Today I cut a pineapple.
Not very earth-shattering — to you.

…but to me, it was monumental.

I had never cut a pineapple before, never even tried. Even when we lived in the jungle and the indigenous people would bring us fresh pineapple from their gardens, I’d let it sit on the counter, our eyes large with desire and our tummies growling. I’d wait for my husband to return; depend on his know-how to prepare it.

It was the same here in the States. Anytime a pineapple adorned our counter, it would wait for my husband’s steady hands, or it would sit and rot.

…I had never cut a pineapple.

The truth is, I was afraid.

Sounds silly, I know. Afraid to cut a pineapple?

But what if I made a mistake?
What if I cut it wrong?
What if I wasted some of this treat?
What if it didn’t turn out right?
What if, what if, what if?

When I found a great price match and picked up this pineapple, I bought it with the full intention of my husband cutting it up for our family to enjoy. But today, this pineapple caught the eyes of my children.

With Daddy away at work, I tried to hide behind excuses,
until I wondered, “What if? What’s the worst that could happen?”

So I picked up my knife, and I started.

Today I cut a pineapple,
and it wasn’t that hard.

How about you? Do you have any “pineapples” you need to “cut”? Are there any areas in your life that fear is in control, any areas you need to take the first step?

Photo Credit: zemlyanichnaya

“Grace, that’s what we say before we eat.” My youngest son said when we started talking about this virtue today over waffles and eggs.

Yes, it is a short prayer recited before or after a meal to invoke a blessing upon the food or give thanks for it.  BUT…that’s not what we are talking about here.

We are talking about the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man…

…GRACE

It doesn’t surprise me that we are talking about grace the day after salvation.

We are saved. by. grace.

To comprehend and wrap our arms around this extremely valuable, priceless gift  that we do. not. deserve. we must be intentional in learning more about God’s character.

Personally, I did not understand the significance of grace and what it meant for me in my life and through me …until a couple of years ago.  I lived the majority of my life carrying around loads of shame, guilt, and condemnation.  Salvation and Grace offer us FREEDOM — growing in grace allows us to receive that freedom and extend grace to others.

What does it mean to G R O W in grace?  I believe it is…

1. learning more of what God wants through His Word.
2. being able to do more of what God wants.
3. living more of the love of God.

As we grow in grace and knowledge the evidence will be an increase of faith, knowledge of God, and the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

How does God help us G R O W in grace?  I believe there are many ways, through…

1. our life experiences, trials
2. His Word and devotionals
3. connecting with others
4. service and worship

We are just beginning this journey through these virtues and I can already see, there is just as much in this for ME as there is for me praying for my children.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Father, may I continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, along with my children. Amen.

For a FREE printable version of 31 Biblical Virtues graphic go here
On Pinterest? Follow the board created here — and “pin” this page! =)

If you are joining us on this journey and you haven’t already joined the Keeping it Personal Daily KIP e-mail list, go HERE  and sign up — my daily virtue reflection will be emailed to you.

To start at the beginning and see the initial invitation/announcement about this, go HERE

“Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will.” – Max Lucado

My 10-year-old son recently fasted from video games.

Now, he didn’t come up with this idea on his own… nor was I the one who suggested it. But at the urging of someone he trusted, Sam decided to fast from gaming for 4 full days.

Why? As an experiment.

For the past few weeks, he’d been having nightmares and feeling more anxious than usual. Tears and frustration were sitting right under the surface. He found himself scared to be in his room at night.

Sam was dealing with the spirit of FEAR.

And while it’s not a new struggle, it was getting out of hand. So the idea of fasting from video games was the perfect opportunity to see if they were the catalyst for Sam’s worries.

Knowing our son’s battle with fear, we are mindful in what he’s exposed to. His game time is strictly regulated and we have stringent standards for which video games he can play. Movies and television shows are closely monitored and we stay away from books that talk about monsters and evil.

But something was feeding that fearful spirit… and we needed to determine exactly what it was.

“Sam, if video games are somehow causing this fear and anxiety… then a fast from playing will starve them to death. The fear will simply go away.”

The landscape of those four days looked different.

