Many times in life we get off track and end up on a path that isn't the best for us. Certainly, it isn't God's best. But God can help us find our way back on the right road.
I feel like I've been wandering around in a desert looking for a drop to drink. For a long time now I've been struggling with weights that I wasn't meant to carry and being crushed under all of my worries and troubles.
I woke up this morning with a new purpose. With God's help I am striving to reclaim my life. It probably won't be easy. There will be obstacles and tests along the way but I'm trusting in my heavenly Father to guide me on the right path. Great is the Father's love. He has called us to great things in His name.
My Goals for Today:
Marriage: To bless my spouse.
Attempt: My husband loves a clean home. Even though he is not here, I can honor him by doing things that would bless him if he were here.
Mental: Get out of the house and enjoy other people!
Attempt: Going to take Clara to a free movie this morning with my mom's group.
Parenting: To be a consistent parent today.
Attempt: To write out some simple rules for my children and to place them somewhere visible. We will go over them tonight before bed and implement them starting tomorrow.
Physical: Make one stride to eat healthier!
Attempt: Drinking 64 oz of water today.
Spiritual: Start the day on a good note- despite how I feel!
Attempt: Find a quiet place for five minutes to read my Bible and pray- even if it means locking myself in my bathroom.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Restless & Worrisome
Have you ever climbed into bed at the end of a long day hoping for a decent rest? Today was one of those days. Tonight was one of those nights. I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up around me, closed my eyes, and said a quick prayer. No sooner had I finished did the thoughts come.
Thoughts about circumstances and situations that I cannot change. Worry began to creep into my bedroom, sulking in the corners with it's dark oozing poison to rob me of a peaceful rest. As I'm lying there being bombarded by the troubles of my life, a verse keeps replaying in my mind.
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
With each thought, I remember that verse and pray that God would help me trust Him in these situations. The opposite of trust is worry. So by worrying about these issues and situations, I was not trusting that God was in control. I was instead, taking away the hope and faith I have in Christ and worrying over situations beyond my abilities. Now how much sense does that make?
I can't solve these problems. But yet here I was taking them away from the one who can! Doesn't take much common sense to know that worrying about things I cannot change and taking them out of the hands of my capable heavenly Father is pretty stupid on my part.
So rather than lay there worrying more, my sleep already disturbed, I got up and found a Christian chatroom. Would you believe me if I told you that the very first verse anyone posted in the room was 2 Timothy 1:7.
What does it say? God has not given us a spirit of fear (or worry) but a "spirit of power" and love and a sound mind. Power for what? Power to overcome our fear? Power to overcome our worry? Power to keep our eyes fixed on the one who has the answers to the questions that are plaguing our sleepless nights? "And of love"- the Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. Oh what a good God we serve. He knew we needed His perfect love and His power to overcome our fear and He even knew to write about it in His word so that we would know the solution to our fear and worry. Oh thank you Jesus.
I love this last part most "and of a sound mind." When I'm lying in my bed at night, unable to sleep, it is so easy for the enemy to come at me with his accusations that I'm unstable. He knows that this is an area of weakness in my life and he will use it every chance he gets. But God knew that too. He knew how the enemy would try to come against our minds and our hearts and so He gave us the last part of this verse to remind us that we have sound minds. We are not crazy. We are not unstable. We are not insane. We do not belong in asylums - though some of my friends might disagree. In Jesus we have sound minds, stable minds.
Isn't God good? He made a way out. Even when we are facing the fear and worry of dark days- God has given us power to overcome, His perfect love to cast out every spirit of fear, and sound minds to know that a better day is coming. And after all that, He made a way for us to be victorious over the temptation of putting our trust in anything other than Him.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. " 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV
So what's our way of escaping worry? God's peace. God's presence. God's people. When we get in the presence of God and praise Him, He will fill us with His peace and remind us of the hope we have in Him. His love casts out every fear. His hope reminds us that He has good plans for us. His people surround us and lift us up in prayer. He is good and greatly to be praised- even now. Especially now.
Thoughts about circumstances and situations that I cannot change. Worry began to creep into my bedroom, sulking in the corners with it's dark oozing poison to rob me of a peaceful rest. As I'm lying there being bombarded by the troubles of my life, a verse keeps replaying in my mind.
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
With each thought, I remember that verse and pray that God would help me trust Him in these situations. The opposite of trust is worry. So by worrying about these issues and situations, I was not trusting that God was in control. I was instead, taking away the hope and faith I have in Christ and worrying over situations beyond my abilities. Now how much sense does that make?
I can't solve these problems. But yet here I was taking them away from the one who can! Doesn't take much common sense to know that worrying about things I cannot change and taking them out of the hands of my capable heavenly Father is pretty stupid on my part.
So rather than lay there worrying more, my sleep already disturbed, I got up and found a Christian chatroom. Would you believe me if I told you that the very first verse anyone posted in the room was 2 Timothy 1:7.
What does it say? God has not given us a spirit of fear (or worry) but a "spirit of power" and love and a sound mind. Power for what? Power to overcome our fear? Power to overcome our worry? Power to keep our eyes fixed on the one who has the answers to the questions that are plaguing our sleepless nights? "And of love"- the Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. Oh what a good God we serve. He knew we needed His perfect love and His power to overcome our fear and He even knew to write about it in His word so that we would know the solution to our fear and worry. Oh thank you Jesus.
I love this last part most "and of a sound mind." When I'm lying in my bed at night, unable to sleep, it is so easy for the enemy to come at me with his accusations that I'm unstable. He knows that this is an area of weakness in my life and he will use it every chance he gets. But God knew that too. He knew how the enemy would try to come against our minds and our hearts and so He gave us the last part of this verse to remind us that we have sound minds. We are not crazy. We are not unstable. We are not insane. We do not belong in asylums - though some of my friends might disagree. In Jesus we have sound minds, stable minds.
Isn't God good? He made a way out. Even when we are facing the fear and worry of dark days- God has given us power to overcome, His perfect love to cast out every spirit of fear, and sound minds to know that a better day is coming. And after all that, He made a way for us to be victorious over the temptation of putting our trust in anything other than Him.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. " 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV
So what's our way of escaping worry? God's peace. God's presence. God's people. When we get in the presence of God and praise Him, He will fill us with His peace and remind us of the hope we have in Him. His love casts out every fear. His hope reminds us that He has good plans for us. His people surround us and lift us up in prayer. He is good and greatly to be praised- even now. Especially now.
My Life Verse
Not long after I became a believer, God led me (through a wise woman) to the verse written in First Peter 3:4. If you haven't already seen it on my blog header, here it is again.
"But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter 3:4 KJV
This verse struck a chord in my spirit and I began memorizing it. I studied the word meanings and searched where else they had been used in the Word. It has become a navigation in my life. I believe whole-heartedly that this is what God asks of my life- that it would, with His help and light- reflect this verse. That I would be molded into a person with a gentle and quiet spirit.
Meekness should never be mistaken for weakness. It is not mousy or wimpy. There is nothing inferior about having a meek and quiet heart. This is a heart that waits on God, trusts in Him, and confides in Him. It is not a heart that is proud or boastful, but one that gives glory to God. This is who I am called to be and I believe this is who God is molding me to be. When I allow myself to be shaped into His image, I become like Him and His light shines through me.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Another Summer
Another summer dedicated to the Coast Guard. Three months he'll be in Virginia while I tend to the bills, children, and house. But you know what, this is military life and at least he'll be some place safe- A-School. For that I'm thankful. God will sustain us in all this just as He has sustained us through everything. He is our fortress and our strength. It's going to be fun with the girls. Hoping to make it to TN to visit my family. I miss them so much.
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