Habits: Out With The Old, In With The Faithful

Welcome P31 friends! Thanks for dropping by today.

Have you ever felt like you needed some spiritual healing like what was mentioned in todays devotion? I know I have, in more than ways than one.

In fact, just recently, for several weeks I had been praying desperately for God to speak to me. I had issues to face and problems to deal with, and I just wanted to hear His voice in a subtle way, or in any way actually. I yearned for a a little reassurance that He was still up there, and that He was still seeing little 'ol me down here.

At the end of that trying week, I found myself asking God why He had not shown up yet. (Yes, I actually asked God that, have mercy.) But suddenly, it was as if He opened my spiritual eyes to help me to see that He HAD shown up....He had been speaking to me.... loud and clear....all week long - I had just not been listening.

It all started on a Tuesday, when my morning devotion verse was 2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.

The devotion focused on the fact that we are not born with habits of goodness and faithfulness, but we have to deliberately practice and form them within ourselves, through Christ. It mentioned that we are to use these habits, this common stuff of ordinary daily life to glorify God, and live out the principles of faith. Lastly, it talked about being an optimist, instead of a pessimist, by focusing on adding goodness and wisdom to our hearts.

I thought to myself, "Okay God, so I need to form better habits. I get it. I will try to work on doing that."

I rolled out of bed the next day, got a cup of coffee, and pulled out my morning devotion for that day, which highlighted John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

As I prayed and pondered the meaning of this devotion, I came to understand that it focused on the fact that we are made to illuminate the light of God in ordinary ways. It explained that we are to lay down our lives, and our habits, to Him, and not walk in our own ways every day, even if we are used to our own ways.

Hmmm, still need to work on those habits. Okay God.

The next day, I opened up my devotion and read this verse Matthew 7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Whoa nelly! Now that is hitting a little too close to home. Me, judge? Never. Absolutely not. Ummmmm, well okay, maybe sometimes. Geeesh, I guess all the time, if Im down right honest.

So after a moment of denial which led to self examination, I began thinking about ways that I may judge people every day. For example, I may think someone needs to discipline their child better, or be more considerate of others, or pay more attention to what their teenager is doing, or strengthen their faith, or practice what they preach, or dress nicer, or eat healthier, or treat me better, or,..... Ill stop there. I could probably go on forever. More mercy please.

I realized that my judging, even in little ways, had become a habit. Whether it was about someone else, or even about myself.

I needed a little spiritual healing from that. I prayed about this, and promised God that I would stop having a measuring rod for other people, and instead hold that rod up to myself.

I even enlisted my children that day to help me recognize when I said something judgemental, and believe me, they were all about joining in with that game. It actually became annoying after a while, but it was eye opening. Sometimes we simply dont realize what comes out of our mouths on a routine basis, until we really start paying attention to ourselves.

The next morning, instead of jumping into my devotion book, I turned on the television for my daily 6:30am dose of Joyce Meyer.

I love my girl Joyce. She always says something that speaks to my heart. I seriously think God gave Joyce a little inside peek at my heart, and tells her what to say every day that is going to speak to me and my situations. Yep, me and Joyce are tight like that. :)

Anyway, Joyces message on this day focused on the battlefield of the mind, and how it is our choice whether or not we allow our thoughts to be negative, or positive. It is our choice whether or not we focus on the lies, fears and doubts that the enemy puts in our hearts and minds. It is our choice whether or not we choose to have a heart full of love and full of Gods thoughts, instead of discouragement, or judgement.

She reiterated how we have to get into the habit of focusing on the thoughts of Christ, and not the thoughts of our own mind, or of the world.

That word habit was starting to get on my nerves!

But in that moment, a little light bulb lit up in my head and I instantly recognized the pattern that had taken place during the week. Everything I read or watched focused on habits, and they all reiiterated our need for spiritual cleaning. Spiritual healing of the heart and mind.

I realized that while I had been caught up in my daily habits, that God had been speaking to me all week long, but I had been blind to His activity, because I was too busy being habitual.

I realized I had taken time to pray to God, but not taken time to listen for His answer.

I realized that I had blown certain circumstances out of proportion in my mind, because I was focusing on all the what ifs......

I realized that as I allowed negative thoughts, judgemental opinions, fears, doubts, insecurities and concerns to cloud my vision, it made it hard for God to get through to my heart.

I realized that I had formed a habit of stinkin thinkin - the devils favorite tool.

That stinkin thinkin had become an obstacle between me and God, because my heart needed some healing.

You know, life really is a battlefield of the mind, like Joyce says. There is always a war raging, led by a mighty and powerful enemy, taking place behind the scenes of our earthly vision. If the enemy can penetrate our minds with despair and negativity, then our lives will surely follow suit.

I have heard it takes 21 days for a habit to form, but that after 21 days, the old habit dissappears and the new habit becomes the norm.

Do you have any habits that need a special healing touch of God? Is your mind controlling your life, or is God controlling your mind? Is it possible that your heart and mind could use a little holy prescription for goodness today?

This change in our habits will soon result in a life that is a shining reflection of a heart and mind transformed for Christ.

A heart that dwells on His love for us, not our own short comings, or those of others.

A heart that is full of the love of God, instead of criticism.

A heart that sees the good in things, instead of the bad.

Are you ready to say out with the old, in with the new? Out with stinking-thinkin, in with Godly thinkin? Not just for a time, but permanently?

Are you ready for a 21 day challenge that will leave you spiritually healed?

I am willing to try - what about you?

Got any babysitting stories?

This weekend I will be doing a radio interview on Encouragement Cafe ( you can check out your local listings or listen online at http://www.wtru.com/)

This is a wonderful show, hosted every Saturday at 2pm by my friend and fellow P31 sister Luann Prater . Every week they have different topics and different guest speakers, and my topic this Saturday will be babysitting - yes, I said babysitting! This station and radio show is all about equipping and helping moms and women deal with the every day struggles in life, including finding sitters for their precious little ones!

So first, I want to encourage you to tune in this Saturday at 2pm EST or listen online - but secondly, I would love to hear some childcare stories or tips that you have experienced or tried, that might be beneficial for other moms to hear discussed.

One thing I always remember from when my children were younger, were those experiences that were not so good. For example - that time I came home one day after a long day of work only to find huge letter X's drawn on the walls, all the way up the stairwell and on into the playroom walls; or when I got a phone call that my infant son had rolled off the couch and wouldnt stop crying, only to find out later that he had cracked his collar bone; or when my entire kitchen was destroyed when the babysitter thought she would take a shot at making up on her own cake recipe from scratch, using every ingredient she could find in the kitchen. I'll stop there for now!

I am sure you have your own interesting stories, suggestions, mishaps, and great babysitting tips that would benefit other moms. Would you be willing to share a few? Maybe they not only will bring insight to readers of this blog, but I can possibly use them on the air this weekend too to help moms around the country.

Here are a few questions to get your thoughts rolling:
* what do you think about when choosing a babysitter?
* what do you need to tell the babysitter about the children and vice versa?
* did you experience any funny (or sad/scary) stories?
* how do you show respect for the babysitter?

So babysitters/moms/grandmoms/aunts/nannies - put on your thinking caps! I would love to hear from you! From all the comments left on the blog this week and next week after the show, I will draw one name to win a book entitled a "Hold You, Mommy: Moments with God for Moms On The Go", by Hilliard and Autry. What mom couldnt use that?!

I am looking forward to chatting with you this week. :)

Treasured Verses for a Treasure Box

Hi friends! I stand in awe of Gods awesomeness (is that a word?!) in how He used yesterdays devotion to touch so many hearts. I received countless emails and blog posts, and so many of you are dealing with such painful and difficult situations right now, or you know of someone who is struggling to persevere through a very difficult time. I have lifted each one of you in prayer.

Since so many people requested more information about the verses that were in my little treasure box, I have listed those for you below. Feel free to copy and paste them and use them as you wish. Also, be sure to seek Gods guidance in discovering new verses for yourself that will help bring you strength to face your situation, or the person for whom you will be making the box for. You could use the concordance of your Bible, or look up keywords on http://www.biblegateway.com/, to research specific verses about any particular situation.

As you read these verses below, you will recognize that they are not exact quotes from Gods Word, but have been written in a conversational way that explains the promise found in the scriptural verse, rather than quoting the verse word for word.

You can do your verse slips this way, or type the verse exactly as it is written - whichever way you feel will help you feel closest to God. Each time you see a (xxx), that is where you should insert your name, or the name of the person whom you are making this treasure box for.

I pray you feel Gods hugs very soon!

_______________________________________________________________

(your name here), I carry your burdens every day. Psalm 68:19
You can know and depend on the love that I have for you, (xxx). 1 John 4:16
You can trust in My faithfulness, (xxx), because My Word is true. Psalm 33:4
If you enter in My rest, (xxx), you will find rest from all your striving. Hebrews 4:9-10
My Spirit will help you in your weakness, (xxx). Romans 8:26
You can rest in My love, (xxx), for I have power to save you. Zephaniah 3:17
I will meet your every need, (xxx), through My eternal riches in Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:19
I will be the voice behind you, (xxx), guiding you in the way you should go. Isaiah 30:21
(xxx), I will give you power to know the vastness of My immeasurable love. Ephesians 3:17-19
Trust in Me with all your heart, (xxx), and I will guide you. Proverbs 3:5-6
Come close to Me, (xxx), and I will come close to you. James 4:8
I prepared a kingdom inheritance for you, (xxx), when I created the world. Matthew 25:34
I am with you, (xxx), and I will help you because I am your God. Isaiah 41:10
My promise of life is for you and for your family, (xxx). Acts 2:39
Reach out and you will touch Me, for I am not far from you, (xxx). Acts 17:27 Commit all that you do to Me, (xxx) and your plans will be successful. Proverbs 16:3You can trust in Me, (xxx), for I am your strength and your song. Isaiah 12:2I will never abandon you, (xxx). Hebrews 13:5
If you wait for Me, (xxx), I will work on your behalf. Isaiah 64:4
An eternal crown awaits you at the finish line, (xxx). 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
I am near to you whenever you cry out, (xxx). Deuteronomy 4:7
I will keep watch over you and guard you forever, (xxx). Psalm 12:7
My love will never fail you, (xxx). 1 Corinthians 13:8
Call on me, Tracie, when you are in trouble and I will rescue you. Psalm 91:15
There is no place you can go to escape My presence, (xxx). Psalm 13:7-10
When problems arise, (xxx), call to Me and I will answer you. Psalm 86:7
The good things I have planned for you, (xxx), are too many to count. Psalm 40:5
For you, (xxx), are honoroed in My eyes. I, your God, am your strength. Isaiah 49:5
I will protect and carry you, (xxx), all the days of your life. Isaiah 46:4
Though the mountains vanish, My unending love will never lear you, (xxx). Isaiah 54:10
Ask Me for wisdom, (xxx), and I will generously give it to you. James 1:5

Gods Word Is Alive

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8a (NIV)

(several people this morning have requested a list of the verses that were in my treasure box - check back tomorrow and I will have these listed out for you to copy and paste so you can begin building your own special treasure box.)

If you are linking over to my blog today from the Proverbs 31 daily devotion, thank you for dropping by! And happy Monday to all of my weekly blogger friends. Above is a picture of my treasured bible verse box that I made reference to in the devotion. (Thanks again LeAnn!)

The day that I sat in Gods lap, as the devotion explains, God impressed several things upon my heart. 1) I was not alone or forgotten; 2) He cared about my hurts; and 3) He could really speak to me in a way that I could feel and understand.

As a Christian, all three of these things would probably be considered the most basic of the truths that we believe, however, sometimes, if you are anything like me, we just need a little holy reminder of those truths to calm our spirits. A blatant, in-your-face type of holy reminder.

A reminder that God is not taking a break when we feel hurt or confused, or when unfortunate situations seep into our lives, but that He is still there, and will share His love and His voice if we draw near to Him.

Getting near to God is not as hard as it seems. If we see Him as an unreachable, invisible, and untouchable, then, yes, it may seem impossible to ever find Him. However, if we see Him as real, alive, and within our reach through prayer and devotion, we will soon discover that He is not near as far away as He once seemed.

Drawing near to God, results in Him drawing near to us as well.

In the 4th chapter of James, the biblegateway commentary tells us that James is acting as a "spiritual director" for the church. It tells us how "the church goes beyond superficialities and guides the church into holiness in its internal relationships. True spiritual direction not only challenges; it comforts". It goes on to explain that James is "faithful to confront sinful motives and evil practices, and he is equally clear about the promise of God's grace."

Grace - that is one key thing I pull out of this chapter of instruction for sinners. Grace. We all need it in times of sin, pain, sufferings, hardships, and challenges. Iin fact, a definition of theological grace that I came across said "the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them."

Is that not exactly what we all need and want? Of course! We desire to have the spirit of God working so actively within us that we feel re-energized, refreshed, motivated, strengthened, and loved beyond belief. It is those exact feelings of supernatural power within us and a peace that surpasses understanding, that empower us to pull ourselves out of a pit, and into the light of Christ instead. That internal spiritual power is what draws us into Gods presence.

The place to find that grace, comfort, and fresh spiritual energy to press on, is through Gods Word, and all the promises that flood into our hearts when we read it. What a disservice we are doing to our faith and ourselves when we discount the truth that Gods Word is alive.

Shortly after me and God had us some snuggle time, I slowly began to see things improving in this relationship. I began to see God working in the heart of this person, a person who has a wonderful heart to begin with, but who had been trying to do life without holding His hand as a result of being pulled in every direction due to the pressures of life. I have seen glimpses of Gods plan in this relationship, and my heart is bursting at the seams to watch Him at work.

Even though I may not understand why things happen, I still try to focus on having full trust in Gods ways, and not allow doubt in His sovereignty to seep into my mind. I thank Him every day for continuing to work in my heart, and the hearts of those I love, and I truly believe that He is doing a mighty work.

Trusting in God for answers to come, for wisdom to manage issues, for strength to persevere, and for peace and forgiveness to come, can be hard. More than hard. Painfully hard. And most of the time, no fun. But it is that exact trust that will not only get us through the battle, but also that will lift us up when we see Gods restoration and love begin to flow. Maybe the answer to our prayers will not look exactly like we had prayed for, but nonetheless, it will be the best answer for us.

If you would like to sit in Gods lap today, consider doing the activity mentioned in the devotion. Make your own bible verse box, and insert your name into all the verses. Or, if you know someone who is struggling with a difficult time in their life right now, make a bible verse treasure box for them. It is a gift that will not only lift their hearts, but lift their spirits as well, and most likely, will also result in a much needed smile.

A Journey of Hope

I pray that God has spoken to your heart this week about hope, and that maybe through His supernatural intervention and healing, you are feeling a little more hopeful today about the trials you may be facing.

If there is one thing we know about problems, it is that they will always exist. Even when we overcome one problem or find victory over a certain circumstance, another problem is surely to follow. That is why hope is such a crucial part of faith. It is something we need to pray for and practice, even on the best of days. Hope is a journey that we have to continue on with every day.

To end out our journey this week, although the journey has just begun, I want to leave you with a few verses to include in your quiet time over the coming days.

I am headed out to Connecticut today for a huge womens conference, and I would covet your prayers for God to be glorified, and hearts to be changed. Have a wonderful weekend friends!


Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 be faint.

Victory Over the Giant

1 Samuel 17:32 "Master," said David, "don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine."

In 1 Samuel 17, we learn about David and Goliath. A well known story, with a well known ending, but lets take a moment to dig a little deeper into what the real giant was for the army that stood helpless against the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:1-7 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Asekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronzes helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron pint weight six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

It was not necessarily the giant Philistine that made the Israelites feel hopeless about their victory, it was their attitude towards the giant. To the Israelites, it looked like there was no way to beat the giant. Not only did they have this huge valley between themselves and the enemy, but the enemy was absolutely enormous. Can you imagine what he must have looked like; based on the description we are given in the Bible? I would have definitely cowered in fear at the sight of this monstrosity of a person!

But still, knowing the facts, the Israelites longed for victory. The problem was that they couldn’t envision victory, while their eyes were focused on the problem.

The problem named Goliath.

The fear that Goliath created in them, caused their attitude to be one of defeat before the battle ever actually took place.

1 Samuel 17:8-11 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us. Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other. One hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. "

There was no joy in the hearts of the Israelites after hearing what Goliath had to say. Their defeat not only seemed imminent, but someone would have to die, and then they would be servants. I would imagine their fear not only stemmed from the potential of immediate loss of life, but also from imagining how horrible and tortuous daily life would be as a servant of the Philistines. Their fears were overwhelming, the situation seemed hopeless, and so they stayed helplessly in the shadows of that fear.

Their attitude was not one focused on God. They didn’t think to call out to God for help. They didn’t think to ask for, and expect, a miracle. Their eyes were focused on the giant, not on the God that had always been there for them.

In many ways, we are the same way. We find ourselves in a difficult position, faced with hardship and misfortune regardless of which way we turn, and instead of looking to the One that could make a difference, we look at the problem and all the reasons why we cannot fight that battle. We search within our own knowledge base for answers. We look to friends for advice. We seek out family members for support. We look to co-workers for sympathy. We look to lawyers for justice.

But - we don’t look to God - until we have exhausted every other avenue.

Victory is not merely defeating the enemy, or issue in our life. Victory is actually learning to live a life of joy, even when the Philistines are still looming off in the distance.

Victory is the ability to sustain a feeling of happiness in your heart, no matter how much life is raging around you. A feeling of competence and strength, even if your capabilities seem to pale in comparison to your giant.

Victory is seeing the good in the bad, and overcoming a problem, but most importantly, victory is being able to achieve joy in Christ, whether or not earthly victory is gained or the problem is resolved.

1 Samuel 17:22- David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel. David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes from disgrace? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

One thing that stands out to me about this passage, is that David “ran to the battle lines”. David did not look at the battle line from a distance; measure the distance that he would have to run; contemplate specific rock throwing moves; consider where he might be able to hide; weigh all the positives against the negatives; or try to determine all the what-if scenarios and come up with solutions ahead of time.

No - David just trusted God, believed in His purpose, and stepped forward in confidence. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that His God was bigger than any giant, and therefore He felt equipped, emotionally and physically to fight the giant.

So many times, our giants keep us cowering in the shadows, just like all those Israelites did who saw the giant as something that could not be defeated.

Even if the giant is something that we are capable of overcoming, we still often remain in fear because we neglect to see the possibility of victory as we are focused on the possibility of defeat. We look around for help, instead of looking up for help, and as a result, our eyes cannot focus on victory.

We want to be able to see realistic answers for our problems, instead of being willing to allow God us to show us the supernatural ways that He can work. We want to see to believe, instead of believe, and then see His miracles.

Many times, even when we know that God is in control and that He will be with us as we face the battle, we still hesitate to move forward. Our fears become stronger than our faith. We typically do not want to get that close to our giant, much less run towards it! But victory can only happen when we move forward, fully trusting that God is leading the way.

Whatever your giant is today, God is bigger. God is more powerful. God already knows the outcome. God has equipped you to fight it. It is our job to believe in Him enough to be able to envision the victory.

Is your attitude one that believes those truths?

Are you willing to run towards the battle line, fully trusting God, or at a minimum, start taking some baby steps towards the victory that God has waiting for you?

Hope against hope, meaning maintaining hope in God when the harshness of reality makes things seem hopeless, will bring us close enough to God to feel His presence, through the peace that comes when we least expect it.