A word of encouragement!

I wanted to share with you all just a little tid bit of inspiration. Lately our luck seems to be running against us, weather it is the consequences of a choice or the daily things that can go wrong. Have you ever heard the saying "When it rains, it pours"? Well that's us.

If you are feeling discouraged today be encouraged and know that God works everything out for the good of those who loves him! Just like Joseph, really crappy things happened to him like being sold by his own brothers then being put in jail for something he didn't even do! In the end God used him to prove the power and faithfulness of God!!

He has worked out some of the things we've faced and they're better than they were before. The other things we're still waiting on. But in God's perfect timing it will work out!!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Count the Cost: Taking Pains

" For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." 2 Corinthians 8:21

This was originally posted over a year ago. I have been a dedicated Christian for just over 5 years. It is still hard!! Someone told me once that I "binge Jesus". The statement struck a chord and ticked me off, on days like today I go back to that statement and wonder if it's true...

Then I have to remember God's word,  "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavily realms." (Epheseians 6:12)

"For what do righteousness have in common with wickedness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

"Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts [anger, defeat, sexual immorality, drama, tv shows, music, books...] which wage war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

It hits you like a brick wall.

Reality

The reality of being a Christian is hard. Jesus tells his disciples more than one that there is a cost to follow him.

Luke 9:57 starts one scene where a man declares that he will follow Jesus wherever he goes! Jesus responds by telling him that foxes have holes and birds have nests but those who follow him have no place to rest their head.

Luke 14:25 starts his next teaching where he tells them your love for your family must look like hate compared to your love for me. A very quoted verse is found in this mix, verse 27 says that a man must take up his cross daily in order to follow Jesus. When we see a cross we see freedom, because of Jesus has done. When Jesus said this a cross looked completely different. A cross meant a very brutal and agonizingly painful death!

He goes on to tell a story of a man who wants to build a tower. He explains how in order for the man to build the tower he has to set down, figure out how much it will cost and then look at himself to see if he has enough to build it. Jesus says the man has to "count the cost." He uses the same story line to tell about a king who wants to go to war...he has to "count the cost."

In verse 33 Jesus says "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." He ends this at the end of verse 35 by saying "He who has ears let him hear."

Jesus has been telling us from the get go that being a Christian is not easy!! Jesus says that we must count the cost!! He uses the Parable of the Rich Young Ruler as another example. We have to be willing to give up EVERYTHING, our jobs, our money, our contentment, our friends, our family, even our spouses and children! He tells us, count the cost! He who has ears let him hear --- make sure you really hear me!! COUNT THE COST!!! Do you really want to follow me?! Are you really willing?!

For us it may be the physical of giving up our homes to go live in a foreign place and plant a church or go live an evangelistic life. For the rest of us it might be that God is asking you not to blow up at your spouse for lying to you. Don't leave your spouse because they had an affair or have an addiction to some substance or another, no matter how legal it is! It might be loving your children even though you do not agree with the discussions they're making! You might have to forgive someone who hurt you and let your pride be put to shame! You might have to be laughed at, picked on or talked about. The Bible tells us that there will be a time when Christians will face persecution again.

It is hard to be a Christian. But it is extremely worth it!! No other lifestyle can give you the same peace when your whole world turns up-side-down. No other lifestyle can give you grace enough and strength enough to give others grace. No other lifestyle can free you from you past, from your addictions, from your thoughts!! No other lifestyle can offer you a God who loves you deeply and intimately!! No other lifestyle was wiling to go through Hell and back as an atonement for you!!

So have you counted the cost?!

Psalm 13:5- 6 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.

John 3:16-17  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Life has the opportunity to get rough everyday. But we have the opportunity to get tough everyday. "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. (but you have to bear it) But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

 I am adding Paul's personal request to his brothers and sisters, because it is my personal request to my brothers and sisters. "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Ephesians 6:19-20)

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

More Leftovers

In reading the book of Mark I believe that God wants us to really grasp the magnitude of just how powerful his leftovers are!

My post from yesterday was out of Mark chapter 6, Leftovers. This is a reoccurring theme in this book. Mark 7 tells the story of a woman who claims that even the leftovers from Jesus healing all of the Jews is enough to save her daughter! Mark 8 Jesus has another go around with feeding thousands of people from only a few loaves of bread.

In all of these situations there is no hope for us if we keep trying to do things on our own. We go to work and try to make money to pay our bills. We do what we think we need to do in our relationships with spouses, children, family and friends. We make life choices on our own out of our own understanding.

None of it adds up to what Jesus wants to give us and do for us. When we give him everything he gives us even more!! Remember today that God wants you to have the very best!! It just might be some leftovers...

