I pray for her

She comes to my mind as I drive home from lunch with Daddy, my car full of our children and toys and imagination and "shushes" and "there are four of us in this car and if we were all that loud our ears would bleed."

That nameless woman finds herself right in the thick of my prayers, and I can't help but feel a connection. So I pray for her, and for every "her" that comes across this blog of mine with a need in her heart. That "she" is you, and she is me, and she is every women out there. Because until we find ourselves standing in the glorious presence of our Heavenly Father, we will always need prayer, always need support, always need each other.

for her with a heart that is mourning, I pray His gentle and loving and comforting hands to wrap around the broken pieces and gently hold on until the pain lessens

for her with a heart that is overwhelmed, I pray the Holy Spirit will rise up in peace and patience and understanding that this time of small children or disobedient teens or marital discord or over-work should bring us closer to His presence where we can find rest and be re-fueled

for her in an abusive situation, I pray that God would bring deliverance and protection and hope that there is hope, and healing for her wounds, both emotional and physical, and for someone, anyone, to come along-side and help lead her to safety

for her facing fear in the unknown, I pray that she would find rest in the One who knows her todays and tomorrows, and that even in the absence of answers He is there guiding her by the right hand along this crooked path

for her caught and stuck in sin, I pray that the Redeemer would open her eyes and ears to His Truth, that she would find freedom from her sin, find her salvation in Him, and discover His great plans for her future and hope

for every her who does not know Him, that she would finally allow Him to catch her and sweep her off her feet in the most glorious love story ever told

for every you who is a her, I pray that He who is Greater than any other would meet you right where you are, and fill you with what you need
 

To Him be all the Glory, forever and ever! 

I will rise

I have been under attack. Satan has not been happy with me. He has realized that he cannot destroy my marriage, but boy did he ever try. He has realized that I am winning the fight over my melancholy tendencies by choosing to to be thankful, and having a wonderful friend to share my thankfulls with to keep on track. And since he cannot defeat me there, he has started attacking my person. He is attacking my spirit, my self-worth. Because he never wants to see a Christian prosper, and if he can keep them from that he will do whatever he can. And so he has been going for my gut. 

Part of my freedom over this has come just in recognizing what is happening. God has opened my eyes to see the spiritual attack I have been under. One way this has played out recently is with this blog. I had become very discouraged, thinking that it wasn't really helping anyone, that it didn't matter whether I posted or not, and I was not getting any ideas about what to post anyway. So, other things took precedence and I stopped posting regularly. But yet I have had several people tell me recently that they love reading what I post in this space, and it has been helpful to them. So I realized, then, that Satan did not want me to post here, because he did not want me to encourage or help anyone, and he certainly didn't want any marriages saved or helped because of my marriage story, and so he discouraged me. And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Now, don't get me wrong, this blog is nothing about me, but is an avenue for me to share the story of my marriage saved from an affair, and to encourage other women and to point any one reading straight to the loving arms of my Heavenly Father.   

So I promise to be faithful, to you who regularly stop by here to read and visit (and by the way, know that I love reading your comments), and to God, and His plan for this blog and for me. I will rise above these attacks by Satan, because I know that He can never separate me from the love of God, and His plan for me is all I need.   

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:45

On the tablet of my heart

 It is early in the morning, and the thoughts hit me. The lies that the enemy knows I will easily believe. You really blew it. Why did you say that? Why did you act that way? You can image what they were saying about you. The truth is that it doesn't matter how it really went down, the enemy will always put a negative spin on it, and I will believe it, at least at first.

Why is it that we are so hard on ourselves? Why do we as women, wives, mothers, friends, sisters, always think so critically about ourselves? As the thoughts, the lies that I am trying hard not to believe, swirl and spin around, I feel myself tighten up. My heart clenches, my soul cries out. I cry out to Jesus to remind me of the truth. I cry for His protection around me, over me, through me. Because we all need that, and maybe we as women need it especially.

He lovingly takes my face in His hands and reminds me. Through the voice of Peter Furler He reminds me that it doesn't matter what other people think of me. When my focus is on Him alone I am truly alive. And so, again, I take my eyes off of me, put them on Him, and we move forward.

I walk downstairs and look around. I remember to choose thankfulness. I am thankful for chalk drawings, and how they have evolved over the last year. I am thankful for the quiet early morning moments with my husband, as we read through the Word together. I am thankful for ponytails on top of the head and endless summer afternoons.

I take a deep breath. Smile. And move forward to conquer my day, in thankfulness, love, and with the Truth written on the tablet of my heart.  

You are called

My heart has been pulled. It has been pulled hard, and I don't know whether to feel convicted or angry or passionate. I think I feel all three, plus some. God has been using several different things to speak to me about this thing, but the one I can stand on is this. His Word.

Romans 10:14, 15 "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?"

How can they know that they need Him unless we tell them? How can they know He loves them unless we show them? How can they understand that they can be clean unless we love them and tell them Who can clean them?

This them? It's hurting, desperate people in Africa, and it's hurting, desperate people in our neighborhood, our family, our place of work, our classroom. I am tired of seeing Christians, seeing myself, so caught up in this cozy little life, how we look, what we weigh, how prosperous we appear, how many gadgets we have, how behaved our children are, that we fail to notice the person standing right in front of us, hurting and desperately needing us to tell them that HE LOVES THEM.

How can we stand by, looking perfectly in place, when people in our every day are hurting? How can we walk through the halls of our church and pretend like we never fall when the couple walking next to us has a marriage that is about to implode, or has a teenager that has run from God, or has an addiction that they can't beat? Why do we as Christians feel like we can never show any weakness? Why does the phrase "this isn't something that we should be talking about in church" even exist? How can anyone feel like they can approach us if we are so unapproachable?

I will be the first to say that my marriage and my family are my biggest, most important ministry. But what about other people's marriage, other people's families? What about the people who are desperately hurting and needing to know that God longs to heal them, that Jesus died on the cross for every single sin they have ever committed, and every single sin they will ever commit, and He rose again to defeat death and Hell and Satan, and He did it all for them? Who's ministry are they?

They are yours, they are mine, they are every single Christian they come into contact with on a daily basis. Because, guess what? When you became a Christian, when I did, too, we were sent. We were called to go into the world, our world, and tell people about Him. Because how can they know about Him unless we, who have been called, tell them?

If we allow our hearts to become hard, or complacent, or focused on anything but God, Satan has won. The enemy has accomplished his goal. I refuse, and I hope you will, too.

There is no too far

"I can never escape your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night - but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You." 
                                                                                                        Psalm 139:7-12

There is no too far. There is no going so far that God cannot reach you. I have seen people in my life who have run from God for so long that they feel like there is no turning back. They may think, "with everything I have done, God would never forgive me", or they may not even realize they are running from Him. But the truth is, there is no too far.

Whatever you have done in your life, wherever you have run, however you have sinned, God is there with you, just waiting to wash you clean of your sin and fill you with the peace you are lacking. There is no cleaning up first, for only God can wash you clean with the blood of Jesus. There is no doing good enough or saying the right thing or being perfect, there is only the perfect Grace of God, which by definition is given to us even when we don't deserve it.

If you are running from God today, running from your sin, trying desperately to slough off what you have done, whatever you have done, there is only one True answer. Stop running, fall on your knees in front of the only One who can truly wash you clean, and let Him take the load off your shoulders that you have been running under. Confess to Him that you have been running, what you have been running from, and ask Him to wash you clean. Oh, the peace and joy that comes from that freedom, will be like none you have ever experienced!

Striving to live

We sat together, my good friend and I, enjoying the cool air (that a few weeks ago we considered hot!) after eating some yummy dinner. We talked about kids and marriage and life, and I said, "I just wish it would be consistently good. Why is it that we have days that are effortlessly great and days that really just take work? Scott and I can have a really great day, and then something happens the next day and it seems like we are having to work through a conflict. Wouldn't it be nice if it wasn't so hard?"

And then today, sitting outside reading the Word and listening to the birds call to each other, He reminded me that, yeah, it is hard, and by the way, He already said it was going to be.

Romans 8:15-17 "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, "Abba, Father." For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share in His glory, we must also share in His suffering."


The Study Bible says about these verses "Jesus is heir to all of God's promises, and as those who belong to Jesus, we share with Him in that glorious inheritance. However, just as it was for Jesus, our path to glory is also marked by suffering. We experience the difficulties that come from striving to live righteously in a world dominated by sin."

