Look What I Found!!!

Our family brought in the New Year with a busted hot water heater and 40 gallons (or so) of water in our carpet.  We've lived in this house for 17 years and have never had a claim on our homeowners insurance.  We've also never had new carpet.  Every year we would tuck back a little money to get new floors but a car would break down or a kid would need money for a school trip...you get the picture.  Anyway, it was beyond repair and the adjuster came out and wrote us a check for new carpet through the whole house.  Yay!!!!!!!  There was the silver lining!  

Only, guess what.  I went into our bedrooms and began to assess the situation and did you know there is carpet under the bed?  And the dressers...and the pile in the corner...AND the closets????  Yep, just move those shoes and bags and right there it is...CARPET!!!  We had to move everything out of every bedroom to bring in the new carpet. And suddenly I realized that somewhere along the way, we collected A LOT of stuff.  I really hate piles...I like tidy and orderly and everything in it's place.  But, life happened and we lived in survival mode and things piled up.  So, I began to pack boxes and purge junk and I found stuff I forgot I had.  And I began to dream...about a beautiful bedroom and a fresh start.  I would paint and get new bedding with lots of pillows and it would be a place to relax after a long day!  

Of all the things I found that day in that room, HOPE was the most valuable.  

And so I began to realize that my heart and mind had become just like my bedroom.  Life happened and I went into survival mode and stuff started piling up.  

 It's a new year...an opportunity for new things, but I couldn't dream.  I couldn't get excited.  And as I went in to assess the situation, I realized that somewhere, under piles of disobedient thoughts, and unsurrendered fears and even unforgiveness...was my hope.  There was no room for new things.  I was going to have to pack up and purge old things.

Now ya'll...I know better!!  I've taught workshops on bringing every thought into obedience.  But the trials were bigger in this season and the mountains were taller and the waves were relentless, and for a brief time, I took my focus from the Source of my hope.  

It was so subtle.  I didn't even realize what was happening.  I was just getting through my days and the piles were forming.  

So now...I rejoice as I purge the junk.  I begin to dream about what beautiful thing God is going to do because as I'm casting out imaginations and packing up disobedient thought...I'm finding my hope and I'm getting excited about new things!

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

II Cor 10:5

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE  in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 43:5

TMI!! Where's the Love?

Recently, as I was doing a study on insecurities, I ran across something that has been on my mind so much, I finally decided it was time to write.  I want to share this thought with others because I believe it is such a subtle and destructive tool of satan.  I have seen it at its ugliest and I myself have been guilty of it at one time or another.

I read a passage in a book called “So Long Insecurities” by Beth Moore.  The passage described the account of a young lady who was engaged to a guy and learned some things about him that caused her to rethink her decision to marry him.  She believed God brought this information to her attention to protect her from making a life-long mistake.  But though she had enough information to make the right decision, she was driven to learn more.  To her detriment, she went on a fact-finding mission.  The information she gathered did nothing for her except to wound her more deeply and strip her further of her security.

The lesson here is HUGE!  When God wants us to know something, He is able to reveal the matter without our going to dig it up.  And when He is doing the revealing, no matter how upsetting or disappointing, He is also supplying the grace and wisdom we need to deal with the matter.  Where we get into trouble is when we get TOO MUCH INFORMATION.  I’m not talking about sticking our heads in the sand here…we don’t have to go to one extreme or the other.  I don’t know all that motivates us to “dig up” stuff or continue to “gather” information God never intends for us to know…I’m certain there are some people who are just malicious and desire to destroy and some who are just plain nosey…but I think in many cases it is motivated by the lie we believe from the enemy that we need to protect ourselves.  Some of us have been wounded…deeply wounded.  We find it difficult to trust and feel we need to brace ourselves for the next hurt.  We don’t want to be caught off guard and disappointed…we don’t want to be “gullible”.  We analyze the apologies of another to decide whether it’s safe to accept it and say, “Fool me once…shame on you!  Fool me twice…shame on me!  The problems is…TMI without the grace and wisdom of God does the opposite…it strips us of security, wounds us and destroys relationships.  I’ve personally seen this mindset destroy a church body.  It’s WRONG!!!  If you are tempted in this way, I implore you to consider what God’s Word says in I Corinthians 13.  I will paraphrase verse 7…Love bears all things: a good example of this is a parent whose child has made a mistake.  Though the parent deals with the matter, they do not share it with everyone because they do not want others to think badly of their child.  They cover the matter in order to protect their character.  We are called to do this with our fellow Christians.  Love believes all things: rather than being cynical, love believes the best of others.  It hopes that the best will come out of the mistakes of others.  It endures all the wrong doing of others because self has been sacrificed and the Spirit of Love is in full control.

Our hearts tell us it’s risky, our flesh says protect yourself, the world tells us it’s being gullible…God calls it love…and says we’re nothing unless we’re expressing it the way Christ did.

Let’s trust God to do our protecting and to supply the information we NEED…let’s reject TMI and get to the business of loving!

Mary: A God-Sized Life

Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

The idea was proposed to me during a sermon by my pastor that we should ask God to do something God-sized in and through our lives. Well, this idea had never occurred to me. My first thought was, "Sounds scary...". Then I began to really ponder this concept and I knew I wasn't worthy to be used in such a way. I was honest with God and poured out my concerns and He patiently brought me to a place of surrender. I told Him I would give Him all the glory if He would do something God-sized in my life. Soon after, I received some unexpected news that would mean some changes for me. It wasn't something I would have chosen, but God assured me that it was part of the God-sized work I surrendered for. I guess you could say this required a second level of surrender. To give up my 'me-sized' plans for His plans.
In hopeful anticipation, I wait, believing God will complete the work He has started. One source of hope I draw from is the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The invitation:
At some point, Mary invited God to do something God-sized in her life. The Scripture doesn't give specifics on this, but we know that God doesn't take over what hasn't been offered to Him.

The surrender:
Mary was a teenage girl who was anticipating her upcoming wedding. She was an ordinary girl with dreams and plans which were all changed by some unexpected news. We see in Luke, chapter one, that Mary's first reaction was fear when she learned she would be the mother of God's son. Then there was confusion...how can this be? She had never been with a man...what would people say. What would Joseph say? Could this be from God?!? You and I would have chosen a well established husband and wife with a decent home and income...maybe even other children so that they were experienced parents. But God's ways aren't our ways! He chooses to use ordinary people who are surrendered. In verse 38, we see Mary come to another level of surrender..."Behold the handmaid of The Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word." She said, Have thine own way Lord!

The glory:
Then we go look down at verse forty-nine of Luke 1, and there we see the real secret of the God-sized life. Mary gives all the glory to God! She says, "For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name!" This was possibly the hardest part for me initially because, as I have mentioned in previous entries, I have struggled greatly with insecurities and the need for approval. I can say today that my greatest joy is to bring glory to my Savior alone! It gives my whole life purpose...Holy is His name!!!

Mary had the Lord Himself living inside of her and God used her to bring forth the Word incarnate to the world. I'm certain, like any expectant mother, Mary nurtured that life inside her making sure to create a healthy dwelling place. Those of us who have received Christ as Savior also have Him living inside of us and God desires to use us in much the same way He used Mary...to bring His living Word to a lost and dying world.
In verse 28, the angel told Mary she was 'highly favored'. This is the same thing that is being said to all believers in Ephesians 1:6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted (favored) in the beloved." Jesus did the work to make us worthy and God desires to do a God-sized work in the life of every believer if we will ask, surrender, and give Him all the glory.
Mary was willing for her life to be changed in order that the lives of so many others may be changed...what better purpose could we have in 2013?

My Only Hope: Death

"It's as if the Lord has our name on specific trials.  They are specifically designed for us, arranged with our weaknesses and our immaturity in mind.  He bears down and doesn't let up.  And we groan and we hurt and we weep and we pray and we grow and we learn." Chuck Swindoll

"Man's goings are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?" Proverbs 20:24

For so long, every time the Lord has designed trials for me, I have been convinced that I coped with these times far worse than other people who go through difficulties...and maybe I did and do.  I'm not sure where I got the idea that these tests were to grade our "coping skills"...I just assigned myself a grade and in my mind I always fell short.  The enemy convinced me that my value was less than others because of the things I went through as a child.  I was damaged goods...never good enough for God to use in a big way.  I would have to settle for something mediocre.  I equated "value" with "importance and rank" which I based on performance.  I became obsessed with proving that I could be trusted with something big, and craved to be affirmed by other people.  I was addicted to approval and acceptance and would do anything for another "fix".  If I got an "atta girl", it was a good day and I felt an sense of relief for a time, but if no one noticed me or I made a mistake or was criticized in any way, I was devastated; convinced that I was right in thinking that I could never be valuable.  Oh boy!  This became a deep rooted bondage.  But even when the Lord revealed to me what was going on and I recognized it for what it was, I couldn't break free on my own.  I tried over and over again and failed miserably.  God would have to tear out that root and, as I would soon find out, it was intertwined and wrapped around every part of my soul.  The Great Physician would have to perform surgery...very painful surgery.  As the realization of how painful this would be resonated in my mind, a theme became evident.  Suddenly, every sermon I heard was about dying.  All my Bible reading was about dying...everything was pointing to death.  I realized the only solution.  A reality that was so frightening, I fought against it until I was so miserable and so weary, I could no longer fight...only surrender to the inevitable...DEATH!
I had spent years in depression feeling like I was buried alive.  In a deep pit of despair that felt like a grave.  I imagined death would be a relief and yet everything in me fought to live.  I cried out and God heard me and delivered me back with the living.  I was so surprised and excited when He delivered me to be not only functioning, but apparently being used by God in my church and in the lives of others.  It was more than I could ever have hoped for!  And now I learn that the only cure for my approval addiction is death!
Death...once again alone, forgotten, useless.  That's how I pictured it.  Death isn't pretty or exciting.  It goes against our human drive to live.  But I had two choices: 1.)Keep my life and live it in crippling bondage, or 2.) Go down to the grave.  Take up my cross and follow Christ unto death.
Finally, I surrendered...crawled up on the alter to have the root ripped from my soul.  I will not lie to you...it was painful.  It was very painful. 
BUT IT WAS SWEET!  So very sweet.  I did feel alone and forgotten for a short time.  But my Savior did not leave me in that grave.  He resurrected me...He raised me up!  I woke up and I was free!  Free from the bondage of condemnation.  Free to be who He created me to be.  Free to raise my hands up when I sing praises to His name.  Free to cry and laugh...even free to fall down and fail!  It no longer mattered about me...suddenly there was no one in the world except Him.  The cross and death saved my life from hell and it saved my life from bondage.  I'm FREE!

John 12:24-25
"Verily, verily, I say unto you.  Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.  He that loves his life shall lose it!"

Seeing in the Dark

Have you ever spent the night somewhere, like a hotel or maybe a relative's house at the holidays, and woke in the night? It's hard to sleep sometimes in an unfamiliar place...but even harder to try to maneuver around in the dark. I rarely sleep through the night, regardless of where I am. But, when I get up and try to find my way around in an unfamiliar room in the dark, I move very slowly. If you had night vision goggles, you would see me groping around, stumbling on things, running into furniture and walls and usually wounding myself. Not a graceful sight...I assure you!
But, in my own room, when nature or a child calls me out of my sweet slumber, I can get out of the bed without seeing a thing, and move freely and confidently throughout the room. I don't run into walls or stumble over furniture.
Why? Because I know my room. It's as if I have a picture of it in my mind. I have confidence because, for years, the dresser has been against the far wall, the door to the hall is to the left, the desk is to the right and the restroom door is straight ahead. It hasn't changed.

The other day, I was looking out the back door at what I knew would be one of the last sunny days of summer. (I appreciate something about every season that God has made, but I feel great when the sun is shining.) I looked up to the sky, and said, "God, why can't the sun shine everyday? You know how I struggle on the dreary days when I can't see the sun."
Now, I honestly did not expect a response...but He spoke to my spirit. "Danielle, look at things right now while the sun shining. Now, take a picture of that in your mind and save it. Now, on the days when darkness covers everything, and you can't see the sun, look at that picture and remember that nothing has changed in the dark. You just can't see it right now...but it's the same...I'm the same."
Wow!! Just because it looks different...doesn't mean it is different.
We can walk through the dark times just as easily as we walk through the good times, if we know Him. Because to know Him is to know that He never changes. To know Him is to know He never leaves or forsakes. To know Him is to know that He is merciful and longsuffering. To know Him is to know that nothing is too hard for Him. To know Him is to know that He ALWAYS has a plan that He is working for your good and His glory...no matter how many times you have failed Him.
We must long to know Him. We must study to know Him. Our faith is strengthened by hearing. How do we hear? Through the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Whether you realize or not, you have a picture of God in your mind. What is it based on? Your feelings, your circumstances, your past failed relationships? Or is it based on the Truth...found in His Word. Get to know Him. You will find yourself walking confidently through things, even when you can't see Him in them...because you know He never changes...even in the dark!
For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. (Proverbs 3:26)

Prescription for Anxiety: Take as Directed Step 4

In the last post, we looked at Matthew 6:33, which told us to "Seek ye first..." We touched on getting our focus on God, but let's look at that in detail because if we are to have victory over anxiety, we must adjust our focus!
When we are focused on Him, He gets bigger and bigger in our eyes and our problems get smaller and smaller. Just like the hymn says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. That's not just a song you know...it's the truth!
Those of us who are experiencing anxiety, are most likely focusing on one or both of the following things: circumstances and/or self. Let's focus on our focus for one moment.

Circumstances:
There was a man named Peter. Matthew tells us about an experience Peter had and I think we can all identify with it. Most folks have heard of the familiar story found in chapter 14 of Matthew's gospel, where the disciples got into the boat and crossed to the other side of the sea. The clouds probably looked dark and suspicious when they started out, and before the evening ended, a terrible storm had brewed and was causing fear for even the experienced fisherman, Peter. The men looked out onto the water and saw something that frightened them as much as the storm...could it be a ghost? Of course, soon they would realize it was Jesus. Peter wanted to make sure it was Him, and not some spirit, so he asked Jesus if He would allow him to walk on the water too. "Come" Jesus replied and without a second thought, Peter hopped out of the boat and began to walk on the water! Well, you're probably thinking about now, "No, Danielle, I can't relate to this story. I have never walked on water." But hang on because we're getting to the good stuff....verse 30 tells us this: Peter was walking on the water..."But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me!"
So much packed into that one sentence!!!
First of all, I want you to notice the sequence of events: 1.) Peter focused on the storm (circumstances) instead of the Lord. 2.) He became afraid. 3.) He began to sink.
This is exactly what happens to us. We focus on the storms of bills, health problems, consequences of past mistakes, the decision that looms over us...on and on. Then we get afraid and what does fear and anxiety always lead to...depression. We sink into discouragement and depression. BUT!! What did Peter do when he started to sink? He cried to the Lord, save me! And verse 31 tells us: "and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Wouldn't it be great if we could learn not to doubt? To keep our eyes focused on Him and walk over the stormy waves in our life?
I know this is what we all want, but when we do sink, He is always there...we can cry out to Him and He will save us. What a wonderful, gracious Savior!
Now, while we all struggle with doubt, we can learn to sink less and less, by purposely looking over the crashing waves and keeping Him in our focus!

Self:
We've already covered the importance of taking our thoughts into captivity. Let's go a little further with that and consider the tape recorder we all have playing over and over in our minds. What message is recorded on yours? Does it say, "Oh, you're so stupid...why did you say that?". Or maybe, "Everybody is talking about you and they all think you are ________". Maybe you hear something someone actually said to you that was hurtful or maybe you remember a past mistake and cringe. Whatever it is...it is focus on self and it is a form of pride. Eventually, if left unchecked, it will lead you to anxiety and depression.
Author Tim Hansel reports his findings after a study on self talk:
When we speak normally, we speak at a rate of 120 words per minute. But, our self talk (inner dialogue or tape recorder) is spoken at a rate of 1300 words per minute which adds up to 78,000 words per hour and 1,248,000 words per day...and this does not include the 8 hours we sleep. His findings show that 70 percent of all self talk is negative!!!! This should not be.
The truth is, the human brain can not think of two things at the same time...if we are spending this much time focused on self and negative thoughts, we most certainly are not meditating in His Word day and night.

The answer to the problem goes back to taking our thoughts into captivity and recording a different message on that tape recorder. We must be proactive in putting the right things in our mind and then choosing to over ride the negative with the positive. Quit listening to the father of lies...quit making his job so easy! Sometimes we are own worst enemy.

The Bible talks about this. Our own heart attacks us...you know the same heart that is deceitful above all things...the one that is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). I John 3:20-21 says "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. But if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God". The heart, in this sense, is referring to our "meditator"...the part of us that reasons things out and forms beliefs. You see, what we meditate on or think about over and over, determines what we believe. What we believe determines how we respond to the circumstances in life...and our responses are the vehicle that takes us where we will go. God wants us to have confidence in Him...not so we have a warm fuzzy feeling inside, but so that we can accomplish His purpose for our lives...so we can go far for His glory. Ephesians 3 talks about that purpose and it says He wants to do in us and for us, exceedingly and abundantly above what we could ask or think!
The truth is...most of us give up, or don't even try to fight against the discouraging and anxious thoughts...we don't want to do the work to have a disciplined thought life because we don't believe it is worth it. But it is worth it...it is! You don't have to take my word for it...take His Word for it! Focus on Him and you can and will experience peace.

The prescription for anxiety is peace. Remember: God has promised a different kind of peace...a peace that passes understanding! The world's "peace" offers immediate but temporary relief and is always followed by costly consequences and shame. God's way costs something up front, but is always followed by great reward.
He tell us in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Prescription for Anxiety: Take as Directed Step 3

In the first blog, we discovered that peace is freedom from disquieting and oppressive thoughts. Peace is the prescription, the cure in fact, for anxiety. Each blog in this series has been a step for obtaining peace. Let's look at a verse that will help us with Step 3...Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts You."
There it is again...a mind fixed on God and godly thoughts will have peace. If you feel anxious, you automatically know your mind is not stayed on God. But there is a second part introduced here. Trust.
We must learn to trust Him.
When I was first coming out of the pit, I was so overwhelmed. I really didn't know where to start first. I thought, if God would just remove these difficult circumstances, I would be happy and trust Him. But God did not wave a magic wand and fix everything. As I was crying out to Him and asking Him what to do first, He led me to Matthew 6:33. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Think about that and read it again!!!
He was actually saying to me, "Danielle, here's what you do first. You get your mind focused on me. You seek me and my righteousness, and I will take care of all these things you are worried about." I was SO excited. So, I went back and read the verses before to find out what things would be added unto me...in verse 31 it said what I would eat, drink and wear...in fact all things I was in need of...were the things God would take care of. It said He knows what things I am in need of...He's just waiting for me to focus on Him. After all, as verse 26 and 28 says, He does that for the birds and the flowers and we are more important to God than those things. Haven't you ever noticed that the birds always have a song...it's because they aren't worried about their next meal. They are not worried about anything. They know their Creator is going to provide. Getting our mind off of our problems and needs, and getting them focused on God, will bring peace. But it takes us trusting Him.
But there is more...Matthew 6:34 says this, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
This verse is a warning...a warning against looking too far down the road and trying to handle tomorrow's problems with only today's grace. Listen...Looking too far down the road overwhelms us and causes anxiety and depression.
I remember waking up in the mornings in those early days of coming out of the pit, and feeling this dread that would beat me back down into the bed. I would think about the day ahead or the weeks ahead, and I just felt overwhelmed and hopeless. I was defeated before I got started in the day. Well guess what!! I didn't know it at that time, but I didn't have to try to handle tomorrow's problems today, because I get new grace, mercy and compassion from the Lord tomorrow to handle tomorrow's problems. In fact, we all do...we all get new mercies every single morning! And when we recall that, we have hope. Just like Lamentations 3:21-22 says, "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."
So, to summarize Step 3...First things first! First, seek Him and His righteousness. Then, don't look too far down the road trying to handle tomorrow's problems with only today's grace. Instead, trust Him to take care of your needs which includes new grace for the day's difficulties.
When we TRULY believe that He is working every single thing together for our good, we can rejoice in the face of hard times...this is where trust begins. Believing that God is able and even desires to do a great work in us. And it really helps in the dark times to remember that God's Word promises that all things are only for a season. It may seem like there is no end to the suffering, but God says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)
And I didn't plan to say this...but let me tell you what was the most freeing moment in my life. It was when my pastor said, God made the game and He made the rules the game is played by. He is God and you are not. In that moment, instead of being angry at God for the past and present pain or resisting God's authority in my life, I surrendered. Peace flooded...literally flooded till I felt it physically fill my whole body. Sweet surrender! I began to trust Him in that moment and it was a step out of the pit!
Step 3 to peace is Learn to Trust God! Watch for Step 4 in the next blog.

