The Struggle Is Real

Struggling is a universal phenomenon. Human babies struggle to take their first breath just as baby birds struggle to ascend into their first flight. A calf struggles to take its first steps. No living thing escapes what we know as a struggle. But some do manage to escape the full weight of the struggle. The part that makes it seem almost impossible to try.

The view that many have of a struggle in our current time is something that is oppressive. A struggle is viewed as something designed to frustrate you to the point of a loss of hope. Struggling is among the least desirable things that anyone can endure. However, a struggle is one of the most precious gifts from God.

When a baby is born the struggle to take in that first breath is undeniable. The parents and the doctors wait for it. The nurses whisper silent prayers. Everyone in the room pauses to hold on to the one thing that the baby is struggling for. No one breathes until the baby's struggle for breath is over. 

The mother bird knows that flying will be a struggle, but she nudges her baby out of the nest. She forces him to embrace the struggle and soar into his first flight. The mother cow is just as demanding when she pushes her calf to stand. Each acknowledges that the struggle is real. However each mother also believes in something bigger than the struggle itself.

The mother bird overcame the struggle of her own first flight. The mother cow managed to walk. And the human mother....She fought to open up her lungs and let air in on the day she was born. Each mother trusted that the struggle faced by their babies was not stronger than the baby's ability to overcome. 

So we fight. We wrestle. We struggle. We acknowledge that breathing is hard. Walking is hard. Flying is hard. But remember that I said a struggle is a precious gift from God? Without struggling for and taking that first breath, a baby would have no life. A calf would not walk into its purpose. A bird would never learn to fly. You would never understand how strong you are or how much God had already placed inside of you. The struggle is real. But my friends, so is God.

Adayinthelife :-)

Follow Me As I Follow Christ

One of the things that I hate to remember is how many times I convinced someone to take one for the team. The statement, though universal, had quite an array of meanings for anyone who was friends with me. Regardless of the value that was assigned to it in the moment, it always meant follow me. Do whatever it is that I am doing.

I used to talk about my ability to get people to take one for the team with pride. I was satisfied with my ability to lead and have them follow. I enjoyed being the leader of the group so much so that I positioned myself there and would not move until everything was my way or as close to my way as was comfortable.

I am ashamed of all of that now because it was all so empty. I wanted them to follow me and I rejoiced when they did. Until a few years ago I didn't realize that there had been no purpose for it.

The path that I was walking was one that was chock full of sin. Follow me as I curse. Follow me as I treat others like they are beneath me. Follow me as I lead you to do anything that would be equated with sin. Follow me as I walk a path away from righteousness. Follow me as I do all that I can to fit in.

Yes, the leader of debauchery was just trying to fit in. I was trying to fit in to a world system that ridiculed people who wanted to do what was right. So follow me I said. Follow me so I won't have to be alone when I'm drunk. But what does being drunk have to do with what is important in this life?

I was bold an unashamed to say follow me when my focus was the club. Yet, I often shrink back from encouraging people to follow me now that my focus is Christ. FOLLOW ME TO HAPPY HOUR has been replaced with follow me for an hour of bible study and prayer. Blanket invitations to hang out and party used to go out weekly, but invitations to discipleship are barely even there.

Isn't discipleship what this life is all about? Shouldn't we be focused on having others to follow us as we lead lives that imitate and honor Christ? Jesus spoke boldly of the kingdom of God and provided a blueprint of discipleship for all that He encountered. He was not ashamed to encourage others to follow Him because His path led to everlasting life. Now I must boldly say FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST.

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." ~I Corinthians 1:11

Adayinthelife :-)

Is Your Mouth Blocking Your Blessings?

Have you ever wondered aloud why you were so blessed or why you had so much favor? You might have said things like "I know I didn't deserve this" or "I don't know how all of these good things keep happening to me". In the midst of your wondering you may have told your unbelievable story to a friend or colleague. The tone of your conversation was one of wonder, amazement, and just a hint of doubt. "God is really opening doors for me" you said. "He keeps making a way out of no way and I sure thank Him" followed next. But then you ended with an "I just don't know what to do I’m so blessed" or "what am I going to do with all of this?” 

The praise is understandable. Who wouldn't speak positively of the things that God is doing in their lives? However, those little seeds of doubt that surface the longer we talk are the things that we must consider. The question that I pose for you is, is your mouth blocking your blessings? 

Think about the question before you respond. Have you talked so much that you talked yourself right out of what someone had for you? It may have been something as small as a kind word or as large as a job promotion. The person offering was on assignment from God, but your words deterred them. Your words were what blocked your blessing.

I've been in situations where I could not understand what was happening in a natural sense. I received both tangible and spiritual blessings that I talked about in a way that cut off the avenue that they came from. I spoke from a place of doubt instead of a place where mustard seed faith could move a mountain. I have blocked the blessing of appreciation by saying “no thanks was needed”. I have blocked the blessing of promotion by saying “I’m not sure I can do the job”. Then, like clockwork I have wondered what happened to my blessings? What happened to the overflow that God had promised? I forgot about my own words as quickly as I had spoken them. I forgot about speaking seeds of doubt. I forgot that what was blocking my blessings was my inability to stop what came out of my own mouth.

Adayinthelife :-)

I've Loved You For A Thousand Years....

All week long I have been captivated by the same song. Day after day I've heard Christina Perri singing "A Thousand Years". The song was playing in my head so much that I played it several times for the students in my class. I was lost in the melody and the complexity of the lyrics while they were in awe that their teacher loved a song from the movie Twilight. I listened to the melody. I listened to the words. I took them both in like air that was revitalizing me. Even now I hear her singing...

I have died every day waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you

For a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

The words to this song are a declaration of love that is so touching and sincere. I hear it and I am completely shook because this love that is sung about so sweetly is the love that many long for. It's the love that many pray would come their way. A love like this is thought to be so rare. But you and I have this love. It is the love of Jesus Christ. When we sin, it is as if He is being crucified over and over again. Yet, He still loves us. He still waits for us. He has been waiting for over a thousand years and I know He will wait for a thousand more.

I can't explain what is in my head when I hear the words of this song. I can't stop them from singing to me, calling to me, coaxing me to open my heart. Asking me to let Christ in. It's hard to explain because it's not that I haven't accepted Him. I love Him. He's my Lord, but still I have these things that separate me from Him. I'm impulsive, impatient, insensitive.... until

My every thought becomes clouded by the truth. He loved me til death, but death didn't keep Him away. I am the one that puts sin in His place. Even with my sin, His love has endured. He patiently waits for me to say "restore". He waits for me with open arms.... I hear

 And all along I believed I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left

Hebrews 10:26

Adayinthelife :-)

Didn't You Know? I'm Better Than You.

We have all just made it into a new year and the Facebook posts have already started. My news feed reads..."This year I'm cutting off all liars, cheaters, and unreliable people." "2015 is all about me." "It's time for me to do spring cleaning and delete all the drama from my page." By drama of course the person meant people. One of my least favorite posts is the image of a woman walking into 2015 carrying a bag filled with God, love, peace, and focus. Behind her in 2014 are negativity, hate, fake friends, temper, heartbreak, and jealousy. The number of people who like these posts is far more alarming than the fact that any of it was posted in the first place. We all know that liking a post is your virtual amen. These posts have more amen's than a resurrection Sunday sermon.

Friends, the number of likes is not even the problem. The problem is the number of times that each one of us has held these sentiments in our own hearts. In anger, disappointment and hurt, I have felt all of these things. I have wanted to be rid of the lying, cheating, drama filled people who were taking up space in my life. I have thought that I was free to sashay away from fake friends who were beneath the fabulous person that God had called me to be. I was so focused on the word that I would have no time to babysit their negative, hate filled, tempers. It's so funny that in all of my posturing to be free of negativity and carry God, peace, and love; I forgot that God is not pleased with us putting others beneath ourselves. 

God is not pleased with the it's all about me attitude that so many of us adopt once we are hurting, fed up, or saved. Yes, I said saved. We give our lives to God and take on superior attitudes that cause us to see every negative thing about someone else while turning a blind eye to the many times that our actions mirrored their faults. We give our lives to God and decide that we are brand new, but they are sinners. We are sanctified, but they are lying, cheating, negative balls of energy. We are better than them, but truly we are not. We are hampered by our own feelings and thoughts that turn us into hypocrites instead of disciples with servant's heart.


The Pharisee (spiritual leader) stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

Luke 18:11

Adayinthelife :-)