Conquering Your Battle

I've spent the last couple days reading and re-reading the words of David in Psalm 56.

We've all heard that trials come, and trials go. We can either worry and fret unendingly over them, or learn from them and of course breathe a huge sigh of relief when the light at the end of the tunnel finally seems to appear. However, sometimes there are circumstances and life events that come at us and it literally feels like an attack on our soul itself. Can you relate? I'm talking about the heart wrenching, tear streaming, at the end of our rope and can't take the hurt anymore moments.

These kind of "moments" are the ones which seem to last for weeks... months... even years.

David had these moments, and he wrote about them in a few of his psalms. For me, Psalm 56 turned on the light bulb over my head on handling such moments, and it's instruction for us on handling them in a way that allows us to escape the sadness, fear, grief, and heartache... and accept help, deliverance and peace over it so we can stand up, move forward, and be thankful!

In this particular psalm, David calls out a prayer for help and deliverance. With a combination of evil doings of others, as well as his own fears and mistakes on his part, he finds himself in a mess that is consuming his heart and mind with grief. He walks himself through his problem in his prayer, and we can have breakthroughs of our own by following example.

First he vented.
David told God his problem. Nowhere in the psalm does it say he called up his buddies, ran to his mommy, ranted on Facebook, or discussed it at the office water cooler. He went to God crying... literally. He spilled his guts about what was bothering him. He explained his worries, fears, and what he was up against. He told God about how the people were running their mouth about him, twisting his words, and hoping he made mistakes they could call him out on. He even told God not to let them get away with it and to cast them down. Of course God already knew and saw what he was going through, but David acknowledged God as his confidant by turning to Him, and Him alone.

Is your workplace causing overbearing stress that overflows into your personal life? Are there relationships in your life that have your heart tangled? Maybe you're young and still in school, but hate going because of the peer pressure and bullying you experience?

When you can't stand it any longer... kneel. Talk to Him. He sees what's going on, but who doesn't feel better after they vent a scenario that has rocked your world. Prayer is communication between us and the throne, so fill Him in with how it's troubling your heart. The words don't have to be perfect. They can be through tears, shouting, or just whispers.

Next he acknowledged his faithful friend.
David didn't go into a "hey God how are you, thanks for hearing me out" before he spilled his guts about his dilemma. But he did acknowledge his listening Friend. He spoke of his awareness that God is with him, he has no need to fear or worry, and in God he can trust the situation.

Your dilemma may be so stressful, heart wrenching, or mind consuming that you forget to acknowledge Him before your rant begins, but as we talk, and clear our minds with our personal Confidant, the peace begins to fall, and it sinks in that we have nothing to fear. He is true to His word, nothing your worst enemy could say or do will be greater than the love of the Lord that can and will get you through it.

Lastly, he gives thanks.
David was still in the midst of his dilemma, but he thanked God as though it was already solved and over with. He knew the battle was still raging against him, but he began speaking as though it was over. He claimed God's word and His promises. He thanked God for delivering him out of the situation.

Your problem, whatever it is, may be compiling around you, building up like a concrete wall that seems to be unbreakable. Circumstances don't matter. He's the Creator of your adversaries, so surely you can trust in Him to handle them for you... because let's face it, His intervention will always be better than handling it on your own. So hold onto His promises to deliver you from it. Go about your day with a heart and mind full of joy. The enemy will come at you telling you it's getting worse, that it's not a fixable situation, and that you're just plain nuts for praising through the storm... but do it anyway. Don't feed into the words of discouragement the enemy whispers in your ear, picking it up and worrying about it some more. Let it go, and call it done.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
(Psalm 56:13)

Genuine Happiness

Have you ever heard the saying "money can't buy happiness"? Perhaps you have said, or even overheard someone else say, "If only I (fill in the blank), then I could die a happy person".

I'm a happy person!

Things don't always go my way; obstacles come up; there are schedules to work around that can sometimes be frustrating; children present challenges; traffic piles up when I'm most in a hurry; the sink stops up...... but I'm HAPPY.

Many people will unsuccessfully spend their entire lives attempting to find happiness. Sadly, these attempts are so far from THE way to find happiness, that the lifetime flies by, and so much time is wasted on materialistic items, void relationships, and much heartache along the way. It's important to understand the difference between a happy moment, and genuine happiness.

Did you have an unusually good week at work while the norm consists of simple putting up and avoiding co-workers? Did you fit in a date night with your spouse? Did you find a great sale and finally get the shoes you've been eyeballing for months? Did you take a trip to Disneyland? Did the children bring home a decent report card? Did you enjoy a phone call catching up with a friend that you haven't heard from in ages?

