JAW

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Take delight in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD

and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

This weekend, I attended the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast.....WOW! It is amazing what happens when you TRULY open your heart to God's message. I really needed this weekend...and didn't even realize it. So many of the messages spoken I felt I could relate 110% to.....that is when you know you are being spoken to. It is kind of scary....but such a blessing when you are put in your place. The whole weekend revolved around the Psalm 37:1-9 (above). Having never been to something like this before....I questioned how on earth one person could talk for two days about one passage....Well let me tell you! I could have sat there and listened to her all day, all night for a week! Beth was AMAZING!

Although the weekend was about 1-9, we really focused in on Verse 4.

Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

In teaching this verse and really focusing in on its true meaning, Beth gave 7 key points to REALLY help delight ourselves in the Lord and I want to share them with you. I wish all of you could have been there....I know you would have really loved the weekend....whether you are strong in your faith, questioning where you are, or in between like me...she had something to say for everyone!

1. Nothing dictates our lives like our desires (our wants).

2. Beneath the desires of our hearts is the heart of our desires.

3. Delighting in God adapts our desires into inevitabilities.

4. Nothing external can steal our right to delight.

5. To make room for delight, we have to commit.

6. Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight.

7. Till Faith becomes sight, Trust in God and do GOOD!

I consider myself a very happy, positive person (minus the mood swings....it's the baby's fault...haha). But truly, I do. I find happiness is simple things. But, number 4 on this list just kicked me in the butt the minute we started talking about it. Even though I am majority of the time happy, I am only human, and have my moments. I absolutely loved what Beth had to say about #4 and it is something you all can relate to so of course I am going to tell you about the highlights.

4. NOTHING EXTERNAL CAN STEAL OUR RIGHT TO DELIGHT.

If the word delight isn't working for you, happiness is another word that works. I liked this: if Joy is Smiling....Delight is uncontrollable Laughter!

So when Beth said nothing external, I was confused...I get this way a lot....comprehension was never my strength. But as she went on it made more sense. She said we GIVE people rights they don't have....the right to take away our happiness by the way we let them affect our feelings or disposition. We make the people around us responsible for our Joy, when happiness and our delight is always found internally, within ourselves.

She went on to say this phrase that I love:

"What's taking a bite out of my personal delight?"

and then she went on with an acronym to help work through this question. What is it that gets in the way of our happiness?

JAW

Jealousy (vs. 1) Are you jealous of someone or something? Jealousy or envy comes from a heart of insecurity. Seriously....am I jealous of someone or something....absolutely. Do I let it make me feel like I am not fortunate enough or that I deserve more....does it take away from my happiness, especially in GOD...You bet! Note taken and will be applied!

Anger (vs. 8) Refrain from Anger! What are you mad about? Loved this**** Anger will NEVER motivate affection! And don't we all just want someone's love. Can I apply this one to my life even more than jealousy....absolutely. I cannot tell you how many times anger feels like the easiest or most natural way to get something to go the way I want it to. Anger is instantaneous for me at certain times. Anger is equal in force to delight but the exact opposite. Not the way to handle something if all I want is for someone to understand where I am coming from or to get my point across.

Worry (vs. 1-8) or fret. One definition of the word fret is to affect something as if the gnaw or bite. When we worry, we are literally gnawing and biting into the loved ones around us....who really wants to cause that? As women, I think it is very natural to worry or be a worry bug or constantly over analyze situations or try to have complete control over everything that happens around us. But what is the truth....we have no control over what happens...we need to put it all in the control of God. From all 3, this one hit home RIGHT NOW....you don't think I am worried about everything that is going to change come November....you don't think I over analyze every little thing so nothing goes wrong! I am eating away at Zach and my family with all my worries. So unnecessary.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

There is no justice in the words above for what this weekend said or did to anyone who experienced it. All I know is I will not hesitate to go to another. Here is the prayer we all prayed together as we closed the weekend.

My Dear Sister

God has not overlooked you

He has not ignored you

He hears every petition

And intimately knows

The heart beneath it.

Give Him full access

To all your longings

Pray every single day

To become a person who delights in Him.

When it seems to disappear

Remember to check your JAW

Are you jealous?

Are you angry?

Are you worried?

Roll it all on Jesus

He's strong enough to carry it

Big enough to handle it.

Trust God with all your heart

Now leave this place

And go into the world

And do some GOOD.

Travis Cottrell was the special guest for the weekend and did all the music. So great! Music really gets me emotionally...not matter what kind or where. But this song brought me to tears everytime I heard it this weekend. And I don't mean one little tear from the corner of my eye....I mean a RIVER...uncontrollable. I love that type of crying...it is so real. It didn't help either to have this amazing life growing inside me kick like crazy and I know, without a doubt, God is GOOD and all around!

Beth Moore's Living Proof 2o10 Simulcast.....CHICAGO....anyone up for a Girl's Roadtrip!