Forgiveness

This weekend I asked for forgiveness from someone who I had held a grudge against for 7 years. It literally was 7 years to be exact. On April 20th, 2004 I had a huge falling out with one of my best friends. I was so hurt by something she had done to me that I retaliated by saying many horrible things against her and wished bad things to happen to her. The worst part, was that I continued to bash her throughout these 7 years to people who didn’t even know her. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t have a fleeting glimpse of her face cross my mind. I had so much hate for her, I felt like I could barely contain my anger. I had asked God for forgiveness many times, but that pang of guilt was still too much for me to accept full forgiveness. 

This weekend we lost a mutual friend to brain cancer. His funeral was the reason we ran into each other. This was such a bittersweet moment; the loss of a good friend to reuniting and mending another. I had asked her to forgive me, and told her how sorry I was for everything. I know she felt the same way. I was so happy at that moment, that I don’t remember much of our conversation. I wake up now every morning feeling lighter and closer to God. I fixed a broken part of my soul by simply forgiving her. I urge all of you women out there to do the same if you are going through a similar situation. It isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but man does it feel good. Forgive. 

-Becky B
_____________________________________________________________________

It is so important to forgive others in order for us to grow spiritually. When we choose not to forgive, we are trusting in our own efforts to ‘get even’ instead of allowing God to work out our issues of fairness. As in Becky’s case, she was not rewarded for her efforts of retaliation but instead the fruit of her unforgiveness resulted in a harvest full of anger, bitterness, and pride. However, when we choose to forgive something amazing happens. I picture moments like these resembling a infinite luminous rainbow expanding from one end of the sky to the other after a wild earsplitting storm. Your soul is restored at peace, you mind is sound, and your heart is open to give and receive love. I get goose-bumps thinking about Becky and her ‘rival’ pardoning one another from their past hurts. I have no doubt in my mind that the Lord and his fleet of angels were rejoicing over them in that moment. Praise God.
 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins Mark” 11:25                                      

One of the reasons why you may not have a breakthrough in something you have been praying for may be because you have un-forgiveness in your heart. Before you can start praying for God to bless you, you might want to take a look at where you might be storing past hurts in your heart and like Becky did, humble yourself and forgive the person(s) who hurt you.

 
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” - Colossians 3:13

The reason why forgiveness is so important to God is because He has forgiven you for  the sins you have done. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, to die on the cross for us so that we can be forgiven. So how can God forgive us for our sins if we choose not to forgive other people for their transgressions against us? Forgiveness is not a suggestion from God, it is a command. I believe that we need to start bearing with one another and be quick to forgive. We need to trust that God is a better justice maker than we are, and put all matters into His hands instead of keeping the weight of un-forgiveness chained to ourselves.

As a result of Becky’s blog today I pray that you are inspired to develop the habit of being quick to forgive others. I encourage you to search your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one person in whom you need to humble yourself before and ask for forgiveness. I also encourage you to forgive someone today who has hurt you in the past. God Bless

Whats coming out of your mouth?

A few weeks ago I was playing in a squash tournament in Prague. This monthly tournament was part of what the European’s like to call Extra League. This meant that each province sends three of their best players to compete against one another. I was replacing one of the girls who had been injured and was given the third spot on team Ostrava. I was excited to be part of a team and was lookingforward to having Crystal (changed name), my friend and previous National Champion as a coach during my matches. However, after my first match I found myself re-calculating the cost of putting my trust in the hands of someone who had little faith in me. Here’s what happened. I had just walked off the court after loosing the first game 11-3 to a woman who was playing for team Prague. I was frustrated with how I was playing but ready to receive some tips from my coach within my ninety second break. I squeezed by a few people to get to where Crystal was standing and leaned in. Here is the ‘advice’ I recieved; “You known Jaycee” she said “the other girl is really good and has been playing squash for a really long time” She continued “A while back she was one of the top players in Czech Republic. So just go out there and have fun, don’t expect to win and just save your energy for the next girl you are to play” The other girl beside her also chipped in “Ya don’t feel bad, she is a really good player”. My head was still hung, and I dared not open my mouth lest my wrath be unleashed. I looked away and then looked into her eyes as I started to walk towards the court and said “But I want to win”. As soon as I stepped back on court, I replayed that conversation over and over in my head. “Why would she say that to me?” coming from a coach myself I knew not to intimidate the kids I teach before they step onto a court. Then I started to think “well if Crystal can tell by watching me that I’m not good enough to win then maybe I’m not”. “Maybe I should just not try, like she said”. Before I knew it, the second game was over and I had lost it 2-11. This time, I walked off the court in the opposite direction to clear my head. I sensed God speaking to me saying “I believe in you Jaycee, when nobody else does, I do”. I finally snapped out of my trance and repeated a few positive affirmations to myself as I stepped back onto the court for the third game. This time, I made fewer mistakes and played the way I knew I could. Even though I ended up losing the match in the end I knew there was a valuable lesson to be learned by this experience. Although I did not hold Crystal accountable for my loss, she later apologized and realized that she was in the wrong for saying what she did at that time. I contentedly forgave her, However, on the trip back home I was left with the sinking feeling that this was not the first time I had allowed someone to affect the way I see myself or my future by their negative rapport. I was suddenly reminded of several different situations where I allowed people to speak defeat over all areas of my life without defending myself and sticking up for what I believe in.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words” (Ephesians 5:6)

Accepting words of disbelief from another person like giving the devil free access  to plant seeds of doubt and fear inside of you heart. This is the very reason why you will not walk in victory and not inherit the promises of God. Looking back now, I wish I would have said “No, actually I reject that advice Crystal. No hard feelings but I am going to go back on that court, I am going to work my but off, I am going to play my absolute best, and I am going to win”. When we do not reject the empty words that people say to us we are walking on thin ice as far as our faith is concerned. Being a female, this can be more difficult because it is in our nature to be caregivers and a part of this role is to give/take advice from one another. However, the Bible says that both death and life are in the power of the tongue and we shall eat the fruit of our words. (Prov 18:21) So the next time you are in position to give advice or even talk about future events with your friends make sure that you aren’t speaking death/the curse into their life. Here are some examples of what that might sound like in random conversations with friends or strangers:

“Oh I also have the same New Year’s resolution to lose weight but it is going to be so hard to lose weight in the winter, I swear its just so hard, there is just so much irresistible food and don’t you just feel a lack of motivation to get up and leave the house in the cold weather?”.

 “Oh, I heard you just graduated from Commerce. Oh ya well I hear it is super hard right now to get a job in the Marketing industry. Ya that recession is just ruining so many opportunities for graduate’s these days”

“Oh you just tore your Achilles? That will defiantly take like 5 months to heal. You probably won’t be able to work out for another 6 months. My cousin Anne tore hers a year ago and now she has to get surgery and can no longer play sports”

 What do all of these conversations have in common in terms of the feeling you are left with afterwards? Fear. As you may know, Fear is the opposite of Faith and talking fear only weakens your faith in what you hope for and what is rightfully promised to you by God. As important as it is not to speak fear into other people’s lives, it is just as important to not accept the curse when people speak it into your life. Instead of passively getting in agreement with the empty words from others, you need to reject it. Now maybe you do not feel comfortable rehearsing the word of God to everyone you encounter, and in some instances it simply isn’t appropriate. However, God says “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses therefore choose life”(Deut 30:19). Ladies, in every conversation there is either a blessing or a curse being spoken over you and you must wake up and choose life. If you don’t choose, the person speaking the curse will choose for you. Which was the case when I did not reject the defeat that Crystal spoke over me during my match. Here are some examples of how you can overcome the curse talk going on around you by using the Word of God, or by simply resisting the curse:

 “You know I believe I have been given the spirit of self-control and so therefore I no longer am a slave to food and it doesn’t really have control over me the way it used to. I am going to reach my goal of loosing weight and I am not even going to miss all that Christmas baking, because I enjoy eating healthy and working out. I’ve made up my mind that I am going to enjoy every moment of reaching this goal”

“ I am going to receive the promises of God because I believe God has got a great plan for me, to prosper me, and to give me a hope and a future. I just know that I am going to be blessed in finding my dream job, and I am going to be happy while I wait for God to reveal that Job to me”

“I hurt my ankle the other day, but it wont take long before it heals. In fact, it feels a whole a lot better than it did yesterday and tomorrow it is going to be fine and I’m believing that by next week I will be back on the treadmill”

 “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” (Eph 4:29)

 Just as we need to speak the fruit of life and blessings into our lives and reject the curse-talk that other people unknowingly speak over us. It is also just as important for us to do what Paul says and build others up according to their needs so that they may be blessed. I am so sick of hearing people shout each other down, instead of saying something that could build one another up. I have included a few examples of what this may look like:

“I believe you will succeed in loosing that 10 pounds, you are a strong willed daughter of the Most High and I believe you can do all things that you set your heart to, even in the winter”

“Congratulations on graduating from Commerce. That is so amazing, I bet God has great plans for you. You just hold fast to Jeremiah 29:11  and know that God is going to prosper you in all that you set out to do”

“I’m sorry to hear about your ankle, I will pray for you. In fact, let me lay my hands on you and pray for you right now. Let’s believe God for your healing”

Wow. Imagine if you were surrounded by a group of friends who were always speaking blessings over you instead of the curse. Imagine if you could build everyone around you up with the fruit of life in your mouth. I can understand why most of the world does not understand the ‘fruit of our mouth’ promise from God, but as Christians we should know better. There should be no excuse as to why we are STILL talking the curse, or allowing the curse to take root in our lives from the words of others. As sisters in Christ we need to build and encourage one another in our faith and be stong enough to reject the curse that disguises itself under the surface of our everyday conversations. We need to do some spring cleaning in our hearts and wash away all the words of doubt and disbelief that have been choking out the blessing in our life and the lives of others.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” - Hebrews 10:23

 We need to hold fast to our confession. What is your confession? What are you hoping for? What are you believing God for? Whatever you want to come to pass, you must confess it with your mouth. Do not forget though “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”, so it goes both ways sister! Get your mouth set on the right thing. If you are ready for a transformation then I encourage you to say this prayer:

Today I am going to start speaking differently. I shall not allow any words of corruption, emptiness, unwholesomeness, lack, sickness, poverty or fear come out of my mouth but I will guard my heart and choose my words wisely as I know they hold power. I will not allow anybody else talk doubt or disbelief into my life, and I will stand firm in my faith and resist the temptation to agree with what they are confessing. I will only confess things that are true, noble, reputable, compelling and gracious, the best, the beautiful and things to praise in the Word of God. I shall not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but will be transformed by the renewal of my mind. I choose to speak words of life and speak the blessing in other people’s lives. I choose to build others up by my words as I am unashamed of my faith. I will confess everything that I hope to come to pass and even if I cannot yet see the fruit of my confession, I know that I will receive it because I am walking by faith and not by sight. Thank you Lord for increasing my faith today. Amen!

