I Will Give You Rest

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11: 27-29

You may have noticed my absence the last few days, and yes, I was one of the thousands who found a chair, some sand, and a good book.  And the rest was history!  My family set off for a great weekend in St Augustine, Florida, where we spent the majority of our time at the pool.  I hope that you and your family celebrated the weekend together as well!
My husband, who usually can't stop thinking about work, thanked me for planning this weekend vacation.  He said his mind needed to rest from all the stresses at work for just a little while.  This reminded me of Matthew 11:27-29 and the promises of God to give us rest.
Exodus 33: 14 says, "....My presence will go with you, and I (God) will give you rest."  I believe that even God knew the value of rest.  Even He rested on the 7th day!  Rest can be valuable for your body as well as your mind.  Your body, while built to last for many years, still needs rest.  Each night our bodies desire that much needed break whether a quick rest on the couch or even a good night's sleep in the bed!  Our minds also desire rest.  So many thoughts, worries, plans, and more race through our minds everyday.  So much gets crammed in at such speed that many times we struggle to remember it all!  If you are like me, I have many post-it notes and 2 calendars to help me remember it all.  Plus I have my husband who also tries to help me remember!
I hope that this summer you will take time to not only spend time with your family, but also to rest.  Find time to rest in whatever way works for you!  Lay on the couch with a good book or spend time in the tub with relaxing music while the door is locked for some much needed rest!  

The God of all Comforts

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."  Isaiah 61:1-3

If anyone has ever had to mourn the loss of a loved one, then you hopefully find great comfort from the words of Isaiah.   I have been blessed by God to have only experienced 3 people very dear to me to depart this earth in my lifetime -- my great-grandmother "Big Granny," my Grandpa, and my Papa.  In almost 35 years, I have been truly blessed to have had so many loved ones still a part of my life -- and now a part of my daughter's life.  The picture above was taken when Alex was a baby (around 6 months old), and I am so very thankful for it!
My Papa died this past February, and his death has been a blow to our family.  He was the hardest working man that I know.  He had a heart for others and tried to use what God had blessed him with to reach out to help others who were in dire straights.  There are days that I think of him and just smile.  I remember the love and laughter he brought to our lives.  Then there are other days that I sit and cry because I miss him so much!
I found this verse again this morning after remembering it from the Esther study by Beth Moore.  I find so much comfort in knowing that the Lord will bind up the brokenhearted, that He will comfort all who mourn.  I believe that God understands our heartache and completely understands our grief.  Yet He also wants us to know that He is the God of all comforts and will provide those who grieve the "oil of joy instead of mourning."  While your heartache may be very real, it doesn't have to consume you.  It does not have to make you a prisoner of your grief.  God will release you from darkness and place on you a "garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
Have you recently lost a loved one and need encouragement?  Have you been made a prisoner by grief?  Look to the Lord, the God of all Comforts, to restore your life -- not to forget but to forever remember with praise in your heart.

Where There Is Hope...

"Be strong and take heart, all of you who hope in the Lord."  Psalm 31:24

If you have turned on any type of media lately, you have definitely seen the devastation in our lands over the past year.  From earthquakes, tsunami warnings, tornado outbreaks, to tornado fatalities the devastation goes on and on.  As I awoke Monday morning, I found the news of the day was yet another tornado in the Midwest.  The pictures told a tale of complete devastation and the loss of life was unbelievable.  I am sure that your initial reaction was much like my own -- sorrow and sadness.
Yet my next reaction was of prayer but maybe not for what you think.  You see, I began to pray that the Lord show Himself to the world before our time here on earth comes to an end.  I see the people on the television who seem to be lost in sorrow and devastation, and I pray for them.  I pray for their hearts.  I pray for their health.  I pray Psalm 31:24 into their lives.
I love Job 11:18 -- "You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety."  If anyone understands complete sorrow and sadness that comes with a life devastated, then it would be Job.  Yet Job had hope in the Savior of the world.  Job had hope in his God.
There are numerous verses in the Bible that speak of hope.  Below are some of my favorites.
-- Psalm 33:20  "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield."
-- Psalm 33:23  "May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you."
-- Psalm 62:5  "Yes, my soul finds rest in God; my hope comes from him."
-- Isaiah 40:31  "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength...."
Have you ever experienced sorrow and sadness?  Have you ever been in the pit and felt your life was in complete devastation?  Have you ever held onto your hope in the Lord and found your way into His grace and mercy and have a testimony to share?
May the Lord be with the people of Joplin, Missouri as well as the areas affected across the South from the previous outbreak of tornadoes.  May they find rest in His comforting arms.

