loved – Oh Lord Help Us

freedom, God’s love, identity, loved, truth, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Loved: Knowing God Desires Us for Who We Were Created to Be

DevotionalsMay 22, 2019May 22, 2019

We believe so many lies. One of the easiest to believe is that we cannot be loved. But God desires and loves us for who He created us to be!

I’m a pretty good driver. The only accident I’ve ever been in was entirely not my fault. I’ve never received a ticket. Never even been pulled over. So I really believe God intervened the night I ran over a raccoon and hit a deer within a 20-minute time span.

The few months leading up to that life-changing drive were some of the worst months of my life. I was working as the middle school director for a summer camp. A job I loved but caused me to endure some vicious slander from a young woman I lived with at the time. A sister in Christ.

Her verbal attacks made me believe maybe I wasn’t a good leader, a good friend, a good follower of Jesus. Her accusations wore me down emotionally and even spiritually.

Attacked and Abused

Then our summer staff came to camp. I always enjoyed the weeks of training new staff and seeing how God brought us all together to teach His truth to campers. What I didn’t enjoy, though, were the two young men who flirted rather heavily with me. Two young men with girlfriends, I might add.

I remember the disgust I felt as I attempted to dissuade their flirtatious interactions. Here they were, men who claimed Christ as their Savior, using me for some fun without care for my feelings or, of course, their girlfriends’ feelings.

The few weeks leading up to that fateful drive, my days consisted of listening to a fellow Christian attack my character and attempting to ward off flirting games.

I was sickened. I felt used and abused.

The Ugly Anti-truth

From then on, I allowed Satan to take their words and actions and twist them into an ugly version of truth. This ugly anti-truth didn’t stop at crushing my character, though. It placed the words and actions I was receiving from sinful humans over God’s character. Before I realized what had happened, I began to struggle with believing the truth that God fully and uniquely loved me.

I knew Christ loves all people equally, but I struggled. If He truly loves us all the same, how was I special to Him? How was I unique to Him? How could I be loved by Him?

I prayed over this lie. My friends did, too. I sought wisdom from others. I saw Satan’s schemes for what they were. Yet I couldn’t move past the thought of, But what if he’s right?

Freedom

It was on that drive when I found freedom. God revealed His answer to my prayers. I had tears threatening to spill as I drove home from Bible study. I cried out to God, asking Him why these fellow Christians were treating me like an afterthought. Why wouldn’t He remove this lie from my heart about who He was and how He loved me?

And that’s when I hit the raccoon. He had run out in front of me so quickly, I had barely seen him… I felt the thud, and I just burst into tears. This was not what I needed.

But as I wept, I decided enough was enough. So I numbed myself from the pain of my attackers. I took all my emotions and pushed them as far away from my heart as possible. I wiped my tears, set my jaw, and would fight back by simply not caring.

And that’s when I hit the deer. I remember looking at my speedometer for half a second. When I looked up, he was just standing there, right in front of me…

Overwhelmingly Loved

As the impact — physical and emotional — of what just happened tore through me, I once again began to weep. I cried out again and again, Why?? Why now? But instead of silence and my continued sobbing, I heard God’s answer…

He reminded me of the many ways He physically protects me. My love language is touch, and He had kept me safe from harm my whole life. There were different scenes that played out in my mind’s eye of moments when I should’ve been seriously injured — the current one included — but instead, I had not a scratch.

For reasons I know as the Holy Spirit, my mind was released from the lie that God doesn’t love me perfectly and exactly the way I need love. The evidence overwhelmed me.

His love overwhelmed me.

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Isaiah 41:9, NIV

The Only One

God reminded me how He knows every part of me, even the ugly parts, yet He still loves me. While human love will never satisfy, His will. While human love will always love flawed, His love never will. In fact, He rejoices over me.

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17, NIV

You might be facing this same lie or a number of other ugly anti-truths. But know, God has chosen you and not rejected you. He has engraved you on the palms of His hands. And if you were the only human on earth, He still would’ve sacrificed Himself for you. That’s how much He loves you.

No matter what others say about you or how people treat you, the perfect, unique love of our Savior is ready to wash you clean from your wounds. He is the only One who sees every aspect of you and loves you more than you can imagine.

Rejoicing in Truth

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV

His love surpasses our understanding and knowledge. Yet we can rest in the truth that His love is not measured in human standards. How we love one another should reflect God’s love for us, not the other way around.

So whatever lie you face this day, continue to give it to Jesus. Continue to hold it up to the truth of Scripture, knowing He rejoices over you with singing.

And my prayer is that it won’t take hitting a raccoon and a deer, for you to know the truth that will set you free.

God's love surpasses our understanding and knowledge. We can rest in the truth that His love is not measured in human standards. Click To Tweet

Emily Saxe was born and raised on the east coast but currently resides in Indiana with her husband. Working as a full-time freelance writer and editor, her heart and her pen are drawn to stories of faith as she helps people share how God is working in their lives. Everyone has a story to tell, and Emily loves helping to give people a voice to share their own story. Read more of Emily’s articles on her website, To Unearth. You can also find Emily here: Pinterest Instagram Facebook

Anita Austvika

relationship, love, intimacy, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Relationship: From a Love Affair to an Intimate Closeness with The Father

Devotionals, Stay SaneApril 22, 2018June 27, 2019

Love affairs are intense, exciting, and fleeting. Our feelings of love will fizzle over time, which is why we must be continually falling in love with our Lord. This maturing of our love leads to a deep, intimate relationship.

Every now and then I realize a need in my psyche to listen to chick music. I’ve told my husband that this is necessary for healthy, female existence…at least for me. It consists of different artists for each of us, but I imagine you know what I mean. Your gal may growl out her salty words or she may purr velvet blues, but depending on the day and my mood, I can bounce from Sara Bareilles wanting to see me be brave to Adele sending her love to his new lover. Probably like you, I can swing from Julia Fischers’ fingers dancing over her violin strings to Taylor Swift singing “Getaway Car.”

And that, dear sister, is where I landed the other day while upstairs doing particular household chores which I least enjoy. It was a Taylor day. Her song, “Sad, Beautiful, Tragic,” tugged at my heart in an unusually strong way. I replayed it several times, listening intently to the words as I questioned internally why this and one other song (“Begin Again”), on the album was arresting my attention. Most chick music falls in this category: girl meets boy; boy breaks girl’s heart; girl is shattered, can never trust again OR she’s tough, moving on, getting revenge, etc.

It occurred to me that too often over the years my relationship with God has been more like a love affair than an intimate, covenant relationship; maybe yours, too.

A Love Affair…

Love affairs are initially characterized by warmth, infatuation and hormones raging. Dr. Richard Schwartz, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a consultant at McLean Massachusetts General Hospital said that in the early stages of love our levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, rises in our system. In addition, love turns on the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s pleasure centers, and drops the levels of serotonin, which “adds a dash of obsession.” When this formula is added together, the equation always equals the exciting, crazy, dare-I-say silly feeling of an early infatuation/love. As the love-year progresses, chemicals gradually return to a normal balance and, if both hang around, a mature type of love follows. The hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin increases to produce calm and helps to cement the bond that is being created between the two people involved. Other brain specialists concur.

Pretty amazing how the Lord-of-all worked those little details out, huh?

The problem is, we humans like that crazy, exciting, OMG! first-love feeling all the time…in every relationship.

It might explain our divorce rate…might help us understand why so many singles hit the dating web sites night after night…

Might even explain our prayerlessness.

Falling in Love…

While some of us still possess the buzz of the first blush of being a new Christian, many do not. So, as John Wimber, (one of the founding leaders of Vineyard USA), said to his first pastor after a few months of sitting in a pew, “You mean I gave up drugs for this?” Wimber wanted to do what he saw Jesus doing in the gospels, but didn’t see it happening in his church. Unlike many of us, however, he didn’t settle for a cooling agnosticism to replace the fire of his first love. Wimber studied the scriptures faithfully and passionately; he learned that if our love affair wasn’t with Jesus, it would be with something else. “Show me where you spend your time, money, and energy, and I’ll tell you what you worship.” he often said. Further, Wimber later claimed,

It seems the more I think about not sinning, the more I sin, but the more I think about just loving Jesus, the less I seem to sin. Falling in love seems to be the key.

John Wimber, Power Evangelism

There it is, again – falling in love. But this love is ongoing, maturing. It’s the kind of love that is patient, kind, and not envious, boastful, or rude. This love doesn’t always have to have its’ own way, and isn’t irritable or resentful. It doesn’t do a happy dance at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love in its’ truest sense bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. In fact, it never, ever ends (I Corinthians 13:4-8).

Impossible, right? Why yes, it is!! Apart from the power of Christ within me, I am the antithesis of all of those attributes listed! I can be impatient, envious and rude -all in one breath! I can be irritable and demand my own way when my coffee isn’t prepared the way I like – all before 8 a.m.!

But God…

…has rescued me from the power of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of His dear Son…

Colossians 1:13, NLT

It seems the more I think about not sinning, the more I sin, but the more I think about just loving Jesus, the less I seem to sin. Falling in love seems to be the key. ~John Wimber, Power Evangelism Click To Tweet

Intimate Love…

Why, WHY does the Father continue to rescue, forgive, and empower me?

Because He loves me…and you…with a deep, everlasting, intimate love that surpasses human understanding. When we became His children, God made a covenant with us through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:13-20). It is a covenant of grace, filled with mercy, authored by Love.

It seems like drinking from a cracked cistern, really, when we, you and I, continually search for a new ‘first love’ feeling or sense of fulfillment by sipping in new relationships or attractions, whatever those may be, when Love Himself, the fountain of living waters- who has loved us like no other – is available to us at all times. He is waiting to give you, and me, a fresh drink.

For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13, NKJV

Sharon McCutcheon

You are fiercely loved…

Find this item and more in the Oh Lord Help Us Shop!

love-letters, desire, commitment, God, Jesus

Love Letters: Expressing Our Desire and Commitment to God

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 10, 2017June 28, 2019

Coming to know the Lord in deeper ways, it is natural to express our love to Him. Writing our prayers as love letters expresses our desire and commitment.

Have you ever received a love letter? Maybe in elementary school, the kind that said “check yes or no”? From a first boyfriend that included some attempt at romantic poetry? Or your fiancé or spouse that said how much they love you and couldn’t wait to be with you again because you make their life better? My husband and I used to exchange these types of emotional, gooey, heart-felt letters when we would spend time apart. They would make me feel so warm and special, and still do when I look back and reminisce over them. I still love him so much that I can’t imagine a day without him in my life, even after more than 20 years of marriage.

Love Letters: An Affair with the Creator

Recently, I have started a new love affair that surpasses all of that. This love affair is grander than all of those other lovely, beautiful, essential loves because this love affair is with the Creator of all the others. With all of my heart singing and shouting, I proclaim: “I am in love with God!”

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7

I have always thought of myself as a Christian. I have gone to church, prayed, read the Bible and even talked with others about my beliefs. But recently I have finally begun to understand Agape love – the love of God for man and of man for God. Not just understand it, but feel it. The enormity and pure emotional connection that God has laid out to you and me is awe-inspiring. No one loves us like our God. He loves us before we existed and that love only multiplies.

For God so Loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

My husband, children, family, friends and students have all held pieces of my heart and I’ve doled out an equal piece to God. Seems reasonable, or it did to me. But I’m seeing now how much I’ve been missing. God GAVE me all the other relationships. Without Him, none of the others matter because they don’t exist. He loves us so much, He gave you and I a heart to love people. Why shouldn’t we love Him the most?

We love because God first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Love Letters: A Glimpse of God’s Love

About a year ago I started writing my prayers down. I did this as a way to be more intentional about my prayers and as a way to thoughtfully consider what I wanted to say. If it sounds technical and clinical, it was. Like a check list, I would make sure I had told God what I was thankful for, confess at least one sin, ask for forgiveness, and then ask for one thing for the world (peace, an end to hunger, for safety).

Looking back at it now, I see how clueless I have been in my love and understanding of God. God was right there for me though.

What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete as God’s knowledge of me. Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13

He took my meager attempts at communication and started talking to me, presenting opportunities to have conversations with Him that have grown my love immeasurably.

May the Lord lead you into a greater understanding of God’s love and the endurance that is given by Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

First He put new friends in my path that loved me before I loved them. He showed me His heart through their compassion and love for each other. We have read and studied His word together and every time I see these people I feel God’s presence.

Then he started putting books in my path that spoke to my heart and pushed my head out-of-the-way: Present Over Perfect, Shine, Hurt Road, She’s Got Issues, and The Circle Maker. These books all have been instrumental in my newly awaked love.

There is nothing that God loves more than people who are at home with Wisdom.

