Spiritual Sabbatical: Introduction

Since when was "taking a break from God," or "taking a break from religion" ever a viable option? I am going to argue this point from two perspectives that I believe truly need to be defined. First, let me pose a question; have we as people grown so callus to redemption that taking a break from God seems possible? Is mercy and grace viewed as more of an option rather than necessity these days? Is not a sense of urgency and judgment also a motivator behind our relationship with our Creator? Because the last time I checked, humanity was kind of headed towards hell and the only thing that ransomed our sinful selves from the fate was a blood sacrifice of an innocent lamb that died in our place. But please don't let me get ahead of myself. I need to lay this out as gently and politically correct as possible so that your hearts will be open to receive it... Or maybe I should just lay it out as bluntly as possible. So here it goes... Without Christ, we ARE condemned. There is NO salvation apart from Christ. OK I've vented. Now let me gently proceed.

There are two writers that I am profoundly fond of. Perhaps it is because these writers so vividly depict the Human/God relationship in the same sense that they depict our rightful places in sense of a hierarchy which is, us as creation and God as Creator. They depict us as small and as God as indefinably large. Even beyond the recesses that our mind can grasp. This is then paralleled with our very real necessity of God. These writers are John Piper and R.C. Sproul.

R.C Sproul in his book, "Saved from What?" Wrote a line that to this day still impacts the way I view my need for Christ. He wrote, "That we are shocked by the idea that we are saved from God reveals two crucial shortcomings in our understanding. We fail to understand who God is, and we fail to understand who we are. Our view of God is too low, and our view of mankind is too high." (27) Of course this sense of pride is not new to man, because it was pride itself that caused the fall of man in Genesis. Didn't man desire to be like God? What I want to point out from this quote however, is that by accepting salvation, we are not just accepting free access to the blessings of God but we are also allowing the sacrifice of Christ to cover us from the very real judgment of our sins. Taking a break from God, or taking a break from religion is willfully removing ourselves not only from the blessings of relationship, but also from the cover and safety of salvation. Those two aspects parallel each other. Neither are truly an option and it is for two reasons. 

1. The underlying premise of redemption is that sin (our sin) was paid by a blood sacrifice and we are then brought back into covenant relationship with our God. 

A concern for how the church views redemption has been pressed upon me. What is redemption? Do people truly understand the concepts of "mercy," "grace," and "propitiation?" Do we as a body of Christ truly understand the impact and ramifications of what took place on Calvary? If we understood the full impact of our sinful nature and the liberating power of Calvary then we would not so easily take a break from something that has set us free from God's judgment of our sin and sin itself. 

2. There is no growth outside of God. There is only digression. 

Do we fully grasp our natures as human beings? I think for many people, the truly evil people are outside themselves, distant and quite psycho. But the everyday evil is within us when we live outside the grace of God. What seems simple has eternal ramifications and consequences. There is no growth, there is no betterment, maturation, or spiritual relationship with God outside of the parameters that he set for us. There is no salvation and no winning or getting by outside of God.

I pray that these next three articles lay out a foundation by which you can rationally and prayerfully rethink how we have been relating to God but also how we are responding to God and His call in our lives. In this life there is no spiritual sabbatical and I pray that each and every one of us come to a place where we realize that taking a break from God is impossible. 

Be blessed!  

Romanticized Ministry

I think that much of my generation has romanticized and limited what it means to be a minister. Are we called to a specific place, to a specific people, in a specific manner? I believe that some are but many are unnecessarily waiting for something that I believe wasn't meant to be their form of "calling." We spend so much energy praying for so much detail that we never start what we were called to do which is to minister to the needy and broken.

I think that the great christian historical figures in history got it right. They didn't wait until they felt called or felt called to a specific place, job or peoples before they went. These great Christians just did it. They saw a need exactly where they were at. They filled the gap exactly where God placed them. They didn't romanticize the call and wait for the call to take them somewhere. The call was exactly where they were in that moment. It wasn't a call to a place but a call to people. It wasn't a call to a specific job but a call to a need.

