ANTS!

God Listens...

God pays attention...

Whether we pray out loud or not even speak a single word... This post is a little long but after telling some friends privately...I decided it was worth sharing again.

Had a nice long chat with my Dad tonight...just catching up.  During the convo we were discussing some repairs and yard work I needed done etc.  The topic of ants came up and I was explaining how I always have a lot of ants in the yard..getting in the house sometimes and me putting out those ant baits etc.

After our call ended I sat down and was relaxing, catching up with Facebook.  In a fb group I belong to someone had posted some things they had put by the curb for free. I was excited because they had one of those Infinity hula hoops I'd been wanting to try out but have been too cheap to buy. 

So I decided to drive over because it was close by.  When I got there I was disappointed because the infinity hoop had already been picked up.  But look  what WAS there?!  🙀

They hadn't even posted a pic of this in their fb post I had seen so I had no clue it was there til I arrived!  Maybe not what I had wanted/hoped for but it was exactly what God knew I needed!

If that don't show ya God listens and cares about the smallest details...He absolutely does!

JUNK

Today while cleaning out emails, I got to thinking about the JUNK folder.  Ya know, the place where strange, unwanted email goes...the stuff we DON'T want to see.  Well about once a week, I usually  skim through these to see if something important went there by mistake which happens occasionally.
I am appalled at the items I see in my junk folder!  Sometimes just advertisements of someone wanting you to buy something, but also a lot of sinful things.  Things placed there to tempt us.  Here's where the lightbulb went off...
The HEART is similar to the INBOX and the JUNK folder is a lot like SIN.  Sin sometimes seeps in and tries to ruin our lives.  We try to avoid it so we put it in a folder and try to forget it but we're human and sometimes we foolishly open and entertain it.  The junk [hate, lust, gossip, unforgiveness etc] then gets inside us and contaminates our hearts much like a virus does to a computer. 
Just like sin, junk is inevitable. We are not immune to sin, however, we are in control of what we allow into our lives.  Temptations will come, sometimes looking so appealing we don't even recognize what's happening.  That's where JESUS comes in.  He died for our sins...He represents the DELETE button and erases all the junk/sin so our email/hearts can be free again! 
So don't let the junk hold you back from the life God has for you.  Forget the past and let Jesus heal your heart!  Lean onto Him when things just don't make sense and He will see you through the storms.
Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

God Speaks

There was a time when I actually thought that people who say they heard from God actually heard His voice appear from out of the sky.  This made me think for the longest time that I was inadequate because I couldn't hear Him or worse that maybe He didn't want or care to talk to me.  Of course, that is a lie. God speaks in many ways, I am not at all surprised by this as He can hear all of our prayers whether we speak them aloud or not.
Some of the stories I am about to share have already been told to friends in person or via other social media forums, so bare with me as I gather them all here.  I feel someone needed to read this today.
God has been speaking to me, I guess, all along.  My heart/mind/spirit just wasn't open to it.  I say "I guess" because I can't exactly pinpoint the time when I heard Him for the 1st time.  All I know is, He is talking to me more and more everyday. 

I am a very visual person and God knows that...so most of my experiences are visual, however, He has surprised me other times as well. There's a verse that found me (Ecclesiastes 3:11) once while helping a friend move some things.  It was inscribed on a trinket I found in her car that she ended up giving to me because she didn't remember buying it nor where it came from.  That same verse was shown to me AGAIN on a random (wrapped) gift I opened at a bridal shower not that long ago.  The kicker if those 2 times weren't enough is, my birthday is 3/11!!  So God definitely wanted me to hear those words!  
Last year, I was vacuuming my car at the car wash and while I was doing that, my mind was racing with thoughts, depressing thoughts...to be honest, I was having a horribly bad day.  I was just sad about a lot of stuff and feeling like God wasn't listening.  As I was vacuuming I noticed something behind one of my tires on the ground.  It was one of those round  pendant buttons that people pin to their jackets to show what band they love or some quote they like. (think of the movie Office Space and those buttons or "flare" Jennifer Aniston wore on her suspenders).  Anyways, I picked it up because I didn't want it to pop someone's tire and when I flipped it over, I just smiled because in that moment God spoke to me through it.  The button said "I am loved."  It was as if God was hugging me right then and there, telling me I was loved.  I wish I would have kept it, unfortunately I threw it in the trash...but do you get what I am saying?  GOD SPEAKS!!

Just like today, I was sitting behind this vehicle and the license plate said "SEEK HM."  Sure someone could argue and say it's just a coincidence, but for these things to always happen precisely WHEN and WHERE I need them most?  I'm sorry, buddy...I am going to have to disagree with you...those are not coincidence at all!!  That's God!!

He has spoken to me in dreams, He has guided me through songs...my point, God speaks if you listen and open your eyes!  I trust Him completely, not saying that it's always easy...but the closer I get to Him and the more I trust Him...He has shown me specific plans for my life.  Crazy plans that I never could imagine!  Unfortunately that also means the enemy has and will use whatever he can to turn me away and make me doubt God's promises and trust me, the enemy is very clever.  But after everything God has showed me thus far...why on earth would I doubt Him? 

