We have day lillies planted in our flower bed out front. Now, I'm NO plant person. I will kill anything living in a pot. I have NO green thumb whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I told my landscaper when he was designing our stuff to not plant anything that required maintenance from me because it would surely die if it did. I just don't like to take care of plants/flowers/ any of it. I think they are pretty to look at, but if I have to maintain it to keep it alive, well, it's not so pretty anymore.
So anyway, we have these day lillies. After the winter and all the crazy weather we have had, they looked completely dead. The leaves and everything on and around them were brown and fragile. No life whatsoever in them. So we decided to pull off all the top of it and see what was lying underneath. As we did, we began to notice little tiny buds underneath. That was just a week or so ago. Today as we came home from church, we noticed that all of the plants we had pulled off the dead weeds too had started growing and were as green as I've ever seen. It was amazing! And I began to think of how that relates to us spiritually.
We all have things and issues in our lives that stunt our growth spiritually. And it's those very things that have crusted over what is full of life within us. So much so that we don't even see there is still life underneath it all. Until God shows up. And He begins to remove all the dead stuff from our life. the things that produce no life in us, but yet hinder our lives from flourishing like they should. And as He beings to prune and remove all the weeds from our hearts, we begin to see a glimmer of what has been hidden beneath it all along. And before we know it, we are growing and blossoming again.
I've never liked the pruning process in my life. I'll just go ahead and admit it. BUT, as I see it now, that pruning process is what keeps us healthy and growing in Christ. It is a necessary process in order for our lives to continue growing. If our hearts are covered over with dead weeds, aka....sins that have kept us bound, bad habits, you name it, then our growth is hindered. those things have to be removed from our lives. And God will allow situations and things to come around to bring things out of our hearts so that we can deal with them and find healing and restoration through Christ. And then we begin to flourish and bloom in Him. I don't know about you, but I want to grow. I want to bloom spiritually in every area of my life. I don't want dead weeds surrounding my heart so that I can't grow in the things of God. I know how ugly the dead weeds looked in my flower bed, and its the same in our lives. It's ugly. But then when it is removed and that new life begins to bloom, oh boy is it ever a beautiful sight to behold.
May we all long for and hunger for His hand to prune our lives so that we can remove every obstacle that keeps us from pursuing Him with our whole heart. May we not hold on to dead things that are of no value to us, but rather lay hold of new life in Christ.
Keep growing...
Stacy
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunrise...
There's something about seeing a sunrise that never ceases to amaze me and take my breath away. It is so majestic and powerful and the colors that come just before it rises are beyond beautiful. They paint a picture to get you ready, and then before you know it, here comes the sun, brining with it all its glory. It's amazing.
So with the way the time is now, I haven't gotten to see many sunrises on my runs lately. And it's always one of the things I love most. Especially on long run days. And today was one of them. I had 13 miles to do. We usually do some of the longer runs starting at the TVA Trail and go up to the Marriott and across the dam and back. Well today as we were crossing over the dam, you could see the moments just before the sun was about to rise. The sky was beautiful. It had pink and yellow and orange tones that almost gave me chills. And you could see the light coming from beneath it, setting the stage for a gorgeous sunrise.
As I was running, I started thinking about sunrises and why I love them so much. And then I realized that it's because of what the sunrise stands for. The sun rises after a period of darkness and night. It brings light to darkness. And just like the sun rises after a time of darkness, it reflects what happens in our lives as well. We all go through periods of darkness. When we can't see in front of us because it's so dark. Situations bring despair and hopelessness. It feels cold and empty. But just at the right time, the Son begins to rise in our lives. We see the glimpses of color just before and this brings us hope. And then, in all of His majesty and glory, He begins to rise within our lives. The darkness we were surrounded with begins to fade in the presence of His glorious light. And before we know it, the darkness is gone and we are surrounded by His light within us. WOW!!!
I don't know about you, but that just gives me hope. Hope to keep enduring every hour of the night I am in. Because hope is on the horizon. HE is on the horizon. And that hope pulls me through every moment I stand in darkness because I know it is temporary. I am so thankful for His light that rises in my darkest moments and surrounds me with His presence. I can't imagine going through the fire and NOT knowing that my help comes from God.
I know in my own life I have been walking through some dark issues. At times they have seemed overwhelming and almost caused me to lose hope and give up. But then I remember the sunrise, and I know that weeping may last for a night, but joy will come in the morning. I know that He is about to rise in all of His glory and shine His light into the dark times of my life. And that sets my heart at peace and fills me with strength to endure every moment until I see His deliverance.
What an amazing God we serve. He speaks to us through all of His creation. And the most wonderful thing of all....the God Who created this universe, and causes the sun to rise and set when it does? Well, He loves us and desires to know us and for us to know Him. Personally. So, yeah, after that sunrise this morning, lets just say I had some sweet fellowship with my Creator and Father. :-)
Keep running,
Stacy
So with the way the time is now, I haven't gotten to see many sunrises on my runs lately. And it's always one of the things I love most. Especially on long run days. And today was one of them. I had 13 miles to do. We usually do some of the longer runs starting at the TVA Trail and go up to the Marriott and across the dam and back. Well today as we were crossing over the dam, you could see the moments just before the sun was about to rise. The sky was beautiful. It had pink and yellow and orange tones that almost gave me chills. And you could see the light coming from beneath it, setting the stage for a gorgeous sunrise.
As I was running, I started thinking about sunrises and why I love them so much. And then I realized that it's because of what the sunrise stands for. The sun rises after a period of darkness and night. It brings light to darkness. And just like the sun rises after a time of darkness, it reflects what happens in our lives as well. We all go through periods of darkness. When we can't see in front of us because it's so dark. Situations bring despair and hopelessness. It feels cold and empty. But just at the right time, the Son begins to rise in our lives. We see the glimpses of color just before and this brings us hope. And then, in all of His majesty and glory, He begins to rise within our lives. The darkness we were surrounded with begins to fade in the presence of His glorious light. And before we know it, the darkness is gone and we are surrounded by His light within us. WOW!!!
I don't know about you, but that just gives me hope. Hope to keep enduring every hour of the night I am in. Because hope is on the horizon. HE is on the horizon. And that hope pulls me through every moment I stand in darkness because I know it is temporary. I am so thankful for His light that rises in my darkest moments and surrounds me with His presence. I can't imagine going through the fire and NOT knowing that my help comes from God.
I know in my own life I have been walking through some dark issues. At times they have seemed overwhelming and almost caused me to lose hope and give up. But then I remember the sunrise, and I know that weeping may last for a night, but joy will come in the morning. I know that He is about to rise in all of His glory and shine His light into the dark times of my life. And that sets my heart at peace and fills me with strength to endure every moment until I see His deliverance.
What an amazing God we serve. He speaks to us through all of His creation. And the most wonderful thing of all....the God Who created this universe, and causes the sun to rise and set when it does? Well, He loves us and desires to know us and for us to know Him. Personally. So, yeah, after that sunrise this morning, lets just say I had some sweet fellowship with my Creator and Father. :-)
Keep running,
Stacy
Monday, February 21, 2011
Live each moment....
Every once in a while we get moments where we realize how precious our lives really are. We are not gauranteed tomorrow. We are not gauranteed the next second. And the point is, we NEVER know when our time on this earth will be up. What we do have, though, is every second that we are still breathing. Every second is a gift from God. Literally.
Today an old high school friend passed away. It was sudden and unexpected. It has left his family and everyone who knew him in shock. And the more I have thought about this today, the more it has become more apparent that nothing I have on this earth will be leaving with me when I die. All the things I work so hard for in this life, they really don't mean much in view of eternity. We work so hard to have nice houses and nice cars and successful businesses. But the truth is, none of those things will mean anything when our time on this earth is over. You can't take your car, or your house, or your business, or your greatest physical treasure. All you are taking is YOU. And I started thinking today, am I living my life to make a heavenly difference in this world? Is what I am investing all of my time, energy and money into, worth any sort of spiritual significance? Am I doing anything to really make a difference in the lives of others to point them to Jesus?
And those questions are heavy on my heart tonight. I don't want to stand before God at the end of my life and tell him about all the nice things I had on this earth. I want to stand before Him and know that I have made a difference in this world for Him. I want to spread His gospel. I want to see lives transformed by the power of His Word. I want to share His love with those in need. I want to make a difference in my generation for His kingdom purposes.
Now, let me just say, I am not saying we can't have nice things. Not at all. What I AM saying, is that our focus should be on Him above all else in this world. Everyday I am given, I want to wake up and take hold of God's hand and walk the paths He has laid out for me. I want eyes to see every opportunity He puts before me to touch others for Him. I don't want to miss it because my eyes are focused on things that are of no eternal value in my life. I want to love my husband and my children like I won't be here tomorrow. I want to live my life with NO REGRETS. I want to lay my head down on my pillow at night knowing that if I don't wake in the morning, it is well with my soul.
So what am I going to do with this? I have to take it one breath, one moment at a time. Making each one count in everything I do. Every moment I'm given with my kids and my husband, I have to allow God to love through me and I have to be filled with Him every second. When I am weak, I have to turn to Him first and foremost to fill me with His strength. I have to live my life in His Word. I have to allow it to penetrate every fiber of my being so that I will always be ready to do what He asks of me. I have to live every second in TOTAL God dependance. Because without Him, everything I do is worthless.
I want His fingerprint on my life above all else. And I want to hear those words when I stand before Him at the end of my life, "Well done My good and faithful servant..."
Keep living...
Stacy
Today an old high school friend passed away. It was sudden and unexpected. It has left his family and everyone who knew him in shock. And the more I have thought about this today, the more it has become more apparent that nothing I have on this earth will be leaving with me when I die. All the things I work so hard for in this life, they really don't mean much in view of eternity. We work so hard to have nice houses and nice cars and successful businesses. But the truth is, none of those things will mean anything when our time on this earth is over. You can't take your car, or your house, or your business, or your greatest physical treasure. All you are taking is YOU. And I started thinking today, am I living my life to make a heavenly difference in this world? Is what I am investing all of my time, energy and money into, worth any sort of spiritual significance? Am I doing anything to really make a difference in the lives of others to point them to Jesus?
And those questions are heavy on my heart tonight. I don't want to stand before God at the end of my life and tell him about all the nice things I had on this earth. I want to stand before Him and know that I have made a difference in this world for Him. I want to spread His gospel. I want to see lives transformed by the power of His Word. I want to share His love with those in need. I want to make a difference in my generation for His kingdom purposes.
Now, let me just say, I am not saying we can't have nice things. Not at all. What I AM saying, is that our focus should be on Him above all else in this world. Everyday I am given, I want to wake up and take hold of God's hand and walk the paths He has laid out for me. I want eyes to see every opportunity He puts before me to touch others for Him. I don't want to miss it because my eyes are focused on things that are of no eternal value in my life. I want to love my husband and my children like I won't be here tomorrow. I want to live my life with NO REGRETS. I want to lay my head down on my pillow at night knowing that if I don't wake in the morning, it is well with my soul.
So what am I going to do with this? I have to take it one breath, one moment at a time. Making each one count in everything I do. Every moment I'm given with my kids and my husband, I have to allow God to love through me and I have to be filled with Him every second. When I am weak, I have to turn to Him first and foremost to fill me with His strength. I have to live my life in His Word. I have to allow it to penetrate every fiber of my being so that I will always be ready to do what He asks of me. I have to live every second in TOTAL God dependance. Because without Him, everything I do is worthless.
I want His fingerprint on my life above all else. And I want to hear those words when I stand before Him at the end of my life, "Well done My good and faithful servant..."
Keep living...
Stacy
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Do You Dance?
I have always admired those people who can make their bodies do amazing things when they dance. Break dancers blow my mind by how they do what they do. I can barely pull out an old fashioned "robot" dance. People who can gracefully execute the Salsa, or the Waltz or any of those ballroom dances also blow my mind. Ballet dancers and lyrical dancers are what really get to me though. The way they move with the music to tell a story is just breathtaking. It is such an emotional form of dancing in my opinion.
Another form of dancing I love is worship. Now, I don't mean you have to get out in the aisle and dance to worship. I mean the kind of dancing that takes place between you and Jesus as you pour your love and your thankfulness out to Him for all that He has done. And one thing I have learned in my walk with Christ, it's much easier to dance with Jesus when times are good and happy than it is when times are tough. But that's what makes our dance with Him so special and life changing.....when we can dance with Him in the midst of total darkness in our lives.
You see, I believe God is seeking out those who will dance before Him in their hearts, in the midst of the darkest hours of their lives. When things are the toughest, when we have no "praise" left in us to give, when we are at our weakest...that's when He wants to dance with us. Something happens when we can let go of all our troubles and heartaches and pains and totally surrender ourselves to just abandon what's going on around us and worship Him. A heart that truly surrenders itself to Him in the darkest hours is a heart that will be transformed by His miraculous grace and love. Isaiah 54:1 says, "SING, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child!" Here's what I think that says for us....a barren woman is in her darkest hour. Trust me, I know! I was there. To be able to sing in the midst of it is not an easy thing to do. But when we can push past our pain and begin to sing in the midst of it, THAT is when He comes and meets us and begins to do that work that only He can do. THAT is when He begins to transform our pain into joy and turns our mourning into dancing. Psalms 30:11 says, "You have turned my mourning into dancing." When we take that first step to praise in the midst of adversity, I promise you He will meet you there and before you know it you will be dancing with joy in your heart, even in the midst of your darkest hour.
I have to remind myself of this truth constantly. I want my heart to stay in a position to dance regardless of what's happening around me. I want to completely abandon myself to Him in every way. I want to continue to sing even when my flesh and circumstances tells me not to. How do I do that? I keep myself in His Word everyday. I daily read His love letters to me through His Word, and I find my strength within His Word. I pour out my heart to Him in prayer and in return allow Him to pour Himself back into me. That's how I keep singing. That's how I keep dancing.
So, when was the last time you danced? I encourage you to pick yourself up, throw off everything that holds you back and abandon yourself to all that He has for you today. Grab hold of His hand, and just dance.....
Keep dancing...
~Stacy
Another form of dancing I love is worship. Now, I don't mean you have to get out in the aisle and dance to worship. I mean the kind of dancing that takes place between you and Jesus as you pour your love and your thankfulness out to Him for all that He has done. And one thing I have learned in my walk with Christ, it's much easier to dance with Jesus when times are good and happy than it is when times are tough. But that's what makes our dance with Him so special and life changing.....when we can dance with Him in the midst of total darkness in our lives.
You see, I believe God is seeking out those who will dance before Him in their hearts, in the midst of the darkest hours of their lives. When things are the toughest, when we have no "praise" left in us to give, when we are at our weakest...that's when He wants to dance with us. Something happens when we can let go of all our troubles and heartaches and pains and totally surrender ourselves to just abandon what's going on around us and worship Him. A heart that truly surrenders itself to Him in the darkest hours is a heart that will be transformed by His miraculous grace and love. Isaiah 54:1 says, "SING, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child!" Here's what I think that says for us....a barren woman is in her darkest hour. Trust me, I know! I was there. To be able to sing in the midst of it is not an easy thing to do. But when we can push past our pain and begin to sing in the midst of it, THAT is when He comes and meets us and begins to do that work that only He can do. THAT is when He begins to transform our pain into joy and turns our mourning into dancing. Psalms 30:11 says, "You have turned my mourning into dancing." When we take that first step to praise in the midst of adversity, I promise you He will meet you there and before you know it you will be dancing with joy in your heart, even in the midst of your darkest hour.
I have to remind myself of this truth constantly. I want my heart to stay in a position to dance regardless of what's happening around me. I want to completely abandon myself to Him in every way. I want to continue to sing even when my flesh and circumstances tells me not to. How do I do that? I keep myself in His Word everyday. I daily read His love letters to me through His Word, and I find my strength within His Word. I pour out my heart to Him in prayer and in return allow Him to pour Himself back into me. That's how I keep singing. That's how I keep dancing.
So, when was the last time you danced? I encourage you to pick yourself up, throw off everything that holds you back and abandon yourself to all that He has for you today. Grab hold of His hand, and just dance.....
Keep dancing...
~Stacy
Monday, February 14, 2011
Amazing Love....
So today is Valentines Day... a day for LOVE. It's a day when people all over the world will tell the person and people they love most how much they love them. They will buy gifts. They will buy cards. They will buy chocolate. They will buy flowers. All in an effort to say those 3 words everyone always longs to hear....I LOVE YOU. This morning my 8 year old came and pulled out a piece of paper he had written on at church last night and it said..."I love you mom. Will you be my valentine?" He pulled it out and said, "so?" I, of course, said YES! I will be your valentine Taylor! Oh how I love that boy. :-)
So it got me to thinking...I have this day everyday with Someone who goes above and beyond just buying me chocolate...or stuffed animals....or flowers. No, He gave me something much more precious than all of this. He gave me His life. WOW!!! THAT is an amazing love. And everyday I get a "card" I guess you could say because I have His written Word that He uses to speak to my heart and show me just how great and how wide and how deep His love is for me. Everyday He lavishes His love on me in ways I don't even deserve. His love is unfailing in every way. His love reaches to the depths of my deepest hurts and darkest hours. His love covers my sin. His love is a love like no other.
Who is this Love? His name is Jesus. And He alone is the true lover of my soul. No other love can compare. It can't even come close. I love my husband with all of my heart and he loves me. But the love he has for me is nothing in comparison to the love Jesus has for me. And He extends His arms of love to us each and every day, even those days when we don't extend our arms of love back to Him. He loves us even when at times, we don't show Him our love in return. THAT is love. THAT is amazing love my friend.
I hope you will come to know the most beautiful love of all today. And I pray that as He pours His love on you, that you would, in return, pour your love back on Him.
Happy Valentines Day! :-)
Keep loving...
~Stacy
So it got me to thinking...I have this day everyday with Someone who goes above and beyond just buying me chocolate...or stuffed animals....or flowers. No, He gave me something much more precious than all of this. He gave me His life. WOW!!! THAT is an amazing love. And everyday I get a "card" I guess you could say because I have His written Word that He uses to speak to my heart and show me just how great and how wide and how deep His love is for me. Everyday He lavishes His love on me in ways I don't even deserve. His love is unfailing in every way. His love reaches to the depths of my deepest hurts and darkest hours. His love covers my sin. His love is a love like no other.
Who is this Love? His name is Jesus. And He alone is the true lover of my soul. No other love can compare. It can't even come close. I love my husband with all of my heart and he loves me. But the love he has for me is nothing in comparison to the love Jesus has for me. And He extends His arms of love to us each and every day, even those days when we don't extend our arms of love back to Him. He loves us even when at times, we don't show Him our love in return. THAT is love. THAT is amazing love my friend.
I hope you will come to know the most beautiful love of all today. And I pray that as He pours His love on you, that you would, in return, pour your love back on Him.
Happy Valentines Day! :-)
Keep loving...
~Stacy
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Holy hunger....
A holy hunger has been firing up inside of me. It is burning so deep within my spirit that I have become dissatisfied with so many things that once brought me satisfaction. Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely LOVE running. It is something that has brought me so much joy that I can hardly find words to describe. I was blessed to be able to complete my first marathon back in December and I must say, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Crossing THAT finish line was something I had not anticipated to be so emotional and overwhelming. Alot of factors went into that moment, but still, it brought on so many emotions I wasn't quite prepared for it!
Training for a marathon requires ALOT of running. But I didn't mind because I loved it. I looked forward to getting up at 3 am to go meet my friends and get in my run for the day. I had started out at only 3 days a week, but before long I was up to running 5 days a week and loving every single minute of it. I was completely obsessesed with it. I would research it on the internet for hours on end. Looking for ways to improve and anything else that was remotely related to running. Especially endurance. I had gotten to a point though, that I was neglecting my time with Him, but still getting up at crazy hours to go and run. But I just couldn't find the time to spend with Him. Funny how my priorities were just all out of whack!!! I was consumed with it completely. And I'm sad to say, it had become an idol in my heart.
Since my 21 day fast, I can't even begin to tell you the things that have changed in my heart. But running is one of them. I still LOVE to run and enjoy it very much, but my thoughts are not consumed as they once were. Actually, the more I am pursuing Jesus, the less I care about alot of things I once held dear. I have engaged on a pursuit of Him with everything within me. And in turn, He has come to meet me there and my heart is being changed to the point that it is ruined for the things of this world.
Remember the lady who pressed through the crowds to touch the hem of Jesus garment? Ever felt like her? I know I have. I'm at a place right now where I do. It's the place of knowing that touching the hem of His garment is having a life changing encounter with Him. She knew one touch would change everything. So she PRESSED IN and kept pressing until she reached Him and was able to touch him. And the result? She was changed. She was healed. That one touch was a life changing encounter for her. And I know that that ONE touch is a life changing encounter for me. And you as well.
How hungry are we? How far are we willing to go to have THAT type of encounter with Him? Knowing that THAT one moment with Him will forever change us, how hard are we willing to fight to press through and get there? We have to push past the crowds to get to Him. We have to push past everything that stands in the way of reaching Him. We have to release and let go of everything that holds us back or occupies our thoughts and energy above Him.
We must do as Hebrews 12:1 instructs us..."therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us." We must "strip off and throw aside" EVERY unnecessary weight and any sin in our lives that clings to us and trips us up. Get rid of whatever holds us back from pursuing Him and running our race. We all have things in our lives that are things I like to call "spiritual suicide". It's the those things that you KNOW if you do it, it is going to cause you to fall spiritually. I have several that I can pinpoint and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, if I do it, my spiritual walk will falter because of it. I have to throw those things aside, those things that cause me to slip. I have to be willing to give up anything that stands in my way of pressing in and pursuing Him at all costs.
And so here I am. I am hungry. I want more of Him than I have. 1 Timothy 6:11 is our urging and encouragement to do all of this. "But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart." So I pray this over my life, that I would PURSUE righteousness, that I would PURSUE godliness and all of things close to God's heart. Because when I pursure Him and His heart, He's going to change and transform mine to be a mirrored reflection of His.
May we all have hungry hearts. May our hearts become so enthralled with Him that we set out on a passionate pursuit of His presence in our lives. May we press through the crowds to see Him and touch Him and be changed. May we become so focused on Him, that we are ruined for the things of this world.
Keep pressing through!
~Stacy
Training for a marathon requires ALOT of running. But I didn't mind because I loved it. I looked forward to getting up at 3 am to go meet my friends and get in my run for the day. I had started out at only 3 days a week, but before long I was up to running 5 days a week and loving every single minute of it. I was completely obsessesed with it. I would research it on the internet for hours on end. Looking for ways to improve and anything else that was remotely related to running. Especially endurance. I had gotten to a point though, that I was neglecting my time with Him, but still getting up at crazy hours to go and run. But I just couldn't find the time to spend with Him. Funny how my priorities were just all out of whack!!! I was consumed with it completely. And I'm sad to say, it had become an idol in my heart.
Since my 21 day fast, I can't even begin to tell you the things that have changed in my heart. But running is one of them. I still LOVE to run and enjoy it very much, but my thoughts are not consumed as they once were. Actually, the more I am pursuing Jesus, the less I care about alot of things I once held dear. I have engaged on a pursuit of Him with everything within me. And in turn, He has come to meet me there and my heart is being changed to the point that it is ruined for the things of this world.
Remember the lady who pressed through the crowds to touch the hem of Jesus garment? Ever felt like her? I know I have. I'm at a place right now where I do. It's the place of knowing that touching the hem of His garment is having a life changing encounter with Him. She knew one touch would change everything. So she PRESSED IN and kept pressing until she reached Him and was able to touch him. And the result? She was changed. She was healed. That one touch was a life changing encounter for her. And I know that that ONE touch is a life changing encounter for me. And you as well.
How hungry are we? How far are we willing to go to have THAT type of encounter with Him? Knowing that THAT one moment with Him will forever change us, how hard are we willing to fight to press through and get there? We have to push past the crowds to get to Him. We have to push past everything that stands in the way of reaching Him. We have to release and let go of everything that holds us back or occupies our thoughts and energy above Him.
We must do as Hebrews 12:1 instructs us..."therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us." We must "strip off and throw aside" EVERY unnecessary weight and any sin in our lives that clings to us and trips us up. Get rid of whatever holds us back from pursuing Him and running our race. We all have things in our lives that are things I like to call "spiritual suicide". It's the those things that you KNOW if you do it, it is going to cause you to fall spiritually. I have several that I can pinpoint and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, if I do it, my spiritual walk will falter because of it. I have to throw those things aside, those things that cause me to slip. I have to be willing to give up anything that stands in my way of pressing in and pursuing Him at all costs.
And so here I am. I am hungry. I want more of Him than I have. 1 Timothy 6:11 is our urging and encouragement to do all of this. "But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart." So I pray this over my life, that I would PURSUE righteousness, that I would PURSUE godliness and all of things close to God's heart. Because when I pursure Him and His heart, He's going to change and transform mine to be a mirrored reflection of His.
May we all have hungry hearts. May our hearts become so enthralled with Him that we set out on a passionate pursuit of His presence in our lives. May we press through the crowds to see Him and touch Him and be changed. May we become so focused on Him, that we are ruined for the things of this world.
Keep pressing through!
~Stacy
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Walking with God...
Have you ever had interruptions to your plans? I recently completed a study at church about Jonah. it was all about his "Divine Interruption" in his life. I never thought of it as that until doing that study, but it is so very true. How many times do we get those in our lives too!
I remember my biggest interupption. It came through infertility. I had a plan. I was going to start a family. We had been preparing for it. I had a PLAN! Everybody else got to do it, so naturally I should be next. Didn't happen. I couldn't understand it. WHY was this happening to me was all I could say. God was continually hearing the same prayer day after day..."why God why". I'm sure I sounded like quite the broken record at the time. When we have set backs like that though, it causes confusion to us in so many ways. Our flesh goes into major confusion because we can't figure out anything. We always feel like we are in control (even though we know deep down we are not), or maybe "like" to "feel like" we are in control. So when something happens we didn't plan for, it doesn't set well us.
That's how I was. I just couldn't understand how all of my plans had come to a screeching halt and there was NOTHING I could do about it. And that frustrated me even more. BUT, something happened along the way. I was at a staff meeting off site with the department I worked for at our church. We were praying and my boss began to pray over me that I would just take a walk with Jesus and allow Him to speak into my life about what was going on and allow Him to begin to change my heart through it. At the time I didn't want to take that walk because I didn't understand why it was happening and I was mad about it. I wanted to be angry and confused because it didn't make sense to me. I still wanted to be in control and the fact that I couldn't control anything happening to me made it even worse.
But then one day...yes, I decided to take that walk. Oh glad I am that I did. It took me laying down my reigns and opening myself up to hear what God might be saying to me right now. So I did it. I took that walk with God and He began to change my heart from the inside out. He began to turn my desires. Yes, I still wanted a baby, but I wanted HIM more than anything else. He used that "interupption" to draw me to Himself in a way that I would never have found Him otherwise. He gave me the courage and the strength to lay my desires at His feet and leave them there. And then He began to fill my heart with so much of Himself that I could honestly say I didn't care if I ever had a child because what I found with Him was worth so much more. I would have NEVER been able to say that in my heart had I not took that walk with Him. My gaze turned from my desires to seeking Him above anything else.
Now I tell you all of this to say that maybe you have had an interupption to your life you weren't expecting. it could be big, it could be small. It's an interupption nonetheless and it has thrown a kink in your plans you had laid out. You may be angry, you might be sad, you may be frustrated trying to figure it all out and fix it. But God is extending that same invitation to you as He did to me those years ago. He is asking you to come and take that walk with Him and allow Him to speak over you and into your heart into that very spot you are holding on so tightly to now. We have to open up our grip we have over what's going on in our lives and allow Him to take it from us and then let Him begin to transform those deepest, darkest places in our hearts into something beautiful. Because that's what He does when we let it go. He took my deepest longing of my heart for a child and turned it into a passionate pursuit of Him. I found HIM through my pain and the anguish of my heart. And that's what He wants to show you too. He wants you to find HIM through what you're going through.
So I pray today that whatever your "Divine interupption" is, that you would lay it down for a moment and let Him take you by the hand and lead you on that walk, where the two of you can talk and He can begin to show you Himself through your situation. I can PROMISE you that you won't be disappointed by what you find there. If you will allow Him, He will change your heart through it and you will forever be changed.
Keep pressing...
~Stacy
I remember my biggest interupption. It came through infertility. I had a plan. I was going to start a family. We had been preparing for it. I had a PLAN! Everybody else got to do it, so naturally I should be next. Didn't happen. I couldn't understand it. WHY was this happening to me was all I could say. God was continually hearing the same prayer day after day..."why God why". I'm sure I sounded like quite the broken record at the time. When we have set backs like that though, it causes confusion to us in so many ways. Our flesh goes into major confusion because we can't figure out anything. We always feel like we are in control (even though we know deep down we are not), or maybe "like" to "feel like" we are in control. So when something happens we didn't plan for, it doesn't set well us.
That's how I was. I just couldn't understand how all of my plans had come to a screeching halt and there was NOTHING I could do about it. And that frustrated me even more. BUT, something happened along the way. I was at a staff meeting off site with the department I worked for at our church. We were praying and my boss began to pray over me that I would just take a walk with Jesus and allow Him to speak into my life about what was going on and allow Him to begin to change my heart through it. At the time I didn't want to take that walk because I didn't understand why it was happening and I was mad about it. I wanted to be angry and confused because it didn't make sense to me. I still wanted to be in control and the fact that I couldn't control anything happening to me made it even worse.
But then one day...yes, I decided to take that walk. Oh glad I am that I did. It took me laying down my reigns and opening myself up to hear what God might be saying to me right now. So I did it. I took that walk with God and He began to change my heart from the inside out. He began to turn my desires. Yes, I still wanted a baby, but I wanted HIM more than anything else. He used that "interupption" to draw me to Himself in a way that I would never have found Him otherwise. He gave me the courage and the strength to lay my desires at His feet and leave them there. And then He began to fill my heart with so much of Himself that I could honestly say I didn't care if I ever had a child because what I found with Him was worth so much more. I would have NEVER been able to say that in my heart had I not took that walk with Him. My gaze turned from my desires to seeking Him above anything else.
Now I tell you all of this to say that maybe you have had an interupption to your life you weren't expecting. it could be big, it could be small. It's an interupption nonetheless and it has thrown a kink in your plans you had laid out. You may be angry, you might be sad, you may be frustrated trying to figure it all out and fix it. But God is extending that same invitation to you as He did to me those years ago. He is asking you to come and take that walk with Him and allow Him to speak over you and into your heart into that very spot you are holding on so tightly to now. We have to open up our grip we have over what's going on in our lives and allow Him to take it from us and then let Him begin to transform those deepest, darkest places in our hearts into something beautiful. Because that's what He does when we let it go. He took my deepest longing of my heart for a child and turned it into a passionate pursuit of Him. I found HIM through my pain and the anguish of my heart. And that's what He wants to show you too. He wants you to find HIM through what you're going through.
So I pray today that whatever your "Divine interupption" is, that you would lay it down for a moment and let Him take you by the hand and lead you on that walk, where the two of you can talk and He can begin to show you Himself through your situation. I can PROMISE you that you won't be disappointed by what you find there. If you will allow Him, He will change your heart through it and you will forever be changed.
Keep pressing...
~Stacy
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
21 day journey....
So at the beginning of this new year, 2011, I came to an unsettling realization of my spiritual walk. God began to show me that my hunger level had drastically faded. He showed me that if I wasn't hungry for Him in my life, it was because I was already full of something else. So I began to seek Him to see what it was that was causing my hunger to be so non existent.
It was at this time I came across the Awakening. It is a movement that took place all over this country and the world for 21 days. It was a time of prayer and fasting to seek the heart of God for our lives, for our families and for our world. I knew this was God's answer to me. Check out their website at http://www.awake21.org/
I began to realize that the most innocent of things had begun to steal the gaze of my heart. Facebook, the internet, my hobbies, etc... Not bad in and of themselves, but bad in the fact that they stole the gaze of my heart, my attention and my hunger for God. I realized that my mind had become so cluttered with everything in this world, that I couldn't hear God's voice very clearly in my life. But most importantly, I had no hunger for the things of God because I was so full of everything else.
So I began this 21 day journey of prayer and fasting. I gave up "junk"....internet, tv, facebook, etc... and physical junk food....desserts, candy, etc... I had no idea the impact this time would make in my life, but I can boldly proclaim at the end of my journey, I was a changed heart.
God showed me so much during this time. I made myself get up extra early every morning to read and study God's Word and pray. I would spend the time at night that normally would've been in front of my computer doing the same thing. And let me tell you, when you put yourself in a position to hear God, YOU WILL!!!! You see what I became aware of, was that this time of fasting was allowing me to "disconnect" from the world, and to "connect" to God through prayer. And it was just what I needed to recharge myself spiritually and put myself back on a steady path. I don't tell you all of this to say that I'm anything special for doing what I did. I tell you this because I want you to know what is available to anyone who will place themselves at the altar of God and say "have Thine Own way in my life Lord."
Now don't get me wrong...I loved God before I began this journey. I was a strong Christian who stood by my beliefs and I loved to worship God in every situation I could. But the problem is that I knew there was more still. I knew I was living a merely mundane life, void of seeing God's power at work in and through me. And that's one of the biggest cries of my heart...to see God do awesome and mighty things in me and through me. I don't want to settle for day to day living that just "gets me by" spiritually. I want the supernatural power of God to transform me into all that He created me to be. I want to walk in fellowship with Him like I've never known. And you can't do that when your heart isn't full of Him and His Word. You can't do it when you have so much "static" interuppting your signal to hear His voice. So I had to get rid of the white noise that interferred with hearing Him clearly and use this time to focus my heart on seeking His.
So much happened along the way it would take days to write in one journal sitting. But one thing I have learned, which has inspired this blog, is that I need daily endurance to run the race before me. Being a runner, I learn so much about my spiritual walk through running. And one thing runners can't do without is energy. Well, spending time in God's Word and His presence gives us the daily spiritual energy to keep running. (you'll hear more about this in future blogs! :-) )
Of all the amazing things God showed me during my 21 days, the best thing that happened was seeing my 9 year old child come to know Christ. Charlie is a special boy anyway, but he has always had the most tender heart towards Christ. So for about the last 3-4 weeks I had been watching God move in his heart, drawing him to Himself. One night Charlie wanted to go and read our bibles together. So we did. He asked what I was reading and I told him Genesis. So he went there and started reading as well. We sat and read our own bibles together for probably 45 minutes to an hour. He was diligently reading his too. When we were done, he told me that God really touched his heart about what he was reading. I asked him what he had read and he proceeded to tell me about Cain and Abel. Now I'm thinking he was touched about brotherly love or something, but it went deeper for him. He began to tell me how God had showed him that his heart was sometimes like Cain's in that he hurt people by things he did. And he said God really has to clean our hearts for us not to do things like that. Then he proceeded to tell me that he needed God to just clean his heart so he wouldn't hurt people or be mean to them anymore. That opened a door about salvation and we talked for a bit but I left it with telling him that when he was ready, we would pray and ask Jesus to do jsut that and come cleanse his heart and live inside of him. So 2 days later, on Wednesday, January 26, which just so happened to be my spiritual birthday of 19 years, God began to dealing with Charlie's heart again on the way home from church. He got home and was very silent. he had sat on the couch just in his own little world for a bit and then eventually disappeared into his room. A little while later he comes to me and tells me that on the way home when we were listening to the cd in my car and our favorite song, "You Never Let Go" came on, he said he knew God was wanting him to do something. So when he got home he went and thought about it and knew what he was supposed to do. So he went into his room, knelt by his bed and asked Jesus into his heart. When I asked him what that meant for him to do that, he said, well, the old Charlie got thrown into the trash can and now Jesus has cleansed my heart and I am a new Charlie. PRAISE GOD!!! and to top it off we both share the same spiritual birthday. too cool!!!!
So to say that God did some amazing things the last few weeks would be an understatement. I'm so grateful for the time spent with Him and what He has shown me and done in me during this time. I can't wait to share more of it with you in the days ahead. But for now, I pray you, too, would become hungry for Him and His Word to be present and working in your life. May He turn all of our gazes towards Him and fill us up to overflowing with His Spirit.
Keep running....
Stacy
It was at this time I came across the Awakening. It is a movement that took place all over this country and the world for 21 days. It was a time of prayer and fasting to seek the heart of God for our lives, for our families and for our world. I knew this was God's answer to me. Check out their website at http://www.awake21.org/
I began to realize that the most innocent of things had begun to steal the gaze of my heart. Facebook, the internet, my hobbies, etc... Not bad in and of themselves, but bad in the fact that they stole the gaze of my heart, my attention and my hunger for God. I realized that my mind had become so cluttered with everything in this world, that I couldn't hear God's voice very clearly in my life. But most importantly, I had no hunger for the things of God because I was so full of everything else.
So I began this 21 day journey of prayer and fasting. I gave up "junk"....internet, tv, facebook, etc... and physical junk food....desserts, candy, etc... I had no idea the impact this time would make in my life, but I can boldly proclaim at the end of my journey, I was a changed heart.
God showed me so much during this time. I made myself get up extra early every morning to read and study God's Word and pray. I would spend the time at night that normally would've been in front of my computer doing the same thing. And let me tell you, when you put yourself in a position to hear God, YOU WILL!!!! You see what I became aware of, was that this time of fasting was allowing me to "disconnect" from the world, and to "connect" to God through prayer. And it was just what I needed to recharge myself spiritually and put myself back on a steady path. I don't tell you all of this to say that I'm anything special for doing what I did. I tell you this because I want you to know what is available to anyone who will place themselves at the altar of God and say "have Thine Own way in my life Lord."
Now don't get me wrong...I loved God before I began this journey. I was a strong Christian who stood by my beliefs and I loved to worship God in every situation I could. But the problem is that I knew there was more still. I knew I was living a merely mundane life, void of seeing God's power at work in and through me. And that's one of the biggest cries of my heart...to see God do awesome and mighty things in me and through me. I don't want to settle for day to day living that just "gets me by" spiritually. I want the supernatural power of God to transform me into all that He created me to be. I want to walk in fellowship with Him like I've never known. And you can't do that when your heart isn't full of Him and His Word. You can't do it when you have so much "static" interuppting your signal to hear His voice. So I had to get rid of the white noise that interferred with hearing Him clearly and use this time to focus my heart on seeking His.
So much happened along the way it would take days to write in one journal sitting. But one thing I have learned, which has inspired this blog, is that I need daily endurance to run the race before me. Being a runner, I learn so much about my spiritual walk through running. And one thing runners can't do without is energy. Well, spending time in God's Word and His presence gives us the daily spiritual energy to keep running. (you'll hear more about this in future blogs! :-) )
Of all the amazing things God showed me during my 21 days, the best thing that happened was seeing my 9 year old child come to know Christ. Charlie is a special boy anyway, but he has always had the most tender heart towards Christ. So for about the last 3-4 weeks I had been watching God move in his heart, drawing him to Himself. One night Charlie wanted to go and read our bibles together. So we did. He asked what I was reading and I told him Genesis. So he went there and started reading as well. We sat and read our own bibles together for probably 45 minutes to an hour. He was diligently reading his too. When we were done, he told me that God really touched his heart about what he was reading. I asked him what he had read and he proceeded to tell me about Cain and Abel. Now I'm thinking he was touched about brotherly love or something, but it went deeper for him. He began to tell me how God had showed him that his heart was sometimes like Cain's in that he hurt people by things he did. And he said God really has to clean our hearts for us not to do things like that. Then he proceeded to tell me that he needed God to just clean his heart so he wouldn't hurt people or be mean to them anymore. That opened a door about salvation and we talked for a bit but I left it with telling him that when he was ready, we would pray and ask Jesus to do jsut that and come cleanse his heart and live inside of him. So 2 days later, on Wednesday, January 26, which just so happened to be my spiritual birthday of 19 years, God began to dealing with Charlie's heart again on the way home from church. He got home and was very silent. he had sat on the couch just in his own little world for a bit and then eventually disappeared into his room. A little while later he comes to me and tells me that on the way home when we were listening to the cd in my car and our favorite song, "You Never Let Go" came on, he said he knew God was wanting him to do something. So when he got home he went and thought about it and knew what he was supposed to do. So he went into his room, knelt by his bed and asked Jesus into his heart. When I asked him what that meant for him to do that, he said, well, the old Charlie got thrown into the trash can and now Jesus has cleansed my heart and I am a new Charlie. PRAISE GOD!!! and to top it off we both share the same spiritual birthday. too cool!!!!
So to say that God did some amazing things the last few weeks would be an understatement. I'm so grateful for the time spent with Him and what He has shown me and done in me during this time. I can't wait to share more of it with you in the days ahead. But for now, I pray you, too, would become hungry for Him and His Word to be present and working in your life. May He turn all of our gazes towards Him and fill us up to overflowing with His Spirit.
Keep running....
Stacy
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