Lysa TerKeurst _{Leading Women in the Adventure of Faith}

Welcome P31 Encouragement for Today readers! I am glad you are here.

Before we get to the verses I promised for today, I have a question. Why did Jesus come?

Whenever I ask this at my conferences people seem hesitant at first to answer. The question is simple yet so profound it makes people pause. Slowly, answers trickle out…

~ He came to save us.

~ He came to set us free.

~ He came to provide a way for us to have a direct relationship with God.

~ He came to die on a cross as an atonement for our sins.

~ He came so we might have life.

Yes, yes, and yes. All of those are true. But towards the end of Jesus’ life, a time when we get very intentional with every word we speak, why did He say that He came?

Jesus said, “…For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth,” (John 18:37).

Truth. Life changing, perspective rearranging, heart redirecting truth- this is why He came.

Jesus gave all so that we wouldn’t have to live our lives based on how we feel in the moment. We can live our lives based on truth. Often those two things are different. And the more I understand that and determine to let truth reign my heart in, the more peaceful I am.

Here are some truths I have determined to memorize and recall often:

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” Job 19:25

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…” Genesis 28:15

“The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” 1 Thess. 5:24

Do you have some favorite truths you’d like to add to this list? Please do so by leaving a comment below.

Also, if you want to join me in committing to memory some of these truths, let me know that as well. It’s always more fun to do things with friends!

“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot, ” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Never was there penned a more perfect description for the condition that plagues me. Seriously plagues me- but in the best kind of way I suppose. No sooner do I turn a book manuscript in and start planning a season of coach potato-ing than I feel this tug toward a new adventure.

A new journey.

A new lesson I need to learn.

A new mess to uncover.

A new message from the mess.

A new mountain to climb.

A new view to behold.

A new valley to discover.

Last night when I heard Crystal B. sing the song, “Up to the Mountain” on AI I was deeply moved. I leaned over and told my husband that’s the song I want sung at my funeral. Not that I’m planning to expire anytime soon but when I do, that’s the song. My final song. My final dance.

It’s this line that stirs something deep in me and feels sort of thematic for my life- “because you ask me to.”

Quite simply, that’s the perfect description for what burns in the core of my being. More than anything else, I want God to know I will do what He asks me to do.

I will write what He wants me to write.

I will speak what He wants me to speak.

I will pause when He wants me to pause.

I will prayer the dangerous prayers of change.

I will ask to be inconvenienced for His name sake.

I will say yes to His invitations that make no sense.

I will let Him reign me in even in the midst of PMS.

I will.

Just because He asks me to.

Tomorrow, I want to get your opinion about some things. But for today, soak in this song and see how God might stir you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyzW0Eq8pW0]

I think Morris Albert was on to something when he coined the wildly popular song ‘Feelings.’ He wrote, “Feelings- nothing more than feelings.”

In this broken hearted ballad feelings consume everything. Almost every line in the song has the word feelings in it. Over and over and over, it truly is nothing more than feelings.

How like a woman’s world.

Have mercy.

Yesterday was a rough morning for one of my little Chiquita Bananas who is not too found of getting up at o’ dark hundred to get ready for school. And no it’s not the one who dramatically laid across the front door stoop a couple of weeks ago and proclaimed making a child go to school was officially abuse.

No. It’s another Chiquita.

So, on the way to school on this oh so pleasant morning, we were having quite the bonding moment as I explained her actions that morning were unacceptable and there would be consequences. I love consequences. I love letting consequences scream so I don’t have to.

Anyhow, in the middle of this tender bonding moment said child proclaims, “I just don’t feel like being nice some mornings. And if I don’t feel nice, I can’t act nice.”

Feelings, nothing more than feelings.

I wish I could control the soundtrack of my life with the push of a button. I would have blared this song as we pulled up to the middle school and made a very dramatic point.

Instead I looked Chiquita square in the eyes and blurted out some wisdom that was so good I had to immediately call Holly and brag after I dropped happy girl off.