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Leftovers

In Mark 6 is the story of how Jesus feeds the 5,000 with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. If you have never read this story I highly recommend you go read it! (Mark 6:35-44)

The gist of the story is that there are a bunch of people that Jesus was teaching and it was dinner time. So he tells his disciples to go gather the bread and the fish that the people had on them and then separate everyone out into groups. So there were multiple groups of 50 - 100 people and all they had was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

Jesus blessed the meal and then began to break it apart and divide the bread and fish up between all of the people. So everyone ate and got full, by everyone I mean about 5,000 men and their wives and children! Afterwards the disciples went around and and picked up all the leftovers...

Let me break here and say that the fact that Jesus was able to feed that many people with that little is a miracle in itself!! The fact they they all had plenty is a whole other miracle!! Now, there's leftovers!!

Back to our leftovers, there were 12 baskets full!! How crazy is that?! Jesus' leftovers are so much better than what we have to start with!!

So if you're sitting there today looking at what you have, weather money to pay the bills, food to feed your babies, gas to get to work, whatever it is, know that you can trust God with it. Look to heaven as Jesus did, bless what you have in faith and believe that Jesus can multiply it! When we give our little to God, he uses it for his Kingdom and blesses you with the leftovers!!


Proverbs 28:27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

God in the Little Things

Wow so do I have a story to tell you all!!

A few months ago we gave our dog Dixie to some friends. A couple weeks ago I texted the friend and asked how she was doing. When no response came I wrote it off. Well, as the days went by I kept thinking about sweet little, rambunctious Dixie. So yesterday I sent him another text asking if they still had her. I came to find out that she had ran away about a week before I sent him the last message and she hadn't came back.

I get a wild hair and I go down to the county animal shelter and what do you know, Dixie is there!!! The woman working proceeds to tell me that Dixie had just arrived a couple minutes before I got there! What's even more amazing is what she tole our friends when they went and picked Dixie up...

You see our friends live in a small town about 30 minutes from here. The town pound had picked Dixie up the day she ran away. Because 3 weeks had passed and no one came and claimed her Dixie was sent to the county pound to be put down!

I'd like for someone to try to tell me that God wasn't at work here! This is a testament of how much God really does love us and how he cares about even the seemingly small things in our life!

Luke 12:26-28 says 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

So today be encouraged!! God knows every single detail about you and your life, and He loves you anyway!! He cares about the fact that you have a headache, your dog ran away, your baby cried for you when you dropped him off, and everything in between! Don't worry!! He has it all under control!!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

For Our Children

Genesis 26:4-5 NLT

I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”

As I was reading this morning a few things jumped out to me. This scripture is the one that stood out most. It put the whole story in a different perspective for me.

If you're not familiar with the story of Abraham please go to Genesis and start reading it! This is a story of God's faithfulness to us. From Abraham descendants will come our savior Jesus! From the very moment God promises him that his baren wife will give birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ God is faithful!

Any way, when I read the above scripture it clicked. Abraham obeyed God not for the blessings and wealth he'd receive during his life, but for the blessings and promises God has made for his children and their children and their children's children. All the generations to come!

At this point Abraham's son Isaac is getting old and has obeyed God for the sake of his children. As a new mother this makes more sense to me now then ever before!

My parents always told me that my choices effected everyone around me. As a stubborn,  "I'm going to do it my way", "make my own mistakes" teenager I didn't understand that fully. I am learning everyday that my obedience to God not only effects me but also my husband and my son and future sons.

Parents, let's live every detail of today even more for our children than we ever have before! We'll be amazed at the blessings we receive along the way!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Re-Start

"Re-start" is the theme for my local church this year. It is so fitting, not only for our church but for me personally. 2013 brought my husband and me some surprises. I also had to learn a few things, like as a mother you have to adjust every single moment of your days...and nights! Time has a new meaning.

One thing that I've learned is that the Awakening God gave me dreams of applies to my daily life now. At first I thought this was something that I needed to get everyone else to realize and wake up to. I am very well aware that I was not totally correct in my thinking. Yes, this dream is for EVERYONE...including me! 

In this year, after having 7 months to adjust to motherhood and all that comes with it, I am striving to Re-Start. Re-Start my devo times with God, Re-Start in serving in areas of my local church & community, Re-Start with my daily schedules and learning to make time. Re-Start & learn what it is to really walk each day with God. My awakening is opening my eyes to see that when I wash my son's bottles, my family's laundry, dust my house & clean my floors that I am glorifying God! He gave me all of this. Now I get to enjoy it, but take care of it as well!

I challenge you to Re-Start this year. Breathe in & think about all the areas of your life that needs a re-start, then breathe out & let it all go! God isn't mad at you & He wants to help you. He loves you! You are his child with whom he is very concerned about! Let him love you!!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford