Therefore I am now going to allure her;I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:14
Though I know these scriptures and what they are speaking of, I want to take just the words given and in true TIOW fashion make them my own....
As a mother, part of my job is to be sure that my children have learned the valuable lessons that I attempt to teach them during certain stages of their life. For example, when my children were toddlers I taught them to feed themselves, dress themselves, and even to fall asleep on their own. In order to be sure they had truly learned how to feed themselves there was a time when I just had to give them the food, sit back, and observe them. I refrained from telling them step by step what to do or guiding them with my own hand. I watched from a distance and only "intervened" if I saw the fork too close to their eye or their brother's hand. I could never truly know if they had learned this lesson unless I allowed them to do it alone, unassisted, even though I was watching from a distance the whole time.
There are times in our walk with our heavenly Father that are just like this. I call them the "desert experience." It is times in my life when I feel God's presence less and less. When things come at me full force and I have to decide to handle it the way my Father taught me or do I go back to my way which can never truly feed my starving soul? For over a year I did not feel God's presence but once or twice, yet, I knew He was still there, watching; observing. Occasionally He would say, "No, Amy" ever so gently and that was all. But I knew what He meant because of the previous lessons He had taught me. It was coming out of the desert and being saturated in my Father's presence once again that let me know that I had done well. I had learned the lessons and it was kind of like I knew He was all smiles and hugs because he was proud of His daughter. Just the same as I was when one of my sons learned to feed himself.
Be thankful for time in the desert. He brought you there for a reason.
"To be intimate with others is to reveal our innermost selves to them, including our emotions, thoughts and desires. For such deep sharing of the soul and spirit to occur, people must respect and trust each other. ... In a world controlled by sin, however, to choose to be intimate is to choose to be hurt. Yet Jesus calls us to this kind of intimacy with Him and with one another." ~ Kenneth A. Schmidt ~
I personally find it very difficult to open up to others, especially women. There have been many times where I was betrayed. I've had women who couldn't wait to go behind my back and repeat everything that I had shared with them. Another incident was that I found out years after the fact that a woman that I ministered to and prayed for fervently because of her situation with her husband had actually had an affair with mine (my former spouse.) Then during my divorce there were friends who gossiped about me to the pastor all in the name of "keeping my best interest at heart."
It hurt.
Yes, I have had a tough time with female friendships but, we have a loving God who established long ago that we were to work in unity with one another and He has repeatedly shown me His heart for these hurting women. I've come to realize just how important these friendships are and I now seek them. Even those who have hurt me so deeply. It is still hard to trust some of them and there are of course those who are now out of my life and all I can do is simply continue to pray for them. There are also many new friendships that God has brought into my life. These women are so caring and wise and I am truly grateful that God has sent them to me. I pray that I never taste the bitter pain of that hurt again but if I do I still know how it must be handled. I also know that I need to rekindle some of those old friendships. Forgiveness is hard but opening up to them again is harder.
Gosh, I can't imagine how God must feel. Don't we do this to Him? Sort of puts it in a new perspective doesn't it?
We must assess our thoughts and beliefs and reckon whether they are moving us closer to conformity to Christ or farther away from it. ~ by John Ortberg ~
There are times in our life when all believe that our thoughts and our ways are the only true "way" of Christ. Even so much so that we condemn or scold other Christians for not believing the same way that we do even to the point of saying, "You can't be a Christian if you think that way". Scripture is very clear on some things:
Do not murder
Do not commit adultery
Do not gossip or slander (oops.. do we forget this one?)
Do not give up natural relations with the opposite gender to indulge in relations with the same gender
Do not fornicate.
Do not lie
Do not have any other Gods before Him
Matthew 19:19 Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Then there are some things that are not a direct command from God and we must seek Him to know how to handle these situations in our lives. For instance, what movies or TV shows we can watch, what music we can listen to, how we *discipline our children, and what foods we can eat. These things are all a matter of personal conviction. What God says you should do for your family may not be relevant to someone else. We must stop imposing our convictions on others because that only causes division and that is what the enemy wants (Matthew 12:25). This division due to beliefs does not bring us any closer to God.
The thought that we are holier or better than someone else due to our beliefs does not bring us any closer to God. In fact, it separates us from Him and could cause a brother or sister to stumble.
