EMBRACING HIS FULLNESS 2-2

JULY <2> of

EMBRACED

... Knowing God is Holding Me (You) Close

2019

Part 2: 

EMBRACING

the Fullness Found Only in Him

<2-2>

37. "Shocked by My Own Advice" Matthew 7:13-14

"Conformed or transformed? The choice is mine. If I want to be a sold-out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd."Lysa, p.116

38. "The Value of Emptiness" 2 Corinthians 12:9

"The more dependent we become on God's strength the less enamored we will be with other choices." Lysa,p.119

39. "Satan's Plan Against You" 1 John 2:16

"Satan's power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God." Lysa, p.121 & 122

40. "When the End Goal Seems Too Hard" 2 Peter 1:5-6

"Big things are built one brick at a time. Victories are achieved one choice at a time. A life well lived is chosen one day at a time."Lysa, p.124

41. "Replacing Old Lies with New Truths"Romans 8:38-9

"If we are really going to make progress toward lasting changes, we have to empty ourselves of the lie that other people or things can ever fill our hearts to the full." Lysa, p.126

42. "Turning North" Deuteronomy 2:2-3

"Am I letting the mess define me or refine me?" Lysa, p. 129

43. "How Much will This Choice Really Cost Me?"

2 Corinthians 2:11

"If I know how much something is going to cost me, I make much wiser choices." Lysa, p. 132

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As I read through these chapter titles before reading the daily devotions, I was sure that #38 and #39 (somewhat related to #41) were the ones that stood out for me so that I might write on one of them. But it wasn't so - thankfully. Hopefully that means I am finally getting this saturated into my thinking and life. Oh, then thinking about "when the end goal seems too hard" (#40), I was sure this would be it, because when I'm in that place (I'm sure you all get to this point when you face hard times that you can't help but feel this "seems too hard") - beyond what you think you might be able to bear ... we often find ourselves so discouraged - but not even #40 is the one, although it came close. If I look at the scriptures with each one, I might have chosen one of these ... however, it was not the scripture that drew me, rather the directional compass of "Turning North" and what that meant or means for me that made the difference, especially when Lysa starts out with:

"We all have MESSES in our lives ... Messes that leave us feeling stuck...

[the writing in between the ... listed some of the different "messes"]
Having MESSES in my life and as part of my blog title, I could not avoid paying closer attention as I read this one ... and one of my biggest messes was in her list, but whether Lysa covered yours or not, I'm sure you may have a "mess" that pops into your mind, whether we like to admit it or not. Life is and gets messy. It was thinking about Lysa's quote question boxed above and "circling the same mountain for too long" of Moses and the people of Israel, that caused me to pause, relating this to my life.
When I was really making a MESS out of every part of my life, I had a very poor directional compass, meaning I hardly ever followed the direction my inner compass of the Holy Spirit, who must have been yelling "straight ahead," not right or left with the many times I made detours, not listening to that inward voice just an outward push or propensity of my own. I could not understand why I kept circling in the same MESS or found myself broken over the same old same old... it was frustrating, and I think I wore a deep rut pattern that I kept falling into. I tried to get rid of those feelings, those messes, those poor choices, decisions and behaviors that became poor habits - not any substance addictions just not the Christ-like life I professed to living or believing. 
{So this is part of my "mess" of #42 - the other part, is separate from this}.
Years later, when I finally became a little better at hearing the Holy Spirit and really seeking God's will and following it and Him more closely, learning to wait until I heard "go", or stay or move. I was living and serving in Mexico so I really needed to hone in and listen carefully and closely to God, since I was basically on my own with Him, as my Companion, Direction and Compass.
I thought that I needed to come back home and stay many times, I  even tried to live in another part of my state, working with migrant children, but still felt the tug of Mexico. So back and forth I went for 20 years ... although about 13 years into this, I started asking God to open the doors or close the door, to going back to MN. My spouse kept insisted that I stay and live in MX, but I desired more and more to do what God led me to do, not him. Then we had our devastating house fire, which was considered a total loss ... and I thought surely it's time now. My spouse still insisted I wait a year until the rebuilt house was done and then another for some additions, and on and on things were happening yet he tried to delay my coming home, actually it no longer was home, but a new house.
I heard God speak to me in 2015 and finally 2016, I knew that I needed to be "Turning North" literally ... back to that northern state of MN, where I was born and raised and lived for most of my life. You see, my spouse had a car accident and surgery that I came home for, but a discovery was made after our house fire in my spouse, because of the various dr. appointments, he was diagnosed with beginning stages of Alzheimers (I shared about this disease on my Mission blog back then). I wanted to come back before the disease progressed too far, to be there for him, while he still knew who I was ... little did either of us know that before Alzheimers would rob his mind of so much stored there, that he would have not one but two strokes now (maybe more). Yet his mind is still active and he keeps working on projects and writing his life story. I only wish that Jesus was a part of his story so I'm still waiting. 
We live out in the country (as you might know from other blog posts and some photos of nature I've shared) so because of this the night sky is very clear on a clear night, at times we can see the Northern Lights over the backdrop of our pine trees but often we can see that North Star shining brightly and then I can see how much "Turning North" has always meant to me. It shows me God's faithfulness and His goodness, how no matter where I am I can spot that star but when I'm home, I see it even brighter and realize that I've stopped "circling the same mountain" of long ago - thank God, however I find myself still "circling" yet another mountain ... knowing that God is my Refiner and He's still working on me and yes, though I may not see ... He's working on completing another person's story and bringing it full circle, I just need to be patient and believe, with hope God can move the mountains and 40 years in a wilderness will seem like nothing. Messes can become Miracles! 

" ... It was a pivotal moment for them to remember. One where they had faced a life-changing choice. They could stay stuck, endlessly circling the same old place, or they could choose hope and head in a new direction with the Lord. ..."

I choose Hope!
I EMBRACE the Refining process and will not let my MESSES define me (nor others, nor the enemy)
I will continue to "replace old lies" with God's Truth.
When the "end goal seems too hard" I will press on, not give up.
Because I know the "value of emptiness", I will  EMBRACE and be more dependent on God and God's unwavering strength, not living in my own strength and risking failure.
I will pray that God daily give me a "keen sense of awareness of the Enemy's plans and schemes against me" so that I will recognise his traps and avoid them I will EMBRACE God's all powerful truth in His freeing Promises!
I know how much my choices have cost me  and am shocked by my own advice {ok, Lysa's advice that I agree with} I will break up with unhealthy choices as God reveals and enables me!
I EMBRACE Victories and a Life well-lived.
one brick at a time one choice at a time one day at a time
EMBRACING HIS FULLNESS
I EMBRACE God's Transforming Power and ALL that He is doing in me and around me in Jesus' name