You Are Loved!

Today is February 14^th.  Everyone knows that is Valentine’s Day. I think any single person has been dreading this day since the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve or as we like to call it,  “Single’s Awareness Day”. This unofficial created holiday is a huge business day for any florist, card or chocolate company to rake in the dollars since they hike prices up so high. I think in my future relationship I might suggest that we celebrate on February 15^th so he can save his money and get me 50% off all chocolate and not be forced to bring me pink roses because they ran out of red. I said, “might” though and that is a future thought. For today on this, “holiday” where we are forced to think about love, my heart is in a different place.

It’s been years since I had a special man in my life to celebrate Valentine’s Day with. In fact, in my last relationship we broke up on Valentine’s Day. It’s not a great memory, but after all…..it’s just a day.

This year I was aware of the approaching, “holiday” just as I always am, but my heart changed. I experienced love in a new way. I’ve actually been experiencing this love for awhile now, but today I stopped to really be thankful for what I have.

Early in the week, my beautiful and generous mom treated me to lunch and a movie with a red Valentine’s Day bag filled with gifts. She’s done this every year since I’ve been on this planet. She’s amazing.

Yesterday, my dear friend Becca braved rush hour traffic in LA to meet me for dinner and then give me a surprise. She had purchased new seat cushions for my patio chairs and chaise, decor for my table, four complete place settings that matched my color scheme and even brought me coffee and creamer for the morning. She insisted that she had to come decorate tonight so that when I woke up on Valentine’s day I could remember that I was loved. Later, I met up with some of my amazing girlfriends to hang out and watch a movie along with wine and ice cream. My heart is overflowing. I’m surrounded by love and this is the short list.

I think too many of us are waiting around for that sort of romantic love that we are certain will fill us up as if we are incomplete without it. We aren’t. Singleness is not a disease, it’s not a punishment, and for most of us….it’s not forever. It’s a season. We have lots of seasons in our lives and the important thing is to really enjoy that season while we are in it. Yes, each season has its ups and downs, but each season also has great beauty.

I would hate to miss the warmth of summer and my feet in the warm ocean waves because I long for the coolness of fall. I would hate to miss the beauty of the turning leaves because and the whistling wind because I long for Christmas. I would hate to miss hot cocoa by the fire and the winter chill because I longed for spring rain. I would hate to miss the budding flowers and fluttering butterflies because I long for summer’s heat.

Each moment, each day, each season is a gift. Savor the time you’re in and know that God is the same February 13^th, 14^th and 15^th ……….Yesterday, Today and Forever.

Prayer for you:

Lord, give us new eyes to see the love that is already all around us. Heal our hurting hearts and fill us with your comfort Holy Spirit. Help us to praise you in whatever season we may be in. Help us to reach out and love others when they need it most. Thank you for your word. Please let it sink deep into us so that we know how deeply you love us, how adored and cherished we are by you. Thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of your son which is the best Valentine we could ever receive………….Amen

Scriptures to Ponder on God’s Love:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)

You have heard it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate you enemy”. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5: 43-45)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hope all thing, endures all things. Love never Fails! (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.                                                             (John13:34-35)

Above all else, keep loving one another earnestly,  since love covers a multitude of sins                                                        (John 14:15)

A friend loves at all times, and a brother (sister) is born for adversity  (Proverbs 17:17)

This is how we know what LOVE is, that Jesus Christ laid down His live for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.  (Romans 8:38)

Little Birdie

About six months ago I put a new bird feeder outside my window and waited with anticipation for all the hungry little birdies to arrive and feast on what I had given them. For years my Mom has had a long slender finch feeder hanging in her backyard. It has several little perching points for a variety of birds to rest while they eat. Her bird feeder is always overflowing with lots of birds in the tray, on the perches, jockeying for position. Gold finches, house finches, and sparrows eat from the feeder while doves pick up what falls to the ground.  Squirrels sometimes make an appearance and enjoy stretching out and basking in the sun after an easy meal.

My bird feeder; on the other hand, was more like a ghost town with a tumbleweed rolling through the streets.  I was so excited when I first got my bird feeder! I was certain that I would have a ton of birds the very next day. The next day came and…….crickets. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and my bird feeder remained full. I actually prayed over the birds and my feeder because I wanted the birds to visit me so much.  Not a single bird came to visit.  Time went by and I eventually  completely forgot about my bird feeder.

My lack of feathered friends began to remind me of our relationship with God. How many times has God had our provision, our answered prayer all ready and laid out for us, but we aren’t aware?

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want so you quarrel and fight. You have not because you do not ask God.                                                                                                                    (James 4:2)

How many times have we been jealous of what someone else receives? How often have we spent time comparing ourselves to others,  wishing we had what they have.  How often have we tried to get something for ourselves and taken over control instead of surrendering to God and trusting Him?  We need to keep our eyes focused on God asking Him for our blessings and provision. When we ask, we also need to trust God’s perfect timing.

