Turning my hope to Christ

Let me start off with the word "expectation". I have been seeing, hearing, and having repercussions from this word for quite some time. I personally think that expectations are good and necessary.

When I was first faced with this word, I stated that expectations are good. The problem with them comes when they are inconstant between two constants.  When two people, in a relationship, have different expectations; you will have heartbreak.  If you don't have them then you will settle for anything, settle for less than you deserve. We should have certain expectations for our children, our homes, our selves, our spouses, and much more.

The lesson that God has been teaching me is this:

When I expect a friend to give the same amount of care to our friendship that I do, and they don't....my expectations of her fail and I have heartbreak.

When I expect my husband to do certain things a way because if society or my beliefs or because I do them this way, and he doesn't... my expectations of him fail and either I get mad or have heartbreak.

When I expect my child to be a certain way and he isn't, my expectations fail and I get mad.

When I expect my mother, sister or other family member to do something and they don't, I have heartbreak.

Do you see a pattern?

My expectations are not meant to be put into people. They will fail every time because I  have placed them in the wrong hands. Humans are sinners and humans will let others down constantly.

My expectations in GOD will stand firm. He never changes, He never fails, He never lets me down, He never moves. He is CONSTANT. He is where my HOPE and expectations should be placed.

Hope and expectations are very similar. You hope that friend will care like you do. You hope that your spouse and child will do things a certain way. You hope that your mother and sister will...you hope, you hope, you hope.

For about a week, I have been telling myself that the people in my life are not my HOPE. The people in my life are humans and will inevitably fail and if my hope is in them, I will have heartbreak.

My hope is in my Savior!!

While I have been learning this, I have noticed a problem. I can distance myself from people. It is because I am shielding myself from my expectations getting broken and my heartache. I cling to the ONE CONSTANT and push the others away (granted my child and husband have been very close). Until I can separate my heart from those expectations, I will have heartache.

So needless to say MY HOPE is now where it should be. I think that I have always had hope in the Lord. But that hope was for "things" that He would provide. That He would cure, heal, calm, teach, guide....never for others in my life as they relate to me.

My last blog was about the Lord wanting to show my something.......I have faith that this is it. Now it is my turn to show the Lord that I heard Him and will obey. Because blessings follow obedience, right Mrs. Janet?! ;)  (whoa....chills....this excites me!!)

The journey is not over. It is an everyday battle and will continue to be because...I am human. But each day that I go through battles, I will grow closer to my heavenly father.

I pray that the Lord give me what I need to prosper in these relationships with out my expectations. That I can have standards for myself and for others that I let into my life.  

I want to share a song that speaks to my heart tremendously. I love it so much! Ive said it before, it gets played in our house about 2 times a day minimum. The lyrics are exactly what I need.

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still you know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start

CHORUS
Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we're desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia

Singing Alleluia
Alleluia, singing alleluia, alleluia

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia

Waiting here for you
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
We're singing Alleluia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3OEGnH5x8g&ob=av2n

Open Me

Here I am with my arms open wide
Asking for You to come up, up inside
Won't You make me new, won't You make me true
Jesus, won't You make me like You, oh
Will You touch my eyes so I can see
Will You touch my ears so I can hear
Will You touch my mind so I can know
Will You touch my heart so I can love You more
Won't You open me

I have blogged these words before. They are from a song by Shawn McDonald, Open Me.  I listened to this song tonight after putting Landen to bed and felt as if I was hearing it for the first time.

 

I do not know what Jesus wants me to see, hear or know. But I do know that my eyes, ears, mind and heart will remain open. It feels like the Messiah is about to mess with me.

 

To be continued...

 

Here is the link if you want to hear it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t07u56kktMk

Be Still

On the way home from church this morning, I asked Landen what he learned in Sunday School. His response was "church". I corrected my self and asked him what he learned in church today. He started singing a song, he is so cute. I asked if he learned about God, he replied with an enthusiastic "yeah"!

Then I asked if God was in his heart. He once again replied with an enthusiastic, "yeah"! He pointed to his heart, and I pointed to my heart. I told him that God was in my heart too!

I looked in the rear view mirror in perfect time to not only hear but see my son say, 

"Jesus in dadda's heart too".

Immediatly I felt the presence of the Lord. Tears filled my eyes (dont worry, I could still see to drive.) 

I couldnt lie to my son, so I just said "I pray He is".

The Lord spoke to me and I knew that I am in a season of waiting. I KNOW the Lord will answer that prayer; when He is ready. I rest in that. I dont worry about it because worry and anxiety are not characteristics of the Lord. 

To hear my 2 year old son say that; without any mention of dadda, was pure overwhelming joy!!!


God is so good!

Refreshment

At Feminar 2012, I learned a lot. I want to share with you what Angela Thomas has to say about refreshment from the Lord.

We are all, always weary and tired. Worn out and looking for the newest "thing" to give us energy and miraciously not so worn out. The culture is swarmed with new tricks, old tricks and things that sound ridiculous but people still try it in hopes they can get ahead.

All we need is the LORD! He is our refreshment. He is the Lord Almighty. Scripture states that the Lord will give us refreshement many times. Angela was so kind as to point 8 of them out to us!

I love this. Culture thinks that we need to be fixed and that we can buy things to fix us; when the only thing we can buy to help us is a bible!

Side note: There are a lot more than this in the bible! Go searching! There are a few spots where my notes are sparing; I was busy listening instead of writing. :) What can I say, Angela was amazing!



8 Provision for being weary and tired and how to recieve His refreshment: 

1. Being in the presence of the Lord will restores our soul. Talking with the Lord will give you peace. It wont make your situation disappear but He will give you the rest you need to preserver.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

2. Some times the Lord ask us to wait right where we are until He reveals His answer. Learning to trust the Lord fully. Making time for the Lord is important.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God."

3. To honor the sabbath. To keep the day of rest, just for that, rest. God gave us that day because we need it, not because He needed it. He is Sovergn Lord, He does not need rest. But we are His creation, He gave us that gift. Take it.

Exodus 20:10 "but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns."
 

Exodus 31:13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy."

I am going to take this gift the Lord has given me. Sunday will be my day of rest, as He intended. My job is to clean house, and keep things in order. Sunday, I will allow myself to take time and rest! Refresh my soul with scripture and reconnect with the Lord for the week to come. He is first and foremost important. If you have your eyes set on Jesus, everything else falls into place.  I am taking that break!

4. Remember that you can not do everything. Jesus himself didnt do everything. (sadly this is all I have for number 4. - oops.)

5. We require rest. Your time with the Lord where you get your rest. It is where He can restore the wearness and build your strength.

Mark 6:31 "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”  

6. Repent your sins. Repent and turn away from your sins.

Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" 

7. Look for the good way of the Lord and walk in it. When you turn from wicked ways and walk the way of the Lord, He will give you refreshment for when you are weary and tired.

Jeremiah 6:16 "This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

8. Have Godly friends!  They are good for your soul and they will refresh you!

I 110% see how important it is to have Godly friends. I have a select few Godly friends that I run to when I need advice. When something hurt my feelings or I just need to talk. I know that they will give me the advice of the Lord. In return, I try to be that friend. To give the advice that I would want. I pray that I am that to at least a few people.

1 Corinthians 16:15-18 "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. God recognizes that Godly people refresh each others soul.

These are repeating in my head and being inbedded into my soul. Just knowing that God will give us EVERYTHING we need; lifts my spirits. How can we not trust Him completly. He wants GOOD for us!

Aaahhhh, there is so much going on inside me...that I am slightly overwhelmed with all the powerful information I received this weekend. My testimony played today, and it was a very emotional moment for me. Before it played I was completly full of the Holy Spirit that I just cried the whole time! And tomorrow morning, I am ready to do it all over again!!  I love my church family! 

JUST GIVE ME JESUS!!

I am tired and ready for bed :) Night night sweet friends.

Go and get your refreshment!

It is waiting!!!!

In the Mud

Most of you have already seen the picture and heard all about it on facebook this morning. I want to blog about this experience so you all know the full story! It is hilarious.

I decided to do my grocery shopping this morning so that tomorrow we could have a play date. The weather was so beautiful, 63*, so we decided to stop by the park first.

Every time we go to the park, Landen ask for his ball so he can throw it in the hoops. This morning I saw the ball in the front yard and picked it up.

We got to the park and we were the only ones. (Now I am thankful for that!) We played for about 5 minutes and I see Landen throw his ball over the rail and down it goes.....down, down, down the hill.

I jumped the rail, tell him to stay and run down to get it.

It finally stops and I grab it. I turn to face Landen and he kinda far away. So I thought I would kick it to him. - bad idea!!

I threw the ball up, swung my leg back and kicked it....and the other foot comes right out from under neath me... BAM! On my behind!

I WAS IN DEEP MUD!! In my hand were my keys and phone....my phone got slightly wet and my keys were face down in mud! It was watery mud! I couldn't believe what had just happened!!

I climbed up and saw Landen laughing at me!

The fall did not hurt me, because all the mud was a great pad!

I couldn't stop laughing! I couldn't believe this had just happened. I was thankful we were alone, so I could take my pants off for the ride home.

Feminar Prayers

For a few weeks at church, we have been praying for Feminar. Praying that the Almighty Lord take over and be ever present. To lift up the speakers for God to give them the words to use that may touch and heal the audience - 2,000 people!!

I have always prayed for Feminar but yesterday something came to me and over powered my soul.

Last year Macedonia Baptist Church prayed for Feminar, for the same reasons above. I realized that last year those same people prayed for ME. Not knowing who that person would be, that amazing church body prayed that the Lord would touch someones soul who needed to be saved; and it was ME.  

ME.

Very powerful.

Those prayers worked!

While praying those oh so powerful prayers, I cried. I cried because this year, my prayers for someone else who needs the Lords grace and mercy may work!

Feminar is this Friday and Saturday and I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Let the countdown to glory begin. :)

On my mind.

I am going to blog about what is on my mind. There is a lot, of randomness. So bare with me. (the random numbers and60 letters are Landen hitting the keyboard, thinking it is funny....honestly it is cute, so the082y are staying.!)

My new job is amaz0ing. To have this time with La.nde.n is wonderful for the soul (mine and his). It is challenging, but .it also sets my priorities in perspective. I have needed this all along. My mind is on Landen and Brandon. I spend my time making our home better and playing/teaching Landen. Doing things that really matter at the season in our lives.

When I was working, I would check facebook probably 4 times per hour! Pintrest was a great way to pass time. That is to much!! It didn't take long and it had consumed me and my time. Honestly it was right there to access, so eventually the thought of what others are doing was becoming addictive. That is satan in my head and me letting him take control.

Not any more. I don't have the urge to look at it, or worry about others. I really think about deleting it, quiet often....but my family would miss Landen pictures. Maybe that is my excuse for not deleting it. Because I could email pictures and even text message them. Hummm....now maybe I will.  Or hello - - MY BLOG!!! I could use this as my "facebook" and the people who want to know, can see here.  Well that is 3 great solutions to the reason I had for keeping facebook.

Anyhoo - There is a lot more that I am feeling and would like to say about facebook and the "persona" you get with it but I will let that go!

That is all for now friends.

*May God Bless You This Week*