Crisis Prevention

I have been reminded more than once this week God speaks our language. He can use the tiniest, most seemingly insignificant detail and use it to reach us. He loves us that much! I even witnessed Him use me in a ministry session to speak the language of the recipient without me being aware of it until after the fact. God speaks and walls come down!

I'm no stranger to hearing God's voice through the mundane things of life. I've even blogged about it here, here, here and here.

This week He gave me yet another picture using something ordinary...nails, my nails, more specifically my chipping, breaking, splitting nails. I recently started having my nails done with a fairly new technique called Shellac. This isn't necessarily critical for you to know, but I wanted to brag on my friend and nail tech, Bobbie Nation. Bobbie has a heart of gold. Sitting in her chair getting your nails done leaves you feeling not only pretty, but well loved:)

I wasn't scheduled to have them re-done until next week, but I was having a crisis, a nail crisis. I sent Bobbie a text saying, "I'm having a nail crisis! Can you get me in earlier?" I had to wait a few days. The thing with Shellac is even though they are your natural nails, the polish doesn't come off with regular remover. Not something I could really take of myself. It was really bothering me that my nails were looking so raggedy:)

This seemingly superficial post is going to get serious...stay with me:)

In the world of inner healing (lay men's terms, healing of the heart (emotional/spiritual) pain) we often receive requests for ministry that are URGENT. This especially happens when people find themselves in crisis mode. They call and want to be seen yesterday.

My mentor, friend and colleague, Vikki Waters, has trained me well in not allowing others' crisis to become my crisis. There will always be someone needing help and boundaries are crucial when you are involved in ministry.

What I have learned is people in crisis aren't always in a place to receive deep healing. The crisis is all they see and they want it fixed. In reality the best time to receive ministry or inner healing is when life is relatively calm...perhaps even avoiding many of the "crisis" times all together.

If I have any males that are reading this blog, which started out like a piece on "Toddlers and Tiaras," I want you to know I haven't forgotten you. Maybe you can't relate to my nail crisis analogy, but you can relate to car maintenance. Simple things like oil changes can PREVENT major vehicle issues down the road. I'm no car expert, but not changing your oil regularly can lead to some high price engine issues, among other things.

Let's put this in a real life scenario of marriage. Marriage takes work. Marriage is an investment. What can happen if you don't invest enough time and energy in your marriage? Potential boredom, loneliness, un-fulfillment (sexually and/or emotionally,) adultery and loss of relationship are just a few issues that come to mind.

How can these pitfalls be avoided? Maintenance, i.e. date nights, weekend getaways, short walks together, regular sex (very important!!!) and a safe environment in which to talk and share feelings openly without fear of being ignored, chastised or yelled at.

Bottom line and the point of this post is to encourage each of you reading this to be prudent. If you are struggling in an area don't wait for the bottom to drop out before you do something about it. Although I believe nothing is impossible for God and it's never too late for Him to redeem and restore, the truth is, when humans are involved there isn't always a willingness or desire for healing/restoration/redemption/reconciliation. Reconciliation takes both parties to be successful.

As I've said before and I will say again...on your very best day, you are only in control of YOU! Which means you can only do something about YOU! Expecting others around you to change to solve your problems will find you waiting a lifetime and will carry with it much frustration.

What are you waiting for...a crisis? I've been in several crisis times myself and they are NO fun. As far as it has to do with me, I want to maintain, prevent and go after what is broken and allow Holy Spirit to do "maintenance" on my heart and avoid crisis as much as possible! And when crisis does comes, because it will, my hope is to be able to handle it with the mind of Christ, from heaven to earth.

I am ever so thankful Papa God speaks in our language. He doesn't pass up an opportunity to minister to our hearts, but the key is, are you listening? I invite you to open the eyes and ears of your heart and look for Him in the mundane, the simple things in life. My Soul Sings because He uses it all, little and big, to bring Him glory and to bring me into a closer relationship with Him! He is so GOOD!

God is speaking, are you listening?

First I want to begin by stating this post is not doctrine, theology or even a translation of the passage of scripture I will reference. This is simply me sharing with you a way in which God spoke to me through His Word and through nature around me.


When we box ourselves into thinking God only speaks through His Word we will miss some wonderful opportunities to hear Him speak to us otherwise. Although I do believe when He speaks to us outside of scripture it will be consistent with His nature. In fact, that is one way to discern His voice...it will always be in line with His Word and His character.


Hopefully your eyes and ears will be open to ways He is speaking to you in everyday circumstances! It is also probably an appropriate time for me to state I do not believe in coincidences. I see God in everything and I seek to hear Him in everything. He is speaking, it's up to us to listen:)


Here in Southeast Tennessee we have experienced the most snowfalls I can remember. I've lived 28 of my 38 years in Chattanooga and I don't remember more snows than those of 2010! In a recent conversation, a friend mentioned she planned on asking God what He was saying through these frequent snow showers. I thought this was a great idea, but wasn't necessarily planning on asking Him myself. Although I did immediately think of Isaiah 1:18 which says, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow."


It wasn't until several days later when it was unseasonably warm and sunny He got my attention. You see, not only have we had record snows, but record rainfall...which means our weather has been dreary. Even on days when it's not raining or snowing most of them have been gray and cloudy. So a sunny and warm day has been a rare treat this winter.


On this particular day the sun was shining and people were talking about how wonderful the weather was. He led me to another passage in Isaiah. This time it was Isaiah 60:1-3...


"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of Your dawn."


I read the above passage and postured myself to hear what the Lord was wanting to say to me. This is what I heard (again, this was for me and I'm sharing it with you. It is your responsibility to test this word for yourself:)


The darkness in this verse to me represents evil. The thick darkness over the people represents depression and mental illness, both of which are rampant in the earth right now. I might also add here neither are from God, but from the enemy. Remember God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. (II Tim. 1:7) He also says in Isaiah 61:3 He gives us a spirit of praise instead of despair. Clearly, depression and mental illness are not from our Daddy!


The gloomy weather has represented the darkness. The repeated snowfalls represent His glory! We are made pure by the blood (covering) of Jesus! I began to see the snow as a blanket of His glory covering us in these dark days!


Then the unseasonably warm and sunny day represented His LIGHT! The Lord is rising over us with His light which is able to penetrate all darkness (evil)! As believers we are the "kings" in the verse drawn to His brightness, because He is the King of kings! I believe the Lord is saying He is drawing His people to Him like never before...we must be listening and watching!


I found this revelation very encouraging, which is another way to discern it was from God. Our Daddy is speaking to us via many avenues. I encourage you to be watchful and listen...what is He saying to you? He may speak through a message, a song, a billboard, an advertisement, nature, another person, the time on the clock when you awaken in the middle of the night...His ways are not our ways and we can miss Him speaking if we aren't paying attention.

My Soul Sings because my Creator is gloriously creative and not boxed into speaking only through words! Speak O Lord, your servant is listening! (I Samuel 3:9)