Taking back power.....

I am so excited for today's blog post because I believe so deeply in the power behind it and what it can mean to someone. Its a topic that I needed to be reminded of this week. I think forgivness is one of the hardest things for us to understand and practice as Christians. I think first of all its so hard because we dont understand what forgivness is and the reason behind it. So many times we think of forgivness as telling the person who hurt us or the situation that its ok, and thats not it at all.

Forgivness isnt about being ok with what happened but instead releasing the person or situation who hurt you from having power over your life. You can forgive but that doesnt mean you forget. You can't change what happened, you can't change how it made you feel in the past, you can't alter the person its made you but you can decide that you will no longer be a victim to the pain and you will take a stand and take back the power its stolen from you. The person who is responsible is no longer thinking of how much its hurt you, they aren't sitting around dwelling on how wrong they were towards you but instead you are the one being affected still and thats not fair. Its not fair to allow the person who hurt you to remain apart of your life and have control over you any longer, its not fair for them to have one more ounce of your energy and to keep you a hostage to the circumstnaces they caused. Whatever has hurt you in the past is just that, the past. The past can only have as much power and role in your life as you allow it to.We think of forgivness as a gift for the person who hurt you but really its a gift for yourself, its allowing you to no longer be tied by the pain that person put on you.

When you give a gift you do it because you want to not because you have to. Forgivness is about giving yourself a gift because you know in your heart you deserve and need that gift, you need to forgive that person in order to allow yourself to heal and to give yourself permission to relinquish that person from having control over your life any longer. Forgivness is about moving from the hurt of the past towards healing and freedom. Maybe a friend, family member, co-worker, someone from church, something from your past or whatever hurt you. Maybe you have held onto the pain its caused for years and in some cases its caused bitterness and deep hurt, maybe its caused you from really experiencing the freedom Christ has for your life. The first step in freedom towards someone thats hurt you is to seek forgivness, your not saying that persons actions were acceptable but you are saying you will no longer allow them to have power over your life. After you forgive that person for the way they hurt you, then you can receive that forgivness, you receive the freedom that God wants to give you because you have forgiven. This allows you to move forward and walk in the freedom that God has given you. Unforgivness only allows Satan to have a foothold in your life and to and a place to cause space and distance from you and Christ. Sanctus real has a song called "Forgiven" and it says this:

Well the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
I’m reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

Christ never wanted for us to live in prison to our circumstances, the pain and the hurts of this world which is why He sent His only son Jesus to die for us so that we too could be forgiven of our mistakes and failures and be free from the chains that they place on us and live a life free and filled with His blessings. "My chains are gone I've been set free, My God my savior has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns, unending love, amazing grace." Whatever you are facing or whatever chains have ahold of you I just encourage you to cut the ties, seek forgivness and receive it. Allow God to come in and begin to heal your heart, don't allow your circumstances or the pain to have ahold of you any longer. You were made to be free and blessed and no longer have to be a victim to whoever or whatever hurt you. Take back your power and walk in the freedom God has planned for your life!!!

The real winner is......

When most of us hear the name Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Lebron James and John Elway we are immediately aware that these people are all amazing athletes. How many of you however know the name Michael Maze???? Michael Maze is famous alright but probably in a sport most of us don’t follow avidly or could care less about. What sport am I talking about you may be asking yourself, well the sport I am referring to is ping pong.

Some of you are probably laughing right now because I’m sure a lot of people don’t consider ping pong as a sport and to be honest I’m not so sure but that’s not the point to debate right now. Even if you’re not too familiar with the ins and outs of ping pong I’m sure most of us have watched it a time or two or played it. I know that in college it was a big thing to do especially on a campus in a small town with not much to do at times. I am terrible at ping pong but my husband is pretty good at it and really enjoys playing it with his dad and brother whenever they get a chance.

The game of ping pong really is simple if you think about it, I mean I know there are rules and regulations for the game but basically it takes two people competing against each other by hitting a ball back and forth with wooden paddles trying to score to win the match. I started thinking about this and felt like so many times relationships can be like an intense game of ping pong especially during conflict. Like a ping pong match during a conflict whether it be in a marriage, a friendship, an acquaintance or whatever it may be we find ourselves using our mouths as paddles and our words as the ball taking quick swings at the person on the opposite end whom we usually care a great deal about just to win the argument or "match." Regardless of the rules we have set forth ahead of time in the heat of the match we lose sight of them and are only focused on winning. Often we say things that are untrue and hurtful to purposefully take a quick jab at the other person to give us an upper hand in the match.

Alot of times we will feel powerful and good about ourselves initially because we allowed our emotions to step in and spout off whatever came to mind but usually it doesn’t take long for the guilt to set in by the way that we managed to tear the other person down and damage their spirit. That attitude and behavior is something Satan sits back quietly and feeds off of because if we can destroy each other with our actions and words then it makes his job much easier and causes a barrier between us and the Lord. Because our emotions are so unpredictable and so quick to change from moment to moment especially in the midst of a confrontation with someone we love its easy for us to fly off the handle and think that our feelings are truth and whatever they are telling us is rational when in fact a lot of times they aren't.

James 1:19-21 " My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

We should ask for the Lords wisdom to help us live out James 1:19 however in the heat of the battle instead of being quick to use our words as ammo against the other person we should ask for the Lords help to capture those negative thoughts and point out what’s real and pleasing to Him and what’s untrue and hurtful so that we can avoid reacting destructively. 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Although it may seem silly we should think of our words like a tube of toothpaste, after the toothpaste has all been squeezed out of the tube no matter how hard we try we will never be able to put it back in. Words are one of the most powerful weapons we can ever have against another because once they are spoken we can never take them back therefore we must remember this next time conflict arises and we find ourselves preparing for a match, not with a wooden paddle but, with our words. Is taking a few cheap shots with your mouth and winning the match at the expense of the other person’s spirit really worth it???

Giant shoes....

Nothing melts my heart more than than to see my 6 yr. old walk around trying to imitate her daddy. In her eyes he is this untouchable, strong, courageous, fearless superhero. She puts to much trust in Him and even in her 6 yr. old mind wants to be like him and try her best to fil his shoes. We have pictures of her when she was a toddler clunking around wearing her daddys shoes on her feet that looked enormous. She tried with all her might but seemed to never be able to get very far in those giant shoes without tripping and stumbling along the way. Regardless of how hard she tries or how much she grows I'm sure she will never be able to fill those shoes, but the amazing thing is that its ok. I was reminded of this yesterday cleaning up my front porch and seeing a pair of pink and black little addidas soccer cleats sitting next to a grown mans pair of Nikes.

I think so many times we look at God as being untoucable, sovereign, a King, Master, dictator, ruler, perfect. We feel like in order to go to church or have a relationship with God there is a list of expectations on ourselves, there is a sense that we need to have it all together and meet certain standards to deserve Gods love and grace. So many people believe you have to clean yourselves us first before you can go to church or have Jesus apart of your life. It can get overhwleming and discouraging and then we feel like we can never fill those giant shoes God has for us. Whether it be people or the church in general I'm not sure where this list of expectations come from, why do people feel so strongly that there is a prerequisite of being clean. It can be so confusing but isnt that the point of Gods grace and redemption, not to bring a clean story before Him, but to bring a messy one and allow God to transform our lives. The beauty of God's power is the journey beyond the craziness we bring to the table its the way God intervenes on our behalf, down to every detail, every little nook and cranny and renews our hearts and lives and begins to write a new story.

The truth is God is more than a King, master, sovereign ruler, He is our friend. He is personal, He is loving, He is faithful, He is a strong hand we can reach out and grab in the midst of our brokeness, our hurts, our failures, our mistakes. There is nothing in this world that is ever too big for God, we can never outsin or go beyond a place where Christ can't reach us. He wants to be present in the midst of our mess, He wants to take ahold of our aching hearts and shattered lives and help us to walk forward with confidence that we are not alone, we dont have to do it alone ever again. Thats our mission as Christians to share our hearts and stories with others. To show that we also can never fill Gods shoes but He has still given each of us His grace, redemption, mercy and love. Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Whithout Christ we are so ordinary but with Him we can do extraordinary things.

As I have said before I love Fall. I love Fall but hate the inevitable that after Fall is Winter. I do ok the first 6 weeks, then every year around late January/early February I start getting the itch for warmth and sunshine after being cooped up in the house for months. Yesterday with the rain, cold and drearyness it was so blah. I had a doctors apppointment early in the a.m. and it was such a hassle running across the parking lot in a downpour, I actually almost used a picnic blanket in the back of the van as my raincape. What a sight that would have been to see a grown woman with a stripped cape running across the parking lot at 9 a.m.There is such a sense of freedom when the weather is nice I think because its just so much more conveinent to come and go without the hassle of bundling up and fighting the snow, ice and cold.

