Decided to drive the truck; rather than get ran over by it!!

I haven't blogged in awhile and boy I've missed it!!!  I had several other ministries I was responsible for and I just didn't have the time....now its time to get back to what I love and expressing myself OUTLOUD again!!  Hopefully learning about myself and helping others along the way!!

One of the changes (there have been many since my last blog) that I have chosen to embrace is to stop enabling others...Enabling is such a negative word for a person that just has a BIG heart that wants to help but doesn't realize they are taking too much ownership in another person/situation which can sometimes cause more harm rather than good. 
I have chosen to live my life according to God's will each day and that takes daily submission to the things I cannot change...Serenity prayer is coming to mind right now.   I only take responsibility for the things I can actually change....and have the courage to put boundaries down when I can't change something.
Now when I have a situation that arises I ask myself. "Self (LOL) can you actually "fix" this situation or do anything about the situation to improve it yourself."  9 x out of 10 the answer seems to be NO!!  Only that persons free will and Jesus can fix it....therefore I take the only Next Step and pray about it. 
For people that don't have an enabling personality this concept may seem like "DUH!" but when you have spent your life trying to fix other people instead of letting Jesus fix them....then this is a revolutionary concept!!!  This doesn't mean that I'm not sensitive to situations that are in front of me but I try to do a self check before I enter into someone else's life. I make sure that I know what my responsibly would be to them up front before I get myself into any situation. 
It's fine to have a BIG HEART but checking in on yourself and making sure that other person or situation is lined up with the will of God is HUGE before you step into "saving" mode.  
God didn't give us salvation for us to save them....that's His job!  We just have to learn to help by planting seeds and love people like Jesus did....with boundaries (dang there is that word again...it haunts me!!).  Showing love and mercy is what we are called to do!!! 

Eternal Insurance

I have been thinking A LOT this week how important it is for anyone with children to have life insurance in case what happened to one of Ryken's teachers were to happen to one of us.  She lost her husband and father of their 2 young kids tragically and suddenly in a 4 wheeler accident. I have reached out to encourage people to make sure they have a life insurance policy but when I think about these types of situations, I know that it is more important to make sure our Eternal Insurance is chosen!!! 
When I worked with families at the hospital that had experienced a sudden and tragic accident, I could always tell when the family had "proper planning".  They were always grief stricken but they were NOT panicking if things had been taken care of before the accident.  When the family knew FOR SURE that their loved one had chosen to follow Jesus here on Earth so they could rise immediately to be in the arms of a loving family in Heaven was so comforting to the grief stricken family. 

 

Please make sure you know where you are going if you died tonight!!!  This is only a temporary home! 

Spirital Maturity

I have realized this week that I'm stronger in my spiritual walk but I am still allowing my peers to determine my confidence and happiness.  I'm finding it to be a hard balance to feel like I'm on one path while others once close to me are still on the another path.  I want to take everyone with me on this spiritual journey but I have to respect their choice to stay on the wide path vs the narrow path of following Jesus.  I have to give up that control that some people are going to continue to stay on that path but I can't allow their journey to sidetrack my walk with Jesus. 
I LOVE people and want everyone to LOVE me but what I am learning is I LOVE JESUS MORE!!!  If these people are sabotaging my journey I have to pray for them out of love but that doesn't mean I take the path they take.  Jesus is my focus and if He convicts me to move away from something I have to follow until he decides to opens the door back up.  FYI: That is so hard for a controlling, co-dependent, caretaker to do!!! 
I am learning who I am in the flesh and I have to turn those issues over to Jesus and let him show me where people will fit into my life.  Whether it is friends, strangers or family....if drama or rift raft surrounds their life I can't function in that anymore. I am choosing to function outside of rift raft and pray for an opportunity to bless them from the outside.....WOW, that is hard when I just want to jump in a fix the situation or confront the unlovable person/situation. 
Dear Jesus, Please help me let Go of old relationships and turn them into what you want them to be!!!  Give me the strength to bless people from afar without being involved when it isn't your time for me to be involved.  Give me discernment to know when to be involved and when to stand back for you to be involved!  It's ALL your timing and not mine!  Keep showing me how to love the unlovable and bless people that I come into contact with.  Let people see your path through me. Thank you for every opportunity to get closer to you through your grace and love!  Amen

Insomnia

I have suffered from insomnia for MANY MANY years (early 20's) and I use to pray all the time for Jesus to please take this particular aliment away from me.  I want to PRAISE the Lord publically by saying that since I got re-baptized in Feb I have NOT struggled one night with insomnia.  I believe He restored my peaceful sleep once I totally submitted my life over to Him.  Can I get an AMEN for the restoration through Christ!!! 

Lord Have Mercy

"Lord have mercy" is such a cliché statement that we use in everyday jargon but have you ever had a conversation with someone and felt like you immediately needed to go pray for mercy on that persons life for saying or feeling a certain way??? 
I had one of those moments recently where someone commented that they wish God would "show up" for them on a personal circumstance that in their opinion continues to plague their life.  I know the persons situation pretty intimately and from my outside viewpoint God has shown up many times to provide for this person over this problem. 
It broke my heart to hear this person say something like this because it honestly made me cringe to think how God might continue to test and withhold blessings on this situation until they become appreciative of all the times He has provided and pulled them through.  I have learned from experience that God is not going to bless a situation if you are resentful and unappreciative of the things you have been given and where you are in life with or without all your prayers being answered.
If you think God is withholding something from you or your are not blessed in a certain area....consider he may not trust you with the circumstance yet.  He may be trying to teach or protect you from something!
I pray that we all realize God wants to bless us beyond our earthly comprehension but we have to submit our circumstances to him and be proud, gracious and submitted to His journey for our life. 

"People like us don't get into heaven"

I had a humbling conversation with two sisters last week after our NewSpring Easter service that honestly still blesses and haunts me.  These woman came back to the Care/Prayer room after the rush of salvations and they honestly looked like they had seen a ghost.  I was told that these ladies needed to sign up for baptism but when I sat down with them I quickly realized that they had no idea what was happening to them.  They were shaking and heart was beating out of their chest. 
These sisters were both under strong conviction from Perry's message about what Jesus had done on the cross but confused about what all of this meant.  I asked a few standard questions: If you died today, on a scale of 1-10, do you believe you would go to heaven.  One sister said a zero and the other sister said after the message a six.  I asked more questions about why they felt this way and basically I was told that people like "them" don't get to go to heaven.  As tears streamed down their ashamed faces I got to share the amazing news the God loves them just the same as someone that has gone to church their entire life and he forgives them from any mistakes they have made in the past.  These sisters had never had a church experience and were honestly so astounded at the Gospel and the Good News of Jesus.
We talked for a while and after talking they were ready to say together holding hands the sinners prayer.  They said it loud and proud and opened their eyes KNOWING they are going to heaven and God loves them immensely.  
I can honestly say this was the most amazing conversation I had ever had.  I felt like I was literally reshaping how these woman view life and giving them a new birthday!  Perry Noble's mission to reach the unchurched has landed right in my lap that day and I understand now why it is so important to minister and get people to church.  Of course it is important to get everyone to church because we all needs God's mercy, grace and love but I'm haunted by fact that people honestly have never been told about Jesus. These girls knew about religious people and church because they were raised in the Southeast....but they had NEVER had any interest in trying to fit into that environment.  Thank you NewSpring and other churches that are doing anything to break down those religious walls and getting beautiful people like these two sisters to hear about Jesus and turning their lives totally around for them and their family.....imagine all the people these two sisters are going to touch with their testimony!!! 

Here is Perry's Easter message. I can promise you if you have NEVER heard the Easter story or you have heard it a million times, you will be moved! 
This is Our God

Understanding your SHAPE

I watched a message given by Pastor Rick Warren tonight and it parallel our message at church regarding How to Not Waste the life we were given here on Earth. Some insight that I've taken away from the last few weeks:
~We need to learn to GIVE our life away.
~Turn our jobs into a service to others and God's glory.
~Learn what spiritual gifts we have and have a passion to pursue it in our life. 
~You can waste your life, spend your life or invest your life!!!
~Love God and SERVE people!!

I liked Pastor Warren's description on how to SHAPE our life:

S: Spiritual Gifts
H: Heart (What your passionate about)
A: Abilities
P: Personality
E: Experiences (Vocational, Family, Educational, Spiritual, and most importantly Painful)

Listen to this audio: Understanding your SHAPE from Pastor Rick Warren to understand more about learning to live our BEST life.