It's just not fair!

Well...I had a really legit blog for you guys..it was pretty long too...and then my computer decided to shut down without saving it....so here's a new one lol

It's that moment when the Lord yells at you. Not a whisper, but a shout...and you can so clearly hear Him saying "Pay attention! I'm trying to tell you something! I'm still here!"
Lucky for me, I was able to listen when He yelled at me..Because sometimes that's the hardest part -listening.

A man walked out of His house where The Lord greeted him and said to him, "I am going to put a boulder beside your house. Every morning I want you to go out and push the boulder." The man said he would obey. Ever morning the man got up at 5:30am and went out and pushed the boulder. He did this in rain, storm, snow, and ice. One morning he hadn't slept well and didn't want to ge up (we all know those mornings!), not to mention it was raining, but he know he needed... to obey The Lord, so he got up and went to push the boulder. It was raining but he kept pushing and pushing and pushing. He finally threw his arms up and yelled at God saying, "Lord, why can't I move this boulder?!?!" The Lord replied " I never asked you to move the boulder, I simply told you to push it. If I want to move it, I will, on my time."

This story made me bawl...I heard it during chapel and I lost it...which leads me to the questions:
 What is or are you boulder(s)? Will you keep pushing and simply let The Lord move it if HE wants to?

 

Trust me...I know exactly how hard it is to push those boulders without seeing any result or any movement..I've been pushing mine for 9 years (and I'm only 17!). It can get so frustrating, and so often we too must throw our arms up and yell at the Lord saying, "WHY?!"

 

And so often, usually always during the suffering and the pushing, we tend to ask the hard questions like:

"Why, God?"

"How is this fair?"

"How could you do this?"

"Where are you?"

"How do I fight?"

 

And instead of those questions, why don't we ask some of these:

"Is God still God?" YES.

"Is God still in control?" YES.

"Is God still good?" YES.

"Does God still love me?" YES.

"Is God going to help me?" YES YES YES!!!

 

"Fair does not live here, but Jesus does."

 

Guys...no one enjoys or desires suffering. No one does. But we all desire the outcome - a deeper, more intimate, beautiful, trustworthy relationship with our King. We all desire that feeling of being loved and cared for and we all desire that feeling of accomplishment.

 

If I asked you if you would prefer to have a disease or disorder become a part of you, you would most likely say "um, no thanks", but if I asked you if you wanted a deeper and more rich relationship with God you would most likely say "yes, bring it on!". You can't get one without the other.

Now, I'm not saying that if you haven't faced hardship in your life that you don't have a great relationship with the Lord, I'm just saying that "suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

 

I know this blog is shorter than I intended, but my battery is low and I still feel sick..

so let me leave you with this...

 

The next time you face hardship and suffering, count your blessings, ask the easy questions, and remember that suffering produces hope. Shalom.

 

In His Grace,

Montana

Bummer Lambs and Trust

Good evening to all you who are reading this. So nice to see yo again; and so glad you took the time to meet me in this moment. This grace. This God-centered time. May you be blessed. May the words that I write, and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to You, Our Rock and our Redeemer...
I started reading a new book (which I would highly recommend). It is called "God loves broken people" by Sheila Walsh. It is phenomenal, and I'm only on chapter five!!! So tonight, I want to take a few of her points and really dive in to the depths of what they say.
She talks about bummer lambs. If you don't know what they are, I will tell you :) (don't worry, I didn't know what they were either). Bummer lambs are the lambs that do not receive care or milk from the mother ewe. The mother will kick him out of the way, for many reasons. Maybe the mother didn't want a child, so she will push him away and let him die. Or if she has many lambs and can only care for a few, she will push one or two out to let the others in. These abandoned, weak, fragile lambs are called "bummer lambs". The shepherd will usually take in the bummer lamb and care for them in the warmth of their home, and keep them alive. The shepherd deeply cares for his animals. Sheila says that we all are "bummer lambs" in a spiritual sense. I believe that to be oh so very true. "We have a heavenly Shephard who cares for us deeply and loves us fiercely.". I love that line!! The Lord is our Shephard. Do you recall the passage in Scripture where it says that if the Sheohard has 100 sheep, when one of them gets lost? He leaves the 99 in order to chase after and bring the lost sheep home. That is what Christ does for us. He leaves the 99 because He can be in two places at once. He can watch the 99 and still search for the one that got lost. Have you felt lost lately? If not, chances are  that you will at some point in your life. The good news is that our Shephard will always come find us. He loves us so fiercely that we can't fathom it. He picks us up, holds us close, and carries us home. Even if you break a bone along the lonely path, He will bind up your wounds, and heal them through His own.

