Knock, Knock...Who's There?

"What is TRUE?"
This question has the ability to successfully navigate you through your day. Just recently Pastor Jim Cymbala spoke on the subject of "Headshots". He explained that as a police officer, you are trained to shoot for mass...when aiming at a subject, you find the largest area of mass and shoot. Now if you are being trained as a sniper, you no longer aim for mass...you aim for the head. That is exactly what the enemy aims for...our MIND. He wants to take us out. He wants to immobilize us. He finds great joy in tripping us up and tricking us into believing lies. Once we allow the lies to take root in our heart, it's just a matter of time before we begin to believe that those lies are legit.

Ephesians 6:17 (NLT) says, "Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

There are two very important instructions given to us in this verse.

(1) Put on salvation as your helmet. We have GOT to protect our mind. We cannot just allow any and every thought to gain access into our minds. In NYC (and in a lot of other places too) you cannot just walk up to a residential building and walk in. There are usually two locked doors before you ever gain access into the building. You need to have a key to the building, or you need to know someone who lives in that building so that you can buzz them, tell them who you are, and then they will buzz you in to the building. Especially since the 9/11 attacks, heightened security is all over this City. You cannot just walk into any corporate high rise building and go to whatever floor you want to go to. The first thing you have to do is go to the security desk. They ask for your name, your ID, and who you are expecting to meet with. If you can't supply those things, you will not gain access into the building. All of these policies are in place to ensure the safety of those you are visiting. It's a level of protection.

Since the enemy works essentially like a sniper...he aims for our head; our mind. He intends on injuring us and taking us out completely. He isn't satisfied with a small set back or a temporary hiatus. The enemy want us to be completely and totally useless for God. So, we must be intentional when it comes to protecting our minds. We need to put on our helmet of salvation. We must cover our mind with God's love and saving power.

(2) And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. As a Christian, it is vital to always have the Word of God in our hearts. There is power in the Word. There are promises and truths that will always trump any lie that the enemy feeds us. Truth is truth...whether we feel it or not. For instance II Corinthians 10:5 says this, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." This scripture is an excellent reminder that our mind will be bombarded with false thoughts that are planted by the enemy. The enemy has been doing the same thing over and over for thousands of years. All he wants to do is make you feel for one moment that your ways are so much higher and better than God's. He wants us to think that there is so much more joy outside of God's will...that life is more fulfilling when we live for ourselves. Sound a lot like what he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The enemy planted the lie in her mind that if she ate of the fruit, she would have the knowledge and understanding equal to God. We all know how that turned out for Eve...not so good. At the moment, it seemed like the right thing to do. It was exhilarating and daring. The consequences of believing the enemy's lie has bled throughout the entire universe. We are all experiencing the effects of a mind that was not properly guarded.

Every day is a battle. Some days I feel so victorious. I start my day with a smile, feeling like I can conquer the world. All it takes is one thought, one negative memory, one hurtful conversation to completely deflate the upward direction of my day. I blindly allow Mr. Negative Thought to enter the gates of my mind. He buzzes up to my apartment and instead of asking who is there, I just hit the buzzer and allow him to come on in. It's very unwise to just let any and every thought in. I know this first hand. I probably think (dwell on the past) more than the average person. I am always re-hashing situations and conversations over and over in my mind. They play on a looped schedule...one right after another. I begin to experience the hurt all over again. It directly affects my mood...the atmosphere of my mind is compromised. Dwelling and meditating on a negative experience opens the door for more lies and more hurts to come flooding in. The enemy just wants us to replay painful situations over and over until we are injured all over again. He wants us to be so consumed with ourselves that no one else exists.

Do you remember the game "Red Rover"? We used to play it all of the time in elementary school. We would link arms with each other, then yell out the little Red Rover chant and announce the name of the person we would like to see try to come over to our side and break through our locked arms. There can be a lot learned by this game...When you lock arms with other believers through prayer, fellowship, encouragement, discipleship, it makes it that much more difficult for the enemy to break through our arms. If it is a strong chain, the enemy will never make it through. It takes more than just one person though. We all need to come together as a force. We need to stop talking about how we should "encourage" other people and actually put it into action. Iron sharpens iron. Friends sharpen friends.

I am in a constant state of being under construction...there are so many things I need to work on. I have walls that need to be demolished and replaced with a strong and sure foundation in the Lord. I have great days, and then not so great days. I will have victory over my thoughts in one part of my day, and in that very same day have what I feel to be a complete failure. I was reminded recently that the process of "renewing your mind" is not an overnight fix. It is a process. I love instant gratification. We live in a world of NOW. When it comes to changing a thought pattern and a state of mind that has been all you have ever known, it is going to take a lot of time. What I do know is that the more I practice checking my thoughts at the door of my mind before granting them access into the very presence of my mind, the stronger I will become. This will require being completely INTENTIONAL. It's not easy, but completely worth it.

Will you join me in this fight against the negative and false thoughts that bombard us every moment of the day? Pray with me...Together we can lock arms and bounce the enemy right off of our arms. We can be like the Geico commercial when Dikembe Mutombo intercepts whatever is being tossed his way and says with laugh and a wagging finger, "NOT IN MY HOUSE, HAHAHA", and hits the object sending it in the opposite direction.

Be encouraged friend. Remember that what the enemy used against us and meant to harm us, God promises to use for GOOD. We just have to let Him! It's a minute by minute process for me right now. I am having to be more aware of my thoughts and quick to bat away any that are untrue and that have the potential to breed negativity. We can do this together. God wants us to live a life of freedom. We just have to take the steps toward freedom. I have started to step out in my quest for real freedom. This is going to consist of facing things in my past that maybe I wished could be forever forgotten, but once these things are brought to light I will then begin to experience the freedom that God wants for me. He desires this freedom in your life too.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
~Henry David Thoreau

When it came to dreaming, my dad and I were two peas in a pod! We always found ourselves talking about things we wished we could do, places we wished we could see. Just before he got really sick and had to go to the hospital the very last time, I remember we were sitting in the living room and we started joking about winning the lottery...then it began. We started dreaming about what we would do with the money. I think we probably sat there for about 30 minutes just spouting out extravagant scenarios and how we would do great things for other people with all of our newly acquired fortune! How he would get the Cadillac that he always wanted, and how I would find the perfect Loft Apartment in NYC. It produced this warm fuzzy atmosphere...filled of hope and dreams...then, BAM!!! My mom, being the realist she is, would interject with how unlikely it would really be for us to win any kind of lottery...you know, the glass half-empty, "Debbie-Downer" kind of talk. Dad and I would hassle her, spouting off more ridiculous scenarios, how we should just go drive up to the gas station and buy some tickets, hear her unmistakable “sigh”, then look at each other and just laugh. My Dad and I just "got" each other. Dreamers understand and can identify with other dreamers. My Dad and I shared a common ground. He moved from Kentucky to Michigan to learn how to be a mechanic when he was just 15 years old. I graduated from High School when I was 16 and moved from Ohio to Missouri to go to school to study music. I guess you could describe me as a "free spirit". I mean, it should make complete sense...I am the baby of the family. The babies of the family are kind of known for being "free spirits"...along with other more inaccurate assumptions!! ;) I wasn't spoiled!! My parents did not "spare the rod and spoil the child". I definitely got my share of spankings growing up! (I even had to choose my own switch once when I was 5…I learned the hard way that smaller was NOT better!)

I just love the fact that God made each and every one of us so uniquely. Even though my mom is quite the realist, it helped even out my dad's dreaming tendencies! Of course in my eyes, I viewed my mom's realism as a party pooper! Now that I have grown and experienced more in my life, I realize that her realism is very necessary at times.

Back to our being made uniquely by God...I love the fact that God knew me before I was ever even in my mother's womb. He knit me together...the dreaming aspect of who I am and all. He specifically knitted me together with the passion for music and to worship Him with my voice. He knitted me together with the love to draw and paint and most of all mindlessly doodle. He knitted me together with the very genuine love I have for people. From the time I was old enough to talk, I never met a stranger. I loved everybody. (**insert my realist mom again...she about DIED whenever I would talk to a complete stranger, just knowing that I would get kidnapped someday. By God's grace, I was never kidnapped!**) God also knitted me together with a desire to worship Him, to encourage others, to allow the things that have happened in my life to bring Him glory in order to point others who are also hurting directly to the One who rescued me.

