But, If thou fear....

I have always been in LOVE with the bible story of Joshua and Caleb.

Joshua, who had been sent out 11 other men {RULERS of the tribes of Israel; one of which was Caleb, another HERO}, to go spy out the promised land, came back and heard what the 10 men proceeded to say about the promised land.

"Oh, for sure, it is a land that flows with milk and honey!"
"Take a look at these grapes that we cut down there! They had to be carried back by TWO men! AMAZING"
"There IS a problem however....."
"The people there, Moses, are strong! They live in WALLED cities, and they are HUGE!"
"There are people ALL around that are our enemies."

Caleb shushed them. He says, let's go now and possess this land. We are WELL ABLE to overcome it!!!!
But the men that had gone with him, kept speaking about the evil they saw there.

"We even saw GIANTS!! GIANTS, Moses!  We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, NEVERMIND their eyes."

The people who heard this, all those who had been PROMISED they would make it and take over this land, started bawling. They were ANGRY!  They cried, "Why did God even bring us here? If we were going to die, it may as well have been in Egypt. He took us out of there only to have us DIE here? WAAAAA" The "ARMY" had made its abode. Fear in the forefront, doubt right behind him, and pity, in the backstretch.

They listened to the voices of the 10 men {no doubt there were definitely MORE MEN that DISBELIEVED, than the TWO that BELIEVED} and even though God had PROMISED them they would enter the land, and overtake the people there, they failed to believe it.

Even when Joshua and Caleb took a stand;

" The land, which we passed through to search it, is EXCEEDING GOOD land! If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into it, and give it to us, this land that flows with milk and honey!!! But STOP rebelling against the Lord, and don't fear the people, because their defense is taken from them, and the LORD is WITH US!  Don't fear them!!!!"

The people {Whom God had shown the 10 plagues of Egypt, delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh, parted the Red Sea for them to cross over, DROWNING their enemies who were in HOT pursuit of them in it, and that's just a FEW of the miracles that this amazing God had done for them} wanted to stone Caleb and Joshua. Really? They had SEEEEEENNNNN the miracles first hand, and every time when God promised them something, they got it, and now they want to STONE the ones that are trusting and taking a stand? OK.

God got really upset. He wants to kill ALL the people, and never let them get in the promised land, but Moses pleads with Him, to not.  Then, God strikes a deal...Noone will be entering the promised land over the age of 40, except Joshua and Caleb. All the young un's He would bring in, and because of the doubt that they people had in Him, lack of faith, He would not have them go out of the wilderness, into this land of milk and honey.
{You can read the account of the story, in the Book of Numbers, Chapters 13 & 14}

FAST FORWARD

Moses is dead. The Lord speaks to Joshua "Go and take over the land. Where you step, that place I have given to you. No man will be able to stand against you. Be strong, and courageous."

Think about how many YEARS he had to sit and wait for Moses to die, so that they could go into the promised land. He knew he was going, but boy, what a wait. And, because I am a human being, I know the LONGER I wait for something, the MORE fear creeps in. In the first chapter of Joshua, the Lord tells him THREE TIMES to be strong, and courageous. For what reason? Making SURE you get the message. I said I will give this to you, and I will, but you gotta go get it!!!!

Joshua prepares his people. He is leading them into the promised land, and he tells them, this is how it's going to go and if ANYONE rebels against your commandments, we won't be putting up with it. He felt so strongly with it, they were to be put to death. You wanna talk only of the giants, and not walk where we tell you to go? Death. The Lord WILL give us this, and there is no way we will let negative speaking take over this time. We are GOING into the promised land.

Do you think that maybe Joshua HEARD the 10 men that he originally went to the spy out the land, talking about the bad, scary things they saw there? Do you think maybe he just let it go, but then once they got back to tell Moses, Aron, and the people, he SAW what effects it had on them? I think so....we ALL know how this can go.
So, silencing the negative voices, they marched on. Conquered Jericho, fought in the battle of Gibeon, where the sun and moon stood still so they could finish the battle, and MORE!!!

Yes, FAST FORWARD AGAIN, lol(d)**for Dave**

Joshua is dying. In the last two chapters of Joshua, he reiterates all that he has stood for, tells the people what they need to continue to do, in order to survive. He was a strong leader, that filled the heads of the people with the GOODNESS of GOD. He told them, in that famous verse, Joshua 24:15"choose you this day, whom you will serve".

Then, enter Gideon. THIS is where my title came from. I had to give you some background, so you would KNOW where this foundation is laid. My lessons from Gideon are huge. Sometimes they are little, but that being said, the little things, can be such BIG things :)

Gideon, who came after Joshua, was stuck. Threshing wheat, in a wine press, which if you don't know the significance of that, which I didn't either till I did the study, is a hidden place, away from everyone else, because of fear. Stuck in a land of idols, scared of the people, and hiding in the wine press.

Then, the LORD met him there {Yes, in that place where he didn't feel like he was ANYTHING, or could ever be used of God, THERE is where God met him...just think on that for a bit}. Again, the Lord interjects these words "Fear not," into His talk with Gideon. Let's go take on the Midianites, God says. I will deliver them unto you. You won't die. FYI.
Gideon asks God to show him for SURE that God is with him, by putting out the fleece {Judges CH 6}, then gathers his army, and he has 32,000 men in it. Then God says there are too many men, Gideon. He reduces it down to 10,000. {Judges CH 7}, then down to 300. SAY WHAT???? God, I had an army that was big enough, I was still unsure about the victory, but you said that you would deliver them into our hands. THEN, you send some home? The fearful ones, OK I get that, but then the ones who didn't lap water out of their hands? *sigh* ok, I know you said you would deliver them into our hands, but....{enter the army of fear, doubt} Then the Lord confirms to him, that he is where the Lord has put him, and that he WILL succeed.

"Gideon, go down into the camp of the Midianites, for I have delivered them INTO your hands. But if thou fear....." 

You don't think God KNEW that he was afraid? Why would He say it? But if you are afraid, take your servant, Phurah, with you, AND you will HEAR what they say, and afterward your hands will be strengthened. And sure enough, Gideon took Phurah with him. He WAS afraid, but that did NOT stop him from doing what the Lord had asked. You can read the rest of the story in Judges CH 7, Verses 9-15.

The Lord knows that we fear. I am one that has dealt with fear for many, many years of my life. It has stopped me from enjoying simple things like camping, ministering to those who need it, living my life by being Spirit Led, because of fear.

"But, if thou fear..." has great meaning to me, and God used it to speak to my heart the other night. I came home from my friends house in High Level, and her home got broken into. She proceeded to tell me all the details, and the fear crept into my mind, then my throat, then the worst place, my heart. I came home to a BURNT out yardlight, pitch dark walk from the car to the house, thinking someone did this on purpose, cuz they don't want me to see them breaking into my house. What about all the wild animals...they are probably lurking somewhere right around here because now it's dark...DEAR JESUS....I don't know what to do...Mike isn't home till around 11:30 tonight, and I don't know what to do. Seriously, this is my thoughts. Turn around, run to the car, and go back to my friends house and wait for Mike. I can't express this to Chance, as he needs me to be strong, so I hunker down by myself, and pray for God's protection. That night, going to sleep, I hear noises, outside, and everything that is IN ME, cries out for protection, and I am so afraid. All I said to God before I fell asleep, which I did in about a minute, was "My weakness, your Strength". That night, I dreamed of a situation where I was weak with fear, but by praying and asking God's help, I overcame and IN THAT, I was able to help hurting souls. The dream is terrifying, but the STRENGTH in which I was able to do what I needed to, was INCREDIBLE. I realize, that I need to ask God to help, and He does. Every time.

The battle that Gideon fights, ends victoriously. God was his strength, and I enjoy this story so much. A man plagued by fear, that couldn't thresh wheat in the open air, hid in a wine press, and fought a battle against a troop of Midianites, whose CAMELS were without number, with a group of 300 men, and WON!  Now, who got the glory? GOD DID. Yes, Gideon was seen as a hero, but without GOD, they would have surely lost.

Yes, I am fearful sometimes, but then when I do things that are way out of MY comfort zone, GOD gets the glory, and we WIN!!!!

#lessonsfromGideon

Choose you this day who you will serve...as for me and my house? We will serve the Lord!  Joshua 24:15

{WORDS}

"Words can build you up,
Words can break you down

Start a fire in your heart or

Put it out"

- Hawk Nelson, "Words"

It never ceases to amaze me, the words that can come out of my mouth. I would say I have a fairly consistent personality, and I have learned early on, that I can't take anything back, that I have said. So even in my anger, I feel I can control myself. 

THEN, I catch the dog eating our supper on the counter and the "stupid dog, you are such an idiot! AHHHHHHH I don't even know why I have a dog in the first place.", rings out of my mouth. Then it slowly shifts to, "I am so stupid! I should NEVER have left that out on the counter, I should have put her in the kennel, I should be more careful. Sorry puppy momma yelled at you. AHHHHHHHH Maria, don't be such an idiot! The dog just eats food...it was right there".

If you have never done this, you are a better person that I am. I seem to be the hardest on myself. I am mean to me. That's not fair!  We know the words we say to ourselves every day. Ugh, I'm so fat; eat another Maria; just throw out all the clothes you are saving to wear, you are NEVER going to get there. 

 Or how about your parenting, being a wife, we all have days where we really speak negatively to ourselves.

This has to stop.

So, this year, when I hear the negative voices inside my head, I WILL stop. I will say nice things about myself. AND I will go a step further. When I hear the negative voices in my head about OTHERS, I will say nice things about them.

One small step for me....learning to be nice to myself, so that the light of Jesus can shine through my life, and hopefully shine in some of the dark places that others find themselves!

♪♫Let my words be LIFE, let my words be TRUTH, I don't wanna say a word, unless it points the world, back to you ♪♫

{Maria}

2013 - Continued

So I didn't think I would get to making a list of 13 things, and I have 6 already under my belt, so would you like to hear more?

Ok. You convinced me.

{7}I had the privilege of attending director boot camp, in Boise, Idaho this past year. It was a trip of MANY firsts, and MANY blessings! It opened my eyes to a whole new level of "Maria" and what I was capable of. I met some of the BEST people you could ever meet, flew to a few different airports all by myself (Winnipeg, to Denver, to San Francisco, to Boise, back to Denver and back to Winnipeg)  I was SO nervous about going by myself, and I did it, didn't get lost, no trouble with flights, and I didn't have to freak out! lol I stayed with a roomie that I had never met (AND I would reccomend this to anyone, as I LOVE her), got to see where Scentsy first started, and meet some amazing people at the places where all the behind the scenes stuff goes on. Amazing trip!!!

{8} I got to showcase my loud, obnoxious and boisterous talents in a dinner theatre. They probably will never allow that again ;0) LOL  

{9} I walked a 5K - I will spare you the pics! I did run the end...it was in Indianapolis, and I was HOT! This was at Scentsy Convention, where I got to spend six days with an amazing consultant on my team, and her amazing daughter! We had a great time, and I was truly blessed to be able to go. Last minute it looked as if I had lost all hope, and then BAM!! ANGELS showed up and delivered the money I needed to go :)  I was also asked to present on stage, in front of THOUSANDS of consultants, and had the time of my LIFE!! WHAT AN HONOR!!!  Saw Kelly Clarkson do a concert for ALL us Scentsy consultants, learned so much for my business, met new people, and LOVED on those I already knew :0)

 {10} I lost my dear dog, Hope. She died of a heart attack and I thought I would NEVER be able to own another dog. For our family, it was a HUGE loss, and she is still missed DEARLY. She really was the best dog ever, and amazing. How I wish she would just run in and see me, and kiss me and lick me ( I never allowed licking..I hated it - but I would allow it now). 

{11}I began fostering for MMDR. You can see my album HERE  It was really a challenging, rewarding thing to do!! 

{12}I went through, and am still going through, one of the toughest seasons in my life. God has taught me trust, at a level that you cannot understand, if you have never been in my shoes. I am so amazed by the mercy He has one me, and that He chose to GROW me :) Do I ever feel growing pains, but that is another blog, for I am SURE, another day!

{13} Last but not least, I have learned to say NO. To some of you, that may sound rediculous, but to me, I have always been a PEOPLE PLEASER, and that got me NOWHERE. Actually, what it got me was walked on, things done out of guilt, and not out of love. Anger and bitterness towards others who pushed me past my limits, and I allowed them to, and it's not even their fault! THEY don't know where my boundaries are :)  NOW, I am not perfect, and still have a hard time with it, but I am telling you that it's amazing the freedom I feel from doing things out of obligation, and can do things out of love :)  Taking the time to evaluate what I place as priorites instead of what others place as priorities. 

There you have it! 13 things that happened in 2013 :)  I LOVE taking a look at my life, and I LOVE sharing this with you!!! XOXOXOXO

Wishing you all the richest of God's blessings in the new year, and through all your amazing journeys you are about to embark on!!

{Maria}

2013 - GONE ALREADY? Sheesssh...I just got started

2013 Gone? WOW!

Can't believe its over...or almost. Going over my blog, I saw that I made a list in the beginning of 2013, about 12 things that happened to me in 2012.

I wanna do something like this again. Don't know if I can give you a list of 13, but here goes!

{1} I loved hosting my third "THEMED" Bring Back my Bar open house! I LOVE having themes! This year, not sure what I will THEME it out, but you better believe it will be AMAZING!!!!

ABOVE: Rootbeer Float Cake BELOW: Bananrama cupcakes

{2} Superstore closed at 10 PM. Those who know me, KNOW I waited till 10:59 to grab milk. Sometimes, if I was there in the afternoon, the "DOOR GUY" as I call him, would ask me what I am doing and why I am there so early:) It was a bad habit...Now I forget that Superstore closes early, AND buy my milk at Shoppers at 10:59 - - And they are open till Midnight ;0) #yepgotinearly

{3}I EARNED my very first incentive trip with the Scentsy Family!! TOTALLY STOKED!! I went to Costa Rica in May, for completely FREE! From airfare, to the most amazing hotel, to the most amazing beaches, and I can't even tell you all the amazing things that were there! #askmehowtoearnyourownfreetrip

 Great times meeting new people! @ripjackinn

 Hanging out on the beach with friends! Lifetime memories.

 Dinner on the beach with amazing people!

 Jess and Mitch: Two of the most amazing people! They took time to pour into us, and give us knowledge to come home with, and we are not on their team, but we are on the SCENTSY TEAM! LOVE THEM!

 Got to hang out with my Superstar Director, Christy, and Crazy Paul in the back ;0) Sad Christy was so sick, but thankful for the time we DID have :)  And Paul? We hiked through Costa Rican jungle, and didn't die. Quality time. lol

 Best vacation with Mike ever! No stress, no money needed, no worries, just R&R at it's FINEST!

 If you EVER go to Costa Rica, take the sunset sail on the Lazy Lizard :) BEST ONE YET!

{4} I attended Spring Sprint in Regina, WITH so many of my team mates, AND my best friend!!! I love that they were all able to come and share this experience with me! AND I was asked to present on customer service, which was a HUGE honor!!! What a fabulous time, and a GREAT experience!! You can watch me HERE

{5}I got purple chunks put in my hair, my very own photoshoot done by the amazing Megan over at Phraze Photography who, did I already say she is amazing? So much fun, and will never forget it!

{6} My sisters and I, have become good friends.

My sister Sarah, has taught me many things about the beauty of a life, sold out to Jesus. She has gone through trials this year that I am thankful that are NOT mine, but I relished sharing them with her every moment. Her beauty has shone through each and every one of them, and she really does rely on Jesus. She is a strong woman, who has a heart of gold and shines so brightly! I am blessed to call her my sister AND my friend!

My sister Tina, has out shone so many women, when it comes to so many things! She has started out on her own business venture, and is successful, and VERY good at what she does! One of the things that she has taught me, is how to be a Proverbs 31 woman. This girl has got it DOWN!! You need inspiration, talk to her! The other thing I saw this year, is her strength. Through her husband being away most of the summer, I watched her carry on and just take it one day at a time and NOT lose her mind. With three kids, and crazy sisters...this has GOT to be an amazing task. I am, again, so blessed to call her my sister and once again, most definitely, my friend! XO



Cheryl is my FRIEND first, turned family :) She fits right in, and she comes to our gatherings, including our parents! LOL  I love this lady, and I am so glad my sisters fell in love with her too! She holds a very special, and very dear spot in my life! When it comes to sharing hopes, dreams, hurts, and reality with this girl, I can do that and not worry about what she will think of me...EVER. No matter WHAT the circumstance!  We have spy cameras in each others' homes, as we often exchange ideas and thoughts, and convo's that we had earlier in the day/week, and no word of lie, the other family has had the same ones!! I appreciate this lady from the bottom of my heart, and the love she has shared with me in my life, I could never put a price on it :)  God knew what He was doing when He put us together!

** These are some of our adventures together! Grand Forks Trip & Hiking

 AND that is SIX!!! AND what a long post...stay tuned for another **however many I can pull up** tommorow!!

Thanks for sharing this ride with me

{Maria}

I am sitting on my couch this morning, curtains wide open, and I see movement ahead of me. I sit and watch, as the elderly lady across the street, opens her garage door, her straw broom in hand, and begins to sweep up the leaves, in front of her doorway. As I watch her, she sweeps right up to the snow, now covering the drive, and as frail as she is, proceeds to sweep up all the leaves around the doorway. Then, she goes in, grabs the dustpan, comes out, and I am expecting her to fall over at any second, and fills the dustpan with the leaves, and goes inside. 

I know that God has been working on my life, for the past few months, in the area of being a "keeper at home". When my husband married me, and before, he KNEW I was a terrible housekeeper. I LOVE having a clean house, but I HATE cleaning it. SO I do it, always begrudgingly, never cheerful, and I bulldoze my way through it, and then I am done, and relieved, and it gets messy and it BOTHERS me!!! TO NO END! I have sat in my bed in the middle of the night, to ponder about ways to keep the house clean, and tried many different methods. I am also a perfectionist, in that if I can't get things done ALL at once, I don't bother. I don't like half done jobs, so then why do it at all? Nevertheless, SOMEONE has got to do it! 

So as I sit and watch this lady this morning, I wonder why she does what she does, and I realize that this isn't the FIRST Monday morning I have seen this. I am thinking it's a routine. If she would answer the door, I may just go over and ask her about it, but I have watched as people selling things, and children selling things, don't get the door answered, probably because they don't wait long enough for her to get there. 

I think it's important to establish some sort of a routine, and with FlyLady's help, I know I can, so let's hope that today, as I sit inspired, I can do it!

#proverbs31womaninthemaking #imworkinonit #cantdoitbymyself

Well put Mr. Winston! Well put!

Today is my Scentsy family team's MOTIVATION MONDAY, so as I get ready to post this to them, I thought I would share it with YOU!!

SUCCESS~~What is it?
What would YOU deem success to be? Are you envious at those SUCCEEDING around you? Are you thinking about how they have it all, how they could never fall, etc? NEVER judge YOUR SUCCESS, by someone else's.  It's a different path you are on. Success is not final. I can't say it any better than that.

FAILURE~~Who's a failure?
Not YOU! Not I, not them. It's dissapointing to have something fail. Take that chocolate cake you quickly baked when you found out your parents were on their way! That mom of yours is an AMAZING baker, so you take her recipe out, whip it up, and get ready to surprise her!! Well, surprise indeed! What's wrong? The cake is HEAVY, not light and fluffy like mom's, but it's her recipe? Then you see it! You didn't add baking soda to the cake. It's a piece of heavy, chocolaty mess, and you are NOT serving that to mom! So, maybe the cake failed, but what did you LEARN FROM IT? That is the question de jour people!! You learned to read the recipe thoroughly, and most likely won't be forgetting baking soda in the cake very quickly again.

COURAGE~~The mightiest of courage, is mustered up in the lowest of the valley~~
Is it easy to see someone do the exact same thing you do, and for them to seem to be succeeding so quickly and you are NOT? NOPE
Is it easy to have your cake fail on you, and for you to attempt to make another to follow that amazing mess? NOPE
Can you do it? YES YOU CAN!!!! (with a little man with a tool belt enthusiasm)
This is courage. Getting up and doing something again, or trying something new. That's amazing.

YOU CAN DO IT!

You can try it again! You CAN succeed! You can try something NEW!
I know you can!  I know I can! I believe in you!!

Joshua 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Mondays **sigh**

Am I the only one who doesn't look forward to Mondays? LOL
Most of the time, this is me on Monday.  PLAN to wake up earlier, PLAN to get things done in an orderly fashion, PLAN to be motivated and get all those things done that I randomly think up in BED...LOL
Then, Monday hits, and it's like a TRAIN has come through my head!

Sleep in, cuz you had a rough night cuz you were sick, wake up with NO VOICE and two videos to make (bahumbug), get grumpy while you shower, and get dressed....etc...etc.

Today, I won't let Monday get to me.
I woke up on time, lounged in bed, then showered at a leisurely pace, decided that a plan isn't a plan without the chances of being ruined!

So, without my voice, I made a healthy breakfast, to which Chance said it was the BEST! (sunny boy hot cereal, canteloupe, orange slices, orange juice). Had our family bible time, and then got started on school. I think my days where my plan gets so called "ruined" when everything doesn't go by the book, suck. I need to learn to be more flexible. I need to learn that my problems aren't the worst. So here's the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Don't bother calling me, I can't talk...LOL
There you have it, my Monday rant.
Surprisingly, as I looked for a picture for this post, I found THIS blog post. AND it has some super helpful hints on it. Enjoy!!

Maria :)