Out of the flesh and into faith

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit (a pit of tumult and of destruction), out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

When God first gave me the idea for PMS – Praising My Savior – as a theme in my life, it seemed ridiculous to me but the more I spoke it out and shared it with other women the more His ideas resonated with me…and not just with me but with many other women as well.

In my twenties and early thirties I was so caught up in what my body was doing that I could barely think of anything else. I had chronic pain, infertility issues, many surgeries and subsequent depression due to my physical ailments and inconsistent periods. I surrounded myself with reminders that I was trapped in a body that didn’t work as I thought it should. I felt inadequate for not being able to have a child and I felt worthless as a woman.

In an attempt to make myself feel better and catch the attention of my husband in the midst of a failing marriage, I went on a radical diet. (If you could call it a diet, that is. I think you actually have to eat something most days to call it a diet!) I also took to exercising 2 and 3 times a day for more than an hour at a time. I thought for sure IF I’d lose weight then all my troubles would go away. I thought IF I would lose pounds then my marriage would be healed and I would feel more attractive.


I did indeed lose weight, drastically. I lost more than 30 pounds in one month. I also started to lose my hair, became dehydrated and my fingernails started to split and fall off. I became sicker than I’d ever been and I had to have my thyroid medication changed several times to keep up with the ways I was abusing my body. And it did nothing what-so-ever to fix my marriage or my self-esteem.

In the process of being so caught up in my flesh and my ‘woe is me’ attitude, I forgot about my relationship with the Lord. I had stopped praying; opting to take more time to exercise rather than having one-on-one quiet time with the Lord. As I faced another surgery, my wake-up call came and I realized that I hadn’t cried out to the Lord in quite some time.


Through some very personal tragic events and God’s prompting, I finally came back to Him…and He waited patiently, with open arms…expectantly. He set my feet more firmly on the path He wanted me on and this time I paid attention!

If you’re in that place, getting so caught up in what your body is doing, that you’re neglecting your spirit and who you are in the Lord, then you need to stop, drop and assess the toll your self-centeredness has taken on who you truly are. Go back to the basics: quiet time every single day with God and His Word. Get out of your flesh and back into His arms. When you do, He truly will put a new song in your mouth.

For more devotionals and inspiration check out “28 Days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior” or “Running On E’

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Healing through Jesus Christ

"He personally bore our sins in His (own) body on the tree (as on an altar and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed." I Peter 2:24 (Amplified Bible) Healing has been an intense theme in my life since I was in my early twenties. I sought God out for healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, adhesions, bladder and kidney problems, hemophilia, a brain aneurysm, broken relationships, infertility…the list goes on. But truthfully I am no different than most women. We are each broken vessels that need to be healed. We were born into a sinful world, not of our own doing, and as we walk the path with Him or away from Him, healing is what most people seek. We may call it other things, such as: striving for success, seeking financial freedom, longing for love relationships or reaching for the stars but when it comes down to each of these things, what our heart cries out for is fulfillment through spiritual, emotional, mental or physical healing. If we feel the need to be better, greater, more fulfilled, then we must surmise that we are unfulfilled - empty or broken - in one or more of these areas. God’s Word tells us that Jesus died for our iniquities. He died for the places inside us that are broken. He died to heal the inner-most parts of who we are that feel broken and hurting. Out of those hurts we attempt to fill ourselves up with things of this world. Many of these pursuits involve sinful tactics and selfish actions to achieve a desired status or recognition. And from that selfishness we need forgiveness. But fear not, because if you seek Him you will find Him. If you ask for forgiveness, He will give it. And more importantly, you’ll have healing and fulfillment like you’ve never had before. Before you can truly be fulfilled or filled up to overflowing with God’s abundant life, you must first have your broken parts healed. A cup that has cracks in it won’t hold anything for very long, especially joy. For more inspiration, check out the book "PMS ~ Praising My Savior" A 28 day devotional for women. To schedule Karen for a speaking engagement go to www.womaninspired.com

