If a door opens…make sure to use a door stopper!

May 14, 2016May 14, 2016 / Susan Woodward / 1 Comment

Have you ever encountered a door that opened up for you right in the midst of searching or praying for one? What about a door that opened in a direction that you had never thought of going? Sometimes…God clearly opens them…just for us!

If a door opens…make sure to use a door stopper! It’s important not to walk through or shut a door prematurely. Take the time to examine the source of who opened it. Carefully evaluate if it’s in your best interest before you step forward. Sometimes it only appears to be.

Doors can open easily if we are too anxious and looking for ANY opportunity. And sometimes, we just want to flee our current situation. Be careful not to move too quickly, it may not be according to Gods plan.

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The great news is…God truly does open doors for us! He also gives us wisdom on which ones we should quickly close. The easiest way to determine what to do when a door has opened, is to use a door stopper…and pray!

If you weren’t praying before the door opened, you should surely be praying when it does. You don’t want to step in a direction that is unknown, before seeking the Lord.

I have walked through opened doors in my past without using a door stopper. I was anxiously looking for the next best thing, or an answer to something, but I wasn’t seeking the Lord in my current circumstance. Those are the doors that I can look back on now, and see where I stumbled. I fell through them unprepared and without evaluating what was ahead of me. I just jumped through…ready for whatever was next. And what was next…took me in directions and places I shouldn’t have been.

My greatest moments in life (kingdom building and life changing opportunities) have been through the doors that were opened directly by Him. Just because they were opened by Him doesn’t mean I didn’t step through them cautiously. Some have totally been out of my comfort zone and have pushed me to places I had never imagined. But knowing that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” has motivated me to move through doors I may not have on my own. The most effective doors I’ve walked through, have been the ones I was uncertain about. I moved through them out of obedience to Him. Knowing that when “The Lord opens the door, no one is able to shut it.” These kind of doors bring the greatest rewards. So, pray for them…

I am there once again…A door has recently crept open for me. I hadn’t been praying for this one. So, I have used a door stopper. I am praying and searching again now, for His direction. He has never failed me. I’m pretty sure I’ll know when and how to step, as long as I continue to seek Him.

Is there a door you need opened in your current situation? Have you been praying for God’s direction? If not, I suggest you seek Him first. And then, use a door stopper before you walk through. I guarantee that your greatest life moments, will be through the doors that He has prepared for you!

And then…Walk Boldly!

Revelation 3:8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

When Storms Come

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 / Susan Woodward / 7 Comments

Have you ever been in the middle of a storm? With it raging all around you? Where there is no clarity or feelings of peace? I have. And guess what? It’s been more than once, even more than twice. Let’s just say, I’ve experienced my share of storms…and so will you.

Sometimes the storms we face come on fast and strong, then seem to quickly pass and fade away. When things clear up, our outlook on life is often brighter and we have learned something from our storm to use in our future. Just be careful not to hang onto that last drop of rain, doubting that the storm has really ended or never learning anything from it.

Then at other times, the storm we are in the midst of, intensifies over a period of time and reaches a climax that seems unbearable to us. As the winds howl and things continue to pour down, we can completely loose our focus and even our footing. We try to make sense of our waves of emotions and we rely too much on ourselves to weather the storm out.

Whether it’s a thunder storm that we’ve anticipated and been able to plan for, or the dreaded torrential down pouring that happens without warning in our life…our God remains the same and He has the power to calm all of them! Our anchor has to be secured through Him alone.

If you happen to be in any kind of storm right now (big or little) Remember, that He is the only anchor that will hold. He is sure, certain and safe. He (our anchor and our hope) is steadfast, firm and reliable.

It is not in our own confidence that anchors our soul, but the sure reality and belief that Gods promises for us are true. This is our anchor. And this is what we are to lay hold of when our feet may begin to stumble or wander within our storm.

When we put our trust in Christ, our eternal hope, we can make it through any storm that may come our way.

How do we lay hold of something, when we are drenched in the middle of uncertainty?

I too am practicing this…but here are 5 things that have helped me in the midst of the many storms I have faced and am still learning from.

1. Read your bible! You have to know without certainty that your hope is in the eternal presence of God.

2. Pray! Ask God to open your mind and heart to hope in Him alone.

3. Remember how much Christ has suffered for you and your hope. (Wow… what an anchor right?)

4. Praise Him throughout the storm no matter what. Give Him praise for His Faithfulness, Strength, Wisdom, Mercy and Grace.

5. Think about other Christians (family & friends) who have weathered their storms holding onto their hope in Jesus. Lift up and encourage others. Share your testimony of faithfulness during and after your own storms.

