It's worth repeating "We lose our way, We get back up again. It's never too late to get back up again. One day, you're gonna shine again. You may be knocked down, but not out forever." (TobyMac, "Get Back Up", Tonight)
Music gets me going. I thank God for music all the time!! There is such emotion, such feeling, such power in music, as there should be, since God created music!
This song by TobyMac has been playing in my house for the last couple days, my car for the last week, and I must admit I have found myself smiling inside an out when I sing it, and even dancing a little!
When our lives are in Christ, when we are found in Him, when we surrender to Him, we will always get back up from being knocked down. When we lose our way, He will get us back on track again.
In Micah 7, starting in verse 8, is one of my favorite verses of Scripture: "Don't, enemy, crow over me. I'm down, but I'm not out. I'm sitting in the dark right now, but God is my light. I can take God's punishing rage. I deserve it--I sinned. But it's not forever. He's on my side and is going to get me out of this. He'll turn on the lights and show me His ways. I'll see the whole picture and how right he is. And my enemy will see it, too, and be discredited--yes, disgraced! This enemy who kept taunting, 'So where is the God of yours?' I'm going to see it with these, my own eyes-- my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter."
Wow!! Some of us need to get loud with our enemy today, and let him know that we are going to get back up. We may be going through a trial right now, we may be in waiting mode, we may be going through doubt and pain, we may be benched for a time for our own sins, but we are going to shine again! There is hope for us--but not for our enemy. Someday he will get what has been coming to him for so long!
Hold on to Jesus today and to His promises for your life!
Psalm 13 gives a great account of what to do when you you've fallen down somehow. Starting at the end of verse 2, "Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me. (LONG ENOUGH--NO MORE!) Take a good look at me, God, my God, I want to look life in the eye, So no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face. (notice: "when" i fall on my face..you will fall on your face sometimes, but the enemy better not laugh, because you will get up stronger!) I've thrown myself headlong into your arms--I'm celebrating your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers."
The end of that passage tells us what to do: Throw yourself right into Jesus' arms, Celebrate that He has rescued you, Sing praises at the top of your lungs (loud enough for your enemy to hear and for you to get it!), and thank God for answered prayers! Wow!! There's a great prescription for when you fall down...
If you haven't heard the song "Get Back Up" by Tobymac, that would be a great song to start singing OUT LOUD... you may even find yourself starting to smile inside and out... and maybe, just maybe, the beat might get to you, and you might start dancing a little... (in the privacy of your own home, of course...ha!!)
At any rate, if you find yourself down low, or lost, or broken, you will GET BACK UP AGAIN!
Blessings!
4.20.2010
4.15.2010
Playing Pretend
It's worth repeating that "...too often it is more important for a Christian couple to appear as if they have a healthy marriage than to really have one-- which requires disagreement, work, and real one-flesh unity in which both parties grow healthier." (Families Where Grace Is In Place, Jeff VanVonderen, italics mine)
One of my children's (I have three) favorite games to play is pretend. One will say, "Let's pretend I'm a mermaid", and the other will say, "Okay, let's pretend I'm a dolphin", and then the other will say, "No, I want to be the dolphin", and then one of them will say, "Okay, you be the purple dolphin and I'll be the pink dolphin." And then the scenarios start... "Let's pretend the mean mermaid put us in the sea dungeon and we can't get out..." and on and on they go, pretending away...
It's a fun game for kids, but unfortunately many of us don't grow out of pretending. We pretend things are better than they really are. We pretend we're doing okay when we're really not. We pretend we have it all together when instead we feel as though we're falling apart. We pretend we have a growing, vibrant relationship with our spouse, but really we resent him/her for past hurts and disappointments.
Why do we do this? I believe there's a couple reasons. One is we just don't know where to start. It's way too much work to have a godly marriage so we settle for a marriage that APPEARS godly and okay to others, but is anything but if we're really honest with ourselves.
Secondly, though, I think somewhere in our minds we have this idea that we have to APPEAR perfect or we won't be acceptable... and unfortunately, we find this "pretending disease" even in the church, where we are supposed to come as we are, confess our sins to one another, and sharpen and encourage one another.
