What A Man Needs

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When is a man ready for a relationship that leads to marriage? I teach this to our girls in youth group. Five things God gave Adam before he gave him a wife. Today I was reminded of the teaching so I thought I’d share it with you. It’s not my original thought. In fact, I got it from Dr. Myles Munroe back in 1992-93-ish but it’s still powerful knowledge today.

Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

So we begin to see an order in God’s design of man. The first was relationship with God above all. A man whose need for a savior is foremost in his life is on the right path.

Genesis 2:8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

Although the Lord was Adam’s father, Adam had his own place to live.

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Adam had a job. Need I say more?

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Adam lived within order and within the parameters of the laws set before him.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

Adam reached a point in his life where he recognized the need for help-meet. He recognized that he had God, but that there was something missing.

God in his infinite wisdom led Adam down a path of order to a point where he realized he wanted to share his life with another living being. So often, we circumvent the process in an attempt to make things happen by our own hand. Perhaps this is why the divorce rate is so high. Perhaps this is why there are so many unwed mothers and absent dads. We didn’t recognize the need for each other. When we don’t know the purpose of something we tend to abuse or misuse what we’ve been given. If we are given things we didn’t yet earn, we don’t value it.

I love that I have women in their 20’s who see me around town and remember the teaching they received in high school. I’ll hear, “Pastora, he has three, as they hold up three fingers, but you know me, I’m waiting for the five!” In their age group one of the things they are missing is the need. Let’s be wise! Let’s wait until he’s ready. We’ve been playing house since we can remember but men have been busy playing war. He needs to conquer some things first, let’s be at peace with that.

My Choice Is You!

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Psalm 16:1 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. 2 I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense. 3 And these God-chosen lives all around – what splendid friends they make! 4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. 5 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! 6 You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! 7 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. 8 Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go. 9 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. 10 You canceled my ticket to hell – that’s not my destination! 11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. – “The Message”

Where The Rubber Meets The Road

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A woman called the Dr. Laura Schlessinger show because she felt she was losing her faith in God. She said she was a believer, whose nephew had died in Afghanistan and it was making her question God. Dr. Laura made the statement that the woman really didn’t have faith because she said she believed and had faith as long as tragedy didn’t hit her door but once it did she lost her faith, thereby negating the faith in the first place. Dr. Laura pointed out that many soldiers had died in Afghanistan why didn’t the woman lose her faith then?

I stopped my work to listen to this call because this is an interesting dynamic we face as believers of Christ. We walk steady until the rubber meets the road then some of us waffle. I remember a few days or so after my husband died and I lie in bed one night unable to sleep. I cried out to God, “I need to know you’re with me. I need to know you have a plan because right now it doesn’t make sense to me. I need to know I’m not alone because right now I feel desolate.” God doesn’t mind my questions but c’mon, either I believe he’s with me in the good and bad or I’m lying to myself.

James 2:20 NKJV
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

It’s those rubber meets the road decisions that will come to test out if what we believe are merely words or actually action? Let’s be honest, this relates to everything in our lives not only our belief in God. Do we vow for better or worse to our spouse then bale when the worst comes? Or worse, make them pay forever for their sin. Do we believe that adultery is wrong until the sexy co-worker makes a pass? Are you like me, who wakes up with a resolve to eat right each morning, and then someone brings you a chocolate cake and you have two slices instead of a half of one?

Do we really believe what we say we believe or do we believe it as long as it isn’t actually happening to us? Do we live what we believe or are we like Dr. Laura’s caller who loses her faith the moment something doesn’t go her way? Life is life, it will hand us good, bad, ugly, and beautiful days. Will we thank God for them all or will pick and choose only the good ones and turn our backs on Him for the bad ones?

Where To Turn?

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competepulse

What do you do when you hear a rumor about someone? If you’re like most people, you accept the rumor as fact, pass it on and feed on it. After all, rumors often make us feel good about ourselves. Sometimes someone’s life is so messed up we become grateful that our lives are not in that much of a mess. The juicier the rumor the better because it makes us feel better!

