Attacks of the Heart

Once upon a time, people who were suffering from a heart attack had little chance of survival because he or she didn’t know what was happening.  As a result of their not knowing, they ignored the symptoms until it was too late.

As medical advancements began to teach about the warning signs of heart attacks, such as discomfort and pressure in the center of the chest, pain on one or both arms, and shortness of breath, people became more aware of when they needed medical interventions.  Because of getting early medical help through knowing about the warning signs, the survival rate for heart attack victims has increased throughout the years.

Like physical heart attacks, there are also attacks of the heart in our Christian walk.  These spiritual attacks typically take us by surprise and like a physical heart attack, we need to know about the warning signs to increase “survival.” The following are some of the clues that tells us we should seek some help, or intervention, if you will. 

1. Wavering prayer life. Spiritual attacks have one goal…turn you away from God.  And that is accomplished when we stop communicating with Him.  One sign that you are under spiritual attack is when your prayer life starts to waiver.  Perhaps you aren’t making time for praying, or when you do have time you pray superficial prayers. In Matthew 26:40-41, the Lord tells his disciples to “…watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” Prayer assists with keeping us focused on the Lord.

2. Becoming Overwhelmed. I’m the first to admit that I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed lately…at work, at home, and even at church.  This could be a sign that you’re under a spiritual attack.  This often happens when it feels like the circumstances all around you are leaving you with a feeling of hopelessness.  If Satan can get us to lose our hope, then he can prevent our living in faith.  Proverbs 13:12 reminds us that hope which is deferred will make the heart sick.  Therefore, it becomes imperative that we not lose hope…even if we’re feeling overwhelmed.

3. Resurfacing of old habits. This is a very clear sign you are under attack.  Why would our habits or lifestyles prior to become a Christian become prevalent?  Easy, the enemy is once again trying to distract us from our current walk with Jesus.  When under attack with this warning sign, remember to rely on the convictions of the Holy Spirit to align your life Biblically.

4. You pull away from Godly relationships. There are times when under attack, where we don’t want to be held accountable within our Godly relationships.  So we pull aways from the ones who may be best able to help us through an attack.  Satan is smart…he wants to separate us from those who are our support and will assist with getting us back on track.

Well, what should we do if we’re having attacks of the heart? 

-Let’s not forsake a time and place for prayer.  There are two items that are imperative for a strong prayer life; the place and time for prayer.

-We should not forget the power of a place.  This could be your church, your prayer closet, or your heart…those places you feel close to God are important.

-Collectively, we should not forget the power of relationship.  Partnerships in Jesus, provide us with wise counsel and strong support.

-We need to rely on our Christian leaders.  Our Church leadership and specifically our Pastors are a provision by God to assist us with spiritual attacks.

Before medical advancements, many did not survive heart attacks because of lack of knowledge of the signs and symptoms of heart issues.  As Christians we need to know about spiritual attacks so that we are able to better identify them and survive…all in order to walk with Jesus, share the Gospel, and become more Christ-like.

~Emily

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Outgrowing the Waders

While we were dating, my husband gave me fishing waders that are lined with bright pink fleece. We fished in cold creeks frequently while in the wilds of Pennsylvania and New York.  I needed those waders to stay warm.

Fast forward to a few months ago, when I needed these waders for a fishing trip in Northern Alabama.  It was cold enough to wear the waders, but it had been several years since I’d put them on. Several years…and several pounds around my belly since I put them on.

As I pulled them up over my hips, I started to pray a ridiculous prayer…”God, please don’t let me be too fat to get these on.  I’ll never hear the end of it from my hubby if I’ve gained so much weight that the waders are obsolete!!! Please, please, please let them fit.”

Let me stop the recounting of this prayer for a moment of clarity.  I recognized this prayer was ridiculous in that moment.  What did I think God was going to immediately do?  Suddenly remove the 30 pounds I’d gained since we’d been dating?!?!?

Back to the story: the waders slipped up over my hips, up over my belly, and fit just fine.  Were they tighter than the last time I tried them on? Yes.  But were they on?  Also yes.  No screaming seams…they were on and I could comfortably move in them. This was a win. 

As Christians, we want a comfortable fit with faith. 

In the growth of a Christian, we should be continuously learning, immersing in the Word, fellowshipping with other believers, developing a faithful prayer life, and serving in the church, our community, or on mission trips.  The more we grow, the stronger our relationship with the Lord becomes.  We essentially move from infant to mature Christian in wanting more “meat” than “milk.”  

For many of us, this includes changing some aspects of our lives to make room for God.  I remember in the 1990s, members of my youth group threw away all of their secular music CDs and went to only Christian music listening.  For others, it may be giving up R-rated movies, non-beneficial friendships, drinking and smoking, or leisure reading.  None of those things are “bad” in and of themselves…rather, some choose to get rid of those things to more fully focus on developing a stronger bond with the Lord. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV) tells us, “…to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

The “putting off of our old self” is essentially guidance to believers to set themselves aside from their former sinful behaviors.  This does not mean that sin is over in our lives. Instead, it means that we should be guarded against that sinful behavior if we are truly professing to be a new creation through the acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

As you grow in your Christian walk, those old behaviors should feel uncomfortable.  They shouldn’t be easy to slip back into.  Hence, the earlier comment that our walk with the Lord can begin to feel comfortable…as long as we stay away from our “old self” before we knew the Lord.

As I slipped the waders on, I was grateful that they still were comfortable despite the slightly tighter fit.  I was content that they fit and that I wasn’t going to hear about it from my husband.

I don’t want to be content in my old self with God.  I’ve got to continuously keep working towards a better, stronger, more knowledgeable relationship with God. I’m praying this week that you have moments to reflect on strengthening your walk with Christ!

~Emily

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How Do I Deny Like Peter?

On Sunday my Pastor asked, “How do we deny the Lord, like Peter did?”

He’d just preached on the differences and similarities between Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial of Jesus when he posed the question.  It was an excellent sermon with several thought-provoking details about the motives and the lead-up to Easter services this next week.  The ultimate question was “Where do we deny Christ in our own lives as Christians?”  Do we minimize our relationship with the Lord when we aren’t in church? What does it look like when we deny Christ at work? At School? With Strangers?  Or with our own families?

The question created a scenario where I was reflecting for hours about a flippant comment that I’ve often made about the seven years I practiced wicca between 1998 and 2005.  I’ve often said of that time, “I denied Jesus, just like Peter.”

Let me be very clear, that seven years of deliberate disobedience was a blatant denial of Jesus and what He had already done in my life.

But there was more to the denial…three very distinct areas of denial that sit in my memory bank.

Exhibit One:  I was scheduled for my first knee surgery and while waiting to be rolled back to the Operating Room, I surprised myself by starting to pray.  I quickly “corrected” myself by telling myself that God was too busy to worry about my knee surgery.  Instead, I reminded myself that I’d burned sage in my dorm room and had “healing crystals” waiting at my bedside, which would take better care of me than a God who was too far removed from me. God denied.

Exhibit Two: I walked into my promotion test at Travis Air Force Base with the weight of a rock in my pocket that was promised to bring success and wealth into my life.  When I sat down and picked up the #2 pencil, I prayed that God would bring the knowledge to the front of my brain while taking the test.  Then I reminded myself that God was not for me and that the success rock in my pocket was what I truly needed.  God denied again.

Exhibit Three:  On the long stretch of Interstate 40 outside of Amarillo, I saw a horrific car accident with several first responders working frantically.  I prayed out loud, “Jesus protect the people in these vehicles, be with those working to save them.”  I immediately berated myself and switched that prayer from Jesus to a goddess over healers.  God denied thrice.

Each of these three examples is one where I denied the Lord.  Were there other examples of denial while I was involved with wicca?  Yes.  But these three are very specific ones that I remember.  Instances where I specifically chose to turn away from God, when in my heart and soul I had initially reached out to the one true God. 

Why do I remember these three more than any other example?  I can only tell you that in each three, I had a very distinct moment of conviction that I can now acknowledge as the Holy Spirit working on me. 

During the first example, I had a moment of doubt that included thinking “Do you really think a stupid crystal has anything to do with the beauty of God’s healing hands?”  Conviction.

During the second example, I had a moment after testing that I thought, “A rock is an inanimate object—a ridiculous thing to believe in when God is longing for you to return to Him for promotion.” Conviction again.

And after passing the car accident in example three, I specifically remember starting to cry.  Partly in solidarity with the families involved with the car wreck, but more because I specifically thought to myself, “You just changed a prayer from Jesus to a non-entity-goddess.  You are denying Christ.  You are no better than Peter in the courtyard.”  Conviction was delivered a third time.

It wasn’t long after the car accident conviction that I returned wholeheartedly to a walk with Christ and denounced all things wiccan. 

