"Slam the Door....HARD!"

What DO you do when the past comes knocking?

Do you answer it curiously? Do you resolve that THIS time you can handle it, and answer it knowing your strength will see you through? Do you answer it hoping no one else will know?

 -OR-

Do you slam the door shut, knowing NO good will come of it whatsoever?

I want to share something very personal with you regarding myself. Why? you may ask. Because in ALL things and through ALL things...I want God to be glorified and lifted up! And....because I want to encourage YOU to know that you're not alone in your struggles. There is HOPE !

This past weekend a voice from the past came calling. No, it wasn't a voice inside my own head, but rather a real voice. A voice I had NO desire whatsoever to associate with. And to let you know - I absolutely, positively chose the option mentioned above of slamming the door SHUT knowing NO good would come of it whatsoever! But, after I did.....fear began to creep in. Fear of things from the past that had been overcome through God's grace and healing, somehow resurfacing again. Fear of why was this voice even contacting me. Basically....fear of fear. As my heart was racing and I nervously prayed, God began to calm me. I read my Bible, and prayed, and wrote out memory verses, and wrote out God's promises, for the next two hours until my husband got home. I can testify to you that God was my anchor to hold onto during that time. He held me in his hands.

Upon my husband arriving home, I began to nervously unfold the evening to him, really not being sure of how he would react. Have I told you that the very character of God Himself has been placed inside my loving and dear husband? This beautiful gift, of someone more than a husband, is beyond describing what a true blessing he is to me. God knew in the beginning, before time ever started, who this girl would need in her life.....thank you God, with the most sincerest thanks. My husband not only listened to me pour my heart out, but also lovingly reassured me each step of the way<<<just as God did/would. He then prayed out loud for me. I did ask him if he would and he very willingly agreed. That is such a strength and one of the truest blessings to hear your spouse pray out loud for you. I encourage you to do it!! One of the things David prayed was that I would view God as the Father that He is - protecting his children, not letting anything happen that was not allowed for our own good. (A sidenote here: the next day at church, we sat behind a family. I watched the dad with his young daughter of about 7 or 8. He always kept his arm around her while standing or sitting. It was a beautiful picture of what our Lord does for us. Except I believe He holds us in his strong arms and carries us closest to his heart. But He never, ever lets go.)

To keep it clear and focused here - - God and God alone is the One to bring me through any of life's hurts, fears, shames, regrets, pain. He needs no help at all. My total dependence IS on the Savior of not only my salvation, but also my Savior Who lifts me from my problems of everyday life. God's beautiful grace is sufficent for me. I thank Him with a full heart for being enough for all my life's needs. 

And I know that He has also given me a help mate to walk with me through this life. To encourage me, to calm me, to hold me, to love me just as I am. Again....the very character of God. 

I don't want any confusion of someone thinking I esteem David as the one to get me through everything. 

I want to bring God's Words into this Blog. For my words can be taken as "O that's great and nice for her - - but what about me?"  So, it is for all those "me's" I share the following verses. May it bring God's encouragement and strength to your heart.

Psalm 55: 16-18 "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battles waged against me, even though many oppose me."

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from ALL my fears."

Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

Psalm 31:1 In you O Lord have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame, deliver me in your righteousness."

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 31: 14-15 "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say You are my God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those that pursue me."

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

These are some of the verses I have been committing to memory and using them. I strongly encourage to memorize verses if you are not. It helps in such enormous ways! In fact it is essential in two parts of wearing the full "armor of God"......the "shield of faith" and the "sword of the Spirit". Try it!! You will be glad you did!

Some others - -

Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by who we cry Abba! Father!"

Mark 5:36 "Don't be afraid - just believe."

Romans 8:37 "We are conquerors through him who loves us!"

Jeremiah 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds declares the Lord."

Jeremiah 30: 10-11 I inserted my name and you can do the same - "Debby will again have peace and security and no one will make her afraid. I am with you and will save you declares the Lord."

Exodus 14: 13 "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. Verse 14 - "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Lamentations 3:22 "Because of the Lord's great love we are NOT consumed, for his compassions never fail." 

Isaiah 41: 10 My most favorite verse in the Bible - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Before I end up quoting the entire Bible to you....I will stop for now. God's Words are just SO powerful and SO full of HOPE !! They are what we base our everything on.....hope, peace, joy, comfort, faith, trust, victory, freedom, ....... and the list goes on.......

And not only has God given us his Words through the Bible, but also through song! Friend, I also strongly encourage you to listen to christian music. . . for it uplifts the soul in so many wonderful and God honoring ways!! It truly has been such a source of encouragement and strength for me in my life.....and to think there was a time I had NO desire to listen to it at all. Thank you God for bringing me thus far.

I know my Blogs get long-winded....but please allow me to share through song also. . . 

Darlene Zschech with Israel Houghton : "In Jesus' Name"

"God is fighting for us. God is on our side. He has overcome. We will not be shaken. We will not be moved. Jesus, you are here - carrying our burdens, covering our shame. The resurrection power of Christ is alive in me and I am free! In Jesus name I will live, I will not die. I will declare and lift you on high. Christ revealed and I am healed. In Jesus name God is fighting for us. Pushing back the darkness. Lighting up the kingdom that cannot be shaken. In the name of Jesus enemy's defeated and we will shout it out."

A song I've never heard until this past Sunday sung by a person I've never heard as well. But, it spoke volumes of God fighting for us - not being shaken - he carries our burdens - covers our shame - and HIS power is alive in me!!

Forever Jones - "Hold Me Still"

"You said don't worry bout your future daughter. Just think about the things that matter. So I won't magnify the small things anymore. I'll only glorify the Father. Cause you hold me still. When the waves around me began to build, I'm in your hand. Though it's sometimes hard to stand. You have made my heart and you hold it still. So, don't involve yourself with useless chatter, just talk about the things that matter. And when you feel the world around you shatter, just lift your eyes up to the Father and he'll hold you still. Oh, I see the waves - I'm not afraid. I see the storm - I'm not shaken. I feel the world quake - my ground is stable."

Another song of strength, through the Father, when fears, doubts, worries try to come. He holds us still. No matter what - trust his strong arms around you, child of God.

A very favorite artist of mine - Mandisa: "Overcomer"

"Whatever it is you may be going through, I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you. You're not going under, cause God is holding you right now. God is the overcomer in you. <Yes I changed up the words a tad because I'm NOT the overcomer, but rather HE is the overcomer in me!> Just take a breath, don't forget to hang on to his promises. The One who overcomes death is living inside you. Fix your eyes on the One who holds your life. For there's nothing he can't do."

God overcomes in us what we cannot do for ourselves!! Thank ya Jesus!!! Nothing consumes and nothing overwhelms....because we hold onto his promises.

Just one more song!!!!!

Chris Tomlin - also a favorite - "Our God!"

"Into the darkness you shine - out of the ashes we rise. Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, He is higher than any other. Our God is Healer and awesome in power. And if our God is for us then WHO could ever stop us? And if our God is with us then WHAT can stand against us?" My answer-- NOTHING!

Nothing formed against us shall stand......period. For God IS stronger, greater,  and higher than any other!! 

Friend, as I said, I know my Blogs are long, but there is just SO much of God's goodness to share with you!! I could keep listing song after song as well as verse after verse!! And along with Chris August, I will sing to you - -  "I will sing about your love, I will shout it to the sky. I will tell of what you've done, when the people ask me why I live my life this way - I'll say that I am unashamed of You!! For what your grace did and what your grace does!!"

And THAT, my friend, is why I share.........

"Dear, How Long Is This Going To Take?"

My sweet husband is redoing a bathroom.
Nothing really spectacular about that for a story now is there? Although, I do think he IS spectacular and doing a wonderful job!

This particular bathroom has taken him at least 2 months to give his labor of love on. And shall I say....the work continues. In the beginning dear husband thought this project would take no more than 2 weekends to complete - - little did he know.

Carry on dear, for there really is light at the end of the tunnel!!

As I watch him work diligently on each project through completion, I think of God and how he works in our lives. We are individually each a project of God. Each area is a unique work of God. We trust him to form us into the very man/woman of God he has chosen us to be. With that said, there are times that God decides to take his time in the molding process. Instead of a short 2 weekend project, it becomes a lengthier one.

There are many areas of life that God is shaping daily. Our faith, our trust, our hope, our character, our obedience.....and the list goes on. In some areas he works quickly. In others, painfully slooow. But his timing is perfect always. There are times that we call upon God for healing from grief, loss, pain, discouragement and his answer is - wait on me, trust in me, hope in me. "Wait on the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Ps. 27:14. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5. "Those who hope in me will not be dissappointed." Isaiah 49:23c.

Maybe you have prayed for your children to have their eyes opened, their hearts softened, their wills brought into submission of living for him. And it may seem the more you pray, the further they drift out into this world. Does it hurt? You BETCHA! Is it discouraging? Absolutely! Does that mean you give up on God answering your prayers and delivering them? Ten million times over - a strong and absolute.....NO! what it does mean is that we keep on believing God's Word; never being moved away from it by what you see or feel. And as you stand firm, God's power is being developed in you. The fact of looking at your prayers and knowing this is God's will for your children's lives, and being unmoved by what you see or do NOT see- makes you stronger in every sense of the word.

I know that - "Deliverance comes from the Lord." Ps 3:8. I know that - "He rescues and he saves." Daniel 6:27. And I also know that - God uses his power to change the areas in my children's lives, and my own, that desperately need his touch. "Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outsretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17. I know that - God's timing is perfect and lacking nothing. Think of Abraham and Sarah who were promised a son. God required a whole 25 years to pass before that promise was fulfilled!! "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." Hebrews 7:15.

And so my friend....whatever you are waiting on God for in your life - deliverance, hope, answers, strength, know that God hears, God sees, God knows. His answers will come in HIS timing. For we serve a faithful and trustworthy Lord God Almighty.

And just as I wait patiently on my loving husband to finish up what he has started.....I wait on a loving Father who will finish what he has started as well! "He who began a good work in you (or your children) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6.

"And You Thought It Was Impossible!!"

My Blog is unbelievably short this time....short and to the point..... and it only has ONE point!!

1. Our God can conquer ANYTHING in YOU!!!!

Fear. Doubt. Worry. Anxiousness.

{and the list goes on. . .}

Is anything too hard for the very Creator of our lives and the world as we know it??

No - for He is Sovereign and He is God. "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27.

God and God alone has the power to do that which we cannot for ourselves! We are not consumed by these negative things for they hold no power over us. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassion never fail. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23. When we fully understand that we are not alone in our desire to be healthy and strong, and that the Lord is our strength, we begin to trust in His faithfulness.

When we seek Him and swing wide the doors of our heart to Him - it is then that His life changing power enters in and does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you." Matthew 6:33. Then step by step, moment by moment He begins a good work in us. Things we do not need in our lives {fear, doubt, worry, anxiousness} are cut out. Discipline is applied where needed. Priorities are rearranged. In some areas He works quickly. In others, painfully slooooow. But His timing is PERFECT! "I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3: 24-26.

So take heart, my friend, for there is HOPE! If you struggle with these area{s} then seek God and His power to remove them from your life. And remember. . .  in some areas He works quickly. . . and in other areas He works slooooow. Nevertheless trust Him and His perfect timing! "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped." Psalm 28:6-7. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27: 14.

"Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security." Jeremiah 33:6.

YOU are no challenge for almighty God!!