Tag: God

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LIES: Are You Behind Them or Above Them?

Hello friends! Are you stuck in a spiritual rut? Are you focusing more on what you physically see then what is being spiritually revealed? Are you consumed with what your supposed todo today? Are you finding that despite being home you are more busy? Are you scared that if you find out who God says you are it won’t be who you planned to be?

Yeah me too.

I am going to share a story about a simple girl who wanted adventure but didn’t see herself as worthy or ready and refused to open the door. This girl prayed daily “Lord I want adventure, send me into the world. ” But when an idea or a revelation came knocking on her door she ran and hid. Much like Saul when he was about to be appointed king over Israel.

1 Samuel 10:22 MSG; Samuel went back to God: “Is he anywhere around?” God said, “Yes, he’s right over there— hidden in the pile of baggage.”

Let’s mediate on this scripture for a moment. What stands out to you?

Two points stand out to me: First, God is near and can see us where we are at. Whether we are at the beginning of something the middle or the end, He see’s us. Second, Saul chose to hid among the baggage. Rather than being close to God in the unknown he defaulted to the comfort of sitting among the baggage.

I more often than not feel like my totally fictional character above. I tend to impersonate Saul rather than David.

Psalm 23

David knew his God and knew how much He cared for him. He didn’t need to be comfortable to be safe.

Why does it seem easier to hide in our baggage? Because we forget who our God is and think it takes our strength to go down the road of adventure. When God called Moses to lead the people out of Egypt He said “I AM WHO I AM”.

GOD is capable, He is near, and He is inviting you in to something special today.

Today I wonder what is blocking you from letting God reveal a door or take you outside, away form the baggage? Are you holding onto a concept of who you think you should be? A word the defines you? A past mistake? Fear of screwing up your entire life based on one moment with the Lord?

Let me set you free today with a few words that have been shared with me in the past. “You are not that powerful”. I am going to say that again, “You are not that powerful.”

Today I charge you to look deeper. Sit with God a little longer. Journal: What you hear, think, and see. Step away form the baggage. Allow God to take you into the new thing or on the adventure. I know its scary but God is I AM and will guide you along still water and through the valley of death.

No matter where you find yourself today I know God has immeasurably more to share with you.

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Just Walk

Peace. I have walked it. For many of you who read my last post as of August 7th, 2019 I was paralyzed and searching for my life’s blueprint to be handed to me by God. Now logically we know this can not happen. If we knew everything that God would have for us, we wouldn’t dare move or we would think it was all on us. Newsflash it ain’t.

So what changed from August 7th to December 18th 2019, Besides the weather and holiday season?
My actions.
Instead of listening to my brain explain to me that I have to be approved by God and by all the people around me and still be myself and try to accomplish everything in one semester… and and and!
This nearly drove me insane. Well it actually did I spent my entire summer trapped in my head and talked in circles. It was wack!

I remember the week before classes started like it was yesterday. I hadn’t decided on a school for sure because every time I declared one, I then thought of all the reasons I should go to the other. (To help understand more I had already gone to KSU for a year but KU had a program I was interested in because it would allow me to apply for an internship that I have been wanting to do).
Anyway… The days crept closer to the beginning of classes. I had very few days left to choose. I had officially changed schools like three times. The admission people probably thought I was crazy. I was. But I remember choosing KSU. Thinking I need to finish what I started and although this seemed like the opposite of what I wanted, I knew God had called me to return.

Monday came and as I went to my class a peace that transcends ALL understanding washed over me. This peace was unreal. I remember trying to change my major and realizing it didn’t feel right. In my walk of obedience God opened a major within my school of Education that literally fits me to a T.
I still get to apply for the internship I want and be practically finished with school at the time I had hoped for.

All this to say – God wants to use us and has things in store for us.
Sometimes it is painful other times it is a sweet gift.
How can we know what he has if we don’t walk? You see if ever we get off track God is kind enough to lead us back and our off-trackness was already budgeted into Gods plan.
He literally has it under control.

