Words for Women

Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?"

This is the month of Thanksgiving and we have soooo much to be thankful for. Most of all, that He is for us!!

We had a motorcycle accident on Oct 23 and we have seen miracle after miracle! Can I share some with you?

Me-only some bruises. I landed in a ditch on my back with my head right beside Tim's but I was upside down from him. The people we were riding with though they saw me thrown from the bike (which makes sense)!

Tim-broke both wrists, but only the radius, so plates were put in (not both bones!). After his wrists were set he had no pain. And after the surgery a few days later, he took pain meds for only 1 1/2 days and then moved to Tylenol.

Tim was life-flighted to Sarasota Memorial. It surprised the staff that they didn't take him to Tampa. There is would have been much harder for us and also Dr. Holden was at Sarasota.

With the wreck, we missed a pole and a barbed wire fence. We laid in the ditch 20-30 minutes waiting for the EMS (as they instructed us not to move if we didn't have to) and there were NO fire ants, which arevery prevalent in Florida!

Our wonderful friend Sheri ( who is a miracle in herself as she did LOTS for us) was not gotten ahold of to come to the accident to get our stuff. So our friends on the motorcycle ride with us called his parents to come. This left Sheri free (and she answered the first time she was called for this) to come get me at Manatee Memorial Emergency to take me to Tim at Sarasota Memorial. It's really hard in a situation like this to be separated and pretty much uniformed about the other person!

Dr. Holden, the surgeon, was one of the best around. He was VERY attentive and even gave us his personal cell number. He made a follow-up appointment with Dr. Kolovich in Bryan, Ohio who is "in network" with our insurance. We didn't know it at the time!

Our good friends, Brian and Carol Keegan, already had airline tickets to fly down and ride back to Ohio with us. We just had planned this on October 20th. So Brian was able to drive our truck and trailer and get us home!

Our phones, iPads and Tim's glasses were all found and none were broken!

Most of all, was the supernatural peace which passes all understanding! People remarked on the peace when they entered the hospital room.

Miracles show us that God is present. We are not alone. No matter what it looks like or how it "feels", God said that He is for us! He is with you in the midst of trouble. There is nothing too big for our God. Trust Him!

WHO TOLD YOU THAT

Genesis 3:11 “Who told you that you were naked?…

Who told you that? Say it with attitude - WHO TOLD YOU THAT?

This is something we need to continually ask ourselves. We have believed lies that the devil told us as though it was something that was true. Who told you that you can’t take anymore? Who told you to worry? Who told you that your child will not serve Jesus? Who told you that? As women, we hear demeaning thoughts all of the time. You are not the lone ranger here. The enemy wants us to think that we are stupid, ugly, worthless…the list could go on and on. My husband had a grandma that was not a nice lady. He grew to pretty much despise her as she did things over and over and over. So I have been told in my mind that I am just like Grandma ________. My husband and kids would be better off without me. (Have you heard that last line spoken to you?)

As I have grown in the Lord, I know that many have “heard” such things. But we choose to ask, “Who told me that?” Surely not God. Not even my family. It is a lie! A bold-faced lie! And the devil wants me to believe it and act on it. On the positive side; If God said it in His Word, we need to boldly proclaim, “God, YOU told me that!” YOU told me that you loved me! YOU told me that the seed of the righteous is blessed! YOU told me that everything I put my hand to would prosper. I don’t see it. I don’t feel it!

But the Word of God says it, so I’m going to believe that it is true. God has said that you are the head and not the tail. God has said that He has made us more than conquerors. God has said that we are His children and He made us equal heirs with Jesus! (I am preaching to myself and it is

making me happy!)

Wow! You have some powerful gifts inside of you put there by the Holy Spirit! Many will be blessed by the fruit that only you can produce. But… Are you choosing to believe the Bible? How about when you don’t “feel” it? You know that it is still true, don’t you?

Ask yourself, “Who told me that?” Only listen to God! Not any person or the enemy. Only listen to God!

Minimalist Joy

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I am so very blessed! YOU are so very blessed! I have so much to be thankful for! I have a family. A wonderful husband! I have a warm home. A bed. A relatively healthy body. Food. Water. I get to bathe daily in hot water! I don’t have to go to hell because of what Jesus did on the cross for me. I have a car. I have a computer. A cellphone. The list goes on and on…

It is so easy to think about the things that you don’t have and forget about the many blessings that you have. Sometimes my husband makes me mad and I can focus on his faults (yes, he has some!). Sometimes my body doesn’t want to cooperate with me! Sometimes I look at my neighbor’s house (there is always something bigger and better, right?)! Sometimes I concentrate on what I “can’t” do on the computer or cellphone I have. Sometimes I want food that is different than what I have. Whaa!

I refuse to be a whiner! I refuse to think on the negative! We have so many positives in our lives. Unfortunately, this has to be a determination for me. The grass always looks greener somewhere else, but there is poop in their yards, too, if we get close enough to see it. There are many who would gladly change lives with me. My “bad” is a lot better than their “good”.

On the whole, Americans have so much! And yet they are one of the most depressed people on earth. Nigerians are rated at being #1 at enjoying life. There is something twisted to this. What is wrong?

Stuff doesn’t produce joy! We think it does. We want more…bigger…better… But we lack purpose in this. We spin our wheels at things that don’t really matter. It is time to STOP and survey your life! Rate what is most important. Ask God to break your heart with the things that breaks His heart. Ask Him to give you purpose; to show you what you can do to make a difference in the lives of others. Thank Him for the abundance that you have and ask Him to show you how you can give more. That is where the joy is - in serving - in being thankful!

Right Thinking

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Perspective. Thinking like God thinks. Trusting Him when we only see the “little picture” and He sees the “big picture”. It is like us looking through a straw at a picture and only seeing a tiny bit of the whole thing. We don’t get to enjoy the beauty of the picture for we are only seeing maybe one color or one little area.

As it is with life…sometimes we are only seeing a small glimpse of what God is doing. We have questions, doubts, and fears. But we can trust God! He has our good in mind and is working in our lives to create a beautiful masterpiece! When Jonah was swallowed by the whale and was in the midst of its belly, he could only see whale everywhere he looked. And yet God saw a different picture. He saw Jonah being used by God, and the city of Nineveh repenting and coming to Him! He saw good things coming in Jonah’s life.

God sees good things coming in our lives, too! He is creating an awesome “picture” of His grace and love transforming us into people that look and act like Jesus! I continually need reminded to think rightly, so therefore I think that to remind you never hurts. Right thinking is a choice you have to make for yourself the rest of your life. It takes deliberate, purpose-driven thinking to maximize your joy and not to settle to live a life of mediocrity. The secret to living an exceptional life tomorrow is a matter of thinking strong, joyful thoughts today!

What we receive will be the result of what we believe. We choose to believe the Word of God; not what we see or feel. It is so easy to be moved by these things, but the Word never fails. It can bring the victory we need. Some cruel person may say one weird thing about you and you believe or think the wrong thing about yourself. Like “having a unibrow” or “being fat” or “stupid”. My brother used to call me bubbles, chubs, and fatty to the point that I would scream “I hate you” to him. I didn’t mean it and would cry in sorrow that I said such things. But I would have to say that I have fought battles with “fat” thoughts my whole life!

It doesn’t matter what others think as much as it matters what YOU think! Choose to think rightly about yourself! We have so much to be thankful for. We have food, water, a house, bed to sleep in, clothes to wear, etc. 

Forgive us, Lord, when we grumble or take for granted the many things You awesomely provide. Help us to think rightly. I pray that the women of God would arise and be examples to the world of all that you have done for us. Help us to be fully awake and alive!

I Trust You

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plan that I have for you“, declares the Lord, “plans for welfare

and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

What a powerful verse!

Sometimes we are scared about our tomorrows and our hope is dashed to the rocks, but our God

says good things to us. As we immerse ourselves in His Word and allow Him to speak to us, faith arises in our hearts. We know that we can trust in Him!

I like the story in Mark 4 about Jesus being asleep in the boat during a great storm. He had already spoken that they would go to the other side. The disciples woke Him with great fear and torment and said, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” He awoke and said, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” So I ask you today? Why are you afraid? Hope in God! He has your back. He promised to never leave or forsake us! (These are questions that I still have to ask myself at times!)

We need to arise with that simple faith of a child. We trust Him to take good care of us. It doesn’t matter what things may look like, or feel like; it matters what He has said to us in His Word!

The Bible is FULL of magnificent promises. The grace that has been extended to us is absolutely amazing! We don’t deserve His tender care and continuous watchful eye, but He gives it to us anyway. All we have to do is to lie back in ease and say “I trust You!” “I trust You to turn this bad situation around!” “I trust You to soften their heart!” “I trust You to provide abundantly for me.” “I trust You to bring about healing in my body even though it looks like things are getting worse.” “Jesus, I trust You!”

He hasn’t brought you this far to allow you to drown in defeat. God is a god of miracles and will part the Red Sea if that is what it takes to deliver you. He is a God that is more than enough for every situation. He has delivered us from the kingdom of the enemy to bring you into a good land… a land that is flowing with milk and honey.

Expect Him to show Himself strong to you today!

His Love

Ephesians 3:14-19 (The Message)

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

We need revelation of this magnificent love that the Father has for us! Even as I write this, I know this is an area that I need to grow in!

God wants us to experience Him and this great love. It is to be more than a head knowledge, but something that we KNOW! Jesus came to earth, bore our sins and sicknesses on the cross, suffered and died for us, and was raised again conquering death, hell, and the grave. He put the enemy under His feet, defeating him so that we could have total victory in our lives.

As this scripture says, we are to live full lives! John 10:10 says that Jesus came to give us abundant lives! He has wonderful things for each of us. All we need to do is believe and receive what He has already provided.

God wants us to feel good about ourselves. He doesn’t want us to feel like we never measure up. The Bible says that there is “no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”. We don’t measure up in ourselves, but because of the great grace that He poured out upon us, we are accepted, forgiven, adopted, redeemed, chosen... God is pleased with us. That is so hard to fathom. He sees us in Jesus and chooses to lavish His goodness upon us! We don’t deserve this awesome love. We can’t do anything to earn it. Therefore, we can’t do anything to lose it. Wow! “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Did you get that? You can’t do anything to lose God’s love. He knew what He was getting when He got you and wants you! It is not based on our own merit or our own goodness. But it is His goodness!

What does this look like for you? You can go about your every day with your head held high and with lots of joy. You can live secure in His love. If you mess up, there is forgiveness. Even if others disappoint you or are disappointed with you, you can have hope knowing that God loves you and wants to bless you in every way.

You, also, can be a blessing to others as you allow those rivers of His love to splash upon all those that you come in contact with. Since we are loved, we can love.

He causes us to be secure in Him. Because of that security, we can add strength to others. We can build and encourage. That not only inspires others, but it adds fullness to our lives!

Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

His love is beyond measure! Let’s determine to get a greater revelation of this. Let’s ask Him to help us to understand this great love!

He's got His Hold on You

Hebrews 13:5-6 – AMP

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor 

leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you 

helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] 

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is 

my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. 

What can man do to me? 

Wow!  I love this! I heard a teaching on this and it was explained that He has a grip on our forearm and He is not letting go.  There are so many times that I become weary and lose my hold on Him and it is great to know that He never lets go of us.  He said He would NEVER leave or forsake us. 

People let us down.  Even the best spouse will let you down.  Why?  Because they are human.  We, also, will let people down.  We try… (Don’t you try?) But we have natural, human, (and sometimes very selfish!) love.  

He has perfect love for you.  He IS love! If you are too young to remember seeing the old “Tarzan” movies with Johnny Weissmuller, you’ll have to use your imagination.   Many times people were falling in quick sand and it was pulling them under.  (There is also a scene of this in the “Princess Bride” which is a little closer to your era…)  This is what I picture when I read this verse.  He is always there to throw you a rope and keep you from going under. 

When you feel like you can’t take any more, you can trust that He has not let go of you.  It may not look or feel good, but that is what faith is… Believing what we can’t detect with our senses. 

Is this hard?  You betcha!  Are there times you feel like giving up?  Been there and done that!  But is He faithful?  Yes, yes, and yes again!  Don’t quit.  There is light at the end of your tunnel! 

I remember a young woman losing her child and wanting to rescue her from the hurt.  She sang the praise song, “O No You Never Let Go” with tears streaming down her face.  Later she gave testimony of how the Lord was with her and blessed her with another child.  She chose to praise Him and to believe in the midst of a terrible storm that the Lord was with her through the wind and rain, hurt and despair.  

If He did it before, He’ll do it again!  He’s there for you!!!