Blurred Vision

I went for an eye exam today. I was about six months overdue and because of all the changes in my family and our circumstances, I continued to procrastinate about making an appointment. So last week, as I was in the supercenter, I noticed the sign for "low cost eye exams" and walked in to check on what my insurance co-pay would be (zero: win!) and scheduled to come back in after the weekend.

Now for some people, that is a simple 'get up and go' for the day of, but for me this meant I was going to spend a good amount of time properly cleaning my contacts and make sure to do the extra credit work of digging out my expired prescription and glasses case. Most of the people I know prepare for the dentist by flossing and brushing extra well the morning of, I practice the same over-achieving ritual but with my eyes. This is because I've been wearing contact lenses for over twenty years now, and I've gotten very complacent with them. They undoubtedly find their way into the lens case each night, but they never get scrubbed or rinsed before doing so and I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm about to say that I don't wash my hands before I snatch them out of my eye. The contacts I had in this morning should have been replaced three months ago. But having impaired vision is not cheap! The deciding factor for scheduling my exam was the traces of black specks I had started to see in my peripheral vision from time to time, and the occasional "stars" that would appear accompanied with a slightly dizzy feeling. Pretty good indicators that something needed attention.

Upon my visit with the most bubbly, happy, understanding and patient optometrist I've ever encountered, I found that my eyes were in need of rest from the daily contact use and just needed more breathing room in general. She told me that the black specks and floaters I was seeing were just "glorified eye trash" and that more time in glasses instead of contacts would probably make my eyes very happy. She said all of this with a smile on her face and didn't make me feel totally irresponsible and unworthy of vision care the way other eye doctors have in the past...not that I have ever been an eye abuser before!

I say all of this to share what I "saw" in all of it.

We can sometimes take things for granted, like our vision, or our faith, and think that just the bare minimum or the easiest approach can be enough. It's usually not. It may get us by, it may sustain is and help is achieve some version of what we're attempting, but we don't have the clearest version until we fully immerse ourselves. When we decide to follow Jesus, it is the single most important decision in our lives. But this doesn't mean we can take one step towards God while keeping our other foot in our former lifestyle. 

Without properly cleansing all of the impurities and sin out of our way, there's always going to be some "trash" that floats by and distracts us. We have to let go of the old, every single filthy, dead, stained, bruised and tattered part of that old person. This is not something that can be done at the last minute and shined up to look pretty. It won't be easy, and it won't be quick, but it will be worth every tiny bit of your heart and soul. The new creation is so much better in every way with that old bag of chains stripped away.

Drop it behind you and set it on fire.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Denying Yourself

When Jesus shared with His followers about the costs of discipleship, He didn't try to paint a pretty picture. He let them know the seriousness upfront. He told them, "If anyone desires to come after me and be my disciple, something is required of you. It's going to cost you everything." Basically, He let them know it would cost them their very lives.

(Luke 9:23-25 AMP)

(23)And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. (24)For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]. (25)For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?

I can just imagine the thoughts running through their minds. "Yeah, great. Where do I sign up?"

He pretty much told them, You have to forget about your life as you know it, take up your cross (identify with the shame and reproach of the cross) and follow me daily. Jesus made sure that they knew that walking with Him was a walk of denial, suffering and even shame.

Now, we need to know that the very words Jesus said to those who walked closely with Him when He was physically in the Earth, still apply to us today.

The standards and requirements for His disciples have not changed.

He still says to those who follow Him, “If any man desires to follow me, you must deny yourself." "You have to completely disown yourself."

You have to realize that your life is really not your own.

But you've been bought with a price. The precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You don't belong to you.

Your Heavenly Father has need of you and a special purpose for you to fulfill.

And, if you are going to fulfill that purpose, it requires that you lay down your life.

It requires that you, get you, out of the way.

Your emotions---out of the way.

Your attitude--out of the way.

Your agenda--out of the way.

And completely forget about yourself, even wants and desires, for the cause of Christ.

Not just when it's convenient.

Not when you feel like it. Not just when everything is seemingly okay. But, what He requires of us remains the same everyday, all day.

His standards never change.

However, man creates his own standards. We say, "Oh it doesn't take all that." Because we like comfort. We like that which feels good. If it's convenient, then it's okay.

We are skilled at pleasing people and crave fitting in. And, for some, it is an absolute must that everyone likes them.

But, we must remember that Jesus didn't come to fit in. So, you won't either. Look at what He said in Matthew 10:34-39.

(34) “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. (35)For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; (36) and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. (37)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (38)And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of Me. (39)He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV)

Please know that because of who and you are and whose you are, everyone won't get excited when you come on the scene. Sorry.

Don't take it personally. It's not you. It's because of who and whose you are. Who you represent. It's because you're chosen by Christ and He wants you to identify with Him. One way that we must identify with Him is by identifying with His sufferings.

As those who follow Christ, at times, we will identify with the rejection and isolation and ridicule Christ experienced.

All of that comes with the territory.

Now, knowing that being His disciple will cause you pain, suffering, rejection, knowing that it will cause you to be talked about and that great sacrifice is required of you-

Are you willing, in this hour, to disown yourself, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him?

Are you willing, knowing that it will cost you everything?

Prayer:

Father, help me today to be mindful of the costs of being Your disciple. Even when it may cause discomfort. I choose to lay down my life as I know it and follow you with my whole heart.

About the Author :

Pastor Pamela Bell is a passionate, lover of God, who desires to see God's people walk in the knowledge of who they are in Christ. She resides in Mobile, AL and serves as an Elder at her church, Gulf Coast Christian Center. Pastor Pamela enjoys reading, spending time with friends and all things chocolate.

Connect with her on :

Breaking Free From Unforgiveness

A few ladies in my college group and I have been going through Beth Moore’s study Breaking Free recently. We’re about halfway through, and it’s been a really great experience of getting to know each other better and helping each other overcome tough things in our lives. When we met for discussion this week, one theme emerged: forgiveness. I think it’s one that gets mentioned but still often gets overlooked when it comes down to it. We know that Jesus forgave us, but we don’t really think about forgiving or being forgiven by others. It’s easier to just brush it off and pretend nothing happened. Why is that? There are lots of reasons that forgiveness might be hard for us. Maybe the hurt caused was so deep that we can’t seem to let it go. Maybe the person in question has done the same thing to us over and over. The reason is probably different in every case, but I do know one thing that applies across the board... If you don’t forgive and don’t allow yourself to be forgiven, you will never find satisfaction.

When someone hurts you, it can be hard to move past it. It’s easy to start seeing him or her as a “bad person” because of what happened, isn’t it? The temptation is always to hate the other person involved. Forgiveness seems like weakness in a way. But that’s the complete opposite of the truth! It’s easy to just become hateful and bitter. Forgiveness is the hardest option, and it takes a great deal of strength to choose it. First, we have to remember that forgiveness is not the same as excusing someone’s behavior. Forgiveness does not mean continuing to trust or go back to someone who repeatedly hurts you. Forgiveness simply means that you no longer hold a grudge or harbor bitterness toward that person. You can let go of your anger and hate, but that doesn’t mean you have to be friends with or even see the person who hurt you if you don’t want to. Still, we can’t let ourselves get away with hating people. Jesus says in John 13:35 that people will be able to tell we are his disciples by the love we have for others. The way we treat others is one of our biggest witnesses. You may have a coworker, friend, or family member who only knows one Christian: you. If we treat others harshly, hold grudges, and constantly badmouth people who have hurt us, we’re not giving an accurate representation of Jesus to those around us who don’t know him. What did Jesus say when he was on the cross, after all? “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). We need to be willing to forgive others like that, too. Treating other people with love regardless of how many times they’ve hurt or betrayed us is such a good way to show others the love of Christ.

The other side of the coin is also kind of tough sometimes. Being forgiven by others can be difficult! It sounds weird because being forgiven should be relieving, but sometimes it’s hard to accept that the person really has forgiven you, especially if you haven’t forgiven yourself yet. We blow it sometimes, and we make people angry. That’s just a fact. We aren’t perfect, and sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we deliberately hurt others. After we do that, the Holy Spirit convicts us. Let me tell you, I always feel horrible after I know I’ve messed up and hurt someone. It becomes so easy to try to hide or deny what we’ve done because we feel ashamed. It’s so hard to go to the person we’ve hurt and ask for forgiveness because we don’t want to acknowledge or own up to what we did. Then, even if we do get the courage to ask for forgiveness, it’s hard to believe it when the person we’ve hurt says, “I forgive you.” There are two reasons why we need to ask for and then accept forgiveness, though. Firstly, beating ourselves up isn’t productive or helpful. It only makes us feel worse and hinders our kingdom work. It doesn’t accomplish anything! This process also encompasses forgiving ourselves for what we’ve done. We have to admit that we made a mistake and learn from it, but we can’t hold it against ourselves. Our sins have already been forgiven by Jesus. We need to live in that freedom and not allow sin that’s already been taken care of to control us. Secondly, not allowing someone to forgive us robs that person of the chance to break free from bitterness and anger. Think about how good it feels when you finally forgive someone who’s hurt you. That’s how it feels for someone to forgive you, too. It’s selfish to deny him or her of that. In fact, enabling that person to practice unforgiveness toward you hurts his or her relationship with Christ. I know I don’t want to be the cause of that, and I’m sure you don’t, either.

Forgiveness isn’t easy, don’t get me wrong. It’s not instantaneous. It may not even be a one-time thing. Sometimes we have to forgive someone for something over and over before it finally “sets.” It’s entirely possible to forgive someone and truly mean it one day and then find little roots of bitterness or hatred coming back the next day. The important thing is not giving up. Keep forgiving that person over and over, as many times as it takes. In Matthew 18, Jesus says that we have to forgive people seventy times seven times. He didn’t mean that to be taken literally – don’t keep a tally of how many times you’ve forgiven someone and then stop doing it after you reach that number! He meant that we need to do it limitless times. As many times as he’s forgiven us, we need to forgive others (Colossians 3:13). The point is that forgiveness is not an event, it’s a process. And we can’t do it alone. In our own human strength, forgiveness is impossible. But think about how much forgiving power Jesus has; he forgives every single sin of every single person who asks him to. There is nothing too big for him to forgive, is there? And just think, that power is living inside of you! His strength will enable you to forgive even the unforgivable.

I have a friend who often says that when you allow someone to make you angry or bitter, you’re giving that person too much control over you. I completely agree. Don’t allow someone to take away the joy that comes from Christ. There is a saying I’ve heard that goes, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” So true. Holding on to resentment and hatred only hurts you in the end. Forgiveness is for your own good when it comes down to it. I know it’s difficult. I know so many of us have been hurt in ways that seem impossible to ever get over. With Jesus, though, nothing is impossible. Remember that you are redeemed. Remember that God is the Great Physician who can heal your hurts. Remember that he is the ultimate forgiver who can empower you to forgive in the same way. My challenge for you this week is to memorize Ephesians 4:30 and remind yourself of it every time you’re tempted to be bitter or to hurt someone else: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as in Christ, God forgave you” (ESV). We can let people who have hurt us make us bitter through resentment or better through forgiveness. Let’s choose better.

About the Author :

Hannah Bryant is a worship-leading, cat-loving, pizza-eating redhead who doesn't take much seriously apart from her relationship with Jesus. She is currently finishing up her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education at Southern Oregon University. You can finder her blogging at Redwood Seed, her personal blog. redwoodseed.wordpress.com.

Connect with her on :

Forward Facing

We all have things in our past that by a single memory can bring us right back to the place of utter disappointment, pain and quite possibly regret.

This is an area I've struggled a lot with in my life. It's crazy how we can manipulate a memory into a fancied up version of what the memory actually was. We can forget the bad details and only remember the good and or even embellish the memory. No matter what I believe I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who struggles often with memories.

One of the enemies main weapons used against us are visuals (things you allow yourself to see, like IG, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr) and memories (which as I stated earlier, are usually dressed up to make us remember them better than what they actually were).

Consider this verse in Hebrews;

"admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. (Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV).

The first thing that stands out is "admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." They knew they were not from here and that they were different and in turn they would not fit in. Their home, where they would no longer be strangers and feel like aliens, was heaven. So they pressed forward to better, leaving less than behind them.

The key in this verse is if they had been"thinking" about the place they had left, that would have lead to memories and in turn would tug at their emotions (which we all know are fleeting and not always accurate). So they stopped at the seed, "thinking" (starts in the mind/thoughts) which could have lead them to returning to a place that God had delivered them from.

