Wise Words

Love Never Fails

I have started this post with about 20 different intro paragraphs and none of them seemed right. Since that is the case, I will keep it short and to the point: I am very restless at this time in the year and in my life, but thank goodness I have a blog where I can let it all out!

God has placed me in the family I'm in and planned it that way since the foundation of the world. He knew the struggles and drama that would eventually ensue. He knows it is where I am supposed to be, for His glory. I don't want to get into all the personal details on here, just know that it has been a trying time with many difficult conversations. We have had this issue come up in times past but it just keeps coming up. I know God will help me get through this and also help me to deal with the situation better. Because I sure know that I can't do this on my own. Left to my own devises, things don't always end pretty.

Another reason for being antsy is the coming new year. It is less than 2 days away and I am looking forward to all that God has planned for it. I'm excited to be participating in the 'Siesta Scripture Memory Team' challenge for 2011. What's funny is last week I was thinking about the first verse that I'll be memorizing in January. I didn't have one in mind yet so I prayed that God would show me what verse I need to be meditating on at this time. It wasn't too long after that the situation with my family left me in disarray. I inherited my father's temper so my behavior was anything but loving. It was that evening that I was praying and having my quiet time with God that these words popped in my head

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,but have not love, it profits me nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

God was sure to tell me that I really need to remember that I must love others, even those who are difficult and mean. Boy is it hard, but with His strength I know I can do it.

After that verse, on every other night this week, God has given me another verse to add to my list to memorize and meditate on. It's exciting to have Him directing my paths. I may stumble but He is right there helping me to get back up and move forward. He is always there to love and instruct. That is why this scripture memory team is going to be so great. I love how Beth put it:

"Look at it this way: you’re going to be meditating on something: unforgiveness, toxic memories, misery, lust, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, competition. Choose Scripture! Christ Himself said as a man thinks, so is he. He also said His words are spirit and life. This is work worth doing, Sweet Thing. Never – NOT ONCE – have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didn’t make any real difference. Not a single time.".


So I am rooting and raring to go for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2011 challenge to begin! I have my verses ready and my mini 3-ring binder ready. If you can't find a cute mini binder like mine, Beth is offering a free PDF file of the official SSMT spiral notebook on her website. That way you can print the pages from home and put it together with a spiral spine or a punch a hole and add a ring. Either way, God is going to be doing amazing things in my life and anyone else who decides to take this challenge. Will you?!

So Long, Insecurity...

...You've Been a Bad Friend to me! This last weekend I went to the Beth Moore, 'So Long, Insecurity' Simulcast. As you can tell by the name of the event, the topic was on her new book by the same name about women and their insecurities, namely women in Christ. You'd think we would know it by now, but it seems life, sins and everything else, like to pull us down and make us insecure and miserable.

I have been dealing with my own insecurities lately and it has really gotten to me. It has about driven me crazy, in fact. My dear husband and best friend have been so supportive of me during this time, but it is something I need to deal with, me and God.

The funny thing is, all of my insecurity has come right after the simulcast about facing our insecurity. It reminds me so much of stories in the bible of people who did some silly things. In their humanness, in their insecurities they made choices that when we read them, we realize they were quite silly. But when we are in our own various situations, we do the exact same thing. I had one of those moments last night. How do we forget so easily that we are made victorious through Christ?


"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" -2 Corinthians 5:17

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." -Isaiah 43:18-19

I want to move past this insecurity in my life. I want to boldly claim the security that one can only find through Jesus Christ. My God loves me completely, unfailingly, even when I make silly mistakes or even awful ones. My security comes from this love.

At the end of the simulcast, Beth had each of us ladies partner up and pray over one another. It was a very touching prayer that really resonates with me in this moment.

My Dear Sister
If Christ is Your Savior
You are the dwelling place
Of His own Spirit.
You have it IN YOU
to be secure.
Every day of your life
You have a choice to make
You can live in your old defeat
Or you can turn from your unbelief
And choose life.
Make up your mind
To put off the old you
And put on the new you.
Never, ever, ever forget
That the Lord is your security.
He will keep your foot
From being caught in a trap.
He will take care of you
To your very last breath.
Now, leave this place
And go out into the world
And act like a person
Who knows she’s dearly loved.
You were born to be exceptional.
So, Girlfriend, go forth
And walk worthy of your calling.
You are clothed in strength and dignity!
Now unto Him
Who can keep you from falling
Be glory and majesty
Power and authority
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Now and forever more
Amen.
So Long, Insecurity!

For Such a Time as This

My heart is full. Not only has Jesus saved me, comforted me & provided for me with my earthly blessings, but He is present in my life every day! He talks to me daily through His word. It's actually pretty amazing how loudly He speaks to me. I get it Lord, I'm listening!

The last few months, His voice has come from the bible study I am participating in with the women at my church, Esther: It's tough being a woman. I can't tell you how deeply I've been moved and inspired. I guess I'm not surprised, it is God's Word after all! What a blessing Beth Moore is. What a blessing to have a sister like her come beside us to guide us in God's unfailing and amazing Word.

We have almost completed the study and my heart longs for it to continue a little bit longer. The book of Esther gives us an interesting glimpse into the providence on God. God is not mentioned once in the whole book, but He is most certainly on it. He is there when it doesn't seem like He is. According to Merrill Webster's definition of providence, 'God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.' Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary adds, 'In so doing (in His providence) God attends not only to apparently momentous events and people but also to those that seem both mundane and trivial. Indeed, so all encompassing is God's attention to events within creation that nothing happens by chance.'

While the events of Esther's life were coming to a point, she has some decisions to make. Would she stand up for what she believed in (in her case, saving the Jews), or would she just let life pass on by without her. Esther has a choice, she had to face her fears. She had to trust in the Lord to move forward in her life and face the obstacles and trials in her life. We may not have a trial the size of Esther's, but every day is a challenge. Satan wants us to become complacent, backslide, etc.. He wants us to conform to the things of this world. That is why we must remain aware of our situations. Daily take up your cross and follow Jesus.

The sub-title of the bible study is 'It's Tough Being a Woman' and boy can I relate to that! What I've learned through this journey is that yes, sometimes it IS tough being a woman but, trust reverses the detours of adversity into highways of destiny.

"The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." 2 Peter 2:9

What an awesome God we serve and how exciting to learn more about Him and His loving plan!