Thank You "God the Father"

I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.
(John 4:25 NIV84)


As I begin this day I just want to say, how blessed I am to serve a mighty God. I see His amazing grace in everything from the beautiful sounds birds make in the early morning to the warmth I feel when I hug a loved one. Life will not always be easy but there is hope in God's word. James reminds us to "Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up". Today I lift up praises to the "Father" above for sending His only son to save an undeserving nobody like me. God's unfailing love has rescued me from moments of desperation, healed me when I have been sick, forgave me when I least deserved it and stood by my side when I neglected to seek His help more times than I can even imagine. And He still lights my way and offers protection from this world and all it's troubles.

Each day that passes, God is being pushed aside. When did we convince ourselves that man is bigger than the One who breathed life in us? Every where I turn the very foundation that God created is being broken down little by little: leaving little room for faith and worship. The religions of this world aren't going to save us from ourselves but salvation can. The fight to keep God out of our schools has now turned into the fight to change what defines marriage. It is undoubtably another attempt to change God's plan for us. How can anyone think that the plan we want for our lives could ever trump the plan God has? In Jeremiah, God says He knew us before we were formed in our mother's womb. In Psalm 139, He knows when we sit down and when we rise up. In Matthew 10, God reminds us that He has counted every hair on our head. You and I are not identified by a number. We are known by our willing hearts to repent of our sins AND faith in God as the creator of all things AND that Jesus IS the Messiah! We are known by our willingness to take a stand against those who are trying to change what God created. I don't mean go beat up anyone who doesn't agree with you; but instead pray and continue to seek God in all areas of your life without losing faith. Most of all, do not conform to this world.

This morning I read an article involving more possible changes in the translation of bibles for other parts of the world; as if the non gender specific bibles were not enough to confuse people. I understand that we must try to teach people about Jesus in a way that those in other countries can understand; but not when it eliminates the very name of God in the process. There seems to be some difficulty in translating "God the Father" and "Son of God" in a way that would not be offensive to the Muslim community. So Wycliffe translators might possibly do away with the words that identify our creator. I don't know about you but "God the Father" is the rock of my salvation and the "Son of God" gave His life to save me and give me eternal life in heaven. My bible says very clearly in Revelation, "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

I may never need to buy another bible (I like mine just fine) because I will never be willing to read from a bible that has been changed to avoid offending someone. If you are offended by what you are reading then maybe, just maybe you need to change. We have ALL fallen short of the glory of God, therefore we ALL must change in order to have our name written in "God the Father's" Book of Life. Enough said!

So I thank my "God the Father" for loving a sinner like me. I thank Him for always seeing me through the good times as well as the hard times. I thank Him for allowing me the chance to live such an amazing life. Joshua reminds me that God is with me wherever I go. What a comfort this morning that God is closer than a friend and at any time I can call on Him to direct my steps. God the Father and Jesus, Son of God will always be my #1.

The last verse of Revelation seems so relevant.

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon'.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen"

Request Fatigue

The title to this entry is not my idea. I read about it in an article that touched the deepest part of my soul. It is my symptom, my problem, my struggle, my stronghold. Before I even begin, I want to ask for forgiveness for those who read this because it is not my intent to hurt anyone. It is with the deepest love that I assure you that I intend to seek God's direction for my own struggles. This blog was created to give all the glory to God. My words are nothing without God leading the way. It is not one specific place or area that I am struggling with “request fatigue” but because I try to walk daily with God, I guess that is why I was so moved by this article. While the article references church, I feel that it works for any situation such as the workplace, family situations, friendships, etc.

It is my belief that people can expect too much. The expectation of one may not be the same expectation for another. This is another assuring statement that I am only speaking for myself. When people ask me to do too many things, I seek shelter in the most ridiculous places. I cry out to people that cannot fix things. Instead I should seek shelter in God's promises and cry only to Him. He can sustain me through the difficulties of life and renew my strength to face the next stronghold. God never expected me to say yes to everything. Loving God and keeping Him #1 in my life is my ultimate goal and I will faithfully follow Him all the days of my life. Those quick to judge or assume my intentions just have not taken the time to truly get to know who I am. Just maybe you can see things through my eyes long enough to understand me.

What I am facing...
Can you hear it? The sound of the circus act where the clown is trying to juggle the bowling pins. Now visualize the clown trying to juggle a pin for each of the areas of your life that seem to consume you...work, husband, kids, church, family, house cleaning, appointments, commitments, baseball, friends, bills. If you are like me, the pins are endless. All of a sudden, the clown becomes overwhelmed; gives up and the pins come crashing to the ground. The music stops. The crowd is in shock and silence fills the air. The clown does not know what to do...so he quickly tries to "save face" and grabs a few pins off the ground attempting once again to juggle. He realizes that he is unable to show his true talent. So he quits and walks off the stage discouraged and ashamed.

A little background may be useful here...I do not like clowns. No, that is way too nice...I HATE CLOWNS! They give me nightmares. I do not like them for many reasons but mostly because I do not like anything in disguise. I want to see the real you, without the costume or the make-up. I'm pretty good at reading people so I do not want to be misled by the outward appearances that clowns can paint on their faces.

