A Friend Loves At All Times

During the last year I have had the chance to really examine my friendships.  Rather then going day to day living with my friends, I have taken the time to sit back and really look at my different friendships.  Like anyone else my friendships have had their ups and downs.  I've experienced the pure joy and bliss that friendship can bring and I have also witnessed the raging storms that sometimes creep into friendships.  I have gained many precious friends over the years and sadly lost others along the way. 

Friends are a precious commodity to me.  I honestly don't know how I would live without mine.  All of my friends are totally different and bring different things to my life.  I value each and everyone of them for the various aspects that they contribute to my life.  I can look back on various times in my life when I have felt a certain way, and remember needing or wanting a specific person who I knew could carry me through whatever that situation was.  The friend that I could call on depended on what I was going through.  God blesses us richly in that way.  He gives us variety to spice up our lives.  Wouldn't it be boring if we all only had one friend who was our only friend and that was all we got?!  Even if that person held all the qualities we would ever need or desire in a friend, it would still get boring.  He gives us the chance to build multiple friendships with a vast number of unique people.

As stated above I have had my share of ups and downs in friendships.  Sadly some of those downs have been caused my by own selfish ambition and pride.  I have hurt others and been hurt by others.  I have turned my back, withdrawn my hand and even wimped out on some of my friends over the years.  I am not proud of that.  God has been working in me over the last year and showing me parts of myself that need fixin'!  As important of a role as my friendships have played in my life, I have not always done my best to be thankful for and given my all to maintain some of those. 

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times ... " Have you always loved your friends as you should?  Have your friends always been given a fair and honest part of you?  Have you been loyal?  We have all fallen short in friendships and relationships.  It is only human to fail!  I think though, that we need to step back and examine those times when we have failed our friends and take an honest look at ourselves.  What kind of friend am I?  What do I offer?  How can I better serve my friends?  The greatest example of a loyal friend is someone who sticks by you during the most difficult times of distress and personal struggle.  It can be hard to be a friend to someone during times like that, but that is when you can be your best to those you love.  That is when friendships really counts.  Don't be remembered as the person who was around when it suited only themself and then disappeared when the going got tough.  Be remembered as the dear friend who was always there, even when it was hard.  The person who could always be counted on. 

As I look forward to the future of my friendships I am seeking how I can be that better person.  As much as these precious people mean to me, they deserve the best from me all the time.  A friend loves at all times.  It comes down to a simple logic, love.  Nurture and care for those special people that you have been blessed with.  They have been handpicked for you and you for them!

Holding On Strong Through The Storm

Have you ever listened to the song, "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns?  It is among my current favorites and moves me so strongly especially during this time of trial in my life. 

"I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away."


Right now, I am trying very hard to hold on to His promises and provisions.  My husband lost his civilian job at the end of February and at first I never had a doubt in my mind that God would provide for us.  I went into the situation confident of God's plan for us.  I wasn't worried or fearful of our families fate in the least bit.  Even though He has given us small financial blessings and given us the luxury of spending so much family time together (Senior Airman was deployed last year March-August for training and we didn't see him) I have found myself getting more worried and questioning when He will step in and save the day.  I have faith that the perfect job is out there and the right opportunity will arise, but I think it is only human to become rundown and fearful. 

"And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm"

I think the important thing to remember is that despite our present circumstances, He is with us. Even when we can barely hear His voice whispering through the rain, we should ground our fears and focus in on Him. I am trying to find that courage and hope that I had a couple months ago. I am pushing myself to praise Him even when I am discouraged and dismayed. When I do this, I feel His comfort and grace. The rain doesn't always stop but I know that He is there standing over me, sheltering me.  Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  It is comforting to remember that He sees things in a completely different way than we do.  What is blurry and distorted to us, He sees clearly. 

So I encourage you as you go through similar struggles to remember that He can see what we cannot. Remember all the times that He did come through for you, when He did provide for you and keep you from harms way. By looking back on those times when He came through for you, your faith will grow.  Praise Him for everything He has done, for everything you have, for everything that HE is.

The Greatest Love Story

I came across the following verse over the weekend and it really touched me and helped prepare my heart for Holy week ...


"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

The last part of the verse, while we were still sinners, was the part that really caught my attention and pulled me in. Jesus came after many, many generations of sinners had already walked the earth. This was already a fallen world. God, being the all knowing Father that He is, also knew that sin would continue to plague His people in future generations to come. He didn't send Jesus because we were good and we deserved it ... He sent Jesus despite our disobedience because He loved us so deeply.

To paint the picture more clearly and to help you understand this act of love imagine this ... Imagine that there is a parent with a very rebellious child. A child who deliberately disobeys his parent. A child who ignores, spreads lies about, and has completely rejected his parent. If you are a parent you can imagine how hurtful and heart breaking it would be to have your child treat you in such a way. It would be so painful to endure such rejection from your own child, or from anyone for that matter. In some cases it would be much easier to just walk away and I think in our world many people would go to the extreme of completely detaching themselves from a situation such as this just to escape the pain of the severed relationship.

Remember the words, while we were still sinners ... when we rejected God, when we choose worldly things over Him, when we refused to seek Him, when we turned our backs, when we ignored Him ... He still loved us. He is God, creator of the universe with the power to wipe us all out in the blink of an eye if He wanted to. When we rejected Him, He could have turned His back and left us for dead but He didn't. As much as His heart was breaking for us, He stuck around and not only did He stick around but He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may have life through Him. That is powerful! Seriously people!!! I say this to you with urgency and might! Think about it ... Really stop and ponder this act of love. NO MATTER WHAT, He loves you.

As Easter quickly approaches take the time to think about this. Remember Christ's unconditional, irrevocable love and devotion to you. Remember the ultimate sacrifice that He made for you. If you were the only person on this entire earth who ever lived, He wouldn't have changed a thing ... He would have done it solely for you. He will always be there for you, waiting for you to knock, waiting for the chance to be a part of your life. No matter what you have done, no matter how much you have rejected Him or denied Him, He is still there. He already paid the price to give you life ... while you were still a sinner ... He loved you.

This Easter praise God for the gift of love and everlasting life that He has bestowed upon you ... Rejoice in His name and lift Him up and give thanks!!!

Psalm 104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!

Psalm 86:12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever ...

Psalm 68:35 God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Luke 1:68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people."

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Oh Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say ...

"So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire." James 3:5

I love my children ... I mean there are no words to express the love that I have for my children, they are precious to me. As parents, I think that we sometimes tend to over analyze our children - probably because we love them so much and want the absolute best for them and want to ensure that they are going forward in the right direction.

Being the sarcastic person that I am, I have been known to lovingly tease my girls. I don't ever talk badly about them or tear them down, that is a point I want to make clear, but sometimes Senior Airman and I will talk about them to each other or to other people in ways that don't exactly flatter them. For example, we have teased that our oldest will be the least likely to get into trouble in high school. She will be the smart, over achieving, people pleaser. Our youngest will be the wild one, the one that we will have to worry about rebelling. Lastly, that our middle child will be most likely to be the clueless blonde cheerleader type, beautiful but a little spacey. Ok, when I actually write it out, it seems worse then it did in my head ... hence the lesson that follows ...

For reasons that I won't get into, there is a reason we tagged our middle daughter that way. We love her dearly, but she does fit the genre of that stereotype. We have harmlessly teased about that since she was very little. It has always been in love, but I recently realized it was wrong of me. During my quiet time a few weeks ago God really laid this child on my heart. He deeply convicted me of this teasing. He showed me that she is a precious child of God and that He created her to be exactly what she is. He showed me that as her mother, I should always build her up and praise her for the wonderful qualities that she holds, rather then tease her (especially to other people) about something that she may never even become. I immediatley repented and promised to think twice about putting lables on any of my children in any sort of fashion.

That same night I went to my Led By The Spirit class and had a prophetic word spoken over me from someone who didn't know me or my children. God spoke to me again through this stranger and I was shocked at the message. He said that this child specifically, was extremley smart and that He wanted me to believe in that firmly. He said that we will have to fight for her academically as she might learn differently then other children, but not to forget that she is a very smart girl and so on and so forth. Wow ... I mean it was like God prepped me for that message by first showing me my sin in teasing and then by reinforcing qualitites she held that I suspected she might lack. He believed in her and I needed to see her in the same way. I just sat there and cried. I was so ashamed at myself.

Sometimes the most innocent words can hurt the most. My daughter is young enough that she will never remember us teasing her and labeling her in the way we did, but what if we had kept it up? What if she overheard us talking about her like that to other people? Would she feel encouraged by our words or embarassed? I find myself being much more sensitive to the words I use to descibe my children or even the way that I talk to them ... As a naturally sarcastic person it is a challenge for me. As Senior Airman likes to remind me, even though I am just kidding around other people might not see things the same way and get hurt or offended by my words. I challenge you to watch the words that you are speaking over your children. Be purposeful to uplift them, encourage them and empower them - even when you think they can't hear what you are saying. Our children thrive and cling to our every word so make sure you are using your words wisely.

Divine Expertise ... What's Yours?

Have you ever felt useless? Maybe your life is completely fulfilling but you wish there was some way that you could make a more significant impact on the world around you ... I know that I have felt that way. In fact for the past couple of years I have struggled with finding my place in this world. I adore being a mother, wife, daughter and friend but I couldn't help feeling that I was called to higher purpose ... that I could serve God and be a part of the bigger picture.

I searched for a ministry to get involved with in my church, but nothing really stood out to me. I started a class that encouraged the discovery of personal spiritual gifts. I had read about spiritual gifts in the bible and knew that everyone was supposed to have them, but hadn't really studied it much further. After taking a gift assessment I was not surprised to find that my spiritual gift was that of exhortation (encouragement). I have always been an optimist and seem to be one that others come to for advice and encouragement. I decided to start practicing using my gift through writing (another area of my life that I have felt led to pursue). I can tell you that, when you can combine your God given gifts with something that you are already passionate about, sparks fly! Although I am new at this, I feel God pulling me in and showing me how to use these giftings to minster to others.

What excites me about this is that we don't have to search for a spiritual gift that fits us, because in fact we are born with them! God has placed several gifts on each of us and we are called to use those gifts to further His ministry. Roman 12:6-8 says, "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Don't be discouraged in thinking that you don't have what it takes to use your specified gift ... the good news is that we already have in us everything we need to put those giftings to work! You will soon find that your divine gifting is your expertise! I encourage you to uncover your spiritual gifts and then ask God to develop those in you further and show you where you can use them. Doors of opportunity will open up for you and lead you to ultimate fulfilment in serving Him. It is exciting and honoring to see what God has given us and we can use those to minister to others. Speaking from my own experience, after discovering what He has given me and pursing that gift for His glory, I feel inspired, driven and excited to go forward.

The Life that Lasts

My very first attempt at simple exegeis and personal application:

1 Peter 1:13 "So think clearly and exercise self control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter was written sometime around the time of 62-64 A.D. probably in Rome. 1st century Christians were being persecuted for believing in and obeying Jesus. It was during the time of the great persecution under the Roman Emperor Nero (Peter was eventually killed during the great persecution). Christians suffered in numerous ways including but not limited to physical abuse, debilitating diseases, social ostracism, persecution and even death. Sufferings, then and today, tempt people to give up and take the easy way out. Peter had encountered a tremendous amount of persecution and suffering himself and the purpose of this letter was to encourage and give hope to other Christians in hopes that they would not give up but stay strong and hold true to Jesus Christ. He wrote the letter to Jewish Christians who were driven out of Jerusalem and scattered across Asia Minor and to Christians everywhere.

Peter is concluding a theme on salvation in verse 13 and he uses words that create powerful imagery in order to appeal to his readers. The verbs think, exercise and look give strong suggestions on how we should act or what we should do in order to be closer to Jesus Christ. He advises that we should think clearly (be mentally alert, judge, regard, use or exercise our minds in order to make decisions) and exercise (discipline, exert, systematically train by multiple repetitions, “practice makes perfect”) self control (which means to control our impulses, self discipline, practice will power and restraint). Then we should look forward (perceive with attention, direct our gaze or expect) to the special blessings that will be bestowed upon us when Christ returns. These words in association with the theme of salvation through Christ are used to suggest a call to holy living.

Literally, Peter is finishing explaining the glories of what is to come. He gives Christians a few requirements of holy living and he paints a picture of what is waiting for us in the days ahead and what blessings salvation will bring. He points out that although there will be suffering and persecution we should be assured that grace is upon us. When we practice self control and put our focus clearly on Christ we will be rewarded. “Our lives are to be controlled by our focus on the ever present reality of Christ’s return and the glory that comes with that” (Dwight Edwards).

It is so easy to get caught up in our everyday lives and lose our focus on Christ. When we are tired, weak or feeling hopeless it is easy to become frustrated with God and look for worldly ways to ease our sorrows. It is easy to rely on ourselves or on worldly things instead of Him in these situations. Peter calls us to live holier and rise above this. He encourages us to not only live in the here and now but also in the future; to look forward to the rest, grace and blessings that Christ has waiting for us. Nowhere in the bible does it say that living a Christian life is easy … in fact it is clearly points out that we will face trials and sufferings in our Christian walk. Peter is trying to encourage us to trudge through those sufferings and he gives us guidelines on how to do so. He says that we should think clearly and exercise our self control. That means we should judge our thoughts, use regard and practice restraining ourselves from sin. He goes further to say that as we do those things we should look forward and expect what special blessings that Christ has waiting for us. So, keep your minds on Christ and mediate on things to come instead of worrying about today. Romans 8:6 similarly focuses on this theme, “For to be fleshly minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

When I am tired and my faith is being tested I will change my focus from death to the blessings and life that Christ offers me. I will meditate on His words, promises and give thanks for the blessings He has bestowed on me. By doing this and changing my thought process I will be exercising my self control. When I practice self control I allow myself to be closer with Christ and live in accordance with His will for my life and reward is sure to follow.

Let Go & Let God

Sometimes my life baffles me ... I think, "how did I get here?", "why am I am in these situations?" or, "I just don't get it God." Sometimes I look into the mirror and wonder when I became who I am today. Don't get me wrong, my life is full of love, joy and happiness. I have a beautiful family and the best friendships that anyone could ever ask for. But, Senior Airman and I have been through our share of struggles and sometimes I wonder when the cycle will ever break. When will we reach that point of achievement that we are striving for? Have you ever felt that way?

I am a firm believer that God is in control and that He has His own special plans for my life that I may know nothing about. When I am wanting my life to go in one direction He might be pushing me into something in the complete opposite direction. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." I take that to heart and firmly believe in those words, but I also wonder ... "what are those plans God?! Hello! Anytime you want to fill me in would be great!"

I am a strong woman and I like to be in control of the things in my life. I like to tackle problems myself and come up with my own solutions. If I can't come up with a good enough solution I don't ever hesitate to go to others (keyword: others, not Him) for advice. This is my downfall ... I am learning that I need to let go of my control and let God take control. 'Soul control' as I like to call it ... yikes ... that is a tough one. Life would be so much easier if we could all let go and let our spirits lead us, but we are after all human and being spirit led can be a struggle.

My verse of the month is Hebrews 13:5, "... I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." Wow! I mean there is not really a lot to say to follow that verse, it is simplistic and powerful. The LORD has been drilling that into my mind lately. He reminds me of it daily through other peoples words, through dreams and then he plainly throws it into my everyday thought processes. He WILL NOT fail me and He WILL NOT abandon me. That right there people is love. I don't deserve His love and I especially don't deserve His unending promises of hope and security yet He still gives it to me freely. When you really stop and digest those words and think about what they mean, it is powerful stuff.

What does this all mean and why do these verses have significance to my questions and doubts about my life ... what it comes down to is remembering that I have a God who deeply loves me, who wants the best for me, who gives me the tools I need to be the biggest success that I am capable of being, who is not only walking next to me as I go through life but completely covering me. So, when I go through times like I am right now, I read these verses along with others and meditate on them and their meanings. I ask Him to speak to me and I will myself to listen to the answers and follow where He calls me. Even when I don't get the answers I am seeking, the giants seem much smaller and I can feel a quiet confidence rise up inside me. It all comes down to faith in Him and trusting in His plans. The greatest part of this is that this isn’t just my story … every one of you listening is part of a master plan of promise and hope. You all have his love and devotion, His covering of protection and His light leading you down your path. So when life throws you into a chaotic whirlwind, take heart that you are not alone … you have the tools and abilities to persevere through. He won’t leave you or forsake you. How lucky we are to have such an adoring God! I genuinely am sad for those who don't have Him in their life ... I would be at a complete loss without the guidance and promises of my LORD, and that comes straight from the mouth of a control freak.