Stop waiting and just serve. Stop romanticizing something that isn't romantic. It's ugly. It is hard, it is lonely and it is never finished. The only romantic part about ministry is the relationship we cultivate in our savior. He asks of us things that aren't easy and aren't pretty. He asks us to constantly be better in Him than who we are in the present. He challenges us to grow to a level that seems impossible at the spiritual level that we are at in the present. He is never content with us staying the same. This is because He truly believes we are capable of more than we think we are capable of. Ministry is being where you know to be, growing and serving in the place you are now and doing what no one else will do. Does that sound romantic or just plain practical?

The beauty of serving God isn't in the call. No, it is in the service. That is why the greats where so great! They served regardless of where they were and their passion was fueled by the need that they saw around them. Not the other way around. Stop romanticizing the call and romanticize the service. Because it is only the service that truly matters. In fact, better yet, let's not romanticize anything. Romanticizing only sets up false expectations that only end up disappointing.

For those of you waiting for a call or waiting to reach your destination for missions work. Pause and think, what are you doing now to fulfill the call you already have been given? Are you reaching those in need next to you or only desiring for something that you aren't spiritually ready to face yet? Perhaps a little perspective change is in order. How willing are you to do the work of the kingdom exactly where God has you right now? Perhaps the reason a calling hasn't been given is because you have shown no true commitment or service in the place God has planted you in presently. No matter where you are there is a need.

Ask yourself what is the need and what can I do in the ministry God has blessed me with already? God takes us to different levels in different phases of our life. Don't be too eager to rush what you aren't ready to face. All are called to service in the kingdom but sadly few ever truly serve outside their own needs. Step outside your comfort zone and serve!

Blessings to all!

What is your God given gift?

I am so grateful that God gifted me with the gift of writing. There are times in life when my writing reminded me of past experiences, mindsets or spiritual lessons. I remember a time when I was reading over my old works and I came across one of my articles that I had written as a freshman in college. I read over the words that I felt so deeply to write and just began to cry. God had used me to write an article that I had written at 19 years of age, so that it would be waiting for me as a 25 year old that was struggling with that very topic. I have often said that if no one in the world ever reads my writing, I know that God has used this ministry to teach me through my own writing. I remember sitting there on my laptop, in my jammies, not fully grasping spiritually what I was writing but knowing that it was from God. No I didn't know what it was to struggle with that topic or to battle the things I was writing but I knew that it was true and that God was prodding me to write it. As I read it years later, I identified with the words so deeply and was so immensely impacted by the conviction that I knew I felt in those words.

I have always endeavored to be as transparent with my writing as I possibly can. I have always felt a special place in my heart for the broken. For some reason, it is the broken that my heart reaches out to. Their silent suffering, their trials that seem never ending and their helplessness draws me to a place where I feel compelled to be a practical help in their life situations.

This is where transparency comes into play. I am a leader. I have a deep passion for the broken. I have a deep passion for ministry and my relationship with my Creator. But, I too have faced deep brokenness. I have faced emotionally and spiritually cripalling experiences that have bruised me deep within the soul. In these moments, it was not easy to bounce back from the pain and flounder off into the distance as a joyful, happy and peaceful minister of the Gospel. I laid there shell shocked and motionless. All I could do was lay there. Does this news of brokenness somehow exempt me from ministering to the broken? No, in fact it draws me to a place of appreciation for those that are still suffering. It draws me to a place of deep empathy and conviction that though they may be shell shocked and motionless now, if they keep holding on, they will make it. There is hope in this statement. There is faith in holding on and hoping.

Dan B. Allender, wrote two books entitled, "Leading With A Limp," & "To Be Told." In my transparency, I revealed a brokenness that I am just now recovering from. However, recovering from brokenness does not somehow exempt us from the work of the Kingdom. I think that many times we place ourselves on sabbatical. I will say, however, that there are times where due to positions, certain situations and the gravity of its influence, a minister should remove themselves from certain position to allow proper healing and to work towards conflict resolution. However, if it is not a struggle that morally conflicts with a position of leadership then the real struggle is to lead and battle at the same time. So many people have the privilege of battling without the leadership aspect. It is so easy for so many people to put themselves into a spiritual timeout. They just shut down and take a break to conserve all their energy on self. Even when I have placed myself purposely out of a role of leadership, I could not escape the call. The Lord always finds you when He knows He has a plan for you. And you ALWAYS seem to find yourself back in leadership. Don't fight it, just accept what God is preparing for you. Fighting only makes it worse... Ask Jonah. At the end of the ride he still ended up in Nineveh. God has always reminded me of this truth through my writing. If all other ministries in my life were to conclude I know that my writing ministry would not.

I pray that my writings can be an encouragement to those that wonder, question and hurt. Those silent sufferers that know that they are meant for more than they have allowed themselves to live. God has more faith in us that we do in ourselves. He prepares us in strange and unique ways. Each of us is loved and dealt with uniquely by God. Though I am grateful that God has given me the gift of writing. The older I get I recognize that my writing has also been a ministry to me. God has spoken to me over and over through works I had completed years prior. I want these words to be that kind of encouragement to others when they themselves have life crises, feel a call from God but aren't sure how to proceed, or just feel comforted in the fact that we are living daily and many times ordinary human experiences while also searching for meaning in an all powerful and mighty creator! No matter the situation, I pray that people are blessed by the ministry the Lord has given me and also feel inspired to discover the ministry God has blessed them with as well.

Are you a future writer, Sunday school teacher, bible teacher, preacher, theological educator or missionary? Whatever the call may be, it is unique and beautiful because it is a gift and a talent that was blessed by God and given especially for you! Discover your gift and start to use your wings. You never know how high you can fly until you actually try.

Please be blessed!

It Is Okay To Be Desperate

Yesterday night, my church had its monthly leadership meeting and pastor showed an impacting video about suffering and its correlation with our relationship with God and our dependence on Him. The root of the message was not suffering, or leadership, or success... No the root of the message was tied to man's need of God and our trust in Him.

The woman in the video has been paraplegic for 45 years. I'm not paraplegic, but just as everyone has their struggles, I do as well. She described a time of intense suffering. A time of which life seemed so dark and all questions seemed to be left unanswered. Nothing made sense. Life had no meaning and death seemed so much more appealing. She talked of a time when she professed to be Christian but admitted that she didn't truly know Christ personally.

I cannot express how much of an encouragement it is to know that I am not alone. The number one tool of the enemy is emotional and physical isolation. If the enemy can get you to believe that you are the only one feeling this way, struggling in this way, suffering in this way then you are more likely to pull away in pain, discomfort and anger. Loneliness is a painful experience that if channeled right and responded to correctly can draw you closer to God. However, the majority of time, it propels people towards sin, bitterness and isolation.

No matter the life situation. It is OK to be desperate for God. In fact i would encourage it! It is better to be desperate for God than to wholeheartedly pursue coping mechanism and addictions as a means to appease the pain within. Yes we have our mountain moments and other times we have our valley moments. In the mountain moments we aren't as desperate for a touch of God. We aren't as desperate in our need of His love or relationship. Our daily devotion and gratefulness isn't always the first fruits of our day. But in the valley it is.

This woman has been paraplegic for 45 years! After 45 years she still has many mornings where she cannot bring herself to smile, enjoy life or get up in the morning. She has a friend brush her teeth and dress her everyday. That is a daily, humbling, human experience. It is no wonder that she doesn't want to face the day. I am an individual that struggles with depression and overcoming my childhood abuse and trauma. Mine is little in comparison to the struggle she faces everyday. But the truth is that there are mornings that I find it hard to get up in the morning. I find it hard at times to smile and see the brightness and potential in life when everything within me seems so gray. It is hard for me to feel good about living when I wake up and relive a flashback that washes over me and spreads like fear over my skin. No it isn't easy.

However, it is OK. In our desperation. In our pain. In our daily trials of just making it through, it helps us do one thing and that is depend on God with all we have. She is right. I can't lift myself up out of a painful flashback from the past, from the pain that seers through me like a soul killing knife, just as she can't lift herself out of bed by her own strength. But there is one who can and that is our God. We need God whether we realize it or not. In the mountaintop experience it is harder for us to recognize it, but in the valley our dependence in our Creator is absolutely essential.

In the midst of unanswered questions and pain that seers through you day by day, trust God. Know that the pain will not always go away when you tell it to, but accept that in the midst of pain that endures for what seems like forever is meant to draw you to God. I think the hardest part for me to learn was realizing that just because I know what is wrong and why I am in pain, doesn't mean that I will feel better that instant. There will be times a flashback will wash over me and I will be miserable, but crying, praying and resting doesn't mean I will instantly empty of the bad feelings and instantly fill with amazing feelings.

