wellspring

Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

A wellspring has water flowing in and water flowing out. This is like our hearts in that what we put in lives in our hearts and flows out of it. What we do and say is a clear reflection of what is in our hearts.  There are a couple of important things to consider when caring for your heart: 

1. Concerning the river flowing in and the river flowing out: Are there any blockages? Debris from past can build up into a dam of lies filtering and dirtying what goes in, which can shut down the life of the well spring. The same is true in what goes out. As the Lord & self clear out the dam on the "in" side and pure living water starts to flow in the junky water in the spring will start coming out and its our choice to dam it up and not let out the junk for good or to let it out, choose not to entertain it, and give it to Jesus! This creates a healthy wellspring, a healthy heart. 

2. While all this clearing debris is going on, it is so important to feed our hearts with intention.  Purposely not watching, listening, or reading things that are clearly unhealthy spiritually. Purposely watching, listening, and reading things that are uplifting inspiring growth to the spirit.  This promotes a spiritually healthy heart. 

I've learned so much how this is true. Six months ago I preferred watching tv over doing just about anything else and I would rather do anything else than read 3 words of scripture or pray for even 5 minutes. It was that way for quite some time, and my life showed it. My attitude showed it.  As lies I've believed have been smashed out by the truth, the Lord can fill me with more of Himself and I can then choose to pour Him back out for others to see. This is the purpose of the wellspring: to constantly be filled and to constantly pour out. We do this no matter what we put it; for what we put in does come out, my heart is a wellspring. I don't say any of this to say I've already attained a healthy vital wellspring, I know I still have junk to clear out and I'm doing that as the Lord reveals it. It's all a choice. Start pouring in good things so the dams can start getting broken down. Pray for a change; ask God to help you believe or to take you back to the joy of His salvation, or to grow in Him. Godly-spiritual health is vitally important. 

find info on wellspring art work here

Get Dressed, then Stand and Jump

She is 2 days shy of 15 months old.  She wants this shirt on and she squirms away to get to the next thing while we're still on this thing. This shirt. Transition. Waiting to go, she is held in place being dressed by her Mother's hand and she screams.  She wants to be dressed faster so she can go; so she can stand and jump. And I do this thing that a 15 month old does; screaming to go while HE is still dressing me in HIS gifts, before this next thing... this figurative standing and jumping.  What do I need to dress myself in Lord? I see your guidance to find these verses... 

1 Peter 5:5, "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
**the greek word here for clothe yourselves is enkombōsasthe meaning to "bind on" figuratively like an apron of servitude. I so often have this urge to pride rather than humility and the choice to be humble is certainly like binding on a girdle more so than an apron. I suppose with more practice it will be as comfortable as the aprons I love to wear at the stove making delicious fall dishes for friends and family, which is also humble, servitude... in a way.

Colossians 3:12-14, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (NIV) Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

(NLT) Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity.(ISV)

**the greek word  for clothe yourselves is endysasthe gives the sense of "sinking into a garment" its the picture of Christ holding a jacket for us, like a husband for his wife, to just turn and sink into. :) LOVE THAT!

Romans 13:14-15, "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.(NIV) Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong(NLT).

** the greek word for clothe yourselves here is endysasthe the same as in the Colossians 3

Ephesians 4:22-24, "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;

 to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God's image in righteousness and true holiness.

*the greek word "put off" is apothesthai means to cast it off, lay it aside. The old self is like a magnet, maybe that's why the picture is to lay it aside.  If a magnet sits to close to it's opposite it will cling again, like the "cat that came back"... Lay it aside!! not too close. CAST it!! Throw it as far away as you can... give it over to the Lord, choosing everyday instead to PUT ON, Clothe yourself with the new nature, just sink into it!! 

