He Is Searching For A Heart Like His ~

Posted on June 5, 2014 by darla05

Image

 

As I am spending my quiet time with the Lord this beautiful quiet morning. All my dogs are sleeping. The sun is peaking in through the french doors. It is reflecting off the hardwood floors. My husband and son have gone to work. The house is asleep besides the faint sound of the clock ticking. What a calmness there is over my home this morning.  I picked up one of the books I have beside my chair . I found another copy of A Heart Like His by Beth Moore at a flea market for my beautiful sister in law Robin.  I adore this book. It is one of my favorites of the hundreds I have in my bookcase. I am a person that has always read multiple books at the same time. Currently, I am reading five. So, it is interesting that I would pick this one up again this morning but I know to obey this feeling when it comes to me. The gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit. It is here in this book that the Holy Spirit  wanted to remind me once again what my Father is searching for in my heart and all of our hearts.

Holy Spirit keep reminding me. Keep nudging me. Keep teaching me how to press in harder to know more about our heavenly Father. Thank you for guiding us in ALL truths. Thank you for reminding me again how my gifts are still within me.

2 Chronicles 16:9- For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

Take a minute in your mind and think what it would have been like on that particular day, thousands of years ago.  The eyes of the Lord looked throughout the whole earth and fell upon a tiny village called Bethlehem. The Lord found a heart, one heart after His own. He found a heart tender to little lost sheep. A protector of these helpless sheep that killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands.  The Lord showed Himself on behalf of this heart. God chose this heart of David. On the surface and to all others this choice made no sense. But God does not work on sense, does He?  He works on grace. Sweet Grace. Amazing Grace.  God knew what He was doing.

The Lord said to Samuel, “DO NOT consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. ” 1Samuel 16:7 The Lord spoke this to Samuel when he first saw David’s eldest brother Eliab.

Just think what David must have been feeling when the Prophet Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his father and brothers. I just wonder what was he thinking as the oil dripped down his head, probably into his eyes, his clothes. The word says the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. So many times reading about David, I wish I could have been there. A witness to this glorious event. God was working in David’s life from the beginning. Our same God who prepared King David has been preparing you and me throughout our lives also. It took years before David filled the position that he was anointed for as a young boy. He was thirty years old before he became King. God’s timing is so different from our timing. It is perfect timing. It takes time to build a one of a kind masterpiece.

God is working in our lives. Preparing us each step of the way just as He did David. On the surface and to others it might not make sense just like it did not make sense then.  Thanking the Lord that He does not work on what makes sense or He would surely bypass me. The gifts we were given as a young child are still within us today. Romans 11:29 tells us , for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.Let me say it a different way,  For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn. GOD NEVER CHANGES HIS MIND WHEN HE GIVES GIFTS OR CALLS SOMEONE ~ This scripture has given me a new lease on life. For I know I was given spiritual gifts when I was a teenager. I did not use these gifts  for many years. I even thought for years that I had lost these  gifts or the Lord took them away from me because of the years that I was not fully committed to Him.

When I was on our missions trip to Israel. One of the team members wanted to pray with me one night. She told me that the Lord had revealed to her  the gift I have. She said you also know you have this gift. She gave details to me. She said the Lord has revealed to me that you have suppressed this gift. Darla, He wants to tell you that this gift is not for you but He has given you this gift for others. I was amazed and humbled. For I had not met this church member before our training of our missions trip. It was truly confirmation from the Lord.  Decades passed  since  this gift was used.  Then a couple of months later our Pastor Chris Hodges gave us a powerful message and spoke this scripture Romans 11:29.  It was a reminder to me what my team member spoke to me in Israel. How did I miss this scripture after all these years? I grew up in church.  I went to a Christian Ministries college and yet I never ran across it. When I heard this scripture, it was like ALL the stadium lights turned on at the same time into my heart. Because of HIs grace and His mercy , I still have these gifts. I cherish them. I long to nurture them. I want to strengthen them for the work He has given me to do in this journey. All for His purpose and His glory ~

I had a conversation with a beautiful Christian woman two night ago. I was describing this journey that I am on now. I told her in my past I was confident in so many areas of my life. The position I held, the accomplishments I worked hard for and the characteristics that I had that I carried with pride. I told her that I feel they are gone now. The things that I showed confidence in, it is almost like I don’t have them anymore. I am truly walking into unfamiliar territory. She told me these words, “The Lord has broken you.” He sometimes takes away the things that we were once confident in so He can fill us up with better things. He wants me to be dependent on Him. He will either use those things you held in high regard in a different way or He will pour  new things into you.

