I was making my coffee this morning using one of those portable, pour over tools…you know what I mean, right? It makes one cup at a time. The process is slow and steady. During my wait I was rocking and swaying from side to side. Likely due in part from the comfort of the rhythm but let’s face it…also due to impatience and anticipation of what is to come…
A WARM CUP OF JOE!
As I rocked and waited I was struck by the similarities of waiting-for-the-pour-over and waiting-for-answers-from-God. The waiting from God is not only for “answers”, specifically, but also for His direction, wisdom, confirmation, healing, discernment, or a host of other responses from our Lord.
Yet, I know that patience and confidence while waiting is not always my posture. I am fighting the desire to do-it-on-my-own, to make-my-own decision based on my limited knowledge and understanding. I am pushing back against Satan and his minions who lie to me and deceive me in thinking that my way and my timing is better than God’s way and God’s timing. I am swaying and rocking in my anticipation of God’s response. I struggle to slow down and wait to hear His still, soft voice. All the while knowing that His direction and path for me will ultimately warm and soothe my soul like a fresh, warm cup of coffee which comforts me on a chilly morning…if I just wait for Him.
Just like when we rush our pour-over coffee and end up with a watered-down, disappointing cup of joe, when we rush into decisions without waiting on God’s guidance and discernment through the Holy Spirit, we may face unexpected disappointment and trials. The WAIT is worth it, Friends! God often has a reason for the wait. It may be that He has something better for us that is still developing…still brewing. The wait is necessary for a rich, robust, and fulfilling result!
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Thank you for waiting on me…for not giving up on me. You desire to show me, and all Your creation, Your deep love and compassion. Thank you, Jesus, for your patience and faithfulness as You wait on us to turn to You. Lord, help me to trust You, to wait on You, and to recognize Your voice. You know what’s best for me. Help me to let go of my own control, pride, and desire for attention and recognition. I am Yours and You are mine. I choose to wait for You in all I do. Help me to be faithful to You. Help me to trust You patiently and confidently in the wait. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
What are you currently waiting on?
Are you struggling in the midst of the wait?
How are you struggling and what is the result of that struggle?
What is the next step you may take to be obedient to God in the wait?
Thank You, Lord, for Your boundless love for me. You promise me in this verse that my ultimate source of HOPE & ENCOURAGMENT is from You through Your grace. Help me to remember this promise always. And help me to live into the HOPE that only You can provide, rather than putting my hope in the things of this world that will only lead to disappointment.
Your HOPE is not fickle or fake; it is not limited or dwindling. Your HOPE is filled with Your deep love for me; filled with the promise of eternal life with You, as a result of the death and resurrection of Your one and only son Jesus on my behalf. Your HOPE reminds me that I am free from the chains of my sin through Your forgiving mercy and grace. Your HOPE gives me comfort and encouragement knowing that I am seen, known, and worthy as Your created child. Your HOPE promises that I am never alone through the mountains and valleys of my life. Your HOPE is true…lovely…reliable…steady.
You, Lord, are my Guide and source of strength. You, Lord, are my Provider and Leader. You, Lord, are my Savior, Comforter, and HOPE-giver! Amen and Thank you, Jesus.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
Where have you placed your hope in the past besides our God?
What were the results?
Did you find these sources to be reliable and trustworthy? Why or why not?
What are the changes you are able to make in your life to move your hope to Jesus and the One True God?
Abba, Father, You are LOVE. And through that love you are full of mercy and grace for your creation – mankind. Lord, You gave me the freedom to choose You and obey You OR I may choose to follow someone or something else. Serving someone else may be serving myself – chasing what I think will make me happy, doing what I want to do when I want to do it. Or, I may choose to serve other idols by trying to find something, buy something, or do something to make me happy, prove my worth, or earn my way through good deeds.
Lord, thank you for this clear message that I am saved by YOUR mercy and grace…only. I am broken and I am a sinful being. There is NOTHING I can do to earn my way into a perfect eternity with you when I am an imperfect being on my own. I have nothing to brag about. Yet my present and my future are not lost because when I choose You and Your Son as my Savior, then Your grace, mercy and forgiveness saves me.
Lord, help me remember that my salvation is in You. My path to eternity with you is my CHOICE. It is my choice to follow you and accept Your Son, Jesus, as my Messiah and Savior. The sacrifice of His life on the cross, the blood He shed for me and my sin, and the glorious rising from death to conquer sin for ALL, forever, is the way to eternity. Jesus is my Way to eternity. Jesus is the path to complete wholeness. Jesus is my joy.
