"All Things Work Together For Good.....

to those who love Christ and are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28.

I think this is one of my favorite verses in all the Bible.  God has shown me over and over and over again the truth of this verse.  I always love it when He shows me firsthand the truth of His Word, and I especially love it when it is working for my good.

I have been struggling with pain in my hands for quite some time now.  I finally couldn't take it any longer and went to an Orthopedic doctor.  Unfortunately, the doc didn't have much good to tell me.  After taking X-rays of both hands, he informed me that I have Osteoarthritis in both thumb joints and he gave me two options:  Option 1:  Cortisone shots in the thumb joints of both hands which would give temporary relief, or Option 2:  Thumb joint replacement surgery where my thumb joints would be cut out and replaced with artificial joints which should give long term relief.  Ha!

Well, since I am not fond of pain, neither option sounded too good to me. Nevertheless, in my mind, I immediately chose the Cortisone shot option.  I knew it would be painful but also knew the pain would be fleeting, whereas the pain from the joint replacement surgery would be long-term.   Unfortunately, which happens so often with me, I did not convey this sound thinking and my conclusion to the doctor but, gave him a response that seemed to take him by surprise.  

After listening to him explain the two options to me, I said, "I'll do the Cortszone shots because I'm sure Jesus will come back before I need the thumb joint replacement surgery." 

Ha!  The doc just gave me a strange look and got really quiet.  I knew he was thinking about what I had said.  He then said, "The Bible says that no man knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return..........you will have the surgery!"  Ha!    

That was several weeks ago and I was able to enjoy relief from the Cortisone shots for about one week.  Then the pain returned in full force.

This past week on Friday, as I was preparing to leave on my mission trip with Fellowship's students ministering on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, I woke up in the morning with severe leg pains.  I knew that I needed to go to the doctor as I would be leaving town soon.  As I sat in my family doctor's office and listened to her talk about blood clots in the leg and how they can break off and go to your heart and kill you, I knew that I was enduring spiritual warfare meant to keep me from the mission that following week. 

Then she began to tell me about using an anti-inflammatory medication that could take away the leg pain and also help me with my hand pain.  Now that sounded pretty good to me, so I took the medication, went home and began to pray.  Praise God, over the weekend my leg pain had disappeared and my hands were better!

The spiritual warfare that the enemy intended to harm me, absolutely backfired on him.  Instead of the leg pain keeping me from my calling to facilitate a mission trip on the Navajo Nation, the medication intended for my leg not only helped me with the leg pain, but it helped me with my hand pain also.  I was able to have a great week with my brothers and sisters in Christ on the Navajo Nation encouraging and being encouraged through Christ.  All Praise to God!  I absolutely saw the scripture "All things work together for good to those who love Christ and are called according to His purpose." come true in my life in this circumstance.   What a mighty God we serve!  No other God can "use evil for good."  Genesis 50:20

The next time you are in a bad situation, I encourage you to trust that God will use it for your good if you truly love Christ and have embraced Him as your Savior.  Give thanks to Him for your situation (I Thessalonians 5:18), Praise Him for who He is (Psalm 150) and then wait for Him to reveal the good to you.  The good is there, you just need to wait for it to be shown to you.

Me and my helper during our mission trip at

Living Springs Church on the Navajo Nation

in Lybrook, New Mexico.

Encouraging You Through Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory To God!

Rejoice In The Lord...When?

I have been struggling with a situation for about a month and I now realize that the struggle could last indefinitely.  It has kept me awake at night when the thought of it pops into my brain.  All I have been able to do with the thought is to say, "I trust you, Jesus."  And then when the thought doesn't leave and I'm trying to sleep, I continually say, "I trust you, Jesus.  I trust you, Jesus.  I trust you, Jesus"...........and on and on and on.  I think you probably get the idea.  It's kind of along the lines of counting sheep.

Frankly, I haven't been too thrilled with the prospect before me of this lasting indefinitely.  I DO trust Jesus in my life but I really don't want to spend every night laying awake repeating this over and over and over just so that I can fall asleep.  You who struggle with a weak brain like me (that the enemy delights in turning against me), will understand what I am saying.    

Well, anyway, this morning in my daily Bible reading, God evidently thought I had enough and chose to bless me with a scripture that was intended just for me.  And I didn't even ask for it!  I love it when He does that!  The scripture was Philippians 4:4-13.  When I read the first sentence which says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." I immediately stopped and read it again.  "Rejoice in the Lord always."  Wow.....I thought.  There is way more than just trusting in Jesus when I struggle, I can rejoice in my struggle...........WoW! 

I continued reading, "I will say it again, Rejoice."  Boom!  It hit me again, I can rejoice in my struggle!  So cool.  Of course, in my 36 years of being a Christ Follower, I've read this verse before, but I evidently hadn't read it when I was enduring a struggle such as the one I am dealing with now.  I really had to sit and let that soak down into my soul.....meditate on it so to speak.  Even as I write this, I find myself still meditating on it.  That's pretty deep, at least for me anyway.  Rejoice always!  Always!  Even in the midst of a struggle!

I was pretty pumped after reading and meditating on that.  I then went back to the scripture and continued reading, "Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near."  Another WoW moment!  "The Lord is near!"  Well, if the Lord is near, of course I should be rejoicing.   There is nothing I want more in my life than to be near the Lord, and here in my face, is the Word saying that "He is near."  Woohoo!  He is near! 

Continuing on, I read, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the Peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  At this point I am thinking, that this is exactly what I am needing.....and I didn't even know it.  God knew exactly what I was needing and I didn't have a clue.  I realized that I couldn't even ask God for what I needed because I didn't know.  What a BIG God I have.  He knows my needs before I do and meets them when I don't even know to ask.  All I have to do is go to the Word when I am struggling and He will meet my need.  "And my God shall meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!"  Philippians 4:19

My conclusion this morning is:

PEACE will guard my heart and mind when I REJOICE always! 

That is what I'm needing right now; my heart and mind to be guarded with God's peace so that the enemy will not trample on them and that I can continue walking the walk as I follow my Master down His path.

It is my prayer for you that you also find Peace as you Rejoice always, even in the midst of your struggles.

Encouraginag You In Christ

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God! 

Living Intentionally

My youngest son, Jared, moved away from home last fall.  He has done great, graduating from and receiving his certification as an Emergency Medical Technical as one more step in reaching his goal of becoming a Firefighter in a big city.  We are so proud of him.  He has set goals for himself and kept going until he attained each one of them.  First there was his goal of graduating from high school.....attained.  Next was his goal of obtaining his Fire Science Degree.....attained.  Then came his goal of becoming a certified Emergency Medical Technicial (EMT).....attained.  Jared spent the last 4 years of his life living intentionally to attain the goals that he had set out for himself.  The week after Jared graduated from his EMT class, God blessed our family by sending him back home to us for a 12 day visit.    We all had a wonderful, wonderful time with Him.....meeting him at the airport with signs welcoming him home.

Meeting Jared at the airport was exciting!

We all knew that Jared was coming home for several weeks, so we intentionally made time in our schedules to be together as a family in order to enjoy all the time that we could with him.  We packed the 12 days he was home with lots of different activities.  With 3 little ones age 3 and under, we did lots of activities that they could enjoy; we camped out in our backyard, rode bicycles, walked around the pond in our addition, went to a parade, played in our backyard with the little ones, played basketball, ate together; simplying enjoying being together as a family again.  Our family spent these 12 days that Jared was home living intentionally to attain the goals that we had set out for ourselves this week with him.

Fixing a broken pedal on Ash's bike on our bicycle ride.

Jared playing cars with Layla & Seeley.

Jared, Rick, Travis and a friend, Aaron, enjoy a game of basketball.

Eating together at Chipolte, Jared's favorite restaurant.

Watching the Waynedale Memorial Day Parade together.

In my daily Bible reading this morning I read about Paul, a man who lived intentionally to attain the goals that he had in life.  He expresses his goals in Philippians 3:10 where he says, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death and to attain to the resurrection of the dead."  and then again in I Corinthians 1:17 where he says, "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel." 

Paul's goals in life were to know Christ and His power, fellowship in Christ's suffering, preach the gospel, become like Christ in His death and attain the resurrection of the dead.  In II Timothy 4:7-8 Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."   Paul knew that through his intentional living, he had attained the goals that he had set out for himself.  He knew Christ and His power, he had fellowshiped in Christ's suffering, he had preached the gospel, he had become like Christ in His death. 

What an example Paul is for me in my life.  Paul knew that because of his intentional living for Christ, he was able to face the end of his life with confidence that he would participate in the resurrection of the dead.   I want my goals in life to always be in alignment with God's Word.  I want to live intentionally so that I know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.

 

 

Like Paul, I desire to live intentionally for Chirst.  I want to be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, I will share in the resurrection of the dead."  This is my prayer for you as well!

Encouraging You In Christ

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

Shhhhh! Listen! Did You Hear That?

Have you ever been told that you aren't good enough?  I have.  I  used to listen.  I used to believe that.  I used to hate myself.

Until.....I met Jesus!  Jesus changed everything for me!

I was told just 2 weeks ago that I wasn't good enough.  That I didn't measure up.  I was rejected.

I don't believe that any more!  I don't believe that because Jesus whispers in my ear that that is a lie.  Jesus whispers in my ear that I am good enough.  Jesus whispers in my ear that I do measure up.  Jesus whispers in my ear that He won't reject me.  Shhhhh!  Listen!  Did you hear that?  Jesus whispers in my ear.....  Since I met Jesus and asked Him to be my Savior, I now know that the enemy tells me lies. The enemy wants to take me out. "The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." I Peter 5:8.  But God has something better.....

So now when someone tells me that I'm not good enough, when someone tells me that I don't measure up, when someone rejects me; I just laugh.  And then Praise and Thanksgiving begin to flow out of me."   "...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of Praise."  Hebrews 13:15.  "...give thanks in all circumstances...."  I Thessalonians 5:18. 

You see, I now know the truth of who I am in Christ.  And since I know the truth, I don't have to believe the lies any more.  The truth:  Would a Holy, Righteous God leave heaven and His perfect form to come down to this earth and take on a human body, live among sinners, be told He wasn't good enough, be told that He didn't measure up, be rejected, be persecuted, be beaten, hang on a cross, die and then come back to life for ME if I wasn't good enough?  If I didn't measure up?  If I deserved to be rejected? 

I don't think so.

So now, anytime I am told that I am not good enough; anytime I am told that I don't measure up; anytime I am rejected; I laugh with glee because I know that since I am covered by the blood of Jesus, God sees me "white as snow".  Jesus blood tells me that I am good enough, that I do measure up, that I am not rejected by God.

Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but willl accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." 

God's Word has come into my life and has accomplished what He has desired.....it has brought Joy and Peace to me, I see the mountains and hills bursting into song and the trees clapping their hands.   God is using me because I know the truth.....I don't believe the lies anymore.  I don't have to hide from the world, even though the world is telling me that I am inadequate.  All Praise, Glory and Honor to God.....I Can Be ME!   I can be the person God created ME to be.  I can be that new creation in Christ.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."  II Corinthians 5:17.

So, let me ask you again.  Have you ever been told you're not good enough?  How you ever been told that you don't measure up?  Have you ever been rejected?  If your answer is yes, you have a choice.....you can listen to the lie OR you can listen to the truth. The truth being.....because of what Jesus did for you on the cross, you are good enough, you do measure up, you do not have to worry about rejection.

Believe the Truth.....GOD LOVES YOU!

Throw off the lie.....GOD LOVES YOU!

GOD LOVES YOU!       GOD LOVES YOU!       GOD LOVES YOU!       GOD LOVES YOU!

God has a plan for your life if you will only believe the truth and live out His Word.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.

Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you a hope and a future." 

Jeremiah 29:11

Encouraging You In Christ

All Praise, Honor and Glory To God!

Delight In God's Discipline..................... Not Today, God!

I am currently working through a Bible study called, "Walking By Faith, Lessons Learned In The Dark" by Jennifer Rothschild.  My lesson today was titled, "Delight in the Discipline That Strengthens".    One of the questions in the lesson asked me to identify an area of my life where I needed God's discipline.  Uuuuhhhh, I thought, I have experienced God's discipline plenty of times in the past, but right now, I don't see an area in my life that God is working on disciplining me.  