I put the bird seed out for the birds so many months ago, but God provided the means for me to do so. The provision for the birds sat untouched because they were not aware of it.  Sometimes I feel like those birds. I’m in a time in my life were I am changing careers and have not had long-term, full-time work in 18 months. At the beginning  of this adventure, I used my own resources and savings, but over time, my own ability to provide for myself reached capacity. I’d never been on unemployment and didn’t even realize I was eligible at first. I was also not really a person who asked for hand outs from friends and family, but God had my bird feeder filled with provision for months, just waiting for me to ask Him for help and allow Him to reveal it to me.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.             (Matthew 7:7-8)                                                                                                                     

Just last week I looked out my window and saw a little birdie at my bird feeder for the very first time, then a friend joined him. I was so excited about the two friends who finally found this blessing that had been waiting for them for so long. The next day my bird feeder was overflowing with birds. There were house finches, sparrows and other birds I can’t even identify yet. Word spread fast!  It was becoming a party! The birds came for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. Two doves began to come and clean up what was fell to the ground.  One day I saw something large out of the corner of my eye, It was a hawk! A big hawk came to check out what was going on. I was overjoyed! For all this time there was provision just waiting to be found and once it was found, they spread the word to all their friends.

When we ask God and He provides, it’s so important to share the blessing with others. Encouraging each other and sharing our testimony of God’s great love and provision spurs us on to keep moving forward even in difficult circumstances.  Sometimes, we need to remember how precious we are to God. When we know how loved we are, how adored by our Heavenly Father, we don’t hesitate to turn to Him both in praise and request.

Yet the Lord long to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.                             (Isaiah 30:18)

 

What do we need to trust God for? What do we need to pray about and ask God to provide?  In what areas are we still holding on too tight, trying to control things? How often are we trying to   figure out our solution when God is the solution. He has our blessing waiting for us, just waiting to be found.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying all a single hour to your life?    (Matthew 6:25-27)                                                                                    

 

God is Not Lost!

The other day I was using my GPS and missed my turn. After a moment, I could hear the sound of my journey being rerouted and my destination time being increased. I sighed, and began to follow the new directions. The change of course didn’t seem to make sense, so I stopped at the first available moment to check my map. Why was the GPS directing me to go around two blocks and make a giant square instead of a simple U-turn?  I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath, and took action. My GPS is not always right. Sometimes I have to make a few human adjustments to the computer program.

Recently, I began using the WAZE app on my phone for all my GPS needs. It’s kind of cool to hear warnings about near-by police, red light cameras, and accidents on the road.  WAZE usually navigates me around congested traffic areas, often on an interesting journey with lots of turns on side streets. Occasionally, this leaves me stuck trying to cross a major intersection without the help of a signal. Trying to cross multiple lanes of heavy traffic makes me feel like I’m in a game of “Frogger!”

Sometimes, I feel the same way about God as I do with my GPS. Why, God, are you taking me around two blocks, when I could just make a U-turn? Why, God, am I stuck sitting in this traffic, when there is another route I could be taking?  If you knew it was going to be this difficult to follow this path, why, God, did you lead me this way? God, can I just choose a different destination? Or, God, can you just please tell me what the destination is? I’ve come to realize and trust that God is not lost.  My GPS may not know the best course of action to get me to my destination or the most convenient route to take, but our God does.

It may not make sense to us why God leads us on a long journey or takes us on a difficult path. A different direction might make more sense to us, and we may think we know a better way, but God’s ways are not our ways.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.” As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”   (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We may not always be able to understand the, “Why” behind God’s plans in our lives, or the, “What,” “How,” or “Who,” but it’s comforting to know that we can trust Him; we can lean on His Word.  When we are going through a trial, a test, a confusing, unsure, or painful time in our lives, we need to fight our battles with God’s unshakeable, unchanging Word! He knows the way.  God is not lost.

Ephesians, Chapter 6, reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle that could take us in the wrong direction. To choose the right path for our journey through life, we need to prepare ourselves.  We need to protect and ready ourselves with the armor of God.  Just as a warrior would suit up for battle and prepare himself for physical warfare, we must ready ourselves for spiritual warfare every day! The enemy would love for us to underestimate his power. He would love for us to think that there is not a constant battle raging against us! If we are unaware or unprepared, he can attack us, and we may not even know it, sort of like Frogger getting hit midstream! Splat! Our God is stronger and wiser than our enemy. When we arm ourselves by knowing and following God’s Word, and fighting lies with His truth, we win “the game!” God is able to get us to our destination. God is not lost.

