joewithjoy

The burden of the busy

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14: 1

I am trying not to let my heart be troubled. I have been doing a lot of stuff to avoid being troubled, actually; keeping myself so busy to try to regain control and the state of balance (which I have decided is a figment of my imagination during this life season).

I feel like a hamster on his wheel. Running in place. Making gains, only to look up and see how much more there is to do.

In my last post, I referenced changes that were necessary for my family. Well, the decisions have been made and we are embracing the changes. These consist of me going back to work full-time and an impending move for my whole family.

I stopped working full-time a few months back for my own health. Mental and physical. I got to a rough place, and instead of tending to that, I kept powering through. This affected my education (I am currently attaining a MSW), my marriage and my social connections as well as my own health. I have healed a lot in the last couple of months, but since realizing I had to go back full-time, I have had this little nagging thought, “What if it happens again? What if I am not ready?” This particular job that I will be doing, though I am SO thankful for the opportunity, comes with an additional time sacrifice from my son that I have not yet had to make to this extent since he has been born. I know how fortunate I am to be able to say that, but I am still nervous about how it will impact us both (that #momlife). Then of course, the aforementioned move. I think most of you know all the fear that goes into that.

So, to prepare for the coming changes, I have set out to do everything. Literally. Prepare, prepare, prepare. I have completely idolized the busy. Reflecting this morning, I see it. It is like I reverted right back to that state of busy that made this last year so difficult on me and my family. I have traded peace for the possibility of control. Knowing, the concept of having control is impossible, considering I lack to power to do so. Why? What is peace worth?

It is priceless.

Peace is certainly worth more than fake control. What am I doing? Conviction is raining heavy this morning, friends.

I kept reading John chapter 14, where Jesus is comforting his disciples. You can find this conversation in John 14:1-14. I noticed after reading, I noted these two things in my journal: John 14:1: “Trust me.” John 14:6: “I am the way.”

Jesus is telling me this morning, “Trust me because I am the way.”

The way to a fulfilling marriage. The way to a healthy home. The way to close communion. The way to peace.

I cannot attain these things with the busy. I cannot infuse peace in my own life. I can only seek it out from the source. That is not the busy, friends. It is Jesus.

Lord, thank you for this word of comfort and help remind me every moment of every day that this is the goodness you offer in accepting you. I can trust you because you are the way. You are I AM.

Faithful

Good morning, friends. Today, I am sharing a short sentiment with you instead of unpacking the Word of God. It isn’t necessarily what I aim to do here; but I imagine you guys have days and seasons just like this one that I am in. So, this statement I shared with my husband, Josh, yesterday may benefit you as well and I want to share it just in case. Friend to friend, like we are chatting over coffee (which I would love to do, by the way).

We are in a season of change. We know one is coming. One is necessary, actually. But we don’t know what it will be. From my point of reference today, most of our options kind of look like they will suck. Some worse than others; but a lot of unknowns either way. Have you been there?

What. A. Year. I know, Covid, right? Honestly though, that is only the half of it. This year has brought on battle after battle for Josh and me. We felt like we finally got our head above water, then just realized we were drowning in other areas that we weren’t really giving our attention to.

This particular moment in time is a little different, though. These last couple of months I have been intentionally re-connecting with Jesus. I wish that meant days like this didn’t happen. But, it doesn’t. It does mean I can walk it with peace.

I saw a meme the other day that said something along the lines of, “God parted the Red Sea, he didn’t remove it. He may not take away a tough situation but he will see us through it.” I love that imagery.

So, that brings me to what I shared with Josh. I texted him the following:

“God has only been faithful to us. He has never left us desolate and has brought us goodness in every challenge we’ve faced since we have been together. This time will be no different because it is who he is; and we are his.”

This is truth, friends. I have shared some before, and I imagine I will share more at some point; but since Josh and I got together we have basically walked through one storm after another. I mean, the entire time we have been together. But, God. I can look back and really see the hand of God all over our journey. I do not understand many of the ‘whys’, but I still see goodness that he has brought. That deep goodness; the kind that rests in your bones.

Now, do I feel this statement at this time? It literally depends on what minute of the day you ask me. I am kind of all over the place with it. But, when I place aside what I feel and focus on what I know, it is that. I don’t understand all the ways of God, and I certainly would not orchestrate things like he often does. But that is what is so incredible about him; he always does it for good. Real goodness; not good for the moment. There is a difference.

