Wednesday 3/20/13

"Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises."

These verses absolutely floor me while at the same time give me incredible encouragement every time I read them. The above passage is Romans 4:18-21. How many times have you felt there was "no reason for hope"? Abraham had hoped for a son for many, many years and still did not have one. Despite that, he kept believing and all because of one reason: He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

Sarah was 90 years old; Abraham was 100. How many couples like that do you know that are having children? In the natural, there was absolutely no reason to think they would ever have a child, but they knew God had promised and that he is faithful. What are you believing God for? Does it seem like there is just no possible way? I'll admit, my faith wavers; and then I remember this verse. Do I truly believe God is able to do whatever he promises? If I truly, truly do, then why am I worried? He God, for crying out loud!! He's the one who made the heavens and the earth; he's the one who causes the sun to rise each morning and the stars to come out at night. He's the God who brought down the wall of Jericho, kept the lions from eating Daniel and protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednedo in the fiery furnace!!!!! Ask yourself, is your problem bigger than that? Is your problem bigger than God?? NO!! His is the name that is above every name in heaven and earth and under the earth. He has defeated Satan; the battle has already been won. 

So whatever you are believing for, get touch, take a stand and remember that God is faithful. Do not waver. Your God, your Heavenly Father, is bigger than any circumstance that comes you way; and the best part is, he wants to take care of all of it for you. Just trust him and be ready to be obedient. Then sit back and watch God do amazing things in your life.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Tuesday 3/19/13

While they're all really good, I really think Romans may be my favorite book of the bible. Yesterday God really laid it on my heart to start reading Romans again (didn't take much convincing!) and now there are so many things running around in my mind. It's hard to decide exactly what to write about! So, I'll try not to ramble!

Paul spends much of the first part of the book trying to help people understand that we have all sinned and that obeying the law is not what gets us to heaven. It's faith in Jesus and his saving grace, not works, that get a person to heaven. That seems like a very simple concept, but really stop and think about that. There is NOTHING you can do to earn your salvation. While some people may think that is scary, what an absolutely freeing thought! The work has already been done; Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. He did all the work; all you have to do it believe in him. I don't have to spend my days trying to earn my way to heaven. I can spend my days worshiping God and doing my best to be an example for him, knowing if I do slip up, I can go to him and humbly ask for forgiveness. He still loves me and will wrap his arms around me because I am his daughter.

In Paul's day, the Jews were very strict about ceremonies and the law, most notably circumcision. Paul talks many times about how basically if your heart isn't right with God, it doesn't matter whether you are circumcised or not, which is an idea that probably didn't sit well with many Jewish leaders in that day. So let me ask you, are there time where you get caught up in going through the motions? Listening to christian music, going to church or reading your bible because that's just "what you do"? I have to watch myself because it's easy to fall into a routine. Some times we really need to stop, read bible verses we've read a million times a little slower and take the time to simply worship God because of who he is.


This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Monday 3/18/13

If you haven't caught "The Bible" series on the History Channel, you are really missing out. The producers have done a great job of bringing the characters of the bible to life and displaying just how awesome and powerful our God truly is. However, the thing that has struck me the most is the way they have portrayed each person as human. I think it's easy to lose sight of this while reading the bible. We tend to see Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel as these amazing men of faith; and while they are, we forget that they had to deal with the same human emotions we do day in and day out. They were afraid; they were unsure; they had to make the decision to not care that some people might thing they were crazy. They did what they knew God was calling them to do and they trusted he would take care of them.

As we go through each day, we are faced with problems and we need God's help. I know for me, some times at the first thought of fear, I feel like I've blown it and God isn't going to help. I have to remember that God understands and that I need to take those feelings to him. I can't let that fear keep me from believing that God is going to deliver me. My faith has to be bigger than my fear. As we learn to trust God more and more, that first reaction will begin to move from fear and automatically jump to faith.

If you read Psalm, you will find a lot of the book is David telling God exactly how he feels. How he feels afraid or abandoned. God wants us to take these needs to him, then trust him to lead us down the path he has for us. If we are on the right path, we can have the assurance that everything is going to turn out just fine. Trust me, God knows what he's doing.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

What a Weekend!

There are times when you look around at the things that are happening and you just can't help but think 'Wow, God is so awesome!' And there are other times when an event has to be over before you can look back and truly begin to appreciate how powerful and wonderful God truly is. This past weekend, my husband Justin and I had the honor of hosting the 2nd Annual Couples Challenge at CrossFit Springfield. About 50 couples competed, and we asked them to raise money; and while we didn't charge admission, we asked for donations for money, gift cards and diapers and wipes from spectators. Driving home from the event last night, it really began to hit me how awesome God is.

We put this event together to help a great cause and have a good time, and God took it and blessed it over and over again. We don't have the final numbers yet, but from what we do know, we have raised more than $2500 and that's just in donations and extra money raised by competitors. We also collected a ton of diapers, wipes, formula and other baby items, as well as gift cards. These items will all be used to help orphans and foster kids in the area. These kids will be helped because of God.

A year and a half ago, Justin was set to compete in a CrossFit firefighter challenge. At the last minute, his partner pulled out, so he asked me to be his partner. I was scared to death and didn't think I was anywhere good enough at CrossFit to do it; but it meant a lot to him, so I put that fear aside and competed. We had a blast competing together and out of that experience the couples challenge was born. Little did we know, God was using that moment to set up this weekend.

So often we don't feel like we're doing anything or things seem insignificant, but just remember that God knows all. You may not understand why something is happening, or not happening, but God knows exactly why things are happening like they are. Just trust him. God knew Justin and I wanted to be able to help others but that we didn't have the money to give, so he used the resources we did have - that he had given us. He put us in the CrossFit community; he gave us our gym, and he did it to further his kingdom. When we began praying for our gym, we thought it was a prayer he was answering for us. Little did we know, he was giving us a ministry.

There are so many things I feel like God showed me this weekend. Even when it feels like you can't help in the way you want, be open. He may have you help in a different way. And some times, it may seem like you're just doing something for fun or because you enjoy it, but God is looking to use that to show his love to the world. The great thing is God has a plan and he is in control!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

A Little Perspective

It's kind of funny that I am the one writing a blog on perspective and attitude. In fact, I guarantee my husband will laugh while reading this because most of what I'm about to write, he's forced to remind me more often than he should. So, I guess in a way, this blog is courtesy of my amazing husband, Justin.

I have to start off with a confession. I am one of those people who some times sets ridiculously high standards for myself, knowing there's pretty much no way I can reach them. You would think I would do that so when I fall short I have an excuse, but you would be wrong. When I don't meet my own expectations, I get extremely down on myself. This is the point where Justin then has to swoop in and be fabulously supportive. This could pertain to anything in life, but I have found it especially true at CrossFit. CrossFit is the most rewarding/frustrating thing I have ever done in my life. One day you walk out of that gym on Cloud Nine because you hit a new PR or you conquered a new skill or you posted a great time on a workout. Then the next day, you feel like you can't lift anything and your moving at the speed of frozen snot. It's usually on the frozen snot days that the person next to me is flying through the WOD. I am a very competitive person, and it's hard to admit that some days just getting through the workout is the challenge or that someone is flat out better than me. I want to be the best, but like my husband reminds me, there's no need to get down on yourself. You can't be the best at everything. But just because I'm not the best at a CrossFit workout doesn't mean I'm a failure at everything I do (rarely do I get that down on myself, but I'm ashamed to admit it has happened a few times.)

I am working on approaching each day with the intention of being the best I can personally be. Not compared to anyone else - just the best I can be. This goes right to the heart of why I started this blog. Each of us were created in a very unique way to be exactly who we are. There is a reason, a purpose. I'm not supposed to be the person next to me - I'm supposed to be Whitney. And when I get down on myself, I'm essentially saying that God made a mistake. God doesn't make mistakes! It's good to push yourself and try to be the best version of you you can be, but don't let yourself push to the point where you put yourself down or doubt your worth or ability. You are fabulous and strong! Just keep that mind set and approach everything in your life with a good perspective and positive attitude.

I came across this blog earlier today, and it really blessed me. It's about CrossFit, but I think you'll see that it easily applies to all areas of life ... Enjoy!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

I love church - the praise and worship, that calm feeling of being in the presence of God, the fellowship, the sermon ... well, you get the point. We go to an amazing church, and I feel incredibly blessed. I love listening to our pastor; he just breaks things down so well, and makes the word feel easy to apply to everyday life. And while I love listening to him preach, there are two times during church that really make me smile - when they read the testimonies of the things God is doing and the altar call at the end. I love hearing how God is healing people, restoring marriages, providing financially, etc. It's just a reminder that he still cares and he still works miracles. It builds me up and gives me renewed hope that he's going to answer my prayers and meet my needs. I also love the end of service when you see people coming forward to be saved or to rededicate their lives. It almost always brings tears to my eyes because I know they are about to experience something they will never forget. They're about to meet God, and he's about to become very real to them. I love that we all clap to encourage them and celebrate with them.

While many people probably enjoy the testimonies more, I have often thought during the altar call, "This is the part heaven gets excited about." It's awesome to hear the testimonies, but the bible tells us the angels and all of heaven rejoice when someone gets saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the angels love a good healing miracle and a restored marriage, but it's people being saved that gets them up and celebrating!

I have had the privilege of going on three missions trips to Jamaica with the missionary Terry Mize. He is an incredible man of God who preaches the word to the lost around the world, and if you ever get the chance to hear him preach, GET THERE!! And no matter what the topic is that night, I promise you he will come back to one simple principle - missions is the heart of God. Going into all the world and preaching the gospel to everyone is why we're here. We are here to share the Good News with all mankind. What is the Good News? I think it is as simple and as complex as this - God loves you. He loves you exactly as you are. He knows your faults; he knows your past, and he doesn't care. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (ESV). And we all know John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ESV).

This is the message we should be taking to the world - GOD LOVES YOU!! He's not out to get you. He loves you so much that he gave up his only son. Stop and think about that. We all know someone who does not like us, for whatever reason. Now imagine that you, without being asked, give one of your children to save that person. That makes no sense! Yet, God, while we were all still living a life we shouldn't, gave up his Son so that we could spend eternity with him and live a life of heaven on earth. That is so hard to wrap your mind around.

It's then what comes out of that love that leads to wonderful testimonies. He loves us so much that after we make the decision to follow him he just wants to bless us. He wants us to have the best and be prosperous. He does all this to further demonstrate that love, and that's what we have to show the world. Not a God of fire and brimstone, but a God of pure, unconditional love that no human can understand.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Relax, We Know How This Turns Out

I'll try to keep this short, but I can't make any promises. There are a lot of days God lays something on my heart, and I end up preaching a sermon to myself. Today that happened on the way to work, and I felt very compelled to share, so here goes ....

I've shared before on this blog that my husband Justin and I are trying to have a baby. We've actually been trying for almost three years now. I never dreamed it would be this hard; I never imagined I would have three miscarriages, either. Growing up, I always just assumed that when my husband and I decided we wanted kids, it would just happen. And while it does for a lot of people (including a lot of people I know), that has not been our path. I have struggled with this in many ways, trying to figure out why this hasn't happened for us. I still don't have the answers, but there is a large part of me that feels it's happening so I can use my story as a testimony to encourage others. It doesn't matter what things look like on the outside, God is faithful. He answers prayer, so technically, I know how this story is going to end - with me holding my baby boys (and tears rolling down my face).

Here's where the sermon started on the way to work. I think about my boys constantly; they're not even here yet, but they are always on my mind. So, I was thinking about them and listening to Christmas music, which got me thinking about Baby Jesus. The reason some Jews didn't accept Jesus when he was born was due in large part to the fact that they didn't think God would send a baby to save the world. They believed God would send someone to help them basically take over their enemies (at least that's what I've been told). Because God didn't do things the way they expected, they missed out. I don't want to do that, so I've been praying a lot lately that God would show me what to do. We've considered adoption - if that's how God is going to give me my babies, I don't want to miss out. Anyway, back to Mary and Baby Jesus.

Think about it - how crazy, to the natural mind, does it sound for a virgin to have a baby. And for that baby to be the Son of God. And for that baby to grow up to perform miracles, die on a cross and rise from the dead. But because we've read the bible, we don't think the birth of Jesus sounds strange at all. We just think "Of course God would send a baby. Why would anyone question that?" But really stop and think about it. What if Mary had been your neighbor? Pretend you hadn't read the bible; you didn't know how this all turned out. How strange does all this sound?

You could apply this throughout the bible. Abraham and Sarah, 75 and 65 respectively, are told they're going to have a baby. Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with his maid to give them a baby (because all too often we think we need to kind of help God out with our own plans). We all agree it's dumb and think, "Come on Sarah and Abraham, just be patient; Isaac is coming." They didn't know that. They couldn't pop open the bible and see that when Sarah was 90 she would give birth. I can't imagine how she must have felt. I'm 32 and feel old because I haven't had a baby yet - and Sarah was supposed to just be patient for 25 years and simply believe?!?!

Joshua didn't know the walls of Jericho would fall; Daniel didn't know the mouths of the lions would be shut. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn't know they would come out not even smelling like smoke or that Jesus would be joining them in the fire. Jonah didn't know he was getting out of that whale's belly. We look at these great men and women of God and think it was easy for them to believe, but that's because we know how the story ends. It's harder for us to believe because we don't have our story in front of us to see how or when it ends.

But as I was thinking all this, God reminded me, we do know how it ends. Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, FOR GOD CAN BE TRUSTED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE." Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. That means if he has done something once, he'll do it again because he does not change!!. We may not know exactly how he's going to answer our prayers, but we know he's going to answer. And we have the blessing of the bible to encourage us, telling us that he gives us the desires or our hearts and if we ask we will receive.

I know this has gotten long, but this really encouraged me today. I also really hope my train of thought makes sense. I hope I was able to put into words what God put in my heart. Whatever you're going through, God knows about. He hears you every time you pray; so just keep believing - you know how the story is going to end.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!