** the greek for "clothe yourselves" is endysasthai is also that same 'sinking into a garment'

1 Peter 3:3-4, "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."

** the greek word here is endyseōs is an investment of clothing, putting on.  It gives a picture like that of investing in clothing and jewelry to make ourselves look more beautiful, but he is saying we should be investing in putting on a gentle and quiet spirit (this kind of spirit does not nag or criticize, which is why it's quiet, the greek for quiet means peaceful!) doing this is an investment of our inner beauty which is far more valuable to God than how we invest on our outer. 

THEN... STAND AND JUMP ;)

This post is just something to meditate on. How are we living? Are we living like we don't believe, wearing the rags of unbelief like we're the best dressed--or-- are we making the choice, believing & taking off the old.  Clothing ourselves with Jesus Christ, with humility, with love, with the new nature, with gentleness & peacefulness.  Let's get dressed girls; it's a daily choice spiritually as it is physically, but for some reason we walk out spiritually naked just like little 15 month old Amelia would do if I'd let her. 

All Biblical & Greek Reference came from Bible versions & Strong's concordance on Biblos.com

structure melt down

Living here, managing a family of 6 requires intentional structure. I thrive on it. I do not; however, thrive on creating it.  I like finding a warm little spot and sitting there reading or watching tv all day while at the same time watching my children play & interacting with them.  This is not my life and I'm so thankful for that!! When it did mirror what my days looked like I was a huge mess and the only reason I didn't commit suicide was for fear of the One who Created me because I thought He surely must hate me. I was a mess.  My days don't look like that picture anymore because God has very patiently taught me how to live otherwise and with purpose & showed me all over again just how much He loves me. Living in my warm little spot-- probably the very picture of agoraphobia-- was killing me.  The enemy loves to try to distract me back to that.  And if not to that same picture then at least toward shirking off any and all of my responsibility.  That's kind of what the last couple of days were like-- ok, this week-- its easier in a way to ignore responsibility while at the same time it is entrapment and it most definitely feels that way.  Easier in that my brain shuts out the onslaught of my ever coming to do list that circles my thoughts constantly & starts to consume the pleasures of entertainment, shopping (internet or otherwise), & sugar.  I feel kind of sick. 

Last night I'm thinking to myself, "what is going on with me? Dang!"  This morning, I start praying and realize that I haven't since Sunday!!... Sunday??!! When all last week I was constantly in prayer.  What changed?  I think this entire month was a constant trickle of structure melt down.  I do not do well with no structure!! And Jesus said it, "the Devil desires to have you, that he may sift you as wheat."  Today while praying I suddenly understand one of the reasons the Lord wants me to get my schedule back to the way it was last school term.  I would get right up and the children and I would go straight to the gym. In terms of routine this works well for me because if I can get away with staying up until 2 am and sleeping til 10, that's what I'm gonna do.  Not that anything is wrong with that if your family thrives on it, but for me, for our family we don't thrive on it-- we melt down. 

It is most definitely time to get all these routines back in place, especially now that home-school has started up. I thrive on structure. Tons more gets done! The children learn more, chores happen (better than not), I enjoy my children so much more, I actually cook, I have time for friends, time for the important stuff when I stay structured.  When I'm not structured I don't do most of these things.  Structure above all else is what keeps me close to the Lord, what keeps walking in obedience to Him, what keeps me growing in Him, what keeps me loving Him more and more...  Living in a lack of structure sitting on my couch mindlessly doing whatever strikes me is what shackles me down to the bed of depression, because it is there that I'm not living-- rather dying. 

I choose life. 

So tonight, I read her blog, and she's talking about habits. Coincidence? I think not. It's great! I'll be downloading her free printable.  Here is the verse she quoted for this entire subject of time: 

“Teach us, O Lord, to number our days, that we might have a heart of wisdom.” ~Ps. 90}

Click here to visit her site to glean from her wisdom-- Ann Voskamp.  

Multitude Mondays: pounding out depression

The past few days depression type issues keep surfacing. For no reason really crying would feel good if I could only do it.  Old intrusive thoughts are rising up. There is no outside circumstance setting me up to feel this way, it just is.  But I have this new tool.  A tool to fight.  A tool to pound out the nails that cause depression.  Nails of ingratitude. Nails of self centeredness.  The tools? Heartfelt, intentional gratitude to God & service to others. To fight, to pound this crap out of my heart I stop and find something to give thanks for.  Thank you Ann Voskamp for sharing this tool you found in God's word!   I used to live depressed, now its typically only an issue when I'm hormonal. I can fight using this tool even when it's hormonal issues tempting the depression to rise up, the battle ends up in my mind after all even if it is difficult and constant because of the hormones.   When I'm thankful to Him it doesn't make the pms go away, but it does keep my thoughts from going in the suicidal direction. Thankfulness also keeps me from wanting to act violently by word or deed. 

#268. roses showing up on the bush at the end of August after they all burned up & turned brown in July!! unexpected beauty!

#269. naps for the entire family 

#270. time with friends.

#271. extended time available to be in Bible Study

#272. hearing the girls pray! They prayed for a friend after she went home that the next time she came she wouldn't cry when she left.  

#273. Nathan doing a head stand and giggling in his little almost 3 year old voice "look Mom, look" 

#274. my washer & dryer!!!

#275. unplanned date nights!

#276. Madelyn's eagerness to learn!

#277. Amelia's new puckered kiss and sound effects "Mmmmwwwaaa"  haha. She'll be 15 months old on Saturday. 

#278.  Amelia's dance: waving her arms and shaking her head.

#279. God's direction

#280. friends to text with regarding spiritual growth & God's word. <3

#281. kiddie pool play,  4 children giggling,  the sun kissing us warm in the last few days of summer

#282. my husband coming home early simply because he wants to be with us :) I love him!

#283. the mailman leaving mail even when a car is parked practically in front of the mailbox. 

#284. hugs from my children

#285. Isabelle becoming more independent

A Holy Experience: Multitude Mondays Link

mouse traps and forgiveness

I don't know about you, but growing up our family would have little mice move in and Mom set traps for them.  Pretty gross. Once my sisters and I tried to save this mouse that was quick but not quick enough. It went for the cheese and when it realized it was a trap it turned to run, but its foot still got trapped. We released it but it got away only to be found dead later. Dead leaves a stench so it was easy to find. 

Luke 17:1  Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.

In other translations "things that cause people to sin" are translated into one word pictures such as, temptations, offenses, or stumbling block. With prompting from this wonderful Bible Study I've referenced over and over I went to look up the greek word for this myself. Beth does tell you what it means in the study.  This is the greek word "skandalon" which also translates "trap stick". 

So in other words people can become a trap stick to us; where as, we become entrapped.  Whether the person realizes the consequences to us or not, our enemy has no intention of letting us out of a trap, he intends for us to find spiritual death there.  Christian or not.  Once we're born again, thus a real Christian, we have been saved from the trap of eternal death, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty more traps for us to be lured into that won't take us and kill off any spiritual growth the Lord intended for us.  For the born again believer getting stuck in a trap is like becoming a spiritual feral child, with little to no contact with other believers or making the choice to be with God. If we choose God we can get out of the trap, but with no contact with other believers or the Bible how would the feral child know he/ she could turn to God?

If that is not serious enough for you, then get this! 

Luke 17:2-4

It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Not rebuking (or "calling a fellow Christian out"-- in love and gently)  and not forgiving is in and of itself how even the most mature Christian can become the "trap stick" causing another believer to be trapped.  Of course there are plenty of ways people can become the trap stick to children & to new believers, but these are the 2 least obvious which is why Jesus pointed them out. 

Forgive!!

Forgiveness is way more serious than I have believed for a while.  I knew it was really serious and necessary & if you have chosen to open the gift of God's forgiveness, receiving it as your own then you are capable of giving real and pure forgiveness. But get this! Beth gives this next verse in her study and I'm like..."oooooooOOoooooo" serious Aha! moment for me. 

