Daily Challenge #18

Good morning,

Last night I took the opportunity to listen to Mark Batterson. He's a pastor at National Community Church in Washington, D.C. He wrote a book called The Circle Maker, which I recently finished. The book has been revolutionary for my prayer life. One of the quotes from the book, "Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers," has deeply challenged me. Mark did a great job speaking last night and I'm very glad it worked out for me to listen to him. It was one of those God moments. The Lord had to get me to this little church in Cumming, GA, to have me listen to Him. 

But let me back up to let you know how it all went down. I really wanted to go and see Mark speak. I asked a couple of friends to go with, but they both had stuff going on. I asked Troy what his work schedule was, because it's all over the place. He told me he should be home about 4:30. That would work great since he would be able to pick up Carson. He didn't seem interested in going with me to hear this speaker, so I planned on leaving from work so that I wouldn't be late, since Cumming is about 45 minutes away. At noon when I talked to Troy, he said that he was not going to be back in time to get Carson. You know how it is, something about his work was busy and this and that happened.

"There's always an excuse." That's the phrase I use most in our house these days. No one wants to man-up and take responsibility. It's always the fault of something or someone else. We all have an excuse for everything... Ok, back to the story.

After getting frustrated with Troy for his stupid schedule, and for letting me down (honesty hurts.. but  I had to apologize for that one later!), I decided that I would pick Carson up from daycare and still go to hear Mark. I was convinced that I needed to go to hear this guy whom I follow his blog which is the way I found that he was speaking in Cumming. My handy-dandy smart phone has navigation on it, so Carson and I trekked our what through the bush to this little church.

The lady greeting us at the door was very helpful, leading Carson to the kid's area. Carson loved the kids play area, and the little older lady LOVED him. I knew he was in good hands when he took her hand and they skipped off to the slide.

The service started out with the youth praise band leading songs and prayer. There was the sweetest spirit in that place. It took a while to break down my hurt/rushed/anxious/angry/empty feelings. I hate feeling let down. It seems to cut straight to my heart when it happens. I'm sure there is something in my past which causes me to have these feelings. Perhaps that's an excuse to not deal with it or figure out where that stems from. So I'm standing there bawling my eyes out, realizing how rebellious I am, and apologizing for my little temper tantrums when I don't get my way. Then it hits me: this was exactly the place I was supposed to be in that moment. Broken, honest, real, talking to God.

This is getting to be a long post; sorry for that. (Jackie, for some reason, I have you in mind...)

By the time Mark got up to speak, the Lord had already spoken to me. There was some reprimand, some encouragement, some reassurance.

Here are a few of the points I took away from last night's message:

Establish a prayer habit.

You will never break the sin habit if you don't develop a prayer habit.

Think through your prayer genealogy - who has prayed for you, who are you praying for?

It's a powerful thing when someone vocally intercedes for you.

You are one prayer away from a totally different life.

Pray in the margins of your life - all the mundane tasks - dishes, laundry, driving.

Find the location of your greatest connection with God - where has He revealed Himself to you? Where did you experience Him? Go back to that place - re-connect with Him there.

God's timing is impeccable.

God wants to do something different - we need to try something different to experience God's change.

Be great at the Great Commandment.

Meet with God and He will be sure you meet the right people.

When is is harder to leave the presence of God than to get into His presence, something great is about to happen.

 

So I don't know what the challenge could be from this post, but I'm praying that God has something for you in it.

Maybe you need to:

-say you're sorry to someone for something you're holding against them, be honest about your hurt.

-find a prayer closet and climb in.

-go to the place where God met you - re-visit that place.

-make time daily to meet with God.

-rely on Him to meet your needs.

-write a note to the person who has prayed for you in the past.

-pray out loud for your kids, family, friends.

-don't fear to ask God for the big things.

Daily Challenge #16

think about someone you've lost in your life.... 
if they were still here.... what would you like for them to know? 
write a letter to that person.
(you don't have to share it with anyone)

just for the purpose of getting it out.

Changes

God is training me.

It hurts.

It is long time coming.

It is hard to grasp.

It is not impossible.

For the 2 people who read this blog, be ready for some ranting/raving and some honest truth to come from this post.

Normally I don't say anything when I'm fasting, but here we go. During this season of lent, I'm giving my best attempt at a Daniel Fast. Here's a link to what it's all about. Basically you can't eat meat, bread or anything with added sugar. So what's left: fruits and veggies with a side of water.

The first couple of days I was starving, but today I think my body is adjusting to it's new food groups. Even with the lack of sleep from this last weekend, my body is feeling really great. Troy told me that I would start to feel better, but i honestly did not believe him. I'll  eat some crow on that one, (but since that would be 'meat' I'll have to wait until this fast is over. wink wink)

So with all that being said, this is what I'm learning.

1.) I can't change people.

If I'm offended by something that Troy does, my reaction will not change him in the ways I want him to change. If I give him a cold shoulder or the silent treatment, it won't do any good. My feelings/reactions won't change his behavior. They may actually to do harm, which is the opposite of what I want. This goes against all that I am as a fleshly human. It gives new meaning to those verses in Matthew where he talks about praying for your enemies. 

Matthew 5: 44-48 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2.) God can change people.

When offended, I need to climb up into my prayer closet and pour out my heart. It's okay if I let Troy know in a loving and respectful manner that my feeling were hurt, but I don't need to go on and on about it. Troy is very perceptive, and he picks up on feelings. This is key: by telling Troy how I feel, it doesn't mean that he will change. It's not up to me to change him. That's God's job, not mine. My attention needs to be on Christ, not on behavior of Troy. (This is what I'm learning.. and it's HARD!)

Another lesson, I don't need to sit and stew about it. Before I feel my blood start boiling, I need to set my mind on Christ - that He came to heal the sick and hurting. I need to keep in mind that usually people behave in an unpleasant manner because they are sick, or hurting, or they have believed a lie. It's my responsibility to pray - to intercede on their behalf. They need a Healer, and I know a good One. Sometimes the Healer expects me to use what He has taught me to help others. Sometimes people need to see the Doctor on their own. Normally people need a reason to see the Doctor. So as I pray, I tend to ask the Almighty Healer to open the eyes of His patience so they can see and take to heart what sickness is in their lives. Not one of us is 100% well. We all need a good Doctor.

So the two questions for you are:

° What needs to die in you?

° What needs to be birthed in you?

P.S. For the record, I just used Troy as an example. Too often the ones who can get underneath our skin are those who we love the most. Troy and I are doing well.

Daily Challenge #16

This past week I've heard about many people who went to the doctor.

My good friend, Patsy, had open heart surgery last Friday. She's home now but still can use all our prayers to get her healed and back to work.

Just found out about my friend, Cheryl, who is having knee replacement surgery today.

My co-worker's father-in-law had surgery for bladder cancer.

Michael, my son, is going to see a podiatrist on Thursday.

Lots of people needing physical healing.

So our challenge today is to pray over the doctors who are performing these procedures. If you don't know a doctor by name, look one up. Pray that he/she will know the power of Christ; pray they will acknowledge Who their masterful skills come from. Pray for them to have wisdom and skills to perform with excellence. Pray for them to have God's favor. Pray over their families. Write down their name in your journal - take a few minutes to ask God what to pray over these doctors. Whatever comes to mind, no matter if it makes sense to you or not - write that down. 

Today, I'm praying for my good, doctor friend who is part of these daily challenges. She actually delivered Carson, which was pretty awesome to have a good friend be part of that experience. For specifically, I pray for guidance for her, her children and her husband. May God reveal to them His glorious riches for their faithfulness.

Challenge #15

Good afternoon to you.

We have a physical challenge this week: To walk, jog, run, skate, or motivate yourself to move at least 1 mile. (This doesn't mean get in the car and drive a mile.)

Good luck!

P.S.
My brother and his girlfriend had a little boy last night. The newborn's name is Eddison Wells Gartamaker.

Daily Challenge #13

Hey there,

How has your week started?

So far mine started with my husband's cell phone beeping at me at 4:37am. After tossing and turning for several hours, it was time to get out of the warm bed. When I got in the van to drive to work, a warning light for low air in a tire was glaring at me from the dashboard. Troy climbed out of bed so he could fix the car. Because of that issue, I drove our new car to work today. (We traded the red truck for a car over the weekend.) Now I'm sitting at work, trying to organize all the tasks which are neatly stacked in piles on my desk.

So your challenge to to get your mind off of the tasks at hand. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and enjoy the moment. Take a few minutes to relish what good things are happening in your life.

I'm glad we were able to trade the truck for a good price on the car.
Glad that our insurance has lowered due to the new car.
Glad for a warm cup of coffee.
Grateful for friends who come over and randomly make us dinner. (Thanks, Denise!)
Grateful for friends who randomly send texts or email, just checking in.
Glad for family who continue looks after our needs.
Glad for the UPS guy who brings a smile to my face everyday.
Income tax refunds, maturity in our boys, fear of the Lord, friends from church who pray with me, a cell phone with apps.

Out, Tanya

Daily Challenge #14

Daily Challenge #14

Grab your journals - it's going to be one those challenges!

Think of someone who needs some prayer. You may need to ask God to reveal this person to you. I know that all of us have someone in our lives who needs some extra help. (If you don't have someone or no body comes to mind - put me on your list! I can use all the prayer I can get these days.)

This week we are interceding for this person. All week. I expect for you to use your journals to write down what you've been praying for this person. Write down what you decided to do for them, outside of just praying.

These are the areas where you can pray:
Spiritual: To have a growing relationship to Jesus Christ, to grasp the grace that God has for them.
Intellectual: For their mental health. What we think is who we become, so pray for protection of the minds. Wisdom to make the right decisions.
Social: For them to have friends. For their relationships with their spouses, kids, friends, co-workers.
Physical: For their bodies to be strong, healed, developing in stature.
Emotional: For them to feel needed, loved, encouraged, etc.

You may need to do something for them. Write them a letter, or call them. Send them a text every day - just letting them know you're thinking about them. Be the light the God has designed for you to be. I would love to hear about the way God is using you to minister to this person.

Have fun with this one. Let it be a creative time for God to shine through you.

To be deleted from these daily challenges: click here. Send me an email, letting me know that you don't want to receive any more challenges.

Daily Challenge #12

We've made it to Daily Challenge #12.

Today's challenge requires you to use your brain. Learning new words and using them in conversation.

Stature: quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement
Favor: friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior (2) : approving consideration or attention

Here are some examples of STATURE and FAVOR.

1 Samuel 2:26
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Challenge Questions:

What areas of your life have you experienced stature and favor?
What areas of your life would you like to to see more stature or favor?
What are you doing to continue developing in stature and favor in your own life?
Who else needs to experience stature and favor?
What are you doing to help them?

My boss has a golden retriever puppy. The little dog comes to our office nearly everyday for a visit. The pup is into everything - it's just his age; he's a little chewer! I think about the pup, and how we as people go through similar stages, even as adults. When we don't get our way, we tend to stray into areas where we are not in the favor of the Lord. Our hearts may know what is the right thing to do, but we choose to do the opposite. Why do we do this? Why must we wait until someone takes away a object of 'chewing' before we let go? As adults need to keep growing in stature and seeking the favor of the Lord.

My Grandma who's 89 writes me letters occasionally. She always signs them with this closing, "Keep smiling and looking up". This is what I get from that statement: Stop looking down... (get on your knees and expect God to change whatever circumstances may be dragging you down) Stop worrying about whatever is bothering you and rely on the One who can change the situation. Do whatever you know to be right, and trust that something good will come out of it. Start thanking the Lord for his good gifts, even though the results may not be evidence with my eyes.

A shout-out to my Granny : Thanks, Granny, for the wisdom you've taught me. Thanks building in me a passion to know the Lord and the let Him be know through my life. Thanks for 'Smiling and looking up!"

-tanya

Daily Challenge #11

I remember when we were choosing a name for Carson. Troy and I had 2 names chosen, one was Carson and one was Eliana since we didn't find out if Carson was a boy or a girl until he made his grand entrance into this world. We decided not to tell everyone the names, but I came up with a couple of names for our child. If our baby was a girl, I would tell people that her name was going to be Gertrude Maude And if he was a boy, then the name was Walter Henry. (I found these names in a list of popular names from 1920.) A friend, Jeanine, whom I mentioned the names told me that if I named my child Gertrude or Walter that he/she would need counseling by the time he/she entered kindergarten. And she was a school counselor!

 

Needless to say, Carson is not Walter Henry. Carson is Carson. Michael is Michael and Alex is Alex. Their names all suit them well. And I'm Tanya - Not Tonya. My parents named me after a country singer who had a popular song in 1976 entitled 'two sparrows in a hurricane'. But a name has power. There's a reason you have the name that you do. You're parents chose that special name for you. If you are female and you marry, then you often times take on the last name of your spouse. It took me a long while to say my name is Tanya Brown, instead of Tanya Gartamaker. (I still mess that one up sometimes!)

 

For me when someone uses my name (and says it correctly), then I automatically give that person my attention. They are speaking directly to me. They have called me by name. (Sometime I choose to ignore the 11 year old when he's trying to wear out my name, but normally I give my attention!)

 

So our challenge is to learn the name of someone new and call them by their first name. This can be the checker at the grocery store or Wal-Mart. Or maybe the waitress at the local diner. Perhaps someone from McDonald's.

 

For me, Travis at CVS while I was buying my MucinexD - Extra Strength! Trying to knock out this cold which has attacked me for long enough!

 

 

 

 

Daily Challenge #10

We've each been blessed with the ability to be creative. It's truly a God-given gift. Too often we tend to rely on others to come up with new ideas or events. Lately my life feels so busy and rushed that I don't have time to sit and create. It's like playing for adults. When is the last time you created something really cool? I can't really remembe the last time I used this gift which has been so graciously given to me.

 

So our challenge today is to create something. Some of you are very creative in the kitchen (not my gift, but I appreciate it in others). Some of you are great at making cards or beautiful envelopes. Some can paint or draw. Some make clothes from pieces of materials. Some are gifted photographers. Some of you are graphic designers. Some of you can create love notes to those whom you cherish. Some of you might need to sit down with your kids or friends and create a path through the woods. Some of you may need to create a path through your garage so that you stop tripping over the debris. (PICK ME, PICK ME!!) 

 

I'm creating garage sale signs and a craigslist ad for our garage sale on Saturday. Anyone have anything you want to contribute to our garage sale? Just checking.

 

Open yourself up to something new and exciting. Get out of the old ways - try something new! You might just realize that you're more talented than you ever expected. God wants to display His creativity through you. Maybe you need to ask Him what He wants to do through you. It might be a good start.

 

-tanya