Category Archives: Opportunities

Another Adventure in Favor!l

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God is showing my husband great favor these days (or maybe we are just more attuned to it!).

As a private investigator and security consultant, he often contracts with major corporations to find missing goods, expose shady operations, or discover counterfeit sources. He quite enjoys it.

This work has given him extensive travel experience (www.AmericasTravelExpert.com),  but he is always looking for new places to go and write about. He is also a man after God’s heart, and he loves meeting new people and spreading God’s love wherever he goes.

Recently he was saying he would love to go to the Middle East or China…. and then the call came… an interesting case that pays very well.

And if that wasn’t favor enough, the company might need him to go to ….. YES!  the Middle East or China. In 25 years of investigative work, this offer has never been presented!   Hmmmm…. He jumped on it!

The forces that oppose us, however, do not like us experiencing the favor of God, His promises, or any good thing actually.   They would like us to be frustrated and then, blame God.

And so, many times since Gene began this case, a wrench was thrown into the works where it looked like his desire would not be coming to fruition.

The favor of God is always at work, even if our heart’s desire is not fulfilled at the moment. God makes sure we have golden nuggets strewn along our path. We can rest in that.

However, we had a “knowing” that Gene was supposed to go, not just for him, but for the success of the case. Often corporate budget constraints can make executives short sighted and settle for inadequate results. Gene wanted win-win for everyone.

So, our spiritual training kicked in. We said “No!” to any and all obstacles. We proclaimed God’s love, delight and pleasure to have Gene go. We did not accept, “No”. This was a big lesson for us.

Three times we saw his travel threatened. Three times we declared he was going. Each time there was a temptation to roll over and just accept the company’s decision. But God trains us well.

Ps 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will guide you with my eye.”

Gene is now in Istanbul, Turkey, and next month he will go to Hong Kong!

God delights in delighting us.

Do you have a desire on your heart that He would delight in giving you? Let the Lord train you in appropriating His favor.  It’s there for you, too!

Have a blessed day!
Maryann

PS  Speaking of traveling…. this airport video will put a smile on your face!!

Airport Fun

How does the pain of rejection affect you?

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Ok.  I know this is not a popular topic.  Avoiding pain, of any kind, is a basic human motivation.  So, I understand if just the mention of this topic causes most of you to “runaway!”  (Sorry, can’t help but think of a segment in the movie, “Monty Python.”)

But some of you are fully aware that the pain of rejection is something you have indeed suffered, are suffering, or continue suffer.  You understand how it has affected you and driven you in various aspects of your life.

It is to you I address this post.  Read to the end…. there may be a free gift for you!

The Lord has impressed upon me recently just how significant this issue is and how it affects relationships, choices we make in our work, and endeavors we choose or don’t choose.  And thus, I am currently working on a project about the pain of rejection and how it directs our lives – positively and negatively.

Would you take just a few minutes and jot down some notes to me as to how it has affected you?  Would you mind sharing a story, a choice, and event where you have seen yourself do something or not in order to avoid the pain of rejection, or maybe how you reject yourself, or how you have tried to compensate for the pain?

For example,  because of being abused, abandoned, and rejected often as a child, I was motivated to become a lawyer.  Seems positive, right?  But once I had achieved my goal, I felt very depressed, rather than satisfied.   Why?  Because I was largely motivated to become a lawyer by my need to prove my worth and secure my future.  I wanted to be esteemed and wanted.

Well, I was esteemed, alright.  But I felt less wanted than ever!  People are scared of attorneys!  Girlfriends thought I was superior to them.  Guys thought I was too smart for them.  And on top of it, in the geographic area I lived in, being Asian, especially a smart Asian, was not a desirable trait.

The desire to avoid and compensate for the pain of rejection caused me to seek this career, but instead of being free of it, I added even more. (Thankfully God rescued me and showed me over many years, His love, esteem, and security that never fades and is in constant operation!)

Another example.  My husband has a business where he must invoice for services rendered.  For a long time we could not understand why he didn’t bill his clients on time, charge for the full extent of his work, or invoice at all!  Eventually the Lord shed light on it:  Gene perceived that the bill was a reflection of his worth.  If there was any challenge to his bill, which does happen in service businesses, it tapped into a hidden fear that he was not actually worth the money he charged.  This pain of feeling worth-less was enough to (subconsciously) keep or delay him from the billing process.  Of course, God pointed this out for Gene’s victory, but seeing and accepting this dynamic was not all that easy!

These are just 2 ways we have seen our choices affected by the pain of rejection.  There are so many more that relate to our relationships, our ministry, what we expect from life, God, and ourselves.

How about you?  Would you share with me how the pain of rejection has affected you and your choices in live?  Do you desire to be free and victorious of it as well?  In what ways are you already?

And here is the free gift part ….. share your story, and receive a $7 gift card to your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or department store!   You can send me an email privately, or you can add your story here!

Thanks so much!!

Cheers!

Maryann

It’s trash day!!

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Good Morning, and welcome to another edition of Java, Jammies, and Jesus!

As you know, I love my time with the Lord each morning. He clears my head of the debris I’ve unintentionally collected during the previous day. If we are out there working in the world, walking our neighborhoods, watching tv, or engaged in any activity that involves people, there are plenty of opportunities to get a little slime on us, or pick up some trash along the way.

Opportunities show themselves in everyday life! Sometimes when I work with a woman about her issues, her spouse may not understand that her confidence will lead to his benefit, and so he feels threatened and hurls a piece of trash at me. Other times I’m in the marketplace amongst people who are complaining left and right about how bad the economy is, or all the ailments they are suffering, or how rotten their marriage it — and I may buy on to the negativity myself and walk away saying, “yeah, that’s right… things are going to hell in a hand basket…” And still other times, the things I am hoping for are so delayed in getting to me, that I let doubt pollute my faith.

I know I’m not alone about this. We all collect trash throughout the day that wears us down, keeps us low, fogs our vision, or adds weight to our load.

Well, I know of no better remedy than to go before the Lord each and every day and express gratitude for any and everything I can. The bigger the clog in the drain, the more gratitude I need.

Then I ask the Lord to bring to the surface any negative thought that I have collected and show it to me, so He and I together can dissolve it, kick it out, whatever it takes… I don’t want it.

We live in the realm of the unseen Kingdom, but it is more relevant, real, and practical than the seen world. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:3, that we have EVERY spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now you may be struggling with your health, or your finances, or your marriage, or your job… and spiritual blessings may seem insignificant to your relief.

But I am here to say, that every thing real begins in the spirit realm. Peace is a spiritual blessing. A huge spiritual blessing! Our peace, or lack of it, will flow into our bodies and contribute to our health, good or bad. It will flow into our finances. At its ultimate end, a person who has no peace about finances will often lie, cheat, and steal… and even murder! So the appropriation of spiritual blessing is key to living life well.

Well, debris from the day before litters our path to peace.

Express gratitude, worship the Lord, and get rid of the trash with Him, and then….

listen to His delight in you just for showing up. Let Him, by His Spirit fill your heart and mind with love, and goodness, and appreciation for you! Feel His peace, and then… move through your day, taking periodic breaths of fresh air, knowing in your heart, that you are loved and well cared for.

This is Maryann Ehmann with another morning edition of Java, Jammies, and Jesus! Have a great day!