8 Days and 7 Reasons Why

Posted December 17, 2013

So I was a work yesterday and I got the thought to count how many more work days until the new year. I was both surprised and sad to find that I would be working only eight more days.

Surprised because it just seemed like it was just October. Sad because it was in October that I trusted God’s leading in my life and gave notice to my employers that I would be leaving at the end of December.

Leaving a job is never easy, but leaving a job that you love, that gives you the money you need to pay your bills and feed your family, and that allows you to work with some awesome people is really hard.

Not to mention the fact that I am leaving in order to stay home, go through everything I own, sell most of it, and then pack the rest in order to move to a Country that I have never been to , and that I do not currently even have a job in.

So why am I doing this?

Why do I insist on planning for a future that seems about as likely as one in which chickens lay square eggs?

For these seven reasons.

1. God is leading me to do this

When I gave my life to Christ I ceased to be the owner of it. I gave the one who designed me, who knows me better than myself, control.

It was not a big sacrifice because I had not really been doing that great a job of controlling it on my own.

Honestly, I was a flat-out mess and as I look back over the 13 years that God has been leading me, I see that He has never once led me to do anything that has been destructive in my life.

So while it looks like I may crash and burn, I know that the “unknown” is really just smoke and mirrors.

2. God answers my prayers

Every time that I have a major decision in my life I bring it to God. Or to be truthful, usually I panic first, then I bring it to God.

Sometimes God will throw open the doors for me, sometimes He will slam them shut, and sometimes I will feel as if I am blindfolded and led step by step before He will reveal the answer.

But never is my prayer ignored, or lost in the shuffle. God hears every prayer and responds in exactly the way He needs to, to get the desired result.

3. God always provided for all my needs

I have been a widow for 5 and ½ years now. Before losing my husband to cancer, I, for the most part, leaned on him to supply our family’s needs.

Since Allan has been gone, it is all God, all the time. And in all these years He has never once let me or my children starve, or go without anything that is needed.

So if God provided in the past, why would He not do so in the future.

4. God’s word says he is “Trustworthy”

Over and over in the Bible it talks about how trustworthy God is. All I need to do is to open up his word and read verses, such as those below, to be strengthened.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” ~ Psalm 9:10

The word (the Bible) is not just ink on paper, it is alive and God leads me through it.

5. God has compelled me

Although I like adventure, I do not like change. I am not one to want to live in a new city every two years, like the friends of my mom.

So while I have always wanted to go to England, I would probably never have moved there as it would have required me to leave the 24 square foot radius I like to call home.

But when God has called you and He compels you to go, it changes everything. I often feel as if I am strapped to the front of a Plane, with England as the target. I could not stop this if I tried, not would I want to.

6. God has counted my days

My husband was only 49 when he left here, my friend’s son only 19. We just do not know how long we have, but despite what the world says, it is not a “crapshoot.”.

God formed me in my mother’s womb and He has counted my days. He has amazing plans for my life that I cannot even imagine.

So I need to allow him to do the work He needs to do in me so that I can see those plans come to fruition, before my time is up.

7. God loves me

God is love! Period. He is the source of all love. He is not hate, or fear, or lack, or misfortune. He is LOVE!

And He loves me (and you) with an everlasting and passionate love.

You are not an accident, nor am I. Because He loves me I know that everything will fall into place just as it should.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yes I am in the process of letting go of a lot of things,

but I am grabbing ahold of so much more.

And even though I may not yet know what I will one day hold,

I know that it will be amazing because I have a Father who loves me,

who looks out for me, and who is leading me into all good things.

Photo = © Sergey Nivens – Fotolia.com

Keep Trusting

Posted November 26, 2013

Filed under Thoughts on Trusting God

So what do you do when you have done everything that you thought you were supposed to do, and you still don’t have success?

What do you do if you have burned all of your bridges and you can’t go back, but you have had a setback and disappointment, and it feels as if everything might just fall apart around you?

You keep trusting God!!!

If you know that God has spoken something to you, than hold on to it. Do not let go of it for nothing!! God does not abandon his own.

The bible says:

“If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?” (Matthew 7:9–11, The Message)

I am no stranger to setbacks, in fact I have recently had one of my own.

I stepped out, doing what I wholeheartedly believe that God called me to do, but I was rejected. It was a kind rejection, yet a rejection non-the-less.

So what am I, a person that has burned all her bridges, supposed to do with the fact that from the outside it looks like God has led me astray (or at the very least, he allowed me to lead myself astray)?

I hold on to that verse and so many, many more that speak of God’s love and heart toward me.

I hold on and believe the God did not lead me all this way to drop kick me to the curb.

I hold on and remind myself that God did not “call” me to England for no reason.

AND

Most Importantly

I hold on to the promise knowing that God did not change His mind!!!!

His promises are sure and trustworthy!!

I can trust Him!!!

And you can trust Him too!!

Credits

Photo: © creative soul – Fotolia.com

Right where I need to be!

Posted November 22, 2013

Filed under Thoughts on Trusting God

Every time I think I should have been born in the forties, so that I may have had a chance to dance with Astaire, or cuddle with Cary, or even shoot the writing bull with Hemingway, I remember that they did not have the technology that we have today. Yes Authors did have typewriters. But if they wanted to “cut and paste” they would have to bring out the scissors and glue. I remember that God made me exactly how I am and most importantly I am right where I need to be.

