This time, I will dance
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Have you ever asked God for something, and He gave it to you, only to walk through it timidly? You found you have the one thing you asked for - yet you let life, people and circumstances dictate you - to your own misery. You let people intimidate you, or you worry about everything until you are a beat up pulp with no life left. Then the very thing you wanted is gone or removed partly due to the heartache you let it incur.
But what if He brings it back to your life. What will you do? Stare at it remember those horrible things that happened before… or will you trust the scripture and do what Paul so honorably states in Philippians 3:13b? Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Forget the past. Let go of the trouble. I know it’s hard, but Christ is there waiting for you to bring your burdens to him - for his Yoke is light(Matt 11:30).
So the question remains.
What will you do this second time around?
This new season God is bringing you.
There is a season for everything (Ecc. 3:1)
Ecc. 3:4b ‘A time to grieve and a time to dance”
Last time, I grieved. I lost. I went gray (headed.)
This time, I will dance (and bring along my root cover-up).
What is God saying to you dear one?
Dance.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The End is the Beginning
The end is the beginning.
Isaiah 43:16-19 (NASB)
16Thus says the LORD,
Who Makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick):
18"Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
19"Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
Behold, I do new thing…(V.19 NIV)
How do we live when something ends?
When the one thing we think we are living for ends?
The whole purpose for our current existence is over/gone?
Evaporated.
Ended.
These are questions I struggle with, but sense the solution.
For us to achieve something good, something greater, the current thing must end.
Endings are sad. They sting, they leave us with a lot of “what ifs…”
But for that new work to begin, we must end with the old work.
That’s the part that keeps us from moving on. We hold onto to the other thing like an old wet blanket, or worn out shoe.
We love the shoe. We wore the shoe with pride. We are comfortable with the shoe. We know the shoe; but now, the shoe has a hole in it. The sole is flopping around and hanging off the bottom of the shoe.
There is a better shoe, more up to date, more comfortable, and may even longer lasting shoe waiting for us. We just have to let go of the old shoe and go get the new shoe. It may take a few weeks to wear-in the shoe, but it’s perfect now.
Life hands us crazy roads to walk.
God gives us shoes… if we let Him.. He has new perfect pair just waiting, but we have to let go of the old and trust him.
He has our best interest at heart. He has a new work for us. But we have to go with him. We have to let the old shoe go. You never know what kind of new shoe he’s bringing. You may be trading in your payless for Jimmy Choo…
Let go and let God.
Isaiah 43:16-19 (NASB)
16Thus says the LORD,
Who Makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick):
18"Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
19"Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
Behold, I do new thing…(V.19 NIV)
How do we live when something ends?
When the one thing we think we are living for ends?
The whole purpose for our current existence is over/gone?
Evaporated.
Ended.
These are questions I struggle with, but sense the solution.
For us to achieve something good, something greater, the current thing must end.
Endings are sad. They sting, they leave us with a lot of “what ifs…”
But for that new work to begin, we must end with the old work.
That’s the part that keeps us from moving on. We hold onto to the other thing like an old wet blanket, or worn out shoe.
We love the shoe. We wore the shoe with pride. We are comfortable with the shoe. We know the shoe; but now, the shoe has a hole in it. The sole is flopping around and hanging off the bottom of the shoe.
There is a better shoe, more up to date, more comfortable, and may even longer lasting shoe waiting for us. We just have to let go of the old shoe and go get the new shoe. It may take a few weeks to wear-in the shoe, but it’s perfect now.
Life hands us crazy roads to walk.
God gives us shoes… if we let Him.. He has new perfect pair just waiting, but we have to let go of the old and trust him.
He has our best interest at heart. He has a new work for us. But we have to go with him. We have to let the old shoe go. You never know what kind of new shoe he’s bringing. You may be trading in your payless for Jimmy Choo…
Let go and let God.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A Blank Page
A Blank Page.
Psalm 119:32
You know, a wise person once instructed me in writing down scripture that the Lord speaks to me on index cards. One frequented verse is Luke 11:9 "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you." Another is Psalm 90:17 "And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!"
I have a stack of cards in my Bible filled with verses on both sides. Verses the Lord gave me before I was ever called to New York. Verses that assured the calling to New York. Verses that got me through New York. Verses that brought me back home. Those verses were there for me every time I was having a crisis of some sort. I would just pick up a card, and the Lord would hand me the exact verse. I would feel like a nothing, with nothing to hold onto, and He would remind me of His promises over and over. Those verses are as familiar to me as air. My life support. “I will hide His word in my heart"(Ps 119:11). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105.)
Well, today, as I was driving to Wal-Mart (a commodity not located in NYC,) I felt myself question some new paths the Lord seems to be laying before my feet. I dramatically reached over to my bible and pulled out a card (almost hitting a curb…) and looked down - expecting that perfect answer He has been giving me for YEARS. However, what I saw was a blank card. Nothing on either side. And it hit me. This script is new. This time is new. This season is new. It’s being written now.
Those verses were all there to encourage my season before and during New York. And those verses were promises of things to come. Promises to be fulfilled. And quite frankly, I thought they were going to be fulfilled in New York. But “my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways aren’t your ways”(Is 55:8.)
So I happened to be reading a devotional tonight and got Ps. 119:32. The majority of the devotion focused on our potential and how it is so much greater than we know - and about what we can achieve when God multiplies our efforts .Ps 90:17 “And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.” This has been my prayer. Let our efforts be successful . Then, the light came on. I realized that God is about to send me into something He’s been preparing me for now, and I have to let go of New York.
His purpose is now. Not last year. Not last month, Not last season. Now.
If we really turn our lives over to Him. We have to trust Him with every second. Even when those seconds don’t necessarily involve my own personal plan.
So - do I abandon? Do I let go? Do I move forward into something that I didn’t for all intents and purposes ask for? Or did I ask for this, and God is just giving me something in a package I definitely did not expect? It even seems to be marked with a sense of Humor only God can produce. And How many times did I pray for God to make my efforts successful?
So what verse did God give me for my blank page?
I will run the course of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart. Ps. 119:32.
He will choose the time and place. We just go.
Psalm 119:32
You know, a wise person once instructed me in writing down scripture that the Lord speaks to me on index cards. One frequented verse is Luke 11:9 "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you." Another is Psalm 90:17 "And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!"
I have a stack of cards in my Bible filled with verses on both sides. Verses the Lord gave me before I was ever called to New York. Verses that assured the calling to New York. Verses that got me through New York. Verses that brought me back home. Those verses were there for me every time I was having a crisis of some sort. I would just pick up a card, and the Lord would hand me the exact verse. I would feel like a nothing, with nothing to hold onto, and He would remind me of His promises over and over. Those verses are as familiar to me as air. My life support. “I will hide His word in my heart"(Ps 119:11). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105.)
Well, today, as I was driving to Wal-Mart (a commodity not located in NYC,) I felt myself question some new paths the Lord seems to be laying before my feet. I dramatically reached over to my bible and pulled out a card (almost hitting a curb…) and looked down - expecting that perfect answer He has been giving me for YEARS. However, what I saw was a blank card. Nothing on either side. And it hit me. This script is new. This time is new. This season is new. It’s being written now.
Those verses were all there to encourage my season before and during New York. And those verses were promises of things to come. Promises to be fulfilled. And quite frankly, I thought they were going to be fulfilled in New York. But “my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways aren’t your ways”(Is 55:8.)
So I happened to be reading a devotional tonight and got Ps. 119:32. The majority of the devotion focused on our potential and how it is so much greater than we know - and about what we can achieve when God multiplies our efforts .Ps 90:17 “And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.” This has been my prayer. Let our efforts be successful . Then, the light came on. I realized that God is about to send me into something He’s been preparing me for now, and I have to let go of New York.
His purpose is now. Not last year. Not last month, Not last season. Now.
If we really turn our lives over to Him. We have to trust Him with every second. Even when those seconds don’t necessarily involve my own personal plan.
So - do I abandon? Do I let go? Do I move forward into something that I didn’t for all intents and purposes ask for? Or did I ask for this, and God is just giving me something in a package I definitely did not expect? It even seems to be marked with a sense of Humor only God can produce. And How many times did I pray for God to make my efforts successful?
So what verse did God give me for my blank page?
I will run the course of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart. Ps. 119:32.
He will choose the time and place. We just go.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
There and Back Again
There and back again.
Matthew 19:28-29
Today, I found a priceless picture a dear friend of mine gave to me to. Why is this so special? Why find it today?
I happened to find it because I am unpacking. I’m unpacking from a move that just brought me back from a three year journey that I did not quite want to leave yet.
You see, the Lord called my husband and me to a special place - New York City - three years ago. It was a choice to leave everything we hold near and dear behind. We literally sold our house, car, and left for a place we knew nothing of. We had no friends there, no real connection - just a calling of God. And boy did he bless that calling.
He took years of life circumstances, weaknesses, ups, downs, disappointments and broken spirits, and gave us the journey of a lifetime. He brought healing to a heart that was devastated. He released us from chains of bondage such as legalism, closed-mindedness, and piousness. He introduced to people that have walked roads we never have or will walk. He showed us how to depend on Him alone for our every need. He gave us a love for an impossible city.. We did fall in love with that city.
Then, three years into that journey, He brought us back. We once again packed up all we had and headed back into the unknown, (Well, partially unknown - I did grow up here...) He brought back family and friends that had pained me so to leave. He is restoring relationships and righting hurts. But the entire reason for bringing us back has not yet been revealed. So now I wait again, for that revelation of God and this road yet to be traveled.
What will it hold? What will this new journey bestow? Well, the pages have been written - It’s up to me to figure out what’s on the page.
So my challenge to you is this….
Is God calling you to something beyond your comprehension? Something you’ve yearned for yet have a fear of doing. Or is there a restless spirit to start a Sunday School class, or Bible study, or join the choir? Perhaps He is calling you to move across town, across state, across country or even across the world.
I say Go. Embrace the Journey God has written for you. You will never be the same.
So what was that picture I found today? It is a picture my friend created for me as a going away to New York gift. There are street signs from New York. First of all, the signs alone just represent what God was saying to me in Psalm 25:4. “Show me the right path oh Lord, teach me the road to follow”
But then, also pictured below the street signs is this scripture.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal Life.” Matthew 19:28-29
Thank you Sandra - You will never know how God used this in my life.
Matthew 19:28-29
Today, I found a priceless picture a dear friend of mine gave to me to. Why is this so special? Why find it today?
I happened to find it because I am unpacking. I’m unpacking from a move that just brought me back from a three year journey that I did not quite want to leave yet.
You see, the Lord called my husband and me to a special place - New York City - three years ago. It was a choice to leave everything we hold near and dear behind. We literally sold our house, car, and left for a place we knew nothing of. We had no friends there, no real connection - just a calling of God. And boy did he bless that calling.
He took years of life circumstances, weaknesses, ups, downs, disappointments and broken spirits, and gave us the journey of a lifetime. He brought healing to a heart that was devastated. He released us from chains of bondage such as legalism, closed-mindedness, and piousness. He introduced to people that have walked roads we never have or will walk. He showed us how to depend on Him alone for our every need. He gave us a love for an impossible city.. We did fall in love with that city.
Then, three years into that journey, He brought us back. We once again packed up all we had and headed back into the unknown, (Well, partially unknown - I did grow up here...) He brought back family and friends that had pained me so to leave. He is restoring relationships and righting hurts. But the entire reason for bringing us back has not yet been revealed. So now I wait again, for that revelation of God and this road yet to be traveled.
What will it hold? What will this new journey bestow? Well, the pages have been written - It’s up to me to figure out what’s on the page.
So my challenge to you is this….
Is God calling you to something beyond your comprehension? Something you’ve yearned for yet have a fear of doing. Or is there a restless spirit to start a Sunday School class, or Bible study, or join the choir? Perhaps He is calling you to move across town, across state, across country or even across the world.
I say Go. Embrace the Journey God has written for you. You will never be the same.
So what was that picture I found today? It is a picture my friend created for me as a going away to New York gift. There are street signs from New York. First of all, the signs alone just represent what God was saying to me in Psalm 25:4. “Show me the right path oh Lord, teach me the road to follow”
But then, also pictured below the street signs is this scripture.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal Life.” Matthew 19:28-29
Thank you Sandra - You will never know how God used this in my life.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Psalm 139
Psalm 139
Psalm 139 - One of my favorites of all time.
How do we know the matchless wonder of God? How do we know we’re loved? How do we know we have a purpose?
God spoke to me today through scripture and a letter. I sometimes question my worth and my purpose - even my calling. I am sifting through pieces of my life that were left in shambles. It’s like putting a broken mirror back together. Pieces of shattered glass left strewn across a floor and I am left to glue them back into place. Some pieces will never be recovered and some are swept away with the dirt. I am left wondering. Do those pieces really need to be there? Is God getting rid of things, or am I just damaged goods that will never recover?
It’s in those dark moments that he is shaping. He is quiet. No voice. No whispers. Nothing. You come to end of yourself screaming out “Where are you God?” No answer.. You live. You go on.
It’s when there’s nothing left to hold to, no sense of self, that He moves. Suddenly an unusual door opens. People emerge out of the woodwork to help. A second chance on life.
Is this all coincidence? Did God forget you for 3 years, or 7 or 15?
“Your eyes saw my substance yet being unformed. And in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet, there were none of them” Ps. 139:16
I dare say to you, He Knew. He knew how to get you to the end of yourself - so you would reach up for him. He purified and pulled out things that were keeping you from your best. He widdled out those things which so easily entangled us (Heb 12:1 ) and brought us to full dependence and surrender to him.
So here you are. At the end of all things. Or is it the beginning, the start of a new chapter in your life? And what are you going to do? Be bitter- or mad that He has brought you here? Or, could you allow yourself to let go of all you know, and let God start up something you could never hope for imagine.
Let Go.
Psalm 139 - One of my favorites of all time.
How do we know the matchless wonder of God? How do we know we’re loved? How do we know we have a purpose?
God spoke to me today through scripture and a letter. I sometimes question my worth and my purpose - even my calling. I am sifting through pieces of my life that were left in shambles. It’s like putting a broken mirror back together. Pieces of shattered glass left strewn across a floor and I am left to glue them back into place. Some pieces will never be recovered and some are swept away with the dirt. I am left wondering. Do those pieces really need to be there? Is God getting rid of things, or am I just damaged goods that will never recover?
It’s in those dark moments that he is shaping. He is quiet. No voice. No whispers. Nothing. You come to end of yourself screaming out “Where are you God?” No answer.. You live. You go on.
It’s when there’s nothing left to hold to, no sense of self, that He moves. Suddenly an unusual door opens. People emerge out of the woodwork to help. A second chance on life.
Is this all coincidence? Did God forget you for 3 years, or 7 or 15?
“Your eyes saw my substance yet being unformed. And in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet, there were none of them” Ps. 139:16
I dare say to you, He Knew. He knew how to get you to the end of yourself - so you would reach up for him. He purified and pulled out things that were keeping you from your best. He widdled out those things which so easily entangled us (Heb 12:1 ) and brought us to full dependence and surrender to him.
So here you are. At the end of all things. Or is it the beginning, the start of a new chapter in your life? And what are you going to do? Be bitter- or mad that He has brought you here? Or, could you allow yourself to let go of all you know, and let God start up something you could never hope for imagine.
Let Go.
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