But I'm Angry, LORD!

Yesterday, I lost my temper. Some deeply hidden bitterness (OK, not so deep) crept into my heart and a conversation brought up unresolved resentment. So, I vented and spewed my word vomit to my daughter who wisely asked me, “Mom, why are you so angry?”
Because, I’m right and they are wrong. Duh!
I wish I could say that was the end of it, but no. I spewed the tale to my husband.
Who agreed with my viewpoint, but did it calmly and rationally.
So annoying!
And, because I felt justified in my opinion of this individual who has hurt and offended me, I laid my head on my pillow and went blissfully to sleep.

I woke up, made my iced coffee, and sat down to read my Bible and devotion. The first scripture that jumped out at me was:

Ephesians 46:26-30 (MSG)

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry. 

I read that line and thought, “See, I knew I was right!” Then I kept reading…

BUT don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. Don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word is a gift.Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

I read it again.
And again.
I tried different translations just to make sure that I wasn’t misunderstanding.
I wanted to say, “God, but, but, they do this, they say that, I feel…”

I read it once more and personalized it, “Yolanda, go ahead and get angry. It’s OK to have that initial reaction. But don’t stay angry. Don’t spew all that foul, bitter language. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. Don’t grieve ME. Don’t break MY heart. My Spirit is moving and breathing in you making you fit for ME. Don’t take MY gift for granted.”

Ouch! Pierced right to the heart.

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)

God, through His gift of the Holy Spirit, was warning me, “Danger, danger, Yolanda. Don’t let the Devil get a foothold in your life. He’s prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

I stopped what I was doing, confessed my sin, repented, and asked for God’s forgiveness. Then, I gave Him thanks for His Word because it keeps me close to His heart.  I would be lost without it. I took a moment to apologize to my husband and daughter for losing control. And, then the LORD blessed me with 30 minutes of uninterrupted time alone with Him to praise and worship Him in the Spirit. My heart felt lighter, renewed, filled with His love. My Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ, who’s shed blood covers me in His righteousness, defeated any foothold the Devil tried to gain. Hallelujah!

That is why reading God’s Word first thing in the morning is such a priority. God is waiting for us to wake up. He wants a personal encounter with us each morning so He can speak to us through His Word because it is alive and full of power. It gets right to the heart of the matter, even if sometimes we go “ouch, message received, LORD.”

His Word is
food for our soul
nourishing and sweet
loving
life giving
eye opening
enlightening
encouraging
healing
comforting
Protection from the Enemy
Our road map
And survival guide

Do not start your day without it. Hide it in your heart so you can recall it in times of need. Cherish it like a prized treasure. Be willing to share that treasure with others. If you are willing to be used by God to share the Good News of Jesus, be ready because He'll send people your way. In these last days, as the world gets darker and many are fearful and stressed, God will place these people in our path seeking the hope we have in Him.

Love,
Yolanda

PS: If you are having trouble reading your Bible because you don’t know where to start, it seems overwhelming, or you get distracted. I recommend the One Year Bible. It breaks down the Bible in 365 sections that take approximately 15 minutes to read. Each 15-minute daily reading includes a section of the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. You will find that when you start reading the Bible consistently it will come alive to you. God will speak to you and some days His message to you will jump off the page. Just like it did for me today. Highlight that scripture. Write yourself a note in your Bible with the date. These are all ways to hide God’s Word in your heart.

Praying Psalm 119 Week 2: Where is True Happiness Found?

On the last day of middle school, I played a game with the teens in my carpool. The game was “Would You Rather”:

Would you rather swim underwater like a mermaid or fly like a superhero?

Would you rather be rescued by Superman or Captain America?

Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?

The teens cracked me up because every question had to be analyzed and over analyzed. One of the last questions made me laugh but also made me worry.

Would you rather be wealthy but never fall in love? Or would you rather be poor but find the love of your life?

After some analysis and debate, like:

How poor? Could I still have my friends and family?

Every teen chose wealth. Really? Never fall in love. Never get married. I even asked the same question to some other teens on the way to the beach just to see if I'd get a different response. Nope. They all chose wealth. 

WOW! I couldn’t believe it. I remember being a teen and daydreaming of love and marriage. What has changed? Is it the high rate of divorce and infidelity, even in the church family, that has soured teens on love? Is it the celebrity culture that places little value on marriage but glorifies fame and fortune? Is it because they watch videos of teens online appearing to get rich with no effort or work? Is it parents pushing their children to go to the best college, be the best athlete, have a high powered job at all costs? Do they see their parents valuing material success verses love? Why is money valued more than love? Is it just the age? Not enough life experience?

Truthfully, I don’t know the answer to these questions.  However, I do know that God, the Father, cautions His children from making money the main focus of their life. The caution is given from a Father's love because He knows the destruction and discontent that comes from a life lived in pursuit of earthly pleasures instead of eternal rewards. Just look at the parable of the prodigal son whose pursuit of pleasure left him in the pig pen. (Luke 15:11-23)

Matthew 6:20-21 (AMP)

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

 Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”

 1 Timothy 6:10 (AMP)

For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (AMP)As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share [with others]. In this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

So prayer partners, this week lets pray that the LORD grabs hold of our teens hearts so that instead of pursuing worldly pleasures, where the enemy will lead them down the path of the prodigal son, they pursue God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. Because following God’s perfect plan for their lives is where true happiness is found. Also, let’s pray this prayer over ourselves because teens aren’t the only ones in danger of taking our eyes of Jesus and ending up in the pig pen. I give thanks to Jesus, who even when I end up stinky and muddy, He always runs to me, cleans me off, and welcomes me home with open arms.  

Let’s pray.

Psalm 119: 25-40

LORD, when ____________ is down and discouraged; revive her/him by Your word.
Teach _________ your decrees.
Help __________understand the meaning of your commandments, and help her/him meditate on Your wonderful deeds.
When ___________ weeps with sorrow; encourage her/him by Your word.
Keep _________from lying to her/himself; give her/him the privilege of knowing Your instructions.
I pray __________ chooses to be faithful; determined to live by Your regulations.
Let _________cling to Your laws.
Lord, don’t let her/him be put to shame!
Let _________pursue Your commands, expand her/his understanding.

Teach _________ Your decrees, O Lord; let her/him keep them to the end.
Give __________ understanding and help her/him obey Your instructions; putting them into practice with all her/his heart.
Make _________ walk along the path of Your commands, for that is where her/his happiness is found.
Give ___________ an eagerness for Your laws rather than a love for money!
Turn _________ eyes from worthless things, and give her/his life through Your word.
Reassure her/him of Your promise, made to those who fear You.
Help her/him abandon any shameful ways; for Your regulations are good.
Lord, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, put a longing in their hearts to obey Your commandments!
And renew _________ life with Your goodness.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda

Moms of High Schoolers Prayer and Support Group

This summer, I felt compelled to start a prayer and support group for moms of teens in high school. High School is overwhelming and truthfully, I need friends to hold my hand and tell me everything is going to be OK.

But, as moms of teens know, our lives don’t slow down during the summer months, they speed up. It’s go, go, go…

“Mom, can you drive my friends and I to the beach…oh yeah and no other moms can go so can you drive everybody?” Hmm...you want me to rent a bus?

“Mom, my friends and I want to go to the movies…oh yeah, and no other moms can drive so can you take everyone? But don’t watch the movie with us because that would be weird.” I guess moms aren’t supposed to enjoy movies and teens think we love hanging out at coffee shops for 2 hours - alone.

So yeah, my idea of getting together with other moms, having a leisurely coffee, laughing and crying over our mutual teen drama, and then having a powerful prayer time did not exactly work out.

However, in talking with other stressed and overwhelmed moms, I still felt there was a need for such a group. This is a new season in our life, as our children transition from teens to adults, making decisions that will affect their futures. What career path to choose? What friendships to make. What friendships to avoid? Guarding their hearts from falling in love with the wrong person. Staying true to God’s Word in a world full of deception. 

So, I talked to God and asked, “LORD, what do you want me to do?”

