Every time I look at a minus sign, I feel negative.I think of taking something away...from me.Every time I look at a plus sign, I think of good things and stuff added to me.There are two ways of looking at this life we have and we are either going to look at it as “the glass half full” or “the glass half empty”.But, you might be saying, Molly, you don’t know what has happened to me in my life; I have a right to be negative.Well, I know that bad stuff happens to all of us but I also know it is up to us and the way we look at things which will determine the outcome of our lives…
These statements are typical of us as humans.Why doesn’t anything happen for me? Why are you making me do this?How come everybody else gets to do it but me?How come you prosper them and not me?Why? Why? Why? Why don’t you help me?Why does my husband do what he is doing?Why don’t you make him stop?Why aren’t my children better?Why are they all messed up?Why does my wife complain all the time?Whine,Whine,Whine,Whine,Whine (not Wine!)….Complain, complain, complain, complain ……
Years ago, the Holy Spirit woke me up about 2:30 a.m.How did I know the time?I have always been aware of time especially when I know I have to get up early to begin my day. I was still somewhat groggy, being half in and half out of a conscience state and the thought that kept playing over and over in my mind was, In the beginning was the Word.The Word became flesh and dwelt among them. (John1:14)Over and over the same exact phrase kept going through my mind.I said, “What are you trying to tell me?”The reply was, “Molly, the Word became flesh and dwelt among you.Your words are alive and you are dwelling among what you are speaking.”Well, it hit me like a knife as it always does when God is trying to tell me something.
Here I was trying to follow Jesus and do what I thought He was telling me to do but I was missing it!How could that possibly be?I was practically giving every breath to the church, to the children, to people I encountered everyday….I would pray, fast, offer, tithe, rebuke, cast out… how could this be happening to me?But I knew it.I just knew it…I wasn’t moving along as fast as I thought I should in God’s plan for my life and the problem wasn’t everybody else, it was me. Bummer!
So, now what?Well, I just let it sink in the rest of the day but I knew that I was the problem. My mouth and my attitude were the problems and this had nothing to do with God.I knew that God had formed the world with words and I knew they were powerful….and my attitude… well, I had become bitter because of the things that had happened to me…
Now I know Proverbs 18:21 states that life and death are in the power of the tongue. What I was speaking out from a sour attitude had an effect on what was happening to me.The God I know is a God of changes but you have to do your part…He is not going to do for you what you can do for yourself.
We need to sit up and take account for our lives.We might well have had hurts and pains..I have but I have a God who is big enough who will help me overcome them “If I am willing.”Trying to follow Jesus is not a cakewalk if you really want to follow Him… but it is so worth it.Don’t be hardheaded like I was and think that your words and your attitude don’t matter.Look at your life..and I mean really look at it honestly if you can.Look where you are dwelling and see if you need some help.
I have already lived in defeat and I can tell you I have made the effort to correct my mouth and my attitude and the Holy Spirit helps me everyday so I can be a winner in this earth..right here and right now….
As for being sour in your attitude, it is your choice…what do you want?Do you want something different than you have right now?Don’t you want to be happy?It is up to you….stop whining and do something about it…..
Which one of these (-Or +) do you want to be remembered as?The choice is before you.
How many of you could use some Good News?Good News to me is like medicine to my soul.It is “Soul Food.” There are a lot of hurting people today.Instead of going through a list of these hurts, why not just fill in the blank?________ (your hurt goes here).Then what I want you to do right now is close your eyes and picture that hurt or need being met in the fullest capacity…How does that make you feel?
Well, Good News is here right now.Jesus came and died for your sins and mine (Thank God!) so that blank I used as an example could be filled.We don’t have a big, bad wolf as a Father in Heaven but we do have a Father who does require that sin be atoned for.But, the best news of all is that He is willing and ready to fill that blank in your life..no matter what it is.
The only requirement is that you have to accept Jesus as your personal Savior.It won’t cost you one thin dime. (And they are getting thinner as I write this.)Jesus came so we could have life and have it more abundantly, but there are many of us walking around in lack in one form or another. But, the Good News is that you don’t have to. It doesn’t necessarily have to be money. We have all been deceived by Satan long enough.When is enough enough in your life?Well, I don’t know about you, but I had had enough when I turned to Christ with my heart.The unfortunate thing is that no one was telling me or explaining Him to me in a way that I could get it and partake in what He died for me for….
There is a lot more that we have available to us as God’s children than you know.It is more than church and working yourself to death in the name of Jesus.But, YOU have to want more than you have right now…it is there for the taking and yes, it does take effort.I have discovered that I have more grit than I ever knew and I have also discovered that the GOOD NEWS is that Jesus did, in fact, die on a cross for me over 2000 years ago so I could have life and have it more abundantly….what about you?Couldn’t you use some Good News for a change?
Remember, Good News is like medicine for your soul…let your soul be cured by the greatest medicine man that ever lived….Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The definition of cuss:a curse; a difficult person
Since we are on the subject of our mouths and tongues, it seems fitting that we discuss words….bad ones.The Bible states that we will give an account for every idle word that we speak. (Matt 12:33-37) Oh, my gosh!I recall having that really sink into my spirit when I read it.
Now my immediate thoughts didn’t go right to gossiping about others (which I also had to repent for) or talking bad about someone, (which I also had to repent for) but my thoughts went straight to the cuss words I spoke.Now mind you, I didn’t go around cussing all the time (nice girls weren’t supposed to do that) but when I cussed, I cussed.I hadn’t been raised cussing but as things happened in my life and disappointments came my way, so did cussing.It was like nothing took the place of a good cuss word…nothing…especially, for me, the “F” word.I would say, “Well, it just rolls all the others up into it and you don’t have to say them all; you can just say THE BIG ONE and it will take care of all of the little ones. (What thinking!)
I thought I could pick and choose when I would use them. After really turning to Christ with my life, I knew I had to start getting this area of my mouth and my words under control.I tried to be so good.Then I was put to a really big test that taught me an invaluable lesson.Titanic the movie came out and I didn’t go see it.As a matter of fact, I really had stopped watching TV and movies altogether…I was too busy trying to finally find my life.I had a friend that had a birthday and she wanted me to watch Titanic with her.Her husband was going to be away and she really kept begging me to watch this with her.I finally gave in and said, yes, but I really didn’t want to.You are probably thinking, “Come on, Molly. It’s only a movie.”I know but I am telling you that my stomach had a big ache in it the day before and the day of watching this movie. The day came, she brought the movie and within the first five minutes or so, the actors had used the Lord’s name in vain several times…every time they did, it was as if a knife cut my chest.
The movie was good. In fact, I fell in love with this movie so I watched it several more times…until this one day.I was vacuuming and cleaning my room and something fell over and broke. Well, the very first words out of my mouth were GD it!It came out as fast as lightening from the Heavens.I couldn’t believe it! I was in shock. I stopped and repented over and over…I just couldn’t believe that the God I loved so much heard me use His name in vain.I was so embarrassed and ashamed.When I prayed that evening, I couldn’t even look up to Heaven, as was my custom because I just couldn’t look Him in the face…What did He think of me?I felt I had let Him down.
The old saying of “in the mind, out the mouth” kept resounding through my brain that day…. I knew from that moment on that what I watched and listened to would somehow, someway manifest itself out of me for good or for bad.I knew I had to be smarter than that in my walk with the Lord if I was going to gain the victory for myself.Have I slipped since then? Yes. I would be a liar if I told you that I hadn’t.I have learned one great big thing about my mouth though. Knowing that I will kneel before the Lord to answer for every idle word I have spoken helps keep me on my toes, so to speak, with my mouth.Learning to control my words is one of the biggest battles I fight.Remember the saying,” Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me." That is a lie. Words can hurt you.
My new “F” word is Father….thank God!We are given the option of having either Widescreen or Fullscreen when we watch movies.Why don’t we have the option of watching with cuss words and sex or without?
God has many names.There are two of them that became my favorites early on.One was “The Ancient of Days” and I think my most favorite is “I Am”.God knows exactly who He is whether we like it or not.Recently the question was posed to me who I thought I was or what did I call myself in order to have this ministry.Well, in the eyes of the world I am not anybody special, but to God, ‘I am Somebody’.I am just like you.I get up everyday to face life before me and whatever comes my way, but I KNOW who is telling me to do it and more importantly, I know who is behind me if I am obedient…but it took me a long time to know I was loved unconditionally.I don’t want you to have to wait that long…
I learned about God quite innocently. I had no idea what I would find.I didn’t set out to have this ministry but the more I walked with God and the more I learned about Him and His ways, the more He revealed to me His plan.I still have no idea the whole ball of wax.I am walking this walk with the Lord solely by faith.It is not as though I have gone to college to get a degree to do this and am making a salary with a retirement plan.I do have years of time spent with the greatest Master of them all. Recently I told a Pastor friend of mine that the only thing that really bothers me in my flesh is not having a degree.Sometimes the comfort of having a salary, benefits, etc., can pull on me, yet I know through prayers at this moment in time, I am not to get one…but who knows what is up ahead?By doing this through faith alone, I have been taught to lean on God for everything, from new tennis shoes to a new laptop, which allows me to produce videos so others can learn about how BIG God truly is. I have told God for years that if people only knew what He had done for me and what was available to them, they would all be fighting to get to the Cross.
God wants me to be a living example to you.You can think you are nothing because of what people have said about you.In the eyes of the world you might be nothing, but the eyes of Heaven see something different.Knowing who you are in Christ can get you on the path you were destined to be on since the beginning of time.You can still be a winner...even when the world calls you crazy.You have a divine purpose to fulfill just like I do.He has made it crystal clear that I am not like anyone out there and I have to have the confidence to believe in who He says I am and what He is calling me to…but it isn’t easy.Unfortunately, there will always be people who make you feel less than…and we all are supposed to be God’s children.Your purpose, your path is just waiting for you…but you have to be the one to go get it.All the fads of new or old teachings won’t do what God can do for you…but you have to want something more than you have right now.The MORE of God is what I have discovered along the way…
He saw my hurts, pains, frustrations and great sin and still forgave me….which is a miracle in and of itself.He has called me to be transparent with my life to let you know that if He has forgiven me, He will forgive you.There is a woman in the Bible named Mary Magdalene.She had seven demons in her that God delivered her from.I have told God many times that I think I had twice as many as she ever did.
YOU are somebody.God wants you to know that.You don’t have to settle for defeat in your life.It is never too late to turn things around but now is the time.All you have to do is cry out to the ONLY one who can set your life on a higher ground.Don’t pay any attention to what others say about you…Lift up your voice to THE ONE who is “I AM.”God is the same (thank God) yesterday, today and forever and as long as He is on the throne, you have hope…not just a chance that your life can be better.
From someone who felt like no one until “I AM” came along……………
We need to address the subject of tongues. They are quite odd if you really stop and take a look at them. There are big ones, little ones and long ones. My best friend could take his tongue and tickle the end of his nose. Tongues are really slimy too. My dad liked to eat cow tongue sandwiches...yuck!
But the subject of speaking in tongues seems to keep coming up so I chose the Blog to address this subject. Christians in the Body of Christ have wonderful gifts available to them. These gifts are given to each one of us by the Holy Spirit as He sees fit for whatever our purpose is in God's plan. We cannot give them to ourselves and we cannot make them happen to ourselves.
Some people seem to be of the belief that if you place your tongue in a certain way and just start to voice groanings, that a heavenly language is going to start pouring out of your mouth. Others believe that if you don't speak in tongues you are not really saved because there is no tangible evidence of it and you haven't fully surrendered your life to Christ.
There was one time I was worshiping God telling Him how much I loved Him and all of a sudden I started speaking something that certainly wasn't me...but I got scared and I stopped. That was about ten years ago...I still don't speak in "tongues".
The Bible is clear on this subject and is not up for interpretation. 1Corin13:1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1Corin 14:1-2 Pursue love, and desire (get the word desire?) spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for noone understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. You could really go on through and read chapter fourteen for a fuller, more clear understanding....but tongues are for the edification of the Body that are supposed to come with interpretation and as a sign to nonbelievers that there really is something heavenly going on. There are people who I hold in high regard who do speak in tongues and say what a great refreshing comes by doing this.
People believe that speaking in "tongues" is one of the biggest signs of being a really big spiritual Christian, yet I see such defeat in their lives. How did this come to be? They speak in tongues, yet twist the scriptures to suit themselves. Some will be so quick to condemn you for not speaking in tongues and then turn around and dog you to someone when you do speak in tongues. I say, "to the law and to the testimony!" What are we doing here? We need to first go to THE WORD and see what is in there before we start telling others what they should or should not be doing. I have been around all kinds of "spiritual" people who have no idea the heritage we have available to us as a believer. They have no idea what God left for us through Jesus Christ and the living word of God.
Tongues? We all need our tongues to swallow and to talk. But if your home life is in defeat, your finances are in defeat and your children have all gone astray....well, you can speak in tongues all day long but what good are they to you?
Follow THE WORD and if the Holy Spirit bestows upon you the gift of tongues, then praise God for it...but don't condemn others and tell them they are not right with God because they don't speak in tongues. Make certain that YOUR life is in order first...then take a deep breath, swallow and thank God for THE tongue you have.....
It is almost 1:00 in the morning.I am awakened.Thoughts of the year are running through my mind.As I am thinking on the past year as it comes to a close, I thank God it is almost over.I reflect on my life and wonder if I would have opted out of the walk I am on now if I had known what lay ahead of me.The New Year is upon us and thoughts trail back to my past celebrations…
I recall the days of getting all dressed up on New Year’s Eve.I would have something special or new to wear.I would have my hair done.I would be going out on the town to a fancy meal, dancing, getting drunk andsinging Auld Lang Syne, never knowing why I was singing it.One year I watched When Harry Met Sallyand they explained the words in the song at the New Year’s Eve party.I still wondered why in the world people picked that song to reflect back on the past year and all that it had encompassed.It reminded me ofhow I thought my traditional life in the church had been.Why had I almost worked myself to literal death?What was it for? Did I really know?Did I really understand fully why I was doing what I was doing?At the time you would have thought that I alone was the only one capable of bringing God into any given situation at this particular church body.I literally tried to work myself to death in order to please God and the people I was around.(I think it was the people first, and God came in second.)
I reflect over the past eight to ten years and see how God used traditions to teach, train and develop me in my character and helping me get my flesh under control.He used traditions to heal me of past hurts and pains of the abortions I have had by having me reach out and helpthe children in Sunday school in most ways imaginable.He used traditional church to show me the lack of heavenly things in a local body so He, in turn, coulduse me to train, teach and help people “just like me” on how to enter the “rest” of the Lord that the Bible teaches we can have.I have learned that it only comes through diligence, obedience and having a teachable spirit within.It doesn’t come by just sitting in a church pew week after week being lulled to sleep by the traditions of man.
I have witnessed firsthandhow some people will continually seek the truth and never come to knowledge of the living Christ, bytrying to work their way to Heaven and God’s graces…when it is free all along.I see people who have never changed. Whether it is by destiny, hardheadedness or being just plain lazy, they never seem to embark on the fullness that the Cross of Christ provides.
As I reflect, I have come to the conclusion that God is so much bigger and more mysterious than I ever, ever knew.So many times I have put and kept Him in a box that He was screaming to get out of.I am convinced more than I ever have been that I will never know fully the scope of what He has for us as His children, yetsomehow, I still want to strive to become more like Him,knowing I really never will.
Then quite by chance I took my mother to a benefit concert this past month.The concert was being held to aid a mission outreach I had originally begun at this particular church.I started this outreach as I was being taught, purged and tweaked for the Master’s use.When something is “a God thing” it will have staying power.That is why this mission outreach continues year after year.It was good to see that my labors had not been in vain….of course God knew that all along…
I reflected on the fact that I am not in control and thank God that God is.I have learned to finally let others find their own way.I can’t do it for them.It is my job to do what I am called to do by putting the truth before them and then the rest is up to them.There is an old saying of “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”That saying holds true today for the Gospel.
It has been a very hard year.The warfare has been second to none.Had I known what lay ahead of me last year, I might have opted out and preferred thatsomeone else carry the burden of just plain telling the truth and calling a “spade a spade.”But once again, I reflect and see that God made me the way He did because He knew I would never quit and I wouldn’t give up…..no matter what…no matter what.No one will ever know the depths of warfare I have endured just so God’s children could get the truth.Believe me, this is straight from the horse’smouth.
So as the New Year begins, I urge you to sit and reflect on this past year.Look at where you have come from, look at where you are, and take a good hard look at where you want to go.I assure you that nothing is impossible if you believe, nothing will be impossible for you, and you shall receive whatever is the Father’s will…..but you have to make sure it is the Father’s will.
God is merciful, kind, loving and ready to give you what you want,but He requires you give Him yourself first… there are no exceptions.So as we journey down another year, remember that you are not in control,no matter how much you think you are.There are some, to be certain, whodon’t want to be in control.There are others who will strive against themselves and never come to a knowledge of their Father in Heaven…I find that so sad…so very sad.It is His love alone that has healed me from years of torment.It is that love alone that needs now, more than ever, to be conveyed to hurting people.
God has called me to rise and declare the tangibleworks of the Father as I embark upon another year.
It is almost 1:00 in the morning.I am awakened.Thoughts of the year are running through my mind.As I am thinking on the past year as it comes to a close, I thank God it is almost over.I reflect on my life and wonder if I would have opted out of the walk I am on now if I had known what lay ahead of me.The New Year is upon us and thoughts trail back to my past celebrations…
I recall the days of getting all dressed up on New Year’s Eve.I would have something special or new to wear.I would have my hair done.I would be going out on the town to a fancy meal, dancing, getting drunk andsinging Auld Lang Syne, never knowing why I was singing it.One year I watched When Harry Met Sallyand they explained the words in the song at the New Year’s Eve party.I still wondered why in the world people picked that song to reflect back on the past year and all that it had encompassed.It reminded me ofhow I thought my traditional life in the church had been.Why had I almost worked myself to literal death?What was it for? Did I really know?Did I really understand fully why I was doing what I was doing?At the time you would have thought that I alone was the only one capable of bringing God into any given situation at this particular church body.I literally tried to work myself to death in order to please God and the people I was around.(I think it was the people first, and God came in second.)
I reflect over the past eight to ten years and see how God used traditions to teach, train and develop me in my character and helping me get my flesh under control.He used traditions to heal me of past hurts and pains of the abortions I have had by having me reach out and helpthe children in Sunday school in most ways imaginable.He used traditional church to show me the lack of heavenly things in a local body so He, in turn, coulduse me to train, teach and help people “just like me” on how to enter the “rest” of the Lord that the Bible teaches we can have.I have learned that it only comes through diligence, obedience and having a teachable spirit within.It doesn’t come by just sitting in a church pew week after week being lulled to sleep by the traditions of man.
I have witnessed firsthandhow some people will continually seek the truth and never come to knowledge of the living Christ, bytrying to work their way to Heaven and God’s graces…when it is free all along.I see people who have never changed. Whether it is by destiny, hardheadedness or being just plain lazy, they never seem to embark on the fullness that the Cross of Christ provides.
As I reflect, I have come to the conclusion that God is so much bigger and more mysterious than I ever, ever knew.So many times I have put and kept Him in a box that He was screaming to get out of.I am convinced more than I ever have been that I will never know fully the scope of what He has for us as His children, yetsomehow, I still want to strive to become more like Him,knowing I really never will.
Then quite by chance I took my mother to a benefit concert this past month.The concert was being held to aid a mission outreach I had originally begun at this particular church.I started this outreach as I was being taught, purged and tweaked for the Master’s use.When something is “a God thing” it will have staying power.That is why this mission outreach continues year after year.It was good to see that my labors had not been in vain….of course God knew that all along…
I reflected on the fact that I am not in control and thank God that God is.I have learned to finally let others find their own way.I can’t do it for them.It is my job to do what I am called to do by putting the truth before them and then the rest is up to them.There is an old saying of “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”That saying holds true today for the Gospel.
It has been a very hard year.The warfare has been second to none.Had I known what lay ahead of me last year, I might have opted out and preferred thatsomeone else carry the burden of just plain telling the truth and calling a “spade a spade.”But once again, I reflect and see that God made me the way He did because He knew I would never quit and I wouldn’t give up…..no matter what…no matter what.No one will ever know the depths of warfare I have endured just so God’s children could get the truth.Believe me, this is straight from the horse’smouth.
So as the New Year begins, I urge you to sit and reflect on this past year.Look at where you have come from, look at where you are, and take a good hard look at where you want to go.I assure you that nothing is impossible if you believe, nothing will be impossible for you, and you shall receive whatever is the Father’s will…..but you have to make sure it is the Father’s will.
God is merciful, kind, loving and ready to give you what you want,but He requires you give Him yourself first… there are no exceptions.So as we journey down another year, remember that you are not in control,no matter how much you think you are.There are some, to be certain, whodon’t want to be in control.There are others who will strive against themselves and never come to a knowledge of their Father in Heaven…I find that so sad…so very sad.It is His love alone that has healed me from years of torment.It is that love alone that needs now, more than ever, to be conveyed to hurting people.
God has called me to rise and declare the tangibleworks of the Father as I embark upon another year.
