Week two of continuing my challenge to trust God at the next level! As I step out in faith and do a VLOG!

Today is day 30 of my 30 day challenge! As I come to the end of this challenge, God presents me with a new beginning. A beginning to continue putting Him first each morning, moving my body, and staying healthy in my eating choices. It is at the same time that my precious granddaughter, my Cami Cakes, faces a new beginning in her life as she closes another.

Cami is starting Kindergarten!

Here you go, VLOG #2…

Truth Bomb

With every ending, God gives us a new beginning!

In our own strength, we are not necessarily able to take on each new beginning we are presented with. But with God’s strength and our dependence and reliance on Him, we are MORE than able!

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Excited to meet you back here next week as you find and share some of your life verses!

Speak Truth Love

 

Today is the day! I’m just a woman with a voice and I believe God has given me a voice to speak His Truth in Love!

I have been challenged by God in three specific areas, as I’ve been sharing over the past three weeks. Today, I am sharing two of those three challenges, and next week I’ll be sharing on the third. The challenge has been hard, but God has been faithful! Today is the day that I start my first Vlog! Ah! Even typing that is hard to believe! It is in no way perfect, but it is honest and real-something I think as women, we have a hard time doing! I pray God somehow uses this to bless you as you encounter the giants in your life!

 

Truth Bomb

In order to complete our challenge we must slay our giants!

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword, and spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.‘”   1 Samuel 17:45

Whatever challenge you have to face, or whatever giant you have to slay, remember the Lord your God is with you! With Him, you cannot fail, with Him there is no giant too great!

Speak Truth Love

ROUTINE! What pops into your mind when you hear that word? Does it excite you at the thought of something familiar? Or, does it make your stomach turn a bit at the thought of doing something over and over and over again?

The Dictionary defines routine as, “commonplace tasks, chores or duties as must be done regularly.”

My favorite definition of the word routine is by Eugene Peterson,” A Long Obedience In The Same Direction.” He also wrote a book with the same title.

In this book he brings clarity to the idea of making a commitment, or in my case, accepting a challenge, and following through on it til the end no matter the cost. Too often, we make a commitment, or accept a challenge and when the “routine” of it falls into place, we quit, we give up, we find excuses to rationalize why it’s perfectly fine for us to throw in the towel and not complete the course.

If it were not for the strength of God living in and through me, I would too, easily quit, throw in the towel, and give up. The struggle I must face and deal with, each and everyday, for it truly is a daily struggle, is to create a daily routine that begins and ends with each new day. To think beyond that, can set us up for failure. But when I take each day that God has given me and say, “this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it,” and then ask Him to give me the strength to follow through on my commitment that day, then I am learning the “routine” of spiritual discipline and commitment. As I routinely  practice that “routine” every morning, I find that Day 1 turns into Day 2, and then into Day 9, and then into Day 16. And I can say in confidence to my God who gives me the ability to persevere, “Thank you for the grace to have accomplished my challenge one more day!”

The strongest Biblical example that I draw strength from in this area is Daniel. As a young man, kidnapped and taken from his family and country, he did not let his circumstances of fear, doubt, change, etc, veer him from his routine. Daniel was committed to God and to daily discipline  that kept his physical body, his emotional body and his spiritual body clean and right before God. Allowing him to be in the best, physical, emotional and spiritual health no matter where he was or what he had to deal with. Even while tempted with the richest of foods that royalty had to offer, Daniel remained true to his God and to his routine.

Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. he asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”

Daniel makes this commitment and sets this standard for all of us when he was a “young man.” The true encouragement and inspiration comes as we follow Daniel through his life, and see that the commitment to this godly routine was maintained throughout his lifetime! As a much older man, Daniel is faced again with a great challenge, and we see him continue to remain faithful to his God and his routine. They tried to trap Daniel because they knew that he prayed to God, three times every day! When faced with prison or even death, Daniel’s routine had become his lifestyle and he would not stray from it. The king’s decree went forth not to pray to any other god, but Daniel kept doing what he routinely did!

Daniel 6:20 says, “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

We live in a culture of indulgences. We open up a refrigerator or a cupboard full of food and say, “we have nothing to eat,” which actually means we don’t have what we want to eat. One television in our homes isn’t enough, we need one in every room. Our car isn’t “nice” enough, so we overextend ourselves and take on the big payment because we “need” it. We have a nice two bedroom house, but another baby is on the way so we need a bigger one. We don’t like someone we work with or we feel misunderstood, so we quit that job and get another. We don’t like the sermon the pastor preached that last weekend so we church hop, looking for the next best one to meet our personal taste and need. And the word routine becomes boring and easily expendable and traded in for something new. So we quit and move onto the next “latest and greatest.” But when it comes to our spiritual lives, when it comes to making a commitment to God, this can prove to hurt us in a deep way. We want the end result of glory, without the daily grind of routine.

Eugene Peterson puts it eloquently when he says, “There is a great market for religious experience in our world. There is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”

Truth Bomb

Anything worth the end prize will take a dedicated routine of daily sacrifice.

My sixteen days living out my challenge have not been easy, or without sacrifice. However, after only sixteen days, I feel a stronger sense of commitment and dedication, and a true sense of believing that with Christ as my strength, I truly can accomplish the challenge He has set before me!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

I pray that whatever challenge you are facing,  you would be able to give it to God daily and develop the routine of godly discipline!

 

Speak Truth Love

My challenge has been accepted and lived out for one week now!

I shared with you last week that God had spoken to my heart a challenge to not just say He is Lord of my everyday life, but to put that statement into action. To live out His Lordship over me in every aspect of my life!

God has spoken a challenge to my heart to make what I do between my life here on earth and my forever life in heaven matter! So, I have accepted God’s three step challenge to me to 1) Increase my trust and dependance on Him, 2) To lead like Jesus and 3) To be as healthy as I physically and naturally can be.

I wrote last week when I was on Challenge Day Number 2! Today I am writing when I am on Challenge Day Number 9!

I am happy to report that Day 9 is easier than Day 2 was, but each day is still a struggle. When we determine to “make a change”, it always requires the “doing away with something familiar”, and the “adding of something new.”
This is what doctors tell us produces stress and anxiety. That is why I am deciding to go to The Great Physician and put Him first in working toward change in my life.

Let me back up a little here…in order to accept my new Challenge from God to Increase my Trust and Dependance on Him, Lead like Jesus, and be as Physically and Naturally Healthy as I can be, I MUST DAILY STRENGTHEN MY SPIRIT WITH HIS SPIRIT!

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”
Ephesians 3:16

I can do nothing on my own! In my own strength “change” becomes disabling! It causes stress and anxiety and produces all kinds of hardships in my life! However, when my focus is on God’s Spirit in me and His strength to produce change, the giving up of the “old” and the embracing of the “new”, becomes possible!

My focus this week has been The Cross… actually, the worship song ‘Lead me to The Cross’ by Hillsong.
“Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss…;”

“Lead me to the cross where your love poured out…;”

“Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down…;”

“Rid me of myself, I belong to you…;”

Lord, Lead me, Lead me to your cross.”

“To Your Heart!”

“Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss…,”

The first thing I had to do was let go of what I was holding on dearly to, and give it up as loss, so that God would be first in my life and my daily routine. For me it was more sleep and devotion and Bible Study before ANYTHING else! Getting up to an alarm clock even if it wasn’t going off to tell me to “go to work.” Setting that alarm clock and getting up to go the gym, and not pushing the snooze one or two or three times!! It really helps to have an accountability partner. Mine happens to be my husband, and his dedication and devotion to waking up and working out, has truly helped me in my challenge! He was always willing to help me in this by the way! I was the one dragging my heels! So blessed that he never gave up on me!
Second, doing my devotion and Bible reading and tuning every other noise out! For me this has worked at the gym while I am doing my workout. I love the elliptical, and the more I read God’s Word, the more I push to step higher and faster. I have chosen an app on my phone, but any form of reading will do!
Lastly, my Bible Study. This can be a big challenge by the time I wake up early, make it to the gym, work out and read my devotion. I walk back into my house and the “To Do List” looms! Now those of you at a younger age and stage in your life may not even find this luxury “To Do List” facing you. Instead, it may be the babies you put into gym daycare, or the children you are getting off to school by 8:00am. All of us find ourselves with different ages, stages and difficulties to overcome.
For young moms it may mean you flip-flop your time alone with God to the evening or late morning when your kids are asleep or at school. For those of you in the middle of life it may mean working through the tiredness you feel after giving so much of yourselves for so many years. For me, it continues to be the ‘What I could do,’ verses the, ‘What I should do’ syndrome.’
The key still remains for all of us to “give everything to God that we hold on dearly to.”
I must continue to count my time in the morning to sleep more, or my time to workout to music at the gym, or my “to do list” as I walk through my front door, as “loss”, in order to complete my challenge!

“Lead me to the cross where your love poured out…”
I must focus my thoughts on Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for me. Truly, that thought alone puts me in awe, and an attitude of gratitude and thanks to Him for my life in Him!

“Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down…”
My posture during prayer time needs to be that of worship. My head low, my body relaxed and my mind clear of any thoughts but Christ!

“Rid me of myself, I belong to you,…
I must come to Him with humility and expectation. Realizing that I am not able, but He is more than able!

“Lord Lead me, Lead me to Your Cross…”
I must humbly lay at the foot of His cross and listen. I need to be still and hear what God is pouring into my life.

“Lead me to your HEART…”
As I sit and listen and hear from God, I can then know and understand His Heart and purpose for my day, and my life.

TRUTH BOMB

The key to any challenge is allowing God to lead us.

The most important step we take in accepting any challenge in life is to allow God to lead us.

Without God’s leading we will more than likely take “wrong turns”, “rabbit trails”, run into “roadblocks”, or worst of all, allow our challenge to come to a screeching halt before we cross the finish line!

God leads us down the path of success, where we will make each day count for Him. We are in a race, the way we finish depends on how we run and who leads us!

I am on day 9! I have not perfected the way I run, “The struggle is Real,” as my granddaughter would say. But I do know who is leading me, and He will never fail me.

As you face this day, and this next week, I pray that weather or not you are facing a big challenge or a small one, you would begin each day at the cross, allowing God to lead you every step of the way.

He is the Victor my friends. He alone can give us the VICTORY!
I am trusting in Him to complete my challenge. I hope you are too.

See you next week!

Speak Truth Love

I have embarked on a new challenge!
God spoke to my heart and this is day 2 of my new challenge. Day 2 is harder than day 1, and I anticipate more “challenging” days ahead!
However, if you do not take your foot off first base, you will never get HOME!
Yes, I am using a Baseball analogy because it fits perfectly into the CHALLENGE God has called me to. If baseball doesn’t resinate with you, go ahead and change the analogy to your life and situation. Maybe it’s going the next mile on your run, maybe it’s signing up for the next class that will get you closer to your goal, maybe it’s …you fill in the blank.
For me the analogy that fits is BASEBALL.

That diamond that begins at HOME, and beckons us to do our best to round the bases…First, Second, Third, and then HOME!
You see for me, I was raised by a professional baseball player and was blessed to understand the game. But regardless of your level of “understanding”, the image it represents, helps us understand the biblical principal of “Going Home.” We begin our lives here on earth and everything we do in-between gets us closer to “HOME!” Our Real Home, Our Eternal Home, Our Forever Home, HEAVEN!
Now granted, in my apology of baseball, you start on the same home plate that you end up on if you get all the way HOME. But by crossing Home Plate after getting to first base, rounding second base, and crossing third base, you “SCORE” when you reach HOME!
It is no different with us in our lives. God gives us life, He has a purpose for us and He puts us on Home plate. When we acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior we run to first base. This is where my analogy breaks down a little. After you believe in Jesus, you have “progressed in your life,” you are on first base, and you can chose to stay there and Jesus will call you Home. But my analogy picks up again as I pose this question, “Will you score?” Will you have earned any “bases” along the way? Will you have any RBI’s, (runs batted in), as you “sacrifice” your success on base for another. Will you have any “earned runs”, when you have worked hard for something and made it happen? Will you have “Bunted” in order to put your “team” aka others, ahead of yourself and possibly earn a run for them?
Yes, I could go on and on, but you get my point.

What will you do with your life between home and HOME?

In second Corinthians Paul makes it clear that we have an eternal HOME in Heaven!

“We have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands…so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
II Corinthians 5:1,4

We are encouraged by Paul that our eternal HOME is preferred!

“We live by faith and not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at HOME with the Lord.”
II Corinthians 5:7-8

So why then all this talk about “HOME”, when my Blog Post is titled, ‘CHALLENGE ACCEPTED?’

Because I am convinced that what I do with my life between home, and HOME, matters. And that when God ‘challenges” me to live this life for Him better, I need to accept the challenge.

Challenges come to all of us and they are wrapped in very different packages. The beautiful part about our God is that He is personal. He created us and He knows us intimately. All the In’s and Out’s of us. The good, the bad and the ugly parts of us. The amazing Truth is that He loves every part of us! He has saved us and our salvation is secure if we have placed our trust and Faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
However, my topic today goes beyond our salvation. Does God care, really care, what we do with the rest of our lives? Does He care how we live the “in-between” parts of our lives? Does it really matter if we run from first base to second base? And when we get to second base, does it matter that we get to third base? When and if we get to third base, we are pretty tired and worn out! Does He really care if we make it all the way to Home Plate?

I believe He cares very much that we do. I believe Paul makes that Truth clear in II Corinthians 5:10,

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

The judgement seat of Christ is the one We, Believers, will appear before. This is when we will await to hear our Lord and Savior say to us,

“Well done Good and Faithful Servant…” Matthew 25:21

Truth Bomb

What we do between our life here on earth and our life forever in Heaven DOES MATTER.

So, now that I am convinced of that, back to My Challenge!

I want to live out my life for God to the very best of my ability. Even as “CHANGE” comes into my life, that gets more and more difficult. CHANGE is not easy for any of us. It produces stress in and of itself, weather or not that CHANGE is positive or negative. It’s just the way our bodies were built, and add to that the aging process. Regardless of the age you are at, the aging process has set in. A baby ages daily as they go from complete dependance to gaining independence each and everyday. And we, no matter what age we are, are in the same boat. God created us that way. More physical proof of us beginning life here in our earthly HOME, and running toward our Heavenly Eternal HOME!

I have taken a long time to set up my newest CHALLENGE from God. That is for two important reasons!
Number 1, because I believe that God is never done using us for His Kingdom until He returns or calls us HOME! He cares about what we do with our time here on earth that He has given to us!
Number 2, because I in no way want my CHALLENGE to become your challenge unless God gives it to you as well. I feel God asking me to write about My Challenge with you, but I in no way want my Blog to turn into a Blog about “ME!” I do not want to write about a diet or exercise plan that I think you should follow. I do not want to write about a lifestyle I think you should live! I only want to write about what God is working on in me, and pray that He uses it to encourage you in your walk with Him!
I am a private person and would prefer to keep my private “challenges” to myself. But if He is encouraging me to share them with you, then I want to be found faithful.

So, here we go! God has called me to accept the Challenge to increase my trust and dependance on Him, to lead like Him, and to be as healthy as I physically and naturally can be so that I am able to be used by Him for as long as He chooses to use me.

There are three steps involved in my challenge:
Step One, I have accepted God’s Challenge in my life to not just write and post my Blog every week, as I have done for the past year and a half, but to also include a VLOG post. I have goose bumps just sharing that news with you. I am nervous! My family, mainly my beautiful daughter-in-law, has encouraged me to do this for quite some time now. I have hesitated for many reasons, but the greatest one being vulnerability. You not only have the venue to critique me verbally but also physically! Not an easy challenge for me to accept. But if I am to remain true to my commitment to use my God-given gifts for His glory, then I must. My scripture verse over my blog is Ephesians 4:15 which says,

“Instead, speaking the Truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him, who is the head, that is, Christ.”

I believe God has gifted me to speak His Truth in Love. I have been faithful in part of that, I believe now He is calling me to be faithful in the rest of it! This is truly asking me to increase my trust and dependance on Him. I cannot do this on my own! I will trust in Him and depend on Him!

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Step Two, I have accepted His call to Lead Like Him, to Lead Like Jesus.
We have begun a new ministry in Northern California. We can only accomplish it through God’s divine filling and leading. He has called me to “Lead Like Jesus.” I have begun a daily devotion and Bible study on ‘The Life and Ministry of Jesus.’ There is no better way to lead God’s sheep than by following The Good Shepherd.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Step Three, To be as healthy as I physically and naturally can be. God created my body and He created healthy foods for me to eat to keep it operating at peak performance. He also created me to move! God did not create me to be immobile, but rather He created me to be mobile. So, I have begun a 30 day challenge in eating healthy foods only, and exercising each and every day with a purpose.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Friends, I am only on Day 2! I can tell you that at this point I have been successful. But I have a long way to go! I cannot do it on my own strength, and there may be days I fail. But my God is FAITHFUL! He has called me to a Challenge and He will get me through it!

There are many ways that we go through CHALLENGES. Sometimes we are successful, and sometimes we fail. But if they are accepted for the right reasons, if they are given to God to be used for His Glory, then they will be fruitful! They will produce fruit in our lives that will carry us around the “bases” of our lives and bring us closer to our eternal Home with Jesus. They will allow us to hear those beautiful words in full…

“Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. COME AND SHARE YOUR MASTERS HAPPINESS!”
Matthew 25:21

The sweetest words you and I will ever hear are those spoken by our Savior to us. And not only to hear Him tell us we did well with what He gave us, but now enter in to your Masters Happiness!

Our earthly Home is temporary Friends. Our goal is our eternal forever HOME with Jesus!

How will we chose to live our lives here on earth in-between? What “Challenges” given to us by God will we accept? And on a sobering thought, What “Challenges” given to us by God will we not accept?

Our time here on earth is short! It is but a blink of an eye compared to Eternity!
Let’s commit to accept the Challenges together that God gives us!
After all, our Coach is PERFECT!
WE sit in His “coach’s box!” His record is undefeated! And He has already won the Victory for us!

What do we have to lose?

Speak Truth Love

Summer vacations, family vacations, the long-awaited break from our normal routines…we plan for them, we save for them, we look forward to them, we mark the day on the calendar nearly a year ahead of time, and then the countdown begins! The anticipation leading up to it, can almost be as exhilarating as the countdown to Christmas!

What is it that holds such great anticipation, that it can almost consume the year proceeding it? It’s freedom! Or at least the illusion of it! We are free from demanding schedules. We are free from the daily “clock” that tells us daily when we have to leave somewhere or be somewhere.

What is it that we love most vacations? Sure, it is typically the destination itself, if we are fortunate enough to go somewhere we have never been before! It’s thrilling to see a new sight, explore a new trail, and delight in trying a new food. But if this were all that vacations held for us, then the all popular quote “staycation” wouldn’t be in such fashion! Deep down, in our very soul and within our spirit, lies a desire for freedom. To be free of the “normailicy” of our lives and to break free into a different routine.

The problem is as enticing as “getting away” is, it is a temporary time that does come to an end. It is simply the illusion of freedom. If we continued to live our daily lives in a “vacation mode,” we would soon find ourselves homeless. Granted, we would be free. Free of punching a time clock, free of responsibilities, free of mortgage or rent, free of utility bills…

So, am I saying that it isn’t possibile to have freedom in our daily lives? No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. Nor am I saying that vacations and time away don’t hold true value. What I am saying, is that true freedom is only found in Christ alone. The beauty of God’s spirit living in us daily, not just while on vacation, produces a inexustable supply of freedom that will follow us through our daily lives and into eternity!

“The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17

God’s Spirit is freedom! He promises that His Spirit lives in all believers!

Truth Bomb

God’s freedom is not an illusion…it’s inexhaustible!

So, as we find ourselves in the middle of Summer, enjoy those family vacations! Enjoy those trips to unknown destinations, and enjoy those weekends at the beach, or those days in your backyard with an ice tea refresher and a new book in your hand. But choose to live DAILY with God’s Spirit in you, so that you will truly know His freedom!

Speak Truth Love

Happy Birthday USA!

This is the day when we are truly proud to be Americans! The day we gather together with family and friends, BBQ, swim, eat corn on the cob, and big juicy slices of watermelon, and ice cream! This is the day when all across America fireworks are sent high into the sky and burst with sound, light, and color, reminding us of our independence!

Independence from what? Independence from rules that keep us safe and protect others? Independent from work, where we earn the money necessary to live? Independent from sacrifice and making a choice that benefits others over ourselves? No! True independence and freedom to make our own choices and go our own way, came in 1776 when our forefathers forged the Bill of Rights, which governs America. When true independence was gained from a dictatorship, a King or Queen, or a socialistic government. Our forefathers gave us a Republic that allows us to govern ourselves. What we do with that right is up to us! Can we keep it? Do we have what it takes? Left to our own demise, our selfish nature takes over, and chaos soon takes place.

When we commit ourselves to God, and allow His love and His principals to govern our lives, then, and only then, do we find true FREEDOM!

“You my brothers (and sisters), were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

Truth Bomb

True Freedom is found in God alone!

Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our freedom. He willingly went to the cross, suffered and died, and rose again, with once and for all victory over death! His act of selfless love, secured by freedom and yours! I can celebrate my freedom in Christ today, on the Fourth of July, and everyday because God loves me!

Today, I am proud to live in America where I am still afforded the freedom to say, “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

May I never take that freedom for granted! May I always give glory and honor to my Lord Jesus Christ for purchasing my freedom and the World’s freedom. May I never grow weary or forget to thank those that have died to ensure my freedom in America, and those that are apart of our armed forces to continue to keep America free!

Today I will BBQ my hot dogs and hamburgers, I will grill my corn, I will slice my watermelon, and I will enjoy my ice cream with my family that I love so much! I will proudly wear my t-shirt that expresses my gratitude to my Lord and my country!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Speak Truth Love

 

Today our ACTION HERO stands among the giants of Faith. Our Hero found the answer to true HAPPINESS!

Isn’t that what we are all looking for? I mean, seriously, it is impossible to even count the number of books on the bookshelves at your local Barnes and Noble that begin with the title…’The Key to Happiness Is”…and they graciously fill in the blank with their version of what they believe will make not only them, but you happy.

“Happiness is loving and being loved”, “Happiness is deciding to not say negative things”, “Happiness is the smell of a new book,” “Happiness is an unexpected piece of chocolate,” and the list goes on and on…

While all of these things and many others may bring momentary “Happiness”, that happiness does not last.

Unless the unexpected chocolate find is a lifetime supply! Just kidding!

Seriously, even that does not bring lasting happiness. I was reminded of the true Biblical definition of Happiness this weekend as I listened to my son preach. “True HAPPINESS comes through our blessings from God.”
Those gifts in our lives that cannot be taken away, do not fade or tarnish, do not grow old or worthless. They are the blessings that our Father gives us freely because He loves us.

Our Action Hero knew what true HAPPINESS was and he embraced it and followed it faithfully!

“The Lord said to Abram, (Abraham), Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will BLESS you and make you famous, and you will be a BLESSING to others.”
Genesis 12:1-2

ABRAHAM WAS BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Our Action Hero of the Faith was a HAPPY man, not because his life was easy, and his path in life smooth. He was a HAPPY man because he knew that following and obeying God, NO MATTER THE COST, is the key to TRUE LASTING HAPPINESS! He obeyed God, and THEN the blessings came.

So much of the time friends, we fail to complete the steps God is asking us to take. We grow tired, discouraged and frankly, WE GIVE UP! Or, even worse yet, we don’t even take the first step! We decide that what God is asking us to do is too hard and the cost will be to great. We even rationalize in our minds that God could not be asking us to do that. After all, it goes against everything the world tells us will bring HAPPINESS. We must have heard God wrong.

Our Action Hero knew that God’s economy is “UPSIDE DOWN” to ours. What the world tells us is to stay in our comfort zone, to surround ourselves with family and friends that make us feel good, and to stay where we are comfortable and secure. Our Action Hero knew that True HAPPINESS is not found in the comfort zone. He knew that the “comfort zone” can become the “Danger Zone!”
He knew that complacency could set in and cause him to never make a move.
Our Hero was willing to step out in faith and follow God no matter the cost!

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by FAITH.”   Hebrews 11:8-9

ABRAHAM WENT, then he was blessed and then he was happy, not before. Abraham obeyed God and left his hometown, family, relatives and all of his familiar surroundings. He obeyed God based on FAITH alone! He did not know where he was going! He did not understand why God was moving him, and he was alone! But He knew that TRUE HAPPINESS only comes through the blessings of God. Everything else in this world is temporary and fades away.

Abraham was blessed by God, he was famous and he did become the father of many nations just as God had promised!

“All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3b

However, it came at a cost! A cost our Hero was willing to pay. Are we willing to pay the same cost?
Friends, I submit that if we are not, we will not find TRUE HAPPINESS here on Earth. Momentary happiness, sure, but TRUE HAPPINESS-the kind that permeates our soul, makes us feel content even while surrounded by chaos, and makes us feel the peace that makes no sense to us or the world around us.

TRUTH BOMB

TRUE HAPPINESS ONLY COMES THROUGH GODS BLESSINGS!

I feel very very close to this topic today. Seven months ago Jim and I packed up our home of eleven years. We left the city we had lived in for the better part of 30 years. We left our church family, relatives and dear friends. We left our daughter, son-in-law and grand babies! I am not going to lie, as we drove away, it felt like my heart was being ripped apart! There were moments I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I would burst into sobs and moans that sounded something like a wounded animal. And then, there would be no tears, no sound at all. The sadness felt overwhelming!
The world was telling me, and actually doing the opposite of what Jim and I were doing. As they were seeing their grown children move away from home, get married and have children of their own, people our age were moving closer to their children and grand children.
But we had clearly heard God calling us to a new ministry in Sebastopol California. So we went. We followed and obeyed not because it “felt good,” or seemed “logical”, or even “natural”, it actually felt “unnatural”, but because we know and have felt the goodness of God’s blessings on our lives when we have followed and obeyed Him in the past!
In fact, we only felt the pain of leaving family, friends and home because they were God’s blessings to us in that season of our lives. We have “left home before.” We have traveled to foreign cities and foreign mission fields, and every time we have left someone or something precious behind. And every time God has blessed and given us more than we could ever dream, think or imagine! And we know He will again!

Our Action Hero of the Faith today, Abraham, gives me hope, encouragement and inspiration. I in no way compare my sacrifice to his, but like all true action heroes, his Faith inspires mine!

“Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”  Hebrews 11:10

SO AM I! I long for the day when we too will be in that eternal city with our heavenly Father and He will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant,”, my version…”Well done good and faithful Action Hero,” you demonstrate your faith by putting it into action!

Let’s aspire to be True Action Heroes of the Faith! Those who have gone before us inspire us to nothing less!

Love you friends and thankful for you!

Speak Truth Love

It’s HOT! I mean sizzling Hot!!!

The kind of heat that does not leave you questioning if you could indeed fry an egg on the sidewalk! All kinds of records have been broken this week all over the United States with record breaking high temperatures! The worst part for many is the consecutive days of heat, where you feel no relief and no end in sight!

This reminds me of our Christian Life when we hit trials and difficult days. It can feel like there is no end in sight! It can seem like no one else “gets it.” And if they do “get it”, it still feels like we are a part of the ‘Weak and Weary Club.’ We feel our strength drain from us. We look around and feel like no one is on our side. Our days seem long and our nights even longer! We grow weary of doing good, and long for our heavenly home. We find ourselves thinking of Heaven, and may even on occasion, ask God to take us there.

Trials are tough, perseverance is difficult, and we may find ourselves desiring to be this weeks Hero!

“It was by Faith that Enoch was taken up to Heaven without dying – He disappeared, because God took him.”  Hebrews 11:5a

WHAT? SIGN ME UP!
I mean, what a way to go! Pain free, no hassle, no doctors, no meds, no messiness whatsoever, just “taken up to Heaven without dying.”

You heard me right! God took Enoch to Heaven with Him without Enoch having to die!

Now, before you get too jealous and a bit of envy sets into your spirit, read the rest of the verse with me…

“For before he was taken up, he was know as a person who pleased God.”

Hebrews 11:5b

This was not a “free ride!” This was not an old fashioned “E ticket” at Disneyland that got you on all of the best rides! This was a life lived to please God! This was PERSEVERANCE, for a life time! Listen to the dictionary definition of PERSEVERANCE:

“A steady PERSISTENCE in a course of action, a purpose, a state etc…

Now catch this last part…

“especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

This Hero of ours stayed the course! He “Walked the Walk, and didn’t just talk the talk!”
He became an Action Hero of the Faith because he “pleased God,” in what he did, not just what he said!

The Theological definition of PERSEVERANCE is “Continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.”

Boy, did this prove true for our Hero! He continued, PERSEVERED, walking in close fellowship with God all of his life, and God took him home to heaven with him without dying first!

God “took him.” Genesis 5:24

Now, if you are thinking…”easy for him,” stop right there!
Nothing about our Hero, Enoch’s life was “EASY!” The Bible tells us that in order to “PLEASE GOD” we are required to;
“Fear the Lord our God, and live in a way that please Him, and love Him and serve Him with all of our heart and soul. And always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

That’s all our Hero had to do, No Big Deal!

Are you kidding me? I think I mess up on the first two before I’ve stumbled my way down the stairs to pour my first cup of coffee!

What truly sets our Hero apart, and makes him a True Action Hero of the Faith, is that he did it for 365 years!

“Enoch lived for 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God.” Genesis 5:23-24

Again, this is inspiring! I struggle daily to “keep on keeping on,” to “walk humbly with my God.” Enoch did this PERSISTENTLY for 365 years!

If you and I are going to live Action Hero Lives then we must be PERSISTENT!

TRUTH BOMB

ACTION HEROES ARE PERSISTENT!

Enoch walked closely with God for 365 years! It can be done friends! You and I can walk closely with God if we will Persist, Not Give Up, Keep On Getting Up When We Fall, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE PERSISTENT!

Stay the course, be purposeful and be gracious along the way!

This is the mark of an Action Hero of the Faith!

Speak Truth Love

 

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things…”

Have you started singing along with me yet?

These words to a famous, well-loved song are truly some of my “favorites!” As is waking up to raindrops on my patio! Which I did this morning, when I wrote this blog post. Yes, you heard me right. I woke up to raindrops, all over my patio. And not just my patio, rain had fallen pretty hard during the night and had left everything covered in a fresh coating of crystal glaze. There were even puddles!
Welcome to life in West Sonoma County in June!

The prettiest sight of all were the raindrops hanging gently from my father’s roses. Yes, I said roses, plural! Three additional buds have opened, and four lovely red roses have hung from my father’s rose bush, and this morning God covered them in raindrops.
My heart leapt for joy as I stood outside in the coolness of the morning, taking in the fresh scent of rain, and smiling from ear to ear at the sight of raindrops clinging to my dad’s roses.

Both are miracles you know. Only God can cause a flower to grow and bloom, and only God can cause the rain to fall. How do I know? Because until our next Action Hero put his faith into action, no raindrops had ever fallen!

Today we are introduced to a Boat Maker! A man of God who found so much favor with God, that he was called a “righteous man, blameless, one who walked in close fellowship with God.”

“Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on the earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Genesis 6:9

This was our Boat Maker before he ever considered going into the carpentry business!

We do not know what Noah did for a living before God asked him to be a carpenter, but we do know the kind of life he lived. He was a good family man, who obeyed God, walked with God in close fellowship, and remained “blameless” in the middle of a corrupt and violent world!

“Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence.”
Genesis 6:11

Sound familiar? But instead of feeling lost and hopeless, Noah demonstrated great Faith in God and remained “blameless” and walked in close fellowship with God!

We could stop right here and declare that Noah was already a Hero of the Faith. But, actually the story has just begun! Noah becomes a true ‘Action Hero of the Faith’, as he faces and accepts his greatest “Faith Test” yet!

“It was by FAITH that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. HE OBEYED GOD, WHO WARNED HIM ABOUT THINGS THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED.”
Hebrews 11:7a

“THINGS THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED!” Did you catch that?
Action Hero Faith is not just believing in God, walking with Him, talking with Him…True Action Hero Faith is putting that faith into action when you cannot see the outcome. Or in this case, EVEN COMPREHEND IT!

Our Hero, Noah, had no understanding or comprehension of RAIN, let alone a FLOOD!

“So, God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!”
Genesis 6:13

God put that exclamation point there this time, Not Me! This was BIG!
God was going to start over! His creation was not following Him! It had rejected His ways, and had turned to their own ways! All, but ONE!
One faithful man of God stood alone among the rest. Noah…and now God was calling him to be His ACTION HERO!

God was asking him to live out the reality of Hebrews 11:1, to “Act on what He hoped for, but could not see!”

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1

God is asking Noah to build a boat, a large boat, and to waterproof it, because “RAIN” (which Noah has never seen or heard of), is going to “cover the earth with a flood!‘
Genesis 6:14, 17a

You see, the song I quoted at the beginning of this Blog never could have been written at this time! NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN A RAINDROP! No one had ever walked out on a beautiful morning, like I did this morning, and viewed the world covered in a soft, wet blanket. No one had ever seen a rose with a delicate drop of rain sitting upon it.
NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN RAIN!

Yet, God is asking our Hero to build a large boat, with God’s very specific instructions,(Genesis 6:14-16,) and fill it with his wife, his sons and their wives…

Let me pause here a moment and just say how thrilled I would have been to have said “YES” to the proposal from one of Noah’s sons! This was my passport to safety people! Just saying!
Seriously…”and a pair of every kind of animal – male and female, every kind of bird – male and female – and every kind of small animal that scurries on the ground.” Genesis 6:18-20

Now, granted, this would have been a stinkey ride, but a safe one!

Not only was God asking Noah to build a boat, but He was also making him to do even more physical work and load the boat with food for EVERYONE aboard!

“And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” Genesis 6:21

Noah had to build the boat, convince his entire family to get on board and “TRUST HIM,” round up two of every kind of living species on the earth, corral them onto the boat, and fill the boat with enough food for EVERYONE!

I could not imagine the migraine size headache Noah must have had as all of the “grumbling and complaining” started over what they wish the had for dinner, verses what they actually had for dinner! We are such complainers, aren’t we?

With all of this work behind him, our Hero is about to move into “Action Hero” status!

“So Noah did everything as the Lord had commanded him.”

GENESIS 6:22 and GENESIS 7:5!

That’s right! Not once, but twice, and I would imagine many other times before and after Scripture records it for us!

Our Action Hero was Blindly Obedient! Noah put His Faith into Action even when he could not see it or understand it!

Truth Bomb

ACTION HEROES ARE BLINDLY OBEDIENT!

“He (Noah) obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By His FAITH (in acting on what he did not see or understand), Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received righteousness that comes by FAITH.” HEBREWS 11:7b

Friends, if we chose to follow in the foot steps of the great Action Heroes of the Faith who have walked before us we need to
“Do everything as the Lord commands us.”

This means saying Yes, to the things of God, and No to the things of this world. It is our choice to make! Will we walk in Action Hero Faith like Noah and be seen to “walk closely with our God?” Or, will we walk just close enough to God, and just close enough to this world that no one can see the difference?

The choice is ours to make! Let’s be like our heroes of faith!

Speak Truth Love