The Voice of God

Many people today ask, "can I really hear God's voice?" When I first began to ponder that question, I think I expected God to open up the clouds and give me a resounding "yes" or "no" on certain decisions I had to make. And while that would be convenient, it doesn't require me to seek Him through His Word. It doesn't teach me about the character of God. He's given us ears to hear, although, he usually doesn't speak to us in an audible way.  I've never heard God speak audibly, but that's not to say he doesn't, and that he won't. I quickly learned why it is that he uses His Word to speak to us. 

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword...

God's Word is a weapon, a tool. It's not just a book to read for our pleasure. Yes we can study the History in it and yes it is a pleasure for us to read. But that's not wholly what it's intended for. Just think about it. How can one book be picked up by millions of people all over the world on a daily basis, and have a different effect on each person, each time. It's living. It's active. And it's intended to speak to us and guide us. Never once have I picked up the Bible to read it and said to myself, "Hmm didn't get anything out of that." There's a reason. That reason being that it's a tool the Lord uses to speak to us. 

Where the Word of God dwells, it also directs. 

I'll admit, I know there are times I've missed the mark on this. Many times. Because of the way that God is willing to guide when his words dwell inside of me, I've come to the realization that that never had to be so. Where His words dwell, and dwell richly inside of us, he directs. 

I saw the fruit of this recently, before our move to Nevada. A cross-country move is no small undertaking. We were standing completely in faith, knowing that God would direct. When given the offer, Sam felt strongly about taking the job. I trust my husband's judgment and have incredible faith in him to make wise decisions for the two of us, and for our future family. Still, a part of me was hesitant. At that moment, I had to decide, is this me just saying,"This is new. This is scary. This is uncomfortable." Or was God beginning to show us that we needed to slow down and really think this through. So in turn, I told Sam over the phone while he was still in Nevada for the interview, "When you get home, we need to sit down and seriously consider this move. There are positives to both moving and staying where we are. There are potential negatives to both. The last thing we need to do is make a hasty decision." He agreed. 

That night, I remember being very uneasy. I simply prayed, "Lord, if this is me being fearful, please give me peace. Guide us into the right decision, and please don't let us miss it." I asked God for a very clear answer. Specifically, that he'd close the door we didn’t need to walk into. As I talked to my friend Stephanie that night, she reminded me that when we ask, He answers. And the truth of the matter is, I had been thinking about the move more than praying about it.  I was reminded and began to read Matthew 7:7, which says, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. So, I didn't hold back on praying the specific prayers. "I'm asking, I'm seeking, I'm knocking. Lord do what only you can do to make the path clear for us." And I fell asleep with this knowing that He would answer.  

Boy did he answer, in a BIG way. That next day, I had decided to talk to my principal about Sam's job and potentially moving. I wanted to make sure she was informed of the decisions we had to make. She was completely understanding and told me that she would be supportive of whatever decision we made. She is very family-oriented and I was thankful for a principal who could relate to my situation, as her husband had been in the service. 

I went on about my day teaching. After school, we had a new teacher meeting and the principal said to me, "I need you to stay after so I can speak to you." As we sat down together, she proceeded to inform me that earlier that afternoon,  she received her budget from the county and they were requiring her to surplus one teacher, the last hired teacher. And guess who that would have been? There were changes that were going to be happening and she said, "I know you and your husband will be sitting down to sort things out tonight, so I wanted to let you know because I'm sure this will weigh on your decision." She then said, I truly believe this is divine intervention." And thinking back to the prayer I prayed, I agreed wholeheartedly. 

See, God does not operate out of human logic. To us in our human nature, the decision seemed like it was 50/50. But God knew what he intended for us all along. It was just a matter of getting us on board with His plan. 

I never want to attempt to get God on board with my plan. Rather, I want to be open enough to allow him how to teach me to get on board with his plan. His plan, in the end, is always what's best for me. And things come full circle eventually. 

After the weekend we moved to Reno, I was out driving and praying for continued peace about being here. I had dropped my family off at the airport earlier that morning and for the first time in life, let them go knowing that I wouldn't see them for months. It was heart-wrenching and somehow I still found peace. The Lord reminded me that sometimes we have to leave the very thing that seems 'good' to find his best for us. 

When His words dwell inside of us, it builds our faith. It builds our trust in who He is and in His ability to speak when we call out to him. There's no better feeling than the knowing that comes with seeking God for direction, and watching Him do what only He can do. 

  

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 

Jeremiah 33:3

Chili Lime Crockpot Chicken

 

As promised, I wanted to share the recipe I tried out last week. The inspiration for this recipe came from a combination of two recipes I make all the time-chilanto lime chicken and my own salsa chicken. It's so simple and can be served multiple ways. This will forever be one of my favorites! 

I had all intention of serving this for "Taco Tuesday," something we look forward to in the Dunham household. Buuuut, last week it was "Taco Friday." Sometimes, you plan, plan, plan but Taco Tuesday doesn't happen on Tuesday. Something I'm still learning. And it has nothing to with tacos, at all. More on that later. J

Nonetheless, this chili lime chicken was SO flavorful and delicious. It might, in fact, become my weekly "Taco Tuesday" recipe. 

Recipe

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz can of whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1 can mild Rotel 
1 medium onion
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove fresh minced garlic
chili powder
cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
salt


Add all ingredients to crockpot. Make sure to pour the entire can of Rotel over the chicken, and do not drain. I did drain my corn, however, I poured a little of the juice into the bottom of the crockpot for moisture. Otherwise, a little water works just fine. My chicken was frozen, so I set the crockpot to high for 4 hours, and low for the last two. If chicken is thawed, I would recommend cooking on low for 6 hours. 


**Note: I did not measure out the spices this time. I just sprinkled generously with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder, and then went lighter on the paprika and salt. If you like a spicier flavor, I'd season it this way. Otherwise, go lighter on the chili powder. Season to taste. Once the chicken is tender, shred using two forks. I like to shred mine a little before the 6 hours is up. I feel like it adds more flavor to the dish. 

And voilà...
There you have it! I ate my chicken over lettuce, as a taco salad. Sam made tacos with cheese, avocado and sour cream. To be quite honest, I could have eaten the chicken all by itself too!

                                                            Enjoy,

                                                                                          Reanna

The Unfinished Sculpture: A Work in Progress

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 

 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)

We will never arrive on this side of Heaven. As I’ve said before, God has placed within us an insatiable need for him, causing us to run after Him with greater fervor. It’s the reason we desire to be in the Word, and striving to live a life like Jesus on a day-to-day basis. It’s the reason for passion in the things we set out to do in life. 

Understanding that God looks upon us and sees us in our completeness is almost unfathomable at times.  God’s nature is to see us in our completed state of being, not the empty, broken vessels that we typically are. It’s amazing to think that He sets aside our flaws, failures, and shortcomings to see us as who He’s specifically created us to be. God doesn't see as man sees. Man sees the flesh. God sees the heart. He sees us already complete in Him. 

The things we are lacking, we already have in Christ. He simply asks us to walk in them-in complete forgiveness, complete righteousness, complete favor. And in the mean time, God keeps chiseling away at who we currently are...confident that we will become who He really sees in us. 

I love that in Lysa Terkeurst’s book, Unglued she paints a picture of our lives using Michelangelo’s statue of David: 

“Sources say that the artist [Michelangelo] never left his David. For more than two years he worked on and slept beside the six-ton slab of marble whose subject called to him from inside the unchiseled places. When at last the seventeen-foot David emerged, Michelangelo reported to have said, ‘It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn’t look like David.’” 

My prayer is that He’d chip away at the “stones," the things of life, that don’t resemble the ME He sees. He’s working on the hard places in order for you and I to come into the light of who He’s designed us to be. 

...and I’ll embrace the chiseling because it’s actually a beautiful thing. 

Everything is Made Beautiful in its Time

Thought of the day

In Ecclesiastes 3, the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, expounds on the times and seasons of our lives and how they all fit together. Life is not some vague process of subtle, illogical patterns placed willy-nilly in our path for us to puzzle over. It's a composite of definitives: joys and sorrows, gains and losses, giving and keeping, laughing and grieving, loving and losing...on and on until the last day arrives. 

-Luci Swindoll 

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Our lives will go through seasons-some great...others not so great, it's just a fact of life. But I've come to learn that what we do with these seasons truly matters to God. He allows us to walk through the rough to find the beautiful in it. The hardship that we endure causes us to draw closer to God, and in turn, rely on His strength. These seasons allow us to come to a place where we are feeding our souls. 

On Sunday, Pastor Russ spoke a message titled, "Come as a Child." He stated that Jesus never misses an opportunity to teach His children something, just as a parent does with a child. We all have an insatiable need for Jesus-a need for him to be present in our lives. I love the fact that in Ecclesiastes 3:11 it also teaches us that God has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. He's placed that insatiable desire in us so that we'd run after him every day. We'll never arrive on this side of Heaven. There's so much to know of God. His character. His love. His endless pursuit of us. 

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. 

In our seasons of victory and seasons of defeat, God has called us to revere Him. To regard Him with respect, honor, and awe. To cherish, treasure, and esteem His name. 

With that, the questions I asked myself this morning were these: "Am I embracing every aspect of every season God has for me? Do I see the good in it and the beautiful God will bring out of it? Or am I forgetting that God allows us the hard times to grow closer to Him, and ultimately so He gets the glory for it? My prayer is that I'd be a woman who reveres Christ, even through hardships. As Christians, we are called to live our lives set apart, that the rest of the world may see Jesus through us. 

-Reanna 

A Virtuous Woman

Last night during our discipleship group, Tracy spoke on Proverbs 31 and the disciplines we embrace as virtuous women of God. Although I've read through this chapter of the Bible hundreds of times, it was a timely reminder and lead me to study the chapter more intently.. 

Proverbs 31:10-31 A Wife of Noble Character

(Note that Proverbs 31 alludes to the wife, but also refers to the virtuous woman in general)

A Virtuous woman: 

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.

• virtuous: morally excellent; wholesome
• capable: able, gifted, intelligent
• precious: valuable, highly esteemed, treasured

11 Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.

• trustworthy: authentic, realistic, credible, honest, responsible, sensible 
• enriching: improves, enhances, builds up 

12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

• Her husband/friends would say of her, "She makes ME a better ME." 

13 She finds wool and flax
    and busily spins it.

• busy: active, persevering, diligent, purposeful
• She provides clothing for her family 

14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
    bringing her food from afar.

• She seeks to provide food for her family
• A virtuous woman plays a vital role as God's instrument 

15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
    and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

• Idleness and laziness have no place with her
• She plans: is intentional, has purpose and orderliness 

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
    with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

• Puts careful thought into things and does not make hasty decisions. The virtuous woman asks herself, "Would this decision be pleasing to God?"
• She carefully considers what she will devote her time to 

17 She is energetic and strong,

    a hard worker.

• energetic: spirited, dynamic, animated, active, lively
• strong: able, secure, stable, steady, well-founded, unyielding (in her faith)
• hard-working: determined, diligent, eager, engaged, enthusiastic, resolute 

18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
    her lamp burns late into the night.

• sensible: ensures that there's profit in her labor 
• She doesn't grow weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9)
• The Word of God is her lamp- it guides her as she keeps it burning 

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fiber.

• She is constantly engaged in beneficial, worthwhile pursuits 

20 She extends a helping hand to the poor

    and opens her arms to the needy.

• compassionate: kindhearted, responsive, sympathetic 
• She seeks God for wisdom and discernment on how to help those in need 

21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
    for everyone has warm clothes.

• She plans ahead 

22 She makes her own bedspreads.
    She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.

• industrious: works energetically and devotedly 
• Her outward garments match her inner beauty 
• She understands that her body is a temple and that modesty is the fruit of her confidence and security in Christ 

23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
    where he sits with the other civic leaders.

• She contributes tremendously to her husband's prosperity and greatness 
• She recognizes the value of her influence in his life-she possesses one of the loudest voices he may hear 

24 She makes belted linen garments
    and sashes to sell to the merchants.

• Once again, she is industrious

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.

• Possesses strength: durability, stability, VITALITY, courage
• Possesses dignity: decency, self-respect, virtue, morality, honor, greatness
• Her faith and hope are in Christ-she has peace about the unpredictable circumstances of life that are to come

26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.

• Her words call others to greatness, rather than tearing them down
• She evaluates her words before she speaks and utters only what is beneficial 

27 She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.

• careful: attentive, mindful, observant, vigilant
• watchful: alert, cautious
• She is a proficient manager of her home 

28 Her children stand and bless her.
    Her husband praises her:

• She is greatly respected as a mother and a wife
• She is worthy to be praised 

29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”

• Many women fall short, but the virtuous woman has honored God and her family completely in the way she lives her life

30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

• FEARS THE LORD: She has an awareness of God's presence, and a holy reverence for Him
• She realizes that outer beauty fades, but that her inner beauty lasts and is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4)

31 Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

• Her works speak for themselves
• The Lord is pleased with her because she has done His Will 

Lord, thank you for Your Word that gives us insight as to how we should live our lives. We want to live a life that honors You above all else. Make us virtuous women whose lives are characterized by moral excellence, faith, dignity, trust, strength, courage, wholeness, stability, wisdom, and confidence. May we be great in Your sight. Let Your light shine through us as we live out a life that is pleasing to You. May we recognize that we are valued and loved unconditionally by a Father who will never fail us. When we fall short, I pray that we'd be women who know how to refocus and keep going. Thank you for the virtuous women you have placed as examples in our lives. Continue to grow us through those relationships. I pray against lies of the enemy that say we'll never measure up and that we'll never be good enough because Your Word says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Thank you for the ways that you have gifted us and the purpose we find in You. Change our hearts and renew our minds.