All I Can Do Is PRAISE!!!

Praise! Praise! Praise! Praise! PRAISE!!! That's all I can do right now. I feel like I've spent more time face down on the floor tonight than I have been sitting up. And those times that I have been sitting up, continuing about my business, my heart has been face down on the floor in praise. Now I know how Beth Moore feels when she says that she's so overcome with the need to prise God when she's writing that she types with only one hand because the other is raised in praise!

It is nothing short of AMAZING how God works. You ask Him for one thing. One small, thing. Something that there's no way you can do on your own and He goes and BLOWS YOUR MIND!!!! He says, "I'm not just going to give you this thing that you ask for, but I'm going to give you this, that, AND THE OTHER THING! Not because of you, but because I'm God and I'm GOOD!" Just when I think that He's working on one thing, He goes and starts doing a WHOLE bunch of other things that I figured weren't more important than what I know I needed.

Trust. I wrote it about a few days ago. WOAH! Let me tell you!!! Let me tell you! Let me tell you!!! I knew I couldn't do that one on my own. So I asked Him for His help because I'm such a screw up. I don't know where He finds value in me, but He does. Help me trust You, that was my prayer. WOAH! TOTALLY DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING TODAY!!! The focus, the intensity. That alone would have been enough. Then He goes and starts answering one prayer after another. Just when I think "this has got to be it for today", ANOTHER blessing! BLOWING MY MIND!!! It's hit me like a freight train. Like I'm a blind, deaf person walking down the tracks and WHAM-O!! I'm run over with these blessings I didn't see coming! These answers to prayers that I wondered if they would ever come to pass. Nothing short of AMAZING!

This evening, checking out Facebook. And I see the first edition of the e-newsletter from my church. It looks good. I read it. I don't even get half way though and it's like the Holy Spirit pushes me down!!! I couldn't get down on my face fast enough! Praise, Praise, PRAISE!!! After I recover a bit, I spread the latest of the good news. We text back and forth and decide that if someone doesn't remember the thing we want him to remember, we'll make sure he doesn't forget again. Within a few moments of that conversation, I'm flat on my face again. The Holy Spirit, the Great Reminder, has done his job! Totally didn't see that one coming.

It's getting late. Had to blog. Had to get this out. I'm torn between jumping up and down for joy or just turtling up again in PRAISE! HE IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!! Doing more than I can ask, seek or imagine. BLOWING MY MIND! He's got this thing. He's got me. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Holy, Holy, Holy!

Authenticity, Trust and Peace

It's been heavy on my heart. Authenticity. Authentic is defined as genuine, real. It stems from the Greek word, authentikos, translated as original, primary, at first hand, the one who does things himself. The one who does things himself... That phrase seems stuck in my head. You can't be authentic unless you do it yourself. Unless it's real and legit.

I feel like we are in a world where authenticity is hard to find. So many people try to put on a front. They wear a mask to show only the parts of themselves that they want I have revealed to the rest of the world. I have grown to see how much a huge disservice that is to ourselves and our Creator. When we wear a mask, we distance ourself from our true self. When we distance ourselves from our true self, I believe that we also distance ourselves from God. I can't help but to think that God is looking down on us longing for us to hear His voice saying "You don't believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, just the way you are? Perfection through Christ? Come to Me and I will help you overcome your unbelief."

So, Lord, I come. Let it begin with me. Its time to take off masks and break the chains of spiritual strongholds. I'm sure that I've got some belief issues. God hasn't bought those to light just yet, but He has made me aware that I have some trust issues. Maybe this is why I've been thinking of trying new things. Old things actually, stuff I've tried before, but never really accomplished. Like headstands and Zumba. They require a certain level of trust. Trust in yourself. Trust in those around you. Trust that God has got your back while you're trying something new and scary (i.e. do it afraid). Trust that God is big enough and powerful enough to bring restoration and healing to all brokenness, be it physical, mental, spiritual or relational. You've done it before in me. Why can't/ won't I trust that You will do it again?

I listened to a sermon today while I was at work. The teacher made the connection between trust and worry. How really they are one in the same. That when you worry, your ultimately doing God a disservice because you're saying that you don't trust Him enough to take care of you and your situation. Those of you who are reading this and know me best know I'm a worry wort. Always have been. I don't plan on being this way forever. The teacher talked about how when you worry, you become anxious and how the anxiety is a result of not fully trusting God. That results in a lack of peace.

Peace. Shalom. My mantra. Now that I've been learning about for a couple of years. Why God chose to teach me about peace and residing in His peace before He started me on this journey on trust, I'm not sure. Peace and trust and authenticity. I'm not sure what this tapestry will look like when God is done, but I bet it will be beautiful. Until then, I am learning that I must come to God not only with unbelief issues, but trust issues, too. Every moment, every day. I believe that only He can release me from these these chains of bondage (ones that I didn't even know I had) so that I can continue to lift my hands to praise Him. Abba, Thank You for continuing to carry out this good work in me, making me more Christ-like, until the day of completion. Shalom!