Etchings on My Heart for 30 days

I remember my first Nineveh experience being in January of 1982. The fall of 1981, my senior year in college, a lot of unfamiliar things began to happen in my life and I started what I will refer to as clean living. I gave up sugar and meat, two of my favorite things, and any other vices I deemed unhealthy. 

It was in that year that I began to experience gifts of the Spirit, but I didn't have a name for them. I found my voice in a gospel choir, not knowing exactly what that meant. It was also the year I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do in my life, but His answer threw me into an anxious tizzy. I did one of those, "I'll open the Bible and whatever page I land on, wherever my eyes hit the page, is the verse I know You will have for me." So I did and my eyes fell on Colossians 1:25, "Whereof I am made a minister . . ." Even though the verse went on, that's all I saw and it terrified me, and I ran. That's exactly what Jonah did - he received a message from God, it terrified him and he ran. Both Jonah and I were looking at ourselves, our abilities, our limitations, our reputations. Jonah was concerned about looking like a fool; he could deliver the message God had, but what if God didn't carry out the punishment which Jonah feared he wouldn't.

Since then, I've had other Nineveh experiences, hearing the voice of God and fearing what the words could mean for me. What's more important is what the disobedience could mean for me. Who should I fear, man who can destroy the body or God who has authority over my soul?

So I ask, what Nineveh are you facing today? Have you weighed the cost of not heeding God's words? Don't let fear and pride get in the way of receiving God's best for you. We don't know what happened to Jonah after that event, but we do know that Nineveh was saved and lives were changed and Jonah was a big part of making that happen. 

Etchings on My Heart - Day 2

What do we put our hope in? We can start out completely faithful to God and yet not put our trust in Him in certain areas of our lives and miss out on His full blessings.

In 2 Chronicles 15, we see King Asa being encouraged by Azariah who brought a message to him after the victorious battle with the Ethiopians (see 2 Chronicles 14:9-13). Azariah's word was that God would stay with King Asa as long as Asa trusted only in God. It seems simple enough to trust God as we watch Him move in our lives,  but the world has a way of creeping in and trying to take control.

So, for a while, Asa had favor with God. He cried out and God heard him and defeated the Ethiopian army before his eyes. This mighty act even caused Asa to "clean house", removing most of those things that were detestable to the Lord. And even though the pagan shrines were not destroyed, the scripture says that Asa's heart remained completely faithful throughout his life, and God allowed Asa and his people to have rest from their enemies. But the rest was contingent on Asa's complete trust in God.

As time moves on, though, we, like the Israelites, tend to forget what God has done for us, what He's capable of doing for us and, most of all, what He desires to do for us, as did King Asa. In 2 Chronicles 16, when King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah to keep people from coming or going into King Asa's territories, Asa's response was "fearful"; first he removed the gold and silver treasures then he sought favor from King Ben-hadad from Aram. In the battle with the Ethiopians, Asa gave a "fearless" response; first he deployed his armies, though they were a little more than half the size, and then he consulted the Lord for favor. Different responses and different outcomes. After Baasha's , Hanani the seer came and told King Asa that because he had put his trust in the king of Aram and not in God, that his enemies would not be defeated and he would no longer have rest from his enemies like he had enjoyed in the past.

And so again, I ask the question, what do we put our hope in? It's easy to go to God when we feel we have no other options, but where do we go when their are various possible solutions to our issues? What happens when the headache we have can be relieved by the bottle in the medicine cabinet or when a family member can loan us money for an overdue bill, or when a lawyer, doctor or an accountant can get us out of the jam? Who do we call when we're afraid or alone? Who do we call when we're depressed or overwhelmed? There have been many occasions when I've picked up the phone to dial a friend and they're not at home, any of them. What God is gently saying to me is come home, tell Daddy all about it - "I have a mighty hand and an outstretched arm" (Psalm 136:12). The Lord wants to be the one we run to, the only One, and when we do, that builds our faith. I'm not saying that medicine, family members, doctors, lawyers and accountants are bad, I'm just saying we have a first responder that we should call when we're in need!

Ex. 6:6; Num 11:23; Deut 5:15, 7:19, 26:8; 1 Kings 8:42; 2 Kings 17:36; 2 Chron 32:8; Ps 44:3

Etchings on My Heart - Day 1

I was playing Candy Crush this morning when the Lord spoke a clear word to me. Yeah, don't laugh, the Lord can use anything to get our attention, even a game. Anyway, I had been stuck on level 57 for some time. For days I have been battling the "chocolate foes" that pop up and steal my candy, making it difficult to continue. I was so focused on outwitting the chocolate that I failed to keep my eyes on the real prize, COMPLETION! This morning, God showed me that Candy Crush can be compared to our journey in life. We have a path that we are going on, hopefully we're following the Lord, and with each step forward, the devil wants to keep us distracted and focused on our uncomfortable circumstances, our trials and the little fires that keep popping up. In the process, we loose sight of the goal, of our purpose, of God's daily plan for our life. So as I was playing the next round of level 57, AGAIN, the Lord asked me, "So what is the goal here"? I thought for a second and looked at the screen and realized that my goal was not defeating the chocolate, or even battling with it, but the goal was getting the fruit to the bottom, and when I focused on the prize, I won, just like that!

1 Corinthians 9:24, 26

Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? so run to           win? . . . So I run with purpose in every step.

Phillipians 3:12b, 14
But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me . . . I press 

on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ 

Jesus, is calling us.

31 Day Challenge - Day 31

Proverbs 31 is one of my favorite proverbs and yet I find it one of the most challenging proverbs to apply to my life. It takes discipline and sacrifice. It speaks of the Proverbial woman, the wife of noble character and the wise mother, as if she were a typical woman. There is nothing average about her, though. I find her difficult to attain, yet worthy of the challenge. She is definitely not your every day woman and yet she possesses the type of character we all need to set our sights on. She's an opportunity waiting to happen in each of our lives. A complex woman, but the type of woman we should all not just hope, but, EXPECT to become.

We find the word "wise" in verse 26 of  Proverbs 31 (NLT). This verse addresses communication; one attribute that is customary of women.  We are known as being ready and willing communicators. We have been described as talkers, naggers, gossipers and gabbers. Our voices can be heard throughout the scriptures, beginning in the garden and ending in the second coming. Eve is found speaking with the enemy (not one of our finer moments), Esther, conversing with royalty and plotting to save a nation from destruction. We hear Abigail making a defense to David to save her household from the foolish words of Nabal. The Prophet Deborah gives advice under the palm tree and Ruth saves her families fortune by conversing with Boaz. We find Joanna trying to convince Herod of the dangers in persecuting Jesus and Mary, mother of Jesus, listening and rejoicing with the angel at the revelation of her immaculate conception. In Luke, we learn about Anna, praising God in the temple day and night with fasting and prayer, and telling everyone about the Christ child's dedication by his parents.  We read words of women who were led by God to impart important and profound messages. As communicators, we find ourselves catalysts for the future, preparing the way for our savior and His message. We are examples of what can happen when we obey God's commands. But we have also been used to show what happens when we use our words in disobedience to God's instructions, as did Jezebel and Sapphira.

Proverbs 31:26 says,  "When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instruction with kindness." It is the wisdom coupled with kindness that leads to God's grace and blessing.
What does that look like? In addition to using wisdom in our choice of words we must also use love in our intentions and motivations.  It is not enough to choose wise words, but God directs we must be kind. When we are giving instructions, it is easy to find the right thing to say, it is more challenging to say the right thing in the right way.  So instruction is good, but it must be done in kindness. The question about our conversations is not what we are saying as much as how we are saying it. If we are purposed to teach a lesson, what kind of lessons will people best receive? We must have a loving, listening ear and not be quick to judgement. It is God who will judge us in the end, and we will be judged by how we have judged others?

Maybe it is not by chance that God is allowing us to see and hear certain things. Maybe it has been by divine appointment, for God's eternal purpose. If, in fact, God is revealing something to us, we need to figure out why. Then we need to determine what He wants us to do with this information.

God wants us to be His communicators, but He wants us to be communicators made in His image, wise and loving, so that the intended parties of our messages will be able to both hear and receive.

Lord I know that I must give an account of everyting that passes through my lips. Lord, may all of my conversation be pleasing to you.  Thank you for the privilege of being a Proverbial woman, and create in me a woman who uses "words of wisdom" with a loving heart!

31 Day Challenge - Day 30

"Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection", (Proverbs 30).
Not some words, or a few words or even most words, but every word of God proves true! I love this scripture! If I want to find out more about God, I try His word. When I need to get closer, I can stand on His promises, on His very words! Every word He declares is proved true and I can take that to the bank!

How do I know if I heard from God? I look for truth; in His word and in His direction. When you read God's word, you know it's true - God can not lie. If you believe God is giving you direction, you can test it and if the very word you believe you've heard comes to pass and it produces good fruit in your life and brings you closer to Him,  you can trust it is from His hand no matter what it looked like when you got it.

In  1991, I sensed I was about to make a change concerning my job. I did not hear an audible voice, and yet I could discern in my spirit that God had spoken to me. I did what I do when I believe I've heard from the Lord, I tuck it away and wait for God's revalation. In 91', things were changing on the job and I had an opportunity to start a new position. I immediately began to think that this was the change I had been sensing, but as it turned out, it was a piece to the puzzle and not the change at all. It all made sense, the word from God, this new opportunity, but in the end, it did not prove to be what God was saying. During this time, Glenn had just been promoted to a job with less flexibility and with two small children, we needed flexibility in a job so that we could tend to the needs of the family, ie. illness, doctors appointments, etc.  My current position at the time, was not flexible either; Glenn was the one who could pick up the children. But now Glenn needed me to be the prominent care provider, so when this  new opportunity came up, I was sure it was from God. The new position was flexible, with no travel and a strict 8 - 5 shift, it all made sense, it was a done deal. But that's not what God had in store. Instead, He was providing a way for me to come home (a great story of God's faithfulness, but too long for this particular blog entry). As God continued to reveal His plan, change came in less than a month and it was what my heart had desired! It turned out to be a company buy out for me and we were able to pay off all of our debt which allowed me to become a stay at home mom. In 1992, the Lord told me to prepare for another child. I began getting fit right away, but almost gave up because Lindsey didn't come for another five years. In 1993, the Lord told Michael, our son, that we would move to California - we did, but not until 2001. In 1994, the Lord told Glenn through a dream that we would be moving to New Jersey. We didn't embrace it, but a couple months later, we were on our way to Wanaque, a small city one hour from NYC.  In 2004, we felt another nudge for a change. We hadn't heard anything, so in July we decided to put our house on the market, a move of faith for us. There were no nibbles on the house, though it was during the housing bubble, but one month later Glenn got an invitation to interview in Nebraska. Our home sold in less than a week. Again, in 2013, we heard the Lord say a change was coming. We had been looking for a new home in our current area just a year before and thought we had found the "perfect" home, but we did not make an offer because God relayed to Glenn in yet another dream that we would be moving out of state. We did not know when that would be, and at times it appeared that it was not going to happen, but we waited on the Lord to reveal His plan. That was in the spring of 2012; we got the word of Glenn's promotion to Arizona late spring, 2013, one year later.

Though all of these examples were about moving, I chose them because they denoted major changes in our lives. In theses examples, God spoke to us through His word, through dreams, through our children and through each other. How did we know it was God? Because the word, however it came, stood the test of time and brought with it God's blessing and spiritual growth. And even though blessing and growth don't always look nice or feel good at first, (sometimes they're painful and undesireable), they always produce good fruit and they always bring us closer to the One who provides them!

31 Day Challenge - Day 29

"To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child" (Proverbs 29:15). "Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad" (Proverbs 29:17).

Throughout the scriptures it is evident that the Lord wants us to discipline our children, but I have been confused, at times, about the ways I was not disciplining my children. The on-line Dictionary by Farley describes the word discipline as the following: 1. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement; 2. Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control; 3. To train by instruction and practice, especially to teach self-control to; 4. To teach to obey rules or accept authority; 5. To punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience; 6. To impose order on. A sense of preparing comes to mind when I read these definitions; we are preparing our children to obey God and to take their place in His kingdom.

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Discipling does not come easy. Children don't understand how difficult it is for parents to train them up. In addition, if we're not using the Bible as our guide book, we can become confused with how to administer discipling techniques. Two things that needed to be corrected in my discipling practices when bringing up my older childre were my forgetfulness of punishments I had prescribed and my wavering "No" that the children quickly figured out could be manipulated into a "yes". My forgetfulness allowed the dishonesty in children to rise up and not remind me of a punishment I had established for them. I wouldn't remember until after the punishment had been broken and the child was able to do that which they had been told they could not, (even if I had written it on the family calendar). Don't get me wrong, I did have the honest child that alerted me to their restrictions, (and sometimes others), but I also had the child who didn't "remember" until I brought it up. I'm not sure why I would forget, but it could have been that the punishment wasn't a good fit for the crime. What may really have been needed at the time was a consequence (something I learned during the second decade of bringing up children).

The wavering "No" resulted in my children's ability to elicit a "yes" after much finagling. I would say no to a certain request, but would soften after repeated questioning and debates, and end with a "yes".  The scripture tells us "to let our "no" mean no and our "yes" mean yes", obviously a word that escaped me at the time. It is better to follow through with a no then to give in, even if we feel we've made a mistake in judgement concerning a punishment. We can always (and should) ask for forgiveness if we find ourself in error, but following through allows the child to learn they can not manipulate their parent, no matter what (because moms no always means no) and a child who learns to accept a "no" becomes an adult who knows how to handle disappointment in responsible and respectful ways.

31 Day Challenge - Day 28

"Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed" (Proverbs 28:27).

I know a part of our society says that people need to learn to take care of themselves, pull themselves up by their bootstraps and stop taking from the government and from the rest of us, but could it be that there are people in our society that need a helping hand? The Bible tells us that  the poor will be with us always, even within the Christian community, and that we need to have compassion. One thing we need to remember is that everything we have belongs to Him; none of this is ours. We didn't bring it into the world and we're not taking it out.

Proverbs 28:8 says "Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor". What do we think of that statement?  How can we be kind to the poor with income from high interest rates? What do we think about Acts 2:44, 45, "And all of the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need." What does that mean? Do true believers really need assistance?

The scripture says if we don't work we don't eat, but what about the people who work and still don't have quite enough? Are they not real Christians? What about the people who live where jobs are scarce, or people who were laid off, or those who suffered physcical or mental illnesses that prohibit them from working?

If you've ever been without, how did you stay afloat? Most believers would say, God provided it, and they would be absolutely correct! God did provide! But how did He provide; what or who did He use to provide? Did it come out of the air or did He use a person to give, donate, or volunteer the things you were in need of?

When Glenn and I were pregnant with Lauren, we had nothing. Rent was high and we both worked, but what we made kept a roof over our heads and some food on the table. Neither of us knew how we were going to purchase a crib, car seat, stroller, baby bathtub, diapers, and the many other things we'd need for our new arrival. But God knew, and we trusted Him, so we weren't worried, just concerned. We prayed and by God's hand, everything we needed, and I do mean everything, including lamps and bedroom furniture, was given to us, by others. We were blessed with four baby showers from four different friends groups who didn't know eachother.  We never made a formal list of what we needed (because we needed everything) and yet nothing was duplicated. Friends and family members who lived out of state mailed things to us. It was incredible, it was unbelievable; it was God! God used people to provide His children with everything needed to welcome Lauren into this world. And to date, we are still being taken care of by God's hand, and we now have an opportunity to share with others what God has given to us. Not because we have so much, but because everything belongs to Him!

"Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measureing yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. . . Don't just pretend to love otheres. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take dellight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them." (Romans 12:3-13, NLT).