You Said

Have you ever noticed that when you talk to a child, and say “We’ll See” – I’ll think about it “  - or “Maybe” - they hear,  “Done Deal” – “It’s Happening” – “You Said” – “You Promised”.  In Luke 18:17 Jesus talks about having child like faith to enter into heaven. 

 

¹⁷ Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].

 

About a year ago I started something new in my life long journey of increasing my faith – “When you pray believe you receive”

 

 Mark 11:24  “ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” 

 So I started by quoting a scripture and then saying “You Said”.  Or I would Start with God “You Said” – See God doesn’t say “maybe, we’ll see, I’ll think about it – He says – “It is done” So why do so many people struggle? Why are there such an increasing amount of people with anxiety and depression.  

 

In my last post I mentioned that there are 3 things God and I are working on. Another one of these things God and I are working on is to quit doing things half heartily. I’m sure that most of us have heard statements like “Half hearted attempts equal half hearted results. (maybe stated differently but you get the jest of it) So many times we have great intentions on doing things right or fully, but we get tired or lazy.  I know how easy it is to get discouraged.  I know it's hard to press on. We get weary. But God is so smart he even warned us about that…

 

Galatians 6:9 says “ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  


We go around and around the same mountain and wonder why we aren’t making any permanent progress. So my husband are now double checking what we do and asking ourselves “How’s that working for you?” See God says it’s ours so if it’s ours… then why don’t we have it… Yup the ugly part – it’s us. 

 

Disclaimer – I know bad things happen to good people – I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about reaching out and claiming what is ours. One of our Pastors said years ago  “If you want change in any area of your life you need to change something.” My husband and I have always remembered that. But here’s a little add on to that – If you want permanent change you need to make a permanent commitment to it. It’s not I’ll believe for healing now because I’ve got some aches and pain, it’s I need to eat right, exercise for life and for my life. By the stripes of Jesus I’m healed – I need to claim that because “He said” but I can’t just claim that for today because I have a cold – I need to believe it always.  I don't want to work and work and then say ... oh well that's good enough.  Was it really? Did I accomplish what I really set out to do?  Is this the life that Jesus died so I could have. I'm saved and going to heaven but I have a horrible life now. Jesus wants me to have an abundant life.



  John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 
So when you read that are you deceived in to thinking it's this big masked thug coming in and robbing you... No it's the little whispers that distract you from your goals.  The little whispers that say screw it that's good enough.

 In Solomon 2:15 is says it's the little foxes that spoil the vine. (Paraphrased)  The little compromises here and little compromise there.  The oh well or that rule isn't for me.  I call it stepping out of the protection of God's play pen.  Yes I really do have an image in my mind of a giant play pen that God gives us.

So that's what's on my heart... Stepping up, going higher, not being mediocre. Working at taking God's promises as promises and claiming them for myself.  It's a life long work and I am not there "yet" - but I'm here for the rest of my life and I want to enjoy as much of it as I can. 

Just Say'n - God "you said"....
Have a blessed day everyone!
Lynn  

Don't be a Martha!

As I work on my continual growth, because I do want to always continue to grow in God's word and His ways, I am working at being more aware of His whispers in my spirit.  Lately there have been 3 things that I am focusing on changing or improving in my life.  One of which is "Don't be a Martha" 

Luke 10:38-42

Mary and Martha

^38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”

^41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”  (MSG)

See part of my character is to be a "Plan-a-lot-a-mus" (that's what one of my daughters calls me), and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but anything in excess can turn bad. See if not kept in check I can plan 27 hours of activities into a 24 hr day, creating a little self induced pressure. Even things meant for fun and pleasure can become a source of stress and pressure if not kept at a realistic level. This became evident on one of our vacations years ago.  I had an agenda, and itinerary, we had places to go, things to do, people to see.   Whoa, Whoa, Whoa.... wasn't this supposed to be vacation, wasn't this supposed to be fun? 

