Hope for the Hopeless-Reach out to each other

The most joyful time of the year right?  Presents, trees, lights, gifts.  Most importantly, of course, is the celebration of the birth of our King and Savior Jesus Christ.  But then there are the facts.  Facts of that Christian or not there are those dealing with life issues that they feel they can't shake.  Maybe it's a loss of a job and unemployment hasn't happened, maybe the new job hasn't started yet,  Maybe it's a much bigger issue, It's a sick child.  Maybe it's a husband holding the hand of a wife fighting cancer and they haven't given up on God but there is a sense of sadness they can't shake.

I know last week I was guilty of being mad at my husband for not understanding my stress.  Then I read a face book post of a girl back home to her husband she recently lost and she was telling him how much she loved him and how she'd give anything to have him back with her.  Talk about perspective.  I squeezed my husband's hand a little harder that day.  The only way she could communicate with him was his face book wall.  She now will have her first Christmas without him, with their babies.  Now what were we complaining about again????

We get so busy with life.  Stressing.  Worrying.  Trust me when I tell you I am the pot calling the kettle black.  I of all people know that my God has a plan for my family and that he has big plans for my family.  I have written them down.  I have claimed them.   I have claimed restoration, healing, understanding, financial growth and big things for my family.   But we are going through some things for now and late at night or early in the morning before I have time to read,  than  doubt will sneak in and fear will take over telling me we can't make it.  I literally will have to go deep into prayer and talk to God and get my reassurance that the storm didn't come to stay, it came to pass.  That for every storm I go through, I come out the other side stronger and more knowledgeable and able to help more people.

Even when we are in our own storms, we must, as Christians, reach down and pull each other up.  I promise you, the more you pull each other up, the stronger you become.  We are suppose to be there for each other.   It is part of his plan.

In every aspect of your life pray and if he leads you to, pay it forward.  Be it a hug, a "you doing ok today?",  buying a coffee for the person behind you, live your life like God would.  I have found even if it's your last dollar, mysteriously, that dollar will be returned to you almost as quick as you gave it away.  But don't just do it on your own.  Ask God to lead you.  You'll feel it in your heart and know who it is supposed to be for.  It may just be a "it's going to get better".   We all need each other and when we realize God's people need each other and start to help each other the better this crazy world will be.

Our world is hurting and until the hopeless turn back to who can give us Hope, nothing will change and that change starts with you and me.  We really are in a valley of trouble and we need Him to show us how to get out of it.  I will never give up believing in Hope, Love, God or that His people can come together and change things.

  

God speaks to those who take the time to listen...

 A walk with God is a life long journey, or should be.  If you catch yourself letting it be a one time feeling and letting it slip away,  that's on you.  God will not force you to follow him, it is up to you to reach out and make the the time to pray.  Read the word.  Absorb yourself in the word.  Sure we all back slide from time to time, but it is your personal responsibility to try to make sure you don't.  We have to stop making excuses for the dust collecting on the bible.  For making excuses not to go church.  Do you have to go to church to get into heaven?  No.  But you need to be fed.  IF you are not surrounding yourself by like minded people with the same goals you are starving yourself.  I hang out with people that don't  have the same goals as I.  We love each other.  We don't have the same beliefs.  But I have to have the time with people that are on the same track in order to keep me on the same path.  I am not saying you have to spend 24 hours a day with the same people but it is important you have a support group that understand your journey and that your working toward the same goals. You must be fed or you will starve spiritually.

The devil wants you to stumble and fall.  He doesn't want you to know you have power to succeed.  He doesn't want you to know that where there are more than one or more  gathered in prayer they are more powerful.  He doesn't want you to know you actually have the power to speak things into existence.  He wants you to fall on your face.  He wants you sit around with unbelievers having pity parties or temporary celebrations thinking things are good.   His only goal is to steal and destroy.

Christians must armor up!  The word of God is your protection and the more knowledge you have the more protection and shielded you are!!  Remember what I have said, it is like you are a kitten when you first become a Christian but as you pray and get your Shield, you become a bigger beast against the beast himself and Roar like a lion!  That is the mentality you must have at all times.  Like a Warrior that nothing can come against.  You are a Warrior of the one true King and no harm shall come against you as long as you study, pray up and be ready at all times.

This means NO EXCUSES.  We have work, kids, spouses, lives, but you must get in the mindset that NOTHING comes before your time with God.  There is some time during the day that you can set aside for God.  The end.  We must set that time aside.  Honestly,  when you say you can't set that time aside, I want you to think about the time Jesus stayed on the cross and then tell me again how you can't find even 15 minutes a day to read the word and say a prayer.

The gift to my self....Freedom from Religious Judgement

I just got home from a worship service.  The music was amazing a usual.  I prayed and talked to God as I always do.  I praised my God and thanked him.   I thanked him for the struggles of the last weeks that have been brought to me because I know in my heart He has a plan.  Tonight will be my last night I will speak of the struggles I have faced the last few weeks.   My heart has hurt more than words can express.  It felt at times my heart was ripped out of my chest as friends walked away.  Family left and walked away.  I don't know that I will ever comprehend being told I was over the top for Jesus by more than one person.   I don't know that my heart will ever recover being told someone close to me had to distance her self from me because I was too much Jesus.  Wait,  yes I will.  Because as of today, I am choosing to.

Today,  I will move forward from having a "friend" tell me that if  God or the Holy Spirit is talking to me, I needed a professional.  Because serial killers started out like that.  I was dumb founded that a educated person could let those words come out of their mouth.  But then as hurt as I was, I realized that she may be worried for me, I felt as much sadness for her that she lives a life not knowing God like she may think she does.  Because if she did, and if she read her bible and believed it, she would know with all that she is that God nor the Holy Spirit would NEVER tell you or lead you to harm any one.  God is love.  My God leads me to do good for people.  What a sad life that someone would sit around gossiping about a Christian that something so hateful is the best they could come up with.  Instead of gossiping about me or other Christians,  a simple conversation face to face would be nice.  But they obviously have never experienced God in the way most Christians have and I choose to pray for them and still love them though the comment did hurt.  Millions of Christians pray and feel and/or hear the Holy Spirit.

Tonight,  As I witnessed many Christians praising God and worshiping I thought of all the people who thought I was over the top and I thought how proud I was to be surrounded by God's people and a ton of people that are just like me.

I also decided that not another tear will be shed over what I can't understand.  Not another anxiety attack will be had over what I can't change.  Not another moment of time can or will be spent worrying about trying to make people love me or accept me, that simply can't or won't.  Because you can't make people stay that don't want to.  And if they walk away that easy,  they weren't meant to stay, and what does it say about their love for you?

This is the Eve of my 43 Birthday.  I am giving myself a present.  Forgiveness.  Forgiveness for the anger I had for the hurt I had.  I give myself light.   Where all the darkness was inside, I release it in Jesus name.  I will not let anyone have control over me to control my feelings to make me anxious, sad or depressed.   I will not be persecuted by anyone or anything.  My 43rd will be freedom.  What ever God's will is, is what is will be done.   I will be blessed and the people that walked away, if they come back, they do but I can't control if they choose not to.  I can't force friends or  family to love me.   Especially when it comes to the love I have for Jesus.  That is not changing.  Because I made a promise to Him first and foremost and I am not breaking it.

So Happy 43rd to me.  I pray that all I prayed for comes to pass and I truly let all the darkness go and all the negative comes to pass.  I pray good, positive things for my family and that nothing but good, Godly things happen to my family and I.   No more pain.  No more hurt.  No more opinion's of others can hurt me.  It is over and done.  My gift to myself is freedom of religious judgement.