As y'all know (well y'all meaning those few who actually read my blog) I'm not one that blogs every day... or every month for that matter :) But not going to lie this has been a long period of silence for me and y'all know I have a lot say :) However this short blog is really just explaining my absence JUST in case any one of you were nervous I might have fell off the face of the earth! The real story is we were having all kinds of electrical issues due to the builder of our home doing.... well a crappy job and cutting a lot corners, one being not putting a grounding rod in when he did the electric work!!!!! So hence we got struck by lightening and slowly but surely we started loosing power all throughout our house. Which causes issues when the stove doesn't work, the fridge slowly dies out, the hot water heater isn't heating so on and so forth! let's just say it means no cooking, cold showers, going to dear friends to wash clothes, and sweating to death in the summer heat! But God is good!!!! My parents came down and my dad and Wes worked on it together and what we were told would be a $1500 fix they were able to do under $200!!! Did I mention God is good? :) Anyway, that story to say we canceled our internet because it wasn't working and pretty much kept it off because it wasn't a necessity! But Wes is starting classes here soon so of course we had to go online again. Something about not being able to do classes via his iPhone! :) So that's where I've been. There is a blog that I really want to write about what we feel God is wanting us to do so on and so forth... but I need to make sure Wes is ready for me to share it with the cyber world! ;) We have told several dear friends and some family and it's nothing we feel we need to hide, I just want to make sure my husband is ok with me blasting over the internet! haha I know y'all understand! Hopefully I can give y'all a little sneak peak next week after Wes gets home.
Other than that things have been going great! Wes is in Arabic training here locally and hating every minute of it :) Except right now he is somewhere dropping bombs so he is pretty happy right now! haha Ian started preK this year! I know.... I am in shock as well! But we are both adjusting well! I work part time at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in the SVU department! My main task is fingerprinting, but I help out in whatever the Investigators may need! I have come to honestly and truly find out there are some strange, disturbed, crazy people in this world! I mean I have always known it but this puts an entirely different perspective on it!!!! But I am love, love, loving it :)
OK so this was a lot longer then I thought it would be... but oh well I know you aren't surprised! :)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
I would like to introduce you to someone...
You know the blogs you read that is all about ONE person... you know, where you sit and read about how great and wonderful this ONE individual is in your friends life? Well... this is me about to do that... :)
Haven't you ever had someone in your life you love to introduce people to? Someone that means the world to you and has done so much for you and you can't imagine your life without and you get so super excited when you get the chance to introduce this amazing person to someone else because you know whoever meets this one special person they too will just fall in love with them? Well I have this person in my life that I want to tell you about... But first I have to giver a background story (of course lol)
So I'm not sure if most people know this but I have an enemy. I have had this enemy for a very long time and I have never been able to get rid of him or even make truce with him. He is always aggressive in his hatred for me, but there are times when it seems like I can't get away from him. He has beaten me down and left me so lonely and depressed. He has made me feel like dirt and there are some days I feel I fill so discouraged from all the lies he fills my head with. It gets so bad I have had nightmares about what he might do to me. Well this enemy I have has wanted me dead! He essentially will not be happy until I'm gone from this world. He hates me because I am not willing to be his slave so to speak. If I don't do what he wants he attacks me. I mean actual attacks! Verbal, mental, physical... you name it... he's done it. He is not satisfied until he has complete control over me and I just can't allow that. So like I said he will not be satisfied now until I'm beat down so hard that I won't be able to get back up.
But I met someone... Someone so truly amazing! He saw the situation I was in and told me if I asked him He would step in and take control over the situation. Well for a while I just let it be... Although He didn't. He was persistent and I knew He truly cared. So tonight I had enough... I was at my breaking point... I couldn't take it anymore. So I went to Him and told Him I was done trying to deal with this on my own... I needed Him! I needed Him to step in and take control for me because I couldn't do it on my own anymore. So He did. And what He did was truly amazing and no one has ever done before. He went to my enemy and told him it was over, he was not allowed to mess with me any more. Well the enemy got his crew and beat my friend up! They beat Him so bad that he was unrecognizable! And then the worst thing happened... They killed Him in the most horrific way possible! I couldn't believe it! I was in tears! My friend took my place... I should have been the one to die... I should have been the one my enemy defeated... But it wasn't me.. Someone so awesome... Someone who loved me so much... He went to my tormentor and said He would take my place... He would take all the pain if my enemy would just leave me alone. And that is what happened! He died in my place!!!
So He is who I want you to meet! Without Him I would not have life! Without Him I would not have peace. He is my joy, He is my song. He comforts me when I am heartbroken. He is my Rock, He is who I lean on when times get hard. He provides me food, shelter, clothing! He is the reason I wake up in the morning! He is my big brother! He is the reason life is worth living! He is my financial adviser. He is my greatest treasure. He is my help when it seems like there is no help! He gives me hope when there seems like all hope is gone! He is my shoulder I lean on when I can't stand! He is my beacon in the night! He is my very best friend! If the whole world were to walk away from me I know He would still be there! He is also the One who didn't only die for me that day, but he rose from the dead and LIVES for me!!! I want to introduce YOU to MY JESUS!!!!!
Haven't you ever had someone in your life you love to introduce people to? Someone that means the world to you and has done so much for you and you can't imagine your life without and you get so super excited when you get the chance to introduce this amazing person to someone else because you know whoever meets this one special person they too will just fall in love with them? Well I have this person in my life that I want to tell you about... But first I have to giver a background story (of course lol)
So I'm not sure if most people know this but I have an enemy. I have had this enemy for a very long time and I have never been able to get rid of him or even make truce with him. He is always aggressive in his hatred for me, but there are times when it seems like I can't get away from him. He has beaten me down and left me so lonely and depressed. He has made me feel like dirt and there are some days I feel I fill so discouraged from all the lies he fills my head with. It gets so bad I have had nightmares about what he might do to me. Well this enemy I have has wanted me dead! He essentially will not be happy until I'm gone from this world. He hates me because I am not willing to be his slave so to speak. If I don't do what he wants he attacks me. I mean actual attacks! Verbal, mental, physical... you name it... he's done it. He is not satisfied until he has complete control over me and I just can't allow that. So like I said he will not be satisfied now until I'm beat down so hard that I won't be able to get back up.
But I met someone... Someone so truly amazing! He saw the situation I was in and told me if I asked him He would step in and take control over the situation. Well for a while I just let it be... Although He didn't. He was persistent and I knew He truly cared. So tonight I had enough... I was at my breaking point... I couldn't take it anymore. So I went to Him and told Him I was done trying to deal with this on my own... I needed Him! I needed Him to step in and take control for me because I couldn't do it on my own anymore. So He did. And what He did was truly amazing and no one has ever done before. He went to my enemy and told him it was over, he was not allowed to mess with me any more. Well the enemy got his crew and beat my friend up! They beat Him so bad that he was unrecognizable! And then the worst thing happened... They killed Him in the most horrific way possible! I couldn't believe it! I was in tears! My friend took my place... I should have been the one to die... I should have been the one my enemy defeated... But it wasn't me.. Someone so awesome... Someone who loved me so much... He went to my tormentor and said He would take my place... He would take all the pain if my enemy would just leave me alone. And that is what happened! He died in my place!!!
So He is who I want you to meet! Without Him I would not have life! Without Him I would not have peace. He is my joy, He is my song. He comforts me when I am heartbroken. He is my Rock, He is who I lean on when times get hard. He provides me food, shelter, clothing! He is the reason I wake up in the morning! He is my big brother! He is the reason life is worth living! He is my financial adviser. He is my greatest treasure. He is my help when it seems like there is no help! He gives me hope when there seems like all hope is gone! He is my shoulder I lean on when I can't stand! He is my beacon in the night! He is my very best friend! If the whole world were to walk away from me I know He would still be there! He is also the One who didn't only die for me that day, but he rose from the dead and LIVES for me!!! I want to introduce YOU to MY JESUS!!!!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Driving is a good time to think...
I love driving in my car alone and listening to music! Just shutting everything out and not having any distractions and it just being me and I can listen to whatever I want!!! It doesn't have to be Veggie Tales or Mickey Mouse but it can be grown up music. So there is where I was a few days ago when I was driving to physical therapy... I had just dropped Ian off and I had a good 20 minutes of driving time. Me all alone in my car listening to my music! Instead of turning the radio on like I usually do I put in one of my cd's. I let it play and was somewhat listening to it but mainly it was just background noise as dozens of thoughts were running through my mind. For some reason it was a day when I had heavy thoughts weighing on my mind and heart. It seemed like I was being bombarded from all sides and there were so many uncertainties and there were many unanswered questions. It would have been an easy day to feel sorry for myself...but I hadn't gotten that low yet...but it was close in coming.
It was just life hitting me. We all know how that goes! There were many questions running through my mind...many thoughts...many "whys?". Why did it seem like nothing was going the way I thought it needed to? Why were things happening that I had no control over but I really wanted to control? Why did it seem like God was playing "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" with things He was deciding to throw in my life? I felt like God was saying "there's Leila...she still needs to grow in so many ways...I think I'll go ahead and give her this problem, and this trial and this tough decision." There were a lot of "whys?"! A lot I can't really get into right now because I am not comfortable just yet with sharing. But you can see life was getting at me...in my mind...my thoughts...it was consuming me.
But all of a sudden my mind seem to clear and my ears were opened and this song started playing.
And then it was like someone came in my head and flipped on the light! How ignorant am I? I mean really...it's not being harsh...it's true ignorance! I was being so consumed with me me and more me that I was pretty sure God had forgotten about...well me. I was pretty sure God had bigger things to worry about so I was put on the back burner for a bit. I'm being straight up honest with you today...I know better...I have always been taught better...but at that moment I really felt that God had decided that my life wasn't that important and maybe I just wasn't worth it! That's why I am saying it was pure ignorance.
Matthew 6:26 even says Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
There are times in my life I do feel like I am worthless...but I am smart enough to know that I am more precious to God then birds! And He takes care of them...so why am I thinking God doesn't want me to be happy...why am I thinking He has forgotten me? My goodness folks...He told the sun where to stand in the morning, He told the ocean how far to go, He told the moon where to stay till evening...but somehow in my little mind I had figured He didn't have time to handle my life or problems.
The same God who died and then raised Himself from the dead and who now lives...I had put limitations on Him! There is no way around that...it is true ignorance! You can't put limitations on what God can do! He spoke this world into existence! Yet I had put him in a little box and had decided that day that He couldn't possibly handle my problems so I was needing to figure it out myself!
But while this song was playing I was reminded of these exact things. And these exact thoughts went through my head because I know God put them there to reassure me. You know how I know I am loved? You know how I know I am taken care of? You know how I know God understood how much I was hating physical therapy, how much I was concerned about why our breakers didn't seem to want to stay on, how worried I was about our heater going out soon. How I was worried about if Wes and I were training Ian the way he should be trained. How God understood how I was worried how Ian would grow up and not go in the wrong direction. How I was concerned about my son's salvation... How I was concerned about the different decision that were being made at Wes' job and how it would affect us. How I was worried that I would never be content with our family of 3? The list goes on and on...but do you know how I know that God knows this and understands and I am not alone? I know this because MY REDEEMER LIVES!!!!!
It was just life hitting me. We all know how that goes! There were many questions running through my mind...many thoughts...many "whys?". Why did it seem like nothing was going the way I thought it needed to? Why were things happening that I had no control over but I really wanted to control? Why did it seem like God was playing "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" with things He was deciding to throw in my life? I felt like God was saying "there's Leila...she still needs to grow in so many ways...I think I'll go ahead and give her this problem, and this trial and this tough decision." There were a lot of "whys?"! A lot I can't really get into right now because I am not comfortable just yet with sharing. But you can see life was getting at me...in my mind...my thoughts...it was consuming me.
But all of a sudden my mind seem to clear and my ears were opened and this song started playing.
And then it was like someone came in my head and flipped on the light! How ignorant am I? I mean really...it's not being harsh...it's true ignorance! I was being so consumed with me me and more me that I was pretty sure God had forgotten about...well me. I was pretty sure God had bigger things to worry about so I was put on the back burner for a bit. I'm being straight up honest with you today...I know better...I have always been taught better...but at that moment I really felt that God had decided that my life wasn't that important and maybe I just wasn't worth it! That's why I am saying it was pure ignorance.
Matthew 6:26 even says Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
There are times in my life I do feel like I am worthless...but I am smart enough to know that I am more precious to God then birds! And He takes care of them...so why am I thinking God doesn't want me to be happy...why am I thinking He has forgotten me? My goodness folks...He told the sun where to stand in the morning, He told the ocean how far to go, He told the moon where to stay till evening...but somehow in my little mind I had figured He didn't have time to handle my life or problems.
The same God who died and then raised Himself from the dead and who now lives...I had put limitations on Him! There is no way around that...it is true ignorance! You can't put limitations on what God can do! He spoke this world into existence! Yet I had put him in a little box and had decided that day that He couldn't possibly handle my problems so I was needing to figure it out myself!
But while this song was playing I was reminded of these exact things. And these exact thoughts went through my head because I know God put them there to reassure me. You know how I know I am loved? You know how I know I am taken care of? You know how I know God understood how much I was hating physical therapy, how much I was concerned about why our breakers didn't seem to want to stay on, how worried I was about our heater going out soon. How I was worried about if Wes and I were training Ian the way he should be trained. How God understood how I was worried how Ian would grow up and not go in the wrong direction. How I was concerned about my son's salvation... How I was concerned about the different decision that were being made at Wes' job and how it would affect us. How I was worried that I would never be content with our family of 3? The list goes on and on...but do you know how I know that God knows this and understands and I am not alone? I know this because MY REDEEMER LIVES!!!!!
Monday, December 6, 2010
If I had a bucket list...
I'm not even sure I'm old enough to have a bucket list (hehe) but if I were to have one about a year ago running a half marathon would NOT be anywhere near it!!!! But last Saturday that is exactly what I did! And I have never felt better about myself for doing something then I did when I crossed that finish line (well except maybe having a child or whatever lol)! And this coming from a girl who a year ago could not even run a mile. I'm serious guys... One day I decided to run with Wes and I don't think I even got a 1/4 of a mile in before I told him I was done! But 2 days ago I ran 13.1 miles. I just wrote that and it still doesn't seem real. But I had some great running buddies.
My sister Julie, and our friend Mandy. This is us before the race. Not sure what gave us the crazy idea we could do this, but we did! And best of all we did it together!
There were so many runners...it was so awesome to see all these people out supporting St. Jude! We couldn't even see the start line from where we stood and there were even more people behind us!
We were in coral 12 and finally around 20 minutes after the first coral started we could see the start line!
It was all of our first time running a half marathon (that's 13.1 miles if you haven't already figured out) lol We had so much nervous energy waiting in that line we were literally jumping up and down waiting for them to let us start! We may have finished faster if we didn't waste so much energy before the start! hahaha
It was such an emotional race I think for all of us, but right now I can only really speak for me! Not only was it a huge accomplishment for me to run this race, but it was for such a great cause! And to have all of the people cheering for us as we ran! The most emotional part of it all was running through the St. Jude complex! Seeing all the families and all the signs and realizing that I am actually doing something for these families that I have never met before but are going through a much more difficult race than I was going through. And most if not all had no finish line in sight, but they never stopped, they keep running along hoping one day to cross the finish line! I was never more thankful for my son's health as I was running this weekend! I can not even come close to knowing what these families are going through and these sweet little angels...sometimes life doesn't seem fair...but these kids give such hope! Some sections were extremely hard, and those were the ones where the signs would say "in memory of". That was when I could not help but cry!
Here is me after I crossed the finish line with my medal! When Jules and I came into the stadium we could hear everyone cheering for us, especially Jason and Wes and then we saw the finish line and I don't know how but we both literally sprinted across that line!!!
The red shirts we are wearing are for a little boy Isaiah who we were running for! He is such a sweet little boy.
I ask you to go to my FB page and look him up and read about him! All he has been through this year and he even did the family race! A much bigger accomplishment than mine I have to say! What a hero! I am so glad I got to run to support him!
Before I close out I do want to thank all of those who donated money so I could be a St. Jude hero and run on Saturday! Thank you for believing in me and for donating to such a great cause...helping find a cure for cancer so these kids don't have to suffer anymore! Also a HUGE thank you to my trainer Nick Cotto!!! Nick....you are the one behind all of this. Meeting with you in Feb. of this year I would have never known that on Saturday I would have ran a half marathon. I remember telling you what my goals were, and one of my goals was to run a 5k, but you saw more than that!
And yes folks...me and my sister Jules and friend Mandy are planning our next half! We are trying to get other people to run with us this time!
My sister Julie, and our friend Mandy. This is us before the race. Not sure what gave us the crazy idea we could do this, but we did! And best of all we did it together!
There were so many runners...it was so awesome to see all these people out supporting St. Jude! We couldn't even see the start line from where we stood and there were even more people behind us!
We were in coral 12 and finally around 20 minutes after the first coral started we could see the start line!
It was all of our first time running a half marathon (that's 13.1 miles if you haven't already figured out) lol We had so much nervous energy waiting in that line we were literally jumping up and down waiting for them to let us start! We may have finished faster if we didn't waste so much energy before the start! hahaha
It was such an emotional race I think for all of us, but right now I can only really speak for me! Not only was it a huge accomplishment for me to run this race, but it was for such a great cause! And to have all of the people cheering for us as we ran! The most emotional part of it all was running through the St. Jude complex! Seeing all the families and all the signs and realizing that I am actually doing something for these families that I have never met before but are going through a much more difficult race than I was going through. And most if not all had no finish line in sight, but they never stopped, they keep running along hoping one day to cross the finish line! I was never more thankful for my son's health as I was running this weekend! I can not even come close to knowing what these families are going through and these sweet little angels...sometimes life doesn't seem fair...but these kids give such hope! Some sections were extremely hard, and those were the ones where the signs would say "in memory of". That was when I could not help but cry!
Here is me after I crossed the finish line with my medal! When Jules and I came into the stadium we could hear everyone cheering for us, especially Jason and Wes and then we saw the finish line and I don't know how but we both literally sprinted across that line!!!
The red shirts we are wearing are for a little boy Isaiah who we were running for! He is such a sweet little boy.
I ask you to go to my FB page and look him up and read about him! All he has been through this year and he even did the family race! A much bigger accomplishment than mine I have to say! What a hero! I am so glad I got to run to support him!
Before I close out I do want to thank all of those who donated money so I could be a St. Jude hero and run on Saturday! Thank you for believing in me and for donating to such a great cause...helping find a cure for cancer so these kids don't have to suffer anymore! Also a HUGE thank you to my trainer Nick Cotto!!! Nick....you are the one behind all of this. Meeting with you in Feb. of this year I would have never known that on Saturday I would have ran a half marathon. I remember telling you what my goals were, and one of my goals was to run a 5k, but you saw more than that!
And yes folks...me and my sister Jules and friend Mandy are planning our next half! We are trying to get other people to run with us this time!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
What can you give?
Oh my word...it has only been 1 day and here I am blogging again! Is it possible? :) Well when you only have one vehicle and your husband needs it today then....well...here I am stuck at home! But I am content with that. :)
I know we haven't gotten through the Thanksgiving season yet and really I guess this blog should be on what I am thankful for...but it's not... Sorry...if you are wanting to know what I'm thankful for I'll have to get back to you on that another time. :) What I'm focusing on right now is Christmas! How can we not...it's pretty much being thrown in our face every where we go! I swear society is trying to block out Thanksgiving all together....but that's another topic in and of itself!
Growing up our Dad really tried his best to emphasize what Christmas is truly about. And of course we all know...it's about Jesus coming to earth as a baby (but still God) to live among us and grow into a man and then start his earthly ministry where he would some 33 years later die on the cross for us and then 3 days later rise again and one day if we accept him into our lives and hearts we will live in Heaven with Him FOREVER! So you see it is more then just his birth we are celebrating! But yes...we mainly focus on his birth...which is fine! So because it was a day in which the world has chosen to set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth, that's what my dad tried to focus on. Every year as a family we would make a banner for Jesus' birthday (just like we did for everyone else's) and we would by Jesus a birthday present! (and if I'm not mistaken my sister carries a tradition in her family where every year they make Jesus a birthday cake...chocolate on chocolate I think would have been His favorite lol)
How do you do that you ask? I mean how do you buy Jesus, God's son a birthday present? It's pretty simple really! I like to think of it as giving of yourself. Whether it's through money or deeds. A lot of times it was giving a gift to the church. But now that I'm older and Ian is really started to get excited about Christmas I was really struggling trying to decide what we should do for Jesus so that Ian could participate and start out at a young age really understanding Christmas. So what do we do? How do we give our gift to Jesus this year? There are so many options out there, but which suits our family the best...or really...which is the one God wants us to do? Do we go to soup kitchens and feed the homeless (because what does the Bible say in Matthew 25:40 if you do it unto the least of these you are doing it unto me...and I am paraphrasing I know). Do we find a family in need and anonymously drop off groceries or money for them? I even heard one year of a lady that went to the post office and got the letters from Santa that the kids would mail and would find a needy kid and give him or her what was on their wish list! I mean there are soooo many amazing things we can do...even if you don't have money...just by helping someone (like the soup kitchen)...it's giving of yourself and when we do this, we are in fact giving Jesus the best present ever!
So last night after dropping off Ian at Cubbies Wes and I went to Chick-fil-a to kind of relax and enjoy some time alone. Wes had been rock climbing all day and wanted some soup and I don't know...call me crazy...but I feel Chick-fil-a is one of the more "healthier" fast food places. Plus it is so relaxing because the people there (at least at ours) are super friendly and there is Christian music playing softly throughout the restaurant! Well, we also went there to talk about life and how we need to step back and re prioritize the way we have been living. I don't tend to normally think I am overly selfish, but if I were to be honest with myself and with all of y'all...I can tend to be selfish...I put myself first a lot and shove God in the back corner. Yes I still go to church and I sing in choir and do specials and work with the kids...but really I'm not going the extra mile. But really that's not what this blog is really about...I get side tracked easily! I guess that is my "Squirrel" moment. (You would have to watch UP to get that lol)
So sitting in Chick-fil-a (you had to know I was going somewhere with all this lol) I saw 2 different brochures sitting on a side table. And it was like God put them right there for me...kinda like hitting me across the head with it...which He has to do with me a lot...as you can tell I get side tracked easily so hitting me across the head tends to get my attention the fastest. One is all we are familiar with (well really both are pretty familiar). But the first I have decided will be a tradition with our family because Ian can really get involved in it. It is Operation Christmas Child! (I know several churches that do this) What a neat idea. All you do is take a shoe box and fill it with goodies and then put $7 with it so they can mail it to the child in need who wouldn't normally have a Christmas! I mean how simple...it's a shoe box guys! They aren't that big. It's not that big of a sacrifice really? Think of it as not going out to eat at all for a week...one week...take that money and you will have more than enough to help another child be happy. I mean cause really I'm sure we could all take a week off from eating out...just saying. :) Plus my thought is each year whatever age Ian is that is the age group we will buy for. So Ian can be 100% involved!!! How fun is that?
The next brochure I found is Mana Cafe Ministries which is kind of like a food/mobile pantry for the poor and homeless. You can donate money of course...or as we all know non perishable items! How many of us right now have non perishable items in our house? I have several!!! Can you spare some? I'm thinking you can! But this post is not to pressure you...just showing you that even if you aren't abundantly blessed with cash flow this year...there is something you can do for others...and in turn Happy Birthday Jesus!
It's so easy folks....just make sure this Christmas season you don't get caught up in all the hustle and bustle (those are fun words aren't they) of things and don't slow down enough to realize that person on the side of the road in need. Or maybe the older lady or man struggling getting their groceries in there car! Or perhaps especially around here...the mother all alone with her children struggling to open the door or carrying all the stuff she is required to carry when you have kids. Remember...if you do it to the least of them....who are you really doing it to?
Please understand this...I am not bashing Christmas and gift giving! I still love buying gifts for family, and I still LOVE receiving gifts from people. :) But if I just for a few minutes made you stop and think about the true meaning of Christmas and what we really should be focusing on I have somehow through this jumbled up mess of thoughts succeeded! It's giving of ourself. So my challenge to you this year as we are thinking of our decorations for Christmas, and what we are going to cook Christmas day, who is going to be there and as we are all now in our Christmas shopping mode...as you think of your kids and spouse and siblings...what would they want for Christmas...don't forget to as yourself..."What can I give Jesus this year"!
I know we haven't gotten through the Thanksgiving season yet and really I guess this blog should be on what I am thankful for...but it's not... Sorry...if you are wanting to know what I'm thankful for I'll have to get back to you on that another time. :) What I'm focusing on right now is Christmas! How can we not...it's pretty much being thrown in our face every where we go! I swear society is trying to block out Thanksgiving all together....but that's another topic in and of itself!
Growing up our Dad really tried his best to emphasize what Christmas is truly about. And of course we all know...it's about Jesus coming to earth as a baby (but still God) to live among us and grow into a man and then start his earthly ministry where he would some 33 years later die on the cross for us and then 3 days later rise again and one day if we accept him into our lives and hearts we will live in Heaven with Him FOREVER! So you see it is more then just his birth we are celebrating! But yes...we mainly focus on his birth...which is fine! So because it was a day in which the world has chosen to set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth, that's what my dad tried to focus on. Every year as a family we would make a banner for Jesus' birthday (just like we did for everyone else's) and we would by Jesus a birthday present! (and if I'm not mistaken my sister carries a tradition in her family where every year they make Jesus a birthday cake...chocolate on chocolate I think would have been His favorite lol)
How do you do that you ask? I mean how do you buy Jesus, God's son a birthday present? It's pretty simple really! I like to think of it as giving of yourself. Whether it's through money or deeds. A lot of times it was giving a gift to the church. But now that I'm older and Ian is really started to get excited about Christmas I was really struggling trying to decide what we should do for Jesus so that Ian could participate and start out at a young age really understanding Christmas. So what do we do? How do we give our gift to Jesus this year? There are so many options out there, but which suits our family the best...or really...which is the one God wants us to do? Do we go to soup kitchens and feed the homeless (because what does the Bible say in Matthew 25:40 if you do it unto the least of these you are doing it unto me...and I am paraphrasing I know). Do we find a family in need and anonymously drop off groceries or money for them? I even heard one year of a lady that went to the post office and got the letters from Santa that the kids would mail and would find a needy kid and give him or her what was on their wish list! I mean there are soooo many amazing things we can do...even if you don't have money...just by helping someone (like the soup kitchen)...it's giving of yourself and when we do this, we are in fact giving Jesus the best present ever!
