Thankful that I am Free!

I am thankful that when God exposes sin in my heart,a sinful attitude, or sinful way of thinking that He does so, not to condemn me, but to free me. God never brings us face to face with the ugliness of our hearts in order to make us feel bad, to feel shame or to be guilt ridden.

Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. Ro 5:18

No my dear sisters, it's not for condemnation that God reveals what's in the heart, but it's for freedom! God wants us to live in freedom from the bondage of sin and shame. We do not need to be slaves to sin, past or present. Christ came so that we might be free. If you are His, you ARE free!

We often don't  live as a free people because we allow the enemy to wrap the chains of guilt, shame and sin around us. Then we are once again in bondage. So God places people, circumstances, and His Word in our life to expose those idols, sin, and bondage that have not been destroyed, so that we might see them, confess them and live as free children.

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commandment for its own evil purposes. Ro 7:13

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Ro 8:1

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. (John 8:36) Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace. (Ro 6:14) He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. (1Co 1:8)

So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Gal 5:1) He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right .(Titus 2:14)

Oh God help us to walk in FREEDOM!

Thankful for His Everlasting Love

There is an image that haunts me to this day. It’s an image of a little girl almost six years old being left in the back seat with her younger siblings. It was late and very dark. She didn’t know where her momma was. She was gone for hours it seemed. She felt abandoned. She felt so alone.

For this little girl, and many like her, it would not be the last time she would feel the sting of abandonment. She would grow up without the feeling of being loved, protected or secure.

I wish I could tell you that for these children they eventually grow out of it, learn to trust, to feel safe and loved. Often though it’s just not the case. They will struggle most of their lives with feelings of not being worthy of love. They will be afraid to love anyone for fear that they too would leave and abandon them. Unless…

Unless they meet Jesus.

When they first meet Him it will be hard. They will want to trust. They will want to believe He really does love them. They will long to the very depths of their souls that in Him they will find a safe place. But they have hoped before and been let down by those they thought loved them.

Jesus is different. Jesus makes a promise, a covenant. They do not fully understand but begin to see that Jesus can be trusted. They begin to believe His word holds truth.

They learn to take comfort in Duet 31:8 “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

They learn to believe Jer 31:3 “…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

And what about you? Have you felt abandon, unloved, insecure? Have you trusted people who have hurt you, left you or didn’t really love you?

If you belong to Jesus then you too can take comfort dear one that from “…everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him…” Ps. 103:17

Do You Know Jesus? If not I invite you to Click Here.

Being Thankful Today

I am thankful today for the gift of forgiveness. I do not deserve it. Yet my Lord has offered it every time I have come to Him with my head bowed, and my heart heavy.

He does not give me long lectures about how I should know better, or reminds me how many times I've come to Him for this particular sin. He just forgives.

I am thankful that God has place in my life brothers in sisters in the Lord who love me and speak both grace and truth.

I am thankful for all the godly men and women God has used in my life. Those who have mentored and discipled, both in purposeful ways and by their lifestyle.

I am thankful for my enemies. It's through them that God often shows me the area's I so desperately need to work on. I am thankful for all the trials, pain, and suffering that God uses to purify my heart.

I am thankful that God has given me close "soul" sisters who are relentless at times in pushing me to become the woman God has created me to be.

I am thankful that God is long-suffering when dealing with all the yucky stuff buried in my heart.

I am thankful that God watches over us, and those we love, during times of uncertainty.

I am thankful for my journey with God, both the valleys and mountains.

Thank you God that you continue to mold and make me into your image. Give me the courage to continue to walk in your presence regardless of how steep the path may come or how easy it may seem.

Thankful for Traffic Jams

This morning I was in a hurry to get to work and running late. As I was flying down the road I could see ahead of me that it was congested. I could have gotten off the exit but it would be a longer drive and I would be even later, or so I thought. What I didn’t know is there was construction and I’d be sitting in traffic, making me an hour late.

I sat in my car thinking as I moved inch by inch. This was not scheduled into my day. I had work to do, important work. But God had other plans.

Then I began to think about how many times I’ve been on a road, flying through life thinking I am going somewhere fast and around the corner life suddenly comes to a halt and I am forced to move inch by inch.

It happens to us everyday.

A mother has a day planned. It’s filled with important appointments. She is involved in ministry. Mentoring a young mom. She’s about to leave the house, the phone rings, a child is sick and needs to be picked up. Her day comes to a halt.

A pastor is preparing for a sermon. It’s an important sermon, maybe one of the most important to date. He only has one more day to prepare and needs this time to study. A phone call. A family loses a child in a car accident. His plans come to a halt.

A woman involved in ministry. She is working hard to do what she knows God has called her to do. Her parents become very ill. Doing ministry becomes harder as they require more care. Her life begins moving at a slower pace, inch by inch requiring her to take on more of the care giving of her parents.

In each of the scenarios above they were doing good things. Things God has called them to do when their life is interrupted.  Each one of them could have come up with good reason to continue doing what they were doing. Each were doing what they believed God had called them to do.

The mother could call someone to watch her sick child while she ministered. The pastor could have chosen ministry to the multitudes instead of the one. The woman could have chosen to put her parents in a home.

In God’s sovereignty He allows “traffic jams” that slow us down. Sometimes it causes us to take a detour. Sometimes it causes us to stop all together. 

The question is, are we going to look at those interruptions as a part of His plan or become irritated with the direction God might be trying to move us. Will it annoy us that our plans have been interrupted. Maybe the interruption is God's plan.

As I sat there I realized I could have gotten off the exit and probably should have. I would not have been so late. But then again, I had extra time to think and pray before the Lord. God took that time to minister to my soul. He gave me a moment to take a deep breath before moving on.

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You....

Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;

 On You I wait all the day." Ps 25:1-5

Thankful for Like-minded Sisters

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Phil 2:1-2

I am thankful for my sisters who are like-minded in their devotion and passionate pursuit of knowing God. It brings such joy to my heart to know each one of you and am encouraged by your faith in Christ.

I am thankful for my like-minded sisters who I’ve not met face to face and yet our hearts have connected because of Jesus.

I am thankful for sisters who face to face we are encouraged by a mutual sharing of our faith.

I am thankful for my sisters who understand the desire to go deep and to the heart in our conversations. Conversation that take place in so many forms through technology.

I am thankful for sisters who see  the woman I want to be and offer grace in those moments I forget.

I am thankful for like-minded sisters that want to know God and go deeper into His Word. Who understand that spiritual mentoring/mothering is a mandate by God.

Thank you sisters….you know who you are! I love you!

Thankful for God's Discipline

Yes I know, many of you probably read the title and thought "you've got to be kidding! Why would anyone be thankful for discipline?" Read on and you will understand and then hopefully say with me that you too are thankful for God's discipline.

Hebrews 12:6, 10-11 says that God disciplines those He loves. He disciplines us for our own good. Why? "So that we may share in His holiness".

So I am thankful for discipline because when God disciplines me it is showing His great love for me.
If my desire is to be holy as He is holy, then it requires God's discipline, so again I am thankful.

But why be thankful for something that can be so painful?

Verse 11 says that in order for my life to yeild the preaceful fruit of righteousness then I will be trained by a discipline that leads to sorrow. Sorrow over my sin. Sorrow over forgetting God. Sorrow over choosing my own way.

So I am thankful for a discipline that leads me to sorrow over my sin, a sorrow that leads to repentance.

Can you say with me that you are thankful for Godly discipline? If not then may I challenge you to ask God to show you why you are unable to be thankful for His discipline.

A Month of Being Thankful

Can it really be November already? Where has the year gone? It was too fast, yes we say that every year but truly, for many reasons this year it seems especially so. But it's been a good year filled with many blessings and much to be thanful for. So as I have done the last several years since I began to blog, this month will be reflections filled with thanksgiving.

I have found it quite an insightful  exercise to sit down and to write what I am thankful for. I can't promise I am going to get to it every day but I will give it my best effort to write a Thankful blog several times a week.

Feel free to join me and if you do let me know I'd love to read how God has blessed you!

Currently God has me in a place of "felt" isolation, now I have learned that what we "feel" is not always our reality, but it's often in this place where our enemy takes advantage and begins bombarding us with familiar lies. Only this time I am stronger, this time I know truth and this time I KNOW I do not fight this battle alone.