Life is hard because there is a real struggle in our souls between what we ought to do (living righteously) and what we want to do (the cravings of our sinful nature). God's original law, though good and right, only served to show the people what they were doing wrong. It didn't bring with it any means to stop doing the wrong. That's where Jesus came in. With His death and resurrection, we are given His Spirit, and the Spirit lives in us, enabling us to choose not to be slaves to our sinful nature and to walk righteously. By His grace and power, may I strive to have more and more days where I choose not my sinful nature, but His righteousness.

Move!

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when called to go..., obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

Is God calling you to go, to do, to love, and you don't understand why or how? Maybe it is respecting and honoring a spouse even though your relationship isn't great right now. Maybe it is stopping and talking to someone you don't really enjoy talking to. Maybe it is serving a friend or family member in need. Maybe it is stopping and praying with the random stranger you feel God calling you to pray for. Maybe, just maybe (and this has happened to me), it is getting out of your car and talking to a small group of gypsies who have taken up temporary camp in your town. And, better yet, offering them your free Speedway coffee coupon. And asking them what their story is. And praying with them. Uncomfortable, intimidating, inconvenient. Yes, but when you give your life to Christ and seek to follow Him where He leads you, there are times when He will call you to submit to His greater plan. Even though you may never know why. Because He knows what He is doing, and he weaves people into and out of your life for a reason. All He asks you to do is obey, whether you understand or not. Often times, you will be blessed in the serving as well.

From Streams in the Desert: "Many an opportunity is lost while we deliberate after He has said, 'Move!'"

Linked up wit Titus 2sdays, On Your Heart Tuesdays, What I learned this week, Teach me Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Just write

The sweet fragrance of pain

(an excerpt from Streams in the Desert, a book that holds a very special place in my heart)

Song of Songs 4:16: Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that it's fragrance may be spread abroad.

Some of the spices and plants mentioned in verse 14 of the above chapter are very descriptive and symbolic. The juice of the aloe plant has a bitter taste but is soothing when applied to the skin, so it tells us of the sweetness of bitter things, the bittersweet, having an important application that only those who have used it will understand. Myrrh is symbolic of death, having been used to embalm the dead. It represents the sweetness that comes to the heart after it has died to self-will, pride, and sin.
What inexpressible charm seems to encircle some Christians, simply because they carry upon their pure countenance and gentle spirit the imprint of the cross! It is the holy evidence of having died to something that was once proud and strong but is now forever surrendered at the feet of Jesus. And it is also the heavenly charm of a broken spirit and contrite heart, the beautiful music that rises from a minor key, and the sweetness brought about by the touch of frost on ripened fruit.
Finally, frankincense was a fragrance that arose only after being touched with fire. The burning incense became clouds of sweetness arising from the heat of the flames. It symbolizes a person's heart whose sweetness has been brought forth by the flames of affliction until the holy, innermost part of the soul is filled with clouds of praise and prayer.
---

Dear friends, sometimes God allows us to experience pain in our lives because He knows it is what we need to grow, to bloom, as in the pruning of a rose bush. Sometimes the pain helps us to see things in a whole new light, and allows us to become a blessing to someone else.
Are you in pain today? Grasp ahold of our Heavenly Father's hand, and let Him guide you through the bitter to the other side, where the sweet fragrance of pain lies. Let it fill you with praise and prayer.

Make every effort to grow

 "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sin." 2 Peter 1:5-9

I do not always seek to possess these characteristics in increasing measure. Sometimes I don't even possess these characteristics! I sometimes forget that I have been cleansed from my past mistakes, from the person I was before Christ saved me from it all. But God is always patient with me, even when I am frustrated with myself, and He always leads me back to the truth. Thank God that He is faithful!

The Samaritan Woman

She goes out to the well to draw water for herself and her house. It is the hot part of the day, and no one else is out there, for everyone else had come to draw their water earlier when it was cooler. But she, well she carries so much pain and shame and guilt from her life that she comes when no one else does, just so that she won't be stared at and ridiculed. But Jesus comes to her, expecting her to be there and knowing exactly why she is coming when she does.
She feels less than worthy going out to the well that day, but still Jesus sees her, and he speaks to her. John 4: 7 "When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'" He speaks to her. And not only that, he wants a drink from her water jar. This conversation breaks through centuries of hatred between His people (the Jews) and hers (the Samaritans). Masked by her status and her past, she balks at first. John 4: 9 "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" In other words, you are you and I am me, what could I possibly do for you? And Jesus does what He does best, He speaks the truth to her. They go back and forth a bit until she fully understands. She is talking to Christ, the Messiah, the One she has been waiting for! He brings living water that she needs to never feel unworthy, and unloved again! She has an experience with Christ that changes her.
And then she transforms! John 4: 28 "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?'" In leaving her water jar at Jesus' feet, she is leaving her cloak of sin as well. She has been made new. And what is the only thing she can think to do? Tell everyone, the very people she has been hiding from.
The result is that people come. The town responds to her words and they go to Jesus to see if she is right. And ultimately, they believe. John 4: 39-41 "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers."
Has God changed you? Share it! Spread the news of His goodness, so others will hear and believe.

