Weekend Devo — The Gift of God’s Word

“When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees...” — Deuteronomy 17:18-19  NIV

Starting in the Old Testament, God set a pattern of instruction and expectation for His people to read His Words on a daily basis. It wasn’t about rituals or fulfilling duties. It was about learning who God is and respecting Him. It was about a king learning from his true King how to be a leader to the people of Israel.

God carried that message into the New Testament. Paul explains to Timothy in his letter that Scripture is vital to equipping us for our lives:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Even James has something to say about what we do with God’s Word:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22 NIV

God spoke the world into being with His Words. First John 1 describes the deity of Christ as the Word, which was with God from the very beginning. God’s Word is a gift, just like his Son. So not reading the Bible is like having a gift from God that you never opened.

Don’t miss out on what God has waiting for you right in the words of the Bible. It’s the greatest adventure you’ll ever take because the Holy Spirit is the one who opens the meaning of every page and word. Ask for His help to delve into God’s Word with an unquenchable hunger. I know from experience that is one prayer He will answer with gusto!

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Effective Spiritual Warfare in an Unequally Yoked Home

So, ummm, yep, nothing like an eight hour car ride to challenge a marriage.

Yep, we traveled last week. In the car. With two teenagers, in heavy, holiday traffic in a car that barely seats four. First to visit four colleges in three days then on to northern California with my husband’s family. Finally, a long drive home in demanding and stressful conditions. Are we nuts?

It’s interesting how a change of venue compounded by stress of travel and family expectations will reveal the good, bad, and ugly in a relationship.

Overall our week went well but…… there was this one day. It was day three after a long college tour and we had another six hours on the road before we reached our next destination. And now as I’m home and can think back over the day, I’m able to view it through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.

After the tour we piled in the car and began the drive. Conversation was light but the tension was rising. We didn’t get on the road as early as my husband had wanted. He was a bit testy most of the day and now an hour into the drive I think the word that comes back to me is, mean. Now let me say here, my husband is not a mean tempered man. In fact, he is genuinely a kind and gentle spirit most of the time. But, now as I reflect back I can see something I didn’t see at the time.

A mean spirit.  

It was rising and after some words back and forth, I’m not totally innocent in this exchange, my husband’s temper rose up and hurtful words were spoken. It crushed me and I fell silent. I couldn’t speak and for the remainder of the long drive, I was silent. What was even stranger to me was his driving. It was so unusually cautious. SO not the norm. My husband is a safe and cautious driver to begin with but his driving was uncharacteristic, so much so that my teen daughter even asked me if dad was okay.

Now at the time, I didn’t see what was really going on but boy howdy, do I see it today.

This mean spirit was in reality an evil spiritual influence. The spiritual warfare going on in that car must have been intense. I can look back at the interactions now and even see how my husband’s normal demeanor changed in that period of time. I will also share that even his face, somehow, looked different. The best way I can describe it is a glint in his eyes and an air of confrontation (not normal), and a steel faced determination/dominance? Okay, I’m not finding the exact words. But, I’ve seen that look before and it's not good.

But why am I sharing this with you? Because when we get out of our normal protective boundaries of our home we are entering into a realm of spiritual battlefield where we are unprepared and unprotected. THIS is exactly what I believe happened on day three of this long drive. The spiritual battle opened up and I was unprepared for it. And zing, I’m hit full force with mean words which incapacitated me for hours.

Man.

What is hard about writing this is that I KNEW that this kind of thing happens to me when I travel and I even prayed asking for protection, a few weeks leading up to our trip. But, as I sat with God the next morning early with my Bible and journal praying about it, taking my hurt to God and asking Him about this odd and painful exchange, He revealed to me that I hadn’t prayed with a fervor and with the time I needed to put into it.

We live in the spiritual realm and our prayers are crucial to so much that God desires for us but we don’t pray it through. And I’m convinced as the Holy Spirit has impressed me that I needed to spend an hour every morning for two weeks leading up to the trip in prayer for protection, wisdom, to bind the enemy in the power of Jesus.

I wonder if you might be in the same place? Are you recognizing spiritual warfare in your unbelieving spouse? And are you at a loss as to why God doesn’t seem to do anything about it? I wonder if it’s time to ignite your prayer life? I wonder how much we leave on the table just because we are too lazy, to rushed, to self-important to pray. An hour a day, every day can change everything.

