Jul 23, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
There are many Bible verses that discuss God’s time. He is eternal, but we are not. We have an earthly beginning and end. And in the current pressures to multi-task and do more, more, more, we often feel we can’t keep up and will never get any of it done.
In those moments, it’s okay ~ good, even ~ to step back. Step down. Say, “Wait.” Say, “No.” It’s good to know we don’t have to do it all, and we don’t have to have it all done at the same time. It’s good to focus on what’s really important.
God gives us time and time again, His all. His forgiveness. His strength. His beauty. His peace. He doesn’t count to three and say, “You’re out.” He doesn’t even remember the nagging.
Please, God. Fix the this. Handle the that. Do it. Do it. Do it.
No, God simply says, “I’m with you. And you’re enough for me just the way you are.”
And He’s waiting for us to say it right back to Him.
To spend time with Him is the ultimate gift we can give.
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends:
A day is like a thousand years to the LORD,
and a thousand years is like a day.”
~2 Peter 3:8 NLT
Do you think your thirty second prayer doesn’t count? It does. Is it insignificant when you sleepily breathe, “Good night, Lord. Thank you for another day.”? Not at all. He knows all about you, He knows all of you. He knows your heart. And if you continue to go to Him, your seconds will turn to minutes to hours to days until they lead you to eternity.
Frankly, On Faith: Time for Everything
There is no amount of time on earth so slight that He doesn’t want to be a part of it. There is no moment in your life He doesn’t want to be with you, for you, for your world.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, On Faith: Time for Everything. @RealMojo68 #franklyonfaith #God #Bible
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jul 9, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
There are many Scriptures referencing fish. Portraying Christ as the Fisher of Men was an idea we still understand and relate to today.
The waters swarm with fish. Bread and fish are what fed the masses. The Kingdom of Heaven casts its net and we will be sorted into keepers or trashers. [I hope I’m a keeper.]
But there’s another fish reference. Actually, it’s bigger than a fish. It’s a great fish, and most have interpreted it to be a whale. It’s the one that swallowed Jonah.
See, God had a task for Jonah, but Jonah didn’t want anything to do with it. He waved his hand and walked away. “See ya, God.” Right. Like that’s ever worked in anyone’s life. Here’s a hint: Because you are uniquely made, when God has a task for you, ain’t no one else gonna get it done. And because God is everywhere, ain’t no use trying to escape Him.
God found Jonah on a boat and caused a great storm to arise. The others were terrified, and Jonah told them, “It’s all my fault. Toss me overboard to the sea. You will be safe.” And it worked. The boat and the fishermen were safe. But Jonah . . . Well, this is where the whale comes in. God was keeping an eye on things, and since Jonah hadn’t proven himself too trustworthy to get the job done in a timely manner, God orchestrated a little extra help in getting him to his destination.
“Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.”
~Jonah 1:17 NLT
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking if *I* spent three days in the belly of a whale, I might be doing a whole lot of thinking. Like, how if I’d only listened to God in the first place, I wouldn’t be in this stinkin’ whale. [And I can only imagine how stinkin’ it must have been.] Or, how I let God down in the first place.
My point is, I’m betting there wasn’t a lot of singing and dancing and happy-place emotions going on. But there was prayer. A lot of humility and asking forgiveness. And salvation. Not the spiritual kind, because that goes without saying. But the physical kind. The while-I’m-here-on-earth kind. Because God heard Jonah, and ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. [Jonah 2:10 NLT].
And you know what happened next? Jonah did as God asked. And His testimony was more powerful than he could imagine.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, On Faith: Don’t Run From the Inevitable. @RealMojo68 #Jonah #faith #franklyonfaith
TWEET THIS: Frankly, On Faith: If God’s chosen you for a task, He’ll make sure you do it. @realmojo68 #franklyonfaith #faith
Frankly, On Faith: Don’t Run From the Inevitable
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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May 21, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith
Let’s face it: We’re people pleasers. We don’t like being told “no,” and we don’t always like having to say it. We let others sway us or question our determination.
How often does the following dialogue happen in your conversations:
“I can’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m too busy.”
“Really?”
“I just don’t want to.”
“But why not?”
“Look, I can’t, okay?”
“Oh, well. If you’re going to be that way about it.”
We end up feeling guilty for not sticking to our original plan, for letting others influence us into changing our minds. We say yes when we’re not sure, or when we know the answer is really “no.”
Matthew 5:37 and James 5:12 both caution us against making promises we can’t keep.
I’m not talking about what movie to watch or food to eat. Those are fluid choices. I mean fundamental decisions and the ones that make you misrepresent yourself. Don’t say something you can’t back up. Don’t offer help if you don’t mean it. And don’t give an explanation if it’s not the truth.
Breaking promises can break trust and relationships. Even with ourselves. We try to explain our way out, spinning the situation or twisting the truth.
Life can take us down a different path than what we planned, but that’s not the same as letting others nudge us when we shouldn’t budge, and we know it. We end up breaking trust. We allow others to undermine our foundation.
Soon it becomes easier to not believe in ourselves, to need others to tell us what to do. It’s harder to stand on our own two feet.
God says to stand firm.
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.”
~James 5:12, NLT
Saying “no” to someone or something may be the most positive thing you can do for the world around you. Imagine being the person He designed you to be: Full of life, vibrant, encouraging, trustworthy, dependable. Imagine being able to grasp what He has to offer you, because you said “no” to what someone else was offering.
This week, I challenge you to not embellish your conversations, but simply stick to your “no.” No excuses, no exaggerations. Just a simple “no” or “yes.” And then follow it through.
Believe in yourself as He believes in you. The others will follow.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, On Faith: Let Your “No” Be “No”. @realmojo68 #franklyonfaith #franklymydear
Frankly, On Faith: Sometimes, saying “no” can be the most positive thing you can do.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Mar 12, 2017 |
Frankly, On Faith: Do All Things
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
So, just how busy are you?
Are you overwhelmed at times? In need of some “down” time? Is coffee more necessary than enjoyable? If your people had just three words to describe you, would “multi-tasker” be one of them?
Do you feel exhausted more often than not?
Yeah. I hear ya. Sometimes just breathing takes more effort than I want it to. This pesky life with its pesky chores at its pesky pace of lightning speed . . . Sometimes I just wanna scream.
You, too? Phew. Good. Thought I was alone for a minute.
Oh, not good that you’re going through it. Not even good that you understand. Because, really. Wouldn’t it be great if fewer people understood the chaos of a demand-it-now mentality? But still. I’m glad you’re in it with me.
So. Here we are. Holding on to the ropes as the sea churns a little more than it used to. Trying to keep our heads above the water more often than not.
And the storm comes and drops something else on us. Right? Another wave. Another hit. Another emergency.
It’s enough to make This Girl want to jump overboard.
But alas, I know all too well that even though the ride is rough, there’s better safety in the boat than out in the sea itself. So I stay. You stay. And we look at each other and say, “What are we even doing here?”
The high waves come and rock the boat, but then the seas calm, the sun comes out, and we’re happy to be warm and dry again.
And we can think clearly again.
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
~Mark 4:39, NIV
And it’s with a deep breath and clearer vision that we realize the Captain has been here all along. He’s the one who tethered us to the boat in the first place!
So we feel good about what we’ve overcome and we decide to take on more.
STOP. DOING. THAT.
Stop taking on more. Stop ignoring the peace He has gifted you. Stop being addicted to busyness.
Just be still.
In this moment, we can give ourselves permission to sit back and let Him navigate. All we have to do is row. All we have to do is let go our grip and let Him take over.
All we have to do is have faith that He will get us to our destination. And when the Son is out, it’s okay to relax and enjoy the view.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, On Faith: Are You Addicted to Busyness?
With fair winds and following seas,
~Molly Jo
Frankly, On Faith: Are You Addicted to Busyness?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jan 22, 2017 |
Frankly, On Faith: How Important are You?
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
Do you often wonder if you matter? If anyone knows the real you? Or worse, if they discovered the real you, if you’d be discarded?
I’ve got Good News for you.
Are you ready?
Wait for it . . .
God knows you.
And you know what?
He’s sticking around.
Yup. That’s right. There’s nothing you’ve done or haven’t done, will do or won’t do, that can remove you from His love and care.
Know how I know?
The Bible tells me (and you) so.
“And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” ~Luke 12:7, NLT
“He counts the stars and calls them all by name.” ~ Psalm 147:4, NLT
“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” ~Psalm 129:17-18, NLT
Imagine~ God loves you so much He pays attention to every atom of your being! Every. Single. Atom. I don’t know ’bout you, but I don’t count the hairs as they wash down the drain. I don’t number the grains of sand that are tracked into the house then swept up and tossed back outside.
But He does. If the littlest parts of you are so important, can you allow yourself to experience how great, how deep, how vast His love, care and attention is for all of you?
There’s no abacus big enough to count the smallest part of this equation.
Allow yourself to be surrounded by His greatness, as He allows you to grow into yours.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, On Faith: How Important Are You? Ask God.
With some sweet tea and a beautiful sand castle,
~Molly Jo
Frankly, On Faith: God Knows Your Importance
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
