Blog - Purposeful Faith

3 Responses: When People Share Their Heart

October 8, 2019

Have you ever conversed with a person who indirectly cuts you down? Negating your dreams? Dissing your hopes?

Perhaps, you share what you are working towards and they reply, “Ya, I’ve been there; it didn’t work out because (list: the 100 reasons why)” Or, you share vulnerably and the person suddenly turns the story back around to themself. Maybe even, you let them know details about your child that makes you a little nervous and they expand on the conversation with a horror-story — that only compounds your worry.

We cannot control people’s reactions, but we can ask ourselves wise-questions before we share things with people:
– Is God calling me to share this story, right now — with this person?
– Might this person respond with advice or insight that is driven by fear, jealousy, worry or comparison?
– Does this person usually offer Godly perspectives, wisdom, and encouragement?

We don’t have to share everything — with everyone. We reserve the right to use: wisdom.

At the same time, of course, we know, no one is perfect. In fact, many times, even the best of Christians will have poor responses (I’ve made these mistakes too). Grace abounds.

In light of this fact, let’s flip the tables for a second — to look at our own self…

Ask yourself: How do I respond when people share their heart — with me?

1. Do I listen?
2. Do I consider what God wants me to say before I speak?
3. Do I put away anger, or other negative emotions, until I have fully processed, with God, what is being said? So that I can speak from a place of love?

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19)

Prayer: Father, it is hard not to react. However, I ask you to give me the grace to listen before I speak, to understand before I counteract, and to gain perspective before I claim to know it all. Give me your vision for the people and the issues that come towards me. May I be your mouthpiece, for your glory and for your purpose — all the time. Teach me in your ways. Lead me in wisdom on who to share with and what to say. And, may I be both careful and tender with other’s hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Cultivating Quick-Obedience

October 3, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment

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There is power to quick-obedience.

How many of us have said, “I really need to call. . .(so-and-so)” but we never follow-through?

Good intentions do not equal good execution. I’m guilty of this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to bring a new momma dinner and then forgotten about them. Or, the countless times I’ve meant to give time to someone who asks me for help and then I just — don’t. Oops.

Recently, I was telling my kids how I dream of giving back to their school in the future — to beautify it a bit.

My son replied back, “We should start small, mom. We could buy them a bench or something.”

He had a point, but. . .

How many of us add a “but” to our good intention?

Just about a week ago, I attended his parent-preview. This is where you walk through his classroom. My son pointed out these dry-erase boards that were broken and old.

“Look at these, mommy. We are waiting for someone to give new ones.”

Something rose up in me.

It’s most clearly expressed as the very words I tell my own kids: See a problem — be the solution.

Rather than putting off what could be done for tomorrow, God was calling out — it’s time to take action today. It’s time, right now, to take out your checkbook. No more delay.

God-prompted, working-obedience acts fast.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once (immediately, now, with urgency) they left their nets and followed him. (Mt. 4:19-20)

See a person in need? At once, address their need– before doubt cripples you.
See downcast spirit? At once, be the one to offer a word of encouragement.
See something you want to complain about? At once, ask how you can be the solution.
See an injustice you can’t stand? At once, seek the ways you can become involved.
See a person God has put on your heart to help? At once, give.
See a need? At once, address it in the little way you can.

For this is pleasing to our Lord.

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How Saved We Are, In Christ

October 1, 2019

purposefulfaith

awe, blessings, Contentment, mercy, surrender

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It is easy to forget how far we’ve come.

This is normal. It’s like after you get a few cavities filled and a root canal done — 3 years later you forget it even happened. Life is back to normal and you hardly think about how glad you are that all of that was accomplished and finished. And, how easy it is to chew now.

Likewise, it is easy to forget about Jesus the same way. It is easy to forget HOW MUCH He has done for us. HOW MUCH He has saved us from. HOW MUCH He has accomplished. It is not that we don’t love Him or have faith in Him, but, at times, we take for granted HOW MUCH He rescued us and how far we’ve come.

Do you realize, it’s as if we made it “in” to His family by the skin of our teeth?

We didn’t bring anything. . .

We didn’t prove anything. . .

It was simply because God chose to become flesh. . . to accomplish the greatest mission ever. . .

If it weren’t for Jesus what would happen to us and our sin???

If we never faced-God, what we would we have faced?

But, Jesus. He came, like a rescuing-Savior and jerked us out of our position of distress, unrest and stress. He came, and lifted us out of our pit. He came, and walked us across His bridge of life — so that we could be with Him, forever.

Like a damsel in distress — He saved us.

But, Jesus. But, only, Jesus. Jesus came and changed everything. He made me alive with Him (Col. 2:10), free from the power of death (Romans 8:2), a joint-heir, a chosen daughter, a beloved treasure, a kept kid, a wanted person, and best of all he wiped the face-of-my-everlasting transgressions, clean.

Oh, may I never forget!

Jesus has not only saved me, but He has improved me. Grown me. Changed me. Made me. Helped me. Answered me. Lifted me. Removed an eating disorder from me. Rescued me dozens of times. Given me wisdom beyond understanding. Healed me emotionally and physically. . . (the list doesn’t end).

I am nicer now. I am kinder. I am gentler. I am more-so filled with joy. I am filled with new perspective.

What about you? What has He saved you from and brought you to? What life circumstance is radically different now that He is in your life?

What sort of epic-save did Jesus conduct on your behalf? The King of resurrection-life does not enter a life without resurrecting life. The Glory of God does not transform a heart and leave it the same.

Look deep and you’ll find His fingerprints on your heart, on your life and on your soul — even if you once missed seeing them. Even if today they look small…

The Two Responses:

Do you know Jesus? If not. . .

Outloud, through your words, invite the King of Kings into your heart. Tell Him that you want your life to be resurrected through Him, by Him and for Him. Tell Him you are sorry for your mistakes, botch-ups and issues. Ask Him for forgiveness and His help. Thank Him today for becoming the Savior of your Life. Explain to Him that you want to hand your life over so that His life can become yours.

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Ro. 10:9)

Then, rejoice! You are saved (helped, equipped, taught, forever-with-Jesus, eternally His…). You get to be forever, with Him. Forever, in His love. My encouragement to you? Grab His Word (the bible), get in a strong Christ-focused church and walk into all the fullness God has for you.

Do you know Jesus?

Rejoice. Undoubtedly, there are things that Jesus has done for you that you “know”, no one else could have ever done for you. There are strides, there are lessons, there are answers, there are miracles, there are areas of growth — only He could have done for you. There is relief only He could have brought. Give thanks. Give praise. Give honor, where honor is due.

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God’s Soil is Life

September 26, 2019

purposefulfaith

awe, Contentment, doubt, faith

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You all should know by now that I love taking walks. I go outside and just enjoy the air. Usually, I look at trees and all around. But the other day, a singular flower caught my eye. All by itself, it poked out of a massive pile of leaves within a wooded area. But, there it was. It stood bright.

Then, my kids and I approached our house after a day-out, and right in the middle of the mulch was another one. A flower. It popped up out of nowhere right in our mulch. Amazingly, there are not other flowers of its kind. But, there it was. Bright as day.

This morning, I walked through a grassy area and — guess what caught my eye? A purple flower shooting up. There weren’t any around it. Just an isolated flower.

Something woke up in me: God’s full-ability to turn any wilderness-wasteland into beauty. He specializes in this.

You see, what we see as ‘a nothing area’ or a ‘blah area’ is actually fertile ground for God’s growth. It doesn’t matter how we perceive it; it matters how God sees it.

God can do anything, anywhere. He makes beauty for ashes in the middle of the most war-torn marriage. He springs up the oil of gladness rather than mourning, even in the greatest loss. He rebuilds ancient ruins, from nothing, even if the foundations are cracked. He proclaims freedom to the captives in the most torturous of locations.

God is God; He is mighty to save?

What area of desolation are you facing?

Jesus came to. . .
“..bind up the brokenhearted,
…proclaim freedom for the captives
…release from darkness for the prisoners,
…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion…
..to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
…the oil of joy instead of mourning. . .” and the list goes on (See Is. 61).

This scripture has been fulfilled through Christ. Whatever desolate area you face, know that Christ has all-ability to spring life. Ask Him to do it; He is faithful.

Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lu. 4:20)

Stop Getting Hit

September 24, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, No Fear

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This morning I walked my son to school. Unfortunately, there is a part of our walk that has no sidewalk. We usually carefully walk on the curb or tread through the dew-wet grass.

This morning, as we walked, my son looked at me and said, “Mom, what would happen if I hopped down in front of a car and said, ‘Stop!'”

Half-way mortified at the idea, I said, “You’d die.”

Then I added, “You have no authority to tell those cars to stop, so they wouldn’t listen to you. If you were a cop, they may stop, but a kid. . . one can only hope. . .”

When you have no authority, you have no power to make things obey. Likewise, when you have authority, you can make change. You have abilities. Things listen to you.

Jesus said, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Lu. 10:19 NIV)

Note, Jesus did not say I’ve given you authority to overcome “some” of the power of the enemy, but He said, “I have given you authority…to overcome ALL the power of the enemy.”

Are you an overcomer or are you getting hit, continuously, by things coming against?

Rise up. The Lord has given you things: You don’t wear a ‘hit me’ sign. You wear the armor of God. You don’t wear a defeatist attitude, you wear “Faith”, like a shield. You don’t wear a beaten and bruised face from attack-after-attack. You wear and wield prayer and truth like a sword. You don’t wear an old identity. Christ has given you a new identity. Tell yourself about it.

Take authority over the lies and make mistruths bow to Jesus. You have been given authority. Use it.

In so many ways, you can stop the undue spiritual traffic that is coming against you.

Prayer: God, I ask for you to make known to every daughter her spiritual authority, through Christ Jesus. May she become aware that she is an Overcomer. May she know that you have fought the ultimate battle –and won. May she rest in your victory and come alive through your Word. May she stand taller than what comes against to powerfully move forward through prayer. I ask that every defeatist attitude be gone in Jesus’ name. Where the Spirit of the Lord is — there is freedom!!! I pray that your freedom brings liberty and life to those who feel dull and down, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Keep Asking

September 19, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment

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Remember this story?

We traveled to a new state, secured a new home, then headed back home — a hundred of miles and a dozen-hours . . . only to find out the owner of the house changed her mind. Only to find out that she wasn’t going to move after all. And that we had no home.

I want to give all of you an update. . .

Weeks went on and I kept searching for a new place. I found one house: way too small. Another: way too big. Something popped up the next day: too far.

Nothing was working. We were down to the wire.

So much so, one day, I burst out in tears, saying, “God, I am upset we don’t have a home. I don’t know what to do. We are moving in a few days. We need your help.” Then, I prayed a bold prayer, “God bring back that first house. Let her call me. Make it still work out.”

It wasn’t but a couple hours later that my phone rang. It was the original owner; she changed her mind. Within days we settled in.

“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” (Lu. 18:2-5)

Do not give up on prayer. Sometimes, it is not the first prayer that is answered, but the 5th. Sometimes, it is your raw heart that touches God. Sometimes, it is the relentless nature of you pursuing what you know is right. Sometimes, it is just asking — that changes everything.

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It’s for Your Protection

September 17, 2019

purposefulfaith

awe, Contentment, faith, grace

14 Comments

Three times.

I am not even kidding with you all. Three times, my car got hit by people.

The first-time was a hit-and-run. My husband parked the car in a mall parking lot and when he returned to the parking garage there was a huge dent in the back.

The second time we were at the outlets. I got my daughter a little dress there and, when we got back, a huge football-sized dent was now a part of it.

The third time, my husband and kids were out. A guy reversed and put a hole right into the front bumper.

I drive around now with a triple-dented vehicle.

I’m not really sure how or why this is happening. I’m kind of wondering about it. . .

Are you in a situation where you are saying, “Why, God, why?”

Why am I here?
Why am I not out of this hole?
How come this is happening; it is not my fault?

For our family, we have to pay a lot of money to get the majority of these costs fixed.

Why, God?

1 Thess. 5: 18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

All? All things? How you give thanks when life is acting on you? When you feel like you’re the victim? When everything is deteriorating before your very eyes?

I couldn’t stop getting frustrated at the dents (and now the sunroof and trunk weren’t working too -grr…). That is. . . until my husband stopped me, as he said, “Kelly, you just don’t see it. What you see as demolition, is really God’s protection.”

Huh? It is?

He went on, “All of those hits could have been huge accidents. Our kids could have been hospitalized. The car could have been demolished. People could be in the hospital. But none of this happened. Sure, there were hit-and-runs and fender-benders — but, we are fine.”

He is right: We are fine. And, I realized: I’ve been acting wrong.

God has been protecting me all along. I just didn’t have eyes to see it. Sometimes it is easy to get so caught up in our misfortunes, we miss the picture of His greater protection.

How has God been protecting you? Where might you need to stop, and say, “Thank you, God”?

