I stood on the porch, as I had so many times before, anxiously awaiting my realtor to work her magic on the lock box and let me into the perspective home.

Brimming with excitement, I couldn’t wait to get inside.  The bungalow had been newly remodeled, was in a great neighborhood about 20 minutes from my school district, and was at a reasonable asking price.  I had driven past it a few times during various parts of the day, as house hunting experts suggested, and everything seemed copasetic.  I had prayed and declared that this property was MINE, in Jesus’ name!

That is, until I went inside.

I crossed the threshold to find that although the home had been updated, the ceilings were way too low for a tall woman such as myself.  On top of that, it smelled like smoke, and something in the atmosphere made me feel unsettled in my spirit.  As I later looked at the owner’s bookshelf, I was able to deduce that he was heavy into the occult.

With sagging shoulders and a heavy heart, I reluctantly made my way back to my car and back to the drawing board.

It had been a long season of house hunting, much longer than I had anticipated.  After watching tons of House Hunters and My First Place episodes on HGTV, I thought I would simply go out one day, look at three properties and then make a decision.

However, eight months later, there I was, still struggling to find the right place to live.  Properties were flying on and off the market like hotcakes.  Either I would wait too long to bid and someone else would snatch the property up, or I would get ready to bid and I would get stopped by the Holy Spirit, who kept telling me to wait.  The whole process had become entirely nerve-wracking and the longing to have a place to call my own seemed to grow heavier and heavier.

Shortly after being let down (again), a good friend called to tell me a little known story in Judges about a man named Jephthah.


I considered myself to have been “born and raised” in the church, yet in all my 28 years, never had I heard a story as such.  Yes, I heard and read many times of how Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac until God provided another way, but I had been blind to the story of Jephthah, a man who made a vow to the Lord and followed all the way through with it, even to the point of sacrificing his only child.

My friend began to challenge me, saying that I needed to get to the point where I laid EVERYTHING down before God and be willing to risk that I might not get it back.  I thought to myself, “Am I ready to give the Lord ALL of my desires and dreams, even the godly ones?”  I decided my answer was, “Yes.”

And so, I laid down my desire to move and be a homeowner.  I told the Lord I would live wherever He would have me to, even if it meant staying in my apartment.  I made a choice to remain content and not exalt owning a home over my relationship with Him.  As I sacrificed that huge house-buying dream, it became easier to lay other things down that were close to my heart, such as my desire to be married.

The next few weeks were ones of peace.  I took a short break from actively house hunting and diligently sought the Lord as my precious weeks of summer vacation were drawing to a close.

One Saturday morning in August, I rose early and felt led to look at the listings in my email.  I had not checked them for a few days, but strongly felt the Holy Spirit urging me to.  I dragged myself over to the computer and was pleasantly surprised when I opened my email.  Six months prior, a property that gained my attention and happened to be a mile away from my apartment had gotten snatched up in less than a week.  But on this day, I could not believe my eyes -- it was back on the market!

I looked through the pictures, read through the realcomp, and began to fall in love.  I texted my realtor right away and she made an appointment for us to go look at it in about an hour or two.  I prayed about the property and laid it before the Lord, asking for His will to be done.  I also felt led to ask my parents to come along, and shockingly, they were both available.

We gathered at the secretly stashed condo, and I found myself waiting on the porch, yet again, as my realtor rhythmically punched and clicked the lock box.  Only this time, I found myself waiting with much peace and trust in the Lord.

When my realtor unlocked the door, I walked into the foyer and felt something I had not felt at any other property.  I felt at home.  I turned to my realtor and said, “This is it.  I want to make an offer.”

As we looked through the condo, we all loved it, and felt it was where I was to be.  It turned out that the seller was a fellow Christian and teacher, whose church was only a mile away from mine.  Long story short, I made an offer that afternoon and she accepted.  It was a short sale, so I had to wait several months for everything to be approved, but it all worked in my favor.

When I look back on the process the Lord had me to go through in purchasing a home, I see so many things.  Most importantly, the old adage, “what God has for me, it is for me,” rings true.  The condo I purchased had everything I wanted and needed.  Even though it was temporarily taken off of the market, I believe the Lord had it to come back, just for me.  God’s plans and His call are truly irrevocable.  When I surrendered my will for His, there I found delight, contentment, and satisfaction.

Are you desperate for change? Are you desperate for relief? Have you declared that this year is your year or that this season is your season simply because this year MUST be different? You can no longer endure the status quo. Today is the first blank page of a new book you say, determined to write a good one. Being the reasonable person you are, knowing that change isn’t going to magically fall on your lap, you’ve made appropriate steps. You’ve devised a plan and you’re sticking to it. You’ve surrender your fears and inhibitions as best you could to God. You’re being bold and putting yourself out there. You’re studying. You’re being honest. Yet, you see no improvement. Perhaps you feel as though you are going backwards instead of forward. Whether your quest for change began this year or some time ago, remember that change takes time. While it's true that God sometimes suddenly removes our burdens,  more often than not change is a process. Sometimes it may involve one big breakthrough, but most of the time it’s a combination smaller breaking points. If you are waiting for your single “Aha! moment” that will make everything OK, brace yourself for frustration.


     When it comes to the story of  the woman with the issue of blood, the focus of her story is often on “the one touch”. The focus is often on her extraordinary faith. The focus is on the end result. But, the reality is that it took 12 years of process. It took 12 years of pruning for her faith to grow. It took 12 years for her to place her security in Christ and not in man. While the notion of having to wait 12 years for our own breakthroughs is unsettling. Remember that through it all SHE WAS OK. Uncomfortable but, OK. And through her comfortableness she found a greater comfort by knowing, not just in theory but in practice, that God was her all in all. God wants you too to experience Him and that means that He won’t take away every burden all at once or right away. Sometimes He leaves thorns in our sides so that we know the source of our strenght. Insecurity often masks itself as impatience and desperation. The longer we wait the less likely it is to happen we feel. I've noticed that most of the time our desperation is not a reaction to what IS happening but, to what COULD happen but, just as God sustained the woman with the issue of blood, He will sustain you.

-Sydney Henry


Sydney is an independent gospel artist,  
executive director of Uprise and a
seminary student. Find her music at
sydneyandpaige.com or follow her on
twitter @sydneyhenry

So it’s officially a brand new year! With brand new expectations, new hopes, new dreams, new goals. A new year often symbolizes a new season, a new opportunity to better our lives. The start of a new year is often a time of reflection, a time of reevaluating the successes and failures of the past year. For me, 2012 was… well disappointing. I faced more challenges than I ever expected, ones that I endure even now.  Despite countless “failures” of this last year, 2012 has been the most teachable. Through reflection, I've realized I have gained more than what I had initially hoped for through those “failures”.

It’s easy to set goals and resolutions before consulting with the will of God.  This past year God taught me what it really means to surrender. I learned how to trust God in some of the most difficult trials of my life. I’ve gain a deeper understanding of Christ. I know that my faith can survive the loss of what I cherish most. I know now that I’m stronger than what I believed I was. I got everything I forgot to ask for this past year… For that I’m grateful because it turns out those “failures” were exactly I needed. This year my only request is that God will finish the work He’s begun in me…. Wherever that leads.

“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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

-Paige A. Henry

Though I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, I’m grateful to not have the regrets of my past haunting my present. Through His grace, God has a persistent way of whipping me back to into shape before I self-destruct. And though I don’t always appreciate it in the moment, God often stops me in my tracks before I truly suffer the consequence of my wayward sinful nature. Today I was reflecting on poor decisions I’ve made in the past, I was reminded of God’s amazing grace. I thought of the story of Jonah, and although not so dramatic, I see could similarities of his experiences in mine. When I find myself outside of God’s will, God relentlessly pursues me. And at times it seems He does everything in His power to keep me uncomfortable. I find myself trapped in my own “storm at sea” or “fish”. In the moment I hate the pain and discomfort, and I even feel chastised by God but eventually I recognize His grace.

God is in continual pursuit of us and He goes great lengths to save and protect us. I’m thankful for a God who is gracious enough to save me from regret of my mistakes.  I’m thankful for a God who is gracious enough to save me from my self-defeating actions and leads me where I don’t have sense enough to go on my own. I’m thankful for second chances. I’m so thankful for grace.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 NIV

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 NIV

- Paige A. Henry

Paige is a clinical therapist who works with adjudicated youth in Detroit, MI and a singer/songwriter. Check out her music at www.sydneyandpaige.com or follow her on twitter @paigeahenry

One constant fact of life: NOTHING EVER GOES THE WAY ITS PLANNED. Ever. Sure things may be go fine for some time but whether it’s in relationships, careers, your next big move, or whatever else you set out to do in life, there are bound to be twist and turns.  Some pleasant. Many not so much.

Disappointment is a feeling we all try to avoid. Uncertainty produces feelings of anxiety and fear that sometimes prohibits us from stepping outside of our comfort zone. In any relationship trust is a necessity, but especially in our relationships with Christ. God has this funny way of what seems like telling you as little information as possible which at times drives me crazy. 