Why would we long to go back to a place that "God had delivered" us from? Do we trust that what God has delivered us from, was the best for us? Or that if we go back to that place, we are settling for less than what God had intended for us?

So when you are being temped into thinking and or longing for the past by the use of the deception of memories, refocus on some of these things:

1. Recognize but don't agonize

Recognize that these are memories and that they are from your past. Recognize they may be a tactic from the enemy to try and get you to go back to where God has delivered you from in order to keep you bound to your past. Once that's acknowledged, cast those memories/thoughts before God and do no agonize over them.

2. Meditate on what God says about your future

Get into Gods word, write down Gods promises and verses on your future and overcoming your past on index cards and take them with you everywhere (some great verses

Philippians 3:13-14, Isaiah 43:18, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Friends, we have to continue to look forward, strain forward and maintain a forward focus no matter what! Yes the temptation to go back to what we left will come. Yes memories may resurface, but it only looks pleasing, it never satisfies.

About the Author :

Leilani Glassmyer is a single mom to a beautiful 4 year old little girl. She is in love with the Creator of the stars. Her mission is simple yet so big, to encourage and bring Jesus to all in need. To bring hope by loving people, writing, photography, music, poetry/spoken word and meeting people right where they are. Gods Grace is her air.

Connect with her on :

The Ultimate Planner

I’m a planner.

A perpetual list maker.

Calendars are my best friends.

So imagine my struggle with allowing God to take care of the details of my life when I have the tendency to want to plan everything. Praise God for the Holy Spirit, Who with such grace and ease has been teaching me how to cast my cares on Him.

Can you relate? I think as women, we innately have this desire to know with certainty what our lives will look like in the future. We want concrete answers and concrete plans.

This is especially true when we face situations that seem impossible. When things don’t make sense, we automatically enter survival mode. When the chaos doesn’t match the dreams that God has placed in our hearts, we try to figure Him out.

Even worse, when we don’t understand what God is doing, we often try to get out of situations in our own strength. This puts us in danger of making a counterfeit promise come to pass just as Abraham initiated the birth of Ishmael in Genesis.

Ladies, I have learned that God doesn’t work this way.

He’s more in the business of total reliance on Him.

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

God is showing me that when I try and figure Him out, this only leaves me anxious and fearful - everything opposite of what Christ has promised.

When we cast our cares on Him, we are left with a peace that permeates every fiber of our being. It’s easier said than done, but definitely possible with God’s help. Resting in the truth that we can give every concern and unfulfilled plan to Him because He loves us and actually cares is golden.

Your affectionate Father has such a passion to see everything about you reflect His beauty and goodness, that there is no way He would ever leave your life in chaos. He loves you way too fiercely.

God is a planner too.

The Ultimate Planner.

He is not confused about you.

God knows exactly where you are in life. You are right on schedule if your heart is surrendered to Him. He is orchestrating and bringing everything together for you in such a precise way that only He could do it. He is perfecting everything that concerns you - every worry and care.

Allow God to speak peace into the chaos of your life as only He can. It may look crazy right now, and you might not understand what’s happening, but know without a shadow of a doubt that your steps are being ordered by the Maker of your path.

Choose peace, and stop trying to figure God out. His ways and thoughts are higher. I can guarantee you that His plans for you are better than anything you could concoct on your own. He has already figured everything out for you. He knows the end from the beginning.

Our plans and aspirations are wonderful, but God determines the outcome.

Surrender your plans to Him, and I promise He will surprise you…in a good way!

“So, surrender! Stand silent and stop your striving, and you will see that I am God!”

(Psalm 46:10 TPT)

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

and no mind has imagined

what God has prepared

for those who love him.”

(1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)

About the Author :

Endya Joy is a young woman on the journey to becoming a future physician. With a passion for ministering to girls and young women, she desires to be a vessel in which God uses to heal the whole person. She is a girly girl, has a slight obsession with books, and dreams of traveling the world one day. God and family are everything.

Connect with her on :

An Irreplaceable Identity

Who are you?

Really. Who are you?

In a world like this, it is more than easy to allow ourselves to get caught up in things that the world deems as important or necessary; fashion, beauty, all the ungodly and wrong ways that make a perfect and secular relationship, how to lose 8 pounds in only two weeks, you get the point.

