Be Careful What You Ask For....

I'm sure we've all heard the saying "Be careful what you ask for 'cause you just might get it!" I am here to tell you that it is so very true... even when it is God that is hearing the requests.

If we pray to God with a sincere heart that truly wants that of which we are asking, we ought to be fully prepared for all the ways in which God might answer that prayer. How do I know this, you might ask? I can think of more than once that I have experienced this over the years, but right now I think I just might be living a perfect example.

I have been trying to live my life more flexibly. Not letting schedule changes and calendars full of activity get me down. I'm trying to just face life head on and live it to its fullest and not be so tied down to my to do list and all the things that I think need to be done (and many times aren't near as urgent as I seem to make them).

I have prayed alot about this over the last year or so and know that God has been walking along with me and has begun to answer this prayer. However, in my own mind I just imagined this would happen along the way as we just lived out our daily life -- our normal schedule.

Well, let me tell you what... I do believe God thought it might work better if the pace was picked up a bit. Or, maybe more than just a bit.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to make a trip to California, the week of May 3. OK... I was good with that. I always miss my family terribly on these trips, but I never have to worry. I have a great husband that just keeps it all going when I am gone. So, I scheduled that trip and hadn't thought much more about it.

Last Tuesday, my sister called to let me know that we had a wedding to attend in Kansas City on May 15th. Woohoo.. wonderful news! We had known she was getting married, but had thought they would be going off alone to get married. So, we are very excited we get to be there with them.

The next day as I sat in a meeting at work where schedules for the next week were being discussed, I found my name displayed to be in Massachusetts the week of May 10 (yes, I'll be there Monday thru Thursday and then on Friday leave for the wedding... a busy week!). OK.. I took a deep breath and said "OK.. God.. help me out here.. it is getting busy! I feel tired just thinking about it.

Imagine the surprise I got the next morning when I found out I needed to be in Georgia on April 26 for 4 days! And the date I discovered this was April 23.

Obviously, there had been some communication breakdown in my office, but what jumped out at me even more was that I was scheduled to be out of town three weeks in a row. I would be in 5 different states (including my home state) during that time. Each work trip takes me away from home Monday thru Thursday and then flow right into a fun trip for a wedding.

So, here I sit tonight in Georgia thinking about all the many ways God answers our prayers. Yes, I had an incredibly busy weekend getting ready to leave -- packing, getting laundry done for me and the rest of the family, doing all I could for them before I left -- but it all got done AND we had a wonderful weekend together as a family.

Even more importantly is that even as I look at such a busy, busy few weeks ahead of me with little time at home, I have a peace about it. Yes, I will be tired. Yes, I will miss my family. Yes, it will be hectic at times. But, there will also be fun and laughter and alot of learning for me.

God is showing me how to simply trust Him and finding that I can accept and live it all much easier.... regardless of how busy it is and how tired I might be at the time.

I kind of feel like I'm living out the words of the hymn "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus". And, let me tell you, it IS sweet!

His Kingdom or Mine

A week or so ago as I was driving home from work my mind was wandering... listening a bit to the music on the radio, but also lost in some of my own thoughts. As I drove, I heard the song "In the Blink of An Eye" by Mercy Me come on the radio. I began to sing along... although not really listening to the words.

Just a few short minutes into the song, if that long, one phrase suddenly jumped out at me. The question it asked was, "How can I further Your kingdom when I'm so caught up in mine?"

In the amount of time it took to sing that phrase my mind stopped wandering. I was very quickly brought back to the moment and very much considering the reality of the phrase for my life. Indeed, how can I further the Lord's kingdom when I'm so busy with my own life?

What would happen if I spent as much time seeking the Lord's guidance in how He would have me share His love as I do each day crossing item after item off my to do list?

What would happen if I spent as much time involved with missions work in my community as I do coordinating all the calendars of each member of my family?

Just a couple of examples, and, obviously time does need to be spent getting tasks completed and making sure everyone in the family gets to their various activities. However, do I give the Lord and His work the same amount of time? Shouldn't I be ready and willing to do so? Shouldn't His work be at the very tip top of my to do list?

After all, doesn't God promise us that if we put Him first and His work, doesn't everything else fall into place? The daily tasks will get taken care of and the family will all get to their daily activities.

I'm learning that if I just act on God's will and trust Him, that it DOES all fall into place. It may require me to accept that not everything will get done the way I would like to see it get done and it certainly requires that I give up any sort of control that I try to have over situations, but it does fall into place.

As a matter of fact, not only does it all fall into place, but it usually falls into place much better than it would have otherwise.


"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke 12:31

Going Along With Us

Have you ever asked God to make something go away? Maybe an encounter with someone you knew would be difficult, a task at work you didn’t feel prepared to handle, or something much larger like pain due to the loss of a loved one.

Have you ever prayed, “Dear Lord, please make this situation go away?” ........

