I have had some very personal, bumps in my road of this life lately.
It would be so very easy for me to gripe and complain most of the day.
My flesh would like to lash out in my fear and anger that surrounds the sound of the enemy’s voice. I have been working on quieting his voice. It is a minute-by-minute conscious struggle.
Before I knew the Lord, I was a top-notch worrier.
I was so very good at it. I was taught by the best, could compete with the best.
I was also very well trained in the negativity department. I knew so very well how to over analyze and see the bad in any situation.
So when the enemy tries to come in now, these are the things he uses--
My thoughts mostly.
I am so grateful that I now have the ability to discern the voice of the enemy vs. the voice of the Lord.
I can sense evil before the thoughts even come.
I am so thankful to the Lord for choosing me, seeking me out, and finding me. If I didn’t know who he was these days, my life would be different. I have to admit that I continually fight the voice of evil, and some days I still let it in.
But I know that I know that my God is who He says He is. And He really is in control.
I am thankful for the road that He has prepared for me, and I know He is counting on me to follow His lead.
The good Pastor Osteen says often, “The enemy fights you the hardest when he knows God has something good in store for your life.”
I am fighting this good fight of faith and standing on His path—through His word and His promises. I am ready for the next turn or twist in the road—ready for what He has in store. I will keep my eyes fixed on Him, and I know His light will lead the way.
I have to trust Him.
I choose to trust Him.
After all, I’ve given Him my life..jpg)
Maria and her family reside in NE Ohio. She and her husband are the parents of two. Their daughter is a person with hemipelegic cerebral palsy.Because of her experiences, Maria provides parent-to-parent support for families involved in her local early intervention program. Her gift for writing has come directly from the Lord since her daughter’s diagnosis. She writes a monthly column entitled, “Special Parents, Special Kids” for the Mahoning Valley Parent magazine in Ohio; and has expanded into Parent magazines in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
She is also a contributing author at http://www.mommiesmagazine.com/.Maria's first published work is in Jan Ross and Jeanice McDade's Women of Passion's anthology, "Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God". Both Kim and Maria have been selected to have their work tentatively included in Lori Wagner's upcoming book, Quilting Patches of Life, Volume 2.
Showing posts with label God's voice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's voice. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2009
After All
Friday, April 4, 2008
Time In The Desert
I remember the day I received Julie's picture of the Blue Heron asking if we had any insight to the bird's significance. (See yesterday's post.) I immediately consulted my son, the animal expert, and he shared information about the bird's solidarity and uniqueness. Over the next few weeks it was both exciting and amazing to watch the Lord speak and reveal His plans and purposes for Julie's life and journey with Him. When I read her post it took me back to that time and confirmed how God speaks and how He has been speaking to me too.
You may have read in my bio that I have a heart for the abandoned children 'over the seas.' The past few years I have been praying and asking the Lord to use me to reach others and be a voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves. In the beginning when I prayed I thought God would answer me with this 'booming' voice followed by a road map and clear instructions on which direction to go. I often became frustrated and could not understand why He was not speaking to me. He was speaking, I was just not paying attention. Then I thought that if I filled up my days with bible studies, prayer groups, church activities, . . . that I would have 'clear' direction like other spiritual people I interacted with. Again, He was speaking and this time I was too busy to listen. And then my life took a turn.
In April I traveled back to Romania, a dream come to true, to minister to the children and village people. My time there was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and confusing. Then I returned home not knowing what to do with all the emotions inside. In the meantime a childhood friend of mine and I started having some difficulty. Although there were apologizes and forgiveness, I felt in my heart it was time to walk away. The pain I carried with me was almost unbearable. Then summer came. Three months with little ones at home, friendships changing, long periods of lonliness, and inside I knew He was calling out to me.
I attended a conference alone during this emotionally trying time. It was my first time to the church sponsoring the weekend event so I was uncertain about what to expect. Well, God blew me away! To summarize, the speaker used a small willow tree as He spoke about God in our lives. First He began pruning it, gently, slowly. I could relate to that. We all need things pruned off our life like bad habits, negative thoughts, . . . Then He picked up a larger tool and whacked off the branches. I felt the tree and myself yell, "OUCH!" My friendship was one of those branches. Sometimes the things that are taken away hurt, I know my branch did. Then came the ax, I closed my eyes. The skinny little trunk was now in his hands. "Okay, enough!" I wanted to scream. He was still not done. He laid the the scrawny trunk on the floor, in the sun to dry out. "Ughhh!" I thought, but look, here he comes to pick it up. No, he came and turned the trunk over to dry out on the other side. My life, my body, was lying in the sun just like that tree trunk!
As Julie quoted from Hosea 2:14, "I'm going to allure her to the desert and speak tenderly to her." I was in the desert. He had allured me to the desert to speak to me, to spend time with me, to just be with me. And He wanted all of me. At times the desert was so hot and the only water that could be seen were the tears running down my face. Some days I found myself exhausted, falling to my knees wondering if I could withstand one more day. But it was there, in the desert, that I cried out to Him and said, "Lord, help me, save me! I feel so broken and shattered that I do not know what to do!" It was in the desert that I sat alone and listened. It was in the desert that I knelt and prayed. And it was in the desert that He taught me to rely on Him.
I cannot even remember the time coming out of the desert to where I am today. I can tell you that since then my life has focus - focus on Him, my family, and my purpose. So many things that consumed me before have been cut away. In my quest for direction the Lord heard my cry and led me His way, not mine. He knew what needed to be changed in me before His direction was to be revealed. Imagine that! And my prayer is slowly being answered in ways I never dreamed of.
Be Blessed, Kim
You may have read in my bio that I have a heart for the abandoned children 'over the seas.' The past few years I have been praying and asking the Lord to use me to reach others and be a voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves. In the beginning when I prayed I thought God would answer me with this 'booming' voice followed by a road map and clear instructions on which direction to go. I often became frustrated and could not understand why He was not speaking to me. He was speaking, I was just not paying attention. Then I thought that if I filled up my days with bible studies, prayer groups, church activities, . . . that I would have 'clear' direction like other spiritual people I interacted with. Again, He was speaking and this time I was too busy to listen. And then my life took a turn.
In April I traveled back to Romania, a dream come to true, to minister to the children and village people. My time there was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and confusing. Then I returned home not knowing what to do with all the emotions inside. In the meantime a childhood friend of mine and I started having some difficulty. Although there were apologizes and forgiveness, I felt in my heart it was time to walk away. The pain I carried with me was almost unbearable. Then summer came. Three months with little ones at home, friendships changing, long periods of lonliness, and inside I knew He was calling out to me.
I attended a conference alone during this emotionally trying time. It was my first time to the church sponsoring the weekend event so I was uncertain about what to expect. Well, God blew me away! To summarize, the speaker used a small willow tree as He spoke about God in our lives. First He began pruning it, gently, slowly. I could relate to that. We all need things pruned off our life like bad habits, negative thoughts, . . . Then He picked up a larger tool and whacked off the branches. I felt the tree and myself yell, "OUCH!" My friendship was one of those branches. Sometimes the things that are taken away hurt, I know my branch did. Then came the ax, I closed my eyes. The skinny little trunk was now in his hands. "Okay, enough!" I wanted to scream. He was still not done. He laid the the scrawny trunk on the floor, in the sun to dry out. "Ughhh!" I thought, but look, here he comes to pick it up. No, he came and turned the trunk over to dry out on the other side. My life, my body, was lying in the sun just like that tree trunk!
As Julie quoted from Hosea 2:14, "I'm going to allure her to the desert and speak tenderly to her." I was in the desert. He had allured me to the desert to speak to me, to spend time with me, to just be with me. And He wanted all of me. At times the desert was so hot and the only water that could be seen were the tears running down my face. Some days I found myself exhausted, falling to my knees wondering if I could withstand one more day. But it was there, in the desert, that I cried out to Him and said, "Lord, help me, save me! I feel so broken and shattered that I do not know what to do!" It was in the desert that I sat alone and listened. It was in the desert that I knelt and prayed. And it was in the desert that He taught me to rely on Him.
I cannot even remember the time coming out of the desert to where I am today. I can tell you that since then my life has focus - focus on Him, my family, and my purpose. So many things that consumed me before have been cut away. In my quest for direction the Lord heard my cry and led me His way, not mine. He knew what needed to be changed in me before His direction was to be revealed. Imagine that! And my prayer is slowly being answered in ways I never dreamed of.
Be Blessed, Kim
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Maria Shares Her Thoughts on "That Voice"
picture found at http://www.heartlight.org
This whole obedience thing is harder than I thought…
It requires complete surrender. Surrender of your own thoughts, strength, and energy to God.
Instead, He gives you your thoughts, strength and energy through the sound of His voice. This voice of His is without doubt and uncertainty. It is ever so clear and strong, but yet so very gentle, He leads you with the sweet sound of almost a whisper.
How does one hear a loud shout of directions that can be as peaceful as a whisper? This sound can only come from a Savior.
Until recently, I used to ask others, “How do you know it’s God’s voice, how do we really know?”
When you hear it you know. You can’t possibly allow yourself to hear such a sound unless you have placed your thoughts—your entire life-- out at His feet. What other sound can sound like a father guiding his child with discipline, and have the calm confidence of unveiling grace at the same time?
That’s Him.
That voice that you’ve heard when you were down in the ashes of your life, that pulled you out and dusted you off---then it sounded loud and firm.
And that voice that has guided your decisions when you knew that you knew you were doing what was right—then it was filled with sounds of affection and warmth-like that of a soft hand pulling you.
That’s Him.
Giving in to this voice is directly related to receiving His grace. Choosing to accept His grace.
How does one define the grace of God?
One definition of grace is “the influence or Spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.” He lives in us, and can only function in the absolute state of grace. It’s who He is, and who we are, as He lives in us.
Can your mind even comprehend such sanctification and complete immersion of how much love it takes to give us this grace always? It’s there for us each and every moment of our lives.
By choosing to receive His grace, we allow His voice to be heard clearer than any other sound we encounter throughout our day. Once you hear His voice, and truly accept t he fact that He has made you worthy of guiding your every thought, act, and decision, you crave the sound of it more and more…
Maria and her family reside in NE Ohio. She and her husband are the parents of two. Their daughter is a person with hemipelegic cerebral palsy. Because of her experiences, Maria provides parent-to-parent support for families involved in her local early intervention program. Her gift for writing has come directly from the Lord since her daughter’s diagnosis. She writes a monthly column entitled, “Special Parents, Special Kids” for the Mahoning Valley Parent magazine in Ohio; and has expanded into Parent magazines in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She is also a contributing author at www.mommiesmagazine.com. Maria is very passionate about getting the word out to special parents that they are not alone in their journey of raising their special child; and that they were chosen by God to parent their children. Maria welcomes comments and communication. If you would like to talk to her, please e-mail her. Our e mail address is in our profile.
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