tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19871959147886298122024-03-13T07:50:14.912-07:00StrawberryRoanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-49697610342235165492015-09-29T18:28:00.002-07:002015-09-29T18:28:22.473-07:00Dear Lady in the Truck<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Ephesians 6:18</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">And </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">pray</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">pray</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">ers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">pray</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">ing </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">for</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> all the Lord’s people.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I was in Wal-Mart today. And no this isn't a story about someone <i>dressed</i> for their trip. This happened in the parking lot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">After gathering my purchases I went back to the truck. I was organizing myself for the next half of my work day when something caught my eye.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i>It was a lady next to me. In a pick up truck. Having one of those phone calls where it <b>feels like</b> if you gesture and point hard enough the other party will <b>get it.</b> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I couldn't hear her. <i>I didn't need to.</i> I have been in her seat many times before.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Trying <i style="font-weight: bold;">so hard</i> to explain something <i style="font-weight: bold;">so important</i> to someone who either can't or won't listen. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Her frustration radiated out of the open truck window. Her gestures ranged through the spectrum of <i>making points to waving off arguments</i>. She held her head. She face palmed. She held her phone up to her face and shook her head. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">What did I do? <i style="font-weight: bold;">What we are all supposed to do - I prayed.</i> I took some time and I prayed there for that lady. I prayed that God would have her words be heard, her crisis be handled, that she would know Him in a real and personal way. That she would feel comforted. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">I prayed for her. I prayed for me.</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I have been there. Only last week. Being yelled at. Trying to be heard. Being completely shouted down. Trying to do my job. <b><i>Sigh</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I have been her. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And if you are honest you have too.</i> We all have. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I wish I could have told her things would be okay - <b><i>but I didn't know they would.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I wish I could have told her I understood - <b><i>but I didn't know how.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I wish I could have given her a coffee, some chocolate, a hug - <b><i>but it wasn't the time.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I am so glad I did what I did. <i style="font-weight: bold;">I prayed. </i>And I trust that God heard my prayer, and that woman's heart and day were touched by Him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">It always bothers me when people say, <i>There's nothing to do but pray now. </i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">It should be, <b><i>First thing we need to do is pray people. Who's with me?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">The most powerful and amazing thing we can do for another person is to <b><i>hold them up in prayer. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1gX3bT4c2ak/Vgs6lXbuaWI/AAAAAAAAZ9c/4Xu2IGDpUYU/s1600/_DSC0006.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1gX3bT4c2ak/Vgs6lXbuaWI/AAAAAAAAZ9c/4Xu2IGDpUYU/s320/_DSC0006.NEF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Yes it was easy to pray for a stranger in a parking lot. As much as I related to her, it was rather tidy. Anonymous - me and God. <b><i>Not so easy to pray for the person who only days ago was yelling at me. Nor for the person who choose to yell at me the following day. Not so easy to pray for someone when they are making YOUR day harder. BUT THAT IS WHAT WE MUST DO.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">So here I sit, and I am praying for forgiveness for my reluctance to pray for people who are <i style="font-weight: bold;">all up in my grill</i> and working hard <i style="font-weight: bold;">at making the day difficult</i>. (Yes, there are people I am sure that wake up feeling like: <i>today is the day I ruin another's day)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i>Dear Lord,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i>Please give me a prayerful heart. A heart that will hold up the difficult and hurtful people as easily as I hold up those I love and strangers I pass in my day. Forgive me for not praying as quickly for the challenging people and situations as I do for the easy to be thankful for times. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i>Thank you Lord. For the blessings of today. For the things that make us stronger and for those things which pass us by.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i>Amen</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><b>Who are the hard people in your life to pray for? How do you pray for them? Can we pray together?</b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-68483204586189482612015-06-25T20:55:00.001-07:002015-06-25T20:55:27.140-07:00Why this photo matters #Untangled<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i><span class="bible-item-title-wrap" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a class="bible-item-title" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A3-4&version=NIV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">1 Peter 3:3-4</a> <a class="bible-item-fullchapter" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter+3&version=NIV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-size: 0.8em; margin-left: 0.5em; text-decoration: none;">[Full Chapter]</a></span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i>Your <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">beauty</span> should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">beauty</span> of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I am humbled and honoured to be a part of an amazing book, and a more amazing community of women. #Untangled</i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://untangledwomen.com/</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While in the book I wrote about an entirely different tangle, that doesn't mean I have only one. <b><i>Oh how boring would THAT be?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No I have a whole section, years and acres of old barbed wire and broken posts, filled with tangles waiting for me. And <i style="font-weight: bold;">yet I am learning</i> how to avoid them. To avoid the tangles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I only need to brush a sharp tip to avoid it, other times I am wrapped tight and cutting myself free wire by wire. Bleeding. Crying. And some come from a deeper place - childhood.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the one tangle I live with, I feel is wrapped around my insides. <b><i>Grown over and still cutting from within...is this.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How I totally DO NOT meet any of the physical expectations I was raised with. Wandering about without make up. Without a girdle. Or even sucking it all in. Without 'lose weight' diets. No calories counted. </span></i></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWNhzdsqXvo/VYzGC0ZahDI/AAAAAAAAU9Y/3vDMakGYVaw/s1600/_DSC0014.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWNhzdsqXvo/VYzGC0ZahDI/AAAAAAAAU9Y/3vDMakGYVaw/s320/_DSC0014.NEF.jpg" width="301" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>This photo is important</i></b>, my darling son. So full of love and life, and joy. And so conscious of what society says about bodies, boy and girls. Learning that able bodied means more than what a body looks like. Learning that being active, eating healthy and having fun is more important than how someone thinks you should look for their ideal. Their comfort. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this photo is important....but the one below is the one that matters.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kHULjOOcj8/VYzGD3baZRI/AAAAAAAAU9g/4fP-o6pF9vU/s1600/_DSC0019.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kHULjOOcj8/VYzGD3baZRI/AAAAAAAAU9g/4fP-o6pF9vU/s320/_DSC0019.NEF.jpg" width="304" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">This photo matters. Why? </i> Because I didn't delete it. <i>OH but I WANTED to! </i>Or any of the others my sweet friend took yesterday. We were having such a grand time at the field trip. Mama's enjoying fun with the children. Truly laughing together, as friends, and with our children. Having something amazing. We had FUN.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">This photo matters. </i>Because it isn't carefully staged. Sucked in. Angled. Set up to look<i style="font-weight: bold;"> nice</i>. Because it is <b><i>THAT moment. THAT laugh. THAT slide.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">This photo matters. </i>Because of what you don't see. You don't see the struggle of a lifetime with body image, fear of looking bad in a photo. You don't see the delicate balance of healthy, in check auto immune disorder and able bodied Mama living life with beloved husband and son. You don't see those things. You don't know the counted steps and little victories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">This photo matters.</i> Because it is a place I thought I would NEVER. <b>NEVER. </b>EVER BE. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This photo matters because I am comfortable, finally, with me. Candid. Laughing. Living life. Having fun. </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This photo matters because that day I showed my son that having fun, being kind and being able to laugh was important. Not how I looked in my clothes. Or how the camera caught each roll. Not how I wasn't like the other Mama's. <i>I still think they all looked great, you did girls. You really did!</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">He got to have a fun day, in his words: BEST DAY EVER! </i><span style="line-height: 24px;">When I asked him what made it so 'best day ever' special his answer was something that brought me to tears. </span><b><i><span style="line-height: 24px;">Because, Mama, we had fun together. You slided. I slided. You pedaled go carts. So did I. We did it together. </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I won't delete it. I won't even wince too much when I scrapbook it. Or share it here. It's out there. That's me. Laughing as I go down a slide. Not missing <i style="font-weight: bold;">a single fun thing</i> because I'm tangled up in something like how I look. Or how someone thinks I look. Or should look. Or should act. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every tangle can be untangled. Sometimes strand by strand. Delicate work. Sometimes a sharp cutter slices through. Sometimes we have to wiggle through, and bear the healing of the cuts so the scars can remind us that <b><i>we are His first. And He loves us. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No shirt size, shoe size or pant size will change how God loves you.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No ability or disability will make Him love you more, or less.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He doesn't desire anything from us but our love. </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Grace. Love. Freely given to us. Not earned. </b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not bought except by Jesus' blood, once and for ALL. FOR ALL.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FOR ALL. You. And you. And you way in the back feeling tangled up, and small. And you. And me. </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i>Join us in community at: </i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 24px;"><b><i>http://untangledwomen.com/ </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 24px;"><b><i>or find us on Facebook.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just to be 'real' and honest. This photo is one I would happily share, and there is NOT ONE THING wrong with it except that I am comfortable with it. And I need to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">REAL WITH IT</i> and know it's my best side. The side I am happy and comfortable sharing. Not because it is how I want you to see me, but it is <b><i>how I want to see me</i></b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Untangled-Loosen-Knots-Insecurity-Your/dp/0800726596" target="_blank">Buy Untangled today!</a></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-90274439959881349702015-01-26T18:21:00.000-08:002015-01-26T18:21:33.977-08:00Brahma Calves and Arm Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nPlNxfQLNV4/VMbww30uk4I/AAAAAAAAPB8/ySBeM2HCFSg/s1600/_DSC0038.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nPlNxfQLNV4/VMbww30uk4I/AAAAAAAAPB8/ySBeM2HCFSg/s1600/_DSC0038.NEF.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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We used to raise Brahma cross cattle, and one year a rodeo company wanted to borrow some calves for tie down roping (calf roping). If you have ever watched a roping at a branding, or at a rodeo, you know what happens. The horse and cowboy chase, they throw a loop and if they are lucky it lands around the neck of the calf. The horse stops, the calf falls down to be treated, branded, etc.</div>
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<i>But this time something different happened! <b>The calves felt the rope tighten and they turned around to run back up the rope towards the horse.</b></i></div>
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If you know anything about calf roping horses you know they <i style="font-weight: bold;">love their routine</i> and they don't appreciate things like misses, stumbles or falls. <i style="font-weight: bold;">It can unravel them if something completely wild happens!</i> </div>
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The whole rodeo went awry! The horses balked and bolted, the cowboys tripped and cussed. The calves chased. Snorted. Ducked their heads and tried to bunt anyone who got in their way.</div>
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<i>I always cheered for the calves, and this was one time they beat the odds. They did the <b>unexpected</b> and changed everything!</i></div>
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One thing, no one ever used Brahama calves for roping again. And those horses took a few head to calm down. And those cowboys <i style="font-weight: bold;">never assumed</i> that a run would go the way the others in the past had.</div>
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Our son loves jiu jitsu. He has practiced it for years, and is a yellow belt. At his new gym his Sensei has brought out a fighting spirit, a determination, a real passion in him. He is practicing, sparring and fighting like never before.</div>
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He is also learning to gauge his opponents, and use their habits and weaknesses against them. Most people who learn a tap out technique like an arm-bar tend to use it as often as they can. It <i style="font-weight: bold;">seems unbeatable.</i> Own the arm, own the body is what we learn.</div>
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But you also learn that if you <i style="font-weight: bold;">get caught in an arm bar</i> you need to move towards your opponent. To make room to counter their move. <b><i>Moving towards the pressure instead of pulling back gives you room to move. To escape. </i></b></div>
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Like running up the rope, rolling into an armbar or other hold can give you <b><i>a space to make a new move.</i></b></div>
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Now I know you are wondering, how does this have <b><i>anything to do with our walk with Jesus?</i></b></div>
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Lately, for me, a lot.</div>
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Like a Chinese finger trap, the more I struggle against certain things the more they seem to cling, to grasp, to tighten up on me. <b><i>The more I pull back from them the more they hold me tight.</i></b></div>
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In leaning back I am struggling against my pride, my sin, my __________________. <b><i>And I am struggling against God.</i></b></div>
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But what if I lean in. Relax. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Let God show me the next move and the path away?</i> Instead of losing my cool. Or feeling like fighting. Struggling with frustration. With people and their agendas. </div>
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<b><i>Instead of giving all my energy to fight against it, what if I just surrender my struggle and let God show me His way? His path and not my own?</i></b></div>
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Human nature encourages us to go the easy way. The path is wide there. Paved. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Poisoned. Filled with traps. Deadly.</i> Human nature tells us to fight against this. Fight against that.</div>
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God tells us to let Him fight for us. God tells us not to worry. God tells us to trust. <b><i>To do as He guides us to. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>To run back up the rope. To roll into the attempted arm-bar. To pray instead of argue. To choose grace over revenge.</i></b></div>
