Trudging

I woke up to the word trudge in my head this morning. Trudge means to walk in a laborious, heavy-footed way or a long, tedious walk. I am going in for an extensive sinus  surgery in the next few days and if you remember from my last post I commented on training for a marathon. My sinus' are so messed up that I have had to halt all my exercise efforts. Everything I do is slower now. My energy is slow and my body does not function the way it used to. I feel like I am trudging through life just waiting for my surgery to be over and to have my life back.

I had the opportunity to listen to an amazing testimony at a woman's event from a lady that was in one of my classes earlier this year. She was a brand new Christian when I met her and we spent a lot of time talking through all that she was experiencing. To see her now is such a blessing. I can see the weight lifted off her shoulders and hear the love and excitement of Jesus in her voice. I had to stop and reflect for a moment about how I used to sound like her. I used to be so excited about what God was doing in and through my life.

Both of the stories I just shared with you can relate to all of us. We can see others around us so on fire and excited for God. We can be moving along so great and then all of the sudden something happens and we lose our energy, our spark. We begin to trudge through life and our walk with God. It happens to all of us.

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is 1 Corinthians 1:26-29,31

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him... let him who boasts boast in the Lord."


Bad things happen and for so many of us life gets in the way. But is this what God wants for me, for us? To just merely exist? As the Scripture above states it has nothing to do with who we are, what we have done or where we are in life. It is all about grace and true love. We can turn our sorrow into dancing, we can turn our trudging into running.

I am so excited to see where God is going to move with this ministry and I pray for all of you daily and the impact it will have on your world and the lives of those around you. Let's make a pact to live for more. Let us take this time as we go into the holiday season to fall in love with Jesus again.

Remember God wants you. He loves you and you are a cherished child of the living God!

Strength In Perseverance

I took up training for a half-marathon about a month ago. I have never run in my entire life except during P.E. in middle school (we all know that isn’t really running). My husband was so proud of me that he bought me a book and all the running gear I could possibly need to succeed. Even having everything, all the gear, knowledge and desire it all comes down to perseverance at 6:00 a.m. on cold, overcast mornings on deserted streets.

I can relate running to my walk with God. I may spend hours reading, praying, fasting and teaching but there are times when my faith and my body grows weak. There are times when I don’t feel like waking up early every morning to spend time with God or I may not feel like teaching a class. It all comes down to sheer perseverance to follow the command Jesus gave us.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Perseverance has to come from the right place in order for our lives to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Our strength comes from God alone. Relying on Him to sustain us, equip up and use us. What are areas in your walk with God that require perseverance?

So many times in life we have the right intentions, the right goals and the motivation to start them. However, what matters most is consistency and follow-through. Think back over the last few months, even years of promises that you have made to God, yourself and others that you have never finished. You don’t have to wait any longer. It doesn’t matter how long it has been.

Be a person who says “yes” to God. Be someone that others can count on to always finish what you start. Stay committed and stay focused on the goal. Your most important commitment is to the Lord. Give Him the first fruits of your day, money, talents and life. I promise you will never be disappointed.

Even when it is hard remember this:

“God has said, ‘never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” Hebrews 13:5-6

A Home For The Heart

I spent the first few years of my married life moving from one place to another. I believe I totalled our number of homes to be 11 in five short years. I remember walking furniture and home stores dreaming of what my home would look like whenever we finally were able to settle. My heart longed for a place that was my own, a place that had little pieces of me and the people I loved up everywhere, a place that showed my creativity.

Years were starting to pass me by and the security of a home seemed like a distant, never to be realized fantasy. My husband was gone most of the time due to his commitment to the military. I was in a place in my life where nothing seemed to turn out the way I thought it would. I eventually became depressed and desperate for happiness, security and peace from what felt like an unwavering storm that raged around me.

