No Pressure. No Problem.

When Tim and I were on our honeymoon in the Caribbean the staff of the resort had a phrase that was their answer to everything..."No pressure. No problem, mon." It really stuck in your head after a few days, and it was one of our favorite sayings for the first year of our marriage.

It sounds funny, but I think that if we got real about it, this is exactly what Jesus is saying to us when we come to Him with our worries, fears, and anxieties.

Take a few minutes to read and reread these verses. Roll them over in your mind.

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." Philippians 4:6 (Amplified Bible)

"Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls." Matthew 11:29

"Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life," Matthew 6:25a

"And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?" Matthew 6:27

"Therefore do not worry and be anxious," Matthew 6:31a

"But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." Matthew 6:33

Ok, Got it? No worrying about anything...ANYTHING! So take a deep breath. Ok, take all the pressures on your mind and give them to God. Go on...let go. Now, walk away...Hey! Put them back!! :) Now, walk away thanking God that He's got it.

So the next time you start with your, "But, Lord...But, Lord..." Picture Jesus with a smile on His face saying, "Relax, my child. I've got it! No pressure. No problem, mon."

Keeping in Step

So one morning the week before deer season when I was in high school, my dad and I went out early to check my stand for signs that any big bucks had been in the area. J Yes, I grew up far from my current Northern VA residence and enjoyed a bit of hunting…though in my classical Type A, perfectionist style I never actually got anything because nothing was ever big enough…but that’s a lesson for another day.

On this particular November morning all was very quiet. The sun was just rising, and the dew was still tick on the field. I was following my dad back to the house, being careful to step right where he had walked. This way the talk grass was knocked down and the path was easier for me to navigate. But several times I would hear something, or start looking over across the field, my mind wandering along the fence row, and I would find myself in brush up to my waist hardly able to continue. But all I had to do was stop and find where my dad was and then fall back in step right behind him. As we headed back to the house that morning the Lord taught me a very valuable lesson. It is much the same with our heavenly Father. As long as we follow along in His steps and stay focused on where He is leading us the path is much easier, not without obstacles but much smoother. The minute we become distracted and get off track we find ourselves getting all tangled up and we lose our way. But the beauty of it is that as soon as we look down and find we have gotten ourselves in a mess, all we have to do is look back to where He is and go get right back in step with Him.

Just something to think about…

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrew 12:1-2a (NLT)

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

“Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11 (NIV)

Thank You for My Weakness

I recently wrote a song, and with the help of my very gifted friend John it now actually has music. The title is “Thank You for My Weakness.” This may sound odd, but bare with me. Do you ever find yourself feeling beaten and discouraged? Ever feel you can’t rise up from under the load of insufficiency? Maybe the words “I can’t” have become your motto, or someone telling you “You just aren’t good enough,” continues to ring in your ears long after the words have been spoken.

Here’s the thing…that is exactly when God can use us the most and when His power can be at its greatest in and through our lives, IF we surrender ourselves to Him. These verses have been the source of great encouragement to me over the years.

“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (Amplified Bible)

“[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.” 1 Corinthians 1:17 (Amplified Bible)

So you see, were it not for our weaknesses we would not have the incredible opportunity to have the power of the Almighty God perfected in us. All the “voices” if you will, that are telling you you are not good enough are not from God. That’s a tactic of Satan to keep you down and to hinder you from being active for the Lord.

Challenge: The next time you begin to feel these thoughts coming on stop and tell Satan, “Thanks for reminding me!” And then remind Him of these scriptures. Commit these verses to memory and learn to give thanks for your weaknesses. Don’t be ashamed, be grateful! For when we are weak He is strong! And as the words of the song say, “If it takes my weakness for Your power to be known, then Lord, let my weakness show!”

How to Grow

Mark 4:24 is a powerful verse with great promise and practical advice. I love the “tell it like it is” approach Christ takes here.

“And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”

So there you have it. The phrase, “You get out of it what you put into it,” is a Biblical principle.

The fact is, you can ask others to pray for you all you want, but if you are not doing your part – spending regular one-on-one time with God and in the Word – you will make no progress. You can have people laying hands on you until there is not a hair left on your head, but if you are not seeking God on your own, habitually and constantly, you will see no change.

And where is your focus? Are you continually thinking positive thoughts? Are you making a conscious effort to keep the things of God in the forefront of you mind? Or do you spend more time thinking about the weaknesses of yourself rather than the power of your God?

Don’t even think about saying, “I don’t have time.” That is a lie! And it is one the devil would love for you to believe! Saying you don’t have time to spend time with God is like saying you don’t have time to breath, or like dying of a heart attack but saying you don’t have time to see a doctor. God is your life source. He is the reason you live and breathe and your life will never be right apart from Him.

So decide today. No more excuses! Make it work! You will see results. I promise!!

“BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].” Psalm 1:1-3

Been experiencing Internet problems. Will have new post up within 72 hours.

Hold on!

So yesterday, despite being hot, was a beautiful day here in Northern Virginia. Not a cloud in the brilliant blue sky…well, almost. As Mikaela and I (and Brandon, our almost 4 year old “boxador”), took off for a morning walk, I was admiring the dazzling, clear, blue sky when something jumped out at me - a tiny cloud just off to the right, completely by itself. Not a friend in sight. Odd…usually when there is such a small piece of cloud there is a bigger one not far behind. But I’m telling you, in the vast expanse of blue there was nothing to be found save this one, little poof, not much bigger than, I don’t know, maybe the size of a man’s hand…

Immediately God brought the story of 1 Kings 18 to my mind. They were in the middle of a severe drought. It had not rained for three years. Yet, seemingly out of nowhere, Elijah said, “It’s going to rain in abundance!” Can you imagine what the people thought of this? The sky was perfectly clear. Not a cloud in sight. No physical sign of what Elijah knew in his heart the Lord had told Him. Seven times he sent a servant to go up on a hill and look for rain. The first 6 times the servant returned where Elijah prayed and said, “There is nothing.” The seventh time, as the servant undoubtedly huffed and stomped off once again (probably rolling his eyes and muttering “This is ridiculous,” under his breath), he spotted a tiny speck in the midst of the sea of blue. He came back and told Elijah, “Well, there is a cloud about the size of a man’s hand.” Elijah jumps up and says, “Hurry! Go quick before the rains stop you!” You know people thought Elijah was crazy. Then Elijah himself, grew so confident that he took off running….nearly twenty miles! And he beat the chariots to his destination to spread the news.  

When you know in your heart that God has spoken something to you, or when you have found a promise in the Word, but all physical evidence and human logic says there is no way, hold on to that tiny speck. Know Whom you have believed. Know that God is a God of His word and that if He has promised He will deliver. Are you believing God for something that you see no evidence of? Have you forgotten the promise that was made, or how much you believed it until you started looking at your circumstances? Take a minute and go back to that time when you knew you had heard from God, or go back to that scripture verse that you read that you have let life diminish. God’s timing is different than ours, but it is perfect. What He has promised He will do. Just when it seems something isn’t going to happen, hold onto that smallest piece and proclaim the victory!

“Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” Philippians 1:6

The surest way to self-improvement is to stop thinking about myself!

This week the scripture memorizing group has a thought/confession we are focusing on. It is: The more I love others, the more I come to know and understand God.

Our verse this week is 1 John 4:7:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]."  

Also, here is how this passage (1 John 4:7-10) reads in The Message.

"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

I lived in Mexico for a while studying Spanish. When I first arrived and moved in with a local family, it was difficult to get to know each other, but as I began to practice my Spanish and improve my skills, we all became very close. God is love…I come to know God better as I begin speaking His language.

This is a choice not a feeling. Sinful nature is not going to naturally desire the things of the Spirit, but if the Spirit lives inside of you you will find that once you start to feed it it will begin to grow!

So, make a decision right now that you are going to go about loving everyone you meet this week (this includes those you've known for years!) and as an effect, you are going to be growing in the Spirit more and more each day! This is a promise from God. You want to know Him? Then love! Go on...see what happens! :)