IfYouGiveAMindensenABlog

Do you ever get the feeling like a passage of scripture is ‘following’ you…I do…and if you haven’t noticed it is Philippians 4:6-7…

Today, verse 7 is what sticks out…“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”

Did you know that the actual word guard in the original Greek literally means “to guard, protect by military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight”?

So, when God says that his peace will GUARD us, he means just that. His peace WILL guard us from hostile attacks on our hearts and our minds. However, there are some important things to remember.

One, flip back a book to the end of Ephesians and there you will see a reminder that ‘our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’. As much as it is easy to feel like our hearts (and minds) are being attacked by other people, we need to remember that ultimately we are living in a spiritual battle, where every decision is a decision for either spiritual life or death.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20a says, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life…”

The second thing to remember is that it is the PEACE of God which does the protecting, and it’s a personal CHOICE whether or not you have it. Going up to verse 6, it talks about OUR responsibility to present our requests to God AND to not be anxious. It’s only then, when we focus on God and stop worrying that we have PEACE, and it’s that PEACE that guards our hearts and our minds.

Another passage that generally comes back up in my life, that relates to this topic is Matthew 6:33-34 which says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

God is GOOD! ♥

Have you you ever felt like you gave someone everything you could and they just threw it away?
Did you ever realize that's what we do to God ALL the time?!




It's not good for man to be alone...Good thing God is here!




TOTAL forgiveness
unconditional love
...Two concepts ONLY made possible because we have a God with whom NOTHING is impossible!




God gave us FREE will...so I can't blame HIM for every mistake YOU or I make...




"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood"...but excuses are lame and God promises that 'No temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is FAITHFUL. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it".
...Take responsibility for your OWN choices...





God is GOOD! ♥

So, on Tuesday, I was having a pretty rough day. However, when I got home that night, I discovered something that made me smile. Some would call it a 'coincidence', but I call it a God thing :) Anyways, as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed that the pause button on my stereo was pushed down (yes, I have a stereo that has a tape player...and I'm PROUD of it!). Well, I haven't played any tapes on my stereo in ages, and didn't even think there was anything in it. Well, there was, and it was an Adventures in Odyssey tape (produced by Focus on the Family). I have NO IDEA how it got there. I haven't brought any tapes from home, and my stereo hasn't been back to my house in IL for over a year. It was there though, and the title of the episode...? Yep, you guessed it, 'In All Things Give Thanks'. I just had to laugh, and than I listened to it. It wasn't their best episode, but the message was exactly what I needed to hear. God, you are SO AWESOME!

God is GOOD! ♥

Commitment. A word that tends to scare people these days. Well, this past Sunday I went to a church whose message was about commitment, and boy was I not prepared for what God would do.

Have you ever had people disappoint you? Let you down? Break a COMMITMENT? Well, me too. In fact, as sad as it is, words of commitment to my family have come to be known as 'two week notices'. It's kind of a joke now, which is NOT how things are supposed to be. Commitment is very important, nothing great happens without it. However, with all the poor examples of commitment around us, how are we supposed to take it seriously?

Well, as obvious as it should have been, God reminded me on Sunday how HE made a commitment with us when He sent JESUS, and how HE has NEVER broken a commitment. He is faithful, trustworthy, and will ALWAYS be there. It was like Jesus was saying, "Look Mindy. Look how committed I am to being in a relationship with you...before you were even born I DIED for you. See...you can trust me. I'm here for you, I've been here for you, I'll ALWAYS be there for you." I don't think the speaker was trying for a 'moving' service but I was definitely crying through most of it. Not anything dramatic, but as I stood there during the worship session at the end of the service tears started streaming down my face. I didn't have to fear commitment anymore, or fear being abandoned or left alone because that's IMPOSSIBLE to happen with God.

So, thank you God for being my source of JOY, my refuge, and my strength. Thank you for ALWAYS being there for me. You are my comforter and provider. I KNOW you are in control, and have my best in mind. Thank you for you peace!

God is GOOD! ♥

Do you ever catch yourself in a negative mood; Being the 'Debbie-downer', reliving/feeling past hurts and disappointments? Well, I certainly have, and it's not good.

The other week I was confronted about my tendency to complain, I hadn't 'really' noticed, but once it was brought to my attention, I realized just how bad it had gotten. I would get so focused on the negative things going on, and how they were affecting me that I had started to develop a spirit of complaining. I had ceased focusing on the good. Than as I was thinking through that, I was also challenged on my lack of trust in God, and people in general. So, clearly I needed a change.

I don't want to be a woman characterized by complaining and doubt. I want to be a woman whose peace of mind and joy points to the only true source for both; God. However, since my relationship with Him wasn't very good, due to my lack of trust, I wasn't even close to that goal. Which is where He took over. I knew I needed a change, and wanted to change, but couldn't do it on my own.

