Now Available: Plexus MegaX

Pattern For Living

Have you ever entered into a situation and realized it just didn't seem right? It doesn't matter what the situation is... a relationship, a job, a project, your health - fill in the __________. That moment when you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that hmm... I'm not sure if this feels right. 

I recently began a sewing project to make a reversible purse. I saw a cute pattern on Pinterest and thought to myself "this looks easy, I could do this". Little did I know how God would use this little project of mine to speak words that were oh so true to my ears. I love these moments with God when He overwhelms me with truth in the midst of my struggle. 

I said I recently began this project, well it was about a month and 1/2 ago. I thought I could "make due" with the sewing machine we got our youngest daughter for Christmas to sew this purse together. My oldest daughter had taken my sewing machine to college with her to work on a quilt project and my thoughts were "I'll make due, I can do this". Well I should have heard my own words "make due" but my persistent self won out and I just wanted to get this project done so I started in. # 1 I find sewing peaceful and this little machine I was working on is so loud, okay if I hadn't stopped and listened to my "make due" statements I should have stopped and turned off the machine when the loud sounds of it operating brought me anything but peace. 

cue¹

kyo͞o/

noun

1. 1.

   a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance.

   synonyms:

   signal, sign, indication, prompt, reminder

   
   

   
   

Did I pay attention to the cue's? NO - I thought I knew best. I should have paid attention to the cue of "make due" and "this is not bringing me peace". 

After sewing the majority of the purse together I realized that I hadn't followed the instructions (there is a part where you have to put the right side of the project inside the wrong side out of the project to sew the two parts together) Honestly, I thought this can't be right and this isn't what this means. I couldn't see how sewing it together this way could possibly turn out right. So I sewed it together the way I thought was correct. Guess who was wrong and was stuck pulling the stitching out? Another cue - Just because I couldn't see it, didn't mean the instructions were wrong. 

By this time in my project I stopped and blamed all of this going on wrong, on the fact that I didn't have my sewing machine. So I stopped and put the project to the side not dealing with it until I was able to get my machine back from my daughter. 

Underlying in all this God has shown me, my pattern of thinking. And because I think this way I live this way. It's been my pattern of living. 

Last night I had the opportunity to sit down with my sewing machine and pick the project back up. Things were going well I restitched over my original stitching to make sure it was good and secure. I followed the pattern putting the parts together in what I thought was the wrong way but it was right. Since this is a reversible purse there was a point in time when I had to struggle to get the entire purse pulled through one of the straps, but I did it and all was going well. 

I checked the instructions again when it came to the point of sewing the straps together. The instructions came with pictures and by the looks of things I couldn't tell well what was being explained. I didn't get a second set of eyes on things nor did I stop and evaluate how this was going to come together and work the way it was supposed to. I picked up my old pattern of thinking and started stitching. My project was finished and it was stitched together wrong. The funny part is God knew how to speak to me. 

The part I stitched together wrong were the handles. I thought I had a handle on it, on things, on life. 

For me to to be free, He has to have a handle on things, on me & my life. My pattern of thinking & living needs to reflect His pattern of thinking that I can find in His Word. My pattern of living needs to reflect His pattern of living that I can find when I look at how Christ lived while here on this earth. 

This is my view today as I sit and pause. 

I sit and pause because I've done all I can do to re-do this project. I didn't plan on things going awry and I don't have enough material for the inside of the new purse. Another way I see God at work, I need to be filled with Him and not full of myself. 

He brings a smile to my face and a laugh in my heart for the words on my cup today. 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you" Good morning, this is God! I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help - GOD

Working this project for the second time has allowed me to see things from the designer's point of view and so far I've not struggled and have the vision of how to properly put it together. 

I'm looking forward to a cute purse and I'm very thankful for an awesome story of my Designer's pattern for my living. 

I'm looking forward to taking my cue's from Him!

Baggage

If you've ever done any traveling you know what it's like to push, pull or carry your luggage. I recently returned from a convention for my business and made a decision that this time around I was going to pack smart and not in my typical style of "I'll pack this just in case". 

Yes, I am guilty of being that kind of packer - that is in my past. 

It was nice this time around, I had my purse and a carry-on. I only had to keep track of two things and I didn't even have to check my luggage for my flights. This really made it easy to get around and on and off my flights. I didn't worry about anything getting lost or not making it to my destination. 

I couldn't help but think of all the things in life we carry around as baggage. Sometimes to the point of exhaustion. 

The airport directs you to just the right place to claim your baggage or so you hope. 

What would our lives look like if we only claimed our baggage? What if we took responsibilities for our part in what we are carrying around and then let it go and walk away? The only place where we can find rest is when we lay those burdens down at the feet of Christ. He's already carried them to the cross and bore our pain, so why not lay it down and experience freedom that only He can give?

Freedom isn't that a great word? I feel better just saying the word F-R-E-E-D-O-M

Don't waste a minute longer. Won't you join me on the path to freedom?

Masquerade

What does it mean to you to live in freedom?

I can't help but think of all the masks we wear. 

Maybe a family mask, spouse mask, parent mask, job mask, social mask, you name it we find ourselves behind one. 

There can be so much bondage that comes with the weight of wearing a mask 

What would our lives look like if we took the mask off and began living an authentic life?  

What fear is keep you from taking off the mask?

You have a choice today. 

Medicine For Our Souls

I just love when God uses my kids to teach me a lesson. 

As our loving Father knows best what we need and when we need it and loves us so much as not to leave us where we're at but will use every opportunity to speak truth to souls. 

So it was this morning...

My daughter had a cough and I asked her to come and take some medicine. As any good little girl does she came right in while I was pouring the medicine in the measuring cup and then it happened... 

As I began to give her the medicine she backed up with hands up asking me to wait, wait!!!! She knew what was about to happen. The icky stuff - try as they may the manufactures just can't seem to make a good tasting medicine & if they have I haven't found it. Naturally we were in a rush to get going and this Momma was in no mood to fool around. 

"Come on" I said, "hurry up and drink it down so it will help you". As we both took steps toward each other trying as hard as I could not to spill a drop - the medicine went down and then came the look on her face and the eh eh fake cough began as she choked down the medicine. 

"Honey, I know you don't like it but it's good for you, it will make you better." Little did I know how God would use those same words on me just hours later. 

I don't believe in coincidences - I like to call them God-incidences. 

Remember he loves us so much to not leave us where we are at but grows us into the image of Christ. Yes! There is safety found in this fact.

As I began my work day a devotional email came in. The words on the screen were nice and uplifting and spoke of a gardener tending to some weeds. Okay, I thought that was nice and I went on with my day. 

Later, I grabbed my daily devotional (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) and the words on the page could have reached up and smacked me in the face. "I have promised to meet all your needs according to My glorious riches... I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds." the reading goes on... "when you trust Me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes and weeds die away." 

Then I did it! Just like my little girl, I felt the need to step back and put my hands up and say WAIT, WAIT!!!!! I found myself hearing the still small voice of God repeat the words I had said myself just hours before.

"Honey, I know you don't like it but it's good for you, it will make you better."

And yet, I found myself asking God the maker of Heaven & Earth to do His work gently on my heart as to not damage my soul. The one who laid the foundations of this earth, who created it and everything in it. Who am I? Like I need to tell God to be gentle with me. I thank God that He knows every hair on my head, He knows me intimately the best of anyone. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. He just calls me to TRUST Him to do the work. How often do we find ourselves "tending" to our own needs? 

John 15:1-5 says, "I am the true vine (Jesus), and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me (Jesus), and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

This is the importance of having a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Staying connected to the vine is where we find our source. And because of that connection, that relationship, we will be even more fruitful because the Gardener will tend to us, prune us, & remove the weeds in us.

Lord, shine your light in the garden of our hearts and be the medicine for our souls!

Our giants

We all have giants in our lives. What might seem mighty and overwhelming to me might not be a big deal to you. Or what is oppressing to you I couldn't even imaging how to handle it. 

As individual as we are, so aren't our giants. That said, it doesn't mean you or I are the only ones on the face of God's green earth that have gone through the struggles we have -unique yes, but same in nature yes also. 

I think of what Paul wrote; For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:29, 30 NIV)

None of us are immune to struggles and our fair fight with our giants. How we handle them do differ. Where do you find refuge? Is it in running? What are you running from? Your giant? Or are you running into the only arms long enough to rescue you?

We not only have a Savior who calms the storms of life, but in Christ we “have an anchor” that securely positions us permanently in a safe harbor (Heb. 6:19). 

What position do we find ourselves in? A position of praise? Not for what we struggle against but for who God is.

I want to live a life full of the presence of God. The life of Christ being birthed in and through me as I'm being made more and more in the likeness of Christ. That's the job of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ alive in the hearts of his believers. 

We have a promise in God's word!

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. (Deuteronomy 28:7 NIV)

Let us go to His Word and take hold of the promises Christ died to give us!

Gift of Desperation

Gift of Desperation - Just saying it gives me that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach...

and yet when you understand you'll find it's a treasure chest of fine jewels! 

That is - being desperate for God, clinging to Christ, moved by the Holy Spirit. I need to wake up each morning letting God know and reminding myself how desperate I am for Him. I don't want to waste one moment without Him. Forever I want to be thankful that He is right there all the time. I want to walk in the fullness of His presence in my life. Living in the reality that nothing I can ever do or not do will ever be able to separate me from His love. (see Romans 8:38-39)

It's too easy for us to look at our past or the thing we did a minute ago and get stuck in a pit of regret. We all seek freedom it's a desire we all have, but how many times do we look to ourselves or something or someone else as our source of freedom? Only God can bring us true freedom, a freedom that lasts. 

Romans 6:16-18 NIV states, "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

I like the way The Message reads this passage, "You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!"

We all have our "Lower Story" but God has an "Upper Story" and to find out what that is and walk in it we must come to a place where we are desperate for God. Our freedom is gained only when we lay our lives at the feet of Christ, realize the chains that have held us captive are only broken by the blood of Christ, receive the forgiveness that only He can give and live our life in the fullness of His Spirit which comes when we receive the gift of desperation.

Our freedom is free for us but cost Jesus His life!

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see.
Corrie ten Boom