Perhaps this post will not resonate with anyone. Perhaps it’s only for me.  

But just writing it has made me determined that I’m not going to let the enemy slip past my protective boundaries again because I’m lazy or rushed. My spiritual life is too important and if you think about it, I allowed an open door for an evil spirit to come in and speak lies and influence my husband, which ended up hurting all of us.

I know better. As a wife of an unbeliever, God has called me to be the spiritual leader of our home. It’s my charge to pray for protection, Godly wisdom and discernment and to lead with the love of Christ. God wouldn’t have called me to lead our home on my own if He didn’t think I was up for the task.

I can and will defeat the enemy. The devil and his minions have nothing on me. I will pray for angels to surround us, to protect us, to lead us. I will ask God to help me recognize spiritual warfare more quickly and to pray with fervor against it. I will use the Word of God as my sword and the enemy will flee in screaming terror from a mere, five foot, four inch blonde girl.

Just imagine what else I can do just because I believe, I pray and I live for Jesus.

Have a great week. Live in victory. Hugs, Lynn

 

A Divine Appointment

I’ve been on a quest.

What kind of quest, do you ask? A quest to understand how to listen to God better. To hear Him more clearly. I don’t want to miss a thing He has to tell me.

Hearing God is not something that comes easily. (And please understand I'm using the word "hear" figuratively. God communicates through His Word and gives us impressions through the Holy Spirit.) We have to work at it just like we do in our earthly relationships. In order to hear what another person has to say, we have to spend time with them—be in their presence. I can’t expect to know what my husband is about and who he is if I don't spend time with him. Nor will I be able to hear him if I’m not in the same room with him.

Same thing goes for God. We can’t know who He is and what His will is for our lives if we don’t spend time with Him. I know we’ve touched on that here in the past but I think it’s something we need to talk about again.

Are you spending time with God everyday? Just 10 or 15 minutes even? A time that you can simply sit, be still and KNOW that He is the God of your life?

This isn’t just something that’s good to do. It’s necessary in order for us to truly know our Creator, because you know what? He is pretty cool and has a lot to tell us. His Word is full of stuff that He intentionally put there because He wanted us to know it. That’s right. The Bible isn’t just a mish mash of stuff some guys threw together. Every word in that book is there because God wants us to know it. And not reading it is as if your spouse wrote this amazing love letter to you—a long one full of the most important things he will ever say to you—and you left it unopened and sealed in the envelope.

There’s another important aspect I want to bring out here as well. We have often said here at S.U.M. that the changes we often desire in our lives and marriages have to start with us. If we’re not spending that time with God, how are those changes going to happen?

If you want to see God work in your marriage and in your life in ways you can’t even imagine, make a commitment now to spend time with Him every morning. If you have to get up 15 minutes earlier, do it. If you have to give up a TV show, do it. What God has for you is more entertaining and valuable anyway.

And please don’t think I don’t understand how difficult this can be at first. I truly do. I had to learn to do this when my girls were little. The only way I could get a quiet time was to get up before my family. Often before the sun had even begun to peak open its own eyes. But I will tell you that I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had not made that commitment and kept that appointment with God almost everyday for the last 15 years. Even on Sundays before church!

Nor have I regretted a minute of it. My time spent with God keeps me centered and helps me manage the rest of my day. Things still get done. In fact, they get done better.

So, are you struggling in your life? Are you finding things just aren’t working? Are you tired and want to get off the merry-go-round? Start tomorrow. Set that alarm a little earlier. Ask God to help you find a time that will work if you have to. I know He will because He’s done that for me too. Then keep that appointment everyday. Protect that time as if it is the most important appointment you will ever have in your life.

Because you know what? The Creator of the universe is waiting to meet with you. He loves you desperately and wants you to know that. Don’t stand Him up.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

The Sacrifice of Prayer

Every time I read about Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsmane, I stop at the part where he’s praying so earnestly, “his sweat was like drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

In researching this further, I found out there is actually a condition called hematidrosis (sounds like something from House, doesn’t it?), which is an actual mingling of blood and sweat found in cases of extreme anguish, strain, or sensitivity.

Whether Luke intended to be literal here, I don’t know, but obviously Jesus broke a profuse sweat as he prayed. He agonized over what was to come, and we can only imagine what his words to the Father might have been. I can’t help but think the reference to blood here is symbolic of what was about to happen.

What strikes me is that Jesus’ prayers were so earnest. His heart was fully engaged as he prayed about his impending crucifixion. Sometimes I wonder if I pray “earnestly” enough and I think many of you do too.

While I don’t think God requires us to break out in a severe sweat, I do believe He wants our hearts engaged. As Oswald Chambers so eloquently says, “Prayer is not what it costs us, but what it cost God to enable us to pray.”

Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation reaches beyond our rescue from eternal damnation, and I think I missed that until now. Christ’s death brought one of our greatest gifts imaginable—communication with God while we are still on the earthly plane.

Perhaps our need in prayer is to remember what Jesus endured and sacrificed starting right in that garden so that we could have the opportunity to truly communicate with Him now. His prayers from back then reach to the here and now, just as he prayed for us in John 17:20-26.

Whether we’re praying for 5 minutes or an hour, when we fix our hearts on Christ with the reverent understanding of what it cost Him, we begin to view prayer as a gift and a privilege. That is my goal, to see prayer as such a gift and to enjoy the privilege God has given us so generously at such a high price. In that realization, I am humbled yet again by the magnitude of God’s love and mercy.

And it’s so simple. We are His children and He desires that we come to Him as such. Pay attention to a young child in prayer and watch how earnest they are. They simply speak what’s in their hearts and then trust God has it in complete control. They walk away free and assured.

Lysa Tekurst speaks of prayer in her book, Made to Crave. Specifically having times to just sit in God’s presence to listen, especially when we’re at a loss for words.

Sometimes we don’t know what to pray, especially in our mismatched marriages or situations so bewildering we can’t fathom what to ask. But even to sit in silence before God in those times and allow the Holy Spirit to pray for us is a sacrifice of prayer for ultimately we are called to sacrifice our will for the greater one of God. We come before God with our own brokenness to offer, trusting that He is the only true source of our healing and hope.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Television and our Kids

So I’m bugged.

And I’m going to have to chat about it.

I’m opening up a bucket of worms in controversy. But if we as believers don’t talk about some of this stuff how are we going to help one another?

So I’m bugged about television.

On several levels.

I may not have all of my facts in order but I do have my heart in order on this subject so here we go.

Skins.

MTV’s new racy show "Skins" is everywhere. Not only did its premiere episode attract more than 3 million viewers, it's been written about in hundreds of newspapers, magazines and blogs. That's because advertisers are dropping like flies; Shick, Wrigley, and today, Subway, all pulled the plug. That makes seven so far. The sexually charged show features high school students who routinely have sex, drink alcohol and do drugs.

The show is rated TV-MA and includes the appropriate disclaimer in the beginning of each show. That rating means that it may not be suitable for teens under 17. But still, kids as young as 12 years old are watching the show. And many of the actors are under the age of 18. ~From PIX 11 online. 1/24/11

In my research about this show I discovered a quote from one of the cast:

Sofia, 18, defends the show, saying, "It's what teens are doing. It's the way teenagers believe, I think, especially you know in certain situations when you come from home lives where your parents don't really support you or really listen to you. That's what most of these kids are going through."

Okay, so now I’m really bugged.

I have a teen daughter, 15 ½ years old. I asked her today about this show.

“Caitie, have you heard of the TV show, Skins?”

“Ya”

“Do you know what it’s about?”

“Ya, it’s kids smoking, drinking, having sex and doing drugs.”

“Yes, that’s what I heard it was about too.”

I want to set the tone of this conversation with you. I’m not approaching my daughter with a tone of accusation, but one of I’m really curious about what teens are thinking and what is really happening out there. And she knows I write about some of this stuff. So, I went on with my questions.

“Cait, have you watched it?”

“No, mom.”

“Do you want to? Do you want to see what it’s all about?”

“No.”

“Why”

“It’s inappropriate.” Her real answer.

You see she could watch this if she really wanted to. I wouldn’t know. Any teenager is going to watch what they really want to through the internet, a friend’s house, etc.

Our conversation continued, “Do you agree with one of the stars who said that it’s what teenagers are doing. Are your friends doing this stuff?” Now remember my daughter attends a large public high school in Southern California. (Ya, she’s already exposed to stuff in high school I wouldn’t have dreamed could be possible even 10 years ago.)

But my daughter responds, “No Mom, my friends and most of the kids as a whole aren’t doing this stuff. But there are always a group of kids who have a crappy home life that are into it.”

