The story of Esther has always inspired me. She was a young Jewish girl who was thrust into royalty because she was beautiful. Once she entered the palace she learned that her people were in danger.
She could have kept quiet and done nothing, especially considering that if she spoke up to the King without being summoned, she could be put to death! However, she called on people to pray and fast with her and was bold to go before the King. This act saved her people from death.
Whenever I read Esther, I am inspired to step out in faith and to be bold. To walk where God is calling me. My favorite verse in this book is Esther 4:14 b: ..."Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
I am also blessed with a husband who inspires me to be Greater! My husband is a strong man of God. He is intelligent, hard working, honest, sweet, kind, considerate, and loving. He has served his country in the Navy for 15 years active duty and 7 years ago began the process to become a Navy Chaplain, where God is calling him to serve. In that time, he went to seminary for his Master's in Divinity and is continuing on for a Master's in Christian Counseling. At the same time, he works a demanding, often more than full time job which requires him to travel. He also serves in the church and on the Navy base. And on top of all that, he tirelessly cares for me and our children.
Often people aren't aware of the work he does. He does all these things without seeking recognition. He does it because he feels God is asking him to. I am inspired by him to step out and do what God has called without recognition, without even knowing where the path will lead. He inspires me to truly seek God and to trust Him in everything. He is my hero.
July 25, 2009
What God has brought together....
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
I accept....
The invitation to Imperfect Progress.
In her book, Unglued, Lysa Terkeurst defines imperfect progress as 'slow steps of progress wrapped in grace'. And she as challenged readers to accept an invitation to imperfect progress.
Oh how I want to change! I don't want to be the crazy, freakout lady whom everyone has to walk carefully around. I don't want my children to fear my next rant. I don't want my husband to wonder if I have finally, completely lost it.
I want my family and those I come in contact with to see Jesus in me. I want them to see a sinner, saved by grace, who loves loves loves others! I want the 'words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be pleasing in the Lord's sight'. I want to live love like in 1 Corinthians 13; patient, kind, not proud, and keeps no record of wrongs.
I can't do this on my own. I need my Lord to give me the strength and the grace to walk in Him each and every day. He is willing and able to do His part, and I must be willing and able to do mine.
Hosea 10:12 'Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.'
It is time!
Might you join me in this journey of imperfect progress? I will pray for you to see the work He is doing in your life as you take those steps and walk in His grace.
In her book, Unglued, Lysa Terkeurst defines imperfect progress as 'slow steps of progress wrapped in grace'. And she as challenged readers to accept an invitation to imperfect progress.
Oh how I want to change! I don't want to be the crazy, freakout lady whom everyone has to walk carefully around. I don't want my children to fear my next rant. I don't want my husband to wonder if I have finally, completely lost it.
I want my family and those I come in contact with to see Jesus in me. I want them to see a sinner, saved by grace, who loves loves loves others! I want the 'words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be pleasing in the Lord's sight'. I want to live love like in 1 Corinthians 13; patient, kind, not proud, and keeps no record of wrongs.
I can't do this on my own. I need my Lord to give me the strength and the grace to walk in Him each and every day. He is willing and able to do His part, and I must be willing and able to do mine.
Hosea 10:12 'Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.'
It is time!
- I will sow righteousness by choosing to honor God in what I say and do. Even when the kids are all crazy and not listening, even when we are LATE, again, even when I feel icky, even when there is a grasshopper hopping around the house and dinner is bubbling over and the baby is crying and the other kids are literally "bumping into my happy"! I will choose to not react poorly!
- I will reap the fruit of unfailing love with those choices. I will always have God's love.
- I will break up my unplowed ground by allowing brokenness to change me. New comes out of the broken places, I know this already. I will rest in that and trust the One behind the plow.
- I will seek the LORD now! I will seek Him for His changes. Allow Him to create grace space in my heart. Allow Him to take the empty spaces and grow grace!
- Until He comes and showers His righteousness on me I will give grace to those who hurt me. I will choose to show them love even when they don't deserve it. Because I will remember that He gave me love when I didn't deserve it either and still does, every day!
Thank You, Lord that You continue to work in me. Thank You, Lord that You have and continue to redeem the yuck in me. Thank You, Lord that You love me even when I'm not acting loving or kind or even very nice. Thank You, Lord that You have made me a new creation. Today, I ask for the strength to walk in that love and grace. I ask that You will remind me of all the wonderful grace and forgiveness You have given me so that I may give it freely to others. I pray that You will give me peace that passes all understanding and remind me of Your truths so I will not be discouraged. Thank You, Lord that Your grace is new each morning.
Amen!
Might you join me in this journey of imperfect progress? I will pray for you to see the work He is doing in your life as you take those steps and walk in His grace.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The evil "J" word!
The "J" word is unfortunately a word I know all too well. Since I was young, I have found myself getting jealous. This jealousy comes from comparing my life to others.
I was thinking about the comparison trap. I am so easily locked into this. I don't really know why, but I'm guessing it's because of discontentment at times. I love my life, I love my husband and my children and I love being a stay at home-homeschooling mom. Yet, every once in a while, I see or hear about someone living their dream and I start to become jealous and compare what I think about their life with the hardest parts of my own.
And that is the problem, I don't know what their life is really like behind the front door. I can only see and speculate as to what I think it is like. The reality is we all have difficulties. One of this weeks memory verses is Galatians 6:4-5 "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
The Lord doesn't want us to fret over someone else, He wants us to look to Him and to follow what He has called us to do. We are all created differently with different gifts. My gifts do no look like someone else's gifts and neither do my difficulties.
In John 21:21-22 After Jesus had restored Peter from his denial, Peter asks Jesus "But Lord, what about that man?" (referring to another disciple) and Jesus said to him "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me." I think we all need to remember this. God has a purpose and a plan for our lives that is uniquely designed for us. He doesn't make mistakes. He wants our focus to be on Him and what He has for us to do.
I had an opportunity to share this with my daughter recently. Our church has a play every year at Christmas time. It is a big deal and tryouts start in September. It is open to children from 2nd to 6th grade and this is her last year. She was hoping to get a main part with lots of lines. She practiced her singing (she has an amazing voice) and her acting. Tryouts came and she was encouraged. But the day they revealed the parts, she didn't get the one she hoped for. Instead, a friend of hers did.
She was disappointed. She came to me and we talked about it. She shared how she really wanted a lot of lines and that she really wanted the big solo! I could feel her pain! I prayed about how to best help her and God gave me the words. First I told her how I understood her disappointment. I understood what it was like to not get what you want and to see someone else get it.
And then I began to teach her how to keep from letting the disappointment turn into jealousy. I told her to remember that the play wasn't about her, it was about glorifying God. The whole point was to have fun and to share the Gospel. I reminded her that every part was important, not just the one with the most lines. The play couldn't happen unless every one participated. I helped her to see how she, and everyone else, has a very important role. And then I asked her to think of things she did have, things she was thankful for. I was hoping that by focusing on the blessings in her life, the disappointment wouldn't fade. She started making her list and became happy for her friend and excited about her part. She began to talk about how much she was going to practice so she could do the best job ever!
An amazing thing happened in my heart. God whispered, "That's what I want YOU to do as well. Focus on your blessings. Work on what I have for you to do in your life." It's amazing how a lesson that I am teaching to my daughter speaks so much to me.
In my walk with the Lord, I am learning to be content. As Paul says in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." This has been a stretching process for me. It doesn't come natural but thankfully God is working in me!
So lets remember: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefor, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:9-10.
Lord,
Thank You for this wonderful morning, a new chance to walk with You. Thank You that You have a plan for each one of s. Thank You that You created us with unique gifts. Lord, today I pray that we will look to You for what we should be doing in our lives. I pray that when we start to look at others and compare that we would remember to simply 'Follow You'. I pray that we would bring love to others and not grow weary in the work You have. Thank You Lord that You continue to work in us.
In Jesus Name,
I was thinking about the comparison trap. I am so easily locked into this. I don't really know why, but I'm guessing it's because of discontentment at times. I love my life, I love my husband and my children and I love being a stay at home-homeschooling mom. Yet, every once in a while, I see or hear about someone living their dream and I start to become jealous and compare what I think about their life with the hardest parts of my own.
And that is the problem, I don't know what their life is really like behind the front door. I can only see and speculate as to what I think it is like. The reality is we all have difficulties. One of this weeks memory verses is Galatians 6:4-5 "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
The Lord doesn't want us to fret over someone else, He wants us to look to Him and to follow what He has called us to do. We are all created differently with different gifts. My gifts do no look like someone else's gifts and neither do my difficulties.
In John 21:21-22 After Jesus had restored Peter from his denial, Peter asks Jesus "But Lord, what about that man?" (referring to another disciple) and Jesus said to him "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me." I think we all need to remember this. God has a purpose and a plan for our lives that is uniquely designed for us. He doesn't make mistakes. He wants our focus to be on Him and what He has for us to do.
I had an opportunity to share this with my daughter recently. Our church has a play every year at Christmas time. It is a big deal and tryouts start in September. It is open to children from 2nd to 6th grade and this is her last year. She was hoping to get a main part with lots of lines. She practiced her singing (she has an amazing voice) and her acting. Tryouts came and she was encouraged. But the day they revealed the parts, she didn't get the one she hoped for. Instead, a friend of hers did.
She was disappointed. She came to me and we talked about it. She shared how she really wanted a lot of lines and that she really wanted the big solo! I could feel her pain! I prayed about how to best help her and God gave me the words. First I told her how I understood her disappointment. I understood what it was like to not get what you want and to see someone else get it.
And then I began to teach her how to keep from letting the disappointment turn into jealousy. I told her to remember that the play wasn't about her, it was about glorifying God. The whole point was to have fun and to share the Gospel. I reminded her that every part was important, not just the one with the most lines. The play couldn't happen unless every one participated. I helped her to see how she, and everyone else, has a very important role. And then I asked her to think of things she did have, things she was thankful for. I was hoping that by focusing on the blessings in her life, the disappointment wouldn't fade. She started making her list and became happy for her friend and excited about her part. She began to talk about how much she was going to practice so she could do the best job ever!
An amazing thing happened in my heart. God whispered, "That's what I want YOU to do as well. Focus on your blessings. Work on what I have for you to do in your life." It's amazing how a lesson that I am teaching to my daughter speaks so much to me.
In my walk with the Lord, I am learning to be content. As Paul says in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." This has been a stretching process for me. It doesn't come natural but thankfully God is working in me!
So lets remember: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefor, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:9-10.
Lord,
Thank You for this wonderful morning, a new chance to walk with You. Thank You that You have a plan for each one of s. Thank You that You created us with unique gifts. Lord, today I pray that we will look to You for what we should be doing in our lives. I pray that when we start to look at others and compare that we would remember to simply 'Follow You'. I pray that we would bring love to others and not grow weary in the work You have. Thank You Lord that You continue to work in us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Thursday, October 18, 2012
My Unglued Procedure Manual
Lysa Terkeurst shares her procedure manual in chapter 7 of Unglued. I used some of her ideas and personalized them for my own.
- Remember who I am and whom I belong to. God! I have told my children this for as long as I can remember. We are redeemed (Eph 1:7), accepted (Eph 1:6) and blessed (Eph 1:3) by God and created by Him for good works. (Eph 2:10).
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Our real enemy
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
When faced with a potential conflict or situation that can make me come unglued, I need to remind myself who the real enemy is. The person or people or situation that seems to be making my blood pressure rise isn't really my enemy, Satan is. He prowls around the world seeking to destroy. He wants to destroy people and relationships. He wants us to believe that we are doomed to stay the way we are and that we can't change. He is excited when we explode on people or stuff our feelings which in turn produces more conflict and damaged relationships. Satan can sit back and relax and watch it all come down.
Unless we choose how we will react in advance. If we make a conscious choice to react in an honest, peacemaking, Godly way, we can help minimize the damage. We win, God wins. Conflict doesn't have to destroy a relationship, it can make it stronger but it takes work. It takes forethought and planning. It takes self-control.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
As one of the fruits of the spirit, self-control is not an automatic. You must work to achieve it. Self-control comes from knowing God, knowing His word, and choosing to react according to it. It takes time with God, reflecting on and memorizing His word and His promises and His truth. We will also learn to know who our enemy is and the result will be that we will not be devoured by the enemy but we will shut him down.
