Light Detector

I love when the Lord randomly talks to me using visual aids.

I was with my new boss Melissa, an amazing woman I might add, and we were at a lighting company she does business with. The place had such cool display rooms but one caught my attention right away. It was a room filled with chandeliers that were barely lit. I love chandeliers so I went into the room wondering why it was so dark.

As I entered all the lights in the room slowly got brighter and brighter. As if my presence some how made the lights engage, it was magical. When they were all lit it was so beautiful.

The Holy Spirit said “this is what it should be like with believers. We should bring light into a dark world.”

Light should begin just because the presence of the Lord has entered.

For example, one time I went with some friends to eat and we were sitting at the bar waiting for a table. A man walked up and starting talking to us. He then did the strangest thing, he put his back to me and started telling a joke to my friends. He looked over his shoulder as he started and said to me “you won't like this joke.”

He didn't know any of us yet “something” told him I wouldn't appreciate his joke. I think that something was the presence of the Lord.

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Some times we do nothing but show up, other times our actions cause the light.

Another visual.

I was in the ladies room and a woman walked to the sink the same time as I did. We were both washing our hands, she then turned to the paper towel dispenser to dry her hands. 

She stood there for a few seconds waving her hands underneath the dispenser waiting for a paper towel to come down.

She looked at me and I smiled and said I think your going to have to pull the towel out yourself.
She obviously thought it was one of those automatic ones. We both laughed and I again thought about our being the light. Sometimes we have to apply ourselves and not just wait for something to happen.

The next story is another example of doing something to cause light for someone in darkness.

My daughter and I were at the Sam's Club Saturday doing a bake sale to help raise money for missions. 

That in itself is funny because I don't bake. I showed up with a huge baking dish and the only thing in it was a paper towel. I figured I would buy something from Sam's to fill it but thank God other people did bake and there were plenty of yummy things to sell.
There were 4 shifts and I was on the second shift. I knew my daughter of course but the rest of the people volunteering I was meeting for the first time. 
While we were there a young man showed up on a bicycle who apparently had been drinking. He started off talking with my daughter then I spent an hour or so listening to his story and sharing the love of God with him.

At the end of our conversation he asked if I was going to church that night and I initially said no and asked why. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to hit me with a 2 x 4.  

 My new friend asked if I would meet him at church that evening and I of course said yes. I also told him if he stood me up I would kick his butt (probably not "light" talk.)

Later that evening I went to church and waited outside about 40 minutes for him but he didn't come. I was disappointed but I knew I said some things that were hard to hear. I figured he was either processing or passed out.

Either way I prayed for him over the weekend and hoped I had shed some light into his world.

My son Anthony leads a class at his home on Sunday nights and was going to be late getting home so he asked if I could go to his house to let the group in. As they came in I recognized one of the women from the bake sale. When she saw me her face lit up and she seemed so excited to see me. She said to her husband “that's her, I can't believe that's her!”

I thought she was pointing me out because she couldn't believe I showed up to the bake sale with an empty pan but that wasn't it.

She told me Sunday morning her husband was volunteering at the Connect 2 station which is the information center for new people at the church. A man walked up to him and said “ I need to find Amanda and her mother. I can't remember her name but I have to find her.” The volunteer explained there are a couple thousand people that go to Grace and there are multiple services so he had no idea who Amanda or her mother were.

The visitor explained that he promised this woman (me) that he would meet her at church but something came up and he didn't make it. He wanted to make sure I knew he didn't stand me up. His urgency may or may not have had something to do with the butt kicking :)

The volunteer apologized again that he couldn't help and then my new friend said “I met her at a back sale.” The volunteer said “a bake sale! Wait a minute my wife was at a bake sale.” Only God....

He got his wife and sure enough they recognized each other. He explained to her what he told her husband about not being able to meet me and really wanted me to know he didn't stand me up. She told him she didn't know my last name but would be happy to take a note and give it to me at the next months mission meeting. He said that was too far away, he wanted me to know now, but gave her a note and made her promise to give it to me.

She had no idea Anthony was my son and she would see me the very next day. She and her husband made some motion and were part of the light process.

