Saturday, September 14, 2013

1st Testimony with IAmSecondBracelet

I bought an I Am Second bracelet at The Celebrate Freedom Concert in June.  I had wanted one and didn't want to pay shipping, so this afforded me the option to not have that expense.  

I have previously never purchased any of those "plastic cheap looking" bracelets that are massively produced with a message and worn as a fad by people for a time, first because my Mom would never let me, two because I hate fads, three because I like to wear classy stuff and wasn't into cheap looking stuff.  

When I bought this I Am Second bracelet I didn't anticipate wearing it with my other jewelry.  



Things change.  I am.  I was given this beautiful cross bracelet from one of my girlfriends as a "thinking of you" gift and it is awesome to pair it with this I Am Second bracelet!!!

I am not sure when I went to wearing it everyday, with my other jewelry too...but sometime in the weeks that followed I did.  I even wear it to bed at night.  The only time I take it off is when I shower, and technically I wouldn't have to do that either, it's plastic, nothing will hurt it except maybe the stove or oven.

To look down at my wrist and see the message, a simple clear message to my heart and mind, is one that I love!  The reminder is always amazing.  It brings focus quickly to life, to challenges, to who is Number One! and need I say, if not, who should be.

I never dreamed of the opportunities that would come from wearing this bracelet.  Tonight, I had my first.  I was checking out at a local drug store after picking up some cold medicine to get rid of this stuffy head cold that is consuming my every thinking waking moment right now.  The clerk checking me out saw my bracelet.  She got all excited.  "You have an I Am Second bracelet???  I do too!!!"  She brought her hand up, but her bracelet was inside out, you could not see the message.  I couldn't help myself, before I thought what I was saying, I said:  "Girlfriend, why are you not wearing it with the message displayed?"  I instantly kicked myself.  She sort of winced at what I said and then said "It wasn't intentional."  I believed her.  Even if what she said isn't true, and she said it out of my condemning question, why would I think that hiding the message with the statement pointed directly to her wrist might not be just what she needed?   A silent reminder.  Something that people don't question her about?   Something that made her feel connected with God?  Why did I open my big mouth?  Why didn't I just rejoice with her that we both had I Am Second bracelets?  When will I learn to not judge?  To not assume?  To encourage, all the time, in all ways?  

I asked her how she learned of I Am Second.  This was all that was needed and she quietly, a bit reserved, shared with me her story.  She has tried to quit drugs and alcohol.  She would make promises and go back on them.  She finally realized that she could not do this without God.  She became clean April 1st of this year.  She is going to a church in Fort Worth who introduced her to I Am Second.  She is a fan of them and loves their mission.  I gave her my business card and told her that if she ever needed someone to pray with her or wanted to go to lunch, to call me.  She asked if she could give me her number.  I said absolutely!

I would share with you her name to ask you to pray for her, but in the event that you might run into her or that she might not want her story known in our small town with a handful of drug stores, I want to respect her privacy.  Pray for my new friend!  Pray that she can continue in growing in her relationship with Jesus.  That she can learn to make him first in everything.  That her bracelet will be the beginning of even deeper things.  Let her meet more friends who will encourage her on her journey to serve God.

This was my very my first testimony experience from wearing the I Am Second bracelet...I am amazed at the small changes in my life that have brought opportunities I never had like this before.  Yes, I talked to people about God, I shared "why" I was a Christian, but did they see the Christian spirit in me without me saying a word, without looking religious???  There is a big difference, their excitement, the way they share their faith right back with me, the way they ask questions and not because I look so different they can't help but wonder about me, but the love that comes out of me, that is what is different.

nuggets from "No Longer"

I am being blog away once again by My God...again today.  If yesterday wasn't enough, He was over the top today.  His hand in my life, how He is aligning events and His timing is absolutely amazing!!!  

I am overwhelmed!!!!!!!  Truly overwhelmed.


The gratitude I have for Him is ENORMOUS!!!  I can't believe Him.  The last few days have been magnificent.  He loves me.  Truly loves me.  He demonstrates He Loves Me.  He keeps His word.  He is too awesome!!!  


My journey lately has been incredible!  I hope that I can convey everything on the blog because all I can do is get chill bumps and stand in awe.


This year has been a hard one.  And yet, at the same time, it has been an incredible one. 


God is working in my life.  Working deep.  He is tearing down the foundation of Misty.  He is taking it and reforming it.  The process hurts.  It is exposing.  It makes me feel vulnerable.  Vulnerable in a way I have ever felt before.  It is bringing feelings to the surface, feelings that I have tried to cover with just "pressing on, leaving those things behind".  It is shedding light on what needs work.  It is causing a wide range of emotions.  From deep difficulties to exuberant elation.  It is teaching me to learn from the details.  It is making me patient with myself, something I have not ever been.  I can be patient, loving, caring and supportive of others, but can't be of me.  It is growing me so much so that I now have developed growing pains.  A pain so severe that it is affecting every aspect of my life.  


It is making people stop and go, what is going on in your life?  I see God at work. I see your faith being strengthened.  It is making me have hope.  It is making me excited to see his work in you.  It makes me thrilled for you.  You have faced so much.  I believe he is going to be working great things in your life.


Yes, God is working in my life friend.  In my heart, I believe more changes are coming.  I believe we haven't begun to see what His plan is.  Some days I question Him and wonder why but the last few days, all I can do is step back and reflect at how amazing He works.


I attended the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast today with Ashley, one of my employees, and daughter of a friend of my girlfriend, Jennifer.  I woke up with the congestion of sickness worse than the day before.  My fever blister hurting.  Feeling washed out.  It is so hard to get enthusiastic when you feel like crud.  My heart wanted to be encouraged and learn, and at the same time my body said really must you do this to me again?  


As Beth Moore got started, I wasn't feeling the Spirit.  I prayed, Lord help me to receive today what you have for me today and what I need to hear.  


I texted two prayer warriors asking for them to pray too.  30 minutes into it, I was overwhelmed.  God had lessons for me.  Lessons I needed just right now, today, in my journey.


You see, I started professional counseling June 3rd.  I was determined to get through the hardest part of my story before my trip to Franklin, TN for Life Plan Coaching with Chris LoCurto and to not have to revisit that part of My Story when I returned.  I had a girlfriend say: Why do you do this to yourself?  Why don't you just let it flow as it should with counseling?  Why do you always set these goals for yourself?  I shrugged and replied, I don't know, I am always like this.  


God knew I am like this, but he also knew that I needed to be to that part in My Story or I would not have been able to do the coaching sessions that week because it involved a very dynamic part of my personal life, not just business.  


God also knew that I would come home from that time, refreshed, with a heart extremely thankful for the time I had in Franklin, ready to refocus on where He is taking me in my journey, resume counseling as I continue to work through telling My Story, and yet overwhelmed by the two days spent deeply learning more about me, feeling frustrated at how I continue to feel like I am not good enough and that I am a complete disappointment to you; desiring desperately to feel good enough, to think I am good enough, to believe I am good enough; and wanting to be thoroughly done with feeling, thinking, and believing I am NOT good enough.  


Despite the progress I have made in my life, I struggle to get past how to work through these feelings that happen without me even thinking about them.  These feelings are to the core of my being.


God knew, not even two weeks later, I would need to hear "No Longer" by Beth Moore.  God planned this message for me so that I would hear loud and clear:



God is NOT disappointed!!! 

God knew that though I had gotten a clear picture and vision of how I struggle to feel good enough, particularly very strongly in my Life Plan Coaching Session, that I would still be struggling to know how to break that feeling and be frustrated at learning to enforce and reinforce that I am enough.  I.Am.Good.Enough.  I must believe that I am good enough. The power to change this mode of operating is within me, with the strength from God because He has made me enough. Good enough.


God wanted Beth Moore to say and me to hear:  



Jesus still wants you! 

And when she did, that I would break down sobbing, utterly lose it, right there in a midst of over a hundred ladies, right next to my employee, right here and now today.  Nobody's wanted me, but awwwhhhhh, God wants me. 


God knew Beth Moore's Old Man Object Lesson would be used to have me see right before my eyes that I am dragging around the "Not Good Enough Old Man".  That my identity of not being good enough has been my belief foundation for so long that I am still letting it control me.  That though I understand it conceptually in my brain, it still is what is in my heart.  I haven't changed my belief system.  Yes, I have faced the lie and though I have buried it, I am still visiting that cemetery.  That I need to clearly understand I am No Longer The Same.  I am no longer not good enough.


Seeing God at work like this in my life the way He has been, only has me amazed.  


My God is Amazing!!!



Ashley & I
together at the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast 2013


Nugget #1:  Jesus has done something monumentally fantastic in your life!  You are not a constant disappointment. 
Nugget #2:  Believe who I say I am.  Believe you are who I say you are.

Nugget #3:  Jesus still wants me!

Beth Moore: Living Proof Simulcast 2013


Theme of Living Proof 2013: No Longer
Grace is the good news at its greatest.  

Romans 5:1 the grace in which you stand.

Grace = charis: grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, the absolutely free expression of loving kindness  [I missed the remaining part of this quote because I couldn't write fast enough, though I tried desperately hard to get it all even though Beth Moore warned us we wouldn't be able to...]


1. Some things in our lives need to hear a loud "No Longer".  
Sometimes we say "no", but we still let it continue...we need to say no longer to anything that tries to master us.