This is an excerpt from a devotional I had the honor of sharing today at Laced With Grace. If you have never visited "Laced With Grace" you really should. Each day you'll find a special message shared by a great team of women writers... each one committed to sharing what the Lord has placed on their hearts.

To read the remainder of the devotional or find out more about "Laced With Grace", click here.

God Is My Comfort

Life has been a bit busy around here lately. We've had many activities with school, church, work... much of it just the normal day to day type things.

I can go along fine for weeks at a time getting it all accomplished (or at least the most important) without much thought or worry. However, let me start to get a bit tired and it just becomes ovewhelming. I've said it here before that I am easily overwhelmed with life at times. I'm learning to let go and be more flexible along with regularly turning it over to God. But, the tired thing... well, let's just say I'm not good at much of anything once I start to get tired. Unfortunately, that includes turning things over to God. It seems when I get tired that all common sense, knowledge -- it all goes flying right out the window.

So, last week was one of those weeks where I was tired and fell straight down the path to overwhelmed. I've since taken some time to slow down, prioritize, talk it over and pray. I'm feeling better. I've allowed God to take control again and He has comforted me. I'm ready to start a new week.

In starting a new week, though, I wanted to be fully prepared. I didn't want to go anywhere near overwhelmed. I went to my Bible this evening to look for that "special something" that I could carry with me throughout the week. Something that would remind me that God is with me, that He is my comfort. Something that would remind me how important it is to let God in and let him "run the show". To let Him give me the strength to keep moving -- not only so I can keep up with a smile on my face, but also so that my sense of overwhelming and the negative thoughts and attitudes that go along with it will not be a stumbling block to others around me.

Here is where God led me...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Just what I needed to read this evening and just what I will carry with me throughout the week. God is my comfort and it is abundant!


Has God laid a special scripture on your heart this week?

WHY?

My mom sent this to me a week or so ago. There is such a great message here for each of us. So often we don't understand why. But, God does know why and we can be assured there is a reason and it is for the best. We may never know "WHY?", but God does and He has it all in His mighty and powerful and loving hands.


Have a great weekend!
_______________________________________________________________________

We all wonder many many many times over WHY?

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter..
"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!"

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Psalm 139:13-18


We live in a world that so often tells us that who we are is because of what we do, what we say or how we look. But, look at these words from the book of Psalm... what I read here is the exact opposite.

God formed us. He created our inmost being. God purposefully created us JUST THE WAY WE ARE. He loves us JUST THE WAY WE ARE. In fact, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". It doesn't matter what we look like or what we do. Regardless of any of those things, we are wonderful in God's eyes.

God knew before He created us exactly what we would do and how we would look. He knew every single one of our days. And, yet, He still loves us.... JUST THE WAY WE ARE.

How about the next time we find ourselves finding fault with how we look or other similar things, that instead we remember that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"? How about we remember that we are the person God created us to be? How about we remember that God loves us and it is only His desires to which we should attempt to aspire?

Wherever We Go

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Psalm 139:7-12

Have you ever felt alone? Afraid? Hopeless? If so, reassurance can be found in this passage to the promise from God that we are never alone. God is never far, but always right alongside us each and every day.

That doesn't mean we will always feel close to God. However, when we feel like God isn't there, it's not because God has left our side. He doesn't turn away... it is us that turn away. It is us that makes it feel as if God is far away. It is our decision to no longer seek God, put something else in a place of greater importance, or just determine that God cannot or will not help us.

Regardless of any of that, God stays with us. He never leaves and he never gives up. No matter where we go or how far we may run... He is always with us. Even when we purposely run away from Him, He is still there. He patiently waits for us to turn to Him and allow Him to comfort us, to bring us peace, to shine His light in our life and make it whole.

He is ALWAYS with us WHEREVER WE GO.

The Gift of a New Day

Last week was “one of those” kind of weeks at our house. On Sunday Josh started running a fever. Monday night I came home feeling sick. On Tuesday, Josh seemed better so went back to school, but that evening after dinner began running a fever again. Later that night, Jeff came in from a meeting sick, Wednesday Josh and Jeff were both sick with me trailing close behind (well enough to help them, but still not up to par), Thursday was more of the same with Friday being a bit better as Josh was able to go back to school and I went on to work. Jeff finally made it back to the “land of the living” sometime Friday afternoon.

Abby was the only one in the family that remained healthy (lucky girl! And, YES, she was quite the trooper in dealing with all of us being sick!). As I’m sure many of you know, though, when the healthiest person in the house is just 5 yrs old, it can be a bit challenging! :)

I, unfortunately, do not fare well when I’ve had little sleep and it just gets worse when I am also sick. So, by the time Josh came down to our room about 2:00am Thursday morning needing some snuggle time ‘cause that ‘ole fever wasn’t letting him sleep much, my weary body was about done in. Of course, I didn’t let it stop me from jumping up (okay, maybe more like rolled out of bed SLOWLY) and snuggling up with him first on the sofa and then back in his own bed until he fell asleep.

