who discovered RH factor in babies, the doctor whose work was the forerunner to chemotherapy, the doctors who had breakthroughs in the field of psychiatry and there were many more including a picture of Albert Einstein.

 I wish I remembered all their names and the many others on those walls. I found myself on this Thanksgiving Day; thanking God for these walls of people who most I had never heard of that have greatly impacted our lives and the lives of people around the world.

On our worst day, I think we could all be thankful for the doctor who came up with the polio vaccine or those who worked on developing the x-ray, CT scan and MRI machines.

We so often take these fragile bodies for granted until some life threatening condition or event comes along to remind us we aren't as indestructible as we thought.  Some days it's worth enlarging our sphere of thankfulness to include those whose life work has greatly benefited us all and to the God who bestowed those gifts of wisdom, knowledge and insight so generously to make it all possible.  

 Let’s pray. Father, You hear our every prayer yet You have plans that are far greater than anything we could ever imagine. Your purpose prevails as You take our hurts, pain and disappointments and make something beautiful from them. Lord, You are faithful and your mercies are new every morning. Even when You allow grief in our lives, You bless us with Your compassion and unfailing love. Continue to touch and heal Ashley’s body; keep her family safe and give them peace during this time. Thank you for using them in ways that we still don’t understand; their love story touches our hearts and we thank You. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

Do You Have An Isaac In Your Life?

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’” (Genesis 22:2)

Most of you know the story. God calls 75 year old Abraham to a life with promises of making him into a great nation of countless descendants; then makes him and his wife Sarah wait 25 more years for the birth of their first son, Isaac.

Are you familiar with the word enmeshment? Here is one definition: In human relationships, this term means two or more people who don't have clear identities and boundaries (limits) that separate one person from the other. Thus an enmeshed person can't distinguish the difference between my needs, feelings, opinions, and priorities and yours.

Why would God call on Abraham to sacrifice his only son? This would, by far, be a parent’s greatest test.  Part of being a parent is the enormous amount of times we wait. We plant seeds and wait for growth.

But this test was about how committed Abraham was to God. Why would there be doubt in God’s mind unless Abraham did something that led God to question Abraham’s faith in God? I suggest that Abraham was more devoted to Isaac than to God. That his affection for his son had grown beyond healthy parental love and God used this test to remind Abraham that we shall have no other gods.

When my adult children tell me about situations that seem extraordinary to them, I remind them of my own unusual situations where I’ve been willing to be vulnerable before God only to find that it was all God really wanted from me. For reasons only known to God, we just need to be willing to lay the controls down.

God wants us to have an abundant life. Of course He wants parents to love their children. But He wants us to keep that love in perspective to our love for Him, our Creator.

So I ask you, do you have an 'Isaac' in your life? Do you have a relationship or a possession that you need to lay down?

I encourage you to lay down the control you’ve been trying to have over your ‘Isaacs.’  Let God do the heavy lifting. You might be interfering in His work. Perhaps you’re rooted in a codependent relationship that God’s been trying to bring to an end, what you keep obstructing.  Step aside and trust God to handle the situation.

Enmeshed relationships feel normal to us because more often than not we’ve made them into a habit. But the freedom that comes from letting go of false identities is so much healthier. We’ve essentially been in bondage of misunderstanding what true love is and until we let go, we continue as prisoners in this stronghold.

In Tim Clinton’s book, Break Through, he lists the following unhealthy roles.

1. The Fixer- do you feel better about yourself when you are fixing someone else?
2. The Performer- do you enjoy the applause? Are there strings attached to your love?
3. The Avoider- do you avoid authentic relationships; trusting nobody with your hurts?
4. Doormats- do you allow others to dictate your life; not wanting to rock the boat?
5. Adrenaline Junky- do you fill an empty heart with high level risks; all about the thrill?

It’s uncomfortable reading a list of familiar behaviors that someone else considers unhealthy.  But truthfully,I identified with being capable of 4 out of the 5; and furthermore, I can drift back into those habits if I allow my relationship with God to become secondary in my life.

If there is one thing I know to be certain, I have the potential to become anything that is unhealthy if I make someone or something my idol or my 'Isaac' at the expense of my relationship with God.

What I desire most in my life, is the truth; truth about my relationships with family, friends and mostly truth about my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus.  If my relationship with God is solid, everything else falls into place.

“Therefore he says, ‘Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (Ephesians 5:14)

God created us to be relational beings. We hunger to be loved and to love. I’ve had ‘Isaacs’ that I thought needed to be fixed.  In these circumstances, I convinced myself that my work was helping God. 

It’s hard to watch a loved one make choices that will ultimately bring about negative consequences.

It is tempting for a ‘Fixer’ personality to take the controls. But through many of my own misguided intentions, I’ve come to realize that God needs to be the ‘Fixer.’ He never sleeps, so He can keep an eye on the situation; on any unforeseen conditions and do a much better job of changing people and behaviors.

A few years ago, I read this in my Beth Moore Bible study:  ‘self-made fortresses not only keep love from going out; they keep love from coming in.’  We risk becoming captives in our own protective fortresses; depend upon God, 1^st and always.

Equations that add up to Freedom
My environment + My experiences = My truth
My truth + Satan’s lies = Captivity
God’s truth > My truth
My truth + God’s truth = Freedom

Let’s pray. Father, help us become whole again from anything that is hindering the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life You’ve planned for us. Show us how to change unhealthy behaviors and replace our ‘Isaacs’ with healthy loving relationships that You will bless. If our family of origin came with strongholds, give us wisdom to know how to conquer these in our own lives; convict us to change these cycles and become victorious in Christ. In Your strong Name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy   

  

How Did He Do It?

Have you ever thought of changing ‘who you are’ in order to ‘fit’ into a certain group? 

“If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you.”  John 15:19 (the Message)

Jesus didn’t change who He was during His 3 year earthly ministry. If you’ve read anything about Him, you know that He never tried to fit into a certain group.

Instead, Jesus was confident in who His Father was and never questioned His identity or His purpose in life.

While on earth, He led others. He could have chosen any 12 men to be His apostles. He picked 12 ordinary men that at times fell asleep when asked to stay awake; showed insecurities; messed up when He asked them to perform; denied who He claimed He was; wanted to change Him to be someone they thought He should be; showed unbelief in Him; were confused by His plans; even one who would betray Him. ‘And they all left him and fled.’  Mark 14:50

People hated Him, wanted to kill Him; His character was always being assassinated. ‘For not even his brothers believed in him.’ John 7:5

When looking for a role model to show us how to resist temptation, Jesus is our biggest and the most important person. He’s been there and done that.
‘The devil led Him to a high place…’  (Luke 4:5-8)

He knew that the cross was coming, yet He continued to Shepherd the lost sheep. He continued to speak of grace and mercy for the people that let Him down or disappointed Him.

Is your work stressing you out? Or perhaps you are dealing with news of family origin that brings added stress to your family; or you’ve just received a bad health report; or someone you trusted has betrayed you. How did Jesus handle such situations in His life?

He did it by never allowing those in the world to hinder His relationship with His Father in Heaven. He did it by constantly searching out a quiet place to pray and ask His Father for wisdom. He did it by ultimately accepting His Father’s will in His life.

Perhaps you are at a point where you question God’s intentions for your life. You think, ‘why should I keep trying? He hasn’t answered any of my prayers yet and besides, I’ve made so many mistakes that it would take a miracle to turn my life around. It’s easier to just keep doing what I’m doing.’

Eve, who was lured by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit, (Genesis 3:6) could have been banished from existence. Perhaps she too thought, ‘God is never going to answer my prayers again, I have seriously messed up my life this time.’ But after making poor choices, God did answer her prayers. God graciously provided Eve with clothing (Genesis 3:21) and when God could have banished her, He didn’t choose to form another woman to be the mother of all living things, He chose Eve! ‘Then Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all people everywhere.’ (Genesis 3:20)

Paul, an educated man, who use to persecute Christians (as Saul in Acts 9) taking them from their homes and jails to be stoned, could have continued this life as a successful Pharisee. God literally stopped him in his tracks, ‘He fell to the ground…’ (Acts 9:4) and God began to use Paul’s intelligence, strategic thinking and the passion Paul had for his persecution of Christians, by channeling Paul’s energy and passion elsewhere into representing Christ to the world powers of his day!

