Table For One?

Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

After a 21 year marriage I thought I’d never get used to flying solo. But I did. In the beginning it was not so easy nor comfortable and then there came a day it felt OK. Over the years I’ve learned to embrace it and enjoy it for many different reasons. However, there are days it can be challenging, like when I would like someone to take out the garbage or fill my gas tank! 

Now, with all kidding aside the best part of my singleness has been having the time to learn more about myself and grow my faith in God. 

Before moving to So Cal a little over 2 years ago the family dynamics were such that I spent more time caring for others than myself. This was not all bad until I began to lose myself along with the dreams tucked away in the secret places of my heart. But then something amazing happened, in spite of the circumstances surrounding me God orchestrated things in my life I never could have on my own and I landed in Newport! Such a beautiful location and one I would’ve not chosen for myself for all of the obvious reasons….mainly feeling unworthy of such beautiful surroundings.

My move to So Cal is one of many blessings and ways God has shown love and care for me. Throughout my successes and failures God remains faithful and I can always count on him to work in my life in spite of my ability to get in his way! 

Yes, I get in his way. Lately I’ve been asking myself this question, “Lorna, What blessings have you blocked or put on hold due to your lack of faith and trust in the God you say you love?”  

If I’m honest with myself, I can think of plenty of times I’ve blown it and lost out on something good. These past couple of months I’ve felt out of synch in a few different areas of life and most importantly with God. Of course I recognized this by my lack of patience and more so when irritability became my new best friend. 

In many of our relationships we find there will be days we have less patience, become weary or irritable. This doesn’t mean we don’t care but it does mean we need to stop and check ourselves because whenever we invest time and energy into anything in life that doesn’t produce the end result we’d hoped for it can leave us out of synch. (Meaning , hurt, frustrated, disallusioned etc.)

So after some much needed R&R I ventured over to Sedona Arizona a place where hearts can heal and our spiritual side is awakened. It is here and alone with God I’ve been able to realign my heart and find rest.
It doesn’t matter how much of life or relationship that gets in the way of what’s important we can always count on, God! His love never changes. No matter how many times we get in his way He always has more blessing waiting for us! More healing! And more life to experience with him!   

The last 5 days could not have been planned more perfectly or in a more divine location for what my heart and soul needed at this time. 

Have you heard the saying, love will happen when you least expect it. Well I say, God always shows up when you least expect it! 

There is so much more to share but I need to go catch my flight home! But for now here is a small example of how God whispers gentle reminders of how he sees and knows our heart and wants to splash us with hope!

My Red Rock Balloon ride offered two balloons and I thought I would be in the one with those who picked me up at 5:30am for this big adventure! Interestingly enough when we got to the site I met a woman who was vacationing on her own as well. We hit it off and we assumed we were on the same balloon ride. However, they called me over and put me in a balloon with none of those who rode over in my van. I was bummed because this group was looking fun! But as we launched into the morning sun with a mild wind brushing against our face I quickly forgot I was alone.  There  amazing views from 1050 feet up in the air looking over a 12 man basket! As I was quietly thanking God for this trip I heard the young man in front of me ask, “Will you marry me?”

No, he wasn’t asking me! Lol! I mean he was in front of me and exactly an arms length away with his sweet soon to be fiancée.  They both serve in the Navy! I looked down and in his hand he held a little white box with a diamond ring that would steal the breath away from any woman. It was exquisite!  

Of course she was crying and then I began to cry as I watched them embrace. As I looked out over the Red Rock to give them their moment I was gently reminded of God’s beauty and majestic ways he reminds us of how he hears and he sees us. 

When we feel out of synch with life we can always count on God to pull us in close to remind us that all good things come to those who wait.  

Until next time!

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Only a Journal Away!

A story is only a journal away.

Well it’s time! I’ve been praying and contemplating on how to get going with the completion of my writing project. You see there have been days it’s been painful and I’ve had to stop. But through it all God has brought healing and encouragement. Today I’m looking at the progress, growth and answered prayers with a thankful heart for the many trials God has brought me through.  I am especially grateful for the tenderness he has uncovered through His mighty Spirit which He has placed so carefully within the walls of my heart.

These are just a few of my journals which boldly remind me of all God has done,  is doing and what is yet to come! I pray the pages can form a story that empowers, encourages and reveals more of God’s love and faithfulness for those who belong to him.  Let us never give up hope because with God all things are possible! Mark 10:27

The best is yet to come…

 

Piece by Piece – Father’s Matter

As mentioned in previous Blogs I was a young girl when my mom moved me to California. To this day I am thankful she found a good man to help raise me and that I could call daddy. As children we can conjure up all kinds of “ideas” and “reason” as to why our families are no longer living together, happy and loving one another. Truth may be we are no longer capable of living together but we can still “parent” together.  And most importantly, we can still love our children together even though we’re apart.

Yes, some parents leave.  Sometimes never to return. By “abandoning” they leave deep wounds.

And many parents stay.  They work hard to give their children what they need to grow and become their best self.  They give them family, love and a place to belong. God bless these parents, and I know He will.

My oldest son and his wife have a blended family.  Both families work well together and parent with love. I am proud of them for the work they’ve done and happy to say my granddaughter is thriving.  I’ve watched her grow into a confident, talented and happy young lady. I am not saying they don’t have challenges.  There are challenges in every home. But the difference they’ve made is all parents are working together to create a loving home for their child!

Not all families have a happy ending. In fact, the family I worked hard to create did not have a happy ending. There were years of challenges with heartache. My divorce ended ugly and my ex refused to cooperate with me for the good of our youngest son. It was a heart  wrenching journey from fear to faith as I worked through the consequences of divorce.

My hope is for us to leave our children free to love and be loved by their parents.  And if one parent walks away from their responsibility then the remaining parent will work to assure their child knows it is not any fault of theirs. Today I share this song by Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece and as we go from fear to faith we help our children to the other side. (Matthew 7:12)

Matters of The Heart

 

 

What has taken up residence in your heart?

So many things fill our heart leaving parts of us unrecognizable as we navigate life.  Scripture tells us in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Basically, our heart drives us whether it be good, bad or indifferent.

At times there can be a myriad of emotion from love to hate and everything in between.  All of which impact who we are and how we love.

As I’ve spent time reflecting on my early childhood I discovered one of my heart matters to be about “trust”.   At the age of 4 years old I was driving with my mom and soon to be new dad to sign adoption papers.  I was in the backseat of the car when my mom turned around to tell me something very important.  At 4 years old I knew it was important because we were all dressed up and I felt anxious.  Not sure if I was picking up on my mom’s anxiousness or if my heart knew something was about to change.

It was through my blue eyes I saw my mom’s brown eyes and big brown hair (Bee hive dew) as she leaned over the seat and said, “Now we’re going to go talk to a nice man and he is going to ask if you want him to be your daddy, as she looked across the seat toward the man I would soon know as my daddy. Now remember to say yes when he asks if you want him to be your daddy, and when we’re done we will go get an ice cream.”  Point being I was a little girl who loved ice cream and so I eagerly agreed.

We drove the rest of the way in what felt like silence.

Growing up I knew very little about my biological father outside of a few things I had heard from others.  All of which were not good.  This made me come up with a few reasons of my own for him not being around.  These too were not good.

It’s with a grateful heart I can say, the decision my mom made to marry her new man and make him my dad was a good one.  He has always been a man of integrity, and takes his commitments seriously.  What I am most thankful for is he never left and he always made us feel loved.

Unfortunately, the rejection experienced during this time left scars that would eventually cause trouble for me in future relationships with men.  Interestingly enough it was after my 21 year marriage came to an end when I began to experience these effects of betrayal.  During my time of loss and sorrow I would lay awake at night thinking about what could have been or should have been.  It was after a short time of this I realized I needed to move on and let go of what should or could have been. After all, the last thing I wanted was a hardened heart.  Before long one of my daily prayers was for God to help me so I would not become an angry bitter woman afraid to love.  It was in this determination I had the strength to move forward.  I began to trust God in a new way.  There were times it wasn’t easy navigating the broken pieces of my heart but I was fearful of what could become of me.  I pictured myself driving down the street with a scowl on my face, laying on the horn for no apparent reason outside of the fact that I was just plain angry at life. And I reminded myself of how this would not be pretty!

