Filling the Gap Ministries

Not long ago, on a Wednesday afternoon, I stopped in a clothing store to “look around” (I never know when my husband, Shane, reads my posts, but better to be safe then sorry! ha!). I was confused on the actual price of a pair of pants (not that I was buying them, of course), so I decided to ask a sales person.I noticed that all three of the store employees were assisting one woman. They were all gathered around her, each holding different articles of clothing.I walked over to wait to ask my question. As I was standing there, the young woman, whom the ladies were assisting, began to chat. She seemed very uncomfortable to have all this attention, but at the same time, she seemed very greatful. The woman was not dressed in lavish clothing, nor did she seem to even care about the styles and colors of clothes she was being shown. She laughed as she said how long it had been since she had gone shopping. There was something about her, something that just let you know she was excited… but not for the reason you would think. She just kept smiling. And then, the woman explained the reason for her smile. She said, “Tonight, I am going to church for the first time and I want to wear my best.” It was then that I realized that the store employees were not just helping her with one item. She had asked for new everything! Shirt, skirt, shoes, undergarments, necklace, etc! I felt my heart break into a million pieces. My eyes welled up with tears so big that I almost couldn’t hold it back. I thought to myself, “How often have I withheld the very best for my Lord?” I don’t know the complete story of that woman. All I know is that she knew she was entering a Holy place before a Holy God and she wanted to present herself in nothing less than her very best…her first fruits.She withheld nothing and gave everything.

I want you to know that this post is not being written to critique fashion or discuss what is proper church “dress code” for Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. Let’s just get that out of the way, really quick. This post has everything to do with looking deep into our hearts and dumping out those things or people that we give our best to and then give our God the leftovers. God used this woman to remind me that we often fail to offer Him our first fruits, our very best.I guess the overall point God desires to make to me, to you, is that times have changed, but God has not. It blows my mind to read stories in my Bible about the incredible things God did for His people thousands of years ago. But the mind blowing part comes when I look up from my Bible and realize that HE IS THE SAME GOD TODAY!!!! WOW!!!!!! The God who parted the Red Sea; the God who flooded the earth, yet protected Noah, his family, and animals to begin again; the God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; the God who ripped the veil when He sacrificed His only Son on Calvary so that you and I could have a relationship with Him…the same God I pray to. Mind blowing. But somewhere along the way, we, His people, have forgotten that we serve this kind of God. We have fallen into materialistic legalistic mumbo jumbo stuff that does not honor Him nor does it honor what He has asked us to do–”Go and make disciples.” His own people have sought to give our best to our spouse, our children, our careers, our own selves…and this God, whom we say we are devoted to…gets the leftovers and sometimes nothing at all. This is very serious. This will not and is not being tolerated by our Lord. So what does God say about first fruits and how can we give Him what He has required of us?

Obviously, first fruits are the “first” portion of a harvest. In the Bible, the first of harvests and animals were given to God. The offerings were given to God in obedience to show Him honor and prove that they trusted God to bless them with a greater harvest to follow. God’s people also dedicated their firstborn to God to bless them and their household (The first fruits ceremony is well described in Deut. 26). They wanted God to bless their households…hmmm. The best was given to God…not kept for one’s self. Wow. In 2010, that concept seems so foreign. We scout out the harvest, give God little to nothing at all, and keep what we want and give Him the leftovers. You may be reading this and say,”Corrie, we are not Israelites nor do we live in Old Testament times. We don’t have to offer our fruits, veggies, and animals to God.” But we are required to give Him our first fruits, or in other words, put Him first in every aspect of our life. This includes our finances (yes, I do mean tithing and no, I don’t back down from that concept at all.),our time, our decisions, etc. First fruits are about obedience, faith, and keeping God as our first priority. Yet, as His people, our homes, churches, and our nation, does not reflect these three things. Instead, we are disobedient in our hearts, thoughts, and actions. We have replaced Him with idols of our self, our family, and things. But still we wonder why we feel as though God isn’t moving in our life. We wonder why it feels as though when we pray, He isn’t listening. God’s word is very clear about how putting Him first in every aspect, will bring us into a closer relationship with Him, which in turn, blesses us abundantly. What about you and me? With our time, does God get the very first words that come from our mouths that morning in prayer with Him? After all, He did wake us up. Do we fit Him into our schedule or do we schedule everything around Him? Of course, He “MADE” time, but does that really matter to us? With our finances, do we give God what He requires (10%) off the top or do we buy what we need and if there is any left to drop in, we give it and feel as though we have pleased Him? Then we wonder why our finances seem hopeless. Do we parent our children the way we want to or do we seek His wisdom and read His word on how God says to parent? Do we wait when He says wait and go when He says go? We often think He isn’t answering the way we want Him to so we take it upon ourselves to “fix” our families. Yet, we wonder why we feel as though we are failing. Maybe you have read this post and say, “Corrie, this is all well and true, but it is difficult for me to put God first, be obedient, and walk by faith.” At least, this is what I said, and I wrote this! Ha! Then God showed me a verse that will be the wind behind my back to make Him a first priority, to walk by faith and to be obedient: James 1:17-18 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change, like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruit of all He created.” There is our motivation. WE can read those verses and be reminded that we and all we have belong to God. And by that fact alone, we know that God is devoted to those who belong to Him. This ensures His provision for our lives, fostering trust(faith)in Him, moving our feet in obedience, and placing Him at the very center of our life…that is the purpose of first fruits…

