A Colorful Reminder of Gods Omnipotence

If you have ever read my book (Reinventing Your Rainbow), you already know that rainbows have a special place in my heart. Years ago, God used the simple beauty and mystery of a rainbow to bring my book idea to life, and to remind me of His love for me and His covenant to His people that He is always in charge.

Not that I had forgotten the promises that God spoke to my heart years ago through the breathtaking beauty of a rainbow, but I think I simply moved on to other things, and had not thought about them recently. I knew God was in charge, and I had been praying for Him to show me His presence. I didnt want to test God, but I felt desperate, which led to my asking God for a sign.

My conversation went something like this: " God, if you dont mind, could you send me a sign? Just a litte sign, or, how about a bright, blinking sign? One that I will recognize is You, without a shadow of a doubt? Please? A sign that I can see with my visible eyes that will display Your love for me. That would be great Lord if You would do that, but I understand if You choose not to. Amen."

You see, I had a lot of things going on in my life, and some heavy discouragements, and I desperately wanted to "see" Him.

Last week, God answered my prayer and gave me that sign. It was amazing. It was breathtaking. It was beautiful. It was colorful - 7 specific colors in fact. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet. White.

I was driving to Lynchburg, Virginia last week for a speaking engagement for a couple days, and my mind was full of if's, and's, and but's; why's and why not's. I found my mind wandering to all the gray areas of life; all the areas that I wanted to control but couldnt; all the relationships that I wanted to flourish; all the hurts that I wanted to go away. I worried and fretted, and even prayed a lot. But then, out of nowhere, God got my attention.

As I stared at the open interstate ahead of me, I saw it. A magnificent rainbow, standing alone in all its glory in the deep blue sky. No raindrops. No storms. Just the rainbow. I was so amazed, I almost had a wreck trying to get a good picture of it. I thanked God for that rainbow, and continued driving. The pictures do not do justice to what I saw, but I did capture them.

An hour later, I was again dismayed. A rainbow shot across the sky, this time a little fainter, but a rainbow nonetheless. I thought to myself, "How odd. Two rainbows in one day? And without any raindrops? Hmmmm."

My thoughts continued to wander, my prayers continued to flow, and then I saw it. Yes, another rainbow. This one was even more beautiful than the other two, as the colors spread wide and vast across the sky. And again, the skies were dry, the roads were dry. I could not make heads nor tails of where in the world these rainbows were coming from - and how bizarre it was to see three rainbows in one year, much less one day. Just then, God gently nudged my heart, and reminded me that His love for me is more beautiful than the rainbow, and the rainbow is a reminder of that love.

As I continued to drive, I continued thanking God for those rainbows, but I could not help wondering - why? Why today? Why now? Why the rainbow?

Three and half hours after I had left my home, I finally arrived at my destination, and checked into the hotel. Later that evening, as I was sitting in a an amazing worship service, my daughter called my cell phone. I did not answer her call at the time, but instead sent her a text message to ask what she needed.

Believe it or not - here is what her message said: "Mom! There is a humongous rainbow going right over our house! It is huge! Dad will text you a picture."

I am serious when I say, I felt a shiver from head to toe. I felt Gods presence all over me. Three rainbows on the drive here, and now one over my own house? I wondered what in the world God was trying to tell me through this pattern of phenomenal rainbows.

Over the next couple days, as I thought back about all the rainbows I had seen in the past week, and pondering what God was trying to tell me, it finally hit me. My heart was gaping open, waiting to hear from him, and I finally heard Gods voice loud and clear.

Dreams. Wishes. Desires. Goals. Ambitions. Prayers. Hopes.

These rainbows were His way of confirming that He had heard my prayers. I was not alone. He had not forgotten me after all.

I believe it was His way of telling me not to give up on my dreams. Not to lose sight of my God sized visions. Not to lose hope over things that seemed hopeless. Not to give up on desires that seem to be taking longer to be fulfilled than I would like.

That He truly heard the deepest longings of my soul. And that He loved me, and He would never leave me or forsake me. He loved me. He loved my family. He desires to bless me, in His time. And He was alive.

Thank you Jesus, for working in my life, and in all of our lives. For reminding us through unique ways that we will understand, that you truly are there, even when our human eyes cannot see you, our human minds cannot fathom you, and our human hearts cannot feel you. Thank you.

Has God spoken to you lately in a way that took your breath away?

A Day To Rejoice

All I can say is - wow. And "wow" does not even do justice to the things I have been feeling as each of you so transparently showed yourselves and your love for Christ each day through your comments and personal experiences. God has been at work over the past week!

On a personal note, I just want to say thank you to each of you who shared your thoughts through the comments. Even though hundreds of people may read a blog each day, very few take the time to comment, not realizing the impact that they could have on hearts of so many women who need to hear about Gods love at work. So thank you all for allowing God to use you to touch all of us! I want to take a minute to mention just a few thanks from the past week:

Issy - wow, what an amazing story of how God pulled you out of a terrible domestic abuse situation, into a life that is focused on Him. How He rewarded your faith with a wonderful husband and little girl is truly moving. I praise Him for what He has done in your life and how you are able to glorify Him and use that bad experience as a shining example of His redeeming love and blessing!

Angie - you are always an inspiration with your thought provoking comments. You have a gift for writing and for putting your thoughts into words that glorify Christ.

Rhonda - thank you for words of wisdom about being a mom, and how we need to never lose sight of the blessings of the children that God has given us,but how He gives us those children when it is His timing and not our own. Thank you for giving us an example of someone who showed up for Christ even though it was not popular. (check out her comment for the link about that story)

Beth - for reminding us of the importance of family, putting aside our excuses and feelings of unworthiness, and not getting pulled into the negativity that the world tries to bestow upon us.

Connie - for sharing how difficult it is to break that habit of negativity and tear down those walls that keep us apart from others, and for sharing how God has called you to step out of your comfort zone about speaking. It is so hard to comprehend that we are capable of doing anything for such an awesome God, but it is so great to see how He is can use even when we do not feel capable.

Danielle - what a great example of how the enemy uses simple discouragement to cause us to lose sight of the original vision that God gave us, and how God uses experiences of our past and works on our hearts to help us see the tasks that He ordained for us. How exciting that you are starting your mother-daughter class up again!

Jill - for sharing your experience, how God continued to call you despite lots of hurdles, and how we truly can be victorious if we move out of comfort zones.

LeeAnn - for sharing your story of your childhood and how through your grandparents, God impacted your life and your heart forever. What an incredible example they were, and such a vivid picture of how it is so important to focus on pulling the hearts of children towards God so that His kingdom can impacted for generations to come through the efforts that we put forth in other peoples lives.

The Seeking Mom - thank your for your transparency about your own struggles, and how God has given you that extra little boost to use the stories He has written in your life to write a book - good luck! You are so right - it is the stories of Jesus working in our lives that ministers to people, so keep it up!

Tracey - for sharing your struggle with what God is calling you to do and your desire to work with the singles ministry, which is a very important ministry that so many women need to feel valued and loved despite their circumstances. A great reminder that Gods plans are always bigger than ours, and that He can use us in ways that we would never feel qualified for.

And for all of the rest of you who commented, thank you! Your thoughts and stories are an inspiration to me, and I pray that God will continue to challenge you and pull you out of your comfort zone, and right into the promised land that He has prepared just for you!

As promised, I put the names of each person who commented on all five days into a cup, and prayed that whoever God chose to receive the book, that their name would be drawn. After praying, I asked my son to pull a name out of the cup, and the name he chose was Rhonda. Yeah Rhonda! So as soon as you email me your address, I will get the book in the mail to you. I pray God uses it to minister to you in a special way!

If anyone is interested in purchasing the book, it is available on the Proverbs 31 website.

I pray you will continue to visit me and keep in touch, and that God will work miracles in your lives that you never saw coming! Many blessings.

Faith Zone Challenge Day #5: Embrace Your Calling

This has been an amazing week! If there is anyone who has not had time to read through the comments each day, I encourage you to do so! They are wonderful, profound and very meaningful. I dont know about you, but nothing is more motivating to me than hearing about all the wonderful things that God is doing in the lives of His children, and how He so miraculously ordains our experiences each and every day. Thank you all for being so open and honest this week!

