What's your Praise cost?

I should be working on paperwork, but I have a blog that needs to come out. God started writing it this morning(well late, late last night). I honestly started to post a what about me, complaining Facebook status because today has just been chaos and that's when God reminded me of this blog. Last night I had the typical Sunday night rest (if you are a teacher or related to a teacher you know what I mean). Sunday nights are usually hard to rest and sleep because of all of the plans for the following week. I sleep very well Monday night, but Sunday seems to be my dreams of paperwork and overwhelming schedules. Most teachers I know have said the same thing, especially after a break ;-). I love what I do, but I have finally learned the stress is not productive. Doing the best I can each day, for the entire day is all that He asks me to do. It may not be all that others ask, but at some point I have to be content with it being what He wants and expects. So many times I think we forget that He didn't say save the world, He said change it. We change it by doing what He has asked us to do and by giving the gift of today our all. Oh how we forget how much He trusts us sometimes.

So the title of the blog was His question to me last night. Kari Jobe made a comment on the Dove Awards of praise till the breakthrough happens. So many times we stop short of our breakthrough because we quit praising. We start complaining or start the woe is me pity parties. How quickly we forget that He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is not surprised by our reactions, He knows our hearts. He also knows that each day we are getting stronger than we were the previous day. Don't quit praising just because the day is not going your way or even how you planned that it would.  God knows how strong you are and He knows your heart. What's your Praise worth? Is it worth complaining because the day is not going your way? Is it worth getting down on yourself because you cannot seem to get it all finished? Is it worth pleasing everyone else in the course of the day instead of pleasing the One who made the day?

What is your praise worth? How much does it cost? You and God are the only two that know what is in your Alabaster box. (Think story in the Bible and the CeCe Winnans song). Jesus understood what the perfume was worth to the woman who broke it anointed His feet with it that day.  Everyone else did not understand, but they didn't know her heart. God knows what your praise is worth. He knows what it means when you push through a day with a smile on your face when you would rather sit somewhere and pout. He knows what it means when you refrain from that pity party post and let Him remind you He's got it. (I'm not talking about the asking for prayer posts, but the pity party ones...you know what I'm talking about). He knows what you fight through that others may never see. He knows what your praise costs, let Him remind you when you need it.

The events of the day are not worth sacrificing your praise. The day may end in tears, but let it be tears of God I don't get it but I know You've got it. What's your praise worth? Stay focused on what He's called you to do and who He made you to be. Do not believe the lies of the world/enemy that it is worth sacrificing for a few minutes of a pity party or complaining. Your praise is worth so much more.

God thank you for knowing my heart and for knowing what my praise is worth. Strengthen me throughout the day and may Your praise be always in my mind/heart and on my lips. Thank you for sweet reminders of praise when You know the pity party is about to start. Oh how you know me so well ;-)

Have a great week readers!
~Melissa

Overwhelmed Schedule, underwhelmed soul.......

Vacation time(a true vacation) equals revelation time....I asked Him a lot and He answered. I can't say it's exactly what I had hoped for, but oh how He knows what I need. I truly think I had forgotten what it meant to relax until this week. I could not have been happier for a Fall Break where the scenery was beautiful, the friendship amazing, but most of all the schedule was non existent. In a world where we like to schedule every minute of our lives, it is peace just to let life stop for a few minutes. Caution if you have not taken the time to let life stop for a few minutes lately, I encourage it. My word of caution comes when He starts speaking during this stopped time....oh how the layers are peeled back and revelation takes place. I asked Him to see things with His eyes, but I now realize I should have asked for the grace to go with that revelation. He showed me truth, He showed me freedom, and He showed me myself. So many things I thought I knew, but this week He added the truth behind some of those "feelings". I came home ready for a new season, but the enemy was as well. I am determined more than ever to stay focused. The last year and half have been chaotic, disorganized, and just plain busy. The enemy likes when we are busy because that means we do not have time to listen. Sometimes we just have to take a step back from something and let the pressure die down. If we will take a minute a lot of times, that pressure we say we "feel" is something we put on ourselves. I know that I'm guilty of that on many levels. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to lack of self control, not being disciplined, and people pleasing. I am pretty sure I've asked God to break the people pleasing chain more than once over the last couple of months. Why do we do it to ourselves, I'm sure He's asking the same question. He has this amazing day planned for us when we wake up and we mess it up by letting the mess into our thoughts. You are what you think about and you are who you think you are. Let that sink in for a minute.....You are who you think you are. You will only be as great as you think and feel you can be. When you look in the mirror do you analyze and criticize every flaw you think you have, or do you smile and say thank you God I'm your child. God knew what He was doing when He formed you and He didn't make a mistake. We have made some bad choices over our lives that may have lead to the way we see ourselves, but God looks deeper. Ask God for a glimpse of how He sees you. Then remember that picture, because that's how He wants you to see yourself. Don't look at the day as a chance to finish that list. Look at the day as a chance to make a difference. The enemy will throw stones in your path. You decide whether they make you stumble or make you stronger. Trust God as much as He trusts you and believe in yourself the way He does. He didn't create life to be stressful, frustrating, or chaotic. When that finally sunk in, I cried. I know I've said yes to things that while they may have been good things have not been God things. I've been overwhelmed and until this week I didn't realize how much that had taken from me. When you feel overwhelmed, you lose focus. You go from walking on the water, trusting Him for each step, to doing everything you can to keep from sinking.

I'm still working my way through The Best Yes book by Lysa TerKeust, but God and I have had some serious conversations this week. He gave me some steps and now it is up to me to put them into practice. God cares about how we feel, and whether we realize it or not...He gets the overwhelmed feeling too.  I took Him my overwhelmed schedule this week and gave it to Him. He gave me some peace and now together we are going to start tackling it piece by piece. That conversation though is a blog for another day. I ended my time with Him and asked for an overwhelmed soul and an underwhelmed schedule. I want my time to be what He wants it to be. God give us the strength and the grace to see each day as you do and to stay focused on You alone. God called you to be You. Ask Him to show you who that is and then be!

What He said to me today.....

He gets it period. He understands how we can feel our way through a day, but at the same time He sits there screaming His truths at us. The more powerful the word God is trying to speak into your life, the harder the enemy is going to fight you. I know this first hand. So here are a few moments into my many conversations with God today. Maybe someone else besides me needs the words as well ;-)

• The only time of your day that should define you is your time with God. All the rest is just that part of your day. What your to-do list says, what it doesn't say, how you feel about it, or even how someone else makes you feel are not what define you. God made you, He gets to say who you are. 
• God sees today like an etch and sketch. His mercies are new every morning. Don't drag the mess of yesterday or the fear of tomorrow cloud the masterpiece of today. 
• What you think about you focus on. What you focus on plays a big part in how you feel. Change your thoughts and your focus changes. Your circumstances may not, but if your focus is set, the path becomes clear. 
• Doubt, defeat, and discouragement are not from God. Therefore when those thoughts come, push delete. God doesn't think that way about you, so why are you. 

I'm thankful He gets it. I'm thankful He knew this morning what I was fighting and has been an ever present help today. I'm thankful that He knows me well enough to love me through days like today.    

Heart moment....

Give God your heart and let Him give it back in His image. I think sometimes the scariest place we can be is with our hearts in our hands. We think we know so well what He wants for us or what His plan is for our lives, but if we will stop and listen for a few minutes...God wants to whisper to our hearts. He longs to whisper in our hearts the words we have asked Him to speak. A lot of times, He's whispering the words to us already...but we are so busy with the things of the world(mind you some of them are even good things) that we can't hear.

It would take more than one post to tell you everything He's spoken to my heart this week. I have a feeling some of it, He's been trying to say for a few months now. God knows my heart, more than that He knows what my heart desires more than anything. I've stood in my way for far too long. I've held the keys in my own hand that unlocked the door to the next part of the journey, but I only looked at them this week. So many times we pray and ask God for His plan and His will for our lives, but we forget we have to do our part. God's not going to to pick our feet up and move us from one place to the next. We have to choose. The freedom of choice has been set before us to choose to do it His way or our own way. What He desires is for our way to become His way.(In case you do not already know, He always gets His way...you decide if it's an 11 day journey or a 40 year one.). So many Christians today are walking around with light sabers in their hands not realizing all they have to do is flip a switch. God's given us the power defeat what the enemy throws our way, we choose whether or not we use the power we have to defeat it or if we let it defeat us. I've had one too many days when I've let things of the world defeat me. Think about that for a minute...how many times has your to-do list caused anxiety and tears? How many times have you let what someone said(or didn't say), what they did(or didn't do) dictate how you felt about yourself? How many times have you let keeping others happy come before doing what you know makes you happy? (This is not a prideful thing...but I think sometimes we can put ourselves on a sacrificial altar in order to try to get a pat on the back). We seek out the well done from others and forget He said give Him your all and He will say well done. Our focus has been blurry, at least I know mine has. I've tried to fit good pieces into my puzzle when God had His pieces in mind. I've tried to put pieces in one season when they were designed for another. Thank you Lord for whispers and revelation. He's still working on several areas of my life, and I know what they are...but oh how far He has brought me from.

