The Ebb And Flow Of Holding On And Letting God

Yesterday I started reading 'What Happens When Women Walk In Faith' by Lysa TerKeurst.  I thought I had been doing that.

Today, looks like God has begun some revealing, possibly closing doors in order to open new ones, asking me to to trust Him, to seek him more in prayer.  What is going to happen when I walk in faith, trusting Him to reveal my next step?  The Ebb and Flow Of Holding On And Letting God

It's such a crazy thing, this journey called being a believer.  I was talking to a a dear friend about this very thing today.  Never once in God's word, not one time, does he ever say while I am are here on this earth, that I won't have trials, heartaches, that I won't have to be humbled and that life will be easy.  In fact it says that I will have all of the above and more.  Over and over: deaths that come to soon, sickness, marriages ending, families being destroyed, the loss of jobs, dreams shattered.

The Ebb and Flow Of Holding On And Letting God

But as a believer I do have God's promises that I can hold tightly to: there is only one God, His word is truth, God never changes, He will never leave me or forsake me.  His love, grace & mercy for me incomprehensible, He searches after me with an unending, reckless abandon.  He only wants the best for me, He wants me to dream wild and crazy dreams, just so He can make them a better reality than I could have ever imagined.  I've been on this amazing God journey before and it is a wild and crazy ride.  One that would put Six Flags to shame. But I know enough to not look back, to press on and trust in the One who holds it all in His hand.  I'm not giving up, just getting refocused, anticipating  Yes, those are the promises that I am choosing to hold on tightly.   

The Ebb and Flow Of Holding On And Letting God

To Him Be The Glory ~ Amen

Yet, Am I Willing To Reach For A Star?

"Yet if we would know God 

and for other’s sake, tell what we know, 

we must try to speak of His love…

I can do no more do justice to 

that awesome and wonder-filled theme

 than a child can grasp a star.

 Still, by reaching toward the star 

the child may call attention to it and even

 indicate the direction one must look to see it.

 So as I stretch my heart toward the high, 

shining love of God,

someone who has not before known 

about it may be encouraged 

to look and have hope.”

- A.W. Tozer 

 The Knowledge of the Holy

Falalalala Friday

F

a

la

la

la

la         Friday

is just that, every Friday I'll be posting some of my 

fav's old and new. I pray you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Falalalala Friday

F

a

la

la

la

la         Friday

is just that, every Friday I'll be posting some of my fav's old and 

new.I pray you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Valentine's Day......A New Approach

Every year Valentine's Day is on February 14th.  Valentine's Day evolved from pagan Roman mythology. It was then changed to a religious holiday it has now morphed into Valentines Day as we know it: a day to celebrate love or commercialism at it's best, depending on who you ask.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy celebrating love as much as the next person.  Although I do take a bit of (well a lot actually) personal issue with getting caught up in the fact that I may or may not have a special someone to reciprocate these feelings of 'love' with only one day a year.  And somehow if I don',t then this makes me unlovable.  If I am honest here, often on Valentine's day someone is set-up for failure and someone is doomed for disappointment both based on often unattainable expectations.  Even though I don't know what your relationship status is or whether you are in a love valley or love peak during this particular season of your life.  For me, for far to long, Valentine's day has gotten lost in translation.

Instead of taking a totally critical, cynical view, this is how I have decided to celebrate February 14th, 2013.  We are called to love one another as we love ourselves, which is a whole other blog for another day.  This year I am taking on a whole new, brave approach.

It came to me during my morning devotional time:

Then [Ezra] told them, "Go your way, eat the fat, 

drink the sweet drink, and send portions 

 to him for whom nothing is prepared; 

 for this day is holy to our Lord. 

  And do not be grieved and depressed, 

                                        for the joy of the LORD

                                              is your strength and stronghold."

                                                 Nehemiah 8:10

Did you catch that?  ....and send portions for him whom nothing is prepared; I've decided wouldn't it be great to share love by paying it forward...... to the car behind me if I'm in a drive-thru line, to let someone go ahead of me at the check-out lane, to actually look a stranger in the eye with a smile and sincerely say hello.  I've got some cool sticky notes I'm going to put on a strangers car.  I'm taking some extra time and pray for my husband, my kids, family and friends.

I think I might actually begin to look forward to February 14th!                                        

Falalalala Friday

Falalalala Friday is just that, every Friday I'll be 

posting some of my fav's old and new.  I pray 

you will enjoy them as 

much as I do!

Interesting fact about Jason Gray, when he speaks he stutters.  However, he doesn't stutter when he sings.  In fact he says, "In the brokenness of of life, God can make music out of it - make it beautiful."

Tell me once again who I am to you.

Who I am to you.

Tell me lest I forget who I am to you.

That I belong to you.

To You.

Procrastination

Do you remember that that old Carly Simon song, Anticipation?  In the song she reflects on these lines, she bemoans them actually:

Anticipation, anticipation,

 is making me late, 

is keeping me waitin'

I was talking with a sweet friend of mine today about a struggle we have in common only it's not anticipation, it's procrastination.  I feel as though we could write our own hit song but instead of the above chorus we would be reflecting, oops I mean bemoaning it like this:

Procrastination, procrastination

is keeping me late,

is keeping life waitin'

The Oxford English dictionary defines procrastination as: V. To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.  To postpone or delay needlessly. Or as defer[ing] action without good reason.  OUCH!! 

Why oh why do I procrastinate?  I've got several theories going on, keep in mind they are just that theories.  I'm sure this checklist or combination there-of could go on and on.  In no particular order here's what I have so far:

• Pride - Really it's probably more like self-pride. In a twisted kind of way, I seem to take pride in procrastinating.  I'm finally realizing that saying 'yes' to everything isn't good and neither is saying 'no' a bad thing.  
• Rebellion - This is me in a conversation with myself, "You do realize XYZ needs to be completed?"  "I'll get to said project when I get to it, stop reminding me that it isn't close to finished!"  Does anyone else have these little self-pep talks?
• Selfishness - I want to do what I want to do first.  Or could it be I'm really dreading doing XYZ so I continue to put it off. 
• Martyrdom - One of definition says martyrdom is a display of feigned or exaggerated suffering.  Could it be I am procrastinating just so I can draw attention to myself or pity from others?  YIKES 
• Laziness - I confess laziness just comes so easily to me, blatantly easy in fact.  OH MY GOODNESS, can anyone else relate?
• Control Issues - Am I afraid of failing, falling just a bit short in another's eyes?   At other times my life seems so out-of-control, I fool myself into thinking I work better under-pressure.  I don't ever recall that truly working out for me.  If I'm honest, it's more like God rescues from the very mess I've created for myself.  Not every time mind you, sometimes.  

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done."

God has been showing me some not very pretty things about the heart issues behind my procrastinating.  He tells me to seek Him first when making a decision.  Not make the decision and then asking Him to bless it.

"Seek first the kingdom of God

above all else,

and live righteously,

and he will give you everything you need."

Matthew 6:33 (emphasis mine)

My prayer:  In Jesus name I pray, Lord help me realize when I'm procrastinating.  To bring light to the hidden places of procrastinating and that through your power and strength I can have victory when procrastination rears its ugly head.  Amen

Goal vs Wish