Challenges

I had a very challenging week this week, and in many ways, became overwhelmed by life. It came out of the blue, all of a sudden on Tuesday morning as I was rushing along to an appointment, all the while, praying for God to help me overcome my obstacles to fully reaching my God-potential, to help me to be better and do more...

Blazing blue lights behind me signalled the beginning of my challenges... What started out as the possibility of an irritating but simple speeding ticket quickly unravelled into the fact that my drivers' license had been suspended, unbeknownst to me, because we had paid our insurance late and they had notified the State that our policy was cancelled or some such series of events... Who knows!

However, the police officer was unnecessarily harsh and as a result, I had to get the car insurance issues resolved, go and get my license re-instated, and hire an attorney to deal with the ridiculous tickets the officer issued...

The thing is, the payment of our car insurance was a task that my husband is responsible for - in my being overwhelmed by how quickly and dramatically things had gone from a quiet day to one of chaos, I blamed him for everything that had happened...

I went from moments of peace in prayer to chaos and feelings of abandonment and surprise... and I failed this test!

Ezekiel 24: 15-27 teaches us that God can call on us, at times, to be used in tremendous moments of chaos to be a sign to others of the difference being a disciple of Jesus makes in us...

Ezekiel 24: 15-18

"The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.

Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners."

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died.

The next morning I did as I had been commanded."

Can you imagine how overwhelming that must have been for Ezekiel - to lose the delight of his life and not give in to grief... Not accept the love and support of family and friends, not show the tremendous loss he felt?



Yet this is what he was called to do - and he did what he was commanded to do!



For me - God gave me an opportunity to be better and do more and show my husband and others faith, strength, charity and gentleness in times of challenge; instead I showed anger, resentment and frustration and missed that opportunity entirely!



It's taken me days to even see it that way! Job, in the midst of incredible testing, covered with boils and sores, ripped of his family, stature and basically all he had, told his wife, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"



Psalm 51: 1-4

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight..."

Psalm 73: 21-26

"When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into

glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides

you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever."

Lord, I pray that I will serve you better the next time life throws me a curve ball...

I pray that my reaction and response will be a testament to others

of the power, peace and strength I have in You...

What makes a Good Friend?

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers mailed in, the top five were:



5. One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.



4. One who understands our silence.



3. A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.



2. A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.



1. The one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.



Wow... Those are challenging aren't they? Because I believe that if you are to HAVE good friends, you have to BE a good friend...



Good Friends are a gift, but you are called to be a gift to others in return! I think the best example of Good Friends I can find in scripture comes in 1 Samuel 20: 1-42.



This scripture shows us David and Jonathan, whose friendship overcame personal feelings of ambition, jealousy, self-righteousness and so on. Jonathan, as Saul's son, was the expected heir to the throne - but Samuel anointed David instead...



Had Jonathan been angry, jealous, disappointed or upset, I think we would understand. Instead, his reaction was one of acceptance, support and encouragement, even in the face of his father's anger.



Are you a good friend? Look around you at your own friends - at the people in your life! Be a supporter to them - walk in on them when the rest of the world walks out!



As a God-Follower, it is your calling...

Friends

This week's teaching at church was on the subject of Making "Friendships" work.. Of course, that made me take a close look at my friends and aquaintances, and I have to just give GOD Thanks and Praise, because throughout my life, He has blessed me so richly with some of the most incredible friends and people...



Sure, there are a few "Consumers" out there - people that drain your energy and your spirit... But I have some of the most awesome ENERGISERS - people that WOW me by their ability to give and give and give! People who are always there; people who lift me up when I'm down...



I just want to thank God for Piggy (I know, nice name for a friend, right LOL) aka Karen! Its okay - she calls me Piggy too!!! :-) She is my Best Friend, was my chief bridesmaid, is my chief supporter and when I am down, her arms are wide open!!! She will tell me what I need to hear, be there for my Mom if I can't be and is just an incredible, wonderful friend!!!



I thank God, for PG, my cousin and friend, who loves me no matter what!!! I could tell her the most awful thing I've done - she loves me anyway and stands by me...



