When God's Plan Trumps Our Plan

It seems that we make a million decisions a day. Some are small and seem to have little consequence in our lives, like “Do I want to wear flats or heels today?” Sure, we may regret the heels, but as far as its affecting the outcome of the rest of our life, it really doesn’t matter much.

Other decisions, though, can change the entire course of our lives. “Do I want to marry this man?” “Do I want to stay married to this man who has been unfaithful?” “Am I ready to be a parent…even though I am single?” “Should I take this job?” “Should I go to college?”

These decisions we ponder and consider them with great attention. We weigh the pros and cons. We place them on the balance scale of our life to make as complete and informed of a decision as possible. Then we make a decision and move forward  on the path we have chosen.

What happens though if God’s plans are different from ours? Do we consider things long enough to allow His input into our decision making?

In the earthly realm, God’s plan may not balance out quite as well as ours might. Let’s look at Joseph. He had a difficult decision to make when he found out that his betrothed, Mary, was with child…and it wasn’t his child she was carrying. This circumstance just doesn’t balance well at all!

Matthew 1:19-20, 24

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit…. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Joseph weighed things out and even made an honorable decision. He was going to divorce Mary quietly instead of persecuting her and having her punished. He was making a Godly decision…but it wasn’t God’s plan. God had a perfect plan for him in this circumstance. It wasn’t the easy plan, or the logical plan…but it was the perfect plan.

Joseph was open to an alternate plan that God had for his life. It didn’t balance well, and it definitely was not comfortable…but he was a man who listened to God and chose God’s perfect plan over his own good plan.

I want to encourage you today to pause. Allow God to speak to you in your circumstances today. Even though your plan may be a GOOD plan, doesn’t mean it’s God’s PERFECT plan. He may be arranging things to change the world through your unbalanced circumstances.

Suffering From Valentine-itis? Here is the Cure!

It’s that time of year again. I can already feel the hot sting of disappointment that plagues me in an attempt to make me feel unloved, unworthy, and rejected.  It started in the 6^th grade as I sat in Homeroom. I watched as the Student Counsel passed out carnations. I silently prayed that someone…anyone…would think I was special enough to ask me to be their Valentine. As the stack of carnations dwindled, the disappointment grew. “Please, please, please call my name! I just want a stupid flower!” My heart sunk as the last flower was handed out, and none of them were for me.  It was my first time to experience the rejection that said “You aren’t special to anyone in the whole school.”

I re-lived that experience all the way through Jr. High and High School. Each year it was the same thing. Each year I experienced the same rejection. Each year my heart took a beating. I tried with all my might to pretend that it didn’t matter, but in all honesty it mattered a great deal.

You’d think that as I grew up, Valentine's Day would get better. No such luck. I NEVER had a date for Valentines. I didn’t get flowers or chocolates. I spent each year alone, lonely, and feeling once again…rejected. At least as an adult now I could lock myself in my apartment and avoid the day altogether…unless I had to work. Then it was like 6^th grade all over again. I’d watch with hope that quickly turned to dread each time the delivery trucks arrived with flowers, balloons, and candy.  My name was never on the card. I never had a Valentine.

Once I got married, I thought this pattern would change. The husband is obligated to buy his wife flowers and chocolates…right? Well, my sweet hubby has tons of amazing qualities, and I love him very much. He loves me too, but he has one flaw that is magnified each year on Valentines. My husband is “Romantically Challenged.” While he gets straight A’s in many aspects of our marriage, he simply isn’t any good at the “make me swoon” stuff that Valentine’s Day seems to call for.

As the February 14^th holiday approaches, I am pondering the lifetime of disappointment inflicted upon me by Valentine’s Day. I pause and wonder what can I do to avoid feeling rejected, unloved, and disappointed. What is the cure for my recurring case of Valentine-itis?

It makes sense that the cure would be in the heart of the holiday...love. So I must start with love. What is it and where does it come from?

1 John 4:8 says “God is love.”

He doesn’t just love, but He IS love! That to me is a good start to my cure. I need to connect with the love that is God, not the commercially branded love that leaves me disappointed and feeling rejected or unloved. This means love isn't a limp carnation...I must desire Him over the elusive flowers.

Just knowing what love is isn’t enough though…We desire love that lasts and will not reject us. 

 Deuteronomy 7:9 tells us to “Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments…”.

God will not turn His back on me because His love is steadfast… not wavering or changing. That’s a love that you can count on beyond one day of the year. Its more reliable than that box of chocolates that does turn on you as it grabs ahold of your thighs and doesn't want to let go.

Perhaps this quote by Rick Warren sums it up pretty good. “God is love. He didn’t need us. But he wanted us. And that is the most amazing thing.”

Deep down, it was never about the flowers or the chocolate. It was always about wanting to be wanted, and God wants me! He wants you too!

Tired Parents (+) Teenagers = Civil War

Tired Parents (+) Teenagers = Civil War

Mom and Dad of a teenager, I know you are tired. Your heart begs for a reprieve from the onslaught of rolling eyes, caustic tones, and raging hormones that have overtaken your once sweet, loving, and adoring child.

Your household has shifted from a tranquil place that you knew how to control and navigate, to a civil war zone led by a teen rebel that pushes every boundary you spent years establishing. The daily battle has you ready to wave the white flag of surrender hoping for a measure of peace.

My sweet, tired friend…this is HUGE lie from the enemy himself.

The Politics of a Family

Your family began as a Dictatorship the moment your sweet baby (now a teen rebel) was conceived. You had complete decision making authority and over time became quite successful and even comfortable in your role as Dictator. That Dictatorship was necessary for a season so your child could have an example of what a safe and secure life should look like.  

As they got older, your household should have transitioned to a Democracy. In this Democracy, your child should have begun to have a say in things and learn to trust his/her self in the process. You as the parent kept the rights to veto and override anything that didn’t line up with your family’s core values and beliefs, but you also showed your child levels of respect in the things you allowed them input over. During this time, they will have made some poor choices and as a parent you should have allowed them to experience the results of some of those decisions with love and guidance. The trick during this time was to be sure you didn’t crush them as a domineering Dictator or protect them from consequences completely as a Monarch might do.

As they enter teen hood, a Civil War erupts in your nice Democracy as they begin trying to figure out how to manage their own space and territory. As parents, we know they are not ready…as teens they believe they are. In this season, they push every boundary trying to gain more independence and control moving away from blindly accepting things they have accepted before.

I know this is very difficult (we are living this ourselves) but it is part of the process. Our goal as parents is ultimately to allow our children to establish their own “Nation” and have the skills and tools to run it with wisdom. How do they develop those tools? The tool kit is built during the Dictatorship, Democracy, and Civil War stages they experience in your home as they grow up. If you as parent surrender too quickly, you run the risk of your child setting up their own country, but not being able to manage it. They may forever be the country that needs a bail out because you gave up too soon—because you were too tired to keep parenting—-and we both know you don’t want that.

Now is not the time to throw in the towel. You started this race, and you need to finish strong! There is an entire future at stake…your child’s!

Here is a prayer and scriptures that may help you during this season  to help you stay on course and not throw in the white flag of surrender.

Dear Lord, Your word says that there is a season for everything. I find myself in a season of battle with my teenager,  and I am tired. I choose to wait on you so you can renew my strength.  As my strength is renewed in this season, I gain courage to stand strong and continue in this race of parenting that you have called me to run. Help me run this race to win it so that I may obtain the prize.  So as I continue day by day Lord, help me not grow weary in doing the good things required of me as a parent and help me trust that when the time is ripe I will see my child standing strong in their faith and full of wisdom and confidence not only in their own abilities to manage their lives but also in You.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…

Isaiah 40:31 They that wait upon the Lord share renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Galatians 6:9 Let us know become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

You are God's Treasure!

My heart sank. I was sick to my stomach immediately and my body temperature seemed to swing from burning to ice cold and back to burning with each heartbeat. I had lost something that I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life without. In no way would this feeling of panic, fear, loss, and personal disappointment ever be far from my thoughts. I had lost my wedding ring, and therefore lost a part of myself as well.

