Living WITH God

Over the winter months, my husband, Mike and I took a marriage workshop series and learned many things that help us to refocus on Truth.  Although in the back of my mind, in a low whisper, I said, I know truth and I believe truth….. so why can’t I live truth on a consistent basis?  Why don’t I choose truth over lies as the minutes, days, and weeks go by?  How has my 10 year wedding anniversary come and gone, and yet we still struggle with pride and grudges while humility and and forgiveness are within our grasp?

The Truth is… we can know God and live FOR God, but if we aren’t living WITH God then our lives will not be transformed.  So being convicted of this for a few months now, God made it clear that something needed to change.  Something visible.  Something visible to prompt the change of something invisible.  Something external to refocus me on something internal.

In January at a Sharing Hearts conference at Victory Bible Church, God spoke to my spirit prompting me to write scripture on the walls of my home.  What??? You mean like stencil them or buy those really pretty scripture wall stickers, I questioned God. “No,” He said, “W-R-I-T-E My Truth on your wall. Keep my words on the forefront of your mind.”  I understood it, but I didn’t want to do it. Knowing Matthew 6:33 has not been enough.  We live in a visual world, where our eyes and our hearts wander.  God wants my family to have Truth in front of our eyes, to fill our mouths and ears with His Word. 

And so, in order to remember that we are:
Accepted, Significant, Treasured, Forgiven, Restored, Protected from evil, Courageous, and Free.....

We (kids and all!) grabbed our Sharpies (and continue to) and write on our living room wall those Truths that God convicts us of.  Those Truths that strengthen us to persevere.  Those Truths that remind us what we’re here for. Those Truths that remind us how to treat one another. Those Truths that provoke humility and tender-heartedness. Those Truths that remind us of God’s plan for our lives. Those Truths that teach us love.  So although everyone thinks we are crazy for writing one of our main walls in a 4 bedroom house in the suburbs WITH A SHARPIE, we have been obedient.  After all, living WITH God is the only way to live!

Are you willing to do whatever it takes (even when it seems crazy to others) to live a Christ-centered life?

Fueling the Fire

When God awoke me out of my Christian slumber 2 and 1/2 years ago, He gifted me a hunger and a thirst for His Word, His Truth. (This is a story for another day, as I was driving fast on a very high bridge at the time of such exciting spiritual transformation!) But in a nutshell, He awakened my spirit with a force that was like fire out of Heaven that came down and lit a barren, ashy altar.  And He fuels it daily, as I seek Him in His Word and find continued evidence in my life that HE IS REAL.  I am writing tonight to give gratitude to God for gifting me with other women who desire to bring the sacrifice of praise to the continuously lit altar of the Lord. Tonight God brought 5 of His servants together and and we offered up to Him the sacrifices of thanksgiving!

Tonight God reminded me that in the Old Testament after Moses and the Israelites built the Temple, they received specific instructions that the priests were to keep the fire burning on the altar by continuously placing wood on it.  How diligent they  were.  Have you received the fire in your spirit, then one day it just burnt out.  Why do we allow this to happen to us? We receive God's love, His mercy, His grace and one day, (maybe many days) we forget about His gifts. We forget about the power of the Word. We forget about the intimate blessing of fellowship with Him. And after a while we find ourselves wondering exactly when it happened... when did He take a backseat to all of the physical things in our lives? So much time has passed since we made our lives a living sacrifice to Him.

Well, tonight I was surrounded by others in the royal priesthood of saints who each brought a log with them to place on the altar. It was a sacrifice of praise and fellowship. And it reminded me God has provided us with a never-ending source of fire that will purify every flaw in us; fire that will ignite our God given passions to bring glory to Himself through our lives. All we have to do is supply the kindling, the wood.

When was the last time you brought the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord?  When was the last time you honestly presented your life as a living sacrifice unto the Lord? If you're finding yourself where I was and you have let the fire go out, the Lord wants to send a fire down from Heaven and reignite your passion for Him.  Praise Him with thanksgiving in your heart.

Hebrews 12:1-2a says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Tonight, I praise God for the cloud of witnesses that He has surrounded me with that frequently remind me to throw off every weight of the world that I carry and to endure the temptation of sin that so easily ensnares me so that I can run the race that God has set before me. Jesus authored my life; He knew me before the world met Michelle, and He knows when my days on earth will be over. I pray that each day I will bring my wood to the fire and lay my sacrifice of praise on the altar. I pray that through this encouragement, YOU will bring a log and place it on the altar. I pray that each day you and I will hunger and thirst for His Word. I pray that each day I will strive to stand fearlessly in the will of God.  I pray that YOU will stand there with me.

We are not, He is.
Michelle

Name Above All Names Christian Music Video

The Attitude of Rest

Let's be truthful here ~ Being a mom is hard! "Train your children in the way they should go and they will not depart from it". I truly believe this, but the job of training them, even when shared with your husband, is quite challenging. With two boys entering middle school next year and two elementary school-age girls, lately our house has been full of "know-it-alls". This weekend God provided us with a clear snapshot of true training, after whipping us all into shape!

I am reading a book called, I am not, but I know I Am by Lou Giglio and last night's chapter was all about understanding the Sabbath rest. He explains that God didn't order the seventh day to be restful because God himself was weary from creating the universe and everything in it, but to be still and reflect on how great all that He had done was. Keeping the Sabbath holy is actually setting apart the day to take notice of what God has done in our lives during the week leading up to that day. To reflect on, to behold God's power ~ what He did with us, through us, even without us. Doing this will remind us of who God is. Actually practicing this with our families and friends on the Sabbath will honor God with true worship and remind us that God is sovereign, He's real and He works.

My husband and I practiced this tonight at Sunday Linner (lunch/dinner) and it was quite interesting to hear the kids reframe their sentences from "I am thankful that God let US do . . . or let US have . . ." to "I am thankful that God used US to. . . or showed us His power when He . . ." It's all about God, not at all about us or what we've done. Celebrating the Sabbath and keeping it holy is a training of our attitude that should last throughout the week, a shift in perspective. Being grateful for His hand on us and around us. I have heard it said that you can't have a grateful heart and a complaining tongue.

One of my children was having a ton of trouble with murmuring, complaining and backtalking this weekend. His attitude towards the Sabbath rest was a total mess. After trying to correct Him several times, I finally said, "God you've got to help me! I can't get through to him." And then the revelation hit me. "Train him up . . ." Following the list of consequences I reemed out at him, I reached out and held him until he stopped crying and we had a heart-to-heart. You see our sin areas are much the same, as our child argues with his parents, I have been known to fight for my thoughts to be heard as well. What triggers frustration in us is similar, too. God showed me that to truly worship Him on the Sabbath or any day, to truly rest in Him, we've got to have control over the battle in our minds~ between thoughts and feelings, lies and truth.

As part of our children's training, I realized it was important to teach my son this weekend just how to follow God's way of tearing down exalted thoughts that had been controlling his mood with us and towards God. I shared that just like a war has two sides, there are two kinds of thoughts battling one another: The truth planted by God and the lie planted by Satan backed by the persuasion of the world, and they both trigger an emotion. If the emotion we are feeling is provoking us to behave in the opposite manner of the fruits of the Spirit, (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control), then must take captive the thought encouraging such a response. For example, if we feel jealous that someone else was chosen to have a special treat or win the ____ (fill in the blank) we must take captive the thought, "It's not fair" or "they like her better than me". Just like a war prisoner, we must capture the root issue of the thought, measure it against the Word of God. If it doesn't produce good fruit and if it is against the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ then we must cast it out, tear it down. In order to do this right, we've got to battle the lie with truth. For if we simply cast out the lie, we've left an empty space. In our children, we've got to take the time to fill the empty space with something truthful and good or they'll find something else to fill it with, like someone else's opinion.

My son's attitude of resting in God's holiness was restored tonight, not because of the work that I had done but because of the revelation that God brought and the humility practiced by my son. Just one more example of God working in a typical family. Part of our massive job as moms is to correct and edify with Truth. If the hearts and minds of our children are storehouses of Truth, then they will walk with an attitude of rest, resting in the very truth that God works out all things in His sovereign plan through us, with us, and without us. We can rest in the fact that He will accomplish His goals and if we follow His command to train up our children, then we can look forward to watching Him use them as a small piece in His BIG Story. What a great reward!

Following Our Feelings...

Nevermore than today, am I sure that God considers the needs of a woman and mother. He has formed us from the side of our husband to be the perfect helpmate, the tender partner, the one who adds emotional balance to the equation. We lovingly give children instruction and guidance and as they grow their own ideas take the stage. It is our job as the woman in their lives to explain to them and also show them that they cannot make decisions based on their feelings, but on the Word of God.

I have erred in this area for many years, standing on the falsehood that “God gave me these feelings and I’m gonna let them all hang out!” How immature of me, I know. But I wonder how many women justify their tongue and reaction based on their feelings of rejection, depression, anger, hurt and disappointment.

The truth is . . . as Paul shares, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). His power and my weakness lead me to search through the verses in the book of Proverbs on wisdom, self-control, the tongue and pride. God is so good that He anointed these men with the words that would convict millions of people of their sin in a timeless fashion. The awe that this brings me leaves me astounded as to the power of the Holy Spirit, the One who convicts, instructs, reminds, brings unity, and comforts.

I understand the desperate nature of David’s prayer when he pleads, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalms 51:11). And now my prayer is for forgiveness and “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to [me] the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, (Ephesians 1:17).

I am not wise; no human being is wise on her own. We may want to believe we are, especially if we have been gaining accolades outside of our home. But if inside the walls and in the presence of those we have entrusted to care and bestow grace upon we are falling to the temptation of our raw emotions, we have proof that we are not wise.

Seeking to know wisdom and actually follow her after God grants me the moment of clarity and understanding is a huge goal of mine. I praise God for sharing His thoughts with mankind, including me. I pray that I would “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

For the Love of God & Girlfriends

I think as girls and women there is a part of us that wants to please the authority over us or seek their approval in many ways. During my childhood years, I believe I fit the description of “people-pleaser” pretty well. As a girl, I desired to please the authority of man; you see, I did not have a relationship with the Lord.

I surrounded myself with girlfriends that were well liked by others, especially my parents. We were all nice girls by the world’s standards until we became teenagers. At that age, most of my friendships with girls dissolved as we each pursued dating relationships with boys who were not pleasing to authority and sought the approval of no one. I walked the fine line between conformity and rebellion, being drawn strongly by the rebels. This dating behavior lasted through high school and part of college.

In January 1999, God drew me to Himself after the birth of my son and the dissolution of my relationship with his dad. God met me where I was in my state of emotional numbness and my season of single parenthood. He brought me the gift of Himself through the vessel of a long lost girlfriend, who ministered to me and invited me to church. In His house, I accepted Jesus as my Savior in mind, heart and soul and began my personal relationship with God, turning my focus towards pleasing Him.

It is quite staggering to realize the extent of details God orchestrated, removing all obstacles and temptations that would hinder our growing relationship. God drew me to a Spirit filled church that had only one single male member in my age group, who actually left the church looking for other singles. Then, He did something more amazing…He sent me girlfriends one after another who wanted to invest in helping me mature spiritually. Now I mean the kind of girlfriends who mentor you, coach you, correct you, pray over you, serve you, believe in you. Through these faithful vessels, I experienced both philia (brotherly) love and agape (self-sacrificing) love. God changed my life through these girlfriends, reminding me that humble servant hood is what bonds us and glorifies Him.

If it weren’t for God sending Himself to me through my girlfriends, I may not have seen the evidence of His character so clearly in my early walk.

Reflections In The Window

One day, like many days in my married life, I was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner for my family of six. After breading chicken and placing it in the frying pan, I stood washing my hands at the sink. Lifting my eyes, I glanced out the window and was reminded that my four children and husband were on the other side of the glass. As they were outside playing ~ laughing and making memories ~ I grew frustrated. My attitude turned scornful and I caught myself thinking, “This is so unfair! While they are outside enjoying family time together, I am stuck in here preparing this meal for them!”

I’m sure I’m not the only woman or mother who’s found themselves wandering down the trail to “It’s Not Fair” town. The lies of this world tell us we deserve to be having fun every minute of the day and that we shouldn’t have to miss out or give up something we may enjoy. Many things plague me as I contemplate this scenario: the pride that demands fairness, the scornful attitude that is the mark of the ungodly (Psalm 1:1), and the selfishness that centers all thoughts on my desires.

The TRUTH is…the world lies and tempts us to seek instant gratification at all times! The sooner we begin “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” (2 Corinthians 10:5), the more alert we’ll be when the world’s priorities invade our home and our hearts. He commands us, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). What we have are our God appointed roles as women, wives, mothers, friends, daughters, sisters, etc. We are to be content in fulfilling the roles that He has given us. In Philippians 3:14, Paul reminds us to, like him, “…press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If we are looking inward, as I did facing my selfish reflection in the window, then we are not looking up. In verse 15, God’s Word says, “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” God doesn’t forsake us even when we are sitting in the muck of our sinfulness; He will reveal our immature attitudes and mindsets. The question is: What do we, as His daughters, choose to do with these truthful revelations of the Holy Spirit?

The TRUTH is…my husband had worked a long day and was expressing his love for our children by playing with them in God’s Creation. He was loving me by allowing me to have “free” time in the house without kids hanging from my leg, or balls being thrown by my head, as I tried to cook. The truth is I was serving them at that moment, preparing a warm meal to share with them during our first real “family time” of the day, sitting around the table breaking bread together while discussing events, emotions and God sightings. What a blessing that the Lord has appointed me to be the one who is able to nourish my family in both body and Spirit with the food and guidance that He has provided. MF