When we are confused about our journey, and the course God has us on is not really the route we would chose to take, we need to remember that His WAYS are not our WAZE. We need to know how to fight the battle of confusion, waiting, the lack of understanding, trials, and pain. When the enemy tries to tell us that there is no hope of a future, we need to fight back with the Word of God.

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

When the enemy tries to tell us that we need to figure everything out, we need to fight back with the Word of God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God is not lost.  His Word is our guide, our infallible spiritual GPS.  He knows where we need to go and how we need to get there – and what we need to learn along the way.  Even when we ignore His directions and choose our own way, if we listen to Him, if we rely on His Word, He reroutes us!

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  (Psalm 119:105)

God is not lost, and neither are we when we are guided by His word.

Wait is Not a 4-Letter Word

Everyone’s in a hurry! We hate to wait! We rush from place to place, watching the clock, as the anxiety grows inside of us. (Picture the rabbit from, “Alice in Wonderland,” “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date….”) Driving on the LA freeway involves a lot of waiting. We may switch from lane to lane, hoping we can find the fastest one, maybe tailgating, hoping to speed up that slow driver in front of us. We are always looking for that pocket of opportunity to go faster. We hate to wait!

In the fast paced world we live in, it’s difficult for us to wait. I can feel the tension in the morning Starbucks line or at the grocery store around 5pm. We are bad at waiting. If we are still for more than 10 seconds, we whip out our phones and bury our noses in them. We have electronic billboards in LA, that change every few seconds, and there are tvs in the check out lines and at the gas pump. We are constantly being entertained, and our minds rarely have a chance to rest. I wonder if we have lost the skill of being still and quiet. Waiting is avoided at all costs. We can make appointments for the DMV and the doctor’s office to save time, but we all know how we feel when we’ve made an appointment and still have to wait.

Waiting is defined as: “To stay in a place UNTIL an expected event happens, UNTIL someone arrives, UNTIL it is your turn. To NOT do something UNTIL something else happens” (Merriam-Webster), but I think we’ve got this whole waiting thing all wrong. No wonder people think waiting is a 4-letter word. This kind of waiting is horrible. What’s with all the “UNTIL” nonsense? I want to challenge you that there is a different way to WAIT.

I think we need to replace the concept of “UNTIL” with “WHILE”. What are you doing WHILE you wait? Waiting should be proactive, not inactive. We should not just sit around and wait. We need to wait expectantly.

Isaiah 40:31 in New King James says, “But those who WAIT on the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” In the NIV it says, “But those who HOPE in the Lord”. In the Holman Christian Standard it says, “But those who TRUST in the Lord.” You may wonder, “How are wait, hope, and trust interchangeable?” I wondered too.

The Hebrew word used for wait (hope, trust) is Quavah (pronounced Kaw-vaw) which means, “to wait, look for, hope, expect, look eagerly for and linger for” (biblestudytools.com). Trust is placing your belief in the reliability and strength of someone or something. When we trust in God, we place our full belief in the truth of His strength. Hope is an expectation of things to come. WHILE waiting, we need to put our trust and hope in the Lord in great excitement of what’s to come. We aren’t supposed to sit and do nothing. When we are waiting, we need to have a sense of expectation. We need to be on the edge of our seat with anticipation…in fact, we need to get up out of our seat!

When we wait, hope, and trust in the Lord, our strength is renewed – not so we can sit and feel sorry for ourselves, but so we can Run….Sprint….Soar into the incredible plans God has for us. We don’t wait on the Lord by just sitting. NO! We wait on the Lord in action. We trust Him, we hope in Him, and we MOVE!

Redefine Wait! What happens when we do this? Our faith is strengthened. We begin to move WHILE waiting. Waiting is no longer a future thought and action. Waiting happens NOW! Redefine Wait! Ready, Set….WAIT. What if…..you took your nose out of your phone and talked to someone while you’re waiting? What might God do in that time? What if you prayed for the people next to you in the Starbucks line? What if you were quiet long enough to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you in the moments of waiting throughout your day. Waiting might suddenly become a beautiful word. Waiting on God will transform you. Now, instead of thinking of wait as a 4-letter word, redefine it. Trust..hope..wait.

 

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait, for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14

In the morning O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation

Psalm 5:3

Yet the Lord long to be gracious to you: he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him!

Isaiah 30:18

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His Missing Rib

I miss my husband. I ache for him.  Thoughts of traveling the world with him fill my mind… seeing the Eiffel Tower in the distance from a coffee shop in Paris, riding a gondola through the waters of Venice, traveling on a red double decker bus down a cobble stone street in London, sipping pina coladas on a beach in Maui, and diving into crystal blue waters from our hut on the ocean in Bali. Somehow though, I’m more excited about the simple seemingly mundane things like washing dishes, doing the laundry, and weekly Target runs. I miss my husband, and I haven’t even met him yet, at least not that I’m aware. Still, I long for him and wonder about all he is and who we will be together. I dream of just sitting around watching Netflix together on a Friday night, and walking down the street holding hands.

