Bottoms UP!

Moses murdered.  
Moses argued with God about His plan.
In the end, what if Moses had not stopped to listen?
What if Moses had refused the request?


Moses DID listen and saved Israel.
Numerous times.


It's true that had Moses decided to not listen to God and obey that God surely would have called another man up for the job.  But Moses was his first pick.  The job would have gotten done one way or another...but had Moses not done it - look what he would have missed?!  He would have missed the great exodus!  Seeing God write the ten commandments and many more AMAZING things that God allowed Moses to see.


Had he not done that...
It would have been a sin...

James 4:17 "Remember, it is

a sin to know what you 

ought to do and then not do it."

Moses did not understand WHY God called him to do what he did.  He saw all of the wrongs of his life, the inability of his character and the flaws of his personality - but God saw more.  When we work for God, even when we do not understand it - God can do AMAZING THINGS through us.  

Ephesians 3:20 "Now all glory

to God, who is able, through

his mighty power at work within

us, to accomplish infinitely 

more than we might ask or think." 

****************

REGRET


Have you ever known someone who lives every day as if it were their last?  I have known a few that were like that.  My sister lived that way the last two years of her life.  She had a clear perspective on life and what living really is.


It's allowing God to use you in any and every way He wants to.


What if we just listened for a minute to what God is whispering into our ears and heart?  I think that most everyone has the possibility of having an AMAZING PURPOSE for God's kingdom!  If a person is willing - then God will use it!  If you are unwilling then he will just find someone else!


Do you ever wonder if, when we get to Heaven that not only will we have to give an account of everything that we do...but that he will show us what he actually HAD PLANNED?  


We all know that God's plans are amazing!  Can you imagine, if you completely let go of yourself, what God could do with you?  Why do we want to fit God into our little Life Plan Box?  You know...we will see God on our times, pray when we want to, etc...


We put God in a...

Don't you think...that maybe...God's plan for your life is far more AMAZING than your plan for your life?  He uses people to do EXTRAORDINARY THINGS!  

Aren't you just a little bit curious????

****************

My Change.

I recently started the Bible study that I felt God wanted me to start a year and a half ago.  I mentioned it even then...and I set it on the back burner.  Why would God want me to host a Bible study?  I'm not even good at leading a group.  I do not know my Bible that well.  I don't pray well...  The list goes on and on why I had not began my study.  

It took my new neighbor saying, "I feel like God wants me to start a Bible study with you guys."

You see that?  I had ignored his request and He was passing it along.  To someone who was probably going to be more obedient than I was. She had led ladies ministries in other churches.  She was FAR MORE talented than I was!  

As soon as that occurred I knew what I had to do!

Tomorrow is week 4 of a Bible study that meets in my home.

I do not know WHY God wanted me to start this Bible study but here I am, Lord!  I am being obedient!  I am sorry that it took me a year and a half!  Thank you for giving me one more nudge before you replaced me!

And it is like that....

Just as that Bible study was placed on my heart and I then began to ignore it over time...the feeling of needing to quit drinking was exactly the same.  I cannot begin to explain to you that sense of PUSHING that you can get at times from God.  

This was a push.

I had planned to postpone the quitting of drinking - until I could more clearly understands God's plan and God's timeline.  Then I began to recite the sin of omission...and what if I missed something AMAZING?!!!  

God has a plan and a reason for placing this on my heart.  I do not know for HOW LONG I will not be drinking but I did tell him to let me know AS SOON AS I CAN!  :)

So that's it.

I'm being obedient.

God is great!  God is good!  

I have no doubt that there is a reason.

One day...I will look back and know the WHY.

Wrestling God...

It has been 7 months since my sister escaped the pain of this world.  Seven months is not that long, yet seems like FOREVER.  Where has all this time gone?  Living in Florida it seems that summer is already here - at that translates to my heart as "it's been a year."


My life has changed a lot over the past seven months.  As soon as I returned from the funeral the kids started school and I took on another little boy in Boppy Land. We recently switched churches and I feel more grounded (not being tossed by the waves).  I recently started a Ladies Bible Study in my home...even if it currently is just three of us.


After the past few years and the continual MAJOR CHANGES that God was bringing to my door...this year the question is - well what now?  What now Lord?  What would you have me do?


I had a good time on New Years.  I let go and I drank quite a bit. I let my hair down...maybe even a little too much.  Once my husband and I got home it was apparent that I really upset my husband.  My behavior, as far as he was concerned, was unacceptable.  


He was right.


After loosing my sister there have been moments that I have crossed over the threshold just trying to let my hair down.  But at what cost?  


Since New Years I have had an UNBELIEVABLE inward PUSH to stop drinking.  I find this inward nag to be quite irritating as I enjoy having a beer very very much.  A beer every evening while I cook dinner, even if it takes two hours to drink, was my norm.  I cook with wine and beer so why not have a drink while I make it? When I say that I like beer...I mean I love robust beers.  Red beers, dark beers...beer with flavor.  Maybe it is my German genetics but I have liked beer since I was in high school and my taste has only become more refined.


I have not completely ignored the voice, the push, the conviction pulsating through my thoughts...but I have not accepted it as my truth.  


Yet.


I know who's making that phone call and all I keep thinking is...
SAY WHAT????!!!!!

As a Christian I believe that it is okay for a person to drink.

1 Timothy 5:23 "Stop drinking only water, 

and use a little wine because of your 

stomach and your frequent illnesses."

Not to mention Jesus turned water into wine.  

So where is the sin in my having a beer?  I can only tell you that this feeling of not drinking has only gotten heavier and more consistent.  I thought in time it would go away.  I keep asking why God would not allow me to do this?  Is this for just a time or is this the rest of my life?  Does this need to be completely no drinking...or just one every once-in-a-while?

I told my husband about this and of course he looked at me funny and said, "Don't expect me to stop drinking."  I had to laugh.  I guess he thought it was going to be like when I quit smoking.  For that - he HAD to quit with me.

When I analyzed my alcohol usage and my desire to drink it is true that when the little kids were getting crazy and my nerves were wearing thin I would think..."what I wouldn't give to drink a beer right now."  Every time I opened the fridge at nap time it was as if they were starring at me.  

I have come to realize that I was depending on that beer in the fridge to get me through my day than my God.

As I said, I have not completely committed to not drinking but I can tell you that the amount of drinks that I have had since New Years is drastically less than my life BEFORE New Years.  My craving for it has practically dissipated.  Even though I have not made that commitment I have an overwhelming GUILT about having a beer...and just that emotion is quite confusing for me.

WHAT?

WHY?

I guess that this, for whatever reason...is God taking me on my next adventure.  Before I fully commit to this crazy decision I want to make sure that what I am doing is completely of God so that I do not backslide on it.  If he wants me to do this for life than for LIFE it is.  If this is just a temporary thing or just a put me in perspective thing...then I will commit to that.

It's just crazy.

CRAZY!

My friends, my neighbors...we all drink!  We drink casually.  Sometimes we drink a little bit more together than we should.  Its drastically different when you are the only one not drinking.  How is this going to change my relationships?  Should I care about those relationships or should I focus more on my relationship with God...and the rest will work itself out?

Can I seriously enjoy a virgin margarita on the beach with my husband as much as I can a regular margarita?  What about the few occasions that we sneak off together and have a beer?  Just he and I?  

What are the guidelines to this insanity????

***********

Has there ever been a moment in your life when you feel God pressing on you?  As if he is asking for a significant part of who you are to change?  

Do you just think I'm crazy????