Rejoice always?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) I remember reading this scripture thinking; ”Seriously? As I’m doubled over in pain, the only think I am overflowing with is water retention, not joy! My ankles have now made my size 11 feet the equivalent to something Michael Jordan wears on the court and God wants me to be joyful over it?” But the more I focused on this scripture and prayed, the more I realized that God isn’t asking me to be thankful and jump for joy over bloating and mind-boggling cramps. I’m allowed to be unhappy over the fact that my ovaries feel like they’re being hung on a bulls-eye for target practice at a shooting range. Happiness is vastly different than joy. Happiness is frankly about what’s ‘happening’ at the moment, whereas joy is about what’s inside your heart and soul. Even during difficult PMS or menopausal hot-flashes, what’s deep inside of me is the love of God and His strength. Monthly hormones or lack thereof doesn’t take that joy away. And, naturally, the more I’ve prayed and meditated on this scripture the more I realized that when I’ve read it in the past I’ve usually glossed right over the “pray continually” and “give thanks” portions. Praying and giving thanks are natural ways to increase your endorphins, which in turn helps you deal with physical pain more easily. The answer was staring me in the face all the time. It just took looking beyond my ovaries for the meaning to sink in! I encourage you to pray regularly, consistently and fervently (with all your heart, mind, soul and body invested) and give thanks for His presence no matter what you’re going through on this day. I’ve never heard of one person who later said they regretted doing so. For information on how to schedule Karen to speak at your upcoming event, go to: www.womaninspired.com Today's blog is an excerpt from Karen's book "PMS ~ Praising My Savior, A 28 Day Devotional For Women" Join WomanInspired on FaceBook.

Toilet paper on my shoe...

"We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor), all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose.” Romans 8: 28 (Amplified Bible)

There are days when nothing seems to work right for me. Not sure about you, but when I’ve been up most of the night unable to sleep my brain doesn’t seem to function well the next day and neither does my body. I know somewhere in this mess of hormone surges and hot flashes there is a soul with a purpose. But there are days when parts of me just seem like left-over parts God had in a heap somewhere and didn’t know what to do with, so He gave them to me.

I have no doubt that in His infinite wisdom He does indeed put things together to work out for my good and for His glory but when I have one of those days where toilet paper gets stuck to the back of my shoe and I drag it around Wal-Mart with me, I tend to doubt His plan. I need only seek His Word to again reassure and assure me that ALL things work together and are just right for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

I know I am called for certain purposes, including reaching out to women who are seeking more than a mundane life. I know that I am supposed to live while I am alive and not walk around as if I’m already dead just because I have aches and pains. So I will gladly take the reassurance offered in God’s Word and praise Him for it even when I don’t feel well…or when I get giggled at by the check-out lady as I attempt to get the toilet paper off my shoe.

Got some praise to go with that tampon?

There is probably no other time period in a woman’s life when her emotions carry her from anger to apathy; joy to jealousy or peace to panic more rapidly than the 28 days of highs and lows in the Pre-Menstrual Cycle. If any of you are remotely similar to the other typical estrogen-filled females God created, these highs and lows, cravings and crampings can take you through times of despair and frustration. They can also bring you to a place of believing that there is no relief, no choice and no freedom from the effects of woman-hood, except perhaps living at the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory as a taste-tester; or opting for a complete and total hysterectomy. And for those of you who have already hit instantaneous menopause via that hysterectomy or who are already there due to God’s natural physical path for our bodies, you can attest to the fact that with menopause also comes similar hormonal changes, hot-flashes, cravings and emotional roller coasters.

What many women don’t realize is that all of what I’ve described thus far is in the flesh and what is in the flesh can be overcome by what’s in the spirit. No pill, no herbal treatment, no organic juice and no measurable amount of yoga or palates can help a woman deal with her perpetual physical changes and hormonal upheavals like the power given to us through prayer, meditation and the unspeakable joy that comes from focusing on our blessings and praising God…even in the midst of cramps, bloating and acne break-outs.

So, in order to take you on a journey of praise in the midst of some of your highest highs and lowest lows, I’ve written this humorous, heartfelt devotional titled “28 Days of PMS - Praising My Savior”. I encourage you to set aside the chocolate bar and drop your Midol back in your purse for a few minutes each day to focus on something other than what’s going on beneath your belly button and join me as we take time out to praise our Savior.

As you take time to praise God, even in the midst of pain and seemingly endless water retention, you will hopefully come to realize,as I have over the years, that focusing on the God-given gifts, love and strength inside each of us garners us even greater amounts of strength, perspective and yes, even the ability to laugh at ourselves through each cycle and season of our lives.

So please join me as I share with you over the next months some of the insights, giggles, inspiration and convicted moments I've been through over the years...that have led me to Praise My Savior, even in the midst of PMS! (Click the link to the left automatically follow this blog.)

Interested in getting a "28 Days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior" devotional for you or someone else? Click the PMS link. (available in softback or Ebook for Ipad/Iphone)

PMS

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