I’ve been single for 40 years. (I’m feeling a little like the Israelites wondering in the desert.) I’ve been praying for my husband for 20 of those years. Why am I telling you all of this? Why am I sharing my deep longing for my soul mate and the amount of years I’ve waited for him? I want you to know that I understand longing, waiting, and trusting in God’s perfect timing. Though I’ve spent half my life waiting for my husband I have no intention on settling. Why? Because I trust my God and know my worth.

I’ve heard it said that a woman should not walk behind or in front of her husband, but next to him, side by side, close to his heart, as she was taken from his rib. We are meant to be a partnership. We are meant to be one. I love how the account in Genesis 2 shows us how God allowed Adam to see that partnership was good, since the animals he was naming were all in pairs. He knew about it a longed for it before God gave it to him.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

23The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 

There is a certain, “God order” to things. He allows us to see things and long for them before we get them. As we grow closer to Him, we know His word, and that means we know His will. God does not put desires in our heart for a mate and never give us one. It may not happen in our timing, but God’s timing is perfect. When the world does not understand God’s timing, they take things into their own hands. Just like when Sarah and Abraham were tired of waiting for a baby, and so Abraham lay with his maidservant, Hagar, per Sarah’s request. Sarah and Abraham still received the fulfillment of God’s promise with their own baby, but it look longer, and a lot of pain and suffering was caused along the way, because of their impatience. Taking things into their own hands not only caused pain in themselves and their relationship, but also with Hagar. The same thing happens today. Instead of waiting and trusting in God’s timing , some people end up in bad relationships by rushing into sleeping together and living together, to “play married” and “try things on for size.”  By taking things into our own hands, we are stepping outside of God’s will for us, hurting not only ourselves, but all the people we involve in our sin. Do we really think that God’s not big enough to give us a good sex life when we are married? God created sex. I think He has it all under control. (Read The Song of Songs!)

“Your worth is far above rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10) When we truly understand our worth, it seeps out of us. We walk taller, not with arrogance, but with confidence. We don’t settle, because we don’t have too. We speak with love, because putting others down does not benefit us. We lift others up. We smile more, because of the peace we have in God. We know completely that He holds our future.  We are worthy, because of His love.  Don’t sell yourself short because you’re impatient and need some attention and temporary love. True love is not temporary. Take some time to read 1Corinthians 13, and see if what God says about love applies to your current situation. Does it apply to you? Are you patient and kind? Do you look to the interests of others first or are you self-seeking? Do you forgive and move forward, or do you hold a record of wrongs to throw in the face of the person you’re dating during an argument? Are you honoring? Are you trustworthy?  And, just as important, how does the object of your affections measure up against God’s standards of love? Not only does God want you to be your best, He wants to give you His best.

It’s important that we become the sort of person we would want to marry. We need to make an investment and love ourselves. The greatest commandment is, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, with all your strength. The second is equally important; love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).  If you don’t love yourself well…How can you love others well? You must love yourself enough to take care of yourself and be healthy spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Knowing your worth means not only Believing what God says about you, but also Doing what God instructs you to do. If you don’t know what God says about you or what He is telling you to do…..you need to read His Word. It all starts with loving Him.

Here are some inspirations I found in God’s Word about my own journey:

(Excerpt from. “Letting Go” a spoken word by: Laura Damschen)

For I know you are preparing me like ESTHER

 with the patience of SARAH and the devotion of RUTH. 

 Regardless of my past I’m being redeemed by faith like RAHAB.

All my sins, my shame, my past mistakes are now just stepping stones to my future.

I know you’re refining me God, teaching me to be a servant like REBEKAH.

like her I want to go above and beyond to quench the thirst of those who need it

 even if I have to go to the well 150 times with my 2 gallon jug,

help me to use what you’ve given me.

Lord teach me diligence. Balance the MARY and MARTHA inside of me.

Give me wisdom of when to work and when to be still and sit at your feet.

 Make me a woman of prayer like HANNAH  so that even when things don’t go my way

 and my prayers aren’t answered in my timing

help me to press on to seek your face.

 I trust in the midst of the challenges of life

 while you transform me and mold me into the woman I’m meant to

 be..while my character grows and I’m serving to further your kingdom,

with my eyes fixed on you my DAVID will find me, for he will see past my flaws and into my heart.

 My JACOB, who will love me and will wait me as long as it takes.

My ISACC, who will see things in me I don’t even see.