We played Monopoly… a lot. He built countless Lego creations. We sat and talked as a family about what God was revealing to Sam through this time. The kids put on “shows” for me and my husband. Our basement got cleaned out.

But more importantly, we discovered that we did indeed starve that fear.

During the fast, he didn’t have any bad dreams. He was more courageous to stand up to his fearful thoughts and speak truth in response to the lies. Sam was calmer and not as close to tears.

The spirit of fear starved because we removed its food source.

What is causing fear in your life?
• Fear of saying “yes” to what God is asking?
• Fear of being abandoned in your relationships?
• Fear of walking away from that addiction?
• Fear of financial ruin because of mounting bills?

When you allow that fear to fester untouched, you are continuing to feed it.

When you feed it, you are permitting it to grow.

And when you let it grow, it begins to overtake your thoughts and actions.

That’s not God’s design.

“For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

The spirit of fear isn’t from God. As a matter of fact, He gave us all we need to overcome it.

And part of that is the ability to starve it.

Sam still plays video games from time to time, but they’re not as important as they used to be. They’ve been exposed as a potential fear trigger. And at a moment’s notice, they will find themselves benched if need be.

What fears do you need to starve?

Have you ever felt stuck for no reason? Like you couldn’t move forward and you didn’t know why? Maybe you felt stuck with a weight issue, a business issue, a ministry issue, or even an emotional issue.

Recently I was faced with this exact same dilemma — STUCK…

…I was completely perplexed!

I couldn’t see any logical reason why I wasn’t moving forward. I had all the head knowledge I needed to do the task. I had tried every angle, chased every person who said they knew the way, but nothing was quite right and I felt as if I was standing there with cement shoes unable to move forward.

Have you ever been there?

I prayed daily, “Father help me to get through this… help me to figure out how to move forward… to move on to the next step.”  No immediate answers came.

Or I should say, didn’t come until I had tried all my logical options. The answer did come. It just wasn’t one that I was expecting! As a matter fact it blindsided me. It was a message I thought I knew. I thought I had mastered the message actually… I had heard it countless times before…

…it was about forgiveness.

You see, just like you, I have many hurts in my past. Things that have caused me great pain, people who have caused me great pain. But as a Christian woman I knew that forgiveness was important and long ago I had done the work of forgiving them. I had put the issues behind me and moved on. But the other day God called me to a different place; he called me to the next step in forgiveness.

It wasn’t enough to just forgive their debt and put it behind me. I needed to RELEASE them, FORGIVE them, and BLESS them. He began bringing up people and situations in my life that I had long forgotten. People who were both close in my everyday life and people whom I haven’t seen in decades. I visualized them, and told them how they had hurt me. Then I said, “I release you. I forgive you. And I bless you!”

I tell you right now that when I went through these steps with a genuine heart, a new weight was lifted off me that I didn’t know I had. And I was overcome with great compassion for them.

Oh…how freeing are our Father’s ways!

God’s word tells us this:

“Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28

All I can tell you is that my steps are clearer now and no longer am I wearing cement shoes. The funny thing is that the people I released and blessed had NOTHING to do with the area of my life I was trying to move forward in. They were completely unrelated. But God knew that it was a weight that I had around my neck that held me back from living my purpose.

Do you feel stuck? Ask God to show you who you need to release. Life is too short and our purpose in life is too important, to live carrying dead weight. Let’s have the courage to take the next step.

(If you received this post via email, be sure to click here to watch the video.)

This is week 4 — the final week of unpacking 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — here we are with verse 7…

“L O V E –> always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

SERIOUSLY?!?!  A L W A Y S <– that is a tall order!  I am unequipped. period. to love like that!

BUT what I’ve discovered through unpacking this popular scripture is that. there. is. hope.

As I draw near to God, as I grow in my relationship with Him, as I get to know Him and His character, He will equip me to love how He loves.  God IS LOVE!

He demonstrates His love to me every day — He is patient and kind.  He keeps no records of wrongs.  He does not delight in evil.  He rejoices with the truth.  His character shows me how to love — with Him living in me, through Christ and the Holy Spirit — I will grow in this area, I can love as He loves.  I will never be perfect, I will ALWAYS make mistakes, but because He extends this beautiful definition of love to me, I can pick up right where I am at and press on…I desire to love bigger.  love better.  love like that!

How about you?  Have you been on this “love” journey with me?  What does this last verse mean to you?  How will you grow in love?

Week 1: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Week 2: “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Week 3:  “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
{IF you missed my video/reflection on either of those, you can find them here –> Week 1, Week 2, Week 3}

Photo Credit:  yourfuturemd.tumblr.com

This quote is a recent favorite for me. As the shortcuts, immediacy and urgency increase in our “microwave society” the less and less we seem to enjoy and welcome the present, the more and more we seem to value immediate gratification – instant businesses, instant wealth, instant happiness, instant friendships…

…instant being, growth and awakening.

Can you recall ever taking a road trip vacation? What was the best and most memorable part of that experience? What story or stories did you share with your friends and family when you returned? Was it “arriving” at your destination? Or was it the adventure you had along the way -

• the wonderful local residents you met at the restaurant you had to eat at while your flat tire was being repaired
• the home made pie that tasted like heaven that Mama restaurant owner made from scratch that they don’t have at the chain restaurants on the highways of life
• the little boy who touched your heart when he played guitar and sang his own tune at the gas station across the street to earn money for his family

Experiences that stir the soul come from the unexpected turns and roads we take “off the map”

The challenges we overcome, the people we are blessed to meet, the times we have to stop and BE present. Many of us desperately want to believe that the “shortcuts” of life are the highways – the FAST toll ways – just pay the toll and your ideal life, achievement, success or desire is on the other side. While we fail to see that the toll ways are “the hype” the “get rich quick” pitfalls, the “microwave society” calling us for a less than nutritious meal – it may seem fast and easy but, we miss the most important part of the journey – the experiences we have, the lessons we learn and most importantly, the relationships we develop when we stop in the small towns along the way to rest, relax and just enjoy the scenery. That’s the true magic of the shortcuts of life – they are NOT on the highways! The joy is in the journey.“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
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Today’s Quote is shared by: Loreen Muzik she is the Founder/Publisher of “The Inspired Marketer” inbox magazine where the mission is to light the way for folks to enjoy creating online businesses that provide wealth, personal growth, balance and a platform to “pay-it-forward“. A community where aspiring individuals come together to grow, support and inspire one another to lead with passion and allow prosperity to follow.  Connect with Loreen on Facebook or through her Website

As you look back on the last year and look forward to the new year…

…are you truly living out the calling that God has given you?

If not, what or who is hindering you from fulfilling the calling that God has given you?

Hmmm…think about it.

What is that thing that God keeps whispering in your ear {or in my case, screaming out because of my poor listening skills} to do that you just haven’t done yet?

We all have various “reasons” or “excuses” for not stepping out to follow Him in our calling. I’d like to talk about a few today:

1.  “I am not adequate or prepared for this. It is way too big for me.”  — This is a common excuse, as we humanly feel incapable of doing that which God has called us to do. The Lord in his graciousness and power responds, “Nothing is too difficult for me. I want to work through you. Just say ‘Yes, Lord!’ and I will do the rest, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” (Lk. 1:37; Eph. 3: 20; 2 Cor. 12:9)

Remember: God usually calls us to things that are much bigger than us so that we are completely dependent on Him. We can’t do it without Him!

2.  “I don’t have the time or the energy.”   – We are tired. We are busy. Life is hard and already sometimes overwhelming. How could we possibly add something additional to our plate? Our God gently says, “How about allowing My energy to flow through you? Seek me first, My child, and all these things will be added to you. Trust me with your time.” (Col. 1: 29; Matt. 6:34; Prov. 3:5)

Remember: God provides us with what we need to accomplish His purposes. That includes supernatural energy and time management! We just have to be willing to give our schedules and our physical capabilities to Him.