Lately, I feel like a clown. I have been living the past few months with a smile painted on my face. With each passing day, I have to cake more make-up on to hide what I really look like. Discouraged, distracted, defeated, and searching for answers on how to turn things around. I know that God has all the answers, so I seek His unfailing direction to help me.

Those who know me, probably wish I was not so bold to tell it like it is but I am who I am. I respect it when people are honest and upfront with me. No matter how hard it may be for me to hear it; the value in being brutally honest with me is very important. I know how difficult this may be sometimes because while I want others to be brutally honest with me, I struggle to be that way with my closest friends and family members. I make excuses, sometimes I bend the truth so I do not hurt your feelings, and sometimes I just go along with you to make you feel okay. Yet inside my soul, I am saying to myself, “My words determine my character. Words have power, and what I say can impact others in a profound way”. Unfortunately, I was not given the gift of words.  I say things and in my heart I mean it to be kind but I come across like a jerk. One of my biggest obstacles in life has been to speak the truth in love and make sure my words line up with the Word of God. I'm still a work in progress.

The problem...
We all have a set amount of time to get things done. When we are asked to do something new, we typically feel pressed. So we say yes and we become busier. For a while, things may seem fine. We try to adjust to the changes while trying to hide the struggles that we might be facing, but eventually God reveals the truth for us and then we must face the reality that we are one step away from falling to pieces! The cause of this tension for me is usually my struggle to be honest with loved ones and the solution depends on whether I manage to do what is right for myself rather than what is right for everyone else.

What should not change is our heart’s commitment to God and our family. God empowers us in both, works through us in both, and He sanctifies us through both. If we do not believe this, then we are wasting our time. We should always be seeking God's direction when deciding how to balance everything. God doesn’t expect us to do so much that we leave little time to rest. So I am faced with some difficult choices. Paul said, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

If you are like me, you feel alive when someone seeks your help. It is the affirmation that I sometimes need to feel worthy, trusted, and loved. To do for others not only expresses my love; but it also gives me comfort.  If I do something for another, it is my way of saying, "I love you and I am so glad I can help you." It is just that simple...or is it?

I love the feeling that someone trusts me enough to ask for my help but you can ask too much of people which brings me back to the article that I read today called, Request Fatigue. I think it addresses my issue. For what it is worth, I felt the need to discuss it. It offers hope for me as I try to move forward seeking God and continuing to do the many daunting tasks that I have committed to doing at work, church, with my family and friends and the other areas of my life. What touched me so deeply about this article was that it involves getting people to get involved by asking them to do less. I strongly support the views presented and think that it could make for a very promising approach to situations where change is needed. Here is the link to the article for those that might want to read it, http://danreiland.com/church/are-you-asking-for-too-much/.  As I was reading, I felt like I was moving down my own personal checklist of things I feel obligated to do rather than feeling honored to serve God in all opportunity that I  may be given.

So what did I learn today? Interestingly enough I learned that I should not be doing things unless it is for God. I should be honoring the One who matters. A wise woman once said, “When we serve our friends or family, our church or our community, we serve because He showed us how to serve first.  He notices.  He sees.  He smiles at our efforts, but more than that He delights in our heart attitudes as we give it all to Him.” I have also learned that if I’m not serving in an area with joy, it is possible God never intended me to be serving in that way. Sometimes I can accept a task that was never intended to be for me. He may not have chosen me to do it at all. In other words, not every "good" thing is necessarily a "God" thing. He may have meant that task for someone else. So I am focusing on my daily expectations and the expectations others have for me to see what I may need to change. It may be time to give up a few responsibilities or commitments. I am going to continue to pray for God’s wisdom and truth to be revealed remembering Paul’s advice to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.

I love my life, my job, my friends and family, my church and my God. While I have some apparent issues that I must seek God for answers, I am so blessed and thankful for even the toughest of times. I can hear some of my closest friends now, "Are you talking about me?" My answer is no, I am talking about myself. I'm just trying to use my blog to give others the strength they may need to face the uncertainties of life in a way that is pleasing to God.

God is Perfect!

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart." Matthew 13:1

This morning during the church service, I had a written conversation with Hunter on God's ability to create a perfect world. I know that as a teenager, things must sometimes seem unbalanced and confusing. What he learns in school just does not align with what God's word says. In a world where commercials, TV shows, music lyrics, video games, billboard signs and business logos promote ungodly living, it must be tough to be a teenager today. So I welcome such conversations, even if they are right in the middle of the service. Pastor Jerry, I heard every word you said today! :)

Hunter: Do you believe that God is perfect?

Me: Yes, or he wouldn't have been able to create such beautiful and smart children like mine! :)

Hunter: In order to be perfect, you must create perfect things, speak perfect things; do perfect things that are all good. To be perfect you can’t create evil. If God knows the future, then why didn’t he stop Satan?

Me: God created a perfect world. He gave His angels charge over us to protect us but Satan (who used to be one of God's most powerful angels) convinced other angels to challenge God. Satan and his prideful ways made the choice to rebel against God in order to seek to become his own god. Satan did not want to worship or obey God; he wanted to be God. God allows Satan to tempt you because when He created you, He gave you free will to follow Him as well. Satan is the god of the world; but even God has dominion over the world. In the end, we already know what will happen to Satan, he will be destroyed. Those who remain faithful and believe even when they do not understand...will spend eternity with God in heaven.

(At this point, I realize I am getting a bit too deep for a 17 year old that just wants a black and white answer but my mind starts to race as I think back to Genesis and the temptation that resulted in the fall of man. God didn’t create evil. Nothing but good comes from God. Evil comes from Satan. In the beginning God did create a perfect world. Satan was a beautiful angel, one of God's most powerful angel. He was not created in the image of God like you and I; but instead as a spiritual being that would be given very special responsibilities. He was the "seal of perfection, full of wisdom and beauty" according to Ezekiel 28:11. God created Satan who was known as Lucifer which means "Morning Star" . Lucifer's pride caused him to rebel against God. Since God is the most powerful, most high, most magnificent and the ONLY creator of all creation...God threw him out of heaven and down to earth, with the other less powerful angels that rebelled with him. The bible says one third of the angels were cast away by God.)

Hunter: If God is perfect, he would create perfect angels, the world be perfect, and we would not need "protection" because evil would not exist. God wouldn't have or couldn't have created Satan and evil if He is perfect. Doesn't it contradict everything by saying God is perfect? Why would he allow death, disease, murder, suicide, cancer...He can’t create evil if He is perfect. I don't get it!

Me: God is THE creator of heaven and earth. You will never know or understand His ways. He is the one that aligned the sun and moon. So why would you think that He would give you all the answers? You are not meant to understand everything. Some things are hard to understand and that is when faith must take over. I can’t see the wind but I sure can feel it. I can't see God's face like I can see yours; but I can see Him in everything good and beautiful (I got this from a conversation with a friend on Friday. Thanks Aimee). Like Zaxby's special sauce...you will never know all the special ingredients it took to master the great taste. It would jeopardize the invention itself. :) Romans would be a great place to start reading if you need help understanding this.

(Hunter looks up at me and shakes his head; but he smiles).

(At this point, I have to get up to sing with the Praise team and when church is over, this is the next part that Hunter has written down for me to read).

Hunter: The bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Iraq, Iran, N. Korea, China, Cuba, Russia, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Hitler, Osama, Saddam, other enemies, other religions that seek to destroy Christians, Satan, murderers, rapists, gangs....all evil.

"For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Wasn’t this written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution? Why would this happen if God says no one could be against us? Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms...persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. I thought if you believe in God and He is for you…no one can be against me?

(END)

I take a deep breath…and my heart sinks. I have missed the opportunity to finish this conversation. Rarely does he want to have a real conversation, especially about God and I’m left with a lot to say. It isn’t the typical conversation that I have with Hunter. I’m lucky if I can get Hunter to sit with me for 5 seconds. He is 17 for goodness sake.  I head to Sunday School confused, concerned, and a bit scared to let this go. 

Afraid to let out that deep breath, I silently pray… “So now God, what do I do?" As if God was standing directly in front of me, I hear Him say, "WAIT!" For some unusual reason, waiting is all I felt comfortable doing. Since this morning, I've read the last part of our conversation a million times, thought of a million things that I want to say. I have to continue to remind myself to wait. It isn't easy; but it is necessary.

When we got home, I asked if he wanted to talk about it. I get the typical 17 year old answer, “Nah, let’s talk about it later. I’m going to Rebecca’s house for a while.” Again, I ask God for direction and I know that when the time is right, when it is God’s perfect timing, maybe I will have the chance to finish our conversation. I continue to wait...

The lesson here may not be for Hunter to have all the answers, but rather for me to recognize when to “be still” and wait for God's quiet voice to direct my path. In the meantime, I am confident in knowing that my God is in total control. He knows what is going on in Hunter’s mind. He is the only one that can give him the wisdom and discernment to know God is perfect and Satan is evil. Satan is on a tight leash; controlled by God. Satan is given limited and short term authority by his creator (GOD) to tempt us and lead us astray. BUT that is not the end. God will never leave us...even if we choose to turn away from him. God is ALWAYS there to forgive and accept us just as we are. We have no idea what God has already done to save us from Satan’s constant plan to destroy us. After all, He is perfect and His ways are not for us to understand. If we did, then we would be in the same sinking boat as Satan...trying to be God. Why would we need a creator? In spite of Satan’s destruction, our willingness to love and serve the one and only God shows God our faithfulness. His mercy, grace, patience, forgiveness, wisdom and love will always be there for those who believe. In the end, Genesis 3:15 will be the ultimate punishment for Satan...“it shalt bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”. Translation…Satan may have the power to tempt us; but we also have the power to withstand Satan's temptations. 

Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect”. An article from (www.gotquestions.org) said it best, "If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and whatever He allows—is also perfect. So the perfect plan from our perfect God was to allow sin."