Blog Break

It's really not a lack of things to write.  It's really not a lack of desire to do so.  I think of things to share.  So much really.  Yet, words and time escape me.  Lacking direction.  It's become a source of frustration for me. 

So today I announce a break.  A break from writing on my blog until the message is more clear.  I will take the time to focus in on the One who compels me to write...and seek His direction on what comes next for me and this blog. 

Best wishes to my reading friends.  Thank you for your patience. 

He is faithful! (follow up from previous post)

Sometimes the only words that explain something are "He is faithful!" 

In my last post, I shared about some of the trials my family has faced this year.  The most recent one being a fractured leg for our little Noah (2 1/2).  I asked my blog friends to pray. 

 

Well, I need to give you an update. Yesterday we took Noah back to the doctor for more x-rays.  Guess what they found.  He is all better!!  No fracture.  Although his leg was a bit stiff (from not using it for 10 days), he was able to walk.  Like me, all the nurses in the nurses station held their breath and let out a gasp as they saw him walk stiffly from the doctor's office to the sticker station.  He left there without a splint or cast.  Amazing!

 

There's really only one explanation for it...God's healing hand!  The doctor couldn't explain it.  And I have to admit, although I had prayed for it to happen, I was so surprised (God never ceases to amaze me!).  My heart flooded with joy and praise to the Faithful One. 

 

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever."

Psalm 118:1

 

I spent the rest of the day watching with delight as my little boy enjoyed walking and even running around the house along with his big brother.  Both of them giggling.  Admittedly this is something I most often took for granted before.  My heart rejoiced for all that we have...life, health, joy...the list goes on and on.

   

I realize that God doesn't always answer prayers this way. This time He did.  He is faithful no matter how He answers.  He deserves our praise for all He has done and all He has given.  Every good thing comes from Him.  And He helps us through the hard times. 

 

God answered our prayers.  He continues to show Himself faithful.  ALL praise, glory, honor and thanks to Him!  His faithful love endures forever!

 

P.S. Thank you to those of you prayed!  I pray this increases your faith and strengthen your prayer life. 

Faithful in the Hard Times

Sometimes you wonder why trials seem to come "all at once"...

This has been quite a year for me and my family.  Starting last December with an ER visit for stitches for our oldest and gluten intolerance tests that lead to 7 months of a gluten free diet for my youngest, to my husband's ER visit and appendectomy in January, to my Dad's brain tumor diagnosis in February, to my miscarriage and d&c in March...STICK WITH ME HERE...this is not a pity party.  Just stating some facts so you know where I'm coming from....Then, there was my Dad's surgery and a few trips to a fertility specialist (since we'd had 3 miscarriages) to get meds that ended up making me sick.  After that another ER visit in July, this time for me...I had an unidentified infection that made me very sick.  All of this in the midst of the worst drought our farm has seen in over 20 years.  Last month (September) I got very sick, and ended up having my gallbladder removed.  

Now it's October.  What is it this month?  Well, it's a fractured leg for my 2 1/2 year old.  Goodness gracious!! 



As you can see, he's in good spirits.  Poor little fella!

It was such a simple thing, I stopped the swing, he hopped off, grabbed his leg and said, "Oww! Leg hurt me."  I thought he was fine, but later that evening he couldn't bear any weight on it.  I felt terrible...and still do!!

This brings with it more complications than just a splint on his leg (although that's hard enough)...like Mommy (me) needing to carry him (35 lbs of solid boy) everywhere...while still under weight restriction after surgery.  Active little boys should be able to run, play and ride trikes.  We've had to be creative to find ways to keep him busy, without being up.

You know, after a while, you really do start to wonder why so many trials come "all at once".
 
Today I found solace in I Peter 1.  Verse 6 says, So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

I'll admit some days it is hard, but I remind myself that I must keep eternal perspective.  This life is but a vapor.  This world is a fallen, imperfect place where "stuff" happens...and sometimes those things happen all at once.  This place is not my home.  Something better is coming.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (vs 7)

The question is, is my faith genuine?  It's easy to say we have faith, but what about when the hard times come.  Faith is taking God at His Word. 

He says He has good plans for us (Jer 29:11). 
He says He works all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8:28).
He says that if we trust Him and seek Him, He will direct our paths (Prov 3:5).
He says He is faithful and will do what He says (I Thess 5:24).

Do I believe it?

You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. (vs 8-9)

Oh, I believe...Lord, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).  Although I have never seen Him, I have seen Him.  He has proved Himself faithful time and time again.  Yet, I long to know Him more.  To trust Him more whole-heartedly, undivided and unwaveringly.  Yes, I love Him.  I know He loves me.  So, I choose to walk in faith.  I know that often circumstances are not what they seem on the surface.  I believe He will see us through this fire...and whatever lies ahead!  And, I believe, afterward, we will have a deeper level of trust in the One who made us (I'm praying this for my husband too). 

"When you are in the midst of your trials, your Lord will reveal His character to you in ways you never knew. You will experience His strong and comforting presence. Like Job, you will learn that your Lord will remain, even when everyone else abandons you. You will see God more clearly as He takes you through the dark times. Then you will experience God in ways you had previously only heard about from others." ~ Experiencing God Day By Day ~ Blackaby

As I choose to trust and lean in on Him for strength and hope through the craziness, He reveals Himself to me in new ways.  I praise Him for all that's going well...and it's a lot really.  Truly we are blessed!  When I remember to see, I rejoice with a "glorious, inexpressible joy".  When I practice faith I am filled with the peace that passes all comprehension.  God is good...all the time! 

When this year has ended, I pray I remember how faithful He was, especially on those days when this life's unavoidable trials come again.  Then, I pray that, one day, when I stand before Him, He will find that I also was faithful!

This is not only true for me, readers.  This is true for you.  No matter what you're going through you can choose to trust Him through it.  He promised He would go with you (Is 43:2), that He would never leave nor forsake you (Heb 13:5).  Will you take Him at His Word?  Choose to see all of life's blessings and praise Him today.

P.S. Friends, will you please pray for my little Noah as he goes back to the doctor on Monday for additional x-rays?  The x-rays will show how bad the fracture is or is not and the doctor will decide whether he needs a cast or not.  I appreciate faith filled prayers more than you know! :)

Religious Holes ~ ReNEWed Life '12

Where did the past month go?  I meant to write this post much sooner.  I can tell you that I haven’t written because I had gallbladder surgery 10 days ago, that it’s harvest time on the farm and that I have many (perhaps too many) irons in the fire…including homeschooling our big kindergartener.  All of that is true. 

Yet, I think the real reason I haven’t taken the time to write is because I promised a post about “empty religion” and how it once limited and defined me.  I knew this one would be a hard one for me.  One I’ve wanted to write for a long time, but haven’t because words escaped me.  Today, I hope to keep it simple, to the point and free of trying to show my thoughts from every angle.

On August 11^th, I was privileged to be at ReNEWed Life Women’s Event, a women’s conference I was blessed to help organize in our rural community in northeast Iowa.  National speaker and author Lisa Whittle challenged and encouraged us, sharing three messages that day.  The second message she shared was titled, “Holes Bring Hope”.   Lisa said, “While holes keep us from some things, they also provide us a way to God, an opportunity to move toward God…If we’re desperate enough, our lives will change.”

Lisa Whittle also said, “Holes limit and define us.”  She talked about the holes of empty religion, roles and experiences.  While I have let roles and experiences limit and define me, it was the holes of religion that stood out to me as Lisa spoke.  Because, you see, I once had some major religious holes.

