Tag: Bible

FEAR NO MORE

I’ve been meditating on this and feel led to share. Sharing a testimony is for others, not for ourselves. People need to know they aren’t going through things alone. The enemy likes to make us think we are alone and when he gets us alone, he can really mess with us.

December 21, 2009, when we found my dad in his front office, deceased, my adrenaline had kicked in so hard that I couldn’t even dial 9-1-1 on my large faced android phone. Literally, took me about five minutes to be able to dial the numbers I was shaking so bad from the adrenaline. I was so frustrated I eventually set the phone down on one of the work tables and used my right hand to steady my left hand enough to dial the numbers. Not sure how that worked since both hands were uncontrollably trembling.

Something happened to me that night because of the adrenaline rush. Something changed internally. I don’t really know how to explain it but I thought something was really wrong with me because I wasn’t, and couldn’t, cry. I couldn’t really feel anything, I had gone numb physically, emotionally and mentally. I didn’t cry the entire time we waited on police and ambulance to show up. I didn’t even cry as I watched them wheel him out on a gurney in a zipped up body bag. I just kept thinking over and over again, “What is wrong with me?”

A fear settled into me that I had never had before, little by little. I started noticing it when things would take place months after his passing. The following February I had a meltdown in my car driving home when snow hit and I was stuck on a hill with my wheels spinning. It came out of nowhere.

When the tornadoes came through on April 2011 and I drove through the tail end of one downtown, thinking my car was going to go rolling like a tumbleweed, the fear living inside of me gained strength.

I didn’t understand why this fear had taken hold of me and there aren’t words to describe what it was really like. Children of God aren’t supposed to live in fear and I prayed about this daily and begged God to take it from me over the last 8 years. I wasn’t a person who lived in fear prior to this. My husband knows however that this fear had changed me. If it was raining out, I wasn’t driving anywhere and if I did, it was nerve wracking and I was white knuckling the steering wheel the entire time. Didn’t even have to be storming, just raining.

It was never about the rain or the snow though. It was a fear that settled in the night my dad passed. I hated it. I didn’t want it. I was ashamed of it.

Earlier this summer, when we were headed to one of our first appointments for a baby check up, it was pouring rain sideways and some thunder and lightning…My husband asked me if I wanted him to drive. My response was, “No, why?”

Note that I typically drive when we go somewhere because I get severe car sickness, something else I’ve prayed about and still believing I will no longer have.

I realized however in that moment, the fear was gone. Completely gone. It no longer had a hold of me. I knew it wasn’t coming back either. For over seven years I had been living with an internal fear, had never talked to anyone besides God about it and continuously spoke scriptures over myself in defiance to the fear, and it had hindered me in many ways. In that moment, I was set free. Prayer, perseverance and the Word of God had conquered it.

One would think it would get worse carrying a child inside them and worrying about their safety but just like something clicked inside of me when that fear took hold, something clicked inside of me when I let it go. I knew right then, I would never have that again. It was gone.

I was thinking about this last night as I was driving to church when I left work. It was pouring, people driving crazy, water on the roads, glare on my windshield…and I started laughing.

 

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

GOD’S PLAN, NOT MINE

Sometimes we find ourselves in places that make no sense. I am there right now. I have been there for a while. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to start chasing rabbits or having tea with strange men in purple velvet suits and tall hats.

It’s hard to trust God when we don’t understand the situation. More so, it’s hard to trust Him when we can’t see the entire picture. He sees it but sometimes we barely see past the end of our own nose.

I constantly remind myself of the Israelites and the forty years they wandered in the desert. I remind myself of this because it helps to keep my attitude and my obedience in check. History is meant for us to learn from. We would be fools not to study it…

They would not have wandered as long as they did had they just trusted in God’s plan and submitted to it. There was a second factor that also played into their wandering. Their attitude.

I believe it was Zig Ziglar who said,

“It is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine your altitude.”

How true it is. Attitude equals altitude is a more simple way to put it.

