Just Keep Listening!

I was recently listening to a woman give her testimony.  I had never heard it before, so I sat attentively listening to every word. Many times a person’s testimony will give you greater insight into the price paid for their anointing or even help you understand the passion behind their purpose.  Only problem was, within the first three minutes of her testimony, she lost me.  She didn’t lose me because I was in judgment of her, or because I was not understanding what she said, She lost me because it began to sound like one of the worst trials of my life to date.  Everything she said cut me like a knife and I could feel tears burning at the rim of my eyes.  I began breathing deeply to maintain my oxygen levels, something I had not had to do since we buried my mother.   Fidgeting in my seat, I told myself, maybe this was a good time to visit the bathroom or maybe tip out for the evening.  It was almost too much. But I could hear my spirit softly saying:   "Just keep listening."

Reluctantly, I obeyed and kept listening.  Within three more minutes, I was overwhelmed by God’s amazing grace. I was reminded of the way He takes the brokenness of our lives and turns things around for our good and His glory.  I was not only blessed by her candid testimony, but I was also changed in how I listen.  I realize that her testimony- though not pretty at all- has made her who she is today.  It has molded her into a strong, vibrant, anointed woman!  All I had to do to understand and benefit from her testimony was to Keep Listening. 

Today I would like to encourage you to do the same.

Keep listening to your Children- Sometimes our kids can talk about everything and anything. I know mine can!   It is easy to nod our heads and give an occasional grunt to make them think we hear them.  But these conversations you allow them to have will train your ear to hear when they are hurting.  It will train them to know they can trust you when they have life altering questions or decisions to make.  No matter how much it seems like it is just chatter, as they grow up they will realize they have always had a listening ear- yours! So even when you don't like what you hear, … Just Keep Listening.

Keep Listening to Your Spouse- The funny thing about being in a relationship is that after a while we can get very familiar with them.  Soon you can guess what they are thinking, you may be able to finish their sentences or may even just make decisions without their knowledge- knowing they will not be concerned.  But people change!  Ask anyone who has been married for a length of time.  You have to be able to change with them, at least acknowledge the change.  If you can't do that, you may find yourself living with a stranger that you were once very intimate with.  Listening as a couple requires talking as a couple.  You can’t hear what is not being said, but when it is said even past the immediate conversation… Keep listening.

Keep listening to God!  Have you ever prayed for something thinking God was going to answer you quickly? It can be rather discouraging, especially if you had a self-made deadline for Him to keep! Well as difficult as it may seem, God does not always answer us the way we think He should.  Many times He just wants our attention, He wants us to acknowledge Him in all our ways, not just the one thing that we want from Him.   He wants our attention on Him and His desire and purpose for us.  He basically wants us in a vibrant relationship with HIM!    If you are still trying to get God to answer you quickly, He may not… but don’t give up, keep talking to Him, continue trusting Him and by all means…..  Just Keep Listening!   

Broken Pieces

The glass set had been in our family for years!  Not sure how many, but I remember seeing it when we were very young. Don’t know even where it came from, but it along with other priceless pieces were not uncovered until my parent’s death.  While cleaning the house for the last time, we discovered so many interesting pieces that our parents collected during their travels over the years.  Among those pieces was that glass set. The top of each glass was lined with gold and the body of each were decorated with gold leaf. The set included two distinct rounded vase drinking glasses, and two equally distinctive water glasses, a pitcher and a glass tea diffuser with the same look.  While distributing our parent’s estate, I was now the proud owner of the Gold Leaf Set!  I took extra care packing and unpacking these memorable treasures.  Each piece found a home in my kitchen under my watchful eye.....until that day.

I was reaching for a crystal bowl when it happened.  Still not sure what I did, but before I knew it, the delicate pitcher fell and broke into pieces.  My heart sank. I immediately thought of my mom and my dad (DJ) who was in charge of moving her delicate pieces because of the extra care he always gave them.  Although he was a tall, robust man, for over 40 years he handled her much like he handled her precious pieces… with thought and care.  

Now after only 2 years in my care, I am sitting on the floor looking at Broken Pieces.

Have you ever been there in your life?  You take special care of things that mean a lot to you just to find in a moment it is gone?  What could you have done differently?  What did you miss?  Maybe you should not have been trusted with it in the first place.  Or maybe someone else should not have been trusted with you?  After all, you may be the one broken.

This is the Super Spiritual Answer I got moments after by break.  “Clean it up.”

Yes, that was it….See we have a choice in how we deal with Broken Pieces.

We can sit in the midst of the broken pieces and cry, realizing what we have lost.

We can call those who know the value of the piece lost and allow them to cry with us. 

We can invite others over for a visit so we can show them the pieces for themselves

We can hold conversations with people trying to explaining how it happened and was not our intent.

We can hold someone else responsible for not helping us avoid the break.

We can try to convince ourselves that with a little glue, we can put the pieces back together again.

We can even make ourselves feel guilty because we figure the brokenness is our fault.

Or …….we can clean it up.

Cleaning it up means you are completely aware that it is gone, broken, lost. You will not be using that vase again. It means you area aware of others who may come your way and be hurt by your broken pieces. Taking time to clean it up and take care for the sake of others is key.  In the midst of cleaning it up, you make peace with the pieces. The large pieces are easy to find, but the small ones often hide, sometimes scattered way beyond the breaking point.  That is when we realize I can’t just pick them up…. I need tools to ensure I have gotten every piece that can continue to hurt me or others around me.

The day I broke the vase, I sat for a moment….in shock that all my care still resulted in brokenness.   But just for a moment.  I got up, reached for the dust pan first placing all the large pieces it and put them in a small trash bag. Then I swept up all pieces I could see far and near- watching carefully for that ‘stray’ that always seems to get away.  After placing all of those in the bag, I got a large wad of paper towels, wet them and wiped the area for those extra small pieces that the broom would often miss. It was funny how good I felt after cleaning up the pieces so thoroughly.  No concerns that my kids would not be able to walk in the kitchen without their shoes. 

I had dealt well with the Broken Pieces.

Conclusion:

Our lives are so much more valuable than glass.  Our relationships with one another are ordained by God and so much more valuable than gold.  If you find yourself in the midst of brokenness, know that God has held you at a much more valuable place in His heart.  He will pull alongside of you as you work at picking up the pieces. God will give you people for your life and tools to help. His word is a huge tool that can walk us through the process of forgiving, admitting and looking forward.  His people are there to soothe the hard days and encourage us in our purpose.  His Holy Spirit will finally sweep over your soul to make you ready and prepared to continue touching and ministering to His people, without the concern of unintentionally hurting them with your brokenness.  Allow God to give you peace with the pieces.  Know that there is more to you that can be used for His glory and He is not finished with you yet.  And since He is Creator, we know He is also the Potter.  By putting yourself daily in His hands, you allow the Potter to put you back together again, for His glory and your good! -Without the Broken Pieces!

Mentally Managing a Mess

 

 

Have you ever been in a situation that you could not control?  No matter how much you pray or how much you try to get things to change, you are where you are and you can’t change it.  Don’t you hate that?

Well you are not alone.  So many times we have to outlive the decisions of others that affects our life.  You can feel hopeless and entrapped by something someone else decided without your knowing.  Maybe adjustments on your job that included you - now you are left with less provision to handle everyday needs that are already tight. Maybe someone did something that hurt and you are left with a broken heart trying to survive. Whether it is on your job, in your home or even at your local church; we can all find ourselves having to pick up pieces of our life that we didn’t drop.  There is no magical way to ease your level of discomfort, but know that there is light at the end of the mess.

 Tips to Help Manage the Mess

·         It’s Not Personal! First, don’t try to figure out who to blame. Sometimes people are trapped in their own pain and in the midst of it, they try to find a way out. You can become a scapegoat because of the love you will or have shown. Meaning… you are a good target.  We have all heard a scenario of someone coming home from work angry and they take it out on the ones who will forgive them easiest.  Love can make you an easy target! Other times you are just in the midst of a mess. People can be cruel and decisions can be made without considering how it will affect all involved,  Selfishness is rampant today, we can get caught up in the tailwind of someone else’s drama. Don’t worry about blaming anyone, many are afflicted in the same way.  This mess is not necessarily personal even if it feels it is.

 

·         It’s Working For You!  Romans 8:28… You either believe it or you don’t.  God has promised to make all of this work together for our good!  The first thing I need to know in any trial is that God Himself is in there with me.  Outside that, I am not sure any of us could survive.  Things can get really hard in this life, but knowing that you are not alone is priceless.  Have you ever really looked at one day in your life to see if you could have handled it without God?  Aside from the breath that He has so freely given us, I couldn’t make it through Houston traffic with a sound mind…without Him.  I really don’t want to ever have to figure out life opposite God.  He really works all this mess for my good and His glory.

 

·         Find the good!  I have a practice that I have done for over 30 years.  Whenever I have a decision to make I make a list.  Pros and Cons.  I literally write down in two columns the good results and bad results for a key decision I may be making.  Once I finish and I look it over, I put the list aside and pray and ask God to direct me in my decision.  This way, whichever way it goes… I have counted the cost to the best of my ability and it is actually reassuring to have some thought as to the pro or con that either decision might bring. This also works when going through a trial you can’t control.  You are already in it, so may as well figure out any lesson or good that can come out of it. Write what is good that could come or is coming from it, and what is challenging.  I have found that the good always trumps the challenge.  No matter how long the challenge list is, the good is so much better.

 

         Bottom line: Life can be messy. Not only do we have an enemy that wants to keep us occupied with it all, we also have real life issues that can be distracting.  If you want to win the mental battle, be honest with yourself and realize that you are going to make it out of this mess. God does not allow us to go through things to leave us, but He will show Himself to us in the midst of it.  Stay around positive people who can point you to God and His word.  Know that it will not last always, and trust God to keep your mind in perfect peace.... even in the midst of a mess.  Keeping your mind on Him will not only guarantee the peace will come, but it will also help you sort through what needs to be removed and what needs to be renewed. Look for Him, His lessons, His provisions and His grace.   It is always sufficient. 

 

Death: The Ultimate Faith!

 

 

 

I often think about death.  Not in a morbid way, but in a faithful way. We are surrounded by the reminders of death every day.  By watching the news regularly, you can’t miss it.  Seems as if it comes when it wants and takes whoever goes near its path.  As believers we understand that death is not prejudice.  We have all known of someone who passed and it really seemed like the timing was off.  We cannot understand so we decide to put it in God’s hands, and we continue living…. for now.

The bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that judgment.  Which means outside the rapture, we will all die.

The thing that intrigues me most about death is the fact that to me, that is the ultimate test of our faith.  Oh we can talk faith a lot when we are living.  But in death, how you have lived, what you have believed and whatever is about to happen is about to happen!  No take backs, no restarts, no recommitments, no more time for questions and answers. 

 

Revelations 22:11-12

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

 

Yes, I think about death often.  I realize that if I really believe anything, I have to have it secured, BEFORE I die.  Think about it, what if our believing was wrong?  What if we got it in our mind that everyone is going to heaven, no matter what?  Or maybe with popular thinking now, we believe that death is just that?  We just cease to exist.   Some may feel we get another chance to come back to this earth as something or someone else… but what if we are wrong?  What if the bible is right and we choose each day what we believe by how we live?  Then when we die, God requires what He said He would and we come up short? 

 

Now you see why I think about death a lot! 

Because I believe it effects how I live.

 

I know what someone is saying right now!  “Well Jacqui, what if what you believe is wrong?”  What if there is not a God who is holding eternity for us?  What if we are just worm food?

Before I answer that, let me take another trail.  If we believe at all that God is Creator and that our existence is because of Him, then we understand the quality and value He has placed in us.  We are the only creation that lives with a choice!  Animals work with instinct, but we get to choose if we trust Him, if we believe Him.  God almighty allows us to choose Him, or reject Him. 

What a waste to just become worm food!  What a waste to have the ability to invent electricity, to find diamonds in rough places, to be able to go to the moon, drill for oil or even simply construct high rises, roads and bridges!  To have the ability to invent the telephone, to build an airplane- a huge structure that man figured out how to get off the ground and now we enjoy air travel. The talent for singing, sewing, cooking and everything else.   Not to mention computers that store what you put on them, machines that can build things for us.  Think about mankind, all that knowledge and then we die to feed worms?  I don’t believe that.  God put too much in us. 

 What about reincarnation?  The ability to come back as… I don’t know… a cow?? Some believe we come back as something that will teach us lessons that we didn’t learn already.  Again, why would God make us in His image, then have us come back in the image of a created thing that does not give Him the glory the way we can?  And we give Him glory, by choice.

 Back to the question for me.

 

What if what I have believed about God holding eternity for me was wrong?  What if when I close my eyes they stay closed?  What if I had no consciousness of anything afterwards?  What if I was just… gone?  