Tests and Trials

As you may already know, Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promise Land. However the Israelite people had a bad attitude and were rebellious against the commandments of the Lord, so what was only supposed to be an eleven-day journey turned into forty years of wandering around aimlessly in the wilderness. Despite all the miracles God had performed for them, the parting of the red sea, the miracle manna that fell from the sky for them to eat every day, the water that gushed out of a rock when they thirsted- the people still complained and disobeyed the Lords commandments. If you can believe it, they even made for themselves idols out of silver and gold to worship instead of the Lord who had redeemed them. Once they reached the promise land Moses says to his people “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deut 8:2)

How many of you have not reached the promise land in your own life? I am talking about the Promise Land here on earth that all Christians should be living in. Be honest, are you bearing the fruits of the spirit (Love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, joy, self control, and gentleness) in your life? I don’t mean on occasion, I mean always? As Christians (being born again) we should be transforming into the character of God. We should enjoy every day that we are living no matter what our circumstances are. If you are like me, and have not reached the promise land but want to;  please read on. I am determined to not settle for a harvest in spring, but my desire is to have the fruits of the spirit flourish throughout all the seasons of my life. I refuse to be lost in the wilderness like the Israelites were for forty years before I get my heart right with God. I am willing to be humbled and tested in order to take a step forward in the direction of the promise land.

“To humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart”  Deut 8:2

What is one of your weaknesses? Let’s pretend for a moment that you said you have a problem with feeling jealous of other people. If you ask God for forgiveness for coveting you bestfriend’s bank account- He will forgive you, but I can guarantee that you will wake up the next morning with the same temptations as you had before. Let me be clear about something, God does not temp us. Temptation is the devils work. However, God allows us to be around temptation as a test to see the condition of our heart. I found this out the hard way about a year ago after praying that God would change me into a patient person. Well the next day I woke up thinking that God, with his mighty hand and outstretched arm, had eagerly wiped that ungodly characteristic off of my personality whiteboard. But I was sadly mistaken. For the next two weeks I found myself in the most frustrating situations that had tested every ounce of my patience. I would be in the car, already running late for work, when the world’s worst driver cut me off and drove 20 km below the speed limit. Then a few days later I found myself behind ten people in Shoppers who all seemed to have loads of items when all I had to pay for was a single toothbrush. So, like any impatient person would do, I walked over to the cosmetic counter and asked the lady if I could paid for it there. After a few more situations like these it finally hit me; my request to receive patience came ringing back in my ears like a voice memo. God was testing me and I was failing miserably. It was obvious, God was not just going to make life easy for me. Rather, He was going to build my character by putting me through countless situations that would test my patience. The next day I found myself behind another slow driver, instead of passing the car, I stayed behind it, driving 30km over the bridge. I laughed “You sure do have a good sense of humor” I said as I sensed the Lord was chuckling along with me. I was super excited that I had passed the first patience test of the day. However, when the Israelites turned away from their idolatry it did not mean they were declared a faithful nation by the Lord. They still had to be tested until they continually became victorious over the sins that were keeping them from inheriting the promise land.  Likewise, just because I had overcome my impatience that one time does not mean that I had destroyed the stronghold it had over me. I had merely taken my first step in the right direction. Just like a parent finds Joy in watching their child take their very first step, I believe God reacts the same way when take our first steps toward the promise land.

 Ol’ Moses says “that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end” (Deut 8:16) God does not find pleasure in watching us flunk a test over and over and over again; just like He did not enjoy watching the Israelites wander around in the wilderness for forty years. It hurts God to see His children fall into the enemy’s traps repeatedly but the good news is that He will never give up on you. Just like I learned with my request to acquire patience, God is going to let me take that test again, and again, and again until I pass it with straight A’s and begin bearing that “righteous fruit” in my life. Like Joyce Meyers says “it is not about having a good attitude when things are going your way, rather the real test of your character comes when you can have a good attitude when your circumstances have changed for the worse”. The Bible says that God changes us from glory to glory (Cor 3:16). What that means is that no matter where you are in your spiritual journey God will always be leading you to becoming a better person than you are today. James 1:2 says “count it as pure joy when you encounter trials of all sorts knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”.  So when you find yourself tested be glad and rejoice in knowing that this is your opportunity to grow. Remember that God is rooting for you to pass so that He can change you from glory to glory.

 Take heart Sister, the trials you encounter are to do YOU good in the end. They are designed to build your faith and with each test that you pass you are one step closer to becoming the person God created you to be. Remember that Gods love is perpetual and that your life and all of its ups and down are part of his divine plan to make you enjoy your everyday life here on earth and of course to prepare you for receiving his greatest gift-HEAVEN.  The important questions to ask yourself are: how do you handle the tests and trials in your life? Are you aware of when you are being tested, act accordingly and persevere. Or, are you still being held back in your “spiritual” grades because you keep failing the same test over and over again?  I don’t know about you guys but I am no longer going to turn a blind eye when something bad comes my way, I am going to say “This is a test, and I will persevere, and my faith will grow from passing this test”. Amen!

  “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” -James 1:12

Help a Sista out

Before I get into this devotional I would like to share with you a very memorable moment that happened to me a few years ago. I was the only squash coach who was able to train on this particular wintery night and as I drove closer to the gym I began dreading the next two hours of babysitting twelve kids by myself.  However,  when I arrived a few minutes late I was surprised to see only one kid on the court. Knowing the next hour of coaching was going to be stress free I instantly perked up and was motivated to give this boy my full attention. Little did I know, this would turn out to be one of my crappiest coaching experiences to date. About five minutes into the session I could have sworn that this child had farted in my mouth. I immediatly set up a drill so we were on opposite sides of the court, but I could still smell the terrible  aroma  under my nose. It was if I was trapped in a room with a skunk that had a stomach flu and a chronic case of Irratible bowel syndrome. Just when I thought things could not get worse, little Sean started shaking his pants.  I was standing in the service box waiting for him to stop figiting so that I could feed him the ball but all of his focus when to the bottom of his pant leg. I just stood there about six feet from away, watching him balance on his left leg as he vigorously shakes the other one. This went on for about 25 seconds and I kept thinking to myself ’What is this kid doing?’. I thought maybe he had and itch or maybe a bug was biting him. Then suddenly he stopped, and both of our eyes  gazed at the bottom of his pant leg, waiting for whatever it was to fall out. And there it was, a small, dark brown, mushy poop nug.  I was in shock. I had no idea what to do or what to say. Do I pretend I don’t know? Do I tell him? That might embarrass him.Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh.  As I just stood there weighing out the pro’s and cons, little Sean winds up his leg and smushes his poop into the court, hiding the evidence into the cracks of the court and the imprints on the bottom of his shoe. The small little poop nug was now gone and replaced with a big brown poop streak and the powerful aroma of the same lingering fart that did not escape my nostrils. I ended the practice early and got the mess cleaned up in the end, but this was definatley a memory that I will never forget.  

 Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one; For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow brother: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up.”  

When I reflect on this experience I am reminded of two very important life lessons: The first is this: Lets face it, we all have made a mess from the crap going on in our lives. Now I’m not saying that we accidentally poop on the floor like little Sean, but figuratively speaking we all have some sort of crap that tends disrupt out peace every now and then. Maybe you have some crap going on in your life right now that you don’t know how to deal with and perhaps like Sean, are embarrassed of the mess you have made. Why are we so afraid to ask others for help and why do we always want to carry our own load and try to clean up the mess on our own. There is a lie floating around that says we have to have everything together and only the weak ask others for help. But that could not be further than the truth. We need to humble ourselves and learn to open up to others about the trials that are going on in our life. The crap in our life does not dissapear if we avoid it and it will not go away by trying to hide it. It will rott and eventally the stench will pollute your soul. So from now on do not be afraid to ask others for guidance or encouragement. If you choose pride or embarassement over humility the outcome will be the same as little Sean, you will end up making a bigger mess than you started with.

  Galatians 6:2  “bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of christ”

 The second lesson I have learned is that we as Christ followers should be looking for opportunities to help people out with some of the crap you sense them going through. If I would have listened to that inner voice on the squash court telling me “say something, do something, help him” there would not have been such big mess  to clean up in the end. We have to obey that inner voice urging us to step out of our comfort zone and help someone in need. I regret the times I have walked away from a person or friend who I knew needed help and later wished I could have said what God put on my heart to say in that very moment. A part of reflecting the love of Christ means that we need to wake up every morning looking to serve one another and like it says in Galatians ”bear one anothers burdens”. It is your responsibility to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit and bring the light to those who you see are stumbling. Instead of watching from a distance why not make it your goal to take a step forward and encourage, pray with, express your thanksgiving, compliment, offer advice, or just be kind to a friend or stranger in need. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 ”Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me”.

The Jacket

Sometimes through life’s little tests, we find a bigger message and greater strength.

It was a Tuesday morning, and I knew it was going to be a busy one. I grabbed my stuff in a hurry and bundled up before heading out the door to catch the bus. It was pretty much the coldest day we had yet this winter and I was not looking forward to my walk to and from school. I had made it to school in time and rushed to and from each of my classes per usual as I only have 10 minutes in between to take a bathroom break or get a coffee etc. Amidst the chaos of the day, I had put my jacket down and either forgotten to pick it back up or someone snatched it when I wasn’t paying attention (still cant remember where exactly it went missing). I didnt even realize my jacket was missing until the end of my last class when I was preparing to bundle back up to go outside. At first I didnt feel worried, as it was clearly just hanging on the back of my chair in one of my classes…well so I thought. It wasnt until I had searched through every class..talked to every prof and looked in every bathroom, meeting room and all of the lost and founds in the entire university, that I had realized it was actually gone, and most likely stolen, considering no one had turned it in. I was starting to get upset by this point as I didnt have a jacket to wear home and it just happened to be one of the coldest days of the year.

So, after admitting defeat, I gave up the search and decided to go run it off at the gym with my friend Steph. I had told her what had happened and she felt pretty upset for me also, especially since I had a theft incident during my birthday not to long ago. I just remember running on the tread mill and talking to god, asking him why this was happening to me again…why are people stealing from me? I felt so much anger build up in me…how could someone be so heartless and steal someone’s jacket on the coldest day of the year? Not to mention it was my only warm winter jacket, and it was quite pricy too. I felt that the jacket was irreplaceable and didn’t want another jacket, I just wanted my old one back.

So after our workout, Steph offered me a ride home, which I definitely needed at that point. When I got in the car, she said she had something that would help to cheer me up. She then handed me a gift certificate to winners . At first I said no way and that she should keep the gc for herself, but after much debate, she had finally convinced me to accept the gift. So with that, we drove to winners to look for a new winter jacket for me.
We started in the main section and looked through all the jackets. There were a few that were ok, and would have been good enough to get me through the many cold days ahead. Then we decided to look in the junior section to see what jackets were over there. Again, no real luck as the selection was pretty picked over. But out of the corner of my eye, sitting off to the side on a completely different rack, was a jacket that looked very similar to mine, in fact, it looked just like my jacket. I walked closer and couldn’t believe my eyes…it was basically the exact same jacket mine that had been stolen. I called Steph over, and we both were speechless. I couldn’t believe it,  I never in a million years would have thought winners would have carried that brand name as it was only a few years old. Oh and it also just happened to be on sale too. So without hesitation, I bought the jacket, and with the help of Stephs kindness, and got my jacket back.
I remember getting home and sitting down on my couch in disbelief at the days events. I mean, what are the odds that the same jacket would be at winners, at that time, on sale and sticking out off to the side of the other jackets, waiting for me to see it. I feel god was telling me that he heard my cries and that although he couldn’t stop that person from stealing my jacket (as he wants us to have free will), he could certainly work his miracles to undo the damage that had been done. He certainly is a loving and caring god. It’s amazing how he cares so much for us that he even cares about every detail in our lives, no matter how big or small.
  
I know it may seem silly to some to make such a big deal over just a jacket, but it was more than that, it was the message behind it. I think I needed to experience that that day to truly understand the power God can have in our lives if we let him. He can turn any negative or desperate situation into a positive one. I feel that I grew stronger in faith that day, and will never doubt that he is with us always… in all ways.
Praise God!!

Tiffany M
__________________________________________________________________
Genesis 50:20 “What the enemy mean for bad God intended for good, to accomplish what is being done”
Sometimes we have to go through situtations like these before we wake up to the reality that only God is in control. When we do wake up to this reality, we let go of the Why’s? and the What if’s? and simply turn to God. Only then can we enter into the grace of God and recieve understanding and the precious gifts He has in store for us. Praise God for friends like Steph who see a gift certificate or money as seed to plant in other peoples lives. What a beautiful example of how God’s love works. Sometimes he calls us to give, and other times we are the ones to recieve. God intended this situation for Good, to accomplish what is being done now. What is being done now? When Tiffany saw that Jacket, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had his hand in this whole thing. This was no coincidence, rather this was Gods way of increasing the faith of Steph and Tiff and those of you reading this today. This blog was part of Gods plan, to spread the news to each and every one of us to remind us that He cares about us, and that His plan for your life is bigger and better than you can imagine. Like Tiffany, I hope your faith grows a little bit stronger today after reading her testimony and you are reminded that Gods plan is always intended for the good of those who love him. (Rom 8:28)
_____________________________________________________________________

Judgement

I love your blog.  When I first opened this page I was instantly intrigued by your ideas. I open my bible from time to time but every time I do I always feel full filled and grateful of the wisdom I learn.  Encouragement among friends is incredibly important and I think you have a start to something that women can really relate to:  faith amongst self, and faith amongst humanity. 

JOB 14-1-13: Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.  He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.  Do you fix your eye on such a one?  Will you bring him before you for judgment? Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one! Mans days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.  SO look away from him and and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired man.  At least there is hope for a tree; if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.  Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.  But man dies and is laid low he breathes his last and is no more.  As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.  If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me!

I think this passage is about really setting your thoughts about others on a pure path.  Everyone lives once, and everyone has one chance on becoming the person they want to be.  If someone is struggling in life, he should not be laughed at or judged, he needs to be helped or shown through leadership how to set himself straight on his own path. 

Jaycee another reason why your blog is stemming from a great thought, every person has their falls, and everyone deserves positive feedback other women.  I know there are countless times in my life where I am the woman I am today because of my friends.  I have a large social circle and I am so incredibly grateful to know so many wonderful, selfless, helpful, smart people.  I really thank them to the Woman I have become today.  One particular time when my entire life came crashing down on me due to mental illness to the point where I had to rebuild everything I knew about myself I learned through time, relationships with friends, God and myself showed me how to heal.  Perseverance, confidence and faith in yourself is key.

EPHESIANS 10:15 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our  struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day comes, you may be able to stand ground, and after you have done everything to stand, Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate around your waist, and with your feel fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  

I really believe that this passage can relate to the fact that we all go through times of impossible, but what God is saying that life will go on, and every person has a timeline.  In face it will go by in a blur even if your stuck sitting and unable to pull it together, metaphorically speaking or relating to any unfortunate event that life tends to carry, life carries on.  Belief in your friends, GOD, family, neighbor, colleague, etc etc etc etc YOURSELF :) is important.  Relating and understanding others helps the world round!
Thank you for reminding me to put faith in the bible, there is always so much to learn, and my mind is filled with peace

J.l.J

Hit and Run? Sin and Run?

Last week I spent some time reading Exodus 20 where God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. I was meditating on each commandment in attempt to surface the present sins that were hindering my relationship with God and before I fell asleep that night I asked God to reveal the unconscious sins in my life throughout my week. I went to bed with a sense of peace and woke up feeling beautiful (that’s right I said it) and motivated to hit the gym. I was in a rush to make the 8 o’clock spin class so sprinting up the hill to my car was not a setback. However once I backed out of my parallel parking spot, my car started to roll towards the car on my left. So I put on my breaks and shifted into reverse again, except for it was not in reverse, I accidentally put it in first gear. Oops. I gave the car plenty of gas and, as you can imagine, I slammed right into the other person’s car. It made a cracking noise loud enough for me to look left and right to see who was watching. Nobody. Instantly, that devious voice came rushing in and filled my mind like the floodwaters that filled the earth in Noah’s era. “You are such an idiot, Jaycee. Do you know how much this is going to cost you? Now you and Andrew aren’t going to be able to go to Prague this weekend, Germany is out of the question and they might even deport you from the country”. With my jaw still dropped open I backed up to examine the damage. The view from the front windshield revealed what looked like a crack and some scratches on the right side of their bumper. In fear of bumping into the car again, I decided that I’d drive to the bottom of the hill and park the car there. However that two second ride with the devils voice was all it took for me to keep on driving. Yes, I repeat, I kept on driving. As I drove further away I started to feel like Moses when he fled to the desert after killing an Egyptian man. These are some of the thoughts that drove me away “I can’t afford to pay for this, and besides the owner probably won’t see it anyways. And when He does see it, there is no way that he will know that it was me”. “The guy probably has insurance to cover the damage” “And if there is damage on my car I will tell the team manager that somebody ran into me” “Just keep driving Jaycee, Nobody knows but you and if you’re lucky, when you come back from the gym that car might be gone so you won’t even have a chance to tell them what happened”. I was like a five year old who denies scribbling all over the wall, but when her parents turn her around they find the same colored marker clutched in her hand. This is me, except for I am 24 years old, the paint is on my front bumper and my Father witnessed me doing it. I wish I could say that halfway to the gym, I pulled a U-Turn and headed back to my apartment to confess what I had done. But I didn’t. Instead I kept on driving and repeating to myself “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh…”When I arrived to the gym I walked to the front of my car and like a professional hit man  wiped off the smudge of black paint on my bumper. When I walked in the front doors I was not even the slightest bit upset to hear spin was cancelled and as if on auto pilot I went to my own bike and pedaled away slowly. At this point I could feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit so strong that I couldn’t help but to burry my head in my hands and cry. I knew that running away from the accident was wrong, and in some countries it is a criminal offence. I expressed my remorse and although I knew God forgave me I was hoping he would take away the guilt of what I had done. Given enough time I’m sure I would have found peace again, but I could feel the Lords discipline so strongly that I no longer wanted to run away from my sin. Although I had not yet confessed to the car owner what happened,  as soon as my heart agreed to obey the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I entered into the peace of God. The next hour I was filled with an extreme amount of faith that everything was going to be fine. It was really strange to feel both excited and scared to do the right thing but I knew God was by my side and His scripture was cheering me on.  After an hour of reciting scripture and praying I left the gym and headed to the apartments with a note in both Czech and English explaining what happened earlier this morning. When I arrived at the apartments I was relieved to see the car still parked in the same spot. I walked up the hill and once I stepped closer to the car I was shocked to see that there indeed was no crack in the bumper but what only looked like a few scratches. “Yes, Thank you Jesus”. I grabbed my towel from my gym bag and proceeded to wipe off the mud on the bumper and to my astonishment there was NOTHING there. Not a crack, dent or scratch. I started to laugh as I looked at the magical towel. I stood up, laughed some more like a crazy person, and praised God for His miracle. I might have even spun around I was so filled with Joy. I instantly felt God smiling down at me from up above and I could tell that He was just as happy as I was at that moment. I could feel in my spirit that I had blessed God by reversing the wrong that I had done, and I knew in my heart that this miracle was God’s blessing to me. Some may argue that there was no damage from the beginning, in fact I could easily think that too, but I choose to believe that through my faith God performed a miracle. As I walked into my apartment with a huge smile, I couldn’t help but to think about what would have happened if I continued to run away from my sin and put my faith in the enemy. I would still be carrying the weight of sin with me as I speak today. I would be paralyzed with thoughts of that person paying for the damage I thought I had done and would be filled with fear every time I passed that car or the owner. I would also be taking a giant step backwards in my relationship with Jesus by choosing to put my trust in the lies instead of holding fast to God’s word.

Here are a few things I feel led to share with you in relation to my personal story

“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” - James 4:17

I knew that driving away after hitting another car was wrong, it was dishonest and my spirit was immediately grieved about it. The truth is, we all do things that are wrong and sometimes we even disregard our conscience in order to do them. How many times do we dabble in gossip after promising ourselves we aren’t going to talk badly about others, or exercise our demons when we are driving behind granny smith who is taking up both lanes or when we complain after being asked to help out with dishes by your mother. Doing wrong when you know what is right, is a sin regardless of how ‘innocent’ you think it is.  

 “My son do not despise the lords discipline or resent his rebuke because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father does to the son he delights in”Proverbs 3:11-12

When a mother disciplines her son for running around the house with a pair of scissors in his hands, is it out of hate or love? Obviously she disciplines him out of love. As a parent you naturally want to protect your child from harming themselves or harming others.  God disciplines us out of this same kind of Parent-child love. Without God’s discipline I would have eventually convinced myself that driving away from the accident was the right thing to do and suppressed my guilt by using excuses to justify what I had done. I encourage you to humble yourselves into obedience to His discipline and remember that His words are motivated by an immeasurable amount of love for you.

 “He who conceals his sins does not prosper but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy”- Proverbs 28:13

When there is another person involved in the equation of sin, God may lead you to confess the truth or apologize to the victim of your sin. There is no way that I could have just hit that car, drove away and said “Oh God I thank you for forgiving me for committing this hit and run, I promise that I will never do this again”.  No, taking responsibility for our actions goes hand in hand with repentance to God. Whoever conceals his sin will not prosper but who confesses them finds mercy. Now perhaps you do not need to confess about a hit and run like I did but I believe God is asking us to humble ourselves towards the people we have hurt and counter sin with right doing. Some examples of this may be: Telling the truth after you have lied to someone, giving back the extra ten dollars the Sobeys clerk gave you, saying sorry after you yell at your mother, cleaning up your dogs poop on the sidewalk, picking up the piece of litter that you threw away, telling your husband about the pair of shoes you bought last month on your joint bank account, saying sorry to a family member that you have hurt in the past. You never know what sorts of miracles or blessings He has up his sleeve for those who obey His voice, even those who obey after they sin and run.

“Fear of man proves to be a snare but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe”  Proverbs 29:25

 I encourage you to ask God to reveal the hidden sins in your life and to lead you on a path of righteousness where you will be completely led by the Holy Spirit.  When you know the difference between right and wrong I pray that you will save yourself the heartache and do the right thing.  If you do get tempted into sin I pray that you will not run but rather be reminded that the Lords discipline comes to those who He loves.  I also hope that if you get the opportunity to do the right thing after you have sinned that you will trust in the Lord to keep you safe as you walk the path of humility.

Insecurities

Genesis 2:25 “The man and his wife (Adam and Eve) were both naked and they felt no shame”

Wow, hearing this makes me a little envious of being born in the Eden days. Coming from a woman who is recently married, I could use a little ‘no sham-edness’ when I’m naked around my man. I mean you wouldn’t see Eve looking in the reflection of the river saying to herself “Ugh, look at these dimples, and the size of my thighs, I’m so fat. I hope Adam doesn’t notice all the pimples that are attacking my forehead too”. No, this simply did not happen in the beginning, there was no negative self talk, no insecurities, and fear was unknown to humans. Adam and Eve were created perfectly and did not need confirmation from anyone else but the one who created them.They simply saw themselves through the reflection of their Creators eyes. So what happened? To sum it up, Eve believed a lie that the enemy told her. What was the lie? That she could become something better than she was, that she could become like God. This, of course, led to the infamous ‘Fall of man’ where Adam and Eve disoboyed God and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. After this moment all hell broke loose on earth but as I re-read this chapter I noticed more and more of the Enemy’s lies to steal Adam and Eve’s confidence.

It says in Genesis 3:10-11 “They realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves”. Lets look at the first part of this verse. “They realized”. So Satan had already planted the lie that it was wrong for them to be naked. But I want to point out that, this lie was in the form of a thought. You see, when Adam and Eve were without sin and had not yet ate from the forbidden tree, Satan could not legally tempt them with sinful ‘thoughts’ because they were protected by God, and they were guided by His thoughts but once they allowed sin into their bodies, it was free range for Satan. Funny isn’t it how this was the last we saw of the serpent in the Bible. The enemy no longer comes in the form of an animal or a person from this point on rather his voice is disguised through their thoughts in their mind. And I bet it wasn’t the typical cartoon devil on Adams shoulder saying ”Hey its the devil speaking here, I want you to sin, because sinning is wrong and it will ultimately ruin God’s plan for the human race.” No, Satan is a little more clever. In fact, I believe that from the moment forward he has been using 1st person narrative in our own train of thoughts. In case you were daydreaming in grade 10 English class Ill give you an example of what this may have sounded like: “I’m naked, being naked is wrong. I am so embarrassed, what should I do?”

Then what happened after the thought has taken root? Action. Satan will always try to get us to ACT in rebellion towards God. Why? because when we stray away from God we loose our will to do what is right and we end up giving the Enemy our power by actively sinning. So Adam and Eve “Sew fig leaves together and used them as coverings”. This is so sad when you think about it, I mean they are basically slapping God in the face by covering up what He created as beautiful. Genesis 3:9-10 “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said ‘Where are you?”  To where Adam replies “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid”. I want to point out a few things here and the First is: God has a sense of humor. I mean the omnipresent God asks “where are you?” to Adam when He knows exactly where he is. Secondly: Like Adam and Eve, I believe we tend to run away from God when we know that we have sinned against Him. Thirdly: Adam says “I was afraid”. Wow it took a mere 3 chapters in the Bible for the spirit of fear to enter mans mouth and it has not left since.

Genesis 3:12 God answers  ”Who told you that you were naked?”. God clearly knows that Adam and Eve have sinned, but He uses this rhetorical question to make them ’Think’ about what they have done. God is saying “I never told you that you were naked” and “naked” was not a word that I gave to you. So who told you that being nakedwas wrong? You see, The serpents plan was to trick the human race into believing that we are not good enough, smart enough, funny enough or beautiful enough. The truth about God declaring us as  wonderfully made (Psalm 139) has been replaced with a lie from the pit of hell and a lie that we have all believed. Ironically it is the same lie that the Enemy used to trick Eve “If you eat from the tree, your eyes will be opened and you will become like God..”(Gen 3:5) Sounds familiar doesn’t it? “If you just buy this product it will surely reduce the appearance of your freckles and blemishes and make you feel beautiful” “If you just buy these diet pills you will loose that unwanted weight and you can have a desirable body”. Either you choooseto be in agreeance with the lies that stem from the devil or you chooseto be in agreeance with God and allow Him to define you.

Now I will be the first to admit that I have a serious problem in getting into agreeance with the enemy. I guess it just seemed normal to me because as a young girl I watched my mother do it all the time and after a while standing in front of the mirror and naming our flaws was a normal pass-time for me and my sisters. I cannot count the many of times I have told myself “I would be so much happier if only I could have a thinner and toned body, I mean then I could fit into these Jeans and wear that type of shirt, etc”. And because I had allowed that thought to take root, I was speaking as though it was the truth and this led me to take action. I began restricting necessary foods, working out excessively, using diet pills until eventually I developed a very unhealthy eating disorder. I am happy to say that I no longer struggle with an eating disorder but I would be lying if I said that I do not sometimes agree with the lies that circulate in my head or outwardly confess my flaws when I am looking at my reflection in the mirror. But this is all about to change for me, and I hope that you are ready to destroy the stronghold of insecurities that are holding you back from becoming fully confident in the flesh that God has given you as well. It is time to slap the devil in the face and steal back the confidence that is rightfully ours.

                 How to replace the Eden Lie with the Truth?
Thoughts:  Remember how Adam all of a sudden ’realized’ he was naked? Well the next time you ’feel’ insecure about something it is because you have allowed a thought to take root in your mind and heart. The Bible says “As a man thinketh, so is he”. So whatever thoughts you hold onto, or meditate on, they will eventually become your reality. The next time you walk in front of a mirror, decide before you look at your reflection to say something positive about yourself to yourself. Get in the habit of cleaning up your mind, and meditating on ‘positive’ thoughts. To start, why not focus on the exact opposite of your insecurities. For example “I love the size of my hips, they give me shape, and they look really good in these jeans”

Speaking: Adam says “I was afraid because I was naked”. Everyone who is insecure about themselves has a tendency to speak about it. It is a fact that whatever we think about in abundance will set into our heart and will eventually come out of our mouths. The Bible says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. Why do we love to talk about our flaws? Why is it socially acceptable to rip apart Gods most precious creation? Ill tell you why. Because if Satan could get our mouths speaking a lie, the sooner it would take root inside of us, the faster that lie would travel to someone else, the more it would affect other people, and the more desperate we would become to find our confidence in something or someone else- other than God. What I am trying to point out here ladies, is that our words have power. We can change our lives for better or for worse by what we allow to come out of our mouths. If you want to be a woman of complete confidence then you need to get your mouth in line with the word of God and stop agreeing with the lies that surround you. Start speaking the truth out loud ”No, that thought is a lie and I choose not to think like that or speak like that” ”I don’t have to rely on cosmetics to make me beautiful. I look to the lord, He makes me beautiful from the inside out” (Psalm 34). The Bible says that we overcome evil with good. It may feel a bit silly at first saying things out loud like “I am not afraid of getting older, I will embrace it, and I look good for my age”  “I love the way my body fills out these jeans” “I find my confidence in Christ alone”. Like Joyce Meyers likes to say “fake it until you make it”. Eventually, speaking positive about yourself will come naturally and the condition of your heart will be transformed until you no longer believe the Eden Lie.

 Who told you?: If there is anything that you reflect on after reading this blog  I hope it is this question. I believe God is asking us that same question today. “Who told you that?”  Who told you that you are insecure? Who told you that you look fat? Who told you that you need to look this way to feel confident? Who told you that you don’t look attractive when you are naked? God knows exactly who it was that told you those lies, but He still asks ”Who” because it is important for youto know where these false statements are coming from and to know that if it is not from Him then it is not the Truth. In today’s society the enemy does not have to whisper in our ear anymore, there are more efficient ways to get the mass population to believe the lies that separate us from the security of God. If you look around you there are movies, music, television, magazines etc all projecting the same lies that stemmed in the Garden. We are not good enough, rich enough, healthy enough, pretty enough, strong enough, etc. But yet why do we continue to buy into them? We keep feeding the serpent’s ego and in turn giving free range for his lies to pollute our mind, mouth and heart. Then we wonder why we feel so insecure when we stand naked in front of a mirror,or wear no makeup in public. I am not saying that we should be extremists and not watch tv or movies but rather be mindful of which ones you are buying into and the messages that they portray. Instead of flipping through the ”Best and Worst” beach bodies magazine and comparing your body with the celebrities,why not flip to a page in your Bible and read the promises of God.I guarantee His word will penetrate your mind and soul more than any other source this world has to offer.

 My hope is that starting today we can take a step forward in cleaning up our minds and our mouths and choose to believe what God has to say about us instead of repeating the Eden lie to ourselves and to others.

God Is So Good...

I went to a worship service last night.  I have been struggling with my journey with the Father and decided to connect with him through worship.  I love him SO much but I’m caught at a wall; how do I know when I have truly given my entire body and soul to God?  How am I going to get to that point?  Is God going to give me a sign?
Worship last night was absolutely amazing!  I feel that I can completely give my full attention and love to God through song.  People were dancing around with flags and material, waving in the air and dancing throughout the room.  I could feel that everyone in that room was so in love with God and it was so inspiring!  After worship, it was time to pray for one another.  My sister sat beside me and prayed for me… and prayed… and prayed.  And I cried, and cried and cried…  The power of prayer is so intense.  I felt the holy spirit come into my body and calm my spirit. It was like my worries and fears were stripped away and I just felt love.  Then a few more ladies that saw me struggling came to me and prayed for my strength and courage. And I cried more, and felt the presence of the Father even more.  It was the most intense moment I have had with the Lord.  I got home last night feeling overwhelmed and tired, which was a little discouraging but I knew that things were different after that moment.  I am not worrying about tomorrow anymore, because the Lord will take care of me.  God is so good to us.  I am so thankful that he is merciful and so forgiving.  It’s hard when you get on the faith train and feel so amazing and so connected with the Lord, and it can be so easily stripped away from you.   Life with God isn’t going to be easy, but it’s going to be so amazing. 
For everyone who is reading this:  Father, I pray for our safety and strength.  I pray that you shower your love over us and make the light of the Lord shine so brightly in us.  I pray that you are present in this blog so that we can continue to communicate through you, about you and most importantly, FOR YOU. 
- Chelsey H