life is what you make it...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.... they're baaaaaaccckk!! The Chickens, that is! (I just love them!)

I thought I would share this one with you all, as we look toward a new year...

Ann Voskamp, over at Holy Experience, wrote a post today called Year Naming. She said it gives her and her family a "destination"... a road map for the year. I like that idea, and I shall think about what my year 2009 shall be named. It will probably be something along the lines of "Gratitude" or "Trust" or "Radical Chaos"... or some such name!

I DO know what it WON'T be named:

GRIM.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

~2 Corinthians 4:18

Finally, brothers,

whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

~Philippians 4:8

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

~chickens appear with permission of the artist, Doug Savage, at SavageChickens.com

can i have a testimony, please?!

Does that sound familiar to you? If you've ever been in a Pentecostal church, you have probably heard that question--that invitation for someone to tell of something God has done in their life! An invitation to proclaim the greatness or the faithfulness of God... An invitation to tell all those within hearing distance of some way the Father has touched a life, healed brokenness, or uplifted the downtrodden.

It is an invitation for someone to tell aloud of the goodness of God--to acknowledge Who He is and what He has done, to bring glory to God and encouragement to others.

Today, I accept that invitation. Let me tell you something which God has done for me this week...

It may not seem like much on the surface, but I must tell you of a way in which my Father has provided for me this week. If you're a regular reader, you may remember Saturday's post about my unexpected car repairs with which I began the new year. I was not thrilled about the car repairs nor of having my Fixing-the-Finances plan thrown off track by this unexpected expense. The enemy attempted to use it as a vehicle (pun not intended but appreciated!) through which to rob me of my sense of peace and hope... to thwart my intentions of trusting God in this area.

I chose to STAND. I refused to listen to his lies (that it's hopeless, impossible, and that God will not be there to provide). I refused to go to that place of anxiety and unrest--of fear. I chose, instead, to trust that no matter what obstacles are cast in my path, God is my Provider.

But, this is not a testimony about ME... this is about GOD...

So, I took my car to the mechanic on Saturday, walked down the street to the coffee shop, and awaited the verdict. After an hour or so, the mechanic called me on my cell phone and told me the immediate problem and what needed to be done to fix it. (He also then proceeded to tell me a couple of other things that needed to be taken care of in the future but which weren't crucial at the moment.) Thankfully, the total cost was just around $300. I told him to go ahead with the repairs.

Now, $300 is not terrible compared to some of the other car repair bills I've had in the past couple of years. With my newly set-up financial plan and tight budget, however, there's not that kind of "wiggle room" for such expenditures. And, the big picture is not to incur any credit card debt--not even for 'emergencies.' I figured God and I would have to figure it out somehow over the next month or two, and I charged it on my credit card.

(And here comes the cool part of the testimony!!) As part of my financial plan, I had started saving small amounts of money from each paycheck for various future expenses. When I got home from the mechanic's, I just thought I would check out my "car repairs" savings to see if I had any money in that account at all. Guess what....?!

I had just $7 short of what the repairs had cost me!!!! Really! How awesome was that?!

This kind of thing doesn't normally happen to me, and I could totally see it as God's handiwork! Especially after the battle with the enemy over this area, it was such a testimony to me of how God provides for our needs when we trust Him! It felt like a 'reward' for my choosing to not let the enemy pull me into his place of darkness but, instead, to walk in the Light! It definitely served as a reminder of God's care for me and an encouragement to continue to trust Him!

And so I proclaim this testimony of the goodness of God--to acknowledge Who He is and what He has done, to bring glory to God and encouragement to others. May He and you be blessed! (174)

happy bird day ...

When I looked at my calendar this morning, I discovered that today is "Bird Day." Well, I'm a very curious person, and I love holidays, so I googled Bird Day to find out what it was all about. After reading about it, I decided the real purpose of Bird Day is a bit too PC for me... but, hey, I love birds, so, let's celebrate!!

Here they are, God's wonderful feathered flying (mostly!) creations... just like us, they come in all shapes and sizes and colors and faces... some walk, some run, some waddle, some swim, and, yes, some even fly!! : ) But most of all, they give glory to God... just by "being"--His creation... His magnificent, beautiful, wonderful creation...

I even wrote a song for the occasion...

Happy Bird Day to you!

Happy Bird Day to you!
Happy Bird Day, dear biiiirrrrrds!

Happy Bird Day to you!!

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." ~Genesis 1:20-22

Happy Bird Day to you!

celebrate the Sabbath... with the beauty of the mountains...

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him,
Who brings good news, good news;
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness.

Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns!
Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

Out from the tomb He came with grace and majesty;
He is alive, He is alive!
God loves us so, see here His hands, His feet, His side;
And yes, we know, He is alive!

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

~Isaiah 52:7

(When it is a very clear day here in southern CA (usually after a big rain or windy day), we can sometimes see the mountains in the distance... I love it when they are covered with snow!! They always make me think of the song and the verse above!)

new year, same old tricks...

Even though it is a new year, I find that the enemy is up to his same old tricks. His favorite game is to do whatever he can to get us to doubt God, to be fearful, to live in bondage rather than in the freedom Christ purchased for us with His very blood. He can't stand to see us deepen our relationship with God or to hear us praise God for Who He is or what He is doing, and he does whatever he can to destroy that trust, rob the joy, or disturb the peace in our hearts.

