Prayer...a stumbling block?? hmmm

Sometimes I suspect my best thinking to occur at the most inconvenient moments. Like, their are times where I have these epiphanies or life changing thoughts and moments, however I am no where close to a pen or paper or computer so I can document it. Most of these places involve the bathroom, my car driving, in mid conversations with people, in a dr waiting room, or while I am between the constant ZZZzzzzz of deep sleep and tossing/turning to get comfortable.        

This has been about a 6 week period of deep soul searching for myself. I just finished up my month and half of travel for week last week and am finally getting back into the habit of waking up in my own bed and getting my clothes out of my closet rather than suitcase. However, I am in the process of moving and making a new home for myself and eventually my fiancé...but that is another day another blog. Anywho... Over the past 2 and half months I have had ample amount of time to think and search my heart. I have been away from my family, fiancé, and friends and been forced to meet new people and explore new places. I am so thankful for this time now. I am thankful to have made new friends, but I am also thankful to have had many of these deep though moments that I spoke of before. Moments that have challenged and convicted me.

I really want to tell you all of those things, however this would turn into a very long overwhelming wordy post...and I don't want that. I will take it one lesson at a time. Tonight I was in the bathroom and I was talking to myself...(yes I do that) and I talking out my newest revelation of going back to school eventually. Well that thought led me to another thought which then led me to another thought which brought me to the conclusion or question of , "Is prayer a stumbling block for me?" Yes I said prayer and stumbling block. When I first thought it (okay I did say it out loud because again I do talk to myself on occasion) I thought how crazy that sounds. Prayer is something that we are commanded to do. I mean it is our communication with our heavenly Father. It's a way to praise him and repent, or seek wisdom and answers. I started thinking about this a little harder and came to a conclusion. We as Believers...I as a Believer, use prayer as an excuse or easy out of being active in my faith. Think about it... someone comes up to you and tells you that they cant pay the rent this month and times are tough because their husband just lost their job...what do you say? " I will be praying for you" or a student in your sunday school class says I am struggling with my grades and you say I will keep that in my prayers. Or my favorite is the people who have been absent from church for the past 6 weeks and we look over to our fellow regular attendee on sunday morning and say we definitely need to pray for Sue because she is out of church.

I heard a sermon one time and the pastor said that sometimes we pray for things or about things and expect God to zap down an answer, however the answer is there the whole time. The answer is ACTION. We ask God to take away our potty mouth, however we refuse to change our movie and music selection. We ask God to take away our significant other's lust addiction but we refuse to not go watch the movie that has the topless girl in it or we drag them to the beach or the pool where it is ok to where a couple of patches glued to a string. I am sick of being the person who tells people I am praying for them and rather asking God what can I do? How can I bless this person through doing your will or how can I make this change in my life or their life by removing things that are in the way.

Yes, as believers, we are suppose to pray and talk to God. We are suppose to lift up our burdens and the burdens of others fervently and faithfully to the Lord. You can not expect to have a thriving growing relationship with someone if we do not talk to them.

Luke 11:1

[ Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer ] One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

 

I do believe however that if our faith stops with prayer then it has become a stumbling block to our faith and growth. To me it would be like asking for a bike and as soon as I get it I take it and put it away, never to ride it. We pray but we don't see what Christ has equipped us with to act upon those prayers. We pray but we do not seek to do our part. We pray but we do not honor God with our hearts and our minds. We pray but we do not give to those in need. We see the resource coming from somewhere else rather than our own pocket.

Galations 6:2 says , "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I believe this means emotionally and spiritually but also PHYSICALLY. Carry is a verb. It is an action. One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 6:10-18 where it talks about the armor of God. When it says take up the shield of faith, Paul is referring to a shield that the Romans use to carry in battle. It was a huge shield very heavy and large in size. When I man would go out on the front line, his fellow soldiers would come down into the line of fire with him and set their shields in barricade around him so that he could fight the battle with out getting injured or facing death. Paul is referring to this shield when he writes that. We are called to pray for our brothers and sisters daily, but we are called to do so as we sit on the front line with them.

My challenge to myself is that for every prayer I lift up to the Lord, I want my first request be that He open my eyes to what I can do in the here and now. That I may see with the eyes of activity and faithfulness and DO. That my prayer become one that is backed up with faith and response. I know this is a lot but for some reason the Lord has laid this upon my heart. So going back to what I was saying, I do believe that prayer can become a stumbling block not only in our lives but the lives of others when we use it as an outlet or excuse from taking action and making changes or contributing to the needs of others and ourselves. I don't ever want to abuse one of the greatest gifts I have been giving...speaking directly to my Lord and Savior. I want to savor it and honor it and I want that to reflect in my heart and pour out into others lives through my actions....

A DOP TION

adop·tion                                             

: the act or process of adopting a child
: the act or process of beginning to use something new or different

: the act or process of giving official acceptance or approval to something

 

 

If you are close to me you probably have an idea of my heart on this topic. For those of you who may not know, well...you will after you read this. Ever since I was a child, when asked how many children I wanted when I grew up, I always responded with, "I am not having children. I am adopting." Then it was laughed at and thought of as cute...Now, 15 years later I say the same thing. For some reason I seem to feel it is not taken in the same light.

 

Over the past few years, I have really examined my heart on this issue. I realize that I am only 23 and I am still growing and learning. I realize that I also am not God and do not put the stars in their place nor can I tell what the future beholds. However, I do know that the most important thing in my life is my Faith in Jesus Christ. I know that I seek to honor the Lord with my life and actions (although I fall short of this so often). I know that I myself was adopted (NOT PHYSICALLY) spiritually by The Lord and am called a child of God. I know that He chose me and without him I was lost and wandering aimlessly without a hope or future. I was spiritually blind and disabled without his saving Grace.

 

 I know that the word orphan is referenced 41 times in the old testament. Adoption is referenced over 40 times in the new testament. I know that in 2011, there were $1,413 children in SC alone waiting to be adopted. According to the 2012 Census Bureau, the estimated adult population for SC was 1,417,117.  In 2011 only 585 children were adopted. I know that there is an estimated 153 MILLION orphans in the world.

 

I can not begin to tell you the burden my heart feels for these children. Children of all ages who may or may not ever grow up in a warm loving protected home. Children who may not live to see adulthood or may never have the opportunity to go to college or for some even attend school. When I think of my family years from now and my children years from now, I see diversity. I see children from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Children with special needs and children without. When asked how many children I want, my answer is as many as I can care for spiritually, emotionally, and physically. If that is 1 child then it's 1 child. If it is 20 children then it is 20 children. And if it 0 children then it is 0 children. I guess what really makes me stand out in all this is when I think of my future children I think adoption. When I think of having children my mind goes directly to the adoption process. Okay...I am beating around the bush enough. I will say what most people do not understand. I am 100% content to never birth a child. I am perfectly content, as some people would say, to never have my "own" children. (and btw I do not like it when people reference it that way)

 

I know this is surprising. I have honestly heard it all. I have been told I am not a real woman if I do not want to have my "own" children and something is wrong in my head. I have been told that I am young and just don't know yet. I have been told I am just scared to deliver a child. And be a select few, I have been told that it's awesome and they respect that.

 

In response to all the above: 1) I may be a little off in the head but not because I want to adopt :-)

2.) I am young, but I know what I feel in my heart and soul verses what I feel in my head (also ask anyone who knows me- I may be 23 but I have the mind and soul of an 83 year old :-)

3.) No I do not like pain (as most people don't) but COME ON...if you think that something like that would be my reason for something like THIS...then you really do not know me

 

Realizing that my heart and souls desires were not the norm, this was one of the first serious conversations I had with my fiancé/soon to be hubby Josh. I understand that children and family is a huge deal and an important topic to be on the same page with. And I see now that I am a minority when it comes to my feelings. I will say I was very nervous in having the conversation and chose to have it pretty early into our relationship to avoid a possible volcano eruption later down the road. I was not sure what to expect when I told Josh how I felt and that I really had no desire to Birth children but really wanted to adopt. I was touched and blessed when Josh looked at me a said " Sweet. Sounds good to me!" Of course at the time I took that as a first step and left it alone. I mean hey it was better than " You are not a woman and something is mentally wrong with you!" Since then we have re-evaluated the topic and conversation. I have asked on repeat if he was sure that he could live his whole life if the only children we had were through adoption. He said OF COURSE. Over time I have watched his passion and heart grow for adoption. I have watched him go from being okay with it, to being the one to bring up ideas about which children the Lord had picked out for us to adopt.

 

I have struggled with this feeling and leading for a long time now. I have searched scripture and guidance. I do believe that as Christians and Followers of Christ we are all called to care for the orphans in some way shape or form. I believe that look different for everyone. For some it may mean praying diligently for the orphans out there as well for those opening up their homes to them. For some it may be financially supporting a child and for others it may mean actually bringing a child into your home and family. I believe that God has laid this so heavily and passionately on my heart for a reason. Don't misread this and think that I think I can control the future. I do not say all this to say I will NEVER bear my own child. I am NOT God and only He knows that. I say this to say that my heart is focused on adoption. When we think of our first child, we think of adoption. When we think of our 2nd child, we think of adoption. It's what has been placed upon OUR heart and soul. It is what OUR personal convictions lead US to. I also understand that their are so many women out there who would give anything to be able to bear a child and can not, and I hurt for them. I understand why this may be hard for someone in that place to understand. Heck, I didn't understand it for a while.

 

All I know is I find JOY in knowing my heart and knowing what I feel the Lord leading and doing. I find JOY in hearing stories of adoption and hope. I feel JOY in seeing the testimony of adoption in peoples lives who have been touched by it personally. I feel JOY knowing that my Savior chose to adopt me. That he chose to make me His Own. And I feel Joy in the confidence of my heart that I have in sharing this with the world.

 

I know this was long and random but with marriage coming up...When are yall going to HAVE a baby? is such a common question. I figured this might answer that for some people.

 

"He predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—"
Ephesians 1:5 (NIV)

 

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3

 

 

 

 

Bon Appetit!!!

What's for dinner?? Well last night I cooked steaks and baked potatoes and threw together some salad. Oh and we cant forget the toast!! Thanks to Josh and his recent purchase of a George Foreman Grill, the steaks took all of 7 minutes to cook!! Yummmm!

Tonight I will be making Tatter Tot Casserole. This will be a first time try for us. I am using the Duggar's famous recipe, so we will see how it is. I think I might add a side of greenbeans to go with it or salad. hmmmm...to choose to choose...


Tomorrow Josh will be making coca-cola burgers!! That also will be a first. I think this George Foreman is going to get put to good use.
I am sure that the highlight of your day is reading my dinner menu for the week, and had you not have read this you would have probably had a sleepless night...okay maybe not. The truth is ...i do not really know what to blog about today. I will say that seeing this picture of food and talking about dinner has gotten my stomach growling and my taste buds salivating. Believe it or not, it also has me thinking about my spiritual life. And hunger for Christ or lack of.

For the past months, i have been determined to get up early in the morning, go for a walk, shower, and spend a good 45 minutes to an hour with just me and God. Unfortunately my lazy butt has YET to actually ful-fill this plan. Spiritually I am not eating meals of steak and potatoes and salad. Some days i may spiritually eat a pb&j sandwich or maybe a bowl of cereal...and sometimes I am spiritually starving myself. When i see this picture, I think about how it represents the meal of a fighter. Someone who needs their strength and work so hard that they are starving by the end of the day. This meal does not describe me Spiritually. It describes me in the past moments of my life but not right now.