So why am I sharing this long and weird conversation with you? Because most of us here in this community are parents. AND we are parents who are raising kids in a spiritually mismatched home. And we are parents who have kids that watch television.

But we can take a moment of hope here.

I'v realized today that now as my daughter is age 15 ½, all those years of pouring myself and my faith into her are showing their fruit.

It hit me, she is choosing for herself to reject Skins as a program she doesn’t want to watch even though it’s all the talk at the High School.

Parenting in a home where two different world views exist is challenging, especially when it comes to television choice. Our spouse may not be watching Skins but they might be viewing something else that is bordering on inappropriate wickedness.

Okay, so my thoughts on television are just getting going but this post is already too long. So we are going to take this conversation out for a long walk until we have all found some truths to add to our parenting arsenal and some suggestions on how to handle conflict with our spouse when it comes to media choices including, television, movies, books, etc.

This seems to be a very real irritant in our skins and an ongoing conflict in our marriages that spills over to our children and parenting. (Do you agree?)

So today, I’m greatly interested in your parenting efforts as it relates to television. Is it really THAT big of a deal what they watch? What is age appropriate? What do you do if Dad/Mom says it’s okay and you know it’s not? Tell me how you are leading your children in their viewing choices.

I hope I’m not as bugged tomorrow about television but I bet I will be. I have much more to share as we walk this road. Looking forward to some “real and honest” conversations here so we can help each other with this very issue. Be blessed, Lynn

I’ll be checking in and adding to the conversation in the comments.

A Roly-Poly and a Great Big God!

Have you ever prayed this scripture? 

Psalm 139:23-24 (Amplified Bible) Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

A couple of weeks ago, my alarm sounded at 5:15 a.m. Ugh! 

I shut it off. Shrugged into my robe. You should see this robe. It is thick and fuzzy and fat and I look like a warm roly-poly all tied up in it. But, no one is awake in the house at that hour except Jesus and he doesn’t care what I look like. 

 I shuffled to the coffee pot where a fresh brew was waiting. (One of God’s greatest blessings to humanity is the auto brew feature). I pulled my Daily Bible from the drawer along with my prayer binder then moved to sit on the end of the couch under the lamp on the table. I tucked my cold feet under me and I begin to read and sip from the steaming cup. 

It’s funny what will happen when you just sit with Jesus. You find out just how much you really don’t know. 

It’s been years since I overcame my disappointments in my marriage. I discovered peace and am happily married to the best guy on the planet. But on this particular morning, God was going to have a WORD with me. Yikes! 

As I sat and scribbled a few requests in my prayer book, I immediately stopped in mid-sentence as a thought came to me. 

"Lynn, you have unforgiveness in your heart.” What, Lord? Are you talking to me?” 

I sat and listened. 

And then, I was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. It was true. Way, way back in the cobwebs of my heart something was lurking. I honestly didn’t know it was there. 

It was anger. 

Anger with my husband. I was still mad at him and to top it off, I wasn’t even really sure what I was mad about. Just mad. Angry. 

“O Lord, Lord, LORD, you are so right. It is there.” 

To my utter surprise, I was still allowing anger to linger in my soul. I was SHOCKED! But I knew in that instant it was there. What’s crazy about this is the fact that God has known it was there all along and decided it was time to clue me in. God freaks me out sometimes! He is amazing in His love and care for us. 

Now here is the wild part. 

I prayed, “O, Lord. There IS anger in my heart. I didn’t know I was saving it back there. I confess it to you. Forgive me.” 

Immediately I felt a physical release. The best way I can think to describe it is as if a rope was tied around me. It had been there so long I didn’t even know it. It had become part of me. But, in that instant I felt like a knife sliced clean through it and released the tension. I’m not kidding, I felt a physical little pop. I jumped. 

Then I sat there stunned. What in the world just happened? 

I’ll tell you what, God knows me so well, certainly better than I know myself. He yearns for every part of my soul. In that moment, I understood for the first time just how sin binds us up over time. It slowly intertwines itself in our skin, deliberately tightening, shutting down our circulation – life in Christ. Real freedom comes from confession and forgiveness. 

Unforgivness, the need to be right, having the last word, selfishness, bitterness, hatred, held against anyone is a bitter root, a rope of bondage, that will impede our full relationship with Jesus. 

I realize forgiveness is difficult. Many of us carry deep woundings, placed there by people who should have protected and cared for us. 

My journey to forgiveness started with a simple and honest prayer. 

Lord, help me to want to forgive. 

I’m sure you have heard this before but unforivness and bitterness rarely affects the person to whom you are harboring these feelings. Forgiveness comes through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ. I have found the path to freedom from my bitterness through Jesus. 

So I have a scary challenge for you today. Pray this scripture. 

Psalm 139:23-24 (Amplified Bible) Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

But expect Him to reveal some things to you that He want’s changed and then …… 

Do it! 

There is freedom in Jesus. There is happiness in mismatched marriage. Let His name be praised. Be blessed, Lynn

Weekend Devo — Destroying False Beliefs

That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." —Numbers 14: 1-4

In Numbers 14 the Israelites make a huge assumption based on several faulty beliefs. First they assume there’s no way they can claim the Promised Land due to the size and numbers of the people inhabiting it.

Their assumption exposes two false beliefs. First, they believe these foreigners were stronger than God. How could they possibly overcome such a hurdle? (Numbers 13: 31-33) They hadn’t even stepped outside their camp and they already assumed the worst possible scenario. Second, they believed God meant them harm.

All this led to their assumption that God didn’t care. They assumed God’s only intention was to let them die, despite the miracles they witnessed at the Red Sea, the Jordan, water coming from a rock, etc.

At times I find myself flabbergasted with their lack of faith, but then I step back and realize how much of an Israelite I am. How many times have I done the very same thing? Things go horribly or don’t turn out as I interpreted they would according to what I think God is doing, and I despair, wondering how God could have left me in such a place of insurmountable odds.

But what if the Israelites had nurtured their relationship more with God? Spent more time in prayer, learned the true character of the God who wanted desperately to give them a land flowing with milk and honey? What if they had reflected back on those past events as reminders of how God had rescued them and provided for their needs over and over again?

Would they have turned from grumbling to thanksgiving?

We can avoid making false assumptions about God by getting to know him better, and the only way to do that is to study the Bible. When we know God’s true character and base our beliefs on that truth, the trials and indecisions of life will not shake us as badly. Because we will know without a doubt that God only wants what’s best for us. Period. Without a doubt.

How do we know that? From God’s Word. Scripture is packed with God’s good intentions to prosper us and give us a future (Jeremiah 29:11). And 1John 4 is the greatest love letter to us from God.

We have two benefits the Israelites didn’t. One, we have God’s complete Word. The second is the greatest example of God’s unlimited love for us—Jesus. Perhaps the Israelites would have saved themselves years of suffering if they’d pursued God more passionately, but what really matters is that we can learn from our brothers and sisters from the distant past.

We have the opportunity to know God more intimately than Israelites did because we have his Son living in us. This is a huge gift! One we can’t squander by letting our pastors and friends tell us what the Bible says. God gave us his Word so that we can get to know him for ourselves. This is where our faith is formed, in a relationship with God through first-hand knowledge of our amazing Creator. Based in truth, not hearsay. And I guarantee you will meet God on the pages of the Bible.

The best part of this pursuit is that it never ends and it never gets boring! Our God is so unique, multifaceted, powerful, and LOVING that getting to know him and growing closer to him is the most amazing journey we can ever take in our lives. It’s transforming and exciting. And it’s the best way to destroy false beliefs.

I’d like to invite you to join me on this fantastic journey. Just start with 5 or 10 minutes a day and seek God in his Word. First ask him to open your heart and mind to hear him. This allows the Holy Spirit to go into action to reveal the most amazing nuggets of truth.

God has a way of permeating every part of our lives with his exciting presence when we truly desire to know him better. And I can tell you from experience that walking with him never gets old.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:13

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Chronicles of the Donovan Clan - It's Time

It’s time to bring the Lord Jesus Christ glory. Please honor Him along with me as I give Him all of my worship. I am a humbled, ordinary wife who serves an extraordinary God. I am privileged to have a front row seat to watch the Creator of the universe, vividly active in the lives of the Donovan Clan.

Many of you know that several years ago I prayed the Dangerous Prayer….. (you can read it here at Laced With Grace) This prayer, “Lord, do whatever it takes to save my husband,” was spoken with sincerity and surrender. For the first time I was able to pray it and really mean it.

Lynn was ready. God was ready.

Little did I know God waited all these years for me to finally arrive in this place of trust to start the life-changing work in me, my husband, and many of those who will hear our story.

Thus began a scary, crazy, and awesome journey. On January 16, 2009 almost a year ago, my husband lost his job. What I know to be true is my husband’s unemployment and his faith journey are intricately intertwined.

Where to begin???

The Blogger’s Retreat.

The many months leading up to the retreat I often wondered why the Lord was sending me across the country to this brand new event in Sneads, Florida. My sweet friend, Angie Knight, invited me to share some thoughts about blogging for Christ. I thought I was going to Florida to help others.

Whoa, was I clueless.

I was going there because God has praying friends and He was bringing them together to “HELP” me.

It was 5:30 p.m., Sneads time on October 23rd. I had just finished speaking about blogging and sharing my story about my husband. At that moment the Holy Spirit was moving and I mean moving. Lisa Shaw and Angie both rose from their seats and they called the women in the sanctuary to come forward. These women surrounded me on all sides and they prayed.

They prayed with fervor and conviction for my husband’s salvation and for him to find employment. My words fail me, even today, to explain this experience. The Lord, Himself was present and somehow I felt deep in my spirit that my husband’s salvation/employment journey was immediately at hand. The decree was spoken from the heavens.

It was at 5:30 p.m. October 23, 2009 Sneads time that my husband’s name was glowing in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Connie, Lisa and Angie said from that day forward I must now pray for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in my husband’s life. I knew they were right. I felt the Lord speaking to me to remain watchful, prayerful, and quiet about all that was taking place until the pinnacle of His plan was revealed. And today is the day.

I arrived home from the retreat overwhelmed with a surety of the future. I knew before I even opened the door to the house that God was already moving.

Sure enough, that very day my husband received a phone call about a potential new job. I just knew it. I knew after months with zero leads for employment that God was preparing to show His power and love in our lives. But, it gets even better. Why? Because our God isn’t a small God, He is Sovereign and He will teach us what it really means to bring honor to His name. A few days later another job opening landed on my husband’s desk. Then a few more days pass and another arrived.

After months of nothing, three jobs, ALL AT ONCE. (I have to shout here…. Go God… Go God…. Go God…)

My husband began speaking to these potential employers and moving the process along. Now he would have to choose. Did you hear me? He would choose. Go figure….

At this point I am praising Jesus every moment of every day. BUT, even better, so was my husband. One day he came into my tiny office, grabbed my hand, “Come with me to the family room. Let’s pray about these jobs.”

“WHAT,” you say???

You heard me right.

He wanted to pray. We prayed, together, out loud.

Over the past several weeks my husband has prayed. He is praying to Jesus. He is seeking His will.

On Wednesday, November 25 at around noon the day before Thanksgiving, an offer letter arrived. I was in Colorado with my Mother and Sister (another amazing story the result of the Blogger’s Retreat – read it here). My husband called, I was in the parking lot of a Wendy’s restaurant.

“I have a job.”

“Woo Hoo,” I screamed then shouted to my sister and her family, “He’s got a job. Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus.”

My husband went on to give me some of the details; He starts on December 14th and will be working close to home. My husband has always traveled away from home. Out on Monday, home on Friday. This is the first time in 17 years he will come home every night for dinner. ANOTHER answer to prayer.

So today, would you please just take one moment and give honor and worship to the King of Kings. Please praise Him in the comments today. The Lord never gives up, His love never fails, His ways are always the best ways. His will is perfect for our lives.

Okay, this is only ONE fantastic event of the past six weeks. I have more to tell you about my husband and about our LORD.

Please hear me now. There are many of you right now who are in agony over the salvation of your spouse or someone you love. Don’t ever give up. God hears your prayers. What I know to be true is His timing is never our timing. He often takes much longer to work things through to a conclusion. It’s the journey where He does His best work. Don’t rush the Lord. You may be struggling, hurt, desperate, depressed, at your wits end. I once lived there too. But, I have learned so much on this journey and I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for everything in the world.

I am an ordinary woman. I am a prodigal. I am a sinner and have failed in life more than I have succeeded but God never gave up on me. Not even in the darkest of the dark years. He has pushed me, prodded me, He has encouraged me and challenged me with relentless determination because He loves me that much.

God loves me so much He will not allow me to remain unchanged. Ironically, He used my spiritually mismatched marriage to bring about His greatest work in my life. I am humbly and utterly undone when I ponder His ways.

If God will do these kind of miracles in my life, in the life of my husband, my family, He will certainly do it in your life. AND THAT’S A PROMISE.

Stop back on Friday for the next installment of the Chronicles of the Donovan Clan. Be Blessed, Lynn

Weekend Devo — Time to Worship

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. — 2 Corinthians 12:9

Something's happening. Over a week's time, God showed me 2 Corinthians 12:9 at least five times, the last at a conference I was at last weekend, given in a moving devotional by a doctor who's a missionary in Africa.

Now these verses have shown up repeatedly in multiple places, and not just for me. Several people have been led to at least one of these verses. Lynn used Isaiah 43:19 in Monday's post introducing The Mind of Christ journey, and let me tell you, she and I hadn't even talked specifically yet. I was floored to see this verse  yet again.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? — Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it. — Habakkuk 1:5 (NLT)

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. — 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)

These Scriptures have meant so much to me personally this last week. Yet I believe this goes beyond one person's interpretation. God seems to be moving in a mighty way, on the verge of revealing something very real and personal to each of us.

Below is a video of the Revelation Song sung by Kari Jobe of Gateway Worship. This is one of the songs we worshiped to at that conference the final day. During it, I heard God say, "Watch what I do" repeatedly.

I hope you'll play it with the intention of soaking in our wonderful Savior Jesus and his amazing holiness. Let's prepare our hearts for this thirty day journey to put Christ on the throne of our lives and to truly have the mind of Christ.

I don't want to miss what God's about to do. I hope you don't either.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Attending Chruch Alone Church or no-Church. What is a Girl to Do?

Continued from Monday.

I just couldn’t do it any longer. Sacrifice another morning. I survive because of those two little hours where I refuel, gain perspective and fill my soul with spiritual strength in order to face the week ahead and the spiritual battles which are inevitable.

His non-confrontational persona leapt forward and he mumbled something inaudible and shuffled myself and my daughter into a row. My eyes burned but I was able to sit through the service.

Which brings us to yesterday (last week), actually rewind a bit further to late Saturday evening. We arrived home after an evening with friends. I am angry because it is 1:00 a.m. and church in the morning is now doubtful. It is then that I decide the last straw has landed on my back. Such strange timing.

I launch into this tirade, “It looks like I am going to miss church again. I am angry because we were out late and you did nothing to wrap up the evening at an hour to allow me rest and to get up early to attend church with my small group.”

There is much more to this building dynamic which is the result of numerous repeats of this scenario. You will have to trust me on this. I didn’t freak-out over a single event. This is a long in the making.

Now bear with me on this me because this exchange appears selfish and in fact it may be. However, at this moment, I am truly over it! I don’t want my husband to EVER attend church with me again unless he wants to. The conversation ended with me flopping into bed.

The next morning, “Sweetie, I want you to know that I in fact, was planning to attend church with you. Not because it would make you happy but because I wanted to.”

Sheesh!

We didn’t make it to church. As I write this post, I am puzzling. How could I traverse a complete 360 about this most important topic and really mean it? More perplexing, I haven’t been able to work through the rightness of it nor God’s perspective (yet).

The way I see it, for years, I applied pressure on my husband to such a degree that he attended church ONLY to make me happy. The result, he finally starts attending we are both miserable.

This is my dilemma. I believed, with all that I am, church would reach my husband. Untrue as of right now. Furthermore, I think I am happier about going alone than sitting by my man and feeling the stress of his displeasure.

I know many of you KNOW exactly what I speak of. I am unable as of this moment to give you the answer but the answer I seek. Not only for me but for you who have also faced or will face this strange turn of events.

I commit this to you my friends, God has brought this situation alive and to the forefront. He is preparing a learning moment, dare I say, a paradigm shift for me and for many of you. I am seeking the truth of navigating – church or no-church, with fervent prayer and a persistence not present before.

Our Lord has never failed to show me the truth of my situations, marriage, parenting, friendships. I will remain faithful and trust He will do the same in this. And, when I know. You will know.

Until then, I want to hear from you and how many of you traverse the quandary of, Church or no-church. Share with me. Be Blessed, Lynn

I plan to talk with you about what I am learning about myself, this situation, about my husband's journey and our Great Big God on Monday. Please tune in for that conversation. It is gonna be good. Love ya! Lynn