Friends, I love you. I don’t know many of you first hand. But I do truly appreciate you for sharing this with me, I pray for you and I do feel connected to you through our spiritual kinship. Thank you.

God has only been faithful to us.

Jesus wept.

Good morning friends! I hope this post finds you smiling and enjoying your morning, whatever that may look like.

I am still reading through John, as I have a few times in my life, and discovering new messages and characteristics of Jesus along the way. God’s word is fascinating like that. It is so packed with wisdom; I can learn multiple things from a single verse or phrase.

Today, I read through chapter 11. This chapter covers the death of Lazarus and his resurrection through Jesus. It is some pretty incredible stuff, packed with emotion, imagery, and a full-on miracle. There was one chunk of verses though that stopped me right in the middle of reading and acted as my own little “I love you” from Jesus.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. John 33-35

To set the stage, Jesus was friends with the sibling group Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Lazarus was sick and had died while Jesus was only a short distance away. Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick in plenty of time for Jesus to come immediately and save him from death by physical healing. However, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days. Once Jesus started on his way, he knew Lazarus was dead. Today, we know that his waiting was purposeful. But take a moment to empathize with Mary and Martha in that moment.

What were they feeling?

Well, if it were me, I would be absolutely irate; admittedly just as I have felt toward God when he did not respond in the way I believed appropriate. I do not say this lightly. I have experienced things in this life that left me feeling angry at God for not showing up how I wanted him to in moments of need. I imagine you have as well, my friends.

When Jesus arrived in town, Martha ran out to greet him. Mary did not. Now, when Martha approached him, she quickly informed him that he could have stopped this tragedy from happening. They discussed who Jesus is and, in this dialogue, it is evident her faith in him was intact. She was heartbroken and could have been angry (I do not know from scripture), but she sought him out and remained faithful. Then, she went to get Mary to bring her to Jesus.

Mary took some coaxing; she did not immediately greet Jesus. It made me wonder what her thoughts were; if she avoided him out of anger, maybe confusion, or even because she doubted him. We don’t know, we can only speculate. If it were me, I think I would have felt a bit of all three. There have been times in life that I was broken and instead of running to Jesus baring my wound and eager to engage with him, I avoided him.

Thank you, God for the Marthas in my life that pulled me to him in those times.

When Mary got to Jesus, she fell at his feet and cried. The scripture depicts that all she said was, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.” It’s Jesus’ reaction in the next few verses that grabbed ahold of my heart.

He saw Mary weep, broken, and was deeply moved and troubled. In response, he wept. Jesus wept…with Mary. The onlookers at the time noted his emotional response and attributed it to how he felt about Lazarus. I imagine that attributed greatly to his reaction as well. But when I read this today, I felt the Lord say, “I hurt with you when you hurt.” Not audibly, but this notion just settled over me in that very moment.

Jesus knew exactly what the next few moments following this would hold. He knew Lazarus would live again. He even alluded to it in John 11:14. But, he was moved and troubled in his spirit. I believe he loved Mary so much that he was feeling that pain with her. She was broken, and he felt her brokenness deeply.

Isaiah 55:8 & 9 remind us that God sees what we do not. He anticipates and builds in moments we feel he has forgotten us. Romans 8 reminds us that he works all things for our good. I know these truths by heart, and at the same time have to relearn them over and over. That is the human part of me, I guess.

When I think back on some of those moments of heartache I referenced earlier, I feel so thankful that God responded as he did instead of as I believed he should. God has given me blessings that I could not have imagined at times in my life. Even my most ideal visions for myself would have short-changed me from what God has worked into place. I am so thankful for that. There are some things, though, that I do not understand and have just had to accept that I may never until I meet Jesus in Heaven. I just don’t get now why the pain and loss was necessary.

I am also thankful, though, that Jesus sat with me in that pain. Though he knows better days are ahead, he loves us so much, that he meets us where we are. Even in the ugly. He breaks for us, with us.

I hope this message encourages you, wherever you are today. I hope if it is in one of those excruciating moments that you feel held and known by Jesus, though you do not understand why he is not responding like you believe he should. Know he’s right there in the raw, he is weeping with you, and he has a plan in place to bring goodness to your life. Know he loves you, friends.

Bread for all

Good morning, friends. Its Monday, and though these are often tough to get through, I hope you enjoy yours!

“For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33

This morning, I read about Jesus feeding the five thousand people (plus some according to Matthew 14:21) on the mountainside in John chapter 6. Following this miracle, Jesus and the disciples headed out for Capernaum. Many followers met Jesus on the other side of the lake and began to engage with him about the feeding miracle and other miraculous signs. This exchange is what we are going to unpack together today.

