Preparing for an Attack

Recently, the news headlines were "how to prepare for an attack." Of course, they were referring to a terrorist attack, but how do we prepare for attacks spiritually?

When some of the Jews returned back to their home after their captivity, they faced a lot of opposition. They were determined to rebuild the walls of their city. And their enemies were determined to stop them. They faced constant mocking and attacks, but they did not give up. So how did they continue to build? How did they continue on in the Lord's work?

Nehemiah 4:16-18 says
"So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me."

Try to imagine that! While they were building, some worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other. They were prepared to build and to fight at the same time. Their hearts and minds were set on the Lord and nothing nor no one could stop them.

A lot of times spiritually we build busily for the Lord, but somehow we forget that the enemy wants to stop us and is determined to do so.

We build dangerously without our armor or our weapon which is the Word of God.

The moment we stop praying and put our sword down, a huge target appears on our backs. Our enemy waits for an opportune time to attack and we must be ready.

As followers of Christ, we should not be shocked when attacks come. If we are doing the Lord's work, we should expect them and be ready with our armor and sword. The sword of the Spirit is the only part of the armor that is used to fight. Everything else is protective gear. Jesus Himself fought off satan with the Word. When He was tempted, He replied with "it is written" over and over again. The Lord has given us everything we need and more.

Nehemiah 4:20 says "Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."

Our Lord and Savior is for us and if He is for us, who can be against us?!
We must be aware of the schemes of our enemy. No army goes into battle without a plan and knowing the strategy  of their enemy.
We know that satan's very name means "one who separates." We should be on guard, he wants to separate us from our spouse, he wants to separate our children from the Lord and he most definitely wants to separate us from doing the will of God in our lives.

Enough is enough! The enemy cannot have our marriages nor our children. We will not sit down in defeat. We will continue to work and build up the kingdom of God until Jesus returns. Now is the time to seek the Lord, to pray, to study His Word, to listen for His voice and to obey Him. While we build with one hand, our Sword which is the Word of God will be in our other hand.

Focus on the Good

I have heard it said that husbands and wives tend to focus on the 20% which is the faults and mistakes of their spouse instead of the 80% of their good qualities. 

1 John 4:8 says "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 
God is love. Such a simple but profound verse. If you want to know what love looks like, just look at God for He IS love. Really and truly we will never know how to love if we don't know God because He is love. Once we grasp God's love for us, He will equip us to be an extension of His love to our spouse. God's love is not based on our performance or good works. He loves us with an everlasting and unconditional love.

We have a real enemy who is determined to divide and destroy marriages. It's so easy to fall into his trap to complain and focus on that 20% but let's choose to focus on the good. When we focus on the good, we realize the good far outweighs the bad. 

My prayer and desire is to love my husband the way God loves him, to see him the way God sees him and to focus on the good.

   

So here I go......

He is the one the Lord picked out just for me

He is the one who makes my heart skip a beat

He is the one who makes me laugh even when I try to be mad at him

He is the one who brings me chocolate and chap stick just because he loves me

He is the one who not only tells me I'm beautiful, he makes me feel beautiful

He is the one who has rough hands and works hard to provide for his family

He is the one who can bring laughter to an entire room full of people

He is the one who never meets a stranger and is a loyal friend

He is the one who has wrestling matches with our boys on Saturdays

He is the one who takes time to sit down and teach his sons hard lessons of life

He is the one who has taught me to be quick to forgive and apologize

He is the one who encourages his family

He is the one I look forward to seeing every evening when that door swings open 

He is the one who leads us in prayer before going to bed

He is the one who calls just to talk to me in the middle of the day

He is the one that I love

He is mine and I am his

He is forever my husband

Now, I challenge you to focus on the good. Write out a list of what you love about your spouse and leave it somewhere for them to find. Let's pray daily not only for our spouse but that God would empty us of ourselves and fill us full of His love. Teach us oh Lord how to love our spouses the way that You love us.

Learning to Let Go

She was a woman like many of us, she had a home to care for, a husband, children and friends. The world around her was wicked and she and her family had grown accustomed to it. This was her home, her comfortable place.

Then one day, all that changed. She learned of God's plan to destroy the city in which she lived. She never expected this day to come and it changed her life forever. She made one tragic mistake that day. She held onto what the Lord said to let go of.

The Bible tells us her story in Genesis 19:12-26. Two angels came to warn Lot and his family that God was going to destroy the city in which they lived. Verse 17 says "So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed." The KJV says "lest thou be consumed."

We see in verse 26 that she disobeyed and looked back for one more glance at her past or what could have been.

Jesus warns us to "Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:32) She was so consumed with her present life that she could not accept God's plans that were different from her own. Even though she was surrounded by wickedness, it was still her home and her heart was still there.
Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. Our treasure cannot be anything but Jesus. He truly is our greatest treasure. 

She looked back and she is still looking back. She was turned into a pillar of salt and frozen in that place. She is stuck there forever looking over the dead sea, a place where nothing can live. 

She missed out on what God had for her because she couldn't let go of life.  She wanted her life and her desires more than God's desires and His divine will. She trusted in what she thought was best instead of what God said was best. 

Does any of this relate to us? Have you ever tried walking forward while looking behind you? It's impossible, you're going to trip over something and fall flat on your face. So why do we do this? Why do we look back at things we can't change and go over the what ifs or what could have beens?

When our youngest son recently started walking, he would hold onto the coffee table until he got the courage to let go and walk. He would still be at that coffee table if he had not let go. It takes courage to let go! Letting go is trusting that Jesus will never let go of you and all that you entrust to Him.

If I'm holding onto the things in my past and even my present life then I cannot hold onto Jesus at the same time. We must let go of what we think is best and grab hold of what our Savior desires for our life. God's plan didn't make sense to Lot's wife and a lot of times God's ways won't make sense to us either. We can still trust that He is for us and He knows what is best for us. 

How sad that she missed out on a glorious future because she couldn't let go of the past and the right now. She looked back and she was consumed. We too are consumed when we look back. We get consumed with anger, fear, dread, confusion, and worry. That's not the abundant life that Jesus came to give us!

We can't get too comfortable in our own little world. We must be ready to obey our Master. Seasons change, yet our God does not. He. Is. Our. Constant. One. Would we be eager to follow wherever He leads or would we be stuck looking back because we're too comfortable with our lives? Will we too refuse to let go because we are consumed with fear of God's plans? We can trust Him! He makes us brave to say yes to Him!  I do not want to miss out on His plans because there is no safer place than right in the middle of God's will for my life. What is He asking you to let go of so you can move forward with Him?

There is freedom in surrender! So we can let go of worry, fear, past sin, past hurts, people pleasing, guilt, pride, and anything else that is keeping us from walking on with Jesus. We can truly obey His word and cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
Let's do like Jesus said and "Remember Lot's wife" and learn from her so we can let go and embrace Him and all the He desires for us. 

Spotlight or Beacon?

I recently learned that a lighthouse serves two purposes, to warn boats of dangerous areas and to serve as a navigational aid. The light of the lighthouse is called a beacon, this beacon acts as a guiding and warning signal.

As believers we are to be that beacon to others. A light that continually leads others to Jesus, but also lovingly warns them of the dangers of the enemy.

Sadly we are often seen as spotlights. The definition of a spotlight is: a lamp projecting a narrow, intense beam of light directly onto a place or person. Did you get that? "A narrow, intense beam directed at a person." Yes somehow Christians can become self righteous and feel they have a right to shine a spotlight of condemnation on others failures, mistakes, and sin. Oh how quickly we forget the mercy God has shown us. Why can't we show this same mercy to others? It is not our job to spotlight others in condemnation. The Holy Spirit lovingly pursues and convicts us and transforms us into a new creation.

We are to follow Christ and be that beacon that guides others to Him not away from Him.

I was in a dark struggle years ago and a wise friend told me "what's happening is not really what's going on" meaning God is doing more than we can imagine in our circumstances. We may not physically see it, but He is working out something beautiful.

My point is this, we don't know everyone's story. We don't know what kind of childhood the angry and grumpy man down the street had. We don't know the personal struggle that friend who has become distant is battling. We don't understand the disappointments the cold hearted lady at church has experienced. We don't see the pain behind the sarcastic and rude person. 

So if we don't know the whole story of another's life, how can we shine our condemnation spotlight on them? Instead let's be that beacon. Let's be the light that invites people out of their pain and darkness into the love of Jesus. Let's guide them to the One who does know their life story, who does understand their pain, who does desire to make beauty from ashes in their lives. Let's guide them to the One who will heal their heart and bind their wounds.

No one needs our spotlight shining into all their faults and sin. Deep down they already know they need something more and bigger than themselves. Our job is to love them and beckon them to come to Jesus. Let's be a beacon that shines in the darkness, because they are looking for the Light just like we were when we were lost in darkness.

The Chair

I recently wrote a blog post about circus lions. Well, I have learned something new about them. Do you know why a lion tamer holds a chair when he's in the ring with the lions? The chair breaks the lions focus. The lion becomes confused and instead of focusing on the tamer, he tries to focus on all four legs of the chair. 

Our enemy the devil tries his best to break our focus. He holds up a "chair" and we, like the lion become confused. We lose focus and don't know what to do next.

A few years ago, I couldn't understand what was happening and why God had allowed so much confusion and pain. All my focus was on my situation and how confused I was. Confusion led to doubt and doubt led to unbelief. I felt as if I was sinking into depression. The enemy had me so distracted that I didn't even know how to pray. I also neglected God's Word during that difficult time. But praise God, even when we are faithless He remains faithful!

When I had lost my focus, God was faithful to send men and women of God our way to get my focus back where it needed to be. I told this woman of God how I was feeling. I felt like a failure and that I was fading away into depression. I won't ever forget what happened next. She stopped me right there in my living room and had me stand up and look her in the eye. She told me to never speak those words again. Then she told me to look at her and say "I am not a failure." That was so hard to say because I truly felt I was. Finally through tears I uttered those words. Then she had me to say "God is for me."  As truth was spoken to me and as I spoke truth, my focus moved back to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of my faith. 

Our enemy wants nothing more than to so distract us that we take our eyes off of the only One who can help and comfort us. I learned my lesson, I will fight to keep my focus on Him no matter what "chair" the devil throws in my face to  confuse me and cause me to lose focus. 

God is not the author of confusion but of peace. Confusion leads to doubting who God is and that doubt eventually leads to unbelief. I can't afford to lose my focus! What "chair" is the enemy distracting you with? Will you hold fast to His truth and stand firm determined to keep your focus on Jesus? 

I love the Amplified version of Hebrews 12:1&2

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross,disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

We can physically see the "chair" in front us. Our circumstances and problems are most definitely visible but they are temporary. We are called to focus on the unseen things which are eternal and believe that God is able to bring good out of any situation.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Wind and the Spirit

I felt God beckoning us outside. It was a beautiful and cool fall morning. The boys and I watched the trees sway in the wind. We noticed some trees were moved while others remained still. Immediately John 3:8 came to my mind. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus in this passage. Nicodemus, the one who slipped away in the night to know more about Jesus and talk with Him privately.  As Jesus was teaching Him, I wonder if they felt a cool night breeze while Jesus uttered those beautiful words.

We cannot see the wind, but we can feel it and we can see the tree that bends because of it. We cannot see the Holy spirit but we can most definitely see and feel the effects of Him.

I think about the disciples. Everyday was an exciting journey for they never knew what the day would hold. Of course they may have had a plan to travel to Bethany or another specific place but they most always stopped along the way. They stopped for people crying out to Jesus. They stopped when Jesus noticed someone out of the crowd who needed His touch.

I'm sure they didn't expect to see Jesus feed five thousand people that specific day. They didn't expect Him to be moved with compassion for the woman with the issue of blood who dared to reach out and touch Him to receive healing. They didn't expect to see Lazarus rise from the dead at Jesus' command. They didn't expect to see Him heal blind men who cried out to Him on their travels. They didn't expect to see Him walk on water and calm the wind and waves.

Maybe they didn't expect these things to happen, but I believe they did expect and believe something amazing was going to happen everyday! Why? Because they were walking with Jesus!

Our walk with Jesus should never be dull or boring either. It should be an exciting journey with our Savior. To be so filled with His Spirit that we expect Him to move and work through us everyday. We may not know how He desires to use us but we can expect Him to do something amazing everyday!

How often do I go throughout my day not looking for where He is working. At the grocery store, am I so consumed with my list and my schedule that I miss the person God has placed in front of me to minister to? What about the person who shares their burdens with me and I say I'm sorry and that I'll be praying. Shouldn't I stop right there to hold them and pray with them in that moment? Is that not what Jesus did? He was never in a hurry and always made time for those who cried out to Him.

Are we really that busy? Are our schedules really more important than the Lord's schedule and His work. I don't want to miss opportunities that He gives me to shine His hope and love into the lives of others. Oh that He will give us His eyes and His heart for those around us who desperately need Him. Oh that we will lay our wills and our desires down so He can have His way in and through us.

 I want to expect Him to do amazing things through me today and everyday! I may not know what He's going to do but I do expect Him to move. Let's ask the Lord to open doors for His message to be shared through us and see what happens! Walking with Jesus is an exciting journey!

Circus Lions

We took our oldest son to the circus years ago. We watched the elephants in amazement  and laughed at the clowns, but more than anything I remember the lions. The lion tamer stood in the center of a ring surrounded by ten or more lions. We watched closely as each lion would perform when prompted by the tamer. Some were more hesitant than others but they all obeyed his commands.

Then all of a sudden it occurred to me that we were not watching mere kittens perform, we were watching lions! Powerful, bold, fearless creatures! At any moment one of those lions had the power to take that man out in an instant.

What had happened to these lions? Had they forgotten who they were? Did they believe they had lost their power and boldness? How were they afraid of this man they could easily overpower?

For a moment there in my seat, I saw believers instead of circus lions. You see, some of us have forgotten who we are. Some of us have lost our boldness and bowed down to fear. Some of us are just going through the motions of life with no passion for those dying without Jesus. Some of us are sitting back feeling powerless and defeated as we watch satan wreak havoc in our lives and those that we love. Have we forgotten that the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us?

The God of heaven and earth has chosen to dwell inside of us! We will not be overtaken!  We are the righteous, we are the redeemed, we are children of the Most High King! We are a people filled with the Holy Spirit and His power. We are to be as bold as lions (Proverbs 28:1).

Greater is HE that is in us than he that is in the world. We are chosen, holy, and called to a divine purpose. Do you hear our roar? We are not circus lions! We are not satan's puppets, we are not defeated! No, we are more than conquerors and we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

 It's time, fellow lions that we wake up out of our fear and complacency and be who He has called us to be. He has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind! It's time we pray like never before, we will win battles on our knees because our Father is faithful to hear and answer our prayers. May He fill us with His passion for those who are lost without Him and give us boldness to pull them out of the darkness. It's time to die to ourselves so that Jesus Christ may have full reign in our lives so He can do what He desires to do through us. Our confidence is in Him, He makes us brave, He makes us bold, He fills us with His power and His perfect love that casts out all fear. No, we are most definitely not circus lions. Let's step out of that cage of fear and never look back.

Below is the video to Jeremy Camp's song "Same Power." This song holds so much truth!

Don't Cry

It was New Years Eve and we had just arrived home from the hospital with our second son. Our oldest son, Trent was very sick with a stomach virus and wanted his Mama. So I was taking care of Trent while David watched over our newborn, Daylen. 

David came out of our bedroom and said "something is wrong with him, I'm taking him to the Emergency Room." I said "ok I will stay with Trent" knowing they would be right back because Daylen was fine.  I had prayed and prayed that this child would be completely healthy and believed that he was. After all we brought home a healthy baby.

I later received a call that Daylen's core body temperature was 89 degrees. Our son was dying, they were not sure why but suspected a heart defect.

As I was driving as fast as I could to the hospital still in unbelief and shock, I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to show me that He was there. Then I heard these words on the radio "Why are you crying, let me lift up your face, just don't turn away." Through tears, I said "Lord, you know why I am crying, my son is dying." I remember wailing and weeping through the ER not sure how I was even walking. I will never forget what I saw that night. Doctors and nurses surrounded our precious Daylen poking him and working on him and he was not moving at all. He just laid there lifeless.

Our son was later diagnosed with Hypo plastic Left Heart Syndrome (half a heart). He has had three open heart surgeries and many ups and downs but none compare to that New Years Eve night. Today he is a healthy and beautiful boy living with only half of a heart.

In Luke 7, Jesus told a woman "Don’t cry." Those two words don’t sound unusual until you know her story. You see, she was a widow who had just lost her only son. Jesus walked up to the funeral procession and when He saw her, His heart went out to her and He said "don’t cry." She did not ask for His help, but His heart went out to her, He couldn't help Himself, He had to reach out to her.That's our compassionate Jesus.

This woman had every logical reason to cry. She had lost everything, her husband and now her only son. She was in agony over the death of this son she had raised. This son that she had laughed with and disciplined. This son who she had tucked in night after night. This son who was no doubt her biggest comfort in the passing of her husband. This son that she watched grow into a man. This son, her son and now he's gone. Jesus saw her pain and her heart that was completely shattered and His heart broke with hers. Jesus knew what He was about to do so with compassion and love in his eyes, He said "don't cry." He then raised her son from the dead and gave him back to her.

That night through that Tenth Avenue North song, Jesus was not only asking me why I was crying but He was also asking me to trust Him and lean not on my own understanding. He was pleading with me to not turn away from Him. Yes I was confused and upset but this truth remains, I could never turn away from Him. Where would I go? Jesus was and is my only hope, my only help, the only One I can trust. I had a choice that night, I could become bitter with Jesus, my only hope or I could choose to walk by faith and trust Him even though I couldn't see the big picture as He does. I chose to walk by faith and not by sight. 

Is He whispering "don’t cry" to you also in the midst of your own tragedy? He wants to do something amazing through the tragedies of your life as well. Don’t cry, my friend, and please don’t turn away. Will you trust Him with everything? The Savior sees you and His heart goes out to you. 

Press On!

I was excited about our destination. We were in the mountains and I love waterfalls. So when my husband had the idea of hiking to a waterfall of course I was all in. We started off on level ground down a nice wide path. It didn't take too long for the path to narrow and become rocky. We hiked up and down hill, around small cliffs and raised tree roots all with two small children . I also forgot to bring water. ( I know, I get the mom of the year award right?) So I'm hiking up and down hill trying not to trip over rocks and tree roots or fall down a cliff and trying to keep my children safe down this difficult path.

Many times through panting and thirst I asked my husband "can we just turn back?' I had every excuse why we should not continue on.  He would then encourage me to keep going and that we would be there soon. We sat to rest and part of me wanted to say "you all just go ahead, I'll just sit right here." I kept going because my husband kept pressing me on.  Sure enough we finally made it and the waterfall and rocks were beautiful. Just the sound of the waterfall was amazing. The rough journey was most definitely worth it in the end.

Our destination was beautiful. Our journey was difficult. Isn't that like life though?  We, as believers know that our destination is in glory with Jesus face to face. Oh what a glorious day that will be! But this life, this temporary earthly life is hard, stressful, even scary and full of ups and downs, roots and rocks trying to trip us. In fact life can be so hard at times that the thought of giving up starts to be okay with us. If not giving up, then maybe just sitting out. After all we are so tired and weary from our journey, we think it would be nice just to blend in and do nothing.

At those times, if we're listening and looking, the Holy Spirit Himself will encourage us to press on. He will whisper  "You can do this. I am with you. Keep going, put one foot in front of the other. I can see ahead of you, it's going to be worth it. You've come too far to turn back. Don't give up. You're doing great. Depend on me and press on!"

God has been speaking these exact words to my spirit lately "Press on, my daughter."
When you're exhausted and just want to quit, press on knowing He is your strength and shield. When it seems like you do for others and no one notices and no one cares, press on knowing that He sees you and He cares for you. When you feel like you've failed God and the ones that you love, press on confessing sin and knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When loneliness creeps in, press on knowing that our God is Immanuel and He is with you and will never leave you. When you feel defeated and like the world is against you, press on knowing that if God is for us, who can be against us? When you're confused and don't know what to do, keep your eyes on Him and press on!
King Jehoshaphat prayed a humble yet powerful prayer when he was facing enemy armies. He prayed: "For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us: nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

We like King Jehoshaphat must keep our eyes upon Him and press on, never giving up. Press on to do what He has called you to do. Press on to know Him more and more. One day this temporary, earthly life will be over. Then, my brothers and sisters in Christ we will be with our King worshipping and praising Him forevermore!
Yes this journey is hard but keep your head up and Press on! We are not alone and our Guide walks with us encouraging us.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14

Don't Forget

We are most certainly a forgetful people. We forget our appointments, we forget where we left our cell phones, we forget where we parked our car, we forget to return someone's call and many other things. God warns us about being forgetful.

Deuteronomy 6:12 says

"beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."

God is warning the Israelites not to forget Him. He, who brought them out of Egypt and out of bondage. They forgot Him many times. They forgot Him and complained. They forgot Him and even turned to pagan gods.

We too are quick to forget the Lord. He answers our prayers and we become like the nine lepers who Jesus healed but did not return to thank Him. Before and during Daylen's 1st open heart surgery, we prayed and prayed that he would do great and come through it with flying colors. After 8 hours of surgery, his surgeon came in to tell us that he did wonderful. We immediately got up ready to call others and tell them the good news while we waited to see our son. My mother sat there and said "He answered our prayer, shouldn't we take the time now to praise Him?" I will never forget that. That moment made an impact on me. I want to be like that one leper who ran back and fell at Jesus' feet to thank Him.

So many times, we see Him perform miracles and give us victory in hard situations, yet we panic when another storm of life hits as if He is not with us.

We face decisions everyday, some small and some big. How often do we ask the Lord what He wants us to do? So many times, we go ahead and make a decision without seeking Him and then ask Him to bless us in it.

We must remember who He is. We must remember what He has done and we must remember what He is able to do.

Our pastor recently preached on the story of the paralytic and his 4 friends in Luke 5. Jesus forgave his sins and completely healed his body. Then Jesus told him "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

This man had to lie on that mat day after day because he could not walk. He no longer needed this mat, so why would Jesus tell him to pick it up and take it with him? I don't know for sure, but I can imagine every time the man saw this mat he was reminded of what Jesus had done. I'm sure he remembered the man he was before he met Jesus. Maybe he would even fall on his knees in worship remembering the day his Savior healed him. Maybe later when he faced something that looked impossible, he would look at that mat and remember just who God is and what He is capable of. I often look at Daylen's scar on his chest and thank the Lord for healing him and taking care of him. When panic, fear, worry or doubt  tries to rise up in me I remember who He is and what He has done and what He is able to do.

May Jesus completely consume our hearts and minds that we never forget Him, for He will never forget us.

Can a woman forget her nursing child,

And not have compassion on the son of her womb?

Surely they may forget,

Yet I will not forget you.

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.  Isaiah 49:15-16

A lovely lady who also has a beautiful testimony sang a song at church this past week. Here are the lyrics:

As I kneel in the darkness in the middle of the night

I’m praying for assurance everything’s gonna be alright

Lord I see another battle out in front of me

I’m afraid I won’t be able and I’ll go down in defeat

and He said, do you remember where I brought you from

Just take a look behind you and see how far you’ve come.

And everytime you asked me, didn’t I deliver you

So why would you be thinking that I wouldn’t see you through.

Didn't  I walk on the water and I calmed the raging sea

I spoke to the wind, and it hushed and I gave you peace

Didn’t I run to your rescue didn’t I hear you when you called

I walked right beside you just so you wouldn’t fall

Didn’t I leave all of Heaven just to die for your sin

I searched until I found you and I’d do it all again

Now she’s talking to her father in a house that was once a home

She said my bills are coming due Lord and six days is not that long

She hears a voice so still and low

It says I’ve moved like that before

I’ll do this little thing child and I’ll give you so much more.

Didn't  I walk on the water and I calmed the raging sea

I spoke to the wind, and it hushed and I gave you peace

Didn’t I run to your rescue didn’t I hear you when you called

I walked right beside you just so you wouldn’t fall

Didn’t I leave all of Heaven just to die for your sin

I searched until I found you and I’d do it all again

Unaware

I remember watching a story on the news years ago that left an impression on me. There was a man stranded in the ocean and he floated on his back and tread water for over 24 hours. The news camera from the helicopter showed the man surrounded by hammerhead sharks. These sharks were circling him and he was completely unaware. The coast guard boat was behind him calling out to him trying to rescue him. He was completely unaware of their presence also. I can imagine this man was completely drained. He was working so hard to stay above water. He had no idea of the danger that surrounded him, nor did he know his rescuer was right behind him desperate to reach him.

There are so many who are like this man spiritually. They are drained and trying so hard just to keep their head above the water. All the while, they too are unaware of satan circling them and seeking to devour them. Just like the coast guard boat, God is calling and reaching out to them. If they would only turn their eyes to Him, they may realize the danger they are in and cry out to the One who is able to rescue them. The rescuers on the boat were calling out to him "just turn around and have a look, you're saved!"

This man finally did see his rescuers but was too weak to swim to them. They reached down and pulled him out of the treacherous waters filled with sharks and brought him to safety.

I am more than thankful that God rescued me when I was treading water, fearing I may drown in my sin and mistakes. He saw me trying to live life in my own power and strength. I was completely unaware of satan and his plans to utterly destroy me. When I was weak and drained, I cried out to Jesus and He reached down and pulled me to Himself. He rescued me from my enemy and myself!

I'm sure that man felt relieved and safe once he reached the boat. He was probably shocked when he later watched the video of the sharks surrounding him. I can look back on my life and see how God has protected me and waited on me. He is so patient and faithful! He was calling and reaching out to me but I was unaware, He never once gave up on me and He will not give up on you! He is relentless and His love is consuming. 

Let us praise Him today for rescuing and saving us. For those who are still unaware, let us love them and show them the same grace that God has shown us. Let us pray that they will see God longing to reach down and rescue them and that they will let Him do so.

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:16-19

At His Feet

Before the Passover, Jesus was in Bethany with his friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Lazarus sat at the table with Him, which in itself was a miracle because he had been raised from the dead! Many people were there because they wanted to see this man who had been dead and was now alive. (John 12:9)

 John 12 tells us that Mary came in with a pound of very costly oil of spikenard and anointed Jesus’ feet. What a beautiful act of adoration! Not only did she anoint His feet, she wiped His feet with her hair. I have read that in that culture, no proper woman would ever let her hair down like this in public. In doing this, Mary was abandoning herself, pouring herself out on her Savior. What an amazing expression of her devotion to her Master. She held nothing back. She gave her very best and she didn't care what others thought. Mary's only concern was her Lord. What others considered costly, she considered nothing compared to Jesus. Mary realized her life was not her own and Jesus was worth it all.

 “And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Mary’s act of praise filled the whole house, all those present took notice. I’m sure the fragrance lingered on her and Jesus for days afterwards also, for this was not diluted perfume but pure nard.

 Some who witnessed Mary’s sacrifice thought it was a waste. I love what Jesus says in verse 7 “Let her alone, she has kept this for the day of my burial.” Mary was preparing Jesus’ body for burial. She "kept" this just for Him. This was also an act of faith, for she believed Jesus when He said He would die. What others saw as a waste, Jesus saw as a beautiful act of sacrifice.

 Mary knew Jesus. She believed Him. She loved Him above all. This was not Mary’s first time at Jesus’ feet. While Martha was busy working, she sat at His feet eager to learn as He taught. She fell at His feet in grief when her brother died. Now she knelt at His feet to honor and worship her Magnificent Savior.

 May we follow Mary’s example by constantly being at His feet. At His feet… in pain, sorrow or grief.  At His feet…filled with joy and praise. At His feet….when confusion and heartache come. At His feet…..studying His word and adoring Him for who He is. Continuously at His feet, for that is where we find purpose, peace, love, comfort, grace, understanding, forgiveness, freedom and life….. At His Feet.

 

Casting Crowns sings a song called “At Your Feet”

Here are the beautiful lyrics….

Here at Your feet I lay my past down
My wanderings, all my mistakes down
And I am free

Here at Your feet I lay this day down
Not in my strength but in Yours I've found
All I need, You're all I need

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
Oh, to dwell and never leave
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
There is nowhere else for me
There is nowhere else for me

Here at Your feet I lay my future down
All of my dreams I give to You now
And I find peace, I find peace

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
Oh, to dwell and never leave
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
There is nowhere else for me
There is nowhere else for me

Here at Your feet I lay my life down
For You my King, You're all I want now
And my soul sings

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
Oh, to dwell and never leave
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
There is nowhere else for me
There is nowhere else for me

'Cause I am free here at Your feet
All I need is at Your feet
And I find peace, we're at Your feet
We're at Your feet

I am free here at Your feet
All I need is at Your feet
I find peace, we're at Your feet
We're at Your feet, we're at Your feet
We're at Your feet

Here at Your feet I lay my life down

Be Clingy

As I was brushing my teeth the other night, I sensed the Lord say “Just watch him.”  Our 6 year old has been somewhat clingy to me lately. Sure enough, as I was brushing my teeth, he walked in and sat on the bathroom floor right beside me. We were in the living room and I did not announce that I was leaving the room. Daylen simply noticed and followed me. Every morning, somehow he knows when I am up and I can count on him to get up and sit with me. The Lord is teaching me through Daylen. He wants me to cling to Him just like Daylen clings to me.

I am Daylen’s safe place right now. He is never too far from me. If I do get out of his sight, he will call out for me. I pray as he gets older that he will be dependent upon God the way he is dependent upon me now. I believe God wants us to constantly cling to Him. To constantly depend on Him. If that’s called being clingy, then so be it!

 The Message version of Psalm 63:8 says “I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post.”

 The thing is though; I cannot cling to Jesus and cling to everything else at the same time.

At the Women of Joy conference a couple years ago, God gave me a vision. Jeremy Camp was there singing “Oh no, you never let go.” I was worshipping with my eyes closed and suddenly I saw Jesus and myself. I had my back turned to Him holding several different boxes. In one box I saw my children, in another was my husband. A different box contained homeschooling. Another box contained different worries and fears. I was really struggling trying to hold all of these boxes and I knew that eventually I was going to have to let go. In that moment, Jesus whispered to me “You can let go, because I will never let go.” So immediately I dropped all the boxes and turned into His chest like a scared child clings to her daddy. Jesus wrapped His arms around me. Not only was He holding me, but He was also holding all those different boxes as well.

What relief! What peace! What a Savior! To cast all my care on Him because He cares for me.

God knew I needed Him to show me this. Somehow I had forgotten that He is completely able to handle everything. I was trying to carry it all on my own and was failing miserably. Trust Him enough to let go of it all and hold onto Him.

I must let go of everything else and cling to Him. I can trust Him to hold me and everything around me, because “In Him all things hold together.”

So with Jesus it’s ok to be clingy. It’s ok to let go and cling to Him for dear life because He will never let go!

My Greatest Need

It’s 2 am and feet that belong to my 6 year old are in my face, I just fed and tried to burp our baby boy who keeps grunting in his crib threatening to wake up again. If he wakes up then our 7 year old sleeping across the hall may wake up also.  I am tired….no I mean very TIRED. I put our baby back in his crib then hop back into bed because my greatest need is SLEEP right?..... Wrong….my greatest need is Jesus! Yes even in the middle of the night. Yes no matter how I feel, I need Him more than sleep; more than oxygen….I need Him. In fact I will never stop needing Him.

How often do I miss out, because in the moment I feel my need is something other than Him? Yes I’m awake at 2 am but so is He. In fact He never sleeps nor slumbers and it’s….QUIET. No one pulling my attention here and there, no children fussing or hollering, no TV…It’s just me and Him. What a perfect opportunity He has given me, yet often I rush off to sleep like my life depends on it. Oh God help me to be fully dependent upon You!

I am so thankful His mercies are new every morning and I’m sure Peter was too. I love in John 21 where Peter and some of the other disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing. This was after Jesus’ resurrection and also after Peter “the rock” denied our Lord three times.

So Peter has been up all night and caught nothing. Jesus stands on the shore that morning and tells them to cast the net on the other side. I’m sure they were tired and ready to give up and ready for rest, but they obeyed and were amazed by the number of fish that were in the net.  John spoke and said “It is the Lord.” Peter hearing this grabs his outer garment and jumps in the water and swims to shore. Scripture tells us they were not far from shore, so he didn’t have to jump in and get wet but he did have to see Jesus! He couldn’t put it off a moment longer. There was Jesus, ready to serve them breakfast by the sea.

Often I am tired, ready to give up and the enemy whispers the word “failure” but there He is every morning…Jesus…quick to forgive, desiring to sit and share with me. What zeal Peter showed, he could have hung his head in shame, but he jumped in because he knew Jesus was his greatest need.

Peter received what he worked hard for all night and he left it all behind to swim to Jesus. Like Peter, my life is full of mistakes, but I never want to stop running to Jesus, even when it means leaving what I feel is important behind and jumping out and swimming to Him, to sit at His feet, to hear Him, to know Him more and more. He is most definitely my greatest need!

Pouring Your Heart Out

My boys love to wear costumes. They love pretending to be Spiderman or Hulk or a Transformer. They will play for hours just dressing up in different costumes. Most of these costumes come with masks. My boys don’t seem to mind them, but I have never been a fan of wearing masks. Most masks are hard to see out of and feel so hot and suffocating.  

You don’t have to be a child pretending to be a power ranger saving the world to wear a mask. We adults wear them too and sometimes on a daily basis. What is your normal response when someone asks “how are you?” We usually reply “I am fine” when the truth may be that we’re really not fine. In fact we’re not even ok.

We can hide behind our masks pretending everything is ok and we can fool most people. However, there is One who we cannot hide from because He knows our heart and our every thought. We sometimes treat God like He is man and keep things from Him, how silly of us!

Psalm 62:8 says “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

We trust God when we are able to pay the bills, everyone is healthy and things are going good.  It’s another thing to trust Him at ALL times. What about when the bank account is low or when sickness has taken over our homes or when we receive unexpected news? This verse also calls us to pour out our hearts before Him. It is so refreshing to pour everything out before the Lord. Yes He already knows all my thoughts and feelings, but He still wants me to pour myself out to Him. He knows this is something I need to do. He doesn’t want me to wear a mask with Him and pretend I am ok. I can get on my knees and pour my concerns, frustrations, fear, sin, love, and praise out before Him and get up a new person filled with Jesus and ready for whatever the day holds.

The last line in this verse even gives us the reason we can trust Him at all times and why we can pour our hearts out to Him. “God is a refuge for us.” He is our safe place, our strong tower, our hiding place. We cannot hide FROM God but we can most certainly hide IN God. (Psalm 32:7, Psalm 119:114) I can enter into His presence, my Hiding Place and I will never leave feeling condemned, unworthy or unsatisfied. I can pour myself out to Him and He is faithful to fill me back up with Himself.

He is completely trustworthy; He has not and will not fail you. Go ahead, take your mask off and pour your heart out to Him. After all He is our refuge and He will not leave you empty!

I have heard, I have seen

And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying “Go and tell Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears……Isaiah 38:5

I came across this passage recently and I remember the day years ago that it leaped off the page to me. We had just learned that our newborn son had been born with a severe heart defect. He appeared healthy at birth, but only a few hours of having him home he became very sick. He turned blue and cold and hours later we were surrounded by 5 doctors giving us devastating news.

To make matters worse, David and I both became sick with a stomach virus and we were not able to see our son or be with him. I was so confused, angry and felt completely hopeless. We had prayed for a healthy child and here we were looking at 3 open heart surgeries all before 3 years of age. Some of his doctors were concerned that he would not even survive the first surgery. So I was at home sick, with my son very sick over an hour away in the hospital, and I broke. I broke down and cried out to God asking Him to help me, to show me that He had not left us. I flipped my Bible open to Isaiah 38 and these words leaped off the page to me. “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears.” (Isaiah 38:5)  I know in this passage God was speaking to Hezekiah but in that moment He was also speaking to me!

As I read those words, my son was not instantly healed nor did I receive any magical answer as to why this was happening. I did receive unexplainable peace just knowing He was with me. He was with me and yes He had most definitely heard my prayers and seen my tears. His heart was breaking with mine. He was whispering “just hold fast to me and trust me…I’m not done yet, I am doing something amazing and beautiful and I have chosen you to be a part of it.”

Take heart and know that not only has God heard your prayers, He is faithful to answer your prayers. (Jeremiah 33:3) And not only has He seen your tears, scripture tells us He keeps a record of each one. (Psalm 56:8) He is always working even when we can’t see evidence of it. We must believe He is for us! He will never leave us!

So three open heart surgeries later, here we are. Daylen is a beautiful, smart and amazing child of God. Yes we went through crazy ups and downs, but this whole journey has been completely God filled. Our God sees, hears, and knows. He is with us and He is forever faithful. 

As You Follow

As spring approaches, I think about my grandfather. He died on Christmas day in 2009. I loved that man dearly. He said whatever was on his mind. It didn’t matter if it was something you wanted to hear or not and somehow he never seemed to offend anyone. I gave him plenty of hair cuts on his front porch (I really don’t know why he trusted me to do this; I’m thinking maybe he didn’t have the best eyesight haha.) He taught me how to appreciate creation around us. He loved to watch squirrels play and loved to see the flowers blooming and leaves coming back on the trees in the spring. He also loved to watch hummingbirds that would zoom around the feeders my grandmother had hanging.

The spring after he died, I spent a lot of mornings on my own front porch reading my Bible and praying. There had been a lot of bees around our house and I don’t like bees, wasps, hornets, spiders or any insect that could possibly harm me! I could hear the bees buzzing around our plants and then I heard loud buzzing very close to me. I closed my eyes and held my breath hoping this huge “bee” would soon leave me alone. Then I felt the Lord say “open your eyes” and when I did, I saw the most beautiful hummingbird right in front of my face. I felt the Lord speak to my spirit “Tori, if you keep your eyes closed in fear, you are going to miss out on My glory and beauty.”

In Mark 10, the disciples had just listened to Jesus teach some things that were pretty hard. In verse 32, it says “And as they followed they were afraid….” Notice it does not say “They were afraid, so they closed their eyes and stood still.” Nor does it say “They were afraid so they turned back.” No they pushed through their fear and continued to follow Jesus. Like the disciples, we may be afraid but we know that sheep desperately need their Shepherd. Sheep know there is no safer place than in the care of their shepherd, so wherever he leads they will follow. Will we do the same? Wherever our Jesus leads, will we boldly trust and follow Him or will we shrink back in fear? Yes, the disciples were persecuted and many were killed but they continued to follow their Shepherd because He is worth it all. We too are called to press on through our fear and follow the One who drives out fear with His perfect love.

Every spring I hear and see these beautiful creatures and I remember that fear has no place within me. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Open your eyes and experience His beauty…..As you follow.

“God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst…..will be quiet in the midst of alarm.” F.B. Meyer

Immanuel

I remember one day, I was on my knees on our bedroom floor crying out to God. It was a season in my life where I felt so distant from Him. I desperately wanted to hear His voice and feel His presence. I tell myself a lot to “stick to what you KNOW, not how you FEEL.” So as I was crying out “Lord, I know You are here, I know You are here.”  The Lord clearly spoke to me “I am Immanuel (God with us), I’m not just here around you, I am WITH you!” How powerful! Yes, He is with me, He walks through deep waters and through fire with me. He is not a God who sits on His throne merely watching as I walk through this life, He is WITH me. He knows my pain, my struggles, my confusion, doubts and fears. He knows because He walked this Earth before me. He is Jesus who came down to dwell among us. He was before me and He walks with me now and always.


"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

When our son, Trent was younger we took him to a bounce house. As soon as we arrived, Trent headed straight to the biggest slide. He climbed all the way up to the top and then began to cry and refuse to come down. He did not realize how high it was until he got up there. So, I took off my shoes and started climbing up to rescue him. He was crying and so scared but as soon as he saw me, he jumped in my arms and calmed down completely. We still had to go down the slide, the path before him had not changed at all but now I was with him and that made all the difference in the world. We may face some treacherous looking paths and God may not change our circumstances, but like Trent we can be at complete peace because He is with us. We are not alone on this journey. 

Maybe our gracious God knew we would “feel” distant and question His presence because Scripture is packed with verses that tell us not to fear. A lot of these verses that begin with “Do not be afraid” often end with “because I am WITH you.”

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10  

Not only is God WITH us. He holds us! Actually He has upheld us from birth (Isaiah 46:3.) Tenth Avenue North has a song called “By your side.” There is a line in the song that says “please don’t fight these hands that are holding you.” We often jump out of those precious hands of the Comforter. Why? Because we believe we can handle things on our own or maybe accomplish things quicker than the One who holds time in His hands. How foolish! These hands that hold the world are most certainly holding us as well. What a magnificent God! Immanuel!

Whatever He Says

So this is my first blog post, honestly I didn’t even know what blogging was until recently. For months now, I have heard the gentle whisper of my Creator saying “write……speak”…..so here I am….. I am a simple wife and stay at home mom so what do I have to say that is of any worth? Not much, but I hope to write what my Jesus speaks to my heart and more than anything I want to be obedient to Him.

My life may not look “important” but everyday He reminds me that He has entrusted me with three precious souls to invest in and to pour His love into. So as Jesus teaches me, I will teach them and they also teach me…..quite often!

For example, when I am worried about something, our 7 year old son reminds me “Mama just pray about it.” And every time our 6 year old gets hurt, he runs to me wanting me to pray because he knows Jesus is his Healer. (What faith!) And when I watch our 1 month old sleeping in his crib, I am overwhelmed with God’s grace and the fact that He chose me to be their mother.

Yes my life can be chaotic! Yes my life is somewhat messy! And Yes my life is important! Your life is important! Our lives on this earth are only but a moment in the whole picture of eternity. So what I do with this life matters, what you do matters! I am where I am, doing what I’m doing because God has placed me here. God desires to use us right where we are in our simple day to day lives. When we live unto the Lord, nothing is wasted, nothing is in vain!  

I love what Heidi Baker says in her devotional book “Reckless Devotion.” She says “Never feel that what you have to contribute is too small, not enough, insignificant. It’s not. What you have is needed. Without it, other parts of the Body struggle to function. Bring your offering to Jesus and allow Him to multiply it.”

In Genesis, Hagar gave God a name. She named him “the God who sees me.”   He not only pursues me, He sees me. He sees my every tear, every sigh of frustration, every dish I wash, every hug I give, every toss and turn on a sleepless night, every meal I prepare (whether it’s delicious or not!) He sees me! He knows me! I am His and I am precious to Him and so are you.

So because He sees me, because He loves me and because He lives, I will surrender to Him. I will pursue Him. I will obey Him, for this life is not my own, I was bought with a costly price. So what does obedience look like? Jesus is our example and Scripture says He was “obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8

I believe Jesus wants me to be available to Him at all times. Am I available to Him early in the morning before my children wake up to seek His guidance? Am I available to Him in my home to minister to my children? Am I available to Him outside my home to everyone that crosses my path? Am I available to Him when I’m not feeling well? Am I available to Him when I am having a bad day? Am I available to Him in the middle of the night when He wants to talk with me? I want to be available to Him and then obey whatever He says. If He dwells within me, He should be able to do and say whatever He desires. I want to notice where He is working and join Him in that work. Jesus came to give us abundant life. An abundant life consists of communion with Him and living in obedience to Him.

I love what Mary, the mother of Jesus tells the servants at the wedding in Cana. She said “Whatever He says to you, do it.”(John 2:5) Wow, talk about a life verse! Whatever He calls us to do….Just do it! Yes, be obedient and trust Him to work through you, because we can be confident that He who begins a good work in us will complete it! (Philippians 1:6)……