...and that's the way I want it

tobyMac has a song that reminds of what I learned to do waaayyyy back when...  It's called "Speak Life".  And from the first time I heard it, it's reminded me of my victory of when I started to give myself some grace.  It has literally spoken life...to my heart and it has changed the way I feel about me, and life in general.

Why do these lyrics mean so much?  

..."Well it's crazy to imagine,
Words from our lips as the arms of compassion,
Mountains crumble with every syllable.
Hope can live or die."
I began to put them into practice by speaking life to myself.  One of my all time-blue-medal-life-time achievement awards goes to?  

God.  

With God's help I have kicked the habit of the negative talk in my heart and mind.  

...and that's the way I like it!

I can honestly say I don't do it anymore.  And wow...what freedom I have since the day I ditched that bad habit.

It has literally poured days of God's blessing in our house and in my own life.  When you speak life to yourself, you will speak it to others.  When you harness your tongue and mind to speak kindness, God's Holy Spirit speaks life to you.

You can change your world and the world around you just by being kind to yourself.

Believe me I know.  

I used to carry a big word stick around with me, beating myself up for my bad behavior.  I carried the weight of my own extra weight in the form of shame, guilt and just plain 'ole trouble with me on a daily basis.

I wasn't smart enough...or good enough, or ...well you get the picture.

Perhaps you have been doing this in your own life.  Here's what God's word says...

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."  Proverbs 12:18

"The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushed the spirit."  Proverbs 15:4

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."  Ephesians 4:29

God made us in His own image, that includes our tongues.  Jesus dwells inside of our hearts when you accept Christ as Savior, and when you say negative things to yourself, you are saying them back to God.  

What a slap in the face of Perfect, when the imperfect says God's "workmanship" is not good enough.  There's freedom in the proclamation that we aren't enough.  We aren't supposed to be enough without God.  We are only complete with the identity in Jesus Christ.  So therefore we will never measure up to be enough without Jesus. 

...and that's the way I want it.

So how do you kick the bad habit of negative self-talk?  Speak life to yourself as well as others.

It's the small things that no one sees that result in the big things everyone wants.  If you can't say something helpful, skip it.  Make a list of 100 compliments about you.  Do it...it's so freeing.  And then carry it with you wherever you go.  You will be surprised how God will write those on your heart.

Now that you have those 100 good things about yourself, say those 100 good things to yourself everyday if you have to.

We are God's children.  It's time to encourage ourselves and the world around us.  We can't encourage if we are busy sowing seeds of discouragement to ourselves.  Even David encouraged himself...

..."but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."  1Samuel 30:6

One of my sticky statements for this year is to speak life to me.....and that's the way I want it.

Just Like You

I think I have made this look easy... this writing gig.  You probably think that I can write out whatever is most current or cute, or what might have my heart torn apart.  Perhaps it's just "Publish" and that's it.  Easily connect a thought with the verse and I've got a nice tidy, neat pristine post...with heroine effects.  

That's not exactly how that works.  And last time I checked the hero part...yeah that doesn't happen at all. 

There are days when you wouldn't believe how I struggle with what to put here.  But ultimately ..I leave that to God.  Most of what you read here is from my personal prayer journal or devotional time.  Or the current undertow that God is bringing me through.  

More specifically there are many times that I need to read what I write, because I am need to hear what I write too.    

I forget.  Just like the Israelites.  I need to be reminded. 

Just like you, I need to know that I am loved by an eternal Love.  I need to hear Him whisper my name. 

Just like you, I would like to know God's plan when it doesn't make sense.
Just like you, I would like to paint on those rose-colored, faith-filled, know-all-the-answers to life's questions...like Why?

Just like you, some nights I don't sleep well, because there is a verse, question, or thought on my mind.  

Just like you, I don't like peeking into my insecure places.

Just like you, I am embarrassed when I cry.
Just like you, I wish I could memorize the entire book of scripture like Eli did.

Just like you, I wonder if you ever thought about why your life is so hard right now?  

When I write it gives me courage and validates my faith in God and because I get to tell about who God is and what He means to me.  And in doing that I remember Who He is.  

I need to read what I write so that I remember.  See?  ....I need to hear it too.

Just because I have been down a trail or two doesn't mean I got it right the first time or that there wasn't another lesson to learn the second time around.   Or that there is another lesson to learn.  

Writing for me is my remembering of God's faithfulness.  It's a benchmark, or a milestone of this faith journey.  The heavy hitter posts are mile markers in the life and tell me that I am passing through.  I need to remember each lesson is a watermark of where God has been and is working in my soul.  And this journey is far from over.

Thanks for being a traveling buddy who is willing to read but also to encourage me on those days I don't feel like I get it right...but want to keep trying.      

Just like you, I need to be reminded.   How do you remember who God is?

Five Minute Friday [Friends]

Friends

Can you ever have too many?  Most are true blue.  

A friend loves you like a brother or a mother.

Friends give of themselves to encourage and build up.  

Really dear friends will sit with you at the back of the bus on mission trips, 

even when they don't feel like it.

Best of friends will always stay connected even if they move away.

Friends surprise you on your birthday with a bunch of flowers because

 they remember it's a special day.

Friends are lifelines and only a text away.  

Someone you can pray with, cry with, laugh with, and be quiet with.

Friends hug and feed you dinner even if it is macaroni and cheese.  

A friend gives grace.

A friend will understand when you say..."pray" with no questions asked.

A true believer friend will bring you a Sonic drink "just because".

A friend will do all your math equations... and help you with hard things.

Strangers travel together and return friends. 

The bond of friendship is hard to break, especially when heart stories are exchanged.

Some friends are instant, some must be cultivated. 

"Friends are friends forever if the Lord is Lord of them"

Five Minute Friday {Encourage}

You've got mail!

Our words are very powerful and our tongues can either tame or tempt.  

It's one thing to say something nice about a person, 

it's another thing to say something nice to their face.  

Try it sometime.  Encourage someone.  

Encouragement can lift your attitude.  

It can brighten a heart, an inbox or text screen.

It wipes the cobwebs out of your mailbox.  

To be the most effective it has to be shared.  

"No encouragement is discouragement."

Encouragement breathes hope, breeds confidence and brews braveness.

Encouragement quietly whispers yet speaks loudly.

Encouragement can dispel despair, negate failures and divert depression.

It's a salve that can soothe an aching heart.

In courage you can build a trust bridge, 

foster a dream, find self-esteem, energize a soul, 

Encouragement revives, invigorates, rekindles, restores.

Encouragement is free and can be freely given.

Spend a little courage and encourage.

Paging Dr. House

Our garage is still broken from a weird random severe thunderstorm that occurred about a year ago.  You may wonder why it hasn't been fixed yet?  I honestly don't have a good answer to that question.  There have been a lot of discussions and chins rubbed regarding it.  The fix seem complicated.

When I look at the rubble in my garage I get worn out.  It doesn't motivate me to action.  I'm also amazed that my clean house disintegrates so quickly in a couple of days time.  I get so tired of fixing that. 


There are other things that remind me that I can't fix anything, like my husband who has survived cancer but still lives with chronic pain.  Those whom I love that still need Jesus in their life, or the family that has been hit with leukemia.  And then there is  a couple whose marriage was broken by an extra-marital affair.  Right now I have 3 lawn mowers at my house that need repaired.  There are some days I don't know where the fixing should start.  I think about all the unfix-able things and I get overwhelmed.  This week, one dark morning as I was leaving for work, and God encouraged me with this, "Not everything needs fixed, not everything will be fixed, and remember you are not the fixer." 


What I think needs a handyman's touch is not what really needs fixing right now.  Where I think a broom could quickly sweep away some dirt may not be my bigger need.  I will always see the obvious piles or messes and I will never enjoy being squeezed by my whatever-happens-circumstances.    


I believe God puts us in the middle of the life's rubble so that He can show us that He is our only Fix.  He purposely plunks us in the middle these-finely organized-messes, so that His glory can be revealed in the rescue.  A friend was sharing part of his recent trip to Uganda.  He told me a story that had me in tears as it melted my heart.  A baby had been left for dead.  The situation was grim, but in the dark of night the baby was found barely alive and God saved the little life with the a simple bark of a dog.  Only He could have provided a way out of the dire situation.  


I have a missionary friend that entered the hospital with a busted appendix, and has run the gambit of medical issues, so many, that he could have been on lasts week's episode of House.  And as we are still begging God for healing, I see this too as an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed.  God likes to work when nothing else will and most times we have to get to the end of ourselves before He swoops in to fix.  Sometimes, though, things are beyond repair before He provides His remedy.


The bottom line for me is this...in my messes....He is teaching me to live above my circumstances.  This is a lesson that Paul seemed to have down quite nicely.  Philippians records over and over that our response to "whatever happens" is that we must rejoice.  Humanly that's hard to do when your family has been slapped with crisis.  


God has a remedy for you, for your messes, for your piles of dirt you want to sweep under the rug, for your brokenness, for your spiritual chaos that rages within.  God can still fix your problems...God can.  He is the Master who deals with disasters that hit us in our houses, in hospitals and in those hostile marital situations.  He wants to teach us more than the truth that He can fix.  He wants us to fix our eyes on Him....trust....and let Him be God in the fixing.  

Whatever happens....please fix us God.
Whatever happens...God teach us to rejoice!  

The Sisterhood of The Pink Pants

My Pink Pant Sisterhood

Everybody needs a good friend...or two.   
God brings friends in our path to help us along our journeys.  We need each other!  

It was a cold day.  I stomped up the stairs disgusted with myself because I was late.

She greeted me with a smile and a bowl of homemade stew.  It was comfortable here.
We sat...we ate...she listened as my heart spewed.  She caught every word.

I can't get past that she cares so much.    She has been steadfast and unwavering in helping me discover my dreams.  Even though we haven't spoken of it...she is committed.

That's what pink-pants do..
listen and encourage.  


She cultivates growth.

In her pink pants, she tells me it's safe to let others inside.  The Enemy speaks of fear.  I fear judgment and scrutiny.  
I fear when I leave the door of my heart open.

I fear you will hate the ugly parts.

I fear your gaze.

"Be you" she says.  I don't have anything special to say, but God does.

Can we do life together?  Will you listen to my stories?  Do you care that much?

I have a fear of writing the end of this story.  She reminds me that all of the stories in the Bible are of people on the move.  There is God's movement in my heart and that makes me want to share with you.

She has tucked the fleece away for safe keeping.  No more questions.  
No more sowing seeds of mistrust.  

In the pink-pants circle of safeness I confess my fears.  She couches Truth to empower my thoughts.  She pages through my thoughts and 

doesn't wince.

Her pink pants boast hearts that are splattered and scattered.  Just like my many heart pieces.  She is like family.  We have a heart connection that goes deep.  Her heart-splattered-pink pants speak of softness and embrace my emotions.  She understands my deep feelings as they are tucked inside her confidentiality.

I bare my soul and she doesn't shudder.  She patiently listens in her pink pants and adds her well timed wisdom.  She interjects her thoughts and weaves them into mine.  She brings perspective to a view that is clouded.  She helps bring clarity.

The pink patterned pants were a comfort pick.  She loves my heart for what it is.  Her words of encouragement and constructive criticism are always welcome.

I am forever grateful as I bounce words off of the pink pants wonder...she lets my harsh words fall off.  There's no room for the negative.

 She won't destroy purpose.  She shields and protects me from myself.  She inspires.

We are moving on this together, women on the move….tucked into God's heart as 
we bare ours with each other.

I am grateful for my pink pants-God-loving sista'.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17

Who's your go-to person you trust?