Face Down in the Dirt of Life

I feel like Paul…wanting to give you my laundry list of all the reasons I am “qualified” to be writing to you. HA! You should laugh with me that even this thought entered my quart-size brain this morning.

And yet, there are a few things I simply want to put on the written page, because perhaps they will help you understand that I - maybe like you – am merely a desperate woman in need of a merciful Savior, who is willing to rescue me from the toughest enemy I will ever face…myself!

I don’t have a life-ending illness. I had rotator cuff surgery two months ago today. I have said, and maintain my stance this morning, that I would rather go through three childbirths than go through the pain I am enduring in therapy. Yes, let it be known fully that Connie is a wimp in the fullest sense of the word.

I have experienced nerve sensations that they tell me only one person in one thousand may experience after this type surgery. I am blessed to be noted among the statistical charts. Those sensations have left my fingertips feeling numb and withered, and my hand constantly sweats, though to me it just feels very cold and numb. My arm from the shoulder down aches constantly, and even the brush of a hair against my skin will make me scream from the discomfort. So imagine how the pat on my shoulder from a friend at church last week sent me to my knees in pain. Poor man didn’t know what he had done to me!

As I go through daily therapy to get my arm back to normal function, I feel a greater need to keep my mind within therapeutic ranges of normalcy. Thoughts doubting my ability to heal run like the wind through my mind as I struggle to lift a broomstick to my chest, stretching out the muscle that has begun adhering to the bone under my arm.

Our enemy has no mercy. He brings condemnation to us in our weakened state, and he pounds our mind with accusations – false accusations, I might add – about our worth.

Through the endurance and pain of therapy I have faithfully trod, sure that my God will not leave me alone or forsake me in this, remembering that HE ALONE is my Healer, full of mercy.

It should have come as no surprise to me in the midst of this battle that the enemy of my soul would ask permission to hit me while I am already down. And permission was granted.

While I cannot divulge the details at this time, the sting of the punch is still felt……. W-H-A-C-K!!!! The blow was excruciatingly painful, and totally blind-sided me.

While some may have taken the blow, jumped to their feet and pressed onward, I assure you that my mind raced to the “worthless” track and began playing it steady and fast.

God knows our frame…He remembers that we are dust. I immediately ran to Him for comfort, and for guidance.

You know what He told me?!?

But I say to you (Connie), love your enemies (give yourself for them), bless (speak well of) those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Matt. 5:44

Oh God, do I have to??? Face down in the dirt of life I went…and daily His comfort to me has been His word.

This morning He put a new song in my mouth…an old hymn with new meaning.

Think about your own battles…the struggles you are facing that have put you face down in the dirt of life. Can you feel the weight of the enemy’s foot between your shoulder blades? Then I dare you to lift your face and cry out to the God who promises to answer you when you cry out to him, and make you bold with strength in your soul. (Ps. 138:3)

Now raise your voice to the heavens with me and declare to Our Mighty God: Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Abiding Mom vs. Supermom

Super Mom	Abiding Mom
Does	Is (Psalm 46:10)
Tries to impress others	Pleases the Lord (Eph. 5:10, Proverbs 29:25)
Is controlled by an agenda (curriculum, schedule, etc)	Is controlled by the Holy Spirit: (Gal. 5:22-26) (Uses curriculum & schedules as tools for orderliness so she's more free to follow the spirit)
Her self worth is found in her accomplishments (clean house, perfect kids, the perfect bulletin boards, etc.)	Her self worth is found in an accurate view of who she is in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10)
Her peace is found in the “perfect” environment	Her peace is found in Jesus in the midst of any storm (Is 26:3)
She is discouraged by failure	Failure reminds her that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
She expects perfection from herself and others	She practices grace with herself and others (Eph 4:32)
She teaches her kids to be good	She teaches her kids to be Godly (Proverbs 22:6)
She is frustrated with her lack of spiritual fruit	She abides in Christ and bears much fruit (John 15:5)
She does things with her children	She builds a relationship with her children (Deut 6:6-7)
Her perspective is based on what is seen	Her perspective is based on what is unseen (Col 3:2)
She chooses quantity of activities	She chooses the most excellent Way (I Cor 13)

This is from the "abidingmom.blogspot.com"  Hope it encourages you like it did me!

 

Blessings to each of you and have a great week 'abiding' in Him.  That's where its at girls!

 

Trudy

Tribute to the Fallen

Broken
Guilty
In pain
Abandoned
Outcast
Unwanted
Weary
Unworthy
Orphan

Not exactly a pretty picture, is it? Yet I wonder, how many of those words describe your life?

Sadly enough, I could paint every one of them over the canvas of my soul…maybe they don’t all describe me today, but they each describe a portion of my life’s journey. And I guarantee you that although my life’s canvas has been covered over with some just-as-descriptive, attractive words, the paint that inscribed those above can often be chipped back to the service when life’s abrasions rub me thin.

My husband was a fireman for 25 years, and if one thing was drilled into my head and the brains of our children, it was the all-too-familiar “stop, drop and roll”. As I came to know Christ – really know that He loved me and wanted a relationship with me - I came to understand those three words in a new way – especially in light of the “old” painting of myself described above. I began to think this way: Stop what you are doing, drop to your knees, and roll all your cares onto Jesus, Connie, because He cares for YOU!

Colossians 3:1 describes it this way: If you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God. He is your life.

I found myself often times this week with my eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of me. And as I began absorbed (even self-absorbed), the “old” me surfaced….feelings of guilt, pain, brokenness and being unwanted bathed me, causing me more weariness than any one person could possibly carry….until I was reminded…There are no orphans of God.

Sister, if you know Jesus as your Savior, you are no orphan. You have been bought with the blood of Jesus, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. He is your life!

Avalon sings it this way:

O blessed Father, look down upon us -We are Your children, we need Your love. We run before Your throne of mercy And seek Your face to rise above. There are no strangers -There are no outcasts -There are no orphans of God. So many fallen, but hallelujah! There are no orphans of God!

If today finds you falling, may it be to your knees, where you will roll all your cares over onto Him, knowing that He loves you far more than you can imagine.

Moms in Community

Hey there my sisters.  I wanted you to know about this support group for moms that is lead by Bethany Nelson and Wendy Henderson.  Just reading Bethany's write up about it has encouraged me so much I wished I could go! Take a look and spread the word to some moms you might know who could use some good community around her to remind her of her worth in the Lord. Bethany thank you so much for sharing this with us!

Hey Ladies!

My name is Bethany Nelson. I'm a wife to a wonderful man, Jared, for the last 8½ years and stay-at-home mom to Ruby (5½), Maxwell (3½), and Cornelia (9mo). Ever since we brought Ruby home from the hospital, wailing away in the backseat, I knew that I needed support. The life of a mommy is sweet and stressful—a bona fide roller coaster ride that doesn't let up!

Trudy asked me AGES ago to write up a little post to tell you all about Moms in Community-- a small group that I have been leading with another amazing lady, Wendy Henderson, for about six months-this is our answer to not just surviving these years, but thriving in them!

We started our group last fall studying Proverbs 31 using Vicki Courtney's book The Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth . At first, I think most of us were intimidated. We're mothers of young children with pressures and stresses bearing down on us. Many of us are born pleasers-- trying to meet the needs of all of those around us in a way that will bring glory to God, but let's face it, most of the time our lives are less than glamorous. And no matter how busy we are all day, we are not often as awe inspiring as the woman whose children call her blessed and whose husband praises her. How can I possibly be Martha Stewart around the house? And a fun and faithful mother? And a sexy wife? And CEO of a small corporation?

...And that's when we had to hit the reset button...

Our lives as women (wives, mothers, sisters, daughters) are not measured by a checklist—Praise the Lord! Our lives are measured by our wisdom, purpose, and fear of the Lord. Our worth is found in our identity as a child of Christ—His special instrument to touch the lives of those around us.

At Moms in Community, it's all about hitting the reset button. The world is telling us so many lies and we don't think that we're listening, but they worm their way in. We are banding together to point each other to the Truth. We are praying for one another. We are supporting and encouraging one another. We are laughing and learning together. We are growing.

If you are interested in hitting the reset button with us, we meet every other Thursday evening at 7pm. We are currently studying the Patriarchs courtesy of Liz Curtis Higgs and her study, Loved by God. She teaches with humor and she knows her stuff. If you ever doubt that God is still there, working through all of the circumstances, just go back to the Word. He has used the most broken and unwieldy vessels to complete his purposes. He has been faithful to the unfaithful. He has loved the unlovely. We would love to have you journey with us.

I want to close with a recent memory verse from our latest study that is so encouraging to me—He will NEVER leave you.

"God Himself has said, "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down!" Hebrews 13:5, AMP

Bethany can be contacted at impecunious_imp@yahoo.com

"Honk If something Falls Off"

I’m not much of a bumper sticker girl, but a few weeks ago I saw one with these words on it and I had an overwhelming urge to peel it off the not-so-bad-looking vehicle it was on and stick it on my more-worthy-looking-wounded van. I needed the "Honk if Something Falls off" sticker in a bad way and I found myself coveting. If it weren’t for those nagging words that went something like "thou shalt not steal" I might have done it.

Not being a car fanatic the gathering bumps and bruises on my aging van have not bothered me until recently when my husband has become convinced that my bumper really is going to fall off and cause a greater accident. The repair man who has patiently reattached it more times than he or I would like, assures me it won’t. So I figure as long as its getting me from A to B the added features of re-touched rust spots, duct taped cracks, deer dents, charming squeaky sounds and other various souvenirs from ions of years and miles just help keep memories alive and dollars in my pocket to spend on more worthy things.

In the world of bumper sticker sermons, I wondered if I could find one that would sum up that thought.

And guess what I saw next?

"Don’t let the car fool you, my treasure is in Heaven."

Isn’t God fun?

I am enjoying this new avenue of theological training via bumper stickers and believe God is opening my hard heart towards them.

I might even start using them as car band-aids. There are plenty of boo-boos to cover. If only I could find one that I liked that was not already attached to someone else's car.

"Don’t let the car fool you, my treasure is in Heaven."

Breathe that in for a minute...

And really my treasure is in the here and now too even though it doesn’t always show. It’s just that I am in the ‘tween tension of the "now but not yet"...but that’s a whole other post that I will expand on later.

For now, I need to find that sticker because I want the world to know I have an outrageously rich Father, and an inheritance that would plum blow you away....

Don’t let the car fool ya!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you... 1 Peter 1:3-4

"Host a Student, Change a Life"

From Trudy   Hey Blog Buddies,   Below is a note from Sherri Murr, Short Term Coordinator for Nacel Open Door, Inc.  She is looking for families to host some International students from France and Spain for a few weeks this summer.  What a great opportunity to share your ordinary lives and the love of our extraordinary God with some students looking to experience life in the USA.  It might be that mission trip you have been praying for minus the pricey airfare.   Read on for more info from the pen (aka keyboard) of Sherri.......   Greetings!  I know it's just barely March and it seems a little early to be talking about summer activities but this is my busy time of year so the next six months will seem to fly by really fast.  Speaking of flying, I have 30 students and 2 adult chaperone's that will be flying into NC on July 22 for a three week stay.  They are coming from France and Spain.  My job is to find a good home for them during their stay.  The students range in age from 13 to 18 and of course you get to choose which country your student is from, their gender, and age.  In a few weeks their photos will be on the website along with some information about them.  The students can share a bedroom with one of your children who is at least 12 years old and same gender, but must have their own bed (futons/day beds/cots are usually fine).  You do not have to have kids at home to be able to host, as long as the student would have the opportunity to meet other teens at church, social gatherings, your neighborhood, etc.  All of them do speak English so you don't need to know another language.  They go through several procedures before being accepted into the program including academic, medical, and background checks.  They also have insurance coverage.  We enforce a strict behavioral policy and will send them home early if problems arise so that should not be a concern either.  The chaperone's who come with them will call and check on them while their here and handle any issues that arise for the student and myself and another local representative will be available as well.  They have their own spending money for incidentals and any activities that you choose to do while they are here (theme parks, concerts, etc) however most of them don't expect you to take them anywhere you wouldn't already go.  Their purpose for being here is simply to learn about American culture and they don't expect special treatment, only to feel like part of your family.  Which is another reason I like to place students and host families this early - you have more time to communicate with them and build a relationship before they get here.  I really appreciate you taking the time to consider hosting a student, or chaperone, this year.  Pray about it, talk about it, think about it and let me know if you have any questions.  If you're even the least bit interested, go to the website and submit and on-line application.  This does not obligate you to host, but we do place the students on a first-come basis so by getting your application in early, you're one of the first to get to choose from the students once they go on-line.  This is a great opportunity to learn about another culture and build lasting friendships.  I hope it works out for you to do just that.  If you know of anyone else who might be interested, I'd love for you to spread the word. Blessings,   Sherri Murr, Short Term Coordinator Nacel Open Door, Inc. (828) 884-6877 – Local Office (800) 622-3553 - National Office USA Short Term Website: www.nacel.net

Meet Connie....

Like Amanda, Connie Caldwell probably needs no introduction for most of you but I wanted to be sure the reader who may not know her has the privilege to know a little bit more about her.

A vivacious red-head, Connie possesses both external and internal beauty and her passionate personality only adds credence to the notion that fire and red-heads are indeed synonymous. If you’ve ever attended one of the Saturday ladies events that she heads up you will be able to testify to her ability to turn an ordinary space into a place that literally livens the senses. However, like her, its never just about the external, she also has a gift to gather weary women into times of fellowship and send them back out renewed and refreshed in the spirit.

But if I had to pick a favorite thing about Connie I think it might be the times I get to listen in on her conversations with the Father. It is in those moments I have had the clearest glimpse of her sincere heart and passion for others.

Connie and her husband Eric have successfully raised two handsome boys. The youngest, Mitch, is a sophomore at UNC-Charlotte School of Architecture and the older, Britt is married to Andrea and is an active AF pilot in Hawaii.

I am glad to have both Connie and Amanda on board as a regular contributors to this blog. Check out what they have already written below. And don’t forget to click on the link at the bottom of the blog to access Sheila Alewine’s space. She does a fabulous job opening open the Scriptures, leading by example as she shows you how to study the Word in depth.

Be the light

I love how the light lingers this time of year. But have you noticed how really dark the mornings are? At 4:30 a.m., it is easy for me to stumble as I move from my bed to the routines of the day. Perhaps, like me, you have noticed just how much light comes from mashing a button on your cell phone. It’s at least enough to get me to the bathroom for my shower…

Light –

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

So the day begins, and with it comes opportunities….

To forgive the one who wrongs you,

To cheat someone,

To encourage one another,

To stumble in word or deed.

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

John 3:19-21

The first thing God created was light. (Gen. 1:2-3). Hmmmm……must be pretty important to God that we be able to see.

And then He gave us His only Son, Jesus….”Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” John 8:12

And then what did He say to us? “You are the light of the world. (Wait a minute, He is the light, and I am the light also?!? YES! If He is in me, then YES!!!) ….Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 14, 16

Go into all the world today and be light for Jesus! He told you that you are. Do you believe what He says?

Sentenced by Conviction

I am convicted,
And conflicted.

But I will share my heart with you, because I love you - each one - very much.

Today, a question came to my mind, and I posed it to my husband over lunch. “Do we take the time to tell our friends how much we care about them? Do we reach out and let someone else know that they matter to us? And how often do we pray for one another? Really pray? I mean, not just “God bless so and so”, but to cry over our brother and sister’s needs as if they were our own?

And how many of our friends or acquaintances can you tell me something deeply personal or intimate about at the moment…..like a fear they are battling to overcome, or a struggle they are having, or a praise you can celebrate with them? Not just something you “heard” in the grapevine of life, but something they shared with you, because they knew you were trustworthy to share their heart with.”

Really think about that with me for a minute.

No, I mean really think about it.

This week, I asked a few women to pray for some young girls specifically. Not meet with them. Pray for them. Whenever the Holy Spirit prompted them.

And you know what the answers were? Anything from “YES!” to a sad, “I don’t have time to do one more thing.”

Come on.

I asked you to pray.

Jesus asked his disciples to do the same.

On the night of His betrayal.

In a garden, while He agonized and wrestled for His very life.

“Father, if it be Your will, take this cup from me. But nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.”

Jesus went a few feet backwards to find His weary disciples asleep.

Let me ask you.

How many of you have ever wrestled over something all night long, only to hope beyond hope that someone was awake praying with you/for you?

I have. And I have cried out to God to raise up intercessors for me in my own weak state.

“And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.”

Wow. The man who was without almost everything he had come to know and love and have a grip on, gained back nothing until he prayed for his friends.

Let me ask you.

Is it important to you that others pray for you?

Then ought we not take time to really know one another,

So that praying for one another becomes as necessary as our own breathing……

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:12,13)


I’d like to challenge you (and me) to lay something down this week.

Pick up the phone and call that long winded friend.

Get up 30 minutes earlier to jot a note to a brother.

Take your lunch break and pray for the one who enters your mind almost as much as words flow from your mouth.

We need each other.

Remember.

We are a world at war.

P-U-S-H-!!!!!!

Anyone who has ever given birth has heard those words at least once.

Though long gone are the days of child-bearing for me, the words resound in my ears again this morning as thoughts of my now 20-yr-old son flood my brain.

And I wonder, Who is pushing who?

From the pages of my son’s blog, he spoke of the comfortableness of his life…of having become numb to the people around him…their needs, their lost state…and of how sick he had become at being comfortable with his life.

Then came his earnest prayer:

God, make me uncomfortable. Break me. Tear down all my walls that I have put up to protect me. Put me in places where my gifts and abilities can be used to Your glory. Break my heart for what breaks yours. And open my eyes to the needs of people around me. Enable me to act in Your will and purpose. Fully equip me for everything I may encounter. Make me uncomfortable. Break me.

P-U-S-H-!!!!!!

He was six years old, and his devastated mom lay in a crying heap on the floor. His tiny hand touched my shoulder, thrusting the note card in front of my face before kissing my cheek and retreating back to his room. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1

P-U-S-H-!!!!!!
(Translated that means Get up! Stop crying! Trust in the Lord, Who is your confidence!)

From that time forward, my son has been pushing me, but not in the way you would imagine. Not to gain his own way. Not to be in control. His push was more in the way you would push your child on a swing…gently at first, but building momentum with ever touch on the back as the words ring out “Higher, higher!!”

From that day, he has pushed me to go before him, to know God so I could make Him known. And lest I should ever forget… P-U-S-H-!!!!!!

Am I willing now to be pushed out of my own comfort zone to be awakened to the faces and heartbeats of those around me? Can I honestly ask the God Who made me and knows my every thought to break me? To make me uncomfortable? Because He will, you know….I have learned of His faithfulness, and I know that In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul. Psalm 138:3

So I am crying out, Lord. Make me bold with strength in my soul. Break my heart to what breaks Yours. For my good, and for Your glory.

P-U-S-H-!!!!!!