I'm loving the book Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst. I am seeing some 'imperfect' progress already and looking forward to the continued work He is doing in my life!
When faced with a potential conflict or situation that can make me come unglued, I need to remind myself who the real enemy is. The person or people or situation that seems to be making my blood pressure rise isn't really my enemy, Satan is. He prowls around the world seeking to destroy. He wants to destroy people and relationships. He wants us to believe that we are doomed to stay the way we are and that we can't change. He is excited when we explode on people or stuff our feelings which in turn produces more conflict and damaged relationships. Satan can sit back and relax and watch it all come down.
Unless we choose how we will react in advance. If we make a conscious choice to react in an honest, peacemaking, Godly way, we can help minimize the damage. We win, God wins. Conflict doesn't have to destroy a relationship, it can make it stronger but it takes work. It takes forethought and planning. It takes self-control.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
As one of the fruits of the spirit, self-control is not an automatic. You must work to achieve it. Self-control comes from knowing God, knowing His word, and choosing to react according to it. It takes time with God, reflecting on and memorizing His word and His promises and His truth. We will also learn to know who our enemy is and the result will be that we will not be devoured by the enemy but we will shut him down.
I'm loving the book Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst. I am seeing some 'imperfect' progress already and looking forward to the continued work He is doing in my life!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Prisoner...set free!
Some of my thoughts and reflections on Chapter 3 of Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst
"You are so mean!" "You are controlling and bossy!" These are some labels others have given me that I have allowed to stick to me in my life. I think to myself and shout in my mind, "I'm not trying to be mean, sarcasm is my defense when I feel threatened. I'm not trying to be bossy or controlling, I just want to help!" And then I come unglued and show others that I really am those things!
Then there are the labels I put on myself; you are disorganized, you aren't a good cook, you are easily distracted, you are always late! I have been a prisoner to these labels.
Slowly, God is showing me that I don't have to be.
"You are so mean!" "You are controlling and bossy!" These are some labels others have given me that I have allowed to stick to me in my life. I think to myself and shout in my mind, "I'm not trying to be mean, sarcasm is my defense when I feel threatened. I'm not trying to be bossy or controlling, I just want to help!" And then I come unglued and show others that I really am those things!
Then there are the labels I put on myself; you are disorganized, you aren't a good cook, you are easily distracted, you are always late! I have been a prisoner to these labels.
Slowly, God is showing me that I don't have to be.
Friday, September 28, 2012
On going effects of grief....
Dan and I, along with a couple ladies at our church, are facilitating a GriefShare group. I am honored to be able to bring this ministry to my church and to walk with hurting people who need comfort and love at a very difficult time.
We 'trained' for months, beginning in the Spring and watched all the videos and prepared ourselves. I even read all the blog posts and leader tips and such. I knew it would be emotionally trying, especially the first few sessions as everyone is sharing their loss. However, I don't think I was fully prepared for the resurfacing of so many memories and feelings. If I don't keep in prayer about it, I could easily become overwhelmed. I guess I thought that after so many years, it would be easier.
I am thankful for the Lord and the continual comfort He has provided. I'm thankful for my co-facilitators, especially Dan, who I can pray for and with and I know pray for me. I'm thankful for our church which supports us and encourages us. And I'm thankful the the license to share with hurting people. I have walked a similar road. It isn't easy yet I hope that I can be a source of encouragement in a time of need.
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 tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
We 'trained' for months, beginning in the Spring and watched all the videos and prepared ourselves. I even read all the blog posts and leader tips and such. I knew it would be emotionally trying, especially the first few sessions as everyone is sharing their loss. However, I don't think I was fully prepared for the resurfacing of so many memories and feelings. If I don't keep in prayer about it, I could easily become overwhelmed. I guess I thought that after so many years, it would be easier.
I am thankful for the Lord and the continual comfort He has provided. I'm thankful for my co-facilitators, especially Dan, who I can pray for and with and I know pray for me. I'm thankful for our church which supports us and encourages us. And I'm thankful the the license to share with hurting people. I have walked a similar road. It isn't easy yet I hope that I can be a source of encouragement in a time of need.
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 tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)