Good morning, Sweet Things! I’ve sure had you on my mind this morning. I just got back from a long brisk walk with Star and took in the wonder of God through stormy thick clouds and heavy winter winds. (Think South though. Everything’s relative here.) I had planned to work out on my equipment in the garage but once I saw the cool wind whipping the leaves off the trees, I couldn’t resist getting out in it. I thought I just might feel a hint of God in that great northern and I did. I told Him how mighty I think He is and how wonderful. How capable He is of doing utterly anything. How nothing is impossible for Him. Then I asked Him certain things and, even though I don’t know exactly how He will answer, I know that He will indeed answer.
Oh, Sisters, we are among the most blessed people on this planet. Do you know today how blessed you are?? We have the King of the universe to look to and to be loved by. He planned for each of us before the foundation of the world and even chose the works we would do in His great name. (Eph. 2:10) He intentionally set us in our generations and planted us with divine purpose in our parts of the earth. (Acts 17:24-27) I am amazed by Him this morning.I don’t want to take divine intervention for granted. We – you and me – are the stuff of miracles. Even to discern the living, breathing voice of God through His written Word is a wonder.
I am anxious to hear from you through today’s Talk To Me Tuesday topic! I’d like to know about a time when you were desperate for divine wisdom in a particular area (whether relational, work, ministry, or otherwise) and you had no idea what to do. You sought God and you received wisdom that you are certain only He could have given you. For all you women who have walked with God for ten or more years, one thing I’ve noticed on this blog is that we are actively mentoring our young women whether we realize it or not. We have many college-age women in this community as well as a number of high school girls that post comments often. Have you seen them on there? It blesses me every time! They are looking to us to help them learn how, among other things, to hear from God and discern direction. Share today (as succinctly as possible!!) how you received wisdom from God to do something that you know you wouldn’t have figured out any other way. This is not limited to all of us mentor types, however. Scripture proves through examples like Samuel and David and Timothy that God speaks to the young as well as the old.
Talk to me, Siestas! When have you lacked wisdom, petitioned God earnestly for it, and known without a doubt you received it?
PS. I almost forgot! If you used one of your Siesta’s recipes for Thanksgiving, tell her, too!
I see so many piped up to share Gods word with a fellow woman on here, and maybe hopefully God will speak through some of you to me.
I had a dream last night about a man who I want to be the one for me, but I have given up on him. I decided to let go, and move forward, meet someone new. Beofre I go to far I will add that I made a personal vow to God to not even look at another man until New Years day so I could receive my answer from God about whether this man is the one or not. Than Yesterday I go and say, screw it, I know hes not the one so I am going to let him go and start dating. All because a woman had come to me and felt compelled to share a story with me about how she believed with everything inside of her that a certain situation would happen and than it didnt. So I felt like, ok this is never going to happen. I know the truth.
Ive had 2 dreams, one where this man comes and tells me God told him through a dream im his wife, which I disregarded after hearing those words from that woman. Than yesterday, after saying im gonna give up on my vow had a dream. It was me and this man and the way it played out is that we were each others destiny, that we have a God given purpose to fulfill together for ourselves and for ministry. But I cant help but wonder, is this disception? Or is this a God given dream? I know I cant control what happens, but I dont want to go on a false hope.
Than I read the above mentioned verse that stuck out to me like a sore thumb ~Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end fulfillment; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait earnestly for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on it’s appointed day.”
Now I must say, God speaks clearly to me in my dreams, He shows me quite a bit. If Hedidnt I would just as easily disregard this.
I wanted to throw out an answer b/c I happened upon this question and I’ve had some experience w/ drems, deception, spiritual warfare, etc.
God does speak through dreams but that doesn’t mean satan won’t come as an angel of light and try to deceive through dreams or anything else. The Bible says in the last days that deception will run so deep that even the elect could be deceived so we must be careful that we don’t “think we stand, lest we fall”. I never just look at a dream in itself to decide if it is from the Spirit of God. I also look at the fruit of it AND most importantly if it lines up w/ scripture.
The Bible tells us that God does not give us a spirit of confusion. If the fruit of where you’re at w/ this situation is continually producing confusion then I would say that you are not being led by the Spirit in this situation. Satan is having a hay day. Satan will use the fear we have of mistakenly wondering away from God’s purpose/will to keep us bound to something he can make us feel “might” be God’s purpose/will. In our fear of making a mistake, we end up stuck in a stronghold. A stronghold is something that has power over us, preventing us from freely moving on to what God truly has for us which always has to do w/ freedom, love, joy, peace, LIFE, etc.
God doesn’t torment us. He who finds a wife/husband is receiving favor from God the Bible says. It is a gift, not a torment. It is simply grace that can’t be manipulated. Don’t rely on human power or superstition. Put your full trust in God and tell the Lord that at this point you’re assuming this particular guy is not for you. Move on. If God wants you to marry this man He knows where to find you. Think of what God did when Jonah purposfully disobeyed Him. He got Jonah to go to Nenevah, didn’t He? God didn’t allow Jonah to bail out of his purpose.
You WANT to obey God, unlike Jonah. Don’t you think God would be even more willing to help scoot you into the right direction?
Satan will continue to torment you w/ “what if’s”. We don’t serve a “what if” God. We serve a God who clearly leads His children down the path He has for them. Let that set you free.
In reply to I need an answer, hope you get to see this since it’s so late. I spoke earlier in this post about God communicating with me through my dreams. Every time this happened I had been fasting/praying/seeking His face unless it was a strong warning or I was just suffering badly and somehow I was being ministered to. My experience is that like the other seista said God is not going to work in a place of confusion. We have lots of dreams where it is merely our subconscious playing out but a true dream from God will stand out from all other dreams, be nothing but peaceful and bring clear clarification to an issue, never be confusing. You will know that you know that you know if it’s God, there will be zero doubt.
Charles Stanley says God will move heaven and earth to show us His will. Stay as close to Him and His word as you can and He will guide you. Proverbs 3:5,6
Okay, I’ll share my story. One time I had a dream that I was marrying a man who I dearly wanted to be my husband, but God had protected me and nothing came of it. Time told me that it was just a dream.
Years later, I had another dream. At the time, I was searching, seeking, praying, asking, hoping for God to direct me. I was not looking to find a mate, nor was I looking for the answer that came to me, but it was from God this time. In the second dream, I asked God to direct me, and he told me that I would marry the man sitting next to me in the dream. I looked at the man who was just a non-Christian friend of mine at the time. I looked back at the God figure and said something to the effect of “this man is not a Christian – how will we marry?” The God-figure said that he would be saved and that we would be married and that we would minister together. Months later, he was saved. Less than a year later, we were married. And that was 6 1/2 years ago.
Ask God to tell you “great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jer 33:3) and He will answer you, and You will understand, but only at the appropriate time.
How many times I have been in your place. I would make a vow and then be tempted to break it. Thankfully, every time I kept my promise He answered. You said you would wait until Jan. 1. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!! God will answer and when He does you won’t have to question what His answer is.
I hope this helps you.
I agree with Kara… God doesn’t torment us! Remember that His Peace surpasses all understanding. Which to me means that I can have peace during difficult times and struggles, even when it makes no sense that I am feeling at peace!!
And the enemy of our souls will use anything- and I do mean ANYTHING, even your own vow to God, to keep you from knowing what God’s perfect will really is.
So, be patient, my friend. In God’s timing, everything is perfect. And it comes wrapped in His Peace!
Hi Beth! I’m laying in bed recovering from a hysterectomy I had yesterday. Sorry, I know this subject is not your favorite! You see, I’d been asking for one since I was 13 years old. I’m 38 now. It was the number one item on my Christmas list during my teen years at home. The miserable pain I’d had since a young teen had progressively gotten worse. Finally, I decided to mention the labor like cramps to my GYN and she suggested it was time for it to go. It was one of those moments where I truly didn’t know what to do even though I had wanted it for what seemed like my whole life. I was really worried about the consequences of making a wrong choice. So I prayed and prayed and talked and prayed. One morning at church I went forward for prayer and literally sat with other children who were also praying (We were in our children’s church. Our children’s pastor had been teaching about the tabernacle and actually had the middle of the room set up like the tabernacle. It was really cool.)for God to speak to us. I heard Jesus say that I could trust him. That I could trust the doctor and I would be okay. I had total peace from that day on.
He really does speak to us. I love him.
Often, through circumstances, He reveals things to me. My biggest revelation so far was with my husband when we were in the process of buying our house. When all doors seemed to close on what we believed was the PERFECT (also, our first) home, we just called on God and asked Him to do His will. We were about 2 days away from closing on the house and getting our keys, but some technicalities came up on the home since it was foreclosed. We were both in tears over the situation, because of the deep disappointment we felt was just around the corner for us. We prayed together, “Lord, let it be as You would have it be. Please help us to make the right decisions about this home.” And lo and behold, I KID YOU NOT, our phone rang the moment we said “Amen” and it was our realtor calling to say that everything was a-ok, we could sign and get our keys. I mean, are you kidding me?!?! God just opened that door right open almost the MOMENT we handed it over to Him. I still get goosebumps thinking about it 🙂 Gotta love some God-drama!!! 🙂 Oh, I love Him for his unfailing goodness.
PS, this is our second winter in our “new” home and we are still as much in love with it as we were then! I tell my man all the time, “I hope I live and die in this house.” 🙂
I am waiting for the wisdom …
Just a couple of hours ago we found out that, in order to have a baby, we are to do in vitro fertilization. I dont know what to do. I have believed in miracles. Is this one of the times when I should just not do anything and leave it in His hands? Or should i put my body in the hands of drs and let them do the work? Maybe it is just me scared at all those medical terms “tube” “harvesting eggs” “frozen embryo” “implantation”. I am so confused.
I know, you asked for a different type of story … but right now I am just waiting for the wisdom to fall upon me. Please Lord please.
Diana,
I am praying for you, that God’s wisdom would guide you, His peace would surround you and His love would continue to sustain you.
I have a cousin who was told this same thing. She to agonized over it but in the end made the decision to go forward, as a result she has two beautiful little boys and just had a baby girl in October. They are all three such blessings to their family!
Hi Dianne,
You are correct, there are so many questions. Bethany Christian Services has a forum, it’s called stepping stones for those who are having ferfility issues.
http://stepforums.bethany.org/
Hope this helps with your journey.
Jennifer
I’ve been there. I will say that for me, once I gave it up to Him and started praising Him for the children He would give me, I had the peace that I would indeed have kids of my own. At that moment, I didn’t know how it would happen. For us, it was with in-vitro (the doctor said it was only a 10% chance it would work…well, God worked it!). It is very scary, but God used that route for us. We have twins (a boy and a girl… 5 year ago!) One thing we did realize and decided early on was how many times we would try it and if it didn’t work, we’d move on to adoption. Just give it to Him and He’ll totally guide you.
Saying a prayer right now for you to have wisdom. 🙂
About 4 or 5 years ago I was facing major decisions about selling my home and what God was calling me to do in my family situation. I had suddenly been thrust into single motherhood years earlier, with a chronic illness that made it nearly impossible to manage my household, much less take on extra employment to try and make ends meet.
Several times I’d looked at selling my home (which still had a large mortgage) and trying to downsize (either an apartment, or life in the fringes where taxes and housing prices are lower), but nothing seemed to work out.
Since I’d applied for co-operative housing through a friend I knew locally, I was given a ‘rush’ opportunity to be bumped up the list (usually a two year wait), after just getting on it. It certainly would have solved a lot of problems at the time, and part of me wondered if, perhaps, God was opening this door–and I should just walk through it.
I told the ‘offerer’ I needed time to pray about it, and could sense their frustation.
That evening, as I sat down to worship God (at my 100 year old piano, where some of my closest moments to Him happen) I was flooded with a sense of peace. I knew, through His Word, that accepting the unit would have been dishonest, and that I needed to decline. At the same time I had a supernatural sense that He would get me into the co-op without deceipt.
In all honesty, I expected the thing to transpire the next week. Instead, a little more than two years would pass. Very difficult, heartwrenching years. Years that would take me to my own Red Sea experience. Physically, I had pushed myself to the limit and could not work another day, just a week short of fulfilling a contract. Battling Crohn’s disease, and not being able to eat while still trying to hold things together had completely depleted me, and I could not take another step.
I fell through the cracks as far as social aid, so I was truly at the mercy of God. I could not afford to keep the house, but I could not afford to live anywhere else, either.
The kids and I scouted out homes in the outskirts, but housing prices had skyrocketed and filled in the gaps, which meant there was not enough of a difference to have made any difference wherever I would have moved.
I called the co-op to see if there might be a place open, but we were third on the list (the first would be moving in that month, and then the next on the list would be given the next opportunity, and that would only happen after someone giving the usual 2 month notice). The earliest possibility would probably be 3 to 5 months away, and that was a generous estimate. I cried out to the Lord. I remembered His promise to me years earlier as I sat at my piano, and I waited for Him.
I can’t remember if it was the next day, or a couple of days later, but a very excited co-op secretary called me back and said, “You won’t believe what has happened!” All of a sudden, someone had given their notice, and someone else had declined, and–the people in the unit size I needed decided to move down to a smaller one, leaving one unit–just for us.
It was absolutely amazing! Every single detail fell miraculously into place, including all the help I needed, because I was very ill. Not only that, my home sold the very afternoon it went on the market, at the very height of the housing price boom. Giving me twice what I would have gotten two years earlier. I had enough to pay the mortgage, and have been able to live off my savings for the past two years.
My dear sisters in Jesus. If you seek His divine wisdom, He will give it to you. And, if you don’t give up when it seems like maybe you’d just imagined it all in the first place, He will have amazing victories in store for you. 🙂
Amazing testimony Heather. Thank you for sharing your story.
Beth,
Six years ago, we found out my husband had a brain tumor. At this time my mom was also battling cancer. We went to New York to a brilliant brain surgeon. He removed the tumor, however, he told us it could give him a year two years or twenty five years, only the good man up stairs new.
My husband had a good year. Toward the end, he was in Alabama with his folks. He had gotten worse. They needed me to come do there. I remember saying God I can’t afford to go and I don’t know what I need to do. I bump into a church member at the grocery store and shared with them what was going on. We ended up at the same point again and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill and gave it to me. I told him no, he needed it for his trip. He looked me in the eyes and said God told me to give it to you. There is more to this amazing story on how God had everything planed out and how it all fell into place.
My husband past away that February. God has been with us every step of the way. My verse I claimed, Jeremiah 29:11.
I would have to say the time I was so distraught over the thought of my son not graduating from high school! Ya see we had been through so much with him. I fought so hard to keep him on the right path. I was completely and totally exhausted! We had him in rehab for 8 mo. for anger issues, and I just wanted him to graduate so bad. He was taking classes through a college to make up for what he didn’t have but was not able to get all the work done before graduation.
I was told he would not walk with his class because he did not have the credits he needed. I was devastated! He had fought so hard to catch up and do the right thing. Just was not enough. I was making myself sick (vomiting ) over it. I was so worried that he would give up and return to some of his bad habits.
One day about a week before his graduation I was sitting at the kitchen table just staring out my back window at nothing. I just broke down before God and begged for an answer. I asked him to show me a sign right Now if my son was going to walk with his class. When I opened my eyes I was amazed at the immediate answer from God. My back yard was full of all kinds of song birds. One’s I didn’t usually have. Ya see I’m a bird watcher. God answered me through something he knew I loved and would understand. I was a changed person in an instance! And a proud Mamma when my son walked with his graduating class! Go God! I will always remember how God answered my plea that day , and now I don’t put myself through such turmoil. I just take it before God no matter if it’s small or large.
and I made the corn casserole and it was very good!
