Laced With Grace

I saw God.

Let me explain. Lately I have discovered that my spiritual eyes have opened just a little bit wider. I’ve witnessed glimpses of God around me.

Most recently, I heard God. It was early Easter morning. You can read about that story on my Facebook page (look for the post on Sunday, April 8, 2012.)

But the story I feel compelled to tell is this one:

Several years ago, I found myself in what I would describe a very real spiritual battle. I had been praying for my unsaved husband and the spiritual warfare over him was intense.

At that time I began to pray for angels to be dispatched from the Lord’s throne to my home. To stand guard at every window and door, with their swords drawn ready to fight for me, my husband and our family.

God listened and Wow, what a battle it was. You can read that story (here). I am utterly convinced God dispatched those angels and they have been standing over this home ever since.

But, one of the amazing little miracles that came from that period of time was the doves.

DOVES

In God’s Word we learn that after the flood the Lord sent a rainbow as a promise He would never again destroy the world by flood.

Genesis 9:13-15 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Now this might seem a little strange but in the same way God has sent a promise to me through the doves.

Ever since that time of battle, I have noticed that doves are all around. In the late afternoon two doves arrive to sit outside of my kitchen window on the fence. I see them on the back fence from time-to-time as well.

One recent morning while on my jog and praise, I spotted a dove sitting on the streetlight above the sidewalk where I was jogging. And as I finished my jog and was walking toward home during my cool-down, there it was…. the small dove flew down from the streetlight and started hoping down the sidewalk in front of me.

If you could have seen me, I burst into the broadest smile and started praising God and thanking Him for the angels that He sent to protect and care for me and my family. (yep, the neighbors think I’m strange)

I can’t help but praise the Lord …. out loud…. in the street because He is so very good to me.

Psalm 91:9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

How amazing and awesome is that passage? It’s true.

What I’m discovering is that for many, many years I really didn’t understand the God truly delights to make Himself visible. As my grandma would say, “It tickles His heart.”

But it took a long time for me to discern these glimpses. What I want for you is to learn how to see God in and around you in your daily living and to enjoy His love now and not wait years in the way that I did.

So, I’m wondering, have you seen God? Do you know how to open your Spiritual Eyes? Would you be interested to know more about how our God reveals Himself to mere humans?

Leave me a note in the comments when you caught a glimpse of God or/and give me your thoughts about the questions above.

Be blessed, Lynn

Please visit me at…..

Sitting down to write this post, I feel a tiny bit overwhelmed and utterly humbled. I think back and recall that I joined with Iris almost six years ago to be a writing team member here at Laced With Grace. I remember all the posts I shared with the readers here about my unequally yoked marriage. I shared supernatural encounters I have had with our Almighty God and His Son, Jesus. Ihave shared my fears, triumphs and mostly my love for you and for our Lord.

As I write this now, the Lord has allowed my life to come full-circle in a way.

In my early marriage where I felt alone, sad, hopeless and confused just like many of you have felt or feel. I sat at my kitchen table and tuned in the local Christian radio station to a broadcast that saved my life, my marriage. It was Focus on the Family and Nancy Kennedy was sharing her unequally yoked story.

I found hope.

On Monday and Tuesday, March 26 & 27 it’s my turn to tell some young married woman who is sitting sad and alone at her kitchen table that she can thrive in her spiritually mismatched marriage. That she can fully place her hope in our life-changing God.

Dineen and I are humbled and thrilled to be guests on the broadcast. We will be sharing thoughts from our book and other stories. (We talked for over an hour with the broadcast team. Can you believe it? Us two girls can talk *grin*) 

And my friends it thrills me to tell you that the people at Focus on the Family greatly understand and have sincere compassion and concern for those of us who live mismatched. So much so that they have invited Dineen and me to be guest contributors to a LIVE EVENT through the Online Focus Community. 

This is where anyone in the community can post a question and we will be online to answer it. We are hoping to receive questions about tithing, church attendance, raising kids in an unequally yoked home, etc. 

So this is where we need you, our sisters here at Laced With Grace. We want you to also help us by answering the questions and asking them as well. It’s in this kind of community that real help and healing happen. 

Please, please save a few minutes for us on Tuesday, March 27 from 5-9 p.m. Eastern, 4-8 p.m. Central, 3-7 p.m. Mountain, and 2-6 p.m. Pacific. Click on: Relationships and Marriage under the Community Directory. And ask us a question. Join one of the streams of conversation and share what you have learned. Give someone hope. 

You will need to sign up to participate. It takes only a few minutes. Please visit Focus on the Family, Online Community – RIGHT NOW- and sign up. We need to show Focus and the world that there is an enormous need for ministry to men and women like us. And we also want Focus to know that all their time, effort, and funding they invested in our community is meeting a need and is successful. 

Then on March 26 & 27 take 30 minutes to listen in to the broadcast, click here. Please pray for us. I was especially nervous and don’t remember at this point what I said. Just pray that the words we spoke bring hope and honor our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that those out there who haven’t found our community, who are lonely and feeling defeated finally, hear Jesus telling them that they can do this thing. This unequally yoked marriage and do it well. Pray they will join us. 

Okay, head over and sign up now. Leave your name in the comments that you joined the community at Focus. We are thankful beyond words of all of you who walk this crazy, mixed up journey with us. And one day, we WILL all meet together for a victory shout and a giant group hug before the throne of glory. 

Thank you for loving Dineen and me in this way. Be blessed, Lynn

PS. Join our Tweet-Up today at Noon – 1 p.m. Pacific. We are giving away copies of our book. (click here)

Sometimes I can be so blond.

Color me surprised! When we first moved to California, I found myself sharing our home with unwanted critters. I moved from an extremely arid region, translation – Las Vegas, where the only small animals around our home were a few scorpions and tiny ants.

Following our unpacking and a few nights in our brand new home, I was sound asleep enjoying the cooler nights of Southern California. That’s when I heard it, a rustling noise in all places, the walls of our bedroom. EEK! I mean, I sat straight up in bed, freaked. Can I get an Amen here?

The next morning I figured we have rodents roving the interior of our abode. Thus, the Warrior Princess in me arose to do battle (queue: theme song from Rocky)

I trot down to the store, return and strategically place some not nice stuff around the garage for the brazen beaties. Okay, I felt bad about this too but it was either them or me.

That evening I slept in pure bliss, the rodents were silent, the dog was quiet and miracles of miracles my husband’s snoring only reached one decibel on the sound meter instead of two.

All was right with the world.

The week passed and I forgot about the unwanted visitors. Until…..

I stepped out into our garage. Eeeuw! What is that smell? I reason with myself, this is a brand new home. We must have a leak in the gas connection to the water heater. You know where this is going, don’t you?

I call the Gas Company. The technician comes out immediately. He steps out into the garage, sniffs once then slowly circles to face me and says flatly, “Lady, you don’t have a gas leak, you have a dead animal in here somewhere.”

Was my face red?

I discovered that morning just how effective rat poison is and how to add another embarrassing moment to my repretwa. I wonder, however, if we can see something in this story? Is it possible that we could be nibbling on a little poison ourselves?

Human poison is masked in words such as; unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness.

We chew on a little at a time. Convinced the poison is going to hurt the one in which we are harboring resentment. We chew on it and chew on it and the only one who is hurt is ….. us.

So how do we forgive those who have hurt us?

One: Relinquish our right to get even. Romans 12:19
Two: Respond to evil with good. Luke 6:27-28 This is hard medicine but it is necessary to keep resentment from growing.
Three: Repeat these steps as long as it takes. Matthew 18-21-22 until your heart and head catch up.
Four: Rescue others with the news of forgiveness. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. We hold the truth to living free.

Forgiveness releases resentment. Forgive because we are forgiven and Jesus wants us to live in peace and freedom. Colossians 3:13

Let’s make this real: Below is a luggage tag. Print it out. Write the name(s) of those you want forgive. Pray to honestly release your resentment. Or, perhaps you can’t forgive yourself for something in your past. Write your name on this tag.

This piece of luggage now belongs to Jesus. We are shipping our hurts and unforgiveness to Him. Drop your tag in the trash or your Bible. It’s now covered by Christ.

Lord, when we begin to feel those old bitter feelings well up in our chest, remind us of what we did today. We surrendered our feelings and bitterness over this person(s) to you. Don’t let us take it back. I ask in the powerful, life-changing name of Jesus.

Please visit me at…..



*inspired from the teaching of Pastor Chico Goff. Thanks Chico!