I will find a confidence to rest in God through the pain. What it does mean is that in my pain, as I cry and pray, I consciously make the decision to trust that God knows what he is doing and that it is for my good. Just as the lady in the video will not be instantly healed and able to walk just because she trusts God and has worked through the painful memories of breaking her neck in a swimming accident. We must be willing to let life work its heal process in us over the course of time. We cannot rush the work of God.

God loves those that are humble and in need of Him constantly! Those that wholly depend on Him have the greatest joy and peace than those that live in their own strengths. I think that the story of Gideon (Judges 7) is a prime example of how God uses human weakness to showcase his greatness and might through a super natural victory. If we allow Him to work in us by trusting Him, resting in Him, we too can watch the greatest victories take place in our lives simply by allowing God's glory and might to work through us. Human strength. My strength. Your strength is too limited, but Gods strength can move mountains. Wipe out enemies by the thousands with a single breath and create the universe with a single word. Don't box your God but allow Him to shine in your life.

Read Judges 7 and let it be an encouragement to you in your struggle! Many blessings!

Little Epiphanies & Love

This past year has been a life journey for me. I find myself on occasion reflecting on the different places that God has brought me. In many ways I am so grateful that I have learned so much and in other ways I am still within the thick of a struggle. I will be 26 years of age in about a month and a half. This of course is strange to me. I'm not quite sure how I feel to be in the latter end of my twenties. However, time cannot still or stop; so I suppose I will have to get over it. However, as a female, with ministry aspirations, with a bachelors in theology, and unmarried. There has, in the past, been a stigma for Pentecostal women that remain unmarried. This of course weighed heavy upon me when I hit 23... I'm not quite sure why it was that year that it did.

However, three years will soon have passed since that fateful melancholy day when it struck me that I was an old hag. needless to say, I look back and I realize that my perspective on my marital demise was rather dramatic. The simple truth is that if I had been married at 23 I would not have been ready. If I had been married last year I would not have been ready either. Yet, I had rationalized in my mind that the only door to ministry would be through my husband. I kept waiting to find the "perfect" husband that would define for me what my future ministry would be. I would like to preface by saying that I didn't conscientiously think this, but on some level I kept waiting. I think that many women do this very thing. We know that God has given us a passion to serve in His kingdom.We know that the personal call He has given is very real. But we are not certain of how it will all play out, especially, considering that many doors are not quite open to women in ministry in the local church. This, for many women, can be quite the kill joy. I have been blessed with a church that affirms my call and allows me to minister in avenues that I find God has given to me as gifts. I work with children and children's ministries and I help with missions.  

This past month, a book that has changed my complete perspective on marriage, relationships, and divorce is a book by David P. Gushee, entitled, "Getting Marriage Right: Realistic Counsel For Saving & Strengthening Relationships." Many at my church find it amusing that I read books on marriage, yet am myself unmarried. However, as a child that comes from a broken family, I believe that is what stems my fascination with marriage & relationships. I didn't know what a happy marriage looked like. Or at least I am learning a little more as I have opened my heart to it. A year and a half ago, I could honestly say I knew nothing of a functional marriage but God has slowly, through people and resources, revealed to me what Godly marriage is meant to look like. I believe that due to this revelation of biblical marriage my once romanticized view on love and marriage has been squashed in the dirt and pulverized into dust. I still am at heart romantic, but my view on love has changed from unrealistic expectations to true & biblical expectations.

Gushee, in his book covered on the topic of modern "romance" and the belief of secular views on "soulmates." There is a quote that absolutely crushed any semblance of "modern romance" that I had left, when he wrote, "And yet the concept still resonates with us (concept of soulmates). We want to find someone who is a true match for us, a partner for the journey, a companion for the soul. If so, I suggest that we redeem the concept in this way. The true soulmate should be understood as a person who serves and worships the same God as you do, who yokes her life together with yours in a shared mission, who walks by your side in a companionship of labor and love designed by the Creator, and whose covenant commitment to your marriage cannot be shaken despite seasons of conflict and sorrow. Blessed is the one who finds such a partner" (Gushee, 125). I read this passage over and over and let it sweep over my dramatized and overly eccentric idealizations concerning romance and I realized that I was looking at the wrong things. I was waiting for all the gushy and warm feelings. I was waiting for all the outstanding displays of affection and romantic inclinations. I was waiting for it to be a constant high that never died, at least not until the average statistic of time (2 years) when marital bliss has reached summation.

Furthermore, I think the greatest realization that resulted from reading this passage was the line, "who yokes her life together with yours in a shared mission." This line rolled on and on in my head and it hit me that I can never truly feel absolutely confident about a relationship if I am not confident with my identity in Christ & with my life and purpose. Perhaps many have gotten by, or accidentally fallen in love with an individual that happened to seek the same life goals. Or the cold reality is that too many people simply came to a point where they didn't care and settled. I look at myself and I see a woman that knows the things she enjoys but can't quite define what her mission is. This didn't upset me. I am fine with not knowing, but it did draw from within me a desire to not seek someone else to love, but rather a desire to know who I am. I don't mean go on a spirit walk and discover myself, or endeavor to come to a place where I genuinely love myself. All those things are beside the point. I need to discover who I am in God. My mission in the kingdom involves me knowing who I am in Christ, recognizing the gifts & passions that he has given me, and knowing God on a deep and intimate level. No, no one is perfect when they get married but if you can find someone one that loves the same God, has the same mission as you do, who is selfless and a hard worker, and who is deeply committed to the relationship, then those are things that you yourself must know as well. The street goes both ways. Don't expect things from others that you aren't willing to do yourself.

This of course is easier said than done. But I pray that God gives me the strength to seek Him and truly listen to the only voice that can guide me. I have a mission. I have a purpose. I just have to be brave enough to recognize it and ultimately seek it.

A Sound Mind in a Raging Sea

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." 

James 1:2-8

We all have lived distinct and unique lives. Born to different mothers and raised in different environments. Despite the differences in upbringing and social settings; there are similarities in struggles, desires, and worldviews that are all encompassing. The link is that despite our gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status, we are all wonderfully human and flawed. Some strengths are some people's struggles, and one struggle in particular is a disciplined mind. 

The Gospels spends a significant portion of their writings on something that the 21st century church struggles with and it is personal disciplines and self-control. Throughout time, self-control has always clashed with the mindset's of the secular world. Pagan religions revelled in pleasurable acts religiously, and socially. Therefore, self-control has always been at odds with humans tendency to do as they wish and please in the moment. Today's society is no different. As a people that profess Christianity, many times our worldviews can mix between a Christian worldview and the secular worldview that society in which we live teaches. Culture outside of Christiandom and within mix and mingle. This is not a purposeful thing that Christians do. It simply comes down to how our minds process and evaluate data from the culture that we thrive in within and without the church. 

This past week, I feel that God has been impressing me to spend time on how lacking self-disciplines are in my life. Many of the books that I read have touched on the topic. In a deeper level it has left an impression on my soul, as to why certain struggles I face keep appearing over and over again. These next couple articles that I will be writing will be touching on the different aspects of self-control that the word of God teaches and asks of Christians. The first article will touch on how imperative self-control is in our personal walk with Christ and how it affects our ability to be ministered to and receive the Holy Spirit's moving in our life. The second article will touch base on how Self-disciplines affects our habits, desires and our ability to withstand the wiles of the devil or temptations (Eph. 6). The third article will be based solely on how important it is for ministers and leaders to be above reproach in their personal and public lives and how personal disciplines affects that lifestyle, and the last article will solely be dedicated to the Battle of the mind. How does discipline of the mind affect every single article listed above?

If you are a brother or sister in Christ that is hurting, dealing with a pain from the past that you can't seem to overcome. If you are a brother or sister in Christ that feels stuck or in a rut, these articles may be for you! Does your mind seem to betray you? Do you constantly doubt and fear your present circumstances and life situations? These things are not the lifestyle of a sound mind. Yet as Christians, God promises that we can have peace, joy and a sound mind.  Why do so many Christians not have peace?

As vital as self-control and disciplines are mentioned in the New Testament and taught by the great apostles and Christ himself, our generation is sorely lacking in self control. We don't even know how to begin! It is okay! I am learning right along with you! I believe that the church can do mighty things for the Kingdom, but I don't believe we will be able to until we are able to say no to ourselves and yes to our Savior. I can't wait to begin this adventure and I pray it is a blessing to you as well!

Many Blessings! 

To Know God

I came to a revelation today. I cannot adequately express how much I have learned these past 6-8 months. Life events fraught with painful shifting of the soul, healing, detoxing from bad habits and drawing into a deeper and more intimate friendship with my Creator. But today as I swung on a tire swing and allowed the Lord to silently minister to me, a thought came to me in the silence. The sun baked my skin as I spun in circles on the playground. Its simple yet deeply profound for me. As a result I  thought I would share my thoughts with the social world.

My life is what it is. I can't change it. I can't force it to be something that it isn't. However, it definitely has beautiful potential. My desire it to know God, to draw closer to Him and to learn what it is to be more Christlike. Simply put, I want to know God. If I am seeking those beautiful things then I believe that I will be in the perfect will and care of God. When you place your life in His care, completely, everything will work out to His perfect glory. I look back on my life, as i sit here, and I see a continuous desire to know God. I see a desire to be near Him and to do His hearts desire. I found myself in the past, almost always trying to SELF-fulfill those things. Instead of just allowing God to have control. For years I ran in spiritual circles. Yet the Lord had mercy on me and showed me His truth in His timing.

But in the end, the beautiful moment came. It will sound plain and uninspired I assure you. However, its beauty in my mind is so much more vibrant than the colors this language paint it. Because it is a spiritual revelation that only the soul can fluently describe. I learned to let go & trust. I saw myself in my minds eye, sitting in the present, on a timeline. It was a long white line. This timeline moved backwards 25 1/2 years and forwards into the unknown years, days or hours. I looked back into the past and saw the handprint of my influence could not touch the past. I could not change it for it has already happened. It was an intangible thing on this timeline that I existed on. Yet I could see it (remember), feel it (deeply and unbearably at times), and experience it (reliving the past) if I so choose.

It was the future that seemed so much more liberating and limiting at the same time. I reflected on it, and as I did, I noticed that the line never ended. The beauty of its potential glowed into my warm dreams, hopes and potential decisions that I would someday make. However, I could not see who I was or what I would eventually do. This was completely different than looking into the past and seeing my memories. regardless, the warmth of my future seemed secure as the endless line rolled into something rock solid. It rolled into something more powerful than any life that has ever lived or died and that is at the foot of the cross.

The cross met my life line at every potential memory, present circumstance and potential future life event. It warmed it with mercy, grace, redemption and love. It met it with beauty and grace and heated the conviction in my heart to hold fast to what I cannot see or perceive in the present. I am on the line but I am safe and so are you. The beauty of such faith astounds the heart of an individual that had never felt such safety all her life. Yet my life and all that it is rests on the solid foundation of something that stood the test of time, changed the course of time and altered all that we were meant to be. We were meant for destruction but the cross changed that. We were meant to face death but the cross overcame it. We were meant for isolation from our God, but the cross redeemed us. We were meant to suffer for all eternity but the blood offering of Christ paid the price! We are safe and secure at the foot of the cross! So why worry? If you are discontent about who you are now, find peace with God. Realize that all that we are right now is only for the present but God's potential for us is so much greater than the sufferings and tears we may endure today! Hold fast to the truth and cling to His promises. You are safe.

It is imperative that I get this point across. There is nothing you can do to change what God has ordained to happen. If you don't know how to overcome something, rest in the arms of Christ and wait for His timing. You can't force it, you can't manipulate yourself to feel differently, you can't change time or make something better or even heal yourself. No it is only God that can do these things. Trust that He is good and that He is for you. Rest in the knowledge that you are safe at the foot of the cross and your future will seem so much brighter. Quit worrying, quit thinking of things over and over and wishing and trying to change it. You can't! Just rest and wait in Him. There is peace in this. There is joy in this. There is rest and soundness in this. But it takes courage and faith to do so.

So you see our lives are exactly what they are and as they should be. They have all the glorious potential to be so much more in Christ. Not by our strength, willpower, manipulation of the heart or deception of the mind. Because that is not truly letting go and letting God. No, only a humble and trusting heart in God has the wonderful and powerful potential of being something greater than we ourselves can create. I encourage you to place yourself into the hands of a God who is the only time keeper, time maker, and life giver and life molder. He is truly my all in all. Everything that I was, everything that I am, and everything that I will be rests in Him. There is no safer place to be.