If we see someone with what we perceive to be sinful behavior and it is not directly forbidden in the bible then we must seek God in prayer about the matter and let Him guide us as to how to handle it. We may need to change our thoughts toward that person especially if they are judgemental. We must repent for those thoughts as well. These are things that will bring us closer to God.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.
*PLEASE NOTE: I feel I have to add this since some view this as a hot topic but by saying "discipline" I am not referring to "beating children". Just want to clear that up before anything gets stirred.
"Miracles have happened when God's people come together in prayer." ~ Billy Graham ~
This seems to be a motto that I live by. I can't recall all of the times that this has been true for us but I will tell you about a time when God's hand was most evident.
My son, Jacob was nearly three years old when we almost lost him. We had been outside playing and I went inside to get make some juice for them. I was near done filling the second cup when I heard Gevan scream, "Ma! Jacob stuck!"
You know how as a mom you just know some things? Well, I knew in my heart that this was bad - and it was. I screamed for my then spouse, the boys' dad, as soon as I saw him. He was twitching and his head was hanging down. He was lifeless. I don't remember jumping down the steps or running across the yard. I just remember seeing myself take my baby out of the string that he had accidentally became caught in and now hung from on the swingset.
I layed him on the ground and before I could get up his dad was on the ground performing CPR. I ran back inside to get the phone and the baby (Brennan was just crawling and I was afraid he would fall down the steps). I called 911. In a barely audible voice I gave my address and said, "Hurry! My baby hung himself! Please he isn't breathing!!"
I finally got a good look at him. He was lethargic and blue. Every blood vessel in his face, eyes, ears, and head had burst from the pressure. I was about to break down when I heard his dad say, "he's breathing, Amy! He's breathing!"
I gasped to catch my own breath while relaying the information to the 911 operator. My neighbor came to get the baby and I took Jacob in my arms. He was seizing and barely moving or breathing. I was so scared he was going to die.
As I was staring at him I became very aware of someone praying in tongues. It was echoing loudly in my ear. I kept staring at Jacob and his dad was on the phone with his mom. Between his sobs I heard him say to her, "He is with Amy right now. She is praying over him."
It was me. I was the one speaking in tongues. I had no idea that I even could. I had tried many times before but it never happened and now it was just flowing from my mouth!
The ambulance arrived and we were getting on board when I heard Jacob's dad call the church and ask them to pray. Almost immediately I felt peace come over me which is a great thing because that was one of the longest and scariest rides of my life.
Jacob kept seizing and would go in and out of conscienceness. I heard them on the phone with the hospital and I heard him say, "We don't have time for that. He may not make it."
I looked that paramedic in the eye and could see his immediate regret of those words. Something whelled up in me and I just began to sing my heart out to my baby. "Blues Clues" was his "mostest, favoritest show ever!" so I began to sing it to him. He started to wake up and look around but he still wasn't fully alert. Then I heard it again... myself speaking in tongues and praying God's Word over him. I wasn't even aware of it. It was almost like I was somewhere else.
We got to the hospital and they rushed him in the back and wouldn't let us in. Somehow, I managed to stay calm. After nearly an hour of them working on him and doing tests the doctor came out with a smile. He told us we were either the luckiest people he had ever met or somebody up there was looking out for us. It was unbelievable to him but my Jacob was going to live... and with no permanent injuries!
Five minutes after I got the news that my son would live and that he should be dead, I lost it. I walked outside of the emergency room doors and with people watching from all over I screamed. I sobbed. I cried so hard I could barely breathe. My diaphragm began to pulsate, my eyes and throat began to swell and my head hurt so intensely yet, I couldn’t stop. It was almost as if I was finally able to comprehend what had happened.
As the days went by after Jacob came home I would get the occasional phone call about how someone had been called by someone else and asked to pray for Jacob that day. One stood out from the rest. I learned from a friend that after Mark had made the phone call to the church they immediately began calling others to pray. Within minutes hundreds of people were praying for my little boy. My friend said she went to pick up her child from school and heard someone crying and praying from the supply closet. She said this woman was pleading for God to save her baby. She was saying, "Please God don't take him yet!"
I met this "closet praying woman" at a Pampered Chef show months later and she began to cry as she explained to me what happened to her that day. She told me, "Amy, I felt your pain! I felt like it was my child. It hurt so much!" She said, "Through my tears, I finally realized that God had taken your pain and given it to me to carry for a while because you needed to be with your son."
I broke. Right there in the kitchen at that party, I broke. It made so much sense. He loves me so much that He did that for me so that I could be with Jacob - 100% with Jacob. God is so good. He has such a way with us and His ways are so much greater than our ways and prayer does move mountains. I believe it.
Thank you, God for giving Jacob back to me. I can never, never, never tell you how grateful I am. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so very much.
Cause I believe that when I call for you You hear the plea for my rescue And You lift me up above the world I know And I know that when I speak Your name You hear my voice and send your saints To cover me in the shadow of angels
lyrics from Shadow of Angels by Building 429
For more Tuesdays, "In 'Other' Words" visit Christelle at her site, Beloved Mama.
"Why do our days seem so unimportant, filled not with romance and adventure but with duties and demands? We feel unseen, even by those who are closest to us. We feel unsought--that no one has the passion or the courage to pursue us, to get past our messiness to find the woman deep inside. And we feel uncertain--uncertain what it even means to be a woman; uncertain what it truly means to be feminine; uncertain if we are or will ever be.......And in all the exhortations we have missed the most important thing of all. We have missed the heart of a woman." Quote taken from: "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge
Women in today's society have tried so hard to cover up the fact that they are women. The bible has this to say about what a woman is:
Genesis 2:18 AMP Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
Genesis 2:23 NLT “At last!” the man exclaimed. This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”
emphasis mine
The bible says that we were called "woman" because we were taken from man and that we were created to be a helper to him and complimentary. Feminity is the opposite of masculinity. The two compliment each other. Why do some of us try so hard to be the opposite of this? Is it the media? Is is confidence? Is it outright rebellion?
Whatever the reason it causes us to stray from the path that God has laid out for us. It won't keep us out of heaven but it will most certainly make our journey there quite a bit more difficult. I won't argue over technicalities such as the definition of "feminity" and what exacltly defines a woman because that takes the focus off of the true issue: a strong, close relationship with the Father.
When you have this true relationsip with Him then He shows you, He tells you what His will is for your life and it lines up with His word. Some of us are capable of being a wife, mom, and career person; Some of us are as physically strong as most men yet, incredibly feminine; Some of us cringe at the thought of a "girl movie" yet, we love to be caught up in romance. It's all about the relationship with the Father.
This week's Tuesdays, In "other" Words is being hosted by Christin from As Gold Refined.
"He [God] is very patient with us when we are trying to be patient with Him."
~ Elisabeth Elliott ~
There are so many times when I become impatient and try to "play" God to get things done. Especially when I know He has spoken something to my heart and I get excited about it and want to see it happen - soon! But, He is so patient with me and yet the blessing only comes when I sit back, relax, and wait on Him.
A door that is closed today won't necessarily be closed tomorrow and He has great reason for it. We just need to wait and be patient with Him.
For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
This week, Loni is hosting "In 'Other' Words" at her site, Writing Canvas. She has chosen a quote from the book: Family Driven Faith by Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. I can't wait to see what everyone writes for this week's In "other" Words...
This week's quote is:
"A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught. If we mix a little biblical truth, a little secular physchology, a little romance novel idology, and a little eastern mysticism, we will get a deadly mixture of lies. Unfortunately, this is what many Christian families do . . . If we are to experience multigeneraltional faithfulness we must come to a place where we throw off the shackles of our culture and live in the fullness that is found only in Christ. We must be people who live the Word in our homes."
~By Voddie T. Baucham, Jr~
I'd be lying to you if I said thoughts that are not of God never cross my mind. The truth is they do on a regular basis.
A while back I was at the grocery store and was nearly finished shopping so I decided to review my list one more time to be sure that I had not forgotten anything. I glanced over my written list and then I probed my mind to see if I could remember anything that I had not written down. It seemed as though I had remembered everything and so I headed toward the checkout. On the way there I stopped so dead in my tracks that I nearly got rear ended by a little girl who had groceries piled so high she couldn't see. Her mom apologized and I went back to my disbelief. What would make me pause so hastily?
I forgot my cigarettes....
I already know what you are thinking. "What? You smoke?"
You see, that is the problem. No. I don't smoke.
