Comfort for the Contrite (or broken hearted)

A contrite heart - what does this mean?


As I sat having my quiet time this morning, I began reading out of the Old Testament book of Isaiah and found this:


Isaiah 57:15 says this,
 "For this is what the high and exalted One says—
   he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
   but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
   and to revive the heart of the contrite."


So what does that mean?


The transliteration for contrite comes from the Hebrew word "daka" or "dakka", which means "crushed, broken, dust."


God tells us in verse 15 that he "also lives with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."


God lives with those who are broken about the decisions they have made or the circumstances they find themselves in and with those who have a humble heart and are repentant about their mistakes. In Isaiah 57, we find a qualification for receiving spiritual healing. This condition was required of physical Israel before God would heal the nation. It is also required of spiritual Israel (that is, the Church) for spiritual damage to be healed.


Although God is all-powerful and unlimited in His existence and perfection, He is the most involved and loving of all beings. In reviving the spirit of the humble, He 'makes them alive' as it translates literally. The sense here is that He provides spiritual life and comfort. Spiritually, God is to the contrite what refreshing rains, the warm sun and cool dew are, physically, to a drooping plant. It revives us when we are in that condition.


Are you feeling physically dry? What about spiritually dry? God is there for us, he wants to revive us, He's just waiting on us to be repentant and allow Him the opportunity to come in and give us the spiritual watering we need.


Look at Job, he was crushed, battered, bruised and weary. 


[ In Job 5, Eliphaz, Job's friend describes the difficulty of the fool's devastated children and how the fool is the cause of their crushed state.

Job 5:1-7, "Call now, if there be any that will answer you; and to which of the saints will you turn? For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one. I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation. His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. His harvest the hungry eats up and takes it even out of the thorns, and the robber swallows up their substance. Although affliction comes not forth of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground; yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.",

"The crushing here refers to their being made powerless to prevent their own tragedy. Negatively speaking, the contrite are bruised and injured. This is positive, as it is their pride that gets irreversibly crushed. However, the crushing events of life do not automatically make us contrite. It is possible for the result to be either of two extremes—bitterness or genuine contrition. That is the critical point when a person is struck with an injury or a sickness or whatever it may be. What direction will that person take?


Some allow bitterness, resentment and anger to be the result in their broken state. Anger can very easily become sinful when it is causeless, excessive, or prolonged. In contrast, genuine contrition does not leave a humble person immobilized, hardened or embittered.


Some of the biblical synonyms used for "contrite" are: penitent, regretful, remorseful, repentant, sorry, apologetic, and ashamed. We can get a more thorough understanding of contrition by looking at four of these synonyms. These very similar terms help provide a clearer picture of the attitude involved here.

Penitence is sorrow for sins or faults. It implies sad and humble realization of, and regret for, one's misdeeds. The feeling that no sin is beyond forgiveness if it is followed by true penitence.

Regret implies a painful sting of conscience, especially for contemplated wrongdoing. It is the feeling of being sharply bothered by one's own action accompanied with a sense of guilt.

Remorse suggests prolonged and insistent self-reproach and mental anguish for past wrongs, and especially for those whose consequences cannot be remedied. It is the feeling of walking on thorns. 

Repentance adds the implication of a resolve to change. It bears good fruit.

In this light, contrition stresses the sorrowful regret that constitutes true penitence. It is the feeling of remorse that brings tears to the eyes and leads to repentance.


That is the heart in which God says he lives in. God lives with us, in us, when our hearts are full of contrition and repentance."] - Martin Collins


What do you need to repent for? What is God calling you to lay down at His feet and give over to Him? What troubles do you have?


We often feel overcome by our troubles, but we do not have to feel this way. God is fully aware of our limitations as we walk before Him. We see here that the righteous do not always escape trouble. Walking with God in the way of wisdom assures us that God is present, even when we suffer often and severely.


God promises that if we trust Him and call on Him, He will see us through our troubles and make them a blessing to us and through us to others. He is also able to help us with our emotions of despair and depression.


Psalms 34:18, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit"


God assures us that He is near us when our hearts are broken and our spirits are crushed, whether we feel like it or not. This is not a promise with conditions attached to it; it is just a simple and eternal fact.


Take the time today to give God your broken heart, to humble yourself before the Maker of heaven and earth.


1 John 3:9 , "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."


How beautiful is God? He is patient and does not want anyone to perish.... thank you, Lord!

Forgiveness and pride

Forgiveness. It's such a simple word, yet it's such a tricky subject. In a hard lesson, God worked on this topic of forgiveness with me over the weekend. Then it was driven home by the sad news of a friend's marriage breaking up over the weekend.


Why is forgiveness so hard on big topics? Sure, it's easy to forgive when someone bumps into you or forgets to do something they were supposed to, but why is it so hard to forgive the absent parent, or the affair your spouse had, or the repeated wrongs that don't seem to get any better with time? Has God given us a passage on these bigger issues? What about hurtful words? Forgetfulness or absentmindedness? 

And, what if the person has said sorry? What do we do then?


In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus tells us this,

"So watch yourselves.“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

We must forgive them. So if we know this, why is it so hard?  I think this is a question so many Christians find themselves asking God. "Why God, if I love this person, if this person is my friend, my spouse, my child, my neighbor, my co-worker, then why is it so hard to forgive them? Why, if I know what I ought to do, is it so hard to forgive those that have hurt me or wronged me?" 


Matthew 26:41 says it beautifully, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."


It's as if you can see and hear the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The war rages on inside of you when you feel wronged. You know you should forgive and you know forgiveness is a command from God, but pride, hurt, anger, and resentment linger. 

It is exactly what Paul is talking about in Romans. This passage is confusing to read through, but if you read through it carefully, you will see that Paul, through the Holy Spirit, spoke of the same "war" inside of us. 

Read Romans 7:14-24,

 ¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
 ²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Again I ask, why, then, is it so hard? Paul made it pretty clear. It's the sin in us. 


Galations 5:17 says is again, 


"For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

But there is hope. Our hope is found in God!



Psalm 130:4 tells us this,

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

And, like the end of Romans 7 tells us, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

This is a tough topic for me because I am still doing a lot of growing myself in this area. Apologizing and offering forgiveness were not strong suits in my house when I was growing up. I saw the opposite often times (but praise God, His works are new in each of us and both of my parents are now believers and are both also working on this, as well) and now, as an adult, I am going through a lot of growing pains in this area.


It is hard to let go of the pride, the hurt, and the anger when I feel wronged - but there is hope AND freedom in Jesus.... in letting go of those emotions and forgiving. Not simply uttering the words, but truly giving the burden to God and allowing Him to fill your heart with forgiveness and love. 


"Never does the soul appear so strong and noble as when it forgoes revenge and dares to forgive injury." 
~Edwin Hubbel Chapin

Complacency

As I studied the book of Zephaniah this morning, I was struck by chapter 1, verse 12. 

"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad."


Again, Amos 6:1 and 7 says this, "1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!... 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end."


Is God okay with complacency? Is God okay with the the believer who mentally says, "I go to church on Sunday. I checked that box. I am all set for the next week." What about to those who would say, "I live a good life. I am kind. I donate a can of soup when the post office does their 'Stamp Out Hunger' drive." What if you don't even mentally say those things to yourself, but you are just complacent in your life, in your walk and relationship with the living God - are you okay with status quo?


Zephaniah 1:12 is pretty clear how God felt about complacency. He didn't like, at all. He was willing to punish the people of Judah for their complacency.


The burden I feel for the American church is that we have lost our true sense and true purpose - that we have become complacent and "okay" with the status quo. Why have we chosen to serve the living God by giving our hearts to Him and getting baptised, but then unconsciously or consciously stop serving Him. What happens between choosing to LIVE for Him and unconsciously living for ourselves, while simultaneously thinking we are living for Him?


A little further on in Zephaniah, we see that the Word of the Lord to Zephaniah says this: (Zeph 2:3)

³ "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger." 


God tells us exactly what we need to do... SEEK HIM! God sent His Son for so much more than our salvation and our happiness, but He does care about us and He gives us very clear and precise instructions on how to avoid His wrath. 

In the book of Zechariah, this was the word of the Lord - Zechariah 3:7, " This is what the Lord Almighty says, 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements then you will govern my house and have charge over my courts, and I will give you a place among those standing here."


Jeremiah 29:13 has become my new favorite single verse, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 


There is nothing in that verse that speaks of complacency. There first is an action on our part then, there is an unfailing God who will show Himself to us when we seek Him with ALL of our heart!


My heart feels so heavy for the apathy that has gripped our nation, our churches, and the lives of the very people who call themselves Christians and yet they sit idly by, living out their "busy" lives. We have to be willing to die to ourselves and make Him our daily focus, waking up and asking ourselves, "Lord, how can I best serve you today? How can you use me to bring glory to Your Name and make Your Name known among ALL nations?"

David Platt, in Radical, says this, "Jesus said to His followers, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus clearly acknowledged that following him invloves risking the safety, security, and satisfaction we have found in this world. But in the end, Jesus said, following him leads to a radical reward that this world cannot offer. This begs the question from each of us: do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following him?"


Want to start somewhere? Here are two great possibilities:


1. Start with some one on one time with God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Journal. Tell Him how much you love Him... how much you need Him. 

If you are not even sure if you believe in Him, start by asking Him to make Himself known to you, ask Him to forgive you for the past, then make a commitment to Him to serve Him with ALL of your heart. Make Him known to you - I can PROMISE you, He's been making Himself known to you your whole life! If you would like help with this, please, let me know. I would love to talk with you, walk you through this. 

If you are a believer and you have found yourself complacent, it's not too late to change that. Pupose in your heart to make a difference, starting with your OWN walk, then move on to helping the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, etc....


2. Meet my family and I as we serve the poor on Saturday mornings. We will meet up at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Manchester, NH, serving food to the Manchester area families that are in need of assistance. We meet up at 9:30am, get our "post" from the NH Food Bank, then we begin the priveledge of serving at 10am. 


Acts 20:24, "Yet, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."


Acts 20:28, "Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood."


and finally in Acts 20:32-38 Pauls ends with this, ³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. ³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 

 ³⁶ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship."

Jesus... and Paul (not on the same level as Jesus) did not live a life of contentment and apathy. We have committed our hearts to God - now it's time to commit our lives to God!


Blessings!

What's this all about?

In two more days, I will have pulled off one of the largest events of my life - my first 5K. Not running one, planning and executing one. But not me, God! And a team of extremely gracious volunteers who have given so much time and so much of themselves to help pull this off. 


Will this event go off without a hitch - likely not, that's just life. I'm prepared for that, but in planning this event, God has shown me so much about Him, His grace, and His mercy. He has shown me this: When He gives a heart of compassion to others; when He shows others what is breaking His heart, He will help pull off both large and small feats. 


What is this all for? It's about surrendering my will, my agenda and making my life what He wants it to be. Some days, the days are so busy and the days never seem to have enough time in them, but I would not have it any other way than knowing I am living out my faith. God did not call us here, on this earth, to simply exist - to be comfortable. He did not call us here to COEXIST. 


What God did call us here for was to be the salt of the earth. In Matt. 5:13, Jesus says this, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

Why are we here? Why do we choose to exist just for the sake of existing? What is the purpose in that? Instead, Jesus calls us to,  "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." - Matt 28:19

I'm reading this amazing book right now called, Radical, by David Platt. In this book, Mr. Platt challenges the reader - me - to really examine what that means. If we are called, and make no mistake, we ARE called, to go make disciples, then we need to wake up out of our wealthy American Dream and look at the world through the eyes of the 26,000 children that will breathe their lasts breaths today because of starvation. Or awaken our eyes and minds to the 1+ BILLION that live on LESS THAN one dollar per day, or the 2 BILLION that live on less than 2 dollars per day. We need to wake up to the reality that there are millions of children sitting in orphanages around the world and in our own country's foster care programs. We need to wake up to the fact that there are 20-27 MILLION slaves today. That is more now than there ever was during the entire trans-Atlantic slave-trade error. Men, women, and children, ensnared in the traps of the sex-slave trade and forced labor camps - being beaten, raped, drugged, and starved.

What are we going to do about these - and SO many other atrocities that are happening in our world? David Platt says this, "Anyone wanting to proclaim the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth must consider not only how to declare the gospel verbally but also how to demonstrate the gospel visibly in a world where so many are urgently hungry (and I would add hurting, abandoned, violated, and more!) If I am going to address urgent spiritual needs by sharing the gospel of Christ or building up the body of Christ around the world, then I cannot overlook the dire physical needs in the process."

This isn't about "faith by works" because God was pretty clear that we receive salvation through Him and Him alone, but God was also pretty clear with what He wanted us to be doing with our lives. 1 John 3:16 tells us this, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 

Again, I will recite Matt 25:40, "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

As I continue to fight for the freedom of women and children that are trapped in the sex-slave trade, as I fight to bring new hope and life to their lives, I am reminded of and encouraged by what God did for us. He sent His one and only Son to live a perfect life here on earth. Furthermore, He sent His Son, knowing that Jesus would take on the burden of ALL of the world's sin, to die a brutal and gruesome death - FOR US! For me! He cared enough to save you and me!


What a loving God I serve. 


Our lives are about loving God and loving others. That's your purpose. That's your mission. If you need help, or want to know where God is calling you, let's talk. Maybe I can help you figure that out. 


When the disciples asked Jesus what the GREATEST commandment was, He could not list just one.... He HAD to list two. Read what Jesus answered in Luke 10:27, "He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."

Blessings to you.

Fully Surrendering to God - not the mess and chaos!

Ah ha! I've finally done it (even if only temporarily!) I have surrendered to God and not the OCD and Type-A characteristics that have plagued my existence!


Yesterday, we had a house FULL of people! I was away speaking at a church the entire morning and part of the afternoon. My husband was not feeling great and the kids were making mild progress (that's what I call it when they don't completely tear it apart from one end to the other while I am away) on the house. I arrived home in just enough time to to stir the marinating chicken and begin to cook the orzo before company began arriving for the large BBQ we were having. There was no time to dust, sweep, vacuum, wipe down the bathroom....etc. It was just "come as you are, this is what it is." 

But, listen.... growth happens! You can evolve as a human and grow in wisdom and maturity. You can overcome severe strongholds in your life. 

As our guests (numbering somewhere around 35-40) began arriving yesterday, I did not stress. I didn't panic. I just welcomed them in and didn't even give an explanation as to why everything was not perfectly in it's place, perfectly set out - awaiting their arrival. They came through the door and I greeted them with a smile and hug, and continued on making my orzo salad. 


Why do I share this story with you? Because, as I stood in my kitchen, I was fully aware of God''s Presence with me. I was reminded of the Mary and Martha story in the gospels. While I wasn't entertaining Jesus himself (although one could argue hosting a loving and warm environment where we would soon be discussing matters of our faith and growth in Christ IS, in fact, like hosting God... but that might be a stretch. :-D), I thought about my reaction to people showing up early.... and just in general, me not being ready. I was quite surprised by my own reaction - or really, lack thereof. 


That is growth! For a highly Type-A (to a fault) and OCD-type personality, that is growth! And that growth, I believe, has come through spiritual edification and sanctification. Time with God. Reading His Word, studying, journaling, and reading books by fabulous people sharing in my faith! 


In Luke, chapter 10 verses 38-42, you find the story of Jesus, coming to the town of Bethany. Sisters, Mary and Martha, live there. As Jesus arrived this is what unfolds:


³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
   ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

All Jesus required was the presence of his hosts.

Isn't that all Jesus requires of us? Our presence. 

Galations 1:10 says this, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." 

We are servants of a King - of a God who cares enough about us to work out even the small details in our lives, like perfectionism. Yes, there may be "bigger fish to fry", but God loves us enough to care about what matters to us. And more than that, He cares enough for us that all He really requires of us is our time.... our presence, our dedication to Him and the things that concern Him.

Ephesians 3:7 says this, "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power."


Are you a servant of the gospel of God? God's grace in our lives is palpable. You need only to open your eyes to the daily victories you are winning. Maybe it's that one cigarette you didn't smoke. Maybe it's that one time you didn't yell at your spouse or your children. Maybe it was getting your bathroom cleaned and the laundry done. For me, it was not stressing over company coming and the house and food not being perfectly done and presentable.


What victories can you find in your day? Find God's grace in your life.... then praise Him for it! Praise Him for the small and the large victories. Give God ALL of you... even if that means, when you are giving him your "check-list" 15 minutes per day, that you give Him your FULL and undivided attention. 


God will honor that. 

Jeremiah 29:13 says this, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Seek Him! 


If you would like to know how to really seek God, ask me. I would love to help you.

Love and Faith

Can we say we are fully committed, fully and wholly surrendered if we have not love? When Jesus' disciple asked him, "Lord, Lord, what is the greatest commandment?" Jesus could not separate one single greatest. To God, His response was one in the same - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself." 

It's that simple. Love God. Love others. 

Why then, if it's that simple do we struggle so much to truly love others. Why do we struggle to forgive? Luke 6 tells us that we are to "do good to those who hate us." Wow! How often have we done that, and yet that is exactly what God is calling us to do.

I'm moved by a book I just finished reading. Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This is a challenging book that, prayerfully, will move you into action. Move you - and me - out of our comfort zones and into the love God has called, actually, commanded us to have and use.

"The average Christian in America spends 10 minutes per day with God. The average American spends 4 HOURS per day watching TV." It is no wonder, when you read those statistics that Christians are not having the impact on our "neighbors" that God had intended. 

Annie Dillard wrote that, "The way we live out our days is the way we will live out our lives." That is a powerful statement. Do you spend your day asking God, "What can I do for you? Where do you want me to serve? Who do you want me to show love to today?" Do you spend your time basking in the love of Christ, in His presence and in His grace, or do you waste your day away working feverishly, trying to attain the world's approval, the world's definition of success - the American Dream, or trying to prove to yourself that you are worth something? Do you waste your day away watching TV, playing video games, or gossiping? 

What we fill our time with is how we live out our day and it's how we will live out our lives. Matthew 6:21 tells us, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." God's words are so true - the things that are important to us will be the things that consume our time and energy each day... and throughout our lives. 

Francis Chan says this, "If one person "wastes" away his day by spending hours connecting with God, and the other person believes he is too busy or has better things to do than to worship the Creator and Sustainer, who is the crazy one?

About 2 years ago, I made a choice that I did not want to just let life happen and "get by". I didn't want to trust that I was doing "just fine" - I wanted to know that the legacy I was (and am) leaving was a legacy built on loving others and giving Him my all. Now, there are days when that may not happen, but still, a choice was made and on the whole, I choose to fully follow Him, to not just let life pass me by, but to actively pursue my Creator. I have not looked back since then and the journey I'm on has been such an enjoyable one. Actually, enjoyable is not even a strong enough description for the impact that actively pursuing Him has had on my life. 

Chan was asked this question while he was in college, "Francis, what are you doing right now that requires faith?" He goes on to say how much that question challenged him because at that point in his life he could not think of one single thing he was doing that was challenging his faith. 

So, I ask that question to you? What are you doing in your life that is challenging YOUR faith? 

For me, I can't say much of anything at the moment. I can think of a past example - when my husband started his company. That really challenged us to trust that God would provide. We went without a paycheck for 9 months. We went from 6-figures.... to nothing. Nothing at all. $0. Not once was I ever afraid that we would not have our basic needs met. If we lost our house, as I told my husband, then we lost it. If we lost our possessions, then we lost them. 

What I wanted to know was this: Is our family in tact? Do we have our faith, each other, laughter, and health? The answer was always yes! All the rest was mere icing on the cake. 

But, this question has challenged me today. I cannot think of anything I am really doing that requires faith. I am believing and praying for several of my friends breaking marriages. I am believing for my sister to come to Christ, for my niece to have the opportunity to know Him and learn about the Bible. I am even believing to make an impact on the world around me - but the question is not really asking that. It's a much more challenging question than that.

Faith, through Webster's Dictionary says this: 1. confidence or trust in a person or thing.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us this, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

When was the last time we, in our plush American life-styles (and that even include our "poor") truly had to sacrifice it all and have true, real, unadulterated faith in Him?

So, the question I have found myself asking is this: What would it look like to TRULY love God. Not this "one-time sinners prayer, now all is well" kind of love. Not the kind of love that says, "I'll obey you if it's convenient for me and fits into my American Dream kind of plan. But instead, the love that Jesus required His followers to have. 

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus invited people to follow him (this would make up His 12 disciples) and this is what was said:

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But, he replied, "Lord, first let me go bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back  and say goodbye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

There is a HUGE cost to following Him and truly serving Him. Have we, as Americans REALLY considered that cost? Even our poor in this country still eat daily, can afford to smoke a $6 pack of cigarettes and can find money drink away their problems. The wealthy, they are chasing a happiness that will never come to them. Jesus was pretty clear - follow me and homeless may be in store for you. Follow me and you may not see your family again, but those are the costs of following Him. 

I don't know about you, but that's what I want. That kind of "all in" heart with God. There are people overseas that are sacrificing everything for the chance to be in the presence of the very same Father we deny, or push under the carpet until a loved one is sick or money is tight. They are sacrificing their livelihoods, their families, and their own lives so that others will have the opportunity to hear about God's goodness and grace. 

Do we have that kind of true love? Do we - do I - have that same kind of faith it takes to truly pick up our cross and follow Jesus? 

2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

What can you change in your life that moves you from being a lukewarm Christian to a mighty warrior for Christ?

The blessings that flow.

So, after a hiatus from blogging, I find myself sitting here in my quiet livingroom, ready to pour my heart out once again. The kids are having friends over for the night and my husband is away on travel. I'm sipping a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and my Bible is at my side. I'm ready... but where do I start? Which topic do I write of today. There are so many things on my heart... so many things I want to share. I guess I will begin with a story of surrendering your will to God and waiting on Him.

After 4 years of prayer, God led our family to a new church. Within 3 weeks of being at that new church, God's blessings were flowing so deep and so wide. One blessing came in the form of a guest speaker. 

The church was holding a missions day - a day to bring awareness to a cause they felt was important. The cause, Human Trafficking. The speaker, Pat Manzo. Pat and his wife, Mary Ann, founded a non-profit organization (called Run For Freedom) set up with two main goals: 1) To bring AWARENESS to the atrocities of Human Trafficking. And 2) To build DREAM HOMES across America. (Dream Homes are safe homes, designed to bring shelter, food, counseling, medical, dental, and vision care, education, reprieve, and most importantly, God's love, to the young girls who will eventually call a Dream Home their home.)

Pat spoke so passionately about this cause. He brought cold hard facts to this American reality. He brought real life stories - stories happening right here in the U.S.A. - to the forefront. 

Traveling back in time approximately 4 years, God had brought this cause to my attention through a Christian music festival in NH called SoulFest. SoulFest was featuring a different non-profit doing the same thing - fighting to end human trafficking. My husband and I were moved. We began supporting, financially, this other non-profit (called Not For Sale). We did that for about 2 years... then God moved in my heart even further with an event that would rock my world.

Across the street from our house (we live in an upper-middle class neighborhood), in a quiet small NH town, on a quiet cul-de-sac, an atrocity was taking place and I did not even know it. A story so horrific that I won't even share the details - but the gist of the story is that an innocent 11 year girl was being trafficked by her own step-father, while her mother worked a 3rd shift job. This innocent young girl was exploited and trafficked, both in our neighboring town and on the internet through various sexually explicit websites.

Every morning when I went running, I would run past her as she waited for the bus. I had no idea of the intense and grave atrocity that was taking place against her. As the FBI and local police swarmed our road on a hot July day, the news began to unfold to the other neighbors on the street. 

My heart sank. There are no real words to describe the emotions that stormed my mind, my heart, and my body. Although I did not know her personally, I vowed I would not sit by and do nothing. I vowed I would not allow such atrocities to continue without me getting in on the fight to protect the young, the innocent, and the weak. This was already a topic that moved me to donate monthly to an organization fighting this very cause, but now it seemed personal. It was so close to home. So preventable. So tangible. But, what could I do? I am just one person.

That is what Satan would have you tell yourself. "You can do nothing. The problem is too big. What good can you make? You are so small compared to the problem." Lies! These are all lies and the Bible is clear that Satan is the father of ALL lies! (John 8:44)  You CAN make a difference. Fully surrender your heart to God and allow Him to show you where you can surrender your life for His glory. He will show you.

That is what happened to me. After learning about what was happening at my neighbors house, I began praying and asking God to allow me to get involved with Not For Sale, the organization I had learned about through SoulFest - nearly 2 years prior to this incident. I started writing emails to their volunteer department, to their directors. For nearly a full year I heard nothing from them at all. I continued to pray that God would place me where He wanted me. That He would open the door He wanted me to walk through. I wanted nothing less than His perfect will. 

A year passed by with no word from them, at all. Then, our family made the decision to switch churches. Three weeks after switching, Pat Manzo came to speak at our new church. God spoke to me, so clearly that this was it. This is what HE had been preparing for me all along. I asked our new Pastor to introduce me to Pat and he lead me immediately back to him. I shook his hand and told him, without hearing anything of his organization, that I wanted to start a NH Chapter for his organization.... that I believed God was calling me to do this. His immediate response to me was this, "I believe you are the person we have been praying for. My wife and I have been praying for someone to step up and say they wanted to start a NH Chapter. I believe you are the answer to that prayer!"

Four years in the making, two years of prayer and petition, and a lot of patience - God opened the doors to an opportunity I had been waiting on Him for. I would not want it any other way. I fully surrendered this area to Him. I prayed that He would open or close doors. I prayed He would use me where He wanted me. I prayed for His perfect will in my life. The irony, 3 days after that encounter with Pat, I finally heard from Not For Sale. They asked me to come on as a NH Regional Director and sent me the requirements to join their team. By that point, I knew where God wanted me though. I saw this as a distraction from the father of lies. Not For Sale is a wonderful organization.... but simply said, I knew at that moment, exactly what was happening. Satan did not want me working with Run For Freedom. But here God was, using me to start a brand new chapter for Run For Freedom. Now, I get to use my love of public speaking and I get to share God's love to others through through my Run For Freedom platform. How amazing is God?

Fully Surrendering to Him can be hard. We are impatient beings. We want what we want when we want it. I am particularly bad at that. I get an idea in my head and that's it.... I've got to do it THEN! But, that's not always God's plan for us. Sometimes He says no. Sometimes, it's just a gentle, "Not now. Grow my little one, set your feet on solid ground and delve into my Word." Sometimes it's an immediate, "Yes." Whatever His response is,  it is our responsibility to fully surrender our wills to Him and wait on His will. That's what we want, right? Do we really want our way? Or do we really want His perfect way. The way that is paved with His Light.

Numbers 14:8 says this about God, "If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us."

Psalm 31:3 says this, "Since you are my rock and fortress, for the sake of your name, lead and guide me."

Wait on God. Talk to Him. God is not a God of rules, checklists, or regulations. He wants that deep, personal, intimate relationship with you. When you feel like you've heard God speak into your heart and the doors are not opening, pray! Continue to seek Him. There are times when God will reveal a little bit of His plan to you, but that does not necessarily mean the doors will be opening at that moment. I think of motherhood for me. God had spoken children, a lot of children, into my heart at an early age... but that didn't mean those children would come in my timing. Instead, my husband and I went through a total of 10 years of infertility. Steadfast though... I knew what God had spoken to me. And even now, I know our family is not complete, but we are waiting on God to open the doors of adoption for us. 

Surrender your plan to God. Watch Him work in ways you could not imagine. I'll leave you with this story I heard. 

A family in Maine decided they wanted to adopt a child from Haiti shortly after the Haiti earthquake disaster. All adoptions had come to a halt as the country tried to come to grips with the disaster, as well as, handle the large amount of new orphans. This family was not sure how things were going to work out given what had happened, but they believed God would work everything out. I don't remember the exact time-frame, but it was a very short (a week or two I think) time later when a family from the couple's church felt they had heard God speak loud and clear to them. The family didn't know why, but they felt like God was calling them to give the couple a check for $24,000! They were obedient to God and gave the money to the couple. That was the EXACT amount of money needed to adopt a child from Haiti. 

The story does not stop there.... with the money in hand, the couple proceeded forward with the adoption and God parted the Red Sea for them. God opened every single possible door for them and in a VERY SHORT TWO WEEKS.... the couple flew down to Haiti and picked up their new child, fully adopted!!! God still moves mountains and if it's in His plan and it's His will for you, He WILL open those doors!

Be blessed and know that God is for you. He wants the best for you and most importantly, He wants ALL of you!