Finding My Voice

The Process of Healing

2012-03-09T14:18:00.002-05:00

Several years ago I had an accident. A glass door shattered over me. It was the result of kids playing, a door with too many layers of paint, and a really hot day. Luckily I wasn't covered in cuts, but two large shards of glass got me pretty good. They both went about 2 inches into my leg. I'm not a big girl, so 2 inches is significant. Had it been a movie I'm sure the scene would have been pretty cool. Both cuts had blood literally shooting out of them. I quickly covered the holes in my leg in attempt to stop the blood flow and called for help. Help came and 911 was called. When the ambulance arrived the paramedics asked me to uncover the holes. Honestly, this is the first time fear set in. I knew what happened when the holes were uncovered. Uncovering them seemed like a very dangerous thing to do.

I have referred back to this incident in my mind several times in the past few weeks. There is an area in my life that God has really been challenging me in. An area in life where I have been emotionally wounded again and again. Over the years I have covered these wounds. As in the story of my accident, it is a natural and necessary reaction. But God longs to restore us. In order to be restored, though, we have to uncover the wound. Uncovering seems like a very dangerous and possibly foolish thing to do.

I looked at the paramedics. They had their uniforms, kits, and gloves, and their demeanor was not that of anything but knowledge of what needs to happen next. I knew that my options were to cooperate or fight. If I fought I would be stuck in a very uncomfortable position, I would eventually be alone, and my future was possibly short, but definitely limited. Any healing that could take place would be unhealthy. I would not be in the proper care. If I cooperated, there would be a moment of fear, but I was surrounded with people totally focused on me who had the experience and equipment to take care of me in the moment and take me where I needed to go.

When God enters the scene in the role of paramedic to our emotional wounds, he needs us to uncover the wound. The paramedics at my accident scene needed to see the wound to assess the damage and gain information as to where to start. God already knows all of this. He needs us to uncover the wounds so that WE can see what is really going on. When we get hurt our perception is skewed. How we have internalized the situation is causing us more harm, many times, than the situation itself. God needs us to uncover it so that we can look at it with Him and see what He wants us to see in it. This does not take away our fear of facing the situation. We have to choose whether we are going to cooperate with Him, or fight Him. Fighting Him, similar to my situation with the paramedics, leaves us alone and in a very unhealthy situation. It keeps us in control in an area where we really should not have control. Cooperating causes a great deal of fear and vulnerability. But if you trust Him you will be in the best possible hands and given the best possible care.

I cooperated, and within minutes my leg was wrapped and I was in the ambulance being whisked away to the hospital. From the moment of cooperation I was completely taken care of. The responsibility for my well being during this process was not my own. I remember being in the ambulance joking with the paramedics, and they commented on what a pleasant passenger I was. I was pleasant because I trusted them and was highly aware that in this moment they were the best friends I could possibly have. Their comment reflected the fact that my attitude made their job much easier. It made me wonder what they usually had to deal with.

Every time God challenges me to move forward I have to check my attitude. God is for us, and wants so much more for us than we can even fathom is possible. For us to move toward His best we have to overcome the hurts and lies and fears and every other thing that holds us back. We can obey grudgingly or enthusiastically. Which do you think gets us there faster and stronger? Every time, it seems, that God points toward the next wall that I have to climb I feel wounded and look at Him like, "Why would You do this to me?" What is before me seems so big and so hard and I blame Him. I obey Him with arms folded defiantly and pouting and glaring. Hopefully I will soon learn not to react like that, but so far...yep, that's me! Eventually I do come to my senses and, rather than pulling against Him, I start partnering with Him to chase the goal. It doesn't mean things are easy, but, oh, the blessings that flow. :)

A ride in the ambulance didn't heal me. There was the hospital, where I had x-rays, then glass was picked out of my leg, there were stitches...and I still wasn't healed. Healing is a process. It takes time and care. I'm not through it. At most, I am metaphorically at the place where He is removing shards of glass. There may be a part 2 to this blog. But I am at the place where I am not fighting any more and appreciating the process. I am fascinated by it, and hope that it raises up something in me that allows me to bring His healing to many many many others. If you sense God's had extended toward you as you're reading this, take it! Trust Him! He knows what He is doing and it is good.

Killing my Control Freak

2012-02-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

...and no, I don't mean my husband. I was tempted to update my Facebook status to something like, "Tempted to stop praying." It seems that everything I have prayed for recently has come in such a way that I'm overwhelmed, it just seems like too much. My instinct is to hide from it, or to close doors so that only what I can handle is let in. But then I thought about it. God doesn't show up in my size, He shows up in His. He is not going to answer my prayers in the way that I see fit. He has no interest in keeping things "Lisa sized." God's presence in a situation should be overwhelming. He needs to show up in a way that makes people sit up and take notice that something more is going on here. If things stay "Lisa sized" then guess who is in control? Why would He respond in any other way than to overwhelm me?

So, what now? I'm still overwhelmed. I guess I have now realized that this is not about what I can handle, it's about making a decision about who's in control. Am I going to push out the blessings that I can't handle? Or am I going to humbly step back and look to Him to orchestrate events in the way the He sees fit. What am I going to make a priority? My feelings or His Glory?

Tug of War-part 2

2012-02-15T18:46:00.001-05:00

I published Tug of War a few days ago as a warning that opportunities may not always be what they seem. But how do you know, when an opportunity presents itself, if it's something to pursue or not? After all, God opportunities aren't exactly easy. You can't base the decision on whether or not there are obstacles. I have my own process that I go through to determine whether or not an opportunity should be pursued that I wanted to share with you. There are three parts to it.

The first is to balance it against my priorities. God, family, and commitments. Pray first! Having said that, ask yourself questions such as: How does this opportunity align with what I know God wants from me? Are there things that He has revealed to me that this underlines, or detracts from? If this takes away from my family, are they willing to sacrifice for it? Do they support me? What commitments have I made that might be affected by this? If I am going to fail in any of these areas, then how can God be behind it? The answer isn't always obvious though. Maybe at first glance it looks like you are going to have to turn your back on a commitment (or something else) but after some prayer and thought, or a new perspective, what looked like a distraction becomes a catalyst. That's why step two is so important.

It's important to run it by mentors, people that you look up to that have your best interest at heart. Presumably you look up to them because they have succeeded in areas that you want to succeed in. This gives them invaluable perspective into your life and situation. They will see things that you don't. "There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors." They may look at your obstacles and see opportunities.

After these two steps, if it makes sense to move forward, but there is still some doubt, draw lines in the sand. My husband and I had to make a decision about a career move. We were quite uncertain about it, so we made a list of things that we felt needed to happen in order for us to know we were making the right decision. I'm not talking about silly things, like make it rain or something. No, there were obstacles that we felt would stop us from being effective in doing the job, so we "drew lines in the sand". We listed the obstacles that had to be removed, there were many. We walked forward in the process, praying as we went, and one by one the obstacles fell and we accepted the job. What an amazing journey that was!

I hope this helps. If you are in the middle of a tug of war and need a prayer partner, I would love to pray for you. Please let me know!

Reclaim your inheritance

2012-02-13T20:10:00.001-05:00

Imagine you were heir to something great. Maybe you are of royal blood, or maybe you are heir to a fortune. Your family is attacked and killed. You were kidnapped, and thought to be dead. Years later you emerge. What happens? Well, if this happened to you while you were young, maybe nothing. You haven't been fuming over what you had lost, because you don't know any better. You had been living under a lie, you were accustomed to captivity, and freedom affords you little more, because you never knew there was more.

If this happened when you were a bit older, and you had an idea of what you had come from, maybe there was some anger and a sense of entitlement, but all these years later, what could you do? Yes, maybe at one time it would have been yours. And, yes, maybe you still carry the name. But it's been so many years. Things are different now. All you see is obstacles, and no real way to reclaim what should have been yours.

That's your perspective. What if you were the ones now controlling the fortune. What would their perspective be when they hear that you are not dead? They went to a lot of trouble to capture your birthright. Over the years they have done what they've wanted to with your inheritance. They've made a lot of changes. They knew your father, and they know that if you are anything like him they don't want you anywhere near your home. Your very existence threatens them. To them, your name is enough to be a threat. They don't see the obstacles you see. They know that all you have to do is show up to cause a stir.

So what's the point of this little parable? Well, you are royalty. Your Father is the King of kings! As a child your identity was stripped from you. You bought into the lie that what you could accomplish in this world was limited to what human hands and minds could do. You may even have bought into the lie that you had to do it on your own. As a result, look around you. Look at everything the devil has gotten control of. Look at the empty lives around you. Listen to the music. Watch the tv and the movies. Creativity, Music, Business, Purpose...these have all fallen into the wrong hands. If we would stop believing the lies and JUST SHOW UP, oh, how things would be different.

Tug of War

2012-02-11T12:41:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed that whenever you set out to reach a goal something is always there to pull you in the other direction? For example, it just so happens that someone brings in your favorite piece of cake just for you on the day you start your diet. Or, when you finally decide to put dating on the back burner while you pursue your dreams "that guy" calls and says exactly the right thing. Or you take that leap of faith and decide to make your passion a priority over income when you get that insane job offer. Maybe it's something more personal, like deciding to reconcile with a loved one just as something happens that slaps you in the face with the memory of whatever it is that drove a wedge between you in the first place. Do you think these things are coincidences? It's almost as if there is someone plotting against you, isn't it?

It's so weird, as Christians we know that Satan is out to get us (1 Peter 5:8), and yet we seem surprised and caught off guard when he strikes. There seems to be a separation between the Truth we have been taught and the truth we live. Satan may have lost the battle for our souls, but that doesn't mean he has given up the fight. There is a constant tug of war. He will always fight for ground, and the more ground that you plan to take, the harder he will fight. As long as he can keep you where you are at he doesn't have anything to worry about. If he sees you taking steps toward healing old wounds and breaking strongholds he knows that you are preparing to advance and take ground for his enemy, the Kingdom of God, and that's unacceptable to him. He wants you to remain fearful, alone, hurt, and ineffective. He cannot allow you to see yourself as God sees you, warriors and royalty, created to make His name famous. No, he wants you to stay in the shadows, afraid of what others will say, or cringing away from the pain of the past. As long as we behave and stay "where we belong", in the safety of our churches and homes, he is okay with that.

Ladies and gentleman, there is a tug of war over you. Over your future. Over your place in this world. Every step you take will be challenged and countered. What will you do? Will you remain oblivious? Will you choose comfort? Do you find the lure of worldly things more enticing? Will you choose to turn away, hoping that you can claim not to know any better? Or will you choose to become wise to the enemies tactics, prepare for them, and then be sassy enough to wink in their direction as an off-handed "thank you for recognizing me as a threat"?

I can't do it!

2012-02-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

I think it's a pretty common thing to look at the greatness that we see in others and then look at ourselves; wishing that we could accomplish even a fraction of that greatness, and to admit that we just don't have it in us. It's a very empty feeling. Very humbling. And it makes us shrink back. The thing is that if we make it about us, about what we can do, and about the credit we receive, then we should shrink back. Whatever we can do on our own won't last and is pretty insignificant anyway.

That empty feeling is pretty disheartening, but what if we turned it around to be a trigger? A trigger to reflect on the fact that the more we empty ourselves the more we can be filled with God? That empty feeling is a lack of self-confidence, which is a good thing if you are seeking God-confidence!

When we look at others and long for the greatness in them, why should that make us shrink back? If it's the type of greatness that we should be seeking then it is God revealing Himself and His purposes through them, right? If not, we are just seeking fame, fortune, or other worldly things. So, if we are witnessing God being revealed and honoring that, then we should be rejoicing? If we are not, then we are either seeking to be used in that way for our own glory, or we are judging (therefore claiming to know better than God), or we are being convicted. That conviction comes because we are not allowing God to flow through us as He desires to. We push Him out for fear of looking foolish (pride) or for fear of losing something (idolatry).

I can hear some of you saying, "You don't understand! You don't know what I've been through." I don't have to. God does, and He doesn't want you to keep holding on to that. Sometimes we feel entitled to our pain, or grief, or fear. I don't discount what you've been through. Maybe you feel that letting it go is letting someone off the hook. Doesn't that, by default, give that person or situation priority over Christ in your life? Have they earned that spot? Isn't it better to give that over to God? Revenge belongs to the Lord anyway. I've seen His revenge and, trust me, it's far better than your grudge.

I think that it's time that we take a good hard look at the greatness around us, whatever it is that makes you long to be more than you have been. Then look to God and ask Him what's holding you back. Why not make a commitment right now to surrender whatever that is, and maybe ask for some accountability as you move forward. Allow His Greatness to shine through you, and challenge others to do the same.

Name it and claim it!

2012-02-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

Did I scare you? I don't mean this in the way that it's usually used, I don't believe that we have the power and authority to "name it and claim it" in Jesus name, just because it's what we want, or even believe is best. I just want to explore the idea that there is something to "naming it." I watched a movie a couple of years ago, my typical supernatural sci fi type of movie, and it had a scene where a young man was being taught to use his powers. In order to have power over something he had to know the true name of it. Not what everyone else called it, it had to be it's true name. Something struck me about that. I remembered how Jacob's name was changed to Israel, and Abram to Abraham, and I remembered how in the Bible people would pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God has many names, and we can learn so much from studying them. There IS something in a name.

While I recognized this, I felt there was more, there was something there that I was missing. I then thought about counseling. Counseling someone can be quite interesting. Most people know there is something wrong but talk all around it. You kind of have to read in between the lines to get to the heart of the matter, and then speak to that. Once you get to the core of it, all the randomness disappears and then you deal with what's in front of you. Then I wondered if that's how God views our prayers. We get kind of rambly and generic, and while He's God and can see through it, maybe we need to get to the point before He can really move. You know how you can get in a prayer rut, "God bless ________, and help _________. Please be with me today, help me to make a difference...." Don't you think God is up there saying, "Seriously? Bless, help, be with.... Listen! I AM GOD! I do bless, I do help, I am with, I AM! But how do you recognize it unless you name it? Partner with me, let US bless, let US help, let US be with. I can do this on my own, but I have chosen to work through YOU. Let's focus on some place where My Name can be glorified today. Let's position you to be in a place where I can work through you and we can claim some ground in Jesus name!"

I think our prayers have gotten lazy. Even if they haven't, sometimes we are afraid to act for fear of looking foolish. I think God needs a few of us to step up and be intentional about making specific headway for the sake of His Name. A few of us have to do it to make headway and to create an atmosphere for more to do it. Some pray for revival like they are praying for God to wave a magic wand and create revival. I think God is saying that He doesn't need a magic wand, He created us, we just need to focus.

Carrying your cross

2012-02-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

A friend was talking about carrying their cross the other day, and the context that they were using it in disturbed me. I hadn't thought about that verse lately (Mark 8:34), about taking up your cross. I remembered that I used to think that it meant carrying your burdens, but I thought immediately of Matthew 11:30 where it says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." We weren't created to carry burdens. There is also 1 Peter 5:7 where it tells us to cast all our cares on Him. So then what does it mean to carry your cross?

As I prayed about this I thought about Jesus. His cross was a future event. And it was something that He really didn't talk about until the end. And the only reason He really spoke about it at all was because it was necessary in order to prepare His disciples. As I thought and prayed about this further I concluded that the cross isn't carrying the pain of our past, but willingly walking into the pain before us. You see, many are crippled by the things that they have suffered. They learn to deal with it. It becomes a part of them. And it becomes a chain around them. In order to escape it there will be more pain. They have to expose it, face it, sort through it, and overcome it. This process may come in many forms, but it is something that we shrink back from. The thing is, if we come through it, we can then help others to come through it. That's what Jesus did. The cross wasn't a badge that he wore, it was something that he went through for the freedom of others.

Although He didn't speak about the cross much during His lifetime, He did need to live His life worthy of the cross. He would not have been a candidate for setting us free from sin if He had not been sinless. Even beyond that, setting us free was a life long mission. He could have just come to die, but He also taught us how to live.

So, how does that apply to us? Some have the burden of health problems. Their cross is to overcome it so they can help others do the same, and teach others how to avoid getting into the same pit they did. Some have the burden of abuse. Their cross is to overcome it so they can help others do the same, and teach others how to avoid getting into the same pit they did. Some have the burden of anger. Their cross is to overcome it so they can help others do the same, and teach others how to avoid getting into the same pit they did. Are you seeing a pattern here? My challenge to you today is to identify your burden so that you can identify your cross, and then take the next step so that you can set others free.

LOOK AT YOURSELF AFTER WATCHING THIS.mp4

2010-05-14T15:45:00.000-04:00

2010-05-06T19:57:00.005-04:00

Depth perception

2009-10-12T09:41:00.001-04:00

I have bad depth perception. When I am riding with someone in the car I usually can't pay attention because I'll freak out thinking we are about to hit something. When I was riding with my husband last week he just zipped through traffic without a care and I thought about how he gets from point a to point b so much quicker because he can see when and where to move so much more clearly than I can. It got me to thinking about God's "depth perception" when it comes to moving through life. There are so many things that we panic about that wouldn't stress us one bit if we could see with His eyes, yet we fight Him when He tells us to take a step here or there. Imagine how much more smoothly life would go for us if we just trusted His sight rather than our own. If we started to trust Him blindly today we can't even imagine where we would be in just a short period of time.

False light can't hurt you

2009-10-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

I was watching a movie about vampires. Sunlight kills vampires. A couple of vampires were in a cave and light comes through and one of the vampire retreats deeper into the cave in fear, the other one stops him and says, "It's false light, it can't hurt you."

The Bible says that we are the light of the world. What kind of light do you shine? Do the things that can only exist in the dark have anything to fear from you?

Self-Made Boxes

2009-10-02T12:58:00.002-04:00

We tend to live in these self-made boxes. We put walls around ourselves to protect ourselves, but are we really protecting ourselves? Man made items have a life expectancy. Eventually these walls that you have put around yourself aren't going to be able to hold up to the storms and pressures of this life. We usually create these walls to protect ourselves from future heartache, but get a picture of that. There you are either curled up or pacing in this self-made box. Yes, you may be proud of your large sturdy walls, but they're holding you prisoner. Life is full of highs and lows. There is pain, but there is also joy. You can't choose to keep one out and not the other. Yes, you can manufacture your own joy. There are hobbies you can involve yourself in to keep you happy, but for how long? And how much joy can that really bring you anyway? Isn't it smarter to get stronger and prepare for the storms of life than it is to hide? You are going to have to deal with life anyway, isn't it better to equip yourself? Yes, the harsh may be harsher, but the joy will be greater as well. You will no longer be a prisoner and you will no longer be alone, and you'll probably like yourself better too.

Spiritual gifts

2009-10-01T16:51:00.003-04:00

I'm fascinated with tests that help you learn about yourself, one of which is the spiritual gifts test. This is one of those tests where the results change over time, which has made me question if we gain and lose them due our faithfulness, or for the job God has for us at the moment. I'm sure it's a combination of both, but recently I had another thought. Maybe we are the gift. Maybe we are not empty vessels that God fills and empties as He moves from one job to the next, but maybe God has placed something in us that God needs to us to spread. If this is the case then maybe He uses spiritual gifts to give us influence in each environment so others will be accepting of the real gift that God is sending them for a time.

Hiding

2009-10-01T15:50:00.002-04:00

Why aren't we honest when someone asks if we need help? Why do we say we're okay when we're not? Why do we think we should do more than is healthy? What makes us think we need to be stronger than we are? Why? What good could possibly come from it?

Be careful what you carry

2009-10-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

The people and responsibilities in your life have a huge impact on your effectiveness. Not so long ago I was bogged down with people and responsibilities that were weights. They dragged me down. While I was doing good things and making a difference I was limited. I could only do what I could do. I know, that sounds silly, but it was true. The people I was caring for were incredibly dependent and/or unmotivated. The responsibilities I had were either things that tapped me out or felt like a heaviness that I had to push uphill on my own. Contrast that with now. The people in my life are now self motivated, passionate, positive people. They still rely on me for things, but the effort that I put into them is joined with theirs and multiplied. My responsibilities are no longer things that I have to push or drag, but things that pull or propel me. These are things that are greater than I am. I am no longer limited by what I can do and the difference has been who and what I surround myself with.

Opinion vs Inspiration

2009-09-30T11:49:00.002-04:00

I have opinions. I'm a woman, of course I have opinions! The question is not whether or not I have something to say, it's whether or not I have something I should say. It can be so easy to "know better" about one thing or another, but I have found that as the conversation progresses I am forming an opinion on only part of the truth. As the truth unfolds my opinion changes. Therefore if I had stated my opinion earlier I would have been contributing to a partial truth and fueling something that was illegitimate. So how do I know when I should speak and when I should stay silent? I find that it depends on where my words will direct. If it puffs me up because I'm smarter or wiser or more experienced or whatever then it is time to be silent. If my words direct them to God's Word or His love or grace or peace or to increase their faith...you get the picture, well then it's time to speak. Early in a conversation words are flying and people are processing and there is usually a lot of fluff and not a lot of meat to what is being said. As the dust settles usually the topic is boiled down enough that you can at least get a glimpse at the heart of the issue. That's when the truth begins to emerge and inspiration begins and the heart of the issue can be directed toward God's heart and that is the right time to speak.

Just when you're not ready

2009-09-29T07:39:00.001-04:00

I watched the season premier of House. If you haven't seen it and intend to then don't read any further! Anyway, at the end of last season he commits himself to a mental institution due to hallucinations he's having. After detoxing from his drug addiction he demands to be released. The head doctor of the facility tells him he's free to go, but he won't recommend that his medical license be reinstated unless he stays and undergoes therapy. For the majority of the show is House fighting the therapy, but eventually (believe it or not) he submits to it. House goes through an interesting process of self discovery. He has highs and lows through the process but when his world comes crashing down the head doctor tells him he'll write his letter of recommendation. House says he's not asking for pity, he needs help. The doctor then talks him through his perspective of what House has just been through and shows him that it is time for him to move on, he's accomplished what he needed to.

I often think about Bible stories of those whose world has crashed down around them only to be handed their ministy. Peter, after denying Christ. Daniel after losing his home, his family, and even his name. Esther, Joseph, Ruth.... Who am I forgetting? It seems that just when you are not ready for it, the world is handed to you.

Age vs. Maturity

2009-09-28T06:14:00.001-04:00

I think some of us, as we age, are afraid to try new things for the fear of looking foolish. It's like a part of us actually believes we are supposed to be good at everything that we are going to be good at because of our age. But being good at something is really only maturity, or experience, in that particular area. Does age really have anything to do with it? Whether you're two, ten, or fifty your ability to play the piano has to do with your experience playing the piano. If you have never touched the piano and attempt to play Bach you are going to look foolish. Just a thought for the perfectionist in you.

"You can get fired for your potential"

2009-09-27T22:32:00.003-04:00

I heard this said by a sports announcer and it stuck with me. Presumably it means that you were hired and a salary was set according to your potential. You can't then perform and rate yourself in comparison to others. You can't get by because you aren't failing or just because you are playing. It got me to thinking about the spiritual implications of that. God knows what we are capable of. It doesn't matter where you've been or what you've been through or how old you are, there is no excuse that will suffice because He knows. When you stand at the judgment seat and He asks you why you didn't give it your all, what excuse could possibly hold up?

