The Issue is Never the Issue

The issue is never the issue. This profound statement was reinforced to me on Black Friday at 3:30 AM while in line at K-Mart. I thought the reason why I was standing in line outside a retail store in the dark of the morning was to spare our slim budget from loosing too many bucks this holiday season.

I soon realized it was to hear a woman in her early 20's detail her brush with death as she fought the cancer that had tried vehemently to kill her and her unborn baby.  She was told she had cancer in one sentence, and with the next breathe the doctors informed her that she would most likely die that night. Now a year into remission, she was able to reflect back on what she went through to the friend she was with and to her new comrades who stood in the freezing temperatures for two hours with her.

Gently, the Spirit prompted me to begin praying for her silently. There was so much hurt in her voice, so much broken anger towards God who would let this cancer, that had quickly taken over her body, kill her baby. I didn't share with her the 4 spiritual laws. I didn't recite John 3:16, rather in the spirit, I fell before the throne of grace and wept for this girl. I begged the God of the Universe to comfort her.

The issue is never the issue. The issue gets us to the place where the Lord wants us, but He has a greater purpose for moving us there. The issue of the saving money got me to the Black Friday line at 3:30 AM, but the issue of this gal's brokenness got me before the throne interceding for her spiritual healing.

What issue is God using in your life to get you to the real issue? What physical trial or celebration are you walking through and what is he teaching you or directing you to do with it?

A Yosemite Thanksgiving

Today, on the day we proclaim our Thanksgiving, I woke up melencholy--Not feeling very thankful at all. It frustrates me when my emotions don't feel what I want them to feel. Does that ever frustrate you? Feeling sad when you want to be happy, or feeling afraid when you know perfectly well that you are safe.

Dreams have a way of crippling us with fear when we are completely safe, tucked in bed. When I was in elementary school, I was plagued with horrible, terrifying nightmares for a season. I can remember exactly what they were too. Even now as I sit here, some 28 years later, I can see them. What made them so horrible wasn't what was going on in the nightmare, because that was actually very benign (I'll explain in a sec). What rocked me to the core was the emotion that was connected to the dream.

In my nightmares, I was usually being chased. My attacker usually wanted to kill me.  Sometimes, I was chased by scarely people but mostly I was chased by Yosemite Sam from the Bugs Bunny cartoons. [See, isn't that benign?] Watching those cartoons, I was never afraid of Yosemite Sam, ever. Yosemite Sam isn't really scary. For some reason in my dream, I was terrified of being chased by him.

I would wake up and creep to my door. Then, still gripped by the fear from the dream, would look both ways out my hallway praying that Yosemite Sam wouldn't be there. I would sit there for what felt like hours, but was probably more like seconds.

Sometimes, I would see him down at the end of the hallway with guns drawn ready to shoot me if I ran across to my parents room. My heart would beat so hard, I thought he would hear it.  Eventually, I would work up enough courage to crawl very fast to my parents room and colapse on their floor knowing my dad would protect me from Yosemite Sam.

As time went on, my parents grew weary of night after night, me crawling into their room and falling asleep on their floor. I could never bring myself to tell them what the dreams were about because I knew that I wasn't being chased by Yosemite Sam. I knew he wasn't at the end of the  hallway night after night, ready to shoot me. I knew I was safe.

It was so frustrating to me that my emotions weren't lining up with reality. My mom did end up taking me to our pastor to discuss my fears and he guided me to pray that God would protect me when I would have a bad dream and eventually the dreams faded and Yosemite Sam gave up the chase.

Why would I tell you all this story on Thanksgiving? There were no pilgrims or indians present at all. Just a crazy kid who had a wild imagination that seemed to go into overdrive at night. Well, I know there are many of you who have mismatched emotions. You are fearful even though you are perfectly safe gripped in the Father's hand.

There are many of us that from time to time don't have emotions that line up with reality. Reality is the Truth that is in the scriptures, and not my circumstances. I don't want my emotions to line up with my circumstances, that would be bad news for me. No, I want my emotions to line up with the Truth that is present in the Word of God.

But, what do we do when we are having one of those "off" days? When we don't see the Truth only our bleak circumstances?

For me, it is to praise the Maker of the Universe-- to adore His name. I don't ask Him for anything, I don't "vent" my circumstances to Him. Rather, I praise Him for all He is. I praise Him for being a good God. and full of loving kindness. I meditate on Isaiah 6, the imagery of the throne room. He brings my emotions back in line to His reality. Then no matter the circumstance, I can sit in the truth of the Word of God.

All that I have...isn't enough

I am keenly aware that all I have isn't enough. My resources cannot satisfy. I will never provide the perfect parenting for my children. I will never be the perfect wife for my husband. I will never make enough money, or do a perfect job at work. I will always come up short, no matter how hard I try.

Somewhere in all the inadequacies, I find deep peace and contentment. I know that God will fill in the void. He will come to my rescue over and over and over again. He will provide what is lacking in my life, whatever it may be. There is a fantastic illustration of this in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew 15: 32-38 tells the story of Jesus feeding the 4000 people who had come for healing.

It reads, "And Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, '...I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.' The disciples said to Him, 'Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?' and Jesus said to then, 'How many loaves do you have?'" Then in verse 37 the gospel says, "And they ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full."

These few verses hold so much promise for us. I stand amazed! First, Jesus' compassion didn't end with healing all that ailed the people, He wanted to feed them too. Lord, may we be a people who want to walk people into healing and meet their basic physical needs too.

Second, Jesus uses what we have. The disciples had a mere picnic for 2: 7 loaves of bread and few fish. God will use what we have--all that we have. Here's the best part: what we have...isn't enough. What a merciful God who fills in the gaps. It was obvious that 7 loaves of bread and a few fish weren't going to feed 4,000 people.

Third, God wants to partner with us. Jesus, didn't just conjure up the entire dinner on His own. No, He used what the disciples had and added to it.  He wants to use us and the gifts that He has given us. He isn't going to let our contribution go to waste and do it all Himself. He wants us to partake in what He is doing.

Lastly, He brings the satisfaction. What I have to contribute won't satisfy.  I will always find lack in me. Ahhh, but the God of the Universe will provide for the lack. He will gladly add to what I bring to the table and I will walk away satisfied. You will walk away satisfied--full of His goodness, full of His strength, full of His love.

Quite the Adventurous, Unpredictable God We Serve!

Last year, the Spirit told me to go to TN. I didn't know where in TN to go or what I was do to once I arrived. So, I started praying. Friday morning (Jan.1) was no different. I was praying for TN and through a serious of websites found out about a conference that was going on that weekend in Nashville.


I began to pray for the conference, the speakers, and the attendees. I had never heard of the woman who was going to be speaking that day, but knew that God was going to move at that gathering. As I was praying for this ministry, God said, "Get up and go!"

There was no hesitation at the moment. Shoot, I have been praying for this for a year! I went upstairs and told Michael that today was the day that I was going to TN and did he want to come with me. He said sure and within the hour we had left for a HUGE ADVENTURE with God!

I was numb for the first 2 hours, thinking, "What am I doing? What have I roped my family into?" Then a peaceful calm, like only the Spirit can bring, came over me and I was able to relax. Once we got to Nashville, butterflies took flight in my stomach. I was soooo excited to see what God was going to do at this meeting. I had no idea why I was there or what was going to happen but I knew God was going to move!

We went to a conference hosted by Powerhouse Ministries and Sandy Powell. At this weekend conference--which we only went to one session--many modern day Prophets were sharing what the Lord was speaking for 2010. We missed everyone but Sandy and a man from her ministry.

She gave a wonderful message and then began a time of ministry. She called for all ministry leaders to come up for prayer. I jumped out of my seat and walked down for prayer. When it was my turn, I walked to this loving couple and told them that I didn't know why I was there or anything about this group but I was excited to be there!

This couple prayed and prophesied over me for what seemed like hours but was really more like 15 minutes. They gave confirmation after confirmation of things I have felt the Spirit saying for the past year--down to the exact phrases that I have written down in my notes.

What a sweet night it was to be soaked in affirmation and confirmation by the Spirit through brothers and sisters that I have never met and probably will never see this side of heaven again.

As we drove home, I can say that the Lord was with us and it was so good to follow Him in his perfect timing to TN. What an unpredictable God we serve!

So, what does being led by the Spirit look like in your life? Do you hear that still small voice speaking to you? Do you follow what He says?

Start From The Beginning

Think about it... How often does the "beginning" play a part in the present? Answers to these questions: What was your childhood like, When did you step into life with Christ, and How did you meet your spouse;  play a part in our current lives. Our beginnings are pivotal in how we see the present.

One beginning that plays a huge role in all our lives is found in Genesis 1-3. You think you may know this story inside and out saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, the snake and the woman talking about how delicious that apple must taste."

However, I want to challenge you to head back to that passage and reread it...very slowly...noticing things like:

Where was Adam formed?
What was the role of the man and woman in 1:28, did the man have a different role than the woman?
What did God say to Adam concerning the trees in the middle of th garden vs. what Eve said that God said?
Where was Adam was during this whole discussion between Eve and the serpent?
Who was cursed and who was disciplined?
Who performed the first sacrifice and why?
Where is the tree of life today? (Revelation 2:7, Revelation 22:2,14,) hmmm, interesting, huh?

Did you come away with any new insights? What did the Spirit show you from this passage? Do you see a part of God's character that you hadn't seen before?

Sidenote: Sometimes God disciplines us to protect us from what could have been (Genesis 3:22-23).

Yes, Mom

At our house when either my husband or myself give our kids a direction, they are expected to reply in a certain way. We expect to hear, "Yes Mom/Dad," or "Yes Mommy/Daddy," depending on their age. Many times it goes something like this...

"Would you like to pick up your room now or in 5 minutes?" I ask.
"5 minutes"
5 minutes later...
"Its time to go pick up your room." I say
Sighing heavily and with great angst in his/her voice, "Yeesss Moooom"

Hmmmm...the reply was appropriate. I received the "Yes Mom," and the action was obedient--the room was picked up, but the heart is far from me. I want more than a clean room, I want my children's heart. I want them to understand and be in agreement that a clean room is a good thing.

How my kids react is often  how we react to God. He gives us choices, and we pick them. However, when it comes down to the obeying part, we often reply with a heavy sigh and with great angst. Our hearts are far from Him. We don't understand, we aren't like-minded with our Father. We may even be rebellious internally while we are obeying externally.

God wants our hearts. He wants a tender heart willing to joyfully follow Him and to do whatever He asks of us, even the hard stuff. Jesus is quoted by Matthew as saying, "I desire compassion and not sacrifice." Jesus is after a heart full of mercy and compassion. That mercy and compassion is extended to our actions. Hosea 6:6 says it this way, "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than sacrifice."

Jesus isn't after someone who keeps the traditional Christian values or regular church attendance. He is after a soul that longs for His presence. He is after a heart that worships Him above all. Isaiah details out a message from the LORD in the first chapter of his book. In this chapter, God tells His people that all our festivals and appointed feasts (traditions) have become a burden to Him. What He is after is a heart that is clean--that reflects His love in actions such as ceasing to do evil, seeking justice, defending the orphan, and pleading for the widow.

This stuff is hard. It requires compassion and mercy. It is a lot more time consuming than heading to a festival or a feast to meet an attendance quota.

May we be a people that love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. May our interior love for the Father be translated to the exterior. May we seek justice, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. May we love with the unconditional love of the Father. May our hearts be soft and close to Him. May our obedience be heartfelt.

Do You Trust Me? Do You Trust Me, Now?

Verizon Wireless used to have this highly successful multi-media marketing campaign with a guy who would move from location to location while on his cell phone. He would ask the questions, “Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?” to the person he was talking to on the phone.


During this life, God walks with us through experience after experience. At certain times, He asks the questions, “Do you TRUST me? Do you TRUST me now?” I have to say, if that is the follow-up question to a situation, chances are it isn’t a pleasant experience to walk through.

I know for me, I usually want to quickly learn whatever there is to learn and get out—never to return. There is never an idea of being patient or content in a trial…at first.

However, the longer I have walked with the Savior and the more experiences this life has brought, I have learned that the goal isn’t always the destination but it is the journey. I have learned to be content in the trial and patient for His hand to move.

I know He will move in all my circumstances, I know that He will work all things to His glory, and this hope—this trust in who He is—gives me great peace and provides me with the patience to endure. Now, I can say with confidence, “YES! I trust you. I trust you now.”

James 2:2-5; Galatians 5:22