Taking Back Tuesday: Part 2

Today is Taking Back Tuesday!  Sorry for the week-long respite...but I'm back today and thankful to be here after an eventful weekend!

Taking Back Tuesday will center around things that have been on my heart to take back. As believers, we have the authority to claim the things of God for the Kingdom of Heaven. God's word says that His will is that the Kingdom of Heaven will exist right here on Earth. So, on Tuesdays, we're going to take things back!

Part 2:  Taking Back Joy

There's strength in joy.  Joy is a choice.  If we choose joy we have the keys to happiness and strength.  We cannot expect to be content in our circumstances (however good or bad they may be) should we neglect the decsion making process of joy.  Choose joy and be empowered.  Choose joy and see life differently. 

Now, this is not to say that you are not entitled to other emotions in times of distress.  This weekend, I went whitewater rafting with all the bridesmaids during the bachelorette weekend for my sweet friend, Natalie.  While rafting, we came into a rapid too slowly and it turned our raft around a bit and myself and another bridesmaid were swept from the raft and ended up "swimming" for about 200 yards down 4 other sets of class IV rapids.  Now, by no means do I consider myself an expert on rapids, but I do think (and now know from experience) that class IV rapids are no joke.  As I was fighting to keep my head above water and inhaling more and more water with every attempt to breathe, I remember saying "Jesus help me out of this water and fast"...I had no control over the situation and the water certainly had more power than my body in that situation.  I ended up being pulled out by a rescue rope with some bruised arm bones (and a pretty cool splint) and a sinus infection being my only injuries. I came out of that situation exceedingly blessed.

Where I ended up being pulled out.

My "swim" of the day.

Today, I am joyful that I'm sitting here writing this blog.  I am joyful that I got to keep my life.  I am joyful that though that experience was beyond traumatic, I am here and (semi) healthy, but regardless I'm healthy enough to tell about it.  It might not seem like a huge deal, but being in that water, unable to breathe and completely out of control opened my eyes to my need to take back both my joy and my gratitude. 

 

Take today as a gift.  We won't always get another chance to walk in joy, so start doing it now!  Today is a blessing from the Lord; another opportuntiy to change lives with His love.  That's my challenge to you.  Let that which is on the inside of you out -- stop harboring all of your great gifts and start sharing them with others.  You're on assignment, but not by me -- GO!

 

Oh, and this is a p.s. -- Happy Birthday week to my sweet friend, Jessica!  I am thankful for your sassy, stylish, joyful, generous, truthful blessing of a life that you share with me daily!  May you always live your life with the elements of joy and surprise that this picture shows.  Love you.

 



Taking Back Tuesday: Part 1

I've never done a blog series before but I really wanted to and so today I'm starting a series that will go through the end of September.  The series is called Taking Back Tuesday.  The series will center around things that have been on my heart to take back.  As believers, we have the authority to claim the things of God for the Kingdom of Heaven.  God's word says that His will is that the Kingdom of Heaven will exist right here on Earth.  So, on Tuesdays, we're going to take things back!  Here's an idea of some of the topics I'll talk about:  gratitude,  joy, healing (uh-oh!), worship and a few others.  Get ready!

Part 1:  Taking Back Gratitude

Since when did we, especially as believers, lose our ability and desire to be grateful?  I was raised in the kind of family where forgetting your gratitude was totally a punishable act.  We were raised to be respectful, we were raised to be generous and we were certainly raised to be thankful.  I think I've mentioned before that if my brother and I were being hateful and arguing, we had to sit on the porch and say 10 things we were thankful for about our sibling.  Thinking of the obligatory gratitude principle that existed in my family really stirred up my mind this week about my own willingness to be grateful in my life now. 

I'm so quick to take things for granted.  This summer I really learned what it means to be thankful for good health when my mom was so ridiculously sick.  I would walk into her hospital room sometimes and immediately have to walk right back out because the emotion was too much to take.  I forgot, prior to this summer, that daily I should be thanking the Lord for my parents' health, for my family's health, for my own health.  The Lord has really blessed me.  I've never really had to want for much and I've always walked in a measure of favor that is completely undeserved.  As I was examining my life and blessings and journey, I realized that many more times than I had taken the time to say thank you, I had forgotten and received the blessing selfishly.  Shame on me.  I believe that if we ever want to see the Kingdom of God first hand on this side of Heaven, we've got to start with taking back our gratitude!

The word of God instructs us to do a few things in order to be in the will of God.  Let's face it... if you're a believer, you should have the desire to be in the will of God.  So this is what we have to do:

1. Be happy and glad-hearted continually. [check, who doesn't want to be happy?]
2. Be unceasing in prayer. [A little harder, definitely a convicting command]
3. Thank God in EVERYTHING. [Ah, I fail at this]

Friends, as believers, we have to do better.  We need to be encouraging one another to continually be thankful.  We should want everyone we come in contact with to know the goodness of the God that we serve and the God that loves people.  How can we show that goodness to the people who don't quite yet see it without first taking back our gratitude?

Every night growing up that my family got to [was forced to] eat dinner together, my dad used to pray the same rehearsed prayer.  This morning, one part of that prayer really hit me.  Dad used to say "...and Lord thank you for all that you've given us, and thank you even more for what you've withheld."

I've been spared from harm because the Lord protected me.  I've had near misses with other cars while driving because God protected me.  I've had encounters with dangerous people and places and come out unscathed because God protected me.  More than I've been safe, I've been unsafe, and because I'm surrounded by a hedge of protection by the God that loves me, I am safe.  So today, I'm taking back my gratitude.  Will you join me?

Thank you Father for your grace, love, provision, protection, belief in me, assignment of health and prosperity on myself and my family, all of the things you've given me and more importantly, everything you've withheld from me.  You're a GOOD God who's mercy and love never fail and for that I thank you.  I break every assignment of the Enemy that might try to convince me that my blessings are somehow earned without your assistance.  I take back the spirit of gratitude for myself, my family and my friends and I pray that we all start being more thankful in order to lead people to you.  Thank you for your newness daily that restores us, protects us and leads us.  In Jesus' name.

direction for the journey.

There's one phrase in the English language that I believe holds more weight and significance than any other phrase; thank you. 

In thinking of all of the opportunities I've been afforded over the years, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude.  Were it not for those who believed in me, provided for me, sowed into my future, supported my dreams and were always for me, I most certainly would not be where I am.  There's a lot of power in those 8 letters.  There's a lot of sentiment in them as well.  One of the greatest lessons I've ever learned is that no matter where I am, what I'm doing and what the specifics of my season look like, I will always have time and reason to say thanks.

About a month or so ago, I took a step in faith at the Lord's prompting, not really knowing the 'why' or direction of my future.  I officially stepped down as a member of the praise and worship team at my church and invited the Lord to do what he always does -- light the otherwise dark path ahead of me and give me the resources to start the journey.  As with any other journey, I learned quickly that I would have to be patient and flexible listening intently for God's direction.  For a while I've had bits and pieces of dreams and desires but wasn't exactly sure how they would all fit together to form a tangible direction for my future.   Since I graduated from my undergrad program, I've known that I wanted to go back and continue my education.  I've known for about a year that I wanted to deepen my understanding of the Word of God and ability to minister by attending ministry school.  I've known that the window for my time in Boone was closing. I just didn't know how all of those things would fit together.

I found out that a couple friends of mine were starting an awesome school of ministry here in Boone and I knew I wanted to do it, but I also knew that I didn't have anywhere to live in December and I needed to discern if the Lord was really opening that door.  Of course, the ministry school meets on Tuesday evenings at the same exact time that Praise Team rehearses.  That was my first confirmation that this may be the direction.  Then, in a way that could only be from the Lord, I was given a place to live in December through May and the opportunity to save money for my next step in the process.  I'm so thankful that because I was (reluctantly - thank you flesh) obedient to the voice of the Lord, I have been able to move forward and pursue some of my dreams, and I'm so grateful to those who have prayed, encouraged and provided housing along the way.  I was stubborn and fearful, and He was bigger than me yet again.  What a blessing. 

It's with great excitement that I announce that as of about 10 minutes ago, I officially enrolled in ministry school starting in September and lasting until May here in Boone.  I am expectant, believing that as the Lord leads me, I will learn more in this next 8 months than I have in my last 7 years combined.  I want to be able to minister in the way that I've been called to minister.  I know that ministry school, while challenging, will prepare me even more for a future that I cannot yet see.  I'm thankful for the opportunity.

One more big thing -- following the conclusion of ministry school in May, I will be starting graduate school at UNCG.  Yes, more dreams becoming realities.   I don't know all of the specifics yet, but I do know that this is a big step and will be a huge transition.  If you're reading this and you pray, please pray for me as I need a lot of wisdom and clarity.  I have a lot of huge decisions to make.  One thing I know for sure -- the Lord will provide for my needs and I have no reason to fear.  Just as he is the author of our faith, he's also the finisher.  He's the finisher of seasons.  He's the perfecter of plans.  He knows the way and I'm just along for the ride.  Thank you, father, for so sweetly lining up my journey to not only be encouraging but rewarding.