We All Need......

     While driving back home from our Christmas vacation with family, my daughter, a social work major, was working on paperwork she had to fill out.  One question recalled her experience in dealing with diversity and what it meant to her.  It started us on a conversation about what that meant to each of us.  She has had the blessing of being able to travel to several different countries, work with other cultures etc... in her short 19 year old life, as well as working with much inner city culture.  She has witnessed much diversity in her experiences and it will serve her well as she walks the path God has for her life as he catapults her where she is headed using her gifts.  In our conversation we talked about the different things she's encountered.  Stories, people,  various examples of diversity in culture, religion, race,  etc.....     
     Jumping back over the last few weeks, it has hit me several times that I have watched people do various things to try hard to either impress others, or be deliberate about keeping things so private because of being in fear of what others might say about it.  Those might seem like things on the opposite ends of the spectrum but there is still a common thread of FEAR and being a prisoner to others thoughts about your life.  
     As my daughter and I were talking about the various people and the diversity she has encountered and what she has learned from it,   I reminded her that no matter what differences people have, there is still a common human need, and will always be, no matter diversity.
People can come to you from any walk of life.  They can come from any culture, religion, or ethnicity.  They can come from fortune or from famine, and anything in between.  They can have any kind of ability or disability, and can be of any age.   The bottom line is that even in diversity the most basic human need is still and will always be the same..... the need to be loved, and that they matter.  
This is why people go out of their way to impress, or out of their way to hide things..... it is still the root of fear of not being loved for who we are.  We have all walked this road at one time or another.
     As the new year is upon us, a few things are upon my heart:
1. Let us love people without stopping to inquire about whether they are worthy of it....because they are.  
2. Let us love people, right where they are, so intentionally that it allows them to grow and blossom into who God created them to be.
3. Let us love people so ridiculously strongly that they don't have to worry about fear of rejection. It takes so much more energy to strive to impress or strive to hide parts of our lives than it does to just be real, raw and open.  Sometimes people have done this their whole lives and lost who they are in the process.  
4. Let our fierce love for others help them have a platform to discover or rediscover who God  actually created them to be so that they can walk in His truth, His love, His freedom, and His promises fully without fearing what man may say.

 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”

— 1 John 4:18-19

Happy New Year Friends! 

Lets love others fiercely and intentionally in 2020!!

Building Walls

     Over the last year I have taken time to walk through some things in my past that have caused me to build walls in my life.  These walls were built, I assumed because of the lack of trust and fear of getting hurt. FEAR being the key word here. I've had to break down some walls built on lies that the enemy had placed there, in order to discover truth.
In my process of healing, I have learned the importance of building walls but looking at it with a different perspective using different tools. 
Ecclesiastes 3:3 comes to mind "a time to break down and a time to build up."  Over the last few weeks He has instructed me to indeed build a wall...let me explain.
Back in Bible times, walls were built for protection and built for security as defense against the enemies.   Nehemiah rebuilt walls in the second chapter of Nehemiah.  We know that great resistance came against him while he was building these walls.  The enemy knew that once the walls were built that Nehemiah and his people would be safe from harm.  Therefore they were resisted on every turn it seemed.  Psalm 122:7 says;  "Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces. 
 Isaiah 26:1 says "In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song;  Our city is strong!  We are surrounded by the walls of Gods salvation."  This was enough of a revelation for me to recognize that walls are not a bad thing when done with the right purpose, using the right tools.  How do we build walls??  We need to build them the way that God did with the words of our mouths.  
When speaking of building walls, I think that the best walls need great foundations or they will not stand.  Everyone knows the kids song of the wise and the foolish man building the houses on the rock vs the sand. The BEST foundation if you are wall building is JESUS!!  He is also the cornerstone.  We need to build walls on Him and His word...which are ONE!!
In the book of Joshua, the walls of Jericho came down in a shout.  If the walls came down with the words of their mouth, they can definitely go up with the anointed, God breathed words of our mouth.
Every time we pray, confess or worship God we are building our walls.  The more we do this, the greater, the stronger  our walls become as we confess His word over the life of our families and those we hold closest to our hearts.  As we build walls, the good kind, you and those you love become surrounded by Jesus Himself.  If Jesus is surrounding you then you are safe and protected.  I'm reminded of the story of the 3 pigs who built houses to protect themselves from the wolf.  They did it with good intentions, for protection, but what the first 2 used, seemed good in theory but not a solid and therefore not really and truly protected.   For so many years I have built walls to protect me, but it was with the wrong intent... and done out of fear,  with the wrong perspective and based on lies of the enemy because I had been hurt.   They did not protect me, they just caused more hurt, more confusion.
God actually tells us to build walls.  To create, with His word,  a fortified place where we are protected from our enemy.  That place is Him.  That place is the blood of Christ.  I have begun doing just that recently as I pray for those closest to my heart.  For my family, my best friend, finances, my health, my home, etc... etc...  I can feel God's pleasure in this as He shows me how to build walls the correct way.  As I was studying I came across Micah 7:11.  "In the day when your walls are to be built, in that day the decree shall go far and wide."  WOW!!!
Building our walls has everything to do with our decree!! The day we begin building our walls the limits are removed!!!

Feeling Weak?

 

If you have been on social media, you may have seen a set of questions posted by someone you know where you answered questions about them etc....  The one I remember seeing was for parents, and having your child answer questions about what they knew about you etc...  A few years ago I remember having my kids doing it separately, and posting their answers.  It was both eye opening and comical.  I recall my youngest saying that she thought (at the time) that my age was 28.  Of course I laughed at this, but my oldest daughter, who was like 16 at the time, became logically irritated and told her younger sister to "do the math".  She said "If mom was 28 and I am 16....how old do you think she was when she had ME?".....my youngest responded with an "Oh!"  Personally I just laughed and was glad for the compliment on my age. ha ha.  When my oldest daughter had answered the questions, one in particular took me back.  The question was, "What to you admire most about your mom?"  Her response was "She is physically and mentally one of the strongest people I know".  I'm not gonna lie, I was very taken back by that.  Why?  Because I do not feel strong on most days.  I actually, often, feel very weak on most days.  When I asked her about it, she said to me "Because you never give up".  Still I was taken back by her answer, but was thankful for her response.  I guess I was glad that she saw things that way.
This morning I was reading a devotional and it reminded me about the above memory.  I couldn't tell you the other answers that my oldest answered in those silly surveys a few years back, but the ones mentioned, I do remember.  
This morning I read about Paul. (2 Corinthians 11:25-27).  Paul was a beast!!  Paul was tough, bold and fierce.  He endured many persecutions.  "There were times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and day in open sea, I have been constantly on the move.  I have been in danger from rivers, bandits, and my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles,; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."
See, Paul was a beast.  Who else could endure that kind of persecution and still be standing?  Even with his physical and mental strength however, Paul still considered himself weak.
It turns out that Paul wasn't much different that you and I.    He put on a good front.  Paul tried to maintain a positive attitude.  However the worries and terrors Paul endeavored, could even overwhelm him. Still, he pressed on in a bold, confident and courageous manor because he understood that his weakness was the best platform for Gods strength to shine.  (2 Corinthians 12:10)
    I have always been taught to be self sufficient.  My mom is an amazing Godly woman who had to walk through some of her own challenges in life.  I watched her do it with strength and trust in God.  She taught me to work hard for what I wanted.  She taught me to stand for what I believe in.  She taught me to protect those I love and to treat others how you want to be treated.  She taught me to own my mistakes, to pick myself up when I fail and move forward.  All of those are excellent things to teach, and they have served me well.  Where I have often missed it however is forgetting that God is part of that equation.  I feel like I just heard "gasps" around the room - calm down.  Lets be real for a moment.  I think in our own focus sometimes of working hard, pushing to be our best selves, we often can come to rely on "self" in moments at a time.  If you are going to tell me that you have never done that, you need to go repent right now because its simply not true, we have all been there. Its not that I forgot about God being a part, its that my focus was doing the best "I" could do...not a bad thing, just a bit off.  I need to remember that I can do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. (Philippians 4:13)
Self-sufficiency displays nothing of God's power.  Dependency however, sets the stage for strength to shine through.  Weakness allows the glory of God to move in our lives. This is how Paul endured.
Paul believed that Gods strength would not fail him.  Despite what you may have heard, God doesn't shake His head at us when we fail in this area.  When we deal with fear, worry and failure, He is not disappointed and ashamed of us, He sees a man or woman who is dependent on His strength to come in and save the day.  How do we do this (like Paul)?  By choosing to believe it even when we don't feel it.
As I pondered my daughters "strength" response again this morning as I was doing my devotions, I was reminded and it sobered up my thoughts on how I was feeling.....  WEAK, but banking on God to show up....I had almost forgotten. 
 When students in my class reply with excuses like "but, but, but", my reply is often "butts stink, I don't want to hear a BUT from you".  They always laugh, but it clearly gets the point across.  In the phrase above however "WEAK, but banking on God to show up" the "BUT" in that is key!!!  Strength isn't stamina.  It's refusing to quit when you have none.  
I have a dear dear friend, an evangelist, Kent Fishel, who I have known since I was a pre-teen.  I remember him saying this phrase over and over in my head. "A Christian is someone who gets up one more time than he or she falls down."  I have used that saying as a reminder many times in my life, but I would like to add one more thing to it.  "A Christian is someone who gets up one more time than he or she falls down, by grasping the hand of Jesus who is reaching out for them".
We are not self-sufficient.  We must become Jesus dependent.  Day after weary day.
   I still remember my best friends loving but direct words ringing in my ears over a year ago when I was struggling and felt incredibly weak.  He said "Lets see Jen, how many times has God failed you...hhhmmm...none, that's right, so why would it be different now!!!?"
No matter what is sapping your strength or causing you to curl up into fetal position...turn your attention away from circumstances, from what you lack into what He can give.  
     A few weeks ago my dear friend Taylor sang the song "You Say" at the end of our church service.  I have heard this song a million times.  Taylor and I are close, she knows me well.  She knows my heart, our souls are connected, and some how always has seen it clearly...the tender, weak mess that it sometimes is, she knows my deepest desire is to be all that God has called me to be, and sometimes its just hard as I fight through lies that the enemy placed in my head over the years.  When she sang this song, the same song I have heard a million times, I WEPT.  I wept all the way through it.  I have asked myself why, but the truth is because she knows me, and God used her to slap me upside the head.  I was feeling weak, I was believing lies the enemy was throwing at me because that is what he likes to do.  I knew the truth but I was relying on my own "self-sufficiency" to pull me through....It wasn't working. DUH!  It was in this moment as she sang this song that God was saying to me "HELLO, remember me?!    Right after she was done singing, it was only a few minutes later that my best friend also said to me "We've got you" without me having to utter a word. 
Even when we cant remember because life gets blurry sometimes, God will send people or reminders to let you know that your strength is in HIM, in HIS word, His promises, that you are not alone.
When you are feeling ill-equipped, overwhelmed, and weak, Gods grace, God strength, is sufficient for you.  Believe that His strength will not fail. 

All Gods Promises

        Back in May, my family and I traveled to a small town in Ohio that borders on the shores of Lake Erie.  The purpose of the trip was to, not only take time with my own family and best friends family but, to rest, relax, and regroup.  Much time was spent in nature while we were there and I would have had it no other way.  If you know me at all, you know that I am an avid shell collector.  I have collected shells from the ocean and from other Great Lakes, but this would be a first to look for them on Lake Erie.  I had asked my best friend, who is from that area, if he thought I would find a shell.  He assured me he thought I might.  The 4 days that we were there, we spent much time searching, but all we saw were rocks.  Don't think for one second I didnt give him a hard time about it - ha ha.   At first I was disappointed, but then I became intrigued by the rocks.  There were rocks of all types and sizes, but the cool thing was that they all seemed to be smooth and flat.  One beach we were at they were EVERYWHERE.  It may seem silly, but one of my favorite moments on that beach was of my husband.  He is NOT a beach goer.  He does not love being at the beach, but that day he humored all of us and went without complaint.  I was truly blessed by it when I watched him patiently helping our 12 year old daughter pick up "cool" rocks to add to her bag.  He happily and patiently helped her pick up more rocks than she had business collecting in her, ready to burst bag.
The day before this we had been blessed to spend the day with my best friend and his family.  We laughed hard, we ate, we hiked, took pictures, laughed and ate more.  As the day was spent in various conversations and stories of reflection, both funny and sentimental,  I remember the thankfulness that arose, and overwhelming sense of gratitude for "family" that overcame me. Thankful for where I've been and where God was taking us.   I've always been thankful for my family, both blood and not of blood, that I have been blessed with. However, on this day as I looked in the eyes of everyone that surrounded me and listened to their words, I really felt it in my heart the importance of family bonds and what matters.  It reminded me of the importance of love and loyalty, respect and memories etc.... 
Personally my family has had some challenges over the last couple years. This particular weekend it had been exactly one year earlier that I was offered a new job, which was a new beginning of many things of tangible evidence of God moving in our lives. It was after that I watched God work out many challenges we had been faced with in our favor throughout the year.   In our impatient human ways, we become frustrated when God doesn't move as fast as we want Him to. I'm not going to lie...it was a LONG ROAD...  However, his timing is always perfect and He has never failed me, not once.
      As my family and I spent time and walked along the beach collecting rocks the day after we'd been with my best friends family, I thought about the story of Joshua who was leading the 12 tribes of Israel into the Promise Land (Joshua 4:19-24).  After the exit from Egypt, wandering through the wilderness and then crossing the Jordan River, Joshua told each tribe to pull a stone from the Jordan River to start to build an altar on the west side of the river.  This stack of stones was to be a reminder to the people that God had led them safely on their journey.  
As we walked along the beach, and I saw all the large smooth stackable stones, I decided that I wanted to make a miniature of the same reminder Joshua had asked the tribes to do.
(The photo of the one I made you see above.)  To me, and to my family, it is a reminder of where we have walked.  Its a reminder of when we couldn't walk, God carried us, but we got there.  It was a reminder that even though there were bumps in the road, tears shed, and we weren't sure how we would be delivered from the things we faced...that God had us.  It is still a reminder that when challenges arise, and they still do, to remember His promises to us.  It may look different than what we imagined it would, but God restores what the enemy has stolen and will continue to do so. I am trusting in that.
In the morning I have a specific chair I sit at in the dining room to pray, and meditate on the Word of God. This stack of stones sits near there as a constant reminder.  Today I needed that reminder and I was glad I had it.  I may not have found one stinkin' shell on the beach of Lake Erie, but I sure did find a treasure that will continue to serve as a reminder of the beautiful memories made that weekend, and the beautiful promises of my God that will last forever.

Stand and Fight

    Being a daughter of an officer and having a brother as a chief of police, I was glad when states finally passed laws protecting officers when they have someone pulled over. In other words, if an officer has someone pulled over to the right, we must move into the far lane instead of passing right next to the pulled over cars. I watched someone yesterday blow by an officer doing his job, not adhering to that law,.......and they got away with it.  A law doesn’t do much good if we don’t follow it, especially when its meant to protect.

   It works the same way in the word of God.  We have been given great and precious promises through the blood of Jesus Christ, however, if we fail to enforce that word, it may as well not be a promise at all.

If we do not enforce it, stand in faith for it, we will probably never see it.

2 Peter 1:3 says; God has given us EVERYTHING that we need for life.

1 Peter 2:24 says; we are healed by the strips of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 8:9 says; we are made rich because He (Jesus) became poor for us.

These are just a few of the promises of God. They are ours! They belong to us now. Not sometime in the future.... NOW! However, if we don't stand firm on those promises and contend for them, we may never see them in our life.

     I'm currently reading the book “The Last Arrow”. Its exceptional, and I've plowed through 150 pages in 2 days, and to be honest, I don't love to sit and read. 

There was a phrase in it that I read last night that hit me between the eyes:

“You need to decide to stop running in fear and turn around and fight the good fight. You need to decide who you are and what you are about, why you live and what you are willing to die for. Until you decide to stand your ground you are like a leaf blowing in the wind. You will see yourself as a victim of circumstance, or even worse, a victim of Gods cruelty.”

This made me think of 2 Timothy 1:7;

“For God does not give us the spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

     Back in January I remember a church service of watching my friend Becki lead worship.  She is ridiculously talented, and it always brings me such joy just to watch her walk in her gifts. I could not tell you what she was singing for worship, I can just tell you that in the midst of my own worship, I felt a release to "move forward" in my life. To this day I cannot explain fully what exactly "happened", I just know God wanted me to press into him and move forward out of fear, and further into freedom.

   Still, I sat on that for awhile, making sure I didn’t misunderstand, and to be honest....giving God a chance to change his mind and check Himself if He was sure that is what HE wanted.  I can hear some of you gasping...go right ahead.  I know that is funny, or even appalling, depending on how you decide to look at it. Seriously, to ask God "Are you sure?!", but that is how fear works....I wanted to give Him an "out"  ha ha.

    A few weeks later, I sat with my dear friend Taylor, out to breakfast.  Taylor has known my struggle with fear. We have this amazing kindred spirit relationship.  She has patiently waited for me to get to the moment I was about to reveal to her.  Even up to the second it came out of my mouth I said to God, "Are you sure?!"    ......(Silence). 

It was almost as if I could picture Him looking at me, arms folded, giving me the look like, "Really Hock?!"

When I finally got over myself and shared with Taylor that I was ready to stare fear in the face and move past it into what God wanted to use me for, she was over joyed. 

Part of that was auditioning for the worship team, which she had asked me to consider over a year ago prior.  

 In other words, instead of hanging out and playing patty cake with fear..... I am going to stare it long and hard in the face, move past it, and I am gonna instead take God up on His offer of "power, love and sound mind".  

Its interesting how much God can ACTUALLY use us when we abide by His promises and stop letting fear blow us around like that leaf in the wind. Its a continual growth process of holding every thought captive.

However, again, His promises only work when we abide by them.  Since that moment I have watched God open doors that fear had once stolen in my life with both singing and speaking....both things I know are part of my calling in the race He has me on.  

    His promises are there for protection, so that we can walk in the life of freedom He has intended for us all along.

 I will end with this quote from The Last Arrow ;

"If people have never known fear, they have never had a need for courage."

Let me encourage you to find enough courage to look fear in face and trust that God's promises are for you too, so you can walk in the life of freedom He has always intended for you.

Not Everything We Face Can Be Changed........BUT.....

     Its been an interesting weekend.  I found myself Saturday night so heavy hearted that I text a couple girlfriends and asked them to pray.  It felt like depression trying to sneak up on me, yet I didn't understand the heaviness.  I felt it was an attack, because I know what those feel like, but it seemed out of the blue and made no sense.  My last thought I remember before falling asleep was the reminder of the verse that we do not fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 16:2). I remember feeling, that "tired" feeling, where you begin to question your worth and why we are even fighting, is it worth it - complete lies of the enemy...I felt weary, not seeing clearly...but deep inside me is a fighter.  At some point I fell asleep.  When I woke my head was clear.  I had been in prayer much of the day yesterday for someone close to my heart, and also for my family. The heaviness from the night before now made sense.  It was a war raging...the enemy was mad, but I just felt something was on the horizon. I am, by Gods doing, a fierce protector, a fighter for those closest to me. I've been believing for break through for those closest to my heart. My weary heart is trying to hard to keep standing on it...but some days when you see those you love hurting, it's just flat out hard....but the fight is still in me.  
    Today, not scheduled for worship team this weekend, I stood in my seat at church this morning, watching my teammates use their God given talents for worship...something that absolutely blesses my soul.  They sang a song that we will also be singing in a couple weeks called Great Things.  I have been practicing my harmony, I know it well, but today it hit me....something different I picked up in the words after feeling such incredible heaviness the night before. 

"We dance in your freedom awake and alive, O Jesus our Savior your Name lifted High, you have done great things.  You've been faithful through every storm, You'll be faithful forever more, you have done great things. And I know you will do it again, for your promise is yes and amen, you will do great things, God you do great things...…."

As I sang those words it hit me.  I have prayed a TON.  I have begged God to move mountains, change and soften hearts and change situations for those I love.  As I stood with my hands held high in praise today, it hit me between the eyes....my praise needs to equal my prayer. Prayer is indeed important, God hears our prayers, yet He inhabits our praise.  Every time I feel heaviness, sadness, helplessness, when my heart aches for those I love...instead of praying now, I need to praise .  
When Paul and Silas were in the prison, they prayed, but it was when they praised...that is when the doors opened.  Where God dwells, His promises manifest.  When God shows up, things change. When God is present, the enemy flees and Gods word manifests right before our eyes...we see this time and time again in the Bible.

Have you taken time to praise God for your breakthrough?  Its tough...especially when you do not feel like it.  When things are heavy, when it feels like your are drowning or facing a wall or trying to dig yourself out of a pit. (preachin' at myself).  When life is confusing and blurry and you are desperately trying to focus.....praise.  To do this means we have to get over ourselves physically and mentally....look past the circumstances. The water threatening to drown us and tickling our nose hairs, threatening to take us under.....PRAISE.  It is flat out hard, but we have to make a choice to rejoice.
It makes no sense in human form to praise prior to seeing it manifest, but what hit me today is that He has NEVER failed, we have to praise despite the pain, despite the fact that we cant see.  We need to "dance in His freedom awake and alive, oh Jesus our Savior Your Name lifted High, you have done great things."  

The walls of Jericho came down with a praise.  As I stood with my family today praising God, I felt Him call us to more of it.  
That my praise should equal my prayers!!!

   Dr. Bob preached today and made a statement; "Not everything you face can be changed; but nothing can be changed until you face it."  That was confirmation to me...to do what I can do.  I can praise in the storm, despite the pain, the hurt...the worry.
When we were about to leave, the worship team sang another song and the bridge was a great reminder. 
"You who holds the stars, and call them each by name, will surely keep your promise to me, that I will rise in your victory".

He calls us by name...we are HIS.  Its a different perspective when we remember the God inhabits our praises and it is surely an atmosphere changer.  "Not everything we face can be changed, but nothing can be changed unless we face it"....lets also face it with our praise and see how God moves. As much as you pray....praise.
Blessings.