However, once he had fallen back asleep and seemed more comfortable and then I discovered that I couldn’t get back to sleep, I started to feel myself giving in to the sick and weary feelings. I wasn’t sure I could get up the next morning and do it all over again…. get Abby moving and on to preschool (I figured she would have more fun if she kept with her normal routine instead of hanging out with all us sick people), take care of both Josh and Jeff, keep a few of the most important household type things going, and also try to rest myself.

Of course, being so tired and not feeling well, it felt so much worse than what it really was, but those were my feelings at that particular point in time.

Morning did come and I did get make it thru Thursday and on to Friday. And, by the end of the day on Friday, Jeff was feeling well enough to pitch in and help so I could get more rest. (On Saturday, he also took both kids on a scout camp trip so I could have the house to myself to rest and re-coup... pretty neat guy, isn't he? :) )

As I went about my day on Thursday it struck me how much better I felt than I had in the early morning hours. Yes, I was still tired and, yes, I was still not feeling well. However, gone were the feelings of “How can I keep on moving?” and “How can I take care of all of us on my own?”, etc.

It was alot like the days when both my kids were babies and I’d be up with them all night… nights feeling so very tired and knowing that I had to get up the next morning and keep going on regardless. The time after I had gotten them back into bed and they were sleeping was always the hardest. Many times I was unable to easily go back to sleep and I would lie in bed feeling so tired and knowing that life was just going to keep on moving… regardless of how tired I was, I had to find a way to get up the next morning, take care of those sweet little babies, plus the many others things that I do in the course of a day. No matter how awful it seemed in those early morning hours, it was always MUCH better once I got up and got moving the next morning with the sun shining and the world alive around me.




It reminds me of how God takes our lives and turns them from lives of darkness to a life that is filled with light. He takes our fears and our frustrations and turns them into incredible and joyful journeys. He takes our darknesses and turns them to light. Every new morning we experience is a true gift from God… the gift of another day with our loved ones, the gift of a new day with a new perspective, the gift of a new day to be lived for HIM.


God's faithfulness in on display every single day. Every new morning is a gift from God, and a sign of His eternal presence. Lamentations 3:22-23



How about you? Have you experienced similar situations where you found the dawn of a new day brought about a new attitude and/or perspective for you? Do you see how God works in your life to make the darkness become bright again?

He Knows Me

"O Lord, You have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in -- behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain."


As I read over these scriptures from Psalm I'm sitting in my very quiet house... no noise except for the sound of the rain outside my window. It's just me this afternoon... the kids are at school, Jeff is out working. I'm home for the day trying to give myself a little TLC as I think my sweet Josh shared a not so sweet virus with me over the weekend. :)

While I read these words from David I am particularly touched (along with a bit in awe) of the fact that God knows me so very well. Even as I sit in the quiet of my bedroom with no one else physically in this room with me, HE IS WITH ME. He is right here beside me, he knows the words I will type, the thoughts I will share. He knows my heart, my intent, my desires.

In some ways, it is a bit scarry. After all, I don't even know what I will do 15 minutes from now. And, the thought that I might know is a bit.. oh, I don't know... a bit like something from The Twilight Zone.

Oh, but let me very quickly say, God is not a part of The Twilight Zone... His ways are so far from anything like that. And, while many of this world may feel that the "concept" of God is a bit "Twilight Zone-ish"... we that call Him our Father know Him to be the exact opposite. We know a Heavenly Father that knows us so well that He knew -- before we were even created -- what we would look like, the things we would do, and who we would choose as friends. He knew the many good things that we would do and He knew the many bad things we would do. And, regardless of what He knew, He did not hesitate to give us life and He does not hesitate to love us exactly the way that we are. He does not hesitate to call us His own.

As I try to soak this in and understand the enormity of it all, I feel a bit like David must have felt as he wrote the words in verse 6 -- "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain".

A Perfect Mess

Originally posted November 25, 2008:


"...Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive -- a living fractal."

excerpt from The Shack by Wm. Paul Young


fractal - [frak-tl]: (n) any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size.


I have recently completed reading the book The Shack. I cannot even begin to explain how much this book has blessed me. Although a work of fiction, it brings to life so much about the importance of our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The author has such a beautiful way of describing God's love for us and the way in which He moves and is working in our lives.

The quote above is one of many that really spoke to me. Quite often I do see my life as a mess. I don't feel that I have it together well in my relationship with God, in my relationship with others, I don't feel that I always have my priorities straight or that I show God's love to others. Many days I'm not sure I am a good wife, mother, friend, or employee.

