To Save Our Loved Ones

Question for you: When did God lose His power to save our loved ones? Did He somehow decide not to save our family members for whom we have prayed for faithfully? Have you given up hope?

I know there isn’t one person reading this post that doesn’t have someone they love that is lost. It may be a spouse, child, parent, sibling, or some other relative or friend. If you are like me, you are deeply worried at the thought of their not being in heaven with you some day. How awesome would it be to see them have a relationship with the Lord!

The Lord said to Judah, “Is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?” (Isaiah 50:2).  The simple answer is that God can save our loved ones! In 2 Peter 3:9, it tells us that God wants for all to be saved. He has done everything in His power to make a way for salvation.

God has given all of us gifts that show His concern for everyone’s salvation. The first is the Word of God. In this perfect Book, God reveals Himself to us. We get to see the love He has for sinners and His plan to save them.

The Work of God is another gift to us. If we look back through history, we can see the hand of God performing mighty works. All of these works have been designed to bring a saving knowledge of Him. How about in Christ? He is the ultimate work of God who sacrificed His life so that all can be saved if we just believe in Him.

God is capable of doing what we ourselves cannot do. We can plead, nag, even beg our loved ones, but we can never open the doors of their hearts. Only God can do that. John 16:8 says, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”

We may never know when and how God is working in their hearts, but do not give up on them. We are to pray and be patient and He will gather in our loved ones, one at a time! Live your life for Jesus in front of them at all times and God will do His part!



I Wanted to Dropkick Her

Last night, I relived my Black Friday experience as I waited in line to get into my kids’ Christmas program (mom, I know you are chuckling about where I am going with this). A large crowd waited eagerly outside of the gym in hopes of finding seats close to the front. Now, the rule was no saving seats, so it was first-come, first-serve.

As the doors opened, the large crowd raced to their seats ignoring the well-being of those around them. As my mom and I and the kids entered a row, a lady from the row behind us quickly pulled a chair out in our row and proceeded to come up into our row.  We were down two seats. So, as we went to sit down in our remaining seats, an older woman scooted her butt in behind my son’s so she could sit down. I politely said to her that we were sitting there. To my dismay, she proceeded to tell me how rude I was, stood up, turned around, and reminded me one more time of my rudeness, and then found a seat closer to the front. All I could sarcastically say was “Merry Christmas.” And, then my blood began to boil. Do you know that feeling? And, literally, I wanted to dropkick her across the gym. A drop kick in soccer is when the goalie, instead of punting the ball down the field, let’s the ball bounce on the ground first and then proceeds to boot it down the field. Yep, I wanted to send her flying.

That’s horrible, I know. It just blew my mind as I looked around at the madness! Did I mention that it was held at a Christian school? Shouldn’t we all have been acting differently? Are we not the body of Christ? As I lay in bed last night, I began to wonder if my actions should have been different. Should I have given her our seats or was there something else I could have said instead of a sarcastic “Merry Christmas”? I knew for sure that I shouldn’t have been so angry about it, and I wished for that chance again to do it right.

Anger is not necessarily a bad thing because it is a desire for change. But spouting off at the first wrong doing is definitely not the thing to do. We should also not let anger sit and aggravate us because it can cause bigger problems down the road. James 1:19-20 says, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Anger is very powerful and can lead to destruction. So, how should we handle it? When we become angry, we should stop and think about why we are angry and about what it is about the situation that we wish was different. Taking this time allows us to examine ourselves. Luke 6:41-42 says, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.”

When we feel anger rising in us, we need to have self-control. Ever count to ten? Try it sometime because it actually works. I practice it often with my kids :). Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Sometimes we need to train ourselves. Remembering what the scriptures say about anger and about how God wants us to act in those situations can help us to be His light that shines for all to see.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, we are going to be faced with many challenges when it comes to shopping for gifts or even spending time with relatives. When issues arise that make you angry, take a step back and take a good look at the situation. Luke 6:36-38 says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure -- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Remember to love one another…and forgive.



Christmas Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zduwusyip8M

This video was shown at my kids' school today.  Very Cute!

