Month: June 2015

“And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors. And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”- Matthew 6:7-13, Amplified version, (emphasis mine)

We live in a society where everyone, no matter what they believe really, offer up prayer whenever tragedy arises. If not prayer, at least “good thoughts” or “positive energy”; which sadly, is almost seen in the same light at times. The world may be uncomfortable at so-called radical, Christian living; yet, everyone wants to support a fellow human being with their words whenever the unexplainable occurs.

This video is another small light into some of our girls’ unique burdens. They have finally been tagged as febrile seizures by most of our physicians, which is comforting and discomforting all at once. I am learning that sometimes, a name doesn’t necessarily make something feel better. These episodes hit both of our girls many times whenever they are ill. They can last a few minutes or a few seconds. It does not seem that they are dangerous in a life-threatening way at this time, yet there is no way to know if they will be at some point. There is also no way of knowing what havoc they wreck on the girls’ brains. I know everyone prefers to see their sweet, joyful smiles; yet I think it’s important for you to experience the hards in a small way as well.

I pray each day for protection for the girls from illness; yet I pray this knowing that if they become ill, it is not because God’s ear has been turned.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”- Isaiah 55:8

So, whenever Ally started showing signs of illness, while exhausting and disheartening at times, I knew that it was the Lord’s best for us. I could not have said that a year and a half ago; yet God has broadened my understanding of the truths in His Word, and I now find peace in accepting His plans over wishing for my own.

After a very challenging two days, I feel like we are finally out of the “touch and go” stage (wondering whether we are going to head to Children’s or tough it out at home). As we asked for prayer the past few days, I simply prayed for endurance in whatever God had for us. Now, I would be lying if I said I was not excited that this sickness has seemed to pass quickly; yet I want to make it clear that God would have been just as good and just as worthy to be praised if this week had taken a different turn.

His will, His way.

His children, His calls.

His decisions, His glory.

In thinking about this, I have been directed to this mindset of prayer that seems to be rampant. This, “let’s get the masses to pray that a trial will pass” culture we live in. To make things clear, I certainly believe that there is power in prayer. I think we are privileged that God has invited us into His plans, and that He, the God of the whole universe, asks us to come to Him with anything and everything. There is not a single concern of our hearts that He is not interested in. He deserves the glory whether He chooses to heal on this side of heaven or the other. If you are a Christ-follower, you understand this concept. However, I am concerned that if you are not a Christ-follower, we have done a really poor job of explaining what God says about prayer. You see, the purpose of prayer is not to rally together in order to talk God into doing what we want. NO. The purpose of prayer is to know God more deeply, to cry out to our Maker, to connect to Him in the midst of all things so that we will align with His will more fully and have a deeper understanding of that, whatever it may be. Yes, God hears us when we cry. As we look to the Scriptures on prayer, it is unbelievably obvious that when we pray, we are praying for His will, not our own. We are asking Him to give us more faith, more peace, more comfort; particularly when our humanity blurs our heavenly vision. The reason this is so important to understand is that if you do not grasp this, prayer becomes more like rubbing on a genie’s belly than calling out to the Sovereign Creator over all. Getting 5,000 people to pray for something on social media, while touching, does not give you a better chance of getting what you would want than having 4,999.

His will, His way.

Some would now ask why we pray. If you are asking this, I might gently encourage you to remember that life is absolutely not about getting what we want. I have asked this question many times throughout the years; yet God has started giving me so much comfort in the fact that He is in control of all the answers to all of our prayers. It is our job to reach out and reach up; it is up to Him to decide what’s best. This should call us to want to pray more, not less. It should excite us when we understand that the more we know Him, the more we will be able to accept all the details of our own life and the lives around us, whatever those may be.

What joy this can bring in the world we live in today that can feel so smothered by brokenness and evil. This is a game-changer for our prayer lives, because suddenly, we can begin praying fervently for what really matters, the souls and hearts of those around us. We can pray for endurance, peace, and comfort in the storms of this life; and we can wait in expectation for those things to come. We can experience the miracle of knowing our own weaknesses yet watching Him give us utmost strength in the hardest of hards. We can praise Him whenever He performs the miracle of healing in the here and now; and we can be comforted in knowing that it was not because of lack of faith or lack of numbers that He didn’t do so whenever His best is to not. How this can widen and expand our faith! How this can give us a deeper love and compassion for our neighbor; for we will be praying for the very hearts of who they are.

