God's Girl Getting Real authentically sharing the Christian walk

My Mama used to say, “You’ve got a bad case of the I wants!” She was right, and I still have them.

From the days when Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt and Calvin Klein jeans ruled, I was never satisfied with my Levi’s. My beer pocket book and champagne taste, (another saying of my Mom’s), have always been diabolically opposed.

Over the years my wants grew from designer jeans to cars, houses, and the perfect image of success. I wanted it all and I didn’t mind working hard to get.  So, off to work I went… and eventually the American Dream paid off. I had the complete package. A happy family, beautiful house, cars and a closet full of designer jeans. Plus a full time job in ministry- my dream life was complete.

God was so good to me!

So good… that He couldn’t leave me there.

Where was I you might ask? I was caught in the trap of believing that if you work hard, live right, and love God with all your heart then everything here on earth works out to your advantage.  I mistakenly thought that the material rewards of my hard work where somehow connected to God’s love and His approval.

Then I got sick and God blew up my theology.

I wanted Him to miraculously heal me without traditional medicine. He didn’t.

I wanted Him to protect me from pain and the side effects of the medicine. He didn’t.

I wanted to know why He allowed me to suffer so much. He was strangely silent.

Instead of answering my wants, He answered my needs. By withholding what I wanted He opened my eyes to see what I truly needed.

I needed unshakable faith.

I needed to develop perseverance.

I needed joy that wasn’t determined by my circumstances or the jeans in my closet.

Today, I still want. I want all that life has to give and I’m not ashamed to admit it. But now, more than material things, I want health and more time. I want to not freak out when I get a bad doctors report or when my teenager makes a bad decision. I want to consider my trials joy.  I want peace that surpasses my understanding. And most of all I want to be counted among the faithful when I stand before God. I want to not lack anything and I realize that this is God’s goal for me too.

I am thankful for the pain and suffering God allowed me to experience. While I haven’t yet attained the goal of maturity, I have come to the place of realizing that suffering and trials are the tools God uses to develop us. I’m thankful He loves us enough to give us what we need and not what we want.

This is my prayer for you too! May God always give us what we need and not what we want.

Sheree

Sometimes I need God to dance around in front of me holding a sign saying, “Look Here!”… And sometimes he does.

Over the last several months I’ve noticed on numerous occasions a young man dressed in neon colors dancing on a local street corner on my way home from work. For the longest time I couldn’t figure out what he was up to until last week when I finally noticed he was wearing a bunch of gold chains and pointing to a store with a sign that said “We Buy Gold.”

The mystery was finally solved, but you know me… I couldn’t help but wonder what else God might have wanted me to see besides the reason this young man was dancing. No doubt, He obviously wanted me to see the sign about the gold.

Maybe my mind is working overtime, but I started thinking about why people sell their once precious jewelry and what happens to it in the new owner’s hands. Was there something God wanted to show me in this? I think so…

Like the exchange of gold, sometimes we sell our own selves off because we just want something new and sometimes circumstances force us into seasons of change. Either way our fate is often like that of the gold. We too are put in the melting pot for the purpose of reshaping.

While I love the idea of something new and different, I don’t particularly like the idea of going through the melting pot to get there. Which brings me to my current melting pot; it’s called the empty nest.

For years I’ve looked forward to the time when it would just be my husband and I again. Downsizing was looking good.  I thought I was ready. I thought the transition would be easy. Little did I know, there are layers of mothering and possessions that need to be burned off. It’s harder to let go than I thought it would be.

But this week God danced around in front of me holding a sign that said, “Look Here!” He reminded me that while transformation is uncomfortable for a season, the results are worth it. By putting myself in the Owners hands and allowing Him reshape me He will make me shine again in a new way.

Life is full of transitions and God is in the business of transformation. The question is, will we yield to the melting pot and allow Him to burn off the old to prepare us for the new thing He wants to do in and through us?

What about you? Are you in a season of transformation that is hot? Leave me a comment and share how God is reforming your life.

Blessings,

Sheree

Do your ears itch?

One of the lasting side effects I have from radiation therapy has been an itching in my right ear accompanied by some hearing loss. It’s annoying, but I happen to believe that everything has a purpose, including this.

This past weekend I finally started my book. (YEAH!) I’m still not sure what the title of the book will be, but the title of the first chapter is “Blindsided.” In it I explore the blind spots we leave exposed and the reasons we’re caught off guard when trouble hits.

As I have reflected on my own blind spots and the things that caught me totally off guard in my battle with cancer I’ve realized it wasn’t necessarily the diagnosis of cancer. The big thing that blindsided me was the tension between my expectation of what God would do about my cancer and what actually happened.

I know what you’re thinking… “What does this have to do with itchy ears?”

Like many American Christians I have been guilty of surrounding myself with teachers who said what my itchy ears wanted to hear, (see 2 Timothy 4:3). Consequently I suffered from some spiritual hearing loss. For years I heard, read, studied and claimed the scriptures that I liked and overlooked ones I should have paid more attention to. I didn’t do it on purpose; it was just easier to accept the scriptures that inspired hope and gloss over the ones shouting warnings I should have heard.