However, regardless of how big of a mess that I feel I am... that is the complete opposite of what God sees. God sees the bigger picture and He knows that while I may not have a strong relationship with someone today, I am learning something from the struggles on-going at the moment. Maybe someday that relationship will be great. Or, maybe someday I will be better prepared for another situation because of what I learned from the current relationship struggle. Because God is looking down on it from above He sees it all and He knows how all the pieces fit together.

As I was recently discussing this quote with several friends of mine, a picture came to mind (partly because of the setting in which this quote takes place in the book). Imagine that you are standing in the midst of a garden that is filled with many different kinds of flowers and grasses and trees. While beautiful, at the same time it is unorganized and there is no apparent rhyme or reason to how it all fits together. However, you then have the opportunity to fly over the garden and see that what appeared to be unorganized when standing IN the garden is now seen as the shape of an animal or a tree or some other object when looking down at the garden from above.

That is what God sees from above... the way the picture of our lives fit together to form the perfect pattern.


Thank you, Lord, for being able to see how my puzzle fits together. Thank you for seeing past the "mess" and being able to see the beauty that is in me. Thank you for standing beside me and never leaving me. Thank you for encouraging me to move forward even when I can't see past the present moment and all the messes that I feel have taken over my life. Thank you, Lord, for taking our messes and fitting them together into the perfect puzzle. Amen.

Willing to Be Inconvenienced for God?

Originally posted May 11, 2008:

Last Sunday in church our pastor spoke of being inconvenienced for God. The questions he asked have stayed with me all week long and have caused me to do some careful consideration of what exactly I am willing to do for God. Or... how willing I am for God to move in my life in a great and mighty way.

When he first asked us the question "Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?" I wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say. I was puzzled because I had never thought of God as an inconvenience in my life. However, I quickly discovered the angle he was going with this sermon.

Yes, I want God to be with me wherever I go. Yes, I want God to be a part of my life. Yes, I want to have a relationship with God.

But, would I rather have God move in my life in a quiet way so that others may not notice? Or, do I want to be so joyful in the Lord that I openly and publicly praise His name wherever I go? When I do this, am I willing to open myself up to possible criticisms of those around me?

Do I just want God to be in our Sunday worship services and move quietly throughout the congregation? Or, am I willing for Him to move in such a way that the praises and the sharing continue throughout the day and we miss our Sunday lunch plans? Or, miss the Sunday afternoon football game?

Do I want to have God with me, spend time with Him, but continue to live my daily life of family and career according to what I think is right? Or, am I willing to take the risk of moving away from all that I hold dear in order to follow a different path that God has planned for me?

In the time I have spent this week on these questions, I have discovered that I am not as willing to be inconvenienced for God as I would like to be. I struggle with the thought of the unknown places God could take me and my family if we were open to anything He may have in store for us. I worry far too much about what people think of me to proclaim God's praises from the rooftops. I prefer to let people see God in my life in a quiet way. And, while that can be good... there may be people that don't see God in my life because I am TOO quiet in my walk with the Lord

In the weeks to come I will be praying about this very topic in my own life and the life of my family. I desire to have the type of willingness where it doesn't matter what God asks of me. I desire the type of willingness where it doesn't matter how He may move in our lives.

How about you? Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?

Why Do We Doubt?

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:22-31


Have you ever had a passage of scripture that you had read over and over again but just seemed to completely “miss” a particular part of it for most of that time? This passage is one of those for me. I know, it seems a bit silly…. after all, most of us have heard this story since we were small children in Sunday School. However, for whatever reason, what I’ve always carried away from this is the part about Jesus walking on water and the fact that He calmed the seas. Somehow, I had managed to miss (or not focus on is probably more to the point) the part about Peter joining Him on the water, walking a few steps, and then beginning to doubt and sinking into the water.

However, a few Sundays ago in church it just suddenly jumped right out at me…. almost knocked me over in my seat. Our pastor has begun a series of sermons on this passage and, as the scripture was read on that particular Sunday morning, I suddenly realized not only that I had kind of glossed over this part for years, but that I am just like Peter. I call on the Lord, I turn it all over to Him and I trust and I feel as Peter did as he began to walk on the water towards Jesus. Life goes on great until something happens – maybe life gets too busy and becomes overwhelming, maybe I experience a difficult situation at work, maybe I’m just tired – whatever it is, it happens and I let that take over the trust I have put in the Lord and I begin to sink. At those times, I can imagine the Lord saying the exact same words He said to Peter that day on the water – “Melanie, you you have so little faith, why do you doubt?”.

Why do we do that? Why do we let our doubts and our frustrations get in the way of the trusting God in everything? I would imagine it has something to do with the fact that we imperfect humans.

Regardless of our imperfections, though, we can ALWAYS count on one thing as we go thru our times of doubt and our times when we rely more on ourselves than on the Lord. We can always count on our Lord reaching out and grabbing hold of us and pulling us back in when we do cry out to Him (just as He did for Peter). As long as we make ourselves available, our Lord is there holding out His hand and taking hold.

To make it even better? We don't have to wait. Once we cry out and make ourselves available, the response is immediate. It doesn't mean we will get the answer we want immediately (or even the answer that we want), but we can be sure the God will take hold of our hand and walk with us through whatever lies ahead.

God Is All About Change

This month our pastor is preaching a series of sermons on "Resolutions that Matter". At first I thought we would talk alot about resolutions like strengthening our relationship with Lord, reading the Bible more, etc.

I was correct in my thinking, but there was a bit more. The "more" part has really made me stop and think. I have found areas that I need to pray about and seek the Lord's help and His guidance. Here, let me fill you in......

Last week we looked at change. In order to keep a resolution we need to do more than just say we are going to do it. We need to CHANGE.

I've always thought I handled change pretty well. But, as our pastor continued, I realized I only handle change well when it is a good experience for me or something that I chose to change or when it doesn't directly affect me. OUCH! I can't tell you how painful that is to admit. Almost as painful as changing in an area I don't want to change.

Let me give you just a small example. Several years ago there was a series of organizational changes that took place in my company. My department began reporting directly to our parent company. As part of this, our benefits changed to match those of the parent company, including how our vacation time was accrued. Up until this time, we started with 2 wks vacation, after 5 years we moved to 3 wks, and then at 10 yrs we received 4 wks. The new plan is the same until you get to 10 yrs. No longer do I get 4 wks vacation at 10 yrs. I now have to wait until 15 yrs. At the time all this changed, I had only been with my company 8 yrs. I remember thinking "No big deal". There were much bigger things to be upset about.

Well, this year I've now been with the company for 10 yrs and I don't get that additional week of vacation. I bet you can tell where this is going, huh? It now affects me. I don't like it. I have complained about it..... more than once. I'm not handling that bit of change well at all. Funny how my "No big deal" attitude changed once it directly affected me, huh? I've had to re-adjust and pray for an "attitude adjustment".

When I look at this example and then several others, I have been forced to admit that I don't handle change as well as I should. And, unfortunately, I had always felt this was a strength for me. Hmmmmm..... I have discovered that it is just the opposite.

And, you see, here's the crux of the matter.... God is all about change. If we're truly going to live for Him we must change. If we're truly going to love others we
must change. If we're going to be witnesses to the world around us we must change.

If we look in the book of John in the 2nd and 3rd chapters we see stories, back to back, that all deal with change. The first is the story of Jesus changing the water into wine. Second, we read of when Jesus visited the Temple for Passover and was greeted with men selling doves and oxen. Jesus spoke at the time of our bodies being "temples of the Lord" and of how we must cleanse it -- change it from being dirty. Then, the third story tells us of Nicodemus. Nicodemus asked Jesus what one must do "to be born again when he is old?" Jesus' answer is "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." In other words, we must change -- our ways of thinking, our commitments, and the way we live our lives.

So, here's the questions I must now pose to myself..... how do I learn to accept change that isn't pleasant? Change that directly affects me? How do I learn to embrace change... even the kind of change that is difficult and where I don't see the purpose?

And, finally, here's the big one..... do I daily turn myself over completely to God? Am I completely willing to accept the change that is likely to be required on that very day or somewhere down the road? A change that others may not understand? A change that could move me further outside my comfort zone than I would like?

How about you? Do you handle change well? Have you learned to accept that change is necessary and been able to move forward? Are you willing to change in any way that God may ask?

Looking Forward to 2009

I LOVE the idea of New Year's Meditations that is being hosted by Laurel of Laurel's Reflections. The idea is not to make a bunch of resolutions that you know you won't keep (oh, you know what I mean... I will lose 10 lbs this year, I will go to the gym everyday, and on and on), but instead to focus on what you want to see when you look back on 2009. Did my relationship with the Lord become even stronger? Was I a friend to all?

These are the areas I see the Lord leading me to focus on during the next year:

~ I want to show Christ's love to the people I encounter in my daily life. Not just to my close friends, family, people that go to my church or people that I are in my office (although, I do want to include them). What I'm specifically trying to focus on right now are areas like this... Do I stop and smile and visit with the lady that rings up my total at the grocery store or do I just wait impatiently and then rush on with my life? When I'm out shopping at the mall and see the people that always take surveys in the hallways do I rush by in an attempt to avoid them or do I make eye contact and smile?

~ I want to deepen my relationship with the Lord. I want to spend more time in the Bible and in prayer.

~ I want to teach my children more about the Lord. I want them to have a better understanding (appropriate, of course, for their ages) of who God is and the wonderful gifts that He has given us.

~ I want to make an active effort in growing my marriage. Yes, we have a good marriage, but what marriage can't grow more? I want to ensure that it will stand up to ANYTHING. I want it to be centered around Christ.

As I strive to work towards the goals above, I am so excited to see where the Lord leads. There are several paths I see Him taking my husband and I down. How fun it will be to look at this time next year and see exactly where those paths have led!

God Will Make a Way

Are you as amazed as I am at the way God works? Do you enjoy just sitting back sometimes and watching how God works? The way He blesses our lives, they way He touches people in special and life-changing situations, or the way He takes difficult and painful times and turns them into something beautiful?

As I have been studying the book of Ruth, I have found recordings of how God took some very painful and difficult pieces of Bethlehem history and redeemed it all in a most beautiful and life-changing manner.

Look at this....

~ Bethlehem is originally called Ephrath (Genesis 35:16) which mean "house of bread".

~ It was then also referred to as Beth-lehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2) and Beth-lehem-judah (1 Samuel 17:12). It was later referred to as "the city of David" (Luke 2:4).

~ The first major event recorded in Bethlehem is the burial of Rachel after she died while giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 48:7)

~ We next hear of Bethlehem in a particularly ugly gang rape at the end of the book of Judges.

~ Following that a man named Elimilech leaves Bethlehem because of famine.


See the history here in Bethlehem of sadness, loss and sin? Now, follow this....


~ A childless girl from Moab goes to Bethlehem, along with her mother-in-law, in search of physical and spiritual sustenance. This girl is Ruth.

~ Ruth is the great-grandmother of David.

~ David becomes Israel's king and their family lineage flows straight down to the birth, in Bethlehem, of Jesus.

Regardless of our circumstances we can always be assured that "God will make a way when there seems to be no way". Oh, what promise we have in the Lord!

A Perfect Mess

"...Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive -- a living fractal."

excerpt from The Shack by Wm. Paul Young


fractal - [frak-tl]: (n) any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size.


I have recently completed reading the book The Shack. I cannot even begin to explain how much this book has blessed me. Although a work of fiction, it brings to life so much about the importance of our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The author has such a beautiful way of describing God's love for us and the way in which He moves and is working in our lives.

The quote above is one of many that really spoke to me. Quite often I do see my life as a mess. I don't feel that I have it together well in my relationship with God, in my relationship with others, I don't feel that I always have my priorities straight or that I show God's love to others. Many days I'm not sure I am a good wife, mother, friend, or employee.

However, regardless of how big of a mess that I feel I am... that is the complete opposite of what God sees. God sees the bigger picture and He knows that while I may not have a strong relationship with someone today, I am learning something from the struggles on-going at the moment. Maybe someday that relationship will be great. Or, maybe someday I will be better prepared for another situation because of what I learned from the current relationship struggle. Because God is looking down on it from above He sees it all and He knows how all the pieces fit together.

As I was recently discussing this quote with several friends of mine, a picture came to mind (partly because of the setting in which this quote takes place in the book). Imagine that you are standing in the midst of a garden that is filled with many different kinds of flowers and grasses and trees. While beautiful, at the same time it is unorganized and there is no apparent rhyme or reason to how it all fits together. However, you then have the opportunity to fly over the garden and see that what appeared to be unorganized when standing IN the garden is now seen as the shape of an animal or a tree or some other object when looking down at the garden from above.

That is what God sees from above... the way the picture of our lives fit together to form the perfect pattern.


Thank you, Lord, for being able to see how my puzzle fits together. Thank you for seeing past the "mess" and being able to see the beauty that is in me. Thank you for standing beside me and never leaving me. Thank you for encouraging me to move forward even when I can't see past the present moment and all the messes that I feel have taken over my life. Thank you, Lord, for taking our messes and fitting them together into the perfect puzzle. Amen.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving: Thankful He Delivers us From Troubles

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses." Psalm 107:6

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week I am especially thankful that God delivers us from our troubles. You see, several years ago around this time, I wasn't the happiest person you might meet on the street. Sure, I was friendly and I smiled (usually), but inside I didn't feel friendly and smile-y. Somehow, I had allowed myself to let the busy-ness of life, the daily trials, and quite frankly, Satan get ahold of my life and gain more control than I care to admit.

Even little things that happened during the day felt like it was someone or something's plight to hurt me. I felt resentful that my husband was gone constantly working (bad job situation) and resentful towards the company that he worked for even if they did pay his salary that allowed us a roof over our heads and food on our table. I let my relationships with friends become dry. You can certainly imagine all these feelings affected my relationship with my husband. And, even greater, if affected my relationship with the Lord.

I still attended church and I could "talk a good game" about my faith. And, truth is, I did still have my faith, I just didn't act upon it. By that I mean, did I spend time in God's word? NO. Did I pray? YES... but usually only when I needed something. Did I seek God in my life? NO.