So as I am sitting here reflecting on literally walking past my thoughts of anxiety and fears of my shortcomings, I thank God for overcoming all and restoring this battle I have faced.
As sit here writing to you I mediate on two things:

Philippians 4:6-7 and the Movie Tangled.

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Rapunzel is one of my favorite princesses. While her story starts off kinda bleak it ends with restoration just like each of our own Jesus stories. He comes to rescue us from our oppressor, Satan. Satan tells us that he knows what is best for us, sending doubt into our minds about what God has for us. This lie begins the building of a tower around us –  of fears, lies, anger, false situations and so forth. He (the devil) fears our potential. The great thing is, no matter how long you live locked up, whether it be 2 days or 10 years, God will rescue you.
There is a purpose God has for you.

Stop holding it in afraid – that you are too much and not enough. Stop worrying that you will mess it up and you’ll disappoint God. Just STOP. God literally made you perfect in His image. There is no one like you. There may be others who you share common interest or goals with, but the way you are wired is unique. So I am here to tell you that I have come through, to the other side and so can you!
Let’s ring in the new year in expectation of what God can and will do.

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“Be Still”

I wear glasses for two reasons: first they help me see where I am going and secondly because they are just so cute. I could wear contacts and I did the other day. I went to the pool and wore contacts to be able to wear sunglasses. When I came home I tried taking out my right contact which would not budge. I proceeded to take out my left contact with ease so I tired for my right again and again and again. Nothing happened! I was so convinced that my contact had fused to my eyeball that I ended up irritating my eyeball. Eek!  I went to the eye doctor the next morning still convinced it was there. They put yellow dye in my eye and looked and looked. They proceeded to tell me there was no contact. What! You mean I have wasted hours of my time and scratched my eye and there was no contact!? I couldn’t believe it yet it made me wonder how this applies to my own life.

How many times do life events or circumstances or fears come into our lives and become all consuming and chaotic. How many times do we think that something is wrong or we need to fix something or be perfect to allow God to use us?

_Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth._

Recently I have been battling the choice of school. Where to go? What to study? I want to be able to move so bad yet I have not taken the time to stop and realize God has already taken the contact out. He has already set the plan. All I need to do IS obey and walk in faith.

I have become dizzy and uncertain. I have avoided texts and calls because I continue to try to see past today. See past what I know. I keep trying to calculate my entire life based on this one choice. Yes this choice will effect my future, but the extent to which I am trying to plan, I have no control over. I don’t know who I’ll marry, where I will live or get a job. I may move states or leave the country. I may have kids or not. I can’t put the weight of my life on the college and degree I receive. That leaves no room for faith. That leaves no room for me to breathe or to allow God to breath into my circumstance.

I have posts about stepping out in faith and God doing more then you could imagine.  I have stepped out in faith. I think that each step in faith gets bigger and scarier and higher. It also comes with more intimacy with God and blessing beyond your wildest dreams. I know all these things and yet… I am paralyzed, frozen by the fear of letting down God, fear of not getting married, fear of running from who I truly am. 

      FEAR.

It screams in your face. It’s always on defense to what God has for you. It doesn’t want you to see your potential. Your ability to make the basket. Because once you’ve done it, you’ll do it again and again. God will use you more and more to advance his kingdom. He will bless you.

It is finished. The decision has been made. The contact is out. Celebrate that He has risen. The new has come. It is ok. God will use it. Stop searching and panicking and thinking. Praise God for this thing and move on. Take the step of faith. He wants you to have this. He wants you to thrive as His daughter or son. He needs you to trust Him when he says the contact IS out. Go in peace. Your sins are forgiven and your new life may begin. He will use this for more than you know. Stop reading into everything. Listen to your doctor. He cares about your heart health. He cares about you. 

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33 Degrees and Waiting

Where I live it snowed for the fifth time this year this past Saturday. This snow has been much better then any previous snow we’ve had. You see winter in Kansas is like a moody teenager, one day its in the upper 50’s and then it drops to the 20’s. Winter is also a season that usually represents the end of something however what if winter was the preparation and beginning of something?

Winter is__________.

The day it snowed here in Overland park it was exactly 32 degrees fahrenheit. Why is that significant you might be wondering? Well at 33 degrees fahrenheit the massive snowfall would have been rain. God put the perfect temperature in place for a magical snowfall. What if the season in your life is a “winter” right now but not in the “ending of an era” kind of winter but a “start of something new” winter. Though this season is typically a very cold and “annoying” season for many, getting bitter about the bitter cold. What if we lack so that God can bless us. What if the blessing is going to be something we can’t even imagine? What if the one who creates looked down on you today preparing you for your perfectly 32 degree day?

Ok so the snow has fallen but 3 days later it is still here creating a beautiful wonderland. The trees are laden with snow. The once dead looking lifeless trees are bound by blankets of pure white snow. What a beautiful picture. Imagine with me these trees. Some of them have large branches broken off. This picture reminds me of John 15.

The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He[a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Typically when I imagine being a branch of the Jesus vine I see spring and flowers and all things filled with color. Yet we are called to abide in God in ALL seasons. Not all seasons of life are filled with color, that is the reality of being human. However this also brings me hope because He continues to prune me (whatever that may be) in every season of my life.

We have seen how the snow is a blessing and a pruning devise, I have one more analogy so stick with me. Have you ever been so stuck on a plan that you can’t see any alternative? What if God wants to show you His perfect purpose filled plan but your too distracted? He will cover it with snow and you will have to trust Him every step of the way. Faithfully God will guide!

Ultimately the snow is a blessing that God’s been preparing you for, a way He can prune back your life and a chance to faithfully fallow His lead. Like in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, “It’s just right”.

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Just NOW!

Have you ever re-watched your favorite TV series? When I first drafted this post I was on my third round of New Girl and now I am currently on round two of Gilmore Girls. Why do we re-watch TV shows? We already know the outcome, how each character develops and where life takes them. Their mistakes and wins. AND that is precisely why we (or at least I) re-watch TV shows. We get to play God or at least feel God-Like.

While in my current reality, my idea of God’s plan may not be playing out how I thought He wanted it too (or really how I wanted it too), So I load up Netflix.  I do that for two reasons: to escape my unknown reality and because I am satisfied knowing that each character’s life will turn out fine. I no longer have to worry, I just sit back and become apathetic with the time God has given me.

For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

2 Thessalonians 3:7 (ESV)

I know I am not the first to experience this desire to take God’s role away from Him. Jonah certainly wanted to stay in his home town rather than preach where he was called. Abraham and Sarah took God’s plan into their own hands. The funny thing is that even after we have played all our cards, striving for our own plan or what we think God’s plan is, He knew the hand we were dealt before we made a move. Our lack of trusting and obeying Him was already worked into His plan. God uses it all to bring us right back to Him.

For example: Over the summer I was rapidly growing nearer to God and then I moved to Manhattan, Kansas and it felt as if He didn’t move with me. I felt terribly lost and confused and uncertain that He would actually want this for me. I tried to figure out his plan rather than accomplish His plan with Him. After wrestling with this reality for awhile, I came to the conclusion that I must do life with God not for God.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.                                                                                                               

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

I could blame my growing up in the technology era or I could admit that its human nature to want what I want now. God’s time doesn’t work in the constraints of 24 hrs, 1 week, 3 months, or 5 years. He works outside of our understanding and timing. Although striving to figure out God’s plan tends to be our default, bringing on stress and a lack of living in the moment, this is one puzzle you can never solve.  However, you and I can be with God everyday. Lean into Him and find out what He desires for TODAY. When we focus on today and enjoy each moment, we gain an abundance of peace.

Matthew 6:25-34 Reminds us of God’s daily love and longing for us to trust in Him. If God takes care of the birds of the air and flowers of the fields, He most certainly will give you all that you need, which exceeds your wildest dreams. He cares so much for us that we can experience a simple,  yet pleasant, over-flowing joy in Every. Single. Moment.

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Paralyzed By Fear or Jumping for Joy

Lately I’ve been growing a lot in my Faith and building Trust in the Lord exponentially. When pondering my recent faith transformation and how this transformation will be ongoing for life, (Because #TeamJesus), I thought about the illustration of Jumping.

When I was in Girl Scouts, I remember going to a gymnastics place to play one day. All my friends were jumping in this foam pit and while it looked like fun I was too scared.  I approached the edge several times, each time pondering the unknown. I  determined since I didn’t know what was going to happen that I wouldn’t jump. Five minutes before it was time to leave I decide what the heck! And…I JUMPED! I was so happy and thought it was so much fun! I was sad I when wasn’t able to jump more. That first foam pit jump is equivalent to our decision to follow Christ. We MUST be all in!!

The faith you have only has the potential to grow or become stagnant.

In Matthew 17:20, which is ” He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, You can say to this mountain, move from here to there, And it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” All it takes is having the faith the size of a mustard seed! That’s what the first foam pit jump is. Saying YES to Jesus! As your scripture intake increases, your prayer time increases, and overall you spend more time with Jesus, He’ll ask you to make bigger jumps.

Low dive? High dive? Skydive?

Each jump is bigger and requires more faith and more equipment and/or skills. For the foam pit you just need to jump – which is equal to believing in Jesus. For jumping off the low dive and high dive, you must be able to swim, a.k.a. spending time in the word, developing your relationship with Jesus. As you grow your skills, such as being able to tune in to Jesus, He’ll ask you to take bigger jumps.

In the last 6 months I have taken a series of jumps that I would never have done on my own, but through the power of Jesus got there. Starting a life group, serving at a new church, giving up things of this world I enjoy –  like TV shows , while difficult, God has seen me through each jump.

After the initial jump each one becomes more exciting! Seeing what God can do through us, with us, and for us is the most special feeling!! I urge you all to move when you hear your creator giving you instructions, I guarantee it’ll be more than worth it! I am so glad I said YES to my Creator, Father and all time Best Friend!!

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Walking on Water or Swimming Through the Motions

Hello y’all!

Have you had “dry spells” in your devotion time? Still in the valley and can’t see how you could be joyful? Tempted by the shiny things of this unglamorous world?…. Me too. I am going to share 5 little things I do each day to keep God at the front of my day.

  1. PRAY- You are probably thinking Hannah, this is a duh! Of course I should pray, what a “church answer”. 6 months ago I thought this same thing.  According to Dictionary.com, the definition of pray:to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship). Growing up I learned the five steps of prayer, but as I have been meditating on the Psalms, I’ve realized that David was raw with God. He would tell him how angry he was and then praise God for seeing him through a difficult time. I no longer think, ok now I have to pray. I think , I GET to pray!
  2. LISTEN- While it is important to talk to our amazing creator, we need to listen to Him too. He has so many plans, blessing and little things he wants to convey to us each day. I love to talk,  and while God loves hearing what I have to say, we can’t have a real relationship if we don’t listen to him. I pray that my thoughts, desires and dreams would be set aside so that I can truly hear/see what God has for me. My prayer for you is that your eyes , ears and heart would be open to all his plans for you.
  3. ARMOR of GOD- Before I start my crazy day I go to Ephesians 6:10-18. I speak out loud the entire section of verses. From Verse 16, I list flaming arrows the devil may distract me with so that I am 100% prepared to fight and stand tall each day.
  4. JOURNAL- Like the Psalmists, I have found that this is a great way to get all my emotions out and collect my thoughts with God. I tell him what I’ve been experiencing and sometimes he will reaffirm truths to me which I also write down.
  5. READ- The bible is amazing! I never thought I could learn anything for my daily life from the OT (Old Testament) but I was sadly mistaken. The word of God is very much alive and will speak to you, where you are. This is one of the main ways God will speak to us too.

Bonus thought: While God loves to hear from us all day long, I strive to start my day with God because then I feel more aligned and ready to take on the day. I already know He has gone before me and my day.

A relationship with God is personal and exciting. While these five things have filled me with joy and Jesus daily , you have other things you do to connect with God. I would love to hear from y’all. Comment below and let me know what you do to grow your faith and grow closer to Jesus!