My real life itchy ears and hearing loss have been a constant reminder for me to lean in to God’s word to hear exactly what it says. I no longer feel the urge to pass over the hard to read parts. Now they are music to my ears. Below are a few of my favorites:

• It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
• Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
• Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. 1Peter 4:12-13

Notice these aren’t the typical scriptures we plaster on our refrigerator. Nor would they get a “like” response on facebook. No one likes suffering, but it’s part of the Christian walk. God wants to grow our character and suffering is a tool He often allows us to endure so that we can know His decrees, not lack anything and truly be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.

When I satisfied my itchy ears with lopsided teaching I left a huge blind spot for the enemy to attack. Because I didn’t think God would allow me to suffer, I was shocked when I did. Now I know that affliction is good for me. I do consider it pure joy to know that God loves me enough to not leave me lacking. By participating in suffering I am all the more overjoyed that God’s glory was revealed through my healing.

So, I ask again… Do your ears itch? Do you surround yourself with teachers and scriptures that only tell the parts you like to hear? Are you leaving a blind spot open that the enemy can use to catch you off guard?

Much Love,

Sheree

Can God speak through a movie? You be the judge.

This past weekend I saw a great faith based movie called “Home Run.” The storyline followed a pro baseball player who struggled to overcome his past hurts and current addictions while being forced by his agent to attend a 12 step Christ centered program called Celebrate Recovery. The movie did a great job of communicating our need for redemption as it highlighted the ministry of Celebrate Recovery. It also communicated a message to me that I needed to hear.

This message came from a single line in the movie that was repeated twice by two different characters. It was first used by the protagonist as he encouraged his skittish son to step closer to the batting plate and then later repeated by this son to his mother who fearfully held back in her relationship with his father. The line… “Nothing good happens when we hold back.”

If you follow my blog you know that I feel called to write a book. In my last two blog posts I’ve shared two things that have kept me from moving forward on that project. Frist I shared my desire for a personal word of encouragement from God to get me going. Then last week I admitted that the thing holding me back is me. This week God not only gave me a word of encouragement, He also gave me incentive to step up to the plate and swing for the fence.

I saw through the examples in the movie that when we put our fears aside and stop holding back, God can do great things. It made me ask myself what could happen if I stopped holding back. What good thing could I be missing because I’m afraid to step up to the plate?

As I’ve reflected on the possibilities I’ve come up with a few thoughts:

• The worst thing that could happen is that I get hit by the ball. I learned this lesson a long time ago from my mother. Prepare for the worst; expect the best and then nothing can disappoint you. The worse thing that could happen is that I fail at writing… so what; at least I’ve obeyed God and put the results in His hands.
• Holding back doesn’t affect just me. When I let fear keep me from stepping up to the plate, (i.e. writing the things God has shown me), I’m limiting what God can do in and through me for others.
• Excuses are just that… excuses.  I can blame my schedule, lack of knowledge or unclear direction from God-  but really those are just excuses keeping me from stepping out in faith. God has already told me what He wants me to do.

What about you? What good thing could you be missing because you’re holding back? Like me, have you been afraid of the sting of the ball? If so, let’s take a step of faith together and see what good things God can do through yielded vessels.

Leave a comment sharing the step God is calling you to take toward the plate today.

Blessings,

Sheree

We all do it… we set goals with the expectation to follow through. We start the project, join the gym, make our plans and put our stake in the ground; determined that this time it will happen. Our intentions are good, but when they meet resistance the result is often unmet goals.

Last week I made a personal commitment to write a blog post every Monday and post it on Tuesday. Right now it’s Tuesday morning and I am just now starting to write. Why??? Why didn’t I follow through yesterday like I so boldly committed to last week?

I’d love to tell you that I have an excuse and I could come up with a few good ones.  Yet, truth be known, I can only blame myself.  I am the one who didn’t follow through on my own commitment; but why? What was holding me back from doing what I really want to do; what I set out to do?

As I considered this, I thought about a time in my life when I explored a career as an artist. It was something I was passionate about, but I often found my passion lacked follow through.  I would have an idea for a painting, gather all my supplies and plan a day to paint. Then… blank canvas in front of me I would suddenly feel compelled to unload the dishwasher, start a load of laundry or return a phone call. I just couldn’t bring myself to start.

Why did I let the mundane override my dreams and goals? Perhaps it was my own insecurities about the outcome or simply my own laziness. Either way the thing holding me back was me.

Why is it that we know what we need to do to reach our goals, but we are unable to muster the will power to achieve them?

While I never became the artist I set out to be, I did learn a valuable lesson about will power through art. Despite my procrastination, something amazing would happen as soon as I put the first stroke on the canvas… my creative juices would ignite and before I knew it I had a completed painting. Through this I learned that unless I started somewhere, it wasn’t going to happen.

So… today I determined to put the first stroke on the blank computer screen and wa-la… I have a blog post. It’s amazing to see what God can do when we take the first step.

What about you? Have you experienced trouble putting the first stroke on the canvas so to speak? If so, here are 5 things to consider:

1. It will never happen unless you start it.
2. Quit worrying about the end result and focus on the first step.
3. Ignore the dishes in the sink. (At least for a little while.)
4. Remember the reason you set the goal.
5. Find someone to hold you accountable. (P.S. This is why I told you about my goal of writing and posting once a week.)

Finally I’ve realized that the only thing holding me back from achieving my goals and dreams is me. When I put away my excuses, stop doubting my ability and give the end results to God it’s easier to take the first step.

What about you? What dream or goals have you yet to move forward on, and why? Leave me a comment and share your experience.

Blessings,

Sheree