L I S T E N

Let's take a moment and breath. 

Let's take a moment and dance a little crazy. 

Let's take a moment and look up and gaze at the beauty of the stars.

Let's take a moment, and listen.

Just listen. 

Hear the silence roar.

Listen. 

Listen for His voice. 

Wait for Him to speak. 

Listen. Just listen. 

I am guilty of filling my 24/7 with noise. 

I even turn soft music on during my bible time. 

What if we, I, took some time in the silence to reflect, to think. 

I mean really, really think about His glory.

What if we took little moments to let our minds wonder like a child would.

What if you and I trusted Him so much that we didn't need, or even want to know the "Why?".

Let's take a moment... and listen.

Listen amongst the chaos and have a real moment with Jesus where absolutely nothing else matters in the world.

Listen. Be still. Be quiet. 

What I Am and What I Am Not

Today I almost gave in and listened to myself. I found myself thinking 

"I am not _______"; you fill in your blank.

The enemy will always remind us what we are not. He will use what we think 

about ourselves, our thoughts, to remind us of our fears, 

our limitations, our worries, our past. He gives us a measuring 

stick of comparison that we use to compare ourselves to others; he uses it to 

discourage our hearts from breaking free of all the things that he uses our

 thoughts to remind us of. 

We have to break the enemies measuring stick and begin speaking Truth to ourselves

 by fervently getting in Gods Word. Instead of listening to our thoughts, our 

feelings, we must know that Truth beats feelings. The Truth is we are nothing. 

Christ is everything you and I cannot be on our own. He is joy. He is peace. 

He is forgiveness. He is love. He is life. He is every grain of good in us. 

He has never changed, He will never change and he never fails.

He doesn't have favorites and He never makes mistakes. 

The Truth is, at the Cross, He broke the measuring stick of our old master and 

replaced it with grace upon amazing grace.

How about we grab hold of His grace, friend, and speak Truth into 

ourselves not by listening to our feelings, but by listening to His Word.

E N D U R A N C E through J E S U S

Yesterday was a day of accomplishment for me. I achieved something 

I have worked hard for since January of this year. For me, it was huge. 

But as I drove home from this accomplishment, I got discouraged because

 it took me so much longer than the average person to get to this place. 

I ran 3 miles straight. Woah, crazy right. *wink* 

Your, mine, everyone's accomplishments are different.

 For one person it could be "not grabbing for a cookie off the tray", for others 

could be "rising early", while others it could be "climbing a mountain",

 & yet others "learning how to hit a high note". 

Or it could be "running 3 miles"

As I thought about this on my drive home, I was convicted.  

I compare myself to the knowledge of Jesus that others have. I just want

 to be "there" (wherever "there" is) right now, without the learning process. 

I want to skip to the end & not go through the process. 

I know people who can sit & understand the Bible like there's 

nothing to it, & I know people that it takes a bit longer for them to understand.

For me, I have to sit quietly, & read a small portion over,

 & over, & over again. Sometimes I get something from it. & sometimes,

 I'll be going about my day hours later & it will suddenly "click" what the 

Lord was teaching me. 

Let me say this, friend. You're not alone. Your battles are BIG.

 Don't get discouraged because one thing comes easier to others than for you.

 Realize that each of us have our own special gifts & talents. 

You might have to work a little bit harder, run a little bit faster, 

& take a little bit longer to learn and to grow. 

Allow the Lord to be your endurance. Dig deep & watch Him move.