I thank God for Itzi, a more recent friend, but as a fellow God-Follower, she's my "Go-To Person" when I need help to stay on track - and she always does keep me focused on what I need to do to be in touch with God...



I thank God for my husband, my BFF Big Time!!! He is ALWAYS real with me; loves me; encourages me; challenges me; inspires me; enrages me (smile) yet makes me the happiest wife on the planet!!!! I love you Babe!!!



I thank God for my absolutely amazing family and extended family!!!! They are the foundation of everything I am and everything that is good in me!!! They are my cheering squad, my jeering squad (smile) and my 'Get Real' squad!!!



I could mention more - my cousin Robin, who is a true INSPIRATION in my life...



My sister-in-law Lana, who is another true and truly dear friend - supports and encourages me, is honest with me - and keeps me focused!



My sister-in-law Julie - she'll never let you cry!!! She is a ray of sunshine in a dark moment and she'll cry in private for you - but she won't ever let you quit!



Honestly, I have even more incredible people in my life - I could go on and on!!!



Over the years, there's one truth that I've always kept in focus: My greatest treasure in life has no material value, as such, but this is the prize I treasure above all else - my family and my friends...



Thank you, Father, for putting such incredible people in my life! I pray that I am even 1/2 as good a friend to them as they are to me!!!

Renewal

As I've been sharing my quest for my God-Potential; to step up and step out as God calls me to, I've also been thinking about my obstacles and praying for renewal through Jesus' work in me...

As I said yesterday, Jesus is still in the miracle business and I've been praying for HIS miraculous work in me so that all that holds me back from being better and doing more can be overcome through faith and His Power...

This morning, I came across this scripture:

Ezekiel 37: 1-6; 14

The Valley of Dry Bones

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in a valley; it was full of bones.

He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know."

Then He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

14. "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

If ever you thought that all hope was lost or that any hope was wrapped up in your own power to overcome your obstacles, bad habits, or inertia, be assured by this Scripture that God and God alone can renew you, put new breath and spirit into your life...

He can - just ask!!!

Quote For Today

Today I just have a simple message and it is this:

Jesus is still in the miracle business...

So pray!!!

Step Up and Step Out...

Of late, there have been many instances and experiences in my life that have been leading me to take a closer look at giving, caring and leading...



One experience, of course, has to do with my Mother, as she gets older, and is facing challenges in coping with everyday life.



Another has been observing a friend step up when it came to his attention that a brand new colleague had a young daughter suffering from leukemia, after the family had already lost one child to this terrible disease.



My friend stunned us all by taking it upon himself to host a fundraiser for this family, already struggling with crippling medical bills - what began as an idea and motivation to HELP led to an amazing fundraising event help this month that raised over $14,000.00 for this family plus several other amazing benefits, like people or corporations offering to pay their utility bills, etc.



I observed my friend fight day after day, week after week to go out, no matter what, to promote this cause and lead to its ultimate enormous success - and what I said to him at the end was - "Do you realise why people are so overwhelmed by what you did? Nobody does this - most wouldn't think of going to this level of effort for their family/friends much less someone who was essentially a stranger!""



That experience opened my eyes to what we each can do and attain for others if we just TRY!!!



Another experience has been with two organizations that I am a part of that really are in need of a re-investment of PASSION and SPIRIT among our members...



A phenomenal individual I know and love has been demonstrating to me that HOPE is never lost - if you GIVE of yourself, of your own PASSION, SPIRIT and EXCITEMENT for helping others and leading others to their true potential you can reignite the FIRE!!!!



He recently shared with me a book on Leadership - calling me to the awareness that our communities, families, organizations and societies need people to step up and LEAD others!!!



My church, Flamingo Road Church, has also been focussing on Leadership as they strive towards our mission and purpose of "partnering with others to reach their God-potential".... Just this past week, if you go through the archive of teachings on our Daily Devotional Blog at http://www.frcliveonline.blogspot.com/ , you will see the huge NEED for people to step up and step out as Leaders, Givers, and Care-Givers in our society!



