Lens of Faith blog

I wasn’t sure what it meant when God started urging me to “press in.” I remember when He first told me several years ago, I was like how do I do that? As an already devout Christian where I started most my mornings in quiet time, it initially didn’t click. So I started reading my bible like 10 minutes longer than normal. Ok God I’m doing it, I think. Months later, again He tells me to press in. So I prayed longer. A year later He tells me again and out of frustration I asked, “How do I press in?”

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord” – Proverbs 8

That’s when He spoke a powerful revelation to me. One night after a worship service at a church, a young African girl I’ve never seen, walks up to me. She says to me, “I have a word from the Lord for you. He is always speaking but you are too busy. He is always speaking. He has so much too say. You need to saturate yourself in His word.” Then she walked away. Ten minutes later she finds me and again repeats word for word, everything she said before then lastly says, “the Lord really wants you to get this.”

You see, it can be easy to think we are good enough as Christians. We believe in God, we may serve our church, we may be part of outreaches, or read His word, worship and live pretty moral everyday.

But He wants sooo much more. He wants us. All of us. Our whole heart, soul and mind. We must stay hungry and stay in His presence.

PRESS

/pres/

verb  1. move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical force.

To know Him, to hear His voice clearly, to cultivate a deep intimacy and to live in true freedom we must dig deeper for that hidden gem. It’s not easy and quick but it’s worth it. To help you in practical ways, I have learned to silence all distractions (phone, computer, noise), spend hours just thanking him, worshipping him and be silent. It’s funny, cause He always takes care of the tasks if I choose Him first. Fall in love with Jesus and everything changes.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of his glory and grace” –Hillsong

Let’s pray:

“Lord, create in me a hunger like never before for more of you and your presence. I want to hear you, to know your heart and be free of this worlds worry. You alone can satisfy. Amen.”

Well I’m feeling better after a week of the cold. But then went out in the cold today to shoot my first pro business video ha go figure. So that has been me this week. Hope you are staying warm and well.

Growing up without social media gave me a feeling of freedom and innocence that we lack today. There wasn’t a screen in my face promoting comparison or me trying to avoid those constant flashes of worldliness and lure.

Social media and the progression of our culture can be a great tool. As an owner of two small businesses and a ministry, it can help me grow and promote. But we must be careful that we take it in small doses.

The other night I went on this random IG feed and got caught up watching a random video that led me to so many random people. This ultimately made me feel polluted. What a waste of too much of my time, am I right.

Don’t you see the enemy doesn’t have to defeat you, all he has to do is distract you.”

I love how the message version puts Romans 12:2

Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

We must renew our mind by taking in more of Jesus than we do the world. Living different then what our culture embraces might not make you popular but it will make you great.

Happy first day of March. It’s a great feeling knowing Spring is around the corner. Sometimes we get frustrated in our lives because so many things don’t go as planned. It is very difficult at times to have God’s perspective or understand His ways and timing. But when you understand that everything a surrendered believer goes through is for our good and His glory, then it’s easier to let go and let God.

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See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you, For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” – Isaiah 48:10-11

Sometimes a tv show comes on that reminds you how blessed you are to be saved by Jesus. I was just recently caught up in the Scientology show and it’s just crazy to put it lightly. With no belief in Christ or compassion for others. An abusive, hard working, unloving existence to “save the planet.” Yet, nothing is being saved and everything becomes lost.

As I was reading Psalm 139 my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude. I’m grateful for being raised in a home full of faith in an intimate savior. I’m grateful that He still hasn’t changed and is a God of love.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Yes you know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar and discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” – Psalm 139: 1-4

Before a word is on our tongue, He knows it. Is there anyone else that knows you this well?

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” –Psalm 139: 13-16

Every detail of us were fearfully and wonderfully made. He is near us every moment of every day. Always. His faithfulness is beyond comprehension.

Let’s pray

“Lord, thank you that I am completely known. Your love is so great and without comparison. Show me how close you are to me and how involved you are in my life. Create in me a hunger for greater intimacy with you. Amen.”

Happy take me out and bring me flowers day to you ha! I hope you’re feelin the love on this Valentine’s. As I sit here and ponder, I realize there is so much loneliness and comparison on this day. I also am so grateful that I have a lover like no other.

I know all my growing up in church I heard, “Jesus loves me.” It was a cute song and phrase until it was tested. It became real in a season of  isolation, depression and great loss. Then those words rang truer that ever. They became a deep truth and revelation that is now my anchor.

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” – Song of Sol. 6:3

Soulmate. Every girl wants one. The truth is there is only one perfect love. The only love that is unconditional, worthy, faithful, dependable, who waits for your call, hangs on your every word and always forgives and forgets. And get this he is single!

Most believers love Him from a distance but imagine if you were in a relationship and you only connected once a week. If you only spent an hour a week with your partner how close would you really be? Jesus can be your soulmate, best friend, king, savior, defender, protector, provider, deliverer, lover and joy giver. He is just waiting on us to chose Him with all our heart, mind and soul.

He is our forever valentine and there can’t help but be a heart full of love when you find Him.

Oh how he loves us

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Oh how He loves us

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

I remember the day it all changed. I was getting off my highway exit and at that light saw the homeless man with the sign. Usually, if I’m honest, I’d avoid any eye contact. I didn’t want him to approach me asking for money, which might be used to support any habit or addictions. Sitting there waiting for the light to change was an uncomfortable few moments. We’ve all been there.

I want to reach out and show Jesus love to the hurting and the needy, but in this moment how? One day as I was sitting at the light that seemed to stay red forever, I saw him. I felt such compassion as I usually did but this time I scrounged my car, looking for anything I could give to relieve his suffering. All I had was a Trader Joe’s bottle of water. So I looked at him, he looked at me, as he started to approach me I rolled down my window.

