Hey McSteamy -- I need my HOPES lifted!

We either see our plastic surgeon to get something removed or reduced, or to get something enhanced or augmented.  Last time I wrote about how my McSteamy removed my ugly growth of bitterness, unforgiveness and whatnot, free of charge.  All I have to do from now on, is remember that its done.  In fact, I think his exact words were, "It is finished."

So now, let's see.  What do I need more of?  I don't want (or need) breast augmentation.  And, rather than a collagen injection to plump up my lips (or whatever else...), what I need to continue with my emotional extreme makeover is an infusion of hope.

Sometimes we look to our circumstances and don't see any reason there to hope.  Maybe it seems like we are in a dark tunnel, without the benefit of seeing a light at the end of it.  It is very difficult to live this way.  It is even harder to die this way.  Even Jesus needed the promise of hope to carry him through.

Scripture says,

"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, 

and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 

Hebrews 12:2

Jesus found hope in the joy set before Him.  He needed that hope in order to get through His most difficult hour.  Naturally, we all need hope to carry us through our darkest hours.

Where is our hope?   

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 

May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,

even as we put our hope in you." 

Psalm 33:21-22

"You are my refuge and my shield;

I have put my hope in your word."

Psalm 119:114

"As for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more." 

Psalm 71:14

"Hope in the LORD and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;"

Psalm 37:34

"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Readers, this is just a small taste of the amazing promises for hope in the Bible.  I pray you will look deeply into His word for yourself.  I am praying for you.  Keep pursuing Jesus for he is surely pursuing you.  May He give you a hope-lift today!

Love Darilyn

Your Mind: The Battlefield

Your mind is a powerful thing.  In Inception, it becomes clear just how powerful our creative forces can be, and how powerful our destructive forces can be.  We can create a whole world in our mind.  And in the movie, people can infiltrate our dreams.

If you've been following the last few blogs on Inception, you know that I have drawn a parallel between Cobb and Satan -- both would steal your good ideas from you, and plant ideas into your mind that are not intended for your long term best interest.

The similarities continue.  In the film folks would have a line of defence in their dream world.  These defenders would identify and attack infiltrators -- this was the source of all the action sequences in the movie!  There was an all-out war going on within the dream worlds.

In reality, you need to train your mind to recognize and reject thoughts that Satan has placed in your mind.  If you "hear yourself" think something like, "I am such a loser," or "I am so stupid," or "I am such a klutz," then you need to blow the whistle on that thought and reject it.

Best case scenario you can say out loud, "I reject that thought!  I am a child of God, Jesus has declared that I am victorious!" or, "I have the mind of Christ, according to scripture!" or, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  Don't just say it.  Believe it, and act like you believe it.

The more Satan's attempts to bring you down this way results in you claiming your scriptural rights as a child of God, the less likely it is that he is going to continue trying the same thing.

And another thing -- if you are plagued by bad dreams, recognize that fear does not come from God!  You can pray and trust that all your dreams will come from Jesus only -- and they will!

If you ask Jesus to be the Lord over your dreams, then He will do battle to keep out the things that frighten you in your dreams.  He will place warrior angels over you who will do battle for you to keep your mind at peace while you sleep.  I know this is true because I did this myself.  My recurring nightmares were gone.  I have told many students about this, they've tried it, and it has worked for them too.

If Jesus is your saviour, then He is your saviour.  Ask Him.  He will be your protector even while you sleep.

Readers, I love you so much.  Thank you for visiting, thank you for sharing, and thank you for the awesome comments that have been coming in.  I am especially pleased to know there is a young girl in Norway following the blog!  Hits are way up -- let's keep it growing.  The Lord promises His word will not return void.  And He has certainly been faithful where this blog is concerned.

Love,
Darilyn

Inception -- How do you know what is reality?

In the movie, Inception, Cobb entered other people's dreams which were at times so real, that he needed some way to determine whether he was in a dream world, or in the real world.  He carried a little token, he called it a "totem" for this purpose.  If the totem continued to spin and spin, then he would know he was in a dream.  But if the totem toppled over, then he was in the real world.

How do you determine what is reality?  Some people live in a world where, they say, God is non-existent and there is no such thing as absolute truth.  Some people live in a world where they themselves are their own god.  Some people deny the existence of the sin nature in human kind, blaming poverty for the evil in the world.

How do you determine reality?  Some people live in a world where it doesn't matter if they "get it right" this time around because they will be reincarnated and get the chance to "try again."  Some people live in a world where the idea of monogamy is absurd, and children are disposable.  Some people live in a world where as long as you don't get caught, it doesn't matter what you do.

How do you determine reality?  In Inception, the totem cannot keep spinning by itself in the real world.  The totem can only continue spinning in the dream world because the dream world is constructed by the dreamer.   So by an act of his will, as long as he is in the dream state, Cobb can make the totem spin indefinitely.

We all have totems we can keep spinning as long as we are in the dream world we construct for ourselves.  We all have lies we tell ourselves to keep our totems spinning.  Perhaps a  wife looks the other way knowing her husband is having an affair.  If she acknowledges the reality of the infidelity, then her totem topples -- she loses her lifestyle, her reputation, her financial security.  Perhaps a businessman pads his expense account, overcharges his clients or cheats on his taxes -- as long as he tells himself that everybody is doing it, he can keep his totem spinning.  How do you determine reality?

How do I determine reality?  I think the earth is God's totem.  He created it, he created the entire solar system, and the many galaxies.  Our world is His reality.  He makes up the rules.  He keeps it spinning.  So, as long as the sun comes up in the East and sets in the West, I know we are all still living in God's reality.  I know God is keeping every planet in its orbit, and every ocean within its boundaries.  I know He is sovereign, and ultimately we are all playing by His rules.  He is my reality.

Readers, the best "reality check" is to see the sun rise and set again.  That proves that we are living in God's reality.  Acknowledge Him, for He is sovereign over all.  I love you, readers.  I pray that you are being blessed, and loving Jesus more each day.

Darilyn

My McSteamy's Nip and Tuck

Reader's when we visit a plastic surgeon it is for one of two reasons: either we want to get rid of a little something, or we want to gain a little something.

Like any woman my *ahem* age, I can think of several things I would like to get rid of.  For starters, the crow's feet that are beginning to circle my eyes like the spokes on a bicycle tire, after that perhaps the bulge that has settled around my mid-section, and finally... let me see...probably the skin tag that no one can see, but I know its there.

But My McSteamy didn't use lasers or a blade to get rid of physically unpleasant stuff.  He used the Word of God, which is sharper than a double-edged sword, to help me get rid of some rather unsightly emotional scars.

First, there is anger, lingering anger otherwise known as regrets, resentment, unforgiveness, or even bitterness.  All of this had to go for me to be made emotionally whole.

One of the things I was angry about was that I didn't hear the name of Jesus until I was a young adult.  I had regrets over how I had lived before I knew Him.  I was also angry about the decision I had made to surrender my career to relocate across the country.  And then I was angry that my business failed, and then my marriage ended.

If you think about it, there is no end of reasons to be angry, if angry is what you want to be.  Well, when I had finally had enough of being angry and was ready to just accept that God is sovereign and not me, then it was easy.  All I had to do was agree with God that He was God and not me.

If you've ever seen Bruce Almighty, then you know this is a good thing.  A very good thing.

So I went to my McSteamy -- no appointment necessary -- and He said, "What don't you like about yourself?"

And I said, "All this anger has got to go!"

And he said, "I thought you'd never ask.  Just give it to me.  I'll take it."

"That's it?" I asked with incredulity.

"Well, yes, and no."  He said, "You have to leave it with me and not take it back.  And you have to choose to trust me every time you are tempted to pick it back up again."

"Thanks, what do I owe you?"

"Nothing, the debt has been paid."

Meet My McSteamy:

Okay, so I am driving home thinking about all the things I have to do, and suddenly I find myself thinking about how far I've come, how much I've changed since I was an emotionally disfigured young woman.

"Emotionally disfigured" I wondered how in the world that phrase came to me. But really, I was. Rejected, abandoned, abused, neglected. But that was then, and this is now.

Then I got thinking that what this world needs is a plastic surgeon who can fix the damage done to our souls so that we are like new again. Something a bit more powerful than "chicken soup for the soul," if you know what I'm saying.

More effective than botox, we wouldn't paralyze our emotions. Our emotions just wouldn't paralyze us. We need a healer that can restore, renew, and rebuild our "ancient ruins." We need a supernatural McSteamy.

Jesus is my McSteamy. Oh yeah! I might be looking a little worn out on the outside -- somedays more than others. But on the inside, I am being renewed day by day. Jesus is real. I am a new creation because of Him.

Before I knew Jesus was really REAL...

When I was a young woman, I was very new to Christianity. I was attending church, and trying to be all that I thought a young wife and mother should be. The problem was that it just wasn’t working for me.

For a long time in my Christian walk, I was pretty sure Jesus existed, and that if I died I’d go to heaven. I pictured myself as a tiny dot in an endless sea of faces all looking to Jesus for hope.

But what I really needed was a faith that made a difference in my life here and now. What was really urgent to me was having a God who cared enough and was effective enough to make my life worth living.

