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Coping With Times Of Uncertainty

I believe it is during times of uncertainty and trials that how we view God is truly revealed. It is easy to praise him when things are going right. But, what do we do when things are up in the air? What do we do when nothing seems to be going right?

One mistake many make, myself included, during times of uncertainty it to try and figure out things. We are analytical by nature, we are problem solvers, and we want to get things done! How many can agree that God’s timing is not our timing and that his thoughts are much higher than ours!? So often, we try and figure out how things are going to work out. Where the finances are going to come from, when the healing is going to come, or why things happen. When I try and figure everything out, I have realized I display a lack of trust and I stress myself out! Overall, it is just not a good feeling and something is off. That thing is my view of who God is and where my trust has been placed.

Faith is not focusing on what we can see.

For instance, my husband is getting out of the military and he is our main source of income. Through this time of transition, change, and uncertainty, God has revealed that our jobs are a vessel for him to give us provision rather than something we earned. He has also told me that I should rely on him to provide, not the job. God has shown me that nothing is permanent unless he wills it to be so. Therefore, trusting in my husband to provide rather than trusting in Abba Father to provide is a big no-no! This also puts tremendous pressure on my husband. (Sorry babe!)

There have been so many times that I have tripped up and put my trust in the wrong thing. Forgive me Father. In times of trials, suffering, and uncertainty, we are to look at what is known.

The more I search, the more I learn, the more I observe, I have began to understand that Abba Father is the only thing that is known and steadfast. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His promises are yes and amen! I cannot put faith in myself or the situation around me, especially since things look impossible. But, I can declare his promises, and I can praise him for all he has done! He has never failed me, why would he start now?

When you are going through a trial or uncertainty, where is your trust? In the circumstance or in the way maker, the only one who can change what is visible? Do you complain or do you praise?
What may seem impossible for man, is possible when God is put in his rightful place on the throne of your heart! Let us not lean on our own understanding and he will make our path’s straight. God is so good that even when we make a mistake, he still holds us up! Thank-you Papa God!!! In our uncertainty, God not only reveals the position of our heart, but he uses what looks impossible to show how good and how big he is. Through faith we know that he is for us, he makes a way when there is no way, and we have nothing to fear because he is our refuge.

If you are in the midst of the storm, remind yourself of who is your Papa and meditate on his faithfulness, declaring his word, praise instead of worry. He has this!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” -Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”-Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.” -Psalms 37:23-24 NKJV

“The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”-Psalm 34:10 NKJV


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Soaking In His Peace In A Quiet Place (Even though life is so noisy)

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Your quiet place.

No children, no dogs, no spouse, no distractions.

What does this look like to you?

Is it your closest? Bathroom? A nature trail? Did you have one once and now it has been taken over?

We all NEED a quiet place. EVEN JESUS DID!

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Our quiet place is essential. It is where we can speak to God aloud and have him speak to us WITHOUT interruptions. Where you can hear him clearly and you can speak to him about the most inner parts of your heart and mind. Your quiet place should be somewhere where he has your full attention. A place where we can renew our mind in the word and spend time worshiping our creator, Abba, Alpha and Omega, our lifeline.

Many of us have a lot of commitments that keep us busy and we claim we don’t have time or we can’t find a quiet place.

If you are schedule is too busy, have you thought of waking up earlier or canceling the 2 hour Netflix binge? Or if your job is taking up the time you are spending with God, do you think it is time to pray for a new job opportunity? I know for a fact that when work was on the throne of my heart instead of God and I felt like I had nowhere to turn but took a leap of faith, God provided for me 2 new jobs that I fell in love with. He is faithful.  I can assure you that you are TOO busy if you are TOO busy to spend time with God. There are ways around it, just ask him.

When it comes to an actually quiet place, being married to a man who is in the military and having 2 dogs that are 6 months old can be really challenging. I am sure this is challenging for many of us who have families. The reading nook/war room I used to have where I would go to now has becomes the jungle gym for my puppies. But after not having the quality time with God that I wanted and so desperately needed I cried out upon God for help. WHERE is this place for me now? It became the bathroom for a while, then the trails, and now it has been not feeling guilty for putting my puppies in their cages for a while when I spend time with God.
What I really was depriving was not only myself, but my family. When I wasn’t able to spend the time with God that I needed (because I didn’t know where), I became moody and my thoughts began to become worldly.

If you are being challenged by busyness or don’t know where to go to spend time with God, simply ask him what can change. I know that I didn’t know what to do. I felt stuck. But that was just the enemy slipping in and trying to take away the time I need with God. Nothing is more important than your relationship with God. You can say it all day long, but until you put it into action is when the real fruit bearing begins.

 

 

 

 

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The Tail of A Lost Pup (See what I did there…)

Good morning everyone!

I hope everyone had a restful night, but if it was anything like the Lunney Household, it was anything but. (Not complaining…Let me tell you why!)

We left church around 9pm as it still rained and flooded the area. We came to a little dog in the road running around with a collar (no tag), wet and lost. My husband looked at me and of course I told him to put the little guy in the car! We brought him home and our puppy was, to say the least, having a puppy moment. Playing with her new friend or trying to establish dominance, I’m not really sure. Needless to say, we talked about what to do next. We called people who we thought could help and they told us to take him to the vet in the morning and see if he has a microchip. I posted all over facebook pages for lost pets and spouse pages wondering who could’ve lost their baby. This pupper is seriously the sweetest. We drove around the neighborhood searching for people who may have lost him, but came to another dead end. We opened the car door to bring him in and he dashed into the woods. (Yep, that really happened.) My husband and I prayed as we went to bed. He soon fell asleep and I began to pray to God, asking him to put protection over this little pupper that I found…and then lost. I prayed for God’s will to be done and for him to go home or for him to find safety. HERE’S WHERE IT GETS GOOD. My husband woke up this morning and opened the door to let our puppy and this little guy slept on our porch all night. Ughhh, my heart! I’m sure you are thinking a couple things…1.How did she lose a lost dog? 2. This poor puppy. & 3. Why is she telling me this?

Here is why…

During my quiet time Holy Spirit has revealed to me some things through this little guy. (So cool that he can use a puppy to bring revelation and a blog post to share with you all!)

We have all been this puppy. Searching for home. Searching for love, care, and protection. We all have been lost, myself included. How often do we choose being lost in the woods when God has provided us with everything we need? We settle for the woods because, well its adventurous and we don’t really know God when we first come to him. Our old life looks pretty appealing when God challenges us on our behaviors and worldly ways. (Or for this little pup, peeing on the laundry basket…) So we venture out in the woods, lost, “alone”, and searching for home. We can never be fulfilled unless it’s through our identity in Christ. We will continually search and even sometimes settle for less than what God has to offer, like the porch for instance.

Even if you were to get lost, fall off track, I know God still remains the same. The promises of his word tell me so!

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”-Deuteronomy 31:6

It took faith for this dog to show up on our porch this morning. He ran away from us, but something drew him back to our home. Was it the love we showed him while he was here for a brief moment? When you get a taste of what God, his pure,steadfast love…you don’t travel far into the woods before you realize what you needed was back where you just were. We didn’t need the puppy to clean up before he entered our home. God doesn’t need you to clean up before you ask him into your heart. He wants you as you are at this very moment.

I just posted a verse yesterday on Instagram and it’s really fitting for what has transpired over the past 24 hours.

“This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”-Jeremiah 29:10-13

God doesn’t say we aren’t going to go through trails or tribulation’s. He promises us that he hears our prayers and that we will find him when we seek him wholeheartedly. He promises us plans to prosper. Plans to prosper doesn’t always line up with what we think is best. But often what we go through, is what shapes us into Christ-like character and puts us exactly where we need to be. Or for this lost pup, in a warm house out of the rain, snoozing on the floor.

Did God just use a dog to reveal all this to me? Yes, yes he did. That’s the cool thing about God. He will speak to you in ways that you will listen.

Lost-and-Found

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