Gems I think if we had a spiritual camera and took a a spiritual picture this is what we should see.

The family of God lighting up a dark world.  Being light detectors the Holy Spirit can use to turn people onto Jesus.

Lamp Unto My Feet

In the last jewel "you can't get there from here" we were packing  and waiting for our move destination to be revealed. And I once again had to rely on my favorite verse.

  This is not my favorite verse because I read it and it seemed nice but because I learned to hold onto it for dear life when fear was running rapid and medication was not an option.

I’ll give you a little history using one of the many times the Lord used this verse to guide my path.

A few years back the Holy Spirit told me to go to Tennessee, not just Tennessee but Johnson City TN. I had never been to TN. and had no idea if there was a Johnson City.  I had to look on a map and sure enough there is. As if God needed a geography lesson.

The Holy Spirit used a series of events to show me Johnson City but the lamp unto my feet confirmation was when a friend, who was on a mission trip in Africa, and I had a very similar dream. The only difference was at the end of her dream she heard Johnson City. She had no idea what that meant but I did. It was my confirmed travel destination.

A few nights before my adventure I went before the Lord asking if it was Him speaking to me or me having a delusional moment and perhaps needing some type of therapy.

This was when the Lord took me to my Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path.

I prayed for that light and guidance then God impressed on my heart the name Jonathon.

I was unemployed at the time and had no idea how I would get to Tennessee. My theory was and is if God makes the plan He will provide the provision. I searched on line to find out how much an airline ticket would cost, a hotel as I have never been to Johnson City or TN for that matter and of course car rental. About 2 days later I got a check in the mail to cover the entire trip and even enough to feed me :)

I was pretty nervous as I don’t like to fly and I have no sense of direction in towns I know never less towns I have never even heard of.  A friend dropped me off at the airport, drove off without turning back leaving me standing there shaking in my boots.

As I sat in the airport waiting for my flight I opened a book I brought to read hoping to calm my nerves. To my surprise and delight on the very first page was my verse.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path.

I knew God was putting light on the unknown path.
This verse showed up all four days I was away in the most unusual places. It’s too long to tell the whole story but I do want to tell you I found this quaint little town outside Johnson City and decided to explore. I parked my car and walked down the streets enjoying the old buildings and cool weather. I came upon an antique shop in what appeared to be someones home that caught my eye.

I’m not an antique shopper but felt like the Holy Spirit said to go in. I walked up to the entrance where a sign hung on the door saying "ring the bell." I felt a bit like Dorothy standing outside the entrance to OZ wondering what to expect. 
I rang the bell and a man who appeared to be the owner opened the door.  We gave the standard head nod and smile to each other and I heard the Lord say “introduce yourself” so I did. 
His name was Johnathon!! I was able to share the love of God with him and pray with him. The Lamp had lead me straight from Florida to Tennessee to Jonathon and the light was shone upon us both.  I was in awe of God's faithfulness when we trust Him.

Through out my life when God has asked me to do something outside my comfort zone He has been consistent in giving me my life verse.

Back to the recent move. I told my apartment complex I was moving a month ahead of time and “thought” I was moving in with a friend. I thought wrong. The Lord shut the door and 3 weeks before we had to be out of our apartment I had no idea where I was going. 

Gems I had to start walking in faith down a dark path trusting God would light the way.

I then did the only thing I knew to do, PRAY.  My daughters and I gathered on my bed and we asked God to light the path. 
When we finished praying Amanda went on Craig’s list and found an unbelievable deal on an apartment in a private home. It was such a great deal I immediately had visions dance through my head of what it must look like. I thought for sure it must be a crack house as it was too good a deal. 

I called, spoke to the owner and off we went to check it out.

As soon as we turned into the subdivision I knew we were following the lighted path and sure enough it was a perfect place for us. We moved in over the weekend to an adorable apartment, small but quaint. We say words like quaint when we mean really small but I don't want to complain.