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Un-forgiveness is an outright scheme of the devil!! Which is why he wants us to become the trap stick by not forgiving. Un-forgiveness traps the child and it traps the new believer so the enemy can play games with their minds.  Think about it.  Can you remember being a child and knowing something was your fault and having asked forgiveness the other person stayed angry and became more and more bitter toward you? Even as an adult when I've asked forgiveness and was truly remorseful and did not receive it, it really messed with my mind.  But not in not forgiving we become the trap stick for ourselves too, and there we are trapped in this cage of un-forgiveness and spiritual stagnancy. Ever smell a stagnant pond before? Stagnancy stinks like death! Let Jesus flow through & you'll be able to forgive! 

I've come across a couple of different people on FB who made my elementary years hooorrribbbbllllle!!! Get this, my mother transferred me to a different school to get away from all of it. Yeah. So...as an adult I cyber run into them & see they have children and find myself wishing the worst for these kids so their horrible parent would get a taste of what being made a victim of bullying feels like. Yeah. I know. BAD!! and the Lord immediately convicts my heart!  and I suddenly realized I was hanging on to something from more than 20 years ago. I had no idea up until that moment!! Seriously! I immediately forgave her and all these other former children who were so mean to me.  Then yesterday I come across this "trap stick" thing and felt a serious need to put this importance out there! 

Rebuke.

Getting called out is no fun. It is something I've pretty much always hated, mainly because of how painfully insecure I was up until now... which I'm not yet "there" but you can certainly take "painfully" off the description... I'm still working on the insecure part.  I give it over to God every time it rears its ugly head... I'm sure He'll wash it all out. Anyway... It is hard stuff to get called out for something I'm not totally paying attention to. And guess what! I HATE confrontation, especially when it's about something serious!! hate hate hate.  But look... I so much don't want to be a trap stick that I'm willing to receive and give a "calling out".  I'll do everything I can to be loving and gentle, please do the same for me.  

As Beth also points out rebukes are for fellow believers.  I didn't care a thing about acting like  Christ before I was a Christian and you can be certain that I won't expect anyone who isn't to act like Him either.  We should however lovingly and gently lead people to the one who saves, hearing is how we all find Jesus who gets us out of the trap we're born in.  We are born there because Adam and Eve first sinned which brought death into the world; we all inherit that.  Christ died to conquer death therefore giving us the choice of life which is salvation (see Romans).

Realizing some of these things are in our own lives is like eating a mouth full of sand. It's not fun, but it is important. I'm pretty sure no one wants to be a trap stick, setting someone up for entrapment.  It's important to recognize it for others and for ourselves lest anyone of us end up trapped for death.  It is equally if not more important to realize we are in a trap!! Traps can be constructed of plenty of different things, but I'm certain of this: they are all made up of lies we believe. Ask God to wash the lies out and replace them with truth!! It's something I've been asking for myself recently, God is willing and able! He wants us set free! 

giving credit:

mouse trap picture found here 

money trap picture found here

Love

It is true that whatever we do outside of love will not last or amount to anything. We'd be wise to meditate on & memorize 1 corinthians 13, it answers what love is! Lord, please help me/ us to love you, & others in your terms. Help us to recognize it & practice it! Remove all that is not love that is trapped in me!
Love, me.

balance and priorities

Luke 10:27,   "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

This 1 command, the golden rule, is the summation of the entire Bible & all God wants for us.  We can love because He first Loved us!

A couple of points I read today in "Jesus the One and Only" Bible Study:

Read Luke 10:25-41 by clicking here  It's the Parable of the Good Samaritan and Jesus at the Home of Mary and Martha, back to back.   Beth Moore points out that the man who loved His neighbor was the one who hadn't just come back from spending considerable time with God as the priest and Levite had on the road down from Jerusalem in the parable. In Luke 10:25 you see that an expert of the law was questioning Jesus who would've picked up on why the priest and Levite would be traveling that particular route. They would've been coming back from "performing their brief tenure of service in the temple.  We would expect that at no time would they have been more humbled, grateful, or willing to meet someone's needs. That's not what happened..."(Moore). It's pretty incriminating to view 2 people who "served in the temple but refused to help a dying man".  

Flip to the very next story, when Jesus visits Mary & Martha's home. Beth calls Mary "a servant far too busy helping to hear from the heart of God."  What Martha was doing was a good thing, but if she had prepared before Jesus was actually in her home she too would've been at Jesus feet learning which is the better thing, according to Luke 10.  

What I gathered from these two stories being back to back is that God wants us to be balanced, to spend time with Him, loving Him completely and totally  and He wants us to love others as ourselves which is ministering or service to others.  It is a balance.  God wants us to Love, give, & live a balanced life.

Another quote from Beth: "In our fight for right priorities, many things vie for the top of the heap, but only one is necessary.  Ultimately, our relationship with Christ is the one thing we cannot do without. 
Christ's message is not that we should neglect family and responsibilities to pray and to study the Bible. If that were true, the man in our previous lesson would have died.  His message is that many things are important, but one thing is necessary: Him.  Incidentally, Mary turned out to be one of the greatest servants of all, lavishing Christ with her most expensive offerings (see John 12). 

...look at three simple words from Luke 10:42 "Mary has chosen"  That's how it will always be.  A choice.  Right priorities will never choose us."

All our purpose in this life must be balanced or purposely positioned on the fulcrum that is Christ and our complete devotion to Him.  What is the load and effort (our purpose & the efforts of our individual purpose) that the fulcrum (God) is supporting is best and most useful when directed by Him.  As I wrote about a couple of days ago, balance is something the Lord is teaching me how to do. This includes what to balance and what to take off the scales. How we spend our gift of time is eternally important for ourselves and for those we influence. Balance with Christ at the Center, effecting our entire life.

prayer, faith, impossible 3

So... I'm totally loving Beth Moore's Bible Study "Jesus the One and Only" for the 2nd time. :)
anyway. I'm just gonna connect some dots for you and tell you that I'm praying and praying for God pleasing faith.  Here's why:
Luke 9:37-45

The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

41“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil^b spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44“Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Check out the same account in Mark 9, verse 29 gives an answer for why they couldn't drive it out...  and so does Mathhew 17: 20

28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer."

Matthew 17:20 

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, 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."

So... to sum it up... because of our little prayer we have little faith and because of our little faith we have no miracles, no impossible!!   Faith is a gift... pray for some! 

impossible 2

In reference to yesterday's post:

Luke 9:23-25, "...If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" --Jesus

In this sense deny self, according to Beth Moore, it means to to give up my right to authority over myself. I was thinking this very thing when I read these verses again today.  Jesus is driving it home... Be God focused, it is where miracles happen; where as,  "me-focused" is where we drown losing our very lives.

impossible

Do you have something in your life that just seems completely impossible?  I think most of us do.   For a long time I struggled with depression, some days it comes back to test me and the Lord helps me shut it down. Something that used to be impossible I can do when I focus on Christ completely. Depression has no room when I choose to be thankful to God for something, anything and He restores me. Lately I've been looking for the next step in some long term direction God has given me, but it's not time for the next step and the long term goal seems totally impossible for me. It is totally impossible by myself!  God very clearly told me to stop looking for the step.  It will be there when it's time, God is never late!  To quote my new favorite author, Ann Voskamp from her blog today, "Waiting is just a gift of time in disguise — a time to pray wrapped up in a ribbon of patience — because is the Lord ever late?"  A time to pray wrapped up in a ribbon of patience.  It is time; waiting is a gift of time!  Relief washed over me today as I shifted my thoughts in that direction.  Indeed it is a gift. This waiting I've done has alloted me time with my children, time to mature in the Lord, time to mature as a woman, time to study His Word, time to be... time is a gift!! Settling in to this paradigm shift.
Another impossible thing.  Not many people would consider me smart, a good student maybe...probably not... Maybe this is childhood trauma issue I have.  The Lord knows.  But here's the thing, In this impossible future and somewhat present task God is giving me bit by bit I have this teaching assignment and I'm really not smart enough to do it on my own. I need God to do it through me in a major and miraculous way.  I need Him. 
Another impossible thing.  Raising children to be wholly emotionally & spiritually healthy. If you know any one person who wasn't tainted somehow in their upbringing, I'd love to hear about them!!  Every single person is screwy somehow and its usually directly related to their parents &/or childhood acquaintances .   I'm completely depending on God that what is screwy about my one day adult children is minimal and not soul level or life long damaging. I have several friends who have worked hard with the Lord to overcome this kind of damage, may God have the glory for their whole heart healing!!  I have to depend on Him because to successfully raise 1 much less 4 children is impossible.  It is so easy to come apart in the daily in and out!! & children remember & the seeds we plant in their hearts on a daily level can spring up into a beautiful healthy tree or can spring up into a life of weeds that need pulling. I need Him. 
Today I read about the woman who had a bleeding disease constant for 12 years. Can you imagine??!! ugh! Most of us can barely take it for a week. Anyway, she was desperate!  She needed God! When Jesus came to her town people crowed around Him as he was walking to someone's house to heal a 12 year old girl who was very sick and then died.  (he ended up raising the girl from the dead!) Anyway, as He was walking the Bible says they were all crowded around Him almost crushing Him and when this woman with the blood issue touched the hem of His clothes she was totally healed.  He sensed the power going out from Him and asked who touched Him.  Obviously a lot of people were touching Him and one was healed. This story is in Luke 8.   All these people are pressing against Him and one was healed?  Here's what I'm thinking... she wasn't there to see a miracle as most of them probably were, she was there to be a miracle.  When we reach out to Him in faith, the impossible happens. 
Remember Peter walking on water?  He wanted to get out of the boat to greet Jesus on the water and He gave him permission and so He got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the water.  As soon as he realized his impossible surroundings he sank like a rock.  When I'm "me" focused I will sink in all impossibility. When I am totally Christ focused, the impossible happens.

What about David, before he was king he was a scrawny shepherd.  When his first moment came to defend God in the midst of war, King Saul's armor wouldn't even fit him.  He was 100% focused on God and His honor and he defeated a God-mocker with just a sling and a stone. The impossible happens when He is our everything. 

"When you’re in covenant with Christ, it’s His responsibility to cover your cracks, to be all your competency and completeness"(Ann Voskamp, today's blog).

Then in Beth Moore's "Jesus the One and Only" Bible Study I read  what God has been teaching me all week!  "My calling was to be abandoned to Him" (Moore).   More than anything my seriousness about my relationship with God coupled with His seriousness with wholly redeeming my life springs forth complete surrender to Him. It is then that my life in Him is complete and what it was created to be.  It is then that the tasks are truly less important than the task giver.  It is sooo easy to get caught up in what He is asking us to do like that is what I need to be surrendered to, but it is clear through Scripture, He is to be who I am surrendered to and nothing more. When we are surrendered to Him, the rest falls into place because it is He who is leading... He who can see the past, present, & future.. He who knows everything... He who knows the best paths for us to take, that wether they are pleasant or difficult the end is the best place, the place of redemption... it is He who is leading. and we can trust Him. He makes the impossible happen and just like the woman with the blood issue got healed not because she reached out and touched Him, but because she had faith that with a touch she would be healed by Him. Faith & Jesus generates the power to make the impossible Happen!! 