Bathsheba, someone that was not as modest as she should have been when bathing in view of others; committed adultery by having an affair outside of her marriage which produced an illegitimate child; and then to have the child die. We aren’t told if this child might have been her first and only child; we never read that she repented. But we can assume she did because God ended up blessing her life abundantly! She married David and sat as Queen on the throne; she birthed another child with David, named Solomon.  Solomon was the wisest man on earth and the primary author of Proverbs, a book full of warnings against sins and foolishness as well as advice on raising children. He penned Proverbs 31, ‘The Wife of Noble Character.’  How would Solomon know about warning others not to sin and be foolish with their lives?  I suggest that Solomon would have known to write about these things from his upbringing and so this gives us insight into what his mother taught him as a child. ‘These are the sayings of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him.’ (Proverbs 31:1)
(note: there is indication that Solomon used the pen name of King Lemuel)

So do you see how God can use people right where they are, even if they’ve messed up?  That changing who you are to fit into what you believe the world says you should be, is not the solution to a better life. God really doesn’t want you to alter who you are to please anyone else, except Him.

Can you ever imagine that someday you will speak of your current situation, as something good? Bathsheba and Paul used their past mistakes as training grounds for improving their life. Their past humbled them into dependence upon their God to lead them forward.

One of my sons told me that a gal from his church was asking for prayer and midway through the prayer request she paused and said, ‘Scratch that.’ She explained that if her prayer request was answered, she might not feel the need to depend so readily upon God in her life.

Think of your circumstances as a task from God. A job He has given to you; a way for you to share in His redemptive work. Is it a bit more palatable when you think in these terms?

The choice is yours. God gives each of us free will. How will you use yours?

Instead of asking God, why was I made like this or why can’t I be like so and so? Start asking, how can I learn from my past mistakes or from my current situation? God wired each of us with certain talents, how can we use these for His glory? God allows ‘stuff’ to happen to build character. It’s about fulfilling His plan in your life, not your plan. Solomon asked God for wisdom. I’d start there.

One of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, shares a lesson in anchoring deep in the Word-because storms will come-no doubt, they will come. The anchor allows movement of the object being tethered but the object is not allowed to drift further than the anchored rope that it’s attached to. If you and I anchor deep in God’s Word, then we are prepared for the storms that come in our life because we are protected from wandering too far in our thinking. And it’s our thinking that leads us astray.

How did He do it? He put His faith in God’s will for His life and never looked back.

Let’s Pray. Father, thank you that we don’t have to try to be someone we’re not; You made us uniquely perfect and in Your image. Father, if there is one person reading this that feels they are inadequately made; please show them how special they are by encouraging them and blessing them with wisdom to know their true identity. Thank you for using us even when we are broken. Thank you for showing us that despite all the cracks in our character and personalities that You are all powerful and can lead us into transformed lives. We love you, Lord. In Jesus’ strong name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy  

Here I Raise My Ebenezer

‘Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD has helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12)

In church, have you ever sung the song, O, Thou Fount of Every Blessing? The lyrics of this song were written by Robert Robinson in 1758. The second verse of the song begins with these words: “Here I Raise My Ebenezer.” The word Ebenezer comes from the Hebrew words ’Eben hà-ezer (eh’-ben haw-e’-zer), which means ‘stone of help.’

In the verse above, the prophet Samuel started out discouraged when he and the Israelites found themselves under attack by the Philistines. Fearing for their lives, the Israelites begged Samuel to pray for them in their impending battle against them. Samuel offered a sacrifice to God and prayed that God would protect them. God listened to Samuel, causing the Philistines to lose the battle and retreat back to their own territory and so he raised a memorial that he called ‘Ebenezer’ to remind them of where the Lord had helped them.

Without mental stones of remembrance, we too would become discouraged. God is our shepherd and He is always leading us in the best way to protect us. It’s just that sometimes our pain or disappointment in how things look at the moment cause us to take our eyes off of God and put them onto our circumstances. Instead of God-focused we become me-focused.   

The apostle Paul says that he suffered under great stress so that he might learn to rely more on God. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

Remember how God led the Israelites in the desert to humble and test them? He wanted to know what was in their hearts. Sometimes God allows us to experience desert trails. I’ve visited the southwest desert and there is nothing more beautiful than the cactus flower.  Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments.  Cacti store water for their night shifts of life!  

Each season has its’ beauty. Autumn arrived yesterday and my garden sedums are a beautiful shade of fall rose.  I know what’s next…the cold and snowy northeast winter. But as I prepare the garden beds for winter; I’m reminded that spring will come, in all its’ glory, with gentle tulips.  I’m reminded not to get discouraged by the forecast of cold weather because God will provide all my needs just like He has done many other years. 

Whether you are going through easy times or the greatest trial of your life, remember that God is at work in you.  Put your hope in Him. He won’t forget you or your situation. God has called each of us by name. ‘You are Mine!’ (Isaiah 43:1)

Let’s Pray. Lord, I am praising You today for bringing each of us this far. Thank you that we have the ability to remember; thank you that in perfect time, You always meet our needs. Remind us in times of darkness, who You are and who we are in Christ; that it is not what we do that determines who we are; but it is who we are that determines what we do. We have been bought and sealed. When we get discouraged, let us remember our spiritual inheritance. May we claim Your promises and that if we trust in You, that You will care for us and be our refuge in times of trouble.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

Stand Strong!

‘Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’  Ephesians 6:11-13

As children of God, we cannot take a day off from wearing the full armor that God has given us. If you are a single mom, single man or woman, married, grandparent, it doesn’t matter; you need to wear defensive equipment. YOU CANNOT TAKE A DAY OFF. Why? Because Satan never takes a day off from wanting to bring us down.

If you are a parent, you have also been given the awesome responsibility to grow your children with this knowledge.  Satan spends a lot of time with our children.

As a single parent, you have vulnerabilities that married couples may not have to deal with- like raising children without a second parent in the house. If you are a single person, loneliness can set in like a thief in the night wanting to rob you of all our sensibilities. A desire to be in a relationship can consume your every thought…Satan wants you to be vulnerable because then he can bring you down and keep you broken!  

This spiritual war is real. Mankind is caught in the midst of a spiritual war with a Holy God and His loyal angels on one side and the evil Satan and his demons on the other. We can’t see it but if we could view the unseen, we’d be able to see this war. Don’t be mistaken, although Satan's wisdom is now corrupt, he is still very wise. Satan and the demons are supernatural beings.  All supernatural beings are not bound by the laws of nature (hence, the term supernatural).

Ephesians 6:11-12 ‘Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’

There is no better description of a spiritual battle than what we read in the Book of Daniel regarding a detained angel. “Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)

What can you do to prepare for the spiritual battle?

These fallen angels have chosen to do evil and they seek to ruin our lives. ‘Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8

Think and identify your weaknesses. Write them down so you won’t forget.  Then ask God to protect you when you’re feeling weak relative to these areas of your life. Keep asking God for His help with these weaknesses. When you think you’ve got them mastered, keep asking God for help! Satan is waiting to battle you over these weak areas. Satan makes it his job to know your weak areas. And he is waiting for you to take a day off!

Here are the six parts of the Christian's armor (portions were reproduced from an outline done at our church), unless noted, scripture is from Ephesians 6.

1. "…the belt of truth buckled around your waist" (6:14) Satan will lie to you.

The more we grow in the Christian life, the more we will begin to realize that we are under attack when doubts come into our minds!

2. "…the breastplate of righteousness" (6:14) As a child of God, His righteousness is in us.

When you are engaging in spiritual warfare, remember that God sees you as perfect in his sight. God is Holy; therefore He cannot look upon sin. ". . .the accuser of the brothers. . ." Revelation 12:10

3. "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" (6:15) our shoes making us ready to stand --Ready to witness –Even in the valley, we need to tell people how great our God is at getting us through our battles. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian.

4. "…the Shield of faith"   (6:16) Our shield is our confidence in God.  The devils arrows are painful; we need to keep our shields of faith upright for protection. Remind yourself to hold God to His promises. You belong to God.

5. "…the helmet of salvation" (6:17) The battle is in our minds. Protect it from the devil’s lies.

6. "…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (6:17)   Know scripture. Jesus used scripture repeatedly to Satan in the wilderness each time He was tempted, ‘It is written…’  Each time we are tempted, we can also repeat these words.

How does Satan see you today? Do you have just one piece of the armor on? Or do you have all 6 pieces on and ready for battle?

Let’s pray. Father, our world is hurting and we need Your help to stay alert against the forces of evil. We have so many choices within our grips; help us to make the correct ones; choices that will reflect Your plans for our lives. Turn our ears to Your wisdom today so we can apply it to our hearts and understand Your ways.  If we are hurting, let us recognize that our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. In Your Son’s strong name we pray. Amen

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

The Lily Pads of Life

“So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered, ‘but he is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’ So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’"
(1 Samuel 16:11-12)

David is known for a lot of things, here are a few:

Ø  While the army allowed ‘usual defiance’ from Goliath, David drew upon his faith in God’s strength and courageously stood up to Goliath.

Ø  David eventually became Israel’s greatest earthly king.

Ø  The Psalms- he poured passion into each one.

Ø  His willingness to admit his failures to God and to repent.

In a recent conversation with one of my daughters, she mentioned that she was pausing on a Lily Pad of life.  I liked that because it fits so many scenarios. I’m sure David would disagree with my using his situation with Saul and lily pads in the same sentence, but I’m going to claim narrative license.

So I’ll ask you, are you on a lily pad of life? Has there been a turn of events that have forced a pause in your life and now you’re trying to figure out your next steps?

David’s pause was over 20 years long. From the time David was anointed as a young shepherd to the time he actually became king of Israel, 20 years had passed. If God wanted David to be the king, then why would he have to wait so long and during that time, why so much turmoil in his life?

In fact, 3 times David had been anointed as king. The first time was by the prophet Samuel when he was still a young shepherd, with his brothers watching on. (1 Sam 16: 13) The second anointing was by the people of Judah, (2 Sam 2: 4) with only the people of Judah acknowledging him as king. Finally, at age 37, he was anointed king of all Israel.

In his commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel, Eugene Peterson writes, “David knows how to wait. His waiting is not procrastination; it is not indolence. It is poised submissiveness, a not-doing that leaves adequate space and time for God’s initiating actions through others.” (p. 156-57)

‘A not-doing…’  Is it hard to be content when ‘not-doing’ on a lily pad? Hurrying to get to the next stop in life can wear us out.  A whole day worth of energy can be used just putting together resumes. It isn’t easy to be content with our situation when actively ‘not-doing’ -- especially when others around you are ‘doing.’  We allow the worries of life get to us when we don’t see movement in some direction.  We are a people living in a culture of instant solutions and who has time to wait? Doesn’t Nike tell us to, Just Do It?

During our pause, we can become overwhelmed if we don’t have hope in something. My hope is in God. That God will make something good from my trials. This keeps me abiding and gives me the ability to remain under Him when the next lily pad floats my way.

London’s summer Olympic Games were all about grabbing the Gold. ‘But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:10) Gold is refined by heat and pressure. In other words, it takes time.

I was in a hurry today. I’m back at school taking a class at our local Bible College as a first step towards seeing if my brain is still working.  I hope to get my master’s degree in counseling.  (Yes, a reason you have not seen any recent posts!)

Anyway, I needed to stop by the bank and make a deposit. I had calculated that my errand would take no more than 5 minutes at the drive-thru.  One car in front of me, I turned on my radio to a favorite Christian station when I realized my pulse beginning to increase as I watched what was unfolding in front of me.

The car in front was being driven by a woman that couldn’t see over the steering wheel, (you know what I’m saying, right?) and I’ll guess she was in her 80’s.  As they say in the south, ‘Bless her little heart…’ she never should have used the teller-less drive-thru. Are you getting this picture?

Her car door was too far away which made it impossible for her to reach the deposit tube.  After trying everything else, she finally moved her car 2 inches so she could open her door to step out and use the banking station; as she did, her deposit slip and check dropped to the ground and I honestly thought she was going to be stuck reaching down to retrieve it.

Meanwhile, I have turned off my radio because there is no way I can concentrate on anything but what is happening in my front view! I’m now 7 minutes into my errand and I am begging God to calm my growing impatience. In search for help, I grabbed the Bible on the seat next to me and opened it (watch the movie, The Kid, and you’ll know how much I wanted to be like Bruce Willis’ character when he was in the airport check-out line).

Then it hit me. This was a momentary lily pad. My pulse began to slow down, and as I was contemplating helping this lady, she seems to have completed her transaction and it was now my turn. Wait time: 10 minutes.

Waiting is never easy and it’s hard to remember that God’s timing is different from ours. Sometimes the waiting period is meant to prepare us for what God wants for us. Perhaps He’s been waiting for that something you’ve been doing to stop, so He can fill it with something better. Perhaps we need more education or time to mature. God knows best and He knows we need this waiting period to prepare us for the good and perfect things that come from above; that only the heavenly Father of lights can know and give us.

Did you know that lily pads are tethered by the soil at the bottom of the water? They have a feeding source. What is your source of sustenance while you are waiting and pausing in-between? While I wished that I’d used my time more wisely at the bank today, I’m glad that my Bible was next to me. It reminded me to seek my Great Provider for all my needs – big and small.
 
Do you know how to pause on a lily pad of life? Do you leave adequate space and time for God to work through you and through other people in your life? God has great plans for you. There might be conflicts or other situations preventing you from seeing His plans clearly, but God is working behind the scenes, preparing a banquet, all for you!

I encourage you to be patient, seek God’s will for your life, take this time and grow your faith in God’s ability to surprise you with a designer plan that will be nothing like you’d ever imagine!  God’s got more in store for you. Just wait and see!

Let’s pray. Father, every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of heavenly lights, who unlike the shifting shadows, never changes.  Father, we know You are planning to do a mighty work in our lives and that You will not leave us where You found us this day.  Show us how to trust in You alone; that Your plans are to prosper us and not harm us. Help us to apply Your Word to our lives so our foundation will be rock solid. In Jesus’ strong name I pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

PRAYER LIFE, PART 2

‘Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them -- all those you have given me -- so that they will be united just as we are.’
(John 17:11)

There is no better place to spend a week than at my church’s annual Bible camp. Depending upon the job you have, your day is either physically or emotionally rugged.  Mine is always emotionally charged because my job is to be a counselor for high school girls.  More about that later…

Last time, I left you with a question: So why do we tend to read with such a bent towards being more like the tax collector, in Luke 18: 9-11?  What I mean by this question is that when you read this story about these 2 men, do you, like me, think, ‘wow, I am so glad that I don’t think like this Pharisee.’

Does God really listen to us? Does our morality chart dictate how closely God listens and answers our prayer? Could we expect God to hear our prayer if we, like the tax collector, spent a week cheating people out of their money and then take a knee in prayer? “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” Luke 18:13

I don’t recommend living a lifestyle like the tax collector, but we need to remember that our morality does not dictate God’s listening power. God doesn’t work that way. Remember that when Jesus was on the cross, He said, “It is Finished!” John 19:30. 

When you accept Jesus as your Lord of Lords and your personal Savior, He gives you grace. You cannot buy more of it. And you cannot lose it. We can be confident that God listens to our prayers no matter what we’ve done.

Like I said earlier, my job at Bible camp was to be a counselor for high school girls. This year my awesome co-counselor and I had 14 girls. We spent many hours in prayer. In fact, at any moment of the day and night, you could find us huddled, praying just about anywhere throughout the entire campus. 

Why? Because anytime there was a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with large groups of people, on any level, we immediately sought wisdom and grace from God. We needed level thinking to prevail and I find that prayer works to calm emotions. It allows people to take a time out and reframe. It allows the ‘me’ in us to become the ‘we’ in us.  And that is what God wants from us.

You learn a lot about Jesus in his prayer to the Father in John 17. You learn where His heart is. I like this prayer because it makes me feel very loved and cared for by Jesus.  (John 17:11 is written out at the top of the page.)  Jesus is getting ready to go to the cross and is thinking about my welfare - ‘…Holy Father, keep them and care for them…’   Sorry folks, but if I was headed to the cross, I surely would not be thinking about you. But Jesus was thinking about you and me. He wasn’t ‘me’ centered but ‘we’ centered.  Prayer makes me look outwardly when praying inwardly. Does that make sense?

Further down in John 17:21, Jesus talks about how He wants us to be one with each other. ‘My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father -- that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.’

Each time my co-counselor and I would stop and engage others in prayer, it was to become one with our Father. It was to help a teen become one in the body of Christ. Prayer is powerful. We saw teens come to know Christ as their Savior and then be baptized. We saw teens repent of chemical abuse, gay lifestyles, sexual activity, teens that were broken and lost and now found. Prayer is powerful.

We started the week with a cabin full of 14 me’s. After a week of loving on them and praying for and with them; we ended our week with a cabin united as ‘we’.

There was a sign on one of the walls at camp that read: ‘Keep calm & carry on.’  I’d make one change to the sign – ‘Keep calm, pray & carry on.’

Does God hear us? Yes. Does He answer our prayers? Yes. Do you want to learn more about how to pray? Just open your Bible and read all the prayers that Jesus prayed to His Father.  God isn’t looking for perfection. He is looking for how we handle our situations when we don’t have it all figured out. He wants us to depend upon Him to figure it out for us.

God has a plan for you. However, we must seek Him to know the plan. ‘For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.’ Jeremiah 29:11-12 (my emphasis)

Let’s pray. Father, I pray that this message about the importance of prayer will fall deeply into the hearts of many people. Lord and I pray that if there is one that is lost and broken, that they would accept Your gift of salvation and grace this day. Father, I pray that you would heal broken families. Reunite loved ones. Help us to forgive one another and ourselves for the things that we have burdened others with and are burdened by ourselves.  You are our only refuge in times of trouble. Only by Your grace and mercy can we accomplish Your plans for our lives. Thank you for never judging us and for loving us first. In Jesus’ strong Name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy