Since then I’ve thought a lot about waiting.

I’ve discovered that waiting is about trusting, and it’s imperative that I be willing not only to wait but to do so with a better attitude.

As I’ve talked to and observed other Christians, I discovered having difficulty with waiting is a universal problem. I’ve also found that in waiting my faith is tested.

My desire is to pass God’s waiting tests with flying colors and honor Him as I do. And even if I’m feeling weary, I can choose to wait with a thankful, hope-filled heart.

The good news is that as I wait on the Lord with the proper attitude, He takes away my weariness and draws me close to Himself. Isaiah 40:31 reminds me of this and brings such comfort to my heart—even as I continue to wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled in my life.

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. AMP

I long to embrace this verse in a deeper way than I ever have before. Today I choose to believe that during the waiting God will supply strength, power, and energy and that on the other side of waiting are wonders beyond description.

Will you join me in waiting expectantly and looking to and for the Lord in every difficulty in life? What joy we can have—even as we wait.

To hear more about Waiting For The Lord listen to “Hearts Set Free with Elaine” radio show– www.wtis1110.com on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10:30am EST.

In looking up the word strong-willed recently, here is the definition I found: strong-minded, obstinate, stubborn, firm, independent, uncompromising, unbending, defiant.

Another definition said “determined to do something that you want to do, even if others do not want you to do it.”

For compliant I found: manageable, capable of being controlled, submissive, conformable, willing, obedient, nonresistant.

I confess that too often as a Christian child of God I have fallen under the strong-willed category.    

The good news is that any of us can be transformed from being a strong-willed to a compliant child—from a child who resists the Lord to a child that submits.

Over the years, I can see God at work in me making me into a more compliant child.

Recently as I prayed about this battle of resisting vs embracing God’s will, this is what came to mind. “Surrender to My will. Keep in your mind: ‘not my will, but Yours be done.’ Stop resisting. Will to do My will. Ask what My will is.”

As I meditated on surrendering to God’s will vs insisting on my own way, I thought of John 5:30 in the Amplified Bible which presents what Jesus said on the subject:

…I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.

 Every time I read that, I find it amazing to discover how compliant Jesus was. I know that my Savior said and lived these words from John 5:30 as an example and as a goal for me and for other Christians.

I’m relieved to discover I don’t have to learn compliance on my own. As I determine to submit to God and will to do His will, He helps brings me closer to being able to say of every issue in my life: 

…not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22:42 NIV

My part is to be willing to continue on this sometimes difficult journey to the place where my only desire is to do His will.

That’s where I want to go.

Are you willing to join me on that journey?  

To hear more about Embracing God’s Will go to www.wtis1110.com and Listen Live to my radio show, Hearts Set Free with Elaine at 10:30am on Saturday, February 18, 2012.

     That’s what God desires from me. He doesn’t rejoice when I obey through gritted teeth. What He longs for from me is a sweetness in submitting to Him. And sweetness is also what’s on the other side of this kind of surrender.  

     How often I have experienced that. After fretting and fearing and frantically trying to work things out in a difficult circumstance, God has gently whispered to me to let go. His voice has been so tender that it melted my heart.  Surrendering seemed easy and a welcome relief. And the end result was sweet.   

     How sweet? Just think of a time when you craved a certain kind of special chocolate you had not had  in a long time–either because it wasn’t available or you decided to give up sugary foods for awhile. When you took that first bite of chocolate, it tasted so sweet.

     How much sweeter it is to be reconnected to the Father as a result of surrender. Chocolate brings a certain pleasure to the taste buds, but surrender to God brings a wave of joy to the soul. 

     At those moments I have wondered, “Why did I wait so long?”

     Once I am in that place of humble, eager surrender to God, I feel a closeness to Him that is difficult to describe. Although He is invisible, it’s as if I am wrapped up in His arms and I sense a look of pleasure on His face.  

Psalm 17:15 describes this:

As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].

 I’m realizing that the sense of “This is so sweet,” is not just on my side. That’s how God feels when I surrender to Him with the trusting abandon of a little child.

 Oh Lord, how I long to be fully surrendered to You. Please break down my resistance. Continue to work in my heart to bring me to and keep me in that place of sweet surrender.

 Can you join me in that prayer?

 *****

To hear more about sweet surrender go to www.wtis1110.com and press “Listen Live” to listen to Hearts Set Free with Elaine on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:30am EST.

We’ve all said, “I give up” when we feel frustrated. At those moments we want to quit jobs, marriages, or relationships with difficult people.  Or maybe our “I give up” attitude is over more simple things like a repair job at home that seems impossible.