I encourage if you haven't ask God into your heart that you do that right now!  I also encourage everybody to get involved in a church ministry and surround yourself with believers who will stand with you.  Be open and let God do the rest!!  Blessings!

Hakuna Matata

https://youtu.be/nbY_aP-alkw

In Swahili, Hakuna Matata simply means "there isn't a problem/trouble."  That's the topic for my blog today...

Ya see, life can be running real smooth, everything is GREAT...and then BAM!  Worry sets in.  Something negative or not the norm can swoop in, steal your joy and spread like wildfire.  Your perfectly good day can go sour in a matter of seconds! 

That's the enemy.  He's sly like that.  The enemy's sole purpose is to STEAL your happiness, KILL your joy and DESTROY any confidence you might have had. [John 10:10] His goal is to make you feel so alone and defeated that you turn your back on God.  I mean, afterall, God wouldn't let these bad things happen to us, right?

I'm going to be really transparent right now.  I am the worst at worrying.  I over think everything and because of that, sometimes I make really poor decisions when I know better.  

I guess that is a part of human nature, however, making mistakes comes with a price.  Once you surrender to Him though, everything suddenly gets put into perspective.  For me, it makes me sick and physically hurt now when I mess up.  It hurts me so much when I know I disappointed God. This is how I recognize I am growing closer in my faith because I didn't always feel like that.  

Before, I was only afraid of getting punished by my parents etc. Now, I am more concerned with how my actions affect others, how my sin hurts God's feelings and the knowledge that I've disappointed Him, hurts ME.

Despite all of that, I STILL sin.  But you know what, despite my sin, my God still loves me.  

I think that is something that's finally sinking in

...GOD WILL ALWAYS LOVE ME.  

No matter what.  No one will ever love you like He does!  So instead of beating yourself up over something you've done or didn't do, hand it to God and leave it.  Because worry is not of God.   

You are though...  

You are a child of God that died for your sins so you don't have to beat yourself up or worry anymore.

He loves you...

  

~Hakuna Matata~

What are you waiting for?!

I saw this sign over the weekend and it gave me a chuckle because well, I tend to laugh about a lot of random things. At the time, I was thinking..."Yeah, what you waiting for?" Surely not talking to myself...instead, being a bit of a smart-aleck about something else. Then a little afterthought/voice went off in my head... "YOU." 

Yep. Me. (explosion sound) 

Anyways, the words on that sign can mean a lot of things to a lot of people... 
Why haven't you applied for that new job? 
Why haven't you gotten serious about your health? 
Why are you procrastinating by reading this blog? lol Seriously, it can mean ANYTHING...But in that particular moment, God basically slapped me in the face with brutal honesty. "You."  

God is waiting on ME. Now, maybe you're reading this and thinking "Wow, I thought Crystal was a Christian...She's always serving at church and "preaching" on social media and she seems to have it all together..." Well, first of all, we ALL have stuff. Actually, if I'm being honest, the closer I get to Him...the more "stuff" the enemy throws at me. Every stinkin' day. It's a definite struggle once you make that jump. But I can tell you it's all worth it.   

I AM a Woman of God. 
I DO serve in many areas of my church. 
I DO post a lot of Christian related things that I will not apologize for by the way... 
But I certainly DO NOT have it all together. This little afterthought/voice I heard today? Basically tells me I have so much more to learn and let sink in. 

Do you know that we are the most important thing to God? All He wants is our time. He is a jealous God though and He doesn't want us doing anything that jeopardizes our relationship with Him. So why do we run?
Because we're HUMAN.
Because sometimes it hurts when God gets real.
Because sometimes we get caught up in "stuff." 
Because our emotions and our flesh...what WE want instead of what GOD wants, sometimes seems more important. But it's not. God wants only the best for us.  What could be more important than that? 

So, back to the sign... 
What am I waiting for? 
What are YOU waiting for? 
What are WE waiting for? 

We know exactly where God is. He is consistent. Even when it feels like we're alone, God is there. 
God is waiting on us.

Reflections...

