The Father's Presence
A few weeks ago, a close friend of mine went through one of those moments where you feel like the wind has been knocked right out of you. She went for a routine test and received an unexpected call from her doctor. They found something suspicious on her x-ray that needed further testing and investigation. When I heard, I immediately went straight to the Lord in prayer. I interceded for my friend, claiming the Word of God over her life, believing that this “finding” would be benign. But more than that, I found myself praying specifically for God’s presence and peace to fall over her during the moments of uncertainty. I wanted her to feel God during this trial.
I know first hand how hard those moments can be. “What if” thoughts flood your mind and try and invade your peace. But, something miraculous happens to you when God’s presence fills you. Fear disappears. Doubt vanishes. And, peace floods in.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
– Psalm 23:4
When I was a little girl, I would sometimes have a bad dream or a fear-filled thought at night. I would try to fight the thought, reason with it, and make it go away, but somehow the fear wouldn’t leave. In fact, the more I tried to fight it by myself, the more it intensified.
Defeated, I would jump out of bed and quickly hurry down the hall into my parent’s bedroom searching for my father. Now, my mother was great for all other situations, but for some reason, this was a job only for my dad. The scared look on my face let him know immediately what was going on, and he would follow me back into my bedroom and sit next to me until I fell asleep.
The funny thing is that once he was there, I would generally fall to sleep in just a matter of minutes. My father’s presence let me know that I was safe. I knew that he loved me, and he would never let anything bad happen to me. His presence brought me great peace. I knew I had nothing to fear.
If we, as adults, can wrap our heads around this idea of seeking the Lord’s presence in our lives, we certainly would be experiencing more peace-filled moments. We try to handle life by ourselves. Instead, we simply need to invite Jesus into the situation and allow Him to overwhelm us with His presence.
“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” – Exodus 33:14
I am happy to report that my friend’s follow up tests were clear. But, more importantly, she remarked that she had peace throughout the entire process because she felt God’s presence.
Ladies, no matter what life throws at you, remember that as long as your Heavenly Father is close by, you need not fear anything that lies ahead. Let Him comfort you and bring you peace!
Just An Ordinary Girl
No woman likes to be called ordinary. It implies that you are common, usual, or not special. But, that is exactly what Mary the mother of Jesus was – ordinary. Like many young women in those days, Mary was pledged to be married. Some scholars suggest that she was only about 12 or 13 years old. Scripture does not tell us too much about her, except that she was still a virgin.
Then, one special day, an angel named Gabriel came to visit this ordinary girl and calls her to do something extraordinary. Mary was told that she would give birth to the promised Messiah. The prophets foretold Jesus’ virgin birth, but Mary never expected that God would choose her for this incredible task.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. – Luke 1:31-32
What an overwhelming call Mary had on her life! I can only imagine how she was feeling – fearful of what others would think, fearful of the repercussions of conceiving before marriage, fearful that her marriage would not transpire, and, most importantly, fearful that she couldn’t live up to the call.
Mary responds to Gabriel with a simple question, “How can this be?” She was limited by her natural thinking and couldn’t fathom how God could work this out. Logistically, it just didn’t make sense.
I can so relate. Often, God asks me to step out in faith to do something outside my natural ability, and I wonder how will I be able to do it. Like Mary, I’m just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. I don’t have the natural skill set or means to accomplish all that the Lord asks of me. But, I’ve learned that I don’t have to. I just have to be obedient, and the Holy Spirit will come upon me and enable me. And, He will do the same for you.
The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. – Luke 1:35
Ladies, are you living in a comfort zone, fearful to step out because you are limited by your own natural abilities? God is creating an army of ordinary women and asking them to do extraordinary things for Him. Do you want to be part of this?
You may be just an ordinary girl, but you have a supernatural God behind you that will allow you to accomplish great things for Him.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” – Luke 1:38
When He Does
Ten lepers – unclean, contagious, and suffering with tremendous pain. They lived in total isolation because no one would come within six feet of them, not even their families. Leprosy is a degenerative disease that attacks both the body and the nervous system. Occasionally, an infected person can go into remission, but this is highly unlikely. These ten lepers were desperate because this diagnosis was practically a death sentence. Hearing that Jesus was coming through their village, the men went to look for Him. From a distance, they called out to Jesus.
“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” – Luke 17:13
Moved with compassion, and seeing their faith, Jesus instructs the men to present themselves to the priest and they would be healed.
