Why me?

August 27th Reading

Hello again Ladies!  It is once again, the great Kari!  Ha, just kidding, it is just plain ole Kari!  I hope this Friday finds you in great condition.  This last week has been something else for me, one can only hope it wasn't that way for everyone.

Do you ever wonder, why me? That was me this week, as hard as I tried to do right and be right, the devil kept sticking me in the side with a board or tree trunk, not a simple stick.  I can be pretty sure that nothing has come easily in my life, my Grandma says it gives me character, Heather says it has given me humor, I say blah!  Seriously though, my life has taught me many things about my being stubborn and defiant.  It really gets you no where in life.

Why can we not just realize that God is there ALL THE TIME?  I seem to be pretty dense in knowing that if my mouth (trap) shuts, God will pick up the pieces and put it back together.  Psalm 121:2 says "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."  However, it is hard to get past the fact the most of my life has been dealing with people who dwell in chaos, confusion and anger.  My family is not the only one in the world that is dysfunctional, but this much is true, we have our own fair share of dysfunction.
Me, well I am a product of step family incest.  My mother was raped by her step father and I was the product of that incident.  Being raised in that situation was difficult to say the least.  My Grandmother had married this man and had 4 children with him and therefore my aunts are also my half sisters.  Psalms 120:6 "Too long have I lived among those who hate peace."  Much of my family bounced back and forth from hating my mother to hating my biological father, doesn't make much difference to a child caught in the middle of it all. I had no trust.

I have had to look for God's love, mercy and forgiveness many times in my life and I have learned to TRUST Him.  Life gets tough and we make rash decisions and they can be the wrong ones.  The hardest thing to remember at ALL times is  that God is with us ALL the time, all we have to do is ask Him to help us get through. Never forget that God is always at our side and that He will protect us night and day, regardless of the situation.  He will work it out for the good. He has a plan for us to help others that lack faith and trust in the same situation I have touched. The Lord loves us and will never forsake us.

Psalms 121:5-8 "The LORD watches over you the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

God puts us into various situations and strengthens our character if we allow Him, it also tests your faith.  We have all heard the verse, Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" and knowing that would it not be far wiser for us to sew good things?

 For a long time only anger and resentment were in my life, and because of that, it was all that my life consisted of.  I have learned the hard way, that in order to receive good things (blessings) you must plant good things.  That does not mean that life will always be great if we always do great things.  Life is a daily struggle, living for God is a daily struggle, actually a minute by minute struggle.  However, if we choose to do this, we will be blessed for it.  We must live by the law of Christ, and we must do His works, wherever He wants us too.  I realize that for right now, my biggest work is in my own family.  That does not mean I can not help out elsewhere, but my main focus must be making sure my family is adequately equipped to handle life.  Once that task is achieved, I won't be asking why me?  I will be saying the Lord has blessed me.

Try to think of something that you could turn over to God to let him handle.  Something that you need help on, but you really do not know how to handle.  It could be a troubled child, a troubled marriage, friendship needing repair, financial help, a loved one that is sick, a huge loss that keeps you feeling sick at heart.  When you turn it over to God to handle, you must have faith, real faith that He is going to handle it.
I have had to turn something over to Him this week, it has worn me down greatly this week.  Just like Heather stated yesterday, God will help you adjust your life.  He is right next to you waiting for you to ask.

Why me, yes me,
Kari

Two Girls and a Truck

August 26th Reading

This past July was quite the adventure.  I was given an opportunity to attend a women's conference "She Speaks" in North Carolina. I had this great idea stirring in me that a road trip with my girlfriend would be more exciting then sitting in a plane for a couple short hours!  I guess that's my adventurous spirit. However, I do not do well sitting for long periods of time. 13 hours of travel seemed impossible but I was willing because I wanted  to explore the little off the wall towns,  view the mountains,  stop in odd restaurants and eat a Baltimore crab cake on the Inner Harbor which Jeana wanted no part of. We stopped off to visit my sweet Aunt Ruthi, checked out the rest areas and met people along the way. We even ate at the CHEESECAKE factory in Baltimore but we took our cheesecake to go for a snack on the road.