Every day I seem to discover something else about myself that will either make me crack up, humble me, or annoy me to no end. For instance, I am quite the perfectionist. I like to pretend that I am not...but because I am a perfectionist, even that isn't acceptable. I am really, really good with remembering people's names. (It's creepy) I am a list-maker. I will say "GOOD TIMES" when usually it actually isn't. I will crack jokes more often in an uncomfortable situation. I have a nervous giggle...I am completely aware when I am doing it...yet I cannot seem to stop **nervous giggle**. I smile a lot. I will literally have people say to me, "Where are you from? You aren't from here,” (NYC) “because you smile too much!" I am typically a happy, carefree, jovial person who genuinely cares about other people. I treasure friendship and will protect it to the end. I am a "big picture" person, who finds complete satisfaction in achieving the details along the way. I don't mind staying late for work or for a friend...but LOATHE having to come in super early or meet someone super early in the morning! I am a pen snob...I only like certain pens. (That may or may not be a little OCD--but I may or may not have come to terms with this! Ha!) I am quick to forgive, love, and share. All three tend to bite me in the butt at times...but after being so closed off to my emotions for so long, it feels amazing to be vulnerable and open again. I really want people to like me. I may act like it doesn't matter, but inside I really wish it were different. I will sing my sentences when I am overwhelmed. I cannot stand clutter on my desk, in my drawers, under my bed, in my closet. I like organization (I blame my mother for that one!!)...yet I am spontaneous. I describe my hairstyle at times as "organized chaos". I will make my bed at night before I get in it...hey, don't judge! ;) The list is really endless.

I share these things because I think it is amazing how God creates all of us so differently with unique talents, passions, dreams, and goals. When God created me, I would like to believe He blew the attitude of a "free spirit" into my being. We all have completely different strengths...yet we are all given a chance to enhance what we have been blessed with, and even better we are given chances to develop other areas of our life that we are a little weaker in.

Each one of us are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are hand-crafted in His image...yet so wonderfully unique. I am learning to embrace the things that annoy me; learning to thank God for the things that humble me; and taking the time to smile at the things that crack me up. We are all beautiful in our own special way.

Jeremiah 1:5 NIV "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..."

LoVe

It just seems appropriate that since Hallmark has decided that February be a month focused specifically on love, that I would write about it. I, however, am writing from a different perspective than the way that the traditional Valentine's Day Hallmark Card tends to typically focus on. When you have expercienced love from the very Creator of love...the One who is called Love...you have experienced an authentic, genuine and unconditional type of love; a love that can only come from God.

"If my heart is overwhelmed
And I cannot hear Your voice
I hold on to what is true
Though I cannot see

If the storms of life they come
And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

I'll remind myself
Of all that You've done
And the life I have
Because of Your son

[Chorus]
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
Lord I'm forever Yours
Mountains high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours"

The lyrics above are from the song "Love Came Down" that was written and sung by one of my favorite Christian artists, Kari Jobe.

I am pretty sure we all have had those moments when we become so incredibly overwhelmed by a feeling or circumstance that we almost lose all focus. We lose all ability to hear any voice of reason. Suddenly everything around us becomes invisible, and all we can seem to put all of our attention on is ourselves. I have these moments more often than I would like to admit. There is hope though! I have come a long way and with each "moment", I am able to see the mighty hand of God in each circumstance.

God's faithfulness in my life really blows my mind. I am so humbled and amazed by how much God loves me. He will go out of His way to show me that love. There just aren't adequate words to describe how it impacts my life when He prompts others to pray for me, to come up and hug me, to simply smile at me and say hello. It in turn reminds me how important it is to reach out to other people and just love on them! A smile can turns someone's day around. Trust me, I know firsthand!


