Are you a Believer or a Follower?

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

I used to wonder how I was able to stray so far from the Lord and walk in darkness when I was a Christian. I struggled with the bondage of sin, and it just seemed like I was always coming back to Him for forgiveness. How did I keep getting off track? I loved God, I believed in Him, I even served at church. Why couldn't I just keep walking with Him and not struggle so much? 

The answer is in this verse, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I believe there is a big difference between believing and following. You can believe that Jesus saves and you can even serve at church every sunday, but if you aren't actually following  Christ daily, then you may always struggle with living in sin. 

Believing is one thing. And believing is a good thing! It's the first step to a relationship with Christ. But just like any relationship, it has to move to the next level if you want it to go deeper. Believe me, with Christ you want to go deeper. 

So how do we do this? How do we go from just believing in Jesus to full-on following Him? Maybe we should look at how His first followers did it in the first century! The four gospels are a great place to start: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Commit to reading at least 1 chapter a day and you will begin to see.

His followers left their comfort zones, their expected path, their chosen professions. Fishermen, tax collectors, and even a prostitute. They dropped everything to follow Christ. Does that mean we need to do that too? Possibly! If He tells you to then yes. But don't let that scare you, His plan is perfect and better than you could ever imagine. Keep reading.

After that initial step of faith and turning from sin, they listened to Him teach. (Which we can do by reading the Bible) They walked with Him wherever He went. They believed what He said was true. Then they started applying what they learned. They began healing others in Jesus' name. They had front row seats to His many miracles and wonders. 

After He ascended into Heaven, they received the Holy Spirit and they followed the command to go and make disciples. Wow. Now that's a follower. Would you agree with me  that believing is one thing and following is another? Even demons believe Jesus is real. James 2:19: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (NIV)

I think when you are just believing and not following, it is easier to get distracted by the desires and temptations of this world. Christ is the light of the world. If you want to reflect that light then you have to be looking at Him. 

I want to encourage you today to take that next step from believer to follower if you haven't already. God has so much more planned for you, and one of those things is freedom from the bondage of sin. As soon as I went from just believing to actually following, those chains were broken. I was no longer a slave to my old ways. Being in His word everyday changed me. It brought me from a believer to a follower because reading His word is like listening to His voice. Listen as the Holy Spirit teaches you what His words mean. Ask Him to give you "ah-ha" moments from your daily reading. Write them down in your journal so you never forget them. Years later they can still be teachable moments for you. Next, tell someone! Share what the Lord has shown you. You never know who needs to hear from the Lord that day, and you could be the one He uses to do it.

Let's read Jesus' words one more time, 
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

There is a way to never walk in darkness again, and that's to follow Him.

You ready?

Dear Friendships

True friends are hard to come by as an adult. At least that's what I've noticed. Can I get a witness?? 

I look for authenticity. A person that is real with me. A person that doesn't gossip. I look for someone who wants the best for me, who supports my endeavors and who is willing to stand up for me. But I also want someone who is willing to put me in my place when I need it. Someone who loves me so much that she wants to see me grow spiritually, even if that means she has to tell me some things that would be hard to hear. There's a difference between pointing out someone's faults, and pointing someone back to Jesus. If a friend is trying to point you back to Jesus then you know she is doing it in love. When a friend is walking with the Lord, they desire the best for you, because they love you like Christ loves you. Even when you disappoint them, they are willing to pray for you and stick it out.

I had one of these true friend's confide in me about a struggle she was having with not getting what she felt her family deserved. They had been working so hard saving money, paying off debt, and making good financial decisions only to find out that their home had lost value. If they sold it they wouldn't be able to upgrade to a nicer home. All those years stuck in a neighborhood they didn't love, with neighbors that were living off the system, getting welfare and food stamps, popping out babies and not doing anything to better their situation. My friend even said that she was sure the neighbors had stolen diapers from her diaper delivery service that had been sitting on her front porch. It enraged her that these people were doing everything wrong and getting away with it, yet her family was working so hard to do everything right and seemed to be getting nothing from it.  She didn't like feeling this way and knew that it sounded so petty (first world problems) but it's just how she was feeling.

It's funny because when the problem is not my own I feel like I can see so clearly what the Lord is trying to teach her in all this. I value this friend so much because she knows that how she is feeling is not right, but she's real enough to share it with me. And then, what I love even more about her is that she accepts the response that the Lord has given me for her. It's important to listen to the Holy Spirit when a friend is in need and then respond with what He is telling you. A friend that is walking with the Lord is humble and teachable. They will listen and take it in because they don't want to be defined by their sin.

So I asked her if she had been praying for her neighbors? Had they invested at all in the opportunity to help a family in need? God has a purpose for giving them those particular neighbors and the reason was not to enrage them, but to grow them. Grow their love. It's easy to love kind people, but it takes Christ in you to love people who don't seem deserving. (Luke 6:33-35)
Another thing the Spirit showed me is that a lot of times what you hate in someone else is actually a direct reflection of the sin in your own life. Of course no one wants that reminder in their faces everyday so we judge the people committing our secret sin because we know someone needs to get punished for it! In this case, my dear friend was judging her neighbors for being entitled, when in fact she was being entitled with God. She felt that because they had worked so hard, they deserved better from God. Her struggle with her own entitlement was causing her to hate her neighbor. Isn't it amazing what sin can do?? Praise God for my sweet friend and her teachable spirit. God was able to speak to her heart in that moment and reveal some things she needed to hear.

Btw if there is someone in your life that drives you crazy, pushes your buttons and makes you angry, then take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself, "What sin am I struggling with in my life that is reflecting back at me through this person?" Then do some soul searching. Spend time in God's Word and ask Him to show you. And if you have a trusted Christian friend that is walking with the Lord, ask them what they think. But make sure you are ready to hear it. Ask the Lord to humble you and make you teachable.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)


Ok so I think "stupid" is a little harsh, but hey if the Bible says it!! 

My encouragement today is to BE that friend who is willing to receive advice. Be that friend that doesn't want to stay in a place of struggle, but wants help. Be humble, be teachable, and be loving. Don't lash out. Don't let pride get in the way. I want us to raise the bar when it comes to friendships! Step it up people! Love like Christ loves, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and ready to forgive when your friend messes up. I can't tell you how many times I have messed up or said something hurtful without meaning to, and the friends that have forgiven me are the ones I value more than ever. Don't accept your friends faults as a permanent thing, offer to help in prayer, accountability and encouragement, and expect the same thing when it comes to your own faults. If your christian friend is gossiping, call her out in love! If your married christian friend is flirting with another man, pull her aside and ask her for a heart to heart moment with you about it. From that loving moment of accountability might come an outpouring of truth that could set her FREE! 

I want to fight for my friends. I want to stand in the gap for them when they are struggling, and I want friends who are willing to fight for me. 
What do you say friends, can we raise the bar with our christian friendships?? 
Look at Jesus' relationships with His disciples. He was teaching, loving, healing, correcting and encouraging. They couldn't return the favor to Him because He was without sin, but we are all with sin so let's be that for each other! Let's be a friend like Jesus. 

His Restoration Project

Have you ever restored something? Like an antique dresser or nightstand?

I look at our kitchen table and it is in desperate need of restoration. It's over 15 years old and boy does it look like it! The legs used to be white..but now they are chipped, faded and somehow have food stains on them…not quite sure how that happened. (I blame the babies.) The top of the table is a natural wood color but is looking very dull with craft stains, rough patches, and a lovely ring from an overly wet cup left out overnight. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't take very good care of this table over the years. When I wipe it down now, it doesn't actually get clean because the filth from all the years has seeped into the wood. I think we just need to take a sandblaster to it.

I feel like I can relate to this table.

I started out clean and new as a young Christian, but as the years went by I got trampled on by disappointment and unfulfilled dreams. I felt unloved so I fell into disrepair. I let the filth of this world seep into my heart and over time it corroded my view on love and marriage. With my negative outlook reigning supreme in my mind, my faith got smaller and smaller. I became stained by this world and the lies of the enemy. 

But God didn't give up on me. He never said, "She's too dirty now, I'm done with her." Or "This is too hard, I give up!" He kept on pursuing me. 

But sometimes the only way to get our attention is to let us fall.

If I were to restore my kitchen table, I would first have to take it apart. And this is what God did with me. 
In order to restore me, He had to take me apart piece by piece. It hurt, but once I was completely broken, I was finally ready to let Him put me back together. I knew He was the only One who could restore my soul.

