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My Freshly Brewed Life: September 2009

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Balancing Act




Have you ever felt lopsided? That's how I am feeling these days. Lopsided is defined as “having one side lower or smaller or lighter than the other.” As I try each day to focus my attention only on those things that I feel must get done, I often feel off balance, as if something is pulling on me. No matter how hard I try, sometimes I feel as if I could tumble over, giving in to the side of me that feels the heaviest. Even though I have many things in life that need my attention, God has given me enough time in each day, and enough grace for the day, to accomplish all that He has called me to do. Sometimes it’s the unnecessary things that I take on in life that will cause me to get off balance, and it’s then that I lose my peace.

As a busy woman with many responsibilities, I must strive to live a balanced life. Balance and peace of mind are something that God has promised to me.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Is. 26:3)
God promises to keep me in a state of peace, balance and rest when I fix my thoughts on Him. In order for me to do this, I must allow God into my day. I must seek Him, ask Him what it is He would have me to do, and if necessary, allow him to rearrange my "to do list" in order to bring me greater peace and rest. There will be things on my list that I will simply have to let go as a trade off for balance. I have to come to a place where I realize that God is in control and I don’t have to do it all every day. I am not superwoman. God’s desire for me is to live a balanced life. When I feel off kilter, I simply need to pray and ask Him to help me organize my life, taking on only those things He’s called me to do, and letting go of the rest. Are you feeling unbalanced today? If so, pray and ask God to help you rearrange your day. His desire is to give you peace and bring balance and rest to your life. Let go and allow God to take care of the rest.

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Possession Through Proclamation



Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad. (Psalm 126:2-3)
It's easy to proclaim the good things that are happening in our life, but what about those things we desire but don't yet see? Have you ever fought hard to bring freedom to an area of your life, only to feel after trying for so long that you've failed? I was sharing with a girlfriend about a particular personal journey I've been on for what seems like forever. I have tried so hard to gain the victory, yet don't feel like I've gained much ground at all and feel like giving up. I just can't seem to find the motivation to keep trying. Although I was waiting for the response of, "why don't you try this", or "have you tried that", the response she gave was unexpected, yet has been resounding in my spirit ever since. She told me to "stop trying and start proclaiming". Hmmm, I knew that.
Christ came to set the captives free. When I have a negative outlook towards something in my life, and proclaim negative thoughts about myself or the situation, I cannot gain ground. Our words are powerful. They carry life or death.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,(Proverbs 18:21a)
We must being to speak positively over ourselves if we are going to see victory in these areas. Although we may not see the fruit of our labor yet, through Christ we have already won the battle. We must have the faith to pull on heaven, to call that which is not seen into existence. Even if we can't quite grasp these truths now, the more we proclaim how God sees us or our situation, the more we will believe it. You are what you behold. What does God say about you? Here are some things I've been proclaiming over my life recently:
  • I am healthy and thin!
  • I am full of energy and can accomplish all that is put in front of me each day!
  • I am beautiful and loved!
  • I am organized!
  • I am a good friend and a hard worker!
  • I am a good mother!
Shout it from the rooftops! The LORD has done and IS DOING good things in your life! What are some things that you are proclaiming over your life?

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Monday, September 7, 2009

You Are An Overcomer



I was talking with my girlfriends this weekend about being an overcomer. What does the Bible have to say and how do we get there?
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Although life is sometimes an uphill battle, Jesus said he has overcome the world. He already fought our battles for us, took them to the cross and died so that we could have the final victory. It's hard to sometimes remember, in the midsts of our battles, that in Christ we ARE victorious. If this is true, why then do we often find ourselves fighting battles we thought we had already won?
To overcome is defined this way: get the better of, prevail over, control, get/bring under control, master, conquer, defeat, beat; get over, get a grip on, curb, subdue; informal lick, best.
When we find ourselves struggling to gain victory in a certain area, it just means we haven't yet gotten full control over the siutation. But with every step we take toward victory we are gaining ground and getting closer to overcoming the situation. Sometimes in this life it's "one step forward, two steps back". But we must continue to press in, to stand on the Word of God that tells us
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:19)
God has given us ALL authority to trample on the snakes in our life. The enemy has no power over us. We all know the enemy is a LIAR! He likes to whisper in our ear and distort situations and cause us to take our eyes off of Christ and what He is doing in the midsts of it. When those things happen to me, I often do a prophetic act: I picture myself pulling the enemy out of my head (because we all know that is where our battles begin), throwing him on the ground, stomping on his head and then picking up the remains and throwing them in the trash. I remind myself that through Christ I AM an overcomer and that the enemy has no power or authority over my life. Try it. It sure feels good!
I really like this definition of to overcome:
defeat, beat, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overwhelm, overpower, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, win over/against, outdo, outclass, worst, crush; informal drub, slaughter, clobber, hammer, lick, best, crucify, demolish, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of, blow out of the water, take to the cleaners, shellac, skunk.
When you find yourself in the midst of the storm, remind yourself that God is for you, not against you. He has overcome the world and the power of the enemy over you. Stand on His Word. Praise Him! Speak life to yourself. Tell yourself that You are an overcomer. Then, stomp on the head of the serpents in your life, wipe the floor with them and move on out in victory. You are an overcomer!

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Waiting



Since the day we are born, we are taught to wait. In our infancy, we are helpless. We cannot ask for the things we need, so we cry, trusting that mom or dad will come to our rescue. As toddlers who are old enough to ask for what we want or need, we are often met with the dreaded word “wait” by mom or dad. We throw a fit, stomping off with our arms crossed and a frown on our face. We would often comment, “I don’t want to wait. It will take too long”, or “it’s not fair”. In our teenage years, we wait for the first day of Jr. High or High school, we wait to get our first job, our driver’s licenses, we wait to graduate high school, for acne to be gone, to start college and to find our soul mate whom God has designed specifically for us. The list goes on and on. As adults, we are still waiting on the Lord for many things. Waiting is not always easy. But I believe God’s timing in all things is perfect. He always brings forth the answer, yet it is not always within the time frame we would choose. We simply have to trust.
David was a man after God’s own heart. He walked closely with God. Yet, his prayers and admonishes are full of waiting:
  • David waits in expectation for the Lord’s answers each day.In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psa. 5:3);
  • David encourages us to be strong and to not lose heart as we wait for the Lord to reveal Himself in our situation.Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psa. 27:14);
  • David instructs us to wait with hope because God will come to our rescue.We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. (Psa. 33:20);
  • David instructs us to put our hope in the Word of God as we wait for the Lord’s answers.
    I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. (Psa. 130:5)
Webster’s Dictionary defines “to wait” this way:
to remain in readiness for some purpose
Other words for “wait” are: anticipate, look forward, long, pine, yearn, expect, be ready.
As David waited on the Lord, he remained in a state of readiness to fulfill the purposes of God for that day. He encouraged himself in the Lord, telling himself to stay strong and reminding himself that God would rescue him. David put his hope in the Word of God. He trusted that God would take care of him. In those times when I desperately need an answer from God, I can often get impatient and tend to want to find my own solutions. Sometimes in the waiting, I can feel abandoned, unloved or like God isn’t hearing me. But the Word of God reminds me that He is waiting for me to come to him during those times.
But the LORD still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them. (Is. 30:18)
Does this mean I simply ask once and leave it at that? No! I must continue to press in, to ask, to seek God through His word until such time as the answer or direction is brought forth. I am to continually come to Him so that He can show me His love and compassion, and so that in due time He can rescue me.
I do not know what you are waiting on the Lord for. I myself am waiting on a few things. But my prayer is that we would all be strengthened as we wait; that we would lean in to hear what He is saying; that we would trust that His timing is perfect and that He will reveal His plan in due time. God is for us, not against us. In our waiting, we must remember His great love for us!
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Is. 40:31)

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