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying I never had pity parties! As ugly as they are I’ve thrown a few that have left me hung over from life.  But thank the good Lord for the remedy of friends!  Because in the midst of my heart matters I’ve had the love of family and good friends help rescue me.  It has been their support and unconditional love that helped pry open my eyes to the many promises of God. How we need God, family and friends!  I can see clearly how God used them to help resuscitate and push me through to the other side. I pray you let him do it for you too!

May these Scriptures bring encouragement and healing to your heart matters as you learn to trust God for more.

Q: Is there a heart matter you need let go so you can push through to the other side?

Today’s Scripture:

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Psalm 138:3 “In the day I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

 

 

Love Is…

So many different meanings and expressions of sharing love…what is yours?

In Honor of Valentine’s Day

In life we can find ourselves in a hurry to experience everything we feel inspired to be and do. The urgency comes from not knowing how much time we have on this earth and not wanting to miss out on what the world tells us we must have and experience.  For each one of us this can mean a multitude of things but this we can be sure of, we all desire to love and be loved.

For years I have envisioned myself traveling to Italy however, when my friend and her husband returned from their Italy vacation and she shared their wonderful experience I made the decision to wait and share this trip with someone I loved!  Too much beauty and romance to experience it alone or with a BFF! Not that I don’t love my BFF’s!

I quickly began to consider other options for vacation when one day while sitting in church they announced an Israel tour!  Immediately I knew this was my trip for 2015! In no time at all I had my heart and luggage filled up with everything needed to embark on this journey and BAM I was on a plane headed for Tel Aviv.

I heard from many how this trip would make the Bible come alive but what I didn’t realize was how it would resonate in my heart the great love and compassion God has for us.  The divine ways he works on our behalf to show loving kindness and provide understanding into His meaning of love.

I recently learned of a Rolling Stone magazine article on the two most frequently used words in music and the first is love with the second being baby (not defined as an infant).  To my surprise Google’s two most searched words are God and sex. Now if this doesn’t confirm how people everywhere are looking for love then help me understand why so many are searching the web for it!  After hearing of these statistics I felt an even greater urgency to share more about God’s love and the importance of not confusing the experience of sex with experiencing love. Yes, sex is a beautiful way of expressing love for another but it in no way defines the deep meaning of sacrificial love. God is love and he created sex so we know they’re both good and they’re both needed to keep our world and lives functioning as he planned.

In a few days we will celebrate the infamous Valentine’s in our own unique way with someone special.

And, in all of this “love” talk I am reminded of how the greatest love of all cannot be bought nor can we work for it because it is free!  It’s a sacrificial love that leaves us guilt free, shame free, joyful, and at our best. And most importantly God has made it available to us every day of every year!

Truth be told, I have some of my own love stories as well as those others have shared with me.  It’s through these stories and my life experiences I have seen the reflection of God’s love. In spite of everything the world say’s love is, there is one love we can always depend on and will never change, and that is God’s love.

No matter what your heart longs for this Valentine’s Day it’s my prayer that the miracle of His love will show up and sweep you off your feet.

Love is: 1 John 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13 4&5; John 3:16

Love. Changes. Everything.

 

 

 

From the beginning of time our world has been changing, evolving. We’ve gone from the beginning of time to what some are calling today, the end time. But no matter how you look at it, it’s been constant change. Each generation brings change, a new way of doing things and thinking about things.

Take the little # sign for instance. Over the years this little # sign has taken on a different meaning for people.

For example, #Pound or #hashtag?

I heard a funny story the other day of a guy who is considered a Gen X gave his gate code to his friend who is considered a Millennial and his friend could not get the gate opened to his complex. After numerous attempts he called to make sure he was entering it correctly. Yes, it’s 1-2-3-4# (pound). His friend tried again and as he said, 1-2-3-4 he stared blankly at the keypad looking for the pound sign. As he paused looking for the pound his buddy said, Oh I guess for you it’s “hashtag” and the gate opened.

