Heather V. Shore's Blog, page 5

Compassion fatigue

This season of a pandemic has led many people to compassion fatigue. Friends who work in caring positions such as nursing, teaching, elderly care, and many others are all struggling with juggling life. Compassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. Recently, I took on freelance writing for GotQuestions.org. Many of the questions we receive relate to the Bible and life issues, but it has also opened my eyes to the suffering in the world. Below is something I wrote for a sweet girl in Asia dealing with compassion fatigue in the midst of her hurting family. Hope it brings you encouragement as we walk through a difficult season of caring.

Go to the Psalms

When we are emotionally drained and weak, the Psalms are a way to breathe life into hurting souls. “The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:17-19 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and he lifts our eyes so we can see Him as our refuge. One of my favorites is Psalm 62:8. It says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” We are to pour out our hearts and cares to God. He hears our prayers as it says in 1 John 5 we are to ask with confidence as he hears us. 1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Jesus also intercedes on our behalf to the Father as it says in Romans. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.” In walking through different scripture passages, we find a God who hears us when we pour out our cares to Him.

Hold onto Joy

We also need to hold onto joy during trials. James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Trials are external and joy does not whitewash the trial. We are to get our focus off our present circumstance and fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Hope is the expression of joy! Hope opens our eyes so we can recognize the benefits of the trial. As you continue to walk through this time of compassion fatigue and seek God’s truth, God will rejoice over you as you walk in the truth of knowing joy. 3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Go to Him in Prayer

When you feel like crying during these times (and crying is okay), I would call on God’s name in prayer. Prayer is our refuge and resource to hold onto! God is our refuge in our time of storm. Through being our resource, he gives us the ability to walk through any trial. Surrender your joy to Him and find Him as your rock and resource. He will walk you through anything you are facing.

For different ways to deal with compassion fatigue, this is a great article from the Wellness Society. It’s always okay to ask for help and to say no. Those things will help you deal with these hard times.

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Fear Not

Fear Not Isaiah 41:10

So many of us fear what is happening in the world – the corona virus. We want to believe there is an end in sight. And at the same time we aren’t sure of what’s ahead. So why do we fear? Why do we fear when it says to ‘fear not’ over 400 times in the Bible? Because we don’t believe God’s goodness in the midst of pandemics. We are to know when bad things come our way there is a great God fighting our battles.

God perseveres through undeserved trials

As we face current trials, where do you find hope and faith? Is it in the news, with our leaders or another source? I would like to challenge us to pick up a Bible and find out for yourself what it says about fear and trials. It says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. If Jesus has overcome death, we are to have peace in the midst of trouble. Trials and pandemics happen because of the sin in the world. But we have a big God who is fighting for us through these undeserved trials.

During this Easter season let us remember who conquered death for the sake of His people. Jesus faced death head on in order to save us to be with Him. The Messiah is the only answer to all of our questions and satisfies all our needs.

God prepares through unusual times

He calls us to be courageous. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God commands us to be strong and courageous in the face of trials. There are numerous things which are to set us apart as Christians. One of them is how we handle fear. Again if we believe God was raised from the dead, shouldn’t we face unusual times with courageousness? Right now, people all over the world are facing fear in the midst of this sickness. Recognizing who is in control and trusting him to strengthen and uphold you whatever happens is one way to show light in the darkness.

How is God preparing you through these unusual times? Do you have more opportunities to testify about your healer God? How will you trust Him to be courageous?

God protects through unexpected methods

God still protects! It’s against His nature not to protect. Through history and the lineage of Jesus, God protected His chosen Son. This is what we celebrate this week – Easter! He is Risen. Jesus persevered through each thing he faced and came out protected. This protection was ultimately to be the sacrifice which saved the world.

Others in the Bible were preserved, prepared and protected by God. Will you trust God to preserve, prepare and protect you? He’s not surprised by whats going on and what we are walking through. He’s asking us to turn to Him and trust Him as our Lord and Savior. Let’s celebrate the one who protects, strengthens and upholds us!

 

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Kindness of God

God are you really good and kind? I haven’t believed God to be kind because of what I’ve walked through. So many compromises have taken root because of wounding, lies and unbelief. Those “foxes” have been healed and removed only by me trusting His voice. Learning to trust those whispers of love and hope, and rooting out the weeds of unbelief in my heart.

This whole battle (the last 3 years) has never been about God taking something away; it has been about God leading me through a journey to recapture my heart and reveal His goodness and kindness to me. His love and His spoken word by the power of the Holy Spirit empowers me to stand in the storm. His voice of love, hope, encouragement, peace, and of “coming up higher” has cleansed the lenses of my heart from the dirt life has thrown at me.

Letting go and walking into kindness

One of my favorite current day prophets is Lana Vawser. She has amazing teachings from God. As I’ve come to understand kindness and goodness, my eyes are open to all the emotions dictating our responses. “No matter what the reality in the natural look like, our true reality is every word that comes out of the mouth of God. I live by that and not my screaming emotions, my circumstances, my false securities, or things going right in my life. I live securely and firmly in the revelation of His nature through His word and His whispers in my life.”

God’s kindness in Hebrew is the word ‘hessed’. It means to love or have acts of authentic friendship. It is also the idea of faithful love in action. In the Old Testament it refers to God’s loving kindness expressed in His covenant relationship with Israel. If we have the word ‘hessed’ at work in our lives, shouldn’t we be living above the circumstances and false securities present? Why can’t we grasp the fact we have a loving God who wants to draw us into a loving relationship?

Because we let the dirt of life weigh us down. We let our emotions and what the world says dictate our reality. Instead of believing what is true of God, we settle for less. God’s guidance restores and leads us into fullness. I love J.I. Packers’ quote on his goodness. “Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us his way, that we may tread it; he wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make, we shall come safely home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good he is.” ― J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Let’s rejoice at the amazing goodness, kindness and love of God!

 

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Which Path?

Anyone else feel like Noah in the Bible?  You’re building a ship with no rain. It’s raining somewhere else, but not in your yard. These are the moments I ask God to show up. Because in the natural I can’t see which path to take or the next bend in the road. It’s okay to not know the future, but what if the future is only about obedience and nothing else? These are the wrestling questions I ask. So which path do you choose?

God closes doors to open doors.

This is the truth! Especially in our lives over the last three years. God has shut so many doors, but has started to open crazy doors which never occurred to me or others close to me. Many people in our camp are questioning our decisions. But guess what? It’s our path. One of my favorite quotes a dear friend shared with me is by Christine Caine. “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. It’s okay. It’s not for them.”

God will use the willing.

This is where obedience comes into play. If you aren’t willing to go and follow, how will God use you where you are? Obedience is closely tied to faith. Faith is not knowing God can, but it’s knowing God will. So in those desperate moments of asking God to show up is where He meets us and says to walk forward in faith. I’ve got you… you just need to hold my hand. You see the thing is God is still good no matter the bad or the hard decisions we are facing. Focusing on a good God who offers us freedom will help us even when we can’t move. We can experience His freedom during the hard times of the faith walk.

God calls us to help each other.

This part has been restored to me in a way which makes me smile. Recently, I started tutoring an Iraqi boy in English and reading. He cracks me up with how grown up he is. He’s had a very hard life, but there’s such a twinkle in his eye he understands there is a better life ahead. One of my favorite parts is that our kids get along so well. They love playing together!

God is with you.

He doesn’t leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6). Even when the path isn’t clear, He always there beside us. He wants us to stop striving, find peace and help others. Standing on the truths He offers such as ‘He will fulfill all His plans for you’ or ‘every good gift is secure’ enables you to know He is with you and for you. The thing is when we partner with God, He is able to do things we can’t even fathom. He takes the indecision and makes the path clear. In making the path clear, He makes our plans succeed.

What path or decision are you facing? We all have things in life which cause us to ponder, take stock or question. In the wrestling and questioning is when we come face-to-face with the creator of the universe and understand His plans are good.

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Growing into 2020

We’re starting a new time! Growing into 2020 and beyond has me so excited for what’s to come. Part of the excitement comes from not knowing what’s around the corner and all that holds. As we venture into this new time, what areas are you hoping to be bold in?

 

 

 

 

Step out of your comfort zone

I stepped out of my comfort zone this year and started working with refugees from other countries. The joy they have shown and taught me has been indescribable. They have displayed what it means to start over in a different country, how to love well and how to help others in needy times. We love how they have invited us into their community and been so kind to our family.

Cease striving

This is hard to conquer, but ceasing striving has come front and center. Truly learning how to let go and release ‘being busy’ as a measuring stick of my life has been so life-giving. Letting go has done wonders for all us even if our kids karate is 3 days a week. Letting go of my agenda and leaning into what God is doing has created a true shift in our perspectives.

Leaning in and listening

Learning how to listen to what God is saying has been transformative. By leaning into scripture, doing the inner healing work needed, and prioritizing quiet time, I’m a completely different person. Starting 2020 in a different space, being guided and shaped by God, has been amazing. The way is narrow, but those who find life can live abundantly.

These 3 areas have been a bold shift for me and my family. Stepping out of our comfort zone and working with refugees has been life-giving. Ceasing  striving and leaning into the new agenda for our life has been so important sometimes I can’t get over the amount of change in 2019. My hope is that each and everyone who reads this tiny blog find the life-giving thing for them. Being shaped by God and stepping out in faith can lead to wonders for this next decade! Here’s to growing into 2020 and beyond. Happy New Year!!

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Baby proofing your home

Baby proofing your home

Our babies are adorable and we love them endlessly, but they need our protection. Making sure our homes are baby-proofed keeps our kids out of harms way. Babies love to explore and play with everything, and that can get them in trouble at times.

There are a few steps we can follow to protect our babies in the home. This 7-step guide has been prepared for parents by house cleaning experts Bettercleans, based in Milwaukee.  Follow the guide and put any missing protections in place for your baby.

7 step guide

1. Baby’s movements can cause damage. Walkers and other movement toys can cause your child to end up in the hospital if unattended.

2. The bathroom is a fun place to bond with your baby. Bath time is always a sweet time, but make sure you have locks on all cabinets and other places they can open.

3. Baby choking hazards such as cords and small toys can cause serious damage. This one is very preventable by making sure toys are age appropriate and putting up blind and electrical cords.

4. Electrical shocks happen more often than most parents realize. With all of the new electrical inventions it’s imperative parents keep their cords out of reach.

5. 2.8 million babies have fall related injuries every year according to the Huffpost. Make sure all appropriate guardrails are in place to keep your baby from falling.

6. See things from their level. Getting on the ground to see if there any hazards at eye level help keep your baby safe.

7. Having the essentials on hand like a first-aid kit and being prepared for emergencies helps prevent your babies from getting hurt. Keeping our kids safe is so important when they are little.

Keeping our babies safe is a priority for parents. Following the 7 step guide above will help your baby stays out of harms way. So let your baby explore happily knowing they are protected at home and by our love.

 

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God Box

I put God in a box. A pretty, blue, large-sized box. Full of compartments where He could only oversee certain parts of my life at certain times. You get the gist, i.e. He’s in charge of the budget this month, or He’s in charge of my attitude this week. Very compartmentalized and on my terms. Somewhere along the way this box mentality started to shift. God showed up in 2017 and started reshaping my box. The box completely disappeared once the reshaping began. I took Him out of the box and let Him be in charge. Of. It. All.

No more box

How do you do that, you ask? Well I finally got my head screwed on straight. Just kidding. I finally came to the end of myself. I was so tired of living in a state of perpetual motion, performance and striving for acceptance, I gave up. Gave up in a good way. When you run into a prophet at Subway who tells you Matthew 6:33 “Seek me above all else, and all of this will be added onto you,” you listen. God is telling you, ‘Hey pay attention. If you follow me, watch out, cause it’s going to be crazy fun. But you have to let me out of the box.”

