Restoration Will Come

Pain. Brokenness. A Shattered Heart. Everyone has experienced this at least once in their lives. No one is exempt from these things. Maybe even at this very moment I might be describing what you are experiencing in this time of life.

There’s no need to be embarrassed about it. I get it. I’ve experienced what has been called “a rush of a thousand heartbreaks.” It’s a pain that doesn’t seem to go away. At times, the pain may ease up a little but there is still that dull ache that seems to always remain.

So what do you do about it? I mean it’s not like you can put a bandaid on your heart like you would on a skin wound. You can’t even ask a doctor to do surgery on your emotions let alone your heart so that the pain you are experiencing will heal properly and go away.

The only thing that you can do is go to the One who created your heart. You must go to the one who knows how your heart functions. He is the only one who can make it whole again. You may think that it doesn’t matter to Him that your heart has been shattered into a million pieces. You may think that He doesn’t have time for that. You may think He doesn’t even care about the details of your life. You may think that He wouldn’t even care if you had a bad day. Well, I am here to say that He does care.

In the Bible, in the book of Hebrews in chapter 4 it says, Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

He understands exactly what you are experiencing and He wants to help you and is ready to do so from the moment you ask Him. This includes healing your broken heart.

In Psalms 34 it says, The Lord is so close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain and He is always ready to restore….even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones, the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated by what they face.

In another Bible translation the verse says this, If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

When you are going through a hard and painful time, know that the Lord is right there to restore what has been broken and turn it into something beautiful once again. It may not happen over night, it may take a little time but know that He is there to help you through it. As you trust Him, you will experience the wholeness and freedom from pain that He wants to give you.

In Psalms 147 it says, He heals the wounds of every shattered heart…God supports and strengthens the humble…He’s the One who brings peace to your borders…

You know it’s okay to tell God that you’re hurting. You don’t have to mask your pain when you get around Him. The truth is He already knows that you’re hurting because He’s God and He knows everything. He wants you to give Him your pain so that He can give you His healing.

I would like to end with one of my favorite scriptures. This one has helped me a lot when I have been going through a tough time. I have definitely found comfort when reading it.

It’s found in Psalms 56 it says, You’ve kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You’ve stored my many tears in your bottle-not one will be lost. You care about me every time I’ve cried. For it is all recorded in your book of remembrance. The very moment I call to you  for a Father’s help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee! This one thing I know: God is on my side!!!

Let the Creator of your heart fix what has been broken and make it whole again!

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God Remembers You Even In The Night Season

I have heard it said that it is always the darkest before the dawn. There are seasons in life that I would call the Night Season. This is the season where everything is so pitch black you could not see your hand in front of your face even if you wanted to. All you can do in this time, is wait for the dawn to come in order to move forward without stumbling over obstacles and possibly hurting yourself in the process.

When it’s dark, you can wonder if there is anyone out there that could help. You want to yell out does anyone have a flashlight? Candle? Anything? Darkness can also distort images. You sometimes find out that what you think may be one thing, when the light is turned on you find out that it wasn’t what you thought it was at all. In fact, it was something totally different.

Darkness can be frightening sometimes. You can find yourself wondering if the light will ever come or if it will be this way forever.

You can often feel alone or even forgotten. If you are in a season like this, I would like to encourage you to not lose heart. Your dawn is coming.

I would like to share some scriptures with you that may be a great help. Just this last week, I was feeling pretty discouraged and alone. That day I was praying and the phrase came to my mind “He remembers you in the night season.” The Lord began to remind me that He had not forgotten me.

He reminded me of a story in the Bible. It is found in the book of Esther. This story is about a man named Mordecai who was Esther’s cousin. It is found in Esther chapter 2 and it goes like this.

One day while Mordecai was at the gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the door, were plotting to kill King Ahasuerus. They were angry over some matter. But Mordecai learned of their plan and reported it to Queen Esther who told the king about the plot, giving credit to her cousin.  After a thorough investigation, the report was proven true. So the two officers were killed and displayed on a pole. All of this information was chronicled in the presence of the king, in the public record.

A little while later, according to King Ahasuerus’ wishes, Haman (son of Hammedatha, an Agagite) was promoted to a rank above all his fellow nobles in the kingdom. The officials at the king’s gate all bowed down before Haman and paid him homage because the king commanded this. But Mordecai, the Jew, refused to kneel and refused to honor him. 

