****UPDATE: Hey Siestas! Our blog maintenance has been moved and will actually happen tomorrow, Friday, March 25 at 8:30AM. Thank you for your patience!
****QUICK HEADS UP: Thursday AM, March 24 (tomorrow) at 8:30, our LPM blog will be shut down for what we anticipate being only a couple of hours. (Hopefully at most.) We are remaining right here on WordPress and right here at exactly this same address but we are switching servers to better accommodate our high volume of activity and comments. SO, if you try to get on after 8:30 AM Thursday morning and can’t connect to the page, you’ll know why. Sometimes the transition can take even a day or two but they are not anticipating that length of time. One thing is for sure, we’ll be back the moment we’re up. Until then and after then, go right ahead with your rich comments to this post!
OK, Siestas! It’s time for a pop quiz! We haven’t had one in a while. This quiz is for those of you who read many of the comments from our previous post about the moment or season of your life when you had your biggest “HE IS REAL” revelation. (The post is named “For Real” just so you can be sure you’re reading the comments to the right one.) The question conveyed on the post was about the time when you moved from believing God exists (Hebrews 11:6) to knowing (2 Timothy 1:12).
Here are the instructions for the comments to this post for those who want to participate in our pop quiz: (No other comments besides these please on this one post. This is a test. Grin.)
Write 2 observations you find yourself making based on all the testimonies you read under the post called “For Real.” There is no right or wrong answer. No pass or fail. You’re just simply saying, after reading so many of those comments, these two things seem clear to me. I’m asking for 2 observations. Not 1. Not 3. But 2. (Can you hear the classroom teacher in me coming out to play?) Testimonies are powerful things. We’re meant to be effected by what we read. So, how were you effected?
NOW, here is the very important catch: YOU MAY NOT READ ANYBODY ELSE’S OBSERVATIONS BEFORE YOU WRITE YOURS. In other words, don’t look at the comments to this post until after you’ve written your own answers. These are meant to be your observations and no one else’s. Your reflections. Your take on those testimonies. Not another Siesta’s. You are all great thinkers. Think for yourself.
I absolutely love this community. Go at it, Girls! Students, come forth!
Our Lord meets our needs very specifically – according to His own great love for us.
He delights in us – His desire is for and towards us. We are our Beloved’s.
#1. God is real to us when our prayers are answered in a miraculous way.
#1 God is real to us when our prayers are answered in a miraculous way.
#2. God is real to us when our prayers are not answered the way we had hoped but instead He gives us the grace and peace to endure the storm that we thought would kill us.
1. the first big thing that I saw MOST of our stories have in commmon was that our “black and white moment” came through trial.
2. secondly, it moves my heart to celebrate that we are TOGETHER experiencing victory. Joy really does come with the morning and I’m so glad to see my siestas are thriving in daylight!
Praise God for all these beautiful testimonies!! Thank you to all the ladies who shared…I can’t help but to read these and tears come to my eyes over the grace God has shown all of us and will never stop! We serve an amazing God 🙂
1. Most are overcome with the feeling that God is real after He delivers us from something – something we’ve learned we can’t kick or deal with on our own.
2. A lot of these testimonies were women pouring their hearts out as to how it feels to realize for the first time that you are truely loved by the King, our Father, our Abba.
1. Our Father in heaven is truly our Daddy. Even when our father’s here fail us, HE is always there for us. So many women have issues that stem from a lack of good parenting. When we allow our true Father to come and reveal Himself to us, He always will and He will be the shoulder to cry on, the lap to sit on, the One to wipe away our every tear and listen to our every word.
2. In this life we WILL have many trials. That seems to be so true in our really allowing God into our lives. So many, many times we reach for Him in the midst of a struggle or at the bottom of a barrel as we are struggling to get free from something. I wonder if life were perfect all the time if we wouldn’t take His true majesty and divine love for granted in a way? I would hope not. But I know for me, when I think back to my life and how many times the Father has revealed His presence to me in a big way it was usually in the midst of a painful time and it was then that I felt His peace.
He truly means what he says, that he will work all things out for our good.
Oh, how he loves us so!!!!
1. God does exist. 2. God is WITH us in every moment and detail of our lives.
Observation #1: He is faithful to the end and does reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him.
Observation #2: No one will convince any of those that commented He isn’t real. We stand strong KNOWING He IS very real!