Prescription for Anxiety: Take as Directed 2

Prescription for Anxiety: Take as Directed. Step 2

In the last blog, we talked about taking our thoughts into captivity and bringing them into obedience because our thoughts directly affect the way we feel emotionally and physically. We saw in God's Word the command to think on "these things". To make it a point to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. I want to encourage you to write out each of those words and even list some things that would fall into each category so you will be armed with ammunition against disobedient thoughts. Remember...this does not come naturally! Let me give you an example...I was facing some medical tests, and the enemy was putting all kinds of thoughts in my mind about what the results would be. "It's probably cancer...or something that will cost a lot of money to fix...you know you don't have insurance..." On and on the thoughts flowed until I was almost paralyzed with fear. God whispered, "Are you taking your thoughts into captivity...are you thinking on things of good report, Danielle?" I wasn't thinking on "these things"....I was thinking on things of bad report. When I went to the doctor for the results, it turned out to be nothing. But even if it was "something", all my worrying wouldn't have changed it...in fact, it most likely would have made another health problem. Most of us let thoughts invade...we treat them like a welcome guest. We feed them and entertain them and let them hang out till they take over the "household" so to speak. Let's make it a point to think about what we are thinking about.
This brings me to Step 2. Since thinking on "these things" does not come naturally, we must purposely put the right thoughts in our mind daily.
We have to renew our mind by getting in the Word. Doesn't this sound cliche'? Many of us have heard it so much, it just sounds like nothing more than Christian lingo. But Romans 12:2 tell us that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Now, this isn't a matter of just reading a chapter and checking it off our list. This is all about meditating. In fact, it is better to read one verse and really chew on it through the day, than to read a whole chapter of the Bible, slam the Bible shut and say...Done! Psalm 1:2 tells us that happy is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in the law (The Word) he meditates day and night. In other words, a person who wants to be happy puts "these things" in their mind daily and then thinks about it day and night.
Realize this. Depression and anxiety is bondage and every area of bondage in our lives is a result of a lie we believe. But the Truth will set us free. We must search the Truth (The Word) and replace the lies with the Truth. This is SO important....please do not just skim over this part. This IS the key...replace the lies with the truth!
Jesus wanted us to have peace...He said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me, ye might have peace" John 16:33. The things He spoke in His Word, he did so to give us peace! Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they that love thy law (The Bible) and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble).
You see! There is peace and happiness to those who are willing to get in the Word, love the Word, and meditate on the Word.
So let's review...We are going to take our thoughts into captivity, and we are going to think on "these things" by renewing our mind and purposely putting the right kind of thoughts in our mind daily. We're going to replace the lies with the truth.

Watch for Step 3 in tomorrow's blog.

Prescription for Anxiety: Take As Directed Step 1

Peace! Isn't that what we all crave? There's a little peace of mind then there's a little piece of mind. There was a time in my life where I gave a little piece of my mind to everyone who crossed me...in fact, I gave away so many pieces, there isn't much left. But, what I really needed was a little PEACE of mind.
According to Webster's dictionary, peace is freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts. There are two words that strike me in that definition: the word freedom and the word thoughts. If peace is freedom in our thoughts, then it would stand to reason that anxiety is bondage in our thoughts. Have you ever stopped to think about what you're thinking about? Did you know that if you do not take your thoughts into captivity, your thoughts will take you into captivity?
According to the Bible, we are to be disciplined in our thought life. II Corinthians 10:5 says "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
I love to visualize things and when I read this verse, I think of a movie called Monsters, Inc. A silly kids movie, I know. But I always picture the scene where a monster just returned from a scare mission in a child's bedroom. He turned around and there on his back was a contaminate...do you remember what it was? A child's sock! Somehow, this was considered toxic to their environment, and everyone who saw it went into panic mode. A whole team came in and isolated the item. They covered it with some kind of dome, screwed it to the ground and detonated a bomb which blew it to smithereens!
Just like the sock in the monster's environment, contaminated thoughts can be toxic in the environment of our hearts and minds. We must take those thoughts into captivity and then give it what I call "the thought test". We find this "thought test" in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, 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 is praise worthy, think on "these things".
See how that verse is worded as a command? It is instructing us to be purposeful and make it a point to think on "these things". It takes practice...we are in the habit of negative thinking and we have to learn to develop healthy, godly thinking habits. And it's not good enough, when times are hard, to "check out" and pretend that things aren't bothering us or to try to ignore the issues. Anxious people think...There is no way I can pay all my bills this month...I'm too tired to do all of this... I'm too overwhelmed to tackle all that is before me...Nothing ever works out for me...This is bound to end in disaster. Happy, peaceful people think...My God shall supply all of my needs...I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength...He will establish my thoughts...I know He is working all things for my good.
You see...how we think affects the way we feel emotionally and how we feel emotionally affects the way we feel physically. You can actually convince yourself to be sick.
I remember a specific incident where I was standing in the shower crying out to God. I was overwhelmed in my heart and the tears I had cried could have filled the bathtub. I kept saying, "God, I can't do it! What you are asking of me is too hard. I just can't do it!" The Holy Spirit brought back the verse to my mind and it was like God said, "Danielle, quit saying I can't and start saying I CAN do it through Christ because He gives me strength!" I did say it and I believed it and do you know, He did give me the strength! What victory...what peace! Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This literally means, guard your thought life, (what you think about and meditate on) because this is the command center for everything in your life.
Step 1 to obtaining peace: Take your thoughts into captivity and make it a point to think on "these things" found in Philippians 4:8.
Watch for tomorrow's blog for Step 2.

Journey Out Of The Pit

This blog was born from my own personal battle with anxiety and depression. There was a point in my life, a few years ago, that was so dark and so frightening, I really wasn't sure if I would survive or if I even wanted to. I tried many options based on advice from others such as medical professionals and even well-meaning Christians, but found little to no relief. It seemed I was caught in a pit of no hope, and was destined to live as a victim of circumstances. And as miserable as it was, I had grown weirdly comfortable with this familiar role...the self-proclaimed role of "lifetime victim". Just like the Children of Israel, I feared freedom...freedom from the bondage of a cruel and wicked ruler. I craved the familiar even though it was miserable.

Thankfully, God did not leave me there. "He brought me up also out of that horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps. He put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God..." Psalm 40:2-3. On the way up out of that pit, God taught me some very specific lessons and those are the things that I want to share with you. Things that I still use today when the enemy tries to take me hostage with fear and depression...things that really work! This is going to take a series of blogs, and I have decided to start by sharing a couple of things that DO NOT work...I've tried some of them numerous times, and I can tell you, they are not the cure. So, let's get started!

Almost always where you see one, you see the other: anxiety feeds depression and vise versa. Proverbs 12:25 tells us that "Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop....". (Literally translated: Anxiety in the heart causes depression) So, what's the answer?
If we were playing the game show Jeopardy, and the answer was "Things that DO NOT work to fix anxiety and depression", the question would be:
What are the quick fix, focus on self, focus on others, and focus on sin, Alex?
These are four things that DO NOT work...let's talk about them in more detail.
The Quick Fix:
What does this mean? One thing I craved was relief. I wanted it now and with as little effort on my part as possible. I was exhausted and didn't want to get out of bed in the mornings, let alone do any work. So, I was on a quest for the quick and easy. If I could just swallow a pill and feel better, that would be the ticket! So, under the care of a doctor, I began taking several types of medication. Some for anxiety and some for depression. I was diagnosed with mood disorder and bipolar...I now had a label! I know these are real conditions, but for me, it was like being branded. Sealed into bondage in a sense. An excuse for spending 18 hours a day in the bed and not taking on any responsibilities for fear that I would have a bad day and let people down. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against medication and in fact, I believe it can be used as a tool. But if you are looking for a quick and easy cure, you will find what I found...disappointment and emptiness. Let me make this very clear. I believe depression is real, I believe it manifests itself physically, and I believe medication can be a tool. But it is not the cure...even if you are medically bipolar, you still have an emptiness that can be filled with only one "thing"...God himself. I'm sure you have seen the commercials for the depression and anxiety medications that say "9 out of 10 people who are taking medication for depression or sadness still experience symptoms". This was true for me...I was medicated and numb, but still empty. It didn't fill the hole in my soul. There came a point when I had no doubt that God was directing me to stop depending on medication and to start depending on Him alone. That being said, I must insert a disclaimer here. If you are taking medication under the care of a physician, I do not recommend that you stop taking it unless you consult the physician and do so under their care and only if you are certain that God is leading you in such a way. Do not feel shame if you are at a place where you need this tool. There is a place for medical intervention and shame only intensifies anxiety and depression.
Let me sum it all up...Sometimes, medication is needed at as a tool to help with symptoms of depression and anxiety. In those times, we should be thankful that it is available and should not feel ashamed. But we should view it as a tool and not the cure because depression and anxiety are spiritual battles and will only be won with spiritual weapons...which I will share in detail in a future blog.
Focus On Self:
Okay, here's another thing I tried...I had several counselors who told me I had to learn to love myself. You need to take care of yourself first and focus on your needs right now. No one will love you if you don't love yourself. Just tell yourself, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and dog-gone-it, I like myself!" Well let me tell you, focus on self does NOT work. Self centered people are not pleasant...they are miserable! We were not created to serve self...we were created to serve God and find acceptance in Him alone. He does love us, even when we're not lovable and even when we don't love ourselves. True happiness comes from focusing on Him which I will cover in detail later...focus on self does not work!
Focus on Others:
If focus on self doesn't work, you would think the obvious answer would be focus on others. Haven't you heard people say, get busy helping someone else and you're problems won't seem very big. It will get your mind off of yourself! Well, there is some truth there and there is a time for that, BUT when you are empty, you have nothing to give others. Many times, under these circumstances, we are trying to earn favor or approval by being a good Samaritan. When you don't get that pat on the back, it can be very discouraging. The truth is, serving others is a natural result of focusing on God and being filled with His goodness and love. But getting this out of order can lead to deeper depression instead of satisfaction and joy.
Focus on Sin:
This one is a little touchy. Is anxiety and depression sin? In His Word, God issued the command to "fear not" more than any other command. He sent His Son that we may have life and have it more abundantly and He said it was impossible to please Him without faith. When we live our lives consumed with depression and anxiety, it is displeasing to God. That being said, well meaning Christians would criticize me for my lack of faith, and tell me I just needed to read my Bible and pray more. There is never reason for a Christian to be without hope, you are obviously not right with God, they would say. Well, there was an element of truth in what they were saying, but though their intentions were good, this caused me to be so focused on my failures and weaknesses, that I found myself deeper in it, than progressing out. Focusing on our sin and weakness DOES NOT fix anxiety and depression.

Chances are, you have tried one or more of these things that don't work...and found the same results that I did. Well, the good news is to follow...in the next several blogs, I'm going to share with you the things that DO work! The things that God used to bring me up out of the pit...and I guarantee that they will work for you too.

Now, this blog entry is exposure at its extreme for me personally. I feel very vulnerable as I share the lesson I am blogging about today. In fact, my blog entries are nothing more than snippets from my personal journal. It is based on lessons that I have learned and am still in the process of learning. There are two reasons I am compelled to write about this particular lesson. First of all, I feel I must expose this, for myself as a form of accountability, and for others because God's Word tells us to admonish one another.

So here it is...I have often wondered how someone (me) could be so prideful and so self-loathing all at the same time. (Hint #1-Self-loathing is focus on self which is pride undercover.) One minute, I feel like I am worthless, and the next minute, I think I'm pretty great. Usually just after this, I make a fool out myself or fall down miserably. I do not want to be this way. I have confessed it many times, believing it was behind me, and without any warning that I could see, there it is again. Pride! In fact, pride is the very reason it is so hard for me to share my struggle in this area. Pride is an abomination to God, it goes before a fall, and it is the hidden root of many sins.

Now, let me say this. Anytime we find ourselves confessing the same sin over and over and repeating it over and over, we must realize that we are only confessing the symptom of a sin. We are not at the root of the problem yet. But God sees the thoughts and intents of the heart, and He is able to uncover the root of the matter if we ask Him to.

As I prayed and asked God to dig up and expose the root, I began to see the deeper issue. I am measuring my value by what I am doing for others and for God, instead of what God has done in me. I would never think that my salvation comes by works because I know the verse in Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast." But, somehow, I believe that after salvation, I must DO something to have value to God and to others. We all want to be accepted. We all want to feel favored. But, there is no work we can do to earn favor with God. Our "righteousness" is like filthy rags in His sight. My value lies ONLY in the finished work of God's Son on the cross. Do you see why it is so important for us to see ourselves as Purchased Pearls. We are valuable to God because His Son gave all to purchase us! He showed us favor while we were yet sinners, not when we straightened up and did enough! Great! Right? Well, that brings me to the cold, hard truth as it lies in my heart...I am not nearly as concerned about my value to God as I am the approval of man. Ouch and I mean ouch! I hate to admit this so much I am literally flinching as I write it.

Take a look at this. Here is one way it is showing up in my life...I need to feel valuable so I get real busy, do good things and impress my peers. I get that pat on the back and I do "feel" valuable, but because that feeling of value is based on my works, I am plunged into pride. "Look what I have done. I'm pretty valuable and special!" It is a vicious cycle and it makes me sick and embarrassed to put it in writing! But it is reality. That's one reason salvation can not be based on our works. If we could do something righteous enough to get into Heaven, we would be so puffed up with pride, we would be of no use on this earth. (Eph 2:9)

I can not live a victorious Christian life if I only believe what I feel or see. The instant reward of man's approval feels good, but it does not require faith. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Jesus taught that if we do the right thing for the praise of man, we have our reward. That's it! No incorruptible treasure laid up in heaven...it is spent. I just wonder how many treasures I have squandered for the instant gratification of man's pat on the back. My prayer is that we will place our faith in God's Son and allow the favor of the Cross to be enough.


***If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, if you do not know for sure that you will go to Heaven when you die, then let me tell you how it easy it is to get that settled today! Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (that He died to pay for your sins), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved! If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you! You can email me at timldodd@yahoo.com, or post a comment on this entry. All Heaven rejoices when one gets saved!

Heart Attack!

I didn't have chest pains or shortness of breath or any other symptoms that commonly go with a heart attack. Of course, this wasn't your typical heart attack.

Have you ever remembered a mistake from the past that made you just want to crawl under something and hope that the ground swallowed you up? Have you left a gathering and critically analyzed everything you said and did, wishing you would have shut up long before you did? Have you ever wondered what you had to offer or what purpose you could serve on this earth, always feeling like you just don't quite measure up?

I can answer yes to all of that! And you know what I thought? At one point, I believed I truly was worthless, and later I thought it was an attack of the enemy, the accuser of the brethren...you guessed it...satan. The truth is, it may have been satan on some occasions, but what I didn't consider, was that it could be "the other accuser"...my heart! I didn't consider that my own heart could be attacking me!

I John 3:20 says that our hearts condemn (accuse) us. Who knew? We can be our own worst enemy.

Verse 19 says that we know we are of the truth (If we are a child of God we are of Jesus, the way the TRUTH, and the life) and we should persuade our hearts of it, because when our hearts aren't accusing us, we can have confidence in God! (vs. 21) So, what do I use to persuade my heart?
EVIDENCE!

I like word pictures, and I think of a court room scene here. The accuser (satan or my heart-which ever is attacking me at the time) is on one side and the defendant (me and my representative, Jesus) is on the other. The Judge, God, is sitting at an enormous bench at the front of the room wearing a robe with gavel in hand. The hearing begins. The accuser glares at me and begins to charge at me with accusations. Some of them are true. My face is hot as I look at the Judge, but there is no expression on His face. Just as I'm preparing to receive the anger and punishment that is sure to come, my Representative stands up and yells, "Objection! I've already paid the penalty for that offense". Then He presents the evidence: scars in the palms of His hands. The judge doesn't look at me at all! He looks right at the evidence and says, "Sustained. Case dismissed." Case after case, accusation after accusation, and it always ends this way. When the Judge looks at me, He doesn't see my offences. He sees the blood of His Son and my Representative.

WOW! That is GOOD stuff!

Unfortunately, it is SO hard for us to really get this concept. It seems too good to be true and we have learned to be cynical of things that seem too good. I encourage you to really meditate on this and let it sink in because when we can truly understand how God sees us, we learn to live in victory! I get so excited and humbled and amazed every time I picture Jesus Christ presenting His blood to my Heavenly Father as the payment for my sins.

Have you ever heard someone say, "Trust your heart" or "Follow your heart"? According to God's Word, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9)
You know what that tells me? I don't need to let my heart persuade me, I must learn to persuade my heart, using the evidence found in God's Word.

According to I John 3:22, when our hearts are not condemning us , we can have confidence in God and whatever we ask of Him, we receive. We can go to Him boldly.

So...let's do a spiritual check-up. Are you experiencing this kind of heart attack? Treat it using the prescription found in I John 3. Persuade it, using the same evidence that is good enough for an Almighty Judge and learn to live in victory and confidence!

I John 3:19-22
And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure (persuade) our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Judge Not!

Possibly, one of the most misused and misunderstood terms in the Christian language is the one that says, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Many times, it is used by someone who has been confronted about a wrong doing. It is followed up by something like, "Until you are sinless, don't point out what I'm doing wrong." What does the Bible say about it? Well, let me make it very clear, I'm not a Bible scholar, but I have asked God for wisdom in this area and I will share with you what He has shared with me.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to share the Truth with the non-believing, (Romans 10 tells us they can't call on Someone they haven't heard of and they'll never hear if no one tells them. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.) We also have a responsibility to encourage and edify fellow believers. (Eph. 4:15 talks about speaking the truth in love, and Galatians 6 talks about restoring someone who has been overtaken in a fault or who strays from the Truth.) No where in Scripture does it say that a person must be perfect and sinless to do these two things. It would certainly be wise to examine our own life to be sure there isn't a glaring fault that would discredit our efforts, but when God hand picked His apostles, they were far from perfect and He still uses imperfect people today. Praise the Lord for that!!!

Now where do we step over the line into judging?

Let's think about the job of a judge. A judge has a couple of responsibilities: To use the law to decide if a person is guilty and to assign punishment and see that it is carried out if that person is found to be guilty. John, chapter 8 gives an account of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees and Scribes believed themselves to be the most spiritual and they immediately brought the woman to Jesus. Not for healing, not for restoration, but because they wanted to be sure that she was punished for her sin. They even made a suggestion as to what punishment should be issued. What was Jesus' reaction? Verse seven says that He stood up and said, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her." According to Scripture, you do have to perfect to convict and decide punishment for someone in a spiritual sense. These jobs belong only to a holy God.

They could have went to her lovingly but they didn't. They could have pointed her to Jesus for forgiveness, which was the whole reason Jesus was on the earth. But they didn't. Their spirit was all wrong. Most likely, they forgot that they too fell short of the glory of God. If they happened to remember that they had sin, they probably compared it to hers and decided that their sin was somehow less offensive to God.

We can, however, and should, proclaim the Truth to all that God leads in our path. Why? Because the truth will set them free!! The key is what spirit you do it in. The only effective way is in love. I Cor. 13 tells us that the good things we do must be done in love, or it has no profit or effectiveness.

It isn't time for Christians to back down. We should be bold in sharing God's Word. In order to so, we must first know what His Word says. Satan and even unbelievers use Scripture, and if we don't know it, we will be tossed to and fro. Ephesians 4:14-15 says we need to quit being immature Christians, tossed to and fro and blown away by every wind of doctrine and by the trickery of men and cunning craftiness. They are trying to deceive us. Instead, we need to speak the truth in love and grow up into Him in all things. (paraphrased...please read for yourself) Boldness comes from confidence. Confidence comes from knowing the facts. If I focus on myself, I can't be bold because I hear Satan reminding me of all the reasons I am not worthy to speak God's Word. But, if I focus on what I know to be true about God, I can proclaim truth with all confidence!!

"Time to Clean House"

"God, I ask you to bless both of them and help them. Lead them to do what is right. In Jesus' name, Amen." That was the prayer prayed by a friend of mine about her husband and the woman he left her for after 25 years of marriage. Her testimony goes on to explain how, as soon as she was done praying that prayer, God let her know that it wasn't what He was looking for. "I don't know what you want from me, God! You say in your Word that we are to bless them that curse us and pray for them that despitefully use us. Well, that's what I'm doing and now you are telling me you won't accept my prayer? What do you want?" God's response was simple. "I want what's in there...I want what's in your heart."
"Okay! Here it is!", she responded and she began to pour out her heart to God. She told Him about the anger and how she wanted to die. She told Him she was afraid and alone. She told Him it wasn't suppose to be this way and she wanted to hurt the woman who tore her children's daddy away from their family. Everything was laid out on the tear stained floor of her bedroom. Her very heart was lying there, bare and exposed. And guess what. The healing began!
God took those pieces of her broken heart and began to mend and heal it. He let her know that it wasn't okay what happened to her...His dear precious child. He let her know that He saw every single tear she cried and was holding them in the palm of His hand. He let her know that He would never leave her nor forsake her.
God is not looking for prayers of fancy words. We don't need to place our pain in pretty packages before we present them to God. Certainly, we should come reverently to the throne of a Holy God, but we should also come boldly to find help in time of need! (Hebrews 4:16)
It's time to clean house. Go in the closets of your heart and empty them out at the feet of your Father. Doing anything less, is squandering the gift God gave us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of what He did for us on The Cross, we CAN come straight to God to find grace, mercy and help!! We don't need a priest or anyone else.
Oh, we are all tempted to call up someone, whose voice we can hear audibly, to share our troubles with. And sometimes that is okay...it just shouldn't be our first, and certainly not our only, reaction in the face of hardship. It may seem impractical to talk to Someone we can't see...it requires faith. It was hard for me at first. It went against what I believed prayer was about. It was SO hard for me to understand that God wanted to have that kind of relationship with ME! I could never express to God that I had angry feelings about something. But, He certainly knows it's there whether I tell Him or not. He wants me to give it to Him so He can change it and heal it! WOW! No one was more surprised than me! I was so excited about this new way to communicate with my Heavenly Father, that I dug out stuff that has been weighing me down for years. I got real honest with myself and real honest with God. The healing was refreshing, peaceful, wonderful, awesome, and amazing! I hope you'll try it for yourself.
Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." (Meditate on this)

If You Don't Run...You Can't Win!

Month after month, and still no change. Prayer after prayer, and still no answer. That's it! I see no logic in continuing...I quit!
I felt like I was in the middle of the ocean in a rowboat paddling my heart out...going around and around in circles. I was pretty sure I would never get to the other side at this rate. Paddling harder only sent me in circles faster. I had done all I could do and my decision was made...I would spend my time and energy on something worth while instead of on something that was destined for failure. The problem was...I never asked God what His will was. I just let logic lead the way!
Logic is a funny thing...I learned. It's not the basis that God works on. I'm sure it didn't seem logical to the children of Israel when they were running for their lives from Pharoah and his army, and God led them to the banks of an enormous sea. I'm sure it didn't seem logical to the disciples as they looked at five thousand hungry people, and Jesus told them to bring Him 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. The Bible is full of miracles and not one of them is logical. We forget that God is SO much bigger than logic.
We are faced with a difficult situation and immediately, we begin to beg God to make it easier. But, what if He is setting us up for a miracle? I once heard it said like this, "If a situation is not too big for us, then it is too small to become a miracle". We have to encounter situations that overwhelm us, before we can see how mighty and awesome God is.
Here I was..in the midst of an impossible situation by human standards. I had exhausted all of my options and came up short. So, what did I do? I summed up the situation, told God what He needed to do, and when He didn't do it...I freaked out and prepared to bail out! (Ain't that a hoot? I couldn't work it out, so I told God how He should work it out. )
The Bible puts it like this...we are in a race and we are to persevere. We are to run it to win the prize. When we don't see the finish line...we keep on running. When it seems like there is no hope of winning...we keep on running. Remember the movie Chariots of Fire? I'm like the character, Harold Abrahams... he said, "I run to win. If I can't win, I won't run!" When I see no hope or suffer a set-back, I want to quit...but remember his girlfriend's response? "If you don't run, you can't win."
Yeah, we are to run it to win it...but how does dropping out of the race accomplish that? How ironic, that I would be so afraid to fail, that I would take the only path to failure...quitting.
Let's keep on running...seeing those impossible hurdles as opportunities for miracles...living not by logic but by faith!!!!

The Potter Knows the Clay.

*Song-"The Potter knows the Clay"

Recently, I was involved in two events that both had a "tea party" theme. As I reflected on the teapot, my mind went to several verses in the Bible that refers to us as vessels. Just like the teapot is filled and used to serve others, God desires for each of us to be filled with his Spirit so we can serve others; so he can use us to pour out His love into others.

The Potter is fashioning each of His vessels for an exact purpose. He is forming us and molding us and refining us in the fire of trials. He knows just how much pressure to apply and how many times we have to go around His wheel, before we are ready to be a vessel of honor and beauty. Sometimes, we feel like we will break or burn up in the fire...sometimes we scream out for Him to stop, but He continues His loving work. Sometimes, we look at the progress and we think He's made a mistake or it seems like the pain has lasted too long and He's forgotten about us. But, Isaiah 29:16 says, "Surely you have things turned around; shall the potter be esteemed like the clay; for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing formed say of him that formed it, He had no understanding?" The Potter knows the clay!

Sometimes, the Potter has to break the vessel in order to remake it to fit His plan. Sometimes our vessels get damaged when someone abuses it or mistreats it, and sometimes we make mistakes that cause our vessel to become weak and cracked. The psalmist wrote, "I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel." Psalm 31:12.
Have you felt the pain spoken in that verse? I certainly have...I sat on the shelf, broken and filthy and unusable for several years. But...and this is the good part... II Timothy 2:21 says, "If a man therefore purge (cleanse) himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified (set apart), and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." It doesn't say, "unless you are too filthy or too broken". The Potter specializes in changing worthless into precious, guilty to forgiven, hungry into satisfied, empty into full...He specializes in changing broken into beautiful.
Friend, I don't know where you are at. I don't know if you are going through the fire of financial troubles, or health problems, or the loss of a loved one, or an unexpected tragedy. But I do know that the Potter has planned a beautiful design. You may not be able to see it right now because of the flames and the pain, but you will. You may be empty right now, but He is going to fill you and use you for something beautiful. Trust the Potter...because He knows the clay!
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of they hand.

"The Big Picture"

***Song from Danielle's Picks~ "Trust His Heart".

I was faced with a big project...I was painting huge pieces for a Christmas float. As I was adding deep shades of red to the gigantic wooden presents, it appeared to me, to be too dramatic. The sharp colors were right in my face. I found myself stepping way back to take in the whole picture at different times because it just didn't feel right. I mean, I knew the rules of shading and highlighting, but since I'd never worked on something this big, I began to question if the same rules would apply to such a big task. "What have I gotten into?", I mumbled to myself while I worked in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. "From now on I'm only tackling what I'm comfortable doing...smaller pieces...I need to see the whole picture while I'm working on it." However, after several hours of repeating the process of painting a little and stepping back, I finally realized that I could trust the rules of shading and highlighting on a huge piece...it worked the same no matter how big or small the task.

God used this experience to teach me. (He does that you know. He will often use the everyday familiar things in our lives to show us something special...something secret between you and Him.)
This is what He said to me that day: "This is your attitude about my promises, Danielle. You believe me and my Word, until a situation comes along that is too big for you and you can't see the whole picture. When are you going to learn to trust what you know to be true about me when things seem too dramatic...when things are in your face? There's no reason for you to step back...just keep going forward with confidence in what you know to be true about my promises. Don't settle for small things because it feels safe...I want to do big things on the canvas of your life. My promises work the same no matter how big or small the situation is."
What a sweet Father I have. He knows I am so tempted to live by my feelings...He knows I am his little, timid sheep. He uses the everyday things to gently remind me that I can trust Him...no matter how big or distorted the picture seems to me.

Friend, what are you facing today? No matter what it is, know that it has not surprised your Heavenly Father. I love what Joshua 3:4-5 says...you have not passed this way before...but get ready because the Lord is fixing to do wonders for you. (paraphrased by me...look it up!)
Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at ALL times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is our refuge."
Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible"!!!

Trust Him...He is worthy and He sees the BIG PICTURE!

YOUR Love Story

Once upon a time, there was a prince who was the son of a great king. Never before or since has there been a King as great as his father. Mighty men tremble in his presence, all the banks in the world do not have as much wealth as his, and his army is mightier than any other.
Now, the prince was hopelessly in love with a simple maiden. But there was one question: How could he share his love with her?
He could bring her to his palace and clothe her in royal robes, a crown and beautiful jewels. She wouldn't be able to resist...but would she love him back, or would she secretly dream of her old life?
He could ride down into the valley to greet her mounted on his royal horse, surrounded by his armed escorts and bright banners. But would she love him back... or simply submit to him because he was the prince?
There was only one thing he could do. He would descend and give up the throne. He would give up his wealth and power and he would walk away from his identity. He would wear the clothes of a beggar and simply live among her people, allowing her to choose him as he had chosen her. It would be a costly risk, but she was worth the cost.

You write the end of the story...you are the fair maiden.
The Prince of heaven desires you. He wants nothing from you except your love. He is seeking you but he will not force you to love him back. He is waiting for you to choose him just as he has chosen you.



(I adapted this from a story told by the author Soren Kierregaard...I read it in a book by Dannah Gresh.)

Its A Twister!

***Song from Danielle's Picks~ "Mighty is the Power of the Cross".

The bus was rolling along the Oklahoma interstate as I sat quietly in my seat just behind the driver. (Hey! I'm telling this story and I say I was being quiet.) The wind was gaining strength and making it difficult for the bus driver to maintain control of the bus. As I looked at the horizon from my window, I could see three distinct layers. Layer one was flat land that stretched out for miles around us. Just above that was a thin layer of dark blue sky and directly above that was a black layer that confirmed the forecast for storms coming in. There was talk around the bus about some nearby dangling clouds that could easily spin off a tornado, but there was no rain or lightening. Just a light foggy mist.
Moments later, one of the other passengers sat forward and said, "Is that a funnel cloud or is my eyes playing tricks on me?". All eyes shifted forward immediately as leadership began to assess the situation. The pastor told the bus driver to get us under the overpass.
I was trembling. It was a perfect funnel cloud right in front of us beside the interstate. I knew what we were about to be facing. Within seconds, I had processed every possible worst case scenario and had accepted our plight.
Then I heard the pastor say, "Keep going!".
WHAT?!?!?!? Keep going? You mean as in toward the funnel cloud?
The bus passed under the only safe shelter available to us and proceeded in the direction of the storm. But, the closer we got to the tornado, the clearer it became. Something was in the center of it.
Almost in unison the cry came, "Its the cross!"
The spotlight that illuminated a huge metal cross from the base, cast a shadow in the foggy mist that looked just like a funnel cloud.
As soon as we got the cross in focus, the threat of the storm was gone. What a lesson!
I wish I could tell you that I was brave and had great faith, but I was just like the disciples in the midst of the storm on the sea. In Mark 5:40, Jesus asked them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" That's what happens when we focus on the storm instead of on Him. When they entered the ship in verse 35, Jesus told them that He was going to get them to the other side, but they forgot His words.
Verse 41 says they were in awe of Him when the wind and sea obeyed Him. That is one of the reasons God leads His children into storms. To show us great and wonderful things about Himself.
One of the greatest mistakes I made, was picturing how I would handle problems that didn't even exist. God's grace is distributed at the moment it is needed. Not before and not after. I was trying to handle tomorrow's problems with only today's grace.
All things, including storms, have a purpose to bring us good and Him glory! (Romans 8:28) Believe that! Get that! Because God has not given us the spirit of fear...but of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

The "Secret Formula" For Happiness.

Who doesn't want to be happy? I was so desperate to find happiness, that it became my daily focus. I tried relationships, medication, hobbies, entertainment and even church. The problem was, my focus was completely self-centered. It became all about me. I would have saved myself a lot of trouble if I would have read Ecclesiastes. Solomon set out to do a little experiment of his own on the matter, holding nothing back from himself. In chapter 2, he tried pleasure, great accomplishments, riches, and even wisdom, and found it all to be in vain. None of it brought happiness. In verse 17, he said he hated life!
If you are driven to attain wealth, you will never be satisfied by wealth. (Vs 10) If you are driven to attain happiness, you will never attain happiness. Why? Because, God designed happiness as a reward for focusing on Him. When we are trying to make ourselves happy, we are focused on ourselves.
Happiness comes when we realize that our goal needs to change. So, what should the goal be?
Simply to glorify God with our lives. We are purchased pearls! "For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" I Corinthians 6:20
When I quit striving for happiness, and began striving to glorify God with my body and spirit, I woke up one day and was able to say, "So, this is happiness...life is good!!!" Try it!
It is the "secret formula" for happiness and it is guaranteed to work for anyone.