"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken."
Psalm 34:17-20 (ESV)

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Isn't that beautiful? He loves us so much! We sang the bridge to one of my favorite worship songs at church last night...and the bridge is really quite simple - yet incredibly profound. The beginning of it goes: "He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves"...as I was singing this last night, I was overwhelmed with the love that my God has for me. If you would have talked to me exactly one week ago yesterday, you would have spoken with a person who was allowing her emotions and feelings dictate her reality. You would have spoken with a person who was under an attack from the enemy...who was believing the lies that were being whispered into her head..."you will never be good enough", "there is no way you will ever fit in", "no one really cares if you are there or not", "no one will really love you, you aren't worth it". These lies permeated my mind and began to try to take root there. I am learning, as Pastor Cymbala spoke, that we face attacks from the enemy typically in two situations: when you have recently experienced a spiritual high...or when you have experienced a broken heart. I have experienced both of these scenarios as of recent, so I was just a prime target for the enemy to attack. I almost fell for it. ALMOST!!!

A week ago today, through the prayers of faithful friends and through the love and faithfulness of God, I was able to cast those lies that I was beginning to believe into the trash. I began to claim God's promises...that He began a good work in me and that He will be faithful to complete it. I began to remember that He placed me here in NYC and specifically at The Brooklyn Tabernacle. You see, what the enemy wants me to lose focus on and completely forget is the fact that I am GOD'S. The enemy wants me to forget that I have a Divine Calling, that God has some amazing plans ahead for me, and that I am moving forward in the will of God. The enemy wants me to focus on myself...my shortcomings...the times that I have failed...the things I have allowed myself to think about or say that aren't in line with what God is all about. The enemy would love to take another 8 years of my life and sit me back down on that freezing cold spot on the bench that I once kept nice and toasty.

But guess what enemy??

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Just like my pastor just recently said, "Nothing in this world builds faith like a good fight with the devil"...AMEN to that!! I feel even stronger and more determined to stay on track and focus with what God has called me to do. God uses these moments to help prepare me to in turn help others. That's what it's all about...reaching past yourself and extending love, mercy, grace, and hope to others who so desperately need it. It's not about ME...It's all about giving God the glory for His steadfast faithfulness in my life.

Everyone deals with similar struggles...you are never alone in your hurt or in the way you may be feeling. The enemy wants you to feel as if you are, though. It's his first line of defense between you and God. He wants you to seclude yourself, isolate yourself; he wants you to think you are all alone in this struggle and that absolutely no one can help you; he wants you to believe that no one cares about you and that you will never be able to find peace and joy. The enemy gets down and dirty. He doesn't care what type of hurt he inflicts on you. All he wants to ensure is that you are indeed injured...that you are hurt beyond what you would ever believe could be repaired...and that you are successfully sidelined and of no use in the work of God. Don't believe the lies. That is all they are...LIES!

God's love for us is so wide...so deep...and so GREAT! I am thankful for His faithfulness.

2013...

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NLT

This verse was shared last night by my pastor, Jim Cymbala, at our New Year's Eve service. Although we do not know exactly what the future may hold...or even if tomorrow will come...there are some key things that we will definitely experience within this next year. Pastor went on to share three specific key things we will experience, and I want to share them with you!

1. We will be attacked by fear, apprehension, and anxiety.
    But God says..."Do not be afraid"..."for I am with you". We will never be alone. God is always  
    right there. Fear paralyzes. You cannot walk in fear and have faith. It's either one or the other.
    They cannot coexist.

2. We will be dismayed, or discouraged.
     But God says..."Do not be dismayed"..."for I am your God". Whenever we experience fear, we
     become dismayed. To be dismayed is to be overwhelmed; to not know what to do; to be  
     discouraged. So in Isaiah 41:10, God knew the process of our emotions. He knew that at some
     point we would face fear, and that it would in turn dismay us or overwhelm us or discourage us.

"DON'T BE AFRAID,  FOR I AM WITH YOU.

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD"

 

 

3. We will fall down or grow weak.

     But God says..."I will strengthen and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand".

     God promises that He will be OUR God...He will bend down, pick us up, and hold us safe in His

     right hand. He promises to strengthen us and to help us.

 

"I WILL STRENGTHEN AND HELP YOU.

