Victory

As soon as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot my son started pleading –
“Can we PLEEEASE ride in the car cart mommy? Please?!”
He loves driving the car while I push the cart.
“I’m not sure,” I say, “Those carts are so big and heavy to push around.”
He pleads, “But, Mommy I sent you an e-mail about it.”

I often try to tell God what I want to happen – how I want to do things and try to make Him change His plan to match mine. “But, Father I sent you an e-mail about this change in plans.” Taking time to be still and know He is God is important so we are on track with His plan for us.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21

God’s purpose will prevail. The question is, do we want to jump in with faith and be a part of it or do we want to sit on the sidelines because it wasn’t how we thought it was going to be?
If we have been taking the time to sit with God and develop that personal relationship with Him it is much easier to trust, have faith and take action. God doesn’t want an e-mail. He wants a conversation. He wants your trust and your confidence.

There comes a point where we have to choose to believe God is who He says He is and can do all things or not. There are many great stories in the bible of those who trusted God, followed His plan and found victory. Look at David when he faced Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Joshua who walked around Jericho waiting for the walls to fall (Joshua 6), Gideon as he sent most all of his army home before the battle (Judges 7), all of the disciples as they left their professions and families to follow Christ . . . the list goes on and on.

Unbelief is severely costly, but there is victory when we choose to throw away our plan and human wisdom and put our faith in God’s power and His plan!

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17

Listen & Obey

“Are you listening? Did you hear what I said? When I ask you to do something you need to do it!” Oh, if I only had a penny for every time I have told my children to listen and obey.

Just this morning, I was reminding my children of how important it is for them to follow directions and do what I ask of them. Mid sentence, I realized that this is what our heavenly Father says to use each day as He speaks to us and we make the decision to listen and obey or move on with our own plan.

“Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.” Deuteronomy 5:27

When God nudges us we should obey immediately, but that sometimes take a God-sized amount of faith. Do we have that much faith in our God? As Christians we can’t just say that we have faith in God and His plan, we have to change our lives to reflect that we have faith in Him. If we don’t step out and live like our God can do anything why would others care to learn more about our God. When we step out on faith, after God’s nudging, and something happens that only God could do people take notice. When we follow God’s plan and not our own He is able to do miraculous things that bless us and those around us. Many good things come from God’s plan.

Hebrews 11 talks about faith and those in the bible who demonstrated this God-sized faith. This faith resulted in some amazing and wonderful accomplishments, but also resulted in some terrible scenarios. Through faith kingdoms were conquered, weakness was turned to strength, the mouths of lions were shut, justice was administered and many escaped the sword. Also through faith, some were tortured, imprisoned, put to death, destitute, mistreated and persecuted. The outcomes of faith are not always pretty!

I know we all have the faith we need to follow God if we experience the good outcomes. The tough question is whether or not we have the faith to follow God if we have to endure the bad outcomes. I can say with confidence that our Father in Heaven has great rewards for those with faith; far more than this world could ever offer.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

Seek God First

“The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” Psalm 14:2

We are all guilty of it. Taking our problems, our concerns and complaints to others before we take them to God.
He is the one we should go to first when we are seeking wise council.

God drove this point home to me over a year ago. It had been a tough few months. Every thing seemed to be falling apart. My friend Shannon’s cancer had spread to her brain, my Dad was diagnoised with prostate cancer, I had a disappointing b-day and oh, how the list went on and on, but I will spare you. It was summer and all my friends were traveling, busy with camp, the pool, etc. When I tried to talk to them everyone seemed distracted. They were out of town or running out the door to the next activity or obligation. Don’t get me wrong, I am guilty of the same thing. We get in a hurry and fill our schedules to the brim so there is no margin for the things that might pop up.

After the fourth attempt to talk to a friend and getting no where. . . it hit me! God spoke to my heart and I realized I needed to be taking all of this worry and concern to God and trusting Him to be in control.

Let me be clear, I’m not saying we don’t need to seek the council of our friends. God has placed them in our lives to support us, love on us, give us solid Christian advice and hold us accountable. I praise God for my girlfriends everyday!

But the Bible says that, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

Acts 17:26-27.

I think God was reminding me that above all else, I should first seek Him. He is always available and “not far from each one of us”. He is never on the way out the door, swim team practice, Target or the grocery store. We have a God who craves a relationship with us and desires for us to seek Him daily. Next time you are troubled, have a concern or problem, talk it over with our Lord and Savior first. Seek His council, His comfort and direction. Pray that He provides you with an solution or answer in any way He can. He may speak straight to your heart, send a friend or put you in a circumstance that will give you the answer or peace that you need. He doesn’t promise when or how, but He blesses all those who seek Him.

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

A Few Things Along the Way . . .

As I mentioned when I first started writing this blog. For several years, I have been writing down all the ways God speaks to me. Some are funny, some sad and some just plan amazing. These are just a few things I have learned along the way.

1. There are 3 things I need to survive – working out, bible study, date night & girl’s night out

2. Our children always have the best ideas.
Culli once said, “Mommy, I wish we could build a tall house all the way up to the sky so we could visit God. I would invite all my friends too so they could see Him.”

3. God speaks in many ways . . . even through the man at Cafe Carolina who collects the pagers and gives you your food!

4. If you get an calling or nudge to do something you normally wouldn’t do it – it is God! That is why I attend a different church now & not attending the same bible study I have been in for 6 years. God certainly knows how to take us out of our comfort zone and bless us in ways we could never imagine.

5. God will never give us a challenage that he hasn’t prepared us for. He will release His power within us to make His plan happen. After my teenage years, who would have ever thought God would find me worthy to minister to a group of young women each month and teach them about His amazing love and lessons.

6. Children are must quicker to forgive than adults. Just like the time our dog, Trudy, pooped in the hallway. I had a fit and Emma grabbed her, hugged her and told me we needed to be nice and forgive her.
We should be more like children. What’s a little poop?!

7. If you can’t get out to touch the lives of people God needs you to cross paths with – he will bring them to you. Even if they are just there to fix the cabinets in your kitchen.

My hope is that as you read this blog you will begin to see God’s promises in your everyday life and the people around you. He is always there! We just need to tune in and take the time to notice. It takes a little practice, but once you start – you see him everywhere.

As you go through your day and notice hints of God or strong nudges write them down. At first, your pages may be empty, but do not get discouraged. I am certain that soon your pages will be overflowing with stories and circumstances where you took note of God in your daily life.

“Blessed are those who strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” Psalms 84:5

God’s Promises Never Fail

“Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!” – Joshua 23:14
This Sunday we were at the pool trying to get in one more day of summer. Matt left to get our lunch from the clubhouse and my son said, “Mommy, Daddy just left.” “Yes, I know, I said. He will be right back.” Culli responded quickly, “But, how do you know?” After I took a moment to collect my thoughts and consider what he had just asked, I responded, “Faith, I guess. ”

I have thought about that conversation many times this week. We certainly don’t know if we will be “right back” or what will happen in our day. Just this week I lost another sweet woman in my life to cancer. It has almost been a year that my friend Shannon was taken home after her battle with cancer. We all have these things that happen in our lives that remind us of how fragile this life really is.

In this cruel and confusing world, what do we cling to? God’s promises! I am so thankful for His promises and even more thankful that He never changes and His promises never fail. We can’t count on much in this world we live in, but we can count on our God! We can have faith that what He has promised will be fulfilled and His love for us will never cease.

Sometimes in the midst of a crisis or concern, I can’t seem to remember those promises. My mind start swirling with what if’s and oh, no’s. So, I have created a card I keep in my bible that has God’s promises listed and scriptures that go with each promise. Here are a few of my favorites:

You say: It’s Impossible, God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: I can’t go on, God says: My grace is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: I am afraid, God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
You say: I feel all alone, God says, I will never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
You say: I am always worried or frustrated, God says, Cast all your cares on me (1 Peter 5:7)

Oh, that is just a few of God’s awesome promises. They flow from Him freely for anyone who will accept them.
There are days I just want to open my heart up and let him pour His promises into my soul and fill me up. This world and Satan can suck our hearts and souls dry if we let him. That is why continually seeking God’s wisdom and claiming His promises are so important.

You wouldn’t take a road trip without filling up your gas tank. I would like to suggest we don’t go out into this world without filling up our hearts with God’s Word. You don’t even have to pay for it because Jesus already took care of the bill!

Does God Still Speak?

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Hebrews 1:1-2

I use to say things like, “Well, I would know it was God speaking if he spoke to me through the burning bush in my backyard or turned my purse into a serpent. The OT guys had it easy. There was no doubt when God was speaking to them.” I was living like God didn’t speak to me/us anymore, but He does. Just in a different way. Jesus had not arrived in the Old Testament, so God had to speak for himself. When Jesus walked the earth, God spoke through Him. From Acts to today, God still speaks, but He uses the Holy Spirit. Not as noticeable as a burning bush or a person standing in front of you, but still very much alive and desires to speak to our hearts. Bottom line: God still speaks – just in a different way.

Henry Blackaby says, “If a Christian does not know when God is speaking, he is in trouble at the heart of his Christian life.” This is to say that in order to hear God, we must know Him intimately. We must understand that He speaks through other believers He places in our path, through our prayer time, through our study of His Word, or through a situation you may be facing. What is so awesome is that He doesn’t speak to us the same way every time and He doesn’t speak to me the same way He may speak to you. He wants to meet us where we are, make it meaningful and special to us. For example, if my husband came home and brought me roses I would be surprised and very happy, but if he came home with tulips (my favorite flower) it would mean even more to me. God knows us better than we know ourselves and He wants to speak to us in a way that will be meaningful and special to us. God is speaking to you! Are you listening?

My son came home from preschool last year and told me, “I wasn’t a good listener in Spanish today, but they didn’t put me in jail, just time out!” This made me laugh, but there is also a good lesson in this. Listening . . . especially when God speaks is crucial to experiencing God in our lives. If we continue to hear and not respond when God speaks to us we could face a “famine of hearing the words of the Lord” Amos 8:11-12.

We need to decide today that 1) we will take the time to get to know our Father intimately so that when He speaks we will recognize it and 2) when He does speak that we will take immediate action and be obedient to His direction or request.

“Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him” Luke 8:18