My JOSEPH, who will stick by my side regardless of the circumstances.

And My BOAZ who will lovingly provide for me when I need it most and I will gladly lay at his feet.

He will be the one my soul longs for because I fell in love with you first…..

Because I fell in love with you first.

 

Ladies, you are his missing rib! Do you understand that you were created for him? As much as you long for your husband, he is searching for you. Fix your eyes on Jesus and be ready. The waiting time is not passive, it’s active and an important time of preparation and living your life.  The man you truly want will need to seek God to find you. You are a woman worth finding.
         

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant.  It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs.  It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.  Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. Love never comes to an end.

(1 Corinthians 13 4-5)

 

Who can find a wife with a strong character? She is worth far more than jewels.

(Proverbs 31:10)

 

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

(Proverbs 3:15)

Lights, Camera, Action!

Information becomes knowledge when it’s applied. Knowing your identity in Christ and having knowledge of His word are not enough, you must apply it. I’m hearing teachers from my childhood now, “Laura, you must apply yourself, you have so much potential”. Potential does not mean anything if you don’t put it into action. Pastor Steven Furtick says, “The word of God is ALIVE and ACTIVE, AA (double A) so we must be ALIVE and ACTIVE when we read it”. Put it into practice!

I teach science camp in the summers, and we are always talking about Potential and Kinetic energy. I will often have the kids squat down like frogs on the ground and yell, “Potential energy,” then I will have them jump and yell, “Kinetic energy”! If they never jump, they will just continue to sit there with a whole lot of potential and no movement. We need to move! The Holy Spirit is moving and I want to flow with Him! Don’t you? Now the song is stuck in my head, “When you move I move, just like that!” What if that was our song to the Holy Spirit, “Ok Holy Spirit, when you move I move, just like that….”

I want to live a life led by the Holy Spirit. I want to release control and live a life of faith. What does that look like? The first chapter of James talks about how “Faith without actions is dead”. A Doctor can have all the schooling and knowledge over years of study and research and then they must go into, “practice”. They “practice” medicine. Doctors must not only study, observe others, and grow in knowledge, but they must, “practice”. No lives are getting saved through their text books and dissertations. A great lecture is not an operating table. We must not only study the word of God and be filled up by it through the Holy Spirit, but we must now put it into practice. We have lives to save too, but these lives will live forever. If we had a friend who was suffering with an illness and modern medicine found a cure, but she didn’t know about it…..We would rush to tell her and give her peace that her life would be saved. Why don’t we rush in the same way to tell others about a life with Jesus?? We are living a life of potential energy that needs to spring to action.

God is calling down to you, “___________apply yourself, you have so much potential”. What will we do with the knowledge we are given? We know the life saving blood of Jesus. We know the healing and the power in His name alone, JESUS. We know the Holy Spirit is ready to lead us every moment. We know the tremendous love of God the Father. What will we do with the knowledge we’ve been given? Will we read His word more and grow in knowledge? Will we listen to His voice?

I recently heard a story about a woman who knew the voice of the Holy Spirit so clearly and followed His leading all the time even when she was uncomfortable. One day she kept hearing, “Go to the liquor store and stand on your head in front of the soda machine”. That is a pretty crazy request. I’m not sure if I could do that. She didn’t want to do it either. It took several times of hearing the prompting in her heart clearly. Finally, she did it. It wasn’t much of a headstand, but she did her best. Afterwards, the girl behind the counter burst into tears. She was considering suicide, and pleaded  a crazy prayer, “God, if you are real, make someone go and stand on their head in front of the soda machine”. Her life was saved that day, not only on this earth, but for eternity, because someone decided to take action. God is a loving and amazing God. He cares so deeply for us. He hears our cries, and answers our prayers, no matter how big or small they may seem. Will we stand on our heads for God? Are we willing to hear and follow the voice of the Holy Spirit? Will we put our faith into action? Let’s not just live a life of potential. This is not a dress rehearsal. Lights, Camera, ACTION…….

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 14:12 NIV

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…

Psalm 95:6-8 NIV

But, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NIV

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 NIV

 

 

 

 

 

The End is the Beginning

I understand all too well what it means to stay in a relationship past the expiration date. You know that smell that comes from your fridge which you can’t quite identify? Every time you open the door, it wafts out and catches you off guard! You just wanted a little nourishment to quiet your grumbling tummy, or something to quench your thirst, and BAM! The unexpected unpleasantness invades your nostrils. Gross! You many decide to just close the door and not deal with it, but every time you go back for nourishment, instead, the stench slaps you across the face again! After a while, the good food in your fridge begins to taste like the awful spoiled mess that shouldn’t be there anyway, and the smell even begins to seep out into your house. The smell is taking over! When will you have enough?? It’s time to dig through the fridge of your life and take out the items that are past their expiration dates, and are smelling up your life.