27 Dresses

Have you ever seen the movie “27 Dresses”? I loved it! It’s a romantic comedy about a single woman who has served as a bridesmaid 27 times! She struggles on number 28 with the idea of supporting her sister at the altar in spite of having fallen helplessly in love with her sibling's handsome fiancé. For as far back as she can remember she has given up her own happiness for the sake of those she loves most. As she comes to grips with her true feelings, her life begins to change in ways she never expected.

For those of us who have been brides, hopefully, it was an amazing day that we will never forget. Some of you have been dreaming of that day since you were a little girl and most likely have it already planned out. Did you know that your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is His name (Isaiah 54:5)?

Many people of the Christian church are unaware of our wonderful calling as the Bride of Christ. Isaiah 62:3-5 says, “The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see — a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride. Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.” 
    

When we refer to the church as the Bride of Christ, we are talking about a relationship with Jesus while we are still here on earth (the true Wedding Day will take place when we are in heaven with Him). This relationship with Him is so close and so spiritually intimate, that the best metaphor to portray is that of a bride and groom. If you think of the bond that you share with your spouse, the closeness that you enjoy, and the pleasure that you receive from one another, it is just a small glimpse of the everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ. The amazing truth is that our God has chosen us! He pursued us and purified us so that we may be His Bride!

I love what David Wilkerson says about the Bride of Christ, “The Bride of Christ rests in His love. She is confident He knows where she is, how she feels, what she is going through, and what is best for her. His loves gives her peace and calm. She knows He will not allow anything that will cut her off from Him or hurt her. He is going to preserve her because He said, ‘She’s mine!’”

What must we do as the Bride of Christ? We must realize the importance of Christ being first in our life. We must wear His name! Peter said that "neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). We must not commit spiritual adultery by becoming worldly! “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:2-3).

I challenge you to seek that deeper and more intimate relationship with Christ. He does not only want to be our salvation but our bridegroom! Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

It Starts With One

If we were to compare ourselves to Billy Graham, we would feel pretty insignificant. He is a man who has witnessed to millions of people in his lifetime. But, have you ever thought about how many lives could be changed by our witnessing to just one person?

My great grandfather, Pop Pop, was born and raised in the Catholic Church. Every Saturday, he would go to confession. On one particular Saturday, as he was trying to think of his sins for the week, he realized that he didn’t have any to share. So, he felt like he needed to make stuff up. It dawned on him how foolish it was that he was going to some man every week to ask for forgiveness. The next day, he decided to go to an Assemblies of God church near his home, and that same day, he accepted Christ into his heart.

Once Pop Pop found Christ, he started inviting others to church. As a result, his brother and sister-in-law and their family became saved, as well as my grandfather and his brothers. It continued to grow from there. My grandfather and the pastor from his church would travel through the streets of their town with a loud speaker announcing a revival at their church. A lady standing on the corner attended the service that weekend and she, too, accepted Christ. As of this day, many of her family members are born again believers.

My Pop Pop is now in heaven with Jesus, and thankfully, I can say that our family will see him again some day. It took one person hearing the message of the cross and believing for it to be passed down from generation to generation. It is awesome to know that I am now passing that on to my children.

Remember, it starts with one. While you may not realize the impact you are having on others, know that as you plant the seeds, God will use it in great ways just as He did with my great grandfather.

Much Needed Rest

Last night, on my way home from a soccer game, I had an emotional meltdown. Call it a “feeling sorry for myself” moment. I started playing soccer when I was five, and 21 years later…ok, 27…I still enjoy playing. But, the hardest thing to face is that I am not the same player I was ten years ago. You see, I know what to do when I am out on the field, but my body no longer wants to cooperate.

That was not my only issue last night. I always tell my kids that when my bucket is full, watch out! It seems that at the moment, I have so much going on with work and family, and I am exhausted by it all. And, sometimes I feel that I am falling short on all that is expected of me. Maybe that’s not true at all but add “hormonal issues” to that, and you can see why I had the meltdown. My mind was going a mile a minute, and I just wanted to turn it off! What’s funny is that I was even thinking about this blog, and wondering how I could use that moment for one of my posts. But, as I tried to work my way through my issues last night, I could feel God saying to me, “Let me give you rest.”

There is a song called “Come Unto Me” that says, “Are the clouds above your head oh so heavy bursting with showers of despair? Do you struggle under more than you can carry? Has life given more than you can bear? Would you like to trade your failures in for victories like piles of ashes in for piles of gold? Can you fall down like a child who is helpless so He can pick you up and make you whole? He says come unto me all who are weary and I will give you rest. Bring what hurts, bring your scars, bring the load that you carry, and I will give you rest.”

Do you know that God knows every little thing about you – every burden, every worry, and every fear? Psalm 139:1 says, “O Lord, you have examined by heart and know everything about me.” When He says, “Come to Me,” He means run to no one else or anything else, but to Him. Jesus gave up everything on the cross, so that we can have rest, peace, freedom, and healing.

Come as you are and lay your burdens at the foot of the cross. The gift of rest is His gift to us!

Ode to Planet Fitness

Every year during the fall and winter, without fail, I take a hiatus from my normal exercise routine. It bugs me that I do this, but I have zero motivation to keep it from happening. I always joke that I am in hibernation mode and that those extra pounds will keep me warm on the ski slopes! So, as I saluted Planet Fitness with my Dunkin Donuts on my drive to work this morning, I thought about my identity, not only in this world, but in God.

Romans 12:1-2 (Message) says, “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Our pop culture tells us how important it is to have a slim and trim body and to wear the right clothing to show it off. Being wild isn’t necessarily bad, and being normal is boring. Teenage boys are taught that girls are objects and that relating to each other is all about sexuality. In addition, we are taught to focus on achievement, money, possessions, pleasure, gratification, and comfort.

It is our responsibility to make sure we are pointing our children and others to Christ so that they might find their identity solely in Him. The first thing to do is to take a good look at yourself and ask where you are finding your identity. It is a continuous struggle for all of us. We want to feel acceptance and significance, but ultimately our identity is in Christ and Him alone.

So, how do we help our children? By culture watching. Culture is constantly changing and shifting, so we need to stay on top of the messages that are being presented to our children. Then we should confront these lies. Tell your children that the world says this, but Jesus says that. Kids are smarter than you think. They will pick up on whatever has a hold of your identity, and if you have embraced Christ, it will send a strong message on the who they have been made to be!

Finally, Ephesians 4:21-24 (NIV) says, “When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Here is a great link for a list of scriptures showing who we are in Christ: http://www.persevering.org/perceiv.html

Have a Blessed Day!

Thousands of Hair Dryers

Do you ever just have weird random thoughts that take you down a strange trail, and before you know it, your mind is on something else and you’re not even quite sure how that first random thought brought you to that point?

This morning, as I was blow drying my hair, I thought about how old the hairdryer is and about how I really need to clean out the dust and lint that has piled up in the back of it. Then I thought about getting a brand new hairdryer because maybe a more powerful dryer would help me get ready faster in the mornings. And, then I thought about how at that very moment, there must be thousands of women standing in front of a mirror blowing their hair dry. And for some strange reason, which I am still trying to figure out this one, I wondered what type of hair dryer Kim Kardashian uses. This thought then led me to think about her 72-day marriage, and how all her wealth and fame can’t possibly be bringing her happiness. Finally, I thought again about those thousands of women standing in front of their mirror blowing their hair dry, and I wondered if they are happy.

My quest for happiness unfortunately led me to all of the wrong places. The problem is that I was looking to worldly things to fill the void in my life. For us to grow as Christians, our desires should be to learn more of Jesus’ character so that we can try to establish ourselves in a world focused on desires of the flesh.

Desire is a part of being human. We are made in God’s image and God Himself has desires; therefore, our very being is a function of His desire. Like God, as a result of our desires, we are moved to action. Nothing happens without desire. The trouble with us as women, we are challenged with wants all the time, but we often lack the wisdom to guide and direct them. We are essentially governed and battered by impulses.

Fulfilling our desires can be addictive because accomplishing them can bring great satisfaction. When we are unable to fulfill our desires, we can experience pain. As a result, without God, we can easily fall into a trap of continually fostering them and pursuing them. We get on a path where we never feel truly satisfied. When one desire is fulfilled, we look for another. Without God, we feel empty and repeatedly chase after the next desire hoping it will bring a more complete sense of gratification.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” A desire is not something that is essential, but something which is pleasurable in the process of fulfilling God’s purposes. Our desires come from Him, and they are what He wants most for us. God delights in giving us our desires! However, He will give them within the context of what we need. God responds to us when we desire Him with our whole heart, and when we hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness. If we desire God above all else, then He can change our heart to desire Him more than life itself!

So, what is your desire? Don’t hesitate to talk to God about it! He wants you to come to Him about your desires, hopes, and dreams. Ask Him how you can achieve them and also grow in a relationship with Him!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Are chains of guilt holding you back from being all that you can be as a Christian woman?  We all have it in some way, shape, or form. We feel guilty when we’ve done wrong things or when we didn’t do what we thought we should have. Sometimes we feel guilty over something that doesn’t violate God’s standards, but fails to come up to meet our own or other people’s expectations.

There are times when that wave of guilt will come over me when something happens to remind me of my past sin. There was a time when I felt like every single day it was right there in my face. I knew that I had been forgiven and the shame of it was taken away, but still I would have that moment when the sting of guilt would hit me.

One of Satan’s biggest weapons against us is guilt. It can tear us down and make us feel unworthy. It takes from us the faith and confidence in Jesus Christ. As we allow ourselves to continually dwell on how we messed up, it cultivates that guilt. Falling for the enemy’s trap allows him to build a stronghold in our minds.

The Bible mentions two kinds of guilt: the Godly sorrow that leads to repentance and then the condemnation from the devil. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

There are important things to remember when facing guilt. We must understand the nature of God’s forgiveness towards us. When our sins are forgiven, we are made clean! We need to stop thinking about our past sins and start thinking about the new person we are in Christ. Paul says in Philippians 3:13, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it: But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”  

Another thing, forgive yourself! When Jesus said to be forgiving, that includes forgiving yourself in order to be able to be released from that bondage of guilt! If God chose to forgive you, then why are you hanging on to it? I love Psalms 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.”

So, today, let us agree together to thank God for the fact that He has forgiven us! Let us praise Him that He chooses to forget about our sin that has been forgiven and that we are no longer condemned! And if for some reason that burden of guilt creeps up on us again, let us give it back to Him over and over if need be!

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Say Good-bye to the “Bah-Humbug”!

Ah, yes, the most wonderful time of the year has quickly made its way here again! While it may only be November 2, many of you have already started your Christmas shopping and maybe even started playing the Christmas music! As for me, I am beginning to stress out at the thought of them!!

For some of you, the holidays are a whirlwind of tree decorating, gift giving, carol singing, cookie eating, and watching “It's a Wonderful Life” while sipping eggnog by the fire and cuddling with your loved ones. For others, the holidays are an omen of doom. We cradle our maxed-out credit cards in fear, stock up on meds, and pray no one will notice the ten pounds that we gained. We make our way through department stores and try to stay clear of the clawing stampede desperate to plunder them. We spend hours traveling and sitting in traffic to be with the people we've spent a big part of our year avoiding, and when we reach our final destination, we inevitably overeat, give out presents we can't afford, have nervous breakdowns in locked bathrooms, and then plan our early escape.

I wish I could give you ten easy steps to survive the holidays, but truth is we’re all different. My steps of survival may not quite match up to how you do things. What I can give you are things to remember as we dive into another crazy season:

Remember the Child Within. Find ways to have fun again! Make hot chocolate with marshmallows and sing Christmas carols. Think back to your favorite holiday or childhood moments and go for it. Play games with your children or spend a morning watching cartoons.

Remember to watch the Dollar Signs. It's a tempting time of year to go overboard. Remember to budget! You don't want to spend the next ten years paying everything off!

Remember the reason for giving – The holiday season is about love, laughter, family and friends. Holidays aren’t about the most number of gifts given, the prettiest wrapping paper, or the most number of cookies consumed. It’s about telling your loved ones that you love and appreciate them.

Remember to Reach Out. Step outside of yourself and look around you for others who are in need. Lending a helping hand could have an awesome impact on your holiday season.

Remember Tomorrow. Remember, if all else fails, this will soon be in the past :)!

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason we celebrate this season!  

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Dreaming of a White...Halloween?

For those of you in my neck of the woods, I know most of you will join with me in saying, “Seriously! Snow in October!” And, it was not just a little dusting either! I love snow, but I was definitely not ready for it to come so soon. But, I have to admit I did enjoy being snowed in today. My closet finally got the cleaning that it needed, and my mountain of laundry is now down to a manageable size. We even listened to some Christmas tunes and baked our favorite cookies, peanut butter blossoms!

Often we look at snow for its beauty and for its recreational purposes; however, we do not always think about it being a precious commodity. One third of the world’s water used for irrigation comes from snow. It lies in higher elevations, and then it eventually melts in time to help in the irrigation of crops in the late spring and early summer.

As much as some of us may despise snow, we must remember God made it.  Did you know the Bible mentions snow about twenty-four times? There are lessons that we can actually learn from snow. It reminds us of God’s provision. Like snow, we have a creator, a distinct look, and a purpose.

Isaiah 55:10-11, says, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. “ Not only does God send the snow to carry out his purpose of providing for us, His Word does the same.

Snow can also remind us of purity. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” All of us have sinned; but praise the Lord we can be whiter than snow! And, this was made possible by Christ giving His life for us!

So, as we shovel out from our first snow of the season, let us remember that snow is only here for a limited time and so are we! How wonderful that day will be when Jesus returns!

Insert Foot in Mouth

We’ve all been there - that slip of the tongue that we wish we could take back. How about the gossiping? As women, we can be quite good at it. What about non-stop complaining? Are you guilty?

Last year, I did a series on “Girl Talk” with my group of junior high girls. We discussed about how destructive our words can be. Teenage girls are faced with it every day as they try to live up to the social standards our society has placed on them. As we grow older, we realize that sometimes we do not grow out of our youthful bad habits.

James 3:8 states, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

How important is this issue of taming the tongue? Can an uncontrollable tongue really be that sinful?

James 1:26 says, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”

Ouch! A loose tongue can make your every spiritual doing useless in God’s eyes! Read that one more time. Yes, you may be holy and loving and kind, but if you go about your life with a sharp tongue, all your efforts at spirituality are in vain, even worthless!

This is probably one of my top “forgive me” requests. Sometimes we do it and don’t even realize we’re doing it. That’s why we should always pray and ask God to guard our tongues; but, not just our tongues, our ears as well. Listening to the gossip can be just as bad as speaking it.

So, let’s be accountable for all of our words. If you realize that your tongue is out of control, look to the Lord for His forgiveness. Allow Him to change the attitude of your heart, so it will be pleasing to Him.

Music To My Ears

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to attend with some friends a Beth Moore conference. It was the first time I had ever heard her speak. She was amazing! I highly recommend picking up one of her Bible Studies.

One thing I loved the most about the event was the worship. It was lead by an amazing singer, Travis Cottrell. As I stood there and looked at the crowd of 6,000 women and listened to them sing beautifully songs of praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I realized that I would someday stand with these ladies again. And, not just them, but with everyone!! We will all stand before Jesus someday singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” What an awesome day that will be!

In heaven we will worship as Adam did before the Fall, with one big difference—we will worship with hearts spilling over with thankfulness, for we will worship with the knowledge that we are saved by the precious blood of Jesus.

When Isaiah speaks for the Lord of the new heavens and earth, he says that "all flesh shall come to worship before me" (Isaiah 66:22,23). The Apostle, John, also says the same thing proclaiming, "For Thou only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee" (Revelation 15:4).

All will worship! All will fall to their knees and praise the Lord whose glory is revealed. Philippians 2: 9-11 declares, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Are You Dressed?

Every now and then, my sister-in-law will ask me if my armor is on. It’s a reminder to me that I should always be on guard for when temptations or other spiritual battles come my way. Have you ever faced a challenge and prayed you could stay in the Spirit? 

In Ephesians 6, Paul gives us a strategy on how we can move towards God’s highest goal. He guides our attention to the importance of knowing God’s Word. For without knowledge of scripture, we are left to battle against the enemy with only our own might.

Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Putting on the armor of God is not a request, it is a command.

With the Belt of Truth, the Word of God holds the rest of the armor in place. The Breastplate of Righteousness is meant to protect the heart. The feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel which gives us a solid footing to stand on. Having the Shield of Faith will help put out all the flaming arrows of the enemy. When we take up the Shield of Faith, we are holding our principles and our confidence upon Christ for the enemy to see. With the Helmet of Salvation, we should put on Jesus, who will protect us. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Paul underlines the importance of the Word as an aggressive tool to be used in the face of the enemy. Speaking the name of Jesus and saying scriptures out loud fends off the attacks of the enemy.  

I love the teaching of the late David Wilkerson. In one of his devotionals, he has this poem on the Armor of God:

Dear Jesus,
You told me to resist the devil and he would flee from me,

But I have no resistance. You have all the power and resistance I’ll ever need, so give me the power to resist.
You told me I could move my mountains, If I had faith even as a
mustard seed; Yet my mountain won’t move even though my faith in you is as great as I can conceive it.
You made the heavens and earth; please move my mountain.
You said, “Flee the very appearance of evil!” So I ran hard,
but sin overtook me in my finest hour of effort.

You have power over all the power of the enemy. With miracles, signs and wonders, deliver me from the trap of Satan.

I don’t even have the strength to put on the whole armor,
So dress me as my armor-bearer. Do for me what I know I
cannot do for myself.

Dress Me, Dear Jesus!

Slapping Demons

I once heard Joyce Meyers say that when we raise our hands in worship, we slap demons in the face. I have to admit that the next time I raised my hands in praise, I wondered how many demons I took out :). With our worship we make war on the devil. Praise reveals God’s presence as well as to repel the presence of the enemy.

When I drive to work in the mornings, I almost always have Hillsong on Pandora, or lately it’s been Travis Cottrell’s “When the Stars Burn Down.” For twenty minutes, I have time to praise and worship the Lord. It’s an awesome way to start my day! I used to feel somewhat guilty because I thought I should be using that time to pray. But the more I have learned about praise and worship, the more I understand just how much I need those twenty minutes.

Praise can release stress and anxiety. Turn on some good gospel music when cleaning or put your headphones on while grocery shopping, and see how it can change your mood while having to do those dreaded chores. Even better, simply find time throughout the day to say or sing a song of praise to God, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Praise sets an atmosphere for our hearing from God, as well as to release His generosity. When we praise and worship the Lord, telling Him how much we love Him and how great He is, He is likely to give us our desires, sometimes even before we ask. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24 NIV).

King David knew the power of praise to defeat the enemy. Psalm 149:6 says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” Praise can shake the foundation of our prison and loose the bands that hold us captive. Israel shouted in praise and victory even before they possessed the victory over the city of Jericho (Joshua 6). Worship brought relief to Saul when he was tormented by an evil spirit (I Samuel 16). It also brought deliverance to Paul and Silas when they were in prison (Acts 16).

So why not take time out to worship Him today and send the enemy fleeing!

It's Time to Die

I was about to say that in my household, I used to want to be the one in control. But, who am I kidding…I still want it! Patience is not exactly one of my strong points either. Funny thing is that outside of the home, I don’t need to be in control, and I am actually quite patient. But, under my roof, I want it to be my rules. I always joke that I have three children because my husband is just as big of a kid as our children. Sometimes, I think worse. Unfortunately, when things are not going my way, I let them have it. Thankfully, God is dealing with me on that subject of selfishness, and I have felt some improvement. Basically, I just need to die…

That theme has actually come up several times in the lessons I have heard or read this week. I figured it was God trying to tell me something. Dying to oneself means to do God's will and not our own selfish will. You have to die to self everyday.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." – Matthew 16:24-25

To die to self means that we are to put behind the sinful things of the world and to live a life solely surrendered to God and His commandments. It means that we are to deny the desires of our flesh that are contrary to God’s ways and begin to seek to further the kingdom of God in our lives. Dying to self daily is not optional for believers, but something every true believer must do.

How do you die to self? By allowing your circumstances to help you become more like Christ–especially the ones you don’t like. Anytime you feel the pain of an insult, disappointment, suffering, physical challenge, failure, injustice, or trial, it’s an opportunity to die to pride, ego, sin, and self.  And if you keep dying to self, you’ll come alive in ways you never imagined.
 

John 12:24 says, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

So, how about you? What areas in your life do you need to die to? 

He Heard You The First Time

Not too long ago, my daughter, Alyssa, showed me an example of what it means to have a child-like faith. For the last year and a half, we had been praying for bumps on her legs to go away. The doctor said they eventually would, but she would go through phases when they would be infected and very painful. So, of course, we prayed all the time for them to go away.

During one of those prayer times, I put my hand on the bumps and prayed that Jesus would take them away. And, before I said “amen”, I prayed for them one more time. As soon as I finished, Alyssa looked at me and said, “He heard you the first time. You only have to ask Him once.”

Now there is nothing wrong about asking God more than once to answer a prayer as long as what you are praying for is within His will, but she is right when she said He heard you the first time. In Matthew 6:8, it says, “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” And, you know what, the bumps did go away.

Sometimes God makes us wait for an answer to our prayers in order to teach us patience and perseverance. Sometimes we ask for something when allowing it is not yet in His timing for our lives. Sometimes we ask for something that is not His will for us, and He says “no.” Prayer is not only our submitting requests to God; it is God presenting His will to our hearts.

"And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request that we have asked of Him." – I John 5:14-15

Take Your Position!

“I have been driven to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” – Abraham Lincoln

One of my favorite stories in the OT is of King Jehoshaphat and his battle against the Moabites and Ammonites. He knew that Judah did not have the power to battle the great multitude that was coming against them. So, he had all of Judah fast and pray. In 2 Chronicles 20:17-18, the Lord spoke and said, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.”

The next day, they did according to the guidance, and Jehoshaphat sent the singers ahead of the army. When they began to sing praises to God, the Lord confused the Ammonites and Moabites and they killed each other. When Jehoshaphat's army reached the battlefield, there was not one survivor.

The one thing I love the most is that the Lord said take up your positions, and Jehosophat and all of Judah fell to the ground in worship. Is that not the position we should take? The battle is the Lord’s, and what we need to do is to trust and believe his promises in the face of hopelessness and what seem to be impossibilities. We need to learn to give praise and glory to God in the face of every obstacle even before we see the victory.

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” – Psalm 95:6-7

POSITION yourself for victory!

Let’s just get this out of the way…

Instead of just throwing out bits and pieces along the way, I thought I should share my story…

Casting Crowns has a song titled "Slow Fade" that tells us, "It's a slow fade when you give yourself away, it's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray, thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid when you give yourself away, people never crumble in a day..."  Sometimes we tell ourselves that what we're doing will not turn into something more. We convince ourselves that we can stop at anytime. It can be anything from lying, gambling, drinking, or cheating. But one day we wake up and realize that we're in deep...very deep. That is when the moment of hopelessness sets in, and you think that there is no way out. That is exactly where I found myself a few years ago.

I grew up in a Christian home, attended church faithfully, and even went to a Christian school. I had a strong foundation heading into adulthood. At twenty-one, I married my husband who had the same Christian upbringing. But, from the very beginning we failed miserably. We failed to keep God at the center of our marriage, let alone the center of our lives. Yes, we went to church and were even Sunday school leaders, but outside of that, we were casual Christians. Five years later with two kids, we had become roommates. Neither one of us paid attention to what was happening. We were both content raising kids together, but living independently outside of that. And then that is when it happened...the slow fade. Little did I know that my husband had a secret of his own, but I was about to have one as well.

Unfortunately, I allowed myself to get too close to a former coworker. While I told myself I would never let that happen, I soon found myself in farther than I ever expected. Our relationship lasted over two years. Finally, my husband knew something was wrong, but I was at the point where I felt our situation was hopeless. I figured once he found out what was going on, he would leave me. I was depressed, emotionless, and absent. My kids even suffered from it.  I came to the point when I was done with the lies and wanted out. So, one night, my secret came out. I waited for my husband to unleash his wrath on me, but all he did was walk away. A little while later, he came to me, and said something that completely floored me. He told me that he loved me and that he was going to fight for us. 

I wish I could say that I threw myself into his arms, but instead I rejected him. I became angry because my heart was so hardened. I resented the fact that it took something like this for him to want to fight for me. So, I continued down my path of destruction. However, my husband was determined to change. He went to our pastor and family for guidance. Very quickly, he recommitted his life to Christ. And, little did I know, that he was doing the “Love Dare” on me from the movie “Fireproof”. I saw the change in him, and yet I still resisted giving in. 

A few weeks later, I was sitting in church, and the pastor spoke on Romans 8:28. I also heard a man, whom I had known for a long time, tell the congregation that he was just diagnosed with terminal cancer. But, he had hope. It was amazing listening to him. And, for the first time in a long time, I could feel God’s presence. I finally had a glimpse over the wall that I had built of how life would be if I would just tear it town. But, I still resisted.

A few more weeks went by and my sister-in-law asked me to go away for a weekend with her, just the two of us. I felt like it was a set-up, but something inside me told me to go. And, as I left for the weekend, I knew I was not coming home the same. 

That Friday night and all day Saturday, we enjoyed just hanging out. Never once did she bring up what was going on at home. Late that Saturday night, she asked if I wanted to watch a movie. I agreed, but soon discovered the movie just so happened to be “Fireproof”.  As I watched the movie, I felt like I was watching my life play out. When it ended, we both sat quietly, not saying a word. Then my sister-in-law began to share about some struggles in her life, but still I sat there and said nothing. But, then I knew the time had come, and I turned to her and confessed my sin to her. I wanted to change! I got on my knees and surrendered myself fully to Christ. It was like I was breathing for the first time! I had been carrying such a huge burden of sin that I literally felt as though I had been suffocating. But, it was gone in an instant! I called my husband to tell him, and together we cried and asked each other for forgiveness. As for my other relationship, I ended it immediately and have never turned back since.

Our marriage truly was healed in an instant. People told us to give it time, but God had other plans. Almost three years later, we are still growing in love and respect for one another. It overwhelms me every time I think about it. God’s love and mercy and grace that He has bestowed upon us amazes me! 

So, maybe now you can see why I have such a heart for you! You are my sisters in Christ, and I want nothing more for you to experience God’s love to the fullest!!

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God!

-Luke 18:27

Why Women's Ministry??

Hello Ladies! 

Here is my first official post as a blogger (my spell check tried to change it to booger :) )!  Anyway, I have never considered myself much of a writer, and maybe you will discover that along the way.  However, God has spoken loud and clear to me over the last few years, so it’s about time I start paying attention!  Writing happens to be one of the things He has put on my heart.  Another big thing is you! 

A few years ago, I read a statement from the book Gripped by the Greatness of God written by James MacDonald that said, "You will never experience the fullness of joy that you were created to know until Jesus Christ has first place in every area of your life.”  That statement meant more to me than you could imagine.  Prior to that, I had looked in the wrong place for happiness, and it almost cost me everything.  I went on the path of destruction that led to depression, loneliness, and heartache.  But by God's never ending grace, my life was restored.

It is my desire to shake you uncontrollably until you get that fact!  If only it was that simple!  What I can do is share personal stories as well as God’s Word on what it means to have a relationship with Christ.  I recently heard Joyce Meyers say that we are only as close to God as we chose to be.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be as close to Him as I can possibly be!

I pray that God will bless this Blog and that a community of women will unite together as we seek to know Him more.  Please feel free to post comments at any time!!  As women we are encouraged to accept our responsibility as women of God who will offer ourselves as living sacrifices, acceptable and pleasing to God; be devoted to one another in love, honoring one another above ourselves; be patient in affliction and faithful in prayer; and share with God’s people who are in need.

Make sure to check out events posted to the right of upcoming PBF: Prayer, Bible Studies, & Fellowship!

I hope you have an amazing week!! 

1 John 3:1 (NIV) - How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.