November 17, 2024

“I AM” Week 3 – Day 4: The Day of The Lord

July 25, 2013 by

Memory Verse:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; 

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, 

he enables me to tread on the heights.

Habakkuk 3:19

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You, my friends, are God’s chosen people, and He wants to lavish you with His love and shower you with blessings that only He can give. But you have to put Him first in your life, above everything else and constantly seek Him. Friends, the day of the Lord is coming. Are you ready? Are you serving Him only? Or are you still dabbling in worldly behaviors?

Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah were all prophets, chosen by God to send messages to His people about the coming day. They had messages of hope and blessings for His people after years of persecution, captivity, and darkness. The only thing they had to do was seek God. They had become complacent, content in their lives, desensitized to the evil that was going on all around them. Some were worshipping idols, others were worshipping their own lives. God loved them enough to send some hard words, warnings of what is to come if they didn’t turn from their wicked ways and follow hard after God.

Zephaniah 3:14-18 is a beautiful, love letter from God to His people then and to us now. You can make this personal and find such hope in these words from your Father. No matter what your life may have looked like, God wants to rescue you and redeem you.  I want you to substitute your name in these verses. (Italics mine)

“Sing, O daughter of Zion (your name), be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away your punishment. He has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you. Never again will you fear harm. On that day, they will say to Jerusalem (your name). “Do not fear, O Zion, (your name), do not let your hands hang limp, the Lord your God is mighty to save. He will take great delight in You! He will quiet you with His love and He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:14-18

I’m in tears, aren’t you? God, the Great I AM is rejoicing over you with singing!!!

Next  comes  the book of Haggai. He brings a message of encouragement to the people of Jerusalem. He wanted them to return to the task of building the Temple. When they were first released from exile, they were filled with hope, excitement, and on fire for God. But life and the pressure got to them and they became selfish and they quit doing the work God called them to do. Can you relate?

Haggai was to get them back on track. To get them to stop making excuses and to show them the reasons they were suffering, which were directly related to not putting God first in their lives. How true this is in our own lives. We can get back on track just by asking. It is that simple. And we will be better than we were before because of what we learned in the battle.

“The future glory of this temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord Almighty. And in its place, I will bring peace. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”

Haggai 2:9

And last, Zechariah leaves us with the hope of the coming Messiah, the coming of Jesus! He wanted God’s people to know that even in times of discouragement and turmoil, and trials, God is working out His plan in our lives and guides and directs us if we trust and follow Him. Is He going to be your Savior or your judge? Some of His promises are conditional. We must obey Him to receive them. He will give us consistent blessings when we consistently live our lives for Him.

 “When that day arrives, The Lord, their God, will rescue His people, just as a shepherd rescues His sheep. They will sparkle in His hand like jewels in a crown. How wonderful, how beautiful they will be. The young men and women will thrive on the abundance of grain and new wine.”

Zechariah 9:16

You will be a sparkle in God’s hand! A jewel in a crown. He calls you beautiful and wonderful. Amazing grace! We may feel like our life is a battlefield!  As long as we are on this earth, there will always be a battle going on between good and evil. When we turn our lives over to Him, the Great I AM, He will rescue us and keep us secure; safe and in His arms we will dwell. We will never be fully satisfied in life without Him. We were made to need Him.

The Day of the Lord is coming! In the blink of an eye this world will be no more!  All that we have endured will be worth it when we look into the eyes of our Savior. Is there something that you need to turn from today? Dear friends, He is worth the sacrifice. Eternity with Him is your reward. You are worth it!

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord of Heaven’s Army, Messiah, we praise You for sending Your Son to die so that we may live in eternity forever with You. Thank You for all these promises that we are seeing come true in our lives. Thank You that no matter where we have been or what we have done, You will forgive us and set our paths straight again. You long to be our Savior and Redeemer. Thank You for Your Word, and for these prophets You sent before us with Your messages of hope that relate to our lives today. We love You and Praise You. We can’t wait to meet You face to face one day. In Jesus’ name we pray.

AMEN

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“I AM” Chapter 2 – Day 4: Restoration & Renewal

July 18, 2013 by

Do you need a little R & R?  I know I do.  I’m talking about Restoration and Renewal, my friend.  As a mom, we wear many hats and, as women in general, we have many responsibilities.

How about adding watchman to the list?  A watchman, as Teresa explains in this section, is a person who keeps a look out for danger.  If there is any danger, the watchman is to sound the alarm so that the people are aware and can find protection.  Isn’t that what we women do in general?  It is pretty much ingrained in all of us, for example, mother’s intuition or women’s intuition.  It can be a gift but may feel like a burden, right?  If we are followers of Jesus, our job is made a lot easier by using His words given to us in the Scriptures. The key is to stay on His word, soak it in, and really listen to what God has to say to us, so that we can spread His message of hope to others.

Let’s go to His Word and read about another watchman named Ezekiel. In this section, God is using him to deliver messages of future hope and restoration for the people who were captive in Babylon.  God is Holy, right?  But Jerusalem and the Temple had become defiled.  The nation had to be cleansed through a hard seventy years of captivity and, in the midst of this darkness, Ezekiel spreads a message of a future full of glorious restoration—that God’s people would experience the fullness of His Presence again.

Now, what if Ezekiel had not been willing to do this?  This definitely wasn’t what he had planned for his life.  He had already been through a lot and now he was a “chosen” captive just like Daniel.  Like Daniel, he chose to use his story for God’s glory.  He willingly became the light for others to see.  He lived a one piece life in hopes of leading others to the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel was human, just like us. We may not be held captive in a foreign land, but things of this world can become too much. There’s so much sorrow and hurt, and you may feel stuck right now. It may seem that everyone else is moving forward with life and you seem to be doing the same thing over and over.  You are wondering when you will move past this.  But God!!  He promises to break all chains that bind us and restore us to a new person.  And, when He does, He wants us to go running through the streets shouting what He has done for you!  Because not only does He forgive all we have done, He actually wipes the slate clean and never looks back.  He rebuilds you to a better you and He restores your family, your finances and gives you an abundant life.

Ezekiel 33:16

” None of their past sin will be brought up again for they have done what is just and right. And they will surely live.”  Through Jesus, our past sins are overshadowed by a new life ahead of us.

Ezekiel 36:35

“I will no longer allow these foreign nations to sneer at you and you will no longer be shamed by them or cause your nation to fall, says the Sovereign Lord.”

What if you made this verse personal? For example, “I will no longer allow ___________ to sneer at you and you will no longer be shamed by _____________ or cause your (family) to fall, says the Sovereign Lord.”

Ezekiel 34:31 

And you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are My people, and I AM your God, declares the sovereign LORD.

This makes my heart swell with joy overflowing, that I am His, you are His, and He is ours. The Sovereign Lord is ours. The God of Moses, Isaiah, David, and Ezekiel, is our God. The same God that set the captives free, who shut the mouths of lions for Daniel, and brought the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Doesn’t that renew and restore your soul?

I end with this verse, as I could go on and on just sharing His goodness:

Ezekiel 39:28,29

“…then my people will know that I am the Lord, their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. And I will never turn my face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”

He will never leave any of us behind, and neither should we. We must be His watchmen here, to spread the message and sound some alarms. We plant the seed and let the Holy Spirit pour like rain into all those we come in contact with. We must live a one piece life all for Him so that others will see and know that there is something different about us. They may want what we have—the Lord Jesus, our Savior.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Sovereign Lord,

We come to You today on our knees, as Your humble servant, and we thank You for all these messengers that have come before us. We thank You for Your Word and the freedom to spread it. Oh how we take this for granted, that we can shout it in the streets that You are God, we can sing of Your goodness in our churches on Sundays and carry the message to all who will listen.  Oh Lord, when we do fail You, we thank You for being just and for always forgiving and for making us whole.  May we be so grateful that we cannot contain it and may our light be so bright that others can’t miss it. We love You!  We praise You! We ask these things in Jesus’ Holy name.

Amen

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“I AM” Chapter 1 – Day 4: Look for the LORD

July 11, 2013 by

“O storm battered city, troubled and desolate. I will rebuild you on a firm foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. I will make your towers of sparkling rubies and your gates and walls of shiny gems”

Isaiah 54:11-12

This is the verse I have clung to over the past few years, the restoring God, the God of hope when I had none.  As Teresa mentioned in the beginning of this study, the Great I AM will speak to you in the manner that you need.  He will be what you need Him to be.  Have you begun to see this for yourself? As I looked up each verse, I was overwhelmed by just how much He loves each one of us, so much that He does not want to leave us in the state we are in.

Today we have the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, a gentle nudge from the Dove, a Gift left to us by Jesus when He departed into Heaven.  But in the Old Testament, God sent prophets to do just that…to give His people His messages.  These messages weren’t always what they wanted to hear. Can you just imagine? I mean who wants to be told that you are not walking in His will and you are about to be punished? I know that being on the receiving end of “constructive criticism” is not easy (especially when I know I’m wrong) but, as Jesus followers, it is our duty to hold each other accountable and to do this in a loving, godly manner.  Praise God that He loves us enough to send messengers our way to redirect our path.  He is relentless when it comes to His children, right?

Just as Isaiah’s message to the people was “return, repent and be renewed,” so should ours be. “Fear not, you will no longer walk in shame. He is your Redeemer!” Isaiah 54:4-5

He is my _________________ (fill in the blank). For example: do you need Hope?  He is your HOPE.  “From eternity to eternity, I AM your God.  No one can oppose what I do, no one can reverse My actions.”  Isaiah 43:13

Do you need Forgiveness?  He is your FORGIVER.  “I,  yes I alone, AM the One Who blots out your sins for My Own sake and will never think of them again.”  Isaiah 43:25

Do you need Rest?  He is your REST.   “I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age.  I made you and I will care for you, I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4

Do you need Comfort?  He is your COMFORTER.  “I, even I, am the One Who comforts you, so why are you afraid of mere humans who wither like grass and disappear?”  Isaiah 51:12

Friend, His message to us is one of hope, forgiveness, rest, and comfort; but we must return, repent, and be renewed in Him to receive all that He has planned to give us, blessing upon blessing, and we must not be timid with His message.  He wants us to be bold!  Isn’t this what we were created to do?

There is a song that has been playing in my mind the entire time I have been writing. It is by the Sidewalk Prophets and goes like this: “If there’s a road I should walk, let me find it. If I need to be still, give me peace for the moment. Whatever your will.  Whatever Your will, can You help me find it?”

He will rebuild us and continue to work in, and through us, until His grand finale’ — the Coming of Jesus!!

How is He speaking to you today?  As you wrote out each verse from today’s section, which of His names really spoke to you? Would you tell us about it?

I love each one of you and I’m praying for you.

Blessings!!

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, Daddy, the Great I AM, You are so many names to us in the midst of whatever we are going through at the moment.  You become what we need.  You are the Redeemer, Deliverer, Comforter, our Resting Place, Beginning and End.  We praise You for satisfying our every need.  We thank You for Your unfailing love and Your Presence that never leaves us.  You give us Your words of wisdom so that we know what to say to all weary souls. Thank You for giving us an understanding of Your will. May we have the strength to boldly carry it out for all to see so that You alone are glorified…for it is in Your Son’s precious Name we pray.

Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 13 – Sword of Forgiveness & Restoration: What’s Your Story? (pgs. 205-206)

June 20, 2013 by

2Cor1_4

If you could see the underside of your life, you would see God your Father all over the details. He wrote your story. What is your story, dear friend? Do you have deep wounds that still need healing? Or perhaps you have overcome and you are in a good place, but someone in your family is struggling and you are just at your end with it. The ripple effect is reaching everyone including your children. How can you do this any longer? I don’t know your story. I don’t know what your childhood was like.

If your daddy loved you and told you how beautiful you are or if you are still begging for his attention; or maybe your childhood was stolen by someone who had no right to it. Maybe you had life happen to you as an adult and you’re ashamed of the way you dealt with it. Oh dear one, there is One who knows all and He came to take your shame away, to redeem and restore; release you from all that’s past and give you a future full of possibilities. Your story is full of opportunities to help someone else struggling.

We are given so many opportunities as His followers to step out and share the hope that we have in Him. One by one, story by story, lives are transformed and families restored…the list goes on and on. Hope is passed on when we walk in obedience; when we speak His words of restoration.

There’s a saying that goes: “Hurt people hurt people.”  Oh how true this is! But let me encourage you to try something if you are that hurting person. Instead of lashing out at a grumpy cashier, or anyone else giving you a bad attitude, show compassion. We don’t know their story of why they are acting the way they are. We are called to be His hands and feet in this lost world. Lisa asks us if we have any daggers of disappointment or bitterness that might threaten to misdirect a sword at hand. If so, we must willingly lay them down (pg 205).

Only when we have let go of resentment and forgive can we be free. As stated on page 206, “How might God use YOU as an agent of restoration?”