Over the past four days, we have spent more time with God, and hopefully grown just a little closer to Him as a result. We have been challenged to face any unforgiveness issues that we were hiding in our hearts. We have been challenged to consider our attitudes and whether or not our minds were a reflection of Christ. And yesterday, God's love was shared and spread throughout the US as we each put aside our fears and hesitations, and sought out opportunities to spread the gospel in some way, either through our words or our actions.

My prayer, and challenge, for you today, is that you are ready to take an extravagant leap of faith. If you have taken this challenge seriously so far, then your heart should be more prepared to take a leap of faith than it may have been before!

Let me give you a little bit of background on me, so you will understand why I believe with all my heart that taking a leap of faith and embracing whatever God has called us to do is so important, if we want to see God begin doing miracles in our lives.

It all started during a womens seminar at my church nine years ago, where I can honestly say that I heard Gods audible voice, or so it seemed to me.

I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had impressed upon my heart that He desired that I share my story, shed my hypocrisy, and become transparent for His glory, but at the time I was not quite sure what that meant. My fear of obedience became overwhelming, because I was completely unaware of what "obedience" meant. I was acutely confused at how God could use me.

In addition, I was scared of drastic change, or any change for that matter. I was fearful of leaving my comfort zone. I was terrified of what other people might say or think about me if I shared my testimony. I was not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to follow Gods plan. I was gripped with fear, and paralyzed by the unknown future that would follow.

So I said no to God that day. Sadly, as a result, I walked in complete disobedience to Gods will for my life for five years. Instead of giving in to Him, I gave into my fears, and stayed firmly put in my uncomfortable comfort zone.

However, the entire time that I was treading down my own pitiful path, the more God worked on my heart. In fact, the farther I walked away from His call, the more I became convinced that He was stalking me with a bible verse! It seemed to be in my face every time I turned around, so much so, that it actually got a little spooky.

Seriously, this verse just kept popping up everywhere I went for months, even years! I would see it on TV; in my bible studies; in sermons; my friends would mention it in conversation; it would be on a piece of mail I received; I would overhear a stranger talking about it; it would be scripted on a card from from a church member; it would be on an interstate billboard; my bible could fall off the table and the pages would miraculously flip open to the chapter containing that verse!

To think that God was divinely intervening in my life with something as simple as a repetitive bible verse, seriously grabbed my attention.

This verse I am speaking of is Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not harm, plans for a hope and a future."

Thank goodness that our God is such a patient God. Thank goodness that He does not give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves. He continued to work in my heart over those years, and my confidence in Christ gradually grew, as I watched God continue to stalk, I mean call, me with Jeremiah 29:11.

After all those years of trying to ignore the plans that I knew I had heard, and falsely believing that my life was going along just dandy the way it was, I finally, but hesitantly, surrendered. I asked God to forgive me for my blatant refusal to trust Him, and I surrendered my fears, my life, and my future to Him.

It was not easy, and I still had concerns, but I realized that all those years, He had been reassuring me that He did have a plan! I finally came to a point where I wanted to see what His plan was!

Months later, after God had orchestrated various events that led me to resign from my job and begin working towards becoming a speaker, to my surprise, a church actually booked me to come speak. Why? I have no idea. But they did.

The day finally came, and I began driving toward this very first speaking engagement - practically in tears, feeling sick to my stomach.

What was I thinking?! What in the world made me think I could stand up in front a big room of people, Christians in fact, who were all staring at me in anticipation of hearing my feeble attempt to share some wonderful gospel truth? I was a nervous wreck, so full of insecurities that I could barely breathe.

I began to question Gods call on my life, and also questioned my sanity for taking this crazy step out of my comfort zone. I spent a lot of time beating myself up with all the justifications for why I must have lost my mind somewhere along the path of decision making that I had been traveling.

But the event was now, and I had no choice but to push past my fears. I arrived to the church, and sat in my car for a few minutes, staring out at the rain pouring down and beating loudly on my windshield. Why did it have to rain today? It just seemed like one more thing to make me stumble.

I breathed deeply, and tightly closed my eyes, wondering if maybe no one had seen me yet and I could make a clean getaway.

I knew I could not really do that, so what did I do? I prayed. Hard. Earnestly. With passion. Through tears. With a desperate plea for God to show up in my place.

I talked honestly with God. I told Him that I was not capable, but that I trusted Him to give me the right words. I told God that I was afraid, but that I trusted Him to calm my fears. I told God that I was not worthy to be His voice, but I trusted Him to speak through me. I told God that my legs were weak, but that I trusted Him to be my strength.

Then I said amen, and mustered up enough courage to walk towards the entrance. Then something amazing happened - God took over. I was merely the vessel - He was the deliverer.

Since that experience years ago, I have spoken at many, many events at many, many churches and organizations - but you know what? Those same insecurities always creep back into my heart. And I have made it a practice to say that same simple prayer before each event - simply asking for God to show up and take over - and God never ceases to come through, time and time again.

I tell you all this not to toot my horn, because if you think about it, the timeliness of our response to God is a true measure of our faith. My timeliness was not impressive at all. But I hope that encourages you, and helps you undersand that we all have fears and insecurities and lack of understanding. But it is okay. God can do miracles if we give Him something to work with.

It is never too late to say yes to God. And when we finally do, the rewards will far outweigh the costs. The blessings will far outweigh the sacrifices. And a new life in the center of His will, far exceeds any life we could create for ourselves.

What about you? Has God called you to do something that you feel is completely out of your reach? Out of your comfort zone? Outside of your qualifications?

Has God called you to go in an entirely new direction in your life, but so far you have been paralyzed due to fears and insecurities?

Has God called you to minister to others in a way that you feel incapable of doing?

Are you afraid to move forward with a dream that God has planted in your heart, because you do not feel worthy to be His servant due to sins in your past or present?

Are you hesitating in your obedience, due to excuses that seem valid, such as a lack of tools, resources, time, money, etc?

Are you willing to do something extravagant for God?

Is God calling you to leave your comfort zone and enter the faith zone?

No excuse is good enough for disobedience. I learned that the hard way. The strength of our powerful and almighty God is awesome enough to lead us into extravagant obedience. And just as a special perk for obeying - you will be extravagantly blessed.

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Challenge #5: Take an extravagant LEAP OF FAITH - embrace the call that God has impressed upon your heart. Listen to the right voice, and forget the excuses.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and then appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.Galatians 1:15 God, in His grace, chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve Him.

Prayer for today: Oh God, I am humbled by your unfathomable grace upon my life, and your infinite mercy upon me. I can never express the amount of gratitude I have in my heart, not just for what You did by sending your Son to die for me the cross, but for coming into my life and for not giving up on me.

Please pour your strength into my soul, and your courage into my inner most being so that I will step out in faith for YOU - with no excuses. Forgive me for my untimely responses to your call. I praise you for continuing to love me and bless me, despite my hesitations, fears and disbelief that You truly are in control of all things and have an amazing plan for my life.

Thank you for preparing that plan for my life, and for leading down the path that leads me closest to you. Continue to walk beside me Lord, and show me your plan. Lead me Lord. I am willing to do something extravagant for you, because I love you.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith Zone Challenge Day #4: Stand Proud

As Christians, the two immediate things we can do to stand up for Christ are to live according to His Word and grow our own knowledge of Him. In Matthew 5:16, Christ said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven".

This means that we should live and act in a way that is indicative of God's Word. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that we should have the conviction to stand up for our faith, while at the same time, practice showing love and wisdom and making sure that our personal example backs up our words. Letting others seeing Jesus in us is the most amazing witness ever. People may not always believe in our Jesus, but they cannot deny seeing Jesus at work in us. That, in itself, is a witness.

This past Christmas, I was standing in front of a large group of women at the corporate offices of a major bank. I had been contracted to teach a secular class about Holiday Stress Management.

Most of the class content focused on simple life/holiday balancing tips, but soon we came to a section of the material that discussed tolerance of religions during the holidays. Although I had studied the material ahead of time, I felt my temperature rise when I neared this discussion. I presented some basic information that was included in the curriculum, and then allowed time for discussion. Many women talked amongst themselves and some offered some feedback for the group, but the big question finally came.

One woman raised her hand and asked, "as a Christian, what should I do when my employer tells me that I cannot have a "Christmas" party, but only a holiday party. What do I do when I am told not to display manger scenes in my cubicle, because it might offend someone?"

I could feel my face getting hot. Actually I was sweating all over. Thoughts raced through my mind as I considered that my job could be on the line, depending on how I answered that question. But what was truly being impressed upon my heart, was that my faith was on the line. Who would I stand for? Jesus or political correctness? Who would I aim to please? Jesus or a big wig manager sitting in his leather chair?

I knew the politically correct answer. I knew the corporately correct answer. I knew the answer that this organization would expect me to provide on their behalf, to support their politically correct, non-religious,-non-discriminative, overly-tolerant policies of everyones varying beliefs. And I understand why corporations feel pressured to be so neutral. I knew that from a business standpoint, I should straddle the fence, skirt the real issue, and give an answer that would appeal to everyone in the room.

What seemed like eternity was really only a few seconds, as I struggled with which road to travel. Im proud to say that in this situation, I chose the road less traveled. I expressed my Christian beliefs in a non-judgemental way, and explained what I believed Christmas to be all about - based on my God sending His son Jesus to be born in a manger, eventually to die on a cross for me, so that I could be forgiven, enjoy my earthly life by striving for things that would please Him, and spend eternal life with Him when my time here is over.

I also expressed my overwhelming sadness for our societys attempt to remove Christ from Christmas, and how I wanted to encourage every Christian in that room to stand up with confidence for their beliefs, at work, at the mall, and in their homes.

I reminded them that Christianity is normally the religion that gets pushed to the back burner, while other religions are given much more tolerance. I encouraged them to hang Merry CHRISTmas signs in their cubicles, regardless of the political stigmas. I sensed my rational mind saying "whooooaaaa nelly!", but my words just flowed out from the depths of my heart. It was an opportunity that I had prayed for, and when the time arose, it was as if a dam broke, the flood waters rose, and the nothing could hold the words back!

I received some supportive applause, an Amen or two, a few cold glares, and to my surprise, a few looks of intrigue. Whether or not my words were ever discussed among that group after I left, I will never know. But I do know that I stood up for Christ, and possibly planted a seed that needed to be strown on good soil, to a persons heart who needed to hear or be reminded of the real meaning of Christmas that the world tries so hard to keep secret.

This was a mountaintop experience for me, and I felt really good about it. But unfortunately, there have been other times, when I was not so bold. Times when I felt that the potential consequences of standing up for my faith were too great. Times when I worried about what people would think, and didnt trust God to guide my words and control the outcome. As a result, I hid my light under a bushel, just to fit in.

Today I am certainly much more bold in my faith than I was in the past. I feel much more confident in living out loud for Christ.....but I wonder....what if I was truly put to the test today to stand up for Christ? What if I had to make the choice to deny Christ and live, or speak for Christ and die? What if I was faced with a situation like Cassie René Bernall, from Columbine High School, who when asked if she loved her Jesus, she said yes - at all costs. Cassie didnt lose a job for standing up for her faith, she lost her life. Would I really be willing to do that?

Jesus never intended for sharing His word to be a scary, impossible, sweat-inducing burden. After all, it is a message of love and salvation, but the world has made transparency, especially when it comes to having bold faith, a scary undertaking at times.

God meant for us to be witnesses of Jesus Christ through the natural outcome of living our lives with Him, through Him, and for Him. Sometimes it is easy, other times it is hard. But He presents opportunities to share the good news each day, and I have to wonder, how often are we too preoccupied with life and our own personal inhibitions to grasp those opportunities?

If we want to be bold for Christ, which in the long run causes our faith to grow, here are a few suggestions that might help us take those first little steps towards being a light for Him:

1) Try to start seeing people through Gods eyes, not your own.
2) Write out your testimony, or any story where God has moved in your life, and study it. Be ready to talk about it whenever the opportunity presents itself.
3) Dont try to impress people with Christian lingo, just tell the easy to understand facts.
4) Build relationships. Once someone believes that you care about them as a person, they are all ears, ready to listen to whatever it is you have to say.
5) Pray for God to bring someone into your path whom you can witness to.
6) Study Gods word so you will be knowledgeable about discussing it.

