Lazy bones

I remember her words so clearly. And I was so fearful of it ever happening to me. 

She said "if God prompts your heart to share something and you don't, don't worry He will use someone else to do it, but He will know that He cant count on you. " such hard words to swallow yet so true. 

She was talking in the context of an afterglow instruction,  but today that dreaded fear happen. Coming home from church tonight Caleb would not stop talking. It was as though someone slipped him a talking pill in class. Half way home from the car ride I just got so tired. I leaned the seat back and allowed my mind to drift into lala land.

Then a mile away from home we heard the screeching of the tires , the horns and the horrible sound of crushing metal and fiberglass. We didn't really see the accident but we heard it from the opposite side of the intersection.

It was in that moment, that my heart told me to pray. "Lord I'm to tired. " my hubby went on to explain what had happen and what the sound was to the boys.  Again my heart reminded me to pray as a family for the accident. And once again with my eyes half shut I reminded myself how tired I was. 

With the boys conversation half tuned out, me wrestling  to stay awake and being disobedient I heard his little voice. 

"Oh ok daddy, so those cars hit each other, and they got in an accident, so we should pray for them daddy." 

Sure Caleb would you like to pray? My husband responded. 

And he did, he prayed one of the most powerful prayers my little three year old could pray. When he finished I laughed. Outta the mouth of babes. I was immediately reminded of that time she said He would use someone else. 

Wow, talk about convicting man! And why because I was to lazy to mutter out the words that would only take a few moments? Awhile ago my husband shared this with the high school group...

"Without Him I can't, and without me He won't" 

In other words with Jesus I can't do anything, and without me willing to do He won't do it. Only it will still get done just not through me.  I love that about The Lord, how the simple daily interactions can remind us of how to live and how He uses our children to minister to us. 

Lets us not grow lazy! 

Trusting God, being faithful

Dude wheres my chai?

One hour photo, In n Out, Panda Express, Quick Lube, iPod,  iPhone, iPad, iWant....

Today we are a people of I want and I want it now. There is no joy in the waiting, and being patient is like labor pains. Ok well maybe I am being a little dramatic but this is coming from someone who struggles with Patience. Please pray for me! 

The other day while waiting for my coffee, I  watched the young guy move as slow as molasses and I could feel the hairs on the back of neck stand. Really? dude wheres my chai? My grandma with no arms can make that chai faster! How long can it take to make two coffees?

After he perfectly whipped my  husbands Mocha, he was proudly handed it over waiting for the coffee gods to applauded his perfectly brewed perfection. I, on the other hand looked at him like I had been aging for several years waiting for my chai. But truth be told, I didn't really have no where I needed to be, so why on earth was I so irritated with the speed of the barista? 

 I have to tell you that the last six months have been kinda gnarly. We have experience death, upon physical illness, spiritual  illness, mental illness and spiritual attacks. Last night before my head hit the pillow my knees hit the carpet. Now before you applaud me for my holiness, you should know that this doesn't happen every night or as often as it should.

As Noah was sick yet again, I cried out to the Lord expressing how tired I was of this season, when would it turn, when will the work be DONE. When could this season be nothing more than a memory of the spiritual growth. 

In the book of  Matthew a gentlemen brings his child to Jesus in the 17th chapter and asks him why the disciples were unable to cast out the demon who brought his child epileptic seizures . Jesus brings up the first problem. Unbelief? He says a "Because of your unbelief, for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it will move: nothing will be impossible for you." But, then he goes on to say that certain things require fasting and prayer.  In other words your drive by request and in and out healing or confirmations are just not going to be sufficient.

So what are you trying to tell us? Here, is what I want you to know. Gods timing. I know you are cringing. We throw "gods timing" confidently in our prayers, and they sound so good rolling off the tongue as mature believers. But at the end of the day what we are really asking for, is our timing with Gods anointing. 

Here's the thing friends, we cannot change Gods timing. Have you ever thanked God for not being somewhere ten minutes earlier? Or perhaps you heard about an accident on the freeway you would have been on had you not gotten off  work late. So if we are grateful for those moments, should we not also be thankful for all the other things in our lives that He is working on in His time. I think that He has proven Himself fully capable of working all things for good? Amen? 

But I get it! Its tough because we want healing and we want it now. We want that job or that helpmate and we have been waiting forever! The hardest part about the waiting is not being able to see the plan from start to finish. Hebrews 11:1 explains that is what faith looks like, being sure of what we hope for and not what we do not see, paraphrased. Friends I'm soooo there with you, today I took the advice of Jesus and fasted and prayed for the things in my life ,I'm waiting on him for. I stood in the gap for friends who are in the waiting for husbands, healing, for jobs and the list goes on and on.  

I'm not sure what is going on in your life? Are there things that you are waiting on? Perhaps your are tired of being in the same season. Can I challenge you to take the advice of Jesus....pray and fast. The first step to being ok with Gods timing is realizing that God is not a short order chef. He has a purpose and a plan for your life. It's divine! It is well thought out and it is good because He is good, and He wants the best for you.  But, you have to believe that He knows what is best. If you are a parent you'll understand this way of parenting and lastly we need to pray and fast! 

So let us not be consumed with time, let us slow down, allow God to work. Pray for the patience to be ok with where we are. Let us fast for the things that we cannot change. More importantly let us have that unwavering faith, that truly believes that mountains can be moved. 

#TrustingGod #Beingfaithful

Moni

What's under the wrapper matters!

We stood there in front of the table that had a bowl full of candy . I grabbed two purple tootsie pops and gave them to the boys. Caleb, spotted a yellow one and insisted that was the one he wanted. Knowing what was under the yellow wrapper tasted, like I tried to convice him, that I knew what he would like.

Something you should know about Caleb is once his mind is set, there is no changing it.

Fine! After moments of pleading, I swapped out the purple for the yellow. Here you go, but I know your not going to like it, I muttered as I gave it to him. We walked away for the table and he ripped off the wrapper with the anticipation of the goodness of the yellow sucker. It only took a second for the sucker to his lips that made his smile turn to a frown. By this time we were half way to the car. Mommy, I don't want this, I want the other one, tossing it in a near by trash can.

I explained to him that it was to late, he made his choice and we were not going back. He pleaded as we continued to the car and of course cried. Looking at his brother enjoy his sucker he was upset that his was now in the trash. You should have trusted me son, I knew you were not going to like that one.

It was then I was reminded of the character of god, how He is such a loving father that always has our best interest at hand. How so often he chooses something for us, but we are enticed by something that "looks" better. Yet He wants us to trust Him because He knows what is under the wrapper. 

And because we have free will, He permits us to make our own choices. He allows us to "exchange" the flavor. And when that happens we find ourselves with consequences of not trusting God and taking matters into our own hands.

It was a good teachable moment for the boys and a reminder how we need to trust God.

Hebrews 11:1 say "now faith is being sure of what is hoped for and certain of what we do not see. "
Sometimes what God is doing in your life may not make sense, but trust that He knows what's best for you, taking things into your own hands may result in a flavor that is not pleasing to your palette.

Trusting God, Being Faithful
Moni

Sea of faces

A new year , new blogs... I find myself sitting in front of the computer lately with intentions of completing a full blog. The truth is as i start yet another attempt to complete one, Im staring at endless drafts in my feed. 

I am motivated by friends that have started new ones, and old blogs that had a facelift, yet I just cannot seem to put in words what my heart wants to share. And then I am plagued with does anyone really care? I read a few years back there were 153,205,413 blogs on the Internet with 47719 added on a daily basis. 

That is so crazy to me? The other day I saw this  interesting ad for apple. It had gentlemen holding a tripod with the new iPad attached and it said "what will your verse be." Below it, it read:

"Each of us has something to share, a voice, a passion, a perspective. The potential to add a stanza to the worlds story."

There are two things I love about this ad. First it's asking what will, your verse be? In other words , what do you want to be known by? And then what story are you bringing to the world. Kutless put out a song several years ago called "sea of faces" . 

" .....I am not just a man vastly lost in this world, lost in the sea of face, your body's the bread, your blood is the wine cuzz you,traded your life for mine." 

When I sing that I am reminded that despite the gazillion of people that exist, I am not lost in the crowd. My blog is not lost is the sea of social media. Your blog, your story matters. We all have a story to share, and to someone it matters. 

What story are you going to contribute to this world? Are you contemplating writing your story or a blog but feel like it doesn't matter? You have to know it does! So here is to more writing in the new year! I can't promise better spelling or grammar but I can promise honesty and truth! 

trusting God and being Faithful, 

Moni