What do you believe and why? - Trey Gowdy

"You've got to figure out what you believe and more importantly why you believe it." 

- Trey Gowdy

A few weeks ago I ran across this speech given by Trey Gowdy to the students of Liberty University. I decided to listen to it while I was pouring my 1st cup of coffee that morning. Normally I "T-R-Y" to pray before I let the chaos of the day in, but I was overtaken by the urge to listen to my new favorite Hero, Trey Gowdy!!! I love his heart that pursues truth and fights for justice.  I was deeply convicted by a question he asks his audience to answer: 

"You've got to figure out what you believe and more importantly why you 
believe it. It's never enough in politics or of any other sphere of persuasion to simply tell people what you believe you must know why you believe it."- Trey Gowdy

I thought to myself, I know what I believe and I think I know why I believe it. But I felt like I need to pray and ask Jesus what His thoughts were towards my convicted heart. I said, Jesus, I believe in you, but WHY do I believe in you? The first thought that came to my mind was John 3:16. I kind of laughed and said, really Lord. That's too easy. Everyone knows John 3:16!! Come on this has to be my thoughts.. give me yours..I waited a few minutes and then decided to look it up and read it again. Before I read it I felt like the Lord said trust me I'm going to highlight something in this familiar verse that you've never paid attention to before. Here is what He said. It's a little long but when I was finished reading it I felt like the Lord showed me how to pray for myself and for the Untied States of America. I was blown away by His faithfulness to answer my question WHY..

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son. AND THIS IS WHY: So that no one need be destroyed:by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His son merely to point and accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts is acquitted (Set Free); anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. AND WHY? Because of that persons failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. "This is the crisis we're in: God- light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil addicted to denial and illusion hates God-light and wont come near it fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God- Light so the work can be seen for the God- work it is." - John 3:16-21

I felt like the Lord was showing me the Why was so not one of us would be destroyed by the evil of this world and by simply believing we could have a whole and full and lasting life now and into eternity. He came to bring light to our darkened world. I thought how easy, we simply believe! The other part of this scripture that stood out to me was the description of those who practice evil.. those who are addicted to denial and illusion!

As I watch our current events unfold today I cant help but think about the leaders who are addicted to denial and illusion. They manipulate truth and reality because they fear the painful exposure that will come when God's light exposes the evil. I have taken on this prayer for myself, my family and for the United States of America. "My prayer is God, Let there be light. Shine your light upon the darkness. I personally repent for my denial of the truth and disillusionment of reality. I also am willing to stand in the gap and pray this for my Nation and the great leaders You are raising up to shine your light and bring your truth." Again, I'm reminded that we do not place our hope in a political party or a person but in God and God alone. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, He will show us the way. He will expose the truth.

I think this is a prayer we can all pray that will bring unity back to the United States of America. Let truth expose the lies and wake us up to see the reality of our current circumstances. 

Let There Be Light- 

Waiting For My Job 42

"Champion"

Bryan and Katie Torwalt

This song brings prayer back into perspective. He is the Champion of our prayers! 

For years I have been dreaming of my “Job 42” moment. In Job 42, God turns the captivity of Job in the direction of deliverance and double restoration.

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10, KJV)

I’ve weathered through some rough seasons, and I’m ready to see a change. I’m weary and finding it hard to see new life.  I guess that is why God keeps reminding me of Job’s story. Job was an overcomer. He was a man of great patience who weathered a horrific season of loss. But, when I look at his life, I see the bigger picture of God’s story. I am reminded that the world we live in is at war against the spirit of God who lives in us. So, if I want deliverance, I need to seek God for His strategies to overcome.

At the beginning of this year I felt God saying, This will be the year of fun.

Yes, God. It’s about time. I just want to rest and have fun for a season.

I then heard Him say, You will have to fight for it. Fight for fun? I had waited and waited AND waited for Him to bring me to this very moment, but I didn’t think I would have to fight for fun. I didn’t have anymore fight in me, but that was the very place God wanted to meet me.

I heard the Lord say, Julie where is your heart?

I replied, “I don’t even know.”

He said, You’re weary.

I said, “Why?”

And this is what He showed me.

For the past two years, I have been learning to pray and to be an intercessor for others. I had grown weary along the way because I wasn’t seeing the answers I was looking for. One day in prayer the Lord led me to a verse I thought I knew by heart, but when I read it from The Message it shifted my perspective.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11: 28-30, The Message)

I began to cry. I was tired and didn’t know the culprit was religion. In this season of learning to pray, I let go of joy and picked up something that was never mine to carry. That something was judgment.

My process up to this point was praying for circumstances to change. I was judging the way circumstances should play out. The posture of my heart was in the wrong place. I was telling God what to do, but He wanted me to see the position of my heart. Unanswered prayers led me to weariness and unbelief. I found myself not wanting to pray anymore. If it didn’t work, then why pray, right? I was frustrated. But I found hope in the frustration knowing it was His way of letting me know I have more to learn. I confessed my feelings of wanting to give up, and He began to teach me a new way.

As I leaned in to learn, the Holy Spirit kept reminding me of Job 42, but that was frustrating as I have been waiting for so long and it felt like it would never be true for me. In that frustration, I asked myself a question: What put deliverance and redemption into motion for Job?

IT WAS PRAYER.

Not just any prayer, but prayer that came from a heart that was prepared and ready to pray for mercy.

Think about the progression of events: Job’s suffering kept him searching for deliverance. With the help of his friends, he sifted through all the possible reasons for his unjust suffering. His friends concluded it was his own fault. They judged him. This was the moment God was waiting for so He could speak truth.

God asks Job, Where were you when I created the Heavens and Earth? Where were you when I told the sun to rise this morning? Where were you, where were you, where were you?

I never really enjoyed reading this part of Job’s story because it feels like God is mad. I can identify with Job and his pain; to have God reply in this manner seems harsh.

Until, this morning, when God changed my perspective.

What if God’s point in His explanation for Job’s suffering was to teach him what J-O-B was Job’s and what J-O-B was God’s?

God reveals His Glory and Majesty. He is the creator of all things, and He is the only One who has the authority to judge. God gives Job his J-O-B in this circumstance, and that is to simply pray for his friends. The ones who blamed him for his own suffering. The friends who thought their J-O-B was to judge. The friends who most likely planted unseen seeds of bitterness in Job’s heart. God’s remedy for redemption was to dig up the seeds of judgment before they took root. He promised to restore Job only after he prayed for the restoration of his friends.

This teaches me that God’s heart is always after redemption. My job is to align my heart with His, so I can pray for the mercy needed to set me and others free.

What if the whole point is to pray for mercy? Wouldn’t that make perfect sense? The world we live in today fell when Adam and Eve agreed to be their own judges. They were hoodwinked into biting the forbidden fruit of judgment. With just one bite, their eyes were open to see shame, and we’ve been judging and blaming God ever since.

I think God’s heart in all of this was for me to see that judgment was not my job. I kept praying for God to judge those who were sinning against me. He showed me how that can be a double-edged sword. If I’m demanding Him to judge others, He in return has to judge me the same. Do I really want judgment? Maybe, maybe not. But what I do know is if He’s asking me to pray to have mercy on others then I’m probably going to get mercy myself. I’m thinking that’s a much better deal in the long run.

This revelation has changed my perspective on prayer. Prayer is a process that will lead me into a deeper relationship with my Heavenly Father by asking Him first what His perspective is on the matter and how my heart needs to change so I can align with Heaven and bring His will to earth. I think this is going to stretch and grow me in a wonderful way. This year of fun will be full of pulling down mercy from above that may put into motion my Job 42 moment.

And the LORD turned the captivity of Julie Peck, when she prayed for her friends: also, the LORD gave Julie Peck twice as much as she had before.

Climbing Everest

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way."

Dr. Suess

"The summit is just a halfway point." 

-Ed Viesturs

I am in year twelve of the journey of living the loss of my four-year-old son. Day one of this trip looked impossible. Today, as I look back, it blows my mind how I've made it to this point without losing heart. Along the way, I have met many who have. They allowed the ending of their stories to be written by the thief who stole what was not his to steal.

I get it. I've been in their shoes. Life isn't fair, and when you're faced with this sobering reality, you must choose: Will I believe the thief, or will I believe the One who can redeem what the thief has stolen? The choice is as old as time (Adam and Eve were the first to exercise this choice).

In the midst of a tragic circumstance the choice isn't clear, and it isn’t easy.

Facing one of the cruelest realities of life, the death of my child, forced me to look beyond myself. My heart could not accept any form of human reasoning; none of it was big enough to hold the pain. What I needed could only come from above. I needed Jesus and the evidence Heaven offers me about death. His resurrection is the evidence, and our reconciliation is the future promise. This truth gave me hope, and helped me make a very powerful decision: I chose to allow God to write redemption into my story of loss. That choice has made all the difference.

I can see the difference now, but I remember a time when I saw only a mountain of problems. So many problems surface with grief. The first problem is learning to embrace grief and to mourn so you can receive comfort. We want to push grief far away because it requires us to feel the pain of loss. We don't want to hurt any more than we do already, so we rush through the process and miss the grace and comfort needed for healing. Grief also has a way of exposing all the other areas of brokenness in your life. Many blame grief for the problems that occur after loss, but it is my opinion that grief exposes problems that were there before the loss. Grief lays you bare. By welcoming God into your grief, He can multitask. He can heal your whole heart, not just part of it.