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To be like water and wear down the stone by persistence instead of brute force. To pray for hearts and hands instead of shouting and wielding fists.</div>
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<i>To stop being mad at early mornings, instead cherishing the quiet moments before the wild ones awaken. To stop being frustrated that they won't do it my way, but to be glad for the efforts of genuine heart and love. To treasure the moments by moving into them, instead of pulling back and away to the next thing on the list of things to do.</i></div>
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What are you pulling and fighting against? What are you struggling with alone? Go up the rope! Roll into the arm-bar. <b><i>God will show you the way once you stop struggling. We have to be still for Him to fight for us. Be still sisters. Be still brothers. And when He says SHOUT! walls will come down!</i></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-76421549822195345532014-05-07T14:49:00.001-07:002014-05-07T14:49:24.461-07:00Guest Post: Fast Food Faith or Feasting with The King<div style="background-color: white; color: #453320; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; padding: 0px;">
We are a busy bunch aren’t we? Our plates our full, and we say yes to a plethora of activities without ever checking in with the One who fills our plates with good things.</div>
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I am not equipped to live this life apart from God.</div>
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Neither are you.</div>
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I cannot be the woman, wife, mother that God wants me to be apart from prioritizing Him having His way with me, IN ME.</div>
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My default is self, and I grab the reigns for this ride of life because (I believe) if I don’t who will? I buy into the lie that I am the one who needs to take charge and my God grows smaller as I push Him off His throne of grace and seize the day.</div>
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I charge into the day, having read a few words from the Bible and getting on thinking I am good with God, and I am all set for the day. Then I find my fuse short, my day long and I wonder why I feel a rumbling hunger in my soul, unquenchable angst of the heart.</div>
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I have no desire for Him, unless I spend time in intimacy with Him.</div>
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Like food, we acquire a taste and appetite for more of that which nourishes us and tastes good! Time with God nourishes us and tastes good. It provides for us what we need to get through the day with energy and zeal. But I confess, that the taste must be aquired, and there are a number of forces competing for our attention.</div>
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The question becomes, do we want more of Him or more of Self? I have lived a good part of my life allowing self to reign. I think sometimes we kid ourselves into believing we are too busy for God, or sometimes we allow other things to squeeze out our desire to prioritize spending time with Him. We don’t say we are too busy for Him, we are to pious for that! No, we just get through the day like a stray dog begging for scraps, instead of recognizing our place at the King’s Table.</div>
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How can we who have this One Faithful Loving God ready and available to us, yet settle for fast food faith that doesn’t satisfy?</div>
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Are you spiritually malnourished or nourished at His table?</div>
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Take time to sit at the King’s Table today, will you- you won’t regret feasting with Him.</div>
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<em style="font-family: Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. Song of Solomon 2:4</em></div>
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<em style="font-family: Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Special thanks to Dawn from http://enthusiasticallydawn.com/ for guest posting for me this week. Please stop by her blog for more great posts and poetry too!</em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-63753147949113774022014-02-18T11:45:00.003-08:002014-02-18T11:45:45.985-08:00Expectant Believer<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f4549; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
I keep coming back to the Message Bible describing Joseph of Arimathea as an "expectant believer". He lived expectantly, on the lookout for the Kingdom of God.<br />
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Am I? Am I abiding in Him in such a way that I am expectant of His presence, of His promise, made real? Am I phoning it in, or taking the easy skimming way? Am I expecting to see Jesus in my life in real ways, or am I 'hoping He has time for me'?<br />
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In a world of negative, of looking for the worst, we need to be expectant more of God. It is an active faith, a living faith. One that seeks. One that searches. One that lives.</div>
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I am learning, slowly, that this walk of faith has so many layers. We talk about going deeper like we would the ocean, assuming there is a bottom. A depth where we stop. I think there is no bottom. The deeper is like going deeper into space - we keep going and going. Closer and closer to Him to be sure, but how can there be limits with a limitless God?</div>
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I rest in my faith, right now I have to. No rock of 'a map'. Just Him. And taking the next step even though I can't see the one after. (and the planner in me HATES that sometimes, most of the time. But we are learning to trust.).</div>
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That not having a Plan B or Plan C, but going all in for Plan A terrifies and thrills me. Win, lose or draw I'm going with God. He has this. And I just need to saddle up and ride.<br />
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As our Pastor Kevin Weatherby of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SavetheCowboy" target="_blank">Save The Cowboy</a> says, you have to choose to tie on hard and fast to Jesus. We can have a looser dally for somethings, but our faith needs to to tied on. Don't let go. Don't lose your stirrups or drop the reins.</div>
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<i>And the post that got this one going is found here: <a href="http://www.joannfore.com/intimacy-with-god/" target="_blank">http://www.joannfore.com/intimacy-with-god/ </a></i></div>
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<i>Stop by and have a read. And be blessed. Don't miss the great conversations happening in the comments.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XKy8khRIegU/UvOtkS3glzI/AAAAAAAAGjc/V6fBsPpLM0E/s1600/Find+Your+Voice+Sunset+Wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XKy8khRIegU/UvOtkS3glzI/AAAAAAAAGjc/V6fBsPpLM0E/s1600/Find+Your+Voice+Sunset+Wide.jpg" height="329" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><delete></delete></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><scratch that=""></scratch></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So far I've written and deleted this post <strike>twice</strike> three times. <b><i>I wanted to write a sweet tie up to our journey with <a href="http://www.joannfore.com/share-voice-make-difference/" target="_blank">Jo Ann</a> and the amazing #VoiceBloggers.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But that isn't what God wants me to share today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the more I struggle to NOT share it, the more deleting and retyping I have to do.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Not everyone is happy when we find our voice. They don't like their comfort being upset by growth. By change. <b><i>By something new.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some are happy for the change. But not for us. <i style="font-weight: bold;">They see our voice as something to use. To manage. To own. </i>They are watching for us to fall back on old habits. Their quiet cynicism a sharp barb. They expect us to fall. <i style="font-weight: bold;">We are fallen people. </i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So they wait. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And sharpen their barbs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I KNEW you couldn't keep it up. A tiger can't change it's stripes.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I KNEW you'd lose your cool.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Can't you just________________for once?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They miss the transformation. They miss the change in our hearts. <b><i>The voice is only part of what we have found. </i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I will mutter. I will growl at inanimate objects. I will probably take a computer crash personally. <b><i>That isn't my transformation. That isn't my voice.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I will see where my voice is not needed, <b><i>and speak love as I leave.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I will refrain from going to an argument I've been invited to, <b><i>and speak peace as I walk away.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I will brush away the cynical barb and instead of tossing it back, <b><i>I will give it to Jesus.</i></b></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">These stripes are mine baby. No one really cares if a tiger is black on orange or orange on black. </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote a poem last week. This is part of it:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t know where we are going, or when, limbo is so strange.</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand, I wouldn’t miss this adventure for anything!</span></em></div>
<div style="background-color: #ffffe3; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Praying for broken hearts and praising in the hallway.</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand we have much to be thankful for.</span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankful for what makes us stronger, what passes us by.</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand I fight against that which I can’t change.</span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s futile, I know, running back to a closed gate.</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand sometimes I can be a hard learner.</span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We are told to praise in the hallway, waiting can be so hard!</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand He never said not to make windows.</span></em></div>
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I am not a pretty church girl from a poster. </div>
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I'm standing in the hallway dreaming of a chainsaw to make some windows. </div>
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To cut a new door. <i style="font-weight: bold;">To move this thing along.</i> </div>
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I wanted to use my voice like a chainsaw the other day. <b><i>I am so thankful God stayed my hand. Quieted my voice. Stilled my heart.</i></b></div>
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I wanted to know why I was no longer wanted. Why I was reduced to <i>thanks for your interest.</i> Why I wasn't worthy of more information. Better communication. I wanted to stomp my feet and toss some barbs of my own.</div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Ugh. Ugly, no? Yeah. </i>But I didn't. <b><i>That's the transformation. I didn't.</i></b></div>
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I accepted them for where they were at. I asked the questions. I left the answering to God. </div>
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<b><i>And walked away. Unfollowed the page. Restricted their access to my life. </i></b></div>
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Guess what? They haven't noticed. And guess what else? <i style="font-weight: bold;">That's okay. It isn't about me. It's about them. And God. And God working on them.</i> </div>
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Mostly though. It's about me. And God working on me. </div>
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<b><i>Come over and see what the other amazing #VoiceBloggers are sharing today on our last link up with <a href="http://www.joannfore.com/share-voice-make-difference/" target="_blank">Jo Ann</a>. Don't worry though, there are more amazing things coming that we will do together! Promise. </i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-71089623103887502622014-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:002014-01-27T10:53:29.331-08:00Paper tiger teeth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sn1mtiJc87M/Uuaq04mN8XI/AAAAAAAAGcM/lghe5IUg6ak/s1600/You+Have+A+Story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sn1mtiJc87M/Uuaq04mN8XI/AAAAAAAAGcM/lghe5IUg6ak/s1600/You+Have+A+Story.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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I feel like I've been busy pulling teeth from paper tigers - the words, lessons and false messages of my past ambush me in the strangest ways. Less than before for which I am so thankful to Jesus. But still when that acid hits my stomach and the FIGHT defense comes up so fast I hardly know what to do.</div>
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And I instantly regret it. The outburst. The frustration. The hard face and harsh voice. It seems all my life I have failed in those areas, like God gave me a short fuse and said, "Okay have fun with that!" knowing it would take me 30 some years to figure out I need to stay away from people with matches. And lighters. And other open flames. Even if they are family. Even if they are friends. Even if they say they mean well or they are doing God's work. And I need to stop lighting them when I feel frustrated and want to blow it all up. BOOM.</div>
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Sharing my story, well honestly parts of my story, has been done to share my healing journey not because I did anything special but because God did. To share my beliefs that we need to speak up. To advocate for those with no voice. And encourage them in finding their voice. And then listening when they do. Giving them ownership of it. Building them up like the walls in Nehemiah and guarding them.</div>
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I'm a much better encourager than a sharer. There are two kinds of unhealthy responses to sharing our hurts: the drama lovers. They want the details, every blood smear and tear drop. They don't want to hear the healing but have you relive the hurt. For their entertainment. The others are the 'get over its' when they hear you have a story their response is: It's in the past, let it go. Move on. Leave that ____ behind. They don't care to get messy. Or involved. They want you as is comfortable for them. Not you.</div>
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God brought me through. I'm on the healing path. I'm an encourager and advocate. I'm a reforming (daily? minute by minute more likely) ogress. I love passionately and lean on my Lord, unworthy and yet completely redeemed and loved. Yeah it makes me cry. And yeah I fear moving forward with story, sharing and *gasp* community where all the vulnerabilities come out. But God moves me and I'm learning to go. Sometimes dragging my feet, sometimes making excuses but I go.</div>
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I am thankful for this community, for these women. We laugh together, create and pray. It is a huge blessing to me. A life changer.</div>
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<i style="color: #3f4549; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">This post was originally a comment here: </i><span style="color: #3f4549; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i><a href="http://www.joannfore.com/online-study-9">http://www.joannfore.com/online-study-9</a> Jo Ann said in her reply it was a post on it's own. So I decided to give it some wings and let it fly! This is raw. This is real. This is right now.</i></span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #3f4549; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Want to know more about this story, and the stories of other women who are Finding Their Voice? Join us at JoAnnFore.com for the ongoing study of her amazing book <b>When A Woman Finds Her Voice.</b></i></div>
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<i>Join in for the blog prompts, leap in for the study, join us on Facebook, read posts by the encouraging and real #VoiceBloggers and be encouraged. Be real. Be loved.</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-42557181772272229892014-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:002014-01-17T01:00:01.864-08:00Guest Post: Carey Scott, Lord Help Me<b><i><span lang="EN-US">For the Lord watches over the righteous and listens
to their prayers… (1 Peter 3:2)</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b>
<span lang="EN-US">Sometimes praying for your husband is hard to do.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">You have thoughts in your head and emotions in your heart,
but the words don’t come.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Other times, you get tripped up with details. <i>Am I
praying enough? Am I saying the right things? Am I asking too much? Can I even
ask God for this?</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US">And sometimes, you feel like your prayers aren’t
acceptable. You believe, based on your past choices or current struggles, God
