a *Message* of Hope......

OK, so I originally had Ephesians 1:7-12 NIV ready to share with you. I had read it this morning and it was one of those"AHHHHHHHHHHH" moments. Not to be confused with an "AH-HAHHHHHHHHH" moments of discovery (insert light-bulb over head).

No, this was a moment where I was once again, reassured that God's "got it all under control" and I felt a extraordinary sense of comfort surround me. Like pretty much everyone you talk to....we've been having our share of ups and downs lately....and through it all, we've been trying to do our best to turn them over to Him.

So anyway......I jumped on over to the handy dandy Bible Gateway site to copy/paste this awesome message of hope and comfort. Usually I scroll down and choose the NIV because.....well, I don't really know why now that I think about it. I guess it is easier for me to understand as sometimes the thee's, thou's and all the -th's get this already confused brain even more confused.

For some reason.......the Message version came up instead. Now I don't know much about this version and I don't dare tip toe into why one version/translation is better than the other.....I just know that this really spoke to my heart today. And I hope it might do the same for someone else who might be going through some uncertain times. I pray that it offers some hope......some Light in the middle of a dark time you might be experiencing.

Just share the Scripture will ya, Michelle!?!

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah,
his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross,
we're a free people—
free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.

And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!

He thought of everything,
provided for everything we could possibly need,
letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.

He set it all out before us in Christ,
a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together
and summed up in him,
everything in deepest heaven,
everything on planet earth.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up,
he had his eye on us,
had designs on us for glorious living,
part of the overall purpose
he is working out in everything and everyone.

~Ephesians 1:7-12 {The Message}

I thought about going line by line and sharing how each one really impacted me or try to explain how to apply it to our everyday understanding of His Promise to us. But not only would I probably lose half of you along the way with my rambling (literally and figuratively)...

....I decided to encourage you to just read this Scripture again. Take five minutes and read it line by line.

Let it sink in.


Have a beautiful week......

*~Michelle~*

And that's my final answer.....

So this weekend we got the opportunity to listen to Don Piper speak at our church. He wrote about his amazing testimony of his death experience (not near death....death, as in white sheet over his dismembered body for 90 minutes) in his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Here is a little recap from his website:

In 1989, Don was on his way back from a church conference when an 18-wheeler struck his Ford Escort head on. He was killed instantly - pronounced dead by four sets of EMTs. Shortly after the accident, a pastor from the same conference arrived on the scene and began praying for "the man in the red car." God worked a miracle and sent Don back to a broken body. To date, 34 surgical procedures have taken place. He walks only as a result of miraculous and in some cases medically unexplainable circumstances. During the time he was dead, Piper was granted the extreme privilege of glimpsing Heaven itself.


This book has sold over 2.7 million copies and he now travels all over the world sharing his message of hope and healing. It was totally awesome!

Don touched upon so many important things we really need to think and pray about. He believes that we all have that second chance right now to live the life that God has called us to live. To treat people the way they should be treated. To make the best choices.....and to show others The Way as well.

There was one thing that he spoke about that really stuck with me.

He was reminding us that God is still in the miracle business and said that God always answers our prayers. Period.

Sometimes the answer is "yes", sometimes it is "later".....sometimes it is "I've got even more than you are asking for".....

.....sometimes, that answer is just "no". Because "no" still is an answer, is it not?

*sinking feeling in stomach*

It is not because God wants to withhold anything from us.....He loves us very much. I am pretty sure the reason the answer is "no" is just for that reason. He knows what is best for us.....even when we don't understand. I've had a few no's in my life.......many I am thankful that God knew what he was doing in the "answering prayers" department! But if I am going to keep it real.....I have been told "no" a few times these past few years and it's left me wondering why.

So what do you do when God's answer is "no"?

As you ponder that thought........I'll leave you with this beautiful poem by Claudia Minden Weisz

And God Said No

I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said, "No."
He said it is not for Him to take away,
but for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
And God said, "No."
He said her spirit is whole,
Her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said, "No."
He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation,
it isn't granted, it's earned.

I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said, "No."
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said, "No."
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly
cares and brings you closer to Me."

I asked God to make my spirit grow,
And God said, "No."
He said I must grow on my own,
but He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me,
And God said, "Yes."
He gave me His only Son who died for me,
and I will be in Heaven someday because I believe.

I asked God to help me love others,
as much as He loves me.
And God said,

"Ah, finally you have the idea."

I'd love to hear your thoughts on hearing "no".....

Have a great day......and remember to live today to it's fullest!

xox
*~Michelle~*

The Invisible Woman

So you all know I don't paint a perfect picture of "the life of Michelle"......I let you all in on the good, the bad and the ugly. Because you know, I am who I am....keeping it real is what I am all about, as I have mentioned before about how I can't stand phonyness. (completely sure that is NOT a word)

I am going through a rough patch with my kids.....nothing major or specific, but I am just in a place where I don't think they appreciate and respect me lately. I am sure hormones raging has a little something to do with my feelings and defensiveness......but I do have some valid issues that definitely need to be addressed. I know these are normal teenage actions and thinking back to how *I* was and acted at their age, I might want to call them Wally and Beaver Cleaver. But that isn't the point, I am gonna use the "Do as I say, not as I do (did)" card. Right here, right now......I tend to be the brunt of their mood swings, their snappy know-it-all answers and their expectations of being their maid, chauffeur and personal chef.

Now don't get me wrong......I love being a mom and I know that title comes with all those job requirements......I just want a little respect and appreciation. Is that too much to ask?

I think we all get to the point where we feel we are giving so much and getting nothing in return. This does not only apply to motherhood..... it can be a work atmosphere, a ministry position in church or even in your own personal endeavor.

I know the line that has been spoken to me over and over "you do not give to receive".....but I want to lay it all out, stomp my feet and just ask for a simple "thank you" with possibly a "hey, I am sorry, Mom, that I have been a typical, selfish, self-centered, and it's-all-about-me product of "Generation Entitlement", lately." (don't worry, I am not holding my breath on that one)

........and right before I decide to go into meltdown hissy fit mode over it all, I remember this incredible video that my mother-in-law sent me a while back. And if you have or are feeling the slightest bit unappreciated in any area of your life.....I cannot encourage you enough to take the 5 minutes and 47 seconds of your life to watch this clip. It is Nicole Johnson from Freshed Brewed Life and I promise you be inspired and uplifted.

Be blessed~

ReFINE-ing Friday

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers, emails and kind words over the past couple of days....to know that we are surrounded by so many faith filled friends means more than any of my rambling words can convey.

With that said.....we are still amidst some trials. And you know, in the big scheme of things, we know we are blessed beyond our wildest dreams and these are just little roadblocks/hurdles that are arising during our journey.

Part of me wants to think the enemy saw the door slightly ajar last weekend and jammed his foot right in. And he took the opportunity to find each of our weaknesses and kick us when we were down. And that's how quickly it can happen.....when our guard is down and we are distracted with our own emotional hangups, we become vulnerable for more his attacks and adversity. The negativity stemming from his presence is like a powerful magnet now pulling in more junk to try to cloud our judgment/focus even more.

Going with another avenue and not wanting to give the enemy any credit for anything in life, I can look at these trials as part of God's refinement plan for our lives. I know that God can allow and/or bring situations into our lives so that we are forced to walk through the fires and burn off things that need to be removed.

So I guess what I am trying to say, is that I do not have the answers to why these things happen in our lives......our ways are not His ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts. But what I do know is that we are so thankful that we have God in our lives and we continue to keep our eyes focused on Him. He is the ultimate Navigator during these storms......He is The Lighthouse that shows us the Way. Thankfully, through the power of prayer and faith, we are pressing ahead and will come out of these refining fires more purified.....

This reminds me of a story that was emailed to me one time.....I saved it so that I can turn to it when I find myself in the middle of a trial. So now I want to share it with you:

Malachi 3:3: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

So, if today you are feeling the heat of your own fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.


I will leave you with this song that I have been playing over and over this week......it's off the new CD by Kutless who rocked our socks off at Soulfest '08.


Enjoy and have a blessed weekend~
*~Michelle~*

PS. don't want to get y'all a teeny bit jealous (that wouldn't be a very Christian thing to do, now would it? *teasing!! gotta keep my quirky sense of humor around).....but our family is blessed to be going to a Rock The Sound V concert this weekend with David Crowder, Third Day, Family Force Five and a few other bands. This event couldn't be happening at a better time......as a family, this week has been rough......and are so grateful that we have this opportunity to bring us closer to each other and worship together. We are all looking forward to a full night of praise and worship!!!


*don't forget to pause my playlist