Ann Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience.   Click on the link to see her entire post from today! Surely you'll have a paradigm shift too. 

click this link to hear Beth Moore sharing a great devotion on this very thing, that God will marvelously help us... She's catching up on life stuff and answering questions from her blog at first, then comes this cool devotional that God used to my heart as this is exactly what He has been teaching me all week!! <3

extreme

I have this issue in that I have a tendency toward working in extremes.  For example I could watch tv all day everyday until I got the motivation for the next extreme. When I was working my direct sales business I'd get in a fix and work for days only on that, sometimes it would last a month or more... not a good thing when you homeschool. This has also happened recently in Bible Study... not that anything is wrong with Bible Study, but when I don't take responsibility for the things that have been entrusted to me there is a problem.  
This verse comes to mind: "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10, NIV)
It's like this reminder that we can't solely focus on all the things we enjoy or that come the easiest, we have to work.  Of course, I'm a home maker & homeschool Mom with four children and don't earn a pay check, but regardless I have a crazy amount of responsibility and if I go to the extreme something or someone will absolutely lose my attention. This ensues chaos!  When my attention comes back around and evens out some there is something to fix.  
God is a God of balance, which is shown through out scripture, but I'll share with you the scriptures I came across today that made it absolutely clear what we're dealing with here in the fight against any kind of extreme verses complete balance.  In Luke 8 Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man. The Legion had snatched the man by force, and broken chains the man was bound by, the man was also driven into solitary places by the demon.  When Jesus met him the man had gone naked and homeless, but had lived in tombs. He basically lived in a graveyard... surrounded by death.  There are several different directions I could go with from what the enemy did to this man, but the point I'm making is that he was totally alone all of the time... this is extreme.  It is perfectly healthy to be alone sometimes; Jesus was.  Check out Mark 1:35, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (NIV).  There are several references to this, Matthew 14:13, Luke 8:29... Jesus did not live a solitary life, he lived a very balanced life with friends, all kinds of different people, & alone with God the Father too. The solidarity created an extreme in the possessed man's life, where as it created balance in Jesus' life.  
The enemy is doing everything He can to get us to live in an extreme, giving little to no attention to that which we are responsible. God is working with us to create balance in our lives, which is another way He makes us whole. All the praise to God!

chemistry experiment

Mark 9:33-35

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

I totally get what these guys were saying. 'Who's the best?' 'I want to be the best!'  I want to be the best at whatever it is I'm going for... maybe not the best, maybe the most significant would better describe how I feel.  I gave these feelings to God a couple of months ago. Mostly I just want to know Him and make Him happy!  And God, He leads us and causes this ugly "me 1st" or "me most" kind of attitude to rise up in us like a high school chemistry experiment exploding and bubbling over everything.  And it tastes like a mouth full of sand.  Giving it to God some more, its rising up and over, and it's out there available to give to Him or choose to keep it.  To be whole, I choose to give it away to God who can take it and replace it with what is meant to be there.  A servant's heart. A giving heart, able to give more of Christ away.  He died for the world, He is the servant of servants... we will never out give God.  He was and is more concerned for us than He is for Himself, which is pure love. We are so significant that Christ died for us, even when we were against Him.

1 John 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

True Love is the opposite of this concern and consumption with my own significance. I cannot truly give to another if my top concern is myself. And on the same token, I cannot serve and give to another with out first being aware of my own growth and finding significance in living in the Love of Christ. Thank you, Lord for causing this "chemistry experiment" in my heart... I give it to You so you can make my heart new, causing fresh water to stream through my heart so that all thats left is You. Love.

good soil.

Today I'm turning these verses over in my mind.  

Isaiah 55:10-13

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.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed.”

I so want the thorn bushes and rock pulled out of my life; I say this in reference to the "parable of the sower found in Luke 8. I want the soil of my life to not only receive the seed of the word of God but to grow it and become what Isaiah 55:10-13 promise. I'm praying on these things and asking for help. <3  

being transformed.

2 Corinthians 3

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect^a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

what is underlined, I marked in my Bible. 

serious 2

God is serious about redeeming our lives. Renewing us. Bringing us to the fullness He intended for us, fullness in Him. Freeing us from slavery to sin. He is serious about giving us an abundant life. Giving us Love.  He died to give to us. All good things.
He is serious about getting us to that place which is why He is serious about obedience.
When we are Christ focused He makes the impossible possible. Bridging the divide so that we can be with Him. Completely healing our hearts.
God is Love. He gives Himself fully to us; therefore, Love can live in us.  How then can we not be made whole?
Love

In Beth's Words.

I'm going through Beth Moore's Bible Study "Jesus the One and Only"... It's one I went through a few years ago, and got out again.  I just want to share her exact words in this section with you.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good new to the poor' (Luke 4:18).  Christ didn't mean the financially destitute. The Greek word for poor is ptochos, indicating 'utter helplessness, complete destitution, afflicted, distressed.' I think God is far too faithful to let anyone make it through life without confronting seasons of utter helplessness.   Look at the remainder of the definition: 'subsisting on the alms of others.'  We know what that means in the physical and monetary sense, but since we know Christ was referring to far more than finances, let's think about another application.
God created us to need something or someone else.  Sooner or later, any healthy individual discovers that autonomy doesn't cut it.  Once we confront our need for someone or something beyond ourselves we will subsist on the alms of others if we don't discover Christ.  Like beggars we go from person to person with our empty cup, crying, ; Can't you add anything to my life?'  They might throw in a coin or two.  In fact, a few may be weekly... and probably weary... tithers.   But when we shake the cup, the tinny echo reminds us how empty we remain.  Until we allow Jesus to fill our cups daily, we simply subsist.  You were meant to thrive."

impossible

Not quite 3 years ago I became convinced that God must just hate us all.  Too much pain in this world for love to be the answer.  This is how I lived believing, while still feeling the desire to find out somehow that it just wasn't true.  And today I can tell you that the truth is that God deeply and passionately loves us far beyond what we can ever wrap our minds around. 

Most people never really turn to God when things are going good. If things are good it feels like we don't need Him.  Another lie people tend to live by.  When things go bad; however, we tend to feel like we need someone more powerful... God.   He can fix this and make my world a happy place again.  We all live in this cyclical lie.  even when the train of thought derails and we get dragged into thinking that all the bad is all His fault and all the good was done by "me".  Its a crazy cycle. 

He allows the heartaches in our lives so that we can realize our need for Him, so that we can experience His comfort, so that we know He is good, so we can be close to Him  and maybe just maybe stay there.    Staying Christ focused during difficult times makes the impossible possible.  When Peter was completely Christ focused taking a step out of a boat and on to water to walk to Jesus, he did.  As soon as he lost that focus he sank.   Christ focused living will give us peace... "impossible" peace just as walking on water is "impossible"...   It is because God wants to be close to us and wants us to want to be close to Him.  He grieves with us when we grieve, He is there for us during it... He wants to be there for us when we're happy, sad, angry, or whatever.  He didn't allow things in our lives to leave us deserted, He wants to be there for us & for us to enjoy His comfort.  Of course receiving His comfort and Love are a choice, the other option is to sink in the pain and all that encompasses "me focused".  I totally took the second road in times past and let me tell you now; it led me straight to self loathing, suicidal depression.  Totally opposite of the peace that passes understanding, huh?  What choice will you make?

Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Peter walks on water scripture reference: Matthew 14

James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, by brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..."  
As for certain kinds of trials like those concerning grief, I think the pure joy comes in with receiving His love and comfort in the midst. 

I'm learning this week that I tend to not believe that others love me, which is not receiving the love.  But when I do believe that someone loves me that is when I am receiving it. This has included God for a long time. In March I chose to believe He loves me again and this week I'm receiving it even more. He loves you too.  His Love for us never changes either. There is no earning it, there is only basking in it.  Like basking in the sun by the ocean... I love the beach and sunshine... & now the Son-shine.  Love Love Love.