When we stay in an unhealthy relationship too long and give our heart and time to a person who is not God’s best for us, that choice takes over our lives. What started out as a beautiful experience, filled with possibilities (just like the fresh food in your fridge)…..slowly turns into a toxic, painful mess.

We can ask for God’s discernment to tell us when a relationship is not working. Really, I think we instinctively know. That instinct is the Holy Spirit, but it’s hard to listen to what we don’t want to hear. We know when it’s time to let go….we just don’t want to. We sit in the smell so long, we begin to get used to it. We would rather sit in our stink (yes, we start to stink too) and take the temporary artificial comfort of that person over what we believe the opposite is…….being alone. But, being alone; as a Christian, is not the opposite. We are never alone. Staying too long a relationship that has reached its expiration date, is more lonely than being single.

Following God’s leading for His best in our relationships, equals freedom. Being single is not a punishment from God. It’s a time of personal growth, independence, and waiting. Remember, “waiting” is a verb. Take action during your season of singleness. Learn who you truly are. This is your season of preparation for your future spouse. Be the sort of person you would want to marry. Focus on God and His plans for your life. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it all out; trust that God knows what he’s doing, and seek Him. Do not live in fear or in the future; live in the present, it’s a gift.

You are worthy of God’s best for you, because of His love. He’s writing your love story, and He is the most perfect author that ever will be. Don’t forget, He created you and knows you better than anyone. So, when the time comes to let go, don’t hold on, don’t hesitate……run, sprint, leap, charge on! The end is really just the beginning of your next season.

The following poem was the inspiration for this blog and a reflection of my own new beginning.

In The End

In the end there is relief

The pain fades

No back and forth

Future days gone

A new path begins to form

In the end a numbness comes

After years of maybe

Endless what if’s

The darkness fades to gray

A glimmer of light breaks through

In the end the fight is gone

The phone calls end

The texts subside

The longings gone

A flash in the pan

In the end a smile forms

Hope creeps in

Future dreams

Life to live

Possibilities grow wide

In the end it begins

A new thing grows

Letting go

Allowing space

For Him.

Laura Damschen

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,”

says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am

doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in

the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

 

Identity Theft

In the last 10 years, identity theft has been on the rise. It can be a pretty unsettling thought to know that predators are out there who want to steal our personal information for their own gain. I knew someone who had her social security number and credit card info taken along with her name. She spent years contacting companies trying to verify her true identity. She fought to prove who she really was, and that all the fraudulent charges were not made by her, but, rather, another person, posing as her.  It was a stressful ordeal that hurt her credit and future financial plans.

The devil is the ultimate Identity thief!  He is a dangerous predator. He knows us. He studies us. He lurks in the shadows waiting to strike. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He attacks us on a very personal level where it will hurt us most. He knows the weaknesses in our armor where he will put his flaming arrow first. He knows our Achilles heal. When we don’t know our true identity, he will create a false one for us.

One of his favorite tactics is to get inside our mind and give us negative thoughts. He would like us to think he does not even exist. He wants to corrupt our minds and make us think we are responsible for all our polluted thinking. His sneak attack catches us off guard, because we aren’t even aware that it’s him. Know your enemy! We are in a battle. When we aren’t paying attention, the thoughts seep in like poison slowly taking over our unguarded brain. What we think, turns into feelings, digs deep into our hearts and then becomes action. Think about what you’re thinking about.  How is the enemy stealing your identity?

Maybe you are struggling like many of us do, with looking a certain way. We see billboards and magazines of beautiful models that are airbrushed beyond belief to look the way they do. We use them as a comparison to what, “beautiful” truly is. You say, “I’m not pretty enough,” Maybe you are single and feel like everyone around you is in a relationship and you wonder if God has forgotten about you or if something is wrong with you. You say, “I’m not loveable.”  Maybe you were laid off from your job and all you can see is failure. You begin to become your circumstances You Say, “I’m a failure.”  Maybe all your friends are having babies, and you wonder why you’re not, or if you ever will. You say, “I’m broken.”  Maybe you’ve just been given a bad report from a doctor and you just want to accept your fate. You say, “I’m a burden.”  Fill in what your, “maybe” is. What is your identity becoming right now? What is the enemy having you say about yourself? “I’m a_____________.” Do you know who you are?

