Shore-up Your Foundation

Foundations are built to support the style of home they are designed for. A single-family dwelling foundation could never support an office building, as well as an office building foundation would be inappropriate for a single family. Foundations are in place to allow everyday living to prosperously move forward but they are also designed to withstand the environmental impact on the building they support.

When storms, floods, and earthquakes unexpectedly impact a community, often the homes still standing are those with strong foundations. The same applies to your spiritual life. Your spiritual foundation is built on Christ, the word of God. Your promise is a solid unshakeable foundation that will weather any storm.

However, during your own impacting events (your personal storms, floods and earthquakes) you may often think that your foundation has been pulled out from under you and that it no longer even exists. But, once you have said YES to the Lord He never walks away, never forgets you, and never pulls that foundation away – He knows your name.

II Timothy 2:19a But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” (ESV)

In the natural we now have old cracking shifting foundations that can be lifted up, filled in and re-stabilized, giving strength and support back to a previously unusable building.

Though you have a promise, spiritually, that says you don’t need to ever require that type of major repair you can find yourself needing some shoring-up. It is an easy process – simply turn from where you find yourself, look up and the one who built your house stands there ready to complete all necessary repairs. He already paid for them – they belong to you free of charge. He knows your name, the building He is building within you, and the purpose He desires to accomplish.

If you find yourself in a place where you perceive your foundation to be unstable in any way – don’t hesitate, don’t continue living in that shaky building – call your ultimate repair man. The result is always a 5-star review – He only does perfect work.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (ESV)

 

ALL Glory to the King!

Countdown officially begins. I am honored to announce this coming book. It is Fantabulous – that is a fantastic fabulous word – to describe this wonderfully inspiring book. LOOK for more info to come in the next couple of weeks.

They Knew My Voice

I have been blessed with 3 children who have grown to adulthood, but in their early years the training process was arduous. What seemed like constant “no” was heard day-in and day-out as they learned what obedience looked like and what consequences came from lack thereof. But that time eventually turned to walking in peace – for ultimately obedience does bring that. I often wondered if it was worth all the work it took but I would then witness children without any constraints – walking in continual disobedience – and I knew I didn’t want my children to be adults walking that road.

Gen. 22: 1-3 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and rose and went to the place of which God had told him.

I have read this story for years and wondered how Abraham was able to instantly say YES to this request from God. It looks like Abraham was only given the BIG directives – “leave your home and family” “sacrifice your son”. However, just like my children, those big directives are only followed when the voice is heard, known and with no hesitation followed. That process takes a building time – so unseen to us – Abraham had learned the voice of his God, and was able to quickly say “Here I am”.

When my children heard, knew and heeded my voice they learned that the reason, ultimately was for their good. They learned to obey the “pick up your room”, “brush your teeth”, etc directives without questioning so that if the day came and the train was barreling down the tracks at them, with me on one side and them on the other – they would instantly, with no hesitation – hear my voice and stop – keeping them from certain calamity. They had learned and knew my voice.

As God’s children, we too are being trained to hear, know and with no hesitation say YES! It is a process and it will cost us much, just as it did for Abraham. But, when we know He has only the best for us, our YES will come quicker and without hesitation. We will know His voice.

As I chose to be committed to obeying the voice of God with an immediate willing obedience – my valiant YES LORD has become my determination to live my life as He directs. It’s the only appropriate response to my loving God! No matter how strange, difficult or unpopular His direction may be – my desire is to say YES LORD. As Abraham said “Here I am” – I chose to take one little obedient step forward at a time.

Let’s walk out obedience as we learn to hear, know and respond with a valiant YES LORD! For as we walk in our daily lives with this focus we will see His hand move and transform our lives and those around us – bringing the Kingdom of God into our own back yard.

The key is learning to hear His voice – know that He has the best for us – saying YES – and courageously moving forward.

Obedience is only obedience when it is quickly followed – for delayed obedience is unfortunately – disobedience!

Join me in a courageous obedient stand and with a valiant YES LORD – we will move into new adventures as His voice speaks.

 

 

Worries of the Heart

Decisions, decisions, decisions – they loom over and around us every day. Some are small and easy but then there are those “heavies”. When we are faced with major decisions that are overwhelmingly life impacting, our thoughts and worries of the heart become extremely heavy and peace is nowhere to be found. It’s in these times that wisdom is critically needed and often very hard to find.

In the midst of a month of one of those times I found myself emotionally riding a roller-coaster. All the natural solutions spun my heart and mind further and faster downward. But still the decisions kept asking to be made, drawing me closer daily to that undesirable deadline. Crying, praying, researching and reaching out to “those who surely knew the answer” – all to no avail. The more I opened myself up to hear others opinions the more I had NONE and the more confused I became. I KNEW I did not need man’s wisdom – because I had heard so much of that – I needed God’s wisdom.

Where there is no peace – fear and confusion reign. That is where I sat and that is NOT where the Lord wanted me to sit!

Asking for wisdom, when we really want to hear His wisdom is a prayer that He always answers. However, we must get to the end of us in order to hear it – that’s why we often take that horrific roller-coaster down-hill-speeding-bullet ride. We must get to the end of us and our efforts to “fix” the situation.

Thus, began my prayer for the Wisdom of God to intervene. In the midst of confusing and frustrating circumstances (God’s directed intervention) I waited as He unfolded that gift. I ended up on the end of a phone line with God’s appointed distributor of His wisdom. With patience, knowledge, compassion and wisdom that conversation brought the answers that flowed like honey and instantly peace flooded in. Within a short conversation, amazingly all that indecision and emotional struggle disappeared.

Not to say, all is now well and good – those decisions now must be walked through, but often the decision is what stifles and causes us to sit in the mire of fear and confusion. Once His wisdom is dispensed the burden lifts – His love pours in and fear must leave – leaving the peace that passes all understanding.

When there is no peace – stop, back up, ask and wait for His peaceable wisdom. It’s always available – even when you somehow end up taking a few spins on that roller-coaster first.

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Life’s Unexpected Pauses

In the midst of life’s busyness, abrupt unexpected pauses come crashing in. Those unwanted, unexpected and usually unfortunate pauses bring everything to a halt.

It’s in these times – when the flu bug puts you to bed for a week, when you break a rib while enjoying a ski trip, when you lose your job and bills are still due, when you get the call to the hospital bed of a critical loved one, and when the final goodbye has to be said to one whose time here is complete – these are the times when life instantly is set on “pause”.

Here in the midst of these, life seems to just stop.

Just minutes before, our calendars were full, plans made and life was in constant movement. It’s in these times I find myself realizing that none of those calendars and plans really matter; everything is expendable and ultimately unimportant. For what we thought HAD to be done when it comes down to it CAN be skipped. Not much really matters in the face of these times.

Priorities are often not set by what our heart and emotions dictate but by the small busy details that can often be swept under the carpet when the BIG pauses come to visit.

 So, what really does matter?

From the flu to the loss of a loved one, these pauses cause us to STOP. It’s during these times of stopping the busy activity that we sit back (once we process the “in your face” reality) and look up to the only place our healing and strength comes from. What really is important is walking through this unexpected pause knowing we are loved and not alone – the love of Christ begins to lift the confused emotions that ride along on these journeys – as we focus our eyes upward.

There are none of these pauses that make sense –  but if our mind, heart and eyes make a decision to REST in HIS presence we will find that which matters most. His peace and love will wash over us and we will make it through this journey and out the other side with a new and stronger understanding of how much we are loved.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.