Being pregnant with a due date of March 2018, it has been shown to me through recent experiences that employers find their way around the law of not hiring someone who is pregnant with things such as job requirements of being able to lift over a certain weight and excuses like, “We hired someone more qualified.” No way to prove their discrimination in such instances unless they come out and say, “We aren’t hiring you because you are pregnant.”

This is why I trust God’s plan. I have obtained a seasonal part-time position and hopefully another part-time position this next week by employers who I have been up-front with, same as all the others, with my pregnancy. This tells me they are fair people and employers. I am thankful for this most of all.

They are however two positions that I would have never thought myself to be in. They are both new experiences and I have enjoyed the first so far. For the past 20 years I have worked in a professional office atmosphere. The seasonal part-time position is a retail position and although I am adjusting to the hours, I enjoy it. Being pregnant, I need something that is low stress and easy on my body. This fits the description. The second position I would be taking if offered, would be front desk office in a medical atmosphere. Taking phone calls and working with the public I can do in my sleep. I believe getting to wear scrubs is a bonus on that one.

So here I am, in the desert, unknown territory, and I can either be an Israelite or I can change history and keep a good attitude and know that I am right where God needs me.

I choose the latter. Today I sat in my car in my garage when I pulled in from work and some after work errands and shed some tears. I can’t say they were tears of sadness, frustration, anger or the opposite end of joy, happiness or delight. They were just tears as I prayed and talked to God. God already knows our hearts and I have no problem revealing mine to him anyways so He and I have some pretty candid conversations. Today’s was candid times ten. If anything, my tears were more out of thankfulness, relief and trust.

I told Him I didn’t completely understand where he had me and my husband in life right now and I know I can’t see the entire picture but regardless, I trust Him. I believe His Word and I believe the words that have been spoken over us the past couple of years not to mention the revelations and messages we have personally received in our prayer time while communing with the Holy Spirit.

God is not a liar. God is a God of His Word. He always comes through. He always provides. He always watches over His Word.

The enemy will try to make us think differently. The enemy will try and cause us to doubt. The enemy will try to take our focus off of God and onto the issue…

…and sometimes the enemy succeeds. But God.

But God.

Even when the enemy succeeds, God will send people or a Word into our life to get us back on track. That’s who Jesus is. He’s a Good Shepherd who keeps track of his flock and though one may stray, He will go and search for them and bring them back to safety.

If you have strayed, it’s okay. We all stray at different times no matter how much of the Word we know or how often we go to church. God knows how to take care of His people. Open your heart to His peace, His comfort, His protection and His guidance. Ask and receive. If you need direction, tell Him. If you need answers, ask Him. Whatever it is, He loves hearing our voices. Be candid. Talk to Him like you do your best friend. Be open with Him and build trust in your relationship with Him.

 

MAGIC EYES

Remember those magic eye posters that were popular in the 90’s? I was thinking about these last night during our mid-week service.

Wednesday nights our pastor has been teaching on Divine Approval. The main topic has been on righteousness. Many people do not have the revelation that they are righteous in Christ because of it being a free gift from God and not being based on their past/current actions. In other words, many think they are not righteous because they have done things out of line with the Word or will of God. They have sinned. Righteousness is not based on your sins.

Last night the statement was made along the lines of, “there is a difference between righteousness and holiness.”

Righteousness is a free gift from God and it doesn’t matter what you have done. Holiness is produced from righteousness. Holiness is the action of living according to the Word. Sin is missing the mark. Forgiveness is given when asked when you recognize you have missed the mark.

I had a revelation in this concept last night as our pastor was teaching on this. Revelation in the Word is a funny thing, like magic eye pictures. You know it’s there but you can’t see it until you look for it. You may even know what it is you are supposed to see but until you focus your eyes in a specific way, you won’t see it.

It’s interesting the instructions for magic eye say the following –

“Hold the center of the printed image right up to your nose. It should be blurry. Focus as though you are looking through the image into the distance. Very slowly move the image away from your face until the two squares above the image turn into three squares. If you see four squares, move the image farther away from your face until you see three squares. If you see one or two squares, start over! When you clearly see three squares, hold the page still, and the hidden image will magically appear. Once you perceive the hidden image and depth, you can look around the entire 3D image. The longer you look, the clearer the illusion becomes. The farther away you hold the page, the deeper it becomes.”

This is the same as reading the Word. We can hold our Bible, we can put it right up to our nose even. We can quote scripture like there is no tomorrow but until we see BEYOND the end of our nose, we will only see a jumbled picture.

I like how the instructions say, “The longer you work at it, the clearer it becomes.”

Just my thoughts for the day.

 

Romans 1:15-17 (KJV)

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 5:17(KJV)

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

 

GARBAGE DAY

GARBAGE DAY

Tuesday is garbage day at our house.

Every Monday evening the garbage can gets wheeled down to the curb and every Tuesday a big truck with a mechanical arm drives by and uses its scary robot appendage to pick the can up and shake it violently over the open bin above.

It drives away with all the rotten food leftovers, chicken parts from last night’s dinner, un-recyclable plastics and other random disposables so it doesn’t hang around and stink up our garage.

Tuesday evening, one of us (usually my husband) will drag the can back up the driveway and return it to its spot, tucked neatly away in the open  garage. 

Today I woke up feeling like that garbage can. For a little over a year my husband and I have followed a Ketogenic way of eating (low carb, high fat). The first six months we were very strict and did not waiver from the foods we were supposed to eat. During the next six months, we would occasionally have a meal that didn’t quite fit the macros if we were traveling. 

The past couple of weeks we have blown the diet out of the water. Last night, we sunk the battleship with dinner out and ice cream for dessert. 

I woke up at 4 am with stomach pain and just an overall feeling of yuck. 

The Keto diet has been life giving. It has made many health issues I was having before disappear. When I’ve had too many carbs or processed foods, symptoms start reappearing until I’m back on a full Keto diet. 

Being on the Keto diet, I have never felt better. I can tell my body has healed from the inside. When I do have a meal that causes me to feel off, it amazes me that for years I lived feeling that way. 

By tomorrow I’ll be back to normal and feeling good again. 

Early this morning, laying wide awake and having carb regret, I used the time to talk to God. 

He reminded me of what the Word does for us spiritually and what feeding ourselves “garbage” can do to us spiritually. 

There are so many things in this world that bombard us daily in the form of advertising. Everywhere we look – television, social media, other people’s conversations – we are inundated with ungodly thoughts and ideas. We are like a garbage can that needs to be emptied at least once a week or we will stink. 

Why let it even sit there for a week though? We have access to the Word and it instructs us to renew our minds. 

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2 KJV

We spend more time on social media than we do in the Word. We have the opportunity to read the Word daily, but do we? 

Many of us will make sure to get our exercise in every morning or every evening to keep our physical bodies in good shape and working properly but do we give that much attention to our spiritual life?  

What are we renewing our mind with? The Word or the world? 

God reminded me this morning that spiritually we can feel yucky when we are feeding ourselves with the wrong spiritual food. 

What have you been feeding on and what have you thrown away? Is it time to empty the garbage can? 

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God‘s.

1 Corinthians 6:19‭-‬20 KJV

 

DEAD MEN DON’T SPEAK

DEAD MEN DON’T SPEAK

Ever hear a dead person speak?

I’m not talking about seances…that’s a topic for a different day and those aren’t dead relatives you are talking to.

I’m talking about a Word I received from the Holy Spirit during my study time this week.

Those were the exact words I heard, “Dead men don’t speak.”

This week, and last, I have been reading through the book of Acts. My personal general Bible study consists of an open Bible, a specific journal to take notes in by chapter and an open browser next to me if I need to research something quickly as I study or look a word up.

