Gotta Testify. I'm in a fiery ordeal.

1 Peter 4:12-13, Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the suffering of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.

This was the verse that was read at church, and I thought to myself, “Hmm, it’s as if God knew I would be here tonight and needed to see this verse.” I couldn’t wait to get home to meditate on it.

Since 2018 started, my daughter started a new school because of bullies at her high school. She has made the transition beautifully.

In 2018, my husband found things out regarding his business partner which were devastating to say the least, and now he’s trying to obtain the necessary documentation, so he can dissolve their companies.

This week on social media my son said some things that concerned his friends. Thankfully, he has some good friends who told their parents who called us.

And Thursday of this week, I found out I’ll be losing my job, as they move my job into a huge building in Dallas.

So, when I read, “Don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes,” I can honestly say I’m in the fiery ordeal. 2018 apparently is the year of transition for my family, but before the transition is completed first comes testing and trials to prepare us for the new place, new location God has waiting for us.

The next observation in this verse is we are to rejoice with great joy…not regular joy, but GREAT joy at the revelation of His glory! Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” I have said joy is one word in the Bible that has sound attached to it. Joy is singing. Joy is shouting. Joy is NOT silent.

So, how am I going to get through these fiery ordeals to rejoicing with GREAT joy at the revelations of His glory?

First, I think worship. Worshiping the God who is in control yesterday, today and tomorrow. Worshiping the God who was not caught off-guard nor was surprised by the turn of events in my life. Worshiping the God who was and is and is to come, laying every single burden I have down at His feet, and crawling up in my Abba’s lap and waiting on Him to do His thing.

Second, I’m going to be grateful. I am grateful our daughter told us at the end of 2017 how those girls were relentless in their bullying. I am grateful she came to us with the information regarding Caddo Virtual Academy where the principal is a growing Christian. (You know one when you see one.) I am grateful I have been given the opportunity to restore what those girls were stripping away from my daughter.

I am grateful my husband is seeing his partner for his true identity. God is answering my prayers to surround my husband with growing, godly men as friends and mentors, but first he had to remove the ungodly. So I am grateful for God working in only the way He knew to do.

I am grateful for kids who stand up for my son when he felt overwhelmed by choices he had made. I am grateful for parents who called concerned about my son’s welfare. I am thankful for a counselor who worked us in the next day. I am thankful my son is in a much better place because he can now talk to us openly about what he was struggling with, about what he had been packing down for so long.

I am grateful for a career of 24 plus years with a company that provided benefits and income which supported my family. I am thankful for a job where I was able to learn and acquire many marketable skills which may help me get another job. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with some really wonderful people. I just pray I’ve done enough to point them to God.

Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” In each of the scenarios presented in this verse we see that we pass through the waters and through the rivers and through the fire. He doesn’t intend on my living in this fiery ordeal for the rest of my life. We will pass through, and so will you if and when you go through a fiery ordeal.

The refining fire is not left unattended. The dross of our lives that the fire reveals is removed, purifying us. And then I think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. In Daniels 3:27 says, “When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men: not a hair of their head was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.” While there was no physical evidence they had been through their fiery ordeal, their growth in faith provided evidence of what the fire can do. Don’t you know they had a story to tell about the fourth man in the furnace with them!? Don’t you know they told people what the fourth man said and did? Don’t you know they testified how Jesus passed them through the fire to testify again to what an awesome God they served?

So when all is said and done, and God has moved us through the fiery ordeal, I will have great joy because I will be able to see where I was before 2018’s refining fire and see how much God has grown and mature not only my faith but the faith of my husband and children.

We aren’t anywhere close to being through this fiery ordeal, but I have hope. I have faith, and I know who holds my future, and I know who holds yours.

If you are going through the water, the rivers, or the fire and want or need prayer, would you please send us a message? We would be honored to pray for you, and if you know someone going through a difficult time and think they could use this, please feel free to share and encourage them.

Holiday Miracles

Have you ever heard of miracles happening during the holiday season?

Have you ever prayed for a miracle during the holidays.

Sometimes God provides the miracles, but we fail to acknowledge them as such.

This Thanksgiving week, I observed what I will call a minimum of three miracles. I’d like to share them with you.

1.     A young widow who lost her husband due to brain cancer found many things for which to be thankful. She was even grateful for grief. That’s a God thing. That’s God working in her and through her, sustaining her, upholding her with His mighty arm.

2.     A mom whose 15 year old daughter died of cancer finding things for which to be grateful. She was grateful death came quickly. She was thankful there was no regrets. She and her daughter had lived life to the fullest, lived life loud, lived life vibrantly the last several months Cam had on this earth.

3.     I saw a young lady meet her birth family for the first time. God’s grace and mercy was enough, so they could begin to build relationships where there once was none. If you have never been part of an adoption story, you may never know the significance of this, but if you have, you know the weight of it.

The holiday season is not easy nor joyful for everyone. Sometimes the season doesn’t live up to the hype and disappointment rears its ugly head. Depression can be a constant companion for many. But I encourage everyone to look for things for which to be grateful. If these women can find things, surely you can too. I cannot fathom walking in their shoes. As a matter of fact, I can’t even let my mind go there. But the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in everything.”

There have been times when my sister and I have felt so beaten down that we struggle to look for something for which to be grateful. So we come up with some of the most off-the-wall things. Please feel free to use any of these if you are that desperate. (Keep in mind, we use levity to help us cope.)

1.     Bellybutton lint because that means we have an inny-bellybuttton.

2.     Toe jam because that means we have more than one toe. Toe jam requires more than one, and some people truly don’t have more than one or any.

3.     Nose hair because without it that bug that flew up Lori’s nose would have traveled to her brain.

4.     Dirty laundry because it means we have been blessed with clothing for our family.

5.     Scrubbing potties because it means we have indoor working potties, and in some countries this is a luxury.

6.     Molded cheese in the fridge because it means our family had plenty to eat, and there was excess. To many this is unheard of.

7.     Fighting kids because our kids are well enough to stand-up to each other and aren’t in a hospital or worse.

8.     Music or TV that’s too loud because it means we have the gift of hearing.

Do any of these apply to you?

Philippians 4:8 is a verse I have to remind myself of on a regular basis. “Whatever is true; whatever is noble; whatever is right; whatever is pure; whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Things in my home and family are not perfect. We struggle. We are constantly battling to protect our family from principalities and evil forces, but if I can just keep my focus on these things, if I can keep my focus on Christ, I can find something for which to praise Him, something for which to say, “thank you.”

I’d like to pray for those of you who are struggling. You feel like you barely survived the Thanksgiving holidays and don’t know how you will manage Christmas.

Abba Father,

Thank you. Thank you for loving us and being with us even when we are in pain. Thank you for never leaving us alone. Thank you for never leaving us in our struggle. Thank you for never wasting anything in our lives.

I want to lift up this sweet girlfriend to you. You are her wonderful Creator. You know her most intimately. You know her need before she does. You go before her turning the darkness to light, making rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16), but sometimes God it’s just hard. It’s hard because we can feel so overwhelmed, and the void and emptiness seems to want to swallow them whole. But God, I know You have a hold of her and won’t let go of her.

Please surround her with growing, mature, godly girlfriends who will encourage her. Help my girlfriend to have the courage to take the next step to follow after you. And above all, heal her and bring her through. God, in Isaiah 43:2 it says you are with us when we pass THROUGH the waters and the rivers which will not overwhelm us, and that we will not be scorched when we walk THROUGH the fire. In all of these trials, God, we are passing through. We don’t stop there. We don’t live there. Satan wants us to think we have to stop and live, but that’s not your plan. So, give her the courage to make that next step.

Lord, I pray she feels Your Spirit. I pray she feels Your undeniable presence.

We will give you all the praise and glory.

Amen