So, with this hope we choose His plan and accept the challenge to climb the mountain. He helps us build a team that will guide and support us during the climb. This team is made up of wise counsel and fellow climbers. These two components are essential for a safe and effective climb. But, even with their help, the climb is brutal and bloody; it is dangerous and daunting. In order to ascend, you will meet the monsters of grief and broken places. You will become overwhelmed and tired; you will question why you ever chose to put yourself through this pain; you will want to give up; you will scream and cry, but you must keep going because to turn around is fatal, and you want those who are following you to see that healing is possible. You want to challenge the impossibility of climbing to the summit of grief and making it there alive and being transformed by the journey.

Today, I've made it to the summit. I've scaled grief and brokenness and for the first time feel peace and see fruit. I feel I have been given a second chance to do life.

I let out a sigh of relief, and I enjoy the view from the top. I sit for a moment and allow the sun to shine upon my face. I enjoy the victory. I rest. At first, I think the battle is over. But, now I'm sensing that the battle isn’t finished and that I need to be as intentional on the way down as I was on the way up.

 It’s a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory. (Ed Viesturs)

The Lord is now teaching me it's a round trip. An experienced mountain climber, Ed Viesturs, says when you plan to climb a mountain you must remember, "It's a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory.” If you make it all the way to the summit but die making your way back down, the whole trip is meaningless. So, how hard could it be going down? I've done the most difficult work so what else could there be?

While enjoying my summit perch, I watched the movie, Everest. The movie spoke to my spirit about the next part of my journey. There are many life lessons in the film, but the one that stuck out the most was:

         More people die on the way down the mountain than on the way up.

Wow, can you believe that? It baffled me. I felt the Lord saying, Julie, pay close attention to that statistic. The way down will not be easy. Remember, you've spent 30 years living in a way that built the mountain you just summited. Now it's going to take intentionality in learning how to live differently.  In the descent of your mountain, you will still be learning.
I thought the point of the climb was to summit. I was wrong. There is more.

After the success of a hard climb, we often let our guard down. With the goal completed, some fall into depression or sin from boredom or complacency. You've battled the loss of a loved one, wrestled with the worries of a prodigal, let go of your home, and now you've reached the summit, and life is less chaotic. Now it's time to head back down. So you think it's all downhill from here. With your pride inflated by your recent victories and your physical body weak from the climb, you begin to descend. You think, I've got this now. I don't need anyone's help, and I'm sure they are tired of praying for me. You quit counseling and let go of your community. These are the two major mistakes, and they can be deadly.

The challenge coming down the mountain is, Can I live in peace after I've lived in the chaos of the battle for so long? Remember, the summit is just a halfway point. I think the difference between life and death after you climbed your Everest is sticking with the plan you put into place to climb it.

Today, I feel the Lord giving me my tools for the descent. He is showing me that prayer will be my most valuable tool. I have been learning that daily aligning with Him brings His peace and authority. I have also learned about my role in interceding for family and friends. He wants me to join with Him to help bring Heaven’s plans to earth. Another valuable tool for the descent is watching for pride. Many times it sneaks in through the door of entitlement. I've worked this hard so I deserve (blank), or I've come this far, and this is all I get? I'm quitting and going after what I want. Marriages fail, friendships are severed, and fortunes lost because we let the summit experience be the end. It's not. It's a round trip, and we need to make it down the mountain for the summit to mean anything to us and those following us.

I want my climb to mean something, and I don't want to die on the way down. There is too much at stake. I will be preparing for the descent and will keep you updated on what I learn along the way.

Weary one, grab hold of My hand.

"Good, good Father"

Housefires

I'm feeling a bit weary this week. Looking at a new year of endless possibilities, I find myself questioning. Am I up for the challenge? Am I worthy or adequate to blaze a new trail this year? Do I dare dream that there is a bigger hope to dream for the impossible to become possible? 

Stepping out to grow and lead others to dream is a bit scary.  God doesn't send us a detailed list of to-do's for the year. He wants us to lean in and pray and listen to His still small voice. He wants us to follow the next nudge that leads to the next nudge. This process to me feels a little like walking blindfolded to my next destination. I never really know where we are going, but when I get there He always gives me a gift. You give Him your heart, thoughts, hands and feet and He gives you His grace, presence and power to accomplish the impossible. The gift is really a new part of  "you" that looks more like Him at the end of the process. What He produces through you is only a bonus.  I know how this process works by looking back at past trails and yet I still find myself struggling again with the invitation to blaze a new one. The blindfold goes back on and I'm forced to accepted that I don't know the next step. I struggle for a week or two and hear Him say, humble yourself. He wants me to realize I'm not the one in charge. He reminds me that our last journey took me to this new trail but this journey won't look like the last. Our last journey grew me and my faith. It developed some character and some fruit but the point of the journey was trust. His question at the beginning of every new journey is will you trust me more? Will you trust that I love you and care for you more than anyone you know? Will you trust me to show up right on time with just what you need to take the next step? Will you let go just a little bit more of your plan and accept more of mine? 

When I focus on my plans it gives me anxiety. I think about what He has called me to do and I have no idea how to do it on my own. He calls us to heavenly tasks so earthly plans do not exist. When I begin planning on my own, He allows me to feel overwhelmed. This is what doing His plan in your own strength feels like. 

It's His way of saying,  "Lay your worries of 'how" back down at my feet and come to me. Come and bring me your heart, thoughts and worries. I want to hear your voice speak these concerns to Me. Allow Me to lift My responsibilities from you and give you My peace. You will only accomplish My tasks by allowing Me to do them through you. So for now, let Me pour My love into your heart. Set your eyes on Mine and see that I'm here for "you", not your "to do". My whole focus is you and the healing of your heart."

We get so bogged down in God "using us". His plans are to use us, but it's not with a slavery mindset. We are not His "minion's", we are His children. Minions are only good while they produce. When they get weary, they get replaced. Children are nurtured and developed through a loving relationship to be in community. This community works together and provides a space for the weary to rest, not be replaced. Our Good Father is more concerned about maturing us and conditioning our hearts with His love. We can produce so much more when we first feel loved and taken care of by Him. His focus is relationship, not ownership. When He returns He will recognize those who sat at His feet and conversed with Him. Those who shared their hearts with Him and allowed Him to share His heart with us. He is the One who gives us tasks and instruction. The temptation for us is to do things on our own. We can do mighty things in His name and still never know Him. What will He say to those people who did things on their own? 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

"Evildoers", doing things He did not ask us to do. Have you ever had someone do something for you that you didn't ask them to do? This person may of had good intentions to help, but without you asking for help, may have messed things up. The mindset of this person is focused on their ability to fix rather God's ability to make whole. We don't want to be this kind of person for Jesus. We want to help His plans not interfere with them. Sitting at His feet and listening to His written word will help develop us into this kind of person. Just think, His first words to us when we see Him face to face could be, "Good work my good and faithful servant".  You believed in me and  listened to me and did just what I asked you to do. Always, remember His yolk is not hard if you walk with Him. 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

So, with this year set before me I'm laying down my worries and plans. I'm going to spend some time at His feet listening to His plans and allowing Him to love me. I know when I focus on Him, He takes care of everything else. 

2016 will be a year of possibility for the one willing to believe. 

I wanted to share a part of my daily prayer time with you. It really helped me this morning refocus on how He see's me. I hope it helps you:) 

Pray Psalm 91 over yourself and family everyday. Declare it out loud. It tells the unseen things of this world that you are siding with God. The unseen world and it's confusion and weariness has to bow and leave when you declare who’s side your on. There is power in the name of "Jesus".  Allow Him to show you His power as you command all things not of Jesus to go to His feet so He can deal with them, not you.  This doesn’t mean hard things go away, it means God gives you His vision and plan on how to navigate it. Then read the except below and begin to believe it. All you have to do is believe,  God will work on your behalf. Watch for the open doors and the closed ones. Thank Him every day for His blessings. Gratitude will open the door to grace. He gives us grace to accomplish what He calls us to do.

"Thank you Father for hearing my prayers-

 (Insert Your Name), I know the burdens you carry”

"Come to Me and rest. Find peace from the trouble of your day. I know your responsibilities are many, and I know the burdens you carry. So come to Me, and I will be your Hiding Place. My heart will be your Refuge.

"Call Me your Shepherd and I will carry you. Call Me your Friend and I will listen to your heart's cry. Call Me your Redeemer and I will bring restoration to your soul. Absorb My peace. Being busy with many things will bring distraction and discouragement. But when you come to leave your "busyness" with Me I will bring you to My chamber where everything is at peace.

"The expectations of others will drown out My song of grace over your life. Listen in stillness to My lyrics of love and you will soar above the disappointments in your journey. Call Me your Strength and My invisible power will be seen in your life.

"Never be limited by the feeling of weakness. I know the burdens you carry, burdens of past failures and fear of inadequacy as you ponder your future. I am here with you this very moment to be more than a Companion, I will be the Lord of Love and the God of Every Tender Mercy.

"I am drawn to your weakness, for grace is My constant passion-- to show you that My grace is more than enough. Rise from the place of despair and betrayal and come to Me. Call Me your Burden-Bearer and leave them all at My feet. You will rise up with strength and be surrounded with peace. The comfort of My grace is with you, My child."

Psalm 23 The Passion Translation

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

David’s poetic praise to God

¹The Lord is my Shepherd and my Best Friend.

I always have more than enough.

²He offers a resting place for me

In his luxurious love.

His tracks take me to an oasis of peace,

The quiet brook of bliss.

³That’s where he restores and revives my life.

He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure,

And leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness,

So that I can bring honor to his name.

⁴Lord, even when your path takes me through

The valley of deepest darkness

Fear will never conquer me, for you already have!

You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way.

Your authority is my strength and my peace.

The comfort of your love takes away my fear.

I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.

⁵You become my delicious feast

Even when my enemies dare to fight.

You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit;

You give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.

⁶So why would I fear the future?

For I’m being pursued only by

Your goodness and unfailing love.

Then afterwards—when my life is through,

I’ll return to your glorious presence

To be forever with you!

I agree with what I have said in Jesus name.. I believe.

Amen

The Prayer above was found in "I hear His whisper"- by Brian Simmons

I will trust here in the mystery

"Heroes"

Amanda Cook

This.

This song captures my journey. I awoke today, December 23, 2015, and found a gift. I have been waiting a long time for it.  I knew it was coming, because it was promised to me. 

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  

        Philippians 4:6-7

The gift is peace. Not just any peace, but peace that surpasses my understanding. It came slowly over time but has shown up today in a way that I can't explain or understand. This day is a day of remembrance for my family. A day that a very special little boy moved into a new home. One that His Father had been preparing for him since the beginning of time. It was a day we will never forget. One that began very bitter but has been sweetened over time because He has brought healing to our hearts.

As I unwrapped my gift this morning, one thought kept running through my mind. "Wow, how can it be? The sharp pain of grief is gone." I'm still sad, and I never want that feeling to go away. I will always miss Jack. But, the isolating, crippling pain that I once lived with is gone.  I can't really tell you how it happened. There is no formula for this kind of healing. It was given in small amounts along the way. There are many pieces to this puzzle. 

Some of my pieces looked like this: 

Time alone in the wilderness with Jesus.

Attending a grief share group. 

Slowly welcoming and accepting my new community of fellow grievers. 

Realizing my grief is hard for others to watch and it may push them away for a season. 

Counseling is a lifetime investment

Serving others in need

Allowing truth/Jesus to transform the way I think, see, act and believe. 

I'm sure there are more pieces, but those are foundational. 

This morning, as I thought about the peace, I heard Jesus say, "Tell your story, it gives hope to the one's behind you." I know there are many who need hope. They need to know that someday their grief will lift and the pain will not always sting so bad. The one's looking for hope will find it in Jesus, just like I did. 

My story looks like this today. My family is together and we are all under one roof:) That is a miracle in itself! I hear the laughter of two sisters who are happy to be together. That gives me such unexplainable joy. I also hear, I love you's from so many of you who have helped us carry our grief. Thank you for hanging in there with us! Also, our family members are all at different parts of their journey. Some are more sad today than others, and that is OK. We will laugh and we will cry. We will talk about Jack and wonder what he would be like today if he was still here. Just this morning we were arguing over what kind of clothes he would wear. Would he be preppy or sporty? Ha!, We still have not come to a conclusion. Today we will meet each other right where they are on their journey. We will allow the breath of God to renew our hearts and prepare us for another year of walking this out. With each year we learn a new part of the bigger story. And, that makes this journey worth it!

I'm going to end this journal entry now so I can go laugh, and maybe shed a few tears with my peeps. May hope and peace fill your hearts today. Merry Christmas to you all!!

Love the Peck's

                                                    Can't wait to kiss that face again!

The lyrics to the song above are so good. Read them and allow them to transform you.

Let the heroes rest

Let the striving cease
I lay down my crown
Here at Your feet

I will trust
Here in the mystery
I will trust
In You completely

Awake my soul to sing
With Your breath in me
I will worship
You taught my feet
To dance upon disappointment
And I, I will worship

Let the weary rise
Lift their eyes to see
Your love crushing every lie
Every doubt and fear

I will trust
Here in the mystery
I will trust
In You completely

Awake my soul to sing
With Your breath in me
I will worship
You taught my feet
To dance upon disappointment
And I, I will worship

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You are making all things new