28. February 2010 by Starr.

Have you ever dealt with someone who keeps going over the same problem with you over and over and over again?  It feels like you are trodding the same road over and over and over by yourself with them and they only keep arguing the same point to come back to it again?  I have, and I’m sure you have, also.  I ave dealt with a specific person over something that has been a very stressful place in my life and the lives of my children for a number of years, and this person has kept this issue a living, breathing, issue and has used this as a control point and Satan has also used it to cause stress and to drive a wedge into our lives, for this issue has just simply been a ridiculous neverending cycle of a back and forth argument.  Those of you who have unfortunately experienced divorce, can relate to this, I’m sure.  The argument of who is right on something…the little arguments over, the halfway issues.  No one wants to seem to meet in the middle on issues…but it always seems that one parent or the other wants to just seem to keep on fighting or battling and refuses to just “let it go” or just do the right thing.  They just want to continue the argument. 

 Recently, one of these situations came into my life (once again, for about the ten thousandth time).

Please consider this paraphrase of this verse:  “Whoever offers praise glorifies me, and to him that uses praise over and over again enough to make a trodden road, to him will I show the deliverance of God.”

Oh, how many times I have traveled down that “trodden road” on that same issue.  How many times have I praised God or cried or prayed or just quietly trodden down it.  How many times have I ran down it or been afraid on that same road, on that same issue over the years with this person?   I suddenly realize that God and I have been together on that road with this person.  I haven’t been alone.  God has been there, too, and He sees it, also.  He knows the trial, the things I have tried and the times I have tried to resolve it, to no resolution, and no consideration from the other person. 

Right after the situation happened, my daughter put in a praise and worship cd and began to praise God in the car.  She fell asleep and I began to praise by myself and pray and praise to God, talking to Him about the situation.  As I was driving along, I was trodding the road of praise.

 A peace came to me about this.  I felt God speaking to my heart about it.  God said into my spirit….”You’ve given it all you’ve got here.  You’ve tried to do what’s right.  You’ve spoken the truth.  You weren’t heard.  Let me take it from here.  Tell this person, you will do as they wish, for them to tell you what will it take to make them happy here, for this is a test for them, and then I will deal with it.  This is my battle, not yours.”  Once I heard God on this…I felt free.  I felt delivered.  I can’t tell you how I felt right there in that moment.  Total and complete freedom from that situation.  It no longer is even an issue for me.  It is gone.  Simply gone.

Once you trod the road of praise with God…He will show you deliverance.  Resist acting toward situations and people in the angry ways that the Devil wants you to…and react in a way that Christ would want you to….and watch God do His thing for you!!  He will be  your advocate.

“Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

“Thank You, Jesus, that You’ve taught me that praise is an effective shield against Satan and his attacks.  God please be with those who are who are reading this right now, who are also going around a mountain with someone who continues to try to hold control over them by a situation that is also a “trodden road.”   Deliver them, Lord, and bless them.  In Christ’s precious name, Amen.”

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24. February 2010 by Starr.

Yesterday as I was preparing for my afternoon, I felt the Lord prompting me into prayer.  It felt urgent and it was as if He was saying…”Hurry.”  During that prayer time, I felt the Lord leading me to begin a newsletter, and to drop my column.  There were three specific people that God impressed upon my heart to begin this newsletter with, and I could see what me and these three ladies had in common.  During prayer, I began to sob …and as, perhaps, one would, when they are granted the precious presence of the King.

I can’t express my heart today, as the tears still flowed into the night as I fell asleep, and I know this little newsletter is something that is starting with 3 blessed ladies…me, and two others that God impressed upon my heart to begin it with me. That’s only 6, total.   I don’t even know what I should call this newsletter, or exactly where to start.  I don’t know where it will lead or where it’s going.

But I do know three important things.  I know that this is what God has asked of me.  I know that I said, “Yes, Lord.  My life is yours.”  And I am not afraid of small beginnings.

Dearest readers, please pray for this newsletter that is being born.  Please pray that I hear what God wants me to hear so that He may guide my heart, my mind and my pen.

starr

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23. February 2010 by Starr.

I love change.  And I find that I do it often when I just feel the mood strike.  For example, I rearrange furniture, kitchen cabinets, change the bedroom bedding or redecorate when I just feel “change” needs to happen.  Especially when I’m starting a new article or story, I need my surroundings to be different, so that I can feel a change in my environment, to help me change in my creative writing mode. 

Around my house right now, my kids and I are going through alot of changing, and that’s a good thing.  But I’ve noticed that God has had us in more changes than I first thought.  We are going through some things very different than ever before.

