My Story is His Story

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."  1 John 3: 2

I heard the song, "My Story" by Big Daddy Weave, on the radio recently.  The words struck me and have replayed over and over in my heart.  This song is based on the famous Fanny Crosby song called "Blessed Assurance" that you will find in most hymnals today.  I want to share the words to Big Daddy Weave's version.  Take a moment and let these words sink in to you today:

If I told you my story
You would hear Hope that wouldn't let go
And if I told you my story
You would hear Love that never gave up
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life, but it wasn't mine

If I should speak then let it be
Of the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

If I told you my story
You would hear victory over the enemy
And if I told you my story
You would hear freedom that was won for me
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life overcome the grave

If I should speak then let it be
Of the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long

For the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell
For the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long

I think I am so struck by this song because of my shortcomings.  You see, I don't believe that people see my story as a Christ story.  I don't believe my witness for Him is present enough in my everyday life.  I can see my story as a story about God's faithfulness, grace, and love; but can others see my story the way I do?  I want to be able to proclaim with boldness each day and say "To tell you MY story is to tell of Him!"  

Though I fail Him daily, I know my Father loves me.  Though I fail Him daily, I know my Father forgives me when I ask.  Though I fail Him daily, I know my Father is faithful.  Though I fail Him daily, I know my Father is merciful.  Though I fail Him daily, I know my Father still...loves...Me!  

Dear Lord, I pray for those today who do not know you.  I pray that I will be a witness for you today, that I can be useful as a servant of Christ.  Oh Father, I thank you for your mercy and grace though I fail you daily.  I thank you for saving my soul and giving me new life.  It is my goal to be able to proclaim with boldness each day "to tell of my story is to tell of YOU!"  Amen

Raising Daughters of Worth

"Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti."  Esther 2:17 

I want to share some startling statistics with you.  As a mother of a pre-teen daughter, reading these facts saddened me and put a fear in me as well.
* A girls self-esteem peaks at age 9
* Only 2% of women describe themselves as "beautiful."
* 62% of girls are insecure about themselves
* One in Four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

When I think of these statistics, many emotions are conjured up.  Yet I also think of Esther.  Yes, the Esther that the Bible says was beautiful, brave and obedient.  Elizabeth George states in her book, "The Remarkable Women of the Bible," that God chose Esther to help save His people, the Jews.  She had acquired the beauty of being useful to God?  What does that mean?
Elizabeth George shares Esther's Beauty of Usefulness came from several aspects --- Heritage, Parentage, Tutelage, Advantage, and Homage.  (I encourage you to read this great book if you haven't before!)
The people around Esther only saw her outward beauty, but God was weaving so much more beauty in her life than even she probably knew.  I want to teach my daughter that outward beauty is not the ultimate goal, but the beauty of the heart.  From that beautiful, kind-hearted, and caring heart, I pray springs for the beauty of courage, the beauty of wisdom, and the beauty of love.
From a very young age, girls are taught to be beautiful you have to look a certain way and act a certain way.  If you do not measure up, you are shunned, devalued, and even overlooked completely. Our girls are taught that if others don't show them worth, they are truly worthless.  Why do we stand for that?  Why do we as parents stand by and let this negativity breed in our child's heart?
Those devalued and overlooked girls grow up to be women with little self-worth.  She becomes the girl that never saw herself as beautiful or worthy.  She becomes the woman who defines her worth by the way a man treats her.  She becomes the woman caught up in a relationship of violence.
It is time to share with our daughters the value that God places on them.  Our girls need to see the beauty that God sees in them.  Our girls need to know the beauty of courage, wisdom, and love!
Recently, I heard a mother say, "As for my girls, I will raise them to think they breath fire!"  What did she mean by this?  I think she wants to instill in her daughters that they are powerful; they are filled with courage; they are filled with worth; and they should accept no less from themselves.
What do you think?  Do you have daughters?  What do these numbers say to you?

Dear Lord, I pray for all the girls who feel worthless, for the women who grew up thinking they were not enough.  I pray for all the girls today who are not taught to see the beauty you have instilled in them.  I pray for all the women today caught up in relationships where they feel they have no value.  Lord, use me to reach out to these girls and women and be a beacon of hope and love in your name!  Amen

Are you Disappointed by People?

Psalm 146:5   Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob whose hope is in the Lord their God.

I will always remember my Father saying, "When people want to, they will make time.  When they don't, they will make excuses."  Throughout my many, many years on this earth, my Father has reminded me of this.  People will disappoint you.  People will not show up.  People will make excuses.  People will hurt you.

They won't always mean to.  They won't always know that they have hurt you or even disappointed you.  Sometimes they will and they just won't care.

I had a friend who constantly would back out of things on me.  Whether it was a meet up at the gym or a lunch date, there always seemed to be an excuse for her absence.  At first, it hurt.  I felt disappointed every time she flaked.  After a while the disappointment ceased and the bitterness took over.  A wedge had been forming not only in our friendship but in my heart.  You see, I allowed the seed of bitterness to rob me of my joy.  I allowed one person's actions to disappoint and hurt me so that bitterness toward her robbed me of my joy for many days.  