So last night after dropping off Ian at Cubbies Wes and I went to Chick-fil-a to kind of relax and enjoy some time alone. Wes had been rock climbing all day and wanted some soup and I don't know...call me crazy...but I feel Chick-fil-a is one of the more "healthier" fast food places. Plus it is so relaxing because the people there (at least at ours) are super friendly and there is Christian music playing softly throughout the restaurant! Well, we also went there to talk about life and how we need to step back and re prioritize the way we have been living. I don't tend to normally think I am overly selfish, but if I were to be honest with myself and with all of y'all...I can tend to be selfish...I put myself first a lot and shove God in the back corner. Yes I still go to church and I sing in choir and do specials and work with the kids...but really I'm not going the extra mile. But really that's not what this blog is really about...I get side tracked easily! I guess that is my "Squirrel" moment. (You would have to watch UP to get that lol)
So sitting in Chick-fil-a (you had to know I was going somewhere with all this lol) I saw 2 different brochures sitting on a side table. And it was like God put them right there for me...kinda like hitting me across the head with it...which He has to do with me a lot...as you can tell I get side tracked easily so hitting me across the head tends to get my attention the fastest. One is all we are familiar with (well really both are pretty familiar). But the first I have decided will be a tradition with our family because Ian can really get involved in it. It is Operation Christmas Child! (I know several churches that do this) What a neat idea. All you do is take a shoe box and fill it with goodies and then put $7 with it so they can mail it to the child in need who wouldn't normally have a Christmas! I mean how simple...it's a shoe box guys! They aren't that big. It's not that big of a sacrifice really? Think of it as not going out to eat at all for a week...one week...take that money and you will have more than enough to help another child be happy. I mean cause really I'm sure we could all take a week off from eating out...just saying. :) Plus my thought is each year whatever age Ian is that is the age group we will buy for. So Ian can be 100% involved!!! How fun is that?
The next brochure I found is Mana Cafe Ministries which is kind of like a food/mobile pantry for the poor and homeless. You can donate money of course...or as we all know non perishable items! How many of us right now have non perishable items in our house? I have several!!! Can you spare some? I'm thinking you can! But this post is not to pressure you...just showing you that even if you aren't abundantly blessed with cash flow this year...there is something you can do for others...and in turn Happy Birthday Jesus!
It's so easy folks....just make sure this Christmas season you don't get caught up in all the hustle and bustle (those are fun words aren't they) of things and don't slow down enough to realize that person on the side of the road in need. Or maybe the older lady or man struggling getting their groceries in there car! Or perhaps especially around here...the mother all alone with her children struggling to open the door or carrying all the stuff she is required to carry when you have kids. Remember...if you do it to the least of them....who are you really doing it to?
Please understand this...I am not bashing Christmas and gift giving! I still love buying gifts for family, and I still LOVE receiving gifts from people. :) But if I just for a few minutes made you stop and think about the true meaning of Christmas and what we really should be focusing on I have somehow through this jumbled up mess of thoughts succeeded! It's giving of ourself. So my challenge to you this year as we are thinking of our decorations for Christmas, and what we are going to cook Christmas day, who is going to be there and as we are all now in our Christmas shopping mode...as you think of your kids and spouse and siblings...what would they want for Christmas...don't forget to as yourself..."What can I give Jesus this year"!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Pondering....
Gah! Why oh why is it so hard for me to actually sit down and write a blog? I guess for one I actually have to be at my laptop...which I rarely am these days (which is actually kind of nice...I can survive without internet...amazing lol) and two I have to be at home...which is also not usual for me. But I'm loving my life and I'm not sure I would change it...well maybe just a few things. :)
So lately there have been 2 things that I have been thinking about a lot lately and have discussed them only really with my husband. I always get nervous discussing my thoughts with other people...just in case they sound stupid...which a lot of times I'm sure they do. haha But here it goes anyway...just please be kind in your responses. :)
Over the last couple of months I have really been dipping into God's Word. It is so refreshing and I constantly wonder why we are too busy for it. I mean I have failed at this miserably...but every time I take the time to rest in his Word I notice a huge difference in my day. And subsequently so does Satan and he does NOT like it. But anyway...I guess because of this new pattern I have started in my life it has caused me to think a lot on I guess you could say more Spiritual things. So here it goes.
My first thought is on contentment. I mean seriously...how many of us our truly content with the way our life is? I have heard a lot of people say "I am perfectly content with who I am and how my life is". And if they are, I applaud them...but I have to wonder how honest they are being. Cause admit it...in our minds we can always stand to loose a few pounds...or have a bigger house, or a better car, or a bigger tv, or new clothes and so on and so forth. But recently I have been talking to Wes and I brought up the thought that I think God may be trying to teach us how to be content! At the early onset of our marriage we started using our credit cards for things we thought we needed (I will come back later about credit cards because this is my next thought). Anyway...over the next several years the interest has gone crazy and we have used them off and on. Before Wes deployed this past year we did Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. If you have never done this I recommend it to EVERYONE!!! It is so awesome and will help you in numerous ways. Anyway...God provided through 5th Group who was doing it free for families that are in Group to allow us to go. During this first week of this class we started changing the way we lived financially and it was so freeing!!!! Over the course of Wes' deployment we paid off the majority of our debt (the truck is still not paid for....yet). Which is a HUGE deal for us! I have slept better and we are happier. But then Wes comes home and first Bailey (Wes' dog) has to have ear surgery, then our truck is rear ended, then our hot water heater went out, then one of our tires went flat, then our truck battery died, then our dryer went out...I mean seriously people...the list goes on and on! And as you an imagine our big plans for getting another vehicle, and a new tv, and several other things that we had plans for (to pay with cash of course) pretty much fell through the cracks! So I had to step back and see what in the world can we learn through these trials...I knew God has something in there that we could benefit from. And He did...because as I told Wes..."I think God is trying to teach us how to be content with what we have"!
Now that is a concept! lol I mean it's right there in the Bible! Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
It is hard though....but I am trying to learn to be content. I have so much to be thankful for that I need to focus on what God has given me already...not what I want Him to give me. Not that I necessarily feel it's wrong to want things...but I do think we are more focused on God being a God who gives and gives and gives, when we rarely give back. Seriously...who wants to be that person? We have all been around those people who are constantly taking, but never giving....how selfish is that! But how often is that us when it comes to God? But like I said...it is so hard for me some days. How can I be content with our house that seems smaller every day!!! lol Or the fact that we only have one vehicle...I just want my own car...so I can feel a little freedom and not have to constantly ask Wes what's going on work so I can see if I can have the truck that day (and he is never selfish with it...just some days...like today...he HAS to have it). Or on those days when I think how much another child would complete our family...how Ian would love a sibling to play with...but for whatever God's reason He has chosen to make it nearly impossible for us to have kids (doctors words not mine). I would be content to not have to have Wes or I run through all these crazy test and go through the fertility treatments that seem to lie ahead of us...but God has other ways.