Mordecai’s actions came to the attention of the king’s officials standing at the gate. Officials (looking at Mordecai): Why are you disobeying the king’s command? The officers questioned him daily about his disobedience to the king, but Mordecai refused to listen and bow down. The officers reported this to Haman to learn whether or not Mordecai’s excuse would be tolerated, for Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. Haman was furious when he saw that Mordecai refused to bow and pay him the respect he was due. But Haman wasn’t to be satisfied with killing only Mordecai, so he began to think of ways to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.  

As time went on, although Haman got permission from the king to destroy Mordecai and the Jews, he still was not satisfied. Haman said  to his wife and friends, But I must be honest; seeing that Jew, Mordecai, as I pass through the gate makes it difficult to celebrate any of my good fortune. Then his wife Zeresh and all of his friends came up with an idea. Zeresh and His Friends: You should make a wood pole 75 feet high! Tomorrow morning, have the king sentence Mordecai to be executed on it. Then you’ll be able to have a good time at the banquet with the king. Haman thought the idea was brilliant. So he had the pole made.

That same night the king was unable to sleep, so he ordered the official records of his reign to be brought and read before him. As the record was read, the king was reminded of the time when Mordecai saved his life. Mordecai had been the one who reported that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the doors, were plotting to assassinate the king. 

King Ahasuerus(to his servants): Did Mordecai receive any recognition for this action? Was he honored in any way? Servants: He received no recognition for this. King Ahasuerus: Is anyone out in the court now? Haman had just arrived at the outer court of King Ahasuerus’ palace. He hoped to speak with the king about executing Mordecai and hanging him on the pole he had prepared. Servants:  Haman is here waiting in the court to see you. King Ahasuerus: Allow him to come in. So Haman entered the king’s chambers. He waited for the king to speak first. 

King Ahasuerus: Haman, I want to ask you something. What do you believe is the proper manner in which to honor a man who has pleased me? Then Haman thought to himself, “There is no one the king wishes to honor more than me.” 

Haman: If you desire to honor a man, I believe you should do this: First, have your servants bring one of the robes you have worn and one of the horses you have ridden that has worn the royal crown on its head. Then, you should give the robe and horse to one of your most noble officials. Have him robe the man whom you want to honor and then lead the man on horseback throughout the center of the city. It should be announced that this is what happens for the man whom the king wants to honor. 

King Ahasuerus: Your idea is perfect, Haman. I want you to go and do this immediately. Take one of my robes and one of my horses and do exactly what you have suggested to Mordecai, the Jewish man who sits at my gate. Do everything you have said, and don’t leave out one single detail. Not one!  Haman was mortified. He took the robe and horse; he dressed Mordecai in the king’s robe and led him throughout the square of the city.

Haman (shouting): This is what happens for the man whom the king desires to honor! When it was done, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman fled to his home, mourning and covering his head in humiliation. 

In the end, Haman’s plan to destroy Mordecai and the Jews was revealed to the king. The king became so angry and had Haman hung on the pole that Haman built for Mordecai. Mordecai and the Jews’ lives were saved that day. Talk about a turn of events.

Have you ever felt like you were trying to do your best to be pleasing to God by obeying Him but, as you have chosen to do so the circumstances in your life turn for the worse?

Mordecai never stopped obeying the Lord even though the circumstances were grim. Not only did the Lord in turn remember him, but He honored him in front of his enemies. Then his enemies were destroyed.

Psalms 23 says,  Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted. You spread out a table before me, provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies; You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil, filling my cup again and again with Your grace.

Isaiah 49 says,  The Lord has abandoned me. God has walked out the door; my Lord left me alone. He has forgotten all about me. The Lord says, Is it possible for a mother, however disappointed, however hurt, to forget her nursing child? Can she feel nothing for the baby she carried and birthed?  Even if she could, I, God, will never forget you. Look here. I have made you a part of Me, written you on the palms of My hands…always on My mind, always My concern…

 Know this you are always on God’s mind. He has not forgotten you. He will spread out a table before you, provisions in the midst of attack from your enemies.

Esther 8:16 says, For the Jews, it was a time of celebration. Darkness had turned to light. Sadness to joy. Shame to honor.

Keep trusting the Lord and watch as He turns your situation around for good. I leave you with this last scripture found in Psalms 30:11 it says, You did it: You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light.

Let God break through the darkness for you. I know He will because you matter to Him!

 

Oh To Linger Just A Little Longer

Have you ever been in a place where all you wanted to do was stay there forever? See the picture above? That is a picture I took of one of my most favorite places. I love to linger there. Everything about this place is so beautiful and peaceful. For me, it is a place that is hard to leave. I could see why there were people who built a house near here. I am sure they loved the place so much that they decided to stay.