The Wisdom of Solomon 7:28

Love Letters: Intimacy with God

Finally, God has opened a life line of hope and joy in my life that I have always searched for. I have always wanted to feel His presence, but quite frankly haven’t except in the rare moments that I would call out from a place of brokenness and sorrow.

This hope and joy has come through prayer. But not just any prayer, love letters. I write God a love letter almost every day.

Dear God,

Thank You for loving me. I need Your love today to be my best self. Help me to hear Your desires so that I can reflect Your love and passion to those around me. I love You! Help me to love others the way You love me. Speak to my heart. I need to step out in faith, believing that You have me tight in Your arms, so I can never truly fall even if I fail. Help me remember to move toward Your miracles.

Love,

Me

Be ready for God to answer you.

He said, “God loves you, so don’t let anything worry you or frighten you.” When he had said this I felt even stronger and said, “Sir, tell me what you have to say. You have made me feel better.”

Daniel 10:19.

Maybe it will be with a feeling of calmness, words from a friend or family member that come at just the right time, or a Bible verse that just pops up. He loves you beyond all words – let Him hug your heart today.

All scripture used is from the Good News Translation.

If you are interested in the books mentioned, please consider purchasing them through these affiliate links. There is no extra cost to you, and a small portion goes to help support this ministry:

If you have found this inspiring, share the encouragement…

No one loves us like our God. Click To Tweet

John Jennings

but God… loved

This is where our stories change.
Believing the truth that you are fiercely loved by the Creator changes everything.

Ready, Prepared, Perspective, Risks, Pursued, Loved, Strength, Faith, Glory

Get Ready

Devotionals, Stay SaneOctober 4, 2017January 13, 2019

When getting ready to face the unknown, we must be prepared, change our perspective, and take risks. The Lord is loving, strong, and longs for His glory to be known.

There has been a recurring theme in my life over the past couple of weeks. And one day in particular that caught my attention. Perhaps it take multiple times of smacking me in the face with something in order for me to understand. Perhaps I need to pay attention to what is happening.

Over the past few weeks, I have been doing the Ready Study by Heather Dixon. It is a study on the book of Joshua, chapters 1-5 and teaching how to be ready when we are facing unknown circumstances. I also have been reading through Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson. It’s about praying often with boldness, and is a 40 day prayer challenge. And during my runs I have been listening to Cast of Characters by Max Lucado. In this book he connects our lives with the lives of people in the Bible.

Well, on one day the phrase “Get Ready” came to my attention in 3 different ways.

First, in the study by Heather Dixon, where she says this:

I was sitting on our screened-in porch listening to the early morning songs of my backyard bird friends when God told me to get ready.

Three months after God told me to get ready, I was in the emergency room with two aneurysms. I lost 10% of my kidney tissue. Not long after that, my left carotid artery ruptured. I underwent two precarious surgeries to repair it. I was soon diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – a genetic connective tissue disorder that makes my blood vessels, arteries, and organs prone to spontaneous rupture. There is no cure for Vascular Ehlers-Danlos. There is no treatment. There is only a prescription from the doctor to prepare your bucket list and live your life well. The average life-expectancy of someone with VEDS is 48. Indeed, God wanted me to be ready for something. I am convinced that God led me to Joshua’s story as a gracious warning for what was to come. It was the truths I learned in Joshua 1-5 that helped me stay strong through months of uncertainty.

Then, later that day I was listening to a podcast where Heather was being interviewed, and I heard this segment of her story being told again, with her saying, “get ready.”

Finally, in the late afternoon as I sat down to read in Draw the Circle, I couldn’t believe my eyes when the title for day one was, “Get Ready.”

Okay Lord, I get it. It’s time to get ready.

But for what? Is it something good? Is it something bad?

I remember a time in my life where I had a similar whisper in my spirit. I can still tell you where I was when I heard it. I had this feeling of peace, and a general all-is-right-with-the-world kind of feeling. And then the feeling shifted to, what is about to come?

Wow, did life ever shift. In the following months we experienced three deaths in the family, including my mother, as well as moving to a new state with a new job and no friends. My world, and my faith, were shaken.

But this time, I say “bring it.”

Getting Ready…

Be Prepared. In the Ready Study, Heather Dixon talks about how God will prepare us for our battles beforehand. That “He does not call you where His feet have not already marched.” The Lord knows what is coming, He is not surprised. He promises to prepare us for the work to come.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

The Lord knows what is coming, and promises to prepare us for the work to come. Click To Tweet

Change Perspective. In the chapter about David in the Cast of Characters, Max Lucado shares how David could see the giant and how large he was, but more than seeing Goliath, he saw how powerful God is.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord‘s, and he will give you into our hand.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47

Take Risks. In Draw the Circle, Mark Batterson (who is also sharing about Joshua), challenges us to step out in faith and be willing to get our feet wet. Notice that God didn’t hold back the water and then tell them to go forward. He told them to get in the water first.

And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters…were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Joshua 3:13-17

Final Thoughts…

Do I believe God’s power is bigger than my giant?

Do I face the unknown with boldness?

I honestly do not know if I am headed toward something good, or something bad. None of us know what the day will bring. But… I do know that whatever is to come, I will be prepared for it. I do know that, even though I may not be able to handle it, God can. I do know that God wants good things for me, so if walking through difficult times will bring me closer to Him and bring glory to His name, I am willing to step out in faith.

What are you getting ready for?

PS…

These are the books I referenced, all of which I recommend:

(These are affiliate links. Which means if you purchase from that link, Oh Lord Help Us gets a small percentage at no extra charge to you. It’s not much, but it helps with the cost of keeping this blog up and running. You can read the Disclaimer page if you would like to ~~fall asleep~~ get more information.)

NeONBRAND

What Are You Afraid Of?

Stay SaneJune 12, 2016June 12, 2016

Today we discuss situations in our lives that have left us feeling afraid and how to overcome that fear and live boldly.

For a time in my life I was afraid of the down escalator. So bizarre. I actually panicked once trying to get on it. I had to turn away, walk a loop, and then try again. I succeeded the second time. Still, I get a little nervous whenever I have to get on, but it’s much better now.

A bigger fear I have is cockroaches. For real. Even if there is one dead I can’t pick it up. I have to use the vacuum, or more likely I’ll leave it for my husband to pick up. One time I sucked one up with the vacuum but it was still alive, so I took the vacuum outside until my husband got home. When we were first married, he tried to “cure” me of my fear and have me pick a dead one up with a pair of tweezers that were on the end of a super fancy fly-swatter (why did we have a fancy fly-swatter?). His “cure” ended up with me in tears, begging him to not make me do it (we have come a long way in the past 15+ years).

The peak of this fear was when I was painting an apartment that we were going to be moving in to while we lived in Chicago. I went to remove a smoke detector, and as I was twisting it, all this dust started to fall. When I saw that it was actually roaches falling to the floor, I had a full blown panic attack. Thankfully they were all dead, otherwise I probably would have busted my head as I passed out and fell off the ladder. Unfortunately, I have several stories like this. For some reason, they only try to attack me, never my husband.

(Just for the record, our first place was new construction, which results in these bugs coming indoors. The Chicago apartment was truly infested, but we had a pest control service come and get it under control. Now we live in the country, and bugs are just a part of life.)

Let’s talk real fear…

I fear rejection. What if I put myself out there and no one responds? What if I pursue a friendship and get the cold-shoulder? What if I tell someone an idea I have and they don’t share my excitement?

I fear missing out. What if there is an opportunity and I don’t take it? What if it would have been a great thing? What if the opportunity never presents itself again?

I fear that I won’t always like my children. What if they disappoint me? What if they make choices I don’t agree with? What if I don’t want to be around them?

I fear that I will no longer be attractive to my husband. What if he doesn’t want to be with me? What if he wants a wife with bigger boobs? What if my heart gets broken?

Where do these fears come from? Is there any truth behind them?

There are things that happen in our lives that shape us, good and bad. Perhaps we have been rejected by friends, or a spouse, or even a stranger. Perhaps opportunities have passed that we regret not taking. Maybe we have developed an ideal in our minds that is not realistic or attainable.

We need to get control of our thoughts, and acknowledge that we have listened to lies. LIES!! They are all lies!!

We need to replace the lies with truth.

The truth is, we are loved by a perfect God. You dear momma/dear lady/dear one, are loved. Fully, completely, no-need-to-fear, loved.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18

Are people going to hurt us? Yep.

Are people going to let us down? Yep.

Are our children going to disappoint us? Yep.

We are all messy humans, and we are all going to mess up and cause messes.

But our identity, our confidence, our self-worth… it does not come from other people, or situations. We can live boldly because we have been loved boldly. We are fiercely loved. And in that love, fear can no longer remain.

Afraid…but GOD has loved me.

So what are you afraid of?

xoxo

Replacing the Lies

Love, Stay SaneMay 22, 2016May 22, 2016

After months of brainstorming, planning, critiquing there is now a shop of items offered through this little blog. I’m excited to tell you more about it, because it is more than pretty jewelry, or cute apparel. Please allow me to share my heart with you.

We have all had encounters and experiences in our lives that have planted a seed of doubt. They have made us question our purpose, our value, ourselves. These are lies that have been whispered to us repeatedly, and if we don’t acknowledge them, they can make us less effective and destroy our influence. These lies feed our defensiveness to protect ourselves from feeling weak. Our weaknesses can hinder us and cause insecurities, but those same weaknesses, if we acknowledge and address them they can bring us strength and give glory to God. Let’s change the repetition of lies. Let’s replace them with the truth of God.

Afraid, but GOD…has loved you.
Running, but GOD…has pursued you.
Broken, but GOD…has redeemed you.
Messy, but GOD…thinks you are beautiful.
Striving, but GOD…says you are enough.

I believe in a God, and that He is good. As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe:

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “… Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

I also believe that there is an enemy that wants to destroy our influence and ultimately our lives.

This message that I want to share I believe is from God, and I believe the enemy wants to keep me silent and to keep you from hearing it. This past week, I felt completely under attack mentally and emotionally. To make it worse, I was attacked with each of these lies that I am telling others to replace with truth.

I felt afraid that people would reject me. I wanted to run away from this project. I felt defeated and broken in my spirit. I felt like my life was out of control and messy. I felt like I needed to strive to be different and felt envious of others. And when I realized that I was struggling with the very thing I was speaking against, I felt like an imposter. Who am I to be sharing this? This is the exact response the enemy was looking for.

The morning after I realized all of this, my oldest son woke up and wanted to tell me about a dream he had. In his dream, he was with Jesus and they were fighting demons. He wanted to know what it meant. I told him that I believe we are constantly in a battle. And that is why it is important to put on the armor of God that he has been learning about at church.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:10-18, ESV

Shortly after this, my middle child woke up and he started talking about his dream. In his dream he was standing in our living room and people were trying to break in and attack us. Yikes.

After sharing this with my mother-in-law, she shared with me:

…Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelations 12:10, ESV

The enemy accuses us of being imposters, of being weak, of being sinful. BUT, he has been thrown down!! He has been defeated!! Hallelujah, there is a NEW truth!

Yes, I would say that the enemy doesn’t want you believe the truth. The enemy wants you to be afraid, running, broken, messy, and striving…

but GOD….

Oh ladies!! This is where it gets good!

but GOD…

That means the story changes!

but GOD…

It means there is hope!

Afraid, but GOD…has loved you.
Running, but GOD…has pursued you.
Broken, but GOD…has redeemed you.
Messy, but GOD…thinks you are beautiful.
Striving, but GOD…says you are enough.

Here is the truth: You are loved by the Almighty, and He is pursuing you in order to redeem you. He has made you beautiful, and because he has loved you, pursued you, and redeemed you; you are enough!

I wish you could hear the excitement in my voice! I wish I could tell you to your lovely face! I wish I could rejoice with you right now as you are reading this!

The items in the shop are simply to help remind us of the truth and to change the repetition of lies that we have listened to. I pray for us all to change the dialogue in our minds and to live the abundant life that Jesus told us about.

Here are several of the items.

Click on any picture to take you to the shop to see all of them.

I will be in the Louisville, Kentucky area Memorial Day weekend. If you live in that area, and would like to eliminate shipping cost by picking them up from me while I am there, simply select “Pick up” when checking out and send me a note. xoxo

Mother’s Day: Ideal vs. Actual

Parent, Stay SaneMay 8, 2016

Mother’s day is coming to a close, and I hope you have had a restful day of adoration from your children. I have been showered with hand-made cards, flowers, and a day spent hiking in the mountains and hiding in my room. Yep, my hubby has allowed me to hide away and be alone. It’s beautiful. The children are either running, screaming, or crying, but I don’t care. He’s got it all under control, and I have a glass of wine.

For years, Mother’s Day was difficult for me because I had lost my mom to cancer. I would spend it watching Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The tag line for the movie was, “Mothers. Daughters. The never-ending story of good vs. evil.” Yep, that pretty much sums it up. I would laugh and cry the whole way through. And then… I became a mom. Thus began the tradition of breakfast in bed, construction paper cards, and feeling honored.

Honestly, what I really want on this day is to not have to do anything. To not have to feed any children. To not have to change a diaper. To not have to pick up toys. To not listen to crying, or whining, or arguing. Pretty much, I don’t want to be a mom on Mother’s day.

I know this will change. There will soon be a day when I will want all my children near me to celebrate this day, and a day I will feel sad because they are no longer near by. And my heart aches when I think about those who desperately want to be a mom, and have not been able to take that journey. I won’t stay in this place for long, but for now, this is how it is.

The stages of Mother’s Day

I so badly want to be a mom!

I’m so excited to be a mom!

I don’t want to be a mom today!

I love being a mom!

I miss my kids. Oh look, grandchildren!

Here is what some of you have said about your ideal versus actual Mother’s Day

Mom of 4 ages 10-14

Ideal: Church and then a relaxing day spent mostly outdoors. I’d love to go hiking and have a picnic that I don’t have to prepare or clean up after.

Actual: Church, then go to my mom’s and cook omelets with my sister for our families. After that, cook dinner and take it to my mother-in-law’s house. I thoroughly enjoyed it last year thinking of other mothers rather than myself.

Mom of 4 ages 14-18

Ideal: Take a walk, go out to breakfast, have someone else make lunch. And go spend the day with my husband somewhere.

Actual: I will go take my mother-in-law lunch because it is also her birthday.

Mom of 1 age 13 months

Ideal: Spending part of the day receiving some form of pampering (mani/pedi, massage, hair appointment) coming home to a clean house and not having to cook the rest of the day.

Actual: Spend the prior week cleaning so I can enjoy a clean house on Mother’s day, go to church, go out for lunch, and hangout with family the rest of the day.

Mom of 3, grandmother to 6

Ideal: All my children and grandchildren will be gathered in my home for a cookout. It will be a day of laughter and good food with good conversation while the children play and run in and out. I will grab hugs and kisses as they run by.

Actual: Church, eat lunch, visit my mom at the nursing home. Kind of makes me sad to think about it.

Mom of 3, ages 6-14

Ideal: For years I dreaded mothers day. It was a reminder to me of what I didn’t have and was told I could never have. There is so much heartache wrapped up in that one day. It was truly a day of mourning. For so many years I dreamed about it and prayed that that day would become a happy day for me. So when I finally became a mother myself, that became one of my favorite days. It is a day of deep reflection for me every year. It is very emotional. I pray I will never forget those emotions. There is nothing I would rather be doing on that day than to be with my babies that made me a mom.

Actual: My second favorite day of the year is the kid’s birthday party. This year their birthday party will be on Mother’s day. For me, it doesn’t get better than that and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day.

Mom of 3, ages 8-14

Ideal: To take a day trip with my mom and soak up good foods and sights. In years past though, I wanted a day off from being mom. I wanted to be completely alone with no mommy responsibilities!

Actual: Spend the day with my hubby and kids, probably grilling out and playing games-which is a close second to what I wish I could do.

Mom of 3 ages 9-15

Ideal: Spend time with my husband and kids, having meals catered in, and cleaned up by hired help, playing games without any arguments and perhaps watching a movie together as a family.

Actual: Going to church, spending time with the family playing tennis or games. Unfortunately, there probably will be arguments. Also I will either be supervising kids making a mess of the kitchen and/or cleaning up behind them. Or I will be kicked out of the kitchen by my husband and therefore we’re not spending time together.

Mom of 2 ages 10-13

Ideal: Wake up after sleeping in, go on a family hike with a picnic in the mountains, come home to eat take out, watch a good movie, and go to bed early.

Actual: It’s really just a normal Sunday. They do make me breakfast, then we go to church, then come home, cook, clean, and host mothers day dinner. My husband does do the clean up after dinner.

I am truly so fortunate to have my husband and children. And even though a day off would be nice, a day to love those children is so much more. I feel humbled that they want to honor me in any way they know how. If your “actual” isn’t your “ideal” know that you are not alone. And know that even though you may not get to spend this day the way you would like, that you are still honored and loved and blessed.

Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo