Hey Friend,
This week I confess that I have had an identity crisis. My children are both grown so even though I will always be a "mom", I cannot identify myself as a stay-at-home mom. I'm not married so, at present, I am not a wife. I have been sidelined by extensive knee surgery that keeps me from working. Thus, I cannot call myself a teacher. I've had a bad cold and I have not been there as a friend or daughter. Zoe, my dog, looks at me wantingly for a walk that I can't even provide, so I am certainly not a good master this week. So, what am I?? Who am I??
Perhaps you wear many hats: mother, father, wife, husband, homemaker, employee, coach, chauffeur, referee, therapist, chief cook and bottle washer? But, what if all those roles were stripped away? What would you be? Who would you be?
I believe that God allows us these crises in order that we might examine, or re-examine who we truly are in Christ. If we could no longer do, strive or perform and had to just simply be, who would God say that we are? In my personal search for significance, I want to share some of the verses that spoke to me this week. Perhaps they will speak to you...God says:
"I love you." (John 3:16)
"You are my child." (John 1:12)
"You are my offspring." (Acts 17:28)
"You are fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)
"You are not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book."
(Psalm 139:15-16)
"You are Christ's friend." (John 15:15)
"You are a joint heir with Christ." (Romans 8:17)
"You are my handiwork created in Christ Jesus for good works."
(Ephesians 2:10)
"You are my treasured possession." (Exodus 19:1)
"I have carved your name in the palm of my hand." (Isaiah 49:16)
"You are my temple." (I Cor. 3:16) ...and in me you are a new creation."
(2 Cor. 5:17)
"You are my lamb and I am your shepherd." (Psalm 23:1)
This is just a sampling of the many verses I found that speak to me being "a branch of the true vine".
One of my best friends reminded me of my own words to her..."We are not human doings; we are human beings." Perhaps I need to heed my own advice. It is not what I do that completes me, it is who I am in Christ that completes me and gives me my value and worth.
"I am complete in Christ." (Colossians 2:10)
My adequacy, your adequacy comes from God and God alone. (2 Cor. 3:5). He sent His son to die for you because you are far too precious to live without; not for what you do or have done, but simply because you ARE! He created you to live in loving relationship with Him and even if one or all of your roles falls short or is stripped away, know friend that your true identity is in God through Christ Jesus and that He loves you dearly!!
Live loved this week...
Love,
Bev
ps. Shout out for a big catalyst in me starting my blog: "You're Made for a God-Sized Dream" by Holley Gerth.
Leave a comment below...I'd love to hear from you...
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Guilt - Not So Special Delivery
Hey Friend,
I hear the familiar "Beep Beep". Zoe (my dog) slides to a screeching halt, scrunches up the rug and is barking at the front door. Yes, it's the UPS truck and ooohh it's a package for me. How fun! This time it is a good gift, but later on it dawns on me how freely I accept things not meant for me.
***************************************************************
UPS Driver: "Yep, 103. This is the address."
Driver's Helper: "Say, Joe, I'm gonna need help with this one."
Driver: "Whatcha got?"
Helper: "It's a giant box marked 'GUILT' going to a Bev Duncan. Who's going
to want this?"
Driver: "It's ok; she accepts a big box of it on a regular basis..."
****************************************************************
I have to admit that guilt is one of my signature struggles. Sometimes it's the annoying "woulda, coulda, shouldas" - I would have signed up for that committee (guilt). I could have been a better friend today (guilt). I should have been a better mom (guilt). Guilt will pop up when we least expect it.
Sometimes I feel like somehow God is disappointed in me and I get this pervading sense of guilt that I should have done/been better. This is "false" guilt and Satan is at work trying to make me feel badly about myself. He comes to lie, seek and to destroy. Actual "true" guilt is something concrete that we can point our finger to and say this was wrong. Label it what it is...SIN. Sin is sin, but even if it's a really big sin, there is still wonderful news found in 1 John 1:9:
"If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." NO SIN IS TOO BIG FOR GOD'S FORGIVENESS!!
