More Than Just A Birth...

 At Christmas, we usually celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. We sing praises to Him and even read His Christmas story described in the gospels. We celebrate His birth because to us that means our Savior has arrived and that He came to earth to save us. We know the story that he was born of a virgin and was laid in a manger, shepherds were told by angels of his arrival, and wise men came bearing gifts, but what if there was more???

I believe there is.

 

Click the link below to read further. If you have not subscribed to the new site then while you're there sign up for emails!

http://luminateyourpath.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/more-than-just-a-birth/

WHAT ARE YOU AT WAR WITH??

What or who are you at war with right now in your life?? Do you feel like you are constantly in a battle with things or people in your life every day?Read about my "war" with the car dealership...even if you haven't been in this exact situation, I'm sure you can relate to the struggle.

(To receive this in full email format, when you click on the link below, subscribe via email to new wordpress account)

http://luminateyourpath.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/what-are-you-at-war-with/

.

Are You Trying Too Hard??

If you are seeing this in "link" format and have not recevied a separate email from wordpress, it is because you have yet to subscribe via email to the wordpress site.

http://luminateyourpath.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/are-you-trying-too-hard/

Actions Speak Louder Than Words.........Even Yours.

Before you read this article I want to REMIND you that this will be the LAST blog article posted to this site. I have moved over to wordpress so please click here and you can sign up on the right hand side in order to continue to receive emails from Luminate Your Path.  I am hoping to see all of you there! https://luminateyourpath.wordpress.com/

Now for our regularly scheduled program... :) 




Have you ever encountered someone who criticizes people yet then they turn around and do the same thing they just criticized that person for? Do you work with people who claim to believe in something,  yet they talk and act in opposition to what they claim to believe in? Sometimes we refer to these people as “hypocrites”. A hypocrite is “a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs” (Webster's dictionary).  Some people may not like this post because it may require some “self-evaluation” but this self-evaluation could save someone’s life. I write this post not to judge anyone (for I need to self-evaluate also) but to highlight how significant what you SAY and what you DO really is.


I recently had a conversation with someone who encountered a group of individuals that professed to be believers in Jesus, yet their actions did not portray this.  Their drinking, partying, cursing, etc, did not reflect what they claimed to believe.  Now one might say, "so what", "what's the big deal?", but I'm here to tell you that it IS a big deal. You see, after my conversation I started to think about my life and I had a revelation that the same type of people he described encountering, was ME only years ago. I remember hanging out with “friends” drinking and partying and telling people “I am saved and believe in Jesus, but don’t talk to me about Him right now because I’m drinking and I know I'm not being a good example.” Just typing that sentence makes me sick to my stomach because I realize how I slapped Jesus in the face. I John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”… this is exactly what I was doing: walking in darkness while claiming to know Jesus.

 

What a horrible influence I was on those who were around me.... surrounded by people who were lost and could have used a Light to guide them. I could have been a positive influence on someone’s life possibly leading them to salvation and demonstrating true Christian faith, but instead I lived my life how I wanted to live while throwing Christ (and my faith) on the ground and then stomped all over it. What if one of those people was affected by my hypocrisy, by my claim to be a Christian and the way I lived my life? What if today they are "put off” from the lack of sincerity when it comes to people claiming to believe in Jesus? I realize my actions may have caused others to doubt who God is and even question what faith they do have. that is a tough pill to swallow, and this is where I ask YOU to take a look at your own life.

Are you claiming to be something you’re not? Are you claiming to be a Christian and be saved, but not living as if you really are? 1 John 2:4 says, “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” Do you realize that what you SAY and how you ACT can influence how a person views God? Do you know that this can effect their eternity? Do you also realize that your testimony (how you live) will influence a person to either be moved towards Jesus or away from Him? I’m not just talking about drinking and partying or any of the more obvious sins. I’m also talking about your speech…what comes out of your mouth. We are told in James 1:26 that “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless”. Is this you? Do you claim to be religious but fail to keep a tight rein on your mouth leading others to think that there’s “no way” you are a Christian? Do you claim to believe in Jesus in one conversation and then the next conversation you’re using His name in vain, cursing, or making perverse jokes? Not only are we examples to those we associate with, but also to the stranger walking by, to the people sitting next to us in restaurants and even to those standing behind us in lines.


