Redemptive Suffering

If you've been in this world more than a few years, you know what suffering feels like. Some sufferings cause us great pain, while others only minor irritations. Pain is never desired but when connected to Jesus and Mary, it can be beneficial in our growth and the growth of those connected to us innocently or through the infection of sin.

Suffering has many faces. We can suffer because of poor choices made by ourselves or others. We can also suffer physically due to an ailment, disease, or injury. These sufferings can cause great mental anguish on top of physical manifestations of pain. 

As a child, I was bottle fed people pleasing. It was my job from my earliest memories to care for the emotions of those around me. I had to be careful in my words and actions not to upset the adults around me. This grew me into an adult that felt responsible for everyone in my vicinity. When I say vicinity, I truly mean it. I felt responsible for strangers I came across. I wasn't just kind because we are called to be so. I was so kind and helpful that it was nauseating. 

The people pleasing that infiltrated my marrow caused me great stress. I constantly fretted over my words and actions. When I walked away from an encounter, I replayed it over and over in my head. Each replayed reel showed me more mistakes I had made in the interaction. 

The suffering that accompanied me down this rabbit hole was, well, insufferable. I rarely felt peaceful and constantly worried that people did not like me. Due to the ever present concerns, I suffered with stomach issues and never felt rested.

Like many of you, I have suffered due to other's sinful choices and patterns. I have dealt with various forms of abuse and had to learn how to recognize that the abuses were not my fault. Carrying the shame, guilt, and ugliness of another's sin causes deep and painful suffering, especially when done in fear and silence. The suffering leads to many lies that we believe as truths. For example, we often feel worthless, unlovable, and dirty.

Suffering comes when we have any sort of physical ailment, be it an illness, disease, or injury. The physical discomfort and pain is generally accompanied by mental pain. Fear, discouragement, anger, etc. often tag along and leave us feeling hopeless and helpless.

Suffering of any kind leaves us feeling frustrated and often overwhelmed. The enemy gets a great kick out of our discouragement and roots for us to disconnect from Jesus and try and just live with it.

Thankfully, this is not the plan of our Savior. He never intended for us to suffer alone or in vain. He wants us to give Him our suffering and connect it to the suffering He had on the cross. Even still, He calls us to connect our pain to His mother, Mary, who experienced great sorrow as she watched her son in the most terrible pain dying for each one of us.

But how do we do this? 

We connect our suffering to Jesus and Mary by offering our pain to them. We do this by willfully submitting to them and asking for each to walk alongside us. We ask for guidance, mercy, love, and peace to accompany us. 

I am a visual person so I will visualize myself handing my suffering to Jesus and mama Mary. I picture them taking it, lovingly smiling upon me, and releasing me from the agony. Does this make the suffering instantly leave me? Nope, not usually. But it does truly help me feel relief and comfort. It makes me remember that I am not alone in the process of healing.

John 16:33

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.

If we are breathing, we will encounter suffering. Our world is one that has tragedies, abuses, illnesses, and deceit. I am so grateful we do not have to do this alone. 

If you are in a suffering valley, take it to Jesus and allow Him to walk you through it.

In peace, 

The Idolatry Cleanse

I have discovered that God is in control.

No newsflash, I know.  But for someone who likes order, schedules, and yes, control I have had to surrender to this fact and learn to be obedient with my trust.

Sound familiar?

I said I trusted God, but did I really?  I held my hands out to Him, but I kept a few fingers curled in holding onto what I thought I needed control of.

I held onto my kids too tightly.

I held onto my marriage too tightly.

I held onto my health too tightly.

I held onto my appearance too tightly.

I held onto my plans too tightly.

What's your list?  What are you holding too tightly to?

Here's the truth-
When we hold on too tightly to people, things, ideas, etc., we have created idols.  When we seek control, we have created an idol.  We are placing more trust in ourselves and our ability to control over trusting God and allowing Him to lead us.

Ugh....

I read the stories in the Bible of the people creating idols to worship and I think, "No way!  What were they thinking??  Who would idolize and worship a golden object?"

And then the Holy Spirit convicts me.  He shows me my golden objects.  They may not be literal golden objects, but I sure have made them golden in my life.  They are the shiny things that I devote more attention to than God.  They are the things that - dare I say - I worship.  That list I shared above...you guessed it, my idols.

