Throwback Post March 2017: I NEED THAT MINUTE!

A lesson that I have to keep learning and reminding myself to do daily. I have REALLY simplified my life this year so far and I have way more "free time" so to speak. My priorities are narrower and more focused, my time given in ministry is more intentional in being a part of things that are solid and Biblically grounded on Truth, linking arms with people who are serious about living for Jesus and not just jumping in on activity and busy work. I am more focused on working on ways to better love my family and spend time cherishing those relationships. Things have simplified a lot in my life...and yet....

Sometimes I still forget to Just Breathe....

I still find things to fill up my days. I have a business and I am a crafter, so there's ALWAYS a project laying around somewhere for me to get done. My husband and I are fixing up our home and some of those home projects seem to take FOREVER... and then there's just life... which is always full of unexpected adventures and curve balls and a lot of "crazy" at times. And often I find myself feeling a little overwhelmed with just ... everything. You've been there too right? I'm pretty sure we all have.

Which is why God tells us... NOT TO WORRY. 

I have been reminded of this so many times and unfortunately this is not an area that I have mastered...yet. But it is an area that I am trying to grow in because it is something that God tells us not to do. Which means that this "not worrying" is crucial to our faith. Mustard Seeds and Moving Mountains are a big deal, because both of those are contingent upon a heart condition that Trusts and Believes and Relies on God no matter what. An unshakeable foundation. And that is what I am striving for. 

But I believe that there is a key element in achieving this victory: it's only through His grace at work in my life that I will have the strength to always look to Him FIRST instead of my own capabilities to take care of me. And the only way to continually walk in that grace that enables me to be who He has called me to be...is to daily take ahold of His hand and walk this road called life. I have to intentionally devote my time to my relationship with my God. The beautiful thing that we realize as we get older (even though sometimes we forget...) all 24 hours of the day actually belong to me... I am in control of how those hours, minutes, and seconds get spent. It may feel at times that everybody else controls our time and we have responsibilities of course, but nothing and no one controls our time without our consent. Which puts the responsibility of our time spent with God...completely on our shoulders. 

I cannot afford to cut God out of my day. Truth is, when I do...it affects everyone around me, because I am a better person because of Him. I'm not talking about putting God on a schedule, I'm not talking about reading 20 chapters of the Bible before breakfast either...but I am talking about making sure that He takes center point in my day. I am CONSTANTLY talking with Him AND listening to Him throughout my day, which I believe without a shadow of a doubt, is what keeps me grounded and solid and at peace because I know Him well. BUT I NEED to know His Word, I NEED to be intentional in making Him important and hungering after Him daily. I NEED to learn how to better...STOP and JUST BREATHE. Be still and just let Him be God in EVERY situation in my life. 

I love my journey with God...even the parts that I have not conquered because how wonderful it is, to be loved by a God, that is intentional in leading me into victory and not defeat! I WILL strive to TRUST HIM and REST IN HIM more so that worry... eventually won't cross my mind. What a goal right?  … ah but God says "Do not worry..."  and I know that "I can do ALL things, through Christ who strengthens me." The Grace of God...what a beautiful gift it is! 

Throwback Post April 2016: LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE?

So some of my recent "ponderings" lately have been about the subject of MIRACLES. I've been hearing a lot about everyday miracles, big miracles, small miracles, no more miracles, or even how we can be a miracle! And frankly, all this has got me thinking about what do we really believe about miracles?

     So here's what I have figured out so far.  I most definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, believe that Miracles do exist!  I read through the Bible and I believe those miraculous things that are talked about in those pages, definitely happened. I have also personally experienced some miracles, and I have personally witnessed some miracles. And all I can say is... every time, IT WAS AWESOME! I believe that miracles do happen. 

But I don't really think that for most people, this is the issue? I think that most people believe that miracles can happen. I think that the problem maybe lies in what we believe a miracle is and just how it comes about. I mean we are flooded with movies and music and random people in our lives that all talk about miracles but what is the TRUTH behind a miracle? 

First of all, through reading Scripture (which is where I base my Truth out of) I believe that the definition of a real miracle is  - something possible happening out of something impossible. basically, it's completely divine, not of human capabilities. 