There is also a difference between Conviction and Condemnation. Conviction is the Holy Spirit gently guiding us to see the sin in our lives and pointing us in the direction of repentance and redemption. Condemnation, on the other hand, is harsh. It says you're guilty and there's no way out. But, again there is great news found in Romans 8:1:
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
If you claim Christ as your Savior, there is no condemnation...none, zippo, zilch, nada. Think of it as the Guilt exchange. We give God our guilt and He gives us His Grace.
Guilt>Grace: The price has been paid. The cross is our receipt!
Someone once said that GRACE stands for God's Redemption At Christ's Expense. It's true - God sent His Son so that we might be redeemed from our sins. Why?? Because God is Love. He loves us...HE LOVES YOU !!!
"No one is beyond his grace. No situation, anywhere on earth, is too hard for God." (J. Cymbala)
I know I've gone on at length about Guilt and ultimate Grace, but as Easter approaches, this is something I really want you to fully embrace. God loves YOU so much that He would have sent His son to die for you if you were the only person on this planet. Wow - now THAT is Love!
So when the UPS truck wants to stop at your door or my door with a package that is not meant for us, let's wave him on by. I will if you will...
Love,
Bev
ps. A great reminder of our freedom in Christ is found in the lyrics of "I Am Free to Live For You" popularized by the Newsboys. Google it and check it out.
I hear the familiar "Beep Beep". Zoe (my dog) slides to a screeching halt, scrunches up the rug and is barking at the front door. Yes, it's the UPS truck and ooohh it's a package for me. How fun! This time it is a good gift, but later on it dawns on me how freely I accept things not meant for me.
***************************************************************
UPS Driver: "Yep, 103. This is the address."
Driver's Helper: "Say, Joe, I'm gonna need help with this one."
Driver: "Whatcha got?"
Helper: "It's a giant box marked 'GUILT' going to a Bev Duncan. Who's going
to want this?"
Driver: "It's ok; she accepts a big box of it on a regular basis..."
****************************************************************
I have to admit that guilt is one of my signature struggles. Sometimes it's the annoying "woulda, coulda, shouldas" - I would have signed up for that committee (guilt). I could have been a better friend today (guilt). I should have been a better mom (guilt). Guilt will pop up when we least expect it.
Sometimes I feel like somehow God is disappointed in me and I get this pervading sense of guilt that I should have done/been better. This is "false" guilt and Satan is at work trying to make me feel badly about myself. He comes to lie, seek and to destroy. Actual "true" guilt is something concrete that we can point our finger to and say this was wrong. Label it what it is...SIN. Sin is sin, but even if it's a really big sin, there is still wonderful news found in 1 John 1:9:
"If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." NO SIN IS TOO BIG FOR GOD'S FORGIVENESS!!
There is also a difference between Conviction and Condemnation. Conviction is the Holy Spirit gently guiding us to see the sin in our lives and pointing us in the direction of repentance and redemption. Condemnation, on the other hand, is harsh. It says you're guilty and there's no way out. But, again there is great news found in Romans 8:1:
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
If you claim Christ as your Savior, there is no condemnation...none, zippo, zilch, nada. Think of it as the Guilt exchange. We give God our guilt and He gives us His Grace.
Guilt>Grace: The price has been paid. The cross is our receipt!
Someone once said that GRACE stands for God's Redemption At Christ's Expense. It's true - God sent His Son so that we might be redeemed from our sins. Why?? Because God is Love. He loves us...HE LOVES YOU !!!
"No one is beyond his grace. No situation, anywhere on earth, is too hard for God." (J. Cymbala)
I know I've gone on at length about Guilt and ultimate Grace, but as Easter approaches, this is something I really want you to fully embrace. God loves YOU so much that He would have sent His son to die for you if you were the only person on this planet. Wow - now THAT is Love!
