Know Who Your Father Is

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you would like to have perfect peace, look at verse 3 going backwards. "Because they trust in you."

When something happened recently that shook my peace, I began to recount all the times when God was unbelievably faithful to me and my family. I started listing all of the blessings that I have. I began to praise Him for His power, for His kindness, for His resources, for His patience, for His perfect timing. By the time I finished, I was realizing that God is enough. I am not enough to handle this but God is more than enough.

Mark and I do three minutes of exercise each morning. We start by planking for 60 seconds and giving praise to God. If you recognize who your father is, your attitude changes. If I realize that my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, why do I need to worry? If my heavenly father can do immeasurably above and beyond what I ask for, why am I afraid?

The Lord is good. He is a safe place to go to in times of trouble. He takes care of those who trust him.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Your Own Strength Will Fail You

“He said, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4:6‬

What an incredible reminder to us! When we face an army, small or large, our strength will be provided by the Spirit and not by our own power and strength.

For about 5 years, I have attended a strengthening class called Body Pump. I get excited about the progress I have made to lift heavier weights. The last couple of weeks, I have increased my squat weights again. I am able to do all the push-up routines on my toes and not my knees. I have come a long way from my old self.

However, do you think for a second that I can actually be a worthy opponent if I was attacked by a 6 foot guy? No way. How foolish it would be for me to think I have the strength to defeat an enemy with my strength! I would need someone to fight for me.

We need to be the same way when we face our enemy..the accuser, the liar, the deceiver. We absolutely cannot defeat him in our own strength. We need more power and wisdom. We need someone right there beside us to fight for us.

Do not continue to fight your battles with your own strength and wisdom. You will lose every time. Get in the Word! Develop an intense prayer life! You have to have different weapons to fight our adversary.

“The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places."
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:4‬

By the way, I do not lift weights by myself. I am in a class with 30 other people. I have become a part of a group of friends who care about me and they notice when I am absent from Body Pump. They acknowledge if I am lifting higher weights and they praise me and encourage me. When I use the heaviest weights for squats, they lift the weights off my back when I am done.

Same thing with a small group...you attend until you are a part. You learn everyone's name. You acknowledge when you see growth in their life. However, the most important thing you do is to pray for them when their load is too heavy.

Some Friends Make You Wise

“Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:20‬ ‭
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You can pray three times a day and read your Bible everyday but if you hang around "fools you will have trouble." It says if you want to be wise, you have to be friends with those who are wise. Today may be a good day to analyze your friendships.

Do you feel amazed that you have a few friends that are God-given? Are these friends running after the Lord? Do they hold you accountable to prayer and Bible study? Do they say what you want to hear or do they point you to the Word and say what the Word says? Do they really pray for you if you ask them?

I have been very fortunate to have friends that have a lot of wisdom...very fortunate. These friends were a gift from God. But I am positive that God has a plan and purpose for everyone to have these friendships in our lives. If you long for one good friend like this, not a perfect friend but a wretched sinner just like you that is saved by grace, ask God for this. Pray until He answered your prayer.

Do Not Fear the Lion's Den

“Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I always love the end of September because I am reading one of the most incredible books...Daniel. If you have not read the book of Daniel recently, it would be a good idea to read it before the November election. The prayer he prays for his nation in chapter 9 should be our prayer for America right now.

I am always intrigued by what it says about him in chapter 6. It says that Daniel "always prayed three times every day." Always...prayed...everyday. It says that he "prayed just as he always had done." Yes, there was a new law that says if you pray to another God, you would be thrown in the lion's den. But he prayed as he had always done on his knees. He prayed with intentionality and intensity. He prayed at specific times. It was marked on his calendar.

I am not going to let us off the hook. Is there any reason why we can't pray with intentionality every single day? But do we make up a hundred reasons why we did not find the time all day? And then we wonder why we face our lion's den with crippling fear. Daniel faced the lion's den with confidence because he spent three times everyday in prayer. I want to be like that, don't you? If someone asks Daniel about his prayer life, he would be able to tell the specific times that he prayed each day. Can you and I do that?

Go back and read the book of Daniel and you will not be surprised that he was always respected and there was "never found any fault in him." Kings sought his wisdom. When the lion's den story was written, he had been praying for many years. He did not start yesterday. When you start earnestly carving out time to pray, go at it for a lifetime and look back after 10, 20,30 or 40 years. You will face any lion's den with confidence.

I don't know what lion's I will face today. Starting my day with prayer will give me the strength to face the lion. Another way to look at starting my day with prayer is this...if I skip this morning with talking to God, am I assuming that I can provide all the strength and wisdom that I need for today?

Election Year

 I really need to say something. The election in November...it is confusing and fearful and weird. But here is a truth. We all need to vote for one candidate or the other. To not vote is irresponsible, perhaps a little immature. 

I actually have complete confidence in my students that when they turn 18, they are ready to make decisions about the future of our country. They may not always make the best decision but neither do I. I hope that older adults set the example for the younger generation that even though the choices are tricky, you still vote. 

To not vote means that you can never once complain about the Supreme Court decisions, whether the national debt increases, what happens with illegal immigrants, how a terrorist threat to our nation is handled, or even health insurance changes. You lost your chance to complain when you don't vote. 

If you are not sure who to vote for, do what I do. I am talking to people that I love and respect and asking questions, lots of questions! Grit your teeth and watch the conventions:). I watched three days of the Republican convention and learned a lot about Trump and his kids. I am scouring the Internet and trying to determine the views of each candidate. I am especially trying to see what evangelical Christian leaders are saying because I am more likely to vote as they do. And I get discouraged when strong leaders are silent because ordinary people like me need some guidance.

Notice that I am definitely NOT saying who to vote for. That is the great thing about living in this fabulous country. I guess I chose the picture because I hope it reminds us all that because a high price was paid so that we have the freedom to vote the way we want...we have to vote. 

So that is the main reason that I am writing this post. Get out and vote and encourage others to do the same. 

The Search for Significance

“Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all the wonderful things in them. The devil said, “If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things.” Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’” Deuteronomy 6:13”
Matthew 4:8-10 ERV

The third temptation of Jesus may be our biggest temptation that we face. The search for significance. The longing to be noticed. The hunger for power in the world around us, however small our world is. 

Again, Satan puts some truth to this to make it almost believable. He is offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That may confuse you. How can Satan offer all the kingdoms of the world? We need to understand that for a time, Satan is the ruler of this world. Jesus said,

“Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out.”
John 12:31 ERV

That is the slice of truth in Satan's offer. If Jesus bows down, Satan can give him the cheap power that the world offers. Satan has the power to do that and he will do that...offer the empty things that seems wonderful. We are faced with this decision a daily basis. We long to dominate and control, if not others, at least the circumstances that we face. I teasingly stand in front of the document camera's light in my classroom and say, "I am the star of the show, not you." 

At an early age, we are drawn to the spotlight. We put a post on Facebook or Instagram and we check our "likes." The more talented or attractive or athletic we are, the greater the temptation to crave that attention. But be sure that you realizing what you are gaining...a cheap imitation for significance. 

Jesus points us to the true source of self worth. He says, " I will only worship the One who is worthy of worship." He submitted himself to the Father and did not seek the power and attention for himself. He did not seek to serve himself. In doing so, not only did he defeat his foe, he paid for our eternal significance. Until we get this right, we will spend our life trying to figure out why the world keeps disappointing us. Satan only offers the imitation. Jesus offers the real thing.

Do Not Put God to the Test

"He said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, jump off, because the Scriptures say, ‘God will command his angels to help you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.’” Psalm 91:11-12 Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’””
Matthew 4:6-7 ERV

The second temptation of Jesus is a familiar one that we all face. Satan spoke the truth about God's promise to rescue. God has the power, the desire and the reason to save Jesus from harm. When  God rescues us from a trial he receives glory. Win-win situation. So why is this the temptation that Satan chose? 

When we are facing a trail, we all are tempted to "put God to the test." We put him on trial. We place our self imposed demands on God. We say, "God, because you CAN save me, you MUST save me." We are misquoting truth about a promise that we think we read somewhere in the Bible. 

Notice the way Satan made this a test for Jesus. "Jump off and let God save you." Jesus was totally submitted to his Father. He defined the word submission! He said things like,

"You will know that whatever I do is not by my own authority. You will know that I say only what the Father has taught me.”
John 8:28 ERV

Wow! Even the Son of God did not tell his Father how to save him. On the night before his greatest trial, he says,

“He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.””
Matthew 26:39

But Satan cleverly suggested that Jesus tell God what to do. Gracious, how many times do we fall guilty of that? We suggest ways to rescue us and the timetable that he should take to save us. We put God to the test. Worse yet, when he fails to do OUR will, we get mad and bitter and decide that he wasn't all that powerful. 

Next time when things don't go as you planned and life throws you a curveball, use the Word of God and speak the same truth that Jesus spoke. Declare that you will not put "God to the test." He is not the one being tested. You are.

