I Surrender All

by Adriana Zamot

Most of us have heard the saying, “Let Go, Let God!” Yet for many of us that seems like such a difficult commission. I must admit, I have struggled with the issue of control. All too often I’ve played the role of a fixer, caretaker and rescuer. I struggled with issues of guilt because of the level of success I’ve experienced through the grace of God and what seemed like unfortunate breaks for my family. Read more

Sports Central Meets Shabby Chic

Inspirational Ink: Insight for a Woman’s Life

by Tammi Ector Fisse

Recently, the above two worlds met. Surprisingly, neither my fiancé nor I declared décor war. You see, we’re not only blending our families. We’re attempting to mesh our diametrically opposed design styles. Though the transfer of my furniture and decorating accessories went more smoothly than I dared imagine (my kids and I will join our stuff just before the undisclosed big day), I have to confess that my heart set up something akin to a battle drum every time I thought about it. We decided to take this leap of faith a while back, so I’ve had a while to be stressed. Read more

Letting Go of the Familiar to Embrace the New

by Pastor Kris Belfils

Recently God has been speaking to me about letting go of the familiar in my life so I can embrace the new He has for me. It started over a year and a half ago as I needed to make a decision concerning a career I had been involved with for over twelve years. As I let go of the familiar career, God showed me more and more what exactly my “familiar” was. It was how I responded to things and reacted to situations and circumstances. It was what I knew for years and I was reaching for it again and again.

Letting go of our familiar is hard because it is what we know. It is what we have functioned in possibly for years. How does one let go of what they know for something they don’t know? You are reaching and looking for the un-known, and in doing so, we have to trust God with everything inside of us. Trust that we heard His voice. Trust that God has a plan and would never leave us abandoned or half finished. Trust He will be there to show you what the new really is and to direct you to it.

We can learn much through the Israelites and their journey into the Promised Land. They didn’t want to let go of their familiar. They were in bondage in Egypt for over 400 years. They were born in it, grew in it, married in it, and died in it.

After the Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, for two years they traveled until they eventually ended up at a place called; “Kadesh Barnea.” At Kadesh twelve spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan. These twelve spies were leaders of their tribes. Ten came back with a negative report and the people complained and murmured.

Here is the good report:

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30

Here is their bad report:

“But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it ware men of great stature. There we saw the giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:31 – 33

They still complained and wanted to go back to Egypt. But this complaining was even worse than previous complaining:

“Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” Numbers 14:1 – 4

The children of Israel were planning a revolt! A coup! They were planning on changing leadership to match what they wanted to have happen. Their complaining and murmuring clouded their viewpoint. They only listened to the negative report. They heard both, but listened to the negative.

The positive guys, Joshua and Caleb, tore their clothes and said:

“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread (they shall be as food for our consumption); their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them. And all the congregation said to stone them with stones.” Numbers 14:7b – 10

A place of decision

They wanted to go back to the familiar. How quickly they forgot about the bondage and slavery they had to endure. This place was a place for trusting God. This place, Kadesh-Barnea, was at the threshold of the “new” they had to reach for. They were more scared of the “new” then they were of going back to the terrible life style in Egypt. They were more afraid of the new then dying in the wilderness!

Kadesh-Barnea means consecrated or holy. This is a deciding place. It is a place God ordained to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land–a “set apart” place. It was a place where they needed to search their hearts–a place of holiness. They were too wrapped up in their “issues” and “fear” instead of seeing what God was doing and where God was bringing them.

The Israelites went around and around Kadesh-Barnea. They could have left Kadesh after the spies came back and only have to travel 11 days to the Promised Land, but instead, they murmured and complained and didn’t trust their God and wondered in the wilderness for 38 more years. This was sin!

Embrace the new

What area of your life have you traveled over and over again to never get over? Is there a certain sin you keep falling into? Have you been murmuring? Have you been complaining? Is there a secret sin that keeps tempting you and you give in? Are you tired of going around this mountain over and over again? Are you always wondering back to the familiar? Looking back to your past instead of what is going on in the present and possible future? Are you always looking at what you know instead of new insights from God and His word? Do you find yourself relying on your own knowledge and afraid to possess the land in front of you?

It is time to let go of these areas. “But we are use to it and accept certain things as a part of our life,” you may say. It is not true! Don’t settle for this lie! You will overcome by the power of God!

God cannot pour new wine into old wine skins (Matthew 9:17). Old wine skin is the familiar. What we did in the past, how we functioned and maintained is gone. Now the new is here and we have to embrace it.

You might have been hurt in the past and have never let go of the pain. You may have made mistakes and feel you can never get past them, or they “define” you. Know this; your past does not determine your future. God never determines your future by your past. He determines your future by what His Son did on the cross for you. What Christ did on the cross is a done deal. It is complete. The power of the cross is still there and that power will never change. Whatever you are having trouble letting go of place it behind the Cross of grace and allow God to be glorified in it.

Letting go of your past seems painful, but really, it is very freeing. God is big enough to handle your past. Give it all to Him and as you do, you are reaching for the new; a new life of freedom from bondage.

When you let go of the familiar your flesh will scream at you to stop. It will seem uncomfortable to you. It may even seem un-natural to you. Just like Peter, when he stepped out of the boat to reach Jesus, it felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar. His spirit wanted Jesus, but his flesh wanted to go back to the boat. Peter died to his flesh and turned to Jesus!

“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying; You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey…..” Deut. 1:6b & 7a

God wants you to turn from what you’ve been doing. Turn from what you know. Turn and repent. Break camp and move on! Leave this place and go. Make a move now, and go on your way.

God has so much He wants to give to us as we let go of the familiar and embrace the new. You might not know what the new is right now. Trust Jesus that the new is from Him and it is a good thing. Don’t fight what God is doing in your life. Allow the change to come and you will be freed of any bondage or burden you have been carrying all these years.

“Kris Belfils is a dynamic Public Speaker, Singer/Songwriter, Author, Worship Leader, Guitarist, Pastor and Friend. She has dedicated her life to help others be transformed by the power of Christ. She weaves scripture, life’s experience, and her sense of humor to bring the Word of God alive. Kris speaks and ministers all over the world at Conferences, Conventions, Retreats, Camps, Church services, Radio, and Television. She is a Worship Pastor in Spokane, WA. You will be blessed and encouraged to hear Kris’ message of hope. ”

http://www.krisbelfils.com

Your Point of Power

by Karin Syren

These things have I spoken to you,
So that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation,1
But take courage; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 NAS

Who among us is immune to stress, the often overwhelming pressure that results from feeling we are powerless in the face of our circumstances, inadequate to face and overcome our surroundings? All our systems go into overdrive in an attempt to ramp up the power and every part of the human organism is involved in the stress reaction. Read more

DESPUÉS QUE HAS LUCHADO TANTO… ¡NO RETROCEDAS!

Autora: Brendaliz Avilés

Has luchando apasionadamente, has puesto tu corazón y tu empeño para lograr cumplir ese sueño que Dios depositó en tu vida. Si hay algo de lo que vives plenamente confiado es que cada paso que has dado ha sido marcado y bajo la dirección de tu Creador.

Pero el día de hoy te sientes exhausto, demasiado cansado, sin fuerzas para seguir luchando. Experimentas frustración y desilusión porque aunque te has esforzado y esperado, no has visto los resultados aún. Read more

Finding Hope When Life Drives You to the Edge

By Cindi McMenamin, Author, Women on the Edge

I remember a season of my life in which I was feeling desperate. My teenager was not giving me the verbal respect I felt I deserved. My husband, in hearing what was going on between us, was not intervening on my behalf. One evening I’d had it with that routine. I wanted out of the frustration, out of the house, out of everything. But I didn’t know where to go. Read more

Living a Milk and Honey Life

The Israelites didn’t enjoy being slaves in Egypt. They never stopped praying for deliverance or hoping their situation would change, but although they hated their condition they eventually became used to it. Over the years they adapted to the culture, learned to speak the language, and even developed a fondness for Egyptian food. But instead of simply adapting to their new situation, they adopted it—so much so that when God did deliver them it wasn’t long before they were crying to go back to Egypt—back to the things that had brought them comfort. Read more

Fuel-up with “Cross-Bearing” Veggies!

by Laurette Willis, Christian Fitness Expert and Director of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry

As important as it is to “Let go and let God,” we have our part to play, too. Healthful, nutritious foods are seldom our first choice if we’ve battled with overeating. The flesh often craves foods that are loaded with fats and sugars, but if we load-up on healthier choices first, our body will fuel-up with good nutrition and our taste for highly processed food diminishes. Read more

It’s Time to Let Go

by Mia Green

Are you the type of individual that holds onto an old trend or style just because it worked for you 20 years ago? When you look at old pictures of yourself do you find that your makeup looks exactly the same today as it did back then? If you’ve answered yes to those questions then I must say that its time to let it go! Re-invent yourself. Create a new look for yourself; the times have changed, and you have too so allow your sense of style to reflect who you are and what you represent today not who you were 20 years ago. Read more

Peach Cobbler

Peaches are in season in August…perfect for this recipe! Read more