Who are you?

Our church is doing an awesome series called "Who do you think you are?" It really has opened my eyes to who I am in Christ. You should check it out at lifechurch.tv!
I have noticed that there are many times, my view of myself does not match up to how God views me.
I had the to opportunity a while back to give the prayer at the Lakers/Thunder basketball game. It was a really neat experience, but something happened during the experience that has stuck in my head ever since. My husband and I were walking down the tunnel to the court where I would wait until they called me to center court. This tunnel was also the tunnel that the Lakers players walked through as well. As we were walking through we heard fans above us say, "Wait, Wait here comes somebody." I was feeling pretty good about myself-yep! I am somebody.....that lasted for about 5 seconds. As we were coming out of the tunnel, we then heard them say, "Nah-it's nobody." Wow! I just went from somebody to nobody in the matter of 5 seconds. What changed in that 5 seconds? Was I really a nobody? Well, yes to the crazy Laker fans I was, but to the King of Kings I was still somebody!!!
We all go through those times of identity crisis of Who am I? Our identity can get wrapped up in being a mom, wife, teacher, friend, supporter, cheerleader, and sometimes feeling like a nobody. These are not who we are, they are what God has called us to do.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (or daughters) of God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you

have received the Spirit of adoption , by whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children of God then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..."

Romans 8:14-17

We are loved, beautiful, and above all.....somebody!! Oh and not just anybody, we are daughters of the King of Kings-princesses if you will! We are co-heirs to the throne with Christ Himself!

Last night, I was at an FCA event where Landry Jones, quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, shared his faith and there was one thing he talked about that hit me like a rock. He was explaining that when Jesus was baptized, the first thing God says is, "This is my son." Jesus then when into the wilderness for 40 days. After the 40 days, Satan came to him to tempt him 3 times and the first thing the enemy said was, "If you are the son of God..." If our enemy can make us doubt our identity then he can make us doubt our purpose. And if we doubt our purpose, we miss out on all the things God want to do in and through us. Jesus came out of the wilderness defeating the enemy because He knew who he was and therefore, knew his purpose. The bible says he then came out of the wilderness filled with the Holy Spirit. How we respond to the wilderness determines if we come out empowered by the Holy Spirit. Isn't that powerful?!!!!

Do not let the enemy make you doubt who you are! You are God's Daughter and you do have purpose!! Be excited...You are somebody!!!!!

Day of Love

Happy Valentines Day, girls!!

I woke up this morning so excited about Valentine's Day-I love Valentine's Day because it is a day set aside to celebrate those we love! Ready to start my day of love, I turned on the radio to hear people talk about how they hate Valentine's Day. I then get on facebook and read post after post about how they hate Valentine's Day too. People hate it because they are single, they hate to buy stuff, they hate it because their spouse will once more disappoint this Valentine's Day. I've been awake 3 hours on this day of love and I am depressed! What!! This is crazy!

We are suppose to celebrate LOVE today and the Bible says God IS Love so why are we not celebrating God today? Girls, it is time to change the focus on this day to the way St. Valentine first intended-celebrate the love God has for us and that we have for others!
The bible says in 1 John 4:19, "We love each other because God first loved us." And how did he love us? Well...."God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. I don't care if you are single, married, divorced, or separated, you have something to celebrate today: You have a God that LOVED YOU so much that He was willing to die for you! Jesus gave his life so that you could spend eternity with him. Does love get any better than that? You are loved! Celebrate!

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11

Notice it didn't say since God loved us, we should sit and wait for others to love on us too. No!!! We are to go out and show each other the same love that God shows us. You may not get flowers today, but you can sure send some. You may not have big dinner plans, but you can sure take some one to dinner. You may not feel loved today, but you can sure show love today. I am super excited to show love to a friend today who lost her husband to cancer 6 weeks ago by taking her to lunch. I want to love on her because she needs it. There is someone in your life that could use some love shown to them today and you could be that someone.

In the letter to the church of Ephesus in the Book of Revelation, Jesus tells them they have abandoned their first love-Him. This day is not about flowers, chocolates, or cupid etc. It is about returning to our first love, Jesus. I do love my husband, but He is not my first love. I do love my children, but they are not my first love. I love my friends, but they are not my first love. This Valentine's Day, lets return to our first love, the one who laid down His life for us. Then, let's show others how much we love them! This is the day of Love! And God is Love so let's celebrate by loving others!!!

Oh and last thing.........

I Love You!!!

The "Times" and "Seasons" in our life

Good Morning, Ladies!

Do you know how excited I am to write to you all today? Super excited! Why? Because that means I am not snowed in my house in Oklahoma! Last week was crazy and not the crazy that I am used to. This was stir crazy. As much as I loved the time I got to hang out with my family roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, getting my rear kicked in the Dora Matching game, and watching countless movies-this snow storm was not letting us do what we wanted to do. This storm was not letting us keep our schedule. This storm found us asking,at times, "is the winter season almost over yet?"

Isn't this what we do when we go through storms of life? We want to ask God why this is happening because this was not in the plans that we had. This storm in our life is not letting me do what I want to do. Is this stormy season in my life almost over, God?
The disciples asked Jesus a similar question in Acts 1:6, "So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?"

This was their way of saying, "Jesus, is our storm over yet?" They had waited a long time for Israel to come back into power. In their mind, that is what the Messiah was suppose to do. Jesus was suppose to restore Israel into a great nation once again. The disciples wanted and thought they needed to know if this time in their life was going to be over, this season was going to pass. "Is it now Jesus, is it now?"

We might be asking Jesus, "Is it time for my season of having a struggling marriage, over?"
"Is it time for my season of having a rebellious child, over?" Is it time for my season of having a job I don't like, over? "Is it time for my season of struggling with depression, over?" Is it time for my season of having sick kids, over?

Let the answer Jesus gave to his disciples be the same answer He want to give us today:
"It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."

If you are like me this is not really the answer we want, but it is the answer we need! He is asking us to trust Him with our entire being and that means with our questions, our hard times, and yes, our stormy seasons.
Here is the encouragement....
Being married to a football coach, I have to get ready for the season mentally, spiritually, relationally, and physically because I become single mom, my husband's number one fan, confidant, cheerleader, and his water girl. As hard, fun, and crazy as it is, there is always one thing that I can count on...off-season. The season does end and there is always an off-season. A time where we get to reconnect, re-energize, and re-load.

We need to be reminded that we may not get to know when the stormy seasons in our life ends, but just that they do and until they do God will give us the Power to sustain and become stronger! I read this statement in a book I was reading and loved it: "We are promised in the 23rd Psalm, that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death-we don't set up camp there."

So... as we prepare for another snow storm this week in Oklahoma, I know this too, will pass and Spring will come. You may not know when your storm will pass, but trust that Jesus does and will see you through to your Spring Time!

I Need to Vent

Hey girls!

It is a Monday morning and there are things I would like to get off my chest today! I just want to use you all as someone to vent, so here goes....

1) I hate it when that girl says one thing and does another. Doesn't she know the Bible says, Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." Proverbs 12 :22

2) I hate it when that girl uses her words to hurt the hearts of people. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Don't let any unwholesome talk come from your mouth, but only that which is used to build people up according to their needs." Ephesians 4:29

3) I hate it when that girl judges people about things she doesn't struggle with. Doesn't she know the Bible says to take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the plank in your brothers eye." Luke 6:41

4) I hate it when that girl thinks she is just a little bit better than some people and then the next minute thinks she doesn't measure up to anybody. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "...not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement." Romans 12:3 and she is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:4

5) I hate it when that girl thinks just because other people do it differently doesn't make them wrong OR herself wrong....just different. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Having gifts that differ according the grace given to us, let us us them." Romans 12:6

6) I hate it when that girl speaks when she should be silent. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "there is a time to speak and there is a time to be silent." Ecclesiastes 3:7

7) I hate it when that girl doesn't listen to the advice of others and thinks she's right all the time. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15

8)I hate it when that girl looks at other people's children and says "My kids will never act like that." Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord." Psalm 127:3

9) I hate it when that girl open her mouth and all it is is complaining and negativity. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

And the thing I HATE the most is.....

10) When "That Girl" is ME! And Yes I do know the Bible says all those things!

I have been wanting to write a blog post for awhile about the "elephant in the room" -The horrible things we, as woman, do and say. Honestly, I was ready to write it a long time ago because I wanted to vent about what I was seeing in other women, but God showed me with each instance I witnessed (and was extremely angry about) that I, too, had done each and everyone of them and it made me sick. We live in a world where we size each other up and then work to tear each other down when God wants us to ENCOURAGE one another, speak TRUTH and GRACE to those around us, don't get so offended when someone speaks WISDOM in your life, BUILD UP our friends, parents, sisters, husbands, AND enemies. He wants us to ENCOURAGE a mom who might be struggling with a child in a store. He wants us to be SLOW to SPEAK when we really want to share what is on our mind right then. He wants us to SEE people the way that HE sees them-with unconditional LOVE. He wants us to be who HE created us to be and NOBODY ELSE. When we compare ourselves to one another, good or bad, we break the heart of God because that means we are not satisfied with who He created us to be.
I really do hate these things that I do and I know that God does too, but HE still loves me and you!

What it all comes down to is we want to be loved and accepted and I am hear to remind YOU and ME that God loves you and He loves me. So....who can we extend that LOVE, GRACE, and ENCOURAGEMENT, that God so freely gives to us, to today?

Faith of the 3

Each morning before we go to school I read the Bible to the kids and before we go to bed we do a devotion over what we read that morning. I love hearing how their little minds take in the Word of God. It's never quite how we (the parents) think. This morning, we were reading about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown in the fire by King Nebuchadnezzar because they would not bow down to the king's statue. While I was trying to teach my children that it wasn't because of a superhero superpower like on the Fantastic Four that the reason the 3 weren't being burned up, God opened my own eyes to the Faith of these 3 boys. It was one comment that made me look inside myself and ask "Do I have that kind of Faith?"

In Daniel 3:16-18 it says, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the King, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

There were a few things that spoke to me and maybe it will speak to you too:) First, they didn't feel the need to defend themselves. Wow! They didn't defend themselves. They didn't try to talk their way out of why God is the one true God. They showed it with their actions. Do you ever feel like you have to defend Jesus in this world? I do all the time. I feel like I defend the Bible, Jesus, my faith and honestly it feels like I am beating a dead horse sometimes. These boys showed me you don't defend your faith with words, but show your faith with actions. You don't defend Jesus, you show Jesus. You don't defend your church, you be the church.

The second thing I learned was no matter what the outcome was going to be, they chose to see the goodness of God for who He was not for what He could do for them. They believed God was the all-powerful, all-knowing God that was able to save them, but even if He didn't save them, their view of Him never changed: God was still the great God Almighty. Can we say the same for our faith in God?

"God, I believe you can heal my mom, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you can save my marriage, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you will make me a mother someday, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you will provide a new job, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty."

I want to have the kind of faith that my circumstances do not change how Great our God is!

Last God showed me its easier to stand up for the things of God when you have people to stand with you! The Bible says in Ecclesiastes, "Two are better than one for they have good return for their work. For if one falls down, they have someone to pick them up, but pity the man that falls and has no one to pick them up."
That is what is so amazing about having a spouse, a friend, a mom, a sister etc. You can pick each other up, spur each other on, encourage one another and when your faith is tested you have someone to stand with you to fight, fight, fight!!
We need to surround ourselves with people that love the Lord and who are willing to walk into the burning furnace with us for the cause of Christ!

When your faith is tested, will you get burned?

One Down Payment you can be excited about!

Do you like to shop? Oh I do! It doesn't matter what it is for I love to shop! I love to shop for my kids, for other people, myself. It doesn't matter if it is a new vacuum sweeper (which I just got and was so excited) or going to a garage sale, I love to shop. And even though I love to shop, I am also very very frugal. I have read the books, watched the Dave Ramsey videos, and done all my home work on how to be a good steward of my money so when today I read these words in my quiet time with God they just jumped off the page: God gave us a down payment for what is to come. Down payment? That is like a dirty word for those who follow the rules of becoming debt free. You aren't suppose to have a down payment, you are suppose to pay it in full! So I read the verse in its entirety and those dirty words fired me up!

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a down payment, guaranteeing what it is to come." 1 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Don't you just love that verse?!! The Joy that we feel as a follower of Christ, knowing and trusting that God ALWAYS has our best interest in mind and is in complete control of our everyday lives is just a down payment for what is to come. The Hope that we feel as a follower of Christ, that even when things are not going so well, He will work all things to the good of those who love Him is just a down payment for what is to come. The Comfort that we feel in knowing the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that lives in us is just a down payment for what is to come.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9 it says it this way, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

So whatever you are facing today, good, bad, and everything in between I pray this is an encouragement for you. You can have Hope, Feel Love, and have Comfort because You were paid for in FULL by the blood of Christ, but these are just a down payment for what is to come! Now that is a down payment I can be excited about!

My Word for 2011

I hope you each had an awesome Christmas and New Years Day!!!

I don't know about you, but usually every year about this time I always think about how I am going to be different. You may call them New Year's Resolutions or life changers, but it is always the same: work out more, eat better, be healthier, spend more time with God and on and on and on. Every year it starts the same, but every year it ends the same too- I have failed.....miserably.

But 2010 was different (the workouts-not so much). I challenged myself last year to just spend time reading the gospels. Soaking all I could of Jesus' red letters through the eyes of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I also picked a word to focus on 2010 and it was humility. Yep-I was humbled. My eyes were opened to how big God is and how small I am, yet He still uses me.

My word for 2011......Fearless. Ironically, this is one of the topics I speak on at Women's events all the time and yet I still am so fearful. I don't walk around looking like I'm in a Wes Craven horror movie all the time. If you were around me you probably wouldn't even know. My fear resonates as worry. I am a worry wort and I am tired of it. Worry is just fear that God isn't in control. I worry about my husband. I worry about my children. I worry that I am not hearing God. I worry about money. I worry about loved ones. I worry about what the world is coming to. I worry about the ministry God has given me in FCA. I worry that I can't do it all and when I can't what will suffer. I worry about being a good wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter, minister. Yep-I worry, but not anymore.

My verse for the year will be Psalm 27:1-3:

The Lord is my light and my salvation

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

whom shall be afraid?

When evil doers assail me to eat up

my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is

they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear; though war arise

against me, yet I will be confident.

I will not worry because that is fear and I will not have fear because the Lord is my light and my salvation. I will not fear what the world has for me this year. I will not fear what the enemy has for me this year. I will not fear the unknown of 2011 because my God is the God of the stinkin universe. My confidence will come from God and God alone. I will live like my God is in control. I will live like the King of Kings is my father. I will live like I am co-heir of the throne with Jesus. I will live like the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. I will live fearless!

So....What's your word?