Idolatry - the religious worship of idols...excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc. (dictionary.com)

God warns us in Exodus about idolatry.  Let's see what He says.

Exodus 20:4-5

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.  You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

One of the first words that pops out to me is the word "anything".  God leaves no room for question.  Anything, anywhere is off limits.  God is the only One we are to worship, glorify, bow down to, and devote our hearts to.  He makes Himself quite clear.  

Ever have to do this with someone?  You know they will ask a million and one questions so you lay out all possibilities and leave no wiggle room.  Yeah, that's what God did with us.  He knows we will justify and find loop holes.  By spelling out His command with great detail He stopped us in our tracks.  

God does not instruct us to avoid idol worship because He is insecure and needs our attention.  He is not power hungry and controlling.  Those things are not love.  God warns us against idolatry because He is fully aware what happens to our hearts when we are in the thick - or really even the thin - of it.  He knows when we are in idol worship, our hearts and minds are not filled with His precious peace.  We look to something or someone to bring us security and worth.  Those things never do.  I can promise you that.

So we read in God's words that we are not to have idols of any kind, but what can we do to protect our hearts and minds from developing and worshipping them? 

I have created a list to help us not be burdened with idols and live in freedom and joy.  

The Idolatry Cleanse

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal idols you have created on a daily basis.
2. Listen to the Holy Spirit and be receptive about what He tells you.  If you ask, He will answer but you must open your heart to hear Him.
3. Foster an intimate relationship with Jesus.  The more you look to Him, talk to Him, and rely on Him, the less likely you are to look elsewhere.
4. Renew your mind daily with Scripture reading.  
5. Clean out your life - remove anything that leads you to idol worship.

To be most effective, this list must be done on a daily basis.  In order to recognize and combat idols, we must be intimately connected to Jesus.  To be intimately connected means to develop and pursue a relationship with Him. 

When are in deep communion with Jesus, our hearts long most for Him.  Let that be our goal...

May Jesus never say about us that we exchanged the truth of God for a lie , and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator. (Romans 1:25)

Rather may He say well done, good and faithful servant! (Matthew 25:21)

Idolatry is an ugly that tries to suck us in with a mask of beauty.  Don't fall for it.  Gaze upon Jesus' beautiful face and be awed by Him in such a way that any hint of idolatry turns your stomach.  

We won't always be perfect with it, but we can always be faithful to the One who saves.

Marci

How to Begin to Find Peace

Lion's Lare Trail in Boulder, Colorado

I absolutely love hiking. My adrenaline is activated as I watch for bears, mountain lions, deer, and creepy, scary humans. As I walk along the trails, I inhale the clean air and take in the outrageously beautiful sights. I am amazed every single time that God created everything I encounter. When I am not chatting up my husband, I am talking with Jesus. I often revel in praise at His creation. However, there are times I pray for something that is heavy on my heart, be it a personal issue or an intercession for someone. 

I have been asked numerous times about my love of hiking. Aren't I afraid? What would I do if I encountered a curious creature? What's it like being so vulnerable? Have you ever been startled by another human? 

Notice that all of those questions focus on what could negatively happen. Not many people ask me to describe the most beautiful sights I have taken in. I have never been asked what it's like to be so immersed in God's creation.

My happy place is a mountain. Nature ignites my closeness with God and causes me to feel overwhelming peace. I can truly feel His presence among me, despite the dangers that are possibly lurking in the woods and around each bend. 

As I excitedly look forward to an upcoming trip to the mountains, I began to wonder why I am so peaceful and calm amongst possible dangers, yet I am often afraid by what if's in everyday life. God is the same. He's not different, I am. 

When I am hiking, I release my fears and put my total self in God's hands. I trust that He will protect me no matter what. I often cautiously scan my surroundings, but I do it with joy and peace.

As I scan my daily life and the worries I have tethered to my heart, I am left with anxiety, worry, and frustration. 

Why is it that I can't let go and fully trust when I am in regular life mode? 

Can you relate?

When I am on vacation, I tend to relax and rest in the moment. I bask in the beauty and refresh my body and soul. 

God calls us to do that every single day, no matter where we are physically and mentally. 

1 Peter 5:7 instructs us to "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you".

Matthew 6:27 tell us that worry cannot add a single hour to our life.

So let's just all stop worrying, fretting, and trying to control situations we really can't.

How dumb is that statement!? It's such an absurd command. I get so very irritated when I am stressed about something and people respond, "Just stop worrying." Oh duh! Why didn't I think of that! (Insert the biggest eye roll ever!)

Casting our cares and giving God the reigns we so desperately try to hang on to takes lots of practice. We must be patient and offer ourselves lots of grace. In truth, it's going to take a daily commitment to give God everything. We are going to slip up and worry so badly our bellies hurt many times. But God knows our intents. He knows when we truly try to give Him our concerns. 

As I am learning to do this more and more, I have found that uttering a simple prayer helps. When worry likes to set up camp in my overactive mind, I repeat over and over, "Jesus, I trust in You."  Prayer isn't meant to be long and drawn out. Prayer is talking to Jesus and sharing your heart. He doesn't give out prizes to the best speakers. He gives His overwhelming peace to those who truly seek and trust Him.

Many people know Jeremiah 29:11. We often cling to it when we are unsure of what is happening in our lives. Verses 12-13 aren't often quoted, however. I love these verses, as they instruct us to seek Him and assure us we will find Him. 

We've got this! We can imperfectly pray for trust and guidance. We can be assured that Jesus has us perfectly.  

Psalm 139:5 - You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand upon me.

Keep hiking up this mountain of life and rest in the truth that Jesus you regardless of your surroundings and circumstances.

With love,

Marci💗

Finding the Gold in Others Rather than the Dirt

Ever notice how quick we are to judge people and pick at their scabs?  We may smile on the outside, but often times we are searching for the dirt - the uglies.

I think we are all guilty of this at times.  

Recently, someone told me a story about some people.  The person was telling me some facts, but there were definite judgments attached.  For the next couple of days, I couldn't stop thinking about the story. The more I thought about it, the more my heart broke for the people involved.  

The more I pondered it, the more I wondered why it was so attached to my heart.  The Lord began to show me how often we {me included} see the dirt rather than finding the gold.  He began convicting my heart over situations and discussions I have been involved in.

We all have dirt because we are all human.  We are sinful creatures who can create quite the dirt piles.  We, more than anyone else, know how dirty we are and can become.  We are fully aware of the imperfections and sins that plaque us.  

Do we focus on other's dirt to avoid seeing our own sometimes?  Does focusing on other's dirt take the spotlight off of our own messiness?

Yep-I think that's it.  We focus on the dirt other's wear so our dirt doesn't appear to be so brown.

Aren't we suppose to be building each other up and encouraging one another to live life better?  We can't really do that if we are focusing on the messy, even if just in our minds.

Our family visited Colorado a few summers ago.  We decided we would go on an adventure and search for gold.  We grabbed our tin bowls and began sifting through the water in search of the sparkly stuff.  It didn't take long for our kids {and me} to get bored.  All we seemed to find were dirty rocks covered in mud.  After about 15 minutes we set our bowls aside and began running around in search of instant fun.  

We never found any gold - we didn't look long enough.

We can be that way in our interactions with people.  Sometimes we don't look long and hard enough for the sparkle.  We notice the dirt and quickly walk away.  

Everyone has sparkle inside of them.  We can find some people's fairly quickly.  But some people have hidden it so well that it takes quite a while to find it.  When there is a glimmer of sparkle in those people, however, it is the most beautiful shine.  Not only are you recognizing it, but the person may be too.  They may not even be aware that any kind of glimmer exists in their broken, messy hearts.  

What if we stopped looking at the dirt and searched for the gold?  

What if when we see even a hint of a glimmer, we focus on that rather than the mess?  

Can you imagine the shine that will sparkle when we do?  

Imagine showing someone their gold when they had no idea any existed.

Be the one who finds the gold, my friend.  Oh what we can do for God's Kingdom if we only look hard enough.

Loving you with a golden heart-

Marci

How To Pray Throughout the Day

Prayer is a game changer.  When done consistently, our hearts learn to lean towards Jesus in all areas of our lives.  The abundant life that He speaks of in John 10:10 becomes a reality.  This is not to say there will never be trials, heartache, tears, and anger.  These things are a given when living in a broken world.  However, cultivating an active prayer life will change the way we deal with these things and create an overall sense of peace and calmness amidst the storms.  Fears will still come, but they won't pull us under the roaring sea.  When prayer is part of your day and part of your life, your life truly will change.

Sounds great, right?  But how does one pray continually?  We have so much going on in life and so many things to think about, plan, and execute.  I remember on numerous mornings telling myself I was going to pray throughout the day only to crawl in my bed that night and realize I didn't utter one prayer.  I would get discouraged and frustrated with myself.

I began to really think about how I could pray continually throughout the day.  I realized (God probably actually smacked me with this reality!) that prayer is not a wordy, impersonal act.  Prayer is literally just talking to Jesus.  Prayer is our direct line to Him.

Think about it...we talk to ourselves all day long.  Instead of just speaking to ourselves, we can train our minds to speak to the Holy Spirit more than we speak to ourselves.  And that, my friend, is prayer!  Nothing fancy.  Nothing showy.  Just pure, honest talk.

So how do we train our minds?  With lots of practice.  Anytime we begin something new, it takes effort.  We create habits over a series of days and weeks, not minutes.  The practice of continual prayer is not meant to frustrate us, it is meant to encourage us and enrich our lives.

There are many ways to train our minds.  We are all different and, therefore, some things work for some while other things work for others.  I'm going to share how I was able to train my mind.  You can use it all, you can use bits and pieces, or you can throw it all out the window.  Do what works for you.

How I trained my mind to have an active and consistent prayer life:

1.  I begin my day with Jesus.  Before doing anything else, I grab my prayer journal and write out what I am thankful for, personal prayers, and prayers for others.  Prior to beginning, I ask Jesus to show me sins I need to confess and people I need to forgive.  This clears my heart and prepares me to focus on Jesus.  By waking and going to Jesus first thing, I center my thoughts around Him rather than around me.  It has made a HUGE difference in my life.

2.  I committed to reading Scripture daily.  This is often done mid morning or early afternoon.  I have found that this has helped me so much.  If my mind wanders away from the will of Jesus, reading Scripture always brings me back to Him.  This can be five minutes or thirty minutes.  It is dependent upon my day.  However, I generally always stick to it because it has made such a difference in my mindset and heart.

3.  I like to focus on a verse each day.  When I wake in the morning and have something on my heart, I will look for a verse during my prayer time that I know will help center me.  For example, if I am in what if mode, I will think upon Philippians 4:6-8.  If I do not have the verse committed to memory, I will write it down on a small index card and keep it with me.

These practices have been so helpful in training my mind to think upon Jesus throughout the day.  My prayers are short - often one to two sentences - but they are consistent.  For example, if I am outside with my puppy and hear a bird, I will tell Jesus what a beautiful sound He created and thank Him for allowing me to hear it.

Praying consistently has made such an impact on my life.  I feel so very connected to Jesus.  I recognize His presence so often and feel Him speaking to me.  There truly is a peace that surpasses all of my understanding and I know, without a doubt, that it comes from having an active prayer life.

My mom recently said something that was a golden nugget.  I grabbed it and tucked it away for safe keeping hoping to never forget it.  She said, "As I'm praying throughout the day, I don't say Amen.  I keep my heart open so that my prayers are flowing all day."  I love that!  Let your prayers flow all day and feel the transforming effects of a consistent and active prayer life.

Rooting for you and your prayer life,
Marci 💗

Don't Fall for It

 Proverbs 16:18

Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

Good 'ol pride brought Satan down. Funny, he uses pride to bring us down, too. Satan whispers in our ear that our choices to honor our ourselves won't hurt anyone. In fact, if we are happy, the enemy tells us, then everyone around us will be happy too. We hear the "I am" statements and believe them.

I am unhappy with my husband, he's not fun anymore.

I am tired of pleasing everyone else. It's time to focus on me for a change.

I am important, therefore, I can do whatever makes me feel good.

I am overweight, so I choose to starve myself.

I am a good person, so it is okay to make this choice.

We must never forget that there is only one I AM and that is Jesus Christ. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that when we are prideful and arrogant, we will surely have destruction. Who on earth plans to fall?

We do when we allow pride and arrogance to enter our hearts. May we boast in our Lord and Savior and never in ourselves. May our eyes ever be on our Redeemer.

What causes pride to rear its ugly head in your heart? How do you usually respond to it?

Choose well,

Marci💗

The Desperate Plea of a Woman

Are we all tired yet? The fighting. The yelling. The disagreeing that boils down to pride, self promotion, and pure hate.  What really is being accomplished?

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken me to the core. This isn't because I was a die hard fan. It's due to the fact that we are now killing because we feel it is our right as humans to eliminate those we don't agree with. Extremism to its core. 

It is appalling to read all of the posts celebrating the killing of a human being. Celebrating! This is very disturbing, to say the least. Where has the moral compass gone? It has been replaced with a self centered belief that we are the god of ourselves. If it's not pleasing, it's not worth dealing with. People have decided that if someone disagrees with them, they are disposable. While not everyone is out taking the life of those they disagree with, they are certainly, and often, killing them. They kill reputations. They kill with slander and lies. It has become a disgusting war of words. People hide behind screens and blast out nasty insults for their own pleasure. Somehow we have lost basic human respect and kindness. 

What happened to good 'ol fashioned debating? It used to be okay, and actually quite well received, to have healthy debates. People of differing views were able to have civilized disagreements without ruining relationships, spewing hate, and ultimately celebrating their opponent's death. It made the debaters stronger. And sometimes minds were actually changed because people listened to one another and were able to rationally look at ideas critically without pride.

Very rarely is this seen in our country anymore. We have elected officials screaming at each other and verbally attacking one another while standing in positions our tax dollars actually pay them to stand in. It has become such a joke. 

If you are a conservative, you are labeled racist, intolerant, hateful, a fascist, a Nazi, etc. When conservatives call on God in prayer, we are told we are wasting our time. And there lies the problem. People have abandoned the Word of God for the word of the enemy. The story is as old as time. Think back to the serpent asking Eve, "Did God really say...". And the question continues to be posed every single day.

I know a woman whose son was offered an interview at Fox News. The young man refused the interview because he said he would be hung in the public forum if it came out that he was a conservative who loved God. What has happened to moral courage? That topic will be saved for another post, but definitely worth asking yourself and those around you. 

If you are a breathing human being, you should be appalled that a person was killed for his beliefs and words. This shouldn't be a party affiliation outrage. It should be an everybody outrage. If even for a moment you celebrated, you should check your heart. Find the evil that has crept in and do everything to remove it. Celebration for this is a sure sign that the enemy has his stake in you. This should scare you like nothing else. 

In 1991, Rodney King was severely and violently beaten by Los Angeles police officers. The beating was captured on video and released to a news station. It was absolutely horrifying! The officers were brought to trial and subsequentially acquitted. Riots broke out for 6 straight days. Businesses were burned. People lost their lives. It was pure terror for those caught up in the violence. 

Rodney King made a public statement concerning the riots. His remarks should be revisited by all Americans. 

I just want to say – you know – can we, can we all get along? Can we, can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids? And ... I mean we've got enough smog in Los Angeles let alone to deal with setting these fires and things ... It's just not right. It's not right, and it's not going to change anything. We'll get our justice. They've won the battle, but they haven't won the war. We'll get our day in court, and that's all we want. And, just, uh, I love – I'm neutral. I love every – I love people of color. I'm not like they're making me out to be. We've got to quit. We've got to quit; I mean, after all, I could understand the first – upset for the first two hours after the verdict, but to go on, to keep going on like this and to see the security guard shot on the ground – it's just not right. It's just not right, because those people will never go home to their families again. And uh, I mean, please, we can, we can get along here. We all can get along. We just gotta. We gotta. I mean, we're all stuck here for a while. Let's, you know, let's try to work it out. Let's try to beat it, you know. Let's try to work it out.

What is it going to take for our country to come together and respect one another? The last time I truly witnessed such a thing was after 9/11. Let's hope and pray it doesn't take such tragedy for people to lay aside their swords and find common ground and disagree respectfully.

Notice how the different flowers compliment each. What beauty can be had!

Marci