APRIL 25TH, 2020 "WHAT'S IN YOUR GARDEN?"

“WHAT’S IN YOUR GARDEN?”

“Are you planting and developing flowered thoughts, as well as, flowers?”

Or

“Do you need to weed things out that are causing distractions and choking out God’s plan for your life?”

by:  Shirley Faith Souder                                                                    Date: April 24, 2020

            Most likely you got as excited as I did a few days back, when we had those 70-degree days with sun.  It was amazing to see people out walking, and getting things at Home Depot, as well as, Walmart to start on garden and other work projects.  Sunday morning, I went very early to the grocery and it felt like the good old days. I saw plants boxes and flowers pots, hanging fern pots were swaying in the breeze.   The shelves were stocked, and just a hand full of people were there.  I did see one person with a mask, which brought me back to reality and that we are still in this very serious new normal.  After I watched the sermon on Sunday, it got me to thinking about how we long to get into spring and start planting everything new.  To watch it come up in its colorful array is something I can’t wait to see.  It got me to thinking about the Garden of my heart.  What is planted there that is about to spring out?  What weed will come along and distort that or crowd it out?

            Instantly, I thought of the parable of sower.  Matthew 13: 3 through 9.  Seeds are important for growth.  We put the seed in the ground.  We want good ground with fertilizer, and watering is key.  Paying attention to and guarding whether the soil is moist and receiving the nutrients.  We do NOT want that seed to fall on hard, parched by the sun ground.  We do not want to forget about the silent weeds that will also choke our new plant.  When you apply that to what’s going on in the Garden of my heart, I could see a real parallel.  The ground is my personal relationship with Jesus.  The seed is the inerrant Word of God, and then we fertilize that relationship by pure thoughts and actions.  The final act is of watering that with prayer, and worship for our Holy Father God.  Sounds really easy doesn’t it? Simple, Flawless! 

            So, I am making this simple this week.  1). Read Matthew 13: 3/9.   2).  Ask yourself these questions:

What seeds good or bad am I planting that require me paying attention to and guarding?  What outside things or people could be distracting, hindering or choking out my ministry, God’s purpose for my life?  Am I harvesting good, colorful, healthy, thoughts and actions wherever I am?  Am I making good choices about what I think, do and pray about?

And finally, 3). Remember Phil 4: 8.  Whatsoever is true, pure, right, noble, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy and excellent, think only on these things.

APRIL 17, 2020. CAN YOU SAY YES TO THE WAYS JESUS IS WORKING I N YOUR LIFE TODAY?

WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM SAYING YES TO JESUS!

“CAN YOU SAY YES TO THE WAYS JESUS IS WORKING IN YOUR LIFE  T O D A Y?”

By:  Shirley Faith Souder

            Faith 2 Voice               Psalm 61: 1/4                                     April 17^th, 2020

           

And, my answer this morning during devotions, was; a resounding “NO!”

Hey, Lord, I’m tired of trying to pretend things are normal in an abnormal situation.  I’m exhausted trying to be grown up. I don’t even want to be a role model of spiritual maturity TODAY!   What are you trying to teach me (us) in this Covid -19 nightmare?  I just figured out that this isn’t normal and I don’t know where to find normal.  There is no way to know what each day holds.  One of the analogy’s I coined this morning was I felt like I was up on this diving board at the top of the coliseum and I was trying to see the pool or where to jump in.  No matter what pair of glasses I tried on, even the rose-colored ones, I couldn’t see it.   And, yet I was told to jump!  Where is all that Faith and Trust I keep reading and writing about?  I hear myself getting irritable and my perspective is way off.  My imagination is running rampart!!!  I don’t see any good coming out of this, yet your Word says in Romans 8: 28, how you work all things together for good.  So, NO!  I don’t like any of this.  All I am getting out of that whole chocolate comfort food thing is growing numbers on the scale.  People are different, I am getting different.  My sleep cycle is so out of whack I can’t even remember what was normal.   Of course, I love the sermons and the challenges lately.   Of course, I am reading the Word, and of course I am praying.  But, guess what?  In less than 24 hours, I ‘ve grown another thorn of wrong-heart attitude.  CAN YOU RELATE?  If not stop reading.