Here is the verse I believe the LORD gave me as my answer:

1 Timothy 4:13 (AMP)

[Yolanda] Until I come, devote yourself to public reading [of Scripture], to preaching and to teaching [the sound doctrine of God’s word].

OK, so until Jesus comes back I’m supposed to keep doing what I can to share His Word; even if I don’t know what I’m doing half the time and even if no one shows up. But how do I share if people are too busy to join me? I believe the LORD is leading me to make my prayer group an online group. This way, busy moms can pray at their own convenience but also feel united in purpose with one another.

My main inspiration for this group came from reading an amazing book on prayer called, The Daniel Prayer, by Anne Graham Lotz. In it she writes,

“When you and I pray the Daniel Prayer, pleading with God according to His Word, someone else’s salvation…may depend on it….Start a habit of reading your Bible each day and highlighting promises or phrases that you can use as a basis of your prayers…” Page 55

“The Daniel Prayer is storming the gates of Heaven with what Eugene Peterson calls “reversed thunder” – praying God’s Word back to Him. It’s prayer that penetrates Heaven and impacts a nation.” Page 45

Moms, are you ready to “storm the gates of heaven with reverse thunder” praying God’s Word back to Him on behalf of our teens? We are going to pray the promises of Psalm 119.  Every week, I will post a portion of Psalm 119 making it our scripture prayer. By praying scripture, we are agreeing with God’s Word, giving it voice, knowing that our Heavenly Father is moving heaven and earth on our behalf.

I chose Psalm 119 because the theme of the psalm is God’s Word is true and wonderful and helps us stay pure and grow in the faith. The Psalm was purposefully written with repetitive phrases and in carefully constructed sections so that the reader could easily memorize it. The Psalmist encourages the reader to stay true to the Word of God no matter how bad the world becomes because obedience to God’s Word is what brings real joy and salvation.   

This summer, I encourage you to join me each week praying a portion of Psalm 119 over our teens. You don’t need to be a mom of a teen to pray with me. You can be a grandparent praying for a grandchild, a dad, an aunt, a friend, or a teacher praying for a teen in your life.

Before I pray it over my daughter each morning, I will first pray it over myself. I can’t expect more from her than my Heavenly Father expects from me. God wants me to search my own life for areas that aren't pleasing to Him, confess those areas, keep on the right path, and hide His Word in my own heart so that I will not sin against Him. By modeling true repentance, a love for Jesus, a sincere prayer life, and a devotion to daily reading God’s Word, I pray that my daughter sees a mom who loves her enough to “storm the gates of heaven” for her....not just a mom who's a taxi driver.   

Lets pray.
Love,
Yolanda

Psalm 119:1-24 

LORD GOD, help _____________stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by You.
For blessed are those who keep Your testimonies and seek after You with their whole hearts.
Protect __________from going off on her/his own; help her/him walk straight along the road You set.
You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that her/his steps might be steady, keeping to the course You set;
Then ________will never have any regrets in comparing her/his life with Your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from Your heart, LORD;
Help ________to learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
Help _________to do what You tell her/him to do; don’t ever walk off and leave her/him.

How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
Help ___________be single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let her/him miss the road signs You’ve posted.
Help ______to hide Your Word in her/his heart so that they won’t sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach _________Your statutes and train her/him in Your ways of wise living.
Help her/him to speak out loud Your Word and to share it boldly with others.
May ___________delight far more in what You tell her/him about living than in gathering a pile of riches.
Fill _________with the Holy Spirit who will encourage her/him to mediate on Your precepts, contemplate Your Ways, and delight in Your statures so that she/he will never forget Your Word.

LORD GOD, be generous and merciful with ________ that she/he may live and keep Your Word. 
Open _____________eyes so that she/he can see wondrous things from Your law.
When she/he is a stranger traveling in unfamiliar areas; give her/him clear directions.
Let her/his soul have an unquenchable longing for Your Word.
You rebuke the proud and those who stray from Your commandments, but don’t let them sneer and insult _________for following You.
Help _________meditate on Your statutes no matter how dark the world gets or what persecution comes.
Let Your Word always be her/his delight and her/his counselor.
In Jesus Name. Amen

I Pledge Allegiance to the Bible

Everyday in our preschool chapel program, we begin with three pledges:
Pledge to the American flag
Pledge to the Christian flag
And Pledge to the Bible.

