Top 10 things I’ve learned lately…

So I am re-entering the blog world... mostly to record thoughts and things God gives me but to also encourage others who might want to read. I share what God gives me so it can overflow into others and hopefully be an encouragement. This first entry is a little rough... actually my notes from staff devotions last week but a plethora of encouragement all in one place that God has given me these past few months…

The Top 10 Things I’ve Learned through Life Lately...

1. God needs examples that stick with Him through the hard stuff.  Job 2:3 (and Job 1:8) Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless--a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause."  Lysa Terkeurst (Proverbs 31 ministries) my example, my Job  “God permitted Job to suffer because He was proud of him. He trusted Him. The patriarch was Jehovah’s answer to Satan’s challenge; he was his Maker’s ‘trophy’” (Jackson 14).  ... sometimes I have to wonder if behind closed doors & behind brave smiles, there's a whole bunch of us marching on private battles nobody knows about, climbing hard mountains that nobody sees, wrestling tough things that nobody has any idea about. But us? We do hard & holy things. We stay in play. We stay in the game. *We stay in Him.* Because the really mattering part? The mattering part is that: Blessed is the one who perseveres & does the hard things. Tough times *never last* but those who *hang on tight to God always do.* And the thing is? He's already hanging on tight to you. Rest in His promises. You are never alone. Ann Voskamp

Sometimes sharing our story can give others the hope they need! It's never just been about our individual stories and how God fits into them. Rather, it's about God's family and how we get to live in our purpose in the beautiful masterpiece of God's story. First5

2.We need CONFIDENT PEACE. • I’ve always considered myself a pretty peaceful person. One thing I am learning, though, is that worry and fear eradicate (destroy, put an end to) peace. • Fear is a tactic of the enemy and is an attack on our faith. • After so many attacks, I became somewhat pessimistic and that was not living in hope and positive expectation (where I enjoy being) but in fear. • Example: After Jairus got that concussion out of nowhere... I became really fearful of from where the next attack would come. It was extremely hard for me to let Asher go to that State Volleyball game in the bus. I realized that the enemy had gotten in my head and had to reset my thoughts on my Good Father and trust Him. • Ephesians 4:23 “instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

3.Patience with the Process and withPeople. • Process… Remember there is a purpose to this process. Be patient. Trust that God is working. • People are harder… As I’ve dealt with big stuff recently sometimes those who are self centered or make a big deal out of the small stuff REALLY started getting on my nerves. I am one who usually has quite a bit of patience (K teacher 😊) but sometimes stressful situations don’t bring out the best in people. I’m still learning to deal with people in love no matter what they do or don’t do. • “If we only focus on what others are doing to us rather than what God will do for us, we will scheme solutions to problems God doesn't need our help to solve. What a waste. I know God is just. I know God is all-knowing and omniscient. I know God will not let the wicked prosper forever.” • Something else I read around this time was... “They’re not giving me a hard time, they’re having a hard time.” • “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT

4.Hard stuff helps you see clearer what is really important in life. • There is a really big difference between the world’s temporary mindset and eternity’s mindset. • Sometimes expectations become unrealistic. When someone is struggling... sometimes all they can see is their problem. There were times I tried my best but still disappointed people. Don’t let this distract you. Good boundaries are important. • Go back to eternity mindset and choose well. The One I am trying to please is my Heavenly Father. He also gave us order of priority in Genesis 2. I leave my father and mother and cleave to my husband. I still care for my parents but not to the detriment of my husband and kids. • “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”Matthew 6:31-33 NLT

5.Know the Enemy has been defeated and the only way he can win is if I choose to turn away from God. • It’s kind of weird being in a battle that is already won. It’s not natural. But neither is God. One morning I had just had it with the enemy... I woke up and just told the Him that “Just in case you don’t realize... I will never turn away from my God. I love Him always and forever... no matter what! so you can just leave me and my family alone because our faith and testimony to His love and faithfulness is just getting stronger and stronger. His Light shines brighter in any darkness you try to throw our way. Jesus has already beat you. He is MY strength, defender, joy, healer, my everything. I know we win and I will never quit living for Him! JESUS is mine and you are no competitor.” • “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things.”Ephesians 1:19-22 NLT If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”Romans 8:31 NLT

6.Have HOPE IN THE DARK... (I actually wrote about this a few days before Craig’s sermon series & book came out 😉) • I have really longed for the simple, light-hearted things of life lately. All around me are heavy things... deep things. I look forward to days that share more of the light among the heavy. But for now... I know His peace is for both. • Hoping doesn’t mean we ignore reality. No, hoping means we acknowledge reality in the very same breath that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty. LT From Psalm 40. Verse 11 says... May Your love and faithfulness always protect me. • “God is working things out. He’s not far away. He is right here with us. We need to cling to this hope. Believe this hope. Love out this hope. Right here and right now. Even if our prayers aren’t answered in the way and the timing we want. Even when the process feels messy. We will trust that God is good. Keep crying out to Him. Keep hoping in Him. And know that God will take every cry you’ve uttered and arrange those sounds into a glorious song. The most powerful songs don’t start out as beautiful melodies; rather, they start as guttural cries of pain. But soon the process of pain turns into the promise of praise like no other.” LT • Sometimes God delivers you from the fiery furnace; other times He makes you fireproof.” Sam Chand • I’ve walked through enough yesterday’s to trust Him with all my tomorrows. Craig Groeschel • 1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

7.God is my strength... The Lesson of Fall Break. • A very long story just sort of long ... my brother and I couldn’t get my dad to respond to calls or texts (15 from him and 10 calls from me with multiple texts that showed they weren’t even read) Thursday morning and ended up going over to his apartment and finding him standing, staring, completely confused, not knowing who, what, when, where he was. We had to call an ambulance, as he refused to go with us. He was severely dehydrated had a uti and was suffering extreme reaction to chemo infusions and pills (thankfully not another stroke). (hadn’t been eating and drinking like he told us and was throwing up anything he tried for a week and later found out had lost 15 lbs in that one week), We spent Thursday in the ER. My brother ended up joining his family that night on vacation and I brought Dad to our house. For 2 1/2 days he pretty much stayed in this confusing state. Saturday evening we began to see glimpses of my Dad again and by Sunday he was doing really good. This was not the way I had planned to spend my much looking forward to Fall Break. I had a little meltdown Friday afternoon as my dad had locked himself in the bathroom and the toilet was overflowing under the door and my husband was sick in our bed... I remember saying... “Lord, I needed this break so much... this is what was getting me through” as I heard those words come out of my mouth, I saw Jesus face look at me sadly and say... “I thought I was the One getting you through this”. With a few more tears, He lifted me up back on my feet and I kept going. Something special happened Saturday night that put things in perspective... after saying our prayers, my dad looked at us and said, “I think this was one of the best days of my whole life.” • It made it all worth it and I realized that sometimes we do hard stuff to get the greater reward. • “In the midst of heartbreak or unanswered prayers, let’s find peace in the portion of goodness God has for us today. Let’s look for the lovely. Be notices of the good. And even in the tears are still falling, thank God for the gifts He’s tucked into today, just for us.” LT • Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint

8.Watch what you dwell on! • News and truth aren’t always one in the same. • Diagnosis, tests and scans can be distractions to our faith. • Matthew 6:34 don’t worry about tomorrow • “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”Philippians 4:8 NASB

“One thing I'm continually learning is I don't have to figure everything out. I just need to stay close to Jesus. I can run my emotions ragged trying to make sense of things that aren't ever going to make sense … or I can ask Jesus to show me how to move forward in some small way today. Make something beautiful today. Make good from the hard stuff today. Make a true investment in loving someone today. Make it evident I've spent some time with Jesus today. Make the world a better place by being a better person today.” Lysa Terkeurst #First5

9.Cancer stinks and sometimes life just stinks, too. • From Psalm 23 First5… And if we come across danger? Our Shepherd has His rod and staff. These are tools shepherds used for protection against predators, stabilizing sheep on steeply rocked places, and even checking the depth and muddiness of water so sheep wouldn't drown or get stuck. There is such powerful protection available to us when we stay in His presence. • Shadows may seem frightening, but shadows cannot hurt us. The shadow of a bear can indicate that a bear is close, but the shadow itself can do no damage. Also, the presence of a shadow is evidence of the presence of light. He is our Light. Lysa Terkeurst on Psalm 23 #First5 • Unmet expectations can take you off course. • God's plans don't have to match our plans for them to still be good. • Perspective is the key to trusting God. And so often the clarity we need to see things from God's perspective happens in the wilderness experiences we all wish we could avoid. • "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33. • “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4 NLT

10.BUT God is ALWAYS GOOD and never stops loving us for a single second! • Processing hard things through the filter of God’s Love helps me say, “God loves me, so I can trust why God is allowing this to happen. • There are three filters of truth through which I’ve learned to process life events: 1. God is good.2. God is good to me.3. God is good at being God. • “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT

Even if this season isn't going as planned, Lord and if it's not at all what we hoped, and if "we're* not yet quite what we hoped, and if life's not unfolding to our Plan A and if it's not even close to Plan B and if the diagnosis is not great and if the forecast is not good and if not... and if not... and if not... *You still are.* You still are Good & You still are God. And we will be the people who will still... The people who will still rest in it & sing it into the dark: "and if not -- He is still Good. He is still God." Ann Voskamp #TheBrokenWay

“The Most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ~CS Lewis (shared by Stacy Cobbs)

A few weeks ago... we were talking about Joseph in class and about how he probably had a hard time understanding why all of those things were happening to him. But God (don’t you love that phrase) was working a plan that only He could carry out... and Joseph went from the pit and prison to the Palace! I played this song for the kids to remind them to always trust Jesus no matter what stuff looks like. He has a good plan for them!

God used the pit and the prison to place him in the palace.

• Maybe the three truth-filters which helped me can help you in whatever life circumstances that seem unfair, unreasonable or hurtful beyond what you can bear. Let God whisper His truth that He is good. He is good to you. And He is good at being God

Look up Child... Lauren Daigle

Where are You now When darkness seems to win? Where are You now When the world is crumbling? Oh I, I-I-I, I hear You say I hear You say Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Where are You now (where are You?) When all I feel is doubt? Oh, where are You now When I can't figure it out? Oh I, I-I-I, I hear You say I hear You say Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Look up You're not threatened by the war You're not shaken by the storm I know You're in control Even in our suffering Even when it can't be seen I know You're in control Oh I, I-I-I, I hear You say I hear You say Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Look up child, oh-oh-oooh I hear You say, You say, You say Look up child, ayy I hear You say, You say, You say (look up, look up, look up, look up) Look up child, oh-ooh, ooh, oh-oooh I hear You say, You say, You say Look up child, ayy I hear You say, You say, You say (look up, look up, look up, look up) Look up child (I hear You say, You say, You say) I hear You, I hear You calling my name, oh (Look up child, ayy) I hear You say, You say, You say (look up, look up) Look up child, ayy Look up child, ayy Look up