Life and Peace...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. Well, it's time to announce the winner for October. Drum roll please...

And the winner is...Carolyn Crust! Congratulations, Carolyn! Email me at: info@susielarson.com and claim your prize. Just a quick reminder, you have to make the connection and claim your prize before I announce next month's winner! 

Now on to my topic...

When my son Luke was in sixth grade, he attended a youth retreat and had a terrible experience. A bully held him under water. Luke used to struggle with terrible asthma, so much so, he couldn't even go on carnival rides because he couldn't get a deep enough breath to handle them.

Imagine Luke's absolute terror when without warning, he was shoved under water. He didn't have a moment's notice to inhale even a partial breath. 

His chest tightened up and his throat wrenched. He locked his jaw trying desperately not to open his mouth. He reached up through the water and clawed the arm of the one holding him under.

The boy felt the deep scratch and pulled his arm back. Luke exploded out of the water and gasped for breath. The bully shoved Luke for scratching his arm. 

This is what the enemy does to us. He shoves us under water and makes us feel as though we are at his mercy. When we respond in a way that's not pretty, he accuses us for it.

He seduces, then accuses. 

Lately I've been battling angst on several levels. I'm concerned about many things: the state of our country; the state of many Believers; the impact of the church; my capacity for smallness; and that I would be able to discern God's highest and best plan for me in the midst of it all. And every single day, I hand those concerns back to God and ask Him to carry them for me.

But sometimes I spout my frustrations first. Or I get angry. Or I have a less-than-charitable thought. Ugh. I hate my humanity. 

I long so-very-much to be righteous and to walk in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ Jesus, that when I do misstep in even the slightest way, the enemy is there to remind me of my wrong-ness. And unfortunately, I'm all too quick to agree with him. 

The other morning during my prayer time, God revealed a profound truth to me. One that I already knew, but not on a deep enough level, obviously. 

Here's the passage that sparked my interest:

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is LIFE and PEACE (Romans 8:6).

When the enemy's accusations and taunts come in a like a flood, and threaten to drown you - and you become more aware than ever of your own weaknesses and missteps as a result - it's all too easy to focus on, dwell on, and mull over the deeds of the flesh (because that's just what the devil wants you to do). 

This is not to negate our call to holiness. Not at all.

In fact that's what maturing is all about. As we learn to handle opposition and trials with holiness, integrity, and perspective, we can know that we are gaining ground in this walk of faith.

But we are not perfect. Not just yet. 

We are going to mess up once in a while. And when we do, guess who is there to remind us of past mistakes and taunt us about potential future ones? The devil himself, that's who!

His aim is to 'set our minds on the flesh.' Now I know the primary meaning behind the verse above refers to those who devise evil plans in their minds and those who allow their thoughts to dwell on sinful things.

BUT, to take the enemy's bait and allow our thoughts to go towards our own wretchedness and stay there...or towards our own fears, and stay there...or towards someone else's flaws, and stay there...is to set our minds on the deeds and the issues of the flesh - which, according to the verse above, only leads to death (death of perspective, relationship, peace, joy, life, health, etc., etc.).

To me, it's the difference between eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and eating from the tree of life (See Genesis 2:9).

To notice and dwell on sin and shortcomings, be it your own or someone else's, brings death. To pride yourself in an acute ability to dissect someone else's shortcomings, is, evil and pharisaical, and, well, it breeds death.

But to set your mind on the Spirit, well that brings LIFE!

Does this mean we never acknowledge the truth about our sin, and other's sin? Not at all!

But the truth about such things must always be linked with love. In other words, "If I can clearly see how wretched I am and how wretched you are and my only response is angst, judgement, self-loathing, or self righteousness... well then I'm nothing but a noise maker; one that brings ruin and not life and peace to the situations God has entrusted to me. But, if in my discerning, I bow to my knees and pray for God's mercy to fall upon us both, well then, I'm bringing a little bit of Heaven to earth."

God calls us to perfection and He's the One who perfects us, layer by layer, in His own due time. Yes, we must respond. We must choose rightly. And every once in a while we are going to react - or we are going to come out swinging when we shouldn't. Yet, wonders upon wonders, God has already made provision for us. Praise Him!

God calls us to perfection because He can. He's perfect. And gifts upon all gifts, He loves us!

The devil on the other hand, doesn't get to ask us for perfection. He doesn't get to remind us of our imperfection. He is perfect at nothing except at being a miserable, lying, cheating, schemer. And he's not even good at that because he does the same thing over and over again.

