Interrupted

Isaiah 9:6 is a super familiar verse this time of year and it says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

As I ponder this verse, the reality of it is sinking deep into my soul, and perhaps it will make it's way into your busy, possibly stressed and overwhelmed soul as well. The fact of the matter is this, we are busy. So busy. In fact, if anyone at all is even taking time to read this, it's most likely being skimmed through as you stand in line at Costco or Target or dare I say at a red light. Not that I know from experience or anything...

Christmas time. Ah how we love it, don't we? We love the lights and the trees and the baking and the movies and the stories and the family time. And then there's the shopping. And the lists. And the cards. And the guilt of receiving a gift from someone you didn't get a gift for. And the lines. And the grumpy people in said lines. And yet, we barrel through it every year.

But right now, in this moment, I want to pause and read this verse again. Do I have things to do? Yes. I actually have a million things to do. But in reality, nothing pales in comparison to this moment. Because this is what it's all about.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"

A child interrupted the world. When Jesus was born, he interrupted Mary & Joseph whose lives were in such an exciting time, preparing for marriage. The birth of Jesus interrupted the wise men, who had to stop what they were doing and decide if they would follow a star to see the King, or would they stay in their normal. Jesus certainly interrupted the government, as King Herod did all he could do to wipe out Jesus before He even got started. He interrupted the world.

Oh how I want Him to interrupt my world today. Yes, my to do list is long today. And I know that yours is too. But today, I choose to pause and embrace the interruption.

A child was born TO US. A Son was given, TO US. That precious Son has been my counselor more times that I can recall. He has shown Himself to be a mighty God in times that I could not defend myself or find the solution for my problem. That Son is my everlasting Father; He has carried me, loved me, hugged me, provided for me & guided me. And lastly, that Son, the child born to us, He has been my Prince of Peace. Oh how He has been my peace. Peace has overshadowed me through so many storms. Peace has guided me through difficult decisions. And peace, it rests upon me even now.

Yep, the Christmas season is here. We embrace the wonderful things we love about it and we endure the things we necessarily don't. But through it all, don't miss the interruption. Oh what a beautiful interruption indeed.

And if you are reading this in line at Wal-Mart, just start yelling at the top of your lungs and flailing about like a flying bird that's been shot mid-flight. Maybe they'll move you forward in line. Or maybe they'll call the cops. But either way, you'll get out of Wal-Mart quicker. And with that I say Merry Christmas! May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard your heart and your mind today as you look for that sweet interruption.

Amen. And amen.

More.

Did you know you were made for more? More than mediocrity. More than simply getting by in life. More than average. More than just doing what you have always done, wishing for a different result. More than settling for second rate. More.

I am made for more. Say it with me! "I AM MADE FOR MORE!"

I know that. But do I believe it? Do YOU believe it?

I'm reading in Hebrews 6, preparing for our upcoming Ladies Retreat. I'm pondering Hope and how Hope is our anchor and so that's where my thought process should be going. But alas, like the kittens in my backyard that move from one thing to the next (yes, I find any opportunity to speak of kittens and yes, I realize it's nuts) I find myself strayed from topic.

Take a read of this:

Hebrews 6:7-9 "When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. 8 But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it."

Now I LOVE this next verse, LOVE it.

9 "Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation."

You were made for more.

"We are confident that you are meant for better things..."

I am meant for better things.

"things that come with salvation."

So what comes with salvation? Oh my gooodness, what DOESN'T come with salvation? First of all, everlasting love comes with salvation. A grace that is so undeserved comes with salvation. A peace that will go beyond what I can understand, that comes with salvation. A joy that floods the very depths of my soul is a product of salvation. Provision for every single need that I will ever have, that's a benefit of salvation. Purpose, purpose, purpose. Did I say purpose yet? I'm sorry, the cute kitties distract me. Purpose is a product of salvation. Forgiveness. Restoration. Witness. Household salvation. And did I say purpose? More. More. And more.

So there ya go. Just in case you were on the fence today, leaning towards the side that's warped and in need of repair, why don't you climb just a little higher to the other side of it. I hear the weather's great up there. Besides, you might see one of our kittens. And then you might take one home. And then your life will be so great and better. Oh sorry, there I go again.

Dear heart don't settle. Jen, don't settle. Kitties, don't settle. You were meant for better things.

Hinds' feet?

Have you ever gone through a particularly difficult period of trusting God? Trust is pretty much always one of the most difficult things for our humanity to wrap itself around, but sometimes it just seem harder to come by than others. Anyone?

I have read the reference before in scripture that associates us with the hind feet of a deer and to be honest, I've never thought much of it. Until today. I was led to the same reference yet again in two completely different books of the Bible.

Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and sets me on high places.

And then again in Habakkuk 3 out of the amplified, it overwhelms my heart in this version:

"Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! 19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!"

Joey & I have been to Texas a few times now and when we go we take a drive through a pretty rural area that's known for great hunting. It always surprises me how it's good hunting ground because it's basically flat land, full of gravel and shrubs. But yet, apparently it's an environment that the deer are a plenty. So perhaps that visual was what I needed to make sense of this reference. It looks to me as if it would be painful to walk through that sort of environment, with the sharp rocked edges and the harsh shrubbery. The hiding places are scarce in that environment as well; the deer have to rely on their quick agility to escape the eye of a hunter or predator.

And so it is with us. Life can be hard sometimes. It's full of sharp edges, twists and turns. We come into seasons where the shrubs seem to grow taller than the lush foliage our hearts crave. The enemy never takes a break from his assault on our lives either so our guard always needs to be up. Like a deer.

But then this scripture...

"My personal bravery." Wow. What a picture. God is my personal bravery. When it's hard to trust, God gets personal. When I'm scared of what is or is NOT happening, God gets personal. When the shrubs are growing ever so tall and the thorns seem to be closing in, God gets personal. When I feel the enemy is having a field day with me, God gets personal. And He is brave. Therefore, so am I.

Have you ever noticed how light a deer runs? They have such a grace about them, as they prance through the brush and the rock, as if it causes their hooves no pain whatsoever.

With that picture in mind, whatever you face today, know that God is giving you the feet of a deer. He is giving you the personal strength to walk through whatever difficulty you are in right this very moment. And He gives you the ability to do it with grace. We don't have to complain our way through, we don't have to worry our way through and we don't have to panic our way through. We just gracefully keep.on.moving.

Take a shower would ya!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

I'm so glad that God's compassion towards me never fails. Should it? Yes. Yes I think it should when I fail in the same area time and time again. But it does not.

The scripture says that it's because of His never-failing compassion that I'm not consumed. Compassion defined is this: "a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc." Or how about this definition: "Deep awareness of the suffering of another accompanied by the wish to relieve it."

Jesus is aware of our suffering. He is aware of our need. He is aware when we are sick, when we are hungry. He is aware of the times that we are in trouble, whether by our own doing or by the hand of trouble coming through a situation perhaps totally out of our control. He is completely and absolutely aware. And regardless of how we react to what is trying to consume us, be it need or trouble, His compassion will not allow Him to hold it over our head. Furthermore, His compassion will cause Him to move because He desires to relive our suffering.

I had a talk with my daughter Lily last night, who just turned 7. She has a wonderful concept of God and her spirit is so exciting to watch grow; I'm often challenged by her in my own spiritual walk. But she said something at school the other day that she was not proud of; she didn't want to say it but was influenced by a 6th grader to say the word "jerk." Yes folks, my daughter said the word jerk. I better check her into therapy stat! Bless her heart she was so upset with herself for saying it. So she shared with me last night that at bedtime she told God she was sorry for saying it. And then last night she felt the need to confess it to us! So we had a great talk about grace and that our sin being washed away the moment we ask for it to be. And that was that, she moved on.

Oh that we could do the same thing, just move on. Accept the fact that God's grace is greater than all of our sin. The moment we ask Him to forgive us is the moment that He does. We don't have to wait for a certain amount of time to pass for the forgiveness to be made final. There is no cooling off period when it comes to grace! God won't revoke it from us. Why? Because His never-failing compassion won't allow Him to!

So when you find yourself in need of grace, when the devil seems to be doing a number on your mind, beating you down with condemnation over your sin, remember this verse in Lamentations. Every single morning there is a fresh batch of mercy on our doorstep. Let's pick up that mercy and take a shower in it! Allow the never-failing compassion of God to absolutely drench you this morning. And then take that mercy and show it to someone else! Don't keep it to yourself...or you might be a jerk ;)

Tenacious sap

I love my husband. I honestly have never met a better person in all my life. He encourages me, challenges me & just plain moves me to be a better version of myself. He is tenacious as all get out, and sometimes I want him to take a break from his tenacity but alas, he cannot. It's just who he is. And so I've been pondering that tenacity...

Tenacious defined is "holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough." That's a great adjective for Joey, for sure. He definitely holds me and a whole lot of other folks together! He is cohesive, in the sense that he has the ability to adapt well to whatever environment he finds himself in. He is not swayed by negative circumstances that arise and yes, of course, he is tough.

So before you think this post is going to be full of sap, hang on. Although I'm feeling reflective about my man, yes, I do have a point! It's because of HIS tenacity that myself, and many others are fulfilling our destiny. And so today, I wonder who's tenacity has caused you to fulfill your destiny? Or perhaps, are you the one spurring others on to reach their full potential? If you stop and think about it, I bet you are doing that without even knowing the impact of it!

When Joey was asked to Pastor our church at the end of 2008, we actually chuckled amongst ourselves. Pastor? We've never pastored before. Joey had traveled for years ministering and speaking in Public Schools with Radical Reality, a journey which he very much enjoyed. So to be asked to Pastor a church was absolutely out of left field. And yet, we had to entertain the thought. And so we did. And we prayed. A lot. And obviously we accepted the call.

During Joey's years of traveling, I was not able to be much a part of it and yet, my heart so desired ministry. And as God so wonderfully does, He reached into my heart and pulled out my desire and delivered it to me in a strangely wrapped gift. Pastoring. And so we began a new season...

Transition is rarely easy and with that particular transition there were many different obstacles that arose. But the tenacious spirit that Joey has shone through each and every obstacle and it has been through those challenges that we have been able to grow in ways never imagined possible.

My life will never be the same, because he accepted the call to Pastor. He was created for this journey, without a doubt. WITHOUT A DOUBT. He is a great shepherd, full of humility and grace and leadership and fire and...oh, sorry. There I go again all sappy like.

Because he accepted his divine assignment, it positioned me for mine. I feel like I'm smack dab where God wants me to be & doing what God wants me to do. The personal growth I've experienced over the past 6 years is nothing short of miraculous; it overwhelms me to think of how where God has brought me from, through the muck and the mire, out of pit after pit after pit. It's so exciting to accept God's call.

We were talking about this topic the other day, thinking about the different lives that God has brought into our season to walk this road with us and it's pretty phenomenal really. I think of the staff we have at church and how they are fulfilling their divine destiny for this time in their lives. I think of the thousands of people that have graced the doors of our church, and the love I am positive they felt as soon as they walked in. I think of the great people all across this city that have been fed or clothed through Helping Hands, and now many of them come to church on the buses sent to bring them! I think of the members of Lord's Gym and the impact that something as simple as a gym is making in their lives and in the community they are reaching out into. It overwhelms our hearts to think of all God has done in such a short time...and it's all because of a little tenacity.

Now of course, I know it's all the Lord. And in fact, Joey would tell you that he has far more weaknesses than he does strengths. I won't reiterate what he let slip out of his mouth in third service on Sunday in case nobody caught it but we sure are having a good laugh about it, DAILY! If you can't laugh at yourself, well, I'm sorry. Cuz it's the best. But every now and again, a person just needs to hear that someone is thankful they answered God's call and so today, I'm thankful he did just that.

Destiny is a domino effect. When you begin to fulfill your destiny, it begins to effect all of those around you. As you do what God is empowering you to do, the people in your sphere of influence are not only impacted by your destiny, but they just might begin to reach theirs. Just take a moment and look at the lives around you: Your spouse, your kids, your friends, your co-workers, the list goes on and on. You can't know this side of Heaven how many lives you have affected by simply saying yes to God.

So, what can you do today to be a tenacious person of destiny? Can you reach one person through a smile or an overdue "I love you" or how about extending forgiveness when you really don't feel like it or maybe you can volunteer somewhere or send financial support to a ministry or missionary God has on your heart or you can play an extra game of UNO with your kids tonight or call a friend and be a listening ear or clean a neighbors yard that can't do it themselves or see a single mother in the grocery store and pay for her groceries or step out in faith and share Jesus with someone or, or or...

The list is endless. Accepting God's call on your life does not have to be a dramatic event, it's simply saying yes to whatever God has for you. Could it be a life altering thing? Absolutely. And then again, it may just be finally submitting your heart to His way, whatever the way may be. It's an exciting journey, this whole "living out your destiny" business. Try it, you'll like it!

And did I mention that I love my husband? Sap. Sappy sap sap.

It's time to slice and dice

There is a particular passage of scripture that God often highlights in my life and that's Hebrews 4:12. It says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

This was made alive again to me today as I was thinking back on my life and reminiscing over issues God has highlighted to me in the past. I accepted Jesus as a teenager, and as soon as I accepted Him, God in His grace began to work in areas of my life. However, at the time I did not have the maturity to realize it was God highlighting areas He wanted to free me from, so I covered those feelings with different things. I have to admit though that even now, some 24 years later, I still can fail to recognize when God is highlighting an area in my life and hence, I'll cover those emotions up with something else.

I think some folks have the mindset that once you accept Christ, you are void of ever dealing with any issues. That's simply not true. The great fact of the matter though is this, we have freedom. We absolutely have freedom the moment we accept Christ into our heart. In that moment, we are completely free from any hurt, any deep wound, any rejection, any addiction, any anger, any bitterness, any envy, any food issue, ANY THING, we are free from it. The Bible says that "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed." So there it is, you are free at salvation. However, it's entirely up to us to decide how much freedom we want to live in. How do we decide? By our actions. Discipline is freedom.

Having said that, the scripture in Hebrews comes into play once again in talking about this area of our freedom. As we grow in our faith, often without even realizing it's happening, God begins to search our heart. We fail to forget that when we read God's Word, and when we hear it at Church or in an encouraging conversation with a friend, that the Word that is being spoken is literally activating in my life. And it says the Word "judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." So all of a sudden, I may begin to feel like I'm battling something, and perhaps I don't even know what it is. Of course, it may be some type of attack from the enemy and I need to absolutely remind him that he lives under my feet and he has no room to mess with me. But in an other instance, it very well could be God trying to highlight an area in my heart as that Word has been searching my heart out and now God wants me to become aware of it. And as I become aware of the issue, I then can call it out for what it is, release it to God, allow His healing touch to wash over the area and move on toward the destiny He has called me to!

But what happens so many times is that rather than stop and ask God to reveal what these random and possibly out of the blue emotions are, we stuff the emotions with whatever our "go to comfort" is. For me, it's food. For you it may be something entirely different. It could be alcohol, drug use, cigarettes, toxic relationships, excessive spending, and the list really can go on and on. But regardless, when faced with un-explained emotion, we can subconsciously and quickly turn to a self destructive behavior. When we do that, we forfeit the freedom that we gained at salvation and we take ourselves one step backwards from the victory that was already ours.

The great thing about Hebrews 4:12 also is this; that we can literally take our Sword and attack a certain area of defeat or lack or trouble that we need to. For instance, if we are battling a health problem we can get ourselves a list of healing scriptures and speak those suckers out loud and watch God take that Sword of the Spirit and begin to bring healing as it slices through the walls of sickness. If anxiety and depression are trying to plague you, grab a list of encouraging scriptures that releases you from being bound by anything mentally taxing. If you are struggling in your finances, bust out a little Luke 6:38 on the scene and remind yourself that as you give, God gives right back to you. And the hope for those of us that have fallen into a self-destructive pattern in the past is that God absolutely can pick us right up out of the pit we may have fallen into. Micah 7:8 says, "though I have fallen, I WILL RISE!" That's right devil, you might have taken my emotional issue and sidetracked me with it for a minute, but you better be on alert because I have my SWORD and I'm slicin' and dicin' anything that's not of God and tries to get in my way of maintaining my freedom!

Goodness gracious I dunno about you but that sure encourages the heck outta me! So what I'm training myself to do, and maybe you'll do the same, is when you feel anxious or emotional or angry or just upset and you can't quite explain the reason for it, take some time to sit with God. Ask Him if there is something in your heart that He is highlighting, something that can hinder your absolute freedom, and He absolutely will walk You through whatever He brings to your attention. He has had to heal me of abuse, rejection, anger, bitterness, fear, gosh the list can go on for days. But He has never failed to heal me when He has highlighted the issue. So rather than fail to listen and go on an eating bender, I now have to stop and say, "ok Lord, what's up here." The ultimate objective is that we would live a life of freedom and purpose and destiny. So anytime God shows us something in our lives it's always for our good, to keep us marching on this sweet road of victory that He so lovingly paved the way for us thousands of years ago.

Rest assured dear one, that "He who began a good work in us will carry it onto completion." Our name is written down in glory, we have a forever home waiting for us. That's something worth holding onto our freedom for! So get your Sword out folks, it's ready to do some war.

Isn't it obvious?

The imagination of a child is a phenomenal thing to watch & hear. I love to listen to kids use their imaginations when playing with toys, drawing, writing or even just dressing up in character inspired clothes. They use such imagery when reciting who is playing what role, where they are going in their make believe and what they will do when they arrive. The fully immerse themselves in the story. And they believe it.

And then we grow up.

And the struggles that come with walking the journey of life quickly take over the imaginative road we once lived on. You see, even in my dysfunction as a kid, I still day-dreamed. I would spend hours imagining a different world that I partook in, a world that in no way resembled my current reality as a kid. Children have the ability to do that, to escape into a far away Kingdom; whether that child intentionally wants to escape their current situation or they simply are just doing what kids do, they can pretend up the most beautiful of Kingdoms!

Child-like faith is phenomenal really. They just believe. And they generally believe the best in people and in situations. There is nothing like having a conversation with a kid, is there? For example, Lily (age 6) just walked into my room and I said, "Lily, what comes to mind when I ask you what a Kingdom is?" She says, "really? It's obvious."

Ooookkk. Clearly she gets her sarcasm from me. Moving on.

Jesus referenced having a child-like faith often. He said in Luke 18 that we need to receive the Kingdom of God like a child would. So how would a child receive it? Well, if you are Lily, it's obvious. But to those of us that are not as wise as my fashionista 6 year old, let's chat about it.

Believe. I think it's truly that simple. Believe. Kids just believe. It's only been until our most recent trip to Disneyland that our girls are beginning to be aware that it's not all real. For years and years and they truly believed that when they took a picture with Cinderella it sincerely was the maiden that gained a fairy god-mother, lost her glass slipper and in so doing lived happily ever after. They just believed.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has "set eternity in the hearts of men." We were created in the image of God. So whether you choose or reject His Son, He still created you & I with this glimpse of glory on the inside of us. Another translation says that God "planted" eternity in our hearts. So He created us with a Kingdom seed on the inside of us; a seed, that when fed and watered, it has the potential to grow and bloom and cause us do amazing things with our lives!

But we have to believe. God would will for all of us to believe in Him, but He certainly won't force us. He brings people into our lives to water that planted seed of eternity that's been set in us, however we can choose to allow the seed to lie dormant, never accepting that precious love that God has to give. But oh goodness, the joy that awaits those that believe! Our minds can't begin to imagine what God has prepared for us; both here on earth and in Heaven above. There will come a time that our breath here on earth will be absolutely final and in that moment our spirit will slip into our forever home. Those that have believed in Jesus will join a presence that we cannot comprehend here on this earth!

Believe. The things that God can accomplish through a life that simply believes...it's a road less traveled. Because when you are a person that believes you are a person that refuses to live in fear. A person that believes is a person that suits up for the battle, regardless of how difficult it is. A person that believes is a person that loves, in spite of a billion reasons not to love. A person that believes is a person that lives in absolute peace, because that person knows God is in complete control over every situation. A person that believes is a person that prospers, because that person dares to believe the promises of God in every area of life and when you dare to believe in a promise, you can't help but prosper in it! Believe. Believe. Believe.

After all, isn't it obvious?

Drives me bonkers

You know what drives me bonkers? When my kids don't trust me. If they are worried about something, I do my best to calm their fears, trying to use my life experience to bring rationalization to whatever situation they are facing. However, they don't always accept my explanation but rather they choose to feel the way their nature is leading them to feel. Sometimes I want to scream, "I AM YOUR MOTHER, WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME AND BELIEVE WHAT I'M TELLING YOU!" Bonkers I tell ya, bonkers.

So I turned another year older yesterday. Hip hip hooray right. Quite honestly I don't mind getting older. With it, however, always comes soul searching for me. I contemplate things I've carried for years and I contemplate how to quit carrying said things. I had a lot of quiet time yesterday, driving around and just thinking. I found myself soaking in the music I was listening to and just allowing God to settle upon my soul. In so doing, as God often does with me, He dropped something down in my heart that I knew was from. And as I've been pondering it, I'm realizing it's more than just a yearly heart checkup for me, it's something I need to fully embrace. This is what God impressed upon me:

"Trust Me with abandon."

Trust me with abandon. Ok God, what does that look like? Well, we most often deem the word "abandon" in a negative light, right? In fact, the definition of abandon is this, "give up completely (a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking)." Hmmm.

When we abandon something, we bankrupt our attention from it. To abandon something is to completely withdraw from it, to walk away, to have nothing to do with it. And it's a verb, meaning it's an action word.

"Trust me with abandon?" But what does that look like God?

If you are at all like me, and I suspect many women are, you carry worry. I carry burdens like I carry my bottle of big sexy hairspray, meaning I carry it ALL THE TIME.

I've got family that I'm concerned about right now. I've got other issues that cause me worry. And while I like to think that I, "trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not onto my own understanding," I am seeing that clearly I do not fully do that. Because as I carry these burdens, it leaves me with the mentality that somehow in MY own understanding I am going to fix the problem(s.) I think of all the ways that I can fix the situation. But here is the smack in the face, I CAN FIX NOTHING. I AM NOT GOD. Say it with me, all my fellow worry warts, "I AM NOT GOD."

So if I'm going to trust God with abandon, then that means I have to take the worry to God in prayer, and then I have to train myself to leave it there. Take it to prayer and leave it there. Take it to prayer and leave it there. I have to abandon control. Oooo, say it again Mufasa. I have to abandon control. The funniest, and not the slap your knee kinda funny, is that I don't have control over it anyhow. But in my little mind that's polluted by big sexy hairspray, I think I do. Because I operate in my understanding. I lean on it. It's my crutch. It's my obsession.

As the definition says, "to give up completely," I have to literally give up completely. That means I have to take my family member, I have to take whatever the issue is that's taking up my mental space, and I have to say, "God, here is the situation. You know it far greater than I do and You already have the answer on the way. So I'm going to abandon control over this issue to you. By my thinking about it obsessively is just my way of trying to lean on my own understanding. So today, I abandon the issue. I leave it completely. It's yours. I ask You to intervene and fix it in whatever way you see fit. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen."

And then comes the real test, 2 seconds after I pray that prayer when the worry comes right back. Again, I must abandon it. It's no longer my issue. It's God's. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I want to end this with some powerful scripture to dwell on when my measly understanding tries to take over. It's found in 2 Samuel.

"As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him." Oh man that's good. His way is perfect. He can do a far better job at meeting my need than my understanding can. And His Word is proven. Time and time again. And He is a shield to those that trust Him. I need His shield about me. I need His covering, I need His provision, I need His love, I need His oversight, I need His answers, I need His favor, I NEED HIM. So I better trust Him. After all, I certainly don't want to drive Him bonkers.