Only, what happens when you become the brunt of the rumor? Don’t you want people to come and ask you what has happened? Don’t you want to be able to tell your story? Haven’t you learned by now that the truth has three sides, yours, mine and the truth?

I was thinking about this after the Beth Moore conference. She said something that made such an impact that I wrote down not only what she said on paper I wrote it on my heart. She said,

“Will we turn to Him (God) or turn on one another?”

If we don’t like things done to us, then wouldn’t we give the benefit of the doubt and go find out what is true before we burn someone at the stake?

In real life I am pretty blunt. I will go to the person and say, “Hey, I heard this about you and want to hear what you have to say.” I want to know the truth and so I go and see where the story intersects. I also don’t believe everything I hear either so maybe that helps.

As believers in Christ we know things are going to happen. Rumors are going to go around, people are going to say mean things but what we must do is not turn on one another. Let’s keep our hearts right before the One who can help us.

Janina

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Oregon Lions sight and hearing foundation

Janina’s question:
for many years I live with a deep desire in my heart to hear God’s Voice but I cannot go through. Do you have some suggestions for me. Thanks.
Janina

I remember being right there in that same spot! Most people including myself will say something that we understand but not everyone gets it until it’s time.

Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

When I was a new believer I tried so hard to hear God speak. I wanted to have conversations with him like more mature believers had but I wasn’t getting anywhere. Some would say to me, read the gospels. Other would say, read the psalms, while others would point to specific scriptures, like I just did here in this post.

For me, I believe that I tried too hard in the beginning. Prayer and relationship is not a forced thing. I can’t walk up to a stranger and demand a conversation on my terms. I can’t come to you and talk and talk and talk and never pause to listen to what you have to say.

So in the simplest terms I can use, I think you must read the bible. Let the stories come alive for you. Pray as you would talk to a friend, and take the time to listen to the other side of the conversation. Take your time and believe that it will happen. You must be ready to listen though because it will come quietly. God’s words to you will come when you aren’t busy, when you are searching and when you are ready. His words will not supersede your will nor will they condemn but they will gently lead. Well, okay sometimes not so gently, but I’ve never felt hopeless in those moments with God, I know he is still there guiding me where I allow him to. Sometimes a word you’ve been waiting for comes from the mouth of a least expected source. Don’t discount this as coincidence.

Ease up on yourself and let your Father in heaven know your desire to hear his voice. It will come. There’s so much more to say here but this is a good start and I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much. Start here. Read and pray and LISTEN. May God bless you and thanks for writing in!

Time For Beth Moore and Dog Allergies

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Some of TLC goes to see Beth Moore

I’ve missed writing this past week! April 1 saw some of the women of TLC head to Fresno, CA to see Beth Moore at the Save Mart Center. What a blessing for us. We stood in a stadium of 6,500 women and worshiped to the music of Travis Cottrell and then heard a powerful word from Beth Moore. At one point, during the worship, I looked around the stadium and just shut my mouth. I watched in awe as the daughters of the Most High King praised him with song. It was just beautiful. Tears filled my eyes as I stood on holy ground and watched women from all denominations, all colors, all sizes and shapes, all ages including babies come together for one common purpose. To praise and learn about our Father.

The Save Mart Center became holy territory the moment our feet entered that space together in one mind and one accord. With all debate between denominations and all the Christian voices we hear battling one another it was pure honor to be one voice among many that sang in unison, that laughed in unison and that talked non-stop during break! There were so many of us, honestly I saw about four men there, that we not only used all the women’s restrooms but the men’s as well.

Of course the women of TLC who went to the conference, spent the night in a local hotel, and I spare you the details of that, but suffice it to say that we all slept about 3 hours or so and then went back to the conference. I can tell you that our ride home in the church van was MUCH quieter than our ride up!

I wasn’t able to catch up on my sleep that night or for many nights. Lulu, the wonder dog, began to scratch like crazy. I thought she had fleas so I pulled the flea comb out and began to brush her out but there was not a single flea. A trip to the vet told us that she has an environmental allergy. What the heck does that mean? Well, she allergic to either her food, her treats, flowers or grass. So guess what? Lulu and I are on prednisone, my seasonal allergies and her whatever allergy. There’s a problem though. We decided to eliminate one thing at a time to see what she’s allergic to. So we had to eliminate all snacks and put her on a special diet. Lulu, is not used to getting told no she doesn’t get people food, so she’s not happy. Plus swallowing a pill without a treat afterward is not her idea of fair.

So life’s been rolling along and my writing has lapsed but I’ve got so much to share. So many things on my heart, so many things I am learning. I can’t wait to get back to time writing. For now, I have to give my dog her next dose of meds!

Dirty Dishes

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Recently the question was posed if we ever praised God for dirty dishes in the sink? NO! Was my resounding reply.

My answer was wrong because as it was pointed out to me, I need to be grateful that I have dirty dishes in the sink, it means my house had food to eat. I liked this attitude and I began to think of all the things I need to praise God for:

My bad hair day, because I am not going through chemo or radiation and my hair is still on my head.

My toilet and sinks that need cleaning because there are people who still live without such luxuries in their homes.

Laundry that needs to be done because it means I have clothing and linens to use. I don’t have to use the same thing daily.

A house to clean because in this economy it’s not a guarantee.

A car to wash.

A job to go to.

Well you get the picture! Today look around at the work your hands do and instead of complaining rejoice because you have it so good!

Equality For Women Doesn’t Measure Up

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Abercrombie kids, padded swimwear

Growing up I was raised by a feminist woman. I was told I could be whatever I wanted to be. Limits were not placed on my achievement in education or career just because I was born female. Once in the corporate world, I was given classes on how to speak, voice inflection and command, in order to be taken seriously in a boardroom. I was taught to dress professionally, not denying the fact that I was a woman but not flaunting my sexuality because I wanted to be taken seriously. This was the legacy of the women who fought hard for their equality in the workplace.

I look around at the toddler and and tiara set of females we are raising today and am left wondering what happened? On the one hand we scream for equality and on the other hand we dress our daughters like pole dancers. Padded bras for 8 year-olds, sexually suggestive clothing and wording, and makeup way too soon, is this the legacy for the next generation? What happened?

I read this article in the Patriot Post and I am not the only one shaking her head. Suzanne Fields makes a great point and this is a great read!

Prophesy

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In the Christian world, prophesy is a word that is spoken over a human being based on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Yet I see so many people, myself included, that have prophetic words over our lives and yet, they haven’t manifested (at least not the WAY in which I interpreted or the person spoke it). I also know many people, myself included, where many prophetic words have come to pass exactly as they have been spoken.

My prayer for quite awhile has been to get a deeper understanding of why some prophetic words come to pass and some don’t. Was it because the person giving them was excited in the moment and spoke without the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Was it merely wishful thinking? Was it that I did something to blow it? Was I not worthy, as in God said, “On second thought…..”.

I’ve come to some conclusions, over the last while, that two of the above scenarios are correct. I believe that yes, sometimes people have wishful thinking and they say things that make them feel good, without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think it’s intentional for most people, in fact, I think they mean well but don’t know better or maybe misinterpreted what they were seeing. I remember once when a friend was in critical condition in the hospital and I received a call from another friend who said in prayer the Lord said, “Don’t worry, this isn’t death.” We were all excited knowing this friend would pull through but within hours, they died. I realized then that to God, it wasn’t death, my friend was saved and secure in their salvation. It could have been a reassurance from the Lord that we heard through our own understanding of life. The second thing I believe is that sometimes, we ourselves, blow it.

Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.NIV

Hebrews 10:23 Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.The Message

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. NKJV

Hebrews 10:23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. Amplified

I make reference to a few different versions of the same verse because I want this word to get into your heart as it did mine and while one version may speak to me, another will speak to you. Could it be that the prophesy is not the problem but the confession and the faith it takes for it to manifest is the key?

For as a man thinks so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

Does it take some action on our part for a prophesy to be manifested in the earth?

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Do we believe the report of our friends at work or our buddies on the golf course? If so, then sometimes we drown out the word of the Lord. Listening to naysayers when the Lord has already issued his stamp of approval is self-defeating. Not confessing the promise that the Lord has given us limits it’s power. If life and death are in the power of the tongue then we must hold fast to the confession of our faith. So often I hear those who know better speak as if nothing that God has promised is true because their Aunt told them it could never happen.

What could we accomplish on the earth if we believed the word of the Lord? What could be manifested in our lives if we believed the prophesy and moved in the direction of it? What could be had if we believed that with God all things are possible. Maybe it’s time to believe that if God gave the glimpse into the future then we only need to walk towards it, speaking it out loud and living it to the fullest. Maybe we need to quit being ashamed of big impossible possibilities and just accept that it can happen to us! Then, what if we’re like Abraham who sees his promise from afar?

Unfettered

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This word came to me at the beginning of the year. Unfettered. I sat with it. Rolled it around on my tongue. I love words and this one was special. Unfettered, what did it mean? I always thought it meant carefree. It brings about an image of a bird to my mind. Unfettered. I looked it up in the dictionary. “To be free from fetters.”

Fetter–noun – a chain or shackle placed on the feet.

Unfettered–verb (used with object) 1.to release from fetters. 2. to free from restraint; liberate.

Unfettered. I like it. I want to live it. Whatever shackles I have on my feet I want to be free from. I want to be unfettered. I decided this would be the word over me for 2011 and possibly, if I can live it for a year, can I then try for another and another? I would discover those things that had me bound and I would conquer them. I looked up the word, unfettered, in the bible. I used The Message version because I thought it would be my best shot of finding the word. I was successful. So I began the quest to find the fetters in my life.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

I am fettered to my cell phone. Would the world fall apart if I left it at home? Well, I had no sooner asked that question then I left town for two days without a phone charger. God really is a comedian, you have to love it! Guess what? The cell phone died in 5 hours. That’s how often I’m on it. After that I was dead in the water. At first, I felt a panic, what if there was an emergency, my mind went crazy, what if something important happened to someone and I didn’t know about it immediately? That first day, it was weird, I kept looking for my phone because I carry it everywhere, not having it on my person was strange, not hearing the beep was hard.

The next day, I’d like to say I felt UNFETTERED from the phone, although truthfully, I was still somewhat anxious, after all, I run a business and need to be able to communicate. I have to admit there were some things I liked about not having a phone like, I didn’t have anyone changing my plans. I got to just do what I had to do UNFETTERED by the whims or necessities of others. I discovered I had no questions to answer, no news really is good news, I was disconnected and it felt sort of good and irresponsible. Really good and really irresponsible. Wow! Remember when you could go shopping and no one called you to find out when you’d be home? Remember when you could go to a movie and not be interrupted by a buzz? Remember the time when no one knew where you were and you could just do what you wanted? Yes, remember the days before cell phone where there wasn’t a chain around us? I have to admit I had moments of being unfettered and moments of panic. I fought the urge to buy a charger because I knew it was a test.

Since then, I’ve begun to leave the phone at home every so often. The sky hasn’t fallen, although my husband has said, “Why don’t you answer the phone when I call? What do you mean you left it at home you NEVER leave it at home. What if there was an emergency? Yeah, that’s true, I do know where you work.” The days of rolling my eyes at my mother because she has a cell phone and never has it on are gone. I kind of get it. I’ll keep you posted on the other fetters I have. Hopefully, it will cause you to assess your fetters, maybe you’ll decide to free yourself of some. Above all, maybe unfettered will become your word too. Wouldn’t that be cool?