Change - Part 5, Moving right along

Last week my husband and I met with the lead contractor who will be rebuilding our home.

We met with him at Home Depot. Thankfully, they already have new patio furniture out to sell because that is where we brainstormed - right inside the front entrance, sitting at a patio table. Fortunately, no one was interested in looking at patio furniture since it was below freezing with snow on the way.

So, we opened our trusty binders and started spreading them out on the table. The contractor’s contained the insurance quotes and estimates for each and every item in the house, right down to a bag of Easter grass they found tucked away in a closet. (Can you believe, they gave us $.31 for that??)  My "New House Ideas" binder; full of paint samples, color schemes and such, all divided by room. (Don't be too impressed. I'm so wishy-washy that I can't seem to narrow ANYTHING down.)

After we had discussed everything and narrowed down some options, it was time to do some shopping! We walked through the store, picking out doors, windows, and a few other things.

A few days later, we went furniture shopping. We bought a bedroom suite, living room furniture, and a dining room set all on the same day, AND stayed on budget! Whew! The stores where we bought them are even going to hold it all for us until we are ready for it. We were prepared to rent a storage unit but, praise God, that is one expense we didn't have to incur.

As we continue on our journey of Change, we are constantly reminded of God's love toward us. He is using this life-changing event to draw our family closer to Him and also to bring us closer to people we are surrounded by from week to week. Our prayer through all of this is that our Heavenly Father will be glorified and that we can be an encouragement to others who are faced with struggles that just seem too great to overcome.

Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ.

Be blessed,

Dawn

Change - Part 4, Our old things will become new

Today, Bill and I met with the contractor and several other men who will be involved in the rebuilding of our home. I was shocked to see how many men got out of the three trucks that pulled in behind us. I was prepared to meet with just the lead contractor to get the ball rolling, so to speak. I had no idea that they would all be there at once; the electrician, the insulation guys, the cabinet maker, and one or two others. (I'm not too sure of their roles in it all.)

Bill spent most of the time talking to all but one, the cabinet maker. He and I stood in the kitchen area for about an hour, discussing all the options we have. While Bill and I had in our minds what we wanted, Mr. Cabinet man starts giving me all of these suggestions! And they were good! Now, what do we do? I decided to ask the rest of the guys their opinions (including Bill's) and they all agreed with Mr. Cabinet man.

Although I do love the ideas, I'm still a little afraid that it will be the wrong decision. I'm not a visionary when it comes to decorating. I have a hard time "seeing" the end result. Maybe I'm just too afraid of the commitment that it will be, especially in the kitchen. A new coat of paint that turns out to be hideous is an easy fix, but replacing kitchen cabinets is not!

Fortunately for me, he is going to show us a 3-D rendering of all the options we discussed so I will be able to SEE it. I can't wait. I know I am going to love it. Whatever IT is.

I am grateful for all the experts who know what they are doing. If they depended on me to tell them what to do and how to do it, then nothing would get done.

So, to tie it all together, Jesus is our expert. He has written it all out for us. Even the end result is very clear in His Word. When we seek His face and then wait for Him to answer, He will. The only thing that limits God is our unbelief of what He says. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us to call on Him and He will show us great and mighty things.

Don't let fear take over in your life. If you do, it will paralyze you and will keep you from becoming all who our Heavenly Father desires you to become. Listen to Him and follow His commands, and I promise, the end result will be better than you could have imagined.


Be blessed,
Dawn

Victim Mentality

  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Were you a victim in the past or are you a victim of the past?

During our lifetime, we face many experiences that are life-altering. We have good times and bad times; times of great sorrow, and times of great joy. When we think about the good times, they usually put a smile on our faces, and then we continue with day to day life.

However, when we think about the bad experiences, we tend to dwell on them longer. We rehearse the events as we remember every little detail about what happened. This can often cause us to question ourselves as to how or why that happened to us. Why did I have to go through that? 

God wants us to let go of the past. Is that saying we should forget the struggles or trials that we've been through? No, but we should not live there anymore. We have to learn how to let go of what is holding us back so that we can move forward with the plan that God has for us. 

You have to change how you think about what you have been through. Don't let it consume you so much that you can't see yourself in the light of who God says you are. You are a child of the One True King!

Your yesterdays do not have to determine your tomorrows. God wants to heal your hurts, calm your fears and set you free from what has held you down for so long.

So, what now? Change your focus. Purpose in your heart that you are no longer a victim of the past but you are a victor in the present. God wants you to live victoriously!


Be blessed,
Dawn

Change - Part 3, Transition

Transition

After the fire had been extinguished and the crowd cleared, we went to a hotel. For ten days, we had to wait until our insurance company found a place for us to live while our house is being rebuilt. The room was a suite which was nice and big. In a matter of a day or two, much of that spacious room was filled with some things we were able to salvage from the house, as well as things that people were so gracious to give to us. We were truly overwhelmed by the generosity of people we know, and many that we have never even met.

After the first night, the reality of being "homeless" really hit me. I could not control my emotions at all. The feeling of being displaced had overtaken me. Bill and Christopher were holding up so well! Why was I falling apart? I have never experienced the sadness that had reared its ugly head. I could hardly speak to anyone without crying, including the hotel staff.

After just a few days, we got a call from our insurance company letting us know they had found an apartment for us. So, we drove over and looked at some different units in the complex, and then made our choice. We had to wait a few more days for furniture and household items to be delivered from the rental company. They supplied everything from furniture right down to a toilet brush.

Even though the apartment is just a few miles from our home, we feel like we are in a foreign land.  Things are the same outside of the apartment complex but inside these four walls, is just not home.

Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

Be blessed,
Dawn

Change, Christmas Eve

Well, today has been a difficult one for me. The tears started not long after I got out of bed. Some were from feeling overly blessed by all that has been given to us, and some were over the fact that the fire took away the comfort and familiarity of celebrating Christmas in my home.

My feelings of displacement today are probably based on the fact that I am not able to do the usual things I do on Christmas Eve like prepare the traditional foods for our meal for tomorrow. The recipe book that I had put together with family recipes was destroyed in the fire. I do remember some of them, but the thought of not having my binder any longer was a reminder of what I have lost.

Another difficult moment was while I was out doing some last minute shopping. As I watched people, I could not help but think about how their family traditions will carry on tomorrow and that mine wouldn't. While most seemed to be in a hurry to finalize their shopping, I was in no hurry at all. I had no need to rush back home and start on, well... anything.

Please don't get me wrong. I am extremely grateful for what I still have, my family, being the greatest, but the thoughts of what I have lost are winning today.


Despite it all, God is good!


Be blessed,
Dawn

Change - Part 2, The Aftermath

The Aftermath

The day after the fire, we were able to go back into our home to assess the damage. I was heartbroken at what I saw. So many things were destroyed; things that may not be valuable to anyone else, but were invaluable to us. 

My son's room was the only room where the ceiling did not collapse, however, a lot of his things were smoke damaged. The other bedroom held most of my pictures but thankfully, they were protected by the plastic storage box they were in while tucked away in a closet. 

There are things that we lost that I have been wanting to replace for a long time. But, being the frugal person that I am, I couldn't justify replacing them while they were still useful. For instance, Bill and I bought the washer and dryer set when we first got married, almost 24 years ago. I also had an ironing board for that long. But those things burned because they were close to the garage where the fire started. Needless to say, I am not sad about having to replace them!

While looking around, my son came across a small, record-able picture frame that had his picture of when he was about two years old in it. I had recorded him saying his name. At that age, Christopher was a big word for a toddler to pronounce correctly. He said it in a way that was just too cute. I will never forget the way he said it, of course, but realizing I still can hear it was an awesome surprise. 

