If God is for us...if He is on my side....then I HAVE ALL I NEED TO LIVE LOVED!!!!
The big question that many of us don't dare to answer out loud is, "Do I trust God to be God?" If someone walked up to me today, and asked me that question, of course, I would say, "Yes...I trust Him." But how do our actions show that? Remember the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words?" What are our actions saying?
This past week, as a couple, my hubby and I went through some highs and lows with what God has placed on our plate to handle. We are trying to sell our house in Indianapolis and have placed it on the market. Just a few days after we did, we had an offer on it. Of course, we got excited and started wondering if God was answering our desire in a quick fashion. Short story version, we had to reject the offer but we learned a lot through that process. Is God still God? Of course! We had some disappointment feelings in not selling yet but through it, we have a peace that God is in control and He will sell it in His timing. I love the fact that even though my heart sometimes has to catch up to the truth, God is trustworthy and is FOR ME!
A truth that I was reminded again of this morning came from this statement, "God's love is NOT based on me - it's simply PLACED on me! Therefore, it's the place from which I should live - LOVED!" (emphasis mine:-)
So, back to the question, "Do I trust God to be God?"
Isaiah 26:3-4 give us a promise from God....

"You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast

because they trust in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

For the Lord - the Lord Himself -

is the Rock eternal."

Steadfast is an older word we don't often use in every day talk. I like the meaning of it thought. Steadfast means to uphold, support, to lean upon or take hold of, sustain, refresh, revive. God promises to give me peace not as the world offers but as only He offers IF I keep my mind leaning upon Him! I went further and read some of what Matthew Henry had to say about these verses. This hit me, "Good principles fixed in the head will produce good resolutions in the heart and good practices in the life." Wow! What we feed our hearts and minds dictates how I respond to pressures placed upon me! 

Trust means to have sure confidence in something or someone. If I trust, I can be bold and secure. Am I reflecting this statement when I say I trust God..."God is good at being God!" This means that God is good. God is good to me. I don't have to figure out my life today to believe that! He will sell our house in His time and I don't need to worry!

Lysa TerKeurst puts it wisely this way, "The mind feast on what it focuses on. What consumes my thinking will be the MAKING or the BREAKING of my identity. Approach each day by simply stating: 'God is good. God is good to me. God is good at being God. And today is yet another page in our great love story. Nothing that happens to you today will change that or even alter it in the slightest way."

So today, remember that God's love is NOT based on you! Rather it's PLACED on you! 

Go walk with the King today...and BE A BLESSING!

Line - Label - Lie

Just when I think I have read the best of Lyssa Terkeurst, she surprises us all with yet another treasure of a book, "Uninvited." She nails so many heart issues on the head but just doesn't leave you hanging wondering how in the world do you deal with this. She gives honest and down to earth practical help for a hurting heart. Sometimes, we don't even realize why we react the way we do, right or wrong. It definitely is making me re-evaluate how I talk to those in my home, those I meet by chance, those who stop in unexpectedly....how are my words being accepted?
"We connect an event from today to something harsh someone once said. That person's LINE becomes a LABEL. The LABEL becomes a LIE. And the LIE becomes a liability in how we think about ourselves and interact in every future relationship." (Quote from "Uninvited")
WOW...if that doesn't get your attention...read it again! Lisa gives an example of how this works in our minds...
THE LINE - "I don't want you" becomes the label "You aren't accepted"
THE LABEL - "You aren't accepted" becomes the lie "You aren't worthy."
THE LIE - "You aren't worthy" becomes the script of self-rejection. It unleashes suspicion, doubt, hesitancy, and many other liabilities that hinder present relationships. We project the lines of rejection we heard from our past on others and hold them accountable for words they never said. And worst of all, we catch ourselves wondering if God secretly agrees with those who hurt us. (Quoted and emphasis mine)

I am excited to continue on in this study and as time permits hope to post some of the jewels I find for my own heart through this study.

Think about this...."Rejection steals the best of who I am by reinforcing the worst of what's been said about me." Mmmm.....deep thoughts both for my own heart and for the words I say to others. As the Psalmist said..."Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O God!"

Been a bit since I have taken time to jot down some inner thoughts and reflections. When I look at the picture I have chosen of our six kids, I have to say this is probably one of my most favorite. No, they aren't all looking at the camera, or even trying very hard to get a nice picture together. But when I see this one, it makes my heart happy to see the beautiful lives God has put in our home, enjoying the fellowship of each other. Each personality is shown here to me!

Reminds me of how I want to be if God were to take a picture of me right now and post it for the world to see. Would it be a picture of inner joy flowing out because I have left my worries and cares with Him? Would I be happy to have every one see what my heart looks like? Would they see a clear view of what I believe God is to me personally?

I am currently leading a ladies Bible study in my home and right now we are working through Sally Clarkson's book "Own Your Life." It has been very thought provoking for me. Here is something to really thing about...."What might God do through my life, in the power of the Holy Spirit, if I were willing to dream big and believe in miracles? What might He accomplish through me if I would only throw off my cloak of worry and just enjoy the beauty, dance with the invisible music, and celebrate life?" How often to I miss His best in each day because my focus is on all my projects that need to be done, or I'm fretting and worrying  that money wont be there to cover all the many demands of living life? I believe God wants us to live beyond our daily grind and live in His grace of providing for us....living a life that recognizes God for WHO He truly is. It's definitely humbling to look at my life through this lens! 

Take time today to laugh! Be care free with your kids for awhile! For me, I am going to look at the fun and laughter this picture of my kids portrays and take time to enjoy and be thankful for what I have in Christ!

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh 

but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments 

and every lofty opinion raise against the knowledge of God,

and take every thought captive to obey Christ." 

2 Cor. 10:4-5

So, I am into week 4 of the Bible study I have been participating in on how to mend a wounded heart. This week's challenges have been a huge challenge for me. Its definitely ironic how, when God wants to teach you something specific, He tends to send specific issues to challenge what you thought you had learned:-)
This week, the author, Suzanne Eller, challenged us to evaluate the playground of the mind. What do I spend my time thinking about? What painful situations do I tend to replay in the playground of my mind? Yes, there is a time to work thru the issues of painful situations in our lives but we can't live in those situations day after day. That is the playground Satan loves us to be in because it's there we turn into ungrateful, unsatisfied, embittered, and selfish people. God wants to clean out every area of our lives that doesn't line up with what He knows is best for us.
Neil Anderson in his book, Freedom from Fear, gives an excellent definition of what a stronghold looks like. "Strongholds are habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting that are deeply ingrained in a person's personality. They are similar in concept to what psychologist call "defense mechanisms," which are unhealthy ways of coping with life." Ouch! After reading that, I definitely don't want to live that painful lifestyle and want God to clean out the strongholds in my life.
Another strong statement I read was by a wise woman, Margaret Thatcher. She advises us this way, "Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits, Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
Our thoughts are very powerful weapons. God promises DIVINE power to break down the wrong thought patterns in our lives...but we must use it! He won't force us to tap into His divine power but is more than willing to give us the power we need to break down those areas in our thought life that need to be replaced with His truth and grace. God never promised that His way would be easy. But He promised to be with us each step of the way. He doesn't promise that every situation in our lives will be mended and healed but He does promise to be the Healer and the Gracegiver.
One of the biggest things I am learning right now thru this study is this....I cannot take someone else's brokenness personally. That's very difficult! But if I can with God's help, see that in ALL things God has my good and His glory in it all, I can then partner up with God and instead of allowing the hurt someone else's actions toward me to define who I am, I can be a tool God uses to help reach out to that hurting person. Yes, there are times healthy boundaries need to be set in place and that needs to be done but even in that, let God define who you are to Him and don't let the hurt of another define who you are in your own eyes.

Thru my teen years, one of the songs that I wrote out and placed on the back side of my door to my room had these words...

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love...

Like the rainbow of promise, God promises strength for every day...

His rest is sweet...and His grace and kindness and love are unending. 

" Fear not, for I am with you;

 be not dismayed, for I am your God;

 I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

As I continue in my online Bible study, I came across this verse that has become my "week verse" this week. Fear is a word that easily slips into our minds and sometimes we dont even realize that its controlling us. God says to "fear NOT" and gives a reason why, "for I AM with you." He not only is a call away, He is WITH me! 

I looked up the word "dismay" because I was a little curious as to what it really meant. This is what I found - Dismay - to break down the courage of completely; thoroughly disheartened." That put a new "spin" on the meaning of this verse for me. Its so easy for me at least to become "dismayed" especially in light of what our world has become. But guess what! God commands us to "be NOT dismayed" and tells us why, "because HE is our God!" What a comfort that is to a heart that tends to worry and become disheartened. No matter what our government tells us we have the "liberty" to do, God is still in control. And we can claim like Esther in the OT and courageously say, "we are here for such a time as this." We are here to be light to a very fallen world. 

I love the last part of this verse as God promises to strengthen, help, and uphold! Oh the wealth that is in this verse! When I am falling, He is there to strengthen me. When I am overwhelmed by life, He is there to help me. When I feel powerless, His power is there to uphold me!

As usual, the picture I chose for this post, has a special thought with it. The camera couldn't do this site justice. My daughter and I went out to take pictures of this beautiful painting of God's and she said to me, "Mom look at that cloud. There is a little black out line above it (you can barely see it in the picture) and it looks to me like Jesus is sitting on that cloud." I must admit, I thought the same thing. Jesus sitting on the cloud look at me and saying, "I am still in control and love you!" Revelation 14:14 says this, "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a Son of man." It was like the Lord was saying to my heart, "I am here, I am in control. Don't be afraid just trust me!"

Just some rambling heart thoughts from me this morning. Pray they in some way will encourage you too!

 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay 

to show that this all-surpassing power 

is from God 

and not from us. 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

 perplexed, but not in despair; 

persecuted, but not abandoned; 

struck down, but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (emphasis added)

I am currently involved with an online Bible study and our current book is by Suzanne Eller, entitled "The Mended Heart." The title itself grabbed my attention. Who doesn't have something in their heart that hurts. I know I have several areas of hurt in my heart, some others know, some only God knows. The verse at the top is one of the verses she references to when she talks about the hurt in our hearts caused by people we love. This verse has been a favorite of mine for a long time but after digging deeper this morning into what the writer of this verse was trying to convey, it means a whole lot more to me!

"Treasure in jars of clay" - Clay jars have little or no value to them. Clay, when broken, is hard to put back together and in my experience of trying to repair something of clay, you can "fix it with super glue" but you can see the lines and if you hold it up to the light, you can see cracks and holes where light filters in. It isn't "perfect" any more! I see that as my life...words people say, or words you long for someone to say to you....both of these chip away at our dream of a "perfect life". Words break that "clay pot" and we try to fix the broken pieces with smiles, or "I am ok" phrases, or thoughts like "i should be able to handle this", or thoughts like "Its only words" I can deal with it. When in reality, when our heart hurts, and we try to put the pieces back together with out the proper "glue", the jar of our hearts falls apart again, and those broken pieces become even more broken. 

Look back at the verses out of 2 Corinthians 4 - there are four "but not" phrases that I see as God's promises. 

• "Hard pressed on every side BUT NOT crushed"
• "Perplexed, BUT NOT in despair"
• "Persecuted, BUT NOT abandoned"
• "Struck down BUT NOT destroyed"

I looked at what Matthew Henry stated about these verses in his commentary of this and this is what he said, "Whatever condition the child of God may be in, they have a "but not" to comfort themselves with."

God does allow things that hurt into our lives. I am far from reaching that point where I can accept without question what He does allow, but this hurting but mending heart loves the "but not" promises of God and like a cracked pot that is put back together by the expert, I want my "cracked heart" to be a something God's Light can shine through and prayerfully, someone else will see God does mend the hurting heart and when His light filters through the mended heart, HIS beauty can be seen.

Hence, the picture at the top means a lot to me too....Its hard to make it out maybe, but that little yellow road sign shows that a curve is coming up. On the road of your life and mine, there are curves, but God has promised to be right there with us! His rainbow is a promise of His love to us! I know I am far from perfect, but with God's "But not" promises, I want to face the road ahead of me, no matter what curves come, and walk beside my Lord.

And just another side note, if you look closely, there is a double rainbow! Its almost like God has a great sense of humor and says, "You forgot my first promise to be with you...here is a double reminder that you don't walk alone!"

This is a verse that I am taking to heart this week. Our world, Christian and non Christian, is seeking for peace in all sorts of forms. This verse clearly states, that only in Christ can you have true peace. 

It's funny how God puts little tidbits of encouragement into your life when you least expect it. Last night, Zach, our youngest, was playing on his dad's phone. He kept wanting to hook the phone up to our speakers so we could listen to the song he was walking around the house humming to. The words to the song he was singing to hit my heart this morning as I read this verse. Hope you will take time to read through the words and let the truths of GOD speak to you heart. My favorite part is the section that says, "Every time I fall, There'll be those who will call me A mistake, Well that's ok, Cause hear a voice and he calls me redeemed, When others say I'll never be enough, And greater is the One living inside of me,Than he who is living in the world."

 "Greater"

Bring your tired
Bring your shame
Bring your guilt
Bring your pain
Don't you know that's not your name
You will always be much more to me

Everyday I wrestle with the voices
That keep telling me I'm not right
But that's alright

Cause I hear a voice and he calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Bring your doubts
Bring your fears
Bring your hurt
Bring your tears
There'll be no condemnation here
You are holy, righteous and redeemed

Every time I fall
There'll be those who will call me
A mistake
Well that's ok

Cause I hear a voice and he calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Woah ohhh ohhhh ohhh
Woah ohhh ohhhh ohhh
He's Greater
He's Greater
Woah ohhh ohhhh ohhh
Woah ohhh ohhhh ohhh
He's Greater
He's Greater

There'll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn't matter
Cause the cross already won the war
He's Greater
He's Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how he sees me
And it makes me love him more and more
He's Greater
He's Greater

There'll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn't matter
Cause the cross already won the war
He's Greater
He's Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how he sees me
And it makes me love him more and more
He's Greater
He's Greater

Cause I hear a voice and he calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

There'll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn't matter
Cause the cross already won the war
He's Greater
He's Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how he sees me
And it makes me love him more and more
He's Greater
He's Greater
He who is living the world

Lyrics by MercyMe.