Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pink Impact Workshop
The podcast of all the Pink Impact Workshop teachings (including mind) are now available. You can use this link http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gateway-church-pink-gateway/id391032261 or you can go to www.gatewaypeople.com under the adult tab, click on Pink and then choose the link on the right hand side titled Pink Podcasts!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Love & Appreciation
Several days ago I was returning a text and I went to type I love and appreciate you. I glanced at it and thought for an instant that sounds a little repetitive. As I got ready to erase some of it the Lord spoke to my spirit. He said love and appreciation are not the same thing.
As I began to think about it I saw how true it was. I can "love" a lot of people in my life (my husband, my boys, family, friends, etc) but am I appreciating them in my life. Do I tell them I appreciate the things they do for me? Do I show them I appreciate them by my words and actions?
The Lord had me take it a step further. He said you say you love me but do you appreciate me? It was a real eye opening thought for me. I do absolutely love the Lord but do I always appreciate him and do I show him I appreciate him?
One of the definitions of appreciation is an active thankfulness. Am I actively thankful to the Lord or I am constantly wanting/desire for more from him. When I spend time with the Lord is it mostly about what I want or need or desire for him to do in me or through me or do I appreciate (actively thank) him for what he has already done, is doing and will do in my life.
So I want to challenge you as I have been challenged to appreciate the Lord in your life. Show him your appreciation in your words, actions, the way you live your life. Show him active thankfulness in worship when you feel like it and even when you don't. Psalm 107 is a psalm completely focused on thankfulness. All 43 verses express appreciation to the Lord. It starts in verse 1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies." That psalm ends in vs 43 saying "If you are really wise, you'll think this over -it's time you appreciated God's deep love." MSG
No matter what our circumstances, feelings, or the world says God is a good God and so worthy of our love AND appreciation!
As I began to think about it I saw how true it was. I can "love" a lot of people in my life (my husband, my boys, family, friends, etc) but am I appreciating them in my life. Do I tell them I appreciate the things they do for me? Do I show them I appreciate them by my words and actions?
The Lord had me take it a step further. He said you say you love me but do you appreciate me? It was a real eye opening thought for me. I do absolutely love the Lord but do I always appreciate him and do I show him I appreciate him?
One of the definitions of appreciation is an active thankfulness. Am I actively thankful to the Lord or I am constantly wanting/desire for more from him. When I spend time with the Lord is it mostly about what I want or need or desire for him to do in me or through me or do I appreciate (actively thank) him for what he has already done, is doing and will do in my life.
So I want to challenge you as I have been challenged to appreciate the Lord in your life. Show him your appreciation in your words, actions, the way you live your life. Show him active thankfulness in worship when you feel like it and even when you don't. Psalm 107 is a psalm completely focused on thankfulness. All 43 verses express appreciation to the Lord. It starts in verse 1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies." That psalm ends in vs 43 saying "If you are really wise, you'll think this over -it's time you appreciated God's deep love." MSG
No matter what our circumstances, feelings, or the world says God is a good God and so worthy of our love AND appreciation!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pink Impact 2011
For those of you who were able to join us for Pink Impact I hope God imparted great hope, encouragement, freedom and life to you. I know he did to me.
Since my workshop at Pink Impact, I have been asked by several people if I speak at other Women's events. Absolutely I do. If you are interested in having me speak for your women's event just email me at adanawilson@yahoo.com. Also the workshop podcasts should be up in a few days you can download them at www.pinkimpact.com.
Let me encourage you Ephesians 2:10 "For you are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which you have planned in advance for us." You are created to do good works and God planned them in advance for you to do them!!
Adana
Since my workshop at Pink Impact, I have been asked by several people if I speak at other Women's events. Absolutely I do. If you are interested in having me speak for your women's event just email me at adanawilson@yahoo.com. Also the workshop podcasts should be up in a few days you can download them at www.pinkimpact.com.
Let me encourage you Ephesians 2:10 "For you are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which you have planned in advance for us." You are created to do good works and God planned them in advance for you to do them!!
Adana
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Unmet Expectations
As I prepared to greet 2011, the Lord began speaking to me things he wanted me to focus on this year. At the top of the list was to focus on what I can control. As I narrowed down what I could control it really comes down to two things. I can control my attitude and my actions. That's pretty much it...I can't control what others do and say, what my kids do, what God does, etc. I can ONLY control my attitude of how I react and my actions after it. As with most things I really thought this "mandate" was pointed toward a specific situation I was dealing with at that time. So I started focusing on this situation and CHOOSING to control my attitude and my actions in regards to it.
Of course according to God's nature when he tells us to do something or change something in our life it usually doesn't just apply to one area!
I think one of the hardest area's we face in controlling our attitudes and actions is in dealing with unmet expectations. As women we usually have HIGH expectations...it can range from how good dinner was, what we got for Christmas, how our husbands/kids treat us, where we should be in our life at this point, weight loss, a date night...etc. To be honest I really don't know how to change that and I am not completely sure that God wants us to change. I think God created us that way. He like for us to have HIGH expectations, he likes for us to get excited about something, to reach higher!!
Recently my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. After much discussion (finances, kids schedule, hubby work schedule, etc) we decided to invest in a night away at a local hotel. We had not gone to a hotel for a night away in over 3 years and I had HIGH EXPECTATIONS of the evening. Needless to say I was disappointed...mainly because at 2 am the pipes in our bathroom sounded like a jack hammer was rattling them. After several calls to the front desk, 1 visit from a maintenance man, and 2 hours later the hotel finally offered to move us to another room. We opted to leave...yes that's right we opted to leave the hotel at 4:30 am in the morning. Both my husband and I were done...tired, frustrated, realizing that once we packed up, moved rooms, unpacked and tried to get back to sleep it would be time to get up again for check-out. Talk about unmet expectations! The whole rest of the day I was edgy, frustrated, angry, because I wasn't supposed to be home dealing with laundry, refereeing 3 boys, cleaning up. I was supposed to be AWAY enjoying a relaxing day..unmet expectations!
Then several weeks later I had a busy week coming up. I was very excited about EVERYTHING I had planned for that week. I was going to start weekly becoming more involved with my church's women's ministry, I was scheduled to go back to Lakewood Church and teach for their women's meeting and I was scheduled to teach at a Vision class for my church. Yes, a lot and yes, all in one week but I was so excited. What I didn't count on was being iced/snowed in for 4 days with 3 boys who couldn't get outside and a husband working nights and trying to sleep during the day. EVERYTHING I had planned for that week was cancelled. My week was certainly not supposed to have included 4 days stuck in the house, never leaving, trying to entertain everyone and running very quickly out of food. I felt like my days revolved around the 4 o'clock news. At 4 they would start announcing school closings for the next day and by about 4:10 I would hear the news that school was cancelled AGAIN!! My attitude and actions were stinky! I realized the evening of day 4 that I was pretty much throwing a fit. Although not on the floor kicking and screaming but with every word, attitude and action. It actually made me chuckle a little bit as the Holy Spirit pointed this out to me in a non-condemning way (Romans 8:1). I thought Lord I am acting like a spoiled child...once again unmet expectations!
So what's a girl to do when all that we have planned, expected, hoped for doesn't happen when we want it to or the way we wanted it to? We have a couple of choices...we can become disappointed, frustrated and angry OR we can control our attitudes and actions. First, we can be honest with the Lord (Psalm 51:6)and share with him Lord I don't like how this has turned out. I really was expecting something different. We can even ask the "why" question - God why did this happen, why didn't you change the event, why didn't you step in? The book of Job is very clear that God is not offended by our questions. God wants us to be honest with him. The Psalms are FULL of honest emotions and questions from David, a man who God delcared was a man after His own heart-Acts 13:22. So share your frustration, your questions with the Lord.
Secondly, we must choose to trust the nature of who our God is. Do you trust God? Do you believe he is sovereign? Do you believe he loves you unconditionally, he wants the very best for us, that ALL THINGS do work together for your good? Do you believe that he isn't sitting up in heaven ready to take our fun away or even inflict harm and pain on us? You have to know who your God is and trust in his very nature. You have to declare to the Lord and to your own mind - God I know that you are good, while I don't like this I know you love me, you have good plans and a future in store for me, this didn't catch you off guard, you have a way for me, I TRUST YOU! You must continue to express your trust every time the enemy comes back against your mind with those disappointing and destructive thoughts.
Lastly, we move on in faith and peace. By declaring our trust in God our faith is built and increased. When we don't allow those missed opportunities, disappointing events, setback and even un-met expectations control our life we gain victory. As we choose to trust God and focus on him HIS peace fills us (Isaiah 26:3) and His understanding comes. And although things haven't worked out the way we wanted or thought they would our attitude and actions are Christ-like not flesh infilled!
So what un-met expectations are you dealing with today? Take it to the Lord and focus on what you can control...your attitude and your actions!
Of course according to God's nature when he tells us to do something or change something in our life it usually doesn't just apply to one area!
I think one of the hardest area's we face in controlling our attitudes and actions is in dealing with unmet expectations. As women we usually have HIGH expectations...it can range from how good dinner was, what we got for Christmas, how our husbands/kids treat us, where we should be in our life at this point, weight loss, a date night...etc. To be honest I really don't know how to change that and I am not completely sure that God wants us to change. I think God created us that way. He like for us to have HIGH expectations, he likes for us to get excited about something, to reach higher!!
Recently my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. After much discussion (finances, kids schedule, hubby work schedule, etc) we decided to invest in a night away at a local hotel. We had not gone to a hotel for a night away in over 3 years and I had HIGH EXPECTATIONS of the evening. Needless to say I was disappointed...mainly because at 2 am the pipes in our bathroom sounded like a jack hammer was rattling them. After several calls to the front desk, 1 visit from a maintenance man, and 2 hours later the hotel finally offered to move us to another room. We opted to leave...yes that's right we opted to leave the hotel at 4:30 am in the morning. Both my husband and I were done...tired, frustrated, realizing that once we packed up, moved rooms, unpacked and tried to get back to sleep it would be time to get up again for check-out. Talk about unmet expectations! The whole rest of the day I was edgy, frustrated, angry, because I wasn't supposed to be home dealing with laundry, refereeing 3 boys, cleaning up. I was supposed to be AWAY enjoying a relaxing day..unmet expectations!
Then several weeks later I had a busy week coming up. I was very excited about EVERYTHING I had planned for that week. I was going to start weekly becoming more involved with my church's women's ministry, I was scheduled to go back to Lakewood Church and teach for their women's meeting and I was scheduled to teach at a Vision class for my church. Yes, a lot and yes, all in one week but I was so excited. What I didn't count on was being iced/snowed in for 4 days with 3 boys who couldn't get outside and a husband working nights and trying to sleep during the day. EVERYTHING I had planned for that week was cancelled. My week was certainly not supposed to have included 4 days stuck in the house, never leaving, trying to entertain everyone and running very quickly out of food. I felt like my days revolved around the 4 o'clock news. At 4 they would start announcing school closings for the next day and by about 4:10 I would hear the news that school was cancelled AGAIN!! My attitude and actions were stinky! I realized the evening of day 4 that I was pretty much throwing a fit. Although not on the floor kicking and screaming but with every word, attitude and action. It actually made me chuckle a little bit as the Holy Spirit pointed this out to me in a non-condemning way (Romans 8:1). I thought Lord I am acting like a spoiled child...once again unmet expectations!
So what's a girl to do when all that we have planned, expected, hoped for doesn't happen when we want it to or the way we wanted it to? We have a couple of choices...we can become disappointed, frustrated and angry OR we can control our attitudes and actions. First, we can be honest with the Lord (Psalm 51:6)and share with him Lord I don't like how this has turned out. I really was expecting something different. We can even ask the "why" question - God why did this happen, why didn't you change the event, why didn't you step in? The book of Job is very clear that God is not offended by our questions. God wants us to be honest with him. The Psalms are FULL of honest emotions and questions from David, a man who God delcared was a man after His own heart-Acts 13:22. So share your frustration, your questions with the Lord.
Secondly, we must choose to trust the nature of who our God is. Do you trust God? Do you believe he is sovereign? Do you believe he loves you unconditionally, he wants the very best for us, that ALL THINGS do work together for your good? Do you believe that he isn't sitting up in heaven ready to take our fun away or even inflict harm and pain on us? You have to know who your God is and trust in his very nature. You have to declare to the Lord and to your own mind - God I know that you are good, while I don't like this I know you love me, you have good plans and a future in store for me, this didn't catch you off guard, you have a way for me, I TRUST YOU! You must continue to express your trust every time the enemy comes back against your mind with those disappointing and destructive thoughts.
Lastly, we move on in faith and peace. By declaring our trust in God our faith is built and increased. When we don't allow those missed opportunities, disappointing events, setback and even un-met expectations control our life we gain victory. As we choose to trust God and focus on him HIS peace fills us (Isaiah 26:3) and His understanding comes. And although things haven't worked out the way we wanted or thought they would our attitude and actions are Christ-like not flesh infilled!
So what un-met expectations are you dealing with today? Take it to the Lord and focus on what you can control...your attitude and your actions!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Guilt Removed
Several years ago I read a survey that a popular Christian leader had issued. She asked almost 500 women what was the hardest thing about being a woman. The overwhelming response was GUILT! I was shocked. But truth be known guilt is an overwhelming part of most women's life. I am no different. So I started studying what the Bible says about guilt and I found this very interesting scripture passage.
"It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:1-7 NLT
In this popular passage the prophet Isaiah has a vision of the Lord. As Isaiah is confronted with the holiness of God he "sees" how sinful he is (vs.5). When we truly see our sin in the light of a holy God we will have to confront it. Sometimes we compare our sin with the sin of others. We determine we aren't so bad...or there sin is worse than my sin. But sin is sin. There is no sin that can stand up against a holy God!!
The seraph moves and gets the coal and touches Isaiah's lips with it (vs.6-7). The seraph says "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven." Did you notice what the seraph said first?? He didn't say your sins are forgiven first...he said your guilt is removed, then he said your sins are forgiven. The message Bible says "gone your guilt; your sins are wiped out."
I think a lot of time, especially for women, we understand God has forgiven us but we remain in the guilt and never truly walk in total forgiveness!! Guilt is an intense feeling. Guilt says I owe you. Most guilt is based on a feeling!
God does not make us or want us to feel guilty. Is there consequences to sin - absolutely. But if we truly have repented and asked forgiveness then we are forgiven and the guilt is removed! If you are still feeling guilty over a situation expose that lie to the truth. Have you repented and asked forgiveness? If you have then your guilt has been removed! Counter that lie with the truth! God's word says you are forgiven. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 NIV. “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:17 NLT. Let go of the guilt. When the enemy tries to make you feel guilty fire back with what God's word says..your guilt has been removed!
"It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:1-7 NLT
In this popular passage the prophet Isaiah has a vision of the Lord. As Isaiah is confronted with the holiness of God he "sees" how sinful he is (vs.5). When we truly see our sin in the light of a holy God we will have to confront it. Sometimes we compare our sin with the sin of others. We determine we aren't so bad...or there sin is worse than my sin. But sin is sin. There is no sin that can stand up against a holy God!!
The seraph moves and gets the coal and touches Isaiah's lips with it (vs.6-7). The seraph says "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven." Did you notice what the seraph said first?? He didn't say your sins are forgiven first...he said your guilt is removed, then he said your sins are forgiven. The message Bible says "gone your guilt; your sins are wiped out."
I think a lot of time, especially for women, we understand God has forgiven us but we remain in the guilt and never truly walk in total forgiveness!! Guilt is an intense feeling. Guilt says I owe you. Most guilt is based on a feeling!
God does not make us or want us to feel guilty. Is there consequences to sin - absolutely. But if we truly have repented and asked forgiveness then we are forgiven and the guilt is removed! If you are still feeling guilty over a situation expose that lie to the truth. Have you repented and asked forgiveness? If you have then your guilt has been removed! Counter that lie with the truth! God's word says you are forgiven. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 NIV. “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:17 NLT. Let go of the guilt. When the enemy tries to make you feel guilty fire back with what God's word says..your guilt has been removed!
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