Friends, I do not know what your prayer life is like. I am unaware of the individual circumstances surrounding you. Yet, whatever those may be, my prayer for you today is that you would be able to sense His call to pray for anything and everything He places on your heart, and to watch in awe and wonder as He answers prayers in all His wisdom and omnipotence. May we seek the prayer of those around us, not to attempt to change His ways, but to attempt to bring Him more and more glory and give others the opportunity to come to the throne on our behalf. I can promise you one thing: prayer does not change God, the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8); and that is a good, good thing. His ways are good. His purposes are true. He loves, He loves, He loves. May we seek Him in all our doings today and always. May we praise Him in all things, whether we understand or we don’t. May we know-in the core of who we are- that this world is not our home yet this God brings hope to even the most hopeless situations. And, when our prayers are answered in the most opposite way of what we had wanted, may we still cry out with an, “Amen” to the God who has heard our prayers and given us His best.

He is absolutely working in all things.

Amen and amen.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”- 1 Peter 5:10

Good morning!

I am so excited to post my first video, recorded yesterday morning. It was about as authentic as it could be- raw set- up, simply me. My flesh was more than tempted to put on make-up, a cool outfit, and light a candle or something; yet, my true hope is that you can look past the person and hear- really hear- God’s Word that is being shared. Many of you have asked me to help you begin to get into the Bible more. I thought that a short video from time to time might be beneficial. Give me your feedback! Was this helpful or not? And- spoiler alert- it’s called Milk and Honey for the Morning intentionally. 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast sure love for David.”- Isiah 55:1-3

I feel like I have been somewhat silent the past few months. I have heard it said that a book becomes like a baby in a sense. You tenderly care for it, nurture it, and feed more and more life into it.

I have put figurative blood and sweat, and literal tears, into this book- but mainly I have poured out my heart to God and asked Him to bless His words that He has so undeservedly chosen to breathe into me. And Saturday, this moment happened:

My last round of editing was turned in and now, I wait for them to do their thing and put some last minute touches on this story turned manuscript turned book.

So many exciting things are ahead! I cannot wait to announce much, much more to you; but today, I just want to express thanks to my dear readers for continuing to follow, read, and share His Hands, His Feet, His Heart. I have begun fervently praying that God would use these words, written by a sinful woman so hungry for grace, to show more and more of Himself to a world desperate for the reassurance and satisfaction only He can provide.

I hope to have more information for you SOON, but between now and then, would you do me a favor?

If you have not already done so, please follow the blog so that you will get updates in the most efficient manner (I have made this part easier for you! Just click the, “Follow” button on the right side of the home page.)

So many of you have shared various posts, and for that I am humbly grateful. If you could continue to get the word out about His Hands, His Feet, His Heart via sharing the site through social media, word of mouth, at your church, wherever- it would mean so much to me.

I will be scheduling some book release events in the coming days, and if you are interested in getting more information on how you can set one of those up, contact me either through the His Hands, His Feet, His Heart facebook page or email me at Morganbcheek@gmail.com.

(The excitement around here is palpable).

So much thanks to each and every one of you for your support. Because this whole thing is for Him, to Him, and through Him, I will end on a beautiful verse that He presented to me this week:

“Only in the Lord it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength…”- Isaiah 45:24

Because of Him and Him alone I stand.

Amen.

There is a certain level of reflection that occurs in each of us whenever we re-enter into a familiar place, circumstance, season, or tradition. My family always takes a vacation down to the Gulf sometime during the summer months; and the sand, ocean breezes, smells of seafood, and sunsets and sunrises always bring back a similar feeling. Those of us who write also find a renewed source of energy from new environments. There are different sights and people which bring on a sense of creativity that the typical day-to-day does not provide.

I remember so clearly this time last year. We were waiting on more tests to come back; and we were one week shy of the appointment in which the physician offered an answer to the question I had been afraid to ask: our girls were cognitively not on track. As I have been editing the book, I have been forced to walk down that journey yet again, and parts of it still sting like chards of glass. So many incredible lessons learned; yet not without bruises.

But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.- Isaiah 53:5

These bruises, they are His.

He took ownership of them at the cross.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:25).

I am most energized by moments alone with God and away from the crowd; and I am so thankful for a husband who knows this and encourages me to get away.

Yesterday morning, I slipped away to a little bench in the heart of the town we are staying in, and I just poured my heart out to God.

This time last year, we were still longing for answers. While my flesh still yearns for this knowledge; the things that it desires has shifted a little. I watched children running through the grass, holding a donut in one hand and their momma’s hand in the other, and I hurt. Every moment, an opportunity to want that which He has not chosen to give; yet in these moments, ample opportunity to say, “Amen” to what He in His wisdom has provided. As I sat and watched, words cannot truly express how much I longed for heaven; so much so that I began to feel ashamed and almost sad at the intensity of my longing. And then, it hit me. Not only is longing for heaven not sad; it is the purpose of my entire being.

The cross of Christ encompasses the entire point of all humanity.

Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can experience the hope of eternity both now and forever.

Instead of being disappointed in myself for wishing for the future; I can become giddy at the thought of it.

This longing for heaven does not have to make us feel sad. It can cause us to feel excited and ready and joyful that a day is coming when the victory He has already earned penetrates into every aspect of the lives of those of us who believe.

Widows and orphans will rejoice, no longer having a sense of loneliness or incompleteness.

Cancer will be over and gone; its effects forever banished.

The lame, blind, and deaf will run, see, and hear.

To put it bluntly: a day is coming where Satan’s lies will be brought fully into the light as all will bow down to the Lord in humble awe.

It will be a holy and beautiful thing.

In light of these truths, I became excruciatingly excited as I envisioned it all. I thought of my friends who have lost children, and the pain that this will continue to cause each and every day on this earth. I pictured the families I know who have walked through the hurt of daddies, mommies, grandparents- here one second and gone the next. I brought to mind the many families who carry the heavy burden of disability on a moment by moment basis and all that it entails.

It will all be no more. The tears, the pain, the grief, the separation- GONE.

For a moment, I could see Ally and Bailey Grace’s little bodies completely healed from their disease. I pictured them running and playing alongside the other children without an ounce of difficulty. Moving, breathing, eating, living will not be a struggle. While I am thankful for their feeding tubes, for I know they could not survive without them, I rejoice in the day that the girls will be fully nourished simply by their Father in heaven’s presence.

Friends, there is nothing wrong with recognizing brokenness for what it is and finding joy in the hope that only He can give. We can be at peace on this earth based on the sole fact that this earth is not all that is. An eternal home- our true home- is found in heaven. This place, while glimpses of Him are thrown throughout, is not where we are destined to be. Without this perspective, we will never be able to walk through this life in peace. We will always see the broken hurting pieces and be blinded by them unless we fix our eyes on the God who is sovereign over it all and has already promised that He has the victory. In light of Him, we can spend our days as foreigners on earth, homesick but hopeful.

That day is coming.

My prayer for each of us is that instead of getting lost in the pain, we could bring that pain to the foot of the cross and rejoice in the fact that He has nailed it there. I pray we would be authentic in our hurts, knowing that they cannot break us. May we long for the day in which we meet Him face-to-face and we are given new bodies in our eternal home. There is so much joy in what is to come! Let’s praise Him for instilling in us a holy longing for more; and thank Him that He allows the very things that draw us deeper into that longing.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’- Isaiah 40:1-5

And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:4).

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, in quiet resting places.”- Isaiah 32:17-18, emphasis mine

Doesn’t that sound nice? Residing in a quiet resting place? When I think of a secure dwelling, so often I think of a huge house, with thick walls, a basement, founded on tall posts in case any harsh weather came around. It’s funny; these false securities we have set up in our minds. The truth is, nothing on this earth is really safe. The world we live in has proven that there are no promises for security in our earthly lives, no matter what false gods we set up. So many times, we spend our moments micromanaging our days to attempt to make sure that things turn out the way we desire. Money and resources give us all the more false confidence that we have, in fact, succeeded- such false, pseudo-control we sometimes that that we have. When the unexpected creeps up, however, we are left grasping at the air; for all of our efforts do not change the fact that at the end of the day, we know it’s true: we are not in control of our own lives after all.

