Day 15 - Who Are We?

One of the things that has brought the most joy is understanding who God says I am and how God sees me. I read about it first in Dr. Neil Anderson’s book, Victory Over the Darkness. In it he says, “The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity.” He goes over a list of statements with scriptures that show who God says we are.

Instead of believing we are randomly placed on earth or somehow evolved and are left here to figure out life, these verses show we were created by a loving God who has a plan and purpose for our lives. We don’t need to feel insecure when we know who we are in Christ. If you are a follower of Christ:

You are God’s child.       John 1:12

As a disciple, you are a friend of Jesus.       John 15:15

You have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.    Ephesians 1:3-8

You are free from condemnation.       Romans 8:1-2

You are a citizen of heaven.      Philippians 3:20

         You are God’s workmanship.  Ephesians 2:10

         You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.    Philippians 4:13

         You are important.          1 Peter 2:9

You are forgiven.           Psalm 103:12

You are a new creation.  2 Corinthians 5:17

You are protected.                   Psalm 121:3

You are unique.              Psalm 139:13

You are created for a purpose.    Jeremiah 29:11

         Do you see yourself as the child of the almighty God? He created you uniquely special, to fulfill His plan for your time on earth. He loves you enough to send His son to die on a cross for you. He gave you His Holy Spirit to help guide you everyday. He is always with you and will never leave you. He wants you to talk to Him and desires a personal relationship with you.

In the greatest act of kindness, He has forgiven us of our sins. He has wiped our past away and promises a hope and a good future for us. He accepts us just the way we are and loves us more than we can imagine. He speaks to us directly through His Word and the Holy Spirit. He promises us heaven after we die. He cares about the details of our lives and we can tell Him anything and He listens to us and hears our prayers.

Knowing that God loves me and has a plan for my life gives me the most joy!

I hope it gives you joy as well!

(This is part of a 31 day writing challenge, to write on the same topic everyday in October. This series is Joy in the Journey. To read others in this series, click here.)

 Joyfully,

 

Day 11- When There is No Joy

As much as I believe we can increase our joy, I know there are days when we just can’t. I think we can make conscious decisions to think positively, give some energy to our life and look for the good. But I also know sometimes we just can’t.  I don’t believe encouraging someone to count their blessings is a trite platitude. I know it can really help with our mindset.

        

But I also know sometimes we just can’t. There will be days it will be impossible to choose joy and that is okay too.

        

Death.                                                                                                                   Shame.

Loss.                                                                                                    Sadness.

Depression.                                                                Struggles.

Divorce.                                         Disappointment.

Disease.                       Pain.

Worry.       Grief.

Sometimes life hits us too hard and we just can’t choose joy.

        

Life is hard and bad things happen. There will be days or seasons in our life when joy seems impossible. Our natural reaction when bad things happen is to retreat, to be alone with our pain, like a wounded animal retreats to a secluded place to lick his wounds.

What we shouldn’t do is retreat from God. During those tough times we feel like shutting everyone out to be alone with our pain, the Bible says we should lean in to God.

David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. 

But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.  1 Samuel 30:6

The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.  Psalm 9:9

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

It is during those times when life hits us the hardest that we need God the most. In fact, many people first come to God when they are at their lowest. People look for God and know innately they need Him when there is a death, a tragedy or personal crises. We instinctively know during those times there is a God and He really does love us and cares about the details of our life. If He knows the hairs on our head, He certainly cares about what we are going through.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14

         If you are having a day or a season when it is impossible to choose joy, lean in to the Lord. Pray. He already knows, but it helps us when we pour out our concerns to Him, knowing He always hears us and has compassion. This is one of the best times to memorize and meditate on scripture. Find a verse that speaks to you and commit it to memory, rehearsing it over and over, marinating your mind with hope.

         If today is a hard day for you, please know I am praying for you, and lean in to the God who created you, loves you more than you know, and will be with you through it.

**(This is part of a 31 day series on finding Joy in the Journey. If you want to read more related posts click here. )** 


 Joyfully,

 

Day 7 -Taking Happy Back

Recently I attended a Christian women’s conference where the speaker, Beth Moore, spoke on Taking Happy Back. Here are some of the things I learned:

1.    Happy is not bad in the Bible.

There is a happiness to holiness when it is in Christ. You have a biblical right and responsibility to fight for a happy heart in Christ. The world is rough, we need to find a way to suffer well, and still have joy both inside and toward others.

2.    We have a gospel responsibility to rebel against our misery.

Our witness is at stake. It means nothing to share the good news in a bad mood. When we teach the church is misery, who would want to join? Instead of the world catching our joy, we are catching the world’s misery. Believers are meant to shine, so people want what we have. We are the ones who need to speak faith, hope, love and light to a miserable world. Despite what is going on around us, we need to shine the light of happiness. After all, we are to be the bearers of Good News. Having Jesus in our life is supposed to make us happy, and that happiness gets to show to people.

Without spiritual joy in Christ people go to worldly pleasures. William Barkley said “Jesus promised his disciples they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.”

In the parable about the talents in Matthew 25:31, Jesus told about the two servants who multiplied the talents their master gave them and the master said, “Well done good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.” The master was happy and wanted his servants to join in his happiness.

3.    We are on our way to happily ever after.

Heaven. After this life we, as believers, are on our way to heaven, which really is happily ever after. We have the hope and future of knowing we are going to heaven, so we can borrow on that happiness. We can be happy now anticipating when we die we will be at happily ever after.

If we want to keep going where God has called us to go, we have to put up with what it takes to get there. When we are too closed, we protect ourselves out of our own happiness. If we define Christ as Joy, he is happy being Jesus, if we have His spirit in us then we have it in us to be happy. **This is part of a write31days series called Joy in the Journey. To ready more Joy in the Journey posts click here. **

How happy are those who can live in your Temple, singing your praises.

Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. Psalm 84:4-5

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta over the Rio Grande River.

 **This is part of a write31days series called Joy in the Journey. To ready more Joy in the Journey posts click here. **

Have a joy-filled weekend! We will be enjoying balloons all week!            

  

"Worn" by Tenth Avenue North- Brian McLean - Danced by Nicole Casanova

Brian McLean singing at a Living Free service at 
Sagebrush Church. 
To read his story of how God changed him, Click Here.

This is part of a series called 31 Days of Change. To read others in this series, click the links below. 

Click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  

Click here to read about Hearing God.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:  Is There Life After Prison?

Day 22:  I Can Handle it On My Own

Day 23:

Day 24:  All Fired Up

Day 25:  All Fired Up  - Part2

Day 26:  All Fired Up - Part 3

Day 27:  When the Father Ran

Day 28:  A Little Hope Goes a Long Way in Prison

Day 29:  Brian Singing "Worn" by Tenth Ave. North

Day 30:

Day 31:

Thanks for stopping by,

A Little Hope Goes a Long Way in Prison

          (This is the continuation of Brian’s story. To start reading from the beginning,  click here.)

         After Brian was convicted of moving drugs across state lines, he was sentenced to five years in federal prison. The first 15 months he wore an ankle monitor and was on house arrest at his parent’s home. When his wife and daughter saw a sign for a church that met in a middle school, Brian got permission to attend the church with his family. When he heard the Pastor read the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15, he was blown away that his story was in the Bible.

         He and his wife and daughter surrendered their lives to Christ. During those 15 months, Brian’s brother, two sisters, his mom and dad all gave their lives to Christ also. They were baptized in a small portable water tank. God broke his addiction to drugs. He felt a huge burden lifted knowing God loved him and forgave him of all his crimes.

         When the 15 months of house arrest were finished, Brian had to self surrender to a federal prison in California. He was incarcerated there for two years. He went in on fire for God. That became his most prolific time of ministry. He talked about Jesus to everyone who would listen. He had a captive audience. He learned that a little bit of hope went a long way in prison. Others wanted the joy, peace and faith in God that Brian had.

         After two years in prison, he was sent to a seven-month Federal Boot Camp Program. It was designed to break 18-year-old out of control punks. Brian was 39 years old. It was every bit as grueling physically and mentally as the 10-week military boot camps, only it lasted twice as long. But God was with Brian, and gave him strength and stamina to endure everything they put him through.

         When he completed the boot camp program, he was released to a halfway house in southern New Mexico. Finally, he made it back to Albuquerque, where his wife and daughter were waiting for him. They faithfully attended the church where they were baptized. They grew in their love for the Lord and their knowledge of the Bible.

         Singing praise songs to God had always been a meaningful part of Brian’s Christian walk. He began volunteering with the worship team on Sunday mornings. The church offered him a job doing janitorial and maintenance work. He worked in that position for seven years, and continued to volunteer singing with the worship band.

         Everyone who met Brian, could tell there was something special about him. He had a humbleness and peace that showed he walked closely with the Lord. He was an encourager and genuinely cared about people. When he sang worship songs you could see his deep love for the Lord. He is a picture of Luke 7:47, where Jesus said the sinful woman loved much, because she had been forgiven much.

         After seven years working at the church, one of the Pastors asked Brian if he would put together a band for the new mid-week service they would be starting called Living Free. It would be geared toward people with hurts, hang-ups and habits who wanted to break free and live their life for the Lord. Brian jumped at the opportunity. He put together a band, with and for people who worshiped the Lord desperately and authentically. This was real worship with people who held nothing back, but were grateful to be forgiven and praised God for giving them a second chance and a new life in Christ. Brian loved leading worship and being part of the praise team.

Brian singing.

         As the church grew, they opened a campus in Brian’s old neighborhood, where he used to deal drugs years ago. They asked him if he would lead worship for that campus on Sunday mornings, as well as continuing to lead worship on Wednesday nights at Living Free. As time when on, it became clear to everyone, that Brian was called by God to shepherd and Pastor the people in his old neighborhood. He is now the Campus Pastor of the Sagebrush Highland Church.

         It was hard for him to give up leading worship because praising the Lord through music had always been deeply meaningful to him. God brought him full circle. In a neighborhood that he used to destroy with drugs, he now brings hope and healing through Jesus. It has been a wild ride for him. God doesn’t waste any of our experiences and He has a plan for redeeming everyone. Brian sees the irony in the fact that he can stand outside the church and see the patch of land where he used to deal drugs.

         It can be overwhelming and depressing at times. This neighborhood has the highest percentage of people being released from jail. Drugs and crime are prevalent. People are desperate, sometimes just looking for their next meal for themselves or their children. The church is there to help, both practically and spiritually. They have a food pantry with free clothes, household items and food for families in need. A medical team provides free medical and dental care. There are vans to pick people up who don’t have transportation to the church. They started a Living Free ministry at that location to bring help and healing from addictions and other challenges.

         Brian says people ring the doorbell to his office all day long. They come in one by one and, as Brian shares with them, they give their life to the Lord. It amazes him. Life has been hard, but God has been good. Brian and his wife have been together for 29 years, which is unheard of with most addictions and incarcerations.

         A Bible verse that is meaningful to him is Psalm 139:9-10:

“If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest ocean,

even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.”

Click here to listen to Brian sing Worn, by Tenth Avenue North.

Has God redeemed your life from where you used to be?

What has been the biggest change He has made in your life?

This is part of a series called 31 Days of Change. To read others in this series, click the links below. 

Click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  

Click here to read about Hearing God.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:  Is There Life After Prison?

Day 22:  I Can Handle it On My Own

Day 23:

Day 24:  All Fired Up

Day 25:  All Fired Up  - Part2

Day 26:  All Fired Up - Part 3

Day 27:  When the Father Ran

Day 28:  A Little Hope Goes a Long Way in Prison

Day 29:  Brian Singing "Worn" by Tenth Ave. North

Day 30:

Day 31:

 Blessings

When the Father Ran

         Brian started selling drugs in high school when he figured out he could use other people’s money to finance his own drug habit. He first sold weed, then moved to speed, his drug of choice. After high school he started selling cocaine. He was arrested multiple times and once when they had a search warrant, the police tore his parent’s house apart looking for Brian’s drugs. He knew he had to leave his hometown before he turned 18. He was hounded by the police and he would be charged as an adult once he turned 18.

         His brother was stationed in Albuquerque, so that seemed like the best place to move to. Nothing changed. Brian continued to deal drugs, speed, cocaine, crack and meth. He was constantly dealing. He moved to Phoenix for a while, but a drug deal went terribly wrong, he got in trouble and had to return to Albuquerque.

         In 1999, Federal Marshalls raided his house at 5:00 in the morning. They kicked in the door, wearing black masks and pointed guns at his wife and daughter. It was part of a federal wire tap case and 14 people, including Brian, were arrested that morning. He was thankful the Marshalls did not search his house, because they would have found an abundance of drugs. But they only wanted Brian.

         He was convicted of moving drugs across state lines and sentenced to five years in federal prison. After many months in jail, the first part of his sentence was house arrest with an ankle monitor. They did not want to release him back to his own home or to his wife, because she was also a drug addict. The judge finally agreed to allow him to live at his father’s house. Brian was 38 years old, and would spend the next 15 months on house arrest. He put his parents through so much. He rehearsed in his head how he would apologize and thank them for taking him back in after all he had done.

         He would never forget stepping out of the vehicle to walk up to his parent’s house. He was nervous and racked with guilt for his crimes, for getting caught, for the lies, the stealing and the agony he caused his family.  Before he could say a word, his father opened the front door and ran out to where Brian was. He threw his arms around him and gave Brian the biggest bear hug! He didn’t let go for the longest time.

         Brian’s wife and daughter moved into his parent’s house as well. Around Christmas time, his wife saw some signs for a church that met in a junior high school. She attended the Christmas Eve service and invited the family to join her the next week. Brian was not allowed to leave the house because of the ankle monitor, but he was able to get permission to attend the church on Sunday mornings.

         One of the first sermons he heard was from the book of Luke chapter 15, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Brian was astonished at the story. He remembered some years back, when his Grandmother gave him an inheritance of $36,000. As a drug addict, he quickly squandered all the money on drugs and hard living. The Pastor read the story of the son in the Bible, wasting his inheritance and then returning to his father, hoping the father would take him as a servant. Brian wept when he heard the boy’s father ran to his son and threw his arms around him and welcomed him back into the family. 

That was his story! Brian was blown away that his exact story was in the Bible!

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:20-24

Have you had a prodigal son or daughter?

Don’t you love the heart of our Heavenly Father who loves us

unconditionally and runs to us when we return to Him?

(Click here for the rest of Brian’s amazing story.)

This is part of a series called 31 Days of Change. To read others in this series, click the links below. 

Click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  

Click here to read about Hearing God.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:  Is There Life After Prison?

Day 22:  I Can Handle it On My Own

Day 23:

Day 24:  All Fired Up

Day 25:  All Fired Up  - Part2

Day 26:  All Fired Up - Part 3

Day 27:  When the Father Ran

Day 28:  A Little Hope Goes a Long Way in Prison

Day 29:  Brian singing "Worn" by Tenth Ave. North

Day 30:

Day 31:

Blessings,