So when the UPS truck wants to stop at your door or my door with a package that is not meant for us, let's wave him on by. I will if you will...
Love,
Bev
ps. A great reminder of our freedom in Christ is found in the lyrics of "I Am Free to Live For You" popularized by the Newsboys. Google it and check it out.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Zipline
Hey Friend,
When friends come over to my house, I jokingly tell them to sign in with their initials in the dust on my coffee table. I may not be the world's tidiest housekeeper, but I can cook! The other day I was actually dusting and I stopped to gaze at a gorgeous framed picture from my family's wonderful trip to a piece of paradise in Kauai.
What an imaginative playground God has given us. My daughter and I snorkeled close enough to reach out and touch the huge, graceful sea turtles and were amazed at the coral reef teeming with colorful fish only God could have dreamt up. How you could see all that and not say there is a God, I don't know?
In a brave moment, I decided to be daring and go ziplining through the rain forest canopy. The first joke was that they gave me a helmet to wear that wouldn't do diddly if I fell hundreds of feet to my certain death below. I was harnessed in with a matrix of belts and buckles. Then came the best part...I was hooked up with a single cable to this other zipline cable that would take me whizzing (perhaps literally) over the "Jurassic Park" landscape below.
I looked at that one wire that was going to get me from here to there and I thought, how many times in my life have I felt as if I were just barely hanging on by a thread; by a single wire?? When despair and trials hit, that one line seemed tenuous at best. But...
That line is our life line. It is God's hand reaching down and grabbing hold of us. Even when we can't hold onto Him, He holds onto us. Thankfully, God's hand is strong and mighty.
"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and who says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:13)
"You are always with me; you hold me by my right hand..." (Psalm 73:23)
The promise of God's presence limits how far down you can go!!
God also provides a safety net below with his loving arms. I call that net I AM WITH YOU. Though I may dip down God promises:
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah 43:2)
When I realize that God is with me, my perspective changes. I have confidence in that one line, my life line, holding me. I know He will hold me and never leave nor forsake me.
And so....I let go... zipping through the trees with the sun on my face, I know He is with me.
Love,
Bev
ps. If you are holding on by a single thread right now, know that I am praying for you! You matter! Feel free to confidentially contact me if you have a specific prayer request: bevduncan103@yahoo.com
When friends come over to my house, I jokingly tell them to sign in with their initials in the dust on my coffee table. I may not be the world's tidiest housekeeper, but I can cook! The other day I was actually dusting and I stopped to gaze at a gorgeous framed picture from my family's wonderful trip to a piece of paradise in Kauai.
What an imaginative playground God has given us. My daughter and I snorkeled close enough to reach out and touch the huge, graceful sea turtles and were amazed at the coral reef teeming with colorful fish only God could have dreamt up. How you could see all that and not say there is a God, I don't know?
In a brave moment, I decided to be daring and go ziplining through the rain forest canopy. The first joke was that they gave me a helmet to wear that wouldn't do diddly if I fell hundreds of feet to my certain death below. I was harnessed in with a matrix of belts and buckles. Then came the best part...I was hooked up with a single cable to this other zipline cable that would take me whizzing (perhaps literally) over the "Jurassic Park" landscape below.
I looked at that one wire that was going to get me from here to there and I thought, how many times in my life have I felt as if I were just barely hanging on by a thread; by a single wire?? When despair and trials hit, that one line seemed tenuous at best. But...
That line is our life line. It is God's hand reaching down and grabbing hold of us. Even when we can't hold onto Him, He holds onto us. Thankfully, God's hand is strong and mighty.
"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and who says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:13)
"You are always with me; you hold me by my right hand..." (Psalm 73:23)
The promise of God's presence limits how far down you can go!!
God also provides a safety net below with his loving arms. I call that net I AM WITH YOU. Though I may dip down God promises:
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah 43:2)
When I realize that God is with me, my perspective changes. I have confidence in that one line, my life line, holding me. I know He will hold me and never leave nor forsake me.
