Who or what is on top of your love list? There was a time in my life that I tried to keep everything in balance…even my relationship with God. Heaven forbid someone think I’ve gone over the edge and call me a Jesus Freak! Today if someone gave me that title I would simply reply, “Thanks for noticing,” and never give it another thought. I have learned that my love life is in perfect balance when God is Number One in my life. Nothing else should take His place.
Lately I’ve been thinking about my life and how I have lived it in the past. Did I love others as I should? Did I put stupid things above the important things in my life that should have had first place? I can’t go back and change the past but moving forward I can strive to do better. In fact, if I have confessed my past mistakes to God, He doesn’t even remember them. Why should I?
With my recent diagnosis of breast cancer the saying about you should “Dance as though no one is watching…” has brought a whole new meaning to my life. Today it reminds me that I have once chance here on earth. I can enjoy my time dancing through my life and living as though this was heaven; or I can be bound by my fears, shortcomings and lack of balance in my life while dwelling on the things that don’t matter. If given the option, I think we would all want to live our lives to the fullest.
As we go into February—the traditional month for love—I hope that you will take time to reflect. Who do you love or should I say what do you love most? Is Jesus Number One in your life? If He is not, what do you need to change to put Him there?
Please take a minute and praise God for His goodness in your life. If there is someone who has touched your life along the way, take the time to thank God for them as well. I have been reminded once again that no matter the miles, time or circumstances that separate us from those we love; there is NOTHING that can separate us from the Love of God. He should always be our Number One!
How’s your love life?
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 1:16-17…For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…
I appreciate all of the prayers, well wishes, encouraging notes, fighting cancer tips along with some extra hugs from those I see on a regular basis since revealing my diagnosis of breast cancer last week. My hope is that as I walk down this path; God might be glorified. I don’t want your pity or please don’t avoid me because you don’t know what to say. It’s OK. I started 2013 with two things on my mind. God was telling me to pray harder—even to the point of putting on the full armor of God in my prayer life. The second thing was my prayer telling God I wanted to go deeper with Him. In my life experience, I rarely grow in my faith when life is easy and all is well. It has been the times when I suffered the most that I drew closer to God and found His Faithfulness in new and different ways. Times like when I was wondering if my daughter was going to live or die just after birth, or when I went through my divorce or said goodbye to my son as he left for Afghanistan for a year life were not fun. However, God used those situations to build a faith in me that is deeper and stronger than it would be had I not gone through those circumstances. I can actually praise Him today for my suffering!
Someone was saying yesterday that they wished God would do something miraculous in their life so that they too could see that He was real. I thought about that and looking at that person’s life, I can see many times that God has intervened. He saved them from a suicide attempt, protected them from a horrible accident when they tested God, and gave them loving parents that will help guide and direct them towards God in their life journey! Those are just a few I know but I am sure if that person asks God to reveal the times where He was at work in their lives, guiding and protecting them, He would show them more.
You see, it all depends on where our focus is. If we are going through life in our own strength or doubting God, His works will not be as evident to us because we’re not truly seeking Him. However, if we seek God with our whole heart, He is faithful to be there and not leave us doubting. The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV) …from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. There might be things in your past that you need to rebuke and ask God to remove from your mind. Perhaps you may have dabbled in darkness and allowed other things to penetrate your thinking that were not of God. Tell it to get behind you. As a child of the King, nothing of darkness has any more power than what we give it. If we tell it to be gone in Jesus Name, it has to go. It’s a simple as that.
So here I go again. It’s another test or should I say faith lesson in trusting God. I am only human and know that there will be times when I am not happy about this valley I’m being taken through. However, my prayer is that through it all God might be magnified. I promise to be watching and waiting for God’s intervention throughout this process and will be praising Him as I see His Hand at work in my situation. He has already taught me He will be faithful, I need not doubt. But when my body is tired and I struggle to find the praise, I will remind myself of His Goodness. God has given me a voice to tell others about Him and I intend to do just that. Psalm 105:1-4 (NKJV) explains my thoughts for the upcoming months more eloquently than I could ever do:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Are you looking for God in your life struggles? If you seek Him with all your heart, I promise you, He is there if your trust is in Him. The night before I went to the surgeon last week, God spoke to me in a sunset. It was a beautiful, beautiful sunset. I didn’t know what the next day was bringing and there was concern on my mind for my prognosis. When I saw the beautiful sunset, I felt that God was saying, “It’s going to be OK”. I can’t really tell you why, but other than I found peace in it because my mind was set on God. I know He loves me and is watching after me. Why wouldn’t He calm me with a sky that told me everything was going to be alright? The next day when I went to the surgeon, she said if I have to have cancer, I have the best case scenario that I could have. They feel the prognosis is good as long as nothing else appears in future tests. In my mind, either way I win. If I lose the battle with cancer and die, I’m in heaven free of worries worshipping my Savior all day long. If I survive the battle, I get more time with my family, friends and ministry here to spread God’s Good News to a struggling world. So don’t feel sorry for me. I’m at peace. I hope that you too might find peace in your struggles. Seek God with all your heart. Praise Him along the way. Most importantly watch for Him in your circumstances! He is faithful to meet you where you are when your heart is set on Him. Have a great week, be blessed and don’t forget to be a blessing!
Image courtesy of Evgeni Dinev at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It’s been a long three weeks coming to the place of a diagnosis…invasive carcinoma were two words in the description. It sounds a bit ominous to me. Invasive has such an ugly feel to it. Webster’s online dictionary gives it these three definitions: 1: of, relating to, or characterized by military aggression, 2: tending to spread; especially: tending to invade healthy tissue <invasive cancer cells>, 3: tending to infringe. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t sound like anything I want in my body! Something that infringes or militantly enters into places it’s not invited is not welcome here. All I can think about right now is getting it out! Stop the invasion!Have you ever been in a place like this? Something has entered your life be it disease, divorce, job loss, or whatever it might be for you and you have no control over it. It is invading and spreading into all aspects of your life and being as you stand there helplessly on the sidelines crying out to God to rescue you!
I must say just even a few weeks into this, my eyes have been opened in a big way. I have always had compassion on those with cancer as it has taken several of those I love. I’ve watched them be healthy one day and incapacitated the next. Many times I was there by their side through their sufferings seeing every detail of the ugliness. However, I realize now that even though I thought I understood and knew a lot about cancer, I was clueless. In a few short weeks I have developed utmost respect for those who have walked in these shoes! Whether they won or lost the battle, they are heroes in my eyes. And I haven’t even seen the half of it yet!
I hate the feeling of being at everyone’s mercy. I have a problem and I want to fix it. I have goals and dreams for 2013 and all of this is getting in my way. I don’t really want to wait to get in to see busy doctors nor do I want to wait for test results all day. I have things to do, places to go, people to see…and then I’m reminded…I now have cancer. It’s funny how one phone call can change your life. All of the plans and dreams I had for the next 12 months are stifled–on hold so to speak. I sit here numbly thinking, “God, what are you doing? Do you not know that I have more books and blogs to write, places to speak, houses to sell? I want to travel with my husband and be his helpmate in our house projects. I want to be here to enjoy my children and grandchildren in the years to come. I want to have more parties in my new house. I haven’t even made it to Hawaii yet!” Realistically, in my heart I know that nothing happens in our lives for naught. So I am forced to give up my wants and take a look at this mountain I have to face and I stop. I regroup. Perhaps my plans for 2013 weren’t God’s plans. I want so desperately to enjoy these midlife years I’ve grown to love. Now what? “Lord, can you please show me where I go from here?”
As I wait upon the Lord to guide and direct my next steps, I am reminded that I am His. With that comes the power of the Holy Spirit and wisdom from above. There will be plenty of strength for my journey too as long as I lean on God. I need not be afraid or grow weary. I only need to trust that He will see me through. However there will be days I don’t feel like getting out of bed or you might find me in a fetal position somewhere. I am human. I am discouraged that I once again have a mountain to climb. I am sad that my thoughts of sitting on the beach in the next couple of months are probably out of the question at this point. But nonetheless, I have hope. I don’t know how people get through these things without the strength of God. I don’t know how they face a deadly disease that has proven to have the power to take a good man down and not acknowledge they need God to see them through. Call me a wimp. But without God and His power in my life I am wimpy. One of my friends said the other day, “You are better wimpy with Him than strong without Him!” I say “Amen” to that!
You know that’s true. God doesn’t expect us to move or climb the mountains in our power. He says if we have just the faith of a mustard seed the mountain will be moved. He doesn’t need us to be strong. Rather, He wants us to trust in Him. So for now I am still and ask God, “What now?” Apparently the plans I had were not His. I mentally put my hand into the loving hand of my Father and hang on for the ride down the path He has already cleared for me. I don’t know where we’re going. I may whine and cry along the way. But I know my Father’s way is where I want to be. So I trust. I get angry. I cry a little. Then I get back on the path. Wipe the dust off, take my Father’s hand again and we walk a few more steps. My strength is in Him. What a peace there is with Him in control.
So those things I can’t control on my own…I give to Him. We will make it—me and God. He has never let me down yet. Why would He start now? Are there things you need to give to God? Have you been fretting or depressed over things in your life you can’t control or change even if you tried? Be reminded He cares for you. He wants to be your Knight in Shining Armor, your Deliverer from whatever has taken you off the path today. Please grab onto His hand with me…there’s room enough for us all. Let’s walk together and trust that God is in control so we don’t have to be. One step at a time…one day at a time…we will make it to the other side. God bless you in your struggles that you face today. Whether they are big or small, may God be your Lord over them all! Remember, be blessed and go be a blessing!
Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Who or what is on top of your love list? There was a time in my life that I tried to keep everything in balance…even my relationship with God. Heaven forbid someone think I’ve gone over the edge and call me a Jesus Freak! Today if someone gave me that title I would simply reply, “Thanks for noticing,” and never give it another thought. I have learned that my love life is in perfect balance when God is Number One in my life. Nothing else should take His place.
Lori Kempton, Author/Speaker 