Interaction please

2009-09-25T12:06:00.000-04:00

This blog would be a whole lot more fun if we got some discussion going here. There is an idea that I've been toying with that I'd like you to explore with me. We, the church, are the body of Christ. Wouldn't it seem that God, being God with all his intricacies, would take that metaphor much further than just being the hands and feet? For instance, the heart is a muscle that pumps the blood throughout the body. A quick web search brought me to this:

Blood is the liquid pumped by the heart throughout the body. The cells are produced in the bone marrow.

The chief function of blood is to bring oxygen and nutrients to tissues in the body, and to carry away carbon-dioxide, lactic acid and other waste material. It also transports hormones and other substances between organs and body tissues.

Blood is made up of the following main components:

Plasma - This is the fluid of blood. It is mostly water, with about 4% proteins including albumin, as well as antibodies, hormones and blood clotting factors.
Red blood cells - These make up most of the blood cells. They contain a red protein pigment called hemoglobin which combines with oxygen so it can be carried around the body. They also contain the proteins which determine blood types.
White blood cells - These are part of the immune system, and defend the body against infection.
Platelets - These are sacks of blood clotting chemicals.

Okay, so if you show some interest I'll give you my thoughts on this metaphor later, but I want your thoughts first.

Blessings

2009-09-24T07:28:00.001-04:00

How many blessings are we blind to because we have an agenda? God has really been working on me lately to give up control over my plans. As I've been working on this I've noticed, of course, other people who have the same struggle and what it is costing them. It's so much easier to see it in others, isn't it? Anyway, so what I've noticed is that when you are so focused on what you want you get tunnel vision and can't see what's going on around you. Sometimes it's a relationship that you've wanted to strengthen but you are unknowlingly putting up obstacles to it. Sometimes it is an opportunity or a gift. There are so many good things that you automatically close your eyes to because you are so focused on what you think should happen. I would like to encourage you to take the most important thing you have going on today and give it to God and step back, open your eyes, release your agenda and see what God can do.

Live beyond understanding

2009-09-23T10:46:00.001-04:00

Is it possible to live beyond your understanding? I was stuck by this thought as I was marveling at God. I've been a Christian for 27 years now and I am consistently struck with the simple things about God that I've never realized or by things that I've been wrongly taught or that I've misunderstood for all these years. I get so excited and want to grab everyone I can and open their eyes like mine have just been opened and allow my excitement to overflow into them. I am blessed with some wonderful women in my life who love to just soak it all up and find my joy contagious, yet it's obvious that there are things I'm saying that they want in their lives, they just haven't grasped it yet. Is it possible for them to live and walk in the joy and light that I do even though they don't understand it yet? As for myself, as I walk in and experience God's goodness and explore these new revelations I'm thinking yes, it is possible to live beyond your understanding. If we are living according to what we understand of God, then we are putting our faith in our capacity to understand, not in God. We close the door to everything beyond human comprehension. Yes, we can understand that there are miracles without understanding the miracle, but that is still leaving us as judge and jury. If our faith is truly in God then we will put our whole into his hands. Not just our health and finances and salvation, but our dreams and potential and plans and hurts and EVERYTHING!!!

Lost faith

2009-09-11T13:54:00.000-04:00

Is there a dream you've left behind? Or something that you used to believe that you've lost faith in? A promise you've given up on? Or a hope that you've allowed to die? You know the saying that it is darkest before the dawn. Many times it looks like it's all over just before you get whatever it is that you're waiting for. Then when it comes you can doubt it, fear it, try to kill it because you stopped believing, or it's not what you thought, or it looks different than you imagined. Losing faith in your hope makes you lose faith in what you know...what you believe...and in yourself. When everything is crashing down on you and it seems as if there is nothing left to do but to give up, then look up. The biggest and best things are things that God gets the glory for, they are things that you have to walk through the fire for, and they are the things that are worth it all.

Chill, baby

2009-09-08T18:32:00.001-04:00

Everything's better when you just relax! When you are in the water if you tense up and struggle you sink. That can be reflected in life too. When you tense up and fight you start to sink. When you relax and give it to God your vision clears and you are lifted up. So, relax. Chill out. Things might not be going your way, but if you stop fighting they can start going God's way and things will be much better than you ever could have imagined.