Ladies, how are you dressing or UNdressing yourself?

This question is for me too. This question popped up in my mind this week while reading and studying the Word.

I'm sure many have read or heard that we are to honor our bodies because we were bought with a price. But how many times do we actually take a moment to think about what we are wearing? I know we go about our days with our never ending "to do list" taking care of all that needs to be done: cooking, cleaning, laundry, homework, etc. We also come to a point where eventually we stop to decide what we are going to wear either for the present day or the next day. This is all fine and dandy and covers us so that we have a beautiful presentation by the clothes we choose to wear.

But how many of you ever wonder how are you dressing up internally??

I thought about this across this week. In the Word I found some ways that I need to dress and UNdress myself. Maybe you can relate...come, let's dive in.

I Corinthians 3:16 "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" 6: 20 says: "for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." First of all I need to recall to mind that I belong to God and am NOT my own. His Spirit lives inside of me, so just as I need to food for physical survival I also need food for my Spiritual survival. Keep this in mind..."What feeds me, affects me"-Lysa Terkeurst. It is my responsibility to honor Him; therefore it is also my responsibility to feed my Spirit. And feed it the RIGHT food. So by watching how I dress myself, I can honor Him.

Let's see what we need to take off first!
Anxiety---
I Corinthians 7:32 ESV "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried (woman) is anxious about the things of the Lord." How many times do you find yourself worrying about this and that only to find yourself in a place of not being able to do anything about it. I find myself there often. And it can wear me out if I let it. Anxiety can get so bad that it can begin to wear down on you physically and mentally. Before we get there, let's cry out to the Lord to save us from our anxieties. Let us cast our cares upon Him. Let's see how we can help pour the Word into someone elses life. Let's get out of our comfort zones and learn ALL we can about pleasing the Lord.

Jealousy---
Proverbs 14:30 NLT "A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones." How many times do we look at the next woman and desire what she has all because of what she LOOKS like on the outside or how her life appears to others. Author Lysa Terkeurst made a great statement that stuck in my mind. She says something to this effect, "I am not equipped to handle what that woman has, good or bad". And this is very true. You know the saying "be kind for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle". You and I are were uniquely created by God for a purpose. It's up to us to tap into that purpose He has for us. Your life is your life. My life is my life. God made me Liz for a reason. He gave me my responsibilities for a reason. He gave me my hardships for a reason. He gave me my hurts for a reason. He allowed me to shed my tears for a reason. I can't face the woman next to me on the church pew, battle. I can't cry her tears for her. I can't climb her mountain for her. I can't go through that hurt for her. But I can do my best to walk with her, encourage her and be a shoulder to lean on when she needs it. I can look at my life and find all the good that God has blessed me with and soak in all its joy.

Fear---
My Pastor preached a sermon two weeks ago that he entitled "What's wrong with your faith?" He went on to say that it bothers God when we have fear and don't believe in Him. This struck a nerve for me. You see that is exactly what fear does. It causes us not to believe God. I realized that I had been putting a limit on what God can do for me and through me. I want so desperately to undress myself with fear. Fear holds you back from opportunities. Fear keeps you from moving forward in what God has planned for you to do a long time ago. And you know whatelse I realized? I can fear the unknown so much so more than I fear and reverence God. How? By engaging in the act on not trusting Him with my life. The very life that He created and can take at any given moment.

So after, digging in the Word and reflecting. I found some ways that can help me better dress myself.

How can dress up properly?

I need to put more trust foundation on. For Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." My own understanding will land me in Hell. Trust ladies.

I need a dress that's wrapped with love. God desires for us to model the way He lived while here on earth. He wants us to love everyone and live at peace with all people as far as it depends on us. "So far as it depends on us" means we have to do our part. Love others. Honor God.

I'm sorry this post is so long. I could really go on and on about this because God has really been dealing with me about this. I hope this blesses you as it has truly blessed me. So, the next time we look in the mirror before heading out the door to face the world, let's remember to dress up properly. :-)

Blessings,
~Liz~

Laying it Down

I'm tired...