Quite a few years ago I said, “I give up” during a moment of exasperation.  Right now I can’t remember  what I was so perturbed about, but I’m pretty sure it involved a family member.

I wasn’t speaking my declaration to the Lord, but I heard Him whisper, “I’m so glad.”

He then proceeded to show me that the kind of giving up He delights in is when we give up on our way of doing things, our schemes to fix people, our plans to bring about a better outcome to the dilemmas in our lives. All of this is what I was caught up in.

Shortly after my “I give up” proclamation, He gave me a little song:

“I give up, Lord. I give up, Lord.

I give up, Lord all to You.

I give up my plan; my life’s in Your hands.

I give up my way; I’ll do what You say.

I give up, Lord, all to You.”

Since then that song has come back to mind again and again when I slide back into being dedicated to my plans, my schemes, my dreams instead of calling on the Lord and asking, “What do You want me to do?”

God repeatedly reminds me to stop carrying around my cares but to instead do this:

“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

Today I once again embrace this truth—that surrendering to the Lord and His way and will is the only path to fulfillment and peace in this life. And so I declare it once again.

I give up!

Will you join me?

To hear more about “The Beauty of Giving Up” go to www.wtis1110.com on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:30am and press “Listen Live” to listen to Hearts Set Free with Elaine.  

How often we say that to the Lord. We may not utter the words out loud, but the manner in which we live proclaims it loud and clear.

We declare it most when we’re going through dark days—whether in our marriages, in our relationships with our children or other loved ones, in hard times with our health.

We look at situations and assert “There is no way…”

If we were to finish the sentence honestly, it would be “…that God can come through in this.”

No way thinking causes us to give up on God’s intervention.  It embraces unbelief.

No way thoughts I’ve had in the past are:

–There is no way I can stay in this marriage.

–There is no way I can lose weight.

–There is no way this person can be saved.

–There is no way I can stop this bad habit.

And the list goes on.

Yet in the middle of my “no way” mindset where spiritual blindness and deafness have begun to set in, God whispers: “Elaine,

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

He reminds me:

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:9

And when it comes to my struggles in relationships, once I start really listening, He brings back to my mind that there’s one thing that rules His way which I tend to leave out of mine.     

And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all--love]. 1 Corinthians 12:31 AMP

Today as I once again battle “no way” thinking, I’m determined to embrace God’s whispers of truth. I will let go of my way and embrace a far superior, life-changing, supernatural way.

His.

How about you? Have you fallen into the trap of “no way” thinking? Today will You embrace God and His way? Wonders will follow.

For more about “Letting Go of ‘No Way’ Thinking” tune in to Hearts Set Free with Elaine radio show– www.wtis1110.com at 10:30am on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Here is the link to the Jan 21^st show—Exercising Our Faith.

http://www.wtis1110archives.com/Hearts_Set_Free_with_Elaine_1-21-12.wma

As I’ve been thinking about how to do that, the idea of exercising my faith more came to mind.

A verse from Scripture says:

^… bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things…(1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV)

When I think of exercising my faith to become more godly, I think of stepping out in faith—of having faith for things I was unable to believe for in the past. It’s about praying prayers outside my comfort zone and believing God will answer.

I remember my daughter Tami at six years old. The doctor declared our cat, Riffy, had an infection which was unresponsive to medications. He told us to take him home, that he would get sicker, and then we could bring him back to be put to sleep.

My thought was to prepare our children for the death of our cat. I took Tami aside to talk to her about the situation. Before I could tell her everything, she prayed, “God I know You are powerful, and I know that You would not take my best friend away. Thank You that he is going to get well.”

At the time I couldn’t help but think of Hebrews 11:1.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Our cat did get well. Everyone was amazed but Tami. She exercised her faith by praying a believing prayer. She did not focus on the circumstance or even the “facts.” She looked at God and believed in His power to heal.

I’m asking God to help me exercise my faith more in the same way. Instead of believing people when they say, “It’s hopeless,” “It can’t be done,” or “Death is inevitable”—whether death of a dream, death of a marriage, or death of a loved one–I’m determined to pray for God to intervene in miraculous ways with His resurrection power.

From experience I know He intervenes in that way, but sometimes I get complacent. I give in to doubt and unbelief. Godlessness (not calling God into the situation) begins to creep in and crowd out godliness. Fear can overwhelm my faith and the result is feeble, faithless prayers.

I’m heading for the workout room—my prayer closet—more often this year.  I want to get into better shape spiritually than I’ve ever been. I’m excited about the miracles that will bring–especially in my heart.

How about you? Is your faith flabby? In need of some strengthening? Are you ready to exercise your faith by believing our big God for some big answers to prayer in 2012?

To hear more about Exercising My Faith, go to www.wtis1110.com and listen live to my radio show, Hearts Set Free with Elaine on Saturday, January 21st.  

Here is the link to the January 14th show with the theme of “Turning Around Negative Thinking.”

http://www.wtis1110archives.com/Hearts_Set_Free_1-14-12.wma  

This saying came to mind recently as I dealt with a loved one making an ungodly decision leading to a bad outcome. Instead of feeling hopeful about this person’s future as I had before, I began to slip into gloom and doom thinking.

I felt tempted to cut off contact. My mind entertained thoughts that this person proclaiming he had found Christ was all a hoax. I let feelings of disappointment and despair take over whenever this person’s name or face came to mind.

But then God whispered, “Remember; I told you to love him unconditionally.”

He reminded me that His instruction had not changed. He also brought to my memory a prayer I’d prayed recently, “Lord, let everything that’s hidden come out into the open.”

What had happened was an answer to that prayer.  

Instead of staying focused on this person and the bad choice he had made, I discovered God wanted to  show me my recent bad decision. Although he had not acted like a Christian, God revealed I wasn’t thinking like one. 

When something unexcepted happens, and my response immediately jumps to the negative, that’s unwise. It seems once I board the train of negative thinking, it’s difficult to get off.  

But there’s a way to jump off the speeding train. And that’s to leap into the Word of God and embrace verses which speak of my thought life and my mind.

Isaiah 26:3 helped bring me out of negative thinking and back into a “Praise the Lord” frame of mind.  

 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  KJV

There is a question God wants me to be asking instead of, “Can this person be trusted?”

That question is:  “Do I trust God?”

I’m still learning to, and He’s an excellent teacher.

What about you? When a crisis arises in your life, do you tend to be flooded with negative thoughts and a sense of despair concerning people or circumstances? Turn to the Lord today, and He can help turn your thinking around.   

Cut and paste the following link to read my article “When Those You Love Let You Down; Five Ways to Dealing with Disappointment” which is in the January  2012 issue of MTL online magazine.

http://www.mtlmagazine.com/mtlmagazine/departments/articles.php?cat=my_life

She shared with me what he said and suggested we try going in–later–despite the fact that the water temp was only around 68.

My sister is down here in Florida for her Christmas vacation from school as a teacher in a suburb of Chicago. She and I were spending several days on the beach together. On this particular day Carol and I saw quite a few people enjoying time in the water. It was windy, so the waves were pretty big.   

In the afternoon, equipped with a body surfing board, I headed from our motel down to the water, determined to go in and enjoy the waves despite the low temp of air and water and lack of sunshine. Carol was still considering the whole idea.

The water felt cold, as I expected, but the waves were inviting.

“How can I possibly adjust to the coldness of this water?” I wondered. Also, the air temperature the last time we checked was 71 degrees.

Once I was wet over most of my body besides my face and head, I started body surfing. Soon my whole body–including my head and face–was submerged as I enjoyed riding the waves to shore.

The amazing part came as I adjusted. Before long the water felt warm even though the air felt a bit chilly. I felt like I could stay in the surf all day. I remembered my father saying that if the wind is blowing from a certain direction, you can feel warmer. The thought of the wind warming me reminded me of the Holy Spirit who in Scripture is compared to the wind.  

I went to get Carol and urge her to come in, so we could enjoy the experience together. 

“I can’t,” she said, “I’m too cold.” Usually when there are visitors from up north those roles are reversed with me saying, “I’m too cold.”  

Carol sat on the patio of our motel watching me with her coat on.

As I enjoyed the water, feeling bonded to the Lord because I was doing something that seemed impossible, I couldn’t help thinking of my spiritual life.

How many times I have said, “I can’t do that,” when God has called me to a task in the spiritual realm. Excuses come to mind, and I embrace “that’s impossible” thinking.

Just as I wanted to say of going into the surf in December, “the water’s too cold,” “the air’s too cold,” “I could never get used to the water,” “I’ll die if I do,” I have the same kind of excuses when God calls me to do something difficult spiritually.

As I reflect on that experience earlier this week, I can say I really enjoyed my time in the water. I continue to celebrate doing what seemed impossible, and the bond I felt with the Lord. While I was in the Gulf, I felt invigorated. I felt alive. 

And because of moving beyond excuses to do what lay before me, I feel stronger spiritually. I am reminded of this verse:

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me…  Philippians 4:13 AMP

Thank You, Lord, for giving me that experience which I will never forget. I will let it serve as a reminder to move past excuses and move forward with You obeying whatever You call me to—especially as I embrace a new year.

On the other side of doing so is joy.

To hear more about the subject of Free To Dive In, tune in to WTIS 1110 AM on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 10:30am in the Tampa Bay area. Or ”Listen Live” online at www.wtis1110.com

There are two reasons for this. One has been because I have been facing difficult times during the Christmas season. Life wasn’t going according to my plan. People sinned against me in ways I never thought I’d have to deal with.

The other reason I’ve been melancholy at Christmas is because of the suffering of others.

It breaks my heart to see what people go through. I feel this way especially about family members, friends, fellow Christians, and those I minister to in the world of the mentally ill. Some days I ache over what happens to strangers I read about in the newspaper or hear about on the news.

But this year I feel joyful—perhaps more so than I have in quite awhile.

I haven’t been embracing the negative thoughts in my head about all that’s wrong at Christmas time. Instead I’ve heard God whisper four words about Jesus each time I think of something bad that’s happening in my world or in the world of those I love and care about.

He has been saying of Jesus, “That’s why He came.”

Someone died during this holiday season. That’s why He came—to take the sting of death away.

A precious one is riddled with sickness. That’s why He came—to heal all of our diseases.

People are going through loss, hardship, emotional pain. That’s why He came—to heal broken hearts, to bind up wounds, to set prisoners free.

When I think of this phrase “That’s why He came,” an old Christmas song comes to mind.

The carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is based on an 1864 poem “Christmas Bells” written by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The last two stanzas go like this:

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.

I’m also thinking of the familiar verse that so many of us first heard early in our Christian walks: John 3:16.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Love, giving, eternal life.

That’s why He came.

What about you? Are you or a loved one going through a difficult time this Christmas season? Are you able to embrace the truth: “That’s why He came?” Will you make the decision to celebrate His coming even so and even though? Isn’t it amazing? Jesus is Emmanuel—God with us.  Thank You, Jesus.

I pray for you and yours a blessed Christmas and joy and peace in the new year.

What I had been “feeding” on those days was the Word of God—spending extended periods searching and meditating on the Scriptures. When I looked up at the clock, I was  surprised that hours had gone by.  Not only did this bring about a sense of spiritual and emotional fullness, but even my body felt full.

How often years ago I had prayed words from Frances Havergal’s song, “Lord, Speak To Me:”

 fill me with thy fullness, Lord…

But it seemed God wasn’t answering my prayer.

“Lord, why can’t I be filled?” I cried out often.

There were verses about being filled–with hope, with joy, with peace, with compassion, with the Holy Spirit, with the fullness of God. Yet it seemed I was so far from experiencing any of that.

Then one day while sitting in my Bible study, I wrote a poem about this issue. I’ve lost track of that poem, but I remember a part of it and the theme.  One section went something like this: “How can I be filled with the things of God when I am filled with so much else—like fear of man, and my own plans…?”

The list of all I was filled with went on, but those two were big obstacles which kept me from being filled with all my Father had for me. 

Since then with God’s help I’ve dealt with fearing people more than I feared God. I’ve renounced attempting to please them above pleasing Him. At its core was my being filled with doubt when it came to trusting God.  

As I’ve fought my battle to stop making my own plans and instead follow the Lord and embrace His, I’ve realized when I get caught in this habit, I’m filled with pride, which believes my plan is better than His.

The theme of my poem and what God has spoken to me repeatedly since is this: if I want to be filled, I first need to become empty of the things that are opposite of what I’m craving.

If I want to be filled with peace, I need to allow God to empty me of fear and worry. If I want to be filled with joy, I need to let go of depression, doubt, despair. If I want to be full of compassion like Jesus was, I need to give God permission to empty me of criticism and condemnation.

If I want to be filled with the fullness of God, I need to abort being so full of myself.  

Paul prays a prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20 which is a prayer I’ve embraced for myself and prayed for others. Here is part of it:  

[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!  Verse 19 (AMP)

This is what God wants for me and for each of us. This is why Jesus came to this earth—so that He could empty us of all that destroys and allow us to be filled and flooded with Himself.

Lord, that’s what I want for Christmas—to be filled with more of You and to let that fullness overflow to others.

How about You? Do you feel full of the Lord or full of many other things that battle against your union with Him? Will you be brave and bow before God and say, “Free me, so I can be filled with You?” He will be faithful to answer that prayer.  

To hear more about Free To Be Filled tune in to Hearts Set Free with Elaine @ www.wtis1110.com on Saturday, December 31 at 10:30am. In the Tampa Bay area you can tune in on the radio at WTIS 1110 AM.