Dream like a gold medalist!

As I watched the USA women's gymnastic team take the gold tonight, I couldn't help but tear up and be so proud of these young girls. What a HUGE accomplishment at such a young age. I wonder how long these girls have been dreaming of this moment?

Probably since a very young age.

To become a gold medalist, one can only imagine the hard work and training that brought them to this moment. No doubt, sometime along the way, thoughts of discouragement and giving up probably crossed their mind. But obviously, to make it all the way to London, something or someone pushed these girls to pursue their dream.

Have you ever had such an incredible dream of wanting to be something, or doing something really great and inspiring? But somewhere along the way you backed away from it. Perhaps you thought, "I could never do that!" Many times we do not see what God sees.When we lack self confidence, God sees strength and endurance. If only we could see what He sees, if only we could see that it is God that is pushing us thru, encouraging us to go all the way!

Moses did not see what God saw! Moses lacked having a good self-image. He did not see himself as a gold medalist. Probably because he had made such a terrible mistake earlier in his life, that he ended up spending 40 years in the wilderness. Moses had a dream. He often dreamed of delivering Gods people. But it appeared that dream was dead, for he was nothing but a failure.

God did not see things that way! He did not see Moses the same way Moses saw himself. When God approached Moses in the wilderness, He never asked what kind of winning record he had. In fact, God never even mentioned his shady past, He just told him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let His people go!

Moses, reluctant because of his own self doubt, wondered what difference he could possibly make...

"And Moses said unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? and He said, 'Certainly I will be with you.'" EXODUS 3:11,12

It really didn't matter who Moses was but rather, Who was with him!

You may not be dreaming of being on a USA team or competing for a gold medal, but whatever your dream may be, the enemy will try hard to trip you up and trick you in believing that you are not good enough. But that is not at all what God sees.

You may not have a past full of wins. You may not even have a long list of credentials.But you don't need any of these things as long as God is with you. With God, you are already a winner!

Do you have a dream? Ask God to help push you as you pursue it and with Him at your side, you will be able to go for the gold!

Are we just playing church?

When my kids were small, they loved to play house. We would turn a card table, a blanket and camping lanterns into a a "playhouse". With the blanket draped over the card table, they would set housekeeping up inside. Pillows to sit on, plates and cups set up to eat from and camping lanterns lit inside as their lamps. The kids would even make drawings and tape them on the inside of the blanket as if they had art on their walls. This makeshift "house" fullfilled their imagination for hours.

Eventually my kids outgrew this game of playing house. Wouldn't we think it odd to see grown ups still playing "house"? But yet, we don't think it odd or think much of grown ups playing "church".
Whenever we place anything else, other than Jesus, as the most important thing in church life, we begin to play church.

Jesus is the most important thing in church, it is not the programs, it is not how many are in attendance, and it is not even about how much money is given in the offering. Jesus STARTED the church and He DIED for the church, however, He NEVER started a building fund!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for taking care of the church. In fact, I think that we SHOULD take care of God's house. The carpet shouldn't be raggedy, the paint shouldn't be peeling and by all means God's house should be clean. After all, we wouldn't want our own house to falter in these things, so why would we permit the house of our Lord to fall and crumble?

Sometimes, we outgrow our space and it may be time to build or purchase something bigger, many churches have experienced this and resorted to starting building funds. I have contributed towards such funds in the past. Building funds are not bad, in fact, it can be good, especially to provide more space for new Christians coming into the fellowship. However, when the building funds, or building a bigger church becomes the main focus of each service, I have to ask myself if this is what God was talking about when He said He would "Build His church"?

MATTHEW 16:18 "...upon this rock I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not prevail it."

Jesus did not die for buildings. The church is not a building. It is people, His people. When Jesus spoke to the Apostles about the church He founded, He said it was going to be built on the One thing that would outlast everything else...it would be built upon Him!