May I suggest you start here:

Mathew 7:24-27 -Christ our solid rock

Hebrews 6:19 -Hope an anchor for our soul

Colossians 2:5 -He is with you

Psalm 107:28-31 and Matthew 8:26 -He calmed the storm

Nahum 1:7 -The Lord is good

A letter to my Nieces and Nephews.

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 / Susan Woodward / 4 Comments

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Dear Nieces and Nephews.

Near and far.

I’m sitting here thinking…reflecting…praying for each one of you.

I’m thankful for each one of you and who each of you are. Each of you are special in your own unique way. As I reflect…I can’t help but think of your losses, your goals, your accomplishments, your struggles, your hurts, your gifts and your talents. Some of these things about you I know very well and some of these things I can really only wonder…and pray for you!

I want you to know you each bring me happiness. You make me laugh and just thinking about you makes me smile. There’s not one thing you could do, that would stop me from wanting the best for you. I love to see you, to hear from you, to catch up, read posts, share pictures and to share life’s moments with you. (the good and the bad) I am thankful God gave me each of you and I will never hold the title of being your “Aunt” lightly. It really is a title that brings me great joy!

If there is only one thing that you could learn from me, I hope it would be this…

Nobody…yes NOBODY!! Has or ever will, love you like Jesus. Not your parents, your best friend, your guy or girl friend or even your spouse. Your children that adore you, admire you and look up to you, could never love you like Him. His love is indescribable, unmeasurable, and undeniable! It truly is the greatest love of all…

Life can fail you, friends will hurt you, loss can consume you and pain can be way too real. But…You are never alone! He is greater than all of lifes messes and He will direct you always…as you seek Him. I know too well through my own mistakes and struggles that He is the only answer to life’s problems, and He is the only one to fill an empty void that maybe present. Trust Him.

And so, I have decided to make this my prayer for each of you…

I pray the Lord blesses you and that each of your lives bring Him glory. That you are a light to others in this dark world and a reflector of His love to all those you meet. I pray you have strength to face each day, because some are much harder than others. That you live life to the fullest, enjoying the people in life, that surround you. I pray you are wise in your choices and a positive influence on the road that you walk. I ask the Lord to protect you daily, provide peace when needed, give courage when necessary and multiply your gifts and talents. May you seek His presence often, live by His truth, grow in your faith and personally experience His saving grace.

And I pray to be here for you…to the very best of my ability…pointing you to the one… who will never leave you or forsake you and has the perfect plan for your lives!

I Love You,

Each One of You,

Forever ❤️

Aunt Sue

It is what it is…but it really isn’t!

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 / Susan Woodward

I have definitely said that at times. And in many cases, it has helped me to process whatever it is that has been presented to me or someone I love…a little better.

The easiest way for me to deal with something out of my control is to think “it is what it is.”

But guess what? It really isn’t!

It isn’t what has been presented or what I may see it as. And it never will be!

It’s completely fine to think “It is what it is” if in our hearts we can know that “it really isn’t.”

Situations beyond my control become a little more bearable and understandable (I didn’t say they were easier) when I take the next step and fully trust God and cling to His eternal hope. I have learned to accept that God is the only one who sees what really is.

He is the only one who understands all the details of the masterpiece He is creating with our lives. And God uses every “it is what it is” moment that we face. He uses our every pain and our deepest hurts.

When we look to Him we can make more sense out of something that seems so senseless. We can cling to the promise that His plan is far greater for our lives than we could ever comprehend. We can move forward knowing that everything out of our hands is really in the best hands ever!

His plan is far too complex for any of our knowledge. It is much too beautiful for our eyes to visualize. Our broken hearts could never grasp how all the pieces will perfectly be mended together one day. How He works things out for our good will always be far beyond what our minds can understand.

But He is working!

And what IS really ISN’T.

Learn to trust Him with ALL of lifes moments.

Open your heart, mind and soul to Him.

Remember “It is what it is…but it really isn’t.”

There Is A Fine Line Between Helping and Enabling.

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 / Susan Woodward / 4 Comments

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The desire to help people, especially those who mean the most to us, comes very natural to many of us. Especially to Parents who want to help their children succeed. Unfortunately, this well-meaning impulse to help solve a person’s problem can backfire. I am learning this as I grow older, not only as a parent, but also living a life of Ministry. Trying to avoid back firing can be tricky and difficult. We try to give, help and serve others like Jesus. But in doing so, nobody said it would be easy. It can tear your heart out and make you question all you’ve ever known. But trust God, His timing and His promises! He is proven His faithfulness to me over and over again. And I too am always learning!

