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
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Frankly, On Faith: Don’t Run From the Inevitable
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Jul 2, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
This world isn’t actually “one size fits all.” Heck, it’s not even “one size fits most.” In my family alone, you’ll find a bride, a widow, a grandma, two brothers, two daughters, four felines, and all the extensions that come with them. We are tall, short, skinny, not-so-skinny, loud, quiet, extroverted and introverted.
You’ve heard it said, “When God made you, He broke the mold.” I say, there was no mold to begin with. He didn’t use some manufacturing plant or a cookie cutter to make you. He took you in His own hands and formed you with His careful touch. He applied every dimple, smoothed every hair. He gave you the desires of your heart.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
~Psalm 139:13, NLT
He not only designed you uniquely, He filled you uniquely. Your gifts, talents, reactions, emotions, thought processes . . . Everything inside you. They are all uniquely you.
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
~Romans 12:6-8, NLT
Do you hear that? He gifted you, so you can gift yourself to the world.
Believe in yourself. He already does.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, On Faith: You are Unique. @RealMojo68 #faith #FranklyOnFaith
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, On Faith: God gifted you so you can gift yourself to the world. @RealMojo68 #franklyonfaith #faith
Frankly, On Faith: You are unique.
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!
Feb 26, 2017 |
Frankly, on Faith: Five Minutes
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, On Faith.
God is extravagant. He is Almighty. Eternal. Ultimate. Substantial. He is everything.
He is also personal. Intimate. Up close.
I often shy away from time with God because I can’t give him an hour of focus. Those are precious sixty minutes in which my mind will, after the first few, begin to wander. Plot. Plan. Apologize.
Dear God. I can’t focus. I’m sorry. Let me start over.
And it begins again.
How much time can you spend with God without looking at the clock?
I failed. I’m obviously not a good person because I can’t keep the world from coming in and interfering. You say it takes practice, discipline. But I know I’ll never get there. I’d best not waste our time by even trying.
When my daughter calls, I answer. If she can only speak for a minute, I welcome it. Because she thought enough to check in, say hi, let me know she loves me.
When my cat climbs onto my chair, I let her warm my feet or side for however long she stays. She’s not a failure when she leaves.
So why don’t I believe that God, in His much greater capacity for love and care, would accept whatever time offering I can give Him?
Would He rather I pretend to pray for thirty minutes or more, just counting ticks on the clock while being distracted? Or does He want all of my attention in whatever increments I 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
My soul longs to be authentic to, for, and with God. I will give Him what I truly can, and trust He is by my side when the world beckons me to responsibility.
As I spend time with Him, the more opportunities I find to do so. He is a beautiful, never-ending circle. And we are smack dab in the middle of His grip.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, on Faith: Can you give God just five minutes of your time?
With a stopwatch and Heavenly circumference,
~Molly Jo
Frankly, On Faith: Can you give God five minutes?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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