 It is so easy to change the menu of our spiritual life, however it is sometimes very dangerous to our spiritual health. It's in our most starved spiritual moments that the Devil is waiting just around the corner to pounce and devour. He waits until we are most vulnerable and most malnourished state and then he lures us in by dwindling what looks like a nice juicy steak or a hearty vegetable salad (for you vegetarians :-)) and as soon as we get ready to grab it, he cages us in his trap. I am recognizing more and more each day the importance of keeping myself spiritually nourished. I thankful for those moments in which i do struggle and fail because i am only brought back to the importance of seeking the Lord daily and being in continual fellowship with him.

Interestingly enough, i began this blog before lunch yesterday and when i took my lunch break, I went home and took a few minutes to read His Word. Guess what verses i had left off at??

 John 4:31-38

³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

If you do not believe in your own hear that the Lord speaks and confirms then take my experiences for example. I did not search out scripture about being spiritually fed and did not look ahead from the last time i read. The Lord will convict and lead if we have open hearts.

Refill Anyone?

I’m slowly but surely hearing from my Heavenly Father. It’s odd because He is speaking in the smallest ways and through the simplest forms. It’s well needed that is for sure and i pray He continues to pour into me.
Its so easy to pour out and give but then we forget that we need to be refilled. Spiritually i feel like I get so carried away with pouring into others and life itself that I forget to make sure im being refilled continually.

There is nothing better than the waitress who keeps an eye on your glass of tea and notices when its 3/4ths empty. Before you can finish it off and regret drinking that last drop because of the wait for more, she is there to refill it. I thought about this and i thought about how Christ is continually waiting for the opportunity to refill our “glass” (hearts). However, in order for Him to refill the cup we must put it down and allow Him to Pour Into it. This is something i am learning…

I’m glad He does not make me wait for a refill, however i regret the fact that sometimes when he comes for the refill i decline. It’s so easy to be full and feel hydrated, however that is impossible with Christ. We are called to continually serve Him in all our actions and everything we do. If we are required to give daily what He pours into us then it’s impossible for us to be filled. We must continually be refilled. We never know what is around the corner to drain our thirst or dehydrate us, therefore we must always be full and overflowing!…. (side-note: that is in no way what I intended to write but for some reason it came out)

Jeremiah 2:13–
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Jeremiah 14:3
“The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.”
 **We can not expect to get the same living water Christ provides from our own ‘well’. We will never be fulfilled. We were made for the “water” our Christ provides…we become dehydrated with out it.

Jeremiah 17:8
“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
**When we are being poured into daily, we are always prepared for the bumps that life throws in front of us or the Valleys we are left walking. Christ is waiting at our booth with a never ending pitcher of the very things our life needs…i don’t know about yall but i need a refill!

What you know about me?

1.) I will be 23 in August (some days i feel 80) 

2.) I love SALAD- when i was younger I ate so much salad that my mom would restrict me from it 

3.) I am a genuine Chuck Norris fan and have been since i was 3

4.) I have a cat named Luda whom i LOVE ( and if you know me, you know how crazy this is because i HATED cats until this one came along)

5.) My guilty pleasure is RAP music- the oldschool dance kind from when I was in High School like DJ UNK and T Pain and of course LUDA! (hints my cats name :-))

6.) My Papa is my alarm clock. I live in an apartment above my grandparents and he MUST know my daily schedule. If he does not hear the shower running and the floor creaking by 8am or whatever time I have disclosed that i should be up, he calls, i answer, he says, " Gooooooddd Mooorning--chuckle chuckle-" and he hangs up.

7.) I have a gym membership but have not used it in 2 months

8.) I go to the tanning bed on occasions. however i can not enjoy it because all i think about is how i might be roasting my insides all for the sake of a tan

9.) My mom is my best friend...really!!

 10.) I drove a Chevy Z71 all through high school and i LOVED it

11.) My favorite tv show is 19 Kids in Counting-


12.) I work as an Admissions Representative at the college i graduated from, however I have my Bachelor in Social Work and am Licensed as a Social Worker

13.) My heart loves Mission work: Brazil twice, Mexico once, NYC 4 times, Hurricane Katrina Relief in Miss., M-Fuge in inner city Charleston, and two summers at Teen Valley Ranch Christian Camp.

14.) The highlight of my college experience was being the Lady Saints Softball team manager (NOT to be confused with water girl!)

15.) I have a passion for ADOPTION. I do not care if I ever give birth to a child, rather my heart is to bring many children without a home into mine.

16.) I do not like politics


17.) I have been in a relationship for 2 years this October with this stud-->


18.) I do not have a favorite color

19.) I have a lovely family that consists of mother, father, older brother, younger brother, and older brother's new wife







20.) and i have a sister from another mister (well another family all-together)





Well, this is a change of posting for me. I just figured since all of my others posts were so serious, i would lighten the mood a little. I realize that everyone who looks at my post may not have a clue who i am. Of course the most important thing i want people to know is my Faith and personal relationship in Jesus. However, aside from that, there is a lot of other stuff to get to know about me. I am a pretty crazy individual and unpredictable to say the least....and i am more than okay with that.

There will be more odd and random facts to come in the near future, but as for now, this 20 is going to have to hold you over....

Until next time

My Flesh May Fail...My God you NEVER will

"Give Me Faith"- Elevation Church

This song has been on re-play for me over the past week and weekend. It has always been one of my favorite worship songs, however this week i have been speaking the words over in my mind more as a reminder to lift my spirit.

You see, the past 5 years have been challenging for me in some ways.About 3 years ago I found out that i had a tear in the labrum of my left hip. For years i had been having problems and pain with it, however i always just pushed it off. In 2009, i was working at a Christian summer camp and my hip locked up on me as i was sitting on a picnic table. The ordeal turned into 7 hours in a sitting position, maneuvering from table to car to Dr's office to hospital and finally back to the camp. This resulted in orthopedic appointments and an MRI. Since then I have seen a physical therapist and hip specialist. The result of it all was being told that i needed surgery to go in and attempt to repair the tear as well as shave off a small piece of the head of my femur to help from the tear re-occurring. Without the surgery, it will only continue to get worse.Currently, I am putting off the surgery and learning how to deal with the tear without making it worse. This means i am limited to some of the activity i can do.

Also, about 2 years ago, i started having a lot of stomach problems. They were chronic and extremely inconvenient. For a while they kept me from really going many places. I worked and came home, ate and went to bed. After many doctor appointments and ruling out various things, all the doctor could tell me was that i had become a number on the list of the many people affected by IBS. (yes i said it)

I was extremely frustrated and exhausted by the fact that i had no control over my body. I felt like my body was what controlled my decisions and schedule. I also could not help but become frustrated at the fact that at the time i was 20-21 years old and i felt i had the problems of an 80 year old. How unfair was that?

Lets fast forward. It is now June of 2013 and I have learned to deal with my physical issues. It's not fun but i am learning new ways to manage. This past week has been a throw back for me which has brought me to writing this today. My stomach problems flared up this past Thursday which seemed to be one of the most painful episodes ever. Also, for the past week my back has been out of whack. Keeping me up during the night and unable to much during the day. All this being said, the one truth that keeps playing over and over again in my mind and heart is " My flesh may Fail, my God you never will". The other day i was led to the  scripture of Paul's thorn which spoke so much truth into my downcast spirit.
2 Cor. 12:6-10
^"6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool,
 because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, 
so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,
⁷ or because of these surpassing great revelations.
 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited,
 I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
  ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
 for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
 so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses,
 in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. 
For when I am weak, then I am strong."

As frustrated as i have been over my body, I cant help but rejoice and be reminded that it is through these weaknesses that Christ is glorified. And also, that there is no reason to fear the physical. Whether it be sickness, pain, harassment, abuse,  persecution. If anything, i should fear the Lord who holds the eternal control over my life. Give me sickness, give me pain...one thing that can never be taken from me is the love and peace of Jesus Christ. I want my weakness to become a stone for making myself less and Christ More. I want the power of God to control my problems not the other way around. 

I am so blessed by the reminders of my Heavenly Father. I pray for the strength to give him praise in my weakest moments...no matter how frustrated or OLD i feel.

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About two years ago, I came across this verse. It definitely was not the first time I had read, however it spoke differently to me in that particular season of my life.

The whole passage is amazing in itself. It meet me exactly where I was, bringing comfort and confidence in my spiritual life.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."- Matthew 10:29-31



This verse is hard for me to truly grasp and understand. I believe it because it is the word of God, however my flesh and mind tell me that there is no way my God cares enough to know how many hairs i have on my head. Or that my life and my spirit matter to him. The enemy is constantly plaguing my mind with what-if's and how-cans. 

This verse opened my eyes at a time when everything seemed to be crumbling right under my feet. When poor decisions and the lack of making decisions seems to have poisoned my heart, mind, body, and soul. It was at this time that i read this passage and my hairs stood up. My God whispered in my ear...my God spoke through His soft yet firm voice. He reminded me that I was in the Will of my Father and though i sin and enemy constantly throws hurdles along my path, NOTHING can pluck me from His Will. I am a child of God. He knows every little detail about me. He know my aches and pains, he know my likes and dislikes, He knows my needs and my wants. He even know how many hairs are on my head. He is consumed with every detail about me because I am His child. 

It was that reassurance that gave me the courage to accept the road ahead and begin running the race again with full confidence. Confidence that whatever was ahead, whatever happened to me in my life, was all in the plan of God. Because he values my life and step and my soul and my heart and my.......... The list goes on and on.

Fast forward now. Last night...I am sick and in pain and frustrated. It frustrates me when I do not have control over my body and it does it's own thing. It stresses me out when i realize that my body has the ability to cause me so much pain and discomfort that i feel like I must be close to the light at the end of the tunnel. Sickness and Bethany Poole do not go hand in hand . I am a tough one but when i get sick the world does indeed stop spinning for a brief moment. (okay maybe not...but in my head it does)

Anyway, during some of my moments of relief, i picked my Bible up. I prayed a brief prayer that the Lord would lead me to a scripture and ease my soul. I open my Bible. turn a couple of pages, and start reading. 

Guess what passage i was at?? Matthew 10:25-33...

This time my focus was on the verse right
 before the one about the sparrow.


Matthew 10:28

I need not fear sickness or strife. Nor the obstacles that are thrown in my path as i run the race of life. My life has an eternal seal upon it. Why fear someone or something that can rob my body when i have the promise that my soul will live eternal and my body restored and made new?

I know this is a lot of rambling but this week in itself has been a challenging week for me. I have realized the importance of testimony and standing firm in my faith. I have seen the dangers in compromise and "straddling the fence" as they would say. And on the one day where emotionally and spiritually I was beat, my body started failing me as well. I say all this because i am a sinful human being. I am human and i worry and i stress and i care too much and sometime i care too little. I fail others and i fail myself. I hurt when others fail me. I am human. However, thanks to the word of God, i find security in the moments where everything is going wrong. I find hope in the fact that my God who care for the sparrows, as small as they are, cares oh so much for me. So much that He laid down His life so that mine would one day be eternal. So much that i could live a life without fear of what is ahead of me. Without fear of the pain, physically and emotionally. Rather a hope and security that all things are in His hand.  I need to say this because i need to remind myself constantly. I need to live a life that shows i believe this and not just say it.

I want my words to reflect my life and vice versa. I want to be Free and Redeemed...

Isaiah 63:9

Social Work -A universal Calling

"Isn't the fast i choose to break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the rope of the yoke, to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread
with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your own
flesh and blood?"- Isaiah 58-6-7

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means 

caring for orphans and widows in their distress and 

refusing to let the world corrupt you."

-James 1:27

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. 

Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."

-Isaiah 1:17

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; 

ensure justice for those being crushed. 

Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,

 and see that they get justice."

-Proverbs 31:8-9

I know this is a lot of scripture but these are verses that have given me direction and guidance for my path in life. These are verses that pushed me through the Social Work program. These are the verses that directed me and encouraged me that i could be a Social Worker in a world that see Christianity and Faith as an imposing force to meeting the needs of the dying world. They do not see it as a force of strength and saving grace as i do.

When people ask me what i do, i tell them I am an admissions rep at Limestone College and then i always quickly follow that with but i have my BSW and am a Licensed Social Worker. I am proud to say that. I consider it a privilege to hold that degree and a blessing to have been led by the Holy Spirit to pursue it. I will continue with this in another post about Social Work and my heart for it but i really want to put all the emphasis of this post on the scripture. The commands that the Lord has given us all as believer and followers who claim the name of Jesus Christ.

MORE than a conqueror

I don't hold tight to my Faith in Christ Jesus because i was raised in a Christian home and it was hammered into my brain. I don't call myself a Christian- Follower of Christ, because I am a blessed resident of the Bible Belt region. I believe what i believe due to the unavoidable, inevitable testimony my life bears to my Faith. People who know may not see or get what i am saying by "unavoidable inevitable" testimony, but people who KNOW ME, do. People who KNOW ME, have watched as I have taken on the duties of a soldier called to battle daily. Those people have seen me take hits and injuries that to some may seem  unrecoverable. Injuries that seep so far that they break not only my flesh, but my heart and spirit as well. Some of these wounds are from battles that i carelessly and defiantly walked into. Battles that easily could have been avoided. Some, however, are battles that only the hand of God has control over. Battles i would have never seen coming. No matter what the battle, there was always a wound. An injury that cut deep setting me back from the actual fight.

I look at my life and the landmines that I have walked through, and i feel my soul crying out that in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved ME. (Rom.8:37) A conqueror defined by Webster is one who gains mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition. So, I am not just a conqueror but MORE. I am promised that as i overcome these trials and tribulations, as i walk through this open battlefield full of landmines, i am promised to Conquer and Overcome. Not only will I overcome with my physical worldly abilities, but I will overcome with my Heavenly Father's supernatural powers and abilities as well. I will conquer and overcome in a manner that whatever i am facing will have NO ability to rise up in anyway of defiance after the battle has been won. Think about it... You conquer the last level in your latest favorite video game, but wait. The creator decided to create another game with more levels. Yes you conquered it but you cannot control it's ability to rise again. Or an army conquers a nation but can not control the possibility of the people rising up in defiance. However, with my battles, they are conquered, they are defeated, their power over me is finished. The same conquering that Jesus lavished upon the grave is the conquering i have over my life and the obstacles there in. It is this testimony that causes me to cling wholeheartedly to my faith and trust, even when the trials are unclear and the promise is hard to see. 

I am on this rant because this past weekend I was able to replay a battle in my life that I honestly thought i would never fully recover from. A battle that robbed me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. A battle that lasted years long. Now, a couple of years down the road and many stressed induced Dr appointments and counseling appointments later, I am MORE than a conqueror!! I am redeemed and made new. For so long, i allowed the control of my situation to restrict my daily routine, my physical well-being, and my relational well-being with others. I allowed it to deceive me into believing that even with Christ i could not overcome. 

Now i stand here today praising God for the mile-stone that was accomplished through and by His Grace alone, this past weekend. I was able to face this battle which I allowed to run, control, and damage so many parts of  my life for the first time in almost 2 years. Not only did i confront my battle, but i stood before it with my head held high, a smile on my face, and the amount of dignity and respect for myself that only God could pour onto me. I stood there as the bigger person laughing and relinquishing the anger that i had allowed consume me for so long. I stood their realizing that through Christ i am made new and the old is washed away. That battle....is washed away. 

This is only one of the many rehabilitative moments I have experienced from the devastating landmines that have hit  my life. Also, this is only one of the many that are to come. Some will be less traumatic and some oh so very catastrophic. But day by day, landmine by landmine, i will forever be reminded of the moment that I stood with my head held high, looked the devil in the face and proclaimed His Victory... My Victory... Our Victory!

To God Be the Glory Forever and Ever...Amen...