There are places in your heart you don't even know exist until you love a child

Happy Fathers day to all the brave men who have taken on the magnificent role as leader of a family. May God reward you and give you the strength you need in order to shoulder such a wonderful challenge!

Testimony Tuesday

Here is a testimony of encouragement for you.

There is a huge difference between opportunities that often come so easily and attractive versus waiting on God and His timing for something. Sometimes, His pathway may feel like you are forgotten because you have been praying and waiting for a long time for answers.

We know God loves His children and wants to bless us, but He also wants us to go to Him first, trusting in Him for the timing. He wants us dependent on Him. Often, His way is a test of our faith, for He wants to build our character and strengthen our faith muscles.

It’s easy to walk on a pathway that is paved so beautifully and smooth, but sometimes that direction is an illusion, a distraction to draw you from God. This is what the devil specializes in—for he knows if he makes things easy, comfortable, and all wrapped up in a nice package, you’ll always be drawn to what he has to offer. It’s a trap for sure.

Oh, but God’s way is soooo much better, because there is a purpose in waiting for the blessing. He is drawing you into His goodness, while trusting Him with all of your needs, choosing His will over your own. He is ordaining the pathway and not only that, everything will come into alignment and in agreement for His purpose when you are fully surrendered to His ways. Also, He will seal it with an indelible peace deep within your soul. You will know it is from Him. All along, He is strengthening you, building you, training you, investing in you because He sees the value, and your worth.

Listen to this woman’s encouraging words about trusting God’s ways vs falling into the devil’s temporary pleasures.


Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Good morning dear friends!

I came across this video (it’s funny how the Lord just drops these kind of things in my lap) I want to share with you a powerful lesson that changed my viewpoint and how I approach being overly available to others.
Side bar: Yes, I know I am not the only one out there…still learning to improve in these things.

Often times, Christians are conditioned to always be nice, always do kind things for others, always be available, always say yes, always put others needs before yourself, etc., which can be good if balanced with the right motives behind it, but if this discipline is draining you it is not of God. Somewhere in our minds perhaps we thought if we make ourselves constantly available we would be more Christ like. But what if I told you that Jesus wasn’t always available to everyone? Didn’t Jesus practice silence, retreating, seeking the Father?

Well, here is a great Biblical approach on the discipline of becoming unavailable.

I’ll post the video link below. Let me know what your thoughts are about the subject. Everyone I’ve shared it with thus far has stated that it resonated with them in a powerful way. It changed their perspective, by learning to set boundaries within themselves to avoid being drained and feeling used or taken advantage of.

Here is a sample trannoscription of the video:

Many of us are forfeiting our souls on the altar of constant availability, gaining the approval of others while losing our connection with God. The truth is that the more you place yourself at the center of others stage, the more you disappear from your own being.

Being available all the time is a subtle form of self abandonment. It’s a disguised way of seeking approval, avoiding rejection, trying to control the image others have of you. But this control comes at a price and the price is your peace.

It’s your vital energy being distributed as if it were infinite when in fact, it is very limited.

Now some might think:

“But doesn’t Christianity call us to serve others?”
“Didn’t Jesus tell us to deny ourselves?”

Indeed Jesus calls us to serve, but notice that Jesus’ service flowed from his solitude. His giving came from a place of fullness, not emptiness. His availability to others was intentional, not compulsive…

I hope this video resonates with you as it did for me. It’s about 18 minutes long. I also transcribed the entire video in PDF so you can use it as a Bible study. I’ll post that below as well.


Blessings,
—Paula
@CallToBattle

https://youtu.be/FzQ7x_m-17M?

The spiritual discipline of unavailability

Testimony Tuesday

I have a serious question for all of you. How do you feel when you hear Jesus’ name being used as an expletive?

I know for me, I get like this stab in my spirit when I hear it. Sometimes when I’m in public and I hear it I want to say something to the offender, but I shrink back and mind my own business.
Then I feel guilt and shame because I didn’t defend my Lord, not that He needs to be defended, but I suppose there is a better way to approach this.

It has become quite too common nowadays. We hear it all the time. The offenders have no problem offending us Christ followers, but they are careful not to offend most other religious groups. They think nothing of using the name of Christ as a curse word. No one ever curses in the name of Buddha, Mohammed, Muslims or Krishna or even their mother’s name…ever!

I remember one time I was in a public restroom at work, and in comes some young women who were using Jesus’ name in vain (insignificant, trivial as though it were meaningless). I was just washing my hands, and without even thinking I blurted out, “King of kings, Lord or lords” right after they cursed in his name, and walked out. I don’t even remember if the women said anything back to me. But, I do remember how I felt. How can they say his name as if it were to be thrown about like trash? I didn’t like it and I still don’t.

Today’s video, this woman’s shares her feelings about the subject. As always, I peruse the comment section, just to see the landscape of responses and one comment piqued my interest.
Here is a comment by a woman named Angela and how she addresses the issue:
“I asked the Lord what shall I do about this. I had it laid on my heart immediately…”Tell them I love them.” Now I follow up with their words with…“Loves you.”

I loved that response. Isn’t that exactly what we would expect Jesus to say? ”Tell them I love them.” Simple, and yet it carries the power of his love.

This person was guided by the Holy Spirit. We should remain sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting. Not every instance of sin requires immediate confrontation, but we must be willing to act when led by God. Though, fear should not prevent us from standing for the truth. But we need to remember to ask the Lord for his guidance in each unique situation. His Spirit will draw them.

We are called to honor God in all aspects of life. Whether confronting a person for using God’s name in vain or living as lights in a dark world, our goal is to please the Lord.

“Therefore the Lord , the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
1 Samuel 2:30

Blessings,
-Paula
@CallToBattle

"God does not waste an ounce of our pain or a drop of our tears; suffering doesn't come our way for no reason, and He seems especially efficient at using what we endure to mold our character. If we are malleable, He takes our bumps and bruises and shapes them into something beautiful."☕️

~ Frank Peretti

Testimony Tuesday

I don’t know about you, but I am very sensitive person when it comes to things of God and His moving in my life and others. I love to talk about the goodness and love of God to anyone that will listen. It often brings me to tears to speak of His goodness.

When I came across today’s testimony I was touched so much that it moved me. Over the years in my walk with the Lord I’ve come to learn that God is a very personal God. He meets us where we are at in our lives at any given moment of time. He knows exactly how to reach the depths of our soul and speak to us. How do I know this? Should anyone come to you and say, “There is no God because God wouldn’t allow this to happen.” Ask that person this question, “Have you ever, even just once in your life felt lonely?” That person will most likely say yes, because I believe God brings us to a point in our lives where He knows that void in our hearts can only be filled by Him. He alone is the only One that can fill it, and once He does, the loneliness is gone.

Now you realize there is something that occupies that space. You cannot deny it. It was His purpose to get you to question why things happen, to woo you unto Him to begin asking those deep hard questions like; “Why was this allowed to happen?” He invites those questions from your heart as He begins to tender your spirit.

I used to believe that you had to be accepted by God in order to be in his club, meaning you had to go to church, confess your sins, be good and kind, and then you’ll be on your merry way for the rest of your life. Seamed reasonable right? Oh how immature my faith was! I never thought you could have a true personal relationship with Him until He kept pursuing me over and over again, telling me He loved me and would often use a song to reach me. I didn’t know it then, but God was drawing me to Him until I finally surrendered in the midst of my brokenness.

I love this sweet encounter in today’s testimony. Although the ending may seem sad, there is a powerful message here. I believe this woman finally realized she was known by God even at her lowest point in life.

God sees, He knows exactly how to reach the broken heart. His love is unfathomable, unmeasurable, and beyond our comprehension. He doesn’t require us to get our act together to be accepted. He just wants us.

No soul on earth can really say they are lonely when there is a God who sees, and is ready to meet you even at your worst. There is no depth that cannot be reached by Him. And there is no sorrow that cannot be comforted…He is the lover of your soul. His love will always remain. His mercy is tender to the lost heart that is still seeking, even if it’s at its very end.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
Psalm 139:1

“The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.”
Psalm 116:6

Blessings,
—Paula
@CallToBattle

Every 4th of July this family places these flags along the side of the road near their home. Beautiful!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