Friday, March 13, 2009

A good day

Prepare for a marathon of a run-on sentence....My bible lays open on my lap; a cup of hot, yummy coffee sits on my desk to my left; my belly is full from all the yummy junk that I ate at the fun rodeo the night before; I am also reveling in the joy of the day that I got foster parenting a baby chihuahua yesterday; I'm also sore from working out yesterday (I love that feeling); rose scented candles are burning; only the dim lights of my lamps are lighting my way on this dreary day; the window's open as I watch it lightly rain; the only noise I hear is the rain and birds chirping a beautiful song (including my Woodstock); I see 2 cardinals out my window (which for some reason aren't only extremely beautiful to me, but also so represent Jesus to me); my dogs are quiet (only b/c they are eating my shoes...but I'll let it slide so I can have some quiet); I have no where to be in a hurry any time soon; and all the world is still, peaceful, and quiet before me...Aahh...Pure bliss!!!! I love occasional days like this! I love them! Jesus and I are having a moment and I just had to share it with you! :) He is speaking to me on how to fight for your God-given destiny! There is such balance in it. But don't we all sadly struggle with balance? I know that I do. You see, we can just rest in the fact that God fights for us and do nothing. But then we lose sight of the fact that there is in fact a roaring lion of an enemy seeking to destroy us so we must stay on guard. But then how do you stay on guard without losing sight of the fact that the battle is the Lord's. I think I came to a bit of an understanding during my quiet morning, and all from the great book of Deuteronomy. You see, Deuteronomy 33:26-29 (and Psalm 35:10, etc.) speaks of God Majestically coming to our aid! And then you have Deuteronomy 5:32 & 33 which speaks of what you are called to do! (with props to Proverbs 31 devotional and Beth Moore's, Praying God's Word devotional.) Here is what I think (at least this is how it happened with me somewhat.) After you have accepted Christ, I believe that God gives us a grace period in our "mountain-top high" as we discover who He is and who we are in Him. But then, of course, the enemy comes trying to nag us with our flesh patterns, and we begin discovering just how in need of a Savior we really are. So the battle hits and we begin the purifying process. As we mature more, we begin to look more like Him and understand a bit more, but we also grow tired. But the thing is, the enemy is using only the same old tricks. He is not as clever as we give him credit for. If you just take a look at your family line, you will see the same things that he likes to use over and over, It's generational sin and it must be stopped! But how? That is where I find myself today. I am mostly aware of the webs of generational sins that the enemy has weaved through out my family lines and I have fallen prey to. I have broken free from many...To the glory of God! However, there are some that I feel I will never be free from. And I woke up the other morning realizing that I had forgotten that the enemy didn't want me too. I had given up and forgotten that our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, but against the ruler of the air...our enemy. I was mad at my family, not him. But then I quickly remembered that not only am I fighting the wrong people, but that verse which says, "Judge, and you too will be judged." So true...ouch! What will judging them get me? The same thing that they have now...still the the noose of the stronghold, but held with a bitter heart. I want something different! And I am no different than them! So, I thought, "I can't fight. Fight for me Lord." And then I found myself in a world of defeat as I lay there. I have to take up my sword too. The thing is, I got a shield and His name is Jesus! As Deut. 5 states, walk in God's ways, don't turn to the right or to the left. Well, I had been relying on other refuges. I was allowing the enemy to distract me. God alone is my refuge and He has given me everything I need for life and Godliness! I have hidden His Word in my heart that I might not sin against Him. So I have a choice to make, dating all the way back to the Garden (thanks for the reminder, Mary Ann)...Choose each day...Life or Death. And with each choice you make towards life, God will fight for you. Like Job....it was after he prayed for his friends and chose God that God stepped in and (for the most part) said, "Ok, enough enemy! He is mine and I will take care of him." Amen! I am ready! Wow...this was a lot. But I think it is the start to my book. We shall see...

Friday, March 6, 2009

Welcome Spring!




Welcome Spring...I love you so! It truly is the most beautiful time of year here in Texas in Spring! However, I can only enjoy it limitedly due to the fact that I am an allergy geek and my allergies are in high alert in Spring. But I love the...bluebonnets, warm sun shining yet cool breezy nights, fresh flowers that begin popping up all around, new birth, the season of Lent, yellow butterflies which begin to re-appear, and marshmallow peeps! :) Happy Spring friends!
P.S. So my spiritual disciplines have already been tested today. I awoke this morning at 9:45 to my exterminator standing over my bed. Hello! Not only was it extremely embarrassing b/c I'm in my pajamas, in bed, at 9:45a...but...I also graduated from High School with this guy! Ha! And I'm living in my parents backyard pool-house at 29! After hurrying and scooting my un-clothed self, my bird, and my dogs out of the house, I opened my Bible to find God speaking to me out of Proverbs 6:6-11 (about the sluggard.) I laughed so hard! God truly does have a sense of humor. I felt no condemnation either. Just truth and I laughed. I did however have time to still do my QT before my day started late. Fortunately, in YL you work with High School students so due to the fact that I often have late nights with them, I can therefore excuse my late morning starts. Enjoy God today in this Spring weather! He is so much fun! :)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

A little Spiritual discipline is so worth it...

God has been teaching me about Spiritual disciplines lately. You see, when Jesus first changed my life around for Him, I began to develop the tendency of legalism. It became a prideful noose around my neck so I have sought to rather walk in is grace more. But lately I have seen that I have been "walking in His grace" a little too much. I live my life constantly "on the go." Part by choice, and part not (as that is life in the ministry of Young Life.) Well lately, with that already chaotic lifestyle that I lead, I have been waking up too late, then I would check my phone first off and get caught up in my "to-do's" first and therefore get side-tracked, then I wouldn't have my quiet time, instead I would read the scriptures in order to get a lesson for one of my YL venues that I was teaching at that day (horrible thing to do), then I'd later find myself getting grumpy with irritating people, then I'd wonder why, then I'd get mad at myself for getting grumpy, then I'd seek to stop doing so on my own, and then I'd realize it was probably b/c I didn't start my day off with the Lord, but by then I was "too busy" to do so, and so I would say that I would have my QT tomorrow morning, but then remind myself not to get too legalistic again, and then wake up too late the next morning again, and on and on the cycle has been going...!!! Well, I didn't seek out a book on Spiritual disciplines. Nor did I seek to "be disciplined" on my own. Rather, last night I just realized that I had had enough! Our weapons are not against flesh and blood but rather against the ruler of this world-Satan, and he was trying to distract me from some freedom in Jesus that I need! No more! Sometimes we all get to that point where we shout..."Enough!"...and mean it! I was at that point and I needed some balance in my life of walking in His grace, and also, all the while, obtaining some spiritual disciplines, for crying out loud!!!! :) I didn't have a plan but God did. I decided to turn my phone off last night before I went to bed, I awoke a bit earlier this morning and didn't turn my phone on yet, nor open my computer. After I got myself and my brood of animals going, I put on a pot of coffee and knelt down before the Lord in prayer. When my coffee was ready and my prayers were at a "to be continued" point, I grabbed a cup of coffee, rushed off to my desk and began to open the scriptures. Aahh...it felt good to be back! It was like the sun was shining again! And I felt some order to my chaos. Just as God brought order to our formless, chaotic, devoid of life world in Genesis! It's a wonder...right? Ha! :) I sit here now pondering a scripture that God has had on my heart since Tuesday. Zechariah 3:1-10. What a perfect depiction to me of what Jesus did for us on the cross...esp. during this season of Lent...which I love! I encourage you to go and read it today and get your own word. Walk in your robe of righteousness today! If you are His, you are already clothed in it, you may have just let yourself become distracted with the dirty stains on it. But our God is a bleaching man...and all it takes is a stop with Him in His laundry shop. So get to it friends! Stop getting distracted, take a dip in his laundry shop today. and walk out in the glorious robes that He has for you! I am now off to get to my "to-do list," as I have started my day off right today! Day 1...check! :)