Archive by Author | beingrebekah238

Guest Spot: MJ of The Peace Filled Life “Plan B”

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. MJ’s post on contentment in our moments reminds us of the truth that “…godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim 6:6). Thank you for sharing MJ!

I spent too long believing I was living Plan B. I thought that if I had just done X, Y and Z, I would be living Plan A. For now I was waiting, doing my “penance” – until Plan A would magically appear, and my “real” life would start and I would live happily ever after.

I could not have been any more wrong.

In reality, I have many blessings in my life – a wonderful husband, three beautiful children, a house in the suburbs, reliable transportation, and a good job. My family has food, water, clothing, indoor plumbing, electricity, heat, air conditioning, and modern appliances. I have an awesome extended family, many good friends, a great church and community.

And yet what did I find myself concentrating on? The ONE thing that I did not have. Is that not the most ungrateful thing you ever heard of?

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10

The evil one has one goal for your life – to steal your joy, kill your spirit and destroy your life. God wants you to have life! Not just in the life to come, but in this very life that you are living now. Not just merely an existence, but to the full, till it overflows!

Living my life as if it were Plan B was not what God intended. God made life for enjoying!

If I concentrate on the what ifs, and the if onlys – I will live my life disappointed, angry and bitter. But if I concentrate on accepting the many gifts that Christ has given me, I will have joy and peace.

In May of 2011, I had enough. I made a decision:

I chose joy and peace.

I chose to enjoy where I am.

I chose to accept the path that God designed for ME.

To be honest, 2011 was one of the most painful years of my life. Yet after I made that decision –

I had never felt more joy and peace in my life.

I had never heard God’s voice so clearly nor felt His presence so abundantly.

I had never been more secure in the fact that I AM living the Plan that God intended for ME.

His Plan is good. I choose this. Do you choose this?

* * *

“Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14b)

MJ is a mom, wife, career woman, and follower of God. She is passionate in her quest to “seek peace and pursue it”. Her blog can be found at http://thepeacefilledlife.wordpress.com

See the original post at: http://thepeacefilledlife.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/plan-b/

Published by permission of the author. Submit your own post at beingrebekah@outlook.com.

Guest Post: Heather Mertens “The Light Is Just Where We Need It”

Apr28

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. We are excited to be able to bring you all this encouraging post to just keep walking where God lights the way. Included with this post is a photograph taken by her daughter! 🙂 Thanks for sharing both Heather and her daughter! 🙂 ~Rebekah M.

Aren’t you used to walking into a dark room and flipping a switch to see a flood of light show you where you are and what the surroundings include? We don’t normally have lights that just light up the spot we are standing in. We don’t buy flashlights that just light up the immediate area around the flashlight. Instead we want lights that go as far as possible so that we can see what is way ahead of us.

But God doesn’t always work that way and He IS the light. His light is a lamp just at our feet, waiting to show us where to step out on faith next.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. – 2 Samuel 22:29

He wants us to explore our faith – be it as small as a mustard seed or largely filled with praises to no end believing in the miraculous healing needed at the moment. Explore our faith, yes! We tend to be stuck in the faith we know. I was stuck once in my life { one LONG period in my life! } where the only faith I had was the faith I knew. But when God opened my eyes through working in my life and through His Word, I started to see that I could explore that faith to expand it. I could even ASK FOR MORE. Even when we have a tiny amount of faith we have enough to ask for more.

There was a man who went to Jesus for something. He asked Him to save his son ‘if you can.” They had just enough faith – still inside doubt – to ask Him for help. His response?

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” – Mark 9:23-24

He asked. He received.

Even the apostles asked for more faith.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” – Luke 17:5

So what happens when we take that little bit of faith and we ask for more and we just… LET HIM?

He works. That’s all it takes. He moves on our behalf. He shines the light in the darkness. He wants us to trust and ask because he desires for us to know how much He loves us.

So let’s dig even deeper, shall we friends?

Why do you think He only lights just the portion of the path right in front of us?

I leaned in deep to find out, to listen to Him, and I saw His light shine right where I needed it. I believe He does it so that we will know without a shadow of a doubt { the light casts out the shadows, right? YES!! that He wants and desires to take care of us, to guide us, to love us. He said that.

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. – Isaiah 42:16

When we are leaning in and looking is when we see more. There are times in our lives when He reveals something – just a portion – that is further into our future but it always has to to do with His plan and calling on our lives. And although that doesn’t happen often, He does reveal Himself in a light that shines out further along the path. I’ve had this happen more and more in the last several years. Why? {I think the answer is more simple that we humans want to admit.}

Why?

Because I asked.

The Light is just where we need it
and it always awaits us.

I am running after His light to show me where I am headed. Whom to touch. Whom to bless.

Go ahead. Ask. He will answer. And never will He let the darkness win.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:5

It may seem daunting as you run the race. But run fast ahead following that light.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

Bless you my friends,

~ Heather

You might also enjoy my similar guest post here on Being Rebekah: 10 Things Life Teaches If We Are Learning

Heather Mertens has spent 40+ years wandering through life – at first aimlessly and now at last with drive, passion, and commitment to Christ who called her out of the darkness. Her life has brought depression and healing, death and life, destruction and repair, sadness and victory – and above all else … Love.

What started as a gifted love for writing, blossomed into a ministry and a career. She penned a Christmas poem at age 7 for her father who carried it in his wallet until the day he died a few years later. She knows deeply how words can touch a life. Her writings and books can be found at www.40YearWanderer.wordpress.com ~ Life, Love, Joy… Found!

All Scripture quoted from the ESV Bible.
Image Permission granted by: EmmLe Images

Published by permission of the author. Submit your own post at beingrebekah@outlook.com.

Guest Post: Rebekah M’s Mom “Entering the Restricted Zone”

Apr14

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. I am excited that my mom, who is currently in a Bible College program, has allowed us to post one of her previous papers she wrote for a class. Based on the book Entering the Restricted Zone by Steve Willoughby, she writes on events that I witnessed while growing up that show God’s amazing ways and how His hand has been on her and my family all our lives. ~Rebekah M.

Sometimes when the storms of life come, if we are not prepared, it can be devastating. Many years ago, some unfortunate misunderstandings caused someone in the church to mistrust our family. The more we tried to prove ourselves, the more the situation got worse, and eventually we really did not know how to get out of it. We were all praying and seeking God’s direction. Soon everyone got the answer except for me. I felt I was left out and I cried out to the Lord. Three days later, a lady in the church said that she needed to talk to me. She said she had been praying for me the whole week and that God has a word for me. God wanted her to say this to me: ‘There are three moments. “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”, “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”, “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”’. When she was speaking, the Holy Ghost told me that I was in the second moment. I felt the love of God because He sent someone to pray for me and gave His word to comfort me. I realized that this was a spiritual battle and God had allowed it to happen so we would learn an important life lesson. God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). Yes, my husband and I, because we are confident in His love, were able to overcome the situation.

I know my calling and passion is to love and care for the people who have needs and I enjoy doing that as well because I am eager to share with others the love I have received from God. Then a few years ago, while I was happy and busy helping some people who have needs, something was secretly going on behind my back. Someone had spread rumors and false accusations about my motivation for helping others. I was accused with untrue matters from the distorted information. I was even betrayed by a very good friend whom I trusted and highly respected. When this thing happened, it was so hard to accept and way beyond my understanding. I was confused and scared. I thought “If God really, really, loved me; He would not let me go through this.” I was so hurt. I wrapped myself in pains and agony and I cried myself to sleep for several days. This time the storm had struck me really hard. Then at my lowest point, God reminded me of my third moment. Suddenly I realized that this is my third critical spiritual battle and I was not fighting the battle on my own; I have God and the support of my family. He then taught us how to fight this battle and the key was humility and submission. We were determined to hold on to His Love, stick with our faith and endure to the end. Praise the Lord; once again, through the help of the Lord, we overcame the situation.

I know when God allow trials and tests to happen in my life, it is for my own good. He used those situations to make me strong. Through the difficult times, I have learned how to trust Him and do things His way. Because of the confidence I have in His love, I have joy. And this joy that I have, the devil did not give it to me and devil cannot take it away!

Rebekah M’s mom is a loving housewife who lives the Bible and seeks to be His light where ever she is.

Published by permission of the author. Submit your own post at beingrebekah@outlook.com.

Guest Post- Abigail L “Condemnation vs. Conviction: Finding Joy in Jesus”

Mar30

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. Abigail’s journey in learning to hold the line of doing right without feeling the weight of condemnation is one we all face. His gift of dying for us gives us the ability to walk with newness of life in Him. To live this life joyfully freed from sin. ~Rebekah M.

The Christian life is often one big balancing exercise. Balancing love with speaking the truth. Balancing
dwelling on heaven with using our time here on earth wisely. Balancing not worrying about what people
think with showing deference. Today I’d like to share what I’m learning about accepting and embracing
conviction without getting out of balance and feeling condemned.

In recent months, I’ve come to recognize more clearly the important distinction between conviction
and condemnation. Reading the Word and being convicted by its truth is a healthy, biblical response.
Feeling condemned for my failures is not. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1) Seeking the Lord to help my heart find that balance has been growing me by
leaps and bounds.

Living under a sense of condemnation is wrong and steals the joy Jesus wants me to experience
in knowing Him. I’ve been there. Just look at what Jesus has done for me!

Titus 3:4 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because
of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing
of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus
Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having
the hope of eternal life.”

Equally dangerous, ignoring biblical conviction and being content to live a neutral life,
unconcerned when I give in to my flesh, also robs me of that beautiful joy. I’ve been there, too.

John 15:10-11 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy
may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

While being mindful of my immovable salvation in Christ and the righteousness He has permanently
imparted to me, I am commanded to walk in obedience to Jesus each day, empowered by His Holy Spirit
within me. God says that if I am in Him, my behavior should reflect His perfection.

1 Peter 1:14-15 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former
ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

To put it simply, by His grace, I am being daily transformed into who I already am in Christ. Only my
Savior can show me how to walk this tightrope, and when He does, my heart cannot help but rejoice in
His grace and sing of His goodness! The incredible freedom of no condemnation only encourages me
all the more to shine for Jesus in my conduct. It is an exciting thing when I can look at my life and see
tangible fruit clearly proving that He has declared me righteous before God, while fully understanding that
as His child, what I do can never change His love for me. The fruit is not what makes me righteous;
rather, it is the evidence of what Jesus Christ has already done on my behalf. 1 John drives home
the importance of this evidence over and over; I’ve picked just a few favorite passages.

1 John 2:28-29 “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have
confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at his coming. If you know that He is righteous,
you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.”

1 John 3:4-10 “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is
lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no
sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has
either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices
righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the
devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared
was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for
God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of
God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil:
whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his
brother.”

1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

In conclusion: Jesus has been showing me firsthand the unmatched joy that can be mine when I live a life of passionate obedience, free from condemnation and guilt. I am in awe of what He has done for me and so thrilled with the privilege of living my life for His glory! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

A young wife saved by grace and anchored in Jesus Christ, Abigail loves sharing what God is teaching her as she seeks to follow Him in her various roles. Her next adventure will be following her husband to California in August, where he will attend The Master’s Seminary. You can follow the joys and jolts of their journey here: www.OurSureAnchor.com

Published by permission of the author. Submit your own post at beingrebekah@outlook.com.

Guest Spot: 40YearWanderer “10 Things Life Teaches…If We Are Learning”

Mar17

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. Even though this list only holds ten items, there’s a lot of wisdom if you’ll internalize and act on these words. Thanks for sharing this with our readers 40YearWanderer!!! ~Rebekah M.

1- LIFE is not about getting things perfect. It is about the destination of the journey. Have some place to go … daily and eternally.

2- Learn from the difficult things in life. They teach us many things if we are paying attention to the lessons.

3- Never, ever, ever miss a chance to LOVE. You will be loved back. In many cases you will find out you were loved first.

4- Weakness can cause our strength to grow IF we choose to let that happen. It really is all about a choice to move forward.

5- Life is not about understanding every thing that goes on. It is about APPRECIATING every thing that goes on. Life goes on.

6- We do not exist just for ourselves and our pleasures. We were made to love. Love one another.

7- Hiding and not sharing our needs and sufferings leads to the same thing as constant complaining. No effect.

8- Love is an action we MUST practice. Practice truly makes perfection in this instance.

9- Understanding, getting through, making a difference, overcoming, VICTORY – are all found simply by opening the door that you are standing in front of right now. Hear the knock?

10- Love is eternal. (NOT the end of the story.)

Be thankful that we each have a Choice to live in Grace. That is followed by many other opportunities to choose all the things of God’s plan for our lives. It’s all in the choice.

Live Blessed,

~ Heather

*****

What started as a gifted love for writing, blossomed into a ministry and a career.
She penned a Christmas poem at age 7 for her father who carried it in his wallet until the day he died a few years later. She knows deeply how words can touch a life.

Her writings can be found at

www.40YearWanderer.wordpress.com

Life, Love, Joy… Found!

Reblogged with the permission of the author. Submit your own by emailing us at beingrebekah@outlook.com

Guest Spot: MJ- “Unable to Pray”

Feb24

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. MJ’s loss of prayer in her daily life is such a comment occurrence. Many of us have multiple things to juggle and falling out of daily prayer can happen so quietly that we don’t see it until it’s been months. Thank God for His wonderful mercy and grace that He just loves us and hugs us when we start communing with Him again! Read on for her journey- and thank you for sharing MJ! ~Rebekah M.

I did not pray for almost four months. I did not consciously decide to stop praying, I just did.I was pregnant with my first child, and at 28 weeks I was placed on complete and total bed-rest. I.e., Isolation City. I was very compliant but still I was induced at 36 weeks and my son spent the first week of his life in the NICU. Afterwards they told me not to take him out for two more months. Translation = four months of Isolation City.

You would think that with all that extra time I would have had dynamic prayer times, but somehow I could not bring myself to pray. Maybe I was angry at God because it had taken me so long to get pregnant and when I finally did, I got preeclampsia. All the other pregnant women I knew could eat whatever they wanted. But me, I am placed on a strict diet, and still gained 75 pounds; 14 of those pounds being gained in just one week. Maybe I was depressed from all the isolation. In reality the reason itself does not matter, it just matters that I stopped praying.

A few months later I began to pray again, little by little. At first I would just read aloud a prewritten prayer from “The Divine Hours”, a fixed-hour prayer book (link below). It would take me literally 3 minutes, and it really was a struggle to give those 3 minutes. But God took those 3 minutes and used them to draw me to Himself.

6 months after I gave birth, I decide to do a Bible Study on the book of Acts. If you have ever read the book of Acts, you can guess what happened next. Maybe I subconsciously knew and that is why I choose that particular study. But let’s just say the Holy Spirit woke me up!It was as if scales fell out of my eyes, and for the first time I was able to REALLY understand the Bible. The more I read, the more I craved to read the Word, I could not get enough.

I remember saying a prayer when I was 12 that went something like this: “Lord, no matter how far I go, no matter what I do, always bring me back to You, as my biggest desire is to follow You.” And God has been good on His end of the bargain. Once again He brought me back to Himself.

If you are foreign to the concept of personal prayer, don’t worry, God does not despise small beginnings. He will take what you have to give and draw you to Himself. He can use even a 3 minute prewritten prayer to transform a life.

“Of all the seeds it (the mustard seed) is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.” (Matthew 13:32)