I've also noticed that the enemy usually knows our weak areas--our areas of brokenness--and tends to come back time and again to those places to use them against us however he can. At least that's what he does with me. He knows a couple of specific areas in my life where I am sensitive and tends to focus on those.

I didn't use to see his attacks as clearly, but in the past couple of years, God has been working in certain areas in my life and opening my eyes to some of the more subtle ways the enemy attacks, trying to draw my trust away from my Father.

One of the areas where I have seen consistent enemy attacks in my life is in the area of my finances. As I've become more aware of his methods, I have been learning to recognize, and even anticipate, when he is at work--or when he WILL be at work. It has become quite predictable--whenever God is doing something big or deep in my heart and life, or when I have made a victorious step in my walk with God, within a few days, the enemy of my soul tries to rob it from me. He sneaks up on tiptoe, quietly approaching, usually while I am loudly shouting God's goodness. And when I quiet myself, he attacks... with his darkness and his lies.

It was only two days into the new year, and he was already about his business...

Over the past few months, I have been working on resolving some difficult financial issues. And, it felt as though each time I would get a plan in place, it would get thrown off by one more (negative) financial surprise. In spite of this, however, I had finally gotten my finances set up in a manner that made me feel as though I would be moving forward rather than just spinning my wheels-- a workable plan to pay down some difficult debt and a solid (albeit tight!) budget. All the pieces were finally in place, and the puzzle was coming together.

On New Year's Eve, I was talking with my good friends about it, and I said I was finally feeling like I could DO this... like I was on the right track with it...not feeling the "frustration of the impossible task" but finally feeling empowered and positive about it. (obviously, this is all with God's help, as it is He Who gives me the life and breath to get up each day and to work and to live!! in no way discounting His providence and grace!!)

Then, that very night, as I got into my car to drive home, the car started behaving strangely. The engine wasn't running right, and I could tell something was wrong. I asked God to heal it (yes, I do that!) and reminded Him that we have a "plan," and it doesn't involve major, unexpected car repairs at this point. When I drove it to work yesterday morning, the problem was still there and was growing worse than the night before.

As I was walking from the parking garage to my office, I could feel the frustration building in me regarding 'one more hit' to my finances. I could feel a sense of hopelessness threatening my peace of mind and heart and the beginnings of anxiety and fear. The voice in my head (which sounded so very much like my own) said "You know, I never should have said I felt empowered or hopeful about my finances."

And, then, all of a sudden something clicked... (a tap on the brain by the Holy Spirit, perhaps??!) and I found myself actually angered by that thought! NO! my mind (or the HS within!) said, "That's not truth! I SHOULD be able to tell others that I feel hopeful. I SHOULD be able to BE hopeful about it!"

And it became so very clear that the enemy, the deceiver, the thief, was up to his old tricks! But this time I was NOT going to listen nor was I going to play his game. I told myself (and him, if he happened to be listening) that I was NOT going to let fear move into that place of peace and hopefulness and confidence in God! I was NOT going to be anxious about it or become discouraged by this. I was going to TRUST that God had helped me come up with "the plan," and He would help me to walk it out, whatever bumps or obstacles may be in the road along the way. Despite what it looked like, I was NOT going to go to that place of fear or anxiety.

A couple of lines from a Dylan Thomas poem came to my mind--

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I decided I was NOT going to go gentle into that place of darkness and discouragement. My heart and my mind were suddenly 'raging against the dying of the light'! And, it was a bit strange--this feeling of 'rage.' But that's what it felt like. It was a raging at the absolute wickedness of the enemy and the way he rips us off of the good things of God whenever he can--how he tries to give us death in place of the life Christ gives us. And this time, I could see it so clearly.

I will not go gentle into the darkness which the enemy has planned for me! I follow the Light of the World...and where there is Light, there is NO DARKNESS! ("God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." ~1 John 1:5) I will fight. I will stand my ground. I will believe Truth. And I will hold onto hope--because that is how my God would have me to live...in an attitude of hope and trust and confidence in His goodness.

I tell you this (in my long-winded fashion!) as a testimony to God's goodness and as a reminder... that wherever God is at work, the enemy will try to find a foothold to destroy that work, to cause you to doubt God, or to rob you of the peace, joy, and hope He is working in your heart.

As we begin a new year--full of possibilities and opportunities-- we fix our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith. We give Him this year ahead and look forward to what He desires to do in us and through us. Let us be aware of and alert to the one who would try to stop us from experiencing the life of abundance and fullness our awesome Father has planned for us this year, and let us not let him steal even one moment of our confidence, our trust, our joy, our peace.

(to Him be the glory for ever and ever!!)

how are you facing the new year?

Since "pictures are worth a thousand words," I thought I'd use those instead tonight...

How are you facing the new year ahead?....

(boldly?, in case you're wondering about this one!)

...just a little food for thought...

(attitude and outlook are so very important, aren't they!?)

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~Psalm 118:24

Happy New Year....

And now

let us believe in the new year

that is given us—

new, untouched,

full of things that have never been.

–Rainer Maria Rilke

For this reason I kneel before the Father...

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you

with power through His Spirit

in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power...to grasp how wide and long

and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge

—that you may be

filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to Him Who is able

to do immeasurably more

than all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

~Ephesians 3:14-21

this is my prayer for you today

for the new year ahead...

(for what more could one ask??!)

* * * * * * *

Happy New Year!!