These are merely a few ideas, but it might help us jump start the action! Sharing your faith is kind of like riding a bike - once you take off the training wheels, you feel more confident than ever! And remember, our God is something to be proud of.
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Challege #4: Share your faith with three people today.

Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

Psalm 66:16 Come and listen, all you who fear God;let me tell you what he has done for me

Prayer for today: Dear Jesus, I know I need to share your Word, so forgive me for not always doing that. Sometimes I just worry about public opinion or negative consequences, but I know that my trust is in you, you are my shield and my protection, and that you will always reign over everything. Sometimes, I simply get so bogged down with life, that I forget to allow you to use me to minister to others. Sometimes I just get stuck in my own agenda, and forget. Forgive me.

Lord, I ask that you bring 3 people into my path who need to hear a Word from you, who need a pat on the back, a hug or some simply encouragement; or who need to hear that You love them. Convict my heart as to who I am to minister to. Fill my mouth with words of wisdom for this person. Help me Lord. I know that once I get started, it will become a beautiful habit that I will no longer be hesitant to do. I cant wait to see how you are going to impact lives today through me!

In Jesus name, Amen

Faith Zone Challenge #3: The Art of Forgiveness

I feel pretty sure that many of you were hoping that we could attack this faith zone challenge without actually talking about that ugly word -"forgive".

I learned about nine years ago that forgiveness is a two-step process. I realized that before I could have a heart that was equipped to forgive others, I had to have a heart that accepted forgiveness from God for my own sins.

For many years, I knew that God loved me because the Bible told me so, but I really didnt accept that He would forgive me for my sins, much less forget about them. Why would He?

I had created this visual picture in my mind of what God probably looked like when I prayed or asked for forgiveness for the same past sin over and over, or new sins... again.

I envisioned Him sitting on His throne, looking down on me, with a solemn look on His holy face, head resting in His hands, and a heavy sigh leaving His almighty chest, as He uttered the words, "Tisk, tisk. Poor child, she just cant get her act together. What is wrong with her? How many times do I need to forgive her? Geeesh."

But one day, something was different. Like the light bulb suddenly clicked on. My vision changed to seeing a God who was disgusted with me, to seeing a God who was smiling at me, with a tender heart, a gentle face, and a forgiving attitude.

As I listened to the speakers testimony at a womens event, it sounded remarkably similar to my own. I learned how she had spent years in the bondage of guilt, but found amazing freedom in the sufficient grace and mercy of Lord Jesus. That day, I found that same freedom.

For the first time ever, I accepted with my entire being that God truly did forgive me once and for all, and there was no need for me to continue to plea for His forgiveness for the same sins over and over. I finally understood what the verse meant in Psalm 130:3, when it read "If you, O Lord, kept a record of my sins, O Lord, who could stand?" God had forgiven and forgotten my sins, and I was cleansed. I fully grasped and understood that I no longer needed to live in captivity of the devil, who had spent years filling my head with lies. I was free. Truly free.

And my heart was changed forever.

Since that time, my faith has grown by leaps and bounds, but nonetheless, granting others that same mercy that I received from God is not near as easy! Receiving forgiveness is one thing, but giving it is a whole other ballgame. A game I had to learn how to play, and am still continually working at getting good at.

To give you an example, a couple years ago, I was faced with some very difficult circumstances, which involved some very difficult people. Sandpaper people you might call them - except this was the toughest sandpaper I had ever come in contact with! A small handful of these people stepped all over my feelings, treated me rudely, went out of their way to be mean, and even made me cry at times. After a while, I just got fuming mad!

I was fed up with being treated ugly, and fed up with their mean attitudes. I was tired of feeling like a punching bag. As the months drug slowly by, I became more and more upset, angry and resentful by the minute. For months those feelings grew and grew, and although I never acted out in revenge in any way, I must admit that I did entertain some ungodly thoughts.

But one day, I finally admitted the cold hard truth that I was simply making myself miserable by obsessing over how these people had treated me and being mad about it. It was getting to where I dreaded getting up in the morning, because I would think about the problem, talk about the problem, worry about the problem, hurt about the problem, and literally obsess about the problem!

I broke down and got on my knees, and asked God to forgive me for carrying this burden and for harboring this unforgiveness towards these people. I realized that the unforgiveness was like poison to my heart. I was ingesting this poison every day, but then expecting the other person(s) to suffer.

