The Perfect Place to Live

The Perfect Place to Live

Have you ever watched one of those tiny house programs on TV?  An entire episode will feature a person or couple looking for a house that ranges from 100- 400 square feet. Though I enjoy the space saving and organization tips offered on these shows, I think, "Bless your sweet, young hearts" when the prospective tiny house buyers are newlyweds.

I could probably live in a tiny house - alone - with my own "stuff". However, adding my husband of 22 yrs & all of his "stuff" into the mix, would pose a bit of a problem.  I imagine the potential for volatile interaction is very high.  Seriously, I am getting annoyed just thinking about it.

Home is the central point for life and family. It is the place we rest, the place we feel safe, eat meals, relax and the place where we keep our "stuff", both important and valuable things, as well as unimportant, even silly things.

This young man is very valuable.

He is displaying a few samples of his silly hat collection.

Whether you have a tiny house, an apartment or maybe a mansion, you need a place to hold your things, feel safe and to rest.

Of course, my friend, you know I don't just mean physically.  Your heart and mind need rest. Your soul needs a place for your "stuff”.

Psalm 91:1 (NLT)
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

When we don't make the Most High our "home", we have to find other places for our "stuff". We have to build our own protection and make our own types of rest.
This self-made "protection" is not gentle and secure.  
This "rest" cannot truly rejuvenate your soul.
And our stuff?  
Where are we going to put it?  
What can we do with pain, hardship, frustration? As well as our daily details and dreams for the future?
Without God as our dwelling place, the best we can do with our stuff is a lot like putting things in a messy closet or a junk drawer.  Everything looks fine on the outside. But, nobody wants their clutter revealed. Plus, it is incredibly frustrating when you eventually have to deal with those messy areas.  

Even though I understand what it means to live in God's shelter, if I'm being perfectly honest, I have a few "junk drawers" where things fly out sometimes.  There are situations I have tried to ignore or attitudes I don't actually want to talk over with God.  There are some things I just don't want to bring into my “living space” with God.  For example, I tend to judge the judgmental. Ha - Do you see what I'm doing?  Seriously, I think I am so much more enlightened than them.  I ignore my own pride and judgment.  I am not even going to mention the things that show up in my thought bubble. They pass through my mind before I realize it. Perhaps since they don't come out of my mouth, they don't count. I'm pretty sure I should get credit for not saying everything that pops into my head. Ugh - Now that I have written this, I'm going to have to take it to the One who loves me. I am going to have to bring it into my “living space” and discuss the cause of my pride with my loving Father.  The "shelter of the Most High" is clutter free.  He will gladly help me find a place for my stuff and help me get rid of the things I should not keep.

Friend, your Father wants you to rest and not live in fear. He wants you to give Him your "stuff". He wants to laugh with you because He delights in you.  He wants to give you peace when you are hurting and security when you don't understand.  He wants to be the place where you truly live.

How do you "live in the shelter of the Most High"?  - Draw near to God. He will always draw near to you.
Stay close to Him. Continually talk to Him. Be still, listen and rest.  Pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him what you love, what scares you and even what annoys you (like the judgmental people😜) Listen to worship music or scripture on a Bible app. Read the words and advice your Father has given you. Tell God you want Him to be your dwelling place. He will show you just what to do.  

If you have a Bible or a Bible app on your phone, go ahead and read all of Psalm 91.

The chapter goes on to give other benefits to making God, Most High, your home - refuge, trust, security and comfort.  

Look at vs 4. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wing.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection

That place a baby bird dwells, right up next to it's mama, surrounded by her feathers, is a place of comfort and safety.  It is soft, warm and cozy. This is where God wants you to live, right up next to Him. You are his precious child. There is no better place for you.


My prayer for you today is that you will
Never Forget the Truth - You already have the perfect place to truly "live".