Even the smallest change can impacts us.

Now I realize I am using a small example of change when I speak of the # sign but we all know change is inevitable.

God’s Word tells us to not conform to the ways of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. (Romans 12:2)

God’s plan was and still is to keep his people settled, secure and confident in that He is in control even when the world is in constant change. Some of the change we encounter will be uncomfortable but whether it is good or bad we must embrace God. In our embracing God fear will dissipate and we will then be able to live in the change without jeopardizing who we are and what we believe. This is when God’s love can shine through us and we can be the change in the world we want to see while remaining true to him and his ways.

Christians lived and shared their faith differently 2000 years ago than they do today. However, our God has remained the same. God does not change.  He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) We too need to learn to be creative in how we reach the world for Christ. We will need to open our minds and heart to how we share our story, and how we will love like God loves.

His command to love one another and to love him with all our heart, soul and mind is meant for every generation past, present and future. Whether it is #thatshowyouchangetheworld or #2015 this command was given for our good so we too would know how to walk in an ever changing world with dignity, truth, love and hope as we move toward the end time.

Surrender

Singing Away

In the beginning of May a little bird built its nest outside my bedroom window and began singing me awake every morning between 3:00am – 3:30am. At first I thought, how sweet! But that did not last long as this became an every morning occurrence and I was getting worn out from a lack of sleep. After about a week of this I came to the conclusion this little bird must be on East Coast time and I began to pray it would adjust to PDT. However, this did not happen.

It was during this same week I sensed God asking me to “Be still”. Everywhere I went I’d see a sign, a verse, or in my reading these words would pop up, “Be Still”. God often speaks to me through these types of repeated occurrences so I knew, it was him trying to get my attention. However, it can be a challenge for me to be still for long periods of time as my mind begins to race to other things I feel need my attention. It really takes quiet and discipline. The next week I made a point to sit quietly and pray over the things I felt God was nudging me about but after no “Ah Ha” moment I became frustrated. Not to mention I was growing impatient with the little song bird waking me up every morning at 3am.

One thing I know about God is when he wants to teach us something, show us something or tell us something he can be relentless in trying to get our attention. For this I am thankful as I long to know more of God and understand his ways. I am thankful he pursues me with the intent to bring me closer to him and closer to the things he has for me.

So I found myself becoming anxious to unlock this secret of why God needed me to be still and why was this bird waking me every morning at the same time. No matter how much I tried during my meditation and devotional time I found myself struggling with my inability to wrap my heart and mind around what it was God was asking of me, and questions of what, when, how, what, when, how began to race through my mind.

I wanted my “ah ha” moment!

It was after a month of waiting and being woken up by the song bird when I was sitting in Mariners Saturday night service listening to our high school pastor preach. While wrapping up the message he touched on surrender and how important it is to “Be Still” in order to know more of what God has for us, and may be asking of us. Now I know this, I have learned this and I have practiced it. But for some reason God was calling my attention back to being still and I found myself asking, “God, is there something I need to surrender?” I thought I had finally surrendered everything when moving to So Cal but I could not help but feel there was something I might be hanging on to. Our pastor preceded to describe a guy holding onto a raft with one hand while in the water and using his other hand to help keep him a float and I knew I’d been there before!  That feeling of having to hang onto something vs. just letting go and letting God.

As I left church I was conflicted in my ability to “surrender” but more determined than ever to see myself as God sees me, and to learn of what it was I had not completely let go and trusted God for in my attempt to Surrender all things.

The next morning I pulled out my Life Group lesson and as I turned the page there it was again, “Be Still”. And then I thought about my new visitor who sings me to wake every morning and there it was, my “Ah Ha” moment!

It was in that hour of no distraction I discovered I had my heart wrapped tight around some things I’d considered surrendered to God. Apparently I had kept my grip on some things God wanted back. My heart was moved by the truth of how God has my back and knows what breaks my heart and what brings joy.  And so it began to make sense to me. God was asking me to be still so he could show me the things I had yet to completely surrender. The concerns I’d been hanging onto.  He wanted all of them so I could be free to spend time with him and learn more of who he is and what he has for me.

Who knows our heart better than anyone? The One who formed us in the womb. The One who placed our heart and soul divinely into our human body with the hope that we’d discover our great need for him.

So in my inability to surrender all to God he stepped in and began singing to me outside my window through a little bird. During the day he worked to capture my attention through my readings, billboards, and through the words of others in hopes of getting me to be still and quiet long enough to hear of how surrendering is the beginning of learning to trust him in and for all things. I’ll have you know my song bird is no longer waking me up so I must be doing ok for now.

Psalm 84:3

The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and My God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

 

It’s Just A Bad Day, Not A Bad Life

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

As I walk in the newness of this next chapter of life I am discovering more about me and how important change can be to our growth. Many times as we grow into the plans and purposes of God we will find there are things we must let go of in order to move forward. Some times what it looks like on the outside is not what is going on in the inside.

As a parent my heart’s desire was to get my children through life with as little heartache, loss and rejection so they would experience a life of success and love. That desire and prayer of mine never changed.

In my efforts to do everything right it did not always turn out right. As parents we do our best with what we’ve learned from watching others, books we’ve read and from our parents. But the most important part of being a mother is having a mother’s heart which I believe God places within us. It is in that heart of love we learn more about God, our children and ourselves.

There is a book by Dr. Dobson, “Parenting Isn’t for Cowards” which is a great book on parenting but it was the title that first grabbed me because the truth is in our journey of parenthood there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Challenges in parenting can surface at any age but one thing for sure is once a parent, always a parent. Parenting always will look different through the stages of life our kids grow into, and we must be ready to go the distance in hopes of releasing them into the future God prepared for them, with the ability to be self-supporting and contributors to a better society.

Today there is still pain in my heart as I reflect on days past. The days that turned into months, and months into years before my younger son came home. His years away were spent in more of a daze as his brother and I worked hard to support and encourage him. The vision of how this would all come to an end was much different than where I find this relationship today. During these turbulent years as dysfunctional as it was it was difficult to move forward and to find complete happiness knowing what he was going through.

Before my son went away he was showing signs of distress. In my efforts to help him life became more difficult because he only wanted help from his father. Now this would have been fine had his dad been emotionally available to help him. During a very critical time for my son his father began building a new life and was too busy for him. Because of the ramifications and circumstances surrounding my divorce this added to my concern for my son. My fear for his safety and well-being influenced my desire to fight harder for him. Unfortunately, my son did not want my help nor did he have any desire to have me parent him in any way. This fight for him was perceived as an intent for me to control more of his life and not as an act of a mother’s love and concern for her child.

As most parents experience with teenagers they go through a rebellious stage. His rebellion began before the divorce and worsened after. It was during his first years of high school when he began losing interest in school work and his responsibilities. His ability to focus on things other than sports and girls became less and less important to him. As mother’s we know many times our effort to parent and help our children in a time when things are spiraling out of control can leave us frantic. This is how I felt during that time, frantic as I watched my son become more distant and rebellious. It wasn’t long before my efforts began to look like a controlling mother gone mad. The more I tried to get my son under control and keep him accountable the more he despised me. In his rebellion he began cutting school and getting into trouble with the law.

Fast forward and now we’re in a courtroom where I find myself fighting to keep my son’s father accountable for him by seeing that he finish school and stay out of trouble. My fight in this battle was meant for good, not evil. It was done in love for my son in hopes of seeing him have a productive and healthy future.

My son like many kids of divorced parents wanted to live with his dad. The courts allowed this due to his age and the testimony of my son which stated I was trying to control him and his life by calling the school to see if he attended, did his homework, and by wanting to know if he was safe and staying out of trouble on the weekends. I thought I was doing what any caring loving mother would do who desires only the best for their child. Unfortunately, in our situation my son did not like me very much and considered me a control freak trying to ruin his life. In the midst of having all my parenting rights removed because of his age, and he and his father assuring the court they had everything under control I walked out of court that day an unwanted mother.   For me my marriage was over, but not my responsibility and love for my son.

As the days progressed I began to hear from friends how he was on the road to destruction. The more I tried to help the more twisted the lies of his father became toward me and my intentions towards my son. My hands and heart were tied.

