Last night I had dinner with one of those “good girls” that I have not seen in many years. We had run into each other for the first time since somewhere give or take 2000. Neither one of us could exactly decide when the last time we saw each other and the big question in both of our minds. . . Did we end on good note? We must have or we must both have short long term memories.
Three hour later in a cold restaurant, we talked endlessly about our lives past and present and enthusiasm of future visits. As I drove home, I began to think about those “good girls” God had put in my life. I want to take moment and pay tribute to them. Each one of you good girls friends, have made major impacts on my life’s journey. So to each one of you I raise my diet coke and give you a standing ovation! Thank you for so richly blessing my life’s journey!
D.F. is one of those good girls. When she gave her life to the Lord, she took Him at His Word. The battle has been major, but her determination to be what God had called her to be never waivered. Last night I saw a woman who had made hard, but good decisions about her life and the Lord has been blessing her back. It was not over night and she paid the price that is paid in being obedient and not netting the enemy see her sweat! D.F. dubbed me a Pitbull for Jesus, which is a personality we both share. I did in fact tell someone we knew to “put it back in their pants”. I really did.
N.G.’s came into my life some 30 years ago, I was pregnant with my daughter. She was one of those rare people that I really believe gave her life to the Lord in her mother’s womb. She was sweet, saw good in everything, forgiving loving and believed God. Her life had been filled with many ups and downs, but she stayed steady. She taught me to eat pizza dipped in Italian Dressing. The Christmas that she found out she had lymphoma; she was more concerned about my life, than she was about hers. We talked everyday laughed each day. Just prior to her passing, God gave us a small window of time to have a girly girl weekend. We laughed and giggled and ate too much. I saw her one more time the next month standing at the airport. The doctors allowed her to fly home and spend Thanksgiving with her parents and other relatives. She strolled off the airplane, like and angel. She had a smile on her face. On Christmas Eve, one year later, sitting alone I heard a strange rustling and the sense that I knew she had gone home to be with the Lord. Her funeral was a celebration of passing over to her earthly home to her heavenly home.
J.D. is a lot like N.G. She herself probably gave her life to the Lord in her mother’s womb. She is kind and gracious and loving and sees only the best in others. She has been through a war zone, that left her strong and knowing that with the Hand of God there is nothing that she could not do with His Help. J.D. says I make her laugh and I have promised that if I knew I would not get caught I would pull up to the drive thru window of a local burger joint and spray a mutual acutance with a giant water soaker. I often have ideas of grandeur when I want to make a point, but I am too chicken I think.
A.C. is definitely a good girl. We can’t even remember how we got to be so close. It had to be somewhere between when she literally showed up at my house while I was in one of my major drama crisis (details not in memory bank any more) or the night I missed the last step and the glass of water went up in the air, the plant I bumped in to went up in the air and the two came down, along with me and there I sat covered in water and dirt. She came around the corner and began laughing hysterically. I guess the rest is history. Of course, she will never let me polish her toenails again!!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Spirit of Arrogrance
For the past couple of days, I have been pondering how even in the best of Christians, there is an area that we overlook when it comes to dying to ourselves and totally trusting the Lord.
So I ask you, is the Spirit of Arrogance what is keeping us from having total freedom in our relationship with the Lord? Our healing? Our break through?
Arrogance is defined overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors. Arrogance is one of the seven chief features, or stumbling blocks. Its positive pole is pride; its negative pole is vanity. It is a fear of being judged.
Now think about what happens to a person when they ask the Lord to come into their lives. Then as they begin allowing the Lord to change them, they begin questioning His gifts, or what they believe they should or should not have to give up. They do not want to become too radical. Being perceived as being “too religious” is an issue for them.
Then as we become comfortable with out walk with the Lord, something is placed in our life by the Lord to see if we will trust Him totally. But instead of trusting we question.
Yesterday, the Lord, put in a prayer warrior’s spirit to have a mother stand in proxy for her daughter who had been suffering for years with migraine headaches. The headaches had been getting worse since her husband had taken a position in a local Church they attended. At the end of the service the mother went to her son-in-law to let him know that there where those there who wanted her to sit in proxy for her daughter to receive healing.
To her dismay and the others ready to pray, he said no. He wanted her to at a certain place, in a certain spot, and did not want anyone to even go to her home and pray for her. We did not lay hands on her mother, but we as a group prayed for her. We had to be respectful of the husband’s authority.
As I drove home, I thought long and hard at the scenario. Instead of taking an opportunity to pray, he wanted it in the manner he wanted it in. Arrogance? Wanting to control where and when his wife received her healing. Arrogance?
So many times over the years I have seen this same wanting to “control” how and when the Lord moved.
Let’s look at a second scenario. How do we handle receiving The Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Lord, it’s not that I don’t want what ever you have, but I don’t want to be “radical”. What if someone “hears” me? What if someone thinks I am weird, a fanatic? Arrogance?
Don’t think I have totally learned this lesson. As of this weekend, I wanted to put my ducks in a row instead of trusting that God’s Hand as in control of a situation. The good news is He was in control; the sad thing is I went through an uncomfortable conversation that could have been avoided, if I had not had the arrogance of thinking I had to help my Abba Father with another plan if He failed to get the job done. Ouch!! I have learned this lesson very well!!
Now, let me ask you, what if when Jesus went to the cross, he questioned whether or not it cause people not to like him? Or it would be painful? He would have to choose a different life style?
No instead he went to the Cross; He gave it all for us. And it was on that Cross He bought not just our life, but He bought our Healing and gave us the most powerful life we could have, if only we would take the gift.
Our arrogant thinking is more worried about what we want and how we want it than being humbled and appreciative of all the gifts, the healing and love and mercy He has for us. We want it with conditions! We are telling our all Holy, all Loving, all Forgiving Abba Father, we don’t want it His way, we want it our way. Arrogance?
This made me take a deep look at myself and how I have in my own spiritual life have not just allowed the Lord to override my “arrogant self” but wanted it done in my way and my time and the way I wanted it.
Jack Taylor wrote in His Book “Keys of Triumph Living” - “Let the Christian play it safe and there is no glory. He can live clean, be moral and efficient, stand out for all to see, and even be “dedicated”, but there is no glory. He is impressive but not miraculous; but he learns the secret! It is Christ in him that is the hope of glory! He takes death to himself and chooses to let the death-life principle become operative in his live. As he dies to himself, Christ begins to live through him. The agony he fears and the tragedy he faces gives way to a victory he shares.”
If this man had gone ahead and allowed his mother-in-law to stand in proxy, would his wife be totally healed at this very moment? I the young couple had truly allowed the Holy Spirit to truly dwell in their lives without worrying how it would affect their relationship with their friends, would their marriage have had greater victory?
All I know is we must stop allowing the Spirit of Arrogance to keep us from experiencing total Freedom in Kingdom Living with our Abba Father.
So take a minute and just look at what you are holding on to, refuse to do or let go of and yes trying to “control” a situation because of the Spirit of Arrogance.
It is well worth giving it all to Him and letting Him have total control of your life. Who cares more about you than Abba Father? No one.
So I ask you, is the Spirit of Arrogance what is keeping us from having total freedom in our relationship with the Lord? Our healing? Our break through?
Arrogance is defined overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors. Arrogance is one of the seven chief features, or stumbling blocks. Its positive pole is pride; its negative pole is vanity. It is a fear of being judged.
Now think about what happens to a person when they ask the Lord to come into their lives. Then as they begin allowing the Lord to change them, they begin questioning His gifts, or what they believe they should or should not have to give up. They do not want to become too radical. Being perceived as being “too religious” is an issue for them.
Then as we become comfortable with out walk with the Lord, something is placed in our life by the Lord to see if we will trust Him totally. But instead of trusting we question.
Yesterday, the Lord, put in a prayer warrior’s spirit to have a mother stand in proxy for her daughter who had been suffering for years with migraine headaches. The headaches had been getting worse since her husband had taken a position in a local Church they attended. At the end of the service the mother went to her son-in-law to let him know that there where those there who wanted her to sit in proxy for her daughter to receive healing.
To her dismay and the others ready to pray, he said no. He wanted her to at a certain place, in a certain spot, and did not want anyone to even go to her home and pray for her. We did not lay hands on her mother, but we as a group prayed for her. We had to be respectful of the husband’s authority.
As I drove home, I thought long and hard at the scenario. Instead of taking an opportunity to pray, he wanted it in the manner he wanted it in. Arrogance? Wanting to control where and when his wife received her healing. Arrogance?
So many times over the years I have seen this same wanting to “control” how and when the Lord moved.
Let’s look at a second scenario. How do we handle receiving The Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Lord, it’s not that I don’t want what ever you have, but I don’t want to be “radical”. What if someone “hears” me? What if someone thinks I am weird, a fanatic? Arrogance?
Don’t think I have totally learned this lesson. As of this weekend, I wanted to put my ducks in a row instead of trusting that God’s Hand as in control of a situation. The good news is He was in control; the sad thing is I went through an uncomfortable conversation that could have been avoided, if I had not had the arrogance of thinking I had to help my Abba Father with another plan if He failed to get the job done. Ouch!! I have learned this lesson very well!!
Now, let me ask you, what if when Jesus went to the cross, he questioned whether or not it cause people not to like him? Or it would be painful? He would have to choose a different life style?
No instead he went to the Cross; He gave it all for us. And it was on that Cross He bought not just our life, but He bought our Healing and gave us the most powerful life we could have, if only we would take the gift.
Our arrogant thinking is more worried about what we want and how we want it than being humbled and appreciative of all the gifts, the healing and love and mercy He has for us. We want it with conditions! We are telling our all Holy, all Loving, all Forgiving Abba Father, we don’t want it His way, we want it our way. Arrogance?
This made me take a deep look at myself and how I have in my own spiritual life have not just allowed the Lord to override my “arrogant self” but wanted it done in my way and my time and the way I wanted it.
Jack Taylor wrote in His Book “Keys of Triumph Living” - “Let the Christian play it safe and there is no glory. He can live clean, be moral and efficient, stand out for all to see, and even be “dedicated”, but there is no glory. He is impressive but not miraculous; but he learns the secret! It is Christ in him that is the hope of glory! He takes death to himself and chooses to let the death-life principle become operative in his live. As he dies to himself, Christ begins to live through him. The agony he fears and the tragedy he faces gives way to a victory he shares.”
If this man had gone ahead and allowed his mother-in-law to stand in proxy, would his wife be totally healed at this very moment? I the young couple had truly allowed the Holy Spirit to truly dwell in their lives without worrying how it would affect their relationship with their friends, would their marriage have had greater victory?
All I know is we must stop allowing the Spirit of Arrogance to keep us from experiencing total Freedom in Kingdom Living with our Abba Father.
So take a minute and just look at what you are holding on to, refuse to do or let go of and yes trying to “control” a situation because of the Spirit of Arrogance.
It is well worth giving it all to Him and letting Him have total control of your life. Who cares more about you than Abba Father? No one.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Are Friends Truly Friends Forever
Years ago when Deborah Smith wrote the words to the song, Friends are Friends forever. And her husband Michael W. Smith sang it as only he can. Every youth choir began to sing it as their tribute to the experiences they had on their Summer Youth Trip. Couples used it as part of their tribute to their relationship as they began their marriage and parents used it to reflect the journey of their children when they graduated high school. The Choir goes: "And friends are friends forever If the lords the lord of them. And a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end Though its hard to let you go In the fathers hands we know That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends." But after experiences the loss of a friend over the past couple of years, not to death but to rejection. I ponder this statement.
We are both Godly women, love the Lord, walked through hell and back more than a few times over. Cried together, laughed together, shared endless cups of coffee and chocolate together. A friendship that had stood the test of time for over twenty plus years. But yet, my friend choose to close the door without reason. A year or so earlier when the door was being pushed closed, she stated because of my choices of other friends, that she did not approve of, she had to separate herself from me. She also stated that she did not think I had used wise judgement on a situation. She never asked my side or what was my reasons were. She just began quietly began shutting the door. After all these years the door was firmly closed and the Do Not Disturb - Keep Out Sign was hung. Throwing me into the same grief one goes through in the death of a loved one. I have anguished and prayed and pondered and sought the Lord on how to deal with this loss.
Years ago with this very friend, I heard Joyce Meyers talk about loosing all her friends. We even had a conversation over how could good friends, best friends, soul mate friends, Godly friends stop! Trust me when I tell you I never wanted to know what it was to walk through this.
Not long ago my daughter and I had a very heated discussion about me, my personality, my tone of voice and bluntness. She felt like I had paused away those that I had once been friends with because of these traits. For I myself had been before the Lord concerning the distance and bubble He had placed between me and those I considered friends. Many whom over the years have moved away and I had lost contact with, those that had families and husbands and careers that kept them from being able to have free time for visits. Other's whom I have no doubt had backed away because of my stand on specific subjects that were different than theirs.
Interestingly enough friends from years gone by have begun to surface from different places and different areas of my life.
Then late last night I read my daughter's blog about her friends over the years. Are Friends really Forever? began stirring in my spirit. What about our friends?
Today on Facebook someone asked about True Friends and as I was reading through some comments on different people's pictures and they listed, Good Friends, Best Friends and Soul Mates. The numbers associated with these categories we over 50. That is a lot of good, best and even one had 70 Soul Mate Friends. WOW. And the person talking about True friends wanted to know how to find and keep True Friends.
Over the span of some fifty years, God has brought in and out of my life precious friends, good friends, Godly Soul Mate friends. But I have faced the physical death of a friend, and I have faced the separation due to circumstances of life separation of friends. But I have never experienced the death of a friendship as I have the past several years. The thing that is so crushing, is that I have watched other good friends face the closing of the door by their "Good Godly friends". As far as soul mate friends go, there are those rare precious ones, that through it all have never turned away. We may not see each other or talk to each other, but it never changes, it is the constant knowing that we have each others backs.
No Friends are not always Friends Forever, even when the Lord is the Lord of them. But to be the friend forever! Even if it means taking the bullet for them.
My personal belief is that to be a friend is to listen, encourage tell them the truth in kindness, be yourself, give them the love, the mercy and the grace, Abba Father gives to you. If you believe you need to separate yourself from the friendship share what you see to be the reason. Then go in Peace.
The old Girl Scout song - Make New Friends, but Keep the Old - One is Silver and the Other Gold.
I have taken the statements from my daughter, the hurt, the pain, laid them at Abba's feet. I asked Him to show me, heal me and guide me. He has sown me many precious Friends that I do have and have been apart of my life journey. Renewed old Friends and even brought in some new ones.
To all my Friends near and far, as Woody says in Toy Story - "You've Got A Friend In Me."
We are both Godly women, love the Lord, walked through hell and back more than a few times over. Cried together, laughed together, shared endless cups of coffee and chocolate together. A friendship that had stood the test of time for over twenty plus years. But yet, my friend choose to close the door without reason. A year or so earlier when the door was being pushed closed, she stated because of my choices of other friends, that she did not approve of, she had to separate herself from me. She also stated that she did not think I had used wise judgement on a situation. She never asked my side or what was my reasons were. She just began quietly began shutting the door. After all these years the door was firmly closed and the Do Not Disturb - Keep Out Sign was hung. Throwing me into the same grief one goes through in the death of a loved one. I have anguished and prayed and pondered and sought the Lord on how to deal with this loss.
Years ago with this very friend, I heard Joyce Meyers talk about loosing all her friends. We even had a conversation over how could good friends, best friends, soul mate friends, Godly friends stop! Trust me when I tell you I never wanted to know what it was to walk through this.
Not long ago my daughter and I had a very heated discussion about me, my personality, my tone of voice and bluntness. She felt like I had paused away those that I had once been friends with because of these traits. For I myself had been before the Lord concerning the distance and bubble He had placed between me and those I considered friends. Many whom over the years have moved away and I had lost contact with, those that had families and husbands and careers that kept them from being able to have free time for visits. Other's whom I have no doubt had backed away because of my stand on specific subjects that were different than theirs.
Interestingly enough friends from years gone by have begun to surface from different places and different areas of my life.
Then late last night I read my daughter's blog about her friends over the years. Are Friends really Forever? began stirring in my spirit. What about our friends?
Today on Facebook someone asked about True Friends and as I was reading through some comments on different people's pictures and they listed, Good Friends, Best Friends and Soul Mates. The numbers associated with these categories we over 50. That is a lot of good, best and even one had 70 Soul Mate Friends. WOW. And the person talking about True friends wanted to know how to find and keep True Friends.
Over the span of some fifty years, God has brought in and out of my life precious friends, good friends, Godly Soul Mate friends. But I have faced the physical death of a friend, and I have faced the separation due to circumstances of life separation of friends. But I have never experienced the death of a friendship as I have the past several years. The thing that is so crushing, is that I have watched other good friends face the closing of the door by their "Good Godly friends". As far as soul mate friends go, there are those rare precious ones, that through it all have never turned away. We may not see each other or talk to each other, but it never changes, it is the constant knowing that we have each others backs.
No Friends are not always Friends Forever, even when the Lord is the Lord of them. But to be the friend forever! Even if it means taking the bullet for them.
My personal belief is that to be a friend is to listen, encourage tell them the truth in kindness, be yourself, give them the love, the mercy and the grace, Abba Father gives to you. If you believe you need to separate yourself from the friendship share what you see to be the reason. Then go in Peace.
The old Girl Scout song - Make New Friends, but Keep the Old - One is Silver and the Other Gold.
I have taken the statements from my daughter, the hurt, the pain, laid them at Abba's feet. I asked Him to show me, heal me and guide me. He has sown me many precious Friends that I do have and have been apart of my life journey. Renewed old Friends and even brought in some new ones.
To all my Friends near and far, as Woody says in Toy Story - "You've Got A Friend In Me."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Saving Items from Trash Hell
My daughter tells me all the time there is no such thing as Trash Hell. Well, even if there is not, I have found that many items that might end up in the trash have many other uses before heading to that plastic trash bag that we have lurking in each room of our homes.
Today, my heart soared as I ran across an article from Making Memories Magazine on line. Here's the link: http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/masters/TGIF+Intro.aspx
This wonderful soul mate rescues - She states in this article how she loves to recycle and always try to reuse paper, cardboard,packaging, etc. -Now there you go!
Being a Trash to Treasure artist whether it is a scrapbook page, an altered book page, jewelry you can find the most marvelous items right under your nose (before it reaches the trash!!)
I remember what started out trying to "make" gifts for my children. Not all came out wonderful, but I knew that it would be special. What really is a crushing blow is there are lots of television shows that show you how you can take just about anything and make a wonderful treasure - trashy happy from just "trash"!
So before you send that item to "trah hell" take a moment to think how you might use it to create a wonderful scrapbook page - a great piece of jewelry that only you have, or how can you turn it into a great base for a gift!
Over the past couple of years, I actually taught my coworkers how to make trashy happys and whirly gigs special for their secret pal gifts. The imagination is a great thing. Especially when it comes to rescuing those items from "Trash Hell.
Today, my heart soared as I ran across an article from Making Memories Magazine on line. Here's the link: http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/masters/TGIF+Intro.aspx
This wonderful soul mate rescues - She states in this article how she loves to recycle and always try to reuse paper, cardboard,packaging, etc. -Now there you go!
Being a Trash to Treasure artist whether it is a scrapbook page, an altered book page, jewelry you can find the most marvelous items right under your nose (before it reaches the trash!!)
I remember what started out trying to "make" gifts for my children. Not all came out wonderful, but I knew that it would be special. What really is a crushing blow is there are lots of television shows that show you how you can take just about anything and make a wonderful treasure - trashy happy from just "trash"!
So before you send that item to "trah hell" take a moment to think how you might use it to create a wonderful scrapbook page - a great piece of jewelry that only you have, or how can you turn it into a great base for a gift!
Over the past couple of years, I actually taught my coworkers how to make trashy happys and whirly gigs special for their secret pal gifts. The imagination is a great thing. Especially when it comes to rescuing those items from "Trash Hell.
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