I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. It seems like they are getting few and far between these days as our Summer picks up! It seems like we haven't stopped since the end of April. All things fun and wonderful, but nonetheless, busy and fast pace. I am so grateful this year to be able to keep up physically that I just keep saying yes to every opportunity to LIVE life. I know, not the most balanced approach it seems but God told me a few months ago, " I have never left you or forsaken you so live." Ever since then, I can't help but LIVE by those words. And they have indeed brought me life.
The question is, " Do I feel amazing?" To speak it into existence, YES! I continue to recover physically and continue to grow spiritually to places I have never been. July 1st will be 11 months off of all ms medications. I am running everyday and have just upped my routine to challenge myself even more. God is good. As Audrey Assad says in her song "Carry Me"...
"And I know Your promises are faithful
And God, I've seen Your goodness in my life
And oh, I've found Your mercy is a river
Your love is an ocean wide"
These words are totally true in my life. Now that I have you all caught up, now I can write about what I actually feel the Spirit of God urging me to write to you about today!
Yesterday, our youth pastor, Ryan Austin preached an incredible message. We have been working our way through the book of Nehemiah on Sundays and yesterday Ryan talked about what happens when we are building walls and we start to find success in that how the enemy comes with great opposition. He spoke of how Nehemiah told the people to carry their sword (the Bible in our case) in one hand and their trowel in the other, so they could fight and build, fight and build. (Nehemiah 4)
Just recently has God gotten me to a place where I can do this. Up until recently I have been just been wielding the Word and using it as the sword that it is. I have been fighting for my physical and spiritual health. While this will naturally build you as a person, I wasn't able to intentionally step out and continue to build the Kingdom of God outside of myself.
At the beginning of June is really when God started opening doors for me to not only carry my sword but my trowel too. It's been exciting and amazing. Building people, finishing my recording project, building my marriage and nurturing my boys.
It was a great reminder yesterday to me that it's not enough to just confess the Word every day. It's not enough to just wield the Word if I want to advance God's Kingdom the way that I desire to. I have to carry the trowel to. I am so glad that God has me in this place and it was great confirmation for me yesterday to keep going!
This is the kind of thing that helps us to realize that we have to climb out of survival mode, me mode and open our eyes to the fact that God needs a people who are willing to lay their lives down to fight and build. Yes, we have to lay down our lives, otherwise there is no time left. There's not enough time in the day to be selfish lol! That is if we want to advance and move forward in any way.
So, that's the download for the day from me. My way of building for today. I pray that you all have the courage, strength and grace to fight and build today.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Nothing
John 15:5, " I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do NOTHING."
This is not the first time this theme has run through my mind and spirit but on Sunday morning during worship I couldn't get it out of my head. These days, I realize more and more that my life is not my own, that I am on borrowed time, that apart from Jesus and His miraculous power I am nothing. I can't do anything in my own strength, seriously.
The best part is that I can say with true, pure motivation from the very depths of me that I am 100% okay with this! Nothing means something that is nonexistent. To be honest, what's the point of existing without Him? That's called survival in my dictionary and survival is all about us and it's not a fun place to be or a fruitful place to be. Don't you want to make a difference in the world? Don't you want to have purpose in your life? Don't you want the hell and the struggle that you are walking through to not be in vain? The answer to all of those questions for me is a big YES.
So yes, I am okay with being nothing. I have gotten to the point in my life where even if I have the choice to do something in my own strength, I just don't want to. And I love that I am there. Sure I have an agenda, sure I have things that I would like to do. But everyday I submit to Him, those things fall into place and perfect peace comes with it.
I am watching God answer so many of my questions. I am watching God give me the desires of my heart as I have been delighting in Him (Psalm 37:4). These are things I have been praying about and waiting on Him for. And for a long time, I might add. The more I am nothing, the more He can be something!
The doors that are opening are so big that not even my buff self can open them on my own ;-) I mean really, it gives me full confidence that it is totally Him. And therefore I can trust those doors and walk right on through with confidence and strength knowing that God is with me every step of the way.
I cannot even tell you how excited I am. 10 months off of all ms medications and going strong. People, God is amazing, to say the least. So, my advice, try being nothing for a day and see where it gets you.
This is not the first time this theme has run through my mind and spirit but on Sunday morning during worship I couldn't get it out of my head. These days, I realize more and more that my life is not my own, that I am on borrowed time, that apart from Jesus and His miraculous power I am nothing. I can't do anything in my own strength, seriously.