We've all been there, right? We're on the way to church, and we are in the middle of a heated argument... and then we walk into church and we are once again the Brady Bunch-- no problems, no hurts, no failures... then we leave, and go right back to the craziness that is our reality.
For some reading this blog, your marriage or circumstances may seem hopeless, beyond repair, and no one even knows because you are so afraid of being judged or the subject of someone's gossip circle or admitting that things are much worse than what they seem because that would be admitting failure. And what would people think? The truth is people are going to think whatever they want to think. You can't control what people think. But you can stop the "pretending" once and for all!
Can I just ask you to find someone you can trust and talk to them..be real..be honest.. We have to get to a point when we care more about getting healed then getting people's approval and acceptance.
And if you are a Christ-follower, ask God to help you be a safe person for people to be real with.. a person who prays instead of gossips, a person who loves instead of judges, a person who listens and doesn't always have to give advice...
I personally love when people are real with me... I know then that I can be real with them, too!
So, stop pretending... There are people who love you and accept you..the REAL you in your REAL life circumstances... and there is Jesus..oh, how He loves us!
Blessings!
One of my children's (I have three) favorite games to play is pretend. One will say, "Let's pretend I'm a mermaid", and the other will say, "Okay, let's pretend I'm a dolphin", and then the other will say, "No, I want to be the dolphin", and then one of them will say, "Okay, you be the purple dolphin and I'll be the pink dolphin." And then the scenarios start... "Let's pretend the mean mermaid put us in the sea dungeon and we can't get out..." and on and on they go, pretending away...
It's a fun game for kids, but unfortunately many of us don't grow out of pretending. We pretend things are better than they really are. We pretend we're doing okay when we're really not. We pretend we have it all together when instead we feel as though we're falling apart. We pretend we have a growing, vibrant relationship with our spouse, but really we resent him/her for past hurts and disappointments.
Why do we do this? I believe there's a couple reasons. One is we just don't know where to start. It's way too much work to have a godly marriage so we settle for a marriage that APPEARS godly and okay to others, but is anything but if we're really honest with ourselves.
Secondly, though, I think somewhere in our minds we have this idea that we have to APPEAR perfect or we won't be acceptable... and unfortunately, we find this "pretending disease" even in the church, where we are supposed to come as we are, confess our sins to one another, and sharpen and encourage one another.
We've all been there, right? We're on the way to church, and we are in the middle of a heated argument... and then we walk into church and we are once again the Brady Bunch-- no problems, no hurts, no failures... then we leave, and go right back to the craziness that is our reality.
For some reading this blog, your marriage or circumstances may seem hopeless, beyond repair, and no one even knows because you are so afraid of being judged or the subject of someone's gossip circle or admitting that things are much worse than what they seem because that would be admitting failure. And what would people think? The truth is people are going to think whatever they want to think. You can't control what people think. But you can stop the "pretending" once and for all!
Can I just ask you to find someone you can trust and talk to them..be real..be honest.. We have to get to a point when we care more about getting healed then getting people's approval and acceptance.
And if you are a Christ-follower, ask God to help you be a safe person for people to be real with.. a person who prays instead of gossips, a person who loves instead of judges, a person who listens and doesn't always have to give advice...
I personally love when people are real with me... I know then that I can be real with them, too!
So, stop pretending... There are people who love you and accept you..the REAL you in your REAL life circumstances... and there is Jesus..oh, how He loves us!
Blessings!
4.13.2010
Question only God can Answer
It's worth repeating that "Jesus was given to provide life and value to each one of us." (Families Where Grace is in Place, Jeff VanVonderen)
There are some questions that only God can answer. One of those questions is, "Do I have value?"
Whenever we start looking to others for an answer to that question, we begin to give other people power over us that is not theirs to have. If I am so concerned whether you think I am valuable, than I am going to do whatever it takes to make you think I am valuable. I am going to keep trying my best and doing more and more to earn your approval. I am going to act the way I think you would like me to act instead of being myself and comfortable in my own skin. And that is too much power to give anyone in your life....yes, even your spouse, your parents, your closest friend.
