Blog - Purposeful Faith

Hey Mama at the Supermarket, You Started A War & Don’t Even Know It!

June 19, 2018

You may be wondering what a grocery store has to do with being Battle Ready? But let me tell you I had a straight up WAR in my mind. In my mind. That’s the key. I almost didn’t include the following story in the book because it’s EMBARRASSING. But it’s the truth. Here’s a little excerpt from the introduction of Battle Ready (Amazon, B&N) …

Life’s greatest fight is within the mind. I decided this at the supermarket not too long ago as I watched a lady survey the meat counter. Said lady? She appeared nice enough. The only issue was that she was beautiful and the exact opposite of how I’d been feeling lately. . .

Lately, I’d been trying to oil-slick all of my wild strands into a contained mass of frizzless order. Lately, I’d been trying to cover my gray roots. Lately, I’d been trying to triple-foundation-cover redness on my cheeks that wouldn’t relent. Lately, I’d been trying to yank-button my shorts to hide an ever-bulging waistline. Lately, I’d been scouring online reviews for wrinkle creams that actually work (without success, I might add). So when I saw her, I hated me even more. Her. In all her tight-fit body glory, walking around in those little spandex pants and bra-like workout shirt . . . she silently mocked me. Her body laughed at mine. Her unsaid words critiqued me. Her confidence attacked mine. That show off!!!

So I did what any violently threatened woman would do—I fought back. Right there, while holding the hand of my little toddler and a bag of chips, I envisioned myself approaching her, tapping her on the shoulder, and saying, “Excuse me, dear, I just want to let you know . . . your outfit sure is cute. So cute, in fact, I don’t think anyone would ever notice the bulges of back fat you probably never noticed when you looked in the mirror this morning.”

Bam! I’d hit her. Then I’d offer her a wink and be on my way. I’d march off with the military precision of a girl who just won the war! She’d stand there, mouth agape I’m sure . . . and I’d forget about how all those pretty girls back in third grade once made me feel. All this? My imaginary emotional uplift? This little break from my own faults?

It felt so good in the moment . . . so right. Until the regret came and I realized I had just done the unthinkable, what I’d pledged within my heart not to do: criticize, tear down, and rip apart another person. Why do I always do what I don’t want to do? Not too long after, my son and I checked out at the counter.

The cashier passed us a little red contest ticket. You get it for bringing your own bag. A chance to win $25 at the store by dropping that little red ticket in its own special box. I pointed out the box about twenty feet away and told my son to drop it in as I finished paying. The problem was, once there, my son couldn’t reach it. Jumping didn’t help either. Neither did my encouragement from afar. To make matters worse, she came. Said-lady rolled her pristine self and bagged-up cart right next to him. I believe I pretended not to look, but I certainly heard her voice, sweet like honey, say, “Hi, cutie, can I help you, little darling?” Workout Barbie then looked over and yelled to me, “He’s so cute!” She lifted him just right so he fit his little ticket in the box and affectionately dropped him down. She smiled big and waved goodbye.

I wanted to hate her. I did. But I couldn’t. Turns out, she was a kind lady with back fat rolls about half the size of mine. A thousand pound weight heaped on my back. I am so bad. I am horribly bad. I will never, ever be good.

Can you relate? In my new book Battle Ready (Amazon, B&N) I discuss a hands-on scriptural plan that teaches you twelve easy-to-implement, confidence-building mind-sets designed to transform your thoughts and, therefore, your life. Also if you pre-order the book between now and July 3, you’ll receive FREE bonuses including a 7-day printable journal.

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“When Faith Doesn’t Take the Pain Away”

June 14, 2018

purposefulfaith

Contentment, faith

6 Comments

POST BY: Kendra Broekhuis

It would have been our daughter’s third birthday. At least, in a perfect world where mothers don’t bury their babies, it would have been.

I laid in bed imagining what our baby might have been like as a three year old. A curly red head like her mom? A brown eyed brunette like her dad? A sassy pants like her older sister? On the third anniversary of her stillbirth, the only thing that streamed as heavily as my imagination were my tears.

