As a little girl I knew I always wanted to be a wife and a mother. I played house a lot and always dreamed of the day I would have my own family. I started babysitting at age 11 and loved spending time with the kids. As a little girl though and even in to my adult years though I didn't fully understand what it meant to be a good wife.
You all have heard the saying we marry our husbands hoping to change them. We go into the marriage feeling confident enough we can get our man to do what we want. The focus is all on us. He needs to make me happy. He needs to be like so and so's husband. The lists go on and on in our head and we start building up the dream man. We totally lose focus on what it is to be a wife. I know this. I failed miserably at being a wife for the longest time in my marriage. Even after I returned to God and to church I still acted to selfishly. If something wasn't going well my answer was always maybe we should just call it quits and get a divorce. Or we need to go talk to someone about our marriage. I am embarrassed at my behavior. Why I am sharing all this then? Because I know I can't be the only wife out there that feels like this. And I hope that if a younger wife or someone thinking about getting married will learn from my mistakes.
Husbands need to know we will be there for them no matter what. When we take our vows in front of our family, friends, and most importantly God we need to listen to what we are saying. Don't just repeat the words so that you will be married. Listen to your vows and take them seriously. You are promising to be by your husbands side through the good times and the bad. When there is money and when you are broke. When you healthy and if one of you were to get sick. You are promising to love only him, be with only him, and honor him. And for how long? Until he does something that makes you upset? Until you find someone “better”? No, until death do you part. You are promising to be with him until you draw your last breath.
When we think of our husbands we think of them being strong and confident. We don't realize we can crush them. And even little things add up after a while. Have you ever gone to a party and just had to tell your friends about this crazy thing your husband did? Did you ever glance at his face? He may be laughing but deep down you just hurt him. How would we feel if our husbands did that to us. We would give them the glare of death and they would know they would be in trouble.
We as women know the power we have over our husbands and we need to stop playing games with it. We need to build our husbands up. We need to let them know each and every day that we love them and are there for them no matter what. They need to know that there is nothing they can do that will ever disappoint us so much that we give up on them. Isn't this our Christ loves us. Can't we mess up time and again and He still forgives us? If we can practice forgiving others so well, why can't we forgive our husbands? We want to be forgiven don't we? Because we as wives make mistakes too. In a marriage there are two people. If a marriage fails its not one person's fault. It takes two to make a marriage and it also takes two to destroy one.
If you don't know where to begin read Proverbs 31. Here is what a wife should look like. Start listening to how you talk to your husband. Build him up. Let him know that you are there no matter what. Let him know how much you love him. Take care of the house. Make it look nice so when he comes home he sees your love in action. Prepare him his favorite meal out of the blue not just on birthdays. When he has to go on trips let him know how much you will miss him. Allow him to have his place in the house. God put man over woman in the house. He is to be head of the household. Let him be. Stop trying to control everything. Pray for your husband on a daily basis. Ask God to give you a scripture to pray over him. Be there for him.
It has taken me many years and tears to learn this. Don't take so long in finding it out. Save both of you some heartache and be the wife you have been called to be.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Love
I have been asked at times why I think my God is the real God. Why the God I serve is the right one. And there is one word that can answer that question. It is how God said people would know we belonged to Him. Love. You will not find the love that Christians have in any other religion. Not only love for fellow Christians but for their neighbors, community members, and the world. For people who are lost and need hope. I want to share with you just a few of the many organizations that show this love on a daily basis. My hope is that this will stir up something in you. That you will see the love that shines through and you will want that same love. Then also you may want to support or even volunteer for a organization and start changing the world too. It all begins with love.
Convoy of Hope is an organization that responds to tragedies world wide and even right here in the United States. When earthquakes, floods, and other disasters hit; they organize a team immediately and get on the road. They have a 300,000 square foot warehouse stocked with water and food to get out to the people. They have a fleet of trucks ready to roll. To date they have helped over 28 million people in 112 countries and 45 states. They have also started up nutrition programs in 120 countries. All volunteers, all filled with the love of Christ. If you go to their website you can learn more about them. You can see videos of their amazing work. They have doctors who willingly give their time and go to places like Haiti to help with the sick. In a world where money seems to talk that is not so with these people. Its about changing lives and spreading love.
World Vision is another organization. Reaching millions all over the world with the necessities of life. They are able to do this through sponsors who sign up and agree to sponsor a child. They find the way to provide food and water to these children. Giving these children a chance to grow, to be healthy, and to just be a child.
Teen Challenge was started by Rev. David Wilkerson. He was saddened by teen violence and the toll it was taking on his community. He gave up his pastoral job and went into helping teen gang members full time. It was the start of this wonderful program called Teen Challenge. Today teen challenge not only helps teens, it is there for adults as well. It is a well respected drug and alcohol addiction program that works. Why is it so successful? Because they don't just help these people get clean they help them find Jesus. They find the hope and the joy there is in God. A lot of love is in this program.
Home of Hope is a branch of the Teen Challenge program. It extends the program to moms with children. Often the children have no place to go when a mom enters a drug rehab program. Home of Hope offers a place for both the mom and the child. While the mom is getting well, she can still see her kids and families aren't separated. This can make a big difference in a mom deciding to stay.
The last program that I want to share is called Project Rescue. This program became a reality because K.K. Devarej. He was in India as part of Teen Challenge program there. He was helping get young people out of the drug world. He saw the sex trafficking problem and knew something had to be done. Project Rescue helps sex slave victims. They go in and negotiate the terms to get the girls and women out. They take in women who have been rescued from raids done by the police. They help to get the children out of the brothels and provide a safe place for them. Then after they get the women out, they give them medical attention, counseling, and job training. They help them to get back on their feet again. For those who have contacted HIV the provide care to them. Such a wonderful organization.
This is what happens when people believe in my God. They have this love inside of them to help others and they put it into action. They are the arms and hands of God here on earth. They are His workers and servants all doing it for the love of people. No one gets rich doing these things. Its not about money. Its about the people. And these are just a few organizations that are changing lives. There are so many more. There are individuals changing lives all over the place who we don't even know. You won't here about any of these people on the news. But that's okay because they aren't out for the glory. There goal is to reach as many people with the love of Christ as they can and to change lives. This is how I know that the God I serve is the God. No other God can inspire this much love. He has changed my life and He has changed the lives of so many others who are willing to give Him the chance. May you find the love of Christ to be true and then may you share it with others. God bless.
Convoy of Hope is an organization that responds to tragedies world wide and even right here in the United States. When earthquakes, floods, and other disasters hit; they organize a team immediately and get on the road. They have a 300,000 square foot warehouse stocked with water and food to get out to the people. They have a fleet of trucks ready to roll. To date they have helped over 28 million people in 112 countries and 45 states. They have also started up nutrition programs in 120 countries. All volunteers, all filled with the love of Christ. If you go to their website you can learn more about them. You can see videos of their amazing work. They have doctors who willingly give their time and go to places like Haiti to help with the sick. In a world where money seems to talk that is not so with these people. Its about changing lives and spreading love.
World Vision is another organization. Reaching millions all over the world with the necessities of life. They are able to do this through sponsors who sign up and agree to sponsor a child. They find the way to provide food and water to these children. Giving these children a chance to grow, to be healthy, and to just be a child.
Teen Challenge was started by Rev. David Wilkerson. He was saddened by teen violence and the toll it was taking on his community. He gave up his pastoral job and went into helping teen gang members full time. It was the start of this wonderful program called Teen Challenge. Today teen challenge not only helps teens, it is there for adults as well. It is a well respected drug and alcohol addiction program that works. Why is it so successful? Because they don't just help these people get clean they help them find Jesus. They find the hope and the joy there is in God. A lot of love is in this program.
Home of Hope is a branch of the Teen Challenge program. It extends the program to moms with children. Often the children have no place to go when a mom enters a drug rehab program. Home of Hope offers a place for both the mom and the child. While the mom is getting well, she can still see her kids and families aren't separated. This can make a big difference in a mom deciding to stay.
The last program that I want to share is called Project Rescue. This program became a reality because K.K. Devarej. He was in India as part of Teen Challenge program there. He was helping get young people out of the drug world. He saw the sex trafficking problem and knew something had to be done. Project Rescue helps sex slave victims. They go in and negotiate the terms to get the girls and women out. They take in women who have been rescued from raids done by the police. They help to get the children out of the brothels and provide a safe place for them. Then after they get the women out, they give them medical attention, counseling, and job training. They help them to get back on their feet again. For those who have contacted HIV the provide care to them. Such a wonderful organization.
This is what happens when people believe in my God. They have this love inside of them to help others and they put it into action. They are the arms and hands of God here on earth. They are His workers and servants all doing it for the love of people. No one gets rich doing these things. Its not about money. Its about the people. And these are just a few organizations that are changing lives. There are so many more. There are individuals changing lives all over the place who we don't even know. You won't here about any of these people on the news. But that's okay because they aren't out for the glory. There goal is to reach as many people with the love of Christ as they can and to change lives. This is how I know that the God I serve is the God. No other God can inspire this much love. He has changed my life and He has changed the lives of so many others who are willing to give Him the chance. May you find the love of Christ to be true and then may you share it with others. God bless.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Come Home
At times we allow our minds to wander off the path. We start to think that we can handle life and anything that comes up. We begin to rely on ourselves. Before we know it we are off on our own and don't know how we got there. Its been so long since we allowed God to help us or even asked for His help. Can I really ask for His help now? Will He remember my voice? Do I remember how to talk to Him? Is it too late? Does He even love me anymore?
These are the questions we ask ourselves. And sadly sometimes we answer ourselves with the wrong answer. In our human minds we can't imagine the forgiveness that God holds in His hands. We can't imagine the love that He has for us. Humans aren't capable of it so we limit God and think He is not capable of those intense emotions. But He is. He is more than capable. The love He has for us is so overwhelming. There is nothing we can do to ever push Him away forever. He always wants us back. He is always waiting there with arms open wide ready to hug us. We just have to whisper the words and He runs to us. He picks us up with tears and a huge smile and says “I love you child.”
At times we can feel like God isn't there. We don't see the need to have Him around. He has done too good a job at taking care of us. He has spoiled us with His provision. He has helped us out of so many tough situations. He saved us from heartache we didn't even know was coming. We take Him for granted. We are selfish and demanding and want more. We learn at a young age to get what we want out of relationships. How many of us have ever been playing with a friend and they upset us, so we tell them, “I am not going to be your friend anymore.” We hope to make them feel what we are feeling. I believe we do that to God, too. We look up at the heavens, and we don't get our way when we want it and so we blame Him. We tell Him we don't need Him anymore.
Its easier to put the blame on someone else. It couldn't possibly be our fault that He didn't answer a specific prayer yet. We aren't the ones who are suppose to be all powerful. He is. We begin to treat Him like this magician. We want Him to wave His magic wand and make everything how we want it. Then when He doesn't we stop talking to Him. It breaks His heart. But you know what? He is still there. He is just waiting for you to knock on the door again. He is waiting for you to take that first step and then He will once again pick you up and welcome you home again.
That is love. That is true, unselfish love. Doesn't He deserve a little more from us? Can't we try and give a little more? I understand that He may be slow to answer your prayer and things may not be as you want them. But don't forget all the prayers He has already answered. Don't forget all He has already done for you. You will never find another friend who will give up their life for you. You will never find another friend who will take you back, no questions asked after hurting them time and again. You need to have Jesus as your friend. He is the only one with the ability to love like that.
Here His plea, “Come home.”
These are the questions we ask ourselves. And sadly sometimes we answer ourselves with the wrong answer. In our human minds we can't imagine the forgiveness that God holds in His hands. We can't imagine the love that He has for us. Humans aren't capable of it so we limit God and think He is not capable of those intense emotions. But He is. He is more than capable. The love He has for us is so overwhelming. There is nothing we can do to ever push Him away forever. He always wants us back. He is always waiting there with arms open wide ready to hug us. We just have to whisper the words and He runs to us. He picks us up with tears and a huge smile and says “I love you child.”
At times we can feel like God isn't there. We don't see the need to have Him around. He has done too good a job at taking care of us. He has spoiled us with His provision. He has helped us out of so many tough situations. He saved us from heartache we didn't even know was coming. We take Him for granted. We are selfish and demanding and want more. We learn at a young age to get what we want out of relationships. How many of us have ever been playing with a friend and they upset us, so we tell them, “I am not going to be your friend anymore.” We hope to make them feel what we are feeling. I believe we do that to God, too. We look up at the heavens, and we don't get our way when we want it and so we blame Him. We tell Him we don't need Him anymore.
Its easier to put the blame on someone else. It couldn't possibly be our fault that He didn't answer a specific prayer yet. We aren't the ones who are suppose to be all powerful. He is. We begin to treat Him like this magician. We want Him to wave His magic wand and make everything how we want it. Then when He doesn't we stop talking to Him. It breaks His heart. But you know what? He is still there. He is just waiting for you to knock on the door again. He is waiting for you to take that first step and then He will once again pick you up and welcome you home again.
That is love. That is true, unselfish love. Doesn't He deserve a little more from us? Can't we try and give a little more? I understand that He may be slow to answer your prayer and things may not be as you want them. But don't forget all the prayers He has already answered. Don't forget all He has already done for you. You will never find another friend who will give up their life for you. You will never find another friend who will take you back, no questions asked after hurting them time and again. You need to have Jesus as your friend. He is the only one with the ability to love like that.
Here His plea, “Come home.”
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Who He Is
Jesus poses a question in the New Testament. Who do you say that I am? It is a good question and one every person must answer. Since my blog page is entitled Tammy on Faith, I decided it was time I answered that question. So, I will tell you all what it is that I believe.
I believe that God, our Father in Heaven, created this entire beautiful world we live in. I believe He created every creature great and small. I believe that He is a loving, merciful, and just God. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to become a man. Jesus Christ was born a virgin birth, in a manger one special Christmas Day. He grew to be a sinless man. He is perfect. He was beaten, spit upon, ridiculed, and became the ultimate sacrifice; all for me. And for you, too. He gave up His life so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins. He rose again on the third day and now reigns with God in Heaven. One day He will return again, and gather up all His people and bring them home.
We have not been left on our own here, though. We have been given the special gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us, and help us live our lives the best we can. We are also given the Bible. The written living word of God. God speaks to us today through the Bible. All of the problems we face today, we can use the Bible to find the answer. I believe that if you search with all of your heart for God you will find Him. It is His desire that every person come to know Him as their personal Savior.
I believe that we have many troubles here on earth today because of two main reasons. We are all born with sinful desires and we cave into those. No one is perfect and can do everything right. I also believe we have a hard time living here because this is not our home. Our home is in Heaven where God anxiously awaits our arrival. I believe that when I die I will be greeted in Heaven by my Heavenly Father. He will take me in His arms and say “Welcome home my child.” I will gaze upon His face and be filled with unspeakable joy. I will worship with the angels and all fellow believers for eternity.
I also believe that those who choose to deny the existence of God and His precious son will spend an eternity in Hell. It is a place of utter darkness and loneliness. There will be no joy there and only great sadness. I long for all human kind to choose to follow God. I do not want to see even my worst enemy suffer an eternity. It is unimaginable. My heart breaks for the lost souls and I pray harder each day that all will come to know God like I know Him.
I believe there is only one way to get to Heaven. By believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and that He rose again. You can never do enough good works to earn your way in. You can't be a good enough person. You cannot buy your way in, cheat, or lie you way in.
Won't you consider today searching out Jesus? Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Read His word. Hear how much He loves you. Trust in Him. Have hope in a life after this one spent with the Magnificent Creator. He is longing to welcome you into His arms. He created you. You are His child. Allow Him to be your Daddy.
This is who I say He is.
I believe that God, our Father in Heaven, created this entire beautiful world we live in. I believe He created every creature great and small. I believe that He is a loving, merciful, and just God. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to become a man. Jesus Christ was born a virgin birth, in a manger one special Christmas Day. He grew to be a sinless man. He is perfect. He was beaten, spit upon, ridiculed, and became the ultimate sacrifice; all for me. And for you, too. He gave up His life so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins. He rose again on the third day and now reigns with God in Heaven. One day He will return again, and gather up all His people and bring them home.
We have not been left on our own here, though. We have been given the special gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us, and help us live our lives the best we can. We are also given the Bible. The written living word of God. God speaks to us today through the Bible. All of the problems we face today, we can use the Bible to find the answer. I believe that if you search with all of your heart for God you will find Him. It is His desire that every person come to know Him as their personal Savior.
I believe that we have many troubles here on earth today because of two main reasons. We are all born with sinful desires and we cave into those. No one is perfect and can do everything right. I also believe we have a hard time living here because this is not our home. Our home is in Heaven where God anxiously awaits our arrival. I believe that when I die I will be greeted in Heaven by my Heavenly Father. He will take me in His arms and say “Welcome home my child.” I will gaze upon His face and be filled with unspeakable joy. I will worship with the angels and all fellow believers for eternity.
I also believe that those who choose to deny the existence of God and His precious son will spend an eternity in Hell. It is a place of utter darkness and loneliness. There will be no joy there and only great sadness. I long for all human kind to choose to follow God. I do not want to see even my worst enemy suffer an eternity. It is unimaginable. My heart breaks for the lost souls and I pray harder each day that all will come to know God like I know Him.
I believe there is only one way to get to Heaven. By believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and that He rose again. You can never do enough good works to earn your way in. You can't be a good enough person. You cannot buy your way in, cheat, or lie you way in.
Won't you consider today searching out Jesus? Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Read His word. Hear how much He loves you. Trust in Him. Have hope in a life after this one spent with the Magnificent Creator. He is longing to welcome you into His arms. He created you. You are His child. Allow Him to be your Daddy.
This is who I say He is.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Not Just for Emergencies
We all know to dial 911 in emergencies. And if you are a parent you probably have the number to poison control close by in case your little one gets into something they are not suppose to. We are ready to call when we need to. And if we are honest some of us have that kind of relationship with God.
We put God on our emergency list. We call out to Him when we don't know what to do. We expect Him to solve our problems, and in a quick manner. Then when He does we forget how desperately we needed Him. God doesn't want that kind of relationship with us. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Stop thinking of Him as a genie in a bottle. Don't go to Him just to have your prayers get answered and stuff Him back in the bottle. He is not just for emergencies.
Invite Him into every part of your life. Greet Him in the morning. Thank Him for keeping you and your family safe at night. If something good happens during the day, share it with Him. He is waiting like your parents were on your first day of school. Remember how eager they were to hear how your day went. He wants to hear about your first crush, first kiss, and He'll be there to wipe your tears after your first heartbreak.
He is more than a problem solver. He is your best friend you can share all your secrets with. He's your provider when you need a little extra. He is your Savior. He is your Dad. He saw you play in your first big game. He cheered you on when you ran the bases. He is your biggest fan.
Don't wait for an emergency to reach out to your Father in Heaven. Reach out to Him now. Enjoy the good times with Him. Build on your relationship with Him. Then when the hard times do come, you will know who to run to. He'll be there to clean up the cuts, put the salve on, and hold it together while you heal.
We put God on our emergency list. We call out to Him when we don't know what to do. We expect Him to solve our problems, and in a quick manner. Then when He does we forget how desperately we needed Him. God doesn't want that kind of relationship with us. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Stop thinking of Him as a genie in a bottle. Don't go to Him just to have your prayers get answered and stuff Him back in the bottle. He is not just for emergencies.
Invite Him into every part of your life. Greet Him in the morning. Thank Him for keeping you and your family safe at night. If something good happens during the day, share it with Him. He is waiting like your parents were on your first day of school. Remember how eager they were to hear how your day went. He wants to hear about your first crush, first kiss, and He'll be there to wipe your tears after your first heartbreak.
He is more than a problem solver. He is your best friend you can share all your secrets with. He's your provider when you need a little extra. He is your Savior. He is your Dad. He saw you play in your first big game. He cheered you on when you ran the bases. He is your biggest fan.
Don't wait for an emergency to reach out to your Father in Heaven. Reach out to Him now. Enjoy the good times with Him. Build on your relationship with Him. Then when the hard times do come, you will know who to run to. He'll be there to clean up the cuts, put the salve on, and hold it together while you heal.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Surviving the Storm
Get bottled water! Stock up on the can goods. Do we have enough batteries? Where are the candles and the matches? Do these questions sound familiar to you? When I hear them I know a storm is coming. It's time to prepare. We never know how big the storm will be or how long it will last. And after each storm we always seem to learn something new. We see what worked and what didn't. We need to keep this in mind for when the next storm comes. Life is like this, too. We all will face many storms in life. Some will be mild like rainstorms, and others will try and knock you down like a blizzard. Your actions will determine if you get buried or if you stay alive. Your faith can help you if you rely on it. There are many choices you will face as the storm approaches, during the storm, and even after the storm. Doesn't it seem wise to be prepared? So how do you prepare?
The first step is to recognize there is a storm approaching. It is best if you are not caught off guard; especially if the storm is a big one. Learn to recognize signs. Has everything been going smoothly lately? Are you embarking on a new ministry? Are you preparing to do something new? If your answer if yes, then most likely a storm is coming.
The next step is to prepare. To prepare find shelter. Find a church where you feel loved and accepted. A place where you belong. The people there will be your shelter. They will be there when the storm hits. They will make sure you don't run out of supplies. When it feels like you are starting to drown, they will pull you up out of the water. I believe this is one of the reasons God tells us to get plugged into a local body. He knows we will need them. And others will need you.
Be prepared. Dust off the Bible and read it daily. Draw encouragement and wisdom from the Psalms. Hear how David praised his God all the days of his life. Read the story of Job. A man who lost everything, but never lost his faith. See just how mighty and strong God is. Keep a journal of all the good times. It will be a handy tool to reflect upon when the lies of the storm tell you God has never helped you.
Ok, you've made it through the first two important steps. The next step is decide now that you will survive the storm. Your attitude going into a storm will determine how you weather it. Don't enter into a storm defeated and crushed. Recognize you are the child of the Creator of the universe. There is nothing to big for Him. There is nothing He can't handle. He has promised you that when you put your trust in Him, there is nothing you will go through that is too big for you to handle. Declare victory even in the middle of the storm.
Now, the storm sets in. Your next step is to rely on the previous steps. Get down on your hands and knees and pray. Cry out to your Daddy like you never have before. Don't worry if your mascara is running. Don't worry if one of your buddies sees you. Cry out to God! Ask Him to be your strength. Resist the urge to run to the phone and computer and let everyone know you are in a storm. Talk to God first. I know you will need support. I recommend that you find a couple of strong, tell it to me straight, good friends. They are the ones that will help keep you afloat and remind you to stay on track, when you start to veer off.
The most important thing is to never cease praying. Pray without ceasing like the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. Never stop bringing your petitions to God. Spend more time in His word and listening to praise music. You will be amazed when you turn on the radio and you will hear just the right song. Sing praises loudly. Nothing defeats misery like praise.
As you weather this storm, hold your head high. Just because you are getting attacked does not make you less of a person. Every believer goes through this. We all hurt, we all stumble, and we all fall. Then with the strength of our Lord we all get back up again. We are prepared to face another day.
When the storm finally does end, write about it. Remember what happened. Keep it tucked away for the next time. And most importantly thank God for keeping you through this storm. Share you testimony with others if you feel led. A lot of times God will bring others into our life who need to hear how we survived. Let me leave you with these final thoughts. Your Father in Heaven love you so much, He gave His only Son to die for YOU! He wants to hold your hand and be there for you. Allow Him to be your strength when you have nothing left. Praise Him, and thank Him every day. This is how you will survive the storm.
God bless you.
The first step is to recognize there is a storm approaching. It is best if you are not caught off guard; especially if the storm is a big one. Learn to recognize signs. Has everything been going smoothly lately? Are you embarking on a new ministry? Are you preparing to do something new? If your answer if yes, then most likely a storm is coming.
The next step is to prepare. To prepare find shelter. Find a church where you feel loved and accepted. A place where you belong. The people there will be your shelter. They will be there when the storm hits. They will make sure you don't run out of supplies. When it feels like you are starting to drown, they will pull you up out of the water. I believe this is one of the reasons God tells us to get plugged into a local body. He knows we will need them. And others will need you.
Be prepared. Dust off the Bible and read it daily. Draw encouragement and wisdom from the Psalms. Hear how David praised his God all the days of his life. Read the story of Job. A man who lost everything, but never lost his faith. See just how mighty and strong God is. Keep a journal of all the good times. It will be a handy tool to reflect upon when the lies of the storm tell you God has never helped you.
Ok, you've made it through the first two important steps. The next step is decide now that you will survive the storm. Your attitude going into a storm will determine how you weather it. Don't enter into a storm defeated and crushed. Recognize you are the child of the Creator of the universe. There is nothing to big for Him. There is nothing He can't handle. He has promised you that when you put your trust in Him, there is nothing you will go through that is too big for you to handle. Declare victory even in the middle of the storm.
Now, the storm sets in. Your next step is to rely on the previous steps. Get down on your hands and knees and pray. Cry out to your Daddy like you never have before. Don't worry if your mascara is running. Don't worry if one of your buddies sees you. Cry out to God! Ask Him to be your strength. Resist the urge to run to the phone and computer and let everyone know you are in a storm. Talk to God first. I know you will need support. I recommend that you find a couple of strong, tell it to me straight, good friends. They are the ones that will help keep you afloat and remind you to stay on track, when you start to veer off.
The most important thing is to never cease praying. Pray without ceasing like the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. Never stop bringing your petitions to God. Spend more time in His word and listening to praise music. You will be amazed when you turn on the radio and you will hear just the right song. Sing praises loudly. Nothing defeats misery like praise.
As you weather this storm, hold your head high. Just because you are getting attacked does not make you less of a person. Every believer goes through this. We all hurt, we all stumble, and we all fall. Then with the strength of our Lord we all get back up again. We are prepared to face another day.
When the storm finally does end, write about it. Remember what happened. Keep it tucked away for the next time. And most importantly thank God for keeping you through this storm. Share you testimony with others if you feel led. A lot of times God will bring others into our life who need to hear how we survived. Let me leave you with these final thoughts. Your Father in Heaven love you so much, He gave His only Son to die for YOU! He wants to hold your hand and be there for you. Allow Him to be your strength when you have nothing left. Praise Him, and thank Him every day. This is how you will survive the storm.
God bless you.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Have Faith
Think about all the relationships you have in your life. Who is someone you know you can count on? Someone you know will always be there for you. You believe in that person. When you believe in someone you have faith in them. How does that faith come about? Over time as you have gotten to know the person, you know who they are. You know when you can count on them. You know if they are reliable or not. This relationship is not instant and it takes effort. It takes time. It is something that needs to be built up.
The same can be said of your walk with God. You believe in God because you have faith in Him. You have faith that He will hear your prayers when you call on Him. You have faith that though you may be having a rough time now, there is hope for the future. If you were to look up faith in the dictionary you would find something interesting. Faith is confidence and trust in someone. Faith is also defined as a belief not based on proof. Wow. Did you catch that? Faith is a belief not based on proof.
Faith is like the games you played with your friends when you were younger. When someone would be blindfolded and not able to see their surroundings.. Then you would ask that person to fall back and trust that you would catch them and not let you fall. That is what God is doing. He is asking you to have faith in Him that He is there, and will always be there even though you cannot see Him. He is asking you to trust who He says He is. He may choose at times to reveal Himself to you in different ways. Does it mean He is not there if you can't see Him? Of course not. Just like your friends wouldn't let you fall to the ground. At times it may seem like you can't even feel or hear God. But I encourage you to hang in there. He is always there. Sometimes He has us go through things so that our faith can be built.
Other times you friends may blindfold you and lead you down a path where there are obstacles in the way. You have to trust that they will guide you down the smoothest possible path. God is also like that. Some times we can't see where the paths in life will take us and what along that path will hurt us. But our loving Father does. He wants to be like that best friend and lead you down the path where you will survive. Its the best path for you and He knows that. Sometimes He puts the obstacles up where we shouldn't be going. We at the time; think He is withholding from us. But we can't see what all the consequences are of the choices we might make. He has made a promise to us, that He will not let us go through more than we can handle. He wants to keep that promise to us. I have noticed that at several time in my life when I have gotten stuck behind a slow driver, I have been saved from being involved in a car accident. I always get the goosebumps and thank God immediately. I know He has intervened and saved me from tragedy. Other times there has been a cop ahead. He spared me the price of getting a ticket.
I have believed in God almost my entire life. I have gone through dry spells where I wondered where God was. I questioned why He allowed the dry spells. And then after I got through those hard times, I learned a lot more about myself and about my God.
I learned that though I am totally weak on my own, if I trust in Him and His strength, nothing is impossible for me. I have learned that He allows me to be tested so that I can be refined. He can't use me if I have things in my life that would get in the way. Sometimes He needs to clean us up a bit to get us ready for the work He has ahead. He needs us to learn that we can rely on Him, and that He is enough. Friends, family, spouses, they will all let you down. They are all human and at some point in your life they will hurt you, just as you in turn will hurt others. We may not set out to do so, but our humanness gets in the way. We can't escape who we are.
I would much rather go through life blinded and having faith, then to go through this life in the dark. I remember the times, I thought I could go it alone. They are some of the darkest and saddest times in my life. Blind faith is 100 percent better than no faith.
I can promise you if you let go of all your preconceived notions that you may have of who God is, and take a leap of faith, He will show you who He is. It may not be in the way you think. He is after all the Creator of the universe. He doesn't exactly fit into any box. He defines who He is, we don't. He tells us who He is.
Remember faith is not based on proof. Stop searching for all the answers and waiting for everything to line up. It may not ever fit the equation you want. Have faith.
The same can be said of your walk with God. You believe in God because you have faith in Him. You have faith that He will hear your prayers when you call on Him. You have faith that though you may be having a rough time now, there is hope for the future. If you were to look up faith in the dictionary you would find something interesting. Faith is confidence and trust in someone. Faith is also defined as a belief not based on proof. Wow. Did you catch that? Faith is a belief not based on proof.
Faith is like the games you played with your friends when you were younger. When someone would be blindfolded and not able to see their surroundings.. Then you would ask that person to fall back and trust that you would catch them and not let you fall. That is what God is doing. He is asking you to have faith in Him that He is there, and will always be there even though you cannot see Him. He is asking you to trust who He says He is. He may choose at times to reveal Himself to you in different ways. Does it mean He is not there if you can't see Him? Of course not. Just like your friends wouldn't let you fall to the ground. At times it may seem like you can't even feel or hear God. But I encourage you to hang in there. He is always there. Sometimes He has us go through things so that our faith can be built.
Other times you friends may blindfold you and lead you down a path where there are obstacles in the way. You have to trust that they will guide you down the smoothest possible path. God is also like that. Some times we can't see where the paths in life will take us and what along that path will hurt us. But our loving Father does. He wants to be like that best friend and lead you down the path where you will survive. Its the best path for you and He knows that. Sometimes He puts the obstacles up where we shouldn't be going. We at the time; think He is withholding from us. But we can't see what all the consequences are of the choices we might make. He has made a promise to us, that He will not let us go through more than we can handle. He wants to keep that promise to us. I have noticed that at several time in my life when I have gotten stuck behind a slow driver, I have been saved from being involved in a car accident. I always get the goosebumps and thank God immediately. I know He has intervened and saved me from tragedy. Other times there has been a cop ahead. He spared me the price of getting a ticket.
I have believed in God almost my entire life. I have gone through dry spells where I wondered where God was. I questioned why He allowed the dry spells. And then after I got through those hard times, I learned a lot more about myself and about my God.
I learned that though I am totally weak on my own, if I trust in Him and His strength, nothing is impossible for me. I have learned that He allows me to be tested so that I can be refined. He can't use me if I have things in my life that would get in the way. Sometimes He needs to clean us up a bit to get us ready for the work He has ahead. He needs us to learn that we can rely on Him, and that He is enough. Friends, family, spouses, they will all let you down. They are all human and at some point in your life they will hurt you, just as you in turn will hurt others. We may not set out to do so, but our humanness gets in the way. We can't escape who we are.
I would much rather go through life blinded and having faith, then to go through this life in the dark. I remember the times, I thought I could go it alone. They are some of the darkest and saddest times in my life. Blind faith is 100 percent better than no faith.
I can promise you if you let go of all your preconceived notions that you may have of who God is, and take a leap of faith, He will show you who He is. It may not be in the way you think. He is after all the Creator of the universe. He doesn't exactly fit into any box. He defines who He is, we don't. He tells us who He is.
Remember faith is not based on proof. Stop searching for all the answers and waiting for everything to line up. It may not ever fit the equation you want. Have faith.
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