 My girlfriend Jeana and I both like to talk...so we exchanged a lot of words in that 13 hours! We even played a game called "chat pack" it contains a 156 questions guaranteed to get creative juices flowing and fun conversation going. Here's a few snap shots of our road trip!

This road trip including all the stops that made this trip adventurous would not have been possible without the GPS! The Global Positioning System and Map Quest.  It provided at all times a reliable location, time and weather, traffic jams and specific navigation the entire way. Now unfortunately my phone navigation was not the best  we found that out when it had us heading toward a field of grass! So you must have an up to date dependable navigation system because they all do not work and may not be reliable. So we had back up plans that kept us re- routing when needed. We had a navigation system that helped us make the decision needed and directed every turn.

Today's daily reading was in Psalm 119. This is the longest chapter in the whole bible. The promise contained in the entire passage is about Gods word and how it will revive and bring your life back on track! Its a GPS system. Gods Positioning System.

Sometimes we end up down the wrong roads in life. I know I can admit to this. I remember spinning my tires down the same road making a huge sinful rut and I got stuck in my own tracks! Getting stuck caused me to cling to the dust in the road. The dust was the state of depression from all my wrong turns.

However I have such a strong, stubborn will that I felt adequate enough to deal with the problems I created. I made some costly decisions in life especially during my college years. Many that affected me in deep ways. I was perishing in my own affliction. I deeply wanted to get back on track but had no direction. I am now going to jump through about 15 years of life but I can relate my change to ONE thing....

Gods Positioning System. I had to make a decision to delight in His word, precepts, law and commands. I realized the God did not create His word to put me on a leash like a dog but it was to set me free and bring life and health into my life again.

The word of God is wise, full of judgement, knowledge and understanding. It provides sound, reliable directions. God is the only one that knows your specific curves in life. He through the word can notify you of traffic jams, wrong turns, the weather ahead and your best and shortest route.

God will accomplish more in 6 months through a person relying on His GPS then we could do in 60 years!

The key is you can no longer depend on a religion, culture or tradition, your past experiences or the experience of others to be accurate of Gods will and path for your life.

 1 Corinthians 8:1 "And if anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing as he ought to know."

Be careful where you get your directions from in life. Psalm 119 tells you the only knowledge and intellect comes from Gods word! The word of God is the secret of successful living. You will be amazed at the benefits He promises to those who take time to read.

 The Curves in life are the struggling with loss of husband or child, the emotional trauma of a broken marriage, the rut of sin and temptation, the confusion of  why your child is suffering and sick, the anger at autism and other developmental disabilities, cancer, low self esteem and the disappointments of others that continue to let you down in life. All these curves will leave you broke down on the side of the road. I have witnessed all of these if not experienced them personally in my life and family.

God does not intend to have you broke down on the side of the road. He is saying RE ROUTING. He desires to lead you in your next turn and will be reliable the whole journey. Your destination will not be at all what you thought. I am amazed at the direction God has me heading. Let go and let God my sweet friends!

I challenge you to start today and read psalm 119. You can do it! Every time you see the word "I" insert your name and make it personal.I promise that God will come along and help you adjust your life. God is always working around you.

Remember your road trip was designed already by God to be adventurous  "a life of a different kind" You will not experience that life without Gods Positioning System!

Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post and let me know if you will take this challenge, I want to pray specifically for you.
You may also email me personally at hbaxterhiswow@aol.com
Trusting my GPS,

O wife, can you SAVE your husband?

August 25th Reading

Is your marriage struggling today? Is your husband running in the wrong direction? Do the words affair, pornography, abuse of a certain kind and loneliness leave you sitting in shock, anger and hurt?

I know that husbands not running with Christ can make a marriage miserable, but God is giving you an opportunity to learn how to love unconditionally. The key is to model Christ and love Him, this will do a supernatural work in your husband. God will bring a blessing due to your faithfulness.

I was drawn to Christs unconditional love for my personal life through our marriage struggles. His unconditional love for me and my wrongs motivated me to climb some mountains steep mountains.

Every time I see this picture of my husband Dan and I took on July 4th, I laugh because my hubby has his hand across his heart as if he is standing to honor the flag, but no flag was in site. Dan must have been feeling the desire to celebrate freedom at that time! This picture was perfect for today's post because Dan and I have discovered freedom together and stand today with our hands over our hearts saying "Thank you God for helping us."

About 2 years into our marriage everything began to fall apart. I began to really look at my life. I remember sitting on my bed weeping in Keego Harbor, Michigan and saying "This is not what I wanted for my life"  I had personal struggles and so did my husband. We both brought our baggage into the marriage. The burdens we both had individually weighed on each other and created pain and tension. The best way to avoid the pain was to run from it. We both ran in dangerous directions, hurting each other more.

My husbands mother was a strong Jesus lover! She pointed the direction out to where I needed to run.  My husband was pointed in the right direction from his mama when he was in high school. However he made a choice to run in the opposite direction when he left home after school.

I remember the year I ran into Jesus. Not a religion but a true, real, live friend. He heard my cries in that Keego Harbor bedroom and he brought people along my path to point me to places I would find Him even more!

I was then motivated to have a better marriage and not walk away from the marriage.It was not easy but that was my desire. I only had desire friends, everything else was shattered around me.

Proverbs 13:12 "HOPE deferred(shattered) makes the heart sick BUT when a DESIRE comes, it is a tree of life."

It starts with only a DESIRE of what should and could be. This desire was the key that lead my husband and I running into the right direction. A desire to find truth.

1 Corinthians 7: 13-16
Today's verses say "For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"vs13

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband."vs15-16

We may not see the impact on a daily basis what our witness has on others, especially those we live with since we see them everyday. But only through obedience and living a faithful testimony, will God work a wondrous work in your days.

Do you have the DESIRE to run in the right direction with God?  Your desire could be the beginning of a new marriage.

When your running in the right direction your attitude and emotions change.

God will use your conduct to convict(prick at your husbands heart) and your hubby will see his wrong far better than you POINTING IT OUT! Let God convict him and he will change.

I am so glad God did not wake me everyday and POINT out my wrongs. I would feel smothered.

Your conduct should be opposite of your old life. Your conduct needs to be Christ-like. You should handle the problem opposite of what he expects. Example: If your husband does something stupid and he expects you to react the way you always do by screaming at him, then give him grace and mercy (not getting what he deserves and favor).  These actions will convict and draw him to his senses.

Proverbs 12:14 "An EXCELLENT wife is a crown for her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones"

When the wrong is exposed and it crushes your heart, please through Christ ladies give support and love. I know this will be so hard but JUST DO IT!

The word NIKE in Greek means Victory or Conquering. So remember in your battle cry that with Christ you will have victory!  Some days the run will seem impossible but do not give up. (You may need additional support and life care) I know many woman that had to separate from their loved ones for some time during the battle cry. God knows how to direct you. In some cases the husband may never return to the Lord and God will lead you in your way. The importance is making the decision God wants. We tend to make our life long decisions based on the emotion of the moment.  If you are struggling in this area I want to pray for you. I understand the pain. I will pray for God to open doors for you so you can learn about the desire I have been talking about and then make the right decisions for you and your family! God has people positioned for you TODAY!  Do not stay on your PRIVATE ISLAND.

Like everything in life, marriage is a huge spiritual battle but in Christ and through Christ you will see amazing things!

REMEMBER TODAY:
                                       Avoid a foolish ignorant dispute it will only generate strife.
   
                                       Be gentle and patient to the opposition

                                       Believe big for your husband.
Believing Big,

Women to Women (have a SEX-cessful marriage)

August 24, 2010

OK I know this is an odd post! This post may not be for everyone but I feel it is very important and tends to be a touchy topic that needs to be brought to the surface so God can shine some light on it.  Remember women who seek God want to know Him and seek Him in every area of their lives, including sexual relations!

As I was doing today's reading in 1 Corinthians 7 Paul was teaching me about important principals in marriage and the Lords command in  keeping your marriage vows. Paul stresses over and over to satisfy and protect your spouse. I know this is a touchy subject so I am just sharing my failures and weaknesses. God reminded and encouraged me today.

In 1 Corinthians 7:5 it reads "Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time." The word deprive literally means do not rob one another. Yes Paul is referring to the romance area ladies!
                                                Satisfy and protect your spouse.
I fail here many times. I am always tired, busy and often not driven in the romance area at the end of a long day with kids and other activities. I still love my spouse to pieces but am I truly satisfying him? The answer is No. He is created with a different sex drive then me. I need to understand my spouses manhood! LOL

I would love to share a blog and article from bible.org (click here for the link) This article lays it all out ladies. I would also like to share a book that has been very helpful in my marriage in the area of sizzling romance.
 

Intimate Issues by Dillow and Pintus. This book is amazing and will bring the sizzle back into your marriage in many ways! It also will add new spice.

I like this book especially because many women have been a victim of sexual abuse and it seems impossible to get past the pain. This book has areas to help you see the truth and receive Gods healing. Dear friend, hold back no longer.. allow God to begin to heal you. God wants you to enjoy sex in your marriage bed.

I am grateful for Paul and his reminder today to SATISFY and PROTECT my husband.

Proverbs 5:15-19 "Drink from your own well, be faithful and true to your wife,....let your manhood be a blessing, rejoice in the wife of your youth. Let her charms and tender embrace, SATISFY you. Let her love alone fill you with delight."

Ask yourself how you are doing in this area? I am asking God today to help me become a Godly and more sensuous wife.

If you need more resources in this area please email me and I will help meet that need!
Thanks and blessings

Timeless Tragedy in Marriage(a recorded teaching from my heart to yours)

August 23, 2010

Happy Monday friends! The kids are still home on summer break and I love it. I will have to adjust very soon to my new schedule. So for now I am enjoying my mornings. The kids are all still sleeping. They had a late night of flashlight tag in the neighborhood! Flashlight tag has become the big hit this summer.
13 kids get together and run with great fun tagging each other in the darkness with their light!  My daughter Britt said last night on the way home from the lake, "Mom, I am so excited that it is getting darker earlier, that means longer periods of flashlight tag." I am not sure I agreed. I think about the SNOW coming when it gets dark earlier!

Flashlight tag reminded me of something this morning. When I was going through some DARK times in my life and marriage.... Light was the only ray of hope to dispel the darkness. I needed to be tagged with the light of truth. In the darkness, its easy to doubt God is at work. I felt trapped at times. I feared the death of my marriage. In Psalm 18:28"My God turns my darkness into light" I will testify today that the Lord was close to my broken heart. No person lives a perfect marriage or perfect relationship. I still need today to be tagged with the light of truth and hope or my marriage will fall into darkness.

Freedom to act as one pleases is not really freedom. It is a form of bondage for you and the others close to you. In the book of Corinthians in the bible Paul was being a light to the people of Corinth. Paul was providing guidelines for decision making and sternly pointing out that what they do with their bodies affects their spiritual state. He was tagging them with the light of truth in the darkness of their situations.

Yes, Paul was speaking to believers and followers of Christ that struggled with the battleground of sexual purity.

1 Corinthians 7:18 "FLEE sexual immorality." Make it your habit to FLEE. With the Light of Hope God helps us to flee and our bodies do not become the instruments of sin.

Sin hurts you and the ones closest to you.

I would love to share a video lesson that I wrote dealing with some hurts in my life and others close to me.  The book of proverbs shares much wisdom on this subject. I pray you are tagged by light in the darkness of a situation. I know what it feels like to hurt. But stand strong and allow God to work a good work in you and those around you! He is not finished yet! Once He gets your heart it just begins!

Love you,

What's the REAL problem?

August 21, 2010

Before I share an awesome word with you about today's reading I would like to draw attention to a great website that I use on this blog. Clair and Brooke Darling a mother and daughter team bless me because they do an excellent job at managing the Word Daily website. This site honors God and inspires many people.
At the beginning of every daily post on this blog you will see today's date. If you click on that date it will automatically send you to Gods word for that day (the bible at your finger tips). My writing has inspired through the reading and devotion time I had that morning in the Word. I would love to challenge you to read along side me. I would love for you to stop by and visit  their site. Thank you Brooke and Clair for managing/stewarding this site. I know you will be rewarded by your owner!

Today's passage that jumped out to me was 1 Corinthians 4: 1-2 "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." 

A steward is like a manager. A manager always represents his owner. A manager is responsible to the owner and lastly the manager is rewarded by his owner.

As women we manage SO MUCH! We manage households, children, husbands, relationships of all kinds, our health, jobs outside the home, self employed businesses, and much more!

I struggled huge in managing all this in my life and then FAILED. I was not rewarded, I was broken and discouraged because I could not manage it all! I tried to manage so much INDEPENDENTLY. Ignoring Gods principle for living because I did not have time or made fun of others that followed God so sweetly. I wanted to do my own thing regardless. Yes, I am stubborn by nature! The bible calls this attitude SIN. Wow, sins not a word that comes up in our girlfriend lunches or shopping sprees! At least it was not the topic of my conversations!

Sin breaks our relationship with the God who created us. When our relationship is off or not acknowledged it will cause problems in EVERY area of our lives. Marriage, Careers, Relationships, Emotional and physical health and finances.  When we fall into problems we often try many different ways of coping before we turn to God.


Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seems right to a man (woman), but in the end it leads to death"

Friends, I cannot stress the importance of not being an INDEPENDENT manager of your life. I realized this when I decided to be dependent on God. He began to be my owner and I learned through His word, friends, the church and other divine connections how to manage the things He gave me in life.

I desired to want to represent Him. I realized I was responsible to Him and lastly the rewards and blessings of discovering and experiencing Him are overwhelming. The rewards have been multiplied into my family!

Are you an INDEPENDENT manager or do you manage through your DEPENDENCE on God?

Allow God to manage your life today!

I want to thank Brad Powell the Pastor of Northridge church  in Plymouth, Mi. for pointing out the importance of independent verses dependent living! A good pastor will help you manage what God wants you to learn!

If you have any prayers or questions in regards to anything I shared, I want you to know I care for you and I am here to help. Please email me personally at hbaxterhiswow@aol.com.

Dependent on Him,
     

Frogs, Gnats & Flies, Oh My!

August 20th Reading

Good Morning Everyone!!!

I am pleased to be here writing again.  It must be said that the devil has tried his hardest to get me off track and distracted all week long, but God has seen me and my family through.  Praise God!

It is difficult trying to make sure that you are living for God and to stay focused, so many times people are not able to do it.  They fall off the wagon and can not manage to find the endurance to continue forward.  Not to mention, giving up is far easier, but much more costly.  Psalms 106:1 tells us that God's love endures forever, so I would think that we could try to endure things on a daily basis and really only take it one day at a time.    God continuously forgives us, as hard headed as we may be, He does get angry with us and He will chasten us for our misdoings, but He still loves us and will take care of us.

So many people claim to be anointed from God, but they are only harming themselves.  Claiming to be something you are not will only cause God to become very upset and some unfortunate events may happen.  Could you really imagine going to bed, or being in bed and then your room is full of frogs???  Psalms 105:30-31 talk about an over abundance of frogs, gnats and flies in homes and cities.  It is nothing that I want to be a part of.  People were ignoring God's commands and living the way they chose to, well being bombarded with frogs, gnats and flies would be an understatement of being chastened to me.  I love cute little frogs, but real ones, with gnats and flies, oh no!!!


1 Corinthians 3:3 says, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"  Jealousy and quarreling amongst each other is unnecessary, if we are doing that then we are not working towards the same goals.  God does NOT dwell in mess and confusion, we should all be doing what He has ordained for us to do.  If I am to write, you are to speak and she is counsel, then that is what we should be doing.  We should not be thinking we are better than one other, because maybe my message isn't for "your crowd" and your message isn't for "my crowd" so we should be where God put us and do His work there.  If we are busy judging others then perhaps we have too much time on our hands and maybe there is more work we could be doing.  Do not let your work suffer due to your own arrogance. Just like 1 Corinthians 3:7 says, We are but vessels for God's work, if I plant and you are the water source, God is still the one growing the plant.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

I challenge those of you that are already actively serving God , do you tend to compare your works to the works of others? Or are you genuinely happy that others are actively trying to get others closer to the Lord?  If you think that your works are "better" than someone else, find something that you could help them make better and more pleasing to the Lord.  After all we are all after the same prize, aren't we?  Remember to encourage other believers and non-believers alike, do not judge and discourage.

If you are not actively serving God, get plugged in!  It is almost a certainty that you are needed somewhere.  Call your church home and ask where you could help out.  They may be waiting on you to call right now, you may very well be the answer to a prayer for them.

Frog, gnat and fly free (for now),
Kari  

TRUE WISDOM

August 19, 2010 Reading

After returning from an evening run together, my husband and I discovered a very odd horrible smell in the kitchen. I then noticed a gooey like substance all over the trash can lid! (sidebar) If you have kids I'm sure you find all sorts of interesting textures on the lids of your trash cans right?

Anyway... my attention was then drawn to the microwave. It was as if God just took my head and turned it right to the problem. Oh my poor microwave, it was the biggest goo mess I have ever seen folks!
My blood pressure was rising as I searched for my kiddos! My oldest son was hanging on the couch oblivious to the smell. I asked him if he knew what happened.

Mom, I was curious about what a banana would do in a microwave...... Trust me the mystery is solved .  The banana heats up and oozes making a horrible mess and the stench created, will knock you over.

The joy of having children, right?


Mystery, according to the Webster dictionary is anything that remains unexplained or unknown. My sons curiosity lead him to the actions taken so he could explain the unknown!

I was reminded of the mystery of the banana today after reading 1 Corinthians 2:7 "But we speak of the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our own glory"
v.10 "God has revealed to them to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."

The Holy spirit offers Divine wisdom to every person. God has an amazing way of helping us understand the unexplainable or unknown. He may not answer all our questions completely or the way we want but He will unfold the mystery for us in fitting ways.

The key to understanding Gods wisdom lies with the Spirit not a religion. The spirit is the link between God and humanity and this makes knowing God possible. Without the spirit things will be foolish, dull or tasteless. A good comparison would be having no taste buds on your tongue. Taste buds bring flavor into the mouth. The spirit of God is needed in your life to bring about divine flavor and revelation. Most people in the world today regard Gods wisdom as foolish. Gods wisdom is incapable of understanding without the spirit. Gods wisdom is a mystery to the unbeliever. They cannot grasp the unknown without the help of divine revelation. Through His spirit God will reveal himself to men.

Just as my son became curious about what a banana would do in the microwave, I became curious about God and some unexplained hurting questions I had in my life. I desired some things to be made understandable for me. I needed Gods wisdom when my marriage was falling apart, I needed help, and still do, raising my children, Gods forgiveness was hard to understand, I felt so undeserving. Dealing with change, managing loss, making decisions about schooling and the list goes on. I was curious about the mysteries of God. I had enough religion. I desired God!

Gods wisdom is a mystery but it is revealed through Christ and made understandable through the Holy Spirit. Gods wisdom will help you. If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, and make Him Lord and Savior of your life you will receive the mind of Christ in your heart. As you read the word of God the spirit will reveal things about your present situation. Its kinda like an elevator, you will feel God bring something from what feels like the bottom up to the top of your mind. He brings a divine perspective from your humanly distorted perspective. The most interesting things began to occur in my life. He carries the answers to your entire life! The bible began to come alive for me!

Ask God to begin to reveal the mysteries to you today.

My very first prayer in the midst of my biggest pain went something like this.....
Dear Jesus, you are my choice. I want to believe in you but do not know how it all works. I need you in my life. Please take over and forgive me for all I have done. Please lead me in the right direction. I believe in you.
Amen

I promise He will take over in the most mysterious and unique ways! He is the ONLY one that carries the answers.
It is a grand mystery but very exciting adventure,

Chocolate milk and brown cows

August 18, 2010 Reading

Expecting chocolate milk from a brown cow is foolishness, just as expecting swiss cheese from a spotted cow is udder nonsense. Well I am here to admit in my younger years this is what I had figured out. I convinced myself that this is how it all worked! You can tell I was raised on a farm right? My husband is from up north in the beautiful country and I smile at myself every time I pass a cow pasture. A few years back as we drove the country side roads I shared this awesome wisdom I had about the cows with my husband, who is a very serious wise man, he just turned and looked at me in complete shock at how foolish that sounded!

I was reminded of our brief interaction today as I was reading 1 Corinthians 1:27, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty."

Nevertheless, God has called this foolish girl that believed the best chocolate milk came from the darker brown cows. A call is not based on our own wisdom or status, but on the grace of God.  He chooses the weak and foolish so we find glory in HIM and not our own accomplisments, titles and status. I responded to the call on my life about 15 years ago. The call began as a personal invitation by God that drew me into a relationship with His son Jesus. The will of God then called this foolish cow confused girl to much more. My own human origin is not the sharpest in the intellect and smarts category. So I find it funny that God called me into full time ministry through speaking, writing and counseling!  Would you feel safe counseling with a lady that thought chocolate milk came from brown cows? I also am very weak when it comes to grammer, spelling, punctuation and enunciation! Ask my family..... I have recently purchased some grammar books and have asked my family to call me out on all my double negatives!

Today the bible reminded me that the power comes from Him and not from us. God will use us most powerfully when we feel the least adequate.

My confidence is taking a sure beating right now. In the past several months God has called me out of my church home and hometown. He called me out of a ministry which I was passionately leading and directing. I could not understand what was happening. It was awfully hard to loose an identity and security that made me feel important to God. This is when you begin to discover who you really are.

God has recently opened new doors. These doors will lead me to a deeper wisdom,(1 Corn. 12:8). The doors I have discovered have me only standing in the entrance. Insecurities and lack of confidence have me standing in the door way buckling at the knees.

God is faithful. Even when the enemy tries to batter us and make us loose confidence in our calling. God often proves himself when we feel we have less to offer. More often than not, the will of God will involve a daring decision that seems unsafe or insane. But if you have the guts, not the smarts to move, God will meet you on the other side of the door.

I find myself telling God, "I am not able to speak perfect, my grammar stinks and I cannot write or spell well." But God reminded me again today in the word that "In Christ Jesus, you become wisdom from God." 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Everyone is called and chosen by God for a purpose. Have you began your adventure God desires for you?

Have you answered the first call to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus? Do not let whats wrong with you keep your from entering into whats right with God.

Have you been feeling like God is positioning you in front of a new opened door? Expand your horizons and allow God to do "a new thing" You will never know whats on the other side of the door until you walk through it! That is the greater calling my friend!

Go after a dream that is destined to fail without DIVINE intervention. God knows a girl like me needs Divine intervention.

By His Grace,

Women Serving in the Church

August 17, 2010 Reading

Today is opening day for a movie called Nanny Mcphee. I am excited to see this movie with my kids. Nanny Mcphee is not the prettiest thing, but she comes packaged with her unique personality and gifts. She comes to aide and serve a struggling young mother, Mrs Green. The movie portrays much of today's realities of a broken world. The mother is trying to manage her family farm while her husband is away at war. Her kids are out of control and Mom is just plain TIRED!  Nanny Mcphee uses her fun skills and uniqueness to teach lessons of cooperation to the children. She loves on them and serves the family sacrificially and with much humor.

Today as I was reading  Romans 16, a woman named Phoebe was mentioned. Phoebe was a significant servant in the church of Cencherea. She helped, protected, looked after and provided for many. Phoebe's name in Greek means radiant and pure!

Women had a VERY important part in the ministry of Paul. As we find in many verses throughout Romans 16. Paul specifically mentions Phoebe and speaks highly of her and her strong leadership in the church. He introduces her to other Christians as "sister," "servant," "saint," and "helper."  Paul valued her as a radiant light for Jesus.

We as women need the fellowship of Godly women to encourage us into Gods great purposes. Women have the opportunity to help other women struggling with their daily lives. God has a significant purpose for you in His church. I personally encourage you to step out and go to a women's meeting, bible study or other opportunity in your church.  God never created you to stay on your personal island. Each women is hand picked by God, situated in Christ's body just as He desires. God will select the perfect place for you appropriate to your talents and gifts. We all go through experiences in life, your story is important!  God will put the exact woman in your pathway that needs your aid and help. Many difficult areas of my life have been used to draw other women to the heart of God. If a woman feels inadequate for the ministry task the Lord reveals to her, she needs to only remember Jesus' words, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).

Jesus' life began with a woman named Mary and ended at His resurrection with a woman at the tomb. The bible recalls several significant women in the new testament and Paul affirms them by name. Friend, you are significant too! Allow God to establish you according to His ways, He has a story to tell through your life. How are you allowing God to use you today?

Blessings,