You will never leave me
You will always love me.
I can do nothing to earn your love.
I can do nothing to lose your love.
You want me to live a life that is truly life.
Help me Papa.
When the legs fall out from underneath you
Today we had some awesome worship. My new lady pastor/friend was playing keyboards. Something happened during the last song, and the keyboard stand fell down. At first she clapped along with the song, but she was not content with that. Praise God, this woman got down on her knees and finished the song with the keyboard on the floor.
How encouraging was that! Yes, she was embarrassed, yes she was unsure what to do. But women of God do not give up that easy! We don’t stand at the sidelines and clap along. We are a part of this orchestra of sound and music that is the Church, and we are not going to just stand by and clap. We have a role to play!
When something happens and the legs fall out do NOT be discouraged. Get going back to your talents, and use them, glorifying God.
God bless you my dear sister! You give me strength to be courageous in spite of disaster! Ain’t nothing gonna stop me from praising the Lord!
If you would not fail, if money were no object
Have you ever been asked the question “what is your passion?” Seriously, lots of people think about traveling the world, or buying a mansion. But for me, I think passion, I think “what breaks your heart?”
God places burdens on our hearts so that we can accept responsibility for the burden. He doesn’t do it so that we can tell someone else about it. He does it so that we can be the change in the world.
So, what would you do if you could not fail? What would you do if money were no object? How would you change the world for better if you could?
These things break my heart: homelessness, broken women, poverty, broken homes, not knowing God’s love, stigmas against mental illness.
God said: put these together. Run a home for people, broken people that have nothing. Broken people that have no love. Broken people that have no options, and would come to you out of despiration. People that know there is something better. People that want to change.
And that is the key, WANTING TO CHANGE. Being ready to change. So I am asking God to increase my discernment. I need to know who is ready to change, and who is not.
I have a friend whom I love dearly, but she is not ready to change. I tried to help her. I am still here if she needs me, but I won’t be taken advantage of. I need discernment from this.
God wants obedience over comfort. What is it that God is asking you to walk away from? The shepards left their sheep to visit baby Jesus (Luke 2) and something is telling me that while I don’t have to leave sheep, I have to leave my comfort zone. I have to go places I am not comfortable, places I have avoided.
So now I need to figure out what it is that I need to do next. I need to step into the Jordan, and get my feet wet (thanks Jen!) and I need to know what I need to know, and work on that.
Sammy
Sammy (not his real name) was a homeless man. Sammy struggles with Bipolar Disorder and addictions to alcohol and cocaine. Sammy is going to run my men’s home.
You see, Sammy has got what it takes. Sammy has a passion for helping people out of their pits. Sammy has come out of that pit. Not to say that he is perfect, he recently relapsed and had to start all over again. As of today he is only 25 days sober.
None of us are perfect. None of us never sin. Only Jesus never sinned.
So, I told Sammy that he has a lot of work to do. I want him to run my house. He knew what I meant. He wants to do it too. He knows that he has mountains of work to do. But, he is looking forward to it. He told me that he loves AA and hopes to go to a meeting everyday for the rest of his life.
Why? Because he learns so much about himself.
God, let me learn so much about myself everyday, and even more about you. Guide us on this journey that we must endure, and help us with this project. In Jesus Name! AMEN.
Rahab
Read about Rahab in Joshua 2. Rahab was a prostitute, a woman of ill-repute. A woman who was brave and full of faith. A woman who is an ancestor of Jesus.
Why does the Bible share with us stories of broken people? To show God’s grace, yes, but also to show us that His power is enough to overcome anything.
Jen Hatmaker in her book Ms. Understood says that “Women are capable of impossible valor… pity the fool who underestimates the warrior within the woman.” She says that it is obvious how women are strong opponents, because Satan has been attacking us from the beginning.
She goes on to describe how she was called spiritually to write books and how hard the battle has been, yet how God has always come through. So much so that she no longer has fear. Her husband is disturbed by her calm.
I’ve just been here so many times with God. This moment is familiar. He has gently nudged me off the ledge so often, and, though free-falling a bit, I’m always caught by God’s rescue net of faithfulness. This cycle has happened so frequently, I’m almost incapable of the old brand of fear. Certainly, there are concerns, but I can’t not trust God. He’s come through too many times.
When I read that paragraph, tears welled up in my eyes. Oh how I know too well the nudges from God over the edge, the free fall, the net…
I’m living the truth: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” Isaiah 26:3. I am not calm on the outside and freak show on the inside. I’m not tanking up on sedatives to keep from going postal. Peace dipped down and overcame me in spite of myself. It is God’s handiwork.
I could not have put it any better myself. How often I could have “gone postal” and how many xanax I actually packed and ended up not taking any. Facing the enemy itself. Just like Rahab.
How did she not lose her composure when the soldiers came to ask her where the Hebrew spies were? How did I not lose my composure when faced with a straight out liar? “…The Lord makes it possible. Fear is no match for the Spirit of peace.”
Jen reminds me that not only am I called for the purpose of my step-son, but also for Endure house. Jen reminded me that I had a blog, okay well maybe it was the Holy Spirit nudging me. I haven’t forgotten what I have called you to do, I am still working to make it happen. Are you still in?
How can I say no? How can I p0ssibly say no! I have no response but YES LORD with my whole soul screaming out.
Rahab is the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. An ancestor of Jesus.
Endure House, not forgotten.
