Don't Stop!

I agree with the statement if you can't stop thinking about it, don't stop working for it! As we keep our life centered in the Lord, He often gives us the desires of our heart. So when a persistent thought or desire doesn't easily go away, a lot of times it might just be the Lord preparing and equipping us to do that very thing! Don't shrink away from the prodding of the Lord. Pursue and know that it's worth it, especially if it's in line with his Word and it will help others. \0/

RE-Claiming that Lost Treasure!

Jesus, leaving the 99 sheep to seek after and find the 1 lost sheep, amazes me every time I read this scripture.

However, I could remember it almost like yesterday I could not find that one sandal… again! Just a couple of years earlier, I misplaced a beautiful set of formal black heels my husband bought me. Never finding them, I vowed I would be more careful going forward in putting my shoes carefully away.  However, on this day, searching all over the house, having just returned from our vacation from Virginia, I was sure, I must have slipped them off under the bed having arrived back late at home. Searching under the bed frantically, then in my closet, I let it go for a few days until I remembered that I wanted to wear them again, though I still had not located them.

So, days later and then weeks later when I wanted to wear these new sandals (that I just bought this year) once again tried to locate the mysteriously missing sandal to my new pair!  I searched under the bed more carefully this time around, then in my closet, next downstairs, then to every kid’s room, in the shoe bins of each of my kids’ rooms, but still could not find it. I even went so far as to call the rental car company we rented the van from to travel out of state to see if maybe it was in the van that we returned.  After they confirmed that no lost and found sandals were left in any of the rentals or lost and found, my husband insisted that I just buy another pair of the same shoe.

However, in my own stubborn way, I wanted to wait again to search the same areas around my home. And I must admit without exaggeration, I had repeated this search in the most detail way at least 10 times to no avail of finding the matching shoe.

What was it in me that did not want to give up on this one sandal?  I can only imagine it must have been like the Lord and the parable of the one lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7 or the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, each having significant and unique value more than what appeared to the eye.

Those during Jesus’ time on earth understood that when a sheep wandered, the overseer was left with no other choice of recourse but to search until he found it. The thought was not “if”, but “when” He would find it. The safekeeping of the remaining ninety-nine was secondary to the priority of saving the one.

But for me it wasn't even about having to spend more money on another set of shoes, it was more about finding that one sandal that I knew I should have kept in my possession. It had only been a few months earlier in my haste of things I had similarly misplaced my diamond ring something of great value that slipped off my finger given to me by my husband over 22 years ago. Likewise, I frantically searched going back to each store I visited that day. Surely it must have slipped off my finger while I was lifting and lowering cards in the Hallmark card holder section of the store. To no avail I struggled for days and tried to remember where it could be. Pacing the parking lot, our house, and my car, I reflected more than anything not over the monetary value -though worth a great price, but the sentimental value of what that ring meant to me that I began to mourn over. Thankfully one of my sons discovered, soon after, my treasured wedding ring that lay safely in the middle of our upstairs hallway where it must have slipped off!

I realized reflecting back, that we as human beings have truly been made in the image and heart of our Lord, for the very fact that we hate to lose something of great sentimental value. In other words we will stop everything, our routine of the day no matter how big or small the priorities lined up, to find that item that is special and precious to us. Even if we have the option of easily replacing it with another, our goal is all too often to find THAT lost item.

Once again, I'm reminded of how our Lord must grieve when one of his own goes missing- when we go missing in action, individually pull away from Him- much like on a much smaller scale we sorrow over losing a sentimentally prized ring or become frustrated at the misplacement of a favorite new shoe.

The Bible speaks of how we are just like sheep, because we too have all gone awry. Yet God, in all His great mercy, goes on an exhaustive journey to seek after the hard-hearted that has wandered, to mend His loving relationship to the one who has turned away. A humbling endeavor? Yes. But God comes not only as our Lord but as our loving Shepherd.

Jesus’s mission here was to “seek and to save that which is lost,” a role that highlights our very lives the moment He found us in our initial lost state. And the reason we have this same heart to not give up on something lost, is that this seek and find responsibility is an inherited trait as well as built into our DNA. That grace I have discovered is the same grace that we have been entrusted to demonstrate to others...even those who may have betrayed and hurt us in the past. Though this epiphany began with a lost sandal and continued through my losing and finding my ring, I am learning that to be filled with the Shepherd’s love and have His heart; includes me actively seeking the Lord and through that heart actively seeking out the lost, scared, and stubborn hearted in people who have turned to their own way.

