What can’t you trust God with?

^{Matthew 17:20} He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

^{Luke 17:6} He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

It’s the question that really drives who you are. Maybe you aren’t even aware of it. The number one thing that drives a wedge between you and God is your fear. Fear is the motivator causing us to make bad choices. Fear will rob you of your peace today, tomorrow, and for eternity. The question is if you really truly are fully surrendered to Christ what do you have to fear?

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

God is perfect love. There’s no room for your fear. In fact he wants you to let it go. Often we cling most tightly to the things we are afraid to let him have. It is freeing to let go of your fears. It is also very enlightening to think about what you are afraid of to let go. What don’t you trust God with?

For me money is a hard thing to trust God with. I can give you a hundred reasons not to tithe, but I can give you a thousand more on why you should. God’s blessings are bigger than what you fear will happen. If you trust him in the little things; he will trust you with the big things.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

There is a funny story I have heard about tithing:

A family was leaving church one Sunday, the man says to his wife, “That wasn’t much of sermon that preacher gave.” The wife then adds, “Yea, and the choir sang off key.” Meanwhile, their small son has been listening to his parents’ conversation. Finally, he speaks up, “It seemed all right to me,” he says, “especially considering that it only cost us a dollar!”

When I think about tithing I am reminded of this verse: ^{Matthew 25:23} “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ I want a share of the happiness of God. I have heard the prosperity preaching and honestly I don’t believe it, but I have seen what God does with that money. He builds churches. He finds the lost and saves them. He heals the sick and feeds the hungry. With my little contribution God does so much more than I can do. I am lucky and blessed that I get to be a part of it all. Imagine what would have happened had I given into my fear. No God, I won’t trust you with this!

Irrational dreams are a God thing. As we grow up we realize that having dreams that seem impossible may be illogical. There is a reason Jesus said: Mark 10:15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” You see as we grow we lose some of our imagination, a little bit of our faith, and gain fear. Most children have very few fears. They are quick to love and trust. They dream big, love big, and live life to the fullest.

Is your dream irrational enough? The faith of children is what God seeks. Do you have enough?

This week I urge you to make a list of all the things you are afraid will happen. Write it down on paper. Take that list and stick it inside your bible. Then I want you to read that list every day this week before you begin your daily reading. See what God shows you about your fears. I promise you that whatever he shows you will be so much better than what you imagine.

That's a God thing

For the last two weeks my church was truly blessed to have Steven Furtick the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte NC speak. If you have never heard of him then you don't know what you are missing. You can check out the messages Found Favor Part 1 and Found Favor Part 2 by clicking on them. He also wrote an amazing book called Sun Stand Still which I highly recommend reading.

Have you ever pondered what the greatest gift God has given you is? We're all blessed, but what one thing has been instrumental in so many biblical lives? It's all God's favor. Mary had it. Moses had it. Nehemiah found it. You can both find and lose God's favor. His favor is powerful and inspiring, but don't get it confused with favors from God. God's favor is not a favor. You can't achieve it you must receive it. The favor of God is so simple: the guarantee of His presence and the provision of His power to accomplish His special purpose through my life.

Favor's a pretty powerful thing. Who wouldn't want it right? God will give it to you if you are hungry for it, and once you receive it he can do more in your life than you would ever achieve on your own. So what are you waiting for?

The thing is God's favor doesn't always look like we expect. God's favor is not for our convenience or our purpose. God has a bigger plan and sees a much bigger picture than we can even imagine. Luke 1: 30-33 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Imagine if the angel had told Mary the whole picture. By the way you will have a baby and people will question whether you are an adulterous. That baby will be born in a cave. You will raise him and love him only for him to go off and preach to the world. But in the end he will save that same world, by dying a sinner's death on the cross. You'll get to be there to see it, but nothing you can do will change this. That's God's favor. Do you think you are still ready for God's favor?

God doesn't give us his favor for ourselves. Favor ain't fair. God did not choose you based on your performance, but based on your purpose. He will always give you the favor you need for that season in your life. What you need is not always what you want. Favor means letting God control the big picture even though the here and now might just suck. Favor isn't just about God giving you something. Favor can make you uncomfortable. Favor can mean something in your life ending. Sometimes favor hurts, but if you can even for a second spend some time in God's word you will see that he has a big plan. In fact you could read the beginning and the end in less than 20 minutes to know how it all turns out. In the beginning God created man and woman. In the end God prevails. Pretty simple and easy. Everything in between is part of the battle being waged to get there.

Favor will take obedience, and require you to be stronger than you ever thought you were. It may mean you change the world, or it might be an impact that you are never aware of. The thing is God chose you. He's calling right now, and taking the first step is pretty simple. Open his word and meet him there.

Footnote: Honestly after hearing this message I felt drawn to worship my God. A God who loved me that much. I felt unworthy of his favor, but I want it. Even if it means a hard road; I'd rather walk with Christ on that path then an easy road that goes nowhere. There is a battle going on. It is waged every day, and we are called to be a part. To stand up for what is right, to speak for those without voices, to love the wretched, and forgive each other.

Casting Crowns Courageous
we were made to be courageous
we were made to lead the way
we could be the generation that finally breaks the chains

we were made to be courageous
we were made to be courageous

we were warriors on the front lines,
standing unafraid.
but now we're watchers on the side lines,
while our families slip away.
where are you men of courage?
you were made for so much more.
let the pounding of our hearts cry,
we will serve the Lord.

we were made to be courageous,
and were taking back the fight.
we were made to be courageous,
and it starts with us tonight.
the only way we'll ever stand,
is on our knees with lifted hands.
make us courageous,

Lord make us courageous.
this is our resolution, our answer to the call,
we will love our wives and children,
and refuse to let them fall.
we will reignite the passion,
that we buried deep inside.
may the watchers become warriors,
let the men of God arise.

Chorus

Background:
seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God
seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God

Lead singer:
In the war of the mind I will make my stand,
in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands.
in the war of the mind I will make my stand,
in the battle of the heart, in the battle of the hands

The why of my blogging

In response to some of my most recent blog responders, who knew so many people cared about what I think?

Why I write my blog:

1. This is entirely for me. It started out as my wanting to share photos, however facebook really does that for me now. At the time my life was so full of anger and frustration that I felt the need for an outlet and so I started thinking out loud. So for those of you who believe my blog is directed at you, sorry but I probably didn’t even know you were reading unless you are a follower. Even then I figure you are like me and only read 1 out of 100 blogs you follow. I’m honored that you read it, but I didn’t write it for you.

2. I write my blog because I am reflecting on something. Sometimes the idea I am stirring around is a difficult concept. Sometimes I am uplifted and want to share. Other times I am discouraged and need to put that on paper. If you get something out of reading it I think that’s great.

Who I am:

In telling you why I write my blog you should also know some background on who I am; because it may help you understand and not have to send me oddly cryptic messages about my blog.

I am a mother of 4 children living in the changing political climate of the United States. I was raised in a very rural area, but live in a larger city. I am a teacher, a Christian, and a wife.

I’m also a numbers gal! I love statistics and math. I am constantly reading research on everything. I find statistics about stuff from garbage to coffee consumption fascinating. I have a strong background in psychology so as I look at those numbers I often see the correlational trends and from time to time will blog about them. Now I could probably blog all day about numbers or correlation, but the one thing you need to know is that I don’t always believe the statistics. In fact I could go into a whole blog about how we get statistics and if they are valid. In all true statistics we have to take into account both the outliers and the method used to express the average: mean, median, mode, or range…………… If you aren’t bored by the numbers yet bear with me. To truly analyze stats you need to know the size of the sampling group, duration of a study, and what means they used for finding their stats. I read these studies and even sometimes double check the math. Like I said numbers geek here! When I find something,cool or uncool, depending on your opinion. I blog about it.

Now the final reason why my blog is mine and may be not for all readers is prior knowledge. Reading research tells us that the big predictor for reading success in comprehension is the amount of prior knowledge a student has on this issue. Additionally testing bias most often is due to test creator’s not sharing prior knowledge with those a test was intended for. I have not lived your life so I do not have your prior knowledge. What I relate to is based on my prior knowledge. You and I may not even fit into the same age, sex, religious, ethnic, or socioeconomic demographic. The more breadth between our demographic the more likely we will not share common views because our prior knowledge will prevent us from relating in the same manner.

The best way I can explain this one is: Drug addicts understand drug addiction in a way I could never understand it having not been a drug addict. As a counselor of someone with a drug addiction many of the issues that they coped with would be outside of what I relate to. Often the best counselors for those coping with these addictions come from a background where they lived it. Their prior knowledge helps them to help others.

I'm not directing what I say to anyone else. If you find my words a blessing that's wonderful. If you don't agree with them; that's find with me. Just want you to know nothing I wrote before this post today was written for anyone but me.

The War on Marriage!

Marriage is an issue I have weighed in on often. I strongly believe that Christians need to be better prepared for this covenant. I am often deeply saddened by the failure rate of marriage in this country. The thing is there is more to it than most of us even realize. There is a war being waged against marriage in our country. This war has extreme societal implications, and those waging the war on many sides are both misinformed and often oblivious to the real ramifications.

Marriage is simple and the family unit was first instituted in the garden. God created Adam and Eve. 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.”God saw that man was not meant to live alone. So he created the perfect mate for man. God created woman. Genesis 2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Thus began marriage. There is no other definition for marriage. It is simply something created by God that is in the very nature of man.

Marriage is the backbone of our society. It is God's design for family. In a Godly marriage children thrive, but research also shows that children in unhappy marriages are significantly more well adjusted than those same children from relatively happy homes with one parent, or divorced parents. This coupled with research on the decline in marriage rates across our country paints a bleak picture. Today in America 30% of all babies are born to single moms. In 1970 only 11% of women in their early 30's were unmarried, but today in America 33% of women in their early 30's are unmarried with no intention of marrying. It has also been noted that children of divorced or single parents are much more likely to never marry.

Why are these statistics important? "Many observers associate the dramatic increase in illegitimacy and divorce with the equally dramatic rise in pathology among the young. Specifically, since 1950, the suicide rate for young Americans has also climbed by about 300%; the homicide rate for Americans under 25 has done the same; drug use has dramatically increased, the arrest rate and the rate of violent criminal behavior among the young have also skyrocketed, especially since 1960."(PAUL C. VITZ) Now we all know that correlation and causation are not the same thing. However, psychologists have been studying correlations for centuries and this strong correlation comes up in study after study. So why isn't anyone talking about it? Paul C. Vitz goes on to say that single parent homes face financial obstacles. In fact research is now showing that divorce often leads to poverty. Lenore Weitzman (1985) has claimed that men have a 42% improvement in their post-divorce standard of living while women have a 73% decline. Additionally, there is research that shows abuse toward children is substantially greater in single parent families. Research shows that children in single parent homes suffer from greater emotional stress, do less well in school, and have higher suicide rates. In the 1960's only 6% of adolescents 12-16 ever received psychological help. By 1981, the year I was born, with divorce on the rise so was psychological support for teens, in fact it nearly doubled. Now I know what you are thinking. You probably jump to the conclusion that I did. Our society was changing so this trend was caused not by single parenting at all. That would seem to hold true if you didn't check the research on kids from homes with two married parents during that same period of time. That research showed a decline in children seeking psychological support.

"The great importance of the father in the development and education of his children — his sons and daughters — is one of the best-documented findings within the social sciences in the last twenty years. These studies give a clearer understanding of the pathologies found in children of divorce."
Just look at the research:
He helps the child to separate psychologically from the mother; teaches it to control impulses and to learn and respond to the laws, rules, and structures of the society; and serves as a buffer for the mother's attention and emotions (both affection and anger) that may be heavily focused on the child. Thus, the father offers the child another reference point and a haven, and helps the mother to avoid over-emotionalizing her relationship with her children. For young children, the father also commonly facilitates intellectual and cognitive development, along with behavioral control. (Duncan, Brooks-Gunn, and Klebanov, 1994).

So children who are raised in homes without fathers are at a significant higher risk for anti-social behaviors, mental health issues, difficulties in school, drug use, and even criminal behaviors. Now I know that there are many people out there who will disagree with me. I know that there are exceptions to statistics in fact there are even statistics on exceptions, but I will save that for another day. The thing is that overall the statistics are very very clear. Marriage is important to society, and as marriage declines societies suffer as whole from a decline. The research on crime alone is enough to make me shudder: In the U.S. 90% of the major and violent crimes are committed by unmarried men (Gilder, 1986, p. 65). And many studies show that a high proportion of the incarcerated offenders come from single-parent or other dysfunctional family backgrounds. (See Chapman, 1986; Beck and Kline, 1988.)


I know that this is a lot of research and if you made it this far you probably came to the same conclusion I have. Marriage is very very important! Fathers play an extremely important role in parenting, and mothers play a similarly important role. One or the other cannot act alone. It takes two to do the job right.

So back to the war on marriage. There are two main groups attacking marriage. The supposedly enlightened feminist movement. This movement should be called the anti-male movement. The goal of this movement is to teach us that men and women are created equally. Sounds good to me, but again the research shows this is just not the case. Extreme feminists believe women are from Venus and men are from Hades, or so I have heard. These feminists have a goal to teach society that anything a man can do a woman can do as well or better. Unfortunately, men are better at strength related tasks, math, and strategy. Women are feelers, they excel in biology, reading, and writing. Of course there are exceptions, but the highest math scores on prestigious tests are almost always received by men. The truth of the matter is that most of the feminist agenda is bunk. However, with money and liberals behind them this bunk pervades our society. These same feminists teach girls that marriage is settling. They teach women that homemakers are second class citizens, and that women are better off without men in their lives.

The second group of highly motivated fully funded extremists who are on the march against marriage is the homosexual community. This group feels strongly that they should have the right to marry. They have the money behind them to lobby and even in some cases buy what they want. If they are lucky they find sympathy among extreme judges who are willing to overlook research, public opinion, and even the votes of people like you and I. These judges rewrite laws based on this agenda. The agenda would tell you that this group deserves to be treated just like heterosexual married couples. This same group tells you that they are fully capable of raising children. They have their children testify and lobby for their parents. In fact some of these children even turn out perfectly normal. But..................the research is clear that children raised in same sex homes most resemble single parent children in behaviors and emotional difficulties. Additionally, there is research that shows other social and emotional implications may be present for these individuals.

Clearly, God's design is best and marriage is already perfect. Why is it under attack, and if all the research shows that marriage is the glue that holds society together why are so many people sitting back and watching? Are we allowing ourselves to become indoctrinated by these false agendas? And of course the biggest question of all how is it hateful to protect marriage? Feminists would have you believe that those who want to protect marriage do so to oppress women. Homosexuals would have you believe that those who fight for marriage are filled with hate and discrimination. They truly believe we fight for marriage not to protect this society and create a place that is safe and wholesome for our children, but out of a bizarre hatred for them and their choices. I can honestly say that I know homosexuals who are very kind and passionate people. They do not live horrible lives, but their lifestyles are very different from mine. As a bible believing Christian my heart is broken for all those out there who refuse the gift of grace. Whatever you chase with your whole heart that is your passion. These passions can easily become the idols our society worships instead of God. The thing is no matter what you fill your life with you feel empty without God............................

So the question is where do you stand, and what will you do about it?

Failure........

The most recent study from the book of Judges took our church through the life of Samson. The life of Samson is very enlightening. Samson was created for a purpose and was given the amazing gift of strength.

I know that with my busy schedule, the kids, and life its hard to see the purpose at times. I also know that I have been given so many amazing gifts.................... However, I really relate to Samson's failure. By many standards you would say I am most definitely not a failure. Sure I have a husband, 4 wonderful children, a house, a job I love, and a life that many would envy. That is from the outside. Things are not always as perfect as they seem. I wouldn't change my life for anything, but I wouldn't call it a complete success either.

In college I had all these goals. I wanted to do so many things. Travel the world, get my doctorate, make a real difference, and most of all be somebody special. If I measure failure by these goals then I have failed in many ways. I haven't managed to find time for my Master's degree. I have never traveled outside the US and Canada. I really don't know if I have made a real difference.............But I know that I am somebody very special to 4 amazing little children, and my wonderful husband.

I have failed at a lot of things I wanted to do. I have set out to be somebody I wasn't and fallen flat on my face. I'm not really cut out to be a kindergarten teacher, in case you didn't know that already. I've made choices that led me to paths I never would have imagined and obstacles I never thought I could surmount. However I have also learned the lesson that was taught in this week's message on Samson. Failure is an event, never a person.

I can relate to Samson at the end of his journey. I know what it feels like to say to yourself, I'm living a lie. This isn't who I am. This isn't what I was made for. I am so much more..............What do I do now? I think Samson shows us what we should always do. No matter the failure. No matter the crime it's time to turn to God. Repent of your pride. Turn from your failure and set out on the path he leads you down.

Sometimes we are so angry with our circumstances that we can't see the opportunity stretching out in front of us. Sometimes we are so bitter at the things that didn't go our way that we miss an amazing opportunity. God created you for something special. He created you for something amazing, and he will accomplish his purpose in you. Just look at Samson: Judges 16:29-30 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁰ Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. God's purpose for Samson was to destroy the Philistines, and Samson gave his life to do it.

I truly believe that God makes beautiful things out of the dust. He made you and me. I believe that even in the ashes of our dreams God can create something miraculous. I think that if we truly trust him to guide our lives he'll take even our biggest failures and turn them around. You can never unsin, but God will forgive all your sins. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us. The bible says Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

So not only can God accomplish his goals even in your failure, but he will remove your sins from you and remember them no more. Don't you wish the rest of the world worked that way. I am reminded of my son today. He was throwing a tantrum and pulled open a cupboard in the kitchen. A cake pan had been placed in the cupboard precariously and it crashed to the floor. Of course it shattered and of course he immediately burst into tears crying. The pan couldn't be fixed and no amount of tears, no apology, or remorse would ever put all the tiny shards back in place. It wasn't that he had intended to break it, but that is what happened. I know he wanted more than anything to be able to forget that it ever happened, but the evidence was left shattered on the floor.

Just like that pan our lives can fall apart. We can't unsay the words we have said. We can't undo the deeds. We can't unbreak the hearts we have broken. We are only left with two choices. A life of regret, or a life of hope. You see we can either spend our lives regretting all the brokeness. We can wrap ourselves up in feelings of failure. Or, we can choose hope. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. We can hope in the plans the Lord has for us. We can hope in the future that he has already prepared for us. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;They shall mount up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.

I can't turn back and change the choices I've made, and guess what......... I wouldn't if I could. God used both my failures and my successes to form me. Psalm 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Marvelous are Your works,And that my soul knows very well. My successes don't define me. My failures don't make me. My God makes me! I am his and my life is a journey. Every step will lead me to my purpose. I'm no Samson, and I don't think I will be bringing down the Philistines, but I will make a real difference and I am somebody special. The rest is up to him.......................

Beautiful Things
Gungor
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new