Grace

This last Saturday was National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day. I saw many posts on Instagram & Twitter celebrating the lives of sweet babies that were lost too soon & it was a wonderful reminder that we're all in this together & that our babies will never be forgotten. 

But I gotta tell ya, this week I got something that meant so much more to me. God spoke to me & I've never felt stronger or more liberated. He told me it's time; "stop being a baby about your baby." I can't tell you what those words lit inside of me. 

When God speaks His truth into your heart it doesn't just make you feel good, it gives you something to grab hold of. His Word is a lamp to our feet & a light to our path. Instead of crawling through life after being knocked down, His Word causes us to stand up, stiffen our resolve & take that next step of faith. 

His Word is like no other because with it comes the grace we've needed all along to grasp the truth. People can tell you, experience can tell you, pain can tell you, so many things can tell you, but when Jesus speaks to you - grace comes. 

Oh, that wonderful grace that makes it all possible. The grace that gives us power to stomp on what tries to hold us down. Don't stop until it comes to you. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, don't stop until you hear His voice full of truth & grace & love. 

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

the greatest resolution

One of the greatest resolutions you can make in 2016 is not something you DO, but rather something you THINK.

What you THINK determines what & how you DO. 

One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8. It's so powerful in it's simplicity. 
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I don't know about you, but I can have a lot of thoughts run through my brain that are the very opposite of the things in this verse. & that's been especially true this last year & a half.

But guess what, we have the ability (& the commission) to change the way we think! It's time to renew our minds to the Word. We can't always control the thoughts that run through our minds, but we sure can stack the deck in our favor. 

(Someone's) Mama always said: garbage in, garbage out.

If you want to start to take control of your thought life, start to take control of what your eyes see & your ears hear. Spend more time in front for the Bible than in front of the TV, internet, games, or even other books. 

I'm not saying you have to cut out all non-Christian material from your life, but how bad do you want it? 

It's a simple "formula." 

Spend time in the Word. The Word brings faith, and as faith grows so does your thought life. It is an automatic response to the living Word. Don't leave your mind to it's own thoughts, take control of the foundation. Your mind doesn't become renewed simply by catching every bad thought that runs through it, but rather by filling it with truth & giving yourself something to fight with!

It's not a one-time-flip-a-switch-cure-all, it's a lifestyle & a life-line. God didn't leave you to battle alone. He gave you the tools & the more you use the tools, the more you realize God is bigger than the enemy we face. 

Tools can't build anything while they are laying on the ground. So pick them up & start renewing your mind. It'll be the best resolution you ever made. 

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.

short, but encouraging

Some thoughts...

When everything falls apart, your strength will not be enough. 
Lean in to Jesus.
For He is your Shield & Buckler, He is round about you. 
He is the One who is strong enough & His strength never fails or wears out. 
He cannot become weary or tired. 
He is your constant, He is your stay. 
Encourage yourself in the Lord, in His promises & in His truth,
For the joy of the Lord is your strength, not the joy that's found in life. 
Life changes, God does not. 

happiness

There is a happiness in His presence & no circumstance of life is able to cast a shadow on it. 

It wells up inside of you & carries you forward. 

The longer you remain in His presence, the deeper the well goes. 

It's Him & only Him that causes me to grow.

He calls us to prayer & to His word because He knows the result. He understands the process. He has all the answers. He is the answer. 

In all that life throws your way, find yourself in His presence & you'll find yourself covered. 

Life affects us all, but He is our shield & our buckler. He is our foundation & our source. He is our stay when everyone else fades away. 

Being a Christian doesn't make you exempt from bad things in life, but it does make you invincible. You can be hurt & knocked down, but you know your future is secure. You can go through the trials of Job & know that your end will be better than your beginning. You can go through the persecutions of Paul & know that even if they take your life, you have eternal life with the Master. 

He chose you for this time in eternity, trust that He knows what He's doing & live in obedience to whatever He says. That is where your happiness is. 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; 

My God, in Him I will trust.

Psalm 91:1-2

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. 

The argument fizzles...

A little nugget I've discovered...

The argument fizzles when I stop trying to defend myself. This works whether I'm right or wrong in the situation. 

It's the moment when I reel in my emotions & understand that I love this person more than how I'm treating them right now & there is a better, more productive way to have this discussion. 

When did proving my point become more important than loving this person? 

Discussions can be had without arguing, but arguing never produces real discussions. It can only produce hurt & confusion because arguments are all based in pride. The pride of being right or defending your own actions.

Pride is sneaky & insidious. It sneaks into your life disguised as hurt feelings or justification. It wants to keep the argument alive until the other person either apologizes or concedes.  

The Bible on the other hand tells us that pride brings destruction & that God resists it. It also tells us to be offended at nothing.

That's the goal we move towards. Letting him love us, so that we can love others. 

It doesn't mean we'll never have a spirited discussion, but if we can learn to discuss out of love then not only will our topic most likely get resolved, but our relationships will flourish. 

People are worth our patience & our relationships are worth our self-control. 

1 Cor 13:4 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

James 4:6

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

That's my hope.

His grace is sufficient for you.

That means that no matter what you have to face, the ability HE GIVES YOU is enough to win over it. 

Whether or not the outcome is what you preferred, you have the ability to outlast & not just maintain, but overcome.

Paul said that he gloried in his tribulation. I'm not there yet, but I have hope that as my relationship develops with the Lord, I too will gain the kind of revelation Paul had. 

That's the promise of it all. As I decrease, He increases & God's way of thinking & seeing is so much better than I could ever fathom. 

Jesus didn't just die on the cross. He made an impact before, during & after the crucifixion. Regardless of your tragedy, if Christ is in you, you have the power to make an impact before, during & after it. 

That's my hope. That is His faithfulness.

I know the pain will continue to heal & I know God's grace will continue to be sufficient. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

< 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

the flowers & the weeds

There's nothing quite like the start of a new day.

It can either hold sadness or hope & it's all up to you.

New days are a funny thing. They make you feel like you've got the chance to start all over again & make something good happen...you know, until reality hits & you're dealing with all the same stuff that you've been dealing with for some time now. 

But really, IT IS A BRAND NEW DAY! & you've got the choice to deal with "your stuff" with a new & refreshed attitude or a stale & worn-out attitude. Because your attitude is a choice. 

I never said it was easy. Emotions can be big, but they can be beat. & if they happen to win over you for a day, guess what...you get to wake up tomorrow & show them who's really boss. You win by never giving up! 

--- I was doing a bit of gardening the other day & because I had left it off too long the weeds had gained quite a lot of ground. Their roots were hard to pull out, & I needed a special tool to dig them out. At one point, I accidentally pulled out a plant & I was amazed at how easily it came out without having to dig...it's root wasn't nearly as strong as the weed. ---

What am I saying? 

Keep dealing with yourself! Never stop dealing with the hard things because the longer you let them go, the harder they get to pull up. 

Keep building up the good things in your life. Spend time daily with God & in His Word, pray, worship, give, communicate with godly people, etc. Take care of those good root systems & give them time to root themselves strong! 

You can't only take care of the flowers in your garden & let the weeds run wild, or else soon you'll have a bunch of dead flowers in a weed garden. 

Pour into your life spiritually & let God tend to your garden...the flowers & the weeds.

John 15 

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, 

and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, 

unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. 

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, 

for apart from me you can do nothing. 

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.

I am not alone

I am not alone in this life, in this battle, in this joy, in any moment.

Whether I feel like it or not, the TRUTH is that I am not alone. 

If I have someone with me or not, I am not alone. 

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, 

for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. 

He will not leave you or forsake you.”

& you, my friend, are not alone either. 

***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