You choose...

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ~Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT) 

Choices, choices...a word that has been coming up more and more frequently as 2014 came to a close and 2015 is in full swing. I remember using the phrase, "Make good choices." or "Think, are you making a good choice?" in my classroom very often this last school year. In saying that to a child, it gives them the feeling and knowledge that they are in control at that moment and they are. They are in control of making a good or bad decision and it gives them time to stop and think before they proceed. 

Isaiah 30:21 states, "If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. You should go this way.”"
  
Isn't it just something that the Lord speaks that way to us too? He is our Teacher and our Father so why wouldn't He speak to us like a parent/teacher speaks to their kids.  I actually do think that it is pretty funny when the Lord whispers to me, "Laryssa, are you making a good choice right now?" Then I must pause and think about it all the while being floored that HE has given me a choice. He guides us but think about that....HE gave us the right to choose! On top of that, He douses us with grace no matter what decision we make.

Google defines choice as, "an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities." We walk through our day not realizing that every step we take, getting out of bed in the morning, speaking kindly to others, and even a warm smile is the option to select and/or make a decision. The spectrum of choices is extremely broad and can range from washing your hands to skydiving.

The above verse talks about choosing life and what that looks like in a relationship with out Father God.  Choosing life has not been easy in this season, however I try to do it daily and it has brought such a peace about life circumstances and a new found joy in every trial and tribulation I face.  I look at the world around me and see so much misery and pain, this is not what we are called to.  1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." We are His chosen people, called out of darkness into the light. He chose us and we should choose Him and choose life!

I am pretty passionate about this subject right now and it gets me all fired up so sorry, not sorry about all my exclamation points and capital letters!!! Everyone has a story, everyone has had traumatic and awful experiences in their lives.  It's not about who has it worse or who has suffered the most, its about CHOOSING HAPPINESS in the face of adversity! This is what Deuteronomy 30:19-20 is referring to.

Now, I know I have made plenty of bad choices in my life. Some big ones I wish I could go back and change but that is not going to happen. However, I have come to learn that the Heart of the Father is grace, love, and redemption. I use to think that He was so angry at me and was going to punish me horribly for these choices but the great news is...that is not His heart!  He has redeemed some choices I have made and I can't begin to tell you that I still can't comprehend His love for me. He does use everything for good and now I am using these redeemed choices to speak to others and watch their healing begin. What an honor!


I began questioning my decision to move to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan....why did I give up the beach for the Arctic, why am I so far away from family and friends with my mom's sudden health issues, why did my best friend go to be with the Lord at such a young age???? God's answer to me was, "Because I gave you a choice Laryssa." I look back and realize, He opened every door for me to come here and closed all the other doors down south. He has allowed these things so I could learn, so I could grow, so I can be a light in the darkness. 


So today I choose to love the snow and its magnificent beauty. I choose to use my best friend's legacy and story as part of my testimony. I choose to hope that my mother will fully recover and if not I choose to believe that God is still using the situation to bring Him glory. I choose joy, because His joy is my strength. I want to encourage you all to choose life because He has called you out of darkness and to walk in His marvelous light. Remember that you are never alone, He is always with you.

"Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good." ~
Job 34:4 (NASB)

Let's Pray:
Papa God, "You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough." (Psalm 30:11-12). Thank you for blessing and entrusting me with choice, as well as calling me out of the darkness and bringing me into the light. Please help me to continue to know that you love me unconditionally no matter what choice I make. If I fall, please help me get back up and dust myself off and continue on this life path of living in Your light and Your love. Continue to speak to me in that still small voice, and guide me when I am making choices. Through the good and the bad, I choose to love You and trust You in all things. 
In Your Name,
Amen

ONE WORD for 2014

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." ~Luke 2:19 (NIV)

WOW! I am so sad that I have not posted in almost a year!  Well, I guess I am going to embrace 2014 as a new beginning with new goals and with One Word.

This OneWord365 is something new that I stumbled upon a couple days ago through one of my great friends and cherished leaders, Mary.  What a brilliant idea, to do away with New Year's resolutions and to have God choose one word to work on daily with him throughout the year.  It is a bit scary because this word will change the course of my thinking and my everyday life.  I feel that the word I am choosing was hand picked for me as I look back at this last month and the absolute craziness it has been.

This December has been the busiest December I can remember in my 33 years on this earth.  From work, to birthdays, to traveling and having some travelers here, to sinus surgery - there was no room to breathe (literally & figuratively). Throughout this month, God kept dropping the above verse in my heart and I felt the nudge to really think about what God had been telling me in my quiet time. 

Now, I am a woman and I thrive off of relationships, sharing, and building on others ideas. Even in my journaling, it is hard to not share with one of my close friends what God is sharing with me.  Plus, I know that sharing my heart with a safe person is smart and brings wisdom. However, I felt that there was some key things that God really wanted to share with me and only me, and that he wanted me to ponder these things in my heart as Mary did. Doing this takes time, not something I have much of these days.

I also have had this inner drive and dream to increase in wisdom.  During an inner healing session with a friend, we discussed what wisdom looks like. As I told her about things I said in certain situations and handling some situations - she would say this is what wisdom looks like and would paint a picture of what I could have said or told me great job in what I did say. Thinking about how I phrased my words and how I shared a testimony - that is growing in wisdom. To grow in wisdom, to ponder, and to hear God's voice all took one key thing: the ability to pause.

This thought of pausing was solidified at the Christmas Eve service when I was visiting Seacoast Church.  The entire message that Pastor Greg spoke on was on "Pause". This was part 4 of the series and it was titled, "The Pause That Brings Good News".  Right there on the top of the note sheet was Luke 2:19 - I almost jumped with excitement because I totally heard God say, "Hey Laryssa, yes I Am speaking to you!"  I sat there drinking in the different reasons to pause like pondering, organizing your thoughts, and relating. I couldn't soak it all in fast enough!  It was confirmation that I was definitely supposed to write about pondering and pausing. 

After  sinus surgery on the 27th, I was laying in bed surfing through facebook and came upon this One Word thing. I thought this would be great and I had a pretty awesome idea as to what my word would be since my theme seemed to be pause. Well, God had a different awesome idea! I looked through some of the word lists for ideas and there it was and it couldn't be more perfect : SELAH - to pause!  It is used 71 times in the Psalms and Wikipedia says, "The Amplified Bible translates selah as "pause, and think of that"." How cool is that!?!?

So there you go folks, my One Word for 2014 is Selah. On the surface, this seems like an easy word but the more I think about it, the more I realize it isn't.  I am going to have to pause and think before I react at work, with friends, in the car (yikes), and even in everyday conversations! So this year will be full of Selah, I hope that in these moments of pause I will grow in wisdom greatly, hear God better than ever, and ponder the secrets he has placed in my heart that bring a true smile to my face. :)

Let's Pray:
Papa, thank you for bringing me through 2013! Through trials, tribulations, and joyful moments you are always at my side.  Lord, I pray that you help me pause this year in all moments. Help me to hear and see you in everything around me, to stay focused on you and to "Selah" as I grow in wisdom. Help me to come boldly to your throne, where I will receive mercy and find grace to help me when I need it most(Hebrews 4:14-16), to guide me to pause. Thank you Daddy for loving me for me and for the blessings you have for me in 2014!
In Jesus's Name,
Amen!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!   #onewordthreesixtyfive #Selah #Pause                

Bitterness and Beauty

"Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics." ~ Ester 2:12

The many references to myrrh in the Bible have always fascinated me.  I continually wondered why it used in beauty treatments and given as gifts to kings.  We don't hear much about it in this day and age. I mean my  Christmas list doesn't include oil of myrrh, so what is the significance?  Well I decided to use some prior knowledge and do a bit of research on it.

The above verse speaks to me personally because I felt God calling me to give him a year (2012), to refocus on him and for some major healing and restoration to be done in my life.  When I read this passage, it confirmed that He wanted to take me through twelve months of beauty treatments.  Hmmm...so why the first six months with oil of myrrh?

The Hebrew word for myrrh is "Mowr" which means distilled and comes from the root word marar which means bitterness.  The process of distilling is defined by dictionary.com as "The purification or concentration of a substance, the obtaining of the essence or volatile properties contained in it, or the separation of one substance from another by such a process."  

Ouch!  That sounds a tad bit painful.  So this beauty treatment begins with God distilling me.  He is separating out the yuck from the greatness, and then purifying me.  Purifying and distilling isn't always such a pleasant thing, now is it?!?! But if the end result is purification, then bring it on!

Now, there is also the word bitterness, which is the root word of myrrh.  Well I thought that was weird but then remembered several years back when a friend told me to try some as a natural health remedy, almost an internal cleanse.  I purchased a bottle at the local health food store and did indeed try it.  The directions were to mix several drops with water or orange juice and drink quickly.....BLAH!!!  I never have or had tasted anything so bitter in my life and I am not even exaggerating a little!  There was not one ounce of pleasantness in drinking myrrh, at all.  I continued to try and drink some each day, but it made me physically sick so I gave up.  It was way to bitter for my body to handle.

The way myrrh is extracted from the tree is by piercing the center, or heart, of the tree and allowing the gum to trickle out.  Then the gum hardens into droplets referred to as tears, bitter tears. To me, this process represents Jesus's suffering at Calvary. Pierced in the heart by our sins, and crying bitter tears for our freedom.  When Ester was prepared with myrrh, it showed that God allowed her to share in His sufferings (especially for His people).

I must say that I was honored to go through this year with Jesus.  To have him pull all the yuck out, purify me, and to extract these bitter tears that helped bring freedom in many areas of my life.  It was well worth it because the following six months were followed by perfumes and cosmetics.  He replaced all those tears with seeds of joy, hope, and beauty.  

When Ester's year was up and it was her turn to go before the king, she was given whatever she wanted to take with her and she chose to just bring herself.  This speaks immense  measures about her character and about the woman I want to be before God.  Ester did not need bells and whistles to go before her king.  Nor do you or I need to bring anything excepts ourselves before Our King, to accept us or to adorn us with love!  He wants to purify you and even though it may be painful, it is well worth it in the end! 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Let's Pray:
Father God, thank you for the trials and tribulations of this life that help purify and extract bitterness out of me. Please help me remember that You will not give me more than I can handle and that each day is a purifying and beautifying process.  You are amazing Lord, and I know that your plan for me is the best there is yet, even though there will be bumps and bruises along the way.  In my weakness, you are strong! (2 Corinthians 12:10)
In Your Name, 
Amen

What Legacy Will You Leave?

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Recently, due to circumstances in my life and the lives of those around me, I have become keenly aware of how short life on this earth is.  This thought had been pestering me for several months and then I asked God, why this was such an important thought and why it had been plaguing me?  His answer was very clear, "Life on earth may be short but the legacy you leave behind can span for years, decades, or millenniums!"  It made complete sense at that moment, the cause behind this lingering thought was how will I be represented when I am gone and will my life boast of Him, and draw others unto Him?!?!

I cannot even begin to imagine what life on this earth would be like without God! How is it that so many go everyday without believing in Him or hearing His voice.  I know that I want some of His light to be shined on everyone I come in contact with, that is the legacy I want to leave behind.  Like 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, I want to fix my eyes on eternity with him and not the insignificant things that  I see day to day which are temporary.  

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV) The Lord has ordained my steps and each single day of my life.  He planned me before I was even conceived in my mother's womb and he knows how many hairs I have on my head (Psalm 139:13,15-16).  I am here to bring glory and honor to His name!  Would I be able to say that the decision I made yesterday or the words that come out of my mouth tomorrow are all for His glory?  Have I done all I can for the Glory of God?  No matter what the circumstances, miniscule or enormous, can I go on and say, "Bless the Lord, ALL my SOUL, He gives and He takes away, He will never leave me or forsake me," and these statements be truthful?

As these thoughts are running through my head, I stopped to reflect on them.  1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Do everything in love." So I stop, and I refocus, and rethink...hmmm...is this being done in love?  If I don't get my way, and I going to react in spite or in love?  Are these choices I am making glorifying God and building a great legacy about Him, through me?

Of course this has become a daily refocusing activity for me.  I am constantly stopping, taking a breath, and thinking if Jesus came tomorrow - how would these minutes play out in eternity?  Grumbling about my job, gossiping about a co-worker, or giving one of my students the stank eye because they upset me is not going to build me up, its going to tear Him down, and there goes a legacy moment where I could of responded and done something in love.  

I want to leave this earth and hope that I have somehow touched everyone's heart that I have come in contact with, in some tiny way.  Even if they feel His love through a simple smile - it is well worth it! Though I mess up (frequently), His grace is sufficient, it covers me, and that I have made a difference somewhere in this huge world.  No matter if my life plays out the way I thought it would or wanted it too.

Lets Pray:
Papa, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (~Psalm 139:14).  Thank you for everything that you have given me, for your unending forgiveness and love, and your grace that covers me.  Help me to leave a lasting legacy of Your love to each individual I come in contact with and remind me to walk my days out in love.  Help me to keep focus on the unseen things that will matter in eternity.  When I walk into your courts Lord, I want to hear You say, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"  I choose to walk in love no matter what my earthly circumstances may bring!
In Jesus's Mighty Name,
Amen 

God's Politics

 "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished." ~Romans 13:1-2 (NLT)

Politics, politics everywhere...I can't turn around without seeing a commercial, billboard, getting an email forward, or seeing cartoons on facebook having to do with our current leadership or the upcoming election.  At least 90% of these are all some sort of slander or ill comment toward the other party, or person.  In complete honesty, sometimes I think they are really funny or they are true and I used to pass them on, until I began to study this chapter in Romans.  I think I read these first couple of verses over about 5 times and really felt convicted about being a part of the trash talk and jokes.  Who am I to make jokes and slander our authorities that God has placed in leadership?  I should be praying for them and the decisions they are making since God has delegated them to be where they are.  It's a job that I would not be able to do or want!

As Christians, we lead by example.  So how is it that we constantly walk around, speaking negative about our current government leaders?  There is a difference between opinion and slander/judgment.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we shouldn't have an opinion or a choice, because I absolutely think we do!  President Obama is our president for a reason and according to this verse - God has placed him in this authoritative position.  I am not too proud of my example when I forward these trashy emails or cartoons and the longer repercussion of actually engaging in these activities.

I have been learning a great deal about sowing and reaping.  "⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." ~Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)  Our words are like fiery darts.  We are speaking and sowing curses over our government and our nation without even realizing it.  I don't want to reap the product of curses I am speaking over others.  Now with technology, I am sending curses with the click of a keyboard.  To think that something so tiny can become something so huge and come back to us is scary!

As a Christ - follower, I am called to speak and pray - truth, life, and blessings over those around me AND those in authority.  When I am making judgment on our government, I am basically saying that God made a mistake by ordaining these authorities.  When I choose to rebel against any authority, then I am rebelling against God.  I don't want to rebel against God or insinuate that He is making mistakes (because I know He isn't)!

As Christians, we should be constantly speaking blessings over our government and praying for them.  We should pray that they face each day with the Armor of God, with Godly wisdom, and pray blessings over them.  We should pray that God gives them vision and they can hear His voice.  Then we should pray for the future of our nation, that our future leaders are hand-picked, blessed, and ordained by God!  We aren't called to judge but we are called to pray. I would like to reap blessings, how about you?  "Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." ~James 3:18

Let's Pray:
Heavenly Father,  thank you for loving me so much that you have and will place the correct people over me at work, in government, and all around me in my everyday life.  Lord, I repent of speaking negativity and slander against my leaders and authorities and ask for your forgiveness.  Please help me to remember to pray for my government and my leaders, and to sow seeds of righteousness every day in my life.  Father, bless our president, nation and state governments and authorities with wisdom and protection.
In Jesus's Name,
Amen.

The Wilderness

¹⁴ "So I am going to attract her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. ¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope. There she will respond as when she was young, as when she came out of Egypt." ~Hosea 2:14-15 (NCV)

I recently prayed with a very good friend, a little sister, that I spent 5 months living with in New Zealand and Fiji while I attended YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in 2005-2006.  During our skype prayer time, God gave her this above verse for me and it seems to keep popping up everywhere since then.  It has kept coming up in devotions and messages at church.  I guess God really wanted me to dig in and study it a little bit more.  I wasn't really even familiar with the book of Hosea until we had that skype conversation!  The more these verses came up, the more I realized it fit so many situations in my life at the moment.

Hosea is an interesting book written by the prophet Hosea.  There are actually two parallel stories in it.  One is of God's unhappiness and disapproval with Israel, and the judgment He would bestow on them.  Things were going great for Israel and when things are great, they tended to forget about God and become unfaithful and rebellious.  The second story is about Hosea's marriage to his wife Gomer.  She was a prostitute and chose unfaithfulness over Hosea and their children.  This story is used as a metaphor for God's forgiveness and unending love for his children, Israel.

So back to these similar situations in my life.  The first parallel I realized was that I left many people in New York whom I loved dearly, to move to South Carolina.  This was no accident, it was because God "attracted" me to SC and he has led me into the "desert" where I currently am now.  No, not a desert in South Carolina - but a desert season of my life.  Yes the desert is a dry, hot, weary place but it can be fruitful.  It is fruitful because He is "speaking tenderly" to me here. He is healing my heart of the wounds and choices that weren't made with God in mind or heart.  He is "speaking tenderly" to me here because He loves me so much.  He is not an angry, vengeful God - He is a loving and caring Father.  I find happiness in this hot, dry desert because the heat of his love has me sweat out all those impurities and poisons from my wounds so I can heal!

Then He s going to "give me back my vineyards" when He is finished.  He will give me back and restore what the locusts ate!  "He will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope".  All the pain and doubt will give me hope for an amazing future.  I will be able to use this season to help restore hope to others!  That is so exciting!  He is able to turn around and use everything for his good. We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him... ~Romans 8:28 (NCV)

"There (in the desert at the door of hope), she will respond as when she was young" - that innocence and trust is regained, the wild abandonment of a child is rejuvenated in my heart.  "As when she came out of Egypt" - Oh how many times Lord have You taken me out of Egypt!  I can count five actual physical moves where God has taken me out of somewhere I shouldn't of been.  The joy and peace that followed was amazing and to know that is what He has in store for me is the best part!

So, being in the desert isn't a bad place to be!  God meets me here, He called me here, and He speaks tenderly to heal my broken heart here.  Then he restores my joy and hope for the future here.  Enjoy the desert with Him.  You will learn new things that you can't learn anywhere else.  On a side note, try not to grumble too much because then the 11 day journey may take you 40 years when it doesn't have too!  Do everything without complaining or arguing. ~Philippians 2:14  All is does it waste precious healing time anyway. ;)

You may not be in a desert season of life but how do these verses speak to your heart?  Are you running towards God or are things good so you are just coasting through, waiting for the next speed bump?  God wants to always meet you where you are and speak tenderly to your heart in every season.

Lets pray:
Father God, thank you for loving me so much that you call me back no matter what I may do to push You away.  Thank you for loving me through the hurt and pain, and using every circumstance to teach me.  In this season, show me where I am and continue to speak tenderly to me Lord. Help me to find joy and hope in every season of life. Please continue to restore my joy and hope and to help me be able to share this joy ad hope with others around me.
In Your Precious Name,
Amen.

My First Revelation - Titus

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. ~Jonah 3:3a

Before my first writer's small group, I went to pick up my wonderful friend Lindsay who is someone I look up to and learn from everyday.  She has four children whom she home schools and a wonderful, Godly husband who is like a big brother to me.  On this particular night, her husband was attempting to feed the kids dinner.  All of her kids (well the ones who are of speaking age), call me Auntie Ryssa.  As I walked in the door, her two oldest boys greeted me with hugs and "Hi Auntie Ryssa!"  Titus, her 2 almost 3 year old, was strapped into his chair at the table and was just screaming.  I tried to say hello but he just kept on screaming. Andrew (Lindsay's hubby) said to me that he was unhappy because he was restricted to his chair for being disobedient about his dinner.

I thought about this as we began out first five minute free-write in small group.  I was thinking about how he was crying and carrying on, and then his joy, smile, and pure love when he was able to leave the dinner table.  How funny that a simple reaction of a child can be so profound!  He was unhappy because of restrictions. How many times as adults, do we get upset, angry, and throw inner temper tantrums because of boundaries and guidelines that God gives us?  Sometimes we blatantly disobey God and the outcome of that is almost a restriction.  We are strapped down at God's table until we obey.

It is like Jonah disobeying God and not going to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3).  He ran the other way and got on a ship.  Because he chose to disobey God, he got swallowed by a whale.  I think that is a bit restricting, don't you?  Until Jonah decided to obey and until Titus decided to obey, they were being restricted.  The great thing is that when Jonah decided to obey, the fish spit him out (Jonah 2:10). 

The other great thing, that God showed me visibly, was when Titus obeyed - he was let out of his booster seat and had the joy that came with freedom!  The best news yet is that when we obey God, He brings us freedom!!!  When Jonah obeyed, he was freed from the fish.  When Titus obeyed, he was freed from the dinner table.  God brings us freedom from those things that hold us back when we disobey.  And with that freedom comes JOY, unspeakable true JOY! 

God showed me all this through observing a child for five minutes.  What are your internal temper tantrums holding you back from?  What has God asked you to do that you have refused and it is causing you to be strapped down? Remember, He knows what is best for us and would never ask us to do something that isn't.

Let's pray: 
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to die for me on that cross and for always knowing what is best for me.  Lord, please reveal to me any disobedience that may lay hidden in my life.  Show me how to live in true obedience to You.  Thank You Lord, for Your freedom and fullness of joy and for allowing me to walk in it!
In Your Precious Name, Amen.