Remembering What We Have

So many things have been reminding me today how good we have it. Yeah, life is hard. A lot of us are low on money, looking for a better place to live, and suffering from health problems. People want to tell us what to do and judge our decisions and beliefs. Christians in the United States are finally seeing some persecution and we don't like it.

But a lawsuit for refusing to take photos at a same-sex wedding or bad press and boycotts because a company's leader talked about his beliefs is nothing compared to what we're hearing about in other countries right now. Christians are being forced out of their homes, tortured, and even killed.

Today is also September 11th. I know we all remember what happened twelve years ago. So many innocent people lost their lives that day.

A friend and her family have been working for the past year to adopt a brother and sister from Ethiopia. These kids don't have a family, and they don't have the luxuries that we do in America. And the sacrifices that Jessie and her family have made to be able to adopt these kids is so inspiring and humbling.

So I've just been thinking about all of these things and realizing how lucky I am to have a brand new tooth brush, a bed that, while not always comfortable, is mine, nice clothes and books to read and good shoes, a family, a church, and a safe place to live.

This post may not be the most eloquent or well-ordered, or maybe you disagree with something I said, but it doesn't matter. The point is that we need to remember everything that we do have and praise God for it every day. And pray for those we see hurting more than us.

Thank you, Lord!

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him. (Romans 15:13)

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

You will surely forget your trouble. (Job 11:16)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

It's been a long hard ride

Got a ways to go

But I won't lose hope

This is still the place

That we all call home

- Dierks Bentley

God's Perfect Timing

Okay, I have posted before about waiting on God's timing. It's true, He has everything planned out for us and knows so much better than we do when those things should happen, or even if they should happen at all!

But did you ever think about all those times He helped you do something just in time? Or gave you that thing you needed right at the last minute?

God's timing is ALWAYS perfect, so it makes sense that He would help us with the little things and the now things, as well as the maybe/later things.

I have been noticing this SO much lately. God is amazing. And he literally saves me every day. Last Monday, dreaded tax day, I went online to file my local taxes. I had put those off thinking they're so easy... but when I went to pay with my credit card there was an error and it turned out I would have to mail it!! This was at 4:50 and the post office closes at 5:00. I scrambled to find the address, write a check, address and stamp the envelope, and got to the post office ONE minute before they closed. Amazing!

About thirty minutes ago I realized that my car insurance bill is due today. We have it set up to automatically take the payment out of our checking account because we get a discount for having it that way. But you have the option of moving your due date to within ten days if you really need to. Anyway, God allowed me to be reminded of this just a little while ago, and I freaked out a little in my head and called customer service, not even knowing if they were open all night... And they answered at 12:18 am and changed my due date for me in less than a minute. No problem at all. Thank God!

So sometimes He lets it go the very last minute, but then He reminds you, gets you there in time, and it is just awesome. Those were just two examples, but I had so many more experiences like that just this week!

This is what the Lord says: "In the time of my favor, I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you." (Isaiah 49:8)

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." (Acts 1:7)

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Five Minute Friday - Broken

Yeah, yeah, so I missed Five Minute Friday and am posting this on Saturday. That's 
okay :) Today's word is Broken.

GO

So I read the word and had no clue what to write. What's broken? I looked it up at dictionary.com - reduced to fragments, ruptured, torn, fractured, not functioning properly, out of working order... Sounds painful. 

I think of broken things - a mirror, that cute ceramic night light shaped like dolphins but most of the tails and fins have fallen off, the heart of that woman who's husband said he no longer loved her. The first two, annoying. That last one, terrible.

How varying the results of brokenness can be! I read other ladies' posts hoping to gain inspiration for my own. Not sure if that's "cheating" or not, but I did it. And something that stood out to me is how God takes our broken pieces and makes something new and wonderful out of them. But I'll let the ones that thought of that keep the claim on that idea.

I tried racking my brain and searching Bible references for the word broken but all I came up with were warnings about diseases. Gross.

Then I thought about how it's Easter weekend and Jesus and the Disciples' last supper, and how He told them to break the bread. Ah, yes. A way to tie in the coming holiday and give this a moral lesson. But alas, I have no lesson to teach. Just a reminder that God loves us and sent His Son to die for us, and the hope that comes with knowing that Jesus rose again.

And that is enough :)

Click here for more posts on Broken and click the button below to find out how Five Minute Fridays started and how you can join in the unedited fun! Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Check out my photo from two years ago: Easter Morning

Healing Your Broken Heart - Guest Post

My friend Johnette posted this and I just think it is a wonderful example of God's love for us. Used with permission.

When I was 12 years old, some college kids came to our church. They did a skit and I never will forget it. They did it as mimes. And it was a girl with her heart. She carried it around and was so careful. But she was quick to give it to a group of friends because she wanted friends so bad. They threw her heart around, laughed and let her heart drop on the floor and it broke in pieces. She cried as she picked up her heart and taped it back together. Now her heart was even more fragile. She carried it even more carefully. Then a cute boy flirted with her, smiled... and asked for her heart. At first she said no. But he continued, and she gave him her heart. She was so happy. He was everything to her. He took her out and even held out his arm for her to hold... until another pretty girl walked by. He dropped her heart and ran to the new girl. Now her heart was shattered. It was so bad she had to sweep it into her hands. She couldn't even put it together. She held it close to her chest and just wept. She heard a voice and looked up into the sky... and shook her head and grabbed the shattered heart even closer. The voice called again asking for her heart... the stubborn look on her face, she shook her head even harder grasping her broken heart so tight you couldn't see it at all. The voice called again... of course it was God... and He softly was telling her He loved her, and He would mend her broken heart. He wouldn't laugh at her, leave her, or break her heart... just trust Him. She thought back to what all the others had done. She had a hard time. I mean look at all the others I trusted and look at my broken heart. She slowly handed the heart up to Him. Tears flowed down her face, her eyes to the ground... and just stood for a few minutes. Then the voice called again... she looked up... He was handing her something. She reached to take it, and it was her heart. He had fixed her heart. You couldn't even tell it was broken. It was even better than before. She was so happy. She was thrilled! And then God asked for her new heart back. But wait, what should she do? She finally had her heart back... She knew God fixed it, but it was hers. She decided to give her heart to God... and boy the joy that was on her face then! She didn't have to worry, or tightly hold her heart. She knew God had her heart safe and sound in His hands. This is all He wants for you. He wants to love you, protect you and for you to trust Him with your heart and life. He will never hurt you. This meant so much to me and it still does. I hope it will bless you too.

A Place Prepared For Me

You may have seen my Five Minute Friday post on Home last week. When I saw that was the word for the day, my heart knew I had plenty to say about it. But getting it out into words isn't always the easiest.

It seems like home is all I think about these days. I'm homesick. I hadn't thought about it this way before. But that's what it is. I'm homesick. Not for a place I've loved and left. Believe me, I know there are many people in this world who are away from home and can't wait to get back. But for me homesick has a slightly different meaning. I'm homesick for that home I haven't found yet. I don't know if it's better or worse. 

I can't imagine being a soldier in a foreign country longing for their home. They can picture it, remember how it looks and smells, the way the light shines in or how comfortable the couch is. They can see their family there and remember all the great times they've had. And it must be heartbreaking to not be there. They might sometimes wish that they didn't know what they were missing.

At the same time, I kind of wish I could see my home and what it looks like and the way the sun shines through the windows and the colors and what kind of neighborhood it's in. I want to have an actual picture in my mind. It would make it easier to imagine my husband and I and our friends hanging out, maybe having a barbecue or playing games. To see me trying to make dinner, planting my first garden, meeting the neighbors... After all, it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. If only I could see what I will one day have, it might make the waiting slightly easier.

And yet, I also know that God's plan and timing are perfect, and that the home He one day reveals to us will be more than my husband and I can imagine. And I can't wait for that wonderful surprise! Meanwhile, I'm just praying about it and longing for it more and more every day. I even found myself crying about it to God the other day. And you know what? He already knows. But it felt good to tell Him.

This verse made me smile: See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)

Which then reminded me of this: My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)

God isn't just preparing an earthly home for me - He's preparing a heavenly one! Did you know He's preparing one for you, too?! How awesome to know that God has a place for each one of us to live with Him forever :)

Five Minute Friday - Ordinary

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing them over at The Gypsy Mama. No editing. No planning. Just writing. Today's word is Ordinary.

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

GO

I'm not ordinary. I know that. I mean sure, I have an average life. I haven't done anything truly awe-inspiring or record-breaking, and on the other end of the spectrum, I haven't done anything too horrifyingly terrible. So, in that way, I guess I'm ordinary. Normal. But beyond that... No. Lol.

I have crazy friends. And I am crazy. I'm a tomboy but I'm not athletic, am scared of bugs and the dark, live in t-shirts, jeans and sneakers but love to wear make-up.

In my mind I'm this free-spirited, go with the flow, fun kind of girl, but in reality I take a while to get ready, get worried and over-think things (although I'll admit I still think I'm fun, most of the time.)

I'm a shy extrovert, a nerd who loves musicals, common-sense smart but not school-smart. A leader who gets ignored and talked over.

And I'm okay with that. I love who God made me. At the same time I'm always wondering what I can do to be better, look better, do better...

But then again, who IS normal? Being "normal" or ordinary, is being different and having quirks. The one's who aren't weird and complicated and confusing are the odd ones, not the normal ones.

And God used, and still uses, ordinary people to do His work. He doesn't just take the strong, confident, super talented or knowledgeable people. He takes normal people like me, and allows them to do extraordinary things.

So yes. I'm unordinary in an ordinary way. Aren't you? I think it's a good thing. And a God thing.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:12-14)

For more posts on Ordinary, click here. To find out more about Five Minute Fridays and how you can join in on the invigorating, inspiring and kinda scary fun, click on the button below.

Five Minute Friday - Beloved

I am trying something new today. I'm joining the Gypsy Mama with her Five Minute Friday blog posts. She gives a word, and then you just write about it. For five minutes. We'll see how this goes - today's word is Beloved.

When I read the word beloved, the first things that came to mind were the traditional wedding opening "Dearly beloved, we gather here today..." and a verse from Song of Solomon that says "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." We don't hear the word beloved that often anymore. Why is that?

I looked it up and the definition says a person who is greatly loved; dear to the heart; such as a wife or husband. Some synonyms are cherished, precious, sweet, and darling. This helps me to better grasp the meaning of the word.

This is getting me thinking about what I cherish, what is precious to me. My family. Close friends. My husband. Our dog. And God. And then I think, I am cherished by God. I am precious to him. I can't quote you any verses right now, but it's definitely in there. We are God's children, he knows each and every one of us, and we are his beloved. Isn't that just a great feeling?

I want to try to remember that more often. I am beloved by God. Say it. I am beloved by God. No matter what, He loves you, and you are precious to Him.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day with those who are precious to you :)


I think I did alright :D You can check out other five minute posts on Beloved here and find out more about Five Minute Fridays by clicking on the button below.