He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,

Malachi 3:3

Lately when I take walks in the neighborhood, I always seem to find at least one energetic soul, pressure washing something.  There is a man a few doors down who was pressure washing his old, weathered garage with paint peeling off of it. Well, when he hit the garage with enough water pressure to severely wound human flesh, the paint just flew off in all directions!  In a matter of moments, the tattered old garage looked ready for a brand spankin’ new paint job.  And the man knew that in order to repaint it, he would first have to get rid of the old.

I walked away thinking, “Man, I have GOT to get me one of those!” The siding of the house could use a little cleaning, and the concrete on the back porch is kind of turning green (not sure what the difference between mildew and moss is).  A pressure washer is just what I need.

Just for kicks, I looked up the definition of  pressure washing: “the process of removing surface material and contaminants by spraying pressurized water onto a surface.”

My very life has been going through a pressure washing of its own.  And it is pretty painful…the stripping and removing of pieces of ME. Not very fun.

But very necessary, if I am ever going to live the life God meant for me.

The one who operates the pressure washer never intends to hurt the object he is working on, but only wants to REVEAL or REVIVE its original beauty.

When I think about the source of the pressure being water…it makes me think of how Jesus calls Himself the Living Water.  Doesn’t that just make you smile a little?  Even if you’re in the pressure washing process right now!  He is hitting you HARD with water that cannot destroy, but can only bring abundant and beautiful life!!!!

What a thought!

Now, on to Amazon to look up pressure washers…..: )

Second Best!!.

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine.  He was expressing he was feeling guilty for having time to help other people in times of crisis, but had put his wife and her needs on the “back burner”, so to speak.  I immediately felt guilty, too.  Not so much for not paying attention to my husband, although that’s part of it,  but for how I treat him. 

If you asked me if I would ever speak to a boss or colleagues the way I sometimes speak to Jeremy, I would tell you NEVER!  And that’s pretty horrible.  Yeah, yeah…I have lots of things I can blame my crankiness on, but none of that can cover up some of the things I’ve said or done. 

You see, I save the best part of me for everyone else, and give him whatever is left.  And sometimes, all that is left is weariness, discouragement, or just plain old nastiness!  I’ve told myself in the past that this is because I feel safe to just be who I am with him. Well then, if THAT’S who I am, I sure don’t want to be her!

Take a look at these verses with me:

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Ephesians 5: 22-25

Besides all the talk of submission, which is NOT the issue of this blog, look at the order of importance husbands and wives have with one another. We come second in importance only to God Himself!  And He paints a picture which shows that how we should be treating each other is very similar to how we should be treating God, and of how He treats US and loves US.

So that alone tells me how much I should be taking care of that relationship. The answer is ….so much more!

I apologized to my husband for the way I’ve been treating him, and for the low priority I was giving our relationship.  I am purposing to do better, to be gentler, kinder, and much more gracious than I was a few days ago.  Just shy of Jesus, I want Jeremy to have the very best parts of me, like I want to have the very best parts of him.  Second in importance only to Jesus.  And that’s pretty darn important!

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

            2 Corinthians 10:5

 

This morning, I found myself thinking about Goliath, the mightiest of warriors of the Philistine army.  This guy was a giant!  Shaquille O’Neal, as gigantic as he is, is only 7 feet tall, and the bible has Goliath measured up to be between nine and a half feet and 11 feet tall!  Guys, that is taller than most of our ceilings!

And he wasn’t just humongous…he was decked out in all the best bronze armor that money could buy.  He also had a bronze helmet. So, by all “warrior” standards, this guy was totally unbeatable!

But.

David managed to find one teensy, tiny opening in the helmet which exposed Goliath’s head…and made a direct hit.

Now, your head is a valuable part of your body.  Any schmuck would agree with that. But it’s what HAPPENS in your head that is what makes it so valuable!  This is where we think, process things, and strategize ( usually subconciously) what our next action will be. There are good thoughts, which produce positive actions, and then there are the bad ones, which produce very negative outcomes. 

Let me explain what I’m trying to say.  I have fearful thoughts, which usually produce  nothing positive.  Because they cause paralysis or panic.  This is my weak spot.  Goliath’s temple between his eyes was his, and this is mine.  Anytime Satan wants to ruin my day, he just aims, and shoots! And I’m done.  So, I’ve identified the weak spot in my thinking, and now I can work on protecting it…by covering it with scriptures that retaliate:

 

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Psalm 91

 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 4:27

 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”Hebrews 13:6

This is my own personal arsenal that I will now keep with me everywhere I go…so that when those thoughts come to attack, I will be a little more ready to fight back.

So, last words?

Go get yourself an arsenal and fight back!!!

12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon–Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego–who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Daniel 3: 12-15, 17-18

 

If you want to understand wholehearted devotion to God, look no further than Daniel, chapter 3. If you want to know what you’re saying “yes” to when you say you choose HIM, look no further. 

I imagine myself staring at that furnace, with such blazing heat that it killed soldiers who came too close to it.  It would take courage that God would need to give me in order to stand MY ground. 

I know that this is a message about devotion to God in the face of the most overwhelmingly fearful obstacles. But I want to focus on a certain phrase in verse 18. “But even if He does not”.  The verse before states that they know and believe with all their hearts that God was able to and COULD rescue them. But they said even if He didn’t rescue them from this horrific moment, they were STILL going to trust Him, obey Him, and worship Him!

Have you ever been there?  At a moment in your life when all you know and love could possibly be taken away?  Are you willing to say, “but even if He does not…” ? I know people who have suffered great loss and now seem to worship Him with a fervor that comes from understanding that even if He doesn’t rescue you from pain, it changes nothing about His character, and they just “know” He is still good.

When I was pregnant with my firstborn, Macy, I had so much joy, because doctors told me it wouldn’t be likely for me to have a baby.  And everytime she kicked inside of me, I just thanked God for what He gave me out of his great mercy and grace!  Then, on Christmas day, two years later, I was 12 weeks pregnant, and lost my baby. Yes, I was sad, but I grew to understand that He was and always will be faithful, good, just, and holy.

I’ve had to go back to  “even if You don’t”, or “even if You won’t” many times since.  And it always boils down to a FACT.  Even if He doesn’t take this circumstance, this pain, this trouble, from your life, He is STILL worthy of all praise and of ALL  our devotion. Even if!

I know there is always one problem or another that seeks to demand our attention, to steal our focus, and to produce great fear.

But today, my focus is firmly set on one name. HIS NAME!

So, all I want to share today is lyrics to a song I’ve been listening to non-stop since yesterday, and I even have the video if you want to listen. 

If our focus is on HIM, honestly, everything else just takes a backseat. At least, it is today.: )

“The Only Name (Yours Will Be)”

Yours will be the only Name that matters to me

The only One Whose favor I seek

The only Name that matters to me

Yours will be The friendship and affection I need

To feel my Father smiling on me

The only Name that matters to me

Yours is the Name the Name that has saved me

Mercy and grace the power that forgave me

And Your love is all I’ve ever needed

When I wake up in the Land of Glory

And with the saints I will tell my story

There will be one Name that I proclaim

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, just that Name

http://youtu.be/WnDTDLOM0rY

Not to just ANYONE.

Ha! I’ll bet I had some of you wondering what I might be smoking over here!  I just did it to lure you in, but it’s true. 

There are many promises in God’s word that come with conditions, or are aimed at certain specific groups of people. I think many of us claim these promises for ourselves without ever really checking to see if we’re the ones to whom they apply.   And it would be wise if we stopped, examined ourselves, and see if we really qualify for some of them.  Let me explain with some examples (For your convenience, I highlighted the “conditional” part.):

 

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 54:17

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, mybeloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1Cor. 15:57-58

He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strengththey shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil.4:13

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”John 6:35

Whatsoever you shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it. John 14:13, 14

This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: and if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know, that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. 1 John 5:14, 15

 

If we can honestly say our heart’s desire is to please Him, even though none of us are righteous (especially not me!), yet we “strive to attain” (quote from Paul), we CAN claim these promises and every other that He makes!

But if not, you’re holding out hope for something you are never going to get.  These promises become commonplace when used too loosely, by those who should never be claiming them in the first place. 

If you want these promises to belong to you, too, you must first make the decision to give your life to the One who gives you EVERYTHING, and loves you with an everlasting love! Then, all that He has… all of His peace, all of His victory, all of His joy, all of His love, will be yours, too!!

There is a little seven-word sentence that I would like to talk about today.  It’s actually grown to be my least favorite sentence of all time.  And I think when I tell you, you’ll probably agree…especially if you’ve encountered tragedy, trauma, or a huge lifetime adjustment.  So, here it is: “If you need ANYTHING, please call me!”

Are you cringing on the inside?

Directly after having my first massive stroke, I experienced a HUGE outpouring of love to me and my family.  Meals, visits, daily help with my two very small children. It was incredible, and I will never be able to thank them enough for what they did in those early stages. 

Then, I’m not sure what happened.  Maybe people were under the conception that I would be or was getting better and could handle all of these things now, or maybe the distance it took to get to our house we lived in at the time was too great.  Or maybe people were just tired and had plenty of their own troubles and challenges to deal with. And all of those are valid reasons, in my opinion.  But whatever the reason, for about a year, I know my husband and I felt very alone in dealing with this new life we now had, and we both knew it was never going to go away completely.  With the exception of a few amazing people, most stopped calling…stopped giving…stopped helping.

Please understand. I am not at ALL bitter.  Because we currently have very special people we can count on to help us when we need it, and because I had to let those feelings go if I was going to have a life of joy and peace. 

I know my pastor can’t stand those seven little words, either.  And he’s been hearing them in the ministry for about 16 years!  Actually, he’s probably immune to the sentence after all this time.

The problem with saying those words is that you have pretty much made a vow. The definition of the word “vow” includes words such as oath, promise, covenant, and commitment. And you can tell me you weren’t making a vow, or even a commitment, but when you said those words, you MADE a commitment!  The bible has lots of things to say about making vows or commitments, and let’s just say, God takes it seriously!

2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Numbers 30:2

5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Ecclesiastes 5:5

33″Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:33-37

If you need more proof, read about a man named Jephtha in Judges 11. That’s a doozy.

Look, I know I have said those same words myself so many times.  Because the person finished telling me this painful story, and then there was this awkward moment when I was supposed to say something.  So I simply blurted out those words, sometimes with the intention to carry it out, and sometimes just to say SOMETHING. ANYTHING. 

Let’s try to be careful about what we say to people who are in their most vulnerable moments. And don’t blame THEM if they become bitter or resentful when WE are the cause of it!!!  And please don’t say, “Well, if they’re bitter, that’s just spiritual immaturity.”  Where is OUR spiritual maturity when we make promises we can’t deliver, which the bible tells us is wrong?  If we make commitments, let’s do our best, and apologize when we don’t.  But more importantly, let’s try to not make promises we realistically can’t keep. 

Maybe it was unrealistic for those of us who were promised something to expect to get it, but it is also unfair, and biblically wrong, to make commitments we simply cannot deliver.

 

I came across a powerful quote recently, and says what I’ve been believing much better than I ever could.  It’s based on the following scripture:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 84:11

Wow! If we could truly grasp this truth, we would save ourselves and others from years of questions and misery! You know the kind of questions I’m talking about: “Why is this happening to HER, who loves You so much? What have I done to deserve this?  Do You even love me, doling out all this pain on me?  How can you let this happen?”

I know of several women who had their babies die in their arms, people who suffer from all different types of cancer, those with chronic illness or permanent disabilities, people who’ve lost loved ones, people who have had times when they weren’t sure if they could feed their families.  And most times, those people possessed all of the “good things” mentioned in the quote.

And I’ve also known those who had great wealth, health, and were revered by many.  But most of them had NONE of the “good things”. 

One thing I know is that pain meets each of us, and yet we all have at least some good, happy days.  Because God indiscriminately pours them down on each of us. But it is never those cheerful moments that those genuinely “good” things are noticeable.  It is when a woman who has had several bouts of cancer, and is painfully entering her last, still smiles, and still displays a peace that passes all understanding! I’ll bet she knows about these good things and is probably so grateful to have them.

There are days that are so dark and fearful, but somewhere inside me is peace, a mysterious kind of joy, and a deep knowledge that God is right next to me, holding my hand all the while.

To me, these are not good things.  These are GREAT things!!! What an amazing truth!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was dealing with a medical problem late last week, which may, in the future, require surgery. The risks and potential dangers attached with doing surgery on a person who is  on blood thinners and has had many strokes, are numerous! So, once again, I’m hit with this fear of death. I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly it is about that concept that makes me fearful. I’ve boiled it down to two things. First, when you have children, you never want to leave them, causing them excruciating pain. And you want to know they will be well cared for and well-loved. Because of that, I took steps yesterday to ensure that my children would be cared for the way I would care for them. The second fear I have is whether or not I’ve done everything I wanted to do while on this earth.My friends at Second Chance Stroke Survivors say to address these fears and address your concerns so that you can live the remainder of your life with peace and purpose. When I was younger, I’m sure I had my own “bucket list”, which no doubt included traveling to Italy and trying all different kinds of foods. Shocking, I know. But now. I only want one thing. I want my life to bring glory to God, and to be used in some way to bring others into a REAL relationship with Him. That is the only thing that matters to me!  Not just to know God, but to know and accept He sent His one and only Son to a sin-ridden, filthy place called Earth, to die on a cross, a criminal’s cross, for you…and for me.  To take our sins and die with them, so that we could one day be with Him in Paradise, which is a place even our wildest imaginations cannot create! And it is my desire, duty, responsibility, and purpose to always shine a light in His direction.  I do believe that is why He’s allowed me to go through so many things these last few years.  Because I now have something to say about His grace reaching down and literally saving my life!  Because I now know what it means to empty myself out and have only Him to give me strength!  I feel this desire for everyone I know to also know the Savior, and I know it will come at great cost!  But this verse, for the last two years has been bubbling in my gut, if that makes any sense.: So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long.  But if I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 So, I pray that all of us who claim to know Him, to walk with Him, would feel the gut-wrenching emotion of that verse with me.  And that NONE of us would be quiet. And that NONE of us would quiet anyone else who is willing to speak.