Randomly throughout 2020, we’re going to talk about finding freedom and wholeness through the Holy Spirit. What does it look like, how do you practically apply what God reveals to you, and how do you live this out. At the end of each post will be a little section called ‘Unleashing the box’. Those questions will help make you think, make you ask God important questions and hopefully receive life-changing truths. My hope is for everyone who reads these words come to know Him as the author of life, fullness, and wholeness. Truly come to know Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit in ways only Father can show you. So, buckle up. It’s going to be a fun ride. The ride of a lifetime.

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3 things every person is free to do

Being free

Summer, our season of being free, is coming to a close. Each summer we take intentional time to hang out as a family. We only have so many summers with our kids and I hope to be able to enjoy each one. This means I put a lot of things on hold and just soak up the time with my sweeties. When September comes, we pick up the pace of life.

For me this summer was about realizing our personal freedoms. In the U.S., we have the freedom to live life as we like. This got me thinking about the freedoms we have as believers. What are our freedoms? We are free to live abundantly, forgive and love. Having free will and being able to do these 3 things to the full can change your life.

Free to live.

Living life to the fullest is my jam. The fullest life means something different for everyone. As believers of Jesus, we see life a little differently. We are free to walk around seeking goodness because we should be seeking after God. If we follow his teachings and learn from His promises, we can walk about in freedom. Psalm 119: 45 says, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”

The flip side of this is knowing we have an enemy. He wants to steal our joy and destroy us. John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” To live life more abundantly, it means choosing full over empty. Choosing to enjoy our life and the people in it means finding the fun despite any hardship. Finding new ways to enjoy all the things allows us to show others how joyful we are.

Love this prayer from MOPs this year. God, when circumstances arise that steal my hope, remind me of your goodness. Show me how to live to the full. Amen. 

Free to forgive.

Forgiving others is the only way to set yourself free from others opinions. Forgiving is something I struggle with when it’s a big offense. Smaller offenses seem to role off my back, but keeping a bond of peace is difficult. Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Regardless of what you believe, we are called to forgive each other. This can be a co-worker, a family member, a neighbor or friend.

After walking through a long season of rejection, in order to move forward I had to forgive. It wasn’t hurting them, but damaging me. This doesn’t mean we stuff our emotions or be emotionally silent. Anger is a God-created emotion and needs to be expressed. So, get it out and verbally process it with God. Write it all out in a safe journal or go take 5 minutes in the bathroom to vent to God. Then you can turn around and be kind and compassionate to others. My kids will tell you that mommy needs her 5 minute time-out.

Free to love.

One of my favorite verses on love is Ephesians 4:2-3: “2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” The author of love is God. He created us and all of our emotions. He also gifted us with the ability to love others and calls us to love others well all the time. Love isn’t hard when practice forgiveness and choosing to be full over empty. 

Knowing you are free to live, forgive and love can make any life more full. Hold onto these 3 freedoms and believe the best for your life. God, the author of love will be happy you did.

 

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Letting go of others’ opinions

2018 was a pivotal year for me where my perspective on others started to shift. As we have walked through this season, one of the fun lessons was learning to let go of what others think. A lot of people care about what others think and I’ve been one of those people. People love to ruminate on what others say and let that affect our actions. I’ve come to realize I shouldn’t care about others’ opinions of me, but care about Jesus opinion of me. His opinion is what matters most. So why do we care so much? Because it’s human nature to want to be liked, but sometimes wanting to be liked comes at a cost when you aren’t living out your purpose. So let’s discover how to move on from others’ opinions.

Learn to let go

One of the big things I’ve learned is to let go of what others think. Start by developing a sense of worth through regular prayer. When we pray over ourselves with the truth of God, we start to believe the worth he has placed in each of us. We are all worthy and deserve to be treated with respect. Part of letting go is figuring out who can speak into your life. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, don’t gossip about you behind your back, and lean into God’s truth.

Believe what God says about you

God created us in his image. God’s design is purposeful and perfect and He created each one of us with unique gifts. Understanding what He says about us helps lead you away from caring about others’ opinions. One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” He says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, his workmanship, loved, and called into good works. When we take to heart others’ opinions, instead of what Jesus says, we set ourselves up not follow after our purpose.

Each day, let God whisper into your heart the truth of who you are and whose you are. Filter the opinions of others through the reality that just because they think it doesn’t make it true. Be brave enough to accept negative feedback as a possible call to action, but not a definition of your identity. And while you enjoy the positive feedback, refuse to get bloated by it. We need to place our identifies in the un-shifting grace of God, and keep our hearts tuned to the reassuring whispers of Jesus. (Made to Crave, Lysa TerKeurst)

Go and be bold

If you are called to something bigger than yourself, do you let others’ thoughts influence your decisions? This is where you learn to let go and here’s why. Sometimes God asks us to do something beyond our ability. This is amazing news! It should scare you, make you a little uneasy because it’s going to be big. So ask God, can I trust you as we walk into this next endeavor? Are you willing to say I will follow you Jesus wherever you lead? If so, congratulate yourself because it’s a great work only He can do. Believe in His leading and walk forward regardless of others. What is God calling you to do?

If you are so inclined to pray after reading this, here is a prayer from this past years People of the Promise Land bible study. Prayer: I am made in God’s image, empowered by God’s spirit and I am a part of God’s plan. Just know if your idea or dream is beyond your ability, God always provides a plan which is purposeful and perfect. Be excited!!

 

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4 Ways to Find Freedom

In my 20’s, I tried everything I thought would bring me happiness. I tried to fill a void with sex, food, alcohol, and shopping. Oh how I wish I had the money I spent after my divorce. Part of it was having the freedom to shop after being financially abused and part of it was being careless. This is where my journey veered into finding freedom. I wanted to be free from the things poisoning my life on a regular basis. Now, there is nothing wrong with shopping, sex in the right context and food. But when those things are controlling you, it can become a big problem. Let’s delve into the 4 areas which helped me find freedom.

Freedom in Identity

We all search to know who we are and wonder in the process what’s our purpose. Each person’s quest is looking to answer the age-old question, ‘Who am I?’ The truth is there is an answer, but most people aren’t willing to look to God. They search everywhere else hoping to fill that void. Once I came to know Christ, I realized there was an answer to my identity questions.

We have a new identity in Christ when we become a Christian. Learning this new identity and applying God’s truths can change our direction and attitudes towards our struggles. Our identity means we are children of God. In our deepest identity, we are also a saint, a child born of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. (Beth Moore, Praying Gods Word) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). We can relish the fact that we are a new creation and the old is gone. How do we apply this to our lives? Through adherence to God’s truth, which brings me to my next freedom.

Freedom in God’s Truth

Look to God’s truth in Scripture to find freedom. His words offer sovereign truths which can break us free from the bondage of this world. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1, NIV, emphasis added). As you study His Word and look for freedom, you will discover that Christ came to set us free.

One of God’s goals is to open our eyes to the truth. He reveals Himself to those who choose to follow Him. God’s precepts or truths are there for us to consume and understand. “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45). As you move forward in freedom, studying God’s Word is essential to finding Him and yourself. Doing Bible studies educate us in the truth that is available. God wants to reveal Himself to us. Let him by meditating on what He says about our freedom.

Freedom in Decisions

As adults, we need to learn how to make decisions and choices. And, guess what? We face the consequences of both our good and bad choices. Oh, my, I have made them both. When I made bad choices, my thoughts didn’t line up with God’s will for my life and, consequently, my decisions affected my life for years to come.

Every day, we face decisions — decisions that affect others and ourselves. Often though, what feels like the easy decision is not the wisest decision. God’s wisdom leads us to live the best life possible. He promises to give you His wisdom when you look for it. The only way to see it is by staying connected with Him. Then, we’ll live the life He designed for us to live.

Freedom from Ourselves

Ultimately, we all want to move forward and not repeat the same issues over again. It means letting go of all the things which keep us from finding our identity in the one who wants to set us free. True freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want. It means being free from ourselves so we can love and act without the fear of having anything to lose. True freedom is being free from ourselves.

This journey of finding freedom has been a complex and wonderful discovery of identity. Following God’s truth enabled me to make life-giving decisions and  finally lean into freedom. This freedom is something I relish and hope others discover for themselves. Finding and maintaining freedom is the only way to be truly free.

 

 

 

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