Refuge for a Single Mom

Sometimes, the weight of the world can be very overwhelming.  There seem to be constant struggles and obstacles.  There’s always something to worry about.

Thing is, as we learn to fully rely on the strength and protection of the Lord, as we learn to trust His plan, His timing, His wisdom and His love, we will be better equipped to live happier, healthier, more joyful and peaceful lives.

I have been learning this lesson for a very long time.  I am one of the most impatient, paranoid, speculative people you will meet.  In fact, I remember my mom coming home from 6th grade parent conference.  The teacher told her that although Christina was an excellent student, she worried more than any other 6th grader he had ever met.

Over the years, my heavenly Father has been teaching me to be a bit different.  Although I am still struggling with these things, I’ve learned to catch myself.  When I feel the anxiety hit, I just stop and pray.  I give it up to God and quit with the worry.  I know, deep in my soul, beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will take care of whatever it is.  I know that He cares more about my family and me than I can even grasp.  He will bring to pass the best scenario possible!

When we look to the Word for guidance, we see that there is something called “The Armor of God”.  Obviously, this is spiritual armor, but as you can see, our Almighty Father has all the bases covered.

As time and circumstances allow this week, I’d like to explore each part of the armor.  I think it is so important to fully understand the protection that God has to offer – if we’ll only let Him!

The Armor of God  (Ephesians 6:10-24)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.

22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.

23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

Labels: Adversity, Anxiety, Armor of God, Diligence, Perseverance, Positive Thinking, Strength, Way of Thinking

7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!
8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.  II Corinthians 12:7-10

Last week was very interesting and very busy – to say the least.  Among a lot of other things, I’ve been feeling very discouraged and very alone.

Fortunately, no matter how rough I get to feeling, no matter the reason, I always have one true and loyal friend that is always there, always listening and best of all, loves me unconditionally.  (Thank goodness for that!!!)  *smile*

So, while praying one night last week, I got to thinking about how much God has touched my life, how much He has changed me.  I got to thinking about who and what I was without Him and how far along He has brought me.  

Imagine a puppet, a marionette, if you will, with just a string or two.  Kind of flopping around aimlessly, with little to no direction, no coordination, no charisma, no personality…nothing.  That was me – totally!

Like a lot of people, I too ‘asked Jesus into my heart’ at a very tender age, during some highly emotional altar call at Church Camp, however, for many years, I wandered, I rebelled, I went in every direction but the one God called me to.  Therefore, I don’t consider myself truly saved until 4 ½ years ago when I deeply and honestly repented of my sins and made a total commitment to follow Him and glorify Him in everything I do.

In this very short, but productive 4 ½ years, God has added more ‘strings’ and ‘details’ to this ‘doll’.  By His grace I have become more focused, more convicted, more committed, and overall, more beautiful and coordinated in every way!

For a little while now, I’ve been working on a little side project - something that is extremely dear to my heart and has no monetary value whatsoever.  Just a true ‘vision’ to do the will of God and glorify Him in the best way I know how.  I’m not quite ready to talk about it yet, but it’s been coming along quite well.  I truly believe that this is something that God would have me to do!

On Friday, I suffered a bit of a setback.  Something someone said led me to believe that I had nothing to offer, that I couldn’t be a good example to others because I’m essentially not a finished product.  Well, Hello?  Who is?  Can I not witness to the grace of God and His goodness in my life?  Can I not be a good example because of my accomplishments thus far?

The thing here is this; we MUST be happy and content with WHERE we are in Christ, WHO we are in Christ!  Not that we don’t continue to strive to be more, to be a ‘better’ version, or to be all that we can be through Him on this Earth, but we have to love ourselves and be happy where we are.  We can’t consume ourselves with being someone or something we are not.

This has been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn.  I am typically the type of person to care what other people think and to over analyze everything!  The past, the future - usually a lot of things that I have no control over anyway.  One thing I found that I could control, however, was me.  I could ‘decide’ to be happy and joyful and let things roll.  I can praise God for the lessons I’ve learned, the blessings I’ve received and the victory that He has planned for me!


10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.  Philippians 4:10-14

Only when we are satisfied with what He has given us, will He trust us with more.  More blessings, more responsibility, etc.

Obviously, we all have a long way to go.  We all have ‘fine-tuning’ to undergo.  In the meantime, however, most of us have learned a lot and we’ve experience a lot.  Therefore, most of us have some insight to lend to those in a different place, those still struggling to surrender to the will of God.  (They just have to be willing to listen.)

Someday, when God is truly finished, and I am home in Heaven with Him, I will finally get to be a REAL little girl!  In the meantime, I’m just me.  –The ME that God created me to be trusting Him to guide my strings in the right directions!

Labels: Believe, Control, Encouragement, Growth, Learning, Positive Thinking, Praise, Way of Thinking

What an endearing thought – right?

Well, evidently, there`s an initiative going on to achieve just that!  Could YOU do it?  Well, I`m about to try and I`m taking my friends and fellow bloggers with me! *smile*

For the next 21 days (or as soon as my bracelet arrives) I will be attempting to NOT complain!  -About anything!  Holy Cow!!!

Scientists say it takes 21 days to break a habit and create a new one.  Whew!


Here`s what you need to do to get started:

1. Click here to order a free purple Complaint Free bracelet.

2. Tag at least 3 people and spread the word. Challenge them to participate.

3. The final step, and most important. STOP COMPLAINING! You put your bracelet on and any time you catch yourself complaining you must switch it to the opposite wrist. The goal is to go 21 days without switching it. If you switch it, your 21 days starts all over again.


7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!
8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ`s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.  II Corinthians 12:9


I`ve tagged Alicia, Heather, Shera  Have fun with it & Good Luck!!!

Labels: Choices, Decisions, Learning, Positive Thinking, Way of Thinking

This week, my 3-year old learned to effectively peddle his bike.  It`s such a joy to watch him get it right and appreciate the new-found luxury of `riding his bike`!  Before, he was just pushing himself along – doing the best he could.

(As I`ve mentioned before, I get my inspiration in some really unique ways!) *wink*

As I was relishing in his achievement, I got to thinking about how `easy` God is and how reliable He is.  I was thinking about how most of us just `push ourselves along` or `do the best we can` when we`re without Him.

People often say things like “once you learn to ride a bike you never forget” or “it`s as easy as learning to ride a bike”.

Once God touches your life, even the slightest bit, you never really forget Him!  You may rebel or even ignore Him, but He`s a part of you.  His love and grace are instilled in your brain,  your heart and most importantly, your soul!  He patiently waits for us to come back to Him of our own will and desire.  He`s ready and waiting for us to repent our sins and get on the right path with Him.

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”  Acts 2:38-40

God really doesn`t make it hard to walk with Him.  It may seem like it at the time.  It may seem like you have to give up `having fun` or give up your `freedom` – you really have so much to gain!

9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  Hebrews 6:9-12

Looking back over my own life, I have to wonder now what the attraction really was in all of the sin and fleshly desires.  I was constantly struggling and alone.  I was never really happy or joyful!

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  II Corinthians 7:1

Goodness!  Here I am enjoying the best part of my life so far and all those things are gone!  All those people are gone.  I went through one of the toughest times in my life and none of those `friends` were there for me!  They just found a new drinking buddy, a new ride around town or a new house to party at.

What did I really give up?  Not a darn thing!  I gained so much love from God, so much peace, joy, happiness and contentment.

Don`t get me wrong, there are still struggles and some loneliness, but now I`m not alone – not at all!  I have my Heavenly Father right here beside me!  Unlike the love or friendship or kindness of anyone I`ve ever known here on Earth, my God NEVER leaves me nor forsakes me!

1 “I love You, O LORD, my strength.”
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.    Psalm 18:1-3

2According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.  I Peter 1:2-9

Praise God!


1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—
2 for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”—
3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,
8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;
9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,
10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.
13 Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.  II Corinthians 6:1-18

Labels: Believe, Encouragement, Faith, Positive Thinking, Praise

Criticism

Definition :

Obviously, there are several forms of and motivations for criticism.  None are very endearing, or easy to hear, but some are useful.  In fact, Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.  Proverbs 13:18  According to God`s Word, he that `regardeth` constructive criticism (as it is `useful` and `intended to help or improve something`) will be honoured.  Those offering constructive criticism will often accompany their remarks with `an offer of possible solutions`!

Quite differently, criticism, just for the sake of `passing judgment` or `faultfinding` is useless and sometimes very painful.  Sometimes, the effects are devastating and can ruin relationships in families or with friends.  Often times, these types of comments are made out of anger or jealousy.  But the Lord promises us:  "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.”  Isaiah 54:17

The Lord has made us all a certain way.  He made us to do certain things.  He made us to do certain things IN a certain way.  We all have particular mannerisms and personalities that make us who we are.  ~His daughters!

For example, I am very laid back in general.  There are very few things that I will do on a `whim`!  It also takes quite a bit to infuriate me.  (In fact, because I know my Lord doesn`t want me to be angry and grouchy and bitter, I am working even harder to be a more calm and objective person.)  Often, I try to separate my self from things and take in the big picture.  It`s a hard thing to do, but not improving my disposition is not healthy either.

It`s even harder to be criticized for it!  (Especially by family or friends!)

As I`ve mentioned before, our neighbors are interesting people and they like to `have fun` and some nights it gets loud and a bit scary.  (Saturday night was one of these kinds of nights! *wink*)  This past summer, when it got really bad (including fights and gunfire) we were all pretty terrified to live here.  We all lost a lot of sleep and it became stressful and miserable INSIDE our house.

Finally, I took a stand, not the one my son would have liked perhaps, but I stood with God!  I prayed for the protection of His guardian angels.  It took a bit of time to overcome the fear and the intimidation, but there is really only so much we can do in any situation ~ in the natural.  We`ve been looking for a home.  We made reports to the authorities.  We have to give it all up to God and trust Him for a solution ~ whatever it might be!

Criticism is no different.  (Not quite as scary! *wink*)  It is just more useless `junk` that if allowed to enter into your thoughts, it will pollute them.  Just like a poison, it isn`t healthy for your spirit, your mind, your body, your demeanor or your relationships to harbor things said critically!  ~ No matter the source.

Bind up the `junk` and give it away to God.  Trust Him to deal with it!

Labels: Criticism, Encouragement, Positive Thinking

I can see mine! ~Through supernatural lenses! *wink*

I am not only hoping and praying for good things, but I am SEEING them come to pass. I imagine and believe for good health, safety, happiness, joy, success, prosperity, everything that my Heavenly Father promises to me and my family! "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22 All things that I ask for in prayer, that will improve our lives, that are good for us, that I believe for, will be given! Isn`t that hopeful? What greater guarantee in life than one from God?

You see, I know, that he promises us repayment for that which has been stolen from us. He promises riches and a crown of gold. More than we can even comprehend! And Jesus said to him, “`If You can?` All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

We have to do our part, we have to believe, and I also think that we have to pursue. I don`t think that we should have to be obnoxious or ruthless about it, but persistent. If you want a better job ~ get the proper schooling, if you want your own business ~ pursue it! In the meantime, trust, believe, hope and dream. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,` and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Mark 11:23-24

If we are doing our part, then God will do His. And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." Matthew 8:13

However, it is incredibly naïve to just sit and ONLY pray, doing nothing of your own capacity and think that God will reward you. In effect, you are only committing another sin by being lazy and unmotivated. (We`ll deal with laziness separately.)

The simple fact is, you have to believe. You have to look beyond the scope of earthly things and circumstances and believe for higher, greater capabilities! "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:12 Essentially, if you believe that God can provide and excel you on Earth, then you can believe and seek out the Kingdom of Heaven!

Labels: Positive Thinking, Way of Thinking

Guilt, Depression, Anxiety, Hopelessness, Self-Pity, Loneliness, Sadness . . . these are all `junk` that come in the form of bad thoughts. The enemy uses these tricks to make you vulnerable and ultimately try to overtake you.

We`ve talked about the power of positive thinking and that is extremely important. It is also very hard if you have bad thoughts attacking your mind. It`s kind of like a football game [which I know very little about].

The positive thinking is the `offense`; it is a proactive effort for improved mental health. On the other hand, you have to rebuke the bad thoughts in a `defensive` maneuver against the enemy. This is a battle you have to fight with the Word of God! Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Proverbs 1:23

When you are tired, hungry, over-worked, [most Moms I know fit in at least one of these categories] these are great times for the enemy to whisper things like, `you`re useless`, `you`ll never amount to anything`, `you can`t do that`, `you`re under qualified for that`, `no one really loves you`, `you`ll always be poor`, and that awful list is endless!

We have to stand strong in the Word and in the Love of God and rebuke these bad thoughts! At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. Psalms 104:7

There are so many day-to-day struggles that we face, and the enemy uses these as entry points. When you gain a few extra pounds, when you don`t get the job you applied for, you notice a new gray hair or wrinkle . . . the first thing that pops in your head is negative! [It`s happened to all of us for one reason or another.] Arm yourself in the Word of God and stand firm in the knowledge that you are a daughter of the Almighty God! "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

He made you for a purpose; He made you special, beautiful, loving, kind ~ HE made you! Sisters, He does NOT make mistakes!

Go look in the mirror, tell yourself how beautiful you are and that you are a conqueror! Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. Deuteronomy 1:21

Labels: Discouraged, Positive Thinking

Good Sunday Morning Sisters! Today, I thought we`d talk about something uplifting and encouraging! (A great start to the week!) In fact, all week, we`ll talk about our thoughts and visions! They can make things happen or they can defeat us! "It shall be done to you according to your faith." Matthew 9:29

It is vital that you focus on good things full of the Lord, full of promise and hope. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.Colossians 3:2

One suggestion I have in particular, replace your music listening with Godly music. (The introduction of Contemporary Christian music is wonderful. There are scattered hymns and gospel music that I listen to. However, I invested in a CD `set` with many, many wonderful songs and artists. Even my 14-year old son will listen to this with me.) I have also switched radio stations in the car; we listen to a local Christian music station. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. I Chronicles 16:9

I believe that it is essential that you aim to replace other media such as TV, reading, etc. with that of good, Christian based media. Now, I won`t kid you to think that I`m a `fanatic` about this, but this is MY goal, based on what I`ve been taught and what I`ve read in the Bible. It really is essential that we do not fill our heads with `junk`! Example ~ I am totally hooked on Crime Drama! I have several favorites, and of those a couple that I try very hard to watch. At one point, I was so convinced that everyone in the world was out to get my family and me, or that tragedy struck at every intersection, that I attempted to keep my family from leaving the house. When a member of our family would go on road trips or be gone longer than expected, I was near breakdown! (I know, looking back it sounds crazy to me too!) But I was consumed! By junk!

Now, on the other hand, even those who love God, still fall prey to accidents, tragedy and such, but instead of consuming myself with worry and fear, I pray. The more I get scared, the more worry and doubt that the enemy places in my pea brain, the more I pray! And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 One of two things always happens, I eventually turn it over to God and have peace with `the possibilities` or my loved one is home!

The enemy uses our thoughts to manipulate us. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity [of devotion] to Christ. II Corinthians 11:3

(Somewhere last week I told you how any harmful thoughts ARE NOT of the Lord!) This is so true. He does not want us worrisome and afraid of our own shadows! He wants us to be full of peace, joy, happiness, success and prosperity. All Godly, wonderful characteristics that are to be envied, not pitied! This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Psalms 104:34

Oh girls, there really is ‘sweetness’ in the victory of the Lord! Perhaps to some, that too sounds cliché. But to anyone who has already found God and the power of His Word, you know what I mean. I never used to be positive, I was low, downtrodden, defeated, hopeless, I was a MESS! But today, I am a work in progress. I am on my way to victory! I am continually growing and moving forward. I have a high spirit, I’m uplifted, overcoming, full of hope and dreams and possibilities! I am so excited about every single day! I look forward to spending time with my children and family, my friends, working on my business ventures and becoming more involved with my church and community! Praise God!

Labels: Encouragement, Positive Thinking, Way of Thinking