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DOES IT FEEL LIKE EVERYONE IS DATING SOMEONE?

 

You are in a hard situation. I know. I remember it well-everyone dating or getting married. God had me wait until I was 27 before He brought my beloved, Brian. Brian was almost 31 when we married! We both had walked through the pain of loneliness as we waited for God to answer our prayers. We both had committed to waiting for not a “good” possible spouse but the “best” possible spouse He had for us.-if we would trust Him and His plan.  

How can we walk through the season of singleness that God has allowed in our lives? Because Jesus is the ultimate LOVE OF OUR LIFE, we have to start with the truth of His love for us.  After understanding His unchanging love for us, we can lean into His perfect will as we wait. It’s true. We all walk this road at some time. I think of 2 recent friends of mine just starting down the path of widowhood, or divorced single friends in their 30’s & 40’s, college women, and high school gals all in a season of learning to live alone. It helps to accept this stage of loneliness. Every human alive has dealt with this emotion. It can hurt, but it’s endurable by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was lonely, Paul was lonely, my widow friend is lonely. It’s hard when it seems like others are seeing their dreams happen while you WAIT.  I sit down & realize that JESUS is the only answer to my thirst and that He hears my prayers. Then, I actively trust.

  1.  REALIZE YOUR TRUE ETERNAL IDENTITY...You are not only a wife, girlfriend, “b.f.f.”, mother, CPA, CFO, or VIP. If you know Jesus Christ, you are a DAUGHTER of the KING. This is the ONLY identity that will STICK with you for the rest of eternity!   Everything else is transitory….every phase changes and all people change.  “JESUS is the same yesterday, today and forever”. Even if the world or other people change,  God keeps His promises. You are His and truly only His…forever!
  2.  STAY IN THE WORD AND HANG WITH LIKE-MINDED WOMEN.. Really & truly, there ARE women who don’t just talk about men, clothes, and reality television!   ASK HIM & BELIEVE BOLDLY for faithful, pure, and godly gal pals and then,  revel in the glory of the PERFECTION OF CHRIST with your eyes calmly waiting for opportunities but locked into Kingdom priorities. If it is His will (“good, acceptable and perfect”) He will be the Eternal Delivery Man and you will see His plan for your life unfold. Trust Him now…HE is building you from the inside out.

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Mama Bear & the sisterhood of infertility

This necklace could be my favorite Mother’s Day gift ever from my husband & kids! I’ve walked the hallowed halls of motherhood for over 20 years now, yet the name “Mama” still touches my heart in deep places. There were years of infertility, multiple miscarriages, & a slow trod through the valley of unanswered lonely prayer.  Throughout these years, I truly suspected that “Mama” would never be my name.

The women who are part of the never-desired Sisterhood of Infertility will tell you we all lived in the “Why God?” zone. We all told ourselves, “Don’t hope this month-then the grief won’t be as bad.” 

(This is impossible because our very nature as Christians is designed to hope.)

As my husband & I trudged through these years, we learned that God may not take pain away but the Man of Sorrows will offer Himself as companion & comfort. A life of faith will always be lived out in the bizarre tension of accepting pain and praying a way out of it! Many days, I still marvel at God blessing me with the honor of mothering two precious God-given lives.

May we never take Mother’s Day for granted as we lean into the One who loves us most!

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25 Floors Up

Sunrise time w/ the Lord on the 25th floor can truly change your point of view!

Every few years we hear a Bible verse (2 Chronicles 7:14) tossed around . Many bible study students will notice that this Old Testament verse is a “conditional” promise verse beginning with the word at the beginning “IF” and at the end of the verse with the word “THEN.” (Translation: If you obey,  you will be blessed.  If you disobey, you will not.) These “conditional” covenants are called the “Mosaic ” covenant and the “David” covenant. Interestingly , the first covenant (“Abrahamic”)  & the last covenant (“New ” )  are entirely unconditional with God amazing us with the phrase “I WILL!” It’s the unconditional covenants that usually astound us because God is the Giver of the covenant and the actual provider of the ability to fulfill it! Jesus fulfilled everything and we walk in newness of life.

So, how do we read an Old Testament “conditional” verse? We look for a timeless principle! Even though we don’t live under the Mosaic or Davidic law like the people of Israel in the OT, we can look throughout the New Testament for spiritual parallels that link the believers in Abraham’s day to the believers today under the New Covenant . The faith of Abe in Genesis 12 & 15 is similar to our faith in Matthew through Revelation.  God initiates the covenant and fulfills it. We can compare the covenant and ask ourselves: “Is the character of God similar here as in the NT?” “Is the way God operates here similar in the NT?” ”

NOW, we can read this text with fresh eyes! It’s a conditional covenant verse given to Israel under the Mosaic (Old Testament) covenant. Yet, we see all throughout the New covenant (New Testament) the similar way God responds to His people. He responds to true humility, He answers desperate prayer, & He delights to show Himself strong when we seek only Him!

In the verse below, we realize we can obey the OT call to humble ourselves  &trust our good God to show up for His NT people!  I wrote this out and wrote my personal application next to each phrase. Let’s pray expectantly!

2 Chronicles 7:14

“IF my people who are called by My Name will:

HUMBLE themselves (This means go low in your relationships starting with God !)

PRAY (This means ask big -even miraculous-things of God!)

SEEK My face (lThis means sit with God , look up, & wait on God!)

TURN from wicked ways (I must ask God to change me. Personal revival must precede national revival!)

THEN
I will hear.
I will forgive.
I will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Time to hit our knees!

#WindowsillWorship — with Brian G. Fisher at Hotel Beacon NYC.