I WILL HOLD YOU UP WITH MY VICTORIOUS RIGHT HAND'

 

God's promises are true, because He is Truth. His word is solid and faithful. God will come through for each and every one of us. All we need to do is remember God's promises and allow Him to lead our life. We need to turn to Him in prayer the moment we feel fear. The moment we are discouraged. The moment we are weak and feel that we are going to collapse. Turn to God...as the first choice, not the last resort.

 

I look forward to the things that God has in store for all of us in 2013. May God continually bless each and every one of you. Remember His promises...Remember that He loves you so much...and Remember to go to Him when you are afraid, sad, or weak. He will be there...He will be YOUR God...and He will strengthen you.

 



A Past For A Future

My roommate, Ebony, bought me a really great book for my birthday called "Undaunted: Daring to do what God calls you to do". It is written by Christine Caine. I had the opportunity to hear Christine speak at The Brooklyn Tabernacle in the summer of 2011, when I made my first attempt to live in NYC. I remember that her words and her testimony stuck with me months after I heard her speak. Her testimony is powerful and God used her testimony to reach down and stir my heart. She runs an amazing organization called A21 Campaign that fights to rescue sex slaves from human trafficking. If you haven't ever heard of this ministry, you should check out the website: http://www.thea21campaign.org/.

Christine's testimony is all throughout her book as well. It is such an encouragement and an eye-opener to the grace of God and just how much He really does love each and every one of us! It is also a sobering reminder to the fact that when God's hand is on us, we are His...we are safely and firmly planted in the palm of His hand. I haven't finished this book yet. I am about half way through, and just have so much to share. God is using this book to encourage me and to gently remind me of His love and mercy. I wanted to share with you how God is moving in my life, and maybe in return it will encourage another sweet friend along the way.

Living in the "Concrete Jungle" is not the easiest place in the world to live. Everything happens at morph speed. If you blink, you are officially 10 steps behind. It comes at you fast...and frankly, I LOVE IT. Now sure, I come from the mid-west...Ohio...and no I haven't ever bailed a stack of hay, milked a cow, or lived in a cabin in some remote area of Ohio. And yes...I do have ALL my teeth!! Ha! However, when compared to NYC, I can completely see why people would think and ask those things. There is just nothing quite like this big and beautiful city! Just like every city, it has it's pros and cons. Some things I was ready for...for instance I knew that when I sold my car (AWWW sweet "Stella"...how I miss my cute little black BMW Z3 Roadster Convertible) that I would be dealing with the headache of figuring out how to get around the city, to work, and to church. Yet there were things I just couldn't have prepared myself for...I just have had to live and learn. I stand by that phrase, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere".

One of the biggest lessons I am learning right now is how to carefully select those who will be in my life, and I in their life. I am a very relational person. I love people. I am THAT person who never meets a stranger. For instance...when I was 4 years old, my mom took me along on a hospital visit. Being the pastor's wife, she would from time to time go to the hospital to visit a person from our church who was admitted. Well, for whatever reason my mom ended up leaving me in the waiting area until she was finished.  I am not sure if they wouldn't allow me to go back or if my mom knew better than to take this crazy child back into a place where it needed to be quiet and calm. (she had a valid reason NOT to want to take me back...who knows, I probably would have pushed every shiny button and inadvertently caused the hospital bed to fold up like a taco with the patient inside and screaming for help  - you chuckle, but I am kind of serious. I was an active little booger! HA!)

Anyway, back to the story...I remember sitting in a big chair, feet barely hanging off the edge of the seat, completely content while looking at my favorite "Highlights" magazine...searching for Waldo, when I saw an older woman across from me who looked distressed and a little scared. I put down my magazine, as I could feel the tug of my spirit directing me to sit beside this woman. It is amazing to me that even at the tender age of 4, I was sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. So I crawled up into the chair next to this woman and grabbed her hand. She told me that her husband just had a heart attack and that he was back there where my mom was. As soon as my mom came out, there I was with my new friend...loving on her and trying to comfort her. I never met a stranger...I only saw friends.

I have the best intentions with those who I call friend...and I always see the good in a person. I am trusting...and while that may seem like a good trait to have, it can be equally dangerous if it isn't carefully executed. I am that person who just wants to believe that every one's intentions are good...that they genuinely care...and that what they say is true. I mean, that is how I operate...why would it be different with anyone else? There are a million factors as to why it IS different for everyone else. We all come from different life journeys and experiences that have assisted in molding us into what we are now in the present. Not everyone has good intentions...and my hardest lesson still to this day is to understand that even Christians are guilty of not having good intentions. I am not a perfect person, and I too have had intentions that were not good. Whether we call ourselves a Christian or not, we will still do things that will hurt someone else.

Since moving to NYC in May, I have encountered some really amazing growth in my spiritual walk. I have been able to move past some things that really hurt me and haunted me, and have been able to move forward. I realize that when you are no longer "sidelined" by the enemy, he begins to fight you again and starts to stir up things that he knows tripped you up in the past. You see, the enemy just uses the same scenario over and over again because he knows what the weakness is and how to prey on us with those weaknesses. I have had two specific circumstances kind of rock my world since I have been here in NYC. Normally...well if we are going by previous circumstances...these situations would have completely buried me and defeated me. You see, what the enemy wasn't prepared for was the foundation I have rebuilt with my God. This foundation isn't easy to shake like my previous foundation was. Did these situations still hurt? Absolutely. You see, some circumstances that are put in our way try to take our soul. Whatever the source of the attack on our bodies, souls, and spirits...the hurt stings and the damage goes deep. I don't know if you are like me, but when life hurts me...I want a quick fix. The problem with this is that the damage typically doesn't happen overnight...and neither does the healing.

God promises us that his plans for us are good, not for evil. He wants to prosper us, not harm us. He plans to give us a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11) His promises are true and can be trusted. No matter what I have been through this far since I have been in NYC, I am confident that God will take those things that have been hard to deal with and that have been hurtful and He will use them for His glory. He is a faithful God. If we trust God with our wounded and broken heart, He will bring healing, restoration, and wholeness. What others may leave for broken...God sees as beautiful! He actually cherishes that broken life, and chooses to make it whole.

"The very thing that the enemy uses to try to destroy your life is the very thing God uses to help others. God can heal every hurt and can turn your scars into signs of strength for His glory. Your past mistakes, hurts, and pain can help give someone else a future. Whatever we have gone through enables us to help others. God doesn't waste one experience of our lives. He uses everything to help someone else. He doesn't want us to remain crippled, immobilized, or paralyzed by the past. Instead He sent us  Jesus to show us how to step into the future." ~Christine Caine from her book "Undaunted: Daring to do what God calls you to do"

So with all of that said, my past is a catalyst for a brighter future. I can learn from these circumstances and come out on the other side a smarter, wiser, happier, more well-rounded person. Does the pain of the circumstance still hurt at times? Yes, but God is so much bigger and wants so much more for me...I can't stay in the pain...I have to work through it in order to become a stronger person.

Love Is A Verb

God is absolutely amazing to me. I am so humbled at how much He loves me (all of us). One of my favorite Scripture passages is found in Psalm 18. It is a beautiful picture of God's love in action when we cry out to God in our moments of distress, totally trusting in Him to help us. I have moments creep up on me on a daily basis...critical moments when I can choose to allow my faith to grow by trusting completely in God's power, or I can fall prey to the enemy's lies regarding my particular situation or circumstance. You know, the enemy doesn't have anything new up his sleeve...he just tries to trip us up on the things he knows has worked in the past to sideline us from doing anything worthwhile. The exciting part about these weak attempts of sidelining me is when I see how much I have grown in my faith. The enemy cannot have a foothold in my life, when I am safely and securly and boldly in the palm of the right hand of my God. I imagine God's mighty hand flicking the enemy away, like an unwanted peice of dirt or lint...sending him flying away from me.

My favorite thing about the passage in Psalm 18, that I have shared below, is how ACTIVELY God comes to our rescue. He hears our cry even into His very own ears! Wow!! He has heard my voice in His ears. Simply. Amazing.

 In my distress I called upon the LORD;
  to my God I cried for help.
 From his temple He heard my voice,
  and my cry to him reached his ears.

Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.

Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.

He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.

He rode on a cherub and flew;
He came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.

Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.

And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
He flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.

(Psalm 18:6-17 ESV)

God very ACTIVELY pursues us...He ACTIVELY rescues us, when we seek Him! What a loving God. You know that amazing feeling when you realize that you have a friend who has "got your back"...well, that is God all the time! He knows our needs before we even do. My needs, wants, desires, passions, goals...all of those things are important to God. I have to remember that because God has already handled what I will be facing tomorrow...It is a comfort to know.

Roof Off, Walls Down

"For many of us, it is easier to live with the roof off than it is to let the walls down - to be transparent and honest with others. We work so hard at leaving a good impression; we want others to think well of us. But once we have really been contrite and humble before God, it will not be threatening to be humble and honest with others we have nothing to lose, no reputation to protect - because we have died. The broken person is willing to say, "Will you pray for me? I have a need in my life - God is dealing with me in this specific area." Brokenness toward God produces openness toward others. Living with the walls down toward others can become a wonderful means of God's grace in our lives."

~Nancy Leigh DeMoss from her book, "Brokenness"

When I stumbled across this passage out of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book, it really resonated with my soul. It is so true that in order to fully communicate both vertically (with God) and horizontally (with other people), you must completely tear down the roof and the walls that block you from being able to effectively and authentically reach up and reach out. Over the past 11 months, God has been radically changing my life. He has helped me lift off the roof and tear down the walls that were hindering me from really being able to grow and experience all that God has desired for me.

I have had to experience a lot of pain (both unwarranted and self-inflicted pain) along the way during this time of "demolition" in my life. It's been a very personal journey, and one that I have been so thankful to share. You see, we may wonder a lot  of times why things have to happen the way they do. Why do we have to feel the pain we feel, or the desperation? Why do we have days when we can barely move because our heart is so heavy and full of sadness? How could my situation ever result in anything good? Why would God ever put me through this circumstance or situation? As I have been learning over this specific time in my life, God can and will use everything that has happened and that will happen in your life to bring glory to Him.

There is another book that I love to read called "31 Days of Praise" by Ruth Myers. It is in her own words and has 31 days to correspond with each day of the month. Today, September 22, 2012 Ruth shared this:

"I rejoice that You are  able to empower me in difficult times and to give me wisdom in my responses. You are all-sufficient, more than enough to meet even the deepest needs of my heart, whatever today or the future may bring."

God will empower us if we just ask. I have to ask Him several times per day for His help...His guidance...His love to shine through me. I have been faced with tough situations over the past couple of weeks. My heart has been broken. I have been hurt. BUT...God is so good. He is GREAT. My God has set my feet on a solid rock and is setting me up for blessing. Though I may not understand the things that I am facing in my life right now...My God is working in my life. That is all I need to understand at this time in my life. I also need to allow this time in my life to be a chance to love on those who have hurt me. It's much easier to be hurt and treat them with a spirit of anger...however  that is NOT what God is about. Treating hurt with hurt will never solve anything. I certainly wouldn't want the people that have hurt me to feel the way that I do right now. So, instead of retaliation...I pray for restoration. I can only depend on God to heal this situation.

It is so critical to live with the roof off and walls down. You cannot honestly communicate with others until you open up yourself. It's vulerable, but beautiful. I am still learning this in my life. I am trying to practice it more and more. Some days, I am pretty good at it...then days like last week come and I hesitate. You know, the enemy will try to defeat you...but if you give it all to God, in Jesus' name...the enemy is forced to flee!

For any of my friends who might be facing a mountain today...remember, God has already conquered that mountain for you. Communicate with others with a spirit of LOVE and patience. Treat others as you would wish they would treat you. Pray for them...yes, even those who may have hurt you. Lift them up to God, and let Him transform their heart. It isn't our battle...we just need to place it in God's hand and allow Him to perform His miracles in our life and in the lives of others.

Live intentionally...Love unconditionally...Pray continuously...Worship relentlessly...Every single pain...Every single tear...Every single heart ache...Every single fear...Every single heavy thought...Every single emotion you feel...EVERYTHING is for a reason.