I love to go on little adventures and see a lot of beautiful places. I can’t help but think of the one who created it. I truly find myself in awe.

Psalms 111:2-4 says, The works of the Lord are many and wondrous! They are examined by all who delight in them. His work is marked with beauty and majesty; His justice has no end. His wonders are reminders that the Lord is gracious and compassionate to all.

Psalms 115:16 says, The heavens above belong to the Lord, and yet earth in all of its beauty has been given to humanity by Him.

These scriptures say it all so eloquently. His wonders are reminders that the Lord is gracious and compassionate to all. Yet earth in all of its beauty has been given to humanity by Him.

When I see the beauty of God’s creation, I am reminded of so many things about who He is. I believe that is why He created such beauty. So that we would be reminded of His greatness. I believe that He wanted to show us that there are so many intricate details to His beautiful creations. Yet, in every detail He is saying that He cares about us and loves us.

How could one not come to love the Creator who went to such lengths in creating a universe for us to live in? It reminds me of the scripture Psalms chapter 8 where it says this, When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—on the moon, stars, and all You have made, I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—sons and daughters of men…But You placed the son of man just beneath God and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor.

I often find myself in awe when it comes to thinking of how God created so much beauty around us to enjoy. But it’s more than that. It is so that we would see how much we matter to Him and be drawn into having a relationship with Him.

Psalms 65 says, You leave us breathless when Your awesome works answer us by putting everything right. God of our liberation—You are the hope of all creation, from the far corners of the earth to distant life-giving oceans. With immense power, You erected mountains. Wrapped in strength, You compelled choppy seas, crashing waves, and crowds of people to sit in astonished silence. Those who inhabit the boundaries of the earth are awed by Your signs, strong and subtle hints of Your indelible presence. Even the dawn and dusk respond to You with joy.

Psalms 65 rings so true to my heart. Every time I go on little adventures and see His beauty I am reminded of His Presence. When that moment happens, it makes me want to linger in that place a little longer. At times, I will find myself talking to God or just thanking Him for His beauty. These are sweet moments I wouldn’t trade for the world. These have become moments that I will treasure in my heart forever.

Psalms 139 says, I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul…Your thoughts and plans are treasures to me, O God! I cherish each and every one of them! How grand in scope! How many in number! If I could count each one of them, they would be more than all the grains of sand on earth. Their number is inconceivable!

Many times we can get caught up in the busyness of life. We can even get caught up in the cares in our lives. We can have a tendency to forget how big God is and how much He truly cares for us, love us and wants to shows us His goodness. But, if we would stop for a moment to notice the beauty that He placed all around us and linger we will find a refreshing that will come to our lives that is irreplaceable.

In Luke 12 it says, If worry can’t change anything, why do you do it so much? Think about those beautiful wild lilies growing over there. They don’t work up a sweat toiling for needs or wants—they don’t worry about clothing. Yet the great King Solomon never had an outfit that was half as glorious as theirs! Look at the grass growing over there. One day it’s thriving in the fields. The next day it’s being used as fuel. If God takes such good care of such transient things, how much more you can depend on God to care for you…Don’t reduce your life to the pursuit of food and drink; don’t let your mind be filled with anxiety. People of the world who don’t know God pursue these things, but you have a Father caring for you, a Father who knows all your needs.

 Before I go I would like to share a little bit of a poem a friend of mine wrote. It goes like this…

Stop and smell Life’s flowers.

Let them be a red light for you.

Let true Love’s fragrance fill your senses

and it’s beauty imbue.

Go forward through pure green meadows.

Follow God’s Riverbed.

Let Joy’s sound of birds and bubbling streams

quiet thoughts in your head.

Listen to falling yellow leaves

as they carpet the ground

speaking Hope’s language of answered prayer

and changes all around.

When the Light’s red, it’s time to rest;

when green, it’s time to go;

when yellow, proceed with caution, for

it’s time to take it slow.

There are different seasons and times

in God’s Garden of Grace.

But the greatest of all is when we’ll

see Jesus face to Face.

by Laurel Marquardt

My prayer for you today is that you will make time to go to a place filled with God’s beauty and you would stop for a moment and linger. Your life will never be the same as you will discover more about who God is and how much He truly loves you!!

There Is Beauty In The Valley

 

Valley – a low point or condition. 

We all go through different seasons in life. Some seasons are better than others. In fact, there are some seasons that I’m sure everyone wishes would stay around in their lives forever. Other seasons we can often wonder, if they will ever come to an end or stay that way forever.

Today, I thought that I would talk about the seasons that can bring discouragement, hopelessness, depression and disappointment. Seasons where you are hurting and feel unloved, unimportant, unvalued, overlooked and even at times forgotten. You feel forgotten not only by those around you but even forgotten by God Himself.

I am talking about being in a season of the valley. I want you to know that no one is exempt from this season. You are not the only one. Even as I type these words, I must admit that I have been going through a valley season.

When you’re in a valley, it’s easy to think that you will never get out of that place. You can feel lonely. Even when you see others around you who aren’t in a valley season and it can appear that they are always on the mountaintop. You can begin to wonder what is wrong with you. When you’re going through it, you don’t always have people around you encouraging you by saying to you, you will make it through this. You will not be there forever. You may even feel like God is against you and doesn’t even want to help you. It then can become real easy to give up and throw in the towel.

Well, today I am here to hopefully bring you some encouragement, if you are in a valley season.  

Recently, I went exploring. it has become one of my favorite things to do. There was a place I had discovered awhile back that I fell in love with. This time I was going back because the flowers that I love were there and they were in full bloom. I was pretty excited about it. The place is called Callalily Valley.

 The little valley is filled with callalilies that are watered by a stream that is flowing down through the valley into the ocean. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have seen. It is somewhat hard to find because it is so hidden, but once you do find it you don’t want to leave.

There is a couple of stairways that you can go down to get into the valley. I went down there and just wanted to be immersed in the beauty of all of it. I walked around and went to where the source of the flowers were by the stream. In the process because it was so muddy, I got thick mud all over my shoes and was covered in mud up to my ankles. I was able to wash my shoes off in the little stream and found the water quite cold but refreshing. 

As I left that day, the Lord reminded me of a scripture found in Song of Solomon chapter two. It says this, I am the lily of the valley. It then began to hit me in the middle of the valley in my life, He is there. He brings me joy in the midst of pain. He brings me comfort in the midst of the circumstances that are uncomfortable. Then, I was reminded just as I had washed the mud off of my shoes in the stream of the scripture Psalms 23 where it says, He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He soothes my fears; He makes me whole again…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted…You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil, filling my cup again and again with Your grace. Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me where I go, always, everywhere. 

The Lord began to show me that even when I am covered with “mud”from walking through the valley, He is there with me. He is the one who brings me to a place of rest where I can be refreshed and made whole by Him. He is the one who takes away the fear of evil by letting me know that He will lead and guide me through every step of the way in the valley.

The result is that I began to discover who He really is. He is the one I can trust to bring me through the good times and the bad times. He is the one who will take care of me in every situation I walk through. He then, will lead me out of the valley into a better place and I will not be able to help but praise Him all the more for His goodness to me. 

You may be going through a valley too. I want to encourage you don’t give up. The Lord is right there in the valley with you and He is not going to leave you. He is going to take care of you, refresh you, make you whole and even stronger than you are now. You can trust Him. He is for you and not against you. Let Him be the one to walk you through this valley. The valley you are in now will not be where you will stay. You will come out but let Him help you. Let Him comfort you and see you through. I promise you that you will not regret it!! 

Perfectly Imperfect

Tags

Beauty, Encouragement, God, grace, wholeness

 

 

 

Flawed. Frail. Broken. Blemished. Imperfect. Inadequate. Worthless.

These are words that you do not want to hear when someone is describing you. In fact, hearing the opposite words such as Exceptional, Whole, Undamaged, Defect-less, Unmarred, Untainted, Faultless. Now that is something to be proud of. 

Well, if you must know I am one of those people who if she could have her way, she would be perfect. I mean the thought of how awesome it would be to always say the right thing to someone would be amazing.  You wouldn’t ever hurt anyone’s feelings because something harmful, mean and spiteful wouldn’t even dare to come out of your mouth. Why? Because you don’t say those crude things.

Or how about this? You always excel at everything you do!

Math would never be a bother. Why? Because you are so smart. In fact, you are a Genius. You could out do Einstein any day, at any time.

Sports would never be an issue because, you would always out maneuver anyone in the game.

Cooking? Not a problem. You know exactly how to put just the right ingredients together and cook it at the right temperature. You never burn your food and everyone who eats it says that it tastes like heavenly angel food. And of course, you never gain any weight because you know just the right amount of calories you would need in each portion of food that you make. Thus, giving you the ability to never have to exercise. Hallelujah!!!