            Last week before Easter weekend I wrote about rolling the stone of your heart away.  I got such a dose of that myself, it is humorous now.  But not then.  They say don’t pray for patience, because you are going to get to practice that one in spades. That very week before Easter, the week I wrote that article about rolling the stone away from your heart, I found myself thrown under the bus.  In conflict with myself as well some input from others.  What did I do?   I opened up the door to the enemy big time, by just lying there and letting the bus run over me.  After the sermon on Sunday, I took all my “well-meaning” issues on a prayer walk and laid them at the cross.  Are you impressed?  Don’t be.  Yep, 24-hours later, it took just one little tiny thought to creep in.  “How long can this go on, I can’t stand this one more minute?”  “Enough is enough!”  From there it just grew into a real full-blown attitude.  The committee in my head all agreed with the CEO analogy you know!  And, away we went. After all,  God needs a junior Holy Spirit and I am applying for the job.  “Dear God, you have 24- hours to get this mess cleaned up and I have the five-point plan that will clean this all up!”

           

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            How is that working for you Shirley?  Ah!  It is not.  The bottom line is, and I believe this with all my heart, friends:

            He reminded me that I can always come to Him with my rants and raves.  I have a bestie who says, how she even has gone around stomping her foot and yet knows God still loves her and It’s okay.  I love that!  Barbara Moon in her book Reframing the Hurts in Your Life,  confirms that analogy to be true.

Psalm 61: 1 – Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. (2) From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

            There is that whole Rock thing again.  No matter how we act out, we need to go to Him with a CONVICTED heart.   And, that we repent of our temper tantrum. . . Psalm 61: 3 For you have been my refuge a strong tower against the foe.  You bet He is. I am convicted I opened the door to the enemy by not putting on my armor (Gal 6: 26 etc.) and recognizing that the enemy was beckoning me to the pit.  My COMMITMENT Lord, is this, I will hang on and trust you, even though this crazy abnormal stuff is going on.  Even though it sucks and I am beside myself with fretting, fussing, stewing and steering I will . . .vs 4 long to dwell in your tent forever, and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  Thank you, Jesus that I can trust that CHANGE will come.  Holy Spirit show me what I need to know and help me manage what I don’t know.  Shed light on this situation so I can see which way to go.   I promise to keep being aware that the minute that one word, or sentence pops up in my head I will come to you and say “Jesus help the girl!”

            Your TOOLS are the three C’s.    Convicted – Committed – Changed

            1.         Remember it is okay to freak out when you don’t know what is happening.

            2.         Cry out to the Lord -  Psalm 61: 1

            3.         Repent – Lay it down – in your heart you know He has this!

            4.         Be convicted by recognizing when you are getting sucked into abnormal

                        thinking.

            5.         Be committed to want His help and grace and mercy.

            6.         Accept the change he has for you and will show you how to manage this.

            Your final knowledge here is, that this is not a one-time STEP.  Oh, I am better now.

You get to practice this until it’s a piece of cake, and it makes the enemy run for cover.

            Disciplines take six weeks to take hold.  Practice, Practice, Practice.  Say Yes!

APRIL 10TH ARTICLE FOR FACEBOOK

HAVE YOU ROLLED AWAY THE STONE FROM YOUR HEART?

The Tomb is Empty, where is Jesus now?

by:  Shirley Faith Souder                                            Matthew 28: 1/7

April 10^th, 2020

           

In all of my life, I never thought I’d be quarantined from celebrating Good Friday and Easter Day Sunday in the church of my home and choice.  Never Ever!  Yet, here we are!  So, I got to thinking about what I wrote last week, and what Pastor Stuart spoke on this past Sunday (Palm Sunday).  Jesus had to decide. To understand or to trust. It became a two-part prayer.  Father God, would it be possible for you to take this away, I give up. . . Thy Will be Done as it is in heaven.

Normally, we are planning which church service to attend, an Easter Egg Hunt for the grandkids, or kids, what time to eat and what to eat.  Who is coming?  Can we all get to church together and can we do it with two cars?

With all this time on my hands and no church service to attend.  No family to be with, I got to thinking about the Rock they rolled away.  Who did that?  Does it even matter?  What matters is, that Jesus was not there and we became sin free.  From there a question began to form . . .” Have I or You Rolled Away the Stone from Your heart?”  Where is Jesus for me and you today?  And, what about those you are currently concerned and praying for?

            I grew up in the Lutheran Church and I remember Easter from that perspective.  I did not pay attention to whether Jesus was sent to the cross to pay for my sins.  When I became a Christian 48 years ago God certainly began peeling the onion for me.  Which means, He has had to show me the hard way what a true heartfelt relationship with Jesus means.  I have had a really difficult time thinking about that process.  It took my breath away to watch that movie “The Passion.”  It was convicting and painful.  It drove me to be sure I lived up to what He did for me (us). I have had to listen, evaluate, be convicted, make a commitment, and be hopeful for change.

 This time that we have been asked to stay at home, as we wait to see what happens in our own spheres of influence, has been crucial for my own examining and letting the Lord again do some deeper peeling.    I am so thankful for Him preparing me a little bit prior to the shelter in place process.  I am letting Him speak to my heart.   I have not been quite so thankful over the last 12 months as a new widow. So, that is what prompted me to write this to you.  And, ask you, where are you today? What has this brought to your mind and spirit?  Are your emotions racing?   You could have little kids, or teenagers who are relentlessly bored, or a husband wanting to know what’s to eat?  What are you thinking?  Are you scared?  Are you

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holding your breath? Do you want to roll away the stone of self-protection and busyness?  Do you want to listen?

Yesterday, I decided not to take Jax to the park.  We walked around the 3 acres here and then over to the cemetery.  I looked at all the stones and their dates.  1853 to 1905.  The mausoleum was full of course, but you need a key to get in and see all those historical dates. I didn’t feel weird or sad, or think what will mine say on it.  I just thought how serene it is here and those reminders are just about someone who isn’t even here now.  It does, however, prove they were.

It was then that I realized how important, crucial, significant, and clearly prudent it is that I(we) need to answer that question. “Have I rolled the stone from my heart?” Did I roll that great big, almost immovable rock of “life’s stuff” away and let Jesus walk right into my heart and life?  When?  What have I done with Him since then?  Has He been the center of my being, the true treasure of priority in my life?  Do I trust Him to walk hand in hand with me through this journey of uncertainty?  Isaiah 41:3. “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.”

            There is no need for rocket science here everyone.  I’m just wanting to share with you how important this question is for me; and then also ask you, what are your thinking about this Good Friday/Easter Sunday morning?  We have lots of time to think and put order into our lives. You could be caught up in all kinds of things.  I convicted to be closer, discern more, change what needs to be changed. So, let me suggest that you advantage of praying more, reading scriptures, memorizing them, asking Him to point out things you need help with to further the kingdom like He asked in scriptures.

            I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be caught frittering away my time trying to understand how did that rock get moved.  There is a story I read in a borrowed book that I love.  This man wanted more time with Jesus, so he moved out into the woods and into a cabin all alone.  He asked Jesus, what do you want me to do?  Jesus said. . .” I want you to go out into the yard twice a day and push on that ROCK for 15 minutes.”  So, he did.  For days, for weeks.  The enemy came along and said. . .” See I could have told you your great God, would give you something dumb to do and see, you are failing at it.   That rock hasn’t moved one 16^th of an inch; look at yourself, how pathetic pushing on a rock.”  So, the man went inside and called out to Jesus.  “Why, what are you doing to me.  Do You want me to fail?  I have been pushing on that rock like you said, and it hasn’t moved at all.  Why?”  Jesus showed up.  And, said “I never said to you that you needed to push on the rock and move it.  I said, “All you have to do is just push on it like I asked.  It is my job to move it.  Yours is to trust and do what I asked.”   I love this analogy and it says it all. 

            God moved the rock His way, and the tomb is empty.  His Son set us free.  All we have to do is Trust, Pray and Seek Him to set us free from anxiety right now.  Worship and Praise Him

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this Easter Sunday.  Lift yourself, and your family to Him to ask for peace and calming through this very hard time.  He has meant it for our good, He is using it to get our attention.  I pray you are paying attention.  Call on Him to come get you and He will sing over you.  To touch your family with His perfect love.  To help those who have lost loved ones through this, who

have been healed through this, and who came to Jesus through this time.  Pray for those who need to open their hearts and lives to let Him in now.  Let us push the rock, by Seeking Him first.

Let Him move the rock.

           

           

'GETTING IN THE RING WITH UNDERSTANDING VS. TRUST! Who Will Win?

“GETTING IN THE RING WITH UNDERSTANDING VS. TRUST”

Who  Will Win?

by:  Shirley Faith Souder

DATE:  April 2, 2020                      Psalm 56:3. When I am afraid, I will put my Trust in the Lord.