Sometimes I think it’s a miracle my faith has remained intact since this devastating loss. I chalk that up to a huge dose of mercy, really. My beliefs about Jesus are no longer phrases I learned to regurgitate in Sunday School, rather truths that anchor my soul:

He is victorious over death. {John 11:25}

He is working all things for my good. {Romans 8:28}

He is close to the brokenhearted. {Psalm 34:18}

But even though faith stuck around, that hasn’t stopped grief from practically bulldozing me over sometimes – like the day our daughter would have turned three. And on those days I learned that the presence of pain doesn’t mean there is an absence of faith.

Our pain simply reminds us that not all is right with the world, that we aren’t dwelling in the perfect garden paradise God first created us to. And therefore, our faith and our pain are forced to coexist. Nancy Guthrie describes this coexistence well:

The day after we buried {our daughter}, my husband said to me, “You know, I think we expected our faith to make this hurt less, but it doesn’t. Our faith gave us an incredible amount of strength and encouragement while we had Hope, and we are comforted by the knowledge that she is in heaven. Our faith keeps us from being swallowed by despair. But I don’t think it makes our loss hurt any less.” {Guthrie, Holding On To Hope}

Before Jesus returns, there will always be tension between our hope in heaven and our current reality living in a broken world. It’s not a matter of either/or, but and. We can have faith in a sovereign, victorious God and admit to Him the heavy pain we are bearing. We will face trials and God will strengthen us through those trials. We will walk through valleys and He will ultimately rescue us. We will grieve and one day He will wipe away all of our tears.

So whatever trials, valleys, or grief you are facing today, let God’s promises both anchor your soul and remind you that He is near, carrying you and tending to your broken heart.

Pray that even when faith doesn’t take the pain away, hope will remain steadfast too.

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that in Your great mercy You will strengthen the faith of Your people. Remind Your children in mighty ways that Your promises are true, even when life’s circumstances can take remarkably painful and unexpected turns. And show us through Your miraculous provision that You are mending our broken hearts. Amen.

Bio:

Kendra is the author of Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert’s Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor. The book highlights her 30 Day journey to recognize the Lord’s “I love you’s” in her daily life, as well as her somewhat awkward attempts to be the Lord’s “I love you’s” to her neighbors. For her day job, Kendra stays home with two of their children, Jocelyn and Levi. She and her family live in Milwaukee. Kendra’s love language is Dove chocolate.

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Here-Goes-Nothing-Introverts-Reckless/dp/0718083261/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Website:

www.kendrabroekhuis.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kendrabroekhuisauthor/

Instagram:

@kendrabroekhuis

I’ve Got to Do Better than Her

June 12, 2018

purposefulfaith

attack, awe, Contentment, doubt

10 Comments

She is going to make me look like a fool. It’s me against her. I have to come out on top.

Deep in me, there lives a competitive beast. One that promotes selfish ambition and untoward conduct. One that looks at other gals and compares them to me.

The beast says:

I need to be super impactful, smart and powerful. Or, I’m disposable.
I can’t let others get ahead of me. No one will pay attention to me anymore.
I should desperately fear being left behind. I’ll be useless without impact.

Competitiveness is a horrible beast to be chained to. It demands we control the uncontrollable. It sets us up to fail.

Does jealousy, fear, selfish ambition or a competitive nature threaten you, like me?

Lately, I’ve become so sick and tired of it’s bullying tactics. I’ve decided – through a deep investigation of scripture – to fight back.

Here’s how:

1. I humble myself under the mighty hand of God, knowing at the proper time (and in God’s proper way), He’ll exalt me.

2. I remember Christ rules over everything. He has all authority and every victory belongs to the Lord. If it is my victory, it is an empty one. But if it is God’s, it is fruitful.

3. I ponder the idea that by my strength, I get tired. But by His, I become empowered.

4. I bless those who hurt me, persecute me, laugh at me, talk behind my back and injure me. Why? Because God loves His creation. He is working on them. He is doing something. I don’t need to get my sticky fingers into His artwork. I can trust the masterpiece He is creating without trying to let my bitterness or irritation take control.

5. I wait on God knowing that, nearly half the time, it is by doing nothing I find He’s doing everything. Likewise, I step out when He says it’s go time, no matter how prideful, arrogant or self-serving it may seem to the world. Ultimately, I don’t serve others opinions of me, but Christ’s lordship. I follow it, stay close to it and trust it, no matter how it looks.

The beast dies when we die to our flesh and come alive to Christ. It can’t live when we stay surrendered and in-step with the Spirit. It has no rule when Christ rules. Period. And Amen.

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From “a Bad Hand” to “The Upper Hand”

June 7, 2018

purposefulfaith

awe, birth, blessings, Contentment

6 Comments

For a large part of my life, I believed I’d simply been dealt a bad hand. I had thoughts like this: “Things work against me. No one is for me. The world will hurt me. People are out to get me. I can’t trust anybody. I am at risk of being continually injured or stranded. Bad circumstances find me.”

Bad. Hand.

Hurt. Kelly.

Struggling. To. Be. Okay.

Annoyed….Others. Have. It. Better.

Defined. By. My. History.

Have you, like me, allowed internal definitive statements to define your identity? Are you unsure how to climb out of the pit of injustice you’ve found yourself in?

Incredibly, God’s Word shows us the way. God has clear-cut, straightforward instruction for those who have been punched one too many times by the constant onslaught of the world. For those whose stomach feels like it is caving in and they’re about to give up.

Here it is…(notice the two main call-to-action points included within this statement):

“If you… 1.) listen to the commands of the Lord your God and 2.) carefully obey them, (then) the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always have the upper hand.” Deut. 28:13

If you listen and obey…

Then you’ll have – not the bad hand – but always, the upper hand.

You won’t be the tail that gets stomped all over, but the head that is wise, smart and full of God’s truth.

Jesus, as the head, will get in your head and change the world of hurts you’ve been living in. Give Him a shot. Listen, obey and find yourself ahead.

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Let’s Count the Ways: God Watches You

June 5, 2018

purposefulfaith

awe, blessings, Contentment, grace

15 Comments

“Are you watching me?”

My 6-year-old son puts on shows. Willy Wonka, Moses in the wilderness, Box Car Children- you name it, and he acts it out. And he always asks this question.

“Are you watching me?”

Half the time, I’m not. I mean to be, but I’m also human. I’m trying to tackle things like bills, emails, text messages, phone calls, dishes, laundry, dinner…you get the point.

The fact of the matter is, our parents didn’t watch us non-stop either. I know there were times I put on shows and my mom or dad didn’t watch. It’s not because they didn’t want to, but because they were human.

But you know what? God is not human and He is watching. This fills the desires of all our hearts. The desire that says, “Someone, please, be watching me. Watch out for me. Watch me and know my ways. Watch me and protect me. Watch me and help me.”

God watches, carefully.

God is always with us.

“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Ps. 139:7-8

God’s watched our days before they’ve even happened.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.” Ps. 139:16

God’s intimate thoughts about us don’t stop.

“How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.” Ps. 139: 17-18

God is aware of our most intricate workings, habits and ponderings.

“You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.” Ps. 139: 3-4

He watches you to protect you.
“You hem me in behind and before.” Ps. 139: 5

God watches it all. Every song, dance, move, time you sit down, stand up, and twirl around. You are precious in His sight.

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Let Go of Old Grudges

May 31, 2018

purposefulfaith

Contentment

3 Comments

I’m under God’s conviction.

There’s this person in my life I thought I’d forgiven long ago. That is, until I realized I didn’t want to bless this person, give to them, or pray for them. At just a mention of their name, yucky emotions made me annoyed.

Why am I still so upset?

You can’t just brush offenses under a rug like dirty crumbs and expect them to self-clean. There they sit there, until one day you pull back the covers to see the disgust of what you’ve left untended.

It is not pretty.

The unforgiveness we leave unchecked goes unhandled. What goes unhandled grows uncontrollably. Ungodly growth has ruined a soul or two.

Friends, don’t discount even the smallest amount of growth. A little touch of poison ivy can cause immense bodily agony. A poisonous bite from the wrong insect can send one to their deathbed in a minute. A weed can take over a bed of flowers in a flash.

I am not trying to invoke fear, but I am trying to say this: a little unforgiveness can cause much distress within a soul and body.

We don’t want this and shouldn’t allow it. So, let’s plant a stake in the ground. God has far better for us.

We must break down the set-up of unforgiveness in our heart and return back to love. What the enemy has purposed to ruin us, we must let go so God can remake us. It is the only way true love prevails.

Who do you need to forgive today? Might you consider letting go of the thousand hurts they still inflict on you in exchange for one simple act of letting go?

I am going to join you in this process right now.

