This Brokenness Inside Me Might Start Healing...

It's crazy how in one second your life can change.  Whether it be a move of stepping forward, a move of stepping backwards, or sometimes just steps back and forth.  Often it can be the most random step, and you ask yourself, "What was I thinking?!"

I feel like I've been doing a sort of waltz in my life the last couple of months; doing things which I normally never would, and not in a good way.  Is this a part of growing up?  Because if it is I wish it hurt less.

Our lives are defined by our actions, and in my own life I have been pretty predictable.  But as of late, I feel like I've been a little lost.  An amazing friend of mine just told me to stop putting everything on my shoulders and to start putting things in the light.  Heck, if we put things in light from the very beginning, things wouldn't be drawn out and even made into a bigger deal.  But our flesh, our confusion and mostly our pride cause us to hide things which may cause others to feel different about us.  No one wants their reputation dragged through the mud, no one wants their lives to be yelled from rooftops.  But unfortunately it has to happen.  And you get to that place where you wis you could've gone back to the predictable person that is YOU.  

I pray if this has happened to you, that you would allow God to heal you.  That your sins, lies, hopes, dreams would not be hidden because you are scared of what others might think.  Yes, we are called to live a life set apart; unfortunately we ourselves fall down.  It may happen continually, or this could be the first time.  Whether it's your first of many, or your first and your very last; I pray that God will rescue you.

Our brokenness can only be healed and restored once circumstances have light shed upon then.  So I challenge you, as I have been challenged, to give it over to God.  He won't let you go, I PROMISE!

Love and Hoped For Peace,
G
 

It's Hard Sometimes...

I'm being perfectly honest, when does it get any less hard?!  I mean one thing after the other, after the other.

As I was doing my study this morning I was reading about Potiphar's wife; aka the woman who literally tried pulling Joseph into bed with her.  Now while I can honestly say I can't stand women who lure men into bed; I also can't stand a man who doesn't runaway.  I respect Joseph because he did his best to avoid her.  But like any snake, she waited for her next opportunity.

And then I was thinking to myself how often I have to keep my mind in check and break the habit of fantasizing about relationships I wish I had.

Potiphar's wife was surrounded by luxury and yet she was spiritually impoverished.  Her soul was steadily decaying through the corrosive power of lust and hate; and not only that she was empty of God; yet full of herself.  After reading about her, why would I want to be anything like her?

That is where the Lord's help comes in!!!

Psalm 51:10-Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I'm thankful for a God who shows us what is right and also gives us the strength to resist temptation.  I pray that we would all increase our hunger for the Lord, so that He will create in us a pure heart, one that He will find irresistibly beautiful.

Love and Peace,
G  

Wrestling the Angels...

One of my favorite songs is "24" by Switchfoot.  As I was listening to the song I pulled up the lyrics and was particularly moved by the last verse...

"I want to see miracles, see the world change, wrestled the angel, for more than a name, for more than a feeling, for more than a cause, I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You, and You're raising the dead in me..."

The part that really caught my attention was the lyric about wrestling the angel for more than a name...and I remember the story of Jacob when he wrestled with the angel until the Lord shrunk his hip muscle so that he would stop.  The Lord then changed Jacob's name to Israel.

How I would long to be like Jacob in this scenario.  To wrestle with the Lord, and have the perseverance to never give up.  I pray that if you're feeling a little tired and a little run-down that we would be like Jacob; wrestling until God stops us...I pray that we would live a life completely surrendered to God, so that when he sees us struggling or wrestling with circumstances that He would intervene.  God does sorrow with us; but He also lifts us up to live a life for more than a feeling and more than a cause...

Love and Peace,
G

Jesus Saw Her...

I was reading today about the story of Rachel and Leah in the book of Genesis.  Both were wives of Jacob, both gave children to Jacob; but it seemed that Rachel was the one whom Jacob truly loved.  In the Bible it said that Leah had delicate eyes, but that Rachel was beautiful to behold.

From the beginning Leah mourned that Jacob loved Rachel over her; despite the fact that she gave him six sons and one daughter.  But even the fact that she gave him children still didn't gain his favor or love.  In fact, the promise of a Savior was carried not through Rachel's Joseph but through Leah's Judah; whose descendants would include the infamous King David and of course Jesus.

More than anything Rachel and Leah reminds me that life is fraught with sorrow and peril, much of it caused by sin and selfishness.  Leah experienced loving a man who was indifferent to her; but it doesn't mean we have to...

You see after reading the story of ultimate competition between two sisters; I couldn't help but think why do women always seem to compare themselves to other women?  We are all in this together, in fact, we struggle with a lot of the same things.

Even though we have a society who often judge by our outward appearances, I'm so grateful for a God who always sees our hearts and judges accordingly!  God is moved by our sorrow, and with His help He can help us not to compare ourselves to other women.

I pray that God will enable us to base our identity on our relationship with Him rather than what we see in our mirrors...I pray we won't be so critical of how God put us together; but rather women who are confident because we are lovable, not because of any outward beauty.  And because God has loved us from the moment He called us into being...

Here's what I want you to do:
Call to mind everything you like about yourself...for example...I love my quirky sense of humor, my love of great literature, musicals and chick-flicks, my compassion for others, my curly hair, even the shape of my body.  Do this for a week, and reward yourself at the end of the week with coffee or dinner with your girlfriends!

Let us resist the temptation to complain about things we don't like...let's not complain about how our Lord made us...go on beautiful sister, shine and exude the beauty God has given you!!!

Love and Peace,
G