You know those times in life where you hear something old... in a new way... like it was the first time again and you wanted to just crawl into a secluded corner and ponder the old:new thing in your heart for hours? And hours? And... hours?
Yes? No? Tracking where I'm going?
If you don't, maybe the name "Beth Moore" will help shed a little light on what I'm trying to explain. This post isn't going to be about Beth because first of all I'm sure she wouldn't care for it, which is another reason why she is so loved... humility is not something that escapes this wise woman with a mighty platform.
However, the way the Lord used her to communicate to my heart in a new, fresh way was remarkable today.
So, scenario. I found out late last night, Friday afternoon that Beth Moore was actually going to BE at the conference that I had previously heard about in Reading, PA.... before, I thought it was just going to be a simulcast of her preaching from another location... but NOPE - Beth was going to actually be IN PA... and Lord knows with us FINALLY living close to a place where amazing events like this come to (ie, a place that ISN'T Del Rio, Texas) I didn't want to miss it!
So I rallied a couple girlfriends late last night - so random, so spontaneous, so fun - and convinced them to leave at 5:45am today to make the 2hr road trip to make it to the will-call office at the time it opened to hopefully snatch up some of the last few tickets! Yep... we were on a 2 hour road trip at 6am with only our teeny weeny HOPES of having tickets there waiting for us when we arrived... nutso.
But it was fun. As you can see... :) My beautiful friends.
.JPG)
AND God knew what He was doing as He conveniently positioned us at the front of the line just in time to get tickets and front row seats!!
YES! *Little victories... big grace!*
Again, this isn't about Beth because it never SHOULD be about Beth but it is COMPLETELY about what the Lord spoke to me today THROUGH Beth due to her obedience and willingness to reflect and direct ALL the glory back to Him... wow.
She's a fast-talker with animated language and before I knew it I found myself taking notes like a mad-woman... here are some random thoughts that tugged on my heart I'm recollecting as I look over the chicken-scratch notes I took today:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"God didn't call us to 'fine' - He called us to 'faith.'"
"Do you want to live a miraculous life based on the supernatural provision of God, or do you want to live a humanly explainable life?"
"Don't waste the harvest of failure... you will rarely have a better teacher than failure."
"Faith faces the fact that there is no 'formula...'"
"If you got everything you need, you need a bigger life!"
"Have you had your faith attacked? Attack back with your faith!!!"
"The Lord speaks; many, many women spread the good news." - Psalms 68:11 NET
"NEED is our invitation to the supernatural!"
"You don't have everything you need until you are ABOUNDING in good works!!"
"You may not be called to teach... but you ARE called to tell!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a few nuggets of truth from the weekend... these small snapshots of ideas don't do justice to the whole message but there is one in particular that I'm going to elaborate on:
"Faith trusts that every call to FORSAKE is a call to also TAKE!"
Ah! Do you get that?
Every time the Lord calls us to forsake something... whether it is jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, hate... He doesn't just call us to forsake it and leave us with a huge empty void!
Everything the Lord calls us to forsake, He also calls us to TAKE!
What do we take to fill the void of the stuff He calls us to forsake?
We TAKE joy, forgiveness, compassion... we TAKE UP His likeness to become more LIKE HIM!
This brings such peace to my heart. This makes so much sense in my head.
I know this is somewhat random and I can't really put to words exactly what is stirring in my heart in head right now only that it's different. It's an old thing in a new way and I'm determined to F O R E V E R lean into it and pursue it. By "it" of course I mean HIM - His Spirit, fully alive in me, fully immersed in His word.
I can't really go too much into it, but there has been a few things in my life that I came face to face with today as Beth was praying over me that sickened my stomach - eventually you have to come to a place where you look the enemy of your soul straight in the eye and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
That's where I am at today.
Swimming, hardly keeping my head above water.
Tired of fear that rules certain areas of my life.
Tired of old habits that reinforce insecurity, shame and pain.
Tired of living a life, supposedly called to freedom, while in chains that my Father holds the keys to!
HE IS GOOD!
REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE!
REGARDLESS OF HOW BAD WE ARE!
HE IS GOOD AND HE GIVES HIS CHILDREN GOOD GIFTS!
Ah. My heart is about to burst. Thank You Lord.
Anyways - I'm starting today and planning this road out with Him as my center.
I've had quite enough of the shackles I've chosen to carry and am ready to release them.
And I'm going to do it with a little help from sweet Beth herself... who made this incredible tool for us "shackled" to use to FIGHT with faith! It's right here -- I HIGHLY recommend you check it out!
She calls it "The Great Forsake and Take" Book... it's a collection of compiled scriptures that deal directly with fear and help saturate your mind with truth over lies.
It is my guidebook for the next few months to combat these certain strongholds and I've never felt more capable or expectant of Him in this season.
It's new... I love new... if you've ever read my blog before you KNOW how much I love NEW and once again, today is a new NEW for me.
(Pathetic with the repetition? Perhaps.
But I choose to take up a NEW self in Him instead of wallowing in my pathetic self. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.)
Alive - fully - living for His glory in His calling.
With a renewed FAITH in the Son who is SO, so, so so so so so (times infinity) worthy.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
~ Psalms 62:8 ~
*Psst... if that link for "The Great Forsake and Take" book doesn't work, just go to blog.lproof.org and search for the post from September 15th, 2012. She has the book there for you :)
