Category:Loving God

Posted on

Adversity & Joy

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.

mr-knightlyPerhaps 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 …

Posted on

The Lord Is With You

be strong and courageous

Be strong and courageous. Trust the desire The Lord Himself put in YOUR heart. Don’t be afraid. Or discouraged. Don’t give up on your dream. Or yield to negativity. Don’t look back. Look ahead instead. Rejoice in Who God is. He’s with you always. Be encouraged. Today is not too late to embrace God’s Possibilities.

Celebrate the Victory He has prepared for you!

Here. Today. In the land of the living. It’s not too late. Nothing is impossible with God.

So stop letting the enemy talk you out of receiving God’s blessing. His “evidence” against you was voided at The Cross.

  • He can only mess with your mind and your emotions.
  • You can stop that by a simple act of your will.

You may have failed.
But YOU are not a failure.

You still have your choice in this matter! Let your will determine your destiny.

None of us can succeed if we rely solely on our mind and emotions. Our thoughts and feelings change rapidly, often without reason. Go figure.

Choose to listen to your heart instead. You invited Jesus into your heart. So that’s where He dwells. And His Spirit testifies with your spirit: You are a Beloved Child of God.

Be Strong and Courageous

Of all the people on the earth, we have Reason to be optimistic.

  • Our God is in charge.
  • We can choose to believe His Word.
  • We can fully trust Him because of Who He is.

God is Good! So don’t hold back.
Let Him talk you into Something Amazing.
Then step into Your Greatest Adventure ever!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Posted on

How to Find Joy in the Mercy of a Do-Over

do over

The Lord has given me a clear Vision of Identity and Romance in His Kingdom. Yet My Own Dream seems to be just beyond my reach. I’ve messed up a lot, to be sure. Over and over again. Maybe I’m not ready yet. How can I ever be? What am I missing?

I once believed that God was using my losses and failures to punish me. For some unknown sin or error. And I was on my own to figure it out.

But that isn’t the Character of God,
who created me and sent His Son to die for me.

Finding Hope in the Pain of a Setback

Just so you know, as if you didn’t already. I can’t fix anything. For myself or anybody else. But I can share what I’m learning in my own process. So here is what I understand about messing up when it comes to Identity and Romance:

  • Holding on to less-than-God’s-best hurts.
  • Pain gets our attention. And that’s a good thing.
  • But we only want the pain to go away. And that’s a bad thing.

Finding Joy in the Mercy of a Do-Over

The Book of Lamentations is filled with sorrowful songs. And its conclusion reminds us of The Lord’s character as we face our desired Do-Over.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Pain is a Gift – a sign that it’s time for a do-over

Unlike the folks in the Old Testament, we are not being punished for getting it wrong. Because Jesus paid the price for our sins and set us FREE from God’s wrath. So why do we hurt so much? And, no, you cannot use other people as your scapegoat.

Here are a few possibilities:

  • We will always reap whatever we sow.
  • We try to get things our own way (through manipulation, etc.).
  • We don’t understand that God has something better He wants to give us.

Maybe it’s time to let the Holy Spirit redecorate your heart!

I love how the Holy Spirit helps us pass our tests with flying colors! He’s been incredibly Merciful toward me. Pure Kindness. Ever Gentle. The Best Teacher ever!!!

So have a conversation with Him. He loves to talk with us. If you don’t believe me, give Him a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, eh?

These questions are a pretty good place to begin:

  • What are you trying to show me, Lord?
  • What am I trying to force that doesn’t fit Your Plan for my life?
  • What messed-up mindset am I holding on to that you would like to replace?

Embrace the Exciting Possibilities of Your Instead!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours. (Isaiah 61:1-7)