Do you find yourself sometimes looking up at God, and asking Him "why? Why me Lord? Why us? Why them?" Those are OK questions to ask. The Lord may not provide the answer that you want, but He is quietly whispering back "it's okay, just TRUST ME." Now, I can hear some of you saying, okay, that's easy; yet others I hear your silent cry of, that just seems so hard right now. I feel your pain. I carry your heartache. So often our hearts cry out with the questions that may never be answered; and as humans, that is perfectly acceptable. It is in our nature. The thing is. . . The Lord never promised us an easy road. In fact,He promised just the opposite. John 16:33 says " In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world". Those are two promises that He tells us clearly
1 - YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. He says that Himself.
2 - it's okay, because HE HAS OVERCOME.
In the trouble, He can make triumph! In the dark, He can make light! This is something that I have been struggling with lately... Trust. It seems so easy so often to just give up, but if I did that, I would miss out on how The Lord is going to turn my trouble into triumph. We can't make it happen, but He can.

I think that's all I have for you tonight. I am blessed to have you all read this. Please give me feedback. This is pretty much just my time to reflect and share those reflections. Let me say a prayer for you all. . . Father, Shephard, King. We thank you for loving the bummer lambs that we are. We thank you for turning our troubles into triumph. I ask blessings upon each person reading these words. I pray your all-abounding, amazing love to surround them. Give them your presence, let them feel you near. We love you. Amen.
In His Grace,
Montana

CHRISTmas challenge

Have you ever spent time to just talk with God?
Just Him?
No one else?
If you have...
Have you ever had that feeling...where you just feel like God's arms are wrapped around you? Have you ever felt that He is right there...sitting next to you?
I spent some time outside earlier tonight...just talking to Him...It was cold, but worth it...I thanked Him for so many things...
CHRISTmas lights
His son's humbled birth
Mary and Joseph (whom I also spoke to ;) )
CHRISTmas trees and gifts
etc...
So then, let me ask you this....
How often do we actually spend talking to Him?
How often do we thank Him for the simple?
How often does He hear our voice in praise to Him?
I will admit something to you all...those ten minutes I spent outside with Him,...was the first time I had talked to Him all day...I feel completely awful about that...but that's why i'm preaching this!! to me too!!
But now, changing views a little...

So, what does CHRISTmas mean?
Google defines it as "The annual Christian festival celebrating Christ's birth, held on December 25."
Celebrating Christ's birth.. sounds about right, doesn't it? That's because it is :) But to me...it's more than His birth...
It's the story of Mary and Joseph; of their great strength, of their dignity, of their humble hearts, of their trust in the Lord! How many of us women would be willing to be the mother of the One who would save the world? I think it would scare me a little too much! But Mary took it on because of her great hope and trust that the Lord would provide.
And Joseph was willing to take part in the great story of our Savior. He was willing to stand by Mary no matter what challenges they might face. His strength relied soley on God. He's who we should look for in a husband. Look for a Joseph for yourself ;)
CHRISTmas, to me...I can't even sum it up!
It's the story of how the Lord humbled Himself for the lowliest of sinners. Of how He came down as an infant, He gave up His throne, and came for us...the least of these! It's the story of His love. His grace. His mercy. Him. It's more than just a celebration. It's a commemoration. It's a service of communion for Him.
But really, CHRISTmas can be everyday. CHRISTmas is every time we give thanks. It's every time we stop and praise Him. It's every time we remember Him.
I have a challenge for you this CHRISTmas...
spend ten minutes with God. I don't care if you spread it out. But spend ten minutes with Him alone. Talking to Him, thanking Him, praising Him, etc. but on CHRISTmas day, spend ten minutes with Him...He loves to hear your voice:)
In Him forever,
montana

How to slow down this Christmas

When you're rushing around, trying to get the gifts wrapped, trying to make sure everything is in place. When things go perfect, and when things go wrong. It's that moment when everything just speeds up. It's when nothing will slow down. How do you take the moments for what they are? How do you slow it all down?
It's when Christ came down as King.
It's when Christ died as King.
Our response both times is the same - to humbly embrace Him.
To bow down to our lowest level, to kiss His feet, small or big. To wrap our arms around Him like He wraps His around us.
Christmas is here.
It can be everyday.
Christmas isn't only about the day that Christ came down as a Babe, it's about His humbling of Himself for us, His great love for us.
We can make Christmas everyday. All we have to do is embrace Him everyday.
Take it moment by moment. Second by second.
Enjoy the fullness of all life has to offer.

So this CHRISTmas...take each moment for granted...enjoy every second.
Embrace Him.
Embrace love.
Embrace grace.
Live grace.
Eucharisteo.
Because it's all for you, from Him.
Happiness, joy, and peace. They are all around you, all the time. You just have to look.
Take it one day at a time.
Joy will find you.
It's already here.
And it's coming agin.
On December 25th.
God bless you this CHRISTmas.
In Him,
Montana

Snow

And then the snow fell...

All crystal white and soft...Gently falling...falling...falling. And that's how He came. Down. He fell down to earth, He humbled Himself for us. He came down in the humbles of forms, in the smallest He could be. A child. Born of a virgin. Born of a virgin. That proves God's incredible power, doesn't it?
He is the gift that keeps on giving. He is the gift that we continue to share. And I look out at the snow once more...

And it calls me. Oh, how it calls me. It brings me to remember. His grace. His mercy. His goodness.
Immanuel. God with us. And He is. Oh, how He is. Our comfort, our peace, because of His wounds. Because He came down, He simpled Himself. God incarnet became infant. God in heavenly relms became God on this lowly earth. From being in a room of vast glory that was almost too small for Him, to being curled in a ball, in a mother's womb, that could barely hold Him. He gave up the River of Life to give us life. That mystery - of a baby King. He is the mystery. And He revealed the large mystery - by being small.
He is the gift that we wrap and unwrap. We can give away His love. We can give away His grace. We can unrap His love. We can unwrap His grace.

Even if He doesn't

FINALS ARE OVER!!!!
I have to admit... I was crying in my basement last night - such a rough day... You know those days where you can tell you are just out of it? That was my yesterday...except it kept getting worse...luckily, I am blessed to have people in my life who are willing to hold my hand and help me through the rough and the great days... <3

So, i've been thinking a lot about this verse...
¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us^[a] from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
"But even if he does not,"
those are some powerful words...
and some words we often don't think about...
what if God doesn't?
Heal you or your loved one...
Deliver from pain...
Provide the right words or actions...

What if He doesn't?
Are you still willing to fully trust Him? To full give him everything? Would you still give Him every ounce of you? Would you still believe that He has a good plan? That He can still use you?
This is something that I have been struggling with lately...as in yesterday and today...
But honestly ask yourself that question...What if He doesn't? How will you react?
We know that God is good. We know that He will provide. We know that He is holding us no matter what...but do all of those things start to fade away when things don't go our way? Trust me, I'm preaching to myself here too!! This is something I need to work on!!!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to stand for Him even if He didn't deliver them from the flames that surrounded them...what are your flames? Are you willing to stand for God if He allows them to engulf you? Or will you turn away and try to handle the pain on your own?
This is something that went through my mind when I decided to rededicate my life...that I couldn't handle the flames on my own. Now, if I couldn't handle them then, then what makes me think I can handle them now? What makes me think that if God doesn't (do this or that), then I can do it all on my own? The answer is satan...He's the one that tries to through those lies at you saying that you can handle it, that you are strong, that you are brave...I'm not strong, and I'm not brave...but God is! He's been through flames beyond any comparision to mine, and all for me! So then, why not give Him these flames?
and...
if He doesn't...
Continue to trust Him...
He delivered Daniel from the lion's den...
He delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale...
He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire...
and so many others...
And He can deliver you too...maybe not today, maybe not next week, or maybe He won't...but even if He doesn't, are you willing to go that distance? If not, you might need to check where you stand with the Lord...
Much love in Him,
Montana

Wrapping and Unwrapping

It's been a rough day, guys! So i took to curling my hair :p

It always puts me in a good mood....but one other thing from today...
When everything goes wrong, God is the only thing that is right. And even in the midst of struggle, today, I've been finding joy from Him.
A friend texted me and said "I wish I could take it away from you...I'm sad"
I simply replied "why?"
She said "Because you are having a rough day"
I simply laughed...and I told her, You can be sad, but not too sad...because maybe God is strengthening me for something...and no matter what, He is still good.
You know, as CHRISTmas comes around, everyone is so excited for the presents...and the family time...and the food....and honestly, I am too! But this year, I'm going to make sure it's different- at least for me... I want to make sure that I tell Jesus "Happy Birthday!"
we are always so ready to celebrate someone's birthday with presents and with a cake...then why are we so often forgetting the guest of honor? The main event? The entire reason we can celebrate!!! This year, make it a point to tell Him happy birthday...maybe even get a small cake in honor of Him ;)
Also, a friend just texted me saying her mom and her got in a big fight....please keep her in your prayers...Let's be prayer warriors here, guys! I'm praying for all of you.

One more thing....I told you all I reached 500 blessings, right? I'm really excited about that...but one thing to keep in mind...it's not all about the number...it's about constantly recognizing blessings for what they are...blessings!
The Lord continues to give us grace and mercy and unending love, and all we must do is unwrap simple love! Tis the season for gift wrapping, right? Then let's take a challenge! Each time you wrap a gift, you unwrap 3 :)
So, let's say you wrap a gift for your sibling, or your child, then you count 1) family gathering in celebration 2) colorful wrappings of gifts and 3) blessed and being a blessing
I think that sounds pretty joyful :)
The Lord calls us to be children of joy. Let's be children of joy together.
I know this wasn't as "poetic" as the others, but I'm really tired and there is a lot on my mind!! Thank you, all of you, for reading my posts...it means more than you know...
More love than words can express,
Montana