I am a mother of two children, love cooking healthy meals, reading, upcycling, learning foreign languages, and decorating. I have a passion for ministering to women who have been through trials and trauma, and helping those of us who are currently in a valley situation to see how God's grace is there, and waiting to meet our needs through the impossible, while helping us to grow at the same time.
When my kids were younger, we lived in a townhome that is pretty close to where we live now. I loved the small city, as well as the location of the townhome. This was because we lived in the end unit, which had plenty of windows. We also saw plenty of exotic birds and rabbits, which were good discussion for homeschool. Because of the fact that we lived on a hill, we could see clear down one particular street for a good ways. The part that we didn’t like is that we sat right next to an open field. On any given day, we would look out the window and see deer, coyotes, and red foxes. We would use this field during the times that we were rushing to catch the bus to music lessons. In the back of our minds, there was always the hidden message, “Beware of the Foxes”. In our Christian life, the foxes are anything that can be hindering us from our walk with Christ. They may be good things. However, too much of a good thing can also be bad when it gets in the way of God. These foxes can be reading, television, computer time, and even friendships with people who are not encouraging us in the Lord. “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoilthe vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” (Song of Solomon 2: 15, KJV)
When did you find yourself “missing the message” because you were in a rush? How did it make you feel? What happens when you slow down so that you can take in what seems to be the smallest of moments? These missed messages can be God’s time with us if we allow him the opportunity.
Would you consider yourself a person of grace and truth, or a person of just truth? What is the difference? Find out by listening to today’s podcast to see what happens when we have one without the other. Remember to catch up on last week’s episode here first.
Relationships are hard. It doesn’t matter whether it’s family,
friends, or coworkers, it can be challenging. One thing about relationships is that they
require time, energy, grace, and love.
When disagreements arise, and they will, we can be so intent on wanting
to be right, that we can damage the relationship even more.
God tells us in his word: “And
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32,
NLT) We shouldn’t be foolish, and pretend that the truth doesn’t matter. When
we ignore the truth, we train our minds and bodies to slowly downplay the cues
they tell us that signify something is wrong.
Only applying the truth can also bring in legalism. Because God gives us grace, we are able to
extend grace to others. Only applying
grace without truth and boundaries leads to being taken advantage of, an out of
control situation, and the other person constantly pressing the envelope to see
how far they can go. “Then we will no
longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind
of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will
in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.” (Ephesians
4:14-15, BSB)
There are
individuals in my own life who have hurt me dearly. I cannot ignore the revelation of truth that
healing has brought me. At the same
time, if I focused only on the truth of these situations, it would make my
heart bitter. The truth is, we are all
broken individuals, and since we are all broken individuals, we all have sin in
our lives. If it weren’t for God’s mercy
in eliminating certain people and things from my life, I could very well have
gone down that path. Offering grace and
truth to people doesn’t mean restoration of the relationship. It could mean grieving what is no longer
there, acceptance, and the ability to move on.
Dear God,
We thank you
for the relationships that you have blessed us with. We pray that you would give us discernment
when it comes to applying grace and truth in difficult situations. Please help us to understand that we are all
broken individuals in need of a Savior.
Do you have family members that you have been estranged or separated from? Never underestimate the power of God to allow a reunion as God did with Joseph and his brothers. We can let God do the work as we pray for willing and open hearts. “Reunion” is the story of the reunion of Joseph and his brothers. God bless!
Researchers
state that it takes one “bad” person to ruin five good people.
Remember the figure of speech that you were lectured on as a kid when it came
time to picking your friends: “One bad apple ruins the whole bunch.”
We got tired of hearing our parents and other adults say it, but what they were
saying was basically synonymous with Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump.” (KJV) Whether we are kids or adults, we must be
careful of the company that we keep.
When
we hang out with our friends, coworkers, family members, etc, it just becomes
natural to start saying some of the things that they say. This is what happens
when we are in relationship with anyone. Just as when we are reading God’s
Word, and in relationship with him, our thoughts and behaviors will reflect
that relationship.
However, if you are like me, where everything
that is heard on tv, radio, and by mouth is internalized and leaks into your
emotional, mental, and spiritual space, then you’ll find that you must be extra
careful. Why? When we least expect it, words that are not our own start
entering our mind.
And if we’re not careful, they are coming out
of our mouths. I have found myself rebuking Satan many a day when this happens.
I will never forget when one of my friends said that
she told her son to be careful with what he
allows to come in from other people, because 1) it will go into our minds, 2)
it will go into our hearts, and 3) it will come out of our mouths.
Dear God,
Thank you for
giving us the gift of relationship. Please help us in using discernment in these
relationships, as well as being self-aware of how we operate, so that we don’t
fall prey to the devil.
Good evening! Welcome to Healing Our Brokenness Episode 36. Last week’s episode, Value of Prayer, can be found here.
Transcript:
There is hunger and lack of clean water in
several countries all over the world.
The problem of hunger is so bad that people have lost hope for
themselves and their children. It has
been said that the amount of food that we throw away as waste is enough food to
stop world hunger. The thing about being
good stewards, when it comes to God, is that stewardship is not just about
money, it is for everything that God owns:
“The earth is the LORD’s,
and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” (Psalms
24:1, NLT) This means our time, talents, our bodies, everything!
When I grew up as a child, we placed value on food, and how we used
it. It wasn’t just because we were poor,
but it was also because we realized just how many people were going without
food, and in such a desperate need. In
this day and age, we think nothing of having our kids throw whole plates of
food in the garbage without blinking an eye.
As Christians, sometimes we get so cozy in our homes, and the
immediate needs of our families, that we forget about our responsibility to
take care of the poor: “Religion that
is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27, ESV) It makes some of us uncomfortable to think about
giving away some of what we have. A lot
of times, when it comes to clothing, we have the same few pieces of clothing
that we like to wear over and over again anyway. Having a closet full of clothes gives the
illusion of false self-worth.
After the day
of Pentecost, the Christians were on such a spiritual high from the workings of
the Holy Spirit, that no one was in need: “All
the believers were of one heart and mind, and no one felt that what he owned
was his own; everyone was sharing. And
the apostles preached powerful sermons about the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and there was warm fellowship among all the believers,and no
poverty—for all who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the
apostles to give to others in need.” (Acts 4:32-37, TLB)
What would be required in order
for us to have this kind of situation going on now? It would require a change of heart and a
change of mind. Then our behavior will
follow: “If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV) God blesses repentance and good stewardship.
Dear God,
Thank you for what we have. We pray that you would move in our hearts to
do more to help others in need. We know
that we cannot outdo you when it comes to giving. Please help us to be mindful and sensitive to
others who are in dire circumstances, and that if we don’t have anything to
give, our hearts will be stirred to pray for those individuals.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Thank you for listening to Healing Our Brokenness. If the show is making a difference in your life, please refer a friend.
What do you think of when you think of God? Think about Hagar. When she was kicked out by Sarah, to fend for herself and her son, she called God, El Roi, The God who Sees. He saw her distress, and he provided for her and her son. Who is God to you? Ponder this as you read “El Roi”.
In case you missed our last episode on surrendering, you can find it here. Today’s episode is Episode 35: The Value of Prayer. What are some of the things that you value in life? Why do you value them? Have you ever thought about prayer having value? Tune in to our latest episode to find out why prayer should be at the top of our list.
The Value of Prayer Podcast Outline
Necessity of Prayer
Examples of Prayer
Praying for Our Children
The Act of Praying Over Food
We Can Pray Alone
Podcast Transcript
Welcome to Healing Our Brokenness. Today’s episode is entitled, “The Value of Prayer”.
Photo by Brodie Vissers
Value of Prayer Breakdown
Prayer is necessary in developing our relationship with God. Sometimes the hardest part about doing anything, including prayer is getting started. Satan fills our hearts with so many excuses as to why we aren’t doing something, when the bottom line is that once we are willing to start, God can give us the desire, strength, and perseverance to finish: “For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6, BSB) Jesus’ prayer life was a perfect example of the who, what, when, where and how’s of praying.
Luke’s Account
Luke gives us an account of the impact placed on one of Jesus’ disciples from watching him pray, and witnessing John teaching his disciples. He wanted in on this action: “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. “(Luke 11:1-2, ESV) When we pray with earnest hearts and conviction, it rubs off on other people, and they want what we have.
Jesus’ Example
Jesus showed
us how to pray for our children: “Then people brought little
children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus
said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” (Matthew
19:13-15, NIV)
When our children are little, there are so many ways that we can pray for and with them. We can place them on our laps and pray for them, and as they get older, we can pray for them even as they are sleeping. Sometimes I have found myself praying with my kids before they leave out the door on the way to school, or as we are literally pulling out of the driveway to begin our day.
There is no better example of showing that there are no restrictions when telling our children about God, his goodness, and his Word than in Deuteronomy 11: 19-21: “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.”(NKJV)
How to Pray
Jesus showed
us how to pray over and give thanks for our food. He showed us that even though he was the one
distributing the food, the fact that he had it to give himself was God’s
grace: “After he said
this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he
broke it and began to eat.” (Acts 27:35, NIV)
The two fish and five loaves of bread multiplied after he said the blessing. This was a pure reenactment of the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. Jesus showed us the results of what the power of praying and trusting in God with the little we have can do: “And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14: 19-21, NIV)
Jesus showed us the importance and power of praying
with others. Luke 9:28 tells us, “About eight days after Jesus said this, he took
Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.”(NIV) There
is something about experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirt as we pray with
others.
Jesus also showed us the
importance of praying alone: “After
dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When
evening came, He was there alone.”
(Matthew 14: 23, Holman) In order to avoid suffering burnout and
spiritual emptiness, there is a need for us to pour into ourselves before we
can pour into others. Once we are filled
up, we are ready to go out and serve.
Dear Father,
We thank you for your grace and
power of prayer. Please help us to
remember that prayer reaches the doors of heaven, and changes things. We also ask that you would help us to get
into the habit of developing a routine for prayer, whether it is by ourselves
or with others.
In your name we pray,
Amen
Thank you for visiting Healing Our Brokenness, and if this episode has blessed you in any way, please tag a friend on Social Media, share it, review it on Itunes, and pray for the show as well.
In case you missed last week’s episode, “Episode 33: Praying During Desperate Times”, you can find that episode here. Today’s episode, “Episode 34: Surrender”, is covering the topic of surrender.
Episode 34: Surrender Podcast Outline
What is surrender?
What does surrender look like?
How I Am Learning to Surrender
Podcast Transcript
Surrender
When you think of surrender, you think of yielding, giving up control, crying “Uncle”, giving in, waving the flag. Surrender has a negative connotation, but it can have a positive outcome when it’s done in the proper context.
If we had the choice, there are some trials that we just wouldn’t sign up for. However, God gives us these trials in order to refine us like gold. These trials will show that our faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold: So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:7, NLT)
One of the worst
things that we can do is to think that we have it all under control. The devil tricks us into thinking that we can
fix problems on our own, and that we just have to figure out the right plan, or
perhaps we just didn’t do something “enough”. A very tender spot for any
mother’s heart is their children. Oh,
how I wish that I could take away the pain and effects from trauma that my kids
have endured over the last five years.
However, this isn’t possible. No matter how old they are, our kids’ issues
stay on our hearts. However, if we don’t
surrender these very issues to God, then we find ourselves emotionally,
mentally, and spiritually drained. Of
course, because of the mind-body connection, these issues then takes a turn on
the fourth area: physical. They can
literally eat us alive with immobility and heaviness of heart. I have just recently had my moment of
realizing that my kids will have to have their own journey of healing. I can support them. However, I can’t take on the responsibility
of doing the work for them. It hinders
them from growth, and the ability to get clarity on their own.
Surrender is not
a once in a lifetime thing. If only it
was that easy. It is daily. In Luke 9: 23, Christ tells us: “If anyone would come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me. (ESV) Focusing on God
and his promises helps us in this journey called life.
Dear God,
Thank you for the
shining beauty that comes from our trials when we are refined. Thank you that we can take all of our burdens
and our kids’ burdens and lay them down at your feet. Please help us to understand that surrender
is a daily thing, and that we have to put our trust in you.
How many of you have had times like myself, where you’ve carried around
a heavy load, done all that you can do in a certain situation, prayed several
times over the situation, and yet you still feel like you’re not sure of how to
proceed. You end up being stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
We know that the bottom line is that God is in control. Even with that,
sometimes our hearts still remain heavy.
This was pretty much what Hannah had to go
through. Hannah was barren, and every year when she went to give worship
and sacrifice to the Lord, her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, would taunt her
to the point of fear because God had shut up her womb. We all know that
fear is from Satan himself.
And her rival used to provoke her grievously
to irritate her, because the Lord had
closed her womb.So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of
the Lord, she
used to provoke her. Therefore, Hannah wept and would not eat. (I Samuel 1: 6-7, ESV)
Hannah’s heart was so heavy, that she went before God’s throne of grace,
pleading to God to open her womb: “And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your
servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your
servant a son,
then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. (I Samuel 1: 11-12, ESV)
Hannah was so intentional with her prayers,
that her mouth moved, but her prayers were submitted to God through her heart
and her spirit. She was on a mission. Eli the priest thought that
she was drunk:
Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her
lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken
woman.And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on
being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink,
but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.Do not regard your servant as a
worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and
vexation.” (I Samuel 1:
13-16, ESV)
It was at this point that God gave Hannah a sign through Eli that he had
heard her cry, and her prayers would be answered:
Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the
God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”And she
said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went
her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. (I Samuel 1: 17, ESV)
And when she had weaned him, she took
him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour,
and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young.Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am
the woman who was standing here in your
presence, praying to the Lord.For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
(I Samuel
1: 24-28, ESV)
About six years ago, when I was at the peak
of my valley, everything in my home was in an uproar. I had done
everything that I could possibly do, been taken advantage of, and with a heavy
heart, I went to the Lord for help in a prostrate position. I felt led to
write out the prayer that King Jehoshaphat prayed in 2 Chronicles 20:
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this
great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes
are upon thee.” (KJV)
God laid it upon my heart to pray this prayer
for the next forty days. As the days went on, spiritual warfare hit from
every corner. I was on a mission, and I continued to pray. My
friend and I decided to get together to pray on one accord with this same
prayer New Year’s Eve night.
Our kids were upstairs hanging out, and we
were downstairs praying. The kids came downstairs a few times to grab food
and were looking at us as if we were crazy. But just like Hannah, we kept
praying. We prayed this prayer so hard and so long till our mouths dried
out, and we could no longer talk.
Like Hannah, we needed an answer. We joked around about whose prayer God would answer first. And as in Hannah’s situation, God answered our requests. My prayer was answered thirteen days later. I don’t remember how quickly God answered hers. It was soon after. God split the Red Sea so that I could leave the Egypt of a toxic marriage. Praise God for his word and his promises!
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your word and your
promises. Thank you that when our hearts are heavy with grief, you are
still there. You never change. You are the same yesterday, today,
and forever. Please comfort our hearts when we just don’t know what to
do, knowing that you are in control, and will give us instructions when the
time is right.