There are times I am studying a topic in-depth and it includes all of those things plus my stack of books consisting of my Strong’s concordance and Vines dictionary along with a few different translations of the Bible.

God put it on my heart a couple of weeks ago to study in the book of Acts, so I am. Wednesday, as I was reading, I came to Chapter 9, verses 3-6:

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

It was verse 5 where I heard the Holy Spirit speak the words “Dead men don’t speak.”

v. 5 – And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

We as a Church, throughout all lands, are taught that Jesus is alive. We are told this. We speak it. We read it. We accept it, but do we realize it? Do we live it? Do we know it?

I kept reading that verse over and over again. There was revelation in the fact that Jesus really is alive.

In this verse he is talking to Saul (later known as Paul). Yeah, that guy that killed a whole bunch of Christians, sought them out, imprisoned them, tortured them, treated them as trash. That guy.

Jesus himself speaks to him on the road to Damascus. He not only speaks to him, he confronts him. He says, while shining a bright light in his face (paraphrased), “Hey man, why are you bullying me? What’s your deal?”

Saul, as a typical bully would do, cowers down and doesn’t know what to think. He asks who it is that is speaking to him. I mean, wouldn’t you want to know who it is if you heard a voice but couldn’t see who it was coming from? That’s always the first question, “Who is that?” Better yet, as we used to yell as little kids, “Who goes there?”

Jesus answers him. He says who he is (again, paraphrased), “Yo, it’s me, Jesus. The one you keep bullying…? Duh. I’m tellin’ ya, you are about to get got”

“Get got” is a phrase my husband and I use to express the danger brought on by one’s self in a situation, for those who need clarification.

Jesus basically warns Saul that he’s going to feel the ramifications of his persecution of Christians in a mighty way if he doesn’t knock it off. 

Here is where it gets interesting. How can Jesus speak to him if he’s dead? He can’t! Jesus lived, was crucified, DIED on the cross and then was raised from the dead and LIVES standing at the right hand of God.

This comes after all of that happened. Saul is on the road to Damascus and this is after the crucifixion of Christ. He had to be resurrected and has to be alive in order to speak to Saul. The men with Saul heard his voice as well but couldn’t see him.

This is why the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Dead men don’t speak.” I said, “Lord, I know this, why are you showing me this?”

The response – “Because the Church needs revelation in this.”

Wow. We sure do. Do we live and act like Jesus is alive or do we just say he is?

Do we serve a LIVING God or do we just pretend to?

Do we rejoice and claim our victory through Him or do we just put on a smile and go about our business?

In Galatians 2:20, Paul (that Saul guy who is now saved and serving God) said he was crucified with Christ. What does that mean? Jesus could easily look at him and say, “Paul, you don’t pour my cereal.”

Paul wasn’t up on one of those trees hanging by his hands and feet. He wasn’t lashed so bad that his skin was ripped from his back. He wasn’t buried in a tomb. How in the world was he crucified with Christ?

Because Christ took it all, for all, and LIVES. He lives at the right hand of God. He lives on the inside of each of us. He lives. He lives. He lives.

Start acting like it.

Start talking like it.

Start living like it.

Get blessed.

 

STUDY TIME

STUDY TIME

Last year is when I decided I was going to get serious about becoming a published author. I’ve always been a writer and my dream has been to be a published author. I began by piecing together my manuscript of the first book God put on my heart to release. I participated in NanoWrimo for simple self-motivation to fill in the blanks of my book. It worked. I now have a two hundred and something page manuscript sitting on my bookshelf, next to my bed, staring at me every morning screaming “edit me!”

 

While all of this was taking place, I was rummaging through Amazon one day, looking for a Bible study workbook. I am one of those weird people who actually like school and learning. I already had my Bachelor of Science and then went on to get my Associates in Theology and I was missing that school-like atmosphere. I like interactive things. I like being able to have an outline to follow and something to write in, for obvious reasons. I searched and I searched. I couldn’t find one that I liked that had what I wanted and so I simply said, “God, help me find a study guide” and I heard, “Create one.”