I was pretty exhausted from all the packing and unpacking and rested at my kitchen table to pray for a minute. I shared with my sweet Jesus that I was tired, physically and spiritually and looked forward to some rest time with Him. A few minutes later I grabbed another box and opened the cabinet above the refrigerator to put some things away. My hand hit an object and when I pulled it out it was a Bible. 
It had been laying opened for some time and it was opened to Jeremiah 6. I grabbed my Bible to look up the scripture and in my Bible I had Jeremiah 6:16 highlighted. This is what the Lord said:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.

I knew God was telling me that as long as I keep walking in the Godly way I would find rest for my soul. You walk in the Godly way by allowing God’s word to be a lamp to your feet and a light to show you the path to walk on.

I looked in the front of the Bible to see if there was a name of who it belonged to.  
Gems what I found literally put a smile on my face. There on the front page printed into the paper itself was my life verse.

There was my final confirmation. I knew for sure we were in the right place.

I have already seen God connecting some dots since we have been here and I’m looking forward to some rest time with Him.  I know my path is always lit even when things are hard to see for me. It's at these time we have to remember that He is holding our feet in the palm of his Hands.

Gems we need to trust God because He will always be that lamp to our feet and light to our path.

You Can't Get There From Here

Have you ever felt like that? Like God is calling you to some new place and you have no idea how to get there, especially from where you are now? 

We think we own our lives and we should have all the details worked out but that is not what God says.

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

We are continually being called to new places in our walk with the Lord. The problem is we want all the directions before we leave. We want the future destination, the money for the trip and the exact directions of how we are going to get there before we decide if we will go. Unfortunately that is not how God works. He asks us to walk through the open door first, then He will provide the how, what, where and when.

The unknown is what will bring God all the glory, other wise we are still in control and there is no faith required for the trip. We have to trust God and be OK with not understanding How He does things.

Proverbs 20:24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?

Recently I was in New York and my brother and I were going to take a walk in the woods. The problem was we were in about 2 feet of snow and I was having trouble keeping up. Being the brilliant person I am I realized if I walked in his footsteps it was a lot easier. I didn't have to make a path.

The Lord spoke to me and said this is how it is with our spiritual walk. We meet up with Jesus and He has the way planned. He will go before us and protect us, we just have to trust He knows the best way.

We start off with Him but soon we can't handle not being in control and we go our own way.

I will share my latest testimony with you as an example.

I knew the Lord was telling me it was time to leave my current home so I started to pack. I had no job or new address lined up but I got my boxes.  A few weeks into my decision to move I began to feel anxious about all the uncertainty. Yes I am still human. 

It was Christmas Eve night and I decided to pray, again, for a job and my finances. I started praying financial prayers from the Bible over my life.  As I was praying out loud my phone rang. It was my sweet sister Roxanne asking if I knew anyone looking for a job. Seriously, it was Christmas Eve, who calls about jobs on Christmas Eve! Only God!  He was providing the next step.

You see Gems the first step is to decide you will follow God then He will move again. One of my favorite life verses is Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,a light on my path.

It's OK to make plans after you hear from God BUT you have to be willing to move forward in the Lord's direction even when it doesn't make sense, especially when it doesn't make sense.

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails

Gems I don't know where the Lord might be leading you but I do know it can be a very scary place. I want to encourage you to say yes. Make the first step, decide, then He will show you the next step. 

The going part is your decision the how it happens is God's responsibility. He always provides provision for His purpose.

I may fall along the way and I may make some wrong turns but God will direct me. And He will direct you!  

Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

These scriptures are in the Bible because He knows we need them. Jesus knew we would need encouragement and coaxing and obviously so did the ones who went before us.

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

Jeremiah 42:3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

I have decided to follow Jesus and I know He will make my steps firm even when I'm having trouble keeping up. We will be OK because with Jesus we can get there  from where ever we are.

 Psalm 37:5-7 Commit your way to the Lord;trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,your vindication like the noonday sun.

Did You See Jesus In Me?

  This is yet another confession jewel....

What happened was my grandson was expecting something recently and of course I wanted him to have what he wanted and deserved.

 It involved another person and for whatever reason that person didn't come through, again. I was angry with the person for letting him down.  We were at an event and I decided to leave as soon as it was over because I was really mad and I didn't want to see them.

Well you know God, He decided He was going to give me a pop quiz.

So who do you think I run into as I'm trying to escape? You got it, UGH!

As we passed I kept my head low and said nothing.

I did say to the Lord “really! You had to have us pass each other!”

I of course thought I passed my test because I didn't DO anything. No ugly comments were passed, no slapping or even “the look” I just quietly passed by.

Honestly in my self righteous anger I felt I was doing right by my grandson to ignore this person.

Just when you think your in the clear the Holy Spirit teaches you something. First thing I learned was I failed the test.

A few days later my grandson and I are at his house and I'm in the kitchen with my back to him making something. He says “Nana, so and so told me they passed by you the other night and they said hello and you didn't say hello back.”

Now you have to read this with that tone, you know the one. It's the tone we use when we're reprimanding someone, which was what was happening in this scenario.

I'm glad my back was to him so he didn't see my face. My first thought was, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!

Did I mention I didn't slap anyone! I had every right not to respond, I was protecting you! I was being mad for you! I was being loyal.

Did you notice all the “I's” in these thoughts.

I heard the Holy Spirit say “choose your next words wisely.”

I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and said “you're right... I didn't say hello. I was mad they had disappointed you BUT I should have said hello. I'm sorry.”

Huge gulp.....

Gems the Lord showed me my grandson expected a certain behavior from this person, even if it hurt him BUT he also expected a certain behavior from ME. He expected me to do the right thing. How I responded apparently bothered him more than his own disappointment in the situation.

The Holy Sirit showed me if I was really thinking of my grandson I would have put my feelings aside and done the right thing by God's standards not how I felt about it.

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Gems the world is watching to see how we respond, both the Christian and the non Christian. This was a valuable reminder to me about putting my Christianity where my mouth is because what we don't say is just as harmful at times as what we do say.

I have tried to teach my children and grand children to “choose their words wisely” hmmmm where have I heard that recently?

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

My grandson had someone tell him a situation where they didn't see Jesus in me or hear Jesus for that matter. Pretty much they were telling on me for their own motives but God used it for His motives.

My grandson heard me repent and say I'm sorry. He was reminded that Nana ain't perfect and I'm glad he knew he could call me on it. 

I think we both grew in our walk that day. I pray this story will help us all to ask ourselves, whether we are right or not, did you see Jesus in me?
Thank you Lucas for keeping Nana in check.
 

Merry Christmas

Wisdom from Dream Coat to Prison Ware to Dream Coat

I'm going to give you the Gena version of a guy named Joseph. As always I will encourage you to read your Bible to get the accurate history.

Joseph is one of 12 boys whose father is Jacob. Even though as parents we aren't supposed to have favorites, Jacob openly shows Joseph is his. 

He has a multicolored coat made especially for Joseph which Joseph not only wears but makes sure his siblings know he is the favorite.

His brothers get sick of him and decide to get rid of their "favored" brother Joseph. They sell him to slave traders, take his special coat from dad, dip it in goats blood and tell their father his beloved son was killed by a wild beast.

Yikes! And you think your family is dysfunctional?

When Joseph was  younger God showed him in a dream that he indeed would be a great ruler one day, however, where we will pick up his life story he was a slave for at least 13 years and in prison for at least 2.

While he's in prison, for a crime he didn't commit I might add, he meets 2 guys that work for the king. They both have a dream they don't understand and Joseph interprets the dreams for them.

Basically he tells the king's Cup Bearer he will go back to work for Pharaoh and the Baker, well his future was not as bright.

Joseph asks the Cup Bearer to remember him when he gets out and hopes he'll ask the king to release Joseph as well.

As disappointing as it must have been for Joseph it does appear it was part of God's plan for him to be in prison.

TWO YEARS later the King himself has a dream he can't interpret and the Cup Bearer finally remembers Joseph and tells the King about him. 
 
Here's what I find interesting. When Pharaoh sent for Joseph, he didn't waste any time by telling Pharaoh how he was arrested on false charges and was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. 
Instead he listens to Pharaoh's dream and tells him God has the answer.
“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’
‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’” (Genesis 41:15–16)
Gems don't you find it amazing that in spite of the fact Joseph has had years of suffering and being in prison he still trust God!
Would I? Would you?