You see...I need to be content (and thankful) that we have our house...a roof above our heads. How many people out there want just that. I need to be content (and thankful) for our truck. Thankful that we have a way to go from place to place and can rely on it. I need to be content with the perfect family God has given to me and Wes and I am extremely thankful God decided to give me our son! I think if we learn to be content then God will give us more and more. Now that is not to say you should be content so you can get more....that is NOT what I'm trying to say...but I'm pretty sure you understood my meaning. Plus...check out the end of the verse...He (God) will never (and I mean NEVER) leave us or forsake us! Wow..that is an amazing thought! No matter what we do or how disappointing we are God will NEVER leave us! Now that in and of it self should leave us content. Ok...so that was my first thought! :)
My second thought which should be shorter is something that has been bothering and convicting me as well. I posed this question to Wes the other day "How many times do you think we have robbed God of blessing us"? I know...kind of a weird question...but I have really been thinking about it. My main focus...credit cards! There are many awful things I can say about them...but I won't right now...my main thought is how we use them because we are relying on ourself! You saw the huge list of things that went wrong after Wes came home and you also saw where we paid off our debt. Well as you can imagine we quickly went through our savings right as he came home....and what do you think happened when we ran out of that? You guessed it...when the next thing came up and we didn't see the money in our savings or checking account we did what most people would do...we pulled out our credit card!
Why the heck did we do that? Did not God tell us in the Bible Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
But I have actually heard this and I'm pretty sure I said it myself "Thank God I had that credit card and had money on it"! Really? I mean seriously? I'm pretty sure the verse says God will supply our need through His riches...not through our credit card. So I wondered...how many times over the last several years that I have had a credit card have I robbed God of blessing my because I assumed just maybe this unexpected bill or problem came as a shock to Him so I better pull out the card and He can supply the need later. Which from experience doesn't happen that way. I mean...yes...God still supplies the money to pay the bills...but it's not the same...now I'm paying for it for years when if I just waited on God he would have supplied it right then and there in His own way. Cause after all isn't a hot water heater a need....as well as a working dryer? I tend to think it is...especially when I had to live without both for a bit! lol I think sometimes we rely on the old credit card because we just can't possibly see how God could supply our need immediately out of no where...and that is where we are limiting God and what He can do. Because don't forget...He said He would supply ALL of our need!
But anyway...this is just the tip of the iceberg of where my thoughts have been...this has been super long already and I think you get my point...so I'll shut up! Next time I blog hopefully it won't take as long and it will be a little more upbeat! Until then...let's learn to be content with what God has given us and try not to rob Him from blessing you!
So lately there have been 2 things that I have been thinking about a lot lately and have discussed them only really with my husband. I always get nervous discussing my thoughts with other people...just in case they sound stupid...which a lot of times I'm sure they do. haha But here it goes anyway...just please be kind in your responses. :)
Over the last couple of months I have really been dipping into God's Word. It is so refreshing and I constantly wonder why we are too busy for it. I mean I have failed at this miserably...but every time I take the time to rest in his Word I notice a huge difference in my day. And subsequently so does Satan and he does NOT like it. But anyway...I guess because of this new pattern I have started in my life it has caused me to think a lot on I guess you could say more Spiritual things. So here it goes.
My first thought is on contentment. I mean seriously...how many of us our truly content with the way our life is? I have heard a lot of people say "I am perfectly content with who I am and how my life is". And if they are, I applaud them...but I have to wonder how honest they are being. Cause admit it...in our minds we can always stand to loose a few pounds...or have a bigger house, or a better car, or a bigger tv, or new clothes and so on and so forth. But recently I have been talking to Wes and I brought up the thought that I think God may be trying to teach us how to be content! At the early onset of our marriage we started using our credit cards for things we thought we needed (I will come back later about credit cards because this is my next thought). Anyway...over the next several years the interest has gone crazy and we have used them off and on. Before Wes deployed this past year we did Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. If you have never done this I recommend it to EVERYONE!!! It is so awesome and will help you in numerous ways. Anyway...God provided through 5th Group who was doing it free for families that are in Group to allow us to go. During this first week of this class we started changing the way we lived financially and it was so freeing!!!! Over the course of Wes' deployment we paid off the majority of our debt (the truck is still not paid for....yet). Which is a HUGE deal for us! I have slept better and we are happier. But then Wes comes home and first Bailey (Wes' dog) has to have ear surgery, then our truck is rear ended, then our hot water heater went out, then one of our tires went flat, then our truck battery died, then our dryer went out...I mean seriously people...the list goes on and on! And as you an imagine our big plans for getting another vehicle, and a new tv, and several other things that we had plans for (to pay with cash of course) pretty much fell through the cracks! So I had to step back and see what in the world can we learn through these trials...I knew God has something in there that we could benefit from. And He did...because as I told Wes..."I think God is trying to teach us how to be content with what we have"!
Now that is a concept! lol I mean it's right there in the Bible! Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
It is hard though....but I am trying to learn to be content. I have so much to be thankful for that I need to focus on what God has given me already...not what I want Him to give me. Not that I necessarily feel it's wrong to want things...but I do think we are more focused on God being a God who gives and gives and gives, when we rarely give back. Seriously...who wants to be that person? We have all been around those people who are constantly taking, but never giving....how selfish is that! But how often is that us when it comes to God? But like I said...it is so hard for me some days. How can I be content with our house that seems smaller every day!!! lol Or the fact that we only have one vehicle...I just want my own car...so I can feel a little freedom and not have to constantly ask Wes what's going on work so I can see if I can have the truck that day (and he is never selfish with it...just some days...like today...he HAS to have it). Or on those days when I think how much another child would complete our family...how Ian would love a sibling to play with...but for whatever God's reason He has chosen to make it nearly impossible for us to have kids (doctors words not mine). I would be content to not have to have Wes or I run through all these crazy test and go through the fertility treatments that seem to lie ahead of us...but God has other ways.
You see...I need to be content (and thankful) that we have our house...a roof above our heads. How many people out there want just that. I need to be content (and thankful) for our truck. Thankful that we have a way to go from place to place and can rely on it. I need to be content with the perfect family God has given to me and Wes and I am extremely thankful God decided to give me our son! I think if we learn to be content then God will give us more and more. Now that is not to say you should be content so you can get more....that is NOT what I'm trying to say...but I'm pretty sure you understood my meaning. Plus...check out the end of the verse...He (God) will never (and I mean NEVER) leave us or forsake us! Wow..that is an amazing thought! No matter what we do or how disappointing we are God will NEVER leave us! Now that in and of it self should leave us content. Ok...so that was my first thought! :)
My second thought which should be shorter is something that has been bothering and convicting me as well. I posed this question to Wes the other day "How many times do you think we have robbed God of blessing us"? I know...kind of a weird question...but I have really been thinking about it. My main focus...credit cards! There are many awful things I can say about them...but I won't right now...my main thought is how we use them because we are relying on ourself! You saw the huge list of things that went wrong after Wes came home and you also saw where we paid off our debt. Well as you can imagine we quickly went through our savings right as he came home....and what do you think happened when we ran out of that? You guessed it...when the next thing came up and we didn't see the money in our savings or checking account we did what most people would do...we pulled out our credit card!