2.  The power to live out a lasting "No Longer" can't be found under the law.
Romans 6:14 you are not under the law but under grace

Spiritual Neurosis = feeling crazy, trying to live under the law but not grace, contradictions between the two, had to do [law] vs get to do [grace]

Ephesians 4:32 you have been graced by God so you need to live in a conscious state to grace others

Where do you live?  Where do you put the relationships you have with others? Law or Grace?  We know this better than we live it.  Where is my peace?  

II Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 3:10, Matthew 18:17

Jesus has done something monumentally fantastic in your life!  You are not a constant disappointment.  You will distance yourself if you feel this way.

disappoint = 1x in The Word of God AND disappointed 4x's in The Word of God...but never one time was this spoken by God in The Word of God!  He said he was displeased or had displeasure in a lack of faith, Hebrews 10:38 (followed up in Hebrews 11:6) but not that he was disappointed.  Romans 5:5 (HCSB) this hope will not disappoint us.  God is NOT disappointed!!!  

disappoint = an expectation not to be met, failed expectations, to fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of, to frustrate

God knows how you are going to turn out.
Romans 1:5 obedience
Romans 16:26 & 27


3.  It's time we no longer see our lives under any heading but "Grace".  
The more self aware we are the less we like ourselves...we can't maintain a life of perfection.

Law & Shame vs Grace & Name
No matter how much we hate the law, we are more scared of grace.

Romans 3:21, 27 we boast in the Lord our God
We will only be credited with what we give credit to God for.
Self-Condemnation = pet compulsion of credit cravors

Whatever we add to grace we subtract from God.  Grace is the power of the cross.  We are the "have's" in the world, not the "have not's".

Get an attitude and say "No Longer".  Our human rationale is to keep the law, rev it up and keep the cycle.  The power lies in grace.  This is where you live here at "111 Grace".  

By the law of faith!  Faith drives our obedience.

Romans 4:1-3 

Believe who I say I am.  Believe you are who I say you are.

Reaffirmed or reformed disappointment is regret.  We don't believe God is just disappointed in me/us but regrets me/us.

Romans 6:6-14
John 1:16 & 17

Be eccentric.

Law = increases sin, self destructing, even more destruction
Grace = power to be victorious

Romans 5:20

We behave out of our belief system, behavioral compulsions.  We believe in our heads that's who we are.  do we know, not just in our heads, but deep inside?  To the degree you are enslaved to sin to that degree you are out from under grace.

Old Man Object Lesson
[Beth Moore had a real life size dummy that was as tall as her that she  used in her object lesson to illustrate all we do to carry around the dead old man with us]
Old Man = he is dead, we are dragging him around with us, we throw him at situations and people, we snuggle up with him, our identity is with him, he means much to us, we can't let go, we do everything to keep him alive, even revive him and even give him CPR if we need to, he is who we feed, we even let him drive and tell us where to go... 

We just keep adjusting ourselves to the decay.  We remember all the habits of the "old man".  We are very attached, sympathetic, and cherish it.  If you are dominated by the Old Man, you are living it out.

Ephesians 4:28
Don't give it authority to master you anymore.  Don't call it back.


4. It's also time to quit trying to resuscitate the old dead us.
Write an obituary:  The Old Me vs The New Me 
[Beth Moore gave 4 examples from the blog on this]
You can't see it because the blend is so strong.

Luke 15:17

Jesus Christ is worthy enough for me, you, us!

Galatians 4:4-7

Get your "No Longer" straight.  Your enemy is you.  God has set the table before you.  You have distanced yourself from God.  You keep talking yourself out of it.  You can't earn it or boast about it.


5.  Let's trade our "no longer worthy" for "I'm no longer the same".  
There is nothing you cannot come back from.  Nothing!  Jesus will be glad to see you!!!  We all draw a line and the cross always crosses it.

Romans 5:15, 20

We act like our grace equals or is equivalent to our sin.  
Sin Increase Grace Abounded
The free gift doesn't match the amount of sin.

Jesus still wants me!  That is the taste of grace!!! We say Lord have mercy and when we do, we get upset.  

Jesus will come through any door...if you are willing to escape.

Romans 3:23-25 accessible through faith
Hebrews 9:5
Luke 18:9-14 "I"

Lord, I was never worthy enough...but because of you, I AM WORTHY!!!  Own it.  We got to have Jesus.  Come to grace.  Nothing can snatch you out of His hand.

You have always embraced me.  You have always welcomed me home.  you have always been faithful.  you have never left me alone.  Never. You want us.  Your grace immerses us in your love.  We can't make it without it.  You love us completely.

Romans 5:1 & 2  We have peace with God.  
Ephesians 1:6 We are highly favored.

Get the rhythm of grace...you will know you got it when you can dance.  My Spirit Rejoices.


6.  We will see the face of grace and need grace to bear the beauty.
Acts 20:32 Build You Up!  

Get out of your cemetery.  We are worthy through your pain and suffering.



#NoLongerTheSame


[the items listed in red are my nuggets in which I will do a followup blog post on]