Category Archives: Faith

Faith is what spurs us to reach higher, stretch further, dig deeper, and press our natural boundaries in hopes that we can exceed all expectations.

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The Score Has Been Settled

Bad things happen to good people. That’s all there is to it. I don’t know why God allows the enemy to do some of the horrific things he does. It could be to stretch or increase our faith, love, or call us back to Him… the possibilities are endless. We have to remember that faith will always require us to accept unanswered questions, and we must come to the place where we’re satisfied to know the One who knows and place our trust in Him.

James 1:17. Everything good comes from God. God is good, and He cannot be anything else. Furthermore, He isn’t one way one time and another way another time. He doesn’t change. He is good, and that’s the way He is.

When we experience terrible tragedy, being angry with God is quite common. People frequently ask, “If God is good, all-powerful, and full of love for us, why didn’t He stop the thing that caused the pain?” And honestly, this is where Satan seeks to build a wall between God and the hurting person. The devil seizes the opportunity to say, “God isn’t good, and He can’t be trusted.” However, we know according to the Word of God, the truth is not in Satan, he is a liar and deceiver.

If someone has hurt you, don’t spend the next ten years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, the other person isn’t even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person, you. When we walk in unforgiveness, we’re essentially “keeping score,” viewing ourselves as better than the other person. There’s a place it all goes in our minds and hearts that eats away at our love. Every new thing they do ‘wrong’ gets added to this list, and grows until it becomes a bitter giant consuming the heart.

When we walk in God’s love, we find freedom by keeping “no account” of wrongs done to us. If you’re hurting from the pain, ask Jesus to help heal you and let go of the bitterness, knowing God has already settled the score with Satan. If you claim Him as your Almighty God, you can claim the victory that’s found in Jesus over the sin that plagues this world we live in.

God, I don’t want to keep score anymore and let my unforgiveness hurt me. I release it to You and claim your healing over this burdened heart. I ask You to help me walk in Your love, which keeps “no account of the evil done to it.” God, I may not always understand why bad things happen, but I know that You are good. When I don’t understand why, I will find my comfort in You.

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Encouragement For The Ordinary

A few years ago, I moved into a one-bedroom apartment with my sister. While shopping for home accessories/necessities, we stumbled upon an aisle of white boards and my sister jokingly said ‘we should have a chore chart!’ In all seriousness, I thought the idea could alleviate arguments over cleaning responsibilities. So we picked one up.

chore chartWhen we got home and unwrapped the new chart, we found magnets to ‘star’ the chores completed, plus magnets to reward each other for doing a job well done. As silly as that may sound for two adult women, we created incentives like movies, manicures and massages. There was a rule though; one could not ‘star off’ their own chores or pat themselves on the back with ‘great job’ magnets and rewards… only the other person could cross off a chore on the chart when the job was noticed. And here’s what happened: Our little apartment was filled with so much encouragement, love and joy in just doing the ordinary. The simplest of tasks, like washing dishes, would not only get a star for completing the task, but also a ‘job well done’ reward! We both would rush home to see if the other noticed a chore and handed out a reward… ha ha, yes, I’m in my 30’s 😉 The encouragement only grew from there, as we would write messages every morning/night on the bathroom mirror to express our love and joy for each other.

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I learned a very important lesson during this time in my life, that the ordinary counts when it comes to encouragement! So often we save uplifting words/acts for the things we deem ‘big and out-of-the-ordinary’ but what if we changed our view on the ordinary and saw them less as requirements and more like rewards? I think we’d experience just what my sister and I shared; an explosion of excitement and encouragement exuding from our hearts toward each other where we just couldn’t wait to lift one another up.

I will confess that I’m not very good at encouraging others. It’s been a struggle from the way I was raised and transcended into failed relationships. But realizing this key truth; whether your gift is encouraging others or not, we are all called to encourage. If you’re not great at encouraging, maybe this starts with recognizing all the ways God encourages us. By absorbing His encouragement we receive daily from the word and Spirit that lives inside our hearts, we may be filled with even more to give others. We all come from an encouraging Father and, created in His image, we should strive to be more encouraging to one another, even for the ordinary things.

Romans 15:2-6 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

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Break Off From The Burdens

I just started a new job and no sooner had my foot touched down in the office, I was piling on a to-do list and creating demands in my schedule. No one was asking for it; it was a voluntary reaction. Only by the grace of God, He revealed a truth to me before I repeated a mistake I’ve made in so many positions prior.

I think we can get comfortable with bearing burdens after awhile and even learn to like it. We carry a heavy weight of demands on our shoulders for so long that when it’s lifted, we get the sense that something is missing. There’s this inner dialogue that says ‘if I’m not weary, I must not be working hard or doing enough’. The ‘lightness’ in our labor or load makes us feel more like we’re lost. Our tendency then is to create or take on burdens so that we feel comfortable again with the choking weightiness of a yoke that infringes on this freedom.

The devil shouts with accusations, fabricating fear by calling freedom a ‘sluggard’ or ‘lazy’. But God’s word calls it something else: “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10) Throughout scripture, putting on a yoke is used to punish a person and enslave lives, even if we’re doing it to ourselves.

God’s desire is repeated throughout the book “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) He’s a God who gives us rest in our work. God doesn’t desire demands on our life, but a weightlessness, a buoyancy and freedom to enjoy the days He delivers. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Slavery to sin, slavery to undo demands and slavery to any other God, even the ‘God of work’.

At one time I associated ‘demands and creating work’ with ‘success, growth and getting ahead’ but now I see it was only keeping me from experiencing a fuller freedom and joy in Christ. What a lovely concept when my heart is light, there’s room for relationships. When my life is free, I have margin and peace to embrace the big and small ‘interruptions’. So while I may not be seeking out more pressure in my day, truth is, my heart is free enough to perform better with what God gives me.

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Finding Love In The Loneliness

A few months ago I moved into a neighborhood, alone, nowhere near my existing friendships and as you can imagine I started to experience a loneliness in my heart. Several friends suggested online dating, while others offered countless opportunities to volunteer. I grimaced at the thought that God would be glorified in an attempt to fill my brokenness where God longs to make me whole.

Deep down, feeling ‘alone’ is uncomfortable. We desire relationships because that is what God created us for. However, I believe there is an even deeper connection we find in God that relieves our longing, it quenches the soul. Oftentimes, we try to put people in a position only God can hold. We jump from relationship to relationship or sometimes attempt to drown our lives in many relationships at the same time to avoid the deeper pain of being alone.  And truth be told, we attract what we are, meaning brokenness will attract the broken and then all we’re left with is one broken relationship. 

There’s something sweet God gives us in the quietness of our day and I believe it’s that restoration of fullness that forms the foundation we need to build all those other things on. When I’m still, there’s a refreshment that comes from His presence, a tenderness in His comfort, a peace that calms every longing and a joy that soothes my desires. It’s through these moments that I’ve recognized all else will eventually fade in this life, but God Is… Was… and Will Be always there. When the Rock is my everything, I am comfortable with the ‘uncomfortable’, I have strength in my ‘weakness’, a deeper love in my ‘loneliness’ and I’m confident in ‘just being’ where He has me.

I like this quote, “singleness is a calling, not a status”… even if it’s for just a season in life.

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More Than A Job, It’s About the Journey

There was a time I packed up my car and drove hundreds of miles on a word from God that there was a job awaiting me. There were no openings and over several months God brought many interview opportunities my way. 

Today I have a new job and it’s not in the place God called me to a year ago. But I still believe in what He told me. You see, perhaps it was never about actually getting that job as it was about the journey there. Some serious pursuit, passion and patience went into His call. My faith and hope in following God into the unknown, even when it didn’t look like my version, seemed mostly crazy by friends and family. Maybe all along, it was about increasing my hope, stretching my faith, trusting in God, growing my pursuit in His calling, than it ever was about the final destination. And maybe even the ‘let down’ of never actually getting that job wasn’t really a let down at all. Maybe it was about still having faith to follow God, even if… His leading didn’t look like mine.

And I learned one more thing in that journey. I spent more time anticipating and daydreaming about the future, that I missed out on enjoying the daily adventures getting there. I had a tunnel vision focus on the result and missed opportunities of joy in the ‘here and now’. I think it’s interesting that we so often want to know God’s plan for us, but the truth is, we’d sit in anticipation for ‘tomorrow’ and miss out on today.

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I Will Praise You In The Storm

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There are days when you pray, and then pray even harder for it not to ‘downpour’ in that moment… And no matter how fast you may try to run from it, the storm comes anyway. Sometimes, that’s just the way life is. This was one of those days. So I threw my head back, laughing… and I began to dance under the cool showers. God calms the storm; and other times, He lets the storm rage and calms the soul. Thank you God for even the storms.

“I will praise you in the storm and I will lift my hands, for you are who you are, no matter where I am, and every tear I cry, you hold in your hand, you’ve never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.” Casting Crowns

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A Cloud By Day

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The forecast said it would rain all day. I still packed my running shoes and I prayed it wouldn’t even sprinkle during my walk today. The sky was a darker shade of gray when I stepped out, so I prayed a little harder as I started my journey. Then, all of sudden, the cloud cover seemed to open in one spot, just over my head. And it continued to follow me for 4-miles. And I started to think on God’s presence as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for the Israelites (Exodus 13:21). It reminded me that His presence is always hovering over and around us day in and day out. God protects His children and He is with us where ever we may go.

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The Limit of our Enemy

Sometimes we forget that Satan has his limits. As I read in Job, God offers up Job to be tested, but puts limits on the extent of the enemy’s hand. And I think we forget that not only is the devil limited ‘with’ his deception, but he’s limited ‘in’ his deception.

Have you ever noticed it’s generally the same sins that trip us up each time we stumble? The sin at its root is the same, but it comes with a different name or in a different place. You see, the devil sees what we see. He knows when he’s got a hold in our lives over a particular temptation or issue. He knows that ‘one thing’ that touches our heart the most. And while we run to Jesus in remorse after a great fall, the devil keeps his sleeves rolled up and pursues us again and again in the area we are ‘weakest’.

There are times we may claim victory over an instance we successfully avoided. But we forget, the devil doesn’t stop pursuing us. He lays dormant, watching and waiting for another weak moment, crouching around the corner of ‘opportunity’ and ‘circumstance’. And if we’re not alert or guarding our hearts, we find ourselves buried in a string of excuses for how we got so close to the lion in the first place. Each step seems legitimate in and of itself, but the timing and the culmination of the walk ends up repeating the past. Remember this, there’s nothing new or unique about that deception of the enemy outlined in scripture. He knows our weaknesses and he will attack those deeply rooted sins of our heart for a lifetime. He’ll come from every angle to tear the children of God down. We’ve got to wisen up; own our weaknesses and guard our hearts. We’ve got to recognize that one victory doesn’t win the war.

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All Consuming Fire, A Blaze Of Love

O, what a wonderful God we serve. He seeks to love on us from the rising of the sun to the laying down of our heads and is ever faithful, drawing us continually into His court of peace and joy. Our Lord sees the needs and yearnings in our deepest parts and rejoices in the deliverance He knows and prepares to come. What a gracious Father, what a glorious Savior we have access to every day! I am overwhelmed by His kindness…

Sometimes we can get caught up in a day’s worries and forget that God is longing to bring us some real joy and waits patiently to comfort and restore a worn out soul. This morning as I neared the end of my workout, I started to feel the burden of a to-do list looming. As I called out to God for some direction, the Spirit pressed upon this dear heart with a different plan. I found myself at the door of Cracker Barrel, asking for a table for one. At 10 a.m., the store was packed with Saturday morning couples and families and a line behind me started to form as I waited for the next available seat. A waitress came to the entrance with a ‘follow me’ motion. I eagerly trailed behind expecting we would end up at a small, table-for-two setting in some remote corner or possibly packed in the middle of several larger tables. But that was not God’s plan for me today.

