The REST of the story...

Right now where I am in life, things are so hectic and many life-changing events have happened, and it seemed like all in a hurry.  It was so easy to say “why all this at the same time”?  But instead God in His wisdom gave me verses to carry me through these times, and they became life to me. 

Psalm 62:1-2  My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

This verse grabbed my attention and I memorized it because it seemed like a great, strong verse to learn.  But it wasn’t until looking at life in retrospect did I realize learning these verses was preparation for a season of change that was coming.  I had no idea how important this verse would become to me until my world was shaken and my soul needed to know that God was my Rock and my Fortress.  I didn’t need “rest” as in no activity; my soul needed to rest in knowing God was in control.  The “rest” is an assurance.

A few months later I was prompted to memorize this verse:

Psalm 116:7  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

Again, the word rest!  I learned this verse at what I thought was the end of this particular season of leaning on God’s sovereignty and seeing His goodness.  But it all hit again like a whirlwind as we were planning our move across town.  I don’t know if you’ve moved much (we’re a pastors family… it comes with the territory), but for me across town moves are so much harder than moving states!  Anyway, 3 days prior to this move our daughter went into labor 5 weeks early while her husband was away for the Army!  Talk about timing!!!  REALLY??!!  I was able to be with her as she brought her son into this world and it was THE most amazing experience for me.  Seeing your child bring life into the world is an experience unlike any other, I’m in tears even now.  But my heart grieved for my son-in-law whose loss of witnessing this miracle was my gain.  In the midst of chaos I continually recounted how good God had been!

At one point in labor my daughter was overcome at the timing of all that was happening, and that is when God made the connection for me.  I told my dear sweet baby, “I don’t know why this is happening right now, but it did not take God by surprise.  He is a good God and He is not haphazard.  We can trust in His sovereignty.”  My daughter and I both recall the peace that filled the room after that truth was spoken. 

God might as well have stuck me on the head to finally make the connection between Rest and His Sovereignty!  When we know He is in control, our soul can be at rest.  There is comfort in His sovereignty.  We can know that if God allows something to happen, He has a use for it.  There is glory and good to come from it.   

Over and over again, God is reminding me that He is LORD!!  He reminds me not to look at the circumstance around me, but to look at who He IS!   Do I really believe that He is Lord?  That He is able to “handle” my life?  And can I trust Him with my heart?  I know the answer to all these is “yes” BUT it’s an entirely different thing to LIVE it rather than just KNOW it.  I love this quote from A.W. Tozer, “As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once.” 

So today I ask you not to look around you at your circumstances, but to look to God and exalt Him to His rightful place in your life and in your heart. 

Be at rest once more my friend!

Kris

People Pleasing

I'm reading through Galatians right now and I have come to notice a theme. The Galatians seemed to be people pleasers. I can relate to that. Can you? In fact, in the first chapter, Paul out right calls them people pleasers in verse ten.  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I would imagine that before his encounter with God, Paul was a people pleaser. He followed the rules and knew the laws inside and out. It was Paul's glorious encounter with God that killed his people pleasing and people persecuting days for good. 

People pleasing in a learned behavior. It is easily learned, but difficult to unlearn. Whether it was learned as a coping method or as way to advance in the popularity ladder, people pleasing is not pleasing to God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20) You see, we are no longer bound to a life of people pleasing. We are free from the judgments of others. Besides, we are called to be different then this world, so people are going to think we're weird for that fact alone! The Galatians got hung up on this. Paul had to remind them of their new identity in Christ because they kept resorting back to living like they were living before they knew Christ.  

How many of us do the exact same thing?! We get hung up just like the Galatians. While they were trying to please the "important" people of the law, we compromise what we believe to please whom we perceive to be important. However, what the world deems important is incredibly different than what God sees as important. If followers of Christ, keep compromising our identity to make others feel better about themselves, who then will see Christ? Our new identity given to us by the grace of God, is not only for ourselves, it is so others can see that there is a God who hasn't compromised, but has given everything so that they can live in freedom! Eternal freedom. Our people pleasing causes confusion to all those watching us as followers of Christ. Compromising our faith by not saying anything, going with the flow, or biting our tongue as to not offend, is not helpful. It's harmful. It's harmful because Christ gave himself up so that ALL can have a new identity in Him. Those who don't yet know Christ are watching us. They are hearing our words and watching our reactions. Let's point them to Christ with our uncompromising faith!

I say all of this to say, that if we don't define ourselves, others will! Being in the Word daily and claiming God's promises over your life build your identity. You are not a slave to what other people think of you! You know God. You are known by God. The creator of the universe who so intricately placed the beauty in the world, placed that same beauty inside of you. That beauty resonates when you smile and draws others close to God just because Christ is alive in you! Take care not to let the weak and miserable forces of what others think turn you away from your faith. Instead, build a strong uncompromising identity, the very one Christ gave himself for. 

Until the whole world hears, 
Emily

Daytime Disaster

The inspiration for this blog happened a couple of weeks ago. I have been neglecting the issue, but now after several promptings from the Holy Spirit, I must write. 

Although, I hate to admit this, I am a TV junkie. I don't know if it's because I can't live in the quiet, but I usually keep the TV on to provide background noise. Actually I really enjoy the creativity and it serves as a mindless activity that relaxes me. But that's the danger isn't it. It's mindless. I don't have to think, reason, or surmise.  I just let it all soak in while being entertained. It's a time sucking machine and it literally takes an active choice to turn it off.  As I am trying to limit the amount of TV I expose myself too, I'm also monitoring the content. Right now my TV watching consists of mostly the Bubble Guppies, but every now and again I get to watch my own shows. That being said, I usually don't watch daytime television. Kendell is home and I do monitor what she watches pretty heavily. Of course Kendell's favorite toy in the house is the remote control for the television. It has been lost on several occasions and she gets a kick out of turning the channels. I think she feels powerful! 

I say all this to say, that one day, Kendell turned the channel to a daytime talk show. At that moment the host was talking about celebrity gossip. The topic quickly turned to marriage, or should I say, lack there of. The host was so proud to boldly state that living together is the right thing to do and that there are no consequences for this behavior. She was adamant that traditional marriage was a way of the past and irrelevant in today's culture. If you have read my Bio, you would know that this burned within me a righteous anger! Marriage, as God designed it, is a beautiful picture of how Christ loves us. What I was hearing on the TV was confirming the reason why I have given up on daytime television. It's filled with the cultural vomit of this world and if we're not careful; the Truth can become distorted in our own minds. I no longer view watching television as a mindless activity. 

Ladies, we are the target of highly liberal, unbiblical daytime television programming. It isn't just mindless. There are battles going on all around us that fight for our attention. The world speaks loud and proud, so we have to know the Truth inside and out and refresh it daily by spending time with the Holy Spirit. As we do this, he will permeate our hearts, helping us discern the Truth from the lies causing us to make better decisions. Ephesians 6 illustrates how the armor of God is to be worn and the Word used as a weapon. Take care not to let the world influence you, but that we are influencing the world! Live life in such a way as to make heads turn because you are so different. Stand on the values and principles that God has established because on these you will never fall! He has ordained your footsteps, now walk! No, run the race that he has set out for you! 

But be vigilant, lest you be seduced away and end up serving and worshiping other gods...

Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.  (Deuteronomy 11:16-21 The Message) 

Oh my dear friends, we need to filter! Subtleness, the enemy's weapon of choice, can seduce us away from God's call on our lives. It's the little decisions that define who we are and who we will become. We can choose to have victory in those decisions when we allow ourselves to be influenced by the Holy Spirit and walk in obedience. When the Truth is deep inside you, you can't help but get righteously angry at our culture! Good! Use that anger to change the world by instilling the Truth in your children. 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

We need to know what God's Word says, so we can identify what contradicts it and let me tell you, you're not going to find that on television! So, for all you fellow TV junkies, let's support each other and set up our filters. After all, daytime television is in the business of spreading gossip, but we are in the business of spreading the gospel! 

Which will last...?

Until the whole world hears,

Emily

God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle. Or Does He?

What is the common "Christianly" response we give people when they say that they are overwhelmed by life's hardships? I bet it's: "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." Naively, I have spoken these words several times with the intent to encourage. In retrospect, I may have caused confusion.

We have a family member going through a very tough time right now. She had heard that "God doesn't give us more than we can handle," but as far as she is concerned, what she is dealing with is way more than she can handle. I agree with her. God does give us more than we can handle. Often, when things are going good, we forget to rely of God. As soon as a storm hits though, we refocus and cry out to God for help. It is in the moments of desperation that we see God's goodness. The Bible has never stated that God won't give you more than you can handle. He's given my family more than we can handle on several occasions. 

First Corinthians 10:13 says that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what can we bear without providing a way out. I think this verse gets misinterpreted which in turn causes people to doubt God's goodness and sovereignty. God is always in control and nothing surprises him. He allows us to make  our own choices and then deal with the consequences, but he is always there providing hope and direction. Being tempted is very different than dealing with life stresses. In temptation, you are always given the choice to say no. If however, you succumb to temptation there will be consequences which will most likely stress you out. That stress comes from our choices. Most stresses result from the decisions we make in life. Other stress comes from things we can't control. Death of a loved one, divorce, and job loss to name a few.  

Here's the beauty of the Lord. He's there, ready to carry your burdens no matter what caused the stress. He's saying to you at this very moment, come to me and I will give you rest. Sorrow lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning! Cast all your anxieties, worries, fears, and heart breaks on Him because he cares for you! He really cares for you! The sorrows you are experiencing are giving you an opportunity to declare your dependence on God. Ephesians 3:20-21 says that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Even when you don't see a way out of your circumstances, there is hope! God can do more, but the contingency is that you have to ask. 

I leave you with the wise words of Paul in regards to handling our stresses. Distress that drives us to God turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets. And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. (2 Corinthians 7:10-12) 

Does God give us more than we can handle? Yes! But He never leaves us in the process. He is in control and we must trust him even when we don't understand. Do not lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight. I promise! We can stand on the promises of God. 

Be encouraged in the sorrows because it is building your spiritual maturity and giving you an opportunity to put your trust in the One who never fails. Our God is able to meet all your needs according to his glorious riches! Trust in Him, Sisters.  He will bring you through and show you the purpose behind the pain. 

Until the whole world hears, 

Emily

Our first Vlog!  (that's a video blog)

The Mighty Morphin Power Words

Something happened to me yesterday at Walmart that I just can't seem to get out of my head, so I guess I'll blog about it.

As Kendell and I turned down the baby food aisle, we came upon a beautiful baby boy and his mommy. I asked the baby's name and age to strike up a conversation and Kendell seemed very anxious to babble with her new found friend. This little boy had red hair which looked like it had been sun-kissed with perfectly placed blonde highlights. I had prayed for hair just like this, but as I enjoy my dirty dishwater hair;  I reveled over this gorgeous little boy. I found it interesting that after complimenting his hair, the mom was quick to tell me that she had hoped he wouldn't have red hair. "Not for a boy," she kept saying. I pondered the thought that the very thing I had prayed for, she had prayed against. Not only that, but she was adamant about red hair not being for boys. My heart hurt just then because God created that little boy and counted every single little red hair on his head. He has plans for him and wants to give him good gifts. Maybe God even gave him red hair for a specific purpose! Instead of appreciating his uniqueness, she chose to dwell on what she perceived to be negative. Then it occurred to me, our words have tremendous power. Although this is a mom example, it can be applied to all our interactions. However, I will continue with my current example and speak to moms because our words have incredible influence over our children.



Often the Bible compares words to a sword. In fact, in Ephesians 6, God's Word is described as a sword. The sword is an offensive weapon. The meaning of the word sword is to wound or cut. God's Word is described as a sword because we are to take it into battle against the evil one. It's powerful and can cut through the deceptions, temptations, and the distractions because it is a sword of Truth. Go to battle for your kids! This may mean against other people who are trying to discourage them, or it could be with the world that is trying to fill our children with lies and distractions, or it could mean going to battle for them in our own minds.  Luke 6:45 says that our mouths will speak what is in our hearts. That's a huge responsibility for us to carry, but also an important mission from the Lord! We need to keep our hearts pure. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)  When we are thinking thoughts as the ones above and spending time with our Savior, there's no room left for defeating negative thoughts! It's a process we must go through daily because as soon as we let our guard down, you know we're vulnerable for attack! 

I say all of this to say, that your words have the power of life! They can set the course for your children to become all that God has called them to be! You shape their future and mold their confidence. Most importantly, you show them how God loves them by the words you speak into their lives. Choose them wisely! Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29) Our children are listening! Let's benefit them! :)

And even when we mess up, which often we do, we can also demonstrate God's grace by apologizing to our children and seeking their forgiveness. Fight with sword and heal with your words! Praying for you and living it with you.

Until the whole world hears,
Emily

Destined for Greatness

When you think about the great heroes of our faith, who comes to mind?  What made them great?  What do they all have in common?  Were they of noble birth?  Did they receive divine revelations, then step out in faith?

Most of these heroes were ordinary people, chosen by God to be used in an extraordinary way.  So what about the rest of us, can we become great in God's Kingdom?  God certainly can become GREAT in us, and that is the ultimate goal!  God must be GREAT in us, lifted up, and glorified!  When He's high and lifted up, ministry is birthed!



^" And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:32

So you may be asking, "What's next?" or "Where do I start?"  Honestly, start ANYWHERE!  Just start SOMETHING!!  All too often we're waiting for permission from a person we admire, or for someone else to catch our vision.  Either way, when no one seems to catch the vision, or we don't hear the thundering voice from Heaven, we're left feeling hopeless that we could ever make a difference.  I would challenge that because we've been given the mandate to "Go into all the world..." (even if it's a small part of the world, like your own backyard...GO!!).  Also,  I feel as women, we tend to feel limited with our time and resources.  We have so many things on our plate:  kids to care for; work; serving in church ministry; etc.  We feel trapped and isolated, leading to feelings of doubt that God could ever use us. Dear sisters, this is completely untrue!

 Wherever God has placed you, just remember you're in that specific place for a reason!  Embrace where you're at, then pray and ask God to open your eyes to the needs around you!  Remember, whoever's been faithful with a little, will be entrusted to much!

Scriptures to read:

 

"And he said unto them,' Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.'"
Mark 16:14-16

"And he said to him ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’" Luke 19:17

Thoughts to ponder:

*Where has God placed me?
*What are some of the needs around me?
*What can I do to reach out to those around me?
*Am I allowing God to use me?
*How can I become Great in the Kingdom of God according to scripture?
*Is my life a living testimony of radical faith in Christ?  If not, how can I change?

Join the discussion, and let's hear your thoughts!

Yours in the Journey,
Shannon