I tried something new.

Last night, in traditional fashion for this area, I had goose for dinner, with sauerkraut, purple cabbage (can't remember the right name) and a potato ball that wasn't a potato ball. It looked like a softball, but it was squishy, kinda gooey, kinda tasty...made partly from potatoes.

I ate so much stuff last night that I would normally walk right by. But, the menu was set. So, therefore, goose - a huge piece and the other items with bread and salad and dessert were the main attraction.

One of the desserts was hazel nut and chocolate, but the blend, consistency and shape put me in mind of something a puppy would pass. But, nevertheless, I soldiered on and much to my taste surprise, it was more than yummy.

I guess you can't always judge a book by it's cover.

So, I plan to wrap up my trip here and fly back home. I'm praying and asking God for a smooth trip. We have enough rough air on the trip over here.

Have a great weekend.

Now, this is cold weather. It is 2 degrees celcius. That’s real cold for a chick from North Carolina. I have the proper gear of course – dressed head to toe in warmth but you still have to go outside! In Europe, lots of walking (and bike riding) is done. In Erlangen, the same is true. We park far and walk long. And, parking is at a premium. But, I’m not complaining. I need the exercise – especially after I ate all of that GREAT bread last night.

Who would have thought that I would be spending so much time in Germany? I once dated an American soldier who dreamed of being stationed in Germany. We were standing in line at a restaurant, and he initiated a conversation with the family standing next to us. That’s where I learned how badly he wanted to be stationed in Germany. He told them that WE would be stationed there soon. That he had put in the paperwork for it. The husband and wife at that time said, “Wow – Germany!” They talked about it more and more and the more real it became, the blood must have flown out of my face because the husband looked at me and said, “Well, she doesn’t look so sure about Germany.” Who would have ventured to guess that now, I would be on my fifth trip since 2007 – things have a way of working themselves out.

So, why have I told you all of this about cold weather and Germany?

I want to get you to think about broadening your territory.

It’s easy to do the run-of-the-mill things. It’s harder to break from your routine and experience something new. So, today, I ask that you do just that. Do something new today that you’ve never done before. And, I believe that you will find the break from your routine rewarding. Pray about what to do – then do it!

And lastly, share with us bloggers here! We want to know too!

God Bless,
sk

I have an appreciation for birds. I get that from my dad. He and his aunt Sarah were into bird-watching. I think that what I really marvel at is a bird's ability to fly. I look at their bodies and then their wingspans and they just simply fly!

If I were to flap my equivalent - my arms - then gravity would surely pull me down. But, birds, they just do it. They have sense to know when to go out into the elements and when to stay in shelter. Birds get it. That's cool.

Yesterday, I was flying - in a metal bird some 30,000 + feet high in the sky ... over a major body of water. We hit a lot of turbulence. I'm happy that I am a seasoned flyer or I may have had a tendency to be a bit scared. But, we got jostled around for a good while. Even the pilot told us that we would have to just go through it - he couldn't go around it.

Turbulence - or rough air as the industry calls it now, comes. But when we are experienced, we notice the roughness, but we are not consumed by it - we are not afraid of it. And, that's how it is with seasoned Christians. They trust God to get them through. Even though it may be rough going with the things that they are dealing with, they have confidence and trust in God. They sit back in their seat within their "spiritual bird," knowing that even though they are being jostled about, and that they are high above the ground where falling is not an option (or either a deadly option), they are not fretting. They are trusting.

To the seasoned Christians, keep on trusting. Fly, fly, fly!

I think I may have reinjured my ankle. That's bad because I have to travel before I will have an opportunity to visit with the doctor familiar with my ankle injury. Oh, the drama.

I went through muscle strengthening after finally getting an appropriate diagnosis when this first happened. That was pretty intense! And, I selfishly do not want to go back to those times. It was aggrevating but effective. Which is why I am a little puzzled as to why I am feeling that something is a little amiss now. I remember wearing a pair of flats on Thursday - they have a small platform as the base. Well, I was turning the corner and did so rather painfully. I remember thinking - wow, that hurt! But, the pain went away relatively fast. So, I didn't think much of it. But now, since then, I have been feeling the effects.

It's funny how we think that we are 100% healed from something painful only to find out that one wrong move will land us right back where we were before. This is what happens when we get well in our own strength - we are subject to reinjury and reminders. But, when we move on out of the way and allow God to heal us - then no weapon formed against us can prosper. We are healed through and through - most times even much better than we were before our injury. God can and does use others to heal us. The difference is reliance.

Who are we relying on? If I think back, I think I would have relied on the doctor's wisdom to heal me - not necessarily God working through the doctor. But now, I know that I need to rely on God Himself to heal me - even if He chooses to do so through the doctor.

So, bloggy buddies, please pray that this time, I rely solely on God for my healing. I know that He alone can give me the 100% recovery that I need!

Sometimes the choices that others make hurt us.

Whether intentional or not, the hurt is still there.

We cannot change others or make their decisions for them. God gives us all freewill. Therefore, the only choices we can make are our own. We have to decide how we will respond to the choices of others that hurt our very feelings.

I want to encourage you today to do a few things when you find yourself in that situation:

1. Look to God. And, while this could be our first and last point, I will not stop there. We've got to look to Him because He is the one that knows the entire situation. He knows exactly how you are a feeling. He created you and knows how you respond to things. In fact, He knew that this situation was going to come before you experienced. He knows all about it and He cares. He is waiting on you to look to Him. And, when you do, you will find the strength and encouragement to move forward. When you hurt, He hurts too - He is not an insensitive God. But, He promises to never leave you nor forsake you. So, look to Him.

2. Recognize your worth. As a believer, you are a child of the King. So, no hurtful decision from someone else affects your worth in God's eyes. You are strong because your strength comes from the Lord. You can make it when you depend on God. You can make it when you recognize that you add value to the world because you are a Creation from God. He determines your value - not anyone else. Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

3. Move forward. I have wasted YEARS of my life all because I couldn't find the courage to move forward after someone hurt me. God never intended for me to get stuck like that. But now, I have a testimony that says that resisting forward movement is detrimental on so many levels. It takes courage to move forward. But, it's available through God. Don't allow that one that hurt you victory over you for years like I did. Be better than that. Move forward with your life. By doing so, you give God glory. There is an old saying - if He brings you to it, He can bring you through it. Rest in that assurance today and move forward.

You do not have to lobby for somebody else's approval of you. God approves. That's enough.

You do not have to stay bound up because someone hurt you. Cry if you have to - but put your trust fully in the Lord and walk with Him. He'll never leave you nor forsake you.

And lastly, don't wear hurt like a badge or pendant. Get through it, with the help of God and cast it off. You don't need the weight or the stinch of it. Cast it off and leave it off.

I don't know why this was on my heart this morning, but hopefully and prayerfully, as you read this post, you will be encouraged to know that God knows and He cares so much about you. He loves you with an everlasting love and He is for you. He has a positive opinion of you and He wants you to walk in victory today.

So, chin up - dry your eyes - and keep moving to the glory of God!

Have you ever heard someone shade the truth? This is, have you ever had someone tell just enough of the truth to seem credible but then they spin it to their own advantage? If you are looking for an example of this, turn on the television. It’s campaign season and it just seems that shading the truth is the mode de jour.

The problem with shading the truth is that it is lying. It’s not turning things to your advantage. It’s not fair. It’s not the way things should be done. Do not be deceived. A half truth is a whole lie.

So, what can we do when it’s time to pick our leaders. Do your own research. Don’t cheat off somebody else’s paper by letting them fill you with their spin. Do your own research and find out for yourself. When it comes to politics, don’t just rely on factcheck. That’s been found to be misleading too. In such a tight election, you need to do your own research and vote the way that you are led by God to vote. It does not matter what somebody else thinks or feels. You go into the voting booth alone. And, it is in that booth that you will make your own choices.

I encourage you to make sure that you have really done your own research and not settled for the reports from political pundits or the local barbershop. Do your civic duty and research the candidates to see where they really stand.

My state has early voting, so I did my due diligence in research and now I’ve voted. These last minute news items coming out about the candidates don’t bother me. They are just last minute attempts to get votes. But, in this campaign season, after having done my due diligence, and counted the costs for both sides, my decision is made and cannot be changed. My ballot – submitted. My sleep – peaceful. I wish you the same.

