Do you have trust issues?
01 Feb 2012 1 Comment
in Faith, Life Lessons
Wow! What a question, right? I would automatically tell you, “NO!” if someone ever dared ask me that question.
The truth is, lately God has been wrecking me with this question. You know when God asks you if you trust him…..it really makes you think.
What about when you finally come to the realization that you don’t trust Him like you thought you did? It’s very sobering. I hate feeling like I don’t fully, 150%, whole heartedly trust God. Let’s be honest, it’s really, really difficult sometimes.
The great thing about recognizing a weakness in your life is that there is always room for improvement & we have a chance to grow. Growing pains hurt and are kind of miserable at times, but the end result is maturity and tenacity and a deeper understanding of who our teacher is.
In my case, my teacher has been Jesus lately. Who better, right? I often fall short of His glory. The great thing is, it makes me realize how much I need Him. I’m not meant to get the glory anyway; Christ is! So that works out perfectly. 
Lately, the Lord has been pressing me about certain areas of my life where I lack faith-let’s just call it like it is. I wouldn’t come right out and say that, but my actions put on a demonstration sometimes.
I have been reading scripture and meditating on God’s faithfulness, how He knows it all & sees it all. I have been meditating on the FACT that God’s timing is perfect; how He sees every detail & how He is working it ALL out for my good. I have been worshiping like I never have before. I am learning to worship as the ONLY option; instead of a last resort. I don’t mean singing a slow song, I mean on my face in desperation, repentance & in awe of what a GOOD God I serve. Yes, the repentance part is super important! Wow, I’m being very vulnerable here (deep breath) I don’t say this to be proud, but to tell you that I have struggles, that I’m far from perfect, but Praise God that I serve a god who is perfect in all of His ways! He is always working things out in me. The end result is always beautiful & demonstrates strength, but most of all it brings glory to His name.
I want to encourage you today as I have been challenged to trust God just a little bit more. As we grow in our relationships, we are able to trust more because we know & understand in a deeper way.
God has NEVER given me a reason to doubt Him. I am the only doubter in our relationship. There is NOTHING too big for Him, there is nothing too hard or too trivial. He cares about us with an everlasting love. His love NEVER fails, it NEVER gives up, it NEVER runs out! His promises are YES & Amen! Sometimes, you just gotta’ preach yourself happy!! I know these things at my core, but not always do they reflect in my thoughts or in my actions. It’s not enough to just “know” something. We need to know & BELIEVE.
Day by day, I am giving up my “trust issues” ;)
Have you been unfaithful?
13 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Faith, Life Lessons
This week I have been thinking about how so many times I am unfaithful.
The other night at our young adults service the Lord dropped a word in my heart out of scripture. It’s found in 2 Timothy 2:13. “Yet while we are faithless, He is still faithful. He cannot deny Himself.” I have heard this verse before, but when I heard it in my spirit that night I felt like I had been hit by a mac truck. I just thought to myself as I stood there in worship, “My God, you are sooo faithful; I don’t even deserve your faithfulness”
The thing about it that amazes me and leaves me awestruck is that He still remains the same. He never changes! He is faithful, so He can’t deny who He is. Praise God for that! Stop & think about how often you change your mind, your point of view, your opinion or how often your emotions change within a day. We can get out of control at times. I’m not saying that changing your mind or having emotions is bad, we just have to keep it in balance.
If we say that we believe God is our provider, we need to mean it. ItIt’s easy to SAY one thing & DO another. It takes hard work, persistence & faith to say & do the same thing! What about when we tell God we trust Him & then in the next breath we are complaining about our circumstances? I am guilty of this.
There is a song that I’ve had in my head all week by Jesus Culture called, “Your love never fails.” The song has me this week. He is always working things together for our good. He knows when we need it, why we need it or don’t need it, how, who, what, etc.
I want to encourage you this week as I have been encouraged/challenged. Take God at His word. That seems so easy, but at times it’s very difficult. If God said it, he’ll do it. We just have to believe it. Continue to pray for God’s will to be done in your life; not your own will. Trust that if things don’t go according to your plan that it’s for good & for a reason.
Maybe you don’t pray much or have never prayed; start today! There is no better time than the present. It may feel awkward or pointless, but I promise prayer changes things, it strengthens you & produces a greater trust & knowing of who God is & how much He loves you and wants to take care of you.
Take a minute to listen to these lyrics! They will bless you!
Reject it!
02 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in Faith, Life Lessons
Here’s a thought I’ve been meditating on the last week:
“Reject what God rejects.”
I’m finishing up my year in School of Ministry and it’s been a great year. I have learned a lot and I feel stronger. Dr. Bob Abramson said something the other night in class that was just fresh revelation to my spirit. He said, “We need to reject what God rejects & accept what God accepts.” That statement jumped out at me and hasn’t left me since.
I want to share what has been processing in my little mind the past week. The first thing that came to mind was the rejection part.
What are things that God rejects?
-He rejects lies. He is truth, therefore he cannot accept a lie.
-He rejects gossip. I believe He can’t stand backbiting and negativity. In fact, He is love so how can hate mesh with love? Simply, it can’t!
-He rejects defeat. Christ is victorious therefore he can’t be defeated. Death & the grave couldn’t hold him down. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He has called His children to live the same way, victoriously. Too often we accept defeat as a way of life and we just wallow around in the mud. NO! Get over it & get moving! I understand things happen that get us down and make us feel weary, but at some point you have to choose to move on and not live in your problems for years on end. Too many people allow defeat to rule their life and they live in that place for their ENTIRE existence.
-Christ rejects a poverty mindset. Christ is EVERYTHING! He has everything we need. Christ desires for us to live a life of abundance and prosperity.
*Side note: Many people get this confused and think a few things:
1. As Christians, we should live humble lives with nothing; sacrificing everything. That is bogus! God wants us to enjoy things and be blessed and be able to give to others and advance His kingdom. Don’t get me wrong, we need to be humble, but there needs to be a balance. Some people would walk around naked and live in a box all in the name of humility for Christ. Silly!
2. Some Christians think that abundance means they should have everything and hoard all of their money and blessings from God for themselves. God wants us to be givers, He also desires for us to share our blessings with others.
(Now that I am done ranting about that, let’s move on)
-Christ rejects jealousy. One of His commandments is “Thou shall not covet.” We need to be grateful for what we DO have. Stop comparing yourselves to everyone and everything. One thing I learned many years ago was to never covet what someone else has/does because you never know what it cost them/what they had to sacrifice to get there/have that. When we are jealous, we are really just demonstrating a heart that is ungrateful & greedy. Jealousy is also a display of immaturity.
-Christ rejects bitterness. He hates to see us suffer from sourness and rotten thoughts about others and our circumstances. He desires for us to live a life of peace and fruitfulness. We can’t produce fruit and be rotten at the same time. It just doesn’t work!
Stay tuned this week for my thoughts on “Accepting what God Accepts”
Are you a dreamer OR do you sit on the sidelines?
13 Oct 2011 1 Comment
in Business, DIY, Dreams, Faith, Family, Life Lessons, My Favorite Things
Are You a Dreamer OR do you sit on the sidelines?
I ask myself that question frequently. You see, my husband is quite the dreamer. In fact, it often scares me (makes me nervous) how often he dreams. I admire that in him though. He is a visionary. I always say “I’m more of the type to help carry the vision out.” I am the more organized, calculated, cautious individual. I think it’s important to have balance with the two.
This morning was a little different for me. I was dreaming about the future! It’s so important to do that so that you have things to look forward to, things to work towards, goals to set & attain & accomplishments to look forward to.
Awhile back, a friend of ours gave us an idea of making a “Dream Board.”
Have you seen one before?
When he told us about it, I had never seen one. Basically you glue a bunch of pictures (your dreams) to this huge board and hang it up somewhere that you’ll see it quite often. You can clip the pictures from magazines, the computer, wherever you want, really. Ron & I made one for our life together. On the board we have goals, things we’d like to accomplish, business’ we’d like to start, things we’d like to own one day, places we’d like to visit, etc. It’s so exciting to look at, especially as a young family.
It’s so cool because it keeps the vision in front of you. Sometimes it’s so easy to forget about our dreams or get discouraged when things don’t look like they are going to pan out. We have to constantly remind ourselves to NEVER GIVE UP! If God gave you a dream to start a business, START IT! If you have a desire to own a vacation home, DON’T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT! If you want to go on vacation to Tahiti, GO, GO, GO! (and take me with you) If you want to adopt a child, DO IT!
Don’t let the busyness of life just keep you “busy” and never really accomplishing anything. Don’t live a mundane life; 9-5 blah, blah, blah. I believe God has called us to live a life of purpose, a life of passion, a life full of dreams & visions.
I want to share a few shots of my dream board with you. Obviously, not all of them, because a lot of them are personal or under wraps. ;)
With that being said, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t share your dreams with everyone. Share them with a few people that you can trust and that will pray with you and offer you sound advice. There are a lot of “Dream Killers” out there. They will shoot your dreams down in an instant. The reasons for this are vast: jealousy, defeat in their own life, negative attitudes, etc. Stay far away from the Dream Killers.
So here are just a few of the shots from our Dream Board:
We want to have a few kiddos. My husband has red hair, so I often imagine them running around with strawberry tops
A Present Goal: Remodel our master bathroom & do some nice landscaping in our yard
A few of our vacation spots
I want a big pool one day that my whole family can enjoy!
I want my event planning business to be a great success & bless others!
God had put the world/missions in our hearts. We love to take mission trips & lead others on mission trips around the world.
I want to encourage you today to DREAM BIG! If your dreams scare you or make you a little uncomfortable that’s probably a good thing. Living a “comfortable” life is not fun; there is no risk involved & everything is just “expected.” Don’t get me wrong there are times where you don’t have peace and you need to be sensitive and obedient to that, but everyone that accomplished something great had to take a risk, had to be willing to fail a time or two or three. DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL! If you’re failing, please remember, you are at least trying. Too many people sit on the sidelines of their life bored & miserable with their life because they are scared to take a risk.
If you’re feeling brave & you like the idea of a dream board, take some time to sit down and make one. ;) Fill the whole thing up! If you’re not all about cutting and glueing than at least write them down somewhere and look at them often.
You just might need this…I did.
31 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Faith, Joy, Life Lessons
You know how sometimes you read something that is just perfect for your day or something that you just really needed to hear or be reminded of?
I love those moments. It just reminds me how much God cares for me, even in the smallest details.
Today I was reading a devotional called “My Utmost for His Highest.” The author is Oswald Chambers. It’s a simple, yet so profound. So many little nuggets & so many things that make you say, “Yeah, I need to do better at _____.”
I want to share with you what I read today. I needed it & I’m sure some of you do too. ;)
What was the joy that Jesus had?
Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact it’s an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender & self-sacrifice to His Father- the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do.
“…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2)
In Psalms 40:8 Jesus prayed that our joy may continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His.
Have you allowed Jesus to introduce His joy to you? When I read this question I thought to myself, “Yes, I have been introduced to His joy, but I so quickly give it away to others that want to steal it from me or I get caught up in worry or being frustrated about some silly circumstance.”
Have you ever done that?
The devotion goes on to say that the first thing that will hinder this joy is the SUBTLE irritability caused by giving too much though to our circumstances.
WHOA! This one-liner hit me right upside my head.
I said to myself, “That’s me this week.”
I made the word “subtle” in all caps because I want to remind you as I’ve reminded myself that is how the enemy works. Little thoughts or little lies come into our mind and disturb us for days on end, we lose our peace & joy is nowhere to be found. Worry, anxiety & stress are very present in these times. We have to be on alert for those “subtle” hindrances in our life. They don’t come just barging in the door with a sign on them saying, “I’m here to ruin your day.” They are sneaky and divisive.
Jesus said, “… the cares of the world, … choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:19) And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares.
The last part of the devotion really spoke to me. It said, “Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life…hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
Wow! I can be so selfish when I get so caught up in “MY” problems that I forget about the people God wants me to care for and God wants me to be a blessing to. Don’t get me wrong there are times that we will need to focus on ourselves and our situation, but for the most part (speaking for myself here) I want to look outward to others and not so inward.
I want to leave you with this verse from the Bible: Those things I have spoken to you, that my joy may REMAIN in you, and that your joy may be FULL. -John 15:11
Some People just like to talk…
25 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Faith, Life Lessons
There are people that like to “talk” about what’s right & then there are people who “DO” what is right.
I’m sure this annoys some of you, especially if they are always “talking” to you.
There is a verse in the Bible that I have been meditating on lately. I want to share it with you.
James 1:22 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must DO what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
I want to hit on the first line, “But don’t just listen to God’s word.”
In other words, we know what to do & we “listen” then we tell everyone else about what they should or shouldn’t be doing, but we don’t do it ourselves.
The Message Bible says it this way: (I love how the message Bible breaks it down in such a real way!)
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
It’s not enough for us to just “know” the word, we have to take action! There are too many Christians running around telling everyone else what to do and not doing it themselves. You can’t expect from others what you’re not willing to do yourself.
You can be so full of the word (the Bible) and you can have it memorized front to back & back to front; but if you don’t apply it in your life & walk it out then is it really that special that you “know” the word?
I don’t think so….
As I encourage myself & grow in my knowledge of the Bible & who God is & what He expects of us I want to encourage you.
Be a DOER of the word! Take action. Start with something simple. It could be an attitude or the way you respond to certain situations.
Pray & ask the Lord what it would be. Usually the thing we like to “talk” about is usually the thing God wants us to “DO” Funny how that works, right?
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Enough is Enough!
16 Aug 2011 2 Comments
in Faith, Life Lessons
”Enough is enough!”
Have you ever shouted those words out? I know I have. In fact, I said them today (in my head) that’s what spurred on this post. I have been sick the past few days & I’M OVER IT! You know when you just get to the end of yourself and you can’t take it anymore? Something has to change!
I was thinking about how we allow things in our emotions, in our minds, in our heads & in our spirit to just “hang around.”
When you’re fighting a cold you know it’s going to end at some point. I personally won’t take medicine until I get to the point where I can hardly bear it. (shame on me) I let the sick feeling take over. As you know, if you let it go for too long it can turn into an infection or something worse. Should’ve just taken the meds, right?
What’s my point?
My point is that there are things that are detrimental and negative in our lives that we need to rid ourselves of. Some of us have dealt with things for so long that they just feel a part of us. That unforgivness you’ve been harboring in your heart, that attitude you have about your boss, the negative thoughts you have about your leader. Whatever it may be, we all have them, whether they are big or small; colds or infections. We have to get to the point where we shout out, “Enough is enough!”
Some of our “issues” are insecurities or misconceptions of people or situations. My prayer for you today is that you ask yourself what those issues are. God will reveal them to you if you allow yourself to be still & listen.
Stand up today & shout if from the rooftops, “Enough is enough!” Don’t continue on feeling “ok” or “good.” God desires for you to live your best life, feeling “great”, feeling “extraordinary.”
Live a life of purpose; a healthy life in every area of who you are!
I loathe these words!
12 Aug 2011 5 Comments
in Faith, Family, Life Lessons
Well, it’s Friday. I am not feeling so well today. I am fighting a cold, which I believe my husband gave to me after fighting it for the last week. Blah!
I have so many thoughts spinning around in my head today, well really the last few days. Trying to decide on which one to share is tricky. ;)
I suppose I’ll share on a few words I cannot stand. “It is what it is.” I have a strong sense of justice that burns deep inside of me. So laying down and not fighting usually isn’t an option for me when I believe in something. I have a hard time accepting things that are out of order or things that are flat out wrong or sinful.
This past week we had special meetings at our church so we had a few people stay with us in our home. One of those people was my husband’s best friend and my youth pastor growing up. (funny, right?) Pastor Jonathan Cook has so much wisdom & insight about life. I was talking with him & my husband one night about a few things that have been going on in my life that have really frustrated me. He said those words that I strongly, passionately dislike, “It is what it is, Erin.”
I looked at him & said, (with my arms flailing) “But I hate that!”
He then responded with words of wisdom. He told me that I need to discern when I need to fight for what I believe and when I need to stay silent.
I think an important question to ask yourself in this situation is “How much is this fight/stance going to cost me & am I willing to pay what it costs?”
I am trying to process all of this in my mind. I have asked myself why I hate those words (“It is what it is”)
Is it because if I accept things I don’t agree with do I appear to be weak? Do I have control issues? Am I too analytical? Am I too strong about certain things needing to be in order?
I don’t really know the answer yet. ;)
I just know that I have to get a peace about the things I can’t control, the things that are “wrong” and the things that I don’t agree with or areas where I don’t have any leverage to change the situation.
Sometimes the issue is more about us than it is about that thing we are having a hard time with. Whether it’s situations/circumstances, our relationships, our work environment or family members.
I have been learning to depend more on God to take care of the things that I can’t. He probably can handle them way better than me, anyways. ;) I know for sure that God puts us in situations that rub us the wrong way to grow us, to shape our character and to strengthen us. Don’t get me wrong, there are DEFINITELY times where you need to stand up & fight. When I say “fight” I am referring to defending yourself, others, or causes.
Blogging today has made me think about when I was young and I would ask my mom “why?”
She would respond with, “Because I said so.”
Or she would say, “It’s just the way it is.”
I didn’t like it, but it made me have to move on & trust that she knew best. It’s the same principle as an adult. God doesn’t have to give us a reason why or reason things out with us so it all makes sense in our mind. It just is what it is. Ha! Funny how some things stay the same.
At the end of the day, I know that God is my source, He is my vindicator and He is working all things out for my good!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. What do you do in these situations? How do the words, “It is what it is” make you feel? Leave me a comment at the top of this post under the date.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
Hmm….
19 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Faith
My husband sent me something he had written the other day and there was one short line that really jumped out at me. I want to share it with you today & I hope that it will speak to you as well.
“Keep us childlike in our faith and ancient in our wisdom.”
These words made me say, “Hmm.” What a powerful statement! As adults it’s important that we keep our childlike faith; faith that says nothing is impossible! Faith that isn’t scared or doesn’t ask a million questions.
On the other hand, we need to be so full of wisdom. My prayer has always been, “Lord, give me wisdom beyond my years.” I know in my generation, wisdom is something that is forgotten and not often seen. I don’t want to be naive when it comes to life, my family, my ministry, my business, etc. I DO want to be naive in my faith! This doesn’t mean dumb faith or blind faith. It just means pure, untainted faith. I want to be childlike enough in my faith to believe that the Bible is true, that God does exist, that I can do what He says I can do, that I can have what He says I can have. (no matter what anybody or any circumstance says) I want to be childlike enough to believe that I can travel the world, have a successful business, have a happy & healthy marriage, be successful & raise up godly children. There are so many things you can add here to “the childlike enough to______.”
So today, I encourage you to make this your prayer: Keep me childlike in my faith and ancient in my wisdom.
I don’t mind waiting…
14 Jul 2011 3 Comments
in Faith
While I was in New York for our summer mission trip I had the opportunity to go to Brooklyn Tabernacle for their Tuesday night prayer service.
One word: POWERFUL!
There was a time of worship before prayer and the message. They sang a song called “I don’t mind waiting on the Lord.” This song really ministered to my heart.
The words to the song were simple & few….I don’t mind waiting on the Lord.
That really is a jam packed statement. In reality, we DO mind most of the time. We grumble and complain when what we want doesn’t happen instantly or in the time frame we think is best. We regress back to childhood, kicking and screaming when we have to wait. Of course, not literally (hopefully) but in our minds that’s what it would look like.
We live in a society where everything is so fast paced and “waiting” is an ubsurd idea. It’s contrary to what the Lord wants for our lives most of the time.
Waiting produces patience. Waiting develops our character. We’d be spoiled rotten if we never had to wait. I feel like we walk around with the “gimme, gimme right now” attitude. Let’s be honest, it’s UGLY! It’s also very selfish.
A lot of the time, the Lord has us wait because He’s protecting us from something: a devastation, a bad relationship, a financial frustration, etc. The time of waiting can save us a lot of heartache & pain. When we complain it’s like we’re telling God that He’s not who He says He is. We have to remind ourselves that God knows what He’s doing & He’s always us to something. This will shut up our complaints & our anxieties.
I read a powerful quote once, “What God is doing in you while you are waiting is far more valuable than the very thing you are waiting for.” Hello! That is the truth right there! I have told that to so many people in the last 5 years. We are always going to have to wait for something. Whether it’s going to college, finding the love of our life, getting married, a job promotion, having a baby, buying a house, moving, etc. The list is endless.
We need to learn to be content in our times of waiting. Ask yourself, “What can I gain/learn from this time of waiting?”
I want to encourage you to speak those words today & everyday. ”I don’t mind waiting on the Lord.” Don’t say those words if you don’t really mean them. The Lord dealt with my heart about something specific that I’ve been waiting for & I have had such peace since that service at Brooklyn Tabernacle. I am trusting that He has my best interest in mind & there is a reason why I’m waiting.
Make the wait worth it!
Here’s a video I found of the song. It’s a bit old school but it’s straight up gospel power.
