You Are Beloved and Chosen

 

Thank you Holley Gerth for today’s message.

I step into a Junior High lunch room that smells like old fries and sticky plastic trays. I scan the scene—the popular kids at one table, bookworms at another, the theater crowd and the athletes and the rebels. Who will look up and invite me over?

Tell me who I am.

My friends and I have crushes and dates and boyfriends. We fix our hair a hundred different ways. Crowd into dressing rooms to try a thousand different outfits. Loop silver and gold through our ears. The doorbell rings and he is holding roses.

Tell me who I am.

I am typing into a small screen and pressing “publish.” Sending my heart in black and white into the internet. There will be comments and likes, criticisms and compliments. I watch the cursor blink.

Tell me who I am.

Isn’t this the whisper of our hearts as women? The friends, the men, the crowd. They will tell us if we are okay. If we are worthy. If we are enough. Isn’t that their job?

But then I bump into this verse, “But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all people” (John 2:24). All people. The popular kids and the bookworms, the theater crowd and the athletes and the rebels. This verse has been there all along and it’s been a head-scratcher for me. He didn’t entrust Himself to them?

Then suddenly it occurs to me this might the answer: Jesus is the only human to walk this spinning planet and not say Tell me who I am. He didn’t look to others to definite His identity, to determine His worth. “Instead He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). “Judge” has a reputation of being a harsh word but I don’t think that’s the meaning here. I think it’s saying that God alone knows the truest-truth and that’s why His opinion is the only one that really matters.

Of course, we are going to care what others think. We’re going to desire acceptance and want to fit in. This is the way we’re created to connect. The only folks who don’t are sociopaths. So, no guilt about this, no shame or hardening our hearts. Instead we can simply say, “But God gets the final word.”

Tell me who I am.

And God says we are beloved and chosen, cherished and gifted, wanted and a divinely-shaped wonder.

When someone says, “You’ll never amount to anything,” He says, “You can do all things because I strengthen you” (Philippians 4:13).

When someone tells us, “You don’t look the right way,” He whispers, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

When someone implies, “You aren’t wanted,” He declares, “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1b).

God is the One who gives us our identities. He is the One who sets us free from condemnation and comparison, hustling to be liked and trying to be perfect. He is the One right there with us every time we feel tempted to listen to the lies. May His love always be louder than any other voice.

Tell us who we are.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Unlocking the Power of Praise

Thank you Rachel Wojo for today’s message….

My 21-year-old daughter, Taylor, stares at me as she sits propped up in her hospital bed. Not many young adults would ask for a hospital bed in their room, but she hasn’t been able to ask me for anything in 15 years. I attempt to read the communication in her eyes and will her body language to reveal her needs and desires. She’s been a frontline disease fighter since birth and since age 4, we’ve faced the eventual outcome of no cure and no treatment. My thoughts turn to prayer, an instinctive reflex I’ve cultivated for all these years, but somehow, I can only be silent.

Though I can find no words in the moment, I long for God’s presence. Just as my girl will move her leg over to touch mine so she can simply know that I am here, so I find myself seeking moments to be still and know that He is God and yes, He is here. I remind myself that prayer begins with praise. Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name.

How do I find words to praise God when my child, my heart existing outside my body, is suffering? Limbs that once ran everywhere have withered down to skin and bone. Hands that once grabbed with lightning speed can barely hold a sippy cup to her mouth. Voice box that once chimed “Mom-my” is lost, never to be returned on this earth. Though together we’ve practiced gratitude day after day, frankly, we are running out of things to be thankful for.

But Jesus didn’t begin His prayer with thanksgiving. And the praise didn’t begin with things God has given. Nor did it begin with God’s work. Jesus first reminded God of Who He is. With this epiphany, the prayer that I couldn’t begin starts to form as I grip my girl’s hand. Just as Jesus began his prayer with words of adoration, so my prayer reflex is stimulated to follow his model.

Praise is the most powerful tool in our prayer arsenal. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15, NIV) As today’s truth explains, the blood of Jesus sacrificed on the cross provides our direct access to God. As a result, we are privileged to enter the presence of our Father and whisper praises directly to Him! When we stand before the Almighty God, we come as we are. It doesn’t mean we have a complete understanding of His work in our lives. It simply means our hearts are trusting and believing Him to be the ever-present, never-changing God who loves us beyond our comprehension.

When we can’t find praise in our hearts because we don’t understand what God is doing, we can always praise God for Who He is. He is the God Who never changes and has loved us since the beginning of time. Praise Him!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Look Where You’re Going

Thank you to Girlfriends in God for today’s message…

I live in a suburban neighborhood. As my family of five pulled out of the driveway in our minivan, we were about to encounter a very strange sight.

There – smack dab in the middle of the road – was a teen girl.

She was walking away from us, right in the center of the street. Her eyes were glued to her phone. She walked slowly, completely unaware of her surroundings (including our two-ton vehicle quickly approaching).

As we got closer in our van, I capitalized on this larger-than-life teachable moment.

“Kids, do you see that girl? Is she even aware we are here? Why is it dangerous to stare at your phone, especially when you’re in the middle of the street?”

My husband James was having a lot of fun with this. He followed her slowly, not passing her so she wouldn’t be startled. We were all curious about how long it would take her to realize she was being stalked by the mighty minivan. Would she get scared? Embarrassed?

To our utter surprise, she did not notice us. She turned the corner (still in the middle of the street) and then veered to the left, getting on the sidewalk.

She never looked up once as we drove by.

How much she missed by her preoccupation with her phone above all else! She averted danger and didn’t even know it. You and I (hopefully) won’t be walking down the middle of the street anytime soon, but perhaps there are times when we’re buried in our phones instead of looking where we’re going in life.

In Genesis 15, we see that Abram (who would later be renamed Abraham) didn’t have any offspring. He was a wealthy man with no heir. His quest for a son characterized much of his life. When he looked to make his servant Eliezer his heir, the Lord told him He had a different plan. “Look to the sky and see if you can number the stars. So shall your descendants be.”

Like Abram, when we look up from our phones and into the promises of God, the sky is the limit. We are not designed to be plugged into a device 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Instead we blessed when we meditate on the law of the Lord day and night (Psalm 1:2). Which promises of God are you standing on? Are you walking by faith with an expectant heart?

The next you are taking a walk outside, make sure your phone is in your pocket or purse. Look up into the sky God has created. The heavens declare His majesty if we will stop to listen. Don’t blindly follow the crowds with your head down, buried in your texts, emails, posts, and pins. Look around for your physical safety and look up to God for the safety of your soul.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

I recently read a blog by Valorie Burton which touched a nerve with me since I shared my MS status last week.  I have gotten encouragement from people that I never expected or haven’t talked to in years.  I have met new people as I (and they) share our strengths, hopes and experiences.  My tribe is growing every day… personally and professionally.

I want you to think about the women that you are friends with – the ones you are closest to.

Do you have one really good friend that you rely on?  You know the one that you can call at all hours of the day and night.  Do you rely on her for everything?

Do you have another group (or tribe) of women that you turn to for certain things like business, spiritual support, parenting, etc?

Did you know that there are actually six specific types of friends that every woman should have?  Be sure to check out Valerie’s book for the full 411!

I am learning that not just one or two friends can meet all of our emotional or spiritual needs.  I always had a VERY small circle of girlfriends which hasn’t changed much as an adult.  I tend to be introverted – imagine that!  I was surprised to read that statistically, a relationship with your girlfriend will likely outlast your marriage, your parents and your co-workers.  I can see that.  WHY?  Because I have a bestie that I met 25 years ago.  We have been through a lot together (and apart) BUT no matter what, we are there for each other.  No matter the distance or the span of not talking/seeing each other, when we get together, the time just melts away.

So, here is Valerie’s list of the six types of friends every woman needs:

• The Wise Friend.

You can count on them to talk you out of doing something you’d regret, help you solve your latest dilemma, and give all-around sound advice about just about anything.

• The Fun Friend.

Want to have a good time, be adventurous, or laugh ’til your stomach hurts? You can always count on this one.

• The Travel Buddy.

Drama-free, this friend is adaptable, maybe even adventurous, and loves to see the world.

• The Relationship Coach.

Transparent, real and willing to listen, this friend has figured a few things out in the love department and genuinely wants to see you happy when it comes to romance.

• The Career Comrade.

You share a similar background and goals in your work life, and encourage each other to higher professional success.

• The Accountability Partner.

To maximize your potential, this is your go-to pal to help keep you on track.

So, do you have a friend in each of those categories?  Or, do you seem to have more friends in just one category?

Now, think of your four closest friends.  Which one are YOU to each of them? Do you fill the same “category” with everyone or do you float between categories depending on the relationship with that friend?

I probably fall into TWO categories: the “Wise Friend” and the “Career Comrade”. Okay, so maybe I am stuck or type cast but that is okay with me.  I do have a little bit of each of the different “types” in me but I would never want to commit to them.

What category do you fall into?  Share it with us…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

God Has Big Dreams for You

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

I love the story of Esther in the Bible. She is definitely one of my girlfriends in God! I can’t wait to give her a big hug. Let’s think about her a moment today.

Can you imagine what young Esther, a girl without mother or father, would have thought if someone had come up to her at the market while gathering produce for her cousin and told her that she was going to be the next queen of Persia? That she would save her people from annihilation? I imagine she would have laughed or run for cover from the lunatic making such a prediction. But God had a plan. He took a lonely orphan girl and used her to rescue the Jewish nation.

If someone had come to me in my teen years and told me that I would be spreading the gospel through an international radio program, speaking at women’s conferences, and authoring several books, I would have quickly informed them that they had a serious case of mistaken identity.

My voice is too Southern, my confidence was too shattered, and my brain is wired for math and science. As a matter of fact, when God did begin opening doors for ministry, I reminded Him of all my shortcomings and why He had the wrong girl for the job. But as I began to take those first baby steps of obedience, He began to show me glimpses of His great plan.

Our dreams are always too small when compared to the magnificent dreams God has planned for His girls. While God has probably not called you to save an entire nation from destruction, He has called you to be a woman He can use. Missionary Amy Carmichael wrote, “Often His call is to follow in paths we would not have chosen.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Whether God is calling you to be a catalyst for saving someone from physical death or being a catalyst for saving someone from spiritual separation from God, when you move forward in obedience, empowered by His strength, bolstered by His power, and confident in His provision, you will see Him accomplish great and mighty works through you.

How marvelous that He allows us to participate and be the hands and feet through which He works.

“For we are God’s workmanship,” Paul reminds us, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). God created Esther for a purpose, just as He has created you and me for a purpose…“for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 NIV).

Thank you to Girlfriend’s in God and Sharon Jaynes for today’s message.