Life is...What If?

Life is...What If?

What would happen if we simply let politicians know that we are praying for them?

How would it change their heart? How would it change ours?
I have a lot of opinions on what is happening, and I have a lot of ideas, but I can’t see the whole picture, no one can. What if we handed it over to the only One who can see the whole picture and see what God will do!?
What if we prayed for those making decisions, no matter if we agreed with them or not.
What will God do when we pray - not argue or demand - just pray!

Dear President, Representative, Governor, Mayor, School Board Member.....

During this extremely stressful and challenging time I just wanted to say I’m praying for you.

Praying for wisdom and understanding, praying for endurance, praying for your family, and praying you see the impact your decisions make.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him as God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Thank you,
Nancy 

The Prostitute's Bed

 Life is...The Prostitute's Bed 

I had the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip to India last year – I felt so bold showing and sharing about Jesus. We prayed out loud with people of different faiths in a county where evangelism is prohibited. We went in the slums and brothels, where we sat on the women’s beds where they make their living. We listened to their story, hugged them and prayed with them. We met with a man who used to own women and sold them in the brothel, and prayed with him.

I know I’m equipped, so what is holding me back from doing this every day?
One of the beauties of a short-term mission trip is the limited amount of time you have. It gives an urgency to speaking and sharing Jesus’s love. Yes, intellectually I know that we don’t have much time here on earth, but it’s hard to live in that mindset. 
So, I think the answer is being on short-term mission in every day life….I can say for the next 2 weeks I am going to work on showing God’s love to my neighbors. The following 2 weeks I’ll focus on showing love while doing errands. The next 2 weeks showing love at work, and ON and ON. This can easily keep me engaged and not growing complacent with God’s call to love others.

Another reason I find it so hard to love others around me is people are confusing, annoying, frustrating, complicated, & irritating. I know, that applies to me too! In a lot of ways it is easier to love someone I just met – it gets harder as I realize their strengths and weaknesses, and they get to know mine. It is easy to show God’s love for a moment – harder for a lifetime. Personally I get worn out and tired of dealing with people in this broken world. When I get discouraged I turn to God’s word. Here are some of my favorites.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” ~‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

My prayer is that I will be bold in sharing Jesus’s love EVERYWHERE I go.

Never-Changing

Life is...Never-Changing

What an untrue statement – life is always changing. Whether we want it to or not. 

I have been praying so hard for others lately, really saddened by things happening, and it has consumed my thoughts. It really doesn’t matter what it is; we have all been there. 

Change is hard. 
I realized when I say someone or something changed, it probably did, but just as probable is that I changed. 
That is a combination of the 2. 

I was praying for circumstances and people and listening to the worship portion from a service a few weeks ago while putting dishes in the dishwasher. They sang the song Tremble by Mosaic MSC, and I just started bawling. 

Peace, bringing it all to peace

The storm surrounding me

Let it break at Your name

Still, call the sea to still

The rage in me to still

Every wave at Your name

Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble

Jesus, Jesus, You silence fear

Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble

Jesus, Jesus

Your name is a light that the shadows can't deny

Your name cannot be overcome

Your name is alive forever lifted high

Your name cannot be overcome

I cried and cried and cried. Arms lifted high. Surrendering. Once again.

Things will change, people will change, the world will change, I will change, but God never will! 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 NIV

I FOUND PEACE!

New

Life is…New



My very first blog ended with a prayer that God would give me the opportunity to carry another baby and to hold him or her. He has answered my prayer. In October a baby girl will join our family! We are thrilled, but I’ll be honest with you, when I first found out about our miracle I wasn’t excited – I didn’t feel anything. After losing two babies I was too scared to get excited or begin thinking of our family growing. I had it in my head that after we got past the first trimester everything would be okay, I could begin thinking of our future, and get excited. Then one Sunday at church there were two songs about how life comes from God, and I had this wave of realization….1) Anything can happen at any time. Three months isn’t the all okay – three weeks old, two years old – no number is a guarantee. And even more sobering 2) I had not even thanked God for answering my prayer! My mindset changed, and we are ecstatic to meet our little girl!

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My Word

Life is...My Word

Someone asked me to pray for them, and I said, “Of course”. Two days later, I realized I hadn’t. I was ashamed. Am I too busy to truly pray for someone? No! 

It really struck me that I can’t be lackadaisical about this. I can’t just say, “I’ll pray for you,” because it’s the ‘right thing to say’. I have to truly mean it and then truly do it! It made me think, do we believe it when someone says they will pray for us? Or, do we think of it as a saying something like, "Have a great day!"? I hope not.

God always wants our yes to be yes and no to be no (Matthew 5:37), but when we are using Him as our ‘reason,’ I think we should be extra vigilant.

After I was convicted about “I’ll pray for you,” I wondered...do we say other things without really meaning it? Things like, “This is where God wants me” or “We felt God calling us here.” It’s easy to say these things because no one will question it. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. It will eat at your faith and destroy your credibility. 

When I had surgery a friend said she’d pray for me, and then every couple days, she sent me a Bible verse. It was amazing, and I have taken this idea to heart with many interactions because it makes me stop my ‘busy life’ and look up a specific verse. It forces me to do what I said I would do...pray for them.