My Journey To Healing

Guest Writer:  Carolyn Hill

Wow…where would I be if not for the grace of God! Do you ever think about that? Hmmmm….I can only imagine. I know one thing, I don’t regret choosing to walk with Him, not even for a second! I grew up going to church and in the 6th grade, I became enthralled with God! I wanted to learn and understand and read my bible. In fact, when the fire department came to speak to us at school about fire safety, they told us not to worry about gathering up possessions–but instead to just get out of the fire. I actually remember thinking, “I would grab my Bible!” I look back on that, and I see a young girl so hungry for the truth, and for a relationship with God! As I moved into the high school years, unfortunately my focus changed and little by little I slipped away from spending time with God. Well, as you can imagine, I made a lot of dumb decisions, and felt very confused and lost. Deep down I knew God was there waiting, but I was so stubborn and wanted to forge my own way. Now fast forward 25 years…I’m married with children…and thank goodness back in my heavenly father’s arms. There is nothing so wonderful as my daily time with Him! Every day’s challenges are fought with Him–his strength, love and guidance hold me up and show me the way. So much better than stumbling around in the dark!!

During my quiet time with God–he leads me to the perfect scriptures that I need in an almost unexplainable way! Sometimes when I’ve prayed to Him–I feel an urge to start looking in the Bible, and the titles in bold print over some of the chapters will jump out at me and before I know it–I’m reading just what I need to read–and then He leads me to another. I have no doubt that God is speaking to me through His word. The main reason I have no doubt is because what He tells me works every time and gives me a peace that strengthens me–to do the hard stuff!! Or sometimes to enjoy the easy stuff!! I have also found that maybe during the initial quiet time with Him, I feel very peaceful and grounded, but may not hear any specific answers. But here’s the amazing part—later that day–his quiet voice is unmistakable to me–and He guides me just when I need it the most!

I also love to sing praise and worship songs to God. Recently God lit a fire in me to study the significance of praise and worship music in the Bible. Wow! There is so much more to it than I ever realized. Again, God led me to every scripture, and now I have crystal clear clarity of why He designed us to be worshipers (especially in song). Singing true heartfelt praises to Him or listening to praise and worship music is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my heavenly father. One thing that is very consistent with everything God’s word says about praise and worship music is thankfulness. Thankfulness changes everything! One example is the story of Paul and Silas when they were severely beaten and thrown into jail. In their stocks they began to sing praise songs to God–the result: their chains were broken and they were set free! But it didn’t just stop there…the jailer was so overwhelmed—he wanted to be saved by God as well! So they led him to accept Jesus—the man who had just held them in chains. This story shows how much thankfulness in praise and worship can change our perspective, powerfully testify to other people and move the heart of God!

My daily time with God changes everything. Being still and knowing He is God, with thankfulness in my heart is the most important decision I ever made.

BIO: Carolyn Hill lives in Branson, MO with her husband Jerod and her two boys Connor and Dylan. Carolyn leads worship for the women’s conference Pure Joy and helps to lead worship at her church. She is passionate about helping people come to a deeper relationship with God, and in turn deepening their relationships with others. This has led to the organization of the women’s ministry, Coffee Conversations at her church, Woodland Hills Family Church.

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Be Love, Give Love

Abby

Author Max Lucado, in his book The Applause of Heaven, describes the blessings of practicing stillness with God like this:

Think about the people in your world. Can’t you tell the ones who have been to his mountain? Oh, their problems aren’t any different. And their challenges are just as severe. But there is a stubborn peace that enshrines them. A confidence that life isn’t toppled by unmet budgets or rerouted airplanes. A serenity that softens the corners of their lips. A contagious delight sparkling in their eyes. And in their hearts reigns a fortress like confidence that the valley can be endured, even enjoyed, because the mountain is only a decision away. Take a trip with the King to the mountain peak. It’s pristine, uncrowded, and on top of the world. Stubborn joy begins by breathing deep up there before you go crazy down here.

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Guest Writer:  Amy Wescott

“Be still.”

I have a very task-oriented personality.  Getting things checked off of my to-do list makes me feel good.  Or, I really should say that it makes me feel valuable.  So, at the risk of not feeling valuable, I rarely choose to be physically still.  I rarely choose to be mentally still either.  After all, mental stillness is a risk.  If our minds aren’t occupied with a whirlwind of our own to-dos, overwhelmed with caring for the needs of others, or obsessed with empty entertainment then we just might find ourselves alone with our inmost thoughts.  And, if you’re like me, sometimes it’s a lot easier not to deal with those – or even acknowledge that they’re there.

So, what if you don’t have a task-oriented personality?  Is it easy for you to take time to be still?  Not necessarily.  As you know, our culture promotes the same lie that my task-oriented self struggles with . . . the more “productive” you are, the more “valuable” you are.  Not only that, the very pace of our culture devalues rest, quiet, careful consideration, and simplicity.  It’s my guess that these cultural messages threaten even the more laid back personalities in our midst.  The point is this . . . being still is tough to do.

“Know that I am God.”  Or, in other words, “Know that you are not God.”  That seems simple enough, but do we really live our lives like we believe that?  Do we ever make our own plans and then ask God to bless them?  Do we ever insist doing things our own way?  Do we ever act offended when God does (or does not) do something that we wanted?  Yes, I do.

I think that the root of these issues is that we refuse to admit that we are not god over our own lives.  Oh, we can do it pretty well for a while – it might even look successful (even pious) to the outside observer.  But, in one of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian life, we cannot live according to our own agenda and maintain our true freedom.

And, isn’t freedom what we all desire?  Our gracious, loving God wants us to be free too.  But, His path to freedom is not through self-discovery, self-reliance, self-promotion (you get the idea); it is through our willingness to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS (not we are) GOD.

When we choose to be still and get to know God, we discover that our value is not found in what we do . . . it is found in who we are in Christ.  Resting in this truth frees us from the need to measure up, to perform, to prove our worth.  It allows us to rest in who God made each of us to be.  It reminds us that our dependence on a faithful, loving, gracious and compassionate God is not enslavement, but true freedom.

Can you imagine what our lives would look like if we took this to heart?  Let’s choose to find out!

BIO:  Amy Wescott is a wife, mother, community volunteer and owner of Polish Writing & Editing in Branson, Missouri. She is thankful for God’s unfailing love, amazing grace and His willingness to continually renew and restore us to wholeness. To Him be the glory!

Amy Wescott’s Blog:  Polish

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Guest Writer:  LaShea Worley

God continues to teach me through my children and the most recent lesson started in my mini-van, a lesson on being still.  While sitting at a traffic light, which happened to be red, Jonah loudly repeated, “GO, GO, GO, GO!” I told him that red means stop and we have to stop when the light is red. I went on to tell him that we would go when the light turned green. He ignored my words and continued to yell, “GO, GO, GO, GO!” My mind started to drift as I heard these words in the background. I thought about my life in general. I thought about the fact that I am usually the one who is saying, “GO, GO, GO, GO” while God is trying to tell me to slow down (what we are supposed to do when approaching a yellow light) or stop (what we should most definitely do when we see a red light). Despite His warnings to slow down or stop, I continue to GO.

You would think that I would have slowed down or stopped to spend time with God after hearing this message from Him, but what I did was completely opposite. I had been spending time with Him daily, but one day about a week ago, I just didn’t have time. I guess it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t make time for Him. This one day turned into two days and then into a week. During this week, I felt my joy and peace slipping away. I felt lost, confused, stressed, anxious and doubtful.

I decided to ask for prayer.  While a friend was praying for me, she stopped and said, “I have to STOP. Wow! God literally answered my prayer while my friend was praying for me. He spoke to me through that prayer. He told me that in order to know His will and have the power to follow it, I need to spend time with Him. I need to STOP, read His word and listen. Not only did He speak words of wisdom into my heart that day, but He also provided the time to spend with Him. I cannot begin to tell you all the ways that He spoke to me as I connected to Him and listened. The cloud of confusion was lifted and His will became clear once again. In addition, feelings of anxiety and uncertainty were replaced with peace and joy as I became still and listened.

God reminded me that when a red traffic light is ignored there are consequences. This action could result in a car accident, which would definitely be an unwanted detour. Red lights are often ignored because of some sort of distraction. I, too, had become distracted by the stuff of this world, and as a result, I ran God’s red light. I ignored His warnings to slow down . . . to stop and listen to Him . . . and there were consequences to those actions as well. I felt lost, anxious, unsure, and overwhelmed. I so desperately wanted to KNOW and follow His will, but I couldn’t hear from Him. There was too much noise and I refused to turn down the volume. I felt like I had gone on a detour and didn’t know how to get back. Despite my poor choices; however, He didn’t go anywhere. He continued to try to get my attention and get His message across to me. He pursued me with His love. He was ready to welcome me back into His arms when I decided to stop, run to Him, and listen. He showered me with His love, His wisdom, His peace, and His joy as I rested in His arms. He wants to do the same for you because of His great love for you.

Bio: LaShea Worley has been married to John, her high school sweetheart, since December 1999. Together, they have 4 children and are in the process of adopting another child into their family. She works part-time as a speech-language pathologist, but the job she loves most is that of being a mother. She feels great peace and joy in this role, as the Lord teaches her through her children on a daily basis. She is also involved in a local Celebrate Recovery ministry, where she loves to share love, hope, and her story about how God rescued her from severe anxiety and replaced it with peace, joy, and serenity.

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am God, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

Be Love, Give Love~

Abby

The “Blossoming out of the Valley” Facebook Study is almost Here!

When Jennifer White and Sundi Jo asked me to host their online bible study, I knew immediately it was an opportunity from God to share what I have learned about a life of stillness, with others.

In case you haven’t heard the details yet, I wanted to let you know while there’s still time to purchase your book.

Before you sign up for yet another study, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I want peace in my life?
2. Do I want to be free to live and love?
3. Do I want simplicity in my life?
4. Do I want restoration?
5. Do I want a healthier mind and body?
6. Do I want to be more aware of God’s unconditional and unfailing love?

In moments of stillness, God gives us the courage to look beyond our problems, fears, pain and insecurities—our dark valleys—and empowers us to make real and lasting change. Whether we have one primary struggle, or many, there is always hope for greater freedom and deeper peace. In Blossoming out of the Valley, I share my journey from the chaos of anxiety, depression, addiction, physical pain and broken personal relationships to a life full of the love and blessings of God.

The bible study is an interactive Facebook study, held within a private group. Study notes are posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and there will be open discussion throughout the study.

Don’t forget to order your book today. The study starts Thursday, March 1st.

Join the Facebook group here. (Group is private)

BE LOVE, GIVE LOVE
Abby Lewis

Guest:  Lisa Buffaloe

Enjoy this short inspiring video from Lisa Buffaloe of Living Joyfully Free.  Music by Daniel Kleefield.

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am God, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

Be Love, Give Love~

Abby

Guest Writer:  Cherie Hill

It’s not easy to “Be still and know that God is God.” God calls upon us to trust that He’s in control, but it’s difficult, at best, when life is raging out of control. When we’re “being still,” we assume that means doing nothing. But nothing could be farther from the Truth. Though waiting patiently for God, in stillness, is probably the most difficult thing about our walk of faith, it is also the most critical part of it.

We can’t be tempted to panic when God isn’t showing up when we think He should. And we can’t allow ourselves to despair when He doesn’t do what we thought He would. God’s ways are higher, and they’re also better (see Isaiah 55:8-8). Yet, it takes a journey of faith with God to even begin to believe that Truth. These times of uncertainty are opportunities for God to reveal himself to you to a greater degree and grow your faith in ways that you can’t imagine. God is continually searching the earth for people who will trust Him through every crisis and cling to Him alone in every hopeless situation. Though it’s hard for us to come to grips with, God himself is often the One who leads us into, or allows us to face situations that are beyond our control. The situations are often frightening and overwhelming, to say the least. But, God does so in order to grow our faith—He leads us into these situations to see if we have a faith that stands and trusts in Him completely. In our moments of despair, it’s through His still small voice that we hear Him shouting through our megaphone of pain:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

God allows the hard places in our life to alert us to our need for Him. Our struggles are tools in the hands of God, as He works to make our heart more like His. Everything He does is to produce faith in us. And through the process, He promises never to abandon us (see Hebrews 13:5).

You may be at a Red Sea in your life. You may be facing the unthinkable: there’s no way of escape, nowhere to run, and no place to hide. You may be up against circumstances that seem insurmountable even for God. But, He’s moved bigger mountains than the ones you’re facing and He’s calmed greater seas than the ones that are threatening to take you under. Nothing is too difficult for God (see Luke 1:37).

God is giving your faith an opportunity to grow. He’s producing a faith in you that stands and will cause you to be ready for anything—lacking in nothing (see James 1:4). He’s brought you into these situations so you can practice your faith, so that you might know where you stand with God. Though you’re tempted to fear, in God’s strength you can stand still and watch His deliverance (see 2 Chronicles 20:17). It is God that will part your Red Sea, it is the Lord that will rescue you from the lion’s den, and it is Him alone that will be with you and protect you in the furnace of affliction. He will be your strength when you’re too weak to carry on. You need only be still:

“In quietness and in trust shall be your strength . . .” (Isaiah 30:15 NASB)

We can’t try and figure it all out . . . we must simply take our position of faith in the face of all our fears. We may not know what to do, but God does; if we’ll keep our eyes upon Him, He’ll save us while we rest, as we stand in faith upon His Promises.

As you struggle with doubt in the midst of your faith, God urges you to stand still in your crisis, lean on Him in faith, and trust Him to see you through. Be determined, against all odds to be found in the end with “faith that stands.” Trust God—be still—no matter what.

BIO: Cherie Hill is the founder of ScriptureNow.com. She has a BA in Psychology and is trained in Biblical Counseling through the AACC. Cherie is Bestselling author in Christian Living. Her books include: “Waiting On God,” “Be Still: Let Jesus Calm Your Storms” and “Beginning at The End: Finding God When Your World Falls Apart”Cherie also enjoys the privilege of being the #1 Book Reviewer for Thomas Nelson.

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am Go, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

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Guest Writer: Kristin Hanley

In a life crammed with online teaching and stay-at-home momming, my life is rarely quiet. To be still with God, I usually have to get outside and walk. The dichotomy of stillness and walking may seem ironic, but my spirit is most calm when my body is most active. Quieting the irritable agitation I felt today, I signed off the kids to my husband and ducked out the front door. Despite the wind, the January temperatures complied with my desire to be out in God’s creation and exhale my frustrations to Him. After several steps (or stomps), I tried to open my heart to hear God’s voice. Through the venting and whining, God pricked my heart with the truth of my ugliness. I was walking in darkness… selfishness… lies. I grumbled, for after all, sometimes those most miserable struggle to relinquish their misery. I didn’t want to be joyful; I wanted to complain. And God reminded me of these verses from Philippines 2: “Do everything without arguing or complaining so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” At that moment, I wasn’t looking very starlike—or Godlike, for that matter. True beauty comes through a grateful heart. God spoke, “Start thanking me.” I voiced my appreciation for the day, for the chance to leave the house, for the two legs that carried me across my path, for the blue patches through the clouds…. And as I turned my heart toward gratitude, God turned His face toward me and shone through me, renewing my joy, my peace, and my hope in Him.

BIO: Kristin teaches online creative writing courses for Regent University. Kristin and her husband live in Branson, Missouri, with their two children, Madeline and Landon. Aside from mothering and teaching, Kristin loves to cozy up with a good book, blog, paint, cook, hike, bowl, and hang out with her church family.

