God Cares

Too often I find myself thinking when I go through a hard time that “God Doesn’t care”.

It is so difficult to look at hard times and realize that the majority of them were created by choices I made.

It is such an awesome thing to realize that even though we make these bad choices and have consequences from them, Jesus willingly takes the blame we place on Him, and lovingly puts the pieces of us back together!

What an awesome Father we have!

Why Does He Seem To Ignore Some Prayers?

I’ve got a confession to make.

Yesterday I felt a little hurt and angry with God.

I’ve already confessed it to Him.  Today I just want to share about it with you.

Have you ever been mad at God?  Have you ever just felt hurt and disappointed with Him?

I sure hope I’m not alone.

A few days ago, I sat in a woman’s prayer group and experienced an instant and wonderful healing.  I don’t throw thinks like that around lightly.  My back had been hurting a lot and was hurting when I arrived and after prayer it was pain free.  I was rejoicing – so happy to be able to walk and sit and turn and feel none of the usual pain and discomfort.  I breathed ‘Thank you Jesus’ over and over through the next few hours and days.

Then… the next night I felt a little numbness in my toes on one foot.  And the next day the numbness spread up into my lower leg and there was a dull pressure.

I immediately prayed over it.  I thanked God for healing my back and prayed for healing of the nerve that was probably being aggravated at the moment.  I prayed and prayed.  I pulled out scriptures on healing and prayed through those.  I thanked God again for the healing in my back and believed He would take care of the symptoms in my leg.

But… it seems like He didn’t.

That day the numbness continued and increased.  I started to have trouble moving my foot and stumbled a few times while out shopping.  I continued to pray about it.

The next morning… things changed.  The numbness turned to intense pressure and pain.  Hour by hour the pain got worse and I started to get really worried.  I prayed.  And I prayed.  And I prayed.

And I got upset.

God, why when you responded to quickly to prayers for my back – do you now seem to be ignoring my prayers about my leg?

No answer.

It hurt a LOT.  Seriously a Lot.

A big dose of Ibuprofen didn’t help.  No position of rest helped.  The pain intensified until I was wiping tears away.  Finally, I decided to go to the hospital for help.

I drove in to town – crying openly.  I felt so let down by God – and I was telling him so.

Why?  Why?  It would be so easy for You – but now I’m going to ER where I’ll have to spend hours and hours and a huge bundle of money… I don’t understand it!

No answer.

Hours later, with a diagnosis of sciatic nerve irritation and a prescription for pain medicine, I was driving back home.  Glad to have some relief – but still emotional about the whole thing.

It felt like my Father in heaven was ignoring me – leaving me to hurt.

And that hurt my heart.

It’s the next day now.  I’m no closer to an answer about it.  One day God moved to heal me of pain and another day He did not.  I don’t know why He did and didn’t.

I don’t understand.

But here’s the thing… I don’t really have to.

God never promised me that I would understand everything He does.

So I, like a little girl, have to trust my Father – even when I’m hurting -  even when I’m confused.

And I will.

Grace Notes from God

Women By Grace is honored to be part of Joan C. Webb’s Wonderful (Imperfect) Blog Tour. The tour celebrates the launch of her book of devotional readings for women who feel like they have to be perfect all the time.

Here’s a devotion chosen from the book just for our readers!

Grace Notes

Mark 11:25: If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him.

For years I put myself in an impossible position trying to be perfect all the time. I silently shamed myself; expected too much; crushed creativity; robbed myself of nourishment, fun, sleep, and relaxation; while trying to please others and do everything just right. I let anger turn to resentment, stuffed it down and became depressed. I wronged myself, others and God in the process.

One morning during my recovery from burnout I realized that the one person I most needed to forgive was myself. I wrote in my journal: I’ve harmed you, Joan. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be kinder and more forgiving now. It’s okay for you to nurture yourself and become the person God designed you to be. God wants us to have compassionate hearts toward all people, ourselves included.

Last night while editing these two above paragraphs, I thought: There’s something more here. I tried to find it. Browsing through books, commentaries, my notes, the Bible, it eluded me, so I went to bed. This morning I looked at the clock. 7:30 am. I did it again! For two weeks I’ve overslept until 7:00 or 7:30 am, when usually I’m up around 5:30. And all week I’ve been asking, What’s wrong with you, Joan?

This morning God whispered, “Grace!” Really? “Like musical ‘grace notes’[i], Joan. They’re the lovely extra sounds of an ordinary song. Nothing’s wrong. Just enjoy the added-on rest.”

Forgiving relief: the grace notes of God. Enjoy!

Lord, I’m just so grateful.

Making It Personal: This week look for God’s grace notes to you.

About Joan

Joan C. Webb, a recovering workaholic and perfectionist, communicates a message of freedom and renewal. As a personal life coach, lifeplan facilitator, and speaker/Bible communicator she longs to help others gain clarity and move past their obstacles. Joan, author or co-author of eleven books including The Intentional Woman, The Relief of Imperfection, and It’s a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life, wrote study notes for the Women of Faith Study Bible. Her husband, Richard, and she live in Chandler, Arizona, near their two married children and seven grandchildren. www.joancwebb.com

My Reaction

I have to admit that I am NOT struggling with a perfectionist attitude – in fact, I hate fussing with details!  I do sometimes expect others to be perfect – and I’ll be looking for God’s Grace Notes about other people

Enjoy the Rest of the Blog Tour!

You can find all of the stops on Joan’s Wonderful (Imperfect) Blog Tour here.

Seize Every Opportunity To Teach Kids Eternal Truths

As parents we’re building God’s kingdom one day at a time by shining God’s light to our children. It’s a great privilege to serve the Lord in our homes. As they grow we need to get creative in how we teach them God’s truths to make sure that the Word is instilled in their hearts.

How do we learn the most precious lessons in life?

Many of the lessons we learn are from making mistakes. Trial and error can teach us a lot. Unfortunately many don’t learn from mistakes and don’t listen to counsel.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” – Proverbs 12:15

Even though making mistakes can teach us many things- reading and talking about God’s truths can instill wisdom in our children’s hearts. We must do all that we can so that our children can learn God’s truths.

“And you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” – Deuteronomy 6:7

It’s so important to teach them how to study read and understand the Bible so that they may always correctly interpret God’s Word and have a foundation to make right decisions in the future.

As a mommy I’ve found that there are many ways to teach our kids. Here’s a few ideas for you to teach the Bible to your children in a fun and meaningful way.

Tell your own life stories.

This is a fantastic way to teach them. Did you learn valuable lessons through making certain mistakes? What truths did you find in God’s Word that helped you get the right perspective though the trial?

If you can share those life lessons with your kids- it will mean so much more to them. It takes on a whole new meaning and they’ll always remember the lessons from those stories because it happened to their own parents.

Many times we categorize Bible time only as devotional time. The truth is that with a little bit of creativity we can incorporate teaching of God’s Word into every aspect of life.

Teachable Moments.

Seize the opportunities in real life situations to teach your kids God’s truths by applying His word to their daily lives.
This is by far my favorite way to teach because they are going through the situation and so it is much more memorable for them.

They may be going through certain issues and we can use those moments to help them get the biblical perspective on things.
Real life consequences to poor decisions are excellent tools to teach our children. It may seem very negative to deal with the consequences. However when we see these as opportunities to prevent worse problems up ahead we can be grateful in the midst of the trials.

Directly read Bible verses and talk about them.

I love to read verses that are uplifting and positive. Here’s a list of encouraging and inspirational Bible verses for you to reflect upon and talk about with your children at devotional time.

You may also choose to simply read through one of the books of the Bible and ask questions to your children about what was just read. When kids talk about things they will retain a lot more of the information.

The fact is that as parents we are called by the Lord to minister, train and teach our kids. We need to redeem the time and count our days to do this. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to fulfill our ministry.

Eren Mckay is a WAHM to 3 boys. She loves to help others by providing homemaking and family resources.

Can You Trust His Purpose?

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
~Hebrews 4:16 (Amp)

In our world, being “used” or “taken advantage of” by others is not something we enjoy or even want to allow. But when it comes to God, are we really willing to be fully used by Him for HIS PURPOSE?  Regardless of the pain it might cause?  The distress it brings?  The brokenness we feel?

God has purposed a plan for each of our lives.  Nothing comes into our life that HE cannot purpose for good.  While I do not believe that He enjoys seeing harm or danger coming near any of His children, let’s face it – our fallen world is filled with danger, and while it often brings pain – it also brings opportunity.

Opportunity for Him to show His Goodness, His Mercy, and even His Just nature.

I have faced many difficult seasons in my life.  I have not always sailed through them with a firm reliance on God’s grace, let alone thankfulness for these trials.  I have often found myself complaining about circumstances which threaten the sanctity of my little piece of existence.  Circumstances which I respond to with fear, anger, resentment, and other feelings and behaviors which do little to further the cause of Christ.

In this time in my life, God has brought me to a place – once again – where I have no choice but to fall at His feet and pray for wisdom, for grace, for healing, and for His Touch.  Without these things, my life will probably change drastically.  My family’s life will change drastically.

A loved one, who has struggled with addictions for many years, is at a crossroads.  There is a fork in the road and a decison must be made which will affect not only this person’s life, but the lives of so many loved ones.  And it is at this time, that I have to fall on my face at the Throne of God’s grace – praying for Him to move and heal and restore – trusting that the outcome will indeed be God’s Purpose.

For the decision has yet to be made.  The choice is still unclear.

Can I submit myself to the Lord regardless of the outcome, and trust that His Purpose will be revealed?  Even if it is different from my hopes and expectations?  And can I be thankful for this trial, knowing that His Will is never thwarted.  That He is, in fact, The Good Shepherd – always looking for his lost lamb?

Of course I pray for healing, redemption, and restoration in my loved one’s life.  Ultimately, I have to trust that whatever comes, His Purpose is good.

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
~ Jeremiah 29:11 (Amp)

It is entirely possible that my loved one may be fatally wounded in this battle.  That healing won’t come.  That restoration won’t happen.  Not on earth, anyway. I can’t fix it and I can’t change it.  I can only pray for GOD – our Healer and Redeemer – to do His work.

But I can Trust His Purpose…

While I’m Waiting…

I marvel sometimes at the way God speaks to me.

I don’t hear a loud booming voice shouting out my name as I cower in fear,

It is in the whirlwind of my every day life of wife, mom and aspiring writer that I hear that “still, small voice” speaking to me…

I heard it again today so very clearly.

A sweet Christian friend – an online Christian friend – and I have been mulling the idea of an online partnership – a venture in faith as it were – for several weeks now.  We had a serious discussion one afternoon and it appeared that all lights were green and we were “GO” on the project.

She later emailed me to say that she felt like God was telling her to wait.  That she had other priorities and needed to hear from Him more on the subject.

In the meantime, I began dreaming (literally) and having a vision placed in my heart about this project in a way that surprised me, really.  I was surprised by the continuous dreams at night that would awaken me at 2:00 a.m. with an overwhelming desire to write out lists and begin mapping out these plans.

Even during the day, I began having more conscious thoughts and ideas, and started recording them and outlining several thoughts.

And again, she and I met for a discussion online and began moving in a more purposeful direction towards that goal.  I was THRILLED to be visiting the idea with her again and praising God for the way He was bringing it back into my life.

And then I heard it.  That still, small voice saying, “STOP!”

“What?  Are you talking to me, God?”

I was just mulling over some of the specifics of our conversation, preparing to make a new list when I heard the voice.

“Stop!”

Okay.  So I’ll wait to write my list, I thought.

As I sat quietly I heard, “No.  I said Stop.”

“Okay, Lord – I don’t get this.  She & I would make the perfect team.  She & I have these amazing ideas together and feel like You have had a hand in this.  I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night with my mind spinning out ideas and having clarity during the day putting them onto paper! We have each prayed over this individually, and now that we’ve come together and discussed some details, you’re telling me to stop?”

Silence.

So, now I am waiting.

Not for God to change His mind.  But for Him to speak to me again.  Clearly.  Show me the purpose for my dreams. Reveal my next step.

Maybe He just wants me to dream bigger dreams for myself, for my family – and not use them in a ministry online.

Maybe timing isn’t right and we’d be biting off more than we could chew.

Maybe He just doesn’t want us to do this project together.

I don’t  know.  I’m perplexed a bit.

God knows.  So even though I am perplexed, I am “not in despair” (2. Cor. 4:8).

I am just waiting.

And while I am waiting, I will still serve Him.

Debbie is a believer in Jesus, wife to the love of her life, and mom of 2 amazing, energetic princesses. She is an avid coffee and tea lover, enjoys Christian fellowship in person or online, and is the editor of the women’s ministry newsletter at her church.  She can be found blogging at The Queen Mommy’s Cafe, often with a full cup in hand…

My Faith Strategy

More often than I can count, I am asked one of a few questions.  One is “How do you do everything that you do?” or Another might be “How do you do it all?” Or sometimes they phrase it, “I don’t see how you do everything that you do.” More of a statement, rather than a question really.

No matter how they say it, most often I don’t know how to react to whatever way they choose to phrase it.  Honestly, I don’t know how I do it “all”.  And quite simply I don’t believe that I ever do it all.  I am a person who has high hopes, big dreams, and many goals.  My daddy taught me to be that way and my Heavenly Father gifted me with a few traits that help me to “make it happen.”

I have determined just this morning that the act of “getting it all done” really boils down to a few simple steps.  I have dubbed this my faith strategy.  You see, being a big dreamer and a goal setter I tend to do just that, “dream and set goals”.  This makes for a person who is always creating something to do.  I create many things for myself to do.

As a Christian, I seek God’s guidance on just what it is he’d have me to do at any given time and I wait for answers.  So the first step in what I am calling my “faith strategy” is this:

Pray. Before I do anything else, make even one step in the project or even choose a given project I pray.  God leads me then in the direction He’d like me to go.  And I move on to step number two.  Prayer however is a basic building block of the whole process, I return to prayer daily as a part of the strategy, so don’t ever believe that you can pray once and be done.   The next step is necessary and one of my favorite parts of the strategy.

Set goals. I believe in setting goals.  I have always been a goal setter and at times my goals were loftier than others.  At times I have set myself up for disappointment by outdoing myself with my own goals, but I learned to “revamp” and start again.  However, I believe in the old saying, “if you don’t aim for something you’ll miss it every time.”  You have to have a goal to aim for, or you’ll wander around aimlessly for a long time.  After setting the goals you move on to the next, important step.

Seek accountability. For a long time, I wondered why my goals were so unreachable, why I felt I was “spinning my wheels”, and even why I couldn’t, “get anything done”.  I was day after day attempting to do too much too soon, or put my “cart before my horse”.  I didn’t see how much I was really doing, I felt that I was going nowhere when I was actually getting somewhere I just couldn’t see it.  That’s when I decided to seek accountability. Having someone in my life to point out where I was successful, to encourage me and to help me prioritize has been a huge blessing and has definitely been a vital step in my strategy.  With this step accomplished you’ll be well on your way to the final step.

Just do it! It seems cliché, and it may be a little intimidating, but if you’re going to get anywhere you are going to have to take that step, you’re going to have to just do it.  This will vary from project to project, sometimes this will be easier than other times, while some times, it will be “easier said than done.”  But the fact is for any project to be finished, for any goal to become a reality, for any dream to come true, you must take action.  That is what the final step is all about and it is how my strategy works.

If you need that extra boost of encouragement, a hand to hold or more information about these steps.  Check out Faith Leaps.com a membership training site for taking “leaps of faith”, which after all is what my “faith strategy” is all about.

Alyssa Avant is a Christian writer, speaker, and business owner. Alyssa ghostwrites for several WAHM websites and blogs. Alyssa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is completing her Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Liberty University. She makes her home in Carrollton, MS, where she is wife to husband Greg and mother to three precious children (Baker, Lily and Brady) all under the age of five.

A Fly On the Wall

To be a fly on the wall in heaven, oh what I wouldn’t give.  Lately, we’ve had a ton of flys around my house.  Gosh! Those darn things are annoying, but imagine all those precious moments that they get to see.  Wouldn’t you like to be a fly?  Especially a fly in heaven? 

Think about it.  Just yesterday, sadly my church family had to bury a child from our congregation, a little boy who was killed tragically over the weekend.  But, as sad as the event was, the event was also heart-warming as that little boy had just accepted Jesus as his Savior the week before in Vacation Bible School and therefore the moment he passed from this earth he was present with his Savior.

It was a homecoming  unlike any other.  The angels ushered him into heaven.  And, if I had been a fly on the wall, I’m quite certain that those tears I shed over his family’s loss yesterday would not have been present for in heaven there are no tears and there is no sadness, in heaven there was only a celebration.

They celebrated as another of God’s children came home.  I’m sure it was unlike any celebration we have experienced here on earth and honestly I would have loved to even have been a fly on the wall.  Thank God for his grace and mercy, for his salvation that came to us through his Son, Jesus and that one day we will all as God’s children enter heaven.

Photo Credit: Jpctalbot

Alyssa  Avant is a Christian writer, speaker, and business owner whose mission is to turn the hearts of girls towards God.  Alyssa recently felt the calling to help those who felt called into ministry but were fearful of taking the “leap of faith”, to help them she created FaithLeaps, a membership training program for those looking to “take the leap of faith into speaking, writing and / or ministry.

Three Essentials for Those in Ministry

If you are a person in ministry, you have certainly felt a call to it. You knew God was tugging at your heart, pulling you in that direction; but what you may not have considered is the commitment that it takes to be in ministry.

Ministry is a position that has both a public commitment and a private commitment. Publicly, you are committed to those that you minister to, as well as the “tasks” of ministry. These tasks are found in many other positions, even those in the secular world. Tasks including bookkeeping, filing, and the like. One can learn the skills that it takes to accomplish these tasks and do so in a way that is pleasing to everyone involved.

The private commitment is much greater. This commitment includes the practices of spending time in prayer, reading and studying God’s Word and becoming spiritually disciplined. These private acts are truly more important to God, more than any of the things that you do publicly. These are disciplines/habits that the people you minister to, will never know if you keep or not.  Far too often, even those of us in ministry, will put these things last in our lives; and though you might think that it will not make a huge difference, it will.

Prayer is an essential. Prayer is our communication with God, our Father. How can someone in ministry effectively minister to others without first communicating with their Heavenly Father? We should learn from the perfect example of Jesus, who often retreated to be alone to pray. He made spending time with the Father His priority. If the only perfect man who ever lived, spent time with God daily in prayer; why should we think that we as human imperfect ministers, should be able to do it all on our own?

Reading God’s Word is equally as important. God’s Word gives us direction, pierces our hearts and shows us where we need to add to or take away from our lives. It is the ultimate decision maker when we need to find answers, and will inspire us when we need encouragement. If you’ve been in ministry any length of time, you know you’ll need one or all of those things.

Becoming spiritually disciplined takes time. Spiritual disciplines may not be shared by everyone and can vary depending on your “belief system”. We’ve already mentioned, prayer and Bible study. Others include: tithing, fellowship, worship, evangelism, all things that we know we should be doing, but often struggle to do. That is why these things must be developed over time. We shall never cease “striving”. After all, Christians are on a journey to become more like Christ. We will never get there this side of heaven, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be disciplined in the practice of doing so.

Photo credit: DrGBB

Alyssa  Avant is a Christian writer, speaker, and business owner whose mission is to turn the hearts of girls towards God.  Alyssa recently felt the calling to help those who felt called into ministry but were fearful of taking the “leap of faith”, to help them she created FaithLeaps, a membership training program for those looking to “take the leap of faith into speaking, writing and / or ministry.

Pesty Problems

Around the back door in our home, small pests have started to intrude. At first, it began slowly, with just one or two ants here and there and maybe a random beetle. But, over time, it has worsened and today we have what looks like a small ant village on the wall inside of our home.  Yes, you read that right, inside our home. The exterminator is coming on Thursday.

Our spiritual lives can be compared to these intruding pests. Are pests eating away at your spiritual life? I know it sounds like an odd comparison, but it can truly be an eye opening one, if you give it some thought.

There are lots of different pests that can eat away at our spiritual lives and will creep ever so slowly into our hearts; the exact place where Jesus is suppose to live and to reign, but somehow the pests are coming in and trying to push Him out.

You see these pests work on your heart slowly, just like the ants that worked on my door. These pests can come in many forms. They can include: distractions, busyness, and negative thinking.

Distractions are a huge part of life.  It could be the telephone, the computer, or the kids; yes, even good things in life can be a distraction to us many times.  Therefore, we often cannot get rid of the distractions. You certainly wouldn’t be likely to get rid of your kids, but you can learn to work around them, even with them. Remember this, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You” Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

Busyness is another pest that can eat away at your heart and mind causing you to hurt spiritually. Sometimes even the good things that we do in life can cause us to spend too much time on “other” things and not enough time on the most important thing, our relationship with God. The Bible encourages us to “ seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV) So even in the busyness of projects, family and work we should take time to seek Him daily.

Negative thinking is a pest that alludes so many of us. Even with Christ in our hearts, our minds are often swayed by the pests of negative thoughts. God wants us to “be joyful always, pray continually.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NIV) It is important to remember both parts of that. Negative thinking often comes in the form of “worry”.  Many of us assume this is “the way we are”, but the Bible tells us plainly in Scripture that this is not so. We can be joyful always through prayer. Prayer takes away our worries, whereas worrying only invokes fear into our hearts.

Don’t let these pests eat away at your heart and clog your spiritual arteries. Don’t let them push Jesus out of his rightful place on the throne in your heart and life. Call in the exterminator, and have Him make sure those pests are driven away.

Photo Credit: prashanthk

Guest Blogger Alyssa Avant is a Christian speaker, writer and blogger.  She is the owner and trainer at FaithLeaps, a membership training site for those looking to “take the leap of faith into speaking, writing or ministry”.  http://FaithLeaps.com

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