Child of God

Dear Friend,
I am writing you this note after I have completed the blog below.  Something was pressing on my heart throughout the night. So, I knew I wanted to write you personally.
I haven't yet shared any of the deep hurts or struggles in my life on this blog.
I meet you here to encourage you.  To help you remember your importance and the great things God says about you.
After praying about this through the night, I want to tell you - This is my issue.  If you have been meeting me here regularly, you know God has blessed me with an amazing mother - seriously - You need to meet her.  You will absolutely love her..... & she will love you.
However, my father died of heart failure when I was in kindergarten.  Of course, it affected everything about me.  I did not realize it until I was in my 30s.  By then, I could look back and begin to understand certain behaviors and insecurities caused by being fatherless.  I was 36 before I ever saw the verse in Psalm that says God is Father to the fatherless.  It was another year before I would pray to God as Father.  Clearly, it has been an issue.
After the sudden death of my sister, one might expect me to say, "She is with Jesus". Of course, I did think that....second.  But if I'm honest, I thought, "She is so lucky. She gets to see our dad..... & Jesus."
I know I am not the only one to struggle with father issues.  Mother issues are just as painful.
So, my friend, please be encouraged by the things I wrote for you below.  It was hard for me to write.  But, I know it is true.  You are perfectly loved by the perfect Father.  I pray you will be able to rest in that and grasp the truth.

Love,
Kathy


 

I have really good news for you. 

Whether you have a great dad, an average one, a terrible one or one who is not around at all, the perfect Father's love is available to you.  

It is a love that completes you.  It is a love that heals your heart and refreshes the deepest parts of you.  As I type this note, I'm praying for you.  I am asking God to make this truth penetrate deep into every part of your being.  

The Father, God, chose you to be his child (Eph. 1:4). All he asks you to do is believe Him.

John 1:12-13 (NLT)  But to all who believed him(Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God (13) They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Sometimes our wounds and scars prevent us from understanding this amazing privilege.  If you know you are having trouble "getting it", ask God to make this truth real for you, deep in your heart.  

As God's child, you are blessed with privilege and perspective.  

The news about being a child of God gets even better. 

Did you know you have a perfect parent who not only loves you, but delights in you? 

Yes - He delights in you!

He will calm all your fears during times that seem uncertain.  He even sings a joyful song over you.  

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

It reminds me of this viral video from last year. Check out how much this father and daughter enjoy singing together.  

Daddy & daughter duet

Adorable! 

But God's love for you, his precious child, is even greater.  He enjoys you even more than this. It gave Him pleasure to make you His child. (Eph 1:5) 

I want to challenge you this week.  Every time you see a parent and child (maybe even you and your own child), remind yourself that God loves YOU and delights in YOU even more than what you are witnessing.   I'm telling you, friend, it is hard to truly understand.  So, ask God to show you.  As this truth works its way into your heart, your entire perspective will change. 

I John 3:1a (NLT) 

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 

Your Father delights in you.  

Never Forget the Truth - You are a child of God. 

Here's Your Sword

If I could have a logo, this would be it.


This is the list I referred to in my last blog.  It is also an example of turning  scriptures into personal prayers

sWords for Electronics

In our home, may we be careful to live blameless lives and lead with integrity. (from Psalm 101:2)

Hebrews 12:1b  Lord, I pray that ______ will strip off every weight that slows him down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Let him run with endurance the race God set before him.

Colossians 3:2 Lord, I pray that ______ will think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Philippians 3:2 Lord, may ______ fix her thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable.  May she think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Psalm 101:3a  Lord, I pray that ______ will refuse to look at anything vile or vulgar.

Psalm 101:3a (NASB) May ______ set no worthless thing before his eyes.

Psalm 101:4 Lord, may ______ reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

I Corinthians 10:13b When ______ is tempted may she remember the promise that You, Lord, are faithful and will show her a way out so she can endure.

Ephesians 4:29b. Let everything that is said on _______’s electronics be good and helpful. May her words always be an encouragement to those who hear or read them.

James 1:27b (NIV) Father, may ______ keep himself from being polluted by the world.

Proverbs 4:27 Lord, may ______ not get sidetracked; keep her feet from following evil.

I John 5:21 Oh God, keep ______ away from anything that might take Your place in his heart.

II Thessalonians 3:3 Lord we praise You that You are faithful, You will strengthen ______ and guard her from the evil one. 

James 1:5 May _____ ask You for wisdom, God, because you are generous and will give it to her.

Proverbs 2:5 Lord, Your wisdom will save ______ from evil people and from those whose words are twisted.

Proverbs 2:4 May ______ make wise choices, for they will watch over him. Understanding will keep him safe.

Ephesians 5:17 Lord, I pray that ______ will not act thoughtlessly, but will do what you want her to do.

We ask all of these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

*All the scriptures above are based on the New Living Translation of the Bible before turning them in to a personal prayer unless otherwise indicated.

Sword

DAY 23: Tuesday, February 6, 2018 View this email in your browser Dublin Field of Corn.  Photo by Katie Ayers © 2018 Prayer Focus: Prayer Region: Northwest • Upper Arlington • Powell • Marble Cliff • Shawnee Hills • Dublin • Hilliard • Lewis Center • Grandview Pray for the faith partnership with Gables Elementary School.   Pray for addiction and recovery ministries in our city - for provision, protection and supernatural breakthroughs. Pray for the armor of God over your life - especially for the sword of the Spirit (His Word).   Identify some “enemies” in your life or the lives of those around you and speak God's Word against those adversaries. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12, NLT Arise, Humble Warrior. The Father has placed His powerful weapon in your hand. Speak His truth. And see the enemy fall. Can you see it?  The Lord has handed you the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The majority of the word “sword” IS “word”. He did not give it to you to just hold idly or lay to the side. Its purpose is for both defense and offense. But how do you wield your "sWord"? In the original Greek, “word” is “logos,” meaning “to speak intelligence; a word as an expression of that intelligence.” He has handed you the "sWord" to speak over your situation. A praying moms group was concerned about their children’s interaction on social media and the Internet. Within a few days of asking the Lord to give them His Words to pray, they had over fifteen verses. Here is one example: a prayer based off of Psalm 101:4 - “Lord, may my child reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.” It is time to stand and use what God has placed in your hand. When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt with an angry army pursuing them and the Red Sea in front of them, the people were scared (Exodus 14:13-16). Moses told them God would fight for them. They only needed to be still.  Then the Lord told Moses to raise his staff and stretch out his arm. The water would divide so the people could walk through the sea on dry ground. Can you imagine how Moses felt before he did this? Was he nervous? Did he doubt? No matter how he felt, Moses did exactly what God told him to do. Friend, God is calling you to raise up your "sWord." His Word penetrates right to the root of the problem.  If your enemy is sickness, speak God’s Word to the sickness. It even divides joint and marrow. If the enemy is a broken relationship, God’s Word divides soul and spirit. It can cut to the center of broken finances, churches, governments, cities or countries. God’s Word is alive and powerful.  Ask Him for the “sWord” to pray over your situation. Oh Lord, I thank you for teaching me and equipping me every day.  I ask you to give me wisdom and to give me Your Words to pray over the situations that come before me. In Jesus name, Amen.  Featured contributor: Kathy Stauffer is an Area Coordinator for Moms in Prayer International (formerly Moms in Touch Int.) She is passionate about encouraging women to ‘be real’ with God and with each other through her blog: neverforgetthetruth.blogspot.com. She loves to remind them how loved they are by their Father and the power He has placed in them. She also is passionate about equipping mothers to pray for their children. Moms in Prayer impacts children and schools worldwide by gathering women to pray for them. Read more at: www.momsinprayer.org Prayer Devotional PDF Copyright © 2018 Pray for Columbus, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in Pray for Columbus email updates. Click the link below if you'd like to unsubscribe. Thanks! Our mailing address is: Pray for Columbus 720 E Broad St Suite 200 Columbus, OH  43215 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Priceless

What part of you makes you you?  (How is that for a sentence?)
Really - What make you - you?
Your accomplishments? Education? Personality? Opinions? Experiences? Abilities?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)


Just to get the confusion out of the way, the term “fearfully” here, can be defined as “in awe or reverence to God” or “Holy respect”.  Let's face it - Humans were created to be pretty amazing, especially babies.  Who doesn't feel better when seeing a laughing baby?


Laughing baby video


But your fearfully and wonderfully made is different from my fearfully and wonderfully made.
What if mine seems to be missing parts that some people think are essential? What if yours is unable to do things that others can do?

Are we all still fearfully and wonderfully made?

Absolutely!
God created your INMOST being.  That is who you are. Nothing can change that.
You were created in God’s image for a wonderful specific purpose.