What Really Matters

You will not be in heaven two seconds before you cry out, “Why did I place so much importance on things that were so temporary? What was I thinking? ~Rick Warren 

Today make a list of all the material things that you will NOT take with you when you die. Houses, cars, retirement portfolio, clothes, furniture, etc. Continue to make a list of things that make you very happy but nonetheless, you will NOT take them with you. This list may include jobs, travel opportunities, favorite tv shows, FaceTime and Instagram, hobbies, maybe even favorite foods that you can not give up for some reason. 

Lastly make a list of people that you love more than anything else on this earth. Tricky part here is that you must decide if you will see them in heaven or not. Parents, spouses, kids, family members and friends would be on this list. 

Realize that the material things and the earthly things that bring us happiness simply will not be there. Our retiremnt savings will disappear....in a second. The amazing house that you spend a lifetime decorating. The car that we maybe spent too much on and we are straddled with a monthly payment is not there. We have a better transportation in heaven:).

Facetime or Instagram will not be anywhere but for some reason we check it once an hour and determine our selfworth with how many 'likes" we got. Food...oh, glorious favorite foods. The food that we simply cannot give up even if we know that it has a death grip on us, will not be needed in heaven. That piece of cheesecake will not be there and we will wonder why the fascination with it existed In the first place. The older I get, the more I want to eat to exist and not exist to eat. 

Let's get to the people part. When we walk into the gates of heaven, there will be no more chances to cry out and pray for the salvation of that loved one that we wanted to spend eternity with. On the other hand, when we see our loved ones that preceded us, it will seem like it was only a second snice we last saw them on earth. Then we will understand that when God took them a little too early, they were at the greatest place and we should have been so excited for them. God maybe wondered why we got so angry at Him because He knew we were going to see them "tomorrow." 

Casts a a new light on things like suffering or disappointment or losing a loved one. Makes me want to rejoice that "God is making me new" when I am disciplined for my good. Makes me want to have clearer vision and not cloudy vision. And understand that "things we see are here today and gone tomorrow." 

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG

Changing Churches

One of our closest friends, who happens to be a minster, asked Mark and I why we have stayed at the same church for 23 years. I was puzzled. I could not give him an answer at the time. I had never considered leaving our church. But the more I thought about it, the more I have come to realize that this is a most vital question that needs an answer.

"Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12

Mark and I are part of the body. The church that we attend is not a piecemeal of preschool ministry, children's ministry, youth ministry, single's ministry and so on. We are all many parts, but put together we are the church. Mark and I have been a part of the youth ministry, college ministry, career ministry and young marrieds ministry. We also volunteer in the preschool ministry when they are shorthanded. 

As a deacon and wife, we help prepare The Lord Supper when it is our turn. Once a quarter, we counsel after the church service. Once a quarter, Mark visits church members that are in the hospital. On Thursday morning, Mark and I pray for several specific ministers during our prayer time. 

For Mark and I to change churches seems unthinkable. Part of the body would be ripped out. Not that our one little part is a big thing, but a hundred little parts are all put together to make our church part of the "body of Christ."

We have never looked at our church and considered whether we have chosen the best children's ministry when our kids were younger. It never occurred to us to "shop around" and see who had the best youth ministry when our sons were in high school. Because we prayed for our pastor on a weekly basis, it seemed odd to compare him to other pastors in town and see if he was the best speaker.

Mark and I have told our college and career class members a thousand times, "If you don't feel like you are a part, just come until you do."  God has never failed to answer a prayer when we cry out and ask. No matter what church you are attending and the reason that you feel it is not "serving" you, God is powerful enough to move in your church and in your situation. 

I think things we have to ask ourselves if we are considering changing churches. Do I expect the pastor to feed me or am I in the Word every single day? Do I have a heart of worship all day everyday or I am expecting a worship team on Sunday morning to motivate me to worship for ten minutes per week? Is there an area in your present church that God has called you to serve? Are you serving the body or are you expecting the body to serve you?

Maybe the only reason that I can think of to change churches is when you move. We moved 6 hours from home 23 years ago and it seemed like the best time to change churches:).  I had to follow every single piece of advice that I have given here, trust me. It took a long time to fit in. But I can't imagine being anywhere else. 

Biking Riding Thoughts

“You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. God paid a very high price to make you his. So honor God with your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ERV

What a sweet reminder that we do not own ourselves! I am so excited that this was the verse that I was reading this morning and I had already decided that I was going to write about bike riding!

Yesterday was the first day back this year to ride my bike...extremely late in the season. First, school was way too busy. Then it rained all the time. Then three weekends in a row with out of town company. The excuses piled up. I wondered if I should just sell that bike. But yesterday I could offer up no excuses.