Tired of feeling like I'm the only one giving my All.

Tired of saying yes when inside I'm screaming No!!!

Tired of circling around the same mountain that's aka (also known as) No where!

I don't feel like this in every area of my life, but there is a certain area that I've given the title of "no where". And if I'm not careful, it can rub into other areas of my life and just jack my mind all up. I tend to visit it off and on every 4 months or so, sometimes I can go longer. Maybe you have a place in your own life like this?

A place or someone that you can't seem to shake off completely. You say this is it. This is the last time I'm doing this, and you really have your mind made up not to. But then times passes. You find yourself right back in that spot. And you wonder how did I get back here? Why am I here? Again? Sound familiar?

Boy does it ring a bell to me! I have some things I struggle with. I'm not proud of it but I have to admit it to myself so I can deal with it head on. You see, that's the first step, realizing that you have a problem. When I realize I have a problem, then I can go to the next step and work toward a solution. But first I have to realize and admit or in better terms, confess...

Some may be reading this and say well, if you know you have a problem then just stop already. But, hey that's easier said than done. We all have a struggle or struggles. But we don't have to stay in the struggle. That's why Jesus came. He knew we were going to make a mess of things. He knew we'd find ourselves in things that are way over our precious heads. He knew we'd one day get to a point where all we want to do is scream! And throw in the towel. He knew we'd one day feel like we are at the end of the road and stuck at no where. He knew we'd be afraid that one day we might just travel so far off the cliff to the point of no return to Him.

Ever feel that way? Well, I have. But I know my God better than that. Even though I may feel I can't change, I know a God that can do ALL things. I know a God that can restore in me what has been depleted. I know a God Who can empty me of the dead weight. I know a God who can get my heart right. Navigate me around the stumbling blocks in my path and make sure I end up on the road to the destiny that He has planned just for me. And He can for you too.

He promised us that He will never leave us. In II Chronicles 20:15 I'm reminded "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but God's". I'm so glad that this battle I face is not mine. I'm so glad to be reminded that "it's my job to be obedient to God and God's job for results".

I have to make daily choice to lay my battles/struggles down at the feet of Jesus. Just this morning on my way to work, I was thinking I just need to lay it ALL down at my Saviour's feet. I was feeling like the singer Tamela Mann as her song was playing on my radio, take me to the King. Lay me down at the throne and leave me there until I can't help but to get it right. This thing is too big for me. May I encourage you to lay that thing down as well? That thing is beyond our abilities to fix. Only the touch of the Master's Hand can handle such.

Blessings,

Liz

Labels

Hello ladies! It's been a while since I've been on here. Glad to be back :-).

Today I want to talk about labels. Labels are the mean or awful names we or others will give to us. We as women tend to struggle with these, often times harsh labels, the most. We do it to ourselves and we do it to other women and here is where we find ourselves in sin of judging and condemning. And that my friends is a dangerous place to be. I'm doing an online bible study right now on the book Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst. In this book she states "Labels are awful. They imprison us in categories that are hard to escape." My how I have found that to be true. Maybe you have to?

As you know I'm a single mom. I look at being a single mom as a label; a label I will be stuck with. I often think that's what "people" think of me. But you know what I have learned? I can look at this label and break it down into what Lysa says as either reality or a lie meant to tear me down. She gave us a demonstration that I want to share with you. You can insert whatever your "label" is and determine the reality and the lie just as I did below.

1. Identify the label
The reality: I am a single mother. The lie: Being a single mom means I'll be this way forever. The truth: I am a single mother, but I don't know what God's plan is for me in the future. This does not make me any less important than a mother who is married. I am simply a mother. And a beautiful one at that :).

She then tells us to view our circumstance as a call to action, not a call to beat ourselves up mentally.

2. View the circumstance as a call to action
Being a single mom has saved my life! This is why I'm here doing what I'm doing. This is why I started this blog because I know how it feels to be here. I have struggled with it, still sometimes do. But I have accepted it as what God wants for my life right now. So, I decided I wanted to do something. Something to help another woman and this is how this blog came to be.

