WHERE YOUR RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD...

Her husband has decided to be an atheist.
He just got back from a mission trip and fears the sting of what he saw will fade.
She was sick for 2 years.
Her man was deployed for a year.
They lost a child hours after he was born.
Her mind has become a battlefield.

As we sat in class discussing how we get through the dark times, I heard or thought about these stories I knew to be true. The answer was the same - you stay in the body of Christ, you focus on what you know to be true, you get deep in scripture. You choose.
As I sat there listening, I couldn't help think of how we, sometimes, can make it sound like an easy choice, like if you're a good Christian it should not be difficult, and how unfair that is of us. We make newbies think they are failing if they struggle with it. We make older Christians want to hide their struggles because they should be better and be stronger by now.
It is not always the easy choice. It takes work. It takes being intentional and deliberate.
As I said to one, do not let anyone condemn you for being afraid, or for crying, or for being upset. You need to shed those tears and you need to be honest in those fears. However, in the midst of all that is where your rubber meets the road. At the bottom of all those emotions and vain imaginations and hurts, you must make the choice to believe Jesus or not. We all have to make that choice. And it's usually not a one time decision. You may have to choose every day, you may have to choose it every hour, or you may have to choose it with every thought.
And only you can make it.
We can believe Jesus for you.
We can pray and intercede for you.
We can encourage you.
But we can not choose for you.
You choose.
And you can not choose for me.
I choose.

Today, if the darkness is trying to overtake, if the tears come up like a fresh hit oil well, if the fears try to cripple your every muscle, you take every bit of that before God. You be honest and you pour it all before the feet of Jesus. Don't try to hide it. Don't try to act like a good Christian who has it all under control. You lay it all out. If need be, you lay it all before a trusted brother or sister in Christ as well. You unload all your baggage you have been carrying on your walk, and then you let that rubber hit the road. You choose. One foot in front of the other in steps surrendered to Jesus Christ. You stay in the body, you restate over and over what you know to be true about the heart and character of God, and you dig up Scripture.

Each step will become more sure.
Each mile walked will be with more confidence.
Not in you but in Him.
Your knees will steady, your back will straighten, and your head will look up.
Soon you will see that on this narrow road, you do not walk alone.
He chooses to walk with you.

Psalm 9:9-10 (NKJV)

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

THIS WEEK....

ARE WE COMMITTED OR SURRENDERED

"Americans love commitment because they are still in control. But the key word is surrender. We are to be the slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ."
                        (p. 28, Kingdom Authority, Adrian Rogers)

This quote was at the end of a story Mr. Rogers shared about ministering in Romania. The pastor speaking was describing American Christianity.

Did it strike a cord with anyone else?

It sure did with me. Just looking at my own walk, I found myself agreeing with his description. I can recall times when I was committed on my own terms versus surrendering on God's terms.
Listen, not that commitment is a bad word or even a bad thing. But I've found for myself, that my commitment in some areas tends to waiver with my comfort. Do you know what I mean?

The question is asked how I would explain the difference between the the two.
How is commitment different form surrender?
My answer- commitment is fulfilling my obligations while surrender is doing whatever I am asked to do.

Surrender is scary for me.I don't like not being in control. I don't usually think of being a captive as a good thing. I see being forced to do things I don't want to do. But you know what? Fear is from the devil. When I am called by God to surrender, I need to remember that I am being called to be a captive of the Most High God. The One who loves me. Period. The One who sifts all that comes my way through His nail pierced hands, seeing my name before His eyes. The One in whose heart I can trust. The Faithful One.  

So my questions to you are:
Do you see a similar contrast in your own life? Do you find you do more because of commitment rather than a surrendered heart? Can commitment lead to surrender? How would you distinguish the two?

Fire away:)

AND THE FOLLOW UP...

The other day I posted this to Facebook.
             

I've gone back and forth all day as to address this or not. I am just heartbroken for what I fear has happened and will happen to many many marriages and relationships. 50 shades of Grey. Magic Mike. These are just the front runners today. We have seen it with Twilight. We have seen it in TV shows for years. Ladies, please be on your guard. We have an enemy looking to devour us and ours. That little sting of discontentment you feel after reading books or watching shows of that nature, or any that we use to fill a void we think we have, that may well be his first bite before he devours you, your relationships, and your family. You may not see it until it is too late. Please, please be on your guard and use discernment. Ask yourself if you would be ok with your husband or boyfriend or son seeing and reading similar stories involving women. It is something we all, myself included, need to be alert about. Our enemy, the devil, is sly. He often hides great falls under the guise of fun.

Honestly, I struggled with it. Not because I don't stand behind it, because I do, but because I didn't want you to think I have it all together and never struggle with discontentment in my life.

I don't.

I have.

I still do.

That it is not enough. Our job. Our home. Our relationships. Our spouses. Our God. It is the goal of the enemy to get us to doubt those things. More importantly, it is his goal to get us convinced that Christ is not enough. To forgive our sins. To heal our wounds. To redeem what has been lost. To restore our lives.

Maybe you are content with all you have. I say great! Praise God that you are. In that contentment, be alert. Even in the midst of our learning to be content, and choosing to be content, we must be on guard. Even the smallest hint of wistful thinking, of vain imaginations, of lust (in any sense), could be just the root that tiny seed might need to flourish. I can testify to that fact...the smallest, most fleeting of thoughts can cause a root to dig in so deep you won't even know it until it is too late.

I am not talking about wanting to better your life. Wanting to have a better job, a better marriage, a better handle on your money, or whatever. I am talking about the feeling that what you have been given is not enough, a feeling that leaves you extremmely unsettled and void of peace.

What if the seed has already been planted? What if you have crossed that line and find yourself gnawing on the bone of discontentedness - in any area?

READ ME CLEARLY - JESUS CHRIST IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO HANDLE THAT!

It won't be easy. It will take choices on your part. The choice to look at what is really going on inside your heart, which is usually the ugliest and scariest part. The choice to call sin out. The choice to willingly submit your ways, actions, words, and decisions to Jesus Christ. The choice to let go of it and let Jesus help you. Maybe even the choice to tell someone else and get an accountability partner.

But it can be done. Your contentment can be restored. Your joy can be restored. Your peace can be restored.

With your spouse.

Your life.

Your job.

Your relationships.

Jesus Christ in more than enough.

So be wise guys and gals. Wise as serpants.

Be gentle peeps. Gentle as doves.

Be confident. Confident in Christ Jesus.

He is our victory.

1 John 5: 3-5(NIV)

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING....

According to my blog manager, I am suppossed to write on here. But really, how exciting would it have been for you to read over the last week,
My ear hurts and I went to the doctor....
My ear still hurts and I went back to the doctor....
I am walking around with this white thing hanging out of my ear and I went to the doctor....
Today, my ear doesn't hurt quite so bad....
There was enough of that from me on Facebook.
The only thing new is that I have decided the "stuff" in my house is getting on my nerves. So, since my ear started feeling better, I have been going through my kitchen. I am an equal opportunity "stuff" get rid of-er. I tackled the boys' room and the hallway before I became sickly. Well, the kitchen is taking about three days. Which is exactly 70 hours longer than I wanted it to. However, looking into that decluttered pantry everyday does make me happy. The living room is next on my list before I tackle our master bedroom. Considering how long the kitchen took, I don't have much hope for finishing before school starts again. For those of you wondering, no I have not read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Hatmaker. I just get tired of the stuff.
And moths.
We have been fighting moths in our bathroom. That would have been the other posts....
I cleaned the bathroom to kill the moths....
The moths came back....
I cleaned the bathroom to kill the moths....
The moths are still here....
Fly paper seems to be my best friend. Economical and sure-fire. I have also had to wash everything in the bathroom pretty much everyday.

So, dear blog manager, who I love, here is your blog update. Of course, you had the gall to go out of town and won't read it till next week, but it will be here waiting.
Have a wonderful weekend peoples of the internet.

GROWN UPS

No, not the movie. (Yet, just for you sister....Somebody shoot that turkey!)
Grown ups in Jesus. Mature Christians. Maturity defined by relationship and not age. On Sunday I start a class on Matt Chandler's study of Philippians. I am pretty excited. I haven't seen a lot of Chandler's stuff. I caught him on the Elephant Room clips. I have listened to a sermon, at best two. I haven't read the Explicit Gospel. What I have seen though, I liked. I was challenged. Which is the number one reason I excited about this study. I want to be challenged. I want to meet with Jesus and have Him grow me up. Dangerous statement? Very possibly. It could get real ugly. Growing pains hurt, but who wants to stay a Christian toddler? I have seen myself as that...fit throwing...mine-mine-mine...no thank you. A Christian teenager? Insecurity about who I am and relationships I have and needy friendships and not being part of the "in" group and letting it bother me and she stole my bestest friend....please, please let's get on with it.  So, I am a little stoked about it. The growing pains may or may not be played out here. You may just get analogies about our relationship with Christ and the process of canning tomatoes. I had one last night about how placing them in the boiling water and removing their core is much like us realizing our sins and sinful hearts, and then how the hot water we find ourselves in often seals us in Jesus, preserving us, or we don't seal and we ruin. Of course, it may have been the lack of sleep talking. Posting at midnight rarely a good idea.
What about you? What is the topic of your small group or Sunday school class? What do you think about it so far? How have you been challenged?

WE ARE ROCKERS...

This is my reading chair.

Yes, it is covered in wildlife.

Matches a blanket we have.

My mama did it.

Covered the chair, not made the blanket.

It's my rocker glider from when MC 1 was born.

I am emotionally attached.

This is my reading stack.

You will see Agape Road by Bob Mumford on top.

A timely study for me.

God is so in my business.

Then my Bible.

At the bottom - a First Place fact sheet.

We will leave that topic alone for now.

All those times I rocked MC 1, I really never envisioned this.

That one day, my baby would be reading in the chair I rocked him in.

It is his reading chair of choice.

(For those who don't think your kids copy you, well, I beg to differ.)



Hank is his reading selection.

At least this week.

So, do you have a favorite reading spot?

Do your kids try to crash it?