Let me me say from the beginning that riding bikes for me is not easy. I did not grow up riding bikes. My mom did not let us ride our bikes out of the driveway because she was so afraid her four daughters would get hurt. I decided that bike riding was a dangerous activity and I should avoid it. Four years ago, Mark came in one day and said "I bought bikes for us to ride." I thought he has lost his mind! I had no idea that bike riding would teach me about myself and walking with the Lord.

When I first started riding, it was so unfamilar to me. But as I improved I began to enjoy the time of riding. After two years, Mark came home and announced that we would be getting "better" bikes. Better bikes meant bikes that have these weird handle bars. They help you go faster, according to Mark. I thought "I don't want to go faster. i want the slow, steady and no risk pace that I have."

Oh, the lessons I have learned come riding these new bikes. First of all, you have to keep your balance.

“But I almost slipped and lost my balance. I almost fell into sin.”
Psalms 73:2 ERV

About a month after I started riding, I got a little cocky. I took my eyes off the road in front, took one hand off the handle and looked to the right and attempted to pick a bug off of Mark's shirt. That crash sent me to the emergency room with a fractured arm. Just as in the Christian life, if I get prideful and think that I can take my eyes off Jesus for one second and "turn to the left or right" I am in for a painful crash. Keeping my balance and focus is imperative!

Another thing that I have learned is riding bikes is that it is not a joyful, pain free activity. It always requires grit for me. It starts off carefree for about 60 seconds and then I remember that I have to keep making my legs move and move and move. Happens every single time. The first minute is glorious and then I realize that I have to exert the energy to ride 15 more miles to finish. So much like my walk with Christ. It is awesome to declare that I love following the Lord. But to wake up early every morning and spend time with him requires effort on my part. It will catch you off guard when you realize that wanting to follow the Lord requires that you have to "deny yourself and take up your cross and follow him anywhere."

The place where I usually ride is a 7.5 mile path that ends in a circular spot and then you turn around and ride 7.5 miles back to your car. I usually try to work harder after the turn around. I purposefully try to go much faster and it kills me. I am uncomfortable. I divide it up into the mile markers to pace myself. I see the mile marker that says, "5 miles" and I tell myself that I have to make it until I see "4 miles." This always makes me think of times in my life when I step out of my comfort zone and be willing to be uncomfortable to live in obedience to Christ. Writing this blog is a good example of this for me. I want to write down my thoughts and keep them to myself. I feel foolish most days for letting others read these. But I tell myself, "Jesus is saying just trust me today. Don't worry about whether you have anything to write about tomorrow. We can talk about that one on the next mile marker."

I saved an obvious lesson for the end. " Honor God with your body." Even though God may not call you to begin riding bikes, today may be a good time to ask if there are any changes you need to make with how you treat this body that God owns. I can guarantee that God can use the exercise to teach you about Himself.

Be On Guard

““But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.””
Luke 21:34-36 MSG

i love reading through the gospels and soaking in all the words of Jesus. I think about this one a lot. "But be on guard!" Jesus is saying that to us because he loves us and cares for us. He is clearly warning us that we will be caught off guard if we get swept away by things of this world. We don't like to hear this. I know most Christians close their eyes and ears and go to other topics like love, grace and sweet thoughts. .

I enjoy things of this world as much as anybody...eating, shopping, decorating(the house that will burn up), etc. But I want to maintain "a sharp edge of expectation." I want my thoughts to be laced with eternal things. If I warn my sons of something, I hope they have the good sense to listen. Jesus has put out a warning. I hope I have the good sense to listen.

Do not look right or left

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

The longer I live and the busier life gets, I must watch over my heart. I feel like I am the person that these verses are describing sometimes. I do talk out of both sides of my mouth. I have an incredible amount of careless banter!!! I struggle to not gossip, but sometimes I just gossip. I hate to tell a white lie but I know that I do!

The answer lies in this verse...keep my eyes straight ahead and watching my step. As women we all know about looking right or left. I will be walking along in life with my eyes fixed on Jesus and out of the corner of my eye, I see something that looks a lot more exciting and I veer to the right. Maybe a longing for another girl's life that looks a lot more relaxing or more fulfilling or just simpler. So I travel that way and let jealously simmer in my heart.

For just today, let's keep out eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let's don't turn left or right. Protect our heart against useless wandering off the path. Protect our heart with all the energy that we have. And then that is where the joy of the Lord will seep in.

Do you want to be isolated from God?

“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”
1 John 2:15-17 MSG

These things:
1) wanting my own way.
2) wanting everything for myself.
3) wanting to appear important.

Isolates me from God.

Relax and Refuel With Your Friends

On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.”
Acts 14:27-28 MSG

I haven't noticed that verse before but I really like the truth that it speaks. Paul and Barnabas had been on a long missionary journey. Paul was beaten up and left for dead. He helped a lame man to stand up and walk. One community threw a parade for him and wrongly called him a god. He had preached day in and day out. Many had come to know Jesus.

I think the part that I had overlooked is the end of the trip. He got back with the fellowship of believers. He bragged on what God had done. It implies that he relaxed. Sometimes we give and serve until we are at the point of exhaustion. Every now and then we need to sit around with our BFF's and brag about what God did and relax and refuel.

Fear of Exercise?

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7 ERV

As I am writing this post, I am taking Ibuprofen and alternating ice and a heating pad on my legs. I feel like I am a 100 years old! I missed two weeks of Body Pump(extremely rare for me to miss). When I returned on Monday to work out, I was faced with the consequences of missing for two weeks...sore muscles. 

But then I read this verse. God does not give me a spirit of fear. He is a "source of power." He will provide the power that I lack to move about and play with my grandsons and help me to rapel on a school trip and think about riding bikes when I am old. He gives the power and courage! Let me be totally honest. I do not like to hurt like this. I want to give up exercise forever. So the power that I am experiencing is from Him, not me. 

The verse also mentions that He gives "self-control." The definition of self control is to "control one's emotions and behavior in the face of impulses and temptations Self control is necessary to achieve goals and regulate our behavior." We need to ask boldly and often for a spirit of self control. Our own control is pathetic. We choose the wrong path most of the time. 

If you are facing fear about starting an exercise program for any reason...age, years of inactivity, physical limitations- read this verse. Ask God to remind you of His part. Quit focusing on your part. Start today and let God get the glory when others see you displaying courage in your exercise program.

Why did this happen to me?

“Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were tied up and put in prison. They were killed with stones. They were cut in half. They were killed with swords. The only clothes some of them had were sheepskins or goatskins. They were poor, persecuted, and treated badly by others. The world was not good enough for these great people. They had to wander in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground.”
Hebrews 11:36-38 ERV

Our pastor is about 6 months into the book of Hebrews. This was a verse from Sunday that may be the most important thought I have had lately. I had written about it yesterday morning and the IPad deleted it when I finished it. I always think that this is the enemy trying to delete a powerful message so I will try again. 

These verses were written about faithful saints...not the wicked. Let that thought sink in. This was taken from the "faith" chapter. How many times have you thought "why is this happening to me?" How often have you thought that the suffering that you are experiencing is unfair because you are a follower of Christ? We have this erroneous thinking that God owes us blessings because we are living right. On the contrary, with Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father, there are decisions made in heaven that confound us but should never cause us to lose our faith in the wisdom of God. 

The power of these verses is wrapped around this truth...heaven is NOT here on earth. These saints believed that their extreme joy was waiting for them in heaven and not on earth. A death, an illness, a divorce, a job loss, a wayward child are not a cause to doubt the love of a Heavenly Father. God has the best plan for us. You can't always understand it but you can trust him. His promises are ultimately seen and experienced in heaven. 

“God was pleased with all of them because of their faith. But not one of them received God’s great promise. God planned something better for us. He wanted to make us perfect."
Hebrews 11:39-40a ERV

Trust Him in the Storm

“A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm. He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?””
Mark 4:37-40 ERV

When will we ever understand what Jesus is saying here? When will I ever stop being afraid? When will I start completely trusting in him, even in the middle of storm? Jesus slept during the storm! That is how peaceful he was in the middle of life-threatening situation.

Lord, I want to trust you in the middle of a financial storm, a health storm, a family storm, a marriage storm, a "I'm exhausted but I have too much left to do" storm. Like it or, the storm will become calm. It will end. I want to trust him right in the middle of the storm before I see how it turns out.

Wide path or narrow path to losing weight

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. — Matthew 7:13–14

I could not help but smile when I read this verse. The majority of Americans choose the wide and broad gate on the road to their health choices. I know that most of us have a goal to lose a few pounds. The problem is that we want to choose the easy way to lose weight. The way that does not involve any sufferings or pain.

But the small gate will lead to abundant life. Let our prayer be to embrace the narrow way...in every area of our life. 

Is food controlling you?

““I am allowed to do anything,” you say. My answer to this is that not all things are good. Even if it is true that “I am allowed to do anything,” I will not let anything control me like a slave.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 ERV

Ouch! Is food controlling your body like a slave? I suspect it is if you are like most Americans. This was predicted in the Bible as a sign of the end times.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—”
2 Timothy 3:1-4 NIV

I don't want to be a lover of myself and allow food to make me happy.
if if you haven't already set a few goals, take time this weekend and tie your health goals together with your spritual goals.

Diet Tips

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

What a great promise to us when we try lose weight or begin an exercise program. When we attempt to eat healthy because we are strong or disciplined, it only lasts for a period of time. Then temptation strikes and we eat a trigger food and fall back into old old ways.

But if we rely on the Lord and hold his hand throughout the day, he will show us a way to escape the temptation. The secret is to rely on him and trust his promise to show us a way to escape. God is faithful. He wants us to live in victory. He cares what we eat. He gave us our bodies in the first place!

Praying for each of you to walk close to him today and experience his grace and mercy.

Success in Losing Weight

“So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want. If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.”
Romans 8:12-13 ERV

I don't know about you, but yesterday I compared every bit of food to "red stew." Read previous post. When I was tempted to make an unhealthy food choice, I compared it to giving up my birthright. I had to decide if giving up my birthright was worth that delicious snack(and we had a lot of delicious snacks at our faculty meeting yesterday). None seemed more important than keeping my eyes on being at a healthy weight.

I love what it says in Romans. "If you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do, you will have true life." I really want true life! I don't want to settle for an overweight, out of shape, sit on the couch and watch tv every night life.

At age 60, my family can tell you that I have lost and gained weight so many times. However, for the past three years I have kept off the weight and exercised! What is making the difference? I am seeing that the answers are in God's word and not a diet plan. A diet plan can come after reading God's word. But my success can't come from a human plan. The success can't be a once and for all magic formula. It will be from a consistent searching and seeking of the Lord.

I want wide open spacious!

“Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!”
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 MSG

This is what I feel like when I am walking in obedience...living expansively and openly. When we let everything be about us and always want to be "comfortable" and eat what WE want because we feel IIke it, we feel small and fenced in. Because when we eat a bowlful of chips or bag of cookies or three slices of pizza, we will have put ourselves in the small, cramped space.

A spacious life comes when we are willing to deny ourselves certain things for our own good. There is no wrong food. We all realize that. But for our own good, there are healthier choices. Taking the healthy choice is a means to enter a wide-open, spacious life. For me, today doesn't need to include 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter:).

Power comes from the Lord

““Joseph is like a wild donkey, like a young donkey by a spring, like colts grazing in a pasture. People attacked him and made life hard for him. Men with arrows became his enemies. But he won the fight with his mighty bow and his skillful arms. He gets power from the Mighty One of Jacob, from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,”
Genesis 49:22-24 ERV

i am mesmerized by the book of Genesis. I start every year off by reading through the Bible. I am always a little sad when I reach the end of Joseph's life in chapter 50.

We can learn a lot from Joseph's life. It says, "people attacked him and made life hard for him." His life was REALLY hard. Reread Genesis if you need a reminder. But he "gets his power from the Mighty One." It's okay if we whine a little and say that life is hard. Job spent 40 chapters whining about his life and he gets a book in the Bible wriiten about his life:):):).

But don't miss the key...Joseph drew his strength from the Lord, from the Shepherd, from the Rock. We would do well to follow that example in our lives today.

Lose some stuff before you lose weight

Steven Furtick: "There’s always a tradeoff. Before God can bring his promises to pass in your life, he has to strip away all the stuff that keeps you from trusting him wholeheartedly. And that stuff is on the inside. God’s invisible work in you prepares you for his visible works through you."

What does God need to strip away on the inside of my life? I worry a lot about the outside appearance. But the outside won't change until I allow God to work on the inside. The enemy wants us to only focus appearance, doesn't he? If I want to lose some weight, there is some inside stuff that I need to lose first.

Need Christ's power and not willpower

“I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me."
2 Corinthians 12:8a

I had to smile when I read this verse and thought, "Yep, I have asked you more than three times to help me with my weight problem(or my "you fill in the blank" problem). What area of your life do you continue to come to the Lord and ask for help and he seems to be silent and not help you?

Well, the best part of the verse is so comforting.
But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 ERV

I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. I lack the discipline I need most days! But that's the good news. Only when I admit that to myself and to the Lord, can I be the receipt of his profound, unmatched grace! He says that "when I am humble, he gives grace."

Today i I will remember that I need Christ's power and not my "willpower."

Disobedient?