Those are happy moments.

Are you aware that you have the ability to live a life of genuine happiness without giving up happy moments that may come day by day? I say ability, because it's a choice. It's a lifestyle. It's a trust in the One and only One that is the source for genuine happiness.

Psalm 119:35 says:
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

In my thesaurus, the first available word for delight is happiness. Keeping the Lord's commandments can bring us a happiness like no other. Embracing that happiness will bring you an inner joy that no shoe sale, ride in a fast car, promotion, or amusement park will touch. A genuine happiness overlooks an everyday life circumstance that could otherwise cause frustration, and instead brings forth a smile, keeps a joyful song on your lips, and pleasure in serving others.

The lifestyle change of following those commandments is a struggle, whether you're just recently born again, or have been saved for the last forty years.

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Anything that comes before God in your life (your spouse, children, career, home, possessions, hobbies, etc) is being made a god in your life. If God isn't being put first, you've made that other person or thing the center of your life... the god you are living to serve.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Is there an actor, singer, or even a neighbor you admire and wish to be like? Be careful you're not making that person your idol, when Jesus has set the example for anything and everything we could aspire to be. Just remember, a "graven image" (idol) doesn't necessarily mean a statue carved of stone, it's anything that impresses you deeply enough to follow it.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Keeping it put simply, if you're saying "oh my God", I surely hope you're in the middle of a prayer. According to the dictionary, when something is taken in vain,
it is done "without real significance, value, or importance, it is baseless or worthless". None of that describes God, especially the obvious no-no of giving God a last name. Use His name in utmost reverence.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
We run our minds like crazy through the week attacking agendas, to-do lists, errands, meetings, and working to ensure our wants are covered. It's certainly not too much to ask to give a day to the Lord, honoring His day of rest. When something is kept "holy", it is recognized as sacred, and dedicated to the service of God.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
For some this is easy, because their parents were a genuine role model while growing up. For others, this may be harder... but we are to honour (respect, regard, and serve) our parents. There is a reason God chose them to be your parents, so it should be a privilege to serve them, regardless of past or present circumstances.

6. Thou shalt not kill.
Skipping past the obvious interpretation of this command not to blow away your neighbor with a shotgun, keep in mind there are other ways to kill than with a man-made weapon. There is more power in your words than there is gunpowder in a single shot. If your words to another person aren't uplifting, encouraging, and motivating them to be a stronger and better person... than your words are killing them in spirit. Many of us were taught this at a young age with the phrase "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". The command and the phrase coincide greatly.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Although divorce is running rapid in society, there are still many married couples that will go to their grave without cheating on their spouse by having sex with someone else during marriage. With that in mind, also remember that Matthew 5:28 tells us that "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart". Make no mistake that this goes for ogling the big names in Hollywood just as much as it applies to your next door neighbor or co-worker. Keep your heart and mind pure!

8. Thou shalt not steal.
If you want something, find a way to pay for it or ask God to provide... don't take something that isn't rightfully yours. This includes time. Make sure God gets His share of your day, as well as His 10% of your pay.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
If you don't know the facts, keep your mouth shut. Running your mouth, gossiping, and being a drama queen not only hurts those around you, but it's displeasing to the Lord.

10. Thou shalt not covet.
God made you a special, unique, and precious individual. Just because you don't have a trust fund, the hottest wife, the biggest house, or the best behaved children, doesn't mean it's ok to look longingly at the neighbor that does. Embrace the life you are in, because God has a purpose for you being right where you are, at this very moment.

Psalm 119, as I referenced to for happiness at the beginning, wasn't just stating that following these commandments was the source of happiness, but it guides us on how to obtain it! We're shown that we can ask the Lord to teach us His ways (Psalm 119:33), give understanding to make it possible to follow His ways (Psalm 119:34), to open our hearts to so we can accept His ways (Psalm 119:36), and to turn our eyes away from the things that will distract us from His ways (Psalm 119:37).

I'm not perfect, God still has a lot of work to do in me. However, the more I strive to keep His commandments, the lighter the spring in my step becomes, the louder the song in my heart sings, and greater the joy that comes my way in doing things with and for others. I encourage you to embrace His commands. Be a set apart Christian that is a doer of the Word, not just a hearer that still lacks the genuine happiness God has in store for you!

The Personal Pity Party - Do Not RSVP!

Today it happened. I showed up to the biggest pity party I've seen in quite some time.

There weren't any balloons, streamers, snacks, or gifts at this party, but boy was I completely wrapped up in it anyway.

Pity parties are pathetic, and yet, there I was full-fledge, right in the middle of one... two of my children even took witness to some of it this afternoon. My 100% concentration was on everything I was either in the middle of doing or [thought I] needed to do before the sun set on my day.

Endless issues with the washer repairman. Hand washing certain items needed until my washer is back in order. Getting paperwork figured out for the building inspector. Following up with the bank over issues that are holding us up with progress on the house. Cleaning up actual messes made during progress that has been made on the house. Sorting and getting rid of an attic full of stuff that's in the way. Chickens sneaking on my porch pooping everywhere. Getting my son to concentrate on his math, science, and English homework. Permission slips needing signed. Picking up wind-blown items from all over the yard. Filing paperwork so it doesn't come up missing when I need it most. Phone calls. Dishes. Sweeping. Mopping. Dusting. Garbage overflowing. Scrub the toilets. Unclog the bathroom sink. Feed the dogs. Oh, did I mention I forgot to lay something out for dinner in the midst of all of the above... and I still haven't had my stinkin' shower yet?!

I fled upstairs to "take a breather away from it all", and yet the party followed right along, and I sat in a chair basking in it... tears and all.

I can't do it all, my plate is too full, I'm exhausted, my back hurts, my head is pounding, there's only one of me, why can't anything go right just once, I need 24 more hours in my 24 hour day, why me??

See, it was pathetic.

But then I felt a little tap on my shoulder. Not a physical tap, but more like one of those that very well could have been a great big slap in the face, but since it was done with such love it came across as a little tap just enough to get my attention. I picked up my bible and opened it up. I don't believe in coincidences, so I'm quite positive the Lord intended for it to open up to Hebrews chapter 12.

It started with this...
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)

Wouldn't you know it... I had allowed myself to get so flustered with all the "stuff" going on around me today, that I completely missed out on what the purpose of my day could have been all about. I wasted my energy and time, lashed out at my kids, and allowed it to be about me-me-me when that's not at all what my day should have been about.

Yes, I had stuff to do... but these are responsibilities that I have been given because the Lord knows I can handle it, especially with His help of peace and assurance. I allowed the enemy to take these responsibilities entrusted to me as a wife and mother, and turn them into a way to entangle me, hindering what could have been a wonderful day!

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 2:3-5)

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
(Philippians 2:14-15)

I wasn't having the heart of a servant, or focusing on the attitude I was reflecting. Hebrews 12:15 says Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled... meaning that it was my choice today to decide whether or not to allow a bitter root to grow up and devour me and those around me. Pity parties feed those bitter roots.

So, if you're having a similar day, or perhaps just get easily caught up in pity parties, let's determine how to avoid these moments shall we?

Think about the good, not the bad! Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8).

Have an attitude adjustment! Pity parties are so damaging to our day. Within minutes they can turn what could have been a great day that ended with a smile, into a hair pulling, stress elevating mess... making us look like we walked through a tornado of crazy. Was is worth it? Nope. It didn't make it better, it just wasted time. The issues and "stuff" are all still there to be dealt with. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to those pity party fits before they set in, so they can be stopped in their tracks.

Take a break! It's okay to take a walk, pick up a book (extra Bible reading time!), or just sit and chill with a glass of iced tea! Walk away from what's causing the urge to yank your hair out and collect your thoughts. Decide that the moment or circumstances will not effect your day in a negative manner.

Follow the advice of Hebrews 12:2 that I quoted above... Look to Jesus! Think about all the awful moments He suffered for me and you! How pathetic does our situation truly look when compared to the life He lived here for us?

Write it down. Jot down every single thing that is creeping into your mind trying to snag your day away from you. Every circumstance that the enemy is trying to drag you down through. Then walk away from that piece of paper and attack your day with a shield of faith. It's quite possible you'll come across that note a few days later and have a giggle at how frazzled you almost allowed such petty situations get you.

Perhaps it really is something big going on in your life. Pray for wisdom over the situation(s) and leave it there. Deal with it as the Lord gives you insight on how to handle it... and don't touch it until then.

Bottom line my friends, when you get a personal invitation to a pity party... do not RSVP! Instead, embrace your day and be thankful for who you were made to be and what you are entrusted to accomplish in it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm not going to take the time for a spell check or grammar review, I have a couple kiddos to apologize to...

Wake Up and Smell the... Blessings?

Yesterday the weather proved to be a perfect day for me to get the garden underway now that the cold front threats seem to have dwindled.

Seven hours later when the sun began to make its final descent I was pleased to see that a nice 3/4 of it was complete. A bonus to the day... seven hours of what turned into some one on one God time. I would like to be able to say it was seven hours of happiness and smiles, but it wasn't. I was corrected, humbled, and even had a few crying moments.

It began as I walked out there earlier in the afternoon to the 70-something foot by 30-something foot area prepped for planting. I remember just standing there looking at it for a moment, thinking, My God, what have I gotten myself into.

You see, I've been looking forward to getting the garden going for a couple months now. I've had standard gardens before, but this year, the idea of having a full-fledge garden to eliminate the need for fresh vegetables and fruits from the grocery shopping list just seemed like a smart idea. This new garden is set up for every vegetable and vine fruit you can imagine, and then some.

However, even with a garden area that size, I don't have the fancy tools and gadgets for easy planting, I don't even own a tiller... in fact, I realized as I stood there that I didn't even have a clue where the basic garden hoe and shovel had grown legs and walked away to. And yet, I had pounds of seeds (yes, pounds) to plant in the ground so the family would be set for a year on fresh, home-canned, and home-froze veggies.

Have you ever been stoked and completely blank at the same time? That was me, in that very moment. But I was determined. The grocery bill will decrease because of this. I will get some fresh air and time in the good outdoors because of this. Others would be blessed with the harvest drawn in from this.

So I took a large metal serving spoon (don't laugh... I use what I've got!), and started digging rows to drop the seeds into, carefully checking each type of veggie, and the amount of spacing each one required. I was enjoying myself. The sun on my face, dirt on my hands (and arms, and knees, and face, and under nails, and in my shoes...), my Chihuahua fur-babies running and playing around me... it was going great.

A little at a time my hands started getting sore, I began to get sweatier and sweatier, my mouth got dry and parched, and the dogs started irritating me as they ran back and forth over my perfect little rows. The disgruntlement started setting in. I trudged into the house to pour a glass of tea, and set back out to my project. I felt like I had already been out there for several hours, and as I approached, I had a pathetic five rows done. I plopped down on my butt right there in the dirt and just looked around.

Then the mumbling began. Oh, and the pity party... I can't forget that... because that's when the correction began. You know how they tend to start right after you try going to God with a "woe is me" attitude?

Shame on me! Oh I wanted the ground to open up big enough to swallow me up (as though I'd be hiding from God there, right?). I don't consider myself a complainer. I really do like trying to look for the best in every situation. In fact, there might even be a couple people that read this that can admit to getting irritated with me because I worry very little about things, and have been accused on quite a few occasions of being passive, when in actuality I just like the bright side of a situation... the gloomy side is yucky and depressing! Yet here I was, being Miss Debbie Downer.

So yes, there I was still sitting in the dirt. I caught a whiff of the fresh air, and I heard "wake up and smell the blessings". Uh, Lord, roses... the saying is roses. Wake up and smell the roses. And that's one thing I don't have planted around here. "No, blessings. You're thriving daily in a garden of blessings I have provided you, and you're feeling sorry for yourself?"

I'm willing to bet if that moment were captured on camera, the photograph would reveal my jaw dropped wide open.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very aware of the blessings in my life, and am forever grateful for them. But a layer was peeled off my spiritual eyes at that moment, looking deeper into my blessings.

One of my favorite shows to watch is Little House on the Prairie. There I sat imagining myself placed back in the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the life they lived. If they wanted food to eat, they hunted or grew their own (no exceptions like a trip to McDonald's if crops were ruined or the game got away). If they wanted water, they hiked to a creek, filled a bucket, and used it sparingly and wisely. If you want shelter to call home you build it from the ground up yourself (without electricity or plumbing) and windows were a special (and costly) bonus. When Charles Ingalls needed work, he would walk for days to get to other towns to earn a dollar or two for a weeks work (and that was on a good week).

We are so selfish. Where is it written that we are entitled to the quick and easy way out of everything we do? Can you imagine if our current generations were time warped back into the Little House on the Prairie days without promise of return. How many would long for the chance to return to their own life, realizing just how blessed we are with things as simple as running water, cars for running errands, grocery stores nearby for a quick dinner run (including a stocked meat department). How long would one last, hunting for and growing all their own food, fetching water from a creek, walking to other towns for pennies per hour of work, sewing their own clothes...

No Facebook games or videos to occupy laziness or idle time, no shopping malls or car dealerships to accumulate debt, no nail salons, no cell phones, no fast food joints when there was a night you just didn't feel like cooking, no video game consoles to keep you from interacting wholesomely with your children, no ESPN...

Just hard-working, living off the land, pure interaction with those in your lives.

Suddenly I was joyfully working in the garden. It blessed me to have the privilege to put my time, hard work, and effort into a source that would provide for my family. With the blinders off, it took on a different perspective. Yes it was hard work, but I felt good when I walked back into the house. My eyes watered when I stood before my refrigerator pressing that lever on the front that dispensed cold fresh water into my glass.

We're so spoiled, and we need to realize that blessings most certainly come in forms we too often overlook. If it takes heaven opening up and angels singing for us to recognize we've been blessed, then it's time to reevaluate our way of thinking. Complaints, grumbling, fuss, and disgruntlement are EVERYWHERE, while the "woe is me, life is too hard" syndrome takes over.

Recognize it, confront it, and get over yourself. We live in a garden of blessings... so wake up and smell your blessings!

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
(Philippians 2:13-15)

Revive me, O Lord!

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?"
(Psalm 85:6)

The believer who wants true revival throws away his list of favorite excuses for sin. Confession replaces excuses. Commitment replaces compromise.

You might be tempted to say, "But I've confessed, tried, and failed so many times, revival just doesn't last." A skeptic once made a comment to evangelist Billy Sunday in the early 1900s. He tried to make the point that since personal revival wasn't a permanent end-all to temptation, sin, and failure, times of revival weren't really that important. "Revival just doesn't last," the man complained to Billy Sunday one evening. Sunday just smiled and replied, "Well, a bath doesn't last either, but it's good to take one occasionally!"

Has it ever occurred to you that a great word to describe Christianity is exposure? You become a Christian after being exposed as a sinner. You grow as a Christian after being exposed to your need of change in some area. You confess daily sin as it is exposed in your life. You flourish in your walk as a result of being exposed to the Scriptures.

No wonder every Christian is in need of daily revival. We so easily sugarcoat our selfishness and rationalize our rebellion. We manage our sin, but fail to confess it. We conveniently forget how heartbreaking sin is to our heavenly Father.

Revival, then, could be defined as a movement of God's Spirit in the believer's life, which produces both private confession of sin and public obedience to the Scriptures. The priority for our outward behavior is to please God - a priority that will undeniably impact personal relationships, financial decisions, and lifestyle choices. Therefore, revival is not a once-and-done event... it is daily. And it should interrupt your life over and over again.

By the way, you can't plan for revival but you can pray for it. You can't orchestrate it or announce that it is going to happen in a series of meetings the third week of May. All you can do is beg God to give you a heart that confesses and a life that obeys.

So, take His Word daily, ask God to blow on the smoldering embers of your heart, making it burst into flaming affection for Him all over again. While you're at it, remember that revival is not so much about emotion as it is about action.

Don't wait for a week of revival meetings to pray, "Revive me, O Lord"... do it today!

Wisdom for the Heart

Ultimate Surrender

I love a beautiful sunrise or sunset. I love a full house of family and friends. I love daily chat sessions and giggles with my kids. I love crashing into my bed after a long day and feeling my pillow-top mattress fold around me soothing my tired body. I love accomplishing a long to-do list that makes my day feel so productive. Each and every one of those things sound terrific, and could easily be the best part of a day for me. But there's one thing that tops them all without comparison, on a level all its own.

It's a moment of ultimate surrender. When every thought, sound, event, task and chore is pushed out of my mind. It's a number of feelings wrapped into one. If peace, comfort, joy, focus, humbleness and mercy could be combined into one word, one feeling, one experience, one place... that is the best part of my day.

Some days it takes me longer to reach that moment than others, but it is always reachable. The presence of the Lord is always there for me to grasp, appreciate, reverence, and drown away in.

I don't have an exact time of day that I do my reading and praying. Sometimes it is first thing in the morning. Other times it's at night when the kids are winding down for bed. Then there are the mid-day escapes into my room when no one around me is paying attention.

I like to know that all interruptions are clear, and that time can be a specific time for absorbing wisdom from the word, sobbing my plea for forgiveness, praising for the blessings my life is intertwined with, and seeking the guidance for the next step in my path.

I'll be honest, there are days that I struggle, my mind darting from one thought to the next. But then comes that moment. Sweet surrender to the Spirit... and every thought, every task on the agenda disappears as my focus clears.

That is the best time of the day. No matter how good or bad the day seemed before, or even after. It's the only time of the day I can be 100% free from every care in the world. Every worry the enemy attempts to put on my shoulders. Every feeling that is not of God. How can that not be the best... an absolute perfect moment to relish?

Include those moments in your day, despite how difficult it may seem to get there... it's worth it my friends! It has the power to free from bondage, the strength to get you through a hardship, joy for a clouded day of frustration, and a peace that overcomes your circumstance. Whether it be five minutes or five hours... the Lord will meet you there somehow, someway, every time.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
(Psalm 145:18)

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
(James 4:8)