3.  “What will others say? What if they think I’m not talented enough?”   –  We worry about what our family and friends will say if we tell them what God has called us to do. We fear that others will doubt our calling and our gifts. Those worries and fears soon begin to speak louder than God’s call. We become paralyzed and ineffective. The Lord responds, “Don’t be like the Pharisees who were more interested in the praise from men than praise from me. You are working for me, not for men!” (Jn. 12:43; Col. 3:23)

Remember:  He will equip you according to your calling. He is enough.

4.  “What if I fail miserably?”  —  Some of us quit before we even get started just because we are afraid that we might disappoint God, our self, or others. So we just don’t do it. We decide to remain where we are, in our comfort zone… in our disobedience. The Lord says, “Keep your eyes on me. If you fall, I will pick you up. I will be with you. I will give you the strength to persevere.” (Heb. 12:2; Psalm 37:23-24)

Remember:  Believe you can and you’re halfway there!

5.  “The path is uncertain. I am scared.”  —  Wouldn’t it be nice if God granted us a GPS for our lives? Turn left here. Drive 20 miles west and turn right. Take the next exit. But instead He calls us to follow Him. Our sweet Savior reminds us, “Be strong and courageous. I will be with you wherever you go! I will show you the way. Trust me. I have amazing things planned for you!” (Joshua 1:9, 3:5; Exodus 15:13)

Remember:  Abraham WENT, not knowing where he was going. He was remembered as a man of faith, not a man with a plan.

God is so good to answer us when we cry out to him AND even. when. we. make. excuses!

He loves us so much…

…He never wants us to stay in that shadow of fear.

So, listen to God. What is He telling you to do?  Now, go and do it! Make 2012 the year you follow Him with all you’ve got… And no excuses!

Photo Credit: chrislee!

“One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, and on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate. And men shall speak of the power of Thine awesome acts; And I will tell of Thy greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Thine abundant goodness, and shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness. “ Psalm 145: 4-7

I love a good story.

Yet, more than just a good story, I love to hear about the intervention of a Holy God in the ordinary lives of men. So many times we put God in the clouds. We make him a lofty being that controls things like the universe, the weather, and the large events of life. However, we fail to realize that…

…God is in our everyday details.

God does not hear about our daily happenings secondhand. He sustains our very breath and goes before us. Life can be exhilarating and disappointing. As a child, I gave my heart to the Lord. As an adult, the many aspects of His character have jumped off the pages of scripture and become personal to me.

He became my Healer, when He healed me of Congestive Heart Failure and a difficult pregnancy.

He became my Deliverer when He set me free from a lifetime of irrational fear.

He was my Friend, when no one else understood the chronic health issues I faced each day.

He is my Counselor, my Redeemer, my Strength, and He is all of these things each and every day.

I hope that in this very moment you will understand, without a shadow of a doubt, that God wants a relationship with you.

He wants to sit with you in the morning over a cup of coffee, as well as fight for you in the darkness. May 2012 be the year that you see God as your everyday God…

…your friend day in and day out.

Recently my husband and I got the gift of a lifetime…

…ONE whole weekend without our kids.

For some of you that may not sound like much, but for us, it was a miracle. We have no family who live close in our area, so these types of weekends are few and far between.

As a matter of fact, my youngest, who is 3, had never spent one night away from us until that weekend. We also realized that it had been nearly 5 years since we’ve been alone for even an evening. It was about time don’t you think?

We were able to just have quietness in our house, an uninterrupted meal, and {my favorite} an uninterrupted thought!

We got a glimpse of who we were before we had children. Remembering what it was like to be alone with each other. And do you know what I discovered? I discovered a boyfriend!

You know what I mean, the person who would go into a shop with you just to look, and act interested in the gadgets you look at just because YOU are interested in them. I also discovered myself as a girlfriend again. Not just mom, or businesswoman, or wife, but…

…a girl in love with a boy.

Our everyday reality is bombarded by the immediate, the necessary, and the urgent so much that we rarely get to have these moments to just be together, take a walk, or slowly browse a store.

How easy it could be to allow that to taint who we believe we are married to. How easy it would be for my husband to believe that he is just married to the overworked, sleep deprived mom.  Rather than…

…the girl still in love with the boy.

