Hey All,
It's been a while since I posted last. We had problems with our internet at our last house and then when we moved to North Bay I forgot that I had a blog. My Mom saw that I had a blog the other day and said she would like to see me blogging again. Thanks Mom. It was a good reminder. :)
Life has been interesting. It's full of ups and downs but One thing is constant - my LORD and my God! Since we started this faith journey almost 3 1/2 years ago our life has changed dramatically. We went from having a steady income where we knew what our finances would look like, things might have been tight, but we had enough, to trusting God for finances when things don't look pretty on paper. We had Benjamin in the midst of all of this and he is now over 2 years old. We have lived with a few different people during this time as well as having our own place a few times. This has been stretching for all involved but I see God in each circumstance. I see Him teaching, stretching, mentoring, guiding, cleansing, purifying through all of it.
I am not the same person I was 3 1/2 years ago. I'm sure none of us are. I am not the same in so many ways. The Lord has been killing my people pleasing. This has been so huge for me because fear of man has had a huge hold on me through my life. I have struggled with wanting to please my parents, my siblings, my bosses, my Christian leaders, my husband, my kids and even people who are driving on the same stretch of road that I am. Rory said to me one day "Dana, you will never see them again. You don't have to worry about what they think about you." He's right and yet the fear remained.
I heard an amazing talk by John Bevere about Breaking Intimidation a couple of weeks ago. Wow was it ever powerful! I felt a real breakthrough in this area of my life. After much rejection over these past few years because of people not agreeing or understanding what God has asked us to do, Rory and I have had to learn to let go. To let go of what people think. We just have to obey. We have to be faithful to what He has clearly shown us to do. We have to minister to those He puts in front of us and be faithful to trusting He will, as the old Keith Green song says, "take care of the rest." That song says it so well. Here is a link to listen to if you've never heard it or haven't heard it in a long time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAe0q21YgTQ
The amount of fear of man that has been broken off of us is amazing. I really believe this had to happen before we could move on to new things God has for us. There is still more that has to go...I'm just so glad I'm not the same woman I was 3 1/2 years ago. I want more of HIM and less of me. I want to obey Him and not do something because I'm afraid of what a mere man might think of me or do to me. People may have opinions but it doesn't mean those opinions are right. It's good to ask the Lord and seek Him as He will use people to speak into our lives but we cannot let intimidation keep us from serving God in the way He has asked us to serve Him. God will ask us to do things that don't make sense. He asked Noah to build a boat when it had never even rained on the earth before. The people thought he was crazy! God asked Abraham to leave his extended family and go out into the desert where he had no idea where he was going. God also told him to believe that he would have a son in his old age. This was crazy yet he believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. God asked a young girl to believe she would become pregnant though she had never had relations with a man before...and Mary believed. God asked Gideon to take on an entire army of thousands against only 300 of his men...and with torches and trumpets. Gideon trusted and believed God and they defeated the great army.
Why is it so hard for us to believe that God will still ask us to do crazy things today when He did asked that of believers all throughout the Bible? Is He still not the same God He was then? Are we still God's people or not?? Who do we say that God is? Is He able to do great things?? Is He trustworthy? Didn't he save Daniel out of the lion's den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the fiery flames?? Didn't he save Mary from being divorced quietly by Joseph? Didn't he save Joseph out of the dungeons to become second in command of all of Egypt?? Didn't he save the Israelites from the great Pharaoh and free them when He said it was time?? Who do we say that God is??
I say that I believe. It's not always easy. Living the life God has asked us to lead is nowhere close to easy and I want to quit many times but I know He doesn't always call us to easy. He asks us to obey. Obedience is greater than sacrifice the Lord says in His Word. What is He asking you to obey today? What are you fighting Him on? I know I fight Him way too much and I have to surrender because he loves an obedient heart. It's all through His Word.
I love you all!
Dana