The Softest Rock Around

I heard an interesting quote on the radio the other day....Who'da thunk a ROCK would be the softest place to land when you fall?


Just ponder that with me for a moment...


Being on the Rock can help elevate you to see things from new heights.


Being on the Rock will give you a new perspective.


Being on the Rock will always give me a sense of security.


Being on the Rock means that my ground is a firm foundation.


Being on the Rock reveals that I need more than my own two feet to stand.


The Lord realizes that there are times when are not able to stand or times when we have trusted in sand. He then created the sofest place of all, the Rock, fall upon that if ever you should fall.


It does not matter how you have ended up where you are now. Trust in the Lord when you headed to the ground and realize that He is the Softest Rock Around.

God Who Restores! My Restorer!

Continued from Abiding Branch!!!



But the biggest thing ever, did I say ever? I meant EVER!!!!!!RRRRR!!!!!
My hubby and I attended the Family Life Conference called A Weekend to Remember!!!

No, as so many have asked...I did not drag him there! It was HIS idea!! Yep! (heart string strung! ***insert harps and violins***) tee hee

It was Valentines Weekend!! And we stayed at the Gaylord Texan! Beautiful and wonderful!
The best way I can describe any of this is that when you choose to love your husband in the same way Christ loves you it means more than you can imagine.

(side note: If you are in a relationship where your life is being threatened please understand that Christ took that so you would not have to. When the world and its evil ways are taking your life and trying to steal your very soul that is another thing all together.)

God has called me to this man and this is where I will find my joy and peace. When you are abused there is no peace in that home but you can have peace within. Hang in there. You can seek help and even safety without divorce if you can't bring yourself to divorce. God did not intened for you to be a punching bag or piece of merchandise. He loves you so much! And God is the best husband you could ever have!!

1. You trust God in all things!
2. You learn to love with the Love of the Lord - unconditional.
3. You forgive! (FUDGE Forgiveness Under Divine Guidance Everyday)
4. You learn grace!
5. You die to self!
(not necessarily in that order.)

A couple of things I noticed about myself: I had begun to protect myself from being hurt, which led to isolation. You know the story, "I am so lonely yet I am married." God showed me I was not dying to self in the Name of the Lord! I was so focused on forgiving him and protecting myself that I kept my heart to myself. He could have my forgiveness but not my heart? That won't do;

I was not fully trusting God!

I withheld a natural tendency toward affection, not even knowingly most of the time. I was not living to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength! Not to mention squelching the Holy Spirit!



While whining about his walls of independence, I was building some of my own called preservation - self preservation! ***see the pattern***I don't know about you, but that to me is the opposite of dying to self. I was hanging on to my own life for dear life.

Jesus said that who ever would seek to save their own lives, would lose it. Whomever lost their lives for His sake would live! I was dying a little each day!!! Not a good place at all!!!



I needed restoration in a big way!!!! I mean huge! Life gets in the way and people just get tired. Now, I know it is not all mental, I have physical reasons for feeling so tired too!! (the health concerns in my previous post)

On Saturday, we were to write a love letter to one another. I wanted to approach the Throne Room first and visit with my DAD. So, I asked Him for the advice I needed as a woman and I opened my Bible to Psalm 86. The Words were the balm of Gilead to my heart and soul!

We needed restoration. Both of us had some repenting to do. I had prayed and prayed for a marriage that would stand the test of time and endure all things. Sometimes you just don't know what you are praying for, and you had better be ready for the answer.

It is a good thing though, because HIS ways are not our ways! If we knew what He would use in and through us for His glory, we might not take that path. Glory to God! We should be joyful in our trials and consider it an honor to die to self even for our spouse! It is a privilege we take too lightly, at least I have.

I knew the God Who Restores could do anything He wanted to!!! But the word restore is a word that implies the re-breaking of a bone to restore it fully! God had been doing some re-breaking!!! But the pain had long passed. As a matter of fact, it was hard to feel.

Bottom line is that all this time I had felt a numbness that I could not explain. But when all the walls had come tumbling down I felt the weight! But I felt!!! I had been in a body cast of sorts and God wanted my husband to remove the bandages like a veil on a wedding day! God healed me and my husband was able to reveal me. My veil was torn!!!

God offered a new path, a new season in our lives together. He provided an unhindered path to approach one another. Choosing to be true always and forever is not what this world would have you do. But this is a choice that you have to make. This choice will change your attitude but more so it will penetrate your heart! Our choices led us to this weekend we will always remember!! And to a vow renewal ceremony we would not forget!

The renewal of our vows seemed sweeter to me than the vows on our wedding day! This time we actually knew each quite well and did it anyway! lol We knew each other 3 months before we wed! SERIOUSLY! But this time we had shared half our lives together and still said, "I do"!!!

I am choosing to act the way I want to feel and not act the way I feel! We have been married almost 17 years and we are fighting to keep what the entire world would destroy!

When was the last time you sat down with the God Who Restores?
Do you need to pray for your marriage to honor God no matter what it takes? Be ready this prayer works!
I promise you one thing you can't do this! This was WAY more than I could handle, alone that is. I said I couldn't do it and God said I was right. I could not and you cannot do it without HIM!!! One thing I have learned the hard way, get-out-of-the-way and let God do HIS job. When you get out of God's way there is no telling what He will restore.

I am praying a restoration for you too in whatever area you need it in your life. If it is God, a friend, a relative, a parent, or a spouse, whomever you need restoration, you have my prayers.

I want to hear how God is revealing Himself to you!! Please share!
In Christ,
Chel

Wise Counselor / Interior Designer

I know if I want this meme to catch on I need to do it earlier, but here I am at the end of the day finally posting. But it was only after reflecting on all God had been saying to me did I realize how He had been my Wise Counselor recently (still looking to redecorate my life though).

Have you ever looked around the walls of your house and wished you could simply redecorate? I know I have. I love to hang pretty groupings of pictures or plates or just plain pretty (the frillier the better!) things. This made me think of God as my Interior Designer, One Who Counsels Wisely at that! The one who will redecorate all the corners in my heart, or around it.

I realized that sometimes you just have to switch out the pictures and even the knick-knacks on the shelves. You definitely have to dust every now then, ho hum. If I had my way everything would be black and white with splashes of red and purple but, alas I do not have my way always. [sigh]

Today, He directed me some blogs that touched me deeply. There is such a sweetness in the fact that He cares what my insides look like and uses this electronic format to reach us right where we are!

He carefully places the right colors and knick-knacks on the shelves in my heart through each blog I read. The things all bloggy sojourners share are helping to take part in making God my "Interior Decorator". I can't wait to see what He does next!

Today He guided me to Psalm 32: 10 & 11

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

He is going to Flip This Heart over and over until it is done! How neat is it that HE wants to decorate my life by covering everything, even me, with His Unfailing Love! And He will give us some background music too!

Chel

Extreme Makeover

Is that? No, it couldn't be...Ty Pennington?











...............................NOT!!!!!!!!!!!




It is the Lord thy God! (well could be anyway)




I know I have not written on the names of God for a while now but since we have a conference just around the corner. I must allow the "crew" to come in and demolish every thing so it can be rebuilt better, more beautiful, but hopefully not bigger - seein' as how I'm a woman and all!! yikes!



Have you ever thought of God as a "Home and Garden Expert".

Well that is what He has been to me lately.

First of all, He is the Firm Foundation!

And boy is HE a genius with spackle to fill all our crackles...

ok, so I could not resist that.



He knows how to pull the weeds out of our lives.



When we have been in His presence He enhances our curb-appeal!



He makes our "Old House" mighty clean!



He designed our world in less than a week.

He was the first to "Design on a Dime".

The Ten Commandments.



He was the first to Flip a House for His gain...

one example Paul "Saul of Tarsus".



He already knows what our walls would say if they could talk and loves us still.



Well I could go on but I wanted to share this one last one with you:



God sent His son to "Trade Places" with us.



(I know!) ----top that networks and cable tv.




I felt it was time to pull another name of God or two or three or four, well yes more and remind everyone just how versatile our God is. This is the blog carnival/meme where you are encouraged to name drop. Yes you read that right.

But not just any old name, I want an older one. Let's talk about God and any one of His names. I want to hear what He is to you and what that means to you. How does He reach you? Did you ever think that His reaching was just proving one of His names like Tower, Strength, Everlasting? If you want to participate steal my button loop back over here and make a comment! I can't wait to hear about who and what God is to you.

The LORD God Almighty, God Alone

As I have read HIS word, the Bible, today, I found that God makes His name known when it comes to those He loves, He is the LORD God Almighty, God Alone! It just struck me that no matter what goes on around us He is on His Throne, Unshakeable. I have been singing God Alone all day. You know it was one of those moments that I knew I have known this but it was real and tangible right here, right now. He alone is God, who Was and Is and Is to Come!

No matter what goes on around me I can rest assured my God is there. No matter my sins, no matter my backsliding, no matter my circumstances, nothing changes Him. He alone brings the "changes" in me that make a difference in my life. I have been much like the nation of Israel and I have learned much so far and await many many more lessons in my life. This nation had tried God every which way but He shall not be loosed!

In Jeremiah 14 we hear the cries of the rebellious to God: verses 7-8, "Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you. O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress..."

WOW ~ I KNOW! (I have also learned that admitting something does not always have remorse and both are different than repentance.)

Then this is what the LORD says about His people, "they greatly love to wander, they do not restrain their feet." Oh my feet grew tired a long time ago but my mind still takes a journey or two.

I have huge nomadic tendencies, but thank Jesus I am unable to escape the LORD God Almighty. I also thank Jesus that nothing can snatch me from the Father's Hands! Thank Him right now for Jesus because much wrath was brought upon this wandering nation that has been spared from us. If you have been redressed by the Blessed One thank Him right now. He is God Alone!

This is all a heart issue and not just for me. You know when your heart tries to wander. Your heart has a hobo bag handy and ready for the next journey. You know the one with spare clothes wrapped in a large hanky tied to a stick? This is why I love to read Jeremiah. There I hear this weeping prophet cry out to the people making known the will of the Father.

Jeremiah 17: 1-4 addresses all the idols of the nation. Verse 5 delivers the curse of those who trust in "man" who depend on flesh for strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Verse 7 says Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD. Verse 9 reminds us of how our own heart can and will deceive us.

verse 10, "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Chapter 51 verse 5 let's us know that the LORD God Almighty has not forsaken Israel or Judah. And He will not forsake any of us. He will bring healing, he will be the Rebuilder, the Restorer, and KING.

He alone is Healer-in-Chief.
He alone is our HOPE (Heaven's Offering of Peace Eternal).
He alone is Almighty.
He alone is Holy.
He alone is YAHWEH (LORD).
He alone is GOD!

Rewarder of those who seek HIM

First of all let me rephrase that HE is the REWARD! Yes HE IS!


This name is a TREAT because there is tangible evidence and it is a TRAIT of His character because He is simply keeping the promise made in Matthew 6:33 (provided at the end).


Ok, now to the post. The last few years have a been a roller coaster at home and in the workforce and in the midst of all this mess the Lord saw fit to provide a women’s ministry to some very busy ladies.

I had a very demanding, micromanaging, never-pleased boss and my husband was going through the same phase at the time. And while this roller coaster was clinking loudly up the steep climb WOVEN began. WOVEN is the name of our ladies ministry. This post is not about that but about Him. So, just briefly it is Women of the Vine Equipping Nations. We have yet to go outside our nation, but we see that as more than the earthly boundaries. We are all just ordinary women with one extraordinary Savior!! (http://www.woven-ministries.org/)

Back to our Rewarder, I left that one job telling my husband it was him or that boss, I could no longer take both. He jokingly said keep the job! HA. Well God saw fit, as I sought HIM, to give me a job doubling my pay. REALLY! Oh yes He is Provider too!

This company was bought, and in one year I was presented another job opportunity. The notice for this job came out the day before it was announced that the company who purchased my current company was also being acquired. Jesus is the ultimate Inside Trader!!! Lol

So, I work there with a boss of some similarity to a previous one, but I will not describe any further as he has passed away this year, and I will not speak ill of the dead. I will only say that he was also hard to please. I did make some very dear, lifelong friends while there. I went on to another company 2 years later for another double hit on the salary scale. Woo hoo! Then after taking 2 months to decide to interview and 2 months for them to decide they wanted me, I took the job. After one month of working there they changed everything!!! The territory I was to work would not change, but what I would sell did. This ultimately would decrease my salary by 2/3rds! WHOA buddy! Stop the press! What was that name again????

Oh yes Rewarder….. Now the new management was awesome. This lady is wonderful and very inspiring. She provided the best sales conference I had ever been to and having been in this industry for over a decade I have seen some fun. The theme was to “Expect a Miracle”. I do every day. Anyway, The Rewarder was not going to let me down (I learned later). I was told that there were no more guarantees, did I mention I was given a 12 month commission guarantee and I exceeded it monthly but everything was changing…..

Ok, on with the changes…..this wonderful lady announced that there were no guarantees and that this whole thing had been blown up to start over new and fresh and better!! Well after being told this, we still did not know what that meant financially to us even after the start date for new pay. I had been hounded by another company to work for them and I took it. I found out after I had accepted the offer the guarantee was still in play but by the way so is their stressors to this day!!
I took that other job and in 6 months (ironically when my guarantee would have stopped) I found myself without a job and on unemployment. During this time, I began college. For 13 weeks I was without work and now making much less than the first underpaid highly demanding job I had left to begin this journey. ARG!!!!!! I nearly lost my marriage also, all this seriously had no reflection on my actions. I was just doing what I was supposed to do and now I had nearly nothing and I could not blame myself or even feel guilty about anything I may have done. There was nothing to blame but I still keep seeking HIM. But it seemed I had lost all my rewards. I was tired, sad, lonely, but making great grades in school. It seems that school, Christian school, was helping me stay focused when I worked on it. I slept a lot and there were no companies hiring. Before I had lost my job there were a lot of job openings, so I knew this time off was God ordained but I was not seeing the whole picture. And for the first time in a long I felt uninspired.

Or was I?

During this time off, there were real break-throughs in my husband’s life and God once more asked me to be willingly obedient even though I did not feel like it. We still had a WOVEN conference but then I had to let a friend go.

It was a very hard year from October of last year to now. The roller coast has now become a kiddy coaster (that is a good thing!) But still the Rewarder is peeking through the fog in my life.

June 30th, I started a new job and I have a wonderful group of people to work with and a GREAT boss! I have not had both together at the same time since running a Senior Center in Tulsa. Even there I had a lying boss for a little while but he met his doom on his own and kept serving him even when I did not want to. I have been writing like crazy and spending more time in the Word then ever accept when preparing for a conference. We average two per year.

I am NOT trying to make myself seem like a saint or a martyr (however you need to know that the root word for the noun WITNESS is martyr!)

I did not always cheerfully obey but I do willingly obey. There is a difference, and I am learning to do it cheerfully even when it hurts. It will be a lifelong process and I give Jesus all the glory. I have not arrived anywhere except in some PEACE.

Recently, I began to question if I was where I was supposed to be job-wise. I could not concentrate or even seem productive in my own eyes. People have seen such potential in me my whole life, but I could never figure out what that was supposed to amount to.

So, I asked my Provider to become the Rewarder financially once more. Now I say financially but know I like to be busy and I have fun in insurance, I know that is weird but I like what I do and I like to see people understand their benefits and I do like to get paid for it. Plus, I am climbing back up the pay scale less ambitious but still eager less proud of the reward and more humble in HIS Grace.

Immediately the answers began to come. DID I SAY IMMEDIATELY???? Yes it was and not just in work but in the lives of people around me too. God is on the move and He is ready to be a Rewarder to all those who diligently and earnestly seek HIM.

Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD and HIS righteousness and ALL these things will be added unto YOU.” AMEN

Man of Sorrows: Our Blessed Jesus!

Is is too seldom that we spend time on this particular name. I have been clinging to this name and not even realizing it. So, I thought I would share where God has been leading me in His Word.

"Transparency is not about letting people see you at your worst moment, but being willing to admit you have them. " quote by ME! :-) RP

Isaiah 53:2-4

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

I have never truly spent an abiding time desiring to share in the sufferings of my Lord and Savior. Do you long to "know" His sufferings?

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,


If you saw the Passion of the Christ a couple of years ago you know how it felt when you watched this movie. This movie brought to life the sufferings of my Blessed Savior!
Have you seen this movie, or should I say "participated" in this movie?. See it was proclaimed as an "experience" instead of the usual "entertaining" description. My mother-in-law believes she saw this in English; she experienced every detail to the point of the gift of tongues (she heard English in their Aramaic)! She heard it, felt it, and experienced it.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.


Have you ever cried out as the Psalmist and the Prophets did in wondering when all the evil would come to an end? When will all those who hate God be punished and when there would be perfect peace? I know...I know.... I'm the only whiner right?

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.


I have been derailed a time or two myself and suffered at the strike of my own hand and the hands of others. Both for my beliefs even by other Christians and from the result of my stumblings.

1 Peter 4:12 [Suffering for Being a Christian] Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.


But see Paul acted like he could not wait until his weaknesses reared their ugly heads??? WHAT?? Let's get weak? Well let me tell you all these sufferings will show us exactly how weak we truly are. In my suffering (oh the shame of it!), His salvation power is amplified!

Hebrews 2:10 says, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."


In my weakness (I can't even open a jar 1/2 the time) His strength and ability is magnified! Hmm, I wonder if God is glorified from a jar? Yes He is a Jar of Clay!! The choice storage for Hidden Treasures!

2 Timothy 1:8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, (this is where we defend that none want to suffer alone! lol)



In my weakness He is made strong (in me)!! Sufferings will bring about His harvest in us.

Genesis 41:52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."


This is how we are to share in this name, Man of Sorrows.
Romans 5:2-4, "2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope."

I pray that you do not cringe at the thought of suffering for our Jesus. We seem to want all His characteristics but this one. Hmmm, I personally need to remember that sharing in His sufferings the result will be more of HIM and less of me.

Lovin' The Man of Sorrows today!!
Chel

My Peace

To participate in the Name Droppin' Carnival click this picture and follow the instructions. Don't forget to comment on this post for "My Peace" and tell us where to find you.






God truly provides Peace in the midst of chaos created by us.

When my head is pounding - He is Peace.
When the kids are yelling - He is Peace.
When the job is tough - He is Peace.
When my heart is breaking - He is Peace.
When my soul is aching - He is Peace.
When my mind is busy - He is Peace.
When my strength is gone - He is Peace.



His peace truly does surpass understanding. Today a gentleman associate of mine and I greeted one another, and I don't know if this happens to you but it does me....I asked how are you? It was "his" event, he is the president of our Health Underwriters Association, so I initially thought what I saw on his face was the craziness of the day, but it was more, way more. He did not have words to express what he was feeling. Then he told me that his dad died on Labor day and he was there as the paramedics tried to revive him. Before he spoke he said to me I don't know if you can imagine this but....I told him that I knew exactly how to pray for him and that I promised I would. My mother died when I was 11 and my father when I was 24. After my father died I had a moment that resembled the look on his face so I shared this...



I was on my way to a chocolate social with my Sunday school class, alone and looking cute! I had on a new red t-shirt and a denim ball cap from the Gap. I was stylin' and ready for some chocolate but I could not find the highway, seriously. I got lost 1/2 a mile from the highway and kept taking wrong turns. I began to freak then it was as if the Lord was in the car with me and said, Shhh, turn down the radio and listen to me...I poured my heart out for the first time to God that night on the side of the road. I cried out because I did not know whether my dad knew my DAD or not. Then I heard Him again, "I never promised you answers but I did promise you peace, My Peace."



John 16:33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."



I had been on anxiety medication and no longer needed it after that. It had been nearly 6 months since my dad had died and I was finally free from all sorrowful thoughts. I don't mean the sorrow that causes me to miss him that is still with me but the sorrow that impeded upon my progress for each day. The sorrow that fed my worry of his eternal destination the sorrow that destroyed my peace.


I am here to tell you that Peace indeed was real for me that day and it was not the first time I had met Him. He is real and He is Peace and you will never understand it even when it happens to you. His Peace truly does surpass all understanding....Seek His Face, Seek His Peace.

I know what it is like to feel all alone and to actually be all alone but never forget - I do mean never - that Christ and His Peace is right there all for you! He wants to bear the burden of grief and sorrow. He longs to calm the storm that is welling up inside your heart. He desires to replace all of it with himself, Peace. I pray that no one has to feel the way my friend has felt or the way that I have but if you have or will please remember Christ said, "Peace, Be Still."


On another note, you know we pray for peace in the Middle East, right? Because we should; however, try this pray for PEACE as in CHRIST to BE in the Middle East!!! Peace as in lack of war is great but PEACE Himself would be much more and bring much more than just praying for peace in the land!!! They need PEACE in their hearts first!!


Pray for PEACE to reside in all hearts and the hearts of the Middle East.

Philippians 4:7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In Christ,

Chel