I certainly have a micromanaging nature- I always have. It started at a young age when I would line up my stuffed animals on my bed each day and then take them off and place them in a comfortable place each night. I know that sounds bizarre- actually, I know that it is- but it’s the way I have always been. Since the girls have been born, I guess you could say that I have given myself an excuse to be a micromanager. There are so many things that I do on a daily basis that center around managing. Let it be known that there is a difference between being a manager and being the controller. Recently, God has made me all the more aware of the anxiety and stress that I allow to rule different parts of my day. It has stung; but the good kind of sting that leads to Him in the end. I have had to ask myself several times in the past couple weeks: what am I putting under the label of, “have to” that is really just my excuse to gain some control? To put it bluntly: what would happen if I stopped micromanaging some things and just trusted in His Perfect Management of all? Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the wise things that are just required for twins who have special needs in order to give them the best care. I am speaking of those little things I do- we do- to attempt to control our circumstances.

For instance- the girls have recently started gagging practically every time a bite of puree hits their mouths- even if it is a food they tend to enjoy. I blow on their foreheads to distract them, squeeze their tiny toes, bring in a toy to try and switch the focus; I have the whole routine perfected. Yet, you have to think: what if I quit? My initial thought is that they would vomit every meal. So, what would that mean? Well, I guess we would have to talk to our physicians and nutritionist about changing the plan to having them not eat by mouth anymore? And then what? It seems that then, the girls would be more content and the micromanaging could cease. Maybe not my plan; but potentially God’s best that I am refusing to accept out of a desire to want MY way, my picture.

Friends, there are some things that we are called to prepare for, to plan, to work through. There are other things that if we take a step back and are really honest, we are flat out fighting the ways the Lord desires to give us His very best. If I am struggling to piece together my days with things that just aren’t working, in a sense, I am saying, “God, I know it seems as if you think this way is the right way; but I actually disagree. So, I am going to do everything in my power to fight against it.”

Doesn’t sound too restful, does it?

In fact, it sounds-is– quite exhausting.

Furthermore, I think we find ourselves mad at those around us when we are trying to control our environment. Either we feel as if they are missing the flow of things in the kingdom WE have set up, or they are a constant reminder that we are going against the grain for the way things might be meant to be. They are in the way of OUR plan and they are messing everything up.

Anybody feel me here?

“…The Lord will speak to this people, to whom He has said, ‘This is rest; give rest to the weary…yet they would not listen.”- Isaiah 28:12

While this was spoken to the Israelites years ago, I have seen a lot of myself in their rebellious, impatient tendencies. I believe God has a word for each of us today, and it goes something like this:

Beloved: THIS is rest. Whatever I have in front of you today- however far from rest it might seem to you- this is rest. I offer you my peace, my presence, MYSELF, in whatever I have called you to walk in. You do not have to fight what I have planned for you; simply let go and trust that I know what I am doing; even when things don’t look like you would have planned. I know what I am doing and I have got this. Find your rest in me.

Friends, He is our rest. He is the God that says, “Come to me, all who are weary…” and promises rest for our souls in return. If we are feeling exhausted in the depths of who we are, might it be because we are not taking Him up on this offer?

Have you come to Him today not to ask Him for what you want but to give Him an, “Amen” for whatever comes to pass?

Therein lies true peace, true rest, true joy.

This world is not our home. In the midst of all things broken and beautiful, may we cast our cares in front of the throne in holy awe of what He has chosen to do with our little glorious lives. May we walk through each day with patient endurance; knowing whatever happens here has intricate purpose for all eternity. May we believe with the confidence only He can give that all of our moments are here for exact reason; and when we find our souls feeling weary, may we take ourselves directly to the throne room and pour out our anxieties on Him. Your neighbor may not be able take it day after day after day, but He can.

The One who chose to take on all the sins of all the world is worthy of all our praise and worship.

Jump off the hamster wheel of pseudo control and land gloriously into the arms of the One who controls all.

We can have an Eternal Resting Place, a Secure Dwelling, overflowing from within now and forevermore.

Him and Him alone.

A crown of life awaits.

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”- Revelation 2:10b

May we find true rest- no matter what comes to pass- today and everyday.