My friend, Sarah’s spinal column was not closed when she was born. It has created struggles for her that those born with closed spinal columns do not have to face.  Does that define who Sarah is?
Of course not! She is not her surgeries, or wheelchair, or spinabifida.  Sarah is 100% fearfully and wonderfully made.  She will accomplish all of the important purposes for her life.  I am so thankful for her.  She and her mother are both wonderful, compassionate encouragers.


It is easy to be distracted by outward appearances.
It is easy to forget that our true value is our inmost being.

I am going to confess something to you. I had a rough couple of days of grief earlier this week.   When I looked in the mirror one morning, I did not see the immense value God says that I have.  I saw a red nose, puffy eyes, a zillion new wrinkles & lumpy hair. Did you see that ostrich in the video earlier?  That is how I felt when I looked in the mirror.





* My friend, I have been studying the great things God says about you for five years.  If I can be distracted that quickly, how much more is the vulnerability of a teenager who has never heard that his/her value has nothing to do with appearance or money or even grades.


It is time for us to get the message out!

First to ourselves, then to those around us.

Your value is not dependent on your appearance or performance.  Your value comes from the One who created you and says you were fearfully and wonderfully made for a purpose.

Never forget the truth-
*** You are priceless because the One who created you deemed you of greater value than you could ever imagine.

Accepted

Accepted

Recently, I saw a video on the Internet of a cute, little lamb that was being rejected by her mother.  The mother accepted her twin brother, but was roughly butting the little female lamb away.  At first, I felt quite sad for her. How could any mother reject her baby, sheep or not? I know that very statement is hard for some of you to read due to your own personal pain.  I am so, so sorry.  But then I heard how this initial rejection was going to actually give the lamb a wonderful life.  Because of the lamb's impending hardship, the shepherd decided to take her home to be personally raised by his son.  

The lamb and the shepherd video


Of course, this lamb video reminded me of you.  Every one of us has faced rejection. Sometimes, it is in little ways. Other times, it is huge.  This is part of the human condition.  But I have good news.

You are accepted!

Just like the cute, little lamb, the Shepherd saw the impending hardship you would face. He provided a way to make you His own.  He accepted you.

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Did you hear that deep in your heart?! Christ accepted you!

A framed copy of this used to hang in my living room

He only asks you to believe Him. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  

Meaning - You are His. You are forgiven. You are accepted.  

Even better news - It also says in Romans 8 that NOTHING can separate you from God’s love.  That includes you. Even YOU can't do anything that will separate you from God’s love.  

So, see?  You're stuck with it.  You are stuck with God’s love for you.

Ephesians 1:5(NLT) says it gave God pleasure to adopt you into his own family.  This is what He wanted to do.
Every one of us desires to be accepted regardless of what we may portray to the rest of the world.  From birth to senior citizen, everyone desires some acceptance.  We don't have to be accepted by everyone everywhere. But, everyone needs to be accepted by someone. This need seems to be magnified throughout our school years.  Imagine how schools would change if children could understand this. Even if people in their very own homes or schools are rejecting these kids, the Creator of the entire universe has chosen them.

He has chosen you.  You are very important to Him.  He accepts you.

Why is this so hard for us to grasp?

Why does the message of rejection ring so loud in our ears that we cannot hear the Truth?

Sometimes the message of guilt  is the loudest voice we hear.  "If only you knew me.....", "If only you knew what I did"or "if only you knew what I did...... again".

Sometimes it is the voice of another human that has either told us through their words or actions that we just are not good enough.    

Other times the voice sounds just like our own thoughts, "That is fine for other people, but not me."  

But I have more good news !

If you hear any or all of those voices, they are all lying.
Cover your ears! Redirect your thoughts! They are simply not true.

Ephesians 1:6 (NKJV) says “...He made us accepted in the Beloved.”  
Your acceptance is not dependent on you. Woohoo! (At least in my case it deserves a woohoo).  Your only part is to believe.  You were made acceptable because of "the Beloved", Jesus.  It is not because of who you are, what you have been through or what you have done.  Nothing can separate you from God's love for you.  You are accepted because of Jesus.

So please, my friend, no matter what you are facing today,

Never Forget the Truth - You are Accepted.