02/25/13

I know, I know......

I have been MIA for a while.

Life just doesn't slow down enough anymore for me to get my thoughts together!

Plus, I have tried to read more and spend more "still time" with the Lord.

With that being said, I have to share some things I have been learning from what I have been reading.

I had never heard of Cherie Hill before I found her as a $.99 book for my Kindle right after Christmas.  I had bought this book and it was waiting in my carousel on my Kindle for some time before I began reading it.  I was reading others I had bought, too.  Well, I began reading this one - Waiting on God - because I thought it would help me as I helped a friend while she was waiting on a job.  

Little did I realize it that the Lord had me start reading it when I did because I NEEDED IT!

It is a book that I believe I will refer back to many times.  I will probably re-read it soon.  It has such meat to it on what God is doing in our lives.

I thought I would share some things out of it to encourage you as well as get you to think.

Here is a portion that really has stuck with me since I began the book.  I have shared it with others and it has brought tears to my eyes.  Enjoy:

"One of the most critical decisions in your faith that you will continually make throughout your life is:  'Do you trust God, or not?'  Do you believe He's holding onto you or not?  It is a question you must answer.... it is the decision in your faith that determines the outcome of your life.

Here's a little story, you'll surely enjoy, and hopefully you'll take its message with you in your life.

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hold behind his house.  In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind his shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.  He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the sore.  His mother, in the house, was looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer together.  In utter fear, she ran toward the water yelling to her son as loudly as she could.  hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a u-turn to swim to his mother.  It was too late.  Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.  From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.  That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.  The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.  Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.... His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he could show him his scars.  The boy lifted his pant legs, and then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms.  I have great scars on my arms too.  I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go.'

We can relate in our lives as we reflect upon God's love for us.  The enemy has been pulling on us, tugging on us, and we have scars.  We have scars of a painful past.... of sins that have left their mark.  And our greatest sin is our unbelief during our 'waiting places.'  But what we must never forget is that some of those wounds are because God refused to let go.  In the midst of all that you've been through, God has been holding on to you.  In your 'waiting place,' as you fight through the pain and suffering, God never lets go."

~ Cherie Hill, Waiting on God

02/07/13

Seasons.

I love them.

There are some places around the world that do not have them.

Ever think about that?  I do, often, as I teach Geography to my students.  :)

When God first created the world, there were no seasons.  Every day was the same... there wasn't even rain until after the Great Flood.

After the Flood, God allowed seasons to happen....

Genesis 8:22 

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

I have seen a lot on Facebook and heard others around me always complain about whatever season we are in.  

Some people love the hot weather so they complain when it is cold.

Some people love the cold weather and they complain when it is so hot.

Some people hate when it rains because it messes up their plans.

Some people pray for rain because they are in such need of water.

I could go on and on.

I can't sit here and say that I have never complained about a season because I have, but God is teaching me more here.

The other day I was outside during recess and it was a very COLD, windy day.  I began to think about the seasons in life and how they compare to our seasons of the year.

We all have seasons of life with coldness and bitterness.

We all have seasons of life with warmth and freedom.

We all experience the rain of sadness.

We all experience times of drought.

What do we do with those seasons?  Do we wish them away and desire the other season, counting down the days till we can "wear flip-flops again?"

OR....

Do we find contentment in the season we are in and just bask in the fact that we are alive, learning, and growing?

In typing this, the Lord revealed something else to me.... what if He gave us the times of seasons after the Flood to help us have a visual of what real life is like?  I have never thought of that up until these past few moments!  Seasons come and go... just as good times and hard times.  

BUT THAT IS LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.

I am not perfect in this... as you can tell, the Lord is revealing things to me about this as I type. 

However, why do we wish away our lives complaining about the season we are in and wanting a "better one" to hurry up and come?  

The Lord is teaching me instead to be still before the Him, accept the season, live through it, and learn from it. 

02/05/13

This portion of Scripture has been brought back to my mind time and again in the last few weeks since I read it in my devotions:

James 2:14-16

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  can faith save him?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

These verses have become a "chewing" process for me to know exactly what the Lord is wanting to reveal in me and work in my life.  I have felt the Lord's leading in doing something for others, but wasn't quite sure where He was taking me.

In the last few weeks I have noticed a friend posting on Facebook about how she and a few others have been going downtown to minister to the homeless people.  The Lord continued to draw me to her posts and cause me to inquire about what they do to help.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I volunteered to go help the homeless after school one day.  I wanted to take Wesley and Mikayla with me to give them a glimpse of what other people face and to realize just how blessed we are.

The first time we went, I am not sure as to what I was expecting.  I saw many different homeless people.  Many looked like they were homeless, while others did not.  I felt as if I was almost standing back watching a movie unfold before my eyes.  I helped, but yet felt like I was overwhelmed by the visions of neediness coming our way, that I seemed dumbfounded.

I passed out hand warmers.  The kids passed out snacks/crackers.  We had hotdogs/corndogs for the people to eat.  There were also donated clothing and other items that the people could choose from to have.  We knew it was going to be very cold in the next few days and we wanted to provide what we could to help.

I saw many people desperate for anything to wear to keep them warm.

I observed ones who were slow in coming but were wanting to eat and so they gave in to their pride and walked over.

I walked with one of my friends over to a woman who lives in her van.  It was stuffed with all of her worldly belongings. 

I heard many say "God bless you for doing this." and "Thank you."

There were those that were out on the streets because of their unstable mental state and there was no place for them to go.

There were those who I was told were addicted to drugs/alcohol.

I saw a couple of people who received their hotdogs and, after eating and using the condiments, threw the trash on the ground.  I will admit.... I had a hard time with that.


As I left that day, I got in my own car and went to my own home. 

My warm home. 

My mind was quite puzzled for a few days after the visit.  I wasn't sure WHAT the Lord was showing me because I didn't feel that I had the overwhelming experience that others had shared on being thankful for what they had.

I even talked about it with a friend at school.  Was it that the Lord knew I was big into thankfulness already so that wasn't what I was called there for?

Throughout that week I kept reading different things in my devotions that led me to understand a little more about what God wanted me to learn.  Here is another verse He gave me:

Matthew 7:1-3

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Hmmm.... are you following me?  Are you seeing what the Lord is teaching me?

It is not my place to judge these people as to why they do or don't do something.  It is my place to help them and show the love of Jesus to them whether I see any fruit from it or not.

I have since learned that some of those people we saw on the first visit actually had jobs... they just didn't have the money to have a place to stay.  They were trying, but life was tough.

This past week we went back with our friends to help the homeless.  We went to a different part of downtown this time and saw different people. 

As they walked up to us getting coffee, snacks, packaged meats, etc... I began to look past the outward appearance and see what was behind them.

What did I see?

I saw people.... JUST. LIKE. ME.

One guy, who had been in the armed services, was now living on the streets and trying to get off of drugs/alcohol.  His image has stayed with me all week.  I have prayed for that man.

If we are honest with ourselves, we are no different from that man.  We all have our own addictions.

Sure, they may not be drugs and alcohol, but there is always something that Satan uses to draw us away from what is right.... to draw us away from the Lord.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about my experiences, yet I am still chewing on them.  I feel that God is saying.... "Stop saying you are a Christian and only deal with the "safe" people.  What good is it if you walk around telling people to trust in Christ yet you never get out there to help provide the physical aspects of what people need as well.  In providing the physical aspect, you will have the opportunity to be a light for ME in a dark world."

We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus... showing His love to ALL. 

Jesus spent most of His time with the "rejects" of the world.  I know the Lord is showing me more of how to show His compassion to others that are out of my comfort zone.  

I am excited for what the Lord is helping me see.  I know I can pray for those people at any time, but I want to have the courage to share the love of Christ with them and help them to see that with Him they can spiritually never hunger or thirst again.

02/02/13

I have recently been teaching my children about Moses and the Israelites.

Let me just say... I LOVE and am so thankful for how the Lord points out things for MY life while I am teaching the kids.  Maybe something the Lord showed me will help you, too.

I have, but at the same time not, thought of how Moses was being prepared for the huge job of leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  Then, as I was teaching it, I began to see how God had to deal with the same doubts with Moses when he was by the burning bush as the Lord had to deal with the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness.

I was teaching about how God tests us in our lives, just as Moses was tested, because He knows the bigger picture and can see what the testing does for us.  He can see how our testing will cause us to be able to use that for His glory.

I had one of my students thoughtfully ask, "Well, if God already knows what the testing will do, why DOES he test us?"

I knew how to respond in an adult way, but to help the children understand it on a more simple and tangible level for their age, I didn't have the words to say.  I began looking in my Bible for Scripture to share with him and the rest of the class, but I couldn't find what I was looking for because I was used to finding it in my Bible at home.

I don't think it was that reason at all, actually...

I think the Lord chose not to reveal the Scripture to me because He had a better visual in mind.

I told the little guy who asked the question that I would continue searching and would help him understand it as the day went on because I knew I had to get to teaching the other curriculum.

Well, wouldn't you know it... a few minutes later, right in the middle of something as ordinary as Phonics and Language, God revealed to me how He wanted me to explain testings in our lives.

We began talking about diamonds. Something I was teaching led perfectly into talking about diamonds and it flowed as if I had planned it long ago.

To this moment, I have no idea how it began.  I even had one of my students ask me a bit later in the day how we got started on diamonds and I had no answer.  I just said that it was because God wanted me to share it.

I began sharing with my students how we are all like a diamond in the rough.  I went to the computer and I showed them what a diamond looks like after it has been mined.  It is not the most beautiful thing.  In fact, it looks like a regular old rock.

It takes the skillful hands of a master to cut the rough edges and old blemishes away so that the diamond can reflect light from different angles.

I showed them pictures of a diamond after it had been cut and got the "oohs" and "aahs" from the kids.  They loved how it shined and sparkled.

I still knew I needed to give them further understanding... a more hands-on visual even though I knew they couldn't actually handle a real diamond at that time.

I began searching on YouTube for a video showing about diamonds and how they are cut.  I loved this video and the kids did, too.  They were very interested in the whole process.  I thought I'd share so that you could learn a bit, too.

What I found here was truly a beautiful picture of what the Lord does for us as He cuts away our own ugliness to reveal His glory beneath. 

We are hard.... just like the diamond.  Sometimes it takes a lot of testings to get us to change. 

Those testings are like the cuts of facets on the diamonds.

The diamond cannot change on its own... the cutting is hard but is done in such precision to gain the most beautiful reflections from the light. 

That is what God does for us.  Our times of trials are hard.  They are not pleasant and seem to take a long time.  However, what we become because of the cutting away of our old selves reveals a far more beautiful reflection of Who Christ in our lives.

Just as Moses had to be cut away so he could be used by God to lead the Israelites, so are we as we face testings that will allow us to be so much more beautiful.  God sees that... and that is why He chooses to test us even when He knows the ending.  He knows it takes those testings to bring forth His glory.  He knows that when we are shining for Him, we can be used by Him to help others in the same way.