Just sitting here reflecting on my life this time last year.  Spiritually, I was well on my way, but emotionally, my heart was still stuck in the past.  God has blessed me so much in these past 5 yrs and has straight up changed me.  He reawakened my soul and put that hunger back in my heart that before was just dead inside.  This hunger guided me in the arms of a wonderful church family and put me in the path of some amazing people.
I hadn't been in church for over a year when I found Journey because of past hurts and before that it was hit and miss as my family never really found a church home once we moved to MO (from TX) when I was 8yrs old.
God put me there for a reason though as a few months later, I lost my job of almost 6 yrs.  I got caught up in old emotions over someone who was no good for me and turned to alcohol and partying because it was better to be out with him and our friends than at home watching my finances crumble due to unemployment.  I did the church walk every Sunday, but continued the party life 2-4 nights a week. The person I was becoming, was not who I was nor wanted to be but I couldn't stop.
I am not sure why I continued going to church, considering, but I did.  Then one day someone ask me to serve in the Info Center and I totally surprised myself when I heard the words "yes" come out of my mouth.  When I began serving, I was introduced to a wonderful lady named Beth, who had been going through some struggles in life herself.  Unlike me though, she was very strong in her faith and was always so positive about everything despite what was going on.  Something I admired very much and wanted for myself.  Eventually, I began to make even more friends and started attending the women's events and even started serving as a leader in the youth ministry.  I still would go out with friends but eventually, I was so busy with church activities that I didn't have time for the bars anymore nor had the desire to be around it.  Some friends didn't get it and disappeared, some followed suit to see what it was all about and some thought I fell off my rocker and continued to love me anyways. 
In the past 5 years I have been through the ringer.  But God makes NO mistakes.  Because of my church, the peace God has put in my heart, and the people He has placed around me...I have overcome every obstacle I've been confronted with.  My ideas about life, relationships etc has changed.  I often hear myself talking or better yet, read the stuff I have written and I'm like...."Who Are You?!" LOL Because the woman I see now is nowhere near who I used to be and the things that I have in my life now I can't imagine my life without.
My heart is no longer stuck in my past.  It is on fire and focused on my future!!  I am so excited to see what God has planned!!  Slowly but surely His plan is being revealed!  I still serve alongside Beth in the Info Center, I returned to working with the youth ministry again and I now serve in media which I LOVE because I'm kind've a nerd when it comes to music and technology!  8-)
My prayer life has grown and God has continuously rocked my world with all the many blessings He has given me:  Forgiveness...Grace...Love....Hope...a 2nd chance.  He can give you all of this too,  You just have to ask Him!!
I am a living  testimony that "He makes ALL things New!!" That is an understatement.  I am so overwhelmed by His love and I cannot wait to see what's in store!

The Wait

Did you ever have a dream in your heart that wasn't yet fulfilled? Maybe the timing wasn't right or you just weren't spiritually where you needed to be?
Whatever the case may be, "He who begins a good work in you is faithful to complete it." [Philippians 1:6] That doesn't mean that what you desire matches up to His plan, but God has your best interest at heart and His plan is always better! All we have to do is put our trust in Him. Sometimes that's easier said than done, especially when it doesn't seem possible or in the past things have failed...but remember, because of God, ALL things are possible.[Luke 1:37]   We just have to be patient and open to the things He has for us.
Patience is a whole 'nother ballgame.  Especially when you have been waiting for a long time.  You keep hearing from others that it will happen in His time and how special that person will be if you just wait.  I've learned waiting for your spouse is a lot like waiting for pot of water to start boiling.  It is better to occupy your time doing other things while you're waiting for the water to boil/God to bring that person into your life. 
Who knows, maybe he/she is already in your life?  But just because you think you're ready, doesn't mean God does or maybe it's that other person that isn't quite ready.  My point, God's timing is perfect.  We have to trust that all that stuff will come when the time is right.
It's hard, especially during this time of year. Trust me, I know...the holiday season is rough.
People will include you in on their holiday festivities sometimes, and although, that's nice, it just isn't the same.  And then there are other nights when you just wish you had an invitation anywhere in lieu of being alone.  The holidays are a time for families, and when you're single, that can get you down.  But don't let it. I've been reading this book (God Loves The Single, Too) and there was something that I read the other day that I never thought about.

"Did you ever stop to think why Jesus lived a single life?  He was human as well as divine; He could have had a wife and children the same as any man. It would have seemed very natural for God, who created the home, to let Jesus establish a model home, be the model husband and father to show the world how to run a perfect home. The answer, of course, is obviously that Jesus had a goal in life, a job to accomplish which could best be done without the responsibilities of a wife and children. His life on earth was brief, and His duties were eternal in scope. He put His all into His life and because He did, you and I can accept Him as the Savior and Lord of our life, and He will give us eternal glory.  Surely there were times in His life, as when He was in the garden praying to God to "let this cup pass, if it is Your will," that Jesus would have changed some state of His life on earth. But I'm also sure He never let His mind dwell on such thoughts because He knew it woudn't serve any good purpose. Jesus merely accepted the fact that God could use Him best unmarried. There was no anger or resentment in Jesus' prayer to have his death pass from him---only commitment and complete trust that whatever God chose for Him, He would make a blessing out of it, for Him, and for those around Him."

Reading that passage made me realize that I am not alone.  Jesus knows the desires of my heart and knows what it's like to be lonely too.  But despite all those things, He waited and trusted God's timing. 
I'm not saying you'll never get married, only God knows that. What I AM saying is...that maybe you're single/single again, because, just maybe, He has something magnificent planned that you couldn't do if you weren't where you are right now?  If so, why not trust Him for that?
During this season of our lives, hold tight to your dreams but delight yourself in Him.  [Psalm 37:4] Be content exactly where you are at...Completely trust you're where God wants you to be...Occupy your time doing other things such as serving/being a light to others while waiting for His perfect timing to be revealed...And also, be thankful and accept those holiday invitations!!  :o)
Be Blessed,
-Crystal