One of our Granddaughters has a cute little saying - but it is so true... "Stop, take a deep breath, innnnn - ouuuuut... now don't you feel better?"  It is so true, just like Jesus spoke to Martha in the scripture above "you are fussing too much"  What fun is life, if all we do is rush on to the next step? When I was growing up we would go to a relatives house for dinner and before we could fully finish our plate she would be clearing dishes and asking if we wanted desert. And if we didn't want it right then, then we didn't get any. It was served, and cleared and dishes were done and we were excused to the living room. It was kind of funny then, but it's not so funny if I start doing the same thing, so I need to keep that in check.  God was showing that I didn't want to be  so concerned about getting things done, that I couldn't see what was around me.  "Don't be a Martha"  keep resonating in my spirit.
We tell our children all the time about their children, "Don't be so eager for the next phase, walking, talking, going to school, enjoy them at this stage for soon they will be all grown up.

Last night - I did something a little silly and my husband commented at the fact that I had changed and that I used to be so serious that I would never let myself do silly things. It was a bitter sweet moment.  Sorry that I spent so many years too serious, but happy that I'm sensitive to God's whispers in my spirit and flexible enough to let Him mold me into a better person. Happy that I can have a silly moment, a playful moment, for no reason and with no agenda.

God made me with wonderful attributes and my planning and organizing and even hosting can be useful tools in God's kingdom and in my life. But everything has a time and a place. Some quiet time of reflecting and playing and kneeling at Jesus' feet certainly has a place too.

Enjoy ....  No hear me  - Enjoy your day!
Lynn

Hoarding and God

Recently my Husband and I moved - Whew- It's an experience of using every emotion and muscle you can imagine.

Today I want to share some of the lessons I learned about collecting, gathering, saving and hoarding. See my husband and I are not much into clutter, in fact someone once referred to us as sterile because we did not have a lot of nic nacs. But even so we had way too much stuff to sort, give, toss, and dump.  But what are the difference between these - collecting - gathering - saving and hoarding? I Personally think that each one of these has to do with your mind set about stuff. And this mindset or Stronghold that you may have has a lot to do with  experiences in your life. Whether you were poor growing up and feel like you have to constantly gather so you never run out. Or have you lost someone special so you never want to get rid of anything anyone gives you. See I don't think it is bad to collect or save to a point. But at what point does gathering and collecting become hoarding? I don't know what the clinical definition for hoarding is but in my opinion, it is when you never have enough, when you can 't or won't stop collecting and gathering. When you can't possibly let any of it go.

What does all this have to do with God?  A lot!  God tells us in Matt 6:25-34 (click the link and read it now) He wants us to trust Him and have faith in Him that He will provide for all our needs.  In Matt 6:19 (click link to read now)  He tells us to not store up treasures on this earth that will rot and be stolen.  So if we are gathering and collecting out of fear, we need to stop and turn to God.

What about that old saying "Waste not Want not"?  So you don't want to be wasteful so you don't get rid of it. But isn't it a waste that you have something that someone less fortunate could really use and it just sits on a shelf or in a cupboard?

Now I have another question - Are you hoarding God?

You read the Word and draw it in. You hear a Sermon and draw it in. You pray and God gives you wisdom, direction and revelation knowledge.  Then what?  Remember my definition of hoarding?  ".......... when you can't possibly let any of it go." 

It is not always easy for me to share God - But I keep trying. I don't want to be a hoarder.

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

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Is your blinker on?

Have you been driving along and had one of your passengers ask “Is your blinker on”? Or maybe you have been riding with someone and had to let them know “Oh your blinker is still on”. And for anyone that may not understand this use of the word “blinker”,or “Flasher” - it is slang for “Turn Signal”. But a turn signal can also mean a traffic light, and a flasher as in “are your flashers on?” can mean your hazard signals, or flasher could mean…well you get the drift. Blinker just works.

In a vehicle, a blinker, signals all around that can see you that you are going to take some sort of action, usually that you are going to turn this way or that way. But likewise don’t our actions or re-actions send out signals. And what do those signals do and create in our lives and the lives of others?

As a parent, we long to hear our child say those precious words “Mommy” and “Daddy”, but then so often when we hear Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, we respond with “Just a minute, hang on, not now, I said be quiet,…”

As a parent, we want our children to want us and need us and love on us, but then too often we respond with “I’m busy, maybe later, have you done… yet?”

As a parent, we can see someone else's child and have all the patience in the world with them and get warm fuzzy’s about how sweet they are, but not stop and see the wonders of our own child.

I know that it is very important that we train up our children right. I also know as a Grandparent it is so awesome to be able to love on the children with out the responsibility of training them up. But we can not allow the cares of training them affect the signals we send them of love and approval and acceptance.

We are created in the image of God. Our Blinkers need to be the image of what God would do. When we pray and whine and grumble and plead and cry to our Abba Father, he never says not now I’m busy. He never looks down on us with an irritated or disapproving look. This is not to say that God does not correct us or that He doesn’t think we should correct our children.

Proverbs 13:24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

I know this is mostly about parents – but each of us have a responsibility to react in a way that influences the world around us in a positive way. My husband and I make a point of looking directly at people and smiling at them when we are in a public place. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone scowling in a defensive posture, looking like they are ready to lash out at the world, then see me smiling and break out into a smile themselves. I see teenagers size up other teenagers with a “As if attitude” while others hang their heads down trying not to be noticed. What would a smile from one teenager to another do?

As people on the earth, our signal is a reflection of our creator. I also know that seemingly innocent signals can draw someone closer to God or drive them away.

We all have blinkers, and we all use them more than we even know we do. What does your blinker tell the world about you?

As I head into the New Year I want my blinker to shine in a more positive way. I want to signal to the world that there is love and acceptance, not with out a price, but that the price has been paid. Paid by my savior Jesus. I want my signal to show I am turning - towards God.

Happy New Year to everyone – God Bless

Lynn

Chosen

Long Before I was born!
Long before my heritage was ever recorded.

You knew me - You loved me - and you chose me!
And with but a hope that I would choose you back - You said I was worth dying for.

Thank you Jesus!    No Really - Thanks!

That's a Bad Egg

At some point in my growing up I came across a hard boiled egg that was hard to peel. I was told to make sure and get the membrane that would make it easier. When I questioned why this happened I was told the egg was a little old, and when they got old they were harder to peel. So for many years every time I had an egg that was hard to peel it was a challenge to be able to peel it without taking 1/2 the egg with it, but I also had this twinge about serving a "little bit old" egg. Was it safe, or was I poisoning my family?
Fast forward several years and I have recently been told that a hard to peel egg is actually a very fresh egg. So now I am not only confused but conflicted about all those thoughts of poisoning my family. And how immediately I was able to switch my alliances to liking a hard to peel egg and being concerned about the easy peeler. See what I heard, what I learned, what I lived by was a truth to me but was not the truth.

Several times in my life I have looked at people that are prejudice, and wonder why, how? I think of people that are so dedicated to a religion with out a living god, or believe in God but not Jesus and I wonder why, how?

What God showed me the other morning as I was peeling a hard to peel egg for my husbands lunch was that I used to cringe when I got a fresh egg, now I welcome it. My perspective changed because of my knowledge. What I was taught influenced my reactions. And if that's not bad enough, I in turn probably shared the bad egg theory with others. God challenged me to take a look at other things and or people in my life and see if I had labeled them as bad eggs. God wanted me to see that even if in my mind I had determined something to be a bad egg, my moods and attitude about it would be evident enough to have a ripple effect on the people around me.

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." 2 Timothy 2:15-16

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with on another and the blood of Jesus, his son purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:6

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:31b-32

What God has shown me is that what ever I believe to be true is true to me. So if I want the real truth, I need to make sure that I line my thought and beliefs up with His word. I also need to check for bad eggs in my thoughts and heart.

I'm happy and blessed that God loves me and teaches me, even if he uses an egg to do it.

Have a blessed day everyone.
Lynn

John 8:32 says "Delight yourself in the ways of the Lord and