Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Jesus Didn't Hurry

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1

One of my staff members has a habit of reminding me that Jesus was never in a hurry. I'm always in a hurry, hoping for quick answers and looking for motion in the direction I want to go. But then I hear him say it again . . . "Jesus was never in a hurry."

I've thought about that and it makes me think of using a crock pot. The most tender, juicy meat you can fix is in a slow cooker. And, that's how it is with healing. Healing is a process that won't be hurried. It's a slow cooker experience. And if you accept that, it will take the pressure off you to finish it up.

God desires for you to pay attention to Him and his creation in your life each day. When you race through life doing everything as fast as you can, you miss some pretty awesome things along the way. Every challenge, every growth opportunity, every surprise that comes your way is an opportunity for your to look for God. 

Healing can be slow, but it doesn't mean you're not growing. Allow it to slow cook and you'll have a tastier recovery filled with some mouth watering nuggets of wisdom. Let the Master Chef do His job with you.

Jesus was never in a hurry. Why are you?

"Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count." - unknown

[Judy Harder]

Letting Go and Moving On

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. - 1 Corinthians 13:11

When was the last time you tried to break a habit, an old idea, a negative behavior pattern, or an unhealthy emotional recording from the past? It's not easy! Even though you know you need to, even though you know it would be a good thing to do and will result in a healthier or happier state, it's just a pain. And you'd rather live in the comfort of your misery, or so you think.

We often react like two year-olds whose parents are taking the bottle away. Tantrums, meltdowns, and tears always seem to be a part of the process.

What are you holding on to? What from the past are you hanging on to that you need to let go of? You know the things that tear you down and keep you from emotional health, but you just hang on to.

How many times has God given you the opportunity to give those things up because they keep you isolated and stuck, even poisoning your spirits? But it means letting go. That "S" word again . . . surrender. 

It takes a willing spirit. But you can walk in the victory that the Lord has already given you, if you choose it. Choose it today!

"Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ." -A.W. Tozer (1897-1963)

[Judy Harder]

Not Too Broken to Fix

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. - Jeremiah 29:12

I've had times in my life where I felt I was too broken to fix. Have you had those times? Are you in one of those times now? Do you know someone in one of those times?

I say, "one of those times," because that's what it is. 

None of us are ever too broken to fix. But we've all been in a spot where we felt so stuck that we thought we'd be there forever.  Haven't you felt that you were going to die in that spot because you were stuck there so long, and you couldn't see a way out, and you were getting comfortable being stuck?

Healing and recovery can be a long road. But if you take the first step, the road is one step shorter. And if you take the second step, it's two steps shorter. And you keep taking steps and the hope in¬creases and you don't worry any more that you'll be swallowed up with fear and you won't be paralyzed by the long road ahead. 

You'll get to a point that you'll look back and see how far you've come. You'll recognize that God honored your decision to take a step toward healing. He honored your decision to connect with others. 

"Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road." - Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961)

[Judy Harder]

The Wait

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. - Lamentations 3:25-26

Do you find waiting tough? Most twenty-first century people do. We don't want to wait in traffic, wait in line, wait for the economy, or wait for a table. So the thought of waiting on God sets us back on our heels. We think our timing is what matters and then God says, "Wait!" And it can be especially difficult to wait on God. 

Look at this great promise from the prophet, Isaiah. "Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.  hey will walk and not grow faint." (40:31). And the prophet, Jeremiah, said, "The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him and seek Him. 

The Lord will reward you for waiting upon Him. You can remain calm when it appears that nothing is happening when you think it should. Waiting is a response contrary to the ways of the world. But when you learn to wait, you'll find the winds of adversity will lift you up, like wind beneath the wings of an eagle, instead of knocking you down. As you develop a patient faith in God, you will be able to endure to the end of the race . . . and win. As you seek God and wait on Him to complete His work in your life, you will be find strength. Try it and see!

"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." - Jonathan Winters (1925-    )

[Judy Harder]

Honestly Admitting Our Needs

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him. - Matthew 7:9-11

Are you reluctant to ask for help? You're definitely not alone. Too many of us are unwilling to admit we need help. We think it's a sign of weakness. But it's really a sign of pride and self-sufficiency, both which go against the grain of a healthy dependence upon God and the power of His Holy Spirit in our lives. 

God wants to give you good things. He's hoping you'll humbly admit that you have needs. Don't be afraid to ask others for help.  Remember, God made us to relate to one another, to love one an¬other. We weren't made to live life alone. If you're "the strong" one that is always lending a hand and seeing to it that others are taken care of, it's hard for you to let someone know you need help, but it's important that you do.

We need more two way streets in our Christian community.

"Refusing to ask for help when you need it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful." - Ric Ocasek (1949-    )

[Judy Harder]

Recovery is Like an Onion

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:25

Someone smarter than me said it: "Recovery is like an onion. All the layers that exist have to be peeled away." Well, if you're a connoisseur of onions, you know that there are different varieties. Some are really powerful and when you barely touch them they produce tears. Others are pretty sweet and they barely affect you when you chop them up.

And so it is with your peeling the layers in your healing process. Some layers will affect you more than others. But, if you realize that it's a process, and that God is with you every step of the way, you can face the pain of your past so that you can move beyond it and heal. Also, consider this: You are in the present. You lived through the reality, whatever and whenever it was, so you can certainly live through the feelings and memories of the reality today.

Make your one desire to be made whole and to be as much like Christ as you can be. When you do, you'll find God putting on your heart the desire and the courage to carry the message of hope and healing to those who are stuck in their pain.

Embrace the pain of the recovery and healing process. It will remind you that God is in control and you're being held in his arms, tight and secure as He walks you through it. It's means you'll take some steps of faith, and that will be pleasing to God and healing to you.

"We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places." - Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt (1950-    )

[Judy Harder]

Reframing

The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. - Psalm 98:2

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing was going your way, and you just felt like God was against you? I know it's an over-inflated ego thing to think that way. But that's partly why I wrote my book, Reframe you Life. In that book I try to outline how you can change the way you view your life. 

Have you ever sat in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor, and he's running late. You become irritated at the doctor and his lack of consideration for other people's schedules. But instead of getting irritated, have you ever thought to use that time to think through more carefully what issues you want to discuss with the doctor, or to stop and think about your day, your week, or the things you want to do and people you want to call, or stop and use the quiet moment to spend some time praying for your friends and family. 

That's just a small example of reframing your thinking. Reframing will keep you from asking the "why" questions in life and just accept those things that don't have answer and move on. Yes, there's still pain to work through, but it helps to realize that everything in life hasn't been targeted to you. God is not your abuse. He is not your past. He is not all the bad and hurtful things that happened to you. He is a loving God who wants the very best for you and who went to great lengths to let you know how valuable you are. So valuable that he allowed his Son to go to the cross for you. 

Learn to reframe your thinking and you'll see life differently than you ever have.

"I'm not funny. What I am is brave." - Lucille Ball  (1911-1989)

[Judy Harder]

Overconfidence/Self-Assurance

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. - Habakkuk 3:19

Overconfidence is usually viewed as a negative personality trait.  The story of Joseph in the Old Testament is a good example.His youthful boasting to his brothers got him in trouble. Based on a dream, he claimed that the others would someday bow down to him. This, coupled with his father's favoritism, led to jealousy and broken family relationships.  In the end, his brothers sold him into slavery, cutting him off from his family altogether.

Through years of difficulties and suffering, however, Joseph's over¬confidence was developed by God into a mature self-assurance. This self-assurance made Joseph capable of tackling and succeed¬ing when most other men would have run away. His  integrity, took him from being a prisoner to being second only to Pharaoh. And, as only God could orchestrate, Joseph was in a position to save the young nation Israel during a time of terrible famine.

Overconfidence without God's perspective will invariably lead you down the pathway to other personal problems and mistakes. On the other hand, self-assurance based on a strong faith will enable you to overcome incredible obstacles and see God's hand in your life.

Are you overconfident and relying on your strength or intelligence to succeed? Or are you self-assured, knowing that God is the source of any strength, favor, or success? One way leads to trouble while the other God will use for his plans and his glory.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

[Judy Harder]

Reading God's Mind

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." - 1 Corinthians 3:19-20

Have you ever said to yourself, "if only I knew God's thoughts?"  Some people seem presumptuous to think that they do know God's thoughts. They're full of advice and act as if they understand exactly what God thinks and what he would do in every situation. Too often such people fail to recognize that God's thoughts and ways are far beyond our ability to understand. His ways are typically not our ways.

On the other hand, God's Word does give a glimpse into his thoughts and desires. He calls you to forsake your worldly thought patterns and learn his principles for life because conventional, worldly wisdom is often the exact opposite of God's ways. By saturating your mind with God's Word you begin to see both God's message and His method. You'll see how He worked in history. If you pause and reflect on your own life you'll see how he has worked in your life. And you'll see that it wasn't how you would have designed it in either case.

God's words to the prophet Isaiah give great hope. "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (55:10-11)

Get to know God, but don't try to be His mind-reader.

"A glimpse of God will save you. To gaze at Him will sanctify you." - Manley Beasley

[Judy Harder]

Hope in God

And for this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. - 1 Timothy 4:10

The one thing I need more than anything is hope; we all want something to hope for and someone we can trust. God alone is able to perfectly fulfill both needs. You'll never regret placing your hope and confidence in Him.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 tells us how enemies threatened the nation of Judah, and many turned to Egypt and other human powers for deliverance. But the Lord said, "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they go right on producing delicious fruit."

Placing your hope in programs, the government, your job, or the economy (anything but God) is like expecting a tree to flourish in the barren desert. Your thirst continues because these things or people are unable to satisfy your deepest needs. But placing your hope in the Lord changes everything. Jesus said, "The water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life." (John 4:14) Where is your hope? Is it in things, which will come and go, or is your hope in the living God?

"I still believe in Hope - mostly because there's no such place as Fingers Crossed, Arkansas." - Molly Ivins (1944-2007)