Courage

Courage such an important word. God tells us so many times in His word to be strong and courageous, He is with us. So why do I have so much trouble. I am very solid in my beliefs and my faith. I do not waver. I try live the way God wants me to live. I am actively pursuing a personal and intimate relationship Jesus. So, where, may I ask, is my courage???

Joshua 1:5-9 says,” No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (NLT)

The other night at work I was sharing about a woman (who remained and will remain nameless) that is choosing to stay in her marriage because it is what God has commanded her to do. Her husband is an alcoholic and is at times verbally abusive. Their relationship is awful, but she feels like she made a covenant to God and that it is permanent. The lady I was talking to, who goes to church, responded with a very worldly conditioned response...

“I think that God gave us common sense to not be treated that way. This is not how God wants us to live, and if someone wants to pull the God card, then the Bible says we are created in God’s image and would anyone say that God’s image should be abused.”

My stomach immediately knotted up. I have studied marriage and divorce in depth and know what the Bible teaches, but in that moment I had no courage, I had nothing to say to her. Later, almost tearful, I confessed this weakness to Jesus, asking for forgiveness, balking at myself for allowing Satan to freeze me in a moment when I could have confidently and with knowledge on the subject spoken the truth about it.

I wish I would have told her that she is wrong. God is specific that marriage is forever. It is a covenant only broken by death. Divorce may end your marriage legally, but you are married in God’s eyes until death. Living the life that God commands can bring great suffering in this life. It can bring persecution from your family and friends who don’t understand why you make the choices you make especially when they are against what the world says. I should have told her about the passage 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 that says a Christian woman should not leave her husband, that she brings holiness to her home and her marriage and the her husband may be converted because of her. Lastly, Jesus, God’s son, who is one with God was beaten and abused beyond recognition, all for God’s will and glory. Her defense on God’s image not being treated badly is out the window on that one. I would never advocate a woman staying in a dangerous relationship, however, I think we are too quick to run when there is suffering. The world thinks that our life is supposed to blissful and if it is not, then we leave. The woman I am referring to is in no danger. I commend this woman for staying in her marriage. She and I have talked in depth and I know her heart concerning this. She prays for her husband and knows that God will reward her for her obedience. She knows that someday her husband may be freed of his addiction because of her love and God’s love for him.

My prayer is that the next time I have the opportunity to be bold for Christ, that I have the courage to do so. God is with me and He commands it of me! How about you pray the same prayer with me!

How Am I Spending My Time???

I have recently been convicted about the time (or lack of time) that I spend with my Lord and Savior. I must confess that I have never gotten into the habit of my daily quiet time. I have tried many times. I have even done it for a few weeks at a time, but never long term, never permanently. I mean really... can I not find 15 minutes for God each day???

I recently had a conversation with a very dear friend of mine. I shared with her my intense desire to have a relationship with Jesus that I only hear a very few people talk about. I hear them say that their relationship with HIM is the their most cherished relationship, they often talk about this intense love for Him. I am not talking about the people that say it because it sounds good, but the people who really mean it. You can see it all over them and hear it in their voice. I am confident that I am going to Heaven, but I don’t want to live my entire life and miss it. I don’t want to be the typical Christian who knows the answers, lives pretty good, but misses out on the most important part of Christianity... the relationship.

After our conversation I began to evaluate my motives for this 15 minute quiet time and the guilt I have for not doing it. If I spend 15 minutes a day 7 days a week, I have given God 1 hour and 45 minutes. In that 15 minutes, I might get a little Bible reading in and rattle off my list of requests to Him for the day. Check mark... done! I got in my quiet time. Fifteen minutes does not even allow me to quiet my mind. No wonder I have never embraced this time, for me, it is useless. It is a one way, half-hearted communication with God. I started thinking, what if I set aside 2 days each week, maybe 3 days, where I give God one hour.... hmmmm.

I tried it!

Boy, was I amazed! In that hour, I sat still for 5 minutes, just thinking about God... praising Him, allowing Him, asking him to just love on me. Nothing more, I did not ask for anything! What happened, my mind was clear, I was focused. Then I began to read, asking God to speak to me, personally. I went to Ephesians. At first I was reading, thinking this was no different than any other time I had been reading but then a verse stopped me in my tracks. Wow I said. I read and reread it and reread it again. Then I read on. I could not believe it. God was really talking to ME! He was telling ME things. By this time, I am getting excited. It had only been 20 minutes. I thought about what he told me, I wrote it down, thanking God for this wonderful communication with me! Then I began to pray. This was not a quick... rattle off all I need and want and intercessions because I have 15 minutes. I started by praising Him and thanking Him. Then I was able to pray from my heart, confessing sin and doubts that had been building up. I pleaded with Him for people in my life who are hurting.

In then end, I spent one hour and 5 minutes with Him and it was WONDERFUL!!! My time with Jesus, was rich and meaningful and left me looking forward to my next time with Him... kind of like after a great date :-) A couple of nights later, I did the same thing, following the same pattern and had a similar experience, reading from Colossians and God was again talking to ME!

What did I learn from this... the reason my 15 minute quiet time has never become a part of my life is because it was meaningless for me. It was me fulfilling a man-made rule and I got nothing from it. In 2 preset appointments with God, I got more than I would have in 2 months of 15 minute quiet times. I also have found myself having more daily communication with God. Thinking of Him, praying for people and looking forward to my next meeting with Him. What a blessing! Rather than convicting myself to 15 minutes a day and feeling guilty when I don’t or can’t, I desire my 2 hours with God each week. This is freedom for me from a man-made rule, that may just change my life!

Blessings to you all!

Doing What Is Right

Why is it so hard to always do what is right? I am not talking about lying or stealing but doing what is right when results are involved. We are a very results oriented world. We do things to get results and if we don't get the results we want we get frustrated or quit. I think that sometimes God wants us to do what is right even if we don't get the results we want. For me that is weight loss. As I have lived in a diet oriented world, as long as I am losing weight, I keep eating the right things. The minute I don't lose the weight I want to lose, I get frustrated and if it doesn't turn around quickly... I quit. Guess what? I gain all of the weight back, I have not maintained a healthy temple for my Savior and Satan has won.

I am trying really hard to do all of the right things... eat right and exercise. I have even given up cheese and I have lost all of 1 pound in two weeks. I told my small group about my struggle and that I really think that this is a Dana-God-Satan battle and that I have to stick it out this time. I am tired of Satan winning this one. I wonder if God wants to see me do what is right because it is what is best for my body and my family, not because the scales are rewarding me. That is what I am going to do... The Right Thing!

Doing the right thing with or without the results can come in many areas other than eating. It can come in your quiet time and Bible study, it can be keeping your house cleaner, it can be exercise, it can be something at your job. God wants us to do what we know is right and look to Him for approval, not anyone or anything else.

My challenge to you this week, examine your life and look for something that you do only because of the result you might get and do it because it is what you know God wants you do!

God Wants Me to Put HIM First!

Haggai 1:3-9 says, "Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.""

Wow, what a powerful verse! God is telling us... commanding us to put Him first in our lives. When I read these verses last night, I was almost blown away. For me, I have struggled with contentment at various times of my life... you know, never being satisfied with what I have. Wanting more, wanting better. God is saying until you put me first, nothing else will be satisfying to you; nothing else will be good enough. Not your clothes, not your house, not your food, not your relationships... you will always be looking, searching for more, for better. Searching for peace, contentment, happiness.

Consider what would happen if we put God first. He would fill us up. We would not be filling our bodies with unnecessary food, filling our homes with junk hoping "it" would make us happy, we would not be looking at our relationships especially our marriages as hopeless and unsatisfying, turning our eyes to others or to other options like divorce to make us complete and at peace. God would make us complete and at peace. We need to quit trying to fix it ourselves and just look up... to Him!

What are you filling your life with in place of God? Are you happy and joyful and content with your life? If not, consider what your are filling your life with and replace "it" with God.

Throwing Away The Cheese

There are times in our lives where we need to take drastic measures, for many different reasons. Our purpose in life is to worship God and bring Him glory. If there is something in our lives that is stopping us from doing that, then we need to remove it. Our lives are so complicated and often have multi-layer problems that keep our focus off of God. I have realized in recent days, that God has not been my focus. I have many reasons/excuses why: I am tired, I am distracted, I have too many things to do, I worked late last night, the kids drove me crazy today, I haven’t felt good, did I say I am tired, I need to clean up, I have to do laundry... the list could go on and on and on. But really none of them should keep my focus from God. So what is clouding Him from me? What is in the way? It’s time to peel back the layers that is making God fuzzy and refocus!

For me, I am basically unhappy with myself. That spills over to all other areas of my life. My attitude, my relationship with Doug, my role as a mom. I have struggled with weight loss for my entire life (my first diet was at age 12 or 13). Now at the ripe old age of 31, I am still yo-yoing and cannot find permanent weight loss. I am aggravated and disgusted with myself for losing and yes regaining weight... yet again. I am unhappy with how I look, I am unhappy with my attitude, and I am unhappy with my lack of self-control. I think for me, being unhappy with myself causes all of the other “reasons” that take God out of focus.

I have a great life, a great husband and great kids, but being unhappy with myself throws all of the good out of balance. With time, it is consuming, stealing too much of my joy, too much of my peace and then Satan uses that to take my eyes away from the one who gives me everything.

So, what to do. I think most of it is a choice. I choose to have an attitude adjustment. I choose to focus on God and ask/receive the self-control that I need to take control of my eating and develop habits that will create at body that I can be happy with. I choose to look at what is getting in the way and remove it. I have a weakness for cheese. Oh how I love cheese... from my head down to my knees. I crave cheese and will just eat it. I am taking drastic measures... I am throwing away the cheese. If it isn’t there, I can’t eat it. If I throw it away that is a sign of the self-control that I am praying for. So for me,

Step #1:
Throw away the cheese
Result:
happy that I am taking measures to a happier me and a more focused relationship with My Lord.

So what is your cheese? What is stealing your joy and keeping you from being focused on the Lord. My challenge to you, identify it and then throw it away!

Christmas Is Coming!

The lights are on the tree, the garland is on the porch, the cookie jar is waiting to be filled with our favorite sweet treats, the kids are excited! Yes, Christmas is coming. I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of year! I secretly can’t wait for Christmas to come each year. When you hear people complain and dread Christmas it makes me sad. I love everything about it! I love the baking and the smells, the decorations, the music (which I always start listening to before Thanksgiving), buying gifts, wrapping and decorating packages; what’s not to love?

I want my children to have great Christmas memories and to love Christmas as much as I do, even when they are older. I hope my boys will want to decorate and bake with me when they are teenagers, even if they don’t tell their friends. I hope that all of them are as excited as I am when they have families of their own. I want to savor these days. Baking with my kids, seeing the lights twinkle in their eyes as they ask, “When will it be Christmas?”

I also love what Christmas is about; God giving! God gave us the greatest gift ever when he gave us eternal life with Him by sending His son to save us. I feel God’s love all year, I feel His presence, but there is something extra special I feel at Christmas... knowing I am celebrating Him and all that He is and all that He has given. It is kind of like a wedding which to most is very special takes a lot of work and rushing around and a lot of money to celebrate love and the couple. Christmas is so special to me that I plan and cook and decorate and give gifts just to celebrate our Lord. It is a party for Him and I am not ashamed of that. I begin looking forward to next year as soon as this one is over. I get into the spirit and I love it because I love God. We celebrate, we party, we eat, we give... because He Gave.

Merry Christmas!

Why I Love Being A Mom...

Today I took the kids to the bank, which was uneventful and then off to library for storytime. Getting out of the van, one of them cried about something, although I can’t remember who or why... I must have chosen to block it out. Leanne tried to run around the library, testing every last piece of patience that I have rather than sitting and playing with all of the toys like she normally does. Leaving the library, I tell the boys to let Leanne in the van first... I say it three times as Timothy proceeds to push past her to climb in. I grab him to pull him back out of the van where he hits his head on the van door and then starts to wail at the top of lungs. He might as well have been screaming, “Look at me, look at me, my mom just banged my head on the van door! Call DSS!” I felt completely terrible, but proceed to scold him anyways for not listening... So then we are off to Taco Bell for lunch with our friends. Leanne spills a cup full of fruit punch all over the floor during the 12:00 lunch rush, like the people at Taco Bell had time to clean up that mess (it was way too big for me and a few napkins). As I try to converse with my adult friend through constant interruptions and trips to the bathroom, Parker loudly announces (so all could hear), “I have to go poopy!” with a lot of urgency behind his voice. So off we go... when we get to the bathroom, he laughs and says “I don’t have to go poopy!” Yes, I did see some anger on that one... discipline did follow. As we leave Taco Bell, Parker manages to twist his finger on the door of the van and then fall down and scrape his hand on the concrete. At then end of my morning adventure, I think maybe I should have just stayed home... but Leanne deciding it is time to be a big girl, did not wet her pull up, used the potty at Taco Bell and pottied as soon as we got home. Thank heaven for small miracles in the daily adventures of being a mom :-) And yes, even on the crazy days, I love being a mom!