Do-Overs

I just want to thank God today for the concept of forgiveness or as I need to call them from time to time: "Do-Overs". The only thing is, I wish I didn't need to use them as often as I do. Does anyone else ever feel that way? I know I cannot be the only one who feels as though they just keep needing a second, third, fourth, maybe 56th do-over. Right? One of the wonderful things about God is that He knows my heart, even when no one else does. He understands my heart even when no one else does. He knows when I mess up and I am genuinely disappointed about it. He sees my sorrowful heart and He forgives me...He grants the "do-over".

People on the other hand, not so easy sometimes. When we mess up and it effects the people in our lives and in our spheres of influence, they can't always see our heart-felt sorrow or the disappointment we feel because of our own actions. Sometimes they can see it and yet it is still hard to grant the "do-over". I wish we weren't that way. When people hurt us or wrong us...it can leave a mark or a scar. When we put our hand on a hot stove, we learn very quickly not to do that again. When we open up to someone, trust someone, allow someone into our worlds and they wrong us in some way, sometimes the reaction is not to do that EVER again--not to allow them the opportunity to hurt us (burn us) again. "Self-preservation"- some call it. It's so easy to just shut down, to close up, to withdraw.

I struggle against doing this because it is more than a silly term like "self preservation" is it unforgiveness. But unfortunately, it can be in my nature, from having been burned way too many times, in some circumstances. However, the key to all of this is seeking to know the heart of the offender. If I know someone has hurt me and left a burn mark on my heart, but I am able to determine that it was not intentional and that they hurt too that they caused me harm, I should forgive. It is tough to do sometimes even when the offender is truly sorry. But if they are truly sorry...it is critical. It is biblical...especially if we expect to be forgiven too.

Now, I would never recommend anyone putting themselves in harms way or at the mercy of someone who continually hurts them, wrongs them, cannot seek forgiveness, and does not make efforts to correct and change the issue. Those situations are markedly different. Forgive, but do not continue to allow the abuse...and if those are the circumstances...then it is abuse.

I want to thank my God today for all of the thousands of "do-overs" He's granted me and to those in my life who have granted them in the past and will grant them now and in the future. I make every effort to recognize my falters and failings and beg God to help change me daily. I also ask God to help me also grant those "do-overs" to those in my life who falter and fail effecting me as well. We all fall short. We all need forgiveness and "do-overs". God, help me to be like You. Help me to grant "do-overs" with a glad heart. Help me to start anew today with yet another clean slate. Help me treat others to a clean slate as well. Help me to leave past injuries behind me and to never revisit them on myself or on others. Help the scars to leave me smarter not harder.

---Because of your Precious Son...AMEN.

Breakfast Time Again

Have I told you guys yet just how much I love my job? Sometimes it can be overwhelming, I must confess. But the truth of it is, it only gets that way when I try to do it all by myself. Yes, it is MY job, but God gave it to me, knowing I could do it, but only leaning on Him and with His strength. It is when I think it is all on my shoulders, that I begin to buckle under the weight of it all. Yet another reason I love my job is that is brings me closer to Him, because I simply cannot do this job WELL, without Him. So I am constantly drawing nearer to Him in order to handle the load. That's pretty cool.

The reason for this post is that I was yet again touched by the Men's Breakfast this weekend at my church. The title of the message presented to these men was "Why Would a Christian Wife Cheat?" WOW! It was so good. I wish every man on the planet could have been there. At the end, they prayed, on their knees. They prayed: to be the husbands or future husbands that God designed them to be. They prayed over their marriages, their wives, and their leadership. I still can't get over the way it so deeply moves me, as a woman, to see a room FULL of men pray together...ON THEIR KNEES no less! It was awesome

One thing still bothers me about these things, though. I know that everyone that came to this was blessed by it. It couldn't be helped. The message was just that powerful. But I can't help but think that the men that were NOT there, are probably the men, in most cases, that needed to hear it the most. Their own spirituality could have been improved, their own marriages or future marriages could have been incredibly changed, their minds and hearts could have been impacted and blessed. I couldn't help but look around that room and think there need to be more men here. SO many men (and their wives) would've been changed and blessed by this, but sadly, were not. Instead, they had better things to do. Playing golf, sleeping in, thinking, "Hey, I don't need that, I'm not even married...I'll just catch the next one." Makes me a bit sad.

But all in all, it was awesome! It was a blessing to all who attended. I am so blessed to be a part of that ministry. I truly am.

Thank You God for allowing me to working in such an amazing place and in such crucial ministries. Continue to move that incredible message from yesterday within the hearts, souls, and minds of the men in attendance. Bless their efforts to be the strong Godly leaders in their relationships. Change their relational spirits to reflect that of Solomon and his beloved. Draw them ever nearer to You and to their wives. Help them to never forget what they heard this weekend. I come to you with all of this in Your Son's precious name...Amen.

Could it be...I THINK SO!!!

Isn't life mysterious? I mean, the way God can orchestrate things in our lives in ways that leave us simply baffled and in awe...I love that! There are many circumstances in my life and in the lives of several of my close friends right now that are nothing short of mysterious. I don't mean that in a Scoody Doo & Friends in the Mystery Machine kind of mysterious. I mean, mysterious in a spiritual, supernatural, "God-thing" kind of way.

Sometimes we have to just get out of the way and let Him do His thing. Some times we have to feel the pain, hit rock bottom, do it "our" way, get our hearts broken, get bumped and bruised and dragged through the mud in order to get to the destination He had in mind. Just because God's finger prints are all over circumstances in our lives, doesn't mean we get through them and get to where He wanted us to be, unscathed. In many many cases, the pain and hurt and the scars are part of what He needed us to experience in order to get us where He wanted us. He never promised us an unscathed life. Even in the most beautiful blessings He has placed in my life, I had to go through unspeakable pain and anguish to arrive there! AND even in the midst of the sweet place He wanted me to be, there can still be more pain and tough lessons to be learned. I hope none of us are under the impression that at some point we will "have arrived". And that then everything will be smooth sailing from that point forward. In this fallen world, life does not work that way. It simply doesn't. BUT, in all things rejoice. If you are hurting, but striving to live His way--rejoice, knowing you are in His hands and on a path to blessings you cannot yet fathom or comprehend. If you are on a mountain top of fulfillment and happiness know that even in the most wonderful, knock-your-socks-off times in our lives eventually there will come trials and difficulties. It is inevitable.

I have personally been blessed in some very surprising and wonderful ways over the past year, and yet, I still have lessons to learn even within those blessings. I know not to get too comfortable in this life. There are always new challenges, new lessons, and an enemy who knows no concept of "letting up" on the pressure. But I know that in all of the trials AND all of the blessings...God is there. His hands are all over all of it! His fingerprints are everywhere. He can turn everything around for HIS glory and bless your socks off! He can heal a broken, bleeding heart. He can mend wrongs between friends. He can heal the sick. He can give comfort to the lonely. He can grant forgiveness. He can restore purity. He can orchestrate circumstances in our lives and use people who have hurt us to lead us to our healing. The painful experiences and the hurtful people who have cut you to the core may have just been the conduit to help you get to where HE wanted you to be all along. Look for it. See what He's done. See what He is doing. He can do anything! He's done it in my life over and over, and I see Him doing it in the lives of others I know too.

God, thank You for all of the struggles, trials, pain, and heartbreak I have experienced. You used them to point the way to where I needed to be. I see you doing that in the lives of others too. Thank you for helping me to release in forgiveness those that hurt me in ways that were so deep and so painful that no one but You will ever fully understand. Help those that I have hurt deeply a long the way to release me as well, knowing that You can use the pain I have caused in others as a conduit to where they need to go too. Use it all for Your glory. And thank You for where You've led me. I know I have a long road to travel, but I see Your glory and Your blessings in the way You so intricately orchestrate it all for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your will. You surprise me and amaze me every single day, Father. Thank You.