WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN: Facing the Scale

Good Morning My Faithful Readers! Thank-you for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by today. It makes a huge difference to me. :-)

Well, it's Wednesday and the day I promised to post about my struggle to lose over 100 pounds.

Admittedly, it's been a harder commitment than I bargained for, but it is a neccessity if I truly want to live every day submitted to Jesus. Because you see, in Jesus there is always hope, no matter what our present circumstances. And in Jesus there is always comfort, joy and a light at the end of every tunnel. 

Think about that last statement for a minute. Let's say it outloud very slowly together so as to engrave it on our hearts and mind. Ready?

In Jesus there is ALWAYS comfort, joy and a light at the end of every tunnel

What is your present struggle today dear reader? What obstacles are you trying to overcome? Is there an area of self-improvement that you have been grappling with? Tell me. Let's bear this together. If you don't want to post openly, then email me at dsimlergoff@sbcglobal.net . There is power and strength in the community of believers.

Now, as to my own weight loss issues:

It's been really hard to face the number on the scale because I have not been excercising or following my food plan. But last Wednesday, I finally weighed myself after 2 weeks of avoiding the scale and discovered I'd gained a 1/2 pound. In and of itself that is not bad, but I've been gaining a little each week for the last few months which means I'm headed in the wrong direction.

Galatians 6:1-3 says:

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.



Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.


For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

My fault today is my overeating and lack of excercise. You who are strong in this area, please tell me what you do to get back on track.

Helping one another to overcome, is yet another facet of living every day with Jesus. We need each other!

Yes, there is always hope in Jesus, but often we need the expression of another human being reaching out in compassion to help us embrace that hope. I want to be there for you in the areas I've grown in. Would you like to be there for me with my weight struggles?

It really is part of living every day with Jesus.

ELITE WARRIORS

I feel that God is calling together a band of elite warriors who are willing to be trained in the deepest of His anointing. But it will be tough training and filled with many trials... much like the Navy Seals but only in a spiritual sense.

ARE THERE ANY TAKERS?

The Apostle Paul was well versed in this kind of training:

"I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.



And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.


If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying. Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me? I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life." (2 Corinthians 11:20-33 from The Message)

But oh the anointing and souls that were impacted because of all the Apostle Paul endured. Make no mistake, Suffering is part of living every day with Jesus. But not suffering for suffering's sake. No, this kind of suffering is for the cause of Christ, for souls to be wrought from the enemy's hand and brought into the kingdom of God!

Are you up for the task?


Lord, help us to be brave and ready to do all that is asked of us. Make us the  ELITE WARRIORS you want desire us to be that many might be saved!

Remember my precious reader. In Jesus there is always hope. And Jesus is always with us in all that we endure. Doesn't it make it worth living every day with Him?

Reluctant Warrior

Today I feel like a reluctant warrior.
I know the truths of God. His promises. His power. But still I wait in the foxholes of life. Praying. Hoping. And trying to avoid being hit by one of the enemy's bullets.

Yet I know this is not what God intended for His children at all. He came that we might have life and that more abundantly. And He intended that we would charge the enemy's camp with our swords drawn, full of confidence. Not in ourselves and our ability, but in the one who  made us.

I wish I could tell you that living every day with Jesus means you are always on the mountaintop. But that simply is not true. There are times in our lives when Jesus beckons us to the valleys because He know that even there, in the darkest and deepest of shadows there are increbile treasures that await us.

Lord Jesus, help us to embrace the valleys as freely as we embrace the mountaintops. We truly want to live everyday with you.

This poem was in reading for today from Streams in the Desert. It encouraged me and seemed to be straight from God to my heart. May it bless and encourage you today.

I have been through the valley of weeping,
The valley of sorrow and pain;
But the God of all comfort was with me,
At hand to uphold and sustain.

As the earth needs the clouds and sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrow and joy;
So He places us oft in the furnance,
The dross from the gold to destroy.

When He leads thro' some valley of trouble,
His omnipotent hand we trace;
For the trials and sorrows He sends us,
Are part of His lessons in grace.

Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning,
Forgetting the Husbandman knows
That the deeper the cutting and paring,
The richer the cluster that grows.

Well He knows the affliction is needed;
He has a wise purpose in view,
And in the dark valley He whispers,
'Hereafter thou'lt know what I do'

As we travel thro life's shadow'd valley,
Fresh springs of His love ever rise;
And we learn that our sorrows and losses,
Are blessings just sent in disguise.

So we'll follow wherever He leadeth,
Let the path be dreary or bright;
For we've proved that our God can give comfort;
Our God can give songs in the night.

OUR BEST INTEREST

She said she saw me with my arms wide open, and all kinds of weapons pouring down in front of me from heaven like rain.


“Swords, knives and other stuff…God is equipping you for battle – for your future.”

It was a sobering thought, but a welcomed one. And I was thankful to have a friend who was sensitive enough in the ways of the spirit to impart her heavenly vision to me.

Has anything like that ever happened to you? Have there been times in your life when God used a friend or family member to speak encouraging words? Or to admonish you? How did you know their words were from God?

Speaking the truth in love, and edifying one another, is a vital part of living every day with Jesus. We were created for community, for camaraderie. We draw strength from one another – it is God’s way.

And so when my friend spoke those words to me, I received them as they were intended – in love because I felt the deep resonating confirmation of the spirit of God.

I’m not sure what God has planned for my future – or for yours. But we can take comfort in knowing that He is ever watchful of us. If His eye is on the sparrow, we know most assuredly that His eye is even more attentive to us. And He always, ALWAYS has our best interest in mind!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen." (Jeremiah 29:11)

DEFENDING GOD

As a believer, and one who tries very hard to live every day with Jesus, I sometimes find myself in the odd position of defending God.

Life is filled with injustices. And  when these injustices occur,  people tend to look heavenward with a defiant fist raised, and hurl a series of accusatory questions:

How could you let my child die? 

Why didn't you keep me from losing my job? 

Where were you when I was abused? 

The list seems endless, and there are no easy answers.

For example, a young man reached out to our prayer group because his little boy had an inoperable brain tumor. We prayed several times for this gentlemen and his family. And I personally, felt led to take it a step further, and email him the specifics of my prayers as a way to encourage him, and hopefully build his new found faith. 

And then his little boy died.

He was only 7 years old, and their only child.

What now? I thought. How do I go from offering this man hope in the infallible God, to telling him this all powerful God did not let him down?

This is one part of living every day with Jesus that I still struggle with.

But I know is that God is still good, and His love is still everlasting.

Whenever I face hard times and want to ask God 'how could you?" I always  reread the last few chapters of of the book of Job because it reminds me that I am not God. And that He knows exactly what He is doing.

 "And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:


Why do you confuse the issue?

Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about?


Pull yourself together, Job!


Up on your feet! Stand tall!


I have some questions for you,


and I want some straight answers.


Where were you when I created the earth?


Tell me, since you know so much!


Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that!


Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?


How was its foundation poured,


and who set the cornerstone,..." (Job 38)


What about you my very special reader?

Have you ever found yourself in the unique position of trying to defend  God?

How did you handle it?

And more importantly, how did living every day with Jesus help you to handle it?

GUEST POST: Lysa Terkeurst

(I stumbled across Lisa Terkeurst's BLOG about a month ago, and visit it  periodically. Lisa is the founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries which is an organization dedicated to  helping women become all they can be in Christ Jesus. Their site is user friendly and has alot of resources. It's definately worth checking out!)

Lysa is a prolific and very successful writer, and in a league way beyond where I am right now. I do not know her personally, but I wanted to share one of her recent posts (see below) because I think it will bless you. But also, because rejoicing in another's gifts is an important part of living every day with Jesus. 

Think about that last statement just a minute - rejoicing  in another's gifts.  How comfortable is it for you to that? It's certainly not always been easy for me.  Our human tendancy can be to think about our own gifts, and how we want to be used; be in the limelight; make lots of money, or win hundreds of souls to the kingdom. 

But how often do we help someone else be in the limelight? Especially someone who is operating in the same gift we are? If you are a singer, do you wholeheartedly support the other singers in your church? Or if a teacher; do you enthusiastically applaud another teacher's presentation? It's the same for writers, or any other profession.

Sharing Lysa Terkeurst's post is easy for me. Afterall, she's already famous, and if anything, my posting about her can only help me.

So the real test for me, will be for me to give 'blog space' to another struggling writer just like myself. Someone who is my peer. And help them because  I want to see them shine. Even if it means they will shine more than me. Why?  Because that is what Jesus would do, and that is what he would expect of me.

So I have included the link for Lysa's post from yesterday. May you be blessed and may God continue to anoint all her efforts for His kingdom.

Your Wedding Day

One day you will be a beautiful bride. There will be more fanfare, and better food at your wedding than there was at Chelsea Clinton’s last Saturday. Your dress will be prettier than the one Chelsea wore. Her dress was designed by Vera Wang. Your dress will be made by a famous designer too – one of almost heavenly rankings. Your hair will be done perfectly. Your eyes will shine bright, and your complexion will be smooth and clear.

But whereas Chelsea’s wedding date was set for July 31st, your wedding as an undetermined date. But rest assured the timing will be just right and the weather will cooperate perfectly.

And who will be at your wedding? Some family, some friends, and some people you’ve never met before. But all will be dressed in their finest, just like Mary Steenburgen and Madeline Albright were at Chelsea’s wedding.

And just who are you marrying you ask? Why Jesus Christ of course! He is preparing His bride – the church to attend the marriage supper of the lamb. To be joined with Him for all eternity:

“Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder:


Hallelujah!


The Master reigns,


our God, the Sovereign-Strong!


Let us celebrate, let us rejoice,


let us give him the glory!


The Marriage of the Lamb has come;


his Wife has made herself ready.


She was given a bridal gown


of bright and shining linen.


The linen is the righteousness of the saints.


“The Angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.'" He added, "These are the true words of God!" (Revelation 19:8-10)

You see becoming part of the bride of Christ is an obvious part of living every day with Jesus. That is why baptism is so important. Because it is in baptism that we take on the name of Christ – just as a bride takes on her husband’s last name. And it is in baptism that we are ceremonially buried with Jesus Christ, and our sins are completely washed away. Then and only then do we begin to walk in the newness of life that Jesus Christ spoke about when He walked the earth.