FACT: Losing our identity is very easy to do, but getting it back is even harder.

It breaks my heart that we live in a world that focuses all of its attention on the things that we are not called to focus our attention on. This is a major spectrum that we're dealing with here. On one end, we've got "of the world." On the other lies "in the world." You see, to be of the world and in the world are two entirely separate entities.

When you are of the world, you are focused on the lies that society feeds us daily. You swallow those lies and associate yourself with them in order to be accepted. In other words, your ears are tuned in to everything except for the voice of God.

When you are in the world, you realize that our society is not what shapes our identity but rather something that needs change, and lots of it. When you are in the world, you realize that you are called to rise above this world as the image that you were born with and are called to wear as your identity daily. Ladies, you were born in the image of God and you are called to walk in this image as long as you walk on this earth. Do not distort this beautiful, divine image by focusing your attention and associating yourself with the things that do more harm than they will ever do good.

Identity is a major concern for women of all ages. Know that God chooses you-every single day- to walk with His heavenly radiance and to reflect His image in a world that so desperately needs it.

It is so easy for many of us to look in the mirror with fear of what we'll see. As a result of this, we become discouraged with the image we see staring back at us. Next time you look in the mirror, I want you to do so with courage and confidence. Not only that, but I want you to tell yourself that God created you with each and every one of His good and right intentions, and as a result of this you are His rare and beautiful jewel that none other can compare to in His eyes. You are His.

I have put my heart through so much damage with words that have come out of my own mouth because of how unhappy I have been with my physical appearance at times. This world that we live in wastes so much of its time judging, comparing, bickering, critiquing, and Photoshopping women who are beautiful just the way that they are in order to tell those who drive by that billboard or lay eyes on that advertisement that we should look like a computer generated image.

At one point in my life I was determined to be society's version of beautiful and tried everything I could think of to achieve "the look." Truth is, if we allow ourselves to be of this world, no matter how beautiful we may be in the eyes of the world, we'll never be fully satisfied with ourselves. Our society has distorted the true meaning of beauty and it is important that we do not allow the brokenness of this world to tell us who we are. We do not belong to this world, and the only thing we can ever be fully satisfied in is in Christ.

Beauty doesn't mean flawless. Beauty doesn't mean skinny. Beauty doesn't mean perfect.

Beauty is a heart of faith. Beauty is a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty is selflessness. Beauty is sacrifice. Beauty is loving and serving others in the ways that God loves and serves you. Beauty is imitating the very life that was given in exchange for your sins. This is true, authentic beauty.

We are women who are chosen, called, delighted in, infinitely loved, relentlessly pursued, cared for, forgiven, redeemed, and accepted- each and every moment that passes by each and every day, ladies.

Your identity belongs in Christ, not in the image that the world deems as necessary for you to wear. Wear Christ with confidence, because God was more than just confident when He made you, just the way you are. Fight this everyday battle that we face with your faith. You can do this.

When we accept our identity in Christ, we enable ourselves to partake in kingdom living. This living is the type of wake up call that our world needs. Kingdom living looks a lot like loving and accepting others for who they are and embracing in relationship with them while we serve the Kingdom together. One of the most beautiful aspects of community is the diversity that takes place within it.

God has called us higher than the incredibly low and sickening standards that the world places upon us. Go where God leads you, not where the world wants to take you. Walk on this earth with your faith and be the change that the world needs to see. Stand up to society and spread the word. There's something about this generation that sparks revival. Start the revival of real, authentic beauty and reject the labels that society tells you to wear. Your label is one worth wearing because it's got Jesus Christ written all over it. And guess what? This label is priceless because it's completely underserved. Don't rip yourself of the One who gave His all for you.

Go and spark the revival that this world needs.

It's waiting for you.

About the Author :

Emily Townsend is a 20 year old southern girl who has a heart for loving Jesus, loving others, and serving the world. She is currently pursuing a career in ministry as she continues to fall madly in love with Jesus by the day. Emily is also obsessed with books, coffee, koalas, Pinterest, Pilates, and weddings. Her daily dose of life consists of a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus. You can also find her blogging on her personal blog The Joy of My Joy.

Connect with her on :