It is a season in our life for us right now, but that’s just it… it’s only a season. I promised to stand by this man forever, and I choose to do so even when I find it hard to see the boyfriend in the midst of the busyness, and chaos.

How easy it would be for the enemy of our soul to come between us and convince us to look for that carefree relationship we once enjoyed in another person. Or even to blame the other for not being who we think they should be.

God didn’t put us together so that we could forever enjoy a carefree, fully satisfied relationship. That is reserved for our relationship with Christ alone. Relationships are a hard, refining process that we are smart to be trained by.

The enemy of our soul would like nothing more than to destroy our marriages and convince us we are missing something that we deserve. And he is right!  The truth really is that we are meant for another relationship that is to satisfy our soul.

But that has nothing to do with another person. We are meant to seek Christ. We are meant to long for that satisfaction that can only come from God. He is the only one who can fully satisfy. He is the only one who will fully complete us. And I’ll be honest; I can’t wait for that day.

How about you?

Photo Credit: BestPix Photography

From the archives and modified…

What is a dry well?  Simply put it’s a well that is dry, one that does not produce any water.  A dry well would be one that no one returns to to quench their thirst and in most cases it would be capped of, abandoned and forgotten.

…but they are most often always still there.

Getting water from a well is not an easy task, it a takes a lot of work.

I’m not talking about the modern day technology kind of well that’s used by cities, allowing us to get hot or cold water from our faucets, not that kind of well.

I’m talking about the old wells. You know, the one where the bucket is hanging there – you have to manually turn the crank down to the bottom, scoop the water in the bucket and then crank the bucket up; that’s a lot of work to get one bucket of water!

IF you were to make the effort to go to the well, the old fashioned kind – put the bucket on the hook, crank it ALL the way down to the bottom and then crank it back up ONLY to find it empty…

…would your need be met?

Would you be able to quench your thirst? or use the water to wash your clothes? bathe yourself or your child?

no.

You would most likely walk away feeling sad, defeated, lonely, frustrated, thirsty, dirty, afraid.

Knowing that the well was dried up, would you go back to get more water?

Maybe, right?

Maybe the well just happened to be dry that day — maybe tomorrow would be different — maybe because it rained {or something like that} …there would be water.

So, the next day you go to the same well, drop the same bucket only to find…

…the well IS still dry!

Shoot!  Once again your needs are not met.  You walk away with the same feelings you had the day before; sad, defeated, lonely, frustrated, thirsty, dirty, afraid.

This could go on for days hoping to get different results. Until finally the decision is made to accept the reality that the well is dry.

It will no longer meet the needs that it once did.

You. let. it. go.

You find another well to meet your needs. But it’s very difficult and it can take a lot of time.

Over the past couple of years I’ve asked myself why in the world am I continually drawn to “dry wells”?

Now, I’m talking about people and relationships.

I make the connection between the two because some of the relationships that I’ve had OR have are like dry wells; they do not quench my thirst.

I continue to go to the people {relationship} thinking the next time will be different…

…but it’s not.

I leave sad, defeated, sometimes insecure, feeling judged, frustrated, empty.

I’ve come to the realization {once again} that we indeed are creatures of habit and change is not easy!

What have I done?

I’ve taken the path of least resistance, in some cases, and continue to get the same results. yuk…it’s painful.

“Sometimes we have to set aside or walk away from the unhealthy to make room in our lives for God to bring healthy.”

This statement is so true, but difficult.  Why?

Because we want so bad for the “well” aka. person {relationship} not. to. be. dry.

Plus, it’s easy to NOT work on de-cluttering and be “status quo” — even though something may be unhealthy and painful.

Double Plus, if we let go of that, even though it’s unhealthy — what do we replace it with in the meantime?

Do we trust God to bring us healthy?

Remember, people {relationships}, like a dried up well, are most often always still there.  As we make the decision to “set aside the unhealthy to make room for the healthy” — it doesn’t mean we need to destroy or eliminate — we just don’t need to go there anymore.  We need to set boundaries and make room for God to bring us healthy.

How many dry wells are you going to?

Photo Credit: wonka_chocolate