Miserable Meltdowns!

Five years ago, the Lord begin taking me through a journey of trying to learn how to overcome being blindsided by the enemy. A powerful word would come through this along with much hurt and the lowest point in my walk with Christ... but in the end joy, relief, and deliverance. Also, through this came this song that has since been right there to pull me through every dark time in my life. When I am going through situations behind closed doors that no one knows about it, those MISERABLE MELTDOWNS (I know I'm not the only one who experiences these), those questions that outweigh answers, comes this song again in the middle of a challenging few weeks. We don't give ourselves the same grace that God does in our human moments. The flesh stinks sometimes... but even at almost 36 years old I'm still learning that it's okay to be emotional, it's okay to be angry without sinning, it's okay to stand up for yourself in a stern voice... all of those things that other people will point at you and say in those ugly moments that I simply call life, "I thought you were a better Christian than that"! That has to be one of my most hated quoted sentences ever! I mean really, that says to the Christian world that you have to be perfect in every waking moment of your walk with Christ! Since coming home from my cruise, God has once again put me on this journey of learning how to walk on through with victory during those "blindsided by the enemy moments", and I shake my fists and cry not liking it one bit yet knowing it is exactly what I need to keep growing and moving forward in Christ. I mean literally since being caught off guard with things that happened on the cruise, I came home to physical sickness that I'm just getting over a week later, a 48 hour major bank issue that was a system error, being stood up for an important meeting, an unpleasant realization that something I worked hard for may not come to past, being forced to handle a situation that I shouldn't have been asked nor required to handle, starting the grieving process of something that I had suppressed deep inside of me, and fighting through fear and anxiety of facing my 36th surgery procedure with non cancer radiation treatments to follow, in just a couple of weeks... yet through all of this God still shows up. Our cruise group was a light to some employees on that cruise ship and we didn't lose our testimony nor compromise our faith/beliefs in the middle of a toxic atmosphere and the Lord allowed us to have some enjoyable experiences while keeping His hand of protection on us. The Lord is healing me once again from a simple illness that others die from in other countries, all the money was put back in my checking account plus I received an extra $55 this week from others I wasn't expecting, that same day I was stood up for a meeting a person came to my house and took care of the situation, a best friend during a late night drive and sacrificing her sleep time, talked me through that goal that may not come to past and how God still worked it out for His glory, and I just sucked it up and handled that situation I didn't want to, yet I stood my ground and stood up for myself too, and didn't suppress my feelings... and God has once again stirred that word back up in my spirit about NOT being overcome with defeat when blindsided by the enemy... while all of this is going one, I was asked to teach a class next week and well let's just say I know what direction I'm going in regarding what I'm teaching about. God is going to use you whether you have nasty life moments or not, whether you have fleshly moments or not, whether you have man's validation or not, whether you took a different journey someone thinks you shouldn't have took or not. Listen you may be walking with a limp, you may have to crawl past that finish line, you may have to scream and cry your way through that unpleasant situation and feeling; but in the end you're gonna make it through, you're gonna be okay during those blindside moments, you're gonna get back to your moments of joy and celebration, you're gonna realize it's okay to NOT be okay and have it all together. God made a special promise to You AND He won't leave you there!

Below is my favorite version of this song, because the anointing is so strong, and they also sing the chorus of "Through the Fire" with it!

https://youtu.be/HbQsHyqpzEA

God Is Our Safety and Protection!

The Bible tells us the many ways the Lord protects us. He protects us from the wicked, from illnesses, from traps (satan's snares), from storms, and from destruction (both physically and spiritually). I believe that God’s words are a gift to us; they are a sword, a weapon and our protection (God's Word spells God Sword). It's so important in these days to speak and pray ONLY life over our family and country daily. Speak life and positively about situations; speak ONLY healing and hope. It does matter what you speak, so choose your words carefully. Study, learn, seek Him, and speak God’s Word in faith. I focus only on whom I am in Christ, where He is taking me, and how He is using me for His glory to advance His kingdom. I have complete peace and the Lord continues to strengthen me to face whatever lies ahead without fear or doubt. The Lord is a shield for all to look to for His protection. He will protect you wherever you go, for His name is a strong tower that the righteous run into and are safe. As we sung in church Sunday "I'm not backing down from any giant, I know how this story ends... You take what the enemy meant for evil and You turn it for good". Run to Him for safety. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. Do not fear bad news, but confidently trust the Lord to care for you. He will strengthen you when you feel faint. Wait on the Lord and He shall renew your strength. You shall run & not be weary, walk & not faint. 

Scripture: 

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:8

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. 

Psalm 32:7

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (but go ahead and read the rest of that chapter)

God is Good Even in the Bad!

"God never takes something away without replacing it with something better." I've said it before and was adamant about it. However, God has recently revealed something to me about this statement that has been eye opening. Saying that God will replace the lost or broken things in your life IS TRUE in that it is Christ who makes us whole and complete, but even then it’s not the promise of perfection or a life that is “better.”

God isn’t “good” because we get a front row parking spot or a promotion at work, and then “bad” because someone cuts us off in traffic, or we lose a job. This kind of thinking leads us into the ideology that says if my life is not going well, God is not good. No. God is good regardless of your life situation. God’s goodness does not fluctuate when our lives do. God’s goodness is above our understanding and so sometimes that means we don’t get to see the ”why” behind the things that happen in this broken world. 

Psalm 46 says that "God is our refuge and strength, a present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear." God’s goodness doesn’t come from making us feel good or making us happy, but God is good because in the midst of the pain, the sorrow, the storm, God is closer than those things ever could be. And so, in a sort of unresolved way, we have to know that God is good. In our joy, in our pain, in our loss, in our despair, in all that we will ever endure, God's still good.

God is near to the broken-hearted. God comforts. God restores. God cares so much that He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to die and rise again so that we could have relationship with this good and holy God. And in this way, this very thing is the goodness of God on display.