"To be or not to be.." is the opening phrase of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
As silly as it may sound, I sometimes ask myself this question, to be this or to be that. Lately, I have had many friends and acquaintance's either getting engaged or married, and as much as I long for it to be my time for all of that, I know that God has a plan for me and I have to be content.
Over the the past couple years I have accepted where I am in life and I am content with where God has be right now. So being content has been on my mind and heart lately and it is actually what was part of my quiet time this morning.
Contentment is the ultimate acceptance of yourself, your surroundings, your past, and your future. For a believer finding contentment should be effortless, yet getting to the state of contentment is not an easy task.
Satisfaction hen you have very real unmet needs, freedom from worry when you have overwhelming concerns, patience in letting God work when pressures abound--these seem like impossible dreams. God chose not to give us contentment as a gift. He chose to rather teach us to be content as you allow Him to be ruler in your life.
Contentment is learned. Philippians 4:11 says, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Paul is teaching the Philippians more about the providence and provision of God and the expectancy and contentment of the believer who would wait on the Lord. Believers are to be "content" not WITH circumstances but IN circumstances. This is something that is developed over time.
As you trust Gods gifts to be sufficient and His assignments to be appropriate, you can accept the way that you look, the means that you have been given, and so on.
Dissatisfaction with areas in your life that can be changed, within divine guidelines, may help you to see that something is missing. I find myself craving God when I don't have my Quiet Time and I am not in His word on a daily basis, and for me that causes dissatisfaction and discontentment.
Instead of adopting a complaining spirit about where you are in your life, take your dissatisfaction's, worries, and concerns to the Lord. Being willing in the meantime to be content as you walk the path that God has for you.
We must trust that God has given us everything that we need for this moment in time.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Did They Really Say That?
Have you ever been taunted by thoughts such as, "They don't like me.", "You aren't liked.", "Why did you just say that?", "No one cares, everyone thinks that you are annoying."
I have found myself tormented by destructive thoughts such as these. These thoughts are dangerous and they are toxic to our souls. I was having a conversation a while back and the other person said, "I know you think..." I paused and thought to myself, how do you know what I am thinking?
All too often we assume what people are thinking and as women we do this way too often. People are not assessing us and thinking about us as much we think they are. As Christian women we need to hold our thoughts to a higher standard, but we fall to the ways of sin and we allow these toxic thoughts to manipulate us into feeling insecure and inadequate about ourselves.
Philippians 4:6,8 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God....Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
We are instructed to think and to have our minds on constructive thoughts, not destructive.
I will be the first to tell you that changing from the toxic thoughts to constructive thoughts is not an easy task. There are some ways that helped me to change my thought pattern.
The first is something that my mom told me growing up, Did someone actually say that, or am I assuming they are thinking it? If they did not actually say it, and you are assuming it, that is destructive to you and unfair to the other person. If they actually said it, then that needs to be handled with that person. The second is Being actively involved with truth. When we spend more time filling our thoughts and our mind with God's truth, there is less room for those destructive and toxic thoughts to creep in. Finally, are there people or situations that I am surrounding myself with that are encouraging the toxic thoughts? Taking a step back from situations and/or people that are encouraging these thoughts can be difficult. I have been in that situation and it is not easy, but having other people who are immersing themselves with God's truth makes this transition much easier.
Things that we encounter in our lives can be much more difficult than just doing the three things above, but this is a great place to start to keep our minds and thoughts pure and constructive rather than toxic and destructive.
I have found myself tormented by destructive thoughts such as these. These thoughts are dangerous and they are toxic to our souls. I was having a conversation a while back and the other person said, "I know you think..." I paused and thought to myself, how do you know what I am thinking?
All too often we assume what people are thinking and as women we do this way too often. People are not assessing us and thinking about us as much we think they are. As Christian women we need to hold our thoughts to a higher standard, but we fall to the ways of sin and we allow these toxic thoughts to manipulate us into feeling insecure and inadequate about ourselves.
Philippians 4:6,8 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God....Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
We are instructed to think and to have our minds on constructive thoughts, not destructive.
I will be the first to tell you that changing from the toxic thoughts to constructive thoughts is not an easy task. There are some ways that helped me to change my thought pattern.
The first is something that my mom told me growing up, Did someone actually say that, or am I assuming they are thinking it? If they did not actually say it, and you are assuming it, that is destructive to you and unfair to the other person. If they actually said it, then that needs to be handled with that person. The second is Being actively involved with truth. When we spend more time filling our thoughts and our mind with God's truth, there is less room for those destructive and toxic thoughts to creep in. Finally, are there people or situations that I am surrounding myself with that are encouraging the toxic thoughts? Taking a step back from situations and/or people that are encouraging these thoughts can be difficult. I have been in that situation and it is not easy, but having other people who are immersing themselves with God's truth makes this transition much easier.