*****

Let’s Pray:

Dear God, my Daddy in Heaven, I surrender all. I lay it at Your feet. I trust You will guide each one of us and direct our steps as we step out into a hurting world and speak Your words of restoration and healing to others. Give each one of us the courage to be bold and use this story You have given us to encourage and give strength to one another as we travel together. I pray we choose to always say ‘yes!’ to You. We love You and we praise You and worship You with our whole being. We release our hurts and resentments. We release those who hurt us so that we may be whole to serve You wholly.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 12 Sword of Silence – “A New Kind of Weapon” (Pgs 187-190)

June 13, 2013 by

We may not ever get justice in this world or this life, but believe me, God will have justice.

I’ve never thought of silence as a weapon, but it is. As I read this section of the book, I can think of countless situations where silence would have definitely been my best weapon. As a mom, when that precious child you’ve nurtured, built up, loved and protected comes home wounded by the words of her friends, and I pray for the strength to be silent when what I really want to do is get justice for her. When a husband isn’t doing things the way I would, I wish I had prayed to be silent. Oh what strength it takes to hold our tongues.

Because of my past, I was the topic of conversation at many dinner tables.  Even after I had a few years of a transformed life under my belt, rumors (and yes, the facts) were still spoken about me, hurting my children and me.  As much as I wanted to set the record straight—as much as you may want to set a record straight, or defend your husband, child, sister, or mother—as a child of the King we are to be different and choose a different weapon!  This time we are to trust that God, Who is all powerful, will fight for us and make all things right. It may not feel like it is right, but on this earth there will be injustice time after time. But take heart, dear Sister! He has overcome the world!

As this next scripture says:

Ex14_14.jpg

How perfect!  He knows our hearts. He knows when we have been wronged and He cries with us. He loves us so much and He’s always got our back.

Be silent. Be still. He is for you….

 *****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You today needing strength only You can give; the strength to hold this powerful weapon silen—our tongues.  There’s a time for everything and may we listen to the Holy Spirit and allow You to guide and direct us and choose the right weapon at the right time.  Lord, You know our hearts and You know what we need from You and we praise You for bringing justice to us through the Cross.  We love You and thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 7 – Preventing Relapse (pp 212-219)

February 20, 2013 by

It starts with the little slips, in small stages. It’s the big ones that push us over, really.  So we aren’t paying attention to the small snowball that we have started rolling down hill.

For me, it could be folding laundry before it’s turned right side out, or hanging clothes before they are ironed. I may start going to bed without washing my  face, or skipping teeth, and prayers go by the wayside; I will start fresh tomorrow. I rationalize, minimize. I leave dishes in the sink at night instead of waking to a clean sink. I may have had a backache or a toothache and tell no one.  I make a doctor appointment. I get a prescription and tell no one. I hide the bottle. I’m gone. It can happen that fast.  If we aren’t enmeshed in Him!!!  We must plant ourselves at His feet daily. It’s like water for us, friends. He is our Stronghold now and what an awesome Stronghold!

HisFeet

See, the slippery slope is gradual. It’s hiding things from loved ones, it’s lying or maybe just omitting important details of our lives to the ones we love. Like Adam and Eve naked in the garden, we try to hide from God. We stop talking to Him because why would He want to talk to us when we are deliberately disobeying Him? This, dear friend, is dangerous because cutting Him out is like making a conscious decision to go back to your old way of life! I’ve been there, more than one time. I started this journey of sobriety in 2002 and stayed sober for a year. I got pregnant with my fourth child, had a c-section and I was off and running on a two year relapse. You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to be a slow learner. You can stop that snowball before it becomes an avalanche.  

How many times have you heard that relapse is part of recovery? I heard it over and over. Each time I picked up that 24 hour chip, someone made me feel better by saying that. It doesn’t have to be part of your story; relapse, that is. This chapter gives us a handbook on maintaining sobriety, preventing relapse, and keeping that momentum going for God! Evaluate-Meditate-Prayer!

John Baker gives us the guidelines and the how-tos and the why’s of evaluating, meditating, our prayer life and its importance to our maintaining sobriety. I love the check-up on our HEART, don’t you? I heard early in my recovery that when I had a craving I needed to HALT! It meant was I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.  If I was, I needed to take care of the issue and stop hard and turn it over to God. It’s like this: If you’re hungry, eat something. Angry? You must let that one go before it becomes a resentment. Lonely? Reach out to your accountability partner or, better yet, step out of yourself and help someone else. And last, are you tired? Rest!!! The Bible tells us so many times that our bodies need rest so that we can listen to Him and allow Him to fill us back up.

This is a spiritual condition, my friend. We have to make sure we are relying on God and not ourselves, or anyone else. Don’t allow anyone to live in your head rent free! Isn’t that a great analogy that the author gives? Make sure you are giving yourself credit for the good that you do. In our daily moral inventory, we are keeping up with our mess-ups, but why not end that on a positive note? Think of something good you did that day and pat yourself on the back and say good job!  You are so worth it! Celebrate any victory because your Father celebrates you! Thank Him for the little things…a good parking place, money for extras this month, etc. Thank Him for things yet to come, the blessings He has in store for you. This keeps you in a grateful mode and away from the slippery slope. Claim His word and soak in His promises. His word is the pathway to His heart. This is vital to your maintenance program.

Romans 12:2 says “But be transformed by the renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and its new attitude, so that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Don’t you love the “new this and new that?” Perfect will of God? Everything in His word exhorts us to expect restoration and renewal!

Joel 2:25-26 says “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, that has dealt wondrously with you and my people shall never be ashamed!”  Amen.  He doesn’t want us to be ashamed!  Renewed, restored, and totally relying on His ability!

Last but not least, if you are feeling weak, and the enemy is creeping in, claim James 4:7, “Resist the devil and submit yourselves to God and the devil will flee from you.”  Together we shout a big NO to the enemy and a big YES to Jesus. Together!  Shall we?

Let’s Pray:
Lord, thank You for Redeeming us, for loving us and forgiving our wrongs. Daily we disappoint You and yet Your grace is freely given. Lord, we need You to stay with us, help us maintain our healing so that we may carry Your message to all still hurting. We have come a long way! And for those still struggling, keep them safe until they surrender. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

If you would like to send a private message to Kim in regards to this blog, please send it to: Kim@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices: Week 6 – Repairing Relationships By Making Amends (pp175-181)

February 13, 2013 by

I made amends (or attempted to make amends) to someone I wronged, not directly, but by allowing others to do them harm and not stepping up and standing up for what is right. It’s just as wrong to stand by and watch someone you love take abuse at the hands of friends, both of our friends. It was a long time ago yet I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to make peace with her. To apologize for not standing up for her; for not stopping the madness but watching it happen, maybe even enjoying it. It didn’t turn out well—my amends. Venom spewed from her side and I was left with more questions than answers.

The incident was years ago but to her it may as well been yesterday.  Aren’t mamas that way when their children get hurt? But amends aren’t about reactions, are they? They’re about action on our part. It’s about taking responsibility, and actually accepting, admitting what we did was wrong. We hurt someone else, whether sober or not, we did it. God calls us as His children to ask forgiveness from our peers. We may not get the warm fuzzies from the person we are apologizing to. We must not do this for ourselves or our own recognition, like “look how great Kim is for apologizing” or “Kim really has it together!” It’s been about us for so long. It’s time that it is about someone else or Someone Else. It’s time our lives reflect Whose we are. Now that we have established THAT we need to make amends, we have to look at HOW to go about it in a way that most represents God’s way.

Obviously we must spend more time in prayer over each one and let the Holy Spirit really guide and direct us on who we need to contact and how. (Don’t you love the “empty chair” approach and the “fake letter?”) Be careful though not to use these for the ones that deserve actual contact. The book gives us certain situations for which these methods are the only appropriate choice. This is between you and God. Use His guidance. First clear your mind, empty to fill, and let Him speak through you. Your day of freedom is here, deliverance from your regrets and mistakes. You’ve really allowed God to empower you to do the right thing—admit your wrongs.

From this point on, the past is the past and the future is wide open. The baggage of yesterday has been dropped. Oh yes, there will be more amends made along the way, and you will still have to apologize for mistakes to come and wrongs you will do, but the key now is not to hold resentments and to always promptly admit when you are wrong.

If you borrowed, return it. If you need to come clean with the law, do so. If you owe money, pay it. Let’s be who He created us to be and let’s be the light to others around us, who are still in darkness. We can guide others to Him by living our amends. For isn’t that the best way—to live out our apologies?

Let’s be different now and desire different lives than the old one. And most of all, may we desire what He wants for us!  So, how ‘bout that list? Ready to start writing and righting?

Freedom Is Yours

 

Scriptures that apply:

Matthew 5:23, 24

Job 11:13,15 and 16

Hebrews 12:15

Romans 12:18

Luke 6:33

_______________

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, we praise You.  You never change.  You’re the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank You for empowering us to do more than we ever could without You. Guide us as we make lists of our wrongs.  May we repent and release them to You. Speak to us, remind us what relationships need repairing and then give us the words to speak and when. For You bring healing to all. You make all things new.  The ones who refuse us, Lord, may we hand them over to You.  We love You. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

Look up these verses and pray them to Him. Praying His word to Him is so powerful. Allow Him to speak through you as you make your lists and follow through with repairing relationships. Talk to your accountability partner about this. Let us know how it’s going! Remember we are praying for you!

_______________

If you would like to email Kim directly in regards to this blog, please email her at Kim@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

 

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Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 5 – How to Cooperate with God’s Change Process

February 6, 2013 by

Let’s go ahead and admit that we KNOW we need change or we wouldn’t be in this group right now, right? We wouldn’t be going through this painful process of reliving our past mistakes and confessing it all to a friend, right? I remember when I came to the end of myself and realized I definitely had a drug addiction problem, I was addicted to painkillers.

It was Spring Break 2001 and I was home with the children; we were supposed to be enjoying each other. I had planned all these fun activities yet I couldn’t function. I had taken the last four pills that morning and my body was screaming for more. I did not have any and I had to think quick. That is how insane my life was then—before surrendering to Jesus. I spent all my time thinking about it, driving to get it, lying to doctors, lying to family, sitting in waiting rooms; all the while knowing this isn’t what God created me for.

In this chapter we read a lot about our thoughts becoming our life. What you think about most will become your god. If that’s true—and it is—why not place our thoughts on Him? Read and study His word and know what His plan looks like for our lives. I remember being extremely frustrated that I couldn’t will myself back into a healthy way of life. I remember thinking that I had lived my life before without drugs so why is it so hard to get back there? I had to have help.

When I came back from treatment, the only thing that had changed was the drugs. I came home to the same place, the same people. and the same problems. Which proves what the author says, that the drug is only a symptom of a bigger problem. It starts with something; for me it was self-esteem. I never felt good enough. I didn’t believe His truth about me, that I was created in His image, and that I am just as I am supposed to be. His masterpiece. I had everything physically going for me, a huge house, nice car, 4 children, a husband that loved me, physically fit, and when I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw physically. But spiritually there was something missing.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. We did not get here overnight and we will not heal overnight, but little by little as we change our focus from inside us to Jesus, we will be transformed to who He created us to be.

I needed help to learn to live again and He sent me a close friend who literally gave her time every day for 9 months, except weekends. She came from 8 am-4pm and held my hand as I learned to do the simple things—washing clothes, keeping a tidy house, cleaning out the clutter, cleaning out my car, taking care of my children’s needs and my husband’s, making beds. It may sound crazy to you but I had never focused on running a home like Jesus wanted me to. My friend made me a schedule and I followed it. She changed my life, and the life of my children. Don’t you see? God sent her to me! He answered my prayer and physically guided me through her. He can do anything if you ask.

Our God is a selfish God. He wants all of you, not just most of you. He must be your focus. I remember a time in my life when my prayer list was all petitions for me and my life. I thought I was focusing on Him by prayer, yet my prayer life was all about me. You have to be careful not to become selfish in your prayer life. Praise Him! Thank Him! Worship Him! A simple prayer that has become a daily for me is this: empty me of me so that I can be filled with You.

This chapter gives you steps to changing your focus. Make sure you read them, study them, look up the verses that are in each step and keep them in a safe place. And lastly, make sure you allow Him to be your pilot.  We’ve proven that our willpower is not enough to change our behaviors, but He is. So let’s allow HIM to continue the work He started in us when He created us. Let’s walk so close to Him that we can touch His garments.

Character defects, my friend, cannot be improved, they must be removed and He alone can do it.

I leave you with some words from your God:

The Lord said, for you must go wherever I send you, and say whatever I tell you and don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you, I, the Lord, have spoken.  Jeremiah 1:7, 8

You will always reap what you sow. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest consequences of decay and death- But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  Galatians 6:7, 8

Please try His way. You can always go back to your way if His doesn’t work for you, you know? It’s your choice.  I choose Him.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we praise You and love You and worship You today. Lord, you are our Stronghold, our strength, our tower, our Creator and King. You are perfect and Your ways are amazing. You provide our every need, even in the desert. You are our Living Water and with You we will thirst no more. I pray for each one of these precious ladies in this study…You alone know their hearts and You know their needs. Please reveal Yourself to each one today in an amazing way; let them feel Your presence, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your assignment:

Read through the steps listed in this section and write the verses in your journal. Tell us your favorite one or the one that spoke loudest to you. Praying for you always!!!

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If you are interested in joining us for this amazing study, click HERE. Once we receive your registration, we will email you further instructions.

If you would like to email Kim regarding this post, please do so at: Kim@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices: Week 4 – Moving Past the Guilt – Part 2

January 30, 2013 by

I’ve been to rehab three times.  And the third time was the charm. I would love to tell you that I came home and everything was just perfect and all my relationships were restored and I was forgiven and trusted immediately. NOT!!!!!  I never would admit to anyone all that I had done. I had three different sponsors during early recovery and did steps 4 and 5 at least three times but never the way God intended. I only told what made me sound somewhat sane, which was entirely a lie. I never admitted to God, I figured He knew already and why did I need to tell Him again?

Bottom line: I  wasn’t ready to surrender. I wanted to do things my way, like the lonely soundtrack for misery of the song, “I did it my way.”  My way wasn’t working and had never ever worked and it was time to try something different. I wanted the miracle of freedom, so I finally did what it took and it started with confessing my past and truly leaving all those bags at the doorway of freedom and never looking back. Oh, I pick up a bag every now and then and carry it around. It’s heavy and uncomfortable and I’m supposed to ask Him for help. I wasn’t meant to carry this alone. He created us to need each other, and to need Him in the midst.

We need an accountability partner—we have to tell someone our secrets, for secrets keep us sick and keep us right where we are. We cannot move forward until we let go of our past by confessing our past to someone else and to our Heavenly Father.  We need to have this person pray with us for the forgiveness and freedom that is ours through Jesus. He died so that we may have life free from sin and guilt and shame. Do it now. Don’t wait or procrastinate. I read somewhere that depression isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of being strong too long.  Ask for forgiveness and accept it—it is freeing!  If you don’t then you are saying His death was for nothing, and that it wasn’t enough for you. It is for you.

We don’t get to choose our story’s beginning and we don’t get to make our husbands love us perfectly. We don’t get to choose our children’s problems (or lack of) and we don’t get to demand life. We get to accept it. Like a gift. No one ever entered into God’s fullness by giving Him only half of yourself. You may wrestle, but in Him you’ve won. You may suffer, but in Him you’ve got security. You may regret, but in Him you will rise. You may no longer be free to live the easy way, but in Him you will be free.  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).  “Outweighs them all”—all the mistakes we have made He uses all for His glory. When you’re tempted to hide under the covers this week because some horrible memories of things you did in the past are bringing back shame and guilt, remember they are just feelings—nothing more. You have been delivered.

Psalms 54:4  “I sought the Lord and He answered me, and He delivered me from my fears.” Delivered !!!

Ephesians 3:20  “He is able to do abundantly beyond anything that we can think or ask.” He is able…to do ANYTHING.

Anything we need-–-we just need to ask…then receive…then move forward. When you are tempted to go back, fall forward. Keep moving forward toward Him. Finish this race strong. Remember, God forgives instantly and freely; now just do it!!!

Do these steps in this chapter, read them carefully, and do them exactly as they are written. God will hold you through this. I’m so proud of you all!  Hang in there and know I’m praying for you.

At last I leave you with God’s word, “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us” (Philippian 3:13, 14).

Acts20_24

Your life is worth so much. Please hear me—God’s grace is freely yours, just follow through with choice 4; freedom and joy and so much more are yours!!!

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You for Who You are. You are our strength and our fortress. Our stronghold and comforter in sorrow. You are our everything. We cannot thank You enough for Your forgiveness and grace freely given to us. You love us not for what we do but for who You made us to be. You know each of our hearts and You know what we desire and You promise to give them to us. We trust You. We ask for Your help in laying it all down at Your feet and help us not to take it back. Forgive us and keep us safe during this sometimes painful journey.  We love You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment:

Please read sections 4 and 5 carefully, and pray about when and who and where to do your talking. This a hard one.  Just let us know that you have chosen someone, and the rest can be your choice as to whether you share or not.

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If you are interested in joining us for the online Bible Study, click HERE. Once we have received your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Kim in regards to this blog, please email her at Kim@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices – Chapter 3: Stepping Across the Line

January 23, 2013 by

I’m going to start today’s blog post with a little poem that my pastor quoted Sunday.  It goes like this…

 

I went for a walk today down a winding road and fell in a hole,

it’s not my fault.

I went for a walk today down the same road and fell in a hole,

why did I do that?

I went for a walk today down the same road, fell in the same hole,

it’s my fault.

I went for a walk today down the same winding road, I barely made it around the hole.

I took a different road today.

I cannot handle that winding road I’ve been on. I won’t go down it again.

 

Does that sound familiar to you? Are you having a hard time stepping off the same path? Today we will step across the line together into Jesus’ arms and allow Him to care and control ALL of us. Ready? OK! (The cheerleader in me came out.)

S-urrendering

T-o

E-verlasting

P-eace

 

Step 1: We must accept Jesus as our Savior, Lord of our life. He must live in our heart and be the center of our being. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”  You will be saved, not might be, but will be. Commit as much of yourself as you can at this moment and He can do great things. This is so exciting! Shall we go on?

Step 2: We must accept God’s word as our standard. It must be our life manual. God gave us His word to guide us in every aspect of our lives. What a gift from our Creator! The Bible contains love letters from our Heavenly Father, and instructions by which to live our lives so that we will have the peace and joy He promised us. As we commit more and more of ourselves to Jesus, we will want to live our lives according to His will for us and the only way to know His will is to read and study His words. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for resetting the direction of a man’s life and training him in good living”(2 Timothy 3:16).

Step 3: We must accept His will as our purpose. We have to let go of the plans we have for ourselves and totally surrender them. His ways must become our ways. We must die to ourselves and become a new person in Him—the person He wants us to be. I love how John Baker puts it: how we must wake up every day and say “Lord, You woke me up this morning. You obviously have another day planned for me!  What is that plan?” I usually start my day out on my knees and end it there also. I pray for the willingness to be teachable and the strength to do whatever He wants me to do that day.

Step 4: We must accept His power as our strength. 2 Samuel 22:40 says,  “You armed me with strength for the battle–You humbled my adversaries.” When we commit ourselves to Him, His strength is ours, and His power is ours. He has given us His Spirit and with that comes the benefit of having His resources at hand at all times. We are armed for whatever trial comes our way.

So, are you ready to step across the line together? He’s waiting with open arms. If you have not yet asked Him to be Lord of your life, my friend, this is the most important decision  you will ever make. It is your life choice. “Look. Here  I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal as friends” (Revelation 3:20).

He wants to come into your life and help you live this life He gave you. He wants to come in so badly but He will not come in if you don’t ask. Oh dear friend, you don’t have to go this alone. You don’t have to white knuckle it! His power is yours. Your willpower isn’t enough. I know mine isn’t. If it was, I would never have gone down this road of addiction. I wouldn’t have left a trail of destruction and hurt for all I love. But we serve an awesome Savior Who can redeem all we have done and make us a new creation in Him.

 

If you are truly ready to commit your life to Him then answer these questions:

Do you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and proved He was God by coming back? 1 Corinthians 15:2-4

Do you accept God’s free forgiveness for your sins? Romans 3:22

Do you want to switch to His plan for your life? Romans 12:2

Are you ready to express your desire for Jesus to be the director of your life? Romans 10:9

If you answered yes to all these questions then make this a reality and make the choice to step across the line today holding your Savior’s hand. He’s so ready and willing. Just say yes.

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for coming into my life and redeeming me and dwelling in me. Thank You for all these women who dedicated their lives to You today, some for the first time and for others a rededication. Lord, we believe You sent Your Son Jesus to die for our sins, so we can be forgiven. We are sorry for all our wrongdoings and as we continue this journey with You, Lord, we ask for the willingness to be teachable and the strength to carry on with this beautiful life You have given us. Thank You that we do not have to go this alone. Lord, some of us are so tired and we need You more than we know. Give us rest and take our burdens as You have so promised. We love You and Praise You for Who You are. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment:

Let us know if you prayed that prayer, so we can continue to encourage you in this amazing journey. Look up scriptures and enter them in to your journal. Remember, all comments are public on this blog. You have the option of signing in anonymously.

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If you are interested in joining us for the Life’s Healing Choices online Bible study, click HERE. Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Kim in regards to this post, please email her at Kim@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

 

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