I'm reminded that His love is so great, that he still seeks after us even when we don't seek after Him! I'm reminded of his unfailing grace and mercy, when we mess up over and over again through a weakness or shortcoming! How much more can we be children of God that remember the Lord, in those times when we are tempted to pull away!

I purpose in my heart to draw close to Him today, as He always seeking for us to have a greater/richer relationship back with Him.

Would you agree with me in prayer?

“Lord I Thank You for Your unfailing Grace. I thank you for your undying love that continually pursues and persists to seek after us…. after your own. That you desire to, guard, guide, and provide for us in every way every day.  I pray that I would continually to recognize that great treasure I have in my active relationship with you. Keep me close that I not take lightly the pursuit that I am to have in you. I pray that I would press in even the more when circumstances are not going my way. I desire to know you in all that your ways. I choose you in my heart, and I thank you for your matchless love and grace that only you can provide through your precious Son, in Jesus' mighty name!” Amen.

It's the Little Things....It Really Is!

It was Monday morning, again!

I pushed the covers off and on this particular day I mistakenly let the minutes tick away more quickly than other days, and having seen the girls off for school....I lost track of time to the point I did not get in the Word and prayer that AM before leaving as I usually do!

Normally, I make sure I allot time for my morning devotions: reflection, prayer, and the Word. However, this morning was different, as I ripped around the house grabbing my water bottle, workout bag, towel, etc.

This was the one day I did not keep my priorities in order, AND this was the one morning a student came into one of my fitness classes that I was teaching at the gym, and the demeanor and attitude was so heavy, and checked out from this person, that I allowed it to affect my level of energy I had that day. Having rushed about my day without surrendering to the Word and prayer, I allowed another person's attitude to hamper the joy and zeal, I brought to the class! And even though this person stood behind 49 plus other enthusiastically cheering people ready to workout, all I could focus on was the one negative person, amazingly!

And so it is true as the phrase is stated from scripture... it's the little foxes who spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15). And, so much more easily so, when our vine is not rooted and connected to the source (God) the way it should be for our vine's identity, and source of strength!

And similarly as it is in real life....we can often let the small things in life distract from the big picture that God has for us- ultimately missing out on what God would have us be in that moment for someone in need when we are not focused on Him!

Perhaps I could have shared a specific word of encouragement to the student before or after class that day. Perhaps he/she was simply having a bad day as many of us can have at any given time.... None of that unfortunately crossed my mind at the time, because instead of focusing on helping others in thrive mode, I was stuck in survive mode becoming very self-consumed!

I ended up making it through that class! 😉 But I also had the sting of a reminder to not let another day go by, without considering the Lord first in my day, and in my daily devotion with Him. How truly we need him everyday and in every way!

I purpose in my heart today to keep my priorities straight to seek the Lord early on during the first part of my day AND often throughout the day. To invite Him in on my daily decisions AND into my thought life! How about you?

If you agree, pray this prayer with me: "Lord help me to continually purpose in my heart to seek you first, to seek you fervently and sincerely from the heart. Not out of duty, and not out of a rote way of marking a task off my list, but out of sincerity and a desire to relationally know you and be found in you even the more. Help me to grow deeper Lord, that I desire to know your voice and your face (who you are), over your hand and what only you can do for me."

I pray this now in your precious son Jesus' Name. Amen!

The Word of the Day is HOPE!

Hope. Such a simple 4 letter word, yet timely important reminder that we never lose the simplicity of HOPE in our lives. You know the Bible says hope thou in God...

The Word "hope" is actually found in at least 105 verse(s), 40 chapter (s) and 28 book(s). It causes me to pause and think - if it's mentioned that many times in the Bible, and is that important to God it ought to be that important to us! 

It is so easy to look around and see the negative climate of our world... politically, emotionally and even spiritually, and be discouraged in a time where there are so many walls that seek to divide us as a human race!

However, Psalm 42:11, states

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

When we intentionally choose to focus on the hope that the Lord has put in our hearts and maintaining it, we can begin to walk with unshakable faith as faithful disciples of the Word.

Purposing in my heart today to keep hope alive in my heart. Not through it being another neat cliche', or an action misplaced in things, and/or people, but HOPE that is ALIVE in God!

I Hope and pray you are encouraged to do the same. Be blessed on today! \0/

A Time To Fight And A Time To Retreat!

There’s a time to war and a time to keep peace, a time to speak and a time to remain silent.  In other words, there is, a Time to Fight and a Time to Retreat. (Ecclesiastes 3)

I am always amazed no matter how many times I read Ecclesiastes 3, that God works everything beautiful in each season of our lives. Throughout each verse, I am intrigued how from one moment to the next in the very same verse it speaks of two CONTRASTING seasons – AND how God can work through both!  Check it out:

A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Growing up, I fought for everything. I believe my father raised all of his 4 daughters, I -as one of those 4, to be strong independent women who knew what they wanted in life to pursue it! My dad raised us that way, I truly believe, because he wanted to ensure whether we got married or not, would be self-sufficient, capable, strong, well-to-do type women. 

Once I gave my life to the Lord, in addition to the great qualities my dad taught me, I had to come to grips that I could not simply remain strong in MYSELF. I realized it isn’t okay to feel like I must WIN at everything, every battle, all the time! Because if I approach life in that mode, I will incessantly fall prey to live with the burden, of striving for people, striving over my circumstances, and even striving against my own trust in God’s Word - moving into strife and survival mode with doubt and worry over each circumstance that comes my way versus thriving through surrender, trust, faith, and release in the LORD and his Word when things don't go my way. \0/  

Likewise, I also found that if we as believers don’t recognize the different seasons that God allows in our lives, such as the unexpected or traumatic events (loss, death of a loved one, health challenges, etc.) it will cause us to stay stuck in a victim mentality, versus a VICTOR mentality.  And we are more susceptible to perpetually question, “Why me?” instead of “Why not me? [God's got me!]

It says in Matthew 5:45b-states.  “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” 

As we walk out our Faith in the Word, God desires to intervene on our behalf.

However, we must move in our hearts beyond the inclination of self-reliance- when it comes to our lateral ability to fight my own battles. If not, we will at best be limited to what we laterally see as the outcome. But when we trust the Lord, the omnipotent, omniscient God of all who sees and knows everything to fight our battles, He will break us through at a level that we could never on our own could have imagined, every time, because His ways are so much higher, broader, greater, eternal than mine…

 

God’s ways include the BIG picture that He originally designed for me; for God never called me to strive in life endlessly against circumstances. But, He has called me to surrender to HIM amidst those circumstances.

I truly believe that as the Word assures that God works out everything beautifully in its time, that we can trust God even through those not so popular seasons- of death, sickness, sadness, mourning, loss and wilderness moments, during-

^2a a time to die;

^3a a time to heal;

^4a a time to weep,

^4b a time to mourn,

^6a a time to lose;

^7b a time to keep silence,

So much so that ultimately, we can recognize and appreciate even the smaller moments of breakthrough as in-  a time for peace. ^8b

Whether through the sudden passing of a loved one, like my husband and I experienced with our beautiful baby daughter over 17 years ago, or an unexpected health report, like the one I personally experienced over 14 years ago with the untimely diagnosis of cancer - in each of those moments, I had to choose to come to a place of rest and surrender in the Lord, trusting His Will and Way over striving, fighting and the desire to flight (run away from God). I also learned that though everything  may not feel good, look good, seem good, or be good, in our life, we can trust that Romans 8 - all things are working together for our good. 

If I ever lose sight of this .... may I be reminded of the struggles that will inevitably follow when I move back into self-reliance. For Jesus did not come to only save us to then leave us alone to strive in ourselves in this thing called life. He came to actively be our Deliverer, Helper, Ruler, Shelter, Comforter, Protector, Healer, Provider, Guide, Father, Lord, Savior, Friend, and the list is limitless!

And living a Christ-led life is surrendering daily to the Lord in a midst of battles, that were never mine in the 1^st place to handle in myself or own strength. I encourage you to live a life of release and peace, versus holding on to a life of control and stress. I pray you be encouraged today!

If you agree with a life of surrender and rest in the Lord, will you join me in prayer?

      Lord, thank you for a life that is God-filtered. And when our lives are filtered by your sovereign hand, I pray we as followers would be continually reminded that you are a GOOD Father, who ultimately wants the best for our lives! Lord I also pray that you would strengthen when we are tempted to take matters back in my own hands. That we would give back to you the desire to control everything. I thank you that Jesus you alone are enough and sufficient to every challenge that may come our way. I give you my life and every care and agree with any other who choose to also pray this prayer. And when tempted to give up, instead remind us Lord the of the importance of GIVING IN to you at another level - in Jesus’ name! Amen