I've been thankful and reminded so much this week of what God can do when we give Him our heart. I've been reminded how He orders our steps in ways we could never imagine. I've also been reminded that He will take care of the difference if you just give Him your all. So many times we don't realize the impact we make each and every day, but we have to trust and believe He has planted the seeds we have given Him to sow./ God let me always be faithful with what You have called me to. (FYI...if you are waiting to feel "ready" for what He has told you to do....you will be waiting for awhile.) Sometimes we have to just trust Him when He whispers "You're ready" and know He knows you better than you know yourself.

Sweet reader...regardless of what your week holds. If you are His, you have the power to take care of what ever comes your way. The to-do list will not defeat you, the world cannot squash you, and the opinions of others cannot define you. Quit giving things of the world more power. Give each day your all and know that He will take care of the rest.

Enjoy the journey,
~Melissa

What's going on today?

I know I've been quiet on the blogs lately, but I promise He's writing. I have sat down to type multiple blogs and they never seem to come out like I want them to. The words are on my heart, but they can't seem to reach my fingers. God's working....the seeds have been planted and will be fruit soon. He doesn't waste a minute or a moment.

So last night, we were having a conversation. If you are a new reader to the blog, you will have to go back and read some of the others I have written. God and I have developed a unique relationship over the years. He is rather blunt with me some days. Some days I need it, well every day I need it...but some days it is like a two by four upside the head. So His question last night was what's going on today? He wasn't looking for details on what was up with me...but details on if I could see how He was working in my day. So many times we get focused on what God has done in the past for us, what we want Him to do in our future, that we neglect to think about what He is doing in our present...our gift called today.

So what's He done for you today? What has He whispered to you today? What verse has spoken life to your heart? God is speaking to us every day, but are we listening? So many times we get caught up in the rush of busyness that frustration and stress take residence in our heart. We drag our worn out selves to His lap and ask Him for a word. If you are me, He calmly picks up my ear and says I've been talking to you all along. God doesn't need us to come to Him to speak...He needs us to get still and listen. Sometimes we hear Him, but aren't sure we are ready to digest what He said. Yep I've had that moment this week as well. God's moving...and Joel chapter 2...

If you are reading this and going, well God said this to me Sunday or God spoke at revival a few weeks ago.....get in the word and get a prayer time with Him....PERIOD. I've done it that way too, hear me when I say it...I've read the books others wrote, listened to the sermons others preached....and they have a place...but God wants to talk to you directly from His heart to yours as well. That intimate time with Him is priceless.....

Enjoy the journey,
~Melissa

My heart for a moment...

God I wish I knew what you were up to right now. So many things seem to be falling into place, yet at the same time so many pieces I thought were in place don't look like they fit anymore. How did you get to that part of my heart I thought I had hidden? You found what I thought I had figured it out and turned it around to show me what You had planned. I gave you my heart so many years ago and slowly I'm getting it back. You had forgotten those things that I had tried to forget. Those dreams that only You know about, those dreams that I had only told You about it. You alone have always known what my heart was meant to do and where my heart was meant to be.

Seasons are a strange thing. Just as it seems like Summer may always be here, Fall also may poke around this week. It's getting harder to know when one season starts and another ends. The change starts slowly, but then becomes more noticeable in the outward signs(trees changing etc.). Seasons in our lives are like that as well. Just as we can tell Fall is in the air this week, it is easy to know when a new season is coming in our life as well. The hardest part is knowing the timing of when the season is here to stay.

I've poured out my heart to Him so much lately and thankfully He has never grown tired of it. I feel like I've asked Him for the moon and the stars. I've asked Him for some specific answers, some whispers I knew only He could give, and for some things only my heart knew to ask for I've asked. The sweetest prayers lately are the ones where only God knows what the words are and only He knows what I've said.

I don't fit in a box period. I've always tried to stay in one because well I thought I had to, but over the last few years God has shown me the box is not me. I've got dreams and desires still deep in my heart that I've already asked God to take away if they are not a part of His plan......so far they are still there. He has taken some away, but there are a few that are still there and they make me smile because I know that one day He will bring them to pass.

Honesty moment....God gets the pity parties, He really does. It's what we do with those moments that can make or break us. Do we take those moments to Him or to the computer? Do we seek advice in His word or from the TV? Do we find a friend to vent to or one to pray with us? God gets our feelings, but He doesn't want our feelings to get us. We control them through His power. Perspective is key in the world today. God's moving and doing things that we can't see with our natural eyes. Take a minute and let Him show you through His for a minute. That precious time will speak peace to your feelings I promise....

The closer you are to walking in His will, the more the enemy seeks to devour you. The enemy can't touch you, but he can throw doubt and discouragement your way. It's up to you if you catch it or let it fall to the side. We take way too much of what the enemy throws at us. The biggest truth that has slowly gotten into my Spirit over the last month or so as I have waded through some doubt, some discouragement, and some anxiety....is that God knew it. God knew that these moments would have to come for me to see how strong I could be with Him. He knew what I lacked and needed to go through in order to walk through the calling He has placed on my life. He knew I had to get to the place where I will one day look in the mirror and not criticize what I see, but see the Princess He made me. Just being real for a minute....I am my worst critic and I've worked over time over the last sixteen months on myself. I'm tired of it. I asked God about a month ago for a new fire, a new fresh wind...He has been faithful.  The box is not from God sweet reader. (That's for someone more than just me). We all have struggles, sometimes we share them, sometimes we bear them privately. I'm not perfect...just thankful that all of the bumps and bruises have had a purpose. In the end, my heart's desire is for what I've spent all of me(my time, my life, my being) to count for Him.

Have a blessed week!
~Melissa

Will try to post some Bible study thoughts later this week....unbelievable moments with Him in my study time.

Are you mad enough yet?

I almost didn't type this blog. I almost let it stay just a journal entry between God and me....almost. I took the chance that maybe someone else will need the conversation God and I had earlier. This weekend has been one for me to just be still and listen, and He has talked and turned me around. He spoke peace and I will forever be grateful. Sometimes we get to the point where we keep asking God to fix this or that, when He wants us to just be patient and ride it out. Me I just needed Him to remind me this weekend that He had this and we were going through it together. He answered.  God and I have had some interesting conversations over the last couple of weeks, matter of fact if you look at some journal entries over the last couple of months. The last couple of weeks for sure have weighed on my heart. It's been a battle and I know that for a fact. God's been talking and the enemy has been fighting. I guess I should be flattered that he finds me a threat, but he needs to move on and realize he loses every time. God's got this and hasn't let me down yet. In fact, every time I've asked Him for a whisper over these past couple of weeks He has answered with that and oh so much more.

So you may be sitting there looking at the title going where is she going with this one, but that was the question that was posed to me earlier today when God and I were discussing some things. I've let things get to me over the last couple of weeks. I set out to do things one way and wouldn't you know the way I didn't want to do it was right there as well. (That's a blog for another day). I set out focused on where I wanted to be, but I got busy. That's typically how it starts. We get out of the boat because He says let's walk, we start off looking at Him headed on this journey and then EVERYTHING around us starts demanding our attention and we start to sink. I've sank over the past couple of weeks, just being honest. I've learned how fast stress can mess you up and what it can do to you physically. Please hear me when I say it's been a battle over the past couple of weeks, we can know in our hearts what we should be doing, but at the same time struggle with doing it. We can know we should be focused on what He has called us to do, but at the same time busyness takes its toll. We can feel like we are barely keeping our heads above water with everything that needs to be done. I've been there lately, but I'm back on top of the water now. Is the to-do list finished? Why no....but my focus is adjusted and I'm more determined than ever to stay the course.

So are you mad enough yet? Are you mad enough to get determined to take back what the enemy has taken from you(or tried to take)? Stress, Busyness, and Chaos(aka disorganization) are not from God. Think back over the last couple of years....what have those things taken from your life, your health, your finances, your time? Are you mad enough to make up your mind that you want it back? God is the restorer of things. He makes all things new and will even pay back what the enemy has taken from us. Are you mad enough yet? Are you mad enough to change your choices, to draw the line in the sand and to get serious about what He has called you to do? Are you mad enough to do it His way or do you want to keep doing it yours? God has been fighting the battles all along, but are you mad enough to fight with Him? So many times we ask Him to do what He does best, but we aren't willing(or committed enough) to do our part. The times are changing and now more than ever it is time for Christians to get off of the fence. It's time to get mad enough and put the enemy in his place. I love how Joyce Meyer talks about wanting to have power over the enemy when we have a sink full of dirty dishes. Stress is not from God. He never gives us more than we can handle for each day. Think back to the manna and the children of Israel. When we try to do more than what is planned for each day, we end up with a spoiled mess. We have grace to handle today, not tomorrow, or next week. I'm determined and am starting this month with a renewed sense of purpose knowing that the One inside me is greater than anything I am going to face.

I may go into more detail in another blog, but for now hopefully this makes sense. Until we get mad enough to change, we will keep going around the same mountain. As Christians we are joint heirs with Him....that means everything He has, we can have. It's up to us if we walk in that truth or settle for what the enemy dishes out in the form of stress, busyness, and a sense of chaos. When you finally get to the point where you are mad enough to change, get ready because God will hold you to it and He will give you a plan(at least He did for me). The seeds being planted in this season will reap a harvest only He can reap!

Enjoy the journey,
~Melissa