Restless in the Waiting

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When we have to wait on the Lord to answer a prayer, it can often be a grueling process. I’m not talking about those prayers that we just think He should answer, because it seems like a good idea, or because we wish things could be a little more comfortable and the answer would make it so. I’m talking about those prayers when we are desperate for the answer we are praying, life and death situations, like when the circumstances are so dire, that if He doesn’t come through, life will seriously be altered. Those are the moments when “waiting on the Lord” can become incredibly difficult.

When we have to wait and wonder if His answer might be “no” or when we have to wait and wonder if He will answer at all, those are the days when waiting can feel as if you’re watching the earth in orbit around the sun in real time, and you’re beginning to question if it will even stay constant and true. These are the occasions when, if we are truly honest with ourselves and with God, we get a little impatient with Him. We get a little testy in our responses, and we might even start having doubts of His abilities or His willingness to follow through with the promises from His Word.

…Don’t look at me that way, if you haven’t been there, then keep on living, ‘cuz either you’re just a mountain of perfected faith, bless your perfect heart, or you haven’t faced the dire straights in this faith living quite yet. I promise you, if you are human, you will face a moment of life and death of a loved one, or you will face circumstances, at some point, that  beyond your control or even ability to understand, and there will be an instance when you will face that wall of doubt within your heart and mind. That is when you will have to decide whether you truly believe He is God, and He knows best. In that space of time, you will decide to wait on Him or worry and fret, trying to make the perfect happen within your own strength and carnal knowledge.

Can I tell you? I have found Him to be true time and time again. When you place your worries, fears and doubts right back into His hands and you begin to wait on Him, He will give you rest. He will give you peace. He will give you strength. He never ever fails! He is faithful, and He is true! He is trustworthy, and He is able to carry us through whatever difficulty we might face. So, I encourage you today. Wait upon Him. Find your rest in Him, for He will do as He said He would do. He will carry you through.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31, KJV

Love Me Challenge #7

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One thing that’s just for me…

This “challenge” has me a little baffled as to the meaning, but I guess, I will share the one picture I have in my photo library that I bring to the surface when I need a little comfort, a little strength or just to be reminded of a little love along the way… it is just for me…

This is my precious grandfather who has gone on to glory many years past. I miss him so, but I am so thankful I will see him again on the other side in glory. I remember this day like it was yesterday. He loved me so, and I loved him. His big arms around me always made me feel protected and so secure. His gentle words of cheer always made me smile. Each time I see this picture, I am reminded of this Scripture in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

 

 

Love Me Challenge #6

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Hello Future Self,

I pray this letter finds you well and full of life. I hope you have kept the faith and fought hard to keep it. I pray you have shared it with all those around you, leaving stepping stones of legacy all in your wake.

I do hope you have taken good care of your body, physically, mentally and emotionally. If you haven’t, there’s not better time than the present! Get busy living, or get busy dying! The moment you refuse to grow and change, you begin the slow decline of holding on and awaiting death. Don’t do that! LIVE and live life to the fullest!!

Always cherish those God places in your life, for you never know the moments which could be their last. Don’t live in the regrets of the past, just recognize what could’ve have been done differently, accept the mistakes for what they were and simply push forward to the promises of tomorrow. His Word is true, and it will never return void; so, hold onto it as a lifeline.

I know you will be a feisty older woman, full of beauty and grace, not because of some wealth you have obtained, nor because of some miracle of less wrinkles or aging than the next person. You will be a woman full of beauty and grace, because you will remember the Proverbs 31 woman and always seek to be more like her. Her beauty came from within and so does yours. Her grace came from above and so does yours.

For yesterday, today and tomorrow, “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:33 Keep this as your life’s motto and all will be well. Added to this, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…” These two Scriptures will take you on into eternity with so much grace and will leave behind a beautiful legacy for generations to come.

My prayer is for you and your man to still be madly in love and be living a joyful life here on this earth, but if those circumstances are different, I know you will be clinging to Jesus’ hand and trusting Him to take you onto glory when you will see him again.

“May The Lord bless you and keep you…May The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

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My rendition still stands:

Love fully      Laugh deeply     Love freely

 

 

Love Me Challenge #5

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Dear Younger Me,

When you pick up this letter to read, depending upon your age, you may be a little girl full of so many hopes and dreams, it’s hard to see anything beyond the daydreams. You may be a young teen, so confused in the chaos and so hurting there in the silence that you think no one is listening or even cares. You may be a young lady who is desperately trying to find her own way in love, life and desires that you hesitate to slow down and listen too much to someone who seems a little beyond all the excitement of the present. You may even be a newlywed or young mother just trying to live up to all your personal expectations and those perceived expectations of others, never believing you could come close to meeting them.

Wherever you are when you receive this letter, my prayer is you will listen and listen big to these three words and sentences: YOU ARE ENOUGH, YOU ARE NOT TOO MUCH, and GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!! If you can somehow bury these words deep within your soul and truly grasp the depth of their meaning, you will not struggle with the feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and insignificance that you would otherwise. If you can somehow rise above your own fears and doubts and pick up your sword of the Spirit and slash those accusing words of your enemy and fight this good fight of faith, you will not lose your courageous, warrior-like stance he so desperately desires to destroy.

Learn now to lean heavily on God’s Word for your confidence in this life. Learn now to trust Him above all else and above everyone else in this life. Learn now that life may not always end up the way you thought it would, or even as you believed it should, but with God by your side, it will turn out exactly as He knew it would and exactly as He has equipped you to live through it!

So, stand up tall and fight like a girl! God is with you! He always has been, and He always will be! He will carry you through every storm you will face. He will cover you as every lighting bolt flashes, and He will guide you right through into the sunshine. He will bring you beauty for ashes and oil for mourning. He will bring you laughter for the tears and a beautiful joy in the morning. Always be real and authentic, never seeking the approval of man above the approval of the One who gave His life for you and never ever allow the persuasion of friends or the deep desire to belong to draw you away from whom He has called you to be.

He will provide for you all your heart’s desire, and one day, as you learn to trust Him with your whole heart, He will place a man at your side who loves Him above all else (yes, even above you, little one), and because of this love that He has for His Heavenly Father, he will fall in love with you more and more everyday. This man will treat you like a queen, and you will often wonder what in the world you ever did to deserve such a wonderful life. Always remember to return the loving kindness…treat him like the king that he is. Speak to that king within and always help him pursue his dreams, even when they seem way out of the ordinary. God created him in His image as He did you. He created you for each other to make each of you better than you ever would have been alone. You will balance each other in your polar-opposite tendencies, and you will create a beautiful tapestry of passion, purpose and pursuit of His promises to display His unconditional love for others to see.

Oh, and one more thing, when you are blessed with those two wonderfully, energetic, full-of-life little boys, remember the strong independence of one and the strong demand of your love from the other both mean the very same thing: they desperately need your love and guidance to become the men God has destined them both to be. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be real. You don’t have to “have all your ducks in a row,” you just have to love big and always be a mom full of integrity, grace and authenticity. They will always be very much like their daddy, anyway, and be able to see the truth of a person’s character; so, no need for anything less than the genuine “you.” 😉 Cherish every moment you have with them, because one day way too soon, you will turn around and realize they are about to be living lives of their own. Don’t hold on too tightly but never let go too easily, and always, always, always point them in the way of the cross. For He must become their ultimate goal and one true guide.

You can do this thing! I have faith in you! There will be many ups and downs, but this one thing remains true, your favorite Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” When you trust in Him, He leads, He guides and from your humble life, He ultimately gets all the glory that is due His marvelous name! 🙂 Keep being the beautiful, God given gift that you are to the world around you! He created you for His specific purpose, now go out and be YOU, Mia!  😉 ❤

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My rendition:

Live fully        Laugh deeply      Love freely

 

 

Love Me Challenge #1

I saw this pic a very long time ago and saved it as a draft here on the blog. With today being February 1, I thought I’d share it and encourage us all to take the #LoveMe Challenge. Learning to love ourselves can be the first step to learning to truthfully and authentically loving others…

 

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#1 – Why are you doing #loveme challenge?

It will be fun. It might encourage others to join in. It might be an encouragement and a moment to share love and kindness with another…

 

Like a Lion

Too often, as Christians, we allow the enemy of our soul to defeat us, because we forget the promises we have been given. Too often, we lie down in the muck and mire of our lives and allow our circumstances to overwhelm us to the point of suffocation. We lay down our weapons, and we back away from our destiny, because the way seems too long and the fight appears too hard. We read the Scripture that the enemy is like a lion looking to devour us and we believe it, forgetting the rest of the verse that tells us to “resist him, standing firm in the faith!”

We have been given the weaponry to defeat what comes against us! We are not meant to be wimpy, noodle-spined children of God. We are children of a risen KING! We are destined to win this thing, not because we are so strong nor because we are able to be perfect. We are destined to win, because HE HAS ALREADY WON the victory! The Book has already been written. The end has already been determined!

All we have to do is stand firm in His Word. Ephesians 6:13-14 reminds us, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” So, if you are feeling weary today, be encouraged! Take up your sword of the Spirit and your shield faith one more time and slay that giant before you. God is with you, and with Him, you cannot fail!

 

 

 

Our Heart’s Desire

The soul longs for solitude; yet, it loathes the loneliness. We seek out friends to fill the empty space only to push them away when times get tough. We pull them close for the thrill seeking adventures and shove past them for the broken dreams and torn up paper houses. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

The mind yearns for stability; yet, it rejects true wisdom and grace. We search for the highest success and desire the richest affairs only to plummet to the depths of despair as we fail the test over and over again. We chase after dreams and compare with the elite, always trying to get ahead only to cheat and compete, biting and clawing at anything or anyone who might come close. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

The heart cries out for peace and comfort; yet, it wars against silence and truth. We wander, wonder, wishfully believing the noise will bring answers. We go to this philosophy and that fountain of knowledge, always avoiding the absolute, the only true Way. We grasp at this intellect, that debate, and those arguments, never embracing the very One who died once and for all. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

Can you not feel your soul reaching for His righteousness?

Can you not hear your mind shouting for His faithfulness?

Can you not see your heart bleeding for His unconditional love?

 

He simply stands there, arms outstretched, awaiting your release.

 

 

CHANGE


Guess I don’t have a lot to say today, but I’d rather ask you a question about your world… 

What are you doing thing this year to bring about good changes in your life?

Are you remaining in your comfort zone?

Are you seeking a new daily challenge?

Are you stretching yourself a little further than before?

Are you embracing a different thought pattern, eating habit or routine?

Are you taking a positive step every day to better yourself? 

Do you believe change can actually happen in your life?

Do you welcome it?
*Please, share with me your thoughts! 😊*

Embrace It All

I walk down this broken road of memories

The dreams that once were, crashed along the side

The joys filled the hours and the laughter rang out for days

I could glory in those moments that once were

Yet I would be mistaken, for those were days filled with smiles and with pain

As time moves on, we seem to embrace the sunshine and push away the clouds

We forget the misery of which we survived

We put away the those heartaches, praying they will never come again

If I only grasp the good and never the bad, I cheat myself and I cheat you

For in the sorrow, wisdom can be found

In the brokenness and the tragedy, grace is remembered

Throughout my agony and distress, that is where His strength and love is deepest know
Penned – MG – 1/2/17

It Is Our Story To Tell

“…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

I have a friend who is dealing with the pain and agony of cancer that has spread across her body. Last month, I was notified of a friend who lost her 16 year old son in a house fire. Just last week, I ran across a FB post from a past church member who lost his wife tragically in a car wreck. It seems more and more I hear of friends going through a divorce, family members who are faced with illnesses and children who are lost and undone.

These stories hit close to home. I am a wife. I have a 15 year old and an 11 year old. Living is hard sometimes, and I find myself wondering why it’s so sorrowful at times. Yet, these tragedies make me realize so many around me are hurting. These moments of grief remind me that we weren’t made for this. We weren’t meant for these illnesses, these tragedies, this death. We are here but for a season…  

This world is dying for peace, for healing and for love. If we will just look around us, we will see so many hurting souls right in front of us. Christ came to this earth that their stories might end differently. The story of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection are the very thing that can bring healing to their brokenness. These details don’t somehow miraculously make all things perfect. This account doesn’t instantly change your circumstance or your plight.

Yet, when you find Jesus, and you believe in Him, He does one special thing for you. He brings you HOPE. Hope to face the storm and come out on the other side. Hope to face one more day. Hope to see the sun on the horizon. Hope to breathe again. Hope to live beyond this current life.

His story is one of HOPE, and if we know Him, we should be sharing this with everyone we meet. You never know, that person beside you might very well need it the most!