While preparing for the last SHE event, I was also typing my application for Teacher of the Year. I struggled tremendously with that application because I did not want to brag on myself or my abilities. That obviously got me into some trouble many years ago. Father had taken me through an extreme time of brokenness, so it was interesting to find myself in that situation after all these years. As I began typing the essay for the application, it was so amazing to see how Father had arranged my steps over the years as stated in Proverbs 3:5,6 (NASB) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Let me share an abbreviated version of this journey: He led me into teaching a long time ago. During my first semester at Florida State University, I started attending a Bible Study with Campus Crusade for Christ. One crisp and cool Tallahassee morning, I attended a Mug and Muffin sponsored by the CCC staff women. That morning, they were sharing from the book, Building Your Self Esteem by Josh McDowell. They began to talk about people who influence our lives and shape our beliefs early in life. Of course, our parents were on the list, but then they began to list pastors, coaches, and teachers. As soon as the word, “teacher” was said, my heart began to beat rapidly in my chest. At this moment, I heard Father whisper in my ear, “Love the children.” I knew He was telling me to change my major. On Monday morning, I marched into the Stone Building to change my major from psychology to education. Flash forward to March 14, 2012, the day of my interview for Teacher of the Year (TOY) for the parish. I found out the day before SHE that the committee wanted to interview me for TOY for the parish. I was humbled and prayed that Father would speak through me and that they would see Him as I spoke. On that morning, Kalon and I prayed that He would be glorified regardless of the outcome. During the interview, I was asked how my community work helps me as a teacher. I almost giggled with glee when I heard it. I began to tell them about the SHE event from four days before. I told them that I had spoken on exchanging lies for the truth during my session. I went on to say that this is what I do in my classroom every day. Because I teach in the gifted program, I deal with students who are VERY hard on themselves. They say things like “I am so stupid” on almost a daily basis. This is just one snippet of what we discussed that day. Later on that afternoon, I began to ponder whether or not I had been chosen. I found myself focusing on that and it was making me anxious. Right at that moment, one of my precious students walked into my classroom crying. She asked if we could talk, and of course I said yes. She told me she had received a white slip over a poor choice she had made. She was devastated and could not bear thinking about facing her mom. I sat with her and reminded her that she was not a bad kid; she just made a poor choice that day. I told her that this can happen to anyone, it's just what you decide to do afterwards that makes the difference. I said you need to forgive yourself, pick your head up, and walk forward. I told her that we were going to call her mom and tell her about it. I got her mom on the phone and stayed with her while they talked. When she got off the phone, I could see the pressure release from her shoulders. Her mom had repeated truth to her as well. I walked this precious young lady back to her homeroom class. While walking back to my classroom, I said to Father, “I do not need that award….You just allowed me to experience what I talked about this morning and that is the only award I need.” I released receiving the award, smiled and walked back to my classroom. Two minutes later, my principal walked into my room and told me I had been chosen. I was completely shocked. She said that during my interview that they could see my heart. I was so flabbergasted. Father answered my prayers…they had seen Him. I pray that my interactions with everyone in that room will draw them into a closer relationship with Him. You ask why I might share this story with you….I share it because Father used this to show me how intimately involved He is with my life. He cares about every detail. I doubted why He wanted me in this job for many years, but lately, I have seen why He has me there. I pray He will reveal the truth of why He has you where He does. For many years, everything was bleak and meaningless to me. I had no idea why I was doing what I was doing. I am thankful that He gives me the privilege of allowing Him to live through me at school and in the community. I love you my sisters!! Suzanne
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Dear Sisters,
I am praying that you are walking in TRUTH, listening to the TRUTH, and speaking the TRUTH to others. I often find that when Father is trying to teach me something, He often uses others around me, books I am reading, and messages I am hearing to solidify that truth. Back when I wrote that prayer letter so many years ago, I was reading a book called You Gotta Keep Dancin’ by Tim Hansel. For those of you who know me well, I am sure the title made you smile because of the double meaning for me. This was a quote that really ministered to me back then and still does today: We may desire to bring to the Lord a perfect work. We would like to point when our work is done, to the beautiful ripened grain, and bound up sheaves, and yet the Lord frustrates our plans, shatters our purposes, lets us see the wreck of all our hopes, breaks the structure we thought we were building and catches us up in His arms and whispers to us, “It’s not your work I wanted, but YOU!!” It is funny that people back then looked at me and thought I was so confident, yet my confidence was based on what I had done or achieved, not on what HE had done. Tonight, I was reading to my son from the Story Bible and it talked about how in Jesus’ death, He came to refute the BIG LIE….the lie that we have been left alone. We are not alone. He is our strength, our peace, our wisdom….the list goes on and on. I had to get to a point where I let myself fall in His arms and let Him speak words of TRUTH and LIFE into me. It has been said that you cannot give what you do not have. At that point, I did not have confidence in Him. My confidence rested in myself. He will not rest until we rely on Him and Him alone. Another quote I want to share with you is from a sermon my pastor, Frank Friedmann gave back during this time in my life. “Where there is honesty, there is intimacy. Where there is intimacy, there is power. Where there is power, there is freedom from destruction.” At SHE, I challenged you to identify the lies that you believed about yourself, God, and others. That is just the beginning of this journey for you. Through that honesty you expressed that day, it began to build intimacy in your relationship with Father. That then turns into power….the power to stand up against the lies in HIS strength when they come to try and haunt you again. Ultimately, it leads to a relationship that is not shaken by the circumstances and storms that will come. Of course, this quote also applies to our relationship with others. I need to bring honesty into my marriage, into my friendships, into my relationships with family members. Being honest does not mean you strike out in your flesh (your coping mechanisms to survive apart from Father) and just tell people off. It means being honest with your feelings and thoughts about situations. It means admitting that you were wrong when you lost your temper when talking to your child. It means telling your spouse about your struggles instead of pretending you are doing fine. Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." John 8:31-32 (The Message) “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.” Ephesians 4:15, 16 (The Message) My prayer for you is that you continue to grow in truth. Read the Scripture below to see more of my prayers for you! “That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” Ephesians 1: 15-19 (The Message) I love you my sisters in Christ….I am praying for you! Suzanne So…..I experienced one of those horrible days where I was overcome by lies and totally ignoring the truth. Let me tell you, it was an agonizing day. You know the kind of day where you wish there really was an “Easy” button or a “Do Over” rule for life. After some sleep, prayer on my part and the part of many friends, I feel like a new woman today. Of course, this gloom and doom overtook me on the day I burned all of our lies. I think Father wanted me to go through that to know just how debilitating lies can be. I felt like a completely different person. I was not walking in the freedom He has promised me. I was allowing those lofty things to overtake the real truth, His Truth!
Maybe these pictures will give you a glimpse ino the experience. As they burned, all the letters and words disappeared, so that means whatever you believed is gone. It is wiped away. Now replace it with His truth. Here the lies were flying off and becoming ashes. That brought my mind to this scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3 (The Message) The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid (sluggish) spirit. He wants to share the Good News of his grace and love with you and all those He brings across your path.
Will you let Him do that through you? He wants to heal your broken heart. Are you willing to let Him do that? (Even if it is painful) He wants to free you from the lies that seek to bind up your heart and keep you captive. Will you continue to walk in the truth that you are a new creation and that He is continuing to do a good work in you? He wants to comfort you. Will you let Him? He wants to turn your ashes into something beautiful and glorious. Will you let Him transform you and your mind? He wants to give you messages of joy even in the hardest times. Will you listen to those words above all the other voices? He wants to give you a heart of praise instead of a sluggish, lethargic spirit. Will you shout out praises even in the midst of tears? He wants to invigorate your life with His life. He does not want to give you the strength to keep doing things your way. He wants to do it His way through you! Are you willing to let Him do that?? I ask myself these own questions as I am typing this. I love you all, and I have been praying for you. It is such a joy to see all of you at church, school, and in the community. Remember, you are loved and you are precious. I love you! Suzanne Next time I will share a little more of the prayer letter I read a portion of at SHE. Until next time, keep walking in the TRUTH! Dear Friends,