Let me encourage you, there is a God who loves you! He created you and has great things to say about you. Don’t listen to voice of the enemy whispering in your ear….Listen to the voice of your Creator who shouts it from the mountain tops! “You are loved!”  If you’ve come to a place in your life where you’ve lost your identity…..it can all be found in His Word! Speak these scriptures over yourself…say them out loud. Shout them! Post them on your bathroom mirror and speak them everyday. Put them in your car, at the office, record yourself saying them and listen to it over and over.  Proclaim these truths from the one who is TRUTH. This is what the Great I AM says you are:

I AM……

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

I am anointed (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

I am confident (Philippians 1:6)

I am protected (1 John 5:18)

I am blessed (Ephesians 1:3)

I am chosen (Ephesians 1:4, 11)

I am holy (Ephesians 1:4)

I am adopted (Ephesians 1:5)

I am wise (Ephesians 1:8)

I am forgiven (Colossians 1:14)

I am purposed (Ephesians 1:9)

I am hopeful (Ephesians 1:12)

I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)

i am God’s coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am alive (Ephesians 2:5)

I am loved (Ephesians 2:7)

I am a masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)

I am valuable (Ephesians 2:13)

I am peaceful (Ephesians 2:14)

I am secure (Ephesians 2:20)

I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am a light (Romans 1:12)

I am promised (John 6:47)

I am a VIP (Ephesians 2:18)

I am victorious (I John 5:4)

I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8)

I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)

I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)

I am righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am healed (I Peter 2:24)

I am free (Romans 8:1, 2)

I am an overcomer (I John 4:4)

I am strong (Philippians 3:14)

I am protected (John 10:28)

I am born again (I Peter 1:23)

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am delivered (Colossians 1:13)

I am qualified (Colossians 1:12)

I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any doubled-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12)

 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.

 (2 Corinthians 10:5)

 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

(Ephesians 6:16)

#NailedIt

 

I’m not much of a craft person, but at times I give it a go. I certainly have my creative side. Pinterest has lots of DIY (do it yourself) projects for people to try. Apparently, these are not always the easiest things to accomplish. In the last few year,s tons of before and after pictures with the hashtags #nailedit and #failed have spread all over the internet. There are even websites like www.pinterestfail.com  that show people’s attempts at mastering these DIY projects.  I find these comparisons hilarious. I love to see people’s attempts and how miserably they fall short in their finished product.

The reason these are so funny to me, is because I relate. Viewing people’s pinterest fails helps me remember how truly imperfect we all are, and how we need to laugh at our failures. Really failures are simply a stepping stone to success and an opportunity for God to show off how much He loves us. God’s word is filled with people who failed miserably, but learned from their mistakes and were loved by God. Here are a few examples of failures and other possible disqualifications mentioned in the Bible:

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zacchaeus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer..
AND Lazarus was dead!

(Author Unkown)

 When I come to an obstacle, or what I feel like is a failure in my life, it’s good to remember that I’m not alone. The best way I’ve found to deal with my own struggles, is to not isolate myself and listen to   the voice of the enemy telling me that I’m the only one dealing with this issue. Instead, I choose to listen to the voice of God who encourages me and tells me to keep pressing on.  I have great examples in my own life and in the Bible of people who have failed and been redeemed. I try to laugh at my situation and trust that my loving God will always show up and help me. His word overflows with encouragement of how He adores me and will always be by my side. It’s a love letter filled with instruction, compassion, sacrifice, and passion. I know in my weakness, He is strong. He turns my failures into success to further His kingdom.  My mess becomes a message, my test a testimony, and my trial a triumph.  Just when I think it’s over….I overcome because of His power at work in my life.

I know that my struggles are temporary and will be used for a greater purpose. God never wastes a hurt. He never allows us to struggle beyond what we can bear. He refines us, strengthens us, builds our character, and prepares us for the next battle.

When I think of the hashtag #nailedit I laugh at the irony. Really, they made a big mess of everything and are in the midst of laughing about it.  When we laugh, it brings us joy and lifts our spirit.

I also think of how Jesus #nailedit on the cross for us 2,000 years ago. God allowed his Son to be sacrificed for us so our sins would be forgiven. Jesus willingly endured all the pain on the cross because he loves us so much. When Jesus left Earth we were given the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. He is our counselor, friend, teacher, comforter and guide in  this life.

So the next time you think that you’ve failed miserably, remember you’re not alone in feeling that way. Get up, dust yourself off and smile. Laugh at yourself and trust that God’s got you. He is already turning your fall into a fulfillment of his promise to you…”Surely  goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life”. We aren’t promised to never fail. We aren’t promised our lives will always be easy. You can’t change the fact that you will fall sometimes, but you can change the way you look at it. Let God transform you. Read his word, trust his promises and don’t forget to laugh.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].

Proverbs 15:15 (AMP)

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness”.  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

Keepin’ it Fresh!