And as they went, they were cleansed. – Luke 17:14
Interestingly, the scriptures state that only one returned to thank Jesus for healing him from this horrific disease. All ten men were healed, but only one was moved with gratitude and thanksgiving for what the Lord did in his life. What happened to the other nine? Just a few hours before, they were eagerly longing for a touch from Jesus. Now that they received their healing, they totally forgot about Him.
Ladies, isn’t this often the case in our lives? We get so desperate for Jesus when we need something – healing, breakthrough, or salvation. But, what happens to us when He does answer our plea? Are we moved with heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving that we can’t do anything else but return to Jesus with arms open wide? Or, do we instantly forget what He’s done for us and go about our daily routine?
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” – Luke 17:17-18
Jesus expects thankfulness. The scriptures clearly show His disappointment in the nine who didn’t return. Where would you fall in this story? Are you the one who is overwhelmed with love and gratitude and returns? Or, are you one of the nine who forgets the true source of your breakthrough? Ask yourself this question today, “what will you do when He does?”
What If He Doesn't?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were living as exiles in Babylon. They were taken from their homes and were forced to serve under an evil ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar. These young Jewish men would not compromise their walk with God and refused to bow down and worship an image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar set up before them. Refusing to obey the king’s decree meant their life would be in danger – as they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Once King Nebuchadnezzar found out about this, he became furious and summoned the men. I just love Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s response to King Nebuchadnezzar’s threat.
King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But, even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. – Daniel 3:16-18
What a bold statement to say when death is staring you in the face! That’s unwavering faith! Live or die, they would not abandon their God. Fortunately, God supernaturally spared the men’s lives.
Ladies, God is more than able to deliver you from your fires today. No circumstance is too difficult for Him. But, what if He doesn’t? What if He doesn’t restore your marriage? What if He doesn’t bring financial breakthrough? What if healing doesn't come when you want it?
Check your heart. Does it resemble that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s or is it full of contingencies and demands? God wants women to have a faith that is genuine, not contingent on His favor and blessings. If He doesn’t rescue you from your trial, will you still serve Him? Or, will you quickly abandon Him?
The Lord is more than able and willing to save you, but will you stay the course if He doesn’t?
Lord, you will always be my God, and I will always be yours!
Damaged Goods
Have you ever felt like “damaged goods”? You know, where your circumstances have caused people around you to look at you differently. You may have been through a horrible divorce. You may have fallen off the ladder of success due to downsizing or poor choices, and are now unemployed. Or maybe, an unforeseen sickness has blindsided you. You’d like to believe that God still has plans for your life, yet the stigma attached to an unplanned circumstance has deflated your dreams. If you can relate, then this blog is for you. First of all, if you woke up this morning and you still have breath in your lungs, you need to understand that God still has a purpose for your life. I don’t know the specifics of your particular situation, but this truth remains the same for everyone. The world may see you as unusable, but God sees opportunity in your struggle. Opportunity? Yes, opportunity. You see, God loves using broken people. He takes all the disappointment and heartache, and He uses it for His glory.
Let’s take a look at the life of Job. This is a book in the Bible that I always avoided because I could not understand how God would allow the righteous to suffer so much. Instead of digging in and trying to see the purpose of including it in the scriptures, I just avoided it altogether.
Interestingly, I have now been tremendously encouraged when reading it. Job underwent great tragedy in his life and much suffering. Actually, Job experienced some of the worse type of misfortune – loss of his children, loss of financial security, and a horrible sickness that brought him much pain. But, God never looked at him as damaged goods. God still had plans and blessings for Job, in spite of the brokenness that he experienced.
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. – Job 42:12
Ladies, I want to encourage you today by letting you know that just like in the case with Job, God hasn’t abandoned His plans for you. You have purpose. It doesn’t matter how others see you. All that matters is how God sees you.
You may be broken, but with Jesus, you are not damaged beyond repair!
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. – 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Nails On A Chalkboard
There are certain sounds that can drive you crazy. A car alarm that won't stop sounding, a bicycle wheel that needs oil and keeps squeaking, and of course, the absolute worse, nails on a chalkboard. Just thinking about this noise makes my skin crawl. That screeching sound sends shivers up and down my spine. But as irritating as that sound is, I would rather listen to those fingernails drag down the board any day than listen to someone complaining. I know we are all guilty of this at times, myself included, but there are some people who have made complaining an art form. You know who I am talking about. They complain about taxes, family, their boss, the school systems, and the weather. They would even complain about your problems if you’d let them!
