One Day Jesus Said…

Luke 8:22-25

“Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.  In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Have you found yourself drowning in the trials of life, and crying out for God to rescue you?

I know when I’ve gone through trials of any kind I become anxious for God’s intervention. I long for my day of reprieve!

But recently I’ve been pondering the question, “Can we become all we were created to be without experiencing the storms of life?”

So as I reflect I begin to cringe over what might have become of me had I not gone through uncomfortable seasons where loss and sorrow came crashing in.  What if I traveled this journey to never experience God’s hand of power over my life that refined me in the fire!  Or, to see God work his power in the healing of broken hearts, broken dreams, and failed health. These are seasons we try hard to escape but they’re also the seasons which bring us closer to God. It’s when these storms have settled down we find ourselves clothed in His image reflecting the glory of his love and power over our lives! What a beautiful plan for the pain that is inevitable in life.

And I can’t help but wonder if I would hurt for a broken world or just be happy I am not that broken had I not walked through some seasons that produced storms?

And what about the faith needed to overcome the evil schemes of the enemy God cautions about in his Word?  Would my compass reflect a woman of faith?

As much as I/we want our lives to be stress free we all know that is not “real” life.

Like the disciples that cried out and saw the power of God respond it’s my prayer we will continue our journey in confidence knowing we serve a powerful God.  Our God who desires to bring us to complete knowledge and understanding of His love for us through an unshakable faith.

May all your seasons leave you amazed by his love for you and yours!

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It Has Been Five Weeks Since My Last…

It has been 5 weeks since my last post and I am not happy about it. Every time I’ve sat down to write I’ve become overwhelmed with what I want to share and get up and walk away leaving the page blank. I’ll type a little, hit delete. Type some more, hit delete. After weeks of this it’s time to rethink the blog so I change my theme. But that is not quite all I need to think about…and then I realize more than ever I need to begin with the end. By the end I mean where I find myself today on Wednesday, August 5, 2015.

The past few weeks have felt a little like a thief casing the outside of my house. It’s dark inside the house and unsettling but he knows there is something good in there and he needs to get to it without disrupting too much around him. And there you have it I’ve been casing the outside of my memory bank acknowledging the goodness of God and how He really does bring good out of the difficulties we encounter. All the while struggling to muster up courage and collect my thoughts to share all that is inside me while working hard to not disrupt too much! You see I find myself in a “happy” place and I want to bask in it for a while because I believe God brought me to this place of rest and beauty to prepare me for the things I will share with others. Things I would have done differently or have learned along the way from going through a divorce, struggling teenagers, and learning how to embrace my singleness after a 21-year marriage.

So beginning with where I am now seems to be perfect after I’ve finally arrived at this point in life where I refuse to give the enemy a foothold to trample around on my territory! Oh, hell no because I’ve become stronger from the adversity I’ve encountered along the way. I hope to share my experiences (good and bad) to bring hope to others who may be facing similar obstacles in their journey. I want to encourage and reassure my readers they’re not alone in this big world. Someone cares about you and what you’re going through! I’ve learned along the way that in every storm there is a glimpse of light and then a rainbow to follow which will brighten up those dark days of the past and work to propel you into the future.

Rick Warren say’s it like this, “Why have to learn from your mistakes when you can learn from the mistakes of others and save yourself the heartache.”

But most importantly, I want the love and grace of God to light up these pages shooting rays of sunshine your way that leave you with hope for today and encouraged to face tomorrow! So join me as I share some good memories and not so good memories, laughter, disappointments and tears as we move into our futures together…one day at a time with the Creator of all good things, God.

Here are three encouraging words to help pull you out and over to the other side:

Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones. Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience. – Unknown

A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker. A mistake is a lesson, not a loss. It is a temporary, necessary detour, not a dead end. – Anonymous

For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

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.

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