“Feelings are indicators not dictators child. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment but that doesn’t mean they have the right to boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings and perfectly capable of little gift from Jesus called ‘self-control’!

I’m very confident the glassed over look and the long drawn out, “Mommmmmm,” meant Chiquita totally connected with my early morning sermonette.

But no matter if she did or didn’t, I totally connected with this truth.

This truth I’m fairly certain came straight from the Holy Spirit meant for me as much as for my daughter. Don’t you just love when you’re disciplining your kids and God whispers, “This is good. I hope you’re listening so you can apply this same truth to your life.”

Mercy.

We are reminded in Jeremiah 17: 5-6, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands… He will dwell in the parched places of the desert.”

I don’t know about you but when I let my feelings boss me around and trust only in my flesh to handle situations, I often feel like a crusty ol’ burnt up bush living in parched places.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think it’s good to feel. Like I said feelings are indicators. And it’s good to honestly assess what we’re feeling and why. It’s good to keep a gage on our heart so we can process, clarify, and understand things more deeply.

But, God gave me more than just a heart by which to process life. He gave me mind as well. A mind that was made for truth to reign supreme and keep my heart in check. “The heart is deceitful above all things… I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,” (Jer. 17: 9-10).

We are more than just a sum total of our feelings. We are children of God made to walk in truth.

Oh Lord, help me to know this today. Help me to process my feelings with the protective covering of your absolute truth.

And help Chiquita to be cheerful today. I’d hate to have to break out yet another sermon this morning.

Hi Sweet friends…

I am guest posting over at (In)Courage today…

And the Paula White show is airing an interview I did about my book, “Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.”

Also, word has it my daughter Hope was treated like a queen in the boondocks by my good friend Karen. Pictures of Hope and Kenzie along with their own form of guest posting can be found here.

Word of caution… if you need some interpretation of what it means to be chill and oh so indie don’t ask me.

I was told by Brooke this weekend to please stop dancing in the middle of a clothing store. I am obviously not chill or oh so anything. Except a true product of the delight called growing up during the 80′s. A girl from the 80′s should never be told to stop dancing.

Ever.

Nobody puts baby in the corner, remember? Happy Monday y’all.

Welcome P31 Encouragement for Today Readers. I am glad you came over for a visit. Be sure to leave a comment below if you’d like to be entered to win one of two signed copies of my latest book, “Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.” Or if you’d like to go ahead and order your own copy, you can do that by clicking here.



Do you ever feel consumed with fear?



For me, one of my greatest fears has been that something will happen to one of my children. Whatever your greatest fears are, I have learned to make a choice to get intentional when I feel fear creeping into my heart. I pray. I read God’s truths. I verbalize my trust in Him. And I make the choice to walk in assurance.

Does it mean my fears won’t ever come to pass? Does this mean nothing bad will ever happen to my children? No. Does it mean that my heart can finally find peace past the fears that could consume me? Yes.

The next time you find yourself being pulled into fear, try these steps:

Pray –



We should pray honestly to God telling Him what we are afraid of and asking Him to help us not live in this fear. I ask Him for His protection over whatever I fear. But I also ask God to fill my heart with the rich blessing of His perspective so that no matter what, I will be reassured.

Read God’s Truths -

Matthew 18:10 is a really amazing verse: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Do children really have guardian angels? I was always hesitant to think this because it seemed mystical and new age-ish. But here it is in God’s Word!



Not only do my children have a guardian angel that has direct access to God but because I am a child of God, I must have one as well! Think about this for a minute. God has assigned an angel to guard over our children and us every minute of every day. And there is never a second where God does not know what is going on with us. Knowing this, we are ready for what we must do next.

Verbalize My Trust in Him -



Isaiah 54:10 says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken.” This reminds us that God’s love is too pure not to have our best interest in mind.



Pause for a minute and let’s state that profound truth again. God’s love for me, my children, my husband, my family, and my friends is too pure not to have our best interest in mind. If I really believed this with all my heart, I could completely trust God.

That’s how we can process the fact that bad things sometimes do happen and still trust. I think we struggle at not fully trusting God because we know the realities of this world. Parents trust God and children still go missing, choke, get cancer, and die in car accidents. This is hard to reconcile apart from understanding God’s love.

God’s love is complete and able to transcend the here and now. God sees an eternal picture that we’ll never understand on this side of eternity. God is all-knowing and fully compassionate. Therefore, we can trust that even when the outcome seems tragic to us, it is still in the best interest of the one He loves. I’m convinced He allows one thing, to save that person from that which is so much worse.

Knowing this, I can say out loud, “God You are bigger than my fears. And no matter what I will continue to trust You and your perfect plan. Therefore I make the choice to reject the paralyzing feeling of fear so I can walk confidently in the truth of Your assurance.”

Walk in Assurance -

When I look back on a tragedy my family faced, I can now trace God’s goodness through it. And amazingly, it is well with my soul. Through it all God has brought me to a sweet place of intimacy with Jesus that I would not want to trade. Though the circumstances of my childhood were rotten, God’s plan throughout my childhood was good and perfect. I see that now and my trust in Him grows stronger still.

I can now face every one of my fears with a new found confidence. While I can’t control the events of my life, I can rest assured in God’s amazing love for me and my loved ones. So even when I face times I don’t understand His hand, I can always trust His heart.

Dear Lord, help me find that peaceful trust in You. Assure me of Your love. Reveal your goodness in every situation. Give me just enough wisdom to process all that I must face and just enough perspective to keep my mind fixed on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



To enter to win a copy of “Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl,” click on the word comments below and follow the prompts. Or to go ahead and order your copy today, click here.

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man,” (Proverbs 3: 3-4).

Have you ever been in a situation where what is ‘fair’ and what is ‘kind’ come in conflict with each other? What is fair is that you have every right to pitch a fit over something that ruffles you. But what is kind is to extend patience and grace in your reactions to the situation.

Not that we can’t hold others accountable for their irresponsibility. But, the attitude by which we do this tells a lot about our heart.

Boy can this be tough.

When life is clicking along with only the occasional bump in the road, I am all about being kind. But if someone overturns my applecart my Italian blood begs me to break bad on somebody. I’m not sure exactly how to define what breaking bad means except to say it usually involves the lethal combination of PMS, stress, running late and someone else doing something that ruffles the few tail feathers I have left.

Is there a sister in the house that can relate?

So, I say all this to preface the graduation invitations that went forth from our home yesterday. They are late. They are… different than what I expected.

Last week I literally had to stand at my kitchen counter and decide if I was going to extend grace and laugh about the situation or break bad on somebody. Somebody didn’t bring the form home to order the proper pieces to complete the invitations.

So, instead of printed name cards you will see a scribbled name.

Instead of a cap and gown photo you will see a resurrected 8th grade photo that has been cropped so the printed 2005 at the bottom doesn’t make the recipients do mental math while scratching their head.

And I certainly know that you are supposed to have 2 envelopes- an outer and an inner. However, if you mess up the outer envelope and have no extras, you might be forced to use the inner envelope with no sticky strip by which to seal it. So, please excuse the marks left behind from the purple glue stick used for this emergency.

As I stood at the counter, I bossed my heart around a little and in the end decided to let the truth of Proverbs 3 redirect me a bit.

While our invites look a little squirrely, might you see the love sealed into each envelope.

Might you see a mama’s heart who is so stinkin’ proud of this boy that I decided it didn’t really matter what the invitations looked like.

Might you hear the laughter sealed into each one because a mama decided the joy of this occasion far outweighs the need for properly done invites.

Besides, my need for proper has certainly been tempered over the years. I’ve learned to battle snakes, raccoons, and fugitives… certainly I can lay aside my ruffled tail feathers and let love and faithfulness reign supreme in my heart.

How about you? Any situations where you want to break bad but are deciding not to?