Camping

Have you ever been camping?

I have camped over the years. It was a good learning experience for my children to teach them respect nature.

But now as I’m getting older and the children as raised and I won’t be doing it. I might have to try glamping.

From Broken To Blessed

What if I told you that the brokenness you feel in your life isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign that God is preparing you for a breakthrough?

Too often, we give up and check out right before things are about to the around because become overwhelmed with trying to keep everything together by ourselves. We were never called to keep it all together. We are called to surrender to God.

I want you tell you to never run away from brokenness but instead follow God because he can shine through brightly all the cracks we have.

I have a nephew who loves playing with Legos. He likes to make things, but he also enjoys breaking them apart to see if he can rebuild them into something new. Sometimes we have to buy more legos so he can make new things.

In comparison, our creator God also enjoys building, creating and making new things. This means He can’t build something that’s already established which means He needs prices to work with.

We may desire to keep it all together, God likes us broken. How many times have you said to yourself “I have got to keep myself together” or told someone to keep it together?” God wants us broken because when we’re in pieces, so He has something to work with.

God doesn’t want us to be self-made. He wants us to be God-made. The Bible tells us we are his workmanship, we are his masterpiece that he is in the process of making. He is building something greater than ourselves. But it’s a process of building, forming, and moving us into what He desires.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 tells us,

“Seeing it is God who said, light will shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Yeshua the Messiah. But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.”

God will break us to build us – to build us back up, but he also does it to let light shine through.

An egg must be broken for the nutrients to come out. A woman’s water must break for the baby to come out. Darkness has a break for light to shine through.

Breaking is painful, but it’s not always bad. We’ve grown to believe that brokenness must be avoided at all costs not realizing that brokenness is necessary.

We avoid brokenness because we think it makes us weak, but in the upside down Kingdom of God, it is brokenness that makes us better, it makes us stronger, it’s a very mechanism. God uses to allow His strength, His light, and His power to shine through us.

Yes, we can strive, and fake it, and cover it up to keep it all together because we’re afraid that if we are not in control, everything will fall apart, but what we’re really afraid of is that we will fall apart, but that’s the point. That our ways will be disrupted, that our cycles will fracture, and that our hearts will break so that God can do a greater work in us because that’s the only way His glory will shine through the cracks of our mistakes, our missteps, and our weaknesses.

In Genesis 12:4 we see that there was not just a building up, but a tearing down when God created the Earth.

“…And God separated the light from darkness”

In order for light to shine through darkness, it had to break. In order for the light of Christ that is in us to shine through, God sometimes breaks our hearts, but a broken heart doesn’t mean we have to lose heart .

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, stuck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also by manifested in our bodies” -2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Contrary to common belief, brokenness will not destroy you, but trying to keep it all together will. Maybe it’s time to let God have His way. When we cry out and let go of what we try to control, and let the pieces fall where they may, and let God put us back together as He sees fit because His is always faithful to do so much better than we could have ever imagined.

I’ve learned over the years that when it feels like I’m breaking that must be the sign of a breakthrough.

Being Productive

When do you feel most productive?

Being productive in life hinges on aligning our actions with our goals and maintaining balance and wellbeing.

It involves setting clear goals while prioritizing tasks and well as using time management.

I am most productive during the early morning hours.

My main goal every day is to please God. Psalm 19:14 says,

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

The Grave Robber

God saved me over 13 years ago. He watched over me and protected me all my life. Even sometimes when I didn’t want to be saved, very sure in some instances where I wanted to die.

I think of it metaphorically through many Bible narratives. God resurrected Jesus so we could be resurrected. The resurrection is the central base of Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20, which is known as “The Gospels.”

Jesus’s tomb is found empty, and this event is celebrated as a triumph over death. You could say that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, robs the grave of its hold on Jesus, turning it into a place of finality into a symbol of victory.

The grave is meant to claim bodies permanently, is left empty handed.

1 Corinthians 15:55 Paul taunts “Death, where is your sting? Sheol, where is your victory.”

Death is swallowed up in victory. God’s power overrides the natural order, reclaiming life from the clutches of the tomb. The resurrection isn’t theft in a literal sense since God is the creator and holds dominion over life and death. But, metaphorically it’s the divine reversal.

I love Crowders gritty song “Grave Robber.” It’s an upbeat take on the resurrection, that was inspired by the story of Lazarus in John 11-1-44, where Jesus calls Lazarus’s dead Body out of his tomb.

He sings it as a personal anthem, where Jesus as the “grave robber, snatches him from spiritual death, washes him clean, and brings him back to life.

I think sometimes God steals us as the grave robber. He picks us up when we have hit rock bottom. Jesus is the rock and rolls our graves away in a divine rescue to save us from the grave.

Jesus conquers death, not just literally like with Lazarus, but spiritually – pulling people out of sin and despair.

No matter how bleak things get, it’s good to know Jesus can overturn it, because He beat death. He’s got everything else covered.

Emojis

What are your favorite emojis?

I would not say I have any favorite emojis. But I use smiles, praying hands, and WoW quite often. And hearts for family members and very close friends that I am grateful for.

Breaking Strongholds

“For though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and begin ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” -2 Corinthians 10:3-6

I have been taking a Bible study at my church, called “Rooted in Christ.” This Bible study opened my eyes to a few strongholds I have in my life. So, in pure fashion I have to share what I learned.

There are four main strongholds we have in our minds:

  1. Fear – The debilitating sense of anxiety that restricts us.
  2. Confusion – That causes double mindedness and restlessness.
  3. Anger – Producing frustration, agitation, and can harm our lives.
  4. Despair – Making us believe that life is not worth living

I think strongholds don’t just affect our minds but our souls as well.

The human body has three parts the spirit, soul, and body (or flesh). Our souls are made up of our minds, will, and our emotions. It’s in the area of the soul that most inner healing is required.

The word “stronghold” is defined in the Greek language as ochuroma which means military fortress. In ancient times it was used to denote a safe place, but also referred to a person attempting to escape reality.

A stronghold in a person’s mind is when a thought which is usually easy to dismiss evolves into a reinforced combination of entangled thoughts that become stuck like a knot that is not easily loosened.

A person with a mental stronghold can find it almost impossible to shake off or dismiss their thinking and it begins to overwhelm their mind to the point they are being controlled by it.

Everything begins to be played out through the lenses of the stronghold. For example, if it is fear then everything is viewed through the prism of fear. Or like mine when is insecurity. My insecurity is persistent and difficult to overcome a pattern of doubt around other people which causes me to believe I am of little worth.

A person that is struggling with a stronghold perceives everything that happens to them through a twisted and knotted thought pattern.

Simply put it’s an imprisonment of thinking. In other words, that we can incarcerate ourselves and we only the key to unlocking the cell door that has imprisoned us.

A stronghold in the mind is a spiritual fortress made up of wrong thoughts and it can be a fortified dwelling place that satan likes to hide and operate. It’s a battlefield of the mind.

The Bible pictures the mind as being held by the enemy which can be a waging war. The Bible says false argument and lofty opinions are counter to God‘s truth. They are areas where we are in bondage that affect our way of thinking in the worst way (2 Corinthians 10:5).

I am sure I got my insecurity strongholds from my childhood. And anything that has longevity developed roots, anything that had roots will become a strongholds. Which means it’s going to require power to demolish it.

But when we are able to remove the stronghold it gives Satan or his minions no place to live.

Strongholds are lies of Satan hiding in human reasoning waiting for us to agree and to approve of them.

Favorite Topics

What topics do you like to discuss?

I like to discuss what is the focus of people’s purpose in life. Everyone has a purpose and talking about it with others can help us understand what they are.

I was prophesied over many years ago that I was a bridge for people struggling with hardships. I have people come up to me and just unload are their problems on me. So it’s easy for me to share my thoughts of what I’ve been through.

Why Does Meekness Matter?

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” -Matthew 5:5

Meekness is one of those things you probably skim over when you read the Bible. But if it’s not important why did Jesus make a point to talk about it.

I used to think a bunch of meek people gaining control of the earth kind of sounded like something in a science fiction movie about a bunch of weak people and global domination. A image of smiling push overs.

But, Jesus was the ultimate example of meek in Matthew 11:28, and He’s the exact opposite of a pushover. Moses was also described as meek. In Numbers 12 Moses is leading the nation of Israel and his older siblings who launch a verbal attack against him, regarding his wife, where Moses is a picture of stillness and doesn’t defend himself.

Instead, we see that God defends him mightily. He calls both Aaron and Miriam out and makes them answer for their words. God declares how faithful and above reproach Moses has been and how He was given the privilege of hearing from Him directly. And then Moses sister was struck with leprosy and as sent out of camp for seven days before being healed. He questions why they weren’t afraid to speak out against such a godly man who had done nothing wrong.

Imagine standing nearby and witnessing that. How gut-wrenching would that be for Aaron and Miriam? But still, Moses begs God to heal Miriam.

Moses wasn’t concerned with defending himself let alone launching a counter-attack on his brother or sister. He was slow to anger, leaning into a trust and deference of God. And rather than gloat about the justice that was eventually served, he cried out in the interest of his sister -please heal her.

Meekness means to have a controlled strength that puts everything in the hands of God. It is founded on the trust in God and always denies itself. We can see meekness grow alongside humility and wisdom. Which seeks another person’s interest at the expense of it’s own. And its pure, peaceable, gentle, and open to reason in James 3:13-17.

Meekness should not be confused with cowardliness or weakness. It is not being afraid to stand up to someone, but having the courage to trust God for justice.

We see this again in David’s life before he was made king. Many times he had the strength and power to take the throne from Saul and he would not do so. Many times he quieted his flesh’s whispers that said “Why should you tolerate this? He should pay for this!” and he chose instead to trust the Lord his God with quiet submission (1 Samuel 26:10-11). How opposite is our culture today? We have an entire world that roars against this attitude.

Jesus said, “Meek shall Inherit the earth.” He has a habit of saying things that make me and probably all of us scratch our heads. Is there a sense that the meek have already inherited the earth? The Bible says that all things are ours in Christ, and Paul declared that he has nothing and yet he has everything. If you take swipes at a meek person and they take it in stride, do you have power over them? If they are content and satisfied on this side of eternity in a way they have inherited the earth. This is of course my opinion.

But there are future expectations too. Revelation 21:4 says,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…”

There will be purification of souls. Literally, everyone in heaven will live on a new earth and will be meek. To be otherwise would be inconsistent with righteousness.

This leaves us in a position of hope and certainty.

Things To Remember When Sowing Seeds

When sowing seeds for God’s kingdom, we have to remember we are the sower, not the guardian over them. Not all seeds will yield fruit, because the harvest depends on the field, not the sower, sowing seeds can be a demanding task, and God’s principles of sowing and reaping are unalterable.

There are a few principles we need to remember when we want to sow seeds.

  • You are a sower, not a guardian:

We must focus on doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate outcome or reaction we receive. It is not our job to control the results, but to plant the seeds.

I heard someone talking about how they were planting seeds in someone that they wanted saved. Yet they weren’t expecting where the seed landed and grew. The person’s goal was for a friend to be saved, but her son was instead. They didn’t understand how the seed grew in her son and not who they intended it for. We plant the seed, but God is the guardian -the one who controls the growth of it.

  • Not all seeds yield fruit:

Not every seed or good deed will bring immediate or visible positive results. Some seeds may fall on barren ground, and that’s okay.

  • The harvest depends on the field, not the sower:

The receptivity of the field or person or situation you are trying to impact is crucial for the harvest. A seed planted in fertile ground will grow, while a seed planted in barren ground may not.

  • Sowing seeds is a demanding task:

Doing what is right and good can be challenging and requires time, energy, and resources.

  • God’s principles of sowing and reaping seeds are unalterable:

The Bible teaches that,

“Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” -Galatians 6:7

This principle applies to both positive and negative actions.

  • Sow with faith and persistence:

Even when we don’t see immediate results, we should continue to sow good seeds with faith, knowing that God will eventually bring about a harvest.

I have continued to sow seeds, for years and when I least expected it, they grew sprouts and brought people to have faith in Jesus and become saved.

  • Always sow with generosity:

The Bible encourages us to sow seeds generously, because those who soe sparingly will reap sparingly, and those who sow generously will reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6).

  • Don’t get discouraged:

Even if we encounter setbacks or disappointment, we need to remember that God is not mocked, and He will eventually bring about a harvest (Galatians 6:7).

  • Seek God’s guidance:

We should always pray for wisdom and discernment as we sow seeds, and trust that God will lead us in the right direction.

It’s important to remember Galatians 6:8,

“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will real destruction, whoever sows to please the ( Holy) Spirit from the Spirur will real eternal life.”

Its important to realize that of we sow seeds for our personal gain nothing good will can from it. We will not receive the goodness of God’s blessings.

Taking Risks

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.

There is nothing certain in life other than death and taxes, which means that every single thing we do requires some measure of risk.

Living a fulfilled life requires us to throw ourselves of proverbial cliff daily and discover whether we will sink or soar.

When I met my husband I was going through some depression. I seen a very lifted, midnight blue truck drive by me. I decided I wanted to drive it.

I flagged the guy in the truck down. He pulled over and I got out. I firmly told him I wanted to drive his truck.

He laughed, not to be rude, but because I am 4 foot 11 inches tall. When he opens the door the cabin of the truck hit my waist.

Laughing He said , “you do, how are you going to get in?” he got out of the truck handing me the keys. I grabbed the side of the door handle and pulled myself up. He got in the passenger side and we drove off. I drove about 3 blocks and pulled over. That truck was shaking it had so much power under the hood.

I said, “I’m done.” After that he wanted me to go get a drink with him. I told him I would follow him in my car.

He ended up becoming my husband. Through the fights and struggles he has never left my side in 36 years.

It was risky the way I met my husband. So many things could have went wrong. But in the end it was a risk worth taking.

Our Identity In Christ Jesus

“Identity” is something that is the buzz today. It’s almost impossible to avoid a media discussion about gender identity, sexual identity, or racial identity. So called “identity politics” are increasingly dominating every part of our lives. While this is a popular topic right now, it’s really not a new topic.

The Bible actually speaks to the issues of human identity, and does so quite frequently. In fact, the first thing the Bible says about humanity is that we are made in the image of God. That’s what makes us who we are, that’s our ultimate identity, the starting point of all the others, spouse, parent, child, student, employee etc… It’s the presence of sin that causes us to invert that order, making the socio-temporal identities our ultimate identities.

If you think about it Adam and Eve attempted to elevate themselves as equals to God which was the first identity crisis, one we are still feeling the effects of today.

In humanity today there is nothing more important than answering the question “Who am I?” We are taught and even indoctrinated to believe that all things are meant to serve our attempt to discover and live out our version of our identity. We have become increasingly individualistic. We live in the age of “selfies” and a “you do you” mentality. A person’s identity, or their particular mode of self expression is sacred in our current times. There is nothing more important, our society says, than allowing people to identify themselves hoe they see fit.

There a store in my rural town where an employee identifies as a cat. I never thought I would see such madness in my town. But it’s just not a “my town”problem but a world problem. Maybe it’s a church problem which is not immune to promoting this kind of ideology either. Why talk about sin when people feel much more comfortable being told God wants them to be happy being themselves. The false “health, wealth, prosperity gospel” of the past several decades may be giving way to what we might call false identity gospel. The false gospel that tickles people’s ears to believe that God simply wants you to be content with who you are. As long as you’re being true to yourself and you’re “following your heart” you are following God.

The question is “What is your only comfort in life and death?” My answer is “That I am not my own.” But that’s further from the prevailing mindset of today.

The tragic thing is that countless people today find their identity in the wrong thing. They answer the question above “Who am I?” based on relationships, job performance, self-expression or even their circumstances. In which will always come up short of giving them the satisfaction they are after. It might feel good for a while but it never lasts. The happiness that these identities offer is always fleeting and fading.

The hunt for our identity should be something that is true in every circumstance we are in. If we try to identify ourselves on transient things we find ourselves constantly disoriented, lost, and unfulfilled.

This is an age old problem. Humanity has and will continue to spend everything in pursuit of satisfaction, in pursuit of a name. We will spend everything, and gain nothing. We can search our whole lives for an identity, only to end up anonymous and unknown.

Maybe this is a sad outworking of that first identity crisis that happened back in the Garden of Eden. Thankfully God doesn’t leave I’d with our empty definitions of ourselves or our shattered self-conceptions of ourselves. Maybe there’s hope for us yet. What we see in the Bible is the story of God coming down to humanity in Jesus in order to give us a new identity. Not only a new one, but a better, richer, more satisfying identity than we could ever give ourselves.

Every thing we need for a freeing and fulfilling identity is found in Jesus. Our identity isn’t something we come up with ourselves, but something we are given to by Jesus. When He becomes our identity.

2 Corinthians 5:17 states,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ (Jesus), he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come,”

There two little words that have a powerful affect in the question “Who am I?” Those two little words are “in Him.” “Who am I in Him?

The answer to the identity question “who am I?” is no body. We are no bodies, but in Christ Jesus we are part of God’s family through the work of adoption when Jesus died and was resurrected for us. We became fully and forever cherished by God the Father. Through Jesus we became children of God.

Our identity is not our shameful past but in our gracious pardon.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ, who don’t want according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” -Romans 8:1

Jesus received the brunt of God’s wrath on the cross so we could know the blessing of His forgiveness.

Many people try to define themselves their accomplishments or their own desires and achievements in life. They present a picture of themselves they want to get through social media in the vain hope people will buy their lie. But, it’s an exhausting fiction to maintain.

We don’t need to achieve perfection, because we have received perfection through Jesus. His sinless life. His righteousness. His unstained merits are given to us and we are received by God for Jesus’s sake.

“For Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

This may only scratch the surface of our reach in our identity in Christ Jesus. Hopefully we will be able to taste and see the goodness of God.

God has blessed us in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).