So when you are in the fire or under attack, and you have a 'human moment' where you handle things in a way that's beneath you, don't listen to the enemy's taunts. Don't set your mind on the things you should have done. Right away, set your mind on what God has already done for you and what He intends to do through you. It's good stuff. :)

I'm a decent swimmer and a fairly strong athlete for a forty-something year old woman, but once when I was at the wave pool, I got caught in the undercurrent and was sucked to the bottom of the pool.

I was stuck face down on the pool floor and I could not move. My chest burned for air and I thought I was going to drown right there. 

With everything in me I mustered the strength to pull my knees in and push my feet against the bottom of the pool. I pushed so hard that my body shot up and I broke through to the blessed and beautiful air I was meant to breathe!

This is a picture for you and me. We were created by God. We were made for life and peace. Just like our bodies were made for oxygen. We are not designed to be held under water.

So, the next time the enemy pushes you under water, muster what you have, put your feet on the Rock and push past the 'deeds of the flesh' until you're breathing in the air of righteousness! 

I know this is a long post, I apologize. This just feels like an important message for some of you today.

In closing, here's a great poem that was written some time ago by W.M. Tomkins:

Reach my blessed Savior first

Take Him from God's esteem

Prove Jesus bears one spot of sin

Then tell me I'm unclean! 

Dear Friends, there's no spot on Him, which means, if you're a Christ-follower, then there's no spot on you!

There is now, therefore, NO condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1).

Until next week~

This even applies to others who are bothering you or 

Magnify Him!

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. 

Every month I give away a $10.00 gift card. Due to popular demand, this month the card is from Starbucks! Leave a post and you may be the one to a couple of cups of java on me!

Now on to my topic...

Yesterday morning I was reading Mary's Magnificat, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior." (Luke 1:46-47)

Let's take this declaration in two parts.

First, what does it mean to 'magnify' the Lord?

As I tossed and turned last night, I battled with fearful thoughts. The enemy of my soul was working over time and I needed to find my place of rest once again.

In the middle of the night it occurred to me that our brains have somewhat of a zoom lens. Whenever we think about something for an extended period of time, we zoom in on that thing and get a closer look. We notice the bumps and the crevices. We see what passersby miss. 

So when we fixate on our problems, we zoom in on them. When we focus on our fears, we get a close-up look at them. When we dwell on the past, we eventually get a distorted view of it because our necks weren't made to constantly accommodate a backwards view. 

Moreover, the Bible tells us that 'as a man thinks in his heart, so he is." If we dwell on our memories of rejection, our current financial crisis, or our fears of the future, we become walking, breathing organisms of defeat.

We were made to magnify the Lord!

Think with me for a minute about the universe. Picture one of those posters of the Solar system. Remember again just what a small planet we live on in the whole scheme of things.

Now zoom in.

Zoom in closer.

Consider the snowflake. Each one is different. Unique. Beautiful. Just like you and me.

Consider the caterpillar. The chrysalis. The butterfly. The process of transformation is absolutely staggering. 

Our process is miraculous. 

Consider the seed. A tiny little grain is buried under a pile of dirt and in a matter weeks and sometimes days, a fresh burst of life sprouts forth.

The idea of seeds and harvest is profound. 

The fruit and harvest growing in you and around you is...exciting.

Consider the Son. He came to die that you and I might live. He took on the forces of hell that we could inherit Heaven. He confronted our bullies that we might be rescued. He set us free so we could work with Him in securing the freedom of others. 

Think about the Lord. Zoom in on all of the good things He has done. Let His promises, not your problems, occupy your thoughts. 

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. 

Magnify the Lord with me! Let us exalt His name together!

The second part of Mary's declaration calls us to rejoice. To be thankful. 

What are you thankful for? 

Count your blessings today and every day. 

Let your own ears hear your mouth say that God has been good. And He'll be good again. 

The enemy presses in hard, it's true. But God is the strength of our hearts and our portion forever!

Stand strong, my friend.

Look up. Zoom in. Be thankful.

Until next week~ 

Press In, Press Through...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Every month I give away a $10.00 gift card. Due to popular demand, this month the card is from Starbucks! Leave a post and you may be the one to get a couple of cups of java on me!

Now on to my topic...

I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure that many of you are bearing up under a load of responsibility, waiting for a breakthrough of something hoped for, and tempted to 'move away from courage' by becoming dis-couraged.

If that's you, this post is for you!

I get the sense that for many, this season requires great perseverance. Great focus. And great tenacity. 

Maybe I 'sense' this because I'm feeling the same kinds of pressures. And maybe it's just me, but this feeling always seems to present itself this same time every year. 

I'm not a big fan of the October festivities, in fact I find it necessary to raise my shield a little higher in the month of October. 

When life's demands press hard against my soul and Satan tempts me to despair, I know this calls me to activate two strategic elements in my walk of faith...

Press In.

Whenever things feel difficult, stressful, or simply boring and uneventful, we must stop in our tracks and plant a few seeds. Seeds of hope. Seeds of faith. Seeds of expectancy. I've said this before and it bears repeating again: God is always up to something.

The Heavens are bursting with promise. The Heavenly Hosts are busy and active on our behalf. Answers to prayers we prayed yesterday, last week, and when we were seven, have enlisted a response from our gracious Heavenly Father. Even after you die, the world will continue to benefit from prayers you prayed (that's of course assuming you prayed prayers to bless this world and the generations coming after you).

Since we're such earthbound creatures, we need constant reminders of Heaven, of God, and of His great love and involvement in our lives. 

When we slow down long enough to plant a few seeds, we remember that God is growing good things all around us. He has been good to us. I heard a statistic recently suggesting that if your household income is $50,000 or above, you are in the upper 1% of the wealthiest households in the world!

John Bunyan once said, "The pathway of life is strewn so thickly with the promises of God that it is impossible to take one step without treading upon one of them." 

We must earnestly seek after God because everything we could ever want or need, is found in Him.

But there's another reason.

More precious than the gifts from His hand is the treasure of knowing His heart.

He is beautifully, wonderfully wonderful. 

He is a treasure beyond knowing.

He is scandalously humble.

He is terrifyingly powerful.

And He is intent on revealing Himself to those who seek hard after Him. 

Nothing compares to the priceless offer of access to the Most High God.

Press in to know Him more. Or to know Him again. Or to know Him for the first time.

Press in and He'll make the way clear; the boring sacred; and the burden lighter. Press in.

Press Through.

To persevere is to press through; to bear up under a heavy load for a prolonged period of time. 

The Bible says that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And that perseverance produces character (and reveals it). Perseverance leads to godliness. Perseverance matures us and completes our faith. 

Pressing up against unmoving, difficult circumstances - carrying a weight we'd rather not - holding onto hope when it seems heavy in our arms - all these things make us more like Jesus. 

When I consider how easy it would have been for Jesus to cancel His plan to be my Savior, I shudder. I imagine Him hanging on the cross, beaten, brutalized, and broken under the weight of the world's sin. I see Him with dried and fresh blood stinging His eyes as He looks down at a mocking, eye-rolling crowd. 

How easy it would have been for Him to look up and say to God, "Change of plans. These people are not worth it."

But He hung in there.

He hung there.

For me.

For you.

Amazing love.

You MUST hang in there!

Someone once said, "There are a thousand people waiting on the other side of your obedience."

"The idea that Christianity is an unending round of mountaintop experiences is unrealistic. there is the daily routine, the menial task, the disappointing circumstance, the bitter grief, the shattered plan. Perseverance is the art of bearing up and pressing on in the face of all that seems to be against us." (Believer's Commentary, p. 2290)

'Therefore, since we are surrounded by SUCH A GREAT CLOUD of witnesses, let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders and the sin that SO EASILY entangles us, and let us RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE the race MARKED OUT BEFORE US, let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, WHO, FOR THE JOY-SET-BEFORE-HIM-ENDURED THE CROSS, scorning it's shame, and SAT DOWN at the right hand of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

There you have it.

Since you are surrounded by a host cheering you on, hoping you'll choose to persevere, throw off everything that slows you down.

Throw off bad attitudes, low perspectives, and unbelieving tendencies. Throw them off like yesterday's clothes! (for you newbies, see my post from a couple of weeks ago).

Run with perseverance. Bear up under the weight. Believe God is good. And hang in there.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. 

Press in. Press on. 

It matters what you do and how you believe when you'd rather be bored or cynical. 

Believe for the best. Be strong. Be courageous. 

Let your perseverance be a witness to a desperate world in need!

Until next week~

Love Jesus...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Before I get into my topic, I have a little business to take care of. Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to Caribou Coffee. My son suggested I switch to Starbucks. What do you think? 

Anyway, today is the day to award September's winner.

And the winner is...Tina Greenland! Tina, Congratulations! email me at: info@susielarson.com and claim your prize.

*Just a note: winners have to contact me. I'm not able to chase you down! Thanks so much!

One more note of business. My quarterly Ezine comes out on October 15; if you haven't signed up, be sure to do so today! I give away lots of fun books from fellow authors; I include some devotional thoughts and great book recommendations; and I offer some health and balance tips. Here's the link to subscribe:

Susie's Ezine:

Now, on to my topic...

This morning during my prayer time, I pondered Jesus' words to His disciples regarding the woman who lavishly anointed Jesus' head with expensive oil:

"...For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." (Mark 14:6-9)

A little later during my prayer time I read from Revelations, chapter two regarding the Church of Ephesus. 

This church, from all appearances, had it together. They were known for their incredible work ethic, their patience, their intolerance of evil, and their ability to discern the legitimacy of those who talked a good talk. They had grit and perseverance and they were very, very patient.

AND YET, God took issue with them. So much so, that unless they repented, He promised to come quickly and remove the lampstand from their place. 

Just where did they miss the mark?

The Bible says, they 'left their first love'. 

They were about their Father's business with out their Father's fellowship. 

Think about another story in the New Testament. Mary and Martha. Both had access to Jesus. Both loved Him. To quote author William L. Ford III who addressed the difference between Martha and Mary's focus, "Martha was consumed with how she served...Mary was consumed with WHO she served..."

Hang with me, I'll be making my point soon.

Let's just jump to one more Bible passage. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13: 3 it says:

"If I give away all I have to the poor and give my body up to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm passionate about social justice issues. I want the Church to be mobilized to feed the poor, rescue the oppressed, and to set captives free!

I use a portion of every one of my speaking engagements to draw attention to the work of my heroes at the International Justice Mission.

In fact, just last night, my husband and I (and a few of our friends) attended Sara Groves' 'Art-Music-Justice' tour and I cried through most of the program. It was amazing.

So, what's my point?

I believe that many people, Christian and otherwise, are stepping up to meet the needs of the oppressed because God is pressing the issue. His heart burns for these precious people and He'll use whoever is available to do the things that He cares about.

But, in light of the anger and political divisions in and outside the Church, you can see how 'Social Justice' can become a religion all its own.

It's noble to do this work. Every one agrees with that.

Jesus, on the other hand, well, He's a little more controversial. 

I'm walking carefully here, so please stay with me.

At the end of the day, it's our oneness with Jesus that matters more than anything. And when we fan that flame, nurture that love, and live from a place of intimacy with Him, we'll do the things He cares about. We'll be provoked to care about the poor; we'll be compelled to help the helpless; we'll be moved to make a difference in our world.

But if we stray away from our 'first love' passion, and we use all of our energy to diligently do the work (minus the worship), in a short amount of time, it'll become about us; about what we're doing; about what others should be doing.

The result? Self righteousness. Judgement. Exhaustion. Frustration. Feeling overwhelmed by the vast need around us. Feeling under-qualified to make a difference. Feeling prideful that we're doing more than the next guy. Feeling insignificant that we're not doing as much as the next guy. And so on.

And yet, when we abide in the Vine, fruit happens. Life happens. Needs are met. People are revived. And we're made new in the process. When we hook up to our Life Source, life flows through us and produces an impact that we never could on our own. 

My friends at the International Justice Mission are perfect examples of this.

Each and every person I've met and worked alongside, has been a godly, humble person. They are so connected with the heart of Christ behind their work, they give off no expectation that 'you should really be doing more' or that 'I'm someone special because I'm doing what matters'. 

On the contrary.

They are so connected to the heart of Christ in this thing, that they face the worst of the evil on this earth with a brave and humble heart knowing that God is with them. They can receive your $5.00 gift with utter humility and gratitude as if you have just given them a million dollars. 

How do they walk such a narrow path? 

Under Gary Haugen's leadership, every IJM staffer places a high priority on prayer and oneness with God.

The days are speeding up and the end is nearer today than it was yesterday. 

One day we'll all give an account for what we did with what was offered us.

What did we do with the offer of fellowship with Jesus?

We're we willing to face and admit the poverty of our own soul?

Did we serve on our own strength, or did we serve out of our fullness in Christ?

Did we place a high priority on our time in Jesus' presence?

Did we tend to things that burn in God's heart?

Did we live by faith?

Considering the Church of Ephesus who seemed to have it all together but ran the risk of losing their 'lampstand' because somewhere along the line, they wandered off track...may we pause and consider the path we are on today.

As Graham Cooke once said, "Christianity isn't rocket science, it's about living under the love of Christ. It's about letting Him love you and living in response to that love."

Take time today to ponder your fellowship with Christ. Nurture that love-affair. Rest in His care. Do what He says. 

No more. No less. 

Trust Him to carry the world on His shoulders. Be humbly grateful for the call on your life. Entrust others to Him as well. 

First and foremost, love Jesus today. Enjoy the fact that He is crazy in love with you. 

Until next week~

Titles, Labels, and...Freedom

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here.

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Before I get into my topic, I have a little business to take care of. As most of you know, each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. 

In celebration of my new release, "The Uncommon Woman"

...this month I'll be giving away a $50.00 VISA gift card to someone who posts on my blog. 

Each week I'll post what it means to be uncommon and I want to hear from you! Share your own insights and perspectives. Lots of people visit this site and will definitely glean from what you have to share.

Now, on to my topic...

You may be wondering why I posted a picture of a couple of pairs of feet today. Well, I have a good reason!

Those feet belong to my husband Kevin and me (the big ones are Kevin's). 

Let me tell you, I don't know another person who enjoys their feet like Kevin does. He loves his feet! In the morning when he sees his feet for the first time, he wiggles his toes and says hello as if he and they were long lost friends.

I envy him. :)

I have ugly feet. Or at least that's what I've thought all my life. 

I can say this with a light heart now but when I was a child, my sweet father (whom I adore more than words can say) made a joke about my feet and his words left an indelible impact on me.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was standing on the edge of the picnic table with all of my weight on my toes. I was getting ready to do a back flip off of the table (something my sisters and I did with some regularity). 

My dad sat down at the table, looked at my gnarly feet, and said, "Yikes, you have ugly feet!..." He went on to say a few more teasing comments about my calloused feet as I went sailing through the air to complete my back flip.

He was simply teasing and meant nothing by it but for the next 30 years or so, I was convinced that I should hide my feet. Even now, I have such an appreciation for cute feet because right now, with a secure heart and mind, I can look down at my feet and say, 'You know, he was right. My feet are pretty gnarly looking!" But I can laugh about it.

What does this have to do with titles, labels, and freedom, and how does it connect with being UNCOMMON?

Of course, my 'ugly feet' story is a small and trivial matter in the face of the real issues and deep pain we all deal with. 

Every one of us have been on the receiving end of words that shot like an arrow to the center of our souls. Without thinking too long about it, most of us can think of hurtful assessments and judgements that have left their mark on us. Furthermore, most of us remember many of our own words that we wish we could retract.

We can all think of past mistakes that still have the power to haunt us (unless of course, we've truly been set free from them).

And on the flip side, we can all think of certain titles, accomplishments, or associations that we have relied on to give us a certain sense of importance or validation. Often, we pursue 'titles' and 'position' to make up for the wounds and the lies that bind us.

Jesus was not impressed with position or titles, and He came to set us free from our past mistakes, hurtful words, and binding labels. 

Here's an excerpt from "The Uncommon Woman"...

"Jesus came to destroy the evil hierarchy that exists in our world. The Bible says that He resists and distances Himself from the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. He draws near to and confides in those who love and fear Him. He confronts those who are impressed only with themselves.

"Consequently, the banners of title and position are not the solutions for someone burdened by labels accumulated from past hurts. They are merely substitutes for the true identity that Jesus offers. Covering up insecurities with accomplishments never turns lies into truths.

"What's wonderful is that Jesus came to take off the demeaning dunce caps that have been piled on our heads. He gladly peels off the scarlet letters that have been pinned all over us. Whatever we have been through, whatever we have done, whatever others say about us, Jesus can forgive it, heal it, rebuild it, and redeem it! He makes all things new." (pp.94-95)

It's for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Refuse, therefore, to be subject to a yoke of slavery, of lies, and of old words. 

Embrace the beautiful truth about yourself. You're totally loved and completely provided for. You have everything you need to love and forgive others the way God Himself has loved and forgiven you. Be Free!

Until next week...