I grew up going to church, went to Christian school from kindergarten to graduation day and knew all the “right” scriptures and religious answers.  It was a bit confusing because as a teenager I went to one denomination’s school, another denomination’s church and was taught yet another religion at home.  They were all very different, but they had one thing in common…they taught me (whether trying or not) to focus on my “performance” (as Lisa Whittle put it).     

In my early twenties I became so discouraged.  I had tried and strived and felt I had failed. There were so many rules to follow.  I ran toward religious perfection and fell flat on my face.  I saw it happen to many of those around me too.   I believed I could never measure up, that I would never be good enough.  So why try?  Of course, those were lies straight from the pit of hell.  But, that was the hole these religions had left in me.  My focus was on performance ( what I could do),  rather than His grace (what He had already done).

I turned my back on religion, and God.   I paid the price.  I came to a place of utter misery.  One day I literally fell on my face before God.  It was right there in my bedroom, face down in the carpet, I cried out to Him.  Because He is gracious He heard me and answered.   I surrendered my life to Him that day, not to a religion, but to a relationship with the one true God, through His Son Jesus. 

“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Psalm 86:5

The more I get to know my gracious LORD, the more I understand His love.  The more I understand His love and grace, the more I love Him.  Religion most definitely can limit and define you.  But relationship, oh sweet relationship with Him, it sets you free…and fills holes.

As Lisa said, “…holes can also provide us a way to God, an opportunity to move toward God.”  I’m so thankful I didn’t stay stuck in empty religion, that in my desperation I turned to a relationship with the one true God.  He changed everything! 

Today I am a member of and serve in my local church.  I am a women’s ministry leader.  But I know I am not defined by my religion or my roles or my performance.   Although I long to obey Him and see improvement year after year, it’s not about following a list of rules.   I know I’m not defined by what I do.   I’m defined by who I am…His!  And with Him as my constant companion, I am not limited.  Nothing is impossible with Him!

Have you ever felt trapped in empty religion, either now or in the past?  There’s a big difference between knowing  about God and actually knowing God.  Do you wish for a more fulfilling, thriving relationship with the one true God?  What’s holding you back?  Move forward today!  I beg you, friend.  Jesus did not give His life, so that you can live in bondage to man-made laws and hollow religious practices.  Too many people never move past religion.  Don’t be one of those people.  He wants a vibrant relationship with YOU!  He’s waiting…

Trade in empty religion for authentic relationship, you will find the one who fills your God shaped holes!

Have questions or need prayer?  E-mail me: rachel76x@yahoo.com

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

 

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Your Story ~ ReNEWed Life '12

Recently I’ve been writing about my time at ReNEWed Life Women’s Event where Lisa Whittle spoke. Today I continue writing about what God showed me through Lisa’s messages. This is post 3 of 4. Read the previous posts here and here.
Last time I wrote about facing our truth. And I said: When we face our truth and are honest with others about it, it influences those around us. This goes right into Lisa Whittle’s third message of the day “Your Story Matters”. Lisa said that from our place of wholeness (once we’ve faced our truth and been made whole in Christ) we must move. She said our point is to make God famous. We don’t share for us, we share for them (so others can hear about Him).

She said there are two places where it goes wrong.

1. We think we don’t have a story
2. We emphasize the wrong person

We all have a story. Lisa said, “We have to understand our story is what happens between Jesus and us in the pages of our earthly journey.” Yes, we all have a story…and that story is about Him, not about us. We need to share our truth because “honesty makes others feel brave”, and it can nudge them to receive the Truth.

This message reminded me of something I heard Lysa TerKeurst say before (my paraphrase), “People don’t care to hear about your God until they’ve seen the reality of him played out in your life.” In other words, people don’t care to hear you preach the gospel to them until they’ve seen the gospel of grace and love lived out in you. They want to see Him in you, to know that He’s real and that He works in your real life. Lysa TerKeurst also said this, “People want to know if He works.”