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today:
God forgive me for not giving you my very best in every aspect of my life. Help me from this day forward to remember that I belong to you and that you love me more than I could ever know. You show your mighty strength when you move mountains for me, yet, you sit quietly beside me while I sleep at night. I place you at the very center of my life, my body, my family, my home, my church, my friendships, and my nation. May you have free reign, Lord, to do as you please. And may I glorify you by giving you back my first fruits…Amen

Not long ago, on a Wednesday afternoon, I stopped in a clothing store to “look around” (I never know when my husband, Shane, reads my posts, but better to be safe then sorry! ha!). I was confused on the actual price of a pair of pants (not that I was buying them, of course), so I decided to ask a sales person.I noticed that all three of the store employees were assisting one woman. They were all gathered around her, each holding different articles of clothing.I walked over to wait to ask my question. As I was standing there, the young woman, whom the ladies were assisting, began to chat. She seemed very uncomfortable to have all this attention, but at the same time, she seemed very greatful. The woman was not dressed in lavish clothing, nor did she seem to even care about the styles and colors of clothes she was being shown. She laughed as she said how long it had been since she had gone shopping. There was something about her, something that just let you know she was excited… but not for the reason you would think. She just kept smiling. And then, the woman explained the reason for her smile. She said, “Tonight, I am going to church for the first time and I want to wear my best.” It was then that I realized that the store employees were not just helping her with one item. She had asked for new everything! Shirt, skirt, shoes, undergarments, necklace, etc! I felt my heart break into a million pieces. My eyes welled up with tears so big that I almost couldn’t hold it back. I thought to myself, “How often have I withheld the very best for my Lord?” I don’t know the complete story of that woman. All I know is that she knew she was entering a Holy place before a Holy God and she wanted to present herself in nothing less than her very best…her first fruits.She withheld nothing and gave everything.

I want you to know that this post is not being written to critique fashion or discuss what is proper church “dress code” for Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. Let’s just get that out of the way, really quick. This post has everything to do with looking deep into our hearts and dumping out those things or people that we give our best to and then give our God the leftovers. God used this woman to remind me that we often fail to offer Him our first fruits, our very best.I guess the overall point God desires to make to me, to you, is that times have changed, but God has not. It blows my mind to read stories in my Bible about the incredible things God did for His people thousands of years ago. But the mind blowing part comes when I look up from my Bible and realize that HE IS THE SAME GOD TODAY!!!! WOW!!!!!! The God who parted the Red Sea; the God who flooded the earth, yet protected Noah, his family, and animals to begin again; the God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; the God who ripped the veil when He sacrificed His only Son on Calvary so that you and I could have a relationship with Him…the same God I pray to. Mind blowing. But somewhere along the way, we, His people, have forgotten that we serve this kind of God. We have fallen into materialistic legalistic mumbo jumbo stuff that does not honor Him nor does it honor what He has asked us to do–”Go and make disciples.” His own people have sought to give our best to our spouse, our children, our careers, our own selves…and this God, whom we say we are devoted to…gets the leftovers and sometimes nothing at all. This is very serious. This will not and is not being tolerated by our Lord. So what does God say about first fruits and how can we give Him what He has required of us?

Obviously, first fruits are the “first” portion of a harvest. In the Bible, the first of harvests and animals were given to God. The offerings were given to God in obedience to show Him honor and prove that they trusted God to bless them with a greater harvest to follow. God’s people also dedicated their firstborn to God to bless them and their household (The first fruits ceremony is well described in Deut. 26). They wanted God to bless their households…hmmm. The best was given to God…not kept for one’s self. Wow. In 2010, that concept seems so foreign. We scout out the harvest, give God little to nothing at all, and keep what we want and give Him the leftovers. You may be reading this and say,”Corrie, we are not Israelites nor do we live in Old Testament times. We don’t have to offer our fruits, veggies, and animals to God.” But we are required to give Him our first fruits, or in other words, put Him first in every aspect of our life. This includes our finances (yes, I do mean tithing and no, I don’t back down from that concept at all.),our time, our decisions, etc. First fruits are about obedience, faith, and keeping God as our first priority. Yet, as His people, our homes, churches, and our nation, does not reflect these three things. Instead, we are disobedient in our hearts, thoughts, and actions. We have replaced Him with idols of our self, our family, and things. But still we wonder why we feel as though God isn’t moving in our life. We wonder why it feels as though when we pray, He isn’t listening. God’s word is very clear about how putting Him first in every aspect, will bring us into a closer relationship with Him, which in turn, blesses us abundantly. What about you and me? With our time, does God get the very first words that come from our mouths that morning in prayer with Him? After all, He did wake us up. Do we fit Him into our schedule or do we schedule everything around Him? Of course, He “MADE” time, but does that really matter to us? With our finances, do we give God what He requires (10%) off the top or do we buy what we need and if there is any left to drop in, we give it and feel as though we have pleased Him? Then we wonder why our finances seem hopeless. Do we parent our children the way we want to or do we seek His wisdom and read His word on how God says to parent? Do we wait when He says wait and go when He says go? We often think He isn’t answering the way we want Him to so we take it upon ourselves to “fix” our families. Yet, we wonder why we feel as though we are failing. Maybe you have read this post and say, “Corrie, this is all well and true, but it is difficult for me to put God first, be obedient, and walk by faith.” At least, this is what I said, and I wrote this! Ha! Then God showed me a verse that will be the wind behind my back to make Him a first priority, to walk by faith and to be obedient: James 1:17-18 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change, like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruit of all He created.” There is our motivation. WE can read those verses and be reminded that we and all we have belong to God. And by that fact alone, we know that God is devoted to those who belong to Him. This ensures His provision for our lives, fostering trust(faith)in Him, moving our feet in obedience, and placing Him at the very center of our life…that is the purpose of first fruits…

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today:
God forgive me for not giving you my very best in every aspect of my life. Help me from this day forward to remember that I belong to you and that you love me more than I could ever know. You show your mighty strength when you move mountains for me, yet, you sit quietly beside me while I sleep at night. I place you at the very center of my life, my body, my family, my home, my church, my friendships, and my nation. May you have free reign, Lord, to do as you please. And may I glorify you by giving you back my first fruits…Amen

Not long ago, on a Wednesday afternoon, I stopped in a clothing store to “look around” (I never know when my husband, Shane, reads my posts, but better to be safe then sorry! ha!). I was confused on the actual price of a pair of pants (not that I was buying them, of course), so I decided to ask a sales person.I noticed that all three of the store employees were assisting one woman. They were all gathered around her, each holding different articles of clothing.I walked over to wait to ask my question. As I was standing there, the young woman, whom the ladies were assisting, began to chat. She seemed very uncomfortable to have all this attention, but at the same time, she seemed very greatful. The woman was not dressed in lavish clothing, nor did she seem to even care about the styles and colors of clothes she was being shown. She laughed as she said how long it had been since she had gone shopping. There was something about her, something that just let you know she was excited… but not for the reason you would think. She just kept smiling. And then, the woman explained the reason for her smile. She said, “Tonight, I am going to church for the first time and I want to wear my best.” It was then that I realized that the store employees were not just helping her with one item. She had asked for new everything! Shirt, skirt, shoes, undergarments, necklace, etc! I felt my heart break into a million pieces. My eyes welled up with tears so big that I almost couldn’t hold it back. I thought to myself, “How often have I withheld the very best for my Lord?” I don’t know the complete story of that woman. All I know is that she knew she was entering a Holy place before a Holy God and she wanted to present herself in nothing less than her very best…her first fruits.She withheld nothing and gave everything.

I want you to know that this post is not being written to critique fashion or discuss what is proper church “dress code” for Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. Let’s just get that out of the way, really quick. This post has everything to do with looking deep into our hearts and dumping out those things or people that we give our best to and then give our God the leftovers. God used this woman to remind me that we often fail to offer Him our first fruits, our very best.I guess the overall point God desires to make to me, to you, is that times have changed, but God has not. It blows my mind to read stories in my Bible about the incredible things God did for His people thousands of years ago. But the mind blowing part comes when I look up from my Bible and realize that HE IS THE SAME GOD TODAY!!!! WOW!!!!!! The God who parted the Red Sea; the God who flooded the earth, yet protected Noah, his family, and animals to begin again; the God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; the God who ripped the veil when He sacrificed His only Son on Calvary so that you and I could have a relationship with Him…the same God I pray to. Mind blowing. But somewhere along the way, we, His people, have forgotten that we serve this kind of God. We have fallen into materialistic legalistic mumbo jumbo stuff that does not honor Him nor does it honor what He has asked us to do–”Go and make disciples.” His own people have sought to give our best to our spouse, our children, our careers, our own selves…and this God, whom we say we are devoted to…gets the leftovers and sometimes nothing at all. This is very serious. This will not and is not being tolerated by our Lord. So what does God say about first fruits and how can we give Him what He has required of us?

Obviously, first fruits are the “first” portion of a harvest. In the Bible, the first of harvests and animals were given to God. The offerings were given to God in obedience to show Him honor and prove that they trusted God to bless them with a greater harvest to follow. God’s people also dedicated their firstborn to God to bless them and their household (The first fruits ceremony is well described in Deut. 26). They wanted God to bless their households…hmmm. The best was given to God…not kept for one’s self. Wow. In 2010, that concept seems so foreign. We scout out the harvest, give God little to nothing at all, and keep what we want and give Him the leftovers. You may be reading this and say,”Corrie, we are not Israelites nor do we live in Old Testament times. We don’t have to offer our fruits, veggies, and animals to God.” But we are required to give Him our first fruits, or in other words, put Him first in every aspect of our life. This includes our finances (yes, I do mean tithing and no, I don’t back down from that concept at all.),our time, our decisions, etc. First fruits are about obedience, faith, and keeping God as our first priority. Yet, as His people, our homes, churches, and our nation, does not reflect these three things. Instead, we are disobedient in our hearts, thoughts, and actions. We have replaced Him with idols of our self, our family, and things. But still we wonder why we feel as though God isn’t moving in our life. We wonder why it feels as though when we pray, He isn’t listening. God’s word is very clear about how putting Him first in every aspect, will bring us into a closer relationship with Him, which in turn, blesses us abundantly. What about you and me? With our time, does God get the very first words that come from our mouths that morning in prayer with Him? After all, He did wake us up. Do we fit Him into our schedule or do we schedule everything around Him? Of course, He “MADE” time, but does that really matter to us? With our finances, do we give God what He requires (10%) off the top or do we buy what we need and if there is any left to drop in, we give it and feel as though we have pleased Him? Then we wonder why our finances seem hopeless. Do we parent our children the way we want to or do we seek His wisdom and read His word on how God says to parent? Do we wait when He says wait and go when He says go? We often think He isn’t answering the way we want Him to so we take it upon ourselves to “fix” our families. Yet, we wonder why we feel as though we are failing. Maybe you have read this post and say, “Corrie, this is all well and true, but it is difficult for me to put God first, be obedient, and walk by faith.” At least, this is what I said, and I wrote this! Ha! Then God showed me a verse that will be the wind behind my back to make Him a first priority, to walk by faith and to be obedient: James 1:17-18 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change, like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruit of all He created.” There is our motivation. WE can read those verses and be reminded that we and all we have belong to God. And by that fact alone, we know that God is devoted to those who belong to Him. This ensures His provision for our lives, fostering trust(faith)in Him, moving our feet in obedience, and placing Him at the very center of our life…that is the purpose of first fruits…