I write all of this to show you that what you SAY and what you DO does matter IF you are claiming to be a believer in Jesus Christ. Don’t let your friends, family, or even a stranger walk away from you being pushed further away from the only person who can save them. Make sure your actions and words push others towards the only One who can save them: Jesus Christ. We may not have much time left!  As a matter of fact, we are told to seek the Lord WHILE he may be found (Isaiah 55:6). This means there will be a time when people will no longer be able to find Him. Make the changes now that will count for your eternity or for someone else’s.

NEW BLOG LOCATION! PLEASE FOLLOW :)

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am moving this blog to a new location! I hope you continue to FOLLOW Luminate Your Path! Most of you have received an invite via email from Word Press to follow my new site, but for those of you who haven't, you can access it here:

https://luminateyourpath.wordpress.com/

Now more than ever, people need to be encouraged & assured that there is LIGHT amongst the Darkness both in this life & the next :-)

I hope to see you all on there! Be sure to "like" us on FB & Follow us on twitter!

https://www.facebook.com/Luminateyourpath
https://twitter.com/Luminateurpath

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE??

I never would have thought the hardest part about buying a house would be 

COMPROMISE! 

Well at least that’s the hardest part so far J My husband has certain things he wants in a house and I have certain things that I want. This will be our first house that we will own and we plan on being there forever so we want to make sure that it is exactly what we want. While he would like an office space, fireplace, and a basement, I would like a nice size bedroom and nice bathroom preferably with a huge tub J - not to mention a nice size yard, deck/patio, finished basement, and I could go on! I guess you could call it my “dream house.”

The other day he sent me a text that said “I found our house!” He was obviously very excited, so I looked up the house online, but my excitement did not match his. It had what he wanted, but I was not satisfied with what I wanted. Now this was a really nice house, it just didn’t fit exactly what I was looking for. I was a little disappointed when I saw the house did not fit my imagination and he was disappointed as well that I did not agree with his taste.

All of this got me thinking as I sat there in a bundle of frustration. 

Why am I so adamant about getting a house that has everything I want?? This home, while I say we’ll live there “forever”, is actually only temporary. It is a material possession that holds no weight in eternity and is only for show in this present life. Material possessions can do nothing for my soul except mess with my satisfaction levels. 

I started to think about my real home: Heaven, and as quick as my frustration came upon me, it began to dissipate.  I actually felt a small smile appear on my face.  How wonderful it is that God already knows exactly what kind of house will satisfy my needs! “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”  (John 14:2) How awesome that He is already preparing a place for me without even asking me what color or size or features I want! Compromise is not even necessary because 
He has something better prepared that I cannot even fathom!

I will dwell in the city of New Jerusalem (literally heaven on earth!) whose walls are made of jasper and whose city is like pure gold. 

“Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.” (Rev 21:11 ) The stones of the city will be made of jasper, sapphire, emerald, topaz & other precious jewels & the gates will be made of pearl! Even the streets will be pure gold appearing like clear glass! If this is what the outside structure looks like, I cannot imagine the interior! The glory of God will be so bright it will illuminate the entire city and there will be no need for the sun or the moon to shine! (Rev 21). How amazing is that?? How uplifting to know that God loves me so much to do all of this for me? And the best part is, I do not even have to tell Him what I want because He has something way more magnificent planned anyway.

So my “forever dream home” that I am looking for with my husband suddenly does not seem so important and this passage comes to mind: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt 6:19-21).

Don’t get me wrong; buying a new house is very exciting! It is a blessing from God to be able to buy a home & I don’t want to downplay that; however, I do not want my treasure to be here on earth. I don’t want to be consumed with material things and be filled with empty things that can’t satisfy. 

The question now is what about you…..what is it that you are “buying” into in this world??  What treasure are you storing up here on earth that you should be storing up in heaven??

I have a different perspective now as we continue to look for houses….not to say that I will be ok with my husband picking it out on his own J, but the intensity of my wants has slightly changed. I have a feeling of peace for now and excitement for the future when I will go to my REAL home. I guess you could say I feel less combative over really getting what I want.

After all, my citizenship is in heaven 

and 

I am just visiting this world!

(Phil 3:20)

STEP OUT OF DARKNESS - LUMINATE YOUR PATH

Sometimes I find myself in a state of mind where I feel lost as to what I am supposed to do with my life. Not particularly with my "career" but everything outside of that. I have many interests & many things I could easily occupy my time with, but I don't always know which path to pursue. There are also decisions to be made and again I find myself not knowing what to do, or what the "right" answer is.

Do you ever feel like this? Do you feel overwhelmed with decisions you need to make in your family or work life? Do you question what your "purpose" is in life and if there's something else you should be doing? In today's world, it is very easy to become scattered mentally and emotionally and it becomes frustrating because you are constantly trying to figure things out but for some reason you can't. A good word to describe these jumbled feelings is RESTLESS.

What I discovered, is that when I feel like this, I need to return to the ONE who has all the answers.  Sometimes I try to find the answers myself, but of course that is hardly satisfying & is only temporary, and I end up in the same spot again. Stuck & Frustrated and even a bit overwhelmed at times. But, I finally realized that I needed to go back to the basics. What I mean is that I had to go back to the basics of God's Word. I needed to spend more time in prayer with Him..I needed to read His Word more often. He has all the answers, and He promises us that He will show us exactly what to do! (Isaiah 30:21). We just need to seek Him & trust Him! (Jer. 29:12-13)

 

So I knew if I spent more time with Him, that He would eventually show me the right decisions...the right path..the "next step" to take. I need not worry, or stress, or feel overwhelmed or scattered!(Jer. 33:3). It seems so simple but it is so true. You may not get the answers right away, but what you will get right away is PEACE (Isaiah 26:3).

So if you are lost..or even just a little confused or overwhelmed with things, I am hoping you will go to the ONE who has all the answers to your problems & concerns. He is waiting to show you where to go and what to do...but if you don't come to Him & seek Him, your path will always be dim. Don't just read this and go back to the same way you are living your life. Make it a point and priority to spend more time with Him each day. Time to step out of the darkness & allow God to Luminate Your Path (Psalm 18:28).

Here's a short Poem I wrote to describe what goes on when I feel "scattered" & I'm sure everyone can relate somehow! Be encouraged :)

 

 

LUMINATE MY PATH

 

I run rampantly

Impatient desperation

Frustration approaches

I need respiration.

Lost in a maze

Searching escape

All dead ends

Can’t catch a break.

All the signs are the same

None stand out

Nothing significant

Overcome with doubt.

Exit signs aren’t lit

It’s too dark to see

I need to go somewhere

But where should I be?

Endless ideas

Which one is right?

It may be daytime

But its black as night.

Direction is missing

What do I pursue?

Internal disorder

What do I do?

My mind has ideas

My heart tries to confirm

From me or from You?

I have yet to discern.

Luminate my path

Put a glow on the door

Show me the way

Confusion no more.

So what do I do?

And where do I go?

I know there’s a purpose

But the purpose unknown.

Efforts are scattered

Mental chaos occurs

Like a fast-forwarded past

It all seems like a blur.

Back to the basics

Is where I must go

Realign my focus

You said You will show.

You said You will show me

What I am to do

And not only that

But also with who.

You said You will show me

Where I’m to be

And not only that

But you’ll take care of me.

You said You will show me

What path to take

If I seek with all my heart

And only seek your face.

You said You will show me

To the right or the left

A whisper in my ear

Which step to take next.

You said You will show me

Instruct me and teach

Counsel me on my journey

And then give me peace.

Back to the basics

Is where I must return

Trust You to guide me

Is what I must learn.

So Luminate my path

Turn my darkness into light

Want to walk in the “day”

Even when it is night.

Freedom from Guilt in the Passing of a Friend-

A few days ago, one of my friends passed away.  We hung out a lot during my teenage years, but over the years I lost touch with her even though my sister stayed in touch. Her death was sudden…shocking…completely unexpected. Young & loved by many, I don’t think any of us saw this coming.

I hadn’t talked to her in years but there were times when a mutual friend of ours told me that she would ask about me, but I never offered up any contact information. I just accepted the nice thoughts and went on my way.  A few months ago I ended up reaching out to her and “friended” her on Facebook and she even liked my Luminate Your Path page, but this was the extent of our contact. No messages, no comments, nothing.

 

Then, a few days ago, my sister informed me that she had passed away. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach as I was in disbelief.  It’s true that years had passed since we talked, but I couldn’t escape this overwhelming feeling of sorrow, sickness, and disbelief.  There was definitely another source to my pain that was adding to the sorrow of her loss….

I kept thinking: “Why didn’t I reach out to her or get in contact with her?? I could have talked to her about Jesus and explained to her that He loves her so much that he died on the cross for her sins & wants her to accept Him as her Lord & Savior!”  I could have shared with her not only the secret to freedom in this life, but also the secret to freedom in eternity. Guilt overwhelmed me and I thought of how selfish I was and I felt responsible for what I didn’t say and what I didn’t do.

Imagine a loved one who is dying of cancer or some other disease and you have the cure! Imagine that you know exactly how they can get rid of it and get well! Now, imagine having this knowledge that could save their life, yet instead, you keep it to yourself and your loved one dies.  This is how I felt… I felt I had the secret to LIFE in Christ yet I kept it to myself.  Please understand that I am in no way saying that I knew her heart or what she believed. I truly don’t know; God does. I am just merely explaining my feelings of regret & passiveness.

That night on my way home from work, I prayed to God the entire car ride. Mentally I know that I don’t control who accepts the Lord as Savior and who doesn’t. I also know that if I were meant to have spoken to her about God, then my own ignorance would not have prevented God’s plan from happening. But emotionally, I felt destroyed.  The Lord brought a few verses to my mind as I continually went through them in my head. One of them I had just read that morning. Coincidence? Hardly. It was fresh in my mind when I needed it the most.

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:5-9,11)

I know the Devil attacks us at our weakest moments…he likes to attack when we are most vulnerable, and this is exactly what was happening. The Bible says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”  (1 peter 5:8) So you see, God wasn’t placing this guilt on me; it was Satan’s lies trying to deceive me into thinking that I had the power to change someone’s heart.  By the time I pulled into my driveway that night, the Lord had already started to relieve me from the guilty feeling of responsibility & I began to feel comforted. Although damaging thoughts still creep in my mind every now and then, God’s word is more powerful than anything I think or feel. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful…..”

I had to come to the end of myself that night, which is actually an ongoing process in my daily walk.  I keep reminding myself that God is the one who works in us “both to will and to act according to His good pleasure.” (Phil 2:13)  He is the one who causes someone to grow… He is the one who “wakes us up spiritually”.  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:44)   “He went on to say, “this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” (John 6:65)

As for Me? I am simply a worker of Christ. I am a tool used by Him to accomplish His will. And the best part is, He doesn’t NEED me to do so! I am free because I know that God is Sovereign..He is in control..and He doesn’t rely on ME to do anything. (Psalm 135:6, Psalm 115:3,)  

There is great freedom when you discover how truly helpless you are without the Lord & there is great freedom in discovering that it is not in our efforts that His will is done, but it is in our surrender that He accomplishes it. “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30)

Corrie Ten Boom said it well: “You should not try to be anything but an open channel for the Spirit of God. You never can be anything else, even though you may think so at times.  Follow the pathway of obedience, and you will be used by God far beyond your own powers” (pg. 20 Amazing Love)

I will truly miss my friend who passed away and my heart aches for my sister, friends and family who will dearly miss her, but at the same time I am comforted in knowing that I do not have to understand God, I just have to trust Him. Hopefully I can move forward in boldness in my future relationships and focus on being a “channel for the Spirit of God” to flow through. As one of my best friends put it earlier, “I don’t want this experience to defeat me, I want it to ignite me”.

Please feel free to share your comments - I just ask that you be respectful! For daily encouragement, like us on FB! https://www.facebook.com/Luminateyourpath