Unveiled

By Teresa Gustafson

Life has hard edges for which we need to buffer with encouragement, something that will inspire us to keep moving forward in a positive manner. Because at the end of the day, it is more about what we will have brought to the day and what we will have taken away from it that will keep us going. Take a moment and ask God to come along. For when you do, He will jump at the opportunity to share the day He specifically planned for you! Keep your thoughts entwined in a running conversation with Him, thanking Him for His eagerness to share your day, and for helping you to be your best in all you do. It is my sincere hope that through this book, you will find encouraging inspiration to help you get through each day, allowing that inspiration to pull back the veil that covers all the plans God has waiting for you! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891300224

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Unveiled

Teresa Gustafson

ISBN 979-8-89130-021-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89130-022-4 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Teresa Gustafson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

With Unveiled Face

Abundance

Additional Weaponry

Anger

The Arms of the Shepherd

Attainment

Baggage Handlers

Bearing Burdens

Becoming a Better Person

Becoming

Blustery Days

Brave Beauty

The Bridge of Reconciliation

Broken

The Brown Socks

Bullying

Change the World

The Call to Arms

The Changing Tide

A Chink in Your Armor

Clearer Vision

Coloring Outside the Lines

Complaint Department

Compassion

Complicated Simplicity

Confession

Confidence in Christ

Connection Complete

Conversational Prayer

Courage

Crucial Moments

Darkness to Light

The Dawning

Deep Roots

The Deepening

Destructive Ideation

Discipline

Don't Yank the Dog's Ears!

Do You See Me?

Drop It!

An Easy Fix

Down the Drain

Enlightenment

The Road to Emmaus

An Epic Life

Excavating Paradise

Eyes That See

Fair Competition

Fear

A Feather in Your Cap

The Fine Line Between

Fragile—Handle with Care

The Folly of Anger

The Floodgates of Plenty

The Frailty of Man

Free for the Asking

A Friend in Deed

A Fun Gift

Genuine Imitation

A Graceful Life

Guarantees

The Good Life

Hard Places

The Healing of the Holy Spirit

Hinds' Feet

Holy Fire, Hammer, and Clay

Hope

Hiding in Plain Sight

The Idols We Create

Inside the Mirror

Inside the Oyster

Into Your Hands

An Inviting Light

Kaleidoscopic Perception

Left Field

Let Us (Learn to) Pray

Life According to the Spirit

Life Lessons

Light of the World

The Lost Kingdoms

A Love Most Desired

Magic Nation

Mercy

Mortality

Feared or Anticipated?

Multiple Choice

A New Adventure

The New World of Self

The Next Adventure

One of Those Days

The Order of Prayer

Oubliette

A Place of Forgetting

Out with the Old, in with the New

A Pair of Shoes

The Passage

Passionate Purpose

The Peacemakers

Peak Perfection

Perfect Order

Persecution

Pity Party

The Preparation of Prayer

Pressure Cooker

The Prolific Destinies of Opinion

Purpose

Quarantine

The Quiet Heart

Raising a Warrior

Readjusting the Wash

Redemption Road

Reformation

The Rending

Resistance

Responsible Living

Retirement Plan

The Right Way

Ripples

Rise and Conquer!

The Road Less Traveled

Sacred Calling

Sacrifice

The Salt of the Earth

Seek Wise Counsel

Seeking Providence

Self-Medicating

A Shelter Cleft for Me

Shock!

Split

Square Peg

Round Hole

Stage Performance

Starboard

Sticks and Stones

The Sting of Shame

Of Stranger Things

The Strength of Our Witness

Tempt Me Not

Therefore

Thirsty Ground

A Tight Squeeze

Time

Transformation

True North

Trust

Unlikely Fields

Unmovable

Venting Systems

Via Dolorosa

The Way of Suffering

Victory

The Waiting Room

Walk-a-Day

Walking the Plank

Watchtower Vigilance

Waymaker

When The Story Is Over

Where Do We Go from Here?

The Wife of Noble Character, Who Can Find?

The Wilderness of My Soul

Wise Counsel

Who Is My Neighbor?

Words of Wisdom

Work Hardening

Take a Walk

Finding and Staying on the Path God Has Chosen for Us

Journey

About the Author

Preface

Here we are, growing older, wondering, Why haven't we got it together yet? We do not want our lives to be a waste but to reflect love, service, determination, and substance. We want our lives to reflect hope through struggle, of joy through pain, and accomplishment through hard work. Therefore, we strive to improve who we are as we work to become who God intended us to be.

This is our journey.

With Unveiled Face

Children grow up believing life will always be happy and fun mostly because their parents have worked hard to provide the safe and secure existence they enjoy. Because the veil of evil is allowed to exist here, separating us from all God wants for us, our children will also learn as they grow that this earthly home isn't as ideal as they had once believed.

As we mature, we learn to grasp onto and use the tools God has given us, trying to follow the rules of the life He has outlined for us in His Word. It is our hope that we might attain the existence we crave and the fulfilled lives He is drawing us to. However, too often we find ourselves battling our way through each tough day. Remembering that God is with us (Emmanuel) will help when we find ourselves struggling. Making a fist as if holding the hand of the Savior will bring the peace and strength He has to offer in that moment. This small action at a frustrating or hopeless moment teaches us dependence on Him, and reinforces that He is with us, offering His help to get us through whatever we are facing. Sometimes this is not only all we can do but also exactly what we need to do!

When we learn to identify and then surrender our flaws to God as we listen more to Him, we can then implement into our lives what we learn from His word. We must work at this every day through scripture, prayer, and moments of spiritual reflection. Some days we will do well, but we will also fail. Regardless of judgment or criticism from others, we must keep trying again and again, day after day, to be a better representation of Christ.

This then is our journey: to become who God intended us to be through the recognition of our personal faults, our constant need of His example, and consciously making the effort to transform to His image—one degree of glory at a time.

And we, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)

Abundance

Praise is a powerful tool, one that fills a need, tops off a goal, and rewards dedication. The recipient enjoys the momentary ego stroke, as it gives them a dose of self-confidence as it becomes apparent that similar behavior could bring similar strokes. Praise holds the power to bridge a gap, heal a wound, and build up assurance of better things to come.

A child, after eating a sweet treat, looks to his mother and begs more. A teen who struggles with grades will endeavor to spend more time studying when he receives a good grade, rewarding his effort. An employee welcomes the promotion that comes from his dedication and hard work, and wanting more of the same, sets new standards in his work habits to achieve that goal. We all seek more of what is good, whether it be another helping of food, of money, of adoration, or praise. We cast our nets hoping to receive more of the recognition we crave, but from which side of the boat are we casting?

There is a trap in the feeding of one's ego, in that redundancy creates a false sense of admiration, inflating one's ego to the point of expectation without the work required. Selfish ambition leads to counting oneself out of the equation when the expectation is based solely on the generous rewards of a prior performance. If this continues, it will tarnish one's self-worth and reputation in the eyes of those who had initially given praise.

Humility is grace given to heal and rebuild; it is the promise of another chance to try again, to take the course of doing what is right for the sake of it being the right thing to do. Without the portion of ego that feeds on the continued and contrived praise and recognition, we could enjoy and reap the benefits of true appreciation from our peers, and in humility seek to continue doing what is right simply because it is honorable. By casting our nets on the right side of the boat, our reward will be plenty.

While it is wonderful to be recognized by our employers or peers for our achievements through the filling of our nets from the right side of the boat, it is even more wonderful to show our graciousness to those peers by honoring them with our thanks, continuing to put the end results of our work ethics ahead of our need for any recognition. Maturity is a goal many suffer to reach, for self-serving will always step in, blocking the way, blinding us with our inherent need of continued acceptance and praise. Therefore, we need to learn how to accept our recognitions of achievement as something to be proud of, but not used to gain further accommodation without the work it requires. Create a good work ethic, not just with your work but with your coworkers and your bosses, building their trust and confidence in your abilities, your ethics, and your knowledge. Be grateful for the net bursting with plenty as you continue to cast on the right side of the boat.

He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. (John 21:6 NIV)

Additional Weaponry

Regardless of our life situations, we will all fall prey to struggles and spiritual battles from time to time. Whether it is the work we do to pay our bills or just deal with the indiscriminate misfortunes and demands that life hands out, we all have a battle or two we will face each day. This includes our most personal battles relating to our relationship with Christ. We are gifted the armor of God Himself, to protect, shield, and battle our way through our days. Ephesians 6:10–18 breaks down the six pieces of armor and weapons: the Belt of Truth; the Breastplate of Righteousness; the Shoes of the Gospel of peace; the Shield of Faith; the Helmet of Salvation; and the Sword of The Spirit. All meant to be taken up daily as protection and help for the day ahead of us. However, verse 18 continues with the words "and pray in the Spirit." Prayer is not just a weapon, but part of the battle itself; for if we do not pray diligently during our spiritual battles, we are not working with God toward victory. We know how powerful prayer can be, so it would be wise to include it as part of God's armor.

God graciously provides yet another weapon—joy—probably one of the fiercest weapons attainable! God calls us to be joyful in our faithful dependence on Him. But do you ever feel as though joy is unattainable? How do you take and cover yourself with Joy? Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God every morning to battle the dark forces of our world. So once we have put on our armor, we need to veil ourselves with Joy. For Joy will chase away doubt and cast out fear; it will build up and secure our firm stance; and it will defeat any evil we come up against—for Joy is contagious, and Satan cannot stand in the presence of Joy! Indeed, a great weapon for any who find themselves struggling in life!

Make it your morning habit to pray on your armor as you get dressed, and then veil yourself with joy. Smile in the mirror, knowing God loves you and will be by your side all day. Let that knowledge become your confidence and part of your day, letting it out to be seen and caught by others!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Ephesians 6:10–11 NIV)

Anger

Anger is a powerful emotion—an avenger of wrong, an instigator of correction, and an instructor of relearning boundaries and rules. When misused or misunderstood, it has the power to damage feelings, friendships, and even character. This can lead to bigger and deeper dilemmas, creating monstrous chasms of distrust, and impenetrable walls of protection. However, anger with oneself for a negative situation you find yourself in can easily be the catalyst that will cause us to rise up and say enough, stirring us to move on from the place we've stayed out of fear, pride, or self-defeat.

We all succumb to anger; it is a normal human emotion. But it's what we are angry about, how we show it, how we deal with what caused it, and what we ultimately do to resolve it that matters! Jesus displayed anger in the money-market at the temple, telling those in charge they had made it a den of thieves, and proceeded to wreck it. While we should not advocate such a scene when brought to a point of anger, we need to realize anger is not always a bad thing. Anger has the potential to clear the air, to bring light to a wrong, as well as to point out a problem. The key to diffusing anger is how we approach it.

Anger coming as an attack from a situational event can quickly escalate to ugliness. So we should stand our ground during the attack, justify and hold our position, but doing so calmly as to not play the fool. We must try to control what we are feeling and let our tormentor rant. Momentary lapse of emotional control is self-destructive and resolves nothing other than making one look badly in the eyes of others.

When we find anger eating away at us, we need to set it aside and make an honest effort to step back and spiritually look at the situation. Discerning when our actions caused the problem, we must do our best to explain that the confusion and inconvenience were not the intent of our actions. If we were simply attempting to rectify a problem, and in our busyness neglected to let the other know, we must apologize. For maturity dictates we own our part. As we would rightly seek forgiveness from the other, so should we also forgive.

For even in the midst of consuming anger, we represent not just our own platform, but God's as well. Others will be watching, so how we ultimately handle these escalating situations can either help or hurt our witness. So when it's over, we remember what we learned about ourselves and the other person from inside the circle of anger so that we can have a calmer response the next time we find ourselves in another heated moment.

My dear brothers, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19–20 GNT)

The Arms of the Shepherd

How many times have you felt the desperation of need for strong arms to encircle and hold you, to protect you, to calm you, to nurture and uplift you? In our despair and moments of desperation and fear, we long to be held in strength and safety, assurance and hope. Where are these arms we long to embrace us?

The loving arms of God will hold us and protect us. His arms are as strong as the mountain, as warm as the sun, and as gentle as a willow branch dancing in the softest of breezes. They are thick and lasting, creating a haven of security and peace within their enfolding. They bring healing of broken hearts and minds, warmth to the harsh coldness of this world, and protection from the evil that seeks to steal us away. His arms are our mighty watchtower, keeping us safe and leading us along through life.

When we are sad, hurting, frightened, feeling abandoned or in danger, His arms protect us, soothe us, heal and conceal us; He enfolds us within His embrace to encourage and uplift. His arms become our refuge, our home, our security, and within them we are home, we are loved, we are safe, and we are His own. This world will push and pull us, it will trick us and lead us astray; it will try to steal our souls and conquer our minds, ripping our hearts from us and then throwing us away. Our hearts belong to the One who lovingly created us, who gave us life and then bridged the gap of our sin through His Beloved Son, that we may enjoy eternal safety within His arms that long to hold us and carry us home.

Who could ask for such a love as this? Complete and consuming, gathering the lost so they wander no more, healing the sick so they no longer suffer, and loving the hopeless so they may know hope. Our tender Shepherd, gathering all to Him and keeping us close, will carry us deeper into the purest heart of love.

He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11 NIV)

Attainment

As Christians, we do not partner with the world or live and think as the world does; instead, we renew ourselves and align with our heavenly Father our minds, our thoughts and desires, seeking to be holy and acceptable. Then we will know His will and what is acceptable, good, and perfect.

In prayer, we ask for discernment when seeking answers, turning our backs on worldly knowledge and seeking God's will for us. We try to keep our eyes on all that is good, acceptable and perfect by stimulating our minds through His Word with fellowship, Bible studies, church lessons, and singing praise and worship songs. This is the will of God!

Therefore, we seek discernment, being well-versed in knowing right from wrong, and look for transformation through the renewal of our minds. We must take on this testing of our faith in order to bring God's will into our lives, arming ourselves with the first edge of the sword, which is the word of God.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Baggage Handlers

We are a people who seem to have a penchant to hold onto those moments in life that have damaged or scarred us in some way, dragging them around with us no matter where we go. We use them to gauge our decisions and opinions, claiming them as valuable lessons from which we must learn. While such guidelines can be helpful, mostly they seem to be no more than unnecessary baggage, becoming a heavy burden that holds us back and affects our decisions, our behaviors, and our forward momentum.

If we are to move forward, we need to discard this baggage, allowing