Are We In?

Time.

We say it moves too fast, we say it moves too slow.

At times we want to rush God, don’t we?

We want to rush answers to prayers, and agendas, and plans. We may feel nothing is happening, and our works are fruitless, and our prayers are bouncing off the sky.

Yet, God tells us to be still, and know that He is God. He has all the answers and He knows when the time is right, because it’s not our time, it’s His.

We may feel we’re standing still, but we’re all on a moving sidewalk of sorts. God’s plans for us keep moving forward, and we need only trust in Him.  His promises are true.

So if you’re feeling discouraged and growing tired of the mundane, remember this:

Stay the course, and hold tightly to faith. Nothing is mundane when God is in it. The question is, are we?

And isn’t faith the substance of things hoped for? And isn’t faith the evidence of things not seen?

Never lose faith, and never lose hope, because prayers become tangible when we surrender; and time never stands still even when we do.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Now how about that fruit?

The grocery store has ruined us. We can walk in the door, head to the produce department, and ripened fruit is in abundance; we just need to reach for it.

Fruit at our fingertips, and the only challenge? Getting that darn plastic bag to open so we can get our fill.

No planting, no watering, no nurturing, no waiting. We are a spoiled bunch.

We want to see immediate fruit, don’t we?

We want that loved one saved, that ministry to bloom, that plan to come together, like now.

But spiritual fruit takes time. The planting, the nurturing, the green, and then the sweet.

And even while we wait to taste the sweetness of that fruit, God will confirm.

He will confirm if what we are doing is right in-line, or if what we are doing is wasting time.

He will help us discern the difference. And we can taste and see that the Lord it good. Now that’s sweet.

It’s time to pray big.

It’s time to believe big.

It’s time to work the harvest.

It’s time to look forward in great anticipation, not for the fruit that might come, but for the fruit that will come.

It’s time for the faith that pleases God, because it is impossible to please Him without it.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

God births through us the plans, the dreams, the visions for what He chooses to accomplish,

and He has chosen us to carry them, labor through them, and in His time, He delivers them forth.

And let’s not fret over the baby-steps,

Because isn’t it that first step that always wows us?

From that first step of wow, to that sprint towards the awe, it’s our obedience that brings the blessings of the fruit.

It’s time we step out in obedience, and it’s time we step into that great adventure in faith.

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!    Psalm 46:10

So the question is, are we in?

What If Everyone Found Out?

Shame.

We’ve all felt it at one time or another, haven’t we?

We’ve all done things we certainly wouldn’t expect to see announced in the church bulletin.

Could you just imagine?

“Pot-luck dinner Sunday at six, and speaking of pot, Sylvia used to smoke it, and sources say she still does.”

Or how about this one:

“Prayer walk on 42nd street, same block Samantha worked a few years ago.”

Or this:

“AA meeting in room 105, Sunday School building-and by the way, Kathy fell off the wagon again.”

Now imagine this: What if everyone found out everything?

I know I’ve done things I’m not particularly proud of, and I’m sure you have too. I’ve even had women say to me, “well, someday I’ll tell you about it.” And I say, “well, why not today?”

Truth is, some people already know about some of it, and God knows about all of it,

so instead of letting shame hold us hostage, let’s look to the One who paid our ransom.

Because after all, what are we so ashamed of?

Of course, it’s sin. Sin makes us shameful. But we have this hope; confess our sins and they’re washed away. Repentance brings freedom. Right?

So if Jesus washes away the sins, why do we keep buying spray and wash for the stain of shame?

Why?

Because the enemy lies, telling us we have to keep treating the stains. We’ve got to stop believing it.

Here’s the truth: The stains are gone, and Jesus shamed shame.

In researching death on the cross, we find it was considered a death of shame. The Reformation Study Bible tells us that Roman citizens were forbidden to be put to death on the cross, and the Jews believed everyone who hung on a tree was cursed by God.

But Jesus shamed the shame by turning that tree of shame into our saving grace. Then He rose from the dead to seal what He was sent to accomplish.

