God Hasn’t Missed a Thing That Is Going On ~ He Will Take Care of It

May 23, 2013 — Leave a comment

Psalm 94:14-15  For the Lord will not forsake his people, he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

The Lord loves you and He sees what is going on and He will bring justice to  your situation.  I know there are times we all feel like God is never going to straighten things out and we are going to just watch as the “wicked” seem to continue as we continue to pay the price but that is not how God works!  His timing is not our timing most of the time because He is much more patient and gracious than we are, He will always give someone the chance to repent (that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences for sin) but He does see and He will not allow injustice to go on forever in the lives of His children.

Earlier in this chapter it says:  “O Lord, how long shall the wicked , how long shall the wicked exalt?  They pour out their arrogant words, all the evildoers boast.  They crush your people O Lord and afflict your heritage.  They kill the widow and the sojourner and murder the fatherless; and they say, ‘The Lord does not see, the God of Jacob does not perceive.’”  Understand, O dullest of the people!  Fools, when will you be wise?  He who planted the ear, does he not hear?  He who formed the eye, does he not see?

God sees and He isn’t ignoring what is going on, He wants to make things right.  God loves all involved and would love to see all come to repentance in order to restore but He will not sit by and allow His name to go on being tarnished if there’s no repentance.  Hidden sins destroy. God is a God of Light.

I don’t know what you are facing today but I do know He cares and He is working on your behalf and He will always bring grace to the situation.  He loves us all and would prefer to see everyone repent and follow Him with all their heart as He brings His grace and justice to the situation, He will not force anyone to follow Him even though He knows that is where His blessings are.  Trust Him to deliver you today, know that He has your best at heart and He has your back!  Nothing has escaped His notice and He will take care of you!  The best is yet to come!

Quote:  “Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.”  Zig Ziglar

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Don’t Allow Anything to Hold You Back

May 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

Genesis 26: 4-5   I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to you and your offspring all these lands.  And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws.

How seriously we take our walk with God today will affect generations to come.  Certainly you can see in your own life the ripple affect of your ancestors in your life, both positive and negative.  There’s no way to live our lives free from it affecting others for good and bad.

It is amazing to read the verses following these because Isaac ended up saying that Rebekah was his sister instead of his wife just like Abraham had with Sarah – they even shared the same fears.

The wonderful thing about God is that no matter what your past or your parents, grandparents etc past may be you always have the opportunity to change where you are headed!  We can’t change our past but we can start today to change the future.  If we whole heartedly give our lives to God so He directs our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors then our lives and the lives of those we influence will change for the good.  Our biggest struggles in life tend to be those areas we haven’t chosen to allow God to have control in.  A lot of times that can even be holding onto past mistakes and not accepting God’s forgiveness to the point of letting it go so we can move forward.

Take a moment today and think about where you are headed.  Is it where you want to lead your family and is it truly all you can be?  Are there heavy weights holding you back that you need to give to God so you can better follow and serve Him?  Give yourself the opportunity today to start fresh and give whatever it is that is holding you back from being all you can be to God and determine in your heart that your influence will not only affect others in a positive way today but will have a godly positive influence for generations to come!  Get a glimpse of the bigger picture for a moment and allow it to be your “game changer” for life and not just your life but the lives of all those you love.

Quote:  “You can’t wait for inspiration.  You have to go after it with a club.”  Jack London

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I’m Praying For You!

May 21, 2013 — 3 Comments

1 Samuel 12: 22  Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you,

There are hurting people all around the world and if you look they are all around you too.  There are not always situations where you can reach out to be of help but you can always pray.  We so often act as though, “well all we can do is pray”, like that is a little thing but think about what you are saying.  “Well, all I can do is go before the God of All, who created all and is over all and who loves us all more than we are capable of loving and ask Him to intervene or help in their situation!”

Seriously!  Let’s take who we are able to go to in times of need especially when it is someone else’s need or heartache and not just throw out flippantly that “I will pray” as an attempt to comfort with nothing else behind it.  No one needs empty offers to pray but they do need prayer!  Israel is in need of God’s intervention, Oklahoma is desperately heart broken, we have soldiers coming home that are broken and wounded on many levels and their families will do their best to try to heal together, we have children who are struggling in single parent homes and often in the homes where both parents are present, we have marriages all around us falling apart, people are dying and leaving behind broken families.  Take a look around you today and see who you can pray for and then do it.  It is more important to pray than it is to say you will.  If you get the opportunity to tell someone you are praying for them by all means do and then do it!

Ladies, let’s all pray for God’s heart for what is going on around us.  It is easy to get caught up in our own issues but we need to be women of god and we need to be on our knees for others as well.  God loves us all and he cares and we need to have His heart for others.  I am praying for all of us today to have the heart today to go before the God of grace and intervene for others as He leads.  We can make a difference!

Quote:  “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”  Helen Keller

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“Faith Grows Strong In The Presence of Hope”

May 20, 2013 — Leave a comment

Psalm 50:14-15  Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

I think sometimes the biggest thing I miss when I am going through my “days of trouble” is to stop for a minute and Thank God for all He has done, for who He is and all He is going to do in my life.  It is very easy to just focus on complaining to Him and begging Him to deliver us from all of the struggles in our lives without stopping to be grateful that He is there all the time.

God wants to deliver us and He wants us to be in a position to glorify Him when He does to draw others to Him.  There is nothing exciting about someone who only comes to you when they need something and yet they never really have much to say about you  otherwise that is honoring and good.  And there is nothing exciting to a non-believer about someone who is all gloom and doom all the time that never seems to have anything to tell about what God has and is doing in their life.

I would encourage each of us today whether you are going through a tough spot in life or not to think of all the things you have to be thankful for.  Get excited and write them down and go over your list several times today and watch how that changes your outlook on life and your fellowship with God today.  Start your prayers with thanksgiving and praise to God for what He has done and for who He is!  God obviously realizes that it is much more natural for us to talk about what bothers us and what we need and that to take the time to be thankful is a sacrifice for some reason.  God wants to hear your heartaches and your struggles and he wants to deliver you all He is asking here is for you to have a thankful heart and do your part and glorify Him when He delivers you!  The more you remember all that God has done the more you will strengthen your faith and hope in Him!

Quote:  “Hope never dies where faith is strong, and faith grows strong in the presence of hope.”  Chad Witmeyer

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Don’t Get Too Busy and Miss Out On God’s Blessings

May 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

Genesis 24: 46  She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, “Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.”  So I drank and she gave the camels drink also.

This verse comes from the story of Abraham’s servant looking for a wife for Isaac.  When he arrived in the land that Abraham told him to go to he really had no idea where to begin looking for a wife so He asked God to give him this sign that the young woman who would give him a drink when he asked and offer to water his camels also would be the woman for Isaac.  I have no idea how many camels he had with him but from what I have read a camel can drink up to approximately 52 gallons of water so this was not just a small offer the young woman was going to have to make!

Have you ever felt a prompting from God to do something for someone else and maybe just maybe it was going to be a huge inconvenience but you just kept feeling that gentle prodding from the Lord to do it?  Did you?  There are times when the blessing of God is just on the other side of simple obedience and sometimes inconvenience.  Rebekah was willing to go way above and beyond for this stranger and she was blessed for it.  We live in a time where we are all in a hurry and we all have schedules that overwhelm more often than not but don’t miss out on all that God has for you because you are not willing to stop and help someone in need.

First and foremost in our lives God has called us to love and serve Him and that is often done by reaching out.  Don’t allow your life to become so cluttered with other stuff that you are too busy to “inconvenience yourself” in order to do the will of God.  We are His hands and feet as well as His arms to give those desperately needed hugs to those who are hurting.  I would encourage you to stop today and ask yourself if you are listening to God’s prompting and following His leading to help in whatever way He asks.  Set some boundaries and priorities in your life so you are not too busy to serve, as women we often take on way too much so it isn’t that you need to take on one more thing it is just a matter of clearing out some of maybe what you are already doing if you are too busy.  Sometimes better service comes from slowing down so we are better able to hear Him!

Quote:  “Wherever you choose to go, go there with all your heart.”

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We Will Be Stronger Together

May 18, 2013 — Leave a comment

Psalm 41:9  Even my  close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

Oh Ladies, I am thinking this hits a bit close to home for all of us!  Is there a lady on earth that was never wounded deeply by another woman that she thought was a good friend?  Is there a woman on earth who has never felt that sting of competition when in a room with another woman, maybe even a close friend?  If there is a woman who has never been deeply hurt by another woman in her life I would love to meet you because in my experience that is “part” of the reason women don’t trust women!

When I first moved to Tennessee I didn’t trust women at all which is somewhat crazy and yet I just felt all women were not to be trusted.  Obviously God has a sense of humor because He has given me such an incredible passion for women and the female heart.  We have such beautiful hearts and yet most of us are so wounded we don’t even know where to begin each day.  We feel the need to protect our hearts, be strong, not too needy, not too harsh, beautiful, sweet, hard working and able to carry on amazing relationships, never letting anyone down – ever!  We have incredible expectations for ourselves and there are just not enough hours in a day to accomplish everything we feel the need to accomplish on most days in order to feel accepted.

We need to stop ladies!  We are beautiful and God has created us with amazing hearts!  You know that beautiful woman who seems to have it “all together”, well she feels just as inadequate as you do.  What?  Is that possible?  Not only is it possible it is probable!  The more perfect she looks and acts more than likely the more she feels she might not still be quite enough!  How sad, instead of our coming together and uniting as women to uplift each other and help each other become all we can be for God we are competing over stupid simple things and if you bring a man into the mix the battle becomes hot!

My heart and prayer is for us to learn to become a force to be reckoned with instead of a continual cat fight!  We are so above all of that foolishness!  It has been a struggle almost since the beginning of time but it is time for us to recognize that it is a tool Satan uses to keep women and I mean all women, including you from becoming all you can be for God!

Are you ready?  Are you willing to pray that God will help you overcome that jealous, frustrating battle you feel with women you don’t even know yet?  We can have victory and we can empower each other and we can claim victory and make a difference in our lifetime, not only in our own lives but in the lives of our families, our friends, our churches, our communities, our states, our country and our world.  If we can let go and ask God to change our hearts and the hearts of the women around us we can make a difference for Him.  Let’s start today, are you with me on this?

Quote:  “We ,may not be able to do any great thing, but if each of us will do something , however small it may be, a good deal will be accomplished.”  D.L. Moody

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Find Your Peace

May 17, 2013 — Leave a comment

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

If you have a problem with just being at rest (just chilling, not going and doing) then probably for some reason you are not at peace with yourself.  What’s going on?

Ladies, we are all busy, some days more busy than others with all that we need to do, I am not talking about any of that, I am speaking here about when one can’t sit and enjoy being home and relaxing, after all of that.  When you have to be going out all the time to eat or to the movies or shopping etc. something is amiss inside.  When you can’t be still with nothing going on around you and just relax and listen for the voice of God, when that makes you uncomfortable it is time to drop everything and get alone with Him!

If there’s sin in your life deal with it!  Don’t allow something silly to interrupt your walk with God, it isn’t worth it!  If there is a decision you need to make that you know God is pressing in telling you it is time and you don’t want to face it – just do it!  He will guide you through to the other side, He will always be there for you!

It is too easy as it is to get caught up in every day things for us to miss out on just being still, but when our restlessness is caused by something other than our responsibilities we need to take the time to make those things right so we can be at peace again!

Stop for a moment and think:  What do you have planned out that is there just to keep you busy so you don’t have to face something?  Your constant activity isn’t going to make that thing go away!  What can you eliminate from your schedule to make room for being still and listening to God.  Have you taken the time to ask God lately what you can do to be more affective for Him instead of just being busy?  Don’t allow silly business to interfere with your walk with God, take the time today to weed out the things that need to go and face whatever you are trying to avoid that is causing you to feel the need to keep moving.  Be Still!

Quote:   “Procrastination is Opportunity’s natural assassin.”  Victor Kiam

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Who Bears The Shame?

May 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

2 Samuel 13:15-19  Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.  And Amnon said to her, “Get up!  Go!”  But she said to him, “No my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”  But he would not listen to her.  He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.”  Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed.  So his servant put her out and  bolted the door after her.  And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore.  And she laid her hand on her head and went away crying aloud as she went.

Have you ever been a victim of abuse or do you know someone who has?  I am glad that here in America we have a court system that says the accused is innocent until proven guilty because there are times that someone is accused and they never committed the crime but I am appalled that the victim is often forever “guilty”.  The shame that can be attached to coming out and saying what has happened can be worse than trying to live with it alone.  When I was in my early 20’s I lived at a friend of mine’s parents house (I worked for her Mom around the house and had a full time job)  The man of the house did some inappropriate things so I left and when I told the preacher of the church I was attending he not only blamed me but he told me I was never to tell anyone about it including my parents (the man worked in the youth group there).  I was horrified and as the word spread through the church I lost friends and was treated like an outcast, so I moved back to Northern Michigan and told my parents.  My Dad, was livid and called the pastor and gave him a piece of his mind, of course!

Now, what I faced was nothing compared to what most victims face, but my point is this; God cares about what you are going through and you are not to blame.  The reason they said I was to blame was because I wore pants in front of the man……. hmmmmm, seems like a stretch but that is how ridiculous most of the accusations against the victims are, “if you didn’t do this – they wouldn’t have hurt you”.  NO!  There is a little thing called self control and you are not responsible for someone else’s self control, they are and they will answer to God for their lack of it!  We as ladies should always strive to be modest in the way we dress but I can almost guarantee you that if  someone has that tendency it isn’t going to be based on what you are wearing, unfortunately they need professional help.

Now, here’s the other side of that whole picture – what happened to the man in the church?  Did he receive the help he needed or was it all swept under the rug to save face?  I have no idea but I feel bad that he was obviously struggling and needed someone to walk with him and show him how to grow beyond his lack of self control.  I forgave him a long time ago and hold no ill will toward everyone involved in that whole process but as the body of Christ we need to reach out to both sides and bring people to Christ in the situation for healing where healing is needed and repentance and spiritual growth where it is needed.  God is not a god of confusion and he wants to bring healing and restoration to all of us.

God loves you, He has kept track of your every tear.  He wants to hold you and heal your heart and the hurts you have experienced.  Don’t shut Him out because of your pain – embrace His love and healing today!  Ask Him to help you to forgive those who have hurt you, it is one of the first steps in the process of healing.  God wants to help you to be all He created you to be and He can accomplish that regardless of anything you have done or anything that has been done to you!  Allow Him to start today!

Quote:  “Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.”  Mildred Barthel

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Who Bares The Shame?

May 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

2 Samuel 13:15-19  Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.  And Amnon said to her, “Get up!  Go!”  But she said to him, “No my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”  But he would not listen to her.  He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.”  Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed.  So his servant put her out and  bolted the door after her.  And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore.  And she laid her hand on her head and went away crying aloud as she went.

Have you ever been a victim of abuse or do you know someone who has?  I am glad that here in America we have a court system that says the accused is innocent until proven guilty because there are times that someone is accused and they never committed the crime but I am appalled that the victim is often forever “guilty”.  The shame that can be attached to coming out and saying what has happened can be worse than trying to live with it alone.  When I was in my early 20’s I lived at a friend of mine’s parents house (I worked for her Mom around the house and had a full time job)  The man of the house did some inappropriate things so I left and when I told the preacher of the church I was attending he not only blamed me but he told me I was never to tell anyone about it including my parents (the man worked in the youth group there).  I was horrified and as the word spread through the church I lost friends and was treated like an outcast, so I moved back to Northern Michigan and told my parents.  My Dad, was livid and called the pastor and gave him a piece of his mind, of course!

Now, what I faced was nothing compared to what most victims face, but my point is this; God cares about what you are going through and you are not to blame.  The reason they said I was to blame was because I wore pants in front of the man……. hmmmmm, seems like a stretch but that is how ridiculous most of the accusations against the victims are, “if you didn’t do this – they wouldn’t have hurt you”.  NO!  There is a little thing called self control and you are not responsible for someone else’s self control, they are and they will answer to God for their lack of it!  We as ladies should always strive to be modest in the way we dress but I can almost guarantee you that if  someone has that tendency it isn’t going to be based on what you are wearing, unfortunately they need professional help.

Now, here’s the other side of that whole picture – what happened to the man in the church?  Did he receive the help he needed or was it all swept under the rug to save face?  I have no idea but I feel bad that he was obviously struggling and needed someone to walk with him and show him how to grow beyond his lack of self control.  I forgave him a long time ago and hold no ill will toward everyone involved in that whole process but as the body of Christ we need to reach out to both sides and bring people to Christ in the situation for healing where healing is needed and repentance and spiritual growth where it is needed.  God is not a god of confusion and he wants to bring healing and restoration to all of us.

God loves you, He has kept track of your every tear.  He wants to hold you and heal your heart and the hurts you have experienced.  Don’t shut Him out because of your pain – embrace His love and healing today!  Ask Him to help you to forgive those who have hurt you, it is one of the first steps in the process of healing.  God wants to help you to be all He created you to be and He can accomplish that regardless of anything you have done or anything that has been done to you!  Allow Him to start today!

Quote:  “Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.”  Mildred Barthel

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Are You Struggling To Hold On To Your Hope?

May 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

Psalm 77:4-9  You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.  Will the Lord spurn forever and never again be favorable?  Has his steadfast love forever ceased?  Are his promises at an end for all time?  Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has he in anger shut up his compassion?

Are you so overwhelmed with everything going on in your life you are having a difficult time sleeping or even possessing a complete thought?  Have you wondered lately if God has changed and maybe He no longer cares; “he has forgotten to be gracious and has shut up his compassion toward you, His promises no longer exist for you?”  That’s the way this Psalmist felt, he was obviously at the end of His rope and had no idea what was going on where God was concerned and he didn’t even know quite how to put it all into words (I am so troubled that I cannot speak).  Do you know anyone going through a time like this?

God hasn’t changed, He hasn’t forgotten, He is still working and His promises are still true!

If you continue reading in this chapter the Psalmist goes on to say that this is how he is going to handle how he felt: (Psalm 77: 10-15)  Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”  I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.  I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.  Your way, O God, is holy.  What god is great like our God?  You are the God who works wonders: you have made known your might among the peoples.  You with your arm redeemed your people.”

The Psalmist knew that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow so he chose to meditate on all the things God had done in the past and praise Him for what an amazing, powerful, glorious and wonderful God He is!

Ladies, if you or someone you know is struggling today stop for a moment and talk about all that God has done, spend some time discussing the things He has done for you and the things you have seen Him do in others lives and spend some time just praising Him for who He is.  He is the God of all creation, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the God of all compassion and love, He is a God who does miracles, He is a God who heals.  Praise Him, focus on HIm and allow Him to give you your hope back today.  You will find your hope as you meditate on who He is!

Quote:  “People often tell me that motivation doesn’t last, and I tell them that bathing doesn’t either.  That’s why I recommend it daily.”  Zig Ziglar

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