Trouble Knocks and Giants Step

When trouble knocks on my door…. I’m a wimp! Oh I don’t like it…. nope, nope, nope… not one little bit. I even hate it worse when I see precious people suffering under a load too heavy for their souls. What about people who have been so lethally wounded in their youth that they cannot get past the pain of it to live in the present? That makes my heart so sad. Hate destroys the vessel it’s kept in. There are many ugly giants to overcome in this world. Disease, accident, war injuries or line of duty injuries that completely alter a person’s life or existence are among the most difficult to bear.

How did our thinking get so jumbled that we believe the absence of those giants means happiness? Plus the thought that God doesn’t care or exist if the giants are stepping on us?

Oh boy trouble knocks, giants step but God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them. When trouble knocks it always helps me when I ask God, “how can I be your woman in this situation – right here, right now”. I pray until the answer comes. "We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7, NIV)

God promises to correct us and uses our troubles to that end. I often get trouble when I act on my own to solve a problem. That gets things done my way but did I serve the Lord? Were my actions glorifying God? “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws”. (Ps. 119:71-72, LB)

There are times we are suffering and we want it to stop but God is actually protecting us from something far worse. I call those my joy in hindsight problems. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good”. (Gen. 50:20, NIV)

Sometimes we have trouble come our way when God is lighting a fire underneath us to get us going in the right direction. Remember not getting your homework done? And the consequences? A little fire direction there? Be very glad if you learned that lesson during school days. "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." (Pr. 20:30, GN)

God also uses problems to examine our hearts - People are like teabags if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience”. (James 1:2-3, NCV)

God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. He brings problems to develop and deepen your character. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady”. (Rom. 5:3-4, LB)

A pearl to string: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. “Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.” (Ps. 57:1, AMP)

Trouble is not your enemy – satan is!
But Jesus is the victor
You are loved,
Lyndi

The EAR is for HEAR

Petite ear syndrome - Vacant ear complex - Fallow ears phobia
What do people with these types of hearing issues have in common?
They don’t listen!

It’s a huge problem in the communication field. Listening is an integral part of the burden bearing process (Gal. 6:2). How does one bear another's burdens or learn what they might be if one only listen long enough to get to something they know how to deal with?

This Scripture verse does not instruct us to solve one another’s burdens. How does one learn if one does not listen? If you don’t hear – how can you serve the kingdom in this area? In Ephesians 4:29 the Lord explains to us his purpose for our verbal communication: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”.

You know what happens to you when you listen? You learn, you gain understanding and you act rather than react.

There are two types of non-listeners that fully exasperate and send me moving high and to the right with rapid velocity. Stopping and evoking the Holy Spirit is the only thing that keeps me heaven bound: The “my opinion is too valuable not to be heard” talker and the equally frustrating, “I’m too busy with my own thoughts to listen until you say something that interests me” person. They usually place a big WHAT? right in the middle of your sentence and you have to repeat your words.

The first type of non-listener can send me into a defensive mode. I don’t want to be on defense or offense – I’m a cheerleader for goodness sake! Getting someone’s undivided attention is a learned skill. Learning the appropriate skill is important. Screamers and yellers come from the negative by throwing the object of their intention into shock, much like a deer caught in the head lights, forcing them to listen. Effective.... but at what cost? When one person listens to another some incredible esteem builders occur. The person who is listened to feels understood they want to open up more and healing of past heart wounds begin to take place. …. "the tongue of the wise brings healing”. Proverbs 12:18b

5-5-5
Five traits to eliminate,
five Proverbs for Wisdom and
five solutions to hone listening skills:

(1) Assumptions - You think you know what the person is going to say so you don't listen or you interrupt to fill in the gaps.
“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing”.
(Pr 12:18)
Solution: Listen with an open mind.

(2) Bias - You let the person's outward appearance or opinions block you from truly hearing what is said.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”. (Pr 3:5-6)
Solution: Don't focus on any one thought or emotion that you have.

(3) Control - You feel the need to interrupt, rush, and/or correct what the person is saying.
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise”.
(Pr 10:19)
Solution: Listen with your heart as well as with your ears remembering the importance of relationship. Maintain a relaxed, non-hurried posture that communicates that their agenda is important to you. Don't be petty.

(4) Distraction - You lose attentiveness because you think faster than they speak so you think about what you are going to say next.
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue”. (Pr 17:27-28)
Solution: Stay in the moment. Hang onto every word. Refrain from planning ahead to what you will say. Maintain eye contact which will help you keep focused on the person and communicate that you are with them.

(5) Ego - You put your own neediness to be the focus of attention before the other person.
“Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him”. (Pr 29:20)
Solution: Work at respecting and valuing the other person. Learn to love your neighbor as yourself.

Of a person's total communication:
The actual words account for only 7%
Tone of voice accounts for 38%
Body language accounts for 55% (involves listening skill)

A pearl to string: God understands the importance of body language: "The Lord make His face to shine upon you... The Lord turns His countenance upon you and gives you peace" (Numbers 6:24-25).

