Is God Enough?

I realized the other day where some of my fear is rooted.  It is rooted in the question, in my time of need (financial struggle, illness, death, etc) will God be enough.

Will He be enough if everything in my life falls apart? 

Will He be enough if what I think should happen doesn't?  Or if what I don't think should happen does?

Will He be enough if my heart hurts and my body is tired? 

Will He be enough if I ever hear the worst news I can possibly imagine? 

I don't know.  I mean I don't know that from personal experience with those particular situations. 

What I do know is this.  He's always been enough in every situation in my life this far. 

In every struggle, every heartache, every challenge, in every tear shed, He's been enough.  He's never let me down.  Fear comes in when I think that He won't be enough when something "big" happens. 

The Word says "His grace is sufficient for me.  His power is made perfect in my weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9a

This was written down (under inspiration of the Holy Spirit) by a man who endured lots of "big" things.  Beatings, imprisonment, ship wrecks, persecution and eventually death.  He knew that God's grace was enough.  It was enough for every situation.  He was confident in that.  

The rest of vs 9 says "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 

My prayer is that when fear creeps in (it does and it will) my heart will resound with the echo and the confidence of Paul,  "He is (and will be) more than enough!"

Throwback Thursday - The Bridge

(Originally published in 2010)

A short while back I had a conversation with someone I love very much. They asked me a question about my faith, specifically Jesus, that I felt like I couldn't, and didn't, answer very well at the time. We got interrupted as I was stuttering out a response and I felt like I didn't really say much. The question I was asked was why is your way right and every other religion wrong. It was a really good question. One I remember asking when I was searching for truth. It wasn't being asked in any way other than I believe they wanted a real answer. So I wanted to take a couple minutes and share with them, and with you all, about what being a Christian is like - for me - in light of other religions.

I have this vision of standing on top of a very high ledge on a mountain. I look down and it is almost impossible to see the bottom of this huge valley. I know it's there but you can't really see it. I know that if I fall, or jump, that I won't live through it. I also know that behind me, slowly, the mountain is crumbling.

Across the way is another even more beautiful mountain. A safe mountain. But it isn't reachable. I don't see anyway across this great chasm.

All around me are people. All different kinds of people. All seeing the same thing that I see. Mountain crumbling behind me. Deep valley below me. Beautiful unreachable mountain before me. However we are all approaching this scenario differently.

Some are sitting down. They aren't worried about the collapsing mountain. In fact they are saying that it isn't really happening. That is isn't a big deal. Let's just not worry about it and it won't happen.

Others are trying to make stuff to cross the valley. Some are tying ropes in hopes of throwing it across the way and climbing over. Some are cutting down trees and trying to make a bridge. Some are building flying machines in hopes that they will be carried across. All of them know that the mountain they are on won't last forever.

I have been searching around trying to figure out the best strategy across the way when someone comes to me and says 'follow me I know the way'. I listen and they lead me to a bridge. A solid, sturdy, narrow bridge that starts just feet before me and goes clear across the valley to the other mountain....safely. There are people already on it. Thousands of people. The bridge is so strong it's holding everyone! I'm amazed that I haven't seen it before. I'm amazed that all of these people haven't seen it before. It's been there the whole time but I wasn't able to see until I listened. Then I saw because I had faith. It's like the bridge in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (yes I am married to Mark...). Do you know which one I'm talking about? The one he doesn't actually see until he steps on it?! This is what I had been searching for. The Way. Now, what do I do with this information. What would you do if you found this bridge? Would you tell someone? Would you cross it quietly and hope no one sees you or makes fun of you? What would you think about all those people around you who are looking for what you've found?

Are all those other people wrong? I guess the answer is yes. But I don't look at them and say 'too bad for you...I found the bridge that will lead me safely away and I'm right and you're wrong and you'll never make it'. No. I look at them and think, 'I know that that rope will never be long enough, the ladder will never be strong enough, the flying machine will never last long enough to get you safely to the other side. But I have found the way. Come with me and I will show you. Please. Listen and see that there is a way. One way. It's here and it's for everyone who wants to come.'

There are some people who look at me and laugh. They don't see the bridge so they think I'm making it up. They say it's a myth. A good idea. A crutch to lean on when things are hard.

Some people know that the bridge is there, they've seen it themselves, but they refuse to cross it because they think other ways will work just as well.

Still others will cross it and not tell a single soul that it's there. They say, 'I guess they'll have to figure it out on their own. Hopefully they'll make the right choice....'

Others are screaming at everyone telling them that if they don't cross the bridge then they're stupid, foolish, morons.

And then there are those who are quietly showing people the bridge. Leading them to the bridge. Just like someone did for me.
I look at my life now, with Christ, and I know The Way. My faith - everything about it - would be meaningless if I didn't actually care to tell others about it. If I know there is only One Way across that great divide then I have no choice but to tell people, regardless of what they think. I, in no way, have to drag them across the bridge, ridicule them for not believing there is a bridge, hate them for trying something else, or ignore them. But can you see someone listening to me if I said something like 'I'm pretty sure this is right. I mean I don't like saying you can't try the rope or the ladder, it might actually work for you...but for me the bridge works best." How many people will I have lined up?
Instead I must lead them, lovingly like someone did for me, to the bridge. And show them that it's there, it's for them, it's for everyone - even people who have ropes and ladders and flying machines. Those people aren't stupid. They just don't know. No one has shown them the One True Bridge. They may have seen ones that look like it but they will fall apart. Guaranteed.

I am 100% confident that I have found the way. And I desperately want you to know about it so you can come to the beautiful mountain with me.

God - Jesus - The Bridge - is here for everyone.

This is how much God loved the world; He gave his Son, His one and only Son. And this is why; so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. {John 3:16&17 the Message}

I love you!

Testimony Tuesday

---I would like to set aside Tuesdays as the day we testify to God's work in our lives.  I say we because I have asked women at the River Church to share what God is doing in their lives and families.  These are their stories!  "They defeated him [the accuser] through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." Revelations 12:11 (MSG)---


From Jo Lee:

It's a Choice!

In the ten years that we have been married we have had several times
that we were not able to pay basic needed bills. Some of these
situations were because of choices we made and some of them were just
because of circumstances. God has always provided, it did not always
look the way we thought we should, but He has always provided.
Recently we had a circumstance were we lost our rent money, and our
savings with money to cover it was hacked. God provided. The thing I
realized was that yes God could have chosen to not let us lose our
rent money, yes He could have protected our savings, but that was not
what happened; here is where I get to choose, I get to chose to trust
that God's got it and honor Him no matter the situation, attack,
or battle I'm in. Satan does not get to distract me from what God
is telling me to do. My prayer is that I stay focused on and honor Him
no matter how crazy, insecure, or scary the world around me gets.

Motherhood

I want to share with you something I recently read that touched the inner part of me as a mom.  It's how I've felt but didn't know how to express.  As well as something God is growing in me greater and greater.  No matter my ministry in the church, my greatest ministry is to my children.  I haven't always known this and can still battle my value as a mom.  But this fires me up and sets me on the path that God has called me to.

Motherhood by Christianna Maas

My willingness to carry life is the revenge, the antidote, the great rebuttal of every murder, every abortion, and every genocide. I sustain humanity.  Deep inside of me, life grows.  I am death's opposition.

I have pushed back the hand of darkness today.  I have caused there to be a weakening tremor among the ranks of those set on earth's destruction.  Today a vibration that calls angels to attention echoed throughout time.  Our laughter threatened hell today.

I dined with the greats of God's army.  I made their meals, and tied their shoes.  Today, I walked with greatness, and when they were tired I carried them.  I have poured myself out for the cause today.

It is finally quiet, but life stirs inside of me.  Gaining strength, the pulse of life sends a constant reminder to both good and evil that I have yielded myself to Heaven and now carry its dream.  No angel has ever had such a privilege, nor any man.  I am humbled by the honor.  I am great with destiny.

I birth the freedom fighters.  In the great war, I am a leader of the underground resistance.  I smile at the disguise of my troops, surrounded by a host of warriors, destiny swirling, invisible yet tangible. and the anointing to alter history.  Our footsteps marking land for conquest, we move undetected through the common places.

Today I was the barrier between evil and innocence.  I was the gatekeeper, watching over the hope of mankind, and no intruder trespassed.  There is not an hour of day or night when I turn from my post.  The fierceness of my love is unmatched on earth.

And because I smiled instead of frowned the world will know the power of grace.  Hope has feet, and it will run to the corners of earth, because I stood up against destruction.

I am a woman.  I am a mother.  I am the keeper and sustainer of life here on earth.  Heaven stands in honor of my mission.  No one else can carry my call.  I am the daughter of Eve.  Eve has been redeemed.  I am the opposition of death.  I am woman.

Throwback Thursday - Kung Fu Panda

(originally published in 2010)

Ok I know this might seem like a strange post but I gotta share this. Have you ever seen the movie Kung Fu Panda? It's about a lazy panda who accidentally becomes a Kung Fu master. It's a pretty cute movie and we all enjoyed watching it. But there is one scene in there that had some major, and I'm talking major, truth in it and it has stuck with me and I can't shake it.

So the scene is this: The sensi (teacher), who is a fox named Master Shifu, is afraid of the meanest bad guy ever, who is in a maximum security prison and under extraordinary security measures.   He is worried that the bad guy will escape from prison. Because of this fear he sends his assistant (a duck) to the prison to check on the security and make sure that this bad guy is never getting out.  While there, the duck loses a feather and it drops down into this huge hole where the bad guy is being kept chained up and guarded.   A few minutes later in the movie the bad guy uses the missing feather to unlock his chains, free himself, fend off hundreds of trained guards, escape the prison and begin his journey back to the village where the sensi lives.  The sensi's nightmare is coming true.   All because he had to make sure to make sure that the bad guy was properly guarded and never getting out. 

Here's the truth.  What we fear, and actively try to prevent from happening, can very well happen as we try to prevent it.   If Master Shifu had never sent the duck to "check on" the bad guy, there never would've been a feather to unlock anything and he would never have escaped.

Think about that in the real world, non-cartoon life.   Parents who are afraid that their teens will rebel and put the lock down on everything they do to "ensure" that they can't rebel, can very easily wind up with teens who rebel.   Husbands or wives who are afraid of affairs can become controlling and jealous and actually push their spouse away and end up with a spouse who cheats.  A person who is afraid of friends who will betray them can tend to push them away and actually create dysfunctional, fearful, relationships that are actually completely opposite of what they want and possibly be betrayed.   Our fears, one way or another, come out in our actions. And many times we become a self fulfilling prophesy.

Parents can say -- I knew they'd rebel.   A spouse can say -- I always knew they were a cheater.   A friend can say -- I could've told you that they were going to betray me.  Do you see what I'm trying to say here?

God's word says that perfect love casts out all fear.  When we are controlled by our fears it breaks down trust, honesty and true intimacy.   We become so afraid of a possible outcome - not a guaranteed one - that we do everything we can to avoid that situation and wind up in bondage to our fear.

Why would we want to live that way when God designed us for relationships? With Him and with others.   The only relationship that we can ever ever have that is risk free is our relationship with God.  He will never rebel, never cheat, never betray, never leave us, never disappoint us, never hurt us.  People will. That's not a fear it's a fact.  Humans are incapable of being everything to everybody.  Is that any reason to avoid people?  Absolutely not.  Yes it's scary to have real, honest, loving relationships with anybody.  It's a risk.  And yes sometimes you will get hurt.  That's the nature of a fallen world.  The problem is that we expect people to provide for us what only God can give.  But, I know that God wants us in relationship with others and that when we look to Him to cast out our fears we can have meaningful relationships.

I have been one who is fearful as well as one who has been the object of fear.  I hate being in either place.  I have been challenged to love and to risk despite whatever may happen.  I do not want to be controlled by my fear and, by my actions, cause that fear to become a reality.  If something happens I will deal with it then but for now I pray that I can love others the way that Christ loves me...without fear.

Testimony Tuesday

 ---I would like to set aside Tuesdays as the day we testify to God's work in our lives.  I say we because I have asked women at the River Church to share what God is doing in their lives and families.  These are their stories!  "They defeated him [the accuser] through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." Revelations 12:11 (MSG)---



God is so amazing.  His love is unfathomable.  Today, I got the news that I will still start my new position in Farmington, where I live, on Nov. 12th.  The hours for the new position clash with one of my classes that I am taking to complete the prerequisites for the San Juan College nursing program.  So, instead of talking to my Abba Father about it, I've fretted about how I would finish my classes strongly with having to miss one.  Today, I found out that I will work the day shift from 11/12 - 11/22.  The following week is Thanksgiving break and the week after that is finals.  So, it turns out the only class that I have to worry about making arrangements to miss work to participate in is one final.  How great is our God!  Plus, He opened the door for me to continue to have a part-time position at my current employer that allows me to create my own schedule.  He met a financial need today.  There's no end to the measure of His love, His mercy, His provision, or His protection.  I trust that I am on the path that He has for me.  I will continue to follow Him.  I look forward to making Him smile everyday, just like He makes me smile.  Thank You, Jesus.  Oh, I almost forgot.  He also blessed me with a $500 scholarship for school.  He is incredible!  Thank You!  Thank You!

Would we know if it was there?

I was presented with this question in a Bible study I am doing: Do you have any committed bitterness or unforgiveness in your life?

I thought and thought (I like to give real responses) and my answer was no.  At this time I do not.  Yes, I have had it in the past, but I am confident in God's forgiveness and healing in that area.  But then I added, if there's more it hasn't been brought to my attention. 

Thus started a line of thinking about would we know if it was there. 

Stay with me for a sec. 

In my experience, my own and others, there are situations, emotions and responses that we've experienced our whole lives.  They have become a part of who we are.  We honestly don't know anything apart from them.  If you've ever said I've always felt this way or this is just who I am, then this pertains to you.  Just because it's always been this way or we've always felt this way doesn't make it not worth visiting and letting The Lord heal. 

If your dad left your family years and years ago you may have unforgiveness.  It just may not feel like unforgiveness because it's always been there and because you may not be visibly angry anymore.  It may now just feel like apathy.  'Whatever. My dad was a jerk.  He left my mom to raise us alone.  Hope he's happy living his own life.'

Sounds nice enough, but is there true forgiveness in there or is the unforgiveness so hidden we aren't sure that's what it is? 

The enemy is a deceiver and a liar.  The Bible also says that we deceive ourselves.  We have ourselves convinced that we're fine so that when we're asked if there's unforgiveness in our hearts we look for one or two signs of it, don't see it and deceive ourselves into thinking we're just fine.  Yet were still in bondage! 

Don't go second guessing every little thing you think or hear. That's not my point.  Believe me.  I've done that!  It's miserable too!  I'm just saying when you get asked a question like I did, don't automatically dismiss it and say I'm fine.  Say to The Lord 'Is it me?' and then let Him answer.  He will reveal the truth if you let Him. 

We need to be self aware.  Not self absorbed, but able to see ourselves clearly. That's humility.  Seeing ourselves from a real perspective - good and bad.  God doesn't want us to dwell in either place.  We just need to know the good we are capable of as well as the bad.  We can praise Him for one and receive forgiveness and healing for the other. 

Where are you at today?  Do you have any committed bitterness or unforgiveness in your life?