Pharaoh had plenty of men that could interpret dreams but he didn't have anyone with the wisdom to interpret a revelation from God.

The same way Pharaoh knew Joseph was filled with the spirit of wisdom by the explanation of his dream, it should be evident to believers around us that we receive supernatural wisdom.

Now you may be saying “that's a pretty conceded statement” but you would be wrong.

The word of God promises us wisdom.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

I have been in my own spiritual prison with some circumstances with my children. I am really trying not to react in the natural but want to use wisdom.

How I do that is by asking God to give me wisdom than reading the Bible to find answers. 

Sometimes we use our knowledge but that is not always a great idea. There is a big difference between wisdom and knowledge.

Knowledge is knowing that the street is one way, wisdom is looking both directions anyways. ~ Anonymous.

Gems I don't always understand why certain things happen in our lives. I'm sure Joseph didn't understand why he was sold by his brothers or ended up in prison.  I do know we need wisdom to make good decisions. 

   
Unfortunately the only way to get wisdom is to go through stuff you would rather avoid.

Ecclesiastes 1:18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

The only way I will get wisdom to pass on to someone else is to go through the grief myself. 

In my opinion the only thing that would be worse than the grief would be to not share the wisdom with someone else.

So whoever this current wisdom is for all I can say is UGH!!

I pray I will be out of this wisdom training prison soon and when I open my mouth I will have supernatural words to share. 

Gems let's ask God for supernatural wisdom that He promises and let's help turn prison ware into dream coats.

Bible vs Sex In The City

I turned on my TV today, I don't have cable so there's not a lot to choose from but my intent was to watch my daily Bible teaching. As I scanned the channels Sex in The City was on and I stayed there a few minutes. 

It's one of those shows that at times actually have a good story line, you just have to get past all the premarital sex and list of other things that offend God. 

Never the less I parked there for a minute then realized the irony of the situation chuckled and changed the channel.

I remember when I used to watch this show. My justification (I am queen of justification) was like I said earlier, this show can have some really good story lines. I bought into this lie until I realized if one of my kids came into the room I immediately changed the channel. 

Hmmmmm

I could no longer in clear conscience watch the show but here it was today years later appealing to my sinful nature.

Earlier in the day I was out walking. I was listening to praise music, thank God there was no chiwawa in this story, but a lesson none the less.

I was thinking the only time I'm close to having a clean heart is when I'm worshiping because it's then I have my thoughts more on Jesus than me. 

 

Gems I'm just being real here I make a lot of life about me. I don't mean to, I didn't start thinking about myself as I was walking but when I started thinking about worship I thought about how I looked to God instead of thinking how God should look to me.

Of course the Holy Spirit didn't leave me there too long. I went from thinking how humble I must look before God to noticing a Christmas decoration of a Nut Cracker in someones yard.

 

This image sent my thoughts to a little wooden man incense burner my aunt gave me and my ex-husband years ago from Austria that he kept.

From here I went to “I can't believe he didn't give me that back after our divorce. I gave him all his family stuff back.” Mind you this divorce took place 17 years ago.

My final thought your really going to love. 

“Would it be wrong to go to his house and just take it back without him knowing? It's not like he'll miss it.”

I know none of you have ever had these kind of thoughts. 

You're probably rethinking ever having me over for a visit or at least thinking you should hide your family heirlooms.

The Holy Spirit asked me at this moment was I still in worship mode?

Honestly Gems I don't know how that happens. Obviously that junk is still in me.

Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

This is exactly why when I'm given the choice of Sex In The City or something like it, OR a show I can watch in front of a five year old, or dare I say Jesus Himself, I go with the latter.

Not because I'm holier than thou but because I might be eviler than thou. 
The good news is every time some of that junk comes out it makes my heart a little cleaner.

How do I keep from putting more junk in? Good question! 

We do that by changing the channel. Not going to the gross movies, listening to better music and for the best cure of all, meditating on Gods word.

Isaiah 23:3 You will keep him in perfect peace,Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Psalms 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.

So there you go Gems, confession #526,987,542. Feel free to join me on my journey from Sex In The City to Bible verses In The City.