Inclusivity. According to Oxford Languages Dictionary, it means “the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized.” God has been laying this concept in my heart lately; the idea that he is an inclusive Father, calling all people to know him. This seems like such a simple concept, and in many ways, it is. However, it seems that our Christian culture often forgets this truth. I believe the enemy uses division to distract the church more often than any other tool. We were created to connect with God and with each other, so what better way to deceive us from our purpose and God’s character than to separate us from both.

In John 6:35, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” So, to set the stage, during this conversation among Jesus and the followers, he explains to them that he is the bread of life, given by God to man. Jesus is speaking figuratively here. We are physical creatures, and our physical bodies need to eat and drink regularly to survive. Likewise, we are spiritual creatures, and our spirit requires nourishment. This is what Jesus is referencing here when he claims that he can satisfy that spiritual need for nourishment. And oh, how he can my friends!

Verse 57 reads, “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.” Jesus came to give us life. Eternal life with the Father, yes; but also, life here on earth. When I say life, I don’t mean this by the definition, the opposite of death. I mean the difference in the notion of ‘being alive’ and really living. Jesus wants to share the goodness of this life with us here on earth as well. He wants to share peace, love, forgiveness and acceptance. Romans chapter eight talks about how God’s intention for us is “good”. Genesis 1:31 tells us that our Creator called us “good”.

So, in summary, Jesus is life and brings life to us. This life that he brings nourishes our spirit and produces love, peace, redemption and acceptance. These products of life through Jesus are good.

Now, where does this idea of inclusivity come in?

In verse 37, Jesus said “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” Never drive away. Jesus does not reject us when we seek to connect with him. He said whoever comes to him is offered this message of acceptance. Notice the only stipulation here is our desire to connect with him. Not whoever comes to me without sin, or whoever comes to me with it all figured out. Nope, just whoever comes.

Why? Well, Jesus tells us in verse 40, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” There is that word I love so much: everyone.

Think back to the story I referenced in the beginning of this post when Jesus fed the five thousand plus. It was miraculous because he did so with five loaves of bread and two fish. Another message I believe he is sharing here, though, is that they all ate. He provided enough for all of them. Not only the men, who were the only ones counted, but the women and children in attendance as well. Meaning, those that man (as in mankind) merited worth counting and those that man did not were all fed.

The Bread of Life can feed us all. We serve an inclusive, loving God who is relentless in reaching for us. For all of us. The only credentialing we need to seek and be found by Jesus is simply being.

Thank you Jesus for grace, love and your seal of ownership on us all.

From a perspective of love

“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” John 1:9

What is the identity of man? I have seen a lot of articles, memes and personal social media statuses lately defining the identity of man. With the current political, social and health climate, I have seen a lot of statements assigning names, labels and classifications of people based on characteristics they display; assigning identity to each subject. The Cambridge Dictionary defines identity as who a person is. So, I ask again, what is the identity of man [mankind]?

The identity of man is found in his creator, indicated by the very definition of creation. Only the creator can assign identification to the object He breathed into life. He says we are called, chosen, wonderful and loved. (See Matthew 9:13, 1 Peter 2:9, Psalm 139:14 & John 3:16-17.) Jesus came to us all; every man and woman, according to John 1:9. That is our identity, assigned by our creator.

The identity of man is not his political affiliation, his opinions on abortion or immigration, her sexual orientation, race or favorite past time. It is not her job or his status. The identity of man is not what he selected on his ballot or how she spends her holiday season. It is not in whether he wears a mask or if she refuses. It is not how she pronounces “pecan” or what team he wants to win this weekend. The identity of man is not where he comes from or where she is going. The identity of man is not his likes and dislikes, or her goals and aspirations. The identity of man is not her sin or his transgression.

The identity of man is not defined by the opinion of man. Jesus shows us this in John 2:24, when “many people” saw his miracles and began believing in His name. They were giving him credit and praise that was well deserved. Yet, the scripture says he did not entrust himself to men because he knew men. This means, he did not place himself under the authority or protection of man because he recognized what man is. That authority and protection can only be held by God. He defined His identity based on God’s words, not man’s.

The identity of man, assigned by the Creator of man, is called, chosen, wonderful and loved. No matter the man or woman, we are because He is. Period.