If I found after death that it didn’t happen the way I have believed, at least I can say today that I tried to treat people right.  I have lived in a way that was considerate of others, perhaps I have blessed someone during my lifetime and the “memory of the just is blessed.” perhaps they are remembering me in a good way. 

 

I wouldn’t want to be someone who did everything to please myself, running over others and treating them badly.  Fighting and hurting people just because I thought there were no consequences.  I think based on what I believe now, someone’s life should be better because I lived. Someone should have a better existence because I chose to do something to help them. That in itself is a reward!  So in my estimation, I have nothing to lose living a life for God, and treating others right. It is a win for me if I was wrong, and a win if I was right.

 

In conclusion, I am so glad that I truly believe what I do.  I am glad that my life is lining up daily to what I trust God is doing in me.  He is still working on me, and I expect Him to continue this work until that day. Peace comes in really believing what I say now.  Peace when looking at death, comes in knowing that in my final breath, I won’t be second guessing my decision to serve God. So when I close my eyes for the last time, I expect to see Him and live with Him eternally. Just like He said. 

 

That my friend, is the Ultimate Faith.

 

I Will Thank You With My Life!

Have you ever been so grateful to God for answering a prayer for you? 

Maybe healing came for someone just in time or finance you needed was provided when you were almost out of hope?  It seems that there are just not enough words to tell God how thankful we are. 

 

Remember the song “Oh for a thousand words to sing”?  But most of us don't have a thousand tongues!  We can keep telling God how much we love Him and appreciate His love and concern for us, but somehow mere words seem to fall short.  What do we do? 

 

 

 

Some will say, “Dance!”  That is good.  Others may say “Sing!”  That is good too.  Basically we think of ways that we love to express ourselves and do that in thankfulness to God.  That is a good start, but for me, I still needed more.

 

Well, I had a moment the other day when I was trying to let God know how thankful I was.  I realize He already knows, but somehow I needed to find a way that I could feel, that I could know that I was communicating it well.  I still fell short.  After going back and forth with God, I finally just said… “Lord, all I can do now is just thank You with my life”…  In a moment I realized I can live a life that says ‘Thank You’.  That is where I found my answer.  For everything God has done for me, for every prayer He has answered, for every time He has protected me and my family, for every trial He has brought me through, for SAVING ME …. I will thank Him with my life.  I will live a life that says thank You.  A life that seeks to give Him glory.  People will know how thankful I am by how I treat them, they will know how thankful I am by how I serve Him.  Isn’t that really what He wants?  For us to love others as He has loved us?   

 

I Will Thank You With My Life

 

Lord, You’ve been so good to me, a very present help,

But I find that I have trouble, I just can’t express myself.

My heart is full, my mind is clear, but nothing comes to mind

There is nothing that shows my gratefulness, nothing I can find.

 When I look at all my options to show my gratefulness,

I can’t seem to find just one way to express my thankfulness.

So I have chosen the one thing that will surely let You know

Just how thankful I am inside, even though it’s hard to show.

I will thank You with my life.

 

I will live each day and let my life say what my mouth can’t say,

I will thank You by how I serve and love all Your kids today

I will choose to live a life that is daily led by You.

My life will give You glory by the things I choose to do

I can choose to teach your children, and show them who You are

I can choose to reach the lost, whether they are near or far

When I think of the many things that You have blessed me through,

I can't help but say thank You, by living loud for You!

I will thank You with my life!

Embarrassing Faith!

EMBARRASSING FAITH!

Jacqui Hill Goudeau

Available June 22, 2014

Excerpt: Chapter 3

Abraham & Sarah

What can we learn from Abraham and Sarah?

The biggest lesson we can learn is Don’t Give Up!  Life can really give us situations that make us stand out, but not in a good way.  We can look rather odd when life does not look like everyone else’s.  While others are enjoying the things we have been praying for, we can get discouraged because even the sinner is doing and getting what we are yet praying for!  Don’t be tempted to try to make it work outside what God has said.  Stay in there no matter how long it takes; God is faithful who promised!  Remember you have to continue doing what is necessary to bring the promise to pass. Don’t consider the things that look dead, don’t consider the people who may ridicule you or poke fun.  Don’t even consider your own mind that tells you that you are not worthy.  Maybe you say, “The promise is for someone else. Not me, not now.”  NO, it is for you.  If God allows you to wait longer than you ever thought you could imagine, just know He has a special place for you like others in the “Hall of Faith.”  We need faith to please God, and He is sooo pleased when we exercise it. 

 

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."    And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.                                                            

                                                                          

~Hebrews 6:13-15

God has shown us in His word, how He deals with His promises.  He couldn’t swear by anyone greater.   There is no one else that could vouch for what He has promised to do for you, so He simply swore by Himself that He would bless you!  You have HIS WORD ON IT!  Regardless to what you may be dealing with, stay in there; continue to do your part and don’t give up on the promise.  Endure…by Faith!

All Things Work Together For My Good!

 

Do you really believe that?

 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.                                                                      Romans 8:28

Such a great scripture to teach, preach or quote.  But does it really hold truth for you personally?  According to the bible, God holds the final cards.  God’s word is truth regardless to what your reality may be saying.  It is hard for us to really believe that scripture when we are dealing with something that is completely contrary to what we know God has provided for us.  When something is hurting our heart, draining or strength or messing with our provision, that scripture can sound like a bribe from God or preachers to stay in the faith.  But God does not bribe us, He promises us. 

PROMISES, PROMISES!

We love promises! They are sometimes easy to make, especially to people we love, but not always easy to keep. Sometimes we make promises because we really want to do something for someone we care about. We may promise because we really want to be there for someone, or we may even want to impress someone.  Unfortunately, things can happen.  Reality can kick in and our timing may be off, our provision may run dry or our intention to impress may be short lived. Our promises can end up…. broken.

 

Then there is God!  He definitely loves us, but is not emotionally moved to make promises to us. He is not trying to impress us, He is never short on provision, and He holds timing!  So when He makes a promise, it is because He has a plan in mind, He has an end in mind and He has every intention and provision to keep them. His promises are not changed based on a reality, His promises are made based on truth. 

YOUR PART IN PROMISE FULFILLMENT!

Funny thing about the promises God makes.   He connects the outcome to us. He makes a promise to us, but in order for it to be fulfilled, it requires our obedience to Him, and our cooperation.

 

HEBREWS 6:9-14

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

God made a promise to Abraham.  He could swear by no one greater, so He swore by Himself.  We are used to reading that part of the scripture, but right before that it talks about what God desires and thinks of us.  Abraham is only the example of His thoughts and what He will do.  Let’s look at the first part of this scripture in Hebrews 6.

 

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  

There are certain things that accompany serving God… promises!  God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love.  He won’t forget what you do for others in His name.  He sees the times you serve, when you reach out and pray for those around you, sometimes without obvious gratitude from those you have helped. He sees the late nights and the early mornings.    He even sees the times you may have had to bite your tongue to honor Him!  He sees it all!  Then scripture says there is a desire “that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” That means continuing to follow and serve God even when it does not look like things are working out.  That is where our cooperation is needed to see the promises come to pass.  Not giving up, not letting go, and not allowing discouragement to cause us to doubt God and what He has promised. That is what Abraham did. He continued to trust God would work it out, even when his own actions slowed the process.  At the end of it all, Abraham received.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.                                                                      Romans 8:28

 

HE IS WORKING IT OUT!

I will never act like I know all that God is doing in my life.  I will never act like I understand the trials that I have to face even when I am calling on Him, serving Him.  But I do know based on His word, He is working all things out for my good and His glory. God sees us as we serve Him.  He knows the things we are praying about even as we serve Him and He is not unjust to forget it.  But since God works things out for us in this world, He still follows the boundaries of this world.  Everyone does not get thousands of dollars that show up in their bank account unexpectedly! There would be an investigation and you would have a lot of problems with the bank as well as the IRS!  God uses this world’s system to LEGALLY bless us.  So it may not happen in day one, but He is working it out!  Some things may not look like there is a good outcome- that is just how we see it from where we stand.  But we have a promise.  He HAS to work it out for us!  Just be diligent in being called according to His purpose, working for Him.

 

As we wait to see how God is working things out for us, don’t forget that you are not the only child God has and loves!  Many times we think if God works something out for us, it means or looks like someone else paying for what they did to us.  That should never be our heart.  Our heart should seek how God will bless those that have used us, talked about us or given us hell!  He desires to draw others to Himself even AS He works things out for us.  So be encouraged. It may seem like it is taking a long, time.  You may have NO clue how God is working things out, but just know that He is… because He Promised!