So today
I am thankful that God is my refuge, He is my strength and He battles the arrows of the enemy for me.
I am thankful that even when I am uncertain my Father knows the plans He has for me - and they are plans that are good.
I am thankful for the gift of faith He has given me.
I am thankful that He never leaves nor forsakes me.

What are you thankful for today?

All I Need

Why does my heart so often want to wander? My soul only finds satisfaction in You Lord.

You alone can satisfy my heart.

You alone can fill those places that lay empty within my soul.

You alone God can take the pain and sorrow of this life and use it for Your glory.

You are all I need.

When I feel alone and unable to go on, You are the one who gives me strength.

You are a rock of strength to me and a stronghold that keeps me safe. (Ps 31:2)

You alone are my God help me to seek only You in those times when my soul is dry and weary. Ps 63:1

You are all I need.

You alone will satisfy my thirst.

You alone are faithful even in my unfaithfulness.

Your grace is sufficient for me, for power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will gladly boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Cor 12:9

You alone are sufficient, You are all I need.

A bittersweet day

It was a day of sadness

a day to cry

to hug

to part

to say goodbye

It was a day of rejoicing

to smile

to laugh

to remember

It was a day to pray

hearts joined

precious moments

thankful

It was a day to love

family

friends

God

It was a hard day

It was a bittersweet day

Oh Father thank you for the gift of this day. Thank you for your love, your strength and the daily pouring out of your gifts. Thank you Jesus, thank you for your daily working in my life to bring me into a greater understanding of my Father and a deeper love for who He is. I am so grateful for the life you have given me.

A Faithful Friend

This morning I was talking with a dear friend. It is rare that we get more than a minute or two to talk, but each time we do our conversation goes deep and is filled with encouragement, challenges, laughter and sisterhood. Our common connection? A deep love and pursuit of our Lord.

In our conversation she brought up Proverbs 20:5 and I have been reflecting on it ever since, along with verse 6. It reads; Though good advice lies deep within a person's heart, the wise will draw it out. Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is really faithful?(NLT)

God has been teaching me much over the last few years about relationships. 

I have learned…

There are women who have never experienced the warm, loving embrace of a mother. They were never been taught how to have healthy relationships. They have grown up believing they are not worthy of love, so they build walls of protection. They learn to put on a facade, a false front hoping that no one will see the real woman inside.

There are women who have experienced wonderful childhoods, with loving mothers, but somewhere along the way she has been hurt deeply by other women and her friendships with them. She too learns to build a wall of protection and put on a mask. She, along with many, have learned how to be a friend without giving away too much of herself.

There is often a little of both of the above women in us and we fear being hurt and rejected – so the deepest part of who we are remain hidden and few are willing to go beyond the surface to know the real woman inside.

to be honest…

If I go seeking the deep parts of you, then I must also expose the deep parts of me that I have tried so desperately to hide. I have learned to keep those things that really and truly drive me on a daily basis far from reach, making it difficult to discern who I really am. I often try so hard to fit in that I forget to just be myself.  I am often afraid you will see the real me and I will be rejected.

But a true friend, a faithful friend, realizes that what she often sees on the surface is not the real me. She will be patient with and works with me to draw out who I really am. She will nurture me along the way, correcting me if necessary. As a friend I will do the same for her, it’s not one sided, but together we plunge the depths of who we are and who God is creating us to be. We will work together to become the women we know that God intends us to be.

God honoring, healthy friends do not always take what we say or do at face value, but truly understand the inner conflict that goes on within all of us. They are willing to see beyond what we were, who we are and see who God is creating us to be. True friendship thrives when, before God, each one is willing to be real, honest, and open about their lives.

Please don't misunderstand. The only way I can be a truely faithful friend, one who seeks the very best God has to offer for my friend, is if I have first developed a deep intimate friendship with my Lord Jesus Christ. He must be lord of my life and lord over the relationship, otherwise there isn't any chance of it being healthy the way He intended.

If God has given you a reliable, faithful friend, and surely he has, hold them close to your heart. Each one is a rare treasure. God is honored in relationships that put Him in the center, and as "iron sharpens iron" they help one another become more Christ-like.