Being Small in a Big World 

There are times in our lives when everything around us seems to be giant, while we sit by barely noticeable. We look at those around us and see what appears to be perfection in living while we are struggling with issues in our hearts. One glimpse of a news segment and we realize how small a piece of this world we truly are. The overwhelming feeling can be both positive and negative. When it is a positive feeling we are more thankful for what we have in our lives. When God answers one of your prayers in a way that is big in your life and you realize how small it is comparatively to the world, you have that positive wave of smallness. Yet, when life is crashing in around you in one or more ways, you can almost feel as though you are negligible. The urge to scream out, “I am here! I need help!” is ever pressing in your lungs with each breath you take. This negative feeling, while normal, is not healthy.

My son is a hockey player. To clarify he does not simply play hockey, he is a hockey player. It is one of the unique gifts God has coursing through his veins. He is not the best on his team in any area, but he does have a tremendous heart for the sport. Each coach he has had over the years has mentioned this to us. He struggles to be the best he can be, but he has a one big deficit; he is small. When I see him line up against opponents who are a foot or more taller than he is, I worry about his mental state. Does he know how small he is? Is he afraid? Is he prepared to overcome his physical difference and prevail? The answer is sometimes, but he continues to persevere despite his adversity.

There is no difference between my son and you. Do you know how small you are? Does it bother you? Are you afraid? Are you prepared to overcome and prevail? The answer is sometimes, but will you continue to persevere despite your adversities? As you spend more time strengthening your relationship with God and understand that God made you small for a purpose, the importance of this will shine through resulting in a more healthy mind. You are small for a purpose. God made you perfectly small. Every “large” person recorded in the Bible was brought back down to size by God for a purpose. Look at Abraham, David, Solomon, Job, Paul, even people who chose to denounce him like Herod and the Pharisees. They all climbed to a “great height.” Each had it in his mind that he was of great and indispensable importance in the world at some point throughout their lives, only to be made small again, as God intended. In Genesis 11 we even find people as group thinking they were “bigger” than life. It is important to note that they were not necessarily small to the world, but definitively a small part of His glorious purpose. Without the events that shaped these people’s lives we would not be able to see the importance of being small as part of a healthy mind for a purpose greater than our own.

Over time, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of your purpose. You may at times still feel afraid, uncertain, or ill prepared to overcome and prevail, but you will find that your mind’s thinking of you as small begins to diminish. You will see yourself as an important part of His bigger purpose. Just as my son has the heart to persevere in a sport where he is small, as a child of God your heartfelt desire to persevere as a small part of big purpose is of utmost importance. When you feel overwhelmed by your schedule, a deteriorating relationship, weariness in daily activities, put it at His feet. He will continue to transform you into the image of Christ and your smallness will not feel quite as much like a burden. You will feel more true joy through every adversity and your heart will be more open to fulfilling His purpose for you.

An integral part of leading a truly healthy life is promoting a healthy mind and spirit. A healthy spiritual mind is one that seeks a relationship with God and accepts that to prevail we must be small of stature while big in faith.

Verses for Meditation:

• Romans 8:26
• 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Inner, Outer, and All Around Health

It’s 2011, and I mentioned that I have been diligently seeking the theme for this year. Oh, I am so excited about it! I have been giggly with glee to unveil all that has come together to make this the most inclusive, comprehensive, and joint venture Simple Journey Ministries has ever undertaken. Often times when a new year rolls around, everyone is talking about losing weight; it is the number one new year’s resolution. You hear them say, “I am going to get healthy this year.” All they are refering to is physical health regarding weight and exercise. Living to be healthy means so much more!  As we have discussed in years past, I have ditched resolutions as they don’t last and they make no significant contribution to life in the big picture. When my year end prayers were beginning to be revealed to me, I was truly blown away. I could barely contain the energy and enthusiasm that was building! God is so good and faithful; when we stop pushing and trying to force outcomes, He answers in the most meaningful ways.

Before I begin to outline what we have in store for our Living to be Healthy in 2011 plan, let me just say this post is a bit longer than is typical. However, read through to the end and your enthusiasm will likely be brimming with what we have planned for becoming spiritually healthy! As God began to reveal a plan for all around plan health, I was wondering where it would stop. He showed me that living a healthy life means so much more than diet and exercise; we need inner, outer, and all around health. Spiritual health is the one of the key factors of being successful in achieving all around healthy. When your relationships with God and those around are in disarray, all the other aspects of your life begin to crumble as well. So in 2011 the theme will be Living to be Healthy; inner, outer, and all around.

Right here at Simple Journey Ministries we will be discussing the many facets of building and strengthening our relationship with God. As we continue on our journey to be transformed into Christ’s image Simple Journey Ministries will be here as your support. You will find new and inspiring, meaningful, and lifelong way to foster your relationship with God.

We know you are engaged in a lot of other relationships in your life as well. After gathering and compiling the information you have been so generous to share, 2011 will bring new Biblical incites for how to work with every one of your relationships. You have demonstrated a loud “cry” for guidance with your marriage, especially for rekindling romance in a wide variety of circumstances. You are in for some absolutely FUN and amazing thoughts and ideas on how to begin to cultivate a garden of passion with your spouse, regardless of where your marital relationship is today. Aside from your relationship with God, your relationship with your husband is of utmost importance for living a life that is spiritually healthy. You will be able to watch your whole world change as we focus not just on those two relationships, but working on and through relationships with everyone from your children, parents, siblings, extended family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and those unknown faces you meet when you are out and about each and every day. Are you ready for the challenge to become truly spiritually healthy?

Spiritual health is not the only component of leading a life of true all around health. To accomplish living a truly healthy life you need to couple this with all of the aspects of your life, such as your home, body, finances, food, family, and scheduling. Guess what? We here at Simple Journey Ministries are here for you all the way! Over at Journey to Simplicity we will be tackling these other aspects of all around health in detail throughout 2011. To read more about all that will be happening, CLICK ON OVER and spend just a few additional minutes reading about what is coming your way.

Oh, and one more thing…be sure to read the 2011 Living to Be Healthy post over at Journey to Simplicity, because in addition to your excitement and anticipation of what is to come over the next year, you will also find something very special and rewarding, just for you; our dear friend and reader!

So, are you ready to live a life that is healthy in every aspect? Remember, Inner, Outer, and All Around Health is our goal!

Let’s Live to be Healthy in 2011!

Finding Ways to Keep Christmas Simple and Christ Focused

Thanksgiving was wonderful time of family, friends, making merry, and me stepping out and trying a few new experiences that I had been fearful of in the past. My plan had been to do a series of posts relating to peace of the soul at Christmas. As it were, the words didn’t come. A few days slipped by, and still my fingers stumbled while trying to sort my studies. As the first week of December whooshed past, I made a very specific request of Father. The answer I got was not what I expected. To keep with the priorities that God has set for me and my family, I will not be posting in the month of December. During this time, I will be wrapping up a few loose ends and speaking engagements, while focusing on time with my family. I look forward to sharing what God will be gifting me throughout the Christmas Season as I enjoy this time of simplicity.

My prayer for you is to embrace the simplicity of the Christmas season with your own family and friends. Make time for what is important and cherish every moment. See you in a few weeks as we ring in the New Year.

Here are two past articles I have written that you can read at your leisure over the next couple of weeks. Enjoy!

HELP! I am Struggling at Christmas!

Keeping Your Life Simple to Focus on Christ at Christmas

May Your Days Be Merry & Bright

Merry Christmas from Simple Journey Ministries!

At our family estate we enjoy relaxing for all holidays; it’s just one little waywe keep our sanity here. This week I will be working through my Countdown to a Peaceful Christmas list of tasks, munching on some Thanksgiving Dinner, relaxing with the family, and then jumping full force into a hockey tournament. In keeping with our family priorities, there will be no more posts on Simple Journey Ministries until next week.

My prayer is that you and your family will be taking time to rest, relax, and soak in blessings this week. This truly is a time to be thankful.

Who is Providing Your Laundry Service?

There are few women who would not take advantage of an affordable full laundry service. Think of how much time and energy you would save. There is more to laundry than simply putting clothes in the washing machine and then the dryer. Some articles of clothing need special stain removal. Others may need delicate hand washing. Of course, you must be careful about which articles of clothing you put in the machine together to prevent damage and staining. These tasks are just for the washing cycle. You have considerations to make with the drying and then with storage. Like most women, I cannot afford a laundry service. However you can get your personal laundry cleaned for free.

Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt; soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.

                                                          ~Psalm51:1-3 (MSG)

Our minds, words, and actions are the clothing of our lives. Sometimes we can be very sloppy in our day to day activities; a drip of conceit, a splatter of indignation, a blotch of anger, of guilt. These are tough stains that only a professional could remove. We are so fortunate to be able to have the best stain removal expert in the business! God has a perfect and simple process that He offers us for free. However, we do have to travel to the cleaners.

It is important for you to open your eyes and heart to acknowledge and accept all of your iniquities. God requires that you explain what you want Him to do. Only the best service providers ask you to clarify, and God is better than the best. He wants to provide you with the best service, because he desires your repeat patronage. You will not be able to give him clear direction if you don’t allow yourself to search for each and every stain and point them out to Him.

Ask God to scrub away all of the sinful stains that are on your clothing. Do not be ashamed, because He has seen every kind of stain that is possible. God is the original stain removal system. He is better than Oxy Clean and Grandma’s time tested spot remover! So go before Him with pure intentions and motivations and ask for laundry service. Take your dingy stained ball gown of life and bring it in for a good deep cleaning. As you dance in your salvation, you will be the Belle of the Ball!

Judging Others, Judging Yourself

There is nothing in our lives that hurts us more emotionally than when someone stabs you in the back. The intensity of the pain is increased when the accuser is a family member or close friend. Last week we discussed handling the betrayal of a friend. The focus was on your immediate reaction from an emotional perspective. This week we are going to open this a little more because it is an issue that is very complex. Knowing this, God gave us an abundance of instruction to handling these issues of life.

Don’t repay evil for evil or seek vengeance, but return good for evil.  ~ Romans 12:17,19-21

Working through betrayal and false accusations is difficult, even with the best training. It involves our emotions in the raw. When a friend does or says something against you, you immediately take offense and often times your initial response is one that involves some type of retaliation. Not you, eh? Have you ever thought unkind thoughts about a friend who has hurt you?  Any sarcastic thoughts go through your mind? Don’t be ashamed, it happens to me too. Then there is the fact that judging others can be difficult if we don’t take the time to follow God’s clear instructions.

When you recognize that your mind has gone to a not so nice place, go to God. Ask him not only to forgive you, but to help remove those thoughts from your mind and control your tongue when speaking with others. Self evaluation is a key.There was a time when I thought I was “innocent” of sin because I would only verbalize my unkind thoughts to my husband. I wasn’t saying them to others and I wasn’t gossiping. Then God cued me in to the fact that thoughts alone were the same violation. I was still returning evil with evil. Satan is tricky that way. As you begin to allow God to work you through your reaction, including your mind, you will be on the road to returning good for evil.

Now, you have to evaluate yourself. Remember, last week we discussed the verses Matthew 7:1-5. You absolutely must judge yourself before you can judge others correctly. The point of evaluating, both yourself and others, is to glorify God. You certainly won’t be bringing glory to your Heavenly Father with corrupt thinking. When you dig a little deeper you will find that it is a typical human response is to play the blame game when you are hurt by another. It has happened from the beginning of human time.

Look at Genesis 3:12-13. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Neither of them was able to judge themselves, and so they incorrectly judged others and the situation as a whole. I imagine they both reacted internally with some bad thoughts and may likely have spoken with more than a hint of sarcasm. Both were wrong. Both sinned against God. Yet, neither was able to admit wrong doing.

When you allow yourself to be completely open and honest before God, transformation happens. He is joyful when we change according to His will for our lives. Yet God uses etiquette and manners; He waits upon your invitation. This is the most crucial part to being able to evaluate and judge yourself, and thus rightly judge others, as well as situations. Phillips Brooks wrote,

Keep clear of concealment – keep clear of the need of concealment. It is an awful hour when the first necessity of hiding something comes. The whole life is different thenceforth. When there are questions to be feared and eyes to be avoided and subjects which must not be touched, the bloom of life is gone.

Keep your bloom of life in all situations by honestly evaluating yourself in all that you do and watch your journey become more simple and clear as you dance in your salvation.

Verses for Meditation:

• Proverbs 28:13
• Psalm 32:3
• Galatians 6:1

Handling the Betrayal of a Friend

I was involved in a group with other women some time ago. There came a time when God was helping me to simplify my schedule so that I could focus on His purpose for my life. This all sounds good, doesn’t it? I made a phone call to notify one of the other women in the group. I explained my position of having God help me eliminate some commitments to allow me to follow His will more closely. She was gracious and said that I needed to do what I needed to do. This is where the story changes from a comfortable setting to a very ugly one. At the time I had the impression that the woman was understanding, supportive, and appreciative of my honesty. With this thought in my mind, I felt really good about my decision, thankful that God helped me handle the call, and was filled to the brim with excitement to continue on my journey to simplicity. You could say I was having one of those high times in life. Everything was falling into place; until the phone rang a couple of weeks later.

The voice on the other end of the phone was a friend. What her words revealed to me was a very different side to the story that left me feeling more than nauseated when I finished the call. Good feeling gone. The original woman I spoke with hadn’t told me that my timing was going to leave the group in a predicament for an upcoming event. She never spoke about her concerns. Instead of talking with me directly, she talked to other women in the group. This would not have been so hurtful had she stuck to the issue, but she talked poorly about me as a person and a parent. Ouch!

Betrayed! My first response was one of indignation while I was listening to the other woman tell me what they were saying.  “How dare her!” “Has she ever looked at how she treats her children?” “Does she see how her kids act at the playground?” Thoughts such as these were swimming around my head. Luckily, God kept me silent as I listened, because after a few moments I realized that I didn’t know if what I was being told was accurate.  I finished the call with something like, “Thanks for letting me know. I really appreciate it.” A few minutes after the call God asked some questions that put my mind in a whole other perspective. “Are you like that?” “Have you done this as a parent?” “Where is your focus?” It was time for me to hash it out with God so I could handle the betrayal in a way that would glorify Him.

This story probably rings true for you. It may bring up some sour memories. You can understand the pain that this caused me. I chose this woman to be the one I called to explain the changes I needed to make in my life, because I thought she was a friend who I could trust, and knew my heart. That feeling of betrayal from a friend was like a sword slicing through me. However, this was not the main issue; it was only the emotional issue. It was time to separate the facts and the emotions.

This is an important part of working with people. We can allow our emotions to get in the way of handling issues in a Godly way. Once that blood starts to boil, we are operating from our selves, not God. When you realize you are at this point, ask God to reveal the truth. Before you can judge others, you must examine yourself. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Max Lucado writes, “We see that judgment can be made in the right way. We can take the speck from our brother’s eye once we have removed the plank in our own eye.  This will involve examining our motives in judging.  Are we judging for the furtherance of God’s kingdom or to build ourselves up and make us feel better or look better?”

At times, it may not be comfortable. I was not without fault. I knew there was an upcoming event and assumed my role would easily be accomplished by the others. I never even asked if it might cause a problem. I never thought about the others. If I had realized this previously, I probably would have inquired about it, weighed the facts, and quite possibly might have seen the event through and then bowed out. Once God showed me that all of the other things the women were talking about behind my back was nothing more than a result of being hurt and feeling abandoned, the betrayal didn’t seem quite so hurtful. I am not saying it went away, but it dissipated quickly.

Once you judge the situation correctly, it is time to make sure you have the facts. In this situation, I made a few phone calls. I found that much of what had been relayed to me had, in fact, been true; this is when your vengeance seeking self can take the lead if you aren’t careful. Remember your focus is to glorify God. Acknowledge that you are hurt and ask for healing. God will not only put a Band-Aid on your wound, but he will heal it completely over time. When you feel betrayed, handle it with prayer! Let God take hold and walk you through the process of healing. Be patient and wait on Him. He may have a surprise around the back that you can’t foresee. With my situation, I waited almost 3 months before I had clarification from God on how to proceed. In the interim, I chose to not associate with those women at all. Actually, I tried to be around them socially, only to find that there was a tension. I needed to step away from them completely. As God helped me to judge myself, I was then able to judge how to proceed without awkwardness or bitterness. Now, I can be with those women and enjoy my time, although I am cautious. God will walk you through overcoming the pain of betrayal step by step. Keep your eyes focused on Him and the rest will come.

Verses for Meditation:

• Genesis 3: 12-13
• Romans 12: 17-21
• James 1:19

Does Your Relationship with God Feel Like a Date Night?

Every day you make decisions. From the moment your eyes pop open, decisions are made. Take a moment to think about all the decisions you make each day, starting with when you decide to get out of bed. The alarm goes off, you must decide whether to hit the ground running or hit the snooze button. Once you decide to get out of bed, you have to decide to shower first or grab a cup of java. Now, try again to think about every decision you make in a day. Hold on to your skull cap! I bet you never thought about how many decisions you really make each and every day. The good news is that most of the decisions we can make unconsciously. Using the above example, you know whether or not you can hit the snooze button on any given day. Picking which shoes to wear with your outfit isn’t a matter of ethical security. It’s those decisions that truly require us to call on God and use His principles for living that cause us to stumble. Do you interject in a conversation that some co-workers are having about another employee? You have instructed your son not to use your favorite big comfy chair as a trampoline. As you walk into the room you see him doing just that. How do you handle his disobedience? How do you respond when your husband has done something that makes your hair stand on end? When you hear your children bickering in another room, what is your response?

It is through these incidents in our lives that we need to rely on God and His word to guide us. Seems like a simple process, right? Then why do we make poor choices? Why do we sometimes participate in the office chit chat, sound off on our children, grind our teeth when our husbands are being annoying, have a bitter face in the checkout line, or impatience with an employee who is taking a bit of time to learn the ropes? Most times, it is because we aren’t spending enough time working on our relationship with God. Be honest with yourself about this. I know it is hard, but it is ok. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. I go through these times as well. I usually recognize it after I have suffered the consequence of a poor decision, but the point is that I recognize it. The make or break it point is whether you make changes.

Many couples with harried lives schedule Date Night to keep their relationship a priority. If you practice this, then you know that Date Night isn’t enough to get you through all the time in-between those dates, nor is it enough to deepen the relationship with your spouse on its own. It is what happens between dates that defines your relationship. Does your relationship with God feel like Date Night? Are you squishing Him into your oh so busy schedule? Do you put your all into preparing for your Date Night with God, only to find yourself lagging between dates? All women experience this through some seasons of life. God desires a relationship with you; a deep intimate relationship. Such a relationship is the result of daily communication, isn’t it? You talk about important and trivial topics everyday with your husband, friends, and co-workers. It is what helps create that special bond, right?   Take time to talk to Him throughout the day as you would your husband or close friend. You may talk on the phone with your husband a couple times throughout the day to discuss the mundane everyday things or call your best gal pal and talk about that PTA meeting yesterday. Instead of picking up the phone to make a call, call God and talk with Him. You will notice that your decision making becomes more smooth and accurate. As your relationship grows you will find that those Date Nights with God are even more spectacular and meaningful. What steps can you take today to begin to deepen your daily relationship?

Verses for Meditation:

•  Deuteronomy 4:29
• Romans 14:22
• Galatians 3:25-27

Life IS Like a Box of Chocolates: What to Do With What You Get

In the movie “Forrest Gump,” Forrest says, “Mama always says, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” This is ever so true, but eating through the chocolates isn’t what life is about; it’s how you eat the chocolates, especially the ones you don’t like, that counts.

I don’t enjoy chocolates with jellied fruit centers. I don’t know many people who do, but they are in most every box. You can’t tell what is inside a piece of candy just by looking at its outer coating. So what do you do when you choose one, expecting a deliciously sweet treat only to find in your first bite that you have one with a filling you don’t like? Well, you could spit it out and avoid eating it all together. You could chew it quickly and swallow it down without tasting it. Another choice would be for you to chew and savor the out chocolate coating, enjoying it as best you can. This is similar to working through life’s rough spots.

Each day is like a piece of chocolate. For weeks your days have seemed like a never ending supply of smooth caramel filled chocolates. One morning you awake and pick your chocolate, take a bite, and discover there is that awful jellied fruit inside. BLECH! Your expectations come crashing down around and you almost wish you hadn’t had that piece of chocolate. There are even seasons of life that you feel are filled with these awful edible candies. So, what does God want you to do with these days? Call on Him.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.

 With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

When you call, He will answer. He will carry you through every little and large struggle, if you only let Him. There is where your faith can fall to pieces. When life is caramel filled chocolates, it is easy to praise God and feel secure in our faith. Yet when you get that jellied fruit filled chocolate, it can be difficult to call on Him. Psalm 91:14-16 are powerful verses! He will not only answer, but He will be right by your side, He will deliver you from your struggle, and He will honor you. What does it mean that God will honor you? He holds you in high respect or He reveres you. Imagine!

As a woman, you have a different box of chocolates than a man. Each role in your life adds a new layer of chocolates; wife, mother, homemaker, teacher, employee, sister, aunt, daughter. In all of the peaks and valleys that come along with these roles, God is with you. He respects what you do. He honors your purpose in His world. He also knows that you have tendencies to take on the problems of life on your own, because of your strength. The funny thing is, we can elleviate much of our frustration and anger if we call upon Him as soon as trouble arises. When the kids have been picking on each other all afternoon and end the evening screaming that this one did that and the other one did something else, our patience is long gone and we react from our worn down human emotion. Hang on to your faith. Curl it around you like a nice warm, snuggly blanket. Allow God to work you through those times of struggle, instead of relying on yourself.

I know, you are likely thinking that it just doesn’t happen in the middle of the struggle. You remember after your head has exploded. That is ok. When you remember, go to God and discuss it with Him. Ask Him to help you remember to call upon Him before your head pops off. You will notice that the more you do this, the earlier and earlier you will call upon Him. This is all part of your transformation and He is glorified with each step of your journey.

Verses for Meditation:

• Proverbs 15:29
• Matthew 6:4-6
• 1 Corinthians 4:4-6

When Your Hard Drive Crashes

A bit ago my hard drive called it quits. Although my computer doesn’t seem that old to me (2.5 years), I guess it just couldn’t take the work load anymore. As luck would have it, I had just finished an article (which is now lost forever). After being down for some time while I had my information recovered from the original hard drive and having a new one installed, I had to begin reinstalling all the programs I use. If you are computer challenged, like me, then you understand how time consuming and aggravating this has been. I haven’t been able to post regularly or get the FreE-zine and Spiritually Simple out for the last month. In addition, my email has been filling up more than normal and I am trying to keep on top of your questions and requests. For some reason, I have been feeling as though I am getting more and more behind. Lesson learned: back it up, back it up, and then back it up again. All this aside, life has been churning along and I have found God inspiring me in a way that makes me a tad nervous.

This summer I will be working on a very large project that will require a tremendous amount of my time. The result will be spectacular for all of you who have come to love this friendly site that encourages and inspires you to continue to pursue your journey of transformation. We also have a family schedule change that will take me a bit of time to adjust to. It is for these reasons that my postings will be sporadic over the next few months to offer me the most time to work. Throughout the summer I will post as I have time, but the project is the priority. So, spend some time searching the archives here, as there is a ton of information for summer activities, food, organization, and FUN!

If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, please friend me, as posts are automatically posted on both of those sites and you will be instantly notified of updates. Happy Summer FUN!

~L