I had the opportunity to spend a quiet evening at home tonight and after tucking my precious son in to bed I went out into the living room to close the windows and the blinds. I found myself stuck by the windows peering out into the sky full of dark clouds and a slight breeze that seemed to quiet everything around me. Even though the threat of a storm was all around me I felt safe, warm and secure inside my home. In fact I had an overwhelming sense of peace. Instead of looking scary and threatening to me, the clouds looked beautiful. The thought of rain seemed to quiet my soul.

I love nights like these. It is a time of reflection. A time when God reveals the beauty in the storms. The inexpressible peace that comes in the midst of the storm. You see, I spent most of those turbulent few first years of marriage only focusing on the storm and what I was lacking. Now, with God as the center of my life I face the storms in life and focus on the beauty and peace that can only be experienced during turbulent storms.

Our hearts were designed to search for a home, a place of belonging and rest. I spent many years depending upon others, finances, degrees, careers, marriage and pregnancy trying to find rest for my weary heart.

Have you ever felt like that? Do you ever feel that when you grasp for something in life it slips through your fingers and disappears? In my time of reflection tonight the Lord spoke to my heart. He was calling me to a deeper, more intimate walk with Him. Our foundation is where it all begins. Without the proper foundation we crumble when the storms comes through.

I pray that your heart would find its home. Not a temporary home, but a permanent home. A place where you feel safe, loved, secure and valued. There is a beautiful song by Trevor Davis called "As Bold As A Lion" and in it he says "as I rise from the sinking, I feel just like the sun, and as I rise I am thinking I want this for everyone...". I want this for everyone. The love and the peace that God has given me is what many search for and few ever find. I pray that you would search for it with all your heart.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

First Things First

Lord, I feel exhausted! I can't take anymore! Does life ever get any easier?

The list can go on and on. How many times have we said these same words to God? The Bible says that God will never give us more than we can handle. Do we believe that? Can you believe that? This world is constantly begging for our attention. Our families, our friends and our church always need something.

But what about God?

"But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33

Do you go to God in prayer for every decision? Better question, do you go to God in prayer for anything? I have found that most people often neglect their prayer and study time with the Lord. How can you hear from God, how can you obey Him, how can you have an intimate, personal and practical love relationship with Him if you neglect to talk to Him daily?

I once posed this question to a class I taught for women: If you treated your spouse the same way you treated God, what would your marriage be like? Would you still be married? If so, how viable would the relationship be. Most of us (if we answer honestly) would be divorced by now. If you never talked to your spouse, spent time with them or consulted them there would be no relationship.

When we are overwhelmed and bombarded by the things we face in life we need to stop and ask ourselves what our true priorities are. In the beginning of putting this ministry together I began to feel completely exhausted, overwhelmed and ready to call it quits. I felt like the ministry was never going to get off and running, my job was a means to and end and my family life was just another thing on my to-do list. I could not even function, I did not even want to pray. You know what I realized through my tears of desperation? I was relying on myself completely! Sure, I was praying and studying daily. However, I did not trust that God could or would give me specific details for everything He had called me to do. I knew without a doubt three things God had asked me to do: Be a wife, mother and to start this ministy. I realized that in order to do all that He asked me to do I had to wholly rely on Him. Moment by moment, day  by day to show me His plan.

"I am the vine, you are the branches, If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Did you catch that? How much can we accomplish without Him? Nothing.

God promises us that if we seek Him first He will give us everything that we need. Stop trying to do everything, be everything to everybody. You can't! You are absolutely 100% guaranteed to fail.

I encourage each and everyone of you who are tired, weary and heavy-laiden come to the Lord and He will give you rest. We do not have to walk this road alone. Make God your first priority even when there does not seem to be enough time in the day and you are exhausted. Spend time with Him and watch to see what happens.

I have found no greater peace, happiness and contentment since I have put God as my first priority. There used to never be enough time, money or anything else. But now I marvel at the amazing things God has done in my life and my husband's. He is faithful, do not be afraid. Trust Him! He knows everything and He is everywhere, you are not.

Be encouraged! You are never alone. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Make Him your top priority and be blessed.