Here we go:

Father God, we feel angry, hurt, irritated, alone, ____ and left behind by this person. We hate how they made us feel. Yet, we are thankful that you, Jesus, sympathize with our pain. Not only this, you understand it. You know pain; you know the cross. You also know humility. Although the pain is real, we let go of what hurt is still hurting us. We clear room for your new life. We welcome in your grace. We give you the offense right now. We breathe in grace and breathe out what unforgiveness does not belong to us anymore. We breathe in the love you have for us, we breathe out the shame we feel for holding on to this for so long. We accept what Jesus did on the cross today and we celebrate it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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When You’re Feeling Bad About Yourself

May 29, 2018

purposefulfaith

Contentment

12 Comments

Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Or maybe you start your day doing great, only to end it feeling poor.

I understand.

I sit here feeling kind of blah.

Blah because I don’t know how God will handle everything I’m concerned about.
Blah because I know that I should know: God has everything handled.
Blah because I still feel irritated at people I am desperately trying to forgive.
Blah because I’m not really accepting the grace Jesus died for.
Blah because I want to connect with God, yet I feel ashamed to.
Blah because it is weird to tell people you’re feeling these kinds of things.

Blah. Blah-dee. Blah-blah.

So, I pray, “Here in the place of blah, God, what do you have for me?” And here’s what He empowers me to do:

If Jesus busted out of the tomb, so can I.

If the dull sounds of guilt-ridden religiosity didn’t hold Jesus back from new life, neither should my sins.

If Jesus left me peace, it is mine for the taking.

If He forgave me, I can forgive others.

If there are new mercies every day, I can seize them right now.

If Jesus died to cover me with grace, covered I am.

If I don’t know what to do, I can lean not upon my own understanding, trust Him and know: He’ll make my paths straight.

If I feel disappointed by my lot in life, I can give thanks for the whole lot of stuff I do have.

If I wonder if people will ever change, I can simply praise Him for my inner-change.

If I can’t forgive myself, I can remember how Jesus’ death on the cross proves He already has.

If I feel unloved, I can remember His constant never-ending outpouring love from above.

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Ro. 8:31-32

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? …No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Ro. 8:35, 37

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ro. 8:38-39

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Trading Fear for Confidence in His Unshakeable Grip

May 24, 2018

Abby Mcdonald

doubt, faith, Regular Contributor

3 Comments

Blog Post by Abby McDonald

If you were completely confident in God’s unchanging, irrevocable love for you, would it change how you walked? If you knew that no matter how many times you fell, he would be right there to catch you, would it change the way you lived your life?

I believe it would.

Several years ago, God showed me what confidence in a daddy’s grip can do. Our firstborn was six, and he set out to conquer a new set of monkey bars at a state park we were visiting. But after climbing the ladder and surveying the height, fear overtook him. I could tell he wanted to cross, but he convinced himself he wasn’t able to do it.

After spending a few minutes observing our boy, my husband walked over. He spoke words of encouragement and told him he would walk with him, arms out and ready to grab him if he slipped.

Our six-year-old hesitated another moment and then went for it. He made it all the way across without falling, and then there was no stopping him. He immediately went back for more.

The smile on his face spoke for itself, but for the rest of the afternoon he told everyone about his new accomplishment. Our friends. The neighbors. People he met on our hike to the waterfall.

Everyone heard, “Daddy wouldn’t let me fall, so I knew I could do it.”

It’s amazing what that kind of confidence can do for us, isn’t it?

When we know someone is walking with us and cares about every detail of our lives, we can move forward without fear. Even when circumstances look bleak, we can put one foot in front of the other because we know we aren’t doing it alone.

Can I tell you something? You have someone too.

If you’ve surrendered your life to the living God, he goes with you, behind you and before you.

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalm 139:5 NLT

Even if everyone in your life has let you down or abandoned you. Even if your earthly father never gave you the love and assurance you needed.

God’s love is not fickle. It is patient and enduring. It withstands in the places where human loves fails.

This is the type of love that transforms our walk. It’s the type of love that enables us to do things we would never do before, because we know with him standing in the gap with us, we will never be alone.

Claim this truth as your own today. Speak it out loud when the lies of the enemy threaten to overtake your thoughts. I can promise when you do, you will see a change. And the change will be in you.

