Three C-O's

Earlier this year, my friend Louisa wrote a blog post encouraging readers to focus on one word for the year as opposed to an un-kept New Year’s Resolution. Instead of one, three words came to mind, all starting with the letters C - O. Consistent, confidence, and contentment.

I’m still on my journey to become 100% consistent, with perfected confidence and always content.

Maybe you’ve arrived. But for those of us who haven’t, there’s good news! The word of God states, we can “be confident of this that He who began a good work in you (and me) will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Did you get that? God, who began the good work in us will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. We can be confident in God, trusting that He’s perfecting those things that concern us as we yield to Him. (Psalm 138:8) Because of God’s faithfulness, we can also confidently do whatever He’s assigned us to do as we trust Him. That’s confidence!

Let’s talk about being consistent. Aware of my struggle to remain consistent when my labor appears to be in vain, the Lord blessed me to hear a scripture repeated 4 times within three weeks. “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary”. (Gal. 6:9 NASB)

In order to remain consistent as we wait for the promise to manifest “in due time”, we must first identify the promise. What promise did God make in the Bible concerning your labor for Him?

Use the promise (from the Bible/God), as a weapon of faith to fight weariness, thereby remaining consistent in faith, as you wait to see your work for the Lord grow into something glorious.

And finally, there’s the last c-o, contentment. As babies, we got our first messages across to our caregivers through crying. We cried when we were hungry, wet, and needed to be held. Some of us had tantrums when our desires weren’t fulfilled as children.

However, as an adult, I’m learning to be content. (Philippians 4:11) I find this phenomenal blessing occurs as I trust that my caregiver (The King of Heaven and earth) really is good no matter what I experience and that HE truly causes all things to work together for good to those who love God...(Romans 8:28 NASB) Contentment is gratitude that doesn’t faint. As we rest in the Lord and His promises, we learn to be content.

The summation of the three c-o’s is that our Lord is faithful. As we yield our hearts and every concern to Him in faith, we can be confident, consistent, and content. It’s just what we’ve been taught all along. Jesus is the way (and the truth and the life). (John 14:6) We find all we need in HIM!

Living Out Loud by Louisa Guzman

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. [Psalm 37:4]. Although this is one of my favorite verses, I admit it isn’t always fresh in my mind. Yet, somehow, subconsciously, it comes out in my actions and I am reminded of it every time God lavishly presents me with the gifts that are the very desires of my heart.

One of the first things my husband told me when I met him was that he loved the ocean and traveling. So naturally, because I, too, love traveling and the ocean, thoughts immediately went through my mind of us jet setting and cruising all over the world. My brain flooded with images of us on exotic beaches, being splashed by dancing waves, very much like the scene in “From Here to Eternity”.

Unfortunately, none of that took place, and while the marriage was short lived, I delighted in the Lord and He reminded me through my other favorite verse that He had plans for me…plans to give me hope and a future [Jeremiah 29:11].  And so He gifted me with the ocean in Rockaway to remind me that “every good and perfect gift is from above…” [James 1:17]

During that time my beloved Lucy became ill.

Not only did her illness create endless vet bills, I was also trying to pay off the loans that were a result of my ex-husband’s callousness, as well as, the rising astronomical rent due to living in an ocean facing apartment on the beach. For 30 seconds I saw myself living on the street, homeless, with my sick dog, holding a sign, asking for a handout. But I knew that when I passed through rough waters, Jesus would be with me [Isaiah 43:2] so I continued to “delight in the Lord” – living each day out loud, with joy - and He continued to “give me the desires of my heart” [Psalm 37:4]: another year with my precious Lucy, an unexpected way to continue living on the beach, and a solution to some of my financial troubles. 

I always say our Glorious God has a sense of humor, and because He loves to teach us along the way, while He prepared the perfect place for me to live, He had me move next door with a neighbor who didnt turn out to be very neighborly. He had me experience some pretty uncomfortable situations in that apartment, which made for some very interesting chapters in my book. He had me clean out and purge my closets of never ending knick knacks, chochkis and clothes I never wore, and showed me how to live a more simple life. 

Last year, as the school year came to a close, I dreaded the “what are your summer plans?” conversation that takes place on the last day at work because although I always truly enjoy every minute of my summer “stay-cation” in Rockaway, I badly longed to travel again. So in my distress I called on the Lord: “come on, Lord, You know how badly I want to travel”,  and He answered me, and told me great and unsearchable things I did not know [Jeremiah 33:3].  My Heavenly Father told me the best was yet to come, but all in His perfect timing. So I remained patient and continued delighting in the Lord, enjoying every single moment of the gift of not having to work all summer and being fortunate enough to only live a block from the beach. Then God whispered, “Get ready! Now is the time! Pack your bags!” And because with God, all things are possible [Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27], a year later I have accumulated life lasting memories from six fabulous life impacting trips that hardly cost me anything!

I am in no way saying we should love the Lord so He can give us gifts, but how can I ever not love the Lord for always giving me such amazing gifts?! Even my desire to have a pet again was fulfilled in the most unexpected and amazing way, when on a random day this beauty walked into my life.

and 9 weeks later, gifted me with these darlings that I had the thrill of seeing come into the world!

Who am I that God should lavish upon me such amazing gifts?  I know I am in no way worthy.  But Matthew 7:11 reminds me that  “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” Remember that God wants you to ask Him, as Matthew 7:7 instructs us: “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Just be intentional. Be specific.  Go to God with your concerns and desires, just like you would to your BFF. God tells us, “you may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” [John 14:14]. (According to HIS will.- I John 5:14).

And as you wait patiently for His response, appreciate the good things He has surrounded you with. Be grateful for everything. Flood your mind with His word. Talk to Him throughout the day. Delight in Him in every way.

Live out loud!

Garbage - Let it Go! by Nancy Soulemana

Have you ever held onto something that you know wasn’t good for you? Why, why hold onto it? What is so significant about this thing The Holy Spirit is telling you to let go of? What does it remind you of?

While driving one day with my windows down I noticed a beautiful breeze. As I drove, I began to smell something awful. What is that? I just couldn’t shake the odor. Then, I realized there was a bright orange garbage truck in front of me. I was so mesmerized by the color, I didn’t realize it was a garbage truck.

I stayed behind the garbage truck because I did not realize that it was a garbage truck . Once I realized what it was, I became conscious, removed myself. drove around the truck and went my way. I no longer thought about the old. I focused on where I was going. I let the garbage go!

Just like our lives. We want something so badly, we chase after it. Eventually, we realize that it isn’t the right thing for us. According to Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The old man has died. We should no longer desire the things of old. There are times however where the old will chase us.

While writing this message, the truck came back! At that moment, I realized something. We are all assigned jobs. In life, we all have an occupation. Teacher, mother, doctor, be that as it may be we all have jobs. So just as we have a job, the enemy has a job as well. But as we know our God is greater! All we must do is put our lives in His hands. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Once you let the garbage go, don’t pick it back up! What the enemy uses for distraction, turn to inspiration. Romans 8:28, “And we know All Things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

The old man has died and we are a new creation in Christ. Don’t pick up the old. Let the garbage go! And if it does reappear, you tell that garbage who your God is!