     

       I believe that God can use His children as vessels in which He does a miraculous act through, but never is it because I can perform a miracle simply because God says I have the power to whenever I want. Miracles that come from God, always have a kingdom purpose. They are always made to glorify God and advance His purposes and I believe done in His timing. 

                 I think it's incredibly dangerous for us to overlook that He is the real Creator of Miracles. I get really nervous when people talk about their giftings like healing, which has a miraculous base so to speak, and are so sure when and where God is going to use them. Now, don't get me wrong, I totally believe that God uses us all in the giftings that He gives us but can also use us however He wants. But the point is that, it has to be HIM using us and our giftings according to His purpose, not just because He gave us a gift to use "whenever" we feel it's needed.  We can walk in confidence in the giftings that we have but we have to remain humble and in submission with those giftings to the God who gave them to us to use for His purpose. 

                I've heard preachers preach that God's will is that no one is sick so come up for healing...this is not Biblical. Does God want anyone to be sick? Of course not, but sin entered the world and God does allow sickness. Sometimes it's of our own making and we suffer the consequences and sometimes it's simply that we suffer because sin entered the world and we are affected by it. Sin isn't fair, never will be. But the TRUTH is, God does not ALWAYS heal us by our measure. God is our Healer, but He gets to the root of that word, and we may not always think He's healing us when in fact He is, just maybe not the way we want.  But there are examples in the Bible that God/Jesus did NOT physically heal those around them. 

       Now God did plenty of healing all throughout the Bible and He still does today! I think the key is that it's according to His will, and if we pray in faith believing that we are seeking the will of God and we believe that He can do the impossible...then He will heal us according to His will, and we will be okay with whatever that looks like. 

           Healing is only one of the many miracles that God can do. He can provide for us when the way and circumstances seem impossible, He can protect us in life endangering situations where there is no explanation how we made it through, He can raise the dead, He can calm the storm, He can cause us to do the impossible things...HE CAN! 

        He also warns us in the Bible about believing signs and wonders (miracles) that contradict who He is and what His Word says... WHAAATTTT??? yeah, He does. He tells us that the enemy (satan and demons) also do signs and wonders. Look it up in the Bible and read it. Now this puts a whole new twist on miracles doesn't it? I mean, miracles just got a whole lot more complicated than, "oh it's a miracle, thanks God!". It's ALL ABOUT HIS PURPOSES, HIS KINGDOM, and HIS GLORY. If it is not about these things, then those Miracles, are not coming from God. And if they are not coming from God, then why is the enemy trying to get you off track? Simple...that's ALWAYS been his goal. Satan doesn't care if you believe in God, he just doesn't want you living for Him. And if he has to trick you a few times to get you off track, believe me, he will. The question is, can you recognize the difference between the author of the "miracle"? 

      Now you might be saying, "Darby, why are you such a buzz kill! This article was pretty good until you threw that in!"  And that's okay, because like I said... I want to get to the TRUTH about miracles. And the truth is, God DOES do miracles! But unfortunately, there's a lot of false miracles out there as well that are not about God's purposes. And we need to know the difference!  I just recently listened to a song and read the lyrics by a "Christian" artist, that talked about how we need to Be the Miracle in someone's life. Now we "seasoned" believers can take that and say, yes God wants to use us to make a difference (not exactly a miracle) and we need to be His arms extended and offer love to those around us (again not exactly a miracle) but that's not really what the song is portraying in it's lyrics. Neither I nor You can ever BE a miracle to someone else. We don't have that capability, GOD can do a miracle through us but that is very different than being the miracle. I can't be what people "need", I cannot be their "hope". I can lead them to the One who is, but I cannot now, nor will I ever be their miracle.

       We can pass these things off and say, "it's really no big deal" and frankly, that would be much easier to do. In fact, i'm pretty sure that's what we have done in the Christian community, we just pass things off like it's not the main thing so who cares what people think about this or that...but I'm learning that God cares about what we believe about everything, and it actually really does matter. If we don't get to the TRUTH of EACH matter that forms our beliefs, then we start basing our belief system on untruths. This is destructive to our lives, our relationships with others, AND in our relationship with our GOD. God is all about TRUTH.  I think that the Church today is in such a state of confusion because we've been so passive over the "non-issues" that we've strayed so far away from the Truth, that nowadays, anything goes and everything's God. The little things matter, they really do.  

Miracles do happen, but real miracles are divine. You don't create them, I don't create them, they are not controlled by us at all. God's miracles will always bring us to a place that focuses on Him. He is a God of Miracles. Some people may not believe that miracles happen anymore because no one is parting a Red Sea, or feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and a

couple fish but... every sunrise and sunset, every tree that produces leaves, and every flower that blooms, every baby that is created, and every breath in your lungs....is a divine miracle that comes from a LOVING Creator. And those crazy awesome once in a lifetime, not every day miracles happen too! And THAT is pretty AMAZING! 

Throwback Post May 2016: UNLOCKING FREEDOM IN ALL THIS CRAZY

With all the crazy stuff going on in our world today, it's so easy to get frustrated and discouraged with the moral decline we are facing. We like to pass it off like it's just the way things are but the Truth is...it's very sad.  

My heart aches for those who are lost in life. Searching for real meaning and hope, and desperately trying to make sense of it all as they dig themselves deeper into a pit of darkness. My heart breaks for fellow "Christians" who are trying to make sin somehow okay with God and the more they try to celebrate the sins of others they themselves become lost from the Truth.

Things going on in the world are scary. Terrible things are happening all around us and there is a fear that one day we will face the same thing as other parts of the world. People around us have lost sincerity and that makes us unsure who we are dealing with whether we've known them a day or known them for years.

So my point to all this sad is that... There is still HOPE.

Hope that people can always stand up for what is right.

Hope that all "Christians" will make it a priority to really get to know God's heart and stop playing with fire and actually start giving people the message of the cross that we can be "FREE" from sin.

Hope that all people will realize that we are all NOTHING without God. We need Him.

Hope that our Nation can get back on it's feet and be the Strong Nation it once was, built on an unshakeable foundation.

Hope that all things can turn around.

There is only so much one person can do in this world to enforce change: Being the best "You" you can be. It's not a cheesy statement. None of us have arrived at being the best us we can be. It's time to get on it! I have decided that if I am going to influence any kind of change in this world then I have to start right here within my circle of influence. I might not be able to reach to the White House, but I can help make better people around me, which will make better people around them, ect...it's the ripple effect and it starts with me.

So I need to make sure that I am standing up for what is right...what is moral...what I truly believe in. I'm not here to be someone's biggest cheerleader because I want to be popular, but I'm here to be a solid example of God's Truth in my life. And that requires me holding tight to God's hand as I seek Him in Truth and as I speak for and live out that Truth in the face of many lies hidden within the culture we live in. 

We can make a difference because we serve a Big God who WANTS to use us to advance His Kingdom. Even though all kinds of crazy is happening in our world, the fact still remains that God is Here and He has already defeated the darkness! But so many people are not walking in that victory, but still roaming around bound by sin. So instead of trying to be careful not to make anyone uncomfortable by noticing their chains, why don't we start giving them the Truth that they CAN be FREE from those chains?

We have an AMAZING and POWERFUL message to give this world. This message has the power to Change their life, it's the message of the cross where Jesus ALREADY defeated everything they are facing, that He did not make a mistake when He created them, but He has a purpose and a plan just for them, they just have to accept it and walk in it! Why are we so afraid? What is the absolute worst thing that can happen from someone hearing the Truth about Jesus?  Hearing the Truth about their sin?

1. They won't like it and decide they don't want anything to do with God?...that's kinda where they're at already so...telling them really can't hurt 

2. Sin leads to death. Why wouldn't you want to tell them that they can be free?

There is a really big difference between Speaking the Truth and Speaking the Truth in Love...but there is still one very common denominator in both and that is Speaking.

I will strive to do better, will you?

When God's Heart Breaks...

What a sad few days it's been in our country. Tragedy has ripped through so many lives, altering lives forever. Tragedy's have struck close to home because of lives being lost through car accidents, suicides, abortions, illness...lives are being taken in the split second of a simple moment... here...then gone.

Grieving loved ones full of questions, fear, pain, anger... feeling lost among the rubble of confusion. Desperately seeking hope in the midst of the deepest dark.

People... all people... victims, murderers, loved ones, the hurting, the sad, the confused, the angry, the innocent...all are broken.

We often find ourselves in times like these asking God with sadness, deep pain, or anger "Why? Why? Why?"

We know that God loves us but how can He allow such senseless tragedy? Such hateful acts to invade our lives and rip apart our world?

It's because He loves us so much that He gave us "free will". The freedom to be, do, and act however we choose. Unfortunately with this great gift, it also allows people to choose evil. And Evil is not fair. Evil is out to destroy always. The consequences of Evil affect us all whether we participated in it or not. Innocence gets caught in the crossfire because Evil simply doesn't care and God promises EVERYONE a free will.

But dear broken child...      HIS HEART BREAKS more than you can ever imagine. He has done everything to give us a way out of the darkness. He has told us how to walk in freedom. He has shown us ALL how much He loves us over and over again. He wants His ENTIRE CREATION to love Him back and choose life. But... He has to watch...

 the people that He loves, that He died for, and desperately wants a relationship with... who choose to walk in Evil, to walk in hate, to do everything they can to destroy the lives of others. And NOTHING that you do in hate or in evil here on this earth, will even compare to what you will experience in Eternity without God.  And HIS HEART BREAKS FOR YOU... because this is completely YOUR CHOICE.

                       

                            He must watch...     

the people that He loves, that He died for, and desperately wants a relationship with... who choose not to go out and harm the world. who don't act out in violence or evil towards others, but choose to live in sin. He watches those He came to set free from the bondage of sin, the very thing Jesus died for on the cross so that nothing can stand in the way of our relationship with Him and our Eternity in Heaven... continue to CHOOSE sin over freedom. There is no worse sin than the other. There are no minor sins in the sight of God. Sin is sin and...IT'S ALL BAD. It all SEPARATES us from God. Sin is the very thing that will most definitely keep us away from God. Sin is deadly because it kills the soul. He has given us all the freedom and grace to overcome sin and walk in holiness. He watches AND HIS HEART BREAKS FOR YOU...because this is completely YOUR CHOICE.

He watches as all the innocent people that He loves, that He died for, and desperately wants a relationship with... who find themselves sideswiped into a whirlwind of pain and confusion, not knowing or understanding why their world is suddenly falling apart. He weeps for you because He understands your pain. He feels it too, only so much more intensely because it's not supposed to be this way, but He has to allow it because He allows each one of us in this world, all of His Creation...to choose who they will serve. HIS HEART BREAKS FOR YOU, because He loves you and He doesn't want any of                                                                                     us to hurt but He must allow it.

So what do we do amidst all this hurt? How do we make this world better?

We start with US.  There is Truth or there are Lies. There is Light or there is Darkness. There IS NO IN BETWEEN... We MUST CHOOSE each and EVERY day who we will serve. That means every day you only get 2 decisions: Obey God and Trust Him OR Disobey God and Trust yourself.  Plain and simple.  If we realize that those are our choices... we might start living differently. People might start seeing the Gospel for what it really is and want to live it too. See if we choose to be obedient instead of disobedient to God everyday, then we have to actually apply the Gospel to our lives instead of just quoting the parts we know. AND then maybe... people who live in darkness, will actually see the Light, can find hope in the Truth they are receiving by watching our actions and really know what it's like to be LOVED by God because His people are giving them the real thing. 

When we start caring more about what breaks God's heart than what offends someone we know... we begin to really "see" them through God's eyes. We begin to "understand" just how much He loves them and cares for them and does not want them to spend an eternity apart from Him forever... and we begin to "act" on that knowledge, and we start treating people the way God wants us to treat them. We begin to really understand what the meaning of "Love your neighbor as yourself" is really like. Because we have turned our complete focus of our day, our decisions, and our life into serving Jesus and really making Him Lord of our lives through CHOOSING to be obedient to Him. By US changing the way we view ourselves as the PRECIOUS Creation of our God... we can begin to make a life altering difference to the people all around us.

There is HOPE. God is love. God loves ALL people. It doesn't matter what you have done, murderer, liar, cheater, adulterer, homosexual, hypocrite, thief, unloving, prideful, gossip, ect... He is waiting for you to lay it down at His feet and leave it there... He WILL give you freedom, BUT we must ALL CHOOSE HIM. Because... He will allow us not to, and unfortunately for that, the fault lies with us.  If you want to make this world a better place... then You have to not just "know about" or "simply believe" in God...you have to live Him. You have to CHOOSE daily whether you will serve Him or not. Our lives can be over in one simple breath. You are NOT GUARANTEED A TOMORROW.  "Choose THIS day who you will serve"   it may be your last before you find yourself in Eternity.

God's Heart Breaks when the people He loves and created... choose to not love Him back completely.  I know I need to work on this...I hope you will join me and together we can make this world a better place.

Throwback Post July 2015: Where Are Your Tears?

Have you cried lately? Have you taken a really good look at the world around you today?  Do you feel God's heartbeat for the people you brush shoulders with everyday....in the supermarket...on the bus...at school...your neighbors....your family...your friends?  Do you know what grieves the heart of your God?  Do you see the pain that is being caused by sin in the world...in your community...in your church?

Have you stopped to wonder lately..."how does God feel about the state of this world....my town...my church...my life?"   Do you consider His words in the Bible and apply them to your life daily? Do you know what His words even are?  Have you fell to your knees recently and humbled yourself before the King of the Universe?   Have you stopped to consider recently whether or not your actions, your attitudes, your priorities...have in some way grieved the heart of God?

Have you found yourself during the last worship service you attended, worrying more about connecting with God on a whole new level or more about the people in the congregation who might be noticing you?  When is the last time the preaching of the Word of God has convicted your heart and brought you to your knees before your God? 

When's the last time you forgave someone who wronged you because you care more about pleasing God and your witness than your hurt feelings?  When's the last time you wrapped your arms around an "unlovely" person and told them that God loves them? 

When's the last time you stopped a conversation that started tearing someone else apart? When's the last time you stood up for what you know is right, not quietly in a corner but boldly in the face of opposition? When is the last time you told a friend that their sin will lead them down a path to Hell? When's the last time you looked at the sin in your own life that's leading you in that direction as well?

Do you know how much God really loves you? Can you comprehend what He goes through every time He watches you go your own way?  Do you know how many tears He cries as He watches the people He created as they turn from the Truth and embrace a life of sin?  Do you know how many tears He cries when He watches the people He created, cut Him out of all things and elevate evil instead...pray to evil instead....pledge their respect to evil instead?  Do you know how many tears He cries when we as His children...just don't get it?

Have you cried lately?

Pray for America...pray for your family...pray for your friends...pray for yourself....pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and TURN from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Throwback Post April 2016: The Struggle Is Real ... finding joy in the puddles of life!

       I have been challenging myself a lot lately in this area of my life. Staying positive and focused on the goals while walking through the mud puddles of my life. It's always much easier said than done, but it's in the intentional "doing" that we learn the most about ourselves I think.

    I mean I've learned that some things stress me out way more than I ever thought they would.  I've learned that if I continually focus on the impossible of the situation, I quickly get overwhelmed and can feel at times defeated.  I've learned that if I do not get adequate time sitting at the feet of Jesus and growing in my relationship with Him, I can DEFINITELY tell in my day, my attitude, and my decisions.

      So I've made it a practical point in my day, that IF I begin to face the impossible, or feel overwhelmed by the inevitable... that I simply stop and take a breath, and remember that God may not change my circumstances, but if I keep ahold of His hand, ALL things are POSSIBLE.

      This has been a great source of comfort the last few weeks...or years of my life really. I'm definitely trying to be more intentional about remembering it now though! Ya know my heart has been very heavy lately for some of my "friends/people that I know" who are really struggling right now with confusion and a lack of hope. They often talk about how bad they are hurting in life and they don't know what to do to get back on track. They don't understand why life is so hard and why it is so unfair. The hard part is, they have been exposed and told about the TRUTH of Jesus, but they continue to CHOOSE to live life without Him. And we know that until you make your own choice to TRUST in Jesus, there's nothing anyone else can ever do, to make your life right and give you real peace.

     This has been another great reminder to me that I DO have hope. I CAN have peace. I just have to run to Him instead of away when life gets hard. I know that without holding tight to His hand I will be lost. I cannot do life alone, I am simply not strong or smart enough to make it on my own. I NEED Jesus. And when I start realizing just how amazing He really is and how much I really need Him, suddenly... nothing in my life that I'm going through really is that big any more. It doesn't mean that I won't get overwhelmed at times but it's in "those moments" that my faith is put to the test and that is a GOOD thing.

    We all like to talk about our faith in God, but it really has no merit until it's been put to the test right? Hard times of muddy waters force my faith in action. Will I continue to walk in what I know is truth despite the uncertainty of the worldly outcome? Or will I cave in and just sit in the mud pit for awhile and wonder where God is?  The truth that we all come to realize is that...God doesn't remove the mud puddles from our lives does He? His job has never been to make our lives easy by removing all the heartache this world offers, but rather He simply promises us that we will NEVER have to go through it alone. He is always by our side. We can most definitely push Him away, but He is always reaching out His hand to us. It's really our choice. 

    Sometimes the puddles are there by our own making. I know this truth all too well, and it's not a part of God's plan that I go through it but He will allow it because I had a free will to make the choices I did to create it. But if I reach out my hand to Him and bring Him back into the center of my life, He will help me get through it and come out stronger and wiser on the other side.  And sometimes those puddles are just there because we live in a world full of sin, and even though we may not have done anything to cause it, it happens because all sin has consequences and affects other people who don't deserve it. That's the problem with sin. Sin isn't fair. But the thing about God is, He is still right there with us, hand extended to help us wade through it to the other side.

THIS IS ME :)  BACK THEN, MUD WAS JUST MUD. ;)

 So I choose to hold tight to His hand. I choose to believe that no matter how scary it may seem, He is much bigger than any problem I might be facing. I choose Jesus daily. And ONLY by doing these things, can I have real peace and a lot of joy as I puddle jump my way through life. Even though life is hard... puddle jumping with Jesus, puts it in a whole different perspective. Let's do this! ;)

Throwback Post April 2015: Finding Kindness

          Where has kindness gone? Our society seems to rapidly be spinning itself out of control. We are losing a hostile battle of hatred, division, narcissism, and evil. People have turned on each other, "Christians" have turned on each other. Children are being taught that it's okay to treat others with hatred. Yes, part of it is the times we are living in. God told us it would be this way. But it makes me wonder... is He pleased with how we as His children are reacting in this day and age? 

      Are WE showing kindness the way that we should? What does kindness look like to God? What does He expect of us? This question has been rolling around in my thoughts lately as I watch the world around me. Everywhere I go, I'm not seeing people loving each other, helping each other, caring for each other, encouraging each other along in our journey with Christ; I see jealousy, and insecurity, takers and cheaters, people faking their love for God and for others. People out to get what's theirs regardless of who gets trampled on in the process. Where is kindness?

       Of course not everyone is lacking in kindness, I personally know several people who I see kindness spilling out of their life, but still...can we become better at it? Can we start thinking of others better than ourselves? Can we start looking out for the needs of others before we make sure we have everything that we want? Can we start caring enough about other people that we become kind enough to tell them the Truth about God? 

      There's a great song that I know and there's a line in it that states: "It's Your kindness Lord, that leads us to repentance..." what a statement. I believe this is true. I believe that not only did Jesus give us the ultimate act of kindness by dying on the cross for our sins, but also that He lived a life of kindness. Everywhere He went, He showed kindness. It doesn't mean that He never said anything that didn't offend anyone, no frankly He offended people all the time, sometimes the Truth is offensive because it interferes with our sin, but He knew the punishment for our sin was Hell and He was and is kind enough to point us to the Truth.  

      My thoughts are how can I be more kind in this world? If it's God's kindness that leads to repentance...I am a follower of Jesus, that means that I represent Him in everything I do. How can I show His kindness to others so that they can come to know Him better? If I truly want to please God, then I must continue on a journey of kindness to those I come in contact with daily. My prayer is that God will continue to show me how to be kind to those around me. To be aware of those around me whom He is needing me to be His arms extended. I am excited to look for more opportunities to show kindness to the ones I hold dear and to the ones whom I may only meet for a second. Let me be Your vessel Lord...love through me. Teach me how to be kind.