Abby McDonald is the mom of three, a wife and writer whose hope is show readers their identity is found in Christ alone, not the noise of the world. When she’s not chasing their two boys or cuddling their newest sweet girl, you can find her drinking copious amounts of coffee while writing about her adventures on her blog. Abby would love to connect with you on her blog and her growing Facebook community.

Do you Still Love Me?

May 22, 2018

purposefulfaith

Contentment

9 Comments

I had a really hard talk with a friend. I told her some things that needed to be said. Her face looked sad.

I didn’t want to say all these things, but I felt God wanted me to. The words were supposed to be encouraging. I tried to do this the best I could, but sensed I was failing. She listened. She nodded and soaked it all in.

We understood each other. It was all good.

But after she left, I felt crushed.

Does she still love me? What if she leaves me?

Does the idea of confrontation ever make you want to cover up because you fear you’ll be left unwanted?

I’ve noticed that in the past I left people before they left me, in order not to get hurt.

God help me. I don’t want to do that again.

Frankly, I often don’t realize what my flesh is doing until my Spirit realizes it’s too late. But is it? Is it ever too late to return to love? It can sure feel like it. It can feel like it when memories of relationships are severed. Or the way you approached something can’t be taken back. It can feel you’ve gone down a one-way road leading to continually hurt feelings inside you.

I always mess up.

Are you there today? Do you feel you’ve ruined a relationship in a way that can’t be fixed?

5 Truths when Relationships Appear Broken

1. We are not perfect, nor will we ever be. On earth, we are moving from one glory to another. This means we start at a lesser glory, learn through a trial about God’s glory, and grow up into His greater glory. Life = Learning. We are learners.

2. God’s love is steady and sure. We may do what God wants, but man may still leave us. This doesn’t mean we didn’t: Do what God wanted us to, love well, and handle things correctly. It means that life gets sticky and sometimes people need time to process.

3. Our God is a God of new beginnings. Just as Jesus found new life after He gave up his own life at the cross, sometimes we must give up our pride to find new life in a relationship. This looks like humbling ourselves, saying sorry, and moving into the new thing God has for us.

4. We all want to be loved. While we look at our stack of mess-ups, reasons we’re right or issues surrounding the relationship, others are doing the same thing. They want healing too. They want restored connectedness also. Understanding others’ perspectives always comes before judging them. This posture lets us kneel instead of cowering before others. Whose heart doesn’t open up when you see someone kneeling before you?

5. We get grace. Lots of it. It is abundant. Magnificent. Restorative. Full of opportunities to start over. Take it, in full-measure. God loves us. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. This means that by turning back to God and letting him take what we’ve done wrong, we get a covering, a protection and a start-over that our soul longs for. Things may not be perfect with others, but we look perfectly blameless in the sight of our God.

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I Can’t Do This All

May 17, 2018

purposefulfaith

attack, awe, blessings, Contentment

2 Comments

One way to succeed at life is to take inventory of what sets you off.

Ask: What makes your chest well up with discomfort? What makes your stomach turn in rolling knots of nervousness? What makes your hands sweat?

There’s some very good news coming to you soon. With this, I’ve had to do some very hard work to see it through. Hard work makes me feel under much pressure. And being under pressure makes me feel I must perform.

Performances steal the presence of God.

It becomes all show and no rest. Performances are about: doing, striving, working stuff up, making things happen, generating results and presenting a good face.

They’re about getting somewhere. Meanwhile, God just wants to be with us.

Maybe you are there. Maybe you are saying to yourself, “I try so hard, but get nowhere. I don’t know how I’ll do it all. I am stressed out. I am overwhelmed. I am burdened.”

Right now, I believe God has an invitation for you and for me.

As I see it, I believe it reads like this…

Dear (your name),

I invite you to step away from the soul-crushing burdens of all you feel you “must” manage. I will manage those things as you trust in me. I can do far more than you can think or imagine when you trust me. I can accomplish in one minute what it takes you 5000 to conceptualize. Will you trust me? Will you let me take lead? Will you hand to me what you’re death-gripping and mishandling? Will you let go of those unruly emotions and trace them for promised lands of peace? I promise to take good care of what is most important to your soul. I won’t leave you behind. I am always true to my word.

“Defeat does not come to those who trust (in God).” Ps. 23:5 GNT

“(God) is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb. 11:6 NKJV

Above all, please know: I am with you. I am on your side. I am helping you. My hope is to give you the deep desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)

Love,

God

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