With great care and patience He smoothes out our rough edges, He chips away at the bad and sculpts it into good. He cleans us. He seals us. He restores us. We are His greatest restoration project. And it's ongoing. He doesn't give up. The day He is done is the day we are face to face with Him and our restoration is complete. We will be perfect. 

But until then, I thank God for all He has done in me and all He continues to do. I know there is still so much work left. At times I still feel like a couple pieces haven't been put back together yet and it's because He is still working on them. As He works, I wait and abide in Him. Sometimes you just have to rest while He restores.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul." Psalm 23:2-3 (ESV)

Please listen to this song and know that "there's nothing too dirty, that He can't make worthy." And know that if you are in pain and hurting right now, it may be because He is restoring you piece by piece. God is good, let Him do a good work in you. God Bless.

"Clean" by Natalie Grant
I see shattered
You see whole
I see broken
But You see beautiful
And You're helping me to believe
You're restoring me piece by piece

There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean.
There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean.

What was dead now lives again
My heart's beating, beating inside my chest
Oh I'm coming alive with joy and destiny
Cause You're restoring me piece by piece

There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean.
There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean.

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice
Your blood flowed red and made me white
My dirty rags are purified
I am clean

Do You Trust God with your child?

We live in a strange time, where transgender bathrooms are topics of discussion. In the not-too-distant future public schools will have bathrooms available for the transgender student to go where they identify most.

When I first heard this, I thought, "Oh no, my daughter will start kindergarten this year, am I going to have to put her in private school just to keep her protected from this??" (Lord knows I cannot home school..let's just say it's not my gifting.) ;)

So one thing I try to do when a big decision needs to be made is I imagine what life would be like for both paths I have to choose from. Let's say every christian takes their child out of public school: God's spirit would no longer be in the public school system through our children. 
How does that work in the grand scheme of trusting the Lord, living in the world and being a light to others? If every christian parent decided to homeschool their child to protect them from the world, haven't we just taken something that is not even ours to begin with and put a basket over it so it cannot shine to the unsaved? How will any non-christian child hear about Christ if not one child in the public school system is saved? We all know teachers can't talk about God without getting fired or written up!

Friends I am on the fence. One part of me says, yes, take your kid out of public school because God gave us the responsibility to protect them and raise them in His Word. But the other part of me says where is your trust? Do you not trust that God will take care of your child? Do you not trust in His great plan? And do you care more about sheltering your child from the world than obeying the commands of the Lord to let your light shine, to go make disciples, and to love as Christ loves?

I think what it boils down to is this: What is God telling YOU to do? 

There is no right or wrong christian answer to keeping your child in public school or taking them out. This is an issue that only God has the answer for. And YOU as the parent of God's child need to seek Him about it. Do not make your child's future decisions based on a high horse, or on what all the other christian moms are doing, or on a political stance. Make the decision on what the Holy Spirit tells YOU to do regarding your child.

Remember WWJD? (What would Jesus Do?) If Jesus had a child, (and btw He does, it's all of us!) would He allow that child into public school amongst "sinners"? Or would He take them out of that influence to homeschool them? I honestly don't know! Those BOTH sound like something He would do! wait..hold on a sec.. I'm seeing a parallel here…We are His children, and He has put us into a sinful world, (kinda like public school) but yet He still wants to be our Teacher. …so it's like being IN the world but not OF the world. We need to be around the unsaved, so do our children, but we need to take responsibility for teaching our children about Christ EVERYDAY, just like He wants us to learn from Him everyday. Fill them up so much with the good, that they will not be tempted to stray to the bad. 
Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way He should go; even when he is old he shall not depart from it."

When a lovely couple I met a few years ago felt called into missionary work in a dangerous part of the world, I remember thinking, how could they do that? They have 3 young children! Then after God radically changed my life, I realized that they were following the command God had given THEM, for THEIR life. Their children were just as much called to that life as they were, and THAT'S OK. God will take care of them. He has a plan. And if something terrible did happen to one or all of the children, it would be part of a predestined plan. A plan for His glory to be revealed through the lives of those kids.

Believers, we must be OK with God's plan, no matter how it looks. No matter what might happen. He is good. He has reasons. Good reasons for His glory. We need to live out the belief that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, BLESSED be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21)

If anything, I hope this crazy idea of transgender bathrooms gets christians to pray and seek the Lord on what He wants for them and their kids. I hope it brings every christian parent to that place where they can say, "My child is completely in Your hands Lord. I trust You to keep them safe when I cannot. And if something bad does happen to them, I trust that You know what you are doing and I praise you no matter what."