Then there is your personality. You are always kind, gracious, understanding, compassionate, sweet and loving. You are never angry, frazzled, worried or frustrated.

You are extremely funny. Every time you make a joke people laugh so hard that they can’t even breathe. As a matter of fact, they laugh for days and days about your jokes. People love to be around you because, you…are…awesome!!!

You know how to hold a conversation easily with people. You never experience that awkward silence that can often happen when talking with someone because you never say anything awkward. Awkward silence is non-existent when you are around. 

You never get any weird looks from anyone because, you are not strange.

You always look perfect. You are highly photogenic. You never a hair out of place. Your clothing is always in style. You should be in a Fashion Magazine you are so stylin’. Every time your picture is taken you never have a weird facial expression or look awkward or fat. No, you look like the epitome of perfection itself. 

What a life!!!!!

Although I hate to say it. What I have just described is but an alternate reality.

There is one word that hinders this alternate reality of taking place in mine or anyone else’s life and that is the word human. That’s right human. It’s what we all are and cannot get away from. Because we are human, we have what is called human nature. In the dictionary human nature is defined as this:

1. the qualities common to humanity
2. ordinary human behavior, especially considered as less than perfect

 

There you have it right there as black and white as it can be “ordinary human behavior especially considered as less than perfect.” As much as I have tried again and again to obtain complete perfection, I have only found that imperfection seems to trip me up and remind me that I am human.

 

For example, when I take a selfie. (Actually I prefer to call it a “Shellfie” because my name is Shelly and since I am taking a picture of myself, I call it a Shellfie. There you have it a random fact about me.)  So the goal of a selfie or in my case a “Shellfie” is to take a picture of something cool or beautiful in the background while you smile an amazing smile and look awesome. But in reality, this is what happens to me. Here you have it some behind the scenes moments of my very own “Shellfies”.  Keep in mind that my purpose was to show everyone how I was having a great time enjoying the ocean and a coffee from Starbucks. (Because in a Shellfie that is what you do. You show what you enjoy to do.) 

 

 

 

 

Sigh…..not exactly what I was hoping for. I must inform you that now I have resorted to wearing hoodies when taking a “Shellfie.” It sometimes helps the untamed fiery red mane on my head. It takes a lot for me to say this when I do say it…But….Oh Well!!! I have times where I am meaning to say something nice to someone and it comes out the wrong way and they get hurt. I have the awkward silence moments that occur in conversations that I have with people. I admit those are the times that I would rather be off somewhere by myself because the feeling can be too much to handle.

 

I am not the most amazing cook. I have been known to burn food (particularly rice I don’t know why). When something that I have made turns out well, well then it is a time to celebrate!!!  

 

I have been on diets and would work really hard to lose weight and when I would have my weekly weigh in it would be discovered that I only lost 8 ounces. Not even a pound!!!! 

 

I am not particularly fond of running because I have been known to trip and fall flat on my face which can be quite embarrassing when you’re in front of a bunch of people. I have also been known to fall down a large hill and when I finally was able to stand up the lower half of me was covered in mud. 

 

Math well, that is not open for discussion. Especially when talking about adding letters together with numbers. 

 

I think you are starting to get the picture. Obviously, I am as human as one gets. I have been coming to the realization that it’s okay to be one. Do I still make an effort to do the right thing and say the right things? Yes. Do I make an effort to choose to be kind, sweet, loving, encouraging toward others, not given to anger, fear etc.? Yes. Do I always achieve it? No. Sometimes, I have some pretty messy days. I do things and say words that I wish I didn’t. I have been through times where it has really bothered me that I make mistakes. I would often wonder (and still do at times) if I am always making mistakes how can anything good come out of my life?  I grew up in the church most of my life. I would always hear about how God wants to use you. I grew up thinking well, He wants to use the people who have it altogether. I would watch different people and see God use them mightily and think well it’s because they have hardly done anything wrong in their life. So, naturally God would use them to make such a great impact on the world. Then little by little, God has been showing me how wrong that thinking is. 

 

I read this story the other day in an article Joyce Meyer wrote. It goes like this:

 

A water bearer in India had two large pots hanging at the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house. The other pot had a crack in it, and by the time it reached its destination, it was only half full. Every day for two years the water bearer delivered only one and one-half pots of water to the master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments—perfect to the end for which it was made. The poor little cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections and miserable that it could accomplish only half of what it had been designed to do. After two years of what the imperfect pot perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer and said, “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer, “What are you ashamed of?” 

“Well, for these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half a load of water each day because this crack in my side allows water to leak out all the way back to the master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work without getting the full value of your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because half of its load had leaked out once again.

Then the bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path and not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I’ve always known about your flaw and took advantage of it by planting flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day as we walked back from the stream, you watered those seeds, and for two years I have picked these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just what you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house.”

God uses even our brokenness to His fullest purpose for our lives.

I would like to share one last story with you. It is found in Luke 7:36-50 it says this, “One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for lunch and Jesus accepted the invitation. As they sat down to eat, a woman of the streets—a prostitute—heard he was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume.  Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and kissed them and poured the perfume on them. When Jesus’ host, a Pharisee, saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, “This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman this one is!” Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “All right, Teacher,” Simon replied, “go ahead.” Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—$5,000 to one and $500 to the other. But neither of them could pay him back, so he kindly forgave them both, letting them keep the money! Which do you suppose loved him most after that?” “I suppose the one who had owed him the most,” Simon answered. “Correct,” Jesus agreed. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look! See this woman kneeling here! When I entered your home, you didn’t bother to offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You refused me the customary kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the usual courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with rare perfume. Therefore her sins—and they are many—are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven…Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

Here we see a woman who one could say has ruined her life and that God would never use her for His glory and for His purpose. Yet here she comes and she is holding a jar in which she has bought with the wages she received from her job. She breaks the jar open and spends it all on Jesus. Then it says in a similar scripture that recounts this story that when she broke open the jar the fragrance filled the room. Jesus knowing who she was didn’t turn her away because He saw that she was bringing all of her brokenness to Him. She recognized that He came to heal her brokenness and make her whole. When she broke open the jar, she was not only bringing her past before Him but she was giving Him her future. She knew that He could heal her, give her a great future, free her from the guilt and shame that she had. He in turn gave her hope. He restored her to the person that He had created her to be. He gave her a new life. He gave her beauty for her ashes. In Isaiah 61, it talks about what Jesus came to do for us. He says this:

 

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace—a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—and to comfort all who mourn, to care for the needs of all who mourn…give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory.

You may feel like you are way too broken to be used by God. But, when you bring Him your brokenness He takes it and creates something beautiful out of it. I want to encourage you today to bring Him your imperfection and  in return He will give you His perfection. As you lean on Him, He will help you and give you a life that is unimaginable.  Bring all of you to Him and watch as He begins to restore you and give you a life filled with hope!! 

Forever With Me

Tags

Adventure, God, rest

There’s nothing like going out on a great adventure. It’s filled with excitement, wonder, surprises and at times pure delight. Lately, I have had the desire to go out and explore around the area where I live. I must say it has been so refreshing and quite enjoyable. I never knew that I could be surrounded by such beauty that was practically in my backyard.

Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. It’s easy to get caught up in things that we feel we really need to be somber about and make sure that we take care of them. But, sometimes in those things that we feel we need to take care of, we find there is nothing we can do to fix it.

It’s in these moments, that we must take a step back and allow someone who has the means to do so to take care of it. It’s in these moments, we must let go and relax in knowing that the only one who can take care of our need is Jesus. This is what I have been learning. I have a tendency to worry and always want to fix things that are broken. But then, after struggling time after time, hoping that each time I try to fix it that it will work, I only end up feeling exhausted from stressing out about the situation with no result. 

So finally, I thought to myself why do I do this? If I would just give it to God and enjoy my life like He wants me to, I will have not only enjoyed the journey but in the end I will see that He is always faithful to take care of me and any situation that I may face.

Thus, began my adventures of going out on my day off from work and exploring, enjoying Jesus’ presence, relaxing and letting Him do what I cannot. Oh, the fun and joy it has brought. Jesus began to show me that He has so many beautiful things that He wants to show me and give to me if I would only yield to Him, relax, and go on an adventure with Him. And not just any old adventure but one the brings joy, excitement and great delight. This is what I have begun to discover as I have taken the time to go to these different places. I can’t explain it but I felt such peace, joy and a sense that He is with me all the time everywhere I go. Luke 12:22-32 says this, 

“Don’t worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothes. Look at the ravens—they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right—for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!  And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not! And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?  Look at the lilies! They don’t toil and spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are. And if God provides clothing for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, don’t you suppose that he will provide clothing for you, you doubters? And don’t worry about food—what to eat and drink; don’t worry at all that God will provide it for you. All mankind scratches for its daily bread, but your heavenly Father knows your needs. He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

 My prayer for you is that if you are one who tends to worry that you too, will begin to experience the beautiful things that the Lord wants to give you as you rest in Him and watch Him do what you cannot. Below are some pictures of some of the adventures that I have had. (You are free to click on the pictures to see a larger view)

May you too enter into the rest that Jesus has for you and take Him up on His desire to go on an adventure with you. You will never be the same! You will never regret it!

 

A Promise Is A Promise!

Tags

Believe, Faithful, God, Promises, Receive, rest

Promise – a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.

I think it’s safe to say that there is not one person in this world that hasn’t been affected by promises. And by promises, I mean promises that have been personally made, or promises that others have made to you. Promises can be so significant. A broken promise can bring heartbreak, disappointment, distrust and sadness. But a fulfilled promise can bring joy, life, trust, and even strength into a relationship. I am sure that if anyone was asked the questions would you rather have a life full of broken promises? Or would you rather have a life full of promises fulfilled? The answer would be a life full of promises fulfilled.  

In this world because people are human, there is always the possibility that when they make promises, those promises may not be fulfilled. There are many reasons as to why some promises are broken. A person can forget the promise that they made.  And, some promises are broken because a person chooses not to follow through. So, if that is the case does that mean that we will always have a life where broken promises are present? Yes, that can happen but, there is a way to live a life with promises being fulfilled. 

At first I thought to live a life filled with promises that have been fulfilled was a dream that was too good to be true. Until, someone began to show me otherwise. His name is Jesus. 

I would like to share with you the things that He has shown me in being able to live a life full of His promises fulfilled. I would like to start by sharing with you a scripture in the Bible. It is found in John 10:10. These are the words spoken by Jesus Himself. He said this, “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.”

Jesus’ main purpose for coming to the earth and dying on the cross was not only to forgive us of the sins that we had committed but, it was also that He could give us life. He wanted to give us a life that was not just an ordinary life to be lived here on the earth but, a life that is lived to the fullest. A life overflowing with His goodness, blessings, favor, health, joy, peace and wholeness. 

Isaiah 9 speaks of why Jesus came. It says this, For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness He brings.

The word wholeness means this, complete or full, not lacking or leaving out any part. Free of wound or injury. Recovered from a wound or injury. When Jesus came, He came to restore our lives so that we might walk in His wholeness. So that we might walk in all of the inheritance that He has for us. His Joy, Peace, Righteousness, Health and the list goes on. It is His desire that we are whole in every area of our lives and are experiencing all of the inheritance of what He died for us to have. 

In Romans 8 it says, This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!

He wants and desires to give us an unbelievable inheritance. I know that this can seem too much like a fairytale. I had a little bit of a hard time believing that God wanted to bless me with an unbelievable inheritance. A life that is filled with life and life more abundantly. 

A couple of weeks ago I was struggling with believing that I could receive the fullness of God’s promises. I even had thought that God was much like what is called an “Indian Giver” meaning that He would fulfill the promise based on how I behaved. If I did all of the right things then He would give me His promises to the fullest. If I didn’t do all of the right things I might get some or none of His promises. In that moment as I was expressing my concern to God, He reminded me of a scripture in the Bible. It is found in Numbers 23:19 it says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Then God repeated to me the phrase in this scripture. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent.” Then I thought what, does the word repent mean? It means this, to change one’s mind. Then God showed me that when He promises me something He does not change His mind based on what I have done. He does not say I promise you and then take the promise back because I failed to do what is right. What He said He would do, He will do.

Why? Because it says in 1 Corinthians 1:20 Jesus says yes to all of God’s many promises. It is through Jesus that we say, “Let it be so,” when we give thanks to God.

Because I have invited Jesus into my life, I have been made in right standing with Jesus. Every promise that God has for me I can have. All I have to do is believe Him and say let it be so. It’s that simple. Wow! How amazing is that? When you invited Jesus into your life, you have been made right with Jesus and all you have to do to receive His promises is believe Him and say let it be so. Indeed this is a fairy tale that has come true!

I would like to end with this last verse in Hebrews 6. This is just another example of how much God wants to pour out His promises into our lives. 

 It says this, “When a man takes an oath, he is calling upon someone greater than himself to force him to do what he has promised or to punish him if he later refuses to do it; the oath ends all argument about it. God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those He promised to help would be perfectly sure and never need to wonder whether He might change His plans. He has given us both His promise and His oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to Him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that He will give them the salvation He has promised them. This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls…

You too, may have struggled in the area of wondering if God would pour out His promises upon your life or, if He would withhold His promises from you based on your behavior. I have good news for you, all of His promises are Yes and Amen in Him and all of His promises are for you in this lifetime. Believe Him and watch as His promises unfold in your life. Know that they will exceed way beyond your highest expectations. You can trust Him!! He will never go back on His word!! He Is Forever Faithful!! 

The Care Taker

Tags

cares, dad, trust, worries

How sweet is the love of a father for his little one? When I see a dad and his baby, my heart just seems to melt. You can see how much love and care he has for his little one in his actions. You can see that joy is evident on the father’s face as he will at times throw the baby in the air. There you see one of the best moments in life as the baby laughs in delight! Yes, there is definitely a special bond between a dad and his little one and yet it seems that it is not often talked about. So, I would like to take a moment and share a story with you that will give you a glimpse of just how wonderful dads are. 

This story was written by a nurse. The story goes like this: After a baby is born, a baby is usually scared, screaming and flailing around. I would carry the baby into the newborn nursery, start checking his vital signs, etc., and the monitor would show a high heart rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid respirations, all of which reflect how stressed he is.

 Then I’d see the baby’s father hanging around, often not sure what to do, also looking a little stressed and unsure of his surroundings. So I would say to the father, “Come over here, stand right here next to your baby, and just start talking to your son.” I would encourage the father to lean down close to his baby, and speak some quiet words of comfort. I would say, “It’s, okay. . . he knows your voice.. . . go ahead and talk to your baby.”

The father would start to talk to his child, sometimes using his child’s chosen name, and say things like, “I love you. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re going to be okay. You’re safe. You’re my son. I love you. Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here now, I’m here.” 

Remarkably, once the baby heard his father’s gentle voice, he would calm down, his body would relax and find rest, he’d become very quiet. The baby’s heart would stop racing, his respirations would calm down. This little newborn child would often strain to turn his head towards ‘that voice’, blinking through the bright lights, instinctively trying to ‘see’ the voice that he knew so well. 

In this very scary new world, outside of his mother’s warm and safe womb, this little child had found peace, he knew he was safe, he knew he was not alone, he knew everything was going to be alright, he knew he was where he was supposed to be. . . within the sound of his father’s voice.

 

What an amazing story! All it took was the sound of the father’s voice to calm the baby down and reassure him that everything was okay. In my own life, I have had times where circumstances were difficult but a word from my dad would make me feel at ease. I would begin to relax and think oh it’s gonna be okay. I love my dad a lot and I am so thankful for him. Dads just have a way of bringing a feeling of security into a son or daughter’s life.

The examples that I just gave you are a foreshadow of what God is like. You know recently I was having a really hard time. It was one of those days when the things that had been bothering me seemed to be magnified. The result was that I ended up in tears that night in my room because I was feeling really overwhelmed with what was concerning me. I began to pour out my heart to God until I had told Him everything that was concerning me. I began to let Him know that I realized I could do nothing about the circumstances I was facing. The only way the circumstances would be resolved was if He would take care of them. Then I released every situation to Him. The next day I felt so much better. God began to show me some things. He showed me what worry really is. Worry is usually something important to you like a person, a job, a dream or desire in your heart. Then He showed me what the meaning of a care is. A care is the concern that we have about that person, job etc. Then He brought the scripture 1 Peter 5:7 to my mind it says this, Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

He was saying to me that He cared about what was going on with me and wanted me to give it to Him. He was saying you’re right you cannot take care of those things on your own but I can take care of them. Then He reassured me that everything would be okay. Such peace settled in my heart once I knew that He would take care of it. I don’t have to try and solve these things on my own. He is faithful and will do what He says that He will do, as I place my trust in Him. 

You may be facing some situations where you don’t know what to do. You may even be wondering and saying to yourself how can I fix it and have come to the realization that you can’t fix it. Give the situations, to God tell Him about it, admit to Him that you cannot fix it. When you say to God you can’t fix it, it gives Him the opportunity to tell you that He can fix it. Give that worry and care to God. He is the best Care Taker and He knows exactly what is needed to fix it. When you invite Him to take care of your concerns, He will. Psalms 55:22 says, Our Lord, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us, and you won’t let us fall.  

Have you ever seen a father tell a child to jump and that he will catch him. What does the child do? He fearlessly jump into his father’s arms. What makes him so fearless? He knows that when his daddy says that he will catch him. He can trust that he will catch him and not drop him. 

God is asking us to trust Him. We can rest assured that as we do He will be right there and will not let us fall. He will take care of us. As you give your cares and worries to Him, He will reassure you that everything will be okay and peace will enter your heart. Let Him Be Your Care Taker!