Nine Months

What can happen in nine months??? New life begins and forms and develops and is born in nine months. In nine months, the smallest of life forms grows into an incredible human being. In nine months, a persons life can be completely transformed.

Nine months ago today, my husband lost his job. Our world was turned upside down. I felt like I couldn't breath or sleep or wake up or walk or deal with reality those first few days. I remember totally introverting into myself for a few days and feeling the need to put up a wall around my shattered view of my life and what it had become. I was scared.

Thankfully the first few days, God held us tight. We had no answers to so many questions, but He held us close and the peace was thick. The support we felt from so many friends and family was completely overwhelming.

God slowly and surely showed us the path to walk. We couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of us, but we could see those few feet clearly and we walked the path God had laid out before us. And He slowly helped us make our way through the fog. We never saw more than a few days ahead of where we were. No plan was revealed until we absolutely needed it to be so. Sometimes it was to the wire, but He was never late.

In the last nine months, the miracles and blessings have been numerous. A few of the highlights:

1) We got to spend the entire summer and school breaks with James and the kids and I have loved him having a schedule where he could come eat lunch with us at school and spend extra time with us that we normally wouldn't have had.
2) A weeklong beach vacation we weren't expecting.
3) Hundreds of dollars being given to us anonomously on several different occassions.
4) James receiving thousands of dollars worth of invaluable training for free.
5) Being surrounded by strong prayer warriors who have undergirded and strengthened us.
6) Stronger walk with the Lord than any of us (our children included)could have imagined. My children's faith rock my world on a daily basis.
7)Financial provisions that have been nothing short of miraculous.

I could go on and on.

In nine months much can change and nine months later I wouldn't change the hardship of walking where we have walked. You know, I wouldn't have changed all the pain, sickness and bedrest I endured for nine months to get my kids either. It is only as we have walked through the trials and tribulations that we have seen the unbelievable faithfulness of God.

I lack for nothing, I want nothing, I need nothing...I have all that I need in the fullness of God and His Love.

James got a job last week. He starts next week. It is more than we could hope for and so much more than he had before. That shouldn't be surprising though. It IS one of God's promises.

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

[That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--

To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Ephesians: 3: 18-21 (Amplified version)

Whose glasses are you wearing?

I was recently talking with my daughter about how she sees herself. Being eleven, beginning stages of puberty are hitting and girl drama never seems to be at an end. She was feeling kind of down and frustrated. She was dealing with the "enoughs". You know, "I'm not cute enough", "I'm not smart enough", "I'm not liked enough", etc. etc. etc. While talking with her I realized something. How many of us still deal with the "Enoughs" every day of our lives? The actual statements may change, but I bet most of us still deal with them. Those thoughts are definitely still there.

As we were talking an interesting thought struck me. I think many of us walk around wearing the glasses of someone else's perception. We pick up the glasses and look in the mirror and see ourselves as we perceive someone else sees us. We see the image of how we think our boss sees us, or how that co-worker that just doesn't like us sees us, or that mean girl who constantly puts us down sees us, or the bully on the playground sees us, or how we think a friend or family member who just doesn't get us sees us. These glasses give a distorted, perverted, almost 'fun-house' mirror image of ourselves. Where everything is out of proportion and nothing looks quite right. We walk around all day with these glasses on, thinking and stewing and fixating and telling ourselves, "This must be how I am".

The problem is, these glasses create lies. This is not how God sees us at all. These are not His glasses. He wants us to take off these glasses that create hurtful thoughts, lies, put-downs, untruths, and exaggerations. God didn't make these glasses and it isn't how He views us or created us at all! He wants each of us to every day see ourselves how HE sees us. He created us, He designed us, He knows us. We need to put on the glasses through which GOD sees us. Glasses where we see ourselves as fearfully and wonderfully made, perfect, bought with a price, and white as snow, glasses.

This scripture is one of my favorites and one I read to my children often. I want them to KNOW how their Father in Heaven sees them and let that seal their identity.

You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,[a]God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

Psalm 139:1-18

So, whose glasses are you wearing? If you don't see yourself as the One who created you sees you, please take off those distorted glasses and put on the glasses made by your Heavenly Father. And once HIS glasses are on, take a good look at the awesome person He created!

ADD - Update

A few months ago I wrote a blog post about making the very difficult decision to put our son on ADD medicine. Throughout the last several months there have been a few days where we have questioned is this the right decision for our son, but in all honesty, those times have been very infrequent. We have seen our son go from a child who was extremely frustrated because he had such a difficult time understanding his school work, learning and controlling his behavior to a child whose self-esteem has sky-rocketed and who truly LOVES school.

