Spare Tire Check

“Is God your spare tire or your steering wheel?” I heard this quote recently and it has stuck with me ever since. Do we use God as a back up plan to run to when things go wrong, or are we allowing Him to lead and guide us daily? Who is in control? Who is holding the steering wheel of our lives? We can survive with out a spare tire, but if the steering wheel of our vehicle goes bad, the whole thing is worthless. We need God to be in the driver’s seat of our lives in good times and in bad.

When I was in Bible College years ago I took a class called “The Minister’s Wife.” It was taught by the president’s wife of the college. It was awesome and oh so practical. I learned a lot! She gave us the realities of true ministry and what to expect. She promised good times and bad and equipped us to be prepared for both.

One thing she did in particular still sticks with me today. Before she started each class she had us sing a song. She said she wanted this song to be cemented into our spirits so that some day when we needed it, it would be tucked inside of us. It goes like this (from what I remember)…

The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do is follow
The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do is follow
Strength for today is mine all the way and all that I need for tomorrow
The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do it follow

I remember singing this several times over the course of my life. Sometimes it was at the kitchen sink doing dishes feeling distraught and overwhelmed by life, other times it was driving in my car crying over invisible wounds inflicted by others, in the shower, on a long walk… wherever I sang it, God showed up and brought His peace to calm the storms of my life and heart.

God doesn’t promise that when we give our lives to Him that our life will immediately become easier. He does however promise to walk with us through all of life’s journey. No matter what you are facing today, God is faithful!

My husband and I have faced a lot together over the course of our almost nineteen years of marriage. We have faced the good, the bad, and the ugly. We have been hit with financial hardship; transition in jobs, miscarriage of a child, health problems, family conflict, and the daily stresses of all that life likes to throw at us unexpectedly. We decided a long time ago that we were not going to allow the circumstances of this life to ravage our marriage or suck the life out of us. We are just going to hold our hands a little tighter together and brace ourselves for the ride.

Circumstances can rip a part lives if we let them. We have seen marriages destroyed by financial troubles, the loss of a loved one, by allowing work to become a priority over God and family, and the like. Little by little and day by day hearts became disconnected. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of choosing to withhold elements of your life from one another.

My husband and I share everything with each other. It is our safety net from temptation. Satan attempts daily to uproot families and marriages. We are choosing to fight for ours! Sin loves darkness. It grows best there. That is why we keep everything in the light. We don’t hide things from each other. We share our feelings, speak our minds, and cover each other in love and prayers.

Ephesians 5:12-14 says… “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.”(NLT)

Even in some of our most difficult seasons, we have tried to be examples to our children of what it means to hold tightly onto Jesus and each other. We have shared what was necessary with them to help them learn to trust God for themselves. People are watching us whether we realize it or not. They are learning how to live for God by our lives. What are we teaching them?

I am currently leading a ladies small group at my church based on the book I am writing, “Surviving Life’s Mud Puddles.” I am learning a lot. These ladies are incredible examples of God’s ability to do something amazing with our availability to Him. Before each group starts I play a song to help prepare our hearts. I want it to be cemented into their spirits. Some day, I assure them they may need to remember this (Sound familiar?…LOL). It goes like this…. (I Lift My Hands by Christopher Tomlin)

Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

Choose to trust God in all seasons of your life today no matter what you face. He is faithful! Let God be your steering wheel and not your spare tire. He has some amazing places to take you and He is the only one that knows which direction to go. Trust Him with the details of your life. You will never regret it!

Deuteronomy 31:8 says..."Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT)


Living to leave a legacy,
Julie

"Surviving Life's Mud Puddles"

Have you ever struggled with anything in your life before? Has your life turned out the way you expected it would? Not mine, by a long shot. The man of my dreams asked me to marry him and of course I said yes. Nothing I expected. How did I get so lucky? God put a desire in my heart to go into full-time ministry to help others. Not in “my plans.” My husband and I served 12 + years in youth ministry. Teens scared me… not in “my plans.” My first child miscarried, but later I was blessed with two baby boys sixteen months apart… not in “my plans.” We served two years as Senior Pastors. “Old people” scared me except my grandma of course… not in “my plans.” I came down with an unpredictable autoimmune disease that affects every muscle in my body which caused us to have to step out of full-time ministry for a season… not in “my plans.”

Have you noticed a theme here? It was all about “my plans.” I think God had something else in mind for me… something better. No matter what the season I was in good or bad my main constant has always been God. He has carried me through so much and I don’t know what I would have done without Him. I am of the opinion that no matter what we face, if we give it to God He can bring good out of it. My hearts desire is to allow my life’s struggles to inspire others to press forward in their journey with God regardless of their circumstances.

I choose to serve God in good times and in bad. I will not walk away from Him, turn my back on Him, or blame Him. I trust Him with the details of my life. He has proven to me over and over again that He will never leave me or forsake me. Two verses have been food for my soul through some of the darkest hours of my life.

“For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)


“You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people…”
Genesis 50:20 (NCV)

No matter what difficulties we face, God has the ability to make something beautiful out of it. My heart ached to see something good come out of my sickness. Three years ago, God put a dream in my heart. It was a dream to write a book about my struggles. I wanted to challenge others to keep trusting God no matter what they face in life.

As I searched the scriptures for hope and wisdom in my life-defining moments, I found a “kindred spirit.” He is a man who hit rock bottom and lived to tell about it. He faced family squabbles, unwarranted accusations, fear, doubt, anger, and temptation. He felt abandoned, forgotten, invisible, unloved, and broken. He was human like you and me, yet rose above his seemingly difficult life to become better in the end. His character, his faithfulness, his unswerving trust in God is an inspiration to us all. The man I am speaking about is Joseph and my book will be filled with his story and mine.

I have been attempting to write this for three years now, but everything keeps getting postponed. I keep getting sick which delays the process. The most I have gotten done is a complete outline of the book chapter by chapter with some ideas and a little research. I have decided this time to push ahead one chapter at a time whether I am sick or not. It will get done!

One way to commit myself to the process was to sign-up to lead a small group at the church I attend. It is a ladies only group that will meet Thursday nights for the next few months. The group is centered around building relationships with other women and getting into the Bible. My book/Bible study will be the focus of our discussions. I am working ahead of everyone chapter by chapter, but it is not completed which totally stresses me out. I like to lead when I am prepared. But those are “my plans” not God’s plans.

Tonight is the first night of the small group. God has handpicked the ladies that will be there and I am very expectant of what He will do. I know we will forever be changed. By the end of this small group semester, I am expecting to have the book completed and prepared to have published. I pray God will use my circumstances and life struggles to draw others closer to Him.

Here is a sneak peak at excerpts from the book…
Life has its ups and downs. It CAN be messy and difficult at times. I like to call those seasons “mud puddle moments.” It is during these times of difficulty that we may get spiritually dirty (make wrong choices), we might feel icky from the slushy “mud” spraying us (uncomfortable with where we are), or our plans may have to be altered because of unexpected changes in the weather (circumstances beyond our control).

Did you know that God specializes in those “mud puddle moments?” He anxiously awaits the opportunity to meet us in the midst of our moments of desperation. He longs to bring beauty from the ugliest of things in our lives. When we release our lives to Him in good times and in bad, it gives God the green light to start painting. He is creating a work of art with our lives…...

....Life is a journey and our walk of faith can be pretty shaky at times. Whether you are in a valley, facing a mountain top, or at the top enjoying the view, God is faithful! This Bible study series is entitled “Surviving Life’s Mud Puddles” because life is messy and unpredictable. You can’t walk through a mud puddle without getting dirty. It happens. Life is the same way. Things will happen beyond our control. It is inevitable, but what will we do when it does? This series is designed to help you take a closer look at who you are from the inside out. It will challenge you to face the unpredictable, trust God with the details of your life, and embrace the person God created you to be. Fasten your seat belts. You are in for an amazing ride!

Please pray with me for favor as I move forward to fulfill the dream God placed in my heart. I pray I would be a tool in the hands of God to impact my world for Jesus.

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie