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Emergencies

So. I ended up in emergency today. My dog accidentally bit my nose and it led to 3 stitches and plastic surgery tomorrow morning. If you knew me well you would know that needles send me. I had 8 of them in my nose today, maybe more but 8 was the amount I recall. There are times in our lives when it is horrible. In those moments we can choose to do many things, when we choose to call on Jesus we find sudden help and relief.
When that first needle went into the open wound my heart screamed out,
‘Jesus PLEASE! HELP ME!’
Every needle after I screamed the same inaudible prayer and everytime Jesus’ presence took over the whole situation and made me feel like I would get through this.
You don’t have to kneel and verbally call out for Jesus to hear you. He hears you. Every thought. Every word. Every need. Every want and hope. Jesus hears you.
He might not take the situation away, but He WILL get you through it.
So this Thanksgiving Weekend I say:
“Thank you Jesus for saving my soul! For hearing my prayers! For caring about every throb of my heart and for drawing me through life and closer to you. Thank you God for not just lending us your son, but for GIVING us your son and allowing us to have Him and you and the Holy Spirit. Thank you Holy Spirit for your patience with us and that you are always here. Amen”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS

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If you’re not THIS, God doesn’t love you

If you’re not THIS God doesn’t love you

This world is a broken mess. That is clear, and Christian or skeptic we can all see it.
Sadly the hate of the outside world sometimes seeps into our Churches and into our Brethren in Christ.
It makes me think of an old anime I own. There was a small village living in the waste land of a once fertile country. Little by little the ‘toxic jungle’ spread until the inhabitants had to wear filtering masks when going out doors. Little particles of the jungle seeped into the houses too though, slowly destroying all until there was nothing left. If we took the spore of our world’s ‘toxic jungle’ and eliminated it completely our air would be breathable again. That spore I would like to say is hate, because hate is pretty easy to spot, but hate itself is just an extreme version of the true problem. Judgement. We throw down judgements like it is our job and justify by screaming out, “but the Bible says.” Um, right, the Bible also says many, many times that is not for people to judge that that is God’s job. Next excuse. “We can’t condone that because we are Christians.” Okay, but condoning the sin and loving or even accepting the sinner, these are two very different things.
I have heard too many Church people quote the Bible to make themselves feel more Holy. The problem is that we usually quote it with a, ‘if you don’t do this exactly the way God says He won’t love you’ insinuation. God loves you. That’s it. He loves just you, all of you, and any version of you to come. Does He want His people to be better. Of course! We’re people, there is always room for improvement. But just because you slip, or struggle, or don’t invite the Jones’ out for tea after Church; none of this, and I mean none of it, will EVER make God stop loving you.
If you are dirty, join the club, we are all dirty. If you struggle with drugs, alcohol, porn, infidelity. If you have committed murder, stolen, cheated, or lied, God still loves you. Nothing you are and nothing you have done can change that. Does it hurt God when we do wrong? Absolutley. Does He drop us like a bad connection after? NO! And don’t ever let anyone make you feel like He does. Nothing you don’t do and nothing you do do will change God’s love for you. We can let the need to accuse and judge others seep in from the outside world. By that I mean in from the world of the devil. The one who is against Jesus, that is the outside world. Little by little we destroy our Churches because we don’t want the sinners in to add mud to our name. We destroy ourselves by failing the second greatest command. Love your neighbor. Love can shown by simply going, “it’s okay, I won’t judge.”
I feel passionate about this because of the testimonies I have heard. ‘I have never met a Christian who didn’t judge me.’
I don’t witness very often. I let people know I am a Christian and just let God guide things from there so this is not a look at all the people I talk to thing because I don’t. It is just something that has come up…often. I have also heard pastors who use their pulpit as a shield while they judge and not from a Bible stand point. Please let the Holy Spirit guide your response to sermons and don’t get depressed. If God is telling you to change He will help you do so.
Last thing.
God knows how much you love Him. You don’t have to prove it. Do things to make God happy, but don’t feel He misses the fact that you care, in the simple human way we all do our best to love God like He loves us. Talk about impossible dreams.
So to sum up.
Don’t judge, that is God’s job. Love, that is your job.
God will always love you. No matter what anyone ever says. God says that He loves you. Just read the Bible and you can see for yourself.

Love Lauren

Blog · Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · Jesus · searching

Breathe in peace, Breathe out problems

The ASL sign for complain is a hand motion of a cup that pounds on your chest. Isn’t that exactly what complaining feels like? A pounding of grief, anger, pain, pounding on your heart until it overflows from your mouth in the form of a complaint.
Everytime someone in the Bible complained something either went wrong or got worse. So what is the lesson? Don’t complain.Ya right. It is so very hard to not complain, even if the verbal sensation steals our joy and causes us greater destruction. We complain because we need relief and feel like spouting our problems will help. I have a solution. Don’t complain to people, instead beg mercy from God. Tell Him what you are going through and ask Him to help.
This way you accomplish three things.
A. You set your problems in the hands of the one who can actually help
B. You talk about your grief and get it off your chest
C. You fellowship with the All Mighty.
All of these things cause you to feel better, and best of all, actually make a difference in your situation.
God wants to help us, but He also wants us to bring these things to Him. Sometimes we won’t see a change until we ask God. Cry to God. Tell our Father that we need Him. Then He reaches out His hand and helps us back to where we are meant to be .

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What is the presence of God like?

God’s presence is like sitting outside in a thunder storm.
The wind is warm as it whips your hair about your face, no rain; dry sheet lightening turns up the lights of the night sky. Thunder whispers at a distance then slowly grows louder like a passing train as it reaches you and shakes your heart in your chest. The beauty so intoxicating and exciting and peaceful that you never want to leave. Yet a little scary. Scary enough you don’t know how long you should stay, but so wonderful that you can’t leave. That is what God’s presence is like.

Blog · Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · free · Jesus · searching

Heads or Tails?

Looking to God can be a struggle because the world always says ‘yes’; God sometimes says ‘no’.
To face God and accept that your answer may be ‘no’ is painful and very scary. We want a ‘yes’ answer, and we want it quickly; meet World, because he answers with what you want quickly. Why? Because World doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about you or what happens next, he doesn’t even care if you have a story or a future, if you want a quick fix, find World, because that is how he operates.
If you want perfection, look to God.
My mom always says ‘wait for perfect,’ meaning the perfect that God is preparing. My answer? I want the perfect when it comes, but I want the temporary to fill the gaps of waiting.
Stupid? Yep. Bad logic? I know. Not realistic? Absolutely.
And in a few moments of post conversation reflection I see my flaw, or error in judgement I guess would be a better term.
Wait for perfect and accept that your ‘no’ is leading you to that perfect… whatever… whatever it is you seek, wait for it to be perfect. It is easy to say this, I know, but living it means pain at times and struggle at others. If you trip don’t worry about it, confess it and trust God to set back on your path, but keep seeking God and His answers because, painful or not, they are your best option. World is what they call a ‘toxic relationship’, God, the one who cares enough to want best instead of good enough, the one who goes with you and fights for you, (often fighting against World for you, ) He is the fairy tale relationship. He is the Prince, or in this case the King, riding in to give you the life that you need. Oops. That isn’t how the story goes is it? Doesn’t the King give the life you ‘want’? No. This King gives the life you need, but the end of the story is a dream come true when follow the King.

God please guide us to you in your power. Please help us through the pain life sometimes brings and please show us your road for our lives. In Jesus name..amen.

Credit to owner for cover image

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Who am I?

Who I am?

One of the most important things I learned how to do as a pre-teen was how to make a pot of coffee. Why? Because if you cut me open I would bleed Tim Horton’s blend medium roast.

One of the most fundamental mistakes I ever made was my first boyfriend. At 13 years old you don’t know enough about yourself to start knowing someone else. That being said, it was a mistake that I no longer regret, because of how much I learned about myself, my values, my goals, other people and life in general. Oh ya. And high school really does never end.

My best friend has always been my dog. Every dog I have ever owned has quickly gone from cute pet to soul mate in a matter of days. We get each other. We sacrifice for each other. And when my love for live runs dry my dog pours his love onto me, ( usually in wet kisses.)

I grew up somewhat self reliant due to being an only child, so group activities always made me uncomfortable. I also became jealous of the people who click easily and fit groups well. But in turn I ended up with one or two solid friendships instead of tons of wishy washy ones.

Jesus knew what my life needed to make me who I am and who I am becoming. Whomever said that you are an adult by your twenties missed something. 20+ is a small number and we are still small in our understandings, probably still small in our works, and most likely small in the world. That is not a bad thing. We are still growing up and figuring out who we are and where we belong. We don’t need to have everything figured out, that’s God’s job.
I know many people who, at over 40, have decided to rewrite their lives. Why? They wanted to have everything figured out and in place before they were 30, so they ended up in jobs that don’t suit them and with a life style they hate. Enter the re-write.
Take time. Get to know yourself. Get to know God. Slow down and find your ‘sweet spot’ as Max Lucado calls it. If you are in a life place that you don’t feel God has called/ guided you to and you want out..get out. He knows what He is doing and will lead you where He knows you belong. Trust Him.
In the armor of God we almost always forget one important piece. Shoes. The shoes of readiness are things we tend to forget to put on. And come on, don’t the perfect shoes make the outfit? Where are your shoes of readiness leading you? Where does God want you to go?
Slip on your flats, runners, steel toe work boots, or lavendar stilettos and be ready for what God is calling you to do and where God is calling you to go.

Blog · Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · free · Jesus · searching

Victory takes time

Victory takes time

John Millias’ painting ‘Victory oh Lord’

Exodus 17:11

Who remembers Moses having to hold up his hands to God for victory in battle?
Remember? As long as his hands were up God’s people were winning but whenever they were down God’s people would lose.
The battle lasted so long that Aaron and Hur had to come and hold up Moses’ hands because he was exhausted.
If you were Moses’ wouldn’t you be thinking,
‘Anytime now God! I am really losing will power here!’
Yet Moses persevered in Faith and ultimately the battle was won.
We live in a ‘now’ society.
Everything happens quickly, and we expect it to. When my wifi is slow and I have to wait a minute before something will download instead of the 10 seconds it normally takes, I am irritated. I am also an impatient person and am working on that.
You see my point though. Moses waited so long for God to bring victory that his body literally gave out on him; but Moses knew God well and had seen Him do unreal things before, so he kept his Faith and kept his hands raised.
We know God can do unreal things, so why do we doubt Him? Our arms get tired and we lower them. Our praise ceases, our prayer wanes and eventually we give up the fight. Don’t give up the fight! One more time. Don’t give up the fight! God is moving, acting and working! Keep your hands raised high! If you can’t keep them up on your own, seek help. Help from friends, family, your pastor or church, from a devotional or online Christian speaker, find somebody you trust to help hold your hands up with you. God will bring you the victory, just keep reaching up to Him and don’t stop until you see your breakthrough.

Thank you Lord Jesus for being our breakthrough. I pray for whomever is reading this devotional that they find peace and strength and support as they wait for the victory you are bringing. In Jesus name.
Amen

Blog · Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus · searching

What is He to you now?

What is He to you now?

Alter call. On your knees, face to the floor, breathing in small bits of grit out of the carpet but so in touch with the Holy Spirit that you don’t even notice. White knuckles as you call out…”God I know I am a sinner, I repent of my sins, please God come into my life and make me yours!”
10 years later.
Where are you? Life is busy, sometimes way too crazy and God’s gentle embrace feels a bit distant.
When we first find God He is our everything; we seek Him, serve Him, share Him and feel Him in us like a wildfire. But life moves on and we have to move too, and between the hectic work days and the constant ‘Christian-ing’ we begin to lose God. Not that He is leaving us but….we may be unintentionally leaving Him.
Sometimes I feel like I trade off a connection with God because I am trying too hard to look like the spiritual warriors I know. I stop praying to God and start praying at God. I stop worshiping and just simply bob to the beat. I stop…seeking God’s face.
After all the years of being with God, what is He to me now?
Recently I noticed that I have been distractedly rushing through my prayer time. I hate that. I know I am busy and it is hard to make time, but it isn’t impossible. I feel like I stopped being Jesus’s friend and started to simply be flippant with Him. Oh big important me that I should slow down for Christ! How dumb. If my God makes the time to sit and talk with me than I should make the time to talk with Him.
Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘it does not matter if God is on my side, it matters if I am on God’s side.’
In the beginning I was always on God’s side, playing on His team, but where am I now? What have I made Him in my life?
The only thing I know to do to fix this dead wood life style is to pour food onto the embers. Then fan it. So Bible reading × 2, praying + extra meditation on God, devotional reading with concentration. Because with God, it only takes a little effort to make your heart hungry once again.
So I ask, what is He to you right now?

Also. If you have never prayed that prayer, asking God into your life, please do so now. He is worth it.
So…
God, I know I am a sinner and fall short of your kingdom. I repent of my sins and ask you to come into my life and help me live a life that is for you. Help to never feel like I am not enough, because you are more than enough for me. In Jesus’ name…amen.