Tag: God

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Still Small Voice…

Human Beings have many chances to hear and talk to people, things, animals, situations, you name it, we’ve talked to it or tried to get it to talk to us in some form of fashion.  It is ingrained in who we are.  Communication is so important and we need that to have any connection to what we do, who we are, or who we have relationships with.  If I never spoke to my friends or family…at all…how would they know what I needed?  On the other hand…if I only talked to my friends and family, but never listened…well…we can all agree that this would not be a great relationship, right?

This is so true to God and our relationship with Him.  Prayer often consists of us talking to God, but do we ever try to listen to what He is saying?  When I was counseling, I remember one of my favorite questions to ask had two parts:  (1) do you pray to God? If they said yes, then I would ask (2) what does he say back to you?  Often…too often actually…I would get strange looks.  Many had no idea what I was saying – and I counseled at a Christian university.  Some would say yes, He spoke to them through His word.  Great, yes!  Reading the word is such an amazing tool and an essential way to understand God and hear his “voice,” but it isn’t the only way.  To have an evolving relationship with God, we need to understand that still small voice.

Let’s look at an even in Elijah’s life from 1 Kings 19:9-13:

There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.  But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

The idea that there were 3 great events that made a big impact – a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire, but God did not come in those forms.  He came in a gentle whisper.  Elijah had spent enough time conversing with God to understand that there is a Gentleness to his voice.  I think, those of us who do not understand or know the voice of God, may not fully understand that God is truly a Gentle Father.  To those that don’t, do this for me – next time you get that “feeling” that you should go a different way home or get a “feeling” that you shouldn’t go out with that crazy friend…think about how this could be God’s still small voice leading you down the safe path.

Prayer: I am so thankful, Father, that you operate in such a gentle way.  In your Greatness, you could come in the shock and awe of fire, windstorms or earthquakes, but you don’t.  You come in the gentle nudging and notions that are so sweet and tender.  In that part of your character, we see your unconditional and unfailing love for your children…for us.  Please, dear Lord, help each of us understand that still small voice even better than we do now so that we may know you more.  In your Son’s name, King Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Be Blessed Everyone!

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Wilderness

The story of the Israelites is interesting – it is apparent that, at some point in life, their condition is our condition. Take, for instance, the Israelites that were delivered from Egypt. They had NO faith…none. Time and time again, after God showed them who He was – they kept on turning their backs on Him. How many times do we turn our backs on God because of lack of trust and faith in Him? A lot! We continue to doubt the promises of God and allow those thoughts of doubt and unbelief cloud how we see who He is and who we are in Him. This, ultimately, leads to a season in the wilderness – wandering aimlessly.

I can personally say that I have just gone through a wilderness season. I lost sight of the promises of God on my own life and let stress, strife, and the lies of my past get a hold on me. No matter how GREAT the things God brought into my life, I couldn’t see PAST the issues of my past. And so, I was sent into the wilderness. I was sent into a place that was very lonely, scary, and I wasn’t sure when I was going to be free from wandering.

My first week “in the wilderness” – God woke me up one morning and said – “Brooke, you need to get excited!” My first reaction was “Um, what?” “Yep,” He continued, “you need to get excited because something great is about to happen!” What was God trying to tell me? He was saying that, just on the other side of the wilderness is my Promised Land. All I have to do is ENDURE it and trust HIM & do what HE tells me to do – not what others think I need to do; not allow others to put me down, get me down, tell me how awful I am because I am in the wilderness; not allow the Devil to tell me I am no good; just do what God is asking me to do.

When the Israelites finally made it to the promise land, they saw huge walls that seemed impossible to tear down. God never ceased to have a plan, though. His plan was that His people were going to get this land and all they had to do was follow His directions, no matter how absurd. He asked Joshua to bring the men of the camp with him and walk around the city six days…just walk. On the 7th day here is what happened:

15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” 20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.

Joshua 6:15-21

Don’t let discouragement get the best of you – it is already ours. We just have to let those who currently inhabit it to leave. Am I saying that God is casting people out of your life? Maybe – we may need to have some people cut from our lives in order to move on. We also need to have things cut out of our lives – thoughts, actions, habits, etc. Sometimes that is a hard concept the swallow, but don’t resist. Understand that God has our best interest at heart and will not do anything to us without a reason. (Jeremiah 29:11)

If this stuck a cord with you – if you are going through a wilderness season, know this – God has a solution – just give it all over to Him and let Him fight your battle.

Lord, be with your people. Show them who they are in YOU and now who they are to anyone else. Help them understand that you do NOTHING to hurt us, but do everything to help us. Teach us to let you tear down the walls in our lives that keep us from your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be blessed everyone!

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Purpose

2015 has been quite a year already. One aspect of this year is the overwhelming sense of expediency. As I shared with a friend this past week, it feels like I need to start doing something significant….something greater than what I have been.

In my 29 years on earth – I wonder if I have done anything of significance in this world. I don’t want to wonder anymore. I want to leave a lasting legacy. My life needs to make an impact for the kingdom…because I am not living for me, but for Him.

Why am I feeling this way this year? Is it a pre-midlife crisis? Maybe. Or it is a better understanding that I am made for more than how I was living? The greater I understand that, the greater the sense of “get it done!” becomes. What about you? Do you feel that way?

Take a deep breathe and then let it out. Were you able to do that? Do you know what that means? You have purpose. You were not created just for you, but for Him…and, essentially, for those around you. You can be the person that reach the unreachable.

Are you asking yourself if you are worthy? Well, ponder the significance of this scripture:

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ NLT)

He has a plan and purpose for you. Have faith that, even though you may not see the full scope of it yet, you are made to do the those things He has laid out ahead of you. Do not get discouraged. Do not let the enemy tell you that you can’t do it.

You will blossom when it is time. Keep on going down the right road and don’t give up hope. God will continue to do His work in you.

Be blessed everyone!

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ NLT)

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Seasons

Right now, in Dallas, we are having a rainy, cold day.  It is winter and February is usually our coldest month.  It is just the way it usually goes.  During this month, our greatest time of purging occurs.  This cold weather doesn’t do well to the plants that like hot weather – which we have most of the year – so their foliage turns brown and things look dead.  When you think about it, this purging season actually acts like a pruning season, giving the land/plants time to rest before they need to bloom and pollinate again.

We all go through a purging/pruning season from time to time.  Friends leave, jobs end, and situations go sour.  We often pin this on the enemy, but in fact, it could be God closing a door so we can go through another.  It seems like, when we are sitting in that season, it is rough and it stings.  But, after you start to see the light again, you find rest.

Take this scripture from Leviticus 25:3-4:

“Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.”

It is for our health that we go through this season as it was for the good of the vineyards.  The soil would have grown too toxic and not been fertile if the Israelites did not prune.  Sometimes situations, friends, jobs become too toxic for us and could contaminate the good work God is doing in us so He needs to give us a season of pruning.

I want to encourage you and ask you to keep the faith in your journey if you are in such a season.  God is getting ready for something great.  Just hold on and cling to Jesus.  You’ll make it and thrive!

Be blessed.

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Overcomer

This past Tuesday, January 27, 2015, marked 70 years since Auschwitz was liberated.  What happened there are unimaginable evils and proves that the human race has great power which they can use to inflict the most grotesque treatment on each other.  The survivors of this horrific event in our history always amaze me – how they have overcame and kept on going.

I was watching one of the many special reports that were on TV this week and they had one very interesting man – Michael Greenfield.  He is so inspiring in how he lives his life after Auschwitz.  This is a man who has dressed every President of the United States since Eisenhower.  His demeanor is so full of joy I am sure if you met him you would not be able to tell that he is a survivor of one of the worst genocide the modern world has seen.  There was one thing that Mr. Greenfield said that struck me – the last thing his father said to him as they parted ways when leaving the train cars was “If we don’t survive this (meaning his parents, aunts, uncles, etc), survive and live in honor of us.”  So he did…

What would have happened if Mr. Greenfield decided to just wallow in his horror and not move on?  Would he have achieved all that he did?  No, he wouldn’t.  In fact, Mr. Greenfield used this tragedy to propel him into the rest of his life. 

We all have had horrible things happen to us; it may not be at the level of Auschwitz, but horrible nonetheless.  How many times do we get stuck in wallowing and not overcoming?  Probably too many.  It is much easier to just allow things happen and react to it.  But that is not how we are to handle this life.

Bad things are going to happen – that is what occurs when sin enters the world.  But there is way more good than there is evil.  Think about this: Auschwitz is no longer an active concentration camp, but a remembrance of how good wins out over evil every time.  If you go to Poland, you can stand in the middle of the camp and witness that fact first hand.  That is on my bucket list for sure, by the way.

When we face evil in our own life, remember that good will always win.  Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  Take courage in that promise and just keep on going.  Believe me, the momentary pain will be nothing compared to what happens after you overcome.

I am going to leave you with this scripture.  Be blessed, everyone!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.  After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4)

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Generations

A great leader leads his family first.  My grandfather was that type of man. He was not someone who you would notice in a crowd or ask to lead a company.  No, he was not one to be in the spotlight.  But the thing he understood was the value of those around him.

This year marks 20 years since he has passed.  It is fitting – and no way ironic – that the vision for my church home is Generational Blessings.  My life has been blessed because it was set on a foundation that Milburn Brook Gann built.

It was never the big things that I remember fondly – it was the small things.  For instance, how he planted a yellow rose bush – because I have blond hair – and, every time it bloomed, he’d bring me a rose.  Or just sitting and listening to me talk as a very young child – hanging on every word.  In those seemingly small acts, he taught me my value.

He was a man of character – a man who loved God.  He set the standard for us who came after him.

So, you may be asking why do I decide to write to you about this person?  Is it to brag on him a little?  Partly, yes it is – because he deserves it.  But it is also to outline the responsibility we all play to those around us.  As my church leadership speaks on the importance of setting a great example for the next generation – I cannot think of a better example in my personal life.

To make an impact on the generations around me – I don’t need to be a successful business person or a person of great wealth.  I just need to let those around me know how valuable they are.  This could be in sincerely listening to people when they talk or tiny, yet meaningful acts of kindness or just spending quality time with someone who may need it.  It doesn’t take much to impact the world.  It just takes true effort.

I encourage you to watch your actions and understand the impact they have on others.  If small acts of kindness can make a positive act on someone that lasts a generation – so can small acts of carelessness.

Be blessed, everyone.

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Another day…

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. (‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ NLT)

This is the first full week of 2015 – a chance to start again & change some things up. One of the things that I am doing this year is making everyday count – not waisting a day to laziness. Why? Because God gave me another day!

With the world as it is, we are blessed to wake up & get another chance to make a difference. How many people do not get that chance today?

What are you going to do with that chance?

Be blessed everyone!!

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Healing – The Next Step

Healing – an essential part of life. So often, when we seek healing, it is for the physical…for sickness in our bodies in some form. Emotional healing is just as essential. Just like the physical, without it, we could die.

Unforgiveness is a poison no one needs to hold onto. Please see more on this in my post Forgive 4 U. We must not let people/situations hurt us so much that we cannot move on – that is the work of the enemy!

Healing needs to come – which begins with forgiveness. Unfortunately, there is more to it than that. After forgiveness, there still might be some pain. The emotions & the changes that occurred due to the incident(s) can be hard to swallow. Don’t give up! Don’t let the enemy steal your joy!

1 Peter 2:24 says: He Himself (Christ) bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed.” (NIV). Give all these things over to God & lay them at the Cross. Jesus already paid it all so that we might live in victory. Let God fight this battle for us.

I pray that in this new year, the things that we have held onto for years will fall away & we might be able to enjoy life the way God intended it to be.

Be blessed everyone!

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Happy New Year!

I greatly encourage you to write down what you are expecting for this new year.  Put something on paper.  It is more final. Take some time today to do this.  Here are what I am declaring for myself in 2015:

  1. Stop all self-centered thinking and behavior. It is exhausting and hurts everyone around me…including me.
  2. I am going to start seeing the prophesies that have been spoken over me to come to pass. It is a necessary thing for my Heavenly Destiny. I must live out my PURPOSE.
  3. The things of my past – thinking, acting, living – will be put to rest and a new me will become the norm. My latter needs to be better than my former.
  4. Absolutely no more laziness. There are times of rest that is needed, yes, but no more procrastinating or putting things off. It hinders my progression.
  5. Take more ”me” time – I need to learn more and more how it is to truly rest rather than working to the point where I crash. There must be a balance.
  6. Take care of my body – health wise. I do not need to be skinny to be happy, but I do want to be healthy. Watching what I eat and exercising more is necessary for a better me.
  7. Read the Bible in some form EVERYDAY! My relationship with God is the most important thing…I need to start really walking that fact out.
  8. I am expecting a greater peace than I have ever known. Not worrying about the small, insignificant things and allowing God to take care of the rest of it.
  9. Focus on what the plan of God is for my life and do things that will get me to where I need to be – I can’t just sit and wait for Him to do it all. I must go out and plant those seeds myself. I cannot wait to see what He is going to do…
  10. Owning what I do and apologize when necessary. Forgive others when necessary, as well….as quickly as possible.
  11. Work on me…staying self-aware and know when I need to do work on me. Not allowing life to get in the way of remaining a vessel the Lord finds pleasing.
  12. NO MORE DOUBTING!
  13. Pray for bold things. A lot.
  14. Love people the way they are…no matter what they do.
  15. Understand what is truly important in life and put my emphasis in that. No more giving a lot of my time to things/situations/people that are not worthy of it. Realize that I am valuable…just as much as everyone else is. Make sure that, when things go wrong, you lose everything, when life gets really hard, that what you have built will remain. If you build things on sandy ground, when the storm comes, things may not remain. Build your house on solid ground.

Be blessed everyone!!

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No Greater Love

The week between Christmas & New Years Day is always time of reflection for me. I try to evaluate my year, what was good and wasn’t so good….go over the things that need to remain and the things that need to go.

One thing that I know I need to give up is strife…especially between me and the people in my life. I need to abandon living in chaos, turmoil, and anger. Let people be people, but still love them inconditionally. Not allowing them to disrupt my life with issues, but still be there for them. Learning to die to myself.

Ponder this scripture:

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9-14‬ NLT)

Die to oneself – get rid of pride, self-pity so you can love people fully. Take care of yourself, but don’t allow that to turn into selfishness. When someone does something that hurts you, forgive them. When someone tries to take you down, love them. When people are self-centered, pray for them. Let God develop that kind of heart in you – let His love for us teach us to be like His Son.

Be blessed.

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