Spiritually Healthy Vacation or Mini Sabatical

GOAL: RESERVOIR LIVING for a LIFETIME of FLOURISHING

{Notes on Emotionally Healthy Leadership podcast.}

 

Daily Rhythms: thrice daily pauses to contemplate on God and experience His presence, serving to replenish your soul throughout each day.

Sabbath: a weekly 24 hour period in which our thoughts dwell on God and His ways, refreshing our souls and filling our emotional reservoirs. Stop, rest, and delight yourself in the LORD. The Sabbath is a GIFT to you. It breaks the addiction of producing and perfectionism and battles the powers and principalities that fight to break us.

Sabbatical: 2-4 month period every 7-8 years; a longer time to stop, rest, contemplate and to refresh the soul.

Vacations: a mini-sabbatical (2-4 weeks in a row) that are not meant to carry the full weight of your refreshment. If you are not taking a weekly Sabbath or regular Sabbaticals, then vacations will not suffice to refresh you.

 

Compensation Times: shorter times of to rest and recover before we head right back into the fray. These help in heavy work seasons.

Day Alone with God: a monthly time of refreshment to fill yourself to overflowing.

VACATIONS

 

Before Vacation: 

Take steps to disconnect from your work and social media. Communicate with the appropriate people. Set up away messages. Firm up your boundaries against any producing or work. Plan for activities that will bring you delight, joy.

During Vacation: 

1. STOP. EVERYTHING.  No 'producing'. Just rest in being utterly loved. Give yourself permission to be FREE from 'finishing' the undone. Trust God to take care of everything while you are not working.

2. REST. Rest the soil of your soul. Realize you are not God and let go of it all. Rest from paid and unpaid work, from any sort of producing. Release 'accomplishment' and embrace that Jesus loves you without your doing anything. Forego any 'multi-tasking'. Make no big decisions. No "have to's" or "should's." Learn to rest in what God has done for you so that you do not have to earn His relationship with you.

3. DELIGHT. Structure time to delight in the miracle of life, in God and His blessings. Cultivating 'aha' moments. Move only in what brings JOY. (God is a playful being.)

4. CONTEMPLATE. See the Invisible God in the visible all around me. The sacremental nature of life. Taste our eternal Sabbath rest.

Returning to Life from Vacation:

For 1-2 days, take the day to be alone with Jesus before returning to work.

Try to process whatever God showed you on your time off.

Receiving these rhythmic gifts of rest result in a life of flourishing.

Not my goodness

"The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my standing but my failing, not my riches but my need."

Charles Spurgeon

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

by Walter Chalmers Smith


Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish --- but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

Fleeing from You

by Ruth Bell Graham


Fleeing from You,
nothing he sees
of Your preceding
as he flees.

Choosing his own path
how could he know
Your hand directs
where he shall go.

Thinking he's free,
'free at last,'
unaware that Your hand
holds him fast.

Poor prodigal!
seeking a 'where' from
'whence,'
how does one escape
Omnipotence?

Waiting for darkness
to hide in night,
not knowing, with You
dark is as light.

(Based on Ps. 139:7-12 in light of Luke 15)

In Evil Long I Took Delight

by John Newton


In evil long I took delight
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath
Can I forget that look:
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
It plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!
But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain!

A second look He gave, which said,
'I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid:
I die, that thou might live.

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit is now filled,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I killed.

Proverbs are not necessarily Promises

Excerpt from Carol Barnier's Engaging Today's Prodigal: clear thinking, new approaches, and reasons for hope:


"Proverbs are sayings that in general are true, but are not intended to be promises.

The beautiful verses in Proverbs are directions on how we should live our lives. They incorporate into their instruction truths about the nature of God and the nature of mankind. Proverbs are sayings that in general are accurate and full of wisdom, straight from God, but are not intended to be promises or formulas or an invitation to insert a coin into a vending-machine God who will pop out your selection.

I believe Scripture is inspired, which means God's stamp of approval is on all of the Canon, including the book of Proverbs. However, as we have seen, there is a difference in proverbs that describe and those that prescribe."



In other words, be careful how you apply Scripture. Make sure you know to whom it is written and for what purpose it is written before you appropriate it to be a life-base for you.

LISTEN, LORD

by Ruth Bell Graham


Listen, Lord,
a mother's praying
low and quiet:
listen, please.
Listen what her tears
are saying,
see her heart
upon its knees;
lift the load
from her bowed shoulders
till she sees
and understands,
You, Who hold
the worlds together,
hold her problems
in Your hands.