Last Spring we had a SHE event titled “Strengthening Her Endurance,” and my topic was “Persevere and Push Through.” As I was preparing for that event, I had certain people come to my mind to ask to share their journeys of perseverance. One of those beautiful ladies was Leslie Molbert Dame, the sister of one of my dearest friends. I shared part of Leslie’s words at that SHE event, but no one had a copy to take home. I am including her email to me in this blog for a few special reasons. Leslie passed away on Thanksgiving Day of this year, and her memorial service touched so many lives. Parts of this email were used that night as a way to share Leslie’s trust in Father even to the very end. My topic for the last SHE event was Best Editing. The last two points I made relate directly to Leslie: “Embrace Your Mission” and “Leave a Legacy.” Leslie embraced her mission, and she left a beautiful legacy. To read more about Leslie, you may also go to www.lesliestrong.org or like Leslie Strong on Facebook. Please continue to pray for her family. Her loss has been so hard on them and all of us. I pray her words will encourage us on the days we miss her. This blog is in honor of her and her infectious smile. Love you all, Suzanne Suzanne~ First, let me say I'm sorry I did not respond sooner! I wanted to have time to really think about and share with you what God laid upon my heart...so I took a couple of days to pray over it! I hope this hasn't messed up your time table! :) I have been reading a book by Beth Moore called Believing God. I wanted to tell you about it because it has just touched my heart so much. Many of the scriptures I am including God gave to me through this study! I am daily so inspired by the ways He reveals His promises and truths to me. I am more aware of the blessings in my life than ever before... Habakkuk 2:3: " But these things I plan won't happen quickly. Slowly , steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed." Romans 5:1-5: " Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord had done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us- they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 131, Psalm 107:19-21, Ephesians 6:16-17, Philippians 4:13, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalm 119 ( this psalm refers over and over to God's word, and all the ways that we as His children are revived, encouraged and given hope in His word), Ephesians 1:3-8, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17. Matthew 7:7-8, Joshua 1:9, Mark 9:23, Luke 1:37. ( I have a new living translation Bible) The most critical thing I have learned through my circumstances is that in order to endure, in order to be able to hold tight to my hope each day, in order to believe when to others I must seem silly: I must cling to His word. I never before understood the need to study, read and reread His promises- to commit them to memory, to truly hide them in my heart. There are moments each day (a multitude of them) when I am faced with fear, or discouragement, or sadness, or anger. And in those moments, I can call upon the Words of God that remind me to hope, that I am promised a future, that nothing can separate me from His love, that I am precious to Him- adopted into His family, that I can do all things, that His truth sustains me, that His words accomplish what they set out to accomplish, that He heals. I do this all day long. I say it aloud. I think it, I write it. I am learning what it means to meditate on His words. And I am so full of peace and strength when I do this...I wish it hadn't taken something like cancer to open the eyes of my heart. After all, how can we as children persevere when things seem impossible if we do not know what God promises? That He is indeed who He says He is, That He can do what He says He can do, That we are who He says we are, That through Him we can do all things, and That His words- His promises- are alive today, in us. We must know His truths in order to endure. They are there for the taking! And that in itself in a gift. The greatest thing about our God, to me, is that He is unchanging. He is today who He was yesterday. He fulfills His promises, He never rests, He loves beyond measure, nothing I ask of Him even begins to deplete the strength and power He has. Wow. That is more than enough to sustain me! I hope this helps, Suzanne. And thank you for using me. I am humbled by you asking. I'm looking forward to coming with Mom and Claire to the next workshop! I think Claire was going to get us tickets! Thank you for the prayers and love! They are felt daily! Love, Leslie Before the Shaping Her Expectations SHE event last October, I was chatting with a friend about our topic for the event. Her response when she heard it was expectations was, “Wow, expectations are the driving force of the world.” I reflected back on that recently and realized how true that was. Expectations often have deep emotions tied to them and when those expectations are not met, we become sad or depressed. Do you remember having expectations as a kid about what you would find under the tree on Christmas morning?? Then the morning came and you did not get what you wanted. You only focused on what you did not get, yet pushed aside what you did get. Your focus went from celebrating the joy of Christmas and Christ’s birth to having a pity party for yourself.
In her beautiful book, Silver Packages, Cynthia Rylant tells the story of a young boy who lived in a poor Appalachian town. Every year, a train would come and give presents to the children. The protagonist of the story was a young boy who dreamed of receiving a doctor kit year after year, yet that dream was never fulfilled by the Christmas train. He usually received socks, hats, mittens, or some other toy. He would walk away filled with disappointment every year. When he grew up, he became a doctor and ended up going back to the town her grew up in to practice medicine. He finally had a real doctor kit. As he watched children reach out for gifts his first year back, he realized that without the socks and mittens he received as a child, he would not have made it through the harsh winter conditions. He saw how each gift was perfect including the toys. He ended up giving them to his siblings to play with and he saw happiness fill their souls. His desires ended up causing him to pursue his dream, but his immediate needs were met as a child, and that was what he really needed. He did not know it as a child, but as an adul,t he can see it. Remember children are wonderful recorders, but horrible interpreters. When our expectations are not met, we need to ask Father what gift He was trying to give us. I think about the scripture in James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Many times our definition of “good” is very different from the way Father defines “good.” Go back and take a look at expectations and answer these questions (some of you may have done this at the SHE event in October.) · How would you define expectations? · Who do you place expectations on? · What do you expect of yourself? · Who do you feel places expectations on you? · How do all these expectations make you feel?? Take time to reflect on this. Share it with a friend. Talk to Father about it. Pray about it. Think about whether or not you need to release yourself or others of expectations. If you have high and lofty expectations on yourself, chances are that you place those same expectations on others. I want to leave you with a few expectations God has for us. · Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46 :10) Sometimes we need to just sit back and realize that. He has a purpose to accomplish in a way that seems unbelievable to us at times. Remember “For your thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” Isaiah 55:10 · Trust in Him and His word. Trust means to have confidence in or rely upon. Twila Paris wrote a song called “Do I Trust You Lord” and it really paints the picture of what we go through sometimes when our expectations are shattered! Lyrics to “Do I Trust You Lord?” Sometimes my little heart can't understand What's in Your will, what's in Your plan. So many times I'm tempted to ask You why, But I can never forget it for long. Lord, what You do could not be wrong. So I believe You, even when I must cry. Do I trust You, Lord? Does the river flow? Do I trust You, Lord? Does the north wind blow? You can see my heart, You can read my mind, And You got to know That I would rather die Than to lose my faith In the One I love. Do I trust You, Lord? Do I trust You? I know the answers, I've given them all. But suddenly now, I feel so small. Shaken down to the cavity in my soul. I know the doctrine and theology, But right now they don't mean much to me. This time there's only one thing I've got to know. Do I trust You, Lord? Does the robin sing? Do I trust You, Lord? Does it rain in spring? You can see my heart, You can read my mind, And You got to know That I would rather die Than to lose my faith In the One I love. Do I trust You, Lord? Do I trust You? I will trust You, Lord, when I don't know why. I will trust You, Lord, till the day I die. I will trust You, Lord, when I'm blind with pain! You were God before, and You'll never change. I will trust You. I will trust You. I will trust You, Lord. I will trust You. Rest in Him. Read Matthew 11:28-30. Remember His burden is light! Let go…are there expectations you need to just let go of ?? May He free you up my sister as He reveals truth to you this day! Love, Suzanne Sustenance is defined as something that supports life. What kind of life do you have?? Is your life supported?? Is it one that is willing to take the Band-Aid off and allow the healing to begin?? Or, is it one where you have been punished and enslaved by the lies the enemy leaks into your mind? Is your mind guarded or is it vulnerable?? Part of ripping off that Band-Aid involves honesty with yourself and with Father. Tell Him what you are really feeling deep inside. Reach out to Him. Call on that friend or friends we identified last week. Back in college at FSU, I had a friend named Amy. Once, I came to Amy grumbling and complaining about my life. Amy took a bold move that day, instead of just listening to me and bemoaning with me; she gave me a piece of advice. She told me that I needed to go sit and write a “Thank You Note” to God for all He had been doing in my life. I remember feeling a twinge of anger towards her as I began to write. Then, the victories and blessings came flowing into my mind like a soothing balm. It was then that I realized what her goal was. She wanted to change my perspective and reorient my eyes onto the “Author and Perfecter of my Faith.”
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” Hebrews 12: 1-3 (The Message) There are times when you feel like you cannot see past the moment that is blaring in your face trying to capture your attention. Those are the times when we all need to look back at what Father has done in our lives and what Jesus endured during His time on Earth. Those wandering, uncontrollable thoughts need to be reined in and refocused. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Your best bet is to stop them before they enter your mind. Anabel Gillham tells a story of the day a vacuum salesman got into her house, and she could not get him out. She heard a voice and just yelled come in, and of course, in he marched. His demonstration began right away with a cup of dirt scattered across the floor. Once he had crossed the threshold of her home, it was hard to get him out. He continued to show off his vacuum and proclaim the incredible features and the benefits of owning this product. Boy oh boy doesn’t that sound like the same old song and dance that the enemy tries to sell us at those moments when we are tired, angry, and weak. Once the thoughts get past the threshold of our minds, it is harder for them to be kicked back out again and replaced with truth. Charles Stanley, the pastor of First Baptist of Atlanta, shares an acronym called HALT to explain times when we need to stop and refocus our minds. These are times when that old song and dance tends to work on us more often. H: hungry….not just for food but possibly for love and attention A: angry… anger that is uncontrollable and all-consuming L: loneliness….these are times when you miss companionship, inclusion into a group, or just want someone to share your life and struggles with on a daily basis T: tired….when we do not get enough sleep…our minds are prone to wander HALT and find a friend to help you during these times. Yell out to Father and seek His face…proclaim what is true in the face of temptation and fallacies. Halt and read what God’s perspective is… Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. Isaiah 40:29-31 Keep on pressing on and running the race… Love your fellow runner… Suzanne |
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