Battlefield of the Mind

Quotes from the book Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer I’m currently reading:

“Any time we see what the Word says and refuse to do it, reasoning has somehow gotten involved and deceived us into believing something other than the truth”
and
“James 1:5-8—To me the man of two minds is a picture of confusion as he goes back and forth, back and forth, never deciding on anything. As soon as he thinks he has made a decision here comes wondering, doubt and confusion to get him operating once again in two minds. He is uncertain about everything. ”
and
“Wondering leaves a person in indecision, and indecision causes confusion. Wondering, indecision and confusion prevent an individual from receiving from God, by faith, the answer to his prayer or need.”

My response: “Whoa….this book is totally kicking me and asking me to face some tough love for some big time God transformation in my mind.”

Your response? Have you read the book? Do you see your mind as a battlefield? Anything up above resonate with you? I’d love to know…

Florida

Soaking up the Florida sun….er, the Florida sun with a chill. Apparently, the panhandle is a bit chilly this time of year. I’m internetless except for the few excursions to Panera so I’ll see you all in the new year! Love you all….leave me some love for when I return 🙂

To Love Him and To Know Him

He chose us. He wants us. He loves us.  He delights in us.

He chose you. He wants you. He loves you. He delights in you.

He wants you to know Him.

Rest in His promises and love.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

1 John 4:9 and Ephesians 1:4 and Isaiah 62:4 and John 3:16

A Ten Year Old Boy and a Rickety Dinosaur

“But once the issue has a name and a face, it changes everything, doesn’t it? God knows each of those names. God knows each of those faces. And it breaks His heart.” –Primal by Mark Batterson

I didn’t know what I was getting into that day.  The day that I still travel to with heaviness weighting down my heart.  The burden grips my soul.

I stepped out of the vehicle with a vague mission of “hanging out.”  The park felt separated. empty. I found a little girl playing near the slide.  Unlike most kids, she shied away from me. I didn’t force the conversation. We just were.

Then she led me toward the rickety dinosaur.  And it was there that I put a face to issue.

Before long, I found myself surrounded by a group of boys.  They chattered away with questions like “Do you know Chris Brown?” or “Do you have a boyfriend?” We talked about how some of them wanted to be police men while others were adamant about being doctors to help others and another wanted to be a teacher.  These kids saw what was wrecking havoc on their communities: crime, HIV/AIDS, a need for education.

Yet, what happened next slammed my heart to the wall.  The conversation blurs in my memory, but the faces stay.  The twisted look of this is just life here.  The shame. hurt. brokenness. I sat on a metal dinosaur piecing together the horrific reality of rape. of a ten. year. old. boy. sitting in front of me and that this wasn’t the first child or the last. Oh, no. The kids knew who did this. They knew that the police may put this person in jail, but before long he would be out again searching the park…for the next child.

I felt God’s heart break alongside mine. No longer could I hold onto a statistic or a number. I had a face. I had a name.  I had a hug.

Sure, I can swoop in and “save” the day, but that’s not the solution. No. I want to empower for change. These amazing kids’ dreams and hopes for a better future can become a reality.  This nation can change.

They see the problems and they see how they can bring about a transformed nation.  To bring abundant life.  And that. That gives me hope and passion to empower them. To say “I believe in you” and I want to love you, I want to equip and empower you so that you can do this with God by your side. Because when we are weak, He is strong.

Soaking It In

I’ve become a SLOW reader. Why? Because I want to soak up every little bit of literary crafting in order to fully let the words get into my heart and not just my head.  I’ve been plugging my way through Mark Batterson’s new book Primal and needless to say, I’m intrigued.

I so appreciated his reminder that “silence is one of the soul’s love languages” after coming from a place that exudes silence (a farm far from town) and going into a small, but “noisy” city.  I love getting away in the wilderness…

Along with that, I SO needed the following reminder: “But if God is speaking to your heart, don’t let your mind get in the way of what God wants you to do. Sometimes loving God with all your heart simply means listening to your heart instead of your head.” Whoa, so good. When God invades my heart in such a shattering way, I don’t want to get caught up in the silly games my head plays. God completely changed my heart this last year and I’m letting Him come deeper so that my heart can respond with a big “YES” regardless of how it looks to my head.

