To Be Forewarned...

Mad Momma Grouse by Sandy/Scarlett Images

I can’t believe it, another attack...not from the devil or a person but the momma grouse!  This is the second time that we have gotten too close to the brood.  As Elsa (my pup) and I were climbing up to get on the old railroad grade (now a designated snowmobile trail) Elsa always first, startled a young brood of grouse gobbling gravel.  As I stepped up around the bushes on each side of the path that hide clear visibility, here she came, momma bird all fluffed up to look as big as could be and running right toward Elsa!  As I stepped up she made a quick dart into the brush and disappeared as the little ones had all scurried away!

You have heard the saying “To be forewarned is to be forearmed” haven’t you?  Well I thought about the spiritual implications in light of our morning incident.  Momma grouse is always willing to lay down her life for those little ones and there she was, enguard as she heard us tromping up the incline ready to give us what for!  She was ready and at attention watching over her brood and man, if my Elsa hadn’t been on a leash, I would hate to see what could have happened and thankfully it didn’t.

So, in this world the Bible tells us we will have trouble, John 16:33.  Do I like that statement?  Of course not, life shouldn’t be so troublesome!  However it is a warning for us to heed, a warning God has given to His children.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

But even in the midst of the fiery trials of life, Jesus says that we can still have peace, how does that work?  Some of my favorite verses in John come from chapter 15 that mention the vine and the branch and the work of the “Vinedresser”, (our Father.)  The forearming that we can anticipate is not only found by remaining in tact to the Vine (Jesus, through whom we get our marching orders and life truths through the Holy Spirit) but also we head to Ephesians 6 and we learn about daily putting on our armour.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."

Ephesians 6:13-18 (ESV)

There really is no excuse to get caught unprepared for each new day and its surprises good and not so!

Father, I can’t believe that sometimes I just forget that I don’t have to go around bared to the enemy of my soul without a covering. Lord, help me to get properly dressed each day so that I won’t be subject to defeat whether minor skirmishes or a total wipeout.  In You, I have everything necessary to walk in victory for Your name and Your glory, Amen.

Don't Leave Home Without It!

What is your covering?  Right off the top we know that God is our ultimate covering.  He is Lord over all!  But as a married woman in ministry I am learning that my “covering” is my guy.  There was a time that I would not have liked or wanted to live that out.  However, being a female representative for Christ and a wife means this is key to God’s blessings as I serve Him!

My guy--old-fashioned man that he is--really enjoys having his girl home.  As the Lord began to open up more ministry opportunities this meant that I would have to be gone more frequently.  Believe me, I love to be home, especially being one who works all week.  But as requests to speak began to come more frequently I sensed that the guy was not very approving especially when there would be overnight stays.  I sensed and heard some grumbling and I knew that we had to go tete-et-tete!

Television is his evening routine spent with Bill and then Sean but I asked that he would please turn it off and hear my heart.  I then began to ask some questions like “Do you think that God uses my story to help, encourage and bring others to Christ?” He admitted he does and that he has for a time!  You see I have always done Bible study groups with teen girls and women which he has observed over the years.  Not to mention my program on air every day.  I then reminded him that being a Stonecroft speaker means that I would be asked to speak all over our state (and bordering states).  Not to mention the other speaking events I would be doing.  It was at this juncture that I said to my guy, "If I don’t have your blessing, there is no way that I will have an anointing to go forward, if you can't agree that this was where God was taking me then I would lay it all down."  You see, I realized I cannot go forward if my husband disagrees with me doing so and it is vital for me to be under his covering, not out from under it “doing my own thing.”

After a bit guy paused and then said that he thought it was important to continue what I was doing but he also gave me some very sound advise and for the fist time I truly felt he was protecting me not restricting me.  (This was quite a breakthrough for us!)  Like not traveling to the Dakotas via automobile in the winter months, that makes sense!  I knew he was lovingly showing his care for me!  But the long and short of it was he had released me to “go”!