Things that we encounter in our lives can be much more difficult than just doing the three things above, but this is a great place to start to keep our minds and thoughts pure and constructive rather than toxic and destructive.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
BIG Decisions
Life is full of decisions, what am I going to eat, what am I going to wear, where am I going to go to college, am I going to go to college, who am I going to marry, the list goes on and on and on. Each day we are faced with decisions, some are small simple decisions and other are much harder to decide.
I think back to when I would make decisions as a child, they were simple things like what color crayon do I use to color this flower but, as I have grown and become an adult my decisions have become much bigger and much more difficult to make.
A couple months ago I was presented with an opportunity for a Masters program at my college, and I had a decision to make whether or not I was going to jump at this opportunity. For me at the point that I am at in my life this was a big decision to make. If I said yes to this opportunity this would spring board me father into my teaching career and I would be done quicker with my Masters Degree but, at the same time how would I pay for the classes, would this take away time from my family, would I be able to balance my Undergraduate classes along with the new classes. These and so many more questions were running through my mind. I became overwhelmed and anxious about making a decision.
As I was becoming anxious, I was reminded of Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Oh what a sweet reminder that was!! Do NOT be anxious, present your requests to God. Thank you Lord for that! That is just what I needed to be reminded of at that time.
I prayed about this decision that I had in front of me and the Lord directed my path and has blessed me the opportunity to be in the Masters program.
The Lord wants us to come to Him with anything and everything. He is our rock and refuge. When we have BIG decisions to make He wants us to come to him. Sometimes I try to make and figure out BIG decisions on my own, and I find that all too often I crash and burn.
Before jumping into a BIG or small decisions and opportunities, we, as believers, have the opportunity to present those before God and pray about what we are supposed to do with those decisions. God is with us and He will guide us with every decision both BIG and small in our lives.
I think back to when I would make decisions as a child, they were simple things like what color crayon do I use to color this flower but, as I have grown and become an adult my decisions have become much bigger and much more difficult to make.
A couple months ago I was presented with an opportunity for a Masters program at my college, and I had a decision to make whether or not I was going to jump at this opportunity. For me at the point that I am at in my life this was a big decision to make. If I said yes to this opportunity this would spring board me father into my teaching career and I would be done quicker with my Masters Degree but, at the same time how would I pay for the classes, would this take away time from my family, would I be able to balance my Undergraduate classes along with the new classes. These and so many more questions were running through my mind. I became overwhelmed and anxious about making a decision.
As I was becoming anxious, I was reminded of Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Oh what a sweet reminder that was!! Do NOT be anxious, present your requests to God. Thank you Lord for that! That is just what I needed to be reminded of at that time.
I prayed about this decision that I had in front of me and the Lord directed my path and has blessed me the opportunity to be in the Masters program.
The Lord wants us to come to Him with anything and everything. He is our rock and refuge. When we have BIG decisions to make He wants us to come to him. Sometimes I try to make and figure out BIG decisions on my own, and I find that all too often I crash and burn.
Before jumping into a BIG or small decisions and opportunities, we, as believers, have the opportunity to present those before God and pray about what we are supposed to do with those decisions. God is with us and He will guide us with every decision both BIG and small in our lives.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Correction, Sometimes it hurts.
Correction! I think that it is safe to say that we all dislike correction, but on the same note we all need correction. Growing up my mom would correct me on things like sit up straight, don't put your elbows on the table, don't talk with your mouth full and so on. At the time I was thinking "Aww..mom, I'm fine". Well now that I am an adult, I know and understand why my mom was correcting me because one she didn't want me to look like an idiot and two because she knew that correcting me was the best thing for me.
Just like our parents correct us as we grow up, God gives us corrections and yes sometimes it does hurt and we don't want to hear it but in the end he knows that it is best for us. Proverbs 3:12 says "For whom the Lord loves, He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights". God corrects us because He knows we want to be people who Honor and love him. To become the man or woman that God wants us to be there is going to be some discomfort and yes, even corrections. Although in the verse it does say that He corrects and reproves us, there is hope in that verse because just like the verse reminds us the Lord loves us and He delights in us. Wow, I am so thankful for that relief in the midst of the correction.
One of my favorite verses about correction is Proverbs 12:1 which says, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid". Well, isn't that blunt! I know that in my life I have needed to hear things so bluntly like that. God knows that we all need correction and help becoming the man or the woman that He wants us to be, but sometimes we need verses such as Proverbs 12:1 that just state it so bluntly and honestly.
Just like our parents correct us because they love us, God corrects us because He loves us too!
Just like our parents correct us as we grow up, God gives us corrections and yes sometimes it does hurt and we don't want to hear it but in the end he knows that it is best for us. Proverbs 3:12 says "For whom the Lord loves, He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights". God corrects us because He knows we want to be people who Honor and love him. To become the man or woman that God wants us to be there is going to be some discomfort and yes, even corrections. Although in the verse it does say that He corrects and reproves us, there is hope in that verse because just like the verse reminds us the Lord loves us and He delights in us. Wow, I am so thankful for that relief in the midst of the correction.
One of my favorite verses about correction is Proverbs 12:1 which says, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid". Well, isn't that blunt! I know that in my life I have needed to hear things so bluntly like that. God knows that we all need correction and help becoming the man or the woman that He wants us to be, but sometimes we need verses such as Proverbs 12:1 that just state it so bluntly and honestly.
Just like our parents correct us because they love us, God corrects us because He loves us too!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Follow The Leader
As a child one of the games that I really enjoyed playing was follow the leader. For me I LOVED to lead, as I still do today, but often I found it really hard to follow sometimes.
I really enjoyed being the leader and I did not necessarily want to follow someone else. Often I have found that a lot of children more often than not would rather be the leader and not the follower.
Just like as a kid when I found it hard to play follow the leader when I was not the one leading, I find it hard to follow Christ where he leads me.
Many times in the New Testament Christ is saying "Come, follow me." Matthew 16: 24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.' " That is just one place that Jesus is telling someone to follow him.
Christ calls us to follow him in many ways. Some are called to be foreign missionaries, domestic missionaries, teachers, doctors, and many other places. We are called to follow him and be his light. Though many times it is hard to pick up our things and follow Christ where He leads, it will always be worth it in the end for our joy and His Glory.
When I think about all of this, there are two families that come to mind, the Dyar's and the Pestotnik's. Both of these families were called to go over seas to the mission field. Each of the families picked up and moved over seas. I can't even begin to imagine what kinds of thoughts each of these families had when God called them to go. But what an example they are of following Christ!!
When Christ is calling me to follow Him, I will admit that sometimes it is not where I want to be or what I want to be doing. But it is in those times that I have to remember that is HE is my leader and I am the follower and I am to follow him where ever he leads me!
Are you leading? Or are you following the ultimate leader?
I really enjoyed being the leader and I did not necessarily want to follow someone else. Often I have found that a lot of children more often than not would rather be the leader and not the follower.
Just like as a kid when I found it hard to play follow the leader when I was not the one leading, I find it hard to follow Christ where he leads me.
Many times in the New Testament Christ is saying "Come, follow me." Matthew 16: 24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.' " That is just one place that Jesus is telling someone to follow him.
Christ calls us to follow him in many ways. Some are called to be foreign missionaries, domestic missionaries, teachers, doctors, and many other places. We are called to follow him and be his light. Though many times it is hard to pick up our things and follow Christ where He leads, it will always be worth it in the end for our joy and His Glory.
When I think about all of this, there are two families that come to mind, the Dyar's and the Pestotnik's. Both of these families were called to go over seas to the mission field. Each of the families picked up and moved over seas. I can't even begin to imagine what kinds of thoughts each of these families had when God called them to go. But what an example they are of following Christ!!
When Christ is calling me to follow Him, I will admit that sometimes it is not where I want to be or what I want to be doing. But it is in those times that I have to remember that is HE is my leader and I am the follower and I am to follow him where ever he leads me!
Are you leading? Or are you following the ultimate leader?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Cowboy Boots and Pink TuTu's
For the past few years, I have taught three and four year old choir on Wednesday nights at my Church. I got the utmost joy from teaching the little ones! I came home with some of the best stories every week!
One particular week as I was greeting the children as they came in the room, this one little girl caught my eye. I did a double take and there was little miss Anna Caroline in cowboy boots and a pink tutu. I snickered just a little bit and grinned at her and told her I loved her outfit! I truly did love her outfit!
As I watched Anna throughout the class my mind began to wander. As I watched Anna play with her friends and baby dolls, I thought to myself, what if we expressed our love for Christ and shared with others that love like Anna expressed her personality through what she was wearing?
Matthew 28:19-20 says "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surly I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This verse calls us to go out make disciples. As believers in Christ that what we are supposed to do. But all too often don't we find ourselves not living out the great commission? I know for me I find it hard sometimes to express my love for Christ and live it out in every single task that I do during the day. Sometimes I am afraid to take that step and share Christ with others.
I am gonna jump out on a limb here and say that I think there are many believers that are afraid to take that step and share their faith because they are afraid of what others will think and say about them. Do you find yourself in that place? Afraid to share the word of God?
What a huge lesson I learned from Anna that night! Just as Anna was not afraid to wear cowboy boots and a pink tutu, I want to not be afraid to tell others about Christ.
So why don't we all put on our cowboy boots and pink tutu and share Christ!
One particular week as I was greeting the children as they came in the room, this one little girl caught my eye. I did a double take and there was little miss Anna Caroline in cowboy boots and a pink tutu. I snickered just a little bit and grinned at her and told her I loved her outfit! I truly did love her outfit!
As I watched Anna throughout the class my mind began to wander. As I watched Anna play with her friends and baby dolls, I thought to myself, what if we expressed our love for Christ and shared with others that love like Anna expressed her personality through what she was wearing?
Matthew 28:19-20 says "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surly I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This verse calls us to go out make disciples. As believers in Christ that what we are supposed to do. But all too often don't we find ourselves not living out the great commission? I know for me I find it hard sometimes to express my love for Christ and live it out in every single task that I do during the day. Sometimes I am afraid to take that step and share Christ with others.
I am gonna jump out on a limb here and say that I think there are many believers that are afraid to take that step and share their faith because they are afraid of what others will think and say about them. Do you find yourself in that place? Afraid to share the word of God?
What a huge lesson I learned from Anna that night! Just as Anna was not afraid to wear cowboy boots and a pink tutu, I want to not be afraid to tell others about Christ.
So why don't we all put on our cowboy boots and pink tutu and share Christ!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Missing Pieces Box
Growing up my brothers and I tended to loose pieces to games, puzzles, and other nic-nacs. So when we wanted to play a board game such as monopoly it never ceased to fail that one of the houses would be missing, the dice would be missing, or something else that you needed to play the game would not be there. So my mom made what we called the "Missing Pieces Box" so that when we would find that lost piece we would have a place to put the pieces.
While cleaning out our game closet a while back, I happened upon that missing pieces box. I opened it up and rummaging through it I found a piece to the game trouble, a lego, a piece to a Dr. Seuss game, puzzle pieces to puzzles I forgot we even had, and there was an array of other things in the box. As I was sifting through the box I was trying to figure out what pieces went to what game. There were so many pieces that it became overwhelming to figure out what was what! I had to close the lid and put the box back for a later date.
Sifting through all those missing pieces made me think of the story in Luke 15 where the woman lost her coin and she searched and searched and searched for that one lost coin and when she found it she rejoiced because she found her one lost coin. Or the other story in Luke 15 about the lost son who wanted his inheritance now and then when it was gone he came back home and his father rejoiced when his son came home!
That is the same kind of joy that Christ has when one of his people come back to him. Many times in life we go off the beaten path and we decide to go our own way and decide that our way is better than His way. Just like the woman who searched and searched for her lost coin, Christ searches for us when we are lost too. Sometimes we don't want to be want to be found because we are happy and content buried deep in our own missing pieces box. But because Christ loves us so much, he won't quit sifting through that missing pieces box until he finds us.
Christ us wants us to be one with him and follow him, so when we go our own way he searches for us and when we come back to him, he celebrates just like the father did in Luke 15 when his son came home.
Just like I would have been excited about finding that one missing trouble piece or that puzzle piece, Christ gets excited when one of his sheep come back to him.
Luke 15:32 " But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
While cleaning out our game closet a while back, I happened upon that missing pieces box. I opened it up and rummaging through it I found a piece to the game trouble, a lego, a piece to a Dr. Seuss game, puzzle pieces to puzzles I forgot we even had, and there was an array of other things in the box. As I was sifting through the box I was trying to figure out what pieces went to what game. There were so many pieces that it became overwhelming to figure out what was what! I had to close the lid and put the box back for a later date.
Sifting through all those missing pieces made me think of the story in Luke 15 where the woman lost her coin and she searched and searched and searched for that one lost coin and when she found it she rejoiced because she found her one lost coin. Or the other story in Luke 15 about the lost son who wanted his inheritance now and then when it was gone he came back home and his father rejoiced when his son came home!
That is the same kind of joy that Christ has when one of his people come back to him. Many times in life we go off the beaten path and we decide to go our own way and decide that our way is better than His way. Just like the woman who searched and searched for her lost coin, Christ searches for us when we are lost too. Sometimes we don't want to be want to be found because we are happy and content buried deep in our own missing pieces box. But because Christ loves us so much, he won't quit sifting through that missing pieces box until he finds us.
Christ us wants us to be one with him and follow him, so when we go our own way he searches for us and when we come back to him, he celebrates just like the father did in Luke 15 when his son came home.
Just like I would have been excited about finding that one missing trouble piece or that puzzle piece, Christ gets excited when one of his sheep come back to him.
Luke 15:32 " But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
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