Indulging the Flesh

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."  Galatians 5:13

Our pastor is currently speaking on a sermon series about the Holy Spirit.  He said something today that fit in with this idea so I thought I would borrow it!  He said, "When you became saved in Christ Jesus, God gave you a new nature; however, He left the old nature there.  That is why we struggle with our flesh."  I had never really thought of it like that.
Here in Galatians, God is confirming that we as His children were called to be free.  Free!  We aren't to be bound by sin or desires of the flesh.  Our fleshy nature is innate.  Our culture teaches us if we want something, we should have it.  If you want something bad enough, you should have it right now.  Our nature is to satisfy our "momentary" desires.  Think about that.  Desires of the flesh usually only satisfy us for a moment.  God's freedom  and grace will satisfy us forever.
Galatians 5:13 goes further saying that instead of indulging in the flesh, we should "serve one another humbly in love."  What if God had put a period after the phrase "serve one another" instead?  I believe that God knew just telling us to serve would only give us permission to do a duty instead of honoring Him fully.  So he said, "serve one another humbly in love."  It is one thing to serve but yet another to serve humbly in love.  To serve humbly in love requires us to turn away from the flesh, turning from our own desires.
When is the last time God asked you to "serve one another?"  Did you respond to His calling and serve "humbly in love?"

Looking Back and Saying Thanks

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 15:5-6

As my daughter's year in Kindergarten comes to an end, I can't help but look back at how far she has come.  Our family moved to a new city last June.  My daughter was very hesitant, to say the least, to start school with a room full of children she had never met.  We had prayed since our move that God would give us peace and encouragement along the way as our journey was filled with anxiousness.  Upon meeting Alex's teacher that first day, I knew our prayers had been answered.
I look back now as the year comes to a close and I can't help but be thankful and praise God for his provision.  I know without a doubt that God led us in this journey.  I can only hope that we have given Him the praises He deserves along the way.
Along this year long journey, I hope that my family has been an example of "endurance and encouragement" and that God received all the glory along the way.  I am so proud to say that while the journey has not been easy (and it's not over), God has provided beyond our expectations.  Praise God whom all blessings flow!

Cry Out to the Lord

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:17


I look around me day to day and see people hurting or lives in devastation.  I have friends whose marriages are in turmoil, whose hearts are broken, and whose children are suffering.  I have been diligently praying for a friend and her family who has a child with a brain tumor.  He is one of the sweetest little boys with a love of all things Buzz Lightyear and Lightning McQueen (Disney movies)! As I have gotten to know this family, I have been struck by my friend's complete trust in the Lord even in these dark days for her son.  I have been in awe of her as she struggles day to day with exhaustion and yet manages to have the joy and peace knowing that God will give her what she needs to get through each day.  It has become apparent that this sweet child's life here on earth will be short-lived yet his impact will be felt for years.  He has already taught me so much, and I am so thankful that God allowed me to share a glimpse into this family's life.  
I have often said that I will never understand how people without God are able to stand in the darkest of valleys.  I am so thankful that the Lord, the God of all comforts, gives us Psalm 55:17 to remind us that he will hear my voice when I cry out to Him.  In the darkest of days, my Lord will still be there and will hear my prayers and my cry to Him.  
Think about the valley that you may be in right now.  Have you prayed and cried out to the Lord?  Are you afraid He won't hear you?  Read aloud Psalm 55:17 and allow God to comfort you and bring you out of the valley.