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today:
God forgive me for not giving you my very best in every aspect of my life. Help me from this day forward to remember that I belong to you and that you love me more than I could ever know. You show your mighty strength when you move mountains for me, yet, you sit quietly beside me while I sleep at night. I place you at the very center of my life, my body, my family, my home, my church, my friendships, and my nation. May you have free reign, Lord, to do as you please. And may I glorify you by giving you back my first fruits…Amen

“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.”     Psalm 32:10

I want to begin by saying “thank you”. You have truly blessed my heart and the hearts of my family with all your prayers, calls, cards, emails, and visits, during these last three months. Since my last post entry in February, I’ve had a few set-backs with my health and my grandmother passed away and went on to be with our Lord. Every day, I wanted to write a new post. But every time I sat down to try, I just felt God saying “No, it’s not time.” So, I waited. During that “wait”, God began to provide just what He knew that I needed and that was rest…rest in Him. Rest for my mind, body, and emotions. So, that’s where I’ve been. I’ve been at His feet. I’ve been in His arms. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed. I’ve sang praises to Him and I’ve listened to Him through His word. He provided just what He said He would do and that was give me rest. But now, as the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart, it is with great excitement that I write! May God speak directly to your heart with His words, and may you and I receive them into the innermost places of our hearts…

The last part of Psalm 32:10 has come to be one of my “go to” verses for this season of my life. My heart seems to perk up and skip a beat when I see the words, “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.” To me, this verse can be broken down into three parts: 1.) surrounds 2.) unfailing love 3.) the man who trusts in Him. I choose to focus on “surrounds” first. I’ll explain why. By definition, “surround” means, “to enclose on all sides”. This phrase in this verse is meant to be viewed positively. But why do we feel this so negatively? Why do we, God’s people,feel as though some days, darkness surrounds our thoughts like a cloud. Why is it that some moments, our bodies seem surrounded by pain with no end in sight? Why is it that we feel trapped with financial strain, broken families, or death? Enclosed… on…all…sides. The reason to the “why” is that we buy the illusion of Satan. His version of “enclosed” twists and turns our minds (and stomachs) into knots with anxiety and depression. But this verse, my friend, Psalm 32:10 is just one of the many verses of truth that exposes Satan for the liar that he is!!! The truth is found in the next part: God’s unfailing love. If I wouldn’t break every bone in my body, I think I would do a cart wheel right here in my house when I think of this concept!!!!! As humans, this is where our faith breaks down. We are sinners, therefore, capable of failing. And as humans, who interact with OTHER humans, we also have BEEN failed. So, accepting the concept of a God that CAN’T fail, is so hard for us to grasp. Satan studies and knows this about each one of us. God’s unfailing love can change everything about our perception on a day to day basis. It makes being “enclosed on all sides” a wonderful thing! I know that no matter what form the fiery dart takes when Satan hurls it, I am enclosed on all sides by my God. He will not fail me. He cannot fail me. No matter what my problem ‘appears’ to look like, God has me surrounded. That’s a big deal. I can’t help but think of the great escape artist, Harry Houdini. He devoted his life to purposely being enclosed on all sides and then showing he could escape. But illusionists always have ways to make the crowd think the problem is just to big to take. But as I said, it is only an illusion. Satan does the same. At this point in my walk with God, He is showing me where I am left unguarded in my mind, emotions, prayer life, etc. God shows me that the only way to believe I am safe and ’surrounded’ by Him, is to look at the last part of that verse: the man who trusts in Him. It always comes down to faith in our Lord. The man who trusts in Him doesn’t try to “fix” the illusion…because it’s just that—an illusion. I am in no way saying that our problems aren’t real. My disease is very real, but the thoughts that perpetuate fear within me are not from God. The thought of “why would God choose me to have a ministry when I am so physically challenged?”–that’s the illusion. The thought of “God is angry with me” or “God must not love or need me as much as so and so”—that is the illusion. We must understand that as God’s people, we have an eternal home awaiting us. We must understand that by accepting God’s son into our heart through salvation, we have been bought and paid for and are sons and daughters of Jehovah. But I think what we often fail to remember that AS God’s people, we are also hated by Satan and are very often walking around without our spiritual armor on. We are so quick to blame God for the insecurities we feel or the “problems” we have. Yet, we fail to see in this verse alone, that we are loved with such a deep, unending, precious, unfailing love. Let us hold fast to God’s word. Let us be aware of the illusions that Satan puts before us each and every day and waits for our sinful reaction. What about you? What illusions does Satan engulf your thoughts in day after day? Do you FEEL as if the walls are closing in or do you BELIEVE that you are enclosed on all sides by the unfailing love of a mighty God? What’s the difference? To me, the difference is …the man who TRUSTS in Him.