I may not know what God wants me to do for my kids in regards to this issue yet, but I can tell you that I trust them in HIS hands way more than my own. He is perfect and I just want to be obedient to what He has planned for MY family, so that we can be used WHEREVER He leads us for His kingdom. 

It's not about us. It's not about living in a safe, protected christian bubble. It's about love and obedience, and taking up your cross. Sure you might be able to take up your cross, but are you letting your child take up theirs? You cannot carry your child's cross for them. After all, God sent His Son did He not?

Let's sock one at the devil today by not getting angry and lashing out at the world, and creating even more reasons for the lost to never give Jesus a shot. Let's retreat into His Word, pray without ceasing, and obey what He tells us to do, no matter what that is. 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)

Dear Dreamer

I heard a sermon the other day about using your passions to establish peace with God and others. The pastor was encouraging believers to live out their passions with a gospel focus. Sounds all good, doesn't it?

Or does it?

The more he spoke the more I started to feel uneasy. The more I felt like he was saying to all of the comfortable christians in the room to just fit God into your passions and you'll find your joy. The sermon series was called "True Joy" after all.

Are we really called to fit God into our plans and passions?

Is that what the disciples did? From what I read in the New Testament Jesus said, "Follow Me" and they dropped their plans and passions to pursue Him.

In order to follow Christ there has to be radical change in your heart.

We should be willing to lay aside all of our dreams and passions to pursue Him, so that our entire focus and heart is set on Him, not our own agenda. Then as we pursue Him, surrender ourselves to His will and let Him circumcise our hearts (cut out what doesn't belong), He will show us His dreams and passions for us.

Sometimes your passion and His passion for you will align. Praise Jesus! Sometimes they won't. Praise Jesus still.

My passion my whole growing up years was singing and acting. I wanted to be in musicals on Broadway. But that's not what the Lord had planned for me. Why? Because I have one main purpose on this Earth (as do all believers) and that is to glorify the Lord, and He must've known that I wouldn't do a very good job of that on Broadway. For whatever reason that was not the place where I would be able to be a strong reflection of Him. So in order to follow Jesus, I had to give up that dream. Even after giving it up however, I still tried to morph my dream into a new one that glorified Him: leading worship! I tried to learn guitar, only to get stuck after 3 chords. Then I also realized that no one wants to hear worship being belted out show-tune style. Poor me. My dreams had to go. 
But God is not one to take without giving back ten-fold when you choose to obey.
He is a good Father. His dreams are way better for us than we could ever dream or imagine. He made dreams come true for me that I never even knew I had! But it wasn't until I let go of mine.

So I did. About 3 years ago I let go of all of it. I surrendered everything to Him and said "Thy will be done!"

Since then I have fallen deeper in love and gratitude with my Savior. I have fallen deeper in love and gratitude with my husband as well. I have learned way more than I ever could've while being distracted trying to fit God into MY passions.

Since then God has ignited a passion in me to find beauty in all of His creation through the lens of my camera. He has driven my hand to write messages of encouragement, correction, and testimony so that others can hear the love and grace He has for them. 

God has also placed a strong desire in my heart for the hurting, desperate housewife, because I know what it felt like to be one.  He also restored my marriage and united my husband and I in a new ministry that focuses on believers being the church, being in His word, and discipling others.

I think of the dreams I had for myself and they were all about ME. The dreams HE has for me are all about glorifying HIM.

God doesn't want us to be self-centered, fake versions of what He designed us to be. He wants us to live our greatest potential in Him and to have true joy that only comes from Him. He wants us to lead others to Him by the light He magnifies in our lives. You cannot magnify His love if you are focused on yourself and your passions. It's impossible.

Matthew 16:24 says, Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." (NLT) 

I hope this message speaks to you today. Look at your life, are you trying to fit God into what you want for yourself? Or are you willing to give all of that up in order to live His plans and passions for you?

Bring an Offering

Back in Bible times people needed to bring an offering to the Lord, or a sacrifice at the alter as a way to atone for their sins. Instead of getting put to death for their sin, a lamb or other animal was sacrificed. When Jesus came, He chose to be the final sacrificial Lamb for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to live in condemnation of sin any longer. He atoned for our sins once and for all. 
All we have to do now is accept it, and choose to spend our life learning to love and obey Him. (Notice I said "learning" to love, not "earning His love".. big difference)

As I read David's words in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36, the phrase "Bring an offering" (vs 29) kept leaping off the page to me. I underlined it and said, "Lord what are trying to tell me? An offering was already made, it was Jesus." But He kept saying "bring me an offering" and I was reminded that even though God doesn't want an animal sacrifice from us anymore, he still wants an offering. And I'm not talking about money right now. He wants an offering of whatever stands between us and Him. He wants us to offer it up. This is why you see people raising their hands sometimes during worship, they are offering up whatever they need to let go of. Or they are simply offering themselves, saying, "Here I am Lord." 

So I opened my hands and said, God I give you my fears, my insecurities, I give you the issues I am having with others who have hurt me, I give you my children, my marriage, anything I can think of Lord, I offer it to You. It's Yours. Please do with it all as You please, and help me to always desire You more than anything else. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Is there something you need to offer to the Lord today? Maybe it's a past wound, or a current one. Maybe it's something you desire more than Him, or maybe it's your own life. Whatever it is, I urge you to do it today. Begin the journey of letting go of the things that weigh you down. Learn how to truly worship the Lord, and let your life be a daily offering to Him. 

David's Song of Thanks

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

19 When you were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;[a]
30     tremble before him, all the earth;
    yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

35 Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!”

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Where Does Your Heart Lie?

I'm going through the Bible study by Kelly Minter called No Other Gods. I feel like what I am learning I need to share with you.

As you know, idols look very different today than they did in the first century. There are less and less golden calves and bronze lady statues and more and more celebrities, artists, books, ideas and products that have become our modern day idols.

Truth be told, an idol is simply something in our heart that takes the place of God. 

Do you know what your idol is? Is there anything other than God that you have set your heart on? 
What gets your heart pumping and excited? What consumes most of your thoughts? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? 
Something the Lord has shown me is that it doesn't even have to be a bad thing. It can be your love for another person, or even your desire to live out the dreams God has for you. But if you put more of your focus on THAT than God, then it has become an idol for you.

Kelly Minter posts this question, "Can you think of anything in your life that is inherently good and right, but that has become detrimental simply because you desire it too much?"

Something that can happen when we want something badly, maybe we pray for it everyday, is that when we don't get it we start to question God's goodness. This is where the enemy loves to get us. If he knows we've been praying for something, then he is ready and waiting for us to feel discouraged. As soon as we feel discouraged he whispers that lie, "See, God isn't answering your prayer. He doesn't care about you. If he did, He would've helped you. Don't bother praying anymore." Etc etc. Have you experienced that?

If we desire God more than the thing we are praying for, then we will recognize Satan's lie for exactly what it is and we can dismiss it in the name of Jesus immediately. I wish someone had told me this years ago. It took me 10 years to learn it, and I almost lost my marriage because I was believing the lie that God didn't care enough to "fix" my situation. Turns out all I needed to do was fix my eyes on Him, not my desires!

Another point she makes is that sometimes we may worship God, but we serve other gods. We allow other things to be our "functioning god." Example: We pray for God's safety, but if we put our hope in the strength of our military or our country to keep us safe, then that has become our functioning god, instead of the One True God in whom we should place our trust. Does that make sense? 
A functioning god is like the place we put our hopes. We might be worshipping God, but we are putting our trust in something else. 
Looking at your life, can you define your functioning gods? Maybe it's your spouse, your job, your money?

Bottom line, God needs to be your only God. He needs to be the one that gets our praise, worship and TRUST. 

Is there anything in your life that you desire more than God? Is there something you put your hope in instead of Him?

Pray with me now: "Lord we come to you today as broken people. We try to love and serve You but sometimes we fall short, in fact most of the time we fall short. Thank you for Your unconditional love for us. Thank you that no matter how many times we mess up, You are always there, waiting with open arms. Please help our idols to fall away. Help us to turn from them and turn our eyes onto You. God draw us to You everyday so that we desire to be in Your word and to abide in You. Give us strength when we need to say "No" to any temptations (idols) that are harmful to us. Thank you Lord for Your amazing grace and forgiveness. Go before us and prepare the way, thank you Lord, In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen!"