Clearing Away the Clutter

On February 4, 1974 Patricia Hearst, heiress to the Hearst fortune, was kidnapped by the terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army. The country was astonished when videotaping of her holding a machine gun in the midst of a bank robbery surfaced on national news. It was uncharacteristic of her to have such erratic behavior. Those who knew her well came to the conclusion that she must have been brainwashed. Once she was set free, it took her months to grasp her freedom.

It's taken me years to get here. It's proof of His relentless love that pursues to make all things new. The more He reveals to me, the more I see.

I was brainwashed by a hodgepodge of beliefs I’ve allowed to collect in my mind. It’s come through many different avenues in life. As a result, I have lived under the auspice of a false identity.

Little by little the clutter in my mind is being cleared away, revealing the true identity that has been hidden within.

In my Grandmother's house was an attic filled to overflowing with artifacts and trash, evidence of life lived. When it came time to prepare the house for new occupants the attic had to be cleaned. We all dreaded it. There was over 80 years of stuff stored up there. We knew it would take us hours, even days to clear it all away.

We donned our masks and braved the steep steps into the dark to begin the daunting task. We had no idea what we would find. At times we would come across a treasure. It told us something about the person it belonged to. But the bulk of what dwelt in that attic was trash. Things that should have been thrown away years before, were hidden away in the dark, taking up space.

So it has been with me. Papa God has been cleaning out the nooks and crannies of my mind. He's been removing the debris that has cluttered it, keeping me from living in the truth. In the process, the treasures of who I really am are coming into the light. I'm learning to love what He loves. I'm learning to love ME.

The more I discover the more I realize. It is imperative that I know what He thinks about me. It's crucial that I live in the new identity which He has restored to me. It is, after all, who I was always made to be.

I've allowed life around me to define my identity. It is not His way. It never will be. For you see I was crucified with Christ. I no longer live. Christ now lives in me. My identity is Christ in Julie Todd.

He's always known me. He wants me to know too. He pursues me until I see. My sins do not define me, nor do life's circumstances. My behavior is not an indicator of who I am. It is my reaction to the world around me instead of my response to a God who loves me.

David invited God in Psalm 139: to search him and know if there was any hurtful way in him, to lead him in the way everlasting. As I pondered the Hebrew translation I realized something. David invited God to look inside him and reveal those things that have been damaging. He wanted to be guided to the everlasting way. It is the way that has been from the beginning.

I want to live like that. I want to live in who I was meant to be, before I entered a world covered in sin.

He's clearing away the clutter. Who I have believed myself to be is not who I am.

I'm finally beginning to see.

On my worst day, I am the righteousness of Christ. It just doesn't get any better than that.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference. Romans 3:22

©copyrighted: 2009 Julie L. Todd

My friend, Tiffany from Tea With Tiffany, has me as a guest blogger today. Pop on over and visit Tiff. She's a dear friend of my heart. Let her know I sent you!

Hitting the Snooze Button

The alarm goes off too early in the morning on Tuesdays. I often hit the snooze button hoping to escape my reality. The truth is I don’t want to get out of bed. It’s comfort and warmth invite me to linger as I lay there trying to block out the inevitable. Eventually I will have to rise up and face what’s set before me. No matter how many times I pound that snooze button, life always ends up beckoning me out.

I’m always amazed at how daily life often exhibits life in the Spirit. It happened again for me this week. My emotions are much like my alarm clock, especially anger. Like lights on the dashboard of a car, they will reveal what’s not firing correctly, if I will pay attention.

Emotions resounded in my body this week and I hit the snooze button. I knew I needed to leave my comforts and face them, but honestly, I just really didn’t want to go there. No matter how many times I pounded that snooze button, Jesus continued to come. His life inside, beckoned me out of the covers of self-protection.

Journal in hand, I drew away to a quiet place. I know Jesus well enough to know, He loves me too much to leave me escaping the emotions. He won’t stop coming after me. After all He came to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds.

The feelings inside indicated my reality. There was a broken place still at work.

I’ve come to understand something about broken places. We all have them. They are a result of entering into a world filled with sin. Some of us acknowledge that we have them, some of us don’t. It doesn’t change the facts. If Jesus said He came to heal the broken hearted, we must be broken.

A few years back my husband’s work computer was stolen out of his truck. Months later it was found and returned. While in his possession, the thief had created his own password and entered in his own data. It was on the computer that bore my husband’s name but it was not the original data. We began to slowly remove all the old programming in order to restore the laptop to his original state.

Jesus came to restore my data. I’ve been under the influence of a world of sin, some of it mine, some of it what I received at the hands of others. All the while a thief programmed false information into my mind. It’s not the original data. I’ve been lied to, misled and robbed.

When my emotions get stirred up, the alarm goes off to awaken me. It’s an invitation to have my programming restored. Why do I hit the snooze button? Why is it when the invitation comes I shut it off, hoping to avoid it a little while longer? Sometimes I just don’t want to go there. I prolong my freedom.

Jesus came to heal my brokenness. He came to do a clean sweep of all the false data that has filled my mind. He wants to restore me to my original place.

Healing comes when I allow the resounding of my emotions to invite me out to walk with God. It’s in those moments of telling Him how I feel that I find truth that sets my heart free. What I am feeling indicates what I am hearing. The false data is exposed.

But some days, I just want to hit the snooze button and ignore it all.

It is His constant love that refuses to leave me alone. His Spirit pursues me, wooing me into that place where He and I can meet, it’s the place where the freedom waits.

His truth sets me straight. His voice whispers to me what He & My Father see in me. He reminds me of my reality. I am valued by the Creator of the universe. No one can take that from me. Healing permeates my being as I allow His programming to replace what was previously there.

Life once again beckons me out of the comforts of that which has covered me. His beauty replaces the ashes of my past. He came to heal my broken heart. He came to set me free.

The Bride Has Made Herself Ready

It was the most perfect of days..........

As she turned the corner and walked toward him, his eyes beheld her beauty. No matter how hard he tried he could not contain his emotions. The tears began to fall. I will never forget it. The sheer sight of his bride allowed the love that filled his heart to spill out onto his face.

The look in his eyes said it all. “I’ve waited all my life for you.” It was a moment frozen in time. The groom saw his bride in all her splendor for the first time.

His face was a picture that spoke a thousand words. Finally the one he had longed for would become his. The wait was over.

Jesus seared the image of my son-in-law in my mind as He spoke to me. “One day that will be Me.”

There is one who waits at the end of the aisle for me. He’s counting down the days until we can be together. He is and will always be captivated with me. The fact is, I take His breath away. I am the bride He has been waiting for. So are you.

One day He will come. One day we will be together.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelations 19: 7.

Glimpses of the Day:

I stand amazed

In 8 days life as I have known it will change for good. My 2nd born daughter will be leave my home. She will become a wife to a wonderful young man chosen perfectly for her. Sorrow and joy mingle together in my heart. It's been a year of change, a time of saying "goodbye's"

My daughter got engaged 3 days before my father met Jesus face to face. Five months later my oldest daughter moved across country. In 8 days my 2nd "chick" will leave the nest.

Much has changed in these last few months. My mind tries to wrap around it all sometimes. Sadness mixed with rejoicing has been the journey. Jesus has been found there waiting in the midst. He has wrapped me up in His embrace until the pain subsided. He continues to enfold me as I watch my children leave my home one by one. A new day dawns. I wait in expectation knowing that Jesus will find me and pull me tight in His embrace as He & I together embark on a different trail. My days of mothering as I've known with these two will move to a different place.

It wasn't long ago that I wondered how in the world we would pay for a wedding on such a shoestring budget. I stand amazed at how lavishly Papa God has met each need.

My favorite story is of the wedding dress.

One Sunday in April, we went wedding dress shopping. I asked David, "what do I do if she finds a dress?" He said, "buy it and we'll figure it all out later." She found the wedding dress of her dreams. It was on sale at a very good price, yet I wondered how it would all work out. I've never been one who's been good at hiding what's going on inside me. As I made the purchase I hoped my concerns wouldn't show on my face.

My husband works for the telephone company here in town. Due to the economy, overtime has been eradicated. It's seldom that anyone gets any. But on this particular week, following our dress shopping, David happened to be on call, which meant he would get a little overtime. It would not be near enough to pay for the dress but maybe it would help.

At the end of the week a storm front came through these Georgia mountains, leaving people with all types of telephone, cable, internet problems. David was called in. He worked over 20 hours of overtime. The amount needed to pay for the dress was in the next paycheck. I stood amazed. It was as if Papa God was saying to me, "Rest Jewel, I've got you covered." He painted a picture of HIs heart, allowing me to see that His provision can be found even in the storm.

It's been that way all along. One thing after another has been covered. I stand amazed.

In the midst, I have been changed, yet even more. For once again, I have seen the hand of God in it's brilliance. He has come to reveal deeper truths in the midst of my inner struggles. As I have watched Him cover each detail of my life I am reminded, He holds me in His hands. All the while a deeper rest has come for my soul.

His beauty permeates my being as I find Him each detail of life. I'm finding in the deepest places of my soul that He has each and every facet of my life covered. The snapshots of His heart before me are more stunning than sometimes my mind can conceive.

We started out on a shoestring budget, we are ending with the wealth of a deeper knowing of the extravagant heart of a Father who loves.

I stand amazed!

Kevin & Courtney - October 3, 2009

©copyrighted: 2009 Julie L. Todd

Let Me Tell You the Truth

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” It’s one of the most profound statements in the Word of God. I’ve come to discover it’s the key to unlocking the image of God etched on my life.

The more truth that comes, the more I realize how captive I have been. I am not who I thought I was. Much is being peeled away. With each layer uncovered, the beauty of God is manifested. He knows who I am. He’s letting me see too.

