Join Me On the Journey

This blog has been quite an experience for me.

If you’ve been with me since the beginning, you may have noticed nearly constant little changes along the right side (called the sidebar). On the other hand, they may very well have gone unnoticed by many of you, but behind the scenes, I’ve had flashes of sheer terror as I have been messing around with the code that tells the computer how this site is supposed to look and act.

I have spent the last few months (between cooking and cleaning and chores and children) taking an online crash course on coding. I’ve worked through online courses and read several books. I have learned many things that allow me to make those changes to my website, and I have made some changes. But, it has been scary sometimes!

That first moment that I realized something I had tinkered with had caused a problem, I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach. (You know the one?) I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to fix it. I was afraid of what people would think when they visited the site. I was afraid because my hubby had already said, “You’re on your own with this one!” (He’s my computer guru, but he doesn’t know anything about programing.)

But, I’ve heard Joyce Meyer advise people, “Do some things afraid!”

Just think about that concept…Do some things afraid.

I must admit, that is something I have done quite a bit of my life. It could be part of my personality make-up. After all, I’m a fun-loving Sanguine whose natural tendency is to do things to stand out from the crowd. Or, perhaps it’s just a character attribute I developed early; a decision I made to try new things and learn as much as possible about them. Whatever the case, I just don’t mind that feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me I’m treading new ground and I don’t know what’s coming over the next hill; in fact, I quite enjoy it.

I felt it the days I performed in piano competitions and when I decided that I would do a senior concert in high school.

I felt it when I left for college; and when I faltered and came home after my father left; and when I decided three years later to apply for medical school.

I felt it nearly every single day during medical school and internship and residency…and most days as a physician.

I feel it as a wife, a mommy and as a teacher to my children.

And I feel it now as a writer…and quasi web designer.

Now, I admit, there are times when I get tired of that feeling. There are times when I would just like to avoid it and live a peaceable life, but most of the time, I bask in doing things afraid!

You may not revel in that feeling as I do. But I would encourage you, doing things afraid can help you grow in areas of your life where you may be stagnant. You can learn so many lessons when the discomfort in your gut pushes you to find the answers you seek no matter what the cost.

Isaiah 43:5a says:

Fear not: for I am with thee: (KJV)

Now, this verse doesn’t tell you not to feel the fear. After all, that wouldn’t make sense. No one can go through this life never feeling fear. Instead, this verse tells you not to allow the fear to paralyze you; to be secure in the fact that God is with you always and so He will help you through that fear.

So…Be Afraid…Be Very Afraid! Ask God today what things He would have you do afraid.

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I found a blog that I recommend. Joy in the Journey is a blog written by a mom living in Indonesia. She has five very small children and her family is a missionary family…a different life from the one I live.

But, she worships the same God as I do, and so we have a lot in common, don’t we?

She wrote earlier this week about accepting compliments and about humility. Where do we draw the line between acknowledging that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and “considering others better than ourselves”? (Psa 139:14 and Phil 2:3)

Let’s explore that, shall we?

First of all, we must understand that there is a difference between our spirit, soul, and body. (For further explanation of this, please read the article Spirit, Soul, and Body.)

Our spirit is righteous and holy (Eph 4:24). It is that part of us that is made new at the moment of salvation and it is sealed by the Holy Spirit so that it cannot be corrupted (Eph 1:13). (See Canned Spirit, Anyone?)

Paul says in Philippians 1:6:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (KJV)

He’s speaking of the fact that God created a new creature (our spirit) at the moment of our salvation (II Cor 5:17). The rest of the Christian life is to allow Him to complete that work through the renewing our soul (intellect, emotions, will, conscience) day by day. And we have a big part to play in that.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (KJV) Phil 2:12-13

Our new spirit is a gift from God…something that we do not, cannot earn. But, we are in charge of changing our soul. We are in charge of renewing our mind. Romans 12:1-2 says:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

So, what does all this have to do with humility?

The very next verse in Romans 12 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

This verse says not to think of yourself more highly than you ought, but it doesn’t say, “think of yourself as lower than everyone else.”

Romans 12:6a says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” We have all been given gifts and those gifts are given so that we can minister to each other. We must acknowledge those gifts and strengthen those gifts in order to be effective in the body of Christ.

One verse in the Old Testament that has truly helped me to know my place in God is found in Numbers.

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) Num 12:3 (NIV)

Moses wrote those words under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He wrote those words about himself!

Yes, the Bible exhorts us to “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10) But, Jesus Himself said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Luke 10:27 KJV)

Let us honor others through service, love others with the love that flows through us when we love ourselves, and accept compliments from others with a gracious, “Thank you!”

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Most of us know the story of David and Bathsheba.

David spied Bathsheba taking a bath and just had to have her. They slept together and Bathsheba got pregnant. There was just one problem; Bathsheba was already married. In order to try and cover up their sin, David called her husband home from battle and tried to get him to sleep with her, but Uriah, her husband wouldn’t cooperate.

But wait, there’s more…

David then plots to kill Uriah and is successful.

David and Bathsheba are then married. Bathsheba becomes one of his wives. Their son is born and the Bible says that the Lord made Bathsheba’s baby ill. The baby dies.

This is a heart-breaking story and there are many lessons that could be taught from this passage, but I would like to focus on the very beginning. How did all this start? How did David—a man after God’s own heart—fall so far?

I think the key can be found in II Samuel 11:1.

The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. (NLT)

I find these phrases so interesting. While I don’t profess to understand how Israelite society functioned at this time in history, this passage gives us a few clues. It says, “The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war…” David should have been out leading his troops, but instead, he had grown fat and sassy and he stayed behind at the palace languishing.

Verse two is even more telling.

Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. (NLT)

Since David was out of the will of God, he became bored and lazy. I mean, what man do you know that takes a nap in the afternoon? David was not doing what he was called to do. As a result, he lost focus, became bored, and was looking for ways to stimulate his excitement. People do not function well with too much time on their hands. What is the old saying: idle hands are the Devil’s plaything.

How does this apply to our life?

Some of us are knowingly avoiding our call. We know that we have been called to a certain task and we don’t want to perform it.

We all know that when we marry, God desires us to become excellent wives. If we decide to have children, God desires us to become excellent mothers. God wants for us to keep an orderly home. These are a given.

However, we are called to minister to others outside the home as well.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live…Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5 (NIV)

If you are a woman who is farther down to road, you have a responsibility to help younger women learn how to be a good wife and mother and how to keep a home. Perhaps you are running from that opportunity because, “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t know how to teach someone to be a wife and mother,” or “Who’s going to listen to me? I’ve made so many mistakes.”

I would encourage you that you have more to offer than you think! This passage isn’t a suggestion. It’s a command from Peter and God. We can see what happened in David’s life when he abandoned his calling.

Now, a caveat to what I’m saying: there are seasons in life.

If if your relationship with Christ is not where is should be; if your marriage is going through a tough spot; if you are the mother of several very small children; if your house looks like a tornado swept through; now is not the time to start a ministry to others outside the home. Perhaps now is the time to pray that another Godly woman come into your life who can walk along side you as you learn how to get your life in hand. Or, you may need to sit down and determine that you are going to seek God for your life; renew your relationship with Him, with your husband, with your children, or with your house.

the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Gal 6:8b-9 (NIV)

If you are struggling in one or more of these areas of your life, take heart in this scripture. Take time to sow to the Spirit and you will reap a harvest.

Perhaps you’re like me and you’re impatient, waiting for your time to follow the call of God on your life. Perhaps you think, like I did, that if you don’t use that call, you’ll lose it. Well, Romans 11:29 was written just for you and me. (I love it in both the King James and the NIV.)

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (KJV)

for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (NIV)

That means that if God has a call on your life, if you feel that call burning in your soul, He will bring it to pass.

Decide today where you are. Are you avoiding the ministry that God has for you? Are you bogged down in everyday life? Are you struggling to be a good wife, mother, homemaker?

Take a step today to move from where you are to where you know God wants you to be. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

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I found an awesome post on the armor of God written by Olivia Montgomery. I would encourage you to take a few moments to read it.

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I’d like to talk to you today about something that you may never have stopped to really think about. Why did God drive Adam and Eve from the garden?

Most of us think that God drove Adam and Eve from Eden because they had sinned and He is holy. He couldn’t stand to be in their presence any more after they sinned. I thought:

1. God could no longer fellowship with man until He could send His Son to die for our sin, so He drove man out of the garden and then put a guard at the mouth of the garden so man couldn’t sneak back in.
2. God then abandoned the earth and went back to Heaven. (Of course, I know that God is everywhere at once, but that was just one more thing that I couldn’t reconcile, so I tried not to think about it.)

I thought that because I had been taught that. I thought that until someone encouraged me to actually go back and read for myself what the scripture actually says.

Gen 3:22-23a And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, (KJV)

As a friend of mine is always saying, “When you see the word ‘therefore’ look to see what it’s there for.” God did not send Adam and Eve from the garden because they had sinned and were defiled and He could no longer look on them or fellowship with them. He sent them out of the garden because He didn’t want them to eat of the tree of life and live for ever after they had sinned.

Had He not protected them from eating of the Tree of Life, they could have taken the fruit and still been alive today. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to live in your body for an eternity? The Bible says that God will give us a glorified body (Phil 3:20b-21 …the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.) However, if we had eaten of the Tree of Life, we would be condemned to life in our mortal body for eternity. Yuck!

God has something better planned for us.

Now, what about the second part? Did God withdraw to Heaven and stay there until all the prophecies were spoken in the Bible and Jesus could come into the earth to redeem us?

Well, that answer is, “No.” God didn’t withdraw His presence. God was still walking and talking with man. If you follow the story of man through the next chapter, we find the story of Cain and Abel.

Gen 4:1-5 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (KJV)

Now, how did Cain and Able know that they were supposed to bring a sacrifice to God? Where did they learn that? Did they learn it from Adam and Eve? Where did Adam and Eve learn it?

Adam and Eve had no need for sacrifice until the moment they sinned. And once they sinned, they were banned from Eden, and I had always believed, banned from walking and talking with God.

Did God give them instruction to sacrifice animals when He killed the animals and covered them with skins?

Well, why did Cain bring a grain offering of grain? Abel brought the “fistlings” of his flocks and Cain brought an offering, but not the first fruits (or tithe). The actual commandment to bring a tithe (or the first fruits) wasn’t given until 2000 years later.

God must have been still talking to man. Otherwise:

1. how did they know what sacrifices to bring
2. how did they know that God had accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s

If you find that argument hard to swallow, allow me to take it a step further.

Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (KJV)

Now, we hear people talk about “God said this or that to me.” God does speak to our spirit and I believe that we can hear from God in that way, but we have a regenerated spirit. Old Testament man did not. Our “new spirit” comes at the moment that we accept Christ’s atonement. So, Cain must have heard an audible voice from God.

Let’s look at it another way. What would happen if God spoke to you in an audible voice? I don’t know about you, but I think it would startle me. Cain didn’t seem to bat an eye. This says to me that Cain was used to hearing the voice of God.

Let’s take it a step further.

A short time later, Cain rose up and killed his brother.

Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? (KJV)

Now if you were the very first murderer on the face of the earth, and an audible voice from God asked you the whereabouts of the person you had just killed, what would you do? I think I would just die of a heart attack!

What did Cain do? His reaction was, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He lied to God. That shows us that Cain was so used to having God speak to him that he would just lie to God and not think a thing about it.

Remember the old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt?”

For Cain to respond to that way is evidence that God spoke to him on an ongoing basis. If God was speaking to Cain doesn’t it follow that He was still speaking to everyone else on the earth. How else could they all know about sacrifices? How else could Cain be so familiar with God’s voice that it didn’t even startle him when God confronted Him in his sin.

It’s amazing what you can learn when you read scripture and take it literally. It’s amazing what misconceptions we have. It’s amazing that we can go for years–perhaps even our entire lives–believing without question things we were taught when we were in church and Sunday School.

I would encourage you to go back and read this account for yourself. Don’t just believe what I had to say about it.

And in your quiet time, keep an open mind when you read your Bible. Read what the scripture says; not what you think it says. (One thing that can help is to read passages from different Bible versions.) You might learn something surprising today.

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I just wanted to take a few minutes to explain to you about RSS feeds. This is an awesome little video.

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I just released my next issue of Intentional Living! I invite you to take the time to download the e-zine or read the articles, Grace and Faith.

Let me know what you think.

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“Empty space is still a place.” I love this quote from Joyce Meyer.

Did you know that you can choose your thoughts? The Bible talks a great deal about our thought life.

One of my favorite verses is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Paul tells us:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (KJV)

You can choose your thoughts. You can choose what you think about all day long. You do not have to think every thought that pops into your head. When you have a wrong thought, you can stop it.

The key is, you need to replace it with a right thought or your mind stands empty for a time…long enough for another thought to come…perhaps even worse than the last one!

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Luke 11:24-26 (KJV)

Now, this can be a hard passage to understand. We don’t often think of ourselves as having “unclean spirits.” Spirit here is from the Greek, pneuma, and literally means “a current of air.” However, figuratively, it means “the rational soul or mental disposition.” This is talking of our soul—our mind, emotion, intellect, and conscience. Thinking of it this way makes it a little more understandable.

Jesus here is talking about our thought life. When we cast out a wrong thought, we need to replace it with a right thought. If we don’t, that thought roams around looking for someplace to rest. When it finds no place to rest, it returns to it’s former home…your mind. If it finds your mind swept and orderly (but not decorated and filled with right thoughts) it goes to get some of it’s nasty friends and they all come to inhabit your newly cleaned mind. And the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Today take the time to think about what you’re thinking about. This is one thing that separates us from animals. Animals think, but they cannot think about what they think about. If you find yourself anxious, worried, sick and tired, the problem can most likely be traced back to your thought life.

Spend some time in your Bible looking up scriptures that speak to the thing you struggle with the most. Cast out those “unclean spirits” and replace them with God’s Word for your life.

If you are struggling in a particular area of your life and you would like help with what scriptures speak to that area, feel free to email me or leave your question in the comments area by clicking on “comments” below.

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I don’t think that many of us can understand what it’s like to be a slave. In Exodus, the Israelites were in bondage for years when Moses first came to tell them that God was going to bring them out. Let’s take a peek at how they reacted to Moses’ message:

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. Exo. 4:31 (KJV)

The Israelites listened to the message that Moses had from God and they worshiped Him.

Pharaoh wasn’t as impressed with God’s message. Instead of letting the Israelites take a break and go into the wilderness to worship God, he decided that they must have too much time on their hands. They were making bricks with mud and straw and until that time, the straw had been provided them. Pharaoh decreed that not only must they continue to make the same number of bricks, they must now gather the straw themselves.

After that, in Exodus 6:9, we see an entirely different reaction to Moses’ words.

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (KJV)

The word here translated “for anguish of” means grief, or much discouraged, shortness or impatience. In other words, they didn’t listen to what Moses had to say because they were so grieved and discouraged that they no longer even wanted to hear what he had to say.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so discouraged and grieved that you didn’t want to hear the Good News of God’s grace…of the gifts that He longs to give…of the wonders of life when you follow Him. Have you ever been so discouraged that you grew impatient with people who were trying to tell you about God’s goodness? or who were living with the blessings of God evident in their lives?

I’ve been there. It’s not a happy place. I will never go back again.

When bad things happen in your life, sometimes, you can slide into this mentality. You may not want to hear positive messages because it hurts too much. Perhaps you’ve come to the place where you think, “If I don’t expect anything good to happen, then I won’t be disappointed when I’m right.”

It’s so hard to leave that place once you’ve lived there for a time. As miserable as it is there, it is safe. You know what to expect. Reaching beyond that place is fraught with risk.

But, if you are truly ready to leave that place, you must draw a line in the sand. You must fight to pull yourself out of that quagmire.

It doesn’t seem like it will work. And it will take a time to see things differently…much longer than you feel comfortable with.

But, I promise you, life is so much better after you leave that place.

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Isn’t it awesome that God is the God of more than enough?!?

I read this week that they had “discovered” a new species of purple frog. There are 4740 known species of frogs in the world right now.

If my God created that many species of frogs, is He not the God of more than enough? I mean, really…how many species of frogs do you need?

It follows then, if He is so extravagant with creation, He desires to be extravagant with us. After all, we are His supreme creation. We’re the pièce de résistance, the culmination of His creative work. We’re His adopted children.

…he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will Eph 1:5 (NIV)

We all love our children, but think about it. Isn’t there something different about adopting a child? A child that you adopt is a child that you choose. It’s awesome! That is the way God thinks about us.

And, don’t we love to give gifts to our children? Did you know that God feels that same way about you?

Jesus said,

…what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matt 7:9-11 (KJV)

God loves you so much. He sent His Son, Jesus to die on the cross for your sin and to obtain life, hope, faith, healing, prosperity…every good and perfect gift. (James 1:17a says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…ASV)

And, He desires for you to have a wonderful life filled with extravagant gifts from Him.

Praise Him for His Love! Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

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