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Sunday, 21 February 2010

Deadly Disclosures

Amazon.com: Deadly Disclosures (Dinah Harris Mystery) (9780890515846): Julie Cave: Books
Intriguing. Provoking. Insightful. Informative. These are the words I would use to describe Julie Cave's novel, Deadly Disclosures. Using characters that are inherently human and yet competely diverse, Julie takes us right into the heart of the creation vs. evolution debate. She handles the topic with skill, respect, and a knowledge that can only come from intense research and divine revelation. This novel also reveals the heart and love of our Father in our most vulnerable times. It is a book that is hard to put down and leaves the reader anxious for the next installment of this series.

Saturday, 23 January 2010

I have heard people speak for years about tough love. I never doubted the necessity of it, but did indeed doubt my need to ever truly put it into practice. That was before my firstborn turned 18. He is a wonderful boy with an amazing heart and intelligence that he doesn't even grasp yet. He has come to a place in his life though, that every young adult must come to, when it's time for them to leave the nest. He is now learning the lessons of life the tough way, but let me tell you, tough love is just as tough on the one exercising it. I want to run in and rescue him but I can't. Today he came to visit and at first it was very difficult for me. I was battling tears and feeling anxious about him leaving and wasn't even enjoying his visit. However, something happened.

The Lord moved. He showed me times in the Word that He exercised tough love. He gave me glimpses of times in my life that He allowed me to fully experience the consequences of my actions, not because He didn't love me, but because He loved me enough. I found complete peace and the visit with my son was as peaceful and natural as if we've been living this way for years. It still makes me sad, but that's just because I'm a mother and he is my child. The great thing though is, I've learned sad isn't always bad. You can have joy and still be sad, the two are not necessarily opposites. I have joy because I serve a God that doesn't just love me enough, but He loves my son enough. He loves Ethan more than I do.

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

No more excuses

     Today is the day that I quit making excuses for remaining in bondage and start chasing my lions. I read a great book a year ago, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. The problem with that is, I read it and was inspired, but didn't act. The Bible teaches us in James that faith without works is dead. You can have all of the head knowledge in the world, but without action it is meaningless. Five weeks ago the Lord put an incredible group of ladies in my life in an extraordinary way and blessed me with a freedom that I have never known before. They prayed with me over things that have held me in bondage my entire life and the Lord set me free. I know He did. Now it is up to me to walk in it. I have to admit, sometimes running back to bondage seems so much easier because it's so familiar. However, it is not productive.
     I learned long ago that when you pray for patience, the Lord gives you opportunity to practice patience. When you pray for love, He gives you opportunity to walk in love and it is not often in a warm and fuzzy situation. I prayed for freedom and He gave me freedom. I am now receiving opportunities to walk in that freedom. I have a choice, as I was reminded of today, of whether to walk in freedom or in bondage. I have a choice if I see myself through God's eyes or my own. I look at the Bible and I so see the strangest group of people that the Lord moved through profoundly. Noah, Abraham, Rahab, Elijah, David, Paul, Peter, the list goes on and on and it is not a list of profound and exciting people. These are real people with real issues and real weaknesses that achieved great things for the Lord.   I get so wrapped up in my shortcomings that I tie His hands. I've been running around trying to convince the Lord that I have nothing to offer so I should be disqualified from serving. Ha! I have nothing to offer outside of Him. That is the absolute truth of it. Praise the Lord! If I could do it, I wouldn't need Him. I just have to be willing to let Him use me. Any gifts I have came from Him anyway, why not let Him use them?
     The point of In a Pit With a Lion is that our greatest trials can be the moments of our greatest opportunities. It is based on the story of Benaiah, who in II Samuel 23:20, chases a lion into a pit on a snowy day and he kills the lion. Seriously? He CHASED the lion. Picture that for a moment. I am worried about what people think of me and Benaiah is chasing lions. God hasn't changed. He is still in control. He gave Benaiah the strength to kill his lion and I can certainly trust Him to give me the strength to slay mine. I just have to stand up and walk in the freedom He gave me and trust Him. Two months ago that seemed impossible. Now? It seems like a no brainer and incredibly easier than letting the lions chase me.