It's Hard Sometimes...

I'm being perfectly honest, when does it get any less hard?!  I mean one thing after the other, after the other.

As I was doing my study this morning I was reading about Potiphar's wife; aka the woman who literally tried pulling Joseph into bed with her.  Now while I can honestly say I can't stand women who lure men into bed; I also can't stand a man who doesn't runaway.  I respect Joseph because he did his best to avoid her.  But like any snake, she waited for her next opportunity.

And then I was thinking to myself how often I have to keep my mind in check and break the habit of fantasizing about relationships I wish I had.

Potiphar's wife was surrounded by luxury and yet she was spiritually impoverished.  Her soul was steadily decaying through the corrosive power of lust and hate; and not only that she was empty of God; yet full of herself.  After reading about her, why would I want to be anything like her?

That is where the Lord's help comes in!!!

Psalm 51:10-Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I'm thankful for a God who shows us what is right and also gives us the strength to resist temptation.  I pray that we would all increase our hunger for the Lord, so that He will create in us a pure heart, one that He will find irresistibly beautiful.

Love and Peace,
G  

Wrestling the Angels...

One of my favorite songs is "24" by Switchfoot.  As I was listening to the song I pulled up the lyrics and was particularly moved by the last verse...

"I want to see miracles, see the world change, wrestled the angel, for more than a name, for more than a feeling, for more than a cause, I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You, and You're raising the dead in me..."

The part that really caught my attention was the lyric about wrestling the angel for more than a name...and I remember the story of Jacob when he wrestled with the angel until the Lord shrunk his hip muscle so that he would stop.  The Lord then changed Jacob's name to Israel.

How I would long to be like Jacob in this scenario.  To wrestle with the Lord, and have the perseverance to never give up.  I pray that if you're feeling a little tired and a little run-down that we would be like Jacob; wrestling until God stops us...I pray that we would live a life completely surrendered to God, so that when he sees us struggling or wrestling with circumstances that He would intervene.  God does sorrow with us; but He also lifts us up to live a life for more than a feeling and more than a cause...

Love and Peace,
G

Jesus Saw Her...

I was reading today about the story of Rachel and Leah in the book of Genesis.  Both were wives of Jacob, both gave children to Jacob; but it seemed that Rachel was the one whom Jacob truly loved.  In the Bible it said that Leah had delicate eyes, but that Rachel was beautiful to behold.

From the beginning Leah mourned that Jacob loved Rachel over her; despite the fact that she gave him six sons and one daughter.  But even the fact that she gave him children still didn't gain his favor or love.  In fact, the promise of a Savior was carried not through Rachel's Joseph but through Leah's Judah; whose descendants would include the infamous King David and of course Jesus.

More than anything Rachel and Leah reminds me that life is fraught with sorrow and peril, much of it caused by sin and selfishness.  Leah experienced loving a man who was indifferent to her; but it doesn't mean we have to...

You see after reading the story of ultimate competition between two sisters; I couldn't help but think why do women always seem to compare themselves to other women?  We are all in this together, in fact, we struggle with a lot of the same things.

Even though we have a society who often judge by our outward appearances, I'm so grateful for a God who always sees our hearts and judges accordingly!  God is moved by our sorrow, and with His help He can help us not to compare ourselves to other women.

I pray that God will enable us to base our identity on our relationship with Him rather than what we see in our mirrors...I pray we won't be so critical of how God put us together; but rather women who are confident because we are lovable, not because of any outward beauty.  And because God has loved us from the moment He called us into being...

Here's what I want you to do:
Call to mind everything you like about yourself...for example...I love my quirky sense of humor, my love of great literature, musicals and chick-flicks, my compassion for others, my curly hair, even the shape of my body.  Do this for a week, and reward yourself at the end of the week with coffee or dinner with your girlfriends!

Let us resist the temptation to complain about things we don't like...let's not complain about how our Lord made us...go on beautiful sister, shine and exude the beauty God has given you!!!

Love and Peace,
G

God Has Brought Me Laughter...

Dear God,

Help me to be a real flesh-and-blood kind of lady who lives in an adventure more strenuous than any fairy-tale heroine; an adventure that begins with a promise and ends with laughter.

Thank you God for keeping Your promises.  That you have a gracious plan for me that will unfold in Your time according to Your way.

Lord I confess my anxiety and self-reliance; I give that over to you.

Help me to wait with a listening ear and a ready heart to do your will.  I know you hint at your purpose for me by planting dreams within my heart.  Lord I pray I give you my dreams that I've been too busy, too afraid, or too disappointed to pursue.

God if it's time to take the plunge, I pray I might find myself joyfully echoing Sarah's word's in Genesis 21:6, "God has brought me laughter."

Father thank you for loving me despite the fact that my soul still contains shadows that sometimes block the light of Your Spirit.  As I grow older may I trust you more completely for the dreams you've implanted in my soul.

May I be surrounded by laughter at the wonderful way you accomplish Your purpose despite my weakness...

Love you Lord-
G

My Prayer...

God I praise you because you created me in your own image; making me a woman capable of reflecting your love, truth, strength, goodness, wisdom and beauty.

Thank you that despite sorrow, you promised redemption and to crush our enemy.

Help me God to have a clear vision of you!  That I would prefer your will over mine.  Help me to surrender my life so that you can fulfill your purpose in creating me.

You made me for paradise-the joys I feel and taste are infinitesimal compared to those that await for me in heaven...

Help me to envision beauty so I might live with a constant awareness that you intend to restore paradise to all who belong to you...

May I surrender every sin and every sorrow to you, trusting that you will fulfill Your purpose for my life.

I love you Lord and I put my trust solely in You...

Love,

G

Getting Through the Desert...

Sometimes life is too much to handle.  And for me, I feel like what I'm dealing with is way beyond my maturity level.

 I feel as if I've been placed in a desert, and I all I'm seeing is mirage's of what used to be.  I'm starving for any answers as if I were starving for water.  My eyes burn from the constant flow of tears that emerge; and my lips are chapped from the explaining of one's heart.

I just keep telling myself to not wander, to get through the desert rather than be decimated by it.  I've been blessed with beautiful people around me, who love me enough to sit with me and let me cry, be angry and most of all just let me sleep.  It's during those times that I'm at a wonderful watering hole if you will.  One step closer to getting out of the desert and into a place of purpose and assurance.

Life is a desert at times, and often times we let the winds keep us down.  But I'm praying more than ever that God will deliver us from this bondage.  And I have confidence that He's getting us through this desert, one heavy step at a time...

Love and Coveted Peace,
G

Like Whipping Up A Good Mayonnaise...

You might be thinking, "What the heck is up with the title of this blog?"  But let me just say it's very relative to what I have to say.  I'm reading a new book; Lunch In Paris by Elizabeth Bard, (amazing by the way, I can't put it down).  Anyhow she relates mayonnaise to charm; this is what she says...

"Charm, it turns out-like whipping up a good mayonnaise-is very much an acquired skill."

And I totally agree.  Making mayonnaise takes a type of finesse, in which you wait for each ingredient to come together to perfectly make a cloud-like substance which can be added to anything for slight flavor.  If you have the perfect amount of mayonnaise, you can have the perfect sandwich, side to fish or even dipping sauce.  But too much mayonnaise can leave things soggy, leaving anything you eat overpowered by the mayonnaise's taste.  Or you can even have not enough and it leaves you wanting more.

Charming a crowd is very similar to the art of creating the perfect mayonnaise.  If you charm a crowd, and give them just enough, well then it's a success.  But you don't want to over-saturate the crowd, leaving them annoyed and with a bitter-taste in their mouthes.  Charm-like mayonnaise-has a balance.  I guess we can all work on our mayonnaise and our charm skills...I know I can.

Love and Peace,
G