I was writing this on a plane en-route to an event in Platteville, WI where I would be keynotes at an all day women’s seminar!  This however did not come without some difficulties!  While preparing for this event I was overwhelmed at one point because of all these things that kept coming up out of nowhere!  The cold the guy acquired was over in three days while it stayed with me for ten.  And,  during the end of that time I somewhere along the line contracted conjunctivitis, not fun when you are praying and evaluating your talk!  Not to mention that it affected my voice for work.  Not only that but the weekend before I was to leave saw my husband admit himself to ER for chest pains (this is one of the healthiest guys!) where we suddenly had a pile of concerns to deal with.  Although, as we prayed I sensed God’s peace in it all.  I was ready to cancel out on the event but he settled, was put on a medication and sent home the next day.  Whew, Lord, what in the world was going on?

The rest of the week leading up to the Wisconsin event found me living with a grumbly man. The night before I departed I had to once again go tete-et-tete as we discussed our meeting over a year ago and the fact that he had released me to do this!  (He was feeling better and had been working that week)  I mentioned that as we prayed I knew things were going to be alright and he relaxed a bit and agreed but I am sure that there was a lot of uncertainty as to what the future was going to hold going on in his mind!

I remembered Moses' request that God's presence be with him or else he (Moses) would not go forward to do as God had called him:

Exodus 33:15, "Then Moses said to him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here."

Moses knew he needed God's presence to accomplish the daunting task set before him and God certainly let His presence be known and Moses' face was radiant from his God encounter.

Now God really does show up in the eleventh hour.  I called my husband before I left and asked for his blessing upon the Saturday event and I asked him to pray for me especially during the times I would be speaking and he surprised me by saying that he would and that he loved me!  I can only tell you that it is much better to leave home knowing you not only have the Lord’s blessing but also your husband’s.  Isn’t God good!

Friend, don’t just make sure that your bases are covered, remember not to leave home uncovered!

Boundless Love with Loving Boundaries

If you have read my blog in the past you might have read my posting on Lessons from a Schnauzer.  Oh, that little loving pup of ours is in some ways like my prodigal children have been, in that she is used by God to teach me more about Him.

Little miss sassy Elsa

A few years back over Easter weekend, we had an incident that only happens thankfully once in a while.  I am always praying against this happening because I am fearful of the consequences.  Elsa, is a Schnauzer who is very true to her calling, she loves children and loves to ‘hunt’.  Schnauzers were bred to mind the kinder and keep the vermin at bay on the farms.  Even when she hears children on the Television or radio she perks right up and would love to join the kid party.  As to her inquisitive nature to hunt and chase after ‘vermin’ she would constantly be off to the woods and who knows that we would ever see her again.  She even thinks that she should investigate the deer that are always roaming through the property.  So in light of her natural calling we are not able to let her run free.  If we are out she must be hooked to something to keep her from doing her ‘Schnauzer thing’.  It sounds rather cruel but she knows that is the way it is and the leash has just become a part of her life.

Like our own human nature every now and again, Schnauzers, like ourselves need to have a taste of freedom.  Elsa’s last fling without the leash came on Easter Sunday as we were getting ready for church.  My daughter and I were the last to head out and I asked her where Elsa was and she thought she was possibly downstairs.  Knowing that the kids were not in the house I suddenly entertained a thought that I really didn’t want to think about.  I went downstairs with a heavy heart knowing that she was nowhere to be found in the house.  I hollered up to my daughter and said Elsa must be outside to which she opened the door and promptly tried to coax her back into the house.  All to no avail for all the coaxing in the world was not going to ruin this fling with  freedom.  

By the time I ran up the stairs and grabbed the leash and headed out doors she was springing  for the highway leaping like a lamb through the front yard and I imagined hearing her yelling, “I’m free, I’m free…”  I began to pray immediately to the Lord beseeching Him to not let her get hit on the road as the cars were coming up and down the hill.  Yes, she leaped across the ditch and across the road she went up the neighbor’s driveway.  I continued my praying, pleading with the Lord to please keep her safe and direct her homeward.  We were all calling for her as I am sure she continued in her little puppy mind, “I’m free, I’m free…”  Then...(thank you Lord!) she turned around and headed back home, darting past my son-in-law heading right to my oldest grandson, Zachary.  I said gently, “Grab her and don’t let go!”  Which he did and then they came over to me and I promptly took her and put her on her chain by the kennel.  She only uses the chain and kennel when we have to be gone for a short time and have no one to watch her.  Or, sometimes just so she can be out and about when it is nice out.  Then off to church we headed.  I was praising God the entire way to church that He kept her from harm and returned her to home.

Well naturally my immediate application was to see this episode as how a loving God gives us loving boundaries for our good.  For Elsa it is the leash and for us it is in the Word.  For a long time I resisted some of God’s boundaries because I wanted to maintain my "freedom."  I realize now that I make enough mistakes as it is without thumbing my nose at a bunch of rules, regulations and warnings.  There is this sin nature that we wrestle with that is directly contrary to our Christ-like nature.  It is a battle that we will wage until we go home to glory.  But if we consciously live our life desiring God’s ways instead of ours we will provide less opportunity for the enemy to trip us up.  Or in Elsa's case become a flat, black furry spot on the road!

Paul tells us himself how he too very wrestled with doing what he was not supposed to do in Romans 7:15

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”

I am amazed that Paul would openly admit his struggles.  And for me it is freeing to know that a man of Paul’s character—although probably not very often—struggled with sin.  He understood sin’s character and the impact it leaves behind.  (I think we would call that consequences.)

Sometimes, we may only struggle with seemingly small issues and the Bible warns us with a blinking yellow light like the following verse:

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

And search the word fool to see the many places you will find is in the Word.  Like in Psalm 14:1 and 53:  that says only fools say there is no God; Proverbs 1:7 says that fools despise wisdom, and discipline; Proverbs 1:22 says that fools hate knowledge!  I could go on and on for there is much for us to learn about fools and foolish behavior.

It is sometimes these grey areas that are not terribly obvious that can be used to trip us up and lead us astray.  All for the sake of “freedom”, freedom to choose what I will and will not allow myself to get into.  I know that for years I have struggled with thinking I know best what is and is not good for me.  It is just crazy how a little time here or there can leave a lasting impression on us when we spend time where we probably shouldn't.

There is this book called the Bible, that is full of practical wisdom that God Himself has given to keep us safe and to warn us about old behavior patterns.  Why?  Because in His lovingkindness He wants what is best for us.  He wants us to be safe and continue to grow more and more into Christ’s image.  

It is inevitable that there will come times when we succumb to old patterns or we may take a risk and do something that could put us in immediate danger, not heeded the warnings from our loving Father.  We will suffer the consequences from blatant disobedience and hopefully we repent and say, “whew, I am glad I didn’t continue down that pathway.”  So whether it is not ‘completely’ telling the truth, a little flirtation with the opposite sex, watching that thing on the television that stirs old feelings inside of us or reading the same, all of these little blinking yellow lights are flashing when we enter into the danger zones of life.  But, there is something that we can do to heed the warning signs.  For me it is the check in my spirit telling me that I shouldn’t go there.  I acknowledge the danger sign, back out, and praise God for His Holy Spirit that protects us, in essence, from ourselves teaching us how to take every thought captive and crucify our sinful nature.  Freedom is wonderful but not freedom that bites back or is only fleeting!

Father, my sweet little girl could have been a spot on the highway in her quest to run to places she had never been before.  I confess my desires can be much the same.  I ask forgiveness for ignoring Your loving boundaries that are in place for my good.  I know those earthly desires that can sometimes screams at me to just give it up for a season of ‘fun and freedom’ but I  have done this enough to know how easily I can get trapped and caught up.  I am grateful for your Word to me in Corinthians that says that “No temptation has overtaken [me] but such as is common to man and God is faithful, who will not allow [me] to be tempted beyond what [I] am able.  And with that temptation will also provide the way of escape also, that [I] may able to endure it.”  If we go out a bit too far You provide a way for us to escape.  Help me to be listening and willing.  Thank you Pappa for Your amazing love that only wants the very best for those You love!  Amen.