Tag: AA

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Who am I accountable to?

Laura GraceLeave a comment

Letter #20: Letting Go and Avoiding Strife

     My Dear Children,

     I woke up this morning thinking about how when you were younger, I had to avoid people who did not agree with me, to stay focused. When I say people who did not agree, I mean those who were very vocal about what they thought I should be doing.

    Moms, Grandmas, and others can be formidable forces in our lives while we are raising children. It is hard to stay focused when you have people giving you unsolicited advice all the time.

     I cannot speak for anyone else, but I know when I was younger, I was very insecure and very scared about being a parent.

     I felt like I should not be trusted with this great task and found the weight of responsibility that was placed upon my shoulders quite staggering.

     When I was younger, before I gave my life to Jesus, I used to go out and drink when I had a chance to do so. I wanted to kick up my heels, forget the problems and responsibilities, and had no idea how to do that without going out to party.

     The problem with that, was that the next day all the problems were still there and were even more difficult to handle with a hangover.

     I suppose people go at drug or alcohol addictions in all kinds of ways. I have heard success stories because of meetings, treatment, having God help, and sometimes even all three.

    I am not the most focused person in the world, but I could see to go forward and have the life I wanted to have, I was going to have to let go of things that hindered me.

    The very hardest thing for me to let go of was people.

     It always seemed so selfish to leave people behind, and I never wanted to be a selfish person.

     Whenever I think of letting go of people who are hindering me, I always get this picture in my mind of people drowning in a giant sea, and me standing there letting them wave their arms begging for help, while I walk along the beach ignoring their cries.

     There are for sure, many people in this life who make not-so-healthy decisions and continually want someone to bail them out of the problems that follow.

     About the time we let go of those people, we have the ones who come along and want to change our minds about our goals, and most everything we believe.

     Ultimately, I have one person I am going to have to explain myself to, and that’s God. I always have that in the forefront of my mind.

With Love, Mom        

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Those Problems you Face……..(and frustrations)

Laura GraceLeave a comment

Tearing your Hair Out? Frustrated today? Let me ask you something, if tearing some hair out would solve the problem, Would you do it? I know I sure would!

Have you ever been in strife with someone over a fundamental issue? I sure have.

Here is the definition of Strife: Angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues. Conflict. God says not to do it.

We disagree about politics, how to raise children, how to run the church. Strife gets into marraige, relationships, friendships. Strife is everywhere! And it is doing great harm, to the people involved in it.

The more we disagree on, the more likely we will have strife and chaos. I was listening to a sermon yesterday about “submitting to one another.” How Does that work, if we hold every one of our opinions so dear that we will never bend, never to listen to someone else’s viewpoint, and never back down?

In Fact, James says: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3

OH, I see! “Blessed are the Peacemakers!” We are now back to Matthew 5, and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

So, how does this mysterious, yet Holy Peace Happen, without compromising our dearly held beliefs?

Very often (in the interest of Peace) I just keep my mouth shut. I can vent (to a friend) I can pray, I can re-assess my beliefs and decide if they are truly worth fighting for.

This is what I do to try to get the Anger and Strife OUT of my conversation.

I look at my motives. Why am I really arguing about this? Is it really necessary? Am I really helping anyone? I will not back down about my beliefs that were revealed to me by God (His Word) but I do not have to “Make Anyone”agree with me either. He does the convicting. The Convincing. He is God.

How Do you rid yourself of anger? What makes you angry (and why?). Do you have control issues? Fear? Is your anger truly righteous? These are things we need to find out. (Seek, and you will find?)

Do we have to be world changers? On the contrary, we were called to be seed-sowers and waterers of God’s Word. That means look for some “Good soil” to plant in. No strife. Even God will not “Force us” To change our mind…….

Personally, I don’t like to live in strife. I would rather walk away, take a drive, be by myself, and have long talks with God. There are some people however, who seem to thrive on it.

My suggestion is, if you are angry and want to strive, Let it go, before you have a heart attack, high blood pressure, or wind up with road rage.

