Fighting My Battles in Prayer

    The other day, someone said something to me that was both hurtful and offensive. I told hubby about it before bed, and after he listened and empathized about it, he reminded me to fight my battles in prayer and to give the offence to God. I agreed that he was right, and then we headed to bed. The next morning I woke up still upset about the offense. I decided to follow my hubby's loving instructions and prayed about it. I told God that I wanted Him to take care of it and that I knew it was His battle in the end anyway. I also know that He has already won the battle, and all I have to do is walk in freedom. I "picked" it back up a few times during that prayer time but managed to leave it at the foot of the Cross in the end.

    As I went about my day, I was amazed by how much peace I had over the situation and life itself. Later that day I found myself wanting to vent to my coworkers about the situation but then reminded myself that I gave it to God and therefore didn't need to tell anyone else about it. That too gave me such peace in my spirit.

    I have "known" about this principle for years but have never practiced it. Until now. I came home that day and told hubby all about it and about how much peace I had found in taking my battles to God. He agreed that it's amazing what God will do for you and to you when you give your battles to Him and let Him take control of the situation. Easier said than done of course, but so worth it.

    I didn't realize it while I was praying that morning, but when I was thinking about it throughout the day I realized that by giving it to God and leaving it at the foot of the Cross you are giving up control of the situation and giving up your emotions over it and desire to do anything about it. It's as if you no longer care about it, which was very freeing. When I gave it to God, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and it allowed me to simply worship God and enjoy my day. I was no longer a prisoner of my thoughts and feelings. Again, so freeing and peaceful.

    It's such a blessing to have a man of God for a husband who leads me back to Jesus when I drift off course a little. God often teaches my hubby something new right before teaching the same thing to me, allowing me to look up to and lean on my hubby all the more. The way God intended. 

    Someone once said, " Talk to God before talking to others." Meaning, vent to God before venting to friends and family. We often vent to friends and then pray when we are either in trouble or simply praising God, but I think we miss the mark when it comes to simply venting to God about our daily frustrations and offences. We forget that not only is He our Heavenly Father, but also our friend who wants us to talk to Him like a friend at times. So I'm here to encourage myself and you too, friend, to vent to God first and others second.

    Most importantly, though, I want to encourage you to give up your battles to the Lord and experience the same freedom and healing that I did. There is no need to be held down by the bondage that the world offers when you can enjoy freedom in Christ instead. Of course, not every offence and battle will be as "easy" to give up as that first one was, but they are all equally important to give to God.

As always, I pray this post finds you well and blesses you in whatever way you need today.

God Bless

~Hannah

Choosing To Believe God's Word

    For most of my life, or at least as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my self-worth and physical looks. I have gone through seasons where I do a little better and believe a little more that I am beautiful and worth it. Whatever "it" is.  Overall, it has been a losing battle for many years.

    I have been a hard worker for as long as I can remember. The problem is that I believe I am a hard worker. In my opinion, it is a fact about me. Like my height. I'm 5ft 4in, a simple truth that thoughts and opinions cannot change. I don't believe I am beautiful or worth it. I have read Scripture telling me what God says about me, but it never really sticks. The reason I use hard work as a comparison to my worth and beauty is that between my character and the Word of God, both of these things are facts. Neither of them are opinions or ideas that can be disputed.

    Near the end of August, I started a Bible reading plan about my identity in Christ. I have also read or at least started many reading plans on my worth and beauty, but again, nothing ever sticks. After spending so many years not liking myself and hurting those around me, I'm tired. Looking back, I'm not sure what pushed me to start this plan. But I did. Didn't finish it mind you. Anyways, the first verse in the first day's reading was Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well." A verse  I have known my whole life. I have also always struggled with the word "fearfully." But have never done anything about it. This time, I decided to change that and looked up this verse in other translations to see if anything else sounded better to my ears. Sure enough, The Message version uses the word "marvelously" made. I liked that better. So I sat on that for a few days.

    Then one day at work I was thinking through all these things. I texted hubby and asked him if he thought I was choosing not to believe what God says about my worth and looks. He said yes. That I was choosing to not believe God's Word. Kinda heart to hear, but I needed it. He is such a blessing, and I don't know what I would do without him. So I decided to pray about it. I wasn't in the privacy of the sanding booth though. I was out on the floor in the buffing department. In full view of most of my coworkers. I didn't want to pray because they could see me, but I reminded myself that I was praying in my heart and no one could read my mind. The enemy was trying to discourage me from talking to God because I'm not afraid or embarrassed to be public about my faith. So I started praying. I asked God to forgive me for choosing not to believe Him and take Him at His Word about my worth and looks. Holy Spirit then said to me that by not believing what God says in His Word, it is as if I am spitting on the cross and what Jesus did for me. That hit hard. Right between my eyes. I never have nor ever will intentionally spit on the work of the cross and what Jesus did for me. Jesus's death and resurrection are the basis of our Christian faith. Without it, our faith is null and void.

    So I'm working on choosing to believe in what God says and believe that I have worth as a person created in the image of God and that He created me beautifully. Genesis 1:27 NIV, "So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them." I have believed in God since childhood, but I don't always take him at His word.

    I'm working on choosing my words better when speaking to others and myself. I spent years putting others down in the hopes of elevating myself. To no avail of course. God has also been using a dear friend of mine to remind me of my worth and it's been breaking my heart in the best way.

    It's been a slow and at times painful journey, but I'm slowly telling Satan where he can go and that I no longer believe what he says about me. I am choosing to believe what God says. Because I do believe what God says. I believe that every word of the Bible is true, I just don't always believe it for myself. But I'm working on that, one day at a time. And you can too friend. Whatever lies the enemy is trying to tell you, God's Word has an answer for you, and His Word is true.

    A friend once said to me, "It must be nice to be a size 6 with an hourglass figure". I said, "Just because I am smaller and have a nice figure, does not mean I have self-confidence." She being a bigger girl, was shocked. Guess she figured us smaller girls have it easier. The point is that something or someone might look good to you on the outside, does not mean that they don't have self-confidence issues.

I pray this post finds you well this rainy Sunday evening and blesses you in whatever season of life you are in.

God Bless

~Hannah

God's beautiful creation on a beautiful day that He created.

Don't Look Back Longingly

    On Thursday this past week, I started my work day like most days, in the sanding booth. I put my earbuds in and turned on some music to get the day started. I wasn't sure what podcast to listen to, so I figured I would start with music.

    A few minutes later, Holy Spirit told me to listen to the Proverbs 31 Ministries podcast. I said, "Okay, I'll just finish these parts I'm on, and after I put them away, I will turn on that podcast." A few minutes later, I put on the next episode of this podcast. The title is "Moving Toward God's Purpose for Your Life." with guest Christine Caine. I didn't give much attention to the title, just started listening.

    The teaching was about Lot's wife and how Jesus wants us to remember her. We are to remember her for her actions and turn away from them. Genesis 19 tells us of how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and verse 26 is where Lot's wife turns back to see her home destroyed and, in so doing, turns into a pillar of salt.

    Christine Caine said several things that were too good not to write down and share with you. First one was that, "Lot's wife was torn between what she was leaving and where she was going." Which, of course, is why she looked back. She, like many of us today, does not want to leave our homes, friends, and communities. We don't want to leave our comfort zones. Even if we know God is doing it to save us from destruction. Now, no one has turned into a pillar of salt since then as far as I know, but I'm sure God has disciplined others for the same reasons in other ways. We shouldn't criticize or make fun of her though, because if we are honest with ourselves, we would probably do the same thing.

    Lot's wife was attached to the past. Her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in what God had for her in the upcoming future. "She wanted what she had more than what God had for her." Christine Caine. She didn't trust God, and ultimately it ruined her life.

    Listening to this episode, I thought about all the times hubby and I have moved towns, apartments and jobs. Through all these moves and changes, I have only found myself looking back and longing once. I left a job I loved becaue it was no longer serving my family the way it needed to for a job that I quickly came to hate. For several months, I prayed and asked God why He had brought me to this place and what His plan was. He answered and told me why He led me to that new job a few months later. It only made the job a little bit more bearable. I spent several long, rough months in that position before God moved me into a different department in the same company. It changed everything. Before I left the first job, my manager made it very clear that I was welcome and wanted back if I chose to return. Even contacted me personally after I returned for a visit and told my new ex coworkers how much I hated the new job, but I knew that God took me out of that place and into a new place for a reason, and I needed to follow. Didn't like it one bit in the process, but I followed and trusted that God had His reasons, and thankfully He will never change and therefore still has His reason as to why He takes us away from certain places and brings us to new places.

    All that being said, it's not bad to look back and enjoy fond memories or learn from negative experiences and apply those lessons to the future. The important thing is that we do not stay there. We keep moving forward, hopefully toward God.

    Thankfully, I know that when I am walking through a difficult season, I can trust God to always listen to my heart and walk with me through the situation. I am also blessed with my amazing husband, who is always available to listen, support and encourage me with whatever is on my mind. I also have a handful of close friends who are there when I need them.

    When the episode finished, I thought, "Boy, that preached," and, "I know what this week's blog will be on." I would encourage you to go and find the Proverbs 31 Ministries podcast, listen to this episode and enjoy the full teaching from Christine Caine.

So friend, don't be Lot's wife. Don't look back longingly. Look to and trust God. He knows what He is doing.

Have a blessed Sunday evening. I pray this blesses and encourages you where you are today.

~Hannah

Look to the Son, not the Past.

Labels

What kind of labels are we putting on ourselves?

    I just signed up to participate in the Terry Fox Run this September. Not sure if I will be running it or walking it. I know that if people are running, Blessing will want to run too. So part of me wants to train to run it. I was a runner on and off for years with a love/hate relationship with it. I don't want to run, even though I feel good in the process, and I like the label/title of being a runner. As I'm laying in bed thinking about wanting the label of a runner and yet don't want to put my runners on. It got me thinking about the other labels I either willingly hold or that life/society has put on me.

    My most important label is "Child of God." Of course, calling my relationship with my Lord and Savior a label sounds very religious, and I do not like that word. Whenever someone from the community asks me if I am religious, I use to say yes. Simply because it was easier than explaining that it's a faith and not a religion. And how religion is about actions and rituals and faith is about a relationship. Then I decided that was too much to explain in passing small talk with unbelievers. I figured they don't understand anyway, so why try and explain it? Then it dawned on me that if I don't explain the difference between the religion of Christianity and my relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Then who will? So now I am more intentional about explaining the difference.

    I'm now sitting in my living room in my late grandfather's rocking chair. I'm thinking about my other "labels" like, "wife," "dog mom," "employee," etc. The things I was thinking about before I got my journal out and started letting my pen do the talking. To be honest, "Child of God" was not the first thing that came to mind. I think "wife" was. But, then I corrected myself and reminded myself that the most important one is "Child of God" and needs to be number one.

    Then, when I finished my last thought train on religion vs. faith/relationship and started thinking about what my second most important label/title is. I realized that none of them mattered. In the light of eternity, none of them matter. Yes, I love holding and carrying out these labels/titles, but they don't matter. The only thing that these labels tell society is what's important to you and how to categorize you. Now, I'm all for categorizing and organizing things, but at the end of the day, the only label that matters is that I am a child of the One True God. And when I am faithful to let the Holy Spirit work through me and silence the voice of my sinful nature, the rest simply flows out of me. Because when you put God first in your life, everything else falls into place.

    God doesn't care about the other labels that we put on ourselves or what society puts on us. Because the truth of the matter is that as humans, we give ourselves all these titles/labels to make ourselves look and feel important in the eyes of the world. The more labels, the more important we feel. At the end of the day, those labels won't save you. Only a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will do that.

    Now, I'm not saying labels aren't fun to hold. I love and am proud of the few that I hold. But, on the day that Christ returns and brings me home, "Child of God" will be the only label that matters. But we need to make sure it's not simply a religious label, but an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

    Funny, when I started thinking about labels and what this journal entry would look like, this was not it. It was going to be a  list of the labels I hold closest to my heart and explain each of them. Holy Spirit had other ideas and wanted to remind me, and I assume you too, friend of, the importance of our only label that matters in the light of eternity and God's eyes. Child of God.

    I pray that this post finds you well on this Labour Day long weekend and blesses you in whatever way you need today.

God Bless

~Hannah