Recovered In Christ

Thursday, July 30, 2015

I am terrified of heights. Always have been! But it’s become quite a phobia that’s grown with age as I realize more and more how out of our control life really is…so I guess micromanaging dust in my house and avoiding Ferris wheels is my way of resisting? But all of my rituals and safeguards don’t work! Neither do prayer mantras or affirmations…in many ways I am able to do things because of my faith that I could never before….bungee jumping is not one of them! My palms still get sweaty with anxiety if I stand on the 3rd rung of a step ladder to change a light bulb! It is an irrational knee jerk reaction – but that doesn’t seem to stop my son from insisting that if my “I can’t help it – it’s a phobia” is something that has increased over the years…then it is equally possible for it to go in reverse and be decreased…if I have the willingness to face my fears (pesky little thinker that he is!).

One of his “let’s therapize mom” projects a few summers ago was to convince me to do a canon ball into the pool….umm…..I barely know how to swim and as silly as it may seem….the water looks REALLY far from where I’m standing at the edge of the deck…so I refused…for a while…I started by trying to hop off from a crouching position…which was still scary for me…as well as a scary sight for the other pool users I’m told! And unacceptable to my son! Finally – after ridiculous amounts of prodding I did a canon ball…and loved it! Like – loved it! Like – I did 15 in a row! That was a summer to remember as I became the “crazy canon ball lady” that beat all the kids in canon ball tournaments all day long…my son did not realize the monster he’d be unleashing!

Today though, years later, I noticed something, I happened to be at the pool by myself, enjoying an incredible day of doing absolutely nothing by the water alone! And I had a sudden urge to do a canon ball…but I felt that old resistance…especially without the safety blanket of my son’s youth….I mean a 38 year old woman doing canon balls alone, really? I could hear the “Voice” telling me all kinds of things about why I should not…not the least of which was the group of women my age looking seriously mature sitting next to me…and you know what? May not seem like a big deal – but for a shame addict who refused to ever look “stupid”, making a split second decision to do it anyway is a big deal!

And I did…about 10 of them…while laughing hysterically…holding myself from falling out of my bathing suit…and it was ridiculously freeing!!!!

In that moment – yet again – I was reminded how truly diverse the ways are in which we practice praise and worship. Every time I resist the “Voice” that plays back all of the man made attempts to be “safe”….all of the lies that Satan has crafted using my weaknesses and vulnerabilities – I am free-er and more able to celebrate the Lord in delight! Yes – canon balls are a way I celebrate the Lord with delight!

I encourage you today to take a risk. Try for one day to resist the “Voice” that tells you to hide. I encourage you to ask that person out on a date that you think is out of your league – that is triggering all of your insecurities. I encourage you to apologize to that person you are sure will reject you. I encourage you to resist the urge to be sarcastic or crack a joke the next time someone shares something vulnerable with you and instead look them in the eye and just listen. I encourage you to breathe in pain rather than intellectualize suffering. I encourage you to tell your friends what you really really really think and feel. And if you don’t even know where to begin, I invite you to start a friendship with Jesus. I encourage you to start with sharing what you secretly think and feel with Him. I promise you – it will CHANGE everything. People ask me all of the time if my relationship with Christ is some kind of replacement for any other relationship. Like is he my boyfriend or best friend? No. Having a relationship with Jesus doesn’t replace relationships. He makes them possible.

Going forward….my son has moved on to another “project”…getting me back on to a roller coaster and teaching me how to skateboard. LOL…wow….I fear for the neighborhood!!

“…David was dancing before the Lord with all his might…

 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” – 2 Samuel 6:14-22

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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Where are you right now? In your heart with God – where are you? Before you can “clean up” the scene in your conscience – take a quick tour of your life – honestly….where are you?

Where are you in your study? In all honesty how much time are you spending alone with God, reading his word? Collectively, not selectively, page after page, prayerfully? As beautiful and powerful as individual quotes are, as wonderful as it is to feel that God is speaking to you in the random stories you flip to in the Bible, it is equivalent to taking a leisurely attitude of admiring a life raft in its packaging. Do you realize that a life raft, unless taken out of the packaging and blown up properly is useless? Do you realize that every single cult and demonic perversion of religion and spirituality has come from reading and dealing with the word of God selectively?

We would be no exception. How long would it take until your theology becomes 5% biblical doctrine and 95% the word of “you”? Pause and think for a moment how vain and arrogant it is to be satisfied with reading 5 minutes of a few paragraphs or pages, and yet spend hours discussing and philosophizing on “God’s Truth”? And then claim to have a prophecy, inspiration or message from God. Oh the blinding light of pride. The Devil knows us very well, and his strategy is perfected long before you even notice that he is involved. Let us commit ourselves to honoring and obeying God. It is HE that is God, his word that is perfect, we must humble ourselves and come to him in truth. The more difficult and painful it is to study and focus on the Bible, the more it is simply exposing who we’ve been truly worshipping. God is our only protection. And the only way to truly honor and obey him is to listen to him.

Would you consider me a good listener if you wrote me a precious book pouring your heart out to me, detailing the whole story of your love affair with me – and I simply read a few scattered sentences and paragraphs throughout? Is that listening?

The Bible is God’s love letter to you. It is your life raft in the raging storm that is this world. The word of God is your lamp, your light, the very words of God Himself, alive and active!

“Let us arm ourselves with a thorough knowledge of the Word of God. Let us read our Bibles more diligently than ever, and become familiar with every part of them. Let the Word dwell in us richly. Let us beware of anything which would make us give less time and less heart to the perusal of its sacred pages. The Bible is the sword of the Spirit – let it never be laid aside. The Bible is the true lantern for a dark and cloudy time – let us beware of traveling without its light.” – J.C Ryle

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

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Sunday, July 5, 2015

For all my buddies out there who are surrounded by darkness and cornered in defeat. Though all around you is darkness and everything inside of you is absolutely convinced that there is no way out – and you wholeheartedly believe that you are finished. Defeated. Done. Tear your eyes off of all the evidence of your despair and look to the One who overcame this world, sin and death itself – for you. Pitch your tent on Him. Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil, for the Lord Himself is with you. Believe this. It’s true whether you believe it or not. Yet all the difference in the world is made when the Spirit of Truth (God’s Spirit) bears witness to you of this truth.

Though you walk in darkness and are choking on the taste of death and despair – there IS a way out. The way out is not a path, program or idea – it’s this guy:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – Jesus Christ (John 8:12)

exorcism-prayers

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