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today:
Lord, I bow before you pleading with you to forgive me for doubting you and your unfailing love for me. I can’t count the days that I have bought the illusions of Satan that have brought me nothing but fear and sadness. May my eyes stay fixed on you and may I be seen in Your eyes as the one who trusts in You. I pray every piece of your armor on so that I may be ready to be Your soldier and to finish the purpose you have created for me on this very Earth.

This post was written by my sweet sister in law, and sister in Christ…Katie Taylor. How blessed I am to know someone who possesses such  fervor for God’s word. Thank you for all your encouragement in FTG Ministries and with me personally. I love you Katie!!–Corrie

The Story of Jacob (Please read the entire story when you have your quiet time with God): Genesis Chapters 27-33

Galatians 5:25: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

1 Thessalonians 1:3: “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Titus 1:2-3: “-a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at His appointed season, He brought His word to light throughout the preaching entrusted to me by the command of our God our Savior.”

I hope you enjoy reading this post. Yes, it is longer than usual, but I praise God for what He showed me through writing it! May He reveal much to you as well…

The other day, while driving to take Canaan to preschool, I saw a mother duck walking down the side of the road, with two baby ducklings following closely behind. I had to stop for road work, so I began to watch the ducks (Hey, if you could see where I live, you would totally understand! haha!). Based on where we were, I knew the ducks had walked a long way. Their journey came to an end when the mother duck led her babies to a small mud puddle on the side of the road. She stopped, hesitated, but then ushered everyone into the puddle. I felt sorry for them because they were trying to swim in a dirty overcrowded pool of muddy water. As the traffic moved, I noticed that right past the puddle, there was a huge beautiful pond! I thought, “Why didn’t you keep on walking to the pond and not settle for the puddle?” Then, I saw why. The pond couldn’t be seen from the puddle. A big bush was in between, obstructing the view. Those ducks were so close! They had no idea that what they really wanted was right around the corner…if they had just kept walking. I’m sure the momma duck was looking for a pond, but she had a plan-B…the puddle. I know this sounds silly, but God allowed me to see those ducks. He immediately reminded me of how often I tend to become spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally frustrated. How instead of waiting on Him to give me His very best, I settle for what “I” view as His best. God showed me that when I become weary from walking, I often stop at the puddle when the pond is just around the corner. But, there is good news for us “plan-B puddle ducks”!! His word is full of people who did the very same thing! And His word shows us the best part…how to keep walking to find the pond He promises.

As I mentioned, the Bible gives numerous accounts of Godly men and women who went ahead of God and tried to “speed things along”, by orchestrating their own plans. First, you have the lovely couple, Adam and Eve, who decided that God must be ‘holding out’ on them with the whole, ‘don’t eat the fruit’ thing (we know that didn’t go well). Abraham thought he would help God along with His promise of blessing him with children. That didn’t go well either (I can sure see why! Women don’t share men very well). The Israelites thought they would just say and do what they wanted to, even though God kept telling them the game plan (We know that just led to alot of walking). We get so frustrated with these people of the Bible and are eager to point out their flaws. It is easy for us to sit back and say what they should have done. But, we KNOW the rest of their story. It’s so different when it is our own self who is waiting on God to move and we can’t see past the bush. Don’t we, at times, think God is holding out on us? Don’t we get impatient with God? Don’t we grumble and gripe while we walk, even though we have His promises? We even go as far as having a ‘back up plan”…just in case God doesn’t come through for us. Or, just in case God doesn’t answer us exactly the way we want Him to. In preparing this particular post, God brought to my mind, the story of yet another child of God who stopped at the plan-B puddle. I am referring to Jacob. If we read the end of the story of Jacob, we see a patriarch who saw the very power of God in his life. We see a man who God protected and blessed. We see one of the men that would continue the very bloodline of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But at first glance, Jacob was a complete mess. His name even meant “cheater, heel grabber”. He wanted God’s blessing so bad, that he was willing to take it by force by deception. In other words, he stopped at the puddle and made himself fit. But then, the greatest part, God takes Jacob’s failure and works it to Jacob’s good. Picture this(Genesis ch. 27 & 28): Jacob has just ran away from his home for deceiving his father and his brother. He steels a blessing that wasn’t even for him. He breaks his fathers heart and his angry brother vows to kill him. It is night and Jacob is tired, sad, and even afraid. He has never really been away from home and to leave on such harsh circumstances was even more depressing. It was there at Bethel that God meets Jacob in a powerful way. God gives Jacob a promise for the future: “All peoples on earth would be blessed through you and your offspring.” Then, God ministers to Jacob’s immediate problem. He promises this lonely wanderer that he would be with him and never leave Jacob. Verse 15 says, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” What an awesome meeting with the Almighty God!! This gives Jacob fuel to keep walking. Now, if you are like me, you read this and say, “Corrie, this is Jacob, not me. I have been walking my Christian walk and waiting on God to speak and I don’t hear Him. I see alot of puddles, but there is no pond in sight.” We must remember that God’s word and the Holy Spirit, allows us to have encounters with God any time we want or need to. People in the Old Testament did not have access like this. You and I can pick up God’s word at 3:oo in the morning and read His words and hear His promises to us. We also have to remember that God spoke to Jacob when He was in the wilderness. He was walking to “no where” (in Jacob’s mind). But we are never walking ‘no where’ with God. As His children, we must realize the sovereignty of God. We mustn’t, at any point, think that God doesn’t care about our cries and our discontentment. In fact, just as the Israelites did, we must cry out to God for the pond and not settle for the plan-B puddle. No plan that you nor I have for our life will EVER be greater than God’s plan for our life. The last part of the story speaks of Jacob’s doubt of God. After this encounter with God at Bethel, years pass and Jacob gets word that his brother, Esau, is looking for him. Yea, the ANGRY brother that Jacob ripped off a blessing from, then left! Instead of continuing to walk to “the pond” in faith and trust God to be true to His promise, Jacob develops a Plan-B puddle to soften the blow with Esau. That night, God meets with Jacob again and reminds him of His promise. By deciding to trust God, Jacob’s reunion with his brother is then greater than he ever could have imagined OR ARRANGED HIMSELF. Good story, right? The question is, what do WE do? Maybe you’ve read this whole post while thinking about an area in your life that you just don’t understand. Maybe you have been like me, at times, and tried desperately to figure out a way for you to be content with this area…but peace never comes. Doors continue to close. You continue to look for temporary fixes or “puddles”. But God, being the perfect loving Father, must keep His promise to us by only giving us the best…the “pond”. The answer to this is found in Galatians 5:25. God’s word tells us to keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, we keep walking to the pond by faith and never stop at puddles. But how is this possible, when we walk that narrow road for miles and miles? I am learning Paul knew this secret. Paul knew that faith is about perseverance and going with what you know about God, rather than what you don’t know about Him. The problem is we are only willing to know so much. Instead of walking in the Spirit, we look for a ’spiritual bench’ to sit and complain a while. I have noticed while I sit on that bench, the Plan-B starts to develop in my mind. This is dangerous. This is when we risk missing the pond. So, to find the pond, pray when you don’t feel like it. Read God’s word even if you don’t want to. This, is keeping in step with the Spirit. I hope you will join me in continuing to seek God for the pond. Let us not find ourselves “making do” with a dirty puddle, or starring at the obstructive bush that appears to have blocked us. May we cry out to our Father, keep walking in faith, and thank Him in advance for keeping His promise of the pond…no matter when it is we find it.

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today: Father, please forgive me for being impatient with you. You have given me so much evidence that you know what is best for me and if I will just keep seeking you, you will give it to me when it is the perfect time. Help me to realize how significant being YOUR child, really is. May I turn my head away from all the puddles that Satan tells me is the best for me. May I keep my eyes on you so that they forever lock with yours. After all, you have never taken your eyes off of me…

Hey guys! My sister in law, Katie, captured our visit with Beth More and wrote it on my blog. I wanted to make sure you were able to read it on the website. It was truly a blessing to be able to meet Beth and see God be glorified in and through her. I also praise God for Katie. Thank you for taking the time to share your heart with all of us (Love you Katie!!!). I hope you all enjoy reading about our big day with Beth.  Thank you for the prayer for me while I have been sick. Please continue to pray for Shane and I as we travel to Boston this week to see my doctor. Thank you all for patiently waiting on the next post. And yes, a new one is about to go up!!! —Love, Corrie

Meeting Beth Moore: Written by Katie Taylor

Last Wednesday me, Corrie and Canaan loaded up in the Kia and headed to the Family Christian book store. Beth Moore, one of our generation’s most beloved Bible study authors and teachers, was gracing the Birmingham area with her presence on behalf of her new book, “So Long Insecurity”. We were very excited for the opportunity to meet her and have our books personally signed by her. Here is our little posse awaiting Mrs. Moore’s arrival :

Mrs. Corrie Clay

Me

Corrie’s Aunt Nancy

Our friend, Devin

And in case you are thinking “poor Canaan, I wonder how he managed being immersed into girl world like that?” Rest assured, he came out of the deal with 2 wrestlers (R Truth and the Edge if you are up on that kind of thing and care to know) added to his collection.

Here he is holding up his prize:

Around 5pm we met up with Aunt Nancy and Devin at the bookstore and began to line up as we waited for Mrs. Moore to arrive. Our Canaan did so well. Here he is sitting in the floor by Mommy waiting patiently.

Things started to get really interesting after the bookstore staff announced that Mrs. Moore was standing right outside the door about to enter. I took this picture of Devin to fully illustrate the intensity of the moment. I think she was trying to get a really good shot of Beth. This is passion people! (Devin, this is why we love you!)

Canaan really didn’t understand who we were waiting all day to see or why. When asked on the phone earlier that day what we were doing he replied, “I don’t know. Waiting to see some Bible study lady”. Then, when she finally walked in Canaan asked “is that her with the red lipstick?”

Next was my favorite part. Before we started, the whole store quieted down while someone led prayer over us and Mrs. Moore. Then one by one, we each got an opportunity to thank her personally for doing what God has called her to do and have our books personally signed by her.