Do not lie to me. That's a pet peeve of mine that God is helping me with. I get really irritated when someone lies to me and I know that they are lying right as the words are coming out of their mouth. Don't get me wrong, I also get rather annoyed when I have believed something only to find out later that the whole thing was a fabrication. There is no reason to lie - not one. Telling the truth, even when it is not good news, is essential.

Lying is nothing new. But it is something that must be identified and stomped out in the life of the believer.

Why is it so hard to speak truthfully? Well, it really isn't. What gets complicated is telling a lie to cover another lie and another lie and so on and so forth. Lies build bridges to eternal damnation. Truth appeals to Heaven.

Speaking the truth in love is healing. Speaking the truth in love is life.

We can get mixed up when we get out of synch with God.

Take this example: We try to spare somebody's feelings and end up telling a lie.
End result: the person does not have hurt feelings but you have sinned. Not good. What if God was prompting you to tell that person the truth in love but you, in your own assessment, decided what was best for that person - to lie to them instead to spare their feelings. You have just interfered with God's business. It's not your business to decide what is best for someone else when God has given you a directive.

He directs us to be truthful in our speech. Tell the truth. And, do it in such a way that it can be received well. Ephesians 4 tells us to speak the truth in love!

Our speech should be loving and it should be kind.

One of the greatest things we can do for others is to show them love by giving them truth. It is when we are ready to be truthful that we can impact the world for Christ with a strong and powerful witness. So, go ahead, speak the truth in love when God gives you the go-ahead. Let God set the pace and timing - don't lie and try to do things on your own.

I like to say this - when God sends the mail, all you have to do is deliver!

Be Blessed,
Sanya

#172 Come On Down!

I feel like I won an opportunity on the “Price Is Right.” I’m so excited inside that I want to give God praise on the outside! He is so wonderful to me! And, He does things that lift me and encourage me right when I least expect it and most need it! God is good like that. Let me tell you what happened…

Last week, I posted an entry entitled “Do the Hard Thing.” I got some really great feedback from some of you which encouraged me. Thank you. See how God moves!?! Amazing.

I’ve mentioned to you how much I enjoy reading Lysa Terkeurst’s blog. So, last week, she had a post to get to know the blogging community. Well, I entered two of my blog entries into a Mr. Linky that Lysa set up. She would be using selected ones for her radio broadcast and potentially for other opportunities around the P31 ministry.

Guess what, she is going to use the “Do the Hard Thing” post for a radio broadcast that she will do. Isn’t that exciting! Look – here’s the way that I found out… click here. Pop on over there and see for yourself...

Now, can’t you hear the “#172, Come On Down!” (Nevermind the misspelling of my name – once you click through, you’ll see it’s me!)

Thank you, God, for the opportunity to share Your message with those who desire to hear it. And, thank you, Lysa for such a great opportunity. And finally, thank all of you for your comments, your honesty and openness and your support!

I feel extra blessed!

Yours and His,
Sanya

Okay, here I am. I'm feeling a bit better. This weekend, wowzers.... I didn't feel so good. But, I did manage to get a few things accomplished.

But God was faithful to me. I was able to get much of the work accomplished that needed to be accomplished and I got a wonderful opportunity to REST. My mother scolded me about my vitamin intake but that was okay too. I needed to be reminded.

So, here I am telling you to take good care of yourself. The weather where I am is cold and hot all in the same week. Some of the older generation refer to it as "flu-weather." So, remember to dress in layers and wash your hands frequently. And, get your rest. Your wonderfully-designed body can do wonders if you don't always run your battery down. Get some rest and watch its performance soar!

So, I hope you'll give me a little reprieve today and take these practical examples as my entry. While I rest, I'll be sure to keep a journal by my side so that if anything blog-worthy comes up, I'll capture it and you will get to read it as you stop by. Sound good?

Okay - have a great day.

Why do we care what people think about us? What is it about us that craves acceptance and approval? Two words: Our flesh.

The flesh is tricky. It can make us crave things that are inherently bad for us. It can make us disregard things that we should really pay more attention to. That flesh of ours really knows how to do it. It knows what we like and drives us to get it - even when we outright know that we don't need to get involved.

Praise be to God that we don't have to live under the mandate and control of our flesh. As children of God, we can tell ourselves to "pump brakes." We don't have to get go there. We can stop. When we belong to God, we have a helper - the precious Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. Isn't that incredible!? God left us with the Word to strengthen us and a piece of Himself dwelling within us.

The Holy Spirit is such a gentleman. He's not going to force Himself or His will upon us. But don't be mistaken. He's there, waiting for us to listen to His correction and direction. He knows what God desires for us to be about. Afterall, He is God - He is part of the Holy Trinity.

So, then, what we have to do is get our flesh under submission to God. We can do it with His help. We can do it when we stop looking to others for approval of what we say, do and think and instead look to God for His approval of us.

How can we know that He approves? Easy - read the Word. The Bible will tell you everything that you are supposed to be about as a child of God. And, when your life lines up with the Word, then you will know that He approves of your activities.

No, it's not always easy - but it is always necessary.

Yes, you will make mistakes, but God has left the necessary steps to be forgiven in His Word.

Follow Christ - He will treat you right. Trust in the Lord. Don't worry about what other people think. They don't have a Heaven to put you in - they are not the ultimate judge. God is. Live your life to please Him.

And, if you do, you'll never look back - how do I know? I know because when you seek His approval and structure your life to be obedient to what He requires, you will feel a freedom that you've never felt before. Once you lay your burden down, don't pick it back up.

Be free!

Have a great weekend!

Do you remember when songs were written about something? I do. What got me to thinking was that I was watching television yesterday and the strangest song came on. In case you are a fan, I won’t mention the artist or the song – anyway, this performer was on a talk show and the lyrics to this “song” – using the word loosely of course, were outrageous.

The funny – no, the interesting thing was that despite that clear fact that this song made absolutely no sense, young girls were falling out over this performer. Now, granted, he was easy on the eyes – but what education level could he have had to sing a song like that one?

Am I getting too old or just plain judgmental when I say that if you are going to spend money to record, I believe that the song should be about something. And as a buyer, you should purchase on the expectation that you are going to hear something worth listening to. And, here we go – as a Christian – well, the higher expectation on you is that you will spend your time listening to things that matter.

Let’s examine some of the content of this song – the guy is basically telling the girl that she can have anything that she wants, just let him know. He will do this for her because he wants her body. Huh? Say what?

So, yeah, maybe I’m getting older because if a guy thinks he can buy my body for material goods, well, he’s mistaken. And, that’s the stance our young folks need to take as well. Your body is not for sale – in fact, it’s not even your own. We were bought with a price – the blood of Jesus Christ.

Our young people need to see this as truth – a truth worth singing about!

Sometimes, in order to be in complete obedience to Christ, we have to make tough decisions. These decisions are tough not because we desire to do the wrong things, but they are tough because we desire to do the things that please others. We want their approval and we do not want them to be hurt in the process. But, we have a decision to make.

Will we do what the Lord has commanded, or will we step in and try to save someone else’s feelings?

While, in our nature, it is easier to try to step in to save someone from hurt, we have an obligation to do God’s work first. We have an obligation to be obedient to Him. So, we must do the hard thing.

Sometimes the hard things are letting that loved one go to find their own way and to experience the things that must be experienced if they are to grow in God. Let’s take a look at our biblical examples set before us. Abraham had to do the hard thing.

He decided to be obedient to the Lord. The Lord told him to sacrifice His son, Isaac. You know the story. In obedience, early that morning, Abraham set out to do the Lord’s bidding. And because God saw how willing Abraham was to do His will, even as Abraham reasoned in His mind that God had given Him a promise and that God would be able to restore His son, God stopped the sacrifice. He told Abraham not to harm his son.

What would have happened if Abraham decided that “no way, now how” was he ever going to sacrifice his son. Things would have been much different.

But, Abraham did the hard thing.

Obedience costs you something but the dividends you get in return from the Lord far outweigh any sacrifice you may have had to make.

Do the hard thing.

Whatever the situation, if God is requiring that you leave it alone – then leave it alone. If God is requiring you to take action, then take action.

Do the hard thing, and you will see that God is yet in control. Your obedience will be rewarded.

What a weekend! I went to see Body of Lies, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. It was interesting – and violent at times. My verdict – good but not great.

I also went to the Parade of Homes event this weekend – again, good but not great. Multi-million dollar homes were not staged. I guess it has everything to do with the economy. But, still – a little bit of staging goes a long way.

But, when I went to church on Sunday, well, it was great! I taught Sunday School, prayed with the Ministers, participated in the worship service, taught the Spiritual Disciplines class, and then had a chance to hear local candidates state their positions at the candidates forum. When I left church last evening, I was pooped! But, in a good way.

I rested on my couch and watched a bit of television in between taking phone calls and flipping through a magazine. Sunday was great, even as I began to feel a little bit sick. I think that was from sheer exhaustion. I think my body was telling me enough was enough.

And, that’s what I want to remind you of today. We can do all sorts of things to fill our weekend. I should have done more cleaning but I spent most of the weekend away from home. Nevertheless, whatever it is that we engage in, we should do it full-heartedly. Sunday was the best day of my weekend – not because it was so jammed packed, but instead because it was a day of corporate worship and being in the Word for the majority of the day.

Have you had a day like that recently – where you set aside the majority of the day just to worship Him and study His Word? In days now where some churches have 3-4 services per Sunday, it’s hard to get a full day in of worship unless you stay for all the services. What was so special to me about Sunday was the teaching of the Word, which meant that I had to study the Word. I recall the hours spent – and they were wonderful. I want you to know that feeling too. So, even if you don’t plan on teaching anyone anything anytime soon, study anyway. Spend time with the Lord in study of His Word. Stay before Him in study as long as you can. And, when you do, He will give you an audience to share your knowledge with – a co-worker, a stranger, a class – you just never know. You will never leave your time of earnest study of the Word saying that it was good but not great! That’s a guarantee!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

I need your help. I've been trying to find this document that lists the sins of our nation and God's response. For instance, this study suggests when Roe v. Wade was made law, there was a direct correlation to crime. It lists things of this nature. And, by now, I'm sure there must be some colloration to the movement to take "In God We Trust" off of our money to the things we are seeing in our economy. It seems that too many unqualified home buyers put their trust in banks instead of God. The problem therein is that the banks were making risky deals on those mortgages and well, here we are. Wall Street and Main Street are suffering the consequences, but it goes deeper than that.

Panic and fear has the nation - no, it has the world - in its very grip.

So, if you've seen anything like document mentioned - please let me know. I want to pull the information together for something that I'm working on. So, please help a sister out!

It's a perfect time to reemphasize the gospel. As a nation, we are on our knees and now, it's time to get back to the discipline of prayer.

Have a great weekend!

I read Lysa Terkeurst's blog almost daily - some days she posts personal things and that's cool, but I delight in the days when she posts about the truth of God. Well, I was a few days behind in reading her posts when I stumbled upon this one ... http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/10/chasing-love.html

It's about chasing love - it's a good post to read whether you are single or married. She talks about one married woman's struggle with chasing love but I won't spoil it for you. If you get a minute today, jump on over to Lysa's blog and check out this post. Here's the link again: http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/10/chasing-love.html

Lord, help us to be careful with our affections!

Today, I pray for our nation. I want you to pray too. We often hear that we are to pray daily for our nation, for our leadership and for those who will make decisions on our behalves. But, today, I really feel like now is really time for prayer.

In a few short weeks, our nation will go to the polls. In this closely contested race on the national level - for the commander-in-chief position, the proverbial claws have come out - on both sides - from those who claim to know and love the Lord.

So, what can we do? How will we choose? Well, I've already got my mind made up based on the issues that matter to me and I'm praying for my candidate. But, I do ask for prayer now for those whose minds are yet to be made up. I pray that they don't fall for the "okey-doke" from these campaigns - I pray that when they vote that they will stay focused on the issues that make a difference in their lives.

So, I pray today for state and local as well as national candidates. They all deserve our prayers and I pray that they will all follow after God's leadership. That would be a welcome change!

Sometimes it hurts to confront those that we care about.

We wonder what they will think about us. We wonder if they will still see us in the same light that they used to. We wonder the multitudes of "what ifs."

We waste time. We debate. We ponder. But it still does not change the fact that this has to be done. We have to confront in order to correct.

I recently faced a troubling situation. I had to confront it and I knew it. But, instead I tried to hide behind a multitude of excuses. This got me absolutely no where.

I felt absolutely NO relief until such time that I was able to pray and ask the Lord for strength to address the issue as He would have me to do it. And when I did, I felt so much better! And, the confrontation was not hostile at all. It all worked out for the good.

I saw God moving because in my heart, I was trying to do the right thing. And, He worked it all out. So, what did I learn?

Don't run from the hard things. Ask God for help, and He will work through you!

Restoring relationships can be tricky. Therefore, I try to make sure that I do not damage the ones that I have in the first place. Yet, this is not always easily accomplished. Our emotions, left unguarded, can be contributory to harming our relationships.

It is noted that the ones closest to us, generally are the recipients of our bad behavior. It is thought to be that way because those same ones we injure love us – and will forgive our tantrums. But why subject them to this mistreatment in the first place?

One word – sin. This is what it all distills to. No matter how fancy we make it, sin will always be the root cause for why we mistreat others.

I am not sporting a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet this morning, but the question is a good one. Disciples of His should want to walk His walk and live as He lived. Jesus did not go around mistreating people. Instead, He demonstrated love and compassion. Even in His correction, He demonstrated such (Martha and Mary). And, even in cases where He challenged others sins, He still left them with teachings that would edify the body, and for the willing, restore their relationships.

Lord, be it ever unto us, to live life that would be pleasing unto you – not throwing tantrums to have our own way, but loving others more than we love ourselves, every single day!

Oh happy day! Welcome to Thursday!

I am particularly excited today. My house was a little chilly this morning, but thank God that I still have a roof over my homestead. My bed isn’t what it used to be, but thank God I have some place to lay my head!

Before I wax poetic this morning, I better explain myself. I am happy because it’s another day to be alive. I am not stressing this morning, I am simply celebrating life. I am not stressing this morning because I am leaning fully on the Lord.

How about you? How is your day going today?

Well, if it is not all “sunshine and lollipops”, then I want you to stop what other activity you are doing after the completion of this email and then I want you to thank God. Look at your body – your members and tell Him thank you. Look at the health that you do have and tell Him thank you. Look at the situation surrounding you – and tell Him thank you.

I am coming to the understanding that life itself can be hard. But we still have a fundamental choice. We will either celebrate in spite of because we are leaning on the Lord or we will succumb to the circumstances and situations around us.

Bloggy friend, I am asking you to try it God’s way today. Lean on Him and celebrate life – even in the face of challenging times. When you do, you will be blessed and it will be a “sunshine and lollipops” kind of day!

I cannot believe it’s October. It’s October and I’m still not wearing a coat to work in the mornings. What’s really going on people!?! Global Warming? End-times? What?!!

Okay – on to my point. I had a conference call this morning so that’s why I’m running behind in posting (plus the fact that I slept past the time I was supposed to get up so that I could post early. Sorry! Wink, wink…)

Yesterday, I nearly lost my cool. It’s like that when you birth something and somebody else tries their level best to take it away from you. I was crying and upset and couldn’t understand it (and I still don’t ) but like Patti LaBelle said … ou oou ou ou oooooouuu I’ve got a new attitude.

I spent a rather significant amount of time receiving wise council. And, well, now I’m set to do what must be done. With my face set towards God, I will step back and give God room to work the way that He intends.

You see, what happened to me yesterday is not a surprise to God. He’s seen it done before at the hands of the same people. God does not like "ugly" behavior. God sees, He knows, He cares. And, He handles folks too – He will repay. So, therefore, why should I get in His way? He is going to work this thing out in a way that gives Him the glory. And, I’m not going to interfere with it.

Now, knowing me, you recognize already that you are going to have to keep me in your prayers, right? It’s hard to turn something loose that means so much. But, whether it be at the hands of a thief or at the hands of God, when it’s time to let go, we’ve got to do just that. Let go and let God have His way in our circumstances and situations. We say that from time to time, and now here is the test.

If God intends for me to receive it again – since He’s the one that gave it to me and allowed me to prepare and present it, then I will have it. But, if this is the end of the road per the intentions of God, then it’s the end of the road. It’s really that simple. Somebody else cannot keep what belongs to you if God ordained it for you. So, please pray for me as I walk in faith, trusting God that He will restore me during this time. I grieved yesterday for the thing God allowed me to birth and now I have to trust Him, NOT man, with the growth of it.