Step Back Onto Your Path

It's happened again. You've gotten off track, lost sight of priorities and commitments, walked away from your path. The good news is, God is always right there to redirect you back onto that path and hold your hand the entire way. This has happened to me several times in my life, and most recently it happened again. As I stopped going to my church groups, stopped attending services, and kept telling myself that it was only for a week or two until I got everything in line and had room to breathe again - a week turned into two weeks, two weeks to three weeks, three weeks to a month. Before I knew it three entire months had passed since I had been to any of my groups, services, or connected with really anyone. This is called isolation. Please don't mistake it for depression, as I was still joyful and blessed, but just decided to go it alone for a while.

"He who willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment." (Proverbs 18:1 AMP)

Let me tell you first hand, we cannot do this alone, nor were we meant to. There's a reason that God didn't just leave Adam, he needed a helpmate and he needed companionship and fellowship. There is a reason that God designed the church body with so many different parts that are designed to come together and work as one. When we are going through times of trial or perhaps something emotional or even physical in our lives, our first reaction is often to just withdraw. We tell ourselves we will just study at home, watch services online, text someone every once in a while just to let them know we are still alive. For some of us we physically can't get to church and that's understandable, however, make sure you stay grounded not only in your studies but in keeping connection and fellowship with others. If you're having one of those good days physically and there happens to be an event or service at church, GO! Fight the discomfort, fight the awkwardness, fight the fear of rejection. 

"It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps,
But if there’s no one to help, tough!

Two in a bed warm each other.
Alone, you shiver all night.

By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped."

(Ecclesiastes 4:4-12 MSG)

In today's technology there are so many ways to make sure that you don't isolate yourself: TV sermons, livestream services, telephone, text, email...the list goes on. So I would encourage you, if you have fallen off path, kind of lost your own for spirit for getting involved and connected - grab Jesus' hand and let him walk you back down that path. He misses you, he longs for your company, and so do other believers who are your friends and church community. You think your presence doesn't make a difference, that no one will notice you if you're gone for a week, or two, or six? I know that feeling, I thought the same thing. Until others reached out to me in love, let me know that my presence was missed, let me know that they missed my smiling face and my input in discussion.

Those things make us feel special, wanted, loved, and valued. This is what you are blessed with when you come together with a group of other believers. You receive acceptance and are reminded of your value and worth, not only in the presence of God but in the presence of your friends and community. Spring has just started and what better way to refresh and renew your spirit and your commitment than to make a promise with God and yourself that from today forward, you will not isolate and you will not go it alone. Grab the hand of God, grab the hand of the person next to you, embrace those that are trying to show you love and making an effort to be in your life. 

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV)

Spring is a time of newness, growth, hope, and second chances. A time to flourish and begin again. Not just for the trees, flowers, birds, creeks and rivers - but for you, God's chosen and favored child. You DO make a difference, you ARE loved, you ARE worth more than the most chiseled diamond and the most brilliant ruby. Won't you walk with me, hand in hand, down this path that Jesus sacrificed his own blood to give us? Let's start fresh, stay committed and accountable, and grab ahold of this beautiful chance of a new start with everything we've got!

Making Prayer Time New

Prayer time is something that seems to be a struggle for many, but then seems to flow so freely for others. This should not make us feel less-than if we struggle with prayer in the following ways: making time, knowing how, making it meaningful (purposeful). This is because we serve a supernatural God, and as imperfect mere humans, we cannot comprehend how to even approach the King of Heaven sometimes. But the truth is, there is no right or wrong, better or worse way to pray. If you pray with a genuine heart, you believe that God hears you, and you truly desire His Will for your life…then my beloved, you are already a prayer warrior!

But maybe you long for more. Mayve you want it to be more effortless, more consistent, and deeper. Then it is a good thing you are here! Today we are talking about how to stir things up a little and make prayer time new and exciting! Here are some things you can implement (if you haven’t already) to work on strengthening that precious time with Jesus that is our link to Our Almighty Father. He longs to hear from us, so don’t let ANYTHING keep you from knowing that your prayers matter to God. He hears every word, sees every tear, feels your every emotion. Give it all up to Him, and know that He cares for you! So, let’s work on some steps for prayer:

1) Create a prayer journal - you can record your prayers and then follow up regularly to see how they were answered and recognize what resolution you have found with those circumstances. This helps us to remember gratitude and thankfulness. We do not want to simply let things be taken care of and move onto the next prayer; we want to remember and to praise the Lord with recognition for each thing He does for us, even well after the fact. He never wants us to forget His promises, or forget those He has joyfully fulfilled for us!

2) Pray the Scriptures back to God - when a particular verse or Scripture is laid upon your heart, write it down and then meditate on it to see how it may apply to your current season of life or circumstance. Then pray that Scripture back to God, asking Him to show you what it is He has for you through that which has been laid upon your heart. Meditate word-by-word and break it down, there is a reason He brings a certain verse pr phrase to you that seems to continually penetrate your mind and heart. Pray for your eyes to see and your heart to hear how He wants you to use that in your walk.

3) God enjoys humor - be sure to add something into your prayer time that makes you smile or laugh. Don’t just use this time to ask God for things and thank Him for things. Use it to share as you would with your best friend or spouse. Feel comfortable and free to say, “Lord, did you see when I tripped over that carpet today and landed on my face? Then I made sure no one saw me but made a point to go tell everyone ‘Hey, did you see that? I totally just tripped and fell’. Why do I do that, God…they never would have known if I didn’t tell them what a dork I am!” Laughing with God is beautiful, comforting, and REAL. (By the way, this example was a true one from me…yes, I am THAT much of a dork). I trip over nothing, walk into walls, and all the while look up at God smiling and say, “You saw that, didn’t you?” Now of course we know He sees all, but being able to have fun with God is so important. Prayer doesn’t have to be structured, serious, and routine. Bring ALL of you to Him, and you will find yourself enjoying time with Our Creator on a whole new level that does not seem to be such an effort or struggle.

