The Young and the Hopeless

Well I think I just may have seen it all… So much in the media that tells me that if I look, talk, act a certain way then I will be beautiful.

To be truthful, I look around at the standards being set for younger generations and I fear for my own children someday to grow up in such perilous times…

We are all in need of love, and we can have access to a Savior who literally IS love. Thank God that we as Christians can rest in that. I am so sad for the younger girls who look at the media, and what it says in order to feel something. I remember being that young girl, so naive, so seemingly sure of what I wanted (but really let’s face it I had no clue.) My heart hurts for these young girls who think that they have to be a certain way to feel loved. Or that they need to fit in to some category to be noticed. I want to sit with them all and just tell them how uniquely gorgeous they really are.. From the inside out!

Lets be the mouthpiece of God… Lets speak up and be a generation that makes people aware of the enemy’s  lies. He will try and crush the spirits of young women all over the earth if we don’t speak life into them. For some people, we could be their only hope…

Lets be a voice, Lord knows they need it.

Don’t worry, Be Happy…

One thing I really struggle with… WORRY!
I heard a quote somewhere that “worry is like being in a rocking chair… It gives you something to.. But it gets you no where.”
I have spent so much of my time wasted on being anxious when I really didn’t need to be. Sometimes I think God looks at the way we handle situations and sits there saying “Why can’t you just trust that I am in full control?”

You can see what Jesus thought about worrying in Luke 10:41-42
‘Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

If you look at this scripture in the Message version it says:
The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

We seem to get so worked up about the appetizers when God is trying to get us to see that HE is all you need to focus on….The main course!

See Luke 12:25-26

God’s word actually tells us that we cannot look into the future.. Most people that are plagued by worry have usually been focusing so much on the future and this is not our job!

Imagine if we learned to deal with just today.. Tomorrow will and always does take care of itself.

God is well aware of what we need.. He will provide. When we worry, all He wants us to do is come to Him. Come to the Father and let Him console you!
I cannot count the many times that I have come home, closed the door to my room and just fallen into His arms.. We need Him, daily!
And if we ever get to the point where we don’t need Him then we should be asking why…
God is ever so faithful.. He has continually shown Himself true throughout the ages.

He turned water in to wine
He Healed the leper, the paralyzed man
He brought a widow’s son back to life
He calmed a storm while at sea
He healed a woman of internal bleeding
He fed 5000 people at a gathering
He WALKED ON WATER!!!

My God is so big.. There really is nothing He cannot do.
I may at times feel discouraged and saddened that He hasn’t yet healed me or come through on things that are weighing on my heart.. But I will not grow weary in my confession that He is great. And He is able. These are the things that I will chose to focus on and as I walk through this life I will remember that He already laid everything down for me.. A love so great, All I can do is return the favor.

Lest I Forget

Well, all I can say is that the last 2 hrs of my night has been quite reflective. It’s amazing how we so easily forget just exactly WHY we are here. Bottom line I have been in such a season of turmoil and un-rest. Wondering if I am in the right place/wrong place/ listening to the right people – You know sometimes we can get SO distracted and not even realize that we are losing our focus and passion for the very thing that God got my attention for!

I had this whole elaborate plan for my life in my head. It was going to have all the steps I imagined to a significant life. Ha! yea right…

And then a very wise young man said to me “look at Joseph, he was thrown into a pit, abandoned and sold by his family into slavery and in jail for quite some time before he became king.”

I imagine that it was not in Joseph’s grand plan to have all these things happen to him. In fact, when they did.. He probably had every right to freak out.

Sometimes I think God just wants us to calm down! Stop worrying about how and why it’s all gonna happen and just keep the main thing the main thing.

I went through a box of letters and cards I received over the years tonight as I was cleaning.
In the box was a letter form a very good friend of mine, Jess who reminded me 2 years ago of the tragic situation in the Middle East which has broken my heart for quite some time.

As I read the card again tonight I just cried and cried…THIS is what I am all about! This is why I am here! And I cannot forget that.

In the card she wrote:

“Dear Mika,

At Colour 2007 Lisa Bevere spoke a message that resounds within me today; especially when I think of you. She implored God about the abuse and violation of women in the Middle East. And He replied:
‘DO YOU NOT SEE THAT MY CREATION SHAKES AT THIS VERY MISTREATMENT OF MY DAUGHTERS?’
God is fierce, ardent and so very passionate about His daughters. Lisa suggests it is no coincidence that earthquakes occur in such countries.
Job 38:12-14
‘Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?’

God has formidable plans for you; strategies that make the enemy shake in his boots. Tactics that will take ground for the empowerment of these women.

Do not let this cause you fear, but to rouse your heart and excite it to keep marching forward. The enemy has no weapon that can out-wit or out-strengthen your conviction.
Never forget the desires He has purposed for your heart (our father).”

Wow, thank GOD for friends like this, a true friend to my destiny, and someone who so brilliantly encourages me in that direction. I am excited, and at peace about where God is taking me. This has nothing to do with anything that I am capable of so I guess this is how I am learning to let Him take full control.

My heart just wants to see all of this come to pass, but His timing is so much better than mine. And His ways/thoughts are higher than mine…

- Selah -

On The Horizon…

I love that excitement you feel when you know that you are finishing a season of life, only to move into a better one. There is a lot that I am still learning but one thing I do know.. When you find Jesus, you really do go from strength to strength.

Sometimes I honestly feel like I just ‘wing it’ and God completely takes control and He proves Himself time and time again.
Most of the time it’s because we are walking in the midst of something that we don’t fully understand His plan. But at the end of the day He is trying to show us that we actually don’t need to understand… Now I know that’s not the easiest thing to hear – trust me, I still struggle with that one. Can I get an amen from any other control freaks?

But the idea is that we are guided by Him. He orchestrated our lives, therefore He is going to know inside out how He wants it to happen.

The picture in my previous post shows a view of things to come. The wonderful, poetic scenery of what is ahead. Right now it almost seems like we are in a moment, and that things will never change… In Romans 12 it talks about how we are not to get too comfortable in this world. This world is old, dirty and worn out.. Most of all, its temporary and will surely pass away. Instead – lets look to where we are headed and take as many people with us as we can!

This picture would probably best depict the season that I am in right now… I will explain, more to come shortly -

Love is a verb…Well, kinda.

1 Corinthians 13

¹IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

²And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

³Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.

⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

Well.. I don’t know about you but I was convicted at about verse 1.

We hear it so often, – It’s faith that pleases God.. Without faith we cannot please Him. This is true. But this scripture sums it up so beautifully that the marriage of faith, hope and love MUST intertwine in our being for it to have the full effect.

I am still learning the true meaning of this love.. I look at some people’s ability to simply find the gold in others, and expect the best of people and I am continually challenged.

Since when did I become so superficial…?
I might be wrong.. But I think it’s this.. For so long I have thought of love in the context of it being a ‘doing word’.
So, here I sit thinking, ‘I need to love more’.. and then I walk out my front door and trip over the homeless person sitting on the street to get in my car and drive somewhere to do something to help a person that I care about.

Don’t be misunderstood.. Even if I stopped and took the time to help/give money to the homeless person it still wouldn’t change the point I am trying to make.

Just recently I was in Chicago with my boyfriend on vacation. One particular night we were walking the street to get back to our car. As we were walking along I was of course sharing some really important story that involved a lot of intense concentration on his part (in other words I was babbling) and managed to walk straight past a homeless woman on the corner who asked us a question.

When we go to the parking lot Jeff turned to me and asked me “Did you see what just happened?” In my ignorance of course I responded “no?”

I guess the woman had asked if we had any change and not only did we both ignore her as though she were a commodity, we simply kept walking on as though it never happened.

What was her response? “God bless you”…

Yeah.. This is the part where I begin to realize how BARELY SAVED I am!

Without a flinch we both went back and talked to this lady and didn’t offer her anything fancy we just simply took the time to find out about her give her the time of day. When Jeff asked her if we could pray for her I could not believe how her face lit up..

The perspective I gained that night was incredible. When we asked her what she was doing she replied “I have to find a place to sleep tonight… But God is good” WOW… If only I had half that confession in my darkest hour I would be doing well.

But from what I read in this particular chapter, Love is not stopping to pray for the homeless lady, love is not buying a gift for a friend or visiting someone in hospital when they are sick.

Love is the reason you did it in the first place! Love – that’s what needs to be at the heart of it all. You can do all these nice things and still not have love.. That’s frightening, I want to live a life that radiates this love. I want to have more than enough to give.

Because without it, all my works are useless…

‘No Offense…’

In all my years of growing up in God’s Church I count myself extremely blessed.

I have been exposed to so much – good and bad… And you know what? I wouldnt change a thing.. It really is true that God makes all things new, and He certainly can use our ashes for His glory.

I have watched people come and go, for good reason and not so good, but at the end of the day I see that God has taught me through many imperfect poeple that if we want to remain strong in the house of God, we can’t let offense take us out.

So what have I learned about keeping no offense in my heart?

*Remember: The church is made up of people.. And people are only as perfect as YOU. And if you think you are perfect, I can guarantee this message cannot help you

So many people in the church become let down because they have put their trust in another person, or an incredible leader/teacher/role model who has impacted them greatly. I believe mentor ship is crucial… However the minute we put someone onto a pedastool and look to them for answers is the minute we need to check that God is our ultimate source.

*Hear only His voice, Speak only His words..

Some time ago I witnessed someone who I looked up to gradually start to drift and become disconnected due to offense in their heart. In so many cases this person had every right to feel the way they felt, and over time I could see the build-up of hurt and disappointment they were experiencing. The first piece of evidence was their language and the way they talked.

I suddenly realized that when I was near them, I had to guard my ears/heart to the way they would talk so that this would not become my attitude as well. I remember at one point going to God and asking “how do I handle this, so that I don’t cut these people off but keep a right heart?” and I remember clearly hearing God say to me – “Hear only my voice, and speak only my words”.

It seems so simple, but whatever is in our heart will flow out of our mouth.. And faith comes by hearing God’s word. This became a tense time of me seeking God more than ever and remaining in His word every chance I got. I believe it protected me from catching the wrong spirit and filled me with His wisdom enabling me to conquer the situation without being affected by it.

Get into His word, and let it be on your lips..

*Fly with Eagles

I hear it quite often – “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future”..

Have you ever noticed how most church-hurt people tend to congregate towards friendships with poeple who have been in the same boat as them. They may have both been through a terrible situation, or have been hurt in some way. It seems that when they get together they can swap stories and compare situations and empathise.

I believe that its very important when you have been through any kind of pain on any level that you talk to someone and you are able to seek wise council. However, depending on who this person is can define whether it becomes slander or therapeutic. See I’m not referring to sitting around and having a “people-bashing session”, where all you do is talk over and analyze how horrible you have been treated and make that your focus… The enemy sure loves that.

The people you share you heart with will help mold you, so make sure you get around people that SEE the big picture and can help to bring perspective into your life. Because at the end of the day, God wants us healed and whole so that we can focus on bringing others to know Jesus Christ.

We have all been hurt and let down at some point in our lives… And if you haven’t yet, that’s great… But be in church long enough I promise you, it happens (you’re welcome for that little ray of hope).

We are not invincible, but God’s plan for us is to be so strong on the inside that when (yes I said ‘when’, not ‘if’) we are disappointed and hurt we can deal with it properly and continue to walk strong as a unified church.

I am still learning so many more keys in this area, and I don’t believe I’ll ever stop learning. But if this helps just one person to get some perspective and see how to navigate through such seasons… Then it’s worth it.

A Sobering Moment

While minding my own business tonight, working through my email.. ticking things off my to do list.. I could see out the corner of my eye that Kristen had something to ask me.

She wasn’t trying to interrupt me but I could see her little face tilting over her computer at me waiting to catch my attention. So I stopped what I was doing, and asked what was on her mind. (she cracks me up!)

Her question for me was “Has God ever told you exact things that He is gonna do with your life?”

Um… Ok.. How does one respond to such a question that was asked with such ease and innocence?

To which I responded “yes”.. and I went on to tell her about some of them.

It made me think. People watch you. They watch how you live your life and everything you do and say is having an impact on them. be open, be transparent, live in such a way that people WANT to ask you questions about your journey so that they can learn and glean and find hope and answers.

I want to be like a book that those around me can read, watch and learn from my walk and the way I live my life.

The truth is, if she had asked me that question 4 or 5 yrs ago I would have responded with reservations and almost resented the fact that someone wanted to know something like that. But what an honor it is to say that for some reason this extraordinary person wants to learn different things about me, just as I am learning a myriad of different things about her.

Remember: NOTHING you do is in vain. Let God use you and all your experiences as His vessel. Believe me he can take the most ridiculous things and use them for His purpose. He always has.

A few of my favourite things..

Just a few shots that seem to captivate me… For many different reasons.

And I will not depart from it…

Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

I don’t think you could any other Psalm that best reflects the cries of my heart. Coming from a past gripped by fear and anxiety I now know that there is no reason for fear to have any place in my life.

“The Lord is my light” (to counter-act all darkness) “and my salvation” So why should I be afraid? If you truly know who God is, this is a vrey valid question..

-Why should you be afraid?

He is our fortress, our protection, the creator of the world. The Savior to humanity…

He is protecting us from danger, therefore, we have no reason to worry.

I remember nights where I was curled up in my bed paralysed by fear and panic attacks.. Unable to face a crowd of people… Shreiking at the thought that I would have to be in any type of social situation and crying out to God for it to stop.

This wasn’t me.. I was the little girl that LOVED to be surrounded by people! I loved my friends, my family and I found joy in their affection..

But something had happened.. Somewhere along the line I was robbed. Robbed of my dignity, knowledge of the way Christ saw me and therefore stripped of any confidence whatsoever. To be honest this is a continual struggle and I cannot say that I have finally made it! However I now have a revelation of something I didn’t have back then.
He does not leave or abandon us.. He will not let you fall into the hands of the enemy.

Fear is one of the biggest weapons the enemy will try and use to destroy you. Because he knows that it is FAITH that pleases God.. It is by faith that we see our spiritual heroes in Hebrews 11 blaze the trail for us.. And I quote v13- “all these people died still believing what God had promised them”. You could call this chapter the biblical hall of fame, where we see Gods power through those empowered by faith. Well, if you are looking to find some kind of counter-action for fear.. Something that will surely cancel it out.. In case you hadn’t realised, as simple as it sounds.. FAITH is the key.
Yes and it can be as small as a mustard seed… That’s tiny. Microscopic actually!

God intends for the chains and bondages over our lives to be broken. Fear enslaves us and cripples our ability to RUN for Him.

I may not always feel like stepping out and talking to people I don’t know.. In fact, the whole idea just makes me nautious 99% of the time. But by FAITH, I do it anyway.
I may not know the best way to approach someone in need and completely broken. But I start by taking those small, mustard seed-sized steps. God can work with that. “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, remember the great reward it brings you!” Believe me, it won’t be the type of reward you were expecting.. It comes packaged differently every time and its beyond worth it!

This faith is expanded and tested.. But the one thing He continually does is draw me into His presence. There is nowhere else I want to be..

“The one thing I ask of the Lord- the one thing I seek most..
Is to dwell in His house all the days of my life, delighting in His perfections, and meditating in His temple. For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary.”