That helps when I take a look at my current crazy life. I think “if only I know exactly what my future holds,” or “if only I know exactly how I am going to manage getting ready for the move,” or “if only I know where the money is coming from.” Those dratted “if onlies!”

I have a long history with them. Our relationship started when I was young. The questions came like rain falling down upon my head night and day. “If only my dad was around.” and “If only I was popular like my siblings.” and “If only I was pretty like my friend.” And it continued to be my constant companion through my teenage years. “If only that boy liked me.” and “If only I wouldn’t of made that choice.” and “If only I had what they had.” Our friendship was cemented in my adult years “If only I could have more money.” and “If only I was skinny.” and “If only my husband wouldn’t of died and my kids had a father to embrace them the way that one does theirs.”

They say depth in relationships is a good thing but not where they are concerned. You see, I thought they were my closest ally but really they have been my biggest enemy. For all this time all the years when I was focusing inwardly on them, I was missing what was all around me.

Yes my dad wasn’t around me. But my mom was and she was great!! She baked cookies, talked with me, held down a full time job, made dinner from scratch every night, and even was my campfire leader. I have no idea where she found the time to do it all.

OK, so I was not as pretty as my friend, I was missing the fact that I had a friend that was my closest confidant for many, many years.

OK so I made some choices that I shouldn’t have. But I also made some great ones. Like choosing to walk down that church isle and give my life to Jesus at 9 and 1/2.

And finally, Yes it more than stinks that my husband died of cancer at 49. And yes it sometimes hurts to see fathers leading and guiding their children and embracing them when there are no physical father arms to embrace my own.

BUT

Although they are not all as close to God as I would like, looking back over these last 5 and 1/2 years I realize that He has always been close to them, leading and guiding them with an unseen hand.

And not only them but my as well. I have seen him do amazing things in my life and now to put the cherry on the top of it He is sending me to England, a place I have wanted to go to since I was a small child.

While I am wishing and hoping that it will all work out OK and that there are just way to many things that must come together in a very short time, and while I am reminding God of all those things and more, I am reminded by Him if I had everything figured out and no miracles were required then my move to England would not be much of a testimony.

So instead of wasting my days wishing and hoping for this or that. I am going to spend these last few months in America and look around me and enjoy everything as it unfolds and know that I am exactly where I need to be.

For I am in the center of His will.

And if you are following after Him so are you.

If Not why wait!

Let me introduce myself

Posted November 19, 2013

Filed under About Me

So here you are reading my blog, and I haven’t even introduced myself. Sorry that’s a bit rude. So here goes.

I go by Lisa (though I always wished it was Elisabeth). I am a mother of four, and unfortunately a widow. I gave my life to Christ at 9 and 1/2 and never looked back.

Wait, halt, sorry I just flat out lied right there.

That tells you two things about me. 1) I have a very tender conscience and 2) even though I wish I hadn’t, I basically looked back about a minute after getting saved.

But that’s OK, because God is so good that He loved me anyway. He pursued me and after years of digging a hole too big to get myself out of, He reached in and pulled me out. I was around 31 at the time. From that point on I never looked back. Honest!

I am 46 now. It has been a long journey for me but through it all God’s grace has carried me through.

Some say that I have been given the gift of faith, for I simply believe what God says. I am not sure that I have been given anything that anyone else hasn’t been given, but if it is a gift than I am grateful for it, because trusting God is a whole heck of a lot easier than living a life of worry and fear.

Now don’t get me wrong. I was the the most fearful, worrying person out there, until the day I heard Him say “Trust Me!” So I took a chance and did just that, and baby step, by step, by stride, by jog, by full-on-run …I have followed His lead.

I have seen amazing things happen, all because of Him. I believe that He wants the church to rise up and just trust Him…simply trust Him. For if we don’t, He cannot work through us.

I believe that stories, true stories of how faithful and good God is, are powerful.

So I will tell some of my own, about how God has led me thus far, and I hope that you will share yours too (e-mail submissions to abbasyaldah@gmail.com).

I will also be sharing my present journey. And what I like to call my “big test.”

God has called me to England!

Knowing that I would soon receive my bachelors in Biblical Studies and Theology (with a minor in English), I sought His direction in my life and was surprised that He answered so quickly, England! How cool is that! He also said Ministry.

Do I presently know what type of ministry? No.

Do I have a job there? No

Do I have the money to move? No

Are all my kids sorted out as to where they would live? No, not all of them.

Has God asked me to give my landlord notice that I was moving out by August 1st? And then woke me up at 2:30 am to do it? Yes

Are there a million things that could go wrong? Yes

Am I at times more than a little freaked out by it all…Heck Yes

But do I trust God? That is the question! If I am compelled by God to move to England then do I trust Him to work out the details (and to Him those are all minor details)….YES!!!!

Why do I trust Him? Because in all the times that I ever turned to Him and said help, or please, or why?…He never, and I mean NEVER left me to fend for myself or go without the comfort I so needed.

He is so very, very good!

If you are a Christian you know this already, and if you are not, I hope that you will some day.

Jesus loves you-is more that a bumper sticker, it’s the truth!

So, Ya, that’s me in a nutshell…what starts with me ends with Jesus.

Have an Awesome day

And y’all come back now ya hear:)