While I love my country, and I love Jesus, I love the words to the Bible pledge:
“I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
I will hide its word in my heart that I may not sin against God.”

Each morning, we select three student helpers to lead us in the pledges. Awhile back, we had a very serious 3-year old take his first turn at holding the Bible for the pledge. Picture in your mind, a Charlie Brown face on a mini Mr. Incredible's body holding the Bible above his head. He held it up proudly, like I imagine a 3-year old Moses would hold up the Ten Commandments.

But before we could even start the first pledge, he dropped it. Crash! Boom! Bang!
You should have seen poor Charlie Incredible’s face crumble.
As I was waiting to see if he would get upset, he picked it up again.
As we are reciting our second pledge, his little arms start shaking under the weight of that heavy Bible. Then, he dropped it again.
Now his little lip was getting wobbly but he was determined to fulfill his Bible duty. Using all of his inner and physical strength, he proudly picked up that Bible and upheld the Word of God until we were finished.

And I thought to myself, “If a three year old can hold up God’s Word until the end so should I.”

Today, the media, celebrity culture, politicians, and maybe even some of our family and friends, want to knock the Bible out of our hands. They want us to drop the Word of God under the weight of political correctness. In the name of tolerance they want us to compromise God's truth. They are systematically removing God's Word from businesses, schools, monuments, private property, and free speech because when they see or hear scripture it offends them.

Recently, I had to go through the jury selection process. The defense attorney asked us, “Have you ever been in a position where you looked at evidence and made a judgment, but your judgment on the matter was different than everyone else around you. Say you were in a group of twelve people and they all felt and believed differently than you, would you stand firm on your position even if you were the lone hold out? It’s not easy when you are standing all alone on your convictions. Will you stand by your decision or will you cave into public opinion? When people start to pressure you to change your mind or compromise, will you cave?”

WOW! Those questions made me stop and think. What would I do in that situation? What will I do when a similar situation rises? According to God's Word, situations like those are going to arise more frequently and with greater intensity. Jesus said, “The world is going to hate you because of Me. They are going to throw you into court and prison, they are going to scoff and slander you, they are going to persecute and maybe even kill you for My sake.” (Matthew 24) When Jesus is on public trial, being insulted and scoffed by public opinion, will I stand firm on God’s Word or will I deny Him and cave?”

God knows my weaknesses and my fears but He also knows my heart. He knows that my heart's desire is to always uphold His Word no matter how bad the opposition becomes. But, how do I train and prepare myself to stand firm when darkness surrounds me?

I will do what my little Charlie Incredible did. Throughout the year, he watched his fellow classmates hold the Bible during the pledges, so when it was his turn to stand, he was prepared.

I need to read God’s Word and study how the heroes of the faith stood up in times of persecution:
How Moses followed God’s commands and stood up to Pharaoh.
How Daniel refused to worship an idol and stood up to Nebuchadnezzar.
How David stood up to Goliath, the giant, who was blaspheming the God of Israel.
How Peter and John stood up to the religious leaders who had forbidden them to speak and teach in the name of Jesus.

That is why it is so important to read God’s Word and hide it in our heart. So that when our time comes to uphold the Bible, even though we may have wobbly lips and shaking arms, we will stand firm. Boldly proclaiming:
“I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
I will hide it’s word in my heart that I may not sin against God.”

So, are you prepared to join Jesus' team of superheroes? It doesn't matter how young or old you are, what your circumstances, position, or talents are, or even your health and physical shape. All it takes is an open heart, willing to invite Jesus in, so that God can fill you with His Holy Spirit power!

Love,
Yolanda
All scripture is God breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16
The Word of God is alive and active. Hebrews 4:12

The LORD's Words are flawless. Psalm 18:30

Heaven and earth will pass away but My Words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35