Warrior 101

/ Jana / 2 Comments

I had two different questions last week that had almost the exact same answer. One was from a friend who is experiencing a downpour from the Lord, but identified some fear lurking in the shadows. You know, the “other shoe is about to fall”  fear that the devil loves to torment us with? I hate that.  It can be paralyzing. She asked how to prepare. Was there some class in “Warrior 101?”

As an aside, what if the other shoe did fall?  Is God not the Author of that as well?  Is He not strong enough?

But the other question came from a person who is dealing with a severe illness in his family. He asked what to do. But the answer that flowed out to both of them had more to do with a Who than a What.  Here is my response as related to when my youngest daughter was critically ill for 4 years. I will fill you in on details later.

“I know how tough these days must be.  I have really had to process with the Lord how to respond to you. I learned so much about the Lord, and from the Lord, during this very hard season.

I don’t think I have actually taken the time to write the story out. So I will try to highlight the take aways from that season.

1) God alone is sovereign.  We tend to dismiss things in life: money, health, relationships, circumstances. But He holds all things together, and in Him we move and have our being. This sickness brought that reality home in a whole new way. God had the RIGHT to do whatever He wanted, and would STILL be acknowledged as Good. But also because He is sovereign, He is always working on our behalf.  He is not a distant God; but right here, right now. One of the many intercessors during this season had this word from the Lord for us, and for Charis:  “God is not doing something TO you, he is depositing something IN you.” This journey with Him would be a foundational piece of our story and HER story. That brought us great courage.

God doesn’t waste anything.

2) The doctors are not greater than God. I had to learn to listen to what GOD said rather than what they said.  They were “practicing” medicine. He was the Healer.  Many times they gave her meds for her detriment. Literally.  God would instruct what to listen to and what to ignore. Also, when the Lord told me that He was going to heal Charis, the doctors scoffed.  Literally.  I had to decide who I would stand on. God or man.  It is a tough, tough road.

Clearly, God was right. The docs had her diagnosed as lifelong meds, allergies and food restrictions. Today she walks in restored health.

3) The body is connected to the spirit.  “Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed,” James says. Chuck and I did much inventory of our lives to remove any “authority” we had given the evil one to torment us and Charis. We believe God broke strongholds during this season. I would pray for the home and marriage. That was a root issue in our case, and perhaps yours.

4) I learned how to pray in earnest. I learned out of desperation how to sing songs of deliverance, to bang on the doors of heaven for healing. I grew faith like never before to believe in the God who loved me and my daughter, even when the circumstances did not align with His voice. I was in the Word often, asking for guidance and leading.

5) I began to expect the supernatural. Before this, I heard about it, thought about it, sort of wished for it. Now I HAD to have it. She had to have it. We and the community around us have a stronger testimony that Our God Saves because of what we have seen and heard.

6) I learned to let go. Living with death as a real possibility at times, taught me more than I can write. I became a more grateful person.

7) This is an invitation to intimacy.  It is one thing to know OF God. It is radically different to KNOW Him.  I became firmly convinced that every single thing in our lives, good or bad, is His call to see Him in the middle of it. He wants to walk with us, and will do whatever it takes to get our attention. Whatever it takes. And believe me, He got our attention. Still I can tell you, I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. I am forever changed.

May the Lord Himself be your Comfort, Healer and Strength.”

Faced with God

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Monday, I got to redeem a really great birthday gift.  It was 45 minutes in a Detox Sauna and a deep cleansing facial.

Now hold on, because if you know me at all, you know that either one of these events is a real stretch. To get me to sit still anywhere for 45 minutes is a wonder, let alone sit still and sweat. But then to go immediately to lay down and have someone else rub goop on my face verges on the miraculous.

But I confess…it was wonderful.

(For those of you who are jealous, you can schedule your own mini-retreat at Seasons of Farragut Wellness Clinic. 675-9355)

And it was wonderful for the craziest of reasons. I had time to sit in the presence of the Lord. I had time to invest in myself. And I had time to take stock of how my heart is doing with the skin I am in.

Just how is the beauty journey going for me? And you?

I don’t know about you, but if I am paying attention to what I eat, and working out, and taking time to dress, then I like myself pretty well.  But if I have been out of Jazzercise for a couple of months, enjoying the holiday treats a little too much, and not “dolling up” unless absolutely necessary, then I catch myself saying pretty toxic things to me, about me.   (Do you hear that performance train rumbling down the tracks?)  But after spending nearly an hour with God, that detox sauna did more than rid my body of harmful toxins; that time flushed my heart as well.

So when I go to do the facial, the woman asked, “What are areas you don’t like about your face?”  I was silent as I was stunned a little. Then I almost laughed out loud because what I heard in my head was God saying, “I like your face, it looks like Me.”

I simply responded, “You know, I am good with my face. I really am.”  And I really was.

Gee, that detox idea is pretty potent. You should try it. With or without the sweat.

A Funny Ah Haaaaaa. . .

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Okay, I have the WGR info meeting tonight and just have a minute to write.

(Not too late to check it out…7-8:30 Cedar Springs Bookstore)

But I had a hilarious holy “Ohhhhh” moment with the Lord. It goes like this.

On Monday morning, I told my friend Kate that the Lord was really challenging me. The more He revealed what He was up to this year, the less He wanted me to “do.”  He was calling forth these crazy adventures like Zimbabwe, India, many hands in WGR, a worship CD, and more. But the more I would attack my to do list, the more He would call me to prayer.  Deep prayer. Extended prayer.

Only I wasn’t going.
The math wasn’t adding up.

In my spirit, I knew He was right. The prayer WAS the Greater work. God’s kingdom is advanced by spending time in the “bedroom chamber” with our Lover.

But in my head I was fighting.  I had things to DO… durnnit.  So we parted that morning, with a playful laugh.  Kate agreed to pray for me that I would come to agree with God and do it His way. (Which is really what I want, even if I don’t do it.)

One hour later, I am laughing for real.  Without connecting the topic of our conversation, our prayers, or the Lord’s skillful hand, guess where I spent the next hour?

In a sauna. I was sweating my arse off, but I listened to worship music and just drank deeply of the affections of the One and Only.

Later that day I realized He had hemmed me. Deep prayer.  Kingdom work.  One of the best hours of my life.

“Ohhhhh, that’s what  you meant. Thank you Jesus.”

Sharing Your Strength – Part 2

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Yesterday  I told you about the Shared Strength of Salem to help Charis get down the hill sledding (see link). It is a beautiful story. And I explained how the beauty of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit rang out loud and clear in the picture of the girls working together.

But while my family was having a fun snow adventure, I was away on a planning retreat. And instead of sliding down snow covered hills, I sat in a Walmart parking lot with a dead battery.  Did I mention that is was freezing?  Or that I had come out on a “quick errand” and had on sandals in 23 degree weather?

While I was sitting in my car, I asked the Lord why this was happening when we were trying to accomplish so much. “This is such a huge distraction,” I told my friend Lyschel, who was with me.  But then a completely gracious guy from Walmart came to help, and I started seeing a different picture.

When you turned the key all the lights came on and even the radio. But no engine starting.

(How many of us are like that? Lights on but no ability to move.)

So he hooked up a battery pack. No go. Not enough power. Then he got his pickup truck and we hooked up jumper cables to his running vehicle. As I saw him attach red to red, back to black, I thought about how he was giving his power to me. (See it coming?) He was sharing his strength with me. But although we still had lights on, there was not enough juice to turn the engine over. Go figure.

(Do you ever think you are doing all the right things, but still not getting the results you want or in this case, desperately need?)

Despite the God word picture, I was beginning to get really frustrated, so I called on the big guns. I called Chuck.  His instructions were crazy. “You two walk to the nearest restaurant and I will take it from here,” he said.

“Don’t you need me to stay with the jeep? Or help  you?” I asked.

“No, stay on track. Don’t get distracted, stay on course with your meeting and your plans. I will get it fixed.” He was so my hero.

Without belaboring the point, here is the rest of the story.  We didn’t need a new a battery. The battery had to be taken out and charged for 30 minutes and then replaced. It started the engine like a charm.  In the meantime, we finished a very productive meeting and were back on the road to our retreat center. Not our original plan, but a good result nonetheless.

Here are my takeaways from this funny little God exercise. As Christians, we don’t need a new hearts. We need time to stop and recharge. Sometimes we have to tap into strength outside ourselves, but the strength has to be great enough to get the job done. You may need a book, a friend, or a personal retreat. But when you are really dead, it takes a much greater power to replenish your needs. That would be dedicated time with The Power Source. Almighty is His name.

One of the hardest lessons was asking for help. Sometimes you have to let someone else do the fixing. You carry on with what you have been told, even if it is outside your plan. You keep going but you trust that God is working, even when your hands aren’t on it.  “Nothing thwarts the plans of God,” declared Job. God is our ever present help in time of need.

Just now Itunes is playing a song by Chris Tomlin:

All of You
is more than enough for
all of me
for every thirst and
every need
You satisfy me
with your love
and all I have in you
is more than enough

Sharing Your Strength – Part 1

/ Jana / 1 Comment

Imagine this.  A real honest to goodness snow day  in Knoxville.  (Granted our snow days consist of 2 inches or less…but the ground WAS white.) Now imagine two little girls with Dad, a sled and a big hill.  God is so crazy in how He shows up and shows off.

Chuck had often told the girls that when there was enough snow, he would take them to Lakeshore Park and slide down the big hills. With me out of town, it was the perfect day. So off they went, bundled and mittened, sled in hand. Salem went flying down the hill first, screaming. Chuck went flying too. Little Charis would hop on and ride with one of them and even though it was freezing they had a blast. But Charis just couldn’t bring herself to go solo.

“Charis, do want to go on your own?” Chuck asked.

“Yes,” she said almost paralyzed, as she looked down the hill, with sled string tight in her hand. Chuck could tell it took everything in her to even consider it this notion.

“I believe in you, baby. You can do it. You’ll be fine. Worst case is, you’ll wipe out, and it will just be like rolling over in the snow.  Now, go on.” Dad was trying to build, encourage, or whatever it would take to motivate her to action. It didn’t connect for Charis. She walked to the sled. Put a foot out to get on, pulled it back. Thought about it, moved toward it again, and walked away. The whole time Chuck was showering, “You’ll be fine, you can do it, go for it,” etc.

It was high hill. And it was a long way for a little girl. Chuck encouraged and coached her. But no go. Finally time was running out, she had to either jump on alone or go home. Charis really wanted to go on her own, and both Salem and Chuck wanted that for her too. Still no go. Here is where the story turns.

Big sister Salem says, “Hey Charis, how about you sled and I’ll run down the hill beside you?  I’ll be right there with you.”

That did it. Charis jumped on. Off they went, Charis screaming all the way down the hill, part glee, part terrified, and Salem running full bore to stay with her. It was beautiful.

In the car, later, Chuck said to the girls, “Salem, what you did was so amazing. You shared your strength, so she could do it. Charis, you totally did it on your own, and that was awesome, but Salem shared her strength so you could see that you were strong, that you could do it.”

When we all reunited and Chuck told me this great story, it rumbled way down in my heart. Shared strength.

And I realized this is a great picture of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is a picture of the way “They” lovingly interact and share Their strength with us.  He is our loving Father, coaching and encouraging us,  believing we can do more than we see.

But He is also the Son who knows our weakness and runs along side us in the journey,  even the big hills. His presence gives us the example, even though running down a hill is not nearly as fun as sledding. Even though carrying a cross is not nearly as fun as the resurrected life…

But then, the Holy Spirit is the one getting us in the sled. He is the one completing the instruction of the Father and example of the Son in us. He gives courage in action as we are going. Beautiful. Simply beautiful He is.

Thank you Lord for Your shared strength. Help us to follow Your example, and run down the big hills with others. Amen.

So Take A Step. . .

/ Jana / Leave a comment

“Nothing is impossible with You
Nothing is impossible.
Nothing is impossible with You,
You hold my world in your hand.

I believe that you’re my healer,
I believe you’re my everything
Jesus you’re all I need.”

This song, Healer by Kari Jobe, is what the Lord woke me up with this morning. I love that. I love Him. I love that I can be running around inside my own head screaming, or sitting in a corner sucking my thumb (figuratively, of course) and He cares enough to encourage and soothe and inspire me.

I don’t know if you have seen the movie, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), but among many great quotes is one made by the dying priest. They are both serving life imprisonments and nearing completion of an escape tunnel. After a mortal wounding, the priest bequeaths his hidden fortune to Dantes. The pious priest instructs the wrongly imprisoned Edmond Dantes to not waste his pending freedom by committing the crimes he was unjustly serving time for. Bent on revenge, Dantes says he will surely do that very thing.

The priest says to Dantes, “Here is your final lesson – do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence. God said, ‘Vengeance is mine’.”

Dantes retorts, ” I don’t believe in God.”

“It doesn’t matter. He believes in you,” the priest said.

Why would God believe in us? Why would He go to such lengths to strengthen and spur us on to good works? There are obvious world needs that demand intervention. But on a more personal level, I think it is a multi-layer answer. When you or I hear His still small voice and respond, He is delighted that we recognize Him.  When you or I recognize Him and attempt something beyond our little world, He is delighted that we acknowledge His power, His presence, His glory. When we acknowledge Him, we see Him more fully, and thus we see us more fully. He wins. We win.

Just now I am reminded of Psalm 147: 10-11

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

We hope in Him, we trust, depend, expect, desire, stretch, wrestle, and decide on Him.  How can you love that which is never known?  How can you trust that which is never tested? And how can you grow faith if it is never required?

All this to say, we are sending in our $100 deposits for two seats to Zimbabwe. Nothing is impossible with You.

With God, Nothing Is Impossible

/ Jana / 1 Comment

So guess who got a 3 a.m. wake up call? I almost laughed out loud. As I was taking the Lucy puppy-girl out to potty (talking about being glad we have indoor plumbing!) I asked the Lord what He had to say. Immediately, He brought back to mind a song. I realized it had been running through my thoughts before I woke up.

I try to be so tough
But I’m just not strong enough
I can’t do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I’m nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me
(from Savior Please, by Josh Wilson)

“What is this all about Lord? What do I need saving from?”  I asked.

And what came in the wee hours and even this morning, is Him flushing out just how scared I am of Him and how much I question His provision. I believe He is good. I believe, know and have experienced His crazy supernatural giving. But here I am standing on the edge of this cliff, again, and I am freaking out.  Am I really going to jump??

I told my friend this circumstance is like Elijah laughing at the false prophets and taunting them, “Pour more water on the altar.”  To reveal the reality of the Living God, he wanted to make the test as hard as possible so that when God  rained down fire and licked up all the water, there was no question about who had the power. (1 King 18-19)

So here I sit, a CD in the making (one bucket of water), a new book brewing (another bucket), and now add a teaching trip to Zimbabwe (big bucket), and a trip to India (whew) – I think my altar is soaked to the bone.

But I confessed to my friend, I’m not sure I have the faith of Elijah.  Yet I cling to what I know. The only thing I can truly stand on is what God showed to Elijah too.  Believing His still small voice. Living in the tension of knowing Him, and still not knowing the outcome. He whispers, Trust Me. “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Oh God, help my unbelief…

One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving. Palm 62: 11-12

Times with God

/ Jana / 3 Comments

I seem to be having multiple conversations that all direct back to one question: “How do I get to know God better?”

Before I go there, I want to talk about the WHY of getting to know God better. Most of our most broken, hurting, missing, longing places all need the love of God.  We talked about this last night at WGR.  We are the Beloved.  But we must allow ourselves to Be Loved. The more we let that truth soak into our spirits, the more our hearts, minds and lives will be changed.  So to be loved, is to spend time with someone who loves us. God.

Now on the HOW to do this, and there are several possible answers. Not a right answer, but just like with your friends, there are lots of ways to spend time with your Friend. Lover. Father. Husband.

Worship is a powerful way to soak on the truths of God, who He is, what He is like, and who He likes (hint: you). It may involve music, dance, art, nature, reading scripture aloud.  If I had to sum up the word worship it would be to experience the beauty of God with your whole being.

So take music, for example. When I worship with music, I sing, I listen, I think about the words, I move my body to the rhythms.  I encounter God.  Different than being in a bar, which is escape. All this energy is focused on hearing and knowing Him more, better. Same with exploring nature, or  reading scripture. There is an expectation of hearing from God.

The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people. He lives with them. So I sing either out loud or in my heart a lot. I sometimes use CDs, and sometimes I just hum the song that He has got running through my head. There have been times that I have ‘sat’ on a song for about a week. Listening again and again until I believe all that it says.

Another way to get to know God is to read and write. Read your Bible and books that explain the Bible. And write down the prayers and encounters that you have with God. Over time, you begin to see answered prayers, areas that God is changing, and dreams beginning to take shape.  Never underestimate the power of reading the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” I have scripture everywhere, on my walls, calendars, post its, you name it. It helps me think about what He thinks about more.

Look at the Bible as a love letter, a medicine kit, a mirror, and a Counselor all rolled into one. I read Proverbs and Psalms almost daily, and then hit other books of the Bible as the Spirit leads.  In case you don’t know this, there are 31 Proverbs. So if you read one chapter of Proverbs a day, at the end of the month you will have read them all.  And you will grow in wisdom.

Finally, spend time with Him the way you would a friend. Make a date. Instead of placing a call during drive time, call on Him. Talk as you’re working on something. Just begin the conversation. My favorite times are when I can talk out loud. He shows me the lies I am believing when I can hear myself say them.  Just pursue Him in your flavor. Enjoy the time with Him. Oh yes, if you get a middle of the night wake-up call, get up. He wants to talk to you!

Willing to Change

/ Jana / 2 Comments

My head is abuzz with a newly scratched out “To Do List” for 2010. It is full of a grand vision, scary possibilities and deep, deep longings of my heart.  And it is a lot of work.  I was so inspired that I had to take a nap.

I figure I might as well rest up first before beginning anything new. Have you ever felt this way? Wanting to quit from the sheer hugeness of a task?  Throwing in the towel before you have even dared to go one round in the ring?

There is one key ingredient that the Lord keeps whispering to me and Chuck as we look down the coming year: Discipline.

Before you groan, listen to the definition. Discipline:  training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.

That doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?  And to throw my own spiritual spin on it, discipline is being willing to be taught a better way.

Isn’t that what we are all hungry for?  A better way to — fill in the blank — get in shape, manage money, improve our marriages, stop addictions, have healthier relationships, perform better at work, etc.? And if we were honest, what we are doing right now may not be working so well.  We aren’t getting the results we long for.

But when we ask the Lord for discipline, we are in essence asking Him to teach us a better way for better results. Now instead of us working it up in our own strength, we are seeking the supernatural, the God Factor.

Last night, John Dee quoted Roman 2: 4  – that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. “Which means,” he added,  “It is the kindness of God, His love and affection for us, that causes us to ‘change our minds.’ Repentance is changing the way you think, to agree with what God thinks.”

So now put these two words, discipline and repentance, together – willing to be taught a better way, and aligning our thoughts to think God’s way – and we have a pretty potent cocktail.

Change is bound to a happen because you have tapped into what God wanted from you all along: His strength in your weakness. Make your lists. Take your naps. Then go after your dreams.  God is with you all the way.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32

“Lord, grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Psalm 51

Informational Meeting, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

/ Lyschel / Leave a comment

You have heard a lot about Women Getting Real. But have you heard the whole story?  We are inviting you to an presentation to learn more about the past, present, and future of this organization whose heartbeat is to change the world by setting God’s women free.

Come see what we do and are planning to do for 2010.
Come listen to see if God has a place for you.
Come rejoice in all that God is doing!

Oh yeah, you can see your friends and enjoy a cup of coffee too!

Hope to see you Wednesday Night, January 13th

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