Last night my Dear Hubby and I were talking about my latest doctor’s appointment on 9/18/2023 and my ongoing maladies:
autoimmune disease that we are still working to control after 2-3 years of symptoms,
ongoing insomnia issues,
five years, and counting, of menopause symptoms,
side effects of medications,
side effects from autoimmune symptoms,
fatigue, stress/anxiety, and general malaise, at times.
My Hubby mentioned that my current struggles remind him of the story of Job…How God permitted Satan to bring trials to Job’s life as a testament to Job’s righteousness as a faithful servant. Job experienced personal and financial loss, illness, suffering and even rejection from his remaining family and friends as a result of the Enemy’s plagues against him. Yet in the midst of those trials, Job remained faithful to God. Even when he wife challenged him and his decision to continue to submit to God, he remained faithful and shared his heart with her.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He [Job] replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
Job’s friends challenged him…even blamed him…that he had to have done something wrong to be in the situation of struggle that he was facing. Job continued to argue his case that he was not to blame; yet he did not know why this was happening to him. In all of this, Job did not just talk about God with his friends and his wife. He also cried out toGod with his struggles and confusion.
Job’s words and actions have also brought me words of HOPE and JOY. Job has reminded me that my God and Father cares for me. He knows my limitations and He desires to strengthen me and my relationship with him through and due to my trials. I must go through these situations for growth and renewed closeness to my Savior.
In summary, some of the LESSONS I learned from the Book of Job are the following:
I am able to love God and remain faithful to him while lamenting my losses and burdens.
God is big enough to handle my honesty and my laments. (Plus…He already knows them anyway.)
I am able to pray to God about all my fears and doubts.
God will never leave me and he protects me in my trials.
Even in the midst of the most devastating trials, I may still put my hope and joy in the Lord.
God is in control of all things.
My trials have the ability to draw me closer to my Savior.
Unlike Job’s wife and friends, my Hubby has supported, encouraged and cared for me through my health journey. He has protected me when I have struggled to set boundaries. He has provided countless foot rubs when I need to relax and rest. He has gifted me with little (and not so little) surprises to help bring me joy and community with those I love. Thank you, Pat, for your care, compassion and love. You are a gift from God to me.
I hope and pray the story of Job brings you comfort and hope in the midst of your trials, too, my Friends. Bless you this day and every day!
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Thank you for your faithfulness to us. Thank you for the promise to never leave us, the promise to never burden us with more than we can bare, and the promise to love us and build us up during and through our trials. Our hope is in you, Jesus. You have sacrificed your life to save ours. Thank you for your unconditional love. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
What is your current trial or trials?
Who are you leaning on…yourself or your Savior?
Have you been honest with yourself and with Jesus about your fears, your concerns and your frustrations?
It’s been three MONTHS since my last update! On June 21, 2023, I posted Life’s Journey #16 – New Meds / New Challenges to share with you my choice to try a new drug for my autoimmune disease. I can’t believe it has been that long! Today was my first appointment with my doctor after making the change.
The GOOD NEWS!
My bloodwork is good!
My blisters are smaller and fewer overall!
I am seeing improvement!!
The NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS!
I am experiencing joint pain…knees, hips, hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. So much so that I am not able to do normal activities such as kayaking, jogging, mowing the yard (oh, darn), and even opening cans and jars!
I have to stop the drug for one month to determine if the joint pain is related to the drug.
I may have relapses during this break on the drug.
If it is not due to the drug then I have to see another specialist to determine if I have developed another autoimmune malady.
Our decision to stop the drug for one month brings mixed emotions for me. It is disappointing because I feel like I am gradually getting better by being on it. My blisters are fewer and smaller than they have been up to this point. BUT I am encouraged that I have a doctor that is cautious and concerned for my overall well-being. She does NOT want to trade one area of pain with another area of pain. She feels this is our best choice to truly determine if the two are related.
My WIN in this TRIAL: We have a path forward!
Stop for one month.
If pain subsides, then we switch drugs.
If pain remains, then we schedule appointment with a Rheumatologist for additional evaluation.
I am so grateful for the support of my family, my doctor, my friends, and especially my faith that God has this in His control. He knows what I am going through, and He knows what is ahead for me to learn, to be patient, and to grow in this experience.
