Don’t Get Too Attached! December 4, 2009

There is a battle within my soul- it rages within me. The cares and the things of this world tug like a game of tug-a-war at my heart. As I sit and listen to Kim Walker’s song  ‘All I Need Is You’, I contemplate if this is truly the cry of my heart. If it is, then why do I choose the things of this world? I love what Paul says in Romans 7:15-“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. “ I think all of us are given choices, daily, that tug at our heart- choices that lead us closer to Him or closer to this world.

I suppose it is because we are in this world everyday. I can compare it to a soldier. We are in battle. Satan is fighting to destroy as many people on his way out as possible. While Jesus, through us, is fighting to save as many souls as possible. We are on enemy lines and the fight is fierce. In a war, when you surrender, it’s because you’ve given up and lost the battle at hand. But in God’s kingdom, surrender takes on a whole different meaning. The world sees surrender as defeat, while we, as Christians, are asked by our Heavenly Father to surrender all- our plans, our ‘things’, our lives unto Him. For followers of Jesus, surrender means strength. It means we are no longer putting our hope and trust in this worlds system, but we are trusting in the One who promises to supply all of our needs. For until we have truly surrendered, we are still trying to hold on to our lives.  What if we let go and something happens? What if I tell the Lord I surrender some…most all? What if I need to be in control?

I must admit, I have given everything to the Lord many times. And taken stuff back many times. Surrender is a daily walk. That’s why I can relate to Paul so much. There is a battle within him. He knows the right thing to do, yet seems to find himself choosing his old ways, habits, or patterns.

The Lord has been speaking to my heart lately. I keep hearing “don’t get too attached”.  What does that mean? The ‘things’ that we work so hard for like houses, cars, clothing, décor, everything perfect, everything in order- well, that’s fine if they don’t have hold of your heart. See, the only things we can take with us when we leave this earth are our relationships and the things that we did out of a pure heart. Everything else will be burnt up on the alter.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Mark 8:36

³⁶What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:36 (MSG)

What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

So what is it today that has a hold of your heart?

What are you attached to?

What is fighting for your heart?

Today, would you ask the Lord to reveal who or what has your heart.

And then ask that He would help us to remember that ‘things’ are just that. Things.

No more, no less. God, our family, and His people- now that sounds like a great investment!

Don’t get too attached.

Breakthrough Comes in The Morning December 4, 2009

I can’t tell you how strong I felt it today. God is calling me to rise early. 4am early. I use to get up at 5 and have quickly found myself out of this habit. I really feel strongly that the Lord will bring breakthrough in some areas early, when I start my day off with a sacrifice. I actually set the alarm for 5 but was awake at 4:30. I have to tell you, this is more than a physical battle. This is spiritual. I was mentally awake. I could have gotten up. I didn’t. I even remember the alarm went off at 5am. I was awake. But something inside stayed where it was warm and comfortable. I kept hearing a still small voice and inside I heard “Breakthrough is coming”. I know this is a spiritual battle. I know the Lord is going to use me to write and because of my schedule and work and kids and kids choir, my breakthrough has to come in the morning. I know that’s when I have the sweetest time with Him, before the sun rises, I will choose to fight this battle- no the Lord will fight my battles, but nothing comes without a price. A sacrifice. I need to choose to get out of my comfort zone and do what it takes before my day gets busy and everything else fights for my attention. My breakthroughs will come in the morning.  I am excited about what the Lord will do with this willing heart. I have some big decisions to make and don’t want to take one step without the Lord.

Jesus Example:

Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 21:38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

John 8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

For Our Devotion times:

Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalms 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

So what is it the Lords been asking you to do? Is there something that requires dying to self or crucifying the flesh? I encourage you as we are about to start a brand new year- Ask the Lord what breakthroughs He wants to do in your life. And then ask for His strength to do whatever is required of you. I promise, It will be well worth the sacrifice.

For additional reading, read one of my favorite blogs by Michael Hyatt

at http://michaelhyatt.com/2007/01/slay-your-dragons-before-breakfast.html

Make Me White As Snow November 15, 2009

Isaiah 1:18b  “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

As I look out my window, there is a blanket of snow covering my town. It is as perfect as a post card and causes my heart to rejoice. You see, for me, I have never grown up in the snow. And five years ago, the Lord directed us here, Colorado. While some might be tired of the snow because they have lived here their entire lives, it still causes child like joy to rise up within me. Sometimes I feel as though I might never tire of something so magical.

As I think about how perfect and pure this white powder is, It causes my mind and my heart to shift. I think about how perfect and pure my Lord is. And that He has made a promise for us. For those who have opened our hearts as our home to Him, He has promised to forgive us of our sins (which are daily) and to make us as white as snow. Us. A selfish and imperfect people. White as snow.

I think of the well known hymn “Nothing but the Blood Of Jesus”. The hymn starts like this:

“What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;

no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus”

Lord Jesus, thank you  for dying on the cross for me, for my sins. You poured out your blood,

that I would be able to receive forgiveness and that I would would be able to be as white as snow in your eyes. Wow.

May this snow be a reminder of the sacrifice You made for me, that I might resemble in some way your pure and

white snow. In Jesus name, amen.

Without You November 14, 2009

 

Without You, I have no words

You are my voice

Without You I am weak

With You I have strength

Without You I am insecure

With You I am confident

Without You life is boring

With You, all things are new

Without You there’s no purpose

With You life has meaning

Without You, I am not a good friend

You are all that is good within me

Without you, I am lost

With You I have direction

Without You I am just empty words without a melody

But with you there is a song in my heart

Without You, Oh Lord, I have no hope

But with You, No, because of You- my heart is filled with hope.

Live Like You’re Dying November 11, 2009

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” – Pope Paul VI

What if I were to tell you that you were going to die? I know, morbid thought, right? How do you suppose you might live differently? I believe for some of us we have wake up calls in our lives that cause us or push us to move; to change our priorities. We have all heard of someone or read about someone who has been given a timeline for their life from a doctor; for example, “you have one to three years to live”. Almost always those people will begin doing the things that they’ve always wanted to do but never did.  Some begin to travel and take exotic trips. Some go skydiving or parasailing. They begin telling family members all those things they wished they had told them before. The most ironic thing begins to happen. They’ve been told they are dying, yet, for the first time in their lives they feel more alive than ever before.  If you’ve never heard of Professor Randy Pausch, I encourage you to watch his now famous video titled, ‘The Last lecture’. Filled with wisdom from someone who knew he was dying, he made a lecture to leave for his children and presented it to a packed auditorium.

For these people who have been given a time line, life’s priorities begin to change. Their perspective on the meaning of life begins to change. They begin to realize how short their time is with their loved ones. All of those years of trying to change their husbands into being someone they’re not, those battles don’t seem so important anymore. All of those arguments with their children about leaving their shoes in the doorway or their toys on the living room floor didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. All of those times they spent cleaning instead of meeting up with their girlfriends all in the name of the perfect home seemed so insignificant.  They stop themselves when their child asks them to play and they’re about to say, “Maybe later, mommy’s busy”, and realize later is now. Because later might never come.

You see, when you know you’re dying, the true reality of time sets in. The clock seems to tick louder and louder. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. John Mayer also wrote a song for the movie, “The Bucket List” entitled, Say What You Need To Say. The song goes along with the movie about two men dying of cancer, and in the song he encourages us to have no fear and say what you need to say and say it now.

What if we, as Christians, could live our lives like we were dying? I think about my mom. I wonder if the doctors had said when she was 35 (my age now) that she would only have 10 years left here on this earth. Choose wisely how you will live it. I wonder if she had known if she would have tried to reconcile relationships, seek out forgiveness and peace in her life. Would she have tried to sober up and enjoy the last days here on this earth? I don’t know. I only know what I have been given. And it is a gift. And it is today. You see we are given no promises of tomorrow.

Now, my life isn’t perfect. I, like you, have pressures and stresses and concerns for the future. But I try to live my life with no regrets. Again, not perfect. This is a daily walk. Daily, asking God to help me live ‘this day’ for His glory. I have to remind myself, “Live in the present”.  “Live and feel this moment”: because I will never get this moment back. When it’s gone, it’s gone. I have to remind myself daily to pat my child on the back, rub their little heads, and look them in the eye to let them know they have all of me. Be their cheerleaders! Encourage my husband today. If I were gone tomorrow, I would want their hearts to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were loved. Let your friends know how very special they are to you. Ask God to give you an awe and a reverence for His people, because whether they know it or not, they are made in the image of God almighty.

Here are some practical ideas on how to live in the here and now (priorities).

• Personal: Seek out adventure in your life. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. I’m not saying to sign up for skydiving today. Pray that God would give you a creative and spontaneous spirit.
• Kids: Every now and then you just need to go somewhere different, not expensive, just different; like drives, hikes, parks, ice cream, library. They just want to be with you.
• Husband: It is so important to have date nights. I cannot stress this enough! Not only does this create security in your children, but it also forces you to open up and communicate. It’s a good thing!
• Friends: No matter how busy you get, plan some get togethers or coffee dates with your girlfriends. There is nothing more precious than feeling like you could share anything with someone who understands you and who won’t judge you.
• God: The final and most important thing that I want to share on this topic of living like you were dying is in relation to your own personal relationship with God. On that day, when we meet our Maker, will we feel like we are being introduced for the first time? Or will we feel like we are embracing someone so familiar? I challenge you to seek Him and love Him like there was no tomorrow. Some of us are afraid of what that might look like. We approach God as if we were in the principal’s office. He is passionate about you. Gods Word tells us to seek Him and seek Him with ALL of our hearts and He will be found by us. What an awesome promise!

I encourage you to live a life with eternity in mind. James 4:14, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away.” Also, in Psalm 39:4, “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” Life is but a vapor. I love this saying,  “It’s only a minute, but eternity’s in it. Make your vapor count!”

If God has laid something on your heart, and He has opened a door but fear is guarding the door, bust the door down! Do not let fear of the unknown guide your decisions.

Reprioritize your life. Do it now. Seize the day. Live with no regrets. Redeem the time.

I would like to close by sharing a little about a man who did indeed live a short life. His name is William Borden. Throughout the history of missions, many missionaries have lived very short lives. William Borden is one of them. In fact he died before he even reached the mission field. William was the heir to the Borden Dairy estate. He was a millionaire before he graduated from high school. But he was willing to let everything go to follow God’s call to the mission field. He wrote in his journal, “Say no to self and yes to Jesus every time.” The Lord called him to reach out to the Kansu people in China. Since the Kansu people were Muslim, William stopped in Egypt to study Arabic before traveling on to China. However, while in Egypt he contracted spinal meningitis and within a month he died at age 25. Prior to his death, William had written these six words in the back of his Bible:  No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets. Wow! Now this was a man who seemed to have a good handle on the shortness of life and the need to invest all he had in the things of Christ. Eternal perspective.

Soon this life as we know it shall pass. Only what’s done for Jesus will last.



I Am Not A Number! November 1, 2009

Lately, I have been hearing a lot about numbers. And sometimes I even find myself concerned in a number. Let me explain. When I blog, there is a space available for people to leave a comment. I love it when the number of comments is high (I’m just keepin’ it real here folks). Also, have you noticed how much society is obsessed with a number? What is your jean size, how old are you, and how much do you weigh? Even by the banks standard, what is your credit rating?  How much did your house cost? What do you make at work? For authors, it is how many books have you sold? Or how many books have you written?

Can I tell you something today? You are not a number! Your value is not in a shoe size, jean size or dress size! Your value is not (thankfully) based on your credit score. You are not valued based on what you produce! You are not more important when you are young and less important when you are old! Your value comes solely in Him. The Bible tells us that we are made in His image! Words cannot express the value we have in Christ Jesus- yet, we are made in His Image! We need to start treating ourselves like it!

• Galatians 5:26- (MSG) Each of us is an original!

• Ephesians 2:10(NIV) We are God’s workmanship

So the next time you get on that scale and think..ugg, or you see a young 20 something and think..if only…Please stop yourself and yell at the top of your lungs….. I AM NOT A NUMBER!!

Thank You Lord, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  (Psalms 139:14)

Jeremiah 1:5 (NCV) “Before I made you in your mothers womb, I chose you”

Anger Management 101 October 19, 2009

As a young Christian in my early 20’s I was saturated, super soaked, if you will, in Jesus. As a direct result of my new found faith and many hours each day in His Word, I was absolutely filled to the max with joy! I was pretty much happy no matter what. Happy to go to work, happy in my apartment, just happy! God’s love and mercy for me just overwhelmed me (in a good way).

Had you known me then it would have never crossed your mind to wonder if I had any issues with anger because at the time I didn’t. Or so I thought. Truly, most of my Christian life I was so dependent on Jesus; anger was just not in the picture.

Then my husband and I started having children. And it wasn’t immediately that I had anger problems. It wasn’t even with my first-born. But by the time I had my second child, Noah, I started noticing changes. With two toddlers, my time with Jesus went from hours each day to smaller, more condensed prayers: “Oh Lord, just let me make it through the day,” or “Oh Lord, just help me not to hurt anyone today.” (Obviously, I’m somewhat joking!). Not only was I ‘Jesus deprived’, but I was also extremely sleep deprived.

Since we were on the two-year plan it was time we had our third child. I think emotionally I was probably at my lowest and most drained when we had a newborn, a two year old and a four year old. We had no family to come over and give me a break. It was just us, me and my husband. He was in full-time ministry and worked six days a week with one day left over to run all his errands and sleep!

I found myself losing my temper more and more frequently. My emotions were raw, and there were times when I thought I was just going to lose it! Why didn’t anyone intervene you ask? I was, after all, in full-time ministry alongside my husband.  Surely, we had a large support group, right? I was in leadership at MOPS. Surely I said something to one of those women, right?!  Well, unfortunately, I was a great actress, and having it all together was by far my best performance. Look at me, I’m a pastor’s wife, with three lovely kids, running Kids’ Choir and pulling off two performances a year, and we just bought our second home. I couldn’t let anyone see that inside I was a mess.  Looking back, I don’t think I knew how to let anyone in.

I will never forget one of my many wake up calls one night when Hope was in the bathtub. She was about three and a half. Noah was maybe 16 months. I don’t remember all the details, but I do remember Noah was supposed to get in the bathtub and wasn’t cooperating. I lost my temper, and I yelled at him. There was my little Noah standing naked next to the bathtub, and he peed on the floor because he was so scared. Please understand, I’m not proud of that moment. It’s one that pains my heart every time I think about it.

When we moved from Irving, Texas to Bedford, Texas I continued to try and keep it all together.  I was very independent and would never think of telling anyone my struggles, let alone reaching out for help. I remember getting upset at Hope, who was about 4 at the time, because she wouldn’t stay in bed and go to sleep. As I went back to put her in her bed, she said to me in her sweetest, saddest little voice, “Mommy, I wish we could move back to our other house”. Since our house was much bigger, I was so surprised. “Why?” I asked.  She said, “Because I think this house makes you really mad.” I will never forget her words as they haunt me to this day. I knew I needed help.

It has not been an easy process. It has actually been quite the journey. First and foremost I had to give back control to Jesus. I had been holding on so tightly that my knuckles were probably turning white. I had to throw religion out the door. I had enough of that, and all ‘religion’ did was make me feel bad for not being good enough.  I had to get on my knees and finally surrender all my issues to Jesus. And I had to admit that I couldn’t do it anymore on my own, that I needed help. I did have some sessions with a Christian counselor who really helped me to dig into my past. My entire upbringing until I moved out at the age of sixteen was filled with pain and anger.  My mom was an alcoholic and would rage at different times throughout my whole life.  Most of the time, it was directed at the men in her life and then my step dad. But my brother and I would feel her wrath.  She was known to break things, hit things, and throw things.

I guess I was just surprised that it took having three kids for my own anger to surface its ugly little head. I remember after a session with my Christian counselor, she said to me, “Wow, it’s a miracle you’re not totally messed up right now!” And I said, “Oh, that, that’s Jesus.”

We’ve since moved to Colorado. We are in a very healthy church family. I’ve come to realize that we are all kind of messed up in our own way–that’s why we need a Savior.  What I have discovered through this journey is that the more time I spend with Jesus, the more peace and patience He gives me. The more I allow Him to love on me, then in turn, I am able to love my kids, my husband, my friends and family more freely, with grace. You see, without Him, I am nothing.  I would probably go crazy without my Jesus. It’s true! He is all that is good within me.

Am I perfect today? Have I arrived? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I will never be perfect. But I have allowed God to heal me from my past, and I am not the same person I was. Less of me and more of Him. That’s a good thing!

I share this story because moms having issues with anger is one of those taboo topics we like to sweep under the rug.  We are ashamed. And heaven forbid that anyone ever knew of all the times we’ve lost it and screamed at our children out of anger. The only problem is, the more we hide it, the worse it gets. And the more we try to control it on our own, the more out of control our anger seems to get.

The first step to your freedom is to confess it to Jesus and ask Him to bring safe people into your life. Have accountability with a safe friend and allow her to ask you the hard questions. It would be great if you guys could pray together maybe once a week. Also, keep a journal around and every time you lose control, write it down. Write down how it made you feel when you were done. If you’re noticing that it’s frequent/daily, please don’t hesitate to get help from a Christian counselor either at your church, or have your church recommend one. Don’t say, “I just can’t afford it.” Some Christian counselors offer a discount based on your family’s income. You can’t afford not to.

And always, always, if you know you’ve disciplined your child out of anger, not out of Christian love and normal discipline, but in anger, ask for your child’s forgiveness. This is powerful! What a lesson for them to see that we can humble ourselves and ask for their forgiveness when we’ve done something wrong.

And when you’re about to break the silence about this and you feel ashamed, remember that Satan is the accuser. Jesus does not condemn. He offers love, acceptance, forgiveness, and grace. Which voice is in your head? Choose to receive His unconditional love for you today. Step out and take a chance to make a change. It’s never too late.

I know my kids will read this someday and say, “Really? We don’t remember that!” And I will say, “I know baby, that’s Jesus.”

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

Verses 31-32 ^“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

P.S. You also have to forgive yourself.

Additional Resources:

Be Angry [But Don't Blow it]: Maintaining your passion without losing your cool by Lisa Bevere

She’s gonna blow!: Real Help for Moms Dealing with Anger by Julie Ann Barnhill

The Anger Workbook by Les Carter and Frank Minirth M. D

Jesus Recycles October 15, 2009

Jesus really does recycle! He takes our trash and turns it in to something useful.

recycle- verb: to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use

Have you ever had some junk in your past that you just weren’t too proud of? Well, guess what? We all do. And here’s the good news: Jesus takes our trash and reclaims it for further use! That’s right! Once you have allowed Him to heal you from your garbage, He will turn it around for something useful. And some of you out there think, “God could never use me. If only you knew the stuff I use to do or if only you knew my past”. Guess what? God already knows! And He’s got His recycling truck parked in front of your house just waiting for you to load it up. So today, go ahead, give your trash to God and stand back in amazement at what He can do with it! You just never know how the stuff in your past can be reclaimed for the glory of the Lord! (But you have to give it to him first..and trust Him!)

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So You Think You Can Blog? October 11, 2009

It’s kind of funny how our mind works. It’s like when I write a new blog for Destiny in Bloom. I pour my heart out. I spend hours trying to edit it, pray over it, critique it. And then, I wait. And wait for a response. The comments trickle in, sometimes slowly. Sometimes, not nearly as many as I had thought would come in. I wait in excited anticipation for what each new comment will bring. Every 20 to 30 minutes checking my comment count. But if they don’t come in after two days of sending the link and begging and pleading with my small Facebook and Twitter audience- I am left comparing myself with my fellow blogging sisters who have received twenty plus comments, compared to my..ten. (And one of those was my own thanking the ladies for their comments!)

“What happened”,  I ask myself. I put myself out there. I left myself vulnerable to hundreds of women in the cyber world! I spilled my guts, if you will, and aired my own personal dirty laundry. And don’t those five people who left me a nice message on my Facebook or sent me an email know the rule of blogging? It doesn’t count unless they leave a comment on the actual DIB site!

What is it I want? Hmm.. Maybe I want to hear, “Wow, this is powerful” or ” Your such a great writer” or “You should write more”.  This morning as I was having my quiet time, the Lord said to me, “I am your number one fan. My number count on the comment field counts for millions (at least)!” And He said, “Wow, You’re hearing my voice, you’re hearing from Me. You are a great writer. Keep hearing from Me and putting it on paper. Don’t stop. Wow, I love your stuff. I love your heart. “

Vulnerable. Real. That’s what the world needs. The world is tired of fake and plastic. Your Abba Father is SO proud of you today. And your value and self worth is not based on comments or on the number of. Do not be distracted in a number. Yes, the approval of man feels good, but the approval of God feels even better.

Matthew 18:12 ¹²“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? I say to you today, even if you touch one life, yes, just one, you have allowed God to use you. And in doing so you have refreshed a weary soul and ministered to some one who really needed to hear what you had to say.

1 Cor. 10:31b Whatever you do, do it ALL for the glory of the Lord.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment..haha..that’s a joke…

The Missing Iphone October 6, 2009

Last night, at about 10pm, my friend Lori came over to get a table for scrapbooking. I opened the garage and had my phone with me- just in case she was lost, she could call me. She pulled up. I set my phone on my bumper and helped her put the table in her truck. I then went on to close the garage and went to bed. The next morning I had to work at the Rec. Center. As always, I was in a hurry, jumped in my car and sped off to work promptly at 8am. As I pulled up into the parking lot, I felt like I was missing something. And then my mind began to race. Oh no, tell me I didn’t leave my Iphone on my bumper last night. Surely not! Not my brand new, only 1 1/2 months old, overpriced, hot pink cover Iphone?! Tell me this wasn’t happening! But it was happening. Could it be smashed on the side of the road somewhere? Or worse yet, what if some not-so-nice person has found it and proceeds to change the code on it and it ends up on Ebay somewhere?!

If only I could go home and search the streets that I have traveled on- but I can’t. I need to open up the childcare for the Rec. Center. Oh dear. What to do, what to do? In my heart I was praying to Jesus- “Please send me an angel, let some nice person find it and figure out a way to return it”. The second I walked in, I began making phone calls (from the work phone..of course!). First, I tried my husband about a zillion times. Unfortunately, we don’t have a home phone and his phone was off and being charged downstairs..as he slept. Ugg! I tried calling information to look up my neighbors numbers to see if they could comb the streets for me, but with no luck. I then tried all of my coworkers who I knew lived in our neighborhood. My friend Keira finally answered. “Keira, this is Celeste. My Iphone is somewhere between my house and the Rec center. Can you look for it for me please?!!” She could hear the panic and despair in my voice. “Sure”, she said. So I waited. With every ring my heart stopped. Was it my Iphone calling?! Could it be?

Nothing. Silence. “Lord” I prayed. “Why is this happening to me?” Has my Iphone become some sort of idol in my life? I mean- I like it. I really like it- a lot. Then, as time kept ticking, I had to surrender my Iphone in my heart. Okay- by now it’s either run over or stolen. I can just use one of our old phones and activate that. Yeah. That’s what I’ll do. Okay, I can check my emails at home like I use to. I’ll get use to it again. And just do my Facebook and Twitter from home. I can give up all my apps and the games on the phone that the kids like to play while we’re waiting in lines. I can do this.

Then I called my boss and proceeded to tell her about my emergency (Funny what we constitute as an ‘emergency’). I explained my situation, and she told me I could leave around 9:30 when the next shift came in if I needed to.
Then after over an hour of pacing, frantic phone calls, feeling nauseous-all while trying to watch small children, my friend Keira finally called back. My heart stopped. Well, I said?! I could tell by her momentary silence that the phone was not found. “Sorry”, she said, “but no phone”.
When I was just about to give up, the phone rang. It was my husband. His voice was raspy and I could tell he just woke up. “Hey babe, Nicole has your phone”. Now Nicole is a friend who works at our church. He then proceeded to tell me how she got it.
Some guy almost ran it over on a street near the high school. He pulled over, picked it up and then dialed the last number that called my phone. It was Nicole. He then told her he found the phone in the road and was trying to figure out who it belonged to. She said, “oh, this is my friend Celeste’s phone!” He said he was on his way to work and asked if she lived in the Meadows. She did, so he got her address and went to deliver the phone. He went to her house and she recognized him- he use to work at our church! Wow, it was an angel!

I knew the Lord was watching out for me that day. As He does each day. I’m not sure why I’m always so surprised when the Lord comes through. I know there are times when the lord tests our heart (motives). But there are also times when he just wants us to trust Him. I was reminded of this scripture: Because He cares so deeply for us, we can cast our anxiety upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Yes, I was anxious! And sometimes you might wonder if your requests are too petty to concern the Lord. I mean, surely He has much more important things to do than take care of my Iphone, right? God cares about YOU! He cares about the day to day things that happen in your life and wants you to trust Him and pray about EVERYTHING!

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen!