Sometimes It's Easier to Pretend It Doesn't Hurt

If my bedroom or closet is messy (and they usually are) I have a bad habit of walking through with tunnel vision pretending like I don't see it. Life is messy, too. Marriage and church and family and death and teenagers are messy. Sometimes it's easier to avoid the messes.

If I run into writer's block or only get 300 words in a day, I have a bad habit of closing my eyes and putting down my paper (or keyboard) out of frustration or disappointment. Sometimes it's easier to not push through and deal with the hard things.

If someone hurts me I have a bad habit of closing off, putting up a wall, and neglecting the relationship completely. Sometimes it's easier to pretend it doesn't hurt.

But sometimes, we must deal with the messes.

Sometimes, life is hard and we have to push through.

And sometimes we hurt.

God takes our messes (not my messy closet) and makes something beautiful. ...to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).

He takes the hard things...His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:30)...and His grace is sufficient for me, for His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 11:9).

And He cares about my hurts. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

The God Who created me...knows me and loves me.

The God Who created YOU...knows YOU and loves YOU.

Trust Him.

Even when it's messy.

Even when it's hard.

Even when it hurts.

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Linking with Emily for imperfect prose on thursdays.

On Your Way to Your Greatest Place of Victory

Not too long ago I updated my fb status with these words:

Today I am thankful for bumps in the road...because when I hit one the rear a/c comes on in my Tahoe. So don't be discouraged if you encounter a bump in the road...something really cool may be about to happen.

I was, of course, being silly and serious at the same time.

It is true that my rear AC has some sort of short in it and comes on when we hit a bump. For those bumps, we are thankful.

But there are also times we encounter bumps (delays, setbacks, etc) on our spiritual journey to wherever it is we feel God has called us or whatever task He has asked us to complete.

It's during these times we learn to trust Him more. It is also during these times that we find out what we really believe and how our beliefs hold up under pressure or temporary disappointment.

For these bumps, I am also thankful.

I read a devotional last week in the DayStar Newsletter by Alan Bullock that echoes these sentiments. I hope these quotes encourage you as they did me:

"There are times when we have to garner great courage and push forward toward our destiny with determination, move past our setbacks by faith, and pray through our difficulties just like those in the Bible to reach our heavenly destination and receive the answers to our prayers."

"Before Joseph reached his place of leadership under Pharaoh, which enabled him to save his family from starvation and extinction, he learned the principle that 'We often experience detours on the road to our dream-release and sphere of influence before the final arrival at our place of greatest victory.'"

"After the rooster crowed three times, Peter had to learn the principle that, 'He could not allow his fears and failure to distract him from his call can purpose.' Remember, our destiny is often determined by our daily choices and decisions that we make to persevere...Peter had to push past his failure...and move beyond his soiled reputation. When he did, he became the man God used to reach the Gentiles and shape the spiritual landscape of Israel and the church."

Wherever you are on your journey, know that God is working in you and through you for greater purposes. Rejoice and give thanks in all things, knowing that growth and change are essential to maturing in Christ.

You are on your way to your dream-release and your place of greatest victory.

And if you hit a bump, remember, a cool, refreshing breeze may be on its way. :)

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Linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven

(More Than) 5 Minute Friday, in real life, & an On-Line (un)Conference

(Please continue praying for Texas and all those affected by the wildfires and working to put them out. Send Your rain, God.)

I popped over to The Gypsy Mama for the normal 5 Minute Friday post and was surprised to discover this. It sounds really amazing and I can stay in my pajamas…bonus! Maybe you can come, too? I'm thinking...pajama party?

In keeping with their theme, in real life, I decided to share a few of the first thoughts that come to mind (this could be dangerous…). You can read more of the same here., and link up, if you'd like.

The phrase in real life implies that maybe some things in life… aren’t…real? This got me t’ thinkin’ (sorry, sometimes the Texas in me sneaks out)…and to brainstorming (like writers sometimes do). Here’s what I came up with:

In fake life?, get real, for real, uncover, lies, cover-up, pretend, in plain sight, taking off the mask, not always perfect, too good to be true, put on a happy face, behind closed doors, hiding, fear of, out in the open, the real me, the real you, what you see is what you get, closed, open up, share

Boy, did that open up a can of worms.

Aren’t we all in this real life together? Why the temptation to hide behind masks of perfection or cover up hurts or put up walls or be someone we’re not?

In this life…this real life…there are hurts. There is happy and sad. There is beautiful and there is ugly. There is abuse, failure, success, lies, mistakes, regrets, victories, anger, sin, love, hate, tempers lost, divorce, jealousy, expectations, affairs, rebellion, cliques, impure motives, joy, disappointments, accomplishments, and on and on and on.

You get the idea.

Let’s talk about the real. Let’s be real. And let’s help each other.

It’s all good (except when it’s not).

And that reminds me of one of my favorite books, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, by Dr. Seuss.

“Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest…Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you…”

But do we stop or give up because real life happens? No.

“…on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.”

I hope you know as I write these words on my blog, God is speaking to me, healing me, correcting me, exposing me, re-directing me… loving me. I invite you to come along and pray that you find some of the same through what you read. Sometimes my arms get sore and my sneakers leak, but God never changes. I am happy to be sharing my journey with all of you.

Isn’t that part of our job description anyway?

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (I Thes. 5:11).

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Heb. 10:23-25).

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:8-10).

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col. 3:16).

Happy Friday, friends! :)

Do You Ever Forget?

Do you ever forget?

Forget to put the clothes in the dryer?

Forget that you were supposed to call _________  right back?

Forget that you were boiling something on the stove?

Forget what exactly it was that you were supposed to remember? :)

Do you ever forget what God has spoken to you?

I was reading through some of my earlier posts from this year (from our book study by Paula Rinehart) and couldn't believe how some of them were directly related to my latest posts! 

Totally spoke to my heart...  AGAIN.

We should remind ourselves not only what God has done for us, but also what He has spoken to us.  Make sure you're keeping a journal of some sort so that you can go back and re-read His words to you.

So if these two of my latest posts (Don't Get Dis-Appointed and Misplaced Hope) spoke to your heart, I think these may as well..........

Losing Heart

Pain: The Crossroads of the Heart

It's good to review....and be reminded.  God's Word is alive and continues to speak if we (I) will only listen!

I think I may be doing some reviewing and reminding of my own this weekend! 

But for now.....Got my Netflix in the mail....I'm watching a movie tonight!  Woohooo! :)

Have a blessed weekend, my friends!!

xoxo

Shelly

Don't Get "Dis-Appointed!"

The past couple of days have proved to be a little.....well.....out of the ordinary for me.  I am, by nature, a very positive upbeat person.  But, I let my guard down.  Ever done that?


And I THINK I just used this scripture in my last post....

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
~Proverbs 4:23.

How quickly I got my eyes off of God's promises and onto my circumstances.  And I moped around all day, unmotivated and unproductive.  REALLY, I know better.

 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
 ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Luckily, for me, it didn't last long.


My mom gave me an article to read yesterday, so as I was sitting in the pick-up line at Logan's school, I opened it up.  And, as usual, God began to speak to me and show me the error of my ways. 


I'm so thankful He loves me (and you!) enough to do that.


Apparently, I had allowed unfulfilled expectations and our temporarily less than perfect circumstances to cause disappointment - which I then allowed to come in and set up camp for a bit.

Not good.


The article said..."Disappointment is not just a sad, emotional state of mind; deep disappointment can actually sever our hearts from faith.  It is the enemy's work.  Demonically manipulated disappointment can actually "dis-appoint" a person from God's destiny for their lives" (Francis Frangipane).

It's naive to think that we will never get disappointed.  That is, unfortunately, a part of life that we can't escape.  It's in those times that we have to grab hold of our faith like never before, keeping discouragement, unforgiveness, and/or bitterness from taking up residence!  It's also in those times that God can do a work in us beyond our comprehension - a work sure to benefit and increase our preparedness for a future season.

Anything and everything that tries to bring us down or halt our forward movement is such a lesser thing when compared to the King of Kings!  We just need the right perspective. And we have to stay alert and aware.


I began to wonder....if this happened to me so quickly, how many other people who are going through trying times are stuck in this place?  How many people have sunk even further and allowed deep disappointment to come in and sever their hearts from their faith?


Are you there? 


Has disappointment found its way into a secret chamber of your heart, robbing you and keeping you from God's plans and purposes for your life? 


Maybe you just got there. 


Maybe you've been there for a while.

Or maybe you didn't even know you were there.


F.F. also said that disappointment cuts us off from our vision, and without vision a people perish.

Have you lost your vision?  Is it hard for you to remember the dreams and promises that God once gave you?


Don't accept the power of disappointment in your life. Recognize it when it comes, and tell it to hit the road, Jack!!

Remind yourself how good God is! 

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable! Ps. 145:3

Decide TODAY, right now, to renounce disappointment. Forgive, repent, or do whatever you need to do to return to your Redeemer! Be set free and move forward into your destiny!

Don't allow disappointment to "dis-appoint" you!!


God has great plans!!

xoxo

Shelly

Chapter One: Awakening

Wow.

Seriously.

This book, so far, has tugged at my heart, probed and uncovered places that I either didn't know were there or would have rather kept hidden, denying their very existence.

I'm a little nervous.

The last 3-4 years of my life have been about discovery.  Discovering who I am apart from positions, titles, roles, expectations, etc.  Discovering the nature and character of God from God Himself, free from man's opinions.  Discovering what it means to be a follower of Christ, saved., reborn, set free, a daughter of the King.  Discovering His voice, His call.  Discovering His grace.  Discovering. 

And still, I continue on this journey.  A journey whose final destination is not found on this earth, but one that I do not have to walk alone.  A journey which leads me down hi-ways and dirt roads - some bumpier than others, brings me to crossroads and  intersections, exits and entrance ramps.....all leading me closer to Him, each place containing the possibility of finding something new or reclaiming that which was lost. 

Through this study, I am expecting God to awaken that which is sleeping or laying dormant on the inside of me, reveal and heal those things that may be keeping me from discovering all that He is, and bring me to a place of intimacy like one I have never known. 

I just watched the discussion video posted by Angie and Jessica here.  Please go and watch it, it will add a personal touch to your study and offer a different perspective to what you've read.  It also may challenge you to think deeper.  In addition, they have discussion questions here.

Some things that stood out to me personally:

"It's strange the way we meander through life, thinking we are moving forward, only to discover we have left our hearts behind" (pg 2).  (Are you just going through the motions, performing duties, just showing up?)

"The very struggles we would just as soon skip past become the ticket to gaining what we lack, as though God knew just the grist we needed to become what He had in mind" (pg. 2).   (Relationships are risky....not everyone is going to love us back, and most everyone will at some time disappoint.)

"Each of us wants to become.....a woman in touch with God and alive to all the possibilities that walking with Him can bring. It's just that sometimes we get mired in the very clay He dug us out of, tangled in the weeds of our own wanderings" (pg. 3).  (Life happens.  And it's easy to get our eyes off of Him, onto other things, only to find ourselves back in the place where we first started.)

"I find the temptation to shut down on the inside and settle for the crumbs under the table is one that every woman faces" (pg. 3).  (There is a whole sermon in this one statement!)

Each of these quotes either directly or indirectly relates to being hurt, wounded, disappointed, used, let down, etc.  With hurt after hurt piled on top of each other, never receiving healing, we become numb and our hearts become calloused, making it difficult or sometimes even impossible to experience the joy found in relationships with one another and with God.  We begin to consider the invitation to shut down.

Paula states that we can "build a monument to our woundedness, .....shape an identity around the things we've suffered."

When we do this, we cannot truly experience all that God has for us.  We become stuck in time, unable to grow or move forward, unable to hear, for it is....."with our hearts that we listen to Him" (pg. 16).

What have you given up or forgotten in order to eliminate or lessen the risk of experiencing pain or loss?

Are there certain areas in your life where you've built walls to keep others out?

Are you living a smaller version of the life that God created you for?

A relationship with Him is more than following a set of rules, making sure you do everything right, winning the talent show or out-perform everyone else.  I camped out there for a while. It's a lonely, empty place.

God desires intimacy.


He is pursuing us.

He has set His affection on us.

We must awaken our hearts.    

"We must have our hearts intact in order to make the journey of life well.  We must have access to the inside stuff - the longings and desires and dreams and vulnerabilities that make us who we are.  God placed those in us" (pg. 6).

Vulnerability can be scary.  Let us find our courage in knowing that He desires to walk with us through every circumstance, every hard place, every happy place and every place in between.  Ask Him to show you the places that you've closed off, refused entry or hidden.  Trust Him with the places that may still be tender and allow Him to mend your brokenness.  Allow Him to awaken your heart, stirring the dreams, desires and gifts that He has placed on the inside of you.  And embrace the journey that is set before you.

I could go on and on with this chapter alone, but I'll stop here!  

See you Tuesday night to discuss Chapter 2!

XO