This can be hard to swallow sometimes. It is easy to imagine Jesus loving on and accepting the little children of the world, or the people who invest in others, and even the ones who display the seal of God (2 Cor. 1:21-22) proudly. But, according to scripture, He loves every man. The ones that hurt others, that abuse, the ones that lie and the ones that persecute as well. He loves us all.

In Matthew (22:37-40), Jesus spoke on the greatest commandment. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” That is it: Love God, love each other. Everything else stems from that.

What if we really walked this out? What if we viewed man as God does, through a prism of love? What if when we saw an individual, every individual, we saw called, chosen, wonderful and loved? I wonder what kind of impact that would have.

My prayer today is to adopt this perspective for every person. I pray that God softens my heart for others when I cannot do so myself. I pray that I see man through the perspective of love. I pray to look at myself from the same perspective. Father, fixate my heart on You so that the love created in that transaction pours out into my relationships and encounters with others. Give me a perspective of love.

A Heart that Seeks Approval

I was reading Psalms this morning and came across this verse in chapter 19:

“May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

David desired for his words and heart to be pleasing in God’s sight. He is seeking God’s approval. Do I seek God’s approval? I felt like the fact that I genuinely asked the question without and immediate example of how I do so in my mind answered the question for me. So, then I ask, why don’t I consciously seek God’s approval?

Telling our friends and family members that Josh and I were expecting a baby was a difficult process for me. We weren’t married, we had only been dating a few months at the time and I had just moved about four hours away from my friends and family. Obviously, it was not the situation we desired when we thought about bringing our first child into the world. Naturally, approval was not the first reaction of many loved ones. After a short time, everyone saw this blessing for what it was and we could not be happier now that we have this bright eyed, red head enriching our days. But that ‘short time’ felt like a long time for me. So, part of my process was working to not desire people’s approval. I think during that active working, I lumped God’s approval in with everyone else’s. Yikes.

David is a man after God’s own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:13-14). I did a little research as to what that means. I found an interesting and informative Q&A on neverthirsty.org. The author explained the chain of events leading up to and shortly following Samuels statement that I just referenced. Saul, the king at the time, acknowledged God and even served Him during his life; but Saul got to a place that his first priority was to serve himself. He became deceitful and lusted for control. Samuel pointed this out in Saul and explained that for that reason, his reign would end and God would raise a new king after His own heart. Enter David.

Now, it is no secret to us that David had a few issues of his own. He was guilty of deceit, lust and even murder. So, why was David different? The mediation of his heart. Mediation means an intervention in a dispute in order to solve it. [Like a court mediator.] Our hearts are flesh created by God. They desire fleshly things, but are made whole in alignment with their Creator. Though death and life both tug at our heart, as they tugged at David’s, the mediator is the love and grace of God, which brings the mediation of our desire for Him. David longed to know and love God. He sought His approval.

That is my desire today. I want to want God’s approval again. He is not man, He’s God. His standards are just. Psalm 19:7-9 lists why God’s favor is drastically different than man’s. The peace associated with pleasing God is invaluable.

Lord, redirect my heart to desire your approval and favor.

Welcome Back

I have been reading a few Psalms this morning. Specifically Psalms 13 through 18. I love how David talks with God. Sometimes he sounds like he is talking with a friend while others he has a reverence in his speech like he is talking to a father or a close leader. Sometimes he is giving thanks to God for his goodness and protection while other times he shares his frustration with feeling distant from Him. He sings praise to God in some prayers and he advocates for himself in others.

The overall theme I am seeing in these verses is reliance. David really relied on God; for comfort, for protection, for vindication, for companionship, for validation, for counsel.

Here are a few verses from these six chapters that highlight his reliance. If you are running short on time this morning – as most of us probably are since it is Friday- read through these verses. I encourage you to take some time later to read through the full chapters, at least a couple so you can see the different ways he talks with and approaches God.

Psalm 13:5-6 “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

Psalm 16:1″Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.”

Psalm 17:2 “Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.”

Psalm 18: 1-3 “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.”

God is so good. His love does not cease, even when our communication or desire for His companionship does. Since my last post, I have moved to another city (three actually), had a son, worked in child safety (that is its own beast), stopped working completely to stay home with my child, started school and got engaged to marry my best friend (who partnered with me through all of this). I will most likely draw on the last two years in future posts, which will call for me to elaborate on each life change. To summarize today, this has been the most difficult and most wonderful growth stretch of my life. My communication with God and my own perception of reliance on Him has bobbed and weaved along the way. I say my own perception because realistically, I rely on Him to get up every morning because He brings life, but sometimes my perception is that I am self-reliant or reliant on other people.

Since 2019 kicked off, I have been refocusing on communicating more with my Heavenly Father. It is hard. I don’t know why, but it is. I think I carry a few burdens with me that I am trying to lay down. I also think I can just be lazy. But I want to testify that God is meeting me where I am. He is being faithful to me, and reminding me of His love and existence. I still feel distant, but the familiarity is there. So, I am going to keep working. I think I am going to camp out in Psalms for a while and let David teach me a few things about relying on God.

Welcome back, friends. It has been so long, posting this entry today feels really awkward. It is also good for my soul. Thank you for reading.

Faithful

Good morning, friends. I hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning so far. I am sitting here this morning, Bible in hand (well, Bible open on the couch and pen and coffee in hand at this very moment), reflecting on my year. I am headed off to Savannah for an annual work conference this week that happened right around this time last year. What a difference a year has made.

I saw a friend’s Instagram post after the Great American Solar Eclipse. Her simple comment referencing the picture was so profound. She viewed the eclipse from Florida; and as anyone else that did the same from south Georgia or Florida knows, the picture was a bunch of clouds. Some grey, some white, but all just clouds. Her comment said something along the lines of [paraphrasing] “We didn’t see the Eclipse, but I know God was performing a miracle right behind the clouds.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

We serve an amazing God who knows, sees and has authority over all things. Just take the miracle of the eclipse for example; still amazing and significant even when unseen. He orchestrates things in our life outside of our power and understanding, even when we can’t see it happening.

Back to my reflection on this time last year..

I was in a tough place. Still wrapped up in a previous relationship that I should have allowed myself release from. Please don’t misunderstand, I thank God for that relationship because it taught me things about myself and Jesus that I treasure today. But the time for me to let go had come, and as usual *eyeroll*, I was refusing; exposing myself to new pain each day that I clung. I was directionless at the time, with no idea what was to come next in my life as far as purpose. I felt captive to my anxiety and fear. I remember laying in that hotel room bed, feeling lost and unsure of what to do to change my situation.

Through this year, as I have shared in previous posts, God has worked miracles in my life. Ones that probably seem small to a onlooker, but have moved mountains for me.

Today, I write while my precious significant other sits on the other end of the couch playing a video game (the manly kind of course *wink). I actually sat down to reflect and write because of his influence. This man is a God-send. If I could have pieced together a heart to compliment mine, it would be his. But to tell you the truth, we got together under tough circumstances. Really tough. The beautiful thing is, God took a broken situation and covered it in grace. So today, I sit here with this man overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s eclipse behind the clouds.

What else? I have direction. I may be unsure of my day to day steps right now, but I have vision of a career purpose and how to get there. I can honestly say if I had not walked through mental hell this year, I would not have come to this place of clarity concerning who I am and what I want. Thank you Jesus!

Anxiety and fear- the demon twins. To be honest, I am still in a back and forth with these two. I am in a valley season right now and its really hard. But, I have peace in knowing God is fighting for me. When I have exhausted all my efforts, He still stands strong. I will eventually defeat it for good; I am speaking and believing that this morning. In the meantime, I praise God for the victories in the daily battles and pray for peace in the losses.

“But I have trusted in Your unfailing love; My heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” Pslam 13:5-6

God works, even when we don’t see it friends. He always loves and always calls to us. I am praying for a mental victory today and thankful for the clarity and joy I have in Him. I am praying for your need to be met, whatever that is.

Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and thank you friends for reading today.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Walk

Good morning friends and Happy Independence Week! Yes, I have extended the holiday because I am still in vacation mode from my short stay-cation last week. It is almost the weekend again, what do you have planned? It is supposed to be a sunny weekend here in Jacksonville, so I am hoping to get in another beach day. Wishing all of you a sunny weekend as well!

Today, I am going to be referencing the story in John 5:1-15. This is when Jesus heals the disabled man by the pool of Bethesda. We are going to call this man Rob to avoid repeating “the man” over and over. *Note: this is a fictitious name that I made up; I did not get it from this passage.

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” John 5:8-9

“Pick up your mat and walk.” I love how Jesus commanded such powerful things in so few words. The authority packed in what He said is what gave the words their power; He didn’t need to command in descriptive paragraphs.

Notice when Jesus healed Rob: Jesus performed the miracle but instructed Rob to do the rest of the work. Sometimes, I can be guilty of expecting and experiencing a miracle..then expecting God to maintain it. God can maintain it, but in what I have read of the Word, He calls us to be people of action. We are his Royal Priesthood, Ambassadors, Overcomers and Followers (1 Peter 2:9, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Romans 8:31-39, Ephesians 5:1). These are titles that require both authority and action. Trust, love, teach, share, clothe, heal, feed- these words are what we are called to do. They each require action.