Thank you, Jesus, for your love and guidance and strength in the midst of what is unknown for me, BUT clearly known by you. I trust you to bring me through this! Thank you for the Truth of your Word from Psalms:
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
I would love to support you, my Sweet Friend, with any trials you may be having. Please share in the Comments below how I may best pray for you. If you are not comfortable sharing publicly, then you may email me at stacy@stacyturley.com.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
~Psalm 37:4 (ESV)
PRAYING SCRIPTURE:
Abba Father. What does it mean to “delight myself” in You? When I am delighted in other things or other people, I want to be with them, learn more about them. I want to comfort and encourage the person with whom I am delighted as well as be comforted and encouraged by them.
This is also true for me when I think about being delighted in You…When I delight in you, I want:
To spend time with You… time in prayer, worship and praise.
To spend time in your Word… learning who you are.
To have community with You all day.
To spend quiet moments in solitude to ponder your promises.
To celebrate Your presence in my life.
To lift my voice in song to You, Lord.
To journal, meditate on and remember all the ways You have revealed Yourself in my life.
To express my gratitude for Your love and sacrifice.
To express my gratitude for who You are
To express gratitude for answered prayers whether the answer was YES, NO, or WAIT.
To extend to others the same love, service and forgiveness you have shown me.
Lord, when I think about the 2nd half of this verse… “He will give you the desires of your heart”… help me remember that this does NOT mean You will give me anything I want. But it does mean that when I do “delight myself in the Lord”…in YOU…my desires will be transformed and realigned with your desires. I will want to share of your redemption and restoration for humanity through Your healing power, Your great love, Your generous forgiveness and Your servant’s heart with those around me and around the world. I will want to be more like You in my thoughts, words, generosity, forgiveness and service. When I respond to You and Your will, You will be faithful to complete a good work through me. Amen and Thank You, Jesus!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
~Romans 8:28
PRAYING SCRIPTURE:
Lord, You know me so well! You know all my strengths, weaknesses, gifts and hang-ups. You know this because You created me. You molded me like clay in the Potter’s hand. You shaped, carved, and perfected me with Your own hands and from Your own image. It makes me wonder in awe how You do that for each of us and every being You created is unique and gifted and planned for purpose. With so many people in the past, so many living, and so many yet to come, You are creating and creating and creating. While at the same time, You hear our prayers and watch over all of us. You promise to never leave us. Amazing! You are a mighty and powerful God.
Lord, as apostle Paul wrote to us in Romans, “…all things work for Your good.” You are in CONTROL, Lord. I am living a lie if I think I have control. My trust is in You. You have a grand plan for Your creation and a specific plan for each of us. Even when I make the wrong choice You are able to work it out for Your good and the good of Your creation. You are able and willing to redeem our stories. Thank You, Lord, for Your guiding hand in my life. Amen.
Praying…what does it mean exactly? Is there a method to prayer? How do I do it and what do I say? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? I know God is not a vending machine where I only come to Him when I want something. I know he wants a relationship with me and I with Him. But sometimes I wonder, “Am I doing it right?” Or, “Does He hear me?” Or, “How do others pray?” Or, “Is there a better way?”
I know I have asked these questions of myself. So if you are also asking them…just know, you are not alone.
So what is PRAYER? Simply put it is time and communication with God. So what is communication? It is giving, receiving, and sharing information. It is a two-way path between me and God….between YOU and God.
What I love about prayer AND find very difficult, is that it is not just me talking to God. God wants and will respond to me too. BUT, I have to be silent and listen. I have to pause and let Him lead me. He wants to lead and love on all of us. He wants a relationship with all of us through His Son Jesus. We need to pause and listen for the still small voice, the gentle whisper, of our loving Father. (1 Kings 19:11-13)
ACRONYMS FOR PRAYER:
I have seen suggestions on acronyms to remind us of the different areas of prayer such as ACTS, PRAY or CHAT:
A – Acknowledge God and His sovereignty.
C –Confess my sin
T – Offer Thanksgiving and gratitude
S – Supplication or asking humbly/earnestly for something
P – Praise
R – Repent
A – Ask
Y – Yield
C – Confess
H – Honor
A – Ask
T – Thanks
All of these are great and are also very similar. Any one of them can help as a guide for our prayer time.
SCRIPTURE JOURNALING AND PRAYING SCRIPTURE
In addition to these helpful reminders, I have recently been reintroduced to another form of prayer that has touched my heart and replenished my soul. And that is by “praying scripture”. Back in the day, I used to do this but for whatever reason I stepped away from scripture journaling and praying scripture. At the beginning of August 2023, I received emails, heard podcasts, and read books that all pointed to this method. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to go back to the Word of God in my quiet time to pray. To use God’s very Word of Truth to be the foundation of my prayers. And to write them out…putting pen to paper.
Pen-to-paper seems like such a slow method of journaling these days, but I found it to be dramatically healing and life-giving. By slowing my mind and thoughts through the process of writing, I am able to use the rhythm of the flowing strokes not only to process my thoughts but also to process and reflect on what God is telling me through the Words of scripture. To process the lessons and the promises and the wisdom He is providing to me.
DAILY LITTLE MIRACLES
I am also shocked by the timeliness of the passages to my life. I have often asked, “How did you know I needed to hear this, God? Your Words were a salve to my soul.” I am experiencing my own little miracles through this process by receiving direction, counsel, and wisdom for the very trials that are in my life or dominating my mind. The Word itself allows me to feel closer to God in those moments when it feels like He is speaking directly to me through His Word.
I CAN’T HELP BUT PRAISE HIM
But it is not just direction or wisdom for my life, the scripture also points me to praise and thanksgiving for God’s character, love, mercy, faithfulness, promises and love. I am able to see Him act in the lives of those found in the Word from thousands of years ago. I see His love in action and the love of His followers to others in need. I see His followers serving others and Him in their actions even when they too are suffering. Praying through the scriptures has linked me to those who came before me as I realize their words are my words; their thoughts are my thoughts; their cries are my cries; and their words of praise are my words of praise for our Savior Jesus and the love he has for me.
FUTURE BLOG POSTS
I will be sharing some of my prayers with you in future posts. Prayers that have flowed from my heart through my pen to the paper that have touched me deeply and allowed my soul to be soothed by the messages. I hope they are a stimulus for you to pull out your Bible and use it as a prayer tool.
PRAYER
Abba Father, You are a gracious and merciful God. I am in awe that You desire a relationship with me. You are the Creator of this world, the sun and the moon, the stars and the galaxies, the animals, plants, and crawly-things. Yet even with all of this You created man-kind in Your image. You created me. AND You want a relationship with me. Thank You, Jesus, for the love You have for Your creation. Thank YOu for the examples I have in Your Word of Your love, your promises, and your wisdom. Help me lean on You for my decisions. Help me praise You for Your love and glory. Help me act for You as a servant to those around me. Help me use Your Word as a tool for communication with You. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
Are you using Scripture as a tool for prayer currently? If not, are you willing to try?
How has God spoken to you through the passages of the Bible?
What is your favorite scripture that seems to speak to you ever time you read it?
I would love for you to share your experiences as you use scripture journaling and praying scripture as a tool for communication with our Lord and Savior. Please share in the comments below or send me a private email to stacy@stacyturley.com.
In my mid-30s I was in prison. This was not a prison made of concrete and metal bars. It was a prison made of flesh and bone…skin and appearances. It was the prison of my own body. My prison was a struggle with body image, comparison to others, and eating disorders. I was not alone in my prison. I shared it with my own personal demon. A cellmate I called The Beast. I felt isolated, alone, ashamed and suffocated. I was scared, overwhelmed, and threatened by The Beast. Unfortunately, The Beast was my own mind, my own demons, and a lie from Satan that took on a physical form in my mind. The Beast felt like a being living in me that would take over my mind and body to “make me” do what I knew was wrong when I wanted to do what was right. I felt powerless. I felt like no one could help me; no one understood me; and I could not help myself. My inner demon kept me confined in my mental prison.
GOD’S PROMISE:
In the gospel of Luke, there was a man who also had a demon living in him. (See Luke 4:31-37) The passage describes the demon as an “unclean demon”. To be unclean according to the Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia is “to be contaminated in a physical, ritual or moral impurity; denotes profane or desecrated.” The word desecrate means to violently disrespect or violate. The man with the unclean spirit was being violated and tormented by this disrespectful and immoral demon. I imagine the man felt very similarly to how I felt…powerless, alone, isolated, and ashamed of his behavior. The man may have done things he did not want to do because the demon “made him” do it. BUT…now here is the miracle…Jesus healed the man with a demon! Jesus does not heal him over days, weeks or months. It wasn’t with a drug or physical therapy. In v. 35 the scripture states the demon “had thrown him down in their midst and came out of him, having down him no harm.” (John 4:35)
BUT HOW did this happen? What made the demon leave the man? JESUS! Jesus rebuked the demon!
Ok…what does that mean that Jesus “rebuked” him. Did he say, “You bad boy.” Or “you should not do that.” Or ,”If you don’t stop, I will put you in time-out.” No…when Jesus rebuked the demon, Jesus said, “Be silent and come out of him!” (John 4:35) and that is exactly what happened… in that very moment. The man was completely healed. The demon left. The prison was torn down. The man was free. And the man was unharmed.
OUR TAKE-AWAYS:
In summary, what are we able to learn from this story:
Jesus has the power to silence demons.
Jesus has the power to protect us from the demons and free us from the prisons while leaving us unharmed.
Jesus has the power to set us free from our personal demons and prisons.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me(the Messiah), because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release(pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,and recovery of sight to the blind,to set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
This man likely felt like his body and mind were taken over by the demon, The Beast. Oh, how I relate to this story. BUT, Jesus freed the man; Jesus freed me; and He is able to free you too!
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU:
My Sweet Circle. The good news and victory is that Jesus has the ultimate authority and power over our demons. Jesus is able to free us from our prisons. Our demons and prisons are not all the same…they may be addictions, body image issues, comparison to others, greed, power, etc. In summary, our prison is sin. However, Jesus loves us even in our sin. He created us, loves us, and desires to be in relationship with us. He DIED for us to take on our sin as His own. He offers us grace, mercy and forgiveness. Let loose of the chains, break free from the prisons, and ask for His forgiveness! Be free!
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
What is your prison or demon? What do you struggle with?
How has this demon impacted your life?
Do you want to be free?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. You are our protector and chain-breaker! You are our conqueror over the beasts and demons in our lives. Free us, Father. Crush the enemy and remove these temptations from our lives. Free us from our prisons. And protect us in the midst of our trials. Lord, you are our Savior and we rest in your loving arms through the forgiveness you offer through Jesus. You provide the balm for our souls. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
On Monday, I was sitting at one of my favorite coffee shops and I heard a song on the cafe’s sound system. It was peppy…and wiggly! (My dear husband teases me about my “wiggle songs”. I can’t help but wiggle when the tune is just right!) I thought to myself, “I LIKE this song! …Hmmm…I think I know this song!?” After the band began singing the words, it struck me that I did know the song. But from where? Who was this singing? How do I know it??
Then they got to the chorus, and I KNEW:
“So I am thankful that I’m incapable
Of doin’ any good on my own.”
YES!!! I do know this!! And it was a blast from the past! Thankful by Caedmon’s Call. This song was released in 1999!!! I was a mom of two toddlers then. Now I am empty nester. But it seemed like yesterday when I heard that song for the first time. I wiggled then and I still wiggle now. I was so excited to hear it in the café after so long that not only did I wiggle in my chair but I SANG OUT LOUD!!! No kidding. I feel like I should apologize to anyone sitting in that room with me that day. I was overjoyed to hear it and even more so that it reminded me of the power of gratitude, worship and glorifying God. And it is by GRACE that I am saved…not by my own works. For our Lord knows, that my works are not enough. I am only enough through Jesus.
I was giggling in my seat and knew I had to share it with you!
If you have never heard the song, click HERE for the YouTube video. And here are the words for those who want to know what they say. I also added links to the scripture references that the song is based on. Enjoy!!
You know I ran across an old box of letters
While I was baggin’ up some clothes for goodwill
Imagine you know I had to laugh that the same old struggles
That plagued me then are plaguin’ me still
I know the road is long from the ground to glory
But a boy can hope he’s gettin’ some place
But you see, I’m runnin’ from the very clothes I’m wearin’
Thank you, Lord, for this unexpected blessing. When out of nowhere, you know what we need to hear and know what will bring a smile to our lips. When we are not afraid the sing out loud and wiggle in our seats over your mercy, glory and love for us. We are not righteous on our own but only through the redeeming love of our Lord and Savior and the sacrifice He made to redeem us from our sins. Thank you, Jesus.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
What makes YOU wiggle? What songs build up so much joy and connection in your soul that you can’t help but move and SING!!
What songs make you feel closer to your Maker?
Maybe it’s not a song…but a poem, a scripture verse, or a quote. What would it be?
Please share your “moving moments” in the comments below. You never know, you may bring a wiggle or a smile to someone else who may need it today!
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