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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

As far as my eyes can see......

For so long now I’ve honestly been scared that God would call me to the mission field after Bill and I retired.  Doesn’t that sound so crazy?  This coming from the one that absolutely loves adventure, traveling and meeting people.

 

So why wouldn’t I want to go into the mission field?  The reason is that I enjoy so much of what surrounds me right here where I am at including our home, our small town, and our church home.  I become content and comfortable fairly easily.  I very seldom go shopping or desire to change things in my home or my wardrobe.  Yet if someone decides to bless me, I don’t care how big or how small, I am absolutely overjoyed to be the receiver as I get the biggest kick out of blessing others. 

 

I hope you can sense from the past several Higher Grounds that God is really doing a number inside of my heart.  I’ve been spending good quality time with Him and He is showing me where my thinking has been wrong in many different areas and this includes the mission field.  As I seek to place Him first in my daily life and converse with Him through out my day I am learning so much.  I pray that I will not be found loosing my zeal to learn and grow.   That my heart will never get to the point that it stops loving Jesus and others. 

 

In this life we simply get hurt.  We just do!  Often times this causes people to become hardened and secluding themselves is not the answer.  My sweet friend, Becky has shared something with me several times this summer and it really means so much.  “You have to put your heart out there to love – some people will trample it but if we aren’t vulnerable we’ll loose out.”  TRUE TRUE TRUE!  So I’m choosing to put my heart out there because I really don’t want to loose out!

 

God is equipping me to be a missionary right here in my own back yard! 

 

  1. By being a woman that desires to fear God and love my Man like there is no tomorrow
  2. To be available to our children and grandchildren
  3. Working with our youth group
  4. Attending Super Summer
  5. To be a light to my little Tiger Friend
  6. Mentoring
  7. Opening our home to others
  8. Reconnecting with friends
  9. Writing Higher Grounds and the testimony of what God is doing in my life currently
  10. Becoming better at helping others, quick to assist anyone in need, showing no favoritism

 

Please, this is to not be used as a comparison, legalism, or look at her, or that I am bragging, as it is not!  I have so far to go and I really want to stretch not only myself but perhaps you, my friend and reader as well.  How about you?  Have you been allowing God to use you, right where you are at?  This has been on my mind for quite some time and awhile back I walked into church one morning and found this on our platform and I felt like God was confirming to me that I had no need of fearing the Mission Field.  He had my back, and He wasn’t calling me to India, Africa, South America, but He was calling me to right here where I’m at as far as my eyes can see!

 


Heavenly Father, Your love amazes me!  You always know how to get my attention and how to guide me ever so gently into Your truth and what You have for me and my life in my current season.  Lord, may I be quick to assist those that are in need.  May I not be found just sitting on my duff, but instead praying, getting my hands a tad dirty and my heart filled because I was willing to be Your servant.  I love You Lord Jesus and may I love Your people!

 

Stepping up to the plate with J.O.Y. (Jesus, Others, Yourself),

Yolanda

 
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Sunday, August 24, 2014

It's time to quit being a fake!

This summer has truly been very interesting for me in a very personal way.  I began with knowing that I wanted to allow God to change me once again and the area that I really wanted Him to get into my business was in my marriage.  Honestly, I want Him to get into ALL of my business, but I felt it was time to really devote myself to my Mr. 

 

Bill is absolutely a wonderful husband and the very best husband for me!  He is so patient with me, he is kind, and he is extremely attentive and giving.  But in all honesty, I wasn’t so sure he could so those things back about me.  I truly do desire to be patient with him, to be kind, extremely attentive and giving but I know in all honesty that I lack and have room for improvement.  I desire to be a wonderful wife but most importantly to be the very best wife for Bill. 

 

I set about knowing that the first thing I needed to do was write Proverbs 31:10-31 upon my heart and that it needed to be verbiage that would truly penetrate my heart.  So after reading it from a couple of different versions I set about memorizing this passage of scripture from The Message.  I then also began working through a study totally on my own dealing with being a better wife and loving my husband well.  Then I found another study to do with a friend in a discipling atmosphere as a Titus 2:4-5 woman.  Not that I am perfect, not that I have arrived, but one coming alongside desiring to be a better wife. 

 

To be a better wife I knew that I also needed to spend time in James as there is so much wisdom in this little book.  For several years now I generally read a chapter of Proverbs each day for the wisdom in how to do life this side of heaven.  Please do not think that I have it all together, because I simply do not!  I am a mess!  But because of God and allowing Him to begin changing me ever since I surrendered my heart in November of 1999, I no longer am who I used to be!  So back to James and trying to tie this all together without loosing you. 

 

Faith and Deeds in James 2:14-26 really has been hitting me right where I needed to be hit!  I'm not always the best at helping others and I tend to count the cost or I grumble and complain.  Perhaps I’m not the only one, and you also aren’t so hot at showing your faith by the deeds you do?  James is very explicit that it takes both faith and deeds...which got me to thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman that in vs. 20 she is about helping others.   Not only does she help others, but from The Message it says she is QUICK TO ASSIST. 

 

When I am quick to assist, with out grumbling and complaining and no longer counting the cost but stepping up to the plate and doing what ever simply because I love Jesus then my heart it right.  Am I not only helping others as well as SHOWING my faith to the world?  That is what you and I need to be doing as Believer's LIVING OUT LOUD our faith to our corner of the world. I want God to truly be able to call me His friend!  I want to be able to some day hear God say, Yolanda, thank you for allowing Me to get into your business and providing for Bill the very best wife ever for him that I knew you could be! 

 

I want to close by sharing from my study in James  as this hit me several weeks ago concerning this particular passage in James.  "You hypocrite, you cover up your penurious, stingy heart and clamp down your fist upon your purse by offering prayers instead of clothing and pious talk instead of food. Listen! That is what is wrong today....The world wants action, not words, and many a cheap, stingy heart is camouflaged under pious cant and hollow prayer. The world is not interested in our prayers. It wants evidence." Elizabeth George

 

This was reaffirmed today in our service as Pastor Jon stated something along the lines of serving is not staying in our chairs here in the sanctuary.  We honestly have to rise to the challenge he gave us the first part of January to reach up, reach in and then reach out.  I say this all the time and if you’ve spent any time with me you hear this out of my lips often.  I have to reach up, reach in and reach out!  This impacted me so much in 2014.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that You did not leave me like I was when I came to You all those years ago.  That You have tenderly pruned me and molded me and may I never quit being teachable.  That I will always hunger and have a desire for Your Word and the ability to hide it in my heart to be able to apply it to my daily life.  Father God, I ask that I and those in my circle would quit being fake about following you.  That our faith and deeds would match and be pleasing in Your sight. 

 

I am continuing to dig deeper into James and desiring to be the best wife in the whole world for my Mr.  here at Higher Grounds.  With love, Yolanda
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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A Camp "High"


 

As Super Summer was coming to an end one of Pastor Mike’s closing remarks was that the “Camp High” could be taken home with us but it was truly up to each individual to keep that fanned to flame within them.  How do you go about doing that?  He shared to be determined!

 

I got to thinking about how I can become more focused and what I would need to do to accomplish keeping my faith where it needs to be.  You and I have to be determined to shut the world out at times and make Jesus a priority.  To disconnect for a set amount of time from anything that keeps me away from being able to get alone, quiet and still before God.  That I/we need to make our time with Him quality as He desires us to invest in Him. 

 

To be hungry for God’s truths and His Word and I couldn’t help but to call to mind Psalm 119:131 that I had read earlier in the morning in my own quiet/devotion time with God, it reads, "I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.” I had also written down in my journal from my quiet time to share with the students vs. 133 that generally says to not let sin rule over me, vs. 134 to be redeemed from the oppression of men (peers) and how I felt this was vital to in turn have victory over “how” we had come to camp and that we didn’t have to return home in the same fashion.  If we would become determined and soak ourselves with truth, we could over come and continue becoming changed men and women of God. 

 

I had been working through the book of Psalms for July and August and as I camped on Psalm 126:1-3 it caused me to reflect upon the “Camp High”. 

 

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’  The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

 

Father, As You continue restoring us, Your sons and daughters that are no longer orphans, having returned us from Super Summer to our homes in Ulysses may You increase our dreams to be outside of the box.  That our mouths would be filled with laughter and our mouths sing joyfully of all that You’ve done within us and for us.  Father, may we continue allowing You to change us so we wouldn’t return here the same as when we left.  Thank You Jesus, Amen.

 

Soaring because of what God has done,

Yolanda at Higher Grounds 
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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Pep Talks




Pastor Mike spoke such an amazing word to us one evening that truly hit my heart at dead center.  I so often fall into the pit of re-thinking and hashing over and over in my mind past sins.  I can be so hard on myself and I have such remorse over things that I did especially as a teenager, college student and as a young adult.  All before Jesus became a focal point in my life.  In all honesty, these things that flood my mind at times absolutely haunt me.  I know that I know that God has forgiven me and I truly grasp that He has removed my sins as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)  I trust and believe 100% of God’s Word, I’m all in! 

The problem for me is just deep down remorse and how God didn’t give us a hard drive for our memory.  Things simply are not erased or deleted from our minds when we surrender and begin to live a life of love for Jesus and others.  Pastor Mike taught from Romans 7:21-8:2 and I encourage you to look this up for yourselves, it is powerful!  You see, I’ve always had a heart that wants to do good but yet I would often choose doing the evil things.  My actions hurt others immensely, they hurt me and they hurt the heart of God.  Those very choices of not doing what was right came with a life long reaping of consequences this side of heaven. 
 
The cool thing though is that even though I was/am a wretched woman, God rescued me because He loves me!  Romans 8:1 says that NOW there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  When I surrendered, repented and began to live my life for Christ in November of 1999, I was no longer under condemnation.  How cool is that???!!!    What I need to do when my mind hits rewind is focus on the fact that God has forgiven me, He is a promise keeper, He loves me and I am no longer under condemnation.   
 
 
The next morning I was still impacted from the teaching from Pastor Mike so I shared with Robin and Misti in our Sponsor prayer time what I was dealing with and how do I get past that?  They came alongside me and shared with me something that Pastor Mike had also taught that I missed the night before.  When those memories are called forth, they are there to help me no longer walk in the footsteps of my former life.  They are reminders to keep me from those mistakes ever again.   
 
At camp there were roughly 300 participants and so we were divided by churches into 4 groups and our color was pink.  All the groups were amazing and worked together so very well.  One of the things that we had to do as a group was create cheers to encourage our teams when we were participating in Blast games each day.  For one of our cheers, Stephen a Sponsor from Missouri and he may even be their Pastor, stepped up and became an amazing leader and started off our group cheer with our group flag giving us a pep talk similar to Braveheart.  “We may have _______ yesterday, we may have __________, and we may have __________, but, BUT TODAY IS A NEW DAY!!!”
 
 

 
Stephen spurred each one of us to dig deeper and to not allow the past to keep us knocked down.  That it was a new day and we could face the day with a good attitude.  On the final day of Blast games we moved forward and won not only the event of the last day, but we also came away having moved into first place overall.  So when the enemy is knocking you down, and your own memories and poor choices have you discouraged, don’t stay there!!! Get back up, giving yourself a pep talk, allowing others to give you a pep talk, God’s Word to give you a pep talk and remind yourself that TODAY IS A NEW DAY!
 
 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
 
Father God, You are so creative in how You get our attention.  The examples that You call to mind that illustrate so beautifully the truths of Your Word are such a blessing.  Thank You for reminding me that today is a new day, with new mercies and that You are faithful. And all God’s people said…AMEN!
 
With love and giving you a pep talk to continue on in the things of God,
Yolanda and Higher Grounds
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Monday, August 4, 2014

We were made to THRIVE

WE WERE MADE TO THRIVE




 I’m not sure what the 21 students and the other 5 sponsors are feeling this morning but I awoke thinking, wow, this time a week ago we were gearing up for Supper Summer 2014.  I left home so pumped and ready to face the week as I had never been to church camp, ever in my entire 48 years of life.  When I was in high school I did go on a mission trip with my youth group, and I’ve attended VBS as a child as well as a worker but never church camp.  As soon as I committed to going to Super Summer that excitement never left me, not one single time!  God was so faithful for those 5 days last week with what He had ordained in each one of our lives and hearts.  He was so faithful with giving me unrelenting energy on very little sleep, a heart filling with love for the 26 attending (excluding myself) and to speak to my heart with the teaching from our Camp Pastor. 
Our theme all week came from the lyrics of the current Casting Crowns song, “Thrive”.  I’ve included the lyrics because they are so powerful!  


Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died

Like a tree planted by the water
We never will run dry

So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Just to know You and yo make You known
We lift Your name on High
Shine like the sun made darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Woah
Woah

Into Your word we're digging deep
To know our Father's heart

Into the world we're reaching out
To show them who You are

So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on High
Shine like the sun made darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable,
Love unstoppable, anything is possible
Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable,
Love unstoppable, anything is possible
Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable,
Love unstoppable, anything is possible
Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable,
Love unstoppable, anything is possible

Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on High
Shine like the sun made darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive
Hey!

Woah
Woah

Woah
Woah

We were made to thrive

Father God, I really don’t won’t to loose or forget any what You did within our group.  Prompt me Father to share a little bit each day until I feel as if I’ve been poured out and empty of what You deisre to share.  May the 27 of us be found today digging into Your Word, praying for the needs all around us, depending on You.  Thriving in the name of Jesus.  
 
And so I close challenging each of us to…..THRIVE!
 


Yolanda at Higher Grounds
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Friday, July 25, 2014

God heard my cry.....

It has been quite awhile since I’ve contemplated sharing with you what God is doing in my life and my heart because to be quite honest, being vulnerable is costly. It puts a big mark on my back as if I needed any help in that department! But I also wanted to share that being vulnerable can also be immensely rewarding.

Due to a series of events I had pulled away from most things that would cause the hurt to deepen and widen. I knew that if I stayed the course I had found myself in, that I would become bitter and end up hurting the heart of God. Then when I thought things couldn’t get much worse, I found myself spiraling even farther because of circumstances with a passion that I thoroughly enjoy.

I found myself beginning to hunger and desire God’s Word like I hadn’t for a long time. Not that I had ever stopped, but this desire was like craving a Big Mac while dining on a hamburger from the Dollar Menu. I picked up a bible study that I had started but not finished and I began praying and asking God to bring along side me another woman that was hungry for more.

 Then one day my phone rang, and there was a female voice on the other end asking me if I’d be willing to study God’s Word with her and be an accountability partner. If you know me any at all, you know that I detest confrontation. I find with confrontation it is often times about “feelings”, “control”, “manipulation”; really trying to get who ever to do life the way YOU want them to do life. I believe that God intended confrontation be done with love, grace, mercy, gentleness and only after covering it immensely in prayer! Yet, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was bringing this Lady to me and answering my prayer. Lady, thank you for becoming a wonderful friend to me!

Father God, thank You for hearing my heart and providing me in this season of life a wonderful woman that yearns for the deeper things of You. May we cause Your heart to be glad and thankful for this partnership that we believe You created. Father, we desire to be(come) women of integrity, esteeming our mates, providing a home that is filled with Jesus. May we hold in confidence the things that we share, that we continue to invest in one another, that we would apply Your Word to our circumstances and live in victory. That this friendship be ever lasting and grateful as you grow us into the women You created us to be! In Christ’s Name, Amen!
 
Until next time, may we be found moving to Higher Ground,
Yolanda
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Grasshoppers, really??? Grasshoppers.....

What is it that just totally creeps you out?  I have a family member that is deathly and I mean deathly afraid of millers.  To the point of screaming, crying, just totally out of control, afraid of millers.  I am not particularly fond of snakes or mice but I don't go to any extreme of freaking out over them by letting them have control of me and my emotions.  But I can honestly say that if I'm not careful I can be like my ancestors. 

I realize that the 12 leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel that were sent in to spy on the land probably weren't afraid of grasshoppers. (Yep, those "Dudes" are my ancestors and yours.)  But for crying out loud, why would they compare themselves to grasshoppers????  REALLY????? Grasshoppers????

I think this afternoon what really got me was noticing the end of this verse in Numbers 13:33.

"We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

My mind instantly started whirling and I actually laughed.  How in the world did the 10 spies reporting back to Moses and Aaron with the negative report know that they looked like grasshoppers to the Nephilim?? 

You see that is exactly what fear does, it cripples us and causes us to think so irrationally.  Our thoughts become incredibly irrational!  It causes us to buckle and not do what God has for us to do.  It brings so much doubt, causes us to loose sleep and to miss the blessing that God has for us!

The next time that you begin to allow doubt to creep in just remember what Caleb and Joshua saw and walk on in to whatever it is that God has for you with determination, obedience, trust and belief!

Walking on in~~
Yolanda
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Monday, February 3, 2014

Dumb, dumb, double dumb!!

The past several days I've been spending time with Moses and the Israelites in the book of Exodus.  This has taught me so much about what we hunger for, what we "think" we are lacking, and by looking back on the past all of this causes us to really not be where God wants me or you.  All of this causes us to live in such a manner that is not pleasing.  His desire is for us to be walking in the freedom that we have attained through Jesus Christ.  His desire is for us to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  His desire is for us to bring Him glory. 

If you and I aren't doing that then we are hurting the heart of God.  I believe that if I'm not living in this fashion then I'm not trusting God and I'm going at life all on my own, or at best only giving Him little slivers here and there.  As I've been walking with the Israelites, God has graciously reminded me of this and it was like I was hit over the head with a brick.  The light bulb went on in my brain, my heart and in my thoughts of "wow, Yolanda, you've been dumb, dumb, double dumb!!" 

Why? Well lets suffice it to say that God closed a door that I've desperately been trying to open it back up.  By doing so I've been angry, I've nursed a grudge, I've been keeping one eye on the past and one eye in the current.  It's not been where God has desired for me to be.  Since I've had that wow moment, I've had so much peace!!  I know that I know that God is my vindicator.  I know that I know that God has my back.  I know that I know that God has the very best planned for me and I've not been trusting Him. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for not giving up on me.  For showing me where I've been stumbling and needing Your guidance in my day to day life.  For allowing me the opportunity to share as this may help a girlfriend or a guy friend from my example of living life.  That You are always trustworthy and You are always for our good.  I love You Lord, Amen.
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Monday, January 20, 2014

Sticks and stones.....

Something happened to me that I'm positive has happened to every single person since the beginning of time when God created our world.  I'm not the first person, the only person or the last person that will ever have to deal with this....words spoken or spewed.  Our words truly can be building blocks or they can be a bulldozer.  We can build one another up in a good healthy way or we can totally destroy one another. 

I actually come to expect this from the world but when it happens inside the body of Christ it slays me.  Yesterday our Pastor spoke an awesome sermon about reaching up, reaching in and reaching out.  To be healthy it begins with God and myself, before I can ever be healthy and real to others with-in and then be able to be healthy and real to others outside.  I'm asking God to help me get back on track and with that I've got to let go of words that were spewed upon me that have hurt me to the core.  God knows those words, He knows who spoke those words to me, He knows my heart, and I am ready for Him to have a mighty way with me. 

I'm not perfect, I've said things to others that have hurt them and when they allow me to, I've asked them to forgive me.  It is their choice to accept that or not but I must not let their actions keep me from being me.  This where I've been....it's caused me to choke.  In other words, it has stopped me in my tracks.  I've pulled away and pulled deep with-in.  It's time to open my arms and allow God to take me to new heights, new places and new relationships. 

I wonder if we each had the ability to see into the future, would we still spew the words we have spewed on others knowing how that affected them?  You and I are NOT Holy Ghost Juniors, we do not have the right to push our opinions onto others coercing them into doing what we EXPECT them to do.   Relationships are not about placing someone in a box that you have constructed!!! 

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.....oh yes they will and they do.  So the next time you have a relationship with someone and they aren't doing what you "think" they should be doing, I ask that you stop and allow God to be God.  Seek God, love one another, be kind to one another, give grace to one another and extend mercy.   I'm certain this will bring healing and cause others to want what you have, a life with Christ. 

With love,
Yolanda
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