Psalm 3:3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
Right now I'm feeling so safe in the Lord's care. He sent messengers and today He shone His light into a situation that dispelled the enemy's lies that had tried to make it bigger than it really was. He took away doubt and condemnation. Oh what freedom in knowing the truth. Oh what freedom in knowing the depth of the Lord's love and care for His people.
I can't say in words just how real this verse has become to me over the past few weeks. He has been my shield and lifted up my head. He has heard my cry and delivered me.
Thank you Lord for the gift you gave to my heart today. You are the Rock!!!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
I Will Choose To Listen & Believe The Voice Of Truth
Casting Crowns (2003)
"Voice Of Truth"
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. 'Boy, you'll never win!'
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
"Voice Of Truth"
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. 'Boy, you'll never win!'
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Stepping out in faith...
Well, here we are, house virtually sold, notice given at work, and deposit on a home in a new city and really we are 95% of the way to things being finalized but for that 5% that will happen in the next three days it kind of seems odd that we are all but packing to go already!
That peace that surpasses all understanding that I'm a child of God's and that I'm in His will is what moves me forward. Today, we brought one of Harley's co-workers to church. He isn't a believer and says so quite readily but still he came. There I sat beside him and listened to Harley preach a message about living out our faith every day and being ready to give an account for the hope that is in us. I'm thinking to myself, wow, there is no way this co-worker could sit through this if Harley wasn't practicing what he was preaching. I'm so blessed to have a husband that tries to practice what he preaches. We enjoyed the company of this co-worker for the rest of the day and saw the rest of our church greet him and witness to him in the time that they spent with him. The planters were out today and planted and the waterers watered and we are trusting the Lord to do the growing. Praise God for His faithfulness and His living testimony. So much work to be done and what a privilege to be enlisted in His work. I pray that I don't ever take that privilege to be involved in His work for granted and waste it in my lifetime here.
That peace that surpasses all understanding that I'm a child of God's and that I'm in His will is what moves me forward. Today, we brought one of Harley's co-workers to church. He isn't a believer and says so quite readily but still he came. There I sat beside him and listened to Harley preach a message about living out our faith every day and being ready to give an account for the hope that is in us. I'm thinking to myself, wow, there is no way this co-worker could sit through this if Harley wasn't practicing what he was preaching. I'm so blessed to have a husband that tries to practice what he preaches. We enjoyed the company of this co-worker for the rest of the day and saw the rest of our church greet him and witness to him in the time that they spent with him. The planters were out today and planted and the waterers watered and we are trusting the Lord to do the growing. Praise God for His faithfulness and His living testimony. So much work to be done and what a privilege to be enlisted in His work. I pray that I don't ever take that privilege to be involved in His work for granted and waste it in my lifetime here.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Timely advice from an unlikely source....
Ok, so I'm getting things done around the house and I decide to play a DVD and the last one in the player was the Disney Movie "Ratatouille". I've seen it before and really I was just looking for something to watch while I ate my lunch. So then there is this one line in the movie that just hasn't stopped replaying in my mind. The line of the movie was actually some advice being given to the rat. It went kind of like this "If you are only thinking about what you've left behind you will never see what is ahead of you."
Well, it was words that I really needed to hear at that moment and every time I am tempted to dwell on what I'm leaving or have left behind I hear it replayed in my mind and it snaps me out of sadness and my pity party. I know of a verse that is the authority on this subject of forgeting what is behind and looking to what is ahead;
Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Well, it was words that I really needed to hear at that moment and every time I am tempted to dwell on what I'm leaving or have left behind I hear it replayed in my mind and it snaps me out of sadness and my pity party. I know of a verse that is the authority on this subject of forgeting what is behind and looking to what is ahead;
Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Freedom In Trying
Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.
The real growth is in the trying and life lessons are gained on the
journey. Knowing that we tried has brought so much freedom to my heart.
We never cut you out of our hearts.....if you only knew the depth of longing
for so many of you.....but the Lord's ways are higher than ours. I'm believing that the pruning in our lives will produce much fruit. May we all experience the freedom and peace as we trust Him for the days ahead.
The real growth is in the trying and life lessons are gained on the
journey. Knowing that we tried has brought so much freedom to my heart.
We never cut you out of our hearts.....if you only knew the depth of longing
for so many of you.....but the Lord's ways are higher than ours. I'm believing that the pruning in our lives will produce much fruit. May we all experience the freedom and peace as we trust Him for the days ahead.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Anonymous Trap.
So I’ve been contemplating how a person is supposed to reconcile or take steps to making things right when they are dealing with comments from people who want to remain anonymous.