In our denials of the Lord, we are impacting our current relationship with God.  We are potentially turning others away from the Lord.  We are grieving the God who loves us so much. 

And yet, He loves us so much that He will take those moments of denial and turn them into “teachable moments.”  He loves us despite the denials. He uses the denials to catch our attention and bring us closer to Him. 

Think about Peter. Three times he denies Jesus in the courtyard area, even after Jesus had predicted that someone would deny Him and Peter refused to acknowledge it could be him.  As he was issuing his third denial, the rooster began crowing.  In Luke 22:61-62, we read that Jesus’ eyes met Peter’s.  An acknowledgment that the denial three times had occurred, and that Jesus knew who had done it. 

Verse 62 records that Peter went out and wept bitterly. 

Why? Because of the conviction of his heart. He knew then what he had done.  Denied the Lord.

In the week leading up to our celebrations of Good Friday and Easter, take some time to reflect on how you are like Peter in denying Jesus.  And know that whatever you uncover, the Lord will walk you through forgiving yourself for the denials.

~Emily

America, as a Godly Nation

Last week I took Erin and Kambell with me on a work trip to Washington DC.  The thought was that they would enjoy all of DC’s wonders while I was at work meetings and ceremonies.   The reality was that I was going to plan some of the touristy sightseeing with them…because I can’t stand being in a city with so much history and not sharing it.

Our first stop was a special request from the 7^th grader.  The National Archives.  He specifically wanted to see the Declaration of Independence.  He thought the Constitution and Bill of Rights would be bonuses.  He repeatedly commented on how old the documents were and that we could barely read the writing on some parts.  He also commented that God was mentioned four times in the Declaration of Independence, but not even once in the US Constitution or the Bill of Rights. 

Smart kid, right?  I’m sure it’s all because of who his Nanny is on these trips.

His observations and research got me thinking about how our Nation started as outwardly Godly.  We maintained Godliness through several decades.  And then we didn’t.  Some would argue that as a nation, we’re far from God now.

As a Christian American, who is concerned with the responsibilities of US citizenship, how can I impact the Godliness of the US…and a bigger question, should I be concerned with this topic? 

I’ll answer the second question first.  I believe we should be concerned with the connection our nation has with God.  Scripture shows us, time and again, that countries who fail to listen to the Lord are punished…think Sodom and Gomorrah.  Likewise, nations are blessed by the Lord, as seen in Psalm 82:8. All nations can be blessed…but there has to be an acknowledgment of His presence.  A “relationship” with God, if you will, not a rejection of Him.

On to the other question: How do I impact it? 

Prayer: I can impact our nation through prayer. Prayer for our eclectic officials, for circumstances in our nation, for natural disasters, for the economy, for any random thing that impacts the life of those who are living within our borders. Isaiah 60:2-3 (NASB) states, “For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

I may never meet the President, but I can surely pray for him.  I may never be in the middle of an earthquake zone, but I can pray for those who are. I may never be on the border with the cartel threatening my children’s lives, but I can pray for the mothers who face this dilemma.  You see, God has told us repeatedly in scripture that He hears our prayers…and He alone can answer them. 

Vote: It’s an election year.  And while voting seems to be an obvious way of change, it’s a mechanism for impacting the Godliness of the Nation.  It’s important to know about candidates and measures being voted on.  It’s more important to know where the candidates and measures align (or don’t align) with the Bible.  The elected officials and new laws we vote on should reflect a Biblical worldview.  If we are voting out of line with scripture, then we are part of the problem of why America seems less Godly.  

Share the Gospel: This also may seem obvious but think about this for a moment.  If more people heard about the true, loyal, loving, and sacrificial God that I know, wouldn’t there be a natural increase in the Godliness of the citizens?  Has a lack of sharing the Gospel contributed to the decline in Godly behavior and belief in this nation?  Perhaps.  But by shear mathematical equations, the more people who hear the Gospel, the more people are likely to accept Jesus as their Savior, the more people will act in accordance to the Bible, and then the more people influence the direction of the nation…in a God-pleasing manner.

I love being an American citizen.  I acknowledge the blessing it is to be born here, to live here, to immigrate here, to make a life here.  I gave this nation 25 years of my adult life by serving in the military because of how strongly I support and believe in the concept of the United States of America and all it stands for.   I want to support it becoming a God-filled place with unity under the Bible.  That support includes introducing my son to concepts of American history, such as the Declaration of Independence, where he can observe how many times God was mentioned in that document. 

But let me be clear, the true Godly Nation that we should be striving to impact and sustain is the one we find in Heaven.  I will pray, vote, and share the Gospel in support of America…but more importantly, I’ll do it in support of God’s will.

During an election year, it’s important to note that I do love America, but my citizenship is with the Lord in Heaven. 

~Emily

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Washing Machine Level of Dante’s Inferno

Over the last year, I’ve been living in a washing machine level of Dante’s Inferno. 

For real. 

My washing machine was making a horrible noise…like it was about to take flight.

The drum was off-kilter.  I had a repair man come look at it and he told me that it would be more cost-effective to buy an entirely new machine rather than repair this one. So I purchased one from a big box store, but the delivery couldn’t happen for 30 days. And there was saga after saga to schedule, reschedule, no show of delivery men, etc.  So I went back and “returned” the washing machine.  Then promptly went to another store to purchase another one.  The delivery date was another 30 days.

New washer arrives on the 5^th month anniversary of this saga.

And then it was making a horrid noise, which took another 6 weeks to get a repairman out to check the new washing machine.  All to find out that it was fine.  The pressure of the water was causing the water hose to bang against the wall in the back.  Dude took some foam and put it between the wall and the hose. Problem solved.

Problem solved.  And yet it was a scenario that took months and months.  By the end, my patience had worn thin.  I just wanted to be able to wash clothes without worrying about the machine breaking down.

How often do we pray for something and then wait indefinitely for answers from the Lord?  Seems like some prayers are answered quickly, some take years, but all are answered in some capacity. 

I remember when I was in my early 20s praying to become pregnant.  I was desperate to be a mother and yet month after month, nothing.  IVF, hormone shots, foster care, pursuing an adoption…everything was on the table.  And yet, still nothing.  When I finally had given up on becoming a mom in my mid-30s, along came my son via adoption. 

It took years for this prayer to be answered.  Lots of prayers. Lots of tears. 

Scripture tells us that God is faithful to our prayer requests.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

While God is faithful to our prayer requests, we must remain faithful to Him in knowing He hears us and has our best interests at heart. He will not forsake us.  Even if it takes months or years.

I needed a huge amount of patience to get through the washing machine saga.  Likewise, I also have needed huge amounts of prayer and patience to get through other sagas in my life. 

The washing machine repairman simply said, “Problem solved.”

God says, “I’ve got you.”  I’m choosing to acknowledge that occasionally that statement is God telling me, “Problem solved.”

Don’t live in the “Dante’s Inferno levels.” Instead, turn it over to the Lord!

~Emily

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Mistaken Identity

Recently my husband engaged in a conversation with a couple of gentlemen in our hotel lobby. He believed that they were in a band, and he had guessed correctly that they were loading all their amps and instruments.  He had a full-blown conversation with them, including them giving away guitar picks as souvenirs.  About halfway through the conversation, there came a moment where it was very apparent that he thought they were a different band. 

They laughed, corrected their name, and apologized for disappointing him about being a different band than he was expecting.  I stood there mortified.

It was a simple case of mistaken identity. Most cases of mistaken identity are cleared up quickly with a conversation and a little investigation. 

We are in a society that continues to grow in Biblical illiteracy, which subsequently means that people are mistaken about the identity of Jesus Christ.  Many are confident they know Jesus, but confidence does not always equal truth.  A simple conversation will reveal if someone truly knows Jesus.  Likewise, a little investigation will reveal if it is true knowledge or mistaken identity. 

The question becomes, who is Jesus?

He is our King (Revelation 19:13), our Savior (Acts 13:23), our Judge (2 Timothy 4:1), our Redeemer (Colossians 1:20), and our Priest (Hebrews 10:12-14).

He is not a magician.  He is not a genie in a bottle.  He is not unfair or unjust. 

How do we know if we are true or mistaken about His identity?

This one requires that we dig into the Word.  We must be immersed in Bible study and reading. We must have a robust prayer life.  We should be surrounding ourselves with strong Christians who hold us accountable and encourage us with our Christian walk.  These seemingly simple things keep us on the true path to Christ.  It assists us with knowing Jesus. 

And it prevents us from having an embarrassing hotel lobby encounter with mistaken identity.

~Emily

The Birthday Dog

My dog, an adorable black lab, will be 4 years old today. 

But really, who is celebrating their dog’s birthday?!?!?!

I am. I’ll celebrate his birthday.  Why?  Because I love this dog.  Erin will tell you, I’m ridiculous about Rogue. My son often says, “You love that dog more than me.”  My husband just shakes his head as he calls him “Mama’s dog.”

I do love this pup. 

I often look at him and acknowledge that God has blessed me greatly with this canine friend.  On my worst day, he’s the best.  When I’m sad, he snuggles my face.  And every single day, he greets me at the door like I’ve been gone for 100 years. 

I also reflect on how God has trusted me with this precious life. To care for him, to feed him, take him to the vet, bring him on hikes with me…play with him. 

As much as I love this dog and am aware of God’s trust that I’ll care for the dog, it’s important to note that God had charged us with loving one another and is trusting we will care for each other. 

Mark 12:30-31 (NASB) tells us that God commands us to love one another.  “…and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

There is no greater commandment than to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

So how do you see this play out in your life?  Do you hold doors open? Let someone merge on the interstate?  Offer the best piece of cake to someone else?  Hand out food to the homeless? Go on mission trips?  Provide your jacket to someone feeling cold?

I’m serious…how do you see yourself loving your neighbor as yourself? 

Because if I’m truly honest, I struggle with this concept.  I’m selfish and want that yummy cake.  And I work hard, so I want to keep my jacket.  Those selfish thoughts are in constant battle with the desire to do God’s will…and to care for others around me.  It is a struggle to love others like myself. 

It’s easy for me to love the birthday dog unconditionally…but this week I’m going to focus on praying about and doing the hard work of loving others unconditionally. 
Will you join me?

~Emily

Are We the Bubbles?

I got to take a bubble bath last week.  And it was glorious in all of its steamy bubbles with a mug of hot tea and a thick book.  Glorious.

For whatever reason, I started concentrating on the bubbles.  They were moving, transitioning into new positions, and often popping as they merged into one another.  Some were big.  Some were small.  Some had a pretty colored shimmy to them, while others were translucent.  In short, they were not stationary. 

Our walk with the Lord should be much like the world of the bubble.  Others should be transfixed by our existence and want to know what makes us shiny, transparent, and shifting into new areas of our Christian walk. 

What would it look like if we, as Christian women, were transparent like the bubble?  Would we speak honestly with grace?  Would we show our true intentions clearly?  Would we discard deceptions quickly?  1 Peter 3:10 (NASB) tells us, “For the one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

What would it look like if we, as Christian women, were in a constant transition like the bubble? Would we continuously strive to know the Lord more fully? Would we be “growing” ourselves and others through the study of the Word?  2 Peter 3:18 (NASB) states, “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

What would it look like if we, as Christian women, were in a state of assisting other women like the bubble? What if our presence brought relaxation? What if others were transfixed by the glow of knowing Jesus? Psalm 37:26 (NASB) says, “All day long he is gracious and lends, and his descendants are a blessing.”

You know what it would look like? It would look appealing. It would look like something others want to emulate.  It would look like people becoming interested in knowing about Christ. 

Essentially it would become evangelizing through our actions…not just our words. In Deuteronomy 14:2 (NASB), we see scripture telling us to be separated from non-believers. “For you are a holy people to the Lord your Goud, and He has chosen you to be a people for His personal possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Being like the bubbles means that we change as we learn and grow, but that we are dependable, translucent, and transfixing.  All of that can be for the glory of God. 

So the next time you get a chance to submerge yourself in a steamy tub of bubbles, think about how your life with Jesus is like the bubble bath.

~Emily

The Crashing Marriage

Lately, I’ve seen countless social media posts and have received several prayer requests about marriages that seem to be in a crash-and-burn season. 

I know each of us has seen marriages that appear to be all peachy keen.  And we’ve all seen train wreck marriages.  What most of us aren’t privy to is the hard work done by a couple to get a marriage out of the slump that looks like it’s crashing…burning…and destroying itself. 

As you read, keep in mind that you can easily replace the word “marriage” with any relationship to gain insight into how to prevent crashing from destroying what is important. 

Let’s first look at what causes a marriage to crash and burn. 

Perhaps it’s something that appears to be simple, like a dynamic change.  This could be a new job for one of the partners or it could be the addition of children. 

It could appear to be a much more complex change.  These could include the death of a child, infidelity, deception, financial crisis, or even an outside force like a natural disaster. 

“We’ve grown apart.”  “He’s looking at pornography.” “We fight over money all the time.”  “She doesn’t value my contributions to the household.” 

The commonality between seemingly simple and seemingly complex reasons is that there is an element of change.  Usually that change impacts one person more than the other, although it could impact both people within the marriage.  And like any relationship, these changes impact the normal rhythm of the partnership. 

Let’s now look at what scripture teaches us about sustaining the marriage relationship.

More than once in scripture we see marriage being used as an analogy for the relationship between Christ and His Church.  This shows us that marriage is important to God.  It also shows us that God’s heart is grieved when a marriage dissolves…just as it would be grieved if one turned away from Jesus. 

God’s design is for the marriage relationship to be one of companionship and support.  In 1 Corinthians 7:10, we see the scripture “To the married I give this command, not I but the Lord: a wife must not separate from her husband.”

Guidance in scripture comes from various locations in the Bible. For instance, Ephesians 4:32 tells us “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.”  These are gentle reminders to love one another with forgiveness, but this is especially applicable within the marriage relationship. 

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

But how do I love my husband when the sins feel overwhelming…. unforgivable?  Each of us has an example of where we’ve been wronged and don’t want to freely give forgiveness.  On the topic of marriage, it’s especially difficult if there has been betrayal laced into the sin.  We have to continually remind ourselves that we are forgiven daily by the Lord…and if He can forgive us, then we owe it to Him to at least try to get to a place of forgiveness within our marriages. 

Let’s look at how to fix the issues of a crashing marriage.

There is not a cookie-cutter resolution for fixing marriage issues.  There isn’t a one-sized fits all approach for any relationship that needs repair.  However, there are some common approaches to any dysfunctional partnership/friendship/marriage.

Start with prayer.  The Lord has promised us that He hears each of our prayers. He promises that He’s catching all our tears in His hand. We can tell Satan to get out of our way…out of our marriages. 

Return to a place of love.  Most marriages start with falling in love during the dating season. Work on getting back to love. That may include “dating” or it may include intense counseling.  As mentioned previously, 1 Peter 4:8 reminds us “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

Get help if necessary.  This may include asking for Pastoral assistance for counseling. It may involve asking someone to pray over the marriage.  It could be requesting childcare so that there is time for the couple to reconnect.

God wants our marriages to be a safe place where we can grow closer to another believer and closer to the Lord.  If you feel like your marriage is in a crashing season, know that there is hope in the Lord to reconcile and strengthen the marriage.

I’ll be praying this week for all of you who feel like you know about these crashing marriages.

~Emily

Watching For the Bad Weather

It’s that time of year in Alabama where every child is hoping for bad weather to cancel school and each day could bring a “First Alert Weather” notification.  It could be excessive rain, hail, straight-line winds, an enhanced tornado threat, and even (God forbid) southern-styled snow.

As I write this, our next week’s forecast has a little bit of all of those weather threats, including the potential for snow late next week. 

And as a casual weather person, I’m prepared for any of those scenarios.  We have three days of water and food.  Our gas tanks are filled up on the vehicles. There are new batteries in the weather radio.  The storm shelter has been checked.  All the outdoor furniture has been stored away. 

Preparing for a storm often gets different reactions from Christians. 

For instance, my mom doesn’t see any need to prepare for any type of disaster.  She is of the Matthew 6:26 thought process. That God will provide regardless of the scenario.  “Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” Matthew 6:26 (CSB).

On the other end of the spectrum is the Christian prepper who believes that they should have an underground bunker to preserve countless Bibles they collect to distribute after a disaster in an attempt to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). They may have a massive warehouse of food to assist with feeding the community after a disaster, which they will counter is much like Joseph’s storage houses (Genesis 41:46-57).  This group may revere Noah as “an original prepper.” 

Somewhere in the middle is the person who is aware of God’s provision but is also prepared enough to pray and handle some physical needs.  Recently, I heard someone say that these are the Christians who believe that God will deliver the worm to the sparrow, but not put it in their mouth to consume. 

Regardless of where you find yourself on the spectrum of preparing for bad weather, the most important element of preparedness is your relationship with the Lord.  Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior? Do you pray? Are you in the Word daily?  Do you trust that God has a plan for your life?  If yes to each of those, then there is a level of comfort that comes during the crisis of storms. 

While I have full gas tanks, a prepped storm shelter, and extra food and water on hand for all our potential weather in the next week, I am most assured by my relationship with God.  There’s a purpose for these coming storms and I’m ready to see how the Lord uses them in our lives!

~Emily