5 Ways to Stay Sane!

Recently, I returned from a beautiful trip to Breckenridge, Colorado. Beauty, peace, strength, wonder. These are just a few words describing the awesome grandeur of those mountain regions. It is a breath taking as its counter-part, the desert…which is where I went spiritually that same trip.

I'm sure many factors played a part: lack of sleep, lack of oxygen, pregnant, travel, God, and even the Enemy of all of us who say we love Jesus, Satan. It was strange for me to find myself at the end of a week surrounded by the wonder of creation to be so far away from God. Random and strange thoughts blew through my mind. Sleep called out to me. Fear began knocking on my door and everyone's grass looked incredibly greener than mine.

I was feeling lost, alone, and a bit out of control. Thankfully, I had enough where-with-all to realize that if I didn't do these 5 things to stay sane, to stay connected, I could certainly go down the path of destruction further and further.

Talk
The first thing to do when you feel a "disturbance in the force" is to start talking!

The first person I went to was my husband. Second, I went to my girlfriends. The emails that were returned began to have an affect. The truth spoken to me by others came as a balm when I was unable to sort through the truth and lies for myself.

If we don't talk, we bottle-up and things become greater and bigger and worse. Our ability to diffuse the situation and discern from what is real and what is not is greatly dimished.

Listen
There are many-a-time when I'm driving that my kids will be talking to me and I simply do not hear them. Sometimes, I simply don't listen.

If you find yourself dealing with a time of darkness, loneliness, feeling unattached from God, or flat crazy, you must take opportunity to listen. Listen to your husband, or friends, or Pastor. Take time to ingest what they are saying because sometimes those words can speak louder than our deceiving heart.

Rest
In our microwave society, we find that we want all things to go at the speed of a button and a click. This is not always the case in the things of the heart and spirit and mind. Although the Spirit of God never goes into a state of inactivity, we would do well to find ourselves taking time to rest.

When I returned from our vacation, I had no option but to rest physically and spiritually. Meaning, I was okay with letting the Spirit do what He does even if I couldn’t see it or feel it. Just because we feel bad doesn't mean He throws His hands up and walks away for a bit. It just means He is faithful even when we aren't.

Calm down.
Slow down.
Sleep and little bit more.
Get to bed earlier.

Pray
In my time of separation, number 4 was the last thing I wanted to do: pray.

I found myself thinking a lot and pondering the things in my heart, but not really having active prayer with God. However, that does not mean He doesn't uphold who He is in me.

For instance: He's the author and perfecter of my faith. He is interceding on my behalf. He never stops praying for me. He is living and active. He holds me together by His powerful word...not mine.

Over a few days, His faithfulness to communicate with me in Spirit (even when I didn't know it) drew me back to faithful and active prayer.

However, if you find that you have the strength to stay in active, engaging prayer, well then, by all means, do it!

Wait
Up in the mountains I suffered a little bit from "How high are we?" tummy ache! I didn't have to endure waiting for Tylenol to kick in so I could go back into town. But, spiritually, it was a different story. I was getting sick and no earthly pill could snap me out of it.

I knew it.

God knew it.

By Sunday, JT knew it.

By Tuesday, my friends knew it.

I had done the first two things: talk and listen. I was in resting with sleeping better. I had a profound sense that my friends and husband were praying for me when I could not, and I was left with the final way to get back closer to my God: waiting.

That's it.

Not far from the art of resting is the art of waiting. Technology is quick and easy, but the things of the Spirit are to be experienced, tended to, and waited upon. Not in the sense of inactivity, but a humble awareness that God is working regardless of how we feel.

Allow yourself, and Him, time to restore your soul. Waiting is an art form. Practice it well.

The Five

These things were a life-line to reconnecting with the One who loves me most. I pray that in times of difficulty or in seasons of disconnection, you too will try using these five things.

Just so you'll have them:

1. Talk

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16.

2. Listen

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:113.

3. Rest

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone... Psalm 62:5 4.

4. Pray

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25

We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26, 27

Christ Jesus...is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34

5. Wait

I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm27:13, 14

Keep these five things active and you'll find your connectivity will be active as well. When you find you've lost track, kick these back into gear, and well, wait. :)

Serving you,

Natalie

Check out my personal blog and my blog for Women's Bible Study
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Calmness in Sleepless Nights

The Cafe is thrilled to introduce,Janet Perez Eckles, our Guest Barista today!

I looked in hubby’s direction, fist planted on my hip. “You mean you wouldn’t get up in the middle of the night and, knowing that noise bothered me, you wouldn’t take care of it?”

“Well,” he paused. “I might have maybe when we first got married. But After 33 years, I don’t know.”

I tried to give him a hateful look. But he didn’t give me a chance because he planted a kiss on my cheek. “Only kidding.”

Ha! I wonder about that.

The truth is that through our marriage, our love has changed. It’s resembled the seasons of the year. Some years saw the freshness of spring as we began a family—joy blended with the exciting stage of parenthood. The summer brought the warmth of affection, particularly when things went well. And even coldness in the winters when we both needed to grow, mature and learn.

Hubby and I have experienced all levels of love, all forms, and in various intensities.

That’s because we’re only creatures in the learning mode of life. Not so with Jesus. He loved us even before we could be called His children. He loved us enough to die for us. His love didn’t diminish when we shrugged at His instructions and went our own way. And His love remained constant even when fear threatened to consume us.

His love has never changed, has never wavered, and, joy of joys—never, ever will it leave us.

But Ah! It’s those tough times when adversity barges unexpected. For us it was when our son was tragically killed, and when I lost my sight and in anguished confusion I asked, “Where is the love He promised?”

And when alone, I cried out to Him, pleading for His comfort, and begging for His reassurance. Then the answer fluttered right into my heart: His love didn’t leave me, it remained, steady, available and in enormous quantities. No more searching for answers. No more looking for love as if His wasn’t enough.

Paul knew that in the whirlwind of life this can happen, so he nudges our memory:

“… you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together Paul with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19 [NIV]).

Feeling empty? The fullness of God, complete and available is yours. You know—the love that forgives, brings a new beginning, ushers hope, and brings rest to sleepless nights.

Prayer: Lord, keep me remain focused, keep me humble, and ever so aware that your love hasn’t left me. Show me Lord that I can face all pain and heartache nestled in your loving arms.

In moments of darkness, have you looked for love and reassurance in circumstances? In other people?

When life gets difficult, and no one has the answer, will you be still and allow His love to surround you while you wait on His answer?

In the hurried pace of life, will His love remain in the forefront of your thoughts?

In Him,

Janet

Janet Perez Eckles is an international speaker, writer and author of the inspirational book, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow—Overcoming Adversities in Life. Her stories are featured in numerous magazines, in twelve books including best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, and Guidepost books. Each relates how adversity turned to triumph, success and contagious joy. Visit her at: www.janetperezeckles.com.

Waiting Upon The Lord

"They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

I don't know about you, but I'm not the most patient person in the world.

I typically need to know everything, right at that moment, in complete detail.

For example, when I first got saved, the very next day, I walked into a church and said to the pastor that greeted me at the door, "So, I got saved last night, I got this Bible, now what".

The look on his face was priceless! I was pretty convinced that there couldn't possibly be that much to know about this "whole being a Christian thing" and that if I was going to do it, I needed to know all the details, right there and then - all at once. I'm like that with anything that I have to "learn" - thus why I always did well in school.

Much to my chagrin, the pastor said, "Whoh, just relax. It's awesome that you got saved, and that's the first step into a real relationship with the Lord. But let's take it one step at a time".

Of course I was ready to run right there and then! What do you mean take it one step at a time! I need to know now!. I didn't have time to just wait it out and see how this whole relationship with Christ thing went, I had to get going with it!

For those of you that are mothers, I was like the child asking, "Why mommy?" questions every four seconds, and the anxious child pulling at your leg saying, "But mommy I need it noooowww!" Or better yet, your toddler that you take into the store and starts making a huge scene when they can't get the thing that they want. I was that child. I wonder how God viewed me at that point.

Was He annoyed by my "needy-ness?"

Did He appreciate my questioning?

Was He laughing at my stubbon I-need-to-know-it-all-right-now attitude?

Thankfully our heavenly Father is much more patient than our earthly parents, and, as His word promises, if we just wait, He'll reveal His truth to us - in His time.

Do you hate waiting?

We always feel like we're waiting for something don't we? Waiting for results of a medical test to come in, waiting for a child to arrive, waiting for our child to call when they've been out late, waiting to find out where our next meal is coming from.

We're always waiting for something.


Right now, I'm waiting to see how my wedding is going to pan out. There have been many bumps along the way and things to deal with, and I hate waiting to see how it is going to turn out! I want to know that everything is perfect and that I can relax. But, that's not reality; I just have to wait.

The Lord wants us to be patient in all things.

His word says, "Love is patient, love is kind". I love this reflection of God's heart because it is saying that love is revealed in a way that is both patient to the recipient and kind (rewarding) to them as well. Match that up with the promise made in Isaiah 40:31, and it sure gives us a lot of hope for being able to cope with the process of waiting for whatever it is that we are, well, waiting for.

