The Brain: What an Incredible Creation!

Yesterday we had a workshop at the Legacy Equipping Center using a DVD series offered through James Robison's ministry, Life Today! The series is called Your Body, God's Temple. We watched the first 4 sessions by Caroline Leaf, PhD, author of Who Switched Off My Brain? I highly recommend this series and her book. I've linked the title of this post to the order form for this series.

Did you know that there is a place in your brain where scientists actually believe our free will is housed? When a thought comes into your mind, you have a choice. Will you reject it or accept it? Thoughts don't become a stronghold (good or bad) until you decide to accept it, meditate on it and act on it. I also learned that 87% of illness is attributed to our thought life and 13% is attributed to genetics and environment. Wow! That certainly motivates me to have a positive attitude and watch what I let my mind dwell upon.

Once a negative memory is implanted in the brain, it stays. However, God can heal us by giving us His transforming truth to cover that negative memory. Before the healing takes place, one can think about a memory and experience a great deal of pain. After God heals the individual, he can think about the memory but will experience peace and joy instead of pain.

I learned a great deal about stress from these DVDs. When we are stressed, the chemicals released in our brain that are needed in small amounts begin to be released in greater unhealthy quantities. That is why when you are stressed, you are more susceptible to colds, headaches, digestive problems, etc. Continued stress causes attacks on the heart and arteries, followed by the immune system and finally the brain. Stress in children has an even more negative affect than on adults. Dr. Leaf said that allowing your child to continue to be in stress for an extended period of time is a form of abuse. Think about our community and how much is expected out of our children. The homework level I've seen put on my daughters is at times extremely overwhelming, with levels of learning that I don't remember ever even learning when I was their age. Besides that, children have so many extra-curricular activities that are pulling them in so many different directions. And with half the marriages ending in divorce and the stress of parents in financial strains because of the economy, you know that has to add to the stress level in our children.

I am thankful that God's Word lets us know that we can have peace that passes understanding and joy unspeakable and full of glory! We need to heed to that and teach our children to trust in the Prince of Peace. The answer to stress is allowing our thoughts to stay on God. We have to model for our children times when we pull away from the business of life and get alone with Him.

Isaiah 26:3 NKJ
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Are You Sure You're Willing?

I had the privilege of attending 3 of the 4 nights of Bruce Wilkinson's conference on his new book, You Were Born For This! this past week at Operation Mobilization in Tyrone, GA. He will be back Monday through Thursday night this week, too. I highly recommend attending to those of you who are anywhere close to Tyrone! It is 6:15-9:00!

One of the things he pointed out was that God is not looking for willingness and availability; He's looking for action! His message was that you can be willing to your grave and still not do much for God. When Isaiah saw the Lord (Isaiah 6) he was changed. When God said, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?", Isaiah responded, "Here am I! Send me!" Notice he did not say, "I'm willing." He said, "Send me!" When you do that, expect God appointments!

I challenge you to pray each morning this week for God to send you. Keep a tally. See how many people God sends your way to show His love, peace, joy and freedom. When you do, your awe of God will be multiplied! You may just become addicted and ask God every morning! Come back and leave a comment. I'd love to know!

Willing Heart

"Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart,..." Exodus 35:21-22

This is another verse that seemed to jump out of the page to me on my journey through the Bible. What would happen if all Christians would pray for a willing heart? No longer would it be 20% of the people doing 80% of the work in churches. A slow economy would not affect the ministries when people willingly give time, money and prayers. There would be a revival of lost souls coming to know the Lord!

A willing heart leads to deep inner healing in one who trades a hard heart for a soft heart. Not only that, but others will also be drawn to God as they witness the difference God is allowed to make in the person's life. I long for a willing heart to hear God's voice and do what He calls me to do. Lord, please soften our hearts!

Anointed Workmanship

I have decided that this is the year I will not only start reading the Bible straight through, but this time I will actually complete it! Even though I am behind in my schedule, I'm not giving up! This morning I read something that goes along with the desire God has given me to encourage Christians that they are in ministry whether they are officially in the "clergy" or not.

"And Moses said to the children of Israel,

'See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship,to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze,in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver--those who do every work and those who design artistic works.' " Exodus 35:30-35

See how God gave special grace and anointing for Bezalel to be an artist? Imagine that...an anointing on designing, engraving, tapestry making and even an anointint on teaching all that! What is an anointing? It is when you do what God has gifted you to do at the time He calls you to do it. Remember that whatever you are called to do, God can give special blessing for you to get it done with joy, without frustration, and yet all for His special purposes! Then you can step back and say, "Lord, only You could have helped me accomplish that for Your glory. Thank you for the gift!"

Snow in Georgia!

A little break from the "serious" blogging...

Can you believe it? It snowed about 4 inches or more at our house today! It's already melted, but the kids had a blast! They made a "gorilla" snowman and sledded down the hill in our yard. They're even more excited now, because since it's going to get in the 20's and refreeze all the slush, school is closed tomorrow! I'm so glad...more for Bill, my teacher husband. He needs a break!

It's nice to have one afternoon of a winter wonderland post-card view in our own yard! All this happened on March 1, no less! It's supposed to be in the 70's in a few days. Go figure!

Hurt Versus Suffering

Has God ever asked us to hurt? Has He asked us to suffer? I've never really thought of this before prayer time with a friend yesterday, but there is not a scripture where God tells us to hurt. There are plenty of scriptures where he warns us that we will suffer. What's the difference?

I started a word study this morning on "hurt" versus "suffer." The Hebrew and Greek words for hurt are tied to evil, distress, calamity and adversity. Most of the verses that have "hurt" are actually God telling us that He will protect us against hurt. Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” In the Old Testament when the three Hebrew boys in exile would not bow their knee to the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to worship, he had them thrown into a fiery furnace. It was then reported to the king in Daniel 3:25, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (emphasis mine)

Scriptures that warn us that we will have to suffer have a more eternal perspective. There are actually quite a few Greek words for "suffer," but the one used the most often is "pascho" which means - to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo. Jesus tried to tell the disciples before his crucifixion that he would have to suffer. He had to feel pain for us. He asks us if we are willing to share in that suffering so we can be more sensitive to the pain of others. “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” (Phil. 1:29) Our problem is that our finite minds get stuck on the suffering instead of the end result. When God asks us if we are willing to suffer for Him, the destination is not the pain. The destination is that JOY of eternity with Him on the other side of suffering!

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:16-18

I challenge you to do your own word study on hurt and suffering. There are so many more scriptures on this subject. Next time you experience some pain, ask God for His perspective. When you learn to "dwell in the secret place of the Most High" during a time of pain, the enemy will not be able to hurt you. (Ps. 91) You will start experiencing a deeper level of intimacy with God that you would not have had without the time of suffering. God will prove Himself Faithful and True!

Word Check!

This morning I was woken from a deep sleep stirred to pray for some dear friends and their marriage. As I sought the Lord on how to pray for them, I was prompted to go on a journey through the scriptures about abiding in His Word. My prayer is that this husband and wife would each have a tremendous desire for God's Word that will penetrate through the temptation to focus on the bleak outlook the enemy has for their marriage.

The book of John has so much to say about the pros of abiding in God's Word and the cons about not making room for His word. In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells us that if we abide in His word, then we are disciples and we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. If that's true (and we know it is!), then why are so many Christians walking around defeated? Could it be that the truth we know to be right is being choked out by the cares of this world? I think of the parable of the sower and the seed. The seed that fell among the soil with thorns got choked out. Jesus said that the seed was the Word of God. He said that "he who received the seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." (Matt. 13:22) I don't want to be an "unfruitful" Christian. No fruit means no harvest of souls, but first it means no fruit of the Spirit in my own life that would in turn lead to a harvest of souls for His Kingdom.

So, today I challenge you to do a Word check. How much love do you have? How about joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faith? Gentleness? Self-control? If any of these are lacking, then you need to pray for a deeper desire to abide in His Word. Is it possible to have all these in the midst of adverse circumstances? Absolutely! I call it being in a God-bubble! It's like that movie from the 70's, "Boy in the Plastic Bubble." John Travolta played a boy that could not go outside of his house because the germs he could acquire in the world could kill him. Finally, they made a suit like a space suit he could wear so he could go out in the world and be protected from all the germs. If you start abiding in God's Word and allowing His Word to abide in you, you will find yourself in the midst of all the mess of your life, but it will be like you are in a protective bubble. Instead of despair, depression, or anxiety, you'll have faith, hope and love! I dare say that you will also start seeing that the circumstances that once weighed you down will start changing. Instead of the state of the affairs of your life influencing you, your new out-look will start influencing them! Relationships will be restored! Bills will be paid! Bodies will be healed!

Lord, thank you for your life-changing Word! I pray for a deeper desire for Your Word. Help me to abide in Your Word today. Even when I cannot stop to physically pick up the Bible to read, please remind me of a verse to meditate upon. I pray that Your Word will take root deep in my heart, in Jesus' Name! Amen!