Our value comes from God alone. He created us and He validates us! Do you remember when John the Baptist baptized Jesus? The heavens were torn open and the Father validated Jesus by saying, "This is MY Son, in whom I am well pleased." Jesus was validated by the Father. He could take all the criticism and insults from the religious leaders, He could handle the people who didn't believe in Him, because His value was not found in whether people approved of Him or not.. His value was found in His Father, and His Father was very pleased with Him.
If you find yourself looking for value in what others think of you, or even in the tasks or job you perform...STOP! That is a dead end that leads to some great pits-- depression, self-pity, resentment, bitterness, pride, etc...
Look only to God for value and worth... that is where life begins! Can't you just feel the freedom in getting to be who God created you to be...HIS child, in whom He is very pleased!!
Blessings!
There are some questions that only God can answer. One of those questions is, "Do I have value?"
Whenever we start looking to others for an answer to that question, we begin to give other people power over us that is not theirs to have. If I am so concerned whether you think I am valuable, than I am going to do whatever it takes to make you think I am valuable. I am going to keep trying my best and doing more and more to earn your approval. I am going to act the way I think you would like me to act instead of being myself and comfortable in my own skin. And that is too much power to give anyone in your life....yes, even your spouse, your parents, your closest friend.
Our value comes from God alone. He created us and He validates us! Do you remember when John the Baptist baptized Jesus? The heavens were torn open and the Father validated Jesus by saying, "This is MY Son, in whom I am well pleased." Jesus was validated by the Father. He could take all the criticism and insults from the religious leaders, He could handle the people who didn't believe in Him, because His value was not found in whether people approved of Him or not.. His value was found in His Father, and His Father was very pleased with Him.
If you find yourself looking for value in what others think of you, or even in the tasks or job you perform...STOP! That is a dead end that leads to some great pits-- depression, self-pity, resentment, bitterness, pride, etc...
Look only to God for value and worth... that is where life begins! Can't you just feel the freedom in getting to be who God created you to be...HIS child, in whom He is very pleased!!
Blessings!
4.12.2010
New Wardrobe!
It's worth repeating from Galatians 3:26-27 (MSG), "Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe--Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise."
I must confess that this passage is a little deeper Theologically than what I typically tackle in this blog, but these verses are truly freeing once they are understood. When we go to God's Word, and we bite off a passage that seems tough to chew, we need to pray for wisdom and understanding. The book of Proverbs makes it clear that we are to get wisdom in this life even if we get nothing else!
As I read this verse, something clicked in my brain which sent a signal to my heart, and I had immediate joy! Wow!! What God does for us is so much more than give us a fresh start, a clean slate, a do over, a second chance, whatever you may call it...
God saves us, by no work on our own, I might add at this point. Jesus baptizes us into the family of God, and then He says to us, "Now you can start life all over... You can try again... You can find better tools to live by... Now go and make me proud!" NO! NO! NO! That is not what Jesus says. We can not live the Christian life on our own anymore than we can save ourselves.
This is the beauty of the work of Christ. We get so much more than a fresh start or a do over. We get the life of Christ as our life. We get the Spirit of God living the Christian life through us as we yield and surrender our will to the Father. We get a new wardrobe!
Let's be honest, if all we got was a do over, we would end up exactly where we found ourselves to begin with... lost, empty, shamed, sinful. I don't want a do over-- I don't want to try harder-- I want the Spirit of God to fill my Spirit, and live through me-- a new life with a new source! A new wardrobe from a new designer!
Jesus doesn't find us, wash us up, and leave us naked to try to find the right clothes to wear in this new life. He clothes us with everything we need for life and godliness. We don't start with the Thrift store wardrobe and move up to the 5th avenue wardrobe. We are clothed with the life of Christ from day one of our salvation... and just have to walk in it... by walking in step with the Spirit, and dying to our will.
We have more than a fresh start...we have a new identity! We were sinners before... Now we are saints of God... with a brand new wardrobe!! (One that does not have to be laundered... and all the mothers said AMEN!!)
Blessings!
I must confess that this passage is a little deeper Theologically than what I typically tackle in this blog, but these verses are truly freeing once they are understood. When we go to God's Word, and we bite off a passage that seems tough to chew, we need to pray for wisdom and understanding. The book of Proverbs makes it clear that we are to get wisdom in this life even if we get nothing else!
As I read this verse, something clicked in my brain which sent a signal to my heart, and I had immediate joy! Wow!! What God does for us is so much more than give us a fresh start, a clean slate, a do over, a second chance, whatever you may call it...
God saves us, by no work on our own, I might add at this point. Jesus baptizes us into the family of God, and then He says to us, "Now you can start life all over... You can try again... You can find better tools to live by... Now go and make me proud!" NO! NO! NO! That is not what Jesus says. We can not live the Christian life on our own anymore than we can save ourselves.
This is the beauty of the work of Christ. We get so much more than a fresh start or a do over. We get the life of Christ as our life. We get the Spirit of God living the Christian life through us as we yield and surrender our will to the Father. We get a new wardrobe!
Let's be honest, if all we got was a do over, we would end up exactly where we found ourselves to begin with... lost, empty, shamed, sinful. I don't want a do over-- I don't want to try harder-- I want the Spirit of God to fill my Spirit, and live through me-- a new life with a new source! A new wardrobe from a new designer!
Jesus doesn't find us, wash us up, and leave us naked to try to find the right clothes to wear in this new life. He clothes us with everything we need for life and godliness. We don't start with the Thrift store wardrobe and move up to the 5th avenue wardrobe. We are clothed with the life of Christ from day one of our salvation... and just have to walk in it... by walking in step with the Spirit, and dying to our will.
We have more than a fresh start...we have a new identity! We were sinners before... Now we are saints of God... with a brand new wardrobe!! (One that does not have to be laundered... and all the mothers said AMEN!!)
Blessings!
4.09.2010
New Book Review!
It's worth repeating from John 8:32, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
I am participating in my first ever blog tour for a newly released book, and I am thrilled to be able to share it with all my blog followers!
My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself is the newest work by Susanna Foth Aughtman. In this witty, tell-it-like-it-is book, Aughtman shares personal stories as well as Biblical teaching in an attempt to get "tired supergirls" everywhere to discern and dispel the lies of the Liar and embrace the Truth found in Jesus Christ.
Aughtman, a mother of three, and a pastor's wife, is refreshingly vulnerable and honest about her own struggles, and not afraid to speak the truth in love to all who are willing to listen.
So many women are bound by the lies of the Liar, the enemy of our souls, and are desperately wanting to be set free for good! Aughtman addresses several lies we may believe about ourselves, and the truth that will set us free from the lies in short chapters that make it possible for even moms of young children to get through!
Some of the lies that are addressed are, "God doesn't hear me", "I need to be good so God will love me", "God caused my problems", "God can't use me", and "God is disappointed in me."
Aughtman's easy-to-read, and witty writing style makes this book enjoyable to read, and helps women to not feel condemned for believing lies, but to feel a sense of hope that Jesus can set us free with the Truth in His Word.
I laughed, I cried, I prayed, and I thanked God once again for giving us the Truth so we can be truly free!
I highly recommend the book to women of all ages. The discussion questions in the back make it an ideal study for women's groups of all ages and sizes, as well as a great resource for individual study. Check out My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself and begin a journey toward sweet and lasting freedom!
Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
And if you would like to get to know Susanna a little more, here is the link to her blog: http://tiredsupergirl.blogspot.com
You can find My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself at Amazon!! http://www.tinyurl.com/goodbangs
4.08.2010
And the winner is....
It's worth repeating from the Apostle Paul (who, for the record, is one of my favorite writers to quote!!) when he was writing to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13:8, "We're rooting for the truth to win out in you."
I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get on my soap box over the dissolving of absolute truth in our society as a whole. I will confess I sometimes worry about the effects it will have on my children that they will grow up in a society that believes the only constant about truth is that it is constantly changing. How can people know the truth and be set free if the truth is always changing?
I have seen firsthand what deception looks like when it takes over someone's mind, someone's emotions, and even someone's soul... I have seen people who knew the truth at one time become bound by lies that could destroy them, but they are living their own truth... what seems right to them, and we who know the Truth know where that leads. The way that SEEMS right to us is not necessarily right at all, and can ultimately lead to death. I have seen marriages die because people did what SEEMED right to them. I have seen children abused and neglected because people did what SEEMED right to them. I have read in history about dictators who tried to wipe out entire nations because it SEEMED right to them. How can people be held accountable if there is not an absolute standard? How can we reach people who have become so deceived by the enemy that they are following their heart, instead of following the Spirit of God?