This is my first time commenting. I’ve always been to afraid to post anything before. I even read today’s topic this morning and could think of nothing to share. But within the last hour, God has answered my heart’s deepest prayer. I have been battling crippling depression and anxiety for well over a year. I had a nervous breakdown in January and spent time in a behavioral health hospital. Since then, I have been begging God to heal me, to bring me out of this horrific valley. And He hasn’t. Prayer after prayer. Week after week. And nothing. I was convinced I could no longer trust Him because He had turned a deaf ear to my pleas. But God (my two favorite words in the Bible) just gave me a tiny glimpse of His purpose for this valley and His plan for my future! And I could not pass up the opportunity to honor Him by sharing my story with you. All praise to Him!
Casey, I am so glad you shared. I miss you dear friend.
so thankful that you are hearing from God, praying for you dear one.
Oh, Casey, my heart goes out to you! I, too, have struggled with a crippling depression. And, Praise God, He has indeed brought healing to my heart and mind! Don’t give up, dear sister. Even when you can’t find Him, He is there, holding you close to His own heart.
I will keep you in my prayers.
I’m desperate for divine wisdom NOW. So, I guess this is my time of searching for divine wisdom. I am hungry, and have been searching for so long. As the 10 year mark of my salvation approaches along with my 30th birthday I am overcome with shame. I feel that I should have grown so much more than I have. When that day of my 30th birthday comes, along with my 10th birthday of Salvation I want to be able to breathe a sigh of relief and say Finally, I am back on track and where I’ve so longed to be! I have so many hopes and dreams of my future, but feel that my wishy washy ways leave me in the same place at every turn. I have been a reader of this blog for so long, and finally I am ready to step out. I moved to Houston and absolutely lost who I was. But, with that being said I have made steps toward my future career and I am very excited that my move brought me here.
*The recipe I tried was the Sour Cream Pound Cake which was absolutely wonderful
DanielleLA-
I was EXACTLY at your spot 11 years ago! While your journey, praise GOD, will be YOURS and your song to Him YOUR song to Him, I’m excited for you and knowing that THE LORD IS SO FAITHFUL! I was 21 when saved and 31 when I really, really sold out to Jesus. What a wild and wonderful ride it has been since. May you have JOY in the journey and see His fingerprint on the daily stuff. I am still learning to accept that I am not “where I want to be” as you described and will not be fully ‘there’ til I am hugging my savior face-to-face. As long as we’re breathing He does work in us. But HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH and ME so much right NOW! yay! Be blessed, Siesta. I’m glad you posted.
Jennifer Tricarico-
Aww, thank you so much for reading and responding to my post 🙂 It is encouraging to know that many have walked the same paths. I do believe like you said that He does love me unconditionally and will never let me go. Thank goodness.
Wow – I just posted something sort of along the same lines as this. God has a timeline for each of us. Pursue Him, Pursue Him, Pursue Him!!! The Bible is so incredible in the pursuit.
I have been recovering from childhood sexual and physical abuse. I am now 50 years of age and four years ago I started the process of recall of the unbearable events that happened to me between the ages of 5-10 years old. No one, but the family that abused me repeatedly, knew of this. Even though the bruises were visible, the horrifying acts were so unimaginable they became invisible. God in his mercy and grace blocked these things from me until I was spiritually and emotionally ready to handle them. I prayed and asked guidance from God to help put the pieces of the puzzle together. Slowly he allowed only what we (God and I) could take on together. I have never felt so loved, protected and chosen as I do now.
I am in no way bitter but only hold forgiveness and sadness for a family that tortured me and was in turn tortured by demons that took up inhabitance in the walls of their home.
Dear Kay, I am just overwhelmed as I am sitting here reading through these posts and comments. It seems I can relate to so many. Then, I have to wonder, why on earth do we believe we are the only ones suffering??!!
I, too, am a victim of childhood sexual abuse. I have spent the better part of 20 years recovering memories and rebuilding my personhood. Long story, but I am turning 50 years old in one week from today, and I have decided that this is my “Year of Jubilee”!! God has finally released me from my prisons and I am free! I am glad to hear that you have walked the path to freedom, too.
Now, my concern remains… How can we help those who are walking this painful journey all alone?? There’s no need to be alone when there are so many of us who understand and can hold a sister’s hand through this!
This is becoming my heart’s burden.
I will pray for you, my sister.
I know that God has spoken to me and directed my paths all through my life, but I don’t have a particular story to share right now.
Right at this very moment in my life, He is speaking to me through this scripture. James 3:17-18
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
For Thanksgiving:
Lavonda did not give her dip recipe a name. It was a very big hit with all of our family. We will have it again for Christmas and lots more times!
I also made Tammy Elrod’s “Aunt Rae’s Cranberry Relish”.
I submitted a recipe for corn casserole that I just mixed up from memory for my discipleship girls, and they loved it, but then after reading others, I realized that our family likes it with cornbread mix in it. So, my daughter made a combination of the corn casserole recipes for her friends at college and then again for our family.
Also, we had plenty of food on our Thanksgiving table and want all of the same things again at Christmas, but I’m going to have to try some more of the awesome recipes that were shared!!!
OK, I have a question & I really don’t expect you to post this BUT this is really getting to me and I’m embarassed to ask but maybe, just maybe, someone can address it at some point: Why does God give just some of his daughters audible reassurances and not ever the rest of us. I’ve walked with the Lord for over 40 years, since I was a tender young girl and have NEVER heard his voice out loud or “special messages” or “heads up type stuff” that others seem to get. I love Him so very much, am in the word daily, pray continuously, share my faith often and really thought of myself as a seasoned believer but as I write this tears are filling my eyes as I wonder what’s wrong? I’m sorry for feeling jealous or whatever this is. I just wish I understood what I was doing wrong.
God speaks to us through His word, if you are in the word you are hearing the voice of God!
I agree with Judi’s reply: What more can God say to you than He says to you each day in His Word? If you are reading it and obeying it, you ARE hearing God’s Word! I think some people are so young or weak in the faith that they aren’t reading God’s Word and they need some unusual special revelation to get through to them. But it sounds like you and God are close friends. If you are ready to be shown God’s will, and you are heeding His Word, I imagine if you really think about it, you’ll realize that sometimes He puts exactly what you needed to see in Scripture or hear in a sermon at just the right time. God doesn’t need to hit you with a lightning bolt or speak to you with a thundering voice if you are already living close to Him. His Word is living and active and has provided everything You need.
I have to answer this. I felt the very same way over the course of my life, although He DID speak to me distinctly on two occasions which I totally ignored His will. I’m still living in the wake of that disobedience. I have always loved singing and was a soloist in church. My beautiful, crystal clear, perfect pitch, first soprano voice made many people cry. My plans were to study Opera. God works in mysterious ways though. In 1991, I began to notice hearing loss and today am virtually deaf. I can not longer sing vocally. Totally devastated, I cried, prayed, sulked, quit going to church, and was angry with God. How dare I be angry with God! Finally, after 10 years, God reveals to me that I lost my hearing so I can “hear Him better.” Yes, I heard that! He speaks to us in all sorts of ways, not necessarily verbal. Listen! He is speaking to you, but are you so wanting to physically hear Him that you don’t HEAR him? He says, “Be still and know that I am God!” He speaks in the wind, through chirps of birds, crickets, and a host of other things. Now, I get dreams, like Joseph! It doesn’t matter how I hear Him, I just want to hear Him! Just be still and know. And, don’t faint when He does verbally answer you in a moment you least expect!
I believe I hear the voice of God constantly but it is through scripture that He might point me to at this Bible Study or church or a Casting Crowns song or a hymn. He spends a lot of time ‘repeating’ Himself. I cannot lay flat out on the floor but I curl myself in a little ball and lay at His feet and cry out to Him when I think things are not what they should be or things are not fair (thanks to Beth’s teaching that He really wants us to do this – to hear from us). The peace that envelopes me is, to me, the Voice of Truth. I sure hope this helps.
Hey Karen – I’m going to take a shot at addressing some of what you shared here. First, I think it was brave of you to be honest (that’s one of the things I love about Siestaville: honesty is expected and accepted). I’ve had similar type conversations with a number of friends over the years and I think the enemy can really get into the mix of our sorting through this issue of “how God talks / communicates to me” vs. how He seems to do it with others.
One thing is that I think some of us who are a little more on the dramatic side of the scale may describe communication from the Father in words and with emotion that may make it sound like “the outloud, special, heads-up” messages you reference others experiencing. If you are in the Word and are praying, etc. – then you are hearing from Him – you know how when you just sit and read the Word things will pop off the page at you? And so often you’ll know it’s a word for some situation in your life that you’re currently going through? Others, when communicating this same interaction with the Holy Spirit (b/c He’s the One living inside of us and using the Word to speak to our spirits), may simply be employing more terminology such as, “Then God said…” or “God spoke to me….” or, etc. — when you’re very likely having the same experiences, but perhaps just not communicating them with the same terminology (ie. the “God said…” verbage).
I hope this does in no way sound like I’m minimizing your concern / frustration – b/c that’s certainly not my intent or my heart. I just think sometimes we’re all much closer to one another in terms of what we’re experiencing, but we use different phrases and emotion to communicate it to others. What we’re really talking about is the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, functioning as the Helper / Intercessor / Gift / Teacher / Counselor – Jesus promised us He’d be.
The other thing I’d like to share is something that changed for me in my relationship with the Lord – oh, I guess maybe twenty-ish years ago, or so. I started to speak outloud to the Lord. Prior to that point, my conversations with God had been more in my mind – every bit as real, but just not verbalized outloud. I began to speak outloud to the Lord – and it was different than my intentional prayer life, b/c I often prayed outloud. This was more just simple conversation – talking to the Holy Spirit outloud – as if He were standing right next to me.
At first this felt awkward, but over the months it became more normative and what it really did for me was heighten my awareness of His Presence – and, a result of that was a heightened awareness of His voice. I became much more cognizant of when He was speaking to me – and I’m not talking earth shattering moments – I’m simply talking about the interactions of two very dear friends.
I hope this helps. Also, maybe you’ve already done – or are doing – this, but I think simply starting to ask the Lord, (again, outloud – not that it has to be outloud but I just kind of think it helps; at least it has in my life) to please let you hear His voice more clearly, more consistently, and with greater cognizance.
God bless you, Karen. His favor rests on you (I’ve just been in early Luke where His glory is described by declarative angels, as being in “the highest” and His peace being on earth, on those whom His favor rests). His favor rests on you. Love ~
I agree that being immersed in God’s Word is the best way we have of hearing what God has to say to us. I also know that in my life He speaks to me in ways that are not lightning bolts but soft messages. It might be through a feeling I get such as as peace over a difficulty I might be dealing with and sometimes its through the birds in my backyard or a song I hear or a small devotional on my work calendar or a nudging to do something out of my comfort zone. I do believe He sends the message we need in the way we need it and at the time we need it.
Sweet Girl, Our precious Lord is not a cookie cutter God. He knows you, what you need, how you need to relate to Him. He will give you the right things at just the right time. He knows when to speak through the Word to you, when to use other people, and when to speak to you almost audibly. Don’t be jealous, just trust Him, continue to walk and talk with Him and keep your eyes on Him, not just the mode or method of experience of Him. He is sooo holding you in His arms continually.
Hugs,
Mary P
oh sweet sister. The couple times I’ve heard God speak to my heart, I wasn’t in His will and I was asking for direction. Maybe you’ve been listening better than I all along and your in His will and He hasn’t had to shout. (hug)
Karen,
I wonder, Have you ever asked God to send you a “special message”, and then listened for the answer?
The answer may come from a friend, or a song, or a thought in your own mind. God usually whispers to me. It isn’t loud and obvious, so I have to be listening for it. Sometimes it will be a word repeated over and over in different ways. One year, I was very frustrated with my husband over and over, and when I prayed, each time I got the same one word over and over –Patience. When I was patient, my husband would come around or my frustration would melt away.
I hope this helps.
–Janet
Dear Judi, FloridaLizzie, Carolyn, Rene, WarmInAlaska, Rhonda, Mary, Erin & Janet —
THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all of your godly insight & perspectives! I can’t tell you how much you’ve helped me; never did I expect so many responses, and the assurance that I now have that I’m not strange or lacking anything from my dear Father is so comforting. I’ll admit, it still would be cool to have dreams where I’m receiving messages & answers from God rather than just the ones where I’m running into the classroom late & wearing only my underwear (!) — or being told or guaranteed in advance that a sick loved one wouldn’t die, or that money was coming in the mail … BUT I’m perfectly content with making my requests known to Him and then just waiting, trusting & seeing first hand what He has decided is best me. I know one thing — whether we get a special heads up or not, HE NEVER DISAPPOINTS & IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL! Thanks precious Sisters!!!
I wish I had time to read all the comments right now, they are such an encouragement! I’m doing a partial fast right now for guidance in my job. I believe God wants me to quit, just don’t know when, or how we’ll make it financially. Please pray for me! Thanks!
I can not tell you how many times you have written or said something that God has used to completely changed me during my life’s journey. As a new Christian I stumbled into your Jesus the One and Only study and my view of women’s bible studies was changed for ever. At first I was very frustrated when the question was asked at the end of the daily study “what is God telling you”? because I never heard anything. But finally the day came when I understood that question and I allowed the Holy Spirit to finally have some control over my life. It is still a daily battle for me but your are right when you say that we are very blessed.
Anyway, three years ago I dragged my daughter to Jacksonville, Florida for one of your women’s retreats. I think she only went to shut me up. The joke was on her because after that weekend she understood what it means for a group of women to come toether to worship and praise our precious saviour. She was changed and truly began her journey as a young christian woman.
I am so tickled for this weekend upcoming weekend in Birmingham because Courtney and I, as well as my mother and best friend, will be attending the women of faith weekend. But more importantly, next weekend on December 11, 2010, Courtney will walk the aisle as a bride. How cool is it that I get to spend her last weekend as Courtney Paul with her at a women’s bible study. I CANNOT wait to see what God has in store. I know we will all leave blessed.
Thank you for allowing God to use you to reach out to so many of us.
I recently accepted a position in the Financial Aid office of a local university. Wonderful opportunity, but lots of mind-bending rules and regulations. I’ve been praying every day that God would help me learn and “make me smarter.” 🙂 One day, I had a student ask me a very specific question to which I didn’t know the answer. While I was cleaning out some papers in my new office, I found some paperwork that outlined the answer IN DETAIL to exactly the same scenario. Thanks, God!
We were faced with a decision as a family, and possibly for the first time in my 10 years of walking with the Lord, I had no discernment about the situation at all. Often I will share with my husband what I’m sensing & the Lord will lead us forward in unity. Often I’ll sense a leading from God that lines up with my husband’s. This time, however, I had absolutely no idea what to do.
The only thing I knew was right was to value the advice of my husband, pastor, and mentors. So I did. Once we moved forward, I saw one of the biggest moves of God I had ever seen in my life. A great lesson in seeking the wisdom of our God-given authority figures.
Bless you all! These testimonies have been SUCH an encouragement to me today! Rarely get to sit down and read all the blogs.
What a great faith builder!! To hear so many testimonies of God doing what He does! We need to remember!
Tonight we finished our last study of Breaking Free. Wow! We were all impacted. During this study the Lord revealed some fears (holes the enemy had flagged) that I had been influenced by since grade 1. And I am now 50! I had a tough first year of school and was often in a place where the whole (little country) school was mad at me. I have had a fear of crowds for as long as I can remember, but never realized till last week that whenever I was in a “crowd” setting I still pictured myself in front of the whole school and if I would do anything to displease even one person they would all be mad at me. This morning in my prayer time the Lord wanted to deal with that and when I asked Him where He was in that picture, He showed me that He was behind/beside me with His hand on my shoulder. He was huge. . . bigger than the whole school!! Then He said to me that it was the enemy (whom I could then also see in the picture) behind the class who was the one who was expressing his feelings through the students, and the anger was not really at me, but at Him!! And that was because Satan was defeated!! Now when I think of that class I think most of all that the Lord with me and greater than. . . and the school is not intimidating at all. This will make a big difference when I go to work, church, or wherever!! Only God can fill the holes and heal them!! To Him be the glory!!
