Author: thischicksinpeace

Psalm 112:1-7,9

How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands.

Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation will be blessed.

They themselves will be wealthy and their good deeds will last forever.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly.

They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

Such people will not be overcome by evil.

Those who are righteous will be long remembered.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.

Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.

As I read that this morning I really felt the words speak to me.

There are moments in our lives that we wonder why should I do that….should I keep doing that…what does it matter anyhow…

There are people in our lives that we wonder how did they get there….should they be there…why aren’t they “there” more…

Frankly, those moments can hurt that seem out of reach and we are hurt by those people who have the relationship with us that they desire to have (distant and/or secretative, on their terms without regard to our preferences).

We want what we want, don’t we?

We seem to want just a little more on some days…

It would be so easy to sit there on those wishes and disappointments, wouldn’t it?

I think we can all agree we have all been guilty of growing stiff by staying in one place of longing for too long, can’t we?

It is so easy to wonder why someone doesn’t call, seem to want to spend more time with you, let you further into their life, love you like you love them…and miss out on who is standing there right in front of you.

It is so easy to remember the “good ole days” and miss out on those precious moments that keep passing by today…

It is so easy to think I will finally be happy when…and miss the joy that is right here and now.

This verse hit me where it hurts today…

How JOYFUL are those who fear the Lord and obey His commands.

When am I joyful? It is when I am being obedient to the One who has called me forward…

Their children will be successful…and blessed..

Ummmm-…who doesn’t desire that?!And the honest to goodness truth is that they already are..and the Lord allows me to see it!

Light shines in the darkness for the godly…

That is part of my obedience- to continue to speak truth, smile, show love to others (being generous, compassionate, and righteous).

When I am joyful in the Lord I do not fear bad news BECAUSE I am confident that He will take care of me and mine..

How do I have that assurance??

BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL ALL THESE YEARS TO ME AND TO HIS PROMISES.

I am obedient to Him and He showers me with blessings in the form of the Fruit of the Spirit…not because of what I have done but because of who He is.

I do believe that what I have done, what I will do matters…who I have loved is honorable…

I just need to be reminded of that on a regular basis.

“Small decisions can have a powerful impact”~ what are you choosing to think on and act on today?

Trust me….it matters.

#psalms112

It is one of those wonderful, warmish, mornings where the spring rain has begun and the thunder is slightly rolling in the distance.

It is one of those mornings where I wish I had not agreed to change my schedule to work today instead of tomorrow because of the guaranteed awesome sleeping conditions thanks to the rain storm that could have happened today!

It is one of those mornings where my poor dog Max just can’t relax because he is so nervous during a rainstorm. He is moving from seat to seat, bed to bed: trying to find that sweet spot in the house (or next to me on the couch) that will allow him to feel safe.

It is one of those mornings where I am debating if I go dig out his thundershirt to ease his discomfort or let him go snuggle with the still sleeping body of boy who is home for the day….

It is not one of those mornings for him to do it all alone.

My devotions this morning speaks to this thought:

“When the way just ahead of you seems too difficult, turn to Me and say: ” I can’t, but we can.”

Acknowledging your inability to handle things on your own is a healthy dose of reality” (Jesus Always by Sarah Young May 23).

There have been many times over my “many” years of living (I am about to turn 4×11 so I am allowed to speak in such a way) that I have realized I cannot do this on my own.

The “this” has looked like many different things over these last few years: parenting different now that my husband travels for a living, fighting for someone I love who was dealing with suicidal depression, my own health issues…I could go on…

It doesn’t matter what we go through, what matters is who we go through it with.

We are not meant to live life alone…not only has God been so good to us by providing the ultimate Comforter and Counselor that is available and within us 24/7 in His Holy Spirit, but also He has graciously placed us in a community that is meant to support us in our endeavors.

Being able to speak up and say “I can’t handle this on my own” is truly a healthy sign of strength in a time when we feel our weakest.

Just like with Max…keep seeking that safe place…keep searching for that person to keep you company or to help you feel more stable… especially in a time of a storm.