So yeah, we need to be the church of the redeemed, not the church of the shamed. I don’t mean to sound preachy, but while we’re at it, let’s take the plank out of our own eyes. The plank called hypocrisy.

Through Christ we can throw off shame and stop throwing it at others.

I told my Grace Story at a women’s event a few years ago. Teenage pregnancy, shame, feelings of not fitting in anymore, abandoned by most friends. Then I had a beautiful son named Michael. I wasn’t ashamed of my son, but for years I felt the shame of being that girl who disappeared from school.

You know what happened afterwards? Countless women in the audience couldn’t wait to tell me it had happened to them too.

What are you going through today?

Whatever it may be, there are others who have already made it through.

How did they make it through?

They were changed through Christ, and their faith sustained them. That’s the Grace Story.

Maybe you are the one who made it through. Your testimony, can be that common thread of hope to share with others.

We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses; those who have gone before us to show us the way.

But there is One who goes before us who is The Way. He replaces our shame with faith.

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus.

What does fix mean anyway? If you google it, you get this:

direct one’s eyes, attention, or mind steadily or unwaveringly toward.

fasten (something) securely in a particular place or position.

So let’s fix and fasten.

1. Fix our eyes on Jesus, and fasten our faith to Him.
2. Activate dormant faith through seeking God ~ the Holy Spirit brings fresh eyes to see the needs of others
3. Initiate a training program to run the race – the prayers, the Word, the work
4. Train others~ because faith comes through hearing the Word, our training manual
5. Hand off the baton ~ multiplying workers for the harvest. We’re not meant to go it alone

And this…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.     Hebrews 12:1-2

It’s time to put off the shame, and put on faith with works.

Where are you called to serve?

Can I Tell You About My Bizarre Encounter?

I had a bizarre encounter on Saturday. Can I share it with you?

I enjoyed a pleasant morning with a friend, then set out to pick up a few groceries.  I entered the parking lot of the nearest grocery store, and pulled into an available spot. All quite normal up to this point, right?

Stay with me…

Before exiting the car, I took a moment to open the banking app on my cell. Just a quick check to see if I needed to transfer funds. To my dismay, the internet connection spun so many times, it made me dizzy. I decided to wait for a moment, then try it again.

Meanwhile, I noticed a blue truck pulling into the space directly facing me. A middle-aged women exited the driver’s side, but oddly, she left the door standing wide open. Next thing I knew, she was heading towards my car.

She made a beeline for my driver’s side window, so I hit the button, allowing the glass between us to slide down.

Thinking she either had the wrong person, or perhaps she wanted to ask me a question, I waited.

But she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she held up a small silver camera, and appeared to be video taping me. Yes, you read that correctly.

Not being accustomed to seeing paparazzi in the grocery store parking lot, and unaware of my seemingly celebrity status, I was completely baffled. Shocked even.

I tried conversing, but she wasn’t interested. She may have mumbled something, but honestly,  I cannot recall.

Then as mysteriously as she had arrived, she turned to leave.

Don’t try this at home, but I felt compelled to get out of the car.  I needed to know why.

Why?

I actually tried flagging her down, hoping we could talk. Yes, for whatever reason, I didn’t want the encounter to end this way.

But my efforts were to no avail. I stood there as she pulled away, still videotaping me as I waved goodbye. OK, now I was the one with the bizarre behavior.

After she left,  I remembered something:

Before pulling into the grocery store, I had made a right turn at the red light.  This is perfectly legal, however, there was a vehicle already in the intersection attempting a u-turn. That vehicle had the right-of-way, and guess you could say, I was in the wrong-of-way.

Could that be it? Could this women be the person who made that u-turn? I couldn’t be certain, but it seemed to fit.

After she left, I was a bit shaken. I decided to leave the area and head to the grocery store closer to home. The entire way there, I prayed about the bizarre encounter with this woman.

I surrendered the disturbing feelings to God,  feelings of being violated, bullied, and harassed.

Not only that, I prayed for her too.

God allows things to happen for a purpose, and  we may never know why.

Maybe before this encounter, nobody else was praying for her.

Maybe that’s why.

What did I learn?

• As strange as it was, it wasn’t personal. She didn’t know me, and I didn’t know her. She directed her anger at me, but she was really angry with my action. She had an unacceptable reaction to my action.
• No amount of prayer is too much. We need to bathe ourselves in prayer, and pray for others too. We never know what our day will bring, but God does. Let’s pray for His direction in our every step. In praying that way most mornings, I have to believe driving into that parking lot was no accident.
• There will always be people in this world who will choose evil over good, road rage over grace. As the Word says, let’s not repay evil with evil, but give a blessing instead. I could have retaliated, but what good would it do? What good does it do, when we become like them, and unlike Christ?
• There may have been times, we have been like them. Sometimes we’ve lost it, so forgiveness is applicable in all situations. She’s my neighbor. I don’t have to condone her actions, but I’m still called to love and forgive her.
• The Lord fights our battles. It’s a battlefield out there, but we can armor up. The enemy may try to attack, but we can trust our God has our back.

I pray someone will have the opportunity to speak to this woman, and that a seed can be planted, then watered.

Will you join me in praying for her?

Wouldn’t it be crazy if her camera wasn’t even rolling?

What similar experiences have you encountered?  Please share them, and any thoughts on this bizarre encounter in the comments.

What Does Fame Mean?

Fame.

The world is obsessed with celebrities and pop stars, from the cream of society to the ills of notoriety.

I’ll admit, I’ve had my share of singing into brushes in front of mirrors. I’m sure you’ve belted out a few notes into a brush too; and not sure about you, but I’ve had sold-out concerts in my room. Not recently of course, as I now share a room with my husband, and I think he’d find it a little weird.

So when was the last time you had that fifteen minutes of fame?

I’ve had a few over the years. Here’s a little sixth-grade flashback:

Practicing my twirling routine on the back patio, I ramped up the show when I noticed two boys from class spying on me from behind our backyard wall. Music blaring, I flipped those metal rods to the sky, spinning twice to catch them in a lunge. Showing off I was, and of course, I enjoyed the attention.

I felt a little famous, even if it was only in my backyard. On that day, the patio was my platform.

 Ah, that word platform, an opportunity to reach people with a message.

Many famous people have made positive changes using their platform; then there are those who’d rather just change their clothes.

If God gave you a platform to speak from, what  would you say?

Before you discount the possibility, check this out:

• God has given you a platform. We all have one. It’s where we stand to take a stand.
• Our platform is wherever we are, and whether it be in the middle of an arena or in the middle of a grocery store, we have an opportunity to use our voice to change the world. And we don’t need a hairbrush. We need the Holy Spirit.
•  We’re not the famous one. Jesus is the Famous One. Pressure is off, it’s all about Him.
• A word of caution: We will trip and fall from our platform if we make it about us. Check pride at the door.

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.    Matthew 4:24

We have been given a platform. but we were never meant to go it alone. Go out two by two and visit the sick, or bring a spa basket to a tired mom. Share your gifts and spread His fame. Be Jesus to neighbors, and connect women with women who know where they’re coming from, and know where they’ve been, because they’ve been there too.

There will always be famous people in the world, but…

Fame means nothing without the Famous One. His Name is Jesus.

So step onto your platform today and share the truth in love. Kindness is refreshing, and people could use a dose or two.

Don’t be surprised if God grows your platform to reach the masses. That could be a huge crowd at one time, or one person at a time.

Either way, the most important audience is the audience of One.

Whose Approval Are We Seeking?

Do you ever strive to gain approval from other people?

I know I have, and found it to be discouraging, exhausting, and disappointing.

What happens when we feel ignored, or that our opinion doesn’t matter?

I’m preaching to myself here, and taking notice of the “all about me” pattern. It’s easy to fall prey to these feelings, leaving us discouraged and a bit grumpy.

Here are a few traps. See if you can relate to some of these:

• Saying yes because a “no” might disappoint someone (aka, people-pleaser syndrome)
• Allowing the opinions of others to determine our worth and value
• Feeling like an outsider; excluded; invisible; rejected
• Desiring validation of our gifts and talents; confirmation from others that what we do matters, that our contributions make a difference.
• Trying to impress, or feeling we have to prove ourselves to gain acceptance

I can relate, can you?

Perhaps it’s a pride issue.

Pride is sticky, sneaky, and fleshy. That’s why Romans 8:1 says walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Could it be a lack confidence, not in ourselves, but of who we are in Christ?

Who exactly are we in Christ?

A new creation; a delivered, set free, sanctified, child of God, among other things. A woman of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ. A woman clothed with strength and honor (Prov. 31:25).

Praise God, we are changed.

So how can we be free of striving to be good enough, accepted, approved of, appointed, or chosen by people?

True acceptance is found in Christ.       

Let’s remember who we are in Christ. It’s not all about us, it’s all about what He can do through us for His glory.

We can’t allow our feelings to bring us low enough to skin our chin. The enemy would love us to believe lies that render us ineffective.

When we stop seeking approval from the crowd, and go straight to the Word of truth, we discover our true acceptance is found in Christ.

Let’s look at Scripture, and soak in this truth.  Are we ready for this?  Cause the truth will set us free:

• “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  1 Corinthians 10:31

• “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.  We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”  1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

• “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”  Galatians 1:10

So how can we apply these scriptures?

Let’s ask ourselves these questions:

1. Do I believe God’s Word is true?

2. What’s my motivation (e.g.,seeking glory for my own accomplishments, or desiring to give glory to God)?

3. What’s more important to me, gaining approval from people or approval from God?

4. Am I trying to please people or God?

Remember, our hearts can be deceitful so let’s not fool ourselves. Look deeper, because we may think one way, but our actions prove otherwise. It’s nice to gain approval from others, but we shouldn’t require it.

Accept this truth: God appoints us, approves us, accepts us, and loves us unconditionally. He has plans for us, opens doors for us, and His plans cannot be thwarted. Hallelujah!

God’s approval is all we need, and when we are walking deeper in faith, righteousness, and truth, He is glorified. That’s the ultimate purpose we should be seeking.

Lord, we give you thanks and praise on this good day you have made. Help us to seek your Word for truth of our value, that we may study it and show thyself approved in Your eyes. We pray our intentions will be pure, and through You, we can break free of the bondage of seeking approval from others. Your approval is all we need. Help us to be encouragement to others who struggle in this area, that we may speak life-affirming words that glorify You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Have you ever struggled with this issue? Share your thoughts…

Whose Shoes Are You Wearing?

 Remember when life was simpler?

When having a bad day meant bubble gum in your hair?

I remember those days of digging through mom’s closet, slipping on heels, and putting on plays. Then I blinked, and my daughter was digging through my closet.

Our younger self dreams of growing older. Middle school, high school, driving, dating, college, wedding, kids…

Our older self dreams of when we were younger; before all this crazy stuff like mortgages, bills, health insurance, taxes, aches, pains …

Truth is, some days our older self feels like throwing in the towel, staying in bed with the covers over our head.

Maybe we dream too much of what we hoped would be, or maybe we dream too much of what used to be.

Maybe we dream too much. Let’s open our eyes and see what is.

God has plans for us, He tells us so. Our divinely designed plans, flowing into His great plan, like rivers flowing into the ocean.

If we want to relive our youth, we can buy shoes five sizes too big, and shove a wad of bubble gum into our hair.

But going backwards stops the flow of our plan, and I want my plans flowing forward. How about you?

Ever wish you could walk in someone else’s shoes? Fill someone else’s shoes?

Stop wishing, cause their shoes won’t fit.

Because to God, there is not another like us in all the universe. Uniquely, fearfully, and wonderfully made.

He loves us, not only as a whole body and bride, but as that child He knitted together in the womb.

To God, there is nobody else who can fill our shoes. Not because we’re awesome, but because He is awesome and He created us. Do you believe that?

It’s time to believe it.

So let’s stop trying to walk in someone else’s shoes, and start walking in the plans God created for us.

We can’t walk forward as world-changers for Christ if our shoes keep falling off.

Let’s wear shoes that fit, our shoes.

Right where we are, however young or old, mortgages and all.

Or maybe we can just go barefoot.

For those of you into hashtags:

#wearourownshoes

Finding it hard to wear your own shoes today? Share about it.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11

Helpful Ways to Share Our Faith

Where do we go and how will they know?

I never tire of reading the book of Ruth. Sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel, God breathed a lifetime of legacy onto the pages, and in just four chapters.

And you know what I love about Ruth?

It didn’t matter where she came from , or what she came out of; a heritage of pagan roots and false gods. She chose new roots of righteousness.

And the fruit of her good decision? A clue would be the family tree from that point on. Here’s a hint, her great grandson was King David. Wowzer, right?

She left her past in the past. I think we all could learn a thing or two on that subject.

If you haven’t read Ruth in awhile, or ever, take time today. It reads like a Cinderella story, but sorry Disney, this is real life awesome.

Like Ruth, our past is a part of our story, but it’s not the end of our story.

Our past story does not discredit our Grace Story, it becomes part of it. tweet it

We all have a past, but we don’t have to live there. In Christ we can walk forward in God’s plans for our future.

His desire is to use you and me to take the gospel to the nations. Don’t let the word nations intimidate you. Your neighborhood is in a nation, so start there.

God doesn’t require a spotless background check. When we are in Christ, we’ve got the job. 

All believers have a story of grace and redemption. We’ve got to practice telling it. Cause lost people haven’t found theirs yet.

But how?

• We won’t be effective if we’re telling it by yelling it; or sharing but not caring. Sharing our faith is relational. Get to know people and allow them to get to know you. When people know you are real, they will hear what you say. And don’t forget to listen.
• What do we mean by Grace Story? If you’re married, or perhaps have a bff, people may ask “so how did you both meet?” Our grace story is telling others of how we met our ultimate BFF, our husband. How our lives were transformed. After all, Jesus is our friend forever, and we the church are his bride. See how that all ties in?
• We’ve got to remember this: Jesus died for every person. Then He rose and conquered sin and death for every person. We aren’t sales people trying to sell salvation, we’re more like archeologists, helping people dig deep to discover the truth of their salvation. We share the truth, but they have to choose.
• Many belief systems believe in a god or several gods. Some may say they believe in the one true God, and even Jesus. What we want to ask is, who do they say Jesus is? Even Jesus asked this of His own disciples. Peter got it right. See Mark 8:29.

So where do we go?

• The post office, grocery stores, libraries, banks, schools… Where do we go consistently? We see the same people there consistently too, don’t we? They may see a lot of people throughout their day, but they will remember the ones who take time to talk to them.

How will they know?

• Words are not the only way we share our faith in the gospel. They will know we are Christians by our love; by our deeds, by our service. You don’t get to heaven by good works, but by our good works we reflect Christ in us, the Hope of glory. Hope through the gospel. People need it. We have the key to that hope. Let’s not  leave the key under the mat, or our Light under a bushel.

We need not apply for the position of heart changer. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job; we are workers in the harvest and He does the rest. Amen to that!

I did a Bible study called “Why Do You Believe That?” by Mary Jo Sharp. Girlfriend knows her apologetic stuff. Here’s a paraphrased snippet of what resonated with me:

When you meet someone of another belief system, ask them why they believe what they believe. Strike up good conversations of faith, not in a confrontational way, but in a conversational way. You may uncover some misconceptions about Christianity, and be used by the Holy Spirit to clarify them.

Being too casual in sharing our faith, is like wearing shorts to the prom. Let’s not be too formal either, but bring transformation through conversation. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead.

But we too must be prepared to answer the question of why we believe what we believe. Don’t be afraid of a little good ole’ studying. Here’s the link to the study I spoke of. Good stuff:

• Find another person, or a group to study the Bible with. Accountability will keep you on track.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

Tell me the story of how you met Jesus. Let’s Walk Deeper together.

Love In Christ,

Doris

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation http://www.biblegateway.com

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.biblegateway.com

When It’s Hard to Find Joy

Ever lost something just walking from one room to the next?

Glasses, keys, phone.

Frustrating isn’t it?

I know the feeling. We are not losing our minds, we’re crowding them-with obligations and agendas fighting for brain gigs.

Then there’s joy.

Unlike keys, we can’t hang joy on a hook by the front door.

As believers, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us. Joy is in us.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

Fact.

Yet, when things get tough, we’re just not feelin’ it. Facts derail on their way from head to heart.

And we sure can be hard on ourselves for it, can’t we?

When what we know and what we feel don’t jive?

It doesn’t mean we don’t believe.

So what do we do with that?

Time to pack our measure of faith and go on a journey.

Because fullness of joy requires active participation; finding it, choosing it, and making a joyful noise.

So why does joy seem to elude us when we need it most?

Here’s the truth about joy. It’s supernatural; supernaturally deposited in us by God. It cannot be measured by heartbeats or brainwaves, or feelings. It may seem life’s hardships succeed in snuffing it out, but the flame still burns. Brightly.

We are speaking of a fruit of the Spirit. It’s not happiness, it’s joy. They are not interchangeable.

You can be happy or unhappy, but there’s no such thing as unjoyful. It’s not a word, I checked.  So there can be joy, even when our feelings dictate otherwise.

We know those tough days well, don’t we? Intermittent or strung together, each one fragile like glass.

But God brings beauty from ashes, a yoke that is easy, and tells us fear not.

And on those days when it’s hard to pray, God hears the cry of our hearts.

On those days when we can’t string words together, we can read His word out loud. Use His words, pray His word.

Start with Psalm 91.

Who hears when we speak the word audibly? God, the enemy, and us. Affirmation, confirmation, and communication with the Most High God. It never comes back void, even through all of our voids.

Sometimes we’ve got to force our spiritual eyes open. Joy is worth fighting for, and evidently we can use it to fight back.

Check this out:

When Margaret Feinberg learned she had cancer, she knew she would need great strength to overcome it. She believed the weapon she selected for the battle would change everything. And she decided that weapon would be joy.

“Joy Is More Than Whimsy.
It’s the Weapon You Can Use to Fight Life’s Greatest Battles.” ~ Margaret Feinberg,  Fight Back With Joy

If you’d like to read more about Margaret, and how she is fighting back with joy, here’s the Amazon link to her book:

“Fight Back With Joy”  Good stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Back-Joy-Celebrate-Greatest/dp/1617950890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430576673&sr=8-1&keywords=fight+back+with+joy

I’m not receiving any incentive to promote it. Her story inspires, and she is more than her cancer diagnosis. She’s a new creation in Christ. She’s a popular author, speaker, but most importantly, a Jesus following joyful child of God.

When face-deep in the trenches,

Don’t give up. The Lord fights for you.

Even when it’s hard to breathe. Our earth-planted feet have purpose.

In the worst of it, lift your right hand because He holds it.

And what about that worst of it?

God works it together for our good. All things. All of it. Trust Him.

Even when we don’t feel it, or we feel too much,

or we feel nothing at all.

So we trust God always, on the good days and hard days;

Because our feelings don’t measure truth, and our feelings can’t measure joy. click to tweet

All this fighting back can zap our human strength. The joy of the Lord is our supernatural strength.

And He wants our joy to be full. Through Love.

Don’t be afraid of the dark; He’s there in our darkest, and He is our Light.

If this has encouraged you, please share it.

Share what has helped you reclaim joy in your life.

Love In Christ, and May Your Joy Be Full,

Doris

Do you know Jesus?

He knows you personally, and wants you to know Him.

Hop on over to the Meet Jesus tab and learn more about how you can have supernatural joy in your life.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. http://www.biblegateway.com

Encouragement for the Consistently Inconsistent

Have you ever been on-fire-determined to accomplish a goal, then mid-way through the process, you not only dropped the ball, you couldn’t even find it? Me too.                                  ,

This drop-the-ball thing for me is exercise. I have an elliptical machine at home, and actually enjoy using it. So what exactly is the problem? I wondered about that myself; then it occurred to me; my issue with exercising isn’t about exercising, it’s about consistency.

Being consistent is making a commitment, and priority commitments come first.  I can always work on being consistent in exercising my physical body, but cannot afford to be inconsistent in exercising my spiritual faith.

Check out this quote:

“I wonder if the inconsistency in my walk with God has anything to do with the fact that I can lead a “successful” church in America without being in love with Jesus.I’m sure I could blame American church culture, my position, or a busy schedule for my lack of reverent intimacy. The truth, however, is that my sin and hypocrisy are a result of me.                       I forget to love God.” – Francis Chan, author, speaker and former pastor of one of the largest mega-churches in California. 

“I forget to love God.” Wow, a profound statement. It takes courage to be real.

After reading that quote, I deleted a huge chunk of this blog post.

In my original version, I had laid out a fancy bullet-point-fix-it-plan of tips for moving inconsistent behavior to consistent behavior. While it may have been helpful, instead I’ll simply say this:

When we’re consistent in loving God, He will help us overcome all the inconsistencies in our lives. Let us not forget our first love.  Tweet it

^“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4 NASB

I don’t want Jesus to ever have to say that to me. I couldn’t imagine.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states it this way:

“Those that have lost their first love must remember whence they have fallen; they    must compare their present with their former state, and consider how much better it was with them then than now, how much peace, strength, purity, and pleasure they have lost, by leaving their first love,—how much more comfortably they could lie down and sleep at night,—how much more cheerfully they could awake in the morning,—how much better they could bear afflictions, and how much more becomingly they could enjoy the favours of Providence,—how much easier the thoughts of death were to them, and how much stronger their desires and hopes of heaven.”

Isn’t that the saddest thought? To lose our first love? I could cry. I never want to lose my first love, and I forever want to help others find Him. Jesus. Who’s with me?

By the way, I’ve been back on the elliptical twice this week. Booyah!

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What Mountain Has Your Faith Moved?

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What do you think of when you hear the word “mountains”? A massive elevation, the appearance of which seems to kiss the sky; solid rock; ranges across the horizon?

Who or what could move them?

I love mountains. Brian and I honeymooned in Helen, GA.  We’ve also enjoyed traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Those are the kind of mountains we wouldn’t want to move.

There are mountains we can visibly see, and those we cannot. God moves mountains out of our way all throughout our lives, some of which we may never have known were there.

In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says this:

              “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a    mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

While the mountain is a metaphor, we often view our trials as mountains, don’t we?

When we pray through faith for a mountain to move, what we view as the mountain may only be the tip of the iceberg so to speak.

What I mean is, there’s a battle going on beyond what we can see, and the outcome we pray for may not be what will win the battle.

In Hebrews we learn that faith is the substance of things hoped for but not seen. We have hope no matter what the outcome, as long as we place our total trust in God.

Let’s take our eyes off the mountain blocking our view, and fix our eyes upon Jesus. Through Him all things are possible.

What if eternal life for just one person is the most important reason for the mountain to be there in the first place? Had the mountain moved too soon, the divine appointment may have been missed.

How many lives have we touched while standing in the shadow of the mountain?

Who stands with us as the sun rises over the peak. Yes, it is God; it is always God, and He is always good.

Our mountains are smaller than mustard seeds to a God so big; our mustard seed faith towers over mountains as it grows through what He is teaching us.

He is compassionate; He is faithful; He is LORD.

No matter the mountain, no matter the trial, His purpose is for good for those who love Him.

There will come a day when what we hope for will be seen. When our hope is realized in glory.

So say to the mountain “move” according to His will and His timing. His grace is sufficient.