Until Six-months later and 3 days after his 18 birthday he was arrested.

It was early morning as I sat down at my desk and began playing my messages when I was greeted with the voice of my son. His call was informing me he was in County Jail and needed me. As I gasped for air I dialed his dad’s number because believe it or not I had no idea where county jail was located. Yes, I had been married to a police officer and knew where the Police Dept. was but I don’t ever remember having been to County Jail.

Needless to say, I was given the address and hung up on.

Once again, things were about to change and I was going to embark on an even deeper darker road taking me to places I never wanted to go. Surrounding me with people I never thought to have a thought about. And bringing me closer to a God I thought I knew everything I needed to know about in my life time.

Rahab and The Promised Land

In April I spent the day with my cousin’s daughter who attends UCSB hiking at the Gaviota Wild Caves which they call the “Wind Caves”. It was a perfect sunny day with a slight breeze coming up from the Pacific Ocean. After picking out some munchies at the local store we headed over to the hiking trails. When we arrived we looked up toward the mountain that hosted our destination and this is what we saw.

The hike to the top was not an easy one with the heat of the day as I followed behind Tayler. You see Tayler is 19 years old and full of life. Let’s just say she would have made it to the top much faster without me. However, I think I did pretty good keeping up with her. (smile)

Our view from the top of the Wind Caves

As we looked up toward the mountain I was reminded of Rahab and the walls of Jericho. I envisioned seeing Jericho built up against these mountains and the amount of work it had to take to build the city. It takes work to build anything of value and if for some reason it falls apart it can be devastating. Whether it is a career, a home, family, business, or anything else we put our energy, love and resources into. If it crumbles or we don’t succeed it can leave us feeling as if life is over, now what? I believe if it were not for the stories Rahab heard throughout the years, and her new hope and faith in God she may have sat down in her ruins and died there. And yet, what happened is her faith and hope actually propelled her into the purpose and plan God had for her life.

One life lesson I take away from Rahab’s story is her past no longer dictated her future. It was the ruins of her past that brought her to a place where she longed to be free. And God in his grace and mercy took Rahab to the place where she found herself having to make the decision of whether to remain in the ruins of regret or put her trust and faith in God. We learn of how Rahab said YES to the opportunity knocking at her heart and front door which saved her and her family bringing them out of dark circumstances and into a new life with God. With each step she took she became closer to God, to his people and to her purpose in life.

So, what happened to Rahab after the fall of Jericho? It’s important for us to know Rahab continued on in her journey with the Israelites toward the Promised Land believing God for a better future and she got one! She learned the ways of God and His people, and became a woman of virtue. Little did she know the great plan of God when she became the wife of a prominent Israelite, Salmon of the tribe of Judah, and the mother of Boaz. In the book of Ruth you will find the story of Boaz and how he married Ruth, and they had a son, Obed. Their son Obed became the father of Jesse which was the father of King David.

Rahab’s life was valuable in many ways but would she have ever guessed one day she would be a mother in the line of the Messiah. I think not. Maybe her past would have left her hiding in the background of the Israelites feeling shame, or as a servant held in captivity. But God’s plan was different from any Rahab could have imagined. He took the shame from her past and wiped the slate clean when she put her trust and faith in him. The old was gone and she was onto something new.

Through Rahab’s story we learn the importance of accepting the freedom that comes with God’s forgiveness. Our past is just that, our past. All of us are faced with choices every day and in order for us to move up and into a better place more suited for our purpose we’re not to spend time wallowing in the things of the past. God’s desire is for us to learn from them, good and bad. We are to take the good and build on it and take the bad and learn from it.

When God calls you into a new place trust He has something bigger and better he wants to do in you and through you. His bigger and better for Rahab was that she would know and experience a pure and unconditional love with God, and in that new life he blessed her as a wife and mother.

Today do you find life crumbling around you from mistakes pulling you back into the past and prohibiting you from moving into the purposes and plans of God for your life? If so, I ask you to stop where you are and surrender those ruins because the same God who saved Rahab wants to save you.  If you trust in him by faith he will walk you into your Promised Land. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4