Prayer:

Father, it is easy to see what is coming against. Often, it is hurtful, painful or costly. We know when it hits. But, at the same time, will you help us see you in all things? So we can give thanks in all things? So many times you are keeping and protecting; helping and guiding; leading and loving us — even in the worst of times. Give us eyes to see you and a heart to understand what you are doing. Forgive us for all the thanks we have failed to rightfully give to you — the things we could not perceive. I thank you, although it is so hard, for my trials. In many ways, it is teaching me to rightly come to you, rely on you and find all my hope in you. This is good. You are good. I trust in you. I trust your plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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It Begins with your Tongue

September 12, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment

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Is there something about yourself that you want to change?

Perhaps you want to drink more water, or lose weight or stop talking to your husband a certain way? You need more self-control. The ability to change by changing your habit.

I’ve been there. Many times in my life, I’ve wanted to do something new — even to the point of making my bed.

This morning, I nearly stopped in my tracks as I read this bible verse: “We all make mistakes, but those who control their tongues, can also control themselves in every other way.” (James 3:2 NLT)

I couldn’t believe it. God says if we control our tongue, then we can control ourselves in EVERY other way.

Every way. To be self-controlled in tongue is to then to gain control with every other thing you hope to gain self-control over.

I can see how this plays out.

We stop saying, “I can’t.”
We end our complaining that “we’ll never change”.
We start to speak God’s ability to change anything and everything.
We hope all things, believe all things and trust God in all things — through our tongue.

Suddenly, rather than living in defeat we realize that God has the power to help us even in the little things.

Where are you looking to have more self-control? Have you ever considered that it begins with your tongue?

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On Silence & Meeting God

September 10, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment

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At night I put on white noise. I first started this practice for the kids. This way, if friends were over or the TV was on — the kids wouldn’t wake up. But then, I came to like white noise. Now, loud trucks don’t wake me. My husband’s sound as he rolls over doesn’t bother me. Rain is soothing, or at least normally. . .

. . . except for the other night. The other night, the white noise cut off, completely. It felt soul-shocking.

I don’t know if it was because I was half-asleep, groggy, or in a dream, but it almost seemed as if the world as I knew it — shut off. . .

As if the white noise of this world’s hustle, bustle, busy, urgent, voices, words, conflict, people, interruptions, life, needs, habits, requests, and my internal voice — shut off. . .leaving quietness. Nothing. Me.

Before Jesus.

Will this be what it sounds like when I meet Him? Whereas once my mind ran 1000 minutes/second, it will all cease. And there He will be. Standing. In quietness. Fullness. Looking at me.

I felt bare. Me and Him. Him and me.

Jesus, am I enough for you. Jesus, am I good enough? Will you accept me?

No good theology ever attacks at midnight hours. I’m convinced of this. Come daylight. With this thought on my heart, I randomly flipped open my bible. Landing open, I placed my eyes down and read, “Therefore since we have been made right by God’s sight in faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans. 5:1-2)

It was Christ who died for me and faith that saved me, due to no work of my own. It is Christ that loves me and Christ that wants me, based on no acts of service I accumulate. It is Christ that died for me and it is Christ that will take me home. It is Christ that loves me and Christ that gives me highest privilege to live with peace and joy.

I am more secure in Christ than I ever have been in anything in my entire life (because He did the work and the work is complete).

So on my last breath, when everything shuts off and this world ends, I will rest. Jesus paid it all. . . all to Him I owe.

The same holds true for you, dear child of God. Jesus did everything for you.

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The God who Supplies

September 5, 2019

purposefulfaith

Contentment

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We were late to the stores to buy school supplies. Now, the Target shelves looked like desert wastelands, empty and void of everything I needed. The mom’s had picked them over.

The kids and I got in the car and drove to more stores, miles across town. I nearly crawled behind a shelf to grab the last box of dusty pencils. I circled the stores a few times, trying to figure out where I could get the exact things they needed.

I would get my kids what supplies they needed to succeed.

God does the same. He is intent about supplying us what we need to succeed (to grow, to learn, to become, to move ahead, to become like Him, to draw near to Him, to

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)

The supplying work does not belong to kids; it belongs to the parent.

Father God shall supply your needs.

Father God is your daddy. He sees what you need. He has your list. He cares about supplying you. He does not lie. He’s not late about it, either.

You have all you need according to HIS riches. Can you believe that? According to His riches. Not according to lack, a meager portion, a preserved ration. No, according to riches in His glory.

Open your hands. Open your eyes. Open your heart. Acknowledge His vast supply. He is there. You have what you need. He is doing it. He is greater than you, stronger than you, mightier than you, more able than you — and He desires to work through you.

Look up. You have all you need.

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