What to say?!

I've been wanting to blog for over a week now, but there are just SO many things God has shown me lately that I can't figure out what to say!  So many things are jumbling around in this brain of mine.  That could mean it's empty and there's tons of room for things to jumble around.  I don't know for sure!  :)

I'm just going to start with something and we'll see where it goes from here....


So, I'm reading this book that I've had on my bookshelf for probably 10 years.  I've never read it, but the other day it just kind of jumped into my hands.  I took that as God telling me to read it.  I love when He does stuff like that.  It's called The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times, by Robert Morgan.  WOW!  What a great book...at least for me, right now in my life.  If you, too, are in a spot in life where nothing seems to be working out the way you think it should, if life seems a little bit upside down for you, then maybe you would like this book, too. 

When our life went south (at least in the world's eyes) a year ago, God spoke through me the most through the book of Exodus.  Someday when I can gather all those thoughts, I'll blog about them.  But for today, let's stick with this book.  The Red Sea Rules is straight out of Exodus, so apparently God is STILL speaking to me out of the book of Exodus.  I think that's crazy, because what could God possibly have to teach you in Exodus?  Apparently, if you are listening, a lot.

Here are the Red Sea Rules, and they are good:
(1) Realize that God means for you to be where you are.  The Israelites left bondage and then were caught between a mighty sea they had no way of crossing and a fierce army way bigger than them. Why could God have possibly wanted that for them?  Well, we can read on and find out that He was going to make a way for them. I wish the Corsars could "read on" and see what God has planned for our lives.  I'm sure it involves a miracle somewhere along the way!
(2) Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.  God brought them to it and He was going to show His glory by bringing them through it.  What is happening in my life right now is all for the glory of God.  So, I'll lay it all down and just let His glory shine through.  Much less stressful that way.
(3) Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.  The enemy was not going to surrender the Israelites without a fight.  But God went before them to make a way for their escape.  What's your enemy?  Oppression? Depression?  Fear?  Worry?  Anger?  Acknowledge it's power, but keep your eyes on your God who is way more powerful than those things and can make a way of escape.
(4) Pray!  The Israelites cried out to God to save them!  I have never prayed more in my life than I have prayed the past year.  And God has not disappointed.  "That's the great secret of those who put their hands in the hand of the One who can part the seas."
(5)Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.  God was basically saying, "Work your way from fear to faith.  Trust Me, for I'm going to take care of this.  I'm going to fight for you."  God doesn't have a fast gear (which I daily wish He did!), but when He works He's always on time.  Waiting.  Oh, so hard, but in the end...worth the wait.
(6) When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.  God wouldn't part the seas until the Israelites took that first step into the sea.  Stepping into the sea sometimes seems crazy and illogical, but that's faith for ya!  Nothing about it makes sense!  Faith is to be walked step by step.
(7) Envision God's enveloping presence.  God was with the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They saw His presence.  No clouds have been following me around, but God continually shows me His presence.  I have blogged about that a few times where He has shown up just to remind me that He's there.  He cares about all those little details and He's IN those details for me.
(8) Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.  Parting the sea and allowing people to walk through on dry ground?  Pretty unique and creative.  God has the most amazing ways of doing things.  Ways to show us that ONLY He is the one who could have done that.  I'm glad I serve such a unique and creative God! 
(9) View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.  After the Israelites were saved, they were to pass this story down to their children for generations to come.  I've recently started a "provisions journal" writing down every little thing that has been provided for our family during this time of financial crisis.  It will remind me (when this season has passed for us) of God's unfailing love for me, and it will remind Alex and Evan what an awesome God we serve and how HE carried us through the storm.
(10) Don't forget to praise Him.  Good and bad...praise Him.  When He provides for us, we praise Him.  When He helps us through a trial, we praise Him.  But we have also learned to praise Him even if it's hard to see Him at the moment.  When He's taking (what we consider) WAY TOO LONG to bring us a secure job, we praise Him.  When He brings another trial to test us, we praise Him.  When He asks us to give up something else, we praise Him.  It's easy to praise Him in the good times...anyone can do that.  But praising Him when it hurts is where He is truly glorified in our lives.

Hopefully my jumbled thoughts have all made sense.  Let me put a few other thoughts together for another day and we'll see if God can make sense of those, too!  I'm just a vessel.  Broken and sometimes not pretty, but useful and willing to be used in whatever way my vessel needs to be used.