Pray it Forward

I woke up a couple mornings ago happy. I had gotten to sleep-in (a very rare thing for a mommy) and my bed felt so nice and comfy. I didn't have a 5 year old jabbing her foot into my back and I knew she slept in her bed all night. It was a good feeling. "Good morning Lord," I said, "Thank you so much for letting me sleep in today, thank you for my warm cozy bed, and thank you that my daughter slept in her own bed last night. These might seem simple and futile but I just want to thank You for them. They are blessings to me." 

In fact they were such wonderful blessings to me that I wanted someone else to experience them too! Maybe another mom, or a homeless person, or a soldier out in a foreign land missing home. So I "prayed" it forward.  "Lord, please let someone else out there, (well even more than just someone, a lot of people!) experience a morning of waking up warm, well slept, happy and thankful. And may they realize the gifts You have given them so that they can pray it forward too. In Jesus' name, Amen." :)

Thus, praying it forward has begun in my heart. Won't you try it in yours?

Dear Wanderer

Have you ever gotten so overwhelmed by life that you thought you might need counseling? Have you wandered from the Lord because your problems seem too big? 

Counseling by a godly, trusted person is a very good thing. God can use that person to help give you the clarity that you've been too blind to see. But sometimes getting a counseling session takes time and money. Did you know there is a free way to receive the council you need the minute you need it?

It's called God's Word.

Now hold on, I can see someone right now rolling their eyes and getting ready to exit out of here but please hear me out.

Psalm 119:24 says, Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors. (ESV)

They are my what? Counselors. 
We have FREE counseling available anytime, anywhere right at the time we need it. You just have open your Bible. 

Psalm 119:9-16 says this: (and even though it says "man" it also applies to women too!) 

How can a young man keep his way pure?

    By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
    all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word. (ESV)

Sin separates us from God. He gave us the Bible not as an annoying rule book set to destroy our lives but as a guide book to make our lives blessed, peace-filled, and joyful! To draw us closer to Him!

If you were one of my "eye-rollers" at the beginning of this post then the first thing you've got to do is change your perspective on God's Word. Think of it as a love note from someone who cares so much about you that they don't want you to get hurt. Now, read back Psalm 119:9-16.  

With your whole heart seek the Lord, ask Him to help you not wander from His ways. Store up His words in your heart so that they become a part of you. When a moment comes along where you would normally lash out at someone, or  give in to sexual desire, or tell a little white lie, remember what He has taught you in His Word, and turn from the temptation to sin.  The first time you do it will be very hard, but the feeling after you obey Him is so amazing! You will feel stronger, accomplished, and worthy of something more. That "something more" is a life after God's heart. 

Let God's Word be your counselor. Deep down you desire to live in purity with the Lord. You desire to not be in bondage of sin. Well Believer, this is the answer: Hide His Word in your heart, follow His ways, and your way will be pure. There is no greater peace in this world than the peace He gives you when you are walking with Him. 

Do you need counseling? Try opening your Bible and letting His instruction guide you. Let His words comfort you, and let His peace wash over you. Let Him be your mighty Counselor!

When You are Given a False Name

Have you ever been labeled a name that wasn't true? Maybe someone called you a liar or accused you of being really fake?  Maybe someone said you weren't worthy of their love, or they called you "unsafe". It hurts to be labeled something that isn't true. It's extra painful when there is gossip involved. Your name and character get dragged through the mud and you are powerless to stop it. Sometimes defending yourself only makes you look more guilty but on the other hand, taking the high road and not saying anything might make you look weak. What do you do??

Jesus knows exactly what this feels like. The experience leading up to His crucifixion was everything you've experienced AND WAY MORE.  So just remember this: you are not alone and He knows how you feel. He loves you and values you more than you could ever realize and He wants to walk you through this.

Whether it feels like it or not, He has a purpose for what you are going through. Just like there was a purpose for what He had to go through.

Sometimes He allows people to come against you because He wants to teach you some things. Things like: how to rely completely on Him, how to love and pray for your enemies, and how to get strength and clarity from Him so that you can help another friend when they go through something similar. The biggest lesson of all however, is learning how to place ALL of your value in Him, and Him alone.  So that no matter what anyone says about you, you know your place with Jesus. Check out this verse: And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT)

I could not have said that better. We are heirs with Christ! We get to inherit what He is inheriting. Our inheritance is waiting in heaven. Eternity spent with God…there is nothing greater! But if we get to share His glory, then we must also share his suffering. And that's what is happening when people are mean or cruel to us.

But every trial we face has a purpose. I have found that seeking God for that purpose helps you get through the hurt, and helps your heart to heal much faster.

So the next time people start to slander your name and accuse you of things that you know aren't true, ask the Lord to help you love and forgive them, and ask Him to show you His purposes for this. Abide in Him and His Word and He will comfort you and show you what He is doing. Journal about it so that you never forget what He has taught you and how He was there for you. One verse that helped me through hard times of rejection and accusation was Exodus 14:14. It says, "The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (ESV)

The Lord will fight for YOU. Never forget that. You are an heir with Christ, and He will fight for you because He loves you. 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT)

Why I went on a Facebook Fast

I noticed that I was feeling frazzled and unable to get things done in all the important areas of my life. I would get frustrated that my daughter wanted to play as often as she did and that I never felt like playing with her. I was annoyed that all of a sudden it would be 530pm and I wouldn't have a single idea as to what I would make for dinner. I would go grocery shopping with no plan and so we would run out of things quickly and not have ingredients to make actual FOOD. I wanted to get in shape and exercise but never had the energy to do it. I would plan to have quiet time with the Lord but would get interrupted so many times I just felt like it was impossible! And by the end of the day when everyone was in bed all I wanted to do was have ME time: sit on couch with chocolate and tea and watch a chick flick. 

It was at this point when I knew I needed a change. I needed my focus back. I needed structure. I needed to get healthy in ALL areas of my life and start enjoying living! And I needed God's help to get me there.  

First thing I did was make quiet time with the Lord THE TOP PRIORITY. I noticed that there was about a 30-45 minute time span when we got home from taking my son to school that my daughter liked to just sit with her breakfast and watch her show. This was the time where I usually sat on the couch and got lost in Facebook world. Then before I knew it she was ready to play and I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast or showered and now the day was getting started without me: expectations, responsibilities, time to be a grown up! And what threw me off? FACEBOOK. 

Now, I'm not saying Facebook is evil or anything, I love that it has connected me with friends and family that I otherwise would never have found, BUT too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. And for me, that's what happened. When I really thought about it, I realized that I was clicking on my Facebook app every time I had a free second…while sitting at a red light, when a lull came in the conversation, while playing with my daughter if she wasn't looking at me…what the heck?? It's like I was an addict to Facebook without even realizing it! So I knew I needed to go on a Facebook fast in order to get that distraction out of the way so I could regain my focus and purpose.

My first day of NO Facebook really made me see how much I had been obsessed with it. In fact, when things would happen throughout the day I would want to share it in a status update and then realized I couldn't…now what was I gonna do?? How would the world know about MY life?? Oh wait, when you fast, you're supposed to pray every time you crave the thing you are fasting…oops ok Lord, lets do this. So I would talk to Him every time I wanted to post or look at Facebook. I spent that first 45 min of my day with Him and it was wonderful. I felt calm and peaceful. I asked that He would renew my spirit and give me joy to play with my daughter. How blessed I was to even HAVE a daughter!! A beautiful little girl who is healthy and safe and full of life and desire to be with her mama. What an ungrateful complainer I had become…not even wanting to play with my sweet girl who will someday grow up and not ask to play with me anymore. I learned in just 45 minutes that I needed to cherish these days, praise God for the many blessings He has given me, and put Him first everyday in order to live with joy and thankfulness. WOW. All that from putting down my phone and picking up my Bible.

 

Everyday we have a choice of how to spend the precious time that God has given us. Will we spend it on meaningless things or will we live with intention and purpose? It's up to you!

Another thing I noticed very early in my Facebook fast was that since I wasn't sharing my moments through status posts I wanted to share them with someone! So I texted my husband more. I texted a friend I hadn't talked to in a while about what I was doing because I knew she would find humor in it. I reconnected with a friend from high school with real conversation as opposed to just "liking" her status. I got back to REAL relationship instead of "likes" and updates. It felt good. 

I also had more time to be thoughtful about my photography business and ministries. I was putting my energy into MY business instead of being distracted by other people's business! What a concept! I also got to finally start reading a book that I'd been wanting to read. It's called The Daniel Plan.  Rick Warren and some doctors collaborated to make this amazing book. I am still reading it but it is exactly what I need in my life right now. It is all about making changes to have WHOLE health in mind, body, and soul. The book focuses on getting healthy with these 5 key essentials: Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends. I am loving it. If you know you need a change in your life, maybe you are feeling frazzled and out of shape in a lot of areas of your life, please consider reading this book with me! I'd love to start a small group study or accountability group, so please let me know if you want to join me.

As you can see going on this Facebook fast has had an incredible impact on my life, I have seen the error of my ways and I am in the process of bettering how I live. I am choosing Christ first, family second, and everything else last. (Which is the way I thought I was living before!) I am not letting something that was meant for good (Facebook) have a bad effect on my life by it's all consuming power. I have gotten back on facebook a few times in the last week in order to promote my business and to check on a little girl I am praying for, but other than that I am still steering clear of the Facebook vortex. I want to live my life with fullness and joy instead of just posting highlights of a flustered existence. I want to engage in real conversation and connection instead of basing my value on likes or comments. 

Life is beautiful, but if we spend it all day on a mobile device we will miss it. And what behavior are we passing on to our children? They will think Facebook and Pinterest are the things that matter most, instead of THEM. It's time to live with intention people! Put down the phone, lift up your head and be an active participant in the moments the Lord has given you. You won't regret it.