That's when He reminded me of my verse from this past summer; Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends ALL understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I wanted that PEACE, but to get it I needed to be giving everything up to God...which I admittedly have been doing, but the part that I've been missing was the thanksgiving. I had stopped being truly thankful. I mean, I'd say thank you for different things, and would be at the time, but over-all when examined my life has been deeply rooted in ungratefulness and questioning.

One of the first things God has opened my eyes to is my tendency to share and reminisce about tough times in my life. Those are the stories I ALWAYS tell people, those are things people generally hear about me first, the positive things only come out every once in awhile over a long span of time. Why do I do that? It was like who I am, was defined by the tough things I had 'endured'. It has caused me to really struggle with being self-righteous and judgmental. I catch myself thinking like the Pharisee in Luke 18 "God I thank you that I am not like other men...” yet in the same breathe envying them like the older brother in the parable of the Lost Son, being ungrateful for all that God has been doing; failing to see the gift in a life of doing 'the right thing' protected from some of the trials others around me have had to face. I've struggled with being angry and discontented before, but it's like God had decided it's time that I really faced the facts and started making some serious heart adjustments.

He showed me that the main reason why I have trouble trusting Him is because I'm still questioning HIM about WHY He let things in my past happen. The main reason I question is because I don't think it's fair, which causes me to question His goodness, which is why I worry, which leads to my distrust in Him. It's a terrible cycle. One that I'm realizing I've been caught in for a while; which leads me to the title of this post.

1 Corinthians 13:5b says, "(love) keeps no record of wrongs". Well, I've been keeping a record of 'wrongs' towards God. Many of the situations have since ceased to really matter in and of them-selves, but the questioning has left its mark on the list 'I shouldn't trust God b/c...' The whole 'God is in control' thing, instead of being a statement of comfort has slowly grown to be the number one reason for 'blaming' God for the tough things. Which causes a problem; I can't say I LOVE God if every time something happens, I'm questioning His character, and pulling out past 'records' to 'justify' my doubt. Thankfully God has started to help me change that mindset.

Thankfulness is the key. Instead of focusing on the all the negative things I don’t understand, I need to start focusing on the positive things that have happened and ARE happening in my life. I don’t want to remember the different stages of my life as defined by the tough things I went through, but by all the things God did for me and through me. This weekend, I started going through the ‘different stages’ of my life, and doing just that. Instead of remembering the tough things, I started listing all that I was thankful for that related to that stage of my life. It was GREAT, and in a sense freeing. Places or situations that used to make me upset or brought pain to think about, I was now able to see the positive things that were going on at the same time. Instead of hurt, I found joy. It was actually kind of fun; remembering some good places, good friends, and good memories. Listing the things has also allowed me to see, in a literal and figurative sense, how God really has been protecting, caring, and blessing me TREMENDOUSLY throughout my life. I really am blessed, and am grateful to God. He has opened my eyes to some core issues. He brought healing to parts of my life that I hadn’t even realized needed to be healed but were slowly starting to suck the life out of me. He really can turn tears to laughter and mourning to dancing.

God is GOOD!♥

Wow has there been a whirlwind of activity and just general chaos since my last 'official newsletter update'. So, please bear with me as I try to recap the last month.

Life at camp has dramatically changed. The original leaders of the program I am in left, along with two other permanent staff members, and the remaining members of my original group. I am the last person left from the group I started with in September of 2009. If you have been reading some of my other posts, I am now giving you the context for some of them. Needless to say, it's been a tough month, lots of changes. However, I still serve a GOOD and faithful God. There are 3 new people who joined the program this past September who are staying, and it has been GREAT getting to know them. Programmatically, the basics are still the same, the only real difference is the people responsible for the individual pieces. It's been a challenge, but it's all starting to come together. As we are now through the first week or so of November, things are already starting to settle back down, and I'm really excited about where the program is heading.

Also, another major event from last month worth mentioning, is that we, as Outfitters, went to New York City! Everyone went. It was kind of a last hoorah before people left at the end of the month. I admittedly was kind of weary to go, but the trip was GREAT. We had a great time road tripping across Northeastern USA in van, attended Sunday morning church and Tuesday prayer meeting at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, stayed at a YMCA, rode the subway, and just in general toured the great big city itself. I LOVED Central Park, and the services we attended at the BT were both inspiring and moving. The BT a little big for my taste, but the some of the people there are just inspirational. Oh, and even though the last time I was in NYC I didn't really enjoy it, this trip totally made up for it. I could even almost see myself living there...at least many for a little while. All in all, it ended up being a great trip, a great send off for those who were leaving, and a great kick-off for those of us continuing on ahead together.

I am SO thankful for the Outfitters program, and all that I've learned/experienced this last year, and I'm looking forward to another great year. More changes are ahead I'm sure, but that's not for me to worry about... :)

God is GOOD!

So, I often find myself needing to re-read some of my own blogs. It's amazing how quickly I forget some of the lessons God has taught me. In this case, I re-read my blog "What is Love". WOW! What a great reminder of my TOTAL INABILITY to LOVE withOUT God.

1 John 4:19 has kind of been back on my mind again. I can ONLY love because God first loved ME. Recently I've been finding that a little hard to accept, which explains why I've been having a little trouble with handling my relationships...on multiple levels. It's amazing how when your relationship with God isn't where it's supposed to be, the rest of your relationships quickly follow suit. Before you know it, your unhealthily depending on other relationships, trying to find that comfort and guidance outside of God...see how things could start to spiral quickly? My relationship with God needs to be healthy and growing in order for ALL other relationships to be healthy. This month has been tough, and I've really been struggling through some things. However, I'm VERY thankful for the people around me who have loved me enough to call me out, to challenge me about the health of my relationship with God. It's really made me think, and it has been a struggle. God and I aren't 'great', and it's going to be a process (which the process never really ends till I'm in heaven). However, I feel closer and more connected to God then I have felt in awhile. I've made some mistakes, and I have some talks I need to have with some people, but my prayer is that because of this time of struggle, my relationships with others will only get stronger. God loves ME, I'm called to love Him back...which empowers me to love others.

God is GOOD! ♥

Ecclesiastes 7:18 say, "It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid ALL extremes." Luke 11:11-12 says, "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Now I know to some those two passages don't really go together, but to me right now they mean EVERYTHING. Please bear with me right now because I'm only just starting to get used to writing exactly what I'm thinking, which is generally pretty random, so here I go.

For some reason I struggle with letting myself be happy. If I'm happy I tend to think I'm doing something spiritually wrong, which is a COMPLETE misrepresentation of who God is...which is GOOD! Did you know that? God is GOOD! Sometimes I struggle with believing that, but time and time again God proves that He really is GOOD. That is why I try to end ALL of my blogs with "God is GOOD!♥" because it is something very important to remember. So, back to the passages...as those of you who have kept up with my blog/my life in general know, I recently started down the path of 'non-singleness', and well...it's been GREAT! God has really used the relationship in general to teach me LOTS of things (including this current topic), and has definitely been using my boyfriend to challenge, grow, and strengthen my faith in HIM. However, I started to feel like maybe I was holding on to my boyfriend too tight. I've had kind of a lot of people walk out of my life recently, and have had to say some pretty tough Goodbyes, but one Goodbye I don't think I could do would be saying goodbye to my boyfriend. Then I started to worry...which was my first problem, now that I'm looking back, that maybe since I couldn't POSSIBLY right now imagine giving up my relationship with Jeremy, that meant that I was holding onto him TOO TIGHTLY and needed to break-up with him in order to have a healthy relationship with God. Now here's where the Ecclesiastes verse comes in...I probably really have been holding too tightly to my relationship with Jeremy, but that does NOT mean I'm supposed to just let it go all together...that's just jumping to another extreme. Just because I enjoy a GOOD gift (one that I...my parents, and many others have been praying about in general for, for years) to a little bit of an extreme, doesn't mean I need to go to the other extreme and feel like I need to give it back...'sorry God, what you gave me was just too good and I'm enjoying it too much, so I need to give it back..." That doesn't make any sense. Now YES, I do need to place my relationship in God's hands, and let it be under his control, but my fear of losing people...which makes me hold on to people tightly...which makes it harder for me to let go of people...shouldn't be and isn't a good reason for throwing away a GOOD, ENCOURAGING, God-led relationship. Yes, if my boyfriend becomes an idol, and I start to place him in the way of my relationship with God, I need to ask God to help me switch that back around...dropping the relationship isn't the answer...Placing God back where He belongs in my life IS...

So God, I recognize You as Lord of my life, I thank You for being a giver of GOOD gifts, and even though at times I try to make myself believe that I don't deserve good gifts, You just keep reminding me that...no I don't deserve anything...that's why it's a GIFT :) So, I thank you for Jeremy, and just ask for continued guidance...You ARE GOOD! ♥

God is GOOD! ♥

I know I'm not alone in this, but one thing I HATE doing is saying Goodbye...I especially hate saying Goodbye to a friend. Why do we hate doing that? Because we don't like losing people...we don't like not having people we care about NOT be around. Missing people HURTS. However, when you know Jesus, you can make friends that last FOREVER. It doesn't matter where they end up living here on earth or how far apart you are, you can rest assured that if they KNOW JESUS as their LORD and SAVIOR, you’ll get to spend ETERNITY with them in Heaven. AMEN!

So, be sad. Cry…those are ALL healthy things to do, but don’t let yourself stay there. Start focusing on making friends that last forever, and then you won’t have to miss ANYBODY for very long .

God is GOOD!♥