When you see Me

August 31, 2015 / Jodie / Leave a comment

John 12:44-46

44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

As a child, did you ever awaken in the middle of the night after a bad dream and cry out “daddy…daddy I NEED you!?”

Why do we choose to remain alone in the dark when we become adults? Why do we stop crying out to our Father for help?

We refuse to humble ourselves and pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Despite the fact that I realize prayer can eclipse the darkness around- and in me, it’s still not always my first weapon of choice. Instead, I often rely on my superior intellect and abilities to light my candle so that I can find the fastest, easiest way out of the dark.

Case in point:

As our family boarded an Airbus A321 during the wee morning hours last Saturday to travel to our vacation destination, I was once again consumed with worry. “What if there’s another terrorist attack? What if the pilot has mental illness and crashes the plane? What if we hit unexpected turbulence and fall from the sky? What will I do? How will I comfort our children?”

As I tried to rationalize these fears with statistics (you know the one about being more likely to die in a car accident that on an airplane?) I heard the Holy Spirit whisper “I am with you….”

Would I trust Him, or myself?

Thankfully, I chose Him.

But just to make sure that He was on that plane, this daughter cried out “daddy, daddy…I NEED you- please show me where you are!” When I looked towards the center aisle I saw Him (not physically, but in the Spirit) sitting on the floor, with the biggest grin, shouting “this is gonna be FuuuuUN!” I chuckled after I noticed the fighter pilot glasses He was wearing and control yoke He was holding to fly the plane (He looked a bit like Snoopy, aboard his red doghouse!!!).

As we flew south like birds for winter, the light of the sun began to rise and penetrate the darkness inside the aircraft. Simultaneously, the light of the Son began to rise and penetrate the darkness inside my soul. And once again, I was able to know that HE is God, that HE is in control, that HE holds the keys to death and the grave…. and when its time for me to die physically, HE will be with me- and then, then I will spend all of eternity praising the One who sent Him!

My Friends

June 29, 2015 / Jodie / Leave a comment

John 15:9-17

9 I have loved you just as My Father has loved Me. Stay in My love. 10 If you obey My teaching, you will live in My love. In this way, I have obeyed My Father’s teaching and live in His love. 11 I have told you these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be full.

12 “This is what I tell you to do: Love each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I tell you. 15 I do not call you servants that I own anymore. A servant does not know what his owner is doing. I call you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. I have set you apart for the work of bringing in fruit. Your fruit should last. And whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.

17 “This is what I tell you to do: Love each other.

Ever since I was a little girl I have been very selective when choosing my friends. I had many acquaintances as a child and knew lots of kids in our small town, but I only had a handful of people I considered true friends. Decades later, I have become even more choosy. Sure, I have hundreds of Facebook “friends,” Pinterest “friends,” Twitter & blog followers, but again, only a handful of those virtual voyeurs are my real life friends.

For nearly twenty years my most intimate friend has been my husband. I keep nothing hidden from him- we share every joy and every deep, dark secret of our souls with one another. But, he is imperfect and so am I. And, as you know, sinners inevitably hurt and disappoint one another- which we’ve done thousands of times throughout our marriage. Thankfully, though, our BEST friend has loved and forgiven us and enabled us to love and forgive one another so that our relationship could be rebuilt, redeemed and restored into oneness.

My BEST friend, however, is absolutely perfect! He willingly laid down His life for mine thousands of years ago. Because of His love for me, when by body dies, I am destined to spent eternity worshipping our Father in heaven. But until that day comes, I get to remain in His love EVERY moment of EVERY day on this earth!

How?

By obeying His commands.

How do I do that?

By reading His life story so that I can get to know Him.

By talking and listening to His voice – without ceasing.

By submitting my will to His in every single detail of my life.

Only then can I produce lasting fruit that will glorify our Father in Heaven. Only then can I love my friends, as He has commanded me to do. Only then can I be confident that Jesus will call me His friend.

“Friendship is rare on earth. It means identity in thought and heart and spirit. The whole discipline of life is to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive His blessings and know His word, but do we know Him?”

–Oswald Chambers

Truly Free

April 9, 2015 / Jodie / Leave a comment

John 8:31-36

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

When I exchanged death for eternal life by believing in Christ, I assumed that as a daughter of God, I would no longer be a slave to sin- instantaneously.

I was wrong.

As I’ve continued on my journey as a disciple of Jesus, who wants to know and remain faithful to His teachings I’ve discovered that being set free is also a journey. A journey of knowing the truth.

How do I know the truth?

-I must get to know Jesus.

John 14:6

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

How do I get to know Jesus?

-I read His Word.

-I worship Him.

-I talk…and listen to Him. I tell Him my needs and my wants. I ask questions, then listen for His still, small voice:

“Lord, what do I need to repent for?”

“Father, who do I need to forgive?”

“God, what do You want me to do/not do?”

After I’ve heard Him speak, I have the opportunity to obey Him- or try harder not to sin. Trying harder by reasoning, avoiding temptations, reading self-help books or depending on others to fix the problem never brings freedom. All my efforts, all my discipline, and all my sacrifice may cut the top off the weed temporarily, but it won’t eliminate the root system of sin.

If I want to experience freedom in Jesus I must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit in order to believe Him in every area of my soul (mind, will & emotions). Only then can I be released from captivity and be truly free to bring Good News to others.

Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,  for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,  that the blind will see,  that the oppressed will be set free…

Ask for help!

March 27, 2015 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Isaiah 30:18-21

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him  so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,  you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help.  He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food  and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you.  You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,”  whether to the right or to the left.

I cannot count the times I’ve needed help from the Lord….and failed to ask Him.

Help with depression.

Help with anxiety.

Help with sickness.

Help with forgiveness.

Help with conflicts.

Help with fear.

Help with my marriage.

Help with communication.

Help with finances.

Help with sexual intimacy.

Help with our children.

Sure, there have been plenty of times that I’ve prayed, telling Him my wants and to bless me in whatever I decided to do. Much less frequently, however, have I put forth the effort to surrender my prideful will and humbly ask Him for help.

The truth is, the Lord is waiting for me EVERY day to come to Him about EVERY detail of my life, my marriage & my parenting. He wants to show me His love and compassion. And He wants to show me whether to go the right or the left. His faithfulness to this promise has been proven to me over and over and over again….yet, sometimes, I still forget to ask for help.

A few years ago, as I was struggling through a difficult season of life, my patience in waiting was beginning to wane. I was tempted to go my own way when God used my husband to speak wisdom to my soul, “Jodie…if God is silent, keep asking and waiting….He’s trying to teach you something.” How grateful I am that I submitted to His truth because in a short time I heard God’s voice, chose to obey and subsequently reaped a huge blessing.

If you’re facing adversity, ask God for help! Ask Him the difficult questions your soul yearns for answers to. Then wait until you hear Him before you go. As you wait, make sure your ears are functioning at optimum performance by asking the Holy Spirit if there is any sin you need to confess. Then humbly repent and continue asking and waiting. He will respond to your cries.

Proverbs 3:6

6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Withdraw to the Wilderness

March 24, 2015 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Luke 5:12-16

12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 14 Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.[a] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

My pen and paper haven’t touched in several weeks. The pages of my journal have remained empty, but my soul has not.

This month our family once again walked into a difficult season of life. Although my husband and I know that Gods hand is orchestrating every detail, it hasn’t eliminated the emotional and sometimes physical pain that we have endured in the transition.

As we began informing family members and friends about the upcoming changes, I secretly longed to be comforted by all of them. Their text messages, emails and phone calls did encourage me, but I quickly realized that the longing I felt was actually from the Holy Spirit, beckoning me to withdraw to the wilderness to pray.

I’ve often found it easier to run to my husband or friends or family to seek wisdom and comfort and love when I’m going through something that is hard. It takes much more effort to choose to withdraw and sit in the presence of God day after day after day. Because, honestly, I want quick responses to my questions and I want to formulate a plan so that I can be ready for whatever comes my way! Yet over and over again, God keeps teaching me that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. I MUST be still every single day to know Him, trust Him and obey Him.

As a believer, I am so grateful that God destined me to be a part of the body of Christ. The Lord graciously continues to surround me with others who have different gifts and callings that not only encourage and challenge me, but also help me to go make disciples in the way that He has gifted and called me to! The church is a beautifully detailed, powerfully functioning force that He uses to advance His Kingdom and I am so thankful to be a part of it. Yet, even though He designed me to be connected to others, God never intended for me to idolize them or depend on them as my savior. For HE is my source and strength. HE is my comforter and defender. HE is the lover of my soul. HE is my provider and protector. And the only ways I can know and believe those things is to read His Word and talk to Him…and listen, because HE is the one that knows HIS plans for my life.

And so, this morning, as I with withdrew once again from everyone I know to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords, God loved, rebuked and comforted me. Then He told me to grab the pen and paper and share another piece of my life story with you. I hope that as you read these words, you too will hear Him beckoning you to withdraw to the wilderness…. and seek His face.

Today’s Trouble

February 24, 2015 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

This morning, as I walked through our unfinished kitchen to make myself a cup of strong coffee I laughed as I looked out the window and saw large snowflakes cascading down from heaven. “20% chance, huh?” I said to myself. “Well, GREAT- I suppose this means the contractor and cabinet installer won’t be coming to finish the job today!!!”

As the text messages and emails began coming in, confirming my assumptions that everything was cancelled, I continued to try to laugh off the worry creeping into my mind. “Will this renovation ever end? When and how am I going to reschedule all this stuff….I’m already over booked as it is!!!”

Pause.

Retreat to my secret place to read His Word and talk to Him.

Ok. All better.

Really?

No.

I then picked up the book my mom recently loaned me and began reading another chapter of Kay Warren’s “Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn’t Enough.” I even stopped to type, print, and post the following quote on our dry erase board to convince myself to stop worrying:

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.”

Ok. All better.

Really?

No.

I went back to the kitchen (did I mention, its still not finished, after nearly 6 weeks?!?) for a snack and to gaze out the window at the beauty of His creation, covered in a blanket of white. With a full tummy, I returned to my secret place to watch the little birds hopping around the backyard, pecking through the snow for their snack. Then it hit me:

“LOOK AT THE BIRDS!!!! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (emphasis mine)

Why do I worry? It’s because I don’t trust God. Instead, I rebel against Him by allowing my fear (fear of losing valuable time, fear of not being able to get everything done, fear of disappointing others, fear of losing control of….everything!!!) to dominate my mind, will and emotions. But yet, even though I continue to sin against My Father, He takes the time out of His VERY busy schedule to show me, through the majesty of His creation, that I am far more valuable to Him than the little birds.

As the revelation of His truth began melting into my soul, like the snowflakes that will soon disappear when the temperature begins to rise, I realized that tomorrow will bring enough worries of its own. So, today I choose to sit right here in my secret place and stare out the window at the millions of tiny snowflakes lying all over our yard and praise the One who continues to remind me to trust Him…..in everything.

Let God Speak

February 12, 2015 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Exodus 20:19

19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”

As I read the following words from Oswald Chambers this morning, my heart ached and my eyes began to water, as I reflected on the season of my life when my marriage was falling apart…

“We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servants voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say, “Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don’t deny it is probably God’s truth.”

Am I putting God in the humiliating position of having treated me as a child of His whilst all the time I have been ignoring Him? When I do hear Him, the humiliation I have put on Him comes back on me- “Lord, why was I so dull and so obstinate?” This is always the result when once we do hear God. The real delight of hearing Him is tempered with shame in having been so long in hearing Him.”

Because of the shame I was feeling, I told no one what was going on when I was contemplating leaving my husband. Day after day I ranted and raved and wept alone. I was desperate for help, but too stubborn to ask for it. Months later, when Doug invited me to join one of his counseling sessions, I finally relented and went along. During the hour long appointment, I sat on the sofa, hearing the counselor speak to us, but I was determined not to listen. I was convinced that Doug was the problem- not me, therefore I didn’t need to speak to anyone…including God. Many sessions and months later the Holy Spirit broke through my stubborn pride and my marriage began the road to restoration in which we are currently still traveling. What I have since discovered has been a key in understanding how to deal with conflict with my spouse:

-FIRST, I must speak directly to God, or areas of my soul (mind, will and emotions) will remain “dead.”

-THEN, I must obey what He says.

-IF I am unable to hear Him (because of sin or deception by the enemy), I must seek godly counsel.

Proverbs 15:22

22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated,  But with many counselors they succeed.

Even in the midst of this season in my life, as I am reaping the blessings of God’s restoration of my marriage I still speak and listen to my Father about “issues” with my husband. Sometimes I hear Him very clearly and His Spirit brings confirmation….or conviction. But sometimes, He is silent, or what I hear sounds a lot like what Jodie wants and it doesn’t quite match His character, which is reflected in His Word. In those times I speak with one or more of my mentors. Then, after I have listened to their wise counsel and guidance I go back to the Lord to seek His Truth. It’s a genius communication system our God put in place long before I was created to be His daughter, or Doug’s wife. Prayer has radically changed my life as a follower of Jesus and it has become one of the keys to oneness in my marriage.

If your marriage is dead, and you haven’t been hearing God speak, I encourage you to go ahead and ask “Lord, why was I so dull and so obstinate?” Then listen……and obey what the Holy Spirit whispers. If He remains silent, seek counsel from a godly friend or mentor.