Corrie went first out of our group. Corrie was personally grateful to Mrs. Moore for an encouraging letter she wrote Corrie. This letter came during the extremely difficult time when Corrie first learned of the incurable autoimmune disease she had, amidst many other overwhelming circumstances she was facing. God used Beth’s letter to confirm to her that He had a purpose through all that was happening. Corrie says that Beth’s letter put wind to her back to persevere. And as Corrie faithfully put one step in front of the other with God through all those incomprehensible hardships, the ministry God had promised her so many years before began to take form and bear fruit for Jesus Christ’s great Name. Yes Beth, you were right, “glory is at stake” in each one of our lives. This blog and Corrie’s speaking ministry is in so many ways a testimony to the importance of encouraging and exhorting one another to keep confidence in God and persevere (Hebrews 10:35-36). Let nothing make you quit. Corrie, you will be richly rewarded for doing this very thing, and you are already receiving so much of what has been promised.

Here she is with Beth,

I, on the other hand, was unusually speechless. There seemed to be too much to say in less than 5 minutes to someone who had been used so greatly by God in my life, but whom I didn’t know personally. That seemed odd to me as I quietly stood there while she signed my book. I think I mumbled something to her about my love for God’s Word being birthed through doing her Bible studies, but I was seriously about to lose it emotionally. I reasoned that no words could be adequate enough to explain what God had done inside of me as a result of her mentoring me through her Bible studies, and that she could never understand this side of heaven all that it meant to this one life. She is a mother to me in the faith. I’ve learned how to study and apply God’s Word in my everyday life from watching how it works in her life.

In case you are thinking that is out there, I hope that you see that this is scriptural. Check out examples of this in Titus 2:3, 1 Cor. 11:1, Phil. 3:17, and 1 Tim. 4:12 just to mention a few. In all of these verses you see that it is Biblical and also vital that people of the faith live their lives as an example or a model to be followed. This godly way of life is unique from the world we live among and is a pattern that is passed down from generation to generation. In my own personal life, Corrie was the first person to show me that being a Christian is about having your very own relationship with God and NOT about all the seemingly mindless, legalistic chores I thought it was about. Mrs. Moore was the first person to whet my appetite for the study of God’s Word, and to see it as personal to me. Their fire and passion for God spilled into my little life, and I am overwhelmingly grateful for them.

Here I am with Mrs. Moore,

Here is Aunt Nancy with Beth,

While we were there, we also had an unexpected opportunity to meet up with 2 fellow bloggers in the faith. Here is Corrie with Jennyhope and Mary Snyder. I’m not sure how to link their names, but here are the links to their blogs:

http://www.maryrsnyder.com/

http://www.jennyhope-jennyhope.blogspot.com/

Corrie has been working on a new post, so that should be up soon. Also, be praying for her and her husband Shane as they will be traveling to Boston soon for her annual doctor’s appointment concerning her autoimmune disease.

To God be the glory!

This past Monday, I was driving down the interstate and passed a cemetery. I noticed that a grave site was being prepared. Though I didn’t know the family, I couldn’t help but think about them…that they would gather under that green tent and bury the body of someone they loved. But then, immediately, my heart was filled with a burst of excitement, as I thought about the hope that we have in Christ! The body is buried but the soul… Oh the soul! Praise God for giving us a soul that can (if we choose salvation) live beyond death in Heaven with Him! But before the birth of Christ, the ’soul’ had no understanding of it’s purpose. This is one of the reasons I am so thankful for the birth of Christ. Even though I had imagined the sadness of that family, I also imagined the joyous night Jesus was born. Inside of my head, it unfolds like this…

I see Mary lying in the stable on hay that Joseph had fixed for her. He tries to make it as comfortable for her as he can. I see rolls of sweat falling from her brow as she thinks, “It shouldn’t be this way. Not for this baby.” I see Joseph pacing, his mind filled with concern for the ‘love of his life’ and now… a new love, that would be here any moment. It is time now. Joseph kneels beside of Mary and whispers that he loves her and that God would be faithful to them. He reminds her of what they had gone through and that it was almost over. Little did they know…it was only beginning for them. The baby is born and Mary wraps him in whatever she can find. She holds Him close to her. She whispers His name over and over again…”Jesus”. I see that precious chosen couple holding this child. The child that changed everything they ever knew. They can’t take their eyes off of Him. Of course they feel the happiness of being new parents, but, there is something else. It’s their hearts… They feel a spiritul completeness that they had never felt before. And then… then I hear Heaven singing. I see God, the Father, stand up from His throne. The angels have gathered for the most wonderful thing they have ever seen or known. For they know that this baby, this Christ child, has changed the world. He has arrived! God’s plan to save the world, is now in motion…

Perhaps that is not exactly the way the night of the birth of Christ really happened, but in my mind… it is. I do believe that the night Christ was born, the world felt it. We know this from reading, in God’s word, of how the shepherds (and later on, the wise men), were drawn to see this particular baby. I guess what I think is so wonderful is that because of this night, you and I have hope. Hope that can never be taken away by death or tragedy. Hope that won’t waiver or fail. Hope that is not only certain, but actually grows bigger inside the heart of the believer. Hope, because of a Savior. I was singing, “O Holy Night” in church, the other day, and God showed me something about that song that will forever change the way I sing it. It was the phrase: “Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.” Many Biblical commentaries say that the soul is what contains the spirit of the body. The soul can mean life, spirit, or breath. Genesis 2:7 says, “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” God has breathed breath into all of us, thus giving us each a soul. I find it amazing to think that I am a part of God! He breathed life into me! And the night of Christ’s birth, the soul felt it’s worth! In other words, the soul always had purpose, but on that night, it realized it’s value! Do we truly understand that a God as Holy as ours, loves us so much, that He would send down His son to be near us and to give us a place for our soul… Heaven. I guess my question is, does your soul feel it’s worth? If you have never asked Christ in your life, you must do so to truly feel and understand how loved you are! Maybe you are a Christian, but lately, you don’t feel worth anything to anyone. Let me encourage you in the Lord, today, and say that you are so very valuable to God. Maybe your eternity is secure, but you feel hopeless in your walk here on Earth. My sweet friend, don’t buy into Satan’s lies and allow him to rob you of what God says you are. We can rejoice, not because of ourselves, but because we have God’s breath in us! How can we still feel the worth today? How can we feel His “worth” when we have buried those we loved? How can we feel His love when we feel abandoned by our family or feel as though we are drowning in depression? How? Because we have the best thing with us already… God’s spoken word. Dive into His word and you will see Him change your life. When our soul hears the one who created it, it recognizes it’s worth. You will find that in His spoken word, you do have hope, even though the world tells you there isn’t any. You will find that this story that happened so long ago, will come alive in your heart! Why? Because the ’soul felt it’s worth’! God came down as a baby and that’s what changed everything. I pray that you will join me today in just meeting with God and telling Him that you want to draw near to Him…

I pray God’s blessings upon you and your household. May you have a very Merry Christmas and may you rejoice in the birth of our Savior, the whole year through!

Love,
Corrie

My prayer for today: Father, I praise your Holy name for sending your son to this world! Thank you for loving us enough to find a way that I may spend eternity with you and not in Hell, apart from you. I pray that if there is someone who is reading this that doesn’t know you, Lord, draw them unto you. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are undergoing trials. Lord, run to them. Remind them of your love for them.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

Not long ago, I was sitting in church singing an old familiar song. I guess I have sang these words a thousand times in my life, even had it memorized, for the most part. But this time, God revealed something in that song and suddenly I realized my eyes were locked in on this phrase. My voice had stopped singing as God let this phrase take over my mind and my heart: “Oh what peace we often forfeit”. My eyes filled up with tears when I realized how often I had forfeited peace, God’s peace. Why do we do this? God answers that question in this post…

One definition of peace is, ‘freedom from oppressing thoughts or emotions’. One definition of forfeit is, ‘to give up or to loose the right to, especially by some error, offense, or crime’. After reading these two definitions, why in the world would we ever want to use the words, forfeit and peace, in the same sentence? The reason is that Satan tells us they go together. He sells us the lie that we can’t have peace in our hearts as God’s children. God’s word tells us differently. In fact, BECAUSE we are God’s people, we are offered peace, daily peace. So why do we feel so empty at times? Why do we feel so uneasy? Why does our mind run and run, feeling as though we can’t turn it off? Why do we wake up with an unsettling feeling, and go to bed with the same? It is because we are choosing to forfeit, or give up, our peace. Yes, I did say choosing. Once a person accepts Jesus into their heart, the Holy Spirit dwells within them. The Holy Spirit gives us the feeling and the concept of peace. All throughout the Bible, we find evidence of this (Rom. 15:1; Acts 9:21). So why do we abandon this peace we ALREADY have access too? Isaiah 26:3 tells us. It says that God will ‘keep’ us in perfect peace (not a little bit of peace but perfect peace!) if we keep our mind steadfast. So, forfeiting peace begins in the mind, the thoughts. Satan loves to lounge around an ‘unguarded mind’, placing defeating, depressing, and anxious thoughts about our life. God’s word tells us to keep our mind steadfast. This means we must focus on God with our thoughts at all times. We do this by taking the thoughts captive, that shouldn’t be there (the one’s that are forfeiting our peace) and making them obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). We then make up our mind not to worry (Luke 21:14) and replace unsettling thoughts with scripture, or in other words, find out what God has to say. We do this over and over again until the peace comes. And, my sweet friends, PEACE WILL COME!! We can then find joy in our trials!!! (James 1:2). Today is Thanksgiving Day. But maybe, you are finding it very hard to be thankful for your trials in your life right now. Maybe you woke up this morning with an empty feeling. If you are God’s child, this means you have chosen to forfeit your peace. The song I wrote about at the beginning was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. I can sing this song with a light heart today because He is my friend. He wants to be your friend too. Maybe you have forfeited your peace because of a relationship that has gone terribly wrong. Maybe it’s because you have hurt God and others in your past and the guilt consumes you. Perhaps you can’t feel peace because your health is failing or a loved one is very critical. God needs you to know that you don’t have to feel that way. Because you are God’s child, we are given peace…if we just seek Him for it and begin with making our thoughts obedient to Him. I will end this post with evidence of that. The following is the blessing God gave to the Israelites…His people. We, my friends, have this same blessing. Remember it today: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Happy Thanksgiving,
Corrie

My prayer for today: Lord, may we stop forfeiting your peace and receive it on a daily basis. May we trust in you with all our hearts…

Just a note to say “thank you” to my own church, CrossRoads Baptist, for giving me the honor to lead the Bible study for our annual women’s retreat. Words cannot express the love that I have for my sisters in Christ in my own church family. I will never forget the fellowship, laughter, and tears we shared together (and of course, other ‘memorable moments’ that will forever keep me laughing!!!). But most of all, I will never forget how God revealed Himself to us in that cabin that weekend. Hearts (including mine)are forever changed because God showed us more about Him, ourselves, and the Body of Christ. We know that an intimate, personal relationship with God is possible in the ‘land of the living’. Go West, my friends!! (wink)

Love,
Corrie