~Do You Ever Feel Like A Donkey At The Kentucky Derby ?~

Posted on February 12, 2019 by darla05

Thanks to the amazing Lisa Harper for that description. Being a horse owner, it really hit home for me.

Have you ever heard a sermon and you know down deep in your soul that you were suppose to hear it at that exact moment. I call them, “For such a time as this moments.”

Recently, my husband had to go to the hospital ER for being so sick. I asked for prayer on FB and texted some friends. Of course, many responded immediately with encouragement and prayed. Some said comments like…

  1. You can’t win for losing.
  2. When it rains the skies open
  3. Y’all have been through a lot lately
  4. The enemy sees y’all as a threat

They are only saying this because, we have seen more than our share of trials with health lately. As I am writing this, I wish I could say I was up and at ’em. I will say, I have good days and then I need a day to recover still. I have felt all they have said and some. I also have learned, feelings are indicators and should not be used as dictators.

The enemy would like to come in during these times and tell you…

God has abandoned you.

If he was a Good Good Father, where is He?

You are not enough!!! Because if you were, these things would not be happening to you and the list goes on.

It is during these times we have to cling to the truth. My identity must be anchored to the TRUTH of who God is and who He is to me. What is truth??? God’s word.

So tell me, where in the Bible does it say when we become Christians that we will not see trials and tribulations? Many times the more closer we walk with Jesus, the more trials we will see. As my Mom always says, ” The devil does not have to work on some people for he knows he already has them.”

We must remind ourselves, the enemy is vicious but he is NOT victorious. I have heard many things. But one thing I know for sure, to think our life is to walk in sunshine all the time and it be a cake walk is not Biblical. James tells us that in his first chapter. If the brother of Jesus is telling us this, Don’t you think we should listen? We have to have the right perspective and learn to find the joy in the midst of it all. Or better way of saying it, we have to learn to find joy in the pit. It is easy to find joy on the mountain top. C. S. Lewis says it best for me.

” We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be. “

We do the world a disservice when we “ACT” like we are the perfect Christian. These “ACTS” many times are why we hear so much about the hypocrisy of Christians. Let’s be real, this title has been earned on many of days. Who do we really think we are fooling when we are mean as snakes to people but have those Bible scriptures under our names on FB. Some of the people that have done others wrong would be having the worst temper tantrum and throwing the rattler out of the playpen if they were treated the way they did others.

As Lisa Harper said in her sermon , When Things Fall Apart, ” There are seasons in our life where we feel like, I am not sure I can handle this God. Apart from you carrying me Lord, I am not going to make it to the next season of my life.”

Sometimes God wants to purify us and prune us. Many times it is painful. We have to trust that the pain is going to be an amazing conduit. We have to trust that around the corner, we will produce much fruit and it is for our good. As Lisa said, ” We have to change our perspective about pain.”

I will be the first one to day, I would like to avoid pain. Can I have a free pass to use when needed? My idea, a get out of jail free card like in Monopoly . I love the Walking in Sunshine kind of days. But, we don’t have to read very far in the Bible to understand … this view is not Biblical. The prophets, the difference makers , the ones that God chose, all had curvy paths. Look at Moses, He took 40 years to learn to be a Prince in the palace. 40 years in the desert to be shaped and pruned by God so that he could be used 40 years for his ultimately calling by God.

Lisa speaks about Job. When Job lost everything, He shaved his head, put on his grieving garment, (Both were customs in that day) AND WORSHIPPED. Job was always a worshipper. The first book tells us how he prayed for his family.

We as people think that grief or broken is the opposite end of worship. Go back and look in the Bible at the characters that were down and felt defeated but starting worshipping anyway. Look at King David. Worship during this times is a deeper more sacrificial worship. We are tapping into our power source when we can say, ” I don’t understand. I don’t know what you are doing God, but, I trust you. YOU are a good God and this is going to be used for my good.”

Brokenness and worship … I think sometimes, can’t we have one without the other? But think of the scripture that God is close to the …

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is near  the brokenhearted;He saves the contrite in spirit.Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.…

When we bring all of us to all of God, He is with us. Lisa reminds us, Where in the Bible does it say just bring the perky parts to God? Is perky a characteristic of the Holy Spirit anyway? There is no where in scripture that says just bring the good parts of us to him.

We have to KNOW, no matter what we are going through, JESUS IS OUR HOPE. When your heart has been broken. When your faith is running empty, failed you or broken. HE meets you right where you are and sometimes that means the pit.

WE CHANGE, we can waver at times, But our God, he NEVER changes. He is steady. He is a firm foundation. He is steadfast . We need to remember Job, go back and get familiar with his story. Read it again and this time Lord, help us read it with a new lens. See things we did not see before. We have to remember during the not so perky times that as Job says, MY REDEEMER LIVES.

As Laura Story’s song lyrics say, What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise.

Psalm 84:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

Posted in Courage, Daily Devotion, Determination, Discipline, Encouragment, Endurance, Faith, Faithfulness, Grace, Mercy, Perseverence, purpose, women empowering women | Leave a comment

When Godly Cliches Just Aren’t Enough

Posted on January 5, 2019 by darla05

02521f44c9325c408b3e734e642750fe2468dd63a5c63c6cf471a3d5da4ce8fa

 

We have all heard them and honestly, we all probably have said them. You know the ones,

“If God closes a door, he opens a window.”

“God never gives us more than we can handle.”

The list goes on…

In my head I see the game show, The Price Is Right and I can hear Bob Barker’s voice right now, Darla, come on down. I run down to the front, all giddy and filled with excitement for all the possibilities that’s about to happen. I see myself up on stage, jumping up and down and there are the three doors. I have to pick. What is behind the doors. Maybe it is … A new car. A trip to some warm resort or a donkey standing there with a beautiful model.

There are times I wish the doors in life were like the doors on this game show. 

The doors of life are anything but a game.  Sometimes we stand in front of them and we do see them opening  in advance and we want to run and never see it again. But, we don’t have a choice. No-one asked us, we must cross the threshold with uncertainty and fear. Yes, I said it, fear. God never told us that there would not be fear.  He just said, Do Not fear, He did not give us that spirit and  He is with us. But, when we first see that open door or get devastating  news, we are rattled, not thinking straight or shaken to our core.

I had a friend text me these questions, Not Good Morning. Not how are you . Just simply through this on the table.

“HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE SUCCESS? HOW DO YOU DEFINE VALUE?”

I asked her, “Success as a whole.” She answered, “Personal Success.” I said , ” Wow, weighty question. Is there a single definition on both? For it means different things to different people.” I shared a quote about success. She said, ‘ NOPE!!!! I want your guts !!! Go deep girl.”

I had to pause and ponder for a few minutes. Once I gave her my answer, I ended it with, “Does this make sense?”  She said, ” Perfect sense, Im excited for your new chapter.”

But, what if your new chapter is not the chapter you wrote. You already made plans, goals for the new year. Admit it,  you want to edit it and be able to control it??? If we do this, we are in our comfort zone.

I read something early this morning. 5 lessons to learn from CLOSED doors. Here goes it…

GOD IS IN CONTROL, NOT ME.
I WANT TO BE IN CONTROL. I THINK I KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR MY LIFE. AFTER ALL, IT’S MY LIFE, RIGHT? I THINK I CAN MANAGE TO CALL THE SHOTS AND MAKE THINGS WORK OUT. I LIKE TO TELL MYSELF ALL THESE THINGS, BUT THE REALITY IS I’M NOT IN CONTROL. GOD IS.

He is the ultimate playmaker; He calls the shots; He leads and I follow. Which doors open and which doors close is His business; it’s His specialty. He has the God’s-eye view of how all this stuff will work out. I only see what’s immediately before me on the ground level.

WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.
WE TAKE LIFE ONE STEP AT A TIME, RELYING ON GOD TO LIGHT THE WAY STEP BY STEP.
RARELY DOES HE SHINE THAT LIGHT FARTHER DOWN THE PATH AND SHOW US MORE THAN WE NEED TO KNOW. OPEN AND CLOSED DOORS ARE ABOUT FOLLOWING HIM ONE STEP AT A TIME—ANY OPEN DOOR CAN CLOSE AND ANY CLOSED DOOR CAN OPEN. IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUSTING HIM WITH EVERY STEP.

HE IS TRUSTWORTHY.
WE DON’T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHERE HE LEADS US OR WHY. IN FACT, WE RARELY UNDERSTAND IT. WE QUESTION WHY SOME DOORS OPEN AND THEN CLOSE. WE WONDER WHY THE DOOR WAS OPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE QUESTION AND WONDER; AND THE CYCLE GOES ON AND ON.

What we need to remember is that God is trustworthy and He has a reason for everything He does. He doesn’t have to let us in on that reason and often chooses not to. Sometimes we have to just accept that a door is closed and we may never know the reason. But we know the One who closed the door and we trust Him.

GOD USES CLOSED DOORS TO TEACH US SOMETHING.
CLOSED DOORS REFINE US FURTHER. THEY SHAPE US AND CHISEL AWAY MORE OF WHAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE CHRIST IN OUR LIVES.

I’ve found that at times, a closed door has a mirror on it, forcing me to examine myself and showing me something about myself, some part of my character that needs work or a facet of my spiritual life that requires attention. Sometimes God closes a door to reveal something about our relationship with Him—to force us to draw near to Him, seek refuge and direction and even answers.

GOD IS MORE INTERESTED IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
WHETHER WALKING THROUGH AN OPEN DOOR OR PAUSING TO REGROUP AT A CLOSED ONE, DOORS DRIVE US TO SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE AND HIS WILL. BUT GOD IS MORE INTERESTED IN STRENGTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAN HE IS ABOUT US GETTING THE DOORS RIGHT. I NEED TO FOLLOW SUIT. OFTEN, WE PRAY FOR GOD TO SHOW US HIS WILL, SHOW US WHICH DOOR TO TAKE; WE ASK HIM TO OPEN DOORS FOR US.

But we fail to realize that discerning which door to take is more about our relationship with Him than His revealing what’s behind door number one. Recently, my prayer changed from, “Lord, show me Your will,” to “Lord, help me to do Your will.”

I’ve had plenty of experience with closed doors and they rarely close quietly. Often, they hurt, even cause lasting damage. But I’m learning that they don’t need to.

If our perspective is right, if our trust is in the One who both opens and closes doors, and if we focus more on our relationship with Him and less on the door, we will see every closed door as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves and our God.

And in the end, when faced with our next closed door, we will realize that in the Christian walk, closed doors are just as important as open doors.

—————————————-

I am reading the book, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way . 

The timing , ONLY GOD.  Lysa describes some of her deepest darkest days in this book. I read this book and I am thinking this is the guideline,  the steps for when those doors are OPEN and we were pushed through them, never wanting to cross the threshold, but here we are. We did not ask for this diagnosis, we would never want to deal with our precious new born dying after 7 weeks in the hospital the entire time. We did not want this marriage to end, the friendship to go South. If we knew in advance,  WE WOULD RUN AWAY FROM THIS DOOR AS FAST AS WE COULD. But, we did not have a choice. We were not asked.

We have to rely on a God that we can’t see and a faith that is blind. 

Lysa wrote, “If you get desperate enough, you will go all in with LIVING SLOW for a while. You will quiet down all the outside noise so THAT God’s voice will be the loudest in your life.  For her she cut out all TV and social media. Cut out reading things online and chose God’s word MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. Cut through the deafening silence of emptiness by filling her home with praise music. Cut out as many extra activities as possible and spent more time with  her kids and friends that came to visit. Cut out having lots of conversations with curious people and INTENTIONALLY sought out sound counsel and friends whom she knew to be safe. Cut out speaking engagements  and pouring herself out for others in that season so she could have time to be poured into.” 

“Sometimes, Slow becomes necessary.”

“During these times, We must let God’s word become the words we believe and receive as TRUTH.”

“We must let God’s word become the words of our story. “

Once again, this chapter I just finished of this amazing book, ends with my LIFE verse. I have it written in my heart. I have it on a bracelet and yet here it is again.

2 Timothy 1:7- God did not gives us the spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE AND SELF DISCIPLINE (some versions say SOUND MIND)

What is your life verse to get you through those doors that SLAM SHUT and for the ones that swung WIDE OPEN . Sometimes, it is a season of paradise behind the door and sometimes, anything but.

I don’t know how people that do not know Christ get through tough times. But for me, 

May I keep singing this sweet beautiful song over and over.

…. Let it be said of me…. MY SOURCE of strength , my source of hope, IS CHRIST ALONE. I Place my trust and find my glory in the power of the cross. 

…. Christ ALONE …. CHRIST ALONE…. 

LORD, YOU ARE ENOUGH !

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Confidence, Daily Devotion, Determination, Faith, Hope, Inspirational | Leave a comment

You Are Enough

Posted on December 28, 2018 by darla05

Everyone seems to have New Years resolutions. A word for 2019. I haven’t really thought much about it until this past week.

I took a break from FB post for a week, besides posting an item or two on the business page. I have missed seeing updates from some friends especially from home, but, the time I spend on FB can definitely be more useful elsewhere so I need to keep limiting it.

There have been some dark days in 2018. I have lost more loved ones this year than ever before.  My best friend for 23 years,  who knew more about me than anyone, so many regrets, things that I never got to say before he died.  Loss of relationships that I held dear. Add the hospital stays, Doctor’s visits, sickness like I have never known. Lots of things change in your life when you come to a place where you don’t know if you are going to make it. Reality check…. what really matters, who really matters and who really cares about me. Tough times show you many things.

I have a secret folder. Things that I keep to myself that I share with no-one. Reminders on days when I need a reminder that choices lead, feelings follow. When I have felt like I have taken a step back in my faith or on the days that I face planted.  The times I have to step away from the room, the crowd, to take a  deep breath, for I really do hate crowds. The times I have more questions than answers, the times when people I loved have broken my heart.  I can go to this folder. It is a place of refuge and I can close the laptop, with a mindset a little more clear. It is personal writings saved, It is blogs from others saved. It is scriptures, motivational quotes,  notes to myself, a mix of this and that really.

I had a friend recently remind me that I need to enjoy my time as Mary more than a Martha. She said she told me this back in May, when I was slaving getting ready for an event at the farm, she said I told her, “THAT WAS GOOD,” when she said it to me. Then I continued going 90 to nothing. After 7 months of sickness, she said it to me again. This time, it stopped me in my tracks. ”Darla, you are enough…. Remember to be Martha for only so long, enjoy your family as Mary. ”

I needed to let those words sink in. She reminded me of something I saved. I am sharing it here for I know many others need to hear this too.

YOU ARE ENOUGH , YOU ALWAYS HAVE BEEN  

You need to hear this. You need to read this and you need to keep this at heart.

You are enough. You are good enough. You are worthy.

You are good enough to achieve your goals. You are good enough to pursue your dreams.

You are good enough to reach whatever your heart desires.

You are good enough.

You are good enough not because you tried enough, worked hard enough or pursued enough.

You are enough just as you are. You are enough just as you were made to be.

You don’t have to prove yourself or ask for anyone’s approval.

You don’t have to try to be someone else.

Because being you is more than enough.

Remember that being enough doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect. That you have to be more or do more.

You are enough because you stay true to who you are.

You are enough because you continue to learn, to grow and you continue to be the best version of you.

You are enough because you’re you.

You are worth it.

You are worth the pain. The effort. You are worth so much more than what you think.

And it’s not because you did something, or even proved something.

You are worth it because of what you share with the world. Every part of you, flaws and messy parts included, that is what makes you worth it.

So, stop beating yourself up. Stop the blame. The hate. Stop criticizing yourself.

Stop trying to be someone else.

You don’t have to do all those things.

Know in your heart that you are enough just as you are.

You are enough because of your dreams, your passion, your soul.

You are enough because of your ability to love, to forgive, to make someone else smile, and the joy you share with the world.

You are enough simply because you’re you!

Now, why am I telling you all these things?

Because I too grew up feeling that I wasn’t enough.

I was constantly compared. It started with a few “why can’t you be more like” conversations.

Then those turned into “you have zero talent”, “you’re too ___ to achieve this”

I grew up thinking that I will never be enough.

I grew up constantly competing with other people – trying to prove myself.

Constantly trying to be more and do more. Setting inhuman standards.

Exhausting myself physically and mentally.

I longed for the approval of others.

I was constantly chasing one goal after another. Constantly trying to be the best in everything, just so I could feel that I was worthy.

I may have received the approval that I longed for from the people that I loved but the things I did to get there broke me.

It took so much of me.

I was unhappy. Unhappy with myself and unhappy with the world. I was a mess.

I grew up with the pain and I took their words with me.

I let their words rule my life.

I criticized myself for every mistake, even the smallest one. I’ve pushed myself beyond my limitations.

I kept striving to be someone else, living a life that I didn’t want.

I lived a life to please others. Terrified to show the world who I really was – thinking that the real me was not good enough.

I beat myself up for every failure and I constantly reminded myself that I was not good enough and I will never be.

All because I let the words of other people define who I was and what I can be.

Now, I don’t want this to happen to you or to anyone else.

So, to anyone reading this, feeling the exact same way that I felt, I’m telling you now

You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You don’t need their approval to know your worth.

You are enough, you are still enough and you will always be enough.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Do what you love. Pursue your dreams, your passion. Live the life that you want.

You don’t have to strive to be more worthy, to be accepted – because you already are!

You are capable of achieving anything that you set your mind and heart onto.

Focus on your journey, accept and love yourself for who you are and keep reminding yourself

That you are loved, you are amazing

You are worth it and You are more than enough!

My word this year , is really three words, Bracelet is being made, YOU ARE ENOUGH !

What a reminder and a wonderful opportunity when I wear it to remind others of this reality !  Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.  If I was the only one Christ would have still walked that road. Passion drove him, love drove him, with every stripe on his back, with every drop of blood he shed, with every time the hammer thrusted those rusty nails through his flesh to hang on a cross, Christ was saying, YOU ARE ENOUGH. I laid my life down for you.  May I live for him in 2019 like never before.

Posted in Confidence, Courage, Determination, Discipline, Dreams, Faith, finding ourselves, Hope, Inspirational, purpose, women empowering women | 1 Comment

Mirror Mirror On The Wall…

Posted on February 20, 2018 by darla05

IMG_0910

 

 

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28, NIV).

God has a plan to take every adversity and every hardship you go through and use it. He takes that difficulty and supernaturally turns it around and uses it to bring you good. How do we live more victorious?

Last night in our Bible study group, we talked about what happens if we have weak muscles. If we have muscles that we have not used correctly, we might begin a weight training program to grow in strength and skill. When we apply this same principle to our faith, we build our faith by reading God’s word, retraining our thought process to line up with Biblical truth. Just like weight lifters need a spotter at times, we need a spotter to encourage, challenge and support us in this faith building process. Godly friends are so important.

One of the most important faith building steps is to  KNOW what the word of God says about our lives. Often our world view and past experiences shapes OUR VERSION of truth. We need to remember that the past is a place of reference NOT a place of residence.  To become more victorious, we have to align our beliefs with the truth of the Bible.  Another way to say this is, we  don’t just read the Bible, we need to let it read us.

2 Corth. 10:5 says that every thought should be examined for Godly accuracy. IF is does not line up with what the Bible says, we must take it captive and make it obedient to the word of God.

Today, may we stand on the unmoving word of God. May we be doers of the word and not just hearers only. Let’s TRUST the one that loves the process ~ It is in the process that we learn to trust the Lord without borders. To cross to the other side of the mountain with only a leap of faith.

Philippians 4:8  tells us, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things

If we want to live more victorious, if we want to  make the world a better place,  take a look at yourself in the mirror with Biblical truths, then make that…Change.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Confidence, Daily Devotion, Faith, identity, prayer, purpose, women empowering women | Leave a comment

Filled with the Fullness of God, What does that really mean?

Posted on January 13, 2018 by darla05

13f6b464b706dc4eac54822c9caf0baf

 

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Surpass knowledge? How do we become filled with the FULLNESS of GOD?

I listened to a sermon from Francis Chan this morning. It really has me thinking and searching on this scripture.

Paul is writing Timothy. In this book of Ephesians,  Paul  speaks about the ends times and describes how rough they are going to be. But, hey listen up, go read the Bible for yourself. When you think about it, the world has always been the world. The world was  bad back then, people were killed for their faith. Tortured and thrown in prison . The world is bad now.  Reading and studying , Paul, is talking about the church.  Isn’t this chapter really talking about when the sins of the world have starting creeping in the church and we can not distinguish the difference is when we know we are in the end times?

Folks,  let’s be real, we are in the times where we have to quit playing church.QUIT PLAYING THE ROLE. Quit checking in on FaceBook every time we walk in church for the world to see. God sees when we go to church, he does not need us to check in on FB to let him know. So who are we checking in for? Have we been known to throw a few scriptures out at someone and pat ourselves on the back. Do we feel good about ourselves because we have spent five minutes with God in prayer and we can check it off our to do list? Our culture is spiraling out of control. As Francis Chan said this morning, GET OVER YOURSELF ~ We need mighty, powerful prayers. I read a quote, Don’t tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem you have a BIG GOD ~

To obtain the fullness of God is to do something we have never done. To strip ourselves of anything that is hindering us from following him completely. For each of us , it is something different but trust me we ALL have restraints that are holding us back.

Being comfortable creates complacency most of the time for me. It does not have to but let’s be honest and take a good look at ourselves and our own struggles and sins.

It seems to me that Paul’s’ desire is for Timothy and the church to grow in God’s love. He has a specific purpose. The only other time this phrase is mentioned in scripture  again is Colossians 1:19. “For in Jesus all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. ” Clearly Jesus was divine. But, scripture tells us the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us!!! Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

So, what is holding us back?  Look in the mirror, You are.  I am. Our purpose as CHRIST-ians is to be filled with Jesus as much as possible. How do we start taking the right steps to  have this fullness?

Lord show us,  how do we become?  Teach me to become. Show us the way to have the fullness of you. Open our eyes to our complacency , anything that would keep us from following you. My heart has deceived me many times before and I have walked in my own desires, STRIP away all of my selfishness and clothe me with more of you. Lord, you have searched  all of us. You have searched me and you  know me well and even so you still invite me to come into your presence. HE STILL invites us. He still loves us. Right where we are, He wipes the dirt off our face and dust us off and says come join me.

Heaven knows there should be no difference between Sunday morning and the rest of the week. Our father wants to speak to me here on a horse farm in Wilsonville, Al with my bed head and no make up on this Saturday morning as he does when I dress up in my favorite outfit.. We may go days without thinking of him, but there is not a moment when he is not thinking about us.

The word says in  Galatians 5:6 the only thing that matters is FAITH expressing itself through love. So, taking this scripture and believing this is true, God knows that love both thoughts and actions is the KEY to the fullness of God in the life of a Christian.

Our hearts are like a garden. There are some flowers and there are some weeds. We need just the right amount of fertilizer, sun and rain and that can only come through spending time with him. At times the pruning is painful but I am leaning on you Jesus. Forgive me for the times this week that I have not represented you well. But, I know no matter where I am and what trials I am facing, whatever the season, by your grace I stand for as the song says, there is healing in your hands.

May we sow the seeds of love and goodness so that we can enjoy this fullness of God that he wants for each of us. For in his presence there is fullness of joy.

Starting today, please join me, I would love the help, prayers and accountable of friends too,  one step at a time, one day at a time,  may we be willing for the Lord to teach us and guide us like never before in 2018.

13f6b464b706dc4eac54822c9caf0baf

 

 

 

 

Posted in Christian Inspiration, Church, Daily Devotion, Determination, Encouragment, Faith, finding ourselves, Grace, Hope, purpose | Leave a comment

IT TAKES COURAGE TO EMBRACE YOUR GOD GIVEN UNIQUENESS. #WithoutRival

Posted on October 12, 2017 by darla05

 

 

728206596fcc353ea6165c779172c371.jpg

IN AN AGE OF IMITATION, IT TAKES COURAGE TO EMBRACE YOUR GOD GIVEN UNIQUENESS. #WithoutRival

 
One of my goals at my age of 51 is to pour into other women . I call it planting seeds.
I want to help them and cheer them on SO THAT they are wiser down the road when they reach 51 years old. SO THAT they can pour into their children and other women. Confident Women empowering confidence in women. THERE IS SUCH A NEED.

I call my beautiful friends out when they speak negatively about themselves. Everyone knows me for very long, knows my $5.00 saying. For everything negative they say about themselves, I collect $5.00.

One of the beauties that I adore,  her total is adding up quickly, I said to her this past week,  ‘You are taking me to Fleming’s for dinner. ” We laugh, but there is truth in this. We would never dream of talking to another like we talk to ourselves. Well, on second thought some women do talk to other women like this, so I would love to address this again.

What if you called someone out in love when they are acting petty? What if you help them be a better version of themselves? What if we displayed the actions we want to see?

I do not understand jealousy and not wanting to help others be a better version of themselves. We all have gifts. We all have talents. How I wish I could scream BE YOU – Beautifully. I told a beautiful young woman today, IF IF IF you have one true friend in this lifetime, you have a treasure. Come on ladies, BE THAT friend you want .

Ask the Lord to guide you and help you . When you genuinely surrender to Him, He will not make any mistakes in shaping your life. Also, ask him for discernment and wisdom. He will give it to you. Everyone that says they are your friend, well sorry, they are not always your friend. Sad but true. Keep the inner circle tight. Again, anyone that tries to sow discord in your marriage, makes you feel less than by stirring the pot of discord, or your gut instinct keeps warning you… believe your instincts.

For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. James 3:16

REPEAT AFTER ME …

I am in competition with NO ONE. Rinse and Repeat !

The Lord put me on this earth to run my own race, not someone else’s.
God IS the game changer.

IF you feel less than., not worthy, not enough, speak lowly of yourself, YOU DID NOT get these ideas from our loving Heavenly Father.

So… who is whispering in your ear?

One day, I hope more of us get it.

#NotYourRival #NotMyRivalEither 

In His Love and Mine,

Darla

Posted in Confidence, Courage, Encouragment, Faith, women empowering women | 2 Comments

The Stirring of my Soul

Posted on August 18, 2017 by darla05

986e16bbfb9c3df9511ac4776dc5f880

 

The more I come back to a place of worship. The more I discipline my physical body to stop and spend time with my Heavenly Father, my thoughts are like my beloved KitchenAid mixer. The beaters start to run faster. The joy of the Lord starts running over.

A quest has started within me. I have questions now more than ever. How do I live loved EVERY DAY? Even on those days when I feel rejected?

How do I share the Lord… better?

How do I live un-offendable?

How can I be better at being a follower to the God I serve? When I do this, I automatically will be a  better wife, Mom and friend, ______  fill in the blank.

I have told a few people  I trust and respect about the stirring happening inside me once again. As my beautiful little business partner said to me today, “YOU thinking deep !!!”

The Lord and my hour together is the 3 am hour by most accounts. It seems like this is when he whispers, come to me and converse with me. Or then again it might be him saying, it is the only time I could FULLY get your attention Darla so 3 AM it is. That is a topic for another day.

My quiet time is back to involving reading too. I am obsessed with the book, Uninvited. There are so many truths. I better bring out ALL my different color highlighters. I am taking notes. I am writing down quotes. Writing questions to ponder for my take aways from each page I cannot contain. It is like having free range in a candy store as a kid. All my pockets are filled to the brim. I have folded the bottom of my t-shirt and stuffed it full with candy, holding my  folded shirt with both hands to not spill any but they spill over anyway.

So here the truth take away so far today. Sometimes we think those awesome positive thought about our loved ones and friends but we do not take the time to write them or tell them. I want to challenge you today. Every person you encounter today has some deep hidden hurt. EVERY PERSON is desperate for your love,  acceptance and encouragement. Every person, from the server at the restaurant , your Mom, Dad, Husband, child, friend,  coworker. Every person has some deep wounding in their heart that your love and acceptance could speak to in a powerful way.

How can we weave the positives into others today??? Life change happens in relationships.

Change starts with me ! Change starts with you ! We are to bring the fullness of God. We have to represent him or look at it like we have to RE-present God everyday.

When we change our lens and look at it as we RE-present God in our daily situations. The dictionary says, (present (something) again, especially for further consideration or in an altered form.) We will understand that it is our job if we walk into an air of discord, to bring  peace. It is our job to BRING IT ~

It is up to us if we pick up the baggage that is thrown our way throughout the day. We have a choice. When the trash is slung our way, Recognize it for what it is and say No- No , I am not going to pick up that negative vibe you just laid down because…. I AM  LIVING LOVED.

The more we learn to live LOVED, the more we are able to  truly display love to others. The enemy want us to feel less than, rejected, left out and lonely. BUT GOD says, we are loved. Loved with a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken or taken . His love is full warranted. His love is eternal.  He is with us and He will never forsake us.

Truly as Natalie Cole sings … This will be an EVERLASTING LOVE !

P.S. Get the Book !

 

Posted in Daily Devotion, Discipline, Encouragment, Faith, purpose | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Contrite Heart

Posted on July 12, 2017 by darla05

84f35ae5829e03392226d1d23046ca9d

 

I watched a sermon this early morning on a changed heart. Steve Furtick talks about real lasting change has to happen in your heart in his sermon 3 Habits of a Healthy Heart.

What does it mean to have a contrite heart?

The Bible speaks many times of a contrite heart.  Isaiah 66:2, the Lord says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

Psalm 51:17, David writes, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

You find it with  verses that also speak of  humility, brokenness, and a healthy fear of God’s Word. So what exactly does it mean to be contrite?

According to the  IBE, (International Bible Encyclopedia) “A contrite heart is one in which the natural pride and self-sufficiency have been completely humbled by the consciousness of guilt.” The Hebrew and Greek words often translated “contrite” actually mean “crushed, crippled, or broken.”

When we as  people  stop justifying our wrong choices, when our eyes are truly open to our sin, when we humbly accepts God’s righteous condemnation of sin, contrition is present. It is when our actions speak so much louder than our words. It is when we become real and transparent. A contrite heart wants to listen and obey God . The more we fall in love with the Lord, the more we will WANT and DESIRE to do things that please him.

A contrite heart offers no excuses and shifts no blame.  A contrite heart throws itself upon the mercy of God, knowing that it deserves nothing but righteous wrath (Isaiah 6:5; Psalm 41:4). STOP for a minute, rewind,  pause , ponder this… NO EXCUSES AND SHIFTS NO BLAME. So not the norm today.

The place of contrition is a blessed place to be. God says, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). Those with a contrite  heart are promised a dwelling place with God. Their broken hearts will be made new.

A contrite heart does not take the forgiveness of God for granted. It is grieved over its own sin and contrition is a key to true repentance. Without it, we are like the proud Pharisee, going through the motions of religion but harboring arrogance in our hearts.

As Pastor Steven reminds us again, lasting change happens in the heart so that a new mindset is formed. It is where the beautiful transformation starts to happen. It is where His light starts shining through.

It is up to God to mould, transform, and sanctify us as we journey through this earthly life. But, we have a part to play also. We have to be willing. We have to take action and humble ourselves before the Lord.

GOD MAKES ALL THINGS NEW. He takes a broken and contrite heart and restores the JOY of our salvation.  We have to bow down before we can ever be raised up. C.S. Lewis says, “We are taller when we bow.” It reminds me, humility before honor.

Still learning  at 51 years old, the best way to heal a broken heart is to give God ALL the pieces. Thank you Lord for never giving up on me even when I have given you so many reasons to walk away.  Forgive me of my yesterdays and today is a new day to take one step closer to you.

 

 

 

Posted in Daily Devotion, Encouragment, Faith | 4 Comments

What Is In Your Stall ? Another Spiritual Lesson From My Every Day Life ~

Posted on June 5, 2017 by darla05

Source: What Is In Your Stall ? Another Spiritual Lesson From My Every Day Life ~

Posted in Faith | Leave a comment

Our Identity IN Christ

Posted on January 19, 2017 by darla05

ff5eee5819169b4c016753aee323716d

Our identity in Christ is a powerful position. No matter what, Christ is enough.

Proverbs 28:1- The righteous is as bold as a lion.

The enemy knows he cannot steal your identity and purpose. But, he can steal your confidence and boldness. Our enemy may have some power BUT he does not sit on the throne. REPLACE the enemies lies with truth.

Psalms 55:22- Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you . He will never let the righteous fall.

DO NOT FORGET WHO YOU ARE ~ WHEN WE KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST- WE WIN !
May each day we walk a step closer to the goal – To LIVE IS CHRIST. May we call out to God with as amazing posture of humility.

Posted in Daily Devotion, Faith, identity, purpose | 1 Comment