Answered Prayer

God is awesome! I was reflecting back the other day and just realized God had answered a prayer! I thought to myself how I had not even realized that it had been answered until now. That made me thing how subtle God is. We ask for these prayers to be answered and when they are how often do we just move on to our next need instead of taking time to say "thank you." I know I have done an earlier post on giving equal amounts of thanks. So I wont take this post in that direction.

How God has worked in my life. I had this urgent prayer that I was praying for some time now. Several weeks later, it comes to mind that my prayer was answered. How could my prayer be answered and me not even realize it? Well because God did not answer it how I was expecting. I had offered my suggestions to God, of how He could answer my need. But I guess He did not see that working out very well =). So, He took the liberty in my life to answer my prayer according to what He thought best...and you know what? I love it! He saw the need, He answered it according to what He knows is best...and it all is working out! I was so busy in looking for my way, my answer, my solution that I totally missed the work He was doing!

I think more people than just me do this often. I hope I am not alone! We ask God to do a work in our lives. We offer our own solutions, maybe like option 1, option 2, etc. We busy ourselves looking for these things to come to pass, when suddenly it hits us. God already answered our prayer. Just not the way we saw fit. But how He saw how it needed to work out.

Thank you Lord for working in our lives. Thank you for being omnipotent, omnipresent, and all knowing! Thank you for your love and kindness. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Help me to offer my forgiveness and mercy to those who most of all don't deserve it....because even my enemy can love those who deserve it...but that is what seperates me from my enemy...that I can forgive the unforgiveable and love the unloveable through you God!

Have a blessed day.

Just as I am....

Yes, as anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge fan of David Phelps. But that is not what this is about...a sigh of relief I hear?? =)

I was reflecting on the song lyrics this morning:

Dear Lord, I?m on my knees again
I come to You because You understand
I've tried so hard, but I just can't change myself
That's why I know I need Your help

(Chorus)
So here I am
This in my plea
My only hope is Your love for me
I'm reaching out
So desperately
Come take my hand; take all of me
Just as I am

Oh Lord, You make what's broken new
Why can't I just learn to follow You
I want to know You and feel You in my soul
I surrender all control

I am not afraid to follow You where You lead me
I can leave the past behind me
I'm forgiven and I'm free

We come to God, at some point in our lives...hopefully! and at that point, we come just as we are. We don't have to change for God to accept us. We don't have to clean things up in our life, before he makes us part of his heritage. He takes us in when we ask Him to wash our sins and accept us. God does not expect us to be clean before we come to Him, He wants us to come to Him with all that we have, just as we are. We are not meant to change things on our own, but seek out Gods strength and wisdom on how to change. Let God mold us and sculpt us because He is the potter and we are the clay. HE puts circumstances in our lives to make us into who He wants us to be. Although we may be "damaged" from life's abuses, to God we are a prized possession and that is true love. So, come to God just as you are, and let Him do the changing that He sees necessary. If you try to change yourself before coming to God, its like chasing your tail, you will never catch it. Let go and let God.

Turn your pain into your testimony for someone who needs it!

God is our healer. He created us and He experienced hurts and disappointments while on here on Earth. He became man, so therefore He was able to feel our pains of rejection. He knows what it is like to be betrayed. He knows the hurt of losing a loved one. Jesus wept. He came to us as one of us. He became man. Yes, He resurrected on the 3rd day and resides in Heaven. But while on Earth He felt what we feel. Saying this, He is our creator as well. He put in us emotions. He placed in us our feelings that react to various situations. Our feelings which can lie to us. Our feelings that can remind us of hurtful pasts or mistakes we have made. God knows what we go through every day.

If you have a past that is filled with hurts and pains, then that means you are human. We all have something back there that caused us to feel uncomfortable. So no matter how big you perceive it to be, really...it is only as big as you make it. It impacts your life, however you let it. If you let this "thing" affect your every mood, your relationship with people, with God...then you are allowing something of the past to be your present. Situations we go through are meant to strengthen us, to teach us something that we may need for our self or someone else. They are not meant to be a constant hurt to make you bitter or angry. If it was someone that hurt you...just remember: people make bad choices sometimes but let it be for the better. Make that hurt into something wonderful. Be encouraged that you are not alone. Allow God to remove your hurt and heal you fully so you can help lift up someone else in need. You may be the one to pull them from their lowly state by having that connection with them.

We must not just be healed but once we are healed of a hurtful past, we must lower our mask so that we can be transparent to someone in need. People hurt people. I have hurt people by my words. Just the same, people can hurt with words as much as an act. We have all hurt someone or been hurt by someone. That unfortunately is a part of life. But don't let it be something that haunts you everyday. Don't let this thing control you. Allow God to take you back and heal that pain. Let God pour out his healing virtue on your life so you can be complete. Then unveil yourself to someone else in need. Let your past be your testimony for others.

Scenario #1: A lady gets up to a group of ladies that all have abusive pasts and states " God wants to heal you I have personally watched a lady be delivered fully from her abusive past. I have seen her go to the altar sorrowful of her past and God turned that sorrow into joy! I talk with ladies everyday about this." She goes on to say that though she has never been abused...she can see how much it hurts by talking with ladies that have been.

Scenario #2: A lady gets up to a group of ladies that all have abusive pasts and states " God wants to heal you I have personally watched a lady be delivered fully from her abusive past. I have seen her go to the altar sorrowful of her past and God turned that sorrow into joy! For I was that lady!" and she continues on explaining how someone had hurt her by abusing her and how badly she hurt and felt so alone. And through the years she thought that she had dealt with it fully until one day God called to her and COMPLETELY HEALED her! God had turned all her sorrow into joy like she had never felt.

Which scenario is more powerful? Which lady would you listen to more intently? The one that was an excellent source but had never personally felt the hurt you have experienced? Or the lady with a past similar to yours, that has overcome it with the healing virtue of God?? But to do this she had to unmask herself for all to see. I pray that if you have a testimony - use it for good, stop letting it hurt you, let yourself be healed and help someone else with your testimony.

Camp Meeting "09

WOW! Is the best word to describe what God did this last week during Camp Meeting "Onward, Upward". If you ever get the chance to go, GO! You will walk away touched, I promise! The day preaching, teaching was superb. Bro. Hughes taught on family and healing yourself to not allow your junk into your family and onto your kids or into your church. To de-mask yourself and stop acting like your so perfect and life has never been rough on you. I was ultimately healed this week and filled with the joy of the Lord. I have not laughed so hard I think ever! God truly turned my sorrow into joy! What an awesome God I serve. I know I walked away with a touch that will change my life. I hope all that attended received something that will change their lives too. I am now encouraged more than ever to continue my journey and help others find their way to the Lord's path. For on the Lord's path there is fullness of joy, and peace, and an enduring love that you won't find anywhere else in life but from the Lord. Also, my youngest has now graduated to a 2 wheeler after much endurance! CONGRATULATIONS SWEETHEART!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

Chapter 29 of my life story: I have a dream job, for me atleast. I teach people how to obtain better control over their asthma. Teach them they can live a normal life as anyone without breathing problems. I came from a highly stressful hospital setting that tore my emotions up! So this is a very nice work environment for me. So, as of yesterday we found out that most likely if not fully likely, our job will be ending early next year, matter of fact, March 31,2010. I am still in the shocked phase but trusting that God is only closing this door to open another door. He won't bring you to it, if He isn't going to bring you through it! I am trying not to look at the raging storm, and keep my eyes on Him, Nevertheless, I am scared! I don't know what the future holds. Is it possible to be scared but trusting in Him? Is that a sign of lack of faith? I hope not. As this progresses I hope to grow in my faith, and stop looking at the surrounding circumstances to determine my outlook! Please pray with me about this situation.

Words of my youngest: yay! Mommy you get to spend more time with me...I can't wait!

That makes me smile!

Scars vs. open wounds from the past

While me and my husband were talking last night and interesting subject came up. We were discussing closure of the past, as our pastor had preached on Sunday. He spoke about how to put proper closure on things of the past so they don't keep popping up when you least expect or want them to. If you don't fully latch the door on past mistakes or hurts or whatever you have in the past then at any time the door may swing wide open at very inconvenient times. So how do you know if you have put proper closure on things??

Lets think of a physical wound. While it is open, it bleeds, it hurts and if you touch it, you can feel the pain radiate! When you accidentally bump it on something, you wince in pain. It physically is painful to have an open wound. But once it finally heals, no more pain. You probably have a scar there now. The scar has little to no feeling at all. Just a memory of a wound that happened but no more pain is involved if you touch it or bump it.

No lets take that same thought into the spiritual realm. If you have a hurt in your past, can you openly talk about it. If it is brought up does it trigger strong painful emotions still inside of you. Does it hurt? Does it make you angry? Can you feel the bitterness rising up? Or can you openly discuss this and use it as a testimony of where God has brought you from? Are you able to talk about it to help another person overcome this painful situation they may be facing?

God brings us through bad situations so we can be a light to someone else facing that same situation. He trusts us that we are going to rely on His strength to bring us through. Once we have fully healed He can use us to help someone else. So hurry up and heal because that person out there may be waiting on you!

God answers prayers...just not always how we think He should!

This is how God answers prayers:

My mom really needed/wanted to sell her truck. So we posted it online and had alot fo people come test drive it, call about it, question us about it etc. But no luck in selling it. It is a work truck, with need of some TLC. So...finally while Dan was out of town, he calls me and tells me that there is a prospective buyer to see the truck. I asked if I should pull it out of the garage and he responded no..The guy could drive it around if he wanted to. So, the guy shows up...I am standing near the wall, located in front of the truck. ( I know now why this is never recommended!) He pops the hood, then gets in to start up the truck. The truck starts up and he gets out of the driver door, as he approaches the front of the truck, it begins to SLOWLY roll forward. It takes me about 1-2 seconds to see this truck is not going to stop. So I literally jump through my kitchen door from the garage and am quickly followed by...the truck! Yes, the truck came through the wall, and rearranged our fridge to about 1 1/2 feet into our kitchen. You can see the angle of the door. The top of the doorway is where it is supposed to be...So after the dust settles (literally). We evaluate the situation. Guy : uninjured, but nerveracked!...Me: safe on the other side of smashed in wall...Truck: not a dent or scratch on it. Hmmmm, now if you have ever driven a manual vehicle : What happens when you start it up and its in gear, when you let off the clutch?? For all of you automatic car owners...answer: It lurches forward until clutch is pushed in or it dies. Hmmmm, so how is it that this truck slowly came forward just long enough to let me through the door. Scenario 2: Truck lurches forward, and both my legs would be in the shape of the wall...smashed. I would not be typing this right now...I would be in lala land with much pain meds to keep down the pain of two broken femurs.

Okay so the dust is settled and my legs are still intact, guy is shaky but okay. And the best part is the truck sold! For almost what we were asking for! So when you pray for something...don't be so narrow minded about the answer. God does work in mysterious ways. Plus, being married to a handyman...the wall will be fixed this week! Nothing out of pocket for the wall, truck is sold, and I am still walking! Thank you Lord!