I believe what Jesus was doing was instructing Rob to accept the healing, and live by the standard. He did not want him to leave his mat in that place, because it was time for him to move on. Maybe if Rob would have left his mat in this place of sickness and oppression, he would have migrated back seeking what was comfortable (what he knew to be his normal). It would have probably been easier at times. Change is tough. Thirty-eight years of one life, as difficult as it was, still creates a comfort zone. Jesus knew the temptation of becoming complacent and not moving forward could arise in Rob if he still took ownership of that position among the oppressed. So, He commanded that he pick that mat up and take action! Rob still held the mat, reminding him of where he had been, but he moved ahead with that knowledge. He is the one that took those steps commanded by Jesus. It was Rob’s choice.

Sometimes I think we get so comfortable expecting Jesus for things, we forget that we hold power and favor with the Father as well. Jesus does deserve all of our praise and faith, but we also need to recognize that we are responsible for maintaining the miracle.

I’ve shared before with you that I have struggled on and off with depression for most of my life. Well, about a year ago, I experienced what I refer to as an “episode” where I get very low and hopeless. It feels like a pit with walls impossible to climb. I did not have the strength to get out of that pit, only He did. However, once I initially experienced that miracle of truth, He empowered me to move forward. He gave me the strength, but I had to pick up my mat and walk. Today, it is my responsibility to maintain that miracle. Yes, God can; but where does my faith walk come in if I just sit back and wait for Him to do it all. Walking with Christ requires discipline, and that discipline bares fruit of purpose, healing and victory. I am called to life! It is my responsibility to trust Him and take action steps of faith- reading His Word, filling myself with life giving words, songs and books, seeking Godly counselling and medical attention that I may need. If I would have just experienced that miracle of truth in that moment and went about my life as I had been (gotten back on my figurative mat), what would my life look like today? I know myself and I know what I have done in the past; so, yes, if I sat back down on the mat I would have been assuming my position among the oppressed. But friends, that is not who I am because I belong to Christ! My inheritance is not only heavenly treasure, but also victory over the oppressors of this life on earth. Jesus overcame, and I am His, so I better assume my responsibility and live in that! You are His too, so lets walk this out together.

Thank you Jesus for your healing and guidance. Thank you for your empowering Word that gives us strength to pick up our mats and walk! My prayer for you and me today is that we continue trusting and relying on our heavenly Father and take on the responsibility of maintaining our miracles.

Refocused

Good morning! How are you?! Enjoying your summer so far I hope. I have missed this.

Distraction. What does it take to become distracted? Is it always something wrong? I suppose if it takes your attention from the Lord, it is an idol in a way. What about discouragement; does discouragement distract you?

It’s distracted me. I’m not going through a process of identity confusion or backsliding. I know truth and I love our faithful Jesus. I’m just discouraged. I’ve let whispers of negativity tie my hands; then allowed busyness to distract me from fighting it. I just lost focus.

I was approached recently by a friend, and she asked me about my writing. She asked if I had written anything recently because she wasn’t getting her email notifications. That was so encouraging, knowing that she eagerly joins me in this journey. [It was also confirming what the Holy Spirit had been stirring in me. I knew I had not written, and I knew I was neglecting this ministry.] But, the part that really stood out to me was that she said she felt like she was experiencing the things that I was writing about and found it encouraging that someone else was too. I found just as much encouragement and comfort in knowing I was not alone in this stuff as she did. It was that same warm, fuzzy feeling I get when you leave comments on the posts, or share encouraging texts and conversations with me. God is good.

So for her- and for the rest of you in this online community God wove together, and for myself- I’m moving forward. Refocusing.

It is difficult. I have to tell you I’ve sat down several times determined to reach out and just couldn’t come up with the words. However, I realized last night I was searching myself for them and not seeking God’s. This makes me feel super vulnerable to admit, but I promised myself I would be authentic through this. So, here I am. Asking for your mercy as well as the Lord’s before I go any further. Hoping that even if you haven’t experienced this before, you can understand what I am describing.

Father, forgive me for being selfish with your gift. Thank you those that push me along in love. Forgive me for neglecting this time together.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Now let’s kick that dust off our heels and get to walking together and explore God’s word. I love you and I thank you. Talk to you soon!