It’s a beautiful day in Los Angeles. I’m driving down Normandie into Korea town when I realize that I almost past our new church building without even noticing. It wasn’t that many months ago that I was filled with such excitement about all that God had blessed our church with in our new home. We had all been praying for years. When the time was right, God moved quickly. We began the fund raising through our, “Heart for the House” campaign and planned for a year of giving. Almost as soon as we started raising money a building became available and we had to move quickly. People were generous, hearts were open, and everyone was excited. It wasn’t just some regular run of the mill sort of building either. It was a beautiful historic cathedral built in the 1920’s. It was incredible! Filled with history and the sort of stone architecture you don’t see any more today.

When we were raising money for our new building I was excited about every opportunity to help and any new piece of information that became available. I remember going on a prayer walk from our old church building to the new one, about 3 miles, and being filled with excitement for all the future would hold. Every new addition was a momentous occasion. One day the whole church got a bath, another day new plants and wood chips out front, then a new sign, another new sign, a bus bench with our info on it, our Hollywood walk of fame star with Jesus Christ was moved to our new location. It was so exciting that I was telling total strangers about our home.

Once we were in our new building I used to purposely drive my car down Normandie so that after going up and down a few hills, the street would slightly turn and then there she was in all her splendor! Wow! I would turn the worship music way up in my car and roll down the windows filled with excitement. God had done so much and shown incredible favor to bless us all with our new location and beautiful home………and today I almost passed by without even noticing.

I’m sure anyone who was a part of this process can relate to my excitement, but for those of you who find it dull because you can’t relate think of how excited you were when you got a new car. Remember how you took care of it and were excited to drive it everywhere? You wanted to show it off to your friends, decorate it, buy a new air freshener, and always kept it clean. After a little time goes by a few stains have arrived and a french fry or two has found a home under your seat. The car wash isn’t happening quite as often and a hard rain will hopefully wash off some dust. Well, not so much in LA. We are more likely to get an accidental car wash from a wayward sprinkler than actual rain.

We don’t have much of an attention span anymore. We are constantly needing to be entertained. Think about it….if there is a lull in a conversation we whip out our cell phones. At the gas station and in the supermarket there are computer screens entertaining us with advertisements. No wonder I get distracted when I try to sit for any extended period of time and read. In LA we have electric billboards that change every few seconds. In a world that is constantly changing how do we stay consistent? We have a God who never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We are the ones who are constantly changing.

How do we keep our relationship with God new and fresh. How do we keep our relationship with Him exciting and at a boiling point? At first glance it might not seem like God is going to chase us down  with some flashing neon lights in order to keep our attention…but a relationship with Him is pretty exciting…..and that’s exactly what it is….a relationship. Sometimes I forget that God and I are in a relationship and just like dating (or marriage) it’s two sided and takes work. As I was thinking about how to improve my relationship with God I decided I should use all the energy, knowledge and endless books I’ve read on relationships and apply it to God. So, maybe I should changed my status on Facebook to, “in a relationship with God” it is after all a 3 for 1 sort of deal.

It’s been a while since I’ve been in love, but it’s hard to forget how that feels. I would think about him all day long, text throughout the day, and always want to hear his voice before I went to sleep. I would get so excited about spending time with him. I would plan out my outfits, think about every detail, hair, shoes, make up, perfume, accessories ect.. I would talk to my girlfriends about my upcoming date and get filled with butterflies and anticipation. After my dates I would often think about all we said and did and journal, write songs, and poems about him. In excitement I would talk to my friends about how amazing he was. Everything about me glowed. I was inspired and felt creative all the time. I literally breathed in the world writing creative prose in my head. Everything was beautiful. The sun was brighter, the birds more cheerful and I was full of joy constantly. My face literally hurt from smiling. What if I felt this way about God all the time? I want to really fall in love with God.

I want to wake up in the morning thinking about Him and talking to Him before I even get out of bed. I want to be so excited to spend time with Him in the mornings that we enjoy our coffee together while I read His word. I want to spend time singing praise songs on the road instead of yelling at LA drivers. Throughout the day I want to be excited and thankful for the ways he communicated with me and tells me things through the Holy Spirit. He will send me little surprises all day long and I will want to tell all my friends and even total strangers about the goodness of my God. People will be excited and others slightly jealous, but all will want what I have because the love and joy of God are attractive and contagious.

Everyone can have a love relationship with God and the secret to keepin’ it fresh is to work on it and honor your relationship with Him. God loves us so much and longs to be in relationship with us. Sometimes we forget all the sacrifices He made for us and how little he really asks of us. His word says that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20)….that’s a pretty small request for such a big reward. God loves us so dearly and wants nothing but the very best for us. He has big plans for us. He has a hope and a future for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and really He just wants our love and devotion. This week I think I’ll put on a new outfit for God and get butterflies of anticipation to spend time with Him because we are falling in love all over again. I hope you are too.