This anonymous trap has had me in bondage in the past and once again threatens to put me back in bondage again. The bondage is the turmoil in my spirit as I wonder how to make things right with the sources of the anonymous complaints/concerns. You feel like you are only getting a portion of the picture and you are supposed to guess at figuring out the entire picture. After seeing the fruit this practice of anonymity produces I am totally against doing things anonymously if they have a negative slant or a critical purpose.
For one thing you do not know who it is that is making the accusations or complaints/concerns. At times when I’ve found out whom the anonymous source was I could then understand the situation better because I knew source. Often I could then understand where I had gone wrong or what I had done wrong and I could try to do my part and make it right. When you know up front who is bringing concerns/hurts/criticism about you then you can know if this person has a past history of such behavior and clear patterns can be seen in their life that are contributing to the situation.
I believe hiding behind anonymity is in some cases being false and we are to set aside falsehood and in love speak truth. Remaining anonymous for what ever excuse makes it easy to not be held accountable for our words and actions thus making it almost impossible for there to be reconciliation and restoration.
I felt affirmed when I heard how one of Andrea’s Bible College Profs felt about anonymous surveys and/or evaluations in the church. He was quite forceful about his opinion that this was very wrong and not Biblical and went on to explain why to his class.
Anyway, my own journey having experienced this has been one of many battles but I have come to the conclusion that I can’t chase after anonymous people because it is futile and a waste of time. Does this mean that there is no truth to be found in anonymous comments? Of course not but when it has to do with a person being hurt by something you’ve said or done then how can you possibly reconcile with them while they are hiding in anonymity?
The devil also uses this to do damage to God's church. Because you don't know who you are dealing with suspicion and doubt are the enemy's tools to break down unity and reconciliation. Everyone suffers the consequences.
Matthew 18:15-17
If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
This anonymous trap has had me in bondage in the past and once again threatens to put me back in bondage again. The bondage is the turmoil in my spirit as I wonder how to make things right with the sources of the anonymous complaints/concerns. You feel like you are only getting a portion of the picture and you are supposed to guess at figuring out the entire picture. After seeing the fruit this practice of anonymity produces I am totally against doing things anonymously if they have a negative slant or a critical purpose.
For one thing you do not know who it is that is making the accusations or complaints/concerns. At times when I’ve found out whom the anonymous source was I could then understand the situation better because I knew source. Often I could then understand where I had gone wrong or what I had done wrong and I could try to do my part and make it right. When you know up front who is bringing concerns/hurts/criticism about you then you can know if this person has a past history of such behavior and clear patterns can be seen in their life that are contributing to the situation.
I believe hiding behind anonymity is in some cases being false and we are to set aside falsehood and in love speak truth. Remaining anonymous for what ever excuse makes it easy to not be held accountable for our words and actions thus making it almost impossible for there to be reconciliation and restoration.
I felt affirmed when I heard how one of Andrea’s Bible College Profs felt about anonymous surveys and/or evaluations in the church. He was quite forceful about his opinion that this was very wrong and not Biblical and went on to explain why to his class.
Anyway, my own journey having experienced this has been one of many battles but I have come to the conclusion that I can’t chase after anonymous people because it is futile and a waste of time. Does this mean that there is no truth to be found in anonymous comments? Of course not but when it has to do with a person being hurt by something you’ve said or done then how can you possibly reconcile with them while they are hiding in anonymity?
The devil also uses this to do damage to God's church. Because you don't know who you are dealing with suspicion and doubt are the enemy's tools to break down unity and reconciliation. Everyone suffers the consequences.
Matthew 18:15-17
If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Importance of Learning From My Mistakes
I have written so many blogs that haven't made it to being published. This past year has been one of much reflecting and learning. Years ago, when Andrea would come home from school with a quiz or test she had written and she wasn't happy with her mark I remember asking her "Do you understand what you did wrong?" and I'd also say, "The important thing isn't that you made mistakes but that you learned from them." I remember trying to teach her that mistakes are victories if you learn from them. If you've learned from your mistakes then you can be thankful for them and move on. It is all a part of the learning process and growing up.
I can only hope and pray that I am able to practice what I've preached. Mistakes are costly and some mistakes cost us more than others. I am trying really hard these days to keep focused on what I've learned from my mistakes and what I'd do different in the same situations. Also, I'm asking myself if I have extended grace and showed mercy to those who have made mistakes that affect me? I thank God for His patience and long suffering with me and I pray that I will learn to extend that same grace and mercy He has so lavishly extended to me.
Romans 8:26-28
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
I can only hope and pray that I am able to practice what I've preached. Mistakes are costly and some mistakes cost us more than others. I am trying really hard these days to keep focused on what I've learned from my mistakes and what I'd do different in the same situations. Also, I'm asking myself if I have extended grace and showed mercy to those who have made mistakes that affect me? I thank God for His patience and long suffering with me and I pray that I will learn to extend that same grace and mercy He has so lavishly extended to me.
Romans 8:26-28
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)