So what's my point? Good question! I do feel 'called' to Step up and Step out! I feel called to true Servant Leadership - leading others by serving their benefit as opposed to my own... or as the Scripture says:



Deuteronomy 15: 10

"Give generously to others and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to"

Proverbs 31: 10-15, 17, 20

"A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;

and she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls."

17 "She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks."

20 "She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy."

Do you see what I mean - we are called to serve our families;

We are called to serve our communities and we do that best by stepping up

and stepping out - in FAITH - and a willingness to work hard for others...



That made me really go back and take a closer look at today's teaching "Qualities of a Leader"

on http://www.frcliveonline.blogspot.com/:



1. Have a good reputation

2. Have a strong marriage (if married)

3. Shows great self-control

4. Friendly and approachable

5. Cares for the comfort of others

6. Knowledgeable

7. Sober

8. Gentle

9. Confident

10. Money-wise

11. Controls the calendar/results

12. A great parent (if one)



That made me really take a good look at myself - Am I ready for this? No!!!! I have alot of work to do - but I DO know that with God's help, I can overcome my personal obstacles, grow and develop into the person God calls me to be - someone who fights each day to be better and do more!!!!



That actually gave me a roadmap or an Action Plan to get started on this journey - and I have to tell you, I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!

Thank You God, for guidance and direction - for putting people in my life that teach and inspire me - for using them to show me YOUR way, and for opening my heart to serving YOU through serving others!!!

Communication through Prayer

Well, as you can see from my comment in my last post, I didn't quite make it through to praying my way through that dispute with my husband...


The truth is that I failed God's calling and I failed myself - but I also failed my husband!!!


Do you know why? Take a look at 1 Timothy: 8 -

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing"

Can you imagine if I had truly focussed on praying for my reaction to being upset as well as praying for my husband's???

Who knows how the whole thing could have turned out - of one thing I'm certain: It would have been FAR BETTER!!!!


Look at Philippians 4: 4-7

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Now there it is right there - "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" would have guarded both our hearts and our minds and that argument would have gone entirely differently!!!

Another word to focus on there is "Gentleness"... Ever thought about what gentleness means?

Do you think it means timidity? Passiveness?

Gentleness means that you can defend your point of view or position with thoughtful consideration of the other person's point of view...

Gentleness diffuses anger and enables a meeting of the minds!

So what conclusion can we come to:

• In times of anger and dispute, we must PRAY.



• In times of anger and dispute, we must REJOICE IN GOD



• In times of anger and dispute, OPEN OUR HEARTS TO GOD'S PEACE



• In times of anger and dispute, we must EMBRACE GENTLENESS

I think if we can focus on those things, we can change the outcome of so many relationships...

Simple Little Things

There are times when even simple, little things are challenges to living in God's way and being a light for HIM to others. Simple, little, really not so important things, do you know what I mean?

For me, today, its my first weekend off in a long time, and I would LOVE to go out and do some fun things all weekend long! But my husband wants to do other things - he wants to play his guitar, watch football tomorrow - relax in his own way!

Do you ever have challenges like that? I mean, I could take the path of anger - he always has weekends off, so why can't we do what I want to do for a change???

OR I could choose the path of prayer and selflessness...

After all, isn't he entitled to want to do what he wants to do? He DID offer a compromise of doing what I want to do tomorrow night...

So, the ONLY thing for me to do is to CHOOSE TO PRAY AND TRY TO BE SELFLESS AND NOT SELFISH!

That's how marriage works! And after all, isn't it a simple, little thing? Is it that important?

(Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself into this?) :-)

Hebrews 13: 20-21

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen"

What about you? Do you have similar internal-battles?

Anything you want to share?

Prayer

My morning devotions always open up a window of thinking for me and as I was praying this morning, I started to really think about PRAYER...



Have you prayed lately? What does prayer mean to you? Do you believe in the power of prayer?



I read a book called "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian... It is a book written to address a wife whose husband is not yet a believer.