This is a reminder today for you and for me, God is not looking for a perfect heart but an obedient heart. A heart that he can mold . A heart that will listen for His whisper. A heart that will use the gifts he has instilled in us for others.  A heart that He can use to share the gospel  to that one more. That one more for the kingdom. He is searching for a heart like His. Lord, create in us a new heart. A heart that is pleasing unto you. A heart that is a reflection of you in all that we say and all that we do ~ Truly Lord, A heart like yours ~

 

Posted in Confidence, Discipline, Encouragment, Faith, Inspirational | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on June 2, 2014 by darla05

stall

Another spiritual lesson was given to me this morning as I was cleaning my horses stalls. I have barn help five days a week . This woman is so thankful for barn help !!! As I was walking in the barn Saturday afternoon , the  stalls looked clean at first glance because of the new shavings that were on top. But, as I passed by I knew they were not clean because of the smell. New shavings usually smell like  cedar and this was NOT the case. When I sifted through the shaving they were soaked underneath with urine. To get it all out some of the brand  new shavings were wasted. I had to use lime to kill the scent and then put fresh shavings down. If you don’t clean a horse stall right it can lead to health issues, hoof problems and respiratory problems for the horses  from breathing in the ammonia .  You can’t just dump new shavings on top of old waste and expect everything to be good. There is something to be said about doing the job right from the bottom up. Yes, I had to have a talk with the barn help and let him know the job has to be done right. The horses depend on you. I  depend on you. There will always be times we must inspect what we expect.

As I was stripping the stalls, I really felt the Lord was using this every day task  to teach me another lesson. We  can act like we have it all together at times.  On the surface everything looks good but underneath there lies major problems that needs to be addressed. We really do not know what other people are battling and we are all so quick to judge. Pastor Layne Schranz preached this weekend and he said, “When we get close to people and know their stories, grace increases and judgment decreases”.  When he said that it reminded me of  a quote , “Do not judge, you do not know what storm I have asked her to walk through.” It was signed from God.  Truly a powerful thought.

So what’s in the barn that must be removed? What is in YOUR stall that needs to be removed not the other persons stall, our stall?  Well, for  some individuals it can be  certain uncomfortable feelings, agitated thoughts, fears, doubts, uncertainties, painful memories, or disruptive beliefs that are causing them mental conflict and worry, emotional disharmony, physical illness, or spiritual discord . Putting on a beautiful dress just like clean shavings is not going to solve the problem if we are not clean. Saving everything is fine and walking by with stinking thinking like the stalls were on Saturday is not going to work in the long run. We have to get to the bottom of the problem. Break the bonds of the enemy. Remove the strongholds and the unhealthy thinking that we have allowed to be buried  underneath the surface for so long.

When we face our fears, our issues, the chains start to rattle and begin to break. Freedom starts to ring.  When we renew our minds with the word of God, it transforms us. We slowly but surely have the old ways stripped away and we become more righteous, more Christ like as we continue forward in our journey.  In Isaiah 26:3 it tells us, You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in YOU.

When we surrender all. When we allow him to be Lord of all in every aspect of our lives, amazing things begin to happen. Stripping away begins to happen. Buckets get emptied of the old junk and when that stall is completely cleaned out, so to speak, then the beautiful aroma starts to flow. The radiance begins to show.  Because you go back and fill the stall up again. But, this time with good stuff, peaceful thoughts,  strengthened beliefs, spiritual insight & understanding, all the things  that are  supposed to be inside the stall. After this particular healing is done completely, then you can  go on to the next friends stall and you can share what the Lord has taught you and you pour your new found wisdom into others. Sharpen others. Help others hand in hand get their stalls clean. It is truly what this life of serving Christ is about. Helping others , Sharing with others. Sharpening others as iron sharpens iron.

Dear friends, the Lord has transformed my life in ways that I can never imagine. I am blessed and I am content more than I have ever been in my life.  Is my life perfect? A big NO is the answer. I have finally realized that it is  nothing to be ashamed of and I am good with it, because my God, his ways are perfect. His word is flawless. He is a shield and I take refuge in him.  He strips our stalls, our old ways of thinking, the strongholds that hold us captive so we can be better. Every thing he does is for our good. Sometimes the stripping can be physically painful or emotionally painful but it is necessary. We cannot receive anything new if both of our hands are full with the junk of yesterday. So  I have put my trust in the only one that will never leave me or forsake me.

I encourage you to ask him to search your heart, sift through the stalls and see what needs removing. The peace that the Lord will give you will transcend any trial or tribulation that comes against you. Because it is supernatural. So position yourself in His care. For Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 41:13 that the Lord says, I am the Lord , YOUR God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to YOU, Do not fear, I WILL HELP YOU ~

Posted in Believe, Courage, Encouragment, Faith, God, Hope | 11 Comments

Waiting On His Perfect Timing

Posted on May 29, 2014 by darla05

Image

 

What a gift it truly is when we learn to wait on the Lord. His timing. His ways. His purpose. His desires for our life. We need to wait on the Lord and trust that his perfect timing is best. God’s word warns us not to try and speed things up and do things in our own strength … ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.’ (Proverbs 16:25)

My husband and I feel deeply in our souls that this season in our life is an equipping season. The Lord is teaching us many lessons that we need to learn. Most of these  lessons have come through trials. He has given us the encouragement that He is with us. We also know that He is teaching us lessons that we have to learn before we can move on in this journey that He has prepared before us.  I know that  every gift that comes from God is worth waiting for and it is better when we do not try to make it happen before the designated time. I have taken the reigns in my own hands many times and it ended up like a runway horse and the rider which was me was left on the ground, battered and bruised. My confidence was also left on the ground too. So thankful that I now place my confidence in the Lord’s hands. My hope is in the Lord ~

In the Bible, there are lots of examples of God answering the prayers and fulfilling the calling that he instilled in someones life but it took time, most of the times YEARS for the calling to be fulfilled.  King David was in his youth when Samuel anointed him King. David did not become King until he was thirty years old. He went through many trials before he was the King. God was preparing this warrior  for the greatest of positions.

The Lord gave Joseph a dream as a young man of seventeen years old.  Joseph went through many trials and struggles to create the character he needed in order to be second in command in Egypt. He was thirty years old when he stepped into that position.  In First Samuel we read how Hannah wept and prayed in great anguish before the Lord for a child and God answered her prayers. In the book of Esther we read how God called Esther to a position of influence for ‘such a time’ and used her to save the Jewish people.

God has given us endless stories in the Bible about waiting on Him. Sometimes, we might be ready in our journey but the Lord is preparing the other persons heart.  I have such a desire in my heart for our own horse farm. We have looked for a long time. Pastor John Hagee shared his own story about looking for his farm. He looked for several years. His wife told him that the Lord is preparing someone to build it for them. He grew discouraged on many days. He drew on paper what he wanted the farm to look like. Where the barn would be positioned, pond, house, etc. One day the realtor called and said your place just came on the market. Pastor John was like yeah right. He continued listening to the realtor. He set up a time to meet her. When he drove up to the place, he said that he could pull out his paper that he drew his plans upon and it matched up exactly. God did indeed have someone else build it for him.  I hold on to that story when I want to make it happen in my own time frame. God knows what we desire. He is preparing the place for us to hang our hats and we will not have to lease a barn any longer.

Know and trust that there is a right time for everything. A right time to be planted, a right time to be uprooted,  a right time to do everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says …There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.’ (NIV).

When we are truly walking in the will of God for our lives we can trust that, ‘Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it.’ (Isaiah 30:21) Thank you Lord for being our Shepard, guiding us each step of the way for your ways are perfect God. You are the Sovereign God who created Heaven and Earth. How majestic is your name. The name above all names. Thank you for holding the plans for my life in the palm of your hands.

