In Your Face, New Year!

It's the end of the month of January and yes I am just now getting to my new year blog. But I figured now is probably better than to have written it on January 1st. I, personally, subscribe to many devotionals and blogs and I had an enormous influx of "New Year, New You" and "What's Your Word for 2017?" and "Be Healthy in the New Year" that they all kinda seemed to be the same and I began to just skim right over them and wish for the New Year newness to wear off a bit.

For some of you the New Year's Resolutions have already waved you goodbye and you find yourself struggling to get into the gym and validate that membership you put a bucket load of money into. For some, eating healthier eludes you as you walk into that coffee shop and smell the sweet scent of those blueberry scones as you sit down and pull out your laptop to blog, (Oh wait, is that just me?)

Bottom line is we struggle, all of us, with inner turmoil between what we wanna be and who we currently are. It's a never ending cycle of beating ourselves up internally for messing up and whipping ourselves into shape when the temptation to waver off our financial plan, diet plan, book reading plan falls apart or whatever New Year's resolution we made seems to come apart at the seams. 

But let me encourage you with this, no matter what goal we set for ourselves this year, know this...you are a treasured and cherished daughter of the King and nothing will change that. No amount of pounds, no amount of books read or written, no amount of college finished or yet to be completed, no amount of healthy food in your fridge or brownies sitting on your counter can change that. 

Being healthy and increasing your knowledge through going back to school or reading more books and even getting out of debt are fantastic habits and goals, but your identity in Christ is set despite what amount of money is in your bank account and what title is on your business card. Stay at home mommas, whether you got to shower today or not, put on your makeup or even get out of your pajamas, doesn't change how much God loves you or how beautiful He thinks you are.  

So let's all stand up and hold hands this year sisters and say "In Your Face, New Year!" Don't let the would'a, could'a, should'a's get you down. Focus on today and the next right step. Focus your eyes on Jesus and spend time in His Presence asking Him what you are to prioritize today. Rest in knowing that you may not be where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be. (Thank you Joyce Meyer for that quote.) 


No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
Philippians 3:13 NLT

This song, "You are Loved" by Stars Go Dim could not be more appropriate...

We hide pain in the weirdest places
Broken souls with smiling faces
Fighting for surrender
For now and the after, yeah
Just look around and you'll see that people
Are scared to say how they really feel
Oh, we all need a little honesty

You are loved
If your heart's in a thousand pieces
If you're lost and you're far from reason
Just look up; know you are loved
Just look up; and know you are loved
When it feels like something's missing
If it hurts but you can't find healing
Just look up, know you are loved

We're not made to be superheroes
Photoshopped, all size zeroes
A light not expected
But not quite perfected yet
Look up; see the sun is shinning
There's hope on a new horizon
Calling you, it's calling

 

Get Up and Go!

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Ephesians 5:14 

I was a teenager sitting in church barely able to keep my eyes open. Hardly listening to the pastor's message that Sunday, I was in a season of my life where I was actively trying to grow in my faith. But that Sunday I just wasn't feeling it, wasn't paying attention at all, then my eyes closed. 

Have you ever had one of those moments when you fall asleep in places that you know you shouldn't? Oh man, I remember the times in high school and college where I would drift off only to have my head jerk up so hard, if people around me didn't know I was asleep, they knew then by my wild reactive movements.  

Well my head jerked up and I wildly looked around to see if anyone noticed and after breathing a sigh of relief, I looked down in my lap at my opened Bible and read the following words:  "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

It was almost like I received a shot of Espresso through an IV. I know no one around me saw me doze off that day, but  God did. I can't tell you what the sermon was about or if anything profound happened after that service, but I woke up and got to listening to the Word of God being preached for that day. 

This Summer, I have been enjoying the lazy days being at home with my boys, staying up late watching things like Shark Week and the Summer Olympics and getting to sleep in the next morning. But allowing myself to sleep in till the boys wake up, also keeps me from getting some quiet time with the Lord done in the morning. 

When I hear my children rustling around, I look over at my phone, read the latest blog devotional in my email, say a little prayer and then drift back off to sleep before I hear the voice... For about a month now, I have been feeling the Lord telling me to get up, before my kids did and spend time with Him. 

At first, I was frustrated. I thought I need that annoying voice telling me to get up to stop, because I need rest too! I justified rest is just as important to God as it is to me and he would understand. Only I knew no evil voice would be telling me to get up and spend time with God, the Holy Spirit was wanting to get me back in my quiet time, because there were things me and Him needed to hash out. 

I had been feeling dry spiritually and frustrated.  There were a lot of big decisions going on in my life and my family's that I should have been face down on the floor about, but I wasn't. In my quiet time I turn my Pandora channel on the Elevation Worship station, grab my Bible (not the one on my phone) and my journal and head to the front porch and get in the zone! In the stillness and quietness of those moments, that is when I hear God most speaking into my life. He and I both needed that. 

He needed me to wake up from my sleep, rise up from the demands of my life trying to drown out His voice and take the time to let Jesus shine in me, through me and speak to me just like it says in Ephesians 5:14.  

He needed me to get up and go spend time with Him, pray to Him and hear from Him. Let me tell you, I didn't regret it one bit! 

What is God whispering into your life that you keep brushing aside? Does your spiritual walk feel like it is falling flat and lacking depth? Perhaps because it is. Get up and go to your quiet place. Do whatever you need to do to cancel out any distraction and mute all noise and just sit in God's presence to hear what He has for you today.  

Deserts will bloom in the light of Your love
Valleys make room for the river of God

You never run dry
Never run dry
Never run dry

You're my source, never ending
You're my life, never lacking

Lyrics from "Never Run Dry" by Housefires

 

The Big Book

 Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];
He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.

Proverbs 30:5

I sat on my couch, this morning,  and looked at my big Bible overflowing with papers. These papers contained notes of personal struggles, revelations and victories God has given me over the years. 

Fifteen years to be exact! A lot can happen in one young woman's life between the ages of 16 and 31. Heartbreak, friendship betrayals, college, marriage, children, and the list goes on. It is highlighted and underlined, all representing many moments spent in the throne room of God. 

Every one of those times spent in God's presence I walked away refreshed, encouraged, and sometimes broken. Hands were raised high, prayer requests wept over and my head face down on the ground has all led me to where I am today. Honestly, I don't regret a minute of it.

It made me who I am today, not that I am super impressed with who I am, just thankful I am not where I used to be. A young girl, scared and dreading for her future because I could never see past my present circumstances. A girl who never thought she would amount to much of anything yet became a wife, mother and author along the way. A girl, that allowed that big book to infuse her with strength with every stroke of the highlighter. A girl, that allowed real and lasting change to enter her heart and begin to reveal the woman she was created to be. 

In retrospect, I can see God's sweet promises over my life whispered to me through the pages of that big book.  I am thankful that He held on to me when I was ready to let go of Him. I am thankful for the sweet words of promise whispered to me in some of the darkest moments of my life.

There is just something about holding that Bible in my hands and turning its pages that rival nothing else. My phone only allows me to see one verse at a time and not grasp the fullness of the entire chapter. What came before that bible story? What came after? There is something about holding the actual book that makes me want to read more. Many times I have allowed time to get away from while reading that big book. 

What treasures does that big book hold for you? When was the last time you read a hard copy version of the Bible in lieu of the digital copy? The digital copies of God's word aren't bad.From my perspective, they just aren't quite as filling as the feast my big Bible has in store for me. The digital copy and the availability of having a bible verse at my fingertips is like having a Dove chocolate on had at all times, sweet, but not filling. Sometimes I am hungry for more.

I have heard Beth Moore say "Every single word has a phrase, every single phrase has a scripture, every single scripture has a chapter, every single chapter has a book, and every single book has a testament, and both of those testaments go in one Bible." 

I encourage you starting today, to open up your Bible and see what that big book has in store for you. 

Doesn't matter what I feel
Doesn't matter what I see
My hope will always be
In Your promises to me
Now I'm casting out all fear
for Your love has set me free
My hope will always be
In Your promises to me

As I walk into the days to come
I will not forget what You have done
For you have supplied my every need
and Your presence is enough for me

"Your Promises" by Elevation Worship