            There was just no way I was going to post or write a topic on April Fools Day, April 1^st.  Oh! That is right, I am a Christian and I can’t be superstitious. Sometimes we just need to be real and you know that we can get into some real FEARFUL modes, we can HYPERVENTILATE, and have PANIC attacks.  So, we might as well admit we do slightly turn our heads at the word April 1^st – April Fools Day.

            I don’t know about you but God is peeling the onion right now for us all.  There are many stories I hear from friends and acquaintances. And, also many situations coming from my clients and family.   It is quite unfortunate that there are families breaking up.   Yet many are enjoying the new time together and are finding fun, unity and peace.  There is however, some who are angry, depressed, getting high cabin fever, and shouting “Why God, Why?”

            So, Tuesday night I was doing the “Why God, Why” routine, and somewhere between 3PM and 10PM, I began to hear one word.  UNDERSTAND!  “You have to understand everything, how is that working for you?”  Was that my voice, or God’s voice?  Hands down, that would, for me, be God’s voice.  I never reprimand myself for wanting to understand, evaluate, and fix everything.  It needs done so go do it.  Figure it out. Fix it.  Of course, I can’t fix a car, or put a new table together from Kohl’s.  However, I can try to figure “it” out, understand why did that happen?  I must understand why did that person behave that way.  What would make her do that, or him?  I have been told many times that I need to know why the next-door neighbor’s dog wants to do his business in my yard. (Nice version). Naturally, I had to dig around and figure out why God was showing me this and what exactly would I need to fix in case that was his plan.  On April 1^st that morning it all came together during devotions.  I use several types of

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devotions and the word came up, once again in the Bible, as well as in what I was

reading.  TRUST!  Do you trust Me to be in your daily life?  I got my journal out and drew a boxing ring.  I thought it is true Lord, that I have to, need to, insist on, understanding everything.  And, then evaluate how can I fix it.  Or make suggestions on how to fix it.

So, I put me in the corner on the chair with the tee shirt that read I am UNDERSTAND, Champion of How to Fix It.  In the other corner I put Jesus on His stool with the banner that read I am JESUS – TRUST ME/I GOT THIS!

In the middle of the ring with the bell is Satan, our enemy who is facing me with that typical smirk.  “She’ll come back even if she loses this fight!” 

WHO WILL WIN!   Many of you will relate to this crossroads.  Life is quite interesting enough to deal with all the many changes and events that happen to each of us.  Even when I get a sinus infection, or the stomach flu, I need to get my calendar out and figure out where was I when I picked up that germ and from whom.  We want to know why our teens say the things and do the things they do when we worked so hard to teach them otherwise.  This virus has thrown us curves we simply are having a very difficult time working through. 

As I sat there yesterday morning working through the differences between Understanding and Trust, I looked up at my 2020 Commitment page pinned to the wall.  “I want Understanding, Discernment and Prudence to be key in my life in 2020.”  As you can see there is nothing about Trust and letting God talk to me about His plan or purpose for me in 2020.  Guess What?  Nothing has happened yet in three months, going on four, that I had wanted to see happen.  Everything from having my own kind of virus in January – February, which took steroids to get rid of, and then this one comes along to scare the bijibbers out of us (me).

TRUST!  What is that?  We read about it constantly in the Bible.  All my Christian experience, I have heard about it from Joyce Myers, Chuck Swindol, Neil Anderson, Jesus Calling devotional and Daily Bread, to name a few. While I understand I am supposed to have Trust for God;  what does that look like, feel like, taste like?

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Oh! That must mean I have to give up something and let my Holy Father God take care of it.  His Word is very clear.  It is something we must discipline ourselves to do.  We must in the end go there and read His Absolute perfect inerrant Word.  I found making 3 X 5 cards with verses on them that you need like Psalms 25 is very affective.  It says. . .  Show me, guide me, lead me and then I will have hope in Him all day long.  Psalm 25: 4 and 5.  Psalm 25: 1 says. . . Unto you Oh Lord, do I bring my life.   Psalm 25: 15. Mine Eyes are on the Lord, for He and only He will release my feet from the snare.  What snare?  Our enemy loves for us to think we can handle this, we can figure this out.  God won’t do it fast enough.  And, there you have it, that free will thing, again.  Plus, you add in our enemy who wants total distraction and destruction for us all.  He wants you to talk to yourself about how you must not look weak.  Or, like you can’t handle this.  And, his personal favorite. . .you are not smart enough to do this.  How unworthy of you.  All kinds of committee talk that instantly takes a hold up in our minds.  And, then that’s all we hear after that.

Bringing this all to our current day’s events, is even more mind boggling.   A man who calls himself President and Governor just told me I can’t go anywhere unless I have to get those essential things.  I can’t get my hair cut, or colored?  I can’t go to the restaurant and have lunch with my friend.  Go to the Post Office, run out and get lipstick at Walmart because I forgot it last visit two days ago.  Sounds very American doesn’t it.  Christian and Non-Christian alike.  We have been set down to think and put our trust and priority in Jesus Christ.  He has the ultimate say-so.  That is very daunting to some.  I must trust Him to help me wait, to become creative, and pray more.  To come to Him more.  To TRUST in Him.  He has this under control.  He knows best.  Of course, we can choose to not do that also.  I made the choice to surrender and not call it defeat in the ring.  I chose TRUST!

To accompany this awesome aha moment, I turned to my Daily Bread devotional on April 1^st and there was the confirmation.  Jesus had to do the same thing.  DID YOU HEAR ME?   JESUS HAD TO DO THE SAME THING!   

Leave understanding, bow to His heavenly Father and TRUST the outcome.

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The Two sides of Prayer according to Jesus Christ.

Luke 22: 42.  Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

Elisa Morgan writes about how Jesus had to decide between understanding and trust.  He really didn’t want to have to go through that event of sacrifice.  But He gave it up and surrendered to TRUSTING his Father for the outcome of glory that was given to us all as a gift.  Freedom.  It is a CHOICE though isn’t it.  We have that free will thing going on, don’t we?

So, let’s put it into today’s situation.

            Hey, Father God, I don’t want to do this shelter in place thing, it is not convenient to me.  I will lose all my employees, and I won’t be able to pay the rent.  Or, Hey Father God, I don’t want to do this, I am a single mom, who just lost my daily income, what will we eat in 30 days, what and how will I make my car payment, put this virus somewhere else or put it down now.  Here’s some suggestions how to do that. . .!

            Okay, okay, so okay, I give up, you have always taken care of me (us), I will put my trust in you, I commit to believing and rejoicing and knowing you will show us the way and bring all things together for good, according to the Lord.

            Psalm 34: 10

            “Those who trust in the Lord lack no good thing” NLT

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FINAL COMMENTS:

            For me it is so fiercely comforting that my Jesus has been through things like I (we) have to go through.  I am so relieved to know our God isn’t sitting up there pointing and judging me (us). 

            I had to do some very important and strategic thinking about the WHY question.  How is it, why is it that a group of individuals can make up a deadly virus to kill me.  They don’t know me, or you.  They didn’t get our permission to do that.  This applies to any and all life’s crossroads.  Why does anyone get to plan something that changes or alters my life as well, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.  Is it God’s plan for all those people in China, Italy and America (the World) to become sick and die?  Is it His plan for me (us)?  And, if we are spared, WHY are we spared, did we TRUST Jesus more than they did?   I believe, God once again, showed me that thing that Billy Graham always said in his books and speeches.  He talked about that free will thing that makes people do selfish acts. “ It would never be God’s plan for any of us to be distracted and destroyed.”  So, then God, goes to work on Romans 8: 28 of bringing all things together for good, on our behalf.  Meaning;   What the enemy meant for harm, God brought good out of it.

            And, so there it is.  TRUST!  Do we like having this happen?  No!  Do we want to agree to have to go through this and wait for the Lord to do His good thing?  No!   But Jesus did!  He said, Not my will, Father, but yours.  Because He knew the ultimate thing to do was to TRUST!  IF I could get in Adam and Eve’s face right now about creating this little Free Will deal, Ha!  You bet.  And, it wouldn’t be pretty.  I have things I want to do with my life even as old as I am.  Will I get to do them?  I don’t know, and you don’t know.  But I do choose to Trust Him with those plans because I have evidence and see how He works in my life and others.  He will do what is right for me!  Get it?  CHOOSE to Trust!

            Who will win in your life?  I pray it is the One and only Jesus Christ who created you, loves you unconditionally, and fights for you!