won’t listen to you. Instead, you’re certain He is angry and has turned His
back.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<i><span lang="EN-US">Anyone?</span></i><br />
<i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i>
<span lang="EN-US">Oh the enemy does all he can to discourage and destroy your
prayer life. Why? <b>Because he knows its power, and he doesn’t want you to
discover it.</b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Without a doubt, your husband needs a wife that prays.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Think about it. Each morning, he walks into a world that
continues to move farther away from God. Morals are flexible. Sexual
temptations are everywhere. Family values are considered old-fashioned. And the
sanctity of marriage looks much different today than even a few years ago.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">We can’t hide in a bubble.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">We can’t live tucked away from the world.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<em><b><span lang="EN-US">But we can pray.</span></b></em><br />
<em><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></em>
<em><span lang="EN-US">We can always pray.</span></em><br />
<em><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></em>
<span lang="EN-US">Prayer can change a heart, shift a circumstance, and bring
victory to a situation. It’s one of the most powerful weapons you have in your
arsenal.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">And while scripture assures us God knows the desire of our
heart even when our words lack eloquence… <i>sometimes we just need a little
help</i>.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">I wrote <a href="http://careyscotttalks.com/?page_id=15146" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: windowtext;">Lord Help Me: 32 Ways to
Pray for Your Husband</span></i></b></a> with that in mind.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://careyscotttalks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LordHelpMe6x9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://careyscotttalks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LordHelpMe6x9.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">My book offers <strong>32 different prayers</strong> – <i>all
backed with scripture</i> – surrounding four important areas: his<strong>
career, </strong>his<strong> relationships, </strong>his<strong> faith, </strong>and
his<strong> character.</strong></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span lang="EN-US">You’ll find <strong>sample prayers</strong> on topics like:</span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Safety
as he travels<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Financial
wisdom<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leading
the family<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Modeling
godliness to his children<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Being
a godly husband<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His
salvation<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
Christ-centered identity<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Protection
from sexual temptation<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Taming
his tongue<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Integrity<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Contentment<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">…and
much more<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-US">But wait! There’s more! (<i>Read with cheesy infomercial
voice)</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">~ At the beginning of the book, <strong>my husband shares
his experience</strong> of being on the receiving end of a wife’s prayers, and
how it’s affected his life and our marriage. I think it will really encourage
you.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">~ There’s a <strong>prayer just for </strong><em><b>you</b></em>
to prepare your heart for this journey.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">~ Each section ends with <strong>“My Thoughts”</strong><i> </i>offering
a few of my personal experiences, struggles and victories in our marriage.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">~ You’ll find <strong>“Your Turn”</strong> challenge
questions throughout the book designed to help you better focus your prayers.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Listen girls, I’m not a prayer expert. My words aren’t more
important than yours. God doesn't consider my prayers more holy. But so often,
I hear from women who say they <i>just need a little help</i>.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">And honestly, aren't we in this together?</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">The prayers in <a href="http://careyscotttalks.com/?page_id=15146" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: windowtext;">Lord Help Me</span></i></b></a> are tools to guide you
as you become a powerful praying wife.</span><br />
<h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> And now thru Thursday, January 23… you can get your </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://careyscotttalks.com/?page_id=15146" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12.0pt;">eBook</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> copy for <em>only</em> $.99<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US"> After that, it will be available on Kindle for $2.99 and paperback for $9.99.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">And, it’s your chance to own a copy before it’s available
to the public. <em>Oh, and please pass this along to your friends and family so
they can get their copy, too!</em></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><em><br /></em></span>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US">Girls, my greatest hope and prayer is that this book gives
words to your thoughts… tenders your heart… strengthens your resolve… heals
your marriage… rekindles your love… awakens your inner prayer-warrior… and
connects you to the only <strong>One</strong> who can answer the prayers you
pray for your husband.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><i>Thanks Carey for joining us with such a powerful and encouraging guest post. And for sharing your book with us, a welcome addition to the titles of yours I already have. I appreciate and am thankful for your heart for your sisters in Christ, and for the families we all love.</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><i>If you want to read more visit Carey at: <a href="http://careyscotttalks.com/">CareyScottTalks.com</a> or catch up to her on Facebook!</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-6811425071337479242014-01-09T16:45:00.001-08:002014-01-09T16:45:06.454-08:00Shut up, pleaseYesterday I wrote about trusting God, letting Him take care of things. Trusting. Check it out here: <a href="http://strawberryroan.blogspot.ca/2014/01/why-i-dont-worry-about-birds-anymore.html" target="_blank">Why I Don't Worry About Birds Anymore</a><br />
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Today I am linking up with the lovely #VoiceBloggers and Jo Ann Fore at: <a href="http://joannfore.com/unraveling-the-lies-we-tell-ourselves/">http://joannfore.com/unraveling-the-lies-we-tell-ourselves/</a><br />
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What happens when it is our own voice that hurts us most? How to we silence the <i style="font-weight: bold;">inner bully</i>, the <i style="font-weight: bold;">inner critic, </i>the <i style="font-weight: bold;">fault-finding-keeping-track-of-how-you-fail record keeper?</i> This is where I struggle, and confess, do not prevail as often as I would like.</div>
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It is easier for me to speak up for someone else. To pray for someone else. To advocate for someone else. <b><i>For me? Not so much.</i></b></div>
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I watched a TV show today, and part of the mystery was solved when they realized that on a video tape (yep old school tape!) there was a <i style="font-weight: bold;">video ghost</i> where the eraser heads did not fully record over an older event. So it showed up as a ghost. <b><i>Not really there. Not really part of the current recording but still impacting it.</i></b></div>
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Those old voices that shout negative things at me, <i style="font-weight: bold;">at us</i>, are like those video ghosts. <b><i>They are not really there.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>THEY ARE NOT REALLY THERE!</i></b></div>
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Even our own voices, reading back to us our failures, are not really there. They are not current. They are not a part of the now we live in. <i style="font-weight: bold;">They are a lie. </i>And the devil loves to use them against us.</div>
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He would rather us be <i style="font-weight: bold;">caught up in the past</i> and hurting. Ineffective. Impotent. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Not praying. Not living the gospel. </i></div>
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He would rather we be worried about the old ghost soundtrack than hearing God speak to us in the now. In the people, and life, around us. <b><i>In God's word.</i></b></div>
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Do these lies sound familiar? </div>
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<b><i>You aren't smart enough to read the Bible.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>God won't hear a sinner like you praying.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Get it together you pathetic loser, God doesn't want you.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>You don't have a place in ministry, you were so bad/fat/wounded/homeless/scared/scarred before.</i></b></div>
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And the truth is you can read God's word. Anyone can! And He is faithful and speaks to us. We are so blessed to have apps and Bible cases to carry The Word with us everywhere.</div>
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God sent His Son to save sinners like me. Like you. <b><i>He loved us enough to leave heaven, to bear our burdens and DIE for us. He loved us enough to RISE again, washed clean of OUR sin, to open the door to heaven. </i></b></div>
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God doesn't just want you. He desires you. He loves you. He seeks you. He truly knows every hair on your head, and crafted you in the womb. You are precious.</div>
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We all have a place in ministry. We all have a story to share. We survived. We can be a witness to those struggling on a similar path to ours. We can be a witness to those who would disparage anyone whom they think of as <b><i>less than.</i></b></div>
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Don't forget, <i style="font-weight: bold;">EVER</i>, that you are beloved. Precious. Your voice has value. Your scars have value.</div>
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<b><i>And on those days when we celebrate the small victories against the negative voices God celebrates with us. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>And on those days when they cause us to fight with our loved ones, when they cause us to be flooded with bitter, acrid memories, God comforts us. IF WE LET HIM.</i></b></div>
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I once asked someone why they disliked me my whole life. (I am not exaggerating). They didn't like <i style="font-weight: bold;">how I looked at birth.</i> And that colored their entire view of me for almost 30 years of my life. <b><i>And I tried to make them love me. I served them. I did my best. </i></b><br />
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Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Herod was so afraid of the child he was willing to murder a whole town's worth of babies to kill one. <b><i>He hated him before birth. He saw him as a threat.</i></b><br />
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We are in good company on this healing path. Jesus walked it before we did. He knows the negative voices (didn't the devil throw them back at him in the wilderness? Yep he did!). He knows the sound of disbelief from family and friends when we seek God's will in our lives. <b><i>He walked that walk. He knows when we cry out to Him in our hurt. He hears us. </i></b><br />
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I wanted to join in on the link up, and another one, this week. I was trying to write yesterday. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Yesterday was not a good day for that. God knew better.</i> Today, however, was the day He wanted me to write.<br />
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Take heart dear souls, God is not only with us, but He has gone before us. <b><i>He knows this path. Those voices. He knows, and in that knowing we can rest in Him. He can calm the voices, and fully erase the ghost videos in our mind.</i></b><br />
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We only need to let Him.<br />
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Are you willing? Can we pray together?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-90757154446613681932014-01-08T14:35:00.001-08:002014-01-08T14:35:37.563-08:00Why I don't worry about birds anymore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtj6wnvm7vs/Us3L4RtcEEI/AAAAAAAAGNE/en63mOKY94g/s1600/20140104_103002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtj6wnvm7vs/Us3L4RtcEEI/AAAAAAAAGNE/en63mOKY94g/s1600/20140104_103002.JPG" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Matthew 10:29-31</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span class="text Matt-10-29" id="en-NIV-23447" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj">Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.</span></span><span class="text Matt-10-30" id="en-NIV-23448" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; vertical-align: top;"> </span>And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23448A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="text Matt-10-31" id="en-NIV-23449" style="font-size: 16px;">So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.</span></span></div>
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<div class="passage version-NIV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="text Matt-10-31"><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Matt-10-31"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6:28&version=NIV" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Matthew 6:28</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:27&version=NIV" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Luke 12:27</span></a><div>
<span style="color: #351c75;">“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.</span></div>
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I used to worry about our birds. When we moved I prayed the new owners would love our home and yard as much as we had. <i style="font-weight: bold;">We had put a lot of work into it. </i>It took a year for us to get more than one bird at the feeder, and when we moved we had many dozens filling the yard with song and color.</div>
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I forgot something important - <i style="font-weight: bold;">as much as I loved those birds they were not my birds.</i> They belong to God. And as His, they are cared for outside of my human hands. <b><i>I was a way He provided for them, but not the only way they were fed.</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6:26&version=NIV"><span style="color: #351c75;">Matthew 6:26</span></a><div>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?</span></div>
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If God loves His creatures so much, how much more does He love us?</div>
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<b><i>And He loves those we don't love. And those we love best. And those we don't know. They, we, are all His.</i></b></div>
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I used to worry about doing enough. Being enough. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And I would fail. Every time. </i>And with good reason. I am not enough. Never will be. Neither will you. We aren't meant to be. </div>
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God asks us to walk humbly with Him. To love Him fully (mind, body, spirit). To love one another as we love Him. (yeah He does). He asks us to trust Him. <b><i>Faith, Hope and Love.</i></b></div>
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It is easier to worry about those birds. To fret about them. To be angry that we had to leave them behind. <b><i>Easier to try and take something that isn't mine.</i></b></div>
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We drove past our old place. It was not lived in full time. But the yard was full of birds! Every plant we had grown had reseeded from fallen or stashed seeds. They had so much and many varities of food and shelter. <b><i>All from the work we had done before we left. And all without us being there in the present.</i></b></div>
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The trees we planted. The flowers that went to seed. They all grew, bloomed and bore fruit <i style="font-weight: bold;">under the watchful eye of God. Their master. </i>We were good stewards for a few seasons, and what we left flourished.</div>
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It can be that way in relationships - we can be close to someone for a reason or for a season. We can be present in big ways or small. What we should not do is discount the presence of God there. </div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">When the relationship changes, or ends, God's presence does not leave when we physically do.</i> And even when we are not there in the same way, our prayers can be there. We can intercede for them, praying over the seeds we planted in our time together. For the fruit that can ripen and mature in them, and in us.</div>