In dancing only one can lead…the other follows otherwise there is much toe-stepping going on: and I don’t mean the yee haw, hoe down kind!

Without the proper give and take, there would not be a gracefully gliding bride in her sparkling gown looking as if her feet are barely touching the floor.

On the dancefloor of life, it is much the same…

“When a couple is dancing, one of them leads and the other follows. Otherwise, there is confusion and awkwardness. Dance with Me, beloved. Follow My lead as I guide you gracefully through your life” (Jesus Always).

What a beautiful analogy for following the Lord…

#jesusalways

Think of that person who has been through an overwhelming struggle…do you admire them?

Is there a part of you that HOPES you can be like them in some way when trouble knocks at your door?

Is there a part of you that fears you won’t be able to endure as they did in a similar pain or loss?

Have you heard of Helen Keller? She was born deaf and blind in a time where there was no technology like we have today: stuck in a silent, dark world until a teacher pulled her out of the emptiness. Their story became inspirational…

Do you remember the movie Unbroken? It was about an Olympian athlete named Louis Zamperini: a regular guy who could run fast, right? He became a prisoner of war in World War 2 after surviving a plane crash that left him to drift in the shark infested Pacific ocean waters for 47 days. His story made him a hero…

How about that woman at church who buried her husband and child? Her strength to survive such pain is admirable…

Joyce Meyer was abused by her father and rejected by her home-church, yet still became a best-selling author and world re-known speaker…

Don’t we admire them for their overcoming?

Do we find ourselves admiring their ability to survive?

Isn’t it interesting that we commend those who have struggled heavily….

But we complain and question and doubt and fear and worry during our own????

James 5:10-11 (CEV) tells us to follow the examples of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They were patient, even when they had to suffer. In fact, we praise the ones who endured the most.

We praise the ones who endured the most??!!

The ones who endured rape and kidnapping like Elizabeth Smart?

The ones who suffered a terrible death at the hands of a terrorist like those in the towers or the planes of 9/11?

But we grumble and complain through our own pain and suffering?

Why is that?

Why do we celebrate the enduring of others and not our own?

Do we forget, minimize, or devalue their pain in the light of their survival or success?

Do we think that they can overcome but we cannot?

Do we honestly think Elizabeth Smart thought she was brave while being held against her will?

Do we honestly think Joyce Meyer thought she would one day be famous and would use her testimony of abuse and betrayal to help others?

Do we think Louis Zamperini was relieved to be a POW as long as he was out of the Pacific but still alive?

I don’t think they did.

I have known parents who have buried their child…and learned to smile again. But that smile does not mean they have forgotten their child.

I have known widows who thought they could never love again, let alone live again…I have also seen a widow and a widower get married, a widow find joy in new friends, a widower embrace new opportunities…But that does not mean the new spark inside them has caused them to forget their first love.

I have seen people with cancer laugh and embrace life.

Are those people special and we are not?

Absolutely, positively, 100% NO.

As the verse in James suggests, we are to remember these people who endured because they are to give us hope that we can do the same.

Those people we admire are not any more “special” than we are…I would dare be so bold to say that they wouldn’t wish their version or experience that made them have a “special trait of endurance” on their worst enemy!

What did they do that makes them seem so “special” to survive??

They chose to hang on, press on, trust the Lord, believe they could survive, opt to refuse bitterness and instead choose forgiveness…they clung to any remnant of LIGHT they could find in the DARKNESS.

It was discovered, through the evil days of the Holocost, that those who survived endured the horrific suffering because they never lost hope.

I think it should be said that surviving can mean so much more than saying a person lived through the experience…

We are capable to do the same as those we admire:

We can be hopeful in our sorrow.

We can be thankful in our pain.

We can recall our blessings in times of trials and uncertainties.

You know what? We can even become that person another may admire because of how we chose to endure…
Go ahead and chew on that thought for a minute….

The Lord is faithful to see us through…His mercies are new every morning….He desires to lavish His love on His people…

Be lavished in love today.

I am reading the book of Exodus right now and am amazed at the little tidbits the Lord is revealing to me! How I wish I could sit in awe and wonder and reflection on these words, but alas, I have to go to work so I must be brief.

Exodus 14 tells the exciting adventure of The Parting of the Red Sea.

Exodus 15 sings praises to God for the wonder of that mighty miracle. As I was reading it, I was reminded of a song. So, I went on a YouTube search and low and behold verses 1-2 ARE a song!

Let me know if the lyric rings a reminder bell for you:

I will sing unto the Lord for

He has triumphed gloriously

The horse and the rider are thrown into the sea

(repeat)

The Lord, He is, my Strength and Song

He has become my victory

(repeat)

The Lord is God and

(Clap)

I will praise Him

My Father’s God and I will exult Him

(repeat)

(Clap clap)

Ha! How fun! We used to sing it in “a round”…does anyone do that anymore?

I digress…

So, the Israelites are singing praises to God with Moses…UNTIL…

Verse 24.

Three days later, the people were grumbling because the water they came upon was bitter.

THREE DAYS LATER THEY WERE GRUMBLING.

Seriously people…the Lord had revealed His power to them and all of Egypt through the plagues.

Then, He traveled with them away from Egypt in a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of a cloud by day.

And then He parted the Red Sea.

THREE DAYS LATER they were complaining because they were thirsty.

Yikes.

Do we do that?

Do we forget what God has done in our lives and begin to complain because we are now discontent or uncomfortable?

Do we suddenly asked “where are you God” as if He has taken a break or something from us?

Complain because life isn’t as easy as we think it should be all the time?

Three days later they complained…

I am humbled by the awareness that I am as guilty as they are over this truth…

I am amazed by God’s endless grace that extends because He loves us…even through my complaining.

Verse 25 tells us He makes the bitter water sweet for them.

How many times in my own life has God done that? Taken what was bitter and made it sweet?

Even in my grief…

Even in my fear…

Even in my anxiety…

Even in my illness…

Even in my uncertainty…

Even in my pain…

God is who He has always been… faithful, merciful, and good.

Oh yeah…verse 27 says and then He led them to where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms.

Sweetened water…water in abundance…and food.

He didn’t stop with one thing but went for the abundance…

That’s God.

I am sure I have shared this passage before, but all good things are worth repeating-right?

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast (a mind that is focused and committed on God) because he trusts and takes refuge in You (with hope and confident expectation).

I was told recently that I have a story to tell…something to say that’s worth sharing….something worth hearing…

Having that thought on my mind and a burden on my heart to offer encouragement to those that are hurting, I found I paused at this Scripture today.

If you know me or follow me, you know I have been pretty verbal about my own personal issues, struggles, worries, fears, pain…

I am not immune to the hurts of this broken world.

So, as I sit on my couch sipping on my coffee this morning, I found myself wondering what it is other people are doing when the pains of this life come crashing down around them.

In the middle of the crisis we certainly respond in a certain way- much more of an automatic response to survive.

Once the crisis settles and we are left adjusting to the shock or trauma that had just inflicted us, we respond in another manner.

In my opinion, THAT response becomes our choice and is paramount to how we begin to move forward.

In fact, that choice, can become the catalyst to form the foundation of how we will automatically respond in the next crisis.

Follow me?

My sister in law died ten years ago this August. My response to her death became truly survival. I did what I knew to do to keep myself from drowning.

The problem, though, was my efforts were not good enough for the monumental pain of guilt, regret, grief, and unresolved issues that crashed over me.

I did what I had done in the past but since I had never experienced this kind of agony before I was not prepared to deal with it.

My survival skills were seriously lacking and the cracks in my efforts started to show.

I sought counseling help because I had had good success with it a few years earlier.

That outside help was good but not enough…and I could see that truth.

Finally, I sought answers from the One I was angriest at…most disappointed in…confused by…

I was never going to know why this senseless death had happened until I asked the right questions to the right person. I would never know unless I asked.

I had to talk to God.

I wasn’t looking to follow Him.