“Moses said to Pharaoh, “I will pray for you, your people, and your officials. Then the frogs will leave you and your houses. They will remain only in the river. When do you want the frogs to go away?” Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “It will happen as you say. In this way you will know that there is no god like the Lord our God.”
Exodus 8:9-10 ERV

As you can tell, I am deep into Exodus with my Bible reading. I get so mad when I see the stubbornness of Pharaoh! God knew his heart and he sent plague after plague to cause him to agree to let the people of Israel go. Moses and Aaron continued to warn him of the terrible thing that was about to happen...water turned into blood, frogs appeared everywhere, darkness descended on the land, hailstorm destroyed their crops, etc.

Listen to the stubbornness of Pharaoh when Moses asked him when he wanted the frogs to leave. "Tomorrow," Really!!! That is a rebellious heart. I would have begged that God would end the plague right then and there. However, the Pharaoh wanted the last word on his relief. That is a hard heart!

i know that the reason God made this verse jump off the page to me today. He is pointing out to me that many times, he has warned me of the consequences of my sin. He has clearly told me what would happen if I continue in that path. My response would be, "I will change tomorrow."

Is is there an area of your life where God has clearly warned you of the things that will happen if you continue in the path you are on? For example, not reading the word, not having a quiet time, eating too much junk, sleeping late on Sunday morning, not cherishing and forgiving your spouse, ...the list goes on and on. Is your response, "Tomorrow. Not today because I enjoy my disobedience too much? "

Need to Delegate?

“But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “This isn’t the right way to do this. It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too.”
Exodus 18:17-18 ERV

Do you have the attitude that you are in charge and you have to do everything? I certainly do:). When I have the "martyr syndrome" I wear myself out and the people around me, as well. My sisters will tell you that we got this honest from our mom and we did not like the "I've got to do everything and don't try to help me."

Have a a discerning heart today and ask yourself honestly what can be delegated or dropped all together. While you are at this, examine your motives. Are you continuing to do everything from pride so that you will get the glory? Ouch!

We can't be the whole body of Christ. We can only be the small part that God created us to do. We will be happier and the people around us will be too.

Way To Riches

“Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 ERV

Many things happen when life is a beat down. We forget that "our troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory." But something else happens-comparison with someone else that doesn't have that problem!

If you are like me, you will begin to compare your life with some one else's every time. Say you have worked hard on your eating and exercise and you gain two pounds. You look around and find women that don't seem to struggle with weight issues and you start comparing. Maybe you are choking with busyness and stress at work(me). You look around and find women that have an easy job or no job. The list could go on and on.

This verse has an antidote. Be content with what we have. "Devotion to God is a way to be very rich." It is a vicious cycle when we take our eyes off the Lord. Good days, bad days will always be there and we will envy the lives of others. i want to get my eyes on him and not others. That is the only way to break out of that cycle.

Never Give Up

“That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 ERV

If we flip this verse around, "If we give up as our physical bodies become older, our spirit is not going to be strengthened.

If we long to be stronger, in every way...physically, spiritually, emotionally...we must endure suffering. Obviously, if I want to increase my muscles I must exercise, which is a form of suffering for my body.

if I want to grow in emotional maturity, I must put myself in second place. I must humble myself. I won't grow emotionally if I stay in selfish mode.

But most of all, to grow spiritually, I must accept the trouble and suffering as a form of training that God allows In my life to grow from it. Delayed gratification...the eternal glory is so much greater than my temporary troubles.

Love to Your Fellow Believers

I was reading a great article that my sweet friend, Michelle Myers wrote about how we are quick to criticize our sisters in Christ. I have been thinking about this and this morning I read this verse.

“One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.””
Luke 7:36-39 MSG

The Pharisees were quick to accuse Jesus and one had the nerve to say, "if he was the prophet I thought he was." I thought about how I am quick to find a fault in my fellow sisters in Christ. I judge them quicker than I do a non-Christian and I bet you do too.

Today i am going to give more grace and love to my fellow believers. Think about it...you are going to spend eternity with them:):):).

Is God Taking Too Long to Act?

“When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, “Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt—who knows what’s happened to him?””
Exodus 32:1 MSG

Have you ever thought God was taking too long to do something in your life and you took matters in your own hands? The children of Israel are not any different from us. God had never once disappointed them. In fact, he had done miracle after miracle. But when he paused, they lost their trust and "made other gods."

Next time you realize that God seems silent, don't be tempted in any way to form another god to help you out. Wait. Trust. The golden calf you are substituting is just that...a man-made god. That god will disappoint you every time. The real God will never ever ever disappoint you. He is worth waiting for.

