Jana Spicka and Women Getting Real Ministries
Posts tagged trust
Deep Breath. And Believe.
Aug 3rd
This is too rich to not share. Charis was playing with 5-yr-old Laila. The younger was teaching the elder gymnastic tumbles. And after Charis’ first or second Unsuccessful Attempt, Laila asked emphatically, “Did you take a deep breath? Did you believe?”
It seems the first basic step before feet are lifted off the floor is: Deep breath. Believe you can do it.
Are you getting this as much as I am? I am believing God for big things. So are many of my friends. God has given us a YES but we still have to walk it out. We still have to run across the mat and Jump. And when we fall over in an awkward mess this is a great reminder. Take a deep breath. Breath Him in deep down. And Believe you can do it. He can do it. He can do it through you.
And keep on doing it.
The funny thing is, Charis has not said one word about quitting. She sees the goal. And she knows, with enough practice, and coaching, and breaths and belief, she can do it.
Do you?
Sweetly Broken – Abortion Healing
Jun 10th
Sweetly Broken
Finally find freedom with yourself, God and others about your abortion.
Play One Woman's Story
“I thought I was over it.”
“I’ve never told anyone.”
“I’m afraid God is punishing me.”
“How can I make this right?”
“How can I forgive….?”
We know how you feel. We have been there too. Through the fear, nightmares, denial, anger and regrets.
But we have passed through to a new place called peace, and true forgiveness. We are still sad about the fact of our past, but we are no longer held captive by it.
God has shown us there is beauty in our brokenness.
We invite you to a tender, honest and safe weekend to hear about how to walk forward in freedom.
What you can expect:
Time to process, time to worship, time to hear truth, time to be honest, time to sort out what’s next?
Teaching and materials by Jana Spicka. Assisted by Alexa Stephenson.
2 night’s lodging in a large spacious chalet.
Check in at 3pm. Check out at 11am.
Heated pool on site.
Four meals and snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning. (Friday night dinner is on your own before first session.)
This is an intimate gathering limited to 12 women. Click here to register now or become a donor.
$40 per Woman Attending Retreat
$100 Donor/Prayer Partner
We want every woman who needs to come, to be able to come but they need your help spiritually and financially. We want every women who comes to have a prayer warrior standing with her in spirit, and to help her bear the burden of the cost. Will you invest your prayers and your funds in another woman’s freedom?
Join us for this unique retreat held at Smoky Mountain Christian Village, a beautiful complex out of the traffic zone of Pigeon Forge, TN.
Pot Full of Promises
Jan 24th
It was a really stunning moment. I was considering lots of decisions that needed to be made. I felt like my back was against the wall and I had to choose: would I react out of fear or faith? Fear would have me grasp at straws, trying to cover my bases. Faith would have me walk in boldness, simply trusting God to provide.
My answer came through a three-way conversation.
Charis asked me, “Is there really a pot at the end of the rainbow?”
“Nope,” I said.
“Why do people say that, then?” Charis questioned.
Instead of focusing on the legend, I had her retell the story of the first rainbow. We talked about Noah and the rain and the bow in the sky.
“Why did God give Noah the rainbow?” I asked her.
“Because it showed God’s promise that He would never flood the whole earth again. The rainbow is a sign of promise. So why would people look for gold?” Charis asked.
And my mouth said out loud what only God could have spoken: “Because people would rather have a pot of gold than God’s promises.”
Did you hear that? the Spirit prodded.
“Yes, Lord. I do that. I want a pot of gold instead of Your promises. Forgive me. Instead I choose Your love, Your promises. I choose You.”
What are you working for? Believing in? Depending on?
Playing in the Sand
Jan 8th
I do it a lot. Act like God is not with me. I get myself in wads and then whine, complain, quit or cope. Instead of simply turning to Them and asking for truth, or help, or just understanding.
I don’t simply stop very often.
But yesterday I did. The wind was blowing fierce on the beach and I sat beside a storage shed to get some shelter. As I was sitting there, I started running my fingers through the white, sugar-like sand. I realized, though, I was still running the autopilot list in my head of stuff to process, fix and resolve.
It was a paradox. Child-like playing in the sand. Grown up stressing in my head. And the Lord asked me, “Write in the sand.”
“What should I write?” I asked.
“How about all that stuff in your head?” (Yes of course He already knows it.) So I wrote out a short list of the needs I had.
“Great. I got all that. Now wipe that away.”
One movement of my hand, it was erased.
“Now, do it again.”
This went on for several lists. Physical needs, material needs. People I was praying for, events coming up. Each time, the reassurance came that He had this taken care of, each time came the instruction to wipe it away.
Then there was a quiet calm. As I sat there for a few minutes and JUST played in the sand, two powerful things happened. One was a simple reflection. Wonder what I wrote last year? He had indeed wiped all those things away. He had over time resolved, provided, and advanced each the issues that pressured me last year. Would this year be any different?
The second thing was a very, very real awareness of His presence. As I played, the wind lifted and shifted the sand smoothing and scattering my doodles. I looked to my right, and the wind was lifting and shifting other little mounds of sand.
“I like playing in the sand too.”
Sometimes you have to stop the noise to hear the roar of the ocean. Sometimes you have to sit and play to remember that you are His child. Sometimes you have to give stuff to Him and let Him blow away all the distractions and just be with Him.
Oh to sit in the delight of the One who thinks of us, more than the grains of the sand.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:17-18
It Leads Only to Evil
Dec 30th
Talk about a wake up call. I was reading Psalm 37 and although I have read this Psalm a hundred times, I saw a line I had never seen. But first a little background. I was stressed out, striving and sick about it. I needed help and wanted answers, NOW! Guess what? God doesn’t always have “NOW” on His clock, so I was really upset. I went to the scripture for comfort, for perspective. And sure enough Psalm 37 delivered both.
”Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn
the justice of your cause like
the noonday sun.
So rich is the word of God. Trust, delight, commit, shine. He will do this. The next passage is about being still and waiting patiently for Him. Yes, it was a comfort. It was a God perspective that I needed.
But then came the cold water splashing in my face. “Do not fret — it leads only to evil.”
Just look at those words. Say them out loud. Do not fret. It LEADS only to evil. It leads ONLY to evil. It leads only to EVIL. I have never considered it before, but it’s true. Fretting leads to gossip, manipulation, deception, stealing, striving, quitting, settling, doubting, coping, addiction, etc.
This is not what God wants for us. Honestly it is not what we want for us but it is what our minds lead us to if we are not centered on trusting God. He promises us rest and hope, “For the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
Focus on the face of God and not on the circumstances. Allow yourself to feel His hands holding you instead of wringing your own. Be mindful of your mind. Ask the Lord to keep you.
