Mirror Mirror on the wall. . .

As I have been going through the book of Acts with the ladies over at IF:EQUIP I have certainly been challenged by their words.  In the last few months as well, I have really started to take a look at my own life and see how the Holy Spirit is affecting my life.  If the Holy Spirit truly indwells me (and we know this to be true from what Jesus told us), then how is that changing the person I am?

Today in the devotional, the passage was from Acts 4:5-13.  I was struck my the last couple of verses that read like this:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

It made me sit back and wonder when people look at me do they recognize that I have been with Jesus?  And it made me realize how little time I do spend in God's word.  I have to BE with God in order to have people see Him through me.  So if I am spending little time in God's word, listening to Him, focusing on Him, how can people even see that I have been with Him?  How can they see Jesus shining through me, if I am not spending time with Him?

I know when people go to other parts of the country or to other countries where a different language is spoken, sometimes they come back to our part of the world and it sounds like they have an accent.  Or they speak slightly different than what they did when they left.  I remember when a friend of mine moved down to Georgia and when I saw her again she had acquired that beautiful Georgian drawl.

So I am wondering. . . if I were to immerse myself in God's word, and His teachings, how different would I be?  Would I change?  Would I shine God through my actions?  I would think so.  When we are so affected by God, I don't think we can help but be changed.  And I can imagine that is what had happened to Peter & John.  They had spent so much time with Jesus, that people could just see it by their actions, by their speech, by whatever they did.

It has certainly challenged me to spend more time in God's word, allowing Him to speak to me.  To direct my thoughts continually on Him.  When I look in the mirror each morning, do I see more of the Holy Spirit shining through me?  Do others see Him exemplified in my life?

As I read this passage and thought about if others see the Holy Spirit in my life, I was reminded of a song from long ago that I wanted to share with you today.  I trust that this might challenge you as well to spend more time in the Scriptures so that others recognize that "you have been with Jesus"!!!

Staying the course

Today is a big day for me.  Well not just for me.  But for our whole family. 

May 13, 1989.  What a day it was.

Twenty five years ago today my husband and I were married.  If I would have known then what I do now, I don't think I would have jumped in so quickly.  I knew that marriage was not always a bed of roses.  I knew it would have it's ups and downs.  But I never dreamed of all the things that I would experience in twenty five years.

To be truthful, they have not all been wonderful years.  They have not all been honeymoon moments.  Believe me.  There have been the drop down drag out fights that lasted for days.  There have been nights spent apart.  There have been "rip your heart out" moments for both of us that we would never want to repeat.

Then there were all the curve balls that were thrown our way that we never ever could have predicted:  an accident that caused Keith to be an incomplete paraplegic having to use a wheelchair to get around, infertility, the loneliness of always living away from family, marital separation, depression, anxiety, joblessness, to name just a few.  . . . . no one told me there would be THOSE moments to look forward to. . . .

Yet through those dark times. . . those difficult times. . . thankfully we did not give up.  Truthfully, God did not give up - or rather we did not give up on God.  While I am not always thankful for those times - those moments, I AM thankful for the end result.  If only I could go along the journey without having to endure those moments - and yet learn all those life lessons, I would love that.   But alas, that is not the case.  It's those difficult moments that polish us.  That refine us.  And if we stay the course.  If we allow God to direct us through those difficult waters.  Those dark times. . . He DOES bring us out the other side.

Today, I can honestly say that regardless of all the difficulties Keith and I have gone through, there is no one else I'd rather be spending the rest of my life with.  There is no one else who better understands me (and accepts me!) than he does.  Believe me. . . .he has his hands full.  Even I wouldn't want to have to put up with me most days!  But he does.  And he forgives.  And he loves me.

I am such a fortunate girl to be married to him. He is an amazing husband - not with out his faults - but perfect for me.  He's an incredible dad to our kids and an amazing example to those around him.

I am so proud and thankful to be able to say that I am married to Keith for twenty five years today!  And I pray for many many more of these crazy years to come.

I love you Keith!!!!

Your Job Description

Recently, I was introduced to a group of women who have put together a space as they say "for the next generation of women to wrestle with essential questions that plague their generation."  It is a website that has daily scriptures with a video. I can tell you that you will be challenged.  They are going through the book of Acts right now, and since I didn't start on day 1, this afternoon I went back to go through their first few devotionals.  And WOW was I blow away - and convicted!!!!  

(BTW - men, these are words that are just as important for you as they are for us women and I challenge you to take a peak at the devotionals as well!!!) 

To access their website you may click here:  IF:Equip

 

Without giving away all that they have shared, I wanted to share one of the tidbits that I got from listening to these women discuss the book of Acts.

I was listening to the women as they discussed Acts 1:6-11 and the verse that stuck out to me was verse 8. 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

They were sharing about how Jesus told us that we are to BE His witnesses.  God has given us the power to BE witnesses.  It's not necessarily something we have to do, but rather what we have to BE. Ironically for me, it's so much easier to use words. I want to tell people.  But we are called to BE witnesses.  In so many ways, it's easier to use words because you can say something, but the actual acting out of those words is a completely different story.  God has called me to BE a witness.

And what is a witness.  A witness is someone who has experienced something.  And if you look at the passage we have all been given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We are to BE a witness of Him.  He needs to be flowing out of every part of our daily lives so that we are BEING a witness for Him.  Not just our words.  But our BEING.  AND we get to truly experience that indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  And how do we do that - by experiencing Him.  Drawing close to Him.  Spending time in prayer and reading Scripture.  Drawing on Him so that we can BE that witness He has called us to be.  That we can experience Him and that experience will flow out of our lives to BE the witness He has called us to be.

The other (NOT SO LITTLE) thought I had was when I was reading verse 8 as well.  It talks about being a witness is Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.  I know I was always taught that those places for us would be the same as saying at home, to those you come in contact with daily, and those far away.  So starting right at home and being a witness from there - working out.  

Oh how difficult that is for me.  First of all I have to shut my mouth and just BE that witness, but that witness must start right here at home.  With my children.  With my husband.  OH how difficult that can be!!! But if we cannot be that witness to those we are in contact with every day, then who can we be a genuine witness to?  If we are BEING a witness - not just saying words - then it will be easy to start being that witness right here at home.  Because rather than it be something we have to work at, it will be something that just oozes out of us.  Just by going about our daily routine, we will be BEING that witness.  At home, at work, at the grocery store.

The job description that God has given us to do is to just BE.  Be His witness.  Wherever we are.  At any given moment.  BE.  Be God's witness.  Experience Him so that we can be that person that others see and they see the Holy Spirit flowing out of us.  Because we are BEING His witness.