And thank you Beth for what you do!!
Divine wisdom… mmm. Things have been extremely tough of late, I have not been staying at home but with friends. I was invited to go to NY and just hang with a dear friend, stay through Christmas relax and not deal with stress. The other alternative was to go to another place with woman. My head was in such a turmoil of emotions because I knew I could not stay with my friends much longer and to go home was unthinkable. As it went the opportunity with NY fell through and then a strong friend, Christian talking to me gave me stern marching orders to go home immediately this past Monday in the afternoon the 29th. It was hard, I wanted to stay over night and go the next day. I called my friend and she told me, “This is not a suggestion, this is a command!!” and I already knew it was time, to leave and only, by the grace of God I came home. I was desperate. Please pray for me through this week that I will seek only His face so much more than I ever, ever ever have done in my life. Love you…. Allison
Grandma Bush’s poem:
“No Room”
No room in the inn for thee,
Thou Mary and Joseph of Galilee
No room in the inn for a baby
Born on a winter’s night
Only a stable for shelter,
Only a star for light.
Only a manger to lay Him
Only a lamb’s low cry
Only a mother crooning
A tender lullaby.
Shepherds keeping their vigil
On the hills near Bethlehem
Hear the message of angels
And hurry to worship Him
Never a night so holy
Never a babe so fair
Never a cradle more lowly
But a “newborn king” is there!
Ring out bells of heaven
Proclaim a Savior’s birth
A child is born, this wondrous morn
God’s son has come to earth!
Merry Christmas everyone!
If I could post a picture of my journal from 2001 on here I would but the picture of that journal is forever etched in my mind. I focus a lot better when I pray in writing. A lot of my journals need to be thrown into the fire place. That particular one is a rock of remembrance. I moved out of my house when I was 18 yrs old. For so many years before that I was “on my own” so to speak but I have had that gift of desperation for God, my Father for years now. I found a wonderful singles ministry when I was 18 and began teaching Sunday school at 19. Nothing has marked me like the word of God. Nothing. Anyway, nothing makes you realize you are in a crisis to be married like being around a bunch of discontented single women. The thought never occurred to me that I may not marry one day…until I was in the singles. Don’t get me wrong we totally wrestled with being content in whatever circumstance. Anyway, I had total co-dependency issues from looking for love in all the wrong places and already a pretty good history stacked up (yes even at 18). So, I begin a gut-wrenching process of heart surgery from the age of 21-22 of having (instead of No Other Gods) “no other man” but Jesus in my life. Jesus didn’t need to know I could be secure without a man…I did. I would never co-operate with Him until I prayed one day that I would have complete anxiety when I was outside of His will. I am not suggesting that the Lord gives us anxiety but we are right to have a lack of peace when we are flipping out in disobedience. So, the bone deep agony of anxiety led me to complete surrender in the man department. I really thought it would kill me. For so long a relationship had defined me. I felt a loss of my person if I was not in one. I would have one guy lined up as soon as I dumped the other…and sometimes both at the same time. I didn’t care who I hurt and most of all I didn’t ever feel that I was hurting me. Not when I could move on to someone else without feeling the pain of loss from the previous relationship. Pain masking at its best. Anyway, I seriously quit manipulating. Even down to the way I dressed. As I died to myself I found out that I no longer had to take on the persona of who I dated. It is tough making yourself a cameleon to whoever you are with. I was finally free to be who I was made to be in Christ.
So, back to the journal…I had dated a guy (named Rod Williams) in the Singles before I went on this year long journey with God and before I was up to my same old tactics…it was just so much a part of me. Well, before that cooperation with the Lord…Rod was already onto me and was not about to have any more to do with me. It is a powerful thing, when living in the flesh, to feel like you have set out to get a guy and you get him and then move on…yet it really bruises the ego when they are just done and onto your game. I know some people know exactly what I am talking about. So, Rods heart was literally hard toward me. Besides going to church with him I had no contact with him. Toward the end of that year my feelings were strong for him…yet in my mind there was no way he would ever have anything to do with me. I began to pray and ask God to change the desire of my heart. I didn’t want to like him if that wasn’t Gods plan. The desire never went away. I would beg God and remind Him that I was delighting myself in Him and that He would make my desires His if I did that. I couldn’t take it anymore so I got a little bold in my prayers…yet I believe God prompted it. Rod was never one to have out of bounds relationships so I prayed for the Lord to put something on my heart to pray about the situation so I would know if my desires were His. Instead of obsessing over my feelings for Rod I would pray for him daily. I even prayed the Praying Gods word “unforgiveness” prayers because I felt rejected by him…haha! Anyway, Rod and I never talked on the phone or anything and before work one day I prayed in that journal that if he was the man I was going to marry that we would have a phone conversation and I would know that he was the one. So, toward the end of the day I was at work and Rod emailed me asking me to call him when I got home from work. I will never forget it and sometimes I need to be reminded of it…esp early on in the marriage when we both wondered why we ever got married in the first place! Needless to say I ran on the treadmill for an hour before I called him that day. I was so nervous. When he called, he said he really wanted to give dating a try again.
The rest as they say is history.
It did me good to tell this story. I really do love him…even if he is not the prince on the white horse that will one day come for me.
Thanks Jenny Hope. I needed to hear this story today. 🙂
My kids are grown,either married or self sufficient. I’m a nurse and wanted to minister using my nursing abilities.I had listened to a couple at church talk about their medical mission trips for several years,and I wanted to go on one. The time came when I was able to go on a trip to Guatemala.My husband wasn’t interested in going,I knew this opportunity was what “I” wanted to do. Should I leave the country,and my husband behind,was I being selfish in this pursuit? I wanted this to be Gods will,because the me me me was in the way. Prayfully I asked God if this was what I should do,and his reply was “Your doing something good for someone,why wouldn’t this be my will ?” I’ve been to Guatemala twice,and this summer our team is going to Haiti.
Thank you Siestas for opening up,and ministering to each other.
Yes I love what was said here .I have had many ups and downs in life and once I was told to sing .I had been told I had cancer and how could I sing.But I did and it got me thru the treatments and the songs were How great is our God,and what a mighty God we serve etc…….I can honestly say I didn’t know if I really was singing in my heart but now that I am on the backside of that trial I can sing with all my heart.
I love this topic! So blessed reading them all.
I’ve had so many experiences, so I’ll start with the first one. I was a newly committed follower of Christ and the man who actually pulled me out of the New Age Movement and led me back to Christ (I had made a decision eariler for Christ and got derailed mistakenly) and I were engaged to be married. I had a very dysfunctional and abusive background so my choices were very sketchy in men and there were things about him that had me very concerned but I couldn’t put my finger on or identify all the red flags since I was raised around so much abuse. I told him I needed some time to pray about the situation and I got alone with my bible and prayed as best I knew how. After two days, I had a dream and all I could see was a stone wall in the outdoors, something like you would see in Jerusalem but I had never seen pictures of Jerusalem before. There was a male voice in the dream explaining to me very clearly why I should not and could not marry this man. I woke up immediately and had the most amazing peace, I knew what my answer was. I told my fiance about my dream and he convinced me it was Satan, trying to keep our destiny’s apart. I went through with the marriage and it was the biggest mistake of my life. He was not only physically abusive but mentally ill and I had to hide from him in a shelter for battered women, in fact I’ve been hiding from him ever since.
Right before we split up, I got pregnant even though doctors had told me I would probably never conceive. From that marriage God gave me the greatest gift of His love in an adorable little girl who turned into the most beautiful, talented, amazing young lady who continues to give me unspeakable joy. God has continued to communicate with me through my dreams over the last 23 years in one way or another. Sometimes giving me direction or information and once he actually healed me of a scar from my past that I didn’t even remember that was causing me terrible anger. I can always tell it is Him by that same unmistakeable peace when I wake up immediately and He always uses words/objects/songs that I don’t know and I never forget the dream, unlike other dreams that are fleeting.
He is my everything and He is so faithful.
Oh Praise His Holy Name for His faithfulness and His glorious works!
I left the Lord {long story…} for a period of about 10 years. He graciously and steadfastly pursued me, and I praise Him for redeeming me and drawing me back to a relationship with Him.
After I renewed my faith and relationship with Christ, I became convinced that I had to divorce my husband of 3 years, because he wasn’t a believer – and we were unequally yoked. Everything he did began to annoy me – drinking his coffee, shoveling the sidewalk, chewing the corner of his mustache – every little thing. Praise God I committed this to prayer and the Lord revealed to me that this idea was straight from the very pit of hell. I was being sold a lie, and once I understood God’s will, I prayed for Him to help me with all the petty annoyances I’d developed and renew my love for my wonderful man.
We celebrated 21 years of marriage this past August, and even better, my sweet husband came to Christ 8 years ago!!!
Someone give me an AMEN and tell me the Lord isn’t good?
Amen! Amen! Amen!
I am two days late, but hopefully this it is still okay to contribute. In April of 2007, about six months after my mom died a rather sudden death, I was overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about my employment. I was working in mental health at the time, and realized that I was too much in need of time to take care of my own losses to be there to help others with their losses. There were other family issues happening as well. As I prayed to the Lord to send me wisdom regarding my employment; the same scripture verse of “Be still and know that I am God” kept coming back to me. Silently, persistently, over and over….At first I asked for some time off so I could go back to my job when I had things in a better place, but alas that was not an option. I remember thinking “well, I will have to quit!” which was terrifying and so out of my comfort zone…Once again, “be still and know that I am God”. I did just that. I gave my notice and with much trepidation, went home to “be still”. There were many more challenges after I left my job, but that piece of scripture has given me so much comfort and so much wisdom with every single word of that phrase. BE STILL & KNOW that I AM GOD.
Praise His Holy Name….I know that he KNOWS it all. Happy Thursday to all!
Just a few years ago, my husband and I were both wrestling with the thought of changing our children from a local private school to a public school. Finances were not the primary struggle. We simply did not believe the children were not getting what they needed in education and extra curricular activities. Since birth we had committed to God that we would try to seek His will and point our children in His direction for their lives and in developing the gifts and talents he had given each of them. After mentioning our concern to each other, we committed to a fast of 2 weeks. Not a fast from food, but a fast from any distractions: radio, cell phones, music as we commuted to work (30 minutes) each morning. This morning commute was to be given to God and simply listening to His still small voice.( we did not discuss pros/cons or our decision during this fasting period) After the fast, we came to gather and had both heard the same direction from Our Heavenly Father. Never have I experienced such assurance in a situation or decision. God blessed and spoke – when we were still and listened.
when I was single and wanted so desperately to be married. I was semi-dating a guy I had met at Taco Bell and had a whole string of male friends to hang out with. An old boy friend had gone on a date with me for New Year’s eve and it ended badly. He left early and I drove home to my parents house to sleep over there and just cried and prayed that night on their sofa as I tried to get to sleep. God told me very clearly that He was jealous over me and wanted me all to Himself. But He was going to let me find my husband and get married. My heart was filled with this peace and joy. For once, I didn’t even want a husband. I was so satisfied with the Lord as my one and only. I went out and bought a “engaged to the Lord” band for my left hand so no man would think I was free. I broke up with all the men in my life, even the friends. Then 2 months later, I met that man I would marry. I didn’t even want to date him at first…so NOT like me. ha ha. But that’s how God works, He wants us to be satisfied in Him first and foremost.
I am in the process of listening to Him and waiting on Him. The only one I’ve been able to go on every day is by Him! I’ve prayed and prayed and I know others have prayed and prayed. Praise You, God, for creating and loving me! (Can’t wait to see you at Deeper Still this weekend!)
A little over three years ago I was laying in a dirty hospital bed in South Asia. My childhood dream of being a full time missionary, and what I felt was my whole identity, was falling apart underneath me. I was medically evacuated back to the states, only to be told that I would never be able to go back. I begged God to show me why all of this was happening. I pounded hard on His chest about my passion for the nations and my physical health’s lack of ability to go. I spent countless hours in His word, asking Him to show me something. Asking Him to show me His plan for my life. He did show me many incredible scriptures about His plan for the nations, and really spoke to me that His plan for my life at this point is not to be over seas full time, but to equip other’s to GO! I am now on the mission staff at an incredible church, equipping and sending teams out all around the world. Last February I had the privilege of taking a team of ladies back to South Asia. Three years ago Satan was telling me that I was a failure and I would never be back in South Asia, but last year I was not only back but I took a whole team with me! God certainly does give us much wisdom when we ask for it! It might not always be in our timing…and I’ve found that it rarely is…but He certainly does answer us when we cry out to Him with our whole heart!
A few weeks ago I lost my wedding ring. Now let me say I ONLY put my wedding ring in 1 of two places ever! In my jewelry box or on my night stand before bed. In the morning as I dressed for work I went to put my ring on and couldn’t find it in either place. I thought for sure it was g-o-n-e forever. It must have fallen off of my finger or something there wasn’t any other explanation, I always put my ring in the same spot???? How can this be?
I was sick to my stomach all day and at the dinner table, tears strolled down my eyes, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. My son got up out of his seat and said “mommy, I’ll go help you look for your ring.” I was pessimistic but said Ok, maybe look on the floor in my bedroom, I joined him but just fell back on the bed, defeated and said to God “God, I can’t even ask you for help with finding my ring….I know you have much bigger issues to deal with so I’m not even asking, if it’s gone, it’s gone.” and literally at that exact moment my son said “Mommy, is this your ring?”
YYEEEEEEEEEESSSSS! It is!!
He found it under the hope chest in our bedroom, I have no idea how in the world it got there but what I do know is God was telling me “Yes you can ask me…..YES you can and I will answer!”
When I graduated from Greenville College (in Illinois) in 1998, with a teaching degree, I had no job offers. I went on several interviews and even knew people in administration buildings of several school districts. In late July of that year, my family came to Houston to celebrate my Grandparent’s 55th anniversary. At one gathering my Dad was talking about my situation with a family friend, who happened to be a teacher. She told him that Texas school districts needed teachers…of course, my Dad found me as quickly as he could, and told me this news. I was NOT interested, because this wasn’t MY plan…but after some prodding my my parents I relented and promised to contact 5 school districts the next day. After my fourth call and no interest (most teachers had been hired already) I picked up the phone and dialed the last number on my list. Within a minute they asked me come in and interview the next day. So, with a sundress and flip-flops, I walked into the administration building the next day and within 2 hours was hired. I bawled my eyes out for 24 hours (the thought of leaving my parents crushed me), but my Mom told me that I was her Abraham…and Texas was my promised land. God covered me with peace and assurance at that moment and I became a Texan a week later. I became involved in a thriving singles group at a church and met my husband in that group…and he is God’s perfect match for me. Although living in Texas was not in my My plans…it was God’s plan…and His plan is always the BEST!!!
I was a tent-maker missionary in New York City in 2005. I had committed to a year of service and I found myself wanting to quit a couple of months before that commitment was fulfilled. Anyone who has spent much time in NYC will know what I mean when I say that city is oppressed. I could feel it just flying into La Guardia Airport.
It was May 2006. Things had been rough with the ministry I was working with and just living in the city in general. My computer had crashed, I sprained my ankle really bad, and I totaled my car (not my fault) all within a week. I had to quit my job because I no longer had transportation. I was struggling to make ends meet and I was fed up with that place, but my heart was still heavy for those I had ministering to.
One night, I closed my door to my tiny room and cried out to God. I asked him to speak to me clearly about whether He wanted me to stay, or to return home. After I was done praying I went to check my email and lo and behold there was an email from my mentor, about 3 pages long, answering the prayer I had just prayed. I was supposed to stay! God ended up blessing me with a FREE car so I could continue ministering. What a great time of learning to trust him all the more.
here goes… I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2001. At that time our son was 3 and our daughter was 5. I ran to Jesus and held on tight to help me adjust to what I call MS, my unwanted houseguest. I got SERIOUS regarding my walk with God and he came through. I was led to write my testimony, He wouldn’t let me get a decent night sleep with all the thoughts He was putting in my head. So I wrote it all down. Then I asked Him what he wanted me to do with it. He answered me by bringing our Pastor’s name to me. I drove to our church had a short talk with Pastor Clete, gave him my testimony because I was obeying what God wanted me to do and it felt good.I thought to myself that that was going to be the end of my assignment from God. A little while later I was called by Clete’s secretary and was asked to read my testimony to the whole congregation at all 3 services. I never thought I would ever do something like that in my life, but I did, with Him right beside me the whole time.
Andrea Porter
With God ALL things are possible
About 5 years ago we were in desperate need of a larger home. We had been praying for a couple of years about the situation. We looked at one on the other side of town and thought it was what we wanted, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to sign a purchase agreement on it. Our kids were really unhappy with us because we really DID need a bigger home. They were 13, 11, and 8 at the time. We assured them that God had just the right home for us, and we needed to wait on His timing. A few months later, right before Thanksgiving, we looked at another home in a very desirable location. We knew it was God’s house for us! There was an issue with the financing, but it was quickly resolved. We moved in on December 31, 2005.
Here is the neat part of the story: After we moved into the new home, our 11-year-old son and I were going somewhere in the car. Out of the blue, he said, “You were right, Mom. God did have a better house for us. We just had to wait on Him.” Amen!!!
Tried to decide to post but felt a “somebody might need to hear” kind of moment.
Recently my husband and I celebrated 25 years of marriage by the grace of God!! We have always been what others looked at and thought “to love like that” but I am telling you that meant for us “to fight like that” and to have such hidden issues that most people could not see. It is never what it appears but we have truly loved one another. More than once I knew the end was near. I cannot tell you the deep heartache that could come after great triumphs and joys in our life together. Through it all, there was always an underlying problem, but it wasn’t what I thought it to be.
Finally, I really meant the words “I’m done and I want out” and I began praying fervently that I had done all I could do and I was laying it all out. I cannot begin to explain the moment with my husband and I literally down on our faces when God clearly said “Finally!!!! Now I can do what I have wanted to do for years but you have been too busy trying to fix it to let me!” It is unbelievable the miracle God has worked for us. I have never loved HIM more and I have never loved my man more!!
God is a God of Miracles and I like you Beth am one!!
Beth –
Don’t know if you’re still reading these days later but they are blessing my socks off! Why do I ever, ever doubt Him? BTW, I am so grateful for the Amanda/Melissa/Beth ‘do this blog’ decision whenever it was first made. Glad to have Siestas on my heart and in my prayers.
Impossible decision directed by God: leaving a job I held after college for 8 years. The decision had elements of Christian persecution (praise HIM as He covered me), sexual harassment (again, God is faithful), my own insecurities (too many to list here), etc. Many years later, I can see that that decision and the forgivness and prayer covering I was able to extend to coworkers and bosses was a huge turning point in my walk with Jesus. How I tested his will? PRAYER, BIBLE STUDY, talking with the few Christians I knew at the time, and making sure the decision would honor God and my husband (the only ministry I had at the time). Lastly, just a leap of faith.
Now, as a mom of three, there are tons more examples, but this isn’t my blog! 🙂
Siesta Recipes that blessed my family:
Siesta Lavonda’s Crazy for Jesus Dip (my family went NUTS)
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread from Bev W. in Cadillac, MI (my husband announced this morning this is his new fave bread)
Aunt BeBe’s Corn Pudding from Carrie Beth
Whipped Cream by Julie Marler from Midlands,TX
Stuffing from 1940’s Betty Crocker book courtesy of Annette Greenwood of Saluda, VA
AND I sent a check to Holly for one of the remaining old Siesta Cookbooks! Can you tell I was desperate for change! This was a joy.
THANK YOU ALL – I have at least 10 other dishes copied to try on my family throughout the year.
A personal struggle that I have yet to find peace with is also a physical one. I have battled my weight since I was just a young girl. Loosing wieght for me has always been very difficult. I now have type 2 diabetes and know that I need to loose for my health but as much as I try it is, as I said very much a struggle. Right now I am following the Weight Watchers plan and while I have lost a little, it is hard. I have been on every diet under the sun and even when not on a “diet” try to eat somewhat healthy, frankly I am tired of it. I see very thin women who eat twice as much as me and stay thin, I look at these women and think why not me Lord, why could you not have made me naturally thin? While some of you may not understand, it truly is a burden that I have carried for over 40 years and cried out to God about many times. While some will say, oh you are beautiful the way you are or it is the inside that counts, ummm no it is not, you are judged by your looks. And then there is the health reasons. I just want peace with this as to why…..
Try the Total Body Makeover. It tells you what body type you have, and what foods respond to that body type. My body type was A, and I had to eat fish, chicken, and lots of green vegetables. Eight pounds, yes 8 pounds fell off within 3 days! I even eat Captain D’s fish because I can’t eat just lemon broiled fish. Combine that with Zumba, and the little band exercises that comes with the program, you will look and feel amazing!
Oh, and by the way. I was 278 on a 5’4″ medium boned frame. I’m still a work in progress. Even my mind is clearer.
I’m in the same position as you. Don’t feel like you’re alone. I don’t have diabetes but I know how you feel otherwise. Know that it’s not just you.
Judi, I struggle in the same way you do and have the same questions for God. I don’t have an answer either, but know that you are not alone in this!
Hi friends! This story is about 7 years old, and I have examples that are more recent, but this example is so sweet to me because it is one of the first times that I remember really having no clue what I was to do and having the Lord lead and direct me into His plan. I had just graduated from college with a degree in elementary education, and if you know anything about teachers in Indiana, you know that there are absoultely NO teaching jobs. I was living with my parents, had no money and was desperate to start my life. I knew that God wanted me to teach, but I had no job prospects. I started to put my resume out to every school district in a 60 mile radius, but I didn’t feel peace about it when I prayed about my job. That summer, a maternity leave position opened in my town’s school district. I prayed before I interviewed, and I felt such a sense of joy. I just knew I was going to get it. When I went to interview, the principal told me that he would hate to see me get stuck just subbing. He asked me if I had ever thought about teaching special ed. I hadn’t, but he encouraged me to apply. I did, and was immediately hired as an aide. And then the first day of school, a special ed teacher at this school quit and I was hired! I’ve been teaching for seven years, and am so thankful that God has lead me directly into his will. I would encourage others that if you pray and the answer doesn’t come right away, to keep trusting and walking as He leads you into the answer. This same process has been repeated many times in my life.
I was sitting on my back deck one sunny summer morning asking God if He would really let me pursue a career in photography. Was it His way for me? Well, I had barely finished praying and the phone rang with a request–a neighbor wanted to PAY me to photograph their house for a sale brochure. What a joy to do someting I love and have HIS blessing.
In the summer of 1997, I broke up with my “boyfriend” at the time (the guy I thought I would marry). I decided that I was giving up on finding anyone. After we broke up, I heard an audible voice (from the Lord) telling me, “Just wait.” I waited 3 years and met my (future husband) at a new job in early 2000. We have been married over 6 years and it’s a wonderful thing! As I’ve heard a Christian speaker say, “God is not keeping from something, He’s saving you for something” and I now know that God was saving me for my now husband!
A few years ago, I was unemployed for a stretch of several years. I felt God calling me to be a community college instructor, but there aren’t too many of those jobs around and when they did come open I didn’t get them (the full-time ones anyway, I was teaching part-time). We were headed to bankruptcy and our family really needed my income. I applied for and was offered an accounting job for a small company. It seemed to be the perfect solution, but I told God that I didn’t want the job if it wasn’t what He wanted to me. It wasn’t. I can’t explain how, but I just *knew* that job wasn’t what God had planned for me and I didn’t have peace in my heart about it (in truth, I I not only had an absence of peace but anxiety as if there was something very wrong there that I couldn’t see from the outside). I turned the job down. We did end up filing bankruptcy but came out the other end relatively unscathed. Just a few months later I was recruited and offered a full-time teaching position at a community college and within just a few months was promoted to department head. I experienced Jeremiah 29:11 during that time and I’m so grateful that God’s plan and not my own prevailed.
I sure hope you are reading this blog this many days after your origninal post.
When I was in college I attended a Christian organization. I ended up friends with a group of girls that attended regularly there. During a summer this group became very nit-picky with my actions (I was in no way in sin). They were upset about insignificant things for instance…., when I went to a retreat (with them) there were several people I hadn’t seen for months. During the retreat I sat and talked with each of them individually and caught up with them. After the retreat this group of girls approached me and told me that this was wrong and I should not have gone from person to person. They could not give me a reason why this was wrong, but to them it was just wrong. This was the type of “rebuke” I was constantly getting from them. One night I had reach my wits end and got down on my knees and asked the Lord for guidance. I told Him I would not get up until I had some clear cut answer on how to resolve this constant flow of rebukes from these girls. I was blessed that the Lord didn’t leave me there on my knees all night but only for 45 mintues. He spoke clearly to me that night telling me to go to each one individually and tell them that I will not listen to anymore “rebukes” unless they can point out in scripture exactly what I was doing wrong and scripturally what I could do to correct it. I was scared to go to them, but I did. After talking with them I never had another rebuke from them again.
Susie
I’m looking for that wisdom right now. I know this probably isn’t the place for this, but I’m hoping that someone who reads it will be able to help me. Ever since my husband’s affair, everything I “knew” about life has been turned upside down. It seems that has transferred into what I “know” about God. It’s hard to explain in a short paragraph. It’s like I don’t want to be caught off guard by anything else, even God. I have so many doubts now about who He is and if He loves me, do I love Him? If I have doubts about Him loving me and working all things out for my good, can I really believe that He died for me? Is my salvation in danger because I’m having doubts about everything else? If I died tonight would I be in heaven? I’m scared, and I don’t know how to simply believe. How do you do it? I need that wisdom now.
Sweet baby girl,
I just posted below and will probably say a little of the same here. God taught me that broken people do broken things and broken people love in broken ways. Your husband, along with the rest of us is broken in places–so are you. What he did was wrong. You are hurt to the bone and your world is upside down. Who can you trust. You trusted him and he let you down, big time. Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to people because he know that we have deceitful hearts. Even those of us who truly love God and want to follow His will for our lives mess up on a very regular basis. I can tell you after 61 years of messing up in every possible way that you can really trust Him. Move your focus off your husband and other people (who WILL let you down) and focus on Jesus. Loving Him, knowing Him, walking in His way). All things are not good but His promise is to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose–notice that qualification.
Don’t buy into the illusion of trying to control everything–you will be caught off guard–that’s a part of life. But He is there –our Emmanuel –God with us. I remember telling God that if He would show me He was real I would believe in Him–He told me that if I would believe in Him He would show me He IS.
Fear not! Fear not! Fear not! His loving fingerprints are all around you. Rest! Talk to Him and tell Him your doubts. He can more than handle that. He has brought me from the lowest low and He doesn’t love me one little bit more than He loves you. He will see you through.
Hugs,
Mary P
Penny,
I hope you see this. You don’t lose your salvation because of doubts. Your world is shaken, and rightly so, because your husband cheated on and betrayed your trust. Ask God to show you what you can truly trust, then open your Bible and read.
I hope this helps.
–Janet
Oh! My sweet sister in christ, yes God loves you and yes He died for you. I don’t know why your husband had an affair but I do know God is there for you.We have to trust Him in times of storms, He will see you through if you let Him and He promises a better, more intimate relationship with Him. He is the only way. I was in a terrible storm of my own and it wasn’t until I reached for Him that I and things got better. Spend time with Him and tell Him your feelings, He will respond and He will comfort you in the most tender, loving way. Our rewards come from the tough times in life because that is when He does His work in us. Remeber He created us inHis image. In the meantime, The Power of the Praying wife is a great book, I reccommend you get it. Time will heal your betrayal and so will God. He has come to bind the broken hearted and He our wounds, we just have to let him.
The remembrance that is BIGGEST to me (maybe like many others) is over years (probably decades) of struggling relationally, I finally came to the desperation point where I, in a very forthright, desperate, “I mean business” way started seeking God. Bottom line – I told Him I couldn’t do this so i needed Him. Hmmm what a revelation! It has taken me through a very long journey; through deep valleys, barren desert and along monotonous plains,BUT GOD. He is faithful. He is still working and I am TOTALLY different. Had to learn to LIVE His Word and BELIEVE it for my very survival and for the good of others. It works. My joy is the Lord and He gives me such miraculous strength in that Joy. I told Him desperately that I needed Him to show me the power of His Word in my life, if any victory was going to come it was because He was who He said and He still does miracles. I am so thankful I chose to shed the self-righteousness that is easy to live in when you grow up in church and “knowing” the Bible stories and the “right” way to live. But God let me experience my total inability to love in a way that He calls His children to love for His Glory and to make Him known. I was desperate; He was and is faithful.
Thankful for the journey.
I remember sitting in a pew one Sunday evening looking at a slide up on a projector screen while Pastor Frank explained how the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years and it could take 40 years for me – it was my choice. I sat there in that pew and inwardly cried out to God that I did not want it to take that long. In my newly saved Christian mind I had wasted 35 years already. But I was still just a lost sheep sitting there with Jesus in my heart. I had no idea what crossing over into the Promised Land meant. Now, 9 years later I know that God has answered that prayer most abundantly. I aggressively sought God this summer and into the fall because I knew that I was not living to the full potential of the power of the Holy Spirit in me. Things have melted from me like the fear of talking to people about Him (mainly those closest to me – I don’t go up to strangers, not yet anyway – grin). To anyone who feels like there is something you are missing, please listen to the tugging at your heart – He wants you to know Him soooo much more. Oh, I thank God every morning for the Bible. And in the car ride to work while I sing praise and worship. And while minister to those around me and while I type this……..
It seems as if our precious Lord is continually teaching me and sometimes the words come from my own mouth.
Last year He taught me that broken people do broken things and broken people love in broken ways. We are all broken in some places and at some time.
He taught me through a conversation with my grandson, Brayden, when Brayden was a little guy (about 3)
Grandma, who do you love most?
I love God most, Brayden. (Where did that come from?)
Why do you love God most, Grandma?
Because when I love God most, I can love you better. (I know where that came from3:-)).
He taught me that control is a fragile illusion.
He taught me that nothing is a surprise to Him. (What peace to know in any situation that “This is no surprise to God.”
He taught me that the gifts He has given me are His gifts and I can’t take any more credit for them than for my brown eyes.
It’s lovely to read and learn from others but when He gifts me with something from Himself–it is GLORIOUS!
Beth, I see in you such a heart for God and I want to know how you approach study, what you do in your Quiet Time with Him, and how you personally have grown in your love and walk with Him.
I love Him so deeply and want to reflect Him more winsomely but I am so easily distracted. How do you handle the distractions that would draw you away from Him and time in His Word?
Hugs,
Mary P
I don’t know if this counts, but I have been in a season of great pain physically, and about to have a fourth surgery on an unsuccessful total knee replacement. I have been on the strongest pain medicine available and under great self-condemnation because of it. HOWEVER, as I have pressed through the oppression and have read aloud scriptures of praise, the Lord is delivering me from the oppression. He has showed up in my situation and revealed to me that there is a huge purpose for this and I needed to stop all negative thoughts and continue to praise Him and this battle is won. I am so thankful for His Word, and the power in it. One of my favorite verses says to “go in the strength you have and I will be with you” Judges 6:14
Instead of sharing an experience, can I simply state that this is where I find myself right now? Starting on Monday, I will enter a 2 week period of finals for my first semester of Law School. I am overwhelmed, tired, and in desparate need of wisdom on what to study and how to approach the exams. In addition, I am so desparate simply for more of Him.
Would you please pray for peace, perseverance, and wisdom? I cherish your prayers and would glady receive any encouragement you can throw my way. Praising God that His strength is made perfect in my weakness…… 🙂
I wanted to tell Patty that I made your Cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious :)Everyone loved it!!!!
Thanks for suggesting it.
April Lopez
BonneyLake, Wa