Let Go, Let God

"So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” John 8:36

This may not be your typical Father’s Day post, but it’s what God’s been working in my heart on this day that has always been very difficult for me.

This afternoon as I was scrolling through my Facebook and Instagram getting jealous of all the beautiful Father’s Day posts, I felt God tugging on my heart. When I finally took a break from letting social media reveal to me all the things I think I don’t have on this day, God whispered what has turned my whole world upside down.

“Katie, you can’t set someone else free if you still have yourself locked in a prison.”

Wow! We spend so much of our time holding on to and dragging around chains that have already been broken. God set us free from that life– He washed away every mistake we’ve ever made but we still see ourselves through the lens of our past. We still define ourselves by what we’ve done or what’s been done to us.

But God’s yoke is easy and His burden is light. His mercies are new every morning! He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west and He binds up every single one of our wounds.

He doesn’t see what we’ve done, He sees us through the lens of what’s been done for us–through the blood of Jesus!

When God whispered that in my heart He also showed me that when you believe in and walk in your victory and your freedom, you will set free everyone around you!

Just look at what happened when Paul and Silas were in prison (Acts 16). Their bodies may have physically been imprisoned but they didn’t have a prison mentality. They knew who they were and who Christ was and they worshiped just like they were free. Because of their worship, God not only set them free, but He set free everyone around them.

We (and I mean me included) have got to let go of our chains. To unlock the jail cell with the keys that Jesus has already given us. To unlock the mindsets that keep us stuck; that keep us victims.

I may have been abused and abandoned, hurt and mistreated by my biological father, but I am not an abused, abandoned, hurt, little girl anymore!

I am 21 years old, I am strong and successful, I am whole and healed, I have everything I need and I am not lacking in any good thing–especially love! I am not perfect, but I’m not who I was either!

On this day, this day that usually makes me sad and depressed, this day that I usually spend feeling so sorry for myself for what I don’t have, all the love I think I missed out on, I choose to let myself out of the prison that only I have been keeping myself in for so long. God already opened the door, and I’ve been sitting in there sulking for at least the past 4 years.

I choose to trade in a mentality of lack–focused on all the things that I don’t have–for one of positivity and thankfulness for what I do have. I only regret that its taken me so long to quit the pity party and start enjoying my many blessings, including a man who has chosen to be my dad for the past 14 years and loves me like I am his own.

I am not a victim of anything! I am victorious in and through Jesus and so are YOU! Walk in your victory, in your freedom, and watch how God will use you to tear down walls, shatter chains, and fling prison doors wide open for everyone around you!!

Brokenness to Beauty: Nothing is Wasted

"those who look to Him are radiant..." Psalm 34:5

Just the other night when I was home for a Basement team worship night, I caught myself staring at the disco ball hanging above the stage where Matt Pitt was speaking. This wasn't the first time that I had ever seen a disco ball--not even the first time I'd ever seen this one--but this time God used an ordinary object to teach me something extraordinary about my life that I hope someone else out there can relate to as well!

As I watched the disco ball spin slowly above the stage, emitting millions of sparkling multi-colored specks of light, I began to wonder why not just make one big mirrored ball? Why all the different little fragments? I mean, it would still shine as one, perfect, unfragmented piece. 

Right then, God spoke to my heart. It could shine as one, cohesive whole, but it wouldn't be quite as beautiful. The broken pieces that make up a disco ball are what make it shine in the unique way that sets it apart from every other type of light-giving object. The light reflecting off of the brokenness is what makes it shine.

Why the tangent about a disco ball? Because in that same way, it's our brokenness that allows God's light to shine to the world through us! Our brokenness can actually have a beautiful purpose!

Right after that, worship began and God wrecked me all over again with the song "Nothing is Wasted" by Elevation Worship. If you haven't heard it yet, you should definitely check it out! The lyrics are absolutely beautiful!

"You are loving, You are wise. There is nothing in my life You cannot revive. You are loving, You are wise. There is nothing too hard for our God...Nothing is wasted. You work all things for good."

As crazy as it may sound, this really is true! The Bible promises (and my life is proof) that nothing is wasted with God! He "causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28!

Prayer isn't wasted! "and the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up...the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:15-16.

Trials and suffering are not wasted! "...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise" 1 Peter 1:6-7.

Not even our weaknesses are wasted! "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9. God uses them as an opportunity to show His strength!

In God's economy, absolutely NOTHING is wasted! He gives us beauty for our ashes and purpose for our pain (Isaiah 61:3). Even the things we cannot possibly imagine Him using, He uses for our good, His glory, and the saving of many lives! (Genesis 50:20).

Let go of your mistakes, failures, and all the hurt you've been through and let God work it all for good! God is in the business of making whole, complete, perfect masterpieces out of even our most broken and damaged pieces! Give God your broken pieces and let Him turn them into a masterpiece that is not only beautiful, but that also shines His love brightly and in all directions for the whole world to see!

**Looking for a place to worship, be encouraged, or just hang out with some really cool people? Check out The Basement at www.thebasementonline.com! We have a live service every Tuesday at 6:45 pm CST that you can watch on the website or attend at The Basement Studio in Trussville, AL; a ministry just for ladies that meets and streams every Thursday night; Friday night team worship and hangout; Saturday night girls' and guys' nights; Sunday night discipleship; and so much more! Come see what God is doing in Birmingham, AL and all over the world and find out how you can be a part!  

Endure

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised" Hebrews 10:36 NLT

I don't know about all of you out there, but for me so far 2013 hasn't been that great. But after Ike's message at The Basement team meeting last night, I started thinking this morning about some people in the Bible who didn't just have a bad year, but had a bad FORTY years--the Israelites...

What would have happened if the Israelites decided not to endure, to push through and cross the Jordan river? I mean if you really think about it, they wouldn't have had terrible lives. Yes, there are always challenges and struggles in life, but they had set up a pretty comfortable camp. How many times to we get so comfortable in the camp that we've created for ourselves that we settle instead of continuing on to the even better place that God has for us?

Thank God for Joshua. God helped him to be strong and courageous enough to push the Israelites out of their comfort-zone and across the Jordan river to the Promised Land. He really believed that what was on the other side of this "problem"--this big river--was so much better than where he was then.

Because of that bold faith, God didn't just allow the Israelites to cross the river, but he stopped the flow of the ENTIRE RIVER so that they could cross on dry land. The Bible says in Joshua 3 that "as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water piled up in a heap a great distance away" (Joshua 3:16). It's crazy how when you take a step of faith and obedience you always find that God is already there at work. Sometimes all you have to do is get your feet wet and God will do the rest!

If you're reading this right now, I just have one question for you--What's your river?

What is the thing you've got to endure, you've got to go through, before God can get you to his best for you? Notice the Israelites weren't able to go around the river. There was no other way to get to the Promised Land without going right through the middle of the hardship, the difficult thing that was right in front of them.

Maybe you're having some hard times right now. Maybe you're having financial troubles, you've lost someone, your relationships are a wreck, you're struggling with sickness and pain...Maybe everything around you feels like it's falling apart and you just feel like you're being rubbed with sandpaper--everything hurts and it's difficult. If that's you, I would say I'm right there with you! 

BUT this isn't a pitty party. We don't rub things with sandpaper that we don't care about--we do it to restore, to improve, to make something better and even more beautiful than it was before and so does God. We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves, because we aren't helpless victims--we're not victims of anything! We are OVERCOMERS--more than conquerors through Christ who gives us strength (Romans 8:37)! 

God is growing you through exactly what you're going through right this second! Trials and tests are difficult, and Jesus didn't promise that we wouldn't have them, but He did say that we could take heart because He has overcome the whole world (John 16:33)! Because we have this strength and this hope in Jesus, we can "count it ALL joy." We can ENDURE because we know that "when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing" James 1:2-4.

Even if it's difficult, even if it hurts right now and seems like too much, don't quit! "Quitting is the quickest way to fail"(Ike Ubasineke). Instead, take a Joshua mindset and just believe that whatever is on the other side of this circumstance, this trial, is SO much greater than what you're going through right now! God is not only going to bring you to the place of His blessings, but He's also going to show you just what He can do through you!

Get your feet wet with faith and endurance today! You are an overcomer and God is growing you through what you're going through right now!

If you're looking for something to feed you, to encourage you, and to push you during difficult times or any time at all, check out the ministry that has absolutely changed my life and become more than my best friends--they're my family! www.thebasementonline.com 

But God...