All joking aside, this is an area where we all struggle. Things don’t go exactly how we envisioned, so we default to complaining mode. It seems that this generation in particular has accepted a culture of negativity. Instead of focusing on the positive in a situation, we spend our energy focusing solely on the negative.
And although this generation has now accepted this as the norm, this certainly is not new. In the Old Testament, we see that the Israelites also had a problem with complaining when things didn’t go their way. Their journey of deliverance from the Egyptian hand of slavery and into the Promised Land would be a long one because they defaulted to grumbling every time life presented a challenge.
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard them His anger was aroused. – Numbers 11:1
The Lord has little tolerance for this type of ungrateful heart. In fact, every word that seeks to dwell on the negative and generate a series of whining and complaining must compare to the sound of nails on a chalkboard to Him. The Israelite’s 11 day journey was now turned into 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of their “poor me” attitudes.
Sure, we deal with trying circumstances and difficult people, but we have plenty of reasons to be grateful – life, food on our tables, health, family, friends, and most importantly, our relationship with God. Unfortunately, we focus on the things that don’t go our way, rather than on all things that do.
Ladies, let’s stop complaining. Life is unpredictable – full of ups and downs. But, God has called us to turn to Him in times of need, not complain when the littlest interruption comes our way. Let’s put an end to this culture of negativity. Put your nails down and back away from the chalkboard!
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. – Philippians 2:14-15
Mouseapalooza
I just love this time of year. The leaves are changing colors, boots are back in season, and pumpkin flavored everything is available wherever you go. Now, I don’t know where you all live, but temperatures are beginning to drop in Connecticut. With that, we need to prepare ourselves for the special guests that visit us during the colder months. That is my nice way of saying that we need to get the mouse traps out. (Before I go any further, I once again need to apologize to my animal loving friends for the story to follow.)
Every winter, my husband sets up a few traps in the basement with a little spoonful of peanut butter on it to lure any mice in. Well, a few winters ago, the one where we all learned what a roof rake was for the first time, we experienced something like never before. Each day, I’d be upstairs in my kitchen, and I’d hear a loud snap, realizing that another mouse had seen its last day.
My husband, who of course was responsible for clearing the traps and resetting them, would come up each night and say, “I got one more.” It was disturbing, to say the least. The mouse death toll was rising with each passing day. I often wondered where all these mice were coming from. It was like Mouseapalooza was taking place right in my very own basement!
As troubling as this influx of mice was, it didn’t seem to bother me too much because they were in the basement, and I didn’t go down there very often. Then, one day, things changed.
I was vacuuming in my family room when I noticed little deposits of mouse droppings near the wall. I, of course, FREAKED out. The mice were no longer just in my basement; they had entered our living space. How could they get upstairs?
Totally disgusted, I immediately went on a mouse hunt, trying to determine the method of entry. Nothing jumped right out at me. But, then, my eyes were directed to a tiny hole not much bigger than the size of a dime located behind our television console. We drilled a tiny whole there to run wires from the basement to the television. I thought to myself, “there is no way a mouse could fit through that tiny little hole.”
Well, I was wrong. After further investigation, I found a “not successful” mouse attached to one of the wires right below the hole. This particular mouse was obviously not too bright and decided to snack on one of the electrical wires. Zap!
Some of you just stopped reading, and yet others are interested to see where in the world I am going with this. Well, for those you who are still with me, did you know that mice could morph their bodies into the oddest shapes and fit through the smallest of openings? Did you also know that the devil is very much like mice? Like a mouse, the devil just needs the smallest opening to enter into our lives and cause a lot of trouble.
Do not give the devil a foothold – Ephesians 4:27
The word foothold simply means opportunity. We do not want to give the enemy an opportunity, or access, into our lives. We have to be very careful not to give him an opening, even if it is small, to enter in.
So what are these open doors? Sin is definitely a big one, but we also need to be mindful of other ways of entry. What are you watching on television? Are your conversations with friends uplifting and encouraging, or are they full of gossip and complaining? What are you looking at on the Internet?
Ladies, we need to constantly be examining our lives, making sure that there is no point of entry. The devil is real, and he would love nothing more than to gain access to our lives. Fear, marital stress, financial hardship, and sickness are just a few of the ways he can attack. Seasons are changing. It is time to set out the traps!