SIN

"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin....So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8: 34, 36

Sin can be somewhat easy to explain to your children -- right vs wrong or that which pleases God vs that which doesn't -- yet when it comes to the Sin that inhabits our lives, we can easily overlook it.  Each of us, whether saved or unsaved, struggles daily with sin.  After my pastor asked a poignant question this morning about which one sin do you struggle with daily, I began to ponder my own life.  Honestly, I believe one sin I struggle with daily is pride.  Not to say that I don't struggle with any other sins from time to time but I believe that pride keeps me from fully placing my trust in God.  For some crazy reason, I continue to believe that in some situations I can do a better job than God.  I believe in my own abilities more than the abilities of the Father.  If you were to ponder you own life, what one sin would you say you struggle with almost daily?
Sin is a constant struggle.  I love the illustration of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.  There have been times in my life where I have felt just like that!  Our pastor used an illustration yesterday that really hit home for me -- An Indian and a missionary were discussing the struggle between following the Spirit or following the flesh.  The missionary asked the Indian, "What is your interpretation of this struggle?"  The Indian replies, "I find the one that overtakes my life is the one that I feed."
Stop and think about that statement.  What we feed our souls is reflected in our lives.  If we feed our souls with the desires of the flesh, it will be reflected in the way we live our lives.  The desires of the flesh can only lead to sin and away from God.  Yet if we feed our souls with the truth of the Spirit, our lives will reflect that of God.
What are you feeding your soul?  Is your life a reflection of the flesh or the Spirit?

Keeping My Mouth Shut!

"Set a guard over my mouth O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalms 141: 3

How important is our speech?  On any given day, each of us speaks to another person at least 10 times a day -- and that's not counting the times we talk to ourselves!  If you are like me, I have had several times when I have said something that I instantly regretted.  I have had to seek out certain people and apologize for things that I have said said that were hurtful or just plain insensitive.
Many times in Proverbs we are told that our words can wound or hurt.  Also Proverbs tells us that we can be trapped or ensnared by the words of our mouth.  It is vital that we become more aware of the words that we use, as Jesus said that our speech is a reflection of our heart.
Yet God can tame our tongues and use its power to bless others.  Our mouths and words have greater power than we realize and can be used to lift others up or even bring them closer to a relationship with the Lord.  Romans 10:9 says "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  In light of this, I pray that God keeps a guard over my mouth and that I use my words to bless others more!

Think about the people or conversations you have had this week.  Did you ever speak words that could be hurtful or maybe even inaccurate?  How many times this week did your words bless others?  Make it a point this weekend to guard your mouth and seek to bless others!

Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you."

My daughter came home a few weeks ago upset that a child in another classroom had called her names.  While my first instinct as her mother was to reassure her and downplay the harsh words that were thrown at her, I also knew that I needed to teach her in that moment about forgiveness.  As a 6 year old, it is hard to understand how boys may call you names and act mean towards you because they secretly like you.  Yet I wanted her to understand that just because this little boy called her mean names didn't mean that she couldn't be nice to him.  So I told her that the next time he called her those names to respond, "God made me beautiful just like I am."  I also told her to make sure and not act mean toward him in return but to continue to share with him about how God made her beautiful.
While this may be a simple illustration, I believe it is somewhat fitting to what God wanted to convey in Ephesians 4:32.  If I asked you to think back on a time where someone said something upsetting to you or about you, I am sure that it wouldn't take you long to remember a time and how painful that might have been.  Were your words filled with kindness and compassion?  Now think about a time where you might have said something upsetting about someone else!  Think how painful that may have been for him/her.
Life is filled with circumstances where one can choose the path of kindness and compassion.  On the occasions where we find ourselves on a different path, God tells us to "forgive" each other just as God forgave you.   Forgive means to pardon freely.  Whoa!  God wants me to "pardon freely" that person that hurt me?  Yes.  God wants me to "pardon freely" the person who said unkind things about me?  Yes.  Our motive should be "just as in Christ, God forgave you."  In reading a commentary on Ephesians, I came across this: "God's forgiveness towards us is free; it precedes even our repentance, and is the cause of it. It is exercised despite the number and enormity of our sins, and the long period of time we have sinned our sins. He forgives us far more than we can ever be called on to forgive others. God forgives us in Christ. Out of Christ, he is, in virtue of his holiness and justice, a consuming fire; but in him, he is long-suffering, abundant in mercy, and ready to forgive."  


Is there someone in your life that needs your forgiveness?  Is there someone that you have held a grudge against or expunged from your life because they said hurtful words to you or about you?  Pray that God would reveal the person or people to you so that you can begin the journey to freely pardon them just as God forgave you.

Loving Marriage vs Perfect Marriage

"Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."  Ephesians 5:25

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."  Do you remember that moment in your own wedding?  Most of us walk down the aisle arm-in-arm with our new spouse, and all we see are stars.  The day is like a fairytale, as it should be.  Yet God never told us that our marriage would be like a fairytale.  Do you see the difference?
My wedding went just as I had imagined.  For a not-so-girly girl, it was like a fairytale, and can you believe by day 4 of the honeymoon, I realized the marriage itself wasn't going to be like a fairytale.  I will have to share that story at another time.
The Bible is full of love stories from Adam and Eve to Abraham and Sarah to to Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Yet I am positive that even those love stories did not have perfect marriages.  But really what would perfect look like?  Would it be no arguing?  Would it be always agreeing with each other?  Would it be always walking hand-in-hand everywhere?
Believe it or not, I find great comfort in Ephesians 5:25.  God commanded for husbands to "love your wives."  Think about how many broken hearts could be mended in marriages if husbands and wives meditated on this simple idea.  LOVE.  What if you and I actually loved our spouse as Christ loved the church?  What if we gave our own desires up for our spouse?    
Think back on the last time you and your spouse had a disagreement or an argument.  In the end, would it have ended quicker or better had either one of you stopped to love each other and give up your own desires?  So put a smile on your face, find your spouse, and tell them how much you appreciate having a "loving marriage" and not a "perfect marriage."

In Sickness and In Health

"The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?" Proverbs 18:14


As I have had to endure a full weekend with this horrible sinus infection, it has given me time to reflect on being sick, dealing with sickness, and all the people that sickness can affect.  Mothers can surely understand how after taking care of your family and other responsibilities, your body can become tired and worn down and your immune system is more susceptible.  I believe this is how I can to bear the brunt of this sinus infection since last week.  
Anyone who knows my family well knows that all 3 of us suffers from varying ailments (seasonal allergies, asthma, eczema, food allergies, bulging discs in the neck, etc).  On any one day, one of us will be enduring the effects of an ailment or sickness that plagues us; however, I believe that it is truly "how" we deal with our circumstances that keeps us afloat.  Lance and I have always tried to teach Alex that her eczema or food allergies do not define who she is but rather rather what she suffers from.  These "sicknesses" do not make her special in comparison to her friends; however they may require special circumstances to ensure her safety and health.  
My husband, Lance, has endured his share of "sickness" as well over the years.  Six months into our marriage, he was unable to see clearly out of one eye.  He went to the ER, where his eye doctor actually met us, and were told her would need emergency surgery the next morning to repair a retinal detachment.  For us newlyweds, this was a great test of faith in each other and in God.  Yet all 3 of us, through each sickness, have not allowed our spirits to be crushed.  I can say there have been many occasions where we asked God, "Why?"  
I love Proverbs 18:14 because it reminds me in our worst of days that this sickness share soon pass, and we should not allow ourselves to fall into despair over it.  "....a crushed spirit, who can bear?"  As our children fall into our arms wanting comfort and love through their sickness, God, our Father, seeks for us to fall into His loving arms during our own sickness.  Instead of falling into despair, fall into the arms of the Great Physician, who can make all things new!


Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt overwhelmed by the circumstances of a sick family member?  Have you ever had to question God as to "Why Me?" or "Why them?"  Take the next few minutes to think about 3 people in your life who are "suffering from a sickness" and pray over them.  Pray not only for the ailment but also for their spirit. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Proverbs 31:28-29 -- "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.'"

As a work-from-home Mom, I find it hard to prioritize my day.  From maid to grocery shopper to actual work to being Mommy, where do I begin and end?  I will be honest and say that I hate to clean my house so it will almost always fall down the priority list, but sometimes I feel like I have run around all day and still have so much more to accomplish before the sun goes down.  Do you ever feel like that?  Most days, by the time my husband arrives home, I am so tired that I have nothing left to give him.  No time, no affection, and no meaningful conversation.  It seems many times our conversations at dinner surround what appointments and duties we have for the next day.
One priority that hardly ever makes my list is Me.  I find that most days I am shuffling my daughter to and from school and after school activities, buying groceries, picking up/dropping off my husband's dry cleaning, and trying to straighten up the house just in case someone from the neighborhood drops by.  There is little time for Me.  When I do get a chance to have a day to myself to go shopping, I find myself roaming the children's stores.  I will spend more time shopping for my daughter than myself, but I think that I am not alone here.  My attention is almost always on someone else.
I love Mother's Day for this reason.  It is a day to celebrate ME!  Now do not sit there and act like you could care less about being celebrated.  Every woman loves to be showered with adoration, encouragement, and affection.  I think Proverbs 31:28-29 is a great affirmation for celebrating Mother's Day!  God said for our children and husband to celebrate and adore you and all the work you do for your household.  How cool is that!
So this Mother's Day, I hope that you are showered with adoration, affection, and encouragement from your children and your husband!  I pray that you take the day to celebrate your value to your family!

When God Speaks

I often hear people ask "how do you know when God speaks to you."  I have pondered this myself as a growing Christian.  I was told many times "when He speaks to you, you will know it."  Well I can honestly say that I had have several occasions where God has spoken to me, and I truly knew it at that moment.  One moment was a couple of years ago while attending a Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser Dinner in our area.  There was a guest speaker there who was sharing her story of faith and dependence on God.  As she spoke, I audibly heard God speak to me in one word -- "Speak."  Now I know that some of you may be skeptic, and even I, at that moment, had to look around to make sure there wasn't someone behind me.  I left that dinner unsure of what God's message really was to me.  Weeks later, I finally went to my pastor and told him of my experience that night and how God had still been "nagging" at my heart.  I needed some guidance and advice as to how to proceed.  The one piece of advice my pastor gave me that day was to start writing.  He told me to write my thoughts down everywhere I went because you never know when you might be able to use that thought in a sermon or devotion.
Later that same year, I was the guest speaker at our Ladies Retreat where I had 3 speaking sessions. I remember this experience as a highlight in my life.  I worked tirelessly for at least a month drafting 3 breakout sessions worth of study.  I dove into my Bible like never before.  God laid it on my heart to discuss how each of us were important to Jesus.  The theme for the weekend was "My Prince Has Come."  The weekend activities focused on women being the princesses in the Kingdom of God and how Jesus sees each of them as beautiful and unique.  God even gave me some awesome application activities that we implemented that weekend that tied in so well with our theme.
In looking back at that weekend, I can honestly say I was scared to death.  My scheduled 45 minute breakout sessions only took me about 20 minutes to deliver.  I was so nervous that I ran right through the material.  Speaking in front of a group was not in my comfort zone, but God already knew that.  I knew before I stood at that podium that I wouldn't be the best speaker or the most beloved speaker these ladies had ever heard, but I truly wanted them to see the heart of the Father through me.  If I achieved this, then it was all a success.  
After this weekend experience, my life started changing -- we were preparing to move, leaving our full-time jobs, and starting a new life in a new place -- and I found it hard to still find the time to write as I had before. Yet I kept writing hoping for those special moments between God and myself.
God has been knocking at my heart again with more fervor about writing again.  So I thought writing on a blog would also help me to "speak" to others in a new way.  I hope to show you the little ideas or thoughts that God gives me or even a peak into my closet, which is not full of roses and sunshine.  In all this, my hope is that you will see the Father through my writing.  Because "when He speaks," who can turn away?
I look forward to sharing more with you along and along on this journey.  Please feel free to share your positive thoughts here as well.  May God bless you today and everyday!