Dealing with Disappointment...get REappointed!

God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. (From Luke 18:7 - taken from Grace for the Moment Journal by Max Lucado)

God always does what is best when it is best. But, I don't want to wait! When something doesn't happen when I think it should, or at all, I get disappointed and discouraged.

This has been a constant struggle for me, especially in the last few years. I don't know why I have such a hard time getting over disappointments...I think it may be because I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I hate when things don't look or feel the way I want them to, even if a good deal of the situation is out of my control.

Joyce Meyer says in her book New Day, New You, "When you get disappointed, you can always make the decision to get reappointed!"

Wow! There's a LOT of meat in that simple sentence! To be appointed means designated, or decided on beforehand, and it also can mean equipped or furnished in a specified way or to a specified standard.  I am appointed as one of God's chosen people...I have chosen to believe in God and in his plan of my salvation through Christ Jesus. God equips me to live to his standard. When I am disappointed...when my attitude about my situation causes my disappointment...does that mean that I am not living up to God's standards because I am not trusting his timing?  The words make the decision are key to Joyce Meyer's statement. We CHOOSE how we react to situations that cause us to be disappointed. When we are disappointed, are we choosing not to act as one of God's chosen people?

God promises that he will always give us what is right (to HIS standards) and in HIS time. Most times, we have to WAIT for our prayers or cries to God to be answered. Sometimes, we are waiting a LONG time. Sometimes, we wait our whole lives and what we have been praying for never seems to happen. Does that mean God didn't hear us or didn't keep his promises to us? No. It's all about HIS timing and what HE deems right for us. So...we pray...and we wait.

What should our attitude be like while we wait? I want to wait with patience and continue to worship God. With the help of the Holy Spirit living inside me, I can make the decision to get reappointed instead of disappointed. It doesn't matter that I constantly feel not good enough...God will get me through those times of discouragement and lead me to what he wants for me...which may be different than what I want for me. I want to learn to be more patient with God and have faith while I am waiting!

Do you get disappointed? How to you deal with those feelings?

The purpose of living a WWJD life...

"In your lives you must think and act like Jesus." --Philippians 2:5

I love it when Bible verses I have read hundreds of times over the years suddenly mean something new to me! I read the verse above this morning, and also Mark 8:34-35 where Jesus tells his disciples and followers to take up their cross and follow him. I had a new thought...God doesn't want us to act like Jesus so we can get into heaven.  Well, that's not so new, is it? I know we can't EARN our way into heaven. However, I guess I always understood that if I wanted to go to heaven, I needed to act like Jesus. If I believe, and I do, that if you BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God and take him as your personal Savior, THEN you will have eternal life. (John 3:16) So, why then is it so important for us to think and act like Jesus?

Everyone who knows me well knows that I am a people pleaser. I like to make people happy and I hate disappointing anyone, even people I don't really know. The results of this character trait have been both positive and negative.

One the plus side, I am a peace-loving person and often find myself working very hard to bring peaceful solutions to most problems, whether they are my problems or not. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers," right? I also find joy in making people's day, either by saying or doing something special for them or by doing a task that would help them. Because I don't want to let anyone down, I find myself trying very hard at most things I attempt. This has made me very proficient at many things. Hard work and effort can make even someone with limited talent successful.

However, on the negative side, if the motivation for doing these things is purely to make others happy, it becomes more about me, my pride, vanity and self-esteem. I want to be liked by everyone so I work hard to succeed so people will like me. That's kind of a messed up way of thinking. While being a peace maker is a good thing, I seem to have developed a "savior complex," thinking it is my responsibility to solve everyone's problems. Who am I to think I can do that for everyone around me?

All of this self-assessment is a good thing and it is making me realize that God loves me just the way I am! I don't have to please him to CAUSE or MAKE him love me. It doesn't matter if I am the best Christian or the worst sinner, God loves me anyway!

The thing is, while he loves me any way that I am, he cares about me too much to leave me the way that I am. That's why he encourages us to be like Jesus! That's why Jesus said we are to take up our cross and follow him. He is perfect; he is our example. Even though we will never reach his level of perfection, if we are striving to be like him and living the way he would, especially when we remember how important LOVING OTHERS was to him, we are bound to live a better life.

Living a WWJD life is not about earning our way to heaven. It's about living this crazy, exciting, difficult and sometimes disappointing life on earth the way Jesus would so we are happier and the world is a better place. There will always be problems and difficulties in this life, but if we try to handle those problems the way Jesus would, God will bless our efforts. he knows that living a Christ-like life will make us better.

This way of thinking reassures me and gives me hope and gives me a desire to be more like Jesus - not because I don't want to disappoint God, but because I want to give back to the God who loves me so!

An Afternoon "God-incidents."

 

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -- Jeremiah 29:13

It happened to me again...the moment when I am feeling low and discouraged, God sends someone to me to reassure me and make me feel that feeling of peace that alludes me sometimes.

Jim Burson, beloved former basketball and Emeritus professor at Muskingum University stopped in my office this afternoon to touch base about his Author Talk coming up for our library on Thursday. He only stayed for a few minutes, but he made an impact. After our official business was over we discussed the writing process, his book, my book and what writing has done in our lives. He also spoke about how a recent phone call from a mentor of his reassured him and made him feel better. It's funny how we both had experienced that same phenomenon.

My pastor spoke about those kind of events this past Sunday, calling them "God-incidents." God sees our moments of doubt and frustration and sometimes sends a messenger to lift our spirits. Thank you Lord, for my visitor this afternoon!

If you are interested in hearing Coach Burson speak about his book and his life experiences, you are welcome to come to Muskingum University this Thursday, January 15 at 3:30 p.m. in Boyd Science Center, room 336.

Searching for happiness in this land...

 "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."  Zechariah 4:6 

My search for happiness is an up and down journey. There are moments when I feel happy and content. They are but brief moments. The rest of the time, I am left feeling lost, incomplete...lacking. Why does it have to be one way or the other?

In my devotional this morning, Max Lucado says "God graces us with dissatisfaction..." He graces us..He gives us....He allows dissatisfaction to occur in our lives? Why? We are not happy here because we are not SUPPOSED to be happy here! This is not our home. 

"Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world...” (John 18:36 NIV)

Why would God create us and place us in a world where we are never going to be happy? As a parent, I want my child to be happy...why wouldn't my Heavenly Father want that for me?

I believe God DOES want us to be happy, but knows that happiness and more will come to us when we reach His kingdom. Our goal in this life is to catch glimpses of that happiness beyond measure and to cultivate our hunger for that happiness. When we realize that happiness can be ours in heaven one day, then we spend our remaining time here on earth getting to know the provider of that heavenly happiness. 

Searching for happiness here on earth is pointless without putting God in the center of that search. If we could find the happiness we long for here on earth, we wouldn't need God. God knows that and allows our unhappiness and discontent so we keep searching.

Thinking about it that way makes my times of unhappiness and discontent more bearable. 

I am but a visitor in this land. My time here can be filled with joy, pain, delight and dispair. But, once my journey in this land is through and I reach my real, true home...I will find the elusive happiness that comes from being home sweet home. 

Timely help...

"Let us boldly approach the throne of our Gracious God, where we may receive ,mercy and His grace to find timely help." Hebrews 4:16

Dear Lord,

I thank you with all my heart for bringing me back to you yet again. I didn't run away from you this time, as I have in the past. No, this time I drifted slowly away. I slowly let other things become the center of my life. I gradually left you behind and let laziness and selfish desires replace my daily quiet time and that special place for you in my heart. I felt the drift - saw it happening- but did nothing to stop it. Over time, I have become detached, unfocused, cold, empty and feeling alone. Problems have occurred, circumstances have come in to complicate my life and further cause me to feel lost and alone. Depression has crept in and made me sad and often my eyes are filled with tears for things lost and for things I don't even understand. Instead of leaning on you in this difficult time, I made obligatory prayers, but do not feel your comforting arms around me.

Last night was one of those nights sitting in front of my television set with tears streaming down my eyes and an aching in my heart. I cried out to you with a fervor I haven't felt in a long time. Help me! Take this emptiness out of my heart! I can't take it anymore!

I was suddenly motivated to go reach into my cedar chest for the journals that I wrote in several years ago. I dug deep in the pile to find the journal that began my daily devotional/journaling habit - Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment daily devotional journal from 12 years ago. I opened to the first page and from the first paragraph, I felt tears streaming down my cheeks and sobs wracking my body, but this time, they were tears of relief. You DID hear my cries and are answering me! Timely help!

I remember the journey I began 12 years ago when I began seriously reading your word, studying it and finding ways that you were listening to my needs and guiding me on how to heal. You brought me out of a dark time then, and I have faith that is what you are doing in my life right now. I must now do the work...change the bad habits that have developed in the last few years and return to the habit of daily quiet time with you. I will again work toward listening to you and learning from you so that I can let my heart be healed and restored once again by your words and your presence.

I ask that you continue to encourage me, nudge me and guide me on that right path that I have been dodging lately. I thank you again for drawing me closer to you!

Amen.

Living and Active Week #1 Day 1

 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -- Ecclesiates 4:12

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." -- Proverbs 27:17

Good morning! My mom and I have committed to ourselves and to each other that we are going to be part of the Peak313 Living and Active 5 week Challenge! It is a Bible-based healthy living plan that hopefully will get both of us on the right track to a more healthy lifestyle. 

I know I have been a part of a program something like this in the past, and when I work WITH someone, and make myself accountable, I have more success. I live a pretty healthy lifestyle now, EXCEPT that I am too sedentary. I am a librarian who sits all day and then has trouble being motivated to move when I get home from work, so I sit some more. So, I am using this challenge to challenge myself to get off my behind and MOVE! 

So, on Saturday my mom and I made a plan and scheduled times this coming week to walk together. We weighed ourselves (UGH!) and I went to the store and purchased some good healthy food. I bought some new tennis shoes - BRIGHT PINK ones!  I had already used Loseit.com in the past to keep track of my food and exercise, so I signed mom up for that too and she is already more aware of how many calories are in things she is eating! We are ready to roll! I thought I would use my blog to track our progress and encourage mom and I (and others who MIGHT read it too!)

The Bible verses above are our memory verses for this week. They are familiar ones, but good ones to keep in mind as my mom and I begin this challenge together. 

Sitting here writing about this has gotten me really excited! In a couple of hours I will be taking a break, and putting on my hot pink tennis shoes and taking a brisk walk about the beautiful Muskingum University campus where I work. Then tonight when I get home I will do the first workout posted by Clare on the Peak313.com website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy10Zpe-kLE

Since I know myself, I know without God in this plan, it will fail. I tell my KidsPraise kids that whenever something is hard for me, the first thing I do is pray! So...

Dear Loving Father God, 

Thank you this day! A beautiful morning drive to work gave me time to marvel at the wonders of your creation. One of the things you created was me...I am fearfully and wonderfully made! It is time for me to take care of this body that you gave me! Help me to stay motivated and strong during this challenge so I can rebuild healthy habits into my life. Thank you for the friendship between me and my mom and help us to help each other stay strong and sharpen each other, just as iron sharpens iron. It is in the precious name of Christ that I ask all these things. Amen.

Questions are blowing through...but my FAITH stands firm!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV)

When writing this blog, most times I am writing to encourage others and show God's love to people reading. Today, I write to try to put my latest thoughts and questions about God in order. Don't get me wrong, I am not doubting God, or His plans for this world. But I am trying to understand Him better so I can be a better servant for Him.

I received an email yesterday from a friend...one of those forwards where you are to send it to 8 people. You know the kind I am talking about. The message of this email was about how we shouldn't mock God, and those who do come to untimely deaths. For instance, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, and other world leaders and people who claimed publicly that they didn't need God, or that Christianity was wrong, or they made fun of God...and then soon after they died.

I am having trouble reconciling in my mind and my heart my God who created us all (see Psalms verse above) and is our loving father, and the vengeful God who kills someone off for making fun of Him. I know God is an all powerful God who can smite his enemies with just a word. I also know the verse that was quoted in that email:

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7 NIV)

I am a mother and even if my child mocked me and made fun of me and spoke bad about me, I wouldn't want to KILL her!

But, maybe I am thinking about this all wrong. Maybe God wanted to prove to his doubting children that He DOES exist! Maybe He wanted to bring these doubting children to Him so they DID believe. We have no idea what God does in the last seconds of a person's life. I am not suggesting that mockers of God are rewarded by going to heaven...I am just saying that perhaps our all powerful, all knowing and loving Father has other plans for his children who have either lost their faith or never knew Him to begin with. 

Why am I worrying my head about this? This is what I do. I see things in this life that are troubling and I go to God and ask Him to help me understand. Questions of this world blow hard...but my faith in God stands firm and keeps me strong. I seek Him every day.

Dear Loving Father,

You are so amazing! Your power and might give me strength when I am weak and confidence when I doubt. Help to ease the questions that arise in my mind and heart from time to time and reassure me that You have EVERYTHING under control! Help me to take that reassurance and let that light shine through me so that others can see You and the love of Christ in me. Help me to have a better understanding of Your ways so that I can live a life that is pleasing to You and use my life to serve You and others every day. In Jesus Holy name, Amen.