I wasn’t looking to make any big lifestyle changes.

I was looking for peace.

And I found the source of peace in my time of asking questions.

Since those days, I have had my heart broke a multitude of times over…and these last 2 years could quite easily be the worst on my scale for constant stress and suffering in all ways- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Figuratively speaking, I have been beaten up, kicked while I am down, trampled on, crushed, bloodied, battered, bruised…

Ever feel like that?

And just when one area of life seemed to lesson its attack another area would rear up ready for battle against this battle worn woman..

What did I do?

More importantly, what can you do?

I knew from the past to seek counsel when the going got rough- I needed outside help from someone trained to help with a crisis.

I knew from the past to seek the source of peace….and to keep seeking Him.

If you read the Bible and do daily devotions, that is great BUT do it more.

If you listen to Christian music already, that is great BUT do it more and do it loudly.

If you go to church, that is great BUT do it more.

If you have a good circle of friends that is great BUT reach out to them more. Be honest with them.

If you have been involved in acts of service toward others, that is great BUT do it more.

If you do not serve others, then figure out how to get started and do it as often as you can.

If you find that sitting home and thinking about how sick you are, how sad you are, how dark your days seem, how hopeless life is, how bad your situation is…ask yourself: does that help you feel better?

My bet, from personal experience I can say this with absolute honesty, is the answer is no it does not.

Then go to the source of peace and stay there until your heart settles.

When I trust the Lord and take refuge in His company (that means I CHOOSE to spend time in the Word for longer than 30 minutes) I am in peace.

When I stay in His presence through times of worship and prayer (and that means more than once a week for an hour at my local church), I am in peace.

When I rest in His arms after a good honest cry, I am in peace.

When I listen to music, watch a movie, read a book that reminds me of the Lord and fills my mind with good things…I am in peace.

I vowed to myself almost ten years ago that I would do anything to keep the peace I had found in Jesus Christ.

It isn’t easy.

It isn’t a magic fix.

It is time consuming but not time wasting.

It looks different than what the world does to “survive”.

But, I stopped wanting to merely survive I wanted to learn how to thrive.

What would you do for peace in your heart and soul? Will you seek the Source and keep seeking?

I want to be kept in perfect peace.

I would encourage you, as a place to start, to

• look up Bible verses about the word “peace”…Look each and every one of them up
• highlight them
• read them in other Bible versions through the “youversion” Bible App
• memorize them
• write them on scraps of paper and put them all over your house as a reminder
• read the back story about those verses…

And tell me you didn’t find the Source.

When crisis strikes next or the waves of suffering crash over you…do it all again.

Be encouraged in the Lord my friends…He has given us the ultimate Comforter and Counselor to help us in our time of need…However, we are the ones who need to make the time for Him so He can do His work in us.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace at all times and in every way that peace and spiritual well-being comes to those that walk with Him regardless of life’s circumstances.

Jesus Calling presents a word picture I have not seen before that I would like to share with you this morning…

“When most of your mental energy goes into efforts to figure things out, you are unable to receive this glorious gift (of peace). I (Christ) look into your mind and see thoughts spinning round and round: going nowhere, accomplishing nothing. All the while, My Peace hovers over you, searching for a place to land”.

I don’t know about you but my thoughts can seriously run me ragged some days!!

They can keep me awake at night.

They can keep me in turmoil throughout the day.

They can get me anxious and worried.

They can make me angry when I wasn’t angry before.

They can make me cry and feel sorry for myself.

They can make me feel like I have a concentration issue because I can’t seem to think about only one thing.

Sound familiar at all?

Please tell me I am not alone here!

What I see suddenly, is that when my thoughts are spinning the Lord’s peace is present and hovering over me…can you see it in your mind?

But, because I cannot be still it cannot land.

Think of a bird hovering over the chaotic ground waiting for something to stop swirling so it can land.

What happens next?

I keep spinning and have zero peace about me.

As with everything in our faith, we have a role to play here…we cannot be passive and expect God to magically touch us with His wand and make us stop spinning.

Could He? ABSOLUTELY.

But, that is NOT how God works…He desires our participation in our relationship with Him- as opposed to a genie in a bottle scenario.

God asks that we seek Him.

God asks that we turn to Him.

God asks that we take captive our thoughts.

God asks that choose to think on good things and be thankful at ALL times.

We have to grab the peace that is hovering over us and yank it down like a blanket- letting it shroud us to give us rest and protection- by choosing to stop the spinning trust the Lord instead.

Exodus 11:3 tells us that the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

Alright.

Let me back this story up because I am in amazement over this verse this morning.

This is is the story of Moses and the Great Exodus of the Hebrew nation from Egypt.

The Israelites had been oppressed for over 400 years in Egypt and their cry to Lord for freedom was answered through Moses.

By this point in the story, there have been (by my fast count) 7 plagues brought on by God to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites slaves.

These plagues were no joke.

It may have started with the water inconvenience of the whole Nile turning to blood and some pesky frog infestation but when the hail of fire rained down that killed the crops and everything else exposed to it I would think the people of Egypt were suffering.

If that wasn’t enough, prior to the hail, was the plague of boils…Go ahead and Google a boil and see if those sound fun.

I believe they were pretty miserable.

What the Bible tells us is that not one plague affected the Hebrew people: not their livestock or the land on which they lived.

Their crops were just fine.

Their skin was intact.

Their livestock thrived.

And YET…at the end of all these plagues (before the worst one of all came down that would kill all the first born of Egypt as Pharaoh had decreed to be done the Hebrew newborn boys 40 years prior), the people of Egypt found favor in the people of Israel and ESTEEMED Moses as a leader.

THEY WERE NOT JEALOUS OF THE ISRAELITES THAT WERE PROTECTED AND THRIVED THROUGH THESE CALAMITIES.

THEY WERE NOT EMBITTERED TOWARD THEM.

They actually seemed to LIKE them in spite of all the horrible things that had been happening on the Egyptian soil.

AND, instead of hating the leader that seemed to make all these horrible things happen, they admired him.

WHAT?!

Who ever heard of such a thing?

A person finds favor in someone who is thriving in the face of their own absolute suffering?

They don’t BLAME the other person for their own misfortune?

How easy could it have been to use the Israelites as a scapegoat of sorts for the Egyptians troubles?

In verse 2, we are told the God instructed the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold….and they gave it to them because of this favor…this admiration for a people so blessed and protected by God.

Only God could design a person’s heart to have the capacity to be so generous instead of exhibiting hostility.

The people of Egypt responded in the exact opposite way of Pharaoh- their leader and king.

Where his heart was hardened against Israel, their hearts were softened.

Why is that?

How is that?

God said Pharaohs heart would be hardened so the glory of the Lord would be revealed without a doubt through these circumstances.

God’s glory is NOT in miracles…His glory and power is reflected in the transformation of a person’s heart and therefore life choices.

His people were chosen, special, and set apart…they were to be the example for the world to emulate…they were to be a light shining in a darkened pagan world.

Jesus was the same.

He was radical.

He made people uncomfortable.

He was honest…genuine…. pure.

He was a tough teacher.

But people were drawn to Him by the thousands.

Why?

Like a moth to a flame….we are drawn to the Light.

There is something so appealing about goodness and love…we want to resist it but, being created in the image of God, we cannot.

The Egyptians were drawn to the Israelites and wanted to help them because they could not resist being a part of God’s great glory.

Powerful stuff.

Be blessed today friends.

We had an unusual occurance at my house this weekend. It was rather enlightening in many ways about who we are as a family, who God is as our Father, and who Jesus is as our Shepherd.

You may or may not know that we are not cat people. My family and my husband’s family have NEVER owned a cat…ever.

Soooo…we got a cat last year: Henry is his name.

It has been….interesting…adapting to owning a cat.

Did you know that cats are not like dogs?

Like, at all.

Crazy, huh?

Eye opening realization for me and my household- let me tell you!

In our acceptance of Henry and his acceptance of us (because apparently cats don’t just love you as their human like a dog does), we have grown pretty fond of him.

This brings me to Sunday afternoon…

I come home from church and expect to see his usual slant eyed glare in greeting from the top of the stairs…he does not show up.

I quickly realize he is nowhere to be found in the house and then see that the first floor window screen has been popped out!

I quickly put one and two together to draw the conclusion that he had escaped out the window!

My husband and boys returned home soon after to find me circling the house with Henry’s treats calling for him.

My son decided to look under the front porch and saw Henry’s green eyes starting back at him!

However, Henry was pretty spooked by the exposure to the BIG OUTSIDE WORLD and ducked further back under the porch where we could no longer see him let alone reach him.

In a manner of minutes, my husband did the unimaginable: he started to tear up the porch in his effort to get our little man back to us!

Once the boards were lifted, we saw a very small hole in the corner…but no Henry under the porch.

My oldest put his arm way down into that tiny hole and used his phone to take a video: checking to see if we could see Henry at all.

Low and behold, Henry had gotten himself wedged super far under a dirt cave within the foundation that surrounded our house under the deck.

We could not reach him.

My husband and boys began digging more frantically in an effort to reach him before they realized it was futile. Either Henry would somehow come up on his own or….he wouldn’t.

We decided to enclose the area with a tarp and waited to see what would happen next..

Now, I don’t know about the rest of you…but to me, tearing up my front porch is a HUGE deal!

To do so in an effort to rescue a cat is radical!

One could say it is an example of radical love.

Without hesitation, my husband grabbed a crowbar and started to yank up floor boards with our sons looking on and me laying on the ground crying and pleading with Henry to come out.

As I watched him, I was amazed. All I could think of was how much a father loves his family and would do anything for them.

I looked at our boys and knew we would do so much more for them if the situation called for it.

I could not help but think of what exactly it means when a shepherd, our Shepherd, leaves the 99 in search for that one lost.

Sometimes, it looks like laying on the floor by the stairs waiting to hear a sound from kitten in the hole below.

Sometimes, it looks like waiting by the phone while pacing, crying, and praying to hear that your boy is alright.

Sometimes, it looks like your head on the hospital bed that he is sleeping on while your body is in a hard wooden chair.

Sometimes, it is nose to nose, forehead to forehead: breathing the same air together to keep the panic at bay when he is getting stitches.

It looks like my Savior going to the Cross for me…His Father held nothing back so I could be saved.

That is radical love…

After a few hours, Henry poked his head up from the hole and meowed frantically for me to pick him up…and then, if you knew this cat you would know how crazy this next part is, he let me hug him tight for a few minutes.

My husband went back to work today… putting life back together as well as our front porch..he also tightened all the screens in the windows to prevent a future incident!

Our Father in heaven does the same…keeps us safe, sets boundaries, watches over us…

We, too, are radically loved.

“There is nothing as tragic as being alive and not enjoying life” (Closer to God Each Day Devotional; Joyce Meyer).

That is a profound statement that can really make a person stop and think, isn’t it?

The tough truth is that there is extreme difficulty in enjoying life when there isn’t much to enjoy happening at that particular time of life.

We must look hard for those things that we enjoy and the things that bring us Joy when we find ourselves in those valley’s…

“There is peace and fullness of joy in My loving presence….Bask in this Light of Life so that you can reflect Me to others” (Jesus Always by Sarah Young).

It is one thing thing to absorb peace and joy from the Lord while resting in His presence…it is a whole other thing to reflect that joy to someone else!

I can sit and bask in it OR I can get out there and reflect it…

That got me thinking about when have I reflected the joy of the Lord…and what exactly does that look like?

Looking through pictures in my search for joy I realized something:

I reflect joy the most when I am with or watching my kids (I see their faces)

My husband and I are enjoying life together and with our friends

I am with those kiddos that have made as much an impact on me as I hope I have had on them

I am feeling thankful for being able to enjoy life..

These are the moments to cling to in the valley.

Jesus said in John 8:12 ” I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life”.

I desire to walk in the Light.