“Would you like some water?”, I asked.

His eyes got real big and with excitement he shouted, “Yes, maam. Thank You!!” I smiled back.

As I drove away, I felt so full of purpose. What was so small to me, meant the world to him. In that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me an idea. To keep a flat of water in my car and anytime I stop at a light and see someone in need, offer a bottle to them. More than that now, I tell them that “Jesus loves them and has a great plan for their life.”

My hydrating the homeless ministry has become such a blessing to me as well, because serving others is greater than serving yourself.

Sometimes we see the needs of the poor as overwhelming or we are caught up in our own busyness that we don’t reach out in the most simple of ways. We all have an opportunity to show love to those in great need and what seems small to us is great to those living in desperation.

How can you stop and serve today?

Can you believe January has already come and gone? I celebrated my birthday this month and for me, it’s always a time to reflect on the year that just passed. When I focus on the wait and disappointments that come with, I can start to have a “what about me” attitude. Just when I think of complaining, that sweet conviction sets in.

Our sweet Jesus was innocent. He was born for us alone. There was no other reason for His existence. In the short time He had on earth, He was rejected by those He loved, mocked and then tortured so that we would live free.

He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried – our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

How can we complain? He is the one that loves us more than anyone is capable of and always has time for us. He who was tortured for us and yet even in our sin still gives us favor and good gifts.

He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. His appearance was disfigured; His form—once glorious—was marred until it hardly seemed human. -Isaiah 53

Reflection

This is why we need to wake up each morning and give thanks. Not for what he has recently done but for what He has already done on that cross. If He never does another thing, never answers another prayer, He is still worthy.

We must allow the Lord to rule and desire to please Him in order to live a life in check. When we still have an independent spirit as if we are in control then we justify so much. We justify our thoughts, our actions and it takes something “major” to convict us that we are wrong or worse off, we might not even feel convicted later.

There is a difference between conviction and shame. The Holy Spirit softly convicts us to keep ourselves free of sin and to keep us living a righteous life. The purpose is for us to humble ourselves, repent and do better. It is for our own good. The enemy however, brings guilt and shame in order to make us feel bad and unworthy, with a goal to paralyze us.

Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” – 2 Cor. 7:9-10

I remember the time where I would get angry, hold onto unforgiveness and offense and then justify that “they” were wrong. Many times I would not feel convicted at all. However, the more I repented of pride and allowed Him to change and soften my heart, the more it changed.

Now I realize how quickly I get convicted! The moment I feel anger, or offense or any other sin presents itself, I get an immediate check in my spirit. You can either ignore or justify that check or make it right. We don’t want to be desensitized to the necessary process of making us more like Jesus.

As I was sitting in quiet time the other day, I just started thanking the Holy Spirit for being quick to convict me in my attitudes and actions before the damage is done. Thanking Him also for His wisdom, for keeping me humble and repentant which leads to a holy and righteous life. When you are humble than you are able to receive that sweet conviction with open arms, not a rebellious spirit.

We all have things in our lives that we can’t imagine living without, mine might be coffee ha. It could be tv, working out, social media or sweets to name a few. Yet, the one and only addiction we should have is to being in Jesus presence. To connect with Him throughout each day. To listen and spend time with Him, not to seek a blessing but falling in love with the lover of our souls.

Going to church on Sunday is not enough. Imagine only having a cup of coffee one day a week. Imagine only diving into social media or watching tv a couple hours a week. You might think that’s impossible but far too many Christians have become comfortable with giving God that small amount of time.

The cure is we must crave His presence. We must ask Him to make us hungry for His presence. The Holy Spirit really spoke this truth to me this morning while meditating on Psalm 84.

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

David was hungry. He was desperate. Nothing else would satisfy or replace that great need for God’s presence. This is where we need to be in our walk with Jesus.

The great king that had it all goes on to say,

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

Let’s Pray

Lord, please create in me a craving for your presence. For nothing satisfies but you. Your presence alone gives me peace and joy that’s unshakeable. In your presence you change my heart and heal my soul. In your presence you reveal to me those unsearchable truths. May I stay hungry. Amen.

Sometimes God calls us to pray hard but I have found out more often that when you are surrendered to Him, He just moves. Before we even ask, He is setting up and coming through. Those with a humble heart who acknowledge that it all comes from Him, He loves to bless. I believe that He takes good pleasure in surprising us with His goodness.

STAY THANKFUL

It’s important to thank Him for all our blessings throughout the day, big or small. Not only does it keep the enemy at a distance, but constant gratitude keeps joy in our heart and promotes the right attitude.

We don’t need to constantly be on our face begging God for everything. What we need to do is surrender to Him. Dedicate each day to Him, fully rely on Him and watch Him move. He is always one step ahead. He knows what we need before we ask. He even knows what we desire and he loves to bless the righteous.

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”- Psalm 5:12

He surrounds the righteous with favor like a shield. Now that is living the blessed and fulfilled life.

As we keep ourselves free of pride, thankful for everything and surrendered to Him, He will accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Infinitely more.

I remember when I really started trusting God, I prayed less for temporary things and started praying more for eternal things. This was confirmed to me through the verse of, Seeking Him first and all the other things will be done for me. Matthew 6:33 When you live to build His kingdom before yours then He builds your kingdom better than you ever could.

Prayer is important but just like a good father that already knows what his child needs and wants without begging, so does God. When we pray it should be to change us and for His glory.

Thank you Lord for always being one step ahead. I want to acknowledge you in all the details, for it all comes from you. Help me to surrender and trust you with a humble heart so I may please you and live the life you desire. Amen.”