3. Use the momentum of tackling one label to help tackle more.

Lysa also says that "labels only stick if I let them". Did you hear that? Labels only stick if we let them stick! We should not keep doing this horrible thing to ourselves. We are making ourselves prisoners. That's why we must turn to the Lord for him to "chisel" us. Shape us into the God fearing women He created each of us to be. And He can and He will. If we let Him. Let's choose today ladies. Let's choose to be free from the prison of labels.

Blessings,
Liz

Pass the Test!

He said "I'm interested in you. I'm divorced; I have signed the papers but she refuses to sign". Her first thought is "Whoa, what am I to do? Do I run or do I take it one step at a time"? Decisions, decisions. We are all faced with them everyday, all through out the day. My cousin, a minister recently wrote a post on facebook about "purpose". It really touched me and spoke to me. A couple of weeks ago my Pastor preached a sermon on "Don't get into big of a hurry". Little did I know that all this food I had been receiving then would be the very source to give me strength and courage that I needed later. There's a scripture that reads "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiates 3:1 ESV) And boy have I found this to be true. There is also a scripture that says "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it". (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I was hesitant to write about this subject because it is really touchy. But I said maybe, just maybe it will help someone out or myself by simply writing and letting it flow. Some of us have been in this situation as described above, some have not and may never. But just in case you do or are now I want to chat with you. We often look at situations in life from an emotional stand point more than spiritual. We have to take a step back and view this picture in full detail. We have to set our emotions aside. We have to say it's going to be me and God to work through this thing. We have to go to the Word. We have to study and meditate on it. I pulled out some old devotionals from a daily singles devotional I get through email. What I re-read gave me the answer clear as day that I already knew about a situation.

Ladies, we can not play with fire. One lady sent in the question can she date someone who is separated but the divorce is not final yet. Her question intrigued me because I can see the trap that satan has already set. Trap: (He is separated but legally still married). The devil will get inside our mind and our emotions will run haywire if we don't take them captive and give them to God. We will start to justify why we feel we can do what we want to do and believe it's okay. But that is not how it works when we are christians. As christians we are called to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. So just because the thought comes well I can get away with it if I do this, don't entertain it! Let it go! Run away! Because whatever is of God is good and holy; we won't have to second guess it. I've said it before and I say it again, God does not bless mess! Now he can turn our mess into a MESSAGE. But we need to choose to look for and take the escape route he gives. It's a choice and not easy but can be done. For his word says "I can do all things through him who gives me strength".

In this devotional one of the responders (a male) said this: (Catch it now) "Can you? Yes. Should you? No. It does not matter how far along the divorce proceedings are or how coincidental the reunion was, or how much you enjoy one another's company, the man is still LEGALLY married. Carrying on an dating relationship with a married man is emotional adultery." To me, carrying on a communicating relationship can lead to emotional adultery.

He also gave the example of Joseph from Genesis 39:6-7. His master's wife pursued him but Joseph RAN! He fled from her and God rewarded him by blessing him. But what's also awesome in that story about Joseph is not only did God bless him for being faithful, he also blessed his family. Read the story if you haven't.

My mom often tells me just pass the test. We have to honestly and deligently sit back and evaluate things from a spiritual perspective because if we are not careful sin will creep in and take control over us; this is when we find ourselves in things that have spiraled out control when we finally realize or eyes are finally open. And in order for us to pass the test, we must first realize that there is a test and what the test is. Then we have to be woman enough to make the right choices so that we can pass and get a A+ from God.

So as Mary Mary says "Sometimes in order to get what you never had you have to do something that you never did". So girls, let's stay prayed up for each other and ourselves that we will be able to pass the test and flee from the temptations we are faced with. Lord help us to be more patient and wait on you and your PERFECT timing so that when it's our time to receive we will be blessed and we will have your favor. Now, go on out there and get your blessing girl! :-)

Being a Mother

Being a mother has been my greatest joy besides my salvation. I always dreamed when I was a little girl growing up of becoming a wife and mom of twins (twins- can you believe that?? what was I thinking lol) and having the pretty house that we can all call home; we'd be happy. Many of you may can relate I'm sure to having your own dreams. Today I am not married, I don't have twins and I don't quite have my dream home yet. But I am proud to say that I am a devoted mother to my one son. We have a roof over our heads, food in our fridge and clothes both on our back and in our closets and we call it home. We are happy, in fact we have joy! Happiness comes and goes, but joy, that gift stays!