I so love God's sense of humor!  God used the very next verse that I read, to discipline me.  LOL!   The verse was Proverbs 19:11, "A man's wisdom gives him patience, it is to his glory to overlook an offense."  I had been offended in the past and I thought I had overlooked it, but this past Saturday I was reminded of the offense and now, looking back on the incident, God showed me that I had not overlooked it.   Oops! 

At that point, I realized that I needed to work on what God was disciplining me on, so I decided to  go to my Concordance and look up every verse in the Bible on "offense".   The first verse I found was Proverbs 17:9 which says, "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."  Wow, I thought, that is pretty powerful.  Isn't Love the whole message of the Gospel?  Isn't Love what God is callling me to?  Love the Lord your God.....love your neighbor.....love good.....love your enemies.....love your wives.....love your brother.....love one another.....the fruit of the Spirit is love.....love never fails.....the GREATEST of these is love and on and on and on.  My Concordance listed 3 pages in the Bible where the word "Love" is found. 

Through this search of the word "offense", God showed me that if I allow myself to take offense with others, that the love He wants to show them through me cannot come through.  God showed me that if I allow myself to take offense with others, I take the focus off of His  love and put the focus on myself and my lack of love.  God showed me that if I allow myself to take offense with others, I damage my testimony of God's love.  God really showed me.....

And so, my lesson entitled "Delight in the Discipline That Strengthens" really hit home today.  And Yes, it is true.....God's discipline does strengthen.  I am stronger right now because of His discipline.  He has strenghtened my resolve to love those in my life who may not be so loveable at times, because let's face it, I'm not so loveable at times.  He has strengthened my faith because I see that He loves me so much, He will not allow my sin to go undisciplined.  He has strengthened my love for His Word that convicts me at exactly the time that I need it.  He has strengthened my love for Him!

The last verse God gave me to read this morning was I John 4:19-21 which says, "If anyone says I love God yet hates His brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

And so my friends, I have some work to do.  I have some work to do on myself in letting this past offense go, so that the love of God can flow freely through me.   I have some work to do on myself with future offenses, so that I don't stifle the love of God flowing through me.  I have some work to do..........

I have some work to do.....if you are reading this today and I have offended you in any way, I ask for your forgiveness and that you would grant me the grace that God has granted all of us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  "...it is by grace you have been saved."  Ephesians 2:5

Encouraging You In Chist!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!

What Makes The Difference?

I see so much pain and suffering in the world around me.  When I take my eyes off of myself I see it.  It’s everywhere; in my friends lives, in the newspapers, in my own family, in strangers.  I see hurting, hurting, hurting people wondering why, why, why?

“I feel like killing myself.”  Quote from a young lady who is suffering from depression.  “I am blessed.”  Quote from a lady who underwent a biopsy to see if she has cancer.  “He didn’t check on the injured player for over 25 minutes.”  Quote from a hurting mother of a high school soccer player who is unhappy with the coach.  “God is in control.”  Quote from a single mother struggling with the consequences of her divorce.  “Whatever my lot…it is well with my soul.”  Quote from a blind wife and mother of two.  “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds.”  Quote from a writer.  “Everything is OK.”  Quote from a mother of two children in the hospital.  “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  Quote from a man in prison. 

As I think back on the last couple of weeks and the conversations I have had with people, I am struck by the huge contrast in how people view their painful circumstances.  What makes the difference?  What it is that causes some people to be positive in their suffering and some people to be negative in their suffering? 

Tonight as I pondered that question, I sat down to do my Bible study.  While reading  the Word, God impressed upon my heart that it is He that makes the difference.  It is He that causes people to be positive in their suffering.  It is He that allows people to look past their circumstances and say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”  It is God Himself, rising up out of His Word and consuming us with His grace, goodness and mercy, so that we can “give thanks in all circumstances.”

I had to ask myself tonight; how will I react when my circumstances become painful.  It is my decision to make.  Will I run toward the devil by reacting negatively and allow him to have a foothold in my life.  Or, will I run to Jesus, dig into The Word and pour my heart out to God, allowing Him to be in control of every circumstance, knowing that “all things work together for good to those who love Christ and are called according to His purposes?” 

Am I going to claim that I am a Christ Follower, but in name only?  Or, am I going to live The Word?   “If you love me you will obey me.”  John 14:23.  Am I going to “be content whatever my circumstances?  Philippians 4:11.  Am I going to “consider it pure joy when I face trials of many kinds”?  James 1:2.  Am I going to “do everything without arguing or complaining so that you may become a blameless and pure child of God.”  Philippians 2:14.  Will I allow my circumstance to cause me to say, “it is well with my soul”? 

What makes the difference?  Living Jesus Christ, that’s what!

Encouraging You In Christ!
All Praise, Honor and Glory To God!

Where's My Treasure.....Horses?

Those of you that know me personally know that I LOVE horses!  One of my favorite things about traveling in Arizona and New Mexico is that I get to see horses.....lots and lots of horses.  I can literally hop on my bicycle at The Encouragement House, ride one block and I can see horses.  Oh yeah, horses.....lots and lots of horses!

It has been my dream for the last year that I would be able to find a place to ride close to The Encouragement House.  Every time I would come to The Encouragement House I would tell myself that I would look for a ranch close by where I could ride.  There are trails everywhere surrounding Apache Junction that wind among the Saguaros, around and through the mountains.  The Arizona desert is an amazing place to ride a horse.  Well, a whole year went by without me having any time to even look for a place to ride. 

And then this past week, it happened!  Quickly!  So quickly that it took me by surprise.  I heard of a ranch just 5 minutes from The Encouragement House, made a phone call and before I knew it, I was riding a horse among the Saguaros at the base of the Superstition Mountains.  And it was amazing.....everything I had dreamed it would be.  Wonderful.....just plain wonderful!  Truly a dream come true for me!

So now that I'm riding again, I'm really getting into horses.....REALLY!  Twice this week I went to the Arizona Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale to watch horses and riders from all over the country compete with their Arabians.  Today, as I was watching a pleasure class  of Arabians and their riders, I began to think about what it was like to compete in a horse show.  I used to do that when I was a teenager.  I didn't have an Arabian but I had a hunter/jumper horse that I rode in horse shows all over Indiana.  And let me tell you, it was fun.....fun to ride, fun to compete and fun to win those trophies.  Way Fun!

As I watched the show, I began to think that I would like to show horses again.  I began to think that I could show horses again.  I began to think that I could win trohpies again.  I began to think.....

And in my thinking about showing horses again.....God began to speak to me.  He said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:21.  When he said that to me, I looked at the horses in the ring.  I looked at the equipment in the ring.  I looked at the people in the ring.   As I looked at the horses and the equipment, I realized the massive amounts of money it takes to own and show horses.  As I looked at the people,  I saw how important showing the horses was to them.  I saw great joy in the faces of the winners and I saw great disappointment in the faces of the losers.  I saw the ribbons and the trophies the winners received.  As I looked at the ribbons and the trophies, God reminded me that one day those would all burn up.  God reminded me that all the money invested, all the time invested, all the work invested would one day all burn up.....unless it was done for the glory of God. 

So tonight, God has asked me to spend some time evaluating where my treasure is.....is it in horses or is it in Him?  And I've come to the conclusion that as much as I love horses, I love Him more.  He is the One who created the horses!  He is the one who created the Saguaros and the mountains that I ride among!  He is the one who created me so that I can ride among the Saguaros and the mountains.  He is the One!

Soooo.......... shoud I just stick to riding my bicycle with Rick?????

LOL!!!!!  Uh.....NO.....I don't think so!  LOL!!!!!  I will keep riding horses.  Riding horses among the Saguaros at the base of the Superstition mountains.  Riding horses.....Praising God all the while for the beauty of his creation.  Riding horses, riding horses, riding horses.....cause that's what God created me to do.  All the while riding horses, giving Him my Heart.....because I am His Treasure, He is my Treasure!  "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenants, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession."  Exodus 19:5

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!