Today. I hurt my daughter. I accused her of something in that "you always" sort of way. It was stupid. It was petty. It was painful. Our computer was acting up. That's all it was, but it should have been a simple fix, and it wasn't. I was frustrated. It was driving me crazy, and she was right there. She was the last one to use it. It was just the computer.
I blamed her, she tried to explain, and I wouldn't listen. She went to her room- her constant sanctuary away from the tirades of her mother. A sanctuary she needs more often than I care for her to need it.
After I cooled down, I called for her to come and give the computer thing we were working on one more try. I googled for a solution, and thought I found a good one. She came back down to the computer room to try and sync her ipad one more time.
I tried to play off our previous incident by just being cool. Pretend like it never happened. That wasn't going to work. She apologized to me and tried explain one more time that she didn't mess with the computer. That is when God simply reminded me that I had hurt her. i was supposed to be the safe haven in her life. I am supposed to be the one who builds her up, but instead, I tore her down.
I looked right at my precious, oldest child and said "I'm sorry." I knew immediately that it wasn't enough. I told her that I was frustrated at the situation, but I WAS WRONG. I asked for her to forgive me. I told her that i was upset because this simple computer issue was making me feel stupid, obviously she didn't cause the problem, and I know that I hurt her when she did nothing to invoke my wrath.
I asked for her forgiveness, which she gave freely. I am a blessed woman to have such a caring, forgiving child. It is so undeserved. We went on to fix the problem together- both in our relationship and the stupid computer.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Is Satan at the bottom of it all?
I know I have said, I certainly have heard other people say it, and there is a certain truth to the truth that Satan does attack us. But when things go wrong, is this always the case? Has this reason become as trite as "the devil made me do it!" One of my frustrations (perhaps another entry, another day) is when people release the responsibility of their own sin by claiming a demon is surrounding them, or they are being oppressed. Demons are not allowed where they are not welcome, but I digress...
The Bible says a lot about spiritual warfare- there is a battle occurring that we do not see, but certainly feel the effects. This is not what is being disputed. It is happening. We have been given armor to join in the fight. Our weapon is the Word of God, and we are protected by faith, righteousness, truth and the like. However, I find it hard to believe that Satan is lurking around every corner and hiding under every rock.
I know a family where there have been a series of deaths, loss of jobs, financial woes, frustrating circumstances. The first thing given credit was "My family is under attack!" Is this really the case? Knowing more about some of the choices that are being made- excessive spending, addiction to pornography, not attending church or tapping into a faith community- it makes me wonder. Are they being attacked, or could it be something else?
Perhaps one indicator of what it could be is how one responds to the trial. When things go wrong- sickness, loss of position, pain, etc. am I turning toward God? Am I searching for a reason through prayer and diving into scripture? Am I examining my heart to see if, maybe, I brought some of this on myself? Or, am I claiming "Satan!" and leaving it at that.
The truth is, sometimes bad things happen to us and it has nothing to do with...us. The death, and raising, of Lazarus had little to do with Lazarus, and everything to do with Jesus revealing his power to his disciples and followers. Also, bad things happen to us, and we may never receive an explanation.
There are examples in the Bible of Satan being allowed to strip people of what is important to them. See Job. There are examples of Satan being allowed to tempt and harass someone as a test. See Jesus in the Wilderness. This happens because God allows it to happen.
Our fatal error in the "Satan is Attacking me" sentiment is that we place our focus on the wrong thing. Beth Moore states, "the fastest way to lose our balance in warfare is to rebuke the devil more than we relate to God."
I know a family that lives on the go, without leaving margin in their life for rest. When the husband contracted an illness that forced him to stop and left him bedridden for a few days, they called it an attack by Satan. What if God allowed the illness to help them slow down and see that rest is as important as movement?
There is an instance in the Bible, Genesis 32, where God want to show someone the He was God, and He was in control. It came time for Jacob to reconnect with Esau after Jacob had fled in fear because he had stolen Esau's blessing from Isaac. It had been years since Jacob had seen Esau, and he was rightly afraid of an attack. Jacob devised many plans to win over Esau, as well as protect what was his. He sent servants to gauge Esau's reaction. He split all he had into two groups so if Esau attacked one, he would at least have the other. He sent extravagant gift in hopes to win favor. His prayers were laced with worry (Yikes, I am scared. What if, what if, but God you promised!)
Finally, Jacob sent everyone toward Esau, and when he was alone a man provoked him to wrestle. When Jacob continued to struggle, the man touched his hip and injured Jacob's leg leading to his defeat. The man was finally revealed as God, and changed Jacob's name to Israel (meaning "struggles with God"). Jacob limped on toward Esau with a new appreciation that God is in control. God doesn't break his promises.
It was God who injured Jacob. We look at some things that happen in our life and credit Satan. In truth, God may be trying to teach us an important lesson that will allow us to grow and prosper!
So how do you find out which one it is? Easy- turn to God and ask Him. Seek His Word for His truths. Open your heart to the possibility that this may have been brought on by sin, or the possibility that whatever the challenge is, it has nothing to do with you. God is faithful. Your heart will be changed, and He will use whatever hurt for His glory and your growth.
The Bible says a lot about spiritual warfare- there is a battle occurring that we do not see, but certainly feel the effects. This is not what is being disputed. It is happening. We have been given armor to join in the fight. Our weapon is the Word of God, and we are protected by faith, righteousness, truth and the like. However, I find it hard to believe that Satan is lurking around every corner and hiding under every rock.
I know a family where there have been a series of deaths, loss of jobs, financial woes, frustrating circumstances. The first thing given credit was "My family is under attack!" Is this really the case? Knowing more about some of the choices that are being made- excessive spending, addiction to pornography, not attending church or tapping into a faith community- it makes me wonder. Are they being attacked, or could it be something else?
Perhaps one indicator of what it could be is how one responds to the trial. When things go wrong- sickness, loss of position, pain, etc. am I turning toward God? Am I searching for a reason through prayer and diving into scripture? Am I examining my heart to see if, maybe, I brought some of this on myself? Or, am I claiming "Satan!" and leaving it at that.
The truth is, sometimes bad things happen to us and it has nothing to do with...us. The death, and raising, of Lazarus had little to do with Lazarus, and everything to do with Jesus revealing his power to his disciples and followers. Also, bad things happen to us, and we may never receive an explanation.
There are examples in the Bible of Satan being allowed to strip people of what is important to them. See Job. There are examples of Satan being allowed to tempt and harass someone as a test. See Jesus in the Wilderness. This happens because God allows it to happen.
Our fatal error in the "Satan is Attacking me" sentiment is that we place our focus on the wrong thing. Beth Moore states, "the fastest way to lose our balance in warfare is to rebuke the devil more than we relate to God."
I know a family that lives on the go, without leaving margin in their life for rest. When the husband contracted an illness that forced him to stop and left him bedridden for a few days, they called it an attack by Satan. What if God allowed the illness to help them slow down and see that rest is as important as movement?
There is an instance in the Bible, Genesis 32, where God want to show someone the He was God, and He was in control. It came time for Jacob to reconnect with Esau after Jacob had fled in fear because he had stolen Esau's blessing from Isaac. It had been years since Jacob had seen Esau, and he was rightly afraid of an attack. Jacob devised many plans to win over Esau, as well as protect what was his. He sent servants to gauge Esau's reaction. He split all he had into two groups so if Esau attacked one, he would at least have the other. He sent extravagant gift in hopes to win favor. His prayers were laced with worry (Yikes, I am scared. What if, what if, but God you promised!)
Finally, Jacob sent everyone toward Esau, and when he was alone a man provoked him to wrestle. When Jacob continued to struggle, the man touched his hip and injured Jacob's leg leading to his defeat. The man was finally revealed as God, and changed Jacob's name to Israel (meaning "struggles with God"). Jacob limped on toward Esau with a new appreciation that God is in control. God doesn't break his promises.
It was God who injured Jacob. We look at some things that happen in our life and credit Satan. In truth, God may be trying to teach us an important lesson that will allow us to grow and prosper!
So how do you find out which one it is? Easy- turn to God and ask Him. Seek His Word for His truths. Open your heart to the possibility that this may have been brought on by sin, or the possibility that whatever the challenge is, it has nothing to do with you. God is faithful. Your heart will be changed, and He will use whatever hurt for His glory and your growth.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
How to stop a Zombie attack!
There are many times that I feel like I am being attacked by a zombie. A zombie, for those not into trendy, supernatural creatures, are animated corpses. They are slow, cumbersome, and have no thought process except to feed on the closest living human. Yes, extremely pleasant.
No, I do not believe Zombies really exist, but I can conjure one up fairly quickly. You see, when we ask Jesus to be Lord of our life, we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" (NLT)
God may put a dream, or a challenge, or just call me to something that will advance His kingdom, and I immediately conjure up my dead self. My dead self reminds me of all the reasons why I cannot pursue what I am called to do, why I cannot live out the dream He has given, why I will fail at whatever challenge is placed in front of me.
Whether it is a shortcoming, a past failure, or even a sin I have committed, my dead self is right there to crush whatever God has placed in front of me. It feeds off of this life that has been given to me, trying to kill it as fast as it can. The more it feeds off of my dreams, the more condemnation, shame and hurt I am left with.
There are 4 main ways to kills a zombie.
1. Destroy its brain. Movies portray this usually with a buckshot rifle aimed at the zombie's head. With our zombie, we need to basically do the same thing. We need to stop giving the zombie a voice. Use the promises of God to kill the zombie's thought center. When the zombie says "you can't" remember the God says "I can!" When the zombie says "you are not equipped" remember that God says"I will." When the zombie says, "you aren't good enough" remember that God says "I AM!"
2. Sever the head of the zombie. When you sever the head, the body has no direction. Sever the head of your personal zombie by staying focused on what God has called you to. When God presents an opportunity, it is rarely dropped in your lap. I think the reason why we often need to work for what we want is so that we appreciate the outcome more, and more importantly, we appreciate the Giver.
3. Set the Zombie on fire. Our God is a God of redemption and a million chances. When we turn our old self over to Him, he will use it to fuel the fire of His glory! Confess your struggle, turn it over to God and He will use it for His good. His fire burns hot and true, and will purify all of our sins, shortcomings and mistakes!
4. Completely Crush the Zombie. Here's the coolest thing about this one, Jesus already has done this for us! We need to recognize and accept that. Since the very beginning, God promised that, though Satan may strike at our heel, Jesus would crush his head! (Genesis 3:15)
When Satan is striking at your heels with your old, dead self remember these strategies and you will overcome.
One more thing, the zombie state is infectious. Sometimes it isn't the inner voice that kills the dreams, sometimes it is someone else who reminds you of all the reasons you cannot measure up. Job's friends did this to him, but he still praised God. The Israelites tried to get Moses to turn back to Egypt, He chose to listen to God instead. Even the disciples tried to tell Jesus there wasn't enough food to feed all the people. Jesus turned the food over to God and a miracle occurred! When the zombie apocalypse is coming down on you, follow the example of these Biblical heroes: continue to praise God, listen to God's voice, turn the situation over to God and allow the miracles to happen.
No, I do not believe Zombies really exist, but I can conjure one up fairly quickly. You see, when we ask Jesus to be Lord of our life, we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" (NLT)
God may put a dream, or a challenge, or just call me to something that will advance His kingdom, and I immediately conjure up my dead self. My dead self reminds me of all the reasons why I cannot pursue what I am called to do, why I cannot live out the dream He has given, why I will fail at whatever challenge is placed in front of me.
Whether it is a shortcoming, a past failure, or even a sin I have committed, my dead self is right there to crush whatever God has placed in front of me. It feeds off of this life that has been given to me, trying to kill it as fast as it can. The more it feeds off of my dreams, the more condemnation, shame and hurt I am left with.
There are 4 main ways to kills a zombie.
1. Destroy its brain. Movies portray this usually with a buckshot rifle aimed at the zombie's head. With our zombie, we need to basically do the same thing. We need to stop giving the zombie a voice. Use the promises of God to kill the zombie's thought center. When the zombie says "you can't" remember the God says "I can!" When the zombie says "you are not equipped" remember that God says"I will." When the zombie says, "you aren't good enough" remember that God says "I AM!"
2. Sever the head of the zombie. When you sever the head, the body has no direction. Sever the head of your personal zombie by staying focused on what God has called you to. When God presents an opportunity, it is rarely dropped in your lap. I think the reason why we often need to work for what we want is so that we appreciate the outcome more, and more importantly, we appreciate the Giver.
3. Set the Zombie on fire. Our God is a God of redemption and a million chances. When we turn our old self over to Him, he will use it to fuel the fire of His glory! Confess your struggle, turn it over to God and He will use it for His good. His fire burns hot and true, and will purify all of our sins, shortcomings and mistakes!
4. Completely Crush the Zombie. Here's the coolest thing about this one, Jesus already has done this for us! We need to recognize and accept that. Since the very beginning, God promised that, though Satan may strike at our heel, Jesus would crush his head! (Genesis 3:15)
When Satan is striking at your heels with your old, dead self remember these strategies and you will overcome.
One more thing, the zombie state is infectious. Sometimes it isn't the inner voice that kills the dreams, sometimes it is someone else who reminds you of all the reasons you cannot measure up. Job's friends did this to him, but he still praised God. The Israelites tried to get Moses to turn back to Egypt, He chose to listen to God instead. Even the disciples tried to tell Jesus there wasn't enough food to feed all the people. Jesus turned the food over to God and a miracle occurred! When the zombie apocalypse is coming down on you, follow the example of these Biblical heroes: continue to praise God, listen to God's voice, turn the situation over to God and allow the miracles to happen.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Sufficient Grace- The Power of Forgiveness
Have you ever made a mistake. You know, one of those honest ones. And when you make the mistake, even after an apology, the injured party doesn't seem to forgive? Yeah, this happened a couple of weeks ago.
We were at a neighbors and my son, being the curious and industrious boy that he is, decided to use a bubble wand as a bat. As soon as he hit the ball with his makeshift bat, the bubble wand disintegrated and bubble juice flew everywhere- including our neighbor's freshly-made mug of coffee. "I apologized for. Y son's misstep, he apologized as well. I turned and asked my neighbor if she was ok, and she said, "No! It got in my coffee!"
Now, everyone will react to a situation in their own way. If it were me, i may have responded "No, but kids will do things like this." Or, "no biggie." I guess it depends on my attitude leading up to the disastrous event.
My mama-bear reaction to her non-acceptance of my, and my son's, apology was snarky, at best. Praise God that He didn't let it actually be said out loud. This was went through my mind to say to her, "I am so glad God's grace is sufficient for us because if we had to depend on yours, we'd be sunk!"
Here is the truth- there is no point in holding a grudge or resentment towards someone because God's Grace IS sufficient. If you ask for forgiveness, whether it is accepted by the other person or not, you ARE forgiven by the one it matters most. Forgiveness is not for the other person's sake, it is for our own heart. Sometimes we are the ones who need to forgive, and we don't want to. We want to hold onto the anger. Forgiveness can make us seem weak.
2 Corinthians 12 talks about this. First, in verse 9, it states that God's Grace is sufficient. It goes on a few verses later to say that we are strong in our weakness. Asking for forgiveness, or forgiving someone, may seem like a "weak" move in the world's eyes, but the Bible says we find strength in our weakness. How true of forgiveness! We gain Christ's strength when we choose forgiveness! How awesome is that!
If you have the chance, if you have the guts, choose forgiveness today. Experience the freedom, the strength you can receive for this offering.
We were at a neighbors and my son, being the curious and industrious boy that he is, decided to use a bubble wand as a bat. As soon as he hit the ball with his makeshift bat, the bubble wand disintegrated and bubble juice flew everywhere- including our neighbor's freshly-made mug of coffee. "I apologized for. Y son's misstep, he apologized as well. I turned and asked my neighbor if she was ok, and she said, "No! It got in my coffee!"
Now, everyone will react to a situation in their own way. If it were me, i may have responded "No, but kids will do things like this." Or, "no biggie." I guess it depends on my attitude leading up to the disastrous event.
My mama-bear reaction to her non-acceptance of my, and my son's, apology was snarky, at best. Praise God that He didn't let it actually be said out loud. This was went through my mind to say to her, "I am so glad God's grace is sufficient for us because if we had to depend on yours, we'd be sunk!"
Here is the truth- there is no point in holding a grudge or resentment towards someone because God's Grace IS sufficient. If you ask for forgiveness, whether it is accepted by the other person or not, you ARE forgiven by the one it matters most. Forgiveness is not for the other person's sake, it is for our own heart. Sometimes we are the ones who need to forgive, and we don't want to. We want to hold onto the anger. Forgiveness can make us seem weak.
2 Corinthians 12 talks about this. First, in verse 9, it states that God's Grace is sufficient. It goes on a few verses later to say that we are strong in our weakness. Asking for forgiveness, or forgiving someone, may seem like a "weak" move in the world's eyes, but the Bible says we find strength in our weakness. How true of forgiveness! We gain Christ's strength when we choose forgiveness! How awesome is that!
If you have the chance, if you have the guts, choose forgiveness today. Experience the freedom, the strength you can receive for this offering.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
As numerous as the stars!
Have you ever sat outside and tried to count the stars. I have done this with my children on a few occasions. When do they give up? I know my kids always give up after I do. I think I hit 15 and am ready to finish with a "yada, yada, yada." My kids would hit at least a hundred, perhaps finishing with a "ninety-niiiiiine, a hundred!"
I have been reading in 1Chronicles recently. A lot of it is genealogical lists. My first reaction- snooze! I read in a Bible Study by Kelly Minter that perhaps these genealogical lists are there to remind us that these were real people, with names and loved ones, gifts and flaws.
At chapter 21, it says that Satan rose up against the Israelites, and this caused David to take a census. Satan rose up- he increased his efforts against Israel. He worked harder to discourage, instill doubt, increase fear. And you know what, David fell for it. He needs some assurance, so he counted his assets.
God is not pleased with this census. He gives David a choice of punishment- 3 years of famine, 3 months of losing to the enemy, or 3 days of a plague dispensed by an angel. David chose the plague, knowing he had a greater chance of mercy with God than with his enemies!
Skip ahead a few chapters to 1 Chronicles 27. Once again, the number of warriors is counted. However, David learned his lesson it says,
"23 When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven." (NLT)
I didn't understand what the big deal was about counting his people. i mean, isn't smart to know what you have, to know where you stand?
1 Chronicles 27:23 cleared it up for me. David didn't count his warriors because he wanted to just have the information. He counted out of fear. He counted because he didn't trust the promise God gave Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David himself! He believed the lies of Satan- Israel can't win. Israel will die out. You will be the king that kills off God's chosen people. The buck stops with you, David.
You see, we can do seemingly responsible acts, but God looks at our motive, at our heart. Tithing is responsible. Giving beyond is even more noble. But, what good is the giving if it causes us to grumble against the Lord, and draws us further away from his heart. What is the point of serving in the nursery, if it makes you dread going to church- a place that should be encouraging, uplifting, and feeding your soul?
All David had to do when he first took the census was turn back a few pages, check out chapter 16 and re-remind himself of all that God has brought David through.
Take a moment to write down all the things God has brought you through. Let those become the tape that continually plays through your mind so that when Satan tries to bait you with a lie, you can come back with the truth of God's mighty acts of love, for they are as numerous as the stars. Let that be the census you take.
I have been reading in 1Chronicles recently. A lot of it is genealogical lists. My first reaction- snooze! I read in a Bible Study by Kelly Minter that perhaps these genealogical lists are there to remind us that these were real people, with names and loved ones, gifts and flaws.
At chapter 21, it says that Satan rose up against the Israelites, and this caused David to take a census. Satan rose up- he increased his efforts against Israel. He worked harder to discourage, instill doubt, increase fear. And you know what, David fell for it. He needs some assurance, so he counted his assets.
God is not pleased with this census. He gives David a choice of punishment- 3 years of famine, 3 months of losing to the enemy, or 3 days of a plague dispensed by an angel. David chose the plague, knowing he had a greater chance of mercy with God than with his enemies!
Skip ahead a few chapters to 1 Chronicles 27. Once again, the number of warriors is counted. However, David learned his lesson it says,
"23 When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven." (NLT)
I didn't understand what the big deal was about counting his people. i mean, isn't smart to know what you have, to know where you stand?
1 Chronicles 27:23 cleared it up for me. David didn't count his warriors because he wanted to just have the information. He counted out of fear. He counted because he didn't trust the promise God gave Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David himself! He believed the lies of Satan- Israel can't win. Israel will die out. You will be the king that kills off God's chosen people. The buck stops with you, David.
You see, we can do seemingly responsible acts, but God looks at our motive, at our heart. Tithing is responsible. Giving beyond is even more noble. But, what good is the giving if it causes us to grumble against the Lord, and draws us further away from his heart. What is the point of serving in the nursery, if it makes you dread going to church- a place that should be encouraging, uplifting, and feeding your soul?
All David had to do when he first took the census was turn back a few pages, check out chapter 16 and re-remind himself of all that God has brought David through.
Take a moment to write down all the things God has brought you through. Let those become the tape that continually plays through your mind so that when Satan tries to bait you with a lie, you can come back with the truth of God's mighty acts of love, for they are as numerous as the stars. Let that be the census you take.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Welcome!
I am so pleased you have stopped by- absolutely tickled!
Just a little about me. My name is Janna and I am the wife of a really hot husband, and the mom to three amazing kids. We live just outside York, PA.
"Among the Branches" has two, quite complementary, meanings. First, it comes from a Bible verse- Psalm 104:12. It speaks of birds nesting by water and singing among the branches. What a beautiful image. It reminds me to make my home, my heart, close to the life source. For me, that is Jesus. And yet, it reminds me to sing among the branches. I need to take that home and go out to the branches and sing! We are called to leave our comfort, and proclaim Christ's love to all. When a bird sings, it is an invitation, a way to make their presence known, and a way to give a warning that danger is near. I believe that is what we are called to do! Invite, make His presence known, and warn people of the dangers that lurk nearby.
The other inspiration for "Among the Branches" comes from a quotation by Rumi. It says, "maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots." What lovely wisdom! My desire is that i look for truth and wisdom in the roots, and not search for it in the branches of life.
My hope is that when you visit, when you read, you find encouragement and can step away from your screen with a renewed energy to grow deeper in your roots, and the courage to sing in the branches!
Just a little about me. My name is Janna and I am the wife of a really hot husband, and the mom to three amazing kids. We live just outside York, PA.
"Among the Branches" has two, quite complementary, meanings. First, it comes from a Bible verse- Psalm 104:12. It speaks of birds nesting by water and singing among the branches. What a beautiful image. It reminds me to make my home, my heart, close to the life source. For me, that is Jesus. And yet, it reminds me to sing among the branches. I need to take that home and go out to the branches and sing! We are called to leave our comfort, and proclaim Christ's love to all. When a bird sings, it is an invitation, a way to make their presence known, and a way to give a warning that danger is near. I believe that is what we are called to do! Invite, make His presence known, and warn people of the dangers that lurk nearby.
The other inspiration for "Among the Branches" comes from a quotation by Rumi. It says, "maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots." What lovely wisdom! My desire is that i look for truth and wisdom in the roots, and not search for it in the branches of life.
My hope is that when you visit, when you read, you find encouragement and can step away from your screen with a renewed energy to grow deeper in your roots, and the courage to sing in the branches!
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