And so....I let go... zipping through the trees with the sun on my face, I know He is with me.
Love,
Bev
ps. If you are holding on by a single thread right now, know that I am praying for you! You matter! Feel free to confidentially contact me if you have a specific prayer request: bevduncan103@yahoo.com
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Behind Every Door There's a Story
Hey Friend,
Are you like me? When you take a walk around your neighborhood, do you look at the houses...ooh I like that one? Or do you sometimes look at the yard and if it is well manicured you surmise that those people must really have their act together?? I do. I don't mean to, but I do. I come to conclusions based upon what the outside of their house looks like.
But, behind every manicured lawn; behind every door there is a story. Perhaps behind the door with the nice wreath is a son who has been in rehab for the third time. Behind that red door is a marriage that is barely hanging on. The green door is home to a family with an autistic child. What stories lie behind the other doors?? An alcoholic? A mother out of work? Pornography addiction? Mental illness? Abuse? The list could go on and on.
So why do we hide behind our pristine lawns? Why do we wear masks? Why do we say "fine" when someone asks us how we are? I think if we were honest with ourselves it would be because we are afraid that if someone knew us...I mean really KNEW us, just as we are, we wouldn't be accepted. Secular society doesn't help either. It promotes image management. Have you ever received one of those nauseating Christmas letters in which everyone's life sounds like a fairytale? It begs the question....What if we were REAL??
What if we followed Jesus' example and accepted people just as they are? The second commandment (which means it's really important) is to "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Do I make it comfortable for others to be really REAL around me? Do I make myself REAL to them? Am I willing to drop the mask and risk being transparent? I think that's what God would have us do.
He speaks very clearly to how we can love others as we love ourselves...
"A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)
"A friend loveth at ALL (emphasis mine) times." (Proverbs 17:17)
"Carry each others burdens..." (Galatians 6:2)
In order to carry each others burdens, we need to be real first. My friend Cathy and I share a special bond because we dared to be real. We both shared that we deal with anxiety and depression. Neither of us looked with judgment upon the other and it has helped both of us tremendously get through the trials, and celebrate the joys of life.
I'll end this post with the lyrics of a song by Christian recording artist Mandisa. The title of the song is "What If We Were Real":
We keep trying to make it look so nice.
And we keep hiding what's going on inside,
But what if I share my brokenness?
What if you share how you feel?
And what if we weren't afraid of this crazy mess,
What if were real?
What's behind your door? What if you dared to share your brokenness? What if we were real?...
Love,
Bev
What brings us true JOY?? Putting J-Jesus first; O- Others second and Y-Yourself last. Simple equation but it works.
Are you like me? When you take a walk around your neighborhood, do you look at the houses...ooh I like that one? Or do you sometimes look at the yard and if it is well manicured you surmise that those people must really have their act together?? I do. I don't mean to, but I do. I come to conclusions based upon what the outside of their house looks like.
But, behind every manicured lawn; behind every door there is a story. Perhaps behind the door with the nice wreath is a son who has been in rehab for the third time. Behind that red door is a marriage that is barely hanging on. The green door is home to a family with an autistic child. What stories lie behind the other doors?? An alcoholic? A mother out of work? Pornography addiction? Mental illness? Abuse? The list could go on and on.
So why do we hide behind our pristine lawns? Why do we wear masks? Why do we say "fine" when someone asks us how we are? I think if we were honest with ourselves it would be because we are afraid that if someone knew us...I mean really KNEW us, just as we are, we wouldn't be accepted. Secular society doesn't help either. It promotes image management. Have you ever received one of those nauseating Christmas letters in which everyone's life sounds like a fairytale? It begs the question....What if we were REAL??
What if we followed Jesus' example and accepted people just as they are? The second commandment (which means it's really important) is to "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Do I make it comfortable for others to be really REAL around me? Do I make myself REAL to them? Am I willing to drop the mask and risk being transparent? I think that's what God would have us do.
He speaks very clearly to how we can love others as we love ourselves...
"A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)
"A friend loveth at ALL (emphasis mine) times." (Proverbs 17:17)
"Carry each others burdens..." (Galatians 6:2)
In order to carry each others burdens, we need to be real first. My friend Cathy and I share a special bond because we dared to be real. We both shared that we deal with anxiety and depression. Neither of us looked with judgment upon the other and it has helped both of us tremendously get through the trials, and celebrate the joys of life.
I'll end this post with the lyrics of a song by Christian recording artist Mandisa. The title of the song is "What If We Were Real":
We keep trying to make it look so nice.
And we keep hiding what's going on inside,
But what if I share my brokenness?
What if you share how you feel?
And what if we weren't afraid of this crazy mess,
What if were real?
What's behind your door? What if you dared to share your brokenness? What if we were real?...
Love,
Bev
What brings us true JOY?? Putting J-Jesus first; O- Others second and Y-Yourself last. Simple equation but it works.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
When You Feel Like Screaming
Hey Friend,
Yesterday I felt like screaming. Why? Because it's been four months since I've been able to take my dog or just take myself on a long walk. Knee surgery, meant to help in the long run, has rendered me unable to walk more than a block or two without disabling pain.
With beautiful weather here in the south, I watch as dogs and people walk happily past my yard. Ugh!!! I want to scream, but some people think that Christians should handle pain or disappointment with stoic, silent reservation...find joy in our suffering. Okay...I know...but still I want to scream.
Think about it...God gave us lungs to scream in joy or in pain. He gave us tear ducts from which to shed tears. Think further. What do lots of babies do upon entering this world? They scream and cry. Why? Because they've just been pushed and pulled into a place they really don't like. It's new and harsh and uncomfortable here. They are protesting!
But, ahhhh to be placed in mother's arms.
"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." (John 14:18)
I am reminded by a friend to take my recuperation one day at a time. (Truth I sometimes don't want to hear.)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet..." (Psalm 119:105)
God lights our path one step at a time. He may not show us miles ahead, but just enough to put one foot in front of the other.
Yesterday really stunk, big time! But, today is a little better. Rarely is the journey progressively upward each and every day.
God promises that "His mercies are new every morning..." (Lamentations 3:23)
Want to scream? Then scream. I'll scream with you...then know that God is bigger than all of this. He's got this. Better yet - He's got you!
Great is His faithfulness one day at a time.
Love,
Bev
Yesterday I felt like screaming. Why? Because it's been four months since I've been able to take my dog or just take myself on a long walk. Knee surgery, meant to help in the long run, has rendered me unable to walk more than a block or two without disabling pain.
With beautiful weather here in the south, I watch as dogs and people walk happily past my yard. Ugh!!! I want to scream, but some people think that Christians should handle pain or disappointment with stoic, silent reservation...find joy in our suffering. Okay...I know...but still I want to scream.
Think about it...God gave us lungs to scream in joy or in pain. He gave us tear ducts from which to shed tears. Think further. What do lots of babies do upon entering this world? They scream and cry. Why? Because they've just been pushed and pulled into a place they really don't like. It's new and harsh and uncomfortable here. They are protesting!
But, ahhhh to be placed in mother's arms.
"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." (John 14:18)
I am reminded by a friend to take my recuperation one day at a time. (Truth I sometimes don't want to hear.)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet..." (Psalm 119:105)
God lights our path one step at a time. He may not show us miles ahead, but just enough to put one foot in front of the other.
Yesterday really stunk, big time! But, today is a little better. Rarely is the journey progressively upward each and every day.
God promises that "His mercies are new every morning..." (Lamentations 3:23)
Want to scream? Then scream. I'll scream with you...then know that God is bigger than all of this. He's got this. Better yet - He's got you!
Great is His faithfulness one day at a time.
Love,
Bev
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Church Lady? I Think Not...
Hey Friend, (Hey is southern speak for "Hi")
I'm glad you were curious enough to peek in on my blog to see what it is I am blogging about. This entry may be a little longer than most because I want to give you a chance to get to know me. Many of you already know me to some degree, but the only one who truly knows everything about me; about you, is God.
Thanks go to my wonderful friend Jan, who has encouraged me through so many trials to keep, hand in hand, walking well with God. Thus the name of my blog.
In the late 80's, around the time that my daughter Nicole was born (yes, I'm dating myself), there was a skit on Saturday Night Live entitled "Church Lady". Church Lady had a show that was called 'Church Chat'. Funny stuff. The very sad thing, however, is that skit was a spoof on how most people saw Christians or "religious people" - as judgmental, self-righteous, beat you over the head with a Bible, know it alls. That is precisely what I DON'T want this blog to be.
Face it, we get beat up by the world enough these days, I want this place, my blog, to be a place of encouragement. I promise to be real if you do. Deal??
Speaking of real...when my kids were in that snarky middle school stage they used to jokingly tease me and call me "Bible Lady" because I would quote a scripture as it pertained to their life; my life; the situation at hand or to desperately calm myself before I wrung their scrawny little necks. It was those scriptures that I have continued to cling to and add to over the years. It's no coincidence that in times of trial the one thing that may have gotten me through is clinging to one scripture that God had given me as my life line.
As you will come to know, I am living proof that the prosperity theory of Christianity (become a Christian and your life will go swimmingly) is just not true. In fact it can be just the opposite. Some writers make it sound easy to give thanks in the midst of life's trials. I can thank God for all my trials, but to be honest it may not be until they are a distant image in my rearview mirror that I am able to give thanks. I have shaken my fist at God. I have wondered if He just up and bailed on me. I have cried out to Him in pain - wondering if He could hear me?? I have tried to give thanks in my trials. Sometimes I was successful and other times not so much. I do know that my God is big enough to handle whatever I hand to Him.
Here comes the scary part...where I get to be real. I have put off or found excuses not to write this part. Why? because it's scary to be known. In a world of "image management" one would not air such dirty laundry in public as my mom would say. But, I think it is important to be transparent. I want this to be a place where you can feel allright about being real and having real emotions and feelings.
I have experienced losing a job that I loved. I have suffered with various health issues and surgeries. I have lived with, and dealt with mental illness most of my life (ocd anxiety and depression). I have wept over secondary infertility. I know the pain of infidelity and the plain and simple awfulness of divorce. I have felt lonely. I have survived raising two children from potty training through hormones, hijinks and flat out poor choices as teenagers. All I need is a plague of locusts and the list would be complete.
Before you feel sorry for me which is not my intent, let me tell you that I have been blessed with tremendous "mountain top" experiences. I have known abundant joy, love, pleasure, happiness and hold your stomach until it hurts laughter. God IS good!
I don't think you can know true joy unless you have experienced true pain.
A friend once told me, "If perseverance was a class, you would get an A+."
That same friend has encouraged me to keep walking well with God through all of it - the good, the bad, the ugly. I want to keep encouraging you to walk well with God (maybe you don't even know Him or if He exists). Wherever you are; whatever you are dealing with, He loves you...no HE LOVES YOU!!! He wants nothing more than to take your hand and walk well through whatever joy or pain you may be experiencing and if you need a reminder...that's what I'm here for.
Thank you for your patience in reading all of this. My next post will be a fraction of this. I promise. At this point, I plan to write as the Spirit moves me. It may be once a week or perhaps more often as time goes on. If you want to be sure to hear from me you can subscribe and I will be happy to pop in once a week to your inbox. I encourage you to leave a comment below.
Let's keep leaning, trusting and learning to Walk Well With God!!
Love,
Bev
ps. This is my "life scripture" that I would like to share with you...David is speaking. "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and be in awe and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3)
I'm glad you were curious enough to peek in on my blog to see what it is I am blogging about. This entry may be a little longer than most because I want to give you a chance to get to know me. Many of you already know me to some degree, but the only one who truly knows everything about me; about you, is God.
Thanks go to my wonderful friend Jan, who has encouraged me through so many trials to keep, hand in hand, walking well with God. Thus the name of my blog.
In the late 80's, around the time that my daughter Nicole was born (yes, I'm dating myself), there was a skit on Saturday Night Live entitled "Church Lady". Church Lady had a show that was called 'Church Chat'. Funny stuff. The very sad thing, however, is that skit was a spoof on how most people saw Christians or "religious people" - as judgmental, self-righteous, beat you over the head with a Bible, know it alls. That is precisely what I DON'T want this blog to be.
Face it, we get beat up by the world enough these days, I want this place, my blog, to be a place of encouragement. I promise to be real if you do. Deal??
Speaking of real...when my kids were in that snarky middle school stage they used to jokingly tease me and call me "Bible Lady" because I would quote a scripture as it pertained to their life; my life; the situation at hand or to desperately calm myself before I wrung their scrawny little necks. It was those scriptures that I have continued to cling to and add to over the years. It's no coincidence that in times of trial the one thing that may have gotten me through is clinging to one scripture that God had given me as my life line.
As you will come to know, I am living proof that the prosperity theory of Christianity (become a Christian and your life will go swimmingly) is just not true. In fact it can be just the opposite. Some writers make it sound easy to give thanks in the midst of life's trials. I can thank God for all my trials, but to be honest it may not be until they are a distant image in my rearview mirror that I am able to give thanks. I have shaken my fist at God. I have wondered if He just up and bailed on me. I have cried out to Him in pain - wondering if He could hear me?? I have tried to give thanks in my trials. Sometimes I was successful and other times not so much. I do know that my God is big enough to handle whatever I hand to Him.
Here comes the scary part...where I get to be real. I have put off or found excuses not to write this part. Why? because it's scary to be known. In a world of "image management" one would not air such dirty laundry in public as my mom would say. But, I think it is important to be transparent. I want this to be a place where you can feel allright about being real and having real emotions and feelings.
I have experienced losing a job that I loved. I have suffered with various health issues and surgeries. I have lived with, and dealt with mental illness most of my life (ocd anxiety and depression). I have wept over secondary infertility. I know the pain of infidelity and the plain and simple awfulness of divorce. I have felt lonely. I have survived raising two children from potty training through hormones, hijinks and flat out poor choices as teenagers. All I need is a plague of locusts and the list would be complete.
Before you feel sorry for me which is not my intent, let me tell you that I have been blessed with tremendous "mountain top" experiences. I have known abundant joy, love, pleasure, happiness and hold your stomach until it hurts laughter. God IS good!
I don't think you can know true joy unless you have experienced true pain.
A friend once told me, "If perseverance was a class, you would get an A+."
That same friend has encouraged me to keep walking well with God through all of it - the good, the bad, the ugly. I want to keep encouraging you to walk well with God (maybe you don't even know Him or if He exists). Wherever you are; whatever you are dealing with, He loves you...no HE LOVES YOU!!! He wants nothing more than to take your hand and walk well through whatever joy or pain you may be experiencing and if you need a reminder...that's what I'm here for.
Thank you for your patience in reading all of this. My next post will be a fraction of this. I promise. At this point, I plan to write as the Spirit moves me. It may be once a week or perhaps more often as time goes on. If you want to be sure to hear from me you can subscribe and I will be happy to pop in once a week to your inbox. I encourage you to leave a comment below.
Let's keep leaning, trusting and learning to Walk Well With God!!
Love,
Bev
ps. This is my "life scripture" that I would like to share with you...David is speaking. "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and be in awe and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)