The waitress stopped in front of its massively blazing fireplace at a table for four (or six) and said ‘here you are’. I was stunned. ‘Here? At the head of this restaurant packed with parties clearly bigger than my own, with a magnificent view, at a table fit for a queen… this is where you’re seating me, Lord?’ In that moment, my heart felt the beat of His loving heart and the warmth of His mighty embrace… my heart was humbled and I wanted to fall on my knees right there and proclaim ‘I’m not worthy… I’m not worthy, for a seat at the head table.’ The Spirit consumed my heart and said ‘my daughter, my love, you are worthy and I want you seated with me at the head table… come join me.’

I took my place, facing the fiery blaze that filled up the room with such perfect warmth. I heard the flames roar and crackle as I watched the fire rise and fall and God spoke out ‘My heart is a blaze that roars with such passionate love for you my child. I am the all-consuming fire that burns deep within your soul. I do not fade or grow cold.’

In that moment, I felt chosen… by the King of Kings. And my heart was even more humbled, by the pouring out of His love and affection, that He would even take the time to sit with me, revealing His heart, touching the bottom of mine. What beauty our God shares with us when we stop bearing self-imposed burdens and allow His Spirit to speak a new plan into our lives. Our God always has the time. He seeks out daily for opportunities to spend with us and waits patiently for the yearning of our hearts to turn toward Him… just so He can love on us… and reveal a brighter, lighter yoke than what our finite minds could ever comprehend.

O, my Lord, my God, you alone are worthy of my praise. You are so worthy! Your love surrounds me daily, and I am but a beggar for more, in desperate need of your presence. Thank you for who you are; the Author, the Creator, The Beginning and The End! Praise you my God, you are so good to me! 

Song of Songs 8:6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

2 Chronicles 7:3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”

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Silver Linings

Every day, let me say that again, every day, God is at work doing something in our lives. Many times we’re so distracted with other thoughts and priorities, we can’t pinpoint where or when He showed up in those 24 hours. Sometimes God’s hand at work is clouded by our own ideas of what His provision, interception or disruption should look like.

The other morning I galloped up a flight of stairs, strolled down the hall, passing by several people already hard at work on their computers and opened my laptop for a day of web design and developing direct marketing campaigns. In that moment, the ‘scales’ fell from my eyes as I peered out these massive windows stretching along two walls that surrounded the corner I was working in. Overlooking a beautiful park and walking paths, I couldn’t help but praise God for the view and the space He gave me to work in.

You see, I don’t have a full time job. In fact, in my job search, what God has given me is an opportunity to work 15 hours a week consulting realtors on communications and marketing strategies. Wherever I set up my computer, is where this line of work is done. On this particular morning, I was in a beautiful library and God blessed me with the ‘corner office’ space.

I’m no prestigious corporate executive working long hours and climbing the ladder of success that many would attribute this kind of blessing with. I’m technically unemployed and certainly not even remotely deserving of what the mind conceives a ‘corner office’ job to look like. But all of that doesn’t matter when it comes to God’s overwhelming love and outpouring of blessings in my life. All I had to do was open my eyes to realize His blessing was there for the taking! Amen!

We all have silver linings… God’s blessings that we may be missing daily in our lives because human nature’s view of the situation blinds us to the greatness of God in that moment.

What silver linings can you attest to today? Just know, whether you can see them or not, God is there, that I promise you.

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Working in the corner office space