We're Not Gonna Take it!!!

out·wit

outˈwit/

deceive or defeat by greater ingenuity.

I love definitions because they break down meanings for me and help me understand more clearly. As I was reading the Word today, I came to this passage in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

"Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."

Outwit-to deceive or defeat by greater ingenuity.

How are we deceived? When we don't forgive! It's that simple, it's that ingenious, it's just that clever of Satan and his ignorant designs to defeat us simply by our inability to FORGIVE.

We hear of the importance of forgiveness all the time. Many of us have the same reasons why we don't...."It will take time....I'm just not ready...Some things just can't be forgiven..." Well, here is the reality, as we sit in unforgiveness...taking our time to release others of their wrongs to us, Satan sits their standing over us in our defeat, deceiving us into thinking it's OK to take our time, whispering things like "you have been so hurt, not many would be able to forgive such a wrong" or he might even say..."when your ready, no hurry, there is always tomorrow."

In that, we have have been deceived. We have been outwitted. Make no mistake UN-FORGIVENESS is serious.

Just imagine if we prayed to the Lord "Forgive us our trespasses (the ones that aren't to big) in time and when you are ready if it's not too hard for you, maybe tomorrow or whenever is fine, just as we sometimes forgive others, but sometimes not because we have been wronged too deeply, and lead us not into temptation......"

THAT, my friends is the way the deceiver would like us to pray, BUT just as Paul said to the Corinthians as they were struggling "I also forgive.....SO THAT we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."

Notice that the single act of one person forgiving does not just affect one person, but the body. Paul forgave so that "WE" would not be outwitted. Let's battle the sin of our own individual unforgiveness because it affects the body...it is like a cancer. When we forgive, the body of Christ begins to heal and stand.

Friends, Do not be ignorant of the schemes of satan. Release those who have done you wrong, forgive as God has forgiven you..TODAY.

Unforgivness is serious, it is that place where satan takes us out at the knees and leaves us immobile. It is one of His most ingenious designs. 

Stand, friends! Stand against the schemes of satan and if you are holding onto Un-forgiveness, stand in the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to give you the strength to forgive SO THAT you, so that WE will not remain outwitted, but that you will outwit the devil and stand on the Rock, the one who has forgiven you so much SO THAT you can forgive others.

I love you in the Lord, brothers and sisters. Stand, my friends, STAND!

United we stand, divided and Outwitted we fall! The victory has been won, lets stand in it!

So along with the Comedian Kerri Pomarolli whose family sings the song "We're Not Gonna Take it, No we ain't gonna take it, We're not gonna take it anymore!" I sing right along!  Or we can listen to Matthew West. Either one, but sometimes I just gotta scream it out...depending on the day, depending on the battle!

Does She Look like Me?

Growing up in a family that understood the definition of family was a beautiful thing. I remember standing before a judge at the age of 12 and telling him that I wanted Joan and Paul Grotelueschen to be my parents. I wanted to be adopted by my Mom & Dad. They were my parents and they had been for the last 12 years. The Grotelueschen kids were my brothers and sisters. That was real. I didn't even need a piece of paper to tell me that, but you know, paperwork is good!

I didn't look like anyone in my family and that was ok, I didn't even know what it was like to look like someone. I was clearly adopted and stood out like a sore thumb and that was just fine. We knew what family was. My sister was blond haired and blue eyed and my other sister was adopted from Hong Kong. We were sisters. My brothers were great looking white guys, strong and athletic, who loved their little sister. We weren't your traditional family, especially in the 60's and 70's, but we were family and still are!

I'm assuming you know which one is me. I was still (technically) a foster child at this point.

Mia-Mom-Kit San

Back to that little girl.... honestly, there was always something inside me that a wondered.... "Is there anyone out there that looks like me?" Well, one day when I was 16, I got the answer to that question when I sought out my biological family, located them and took a train and bus to the south side of Chicago to meet them. It was actually kind of weird. Here, before me, were people who shared my blood line, black people, like me. I felt a bit out of place. It was all so surreal that I didn't even stop to take a mental picture and ask do we look alike?

Well, that was years ago. And here I am, now in my 40's, posing a question which at the end of the day, doesn't matter, yet, I still feel like asking. A question which now doesn't define who I am, because I know who I am, where I belong and whose arms I am wrapped in. I know what family is, I know what unconditional love is. I know these things, but today, it's just kind of fun looking at my sister, Nita, who grew up so close, yet so far away from me, with a different family, in a different environment, and a different Mom, yet a Mom who gave birth to me too, who gave me life and sacrificed so that I could stand before a judge one day and say I want Mr. & Mrs. G to be my Mom & Dad. That's pretty awesome.