I’ve lived a bipolar lifestyle, spiritually speaking. I’ve lived in two extremities. We all do it. In fact, there’s only one who didn’t, Jesus.

One minute I live in the Spirit, the next I fall back into the flesh. One minute I live in the new identity, the next I’m back listening to the old man. It’s easy to run between the two worlds. After all I’ve lived most of my life reacting to the world around me. I became who my world told me I was.

I looked to other things for my identity. I didn’t look to the one who is truth. I’m learning what that looks like. The more I go, the more truth I find, the more release is realized.

What if my reality was, He was the only one I looked to? What if I took what I felt and asked God what He thought? What if I stopped trying to figure out my life and asked Him? What if I fought for weakness instead of strength, knowing that in my weakness He would be strong?

Christ was the strongest man who lived on this earth, yet He lived a life of weakness. He was totally and utterly dependent. He never looked to Himself. He never took care of things on His own. He didn’t react to His surroundings and what others said. He had only one place He went, to the one who is Truth.

My flesh is dead. Who I was no longer lives. Christ now lives in me. It’s now Him in me. A clean, slate, a fresh new start is my reality, whether realized or not.

Here is my actuality. If I am managing my world on my own, I am not living in who I am. For if I rely on my strength I do not live in His.

Unless I look to the Father I will not live in who I am. It’s that simple.

If I manage and control my life it will only hinder my revealing. When I rely on my strength, God in His totality becomes unrealized.

Many of us live unaware of who we really are. For if we did, we would know we are the objects of His deep affection. We would love ourselves. We would display freedom and life. Christ in us would not make a move without Him. It is He in us who reveals the truest things about us.

The truth sets free. I know, I’ve seen.

What if our lives truly did follow what Jesus knew. What if we tapped into Him in us. What if we saw what He saw, loved as He loved. What if we laid down the mantel of carrying our lives in totality and ran to Him in our weakness. What if we ceased our efforts, to save & protect ourselves, and rested in His? What if His strength could be realized in us as it is in Him. What if our old lives were completely exchanged for His?

It is the invitation of the gospel.

God knows exactly who we are. He knows the path that will reveal our lost identity. His invitation is there waiting every moment of every day. “Let me tell you the truth. It will set you free.”

©copyrighted: 2009 Julie L. Todd

Meet My Niece, Gracie

This is my amazing niece Gracie. She's had a burning desire to be an actress for years. In fact she's already had a part in a movie; "Broken Bridges". Most recently she has moved from her home in South Carolina to Los Angeles to pursue her dream.

She needs people to write a blog post publicizing her participation on the show.. so here I am..

She was chosen out of 2,000 entrants from across the US to be on a reality show called "Hellbent for Hollywood". "HELLBENT FOR HOLLYWOOD is the first reality series that combines the excitement of AMERICAN IDOL with the competitive challenges of SURVIVOR where a hundred actors, cast from thousands, compete for their big Hollywood break. Created by an award-winning production team, the show is a window into the real world behind-the-scenes struggle of actors coming to Hollywood from around the world, seeking an opportunity to build their talent. The last actor standing could be the next film and television star." The winner gets a career "makeover" with personal trainer, agent, headshots, cash, and a lot of press.

She has made it to the top ten. The final contestant will be chosen on Saturday. They are currently in the process of finding a network to pick up the show. If you would like to vote for my sweet niece, go to : Hellbent Hollywood. She's # 372.

Love you, Gracie!

Review of Bo's Cafe

When I saw that my friend John Lynch had written a book, soon to be released, I had to ask. "Can I review the book?"

Much to my delight, I found that he was delighted to oblige.

Soon after that brief email, my copy arrived in the mail.

I loved it from the moment I started reading. I could see my story written in the pages...

This is by far one of the best books I've ever read. Though written in novel form, it is filled with the truths of God's desire for shared relationship and healing.

It's a story of a man, named Steven, who is broken and doesn't know it. His marriage reveals it, but he's too blind to see. That is until Andy enters into his world.

This amazing book gives a beautiful picture of what we were made for. Created in the midst of of the Trinity, joined in relationship, their shadow falls on us. We were made to walk through the roads of life with others. Bear one another's burdens isn't just about taking a meal to a sick friend. It's about getting in the trenches of hearts, loving others where they are to where they were made to be. In the beauty of shared relationship we find healing. This book portrays the value of letting others know your story, past and present.

Everyone needs a "Bo's Cafe" in their lives.

Beautiful job, Bruce, Bill & John. It is a stunning portrayal of a shared journey. It is a brilliant depiction of how love heals. To be honest, I'm sad that I finished reading. Thank you for the honor of reading "Bo's Cafe". It has spoken my heart's desire. I pray that I can be an "Andy" or "Cynthia" to those Papa God brings across my path. Well done!

This book is now added to my "must reads" list. Get a copy. You won't be disappointed.

To find the book, check it out at: Bo's Cafe: