Life after death....

 Today marks 12 years...wow!! How did we get here??? One breath, one moment...eventually one day at a time!! There have been many moments, days I thought I would never make it through...quite honestly many I didn't want to make it through!! So how did I get here?
If you know me at all you will know what my first answer will be...the most important answer...by the grace, strength and extravagant love of God! I could and maybe should just end there...but I want to share another choice I made early on. The choice came actually before Marty died. The choice came after I tapped out...screaming at God that I could NOT walk through my husband's death, crying every day, functioning on 1 hour of sleep. You know what God told me in that moment? "Focus on life!" Thankfully I listened!! It changed the journey for me!! I decided instead of grieving Marty while he was still alive, I would make each day count...we would live each day to the fullest! And boy did we!!
The choice came again two days after Marty died. I had a boy who's birthday came...but wait my best friend, life partner, lover, husband just died how could I celebrate?? God whispers..."celebrate life!" You know what?? We did!! Cole had a "normal" 5th birthday, celebrated with lots of friends and family at Chuckie Cheese Pizza...(thanks to dear friends who pulled that off!!) From that time on I never publicly acknowledged this day, because I never wanted Cole's birthday to be overshadowed by his Dad's death. Instead we celebrate Marty on his birthday. It took 11 years for Cole to figure out that his Dad died just 2 days before his birthday!! (That is why I can post today) My point?
There are choices to make after death...you can focus on death or focus on life. I have chosen to focus on living after death...celebrating life. Please don't misunderstand me...I am NOT saying do not grieve. I am saying don't miss the life that still surrounds you by focusing only on death. This day changed my life forever...I still miss Marty...I still grieve the life I lost on this day. I had a great marriage...I looked forward to celebrating our 25th Anniversary together, watching our children grow together...watching them graduate from high school together, watching them get married TOGETHER....that didn't happen.
Marty was diagnosed with a terminal disease and I was faced with a choice...
Disease ended Marty's life and I was faced with a choice...
Focus on death or focus on life...
The choice was presented to others who were grieving over two thousand years ago...Imagine their grief...Their Savior, their hope, their teacher and friend, their brother, their son...had come into this world and changed it and now he was gone. What emptiness they felt...he left a gaping hole in their hearts and lives...We can read their story in 4 different books. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all have accounts of their story. What I have learned as I have focused on their story over the last several weeks...
1. They could have missed life by focusing on His death. Several almost did!! Jesus rose from the dead...remember we celebrate that at Easter. Those who loved him dearly were mourning him greatly! They go to his grave on the 3rd day after his death and an angel appears to them and says, "why are you looking for the living among the dead?" Jesus then appears to over 500 witnesses. Yep that would hold up in a court of law!! It really happened! His life after death changes my life after death!! Why?
Jesus came and died for my sins so I could have life...eternal life! Yes there is life after death! Know where you will spend it. His death was very important...it changed everything. But don't miss the fact that He conquered death...he was seen alive after death. His life after death changed everything! It meant he was truly God. It meant He had the authority to promise all the things he promised...it showed us there IS life after death. Those mourning him could have missed seeing him if they didn't look up! Please don't miss what God is doing by refusing to look up...
2. What does one say to those in mourning? What did Jesus chose to say to those grieving Him?? "Peace be with you". How dare he!! How could they have peace in their hearts while they were ripped apart?? They could have peace because he wasn't leaving them empty handed. He left them and us with himself...the Holy Spirit. We can have peace despite our circumstances because we have Jesus living in us...if we have chosen that. He repeatedly tells them..."peace be with you". I am NOT saying that's what we should say to each other when we are grieving! Those are words for God to speak in those quiet, heart wrenching moments. I am saying we can can experience peace after death because of what God has done. He gives us His peace so that we can have life and have it to the full...even after death!
My words to you on this day of remembrance...
Celebrate life! You are surrounded by it today. You, like me at many times over 12 years, may not like what it looks like right now...but you are still surrounded by life...celebrate it in some small way. Life is precious...each day we have is a gift! Even in grief...even when our hearts are ripped apart and the hole is so BIG we haven't a clue how to go on...God tells us we can experience peace. Be bold, ask Him for it! I promise He will supply!!
Living life after death requires focusing on life after death. We learn through death how valuable life is...live each day accordingly.

Independently dependent

 I

Independently dependent

Bumper sticker theology...I've mentioned it a lot.  The above are just a few examples of what I mean.  We have these little motivational sayings we love to quote to each other when times get tough.  "When the going gets tough the tough get going!"  I know you know what I mean.  I had breakfast yesterday with a very special friend who has been through the wringer, and we talked about this very thing.  People try to encourage by saying things like, "God obviously knows how strong you are or He wouldn't give you so much to handle!"  I'm calling Bologna with a capital B on that one!!  No where is that philosophy found in Scripture!!  Here's another favorite..."God doesn't give you more than you can handle."  People!!!  Show me where it says that!!  It is bumper sticker theology and NOT truth!!! 

What God taught me through Marty's sickness and death and again through nursing school is...

"Tap out...and I will be your strength

Tap out...and I will be enough for you

Tap out...and see what I will do!"

That my friends is good theology and based on Biblical truth!  God is not interested in seeing MY strength on display, He wants to show off HIS strength used in and through me. Big difference!

So what do I mean by "independently dependent"?  God does not want me dependent on myself,  anyone or anything else.  Yes, we are not to live this life alone. We are taught the importance of other people, the importance of fellowship, God said it was not good for Adam to be alone. However the Bible does not speak of having dependence on others. In that way we are told to be independent.  If you have lost someone significant, someone you depended on...you know what I mean.  When they are gone you realize just how much you relied on them...their strength, their encouragement, their presence.  God on the other hand wants us to realize just how dependent on Him we are.  Have everything taken from you and you understand, one can forge ahead knowing God is there.  Carry an unbelievable heavy load..find yourself tapping out only to be refreshed and able to go on.  That is God!  That is being dependent on God's strength.  People look at me and say "wow you are so strong...you are amazing"  And I say...NOPE!  I tapped out!!  

Remember God's truth is often very opposite of what the world is trying to tell us!! It is NOT my strength that has gotten me through the illness and death of my husband.  NOT my strength that has raised four kids on my own.  NOT my strength that has worked full time and gone through full time nursing school.  I tapped out!!!  I am smart enough at this point to know when my load is too heavy...

Check this out...from Psalm 18:6-19

"In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help."

"He parted the heavens and came down...

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me...He brought me out into a spacious place."

David, a powerful, strong warrior wrote this.  How many of those sentences started with "I"??  David was a smart man!  He understood, REAL strength does not come from within...it does NOT come from a bumper sticker...it does not come from a pep talk on MY ability.  It comes from tapping out and being dependent on God.

"With YOUR help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." vs. 29

Read the Psalm for yourself and see.  David was admired for his strength and ability in battle. But David knew where his strength came from.

"His (God's) pleasure is NOT in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love."  Psalm 147:10-11

Get it?  God doesn't care how strong you are physically or mentally!!  His desire is that you can recognize your dependence on Him and Him alone.

Independently dependent

Hallowed be Thy Name...

H

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name..."

Hallowed: verb...honor as holy, used to describe something that is sacred and revered.

New Living Version says, "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9

Most of us know the Lord's prayer, even if we don't profess Christianity as our faith.  I have been in secular meetings like AA where every meeting ends with saying the Lord's Prayer.  

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..."

 Do I hold the name of God sacred, holy, revered?  

I'm gonna be bold here...

One of the most offensive things I find in our society today is the use of God's name as a curse word.  I would also like to point out that I have never heard the name of another world religion's god used as profanity, have you?

"Oh Shiva!" (name of one of the Supreme gods of the Hindu sects.)

"Allah condemn it" (The Islam god)

"Oh Buddha!"

Why then is the name of the God of the Bible, the Savior of our world, the babe who's birth we celebrate at Christmas, the sacrificial lamb who's death we talk about in the Spring used as an explicative, profanity, a common swear word??
 Because a slithering snake, a devouring lion, a thief doesn't want us to know there is power in that name.  There is healing in that name.
There is hope in that name.
If we reduce His name to an everyday slang, a run-of-the-mill swear word then we won't have to acknowledge His greatness, His divinity. 

Know the name?
Know the name...

"Those who know Your name trust in You, for you, Lord have never forgotten those who seek You." Psalm 9:10

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 2:32, Romans 10:13

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man-kind by which they must be saved." Acts 4:12

There is a disadvantage to the English language and translation of the Bible.  In the original text, Greek and Hebrew, there are many different names used for our word "God" or "Lord".  The different names God used for Himself teach us about who He is.
These are a few of God's name that I have come to know and depend upon...

Elohim- Creator

El Roi- The God who sees me when no one else seems to...

El Shadday- God Almighty...who parts rivers providing for escape.  The God who provides a way out of trouble when there seems to be no way out....

Yahweh Yireh- The Lord will provide...oh how I know this name!  When I have $20 to my name and the bills are due, power is being shut off, and the kids are hungry...

Yahweh Rophe- The Lord who heals, when your heart is broken, the loss is overwhelming, the skies are DARK and there seems to be no end to the pain and hurt...

Yahweh Tsuri- The Lord my Rock...where I can find shelter and safety when the storms hit

Yahweh Roi- My Shepherd who leads me along the green, pleasant, calm paths and the same one who leads me THROUGH the valley of death and darkness...

Abba- Daddy, Father...when my earthly Dad is gone and I need Daddy wisdom, protection, "atta-girl" motivation...

The next time you or someone around you calls out God's name...pause and think about all that is behind that name...
That name is the only name that can truly save, truly heal, and truly provide hope...

He knows each star and calls them by name, (Psalm 147:4) and He knows your name (John 10:3)...I am quite sure He doesn't use your name as profanity because He LOVES you!!!

Hallowed, honored, holy....

That's not fair!

G

Grace...

I have heard grace defined as, "unmerited favor"...or receiving something that is not deserved.

Oh how we scream when we don't get something we think we deserve!  From the time we are babies we have this innate sense of what we think we deserve, what we think we have the right to have and dog-gone-it  we are gonna fight for it!  "That's not fair!" we all have heard it...perhaps we have even said it ourselves.  As parents we say back to our tantrum throwing child, "Life's not fair!  (get used to it!!)  And yet as adults we still carry the same mantra...Life should be fair shouldn't it??  I should get what I deserve, what I work for, what I want...

 

Let me say, that mind set should come with a huge WARNING!   

Think about the times when you get something you DID NOT deserve, work for, want.  Do we still throw the tantrum??  Transitioning from level 4 to 5 in the nursing program, I was incredibly humbled by receiving something I didn't feel I deserved anymore than some of my friends, one of my closest friends.  I didn't study more than she did, I didn't work as many hours as she did trying to provide for her family, I didn't "deserve" to move ahead anymore than she did.  Why me and not her?  Try that on for size.  Instead of always throwing the temper tantrum when you think you deserve more, try stomping your feet and raising your fist to heaven when you receive unmerited favor!  Do we do that?

 

Back to the warning...

What is it that I deserve?  What do you deserve?  Who tells us what we deserve anyway?  

"For the wages (the cost) of sin is death.."  Romans 6:23

I am a sinner, I can admit that.  The Bible tells me the cost for that is death.  That is what I deserve.  PERIOD.  There is a cost for Adam and Eve's original sin and that was separation from God, death.
But God!  But God lavishes us with His unmerited favor, His grace!

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (the rest of Romans 6:23)

Look for the word grace in the Bible and what will you find?  It enters in the New Testament...why?  Because that's when Jesus enters.  He enters our world and pays the price once and for all for our sins, not His; MINE, YOURS.  I think that was worthy of some feet stomping, fist raising, screaming, "this isn't fair!!"  Is that what we see??  NO!!  We see grace...a sacrificial lamb, punished for something He didn't do, take a whipping, have thorns pushed into His head, nailed to a cross, look to the heaven's as He breathed his last and say, " IT IS FINISHED!"  I have paid the price once and for all, for ALL.  Receive the gift, the undeserved, life's not fair, He paid the price for my sin, He took the whipping for my wrong doing, free gift of grace from our Savior.

Be careful the next time you wanna yell, "this isn't fair!"  Remember, who had the right to scream that but didn't!  Instead He suffered to demonstrate His love and grace to us.  Receive the gift?  Or stomp your feet and refuse saying, "but it's not fair".  You're right it isn't fair!

 

Finish Strong...

Okay normally I like to include a picture in my posts because I am a visual learner and I think if you see a picture with the words it connects the point.  Not today!  :)  Not today because it would have to include self incriminating evidence!  Oh there are many pictures I could take and post...

Finishing.  I am NOT a good finisher, I am a great starter!  I have started many projects...that remain unfinished.  If I were to be really transparent, (heaven knows I don't do that!) I would tell you I get bored easily, and when I get bored I want to do something else...thus the unfinished projects. I am struggling in my last weeks of school. I am not sure why but I am.  My papers are late and I have a REAL lack of interest in studying.  I just wanna be done NOW!!  Gee can you see why God would have me writing, learning on this topic???

Finish strong!  Think about any race you have watched...do they talk much about those who do not finish?  Even those who come in last get more coverage than those who quit along the way.  Get to the finish line...even if you are bruised, beaten up, and battle weary and crawling...get to the finish line!  Do not quit one day too soon.

One of my most precious moments in this life was watching my husband take his last breath.  When his life on this earth was over, I held him and excitedly proclaimed, "You did it! You did it baby!"  I had just witnessed him crossing the most important finish line!  He had fought the good fight and finished the race...and now I am 100% confident that his residence is heavenly!!

I am called to finish.  Finish nursing school yes, but more importantly finish my life strong.  Finishing projects is rewarding, so I am told, finishing this life well gets you a crown in heaven!

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward to me on that day- not only to me but to all who have longed for his appearing."  2 Timothy 4:7-8

Struggling? Take a moment and remember what your goal is.  For nursing school it is to walk that stage on December 12th...so when I registered for it, reserved tickets for it, tell my kids to take the day off of work...I am preparing for the finish!  I need my daily choices to support that finish too!  :)  Same with our faith and a much bigger race.  Remember the goal, the finish line will come, stand strong. Don't quit before you get there!

"Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means."  2 Corinthians 8: 11

Pretty sure I just got spanked!  Get to it!  FINISH!!

Endure

E

Endure..

Teach me Lord how to endure

Endure: to hold out against, sustain without impairment or yielding...

Give me understanding so that I can endure..

I don't have to fully understand the why's, the how's, the when's...

but I do need to understand, lean on, depend on

YOUR truth.

Lord help me to sit back, quiet my anxious mind and watch YOU

direct my paths.

Turn..

Turn my eyes towards YOU

Turn...

Turn my eyes away from worthless things...

Endure...

I can because you did!

How Lord, how did you endure such pain, betrayal, heartache

to pay a price for sins you didn't commit??

"For the joy set before Him, He endured..."

You endured so that I could have the same joy set before me!

You endured so that I would not grow weary and lose heart!

You endured so that I could!

Thank you!

Thank you for enduring so much so that I could endure through this short life..

and have the hope and joy of heaven set before me!

Psalm 119: 33-40; Proverbs 3:5-6; Hebrews 12:1-3

Those tapes...

Remember these??
I've been thinking a lot about tapes...the tapes that play in our minds.  I have several.  They are negative recordings that I listen to...messages that tell me how I should've done better, remind me how I've failed, and try to tell me who I am based on those failures.  Those tapes can play so loudly they are hard to ignore.  They can play messages that are so easy to accept as truth.  Because they bring me back into a place of captivity, destruction, and self-annihilation I know they are not from God.  Now the choice is mine.  They can cause me to put the shackles back on or they can remind me what I've been set free from and I can move into truth.  It is up to us what we do with those recordings...we can keep replaying them, giving them freedom to reap havoc in our lives or we can etch new recordings over them based on truth...God's truth.
Two great verses God showed me this morning...

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self...TO BE MADE NEW IN THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR MIND, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."  Ephesians 4:22-24

How do we put off those tapes, the reminders of our OLD self?  To be made new in the attitude of our mind.  The mind is the battlefront of so many things!   We can focus on the old, the past, those tapes or we can allow God to make us new.  The choice is ours.  Keep replaying those tapes and let satan tell you who you are so he can continue to rob you of the joy you have today, steal from you what God has given you today, and destroy the distance you have put between you and "those" things.  Satan has goals for you and they are clear...he comes to steal, kill and destroy.  PERIOD.  I don't know about the tapes you have in your mind...but the ones that play in mine, do only one thing...steal my joy, kill any progress God has made in my life, and destroy where I am at today...Okay I guess that is 3 things....:)  So what can we do with those tapes?  We can do what Jeremiah did when he was absolutely broken hearted over the choices God's people had made...

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.  I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.  (wait for it, wait for it...)

           YET THIS I CALL TO MIND AND THEREFORE I HAVE HOPE:
            Because of God's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions NEVER fail.  They are      new     every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3: 19-23

Pam!  Friends!  When those tapes play, DO NOT give heed to them!  They play only in my mind, so that is where they need to be ignored and etched over.  It is up to me to allow my Creator to etch over the old tapes.  What is He telling me??  Who does He say I am?  What value does He place on me? Time to play those tapes over and over!

  Let's do this to those old recordings!  And not work like crazy with a pencil to suck the tape back in so we can play it again!  :)  Let it go!  Break the cycle of those messages....hear what God has to tell you!  I guarantee you that He does not come to steal, kill and destroy!  He comes with very different intentions.  KNOW and RELY on the love God has for you...  The old tapes are NOT from God, they play in my mind and your mind, so the choice has to be made there, the battlefront is the mind...will I, will you continue to listen to those old tapes or choose to listen to truth from the God who knows you, created you and LOVES you, me extravagantly.... Intentional thinking etches over the old, meditating on truth, setting our minds on...will eventual replace those old recordings if I allow them to.  I know what my choice is...what is yours??

Gods rainbow...

Speechless!
God's rainbow...The first rainbow was placed in the sky by a loving God making a promise to His people..."I have set MY rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth....Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:12-17 What was the promise, the covenant? That God would never again let the flood waters destroy all of life.

This rainbow above my two oldest children reminds me of another promise...
"Sing to God, sing in praise of HIS name, extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him-His name is the Lord. A Father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in His holy dwelling." Psalm 68:4-5
Guess what this verse tells me? My post several weeks ago was correct...I was never meant to be Mom and Dad!! My children were blessed with an amazing earthly Dad, who tragically died way too young from a terrible disease. But God took over...He is a father to the fatherless! He will be there for them, heal their hurts, comfort their souls, bring peace to their very being, and give them strength when they feel like they can't go on. Marty was amazing but he couldn't do all that! My children are covered by the promise...and so are you. You may not be fatherless or a widow but God promises to heal the brokenhearted, to bind up the wounds, to give strength to the weary...read it for yourself! Isaiah 41:28-31, Isaiah 61:1-3
For those of you who were at the wedding...remember the downpour that came right before the wedding began? It could have ruined the day...But God! The thunder rolled as they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs., beautiful double rainbow appeared above our heads, tables miraculously dried and a party began....Several gave credit to Marty being present...I think not! I mean maybe he was...but God controls the thunder and God clearly puts the rainbows in the sky and God dried those tables and blessed the day! Remember....storms hit, they hit HARD...But God promises they will not destroy if we will look to Him!
Ending back with the first verse...
The flood that came into the Stayer family 11 years ago could have destroyed...
it didn't because of GOD! See the rainbow and remember HIS promises...

Decide...

D

Decide...

Decide: verb; come to resolution in the mind as a result of consideration.  Make a choice from a number of alternatives.

The decision that is being made in the picture above is based on the second definition above...the two people had alternatives but, they chose or decided to marry each other.

However, if they want the marriage to last they will follow the first definition as well and decide, or resolve in the mind.  Resolve in their mind that they will make decisions based on what is best for each other, resolve in their mind that they will stay committed to the decision they made to choose one another.  This will involve major decisions and thousands of little ones daily. And it will involve much battle in the mind.

Today I woke up, although I am not married, with choices to make which would affect my relationship with my Savior.  "To all of us, male and female, Jesus has offered himself as our provider and protector, the One who has forever pledged himself in faithfulness and love."  (Spangler, 2006)

"For your Maker is your husband-

the Lord Almighty is His name-"

Isaiah 54:5-7

When I became I Christian, I took Christ's name.  I chose to stand at the altar and make a decision that would affect all other choices I would make for the rest of my life.  My mind is probably the biggest battlefront for those choices.  Guess what?  Nine times out of ten the body bone follows the head bone.  If I allow my mind to dwell too long in places where it shouldn't, it changes places I will go, things I will watch, words I will speak.  Little decisions make up the big ones.

DECIDE...

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you,

then chose for yourselves

this day

whom you will serve."

Joshua 24:15

Psalm 119:30-31

"I have CHOSEN the way of faithfulness

I have SET my heart (and mind) on

your laws.

I HOLD FAST  to your statutes."

Decide....

Choose, set your heart and mind on, and hold fast friends!  What is the alternative?

Consider...

C

Consider..

When your soul is downcast, and your mind has trouble focusing.  When you think God has left you high and dry.  When the pressures of the day would blow out the tire on your car.

Consider....

  The Creator of the Universe,

the One who put every star in its place, knows how many there are,

KNOWS you, He knows what you are facing.

Psalm 10:14

"But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it to hand."

Consider Him, because He who made you knows and considers you!

                                                        Consider....

 

For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother's womb...

You have searched me, Lord

and you KNOW me.

You hem me in behind and before

and you lay Your hand upon me.

Where then can I go from Your Spirit?

Even on my darkest days,

even when I do not feel your presence,

even there you WILL guide me, your hand will guide me,

Your right hand WILL hold me fast.

Consider....

What God has created.

Consider....

What God has promised.

Consider....

Where you have been and where you are now.

Consider and KNOW...

I am confident of this,

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to

completion.

Psalm 143, Psalm 10:14, Psalm 139, Philippians 1:6

Buildings...

So today is going to be Flashback Friday...:)  Remember this building?  It represents loss in our lives.  Real loss and devastation in my life.  This building was the site of many Stayer family gatherings, many birthdays...
As we watched this building be torn down we remembered and revisited those precious memories. We watched as everything but the walls and the foundation was torn away.  We've been waiting to see what would come next...

Well today let me show you this!  We have gained 3 new businesses out of the last one!  Does that make up for the last one?  Does that replace the previous building?  Remember as you look at this new building... the foundation that held the previous building upright is the same that holds this building upright!  Some of the walls are even the same...so the memories are still within.
Now let me tell you something about loss....
New is not meant to replace previous!  These buildings are a perfect visual of what God does with loss in our lives.  He doesn't replace, He restores and rebuilds what has been devastated!  He even multiplies!  The process can be long and HARD but hold fast to HIS promises! 

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame...your people will rebuild...and will raise up the age-old foundations; You will be called Restorer of broken walls" (Pam paraphrased from Isaiah 58: 11-12 )

"They will REBUILD the old ruins and RESTORE the places long devastated; they will RENEW that which was ruined....Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance....and everlasting joy will be yours." Isaiah 61: 4, 7

Yes these are promises given to the people of Israel speaking of their beloved city...but I think the promises hold true to our beloved things, to our devastations, our losses...because our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!!  Selah...sit in quiet and ponder these truths, allowing God to speak to the hurt and pain in your life...He wants to RESTORE, REBUILD, and RENEW...will you allow Him to do the work?

Be Still...

B

Be still...

Sooo contrary to everything that comes naturally!!  You tell me to "be still" when the storm rages, the armies mount, the to do list grows, and the pressures swell.

"Be still and know"...

Lord help me to know what I need to know.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."  Exodus 14:14

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven." Psalm 107:29-30

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes." 1 Samuel 12:16

KNOW...

Know God loves me!

Know God is faithful!

Know God's got this!

Know there will be a time, it is coming...

the storm will be calm.

Stand still loved one!  See the great thing God IS doing!  Quiet your restless mind and heart and watch...

Be still

 

Psalm 119

Have you ever read Psalm 119?  It is the longest chapter in the Bible!  So most of us Otter types skip it!  It is a great chapter though!  The chapter is divided into sections, each one corresponding to each letter in the Hebrew alphabet.  This morning as I read God impressed upon my heart a challenge to do the same thing with the English alphabet.  We'll see how this goes.  Here begins my Psalm 119...

A

Abiding Lord, keep me abiding,

remaining and continuing with You, whatever comes my way.

A- Accepting everything I have is from God and it represents everything I need.

B- Believe that God walks with me, therefore I am never alone.

I- In and through His Spirit, I can do all things set before me...so why go anywhere else?

D- Decide to stay under, in and surrounded by the love of God.

E- Enduring together with my Savior whatever comes...

Father, you have called me to abide in you, to remain in Your love and live in it

obeying your commandments.

You have asked me to do this so that

Your joy and delight

may be 

ABUNDANT

and

OVERFLOWING

in me.

Thank you Lord for your amazing love!

Help me to see You

Help me to remain.

(John 15:9-11) 

Desert rain

Okay here's what I love about God...I was already going to write a follow post about what God can do during our desert times...and this morning He is already giving everyone a visual!  I want out of the desert! Have you heard that before from me?? :)  But God has been showing me all of these verses...

"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom....they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God"  Isaiah 35:1-2

"I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.  I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs......so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it."  Isaiah 41:18-20

Both of these verses tell me that God wants to be known by us!  Perhaps He allows desert time so that HE may be seen and known by others around us.  I have had times in the desert that I couldn't have avoided...I have brought some of the desert time on by my own choices.  Whichever desert you are in, look for God's hand.  It is there; either waiting for you to come back, to stop choosing rebellion and walk once again with Him. Or, if the desert time is caused by tragedy, hardship in your life...be strong and courageous!  God will walk you through so that others may see and know Him!  I am convinced that God shines the brightest in our lives during the darkest times. Whether we "feel" Him there or not.

Finally...

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert."  Isaiah 43:18-19

Sometimes self forgiveness is the hardest thing!!  I have made bad choices but I have asked for forgiveness and God's word tells me He remembers them NO MORE!  Time to let go!  He is doing a new thing!  Watch for the streams and new blooms in the desert...He is doing the work!!  

"He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water."  Isaiah 49: 10

Know and rely on the love, extravagant, all out, unconditional LOVE God has for you...yes even in the desert!  Be refreshed by the rain today.  :) 

Desert walking

I have been clear about my intention of getting out of the desert...I want out!!  The Desert has represented a lot of loss for me.  I lost my husband here and my Dad.  I have spent the last 10 years struggling, trying to find my way. I have wandered away from God during those years at times...thinking I could find my own way.  I didn't!  I found more heartache and pain!  My journey through the desert has been a lot like the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness.  I remember a time when I used to read their story and was a little judgmental...I would think, "you stupid people! Look at what God has done for you!  How can you chose to walk away?!!"  Now I have a much different understanding!  Now what draws my attention is God's response to His people.  Does He get frustrated with His people?  YES!  Are there consequences for bad choices? YES!  But above ALL else God is gracious and compassionate and waits with arms wide open for His people to return to Him.  Time and time again the Israelites chose to go their own way, and EVERY time God loving takes them back.  Guess what? He has done the same for me and does the same for you!  It is satan who wants us to think we need to stay away, that God will never forgive us this time, that we can't darken the door of a church.  Don't believe satan's lies!  Read for yourself God's response to His wandering people...

 "...I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.  Return to me, for I have redeemed you."  Isaiah 44:21-22

"They will REBUILD the ancient ruins and RESTORE the places long devastated; they will RENEW the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." Isaiah 61: 4

The people had suffered the consequences of THEIR choices and what was God response to them?  To remember His promises, be faithful to HIS character and offer to rebuild, restore, and renew them and remind them how extravagantly He loves them!

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.  I will build you up again, and you Israel, will be rebuilt."  Jeremiah 31: 3-4

Think this only applies to the people of Israel?  No way!  Jesus himself gives the example of the Father's response to the Prodigal son in Luke 15: 11-32.  Jesus welcomes back!  His arms are waiting, wide open!
Don't let pride or satan's lies keep you away from a LOVING waiting Savior!

Beginning...

May 4, 2014

About a year ago I started sharing more openly on Facebook...sharing thoughts along my journey through this life.  As I feel inspired by God, I write....sometimes I just write.  :)  I have been encouraged to put my writings into a blog...so here it is.  My prayer over this blog is to be a source of encouragement by sharing God's love and hope with my fellow road walkers.  Wanna walk with me?  Sometimes it isn't pretty, but it's real.  Let's see where this heart walk takes us....