Kristin Hanley’s Blog: Moments of Peace

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am Go, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

Be Love, Give Love

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When we make the choice to be still before God, recognizing our great need for restoration, we open ourselves to knowing God more deeply. As you get to know Him in stillness, your heart and mind will gradually transform and His love, peace and joy will begin to characterize your life. His voice will guide you, not just in times of stillness, but as you live each day. You will begin to walk in peace as you rely on God’s strength, wisdom and direction rather than your own. Learning to rest in and be transformed by Him has a profound healing effect on every part of your being.

God is concerned with our complete restoration—spirit, mind and body. Walking in His peace is the pathway to your personal restoration and will bring noticeable change to the way you live. People will begin to see something different in your life—God’s light in you—and He will use your life to greatly impact those around you. When God restores your life toward wholeness, His work is not done. He will use your restored life to help bring healing and restoration to others.

The time is now. Turn to Him. Rest in Him. Draw near to Him. Be transformed by Him…This is being still with God. It is such a simple practice, but it is often a difficult discipline to develop. Yet God is waiting, arms open wide, for us to turn and face Him so He can begin to bless us, to heal us and to free us. You can experience His transforming presence and find healing from your dark valley.

The exciting thing is that it only takes a small change of focus to practice stillness with God. Make a simple choice to take minutes, hours or even days to be still with God, presenting yourself just as you are. God is waiting for all His children to be still so He can speak wisdom and direction to them. He wants to bless you with love, joy, peace, comfort and healing. He wants to heal and restore you.

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am God, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

Be Love, Give Love

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Guest Writer:  Mike Brown

His thoughts on Be Still and Know That I Am God.  Psalm 46:10

To begin the journey towards being still and knowing God two things have to be realized.  One is there is no formula for this and two this is a process that will be ongoing throughout a person’s life. These are not all-inclusive, just two that are high on my priority list. “Be Still” is how God chose to start this verse. This is, for me, the hardest part of the process. I’ve never been known for my being still… EVER! So when God began to speak to my heart on this verse I was very agitated. To make matters worse I didn’t realize why I needed to be still so that just added to the frustration.

Be STILL!  What does that mean?  Several things it doesn’t to start with. It doesn’t mean “Do nothing” it also doesn’t mean you have to sit for hours without moving. This refers to something internal more than external. There are two realms of consciousness to be noted. The natural realm is where we live, where we see and touch with our eyes and hands. The other is the spirit realm where God exists. The unique thing about humans is that we are the only natural creation of God that can go between the two and exist in both at the same time. Stillness is an inward place. It does help to be still in the natural while learning this process. As the process is mastered it’s more a place to abide inwardly no matter what goes on around you. God is Spirit so to truly have intimacy with Him it’s essential to learn this.  The “how” part is kind of like falling in love… you really don’t know how it happened but know that it did. Jesus said seek and you will find. If you seek stillness you will find it’s a realization that sneaks up on you before you figure it out with your head.

“Know” that I “AM” God! Knowing refers to experience here not just something you were told or read about. I pastored for 10 years with this truth eluding me, approaching God with my head and not my heart. This led me to legalism and emptiness. I could do the whole ministry gamut, but lacked the deep abiding relationship that produced fruit in my life. As I caught the stillness I began to experience God on ever deepening levels. Life began to be fruitful and filled with the Joy and Peace of the Lord! Experiencing God is a journey too!  His depths are unending and always just far enough out of reach to keep us hungry. Just when you think He can’t be any more satisfying His fragrance wafts in with a new aroma that entices us to seek again and taste and see that He is good!

Enjoy your journey! It truly is the great adventure!

BIO:  My name is Mike Brown.  I’ve been in pastoral ministry for over 15 years but have only learned the intimacy of relationship in the last 5 years.  For me ministry used to be about being doctrinally correct, but now it’s about relationship with Jesus and others.  It’s the greatest adventure I’ve ever experienced!

Mike Brown’s Blog:  The Journey

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Abby