I had a hunch that since God was the Creator of the universe and everything in it, He should be able to fix my life. Or at least help me. Thus I started asking questions.

I didn’t think they were hard questions, but maybe they were:

“If God can do anything, and He loves me, why didn’t he choose to...?”

“If God is strong enough to protect me, then why didn’t he prevent...?”

“If God’s design for marriage is for the husband to love his wife as Christ loves the church, then why...?”

The more I asked, the more it became clear to me that there either were no answers, or nobody knew the answers. I always seemed to get one of those stupid, worthless pat-answers.

You know the ones:

“It won’t matter in light of all eternity.”

“All things work together for the good.”

“God is sovereign,”

“This too shall pass.”

And my ultimate worst-favorite,“You gotta let God be God.”

None of these meaningless slogans helped. The things I had been through, and all I was still struggling with, simply could not be smoothed over by ineffective, sweet-nothings. If Jesus really was real, I needed to know how He could make a difference to me. Right here, right now: in the midst of all of life’s biggest uglies.

Even if Jesus IS Real? So What? How is He Relevant?

I will be speaking on November 21st at Waverley Baptist Fellowship church (see upcoming events for more information) and received this design they created displaying the title of my message.

I absolutely love it! Red is my favourite colour! And the design captures the attitude exactly of the message I will be bringing.

What do you think, readers? Do you like it?

Please pray for me as I continue to prepare the message.

Lord, may all that I say be glorifying to Jesus, may all who hear be blessed and drawn into a deeper and more rewarding relationship with Him. Bless my readers and my listeners, Lord. Thank you so much, Amen.

Inception -- He Will Plant Ideas that Are Not Yours!

In Inception, Dominic Cobb strategizes how to manipulate and deceive in order to plant an idea into the mind of a man. This idea is not there for the man's benefit, but for the benefit of his business adversary.

This is exactly how Satan operates. He strategizes, manipulates and deceives all in an attempt to make you believe that your thoughts are actually your thoughts.

But, often they are not.

Have you ever thought, "I am so dumb."?

That is exactly the kind of thought that Satan plants in you. Why? Because you are God's workmanship! You are the apple of God's eye. You are so loved by God that He gave His One and Only Son so that you could spend eternity in heaven with Him. You are important to God, and if you have accepted Christ as your Saviour, then the Bible says, "We have the mind of Christ."

So, by getting you to believe that you are thinking to yourself, "I am so stupid." then Satan not only has you down on yourself, but also has you calling God a liar. But God is not a liar -- Satan is. He is lying to you trying to make you think that you think you are dumb. But you don't think you are dumb! You, in your renewed spirit, know that you have all the wisdom you need in Christ.

James 1:5 says that God gives wisdom to ALL who ask. So the next time you are tempted to think you are stupid, Stop yourself and pray instead, "Lord, thank you that in Christ I have the mind of Christ. Thank you that you give wisdom to all who ask. I am asking for wisdom right now Lord. Thank you that I am not stupid! Thank you for your wisdom! In Jesus' name, Amen!"

Other thoughts that Satan tries to plant in you is that you are unworthy of love, that you are no good, that you are unattractive or too sinful to be helped. All of these are lies of the evil one.

The Truth is that God loves you so much that He sent his son to die for you. He values you so much that he wanted to make a way to reconcile you to himself for all of eternity. He made you in his image. He is God enough to redeem you from anything you have ever thought, or said, or done. And Jesus has redeemed you. He said on the cross with his last earthly breath, "It is finished."

The Bible tells us to take every thought captive. To do this we must become aware of the thoughts that are entering our minds. When we recognize one that doesn't line up with God's truth we have to blow the whistle on that thought and reject it. Then we need to remind ourselves of what God's truth is on that matter.

Keep telling yourself the truth. If you can, say it or sing it out loud to yourself as often as possible. Even if it is a little child's song like, "Jesus loves me, this I know..." Do it. The devil will flee from you if you resist him.

Remember readers, I am praying for you. I love you. I care about your walk with Jesus. Cling to Him for He is clinging to you. He is with you always, even to the end of the earth.

Love,

Darilyn

Welcome to Tried and True!

Ever since discovering the stats tab here in Blogger, I have checked on a regular basis to see where the readers are who are accessing this blog. I have been keeping track, and much to my own surprise and fascination, there are new countries represented every day.

A few days ago, I added a page and posted the flag of each nation of my readers. Since then, in just a few days, new readers have joined from Jamaica, Isle of Man, Romania, Poland, Egypt, Australia, Spain and Ecuador. I will add their flags shortly.

Now, you would think that all of this activity on my blog would make me very happy. And it does. But, it also makes me hyper-aware of the fact that I will give an account of every word I have spoken (well in this context, written) to the One and Only! And that makes me a little nervous. Maybe even a lot nervous.

It is my greatest desire to lift you up, readers. To inspire you to a closer walk with Jesus, or if you don't know Him personally yet, to inspire you to invite Him into your heart.

I hope and pray that each one of you has a copy of the Holy Bible to call your own. And I pray you are checking and double-checking everything I say against the truth of God's Word. If you don't have a copy of the Bible, and many of you may not, then how much more important is it for me to accurately represent God's Truth to you.

So my prayer today is this:

Help me, Lord Jesus, to accurately portray your character, your greatness, your holiness, your loveliness, and your gentleness to my readers. Help me to correctly interpret and impart your wisdom and truth to the readers of this blog. Let this blog be a blessing and treasure to all who find it. Let these readers grow and benefit from what they find here, and let them have the courage and kindness to share it with others around the globe. And Father, bless all those who seek to know You. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Readers, you are so precious to me. I watch for you every day. I treasure your trust in me. If anything I write has been a blessing to you, thank the Lord for it. As you go about your day, please know that Jesus loves you more than you could ever fully realize. And He is with you wherever you go.

Love,

Darilyn

Inception -- He Comes to Steal Part II

Dominic Cobb is a professional idea thief. He infiltrates peoples dreams and takes their best ideas then turns them over to their corporate rivals.

In the same way, Satan wants to take your best thoughts and turn them against you. He wants to take your confidence and turn it into self-doubt and self-loathing. He wants to take your hopes and dreams leave you in shame and despair. Your enemy wants to twist your faith into disbelief.

The Bible says that the work of God is this: to believe in the One he sent. Satan says you haven't done enough to earn God's love.

The Bible says that you have been rescued out of darkness. Satan wants you to believe that there is no hope for you.

The Bible says that you are the workmanship of God, created in His image. It also says that the King is enthralled with your beauty. The devil wants you to think you are not tall enough, thin enough, or beautiful enough. He wants you to obsess over every little freckle and blemish and extra pound, as if you are not good enough.

The Bible says that God has a plan for you, plans to give you hope and a future. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Satan wants you to sweat over where your next meal is coming from, and to blame God for the challenges you face.

Yes, Satan is the father of lies and a thief through and through. Like I said, he wants to steal your peace, make you worry, and plunge you into despair. The Bible says that Satan wants to take you captive to do his will. Don't let Satan have his way with you.

Call on the name of Jesus, and get your nose between the pages of scripture. Read what it says. Believe it. Trust that God loves you.

Lord, let my precious readers know how much they are loved. Let them seek to know for themselves how much you love them. Lord, I pray you will reveal yourself to them in a way that is profound and life-changing.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing this blog with those you love.

Darilyn

Inception -- He Comes to Steal

The movie Inception is about a man, Dominic Cobb, who is an expert in infiltrating peoples’ dreams and “extracting” their ideas, that is, stealing them. This all supposedly takes place as a form of corporate espionage.

In this movie Cobb faces his greatest challenge -- rather than stealing an idea -- he must plant an idea, he must accomplish “inception.”

These two insidious attacks against the mind are just like the attacks that Satan launches against our minds. First we will talk about what he attempts to steal from us, and later we will talk about what kinds of ideas he tries to plant in us.

Satan is alive and well and “prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” He is the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

What does he come to steal? One of the things that the devil wants to take away from you is your peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isn’t it obvious, then, that Satan wants to rob you of that peace?

Satan wants to get you worrying. Why? Because Jesus has told us not to worry about tomorrow! When we worry, we are defying a direct order to not worry!

I have to admit right up front that worrying is something I fall into all too often. Just ask my kids, or my husband, they would tell you that I definitely worry too much! I have felt convicted over my worrying because I realize that worrying is evidence that I am not trusting God. Worrying implies that I do not believe that God has got my back.

So, yes, Satan wants to rob you of your peace and get you worrying.

Another thing that Satan wants to take away from you is the Truth that is sown in you. In the parable about the sower, some of the seed is stolen away by the birds of the air before it can take root -- that is a picture of how Satan wants to steal away the Truth the very moment you hear it!

Readers, this blog is a place you can come to for Truth. I promise you to bring you the pure Truth and put it into words you can understand and enjoy. Please pray for me that I find time to write for you, and that when I write, I am diligent to stay accurate to scripture.

Thank you so much for reading, thank you for coming back again, and thank you for sharing this blog with others! I love you, I pray that this blog is a continuing blessing to you and yours.

Darilyn