Lord, teach us all that your dreams for us are greater than any dream that we might have on our own. May we know and trust that we will run further and soar higher if we will patiently wait for  you and your season of blessing. Lord draw us closer to you. In your name I pray, Amen ~

Posted in Biblical perspective, Christian, Christian Inspiration, Discipline, Encouragment, Faith, Inspirational | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

May Your Beauty Shine Forth ~

Posted on May 27, 2014 by darla05

Image

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made every thing beautiful in HIS time~

KNOW THIS…Inner beauty is inside each of us. CLAIM THIS… We are all beautiful in God’s eyes as we are created in the image of God. God does not make junk. Let me say it again in my southern accent and my southern slang… GOD DON’T MAKE NO JUNK ~

However, many people do not feel beautiful inside. We are often weighed down with a huge anchor by a lack of confidence and  a lack of acceptance by other people. It is easy to compare ourselves to others especially when we compare our outward appearance. God’s word makes it clear that we are all beautiful to Him.Genesis 1:31says, And God saw EVERYTHING that he had made, and behold, it was very good. May the beauty of our God that lives inside us SHINE FORTH ~

Psalms 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Posted in Believe, Confidence, Faith | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happy bday to me

 

 

To Celebrate my 48th Birthday today, this entry is  my present to me.

It has taken me 48 years in this journey but  I can now truly say, I believe my past is redeemed. My present life is really making sense. My future is secure in my Heavenly Father’s righteous right hand. I truly have accepted that I do not have to be right. I do not have to be first. I do not have to be praised.  I do have to stand for truth no matter the risk. I do require honesty and kindness in my relationships.  It is what  I ask for in all my relationships and  I give both back whole heartily. I have learned to love myself . I also have learned to respect myself enough that when others continue to not show respect time and time again , it is time that they exit the door in my life.  Some people can stay in my heart but not in my life. Forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation and that is ok.  Walking away at times is the wisest thing and the kindest thing I can do for myself. Arguments and harsh words do not have to be said. I do not have to have the last word.

The Lord has shown me that I cannot be more concerned with pleasing people than pleasing Him. He drew a line in the sand for me. He said I must choose which side I am going to be on.  I can please people or I can please Him but I cannot have both. For I have to learn this lesson to do the work He has called me to do.   I will place circumstances that I have no control over at the foot of the cross.  I will trust Him even when I do not understand or have the whys answered.

I AM committed to Him. He is my guide. I want to stand firm as His Prayer Warrior no matter what battle comes my way. I know His grace does abound in deepest waters. When the water is over my head it does not really matter anymore how deep the water is for He promises He will be my guide. I am His servant. He has chosen me. I do not have to fear for He is with me. I do not have to be discouraged for He is my Father. He will strengthen me  and he will uphold me with His righteous right hand.

For the second half of my life, Lead me to trust you Father without any borders. I trust that you know my heart’s greatest desires. One is to see both of my children serving you . Difference makers for you. Every ounce of their talent poured out for you. Thank you for my life cheerleader in Don. Thank you for giving him to me to share  this journey. Guide me and teach me to be a better wife in all that I do . Lord, we call upon your name, Help us to keep reaching out to this world and letting them know you are real. Hold my hand and grow my faith deeper so I will stand firm in your promises. You have done amazing things in my life and I know you will continue to do so if I will stay firm in my commitment to you.

Hold my hand Lord, my children’s hands , my husband’s hands, all of my family and loved ones. Draw each one closer to you. Thank you for placing so many precious people in my life.  May I have the wisdom and strength and courage to finish this life well. So that you will have the words to say to me that I long to hear, “Well done”. Those two words, those two precious words. They hold my future. They are my victory. They are my trophy at the end of this race. I have the determination that you instilled in this Italian DNA  and with your guidance I will finish strong ~  Lord, I do choose to grown old with you for I do believe the best is yet to be ~

Posted on May 23, 2014 by darla05 | 2 Comments

Practice Like A Champion

Posted on May 21, 2014 by darla05

 

 

Image

 

Every morning I search for great motivational quotes. It is a way for me to give a jump start to my day. I have read several things by Aristotle.  One quote that stood out for me is this one, “Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way”. In other words, practice determines performance, what you do, is who you become.

We have all heard the quote, “Practice makes perfect”. If we lived long enough we realize this  is not true. I heard a quote at a horse clinic and it really stuck with me, “Perfect practice makes perfect”. If we have the wrong technique, the wrong thinking, the wrong perspective it will never give us the right results that we are searching for in our lives.

The word that we seem to overlook in the quote by Aristotle is the word CONSTANTLY. In some area of our life we all want the end result to be perfection but we only want to practice occasionally. I personally would love to eat my Nutty Buddies every day and twice on Sundays and be a size 6. I still have not figured out a way to make that happen. Seriously, excellence is not an act but a habit. A daily habit.

What habits are we making? Are we striving daily to grow closer in our walk with the Lord? Are we creating healthy habits for our physical bodies? Do our actions and words build bridges or burn bridges? May we all keep our thoughts positive because our thought become our words. Let’s keep our words positive because our words become our behavior. Let’s keep our behavior positive because our behavior becomes our habits.

Show up for your prayer time with the Lord. Show up for your exercise time for your physical strength. Show up for your relationships/friendships and encourage one another. Relationships are about giving and taking. Encouraging and being encouraged. If we take more withdrawals in our relationships than deposits, we will wake up one day and we will be overdrawn. Most great things in life require a positive action on our part .

We all have habits, whether good or bad. However, for the followers of Christ, our lives become transformed by the renewing of our minds . Romans 12:1-2 tells us, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

We must constantly change old (bad) habits for new (good) ones, in order to please the Lord. For instance, “Do all things without grumbling and complaining” (Philippians 2:14) may demand a new habit on our part. We may need to cultivate a whole new pattern of thinking, from negative to positive as “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

It all comes down to this…IF you really want to get better at something there is really one way….Ask the SOVEREIGN  Lord for his help and  consistently show up for practice.

 

Posted in Faith | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Image

 

This month is my 5 year anniversary of being a horse owner.  I am not riding as much lately as being a horse care giver.  Funny thing is,  I have learned more on the ground  from them than I have ever learned in the saddle. We have a language. We communicate most days. The longer I spend with them the more I have learned to hear their voice clearly. If I have not seen them in a couple of days, they let me know it.  They have taught me more lessons on how to be a better human.  I have more patience. Thank you PenDragon, my super intelligent Arabian. I have learned that I am not a quitter as long as I dust myself off after I have been knocked down and continue to try again. Thank you Bali, my Dutch Warmblood who is magnificently built and was such a winner in the show ring.  But most of all it is my rescued beautiful black Quarter Horse mare, Summer Breeze who has taught me the most. You see she was scared of everything. She was abused and a 1100 pound confused, fearful animal is very dangerous. It has taken love, leadership and learning her language plus a lot of patience but she has made amazing progress. We have made amazing progress. She use to be the hardest thing to catch in the paddock. Now, she sees me and she comes running. She is waiting for me at the gate. She tries so hard to please me when she is learning new things. Some months, it is slow progress but it is progress.  My horses have taught me how to relate to another when there is a communication barrier. They truly size me up and know how I am feeling  before I have ever made it to their paddock gate. There is so much for us to learn if we will take the time to study them, watch them , listen to them. They have a voice, you just have to be still enough and patience enough to hear it.

The Lord  has shown me many spiritual lessons in dealing with my beloved horses. He is in the business of using our everyday things to show us His power and His glory.  He uses the quiet time with the horses on many days  to hear His voice.  How many times through the ages have people asked, what does the voice of the Lord sound like? How do we hear it?

Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli to say , Yes Lord speak. When we are listening for God’s voice, we have to be close enough to him to hear him. We have the  inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.  Sheep  spend countless hours with their Shepherd and they will only follow Him. If another Shepherd calls out to them they will not come to him because they do not recognize his voice.  If we are to recognize God’s voice, we MUST spend time with  Him.

When our team was preparing to go to Israel. We did a team building exercise. There was a big circle with lots of bouncy balls in it. There  were more than twenty of us.  My partner had to lead me to him through the balls without stepping on a ball  or running into all the other people in the circle while I was blind folded. I could not hear his voice over everybody else’s voice trying to guide their partner’s at the same time. There were so many distractions. There is so much noise in a crowd. We kept trying and starting over with each failed attempt. All of a sudden we started making progress. I bent down, closer to the ground to get away from all of the noise above and I could hear his directions on which way to step.  With each step I took, I could hear him better. I told my partner, the closer I get to you the easier it is to hear your voice so clearly. Right when I said that, I felt the Holy Spirit say , YES DARLA, you have to be close to the Lord to hear His voice, to hear His whisper. This was one of those game changing lessons for me. John 10:27 came to life for me. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Sometimes all it takes is to clear away  the distractions around us to focus on His voice.

We hear His voice when we spend time in Bible study and quiet prayer time with Him. There is so much power in prayer. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives.

God speaks to us everyday. The question really is, are we listening for Him? Are we taking time for Him? Sometimes for me he uses my beloved horses. Sometimes it is  through the Holy Spirit, through circumstances, and through  other people. Most of the time it is through His word. The all powerful, all knowing , never changing word of God. If we have a question about a certain decision in our lives, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead us contrary to what He has taught in His Word .  WE CAN learn to recognize God’s voice.  I encourage you to take the time that it takes. The benefits are outstanding. Psalms 103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his BENEFITS.

 

Posted on May 16, 2014 by darla05 | Leave a comment

Punch Fear In The Face ~

Posted on May 13, 2014 by darla05

Image

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Sometimes, we live in fear. We allow it to control us and keeping us cowering in a corner. God, does not want us to Iive that way. He wants to give HIS courage and HIS power. He has something so much better for us. IF we turn to God instead of the fear, HIS power will flow through us. We will be able to live in confidence with HIS love flowing through us and the self discipline to remain committed to HIM. Keep your eyes on HIM and not your heartache, the betrayal you feel, the pain you are going through. He is bigger than our greatest fear. He is bigger than any mountain we face. Blessed is the man or woman who preserves under trial. When we have stood the test, we will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him ~ So thankful that HIS word does not change.

Posted in Believe, Biblical perspective, Christian, Christian Inspiration, Courage, Perseverence | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Truth Is……..

Posted on May 6, 2014 by darla05

Image

 

We all say we want the truth. We believe in the truth. We want to get real. But, the truth is until we are willing to get honest about our struggles, our past, our strongholds,  we will never reach the full destiny that the Lord has planned for each one of us. Despite the got it all together appearances we try to maintain, God knows our hearts. HE knows our thoughts, the impure ones, the selfish ones, the petty ones and he loves us still.  There is a difference between love and being pleased.  There is nothing we can do to make God loves us more or any less. But there is a difference between being loved by God and pleasing God. Just like with our own children. We love them all the time but there are many days that we are not pleased with something they have done. God loves us so much that he sees potential in us that we do not see in ourselves. He also sees for this potential to reach the top there are things that must die.  It is time for us to quit playing the games. Quit worrying about what others think of us and strip off the strongholds that have us bound. When we take the steps to do this and get real , it pleases God. He says, yes, FINALLY, now,  I can work in you and you can do what I have called you to do.

The scripture Romans 11:29 that our Pastor Chris shared this past Sunday  has given me a new lease on life. It has broken  chains that I still carried around even as a God fearing, blood bought, on fire for God Christian.  This scripture reassures us that God’s gifts and call that he placed on our life are irrevocable and NEVER rescinded. It tells me that I can still have the original plan, the masterpiece that God had for me to fulfill even with my past failures. The Lord is also showing me in order for me to have that plan there are things that I have to do.

Nothing is luck or chance when we serve the Lord. I heard a new take on the story of Lazarus and Jesus raising him from the dead. When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus , he told them to roll away the stone. Now, we all know Jesus could have spoke to the stone and it would  have moved in a second but he told others to do it. Jesus spoke and told Lazarus to come forth. Lazarus walked forth and was bound by his wrapped linens for burial and Jesus told them to unwrap him.  In a relationship with Jesus it is always two fold. Something is ALWAYS required of us.  You see Jesus will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. He raised Lazarus from the dead which no man could do. The rest they could do. This story also showed me the spiritual realm. Even though Christ raised me from my  former life, I still have strongholds that bind me just like Lazarus had burial linens that bound him. He was alive but he needed help to get unbound.  He had Jesus and friends to help him.  We need this same Jesus and friends to help us today. James 5 :16 tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

It has only been in the last year that I truly understood that we can love the Lord and be serving him and still have strongholds. God wants to set us free from them. For me there were some that were such a part of me that I did not know what was a stronghold and what was me. I thought they were part of my DNA so to speak because I lived with them for so long.  Speaking from experience I have lived the fake it until you make it life and the real freedom that only Christ can give and trust me fake is exhausting. I love the book title from Rick Bezet, Be Real For Fake Is Exhausting. Rick is speaking of the Christian life and teaching us through his life experiences how to live in true freedom everyday.  God is showing me that living the REAL life for him is the purpose of our life. We are to multiply everything that he has given us. Every talent, gift, calling, blessings, MULTIPLY it for others. We are blessed to bless others.

IN order for me to reach my destiny the Lord has showed me that I have to let down the protective wall that I have around me that is as tall and thick as the Berlin wall . Just like that wall in history , it must come down. Some parts of my wall fell down immediately when I truly came to serve the Lord. Some pieces have to be chiseled away a piece at a time. It is painful . God did not say it would not be. He did say he would be the strength I need. He would be there just like he was for Lazarus and HE will do what I cannot do in my own strength. HE also promises that living for him in this vapor of a life will have eternal rewards that my carnal mind cannot comprehend.

He is teaching me that the wall cannot go back up even when  friends say words that hurt me or treat me unfairly. Even when people and yes even Christian people  do things that just make me shake my head and say… Wow. Even in the times when I say Lord, I don’t like people. He gently reminds me but I DO ~   He is teaching me that there is a reason that my dream has  not come in to fruition yet . Be patient Darla, my ways are not your ways. Be faithful with the little  things that I have given you and you will have more. He is teaching me that when I share his word, my lessons, my struggles that I am multiplying , that I am planting seeds in what at times I see as an invasion of the privacy that I hold so dear.  I do not deserve his patience or his grace or his mercy. He never gets tired of reassuring me. Each day I am seeing that HE and HE alone is holding my hand and guiding me on this journey that I am on daily.

Folks, I must tell you, I am starting to experience  a freedom that I have never known.  The Lord is also saying, My child, you have not seen anything yet ~ Get ready, the best is yet to come.  There is so much more and each day things are being chiseled away. Some days are good and some days are painful but it will always be like that on this Earth to have less of me and more of Him. We have to lay our self down DAILY. There are days I just don’t want to do it. Being real here and transparent. BUT, I know that to reach the master’s plan , it is something I must do.  I have been wounded and experienced  hurt and betrayal from some that I love the most and it hurts and I take it to the Lord.  The Holy Spirit reassures me and reminds me that many turned away from Jesus and he experienced the betrayal and disappointments of friends in his earthly life. Keep pressing on, Keep on in the journey, I will lead you and I will make your path straight.

Friends, my reason I share and write what I write is to encourage you. You are not alone. We all struggle, We all fall down. But, we have a loving God.  The God of second chances, really of countless chances that is there to raise us up with HIS outstretched arm and he will set our feet on solid ground. It is never TOO late, we have never gone TOO FAR, we have never sinned TOO much. This Sovereign God that created Heaven and Earth says come to me. I am here for you. I love you . This Sovereign God had His eyes upon YOU before the foundations of this Earth were formed.  KNOW, He requires something of you. HE requires something from us all. He wants to be Lord of ALL in our life.  Trust that what he ask us to lay down  or walk away from is nothing compared to the life of freedom in Him that he wants each one of us to experience. Know that our sole purpose on this Earth is to serve God so we may serve others. May we all run forward in our calling for the Lord.  ~  Know, Say out loud, Repeat often…….. He is FAITHFUL !

 

Posted in Faith | 1 Comment

~God’s Gifts And God’s Call Are Under Full Warranty- Never Canceled. Never Rescinded ~

Posted on May 4, 2014 by darla05

~God's Gifts And God's Call Are Under Full Warranty- Never Canceled. Never Rescinded ~

Church this morning was A_M_A_Z_I_N_G_ ~ Truly my mind is spinning with so many life changing ideas. Two awesome scriptures Pastor Chris Hodges gave us here at Church of the Highlands…. Psalms 18:35….. You stoop down to make me great. Isn’t that the characteristic of our Sovereign God ? He sees greatness in us that we do not even see in ourselves.

God’s gifts and God’s call are under FULL WARRANTY-never canceled, never rescinded. Romans 11:29 Message Bible- I AM LOVING THIS SCRIPTURE !!!!!!

This scripture is something to get E_X_C_I_T_E_D_ about . WE are NEVER too old, we never failed too much, We never ran too far from HIS grace. He will redeem each one of us with HIS outstretched arm. What a beautiful day the Lord has made, let us ~REJOICE~ and be glad in it ~

Posted in Believe, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Inspirational | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments