Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

"I could hear it coming another big truck, is it a tow truck to take my van away? Whew, it went on past."

"A knock on the door, could it be the foreclose notice or we going to have to leave our home? Where would we go and with three young children? Will my husband take the kids and abandon me? After all I didn't spend our money wisely. He trusted me to keep the bills paid and keep track of everything and I've failed."

These were the thoughts that used to go through my mind constantly several years ago. I wasn't living the way I should have. I spent money in ways I shouldn't have. I maxed out credit cards. There was nothing left. I was stressed and worried about everything.

The day I worried about most arrived with a knock at the door telling me, "You have been served." I signed his form, he handed me the papers, and he left. What was I going to do now? My husband knew our finances were bad, just not this bad.

I did the only thing I could. I fell on my knees and I surrendered this situation to God. I poured my heart out and asked him to save my home.

I found freedom that day! He sent me a way to fix everything. No, He didn't send me a big check. He sent me the solution and with His guidance I followed His plan.

Of course before the solution could begin, I had to confess and tell my husband. He took it well and together, God, my husband and me began our journey to true freedom.

Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 NIV

At first I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. Was I hearing God right? I mean I was already praying for people by name, wasn't that enough?

Apparently not, God kept nudging me. Finally, I did it. I texted one of the people who God have given me to pray for and he responded. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" No, it wasn't bad at all.

So I began a list of five different people, God put on my heart, everyday plus my husband, and this new journey began.  Not everyone on my paper responds, maybe they aren't quite sure what to do and after a few tries I get another name on my heart. Maybe they feel prayer needs are a private thing or maybe they are afraid I will share with others. Maybe they think I am being nosy.

The reason I have started asking is because God put it on my heart to do it. I mean I was praying for them anyway, isn't better to know what their prayer needs are.

I look forward to hearing from the different people and being able to pray for them in a special way. It's even more special when the people I ask, "How can I pray for you this week?" turn around and ask me. It doesn't hurt to have a prayer warrior team on your side.

So if you receive a message from me asking, "How can I pray for you this week?," know that I will be praying for you and that prayer request is between God, you, and me. Prayer is a powerful thing!

Love

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a NIV

The words that came out of his mouth did not indicate that there was any love for me. In fact, what was said to me broke my heart and made me feel worthless.

I could have let this bring me down. I could have dwelt on the words that were said to me. Instead, I know I have a heavenly Father that loves me. He loves me so much that his love is lavished on me. His love is so thick that it's generously given.

This weekend I will have the chance to serve once again at a Walk to Emmaus. This is a spiritual retreat where one is shown through the hands and feet of others the unconditional love of Christ. It is at this walk where I experienced a glimpse of heaven, and I came home knowing how much God loves me.

Every time I serve I am able to be God's hands and feet, and help others see how much God loves them. I try to do this in my every day life as well. Someone does not need to attend a Walk to Emmaus to know God loves them, but God's love is surely shown there.

I hope my actions and words help others to know. I am not perfect and sometimes something will pop out of my mouth that may bring someone down. So I guess I can understand when someone says something to me that hurts. This helps me to forgive and move on because I know that God's love for me is so thick words hurt me for a short time, but I reflect on God's words and remember all he has done.

Doubt

Matthew 14:31 

Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Have you ever doubted something?

I mean working with kids definitly leaves lots of room for doubt. "I have a hundred dollar bill in my backpack." The likelihood of an eight-year-old having this is slim, so yeah I doubted.

There was also a video I watch, where this character always said, "I doubt it." Anytime anyone shared something, he doubted.

Are you like that? Do you doubt? For us to be a little apprehensive is not a bad thing, it makes us question the why.

The one thing I don't doubt is God. I know He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.

This Wednesday I am so looking forward to a second worship service and seeing what God is going to do! I have no doubt He has big plans!

Fast

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13: 2-3 NIV

A month ago I had to fast from midnight until mid-morning, so I could get some blood work drawn. This was not difficult for me since I usually don't eat during that time anyway and I don't drink coffee. By the time I was done and back home, it was my usual breakfast time.

I couldn't imagine being like Jesus when he went into the desert and fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights. He had to be starving!

Someone at a cover dish one time said, "I can't eat because I'm fasting." I also know of a pastor who will fast from Saturday afternoon until after she has given her sermon on Sunday.

Those who are able to do this, I admire.

I fasted a little bit. At one time, I fasted lunch once a week to spend time in prayer. This was something I really felt God calling me to do. My husband wasn't seeing the same plan. During this time, I wrote out questions and search the Bible because I couldn't understand why God would tell us different things. It wasn't until my husband confessed that he wasn't seeking God that we were able to finally answer God's call.

Other times during Lent, I have fasted soda, my favorite store, french fries, chocolate...it wasn't easy but whenever I felt a craving for one of these things I would pray and the desire went away. Other times instead of fasting I added something like finishing the editing of a book, praying more deeply, and this year instead of just posting the picture of the day I decided to write about that picture.

To fast ins't easy, but following God isn't always easy either. Sometimes you just want to do what everyone else is doing. I have learned though that fasting has brought me closer to God and through that closeness I am able to see His way is so much better than my way and that has made a big difference.

Simplicity

Jesus answered, "If you want to be  perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21 NIV

Funny how life can get over complicated. The microwave was invented to make cooking faster. Cell phones were made to make our lives easier. Cars make it faster to get us where we need to go. Washer and dryers make it a lot easier to do laundry.

I have heard about how when someone visits a country on a mission trip he/she expects all this devastation and how sad these people must be. Instead he/she finds the happiest people. They have learned to be happy in their circumstances.

The other day I asked a young man if he would like to go on this spiritual retreat. He was all excited and said he would think about it until I told him, "Oh yeah, by the way you can't take your cell phone." Immediately, he said, "There's no way I can do that."

What are we willing to give up to make our lives simpler? Can you sell your possessions and give to the poor? There are some things I would have a hard time giving up, but if the Lord asked me too, I could.

Apparently, tonight he wants me to give up TV since our fifteen month old TV bit the dust. So tonight we are living life a little bit simpler.

Faith

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea', and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22

Faith is a wonderful thing. Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

For some of us faith is pretty simple. I mean we have faith that the person in the other car is going to stop at the red light. We have faith that our mail will arrive where we sent it. We have faith that our alarm clock will go off on time so we're not late for work.

For me faith is much deeper than that. I have faith in God. I believe He will do what He promise He will do. I also believe in what He has already done. I believe He created the world and everything in it, as well as the entire universe. I believe He parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River. I believe He sent His son Jesus to become the ultimate sacrifice, and I believe He rose from the dead and conquered death so we could enter heaven. I know that when I die I will be in heaven walking with God and Jesus.

My life is changed because I have this faith. This morning God even showed me, how much He cares about us. As I was preparing things for the dinner at church tonight. I noticed that our freezer didn't contain a new bag of chicken which I thought my husband had bought yesterday. "Well, He must have put it in the other freezer," I thought. So I checked there, no chicken. So I simply texted my husband to ask if he had bought the chicken. I went about what I was working on and waited for a reply. None came and soon I had this thought that I needed to look in the van. I ignored it for a few more minutes, but soon went to the van and guess what I found. The chicken! Luckily, this chicken is bought frozen, so it was still cold.

Now finding chicken may not seem like faith, but for me it was God prompting me so that we didn't lose out on the $20 it costs to buy this bag of chicken. I have asked God to help us be good stewards with the resources He gives us, and He was simply helping me out.

So please stop doubting in this loving God. He cares for you and for all the little details that make up your life even a bag of chicken.