Kindness to People Who Serve Us

“When you come across a bird’s nest alongside the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, don’t take the mother with the young. You may take the babies, but let the mother go so that you will live a good and long life.”
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 MSG

I have been stressing over these two verses for a long time. I couldn't figure out what they meant. If you haven't figured this out yet, the book of Deuteronomy is full of ways to understand the 10 commandments.

Actually when you read a verse, anywhere in the Bible, there is a principal behind that verse. It helps you understand something. I would encourage you to sit on that verse and try to see the principal behind the verse. Ask yourself,"Why was this verse written?"

Sometimes we just ignore the verse because we think it only applies to the people living a long time ago. That is a dangerous assumption. If we do that, we will pick and choose only the verses that we think are important.

Back to this commandment about the birds.Taking the mother bird means that you are harming the mother. Letting the mother bird go means you are allowing them to live and actually valuing even a bird. Perhaps this is why it is written in the Bible.

There are a lot of people that I meet that I call "service people." They fix my appliances, they work at the desk at the YMCA, they take up tickets at the stadium, they clean my board at school and empty the trash, etc. The service or "eggs" is the part I am after and the provider or "mother bird" is disposable to me.

Actually to some people, I am the service person. I teach their kids and to them the kids are all that matters and I am "disposable." How does that make you feel when the person takes what you provide but they discard you?

That is like getting the eggs from the bird and eating the eggs but throwing away the mother bird. Gracious! Today as I run my errands, I want to make the provider more important that the provision.

Try Again

Wow! I read a great devotional by Max Lucado this morning. Here's part of it.

The Bible says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). Thousands upon thousands of saved saints are looking down on us. Abraham. Peter. David. Paul... and Joshua. Your grandma, uncle, neighbor, coach. They’ve seen God’s great grace, and they are all pulling for you.

Press your ear against the curtain of eternity and listen. Do you hear them? They are chanting your name. They are pulling for you to keep going.

“Don’t quit!”

“It’s worth it!”

“Try again!”

After reading this, it reminded me of how many times I have failed at something and wanted to quit forever. Maybe you have done the same thing. 

Maybe you set goals about trying to implement a quiet time and it lasted a week. Or maybe you set a goal to lose weight or exercise and you were eating brownies by the second day. Perhaps your goal is to really be patient with your coworkers and show Christ to them but after a really stressful day, you found yourself acting like an unsaved person. I hate when I do that.

I have the very best intentions and set wonderful goals about what I want to accomplish. I want to write this blog everyday and I can't seem to do it. But the enemy wants to kill, steal and destroy. He genuinely wants us to fail. And he knows what triggers to push. When he makes me stumble, I want to give up say, "I am not equipped to do this."

This verse was a much needed reminder that "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses" who are cheering us on. What a smile this brings to my face. Moses is cheering me on and I will thank him one day when we meet. Abraham and Joshua and Joseph and some of my other favorites want me to be "fit" and they are cheering me on. They are cheering you on, as well. So pick up the pieces and get busy!

Face your Enemies

““So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what GOD, the God of Israel, says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won’t be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things.”
Joshua 7:13 MSG

If you feel any calling at all towards leadership, devour the book of Joshua. You will not be disappointed. My reading today had so many things I could write about that it was hard to decide. But this verse stuck out more than any other.

I will NOT be able to face my enemies until I get rid of these cursed things. I actually wrote a blog yesterday about getting rid of the idols I worship but I never posted it. When I read these verses this morning, I realized I was on the right track.

First of all, identify your idols. I made the word plural because if you worship one idol, there is bound to be others. To worship an idol means you have a heart issue, a trust issue. How to tell if you have an idol...the habits that "bite back if you poke at them." Is food your idol? Is it money? Relationships? Is it "likes" on Facebook?

See there are good habits that only bring you joy and peace like reading the Bible or praying about everything. Those habits will never harm you but they will strengthen you.

When you figure out the cursed idol that you have allowed in your camp, it says simply, "Get rid of it." You can't defeat the enemy until you remove the cursed thing. It may take a stick of dynamite to remove it instead of just a small nudge. We just want to stare at the idol or put it away until another day or ignore it.

If it is a food issue, you may have to say goodbye to some foods forever like cheesecake or fried foods or candy bars. I don't know what your idol is. If it is a possesions issue, give half of it away:):):). Joshua woke up at the crack of dawn and dealt with the issue. The next battle was a resounding victory because they had dealt with the stolen idols. I want some victories in my life. God is telling me plainly how to have those victories!

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