But guess what?! They were still going about their normal lives without a care in the world, as I was drowning in my all consuming emotions! I became addicted to wishing they would change, hoping that they would realize the error of their ways and ask for my forgiveness, desiring that we could be friends, or that maybe someone would give them the same treatment as they had given me, so they would know how they made me feel (see what I mean? Not a very Godly thought.)

Honestly, I was just plum tired of feeling down and discouraged - so after months of bondage to this anger and hurt, I simply chose to forgive. It wasnt easy, but I knew it was necessary. Not because they deserved it; not because I wanted to; not because I liked it! But because God commanded it.

I threw away that poison, and boy did I feel better! The problem was still there, but the poison was not. As I look back, I can see how God used that situation to bring me closer to Him, but in the midst of the crisis, it was still difficult.

One of those important lessons that I learned from that experience was the fact that I could not change other people, no matter how badly I wanted to. I could not change their actions and behaviors. I could not change their hearts......but I could most certainly change mine. I wanted my heart to be one full of God, not one full of anger. I wanted my love for the Lord to grow in my heart, not weeds of bitterness that would eventually wrap its way around my entire life.

Forgiveness is like art - it takes practice, it takes perfecting, it takes patience. I guess you could say these are the three Ps to forgiveness.

Now I want you to take a moment to think - do you need to put the three Ps into action in your life? Has someone wronged you? Has someone hurt you? Abused you in some way? Neglected you? Lied to you? Manipulated you? Been unfaithful to you? Stole from you? Harmed you? Wounded you?

Friend - forgive them. They probably do not deserve it, wont appreciate it and may not even realize it. But do it anyway - for YOU.

What does God do when we commit wrongs against Him? He forgives, and even forgets. Granted, we may never forget, but we can still forgive, through His strength. It is hard - but all things are possible with our God.

Max Lucado put it this way: "Quit focusing on what someone did TO you, and start focusing on what God did FOR you."

You can do it. Throw out that poison today.
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Challenge #3: The challenge for today is two-fold:

1. Forgive yourself. Let go of the shame, guilt and regrets that may have held you hostage for years. If you have repented, God has already forgiven you. God has already forgotten that sin and loves you for your repentance. Please do not allow any past sin, big or small, to keep you from realizing your incredible value to God. He loves you, and is ready and willing to extend His grace and mercy to you, if you are willing to accept it. Today could be the first day of total freedom. Embrace it.

2. Forgive that person whom you have been holding a grudge against for days, weeks, months, maybe years. Bask in the freedom that you will gain from being obedient to God in this way. Your rewards will be great.

Psalm 103:2-4 Praise the LORD, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Prayer for Today: Jesus, I ask for your forgiveness, plead for you to cleanse me, and wash in the blood in the lamb. Help me to never pick up that sin again, and to be free from any shame that the devil tries to heap upon me.

Lord, You know my heart, and you must know that there is nothing in me that wants to forgive this person who has hurt me. There is nothing in me that wants to pray for this person. But Lord, I know it is your will. I am tired, exhausted actually, of being weighted down by carrying this bitterness in my heart. I am afraid that this bitterness towards them will seep out into other areas of my life, and I am seeking your forgiveness for my refusal to forgive. I accept that you are the healer of hearts, and that you truly have forgiven me for all my sins. In the same way, please give me the strength and courage and supernatural ability if needed, to forgive the person(s) who have wounded me. I pray that they will one day see how they have hurt me, and maybe even apologize, but if I never receive that apology, I will still love you Lord, and trust in all your ways. I want to sleep peacefully tonight knowing that my heart is free from poison.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith Zone Challenge #2: Change Your Attitude

"If he/she would just stop doing (xxxxxx), then we would not have these problems anymore."

"If he would learn how to treat me better, then we could get along just fine."

"If I just made more money or got a different job, then I could be happy."

"If I did not have this health problem, then I could serve in my church."

"If he/she had a better attitude, then I could have one too."

"If I wasn't so depressed, I would try to have more faith".

"If only I could (xxxxx), then everything would be okay."

Have you ever found yourself saying these types of things?

Have you ever been pulled into a game of mental chatter that convinces you that your happiness, joy, contentment and enthusiasm for life hinges on everything going your way, material items coming into your possession, and/or major changes taking place in your life and the people in it?

Have you ever found yourself putting God to the test - if He answers your prayers just right, then you will love Him more?

Most of us have lots of "ifs, ands, and buts" for why all of our problems are someone elses fault, why our negativity and pessimism are justified, why our faith is lacking, and why we have every right to continue living in a perpetual poor-me pity party.

Unfortunately, this type of attitude only digs our hole a little deeper, and further separates us from God. So why do we keep doing it? The only logical reason I can come up with, is because people either simply do not know how to change, or do not believe that they can change.

Great news! God gave us an amazing gift - the gift of free will....not just free will in our actions, but also in our thoughts. We may not have the power to change our circumstances or the people in our lives, but we ALWAYS have the power to change our own attitudes.

My mom always reminds me of the serenity prayer when I start grumbling about something that is outside of my power to change. It says, "Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change, to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." That always helps me keep things in perspective.For the sake of today's challenge, I'd like to put a different spin on that prayer. What if it went something like this, "Lord, help me to accept the people I cannot change, to change the ones I can, and to know that one is ME."

No matter how many great things may happen in our lives, there will always be something that can steal our joy, whether it be people or circumstances. Trust me friend, the devil will make sure of it. That ol devil is the master of self-condemnation, ridicule, shame, guilt, blame, finger pointing, rudeness, bitterness, discontent, discouragement, and joylessness. He spends a great deal of time and effort trying to win us over to his way of thinking.

The devil is not after our wealth, health, family, security or homes - he is after our attitude. After all, when we have a bad attitude, we are no longer a threat. If we live in a state of bitterness, he no longer needs to worry about us sharing Gods love with others, reaching out to those in need, and building God's kingdom. Yep, he can move on to some other poor soul who is teetering on the edge of discouragement and separation from God.

Let's face it:

-It is so much easier to be mean to a person who has been mean to you, than it is to pray for them, forgive them, and maintain a smile and joyful heart.

-It is much easier to fall into the unethical practices of the corporate world, than it is to stand up for what is right despite the costs.

-It is much easier to join in the gossip session, than make it known that you want no part of it.

-It is much easier to criticize your husband and hold a well tallied list of all of his flaws, than to forgive him.

-It is much easier to yell at your kids, than exercise patience and respond in love.

-It is much easier to resent the mother who has seven kids, when you cant even have one baby, than it is to thank God for blessing her with a family.

-It is so much easier to be bitter, than it is to choose joy despite our circumstances.

Do we really want the easy way? Is it truly easier? If we constantly travel the easy road - what is setting us apart from the rest of the world? I dare say - nothing at all.

Our outward attitude is a reflection of our inward heart. Our outward actions are a reflection of our inward beliefs. Our life is a reflection of our spiritual heartbeat.

A heartbeat that beats for God, is one fueled by unbreakable, unshakable joy. The type of joy that is unaffected by circumstances. A positive state of mind. A deep joy, fueled by contentment, confidence and hope.

Spending time with Christ builds a desire in us to be more like Him. Having an attitude of joy, gratefulness, faith and hope - despite and regardless of our circumstances - prepares our hearts to really begin hearing Him speak.

Move over sister, God still needs a little more room today.
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Challenge #2: Let God's light shine brightly through you today - even if someone licks the red off of your sucker. Be kind to those who are unkind. Be giving to those who dont give. Look for the positive in every situation you encounter.

1 Peter 1:13-16 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy." (The Message)

Prayer For Today:
Dear Jesus, this is a hard challenge! I try to be positive, but things happen in my life that steal the joy right out from under me. You know the situations I am dealing with; you know the pain in my heart; you know the battles that I am facing, and the ones to come that I am unaware of. I pray that you will be with me Lord every step of the way, today and every day, to help me break the bondage of negativity in my heart and seek out joy and hope in you. I am so desperate for the type of joy that you tell us about in your Word. I seek out that joy and ask that you pour your love into my heart so that thoughts of you and wisdom of your sovereignty will control my actions throughout each day. Prepare my heart Lord, for a mighty work.

In Jesus name, Amen.