The best part is that I can say with true, pure motivation from the very depths of me that I am 100% okay with this! Nothing means something that is nonexistent. To be honest, what's the point of existing without Him? That's called survival in my dictionary and survival is all about us and it's not a fun place to be or a fruitful place to be. Don't you want to make a difference in the world? Don't you want to have purpose in your life? Don't you want the hell and the struggle that you are walking through to not be in vain? The answer to all of those questions for me is a big YES.
So yes, I am okay with being nothing. I have gotten to the point in my life where even if I have the choice to do something in my own strength, I just don't want to. And I love that I am there. Sure I have an agenda, sure I have things that I would like to do. But everyday I submit to Him, those things fall into place and perfect peace comes with it.
I am watching God answer so many of my questions. I am watching God give me the desires of my heart as I have been delighting in Him (Psalm 37:4). These are things I have been praying about and waiting on Him for. And for a long time, I might add. The more I am nothing, the more He can be something!
The doors that are opening are so big that not even my buff self can open them on my own ;-) I mean really, it gives me full confidence that it is totally Him. And therefore I can trust those doors and walk right on through with confidence and strength knowing that God is with me every step of the way.
I cannot even tell you how excited I am. 10 months off of all ms medications and going strong. People, God is amazing, to say the least. So, my advice, try being nothing for a day and see where it gets you.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Touched
Mark 6:56, " Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as TOUCHED Him were made well."
The above scripture has been one that has been sticking out to me over the last week or so. I want to pull out what has been highlighted as I read it. The word Touched means-to come into or be in contact with.
I think it's amazing that the scripture says, " And as many as TOUCHED Him were made well." So as many people that came into or were in contact with Jesus were healed. The thing to remember is that the word touched is an action word. It's a verb. Those people had to intentionally come into or be in contact with Jesus in order to receive their healing.
Same for us. Whether it be spiritual or physical sickness, we have to intentionally reach and come into contact with the hem of His garment. That's another thing. Just the hem of His garment could heal people. They didn't have to maul Jesus or hug Him and He didn't even have to lay His hands on them! They just had to intentionally come into contact with Him and just touch His clothes and the smallest part of his clothes at that.
When we are so consumed with what's going on in our lives, it seems like this is such an impossibility. But when we access God's Word and intentionally worship Him it's easy to come in contact with Him.
It's this simple...James 4:8, " Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." You see, He comes our way so it's not so hard to touch Him. He closes the gap when we do our part. BUT WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART.
So how do we touch Him?
1. Pray and Submit ourselves to Him and the Holy Spirit
2. Worship Him, get in His presence
3. Read the Word
Just speaking from experience, those are the things that I have done to touch Him and He has healed me. Not just on the outside, but from the inside out. Those are by no means the only ways to touch Jesus, just to clarify. But that has been what has worked in my life.
The enemy's scheme is to make you think that you have to move heaven and earth to get close to God. That is a lie and a deception and I am here to tell you that whether you are bed ridden or the strongest person in the world, all you have to do is intentionally reach out and touch Him and He WILL heal you!
Jesus didn't limit who He healed. " As MANY as touched Him were made well." My invitation to you today is to come and be apart of the MANY who are intentionally touching Jesus. Don't let anything hold you back. You are just inches away from complete freedom.
The above scripture has been one that has been sticking out to me over the last week or so. I want to pull out what has been highlighted as I read it. The word Touched means-to come into or be in contact with.
I think it's amazing that the scripture says, " And as many as TOUCHED Him were made well." So as many people that came into or were in contact with Jesus were healed. The thing to remember is that the word touched is an action word. It's a verb. Those people had to intentionally come into or be in contact with Jesus in order to receive their healing.
Same for us. Whether it be spiritual or physical sickness, we have to intentionally reach and come into contact with the hem of His garment. That's another thing. Just the hem of His garment could heal people. They didn't have to maul Jesus or hug Him and He didn't even have to lay His hands on them! They just had to intentionally come into contact with Him and just touch His clothes and the smallest part of his clothes at that.
When we are so consumed with what's going on in our lives, it seems like this is such an impossibility. But when we access God's Word and intentionally worship Him it's easy to come in contact with Him.
It's this simple...James 4:8, " Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." You see, He comes our way so it's not so hard to touch Him. He closes the gap when we do our part. BUT WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART.
So how do we touch Him?
1. Pray and Submit ourselves to Him and the Holy Spirit
2. Worship Him, get in His presence
3. Read the Word
Just speaking from experience, those are the things that I have done to touch Him and He has healed me. Not just on the outside, but from the inside out. Those are by no means the only ways to touch Jesus, just to clarify. But that has been what has worked in my life.
The enemy's scheme is to make you think that you have to move heaven and earth to get close to God. That is a lie and a deception and I am here to tell you that whether you are bed ridden or the strongest person in the world, all you have to do is intentionally reach out and touch Him and He WILL heal you!
Jesus didn't limit who He healed. " As MANY as touched Him were made well." My invitation to you today is to come and be apart of the MANY who are intentionally touching Jesus. Don't let anything hold you back. You are just inches away from complete freedom.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Stepping on toes can be a good thing!
This morning I broke my running mile record! Lol...don't get to excited...I am still kind of embarrassed by how long it takes me to run over a mile on my elliptical but still, I am doing it now almost everyday without any kind of crazy nerve reactions. Praise God, because it takes me half the time as it does to walk around my neighborhood! I am all about saving time!
Anywho, lately as I have been running, I realized something. Before God healed me of multiple sclerosis, I would get on my elliptical and run as fast as I could away from all of my issues and problems and now I find myself running as fast as I can towards the presence of God so that any issue that comes my way will be thwarted and defeated because of the power of God in my life.
I was praying this morning, like every morning, that the Holy Spirit would allow me to be in perfect step with Him today. Like when I used to stand on my dad's feet and he would walk me around. So fun, but I was perfectly in step with his every movement.
It's going to seem like I am all over the map with this blog but I promise there's a point! Yesterday our pastor's message was titled " Be one. Make one." All about the Great Commission out of Matthew 28. He was making a point about the fact that all of us have issues that we are passionate about. That we would say, " I wish the church would just rise up and do something about this." That kind of passion. Then he began to show us how the greatest strategy to all of these issues getting resolved is doing as Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, " All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In other words, if we follow this then every issue will be resolved. Because if we are intentionally going, making and teaching people to be like Jesus, then, well, duh, of course everything will be resolved from this. He is the Beginning and the End. The answer to all things.
I realized after listening to that message that I am extremely passionate about two issues:
1. Physical Healing in the body of Christ
2. The battle field of the mind coming from a worship standpoint.
To be perfectly honest, I have been a bit burdened thinking about how will God ever use me to resolve these issues. Well, I realized, He already is! I am going, making, baptizing and teaching people through this blog and through one on one encounters on these issues and seeing God do amazing things. I mean all I have to do is look at my own life and see what God has done in these two areas and know that God can do it. But the only reason that God is miraculously working in my life is because I am intentionally submitting myself to Him and His authority and therefore I am running forward, yet keeping in step with what He is doing. His agenda, not mine, even though we all have our own agenda.
If we submit to the Great Commission we will see all the things we are passionate about come under the submission of the Holy Spirit and from there either they will not be issues that concern Him, if you catch my drift, or they will begin to resolve themselves and advance the Kingdom of God.
With this in mind, I no longer feel the burden of the issues I am passionate about. I am just going to keep running after Him and keeping in step with Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).
Anywho, lately as I have been running, I realized something. Before God healed me of multiple sclerosis, I would get on my elliptical and run as fast as I could away from all of my issues and problems and now I find myself running as fast as I can towards the presence of God so that any issue that comes my way will be thwarted and defeated because of the power of God in my life.
It's going to seem like I am all over the map with this blog but I promise there's a point! Yesterday our pastor's message was titled " Be one. Make one." All about the Great Commission out of Matthew 28. He was making a point about the fact that all of us have issues that we are passionate about. That we would say, " I wish the church would just rise up and do something about this." That kind of passion. Then he began to show us how the greatest strategy to all of these issues getting resolved is doing as Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, " All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In other words, if we follow this then every issue will be resolved. Because if we are intentionally going, making and teaching people to be like Jesus, then, well, duh, of course everything will be resolved from this. He is the Beginning and the End. The answer to all things.
I realized after listening to that message that I am extremely passionate about two issues:
1. Physical Healing in the body of Christ
2. The battle field of the mind coming from a worship standpoint.
To be perfectly honest, I have been a bit burdened thinking about how will God ever use me to resolve these issues. Well, I realized, He already is! I am going, making, baptizing and teaching people through this blog and through one on one encounters on these issues and seeing God do amazing things. I mean all I have to do is look at my own life and see what God has done in these two areas and know that God can do it. But the only reason that God is miraculously working in my life is because I am intentionally submitting myself to Him and His authority and therefore I am running forward, yet keeping in step with what He is doing. His agenda, not mine, even though we all have our own agenda.
If we submit to the Great Commission we will see all the things we are passionate about come under the submission of the Holy Spirit and from there either they will not be issues that concern Him, if you catch my drift, or they will begin to resolve themselves and advance the Kingdom of God.
With this in mind, I no longer feel the burden of the issues I am passionate about. I am just going to keep running after Him and keeping in step with Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
No more "leaning" only "acknowledging"
Proverbs 3:5-8, " Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and LEAN NOT on your own understanding; in all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It WILL be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones."
This is one of the scriptures that I confess every morning and over the last few days has really been highlighted as I read it. Over this last year, Chad and I have really had to make the choice to lean not on our own understanding. Nothing about my situation has been understandable!!! There are still so many things we don't understand and may never understand. BUT as we have intentionally acknowledged Him, He is directing us.
We realized a while ago that we can't do anything in our own strength. We also realized a long time ago that we are not as wise as we would like to be! So we have had to be intentional about fearing God and honoring Him so that we can walk in His wisdom. Because of this living and active Word in our lives, my flesh is getting healthier and healthier and I am getting stronger and stronger.
See how that works? Confessing this word day after day has brought revelation and truth and is living and active. In other words, it's working! It's true and it's setting us free!
If you need wisdom, TRUST HIM and don't rely on your own understanding. It's nothing compared to His. The Holy Spirit is fully accessible to you and He will help you if you let Him. If you submit to Him. Let Him direct you. If you are accessing Him and submitted to Him, He will do as He has promised. He will tell you when to move and when not to.
One more thing to point out...this scripture says that, " it WILL be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." Not maybe, it WILL. Not sometimes, it WILL.
So no more leaning...only acknowledge and see the power of God manifest itself in your life.
This is one of the scriptures that I confess every morning and over the last few days has really been highlighted as I read it. Over this last year, Chad and I have really had to make the choice to lean not on our own understanding. Nothing about my situation has been understandable!!! There are still so many things we don't understand and may never understand. BUT as we have intentionally acknowledged Him, He is directing us.
We realized a while ago that we can't do anything in our own strength. We also realized a long time ago that we are not as wise as we would like to be! So we have had to be intentional about fearing God and honoring Him so that we can walk in His wisdom. Because of this living and active Word in our lives, my flesh is getting healthier and healthier and I am getting stronger and stronger.
See how that works? Confessing this word day after day has brought revelation and truth and is living and active. In other words, it's working! It's true and it's setting us free!
If you need wisdom, TRUST HIM and don't rely on your own understanding. It's nothing compared to His. The Holy Spirit is fully accessible to you and He will help you if you let Him. If you submit to Him. Let Him direct you. If you are accessing Him and submitted to Him, He will do as He has promised. He will tell you when to move and when not to.
One more thing to point out...this scripture says that, " it WILL be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." Not maybe, it WILL. Not sometimes, it WILL.
So no more leaning...only acknowledge and see the power of God manifest itself in your life.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
9 Months = A Miracle
Ha! Gotcha didn't I??? You thought I was gonna say that I was pregnant, didn't you? Admit it! Well, I'm not. Although...;-) Just kidding, we shall see what God wants for us in that area. Definitely not the right time in our journey! So anyway, the reason for the title of this blog is because today marks 9 months of me being off of all ms medications! And that folks, is a miracle!
Just to fill you in a bit...I have only been getting stronger. Since I started to really confess the Word of God everyday. I am walking/jogging over 3 miles everyday, miracle. Spending most of the day on my feet, between homeschooling and doing what it takes to be a stay at home mom of two VERY active boys, miracle. Singing again at our worship nights and the last 3 I have been on my feet the whole time, miracle. God is so amazing...He gets all the credit.
I confess a lot of Word everyday but I have really been standing on Mark 11:22-23, " So Jesus answered and said to them,' Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ' Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." The power of confession, right there in plain sight. I know that I focused a lot on this subject in my last blog, but it's everything right now for me.
It's amazing how the Word can completely transform you from the inside out if you are faithful to it and are diligently seeking God through it. I can't even think anything contrary to what the Word says these days because I have made it such a priority in my life. Ask me if I am completely symptom free. Uh, no...I am not. But I can't help but believe that I will be completely free from all of them one day because that's what the Word says I can have. Complete restoration.
I don't know what the future holds, but there again, whatever the Word says, that's what I am clinging to. We still have some mountains that need to be moved like getting off of adrenal meds, benzo drug and blood pressure meds. But hey, if one mountain can be moved, why can't the others?
