Put Down the Worry Wand...


Philippians 4:19 - And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


I just need to give God praise in my blog post today.  I hope this encourages you to know how much in the palm of His hand you are.


If you've been reading this blog from the start you know this journey started with a physical move to Jacksonville, FL. you know that it's been a journey of faith and that Jacksonville was an outward manifestation of an inward journey that we are still very much on.  Even though we were in Jacksonville for 2 mos. and then the Lord brought us back to NY because of events beyond our control (we were robbed), we are still very much on the journey to Jacksonville and what Jacksonville represents to us personally according to what the Lord has shown us.  But that is not for today.  That's another post for another day.  Today I want to give God all my praise.  


Roger and I both have been unemployed since the end of January.  He had brief employment in J'ville in March.  But you know that was lost due to us being robbed.  I'm writing about this today because we had something happen yesterday  that was truly awesome and it made me realize that our family, even in these tough economic times, have wanted for nothing.  God has provided every step of the way.

Here's what happened.  This week financially things have kind of hit a low.  Nothing terrible.  It's just the type of thing where you feel the squeeze a little bit.  Anyway, praise God, Roger was hired to start a job this Saturday (Today).  By Thursday morning we realized we had no gas and no money to get any gas for him to get to work.  We also were suppose to be at church Thursday night.  In obedience to the Lord we drove to church Thursday night on E trusting he would provide.  You can see from my previous post we would have missed out on something amazing had we not been obedient.  We got to and from church with no problem.  According to His riches in Glory...


So that brings us to Friday.  Roger is due to start work Saturday and we still have no gas and no money for gas.  But if you would have seen us on Friday.  Even those who saw us at church on Thursday, you would have never known.  We've seen God's hand of provision over our family.  It came down to this.  If God provided this job for Roger, He would provide a way for Roger to get there.  Once we said that we never spoke about it again.  We just rested in the Truth that is our God.


Yesterday afternoon Roger received a phone call asking him to come downstairs because it was important.  He went down and when he came back up he handed me a card that was given to him.  The card read as follows:


Dear Sharkiesha and Roger
This has been on my heart now for a while, to sow more than words into your life.  I didn't know the form at first, it would take.  Then when I did, I didn't know the amount it would be.  Then when I did, I didn't know when.  But as I waited on the Lord He just kept revealing one step after another until it was done.  And so my children in Christ, I will sow $50 a month for gas.  I know this will help you and Roger in doing and getting to the place where you need to be.


There was more, but that's just for our family.  There was also $50.  When I called to say thank you and share what they had just done for our family, what I heard back was so awesome and why I had to write this today.  I was told " See what the Lord does when you choose to put down the worry wand and just trust."  It hit me once that was said that this was different.  When we received the money, I did not have this sensation of a load being taken off.  I did not feel that sigh of relief or like a burden had just been lifted.  It was different.  I felt like I finally understood an attitude of expectation.  Philippians 4:19 - And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  We expected for God to come through if this was His will for our lives.  So why worry.  We've learned in this journey to surrender it all to Him.  If it's for us it will be.  If it's not something better is in store.  So what's the point in fretting.


I wanted to share this with you today first and foremost to give God all the glory because He is so so worthy.  But then I also wanted to encourage you. Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  He truly does.  He's aware of your every need.  He knows your needs better than you do.  So completely release whatever it is to Him.  Trust the one who knows the plans He has for you and says they are to prosper you and not harm you.  They are to give you a future and a Hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  Hold on to every part of that verse.  Don't lose Hope.  Psalm 37:25 tells us that the righteous will never be forsaken, not his descendants begging bread.  So choose Hope and Peace and...

Put Down the Worry Wand...

Let My Life Be the Proof...

So I said in my last blog post that I would probably have more to say about understanding that we are a spirit in a body as opposed to vice versa.  I honestly believe that the Lord is going to be revealing more and more about this in the days to come,  because it's rocked my world.

I'll give you an example.  Tonight we had prayer at church.  I honestly did not feel like going.  After school with the girls and house work I was just worn out.  But I had not felt that way until the only thing left for me to do for the day was to go to church.  I had been alert and awake  all day until it was time to go to church.  I went back and forth in my head about whether I should go or stay home.  Did my spirit need rest or to be refreshed?  This is a new way of questioning for me since the Lord speaking about us being spirit first.  I decided to go with refreshed and not to give in to the fatigue of my body.  I'm so glad I did.  

It was rough getting out of the door.  Attitudes started rising up among our family.  Complaints started happening.  Roger looked at me and said "If the enemy is making it this hard for us just to get there, I wonder what awaits tonight."  We got in the car and that's when everything was different.  

You know how us Christians will say look with your spiritual eyes, not your natural eyes.  Or when confronted by a negative person someone will say don't look at the person, look at the spirit behind the person.  Well when you don't live you life spirit first, what does any of that mean?  Today I rode to church and it hit me that all of us, believer and unbeliever are spirit first.  The unbeliever's spirit just currently resides in a rebellious body.  I was so deeply saddened by this that when I got to church it was all I could feel.  I was grieved within my spirit.  There was no plan for me to speak at church but the Lord had a different plan.  He had a sister ask me if I had anything to share and this is what  ended up coming forth tonight within our group.

My spirit ached for the other spirits out there held captive in an unbelieving vessel.  If you see yourself and others as spirit first, it changes your perspective on being a witness.  It gives you the ability to be an effective witness.  Because you then see how our battle is not against flesh and blood.  When the Lord leads you into an opportunity to witness, console, love on or forgive, you have a better understanding of how to do so correctly because you are dealing with the spirit of that person.  That's what responds.  That's why we have to be sensitive and obedient to the spirit.  Because these moments are so important.

Living a life where the spirit is in charge does cause a difference in you.  I think that's why when the world looks at us currently they no longer see much of a difference.  We've got to get this right.  We've got to become kingdom minded people again.  Do we really desire for God to be first and all that comes with that choice?  I'm not talking about  the looking perfect, make sure your always in your Sunday best, Squeaky clean image, never seen without a smile fake kind of stuff.  I'm talking about genuine love, genuine compassion, genuine joy, unwavering obedience and serving. When you live in the spirit and the spirit is truly in control this just flows.  

I'm tired of being a christian with no power.  I'm tired of get caught up in the things of this fallen world.  I'm tired of choosing this place everyday as my home when the bible tells me it's not.  I'm tired of accepting the lies of the enemy about who I am because I'm comparing myself to so and so and so and so.  I'm tired of my mind wreaking havoc on my life.  I'm making a choice to live who I AM.  Spirit first.  It's a new day.  A new mind set.  I love the Lord with every ounce of my being.  I am who He says I am.  It's time to get back to basics.  Learn the word, Search the word.  See what He says about life in the spirit and  decide to follow.  It's time for the world to see a difference in us and start desiring what we've got instead of us desiring what they've got.

Let Our Lives Be the Proof...

Spirit Starved or Spirit Led...

Romans 8:6 - The mind governed by the flesh is death, but mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

First I want to start out by saying that this blog is strictly about things I'm learning on this journey called life.  I never want anyone to feel like I'm casting judgement or shame.  I am literally writing what I myself am learning from day to day.  I am passionate about the people of God discovering their fullest potential and complete freedom in Christ.  

With that said last night the Lord started speaking to me about life in the Spirit and what it should look like.  It wasn't a full thought just a little mini download that started me thinking that it would probably be my next blog post.  A few hours later I came and sat outside with my husband, who is not known for being much of a talker.  But last night while I sat in silence, which is something I'm not known for being, lol,  he just started talking to me about a starved Spirit.  I knew this was just a confirmation of what the Lord had started revealing to me.

Here's what I'm thinking about.  We do so much on a regular basis to take care of our fleshly body.  We feed it when it's hungry.  Bathe it when it's dirty.  Sleep when it's tired.  Vacation when it needs rest.  We lose ourselves in games or tv when we need to decompress.  Throw in a little bit of shopping therapy to make us feel better.  We'll even bungie jump to feel a sense of being alive again.  We do what we need to do to make sure our fleshly body feels good and is not deprived.  We live a life where our brain and common sense is in control, but what about a spirit controlled mind?  What would that look like?  Maybe that's why some of us in Christ feel lost or have no direction.  Who's been doing the leading?

Have we forgotten the fact that we are a spirit first before a fleshly body?  Just think about that for a second.  You ARE a spirit in a fleshly body. I just wonder if we actually got this and the power that is in that truth how much would it impact our lives.  What if we lived spirit first?  What if it was more of a priority to take care of our spirit first over our fleshly man? What would that look like?  I know for me just this thought alone has already given me a different perspective on how I live this life from day to day.  I think if we got this right the things that we do for our fleshly body would even improve beyond what we are currently doing.  

But even beyond that.  For the Kingdom of God.  What if we lived the way we were suppose to, spirit first.  What would that look like for the kingdom?  Maybe less of a desire to take care of ourselves first and more of a desire to help our fellow man.  Maybe a deeper love for God, family, ourselves and friends than we ever thought possible.  Maybe a more satisfied life, because I think a lot of us right now are not satisfied with our current life and are trying things to make our bodies and minds feel better while our spirit continues to starve.  Maybe then when we say God may you increase and I decrease, we could truly mean it and live it.

I have a feeling I'll be writing about this some more, because this has really changed mine and Roger's perspective on so much.  Maybe we are just late and everyone else has perfected a truly spirit led life.  But I don't think that's the case.  I think if we really thought long and hard about us as a spirit it would revolutionize our entire thought process and how we live from day to day.  So I'm going to leave you with this.  Here are 2 verses among many that give us an idea of what a spirit led life should look like. 

Colossians 3:1-2 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not earthly things.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 - But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly-judged by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ.

Just think about it and answer these question for yourself.  What does your life look like if you saw yourself as a spirit first in a fleshly body as opposed to a body with a spirit?  What is your spirit in need of?  You've now been informed that it is the priority, not your fleshly man.  So you now know it is of utmost importance to take care of yourself...Spirit!  Has it been starving or has it been leading?  Who's really been in charge? It's time to stop neglecting who we truly are.

Be Spirit Led not Spirit Starved...

Love'em While We Got'em...

So last night I had a slumber party.  Yes a 34 yr. woman can still have a slumber party.  It was with my mother and my 78 yr old grandmother who was diagnosed with cancer in 2008.  According to her doctors it's a miracle that she is even still here.  Most people with her type of cancer at her age do not survive as long as she has.  She is currently 76 lbs and growing by the grace of God.  If God brought us back from FL for this time, just for last night alone, it was so worth it.  This is what made me decide to write about this today.  I lived in TN for 13 yrs.  My grandmother and I have always been very very close.  I often refer to her as my heart.  I adore her.  But it hasn't been easy seeing her diminish after her cancer diagnosis in 2008.  

My grandmother before diagnosis was a spunky, 135 lbs, 5'2" little spitfire.  There is no one in my family that has made me laugh like her.  She has a no holds barred personality that I have always loved.  As the cancer progressed her voice changed and it became harder for her to speak on the phone.  So we didn't talk as much.  Eventually not talking as much became part of the norm.  My mom updated me if there was anything urgent going on. I would also call her directly on occasion.  None of this was intentional.  The closeness of our relationship just kind of changed over time.

Eventually her 135 lb frame went down to the 70's even 60's at one point.  Her heavy raspy voice became a high pitched whisper.  The one who had always prayed, hoped and believed and encouraged me to do the same, did not have that same exuberance anymore.   This wasn't the grandma that I remembered.  I think when you are away from the reality of a situation it's a little easier to not face it or be affected by it.  I think that's what I did.  I did not face it and just went on with life as normal.

I'm so glad the Lord did not let me miss this.  She's still here and now I'm here.  I am determined to love her while I've still got her.  I thank God that I did not miss this time.  I thank God that He knew me better than I knew myself and stopped me.  He knew if I did not take the time to stop life and love on her, I would have ached if never getting the chance.

I wanted to write this today and be open and honest as I try to in all my post.  I wanted to encourage somebody to not let an opportunity pass you by.  Whether it's a situation like my grandmothers or a relative or friend healthy, happy and safe at home, Love'em while you Got'em.  We take the people in our life for granted sometime.  They've always been there and they are just a part of our norm.  I want more than that.  I want the unforgettable slumber party that goes on till 3 in the morning.  I want the unforgettable laughs.  I want the memory of my grandmother looking at me and telling me 4 times before I said goodbye that she was so so glad that I was back and that we had this time.  I want that.  I want more and If we take the time to love more I believe the Lord will honor that with some of the best memories we could have ever thought possible.

Love'em While You Got'em...

He Set the Example...


Luke 22:41-42 - And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. 


Last night while at prayer at our church He Set the Example was mentioned and immediately I thought about the verse above.  That's kind of how this blog has been going for me the last few days.  I'll hear something and have like this whole download of a thought that I've never had before.  So last night when I heard this I felt connected to Jesus in a way I had not before.  I think in my mind I fell into the yeah Jesus was man but He was also God and does not fully understand me and what it's like to be me trap.  That was not my conscious thought, but I'm realizing subconsciously yeah I did.  It's the whole God choosing to make Himself like me.  Who would choose that on purpose.  But He did and there is comfort in the verse above.  Because it makes me stop and say Jesus felt fear, anguish, pain, distress.  But in spite of it all He still chose to say not my will, but Yours Father.
He believed that the plan for His life was even greater than His life.  So should we.  He set the example.  God knows the plans that He has for us and He says it's to prosper us and not harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). Today we need to know that Jesus gets it.  He knows what we are currently feeling.  Insignificant, Insecure, Scared, Depressed, Devastated, Grieved, Ignored, Complacent, Alone, Comfortable (Yes I said comfortable. That's not a safe place either).  But He gets it.  But like Him we can't be immobilized by it.  God's plan for our lives is so much more than our current state.  But we choose not to see past them sometimes.  We think this is it.  We look at our lives and get stuck on our lives.  What if that's what Jesus did?  Where would we be?  So what makes us think it's ok for us?
John 14:12 says " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  People we have work to do.  We have been bound by the enemy for too long.  God says greater works than these we will do.  We question a lot of times why are we not seeing God move in major ways these days.  Why are we making it His problem and not looking within?  We will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our TESTIMONY.  Do you know your testimony or are you allowing the enemy to cast shame and fear in your life thus hindering you from doing greater things.  I did.  I'll be the first one to say that I carried around more mess than a message for years.  But we have work to do.  This world needs us.  There are people out there going through things us believers have been through but at least we have Hope.  Because we do. Sometimes we don't act like it.  But we do have Hope.  They don't even know what Hope looks like and we allow the enemies whispers of shame and fear  from our past to stop us from giving it to them.  After realizing that, how can we sit back and let it happen?  How can we just be ok with that?
All the tools that we will ever need for this life to get through this life, we have already been given.  It's time for us to realize that and activate those tools.  We have the best role model ever to learn from.  Learn from Him.  Because He gets it.  He lived it.  He understands it, got through it and will get us through it.

He set the example...

Shake it Loose...


Healing and Restoration.  That is the main reason the Lord has showed us, as well as others  as to why we are back in NY for a period of time.  While talking to my mom this afternoon I started to think I wonder how the lack of restoration and healing from past hurts has affected my relationships with others.  Here a few things that came to mind.
Jealousy
Anger
Misplaced Frustration
Loss of Friendships
Paranoia
Pessimism
Misery
These are just a few things that come to mind.  The difference is now I can see them as my problem.  Before it was misplaced and everyone else's problem but my own.  I hurt so much inside that I always saw an ulterior motive in everyone else.  Always looking for the meaning behind what was said. Always over analyzing prior conversations or emails trying to figure out what "they" really meant by that.  IT'S EXHAUSTING!!  Please tell me I'm not alone in this. Lol! This is how I was living my life.  
A very dear friend of my family who I love like an Aunt has this hand motion.  She lifts up her arms and just starts shaking her hands and says "I shake it loose."  I love it.  I'm adopting it.  What are we holding on to?  I know for me the Lord has been revealing a lot of past pains that I thought were dealt with.  But in actuality even though I had dealt with the initial pain or shock of the hurt I had not stopped it from defining me in some way.  I became "I have my eye on you and I'll always stay a step ahead of everyone by prejudging their thoughts towards me" Sharkiesha.  It's true.  
Like Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, I want to make it through the fires of life.  But I want to make it out the way they did.  Without the smell of smoke.  Have you ever had smoke get in your clothes and in your hair? It wreaks, and so did I.  I may have made it through.  But my attitude and mentality stunk afterwards.  I don't want to smell like smoke any more.  I want to shake it loose.  It's not benefiting me at all to hold on to these attitudes, bitterness or resentments.  I thought I was protecting myself, but in actuality I did more harm to myself than anyone else.
So writing this today is two fold.  I know someone else out there is letting their past hurts define them.  They just have not acknowledged it yet.  They are living a protected life and not allowing people in.  They are comfortable keeping everyone on the surface or thinking the worst about them.  You may not even know who you truly are because you change depending on the company your in.  That was me.  I kept myself safe by having no identity.  Who I was for the day was determined by who I was with.  It protected me from feeling rejected. 
The second reason is I want to say I'm sorry.  I'm apologizing to any of my friends or family that I put my stuff on and did not give you a chance to love me for me.
The truth is that I viewed myself as unlovable for quite a few years.  I got hurt multiple times and so it had to mean that I was not worth love. No one would say that to my face but they had to be thinking it. That's the lie that I had bought into.  So I prejudged your every word, thought or action towards me.  I'm sorry.
That's not who I am any longer all glory to God.  He's faithful till the end.  But I am still a work very much in progress as we all are.  But God is most definitely healing and restoring.  Know that He is doing so in you as well. God is for us like no one else on this earth.  Like no one else.  Oh the power in knowing that.  So let it go.  There is a better you waiting to break forth. A more joyful you.  A freer you.  Let it go and...

Shake it Loose
For my dancers click here for some help Shaking it Loose

Serve the Lord Where Your At...


This word just came from a late night evening convo with my awesome hubby. Serve the Lord where your at. Do your best everyday for Him. Find rest in knowing that the Lord love's your best and it's good enough for Him. If it's not good enough for man, that's ok. Don't focus on that. Do your best as unto the Lord and rest because He will take care of the rest.  Pressure's off with Him. I guarantee, you are the best you possible when you do all things in this life unto Him.

Rest...

Stay Out of the Boat...


And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:28-32


I felt compelled today to write about the title of this blog "Courage to Stay Out of the Boat".  While reading this text a few months ago the Lord hit me over the head with 3 things.  


1. What could Peter have seen/learned if he would have stayed out of the boat?
Now I have to give Peter props for even being willing to step out.  But what would have happened if he stayed out?  I've always had a fascination with the ocean.  While in FL last month we went to Daytona Beach.  The water was the most clear I had ever experienced.  You could see schools of fish swimming in almost every wave that came forward.  It was amazing.  But can you imagine what's waaaaay out there?  What you could see out where the boats are, and Peter and Jesus are just walking out there.  Our minds can barely wrap around the thought of something like that.  What does an experience like that do for one's faith?  But then he saw the wind. It wasn't that the wind was not always there, Peter just started taking notice of it instead of watching the Creator of it.


2. Fear that makes you say "God take me back to what I've always known. Take be back to safety!"  Here's been my life in a nutshell the past few years.  Stay in the boat.  Or if you feel bold enough today to venture out and trust God just keep the boat close by so you can jump back in.  I don't want the boat.  I want Jesus and all that He desires for me to do and be.  Which means, guess what, the boat has to get left behind.  What am I scared of anyway.  The author and and the finisher of my faith is before me, behind me and on every side of me.  What am I scared of?  His word will not come back void and if He says He knows the plans that He has for me and they are for my good and not to harm me, I better grab hold of that and believe it.  He says ALL THINGS work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Whom, What, Where, When shall I fear?!?!?!  How come we don't live like that?  Because we can.  We just don't believe that we can, because we are allowing ourselves to be caught up in the winds of fear, shame, resentment, bitterness, anger, guilt, discontentment, complacency, comfort and all the other tools that the enemy loves to pull out to rob us from experiencing the out of the boat faith Christ desires for us to achieve.


3. v:31 And Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him. Immediately, which means what?  Jesus was closer than Peter even realized.  Jesus is closer than we even realize.  Sometimes it feels like we are walking on the great big ocean with winds at every side and Jesus is no where in sight.  But is that truly the case?  No, it's not.  Not at all.  He is forever and always aware of you.  He is in love with you.  You are the apple of His eye.  He delights in you and at the very thought of you.  So don't get caught up in what it looks like, because what you see does not have to be what you get.  What you get could be so much more if you decide to see past the wind.  My mother always says "Trials don't come to stay, they come to pass."  Remember that.  God's plan for your life is so much greater.

HE + ME = PHILIPPIANS 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

STAY OUT OF THE BOAT!

Can't Be Snatched...


So this morning I woke up and began reading the verse of the day on one of my bible phone apps.  Today's verse came from John 10:27-30 and reads as follows:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch out of the Father's hand.  I and the Father are one."
Why are we scared to try?  Why are we too fearful to believe? Ok, I'll ask one simpler for us Christians out there.  Do we believe that God's a liar?  I can hear the resounding NO's on that one.  So why do we act like this verse is somehow inaccurate.  He's telling us we can't be snatched.
I've talked about passed mindsets a lot in this blog.  Another mindset I used to have was being fearful to do something because I didn't want to be out of God's will.  That mindset is tricky.  God does not need us to accomplish His will.  The bible tells us that If we do not worship the very rocks will cry out.  It's out of His love for us that we have been given the honor of accomplishing His will.
Now can we miss out on blessings and opportunities if we choose not to do what the Lord is telling us to do?  Yes!  But is His will for our lives some how voided as well?  No, it's not.  See God says that He works all things together for the good of those that love Him.  He can take our mess and make it our message if we let Him.  But if we become immobile out of fear of stepping out of God's will we render ourselves unusable.  I know that's not what I want.  I don't believe that's what you want either.  That's why I''m writing this today.  I want you to find hope in the verse above.  We can't be snatched out of His Hand.  His will for our lives is so much bigger than our missed opportunities or mess up's.  So what we missed His voice 1 day, 2 days, a week or a month.  Ok,well not totally so what.  Learn from those missed opportunities.  But don't be scared to get back on the horse again after falling off.  I guarantee you God is cheering us on.  Even in the midst of our miss or mess up, God is saying "Come on Daughter, Come on Son, We got this.  You don't see your potential in Me, but I know it full well.  Just trust Me!"
SO GET UP!! Don't give up.  Go forth today knowing God is for you, not against you.  Go forth today knowing that even if you missed it yesterday, your chance of missing it today is determined by you and the mindset you buy into.  Because today God wants to remind you, Nothing or No One can snatch you out of the palm of His Hand.  So I pray this helps you find peace today in knowing that you...

CAN'T BE SNATCHED!!

It's About So Much More Than Us...

The Lord dropped this into my spirit last month and again yesterday.  I can tell you my understanding of it last month was limited.  Today I think I'm finally getting what the Lord meant.
Here's the deal.  This blog originally started out to be about our Journey to Jacksonville and it still is in a way.  But I'm no longer in Jacksonville.  I'm now in NYC.  We did end up in Jacksonville on March 8th.  Completely following the leading of the Lord.  After 3 weeks Roger got a job and it appeared that things were moving forward.  But the same night he started working our hotel room was robbed.  Our laptop, phone, wallets, drivers license, debit card and check books were all taken.  Roger had to take off the next day for us to close bank accounts and for another meeting with the Sheriff's dept.  Because of that day off he lost his job.
We stayed in FL for another 4 weeks after this event but nothing else worked out and we had to head back to NYC. This would be the devastating thing you heard me speak of last month.  But here's the deal.  While I don't understand it all.  I know our family is called to FL.  We've already been shown and have met the people we will be in ministry with once we are permanently there.  But it's all in God's time.  Do I trust His timing?  
Now I have a choice to make.  I could choose to be bitter and angry and feel like the Lord let me down and I quit my job and uprooted my family for nothing.  Or I can choose to believe that all of this is part of a bigger plan that I don't understand.  But it's for good. And it's not just about me anyway.
Our lives are not to be lived just for us.  What if we lived our lives for what we could be for someone else in the kingdom of God.  This is what I mean.  The experiences that I have in this life can you be used to benefit someone else's for the kingdom.  What if I lived my life in a way that said Yes God, whatever you want, where ever you want to place me,  how ever you want to use me, I'm yours.  What could He truly do with me?  We get so caught up in things being about us.  My ministry, my calling, my purpose, my role, my title, my personality type.  But what if instead we just said God you know better than I do and I want all that you desire for me in this life.  So place me where you want me so that I can learn what ever it is that you desire to teach me.  Do we trust that He knows us and do we trust that He knows all things, better than we do?  So why do we limit Him?
We limit Him when we say I'm not good with kids so I can't work with the youth.  When we talk about our inability to do something because we are just not wired that way.  When we limit God's ability to teach us our full potential in His power, because of our flawed understanding of who we are and are meant to be.  Or when we choose to allow offenses to hinder our growth in Him, instead of guarding our hearts and trusting God allowed even this for good.  If it doesn't feel comfortable, make sense or come in a package that we are used to, then we say that's just not how God made me or that's just not my personality/strength.  And in doing so limit God's stretching, teaching and use of us?  The next time something is suggested for you to do or not do, don't automatically dismiss it or take offense to it.  It could be the Lord stretching you and introducing you to a you, you never thought possible.
We say that we want God to blow our minds.  But turn around and in the same breath say, "no that can't be God," because He would never ask me to be that uncomfortable.  I would go out of my mind if I had to do such and such.  Or you could end up touching the life of a person that was about to end it all and because you humbled yourself and allowed yourself to be at the right place at the right time God was able to use you.  
So ask yourself...are you truly willing to do what it takes to be completely used by God??  Because this life is about so much more than us.