 

“Whhhhaatt??? You’re crazy! Yeah right! Ha!”

 

And I heard it again, “Create one that you would use.”

 

Wow. Okay. “Then what?”

 

“Publish it.”

 

I sat there dumbfounded. I also sat there with an image in my head of exactly what I was looking for. So, I put pencil to paper and started creating. It came together so fast that by the time I was done, I was still dumbfounded.

 

I looked at it, and up to God and pointed to it and said, “Now, I publish it?”

 

“Yes, you publish it.”

 

So in 3 days of nonstop (seriously, very little sleep) investigation, research and attempts, I figured out how to self-publish, designed my book cover and formatted the first workbook. I was sitting there at my laptop getting ready to hit the big red button that would put my name out there and I heard His words, “you are about to be a published author.”

 

I froze. It was reality sinking in. It was a life-long dream coming to pass and for me, it was breathtaking. God makes things so easy. If we listen and follow, He makes it so simple. Huge, daunting tasks are no longer huge and daunting. He helped me get over a fear of actually publishing something. I hit the button and there I was, dressed in my flannel pajama pants, flip-flops and Star Wars shirt with my unwashed hair thrown into a messy pony-tail and pushing my glasses up my nose because my allergies were preventing me from wearing my contacts. Rock-star.

 

As a child, I used to dream about sending a manuscript off to a publisher and them actually picking me. As a young teenager watching Little Women, I used to come up with male oriented pen names thinking I would have a better chance at being picked by a publisher. Little did I know, the greatest publisher of all time would pick me to create a Bible study workbook. I currently have two available for purchase and am working on the third which I plan to have available in a week or two. It’s in the final process.

 

I am working on a 365 day devotional which I hope to have out fall of this year and then there is my first book. It’s been a long time coming. I’m not sure just yet how I am going to go about publishing that one. It seriously has been something I have worked on for 25 years or more. I’ve often wondered if it is going to be something I finish, edit and never publish just because of the love I have put into it. Can I send it out into the world? I hope so.

 

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you the workbooks. They are simple. So simple. I wanted a workbook that made me examine the Word and not the denomination of the person writing it or the religious quirks of the establishment submitting it. I wanted to break barriers between the world and the Word. Why was this my goal? It was a goal because the majority of people I have talked to, church goers or not, believe animals went two by two onto the ark. I don’t point this out to insult anyone. I too at one point believed there were two of every kind that trotted happily onto that great big boat. Then, in my twenties, I read the story, in the Word, in the Bible, and I was blown away by the revelation I had in that common kid’s story. If we are skewed on such a popular Bible story, how much more are we missing out on God’s goodness?

W1P1D1
Sample page from Hebrews: Who is Christ?  Each workbook is a six-week study and each day is designed the same as shown here.

I created these workbooks with this in mind. To get to the nitty-gritty of the Word. To examine it for yourself. They are designed so that an atheist and a seasoned Christian could sit down, side-by-side, work their way through the study and learn something new. They are designed to NOT be overwhelming. We all have busy schedules but spending five minutes a day in the Word can make a World of difference.

 

They are not fancy. They are not eye-candy. They are workbooks. They are a guide. They are a game-plan to get your study time in. Plain and simple. This is a life-long project. I don’t know how many there will be total. I told God in the beginning, give me the vision of one at a time so I complete it. Once it is completed, give me the vision of the next one. He has done just that. The first workbook is titled Hebrews: Who is Christ? and is available through Amazon. The second one is titled 1&2 Timothy: The Heart of a Servant and is also available through Amazon.  You can visit my author page at www.mistymoonauthor.com through Amazon where all of my works are listed.

 

The third workbook is Ephesians: Growing in Christ and as I already mentioned, I hope to have it out within the next couple of weeks.

 

Jeremiah 30:2 (KJV)

Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.

 

 

IMPOSSIBILITIES

IMPOSSIBILITIES

I love Sundays. I love church. I never thought I would say those words for so many years when I was younger. Yesterday’s message was about 2017 being our church’s year of beauty. A year of impossibilities being possible. Our pastor used the example of Mary and how the angel of the Lord asked her to do the impossible. Impossible at least to what humans conceive to be possible. Conceive a child without the help of a man. Pretty impossible.

 

As I was sitting in service I had my own little revelation in this Biblical event that was an offshoot of what our pastor was preaching.

 

I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Things are only impossible until someone says yes.”

 

Sounds profound, right?

 

All of God’s promises are yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).

 

So who makes things impossible?

 

We do. I do. You do.

 

Wow.

 

When God speaks through the Holy Spirit, He uses examples we can relate to. Those that have an ear, let them hear.

 

My husband and I have known for quite a few years we were called to evangelism. God has been training us, teaching us, leading us and directing us in the way we should go. Most recently it was revealed to us through prayer and seeking Him, how our evangelistic outreach is to be set up. I won’t go in to all of that right now because it is in the process of being developed and it just isn’t time, yet.  I can share with you the “mission”, if you will, that He put on our hearts: Reach the unreachable.

 

Reach the unreachable.

 

The name of our website is www.unreachables.org which is being built so bookmark it for later use. There is a “coming soon” page up right now until we have it complete and ready for launch.

 

When we heard God tell us, “reach the unreachable”, we said YES without hesitation.

 

It wasn’t until this Sunday the following hit me like a piano on the head from a 10 story building: God asked us to do the impossible.

 

Unreachable according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreachable)  means:

 

      :  incapable of being reached : such as

      a :  impossible to get to or get at • a location unreachable by car

      b :  impossible to contact or communicate with • was unreachable by phone • emotionally                         unreachable teenagers

      c :  impossible to achieve :  not attainable • an unreachable dream/goal

 

 

God asked us to reach the unreachable. He asked us to do the impossible. We said yes.

 

It is no longer impossible.

 

He has our attention. He has our cooperation. When God asked Mary to carry Jesus in her womb, he was asking her to do the impossible. It became possible when she said yes.

 

Reaching the unreachable became possible when my husband and I said yes. The victory is already there because it is now POSSIBLE. The unreachable will be reached.

 

A ministry is like carrying a child. You take care of it while it is growing. You protect it. You birth it. You continue to protect it. You raise it up in the way it should go. Mary was asked to carry Jesus and she did just that. A King was born. A ministry was born.

 

What has God asked of you?

 

Matthew 19:26 (KJV) But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

PLAY ME A TUNE…

PLAY ME A TUNE…

I’m selling my violin.

 

When I say that, people automatically think, “Oh! You play violin?”

 

No. Not really.

 

As a small child I loved watching people play the violin. I’ve always loved music in general. Music, arts, literature, you name it. The violin and piano in particular. If you read yesterday’s blog post, you’ll see why I have a fascination with the piano.

 

Why do I love violin and the people who play it? Watch the next person closely who has a violin in their hands. They are in their own world. The rest of us don’t exist. They are free.

 

I love the sound of a violin. Even in an uplifting tune you can hear the sadness behind it. It reminds me of life. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s truth. If you listen hard enough you will realize the sound a violin string makes is so ugly that it’s beautiful. That’s life.

 

So why do I have a violin if I don’t play it? I wanted to learn to play the violin as a kid. My mom had me take piano lessons which I enjoyed and we could only afford because I used the church piano to practice on, we didn’t have one of our own. We had an electronic keyboard which my piano teacher told me hindered my abilities. I scoffed at her. Don’t tell me my whack electronic bossa nova dance music is hindering my classical music playing abilities!

 

I only took one year of lessons. I had advanced so quickly through the weekly lessons she gave me a third year piece to play for the spring recital. She even said it would be a challenge. I learned it. I could play it. I could play it well. Recital time came and I froze.

 

I butchered that piece like no other. I might as well have been playing Three Blind Mice on the recorder and dancing through the crowd.