Jesus: the perfect sacrifice

When I read the Jewish Scriptures, which we in Christendom refer to as the Old Testament, the home of the Old Covenant and the way people had to relate to God through the demands of the Law, I feel so grateful and blessed that God chose the New Covenant time following the writing of the Christian Scriptures, the New Testament, for me to be born into.

I am not under the unattainable demands of the Law, but under GRACE (Romans 6:14).

Whew! and Wow! Thank You, God.

As I read through the Bible and land in Leviticus, I am so grateful I do not have to know and remember all those hoops to jump through in order to worship God aright. But, I do like to look for glimmers of Jesus in it all.

All that HIStory leads to Him.

In reading Leviticus 3, the text said the sacrifice to be offered must be unblemished.

That got me to thinking about what we have to offer God on our own - only a blemished offering, sin-ridden and ugly at the core. So God fixed our problem for us so that we wouldn't have to be separate from Him and could live clean and close to Him, actually to be one with Him.

"But demonstrates His own love for us in this: 

while we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

He provided the perfect sacrifice to take ALL the punishment for our sins. 

Christ, the Unblemished One, died in our place, taking all the wrath of God for our sins onto Himself.

"For God has not destined us for wrath, 

but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 Who died for us so that 

whether we are awake or asleep 

we might live with Him" 

(1Thessalonians 5:9-10).

He accomplished what we never could or can on our own.

When we accept Him, taking His perfectly satisfying sacrifice as our own, He rebirths us as a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17). The old nature enslaved to sin is gone (Romans 6:6). We are unblemished and perfect in His sight (Ephesians 1:4). He died to wash away our sin (John 1:29). He rose again to give us new resurrection life (Romans 6:4)!

WE ARE NEW!!!

With His death, He took away our every sin (past, present, future). He cancels every record of our debt at our salvation or coming to belief in Him (Colossians 2:13-14). He remembers our sin no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17).

• He remakes us with a new heart set toward obedience to His will (Ezekiel 36:26, Hebrews 8:10, 10:16, Romans 6:17). 
• He set us free from sin and the Law to walk by His Spirit which indwells every believer helping us navigate life in a new and living way (Romans 7:4-6).
• We are sealed with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and saved for eternity from the wrath of God which is reserved for the unrepentant sinner who rejects Jesus as Savior (Romans 1:18).
• We are saved to be His children who are zealous for good works which He prepared in advance for us to do (Titus 2:14, Ephesians 2:10).
• He is always at work in us, helping us to live out His purposes (Philippians 2:13) and making our behavior conform to Christ's character in us until our behavior matches up to the completeness of our identity in Him (Philippians 1:6; 1Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Jesus is the SOURCE, the Vine. Without Him, we can do nothing!

(John 15:5)

Loss

My dear uncle passed away yesterday evening. My heart hurts. This has been a year for heartache. This death is the 6th I've endured in a little less than a year, plus one crucial friendship moved to long distance.

My heart feels tenderized, like meat that has to be softened before it is good for eating. I never thought about how that would feel to the meat, but it is definitely not fun for the heart. Just when I think the blows are over and the muscle can begin to heal, wham, another blow. It stinks.

This is also my last year of homeschooling. So there are a great many happy-sad moments in store for me this year. And a lot more emptying of my life to come. I've been playing this gig for 15, going on 16, years. A whole way of life to say good-bye to. A whole piece of my identity. A good thing, but hard.

I'm sure this tenderizing serves the good purpose God has planned for me, but it is hard when what He chooses bruises.

Yet, the strength of the LORD is found at the end of my rope (a line from "O' Lord" by Lauren Daigle).





I'm grateful that, though what He chooses often bruises, He is right there to minister to me.

He is my comfort. He never leaves me or forsakes me. He empties my life to fill me up with Himself. He is everything. Anything else in my life is gravy or icing, depending on one's choice of the moment. He is my portion and my cup. He is enough.

So..."I will stand my ground where hope can be found..."

My Worldview: A Start

What is a worldview? 

A worldview is a person’s core attitudes, beliefs, and values. A worldview is a conceptual framework of our foundational beliefs through which we can filter all ideas, keeping or tossing them as we decide. We can either assimilate them into our worldview; or, if it is warranted, we can adjust our worldview to fit the new truth(s) that we have learned. We can also reject them.

In this post, I will begin to build my written worldview statement by answering some questions asked of us in Chapter 2 of Homeschool Psych (Dr. Tim Rice, D.Min., LPC).

What do you believe about God? 

I believe God is the One and Only God, triune (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). I believe He created everything and sustains everything. I believe that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and omnipresent.  I believe His character is perfect and that, whatever He is, He is without limit (forgiving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, merciful, just, light, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, etc.). I believe He made us and, when man fell into sin, He provided a Way to restore us through the sacrifice of His Son. I believe He is our loving Father, has and will provide for our every need, and is our life. I believe His grace saved me and is working in me to bring my behavior into alignment with the new creation that He has made me to be since my salvation.

What do you believe about the nature of Mankind? 

I believe that, due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience, Mankind is born into sin, spiritually dead. He has a sinful nature that requires death as payment for his sin. Unless man is redeemed by Christ through repentance and belief in Him and is granted spiritual and eternal life, he will die in his sin and go to hell.

What do you believe about moral absolutes? 

I believe there are moral absolutes. I believe those absolutes are decided by God, not by man. I believe the Holy Word of God explains what God’s moral expectations are and that He expects obedience to them. I believe that those who are unredeemed will have eternal consequences for their disobedience to those God-ordained moral absolutes. I believe that every person will have earthly consequences for the same disobediences. I believe that Jesus came to save us and give us life to the full and that following God’s moral absolutes and all His ways leads to the experiencing of an abundant life because He is wise about the best way to live. 

What do you think causes mental pain and suffering? 

I believe our own wrongdoing or sin or rebellion against God’s moral absolutes results in earthly consequences (mental pain and suffering) and often eternal consequences (suffering in hell). Simply put, we make poor and, frequently, evil choices. I also believe mankind has an enemy who delights in orchestrating events in our lives that cause mental, emotional, and physical pain and suffering. For believers, he would see us in pain and suffering to keep us from being effective in ministering to and winning souls for Christ. For unbelievers, he hopes to keep people from accepting God’s free offer of salvation to all who repent and believe in the finished work of His Son on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, so that they will not accept God’s grace and will spend eternity in hell. (He hates God and wants to hit Him where it hurts the most. So, he goes after His most prized creation, His beloved children.) I believe that same enemy has servants in the realm of humanity who also enjoy causing others mental, emotional, and physical pain and suffering. In addition to all this, I believe some mental/emotional pain and suffering can be due to chemical imbalances in the brain that affect the way a person thinks, feels, and, therefore, acts. In these cases, it may be necessary for a person to take medication to correct this imbalance.

I believe God, in His sovereignty and grace, uses pain and suffering, no matter its origin, to grow our character and make us more like Jesus, while He also goes about working everything out for our good and His glory.

Describe the faith/science dichotomy. Do you believe there is a dichotomy between science and a Christian worldview? Explain your answer.

A)      The faith/science dichotomy is the argument that faith and science are diametrically opposed fields of study, with completely differing worldviews and have no active bearing upon one another. In other words, the Bible and science are enemies.

B)      I believe that there is no dichotomy between true faith and true science. God created all things. He fashioned this world and keeps it going. He knows exactly how it works because it is His invention. He is the designer. The Bible is all true and is His gift to us. It  explains how He operates as well as giving many clues about how the world He made operates.  Therefore, if I interpret His Word correctly and if the science is correct in its interpretation of the object being studied, there will be an agreement between the two.

Grace

When I created this blog, I thought I knew what grace was. But, I was SO far short of grasping it. I'm sure I still have far to go in my understanding. I am grateful that we are all in the process of growing in grace and knowledge.

Colossians 1:6 the gospel "which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth," (ESV)

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (ESV)

Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace of God has appeared [Jesus], bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age," (ESV) 

Today, I revel in the grace of God everyday and am so grateful that it is His kindness that leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4). I am grateful that I am no longer under the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9) and that my sins are taken AWAY (John 1:29)! I am a beloved child of God, lavished in love (1 John 3:1) and grace (Ephesians 1:8). I have a brand new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17); I have a brand new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) with His laws written on it (Hebrews 10:16-17). I am complete in Him (Colossians 2:10); I am righteous in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:22). I am created with divine purpose for good works which He prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I get to participate in the divine nature and have been given everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).

I was a sinner who was saved by grace to give glory to God and to be zealous for good works. Now I am a saint who sometimes sins, but my overall want to is orchestrated by Him for Him and His purposes (Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13). I am a part of His body which is the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:23)!

I am all of this because HE did all the work necessary to save me from myself. IT IS FINISHED!!!

He loved me before I even knew Him and drew me to Him through Christ.

He provided eternal salvation by sacrificing His One and Only Son to torture.

He grows me in and by His grace through the power of the Holy Spirit, my sweet Counselor and Comforter. "That power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead..." (Ephesians 1:19-20). This resurrection power makes me more and more like Jesus all the time!

He has marked me 'with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Jesus, plus nothing else! He did all the work, and I'm giving Him all the glory.

A Christian Worldview

A worldview is a system of core attitudes, beliefs and values. Another word for FAITH.

Everyone has a worldview. Some agree on some points. Some are diametrically opposed.

The Holy Word of God is my worldview. All my philosophies and assumptions rest at its tried and trusted feet. "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7).

We are homeschoolers. My youngest son, who is 16, and I are studying psychology from a Christian worldview perspective this school year. We are on Chapter 2, A Christian Worldview of Homeschool Psych by Tim Rice, D. Min, LPC. So far, the book is an interesting read (if you don't let typos get to you). Rice points out that many basic assumptions in Christianity and psychology are diametrically opposed.

The author is very firm about every person thinking through their worldview, their faith-filter, for life. We hear all kinds of information and ideas every day. We must sort them, keeping or tossing them as they measure up or fail to. Our framework for answering all the big questions helps us through all these decisions. If you have a worldview based on wisdom, you will, most likely, make wiser decisions.

I know the wisest One of all. He has allowed me to know Him by revealing Himself through His written Word with the illumination and understanding provided by the working of His Holy Spirit in my heart and mind. He has motivated me and helped me to memorize some of His written wisdom. Now He uses all this wisdom implanted in my heart and mind to weave together into guidance in all my ponderings, if I will but choose to consult with Him. What a privilege and an honor!

5 crucial questions I need to think through to begin formulating my written statement of worldview are:

*What do you believe about God?
*What is the nature of Mankind?
*How can we know things with certainty?
*Are there moral absolutes?
*What are the causes of and the cures for abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?

Somewhat of a daunting task. But, I can do it over time. I pretty much know what I think in my head. I just need to put it all down in writing to form more coherent responses when asked to give the reason for the hope that I have (1 Peter 3:15).

Knowing precisely what I believe is one way I will be able to more readily take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

This is our final year of homeschooling. My final year to be the main input in my boys' education. I'm trying to pack it with as much Truth as possible. Because, "Truth is not merely a personal preference. It is objective and absolute and can be diligently searched out" (Tim Rice, Homeschool Psych, p. 11). I want them to know they can know the Truth and stand on it and be set free by it. Because Jesus is the Truth, and we can stand on Him; He is the Rock of our salvation.

Z

Grace Journey

The Lord is re-decorating my brain big time right now.  He revealed to me how legalistic I have been, mostly with myself, I think. He is tearing down wrong thoughts and pasting in right ones.  My main problem was not understanding how deeply grace effects my life.  I kept hearing double-speak from Christian teaching that fogged over the golden grace road.  He is opening my eyes and setting me free! I'm so grateful and excited.

The main vehicle of this journey toward grace living has been the teaching ministry of Dr. Andrew Farley of Church without Religion.  He has the gift of sloughing off all contradictory teaching and shining a clear light on God's Gospel of Grace toward us. So many teachings and Bible passages that I have been confused about are being illuminated while false teachings are being rejected.

I'm OK!  And I'm excited about that.

Jesus plus nothing!!!

Z

The Confession from Beth Moore's Children of the Day Study

The Confession

by Beth Moore

I am not in control.

I cannot control all my people.

I cannot control our situation.

Even when I want what is best,

I cannot control the outcome.

I cannot make people behave.

I cannot make people believe.

I cannot make people be strong.

BECAUSE I AM NOT GOD!!!

He alone knows the end from the beginning.

He alone knows how this thing will turn out.

I HEREBY FIRE MYSELF from His job.

And I agree to see my fight for control as what it really is:

a screaming testament to my distrust,

because I'm saying to God,

'You are not controlling this.'

Quiet Trust

I read a poem a friend shared around Facebook yesterday.  It is by a pastor whose wife and baby died leaving him 3 small children.  He wrote it during a sermon he heard.  You can read the poem's story here.

"He Maketh No Mistake"

My Father’s way may twist and turn
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad to know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break,
I’ll pin my faith, my all, in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim,
But come what may,
I’ll simply trust and leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift,
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

- A.M. Overton, 1932

WOW! A great summary of what I am praying God brings my faith to.  I have been praying for several years now with a dear friend that she and I would have the default of trust and peace.  This poem is right in line with that.  We are both grateful that God is indeed doing his sanctifying work in us and leading us to that place.  Now I am praying to add worship to my default list...

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and....
WORSHIPED!!!

This verse is Job's response to when everything was taken from him.

After the first part of the verse one would expect other 'w' words to come from his mouth.  Words like wept, wailed, or whined.  But no...it was WORSHIPED!

Worship is so counter-intuitive, unexpected, and super-natural.  Worship was Job's default.  And Paul and Silas' when they worshiped bound in prison.  Oh that it might be mine.

2014 is nearly over!

Woah!  Only 1 1/2 months to go. 

With a freshman in college, a senior in highschool, and 2 homeschooled eighth graders, I pray for wisdom daily.  (Which, of course, is different from the rest of motherhood how?) 

Christmas projects/presents season is upon me.  Plus the usual household running stuff, exercise, and church ministries.  Yet, the Lord is with me.  I feel peaceful in the midst of the busyness for the most part.

Besides the busyness of life, my thoughts are turning toward passion for the Lord, coming alive by working out His purposes for my life.  I don't know where these thoughts are going to land yet, but I'm going to let them stew around, brewing in prayer.

I've been reading Christine Caine's Undaunted.  That's enough to stir anyone up!  I love her passion for the Lord and for loving people in real, life-changing ways. 

My Testimony

Hello, my name is Lezlie.  I'm the daughter of a redeemed alcoholic. 

I grew up in the country with very few friends.  I was lonely quite often. When my dad got sober, he started hauling my mom and me to church.  I had been a few times before that with a friend or grandparent, but it was all foreign to me.  They would read Bible passages and ask me questions, and I did not know what they were talking about or how to answer.  I was not interested in going at all when I started. 

Over time, the LORD melted my heart toward the people at church and toward Himself.  I understood that I was a sinner, that I needed a Savior if I wanted to go to Heaven, and that His Name is Jesus.  I wasn't all that resistant to those ideas; I just didn't want to give up my free time and TV watching addiction to spend it in a church listening to boring sermons.

I don't remember when that changed exactly.  God worked on my heart over time.  I just remember coming to the place where I really wanted a best friend who was accessible all the time and God could offer that to me.  My 1st 2 prayers were for Him to be my best friend and to make me a bold person who was not afraid all the time.  We've been working on our relationship and my fearfulness ever since.

As a child, I would hide behind my mother any time we were out around people.  I would not go ask for ketchup at McDonald's because I would have to talk to someone.  I would not run track or sing in the choir because someone might look at me.  I had very few friends and no one really close to me most of the time.

Today, I still struggle with boldness.  It is still a challenge talking with people I don't know, but I can do it without too much struggle most days.  I am singing on stage at church in our worship team.  It's hard to keep my thoughts on God and singing to an audience of One, but I keep trying.  And I have A LOT of great friends.

AND...He's not done with me yet!  He has been giving me 'new songs' to write words and music for.  He's been challenging me to share them in small ways.  Now I think He wants me to get brave enough to finish one to share at church.  It's hard work, but I love it.  I love how all the songs He and I have written speak out my life and heart intertwined with His and how deeply they minister to and teach me every time I sing them.  They are a great reminder of my progress: spiritual, social, musical.  And I think all Christians are on a journey that encourages others when shared.

I am blessed to be a daughter of the King of Kings, a sister to the Lord of Lords, and a companion to the Holy Spirit.  I am blessed that He laid down His life so I could be set free.  Set free from hell.  Set free from sin.  Set free from spiritual strongholds, like fear.

Jesus is my life, my Lord, and my best friend.  I love Him more than I will ever be able to express in words, spoken or sung.

Ch.3 Finding Love That Won't Fail Even When We Do

Proverbs 36:7  "How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

Gleanings from Renee:

"You've been trying to earn your value in everything you've done.  But you will never find the love you long for in anyone or anything but Me.  I AM the unconditional love you are looking for."  p.51

"Until our hearts find complete security and significance in God's unconditional love, we will never be satisfied....Those of us who struggle with insecurity and find ourselves in the 'shadow of doubt' often get there because we are seeking our validation in people's opinions, our worth in accomplishments, and our identity in excessive commitments."  p.52

"You see, God put a longing for unfailing love in our hearts because He knew it would lead us back to Him.  Only God's unfailing love will fill and fulfill the desires of our hearts.  It is the deepest thirst of our souls.  Until God's love is enough, nothing else will be."  p.55

"By recognizing and replacing our emptiness with the fullness of God's promises, we drink the gift of living water."  p.60

"Jesus came to give us more than salvation, He wants us to experience complete satisfaction in Him....Salvation is a one-time decision, but finding satisfaction in Christ and living in the security of His promises is a daily process."  p.61

"We were made for love that isn't measured by our last accomplishment but marked by God's measureless grace."  p.62

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is SO easy for me to measure who I am or how much I am worth by how much I accomplish at home or by how much I pour myself into serving at church.  In my crazy humanity, I do things because I love Jesus while at the same time longing for a pat on the back.  I want Him to get full recognition, but my flesh wants recognition as well.  It is a continual battle between trying to do things for an audience of One and laying down my deep-seated need for approval. 

Why is anyone's approval but His even necessary to me?  This is the question I'm praying through and seeking an answer for.  I am praying for the knowledge that He is ENOUGH to descend from my head to my heart.

My prayer is to be so full of Jesus' love and love for Jesus that service just occurs and my flesh is crucified.    I want my actions to be guided only by what pleases Him.  And I want them to be motivated by love for Him, not by trying to 'earn' His favor.  I'm afraid this battle won't be over for good til I go home, but conquering the need to find my worth outside of Christ is certainly my goal.

Like C.S. Lewis says, "Don't shine so others can see you.  Shine so that through you, others can see Him."

God's Love is Perfect!

1 John 4:18-19  "There is no fear in love.  But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Wow!  Am I sure not perfect!  Overcoming fear of punishment is something I continually struggle with.  Whenever I do something wrong, I think I'm more concerned and scared about whether or not I will get in trouble with people than I am about the wrong thing I did and displeasing Him Whom I love.  That is not right!

Not that I am not sorry for whatever it might be.  But, I get all worked up because of the fear of punishment.  I'm supposed to not be worried about what 'man' can do to me.  Hmmm.

I am trying to get to the bottom of why I do this, with the Lord's help.  I know all the intellectually correct answers, but I know the truth hasn't found its way throughout the deep recesses of my heart yet. 

Today, as I've been thinking and praying about this, I realized it is a symptom of unbelief.  I am not believing God's Holy Word as I should.  It is His promise that I am forgiven  (1John 1:9; Eph. 1:7-8).  It is His promise that He will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 1:5,9; Hebrews 13:5b).  It is His promise that He will help me (Hebrews 13:6; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 121).  He never said he would only help me if I never sin or make a mistake.  So I should be able to walk in CONFIDENCE.  

I need to whip out these promises and stand on them when the accuser plagues my mind w/ my sins and/or mistakes.  Or, when I'm beating myself up, which I have a bad habit of.

I hope, as I get into the new study, that I will grow in all these areas.  That is my sincere prayer.  I'm on a journey, and it's in progress.  I'm so glad He's promised to see me through to completion (Phil. 1:6)!!!

I am intent on VICTORY and FREEDOM!!!

So many Christian blog posts seem to be about how a problem concluded and is over.  I don't find that mine get 'over' so much as that I just keep growing.  But I press on...

Confidence

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."  Hebrews 10:35-36

As believers, we do not need to live in doubt.  We need to live in HOPE, hope in our God and in His good purposes for us.

Isaiah 49:23b says, "Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed."

This does not mean we will have no trouble or that all life is pleasant.  However, He will be with us and bring us through every trial.  To maintain hope in these times, we must cling to His promises as laid out in His Word as being more true than anything we think, hear, see, or feel.  This base of trust and hope will flush away doubt and anxiety. 

We can pray His promises and have confidence that these prayers are in His will and, therefore, will be answered.

In A Confident Heart, Renee Swope says, "We'll do the most important thing first:  spend time digging deep into the heart and character of God so we can learn to depend on His heart toward us."  (p.24)