1. Life is hard, and it hurts
2. GOD is faithful, and He loves us intimatley.
1. So many women are currently in strongholds knowing God must be real or they are never going to get out.
2. One of my little “forever young” ladies asked me yesterday “God has to be real? Doesn’t He? I mean just look around.” (She’s 89 and not a believer on death’s door and because of this blog I had a heads up on the test question I was going to have that day…I already knew the answer, thank you teacher…as I had answered it in my heart, but not on the blog…don’t have much time because I take care of elderly 30 plus hours a week in their homes. I’m a “Visiting Angel” these days (a home health caregiver). And sometimes I freak when I think I’m the last chance these folks will be to hear the Gospel. But, God is so real I don’t worry about it!:)
Our Siestas who have testified to KNOW God is real seem to have in common experiences with:
1. God’s provision and perfect timing
2. experiencing an internal change in attitude, faith, hope, etc. that can be felt and not denied
1. Not only is God completely for us, He is tender to do things that only we can know about…confirming it is HIM!
2. He is always at work even when we don’t realize it. God’s stays are not delays…His clock is ALWAYS right.
I love Him so,
GA Jan
1. God is always there, whether in our greatest times of darkness and need or our greatest victories.
2. Our stories are all so similar, that in our times of deepest need, we cry out to the Lord, and HE always answers. Not always the way we would like, but HE is our FATHER and knows what is best for us. We have such a very personal relationship with God. God response to us as though we were his only child and meets our needs in such a profound and personal way. He loves us ALL, yet HE loves ME.
Two observations:
1. Our Lord is a very personal God.
2. He is often most real to us through our pain.
1) I have been there, but am struggling now with a very difficult marriage and depression. I KNOW God is there and have seen Him, but I can’t feel or find Him daily. But He promised that when I walk through the deep waters, He will be with me.
2) I want to keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfector of my faith and not be tossed like a wave. I want to walk through this day knowing He is in control. “Free me from the trap that is set for me for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.” Ps 31:4-5 These are my Siesta memory verses. I feel weak, but HE is strong – even when I can’t feel His Presence. Please pray.
~The greater the need, the greater the GRACE!
~God’s timing is absolutely PERFECT!
Here are my two clearest points:
1. I am noticing how much God loves to love on us in our darkest hours. It is when we are in true turmoil and despair that HIS LIGHT shines the brightest.
2. He is FAITHFUL. When our journeys on this earth get tough…and they do for each one of us…He is the one helping us to stand, ministering to the needs of our hearts, and healing what is broken and hurt inside of us! He is FAITHFUL to not only begin a good work in us, but to see it through to the end!
AMEN! We love you Lord!
~Andrea
Deborah, Markham, VA
WOW! I hadn’t had a chance to read the “For Real” post, and the pop-quiz post encouraged me to go back to read. SO GLAD I did!! What awesome testimonies to His greatness! What a blessing to read!
I felt most of them had these two things in common:
1-A strong need or emptiness was present (“end of the rope” type situation)
2-God’s loving faithfulness!
He is ALWAYS with us! He loves us beyond our ability to understand or imagine! How GREAT is our God!! All praise and honor are His!!!
1. Thinking how encouraging to some, and…
2. how demoralizing it may be for the girl who has sought but never had the more profound of these experiences. The “why some and not others?”
1. There is no end to God our Father and the ways He specifically reveals Himself to us individually.
2. Often the knowing He is real is intimately intertwined with pain (in a way that is most beautiful)… I keep thinking of the woman who wiped her tears off Jesus’ feet with her hair…
1) God is so good.
2) He is undeniably faithful.
2 things clear to me:
Life is ridiculous and our responses to life are often godless.
God loves us, bears us, provided a glorious future for us through Jesus.
1. It almost always came during a time of trial/crisis.
2. When we allow Him to work in our lives, He becomes all the more real!!! Allowing him to work is so important. Praise God for a Savior that does not force His will on us, although there are times I think it would be much easier that way. The learning is so much sweeter because it isn’t.
While reading a lot of the responses to the question about when we KNEW God was real, I noticed: (1) so many of us share the fear that we’re rejectable, (2) we want to give compassion to each other.
