Caught In The Middle

I am caught in the middle.  I don't like being there.  It is miserable.  I didn't choose to be caught in the middle.....it just jumped up out of nowhere and it won't let me go.  No matter what I have done to get myself out of the middle it doesn't work.  I am still caught in the middle.  I feel beaten up because of it.  I have suffered much heartache because of it.  Some days all I want to do is just run away from it all and permanently remove myself from the middle.  But alas, I know that is not the solution.  If I run, I might feel better for a while but then it will all come crashing in on me and the situation will probably be worse than what it is now.  Too many people would be hurt if I run.  I know that the feeling of running is just an emotion that I need to work through.  I know what the right thing to do is; stick it out, pray over it and just keep giving it over to the Lord. 

As I was dealing with yet another situation from this "caught in the middle" syndrome that I have found myself in and feeling quite grumpy over the whole thing, God spoke to my heart.  He told me that is where Jesus was when He walked on this earth as a man.  He was "caught in the middle".  He was caught in the middle between mankind and God.  He was caught in the middle between sin and Holiness.  He was caught in the middle between doing His own will and doing the will of His Father.  And, unlike me, He never complained.  Unlike me, He suffered much physical pain.  Unlike me He willingly did the will of His Father through it all.

I tend to feel sorry for myself, get angry at my situation and/or get grumpy when the whole thing is imploding on me.  I get frustrated with myself when I fail to pray over it and surrender it to God when I should do so.   Doesn't God's word say in I Peter 5:7, "Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you." and then in I Thessalonians 5:17, "...pray without ceasing..."?  Why do I so focus on my comfort in life instead of God's will for my life.  Why do I sometimes take the situation into my own hands instead of "waiting patiently on the Lord"?   Psalm 37:6 

God showed me this week that my "caught in the middle situation" is spiritual warfare.  He also showed me this week that Jesus endured "caught in the middle" spiritual warfare when He was tempted in the desert for 40 days.   And so again, God reminds me that I need to put my focus on Jesus and how he handled his situation when I am enduring mine, instead of letting my emotions run away with me and hurting those around me.  

Where, oh where, would I be without God in my life?  Where would I be without Jesus to look to.....Jesus who endured every heartache that I have endured and always looked to His Father for his solutions.  Thank you God for loving me so much that you gave me Jesus to be the soluation to every issue in my life.

If you are suffering from a "caught in the middle" situation, or if you are suffering from any other situation in your life.....I encourage you to do what God has reminded me of this week, "Cast your cares on God" and "pray without ceasing".  And then, if you need encouragement in your situation, let me know.  I would love to encourage you in the Lord.

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God! 

Allow Him.............

My heart is heavy tonight as I just received word of a drunken driving accident that killed two people on the Navajo reservation this evening.  Who is exempt from this evil?  What horrible consequences will come for this drunken driver?  Where can one run when the addiction of alcohol is pulling at their soul?  When will the destruction end?  Why does this have to be? 

So many questions, so few answers…..but there is one answer; one answer that can make a difference in the lives of those hurting tonight.  There is one answer that can push back this darkness.  There is one answer that can stop this destruction.  There is one answer and that one answer is found in God’s Word.  That one answer is a personal relationship with Jesus. 

A personal relationship with Jesus brings life, not death (II Corinthians 5:17).  A personal relationship with Jesus brings purpose to life, not hopelessness (Colossians 1:27).  A personal relationship with Jesus brings Joy, not despair (Psalm 33:21).  A personal relationship with Jesus brings power into your life, not weakness (Acts 1:8).  A personal relationship with Jesus brings eternal life, not eternal damnation (John 3:16). 

Everyone reading this Blog has tragedy in their life that brings so many questions.  Please, please, please, run to Jesus, not to alcohol.  Allow Him to give you answers.  Allow Him to give you hope.  Allow Him to give you joy.  Allow Him to give you power.  Allow Him to give you eternal life.  Just please, allow Him……………….

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

Life's Instruction Manual

I had to purchase a new phone this past month. I really hated to give up my old phone because I had grown very fond of it, but after 6 years it was no longer meeting my needs . I was not looking forward to figuring out how the new phone worked. When I got my new phone I immediately began pushing buttons trying to figure out how the thing worked. One of the buttons said, “Update now.” So I thought, “OK, why not?” and pushed it. Well, to make a long story short, that little button didn’t know what it was talking about (or I didn’t know what I was getting in to when I pushed it) and that little button caused my phone to completely shut down. After pushing that little button, I couldn’t get my phone to do anything!

Now I really had a situation on my hands. Not only did I have a new phone that I didn’t know how to use, but I had a new phone that was not usable. It was at that point that I knew I needed help. This situation needed more knowledge than I possessed. In other words, I didn’t have a clue what to do. So, I did what a lot of wives probably do when they are in over their heads…..I said, “Honey, can you help me with my phone?” I could have, should have, gotten online and looked at the instruction manual but I chose to take the easy way out and ask my husband for help.

And, of course, my sweet husband promptly took the phone out of my hand and began to investigate what I had done when I “pushed that little button”. At that point, my husband could have gotten online and read the instruction manual but he didn’t and, after about 45 minutes of not being able to figure out what I had done to that phone, he decided he now needed help. To make this long story short, 3 hours later he got off the phone with the manufacturer of the phone and handed it back to me, all fixed…..ready to go again.

As I held the phone in my hand, I realized how frustrated I had become over this situation and the fact that I now held the fixed phone in my hand, but I was still no closer to knowing how the thing worked than I was 3 hours ago when I caused it to stop working. It was at that point that I wondered, if I had read the instruction manual before I even began fiddling with the phone, would I have avoided that 3 hour mess? Uhhh, probably!

I don’t know about you, but I typically disregard instruction manuals and dive right into using the product that comes with the instruction manual. This mentality has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count. After this phone fiasco, I began to think about life. I realized that when I dive right into a situation in life without reading the instruction manual, I can make a mess of things just like I did with my phone. But when I have read (and memorized) my life instruction manual, my life seems to fall into place better and I have a better attitude when things get rough.

I am so thankful that God chose to give me the Bible, my life instruction manual, so that I won’t have to bumble through life like I bumbled through learning to use that phone. He taught me a long time ago that if I read my instruction manual every day and commit it to memory, my time here on this earth won’t be a mess like my phone was. My time here on this earth can be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Over the years, as I have dug deep into my instruction manual, the Bible, I have found that God has used His instructions for my good, and through my obedience to those instructions, I have attained a deep abiding peace and joy in my life that I know I would not have had without them. His instructions have given me guidance through my life struggles, along with direction and comfort in the midst of those struggles. No matter what situation I have found myself in, I have found instructions in the Bible that speak to my situation.

God knows me intimately and is always right there with a verse for me that ministers to me when and where I need it. God knows that I worry so He spoke Matthew 6:25-34 into my heart…..…”Do not worry........” God knows that I struggle with discontentment so He spoke Philippians 4:11-12 into my heart, “I have learned to be content no matter what the circumstances……..” God knows that I don’t understand so many things that happen in my life so He spoke Proverbs 3:5-6 into my heart, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding……..” God knows that I can be fearful so He spoke II Timothy 1:7 into my heart, “God has not given me a spirit of fear……..” God knows that I am selfish so He spoke Luke 9:23 into my heart, “…if anyone would come after me he must deny himself……..” God knows that I have a weak mind so He spoke II Corinthians 10:5 into my heart, “…take captive every thought……..” God knows that I am impatient so He spoke Psalm 37:6 into my heart, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him."

Do you struggle with anything like I do?  If so, do you run to your instruction manual, the Bible, for direction?  If you do, I praise God with you and encourage you to share what God is doing in your life with others.  If you don't, and your life is a tangled mess, it is my prayer for you that you read God's Word every day letting His instructions seep deep into your soul, allowing Him to untangle the mess.  It's not too late!  He can do it, you know, if you just let Him.



Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

Living Like An Heir

During my recent Encouragement Trip, I had lunch with two lady friends.  During lunch, one of the ladies shared a very emotional story.   While she was in the waiting room of a hospital during a recent visit to a relative, a man engaged her in a conversation.  During the conversation the man told her that he was hungry.    Through this conversation, my friend was able to discern that not only was the man hungry for the food of this world, he was hungry for the food of the spiritual world. 

After purchasing some food for him, she sat with him while he ate and they continued their conversation.     My friend listened to the man’s problems and when he was finished, she began to share Christ with him.  He listened at first, but as she delved deeper into the spiritual realm of who Christ is and what He could do in this man’s life, the man’s persona began to change.  He became defensive and angry.  He began to speak in a very high pitched voice, like that of a little girl.   He began to verbally attack her.

My friend said the man became very intimidating to her and she realized, at that point, she was speaking to a demon that had taken up residence in him.   Upon this realization, my friend began to rebuke the demon in the name of Jesus as well as quote scripture to him.  You see, because my friend loves Jesus with all her heart, she knows the scriptures well.  Because she knows the scriptures well, she knows I John 4:4 which says, “greater is Jesus who is in her than the enemy who is in the world.”  Because she knows her scriptures well, she knows that when she asked Christ to be her Savior, she became an adopted child of God and that God gave her the same power and authority that He had given Christ (Ephesians 1:18-23).  My friend took all the authority that God had given her through Christ and used it to cast the demon out of the man in the waiting room.

When my friend came to faith in Christ, she was delivered from her addictions to drugs and alcohol as well as her compulsion to steal.  As a result of what Christ did in her life, she decided to totally surrender her life to Christ and follow Him, regardless of the cost.  And, as with this incident, she has found that cost can sometimes be high.  By the time she finished telling me her story, she was weeping.  Weeping over the emotion of it all.   Weeping over the man.  Weeping over the power that she has in Christ.  Weeping because God is so very real to her.

As I wept with her, I thanked God for our friendship.  I thanked God that He would use me, in all my weaknesses, to be a part of encouraging my sister in Christ.  I thanked God that I too have surrendered my life to Christ and have the same power that my friend has, which she used to cast the demon out of the man in the waiting room. 

If you have come to faith in Christ, you are an adopted child of the King (Galatians 1:1-7).  As an adopted child of the King, you are an heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).  As an heir with Christ, you have the same power and authority that Christ has.  It is my prayer for you that you embrace this truth and live like an heir. 

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

Believer or Follower?

I am so thankful for my daily devotion.....God uses it in my life to help me keep my focus on Him, to direct my path, to correct me, to teach me, to encourage me and so much more!  Today, God chose to encourage me.

The scripture today was:  Mark 8:34-35, "Then He called the crowd to Him along with the disciples and said, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will save it.'"  

These verses are some of my favorite verses in all the Bible.  I discovered a long time ago in my walk with Christ that, in order to be victorious in my faith, I must deny myself and be obedient to what Christ is calling me to.   Today, the writer  divided Christianity into two categories:  Believer and Follower.

He talked about how a Believer is someone who has trusted Christ as their Savior.  That person has taken the first necessary fundamental step of faith but then never goes any further in their walk with Christ.  A Follower simply follows in our Lord's footsteps......denying himself, honoring Christ with his/her actions and speech and always increasing in Biblical knowledge and wisdom.  Jesus Himself defined true Followers in John 14:23 as those who prove their love for Him by keeping His Word.  "Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching." 

The writer summarizes his devotion with:  "Followers pursue the Lord because they know that the reward is a deeper relationship with Jesus.  They are not just waiting to spend eternity with God in heaven but they realize that eternity begins now as they walk down the path He has set before them."

He asks:  "Are you a Believer or a Follower?"  My encouragement from God today came when I realized that I am a Follower.   Psalm 37:4 has been fulfilled in me as I have delighted in the Lord and have found that my greatest desire in life is to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus.  "Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

And then, of course, I thank God for giving me grace by granting me forgiveness every time I fail Him.  What a loving God we serve!   

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!



Help For Living A Pure Life

Life is hard!  I am sure you will agree with that.  I don’t know about you, but I can use all the help I can get when it comes to living a pure life.   I am so thankful that God has not left us all alone in our pursuit of a pure life.  He has given us very real and practical tools to live that pure life that He calls us to.  One of the tools He has given us is His Word.  He also has given us Godly brothers and sisters in Christ who use God’s word to encourage and bless us.  I have a daily devotional magazine that comes in the mail each month.  This past week one of the devotions was on the power that God has given us over sin.

Through that time of Bible reading and prayer, God took me to four verses in His word that are crucial to living a victorious life.  II Corinthians 10:5 tells us to “…take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.”  When you really think about it, sin always begins with a thought.  The thought in and of itself is not necessarily sinful but it’s what you do with that thought that makes it sinful.  In this verse, God is telling us to take captive all of our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ.  If all our thoughts are obedient to Christ, there will be no sin.

The thought of living without sin in my life is pretty appealing…..but, how do I do that?  Every thought?  Seems impossible!  But then God gave me this verse, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8.  As I thought about that verse, I realized that God was giving us alternatives to the thoughts that come into our minds that could lead to sin.  And as I thought further about that verse, I realized that all those things it talked about…..true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy..…described our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  So now, when those thoughts that lead to sin come into my mind, I work hard at leaving those thoughts behind and focus my thoughts on Jesus.

And it is oh, so wonderful, to focus my thoughts on Jesus.  But sometimes, especially when I am tired, I find myself slipping and not refocusing on Jesus.  I grieve over my weakness but, of course, God has given me a verse for that also.  He has reminded me that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  II Corinthians 12:9-10.  God turns my weaknesses into strength to give me the victory over my thoughts.

Lastly, He has shown me in I John 1:9, that when I fail, He is there to offer unconditional love and forgiveness when I admit my failure and ask for forgiveness.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:9.

Oh, what a mighty God we serve.  A God who gives us power over sin…..A God who directs us to pure thoughts…..A God who gives us strength in our weakness and…..a God who forgives us when we stumble. 

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

What Is God Telling You?

After going through some changes in my ministry in the past two years, I discontinued blogging.  God has shown me in the past few months that I have missed it and He gave me the desire to begin blogging again.  I wasn't sure how to go about it until my daughter-in-law, Holly, told me that she was blogging.  After I read her blog (which is excellent I might add), I knew that she had given me my answer (Thanks Holly!).  In the past I only Blogged when and what God told me to blog and I believe that this Blog will be the same.   

One thing God has taught me in my walk with Him, is just how important it is to listen to Him and then obey what He is telling me.  As I have learned to do this, I have gained a peace and joy in my life that is beyond my understanding.   God has also taught me that He is the only one that can do this for me.  He is the only one that can give me peace and joy in the midst of severe trials; trials that should bring me turmoil and fear, not peace and joy. 

As I have studied His Word on a daily basis and let it sink deep into my soul, the peace and joy have become a part of me.  When I struggle with an issue, God brings just the right scripture to my mind and as I meditate on it, the peace and joy overflow in me. 

There are two scriptures God has been bringing to my mind over and over and over in the last two year that He has been using to refine me in my ministry of Encourage One Another.  He has used the first scripture to bring out one of the fruits of the Spirit that does not come naturally to me - patience.  God has shown me that through memorizing Psalm 37:6, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him," I can do what He is asking of me, which is wait on Him to move in my life and not take matters into my own hands.  As I have applied this scripture to my life and waited on the Lord in the midst of some very trying situations, I have been filled with a peace and joy that doesn't make sense to me.  Because of the fact that my feelings of peace and joy don't make sense and I know that they have not come from me, I know that I know that I know they have been sent from God as a gift to me as a result of my obedience to Him. 

The second scripture God has given me, in the words of Paul, is:  "...I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.   I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.   I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:11-13  As I travel back and forth between our home in Fort Wayne, The Encouragement House and the reservations in Arizona & New Mexico, I have struggled with the transitions and feelings of being homesick.  As I have grasped what God has wanted to teach me through this verse, I have found that I am more content with where I am when I wake up each day and then peace and joy floods my soul.

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God! 

God has used the two scriptures to become such a part of me that I can honestly say, "I love my life.".  No matter where I am, no matter what I am doing, no matter what situation I find myself in, "I love my life!"

Spending time with my family.

I miss them when I am away from them.

I love being on the reservations!

I miss my friends when I am away from them.

It is my prayer that my experience can be an encouragement to you in your walk with the Lord.  I challenge you to listen to God.  What is He telling you?  Obey what He tells you, wait patiently on Him and then allow the peace, joy and contenment to flood your soul.   It is a wonderful way to live!  May God richly bless you as you choose to follow Him in obedience!  

Life Changes

Preparing the bonfire for the party.

Life changes.  I've been through many changes in my 56 years on this earth.  Some are good, some are bad and some are neither good nor bad, they just occur.  My ministry has changed over the years as God has moved me from ministering at my home church to ministering on the reservations in Arizona and New Mexico to ministering at The Encouragement House. 

Our family will be going through a change in the month of October with our youngest son's move to The Encouragement House.  He will be living at The Encouragement House while he looks for a job and takes classes to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter.  We are all excited for Jared as he pursues his dream but we all share a common sadness at the same time as we will definitely feel his loss at our home.  The babies will miss his playful manner and the rest of us will miss his involvement in our lives as Jared always seems to be in the midst of all the activies we participate in as a family.  His friends will miss him as well. 

We are excited to have him living at The Encouragement House.  He will be a great asset there to the ministry of Encouarge One Another.  It is our prayer for him that he will quickly get established with a job, make new friends and settle in to school again after taking a semester off.  Would you please join us in praying for him?  This past Saturday we threw a Going Away Party for him with many of his friends and family giving a final hug and a last good-bye to him.  It was a great night of hanging out with him and enjoying time spent visiting around the fire and playing volleyball.  We love you Jared and will miss you in Fort Wayne but are so glad that we will have you at The Encouragement House.

 Volleyball all afternoon.

We will miss you Uncle Jared.