Authenticity

I thought that may be  today we could have a heart to heart. I have discovered something about myself. One of the things I love the most is authenticity. Nowadays it seems to be quite a rare thing. But I admit when I do see it, it moves me deeply. 

It’s like looking into the deepest part of someone. For a moment you can see who they really are. They aren’t wearing a mask. They aren’t holding up any defenses. I understand that it isn’t always easy to be authentic. Especially, when it is taking the risk of being rejected, hurt or shunned. But I think even in the risk that authenticity seems to have a way of shining brighter than something that is a counterfeit.

I have fought often with the word counterfeit. I really dislike the times that I can’t be myself because of fear of what people might think. Let alone having that feeling that creeps over me saying, if I truly display my heart then they will try to quickly shut it down. It’s that sense that you won’t measure up to their standards. The word counterfeit has a way of revealing to you that you are trying to be someone you’re not.   

I am discovering that I can’t live under that word anymore. I have often allowed it to dictate to me who I am. I have heard it said that it’s better to die an original than to die a cheap imitation.

God created each one of us uniquely. Even to the point where there are no two persons that have the same fingerprints. Recently, I did a study on fingerprints. Our fingerprints were formed while we were in the womb. Science has discovered that from one’s fingerprints you can tell what the person’s height is or whether they are a male or female. It can also tell what your ethnicity is. It has been discovered that even if you tried to remove the skin so that you have no fingerprints, your fingerprints will grow back.  You cannot erase who God has made you to be. 

Psalms 139 says, You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.

I want to be the original and the unique person that God has created me to be. I still don’t even know what that entirely looks like. Perhaps that is why God says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants to guide us and show us who we really are and who He created us to be. 

Know that you were purposefully created to be different because God meant for it to be that way. Allow Him to show you who you really are and the purpose He created you for. And you will see it change you and the world around you for the better. 

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A Trouble Heart

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and tried to go back to sleep but you can’t? As if on cue, your mind starts to kick in and remind you of all the things that aren’t going so well in your life. You shut your eyes really tight and try to fall back to sleep.

Then it comes in like wave upon wave crashing on the shore. Strong emotions of turmoil, anxiety, panic, heartache, guilt, regret, doubt, discouragement and worry. It settles in over your heart like thick, heavy clouds. You can’t shake it. You feel like you are being smothered with the cares of your life. You think of all the things that you don’t have answers to. Any hope of getting any sleep whatsoever, has now fully disappeared.

You look at the clock and you discover that you have been lying there awake for hours. Once again, you will have a sleep deprived night with no sense of relief. When the morning finally comes, you have been reduced to extreme exhaustion and are completely overwhelmed. All hopes of being emotionally and mentally stable have vanished. You are about to face another day of walking into the unknown.

No one here on earth fully knows what a day will bring. More and more I am discovering that when I think I have it all figured out, something unexpected comes up. Life is not all mapped out. The roads that I thought were meant to only go straight ahead have sudden twists and turns. Circumstances can change so quickly that you can lose your balance. They give no guarantee of stability. They constantly prove they are not reliable. But even in midst of unstable circumstances, there is one guarantee to which I hold.

His name is Jesus. The Bible says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you[assuredly not]!”  So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid… (Hebrews 13)

We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus never changes. No matter what the circumstances, He will never leave us.

Hebrews 4:16 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.

It’s easy to get caught up in worry, fear, anxiety and all the things that unsettle you. But I want to share something with you that I have been learning. Matthew 6:27 says, Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Worrying and being anxious will not change a thing. The definition of worry is to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.

The definition of the word anxious is to be worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger

Do you know that being anxious actually means that you are believing that something bad could happen in your life? I like to call it the what if syndrome. What if it turns out worse than I thought? What if I lose my job? What if they reject me? What if my loved one dies? What if I never fulfill my destiny? What if I lose this relationship? Being anxious certainly does not make you feel any better.

Proverbs 15:15 says, all the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings],  but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].

The word foreboding means fearful apprehension; a feeling that something bad will happen. It is expecting or believing that you are going to have a negative outcome in your life. So what can we do to keep our hearts from worry and anxiety?

In Psalms 112 it says, Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing His commands…such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid but can calmly face his foes.

We must come to the place where we fully believe that God’s word is true.

Numbers 23:19 says, God is not a man; He will not lie. God is not a human being; His decisions will not change. If He says He will do something then He will do it. If He makes a promise, then He will do what He promised. We must be in agreement with His word and declare Mark 4:19 over our lives. We will not let the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. When we give into worry we are choking the word of God, causing the word of God to be unfruitful in our lives.

I would like to end with this one last scripture. Matthew 7:24-27 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 

I want to encourage you to believe what God’s word says. It will not return void in your life when you believe it. You will be like the wise man unshakable, in times where everything around you is being shaken.

The Separation

Inseparable that’s what they were. They walked through the darkest of times together and had lived through the deepest of tragedies. The bond between them was special. Three women who were brought together and became a family. Their love for one another was strong. Their relationship was a unique one. No one would have expected that one like it could ever come into being due to the fact, that they were from very different cultures and had very different beliefs.

The story I speak of goes like this. A husband and wife and their two sons had left their homeland known as Judah due to the kingdom being in a time of famine. They went to live in a land called Moab. One day, the husband became sick and he passed away. The wife, now a widow, had the choice of returning to her home land Judah but, she decided that she needed to remain where she was with her sons. 

Shortly after that both of her sons married. Then as time went on, her two sons became sick and died. The two daughters-in-law were left with no children and found themselves at a loss as to what to do.

The mother-in-law thought that it would be best to return to her homeland Judah as she heard how her God, who she believed in, had visited her people by giving them food. Rather than stay in their homeland, the two daughters-in-law decided to go with their mother-in-law. The thought of separating from her was foreign to them and unthinkable.

On the road toward Judah, the mother-in-law whose name was Naomi turned to her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah and said, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.  The Lord grant that you may find a home and rest, each in the house of her husband! Then she kissed them and they wept aloud.  

And they said to her, No, we will return with you to your people. But Naomi said, Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband tonight and should bear sons, Would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; it is far more bitter for me than for you that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her.  And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.  

And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. (Ruth 1:8-18)

In this story, you see a definite separation take place between Orpah and Naomi. Orpah was given the choice of continuing with Naomi and was presented with the fact that there was no guarantee of being able to receive something by continuing on in relationship with her. The path ahead could possibly be a difficult one by living in a different culture. She was faced with having to choose her people and her gods or to choose Naomi’s people and her God.

It’s so interesting how you can see Orpah’s true motive come to light. Although she seemed devoted to Naomi, when she saw what she would have to possibly give up she decided to turn back. Her relationship with Naomi was birthed out of obligation rather than out of commitment.

Rather than risking it all by going with Naomi, letting Naomi’s people become her people and Naomi’s God to become her God; she decided it was much better to live in the way she deemed best for herself. It became obvious that her loyalty was to what she thought would benefit herself in the long run. Her heart still lay with her own people and her own gods. Although she showed emotion toward Naomi and expressed sadness in leaving her, she chose to go back to the way that she had once lived before.

Ruth’s relationship with Naomi was one of commitment. It did not matter to her that the path ahead of her would possibly be a difficult one. She went to great lengths to show Naomi her loyalty. Nothing could sway her from her decision. Naomi’s people would become her people and Naomi’s God would become her God. She was dedicated to staying with her for life no matter what the cost was.

Because of Ruth’s choice to go with Naomi she served Naomi by going to a field to glean for grain so that they might have food. She met Boaz who turned out to be Naomi’s Kinsman Redeemer. A Kinsman Redeemer was a relative who restored or preserved the full community rights of disadvantaged family members. Boaz fell in love with Ruth and agreed to become both Ruth’s and Naomi’s Kinsman Redeemer.

Boaz was one of a kind. He was born to a harlot named Rahab. You can read about in the Bible. She was a woman full of great faith and helped the Israelite spies by hiding them when their enemy was searching for them.

When it came to Boaz’s background, he didn’t let it stop him from rising to the occasion to help Ruth and Naomi. He knew that they could do nothing for themselves when it came to redeeming the land that Naomi’s husband had previously owned.

Boaz stepped in and redeemed the land giving Naomi back her rightful inheritance. Because he redeemed the land, he could take Ruth to be his wife. and that way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.

Because Ruth made the choice to allow Naomi’s God to be her God, what looked as if it could be a great loss for her turned into great blessing. Boaz and Ruth married and they had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named David. David was in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

I just want to encourage you if you are at a crossroads in your life and you aren’t sure of which way to turn. You can choose to go your own way because it seems more convenient to you and that it could give you what you think you want. But when you choose the road God offers for you to take, even if the road seems desolate and without fulfillment. In the end, you will receive a greater blessing than you could have if you had chosen to go your own way.

 

 

Who Are You?

In the beginning there was you. You were born into an unknown world. You had no knowledge of what it would be like. Everything was a new discovery. Your pure childlike innocence was unscathed. You loved to laugh and to play. You were carefree. Until one day, even though you were too little to understand exactly what the word was, as you grew older you began to know it as pain. Pain was known to show itself in many ways to you. Feeling the searing sting of it when falling on the concrete.  Or experiencing the strange ache you felt in your heart from the loss of a family member.

In these moments of pain, you find yourself with these things called emotions which are sometimes so overwhelming on the inside of you that tears begin naturally flowing out and streaming down your face. You identify your tears with pain. Hurts and wounds have inflicted your heart. As you begin to grow older, you discover that not everyone likes you or is for you.

You can’t show your true self in order to be acceptable. Because everyone said you have to be a certain way you thought it must be so. So, you tried with all your might to be a certain way to please them. You masked your heart to hide who you really were so that you could be in their good opinion.  Little did you know that you allowed a little bit of yourself to be lost.

Then as the days went on, you began to be someone else in order to make them happy and yet, a little bit of sadness began to creep into your soul.

Ever since you were little, you always had an open heart toward others. You discovered along the way that you had a heart that was soft toward people, filled with generosity and a tenderness in caring about them. A heart that didn’t make judgements or criticisms but always saw the treasure and value in others. You had a heart that loved to reach out and be a friend to someone even when they were having a hard time.

You continued to respond that way as you grew up until someone rejected you and took advantage of your good heart and threw away your friendship when they decided that it was no longer needed. You then allow your heart to be cloaked with a callousness from rejection and letting the hurtful words that were spoken make you feel unimportant, devalued and unwanted. In that moment, you chose to let no one get close to you.

You began to remember the one who created you in the first place. The one you learned about in Sunday School. Surely, you could find acceptance in Him. You attended church on a regular basis but, in the midst of it you were reminded of the mistakes that you made in the past and in the present. Your future did not look promising.  You thought if I had messed up so much how could my life get any better or even be whole again? Yet, you chose to pretend that you had it all together. You lived in fear that people would know that you were not perfect and were struggling to live up to that standard. You felt that if they found out that they would scold you for not being perfect. For fear of being found out and shunned by those you hoped would accept you, you stopped going to church. You concluded that you were not enough and that God was mad at you. You believed that when He made you, you were nothing but a mistake. You were doomed to failure.

 You have now imprisoned yourself in a world of numbness and unworthiness believing that you are deficient. You allow yourself to become depressed to point of wondering why you are even on the planet. Suicidal thoughts enter your mind. Fear torments your soul on a constant basis smothering every bit of life within you. You have walled your true self in and walled everything and everyone else out including God. And yet, these walls that have been built around your heart have become your security. You have become imprisoned and feel there is no way out. You are not aware that you have lost your true identity. You have lost who you really are.

Is this the end of the story of your life? No, it is not the end of your story.

Because you are still breathing, there is more to your life than one of misery and imprisonment. You see before you were ever born there was someone who wrote a book all about you. Someone who created you to be unique and valuable. Every little detail about you is so intricate and extraordinary. You have been made for a purpose. You have been destined for greatness. This someone never meant for you to walk on your journey of life alone. He wrote about how you would be a person who would change your world around you with the joy that overflows from your heart. His name is Jesus. He died for you so that you might live and be made whole.

Psalms 34:18 says, The Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.

But, there is another person who has set out to destroy who you were created to be. He purposefully sets up circumstances to try to poison your life and destroy you from the inside out. He is out to steal your destiny, so he will make every attempt to keep you from knowing who you really are. His name is Satan.

Jesus said in John 10:10  A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!

In your life maybe you have been experiencing circumstances that are like the ones I have described. If you are or have been, I want to tell you that you are not alone. From the beginning of time there has been a battle over your destiny. But the Bible says, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. His name is Jesus and He wants to tell you who you really are. He wants to help you tear down the walls that have imprisoned you for so long. He wants you to be free to be who He created you to be.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-27 says,  May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

Hebrews 4:15-16 says, For Jesus is not some high priest who has no sympathy for our weaknesses and flaws. He has already been tested in every way that we are tested; but He emerged victorious, without failing God.  So let us step boldly to the throne of grace, where we can find mercy and grace to help when we need it most.

Jesus wants to walk you through every pain and circumstance that you have faced, are facing or will face. As you go to Him, let Him show you who you are really are. The Bible is full of what He thinks and says about you. My prayer for you today is that you will open your heart up to the one who created you and allow Him to make you whole once again. Let Him show you who you really are.

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!

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!