So, what do you think? Are you looking for a primal faith? Ready to go on a quest for the lost soul of Christianity with Mark? Check out the book here or when I finish my copy, I’ll send it your way!

p.s. Check back tomorrow for another great quote from Primal and some thoughts about what breaks God’s heart…

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Found this…

in my Bible: “whatever the world may throw at us, God will always be there for us and He will help us.” To mark the page that highlights: “holding fast the word of life” and “put no confidence in the flesh.” Here’s to God always being there and helping me as I take every thought captive to renew my mind and be transformed because I refuse to believe the lies and I refuse to stop growing closer to God.  So, thank-you, Sipho, for writing that testimony and speaking truth into my life months later.  I love my LaunchPad kids…

Sometimes I Need Reminding That…

He: loves, provides, protects, guides, guards, holds, shepherds, showers me with abundance, gives, fights, pursues, cares, doesn’t give up, runs to me, does the impossible, shows up, makes a way, doesn’t hold love back, wants me, talks to me, laughs with me, never leaves, just is with me, shows me, breaks me, teaches me, refines me, disciplines, me, rebukes me, restores me, redeems me, saves me.

It’s okay to: hurt, be vulnerable, let God in, dream BIG, let go, look only to Him, be single, love, plan with God, be happy, choose joy, laugh, move on, be free, be ME, cry, ask questions, lay it all out on the table, get out of that hole and stay out, not know, take time, be passionate, share, refuse to compromise, hold fast, trust God more than circumstances, stand firm in what He’s told you, believe, hope, expect, pray BIG.

Post-It Anywhere and Everywhere

I’m a learner. I try to soak up as much information as possible. But, here’s the kicker. I often let that information stay in my head rather than soaking it up in my heart to produce transformation.Thus, intentionality, repetition, and the Holy Spirit are my friends.  Instead of storing away the information in “hopes” of doing something with it later, I turn to them.

I intentionally make time to dig deeper, ask how to practically put this into practice, make a plan to put it into practice, and to ask the Holy Spirit what else.

Then I become Ms. post-it anywhere and everywhere. Reminders are key.  By my bed you’ll see my goals, ways to seek intimacy with God, ways to be guarded and a “what-if” plan, and the scripture I’m memorizing for the week.  My bathroom mirror holds promises to stand on and by my door there is the South African flag and the poster of Hope House kids.  My phone has pictures of Lindo.  I need to see, read, meditate, memorize, and be reminded in order to let these truths penetrate my heart and make that journey.

Finally, I make sure that I’m looking to Him and not getting distracted or relying on my own “plans” or practical steps.  I desire to live a life that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in ALL areas including what I’m learning and how I live out what I’m learning.  I want to be a doer of what I learn and hear.

In conclusion: “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.”

5 Things I Love

1.Yeah, yeah, I’m sure if you’ve been reading a while and saw the title then you just knew that this little guy would be on this list.  I love Lindo especially his amazing hugs and asking to be on my shoulders.

2. Bare feet!  I greatly dislike socks and even shoes. Going barefoot is the best and if not that then at least flip flops.  I must say that being back in the snow…I’ve gotten multiple comments about how I need to wear shoes…boo.

3. Wearing sunglasses on my head.  They make me feel summery and happy.  Oh and I love this girly too! She makes my heart happy!  Though, I’m not so keen on her living miles and miles away now instead of down my stairs…

4 and well 5 too there’s a lot of love in this. This picture shows so many random things I love: Wearing my hair in braids. The hat Tara made for me because I love her! and the hat.  The other hat that I got in SA hanging on the door. Being able to hang things on my door like sweatshirts and purses is so handy. Painted wooden chairs.  All the bright happy colors.  The South African flag in the background because I love SA and the people and God’s calling on my life. Also, below the flag now is a poster of the Hope House kids and I love them. My Lerato shirt from June because I love June, Lerato (love in Sesotho) is my name and that it supports Thrive.

ht: 5 things I love

Afternoon with Maddy

I never quite fully grasped the fun of PhotoBooth until this afternoon…

Yeah…we had fun! Not to mention the few videos we took 🙂