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
In Her Shadow
Two sisters – Leah and Rachel. One is described as beautiful with a lovely figure. The other, well, she had "weak eyes." No one knows what that means for certain, but I’m sure it wasn’t a complement. Some suggest that her vision was so bad that she squinted to see. Others think she was cross-eyed. In either case, Leah was perceived as the “lesser” sister. One day, Jacob enters the lives of Leah and Rachel. He quickly falls in love with Rachel, and he vows to work seven years for Laban, their father, to earn her hand in marriage. The wedding day and honeymoon night come and go. With the morning light peaking into the tent, Jacob discovers that he had been deceived. He actually married Leah.
This was an intentional plot to marry off the oldest daughter first. Apparently, Laban thought the only way someone would marry Leah was by tricking him. Now, that’s a confidence builder!
Still determined, Jacob pledges to work an additional seven years for Laban to earn the right to marry Rachel. After all, she was the one he actually loved.
[H]is love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. – Genesis 29:30
Today, I want to speak to the “Leahs” of the world. The women who are not appreciated for the value that they bring. The women who spend their lives living in the shadow of another because they are perceived as lesser. Maybe you’ve been compared to your sister like Leah was. Or maybe, you have been overshadowed by your mother, aunt, friend or even a co-worker because they are more attractive, talented, or successful.
Ladies, you need to hear me. God wants to pull you out of the shadows. He wants you to see the greatness that He has deposited inside of you, yes you! It is time to break free from the stigma that has been placed upon you, and walk boldly into the light – His light.
Sadly, I’m not sure if Leah ever realized that, although she did not have Jacob’s favor, she had God’s favor. In fact, Rachel spent most of her life envying her sister, because unlike Leah, she wasn’t able to have children. It wasn’t until the end of Rachel’s life that she was able to conceive. And with that, she died giving birth to her second son. With God’s favor upon Leah, she bore six sons and one daughter for Jacob. One son, Judah, is part of the ancestry of Jesus. What a wonderful legacy!
God saw Leah’s value. But, she missed it. She spent her entire life feeling inferior to her sister.
“Leahs," your lives have significance! You need to stop feeling second-rate to the “Rachels” of the world. God has a purpose for your life. Boldly step out of the shadows, and into your destiny.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. – Psalm 139:13-15
Seventy Times Seven
Hurt. Offended. Betrayed. These three emotions can cause such havoc in your life and mental well-being. They consume your thought life, disrupting your concentration and your focus. They keep you up at night as you rehash and replay the very circumstance that brought the emotions in the first place.
And sadly, it is often the people in your life that are close to you that have the power to hurt you the most. What do you do when people you have confidence in let you down? How do you respond to betrayal? When your emotions feel abused, what should you do?
You forgive.
I don’t mean to oversimplify this act. I recognize how difficult it is to extend forgiveness to people who have wounded you. To make matters worse, many of you have been hurt over and over again by the same person. You might be thinking, “Jesus couldn’t possibly be suggesting that I need to keep extending forgiveness to the same person repeatedly.” Actually, He is.
I love the dialogue recorded between Peter and Jesus on this very subject:
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” – Matthew 18:21-22
Peter thinks he is being so spiritual. The rabbis taught that forgiveness should be extended only three times. Seven times was extra generous. Surely, Jesus would be impressed. But, Jesus quickly corrects Peter, explaining that forgiveness has no limitations. You see, seventy times seven doesn’t represent an actual number. Instead, it represents the unlimited times we need to extend forgiveness to those who hurt us.
Ladies, I know that this may seem impossible and slightly unfair. But, our Heavenly Father continually forgives us for our sins. We offend Him. We hurt Him. And, we certainly have had our moments of betrayal, choosing our ways over His. Yet, His forgiveness is unlimited and so should ours be.
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. – Mark 11:25
Big Girl Temper Tantrum
Have ever had a day when everything goes your way? You say the right thing, you do the right thing, and it seems like God's favor follows you wherever you go. Well, yesterday was not one of those days for me. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Don’t misunderstand, God’s protection and love are ever present in my life, but yesterday presented some testing that pushed me over the edge. I tried to remain full of faith, control myself from being offended, and hold my tongue. But the harder I tried, the faster this “Pollyanna” approach failed.
And, that’s when everything fell apart. That’s when this 39 year-old woman broke down in a full-blown temper tantrum before her Heavenly Father. It included tears and streaming mascara. It included bold statements questioning God’s plans, purposes, and path for my life and that of my family. I boldly suggested that He must have not been listening to my prayers because, if He was, I would not be having the day I was having. I even threw in extra stuff from the past just to make it more dramatic and prove my point.
Why am I sharing a very personal moment from my life with all of you? Because, as I emptied out all my frustrations, confusion, and hurt before the Lord, He was able to come in and fill me up with His perspective and peace.
You see, sometimes we hold our emotions in and walk around like everything is just fine when we really are hurting inside. We don’t want to appear faithless, and so we keep quoting scripture, we put a smile on our face, and we talk ourselves up. But sometimes, we just need to go to God and let it all out. He is not afraid of our questions, and He certainly is not mad at us for feeling helpless and confused.
I know that as a parent, I am moved with compassion for my children when they are hurt or need direction. I will do anything in my power to comfort them. I don’t like complaining or whining, but I am happy when my kids let me in on how they are feeling. And, so is God.
All throughout the Psalms, we see David and others crying out to the Lord for answers. We see them expressing their hurt and concerns openly and honestly to the Lord.
"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" – Psalm 13:1-2
Ladies, you don’t need to have it all together. You are not expected to. Be honest and invite God into the trying situations in your life. Lean on your Heavenly Father for strength, insight, and peace, and you will not be disappointed.
"O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge." – Psalm 62:8
Decision-Making Challenged
Where should I go to college? Should I take this new job? What school should I send my kids to? Should I make that purchase? What should I order for dinner? There are so many decisions to be made. My head spins just thinking about it. But, why do we stress over the decision-making process so much? I asked my decision-making-challenged friend this question, and I was surprised at her response. She said it isn’t that she is afraid of making a wrong decision, but rather she is afraid of missing out on the right decision.
How insightful! I think we can all relate to this concern on some level. We don’t just want good – we want the very best. No one wants to live a life of regret of what could have been. So, we stress . . . and obsess . . . and sometimes freak out when the pressure gets too much.
But, instead of relying on the natural, we can go to the Lord with all sorts of decisions we need to make, no matter how big or small. He has a perfect plan for our lives. These decisions that we make dictate whether or not we stay on His perfect path.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5
Fortunately for us, God is more than willing to provide guidance and direction. He is even interested in the small details. We just need to ask Him and listen to His reply. Are we always going to hear His audible voice? No. But, He will give us a gentle nudge or an inner peace, pointing us in the right direction.
We need to remember that our perspective is limited, only seeing the here and now. It is wonderful to know that God can see the whole picture and will instruct us accordingly to live the life that He has planned for us.
Ladies, stop spending so much time worrying about your decisions. Stop asking everyone you know what you should do. Good counsel is great, but the best counsel comes from above. You don’t need to be decision-making-challenged anymore!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6
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We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $35. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.
For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
"Taking Every Thought Captive" Women's Conference 2015
Ladies...who's getting excited? This year’s women’s conference: “Taking Every Thought Captive” is next Saturday, September 19th, from 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. at The Cornerstone Church in Cheshire. If you have not purchased your tickets, do it today!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference-tickets-18011883027?ref=estw
Women are constantly bombarded with thoughts of fear and anxiety. We try to measure up to the world’s standard of perfection, including having the perfect body and being the perfect wife, mother, and career woman. But, God calls us to a different standard, where we can live in peace, freedom, and contentment with who we are in Christ. Stop listening to the lies of the enemy. It’s time to Get Real!
We have an awesome day planned for you all, and we hope that you will be a part of it. Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be joining us and will be talking about her new book titled, Breaking Up With Perfect. She will be sharing on how to move away from this unrealistic standard.
Other speakers and topics included in this women’s event are:
Jessica Landmon: Faith verses Fear
Shila Anderson: The Battle of the Scale
Rachel Axtmann: Wisdom for Wives
Worship will be led by Esteban Ramos. The cost is $35 per person. Lunch is included.
We hope that you will be able to join us! For more information, email jessica@womengetreal.org or go to:
http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
I Thought . . . Wrong
Some of the most dangerous words in a Christian’s life are “I thought.”
I thought God would heal me at that healing service for everyone to see.
I thought God would restore my marriage by changing my husband's attitude.
I thought God would restore my finances by giving me this new job opportunity.
I thought that this was going to be the trial that God used to bring my child closer to Him.
We read about a man named Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5 and his struggle with this very topic. Naaman was a well-respected commander in the army of the king of Aram. He was a great soldier, but was tragically stricken with leprosy. Naaman heard about this mighty prophet of God in Israel, Elisha, who could cure his disease.
Desperately in need of a miracle, Naaman traveled to the house of Elisha and received something different than he expected. Instead of Elisha putting on a spectacular display of healing, he didn’t even meet with Naaman. Elisha simply sent a messenger in his place with instructions for Naaman to go wash himself in the Jordan River sevens times. If he did this, Naaman’s flesh would be restored.
But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy”…So he turned and went off in a rage.
2 Kings 5:11-12
All too often, we allow our thoughts and ideas to interfere with God’s plans. We think we know what the best method is to answer our prayer request. Unfortunately, we can sometime miss God’s intervention simply because we expect it to look a certain way.
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
2 Kings 5:13-14
If Naaman’s servant hadn’t encouraged him to obey these instructions, Naaman would have missed his miracle. How sad!
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12
Ladies, I want you to reflect upon the situations in your life that you are praying over. Are you missing your breakthrough because you don’t like the way God is answering it? We need to stop fashioning God into how we think He should operate and trust that His ways are always best. God can accomplish His purposes through many methods. Stop limiting Him by your own thinking.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:oo p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $35. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.
For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
While She's Waiting
I woke up this morning praying for a friend of mine who has been waiting on the Lord for a while over a situation in her life. After some time praying, I felt that breakthrough was coming soon and decided to send her a quick text to give her some encouragement while she’s waiting. This task seemed simple enough, but I really struggled with what I should write. You see, it is much easier to be the encourager than it is to be the one waiting. I’ve been in both seats and know this truth all too well. But this morning, I really wanted to reassure my friend of God’s promises, as she likely is growing weary. I wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone in this, and that I was standing in agreement with her over this situation. I wanted to let her know that God was in the midst of this battle, and she needs to just trust him completely.
This all sounds wonderful, except that words can seem empty, and possibly condescending. It is extremely difficult to be in the middle of a waiting period and not lose faith. But, this is precisely the kind of faith that God wants to generate in each of us. He wants faith that does not demand timetables. He wants faith that doesn’t focus on the impossibility of a situation. He wants faith that may seem crazy to everyone else. And, He wants faith that does not lose heart.
Ladies, I want to encourage each of you today with this truth – God has not forgotten you. He has not abandoned you in the midst of your battle. You are not alone in this. Although you can’t see it, your breakthrough is coming. Don’t lose faith!
So, my sweet friend, stop listening to the lies of discouragement telling you that it is never going to happen. Instead, take a moment today to marvel in God’s great love for you and His infinite power to do the miraculous.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:oo p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $35. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.
For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
Back-to-School Grace
It’s that time of year again. It seemed like just yesterday we were celebrating the last day of school. Now, here I am shopping for back-to-school supplies. Sigh. Back-to-school shopping makes me so sad because it signals the end of summer, which is my favorite time of year. I love the warm weather and the carefree schedule. The only thing that makes this process somewhat bearable for me is finding great deals on back-to-school supplies and clothing.
In fact, just this week I was able to find an extraordinary deal on a graphing calculator for my son. But, when I got home and looked over my receipt, I realized that the store made an error and charged me too much. Ugh! Now I had to go back in for a price adjustment. Because that’s what I wanted to do with what was left with my summer, head back to the same store filled with desperate parents looking for deals on sticky notes.
I “mommied” up and headed back in. I wasn’t going to miss out on this deal. But to my utter surprise, the store manager was anything but nice to me. He was sarcastic, irritable, and downright rude. In complete shock, I left the store, and then immediately re-entered. There was no reason for him to treat me that way. And I was going to let him know that. I calmly, yes calmly, explained how his behavior was completely unacceptable.
Waiting for my apology, I instead received more rudeness. In fact, there was no apology at all, just him justifying his poor behavior. Since “I’m sorry” wasn’t coming out of his lips anytime soon, I decided to tell him that he lost my business for good, and that I would be shopping elsewhere in the future. I showed him!
Before I left, I asked him for his name. The unsettled look on his face revealed he knew why I was asking. And he was right. I was going to report him to corporate.
