Rise And Shine!

This Instagram post was a powerful and life-saving pic to wake up to today. My weekend had not gone well. Then to top off that sundae of misery, a trip with my children that I was very much looking forward to had to be canceled. It was the straw that broke the camels back. Me. I'm the camel. First, I sat in my car and boo-hoo'd for a half hour. Next, I took my broken-back to my room, turned off my phone and boo-hoo'd some more. 

It was ridiculous. But it wasn't the first time I've been that far gone. Last night I cried as I thought of the misery of mankind. I watched documentaries about civilizations utterly destroyed, and these justified my tears. I thought of friends who've gone on to Heaven and I vocally envied them, telling God that it was unfair to leave me here so miserable. I wrapped myself in a blanket of sorrow and worry. I woke up this morning still cocooned in the realities of my plight. There is no chance of change. Life really is as daunting as it feels. I'm TIRED of working to believe in the impossible. 

Its possible you've been shrouded in these types of realities as well. They're not imagined experiences and difficulties. They're FACT. If you've endured multiple traumas and tragedies then it's likely you've, like me, experienced the straight out COMFORT found in succumbing to the realities of sorrow and worry. It's called "habit." When a person goes through a difficulty they respond with tears, or anger. They experience a "negative" emotion. And it's not inappropriate to do so. In fact, I believe it's healthy to do so. But the danger is in your brain experiencing this reaction enough times that it decides, "This behavior is the new normal." And as shocking as it is to learn, that negative emotion literally begins to feel COMFORTING. There is solice found in those tears, or worry, or sorrow, or anger.

When you realize that you'd rather be alone, crying in a dark room than doing almost ANYTHING ELSE, then please realize you've developed a nasty habit. If it's any help to you to know; THAT WAS ME. And as I've described my behaviors of last night, sometimes it still is me. It's not ok to remain in this state. 

It's not ok for your personal health. But as I'm aware depression causes you to have absolutely NO CARE for your personal health, I'll go ahead and point out that it's not good for your family either. From your very offspring, to your nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, when one's lack of family is part of the sorrow-trigger, you must realize that "family" is yet a sufficient reason to rise and shine. I don't care how distant in location or relation the family is from you. The very fact that a relative in the future will find you in the research of your family tree is enough to say, "I need to behave better than this for the sake of my family."

The GREATEST reason it's not ok for you to remain in a depressive state is the fact that God has plans for you. We are so enamored with the idea that if God is using someone for His glory, that person will not experience negative emotions. We imagine that someone being used of God has nothing going wrong in their life. They have God's attention and favor, therefore life is a bowl-of-cherries and a bed-of-roses.

It won't take anything but surface research to discover that EVERY "hero of the faith" in scripture experienced choking on some cherry pits. They felt the prick and sting of the rose-thorns in said proverbial luxuries. Being used of God to be a help and benefit in our community does not make one free of problems. But it does make that person more easily available to some benefits not found at home in a dark room.

Our experiences may have created habits that snowball worry, sadness, anger, and depression. These feelings may teel like a comfort zone. And where this Instagram post shows Charlie Brown under such a comforter, I also have in my head the image of dear Linus going the extra mile in portable comfort and carrying his blankey around with him. 

S-t-o-p

[new word]

i-t.

We imagine that "hope" feels fabulous. (We are obsessed with feeling good.) But the scripture lets us know that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Hope can hurt. It can be as uncomfortable as someone ripping the warm, cozy comforter from your sleepy body, exposing you to a crisply-cooled, air conditioned room. Faith can have the same feeling as the light switch being turned on first thing in the morning. We would prefer to stay in the dark, snuggled in our comforter of depression. 

NOTHING triggers anger in me quicker than a rude awakening. I need to wake up in the dark, wrap more clothes around me so the temperature change outside the covers isn't too abrasive. And I need SILENCE. I then need to have a cup of coffee in this slowly-but-surely environment, and THEN, after an unspecified period of time, I'll be happy about being awake. 

Hope and Faith are a necessity. We must accept the reality that hope and faith are not soft, fluffy Care Bears. They can be downright uncomfortable. But THEY ARE LIFE! 

The good news is that faith and hope are also habit-forming. I can pull myself out of a stupor much quicker and easier than I used to be able to. And while I can't deny the realities of facts I really don't want to be a part of my life, I can testify that MUCH good is also a part of my life. I've had some brand new, amazing things come into my life because I kicked off the comfort of worry. I start my physical self with coffee, but I start my inner-self with Jesus. 

Nibbling the Bread of Life (Bible) for breakfast, and sipping from the Cup of the Holy Ghost, I am able to think about some pretty awesome things I want to see in my life. And when I think about goodness, I begin to hope. And hope helps me have the faith to believe in the impossible. 

And here's the habit I've not mentioned yet; LOVE.

In depressive states I cannot love others, and I cannot believe that anyone could love me. But when I begin to hope, and I begin to exhibit faith, I suddenly feel like singing, 

Love lifted me

Love lifted me

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

So, good morning! Whether you're reading this at 2pm, or at 11pm...

GOOD MORNING! 

Rise and shine! 

God has great things available to those who'll kick off the comfort of worry, sorrow, and doubt! 

And God is such a considerate one... For in the same way that I want to wrap myself in warmth even as I'm forced to leave the cozy of my bedspread, Jesus himself wraps us in the comfort of the Holy Ghost to ease us into waking from the nightmare of fear and doubt. And from the better, healthier comfort of God's love we can rise to walk in newness of life! 

Rise and shine! 

https://instagram.com/p/5ZixujB0lV/

Proverbs 13:12 (KJV) 12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.

Acts 2:26 (KJV)

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

Romans 4:18 (KJV)

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 15:13 (KJV)

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (KJV)

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Peter 1:13 (KJV)

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

When In Battle

Exodus 17:12

But Moses' hands [were] heavy; and they took a stone, and put [it] under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands...and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

1. The battle is inevitable. We can't waste our energy on desertion plans. Neither can we lose focus, or fight the wrong enemy. God allowed us to be in this battle because he has already guaranteed our victory. We must fight the battle, not the commander or his battle plan.

2. Moses' hands were "steady" till the battle was over, but only bc he took the people & props God provided. Accept help so u can still lead when the dust settles.

God is on your side!

Do not be afraid!

Cracked Up

Life is not all its cracked up to be,

Then we take it out for a swing.

Around twelve we decide we know where we're going,

We crash around age sixteen.

Then we whip out some duct tape and try to repair,

We gimp through high school with a fake veneer.

We delve into higher learning

Pretending we know what we're doing

Tottering along pretty good 

Never reading signs as we should

So while smiling in mirrors we run into walls,

And when making left turns we stumble and fall.

And if we're smart we'll kneel there a while

Force our thoughts to question the smiles 

Of the other cracked lives around us

The ones who've been faking it for the same many miles.

I've seen the smart stop the insanity,

The behavior that wrecks so much.

And they've given their mess to the Master

He can fix the broken with His touch.

& He shows a new way to live

That incites peace & contentment

And when He sets us back on our path

We have Godspeed to attain fulfillment.

And like magic, life isn't cracked up!

He gives us life brand new!

And if we fall we ask The King to put us together again.

'Cause his men are amateurs with duct tape and glue.

(Ask poor Humpty!)

I'M DOING GREAT!!

Because so many people love me & are concerned by my "If I can, u can" themed posts:

I'M DOING GREAT! Lol

I'm in the will of God, therefore, I'm happy! :-)

I feel blessed beyond what I deserve!

I'm well-provided for!

I'm healthy! 

I'm surrounded by the most amazing, loving people on the planet!

I'm simply aware of how many people are hurting, feel alone in their battle, and can't see thru the haze of tear-gas the enemy has released on them. They need somebody's voice lifted up saying, "Life isn't perfect for ANYBODY! So, quit feeling like a loser, & KEEP FIGHTING!!"

But I found myself with an "Optimists' Rainbow Problem..."

People tend to imagine those who spend most of their lives on a stage, in the public eye, dressed in their best, presenting their best, as having a life without problems. And when someone "who's perfect" tries to say, "Get up! Move! Change!" It's not taken well!

I used to weigh 230 pounds. When I decided to lose the weight, gyms who were full of amazing, fit, strong, slim bodies were NOT the gyms I wanted to be a member of. I couldn't see where they'd come from, I could only see their perfect, current selves. I also didn't want to hear what anyone wearing a size 6 had to say. If, however, they showed me a pic of themselves wearing a size 16, and NOW they were a size 6... Oh yeah! I wanted to sit at their feet and hear EVERY DETAIL of how they fought their "Battle of the Bulge!"

While I DO feel like I'm living "the best life," it's not because I don't battle confusion, emotional drops, family concerns, overwhelming duties... because, WE ALL DO! 

My dad taught me, "The mark of a professional is to make what's hard look easy." I take great strides and comfort in being skilled enough to do that. Besides it putting me in the fellowship of strong, higher thinking people, it's a behavior of faith!

However, it shocked me to discover how many people think my behavior means I have nothing to worry about, that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and therefore do not have "the credentials" to encourage them.

My posts about trials, pain, darkness, etc, is simply my way to both live my lifestyle of faith-behavior while using written blurbs  to let people know that even we who are good at positive-image hafta "cowboy up," Because it rains on the just and the unjust. Perhaps if people SEE me being all boss in life, while knowing inside I'm sweating bullets; they'll trust that if I can, they can do it too! Perhaps my candidness will be like a cheerleaders megaphone and help me bring light to more people. That's my hope and intention.

So pray for me. I'm praying for u. But don't WORRY about me! Lol I'm no better-off than u, and no worse-off than u. I just wanna make sure that the people having to fight thru a haze hear a voice even when they can't see; a voice they are confident to trust;

"I'm fighting too!"

"You're not alone!"

"Follow my voice!"

"Come in THIS direction!"

Glory2Glory2gether!!!

After

Now I'm in a fiery trial

 Or a storm 

 Or a valley

Now I'm wrestling and all is dark

Now my vision is cloudy

But AFTER this I'll b amazed!

AFTER, so will u be too!

AFTER all this insanity is done...

AFTER the confusion is through...

Cuz He's actually right w/me

   Even tho I can't see Him

And He's fighting the enemy for me

   Even tho I can't find him

He's making sure that AFTER this fire I'll come out without the smell of smoke.

And AFTER this trial I'll b shown righteous by his grace alone.

And AFTER this wrestling I'll walk different because he touched me.

And AFTER the dust settles I'll eat his banquet in front of my enemies.

I can do all things thru Christ,

And u, my friend, can too!

Right now it may feel bleak...

But I'm hearing a heavenly anthem...

Hey, they're playing our victory tune!

Instead

Don't give up,

Instead stand up.

Don't throw in the towel,

Instead muster another growl.

Don't play dead,

Instead tell em what God said...

That u can do all things thru Christ

That ur not done w/this fight

That there r less against u

  than that r on ur side

That ur coming out swinging

   and u will not hide

That the sword ur carrying

   has his death wish inscribed

That the angels decorated

   for ur victory party inside

So don't lie down and give it all up,

Instead beat this clown

   then go drink the victory cup!

Heart to Heart

Like most little girls, I grew up amidst the magical delights of princesses, princes, glass coaches, and dreams of happily ever after! Plus, I had the additional joy of having parents who encouraged me to believe ANYTHING was possible! Plus, PLUS, it is strongly written in my genetic code to imagine HUGE, dream BIG, and not to settle for anything less than the biggest bam EVER!

I was an adult before I realized that I could want something that actually could be a really stupid thing to want. I lived by the seat of my pants! I had always let the wind take me where it would. If I felt it, I went for it! And that phrase, "follow your heart"? Wow. Turns out that is not the smartest advice.

Here's why.

The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9

What?! I thought we were SUPPOSED to follow our heart! The oldest and wisest women in all movies and books say to follow your heart. They mean, if your insides are telling you to go for it, then you should!

But Jeremiah wasn't the only prophet to say otherwise...

Heeeere's Solomon!
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26

And heeeere's Moses!
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.
Genesis 6:5

And (drum roll please) straight from the Master himself, Jesus Christ!
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 15:19

This realization changed EVERYTHING for me! To the extreme! Surprise, surprise, that I would do anything "extreme," right? Lol! I had such a powerful "overtaking" of my own heart's deceit, I actually stopped praying some very specific prayers in case I was "praying amiss!" I have absolute faith that when I present needs, requests, or desires to God that he WILL answer me! I have prayed for multiple people to be healed of cancer, and BAM! They were instantly cured! I have prayed for money and have gotten it! I have prayed for homes to be made available to people and within hours it has happened. It is not that I am anything special. I simply, LITERALLY, believe that God set prayer up FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIM DOING IT! He said, "You have not because you ask not." So I believe that when I ask, I get it!

How can you pray for God to heal someone when you might be praying that way out of selfishness? How can you pray that so-and-so gets a specific job when you may be asking for something that could ultimately hurt a lot of people? How can you pray that God would give you a specific house, or car, or ANYTHING when it could be your deceitful heart telling you only the good of it?!

I did not know how to pray about people who had hurt me, turned their back on me, or spoken ill of me. Part of me wanted to ask God to bring them back to me while part of me wanted to tell God to strike them dead where they stood!

There is example after example of God doing what people asked of him even though it was not best for them. There are examples of God honoring prayers of destruction and prayers of exaltation. And I do mean that when people prayed, God would destroy someone by striking them down, or exalt them by elevating their status; He did just that!

When a person believes in the power of prayer as I do, AND you realize your heart can deceive you... Whew! I was in a jam!

I spent weeks and weeks in frustration. Literally crying without uttering a word because I didn't know what was the right thing to pray for.

Then, as my wonderful savior ALWAYS does, he started speaking HIS thoughts into my spirit. And, also as he always does, he was using his eternal, written word to do so.

Jesus reminded me that even though it’s true that my heart or "feelings" can deceive me, he is stronger, mightier, and more powerful than my deceptive heart! (1 John 3:20) As sure as a person could have a deceptive heart, they can also have an UPRIGHT heart! (Psalms 7:10) It's a simple matter of ASKING FOR an acceptable heart! (Psalms 19:14) It is as simple as praying that God would CREATE a clean heart! (Psalms 51:10) God is no stranger to creation! He is not caught off guard when we show up saying, "Jesus, take this stony heart out of me and give me a tender heart." It is his good pleasure to write HIS desires on your heart so that we will not have to struggle with our deceitful desires. (Ezekiel 36:26)

The heart truly IS deceitful. And the question Jeremiah asked in 17:9, "Who can know it?" was answered that day as I sat in God's presence. I could feel his smile, as a father smiles on his child. He said to my spirit, "I'm the one who knows it. I'm the one who KNOWS your heart." (Psalms 44:21)

As God calmed my fears, and comforted my troubled soul, I began to pray, "Lord, I'm going to ask for some specific things, but I'm not positive I'm asking for the exact RIGHT things. So you know my heart. You know that what I REALLY want, more than anything, is for YOUR PERFECT WILL TO BE DONE."

I'm sure there are very few wack-jobs in this world as crazy and literal as I am. Which means that you will likely not go through this same hoopla over something so simple. But you should be aware and remember that your heart (feelings, emotions, cravings) actually CAN be deceitful and draw you into wanting things that in reality you do not want. It's a deception.

But also be aware that a continual surrender to God's plan and his written word will shine a light on your heart and dispel all the shadows of deception.

Perhaps I'll blog about how to pray effectively later. But for now I will at least say that I think it is a very good habit to pray prayers of surrender and repentance BEFORE you lay out your list of requests.

What a great God to love us so much.

Denée Richardson, Le Muser
www.deneerichardson.com

~Thanks to Lisa Velie for editing.

Psalms 7:10 (KJV)
My defence [is] of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

Psalms 10:17 (KJV)
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Psalms 19:14 (KJV)
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalms 37:4 (KJV)
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalms 37:31 (KJV)
The law of his God [is] in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Psalms 44:21 (KJV)
Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Psalms 51:10 (KJV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV)
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1 John 3:20

The Glory of Enduring

I used to have to think of really sad things in order to shed a tear. I grew up in a very demonstrative, emotional, Pentecostal church. In the altar all the people around me would be weeping, and regardless of the sermon topic, my eyes would be as dry as an old mailbox post! My best tear-jerker as an eight or nine year old was to remember my beloved dog, Suzy, who'd been hit by a car. A simple conjuring up of the day my parents told me she'd been killed and I could squeeze out a few water-works.

But then LIFE happened. An uppercut to the breadbasket, multiple slaps to other cheeks! Add to that a couple stabs in the back region, and good gracious! Now I've had to come up with some clever means to get the flow to cease!

Until this point in my life I did not understand the concept of "endure." I'm not sure I can describe my initial idea of what it meant to endure. Perhaps I thought it was for losers. As if the only people who had enduring to do were ones that had made some really dumb decisions repetitively and now were a public scourge. I honestly am not sure what I thought it meant to endure.

But, honey, I can SURE ENOUGH tell you what it is like now! And CLEARLY it's not limited to losers, because, uh, I am not a loser!

[In my best "preacher voice"]
I shall take my text from Dictionary.com, because nobody can say it better than a legit, acclaimed, accredited dictionary.

It's A Verb
The first thing to comprehend is that "endure" is not a sissy, whipped-pup, loser status. Endure is a verb. A verb means ACTION. If you are in a state of endurance you are working your head off!! You are not still or finished! If you are enduring you are engaged in high action!

To Continue To Exist
The next thing to know about enduring is that it means YOU EXIST, and everybody, be they friend, family, spirit, or foe, knows it! Sometimes when you are enduring, you feel alone. You may feel forgotten about. But I can promise you, the fact that you are enduring means you exist! And there may be enemies who wish you would give in, but you will NOT give in because you EXIST, and you exist because you are enduring!

Suffer Without Yielding
Another thing I have learned about enduring is that you do indeed suffer. But you suffer WITHOUT YIELDING! The most adverse and darkest forces can come against you. You may cry, you may hurt, but you will NOT YIELD! A fetal position may be your prayer posture, but you will not yield! You are enduring!

Make Lasting
The reason endurance is so important is because it kills two birds with one stone. It ensures that the right outcome is fulfilled, and it MAKES YOU LASTING! It hardens you. Not in the sense that you become a jerk to the world because you don't care what anybody thinks about you. But it makes you TOUGH! It makes you STRONGER!

Lasting, Recognized Worth
In the midst of the "enduring" process there is absolutely NOTHING that seems worth the blood, sweat, and tears of endurance. But you endure anyway! And the natural result, without you seeking for it, without you demanding it, is that you will have a higher valued life. People who may not even know the story of all you endured will be able to recognize that you made it. The ground that you conquer in the midst of your endurance will ALWAYS be yours! Anything, everything, and anyone of high value endured.

Truth endures. Truth has been rejected and persecuted time and time again, but it endures and its endurance has given it so much power it can set the hardest heart free!

A soldier endures. Soldiers endure separation from family, harsh living conditions, even the risk of death. But they endure and millions of people are free because they carried out the verb!

Oysters endure the irritation of a grain of sand, forcing it into a constant effort of endurance, and a pearl is the result.

And finally, Christ endured. He ENDURED the cross. There is NOTHING to indicate that he enjoyed a single second from the pre-crucifixion beating to hanging nude on a cross. He carried out the action of the word; he endured the cross and despised the shame. And because he endured we have access to freedom from the slavery of sin and death!

So, you may FEEL like a loser when you are forced to endure some things, or when you look around you and nobody seems to understand. When you are in the midst of endurance even the most well-meaning people can seem to add the heaviest weight to our endurance. But the greatest prophets, the holiest men and women in scripture, the most brave, incredible, people ENDURED. And if they would have given up when their friends or families deserted them we wouldn't have the treasures of their testimonies with us today.

YOU can do this! Do not give up!! Hold to God's unchanging hand!! Say like Job, "Though he slay me I will trust him." God has NEVER left anyone unrewarded for enduring all the way through to victory. Because you are still enduring does not mean you are in sin, or a loser, or unloved by God. It means one thing; you are enduring. I don't mean to be cruel here, but, so what?! Lots of us have and are! Cowboy up and finish this out! You are a treasure in the making!

Having done all to stand... STAND!!