Recently I began a 90 day Bible reading plan, and this process gave me sort of an epiphany.  When reading the old testament it is so easy to get frustrated with the Israelites. “Hard Headed” would be an understatement. Even after witnessing God’s power time after time the Israelites were double minded and had difficulty trusting God when placed outside of their comfort zone. Instead they turned to other gods and refused to abandon their own plans leading to a lot of unnecessary hardships. And before I got too proud I realized I wasn’t so much different. When placed outside of my comfort zone, when things don’t go the way I’ve planned, I began to second guess God. I try to rely on my own power instead of trusting Him. I don’t want to be like the Israelites, how many times will God have to reveal His power before I trust Him. How we ever get trust issues with God who has never failed us I’m not sure, but my faith will no longer be confined to my comfort zone, I’m stepping out.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:6-8 

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5: 7
 

- Paige A. Henry

Paige is a clinical therapist who works with adjudicated youth in Detroit, MI and a singer/songwriter. Check out her music at www.sydneyandpaige.com or follow her on twitter @paigeahenry

There are times when I get so tired of dealing with the same problems over and over. "Tired" may be an understatement... I was tired 12 months ago, now I'm worn out, drained, and overwhelmingly exhausted.

Sure I trust God but if I'm being honest then I'll have to admit that sometimes it's with exceptions. Because like many of us I have fears. I'm willing to trust God to spare me from experiencing my fears, not so much to allow me to experience them and guide me through. And to be honest I think my stubbornness played a huge role in getting me where I am. Not because He's punishing me, but because if I never experienced the hurt I wouldn't know that He could get me through it.

Once I went white water rafting, which can be dangerous in itself but even more so for someone who can't really swim.  So I said a quick prayer asking God to keep me from falling out of my raft, because that was my biggest fear. Instead, one of the first waves we hit sent me flying out of my raft. Before I reached the surface of the water my first thought was "What are You doing?" . I had specifically asked God to spare me from this one thing and He did the opposite. But after I had experienced being jolted out my raft I stopped fearing it. I continued the trip with ease knowing that I could  handle it and when trouble came ( we ended up getting stranded on the river at night!) I wasn't haunted by fear. I realized later that God had allowed my experience so I would overcome my fear in order to face the challenge that was ahead.

This has become a reoccurring theme in my life within the last year or so. I have faced some of my greatest fears and without those experiences I would have continued to be controlled by that fear. Now I know that in my greatest trials God is still able to comfort and heal me. I know now that there is a certain comfort and understanding that only comes through trials. I am only able to truly experience the power of God through my weakness. There is  a level of refinement that only comes through fire. So hang in there, He's only trying to complete a work in you. Trust in Him, He knows what He's doing.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2 MSG)

At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 MSG)

I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:9 NIV)

-Paige A. Henry



Paige is a clinical therapist who works with adjudicated youth in Detroit, MI and a singer/songwriter. Check out her music at www.sydneyandpaige.com or follow her on twitter @paigeahenry

I love the board game Risk. Those who play strategically and with purpose, making bold and calculated moves tend to be among the first to get out or the winner. Keeping it safe will often keep you in the game longer but, it won’t sustain you. Currently, I find myself in my own real life “game of Risk”, only the consequence of losing is far more than wounded pride. You see, God stomped all over my safe approach in pursuing my calling to ministry and directed me to pursue it boldly. Several weeks ago I found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place, not liking any of the options before me. Needing to save money for a car and if possible, tuition for the fall, it seemed that my only options were to work with a conservative ministry I didn’t completely align with or choose another option that went against my convictions. Greatly troubled and sensing that change was coming, I prayed and waited. Long story short, God made a way and I got a full-time job and on top of that a car even before I started working.

This is major, especially considering my long bout of unemployment/underemployment and financial situation. It was just like one of those miraculous stories I sometimes read at the end of sabbath school lessons (bible studies) that seemed to happen to everybody else but, me. It was the type of  scenario that I wished and prayed would happen.  A scenario I thought would be the greatest confirmation that God was faithful and leading me. So you’d think it’d be smooth sailing from here on out but, reality is that I’m just as uncomfortable as before. I still have the same fears as before. I’m just as impatient. I’m still unsatisfied. I still want more. 

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering..." (Romans 12:1-2 MGS).

I used to wonder why the Israelites, who witnessed such great miracles, lacked so much in faith. The peace and faith they gained from even greater experiences only sustained them for so long. Soon they were back to their old habits but, now I realize why. See, my external circumstances don’t need changing. I do! I’m comfortable when things are going my way because, it’s then when I see how I can accomplish things in my own power. However, when things go God’s way it requires faith. As long as I put my trust in myself, I’ll need constant confirmation. It won't be enough to sustain me because I’m not trustworthy. Satisfaction will only come when I take a perceived risk and truly let Jesus be my Savior. Our savior is whoever and whatever we put our trust in. Christ must become more than just the superhero in my afterlife plot. He must be my superhero in my everyday life. More than we know, we need God practically right now, today. Whatever the situation, He is waiting to give you a hand. My desire is that I stop trading the truth for a lie, that I stop being an idol for myself, that I stop worshiping myself, a creation, instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25).


-Sydney Henry




Sydney is an independent gospel artist
and executive director of Uprise.
Find her music at sydneyandpaige.com or
follow her on twitter @sydneyhenry