I’d say that’s why your story matters. Your story, the one that’s happened between you and God, shows others that He works…in a real way, in your real life. When we’re honest about where we’ve been and what He’s done in us, it proves He works.

That’s really the point of this blog, all of it not just this post…to share what He’s done and what He’s doing in me. That’s why I shared part of my story in my last post. And why I try to be honest about my struggles, so that you will see you are not alone and that He works…really works in the everyday stuff of life.  It's about Him!

At the end of the day at ReNEWed Life Women’s Event we had time to reflect on the day and what we had heard. A question from Lisa Whittle’s “Your {w}hole Story” Guide was posed, I asked myself, “If I could spend the rest of my life talking about one thing, what would it be?” My answer: I would spend my life telling people that we don’t have to live stuck or broken or in empty religion. That, yes, heaven is coming, but we can also experience freedom and abundant life through Christ, here, right now, in this life.

Honestly, reading friends, He is the answer to every question. I know because I have looked for happiness and satisfaction in all the wrong places. When I surrendered my life to Him I found that He truly is the source of joy, peace and hope. It’s His love and grace that changes everything.

No, life isn’t always easy and carefree. We live in a fallen world. But life is better, much better with Him, than without Him. That’s the truth!

How can you share your story? Do you believe it matters?  It does.

“…Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Ephesians 4:29

Next time, my thought on Lisa’s message “Holes Bring Hope”. I will share about how empty religion limited and defined me…and how that drove me to God.

The Truth ~ ReNEWed Life '12

Last time I wrote a little about ReNEWed Life Women’s Event where speaker and writer, Lisa Whittle, shared. I knew I had too much to share in one post. So, here’s part 2 in this series of 4. (To read my last post, click "Last time" above) 

Lisa Whittle’s first message of the day was titled “Wholeness Starts in the Heart”. She pointed out how we tend to “put on masks and conceal our truth”. She said what God is looking for is truth in the heart (Ps 51:6,10). It starts from the inside out. Sometimes the devil makes us afraid to share our truth. She says when we face it, there is freedom.

My truth is not pretty. I will share a little bit about it with you in a moment. Before I do I want to share some other truth with you. Something that God has been showing me, that I didn’t hear at ReNEWed Life that day, but something that I think you might need to hear before you hear my truth.

The truth is, your truth isn’t that different than everyone else’s. For some reason most of us tend to think we are a “special case”. Unlike everyone else.

Guess what? Those people you think are so much different than you, are more like you than different. Think about it.

Most people want to be happy. Most people want a family. And those who have them, love them…especially their children. Most of us want our creature comforts to be satisfied. We like to be comfortable, and avoid situations where we are not. Most of us are insecure in one area or another, and spend a substantial amount of time trying to make everyone think that we are not. We want to succeed, and we want others to see us as successful. We’ve been hurt and experienced loss. We want to feel needed and important. We work, eat, sleep, clean, talk, listen, etc. Getting the picture? We’re alike.

We especially tend to think our dysfunctional family is unique. Guess what? Everyone’s family, even the most seemingly functional ones, have some dysfunction. We all have our things. Most of our families have quirks, disagreements, black sheep, secrets and even a shady present. Yet, no matter how dysfunctional, our family is we still love them. We can say what we want about them, but no one else better. A thought: perhaps what we label dysfunction is merely reality kept quiet by some.

No matter how we try to “pretty up” the outside, we have holes on the inside that leave us feeling empty. Whether we’re carrying a Gucci handbag or wearing flip flops from Dollar General, we tend to find ourselves stuck in unwanted ruts. No matter what our skin color or hairstyle, we are broken. No matter where we live or what kind of car we drive, we feel lonely, restless, and anxious sometimes.

The truth is: We’re all a mess! Lisa Whittle said it and so do I! 

As I said before, my truth is not pretty. It looked kind of pretty at times. Despite divorced parents and low income, I grew up in Christian school, church and home. I was the “good girl”, smiley, eager to please…everyone. I accepted Jesus at an early age and had a strong faith. I knew all the right verses and holy sounding words, and threw them around quite often.

I believed, but the truth was, this “good girl” had some real heart issues. I was self-centered (which led to insecurity), self-reliant and rebellious (which both turned me away from God). I hadn’t fully submitted my life to God.

As an early 20 something I tired of trying to be perfect. I felt I could never be good enough for others, for myself or for God. Instead of turning to the Lord for help, I turned away. Although I knew it was wrong, I ran after the things the world offered that I thought would make me happy. I could still talk a good talk in the right circles. But the truth was my heart was distant from Him.

One day I came to the end of myself. All of my striving for happiness had left me in a deep pit. Although I had gone looking for happiness, what I had found in the world was more brokenness and disappointment. I fell on my knees before the Lord, crying. This time, I submitted, really submitted, my life to Him.

Things didn’t change overnight. It’s been a process of growth. I keep learning. But I can truly say today, that life is so much better lived submitted to Him, than it ever was on my own. By giving up “my freedom”, I gained it. True freedom.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 

Matthew 16:25

 

The truth is, I’m still a mess. But I know it…and it drives me to Jesus even more. I have given my messy life to Him, and I keep doing so over and over, day after day. It is a choice. I keep asking for His help, for His Spirit to fill me. Less of me, more of Him, I pray. I am a forgiven, deeply loved work in progress.

Your “truth” circumstances might be different than mine, but the truth is the same. We’re all messed up…and in need of a Savior. Not just once, but over and over, moment by moment each day. Your mess is not beyond His reach. You’re not that different than me. As Lisa Whittle said, when we face our truth, there is freedom. But I also believe when we realize that we are more like the person next to us than we are not, there is also freedom in that. When we face our truth and are honest with others about it, it influences those around us.

But more about that next time. J

Next time I will share my thoughts on Lisa Whittle’s message “Your Story Matters”.

Check out this "truth": a couple of unposed photos snapped at ReNEWed Life Women's Event. Not quite as "put together" as the other posed photos, that's why I like them. They make me smile every time. Shows we're real women, in need of a real Savior. Perhaps we all need to be a bit more "unposed" more often. What do you think? :)

 

Compelled ~ ReNEWed Life '12

Have you ever had something so big happen in your life that you have a hard time summing it up? I have…yet again. Too often I get caught up in writing the “perfect” words, in telling it all. Today, I’m going to be easy on myself, and simply write what I have on my heart. What better?

Last Saturday, August 11^th I was at ReNEWed Life Women’s Event. If you missed my last post, this is a little of what I wrote about it beforehand:

Just a few months ago, this event didn’t exist and, as far as I know, nothing like it has ever taken place in our small community. My friend, Jill, and I had helped organize a big women’s retreat in a larger town an hour and a half from home for a few years. Although it was such a blessing, at different times, each of us had felt God leading us to step off that leadership team. One day afterwards, we discussed a prompting in our hearts to “do something” more for the women right here in our rural community...As we prayed about it, the Lord clearly opened doors for National Speaker and Author Lisa Whittle to come to our rural area, small town Cresco, Iowa.

I’m leaving out many details and many displays of God’s faithfulness…I can hardly wait to watch Him display His glory (again) next Saturday at this women’s event that two farmer’s wives and others in rural Iowa envisioned at His prompting! And we will give Him all the praise and glory!

The ReNEWed Life Leadership Team with guest speaker,

Lisa Whittle: Kim, Teresa, Lisa, Jill, Rachel (me)

What a blessed day it was, from small details to big! His presence was strong and sweet. The words He spoke through Lisa Whittle were powerful. He also spoke through the two local gals who shared their testimonies. The worship music was harmonious. In fact, I still can’t get the song “10,00 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” out of my head. He even ministered to us through the food and décor.  He showed up, answered prayers and did His work, as I knew He would.

I have found myself in tears of rejoicing several times since. I am thankful that we were obedient and did the work He called us to. That we chose to step out in faith. We are beneficiaries. HE is exalted!

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

I Thessalonians 5:24   

The joy of being part of something like this goes way beyond that one day. In the preparation and praying beforehand He displays His greatness. We realize that we can not exhaust His resources and the things that He does through us are so beyond our abilities without Him. We get to praise Him for all the things that the one attending never gets to see, His sanctification starts in us. Although it’s work, it’s the greatest joy to have a “behind the scenes” view, to see and bask in His glory! Afterwards, I stand in awe of all that just happened…in small town Cresco, Iowa!

The night before the event, we got to meet and sit down with the speaker, Lisa Whittle, someone I’ve respected through her blog and books. And, yet, I wondered would her words match her life? Turns out she is an absolute gem, someone who ministers to your heart both with and without words. Down to earth, personable, authentic, Christ driven. 

That night, we followed Lisa to a local rehab where she spoke. A foretaste of what was to come at ReNEWed. That night and the next, the words God spoke through her pierced my soul, left my heart aching in a good way. The words caused me to think deeper. They stuck with me beyond that day and God began to change me (again) from the inside out. He's still doing it, days later.

Before she left, she asked if the day met my expectations. I stumbled over my words, but the answer was "Yes!" You see, we did all of this preparing to minister to women in our community, to impact lives with the Truth. Turns out, I’m one of those women.

Lisa encouraged me to keep on, in a way that is rare. Then, she wrote in my copy of her book {w}hole to keep being brave. I thought she was the bold one, now she calls me brave? I felt the boldness rise up in me even more. I need to be, want to be, must be brave! She leads by her example.

I have several things from the event that I want to share with you, my blog friends. Instead of trying to cram it all in one post, I hope to spread it out over several. My first series! :)

Lisa Whittle spoke to us about Holes and the God who makes us Whole. I want to share how God spoke to me through each message. And, yet, today for my first post about ReNEWed Life Women’s Event ‘12, I feel compelled to write about this (to be honest, it kind of surprised me):

After Lisa’s last message, she shared with us about Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry. She said something that spoke to me in more ways than one, God wants compelled believers, not just ones that are stirred. You can be stirred and never do a thing, we must be compelled to step out (this applies to so many things in our Christian lives...including starting women's conferences). She said we need to open our eyes to the things going on in this world.

The words of the Casting Crowns song instantly started ringing through my head, “Break our hearts for what breaks yours”. The truth is, it’s easier to live blind. I realize children wait in orphanages, ravaged with fear, head lice and disease, bellies empty and hearts hollow when they lay their head down at night. Other children get sold into sex trafficking and their little bodies are sold over and over, day after day. Some suffer in war-torn countries, barefoot, thirsty, hopeless…with no one to tell them where real hope is found. Others live right under my nose who mock His name with their words and actions. Does it break my hear, really?  What am I doing about it? What should I be doing? 

I already sponsor a child through a different organization. How often do I even remember to pray for her? Am I so busy building my happy, plush lifestyle that I forget how others suffer...how blessed I am...how spoiled really? That this life is not about me. I pour money into new furniture, paint, landscaping, yet another toy for my children who have an ample supply. Never thinking of the one without…or to give thanks to the Giver who supplies all of it, or at least not nearly enough.

It’s easy to get stirred up about these things at a women’s conference. How compelled am I? Enough to do something, something that might cost me something or push me beyond my comfort? Do I truly want to be His hands and feet? Not only to throw a little money at it, but to do the Jesus work, even when it's hard and not so glamorous?  

Break my heart for what breaks yours, Lord. Compel me to help. Then, make me brave enough to follow through.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows in their distress and

to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

James 1:27

Next time: what God showed me about facing my truth through Lisa’s message “Wholeness Starts in the Heart”.  

Until then, live compelled, be brave and do the work!