So, tell me....Do I look like my sister?

Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, yet, still miraculously my own. 

Never forget for a single minute, you didn't grow under my heart, but IN it.

-Author Unknown

Weeping For Joy

"And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away." Ezra 3:11-13

I read this passage this morning and so many thoughts flooded my mind. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. The old men who had seen the glorious temple in all it's splendor in the days of King Solomon looked at the humble foundation of this days temple and wept because they knew what had been and at the same time rejoiced in what was to come..... the new had come.

Those who had not seen the temple of the past rejoiced at the rebuilding and the newness of it all brought such joy that they SHOUTED (and I mean really shouted) to the Lord... "And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, 'For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.' ” Ezra 3: 11

I have had times where I saw what had been and wept and at the same time I saw what was to be and I rejoiced. After my sister died, leaving behind four amazingly beautiful daughters and the worlds best husband and father, he remarried. I remember sitting at the wedding and shedding tears for what could have been if my glorious sister were still alive....her girls someday getting married, graduating, my sister being a grandmother...but none of that was going to be. I shed tears because I knew what had been taken away, YET, at the same time, I rejoiced at what was to come.

Here standing before my eyes was a man with his four daughters committing to love another women, to take her as his wife and to embark on something new and because of that I rejoiced. Because of the Love of God in their lives, because God is sovereign, because I know that God is good, I could rest in joy and know that what was to come would be beautiful. Because of that, I have a new sister, whom I love because God first loved us.

You see, my weeping of what could have been was wrapped up in the joy of what was to come. My shouts of joy covered and held close the tears like a mother holding a weeping child to her chest.

Sometimes we weep, sometimes we mourn, sometimes we rejoice, sometimes all at once and sometimes in part. But, sometimes the joy comes in the mourning and sometimes joy really does not come until the morning.

So whether you are weeping right now for what could have been, know that joy will come. And if you are one that is standing in joy, may your joy encompass those around you, may you be a rock for them in their sadness and may your joy carry them through the mourning and into the light of a new day.

Shout for Joy all you people, Shout for Joy!! Salvation has come!!

"For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" 

Stuck!

By the grace of God my husband and I own (ok, lease) two new cars. One for him and one for me...... and by me, I mean, the three other adult drivers (my babies) in my house who eat my food, have jobs they need to get to (so that they can pay for college), have weekly servant events, go to mid week worship and love to socialize.

What does that mean for me, a stay at home mom who works from home? Well, it mean just that, I'M STUCK AT HOME WITH NO CAR. My new car that I love so much, I can't even remember the last time I filled it up with gas. I do however know that it is being filled every few days as evidenced by my bank records.

I'm stuck.... at home..... ALL THE TIME. I have to submit in advance and work around others schedules if I want to use a car or even take my son to the ER. It all requires strategic planning. Thankfully, my husband, Bob, has a Doctorate in Family Logistics. All requests and scheduling go through him. He's amazing, what can I say!!

Today, as I made breakfast for my son, who tends to also be confined to the house due to transportation issues, I prayed this as we sat down together... "Dear Lord help us today as we remain in this home, to be lights in all we do. Help us even in are stuck-ness to do your will and your work. May being stuck not stop us from being a light and bringing glory to your name. Amen"

After I prayed this, it dawned on me... actually it dawned on me as I was sitting on the pot-because it's the one place in my house where there are the least distractions...no t.v, no computer, no phone.... (TMI), nevertheless, it struck me that there is so much I can do in my stuck-ness that I couldn't do if I were out and about. So much!!

So today, I re-dedicate my time bound in this house to love, to serve, to clean, prepare meals (we are having pot roast tonight), to plan, to pray and to give glory to God in all I do. May this offering be an act of worship, may I be a living sacrifice right where I am.

Now, to encourage you.....Wherever you are, even if you feel like you are stuck..in that job, in that relationship, in the kitchen, wherever you are, remember that God is sovereign, He is in control, and He cares about where you are and what you are doing. May you fix your eyes on Him, the author and perfector of your faith and run a good race right where you are even if that means doing laps around the kitchen. Give glory to him in what you are being called to do today in preparation for what He may call you to do tomorrow.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 

1 Corinthians 10:31

Bloom where you are planted!

~Mia