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God desires unity in the Church, the body of believers, and desires reconciliation between us and to Himself. How we think that should work or look is often <i style="font-weight: bold;">very different than His plan!</i> Letting go of our ownership of the situation, and giving it to the rightful owner God, lets us approach it with prayer. With love. In grace. So that God can work in their hearts <b><i>and ours.</i></b></div>
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My birds know I am the one who brings them food. They trust me to keep the feeders full. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Ultimately if I have to leave God will still provide for them. They trust me. I trust Him.</i></div>
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I miss my friends who are moving to other places in their lives. I cherish the small and mighty steps a relationship is taking towards reconciliation. I am tenderly growing a garden of love with someone who is important in our lives, and not someone I am close to. In all of this I need to be humble (this isn't about me, but about God, the Kingdom) and I need to trust God. <b><i>Totally trust God. Like a bird. Like a flower. Like a lamb. Like a child.</i></b></div>
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And as a recovering control freak the trust factor is <i style="font-weight: bold;">a daily battle.</i> I want plans. I want back up plans. I want a bug out plan. I want a press release and sneak peeks. <i style="font-weight: bold;">God wants my faith. He wants my prayers. He desires my full hearted trust.</i> </div>
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What worries don't belong to you? How can we pray together?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-5408398559353252432014-01-02T14:14:00.000-08:002014-01-02T14:14:06.781-08:00Why I don't ask why<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="http://joannfore.com/when-you-ask-god-why/" target="_blank">Jo Ann and the lovely Voice Bloggers </a>are talking today about 'why' at Jo Ann's blog. Join us for the link up after you are done reading here if you like! </i><i><br /></i></div>
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I almost always get in hot water by asking too many questions. More often than not when someone says, <i style="font-weight: bold;">NO</i> my response is <b><i>why?</i></b></div>
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No one likes that, but sometimes it is good to ask ourselves why we answer things the way we do. Is it a well thought out <i style="font-weight: bold;">no</i> or a knee-jerk <i style="font-weight: bold;">no</i> or a '<i>I don't know what else to say'</i> <i style="font-weight: bold;">no</i>? Maybe it is just <b><i>NO - no way I'm going there!</i></b></div>
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When it comes to God I think sometimes I need to investigate the <i style="font-weight: bold;">why</i> a bit deeper. I love being able to rest on Him, and on my faith. That solid rock is what I cling to and what I reach for when I get into water that is too deep for me to walk upon. </div>
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But I think I need to seek His will in the <i style="font-weight: bold;">why</i> and put that into action in my life. It is well, and good to rest but we also need to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">faith in action</i>. We need to put the boots in the stirrups and saddle up. We need to move <i>knees to chest people!</i> We need to speak <i style="font-weight: bold;">using our out loud voices</i> and risk being heard.</div>
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<b><i>We need to be the answer when the world asks WHY. We need to be the WHY NOT when they wonder about being selfless instead of selfish. </i></b></div>
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I used to ask God why. I used to wonder why things happened, or didn't happen. <b><i>Then a time came when there was no 'why' but instead I asked 'what would You have me do?'</i></b></div>
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I started to grow deeper faith roots, stronger faith wings and a bigger heart outside of my own need to know. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sometimes we don't need to know. God doesn't want us knowing why when He wants us to be doing. </i> We can spend a lot of time sitting and talking about why or why not, and be distracted from doing.</div>
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Distracted from praying. From reaching out. From being present for someone. <i style="font-weight: bold;">I learned that when you ask 'why' you have opened the door to the question 'why not'.</i> I have also learned that when I say, instead, <i style="font-weight: bold;">What would you have me do?</i> I am seeking guidance for action. And sometimes that action is to be still, and let God fight for me. Be at peace, let God work. <b><i>Pray, surrender and stop mucking about!</i></b></div>
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Have you ever tried to fix something when someone is trying to help? When they don't know what you need, or haven't asked? You want to smack their hands and say, <i>Sit still, I've got this.</i> or <i>I will let you know when I need your help.</i> Neither response really endears you to them, after all they are <i style="font-weight: bold;">usually really trying to help!</i> But when I learned to say, <i>You being here encourages me, thank you.</i> and <i>Thanks for offering to help, it makes it easier with you being here. </i>Then I found myself understanding things a bit better in my walk with Jesus.</div>
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We cannot run ahead, shouting, <i style="font-weight: bold;">LEAD ME LORD!</i> and say we are following Christ. If we are shouting, crying or chanting <i style="font-weight: bold;">WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY</i> we can't hear an answer. We can't hear a thing. And the devil wins another round in the battle to distract us.</div>
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There are thousand (<i style="font-weight: bold;">okay maybe a dozen</i>) why questions I could ask God right now. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Right this minute!</i> And like a loving parent who knows more than I do, He would be right in saying <b><i>because I have plans for you. </i></b></div>
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God has plans for you. And they won't change with the volume or frequency of our questions as to the <i style="font-weight: bold;">why</i>. Nor will they be any less, or more, than His will. <b><i>What we do while we wait is where the blessings are found!</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Why didn't the dream job happen? Why did the "I'm ready to go where you lead Lord" get answered with "stay"? Why did the I can do this ministry become "You aren't the right fit for us"? So many whys - why is this winter so danged cold? </i></b></div>
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The 'dream job' may be the one I'm doing right now.</div>
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The place to be is in the now, where He is blessing us. Where if we were looking elsewhere with longing hearts we could be missing something amazing.</div>
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The ministry wasn't right for me - or for them. And it is all about Him, and He knows best.</div>
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As to winter, I don't know. It's just cold.</div>
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So instead we work on the doing, the being. <b><i>Praying. Loving. Being present. Asking what we can do. Doing what we can. </i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-90486019198996248022013-12-20T11:06:00.003-08:002013-12-20T11:06:26.025-08:00Hello...hello...is this thing on?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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John 10:27-28 <span style="font-size: 12px;">(NIV)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="text John-10-27" id="en-NIV-26509"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; vertical-align: top;"> </span>My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26509A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> and they follow me.<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26509B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span></span> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="text John-10-28" id="en-NIV-26510" style="font-size: 16px;">I give them eternal life,<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26510C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span> and they shall never perish;<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26510D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span> no one will snatch them out of my hand.</span></h3>
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<span class="text John-10-28" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #20124d;">My husband, used to our poor cell service, usually starts a static filled call with the words: <i><b>hello...hello...is this thing on?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="text John-10-28" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Those words often make me smile. But today reading <a href="http://joannfore.com/is-that-you-god/" target="_blank">Jo Ann's post</a> about <b>Listening for God's Voice</b> it has a bit of new angle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">We often wonder, and are asked, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Are you SURE you can hear God? Are you SURE you are doing HIS will? </i>And how do we answer when doing His will turns out unexpectedly for us?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">A friend of ours asks if we are missing God's voice. I'm pretty sure that is what the enemy wants us to do - be busy. Be DOING stuff so that being STILL and hearing God is just not possible. The world doesn't want us to be still. <b><i>Be busy. Do something. Anything. Just don't be STILL!</i></b></span></div>
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<ol class="keyword-result-list text-html" style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046:10&version=NIV" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none;">Psalm 46:10</a></strong><br />He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” </ol>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Be still. Oh how hard is <b>THAT?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">The enemy wishes for it to be impossible. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Impossible!</i> The enemy wants us busy, accessible, loud, unfocussed and running about. He would love for us to be running, yelling over our shoulders, <b><i>Lord why aren't you leading me?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Why? Because when he steals our ability to be still, he has stolen our focus. Our ability to <i style="font-weight: bold;">BE</i>. He wants us doing. He wants us busy. A distracted Christian is so valuable to him. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">When we are <i style="font-weight: bold;">NOT STILL</i> we are not praying, we are not caring, we are not hearing, we certainly are <b>NOT </b>listening. To anyone. Or anything. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">This is so apparent to me at Christmas. We have had our Christmas stolen, and sometimes we eagerly <i style="font-weight: bold;">give it away</i> to the false god of busy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Jesus was born in a stable. I wrote a bit about <a href="http://beneaththesurface-dawn.blogspot.ca/2013/12/adjusting-our-christmas-expectations.html" target="_blank">Expectations and Standards</a> and about the importance of that humble stable. Another thing about a barn, at night, it is quiet. <i style="font-weight: bold;">The animals are resting. They are still.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Our Savior was born <i style="font-weight: bold;">at night</i> in a <i style="font-weight: bold;">stable</i>. His mother tucked away things in her heart, she pondered them. <b><i>Silent adoration. Still in awe and love.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">We can hear God all around us. In the trees, in the bird song, in the crunch of snow and fall leaves. We can hear God in the wisdom of a child. We can hear God in the sign of a panhandler. <i style="font-weight: bold;">WE CAN. But do we?</i> God lets us choose.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>>>>>> think on that for a second - God lets us choose.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">We can choose to listen for Him. We can choose to let the world distract us. We can choose to hear Him. We can choose to let the world steal our still.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>Have you ever used a two-way radio? There are three key things to using them! </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>1) Choose the right channel. Are you on the channel of the King? </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>2) Push in the button to talk. Prayer and time in the word is our button. </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>3) Release button to hear what is being said. You can't hear if you don't stop talking. Let the button go!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Channel. Push to talk. Release to hear. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">We are often running on 2 outta 3! The third step is the most important one! And we miss it. <b><i>We miss it!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Instead of shouting, <i style="font-weight: bold;">GOD WHERE ARE YOU? WHY CAN'T I HEAR YOU?</i> could we try being still.</span></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-11" id="en-NIV-9399"><i><span style="color: #990000;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">1 Kings 19:11 </span>The <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> said, “Go out and stand on the mountain<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9399T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></span> in the presence of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, for the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> is about to pass by.”<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9399U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></span></span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span class="text 1Kgs-19-11">Then a great and powerful wind<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9399V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></span> tore the mountains apart and shattered<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9399W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></span> the rocks before the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, but the <b><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> was not in the wind</b>. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the <b><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> was not in the earthquake.</b></span><b> </b><span class="text 1Kgs-19-12" id="en-NIV-9400"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>After the earthquake came a fire,<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9400X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></span> but the <b><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> was not in the fire.</b> And after the fire <b>came a gentle whisper.</b><span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9400Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"></span></span> <span class="text 1Kgs-19-13" id="en-NIV-9401"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">13 </span>When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-9401Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)"></span> and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.</span></span></i></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-13"><i><span style="color: #990000;">Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (emphasis mine)</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-13"><span style="color: #20124d;">Elijah had huge faith. And huge courage. <b><i>And he knew that God wasn't in the loud. But in the whisper. The quiet. The STILL!</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-13"><span style="color: #20124d;">What if we were able to stand the still long enough to hear God? Pass through the storms, and the distractions, to find Him?</span></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-13"><span style="color: #20124d;">We don't distract God. We become distracted from God. <b><i>He longs for us to be present, to be attentive to Him. But He won't force us. Worship is an act of love, not an obligation.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Kgs-19-13"><span style="color: #20124d;">We are so trained, over trained, to be busy. To appear important is to be busy. To appear valuable is to be busy. To have worth is to be busy. <b><i>It is a lie! It is a TRAP of the slickest kind.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Sisters, and brothers - <i style="font-weight: bold;">BE STILL!</i> He waits to speak to us. And He will!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Linking up today with the amazing and lovely #VoiceBloggers!</span></div>
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<a href="http://joannfore.com/is-that-you-god/">http://joannfore.com/is-that-you-god/</a></div>
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Join us won't you? Link up your own blog, share in the comments and leave love. Always leave love! And pray for one another.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-47385913207528937892013-12-05T11:37:00.001-08:002013-12-05T11:37:19.896-08:00connection lost please try again<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">ERROR: CONNECTION LOST. </span></b><br />
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<b>PLEASE TRY AGAIN. </b><br />
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<b>CLICK YES TO TRY AGAIN. </b><br />
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<b>CLICK NO TO CANCEL. </b><br />
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What is it about the holidays that makes us want to <i style="font-weight: bold;">connect with people</i>? Are we feeling nostalgic in the face of all the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas specials</i> that make even a fictional <i style="font-weight: bold;">imperfect family seem perfect?</i> Or do we long for the neighborhood where you just <i style="font-weight: bold;">pop over for a visit</i> and find a full blown holiday festival in the living room?<br />
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What is it about the holidays that makes us want to <i style="font-weight: bold;">disconnect with people?</i> To step away, back way. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Run away?</i> To get away from the cost of social obligations. The pain of smiling from the sidelines. The <i style="font-weight: bold;">alone in the middle of a crowd</i>? The stress, the mess and the fuss.<br />
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When my husband and I talk about the holidays, <i style="font-weight: bold;">any holiday</i>, and our traditions we find some stark differences and some comforting familiar ground. To quote Christian comedian Mike Warnke, <span style="color: #351c75;">"It's a strange place this place."</span><br />
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It is strange. This time of year. And our need to connect. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And it goes back so far. Further back than even the birth of Christ. </i>Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than them. Even Herod. The wise men. Some for good, some for ill. <b><i>Connections with people are the same way.</i></b><br />
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We need to connect in healthy ways. In ways that fill us with the fruits of the spirit. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Ways that are counter to most of our culture. </i>But sometimes we can't make it happen. Sometimes it isn't God's will to happen.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Have you ever lost your internet connection, and even though you have done everything on your end right it is still gone? It is out of your hands. Clicking your mouse repeatedly won't work. Shouting won't work. Plugging and unplugging hasn't helped. The troubleshooter is out of ideas.</i><br />
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That is when you know the problem isn't with you.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Connecting with people, making connections, is no different!</i><br />
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Sometimes, despite our best and most prayerful efforts nothing works the way <b>WE WANT IT TO</b>.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Rest assured, it ALWAYS works the way God wants it to!</i><br />
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So sometimes the best way to find good connections is to recognize the bad ones. Like being able to tell counterfeit money by being completely familiar with the real currency - we can learn to detect wrong, faulty or false connections. <b><i>And we can rewire them, leave them with our Holy Provider or we can disconnect.</i></b><br />
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We can miss some incredible connections with people when we are spending our time trying to connect where God doesn't intend us to. <b><i>It's hard. So hard. I WANT to reach out again, break my own boundaries. To see if they have changed. Stay my hand Lord. Steady my soul. </i></b><br />
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Connections are made to be tested. To be rewired. Re-written. Written over. Corrected, maintained or abandoned. <i style="font-weight: bold;">They are fragile and need to be handled with prayer.</i><br />
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Connections are so important, and in our overly-connected world we sometimes miss what they are meant to be. <i style="font-weight: bold;">God wants us to be connected as a community. People loving on each other, praying for each other and going out and doing the same for others. </i> We need deep connections, ones that nurture roots. Ones that help us grow. And ones that prune us, too.<br />
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<b><i>How do you test your connections? Do you test them? I would love to discuss in the comments with you!</i></b><br />
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Linking up today as one of the <a href="http://joannfore.com/voice-bloggers/" target="_blank">#VoiceBloggers at Jo Ann Fore's page</a>. Come by and join in. Share in the comments, add a blog post to the link up or join our book group. Everyone is welcome!<br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://www.joannfore.com" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" alt="Jo Ann Fore" style="border:none;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-56835703217313557222013-11-28T07:22:00.004-08:002013-11-28T07:22:37.663-08:00Drop the bootstrapsThe holiday season. Holy days. Days of spending time thinking of holy things. <b><i>eh not so much.</i></b><br />
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We live in a world of <i style="font-weight: bold;">great expectations</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">judgement</i>. Don't believe me? Next time someone asks, <i>"How are you doing?</i> Respond honestly - <i>I hurt. I'm alone. I'm scared. I think I want to die. No one cares.</i><br />
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Don't answer - <i>Keeping busy. Doing good. Same ol, same ol.</i><br />
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And watch the response. <b><i>Watch kindly, and watch prayerfully.</i></b><br />
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Now try this. Ask someone how they are, and don't accept a pat answer. Gently, and in love, say, <i>"No, really how are you doing? How is your heart, your faith, your hope, your family?"</i><br />
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<b>Then listen. Then pray. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">And be there fully. See the hurt in their heart. </i>See the joy too. The hope.<br />
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In our busy world we forget that we are not <b>HUMAN DOINGS</b> but we are <b>HUMAN BEINGS.</b><br />
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<b><i>And the being is what Jesus cares about. And what we need to care about.</i></b><br />
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The importance of our story is vital. The value of our scars incalculable. The power of prayer and love enormous. <b><i>And on the flip side - our silence is costly. Our hiding away in the busy is brutal. Our reliance on self so destructive.</i></b><br />
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So many people feel utterly alone. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And we let them!</i> They feel their pain in isolation because we fear sharing our story. We fear speaking the hurt. We fear opening up and saying, <i>I know pain like this. You are not alone.</i><br />
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The monsters lurk behind the glitter of the holiday season. We can out them. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Drag them into the light.</i> We can, <i style="font-weight: bold;">and should.</i> Drag them out and name them. Pull their teeth. Say what they are - <b><i>lies. Shadows.</i></b><br />
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We need to drop the bootstraps, <i style="font-weight: bold;">you can't use them to pull yourself up. </i>We need to set aside the grindstone, <i style="font-weight: bold;">it only grinds us down.</i> We need to embrace community. We need to wipe away tears. We need to clean wounds. <b><i>We need to acknowledge scars.</i></b><br />
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There are a lot of emotional traps during the holidays for me. The illusion of the <i style="font-weight: bold;">perfect family</i>. The reality of <i style="font-weight: bold;">being unwanted</i>. And the utter stress of <i style="font-weight: bold;">wanting to be included and feeling like I should stay silent, invisible.</i> I fall into them less easily than I used to. I dropped the bootstraps. And the expectations that somehow <b><i>I was responsible for everyone's happiness (or for their angst).</i> </b><br />
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I'm not responsible for them. Or you. But for me. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And knowing that changes everything! </i>When I rest on Jesus. When I hold them up in prayer, and I surrender expectations to Him - I find peace. <i style="font-weight: bold;">When I embrace healthy community I am no longer as alone.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;"><span class="text John-13-34" id="en-NIV-26665" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="woj">“A new command<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26665A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> I give you: Love one another.<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26665B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span> As I have loved you, so you must love one another.<span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></span></span><span class="text John-13-35" id="en-NIV-26666" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj">By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35-35</span></span></span></b>
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Find that community. Be that community. Reach out. Be ready for tears instead of false joy. Be ready for dirty instead of surface clean. Be ready for open hearts instead of fictional busy. Be ready for something amazing.<br />
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Linking up with the <a href="http://joannfore.com/thursdays-with-the-voice-bloggers/" target="_blank">#VoiceBloggers</a> as we work our way through <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jo-Ann-Fore/e/B00EA8L0V6" target="_blank">When A Woman Finds Her Voice</a></b> book study with Jo Ann Fore. Join us, won't you? Link up your posts, share in the comments here and at <a href="http://joannfore.com/" target="_blank">Jo Ann's page</a>. And read posts. Leave love.<br />
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-49708098463986727532013-11-20T05:34:00.000-08:002013-11-20T05:34:23.050-08:00Sisterhood of the Scar ClanIf you have lived at all you have scars. You've had wounds. You've been wounded. <br />
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The cool thing about scars is that they are <i style="font-weight: bold;">wounds that healed</i> and are a sign that we <i style="font-weight: bold;">lived to tell the tale!</i> Or lived to keep the secret. But we <i style="font-weight: bold;">lived!</i><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">So now what?</i> How do we use those scars for the glory of God? How do our old wounds become encouragement for those who are still freshly wounded? <i style="font-weight: bold;">Or are still wounding?</i><br />
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I don't really share so much of my story. I tried that earlier this year. <i style="font-weight: bold;">It did not go well. I think for all their intentions it was too much.</i> I get that. A lot. <i>You are too _________! Can't you be a bit less ______________? </i><br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">I have to laugh. Don't they think I've tried?</b> And then I wonder at why God wouldn't change that. Those stripes that seem so loud in a tame garden or living room are actually perfect in the wilds of my life. <i style="font-weight: bold;">They helped me survive. </i>They still do. But in a different way. <br />
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There is one important thing about my story, <i style="font-weight: bold;">about your story</i>, that needs to never be forgotten. You ready? <b><i>Really ready?</i></b><br />
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<b>You made it through. God brought you through. You are beautiful. </b><br />
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<b>Yes you. Even you. Especially you.</b><br />
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I don't care if you walked, crawled, snuck out in the shadows, swam down a river of tears - the scars say you didn't quit. <i style="font-weight: bold;">You could have. I could have.</i> God kept His promise.<br />
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<b>GOD KEEPS ALL HIS PROMISES!</b><br />
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Sister, in your wounds be encouraged. Still feeling pain means you are alive.</i><br />
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<i>Sister, in your scars be encouraged. They mean you are healing. Aching reminders of getting through.</i><br />
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Why do you think Jesus showed us His scars after the Resurrection? <i style="font-weight: bold;">To show He made it through. He won. He bore it all for us, and conquered.</i> Thomas doubted, and put his hands into the wounds. Others saw the scars with their own eyes. <b><i>And those who never saw them believed.</i></b><br />
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Scars can have a high price. They cost us in pain, in blood and in the original wounding. Denying them, covering them up with clothes or makeup doesn't erase them. Scars show a victory that, if we choose it, can glorify our God.<br />
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Some days I look at the scars on my body - two saved my life, and were enormous blessings. The others sometimes ache in the damp or cold. They are not pretty. But they are mine.<br />
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<b><i>And I can say to a hurting sister - see these? I made it through. I'll stand by you in prayer. I'll stand shoulder to shoulder in silence. I'll interceed on my knees. You are not alone.</i></b><br />
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Sometimes I think about the scars inside, the ones no one sees but me. They are the hardest because no one sees them unless I speak about them. <b><i>And then how do I share the darkness in such a way as to point towards the Light?</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Sisters, and brothers - we all bear the scars inside and out. My scars are here to let you know I can bear to hear your story. You are not too wounded, too bloody, too betrayed or too ANYTHING for our loving God, and not for me either. </i></b><br />
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We, as the body of Christ, can be the loving arms of the church embracing our wounded, anointing scars with love, bearing one another's burdens and showing love. Showing grace. Showing humbleness.<br />
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There is no competition here. Everyone bears their wounding, their healing and scarring, differently.<br />
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What I walked through, might have brought someone else to their knees. What you walked through I cannot imagine bearing. I can't <i style="font-weight: bold;">know your pain</i> but I know pain. I can't <i style="font-weight: bold;">walk in your shoes</i> but I can be there to walk beside you.<br />
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It's not an exclusive club, we are all scarred. It's an inclusive club that we all can be redeemed. It's an inclusive club that <i style="font-weight: bold;">not one of us is unworthy of love, of forgiveness or for grace.</i> If you seek it, God won't deny you. He seeks our hearts and souls earnestly. He wishes for reconciliation to His children.<br />
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<b><i>Thank you Lord for loving this bloody mess of a sinner. This surviving, scarred up cowgirl, farm wife and imperfect mama. Thank you Lord for each eye that reads this that is drawn closer to YOU. It is all about YOU. Not me. </i></b><br />
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Are you hurting? Are you wanting to find the way through to the healing? Can I pray with you? For you? Over you? <br />
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<i>Linking up with Jo Ann Fore and the Voice Bloggers as we work through to the healing.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-91556516919801207512013-11-14T08:33:00.001-08:002013-11-14T08:33:20.411-08:00That voice you hear<b><i>That voice you hear is me.</i></b><br />
<b><i>That silence you miss</i></b><br />
<b><i>was never really me.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>If this question from Jo Ann (<a href="http://joannfore.com/story/">http://joannfore.com/story/</a>) had come last week my response would have been <i style="font-weight: bold;">very different.</i> It would have been a bit more of a <i style="font-weight: bold;">powerful voice</i> and yet God did not will that. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Instead He has me writing from here and now.</i> And this place is one where I am still hurting and still reeling. Still wondering <b><i>at the cost of using my voice.</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1XyjdKXij3s/UoTqWJnrkiI/AAAAAAAAFfk/vMg3cs5u5iw/s1600/On+My+Back+Meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1XyjdKXij3s/UoTqWJnrkiI/AAAAAAAAFfk/vMg3cs5u5iw/s400/On+My+Back+Meme.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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When silence has been the <i style="font-weight: bold;">norm</i> then your voice becomes a strange sound. For some <i style="font-weight: bold;">a welcome sound</i> and to others <b><i>something they would happily miss.</i></b><br />
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Dr. Temple Grandin, an amazing woman whose voice I treasure, has explained it this way: <i>when something becomes bad gradually we tend to adapt. To make the bad the new normal. And this is wrong. Bad is always bad, adapting for survival should be a short term strategy, not a long term life choice. For people and animals 'bad as a new normal' is always going to be bad.</i><br />
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Getting to a new, healthy normal takes a tremendous amount of work - prayer work, heart work, body work, soul work and mind work. <i style="font-weight: bold;">It's work. Our voices are a like a muscle - they need exercise.</i> Consider this: if a long distance runner lets their exercise program be controlled by a power lifter will they be a better runner or a poor version of a power lifter? <b><i>It is the same with our voices! If we want to be heard, we can't ask those who would rather have us be silent what our voices should sound like!</i></b><br />
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My voice has gotten me into more hot water than my silence. Apparently my body language also gets me into hot water. <b><i>It would be better, they said, to be quiet and still. And inside my spirit howls: WHAT! WHAT! WHAT?</i></b><br />
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<i>I'm an advocate. I'm a humble prayer partner. I'll speak up for you when your voice isn't strong. I will not be shy about my faith. I won't be ashamed of who I call friend, and whom I love. I will ask questions. And look at you to seek your own answers. I will set boundaries, and burn bridges. I will also sing you home when you are lost. I will call your name friend when you feel alone. I will comfort you when your voice is broken. </i><br />
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As a child of God, the redeemed beloved of Jesus, I have a stern duty. I have a joyous task. <b><i>To use my voice to help others. To encourage. To pray. To be present when all others leave. To show up. To say to the devil: NOT TODAY!</i></b><br />
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I am also an imperfect woman. I'm a sinner. I'm a failure. <b><i>Sometimes I fail, and raise my voice. Sometimes I fail, and I get frustrated. Sometimes I fail, and I fail badly. </i></b><br />
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The one thing I cannot forget is that God me. He made you. Including your voice. So it might not seem loud to you, but to someone living in silence you voice can be the sweetest sound they hear! <b><i> Pray. Love. Be there. And when your voice is needed - loud or quiet - speak! </i></b><br />
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It saddens me greatly when I hear sister bloggers saying they are afraid to comment on posts they <i>personally agree with</i> because they are afraid to voice that when their church does not share the same opinion. Jesus did not tell us to encourage one another <i>when it suits congregational doctrine.</i> Jesus did not tell us to be praying constantly <i>for those who are in agreement with us. </i><br />
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Jesus told us to get in to the ditches and help the wounded, the dirty. Jesus told us to put down our stones and lay gentle hands upon hurting people. Jesus told us to love one another. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Love one another. He did it with His hands, His voice and His blood. How can we do anything less than use the gifts He gave us?</i> Don't be ashamed of your voice, He gave it to you!<br />
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As a survivor of abuse nothing is more soothing than the voice of someone who knows healing is a journey, the voice of someone who recognizes and respects our scars, the voice of someone who rejects judgment and embraces the empathy of a loving advocate.<br />
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<b><i>When they tell it is more 'comfortable' for you to be silent and still - JUMP UP AND SING! DANCE! PRAY!!</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Stretch your voice and share with us at the link up! </i></b><a href="http://joannfore.com/story/">http://joannfore.com/story/</a><br />
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Be blessed by hearing other voices by reading the blogs by the courageous women who are sharing there. Be sure to leave some love. And pray for one another. Encourage our sisters, and brothers, to use their voices!<br />
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Check out Jo Ann's book here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Woman-Finds-Her-Voice-ebook/dp/B00G3L2Y6I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384113999&sr=1-1&keywords=when+a+woman+finds+her+voice" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>When-Woman-Finds-Her-Voice-eboo<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>k/dp/B00G3L2Y6I/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>1384113999&sr=1-1&keywords=whe<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>n+a+woman+finds+her+voice</a><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">and join us for the free book study which begins November 18th!!</span><br />
<a href="http://joannfore.com/find-your-voice/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://joannfore.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>find-your-voice/</a>
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-21964143991956255852013-11-12T08:50:00.001-08:002013-11-12T08:50:37.982-08:00challenging happy endings<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Today my sister blogger, and sister in Christ, Nina wrote about happy endings, or rather the lack of happy endings, on her blog. </i><a href="http://ninaroesner.com/2013/11/11/dont-worry-be-happyyeah-right/">http://ninaroesner.com/2013/11/11/dont-worry-be-happyyeah-right/</a></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rather than fill her comment box with a blog post, I'll share my link with her, and this response in blog form, with all of you.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy endings. In books and in movies, plays too and in dreams. Happy endings. <b><i>Can you imagine standing at the check out and NOT seeing a headline about someone's missed happy ending or lament of an imperfect life?</i></b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Confession time: this is a post that is HARD to write, and being written during a HARD time. A time I'd like to know has an END that I can see. But I can't. None of us can. So onward!</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy endings. Happily ever after. I always wondered - <i style="font-weight: bold;">after what?</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It should be <i style="font-weight: bold;">Joy filled journey! </i> or <i style="font-weight: bold;">Walk the road together!</i> It is all about how we get there, and who we go there with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah+6:8&version=NIV" style="text-decoration: none;">Micah 6:8</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.</b></span></div>
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Act justly.</div>
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Love mercy.</div>
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Walk humbly with our God.</div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">No happy endings prescribed here. No fairy tales. No pot of gold. </i>Just a walk along our life with our Lord. And the people who are in our lives. </div>
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He asks us to do three things - <i style="font-weight: bold;">DO</i> being the key here.</div>
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<b>Act Justly</b> - with our children, our spouses, our families and friends. With strangers. With those we've set boundaries with. With those who hurt us.</div>
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<b>Love Mercy</b> - the kind of mercy that Jesus showed, and shows us. The kind of mercy that is worthy of love.</div>
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<b>Walk humbly with your God.</b> Personal time, walking with God. Not behind Him. Not ahead, yelling over our shoulders. Beside. With.</div>
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So in our happy journey we can let go of the fairy tale.</div>
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(<i>and as a side note, if you make a study of fairy tales the 'happy endings' are often lessons in unexpected consequences and warnings of traps that stop us from having a full life. Trust me. Fairy tales are almost always, in their early or original forms, cautionary tales. We are so used to the Disneyfication of them that the warnings, cautions and teachings are lost.)</i></div>
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When we let go of the <i style="font-weight: bold;">I WANT</i> or <i style="font-weight: bold;">WHERE IS MY</i> then we can act justly. We can love mercy. We can walk humbly.</div>
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If we are to love our spouses, and respect them, then we need to understand how Jesus loves us. And how He wishes us to journey. There is no need for a wistful '<i style="font-weight: bold;">happy ending</i>' when we can have '<i style="font-weight: bold;">the most amazing journey ever</i>' instead!</div>
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Don't ask for a happy ending! Don't buy into any <i style="font-weight: bold;">happily ever after that does not include eternal salvation!</i> Instead, join in the journey. Live each day acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-62023565867829497022013-11-06T15:16:00.002-08:002013-11-07T08:35:12.416-08:00You there, speak up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMOiv4Mwj6g/UnrHOxJhoLI/AAAAAAAAFb4/zJGbup6wSwU/s1600/20131031_125818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMOiv4Mwj6g/UnrHOxJhoLI/AAAAAAAAFb4/zJGbup6wSwU/s320/20131031_125818.JPG" width="208" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://joannfore.com/when-we-dare-to-be-brave" target="_blank">Uncommon Courage</a>, that is what Jo Ann is asking us to consider over at her blog link up for #WhenAWomanFindsHerVoice. We have been sharing our hearts for the past few weeks, I encourage you to read some of the past posts. You'll be blessed, as I have, in reading what these wonderful women have shared!</i><br />
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Being a silence breaker can be the <i style="font-weight: bold;">hardest thing to do with your voice!</i> Many would have you remain silent for <i style="font-weight: bold;">their comfort</i> and God would have you speak <i style="font-weight: bold;">to serve His will</i>. </div>
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Like my husband's sweet dog <i>Feathers</i> who is <i style="font-weight: bold;">trapped</i> in her crate by the <i style="font-weight: bold;">terrible terror kittens</i> she need only use her voice to be freed. If she would <i style="font-weight: bold;">bark</i> or <i style="font-weight: bold;">growl</i> those kittens would puff up and scatter! If she would <i style="font-weight: bold;">get out of the crate</i> she could come to me, where I would protect her. But her house is her <i style="font-weight: bold;">comfort zone</i> and she is loathe to leave it. And they think they have her trapped. </div>
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<b><i>And the door is open! They are kittens. </i></b></div>
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Certainly their Mama is a force to be reckoned with, but them? <b><i>Hissing hair balls!</i></b></div>
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Sitting on my lawn, holding a sign saying I will be <i style="font-weight: bold;">Silence Breaker</i> seems rather funny, no? But our voice can be heard when we don't speak a single word. <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Our courage can be in showing up</span><span style="color: #4c1130;">.</span> In doing God's will. By serving. Through gentle hands. Being scared to death and doing it anyway.</i></b></div>
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Fear is a beast we all struggle with. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sometimes it is a wee kitten - a hissing hair ball. Sometimes it is a red light and siren screaming DANGER DANGER DANGER</i></div>
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The thing with fear is that it isn't <i style="font-weight: bold;">all bad all the time!</i> Sometimes we need fear - it gives us a jolt of adrenaline to get us going to get away from danger. Sometimes we need fear - it can tell us when our courage is needed. Sometimes fear is an old memory. A shadow. </div>
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I'm a bit of a <i style="font-weight: bold;">prepper</i>. I try to be ready for things. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Most of the things I fear the most have NEVER come to pass.</i> And those that do ended up being bigger blessings than I could have imagined.</div>
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Oh my heart trembles in my chest like a terrified bird. Oh my soul feels small and distant from my Lord. Oh my courage sinks into a puddle of fear. Oh my knees lower me down. And then when all seems <i style="font-weight: bold;">utterly confusing and full of fear</i> I'm in the right place to pray. To listen. To let Him soothe my soul. To lift my spirit. To strengthen my resolve.</div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The hardest thing about finding your voice isn't knowing when to use it, it is accepting that some would prefer you remain silent. And with love and grace, letting them go.</i> My husband taught me something wise a long time ago, the people who you fear the most, the ones who keep you up at night are probably <i style="font-weight: bold;">not up at night thinking about you. </i> Pray for them, give them back to God and move on. Simple to say. Simple to type. <b><i>So VERY hard to actually do!</i></b></div>
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What do I fear the most? <b><i>That woman I see in the mirror every morning. I fear her weakness will let those who count on me down. That her sharp tongue will cut. Her empathy will fail. That she will utterly and completely drop the proverbial ball.</i></b></div>
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Who was the hardest person to learn to love? <b><i>Me. Imperfect woman. Working on respect and submission wife. Working on patience Mama. Working on more faith, more gratitude and less worry. But I do love her. She is amazing. God has wrought something special in her.</i></b></div>
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Silence breaker! Sister warrior. Princess, daughter of the King. We are attacked by the dark designs of a fallen angel because <i style="font-weight: bold;">he fears our voices! He fears our prayers. He fears our love. </i> The more he designs traps to discourage us, to distract us, to disturb us the more he thinks he is winning. <b><i>Dear ones, God loves your voice! He made it, tuned it through life like a fine instrument. He wants to hear it. So do we! Share with us on the link up, won't you? Be blessed by reading other blogs and please leave some love. Everyone needs to know that their voice is heard. You may not know how encouraging your one comment may be to someone who is writing her heart into the open! Be the blessing!</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-41975646269703272032013-10-30T20:01:00.000-07:002013-10-30T20:01:06.486-07:00oh my heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+27:3&version=NIV" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none;">Psalm 27:3</a></strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130;">Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.</span></b></div>
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A confident heart. A healthy heart. A healed heart. <i style="font-weight: bold;">A heart that trusts God.</i> That is what I seek to have. <i>It only comes by surrendering your heart to God.</i></div>
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Do you know why the little orange kitten, <i>Cutie</i>, is so bold? She has someone who interceded for her with the big white Pyr. Her mother taught the dog to honour her baby. The dog knows the rules. The kitten does not fear this dog whose foot weighs more than her entire body because <b><i>someone already won the battle for her.</i></b></div>
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She can be confident. She can have a strong heart. <b><i>A bold heart.</i></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">We can too!</i> My heart is a fickle thing. It and my mind argue - <i style="font-weight: bold;">a lot!</i> They seem to forget that they both surrender to the same Lord. Jesus.</div>
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I've been besieged. <i style="font-weight: bold;">So have you!</i> You've found that when you surrender to God your heart is strong. You are confident. </div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">But our world doesn't like surrender. Doesn't like submission. Doesn't like leaning on Someone. Anyone. Ever.</i> It makes you weak, undesirable. Incapable. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Lies! Lies! Lies!</i></b></span></div>
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The strongest hearts know they can't do it alone. The most confident voice may be the only voice, but it is not a lonely voice.</div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">God fights our battles - when we let Him.</i> </div>
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The mama cat, <i>Spooky</i>, will fight the battle for <i>Cutie.</i> But she needs the baby out of the way to do it. <b><i>God tells us to be still. To trust. To let Him. </i></b></div>
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We talked last week about raw emotions. Raw and not pretty. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Surrender may look nice but it isn't always easy to feel our way through.</i> Today I had a situation that <i>I did not like!</i> Not at all. But I also felt in my <b>heart</b> that it was <i style="font-weight: bold;">God's will.</i> </div>
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I cried. I stomped my foot. I squinted. <b><i>I ached. And I surrendered.</i></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Your will, Lord, and not my own. </i> And my heart eased. My confidence increased because I was able to give to Him what is His - <i style="font-weight: bold;">ME!</i> My all. Holding nothing back. <b><i>Because when we give it all to Him, He gives it back in ways we never imagined!</i></b></div>
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I wrote a poem about how someone's value is more than the world would measure them by. You can read it here: <b><a href="http://sunflowershan.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/buck-twenty/" target="_blank">Buck Twenty</a></b></div>
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<strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:34&version=NIV" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none;">Luke 12:34</a></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.</b></span></div>
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Where is your heart? Is it still gathering broken pieces or is it surrendering them to the Son for His healing touch? Where is your confidence? Is it resting on the nod from another person, or is it resting in the Gospel?</div>
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<b><i>I am honoured to once again be <a href="http://joannfore.com/god-is-enough/" target="_blank">linking up</a> with <a href="http://joannfore.com/" target="_blank">Jo Ann</a> as we discover what can happen <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jo-Ann-Fore/e/B00EA8L0V6" target="_blank">When A Woman Finds Her Voice</a>! It is launch week and there are so many amazing things going on. Join us for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/652230054808731/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming" target="_blank">Facebook party</a>, <a href="http://joannfore.com/when-a-woman-finds-her-voice-book/" target="_blank">get some freebies</a>, join in the <a href="http://joannfore.com/find-your-voice/" target="_blank">online study </a>and please go to the link up. Read some posts, share your own, and use that wonderful voice God blessed you with!</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-529112447584287452013-10-23T15:06:00.002-07:002013-10-23T15:06:47.950-07:00Rebuilding walls<b><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+4:6&version=NIV" style="text-decoration: none;">Nehemiah 4:6</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. </span></b></div>
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Men. Women. Children. They all worked, with all their heart, to rebuild the walls. And they did it together. <b>God blessed their work. God blessed their hearts.</b></div>
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Many enemies were busy working, trying to make it so those walls would never stand again. </div>
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<b><i>The same author of lies, our enemy, wants our emotional walls to be under constant attack as well!</i></b><br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:34&version=NIV" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">Luke 12:34</span></a></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">For where your treasure is, there your <b>heart</b> will be also.</span></div>
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My heart. My treasure. <b><i>Under attack.</i></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">I often joke that I can handle almost any BIG crisis, it is the little things that get to me.</i> It isn't really a joke. It is a truth. Fire, flood, blood - I'm good. Trained and prepared. The smaller stuff. The irritating things. They attack my walls like a swarm of ants.</div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">It is a process. </i>Being blamed for having feelings. Being judged for feeling the wrong things. Being told you were just not right in the head for caring, being upset or scared. It was a conditioning that had me suppressing my feelings for years. <b><i>It was never safe to be me. Or feel how I felt. It was all a lie.</i></b></div>
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Then I did find a safe place. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And I lost my way again!</i> I could not tell when it was an actual attack and when it was just people being people. My feelings and emotions were always so close to the surface. My husband says it was like living on a live volcano. You knew there would be eruptions, destruction and then calm would come again. <b><i>Surviving the warning signs was key!</i></b></div>
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How I longed for someone to acknowledge it was okay to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">angry, excited, sad, indignant, frustrated or scared.</i> And the more I stifled my voice, the further I pulled away from God, the more it built up. I wanted to scream - and sometimes I did. (<i>not a pretty sight</i>).</div>
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I wanted something genuine. Something that didn't require a 'stiff upper lip' and for me to 'stop crying and fix your make-up'. Something that let me feel <i style="font-weight: bold;">the emotions and recognize them</i> without letting them <b><i>tear down the fragile walls of my relationships. My life.</i></b></div>
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It isn't all that different than working with horses - I had two modes. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fight or flight.</i> And in either mode I was on uneven ground emotionally. I always thought walking away was more noble, but it was harming me. Just as much as fighting the <i style="font-weight: bold;">wrong fight</i> was harming me.</div>
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I had to stop running. I had to stop fighting. I had to do what Jesus asked me to do first - <i style="font-weight: bold;">TRUST HIM.</i> Pat Parelli, a renowned horse trainer, has an exercise where you close and open your fist. You close your fist slowly. One finger at a time. <b><i>And release quickly. </i></b></div>
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This is hard when you are upset. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And when I say upset I am really saying blood boiling, red-head redlined, gonna snap upset.</i> One finger at a time. Each one for what is really getting to you. SLOWLY. <b>S L O W L Y</b></div>
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Then, a prayer, and open. Release. <i>Quickly! </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnjFVMdi_2Q/UmbyWZSAqrI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/TcsFRbZKyPc/s1600/Saddle+your+own+broncs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnjFVMdi_2Q/UmbyWZSAqrI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/TcsFRbZKyPc/s400/Saddle+your+own+broncs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It isn't about horses. It's about riding your own ride, you and God.<br />No one else can do it for you. </i></td></tr>
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My son, a sweet boy, taught me a very important lesson. <i style="font-weight: bold;">It is very hard to be angry or frustrated when you are keeping your voice soft and your face smiling 'in love'.</i> It is his expert way to diffuse things - <b><i>Soft voice, Mama. Soft smile. Love you Mama.</i></b></div>
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He is wise beyond his years. And it works. A soft voice, like a soft answer, can turn away even your own wrath. A smile, 'in love', can remind you that the author of lies wants you off balance, up set and out of love. He wants those walls you built with your heart torn down.</div>
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Truth time - <i style="font-weight: bold;">I still get the acid burn of anger. I still shake with frustration. I still feel a fool for caring as much as I do. I still get hurt. </i> But I don't let that rule or ruin me. I close my fist slowly and release it quickly to God. He guards my heart. <b><i>And He NEVER has let me down. Or you. Or anyone. EVER.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>He guards our hearts like treasure, for His heart is with us, we are His treasure! Beloved, we are the only ones who see the dents, the dust, the tarnish, the scorch marks. He does not. Praise God, He does not!</i></b></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" target="_blank">Jo Ann</a> has us thinking about taming unhealthy emotions this week, and I am an emotional person. I live pretty close to the surface of my feelings. I am learning to keep them in a healthy place though, and that has taken years of prayer, grace, tears and healing. If you feel something - and you know it is a genuine feeling - you can acknowledge and honour it without having it take the driver's seat. Feelings, for me, are often how the Holy Spirit shows me things I need to know. And how the Holy Spirit warns me. My lessons from life - family, friends, school, stuff - taught me wrongly about emotions. Relearning is a process and I am thankful for the group of women I am on this journey with in finding our voices. Join us at #WhenAWomanFindsHerVoice, <a href="http://joannfore.com/breaking-free/" target="_blank">link-up with Jo Ann</a> and share. </i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-55426338272037121372013-10-15T21:41:00.002-07:002013-10-15T21:41:49.519-07:00My tattoo and God's plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/v/1370210_10151653950929607_169675819_n.jpg?oh=5e78070128251086a3cca065df10e9fb&oe=525F3423&__gda__=1382001886_94cbb7fcfe9d29231b3ccd5053da7c8d" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/v/1370210_10151653950929607_169675819_n.jpg?oh=5e78070128251086a3cca065df10e9fb&oe=525F3423&__gda__=1382001886_94cbb7fcfe9d29231b3ccd5053da7c8d" width="240" /></a> </div>
There is a purpose to pain. <b><i>Pain can be so many things, some of them even good.</i></b><br />
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Pain, like fear, <b><i>can give you a jolt of adrenalin to get you through danger.</i></b><br />
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Pain, like a warning, <b><i>can let you know something is wrong.</i></b><br />
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Pain, like birthing, <b><i>lets you know new life has grown and is arriving!</i></b><br />
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Pain, in a wounding, <b><i>lets you know you are alive. The dead can't feel. As long as you live there is hope. </i></b><br />
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Pain, in healing, <b><i>lets you know that you are on the other side of the wounding.</i></b><br />
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I was wondering about things the other night, and my most recent tattoo came to mind. I can withstand the pain of the tattoo <i style="font-weight: bold;">for literally hours</i> knowing something amazing will come of it. The pain is an investment in me. In an expression of my faith.<br />
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Take that to a spiritual and whole life level - <i style="font-weight: bold;">the pain I have gone through, and that you have gone through, led to something amazing. </i> It let us to who we are today, and I will be the first to tell you this: <i>I like me.</i><br />
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The tempering, the wounding, the scarring, the healing, the laughter and tears have <i style="font-weight: bold;">wrought a woman who has more empathy and wisdom than the one she was before.</i> (Don't get me wrong, I would NOT get in line to repeat most of those 'tempering' experiences BUT they did make me who I am today.)<br />
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<b><i>God let His people wander and be tempered for 40 years in the desert. Nehemiah had to beg to come back to build the wall for his people. And they guarded the progress against those who would destroy them. They were stronger for it. For the pain. The blisters. The fear. The STUFF!</i></b><br />
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The stuff. The big stuff. The little stuff. The stuff that picks at you. The stuff that drives you to your knees. THAT STUFF. <b>THAT STUFF!</b> We know that stuff. Sometimes too well. And sometimes too often. Many times the same pain relived as we heal, and sometimes new pain as we find our voices and come to understand that not everyone is happy that we have. <br />
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Pain. And stuff. <b><i>And most importantly God is with us. We are never, ever alone in this. </i></b><br />
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God does not give us pain, that belongs to us as humans. God can, however, make something amazing from our pain. I look at my tattoos, each one with a symbol of my faith, and I understand a bit more about pain. I look at my c-section scar that saved two lives. And I understand a bit more about pain. I see some of my scars, and I have to laugh. Barbed wire NEVER loses when it fights flesh. But do you know who will always win? <b><i>Jesus! He already has! </i></b><br />
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<b><i>Growing comes with pain. So does change. Seeds, butterflies and seasons all change. So do women. Sometimes we change and find our voices - celebrate finding your voice with us by posting on the link up over at <a href="http://joannfore.com/purpose/" target="_blank">Jo Ann's website</a>. Celebrate in the comments if you don't blog. And know that you are not alone. You are beautiful. You are a cherished child of a loving God.</i></b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-29198816983215623342013-10-11T16:09:00.000-07:002013-10-11T16:09:02.910-07:00Peace or security<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a class="leftAlignedImage" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29333.Dietrich_Bonhoeffer" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; float: left; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-right: 10px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Dietrich Bonhoeffer" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1225837391p2/29333.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /></a><br />
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“There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared. It is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commandment. Wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of almighty God. Not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Battles are won not with weapons, but with God. They are won when the way leads to the cross."</h1>
― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29333.Dietrich_Bonhoeffer" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Dietrich Bonhoeffer</a></div>
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Security. Stability. Safety. <b><i> We are supposed to keep ourselves safe. This is true. But this isn't about that.</i></b></div>
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Security. Stability. Safety. <b><i>This is not the way to peace. You can't have it both ways.</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This week I have been leaning hard on God. And on the Word. And going deep in my Bonhoeffer devotional. And I'm in one of those wondrous </span></span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Wow!</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> places. So many things I've been praying about are clicking into place. The unclear is becoming very clear. </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">As Blackbeard said in Pirates of the Caribbean "I find myself in a bewilderment."</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I have been struggling. <i style="font-weight: bold;">How can this chaos, this uncertainty, be so peaceful?</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Not sure of where God is sending us. <b><i>Okay! We'll go where you send us. Wait? Okay! We'll wait.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Praying for my husband as he works hard, finding where God wants him to be. <b><i>Yep. We're good. Better than we have ever been. We are close to each other and closer to God. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<strong style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1:2&version=NIV" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none;">Jude 1:2</a></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
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Mercy, <b>peace</b> and love be yours in abundance.</div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I'm no theologian. But I've listened to some amazing ones. And read them. And I've read God's word. <i style="font-weight: bold;">So far I have not found where Jesus lived contrary to His teachings of peace. </i>That being said, I don't recall a lot of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Home Sweet Home</i> time for Jesus while He was walking the earth either.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">His disciples came from secure worlds. Safe worlds. Relatively stable worlds. <i style="font-weight: bold;">He asked for them to take nothing but what they wore to go and preach the gospel.</i> He asked them to leave their lives behind to follow Him. <i style="font-weight: bold;">That security? That stability? That safety? </i>In walking in faith it is a worldly construct. A safety net that is sticky. A web of human expectations for low risk faith.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Go boldly. Go with love. Be humble. Be wise. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">So here I am - and this is my struggle. This my voice challenge. I hear my Lord, my Savior, telling me to trust Him. And I hear the world saying, <b><i>Well are you SURE?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I hear my Lord<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>saying, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Do not doubt. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">So many times I've been talked out of my confidence in my faith for the reasons of <i style="font-weight: bold;">security, stability, safety.</i> And so many times I've faced <i style="font-weight: bold;">anger and fear</i> when I did step out in faith. In small things and large. </span></span></div>
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<a class="leftAlignedImage" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4668883.William_G_T_Shedd" style="color: #666600; float: left; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-right: 10px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="William G.T. Shedd" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1315252645p2/4668883.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /></a><br />
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“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”</h1>
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― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4668883.William_G_T_Shedd" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">William G.T. Shedd</a></div>
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So the harbor - the assumed safety, security, stability - is not what we are for. <b><i>We are for grand adventures on the wild open seas of life! We are for setting our course on Jesus and sailing where His wind sends us!</i></b></div>
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Jo Ann asked us to think about God's voice in our lives. I am usually ready with a post before the link is live. <i style="font-weight: bold;"> I have been working on these thoughts all week!</i> I've been praying. And finding myself at odds with those who are tempted by the false stability of low risk faith. <b><i>I'm tired of the harbor! </i></b></div>
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When you find your voice you will discover two things. One is that some people who liked you silent will be angry. Two the ones who longed for your voice will be nothing less than encouraging to hear it again! <b><i>The latter are the ones who will be with you in peace.</i></b></div>
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Join us over at JoAnnFore.com for the link-up with your own blog post, your thoughts in the comment section or just by sharing. I would love to hear your voice!</div>
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-17243687849777359592013-10-01T21:33:00.000-07:002013-10-01T21:33:16.243-07:00Forgiveness is freeThe biggest thing about being hurt is <i style="font-weight: bold;">getting through to the healing</i>. Finding your way <i style="font-weight: bold;">again.</i> When silenced <i style="font-weight: bold;">recovering your voice.</i> It means forgiving. And forgiveness was given freely to us, <b><i>wasn't it? On that bloody cross so long ago.</i></b><br />
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So forgive freely. <b><i>Well just ask me to empty the ocean one bucket at a time why don't ya?</i></b><br />
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Let it go. <b><i>Really? While they walk around, without remorse or a thought about MY hurt?</i></b><br />
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yes. <i>yes. <b>yes. YES!</b></i><br />
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Forgiveness is given freely, <i style="font-weight: bold;">trust needs to be earned again. Or not at all. </i><br />
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Forgiving was hard for me. I had fallen for a lie about it. <i style="font-weight: bold;">That forgiving someone meant I needed, wanted or should want a relationship with them.</i> I can forgive someone, freely and with grace, and not seek, desire or feel a need to have a relationship with them.<br />
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Then forgiveness becomes <i style="font-weight: bold;">easier</i> because it is our <i style="font-weight: bold;">giving them up to God.</i> For God to deal with. As God should be. As is His right. And honour. <b><i>And we are not less for it. We are more! So much more!</i></b><br />
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Think about it this way - our hurt is a pile of rocks. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Someone threw them at us. They wounded us. Landed at our feet.</i> We look at those rocks. We feel them. <b><i>We carry them around. They are SO HEAVY!</i></b><br />
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Instead of carrying around those rocks, we can leave them at the foot of the cross. For Jesus to take care of. Each stone, each hurt, each memory <b><i>surrendered in love to the One who can heal us and restore us!</i></b><br />
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And when we <i style="font-weight: bold;">leave them there</i> we weigh less in spirit. We are not carrying around things that are not ours. Never were ours. Do not belong to us. Forgiveness is for us! <b><i>Repeat that, forgiveness is for us!</i></b><br />
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We are forgiven. And we can forgive. Both are free. <b><i>And both are freeing.</i></b><br />
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Trust is earned. <b><i>Trust is something we can choose to work on, or to let be.</i></b><br />
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God blessed me by freeing me from a family who had strong beliefs and traditions about revenge and holding grudges. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Generational grudges. Generational revenge.</i> I can surrender them to God. <b><i>Often many times they are freely surrendered to God as I work on my own heart. My own voice.</i></b><br />
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It is easy to say, <i style="font-weight: bold;">"I forgive you."</i> when you know that you do not need to assume a relationship, <i style="font-weight: bold;">unless it is something God wills.</i> It is easier to say, <i style="font-weight: bold;">"Go with God."</i> when you know you don't have to walk their path. It is their path, after all. Just as your path belongs to you.<br />
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<b><i>Your voice, your lovely amazing voice is something that is so much more beautiful when it is honeyed with forgiveness and grace. Especially when you are using that voice speaking to yourself and to God!</i></b><br />
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God loves you. He loves your voice. He loves every piece of you that He wove together. Trust that.<br />
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 36.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 114%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Georgia; mso-default-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-greek-font-family: Georgia; mso-latin-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-latinext-font-family: Georgia;">Do not be afraid, but speak, </span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 36.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 114%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Georgia; mso-default-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-greek-font-family: Georgia; mso-latin-font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; mso-latinext-font-family: Georgia;">and do not keep silent. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 114%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Georgia; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Georgia; mso-default-font-family: Georgia; mso-greek-font-family: Georgia; mso-latin-font-family: Georgia; mso-latinext-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-CA"> Acts 18:9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I wrote a poem about forgiveness on one of my blogs, you can read it here: <a href="http://scarred-seeker.blogspot.ca/2011/06/forgiving-to-freedom.html" target="_blank">Forgiveness Poem</a><br />
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Linking up with <a href="http://joannfore.com/when-a-woman-finds-her-voice/" target="_blank">Jo Ann Fore</a> and the lovely ladies celebrating <b><i>Our Voices!</i></b><br />
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We have taken <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://joannfore.com/take-the-pledge/" target="_blank">The Pledge</a></i>, and invite you to join us!<br />
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We are reading the book, <b><i>and can't wait for you to join us on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Woman-Finds-Her-Voice/dp/0891123873" target="_blank">October 8</a>!</i></b><br />
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We are supporting, hearing and sharing our voices, <b><i>join us won't you?</i></b><br />
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<b><i>The celebrations will be on Facebook and you can search for it with this hashtag: #WhenAWomanFindsHerVoice on both Twitter and Facebook!</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-23086122076659578362013-09-28T16:34:00.003-07:002013-09-28T16:34:52.483-07:00Saddle that horse<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px rgb(153, 1, 0); color: #515151; font-family: ff-basic-gothic-web-pro-1, ff-basic-gothic-web-pro-2, Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>This week has been one of challenges for many of my friends of faith. Attacks. Feeling lonely and invisible. Feeling like there is too much to do and too little of us to do it. Originally this was a comment on a post, but after a few messages about it I decided to make it a post of its own. Be encouraged children of the Risen Lord. You are never alone. Never unseen. And never without His love. And while it was written to a sister in Christ, it applies equally to you my brothers in Christ as well.</i></div>
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If we were face to face I would hold you by the shoulders. I would tell you this simple truth: you are not alone. Your absence is noted, and prayed upon. Your struggles make you one of us, women who keep trying. My husband says it makes us special when we aren't quitters.</div>
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You know lonely. So do I. You know feeling unheard. (<i>When do we finally get the Audience of One lesson, instead of fretting over the Audience of None or the No One Saw Me Gone?</i>) When doesn't 300 hits and no comments not hurt? Never I think because it isn't about <b>THAT</b> is it? It’s about <b>HIM.</b> And us. And us and Him.</div>
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Your ministry, your voice, is in a place of struggle right now. I see that. I hear that. It hurts my heart, and drives me to prayer. I wish, oh how I wish, we could talk for real. I have so much to say that typing and texting cannot express well. But what it boils down to is this:</div>
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<b><i>Saddle that horse girl – you are riding for Him anyway.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Ride with the bunch, or ride alone – you are riding for Him no matter what.</i></b></div>
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The horse will walk or buck – it doesn't matter which, how you ride does. </div>
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Get back on and ride. Don’t worry if someone is following. Or if they are impressed. Don’t worry if they want to argue. Let them argue alone, it is on them. Not you.</div>
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The more they want to fight you, to argue, to make you question what you are doing the more you know you are doing something right. And you are being attacked for it.</div>
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You are not alone. You are <b>NEVER</b> alone. Reach out, and even if you think no one notices at least One always notices, and He sends the saints to prayer, and the angels to comfort you and the Holy Spirit to minister to you.</div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Joshua 1:9<br />“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”</b></span></i></div>
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<b>Be bold beautiful, be bold!</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1987195914788629812.post-24354625301661064862013-09-25T08:22:00.001-07:002013-09-25T08:22:09.075-07:00A woman alone no longerI am happily joining in with <b><a href="http://joannfore.com/connecting-with-others-even-when-weve-been-hurt/" target="_blank">Jo Ann Fore's link up</a></b> once again this week - prayerfully sharing my heart, along with the others who are also sharing. When you are finished reading, I invited you to go to her blog and join us.<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Confession: I don't want to talk about this.</span></b></i><br />
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This being how we connect with other women, in community, even when we have been hurt. <i style="font-weight: bold;">How does a woman alone, who was a girl alone, find community?</i> She has a small seed of <i style="font-weight: bold;">hope planted in her heart</i> by a loving God. <br />
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Do I tell you about my most recent community of women friends, or the first one, or <i style="font-weight: bold;">perhaps going back further why I thought I never would have one?</i> Maybe we'll share those all another day. Today my heart is <b><i>somewhere else.</i></b><br />
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My heart is on those <i style="font-weight: bold;">still looking for a safe place</i>. A place where they can be safe from gossip, judgement, fear and <b><i>more importantly they are safe to seek prayer.</i></b><br />
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So often in my attempts at being a part of a community of women have failed. <b><i>In part due to who I am. In part due to their expectations of their sisters. In part due to the expectations we have of women's groups in general.</i></b><br />
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I <i style="font-weight: bold;">seem to fit in</i> until I open my mouth. Or I share. Or I am <i style="font-weight: bold;">not going to their church, my child is not at their school or my husband doesn't work in jobs like their husbands.</i> We seek common ground outside of the two things we should be using: <b><i>our status as women and our status as women of faith.</i></b><br />
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I am a woman. I have worked in a man's world. <i style="font-weight: bold;">I have earned respect and shown worth.</i> It is easier to work with men in some ways - their world is achievement and respect oriented. That is how you manage as a farmer or fire fighter or a cowboy or horseman. <b><i>It is how you do what you do that shows your character.</i></b><br />
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Women being more relational are significantly more complex. <b><i>Okay freakishly complex to someone who was raised without models of healthy women's circles. To someone who was working and living in a man's world. To someone who failed to fit in every time she tried.</i></b><br />
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I used to thing there was something wrong with me. That I was not woman enough. That I messed up what God made. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Don't you just loathe how the master of lies works in us from childhood?</i> I do! I took every negative message straight to heart, <b><i>and missed every positive one. Out of hurt. Out of pride. Out of anger.</i></b><br />
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When I started finding my voice again I started to listen. To what was being said. By whom. And how. And when. I started to advocate for women to speak up and seek community. I started to speak up about how we treat out sisters who are coming in from the cold. <b><i>As one who had come in a number of times, so often it felt like I had a patent on door hinges!</i></b><br />
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I am honoured to have some amazing women friends. <i style="font-weight: bold;">We have connected in person. We have connected on line. We stay connected. </i>We have relationships. We have community. We have each other.<br />
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<b><i>Jo Ann in #WhenAWomanFindsHerVoice tells us about healthy community and relationships. And she speaks very candidly about how hard that can be. For us to trust. For our sisters in Christ to be open to someone not from their comfort zone.</i></b><br />
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We need to be willing to not only drop our stones and our walls, but we need to be willing to reach out our hands and hearts. <i style="font-weight: bold;">And most importantly for us who are seeking community - we need to reach out as well!</i> And do not despair of online connections, while they cannot replace the warmth of face time, they are still incredibly valuable! <i style="font-weight: bold;">Where else can we find someone to pray with us almost anytime, day or night? Or someone to celebrate with us? Or to mourn with us? Or to be there when we feel alone in the middle of the night? </i> <br />
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<a href="http://www.joannfore.com/" title="Jo Ann Fore"><img alt="Jo Ann Fore" src="http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a556/redemptiondiary/FindYourVoiceLinkup2_zpsc204a424.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a><br />
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<i>This post reminds me of my WWRWW group that I connected with back in the '90s. It also reminds me of my TRD sisters, my Army of Women sisters and all the others I can reach out to whether it is us two on a 'mom break date' or many of us praying on line together. I celebrate you, I thank you and I am thankful for you!</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15