 

My piano teacher’s pursed lips signaled to me that she was not a happy camper.

 

At the end of the recital she thanked everyone for being there and said, “I would like to recognize the students that did exceptionally well. As I call your name, please stand up.” She called every other student’s name but mine and then stared at me as everyone clapped for them. I stared right back. You could hear the tumbleweeds rustle at our feet.

 

That is why I only took one year of piano lessons. I refused to go back and she was the only piano teacher in town. It was a small town.

 

I still tinker at the piano when I’m around one. I still love the sound of it.

 

It wasn’t until I was 28 when I had a revelation that if I wanted to, I could buy a violin and play it. So I did.

 

violin-374096_1920

 

I bought a violin, a case, some rosin, a tuner and a little song book. I took that violin home and made horrible, horrible music with it. I kept making horrible music with it until it started to sound a little better. Eventually I taught myself Three Blind Mice just for kicks. I learned to play the ABC song. Then the tune of Happy Birthday. That’s when you know you have arrived with any musical instrument.

 

So I bought a violin, taught myself to play and I played. Goal achieved. Now I’m selling it.

 

I was thinking about it this morning and some would say I didn’t achieve anything. I achieved what I wanted to. I played the violin. My goal wasn’t to learn and go on to become a world-renowned violinist. I simply wanted to know what it was like to hold a violin and play some music…and I did.

 

I had a dream. I realized one day I could make that dream real. I made the dream real. I have other dreams. I’m making those dreams real. Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t think you are too old, too young or that you have to take it to the extreme ends of the earth to be successful in your dreams. Accomplish your goals. Start with small ones if you need to so you boost your confidence, just don’t stop.

 

Psalm 37:4

Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

 

 

*A long time from now, when we are both in heaven, I’ll be the one skipping through the crowds playing Three Blind Mice on the recorder.

 

Tasting Your Own Foot 03.09.17

Tasting Your Own Foot 03.09.17

Many times I’ve seen or heard the question posed, “What is your favorite scripture?” and if there are at least five people answering, one of them always responds with Jeremiah 29:11. I’ll be honest, my immediate thought when I hear this has been can’t they be more original?  I don’t mean that in a facetious way, there are just so many excellent verses in the Bible to choose from and so many gravitate towards this particular one.

 

Well, my foot has been tasting good this week. My go to verse for the last seven years has been Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV) – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

 

When I call on God, I expect an answer because of this verse. I hold Him to His Word. Great and mighty doesn’t necessarily mean “good”. According to Merriam Webster the word great means notably large in size, elaborate, ample, large in number, predominant, remarkable in magnitude, degree or effectiveness, eminent, distinguished, long continued. Mighty means possessing might, accomplished or characterized by might, great or imposing in size or extent.

 

These are not simple, nonchalant words. This verse means God will guide and direct and reveal things to me that are beyond my current understanding. If you read my post from yesterday, you will see my husband and I have been going through a time of God being silent. I think this is the reason that I had a breaking moment in His silence because I expect Him to be true to His Word in Jeremiah 33:3.

 

Well, He was.

 

Last night before church I had to run by a craft store and pick up some supplies. Walking through, on a shelf, I saw a rustic looking sign that said, “I know the plans I have for you – God”. I knew exactly which verse this was but it made me smile. I even thought about buying it. In all honesty, I’ll probably go back for it. We paid for the supplies and were on our way to church.

 

Last night’s service was powerful. The move of the Holy Spirit was sweet and chain breaking. I’ve been building my faith back up and casting down the thoughts of the enemy since my breaking moment and last night only helped my refueling process. I heard Jeremiah 29:11 in my head as reassurance from God himself: I know the plans I have for you and they aren’t for destruction. They are to prosper you. Be patient. Trust me. Continue to walk in my ways.

 

It has been in His silence that I have had to stand on the Word in Jeremiah 29:11. I have had to remind myself daily of this verse. He was showing me why this verse is so important and means so much to so many people. I now have Jeremiah 33:3 and Jeremiah 29:11 in my daily thoughts. I will never disregard the importance of this verse in people’s lives again. It’s a Word not just for me but for all of us.

 

I don’t know what you are believing God for right now but use these verses. Ask Him and He has to answer, His Word says He has to. Trust that His answer, even if it is silence, is for your good and His glory.

 

 

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

FOLLOW THE LEADER 03.06.17

FOLLOW THE LEADER 03.06.17

There are roughly 613 commandments in the Bible. I’ve heard people say, “How in the world can a person follow a religion or God who has so many ‘laws’ and requires so much of us?”

I did some quick research to see if I could find a number on how many U.S. laws there are. There isn’t a set number. Nobody knows. There are so many “they” can’t even count them. For a rough comparison, there are over 20,000 laws in regards to gun ownership and use. Let that sink in for a moment.

Sometimes I become overwhelmed with trying to live Christ-like. Every day, I try and do my very best but at the end of the day, I can always find something to repent for, something I could have done better, something I messed up, somewhere where I missed the mark. It’s easy to find yourself in a position of, “why even try, what’s the point?”

The point is Christ gave it all for it all. Let’s say that again. Christ gave it all for it all. He gave it all for us. He gave it all because he knew where we would find ourselves at the end of each day if we fully examined ourselves and our walk with Him.

Sometimes we think we are the only ones that think this way. We may look at our brothers and sisters in Christ who we attend church with and think, “Man, they have it all together. They make living for God look easy.” Truth is, there may be people who look at me and you like that. I can tell you, if someone is looking at me like that, they are grossly misled.

This is one reason I am so big on sharing testimonies. It shows others they aren’t in this alone. That’s the lie of the enemy and the easiest one he can get any one of us to believe, that we are alone. I told God when I rededicated my life to him that I would be a living testimony of His Word. I would openly share my walk with Him because I know for the longest time, I didn’t think anyone else would understand where I was at and the struggles I had. That is very isolating and when we are isolated, satan can have his way with us a lot easier than if we are surrounded by others who understand and can pray and lift us up because they know what we are going through.

Even in our isolation, God is still there. I think of Jesus and when he was tempted in the wilderness. He was by himself. He had been fasting for 40 days. I don’t know about you but after 40 hours of not eating my demeanor changes. Jesus held his own though. He was tempted and failed not. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. So even in those moments when we feel most alone, we have this written testimony of what Jesus did to meditate on and strengthen us. This is why it is so important that we read the Word. It is living water. It is life giving. It is the Truth. It saves. It gives. It fixes. It heals. It is everything we will ever need and it only has 613 commandments.

Amazingly enough, I see that even the people back in his day struggled with this. A Pharisee, one who was a lawyer (one who knows laws), asked which commandment was the greatest. He may as well have said, “There are so many commandments your God has given, how do we follow them all? Which is the greatest? Which should we follow first? How are we supposed to follow so many laws?”

Jesus answered with the perfect answer: LOVE.

If we love, it covers all the commandments because all the commandments were written out of love. If we choose love above all else, we operate in freedom not only for ourselves but we allow others to walk in it as well. They may not choose to but the opportunity is provided to them. You can put any one of your actions up against the question, “Did I do this in love?” and you will find where you need to repent, where you need to praise and where you need to be patient. Jesus made it so simple for us and yet we continue to over complicate things so often.

Preachers don’t preach on topics they haven’t already lived or dealt with. Remember that the next time you find yourself listening to a message that seems to be meant just for you. It was for them first. This post, was for me first. I’ve been working on my love walk and I’ve been failing miserably every day but I know at the end of the day I have things to give thanks for, I have things to repent for, I have adjustments that can be made and I have a new day coming to try again. Most importantly, I have a God, THE God, to praise and Jesus to thank for shedding his blood and covering it all. I have a lot to cover.

 

Matthew 22:36-40

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.