Two months ago, I wrote a blog titled "choose life". I've realized since then that choosing life is only the first step in a life long process of fighting for life. We are in a battle, my friends. A spiritual battle that requires us to be alert, and on guard, and ready to fight. And this battle is against our enemy, the devil, NOT AGAINST EACH OTHER!
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. John 10:10
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because the devil is seeking opportunity to steal, kill, and destroy. His ultimate enemy is our Father God and when we choose to serve God, we automatically become a target. Each of us was created with a God-given purpose and the devil knows it. The enemy is cunning and deceptive and sneaky, and he walks the earth with the sole intent of stealing and killing and destroying God's people. The devil knows our weak spots; he is an observant enemy who knows exactly how to shut each of us down and keep us from fulfilling our purposes.
We are easier prey when we are separated and isolated. The devil does his best to destroy relationships. God made us for relationship...with Himself and with others...so it makes sense that this would be a prime target. Without relationships, I would shrivel up and die. God made me to need Him and to need people. I need people who will fight for me and I am ready to fight for those who are in my life. I should be diligently guarding my relationships, but I haven't been. God forgive me!
Jesus knew the devil's tactics better than anyone, and He warned us. But, Jesus also gave us a promise..."I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!" (John 16:33) Jesus wins! Jesus in us wins! We need to stand together and fight the real enemy. I've been passively allowing the devil to stir up trouble in my own life. No more! I'm mad! Enough stealing and killing and destroying, devil! I have Jesus on my side and I'm fighting for abundant life!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
taking care of my heart
God has been talking to me this week about taking care of my heart...physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The hard things of life have taken their toll on my heart lately. It is wounded and battered and bruised. One of my Impact Church family said to me on Sunday, "Dawn, you've got to guard your heart." And I've been praying about what that looks like for me.
I went for a run today. That's good for my heart physically and emotionally and spiritually! I listen to God best when I run...no distractions except the cracks in the sidewalk. I asked Him how to guard my heart and He gave me 2 answers:
1. God said, "Your heart is not defective. It is fearfully and wonderfully made." You may be wondering why God didn't answer my question. Oh, but He did in a way that made me smile! And He spoke to the physical and emotional well being of my heart.
I was born with a mitral valve heart murmur and I've spent lots of time with cardiologists. The heart murmur has never caused physical limitations, but I've always thought of my anatomical heart as defective.
I've been told many times in my life, "You are too sensitive. You take things too personally. You wear your heart on your sleeve." What my heart heard was, "You are defective." As if openness and honesty and being real are faults. Yikes!
So, what God said to me makes perfect sense and gave me great joy! Not only is my heart not defective, it is fearfully and wonderfully made! 💖
2. God said, "Your heart is already protected. I provided the protection. Think about where it is." God knows me so well! I immediately pictured the heart surrounded by its own serous membrane to protect it from infection. It is situated between the lungs, and inside the ribs, layers of muscle, and skin. The heart is situated perfectly protected, and yet blood flows through it.
God said, "Leave your heart in there. Don't hold it out to people who aren't going to treat it well." Perfectly protected, but love can still flow through it. I've spent my whole life trying to figure that out and assuming that the trade off to being open and loving was getting hurt. I'm so grateful God showed me the truth!
The Bible speaks truth about the heart:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
I could tell from the words coming out of my mouth in the last week that the overflow of my heart was not Jesus. I pray that God will heal the wounds in my heart. I pray for my heart to be filled up with Jesus. I pray that the words out of my mouth would be words of life, love, joy, peace, and encouragement. If my heart is overflowing with Jesus, Jesus and His love will come out of me.
My priorities are changing. I am taking care of my heart again...physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And I am trusting God to guard it in His perfect way!
I went for a run today. That's good for my heart physically and emotionally and spiritually! I listen to God best when I run...no distractions except the cracks in the sidewalk. I asked Him how to guard my heart and He gave me 2 answers:
1. God said, "Your heart is not defective. It is fearfully and wonderfully made." You may be wondering why God didn't answer my question. Oh, but He did in a way that made me smile! And He spoke to the physical and emotional well being of my heart.
I was born with a mitral valve heart murmur and I've spent lots of time with cardiologists. The heart murmur has never caused physical limitations, but I've always thought of my anatomical heart as defective.
I've been told many times in my life, "You are too sensitive. You take things too personally. You wear your heart on your sleeve." What my heart heard was, "You are defective." As if openness and honesty and being real are faults. Yikes!
So, what God said to me makes perfect sense and gave me great joy! Not only is my heart not defective, it is fearfully and wonderfully made! 💖
2. God said, "Your heart is already protected. I provided the protection. Think about where it is." God knows me so well! I immediately pictured the heart surrounded by its own serous membrane to protect it from infection. It is situated between the lungs, and inside the ribs, layers of muscle, and skin. The heart is situated perfectly protected, and yet blood flows through it.
God said, "Leave your heart in there. Don't hold it out to people who aren't going to treat it well." Perfectly protected, but love can still flow through it. I've spent my whole life trying to figure that out and assuming that the trade off to being open and loving was getting hurt. I'm so grateful God showed me the truth!
The Bible speaks truth about the heart:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
I could tell from the words coming out of my mouth in the last week that the overflow of my heart was not Jesus. I pray that God will heal the wounds in my heart. I pray for my heart to be filled up with Jesus. I pray that the words out of my mouth would be words of life, love, joy, peace, and encouragement. If my heart is overflowing with Jesus, Jesus and His love will come out of me.
My priorities are changing. I am taking care of my heart again...physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And I am trusting God to guard it in His perfect way!
Sunday, November 19, 2017
give thanks in all circumstances
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Gratitude has been a struggle for me this fall. The circumstances are overwhelming, and I know many people with much harder circumstances right now. This morning, my pastor read these verses and then he said again, "THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU!" I had a light bulb moment...an aha, if you will. I must choose to be joyful. I must choose to pray continually. I must choose in ALL circumstances to give thanks.
In all circumstances? Are you serious, God? Even in grief? When my car is rear ended and in the shop indefinitely? When my feelings are hurt? When the bills keep coming? When my to-do list is longer than the hours in my days?
His answer is YES! In all circumstances! Choose wisely! I've been struggling all day. I want to hang on to my feelings of hurt and anger and frustration...even though they make me miserable...and believe the lies that they speak to me. That even sounds ridiculous to me when I write it.
Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Jesus knew we would face all kinds of trouble, but he also gave us the answer. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. Forgive and let go of feelings. This is His will for us and right now I choose obedience. I choose an attitude of gratitude. In every situation.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Gratitude has been a struggle for me this fall. The circumstances are overwhelming, and I know many people with much harder circumstances right now. This morning, my pastor read these verses and then he said again, "THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU!" I had a light bulb moment...an aha, if you will. I must choose to be joyful. I must choose to pray continually. I must choose in ALL circumstances to give thanks.
In all circumstances? Are you serious, God? Even in grief? When my car is rear ended and in the shop indefinitely? When my feelings are hurt? When the bills keep coming? When my to-do list is longer than the hours in my days?
His answer is YES! In all circumstances! Choose wisely! I've been struggling all day. I want to hang on to my feelings of hurt and anger and frustration...even though they make me miserable...and believe the lies that they speak to me. That even sounds ridiculous to me when I write it.
Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Jesus knew we would face all kinds of trouble, but he also gave us the answer. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. Forgive and let go of feelings. This is His will for us and right now I choose obedience. I choose an attitude of gratitude. In every situation.
Sunday, November 5, 2017
things I learned from my dog
It's been a hard month since we lost our furry girl. She lived a good, long life...more than 15 years. We reminisce each day and talk about the things that remind us of KC...sometimes with tears and sometimes with laughter. She was the heart of our house. God used her to teach me so many things.
KC was adopted from the Weld County Humane Society 2 years after Joe and I got married. She was our test child. Could we handle being parents? We even named her Kid Canine. I slept on the floor with her for weeks. We puppy proofed our house. She survived and we decided we had passed the test. She was my middle of the night companion after Christopher was born four years later (and while I was pregnant), and I will always be grateful.
Every day, KC was a living example to me: give enthusiastic greetings, forgive quickly, and hold no grudges. She lived each day with no regrets, right to the end. She showed me that sometimes the best thing I can do is simply sit beside someone and quietly love them. She taught me to love deeply without fearing goodbyes.
I forget the circumstances, but at some point during KC's life, God told me that she would live to be 15. Even though I wasn't really certain that I had heard from God, I held onto that. In March of 2016, KC was diagnosed with T cell lymphoma, and her prognosis was uncertain. She had an obvious growth on the side of her mouth and probably more inside of her. I am a firm believer that the power of life and death is in the tongue, and I started blessing her with health and telling her that she would live to fulfill the days that were ordained for her. In April 2017, we noticed that her tumor was gone! And KC lived to be 15 and a half. God used this time to remind me #1 that I know His voice and I hear him and #2 that He is faithful and He will fulfill His promise.
I learned more about trusting God during the last months of KC's life. In July, she somehow got out of our backyard and was trapped between the retaining wall and a barbed wire fence. God prompted me to look for her, and when she wasn't in any of her usual spots, I called out her name. She hadn't made any noise for months, and when I heard a grunt/whine from behind our fence, I knew it was her. It took all 3 of us to rescue her and I knew that angels were around her when she fell because she had no injuries. I had prayed that God would put angels around her each day...and He answered my prayer.
KC chose life and fought for it as long as she could. As I sat on the floor with her in the last hours of her life, I wept. But, I knew it was time to let go of her. Love made my heart vulnerable, and it broke when we lost her. Nonetheless, I will keep loving even when loss is inevitable. I wouldn't live it any differently and I'm moving forward with no regrets!
KC was adopted from the Weld County Humane Society 2 years after Joe and I got married. She was our test child. Could we handle being parents? We even named her Kid Canine. I slept on the floor with her for weeks. We puppy proofed our house. She survived and we decided we had passed the test. She was my middle of the night companion after Christopher was born four years later (and while I was pregnant), and I will always be grateful.
Every day, KC was a living example to me: give enthusiastic greetings, forgive quickly, and hold no grudges. She lived each day with no regrets, right to the end. She showed me that sometimes the best thing I can do is simply sit beside someone and quietly love them. She taught me to love deeply without fearing goodbyes.
I forget the circumstances, but at some point during KC's life, God told me that she would live to be 15. Even though I wasn't really certain that I had heard from God, I held onto that. In March of 2016, KC was diagnosed with T cell lymphoma, and her prognosis was uncertain. She had an obvious growth on the side of her mouth and probably more inside of her. I am a firm believer that the power of life and death is in the tongue, and I started blessing her with health and telling her that she would live to fulfill the days that were ordained for her. In April 2017, we noticed that her tumor was gone! And KC lived to be 15 and a half. God used this time to remind me #1 that I know His voice and I hear him and #2 that He is faithful and He will fulfill His promise.
I learned more about trusting God during the last months of KC's life. In July, she somehow got out of our backyard and was trapped between the retaining wall and a barbed wire fence. God prompted me to look for her, and when she wasn't in any of her usual spots, I called out her name. She hadn't made any noise for months, and when I heard a grunt/whine from behind our fence, I knew it was her. It took all 3 of us to rescue her and I knew that angels were around her when she fell because she had no injuries. I had prayed that God would put angels around her each day...and He answered my prayer.
KC chose life and fought for it as long as she could. As I sat on the floor with her in the last hours of her life, I wept. But, I knew it was time to let go of her. Love made my heart vulnerable, and it broke when we lost her. Nonetheless, I will keep loving even when loss is inevitable. I wouldn't live it any differently and I'm moving forward with no regrets!
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