BeyondBlessed

It is the day I've been waiting for.  The day after Christmas. That might sound weird to some but others probably know the exact feeling I'm talking about.  All of the things I've told myself that I would do, or get serious about, "after the Christmas busy is done," I no longer have an excuse to avoid. The Main Thing I have been neglecting?  The word "no" to my own self.   We're not talking your average seasonal decadence here.  Mine has been a years-long yo-yo between over-indulgence to full out gluttony.  I am a huge fan of the "eat, drink and be merry" plan of action. Clarification--there is nothing wrong with eating, drinking and being merry for many people.  But for me?  Well, read on =) THE WHY This past year has been strange.  It has been pretty brutal in some ways and of course beautiful in others.  If I had to pick a phrase that could serve as a wrap-up it would be "eye-opening."  The Lord has been so good to...

In all my years of following the Lord, walking alongside others who are following the Lord, and working with teenagers, THE most common prayer request is, "I/We need to know what to do."  It's rarely spoken with an air of excitement or hopefulness, but typically kind of exhaled with a tinge (or more) of anxiety.  Questions about relationships, career choices and college, to adopt or foster, tithing and giving, or the kicker --How do I deal with my awful teenager who acts just like me? And for the very most part, most of us just want to do the right thing. And for the very most part, we just don't know what the right thing is in that specific circumstance. When we talk about God's will for our lives there are two basic categories; the general and the specific .  The problem we often face is that we want information from God about His specific will for our lives when we are not in line with His general will for our lives. Matthew 6:33 "But seek fir...

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing , give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, for you. In a recent piece of writing titled, "Why giving thanks when life is awful is so important," I detailed my journey with God, losing a student to suicide and then an ectopic pregnancy, through the first and third portions of 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  The idea of rejoicing and giving thanks when circumstances are brutal, at face value, seems like a harsh expectation from the Lord.  Does He need his ego stroked in the midst of our pain like some kind of cosmic jerk?  No.  Not at all.  He made us in His image and is giving us the operating manual for how we are meant to live.  You can dive into the science behind that with me  here . The section that reads " pray without ceasing " is another one of those expectations which, at face value, seems at the very least unrealistic (Ummmm can you say four kids and a...

This last November I was on my way to the walk-in clinic, pregnant and in a lot of pain.  My momma intuition knew that something was very wrong.  As I turned on to the street that led up to the clinic I prayed, "Lord, I can deal with the pain, but I pray, beg, that everything is ok with the baby."  And then, even though I didn't want to breath out the words, I added, "But if it is not ok, you are still God, and you are still good."  I sang "Good Good Father" into the parking lot, sobbing. We lost the baby. That night in the hospital my husband and I prayed and thanked God that I was still here on earth to be mom to our other babies, to continue working with and loving on teenagers, to be alive.  It is hard to explain but the peace of God was so heavy in the room , and in my spirit, I almost felt... guilty ?  Because that's a logical female reaction to feeling peace, I suppose. Now before you gasp at the maturity of my reaction (ok you wer...

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." 1 Cor. 4:1 A couple years ago I asked the Lord, begged the Lord, to fix me. I was stretched to a thin sheet. Much of what I believed that I believed was being shaken in my innermost parts in a way that’s impossible for me to articulate except to say it was physically painful and lonely. For the first time I kind of understood Jacob’s wrestling match with God. Do normal people lay awake at night torn to spiritual shreds ab out hell, homosexuality or America’s relationship with Israel? I have to be honest, I've never heard a teaching on 1 Timothy 2:15 that actually made sense.  To be fair, most teachers won't touch the topic so I haven't heard very many teachings period. Since then I’ve been going through a process of...shedding skin? Being stripped down to factory settings and taking inventory on my thoughts the same way I do when I go through stuff fo...

One sure way to get yourself off of jury duty, or excused from a job interview, is to proclaim that you regularly hear from God.  I'm not sure when communicating with the Lord became a red flag for mental illness but I personally have read some headlines that make me cringe at the things some people have done because they were "told."  Understandable, then, that when I talk to some people about what the Lord is speaking to me or about what I have felt lead to do , there is a pretty apparent uneasiness reflected in those faces. Is it God, or a radio station coming in through my braces? It's too bad.  The truth is that the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us, believers and nonbelievers, all of the time.  A a matter of fact the entire earth speaks to us of God's power, creativity, and authority.  Unfortunately many believers spend so much time waiting for an audible voice from the clouds that they miss the blare of messages all around them. Let me give y...

Often when people think about the word evangelism an image of a dude standing on a box in downtown L.A. comes to mind.  Or you might possibly envision groups of enthusiastic church goers passing out tracts at the mall.  You might even think of people going door to door in suits asking if you have a moment to hear about Jesus Christ.  Personally, thinking of doing any of those things puts a knot in my stomach. Door to door?  I think I might be sick. It is NOT that my Savior isn't worth standing on a box for, handing out tracts for, or going door to door for-not even close!  And there are definitely times and places (and personalities) for those activities.  But the more time I spend with my BFF and Lord the more He has opened my eyes to see what Biblical evangelism actually  looks like--and it wasn't what I thought as a young believer. What EVANGELISM really comes down to is making Jesus known to the world.  The best way to lead people...