It may seem cliche to so many, but the truth is that sometimes all we can do is pray for the Truth to win out... to rise above all the lies... to set bound people free!! Are you rooting for truth to win out in your husband? your wife? your children? your "not-yet-saved" family? our government? our schools?
I will confess I am not a cheerleader... but if there has ever been something I will cheer for, it is for God's Truth to go, fight, and WIN!!
Are you with me?
Blessings!
By the way, tomorrow I will be writing a post based on a book that is all about lies and truth! You will not want to miss it! I will also have info on how you can get your hands on a copy of the book! It is especially for women--old and young!
I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get on my soap box over the dissolving of absolute truth in our society as a whole. I will confess I sometimes worry about the effects it will have on my children that they will grow up in a society that believes the only constant about truth is that it is constantly changing. How can people know the truth and be set free if the truth is always changing?
I have seen firsthand what deception looks like when it takes over someone's mind, someone's emotions, and even someone's soul... I have seen people who knew the truth at one time become bound by lies that could destroy them, but they are living their own truth... what seems right to them, and we who know the Truth know where that leads. The way that SEEMS right to us is not necessarily right at all, and can ultimately lead to death. I have seen marriages die because people did what SEEMED right to them. I have seen children abused and neglected because people did what SEEMED right to them. I have read in history about dictators who tried to wipe out entire nations because it SEEMED right to them. How can people be held accountable if there is not an absolute standard? How can we reach people who have become so deceived by the enemy that they are following their heart, instead of following the Spirit of God?
It may seem cliche to so many, but the truth is that sometimes all we can do is pray for the Truth to win out... to rise above all the lies... to set bound people free!! Are you rooting for truth to win out in your husband? your wife? your children? your "not-yet-saved" family? our government? our schools?
I will confess I am not a cheerleader... but if there has ever been something I will cheer for, it is for God's Truth to go, fight, and WIN!!
Are you with me?
Blessings!
By the way, tomorrow I will be writing a post based on a book that is all about lies and truth! You will not want to miss it! I will also have info on how you can get your hands on a copy of the book! It is especially for women--old and young!
4.06.2010
I'm coming out!
It's worth repeating from 2 Corinthians 7:9, "You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss."
Distress has a special way of bringing out our true colors, and exposing our coping methods (Spider Solitaire, anyone?). Trials and stress also have a way of showing how much we trust God. Will we trust Him even when life is not going the way we thought it would? Will we turn and run toward Him when pain breaks our happy bubble or will we let our questions and doubts turn into bitterness and despair?
When we run toward God and trust Him completely even when our world is falling apart, we may not be able to see anything good happening at all... We may not see the end of our trial, but God does... and when we turn to Him the results from our trials are ALL GAIN!!
This passage in 2 Corinthians continues in verses 10-13, "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain... And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart." (emphasis mine)
The truth is trials will pass. How you come out of them is your choice. Will you let your trial bring you closer to God? Or will you let it be another reason you won't trust Him completely?
My prayer is that when I come out of trials (and I will come out!), I will come out with a pure heart... that's what I long for... a heart like God's heart.
Blessings!
Distress has a special way of bringing out our true colors, and exposing our coping methods (Spider Solitaire, anyone?). Trials and stress also have a way of showing how much we trust God. Will we trust Him even when life is not going the way we thought it would? Will we turn and run toward Him when pain breaks our happy bubble or will we let our questions and doubts turn into bitterness and despair?
When we run toward God and trust Him completely even when our world is falling apart, we may not be able to see anything good happening at all... We may not see the end of our trial, but God does... and when we turn to Him the results from our trials are ALL GAIN!!
This passage in 2 Corinthians continues in verses 10-13, "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain... And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart." (emphasis mine)
The truth is trials will pass. How you come out of them is your choice. Will you let your trial bring you closer to God? Or will you let it be another reason you won't trust Him completely?
My prayer is that when I come out of trials (and I will come out!), I will come out with a pure heart... that's what I long for... a heart like God's heart.
Blessings!
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