At Peace In His Shine and Countenance,
Lyndi

Strong Men Slain

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: When I was a young woman, a verse from Proverbs made a big impression on me. It says, “For she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men” (7:26).

The Lord used this passage to impress something on my heart. I realized that I had the potential to be the instrument of any man’s undoing, no matter how strong he might be. Even men who are spiritually strong can be brought down, controlled, wounded, or destroyed by a foolish woman.

As I read that passage, I wondered how many men I’d cast down—maybe not morally, but spiritually. How many had I discouraged or intimidated? God calls us as women to help and encourage men.

Instead of criticizing the men around us, let’s pray that they would become mighty men of God. Let’s lift them up instead of tearing them down.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Is Your “Game Face” Stuck?

Okay ladies, I’m coming after us. Many young women dream of their wedding day and being a wife and in due time being a mom. We take these roles in life very serious and when the big day comes we put on our “game face” and off we go to be the best wife and eventually mother in the whole world. Unfortunately husbands and kids don’t come with a set of directions and no one explained the complicated intricacies of the male species. Oh my, they don’t think or respond like us at all. It doesn’t compute! Most of us don’t understand what we married. Then we have shorter versions of the two kinds and the road gets boulder-eee. That may not be a word but rocky just didn’t cut it. Can I get a witness?

Erma Bombeck once advised not to let the children out number the adults in the family. Unfortunately by the time I read that we had four kids and Coach Wonderful was out on a football field day and night. It is in the realities of living life that women can find themselves stuck in the “game face” mode. Serious about every phase of family life, over loaded with responsibilities, determined to do it all right, while being organized, efficient, high energy and a lovely woman of God. And getting it all done in 24 hour segments over and over again. The results can produce moments of ugly that pile up on each other and hit the fan with such velocity that disbursement can be life threatening to the husband and kids. Not a pretty picture - certainly not part of that youthful dream. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

If you are stopping right now and whispering to yourself, wow, what happened to me Lord? God has brought you to a place of change – remove your “game face”. Take in a deep cleansing breath then let it out slowly - you are normal and you are in His care. Your heart was always in the right place. Without the trials, struggles and hardships that bring us to the feet of Jesus the dross in our hearts can never be removed. Dance in the palm of His hand. Drink in the joy of the Lord and let Him transform, heal and renew the beautiful you. Allow Psalm 51:10 to be your prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a loyal spirit within me.”

When God decides a matter,
The first place He will start
Is not upon the circumstance -
He looks upon the heart.
(part of a poem reflecting I Samuel 16:7b)

A pearl to string: Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

May we all be an outward reflex of an inner life dedicated to Jesus,
Lyndi

Mirror Mannequin

Who is that looking back at me?

Taken back by the person who lives in your mirror? It is really shocking to me how old that person is that lives in my mirror. How in the world did she get there? It wasn’t something I aspired to be when I was young. I don’t recall dreaming of being wrinkled, saggy, baggy and southbound? Well, why not? What on earth was wrong with old? It’s great to be old. God rather liked it – it is His plan. You know if you are going to be a really cool old person you have to start when you are young.

Can I tell you some of the remarkable things that happen when you grow older? Your friends are marvelous – you don’t compete with them you just love them, your life seems wonderful no matter what style it is, your family is so precious to you – they feel like the very breath you take and your walk with the Lord – oh my – I promise you there is no way you can imagine the wonder and the indescribable relationship that comes from a long walk. Very worth growing towards – start young!

Some more good news: You treat yourself with more kindness, with more respect, with more love and you are no longer in a big hurry for anything! What others think, express or how they may act inappropriately no longer has a hold on your heart, mind or emotions. And you like gray hair. Yes you will! It has these silver threads in it that sparkle. Proverbs tells us in verse 29 of the 20th chapter that ‘the glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old’. When you see a gray headed person glistening in the sun with a smile on their face, a laughter that delights, and a bounce in their step the finger inside your heart points their direction and you think in your mind: “when I get there I want to look just like that”!

That’s the Holy Spirit dear hearts and He looks good inside any age person. String that pearl! There are many verses in the Word of God that describe the not so terrific elements of aging but my favorite verse the one I want to describe my forth quarter is Psalm 92:14 ‘They will still give fruit when they are old. They will be full of life and strength’. Like Coach Wonderful always says, ‘you don’t want to miss the kick off, and a well played game is a beautiful thing but the fourth quarter is crunch time’. I know so many people in their 70’s & 80’s who say it is their most productive and significant time of their life. The beauty of a long life is how that God enriched experienced life can bless those around them throughout that forth quarter. God is passionately interested in each of us personally and continually.

A pearl to string: My eyes sight may grow dim but the beauty in that is... I see no flaws in you. When you believe in Jesus that's how God see us....... no flaws.
Isn't it so very cool how life experiences mirror God's love?

Deliberately enjoy your days in Jesus,
You are loved
Lyndi