Why the heck did we do that? Did not God tell us in the Bible Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
But I have actually heard this and I'm pretty sure I said it myself "Thank God I had that credit card and had money on it"! Really? I mean seriously? I'm pretty sure the verse says God will supply our need through His riches...not through our credit card. So I wondered...how many times over the last several years that I have had a credit card have I robbed God of blessing my because I assumed just maybe this unexpected bill or problem came as a shock to Him so I better pull out the card and He can supply the need later. Which from experience doesn't happen that way. I mean...yes...God still supplies the money to pay the bills...but it's not the same...now I'm paying for it for years when if I just waited on God he would have supplied it right then and there in His own way. Cause after all isn't a hot water heater a need....as well as a working dryer? I tend to think it is...especially when I had to live without both for a bit! lol I think sometimes we rely on the old credit card because we just can't possibly see how God could supply our need immediately out of no where...and that is where we are limiting God and what He can do. Because don't forget...He said He would supply ALL of our need!
But anyway...this is just the tip of the iceberg of where my thoughts have been...this has been super long already and I think you get my point...so I'll shut up! Next time I blog hopefully it won't take as long and it will be a little more upbeat! Until then...let's learn to be content with what God has given us and try not to rob Him from blessing you!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I will praise You in the Storm!
So I realize it has been MONTHS since I have written a blog and I'm guessing y'all probably thought I had forgotten about blogging or was just "over" it! Well I'm not...so there!!! :) In all honesty though I have struggled with not blogging...don't get me wrong...I have wanted to blog...but if I can be truthful here I have been going through a huge storm in my life right now and I am not at the place right now where I am able to share with everyone what is going on! I know y'all understand because I know each and everyone of you has been here before. Probably not going through the same thing I am...but going through something that is so overwhelming.
Friends, in the last month...well pretty much last 2 months my world has been rocked! And not in the good way. I have felt like someone has taken my life turned it upside down shook it then threw it on the ground and trampled on it! I'm not over exaggerating here either. Have you ever been in a place where it literally feels like your entire world has come to a stop? You are going along in life thinking that you are on the right track, doing what you need to do then BAM!!!!! You find yourself smack on your face....and the hardest part about it....it's not even your fault. It is the result of someone else's actions. Well that is where I am...or at least have been and I'm so exhausted from it all. Trying to pick up the pieces of life and not really sure how.
Well tonight my Pastor (ok...I have to stop here for a minute because I love the sound of that "my pastor"! We have been looking for a church for such a long time and have finally found the right one at the right time and I LOVE IT!!!! Ok now back to the thought)! My Pastor preached about "Power in Praise"! He went to Acts 16:25-30. For those unfamiliar with the Bible this is a story about 2 men named Paul and Silas who were stripped of their clothes and beaten and put in prison where there feet were put in stocks for no reason except they were doing the work of God!
So let me tell you how God spoke to me through my Pastor's sermon tonight. Of course I will tell it a little differently then him...but that's ok...I'm sure he won't mind! So picture this...imagine doing the work of God and one day a crowd of people getting mad at you because speaking the truth has made them uncomfortable! So they take you, rip your clothes of and beat you, and then drag you to prison and put your feet in stocks so you can't even get up and move! And this prison is not like ours now days. They were on the floor of a cold nasty probably damp cell...and I can imagine there were rats and who knows what running around down there. I don't know about you but me...I would be having a huge pity party! I would be wondering what God was thinking...why had He not watched out for me? But this is NOT what Paul and Silas do....instead of feeling sorry for themselves and letting their circumstances get the best of them they actually started singing praises to God! (vs. 25) I mean seriously? Were they crazy? Did they not see what an awful, horrible situation they were in? Of course they did, but unlike me, they rose above themselves and their surroundings and focused on something so much better! They focused on God and all that He had done for them and they were overwhelmed with praise!
There were several things Pastor gave us about the Power of Praise, but here are 3 things that pretty much jumped out at me! First of all Praise helps you rise above your circumstances! Seriously..think about this! If you are going through a struggle and it seems like life is never going to right itself just stop for even a minute and find something to praise about. Praise Him that you are alive! I don't know what your health situation is like...but if you are reading this I'm guessing you are breathing! Praise Him for that! Praise him for food on the table, for clothes on your back, for a house to live in, for your kids, spouse, mom, dad, for the life he has given you! Even going through this short list here has to make you feel at least a little bit better about life! Come on...you can admit it...you do feel better!
Secondly when you give praise unto God your chains will be loosed! This one was such an amazing concept to me and I'm not sure why I had never saw it! Remember how Paul and Silas were praising God? Well in verse 26 it said suddenly there was an earthquake, all the doors opened and everyone's chains were loosed (I am paraphrasing I know...but you get the idea)! I was sitting in church tonight and it was like a light bulb turned on in my head. I am not in a physical jail, nor am I in physical chains...but the last couple of months I have felt like I have been in chains! It feels like life is weighing me down and I can't move. I feel such pain and sorrow and it is tying me down and I cannot get out from underneath it. But I realized something tonight....this is the perfect time to praise God! I know this sounds crazy guys, especially for those of you who know what I have been going through...but I'm telling you this is the perfect time for Praise. For when we start praising God for things such as money to pay bills, a truck to drive, a job security for my husband, bringing my husband home safe, for soldiers who are willing to fight for our freedom so we can live in the greatest country in the world. Praising Him for sending his Son to die for our sins, and not only dying but most importantly rising again 3 days later so one day we can live with Him forever....slowly...well in reality not so slowly those chains will break loose and we will be free!
And last of all when you Praise God the Doors will open! It also says in verse 26 that the prison doors flew open...yet when the prison guard came in all the prisoners were still there! Now here is a new concept that you might not have thought of! I don't know about you, but if I was in prison and my chains came loose and the doors burst open, I'm pretty sure I would have been busting out of that place! Just being straight up honest here! But they didn't! They stayed and the jalier got saved that night as well as his household! Praise the Lord!!!! So what is the concept? Well sometimes the doors will fly open and God does want us to go through them. But what if He opens the doors but wants us to stay? I had never thought of this before tonight. Surely if God seems to give us a way out then we should take it right? That's what I thought, but through my Pastor God showed me something new. Now stick with me for a minute, I realize this blog is super long, but this point really brings it all together. What if God is opening the door not for you to escape through, but for people to see you through? If you are praising God through a storm and God opens the door others will be able to see God working through you. They will be able to see that you are going through something so intense, so bleak, so dark that is seems there is no hope, but you are praising God! What an amazing testimony! How many lives can be touched through the storm that you are going through and through the fact that you are still able to praise God!
