Your Guide to Biblical Romance | Page 127 of 136

March 9, 2016September 10, 2021

Joseph & The Karate Kid

In my last post, I shared part of my own story with you. And many of you responded.

I truly appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Although I meant to encourage you!

Because you have a story, too.

And you are really important in the Kingdom. So never give up on becoming what The Lord created you to become!

No matter what.

If you’ve read the Old Testament stories, you know no one’s journey followed an easy path.

They all messed up.
A lot.

And God used their circumstances to prepare them.

Joseph had a dream.

Several, in fact.

But he had a lot to learn before his dream could come true.

So The Lord took him on a long, painful journey that would transform him into the man he was created to be. And all along the way, Joseph was growing and learning.

Joseph trusted The Lord. He knew his gifts – interpreting dreams, for example – were God’s to use as He wanted. Despite all he endured, he was confident in Who God is.

What do Joseph and the Karate Kid have in common?

The Karate Kid had a dream, too. Not as noble, perhaps. And he certainly didn’t have Joseph’s confidence in his teacher. But we can still benefit by observing his learning processes.

Daniel wants to learn karate.

But Mr. Miyagi has had him slaving around his house for the past 4 days.

Sand the deck.
Wash the car.
Paint the house.
Paint the fence.

And Daniel is angry. But he’s been in training nonetheless.

YouTube player — Beware of Daniel’s language rated PG-13 maybe?

What is The Lord training you for?

Which methods is He using to transform you?
Is it working yet? You can always ask the Holy Spirit to help.

He’s always up to something in our lives! What are you missing? What do you need more of to be more like Jesus? No matter what: God’s process always contains His Goodness!

So look for it!
Because with God, all things are possible!

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate The Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into His Image with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from The Lord, Who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

March 8, 2016September 22, 2020

Adversity & Joy

As an official Late Bloomer, I spent a lot of years in survival mode. Struggling through college as a single mom.

Then grad school and trying to build a business.

My counseling practice launched when I got my Psychology License.

October 2007. Several of my clients were in real estate. Most were small business owners.

Economic issues hit them.
Then they hit me.

Teaching kept me going financially.
But working in three cities got to be too much.

So in May 2010 I left teaching to pursue my One True Passion.

Faith or Foolishness? Poor Timing?
Or the wrong area of expertise?

During my post-doctoral work, I had developed a passion for helping Couples.

As a twice-divorced woman, no church wanted me as their marriage expert.

Thus far, it hasn’t seemed to matter that The Lord filled me with a Passion to fight divorce in Orange County. Because – as you can see – very little has worked in my favor in fulfilling that desire.

I held on for as long as I could. Fought as hard as I could.
My resources gave out. The Father stopped me in my tracks.

During this time of uncertainty, I’ve been tempted to reinvent myself – my calling. But my Passion is so deeply ingrained in who I am that I have no idea where to begin.

So I wait. And I listen.

And I’ve learned to live in Joyful Anticipation.

The first thing The Lord has done is to show me Who He is for me. He never allows trials without an opportunity to become more like Him. In fact, that’s His primary desire for me. That’s why James said to count it all joy when we face trials of all kinds (James 1:2-8). Because every Trial has both a Test and a Temptation.

A test is God’s way of revealing who we are becoming in Christ.
The temptation is to allow the enemy to convince us of who we are not.

So the second thing The Lord has shown me is who He created me to be. From a purely material perspective, I’ve wasted my life learning about love, teaching others how to love and be loved, and never experiencing it for myself.

The enemy wants you to conclude that you are worthless in the Kingdom – and believe on a deeper level – that you are unwanted and unlovable.

Perhaps I’m like Emma. She loved the idea of love. And played matchmaker to everyone in her community. Although she saw love from a distance, she couldn’t imagine what real love would be like for herself. But all the while, she was being prepared for Mr. Knightly.

Knowing who I am created to be – and I’ve heard it from multiple sources, including directly from The Father – should have made my priorities clear. But during this season of isolation – when I’ve little opportunity to work – He reminds me daily that He has given me a higher calling.

So has my education and experience been wasted? Or has it been my personal preparation to love and to be loved by this one man?

To be continued …

February 19, 2016May 19, 2020

To Pray More Effectively, You May Need to Pray Differently.

Most women pray for their men, of course. But what is the content of your prayers?

Are you just telling the Lord to help him to get his act together so your life will be easier?
Or are you sincerely interested in meeting your man’s emotional needs?

If you want to pray effectively for your man, you’ll need to get into the cave with him.

Spiritually and emotionally speaking, that is (this takes time with the Holy Spirit).
Rather than verbally or invasively (which we do in our flesh) as noted in my post about the Man Cave.

For example, don’t insist he talk about his feelings. Because he may not fully understand them yet himself.

Instead, Learn to Pray Differently

The first steps are simple.

Listen more.
Talk less.

That alone will give him more space to talk – when he’s ready. And you’ll learn the most you can about him. He may not say much. But listen to his words. And pay attention to his actions. His actions will speak loudest.

The latter steps take time.

Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Pray according to God’s will.

Because you’re not a man, you’ll need a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17) that will enable you to pray for him in accordance with God’s will and perspective on the situation. Yes, you may have some great ideas, but this may not be the best time to share them with your man. Wait upon the Lord, trusting that He cares a lot more about what’s going on with your man than you do.

Warning!

Keep the content of your prayers between you and the Lord. Your man’s vulnerability is not a subject you should be sharing with your mother, your sister, or your girlfriends.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. (Ephesians 1:17)

He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)