Tag: Life Coaching

Getting to Know God: The Encounter with I AM

Read: Exodus 3:1-15

After a long hard day of caring for the sheep, he is tired and hungry. In lightened happy version, Moses sees a fire in the distance. A guy sits at a campfire roasting hot dogs and making smores. The stranger invites Moses to share in the feast. They ended a great evening of companionship singing Kumbaya. Moses walks away, thinking of the nice little visit he had with the nice man.

However, the biblical version of this event is not a friendly campfire. In Exodus 3, the fire of the holiness of the God of the Universe is burning and it is hot! Getting to know God can be uncomfortable.

God’s timing is unique. He reveals Himself to an old shepherd who has seen better days. While in his prime, Moses’ future held great promise. Raised in Pharoah’s Court, Moses was privileged, bright, articulate and brash. Impulsive Moses took on the cloak of a revolutionary. By murdering an Egyptian, he rebelled against the oppression of his people, the Israelites. However, none of his people joined the cause. Moses flees for his life. By Exodus 3 he is broken. Why would God want to know him?

If asked the identity of Moses, the Israelites during this time would probably all ask, “Moses??? Moses who?” But God thoroughly knew who Moses had become, the man who matured during all those years while tending stupid sheep. Moses’ pride evaporated a long time ago. When people arrive at the end of themselves, this is when God can finally work. This is the time to get to know God.

Nothing gets past God. His timing is always right. This is not a comfortable, feel-good God. You can understand the terror of Moses when he hears: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” Who is this God?

Moses not only wonders, “Who am I?” he asks God, “Who are You?” God answers, “I AM.” Those two words describe the God of eternity. “When used as a stand-alone description, I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish. (Gotquestions.org)

Is this the God you know and acknowledge every day of your life? Do you wake up with joy knowing that God is eternally present in your day? When you are exhausted, do you choose to still obey and serve the completely sufficient God? God doesn’t care about all your inabilities; God just requires that you offer yourself unreservedly to Him. God wants you to know Him.

Maybe you will not be leading millions of people out of captivity, but regardless of the challenge you can courageously get to know Christ. After all, I Am is the eternally constant God. His plans are much bigger than a comfortable little campfire. Before this God we take off our shoes, lay prone, and offer up our hands in obedience. What a God to know!

God chooses the most unlikely people to get to know Him and to serve in incredible ways. Unlikely? Yes! But not unwilling. Read about: Mary Slessor, a millworker. Christiana Tsai, who said, “My bed is not a prison, but a training school; the Holy Spirit is my mentor, and my visitors are my homework.” Hudson Taylor, the father of modern missions. Get to know the I AM!

Do You Want Your Life Upended? A Call for Change

I have spent a lot of miles driving the car with at least one hand raised, offering up ordeal to God.

Yet another round of medical tests. We rarely play “Dr. Google” with the results from the hospital portal, but we do observe how Bill’s blood tests are trending. A recent wait for results felt especially exhausting. Our health journey has transported us to landscapes we never envisioned. We pray. Friends pray for us and with us. What do we pray for more than anything else? Strength for the journey, regardless of medical test results. Strength as our lives are upended by this illness.

TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

“Upended” means turned on its end or upside down. In the Gospel of John (John 5:1-14) we read of a man whose life was upended. Jesus challenges the disabled man: “Do you want to get well?” Never given a name in the Gospel account, let’s call the disabled guy “Joe”. Why in the world does Jesus ask, “Do you want to get well?” Seems like a strange query to ask someone who has spent his life unable to walk and having to beg for a living.

DID HE REALLY WANT CHANGE?

Why did Jesus ask this? Maybe historical context will help. Jewish culture considered it a blessing to give money to the poor. Culture says that if you do a good work God gives back to you. It is transactional. You give money and God fills your coffers. After many years, Joe had regular donors who thought God in return would give right back to them. Did Joe really want to get well with the resulting change?

Rephrase Jesus question as: “Do you want your entire life upended? Do you want substantial change?” Restored mobility entailed Joe’s finding regular employment, not being eligible for handouts, and contributing to society. Did he really want an upended life? Change can be painful.

Jesus added something to his conversation which has eternal value. “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Sounds like Joe possessed terminal spiritual disabilities much worse than his physical condition. Did this message take root as Joe picked up his mat and danced home? Did he choose to change and become a Jesus follower?

DO WE WANT OUR LIVES UPENDED?