One of the things alot of people look forward to with the warmth is taking vacations with friends and family. Most of us have taken short weekend trips by car here or there but alot of times we fly to our destinations anymore if its going to be a longer trip. I have to say i'm not much of a traveler and have only flown twice in my life, all the other trips were very long insane charter bus rides. The few times I have flown however were somewhat nerve racking although I have heard it gets better each trip. I'm not sure if its the take off, landing or flight itself that most people fear but one thing that made me nervous as well as others I have heard is the ear popping in the middle of the flight. Its crazy the number of things people will load up on before they fly to try and prevent it. Something pretty interesting however is that flying isnt the only cause of excessive ear popping it can also happen when switching floors on an elevator from a very low point to a very high point like in a skyscrapper as well as driving in the mountains. We know that in each of these situations its based on a change in altitude but the extremes are very different. When flying we all have a goal destination and in order to get from point A to B we have to journey through a certain route to get there.

Life is often like this journey in the sense that sometimes it can be beautiful and calm but other times our ears begin to pop along the way causing distractions and interfering with our trip. there are many remedies we can try to drown out the ear popping like gum, pinching our nose and blowing, ear plugs and more but ultimately there is only one way to cause the distraction to stop and thats for us to reach a stabilized altitude. Like the different remedies used for flying we use different tactics in life as remedies to drown out the distractions that Satan puts in our way each day along our journey. Some things we use are relationships, sports, money, careers, addictions, materialistic things and the list can go on and on but really only those things help ease the distractions they never rid our lives fully of them. Satan loves for us to put these temporary fixes in our lives to distract us from the beautiful journey God is trying to show us .

The only way we can level ourselves out along the journey is through Jesus. Jesus is that constant, that height, that we reach that can calm the popping and the noise and completely make it stop not just eleviate the symptoms and noise. The tough part is that we want the quick fix, we want to reach for the fast remedy to try and ease the noise in our lives but it wont last. If we can hang on long enough to allow the plane to level out just as we are calling on Jesus name we will find comfort and peace that will not fade. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in these short fixes then Satan has no reason to work on us because we are doing it for him and it only seperates us from Gods plans for our lives.

Romans 8:31-35 "So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in scripture." There is a song by Natalie Grant that says in it "Every fear has no place at the sound of your great name, the enemy he has to flee at the sound of your great name, Jesus worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, son of God and man you are high and lifted up and all the world proclaims your great name." I love this because for me its a reminder that whenever I am in the midst of a battle or Satan is trying to throw distractions and turmoil in my way I can call on the name of Jesus to deliver me in that very moment, praise the Lord!!!!! James 4:7-8 (Message) "So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time."

Regardless of what journey you are on right now whether it be one you have been on for awhile and the destination is still pretty far or you just have a few floors to travel up on this ride in your life it can be tough. Satan is going to try and throw in distractions to take away from the journey and the things God is trying to show you along the way.I just encourage you to call on His name whenever you feel distracted like you can't quiet the noise around you and He will deliver you and fill your heart with a peace to keep traveling a little more free.

I'm hungry............

We had our third session as a Community Group last night studything the book "The Power of a Whisper." Its been a really awesome time each week that we can come together as a group, dig deep into what God is trying to reveal to us through the series, share our throughts together and lift each member of our group up in prayer. Life gets crazy, we all have busy schedules, kids to run here and there, meetings, comittments with our families or churches and sometimes its really hard to spend time with God. As Christ followers we recognize how extremely important it is to be in Gods word on a daily, commited basis. Proverbs 6:23 "For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life."

We have a daily battle in the Cameron household I'm sure most of you can relate to. Either because you have children, nieces or nephews, grandkids, babysitting kids or have ever known a kid in your life there is one phrase they like to say often. Sometimes I feel like someone is playing a cruel joke on me and hiding somewhere in my house laughing just to see my reaction when Macie says to me for the 20th time in a day "can I have a snack?"

First of all let me start out by saying yes I feed my child and yes we do give her snacks but I'm sorry when your holding a bag of candy hearts from February and asking if you can have a snack of course my answer is going to be a big NO! Macie is 6 and I know going through a growth spurt so I'm sure she is hungry pretty much non stop but my problem is when my hair is sticking straight up, I have morning breath, I would love to sleep 5 more minutes but yet she insists she is starving and needs breakfast only to take 2 bites walk away and ask for a snack 45 mins later, yes I have an issue with this. The battle doesnt stop at 11 a.m. though, no we do this cycle throughout the entire day following lunch, and dinner not to mention we have to make sure we have a snack before bed.

My sister was in town and got to see this first hand. We went out to dinner to celebrate a family members birthday and of course Macie wanted nothing to do with her "real food" but instead the ice cream machine she kept eyeing from across the room. I made a deal with her knowing the challenge and melt down I was in for later, that she could have ice cream but she was getting nothing else to eat the rest of the night. Well like clockwork we get home and start moving towards our bedtime routine when out of Macs mouth I hear "can I have a snack??" As calmly as I could knowing Mt. Everest would surely errupt throughout my 6 year olds body at my response I said "no." I explained the rationale as simplest as I could and needless to say she went to bed without a snack, but food for thought for sure.

This everyday cycle can be exhausting at times and eventually it will click for her but I wonder how frustrated God feels with us everyday. We constantly ask for him to bless us and give us snacks and treats but yet we don't take the time to sit down and truely be fed and noursished through His word. Phillipians 4:19 (amplified) "And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." As much as I want it to click in Macs head that a meal is so we can sit down and be filled up not through snacks, honestly I still have trouble with this lesson everyday myself. I go through my day seeing the handprint of God here and there but yet at the end of the day when Mac is in bed, I'm watching t.v. tired from chasing a 5 year old, medical chaos, bills, cleaning and whatever else my day has brought I do fail at times to sit down and instead open my bible and look to the Lord who can give me peace and help me to let go of that day and to look to the next with hope.

I am sure Macie really was more hungry when she woke up the next morning than usual because she didnt get a snack before bed but often we have days we wake up hungry also and can't figure out why? We can't seem to get why everything keeps going wrong in our day, its because we are empty and we havent been filled with His spirit to give us the strength to get through those moments and we are doing it on our own strength. Sure there are healthy snacks but they just aren't meant to fill us up. Snacks get us through the day in those times where we can't sit down and be filled up immediately but when we have the time to "eat" we need to allow Him to feed us. The point is we all like little treats to boost us throughout the day but if we want to be fed we need to make time to sit down and have a full course meal dining with Him.

Purify me Lord with Your cleansing power....

I feel extremely blessed to have a husband that is so domesticated :) Since we have been married Scott has always done all the laundry and most of the dishes, and let me remind you that we are old fashioned and don't have a dishwasher. However lately I have secretly grown a passion for washing dishes and have been doing them alot more. Maybe it sounds silly but I feel like I can uncover answers to all of lifes problems while scrubing yesterdays brownie pan or the juice stained Hello Kitty cup from breakfast. I know others that feel the same way with different household chores, one good friend of mine loves to fold laundry. There is something about the warm clothes and how her mind is able to wander for a few minutes during that task to whatever she is going through. Another friend loves to mow her lawn. She is a single parent but feels like that is her time to process life and get away for a bit and relieve her frustrations.

Yesterday I spend the entire day almost decluttering my house. It felt so good tackling room by room with a giant trash bag ridding our lives of the "stuff" that just got in the way each day. Maybe its odd but I have come to realize lately that I love washing dishes, vacuming and giving Macie a bath. There is something about being able to visually see something become clean that is very freeing and peaceful to me. However goopy that casserole dish is if I scrub hard enough with soap, and bubbles I can wipe it clean and looking new. Seeing the vacum marks in the carpet after its been swept so it looks clean and neat is comforting. Putting Macie in the tub at night and washing her hair until she smells like fresh strawberries and baby powder is comforting. In all of these things its evident to me that I find comfort and peace in cleanliness. When my house is a wreck and I know someone is stopping by I feel blah and want to hide, I think it has something to do with the fact that I have always felt if my house seems organized and clean then my life will seem to be that way also. Its been amazing lately with Fall, the coolness in the air, pumpkin candles burning, the windows open. Its been the atmosphere that makes me want to really get things clean like washing the walls, mopping the floors and washing all the window blinds and curtains. This would be ideal at least once a year and feels so good to have done but last year because I was in the hospital sick so much we weren't able to do those things. Scott tried to keep the house picked up and looking neat but there is something about really scrubbing things down to the core and cleaning it good. Ultimately I don't think our house was grossly dirty but it was somewhat chaotic and disorganized but there came a point where we just got used to living like that and knew eventually we would really get things cleaned up.