Almost two years ago I realized how very tired I was of feeling so resentful, so wronged, so tired and so out of control. I was cranky ALL THE TIME. My husband was tired of listening to me (or not, as many times I would just clam up and not share... just be grumpy all the time!). While they never said so, I'm sure my children were tired of "cranky Mom". I was tired of feeling so down-trodden and alone. I HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

The something that I did? I turned to God. I told Him how felt. How tired I was of it all. I cannot even begin to tell you how much better I began to feel as I got up off my knees! Certainly it wasn't all solved in that one moment, but I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I had taken all the "stuff" and laid it at the feet of Jesus. I was letting Him carry it and not me.

Since that time, with MUCH help and strength from the Lord, I have worked hard to turn things around. I have learned that so much of what happens on a day to day basis, well, just happens. No one is out to get to me. It's not personal. It is just life. And, while I do need to realize that some things I control and can make different... many things are out of my control and just not worth wasting my energy. So, I let those things go. I don't obsess over them like I would in the past. I've also spent alot of time talking to husband about things. When I'm upset about something I go to him and we talk about it. He may not always understand why I'm upset or why I need to talk so about it, but he listens and he supports. An added bonus? It's helped our marriage. It's good to share and to understand each other better!

I've worked on my relationships with others, too... co-workers, friends from church, family, etc. Those relationships are so important, too. Life is so much harder when you don't have those special people in your life.

While the above are so very important, I've also done some things that are even more important. I've worked on that relationship with the Lord that was missing. I spend more time in prayer, I spend more time in His Word, I spend more time turning it over to Him instead of trying to go it alone.

And, you know what, I truly believe that this last part is what has turned it all around for me. God is faithful. When you turn it all over to Him and allow Him to work in your life... HE DOES. Without him I would be back where I was several years ago. He has given me the strength to step past the walls I had built around myself. He has given me strength to go to my family and ask for their forgiveness and to be able to build back up the communication between myself and my husband. He has given me the courage to step out and do new things and make new friends. He has given me the desire to grow in my relationship with Him.

Do I still mess up and make mistakes and sometimes fall back into my old ways? Sure. I am human. But, God promises He is always there ready to pull us back up a 2nd time, a 5th time or any time. He loves us regardless and He will ALWAYS be there for us to help us "keep on keepin' on" as we seek Him. I may still be a work in progress, but God promises me that He is always there. He is by my side, holding my hand, and guiding me in the right direction.


This week, many of us bloggers have devoted a special post in which we are sharing our personal testimonies of the Lord's work in our lives and/or that of our families. Our collective prayer is that this sharing of our testimonies will not only encourage each other and give Glory to our Lord, but also show the love of Christ to those who happen upon our blogs. To enjoy many more testimonies like the one you've just read please visit us at "Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving".

God Uses Each of Us

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberius), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

John 6:1-15 The Word from the Bible New Revised Standard Version


Over the last 6 weeks or so, our pastor has been preaching about spiritual gifts and how God uses each one of us. Oh, my.... I wish each one of you could be a part of this time in our church. God is moving strongly thru our congregation and thru me... I feel each and every week.

This last week the sermon was based on the passage of scripture above. I must admit that at first I was a bit puzzled. However, I quickly began following and our pastor opened my eyes to view this very familiar story in a whole new way.

You see, I had always read this story and thought of it as one of Jesus' many miracle-performing times. I looked at what Jesus did in the feeding of the 5000. And, while that is VERY important part of this story, there is another person that is just as important.

Have you ever thought about the little boy that gave up his two small fish and five loaves of bread? Have you ever thought "What if that little boy had not been there?" or "What if that little boy would not have given Jesus his fish and loaves of bread?" What would have happened? We don't know. But, I can tell you this -- Jesus would not have fed five thousand people on two fish and five loaves of bread. There may have been a miracle that day, but it would not have been the miracle in this story that showed five thousand persons how Jesus can feed us all and would not be the story that still speaks such a powerful message to us today.

Of course, this leads me to think, "How does God use me?" and "Have I withheld something that kept God from moving in a particular circumstance?" Unfortunately, I'm afraid the answer to that last question is Yes. I have not followed every time I felt God leading in a particular direction. Sad, but true.

As I've thought through all of this over the last week or so I have found that my way of thinking is starting to change. I'm finding that I am looking more openly at the events of my days and looking for the doors the Lord may be opening along the way. I'm noticing more the people around me and seeing ways in which I may be able to help them... even if is just opening a door for someone when their hands are full or allowing someone to move in front of me in traffic.

I am so thankful that God made sure I was in this particular service. It has spoken so very strongly to me and I have a feeling that it will for some time to come. I don't want to be a hindrance to God in any way. I want to fling the doors wide open and be a vessel for Him wherever He may lead!

Willing to be Inconvenienced for God?

Last Sunday in church our pastor spoke of being inconvenienced for God. The questions he asked have stayed with me all week long and have caused me to do some careful consideration of what exactly I am willing to do for God. Or... how willing I am for God to move in my life in a great and mighty way.

When he first asked us the question "Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?" I wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say. I was puzzled because I had never thought of God as an inconvenience in my life. However, I quickly discovered the angle he was going with this sermon.

Yes, I want God to be with me wherever I go. Yes, I want God to be a part of my life. Yes, I want to have a relationship with God.

But, would I rather have God move in my life in a quiet way so that others may not notice? Or, do I want to be so joyful in the Lord that I openly and publicly praise His name wherever I go? When I do this, am I willing to open myself up to possible criticisms of those around me?

Do I just want God to be in our Sunday worship services and move quietly throughout the congregation? Or, am I willing for Him to move in such a way that the praises and the sharing continue throughout the day and we miss our Sunday lunch plans? Or, miss the Sunday afternoon football game?

Do I want to have God with me, spend time with Him, but continue to live my daily life of family and career according to what I think is right? Or, am I willing to take the risk of moving away from all that I hold dear in order to follow a different path that God has planned for me?

In the time I have spent this week on these questions, I have discovered that I am not as willing to be inconvenienced for God as I would like to be. I struggle with the thought of the unknown places God could take me and my family if we were open to anything He may have in store for us. I worry far too much about what people think of me to proclaim God's praises from the rooftops. I prefer to let people see God in my life in a quiet way. And, while that can be good... there may be people that don't see God in my life because I am TOO quiet in my walk with the Lord

In the weeks to come I will be praying about this very topic in my own life and the life of my family. I desire to have the type of willingness where it doesn't matter what God asks of me. I desire the type of willingness where it doesn't matter how He may move in our lives.

How about you? Are you willing to be inconvenienced for God?

Trusting God

Several times over the last few weeks I have referenced the fact that I feel God is working in my life and that I see changes up ahead. In March, I shared here how I felt that God was making some changes in my life and how very thankful I am that He is there with me each step of the way. And, in April I shared here how grateful I am that I can turn my worries over to God and mentioned that there were several situations where I needed to be patient and wait for them to resolve.

Today I can still state with confidence that God is working to make some changes in my life and I can still say that I am ever so grateful that I can turn my worries over to Him. However, I must admit that I never saw certain events coming up ahead of me. And, because of these events, I am more and more thankful that I can turn to God. This last week I have been surprised, shocked and saddened by the events that have taken place.

To explain a bit, I probably should back up just a bit and share in more detail. Over the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to be on a project at work that brought many new challenges and offered a chance for me to grow in many ways. The downside, however, was much stronger in that it forced me to make distinct choices between work and family. It brought much stress into my life and made me question what it was that God really wanted me to do from a professional standpoint.

Over the last few months, the work had slowed a bit but we were beginning to gear up for the next large project. About two weeks ago, the board of directors met and decided they would be delaying this next project for two years. That announcement coupled with many financial problems the company is facing led to a decision to lay off a number of employees in my department. I did not lose my job and have been assured I have a place in the company for as long as I desire. However, it brought about the loss of jobs for two of my most precious co-workers of whom I wrote about in this post. I am saddened to the point that I have shed many tears over the last couple of days. Many tears for them and where this sudden loss of job leaves them and their families. And, quite honestly, tears for me as I look at facing the coming months working without them as part of my team. Months without their constant support to get through the tough times. Months without their smiling faces and constant encouragement.

You see, if it hadn't been for these women I probably would have left the company 4-5 years ago. So, now to know they will no longer be there has led me to begin questioning once again if this is really the place God wants me in the years to come. It makes me wonder if this is one way that God is guiding me towards those changes I feel are up ahead. At the same time, the human part of me is thinking, "God, why does it have to hurt like this? Why do others have to be affected so harshly in order to show me where you want me to be?"

Of course, because God is God, there is probably more to His plan than just where He wants me to be. He looks at the big picture and moves to affect the lives of many. I realize He may have a plan for my former co-workers (ouch... I don't like using that word "former") and this is how He is working in their lives. And, at the same time, He is using the same situation to work in my life, as well.

All of this to say... I know God is working in my life. It is causing me to lean on Him even more. I have spent the last few days listening for God's voice, crying, praying, playing all my favorite Christian songs. All these things seeking His comfort. Seeking His guidance.

I am finding comfort in God. I have determined that I may never know WHY God chose to work in this particular way, but I trust that He knows best.

I feel that there is not a short ending to story. Not for me and not for my dear friends that lost their jobs this last week. But, I do know, that God is with us and He will not let us walk this road alone. He will show us the way if we are listening. For me and my family, He is already showing us some possibilities if only we will be patient.

In closing, I'd like to share a scripture that has always been a favorite of mine and that has gained a more personal meaning to me over the last few months. I have a feeling I will be turning to this scripture many times in the months to come.

"Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
Isaiah 40:31 NIV