1. There is usually a mountain to climb to get to the Cross.
2. Once a person gets to the Cross the relationship starts and He becomes REAL.
Yes a mountain, river, and desert!!
1)HE NEVER FAILS.
2)He wastes NOTHING.
PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME. Thank You, Jesus!
Karen, Knoxville
I noticed that we were either really into the Word, studying, praising, going to class and/or it was a time of trauma/crises in our lives.
1) I don’t have to MAKE things happen for me. God is in control, if He wills it, He will provide the way.
2) God’s unconditional love is powerful enough to make up for any lack of love we’ve suffered in our lives.
Some people just get that He is real…they have no question and don’t seem to doubt. Others of us doubt. Even in our doubt we somehow know that he is real.
We all go through stuff…REAL stuff. Through this stuff (all of it, big or little) God reveals himself to be true and just and real!
Good morning everyone!!! What an uplifting way to start the day!
1. coming to know God is real comes out of a crisis.
2. our God is so amazing and creative and awesome in the way he reveals himself to us!
God is very active in our lives if we look for Him. We go from believing to knowing when we rely on HIS word in those times of trouble – the trials test our faith and it proves to be real.
1. Romans 8:28 & Genesis 50:20 keep coming to my mind.
2. I’m so glad & grateful to be a child of God!
two observations: 1. No one can prove to you that God is real. All the testimony is God revealing himself to you in your life. Sometimes, we can see him in others’ lives when he allows that, and he can impact us in that way. But, it still takes faith, no matter what.
2. Having Him in your life makes life so much more awesome. 🙂 and that is an indisputable fact. haha
1. God often proves “for real” in the midst or wake of suffering, pain, or sin aftermath.
2. God proves “for real” in ways that are very personal and specific to the individual.
1) Reiterating what I’ve learned in my own life over the last couple years – God is soverign.
2) God is so much bigger than we even think He is.
1. God is in the business of making much of Him through the toughest of situations we encounter on this Earth.
2. Several of these stories don’t make sense..I find myself asking Why? Why would God allow such things to happen to these women and to me. Then I’m reminded that HE IS GOD AND I AM NOT. His ways NOT my ways and His thoughts NOT my thoughts. It’s okay if I don’t understand. I’m not supposed to.
Kathy – Anahuac
1. God is always here for us but in the difficult times of life, we “know” God is with us.
2. God will use everything for his glory.
Littleton, CO
1. God often uses adversities to draw us closer to Himself.
2. He is faithful, no matter our life circumstances.
1. If you look for God, He shows up.
2. Trials provide a wonderful opportunity for God to shine.
The two things that I got from the few that I skimmed the other day were that 1) most came through painful times and difficult circumstances and 2) How each person came to KNOW was highly personalized. Often to the point that we do not tend to even want to share with others because it is so personal and dear to our hearts, this whisper from God himself, that we fear that people will not get it or that they somehow will discount it. It is ours though and we know that we know that he was speaking to us through whatever the circumstance was.
1. God is in the business of having an actual relationship with us.
2. God not only can but does use ANYTHING for good.
Only two– God cares about us and He still answers prayer
1.) God is bigger than any trial or tribulation He allows us to experience.
2.) Our triumph over these trials SO clearly shout victory in the name of Jesus Christ and allow us to tell others about the convicting and unfailing love of our healing, forgiving, magestic Father.
1. God is made REAL to us when we experience brokeness.
2. He changes our relationship with Him… from head to
heart….and we Believe Him .
It is a tough way to learn. But the learning sticks.
OK Beth, you have asked for two so here they are. I observe 1) that believing in God and knowing God are different. God is to become my God….very personal, and 2)that through the most difficult times, I am blessed – God is near and walking with me. Love you all….enjoy today.
1. God is close to the brokenhearted.
2. God provides the amount of grace we need when we need it. Thank you, Jesus!
-Katie
Observations:
1. God is real and good….all of the time, even when i don’t ‘feel’ it.
2. God is GOD and I am not!
Thank you, Jesus, for your indescribable gift
1. God is never more real than when we are in pain and are terrified
2. God loves us more than we can fathom…(and I’m a parent who loves her girls ferociously…so how more more must God love us if He can out-love a parent?)
1) We seem to finally realize how real God truly is when we are at a crisis point and He is there with us.
2) God never leaves us, we can leave Him, but He is always there waiting for us to come back to Him.