The thought had come so clearly and so urgently that I honestly for a brief second forgot that I did not smoke and was actually looking around to see where I would buy such a thing. Now, this was not my thoughts. Why would I think that? And yes I know that the devil plays a part in putting thoughts out there but it doesn't help that the media saturates our eyes and minds with the glamorization of cigarettes, quick alcohol induced fixes for life, and a YOU, YOU, YOU message that is sure to make even the most selfish people cringe.
If we want to prevent ourselves and our family from falling away from God's ways then we must saturate our hearts and minds with more than the world (read: media) does. Listen to uplifting Christian music, get into His word daily, listen to pastors on CD, watch DVDs that are Godly.
You must put more of Him inside of you.
Some things that I recommend are: These are word for word bible. Nothing added and nothing taken away. The acting is also VERY GOOD! I play these in the morning while we are getting ready to start the day. There is something about the spoken word echoing through your home. It is amazing and I guarantee that if you try it you will never go back to life before them. They even calm the kids!
And... if you ever forget your cigarettes, all of that Jesus in you will remind you that you don't smoke so that you can carry on with your life! :o)
And now I want to urge you, dear lady, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. 2 John 1:5-6
This concept is so simple yet we make it so difficult. Our brains have been formatted to believe that love is a feeling but that is not true at all. Love is an action. Now, because we have believed this lie we sometimes find it difficult to love those we have not bonded with in some way. After all, how do you love someone that is a stranger to you? The answer is: just do it.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever. 2 Corinthians 13:4-8
Simply put: Love serves when there is absolutely no benefit of personal gain to be acquired.
I can serve my family in this capacity because I "feel it" already. The feelings can be the driving force behind my serving them. Serving others gives the opposite effect. If I just serve (love) them then the feelings will follow. God is the driving force behind my serving them so He gets the glory.
You don't have to feel it to do it. You have to do it to feel it.
I truly believe God's paradise would have to have a bunch of people who didn't require "feeling like it" to follow His commands. That kind of belief system doesn't involve faith in God but rather faith in feelings. We must learn to distinguish between the two.
I challenge you today to find someone in your life who is difficult to love then start serving them. Act like you love them. Do for them what you would do for others that you love and see how you 'feel' about them in a week. I am quite sure you will be surprised at the results!
For more Tuesdays, In "other" Words please visit Lori from All You Have To Give.
I am so excited to announce that Tuesdays, In "other" Words has a new home here at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31. Darlene Schacht from CWO has passed the torch for this meme and I am beyond blessed to "take it from here"!
Everything will remain the same with the exception of the images and of course, the URL. I have the new codes listed below. Please use them and spread the word.
If you would like to host a week simply email me at amy (at) inpursuitofproverbs31 (dot) com.
* Copy and paste this code into your post on Tuesday
Friday, November 30th
This week, Christelle is hosting "In 'Other' Words" at her site, Beloved Mama. Christelle has chosen a quote from the book of Mark, chapter 12 . These scriptures always seem to speak to my heart and I can't wait to see what everyone writes for this week's In "other" Words...
This week's quote is:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." ~ Mark 12:41-44 ~
Visit "Beloved Mama" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
__________________________
Note: We will be using Mr. Linky's auto links, which means that you can simply add your URL to the list there, when your post is ready on Tuesday. Remember to add the html code (below*) into your post in order to link others here, please.
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"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."
~ Elisabeth Elliott ~
God said to me, "Your son needs you, Amy."
I heard it just as clearly as if He'd said it with an audible voice.
(thinks to self)
"I am. I am. I just need to finish this."
So, off I go to take dinner out of the freezer. On the way to the freezer I notice a spot on the floor and decide to clean it up. I rush over to the sink full of dishes to wet the rag to clean the spot on the floor. It is then that I remember that the clothes I put in the washer earlier must be done and I need to do a load of towels. I wipe up the spot and head to the laundry room. I pass my son along the way. He is supposed to be doing his school work. The reading lesson is self explanatory. He must read and answer 10 questions. What does he need me for right now?
"I'll be there in a minute, Gev", I say as I toss the clothes from one machine to another. "Hey! There is my other shoe!" I run to my closet to put the shoe away with it's counterpart and I notice my bed that is still unmade. Of course, you know what I do next, I make the bed!
This same scenario played out for at least another hour. All the while my little one was sitting at a table, face drooping, watching my every move and waiting. He was waiting for me to come and see what he needed.
"Your son needs you, Amy" He said to me again.
I put down the vacuum cleaner and fought off the desire to go and get the dinner that I had yet to take out of the freezer. I sat down beside my son and with a sigh asked, "What do you need?"
He sensed my increasing irritability and with tears swelling up he said, "Nothing mama, we forgot to pray before school. I didn't want to start yet because I get all messed up when we don't pray. I'm sorry. I knew you were busy so I just waited."
Now, there I was with tears swelling up and feeling God grip my heart. I took a hold of and held the hand of my child so tightly and prayed like we were sitting at the very feet of Jesus. I felt so convicted and I knew that I had just learned an eternal lesson from my sweet and precious child.
"I didn't want to start yet because I get all messed up when we don't pray."
Those are words to live by. Thank you Gevan. Thank you Jesus!
A couple of years back I watched and listened in disbelief as I heard my mom sincerely apologizing to my brother for all of her failures in what was a feeble attempt to raise him. She poured out her heart through tears of pain to the grown son whose childhood she had so blindly missed out on. He had been abused, neglected, undisciplined and had hundreds of dollars stolen from his savings account, an account that my sister and I had set up at the suggestion of my grandfather. At 14 he'd had enough. He had been hit upside the head with a crutch when he asked for some of his money to be returned so that he could go and buy some school clothes. I have never seen a child cry like that before. He was so heartbroken. He was so angry. He wanted a life. With the help of my sister and my grandfather, we packed up his things and moved him into my home.
So now, after a great holiday meal, she begged her son, who was now 21 years old and a veteran of war, to forgive her for all of her inadequacies. After taking in a deep breath betweens sobs, she held her hand out to him and said, "Please Ryan. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
I had never been so proud of him as I was in the very next moment because of the heartfelt words that come from the depth of his soul. He grabbed her hand and said, "I forgive you. You don't have to be sorry anymore. I didn't like what we went through but I wouldn't be the person I am today if it hadn't happened and I actually like who I am now. So, thank you."
He meant it. He opened my eyes. He showed me that I too could be thankful for things in my life that looked bad but in the end painted a beautiful picture.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”
(Rom. 8:28 KJV).
God says that everything is a blessing or a curse. I will take even the worst things in life as a blessing rather than a curse. It really is our choice. It is all about how you view the mosaic... piece by piece or as a masterpiece.
When I first read this quote I thought, "Lord help me to make them see. I want to be a light shining on this dark issue."
I have been a leader for a ladies group and a youth group leader. The one common component among females was insecurity. The common component among males is lust. One is emotional. One is visual. It is how we are wired. Just as it is extremely difficult for a woman to turn off her emotions, it is that difficult for a man to turn off his visual exploits. I hope to make you understand that.
I've never known it to be so true until I began to watch my own 3 boys, all under the age of 11, begin to 'notice' women. I slowly watched the progression of how they acted towards females who were dressed immodestly and I noticed that they reacted differently to females who were dressed in modest clothing.
When they came in contact with those who covered up their 'girls', had no midriff showing and not a lot of legs visible, they still seemed to stare a bit but then I noticed a slight bit of embarrassment. The same can be said of older boys and men. They react this same way. Almost as if they have violated her in some way.
On the other hand, when they see women who have on low cut shirts, belly button showing and/or mini skirts on, they tend to soak it up with no remorse. I am not going to say that all women who dress this way are sinning. Some dress this way with a pure heart. They are just following the trends. I don't believe a woman ever asks to be violated but most, when dressing this way, are asking for attention. Males tend to not have a problem with giving it to them. Not because they want to but simply because it is how their mind works. They canstop it after it starts but by then they have probably gone through a dozen or so images based on what they have just seen.
Their brain is wired similarly to how a woman's brain is wired to emotion. For example, I'm quite sure most of the women who read this quote felt a variety of emotions which lead them to write something that acted upon that emotion. It brought up past experiences, discussions and relationships where you were reminded of how you felt. Why couldn't we just turn it off? Well, we could but only after we had already gone through a few emotions. It is natural.
Changing the way you dress is not about how YOU FEEL about it. It is about doing the Godly thing and not causing a brother to stumble.
I will leave you with this thought from Paul...
Rom 14:12 -22
Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path. I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Stumble it!
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