These are just a few ways to recreate prayer and find different ways to make it a desired part of our days. Making prayer something we want to do and find ourselves doing several times a day is the end goal. We do not want it to be something we schedule 5 minutes out for in the morning as we wake up, take 30 seconds out to do before a meal, and another 5 minutes out to do as we are half asleep on our pillow. We want to come before The Throne regularly and consistently. This helps us each hour of our day and brings us closer in relationship to God with each and every beat of our heart and word from our soul. Give your true self to God…the heartbreak, the joy, the serious, the silly, and the everyday mundane. He treasures it all, and it is His greatest joy to be your rock as you walk through every moment of every day. Talk to Him, listen for Him, and pray like it is your lifeline each time…because it is! Be blessed, sweet readers, you are so precious!

I'm Back And Have Missed You So!

Oh my goodness...it stopped it right in the middle of the video and THAT'S the freeze frame it gives? Some mutant, droopy-eyed, scary face of me? Thanks YouTube! Well, if you aren't scared to watch the video after seeing that, then I am grateful for you! Enjoy, and I will see you tomorrow! ~Debbie~

Keeping Momentum 365 Days

You've worked all week, the kids have tried your patience, you've missed activities that you have committed to because of unscheduled interruptions we call life. How do you stay on track? How do you keep momentum going to push forward, to bring the most positivity out of your situation, and to focus on maintaining your momentum? All of that while trying to balance so much that comes at you on a daily, sometimes even hourly, basis. Keeping momentum...not just for an hour, not just for your work day, but we are talking 365 days a year. How do we keep pushing forward in our walk with the Lord, how do we keep that balance in family and work to be sure that we are not distracted by the world's chaos? We do it by taking a step back, breathing, and reminding ourselves of God's promises. Living the Word every day through our lives and our actions. This is what helps keep momentum. This is what gives us gives us strength. This is the only sure hope that we can make it through.

1 Corinthians reminds us that if we stand our ground, nothing we do will come out empty and that we will bear fruit . No matter how hard, no matter how ridiculed or chastised we are for our choice to stand up for Christ and to live a right life; if we persevere and push through, everything we will have done will be used for the good of the kingdom if we do not hold back. Remember that, and that can help keep you pushing forward to fight the good fight. “With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG)

Speaking of pressing on, Philippians shows us this same concept. Looking for the finish line, not getting focused in what is tripping us up right now or how much farther we still have to go. We need to focus on today, battle today, because tomorrow will have a whole other set of circumstances that we need to focus on in that time. But each day if we push forward searching for the finish line and that beautiful ribbon that we can raise our hands high and run through with our heads held high and smiling in victory, then our prize is eternity with Christ. We can have that, we can cross that finish line...but not without momentum. “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14 NLT)

James 1 goes on to tell us that we WILL have trials, we WILL have tests in this life. That is part of living in an imperfect world and a corrupt society. But we are given the tools to persevere, we are given the promises that we don't have to walk through these fires alone. There is no temptation that can come before us that the Lord does not give us a way out of, if only we want it bad enough. Temptations of the mind to worry, control, and stress. Worries of the flesh to be less than honorable with our eyes, thoughts, or body. Temptations of power with money, position, and manipulation. But when we choose right choices and when we persevere--when we walk through that fire-- James 1 shows us that we will receive the crown of life. This is been promised to us generations back from Our Almighty Father himself. We know He is perfect, we know He is all-knowing, and we know He never fails. So we can hold that deeply in our hearts and know that we WILL have hard times, we WILL face circumstances where we are scared, we are hurt, we are betrayed, we are worried, we fail others ...but if we look to God to get us through those circumstances we can stay on the right path. We CAN live an honorable and godly life, and we CAN receive that crown to have placed upon our head as we cross that finish line we spoke of earlier. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:2 NIV)

In closing, I want to turn to Romans. This specific Scripture kind of wraps this all up and embodies everything we just have gone over. Basically stated, there's so much more to come than we can see. God knows so many things that we don't know. Do we want to give up, settle for less, live less respectable then we could...especially if we don't know the circumstances, outcomes, consequences, or what it will cost us in the end? There is more to come, there are riches and glory beyond our wildest dreams; the ones that we store up for heaven. But we have to keep pushing forward, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Exhausting? Absolutely. Even just saying that you may say that is impossible. However, there is one thing we know about God; that all things are possible with God. Romans remind us of being overshadowed in trouble, of us losing our patience, of a feeling that we got the short end of the stick. But what's the truth? The truth is God is there all the time, we need only to go to Him and ask Him for help. “There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” (Romans 5:3 MSG)

Continue praising Him through the hard times, asking Him to give us patience in the trying times, asking Him to keep our respect and purity in our marriages and relationships, asking Him to help us keep our head free from pride when it comes to control or power in career or friendships. One Scripture that really puts it into perspective for us is this one…when we think our lives and trials are more than we can bear and that we will not be able to make it through, memorize this Scripture and keep it close to your heart to remind yourself of how much smaller everything is than it truly seems sometimes, and of the continual blessings that God pours down on you: “Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.” (Hebrews 12:3 GNB)
The Holy Spirit and the Lord wants to pour into our lives in a way that we can't even comprehend. He has so much waiting for us at that finish line and He aches for us to claim our prize. To claim our prize we must finish the race, to finish the race we must maintain momentum. Sometimes it doesn't look like it's worth it in the moment, but I am telling you...it is certainly worth it at the final destination. Won't you all please keep momentum with me? Keep your eyes on the prize, and walk with me...no, RUN full speed with me through that finish line to receive your crown!