Another item is a picture of Bill and his mother of our last Christmas with her. It was on the fireplace hearth, still standing even though it was covered in debris.  It was in a thick, glass frame that had protected it from damage. We cleaned it up and it is now sitting on the tv stand in the apartment where we are living until the house is rebuilt.

One other very special item that survived, believe it or not, was a ficus tree that was given to me as a wedding gift all those years ago. It had part of the ceiling laying against it and a small limb was broken off but it was mostly okay. The couple that gave it to us was very special to me, and have both since passed away. How I have managed to keep it alive, I'm really not sure. Although, there was one time that I decided it needed some sun and so I set it outside, in the summer heat. Even though it showed its disapproval for a while, I was able to nurse it back to health. It is currently serving as our "Christmas tree."

That little tree is a simple reminder to me of the following passage, which says:

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers.

Be blessed,
Dawn

Change - Part 1, The Fire

I have learned that praying for change is like praying for patience; you just don't do it unless you are ready to go through the trials that will take you there.

For the coming months, I will be writing about the changes that my family is walking through. Please feel free to share my blog with others. My goal in this is that God will be glorified!

The Fire

On December 3rd, our lives were changed dramatically. You see, our home caught fire while my son, Christopher, and I were still in it. My husband, Bill, wasn't home at the time.

It had been a typical day; just the usual routine. That evening, since Christopher was in his room and Bill was not home, I decided to watch a little TV. Right after Wheel of Fortune went off, the lights in the house flickered and then went out. I looked out my back door and saw a red glow. (The blinds were still open, which is unusual once it gets dark.) When I started toward the door to see what it was, I could smell the smoke. I yelled for Christopher and grabbed the dog. As we were scrambling to get out, I heard a loud pop.

In a matter of minutes, the garage was engulfed in flames. Fortunately, we live close to a fire department so their arrival time was short. They arrived in time to keep the entire house from burning. The garage and everything in it was completely destroyed, including my vehicle.

The rest of the house suffered severe water and smoke damage. The ceiling collapsed from the weight of the water. Almost everything in the house was destroyed with the exception of a few things. We were able to salvage some important papers and mementos, including pictures. PRAISE GOD!

Needless to say, walking through the house the next day was very difficult. To see all that you have worked for and accumulated through the years just sit there, totally destroyed, was heart-wrenching.

But... through it all, God is good!

Be blessed,
Dawn

Abiding in the Shadow

Psalm 91:1  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, 

shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I remember as a child, I would hide behind my mom's leg if something or someone scared me. I was very bashful and I felt uncomfortable in certain situations. But, I always felt safe when I stood behind her because I knew that she would protect me.

That is how the Father wants us to be with Him. When we dwell (live in or inhabit) in the secret place (spending time with Him in study and prayer) THEN we will abide (rest) in the shadow (shelter) of the Almighty.

Isn't it good to know that we have a shelter to run to? Jesus longs for us to run into His arms, dropping all the things that hold us back, and allow Him to protect us; just as a child who has been frightened will drop whatever is in his hands, and run into the arms of a trusted adult.

There are many things that can keep us from abiding in the shadow; doubt, fear of rejection, feeling inadequate and undeserving of His love, etc. Don't let the devil try to convince you that you are not worthy of God's love and protection. Jesus gave His life so that you can live with Him eternally and that makes you worthy of His protection!


Be blessed,
Dawn

Seasons

I stand in awe of God and His Majesty. His creations are beautiful and purposeful. Recently, I have become more aware of all His work that surrounds me. Even the leaves that are falling from the trees during this time of year catch my attention.

As a tree grows, it becomes more and more noticeable. I was driving past a business recently and could not believe how big the trees that were planted there just a few years ago had become. They had not stopped growing after they were planted, I just had not paid attention to them. Sometimes, we don't realize how much we have grown in our faith because we don't look back to see where God has brought us from. 

As believers, we are kind of like trees. We go through seasons in our lives. We have some seasons where we feel extremely blessed. Everything seems to be just perfect. God is answering prayers left and right, and we feel close to Him. 

Then, there are seasons where we feel like God has left us wandering in the desert alone. We are drying up and withering away. The leaves are falling off of our branches, leaving us feeling alone and afraid. This doesn't happen overnight; it happens slowly when our prayer life has diminished and reading the Word becomes a drudgery. We even tend to miss church services here and there.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we find there is a time for everything, good and bad. God ordains the hard times just as much as the good times. If things were great all the time then why would we need Him? We need to keep God as the center of our focus in good times and in bad times. 

I do know that God loves all of us, and even though we don't see the big picture, He has a plan and a purpose for each of us. We have to be plugged into His Word and spend time with Him in prayer so that we can grow closer to Him each day.


Be Blessed,
Dawn

...In Jesus name, Amen

As believers, most of us end our prayers with "in Jesus' name, Amen."  Why do we do this? Because that is what we have read in the Bible and have been taught to do, right?

Three times in John chapters 14 - 16, Jesus tells us to ask in His name.  In chapter 16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then, the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

When you go in someone's name or in their stead, you go in their character - representing who they are. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are representing the very character of Jesus in full realization of who He is. 

Don't let this prayer ending become just a habit. Recognize the power in the name of Jesus. Spend time reading God's Word, searching for verses that pertain to the things you are asking of Him. Then, pray in the name of Jesus, believing that He will hear and answer your prayers.

Col 3:17 

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Be Blessed,
Dawn

Need a lift?

How often do you feel like you are crawling on your belly, just trying to make it through the day?

James 4:7-10 gives us ten points on how to change our altitude.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1) Submit yourself to God. That sounds easy enough. I don't have a problem with authority. But, the struggle can sometimes be in the fact that I can't "see" who I am submitting to. 

2) Resist the devil. Stand firm against him, and he will flee from you. That one can be hard if we are not rooted and grounded in the Word. We need to know what the Bible says about how to resist temptations that the devil throws at us.

3) Come near to God and He will come near to you. Recognize that you are a sinner then turn away from the life that is not pleasing to Him. Then, run into His open arms that are waiting for you.

4) Wash your hands, you sinners. Realize that you have been a disloyal, wavering individual with divided interests. 

5) Purify your hearts. Ask the Lord to show you where you need a heart adjustment. Sometimes, we let things or thoughts that are displeasing to the Lord, creep in and blur the truth of God's Word. 

6) Grieve, 

7) Mourn,

8) and Wail, or weep over your disloyalty to God and His Word. Recognize that when you sin, it grieves the Holy Spirit. 

9) Change your laughter into mourning, and your joy to gloom. Have a heartfelt sadness over the sins that you have committed. This does not mean that Christians shouldn't be happy. It just means that we should be remorseful for what we have done. 

10) Humble yourselves. To be humble means to be marked by meekness, to be modest in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.

When you feel very insignificant in the presence of the Lord, He will exalt you. 

He will lift you up and make your life significant.

Be blessed,
Dawn

Mission Possible

Are we more focused on the mission than on the mission field?

Matthew 28:16-20, Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

When you hear the words mission field what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most would agree that a desolate place in a foreign country would be the first thing you think of. Well, what about your next door neighbor? Or perhaps, a family member or co-worker who doesn't know the Lord? Do you see these people as a mission field? 

We know that people need Jesus and His forgiveness, we know that people need a touch from Him, and we know people need to surrender their lives to Him; but, between what we know to do and what we do, there is a great chasm. In order to make a difference in the kingdom, we have to work in the fields. 

Here are words to a song that I remember from a long time ago, and they have never left my memory. How powerful they are! 

See the fields so dry and thirsty

They're dying from the lack of rain

And here I'm standing in the fountain

Watching them perish and who's to blame?

How can they hear without a preacher?

If they're not shown how can they see?

I'm gonna go out where they're hurting

and stop expecting them to come to me.

(chorus)

I'm gonna carry the water to the desert

Stop this hauling water to the sea.
I'm gonna seek out the dry and barren places
The sick ones need the doctor

I'm gonna stop this hauling water to the sea.

So, what is our mission? Our mission is to reach out to a lost and dying world with the good news of the Gospel of Christ.

Ask God how you can become a better missionary in your everyday world. He wants to use you where you are, to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

Be blessed,

Dawn

Wait on the Lord

Ps 33: 20-21 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name...

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.

WAIT,...W....A....I....T.... -  what I have heard referred to, as a Christian four-letter word. We almost cringe at the very thought of hearing it.

As Christians, we are quick to quote the verse in Isaiah to others who feel their prayers are not being answered. But, when it comes down to it, we have a hard time waiting for ourselves.

Why would a good God who loves me put me off? He knows my needs, right? 

If God answered our prayers as quickly as we prayed them, then He would be nothing more than an order-taker. That is not who He is; He is a supreme being who created us and knows what we need before we ask. 

As a parent, I have my son's best interest at heart. He does not like it when I give him answers that he doesn't want to hear. But, what he doesn't understand, is that his dad and I can see the bigger picture. God is that way too. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

When our wants do not line up with His will, those prayers WILL go unanswered. 

When God tells us to wait, we can interpret that as "not yet" instead of "not at all".

Pardon the acronym, but the one that I like to use for the word Wait is God Will Answer In Time. Isn't that good to know? 

Be blessed,
Dawn

Check your Reflection

Proverbs 27:19  As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. (NIV)

The English Standard Version says it like this; As in water, face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

As humans, we tend to judge someone before we even say hello to them for the first time. We sum up who we think they are by how they look. Because she appears to be as sweet as honey, we assume she is. Because he seems to be a push-over, we assume he is. But then, as we get to know them, we begin to see their hearts. Most of the time, people are not who we first thought they were - good or bad.

Do the things we say or think really come from our hearts?

Luke 6:45   A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Now, let's turn this inward. When I feel that I am inadequate and start talking about my weaknesses, this will show in my reflection. And, when I am feeling confident and ready to take on the world, this will show in my reflection as well.

What we think about ourselves will influence what others think about us too. We have to get to the place that when others see us, they see a reflection of Jesus. We must reflect God's heart. His thoughts need to become our thoughts. His ways need to become our ways.  

So, check your reflection with the Word of God. What does He see when He looks at you?

• He sees a child who is fearfully and wonderfully made. Ps. 139:14

• He sees a child whom He created in His image. Gen. 1:27

• He sees a child who is His workmanship created to do good works. Eph. 2:10

• He sees a child who has been raised up with Christ. Col. 3:1    

              ....and the list goes on!


Be blessed,
Dawn

The Name Changer

Have you ever wondered how your parents chose your name? When choosing names, some parents spend time researching; going through baby name books, looking for meanings of the names they like. Some choose to give a new baby a family name. Others will just choose a name based on if they like it or not, not really thinking about what that name might mean.

Names are important to God. There are instances in the Bible where God changed the names of men.

• Gen 32:22-32, relates the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob would not let go until the man blessed him.  V.26, Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 The man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he said. 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

• In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples who the people of the region say that He is. After they had given their answers, He then asked them, "who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then blessed Simon and then told Simon that he would be called Peter, which means rock. 

You see, God has given each of us a name that represents His character. Jacob was given a name which means overcomer. Peter was given the name which means rock.

Well, what about me, you ask? Yes, God has given you a new name too.

• Rev 2:17  To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna,  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him.

God does not see us as who we are, but who He wants us to become. He is waiting for all of us to accept that we can overcome when we totally surrender to Him. 

Be blessed,
Dawn