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~