feelings & facts

"The most treacherous thing is to live by feelings." Leonard Ravenhill

I can't tell you how many people I've told this too in the last week. It seems like feelings are trying to take over everyone lately. 

Yes, feelings are real. Yes, feelings are strong. Yes, feelings are part of us, but that doesn't mean that they are always right. It doesn't matter if your whole self is screaming that something is true, it can still be wrong. The facts are our friends, whether our feelings agree with them or not. 

Let me tell you some facts:

God formed you. You weren't just an accident or even a scientific happening. You were specifically formed by a loving Father who put effort into you & has a vision for who you are to be. 
Psalm 139:13-16

You have a God-given purpose. You aren't on this earth to just exist, you are here to carry the Spirit & power of God to those around you. You are the temple of the Most High God, & a vessel that He wants to flow through. 
1 Corinthians 6:19 & Jeremiah 29:11

You have power. It's not your own power, but it's the power of the Almighty God that lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the same power that heals & delivers, & the same power that tramples on serpents & scorpions. 
Ephesians 3:20-21

You have peace. Meditate in His Word & on Him, and you will have peace because He said it was so.
Isaiah 26:3

The pressure of this world does not own you. It's way of thinking does not run you. That is why we must renew our minds to the Word of God. We cannot run with the truth if we do not know what it is, and by "know" I mean believe & have a firm grasp on. The tighter our hold on God & His word, the less grip this world will have on us. 

We are not of this world, we live above it & we shine bright in it. Thank God that He has delivered us from the "cause & effect" laws of this world. There is no "cause" or "effect" that can change the truth of His Word in our lives. 

"comfort food"

They don't call it "comfort food" for nothing...

It's the beginning of the new year & the time when my church does "The Daniel Fast."

It's a glorious, somewhat terrifying 21 days of eating only fruits, veggies & whole grains while we purpose to spend more time with God in our daily lives. We're basically setting the tone for the new year & letting our flesh know that it's not the boss.

It's always a time that reveals a lot about your character, desires & motivations.

This year I couldn't believe how much emotional stock I put in food. Really it should not have come as a surprise looking back, but the cold-turkey dismissal of all things sweet, savory, greasy, yummy & satisfying was a shock to my system.  & I came to understand some things.

1. Food releases pleasure & can bring a false sense of comfort/healing, as can entertainment, shopping, & the list goes on. The issue isn't the food, it's your heart. If you turn to food every time you're feeling emotional, you'll become an emotional eater & you'll be caught in a cycle. If however you turn to God in those moments, you become healed. That's a major difference!

2. Laziness will destroy you. Not only will it cause you to gain weight (both physical & emotional), it will keep you out of your promise land & begin to skew the truth of the Word of God in your eyes. Rather than living an active life of faith, you begin to say things like, "tithing doesn't work," or "healing isn't for today" because you don't see them happening.

Somehow in church life I got it into my brain that if I just existed in this Christian life all the good things that God promised would automatically happen for me & none of the bad things in life would ever happen to me. But the Bible says that faith without works is dead - that means I need to do something. It's not about earning God promises, it's about living a life that shows you believe Him. Faith engages God, acknowledges that He is present & then takes the step that He asks of it. Whether that step is sharing your faith, praying for the sick, believing through tragedy, dancing in worship or giving your last $10 in the offering.

Don't let life make you lazy! Don't run to anything else for comfort, it doesn't have the power to heal you. Run your race! Run to God, run with faith, it is not as hard as your flesh wants you to believe.

You don't just sit at the table & expect the food to get in your stomach! You gotta pick up the fork & chew...it's not hard to do, but it makes all the difference.

-Amie

Oh the kindness of our God.

Oh the kindness of our God. 

The faithfulness He has shown is infinite. It was His goodness that brought us to repentance, His love that cleansed us, & it is His mercy that keeps us. 

In our struggle and our fight, He is rest. 
In our pain, He is healing.
He is joy. 
He is hope. 

He is every answer to every question & He is ever faithful as we work out our salvation. 

From the wobbly steps of a new Christian, to the stubborn & prideful thoughts of the aged. He is there to prune. He is there to bring us into the right places, to bring us into strength & humility. He will never stop loving you, & He will never stop growing you. 

Oh the kindness of the One who took our place & Who, regardless of our failures, declares that we are His beloved. 

With a love that never fails, He loves us.
With a salvation that makes us completely new, He has saved us. 

Oh the kindness of our God that never gives up, never lessens, never changes. He is the One who has saved us, He is the One we are trusting with our lives. He is God & we are His, 

Now let us rest in the kindness of our God.

Comparison

Comparison was never meant to define you. 

I believe that looking at someone else's life is a good thing. You can use it as a guide or an encouragement or even an example, but we find out identity & purpose in the Book! God wants to build your specific life according to His plan for you, not through the plan He has for someone else's life. 

Your road is different than someone else's. It has different hills & valleys, different turns & potholes. Using someone else as a map will only cause you to get off course. 

I've used a few different women as examples & as encouragement as I navigate this bump in the road called grief. It's so encouraging to see that others have made it out stronger & more like Jesus than when they started, but I also know that He's the only one that can actually do the work in me. So I keep my eyes on Him & His plan, and just allow other people's lives to be like a billboard advertising encouragement as I go along. 

There's a whole lot of driving analogies happening in this blog today, but I think it gets the point across! 

Keep your eyes on Jesus & His Word & what His plan is for you. Don't try to live your life based on someone else's road map. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, 

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, 

to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Joy is on your horizon

I know sometimes it feels like it's impossible to walk, but you can put one foot in front of the other. 

I have a new revelation of Jesus walking to Golgotha. He was beaten, bruised, bleeding...so much so, that someone else had to carry His cross, but still in all the agony & pain He put one foot in front of the other. 

That's how I know I can make it, because He did. 

You might be broken & hurting, but keep walking. Keep moving towards the cross. You'll get there. & then once you get there, lay everything down at that cross & let God consume it, and watch and see the new, abundant life that He brings you. 

It seems like such a contradiction to bring your pain to the cross, but if we do not lay it down how could we ever bear it? It is not ours to bear, for He already did. He took the pain we could not heal & healed it. He took the hurt we could not bear & bore it. He did it all.

No one ever told me that I'd want to hold onto my grief. Somehow in my twisted human emotions it made me feel close to my daughter, but Jesus took that grief & turned it into joy. That's His promise. I'm not losing memories of my little girl, I'm gaining healing & the ability to remember her without sorrow in my heart. I'll always ache for her, but that aching is not painful because I know I'll see her again. 

The sorrow you are facing is not your destination. Joy is on your horizon, keep putting one foot in front of the other & let the cross do it's work. He will not fail you. 

It was a Wednesday.

This time last year, I didn't know it, but it was going to be the worst time of my life. 

Abigail was getting ready to go to Heaven. We spent all night loving her, being with her & in the early morning she went to be with Jesus.

We went back to the Ronald McDonald House & slept for a few hours, packed up our stuff & headed home.

I remember that long drive home. It was a Wednesday. 

I remember it was a Wednesday because as we got closer to home we both looked at each other & said, "I kind of want to be in church." 

We parked around the back of the building, went through a side door & sat in the back office on a couch & just listened to the message being preached. There was a lot happening in that dark, quiet back office. We didn't hear all of the message, we didn't participate in praise & worship, we had no offering to bring, but we just needed to be in church. 

I don't think we knew it at the time, but I truly believe that was the foundation of our healing. It was as if we slammed a stake in the ground & said, "We're going to keep doing what we know to do."

It wasn't always a pretty road to walk. We didn't always feel like continuing to do what was right & sometimes we just didn't. But we never stayed there long, we knew the only way out was by doing what was right.

I can't imagine my life without my church. Not only is my church family the very best of the best, but the truth & the standard & the hope that I have gained from immersing myself in church life has kept me. 

We weren't meant to do life alone. We weren't meant to go through the hard stuff alone. We weren't meant to celebrate alone. God wants to bring us into a family. There is strength in numbers. Don't run away from the one place that tells you the truth & helps your faith. Even if the words feel like they sting, don't remove yourself from the House. Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word of God. Stay where the Word is preached, stay where your faith can grow, & you'll see your healing come. 

Psalm 133:1-3

A Song of Ascents. Of David. 

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, 

on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 

It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! 

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

< forgiveness >

Here's a fun lesson,

Being wronged in life entitles you to nothing, rather it demands that you grow. 

It's a hard one to swallow, I know. BUT...

If you grow & forgive & move on, YOU become stronger. If you hold on to the wrong, IT will hold on to you & IT will become stronger. 

Think about Jesus as He hung there on the cross. After all the miracles He had done, all the people He had helped & all the love He had shown...they crucified Him....they tortured Him. Some of His final words were, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Not too long after those words were spoken, the suffering ended & He rose again to new life. 

Today, no matter what wrong has been perpetrated against you, you have the choice to forgive & become stronger through it. Don't let someone else's actions keep you from rising up out of the ashes into resurrected life! Power comes from laying it all down & trusting that God knows what He's doing. 

To forgive doesn't mean to subject yourself, rather it means to free yourself. Sometimes that freedom looks like a restored relationship & other times it's a severed one. Either way, when you forgive you no longer allow a circumstance to dominate you. We're called to be servants of God, not our situations. Simply obey, He will never lead you astray.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, 

as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:9-13

where to look

What do you do when everything around you reminds you of the battle you're in?

The song "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" sounds off in my heart. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

I'll be the first to admit, it's not always easy when life is smack in front of your face jumping up & down like a crazy person & yelling "look at me, look at me!!" 

But the good news my friends is that we don't have to do it in our own strength. When you feel like you can't look away from life, tell Him that! When you feel like you can't hear anything but life, tell Him that. & when you feel like you just can't muster up the faith....tell Him that. 

Rest in the fact that He said His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He'll help you look to Him. 

We were never made to deal with life on our own. The plan from the beginning was that He would walk & talk with us. He wants to hear when we're struggling & He wants to hear when we're winning & He wants to be involved in both. 

He doesn't expect us to muster anything up in our own strength. In fact, He says the opposite,

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

So come to Jesus, no matter how you feel. & by "come" I simply mean begin to tell Him where you're at & what you're feeling. Open up a dialog with Him, that simple act is walking by faith - it means you believe He is real & He is listening. Continue to walk in faith by believing that He will answer. 

He will.

every part of you

Never forget that the God who created the universe, created every part of you. 

It's not just a warm fuzzy saying, He really does know every hair on your head, every beat of your heart, every cell in your body & all the good/bad things you face. 

He's closer to you than the wind on your face, He knows you deeper than your deepest place & He loves you more than you can imagine. 

You were purposefully made by His hands. He wanted you & His plans for you are good. 

Trust Him with all your good & your bad, He is faithful & He will not fail you. 

Never let the "bigness" of your problem make you forget the GREATNESS of your God. 

I hope this photo inspires you to remember that the God who created such majesty & beauty & life, is the same God that designed you & He is loving you & fighting for your best right now. 

photo by Amie Willoughby

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work,

chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him,

 to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—

from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG

making it

So it's been 2 days. 

We celebrated Abigail's 1st birthday on 5/26 & it was both happy & hard.

Honestly, I didn't handle it as masterfully as I had hoped. I could have easily spent all of the weekend curled up in bed & crying. That's just how I felt. (*makes me ever more grateful for a strong & supportive husband*)

But hey, guess what, I'm still here! I made it through. 

& hey guess what's more...

You're still here too! You've made it through today & yesterday & the day before that! 

I know sometimes the pain feels overwhelming & the future seems daunting, but we can't let ourselves get caught up in all of that. 

Don't let the battle make you forget how strong you've been & how far you've come.  

I remember so very clearly a message preached by one of the best, Mrs Zane Johnson. She preached on scars. & yeah they hurt, & yeah they take time to heal, BUT they also prove you're stronger than whatever you're facing. 

So even if your process has been messy, don't lose sight of the fact that you're making it. Let God continue to heal those hurt places. He can & He is & He will continue to.  

He is our hope & our strength. In the midst of the battle, we find our rest in Him.

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 

every. time.

Thinking about the book of Ruth today. 

The tragedy & triumph. 

It's a fantastic love story, but it was born out of real sorrow.

There is no heartbreak that the Father cannot recompense. 

Life won't always make sense or feel good, but if we continue to walk in obedience & have faith in God, He will make straight our crooked path. 

His faithfulness is boundless.

You might ask, if He is so faithful then why do bad things happen? I can't tell you why bad things happen, but I can tell you that I would rather have Him helping me in the aftermath than try to face it alone. He's the foundation that won't crumble no matter what I have to face. So I know that when the hard times end, I'll still be standing...not because I am strong, but because He is strong (2 Cor 12:9). It certainly takes the pressure off. 

Life comes to us all; it's our decision to walk through it with Him or alone. & I'll take Him every time. 

Isaiah 42:16 

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; 

I will lead them in paths that they have not known: 

I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. 

These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Limits

Everyone's limit is different. My busy doesn't make your busy any more or any less. Everyone is learning to handle their own busy. 

Let's give each other space to grow.

Just because you've mastered something doesn't mean someone else has. & just because you see something as a big deal doesn't mean that someone else will see it that way. 

That's okay. We need to stop holding people hostage to our definitions & ask God what He says.

It's His Word that helps people deal with their busy & expand their limits, not my opinion. It's His Word that puts things into perspective, not my experience.

Let's be busier praying for people, & less busy criticizing. 

It's really a win-win...praying helps them with their life & makes you feel happy. & we need more happy people in this world! 

Isaiah 26:3-4 

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, 

because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

It's His perfect love.

I'll tell you what, life does not take it easy on you just because you are going through something. 

That's why it's so important to run to God, otherwise you can get swallowed up.

This weekend was packed full of reminders about Abigail. One right after the other. I couldn't get away from it. Every where I turned there they were. What am I supposed to do? Go crawl under a rock?! 

I'll be honest, there are times I've wanted to do that, but that's not an option. Why isn't that an option? Because I've still got a life to live, a family to love, a destiny to accomplish & my God to serve! But those precious things are not the things that motivate me. It's His perfect love. 

He loves me beyond measure & He's pursuing me out of that love. I can feel it shake me & move me & pull me up out of pain & sadness. I'm not trying to sound like super woman, sometimes it takes a little bit for me to come around, but He never stops. 

He's not waiting around for me to try & conjure up some emotion out of my own strength, He's just there, loving me intensely & perfectly & then the sadness breaks off of me again. & the more times I let Him in to love me, the less times I feel sad. That might seem like the most obvious statement in the entire universe, but when your wading through the murkiness of life sometimes you forget. 

For me, it mostly happens during times of worship. The moments when I'm singing every word by faith & honoring Him by believing regardless of what I'm feeling & then suddenly it changes & He's made all things new again. It's amazing the life that comes to your mind, your emotions & even your physical body when He begins to minister to you.

Other times He uses my husband. He lets me cry on his shoulder & then speaks the truth to me about our situation. I can't tell you how many times & how many ways God has used that man. 

Why am I telling you all of this? 

Because I want you to know that there is hope. There is healing & that God loves you just as passionately as He loves me. He's looking to pour Himself out into your life & help you through the hard times & celebrate with you in the good. Have faith.

Don't allow yourself to be swallowed up by the pain. Don't allow the devil to use a tragedy to take your life away as well. Keep running back to God, over & over, never lose hope.

Don't ever quit... He'll never quit on you. 

Fragrance

Your worship impacts the atmosphere.

John 12:3 niv

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; 

she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. 

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

In your good times & in your bad times, learn to worship. Learn to turn your eyes on Jesus & let all the big things of this world fade in His presence. Let the fragrance of your worship fill the room, you cannot help but be changed as He receives your love. 

Honor Him above your circumstances & He will honor your faith. 

Our God is generous. He will not leave you to fight alone. Only believe.

take. hope.

Life is big & full of overwhelming things. 

Psalm 55:22 

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you;

he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

There is nothing to big for Him to get your through & bring you out victorious. Life is not too big & overwhelming for God! 

Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Take hope today in Someone who is much stronger & bigger than you. Even if you don't feel it, TAKE it! God is our hope & He has freely given Himself to us! 

***Be full***

One thing I've learned is that life doesn't stop. 

Life doesn't care what you're going through, it will keep chugging along. On top of that, it doesn't care how much of a load you already have to carry, it will add more. 

Time is relentless. 

So what's the answer? Be full!

It might seem like a cop-out answer, but it's been the "realest" truth in my life. It never fails. When I'm full of God's Word, prayer & worship it causes a chain reaction. The troubles of life don't disappear, but they aren't as big & I can see the victory! My emotions are more Godly - I don't PMS (let's just be real!), I don't cry over a hang nail, I don't get discontented. My body is more "alive!" I have the desire to eat healthy, exercise, & take care of myself. All of this happens BECAUSE my spiritual life is full. 

& then there's the opposite...when I'm empty. It's not pleasant. You can pretty much guess it's the exact opposite of the above. 

So why in the world do I stop?? Why do I keep shooting myself in the foot? Why do I put down my Bible? I've come to determine that the "flesh" or the thing that connects us to this world doesn't care if it suffers as long as it doesn't have to deal with God. Human nature isn't anti-suffering, it's anti-God. My flesh would rather have me miserable, than have me running on all cylinders & full of God! 

Thank God He's given us the victory! Romans 7 & 8 tell us that, yes we're warring against a sin-nature, but that we've been given the power over it! God in us is stronger than any desire to sin! But if we're not full of God, how can we hope to defeat our enemy? We're not strong enough on our own, BUT HE'S GIVEN US THE ANSWER!! Himself! 

Stay faithful - reading, praying, worshiping - and see that even though life won't be perfect, you'll have the victory!

*photo by Caleb Willoughby