There is a Spongebob episode called "The Battle of Bikini Bottom" and in this episode Spongebob is very obsessive about being clean all the time and Patrick his best friend likes being dirty. They battle back and forth about who is right but the truth is that they have just both gotten used to what is comfortable for them. While being comfortable about being clean Spongebob loses the ability to sympathize with any flaws or dirt Patrick has and vice versa Patrick has become ok with being dirty and a mess all the time that he doesnt see what being clean is like and how important it is. So at the end of this episode they end up switching roles and Patrick realizes how great it is to be clean and free and Spongebob gets a little taste of reality and becomes a little less judgemental at Patricks dirt.I wonder which character you can relate to in this episode?

Do you live each day in sin after sin that is separating you and making you a mess before God but yet you have become ok with that because its "comfortable" and eventually you will "really" clean up? Or are you like Spongebob and you live everyday as clean as possible to the extreme that you judge others or think that you are above them or to clean for them and you can't sympathisize what its like to be a sinner also? The awesome thing is that regardless of how dirty you think you are or how much of a mess your life is you can hand it over to the Lord and be washed and made new and shiny in an instant. Psalm 51:1-2 (amplified) "HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin."
God loves you and wants you to live a life free of the dirt and the grime but you have to be willing to step out of your "comfort" zone and allow Him to cleanse you from the inside out, every sin, every flaw, every struggle and imperfection so that He can create a pure heart within you and help you to walk a new life of holiness. That doesnt mean you are going to be perfect like Spongebob and always squeaky clean because we are still human and imperfect, but it does mean that in those moments where we trip and fall in a mudd puddle in life God can clean us off and help us to start again.

Psalm 51:7-10 "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me." I encourage you right now wherever you are at to think about Easter season and the fact that Jesus died on the cross for each of our messes and He can cleanse us and restore us. He can replace the chaos in our hearts and lives with freedom so that right before our very eyes we can witness His cleansing power.

I NEED YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

As I shared yesterday I am blown away each day by Gods faithfulness. I am reminded more times in one day than I can possibly count how much I need God in my life. There are times and seasons in life where it seems like we just can't get enough. Our hearts are breaking and we need only His strength to sustain us through every moment of the day. We go through periods where literally we are empty and it takes the grace and strength of God for us to take one step at a time, one day at a time and one battle at a time. I know many people around me are in a difficult season of life right now. You feel like God has left you and the things around you make no sense and seem to have no rhyme or reason.

Its always so frustrating to me to visually understand Gods hand in our lives sometimes. If your sick you go to the doctors, they run a few tests, find the problem and fix it. Its not at easy with our hearts. When our hearts are broken and in need of repair all we can do is lay it at the feet of the cross and ask for Gods strength and widsom to reveal what needs fixed and restored. I am a person that loves to decorate my house, I love to decorate even more for the different seasons. There is just something new and exciting about getting out my fall pumpkins, or gingerbread men for Christmas. I think some of that is we get bored with seasons. We feel like we have been stuck in a season for so long we are ready for a change of scenery, we are ready for a new season in our life. Although I can't stand snow or extreme heat I usually do ok with the change of seasons in Ohio because its so temporary and we can do anything for a little period of time.

Life is alot like this, we find ourselves in a season whether it be a happy time or a dark, cold lonely one and at first we feel like we have the strength and the stamina to give it all we got and fight with everything we have. Then somewhere along the way it gets old, our hearts become tired, our energy runs out and we need a change. We need the Lord to step in and heal us from our brokenness so we can be renewed by His Spirit and move to a new season. I love post it notes its actually one of my favorite ways to decorate. Its not merely for the look but for what it means to me though. I go through seasons where I really need to be reminded consistently of the Lords presence and truths in my life and so I will place post it notes everywhere around my house. Maybe its a scripture verse or just a positive thought that I need to use as armor against Satans schemes and post it notes are helpful to me. Its funny because when my husband comes home from work or back from somewhere and sees the house decorated in post it notes he knows something is up. It doesnt mean, I'm stronger, I'm more spiritual, it doesnt me i'm a better christian, it doesnt mean i spend every moment in my bible, it means I need Jesus more and I am weaker and in desperate need of the Lords truth in that season of my life more than ever!!!!

I just encourage you that whatever your going through right now, just reach out to the one who cares so much for you. He cares about every detail of your life regardless of how big or small it may seem.
"Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us." Oswald Chambers. He cares about every season you are going through and knows when you need a change, He knows when you need His healing and His restoration and renewal. I am so thankful that we serve a God who can carry us through the seasons life throws our way and sustain us through it all.