Walking away feeling quite proud of myself, I heard a quiet voice whisper in my ear: “show him grace.” Really!?! I must have heard wrong. Not one ounce of me wanted to do that. He didn’t deserve grace. He was being a jerk. Then, I felt a big nudge and was reminded that none of us deserve grace. And still, Jesus sacrificed Himself for all of us.
At that moment, I was faced with a decision. I could have ignored the nudge, reported the manager, got him in trouble, and felt good about being vindicated. Or, I could extend grace to a person who was obviously having a bad day and just needed someone to be kind to him.
Opportunities like this sometimes present themselves in life. What are we going to do with them? Well, I chose to listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and returned to him, this time with a different approach. I told him that I wanted to start all over again. I showed compassion and understanding. I recognized that he was having a tough day and told him I would pray for him instead of reporting him.
What did I get in return? A heartfelt thank you and an apology. And most importantly, I felt content in knowing that I was obedient to Christ.
Ladies, we are all recipients of God's grace, so give it freely and often.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:oo p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $35. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.
For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
Get Your Shovel Out
I have lived in the country for most of my life. So you would think that by now I wouldn’t freak out every time I see a snake. But, I can’t help myself. Seeing their bodies slither on the ground or in the grass really elevates my heart rate. Now, please don’t feel bad for me. I am not some damsel in distress, incapable of protecting myself in the outdoors. When I see a snake, I don’t let fear cripple me. I quickly grab a shovel and send the snake to “meet Jesus.” But, every once in a while, a snake escapes too quickly, and I am unable to dispose of it properly. That is what happened to me just a couple of weeks ago.
This situation really leaves me uneasy. Snakes tend to stick around the same area. In fact, my son saw this same snake sunbathing on the patio a few days ago. This means that it will likely return again, but we don’t know exactly when. So now we wait, keeping the shovel close by.
Why am I sharing this story with all of you and alienating all my animal-loving readers? Simply to show you how silly it is to worry over something that might happen, especially when we have all the tools available to deal with it.
All too often in life, we allow the anticipation of something to get a hold over us. We dwell on it until it consumes us. We lose sight of our source of strength and allow anxiety to fill our hearts. The worst part about all this is that we fail to keep our spiritual tools close by. What tools are these?
The first tool we have is the word of God. We need to remember that the scriptures are as powerful in our mouth as they were in Jesus’ mouth. We can boldly speak these truths over any situation and trust that these words have power. We need not fear.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Our second tool is staying connected to God. Praying during seasons of calm will prepare us for any storm that comes our way. Prayer time with Jesus cannot be replaced with anything else. He prepares us for the battle. So as we wait, we can wait in peace knowing that He is faithful.
Our last tool is to rely on fellow believers to stand in agreement with us. They help us fight the battles that come our way. There is power in agreement.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. – Matthew 18:20
The devil, like a snake, will try to catch you off guard. He enjoys watching you worry about when he will appear next. Don’t allow anxiety to cripple you. Start preparing so that you may stop him in his path. Ladies, it’s time to get your shovel out!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:oo p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $30 if purchased before August 15th and $35 after that. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.
For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/
Overwhelmed and Stressed
Too often we go about our lives feeling overwhelmed and stressed. We lose sleep at night at the thought of the endless “to do” lists. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish the things we need to get done. Sadly, when a woman is spread too thin, her attitude changes for the worse. Martha, depicted in Luke chapter 10, was a woman who experienced this first hand. Alone in the kitchen without any help, Martha is consumed with the details of all the preparations she needed to do. Entertaining is her gifting, but that day she was not just entertaining ordinary guests, she was hosting the Messiah. She wanted everything to be perfect for Him. But the stress of the details started to weigh on her.
To make matters worse, her sister Mary wasn’t helping at all. Mary wasn’t even in the kitchen. She was in the living room sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him speak, while Martha worked tirelessly. I can just hear Martha grumbling to herself in the kitchen: "Must be nice to just sit while someone else is doing all the work. We were supposed to be doing this together!"
Did the preparations need to get done? Yes. Was Martha the right person for the job? Absolutely. So why was she feeling so frustrated?
Her fault was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she forgot him, and only remembered the service. – Charles Spurgeon
Instead of focusing on what Mary wasn’t doing, Martha should have been focusing on what Mary was doing right. You see, Mary didn’t want to miss this special moment with Jesus. She allowed the words of Jesus to fill her up and encourage her spirit. She was being refreshed and renewed by her Savior. Then, and only then, would she be ready to take on her “to do” list.
Ladies, we cannot possibly accomplish all the things we need to without spending time with Jesus first. Jesus doesn’t just want our service, He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He wants to be the source of our strength. He wants to pour into us so that we are equipped to take on anything that comes our way. But, we must allow him to fill us first.
Do you feel spread too thin? Is your attitude full of frustration and resentment? If yes, take a look at your time with Jesus. Is your time spent with Him just another check off your endless list, or is it quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. Jesus wants to fill you up and renew you. You just need to get out of the kitchen and head to the living room.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. – Revelations 3:20
Stop Being So Emotional
I typically am not an emotional person. But, something happened to me last week. I felt like I was reliving my middle school days all over again. I allowed my emotions to completely take control of me. I was over-sensitive, easily offended, and a bit irritable. Just ask my husband. Ladies, I am sure that I am not alone in this. We are emotional beings, which is a good thing if used properly. It helps us to show empathy, compassion, and remorse. However, when we let our emotions take the driver seat in our lives, we head down a dangerous path. When our emotions take control, how we feel and what we perceive becomes reality to us. This reality then becomes truth, and we react and make decisions based on this “perceived” truth. This is a scary thing because our emotions often lie to us.
Let me explain. Have you ever watched a movie where you have empathized so much with the main character that you begin to feel their grief or drama, as if it is your own? You exit the movie theater feeling shaken up or stricken with sadness. For the remainder of the day, you feel depressed, and it has nothing to do with your own reality. Those are fake emotions.
On the flip side, we may have a legitimate situation that irritates us. Instead of handing it over to God, we think about it, dwell on it, and let it consume us. If we don’t deal with it properly, watch out. Anyone who comes into our path better be on high alert.
The good news is that God gives us power over our emotions. We don’t have to be a slave to them. We have authority, in the name of Jesus, to command our emotions to come into alignment with Him. Feelings of self-pity, jealousy, pride, anger, inferiority, fear and depression are not from God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23
Why do we allow ourselves to repeatedly ride an emotional rollercoaster? Who wants to be a slave to how she feels? Instead, we want to be women who are led by the Spirit of truth. Listening to the Holy Spirit, and not simply reacting to our emotions, will give us clear perspective, a patient heart, and character like Christ. It’s time for us to stop being so emotional!
Stop and Feed the Roses
I don’t have a green thumb. In fact, I have tried to keep three different orchid plants alive with no success. The instructions said I simply had to add three ice cubes to the pot, once a week, and my plant would flourish. That sounded easy enough, so I thought. After the third plant died, I finally gave in and bought an artificial one. Surprisingly, for the past several years, I have generated some pretty spectacular roses during the summertime. With very little effort on my part, my plants have produced some beautiful blooms. That is, until this year. You see, Connecticut had an abundance of caterpillars this spring, and they ate all the leaves off my rose bushes. All that remained were wiry branches without a bit of green or a rosebud in sight. I kept pruning them, but nothing happened. I had no idea how to restore these plants.
After some “rose consultation,” I learned that the roses simply needed fertilizer. Apparently, my bushes were starving for nourishment. Who knew roses needed to be fed? Well, probably anyone with a green thumb. But, not me.
I may not have a green thumb, but I can clearly recognize when a plant is dying. At the same time, it is obvious when a Christian life is suffering too. In some ways, we are very much like those rose bushes. We often go through periods without any growth in our lives. Our branches are bare, and we feel like we are wilting away. We are hungry for the things of God, but we’ve allowed the busyness of life to rob us of our growth.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
So what is the solution? For the roses, a trip to Home Depot did the job. For Christians, it’s a little more involved. We need to be constantly filling ourselves with the Holy Spirit through dedicated prayer time. We need to open up our Bibles and meditate on the Word of God every day. And, we need to make sure we are being fed in church, even during these summer months. I know the summer vacation season is busy, but we can never take a vacation from God.
Ladies, some of you are starving and you don’t even recognize it. You’ve allowed the busyness of life to rob you of times of spiritual nourishment. Pay attention to the warning signs in your life. Time in the Word and prayer are the best fertilizer you can apply. Don’t let another day pass. It is time to stop and feed the roses.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:3
