Tag: Encouragement

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Perseverance

I have experienced great moments of joy and deep sadness of loss and so much in between. The one thing I know is that whatever I am experiencing it will change. Life is not stagnant and we are not created to be stagnant. We are created to be creative, to learn, to grow and be adaptive. We must persevere.

Life is like a roller coaster as I have blogged about previously. I have experienced great highs where the views and joys are amazing and I have felt at the top of the world. Only moments later I have been thrust downward into a dark tunnel or pit literally taking my breath away and fear over taking me. We don’t know what this ride of life will bring next. It’s like Space Mountain in Disney World. You can’t see where the path is going and if we will go up or down or sideways.

No matter what is going on now, whether we are at the top, or feeling like we are free falling, we have to hold on and stay in our seat and on the ride. We can trust that we are securely strapped in and are safe in the hands of God. We must persevere. God is with us and loves us more than we can imagine and he will never leave us.

Without challenges we can not use our creativity, strength, adaptability, or our perseverance. Stay the course and DO NOT give up when things get difficult. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. God has purpose in the midst of the difficulty. He has something for us to learn or experience. It may be preparation to minister to someone else or to change us and build character. When you face difficulty ask the Lord, “What am I to learn in this? What is Your purpose, Lord, for this? And how am I to respond to this?”

I have been in some very dark places literally and figuratively. I couldn’t see which way to go. I prayed and asked the Lord to show me the direction I should go. I stood still until I knew, Jesus who is the light of the world, came and showed me which way and gave just enough light to take the next step. That was all I needed. I didn’t need to see three steps ahead. I only need to see the next one.I inched my way forward for a while. It didn’t stay dark for long. When the sun came out I could see further but I only can take one step at a time anyway. The pace can pick up when you can see well but its alright to stand still or inch along while in the dark.

Whether you are struggling in the dark or walking in a bright place, trust Jesus Christ to get you through to the next step and the next, and the next. He is always with you. Even if you don’t feel the presence of the Lord, that doesn’t mean he is not there. The truth is that he is there with you. Our feelings can deceive us. The fact is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Deut. 31:8

Luke 8:15 We have heard the Word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

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Nip It In the Bud

This morning I woke having a weird dream. In the dream my first boyfriend (now deceased) came to me and presented a thin and frail girl telling me that she was our child. I looked at him saying, ”That is impossible because I have not had a child.” The girl came over to me and gave me a tender hug and then felt my pockets to see if I had money she could steal. I caught her and was disappointed. The boyfriend left with her to take her somewhere. I called him and told him to take me off speaker phone in his truck so I could tell him something important. I explained what had happened and that she was a fraud and was sent to rob him. I woke sad and disappointed.

The dream made me reflect on my past and my choices. I was sad for so many choices that I have made that seemed to be wrong or poor choices. First of all, I have never been pregnant and therefore have no children. I am sad about that. I regretted my actions and choices in past relationships. I started to second guess myself and ponder many of my biggest decisions. Disappointment, doubt, even depression started to fill my head and heart.

What a place to start a morning. If I had stayed on this path, the enemy would have accomplished ruining my day. We all have things we regret and wish we could change from our past. The past has passed. There is NOTHING we can do to change it. Our enemy wants us captive to it though. If we can be distracted by it we can miss what today has for us. Playing the game of “What If…” “If Only..” Daydreaming and wasting our time dreaming about what could have been. It makes us discontent with our present circumstances. We can get stuck here and make more poor choices based on the emotions that build from these thoughts.

This is one of those cases where the phrase, “nip it in the bud” is very appropriate. If we entertain these initial thoughts and feelings, it is like we are allowing a seed of a weed to take root. We pay it attention and fertilize it and water it with more emotions and attention. It grows and the roots get deeper. It buds and blooms and we still don’t cut it down or dig it out. Before we know it, this small idea has become a stronghold such as a habit or sin. It’s now like a gum tree that no longer can be dealt with easily. (I have several gum trees in my yard and don’t like them because they are so hard to get rid of. They have roots that spread in all direction and aren’t easily killed even when you cut the tree down). This weed has become a tree that now takes heavy equipment to take it out and will leave a huge hole when removed. The hole can be painful just like hole in our flesh. I am thankful that Jesus Christ came to set the captives free. He can remove these traps that hold us captive and even repair the damage if we allow Jesus to. It is easier to “nip it in the bud” before the budding weed grows too big cut it out with ease. Pinch the top off and kill it in its infancy. Its much easier than cutting down and digging up the tree.

I am thankful to the Lord that He uses all things for His good purposes. I confident in this. No matter how bad I have seemed to mess things up, the Lord will use these mess ups to be a blessing to me or someone else. I can see this truth as I look back over my life. I have always looked for something to learn from each experience. There is always a lesson to learn no matter how painful it is. With all of these lessons, I should be very wise!!! Ha! Ha! Challenge yourself to look for the lessons in all your experiences and focus on the present. We don’t know what tomorrow brings. We can plan and prepare for it but until it gets here, we will not be able to do anything about it either. Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” There is a reason it is called the PRESENT because it is a gift. Live in the present. Enjoy and celebrate now! “This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!”  Psalm 118:24

Lord, we thank you that you can take our messes and make them into something beautiful that can bless us and others. Lord, help us to give our regrets and disappointments over to you. Remove from us the emotions attached to these events and experiences. We lay these thoughts, ideas, regrets, worries, and disappointments at the foot of the cross. Cover us and these things with your blood. Wash us clean and clear away the traps the enemy has laid for us in these thoughts and emotions. Help us to stay in the present to be effective ministers and light bearers in the darkness of this world. Do not let the enemy distract us. Guard us and protect us for these pitfalls. Help us to rejoice today and celebrate your goodness and love! In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

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The Goodness of God

God is good. We can trust in his goodness. Life can be complicated. We can give in to despair and depression if we allow the events of our days to weigh on us. Instead we should focus on all the things God has done for us and not on the negative things. According to Pastor Rick Warren, “Hope is anticipating God’s goodness.” I was listening to one of his recent messages about God’s goodness and the hope we can have in it. He had some great insights about the goodness of God. I have used some of Pastor Rick’s highlights in this message.

God is faithful and trustworthy. God has shown his goodness to me every day of my life by giving me even each breath and continued life and has abundantly poured out even more on me through the provision, peace, love and joy that he has allowed me to experience again and again.  

As Jerimiah 29:11 (ESV) says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” It is easy to miss God’s plans because we are set on the plans we want. We need to sit and listen for the Lord to tell us what his plans are for us. He will bless us if we walk the path that is according to His will. I am not so good at this. I have the tendency to just push forth and then ask God to bless what I am doing. It has caused grief and stress and I have even made a big mess at times. I have had to repent and readjust to get back on the path the Lord has had laid before me. For this reason, I am so thankful for His patience and grace. He never gives up on us even when we have gone our own way.

If we trust in God, we have nothing to fear and can have confidence in His goodness and provision. Psalm 27:1 (ESV) says “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” and Psalm 27:13-14, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” If we wait to hear from God and then proceed, we can enjoy peace in our hearts and spirit. We can experience the “sweet spot” of walking with God. When we are in tune with Him, it resonates in our spirit. Knowing we are in unison with Him like being in tune with his tuning fork. It resonates through all our being. Another analogy is the “sweet spot” when hitting a ball with a bat or with a golf club. It feels right and you know it. I pray you experience this resonance of knowing that you are in unison with God’s will.

Lord, we praise you for your goodness. Thank you that you never give up on us. Help us to never give up seeking you and trying to walk according to your plans for us. Forgive us for when we have not followed your plans and help us to sit and seek you to hear your voice and know your plans. Help us to walk in Your will. Give us your peace. Thank you for your continued provision and goodness. Help us to see and praise you for all the goodness you continue to shower on us. Amen

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Diving into the Depths

I have worries but know there is hope through Jesus Christ. I am facing great financial debt and have worries that could consume me as well as have concern for my health and those I care about. It would be easy to allow all of the thoughts and concerns to keep me so distracted I could not function not even eating and sleeping. Depression could also overtake me. This morning as I prayed to my loving heavenly Father, He reminded that I need to focus on him and not these problems. There will always be problems. Focusing on them and worrying will not help me or solve these problems but will keep me from living today to all its fullness.

I have learned that one of the best solutions for this oppression is praise and thankfulness. I can thank God for shelter, food, clothes, health, family, friends and so much more. I am thankful for the breath he has given to live another day. I thank him for his love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

It’s not hard to feel overwhelmed and stressed but He has reminded me to set all of these worries down at the foot of the cross and allow him to have my burdens. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 As I prayed about all of these concerns, I remembered a dream I had a couple of years ago. In the dream there as a large beautiful home built into and on the top of a mountain or plateau. You could see all around in every direction from every window. You could see the other mountains and plains in the distance. I walked down on a back deck and then onto stairs that were carved into the reddish stone that lead down to a lake that was an old stone quarry or crater. The lake looked bottomless through the crystal, clear water that had a blue tint near the top. I saw others swimming in the distance. I decided to dive in too. I expected the water to be so cold it would take me breath but it was cool, refreshing, and exhilarating. It was so clean and clear and was even sweet to the taste. I woke refreshed and excited. I realized I had been bathing in the present of the Lord and his endless depths. I know will spend eternity diving into his depths and will never explore all of Him and his love.

Micah 7:18-20:  18 Who is God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Lord, thank you for your everlasting love. Thank you for all the days of our lives. Thank you for your forgiveness, faithfulness and provision. Help us to stay in the present moment and give you all our worries and allow you to take care of us and our problems. We lay them down at your feet. Fill us with your joy, love and peace. Amen