Overcomers

I've been wanting to blog about this for weeks!!! It's just so hard to get "quiet time" to actually sit and think and express my thoughts with kids running around, God is giving me much time this morning to write, thank you Lord!!

This realization of being an "over comer" is something God has been working on with me a lot lately. I think it all started with the bible study that I wanted to back out of called Craving God. It's a bible study about craving God instead of food all the time for comfort or whatever we tend to use food for. I know I blogged about it, once I started reading the book I wanted to quit the study but I couldn't cause I was the host of it at my house! lol.  I learned a lot through the study, but the one huge thing I didn't get from it was what I am about to share about us being over comers. That bible study was just a smidge of what God wanted to teach me.

The whole "over comer" thing started with our Easter sermon. What a fabulous sermon it was. Easter is all about Jesus rising from the dead. Our pastor explained how we celebrate Easter Sunday and tend to "look back" upon Christ rising from the dead as something that happened a long time ago, not for how it effects us TODAY.

It's not about what he "did" 2,000 years ago, but about the resurrection today. It's about something that is happening in my life TODAY. 

We receive what that resurrection gave, what the resurrection meant, we are given life.

Jesus is ALIVE. That which was dead is alive!

We are partakers in the resurrection, we get life from death.

We were dead in sin, but because of Jesus rising, we don't have to live that defeated life dead in sin.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  Ephesians 2:1

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:4-6

We need to yield ourselves to the resurrection power. We are set free by the power of the holy presence of God.

Because Jesus won a victory, we have been given victory too!! Jesus tells us to Stand Strong!!

We are over comers!

We need to believe in a RISEN savior, and live like he has risen!!  Jesus overcame the grave, and the power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us who believe!! That's a pretty big power that we have living inside of us!

Some of Christians (myself included!) don't (or didn't) understand the power of the risen Christ. We live as though we are defeated, walking around chained to sin that we don't need to be chained to!

We act as if Christ is still laying in the grave! He is not!

Jesus is risen, ruling, glorifying, victorious KING!! He's sitting on the right hand of God, on his THRONE! We've lost sight to where Christ is NOW!

Yes it's good to think about how much he suffered, and was beaten and nailed to a cross, however, we need to remember that he is risen, and he was glorified after he was risen, he walked through walls!

I was one to walk around thinking I was defeated, that Satan had me trapped in my sin of over eating, of not having self control, that was a LIE!! In my own power I can't do it, but with  Jesus I CAN overcome sin. All of us who are believers have the holy spirit in us, God has already killed your sin, so you can stop staying chained to!! Throw it off!  How freeing is that??!!!

http://youtu.be/Vrd9p4d_fKA

For my friend Sarah. xoxo

I want to dedicate this song to my friend Sarah today. There are so many songs that I hear during the day that make me think of you sweet friend!!

For those of you that read my blog and don't know my friend Sarah, she's a wonderful , sweet, strong women, a great supportive friend and encourager, and a sister in Christ.

She has been a great encourager to me this past year through my cancer diagnosis and healing and I love her to pieces.

Sarah was first diagnosed with Breast cancer at the age of 29. That was 3 years ago. She was just re diagnosed, the cancer has metastasized to her lung, lymph nodes, spine, and hip. Sarah is a mom to two, Maddie age 6 and Luke age 4. She's a wife to Steve.
Here is a link to her caringbridge site.
 It's devastating news to us all. But I am trusting in Jesus that he has this in his hands. I am trusting for healing for Sarah. We have a face book page for Sarah, that she named, "Well this sucks". lol. Here's a link to that.

Please keep Sarah and her family in your prayers. For peace during this time, comfort, ease from sickness from the chemo meds, and healing. I love you my friend.

"When the waves are taking you under

Hold on just a little bit longer

He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger

The pain ain't gonna last forever

And things can only get better

Believe me

This is gonna make you stronger"

"Try and do the best you can

Hold on and let Him hold your hand

And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus

Oh, lift your head it's gonna end

God's right there

Even when you just can't feel Him

I promise you that He still cares"

He not only still cares, he loves you deeply. Loves you and Steve and Maddie and Luke so much. No fear babes.

Sweet gifts

I just love spring, I honestly don't know why I stay living in Wisconsin. lol. I thrive off the warm weather.

I've been able to get back to my morning walks lately, It's just so much easier to get up and go for a walk when the sun is out and it's warm!! I really enjoy my walks in the morning.

The other day the dogs and I were heading up towards the front of the subdivision and the sun was just shining so bright already at 5:45am. Walking toward it, I could just feel the warmth of it on my face and just felt peace. I just thought in my head, " I just love the sun!! I just feel drawn to it, it makes me feel warm and good and content, just a peaceful comfortable feeling, and just as I had that thought, Jesus popped into my head. Jesus the SON, the light of the world. He brings me that same feeling! The feelings of peace, comfort, warmth, contentment. When I spend time with him, that's how I feel.

I had to laugh that morning at God, had he been walking with me in bodily form I probably would have gave him a punch in the arm. That's how God works sometimes. He wanted me to feel exactly what I felt that morning, enjoying the sun, and then he put that thought in my head, "Hey, the sun is just like ME!" "Hey Amy, what a coincidence that you feel warm and peaceful and happy from the son!" hee hee. I love God's sense of humor sometimes. So sweet.