There is a reason why God has put me in the storm I am in! And most days, ok...not most days, every day so far I have not understood why. I have gone through every possible emotion you can go through! Hurt, anger, depression, frustration....you get the picture, if it's an emotion...I've gone through it! But if I but praise God and focus on all the things he has given me I can rise above this circumstance, my chains from this horrible prison can be loosed and my doors can and will be thrown open! The question is...do I walk through them and escape or do I stay and let others look through them at me and see my praise? How easy it would be to escape, to leave it all behind me. To walk away and say "I gave it my best, but thank God he made a way of escape"! I could easily say that and no one would think any less of me. But you know what? I think I will stay and let others look through those doors and into my struggles and see my praise because I know once I get through this storm God has an awesome plan for me and I want to help others going through a storm like me to realize there is hope, there is peace if we but only Praise!
So I dare you... whatever storm you are in, whatever life has thrown at you, however down you are, however low you are, just for the next 5 minutes....even the next minute Praise God! The Pastor challenged us to list at least 7 things to praise God about and I guarantee you if you do you will feel your circumstances changing and you will feel your chains loosed! So what are you waiting for? Do it!!!! Just Praise God! It's really that easy!
Friends, in the last month...well pretty much last 2 months my world has been rocked! And not in the good way. I have felt like someone has taken my life turned it upside down shook it then threw it on the ground and trampled on it! I'm not over exaggerating here either. Have you ever been in a place where it literally feels like your entire world has come to a stop? You are going along in life thinking that you are on the right track, doing what you need to do then BAM!!!!! You find yourself smack on your face....and the hardest part about it....it's not even your fault. It is the result of someone else's actions. Well that is where I am...or at least have been and I'm so exhausted from it all. Trying to pick up the pieces of life and not really sure how.
Well tonight my Pastor (ok...I have to stop here for a minute because I love the sound of that "my pastor"! We have been looking for a church for such a long time and have finally found the right one at the right time and I LOVE IT!!!! Ok now back to the thought)! My Pastor preached about "Power in Praise"! He went to Acts 16:25-30. For those unfamiliar with the Bible this is a story about 2 men named Paul and Silas who were stripped of their clothes and beaten and put in prison where there feet were put in stocks for no reason except they were doing the work of God!
So let me tell you how God spoke to me through my Pastor's sermon tonight. Of course I will tell it a little differently then him...but that's ok...I'm sure he won't mind! So picture this...imagine doing the work of God and one day a crowd of people getting mad at you because speaking the truth has made them uncomfortable! So they take you, rip your clothes of and beat you, and then drag you to prison and put your feet in stocks so you can't even get up and move! And this prison is not like ours now days. They were on the floor of a cold nasty probably damp cell...and I can imagine there were rats and who knows what running around down there. I don't know about you but me...I would be having a huge pity party! I would be wondering what God was thinking...why had He not watched out for me? But this is NOT what Paul and Silas do....instead of feeling sorry for themselves and letting their circumstances get the best of them they actually started singing praises to God! (vs. 25) I mean seriously? Were they crazy? Did they not see what an awful, horrible situation they were in? Of course they did, but unlike me, they rose above themselves and their surroundings and focused on something so much better! They focused on God and all that He had done for them and they were overwhelmed with praise!
There were several things Pastor gave us about the Power of Praise, but here are 3 things that pretty much jumped out at me! First of all Praise helps you rise above your circumstances! Seriously..think about this! If you are going through a struggle and it seems like life is never going to right itself just stop for even a minute and find something to praise about. Praise Him that you are alive! I don't know what your health situation is like...but if you are reading this I'm guessing you are breathing! Praise Him for that! Praise him for food on the table, for clothes on your back, for a house to live in, for your kids, spouse, mom, dad, for the life he has given you! Even going through this short list here has to make you feel at least a little bit better about life! Come on...you can admit it...you do feel better!
Secondly when you give praise unto God your chains will be loosed! This one was such an amazing concept to me and I'm not sure why I had never saw it! Remember how Paul and Silas were praising God? Well in verse 26 it said suddenly there was an earthquake, all the doors opened and everyone's chains were loosed (I am paraphrasing I know...but you get the idea)! I was sitting in church tonight and it was like a light bulb turned on in my head. I am not in a physical jail, nor am I in physical chains...but the last couple of months I have felt like I have been in chains! It feels like life is weighing me down and I can't move. I feel such pain and sorrow and it is tying me down and I cannot get out from underneath it. But I realized something tonight....this is the perfect time to praise God! I know this sounds crazy guys, especially for those of you who know what I have been going through...but I'm telling you this is the perfect time for Praise. For when we start praising God for things such as money to pay bills, a truck to drive, a job security for my husband, bringing my husband home safe, for soldiers who are willing to fight for our freedom so we can live in the greatest country in the world. Praising Him for sending his Son to die for our sins, and not only dying but most importantly rising again 3 days later so one day we can live with Him forever....slowly...well in reality not so slowly those chains will break loose and we will be free!
And last of all when you Praise God the Doors will open! It also says in verse 26 that the prison doors flew open...yet when the prison guard came in all the prisoners were still there! Now here is a new concept that you might not have thought of! I don't know about you, but if I was in prison and my chains came loose and the doors burst open, I'm pretty sure I would have been busting out of that place! Just being straight up honest here! But they didn't! They stayed and the jalier got saved that night as well as his household! Praise the Lord!!!! So what is the concept? Well sometimes the doors will fly open and God does want us to go through them. But what if He opens the doors but wants us to stay? I had never thought of this before tonight. Surely if God seems to give us a way out then we should take it right? That's what I thought, but through my Pastor God showed me something new. Now stick with me for a minute, I realize this blog is super long, but this point really brings it all together. What if God is opening the door not for you to escape through, but for people to see you through? If you are praising God through a storm and God opens the door others will be able to see God working through you. They will be able to see that you are going through something so intense, so bleak, so dark that is seems there is no hope, but you are praising God! What an amazing testimony! How many lives can be touched through the storm that you are going through and through the fact that you are still able to praise God!
There is a reason why God has put me in the storm I am in! And most days, ok...not most days, every day so far I have not understood why. I have gone through every possible emotion you can go through! Hurt, anger, depression, frustration....you get the picture, if it's an emotion...I've gone through it! But if I but praise God and focus on all the things he has given me I can rise above this circumstance, my chains from this horrible prison can be loosed and my doors can and will be thrown open! The question is...do I walk through them and escape or do I stay and let others look through them at me and see my praise? How easy it would be to escape, to leave it all behind me. To walk away and say "I gave it my best, but thank God he made a way of escape"! I could easily say that and no one would think any less of me. But you know what? I think I will stay and let others look through those doors and into my struggles and see my praise because I know once I get through this storm God has an awesome plan for me and I want to help others going through a storm like me to realize there is hope, there is peace if we but only Praise!
So I dare you... whatever storm you are in, whatever life has thrown at you, however down you are, however low you are, just for the next 5 minutes....even the next minute Praise God! The Pastor challenged us to list at least 7 things to praise God about and I guarantee you if you do you will feel your circumstances changing and you will feel your chains loosed! So what are you waiting for? Do it!!!! Just Praise God! It's really that easy!
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