The Power to Choose

We were created with an amazing free will. The angels long to look into the things available to us, for they were not made in the image of God, were not given the power to choose, and they do not sing the song of the redeemed.

To you God says:

"See, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live..."

No matter what you are facing today, there is the opportunity to choose life. Death may call out to you in the form of loss, defeat, resentment or struggle, but at any moment, you can choose life. How?

"...by loving the Lord your God, listening to his voice and holding fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he promised..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

If you have a promise for something, than refuse to accept anything less than fulfilment of it. For the Lord is your life. If you hide yourself in his love and his power, than death cannot consume you, for He has already conquered death, and Jesus' victory is your victory. Loss cannot overtake you, for abundance is within you.

Stay in faith! Keep faith- filled words on your tongue. Stay thankful! Stay in the precious present. Right now, the Life within you is creating the thing promised.

bless you!

Gina

photo by Ann Carrier

Love and Marriage - No Emotion Necessary

For the past 16 years, I have been married to the most attractive man I have ever met. That is a great feeling. What surprises people who know us, is that even in a marriage as wonderful as ours, the "great feelings" come and go!

I was amused last week to realize that both Paul and I have been equally influenced all these years, by the following story. It's a story I've told dozens of times, but I don't remember us ever talking about it. If there is a secret to our success, it lies in this tale:

One day there was a wife who was wickedly angry at her husband. She was hurting bitterly from years of unmet needs, and disappointment in her husband's behavior. She dreamed of ways to get back at him, to make him hurt in return.

Somebody told her about a very old wise man, who sat atop the nearby mountain. Surely he would have a clever idea for her.

At the suggestion, the woman climbed the mountain and found the wise man.

"Sir," she told him. "All I want to do is to cause heartache for my husband. I don't think he even has feelings, but if he does, I want to hurt them!"

"Aaaaah, of course," he responded with great empathy. "I will tell you what to do. For the next 2 months, I want you to just pretend that you actually love him. This is just for a short time, and there is no emotion necessary. Just ask yourself often, 'what actions would I take if I loved him?' and then do those things...then, come back and see me, and I'll tell you what to do to hurt him fiercely."

"Okay," said the bitter wife. "I guess since it is just for a short time, and no emotion is necessary, I can act like I would if I loved him. Oh, boy!"

In the following weeks, she enacted the plan wholeheatedly. She faithfully acted like she was in love with her husband, and then she returned to the sage on the mount, for the rest of the plan.

"So you followed my advice? Good!" said the wise old man. Ready? Here is what you do next. You climb back down that mountain and you just leave your husband. That's it. He will be so shocked after your kind actions, that you will break his heart!"

"leave!" gasped the woman. "I can't leave now!"

"But why not?" he asked.

"Because..." she began, stunned at her own discovery. "...because now, I love him!"

"Aaaaah, yes." smiled the sage. "I suppose you do!" and he said no more.

"For God so loved he gave..." John 3:16

HOW TO GET RICH

It seems to be the obsession of the industrialized world - GET RICH! Americans seem to be the wealthiest citizens on the planet, and also the most crazed for financial gain.

I work in a business that is especially appealing for its apparent promise of riches. I trade stocks on Wall street. Fortunes are made and lost all the time in the stock market. But you don't have to trade the markets to have financial gains and losses. You just have to live in a world with money.

The question is -why do some people win while others lose? Why do some become rich while others stay broke? It is all in the mindset.

If you are a believer like me, then you have a Father who promises you "the power to create wealth." He is not at all opposed to prosperity. If He were, then heaven would be a ghetto, and it is not. In fact, we are instructed to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What is remarkably lacking in heaven, are the two forces that drive men to poverty...even if they somehow attain financial gain. Those forces are Fear, and Greed.

Jesus said, "Watch out for all forms of greed. A mans' life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Some have taken that to mean that we can't have stuff. The point is that the stuff should not have us!

Freedom from greed was the Master's secret to you for wealth. Greed is born out of fear. A greedy person is the opposite of a prosperous person. She is like that little pauper that we set before the banquet table. She stuffed her face till she was sick, and hoarded food for later, because in her heart, she was poor, afraid that tomorrow would not come with its own provision.

What a sad way to live one's life. What a sad way to trade the markets. What sad way to build a career!

The wealthy or prosperous soul, has no fear of tomorrow, no striving to attain something that is far off. The wealthy soul is always receiving ideas to create more value.

How do you really get rich? Paradoxically, it is by knowing that you already are rich. You become a giver, not a taker, and the value you create, promotes you on every level. Riches flow to the rich! Money is the manifestation of a prosperous soul.

I can see we'll have to spend more time on this later!

3 John 1:2
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

also see: Deuteronomy 8:18, Matthew 6:10, Luke 12:15

Growing Up as Royalty

The story is told of a young princess who stood on the castle balcony with her family one day. Thousands of people stood below, cheering the presence of the royal family. This princess would soon be queen.

"Mummy," She asked, "Do all these people belong to me?"

"Of course not, Darling!" her mother laughed, "You belong to all these people!"

Oh, to grow up as royalty! If only the children of God would recognize their own royal blood, instead of living like paupers. There is a marked difference in the mindset of each:

A princess grows up knowing that she is special. She has nothing to prove.

A pauper grows up insecure, fighting to avoid getting hurt.

A princess can serve from her position of honor. She knows she has something to give.

A pauper feels like a slave as she serves, resentfully striving for approval.

A princess grows up knowing that not everyone will love the royal family, but that is their right, not her problem.

A pauper assumes that people look down on her, so she shys away from authentic relationships.

If you put the princess and the pauper in the same room with a banquet table loaded with food, the princess will eat until she is comfortable. Abundance is all she knows.

The pauper will steal and hide food for later, and eat until she is sick, for fear there will be only lack tomorrow.

The truth is that every child of God is a prince or a princess. His kingdom is not of this world, but it supercedes this world! We are called to serve as members of the "royal family," while here on earth. In our heavenly palace, every thing we possibly need for life is available. No resource is ever lacking. We are loved and cherished, and we have something to offer the world - abundant, faith -filled life here, and in the life to come.

The psalmist said it this way:Psalm 37:25
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

Say this out loud, "I am a princess (or prince) today. I am not a pauper. I am a believer, not a doubter, a giver, not a taker!"

Enjoy the good life!

On Speaking Well of Your Friends

"Gina, if you really knew her, you would like her, I promise. She has a good heart, and she is super loyal."

Those words were spoken to me by my friend, Jen, when we were 16 years old, about a mutual acquaintance. The girl she spoke of drove me nuts. I found her arrogant and offensive, and I really did not like being around her at all. That is, until Jen spoke highly of her.

"Hmm," I pondered, "Well, if you say so, I believe it." So I chose to believe the best about the girl and I treated her kindly.

It was a full TWENTY years later, when I ran into that other girl, Kris, in the mall. I had not seen her since her wedding.

"What are you doing now?" I asked.

"Well, you won't believe it," she replied. "I am a children's minister! I've thought of you often over the years."

"Wow!" Talk about a changed life!

Later, I visited her at work to see the amazing ministry she oversaw. Everything was excellent and beautiful. She had a volunteer staff bigger than most churches.

As she gave me a tour, she excitedly introduced me to other staff members, saying, "You remember my testimony, about the two "real" Christians in my high school? This is Gina. She is one of them!"

My jaw dropped, as I felt like Schmuck- of -the- Year. "You thought I was one of just two 'real' Christians?...I'm in your testimony?"

"Yep, you're part of my testimony!" She affirmed.

I thought of that day when Jen (her other 'real' Christian), spoke so highly of her. Jen's encouraging words caused me to act a little more like Jesus. What if I had kept my ugly opinions instead...and acted on them? What kind of influence would I have had then?

I will never forget the power of those kind words, spoken so long before, by one friend about another.

I hope that the people in my life will always be built up by my words, never cut down...especially when they are not around to defend themselves.

Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Be blessed!

Jesus is Alive!

I suppose I was nearly ten years old the day it hit me. I was getting ready to attend mass with my family like I did every week, except this week was Easter Sunday. The religious babble was meandering through my mind. "Jesus is alive today...Jesus is alive today...Jesus is alive today..."

Suddenly it became revelation to me, no longer a dead, religious idea in my head, but a truth to my heart that forever changed me. I knew that in reality, Jesus, as history points out, came, lived, died, and rose again...and then he never died again!
If he never died again, then indeed, He is alive right now, living for me, with me, in me, and I am in Him, with all the glorious love and power that He displayed in the Gospels.

Some have said for years that he didn't really conquer death, that his disciples stole his body, to fabricate this religion (which turned the world upside down.) I don't know if you know how those disciples all died, but they were brutally tortured to death for their faith. No one does that for a lie.

Still, it wouldn't matter to me, what any unbeliever might say, because for nearly three decades I have had the privilege of living with the reality of a risen redeemer. My life is a testament to his goodness. If I am wrong, then I have lost nothing. I have gained a life worth living - in fact, worth sharing, and beyond that, I have assurance of what waits for me on the "other side!"

Happy Easter!

The Lord of Your Breakthrough

1 Chronicles 14:11 *
11 So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim. [Lord of the Breakthrough.]
There are times in your life when you just cry out for a "breakthrough!" You feel something needs to change big, where you can finally look at the defeat of your enemies of lack, and fear, and despair.
Well, there is good news today! The Lord of the Breakthrough is here for you. When you trust in him, and decide to do things his way, He can change things in a moment. He is the Lord of the Breakthrough. By His own hand he can open doors that no man can shut. He can shut the mouths of lions. He can bring promotion. He can totally change your perception of reality. He can bring deliverance, healing, restoration. He is More than Enough.
I will praise Him today because of all He is able and willing to do. I rest in the fact that everything I see can change in a moment, but His love endures forever. HE IS THE LORD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH!!


1 Chronicles 14:11 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

After the Storm

Several tornadoes rolled through here last night. Unfortunately they turned out to be deadly in Nashville. Times like these keep us grateful for all the things that really matter in life. This left me thinking about a story of peace:

An artist was comissioned once by a wealthy man to paint a picture that portrayed a sense of peace. The artist worked and painted a beautiful image of a rolling countryside, blue skies and sheep grazing. The painting was rejected. The next painting reflected a calm quiet lake in a beautiful hilltop. Again this piece was rejected. The artist tried several times to portray a peaceful place, but each time, it failed to impress the commissioner.

Finally, in a burst of inspiration, the artist painted a picture of a raging storm upon an ocean. The waves broke onto the beach with a fury, but there, in the midst of the storm, was a small bird, safely waiting out the weather in the cleft of a big rock. Not one of his feathers was blown out of place. He was safe.

"Yes! Yes!" Exclaimed the buyer. "This is what I was looking for." He paid a handsome sum for the marvelous art.

Where do you go for peace when life rages against your house? There is One who is called "The Rock of Ages." He will be your strong tower. You can run to Jesus, hide yourself in His perfect love, and be safe, restored.

Peace,

Gina

A Thankful Heart

"A thankful heart is a happy heart!" These are the lyrics to a song my children sing very often.
Indeed, gratitude is the healthiest emotion we can possess. Gratitude is the opposite of self-pity - the most destructive emotion we can embrace!

I choose to be thankful. I am thankful to live in the South today, where Spring has already sprung and the sky is sparkling blue. I am thankful for my chores, for it means I have a lovely home to clean. I am thankful for the children's messes, for one day they'll be grown and gone. I am thankful for my friends who stop by and distract me, because it means I am loved and needed.

I am thankful for my challenges, for they make me stronger. I am thankful for baseball, even when it seems to take over our lives! I am thankful for places to go, people to see, and the value that I give and receive from each.

Bless you!

This is the 6 of us preparing to get on an airplane to move South. The twins spent the whole day saying they couldn't wait to get to Tennessee. As soon as they stepped off of the airplane here, they both grabbed their noses and whined out loud, "OOHHHH IT STINKS IN TENNESSEE!"

When you're used to the fresh pine scent of the Pacific Northwest, the Southern swamp smell here can cause olfactory distress for sure! Still, IT'S BEEN A GOOD PATH FOR US!

The "Good Life" Has Been Prepared for You

Back to the idea of the finished work: You and I were created by God, with a wonderful plan in mind...in fact the good life is already prepared for us.

Ephesians 2:10
10For we are God's own handiwork His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them- living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.

"Living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live!"

I love that phrase. Why don't more people walk in the good life that has already been prearranged? Because:

• They're not born anew in Christ Jesus or
• They don't know how to see the path that's available for them or
• They don't trust themselves to walk in the desires that stir within them

You can trust the desires of your heart if you are putting the right things into your heart. The word "desire" comes from two roots - "de" which means "of," and "sire" which means "father."

So the question should really be: What is giving birth to my desires? Who or what am I hanging around that is having the biggest influence on me? If you are fellowshipping with good company and the Word of God, than your desires give birth to vision. Your vision is the path already prepared. Trust it. Move forward. As you do "your ears will hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.'"*

Enjoying the Good Life,

Gina

* See Isaiah 30:21