Today he brought home his third report card this year. He has brought up his reading grade from a B- to an A. His other grades all came up and for the first time he made straight A's including a 100% average in math. Almost more amazing to me is his bringing up his conduct grade to an A+. When we put him on medicine we just hoped to not get such frequent reports of misbehavior. But to get NO reports of misbehavior is such a blessing.

I am so grateful that others are seeing in my son what I have always known was there but he just struggled so much to show the world. We are continuing to evaluate things and we don't know that we will always keep him on medicine, but for now we are staying the course. I can't wait to see what he does with his very bright future!

Are you prospering???

What does it mean to prosper??? Is it money in the bank? Is it nice houses, cars, designer clothes? Making sure you get to lunch with the girls, workout at the gym, that round of golf in? Is it living the American dream? For a long time that is how I would have defined prosperity. It is what I have always wanted. Who hasn't! But the more I study scripture, I wonder if that is how God defines prosperity.

The word prosper in Hebrew is the word Dashen which means: to make fat. Prosperity in Hebrew is the word Tobe which means: good, pleasant, agreeable. So prospering means to make fat (having so much to eat that one becomes fat in many cultures equates to wealth). Prosperity means something that is good, pleasant and agreeable. Similar, but not quite the same.

In looking at the story of Joseph in the Bible, we learn that Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers. He eventually came to be a slave in the home of Potiphar. But even as a slave, the scriptures state that: The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2. Everything in Potiphar's house and work prospered because Joseph was there and lived according to the Word of God. As the story continues, Potiphar was deceived by his wife into believing that Joseph had tried to take advantage of her and Joseph was thrown into jail. But even in jail, scriptures state: The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Genesis 39:23. Joseph again through remaining faithful to the Lord God was blessed while in jail. After a couple of years, Joseph was elevated to second in command to Pharoah. From there Joseph did see great wealth and position and favor. This favor allowed Joseph to be reunited with his father and reconciled with his brothers. So in all things in Joseph's life, whether slave or ruler, God was with him and he prospered.

In examining the life of Joseph, I have come to realize that our current circumstances have nothing to do with whether or not we are prospering. Prosperity has to do with our relationship with the Lord. Joseph was a slave, in prison and a great ruler and in ALL those things he prospered because the Lord was with him, directing his steps and his days. In Proverbs 21:21 it states: He who pursues righteousness and love, finds life, prosperity and honor.

Prosperity is about having a right relationship with God. Prosperity is hearing from the Lord and walking with Him daily. It is God sustaining me even when the circumstances of my life seem pretty dark and full of despair. Prosperity is knowing that I am not walking it alone but God is with me directing my steps and my path. It is loving God with my heart and trusting in HIM alone! And it is knowing that in both tough times and good times that God is working it all out as He promised He would do!

Give it up!!!!

God is so good to meet us where we are. He knows our innermost struggles and He wants to encourage us and give us hope. Sometimes we just don't let Him comfort us. Sometimes we are just so busy feeling frustrated, hopeless, negative and bad that we don't turn to the only One who can help us. I think when we don't turn to God for insight, answers, comfort, breakthroughs - we basically are telling Him we don't need Him, we can do it on our own. He isn't going to force Himself on us. He is always there waiting for us to FINALLY lay it all down at His feet. To give up, give it ALL up to Him. Only then can He step in, once we surrender it all at His feet and tell Him to have His way. That is such a scary step to take one that most won't ever do. But without taking that step, we will continue to struggle and be anxious and frustrated fighting in our own strength.

I have been feeling down the last couple of weeks. Having to fight off frustration, despair, hopelessness. I have done battle in my room with Satan and all his minions many days now. I have read and prayed. But the heaviness has still been there. Went at it again tonight, and God showed up!!! God gave me some encouragement. Nothing concrete has changed with our situation, but He gave me promises to claim. Promises in His word. TRUTH!!!! God's Word will not return void, it is life giving. For me tonight, God's promises are in Psalm 16.

Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

This scripture encouraged me in a few areas I have been praying about. Seek the Lord for answers to what is troubling YOU. He desires to reveal Himself to you. Just ask Him.

Protect your Heart

Heart. Lungs. Stomach. Vital organs absolutely needed to sustain life. Parts of our bodies that are critical to protect. Without them we no longer live. While we are in battle it is imperative that we protect our body and the vital organs in it. In ancient times Roman Soldiers wore armour that protected their bodies from neck to thigh. Without this armour a soldier would quickly die from arrow or sword, whichever was quickest at penetrating his body. Likewise, when we are in spiritual battle we are instructed in both the Old and the New Testament to put on our own Breastplate. One made out of Righteousness.

And He (God) saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:16-17

In Ephesians 6:14 it says: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.

But how does one "put on" a Breastplate of Righteousness? For that matter, what exactly is a breastplate of righteousness and why is righteousness so important.

The Hebrew word for righteousness appears over 500 times in the Old Testament and the Greek word dikaios: appears over 200 times in the New Testament. The Hebrew word for righteousness is tseh'-dek, tzedek, which means righteous, integrity, equity, justice, straightness. The root of tseh'-dek is tsaw-dak', which means: upright, just, straight, innocent, true, sincere.

Righteousness is what allows us to stand up against the evil in the world. The evil attacks from Satan and his cohorts constantly try to prevail against us, righteousness is our protection against those attacks.

In the Old Testament, Job withstood much warfare and numerous attacks from Satan. He lost his family, his home, his health, his reputation and his livelihood all at the hand of the Evil One. And yet, he remained close to God and it did not defeat him. Job was also credited as being blameless and upright. In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1. Job's righteousness helped him stand firm when so many heartbreaking trials came his way. And the Lord returned many times over that which was lost to Job as a result of his faithfulness.

But, what exactly is righteousness in practical terms? How does having a Breastplate of Righteousness actually protect us from Satan. I have been thinking long and hard on this one and this is my thought. When we live a life that is righteous before the Lord, our armour is sound, intact and strong. It is impenetrable from the arrows that fly by night and the sword that comes at day. But the heart is the source of evil as well. We must keep it righteous by guarding it because it controls so much of what we do and who we are:

Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust. Proverbs 4:23-27 (The Message)

My thought is that when we don't keep a vigilant watch over our heart, the words we speak and the actions we participate in, can very easily cause us to slip into unrighteous living. And it is in those places where small chinks or cracks in our armour start to form and the primary defense for our body is then susceptible to attacks and arrows from Satan. We in essence give him a foothold. A place to hold on and attack us even more. Making it very difficult to stand up and fight, because we are now being wounded by his attacks.

In Ephesians 4:25-32 it states:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So with that being said, remain diligent in right living. By faith and love - stand firm - live righteously~

The Truth about Lies

You have no REAL friends. You're not important. You sure are fat and ugly. You haven't done anything of value with your life. You are a complete loser. Did you really think people would actually enjoy spending time with you? Nothing is ever going to work out well for you. You'll never find success. No one really loves you or even likes you for that matter. What a failure I am!

How many of these statements have run through your head? If you're like me, most of them. And that is just in the past week! What is amazing about each of these statements is they are all lies. Completely fabricated statements that beat us to the very core of our being. Lies that debilitate us and cause us to walk in utter defeat. Lies that are orchestrated and reiterated over and over again by the Father of Lies to demoralize us and render us useless.

If we are ever going to walk in victory it is imperative that we battle against the lies. TRUTH is the only way to walk triumphantly. We must daily add another piece of our armour. The Belt of Truth.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist... Ephesians 6:14.

In Biblical times the belt was used to tie up loose garments so one could run and fight in battle. Belts were also used to hold the weapons used in warfare (as they still are today with our military). So the belt was a necessary garment used to allow nimble and mobile actions as well as having weapons of warfare within easy and quick reach.

We are instructed to have the Belt of TRUTH on daily. The only way to fight the lies that so quickly invade our minds is to come at them with the Truth of God's Word.

Three ways to help keep that TRUTH close at hand:

1) Read scripture and memorize it. You have to know what the truth is to be able to war against the lies.

2) When you are dealing with the lies, recognize them for what they are and start quoting or reading scripture that exposes the lies.

3) Pray - ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to help you. Ask Him to help you recall scriptures and intercede on your behalf.

It is a guaranteed fact that the lies of the enemy will come against you. Lies that will steal your hope, joy and victory. And they can sneak in so quickly and quietly. I have been battling feeling really unloved for a couple of weeks now. And finally, I recognized it for what it is. A lie. For God says - I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3.

What lies have you been told? Have you found the TRUTH in God's word to tie up that belt and fight those lies?