Use it...

I was blessed by this devotion and wanted to share it.


My Struggles are About Him
by: Max Lucado

What about your struggles? Is there any chance, any possibility, that you have been selected to struggle for God's glory? Have you "been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29)?

Here is a clue. Do your prayers seem to be unanswered? What you request and what you receive aren't matching up? Don't think God is not listening. Indeed he is. He may have higher plans.

Here is another. Are people strengthened by your struggles? A friend of mine can answer yes. His cancer was consuming more than his body; it was eating away at his faith. Unanswered petitions perplexed him.Well-meaning Christians confused him. "If you have faith," they said, "you will be healed."

No healing came. Just more chemo, nausea, and questions. He assumed the fault was a small faith. I suggested another answer. "It's not about you," I told him. "Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God's song."
Oh, that you could have seen the relief on his face. To know that he hadn't failed God and God hadn't failed him--this made all the difference. Seeing his sickness in the scope of God's sovereign plan gave his condition a sense of dignity. He accepted his cancer as an assignment from heaven: a missionary to the cancer ward.

A week later I saw him again. "I reflected God," he said, smiling through a thin face, "to the nurse, the doctors, my friends. Who knows who needed to see God, but I did my best to make him seen."

Bingo. His cancer paraded the power of Jesus down the Main Street of his world.
God will use whatever he wants to display his glory. Heavens and stars. History and nations. People and problems.

Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God.

Through your problems and mine, may God be seen.

Worth your time

This is a video worth watching as soon as possible. It is an encouragement and a blessing.

http://deathisnotdying.com/

I have not stopped thinking about it ALL day!

Feeling encouraged

I have really appreciated all your kind words and have really felt encouraged since my last post. Sometimes you just need to vent you know?? But seriously, God has shown me kindness and comfort over the past few days. He has reminded me of his faithfulness during hard times while I sat and read old blog and journal entries. He reminded me of a verse in Hebrews that talks about making sacrifices and how you will reap the benefits in the end. He has reminded me of his creation. In the same way that our little girl is being knit in my womb, God has also knit me. I am beautiful. Pregnant OR not. I am beautiful. And, He has reminded me of the true and deep love my husband has for me. All the memories of how Greg has shown me grace and strength in the past came flooding back, and reminded me just how much he cares about me.





The Lord has brought me through so much over the last few years...why would He fail me now?? And as a mentor of mine said recently, at least there is an end in sight with this one...only 3 more months!





Not to say that these feelings won't re-enter in the future, but for now....I am resting in peace. :)

(26 weeks)

This body is not my own

This is what I have to remind myself DAILY. Obvious to some, not to others. But for those of you that are, or have ever been pregnant, and follow the same God, you know what I'm talking about. Let's get to the point. This body is not my own, it belongs to the Lord. As easy as it is to say, I sure have a hard time letting go of the following...



...a minimal wardrobe that consists of wearing the same thing multiple days in a row (and never really being satisfied with how they look on me)...



...feeling HUMONGOUS and swollen, knowing the 'best' is yet to come over the next 3 months...



...the varicose veins which people can't help but stare at and comment on, and knowing there's no way to stop them from getting worse...



...the debilitating heartburn that always takes me by surprise...



...feeling like no matter how much I dress up, I will never look sexy to my husband when we go out....



...and the tailbone pain that has kept me in physical therapy the last several weeks...





I know I'm supposed to embrace the journey of pregnancy, and don't get me wrong....I feel PRIVILEGED to be carrying our little girl. (Greg thanks me all the time for sacrificing my body for our baby, which is so sweet and usually brings me to tears). But, honestly I am selfish. I want to feel good in public, and be noticed for a fit and lean body. Let's be honest. Pregnancy is the OPPOSITE of FIT and LEAN...I have always struggled with how I view myself and how others view my body, and knew pregnancy would bring this challenge again. But, I thought...'shoot this will be easy.' Easy in the sense that 'Oh, now I have a reason to be out of shape...I'm pregnant!' But, Satan likes to pounce when you are down. So I have to battle these thoughts on a daily basis.



So, here I sit. 25 weeks along, trying to think of some verses to memorize that will crush Satan and his evil lies. Any suggestions?

Perspective

I have heard parts of the prayer below, but never read the whole thing. A friend forwarded this to me a few days ago, and I couldn't help but post it. If you've never read it, READ it. If you have, I hope it's a good reminder of how we can pray for our country. It truly puts things into perspective.

Truth...from a man the media has never been able to throw dirt on...amazing!!!
He has certainly hit the "world" on the head.

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God.'

A weekend retreat

Over the weekend I was blessed to attend a fantastic retreat in northern MI with two of my dear friends, CJ and Lynelle, as well as six other women from Engedi Church. We stayed two nights in a B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L cottage by the lake, just a few feet away from the water...literally. Now, just a reminder that it's March here in good 'ol MI (for my western, southern, and overseas friends). So, no we did not slip into our swimsuits and sunbathe like the pictures may suggest. But, we did escape the rain from our home town for all 3 days and enjoyed lots of brisk walks in the cold air, wearing our mittens and hats.

We shared stories, encouraged each other, offered wisdom and prayed as a group each morning...and even sang a few songs. But, the rest of the time was our own. I LOVE these kinds of retreats! I get the most out of them, when I just have time to journal and read and pray on my own. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fellowship of retreats with crafts, and speakers, and organized music....but there's something about getting away for a quiet, restful weekend with no schedule.

This weekend was also significant to me personally. One year ago on the first weekend in March, I reached the climax of crisis in my life. I was at my worst as far as depression goes, I couldn't control what happened in my family history, and was making sinful choices that were affecting my health and marriage. So, I fled town and started driving up north. I had no idea where I was going, and how long I would be gone. All I grabbed were a few clothes, my Bible, journal, and some money. I spent 4 days in a tiny motel in Ludington. I wrote about 15 pages filled with struggle, questions, and hopes. I never prayed so much in my life in those 4 days. I encountered God in a brand new way, and was brought to tears by what I had been doing. I wanted to be changed and made new. Upon returning, my life did not change overnight, but that long weekend was a huge step in my recovery. Three months later my dear and compassionate friend CJ (who I had confided in regularly) brought me to Lynelle (who has turned into an amazing mentor and friend). She had been through similar experiences, but had seen the light at the end of the tunnel. I was at the right time in my life to really make the change, and through a series of these kinds of relationships, God brought it about. I will always be grateful for how friendships blossom...especially these two ladies in my life :)

So thank you to Engedi Church for welcoming me into your group for a weekend together with sisters in Christ. It is yet another year I won't forget!