People who are full of strife (and envy) are not the healthiest people on Earth. You can win an argument, but lose the war. You don’t have to win. You don’t even have to prove you are right.

Fools give full vent to their Anger. Righteous People look for a chance to plant (and water) Gods’ Truth.

If your advice is so great, (and of God) people who seek it as treasure will find you. If they don’t believe HIS truths are a treasure, they probably won’t listen to you anyway.

What is there to strive about? Nothing! Be at peace with what you believe, until the time comes you are not, and seek God’s wisdom about it, and ask for more information. Be part of the solution.

PS: Not being at Peace with your own beliefs, is an indicator you might need to do more seeking.

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Have no Fear! Jesus is here…..

Laura Grace2 Comments

It’s so easy to say isn’t it? “Have no fear?

The truth is, our bodies (and minds) were made with this “fight or flee” response to danger, and we can’t even help it! Jesus knew that, so when he said not to fear, he was not getting on their cases in a condemning way. You have to see his heart behind this.

See, we sometimes view God’s words through the lense of our parents, and the impressions we got as a very small child. If there was shame or condemnation in our parent’s voices (as children) when we read “OH you of little Faith” spoken in our text of the bible, we may begin to feel like God is “mad at us’ for not having enough faith!

How often have you found yourself saying “I”m sorry Father for my lack of Faith,” or I’m sorry for not trusting in you?”

Where does this come from? It comes from the overwhelming FEELING he must be displeased with us!

Now, come on! Deep down, we know he is not that unfair or unjust, that he would chastize and berate us for not having Faith, when he knows we have not had experiences that have LED to having Faith in him! He, as a good Father and as a gentle loving Shepherd, understands that he needs to take us by the hand and LEAD US into life everlasting, WHILE we are still upon this earth, “Taking his Yoke” and learning of him!

What if you were Noah? (Just think with me for a moment) There is nobody else around but you and God? Could you believe to hear from him? Noah believed in the goodness of God (that’s why he found Grace!). So did Moses, So did King David, and this was all “before” Jesus came to earth to save us!

Now, that’s the kind of Faith God wants us to have my friends, Faith in his Goodness (and unfailing love). You are the desire of his heart and he doesn’t want to lose you! You are so precious to him! Ponder on that for a second……..

Try going to biblegateway.com and type in “the love of God” Or “Mercy” and see how many scriptures you come up with! Ponder that, and get back to me………

With love,

Laura Grace

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Having Confidence

Laura Grace2 Comments

Therefore do not cast away yourconfidence, which has great reward. Heb 10:35

The Lord showed me this yesterday…….

When we’ve made decisions that we later wish we hadn’t made, there is a danger we will lose credibility with ourselves. We no longer trust ourselves, so we can easily lose confidence in our ability to hear from God. This is the #1 threat to falling away, becoming entangled in religion, and a host of other problems which seem to “stunt our growth” In the Christian life.

We need to realize that so long as we are not living IN the word of God (and his words living in us) we are susceptible to deception. Adam and Eve had total wholeness when they were created, and lacked no ability to hear from God. When they disobeyed him, it wasn’t like they had lost any ability to hear (Him) nor were they born into a world of corruption and sin.

They willfully disobeyed him. This is so different from a person who becomes born-again, who now must trek through the layers of wrong teachings, lies of the enemy, and a multitude of obstacles, to come to their full stature (and wholeness) in Christ. As a new believer, I got deceived a few times, and it shook me up so much, I began to lose what I call “credibility with myself.” The cure for this is to look back, and realize it was God who saved you, not the church, not you and your own wisdom, and forgive yourself for what you didn’t know (back then.).

We are not out to make excuses here, but a five-year old can hardly be blamed if “their teacher” told them to get on the wrong bus. When that child is lost, has to call for help, and is found crying on a streetcorner somewhere, you’re going to want to know “who put them on the wrong bus,” right? After this, if you care about the child at all, you’ll want to teach them how to find their own bus, so they never get lost again. This is the very heart of God (towards us) that we would not be like children (tossed about, lost, or frightened) but armed and equpped to make great decisions, every single day.

God wants us to learn how to follow him, not how to “follow man.” We are all called to become priests, kings, and ambassadors for him. Anyone who tells you otherwise, and tries to live under the frame work of the old testament, is living under a shadow of what was to come.. We don’t want to live in the shadows anymore! In Christ, In Him, and having him as our Shepherd, there is no reason to be lost, ever again. Father I ask you, for those who have lost confidence in their ability to hear from you, “Restore it today’ I pray in Jesus’ mighty name. We say ‘get behind me satan” you do not have in mind the things of God. We have the mind of Christ, we are following after Jesus, he is our Shepherd, and the sheep know his voice.”

Amen (Laura Grace) author, Grace to the Rescue, Grace to Grow, and Dysfunctional People

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Doing the right thing…..(pressing on) Why should I? …….

Laura Grace1 Comment

Grace to the Rescue pic.jpg I can remember times when doing the right thing was like pulling teeth For me, literally. I hope this is not too candid, but I can remember times I screamed and hollered to the Lord I cannot take this anymore (screaming!!) and telling him how unfair it all was. I told him when I was tempted beyond what I could bear, I cried, yelled, begged, pleaded and said why why why don’t you do something about ________(so and so).

  Injustice was a thing that drove me nearly insane, as my soul counted up the cost of doing the right things for years on end, while someone else did what they pleased (and seemed to have no consequence). I was doing it God’s way and I wanted his help. I need him to back me up or I could do it no longer. I finally came to a place I had to say okay, I”ll go without him (my spouse) “Please Father do not let me Go!” 

You see, you really can’t do the counselling “co-dependent no more” thing and love your enemies and bless them at the same time.

Can you? I wish I could get across to some people out there (who have never experienced being married to an addict) that many are so slippery about not getting caught, covering their tracks, lying, getting away with stuff (and on and on it goes)

They aren’t BAD enough to get sentenced to treatment sometimes. I did the intervention thing, got him all mad at me, then he stayed one day and ran away from there. Telling people to do tough love ain’t that easy, unless you are willing to be like the good samaritan who paid the whole cost for someone’s healing.  Why do I say that? Because: ALL THOSE PROGRAMS you heard about, often do not help. Women who try to get free often get beat up, silenced and they finally stop telling you what is going on. They fear for their lives. Capice? 

How many of you out there have just wanted to give up? Be honest! If you’ve loved, forgiven, prayed, turned the other cheek so many times you lost count, isn’t there a time you finally say “Enough already?” Maybe just give up on that person and don’t tell anyone, because if you have to hear one more “love lecture” It will be the end of your rope! What’s the purpose of this message right now? It’s This: 

LET THEM GO BEFORE YOU HATE THEM!

If you Shrink back from Jesus because your abuser makes you want to turn on God it’s TIME TO GO………….GET OUT OF THERE! Nothing is worth losing Jesus over. 

The same applies to Jobs where you are being abused, when church people abuse you……..(and on and on it goes). Pray for God to help you as his GRACE will keep you where he intends you to be. Sometimes we are “no longer graced to be” in a certain situation. It’s time to go……….

If you have loved and forgiven, loved and forgiven, God gave you the grace to do that. You asked for strength, he gave it to you. If you can’t do it anymore even after prayer IT”S TIME TO LET GO! You matter too. God doesn’t want anyone “dragging your soul to hell” because they are bent on destruction. 

Having Faith means not letting go of Jesus’ hands. Have faith to let go my friend, Have faith to press on…..Have Faith to see miracles, have Faith to believe the miracle might just be “YOU” surviving this…..”Have Faith” …..

  How you accomplish that, is between you and God, my friend. 

 

And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” Hebrews 10:38 

Laura Grace, author, Grace to the Rescue. A story of Deliverance. A story of Love. A story of Hope. A story of Redemption. And it’s all true: 

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Rescue-testimony-1/dp/1548002461/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543107013&sr=8-2&keywords=grace+to+the+rescue+by+laura+grace