Wisdom, Insight, and Understanding

I have spent the last few weeks pouring over Psalm 119. Marinating in it, you could say, and it has been really good for me. All throughout the chapter, the author is seeking out God's precepts and laws, wanting to know them more and love them more, and promising that he will not forget them. God's laws are true and good and right! There is a little chunk of a few verses that really stuck out to me the other day. They talk about gaining wisdom, insight, and understanding, and who doesn't want more of that?

Psalm 119: 97-100, & 103-104:
   "Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding that the elders, for I obey Your precepts. 
   How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path."

I have tried, in my life over the years, to find what it is that would really make me steadfast in my faith. I thought there must be something that would be stronger than my own will to keep me on the right path, seeking God and doing His will. My failure always in this was that I thought it must be in reading the Bible, or praying, or whatever else I could come up with, if I could just get it right. In these verses, and all through Psalm 119 lies my answer. It's not just reading the Bible, or praying, because those things can easily fall out of habit. In the course of the last few weeks I have realized that it is the seeking out His precepts and laws, and praying them into my heart, and asking Him to make me steadfast that is my answer. I am relying on His staying power, and not mine. 

Psalm 119: 34-38
  "Give me understanding and I will obey Your law.... Direct me in the path of Your commands.... Turn my heart to Your statutes.... Turn my eyes away from (me)... Fulfill Your promise to Your servant."

I wasn't totally missing the truth, because I have experienced God in deeper ways than some people ever will. But, it's like I was skirting around the truth. I thought it was still up to me and my power to be steadfast in my faith, and I was always failing. It is Him, and His power. Only and ever.

I surrender

This song is my banner lately. Life is hard, when you are trying to do it right, and sometimes there is a major battle going on in my rebel heart. I raise my white flag, and surrender all to the One who made me, and knew what He was doing the whole time.

 "The battle rages on, as storm and tempest roar. We cannot win this fight inside our rebel hearts. We're laying down our weapons now. We raise our white flag, we surrender all to You. All for You. We raise our white flag,  the war is over. Love has come. Your love has won."

This freedom song is marching on!

I want to live like that! Every day. Every minute. It doesn't just happen, it is a choice.

Perfect Peace

(By the way, all photos I use on my blog are my own, and most appear on my Flickr stream)

Who doesn't want a little more peace in their lives? I sure could use more peace (is there ever enough?) when it comes to the stress I feel daily in the ins and outs of life, putting the necessary effort into my marriage, raising our three beautiful (but at times SO exhausting!) children, homemaking, and finding enough time in there to put adequate energy into homeschooling. On top of that, I am a sinner, saved by grace, who struggles at times to leave behind the selfishness, neediness, and grumpiness of my former self.

Isaiah chapter 26 has just the answer for those needing peace. The truth is that we cannot find true and lasting peace in anything of this world, not in eating right, or exercising, or saving the earth, or saving the whales, or "going green." I'm not saying that those things are wrong, but sometimes they can take the incorrect place in our lives. True and lasting peace can ONLY come from the One who created us, and who is the Author of Peace.

   Isaiah 26:3  "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

My best friend has an 8 year old daughter who loves to read. Most anywhere you find her there will be a good chance that she will have her nose in a book. When she is really into a story, it takes nothing less than an atomic bomb to get her attention. "Bella, Bella, BELLA!" her mama sometimes has to say just to get her to look at her. This is what comes to mind to me when I read this verse. I want my focus to be so fully on Christ, that nothing (not selfishness, or anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed, or tired, or cranky) can change it.  

Lord, please help me to remember to keep my mind focused on You, no matter what else is going on in my life.    

That which is in our minds

I came across a verse this morning that made me think in a completely different way than it has on all the other million times I have read or heard it. 

 Philippians 4:8
   "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
 This morning, instead of looking at this verse as a list of things we should have in our lives, it hit me that Paul chose the words "think about such things" instead of just "do such things" or "fill your life with such things." Normally you hear that the heart is the root of all actions, but where do things originate before they make it to your heart? In your mind. Everything that we do or say or fill our life with is a result of the things that we believe about ourselves or our situation or the people around us. If you think that you are unlovable, you will believe it in your heart and will act in a way that is unlovable. If you think that a situation is too big for you to handle, you will focus on that and will begin to feel anxious.  

Think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. If you want to change a certain behavior or the way you feel about yourself or a situation or a person, change the way you think. Make a decision that you will believe the truth (that God paid a price for you and you are incredibly lovely to Him; that even situations that are too big for you are not too big for God; that no matter what is going on around you, you can only control yourself and you can act in a way that is loving even if others aren't), and then when thoughts begin to invade that do not line up with what you want to believe, take them captive (*2 Cor. 10:5) and offer them to God. Ask Him to take the lies you believe and replace them with His truth, and He will. What you think affects what you feel, and what you feel determines what you do. So make sure what you are thinking lines up with what you want your life to look like. 

 2 Cor 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make is obedient to Christ." 

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My Philippians prayer

(My babies from two years ago, they have all grown so much!)

I recently came across a few verses in Philippians (I love the books of letters!) that have since become my prayer for myself, my husband, and my children. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the people of Philippi, and this originated as a prayer from him for them. I have taken it, written it down in several places, and daily pray it over my family.

Philippians 1: 9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what it best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.

These verses are packed with so many things that I desire desire for my family. I have prayed for so long for discernment to know what is truth and what is not, that our love would continue to grow more and more and would have Christ in the center, and that we would seek to know God more. Interestingly enough, when I read over the chapters in Philippians a few weeks ago it was other verses that stuck out to me. This time God opened my eyes to these and I loved them immediately! It is wonderful how God can take the same verses and speak to you differently at different times depending on what you need.

Have a wonderful day!

Confident

(sorry for the funky angle, but this was the only way I could get the whole rainbow in; seen from my back door)

I'm going to be honest with you. Sometimes I struggle. I struggle with my purpose, with my ability to be a good wife, mother, and person altogether. I hope that this doesn't come as a surprise, because I have a feeling that all of you struggle in some way or another, too.

I have mentioned before that two years ago my marriage went through the very hot, very painful refining fires of God. That refining became a gigantic blessing, in that we are happier now than we ever were and our story has the wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to other people's marriages, but it also at times seems to come back to haunt me. Those times come fewer and fewer these days, but when they do come they bring with them pain, doubt, and times of struggle for me. This weekend was one of those times. By Sunday, though, I was able to once again see past the hurt and remember how far God has brought us. I have to make the choice, each and every time, to not allow the pain of our past negatively affect where we are today.

During our worship service on Sunday morning, as we were singing a song of praise to God, I raised my hand in the air in worship. My 5 year old, who was standing beside me and singing along, raised her hand in the air, too. She knew why she was doing it. She has seen me do it both at home singing along to the radio and also at church. In that moment, with my eyes closed in worship but also aware of what Libby was doing, God reminded me why. He reminded me why I have gone through all I have gone through in my life. He reminded me why having a strong marriage is so incredibly important. He reminded me why I need to seek God's strength in my life and press on in my marriage and with my children. The reason why I need to continue to be strong was standing there right beside me, with her hand in the air praising God just like her mommy. There are two other reasons just like her, and countless others that God knows about but I don't yet.

This morning I was reading in Phillippians and I was reminded once again of one of my favorite verses. Chapter 1 verse 6 says, "Be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  

Times of struggle and trial may come, but be confident! He is not finished with His good work He is doing in you.

Shared on Wifey Wednesday, Women Living Well, Good Morning Girls 

Perseverance

Of all the books in the Bible, the ones I love the most are the letters. Corinthians, Philippians, Ephesians, James. They, among others, are letters meant to send a message of encouragement or warning to the people who would be receiving them.

The book of James begins with a lesson on persevering through trials. Right out of the gate it says "consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1: 2 & 3). You will face trials of many kinds, and through them you will grow. Have you ever asked God to give you more patience? How about more peace, faith, or love? I can't say for sure, but I would guess that when you ask God to fill you with something that you lack (patience, kindness, self-control), He doesn't just pour it right in and fill you up. Chances are, if you ask Him for more patience He is going to put you in situations that test your patience. Probably, if you ask Him to make you more kind He is going to put in your presence someone who is very difficult to tolerate. If you ask Him to strengthen your faith, most likely you will soon find yourself in a situation that will require tremendous faith to get through to the other side. Our initial reaction in these situations is to react negatively and say, "but God, I asked you to give me more, not show me how much I lack!" But, if you take the opportunity to let these situations actually grow and strengthen you in patience, kindness, etc., you will persevere. Your patience will indeed grow, your faith will be strengthened, you will be more kind.

"Consider it pure joy whenever (when, not if) you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."  (James 1: 2 & 3)

To move a mountain

In the book of Mark in the Bible, we read about an account where Jesus was hungry. Just like you and me, he got hungry. He went to a fig tree that was in leaf to see if it had any fruit for him to eat. When he got to it, he saw that there was no fruit. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." His disciples heard him say this. The next day they passed by that very same fig tree. Let me show you what the Bible says happened next.

Mark 11: 20-24 "In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!'
 'Have faith in God,' Jesus answered. 'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it. Now, let me just say that I don't think this is saying to go and ask to win the lottery and you will win it. I think that when we are really praying, really seeking God's will for our lives, really asking for God to lead us, He will honor our prayers. Even when it seems like we are asking Him to move a mountain. There was a time in my life where I was truly asking God to "move a mountain." My marriage was falling apart, crumbling at the very core, and I was crying out to God to fix it. My prayers were, "Lord, change hearts, change situations, change me, change him, put us back together." At the time, it seemed very unlikely that this would happen. There was a huge mountain in the way. I prayed knowing, truly believing, that it was not in God's will for my marriage to fall apart. I prayed knowing that He could fix it. I prayed these things even though I had no idea HOW or WHEN he would do them. And He did. In His time. In His way.

If you are facing a mountain in your life, I encourage you to take your eyes off the mountain and plant them firmly on God. Believe that He will carry you, believe that He can help you even if you don't know how. Believe that He will take care of it, will take care of you. He will!

The secret

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."  Phillipians 3:12-13

Paul had it right when he wrote this letter to the people of Phillipi. He passed on some valuable knowledge to his friends, but it was not something that he was just casually saying.

He had learned. How do we learn? We learn from doing, from experiencing, from hurting and growing. Paul had learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, because he had lived in many different situations. By the time he had written this letter he had experienced many time of plenty and times of pain, and he knew that in all of those situations he felt the most content when he had his eyes fixed on Christ.

Being a follower of Christ doesn't mean that you will never face hard times. But what it does mean is that no matter what you face, you have the promise that Christ will never leave you. He will be your strength.

Tuesday Truth

From Daily Wisdom for Mothers

"A gentle answer turns away wrath." Proverbs 15:1

I recently saw a T-shirt with the printing "Love is my final answer" on it. I thought that was pretty good.Think about it. When you answer with love, you give strife no place to go.

The other day, Abby wanted to go boating with her friend. Normally we would say yes to this request, but this was a holiday weekend. And, according to the news reports, there would be many alcohol-filled boaters on the lake. We just didn't have peace about it, so we told Abby, "No, not this time."

Abby really wanted to go, so she began retaliating in a big way. It was ugly. As she huffed and puffed, I decided to try out the "love answer." So I said, "Abby, honey, we love you too much to let something bad happen to you. There will be lots of drunken boaters out there today, and we just aren't willing to take that chance. You are too precious to us." To my surprise, she was okay with that answer. While she was disappointed that she couldn't go to the lake, she understood our reasons and resumed normal behavior. Wow! I didn't even have to raise my voice or threaten to ground her!

Let love be your final answer today. It really works!

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Though it isn't always this easy with little ones, reminding yourself to answer with love is always a great thing to strive for. If I tried to explain something like this to Libby, she wouldn't fully understand. What she does understand, however, is my tone and my face, and whether I am speaking in love or in frustration or anger.

What a great reminder! I encourage you to make love your final answer, hard as it may be sometimes. For me, it may mean going into my pantry, sticking my head out the window to breath in the cold air and praying for a few minutes, and then coming back to answer with love.

How do you make love your final answer?