I am seriously good at solving problems. It may even seem weird to some of you, but I actually enjoy problem solving. I love to help people, so I am more than willing to do whatever I can to fix things for them. I will always help people, but I have grown more aware of what it really means to enable someone. There is a fine line (but a big difference) between ”helping” someone and “enabling” them.

Personally, I believe it depends not only on the situation confronted with, but the condition of the person’s heart that you are trying to help. I find myself pondering on a few questions whenever I am making the decision to offer my help to someone… so that I do not enable them. Does the person own up to what they have done? Or only when they will gain something in return? Are they being truthful? Demanding? Or rebellious? Is the person willing to help them self and change their ways? And also, is there a pattern to their behavior that needs to be broken? Would I be helping them to succeed or hurting them in the long run? Is there behavior or problem causing harm to them self or someone else?

I felt compelled to write this to shed some light on enabling through my own parenting experiences that have ended in mishaps and also in many successes. I know my children have to solve problems “big and small” on their own. And….Ugh it’s so hard not to protect them from failures! Can any of you relate to this? I know many of you have walked this hard and unclear road as well.

I (we) have great kids! All five of them are different and have different levels of responsibility and different levels of problem solving skills. They, like anyone else, have to make decisions that are responsible and live by their consequences. Nothing makes a parent more proud of their child than to see them trust God and figure things out with His guidance. BUT…I also like to be involved in the process. LOL I struggle with letting go and letting God do his amazing work. (He works even through their struggle) I have learned that being involved in the problem solving process for most people (esp. teenagers and young adults) doesn’t give them an advantage in the long run. It can even make a problem grow or become a temporary fix. No matter what the “problem” is when they have to solve it themselves, they are most likely to learn from the process of figuring it out and less likely to keep repeating it. When they problem solve on their own, they learn from their choices and they gain the confidence needed for the next thing they will face in life.

I am not talking about offering assistance to someone that has an immediate and or true need. And there will always be times we give and offer help not knowing the full circumstance of the situation. When you give from your heart out of obedience and someone abuses that giving, it is on them, not the person who has given. Alway give…

Enabling means: To give someone the authority or means to do something. I recently read somewhere that the meaning has really become more like – “offering help that makes someone or something, (typically an undesirable situation) continue indefinitely. A friend who makes excuses for his hung-over friend is enabling alcohol abuse. The relative who lends money to a drug addict is enabling that addiction. And a parent whose child asks to be “bailed out” of a situation they’ve created because of their poor choices is enabling irresponsibility.

Those who constantly enable dysfunctional behaviors are called co-dependents. I don’t want to be a co-dependent of anyone…..especially in my child’s life. The reality is, enabling not only doesn’t help the person to overcome or learn anything, but it actually causes harm. It can make the situation much worse and continue to repeat itself.

Stepping in to “solve” the problem, takes away any motivation for the person to take responsibility for his or her own actions. Without that motivation, there is little reason for them to change their behavior. Enablers can help their spouses, friends, and children dig themselves deeper and deeper into trouble. People have to solve their problems without a “bail out” (a rescue) or THEY haven’t solved the problem. Therefore, they have most likely not learned from it either.

There is definitely a fine line between helping and enabling. “Helping” would be like letting a teenager ignore their chores while studying for finals or because of a busy work week. Dismissing a teenager’s drug use, drinking, lying, defiance, violence or rebellion as “just part of being that age” is NOT helping.

If you ignore unacceptable behavior…you are an enabler.

If you solve all of the problems brought to you by a person…you are enabler.

I have crossed that ever so fine line of “helping or enabling” myself. I just didn’t realize it at the time. Boy is it a tough lesson to learn for both the parent and the child. The child who didn’t get money at their request, or the “bail out” they feel they deserved after their poor choices, may feel they have lost the parents love. But…Oh how wrong that is….

A Strong love… teaches others to solve their problems, grow and learn from them. Even when it’s painful and can cause heart ache.

Love your children, spouse, friends, and relatives Strong!

Pray for them!

Show them a love that does not enable their behaviors, addictions or defiance’s.

A Love that helps them to grow and continue to blossom.

A Love that allows them to learn from their mistakes and become better at solving them.

A love that never stops loving them, but never loves their poor choices.

A love that guides them in the right direction without picking them up and taking them there.

A Love that does NOT enable.

A person struggling needs a Strong Love…

Christ love for us is Strong!

I am not a professional…..But If someone you know becomes mentally unstable please do not hesitate to seek medical attention. I suggest seeking a counselor or therapist for anyone that has a dysfunctional behavior that could cause harm to their self or someone else. If an addiction to drugs or alcohol is the problem, I suggest enrolling them in a treatment plan, attending a local AA group or a Celebrate Recovery Program and or seek counseling.