“Do you want your life upended?” In our own household, do we want our lives upended? Will Bill’s healing come in this world or the next? God asks us daily to open our hands and give all of it over to Him. I have spent a lot of miles driving the car with at least one hand raised, offering up our condition. Our response to circumstances is our offering to God. We ask that the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit daily wash over our lives. We want others to see lives transformed by Christ. Hard as it is, we keep asking God to upend our lives.

LIVES TRANSFORMED

The hard question: do you want transformation? “Transformation” means “change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to the ways of the world to one that pleases God” (Romans 12:2) Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. (II Corinthians 5:17)

Transformation is costly. Do I continue to desire to be upended by Christ? Do you? Click to read Fannie’s story of a transformed life.

Understanding God’s Plan in Uncertain Times

Moses’ choice does not seem hard to us, because we know what happens down the road, but he did not possess God’s detailed plan.

Read: Exodus 2:1-15

Filming this account of Moses’ life would make a binge-worthy Netflix series.   Moses is an Israelite slave baby born under a death order. In rapid succession, he miraculously becomes an Egyptian prince, murder, fugitive, and refugee. God’s plan for Moses’ life appeared a dead end.

Escaping from a death sentence, Moses runs off to Midian. Every bit of influence and all of his plans for the future evaporate into thin air. He discovers himself in the middle of nowhere. All his power is gone. Everyone and everything that provided comfort and security in his life evaporate. The only One left is God. Moses chooses to focus on God.  Moses’ choice does not seem hard to us, because we know what happens down the road. Moses did not possess God’s detailed plan.

If you have not been there yet, you will be. Life veers off course. It may be a result of your choices, or it may seem random and unfair. Either way, life is not what you expect, and you feel stuck.  You wait for God to act.  “Fix this God!” is your repeat cry.  Eventually, you begin to realize that His timing and plans often do not match ours. God possesses more important long-term goals for each of us than we have for ourselves. God’s plan is much larger than we can imagine.

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out)” (Proverbs 19:21 AMP). “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55: 8-9 NIV).

When life is not what you expect, what do you choose? Do you abandon God or dig deeper into Him and His Word? Do you opt to pout, get bitter and angry? Or do you choose to remember and stubbornly cling to the truth of God’s goodness, power, and love? Is your conscious decision to believe He has good plans for you no matter what life looks like at the moment?  Have you learned to hear His voice, abide in Him, trust Him while you wait for Him to work in your life circumstances? Are you willing to subject your life to God’s plan?

To make this choice is a daily battle. Satan does not want us to win. With Jesus, we have the power to win that battle daily. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

Probably, you will not become an Egyptian prince, murder, fugitive and refugee, all in rapid succession. However, like Moses, we can learn what absolute joy is ours when we choose to cooperate with and totally depend on God. Pray and ask God for wisdom. What are some specific actions you can do this week to draw close to God? He wants you to seek the growth He seeks to provide, regardless of your circumstances. God’s plans may be puzzling, but they are trustworthy.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”(Ephesians 3: 20-21)

Suggested reading: “You’re Late Again, Lord!” by Karon Phillips Goodman

How God Worked in My Journey of Faith

When God remembers someone, God is ready to act on someone’s welfare. He does not forget. He is at work.

I remember the fear when I published and released my first book. Dropping it off at my store, I quickly wanted to return and take back my books. The trepidation and doubt I faced were overwhelming, but I didn’t run back to the store. Instead, I asked for support from a few close friends, drove home, and prayed. I knew God was calling me to share my book with the world, but at that moment, I wasn’t sure how everything would play out. God was at work.

REGARDLESS, GOD WORKED

God often does not let us know how obeying Him will play out. In Genesis 6:18, God says to Noah, “But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and sons’ wives.” Noah understood what a covenant (a promise) was but in the history of the world an ark had never been built. Regardless, Noah built the ark. It was 1 ½ football fields long and the width of a six-lane interstate. This was no small boat. The neighbors thought he was crazy, but God was at work.

GOD IS READY TO ACT

No way did Noah initially understand how his obedience would play out or how long he would be on the ark. Later in Genesis 8:1, God “remembered Noah.” Scholars believe Noah and his family lived on the ark for 370 days amid an earth completely covered with water. In the Bible, when God remembers someone, it indicates that God is ready to act on someone’s welfare. God does not forget. He is at work.

WAYS WE CANNOT IMAGINE

God showed up for Noah before the ark was built, during the process, and afterward. Often, we do not know how our obedience will play out or how we will build our own “arks”. Sometimes we doubt God’s orders. He may call us to build our arks or serve in a way that colors way outside of the lines. God works in ways we cannot imagine.

I’m glad I drove home that day, leaving my books at my store, I followed through with building the ark God called me to. As of writing this, my book has sold multiple copies. The messages and comments I received were wonderful. This is all and only from God.

When you build the ark God asks you to, He will see you through. What He did for Noah, what He did for me, He can do for you. Let God work.

Check out Ashley’s website: https://brokenuntilnow.com/

Emmanuel: God’s Promise to Exiled Humanity

The highway leading to eternal separation from God now offers an off-ramp leading to eternal community

Read: Colossians 1:21-22

Did you realize everyone who walks on Planet Earth is an exile, someone barred from one’s native country? Adam and Eve’s native country was the Garden of Eden. Daily, they walked and delighted in the presence of God. However, they were barred from their birthplace when they sinned. Sin brought both separation from God and death.  Because sin cannot in anyway exist in the presence of God, all mankind became “separated from Him by our evil thoughts and actions”. Thanks to Adam and Eve, all mankind is naturally born exiled from the very presence of God.

THE ETERNAL GOD REACHED OUT

This broke God’s heart. The original Latin text for the hymn “O Come O Come Emmanuel” contains a reverse acrostic. It translates: “I shall be with you tomorrow”. The Eternal God reaches out to exiled humanity. He promised us His presence. That’s why God gave His Son the name Emmanuel which literally means “God with us”.

Written around the 8th century, this hymn was meant to be sung antiphonally. This entailed alternate singing by two choirs, positioned on opposite sides of a sanctuary. The first choir would sing “O come, O come, Emmanuel” While the sound waves still resonated across the expanse, the 2nd choir began singing “And ransom captive Israel”. And so, they alternately sing line after line, ever growing in confident hope. The building reverberates with the glorious sounds. Heaven rejoices as God reaches out to exiled humanity.

THE SON OF GOD APPEARS

All the angelic hosts break loose singing “the Son of God appears! Rejoice! Rejoice!” Heaven resounds with exuberant jubilant song. This is not the half-hearted clapping for someone receiving a participation award. This is the full throttle choirs of the heavens stamping their feet because God has won! The highway leading to eternal separation from God now offers an off-ramp leading to eternal community, companionship, and peace with God. The exiles no longer must face separation from God.

GOD IS WITH US! DRAW NEAR!

For all of you longing, hungering for God, His promise has been fulfilled. O Lord, make safe the way that leads to Thee and close the path to misery. God is with us! Draw near!

We face a new year. Challenges and heartbreak which you never anticipated may try to tear apart your life in shockwaves of pain. However, whatever comes, God also invites you to unimaginable victory. God invites the exile home. He desires to spend every moment with us.  Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

RUN TO THE FATHER

Run to the Father. He offers you His eternal presence. Regardless of what 2026 brings, no longer do you have to remain in exile. Come home!

O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home. Make safe the way that leads to thee and close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel

Finding Hope in the Hospital: A Personal Journey

This was not a good day at the hospital. Where was hope?

This was not a good day at the hospital. Where was hope? The doctors are not happy with the amount of fluid the kidneys refuse to expel; the physician again adjusted the meds. Bill’s blood pressure began to climb. To top it off, the other doctor was not happy regarding the occasional dips in oxygen. Didn’t God know what was going on?

CANCELLED HOMECOMING

This was the day Bill had a 50/50 chance of finally coming home from the hospital. That chance flew out the window. Our hopes plummeted. I was barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Didn’t God hear me?

DOESN’T GOD WATCH OUT FOR ME?

My emotional state was fragile. And then came the text. An acquaintance told me in no uncertain terms what demands I must make of the hospital. This text was not a suggestion; it was in command form. I need another command like a hole in my head right now. Doesn’t God watch out for me?

Earlier I had prayed for just some glimpse of Him on a very dark day.

GOD SHOWS UP IN THE PRODUCE AISLE

But in then the middle of this mess, God shows us up!!!! I stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  There’s a young man who works there who is both friendly and goofy. The guy is a big man, and I look like a midget beside him. He passed by me in the produce aisle, paused and turned around. Then he asked, “How are you doing Honey?” (No disrespect, he always calls me that) 

I barely kept back the tears as I told him this wasn’t a good day. He asked what happened. After carefully listening, he gave me not only one, but two bear hugs. He told me he’s praying for me.

GOD HEARS EVEN IN THE DARK

God heard me all the while today and sent a young man as an angel in the produce aisle. In the midst of all of this, God is very much present. I only can see right in front of me, but God sees the miles yet to go. God hears even in the dark. What a blessing when random people feel the nudges of God and obey! God shows up.

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:26-27)

GOD SHOWS UP

All those tears I have tried to keep in check since the first hospitalization on November 25th ran down my face. God heard.

Since November 25th our days have been filled with ER visits, hospitalizations, doctor appointments, and a confusing array of conflicting opinions from specialists. We are exhausted, down to our last array of strength, and God keeps showing up often when we least expect it.

ANGELS FROM GOD

“Angel” means messenger from God. God apparently has an abundance of them in human form. Two days ago, I was exceptionally brittle and down to my last ounce of courage. As I trucked in to yet again keep vigil at the hospital a song played. It mentioned tears at Christmas. At that point I lost it. I literally howled in the car. All those tears I have tried to keep in check since the first hospitalization on November 25th ran down my face. God heard.

LOVED, SNOT AND ALL

God showed up. That afternoon one friend stopped by unannounced. She lost her husband several years ago and understands the emotional and spiritual warfare at play. She didn’t tell me to buck up or shower me with Christian truisms. Instead, she hugged me, loved me, spoke Scripture over me and prayed for me. Within the hour another Christian sister also visited; let me cry, snot and all. God showed up through these angels.

None of these sisters belong to a Christian committee or are paid to visit. They just listen to God and turn up.

ROCK BOTTOM

The next day, Bill hit bottom both physically and emotionally. The doctor told him that his blood numbers are finally beginning to start to look better. The next words were “You will be here until at least the weekend.” Not the words Bill wanted to hear, especially since he was experiencing unrelenting backpain. Bill had just been transferred out of the ICU to a new floor in the hospital. They were understaffed. Official medical help was a long time a coming.

BROTHER D

Out of the blue, in walked Brother D. He didn’t have a set agenda. God delivered our messenger of encouragement. Brother D did it beautifully. He listened to God’s nudge and obeyed.

DRIVE BY MESSENGERS

Then arrived our friends from another country. I call them “God’s Drive by Messengers”. Due to their experience caring for their invalid father for a number of years, they gave Bill the best foot massage he ever received. Then together as a team they repositioned him on his bed, so Bill’s back was more at ease. Nudged by God, they showed up and unconventionally obeyed.

HEARING THE NUDGE AND SHOWING UP

And that is the role of genuine believers – they listen to God and show up. It might not be something in their comfort level, and it may not fit in their schedule.

Thanks to all of you who have sent messages, called and dropped by. Kudos to you who have ardently kept us in your prayers. Since November 25th, twice without the intervention of God we would have lost Bill. Heaven will be blessed by Bill’s presence but there are still so many more lives Bill wants to reach for Christ.

GOD SMILES

Dear Messengers, the world is not aware of your service, but Heaven is listening to your obedience to Christ. You have felt God’s nudge and showed up. God smiles.

I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Day 1862 Henry wrote in his journal “A merry Christmas” say the children, but that is no more for me.”

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these lyrics during a dark season. Two years previously his wife had been sealing envelopes with hot wax when the flame caught her clothes on fire.  Henry, burned badly as well, was too sick to attend her funeral.  For the remainder of his life, he covered up his facial scars behind a long beard. Christmas Day 1862 Henry wrote in his journal “A merry Christmas” say the children, but that is no more for me.”

NO PEACE ON EARTH

By 1863 the country tore itself apart in Civil War.  Against Henry’s wishes (and fears) his son, Charles, enlisted in the army. No wonder Henry wrote: And in despair I bowed my head, ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. In November, a bullet pierced Charles from back to shoulder, just nicking his spine. Henry traveled to Washington to retrieve his son from the hospital.  Arriving at home December 8th, Charles began his extended convalescence.  This was grief at its deepest. 

God loved Henry in the midst. His love had not run out.

GOD IS NOT DEATH NOR DOTH HE SLEEP!

Slowly, Henry’s heart began to heal and turn back to God.  Along with everything else, he experienced a dry season in writing.  But then, sitting at his desk one morning he heard the church bells.  Henry’s heart began to resonate with the return of hope.  Hope for his son, hope for his family and hope for a nation torn apart by war.  God began to wake his heart when he wrote: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on earth, good-will to men!” God had not departed.

THE BELLS PEAL FOR ETERNITY

The sinless One, Jesus Christ, came to bring hope: complete reconciliation between mankind and God.  Because of this, Longfellow journaled: “I thought how as the day had come; the belfries of all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men.   That’s why the bells peal for all eternity.”  Will the bells peal for all eternity signaling that you have made peace with God via Jesus Christ?  Even when grief is at its deepest, God has not departed. The season of darkness can pass.  

Click to read more on discovering lasting peace.

JOY MEANT FOR ALL

Emotionally, I can feel like a ping pong ball thwacked back and forth by the paddles of life.

As I drove to work, a few bars of “Joy to the World” began to play on the radio. As its upbeat arrangement attempted to rouse a jolly response, I couldn’t help but admit I wasn’t feeling particularly festive. Christmas is called “the most wonderful time of the year”….But, not for all.

THE PING PONG BALL EFFECT

Sometimes I love the season and revel in the trimmings, twinkling lights, and tunes. Then there are the times I white-knuckle my way through landmines of longing, loss, and loneliness intensified by the holiday season. Emotionally, I can feel like a ping pong ball thwacked back and forth by the paddles of life.

THWACKED BACK AND FORTH BY LIFE

Picture that very first Christmas. Did Mary and Joseph also feel like ping pong balls bounced back and forth by unseen or unknown powers? Not yet married and expecting a baby, Mary and Joseph lived with the aftermath of losing their reputations and highly likely relationships with friends and family. They experienced the loneliness of not belonging anywhere. Did they feel thwacked back and forth by life in a world lost and longing for the Savior?

BOTH HARDSHIP AND BEAUTY

The “trimmings” of that first Christmas were rough. Judean stables often were not made of wood like we see portrayed. More likely it was a damp cave or lower-level annex hewn out of rock. Jesus made his grand entrance not as a magnificent king arriving on the scene, but as an ordinary baby pushed into the world amid Mary’s searing pain. No cradles, soft and warm, but a utilitarian feeding trough surrounded by the ordinary sounds and smells of life (Luke 2:1-20). At the same time, the sky lit up with a multitude of angels (Luke 2:8-20) singing the most beautiful Christmas song announcing the birth of The Savior of the World! What a contrast between the broken and sublime. Hardship and beauty. Both realities coexisted. That realization brings me peace.

JOY COEXISTING WITH SORROW

As I walked into work that day, I felt joyful despite the paddles of life sending me back and forth between happiness and sorrow. You see, true joy can coexist with sorrow because it is not dependent on things always being “good”. Real joy sustained by hope and the deep settled confidence that God is in control of every detail of life. Whether you find yourself reveling or longing, Christmas really is a wonderful time of the year. It’s when we remember that the Lord came. And because He came and conquered sin and death (I Cor. 15:55-57), He will come again. I invite you to experience His joy to the world!

Click to discover how to grab unto God’s joy.

Stay Connected: Lessons from a Leaf

It is a hectic season. Responsibilities with work, family and church overflow my days. Unloading my work tote, I discovered a leaf lying on the bottom of the bag.  I grab it impatiently, but on my short journey to the trash I can notice its beauty. Something makes me stop to look more closely at the leaf. It is deep burnt orange and bright crimson swirled together, so incredibly rich, like a sunset in my hand.  The crisp, jagged outline and stem, so perfectly crafted by the Creator, yet no longer connected to its source of sustenance.

BE STILL!

I realize God placed the leaf in my bag to draw my attention to Him in the middle of my hectic life.  The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe intentionally reaches out to me with an invitation to connect with Him. So, I pause and decide to accept His invitation. I am seen, loved, cared for by my Beloved. He asks me to linger. It is wonderful to be fully in His presence. In those moments, the words from Psalm 46:10 sink deeply into my soul: “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God” comes alive in me. I carefully place the leaf aside, as pause for heart-to-heart connection with God. 

THE DISCONNECTED LEAF

Days later, I picked the leaf up again, but the leaf in no way resembles its previous beauty. It is an ugly blotched brown, dry, shriveled and crumbling. No longer is it connected to its source of life.

Oh Lord Jesus, is this what you mean when you tell us to stay connected to You, The Vine?  When I take time to connect with You, my spirit is alive, vibrant, and beautiful.  But when I discard time with You and focus only on the cares of this world, my spirit quickly becomes dry, brown, and crumbled. I do not resemble the creation You intended me to be and cannot do the things You created me to do. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Jesus, in this season when we prepare to celebrate Your coming to earth, draw us to You every moment. Help us keep our eyes and heart fixed on You, not on the distractions swirling around us. Constantly remind us to intentionally connect with You.