Buckle Up and Enjoy the Ride

I don't know about you, but I hate not knowing the plan.

Where are we going?
How long will it take?
What should I bring?

Taking a trip, I put the address in Google Maps, check the time we need to leave. I check and re-check the weather so I can pack accordingly. I pack water, snacks and meal replacements, as if I am not going to find a store when we get to a remote place like, Big Bear or better, San Diego. it could be a day trip or a weekend, I still plan it out and carry more to the car as we are leaving. Can you relate?

Just this week, I met with a trainer who asked me, "so, what is your personality? Do you like to know what is coming next? Like reps, or exercises? Or do you just do what someone tells you?" I bet you can guess how I responded. Yup, I said, "I don't care about a plan, just tell me what to do." Funny, how certain situations bring a different response. I proceeded to say, "I am flexible, I go with the flow. When I teach cardio classes, I just wing it as I feel."

Now, maybe this is true for you. In some situations, we really don't care what is next. But when things are a bit unclear or you are uncertain of an end result, our attitude changes. When I am going to a new place, I want to plan it. I need to know stuff. But when I know the end result is simply to get my butt kicked, spontaneous workouts and flexibility is all right by me.

And then come those seasons or moments in life where you want a plan and have no control over it. You wonder, what the heck is happening to me? God, where are you taking me? And even more often, where are you, God? I cannot do this on my own any more. I need a map, I need some clothes and I need some food. It's when Google can't help, my yoga pants don't cut it and my meal replacement just isn't enough to keep me going.

I know you've been there. We all have at some point in our lives. For some of you, it may be over yet it felt like forever, while others may be right on the road to "I don't know where." No matter where you are on your journey, God is in the pilot's seat and you have to just buckle up and hold on. The road may get bumpy, the journey may slow down or speed up at any time; hills may be steep, but you have to take the top down and enjoy the ride.

Fearlessly. Spontaneously. Faithfully.

"Whom shall I fear?

I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of Angel armies

Is always by my side"

-Chris Tomlin

A Shout Out to Friends

Ever have one of those weeks where the world seems to be falling apart and there is nothing you can do about it? I have had a few in the last month and let me tell you-Friends Rule!

Too often we get so busy doing our thing, whether it be taking care of the kids, work, cleaning up the house or just simply the daily grind gets a bit too overwhelming and we neglect those around us for the sake of getting things done. I admit it, I am not a good friend most of the time. I spend most of my time work and taking care of the family leaving little time to make a phone call or check on a friend. It isn't that I don't care about my friends, not is it that I don't want to have some girl time, it just seems life moves so fast and I never slow down to make a different plan.

BUT I have some awesome friends! This past month, I have been reminded how valuable each of them are to me. Girls, don't let friendships die because you don't take time to nurture them...one day you will need each other for something more than a mani/pedi or a GNO.

My friends send texts with bible verses and simple "I'm thinking about you," for encouragement they will meet in a moment to pray, even if over the phone, and will listen when I simply need to vent a little. They stay true and faithful, even when time and distance separate us.

I could go on, but you get the point. When a storm comes, friends need each other. Friends matter all the time, but in those times when you really need to chat, cry or simply get some energy out with a lunchtime run...Friends can make the difference in our lives.

God has given me some of the best friends in the world. This is a shout out to each one of you!

Ecclesiastes 4: 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 

10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Finding Peace in the Storm

It was only a few weeks ago, Easter Sunday to be exact that I spoke these words to my family in the car, "I am a survivor." Little did I know, only a few later I would be put to the test. Many storms have come and gone in my life and in those moments I have turned to God for peace. Unfortunately, this time, several storms came at once and I did not find peace at first. In fact, my stomach ached, my head hurt and the pressure of holding it together exploded every time I was alone. It was in this time, I had to take take a deep breath and ask God to wrap his arms around me while I cried out. "God, I am a survivor but really? all this at once."

The first storm started with a call. A call that was the beginning of the end of a life. From the time of the call to the end was a mere three weeks. Several conversations, a round trip drive to Vegas in a day, and a two more weeks waiting for the next call. For me, the peace was there in the beginning. I knew the day was coming and I knew I was ready for what was to come. Death was inevitable at this point. Unfortunately, some lost sight. Yes, I believe God had taken my dad to be with him. We talked about it, he assured me of his faith and his repentance. But the others, they didn't know. They didn't beleive. Their grief came in many forms-anger, sadness and guilt. Caught in the middle, I struggled to respond to each one of them. They did not find comfort and did not know what to do with their anger, their sadness or their grief. One lashed out, one cried, one shut down. And I was left working out the details.

The next storm came about the same time. This time, someone much closer to me, someone I love more than anything. Watching someone struggle through something that I have no control over is heartbreaking. There was absolutely nothing I could do. I was helpless and there was even a moment I felt hopeless. Although I know God is always watching and is faithful, I got overwhelmed throughout the day. It sometimes consumed me and my heart ached again, because there was nothing I could do. 

And then, the third storm. It seemed small in comparison but it compounded the others. When all I wanted to do was focus on one, the others distracted me, got in the way and rumbled the peace that I desparately tried to find. This one at work, this one, again, out of my control. 

Do you see a pattern here? It is when we lose control that we feel lost and overwhelmed. It is when the storms come and we have no shelter that we respond irrationally, and desparately. When we lose sight of God, we lose sight of hope. 

In these moments of despair, God was with me, if only I leaned on Him and remembered his promises, I would find His peace. I am a survivor because I remembered to turn to Him and believe in the peace and strength of a God who says, "I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm--I will come to you." And even when I feel the valley is so dark God cannot possibly see me, I am reminded by David that, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4 NIV). As a believer, I do not have to face the storm the same way the world does but in the midst of the storm I can find peace. I know that I am not in control so it is when I turn to Jesus, I will find peace in these things. 

Cleansing of our Spirits

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NIV)

Even Jesus was baptized. I have known many people who commit their lives to God, proclaiming their faith but simply are too scared to take this one step of obedience to God. I've never understood it, but then again I was baptized in high school. I had my friends encouraging me and standing by my side all the way through it. They cheered me on, bought me a new Bible, invited their friends. It was a celebration. 

I remember it to be a little scary because it is a profession in front of all your friends, but in the end I knew I was making a choice to follow God with my whole life. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's the fear of commitment. Or maybe it's the fear that now you have made yourself accountable to those who witnessed it. Or maybe it's the humility we are forced to demonstrate in front of the people. As a young girl, and still as an adult, I'm either all in or all out. I've never been one to do things halfway, so when I met Jesus and knew He was the truth I needed in my life, I was all in. Since that day, I've made mistakes and turned away with a bad decision or thoughts of a different life, but I've never denied my God. 

Being all in doesn't mean I'm perfect or that I won't have pain and suffering. It doesn't mean things will come easy and life will always be good on earth. 

Being all in means I have a God that is bigger than me and He can move mountains when they get in the way of my serving Him wholeheartedly. 

Being all in means I can trust that God is good because he has protected me in the storms and kept me safe from harm. He has performed miracles in my life. 

Being all in means when the darkness moves in, He brings light. 

Being all in means I have a love greater than any human can provide. 

This Sunday, another believer I know will be all in through the baptism of water and I pray that through his obedience, God will show him what it means to feel the Holy Spirit and know God is pleased with his son through the cleansing of the Spirit. Baptism is a public commitment to follow Jesus and to be washed of the sins in our lives so we can live freely in the spirit with a father who loves us. It is "all in."

If you have waited and have been afraid to publicly commit to Jesus, I pray you consider what it means to be all in and live the life Jesus has sacrificed for you. 

Do what matters most

Sometimes I get overwhelmed. 

Yesterday, I woke up to a reminder that the cleaning service, that I apparently signed up for, would be arriving at 7:30. I had no idea I signed on for a repeat service when the Groupon came in last month. So, frantically, I went through the house picking things ups, moving things around, and realizing that had I not been so busy I would have seen this coming. With an inbox of over 150 emails, I am sure there was one that told me I had signed up. I would have a clean house when I came home but all I could think of was, "How did this happen?" "How did I get so busy that I signed up for something and didn't realize it?" I have been so caught up working that the house had become a second priority. And then it came upon me, the sense that I had lost control of everything. A typical morning now turned in to one that had everyone running frantic. If you have ever had a cleaning service, you get it. It's actually funny. We have to clean up, to get cleaned up. 

I left the house frustrated and sad. Frustrated because I had missed it and sad because I felt I had let the family down. Tears running down my face driving down the 91 sent me to work late with puffy eyes walking into a meeting with all eyes on me. I took a deep breath, pulled it together and got to work. We do that, when we leave the situation, we simply let it go in an instant and get to work. Getting home late that night, I had accomplished much but still have a full plate ready for the next day. 

Sometimes we let the moment get the best of us. Yes, I feel overwhelmed at times during the day, but in those moments I have to remember to take a deep breath and do something, something that moves the situation. Panic, frustration and tears don't make the feeling go away. So, when there is nothing we can do to change the situation around us, we have to start with our response. And when there are more things on your list than you have time for, do the things that matter most first. 

The house was clean when I came home and everything was back to normal. The tears, the frustration and sadness never should have been there. I let a simple situation get the best of me in a moment of panic. Don't we do that? 

Today, find that thing that matters most and do it first. Don't wait until everything else is done or until you are dead tired at the end of the day. Go to God and let him help you find peace in the chaos and then call your friend (or your mom), make cupcakes for the kids, or go for a run. Whatever it is that matters most to you, do it first. Everything else will be there tomorrow. 

… Luke 10:41But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Never Say Never

Two things I adamantly said, "no way, would I ever," have recently come to surface in my life. We do have choices, yes, but sometimes, the choice to go against something just because we don't want to, isn't great enough to fight. Don't get me wrong, I fought for weeks. I fought and fought against what I believed to be best, not just for me, but for everyone involved. Unfortunately, everyone involved won and I lost the battle. So, maybe it wasn't best for everyone, or maybe it wasn't best for me. I am not sure what God has planned but I do know He has a plan. He always does. And as many times as I have seen him change me in situations I fought, I still feel frustrated, angry and totally taken advantage of. As I continue to fight within myself trying to figure out how I will make it work without running away, I am reminded over and over again, that it is not my plan to make work. 

Sometimes, we are faced with situations we are not ready for and strongly believe we "would never." In these times, it is natural to feel frustrated, scared or even angry. Holding on to the those feelings will only make us more frustrated and stifle any possibility of our personal growth and change. As I am still learning to work through my frustrations, I know I cannot change the situation, but instead have to face it head on and be the best I can be with what God has given me. I am sure somewhere in all of this there is a lesson for me to learn, yet I am blinded by an overwhelming sense of "it's not fair," with a little stomping of my feet. OK, maybe more stomping my feet than I want to admit. And maybe it isn't fair, but then again, "life isn't fair," right? 

Not to say, I am not still fighting with God on this, but ultimately, I know I have to face the change. I know it is no longer my fight but His and I know He has given me the tools to work it out, if I simply trust in Him completely. It is our humanness that doesn't see the bigger plan He has for us. But in those times, especially, we have to trust in Him. We have to stop stomping our feet, blaming others and do what we are called to do. Even as I write that last sentence, I still want to say..."but..but..what about me?" It is never about me, or you, it is always about the bigger plan He has for our lives. Oh, sigh...I have a lot to learn, as I assume many of us do. 

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Hope in God, Nothing Else is Good Enough

Hope is when we anticipate something will get better. Hope is what drives us to keep going when times are tough, when it seems like our challenges are bigger than us, when we know we cannot do anything else in the moment of struggle. 

Hope is what makes me get up each day, knowing that whatever is ahead of me, God is going to make it better. When life feels overwhelming or when I don't want to be doing what I'm doing, I know there is a plan for me. I know God has me right where he wants me, even if I don't get it. And lately, I don't get it. I'm not sure why things happen the way they do and my controlling spirit wants to take the situation and fix it, change it or sometimes hide in a hole until it goes away. But when my head is clear and I look around me, I know I've got it good. I know that every opportunity I have has been given to me by God for a reason. I would never be where I am today without the hope in something greater than myself. Myself cracks on its own, myself breaks down at the simplest things, myself loses it's mind occasionally. 

Hope can take us from the deepest pit of our lives and move us to great things. It can change our attitude and our energy and our love towards others. It can bring us purpose and belief in things we never believed in before. 

It's when we lose hope, we fall. And if we let our minds get the best of us, it's hard to get out of it. But having faith in God gives each of us a reason to live and hope for better days and still enjoy the moments we are in. 

If God is not your hope, you hope in things and people. And to hope in any thing or any person will only disappoint you or abandon you or hurt you. It is inevitable in our humanness but God will never disappoint, abandon or hurt us in any way. He loves us just as we are and what a comfort that is. I have many flaws and many quirks that drive people crazy, but I know I am who I am because God created me. He alone is where I find my identity. In the same way, he created you just the way you are. We have to remember that our hope has to be in God and then we will live free of what others think, say and do. 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.