So be encouraged! Peter said in Acts 3:6, " Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." In other words, I don't have anything magical to offer other than my testimony and what is making it, the Word, the living and active Word. If you are trying to remove some major mountains, here's the help you've been looking for. And God can and will honor His Word!
Just to fill you in a bit...I have only been getting stronger. Since I started to really confess the Word of God everyday. I am walking/jogging over 3 miles everyday, miracle. Spending most of the day on my feet, between homeschooling and doing what it takes to be a stay at home mom of two VERY active boys, miracle. Singing again at our worship nights and the last 3 I have been on my feet the whole time, miracle. God is so amazing...He gets all the credit.
I confess a lot of Word everyday but I have really been standing on Mark 11:22-23, " So Jesus answered and said to them,' Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ' Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." The power of confession, right there in plain sight. I know that I focused a lot on this subject in my last blog, but it's everything right now for me.
It's amazing how the Word can completely transform you from the inside out if you are faithful to it and are diligently seeking God through it. I can't even think anything contrary to what the Word says these days because I have made it such a priority in my life. Ask me if I am completely symptom free. Uh, no...I am not. But I can't help but believe that I will be completely free from all of them one day because that's what the Word says I can have. Complete restoration.
I don't know what the future holds, but there again, whatever the Word says, that's what I am clinging to. We still have some mountains that need to be moved like getting off of adrenal meds, benzo drug and blood pressure meds. But hey, if one mountain can be moved, why can't the others?
So be encouraged! Peter said in Acts 3:6, " Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." In other words, I don't have anything magical to offer other than my testimony and what is making it, the Word, the living and active Word. If you are trying to remove some major mountains, here's the help you've been looking for. And God can and will honor His Word!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The "If" Zone
So I was on my walk this morning and towards the end of it I was praying for our worship night here at the church at which I sing every month. I was praying and this wording came out of my mouth, " God I don't want to live in the "if" zone". Now, I do plan to explain, but if you have ever been through any kind of affliction or adversity in your life, you probably already know what I mean.
What it means to me is, I don't want to live my life based on IF I can do something. It's a powerful thing, God has been speaking to me so much through His Word and the confession of His Word is completely setting me free. But there are scriptures I have known my entire life that I am teaching Parker, our 4 year old, that God is throwing back in my face.
Examples:
Philippians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Joel 3:10, " Let the weak say, ' I am strong".
I have had to keep catching myself, and I know for a fact that this is the Holy Spirit who has opened my eyes to the subtleties of how I speak things. I have always been so careful with what comes out of my mouth, but it's time to go to a new level. I say, " Well IF I am feeling good, or IF my body will cooperate." Instead of, " I can do ALL things." There's no if's with God I've noticed. The more I confess the Word, it's a matter of fact, not if this and if that.
So my prayer today was that God would help me to get out of that "If" zone. I am already moving forward so much. Walking 3 miles almost everyday, driving now, even though this is the best I have felt in months....these are big steps and all because of the Word. I just want the Word to completely overtake me.
I will step on that stage tonight, I will be strong, I will glorify God, my body will cooperate and I will not question it. I will continue to recover and get stronger and stronger everyday. I will, I will, I will...I am so amazed by Him. Keep it coming Jesus, keep making more like You.
What it means to me is, I don't want to live my life based on IF I can do something. It's a powerful thing, God has been speaking to me so much through His Word and the confession of His Word is completely setting me free. But there are scriptures I have known my entire life that I am teaching Parker, our 4 year old, that God is throwing back in my face.
Examples:
Philippians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Joel 3:10, " Let the weak say, ' I am strong".
I have had to keep catching myself, and I know for a fact that this is the Holy Spirit who has opened my eyes to the subtleties of how I speak things. I have always been so careful with what comes out of my mouth, but it's time to go to a new level. I say, " Well IF I am feeling good, or IF my body will cooperate." Instead of, " I can do ALL things." There's no if's with God I've noticed. The more I confess the Word, it's a matter of fact, not if this and if that.
So my prayer today was that God would help me to get out of that "If" zone. I am already moving forward so much. Walking 3 miles almost everyday, driving now, even though this is the best I have felt in months....these are big steps and all because of the Word. I just want the Word to completely overtake me.
I will step on that stage tonight, I will be strong, I will glorify God, my body will cooperate and I will not question it. I will continue to recover and get stronger and stronger everyday. I will, I will, I will...I am so amazed by Him. Keep it coming Jesus, keep making more like You.
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