Saturday, September 12, 2009

Rain

I sometimes will have times when I get this overwhelming feeling God is with me and He gives me great knowledge. I got this feeling yesterday as I was getting ready to go walking with a friend. I was thinking, as I have been, about certain people who challenge me when it comes to my faith in the Lord.

I'm sure we all have people or situations that have challenged or tested or knowledge about our faith. I have been preparing for my next "encounter" by reading the Bible and praying more.

So I was praying and thinking about what I would say if my faith was the hot topic once again. Then I got this beautiful message...

Rain. Rain can be a great comparison to how we have faith in our Lord. The smell of rain and the clouds in the sky is like our faith in God. We know HE is around us because of things that are happening in our environment. The smell of rain is like no other smell. We know what it is and we don't question it. When someone's questions my faith it's like someone telling you, "maybe you don't smell the rain, I can't see it so it's not rain".

We can't see the smell of rain and sometimes it's even hard to see rain, say, when it's sprinkling. However, we know it's there or it's coming. As children we were taught and learned that rain is imminent when we see dark clouds, we can smell the moist air and feel the humidity change.

It's very similar to what we are taught about faith. We can't see our God currently but we can feel His love and sense his presence. When we are asked to prove our faith in our almighty God it can sometimes be difficult if people want a physical answer. They want us or God to perform miracles. Would they even believe the miracle? Jesus performed many miracles and some people still questioned Him. Statistically it will take 25-50 miracles or acts from God for a non Christian person to actually believe it came from God.

Matthew 16:4
"A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah."

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is giving up the possibility of a better past."

Forgiveness means different things to different people. For me I am always learning more and more about forgiveness and what it means to me and my growth.

We all need forgiveness. Whether it's to forgive others or to be forgiven. I have found when I think I have forgiven someone a situation arises to test me.

The Bible also talks about forgiveness.
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." --Colossians 3:13

I think there are also great examples of forgiveness we can follow. Not only did Jesus forgive everyone that wronged him, he commanded us to forgive one another.

Forgiveness is needed on so many levels of our lives. Whether it's with your spouse, parents, siblings, children or even co-workers.

You can have so much more peace in your life when you learn how to forgive others. Afterall, what good does it do for you for holding onto all those feelings that are preventing you from forgiving that person?

Are you a stronger person?? NO

Most of us, especially if we feel hurt, want to move on from those feelings. Forgiveness is the quickest, easiest and long lasting way to enjoy life again.

Another thing forgiveness does is it helps us grow. Sometimes we have to experience the same lesson more than once. No one is excused from experiencing hurt and in turn forgiveness.

For me, forgiveness has been both easy and hard. It's been very easy to forgive certain people yet so hard with a couple of people. I thought I had forgiven these difficult people yet I had this horrible pride preventing me from loving them. I felt they didn't deserve my forgiveness. I felt so hurt by their actions that I created a wall that prevented me from truly forgiving them and loving them for the way they are. I know God created each one of us and gave us beautiful talents. Yet the thought of one of these people made me so mad. I wanted these people to be something they were not.

At one point I even acknowledged my unrealistic expectations but was still expecting them to be someone different.

My pride kept me from forgiving them and embracing the gifts God has given them. When I heard of things they were doing my pride made me angry at people praising them. In my mind they needed to be punished.

I had been praying for a few months about my stubbornness and my pride. Hoping God would soften my heart so I could love them and love life. This one quote kept appearing. Thats when I knew God was up to something. He sometimes has to put things in front of my face a few times before I get it. This is what I read:

"When you refuse to love people because they're hard to love, you forget the fact that God always loves you, even though you're not always easy to love."

When I read that I really was so full of peace. It was like a burden had been lifted. I know I'm stubborn and not the easiest to love so this made perfect sense to me.

No one is the same you have to learn forgiveness in a way that brings you peace and fills you with love. Once you learn how to forgive one person it helps you with other challenges in life.

"Our only security is our ability to change."

Friday, August 7, 2009

Family: How can I deal with other family members that obviously need LOVE

How can a Christian person get through to a overprotective, stubborn, I don't need God, or I don't have time for God, type of person??

I am faced with this question almost daily. Jesus says to share the good news. How can we reach people who don't want to be touched by the great love God has for them. It's almost like they think they are weaker for submitting to our Lord. Satan has created such lies that make people think that God's love is hard but it's easy as saying, Lord I want to receive your love.

As Christians we can't overcome these character traits by ourselves. We need the Lord's help just like these people need to feel the power of love that our God gives us. Love is the answer. It's always the answer.

I believe so many people are like this because of the absence of love in their own lives. They are trying to find happiness in the physical, conditional world.

I am no better than any of you. I was once one of those lost souls who craved something more but at the time had too much pride.

Satan has created so many traits in people that our society has accepted and deemed normal. Like Pride, Jealousy, Fear, Hatred, conditional love, and money driven motives.

Satan has put up walls around us and called it Strength. Strength is NOT shutting people out because you're too busy. Strength is NOT, not allowing yourself to reach out to others. Strength is NOT, being competitive with another church. Strength is NOT being judgmental and demeaning.

We must focus on the love of God. The love that HE shares with us so we can love others. His love is unconditional love.

We can't force people to receive God's love but we can pray for them. Pray for God to soften their hearts so they can receive his unconditional love. Pray for God to break down the walls that are only hurting them. These walls are false promises of something better.

It is through His Love that we have strength.

Why God??

I grew up in a big Italian family where pride was strength. No emotion was strength. Not caring for others was strength. Not loving was strength and no affection was strength. I attended a methodist church as a child so I knew about God and knew He was always near me, guiding me.

I experienced a lot of emotional and physical abuse as a child but I knew that God was with me and He wanted me to experience this for some reason. I knew He was making me stronger. When I left home at 16 God kinda got pushed to the back burner until I realized I NEED Him in my life.

It took me 24 years before I realized that life of what I thought was strength isn't what I wanted or more importantly it wasn't what God wanted. At 24 I prayed for God to break down all the walls Satan had put up. If you can imagine 24 years worth of walls up. Growing higher and higher as the years went on along with all the pressure building. Maybe walls of a volcano is a bit more accurate. I knew I sure would blow a lot of smoke when I got mad at situations or people. I didn't like how I felt. I was about to blow and it was going to be devestating.

At 24 I had faced many things, many emotions. Mostly I felt rejected by friends and family. Slowly, God was taking away everything I thought I could count on. Then, I was hospitalized with chronic migraines. With that pain I was drawn closer to God. I was put up in a catholic hospital in Chicago. There was scripture throughout my room and I knew God was nearby caring for me. When I was released I thought I was healed but God had something else in mind. Physically I was better but emotionally it had only begun.

From there I went into a deep depression. I was still able to work and put up a good front but inside I was crying for LOVE. I spoke with one of my co-workers about my situation. Her husband was a pastor (and still is). She invited me to a special showing of the "Passion" movie. Then I started attending their church every Sunday and also for bible study.

During this time I had one really bad weekend and I really wanted my life to end because I couldn't take the pain. I was hurting so badly I seriously considered suicide.  I was about to end my life but I figured I'd make one last plea to God.  So I said, God you need to speak to me and I need to hear from you now. I'm going to open my Bible and please guide me to read what you want me to hear. I opened my Bible to Psalm 139.

From then on I knew God really loved me and I wanted to scream it to the world. Not only did I know He loved me but I could feel it. What a great feeling to know that our Lord, our Savior Loves ME. Little ole me!

I wish everyone could experience that supreme love that God has for us.

I wish my other family members would have the same wonderful things would happen to them. They have some big walls up but I pray for God to soften their walls and hearts so they may receive his love just as I did and do.