Jesus is calling us, His church, to be ready for He is coming for His bride one day. Nobody knows the time or day of His coming, but we must be ready for His return. He is looking for a spotless church, not a clean building with perfect carpet, but He is looking for a church (His people) who have put Him first in everything.

When we begin to implement man made ideas in the church, we are literally ignoring God for what He founded the church upon...

"These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." MATTHEW 16:18 (NLT)

Almost everyday I run into someone who is looking for authentic love, but they don't seem to be looking for it at church. This hurts my heart, and it makes me wonder if we have gotten too caught up in new programs and new buildings instead of reaching out to new converts.

Just as my kids outgrew playing house, it is my prayer that we will outgrow playing church as well and get back to the basics...the basics that His church was founded upon. Buildings are nice, but people are more important. May we be careful of what we are investing in.
 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...confidence

When my kids were younger, they all played baseball. Even though they all started playing at a young age, they still had to practice. No matter how much they practiced, I have to admit when it was time for them to batter up, I always got nervous for them.

I was one of those baseball moms that encouraged their kid all the way from the dugout to the home plate. Cheering for them and encouraging them with a "You can do this!" "Get a base hit!" It always saddened me to see one or two players that did not have anyone at the game doing the same for them. You could see a big difference in how these players walked up to the plate. They lacked confidence.

Having confidence almost always earned a hit or a base. I personally watched players that walked with a swagger to the plate, anticipating a big hit. These were players with alot of confidence and almost always made contact with the bat.

I'm personally not a good ball player, but my kids were. They are all grown up now and some days I really miss those baseball days. But I will always remember the swagger they had as they approached the plate. That is the same kind of swagger I desire to have as I approach the Throne!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” -Hebrews 4:16

Many times we bring our needs and petitions before God but we lack confidence. However, just like a baseball mom, God is cheering for us and encouraging us with a "You can do this!" He wants us to have swagger to know that His love is real and there is nothing too great for Him!

May we have confidence and anticipation as we approach His Throne. His mercy and grace will be sure to be a grand slam when we do.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am very grateful that I could host TT this month. I am also grateful that we can come before Him with confidence! How about you? What are you thankful for today? Share your post with us below. Be sure to join us next week over at GRACE ALONE, Iris will be our host for the month of August!

LACED WITH GRACE...Jesus, take the wheel

Today you can find me over at LACED WITH GRACE, where I have shared a devo with the readers entitled "Jesus, take the wheel"...
"Yesterday our teen daughter took her drivers road test for the first time. It was time to see her months of practicing pay off. She has been driving with her permit for several months now and has really gotten to be a pretty good driver. I have to admit though, at first, there were many times that I wanted to grab the wheel from her. Sometimes she got too close to other vehicles, and her backing out and turning the wheel wasn’t always timed correctly. But as she ..."

CLICK THE LINK to read this entire post!

He loves me, He loves me not!

Today's younger generation seems to be constantly looking for love. Unfortunetly, many of them are looking in all of the wrong places. Our teen daughter has been dating her high school sweetheart for almost 2 years and I am thankful that she has found someone that has remained faithful to her for so long. Many of her peers seem to go thru dating relationships like they do a toothbrush...changing them every 6 weeks.

It seems that young couples today base their love on chance instead of committment, faithfulness and trust. Sometimes giving your heart is taking a big chance, but love does not have to be so complicated. I think we make things more complicated than neccesary.

 Taking a chance on love reminds me of the silly game we use to play as young girls with a daisy. "He loves me" "He loves me not" "He loves me" "He loves me not" ...with each pull of the petal, hoping so desperately that the last petal will be "He loves me!"

And if for some chance, the last petal falls on "He loves me not", we would believe it. It took several years to pass before I came to realize that true love was not based on chance.

But even as an adult, I find myself playing the "He loves me, He loves me not" game with God. As silly as it seems to pick at flower petals to determine someones love, it is just as silly to question Gods love for us...

• I get a promotion at work...HE LOVES ME!
• My hours get changed at work...HE LOVES ME NOT!
• I sustain no injuries in a car accident...HE LOVES ME!
• The other driver sues me for damages to their car...HE LOVES ME NOT!

 

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God's love for us is not determined by any conditions. If we are disappointed, He still loves us. When we are happy, He loves us. When we are discouraged, He loves us and even when we mess up...He still loves us! There is no need to pull at flower petals to determine God's love. His love is not a love of chance, it is a love that will last for all eternity!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for taking a chance on me and loving me so unconditionally. Help me to remember that no matter what I go thru, Your love remains. It never changes. I never have to doubt whether You love me or not because You will always love me. Thank you God! AMEN

  

Jesus Christ is my SuperHero!

In the aftermath of what has been called one of the biggest massacres, my heart and prayers continue to go out to the victims of the Colorado movie theatre shootings. What a tragedy. Not only for those who lost their lives, but for those who were wounded, their families that have suffered and also for the one who was responsible.

Who would have thought that an adventure at the movies could have turned so bloody. A ticket to see a superhero turned into an eternal ticket for some. It is my prayer that those who lost their lives that day knew Who their true Superhero was...He doesn't wear a black cape or mask and He doesn't drive a bat mobile.

It is easy for us to get caught up in these Hollywood films, actors creating a fantasy world that somewhere out there there is a Superhero that will fly in and save the day. The good guy verses the bad guy. Even though the plot is somewhat far fetched, the characters that depict the good and evil in the world is not far fetched at all. In fact, it depicts our world pretty well.

Face it, things that happen in our world are bad. It is filled with evil, wrong doing, and sin. Villains are trying to mask themselves as "good". But nothing about them or what they do or what they stand for is good. We get discouraged when we hear about things like the movie theatre massacre, we ask ourselves, "when will this end?", we fear the places we use to enjoy, it is no longer safe to even go watch a movie with our loved one. It is in these moments that I wonder if we have forgotten Who our true Superhero is?

Too many times I think all we see is the evil, and we can't see the good. It is easy to look around and cast everyone as the villains, and making ourselves the hero. We see ourselves as the only one in the world who is climbing tall buildings and fighting crime: in our workplace, we are the one set apart, not drinking, not cussing, not cheating on our spouse while everyone else does what feels good.

When we make ourselves the hero in our life scenarios, where does that leave God?

Isn't He the Author of it all? He is weaving each and every situation and opportunity into a plot that will have a victorious outcome for the Hero. We know that in every drama feature, in the end, the hero ALWAYS defeats the bad guy!

That is what makes God the perfect Superhero of all time! Every bad and corrupt thing does not go unnoticed by God. He is watching. He is keeping a record. And just when the dark, evil enemy thinks he is winning, God is going to swoop down, grab him by the throat, and snuff the evil, destructive, bad bone breath right out of him.

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves." Colossians 1:13

Even though the world is full of evil, we must never lose sight of the fact that thru it all, God is our constant. He will never change. He will not falter. He will not sway. He is the Alpha. The Omega. The Beginning and the end. He is our Protector. Our Shield. Our Fortress.

And...

 He is our Superhero who will be victorious in the end!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...encouragement

It seemed like if anything could go wrong this week , it did. I'm not just talking about having a flat tire, I'm talking about some heart wrenching stress in my life. It just about crippled me this week. It was the kind of week that I found myself dependent upon feeding my spirit with His Word in order to stay afloat.

Have you ever been so discouraged that you had to submerge your whole being into Gods Word to make it thru?

In such times, I could not make it without having a relationship with God. We need a relationship with Him. We also need relationships with others. Relationships play a huge part in Christianity. When we do not tune into God and others, most likely we will isolate. Isolation is not a good place to be. It is a place where we will feel alone, and not cared about. Many times this place of isolation will lead to depression and distress.

Encouragement can change things. It can change people.

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

Without encouragement a hurt can fester into a deep wound, anger can become bitterness, and temptation can end up as sin...all because nobody offered a listening ear, an earnest prayer or a word of encouragement.

Relationship with God and with each other can turn a bad day into a good one. It can turn a frown upside down. But it all starts with us. Not only do we have to choose to have good relationships, but we must choose to encourage someone.

Is there someone that you can impact with lending a listening ear, saying an earnest prayer or speaking an encouragement word? Encouragement starts with you today!

DEAR LORD: Thank you for lifting my spirit by promising that You will always be near. Thank you for those who spoke encouragement into me this past week, especially my family. Thank you for encouraging me so I can now encourage someone else. May You be honored thru my words of encouragement to someone in need today. AMEN

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY, we all need encouragement in our lives and I can't think of a better place to begin encouraging others than right here at TT! Your words and attitude of thanks always inspire and encourage me! Share your grateful heart with us by linking up below. :)

Sleepless in Seattle...and in Memphis and every small town inbetween

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan aren't the only ones that find themselves sleepless. Many of us suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia. I have recently become one of these statistics. Surprisingly enough, I am not alone. Not only are people sleepless in Seattle, but also in Memphis (where I live) and all of the small towns in between:

Did you know?

• People today sleep 20% less than they did 100 years ago.
• 1 in 3 people suffer from some form of insomnia in their lifetime.
•  More than half of Americans lose sleep because of stress or anxiety.
•  Between 40-60% of people over the age of 60 suffer from insomnia.
•  Women suffer from insomnia twice as much as men.
• 90% of people who suffer from depression experience insomnia.
•  Approximately 10 million people in the U.S. use sleep aids.

          (Stats taken from National Sleep Foundation)

While we are tossing and turning and counting sheep, so are many other people in the world. But there is one person Who also  has insomnia, divine insomnia that is and that is God. He has the whole world in His hands. He watches over us continually. He never sleeps or gets restless. Gods insomnia is different than ours. We stay awake because of stress and problems, He stays awake out of faithfulness.

 PSALM 121:3 "He Who watches over you will not slumber."

He is a faithful God. It is reassuring to me to know that no matter what lurks around me, especially at night, He is on guard. Watching, protecting and interceding.

Last night when I found myself sleepless, instead of counting sheep, I counted my blessings. Next time you find yourself sleepless in (_____ insert your town name here) ... cry out to God and give Him thanks for watching over you.

 

Daddy hold my hand

One of my sweetest memories of my dad is a simple car ride.

40 years had separated us, but on this particular day nothing separated us except the space between us in the backseat.
I traveled hundreds of miles to finally meet my dad for the first time.

After spending several days together, we decided to go for a car ride so dad and his wife could show us around their town. My husband was driving and dad's wife was co-driving, giving instructions for every turn that my husband was to make.

Dad and I sat in the backseat. After some small talk, we both became quiet and just enjoyed being with each other. It was in that moment of silence that dad reached across the seat and took my hand. For the rest of the ride, we didn't speak, we just held hands.

Now that dad is gone, I have moments that I wish I could take his hand again. That peaceful moment is what I need now. Oh to sit next to my heavenly Father, grasping His hand as He outstretches it to me. Not saying anything, just sitting in His presence.

Oh, if only every road I traveled on, I would not let go of God's hand!

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." ISAIAH 49:16

THANKFUL THURSDAY...truth

You have heard it before..."It takes years to develop character but only seconds to destroy it". A good reputation, or a good character comes from alot of things, but nothing more imperative than trust. Integrity, truth and honesty can have nothing but a positive influence on others.

In order to have truth or an honest character, we must first begin with God. Truth begins with God. In John 14:6 Jesus says "He is the Truth!" So with that said, it can be clearly understood that truth is the very fiber of His Being. Truth defines Who He is. Lies and deception is completely out of Gods character.

The opposite of God represents the opposite of truth. Satan is described as the "father of all liars." (John 8:44) It is his mission to steal, rob and destroy. He will stop at nothing to crumble our faith and snuff the life out of us by throwing his lies at us. And too often we fall for his schemes and plots and believe lies instead of the God honest truth.

To avoid the enemies pitfalls, we must earnestly seek truth.

PROVERBS 23:23 "Buy the truth, and don't sell it."

Pretty simple and straight forward. Many times seeking the truth will involve some sacrifices. But I assure you that seeking the truth of God will not only improve our character but it will be the most worthwhile pursuit we could ever embark upon.

There are alot of foundations that we can build upon that are shaky, truth is not one of them. A foundation built upon truth is a stability that will allow you to withstand the difficulties and pressures of this world. Having a spirit of deception will only lead to destruction, disappointment and demise. However, when we operate in truth, the God's honest truth, we can live a life of peace, power and purpose.

You may have had people deceive you, lie to you and desert you but today is a good day to give thanks to God for His Truth. His Truth will never, EVER let you down or disappoint you. May you build your character based upon truth...His truth.

What are you grateful for today? I am happy to be hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY today and I want to hear what great things God is doing in your life that resonates truth in your heart and spirit. Link up with us below. :)

Bitterness is bad

I saw a sign on the wall at a restaurant that read, "He who speaks evil of a absent man or a woman is not welcome at this table." Wow...that would end alot of conversations, wouldn't it?

The Bible tells us to get rid of such talk not only at the table, but everywhere we go. (that includes social networking!)

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another. Just as God has forgiven us." EPHESIANS 4:31, 32

Bitterness is a resentful and embittered spirit that refuses to be reconciled, such a spirit grieves the Holy Spirit. But some people just enjoy conflict. They like to be mad, they enjoy arguing and disagreeing with others. Some people thrive to go from conflict to conflict.

 Do you know someone like this?

They stay mad about something or at someone. They have one person whom they nitpick about at all times, always trying to uncover things in their lives.

Such nitpicking should be considered a crime. Because this kind of negative talk and behaviour is like a robber, stealing dignity and character not only of the one being talked about but dignity and character is lost from the one filled with such bitterness.

I have found that the very one who has the need to point out the flaws in others are just trying to cover up the flaws or mistakes in their own life. The most critical people are oftentimes just as guilty, if not more.

Bitterness is bad. Very bad. If you allow it to go unchecked in your life, it will turn into a cancerous growth. First attacking you, then all those around you. Before it gets that far, go ahead and cut it out of your life. Ask God to help you and I guarantee He will turn the negative into positive. He will fill your heart with joy, love and forgiveness.

PRAYER: Dear God, I admit I have harbored bitterness in my heart and I am so sorry for grieving You over it. Please help me today to remove the negative thoughts and negative words. Fill my heart with love, joy and forgiveness for those that rub me wrong or who have done me wrong. May Your Joy be my strength! Create in me a clean heart O' Lord! AMEN

Bitterness is bad but it doesn't have to resonate in our hearts any longer. Pray the above prayer with me and give it to God today.

LACED WITH GRACE...loving the REAL thing

Today I have shared a devotion with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE...

"Anybody who ever attended Sunday School as a child will have a definite image of Who God is…Loving, kind, a Good Shepherd. And ALL of that is Who He is …but sometimes He wasn’t always meek and mild..."

 CLICK THE LINK to read the post entitled "Loving the REAL thing!"

THANKFUL THURSDAY...freedom ring

I trust that all of you had a wonderful 4th of July holiday. No doubt, many of you enjoyed a BBQ with the family, or watched a parade or went to a fabulous fireworks show. One of the things that I enjoy seeing around the 4th is the display of all of the American flags. It just gives me goosebumps when I see flags displayed one after another on my local streets, honoring and remembering our freedom.

Have you ever looked at the American flag and wondered what it all stood for?

First of all, it represents the emblem of the greatest nation on earth. As if that is not impressive enough for you...how about the fact that it has been carried through centuries on the battlefield! The American flag also is displayed proudly on the grave sites of many men and women who have fought for the freedoms that you and I enjoy. The American flag...it flies during peace times and during war. It is often referred to as "Old Glory".

As awesome as it is to see Americans waving their flags this time of the year, I have to wonder, why does it take a national holiday to see such spirit?

Do we Americans take our freedoms for granted?

If you have ever traveled to another country as I have, you would clearly understand that yes, we here in America do not comprehend the freedoms that we are able to enjoy. We cannot fully understand the foundation of the Constitution, because if we did comprehend it, then when our forefathers said, "In God we trust", we would all trust in Him.

I don't know when we (as a country) forgot the very foundation that we were built upon, but I declare that it is time that we get back on track. It may not be enough to just wave our banner of freedom once or twice a year, we may need a more frequent reminder of what freedom is. A reminder of what freedom cost!

Another banner of freedom that we should wave more often is the freedom that we have in Christ. I know missionaries that are not allowed to proclaim the name of Jesus in the country that they live or even carry a Bible. Yet, here in our homes, we have 4 or 5 Bibles that sometimes do not even get opened. Clearly, this is yet another freedom that we take for granted.

"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." -ROMANS 8:2

When God comes in and washes us white as snow, cleans us up and sets us on the right road, we should be waving the flag of His redemptive power high and mighty for all to see. Just like the flag represents freedom, Jesus is a banner over us that shields us and protects us.

"But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." - PSALM 3:3

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am honored to be hosting this month. I pray that today you will allow freedom to ring in your heart and that you will join me in praying for our country. That we will return to what it was founded upon. May God bless America (we need it more than ever before!)

Join your grateful heart with ours by linking up your post of thanks below!

 

Surviving the heat

Here in the south it has been a real scorcer, The temperatures have been up over 100 degrees. As soon as you walk outside, you feel the intense wave of heat hit you in the face. It has been so hot that if you just showered, walking out to get the mail will require another shower.
I can't think of a worse time for someone to have air conditioning problems than now. Luckily, our house air is working just fine but the other day the air went out in my car. I didn't think it would be too bad to drive over to Memphis (a 20 minute drive). With the windows rolled down, surely there would be a nice breeze. Boy was I wrong. Shortly before getting back home, I had overheated so much in that car that I thought I was going to pass out.

I came to realize that what I was missing was a "survive the heat" survival kit. I didn't even have any water to drink in my car. It took less than 20 minutes in that overheated car to become dehydrated.

The truth is that the car is not the only place that we could use a heat survival kit. Spiritually speaking, we need to have one of those intact at all times. God has power over everything and that includes the sun. Everyone knows that but what everyone doesn't know is how to survive when the heat is turned up. Some people can take the heat (physically) while others become faint easily. It is the same when we feel the heat spiritually. We must learn how to survive the hot days so we do not become dehydrated and withered up christians.

We cannot escape the heat of the sun, and likewise, God's children cannot escape the heat of persecution. We cannot avoid persecution in our lives but we can learn to survive them, if we have the proper "survive the heat" survival kit. Here are two essentials for surviving when the heat is turned up in your world...

1. Sunglasses
When I glare directly into the sun, I become blinded, until I put on a pair of sunglasses. Going thru difficult times is like staring into the bright light with no glasses on. Things do not look clear, the glare keeps us from seeing things as God sees them. To survive persecution, we need a good pair of spiritual sunglasses.

Jonah 4:8 "And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live."

Jonah could have used a good pair of sunglasses!

2. Glass of Water
There is nothing like a cold glass of water, but the problem is, most of us wait until we are parched before reaching for the glass. Spiritually, we do the same thing. Most of us wait until the persecution is upon us before we call out the name of the Lord. It is in the difficult times that we become faithful to the house of God or even remember to call out His name. In order to survive the spiritual heat, we must tap into the water continually sowe can be refreshed and renewed.

Isaiah 49:10, "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them."

The living water of God is what will sustain us during the heat, but we must have an ample supply or we might dry up in the heat.

Have you been feeling the heat lately?
Make sure you have the essentials to survive the heat this summer, both physically and spiritually. Be prepared so you won't succomb to the dangers that come with the high heat indexes.