Pouring a Little Oil

This past weekend James River Assembly held their Designed for Life conference, a women's conference. It is an amazing weekend where God works through the lives of girls from all over the country. One of the speakers, Donna Crouch, spoke Sunday morning, and the message she delivered is the reason this blog is back after a very long hiatus.

Her text was 2 Kings 4:1-8, the story of the widow who was about to have her sons sold to pay her debts (as of Sunday night, the message wasn't up, but I encourage you to check www.jamesriver.org and listen to the entire message as soon as it comes up!). Elisha instructed her to take the olive oil she had in her house and begin pouring it into jars. Donna's point was that Elisha didn't treat her like a victim, instead he took what she had and put it to use. She challenged everyone to look at their lives and see where they could start "pouring some oil." And that's when I got that urging. I really tried to ignore it, giving the usual excuses - "No one wants to read what I write", "I don't have any formal training", "What if I say something wrong." But as we all know, God isn't into arguing. He told me to get out the bottle of oil.

I really don't have any formal training, and I will probably never have some breakthrough revelation - although, maybe I will. This blog is God's, and I hope that he will use me to speak encouragement into people's lives. Sometimes we really don't need some deep revelation, we just need a little reminder of something we've known for a very long time. Today's reminder? God is bigger than your problems, and he can use those circumstances to help you have a positive impact on someone's 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!

Monday 3/25/13

As I was driving home from church yesterday, enjoying the beautiful snow and jamming along with the radio, a song came on that brought a thought to my mind. The song is called "What If?" and after I listened to the chorus, the Holy Spirit brought this question up in me: "What if God never did another thing for you? Would you still serve him?" Basically, what is your motivation for believing in and serving God? Do you worship and serve him because he is the creator everything or because you need something from him?

This was not exactly a question I wanted to have to answer. This is one of those uncomfortable questions God asks you, and you know he might be asking because he knows the answer. Of course, I want to say that if God never answered another prayer or sent me another blessing that I would continue to praise him and live for him. But would I? Shouldn't it be enough that He gave his only Son to die for me so that our relationship could be restored? I mean, I'm the one who sinned and yet He's the one who did all the work so that I could be forgiven. It's very easy to think about God a lot, but only really let him in or get serious when life is falling apart. Even non-christians will hit their knees when the going gets tough. You hear it all the time; people who you know do not have a relationship with God, who will ask you to pray or say they have to pray because something terrible has happened. I know about you, but that frustrates me; but if I'm only serving God because of what he can do for me, am I any better?

This isn't exactly a light, fun subject for a Monday, but with Good Friday and Easter approaching, I think it's fitting. I am going to focus this week on just praising God for who he is, not what he can do for me. I need to get back to the basics of loving him and praising him because he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords; because he is the Most High, who has already given me so much more than I deserve.

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!

Friday 3/22/13

CrossFit is a funny thing, even funnier when you workout with your spouse. We are in the midst of the CrossFit Open, which is basically the playoffs to determine who advances to the CrossFit Games in July. Hundreds of thousands of people participate in the open, the vast majority knowing they won't even make it to regionals, but they do it to push themselves and see how much progress they're making. A new workout is announced each Wednesday and each athlete has until Sunday to perform that workout and post their score.

The biggest difference between this and our every day WODs is each Open workout must be validated by a Level 1 CrossFit coach. This is where the real point of this blog beings. This morning, I was counting my husband, Justin, through this week's workout. He was doing so well! He flew through his wall balls, then on to probably his biggest strength - double unders. His goal was to have five minutes to do as many muscles as he could (this week it's a 12-minute workout overall). He reached his goal; he had exactly five minutes to do his muscle ups. It's hard to watch him workout because he pushes himself so hard and has a look of pain on his face, and I absolutely hate to see it. I know he's getting better and that he loves it, but I don't want him to hurt! Anywho, it wasn't his best muscle up day. He gave it all he had, but they weren't flowing like he wanted them to; and it was absolutely breaking my heart. I was staring at him, in my head chanting 'You can do this'; almost trying to silently will him the strength to get up and locked out on those rings (just to let you know, I can't do muscle ups, but I believe I have the ability to will him the ability to do them - that make sense?). It was so hard to watch him struggle.

Then it hit me; that's exactly how God is. When he sees us trying to do things on our own and struggle, it breaks his heart. He wants to help us so bad, but we have to let him. I'm sure Justin would have let me help him on muscle ups if I could, but unlike that situation, God can help us in anything we encounter. We just have to ask and then let him help. It's not enough to ask and then continue trying to do it our way. Ask him to help and then allow yourself to be led; God may have a better way to accomplish your goal. No matter what you're facing, you don't have to go through it alone. God has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake  us.

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!

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!