My last entry was discussing how God uses obstacles that seem so tall and insurmountable to remind us how awesome He is. My family had something hit us right between the eyes. God taught us a lot. We stepped out on faith and went against what the world would say. And in return He is blessing us beyond measure.
Yesterday my husband was called in that he was accepted as a substitute teacher in a nearby district. That would really help our highly probable money issue. That is if there is a need for him. But it is a start. I got offered a writing job. It is very low pay, but it is a start. It will pay for a week's worth of gas. Then the temporary job that I was to start in February called and asked if I could start early. Works for me! Then a prayer supporter felt led to help the ministry out and wanted our address to send money. Our van died a few days before the obstacle reared its head. We got offered a car and they will work with us.
We haven't found the entire amount that we will be short next month and the month after, but we are much closer than we were when we got knocked down. God is taking care of. He will not let us starve. Proverbs 10:3a says that God will not the righteous be hungry. We might not get what we want when we want, but He will provide it in the most creative and uplifting ways.
We've never known a time (since college) when we did not know if we had one penny to look at. We are there now. But we are not frightened. We are not panicking. We are waiting to see how God is glorified in it all. We trust Him. We have learned the hard way not to trust man. No one person on this planet is completely trusting. They will let you down. But God is the one to turn to. He can take the unsuspecting person and use them to help you. We should not feel bad to accept "charity". They have submitted themselves to God to be a servant and He wants them to serve you at this moment. Let them be a tool for God when they help out with food, babysitting, bills, or gas. When you are back on your feet, help them back or pass it on to someone else. Be submissive to God in letting Him overcome the obstacle. Be submissive to God in letting Him guide you down the dark path. Be submissive to God in accepting love from others in all the various forms of fellowship. Be submissive to God in have empathy for others in your situation and lend a helping hand. Only this way can we grow more Christ-like and allow His bright glory shine for all to see.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Never Stop Learning
We never stop learning. If you think you know it all, you probably know very little. One of the worst areas we have for learning is trusting God. Just like the Israelites we cannot seem to remember lessons learned.
When obstacles appear we always focus on them. We see the Red Sea before us and the Egyptians behind us. We see the thousands of soldiers before us and the few hundred with us. We see a valley of dry bones and nothing else. What we seem to forget and totally ignore is that God is there and He is way bigger and more powerful than the Red Sea, the Egyptians, the soldiers, death. No obstacle is too big for Him. In fact, they don't come up to His big toe. So why do we continually focus on them?
When Paul was in prison, he did not lament his predicament. He did not sit wringing his hands wondering what was going to happen next. He knew that what had happened would be in God's will and that he was going to do what he was told to do, witness, until he got his next marching orders. He did not wonder how he could do anything because he was in jail. He did not wonder how he could continue his ministry. He looked at the circumstances he was in and just did his job. He did not worry about the next ten minutes.
My family and I had a situation just yesterday that seemed to turn our world upside down. I never doubted that God would provide. When it comes to standing on principle, I am almost a bulldog about some things. To sell our soul for money and compromise our believes and values was not even something to discuss. God would always provide when a child of His stands up for what is right and biblical. He has for us each and every time.
Yesterday we were told that my husband was losing his job. OK, really he was losing the funding for that ministry. The ministry would not die and he would not give up following God's plan. But when the carrot was dangled in front of us, we felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Turn the ministry into what all other ministries are (which we have been praised for following the Bible and not man-made ideas and traditions)and lose your salary and not your work funds or continue and have no money at all. Saying we were shocked would be an understatement.
We have been commended for having a ministry that was more reflective of Jesus' while He was on earth. We are like nothing in the entire county and even the surrounding counties. Last night five people sat before us saying that they would be back using drugs or even worse if we were not here for them. We are reaching out to people who have no money, no family that supports them, and feel that there is no good in life. They say that they have found God again. They feel Him when we have fun together, worship together, and pray together. But other churches have commented that they just could not do what we do. They cannot reach many of the lost around here with severe issues. They cannot show them that Jesus is real and obtainable. Yet, if we were put under their direction they would want to take us down paths that would go against everything we do and stand for. They have told us that. The ministry would change and we would have to be like all the others around us.
The obstacle in front of us? Honestly, just money. How would we survive? I have no full-time job. If he loses his, how will we eat. There would be no money to survive on. Do we give in and go against what we and others feel God is leading us to do for money? Or do we say that we have the faith of a mustard seed and stand on principle? We are going to stand on principle. We cannot stand before God and say that we chose money and "peace of mind" over following His direction. Where would our blessings be? We would be miserable. We would be walking in the dark. But when we step out and say that we will be like Noah and follow God no matter how illogical it may sound, we will be the ones above the floods. We will be the ones with the blessings and the true peace. No amount of ridicule or condemnation will change that.
Our God is the only god. He is the only one to save us. He is the only one who has been there for us during the good and the gad. He is the only faithful person we know. He is the only truly supportive person because He is God and cannot be anything less. We follow the commander of all commanders. We follow the leader that leads perfectly. We follow the one who takes care of the lilies and the sparrows and reminds me how much more important I am than them. Why wouldn't He take care of something as tiny as money to live on. He created an amazing universe that we still cannot understand. He created the human body that sends scientists curveballs every time they think they have it figured out. Our God is the focus of our life, not man made rules, traditions, opinions, selfish desires, or controlling needs.
We learned that our faith can be blown in the wind, but just like a tree that bends with the winds instead of being broken into. We bent with the assault of the storm. We felt the pain of going in a direction we were not meant to. But when the storm eased, we pulled ourselves back up and continued growing. This time the growth is stronger.
When obstacles appear we always focus on them. We see the Red Sea before us and the Egyptians behind us. We see the thousands of soldiers before us and the few hundred with us. We see a valley of dry bones and nothing else. What we seem to forget and totally ignore is that God is there and He is way bigger and more powerful than the Red Sea, the Egyptians, the soldiers, death. No obstacle is too big for Him. In fact, they don't come up to His big toe. So why do we continually focus on them?
When Paul was in prison, he did not lament his predicament. He did not sit wringing his hands wondering what was going to happen next. He knew that what had happened would be in God's will and that he was going to do what he was told to do, witness, until he got his next marching orders. He did not wonder how he could do anything because he was in jail. He did not wonder how he could continue his ministry. He looked at the circumstances he was in and just did his job. He did not worry about the next ten minutes.
My family and I had a situation just yesterday that seemed to turn our world upside down. I never doubted that God would provide. When it comes to standing on principle, I am almost a bulldog about some things. To sell our soul for money and compromise our believes and values was not even something to discuss. God would always provide when a child of His stands up for what is right and biblical. He has for us each and every time.
Yesterday we were told that my husband was losing his job. OK, really he was losing the funding for that ministry. The ministry would not die and he would not give up following God's plan. But when the carrot was dangled in front of us, we felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Turn the ministry into what all other ministries are (which we have been praised for following the Bible and not man-made ideas and traditions)and lose your salary and not your work funds or continue and have no money at all. Saying we were shocked would be an understatement.
We have been commended for having a ministry that was more reflective of Jesus' while He was on earth. We are like nothing in the entire county and even the surrounding counties. Last night five people sat before us saying that they would be back using drugs or even worse if we were not here for them. We are reaching out to people who have no money, no family that supports them, and feel that there is no good in life. They say that they have found God again. They feel Him when we have fun together, worship together, and pray together. But other churches have commented that they just could not do what we do. They cannot reach many of the lost around here with severe issues. They cannot show them that Jesus is real and obtainable. Yet, if we were put under their direction they would want to take us down paths that would go against everything we do and stand for. They have told us that. The ministry would change and we would have to be like all the others around us.
The obstacle in front of us? Honestly, just money. How would we survive? I have no full-time job. If he loses his, how will we eat. There would be no money to survive on. Do we give in and go against what we and others feel God is leading us to do for money? Or do we say that we have the faith of a mustard seed and stand on principle? We are going to stand on principle. We cannot stand before God and say that we chose money and "peace of mind" over following His direction. Where would our blessings be? We would be miserable. We would be walking in the dark. But when we step out and say that we will be like Noah and follow God no matter how illogical it may sound, we will be the ones above the floods. We will be the ones with the blessings and the true peace. No amount of ridicule or condemnation will change that.
Our God is the only god. He is the only one to save us. He is the only one who has been there for us during the good and the gad. He is the only faithful person we know. He is the only truly supportive person because He is God and cannot be anything less. We follow the commander of all commanders. We follow the leader that leads perfectly. We follow the one who takes care of the lilies and the sparrows and reminds me how much more important I am than them. Why wouldn't He take care of something as tiny as money to live on. He created an amazing universe that we still cannot understand. He created the human body that sends scientists curveballs every time they think they have it figured out. Our God is the focus of our life, not man made rules, traditions, opinions, selfish desires, or controlling needs.
We learned that our faith can be blown in the wind, but just like a tree that bends with the winds instead of being broken into. We bent with the assault of the storm. We felt the pain of going in a direction we were not meant to. But when the storm eased, we pulled ourselves back up and continued growing. This time the growth is stronger.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
3 Simple God Acts of Love Challenge
This past Sunday the preacher gave each of us a challenge for the week. We were to note three instances in which God answered a prayer or need through simple methods. With the weeks we had been having I thought that it would be impossible. Why do I keep underestimating God?
God gave me simple act number 1 on Monday morning. I knew I was not getting over my sinus infection. The medicine from urgent care was not working at all. So I called my regular doctor. It usually takes three to five days to see him because everyone loves him. The receptionist actually laughed when I asked for the earliest date to see him was. But her laugh turned to gasps as she saw a cancellation. I could get in at 11:20. A miracle. A simple one, but a miracle.
We know God performs huge and amazing feats. We hear about it all the time in testimonies, but the simple acts that happen multiple times a time gets overlooked all the time. We never stop to see what He sends us that we brush aside and take for granted. We keep looking for a parting of the Red Sea while ignoring the butterfly. God sent that to us as well.
Our lives are always on the run. Our society expects this of us. We cannot have a single empty space on our calendar without being looked down upon or feeling guilty. To take a moment to breathe has to be planned and is a major event in our lives. Why should imitating Christ by taking some quality time to rejuvenate be so unusual?
Because of that challenge, I began my week being more deliberate and observant. Because of that I had a much better start to my day and I did not focus on the negative. I was deliberately looking for God in the simple things. Therefore, I was able to actually see the simple things and appreciate them.
I'm hoping to continue that today. I was actually able to start my day off with prayer and Bible study which has been almost non-existent lately. I did not think of what had to be done next. I took the moments of first coming around from sleep and began communing with my Father. I plan on seeing the simple miracles today and enjoying each and every one.
God gave me simple act number 1 on Monday morning. I knew I was not getting over my sinus infection. The medicine from urgent care was not working at all. So I called my regular doctor. It usually takes three to five days to see him because everyone loves him. The receptionist actually laughed when I asked for the earliest date to see him was. But her laugh turned to gasps as she saw a cancellation. I could get in at 11:20. A miracle. A simple one, but a miracle.
We know God performs huge and amazing feats. We hear about it all the time in testimonies, but the simple acts that happen multiple times a time gets overlooked all the time. We never stop to see what He sends us that we brush aside and take for granted. We keep looking for a parting of the Red Sea while ignoring the butterfly. God sent that to us as well.
Our lives are always on the run. Our society expects this of us. We cannot have a single empty space on our calendar without being looked down upon or feeling guilty. To take a moment to breathe has to be planned and is a major event in our lives. Why should imitating Christ by taking some quality time to rejuvenate be so unusual?
Because of that challenge, I began my week being more deliberate and observant. Because of that I had a much better start to my day and I did not focus on the negative. I was deliberately looking for God in the simple things. Therefore, I was able to actually see the simple things and appreciate them.
I'm hoping to continue that today. I was actually able to start my day off with prayer and Bible study which has been almost non-existent lately. I did not think of what had to be done next. I took the moments of first coming around from sleep and began communing with my Father. I plan on seeing the simple miracles today and enjoying each and every one.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do you trust God? Do you know in your heart that He is in control? If you said yes to these questions and still worry over things in your life, then you just told a really BIG one. When you worry, you are saying that you don’t trust God or feel like He can handle a situation. And we worry over everything! We worry over our finances, our health, our job, projects, finding a husband, having a baby, dealing with others, getting the dishes done….. The list can go on and on. If there is nothing big in our lives ready to be worried over, you’ll find something in our worry-closet. There is always something minor stuffed in there ready to use for a worry-free day. Then we chew on it. Our heart rate increases. Our tempers flare. No one wants to be around us. Then we come up with ways to get out of it. Our own wonderful ideas that land us in a world of trouble each and every time. Instead of a straight path, we find hills, dales, valleys, rocky mountains, and messed up roads when we choose the path to take. Let God do the navigating. When you do that, you are allowing the only one who can really see around the next bend work out your finances so that all will be well. Only then will the unknown be met head on with surety. Only He knows what your future holds. Let go and give God your troubles. Let Him fix it all. Let Him show you the straight path. I’m sure He can find other uses for your worry-energy.
Do you trust God? Do you know in your heart that He is in control? If you said yes to these questions and still worry over things in your life, then you just told a really BIG one. When you worry, you are saying that you don’t trust God or feel like He can handle a situation. And we worry over everything! We worry over our finances, our health, our job, projects, finding a husband, having a baby, dealing with others, getting the dishes done….. The list can go on and on. If there is nothing big in our lives ready to be worried over, you’ll find something in our worry-closet. There is always something minor stuffed in there ready to use for a worry-free day. Then we chew on it. Our heart rate increases. Our tempers flare. No one wants to be around us. Then we come up with ways to get out of it. Our own wonderful ideas that land us in a world of trouble each and every time. Instead of a straight path, we find hills, dales, valleys, rocky mountains, and messed up roads when we choose the path to take. Let God do the navigating. When you do that, you are allowing the only one who can really see around the next bend work out your finances so that all will be well. Only then will the unknown be met head on with surety. Only He knows what your future holds. Let go and give God your troubles. Let Him fix it all. Let Him show you the straight path. I’m sure He can find other uses for your worry-energy.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
A very powerful verse. One as black and white as they come. This very verse can end many debates. The very verse should be one you are extremely familiar with. Many people walk this earth saying that they believe. They believe many things. Most of them will even say that they believe in God or that they believe Jesus was the Son of God. That is well and good, but according to this verse and other Scripture references it is not enough to just believe. Even the demons believe and they are not guaranteed a place in heaven, so why should we expect otherwise? Believe is a starting point, not the finish line. You have to go beyond the believe stage and enter the confession/submission stage. So, there is a God. What is He is your life? Is He your Lord? Is He really? What does it mean for Him to be your Lord? To have a lord of any kind, means that you have someone that you are subject to and you give homage to. Do you do that with God? Are you subject to His commands and directions? Do you give Him appropriate acknowledgment and honor? More than likely not. So many of us might open up the Bible and casually read the words. But to implement them in our lives, that is another thing. To stop and think of God before opening our mouths, is another thing. Do you believe? Is He LORD of your life or is He a place to blame everything? Before you do anything else today, stop and think of what your relationship with God really is and where it really should be.
A very powerful verse. One as black and white as they come. This very verse can end many debates. The very verse should be one you are extremely familiar with. Many people walk this earth saying that they believe. They believe many things. Most of them will even say that they believe in God or that they believe Jesus was the Son of God. That is well and good, but according to this verse and other Scripture references it is not enough to just believe. Even the demons believe and they are not guaranteed a place in heaven, so why should we expect otherwise? Believe is a starting point, not the finish line. You have to go beyond the believe stage and enter the confession/submission stage. So, there is a God. What is He is your life? Is He your Lord? Is He really? What does it mean for Him to be your Lord? To have a lord of any kind, means that you have someone that you are subject to and you give homage to. Do you do that with God? Are you subject to His commands and directions? Do you give Him appropriate acknowledgment and honor? More than likely not. So many of us might open up the Bible and casually read the words. But to implement them in our lives, that is another thing. To stop and think of God before opening our mouths, is another thing. Do you believe? Is He LORD of your life or is He a place to blame everything? Before you do anything else today, stop and think of what your relationship with God really is and where it really should be.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Who are the meek? What are the meek? The meek are the ones who have learned humility and know what a servant’s heart really is. They are the ones who are acknowledging Christ first and following His commands quickly and obediently. But inheriting the earth? How will those that are not out front or taking charge be the winners in the end? That doesn’t make any sense at all. It is when it doesn’t make any sense that God can shine the brightest. They are the ones that God will be putting in charge of His new kingdom. They are the ones that know what good servitude and stewardship is. Now, the question lies in where we are on the meek-o-meter. Do we have a servant’s heart? Are we familiar with humility or more with arrogance? Are we good stewards and obedient servants? Will we inheriting the earth or watching on the side lines?
Who are the meek? What are the meek? The meek are the ones who have learned humility and know what a servant’s heart really is. They are the ones who are acknowledging Christ first and following His commands quickly and obediently. But inheriting the earth? How will those that are not out front or taking charge be the winners in the end? That doesn’t make any sense at all. It is when it doesn’t make any sense that God can shine the brightest. They are the ones that God will be putting in charge of His new kingdom. They are the ones that know what good servitude and stewardship is. Now, the question lies in where we are on the meek-o-meter. Do we have a servant’s heart? Are we familiar with humility or more with arrogance? Are we good stewards and obedient servants? Will we inheriting the earth or watching on the side lines?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Learning So Much
My children teach me so much. They make me look at things so differently. My son is the expert at that.
We were watching the movie Ben Hur. He is studying Latin and the history of Rome. As we are watching it, he begins to make comments. Leave it to an eleven year old to find historical errors that not even adults find. He begins to ask questions that we have trouble answering. Here we are with five degrees between us and we cannot answer these questions. So humbling.
Humility is something we never want to experience and never want to advance through. It means that we are not as "good" as we thought and need to correct a few things. It means that we are not perfect and need guidance. For an adult that can be painful especially from a child. What could they possibly teach us? More than you could guess. Their insights are amazing because they do not contain ideas that are "concrete" or "the norm". They have imagination and thinking out of the box is the norm for them.
My oldest taught me that I need to slow down and spend more time with her. She is the tender age of 13. She needed more one on one time with her parents. She is struggling getting our attention from her brother and sister and work and life in general. She needs us. She taught us to stop and smell the roses. She is the rose in our life that is blooming against our will. The child is becoming a young lady who still needs love and attention.
I haven't learned it all yet. I've got a long way to go.
We were watching the movie Ben Hur. He is studying Latin and the history of Rome. As we are watching it, he begins to make comments. Leave it to an eleven year old to find historical errors that not even adults find. He begins to ask questions that we have trouble answering. Here we are with five degrees between us and we cannot answer these questions. So humbling.
Humility is something we never want to experience and never want to advance through. It means that we are not as "good" as we thought and need to correct a few things. It means that we are not perfect and need guidance. For an adult that can be painful especially from a child. What could they possibly teach us? More than you could guess. Their insights are amazing because they do not contain ideas that are "concrete" or "the norm". They have imagination and thinking out of the box is the norm for them.
My oldest taught me that I need to slow down and spend more time with her. She is the tender age of 13. She needed more one on one time with her parents. She is struggling getting our attention from her brother and sister and work and life in general. She needs us. She taught us to stop and smell the roses. She is the rose in our life that is blooming against our will. The child is becoming a young lady who still needs love and attention.
I haven't learned it all yet. I've got a long way to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)