Barricaded and Graced with Clear Revelation......
Yesterday we focused on one of the roads that goes Nowhere; the road of Who, what, When, Where, and Why questions. In most cases going down that road will bring you to a dead end of confusion, frustration, and angst.
Today I want to talk about another road that goes Nowhere. These are the most frustrating ones to me. They are the ones that are not easy to detect. They often look like the road going Somewhere, but they are not. They are detours. They are distractions that take you away from the place you were meant to go.
I had two separate road to Nowhere detours last year. Both times I was faced with a choice. Literally a fork in the road. Do I go this way or that way? I prayed. I sought after the advice and counsel of close friends. I weighed out my current situation and options. Not receiving any clear word from the Lord, I started down the road I believed was leading me Somewhere.
The longer I traveled down the road, and the more time and effort I invested, the more I knew my judgment could no longer be trusted. It's kind of like being in a bad relationship. You know it is bad, but you have already spent so much time and effort with that person that it seems easier to remain in it than end it.
Looking back, I can see some of the red flags. I saw them even while on the road, but I was always able to explain it away. And the truth was, I still did not receive any clear direction from the Lord.
Deep in my heart I believe I knew something was not right....but it all seemed and felt so perfect (feelings.....no those will take you down the road to Nowhere in a hurry!). I began praying to the Lord saying "Lord, I trust you. I trust that you are guiding me and speaking to my heart. However, I no longer trust myself. I know I want this to work so badly that even if it is not right, I will not hear your still small voice. You are going to have to whack me upside the head if this is not the right road."
I prayed that prayer, or one similar to it every day. Asking the Lord to make it painfully obvious if I was on the wrong road.
God for answered that prayer! I was whacked upside the head alright. It says in Revelation 3:7 What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open. I prayed that he would close the road. That he would Barricade the road going Nowhere.
The night the first road closed was one of the most painful experiences of my life. However, in the midst of the pain I was thankful and praised God. I knew that the only way I would stop going down that road was to have it end abruptly and painfully, leaving no chance of going back and no second thoughts.
Last year was a tough year for me. I got off one wrong road and started right down another! Again, it made sense. Those closest to me thought I was doing the right thing. I was encouraged to pursue this road- even though in my heart it was taking me in the opposite direction of the dreams in my heart. I just figured it was a means to an end until I could follow the desires of my heart.
Still bruised from the last door slamming shut in my face, I was determined not to go through that again. Once again I started praying the "Lord whack me upside the head" prayer. Again I found myself in a situation where unless it was painfully clear to not only me, but those around me, I would be expected to continue down this road.
God is good! Once again he answered my prayer. It was a little painful, but nothing like the last time. In fact, as I walked out to my car crying I suddenly felt this tremendous weight lifting. I prayed for my out and I got it! No one would ever say I should continue with that career pursuit. I was released from the wrong road without guilt or remorse. Praise God!!!
Girls, on those occasions when the road seems right but you are not sure, pray that the Lord would barricade that road for you. Ask him to shut it down in such a way you will never have to look back and second guess yourself. He will answer you. It may hurt a little. However, in the long run a couple days of pain is better than a lifetime on the wrong road. Ask me how I know...........
Revelation 3:7 What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open
Love, Grace, and barricaded road to Nowhere-
Jen
The Road that Goes Nowhere....
Good Morning Girls! Let's continue with our closer look at Psalm 119:25-32 in the Message Translation. Todays verse is Barricade the Road that Goes Nowhere........
Unfortunately I have learned over the years that there is more than one road that goes Nowhere. In fact, I have traveled down many of them! Praise God! I am learning. Each year I find that I have traveled less down the road to Nowhere and more down the road to Somewhere.
No one wants to travel the road that goes Nowhere; yet many of us do. What can we do to prevent that from happening?
I don't know all the answers, but I have a few. Let me share some lessons I learned the hard way........
When we are faced with trials and disappointments often the first thing we do is to start asking questions. "Why did my dad die?" "Why are we not able to pay our bills?" "Why is this taking so long?" "When is this going to end?" "Where is God in all of this?" "How did we miss God on this?" "Why is this happening to us?" "What did we do wrong?" How can we make it right?" Who....What....When.....Where......Why......How......Oh such honest and sincere questions. Unfortunately they all lead to the same place.
The road to Nowhere.........
The more trials I go through the more I learn that there are just some things that are too great for us to understand. The less time I spend asking questions that I may never know the answers to, the more time I can focus on what I do know; which is that God is good, faithful and just. He will never leave me or forsake me. He has good plans for me. Plans to prosper me. Plans to use me. Plans that will completed by Him. Plans that will be fulfilled even though I have gone down the road that goes Nowhere a few (too many) times.
The more I have learned to trust in the Lord, the less concerned I am about the Who, What, Where, When and Why. I trust that if I am supposed to know the answers to any of these questions the Lord will show me. If I did in fact make a mistake, if there is action I need to take, if there is a wrong I need to right, I trust He will show me. (you have no idea how bad I wanted to make that last line rhyme, but chose not to)
He is not a God who sits on the throne holding the answers in his hand just waiting til we say the magic words before he releases them. No! A just God would not do that. And since we know he is a just God, and everything he does is fair (Deuteronomy 32:4), we can trust that if we need to know the answers he will give them to us!
Girls, next time you find yourself filled with questions and no answers stop yourself dead in your tracks! Understand that you are going down a road that leads Nowhere! Keep doing what you know to do and trust God with the matters that are too great for us to understand!
Psalm 131:1 I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp!
Love, Grace, and a concern free day to you all-
Jen
Dilapidated......
Psalm 119 is one of my favorites Psalms. I love it because it speaks straight to my heart. I often feel as though I could have written it myself. To me it reads like a Girl who loves the Lord and wants to do the right thing but doesn't always hit her mark. She knows that God's ways are the best, yet fails to yield to them at all times. Sometimes it is because she simply chooses to go her own way. Other times I believe she believes she is going the correct way but she has been deceived; either by her own flesh or the enemy.
The author often makes reference to lying in the dust and needing God to come pull her and breath life back into her. She pleads, almost begs for God to give her another chance, vowing to get it right and obey every command!
There's just one problem.....(okay there are probably many)...and that is- she doesn't always understand what it is she is exactly supposed to obey. She doesn't understand what the Lord is always saying, or where he is always leading her. She wants to go down the right road, but desperately wishes the Lord would send her a map that plots out her life course in bold and specific detail. If the Lord would just do that....well then she would for sure be able to live the life he planned for her (well maybe not for sure.......but hopefully....maybe....well at least more likely than how its currently going.....)
Can any of you relate to the feelings of the author of Psalm 119?
Last week was the first time I read any of Psalm 119 in the message Translation. I loved it even more because of some of the word pictures it made for me. My sad life is a dilapidated, falling down barn.....
Dilapidated: having fallen into a state of disrepair.......
Now that sounds pretty pathetic! Praise God I can say that at the present time I do not feel as though my life were a dilapidated falling down barn! However.....not too long ago that is exactly how I felt! It seemed like every area of my life was falling apart. I had no direction. I had no peace. I didn't have much hope. I did however have every care and concern in my own little world carried around within me. I knew it was no way to live. I knew God was my only hope; but I was having trouble getting from A to B.
It was hard to let go of all my problems! It was hard to put my package of cares into Gods hands. I knew he loved me, but it didn't seem like he was really "on top of" all the concerns we had in our life. He wasn't giving us any clear direction (took me a long time to realize that no direction means to simply rest in Him and trust that He has it all taken care of and He WILL let us know when it is time to take action......but that is a whole other lesson).
Disrepair: the condition of being in need of repair.......
When you are burdened by concerns. Burdened by tough choices and decisions. Burdened by a life in that is falling apart......you need repair. The author of Psalm 119 knows exactly what kind of repair we need........Gods Word.
It sounds so simple doesn't it? All you need is Gods Word. It is as simple as it is difficult. But it is true. The more you immerse yourself in Gods Word the more you see that even when your life resembles a falling down barn, he's still there and he's holding you up. He is still your firm foundation- even when the shingles on the roof are falling off one by one!
Girls, I know that when I find myself in a whirlwind of concern and worry, often the hardest thing to do is sit down and rest in the Word. I would rather drive myself bonkers letting my mind race with all the possible scenarios of how my troubles will play out. I would rather scramble to come up with a "plan", a plan that allows me to take action! That is what my flesh wants. For years that is what my flesh got. And all I ended up with was more shingles on the ground!
Train yourself....discipline yourself to take a "Word chill" (sometimes it's easier if it is accompanied by chocolate) and just allow the Lord to do what He so desperately wants to do for you......build you up!
Psalm 119:27? (hard to tell in the Message Translation) My sad life's dilapidated, a falling down barn; build me up again by your Word
Love, Grace, and a roof raising day to you all-
Jen
Someone....
I'm feeling terrible—I couldn't feel worse!
Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember?
When I told my story, you responded;
train me well in your deep wisdom.
Help me understand these things inside and out
so I can ponder your miracle-wonders.
My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn;
build me up again by your Word.
Barricade the road that goes Nowhere;
grace me with your clear revelation.
I choose the true road to Somewhere,
I post your road signs at every curve and corner.
I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me;
God, don't let me down!
I'll run the course you lay out for me
if you'll just show me how.
Psalm 119:27-32 Message Translation
These are not the words of someone who is feeling confident in the direction of their life.
These are the words of someone who is feeling lost, confused, broken, and burdened by the pressure to make the right choices concerning their life.
These are the words of someone who wants to live for God, but isn't exactly sure what that even means or how to go about it.
These are the words of someone who knows their life is not where it should be, but does not know exactly where "should be" is.
These are the words of someone who understands that God is their one true source of hope for a good life even though their life is currently a mess.
These are the words of someone who has tried over and over again to "get it right" but has somehow ended up with their face in the dirt once again.
These are the words of someone who understands there is a road that ends in life and a road that ends in death......but is still unsure how to tell which one is which.
These are the words of someone who understands that God is the source of all wisdom, but also knows their mind sees what it wants to see.
These are the words of someone who promises to do it right if they would only receive clear direction.
These are the words of someone written thousands of years ago.......
Though that someone is also me.
Is that someone also you?
Join me this week as we take a closer look into some of these verses and see that in the midst of a dilapidated life, we can rejoice and know that God has good plans for us! He will lead us to the road going Somewhere! We are all Someones.......and we are His!!!
Love, Grace, a road to Somewhere day to you all-
Jen
Nike
Last night when I was looking at my schedule for today, I once again wondered when and how I would get to my computer. As I set my alarm I debated whether or not I should set it for another hour earlier. I decided not to. Instead I said "Lord, if I should blog in the morning, wake me up"..........
Girls, the Lord always...ALWAYS......answers prayers that line up with his will for you life! ALWAYS! The fact that I woke up 64 minutes prior to my alarm, is just one of many examples I could give you!
So there is a certain amount of pressure when you know as you know you are supposed to do something. I knew I was supposed to write. However, I have so many notes and thoughts whirling in my head that I didn't know where to start.
I prayed. I looked through all the notes and verses and treasures I have put to paper. I did my homework from the this weeks HomeMakers teaching. I looked at the biblegateway verse of the day. Everywhere I looked I was bombarded with good Word! Word that I could sit and talk about forever.
Now this seems like a good thing right? It is good to have an abundance of good Word and thoughts and ideas.....right? One would think so.......
But I found it unnerving. Wanting to make sure I selected the "perfect" direction, I felt myself getting a little anxious. A little unnerved. I felt the pressure building and I could feel myself shutting down.
Now, the funniest part about all of this is that this is all self imposed pressure! I write because I want to. My heart desires it. My soul craves it. My adrenaline rises every time I hit the "publish" button.
There is nobody monitoring me or paying me (yet...Amen and WORD). There is nobody giving me a quota or telling me that this is part of my job. I do it because it is who I am.......and that thought still amazes me.........
So In my whirlwind of "Where do I start?" and "What direction should I go?" I feel the Lord speak to my heart and say "Just start." So I did.
Now I have learned the hard way that my demon possessed computer may at anytime skip forward to a new website or shut down completely in which case whatever I have written is lost. However, if I have given my blog a title, the website will auto save my writing every few minutes.
Not knowing what my title would be (since I had no idea what my writing was going to be about) I simply gave it the title you see today......NIKE.
I am obsessed with the Nike campaign. I think it is ingenious and I hope whoever coined it is a Christian and got paid a boat load of cash! If they only got the cash, then I pray that the Holy Ghost gets hold of them. But I digress.......
I love the NIKE campaign because it says it all in three little words......8 letters......JUST DO IT!
JUST DO IT! I don't want to work out....JUST DO IT! I don't want to vacuum......JUST DO IT! I don't want to be nice to my husband......JUST DO IT! I don't want to volunteer for that project.......JUST DO IT! I don't know what to say, what to do, or where to start...............
JUST TO IT!!!!
Girls, how often do we spend more time thinking about something we don't want to do than it would take to actually do it? How often do we get so anxious and overwhelmed in our search for the "perfect" plan that we never get out of planning stage? How often do we wish we were something, or wish we could have something, but never take a step towards it?
Renee spent the last two weeks talking about having the grace to be happy.
Once again, NIKE can sum it up in 8 letters.......JUST DO IT!!!!
"But Jen, aren't you oversimplifying it just a little?".
Maybe. But as a sales manager I read many sales books and heard many sales presentations that harped on the K.I.S.S. method.....Keep It Simple, Stupid......
Keep it simple. Start basing some of your decisions each day on this question "Would this make me happy?". If the answer is yes.......JUST DO IT!!!
But you have to be honest with yourself when you ask yourself that question. Sure, a pint of Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar Crunch ice cream (wow I was kind of specific there wasn't I?) may make me happy.......for about 30 minutes until the self loathing and reality check begin. Sure, lashing out at your hubby make you feel a bit satisfied, even pleased with yourself for a moment.......until you realize the damage you have done to your relationship.
I am not talking about asking yourself "What would make me feel better right this minute?" I am not talking about satisfying your instant gratification whine ball flesh that will drag you down the trail to Unhappyville in 30 seconds flat. No!
I am talking about asking yourself what will truly make you happy. What will bring you satisfaction? What will bring you to that state of perfect and entire wanting nothing?
Once you have even a glimpse or a clue of what that may be, start basing your daily decisions on getting there. JUST DO IT! Even if you are not sure what exactly to do.......
If you start to "NIKE", the Lord will steer you and guide you. Todays blog is the perfect example of that! Sure, it may rabbit trail and seem less than well thought out; but I tell you this.....it's better than the blank page I could have continued to stare at until time ran out. And that is exactly what would have happened had I not simply DONE IT!
And now I feel happy...........
Proverbs 10:25 The hopes of the godly result in happiness!
Love, grace, and a NIKE day to you all-
Jen
Two Mules in Love
Good Morning Girls. Last night my friend sent me a text. It read: Have things simmered down with your ox or is he still a mule? I thought for a moment about that question and finally I answered: He's both........but so am I......I think that is why we are butting heads.
As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot deny that I can give any mule a run for their money when it comes to stubbornness and will power. I can ignore you. I can look the other way. I can hold out until I get my way. And I can do it all with those big sad innocent eyes.
I don't do it on purpose; and often I don't even realize I am being stubborn until there is a problem....in which case I may still not see it and blame the other mule. It's tough being me sometimes........
Now being a mule is hard enough. Add to that being an ox and we've got ourselves a bullfight waiting to happen! The only thing worse than being in a relationship with someone who is a driven "my way or the highway" kind a guy, is being the same kind of Girl! Especially when the highways are running in opposite directions.
It's great when you can cruise together on the same highway. However, I would say it's most important to agree on the final destination. There may be times when one of us veers off to take the scenic route, and that's okay as long as our final destination is the same. We don't have to get there the exact same way. We just both need to get there. If he wants to take the typical man route (which includes not stopping for help or directions and getting upset every time we have to take a pee break) then perhaps it's best if at times we drive ourselves. Not all the time....just on some things..........
I have not yet been able to apologize for my outburst on Sunday. Partly because I didn't say anything that was not true. Partly because my words were not said in spite. Partly because there are some things that do need to change. And partly because I am a mule......
I did however start laying the foundation for my apology. I made him breakfast. Then I made him his favorite chicken and packed his lunch (and even a snack). Basically I did what every farmer does to show his ox that he appreciates the hard word he does (and wants him to continue). I feed him. I feed him well. It made him happy. And it's a lot easier to apologize to a happy ox than an angry mule!
It says in 1 Peter 4:8 that we are to continue to show deep love for each other. I know I am not quite "deep" yet....but I am showing him the best I am able to at this moment. I am believing my heart will follow, knowing that love does in fact cover a multitude of sins (and wrong thinking ha-ha).
1 Peter 4:8 NLT Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Love, grace, and a mule in deep love to you all-
Jen
ps..... just so you know it REALLY bugs me that in the middle of my ox and mule analogy I got on a 2 paragraph highway analogy....I mean REALLY bugs me....but I don't have time to fix it so it is what it is........but I am REALLY BUGGED BY IT.......Ha-rumph......
From an Ox to a Mule
I learned something yesterday. I learned that when I am experiencing a lot of "bugged" surfacey feelings it is an indicator that there is something bigger going on. Let's not sugarcoat it. It's more than an indicator. It's a red flag......
On the way to church (of course) we were talking about a few scheduling details for the upcoming week. I was approaching them once again with caution as I have felt like my home is carpeted with egg shells. Must tread lightly.
Then I mentioned something that I thought was no big deal. Thought it was just small talk. To my surprise it was one of those things that Tom had a very strong (and I think stupid) opinion about. I had no clue he would respond in such a way or I obviously would not have said a thing. But I did. And his response escalated the "bugged" status to full on "I am so done".
My man went from an "Ox" to a "Mule" in 0.9 seconds. I had had enough.
I had had enough of his "I am an island" thinking. Enough of his "I walk alone in this world" behavior. Enough of his "We don't ask others for help and others should take care of themselves" attitude. I had had enough of his isolation, brooding, and weight of the world life. And I let him know it.
My grace for him had apparently ran out that morning. What can I say? I'm not Jesus....
Guess what happens when you tell your Ox you think he's a Mule?
You spend the rest of the day in separate rooms. You spend the rest of the day vacillating between wanting to make things right and being sick of needing to make things right. You feel alone in your own home. You feel restless, agitated, and sad. You go to bed without saying "Good Night".
And you wake up feeling the same heaviness you went to bed with........
The Lord led me to a verse a couple weeks ago. I wrote it down thinking it must be for a future blog. A verse for someone else. I may as well confess that I started thinking about who the verse could be for. FYI- whenever you start thinking about who the Lord brought you a verse for, start by looking in the mirror.
Psalm 37:8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper- it only leads to harm.
I didn't realize I was angry til it surfaced. Thought it was simply the ebb and flow of marriage. Now I think it is more........and I am not sure what to do about it.
So I did the only thing I know to do. I prayed. I prayed for the grace to love my ox today. I prayed for steps that need to be taken. I prayed that the Lord would change my heart. I prayed that the Lord would soften both our hearts. I prayed that our marriage would be the marriage He intended us to have.
We have fought side by side for the last few years now. We are nearing the end of our fight. I believe that with all my heart. I believe victory is ours and it is manifesting as I type. I believe the enemy is not happy with this. I believe he is attacking us at our core. He wants us to turn our fight on each other rather than him.
Anger is poison. But it is not the quick arsenic type. No. It is a long, slow, subtle death that is painful and debilitating. It needs to be cleaned out of your system completely or you will slowly die.........
If you think you have some running through your veins you best spend some time with the Lord today. I know I plan to. Praise God for the blood of Jesus. May His blood cleanse mine!
Love, peace, and a poison free day to you all-
Jen
Love Your Ox
I believe God has a wonderful sense of humor. I believe He is serious about His plans for us, but wants us to enjoy our journey. This is for those of you who are caught up in the seriousness of it all.........
You know how sometimes your hubby just bugs you? I am not talking about the strain that occurs in marriage during difficult times. I am talking about the days when everything in your life could be great, but still, your hubby just bugs you? Come on....I can't be the only one this happens to........
You know, like suddenly they seem to chew their food a little louder. Or maybe their interest in every single sporting event on tv leaves you irritated. Perhaps that wad of toothpaste in the sink suddenly makes you want to dip their toothbrush in the toilet. And then there are those times when they are sound asleep and snoring like a grizzly bear and you have to pray your heart out that the Lord prevents you from holding a pillow over them just long enough to startle them a little.......
Really? Am I the only one who has these days? Does anyone have a therapist they can recommend to me?
So lets just say that earlier this week I was having a couple of those days. Days where my hubby was being the same hubby he has been for almost 15 years now (or is it 16? I can never remember what year we got married....is that bad?). He wasn't doing anything or behaving any differently than he always has......but for whatever reason, I felt bugged.
And you know, once you get bugged, it seems to accelerate rapidly. I had to purpose to keep my mouth shut (which sometimes meant hanging out in another room for hours at a time). I knew he had not done anything wrong, yet I knew that at any moment I could catapult into a verbal lashing that would leave us broken for awhile. I must be maturing at least a little bit because the old Jen would have gone for the lashing to release those bad vibes.....
But I didn't. I kept my mouth shut. I knew that these feelings would pass and the best thing to do was to steer clear and avoid any serious conversations or sometimes any conversations until I got past that bugged feeling. I will just keep on picking up his socks that just cannot seem to make it INTO the laundry basket and wait for the irritation to pass......
In my Wednesday morning devotional time I was hanging out in Proverbs. I was in the mood for some good Godly wisdom and advice, and Proverbs beats Dr Phil, Dr Oz, and all "The Doctors" combined!
Do you want to know what I learned (well I already knew but this confirmed) that God has a wonderful sense of humor........
Proverbs 14:4 Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.......
You know......my hubby may not be the cleanest ox in the stable but he is a good, hard working man. A man of integrity. The most loyal man you will ever meet. If you have a secret- tell him. His vault is locked more securely than the Pentagon!
Over the years I have watched him work, press, strive, and humble himself to protect his family. He has done whatever he can (and then some) to ensure his family will reap our harvest when our due season has come (and I declare now that our due season is here.....can I get an "Amen" or a "Word" or whatever you say when you agree with me!!!)
Now when I feel bugged I just imagine Tom with horns. I smile and I think to myself "That's my ox.....don't you just love him!".....
It has occurred to me that there may be times when Tom is bugged by me......but then I just tell the devil to flee and quit lying cuz really........how could anything I do ever bug him.......
Seriously.....therapist recommendations are welcome........
Blessings, grace, love of your ox, and a less serious day to you all-
Jen
WANTED not Needed!
A short while later I had to go back to the counter for something else (no doubt more tokens as it really is simply a kids casino). There was a new employee at the counter. Once again I said "Thank you". Once again I heard "My pleasure".
Aahhh.....I see now.....we have a new customer service marketing campaign. Well I for one love it! Though I knew it was a company policy and they were required to say it, I loved hearing it. I thought it was a brilliant campaign. (I am fascinated by marketing and advertising and if I had college to do all over again I would have gone down that road.....and please do not tell me it is never to late)
"My pleasure". Websters defines pleasure as a source of enjoyment or delight. In other words, this employee was saying "I am delighted to serve you and I enjoy doing it" (even if they have to or they will not do well at review time).
Once I realized that they delighted and enjoyed serving me I was not at all hesitant to make my needs and requests known. "The machine ate my sons tokens." "May I have a clean salad plate?" "How fresh is your coffee" (not very). "The machine ran out of tickets and I won the jackpot" (I am crazy awesome at the Shoot the Moon game!) Why would I let a moment that could bring them delight and enjoyment pass them by? That would not be right!!!!
Do you know who is even more delighted to meet our needs? Do you know who finds us a source of great enjoyment? (and may I say I also think entertainment) Do you know who not only finds pleasure in calling us family but also desires greatly to do so? Our heavenly Father!
Thats right! Despite all our shortcomings. Despite the fact that God has more "black sheep" in his family than anyone else, he desires greatly and finds great enjoyment and delight in calling us his own! He knew what he was getting himself into......yet he still WANTED to do it! Praise God!!!
So Girls (and my 2 "Man-Peeps"), don't hesitate in bringing your requests to the Lord. He desires greatly and enjoys and delights in you! He WANTS to be your Daddy. He wants to provide and meet all your needs. Not because he has to, but because HE WANTS TO!!!! Don't deprive him of the opportunity to bless you. By doing so you deprive him of great enjoyment.......
Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure!
Love, grace, and a day full of enjoyment and delight to you all-
Jen
Who's Child are You?
Good Morning Girls! I confess, I wanted to title todays message "Who's Your Daddy?" but I thought that following Mondays WORD title with that would be pushing it a little too far. You know me.....I HATE to push the envelope...........(I would insert a wink here but after 4 years of utilizing this website I still haven't figured that one out......)
When I was a kid and my mom and I went to the store, I never had to worry about losing her.....I would simply follow the sound of her laugh. She has a distinct laugh. A loud laugh. A genuine laugh. A laugh that was clearly identifiable and locatable.
It sounded a lot like........mine.
And then theres my dad. My dad had this face he made whenever he knew he was being a stinker. It was his teasing face. It put a sparkle in his eyes and a sly grin on his face. It was a face that said "I know this may get me into trouble....but it is worth it."
It looked a lot like..........mine.
Yes, I have manuerisms and behaviors that identify me as the daughter of Charlie and Vendy Houle. I often hear people say "I can really see your mom (or your dad) in you. Not just your looks, but your actions. I think its pretty cool.
It got me wondering though. Can people tell by my actions that I am a daughter of the Most High God? Do people look at me and notice that there is something different about me. Different than the world around them. Do people look at the way I live my life and think "Look at the way she carries herself; confident and secure. She doesn't appear to be concerned with the day to day struggles in life. She puts others needs above her own. She is full of joy and brings light to even the darkest situations. What is it about her that is so different?"
If I am living the life I desire to live, I am imitating my Father. My actions, behaviors, and manuerisms reflect those of Jesus. (even my angelic face...insert wink)
Now don't get all bent out of shape and immediately think of all the areas you apper to be more the seed of a demon than the Most High God! Don't forget about the abundant grace that we receive daily! Don't think that being identifiable as a child of God means you have to be perfect!
NO!
Being a child of the God means that we strive to imitate Him.
Westers defines imitate as: to follow or endeaver to follow as a model or example. To further define it I looked up the word endeavor. It means to make an earnest attempt.
Putting it together we have: to follow or to make an earnest attempt to follow as a model or example.
There is no mention of "getting it right" or being "perfect".
Girls, as you go about your day today ask yourself this: "What can I do today that shows that I am a child of the Most High God". Better yet, ask God. Say "Daddy....what would you like me to do today to show the world that I belong to you?" And let me know what He tells you..........I think it will be goooooood........
Ephesians 5:1 NLT and Jen Gilbert Translation Imitate (follow or make an earnest attempt to follow and model after) God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children (not just his children....his dear children!)
Love, grace, and a "who's your daddy" day-
Jen