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning" Lamentations 3:22-23

As I was laying in bed yesterday morning, I found myself doing something that we are probably all guilty of from time to time--beating myself up. Thinking about my week and how terribly it had gone, I couldn't help but give myself a pretty serious scolding for being lazy, being unmotivated, not really being very nice at all to much of anyone, complaining, arguing, and really struggling with worry and fear.

 If I am very honest, I got tested with everything I blogged about in the last two posts...and failed pretty miserably! Taylor would gladly testify to you all that I failed at responding and not reacting, and I also wasn't staying rooted in the source and having peace no matter what...I let my mom's surgery and some other things allow my fear to replace my faith, my worry to replace my trust, and even gave in to anger and frustration that all this was happening to my mom and in this terrible timing. Instead of trying to push through or do anything productive, I found myself asking over and over again, "But God, why? why now? why her again?"

Even after we got the good news that everything removed during her surgery was benign and that the cancer had not come back (Amen! God is Healer!) I had gotten myself in such a hole indulging in so much negativity, worry, and fear that I could barely celebrate this incredible blessing.

That's where I found myself yesterday morning--worn out, worn down, and just really letting myself have it about how terrible I was this week... but as my precious friend Natalie posted yesterday, "thank goodness I have a God who doesn't leave me where I'm at!" God spoke in my heart and overwhelmed me with the grace He had for me that I was too imperfect and too harsh to give myself. His mercies really are new every morning!

My week might have been one of the worst in my life, and I might have handled it pretty horribly, but God showed up, and in an instant it was better! There are so many stories like this in the Bible, particularly with King David in the psalms, where everything is horrible--whether that be the circumstances or sometimes even the person--but God shows up and immediately things change. I think of the disciples on the boat in the middle of the raging storm, but Jesus shows up and immediately the winds cease and the waters still. He can renew strength, fill us with confidence, calm life's storms, or even change our heart and our whole life with a single moment in His presence!

One of my favorite "but God" stories of the Bible is that of Paul. He tells his story in Galatians 1:13;15a saying,

"You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion--how I violently persecuted God's church. I did my best to destroy it...But God chose me and called me by His marvelous grace."

God met Paul right where he was, and in an instant turned a Christian killer into a Christian who would become one of the greatest leaders to ever proclaim the gospel and the author of 13 books of the New Testament! Wow, that absolutely blows my mind, but that's what my God can do!

Whatever you're going through today, take a minute to say today might not look or feel good, but God I know You are good! I might not think I can do all that's in front of me, but God with You ALL things are possible! I may be going through something, but God I know you didn't bring me here to leave me--if You've brought me to it, You will bring me through it! I might feel lonely, but God I am not alone because You promise to never leave me or forsake me. Everything might feel out of control, but God I know You are in control. It may have been that way in the past, but God You make me brand new, Your mercies are new every morning, and it doesn't have to be that way today or in my future!

God is the most beautiful interrupter. Let Him "but in" to your day today!

Respond NOT React

"A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare" Proverbs 15:1

Many people repeat the famous quote, "life is 10% what actually happens to you and 90% how you react to." Each day is made up of 86,400 seconds. That's a lot of opportunities to have all kinds of things come at you--for things to go right or, as they often do, to go wrong. There are 86,400 chances to either react to these things or respond to them.

You might be thinking, "Wow, thanks for the two synonyms Captain Obvious. Those are the same exact thing." In our casual, everyday language these two words do tend to get used interchangeably, but there is an inherent, distinct difference between the two, and I think it's worth going on a little "English teacher tangent" to look at these words a little more closely.

React typically means something instantaneous as a result of certain circumstances or conditions--like a chemical reaction in a science experiment. You combine the particular ingredients (like bumper-to-bumper traffic when you're already running late to school/work) and BOOM! you've got a reaction, and usually not a very good one.

Reactions tend to be heat of the moment, circumstance-based, and feeling driven. Response, on the other hand, is typically used for things spoken and written (think about where you tend to see this word--like on an essay prompt "give a thoughtful response" or "carefully respond"), implying by its very definition and common use that it takes a bit more time and careful consideration than an instantaneous reaction.

What would happen if we took the time to respond to people, circumstances, etc., rather than just reacting? I believe that at least 90% of our lives (based on the quote) would be a whole lot better! Instead of walking around negative, frustrated, angry, and generally all worked up, we could have peace and keep our joy from being stolen by our circumstances! Beyond that, we might just spread joy and peace to others!

As the second part of the verse for today says, "harsh words make tempers flare." When you react to a situation, most of the time that instantaneous, gut, feeling-based reaction is not going to be the kindest or most peace-seeking. If you're anything like me and struggle with having a victim mentality and/or are easily offended and quick to get defensive or argumentative, this is especially hard because we're likely to spout off the first thing that comes to mind that has been conceived by the anger and frustration we let into our hearts ("what you say flows from your what is in your heart" Luke 6:45).

I know that in this day and age everything is instantaneous--from our oatmeal and coffee to our news and etc.--but we need to pump the breaks just a bit, bite our tongues, take a breath, whatever it takes to hold on to our joy and peace! As the first part of this verse says, "a gentle answer deflects anger." Our words hold SO much power! In various places all throughout the Bible, it speaks to the power of words, but in this verse it specifically says that our words--if taken the time to use wisdom and form into a carefully selected, gentle response--have the ability to totally deflect anger, one of the most powerful and difficult to manage human emotions.

How are you using your words? Are you responding or simply reacting? Slow down and unlock the power within your words!

Application for Teachers:
One of the best pieces of advice that I have received in my journey to becoming a teacher thus far is to "never get into a power struggle with your students." You will inevitably have those students that want to test you. They just seem to know exactly where every one of your buttons is placed and just how to push them, as I have already experienced in my time spent with 8-9 year olds, 7th graders, and especially 11th graders. If you're not careful, however, you can let these children (combined with the other circumstances of your day) get you so frustrated and upset that you are no longer in control of your emotions or your classroom, and you are reacting instead of responding.

The same person who gave me this advice about avoiding the power struggle concluded with, "when you engage in a power struggle with your student(s) you always lose." Instead of engaging in this type of confrontation with your students, apply this verse! Take a minute if you need to get your emotions under control and respond--NOT react-- to whatever behavior your student(s) is/are exhibiting. Many of your students will be used to the yelling and fighting that happens at home, on TV, etc. Your gentle words and patient response will not only model good behavior/stress management for them, but also communicate a level of caring that they might never have experienced before!

 Loving your students--and most importantly, showing them the love of Christ--might be as simple as taking a few extra seconds to respond to them with gentleness! You can use your words in everyday, common situations to make a HUGE impact in their lives!

Rooted in THE Source

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it's leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV.

When we are totally trusting and confident in God, the One who has all and never ever changes, He becomes our "source" and we are rooted in Him. When we are rooted in THE source of Living Water, we can become so stable that we are never even phased by our circumstances.

Even when its so hot--we're under pressure, we're stressed, we're overwhelmed, and the world might feel like its melting all around us--we won't fear because we're rooted in THE source. Our "leaves" will always be green because our well being is not dependent on our circumstances. "God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19.

Even in a year of drought--things might be bad for a long time; we might feel dry like we've almost got nothing left, like everything is dying around us; we might not even "feel" God's presence-- but even in those times, however long they may last, "He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6) and we can still remain rooted in THE source.

If we push past our circumstances and then push even further past our feelings, keeping ourselves rooted in THE source, we can even bear fruit when it would make sense to everyone around us to just wither and die, to totally give up, because our joy, hope, peace, and love are not dependent on our circumstances. The best part about fruit is that it isn't just for us to have to make us look pretty. We get to give our fruit to a dying, hopeless world that is starving for something real--something that will actually sustain them.

I firmly believe that our greatest ministry comes out of our deepest pain and our hardest struggles. Sometimes we have to go through things so that the world, or maybe even just that one person, can watch us to see how we handle it. Paul said in Philippians 1:14 "because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly." Just like with Paul, sometimes our struggles do more for other people than they even do for ourselves. Praising God in our trials can cause others to boldly praise Him in their circumstances, or maybe even for the first time ever! God will use what was meant to and would make sense to destroy you for the saving of many lives! (paraphrase Genesis 50:20)

If we keep ourselves rooted in THE source, we'll not only remain stable, but we'll also bear fruit that gives life to everyone around us. So dig deep! Cling to THE source! He's not finished with you yet! He wants to bring something good to the world through exactly what you're going through today!