First, it began with our vehicles.  Then that led to me  needing to rearrange the house/ and sleeping arrangements.  I rearranged the bedroom arrangements with which of my sons slept upstairs vs downstairs.  That led to bed switcheroos…bedding…curtains…etc.  Then the boys were allergy tested, which we then discovered several allergies they had, so then came diet changes.  Many—and two surgeries!  Two out of my three sons are having surgery in the same month.  And that’s not all…so in came new matresses, new washer & dryer….and etc. etc. ….basically God is changing us not only on the outside, but on the inside, too.  We, also, are going through alot of emotional changes.  So we are healing and changing physically, emotionally, environmentally, and spiritually. 

Friends….we have to be willing to be clay.  We have to be willing to change.  We have to be willing to let God do His thing with us and make us into something better. 

Please keep in mind, however…..CHANGE and making things DIFFERENT, are quite two different things.  Just because things are different, doesn’t mean they have changed.  The difference on the outside can happen, but the change on the inside actually has to happen, too.

Today, let me encourage you to ask God about change in your life.  What are some things that could be changed for the better?  I like what William Blake says about changes of opinion.  He says, “The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.  ~William Blake

Let us think like the One of living water…not the stagnant standing water.  The kind of thinking that moves, and changes and lives all the time.

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10. February 2010 by Starr.

When the people in Nazareth drove Jesus out of their town to a hill intending to push him off a cliff, Jesus allowed them to drive him to the edge. Then He simply slipped through the crowd and left. Jesus never lost control of the situation. He was always the One who chose the final outcome.

What a good word for us! It may seem that Satan has gained control of situations in our lives, but “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood” (Ps. 29:10).

The Psalmist said, “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me” (Ps. 42:7 KJV), but he acknowledged that they were God’s waves and billows! He acknowledged God, and so was not overcome by the circumstances.

To acknowledge God in all our ways is to believe that He is there, not in a passive way but actively controlling every situation. We see Him as allowing our disappointments because He has a higher purpose. We call all the waves and billows His!

Because God is sovereign, we can trust Him no matter what happens.

Jesus, I acknowledge that You are actively controlling every situation in my life.

“You are the ruler of all things” (1 Chronicles 29:12).

(Thank you, Aletha Hinthorn)

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10. February 2010 by Starr.

Child of mine and God’s, I love you with an everlasting love.  I love you with unconditional love.  I love you because I want to!  I love you when others think you are unlovable.  I love you when you have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  I love you in the good times and in the bad.

Mom

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5. February 2010 by Starr.

I, unfortunately, have learned this simple fact…those who don’t seem concerned about what I have to say…either by my voice, or by my written word…or by my heart…. simply aren’t concerned about what I have to say…therefore do not care about what matters to me.  If they do not care about what matters to me…they simply do not care about me…and that, makes all the difference.  I’m simply stating the point that…you can’t care about a person without caring about what is in their thoughts, mind and heart.  When you love someone, you should want to know what they’re thinking at the foundation of everything else…you should want to hear what they have to say, want to read what they write and want to know their heart and ….be concerned about their deepest concerns, hurts and feelings.            

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3. February 2010 by Starr.

Yes…I heard the moans and groans out there from my readers when you read the title, “Patience.”  And guess what?  I even moaned and groaned a bit myself when I decided to write a devotional on patience.  (I will post where to find the entire published series on my website—but I am blogging a snippett, for this is something I am working on myself, and any of you who are reading this now, that know me personally know, patience is something I struggle with myself, as well.) 

The thing is, even the word patience seems like a chore, because it is something that seems so very hard for so many of us to have, especially when dealing with very difficult and hurtful people who have damaged us in our past.  But we must remember that patience is something that the Holy Spirit provides for us to respond with.  It is there for us anytime, any place, whenever we need it, but if we do not use the patience He provides we grieve Him by responding carelessly out of our own impulsive spirit. 

The enemy wants us to think that if we do not “stand up for ourselves” or “argue our point” or ventilate our feelings, that things will only get worse.  Satan wants us to think that if we suppress our anger, it will cause more damage to us.  Like the Prince of Lies that he is…this is completely untrue.

 An  impatient spirit thrives each time it gains power.  Each time we become agitated, complain, or focus on the negative, impatience only begins to grow in our spirit.  On the flip-side, each time we remain patient during trials and temptation, we strengthen His grace. 

It’s very difficult to remember but very important to learn to guard our hearts and minds about the one who is a trial to us.  If we allow ourselves to continually lock our minds upon memories of that person’s unkindness towards us in the past, for example, our impatience will be well fed, and therefore, when we speak with them or see them, our impatience will be ready to fly out of our spirit before we even know what is happening.  We must guard our thoughts and remember to think upon what is lovely, and true, of good report and positive…things that God wants us to focus upon, not upon the negative that is hurtful.

The Holy Spirit will help us modify our behavior.  When we feel tempted to respond with great impatience, we only need look up and claim the patience and gentleness of Christ.

 ”A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

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