What I learned during my journey of reading that book was this:



Prayer for any purpose creates a change in YOU! Praying for someone else changes YOU and YOUR interaction with that person and with others...



Prayer opens your heart to communion with God and that communion creates change, peace, love and grace in YOU...



Have you ever prayed for something to see it not granted? Have you ever wondered why, felt forgotten, abandoned or overlooked? I have...



As time goes by, some of the reasons those prayers weren't answered in MY way have been revealed quite clearly to me - because God had a different plan for me and it has always proven to be a better plan!



Some of those prayers, I still don't understand the outcome... but I have peace in knowing that God's will has been done - and I have to tell you - with some of those prayers, its taken me years to accept that and come to terms with that.



What happened is that I saw God at work in my life in such a POWERFUL way, I knew for CERTAIN, that He is working all things for good for me - in HIS way...



So if I don't understand why my Dad wasn't healed and restored and why he had to go - I now have peace because I know it was God's will... I know my Dad is at peace!



So if I don't understand why so much turmoil has developed in my industry of Real Estate and why so much turmoil has since come to light in the entire economy - I now understand that sometimes, God brings us to the bottom so that we can truly open our eyes and hearts and see Him - and SEEK HIM, so that He can raise us up...



If you don't believe that read through the Scriptures - its happened time and time again!!!



My husband and I often have an discussion/argument (smile - to him its a discussion, for me its an argument) about prayer and faith. The thing is he is not a committed Christian, but he does believe in God!

But he often questions how I can believe that its God working a miracle in my life that made something work out for me when someone else didn't get their prayer answered - was God not listening to them? Or was it God's will that this person's child was healed and that other person's wasn't?



Now if you know my husband, you'll know that I don't have the scriptural foundation to answer his questions - if you knew my husband, you'd understand why I needed to read "The Power of a Praying Wife"!!! (SMILE)...



No, seriously - I usually get frustrated when we have that discussion - I guess, because I can't convince him of what is so true and clear to ME but he can't see... But what I need to do most when we have that discussion is to PRAY...



Prayer can change lives - it can change yours and it can change the lives of others - Don't believe me?

Try it.... Invest in Prayer today!

Right Here - Right Now!!!

Matthew 6: 25-34



As I was reading my devotions this morning and the teaching, at http://www.frcliveonline.blogspot.com/, I read on through this chapter of Scripture, and it occured to me...



How much time do we spend worrying about 'tomorrow'? I know I spend way too much time worrying about what the future will bring?



"What will happen with...?" "What will happen if...?" Do you know what I mean? I know this scripture passage so well, and yet, I still am guilty of worrying...



I guess that's the battle with my humanity and my faith - because deep down inside, I actually KNOW God will take care of tomorrow... I know this with a complete certainty that comes from experiencing it in my life time and again! He always does, always has and always will!



So why do I worry? Nothing is impossible for God - there is nothing that's too large for HIM to handle! And it hit me - right there in verse 33:

"But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness"

Lord, please help me to spend all the time and energy I would normally spend on worrying about tomorrow on living in the moment and in each moment, seeking Your kingdom and Your righteousness in what I am doing right here, right now...

Hope and Promise

This morning as I asked God to surround me with His presence, He sent me to His word, Jeremiah 29: 4-13:

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

"Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there, do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says:

"Do not let the prophets and diviners among you decieve you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:

"When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.

For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

I don't know of a stronger message of hope and promise - Lord, I seek you and I seek you with all my heart.

Take heart, God is with you - his rod and staff, they comfort you, so have no fear - rather, be filled with hope, for His promise to you is right there in His unending word!

Decisions...

Sometimes we're faced by a really challenging question in life - are we doing the right thing? Is this what God wants us to do; is this the right path for us to take?



Sometimes, its hard to distinguish between that fact and that which we wish to be the case - do you know what I mean?



Let me give you some examples:

Some of us, we make alot of money and we have to file our taxes each year - do we be completely open and honest about it or do we try to find a great CPA (and I do know one by the way ) to limit our tax exposure in the most honest manner, of course?



Some of us are Realtors and if we don't close the deal we don't make money! Do we do whatever it takes to get the deal closed or do we put the clients' interests before our own?



Some of us are single and we're living in a world of complete diversity - especially in the area of BELIEFS and COMMITMENT... Do we hold to the WORD or do we give in to the flow?



Some of us are married and maybe things are not at their highest tide right now - do we hold to the WORD or do we give in to even an imaginary relationship for fulfillment?



There are many ways this question could hit us - and you know, we're HUMAN! We do follow the way we KNOW is right sometimes, and sometimes we mess up and sometimes, the path is unclear...



The only thing I can say is that in each circumstance, if you pray - pray with your true heart for guidance - and if you WAIT and if you LISTEN... God will show you the way... It will APPEAR as the answer, it will FEEL right and it will have a peaceful resolution!!!



I am not a Pastor and I don't profess to know it all or to get it right all or even most of the time - in fact, this BLOG is as much to help me as it is to help others find their way as they struggle towards living in FAITH....



I do know that the times I have acted in faith, prayer and listening for guidance I HAVE absolutely experienced that peace that comes from knowing what I did was the right thing and that peace results - can I tell you - in JOY!!!!



I don't know where these thoughts came from tonight - they just DID!!!! Hope it means something to someone out there - if it does, you don't have to give all the details, just drop me a line, make a comment and let me know...



God Bless!

I Cried Today...

I spoke with my MOM today - she's almost 80 years old and lives on her own with my disabled sister in Jamaica. Its been such a struggle watching her cope since my Dad died - he used to take care of everything, and if I were honest, I would tell you that we all thought she would crumble without him...



But out from behind came this woman with the strength of faith and courage as tough and sharp as steel - and she has handled with spirit, faith and strength her commitment that as long as she breathes, she will never have any one of her children in a home - as our Mother, she will be here for any of us - and so she's gone on, taking care of my sister...



As time goes on, though, you can see she's getting older and the ability to cope on her own is, frankly, no more!!!



When I talked to her today, we talked about that, and about her struggle to maintain her independence and fight against any perceived challenge to her independence by any of her other children trying to step in and help, take care of HER, take care of them both...



She told me today she is confused about the household expenses and the money in the bank; she's confused about the nurses we've forced upon her for the nights; she's concerned about getting so shaky - she knows her ability to cope is diminishing and, quite frankly, she's scared!



She told me she was angry at the Lord for ignoring her prayers and I responded that maybe she was simply ignoring HIS answers...



You see, she won't agree to come and live with any of us - she won't give in to being totally dependent on her children.



I wish I had thought to go to Scripture THEN, instead of NOW, after we spoke... I wish I'd thought to remind her of Psalm 103: 15 -17

"As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,

and His righteousness with their children's children"

I wish I'd thought of Proverbs 31: 25-31

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

You see, I wish I knew how to communicate to my Mom that its okay to be dependent on her children - for almost most of our lives we've been dependent on her - its okay!!!! Its her turn....

If it weren't for my Mom, we - none of us, my Dad included, may not ever have known GOD!!!! She's been a good and faithful servant - she has her flaws, but God knows she has been a good and faithful servant - and its okay to Let Go and Let God!!!!

If any of you have parents dealing with aging, I hope this helps you in some way...

Spiritual Refresher

Every now and then I get bogged down or overwhelmed by circumstances life throws at me. Sometimes, things seem to be more than I can handle and I forget...

I forget that I have the best defence there is - The Father is right here with me and He is in control! The outcome may not always seem to go my way at first, but in the long run, He comes through for me everytime, even if its not the way I thought was best - He knows best!!!


I made a point of writing some specific Scripture Verses that remind me of this truth and keeping it in my Planner - whenever things get a little crazy, I have His word to comfort me and remind me that He is stronger than any challenge I am up against!

I have my church family, our prayer team, and some really amazing friends who help and support me and a husband who, despite not being a fully committed Christian, is a believer, he helps me put things in perspective, so you know what...

I am so very blessed and so very grateful!!!