This morning the dogs and I set out for our walk to some dark skies. Honestly this morning I was debating do I go or take a break today and just listen to a sermon and spend more time with God, I had my shoes on, then untied them, then thought, no I'll go and retied them. We didn't have a very long walk before it started to rain. But God accomplished what he wanted this morning. We walked to where we usually turn around and when I turned around, I looked up in the sky and what was there? A HUGE beautiful rainbow. I think I stopped breathing for a second. I just stood there in the road looking up and thanking God for that little gift he sent me this morning. He gave me the thought to "just go" for a walk, so he could show me his beauty and you know what the tops it all off is? My devotional this morning, I read it by the date, so for June 6th it says this~

"Seek my face, and you will find fulfillment of your deepest longings. My world is filled with beautiful things, they are meant to be pointers to ME, reminders of my abiding presence. The earth still declares my glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear."

He spoke through the sun, the rainbow, and my devotional, What an amazing God we have. I love when he orchestrates things like that. He's so involved in the little things if you just look for him. :)

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

Watch and see what I will do, I am your Lord!

I thought today might be a good day to get back to writing. I sometimes find it hard to find the time to do this, mostly because I need some peace and quiet to really think, and that's hard in a house with four children! ( I am now hiding out in my room with the door closed with my brother in law's lap top. We'll see how long this lasts)

This past Thursday the 19th, was my one year date since I was told I had cancer. in some ways it's hard to believe that was a year ago, but it also kind of feels like yesterday. Getting the call the day before, saying they wanted us to come in the next day to "talk" about my results. Just thinking about that makes my stomach turn. We knew right then it was something bad because if it were good results they would have told us over the phone.

I spent that night before just sick with "what ifs". I had no idea what I was going to hear the next day. At the appointment I could just tell by that sweet doctors face he had some news I didn't want to hear. Just a week before when he did the fine needle biopsy he said " I'm sure it's just a cyst, it looks like a cyst", when he said they found cancer cells, I think my heart sunk. My first thought was where is it? How much of my body has cancer?? I remember asking the doctor, " Am I going to die?" It gives me the heebie jeebies thinking about those days and weeks that I had ahead of me. I get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about what my husband and I went through, appointments and waiting, scans and waiting.... then surgery to find out where it metastasized from, ugh. What a stressful time that was. But I also remember that one day, I just felt peace. God just overcame me with his peace and I was not worried.

I'm feeling very thankful that this June when we make the trip to MN for my follow up at mayo, we can go visit Kevin's brother and his family and have a much more enjoyable time this year.

 

Last year when we went I was going to get an opinion from Dr. Moore at mayo about my cancer, and see what he could do for me. Not knowing if I was going to end up staying there and having surgery or going back home. I was not even 2 weeks out from my first surgery, so I couldn't eat very well. Needless to say, It was a hard time to be visiting with family that we dont' see very often. It was all about me, all about cancer and honestly, not the kind of vacation I wanted to be taking.

I feel blessed that every check up i've had every three months since then, has been a clean check up. Praise God for that.

After writing about my "you have cancer" anniversary date, I really look forward to this being a summer that I can make up for all I missed last year. A summer of seeing Jake's baseball games, taking my kids to the pool and the zoo and being able to eat! Things that in the past I may not have looked at as such a blessing to do. But when you can't do it, and see other people taking care of your kids and doing things that you should be doing, it's really hard, and it makes it all the sweeter when you can do it again, and then you realize what a blessing it was in the first place.

The feeling of unknown was scary then, but God gave me peace. He was there every step of the way guiding me.

I pray that I have many more years that I can look back on May 19th and just feel blessed to be alive. It still amazes me that I can look back on that entire ordeal and thank God for it.

Now when I read my bible, or devotionals that say thank God when you have problems in your life, even when you are going through it, thank him, because he will use it for your good and his glory, it makes much more sense now. Even in the little things, the little problems, we can trust God and thank him because it will make us better people, and in the end, will glorify him.

I was just thinking about how this week Kevin and I have been bickering about things, how we have been going back and forth about certain things, and how my mind has been dwelling on it. I've been beside myself for days about something, yesterday, I prayed and asked God if it's not something he wants, to take the desire away from me.

He didn't exactly take the desire away, today I still felt some of the same feelings as yesterday, but today, I picked up my devotional that I read every day and it just made me smile. The devotional is written like Jesus is talking right to you. In todays he said,

that my thoughts engage in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the results that I desire, which is so true and fitting for today. That is exactly what I have been doing, focusing and dwelling, and trying to control, and bring about results, but he says, "you forget that I am in control of your life, The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to my presence, stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord!" Well hallelujah! I knew this! What was I thinking? For days arguing with my husband over something when I should have just prayed about it and let God be God and let him deal with the situation! Duh Amy! But I just love how he speaks to me, exactly when I need it, and exactly what I needed to hear. My mind felt eased. I just smiled at him thinking, "yes! you are in control and I will wait and see what YOU do! You ARE the Lord of my life, you go God!" :) It's just such a good reminder, when we are trying to do things in our own will and in our own strength, it's just so much harder, and most times doesn't work, but you give it to him, focus on him, rest in HIM, and he'll do the work for you. Maybe some day I'll remember that before I go stressing myself all out about something that I can't control. lol. ( and thank you mom and a few others who I asked to pray, today he answered prayers, that faithful God we have!)

It all boils down to knowing who is in control, !! and letting him have it! Trusting him!

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

 He loves us and wants what is best for us, and he's taking care of it! He's handling it, he's got our back! Whether it's cancer or a desire of your heart, give it to him, let him take it. Just like Carrie Underwood says, " Jesus take the wheel!"