I couldn’t just sit back and accept that my ring was gone though. I told my husband and children and they immediately joined in on the “Great Ring Hunt of 2013”. My mind was in continual turmoil. It raced day and night trying to think of new places to look. My heart was broken and I cried myself to sleep. I enlisted friends to pray and assist in searching too.

I was crushed and devastated. Sure, I had a jewelry box full of other rings…but they weren’t THIS ring. THIS ring held my heart and had been part of me for over sixteen years. It represented a love and a commitment that was truly a part of who I was, not just an item I owned.

I prayed continually for God to supernaturally reveal to me the location of my ring, but for days I searched and was sick with fear that my ring was in fact gone forever. I cried almost continually, and could think of little else than the missing ring. My actions were consumed by the search, my thoughts were overwhelmed by it, and my words could only utter my concerns and my loss.

Finally, after a week of absolute torture, I brushed back the curtain in my bedroom. There, on the window sill was my treasured wedding ring. I had spent the last week trying to “continue with life” and knowing I would forever keep an eye out for my missing ring…until the day I found it. The moment of recovery that I had hoped and prayed for had arrived!

I was so incredibly relieved that I called my husband and all of my friends. We all breathed a communal sigh of relieve and celebrated together that my treasure had been located safely and was back where it was supposed to be. My friends and family were overjoyed for me, and I finally had peace in my heart and could stop feeling sick and consumed. We truly celebrated and rejoiced together.

Shortly after recovering my ring, I came across a scripture that I had read many times. I thought I understood it completely, but looking at it through the lenses of my recent loss I could see the deeper value and meaning.

Luke 15:8-10 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

I had just been the woman doing everything she could to find something of value that was missing. I had recent insight on the deep sense of loss, the angst of a lengthy search, and the beautiful celebration of recovery.

In this Scripture, we are the missing treasure. God is the woman who we belong to as believers. Just as I spent all of my energies seeking my ring, and the lady in scripture spent hers looking for the coin, God's heart is anxious for our return to Him. When we do return to Him, He celebrates in Heaven as does the angels. You are of that much value to God's heart! You are His treasure that He will continue seeking and searching to recover.

Even though we believe, there are times that we get caught up in things that aren’t of Him and we become “lost” to our own devices. God will continue to shed light into our dark places so that the way back to Him is revealed and available to us. It is up to us to repent and turn back to Him and the place He has designed us to be. When we do this…Angels rejoice at our repentance and there is a celebration in Heaven because we have returned to our rightful place with our Father.

Be encouraged today that He is still with you. You are still of great value to Him, and He earnestly wants you back even more than I wanted my wedding ring back! Please allow God to shine His light into the dark places of your life and allow Him to guide to back into the safety of His care!

You are God's great treasure!

The Me...Inside of Me

THE ME INSIDE OF ME- has pink hair. She throws caution to the wind and fully embraces the experiences of life as they come without filtering them through a lens of what terrible and painful thing will this elicit. She is not concerned with how the world will view her or if she will be accepted.

THE ME INSIDE OF ME- enjoys every minute with her children and gets down on the floor, rolls around and is silly. She isn’t consumed with dishes and laundry and all the things that still need to be done to keep life moving forward.

THE ME INSIDE OF ME- passionately embraces her husband and melts into the fullness of what the husband/wife relationship is designed to be. She isn’t guarded or wounded from things of the past.

THE ME INSIDE OF ME- boldly builds relationships and friendships not being concerned about rejection or disappointment.

This is the me…inside of me.

 The me I am trying to let out.

Maybe it’s the me God created me to be.

I hope one day…to be THE ME INSIDE OF ME!

More Than a Pinky Promise!

We all remember days of childhood where many best laid plans, promises, and secrets were sealed with a "Pinky Promise!"

As we got older though we realized that "Pinky Promises" weren't strong enough to withstand the test of time and we became disillusioned. Life taught us that promises would be broken.

During my quiet time this morning, my hope and faith in promises was restored when I read the following scripture. 

Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT

So God has give both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to Lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have a great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.

WOW! God has given us an unchanging and unbreakable promise and oath that had the 'No matter what' clause.

No matter what...it will not change.

No matter what...it will not go away.

No matter what...it will not be broken.

In our dark and painful places where life seems so uncertain and we feel like we are completely alone... seek refuge in HIM and not in temporary things that are as fragile as the pinky promises of our childhood. We can have confidence and hope that He has us in the palm of His hand and is taking care of us not only now, but in the future as well.

We can anchor our soul on His hope that is strong and trustworthy. In doing this, we can rely on His strength and not our own that is fragile and fleeting.

When we are anchored to Him and His hope, we can then enter into His inner sanctuary or His full presence. How sweet that promise is... and its a promise that can never be broken!

Sweet friend, if you are weak this morning and broken hearted by promises that were not kept, please find refuge in our Heavenly Father today. Anchor your soul to Him and you will be able to trust in a hope that comes only from Him. You will be able to rely on His strength and not your own. He promises to carry you through and give you hope...  and these promises will never be broken.

Father God, We come to you right now having a difficult time trusting because in our experience trust has been unreliable. God, we seek refuge in you today. Help us anchor our soul to you and rely on your strength over our own. Heal the places that are hurt and broken and allow us the privilege to enter into your presence and get to know you in a deeper what than ever before. I think you for these things. I place my trust in you and your unbreakable promises.
     In Jesus name...Amen

 

Shifted Vision Ministries: WARNING: SLIPPERY SURFACE

Shifted Vision Ministries: WARNING: SLIPPERY SURFACE: Recently I was on vacation with my family. It seems that everything we do always involves water and this trip brought us to the Comal River....

WARNING: SLIPPERY SURFACE

Recently I was on vacation with my family. It seems that everything we do always involves water and this trip brought us to the Comal River. I am a fraidy-cat so I always choose to get out and walk around the dangerous areas like rapids and shoots. In walking around something that I perceived as dangerous and trying to avoid getting hurt, I came across a sign painted on the cement that said: “Caution: Slippery Surface”.

I began thinking about how we as Christians can easily avoid the obvious dangers. We can see the dangers lurking ahead when it comes to infidelity, addiction, theft, murder…those are biggies that we can see and make course corrections to avoid. We don’t always avoid them and the closer we get to the actual core of the threat the current oftentimes catches us and we are caught up in the throes of it before we realize we are past the point of no return. Repentance and forgiveness are our only course if we choose to navigate away from the sin that has drawn us in.

There are times however that the course we choose to avoid a big sin can be a slippery surface as well. We can linger on the outside of the current of infidelity and skirt it with flirting. We can float along toying with drugs or alcohol and not even realize that we are losing control. We can easily stretch or exaggerate the truth not realizing that is the slippery slope of dishonesty. We can stock our home with office supplies from work, and not see ourselves as a thief.

You see, oftentimes “Big Sins” have definite warning signs that come along with them. Common sense brings the list of possible consequences to mind and we cautiously steer clear. The “small sins” are less obvious. We are lured to think that we can handle it or control them. We think the consequences aren’t that bad.

The truth is: in God’s eyes sin is sin, there are no ‘big sins’ or ‘small sins’, sin is simply sin. So the next time you realize you are gossiping, telling a little white lie, taking a tablet from the office, taking just one more pill, drinking just one more drink, flirting just one more time…you are on a slippery surface. That surface is the illusion of sin not being sin. I pray you are able to recognize it for what it is and heed the signs… “Caution: Slippery Surface”

Shifted Vision Ministries: Confessions of a Clinger

Shifted Vision Ministries: Confessions of a Clinger: Hello, my name is Tammy…and I’m a clinger! A few weeks back I posted a series of confessions on my Facebook Page. Confession...

Confessions of a Clinger

Hello, my name is Tammy…and I’m a clinger!

A few weeks back I posted a series of confessions on my Facebook Page.

Confession 1: I cling to recipe and cookbooks. I almost never use them, but the idea of letting them go isn't comfortable so I cling tighter. 

Confession 2: I can't get rid of books. They stay in cabinets and on shelves, but I just can't seem to part with them. I have converted closets into shelving spaces to hold the mountains of books that I cling to. It's not that I have plans to read them again- to be honest, many of them have never been read and probably never will. 

Confession 3: I LOVE bags! So much so that on some forums my user name is Diva Bag Lady. I have bins of bags. I am kind of a bag snob though, and I seem to use the same one or two until they are shreds... never touching the other ones. Even though I don't use the others, I seem to cling to and find comfort in the fact that they are there. I can't let them go. 

I believe that clinging is part of our great design, but because of a fallen and sinful world we get confused and cling to the wrong things.

Jeremiah recognized this tendency: “Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5)

I’m not saying that my recipe books, bins of bags, and closets of books are idols but when I look at the definition of the word I honestly have to pause. The first definition of idol doesn’t convict me, but the second and third shake things up a bit.

Idol: 1. a. An image uses as an object of worship.

           b. A false God

        2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.

        3. Something visible but without substance.

Looking at the second definition I wonder what role my stuff plays for me. I adore my recipes, books, and bags. I don’t focus on them like Gollum in The Lord of The Rings as he hid in dark places stroking the ring and creepily stating “My Precious!”, but I definitely like them more than I should.

 

The third definition though is what got me. An idol is something that is visible, but without substance. I stated earlier that I cling to these things and find comfort in knowing they are there, but is it true comfort?  If it’s false comfort I have settled for, have these items taken the place of God in parts of my life? Have they become idols?

In Psalm 63:8 David cried out, “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” God is who I am to cling to. In clinging to Him, and not stuff, I can be truly comforted by my Father in heaven who is the great comforter.

I’m not telling you to go through and start purging the things you cling to. I am asking you to seek within yourself what you hope to gain by clinging to the stuff that clutters your world. From this day forward, I want to cling to God above all.

That being said; does anyone need some recipe books?

"What Stinks?"

“What stinks?”

These were the words that my sweet eleven year old chose to embrace me with the moment she walked through the door. I had no idea what she was talking about. I honestly didn’t smell anything. A few minutes later my thirteen year old chose to grace me with the exact same welcome. I still didn’t smell anything. Since nothing reeked to me and I wasn’t uncomfortable, I completely dismissed their questions and didn’t bother to pursue the source of a stench that I didn’t smell.

Fast forward to the next day…I had a full morning of errands so I was out of the house for several hours. I walked in the door and the first words out of my mouth were, “What stinks?” I started to investigate and quickly found a pot in the sink that had been left to soak for a bit too long…and it reeked!

Was the stench new? No, because my daughters had each smelled it the day before. Why hadn’t I smelled it when they did? The only answer I can come up with is that I had been with the stench from the beginning. I hadn’t left the house in a few days so the growing stench didn’t repulse me right away. It took me getting out of the house and being separated from the stink before I could recognize its presence.

I could have found the foul odor the day before when my children so lovingly pointed its presence out, but I didn’t even try. I wasn’t offended or repulsed like they were I saw no urgent need for change.  

Once the smell assaulted me and made me uncomfortable, I had no choice but to find the source. Once found, I quickly washed dishes and bleached the sink. Doing this effectively got rid of the stink that had invaded our home.

It’s that way with sin too. It causes a stench in our lives that sometimes we don’t notice because we are too close to it or have grown accustomed to it being there. We have no sense of urgency to deal with something that doesn't make us uncomfortable.

Hopefully you have friends and family who love you enough to walk through the door of your life and ask… “What stinks?”  When they point something out, we can either trust them and start looking for the source, or we can dismiss them and wait for the sin to continue to permeate our lives.

Once the source is found, we then allow God to come in and remove the sin. Then He begins the task of cleansing, restoration, and healing. He spiritually bleaches us with the blood of Jesus and we are forgiven. Our job is to avoid leaving dirty pots in the sink...or as Jesus said to the woman what was caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more."

So let me lovingly ask you today… ”What stinks?”

It All Came Tumbling Down... AGAIN!

Well it happened…AGAIN! Things came crashing down all around me. I’m not talking figuratively, but literally I ended up with a pile of things that one second had all been perched and balanced perfectly in my arms and the next were scattered at my feet like fragments from a bombing.

You see, I had been walking through my home being “very productive” gathering things from each room that needed to be returned to their rightful location. My arms had grown quite full, but I was certain that I could pick up that last soda can. Little did I know that act would derail all of my good intentions. It quite literally was the thing that brought the mountain down!

How many times in life do we go through doing our dance and juggling the details of our lives? It is a dance that I am very familiar with. We are like those Chinese Acrobats with so many things spinning in so many different directions, but with skill and concentration we are able to keep them spinning.

We do have a limit though. There comes a time that we are at our “juggling capacity” and just can’t add one more thing. The sad part is that we don’t recognize that we are at our limit.  We add that one more thing to our over loaded crazy pile and the whole thing tumbles down. We get angry at ourselves and our circumstances. We become tired and discouraged. It takes so much effort to pick things back up after they have fallen.

As I stooped down this morning to pick up my dropped pile, I realized something. Most of the things lying at my feet weren’t mine to be taking care of in the first place: children’s shoes, back packs, craft projects...none of those were mine. I did have things I was responsible for, like the dirty laundry and the blasted soda can that caused all the mess. In that moment I realized that it hadn’t been the can’s fault at all. It had been my fault because if I had loaded my arms with the things that I was responsible for, my load would never have been too heavy or overwhelming.

This made me think of times when I have taken up other people’s battles and responsibilities only to see my own obligations and frame of mind spin utterly out of control. Galatians 6:2  CEV  “You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.” We are supposed to help…not take full responsibility for someone else’s “stuff”. (Okay now I’m alluding to things figuratively as well)

If things are falling today, check to see it what you are carrying is your “stuff” or someone else’s. If it’s all yours, God says He will help you carry it because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

If the “stuff” that has you over loaded rightfully is someone else’s, lovingly give it back to them. If they don’t take it back, then it’s okay for their “stuff” to sit there for a while.  Many times people will give others their “stuff” to take care of because they don’t want to take care of it themselves. Offering a helping hand means you HELP someone…NOT do it for them.

Have a great day, and I pray God helps you figure out what is yours to carry, and what you need to leave behind.

~Blessings~

Letter from God...Time is Limited!

If you were to wake up in the morning and have note from God sitting in your e-mail saying:

“Good morning! I just wanted to let you know that today is the last day you will have all of the people you love on this Earth with you. I will be bringing one of them home to Heaven with me before the sun rises tomorrow. I love you enough that I wanted to give you the opportunity to know that time is limited. I love you, and hope you make today count. Love, God”

 

God didn’t tell you who you He was taking home with Him, so what would you do? Who would you decide to forgive and who would you ask forgiveness of? Would you take the time to play games and have fun with your children, specifically telling each of them how much you love them and how special they are? 

Would you call your parents, or make the time to go see them? Would you slow down and make love to your spouse in a meaningful way instead of the routine you have fallen in to? Would you tell them how they are your hero?

Who are the other important people in your life that you would make sure you reached out to knowing it was the last time you would have contact with one of them.

Would the things that consumed your thoughts, actions, and worries yesterday still carry the same value, importance, and priority on this day?

We are never guaranteed a tomorrow. We all experience sudden life changes where we missed the opportunity to say goodbye or tell someone how important they are to us. Each day, let’s try to wake up and live like we have an e-mail from God. It tells us that time is limited… what are we going to do with it?

Things fall apart and can be put back together..."No matter what..."

It is a proven fact. Nothing will ever stay the same. Our world is in a state of perpetual motion. Our lives are wrapped up in that same motion.

Look at the Grand Canyon. It has been cut out through many years of natural erosion. Water and its movement have cut the canyon and made the original structure into something different than what it once was.

Have you ever experienced erosion in your life? I'm not talking about the water and dirt type of erosion...I talking about life erosion.

Lets look at a disintegrating marriage. We start out fully loving one another and believing that together we can tackle anything the world throws at us. Over time though, little things start chipping away at us, parts of our relationship begin to erode away.

Finances are tight...chip.
There is more time at work than at home...chip, chip.
Children arrive...chip, chip, chip.
Extended family meddles around...chip, chip, chip, chip.
We talk at one another instead of with one another...chip, chip, chip, chip, chip...
Our lives become a to do list instead of a TWO do list...pieces fall off.

We wake up one morning and we realize we don't even know the person who is lying next to us in the bed. Sure, we always knew the tingles would go away but we never thought that we would get to the point that we were no longer connected to one another. You sadly realize the landscape of the marriage you have today is nothing like the one you started out with. That beautiful picture of love, joy, enthusiasm, and happiness has been replaced by images of loneliness, anger, hurt, and despair.

What do we do with our new picture. We  know we can't go back to the place we started because it is impossible to go back. Too many things are different or have changed. We are different and so is our spouse. The foundation of our life is different.

We can stay in that place mourning the loss of what we felt and the ideas and plans we had when we stood there and eagerly said "I do!" We can grow resentful and bitter because we lost what was so dear to us. We can let those things erode us to the point that we live a life of quiet married agony. We may even consider setting out on our own to find a new life.

God does have a new life planned for you. It is a life full of hope and a future...but you will not reach that life if you walk away from your marriage, or if you stay stuck where you are. 

God can renew your marriage and make it stronger than it has ever been. He can even help you fall in love with your spouse again.

Recently I asked God to help me fall completely, totally, and passionately in love with my husband again. I even told Him..."What ever it takes Lord, please do it."

The week after I prayed that, my husband was in the hospital with his second episode of blood clots at the age of 42. I felt like our family was playing a game of "blood clot Russian Roulette". With the knowledge that 1 in 5 people who have a blood clot (or DVT) die, and we were now in the middle of second go around. I remember coming home from the hospital and telling God, "Well I guess making me afraid he is going to die will make me care a little more." Little did I know that was just the beginning.

Over the past 6 weeks since I said that prayer, we have had many life changes. Nothing has been in our control. He is now home and on short term disability. There is a chance that his current job will not allow him to return to work if he has to remain on blood thinners for the rest of his life. If that is the case, our family is faced with the possibility that he could be forced into long term disability in March. Our financial future is completely in God's hands. My husband's physically health is completely in God's hands. This truly is the first time I have fully understood what walking by faith and not by sight means.

 Through all of the life changes we are experiencing in our home and family God has blessed me beyond measure. I can honestly tell you that I fully, completely and passionately love my husband even more today than I ever have. He is truly my best friend and my cheer leader. He is my support. God answered my prayer. He will answer your prayers too. 

Shame causes you to hide from God!

An amazing perspective on Shame...

In adding more to my book "Shifted Vision" today I had a life changing revelation. I just had to pause and share with you in hopes that it will change your life too!

Shame is something that bogs us down and keeps us stuck in our own yuck. It keeps us from being able to move forward. It causes us to hide from God and the life He has planned for us. Shame can permeate every aspect of our lives and eventually define who we are as a person.

In God's perfect design for us, we would never have experienced shame.  The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25

They lived in perfect peace and harmony with God and with who they were. After they sinned however,  Then their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked and they were ashamed. Genesis 3:7a

It doesn't matter who you are, everyone can relate to that feeling. The feeling of being vulnerable and not knowing what is going to happen next. You know you can never go back and instantly things are different. Instinctively we try to cover our shame ourselves. so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:7b

They were trying to cover their source of shame. The shame will also cause us to avoid God. Then God came to the garden for His daily walk and talk with Adam and Eve He couldn't find them.  The Lord called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." Genesis 3:9, 10

In your place of shame, are you hiding from God? He is calling you. Have you tried to cover your shame yourself? Have they worked, or was it just a temporary fix? God wants to cover your shame completely.  And the Lord made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

Let God clothe you today. Allow Him to make the garment that is the perfect fit to cover your shame so that you don't have to stay hidden any longer. God is asking you right this minute...
                       
                                      "Where are you?"

Will you call out to Him and allow Him to do His mending in your life today, or will you choose to stay stuck in your shame? The choice is up to your my friend. I am praying you answer His call....