When I was pregnant I drove a car and all I could think of was I have to get me a "mom vehicle"! This will be too small. I have to drive the mom car so I can feel like a mom. Can you relate? Well, things happened and allowed me to get the vehicle that I wanted. But, let me tell you what I soon learned after giving birth to my son. That car didn't and does not make me a mom. Carrying my son for 9 months, going through labor and delivering him by the grace of my God did! Loving him before I even knew what he looked like did. Falling in love the moment I heard his first cry did. Waking up in the middle night did. Nursing him EVERY two hours faithfully and then some did! Making sure it's my face he sees when he wakes up and my face he sees when he falls to sleep did. Our mothers are a gift from God.

I love my mother more than I can ever express in words. That lady showed me what it means and how to be the mother and woman that I am today. It's not an easy job but it is the BEST job! My mom showed me and continues to show me what hospitality is, what caring about someone else's needs feels like. She did not send us to church, she took us to church. She made sure we had everything we needed and then some. If you know me, then you know I call her one fly grandmother :) and she is. I thank God for my gift.

This Mother's Day if your mom is still here, let's make sure to let her know how much we love her and appreciate her. Happy Mother's Day to each of you!

God Bless,

~Liz~

Lady in Waiting...

I have been reading and a lot of the material I have come in contact to reading lately has been talking about waiting, being patient and putting your hope in the Lord. So I took it upon myself to read the story of Hannah for some insight. In 1Samuel Chapters 1 and 2 are telling the story of Hannah and her cry to God for help. Hannah was a barren woman. But being barren does not describe WHO Hannah is, yet because this was a known fact (everyone knew because she had no children)she was labeled and made fun of because of her barrenness. And to add insult to injury, her husband had another wife. This other wife made it hard for Hannah by rubbing it all in her face because she had children and Hannah did not. Sound familiar? This lady was using what God blessed her with to belittle another. Merriam-Webster defines barren as being not productive, not bearing fruit, devoid or lacking, lacking interest or charm, etc. Basically, barren means empty plain and simple. How many of us tend to feel barren in our own lives? I don't have that car. I don't have that job. My kids are lost and I don't know what to do. I don't have a husband. I know you're probably wondering what am I getting at because when we think of being barren, we automatically tend to think of not being able to bear children. But as I studied this thing, I was looking for God to speak to my situation. We all have situations...yep we do. I came to the idea that my barrenness may not be the same as your barrenness and vice versa. You see when God created us He already knew us. He already had our life story written, for He is Alpha and Omega; the author and finisher of our faith. He knew there would be some things we longed for in this life. Many of us could easily get to feeling like Hannah after year after year of no change in our condition or should I say our situation. Hannah was longing for a child, so much so that her husband felt sorry for her. He loved her and accepted her but this was not enough for Hannah. She could only could get what her heart was desiring from God. Remember I wrote in a post one time, "Lord help me to be able to handle what I have been desiring when you do give it to me"? Well, can we handle the gifts He gives? Do you think that is why we may be in waiting right now? Do you think that if He gave it to us we'd keep our end of the deal and honor Him and not make idols of the gifts? You see Hannah had gotten so bitter and hurt about this thing she was dealing with that she cried out to God in prayer. WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! You mean to tell me that this lady cried to God in prayer? To the same God that many probably teased her about and may have blamed for her barrenness. Yes! She did. God was her last hope. How many of you are down to your last hope right now? Hannah not only prayed and asked God to deliver her from that situation, but she also told Him that if He would grant her request to allow her to bear a son she would give her son back to Him. Now me personally, I'm thinking how in the world could this woman say this!?! Here she is begging for a son and now she's saying she's going to give him back. But as I pondered on this...I began to see just how strong Hannah was, just how strong her faith was. So now I'm like, God give me some of that faith like Hannah. Lord help me to cry out to you to deliver me from my barrenness. Lord help me to wait for you and your timing for I know that this is just a test of my faith. Lord help me to not grow weary in doing good and help me to believe that in due season I shall reap if I don't give up (Galatians 6:9). Guess what, Hannah got her wish, not only did God give her a son but He also gave her three sons and two daughters! What an AMAZING God we serve!! If He can do it for Hannah, ladies He can do it for us! Ladies, let us not grow weary in the wait. But let this be a time to surround ourselves with God. Some of us have a barrenness that's not as open for others to see, but guess what...God knows and He sees. He also sympathizes with us. He wants the very best for us. Whatever your barrenness is, I hope and pray for us all that we turn it over to God and trust Him and His timing. I pray for patience because it's going to take a lot of it. And when you have time, take a moment to read over Hannah's story in 1Samuel Chapters 1 & 2 and know that God has not forgotten you. "Don't get discouraged by what you see, but be encouraged by what you don't see". Blessings, ~Liz~

Far from perfect

Hello ladies! I've been MIA on the blog; I've been busy with church and busy with life. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. I enjoyed the break and spending time with my son. This has been the best Easter so far. On Good Friday, April 6, 2012 I woke up with joy in my heart for what Jesus did for me, you, my son, all of us. I wrote a post on facebook that stated: "Because He lives I faced yesterday, because He lives I face today and because He lives I have hope to face tomorrow. I'm not perfect but, because He is I don't have to be." I don't know why I woke up with that in my spirit, but I did. It's good to know in a fallen world that is filled with endorsing beauty as being the woman who is size 2 with flawless makeup and no signs of flaws as the way to be. But in actuality, we ALL have flaws and fall short in this life. If someone does not like you or accept you for WHO you are then you don't need them in your life anyway. I get tired of seeing the young ladies saying how they feel so down, "but then I heard from you" is what they'll say. Honey, a man should never define who you think you are or how you feel about yourself! And I can say this to you because I've been there. Anyone who truly wants you will respect you and admire your inner beauty, what's in your heart. My cousin wrote a post that "if your man can't lead you in worship then leave his butt behind, if your woman can't pray with you or tell you something about the Lord then she might not be the one for you". I agree, now that I'm older and have some life experiences, I think he is exactly right. We don't want the one who is seeking God, trying to do right. We want flashy; we want instant gratification. This is why so many marriages may have problems today and fall apart. This is why there are single parents. There is not ENOUGH of God in our homes and in our hearts! This is what we allow ourselves to accept, when we accept less than the best. Ladies we were made for more! God wants more for us. This is why He died, so we can have more. It starts with us though. We have to want more, expect more and demand more.

I remember I used to think I had to be a certain way; I wanted a certain life. Many of you can relate to this I'm sure. We as women, when we were little girls, we often dream of our life for the future: the fairytale wedding, the beautiful kids, the great job and the great husband. Sometimes we get what we want and sometimes we don't. But it's not to say that we aren't good enough or undeserving, better yet that we never will. Sometimes, we are not ready to receive what we thinkwe are. We may can't handle it. God may have something or someone better who will appreciate you for all your worth. This can be a hard pill to swallow. It feels like rejection, but it's really just God's protection. He knows what we can handle and when we can handle it.

It's easier said than done, trust me I know :) But we have to trust Him. The word trust has been surrounding me lately it seems. I keep getting words from His word telling me to trust Him. So it is my prayer for you and myself that we all can learn to trust the Lord with ALL of our heart. (Not just some of it or with some things) I pray that we lean on Him and not our own understanding. I pray that we acknowledge Him with ALL our ways so that He can make our paths straight. You see if we don't, we make our own paths longer to where He wants us to be. I'm learning this.
I may have been all over the place while writing this, but I hope you get what I'm trying to say. :)

I hope you ladies have a blessed week! <3 you!

Blessings,
~Liz~

Having Inward Assurance

"A confident heart is found in a woman who knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that she is loved NO MATTER WHAT. A confident woman trust this truth: Even when she falls, she doesn't stay down. Instead, she reaches for God's hand and rises again." (Proverbs 24:16)~ Renee Swope

How many of us struggle with finding confidence? I know I have often and still struggle with my confidence as a woman, daughter, sister, mother and friend. My confidence sometimes seems to come and go based on how I feel at the moment or what I have done or what has been done to me. I struggle with it so much so, that at times I have felt like I am not worthy, useful or wanted; let along needed. But I have learned that I'm not alone in my struggle. I have also come to realize that I and many of you may can relate to looking for lasting confidence in other people, positions and possessions. BUT, our confidence should be found in God alone! God gives us blessed assurance. He gives us lasting confidence.

We can sometimes get caught up into self criticism, being our own worst enemy. We find ourselves comparing what we have to other women because of what we think she may have going on. God does not want us to have the spirit of jealousy or covetousness. He wants us to be content with who we are in Him. Each of us were uniquely created. God had a plan for each of us before we were even born. In Ephesians 2:10 NLT it states: "For we are God's MASTERPIECE. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us LONG AGO". The "long ago" in this verse really stands out to me because it gives an assurance to me that my God's got this! Even though I fall short, and I will because I'm human, God already knows before I mess up. In fact He knows every "mess up" before I do it. But it's up to me to reach for His hand and try again. Never give up! For He has assured me that He will complete the work that He started in me. And that makes my heart smile. That gives me inner peace. It encourages me to press my way on in this life. So this is why I stand before you today my sisters in Christ and walk with confidence because I know WHO I am and WHOSE I am. For you and I are daughters of the Most High, why wouldn't be confident? :)

Blessings,

~Liz~

What are you desiring?

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" ~Psalm 37:4

Do you have a desire(s)? To desire means to long or hope for; to express a wish for per Merriam-Webster.

My next question is, what do you find yourself delighting in? For Merriam-Webster defines delight as a high degree of gratification; extreme satisfaction; something that gives great pleasure... hmm...

Well, I know I have some desires that I have been longing for. So much in fact, that at times I begin to wonder if God has forgotten me; I question why haven't you answered me yet??!! Last night in Bible Study, we were discussing that God is ETERNAL; meaning He always was, is and will be. Our feelings change, but God's stays the same. His love for us stays the same.

But what I have noticed about desires is, a true desire will be constant. It won't change according to how we may feel at the moment. So I say that to say this, we have to be careful of what we desire! Whoa... really, as my brother would say, lol. But yes, REALLY! If we are not careful we will focus on things that we make into small, idol gods. For the Lord our God is a jealous God; He tells us we are to "have no other gods before Him". (see Deuteronomy 5:7, 9) We have to have the desire within ourselves to want Him first. Not if we get what we want. We also have to be careful that we are not just saying we desire Him, just to see if He will give us what we want...for Matthew 4:7 says "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test". This can be scary. In fact it scares me as I write this, as it runs through my mind. So my prayer is, Lord help me to desire you fully. Help my soul to crave you. Help me to long for you. Help me to wake up in the morning eager to spend time with you in your word like when I first started studying and had that excitement in my heart. Help me to delight in you and your promises for me. Lord help me to seek you with all my heart, not just to receive a reward, but just because of who You are! Yes I want you to fulfill the desires of my heart, but I want to be complete in YOU so that when I do receive the reward I will know how to appreciate it and how to handle it. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ladies I hope this helped someone. It surely helps me to write it more than you know. It really does my soul good. Please fill free to comment if you'd like, if not just know I appreciate you stopping by. :)

Blessings,
~Liz~

Are you breathing or suffocating??

Life is so full of things; things that bring joy, things that bring hurt, things that give us hope, things that haunt us. I know a million thoughts run through my mind a day; sometimes it seems like in a few seconds. I mean literally I can be driving down the road and wonder sometimes how I even made it to my destination. Sometimes I can be on the phone or sitting at church and so many things run through my head that it seems like a conversation that is so real, I wonder if the person sitting next to me or in front of me heard it. Do you ever feel like this?

If we allow him, satan will invade our mind by taking over our thoughts; that's why we have to wear the helmet of salvation at ALL times. We have to "take every thought captive to obey Christ". (See 2Corinthians 10:5) We have to make a conscious choice to NOT believe His lies. We have to "lead every thought and purpose away" (AMP)to God. Bring it up against His truths, what He promises us, who He says that we are. I wrestle with this more than I like to admit. I find myself sometimes listening to him belittle me for my past failures, for things others have done to me that have left me bruised from hurt, which in turn makes me feel like I'm no longer good enough. Have you felt this way? Are you feeling this way right now?

You see this is the trick of the devil. In John 10:10 it says "The theif (satan) comes only to steal, kill and destroy". He comes to steal our joy, happiness and peace. He comes to make us believe that we are not worthy to receive love or to even give love. He wants us to be stuck in our pits. He wants us to fall into the sin of self pity, and it's okay if we do fall into it. But guess what... God will lift us out of the pit, if we allow Him to.

If we don't give in and surrender to Him, we will suffocate! We will suffocate from the negative thoughts, the past failures, the broken hearts, the shame... you name it, whatever it is that has a stronghold on you. But God, does not want us suffocating like this! He wants us to LIVE and LOVE. Jesus came so that we can have life and have an abundant life filled by His provisions of love, joy and peace. He didn't promise that we would have an easy road on this journey, but He did promise He would never leave nor forsake us. That promise right there alone should give us comfort and allow us to breathe freely.

I hope you ladies are having an awesome week; if it's been one of those long ones just know it will get better. Mine was interrupted with my sick baby at the beginning of the week but he's all better now. Sometimes we need God to interrupt us as Lysa Terkeurst would say :)

Blessings,

~Liz~

Love is...

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. {1Corinthians 13:4-8}

My Pastor's sermon on Sunday was about Love. It was right on time too. He came from 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now abide faith hope love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Love a simple four letter word and to some its just simply that: "a word". When I read this I imagine Paul writing a love letter so to speak to you and me. He wants to open our eyes to see how we can easily fall into the trap of temporary things to fill us. I love this chapter 13 in 1Corinthians because it helps keep me grounded and focused on truth. As we get ready to celebrate this Valentine's Day let's not get so focused on the chocolate, flowers and edible arrangements. Instead let's focus on the true meaning of love. Loving God and accepting His unconditional love for us. Let's show kindness to someone. Give someone a smile. Pray for our neighbor. Do something unexpected to help someone out who may be going through a rough patch right now. What I'm trying to get at is, let us not focus on what we can get out of or from someone. Let's be the example of love that Christ is. I love when Paul states that "Love BEARS all things, BELIEVES all things, HOPES all things, ENDURES all things. Love NEVER FAILS." Love is love; it's constant, love is considerate. Love is there through the good and the bad. I've been doing a study by Renee Swope that teaches about "finding love that won't fail even when I do" (A Confident Heart). You and I will fail sometimes; we will make mistakes. But God already knows our hearts inside and out; He examines our hearts; therefore He knows us completely. He still loves us just the same. We have to be satisfied with Him first. He already paid the ULTIMATE price to show His unconditional love for you and me. I'm so glad that I have come to know Him for myself and have an understanding of His love just for me. I hope you have too, if not, it's not too late for you too, to taste and see that He is good and He does give living water so that we will never have to thirst again.

Now don't get me wrong I do love me some chocolate :). But I'm just not focused on all that like I used to be. I feel like love is an action word and it takes more than one day set aside by man to show true love. I hope all you ladies have a wonderful Valentine's Day. And may my God feel your hearts with His true love.

Blessings,

~Liz~

Searching...

"It is a rare soul indeed who has been sought after for WHO she is, not because of what she can do, or what others can gain from her, but simply for herself"~ John Eldredge and Brent Curtis

I first read these beautiful words last year while reading A Confident Heart by Renee Swope for a Bible study. I just re-read themlast week while re- doing this study. The first time through this statement didn't really catch my attention BUT this time it did the very first time I read it. It was so beautiful to me because I realize that's who I want to be, that's how I want to feel and that's how I want to be treated. In fact I believe that's what we all desire deep within. We all want to be loved and accepted for who we are. We desire to be wanted. So much so that we set out looking for someone or something to make us or help us fill this longing inside. We desperately search. Some try a career or certain college degree. Some turn to drugs or alcohol. Some turn to the opposite sex. Some turn to the label of being someone to somebody. We feel like if we can just get in that position we will feel all that we are looking to feel. We will feel complete, yea that's it....complete. And so we search.

But I have come to learn that NOTHING or NO ONE can ever make us feel this wholeness and completeness BUT God and Him alone. Not only have I learned this but I believe this with all of me. I believe this because no matter if I get all these things I will still want something more later. Why? Because all these things that we are desiring are temporary. If we could get that reality to sink in we would be much more receptive to God's plan for our life.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its wrong to have desires; in fact God made us to desire and he said we can have them IF we delight in Him. See psalm 37:4. So that's what I'm doing. I'm allowing myself to fall in love with Jesus and all He has for me. I know that He loves me unconditionally. He won't stop loving me or turn away from me because of my past. He will be right here with me walking with me through each trial and each victory. He will deliver me from my enemies. He will hold me when I want and need to be held. He will just be there for me. And knowing all this makes it worth while loving Him. People will walk away. People will hurt you. People will disappoint you. But God can't and will not fail you. So I pray and hope that we all search for God to complete us. NO ONE or NO THING can compare to Him and His love.

I hope you ladies have a blessed work week. I will spend Monday celebrating my Birthday Lord's will :)
Please feel free to post a comment.

Blessings,
~Liz~

Go ahead and stick it out!

Tough words huh? Yeah I know. But its what we need from time to time. In Lamentations chapter 3 we're told in verse 27 of the message "It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times." Life is hard and unfair at times. We get the feeling of defeat and being overwhelmed sometimes. It's ok to feel that way sometimes but its not good to stay stuck there. We have to change our perspective. Look at the situation ,think and ask God ok what is the good that's coming out of this? If you can't see it right now just wait patiently and in the mean time stay in continual communication with our Father. In His time He will show you. Often times we mistake the material things for "the good". But the word teaches us all those temporary things shall (meaning will) pass away. We can have money in the bank but if we don't have Jesus we are lost. We have to put our hope and trust in God alone. He is the only one who can bring us through and stick with us each step of the way. I'm reminded of the words of a song that was rendered in church service today. When we don't know what to do in the tough days it is then we need to go to our secret place and pray. Do you have a secret place? If not I encourage you to make a point to find one and use it. God will come near and hold you and comfort you. How do I know? Because I have tried him for myself!
I hope you ladies have a great work week! Keep the scripture Lamentations 3:27 in your heart and mind this week.
Blessings :)

When God is for you

I love when I pray to God about something that may be heavy on my heart and I make a decision to leave it with Him, He gives me confirmation/ a sign that He is there for me. It allows me to have peace in the midst of that storm/decision. Recently I was battling with something that I wanted to finish. I did NOT want to start my year with the same old mess. I said Lord what can I do? How can I  handle this?  I talked to my pastor about it and he gave me some incite on how to handle it. One evening that week, monday to be exact, I read my devotional from my Jesus Calling book. It read "I am with you and for you. When you decide on a course of action that is in line with My will, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop you. You may encounter many obstacles as you move toward your goal, but don't be discouraged-never give up". The author also gives us a reference scripture of Romans 8:31! This scripture was EXACTLY what had been running through my mind during this time! All I could do as I RE-read the devotional and the scripture was whisper Thank You Jesus over and over. Why you ask? Because I knew in my heart and soul that was my Father speaking to me, his daughter telling me that I made a good decision and He is with me on it and will be with me through it. Have you ever experienced that? It feels so good and comforting to know that Emmaunel "God is with us". Just wanted to share with you ladies. Please feel free to comment/share some of your "ah ha" moments with us here. I'd love to hear from you :)
Blessings,
Liz