God often gives me verses in times of need.  Psalm 146:5 is a blessing to me because it reminds me that my God is faithful.  He will never not show up for me.  He will never disappoint me.  He will never leave me alone.  My God is faithful!  My God is the God of Hope!  He takes my bitterness and exchanges it for Joy!  

Have you taken the time to pray over your disappointment?  Have you asked God to take away your hurt and maybe even bitterness and exchange it for joy?  Have you come to His throne with Faith and Hope?

Dear Lord, thank you for never disappointing me. Thank you for always showing up for me! Though I fail you daily, Lord, you never fail me!  Help me to forgive those who disappoint me.  I pray I look to you when I need someone steadfast, steady, and always present!   Amen

The Lord is Good

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”  Nahum 1:7

I have a friend whose daughter has suddenly become very anxious when she leaves the house.  Her daughter begs her to not leave and is fearful her mother will, for some reason, not return.

Irrational? Maybe.  Common? Yes.

Are you ever fearful?  What fears have a stronghold on your life?  Would you consider it irrational?

I find great comfort in this verse from Nahum.  Just look at the first 4 words --- "The Lord is good."  Yes, He is!  The Lord is good.  He is also a "stronghold."  He is a place that provides refuge against attack.  Yet often times I am so guilty of looking for refuge in my own strength.  I get so very frustrated with myself and find myself often discouraged and helpless.  How could I not look to the Lord first?  

My God has saved me from many trials, many poor choices, and many days of darkness.  My God is good.  He is good even to someone as undeserving as me.  He has given me chance after chance.  He has forgiven me more times that I can remember.  He has wiped away my sins forever because My God is good.  

Just like my friend's daughter, we all have fears.  We all have that one thing that holds us back, that keeps us from achieving our dreams, or that cripples us in our place.  Our fears are strong, yet My God is stronger!

My God "knows those who trust in Him!" Does He know you?  

Dear Lord, I pray today that anyone that does not know you will come and fall at your feet, confess their sins, and believe that you are the one, true God.  I pray that they will know that you are Good. Lord, use me as a vessel to share your goodness with others.  Amen

Is Your Busyness keeping you from His Peace?

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

I am guilty.  I allow my busyness to consume me.  I am guilty of being caught up in every"thing" that takes up my time.  I realize I have the same 24 hours that everyone else has yet I seem to squander mine with unfulfilling activities.  I am guilty of spending too much time on social media.  I get sucked in so easily.  I jump on to take care of business or look at my own Facebook wall and get sucked in to everyone else's stories, lives, posts, and even the drama.  I become so consumed that what I thought would take 20 minutes actually lasts an hour.  My mind strayed away.  I did not stay focused.  

Then there are all the extra activities of our days.  From volleyball practices to doctor appointments to orthodontist visits, often our days are full of extra stuff.  I often feel rushed in getting dinner on the table, baths taken, and everyone in bed by 10pm.  Where did my day go?  I often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of the day. 

The peace that God so freely gives to me is layered under all my piles of "stuff."  It takes me removing my own self-inflicted stuff that has made room in my life to find that peace that I've been trying so hard to find.  Yet, Isaiah tells me I need to keep my mind on Him!  My focus should be on the Lord.  My thoughts should be more of Him and less of Me!

Dear Lord, thank you so much for your perfect peace.  Help me to stay focused on You and what you have in store for me each day.  May my thoughts be more of YOU and less of Me!  Amen

You are NOT Invisible to God

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new."  2 Corinthians 5:17


In continuing our thoughts from yesterday, I wanted to study more and understand better not only what it feels like to be invisible but how God can work in those same lives for His good.  I thought about the life of many women in the Bible after our look into the lives of Sarai and Hagar yesterday.  I began to remember a certain woman who I think felt pretty invisible.
The book of Joshua tells us about a certain woman whose name alone tells us so much about her life and probably most importantly how she felt about herself -- Rahab the harlot.  Imagine for yourself what Rahab must have felt about herself.  Here she is a prostitute.  Everyone in town knows her as "Rahab the harlot."  Her worth is derived by the number of men who seek her for pleasure yet none of them ever offer her love or commitment.  Rahab has probably convinced herself that this is her "job" and that there is nothing better for her.  I can only imagine that she feels invisible to many of the men who enter her presence.  I imagine she feels pretty invisible most times she walks through the marketplace.  No one wants to be her friend, least of all another woman.
Yet God had a remarkable plan for Rahab's life.  I believe that the Lord touched Rahab and carved 2 Corinthians 5:17 into her heart to remind her that her past did not define her future.  I believe that Rahab found out that she was not invisible to God when he filled her with His love.  After God touched Rahab's heart, God used her and the Bible chronicles many heroic acts of faith by Rahab.  Fast-forwarding a little, marvel at these two blessings of Rahab -- 1.  Rahab married Salmon, a prince in the house of Judah; 2.  Rahab bore Salmon a son named Boaz, who son was Obed, whose son was Jessie, who son was David, through whose line Jesus was born.  Whoa!  Rahab was used by God and given many blessings.  Rahab was not invisible to God!
What is your Remarkable Story?  Do you have a personal before-and-after story?  Does your story include a hard spirit toward God or others?  Or is it marked by an icy, stone-cold heart towards the things of God?  Maybe you were never a harlot like Rahab, but you have probably felt invisible.  You have felt the pain of isolation, low self-worth, and hopelessness.  But God loves you greatly!  You are NOT invisible to Him.  He wants more than anything to have a relationship with you if you only allow Him to speak to you!
Dear Lord, Thank you for the story of Rahab.  Thank you that you can use "broken-down Jesus girls" to speak to the world.  We praise you for seeing us in love.  I pray for those who feel invisible, Lord, that they will find you even in their darkest hour.  Amen

Are You Invisible?

"The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.  And he said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?' 'I'm running away from my mistress Sarai,' she answered."  Genesis 16: 7-8

I have recently been reading a book by James Dobson called "Bringing Up Girls."  Dr. Dobson discusses numerous emotions, physical transformations, and mental thoughts that girls often encounter in the young lives.  I was astonished by some of the reading, and at times, I was close to tears.  He tells stories about many young girls who are now adults that once felt invisible.  They felt invisible in their homes.  They felt invisible in their schools.  They felt invisible to boys.  They felt invisible to God.
Dr. Dobson discusses how this feeling of being invisible as young girls has molded them into young adults today.  Some found a true relationship with God through a caring friend or family member.  Yet others carried their feelings or unworthiness and low self-esteem with them where they instead put their focus on drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and homelessness.
I truly believe that there isn't a girl alive that has not experienced a time when she felt invisible.  As a child, I remember feeling somewhat invisible at school.  I was not the smartest of the kids in my class nor was I at the bottom.  Often I was left drifting somewhere in the middle. I grew to like the middle because it felt safer.  I rarely was called upon to answer questions or be the student at the front of the class helping the teacher.  Yet safe did not mean I didn't sometimes feel invisible.  It was in second grade that my teacher, Ms. Slover, took an interest in me.  She saw my potential.  She didn't let me fall to the middle anymore.  She gave me a precious gift that I could never repay --- she gave me hope.  You see, she taught me that being the smartest kid in the class shouldn't be my goal nor should drifting somewhere in the middle.  Ms. Slover tapped into me, into my interests, and found that I was smarter than I even imagined.  No one had bothered to tap into my potential.  So I grew to understand that I probably would never be the smartest kid in my class but guess what!  Out of 300 students to graduate in my high school in 1995, I was in the Top 32 for my GPA!
As I read back over the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, I truly believe that both Sarai and Hagar experienced the feeling of being invisible.  Sarai felt unworthy of Abram's love since she could not conceive and handed over her maidservant, Hagar, to her husband.  Can you even begin to imagine the feelings that Sarai had?  The pressure she must have felt?  The hopelessness she was in?  Imagine attempting to conceive for so many years and being unsuccessful.  Many of you know exactly what she felt.  Now imagine feeling so hopeless that you decide to hand over your servant to your husband as an alternative to yourself to bear children.  Sarai must have also felt invisible during the time that Hagar and Abram were together.  I can only imagine she spent that time crying in her bed pleading with God.  Then when Hagar finds out she is pregnant, I believe that Sarai became, first, bitter and then jealous and finally enraged.
Then there is Hagar.  Oh Hagar.  As Sarai's maidservant, never did she imagine that she would be given over to Abram to bear his child.  Never did she imagine the abuse that Sarai began lashing on her due to her jealousy.  Hagar probably felt shame for sleeping with Abram in the first place.  Then to find out she is pregnant with his son.  Hagar had gone from being invisible as a maidservant to being the center of attention carrying the child of her master's husband.
The angel of the Lord finds Hagar as she has run away from Sarai's torture and jealousy.  Here the angel of the Lord tells her to return to Sarai --- AND to submit to her!  Do you think Hagar felt invisible upon hearing these words?  "You want me to go back to the woman who hates me so and do whatever she says?" Hagar is thinking.
I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that so many of you Ladies and Girls are dealing with this very moment.  I cannot begin to imagine the life struggles, the ordeals, the abuse, the neglect, the desperateness you have lived through.  But I do know what it feels like to be invisible.  I do know what you feel when you feel unworthy.  The one thing I pray for you today is that you find Hope.  Hope in the Lord Jesus who can turn your crimson-stained past into something pure and beautiful.  He can take your pain and heart ache and weave it into the greatest love you have ever known.  He, alone, can love you unconditionally and fill your heart with peace, joy, and hope.  I pray you seek Him today!

Dear Lord,  Thank you for loving us more than we sometimes love ourselves.  Thank you for seeing our pain, feeling our heartache, and embracing our brokenness.  You, alone, have the power to cleanse us of our past and lead us to a bright future.  Thank you for your son, Jesus, who died on the cross for me --- Me!  The no longer invisible ME!  Amen