Often times the process of waiting is so much harder than receiving the result. It's the not knowing that makes us nuts! Yet God promises that if we just wait in Him - in His timing, in His all-knowing, in His love...He'll come through for us in a way that we can't imagine. That's a pretty awesome promise - one that I pray will help you cope as you wait...and wait...and wait...because eventually, in His timing, all will be revealed, all will be made right by He who is in control. Maybe the results won't be what "we thought" they would be...but they will be exactly He knows is necessary to bring about His glory; and ladies, ultimately, that is what life is about - bringing about God's glory for the greater good.

So, let us take time this week to wait - wait in the promise of knowing that God is in control, that H ewill reveal all things in His time, and that for us, the reward will come in eternity, when all is set right and all is made clear to us. Amen?

Let's pray:

Father God, we know that we aren't always patient with you. We whine, we complain, we worry and beg. We ask that You grant us the patience that only You can provide to wait it out as You unveil Your glory to us. We ask that You continue to guide us through our waters of worry with a gentle but firm hand; helping us to be unafraid as we wait to reach the shoreline. We put our full trust in You Lord, and we ask Your forgiveness for those times when we do not. We believe in Your promise to keep us strong and to reveal and work all things together for Your glory. We say these things in Your Son Jesus's precious name. Amen.

us true happiness. It is in Your name that we pray, Amen.

- Allison is the blog author of Simple Christian Living. Stop by and say "hello"!

I Will Not Be Moved

After many years of dealing with the aches and pains associated with back problems, I finally decided it was time do something about my many limitations. It seemed like whenever I would attempt to start exercising to strengthen my back, it always resulted in a set back where I was in more pain.

The feeling of frustration quickly lead to defeat, and then this brutal cycle would start over. I wondered how could I ever get back in shape if I couldn't’t even do some basic exercises? I wanted more then anything to be able to enjoy all the things I used to do before I injured those lower discs. I was determined to find a solution.

Then a few weeks ago I made the decision to try once again. Only this time, I would have to make some very bold moves behind my declaration.

I joined the local YMCA.

Now, this may not sound too difficult of a decision for those of you reading my story right now, but what I was about to embark on represented a major step forward against years of being pushed back.

I joined a swim class.

Not having stepped in a bathing suit for many years and going to the department store to purchase one was a cause for panic.

While trying them on, well, let's just say I was unpleasantly surprised by what the mirror revealed. We won't go there... However, it just was more motivation for even a greater determination to win this battle!

In the 15th chapter of Corinthians, verse 58 Paul also made a bold statement:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Each day as I prepared to leave for my class I thought about this powerful exhortation, and to think Paul was a man who endured more pain and suffering for the cause of Christ then any of us could ever imagine.

Then it became clear to me that the decision I made to get back in shape physically, was not unlike my walk with Jesus.

If I was going to succeed in my bold declaration to get my physically strength back, I knew I had to be steadfast.

That would mean no turning back, no making excuses, no quitting the race. I would have to remain committed and confident that no matter how difficult the task would be, I would be unmoved and unshaken.

It seems like we are faced with this decision daily as we walk with the Lord. It’s so easy to let the events of our lives and the cares of this world dictate our direction. However, Paul didn’t believe that was true. He encouraged us to remember that no matter how tough things may get, our decision to be unmovable would not be in vain.

Joining the YMCA was only the beginning.

Keeping to the commitment would ultimately determine the outcome I desperately desired. So day after day I go. Has it been hard? You bet! Have I complained? You bet!

But just like the Kingdom work God has called us to do, we must stand firm with our eyes focused on the prize, and never getting off the task He has put before us.

I don't know about you, but I not only want to remain steady in my faith, yes even more, I want it to abound. I want to live a life that brings glory and honor to God.

Ask God to show you what areas in your life He is challenging you to step out in. Be faithful, face the giant, and do whatever is necessary to reach that goal.

It may often mean that you will have to launch out of your comfort zone, and press on to win that personal race. Never forget that it will not be vain. Taking care of our physical bodies is only illustration of the much higher calling we have to take care of the things of Christ.

Oh, by the way, since I’ve joined I’m already feeling a lot stronger. I’ve also had the bonus of meeting some wonderful ladies in my class!

Some things to ponder:

• When is the last time you launched out into the deep and did something that was difficult for you?

• Is it your desire to abound in the work of the Lord?

Lord I know pray for each lady that is reading this post. Give them the desire to press into the call of God in their lives daily. I pray that they would remain steadfast and unmovable in face of all the many difficulties they encounter in their walk with you. May they receive the victor's crown one day as they stand before you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Join Susan daily at her personal blog,

Choose you this day . . . not that day.

". . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 25:15

<sup>Do you ever procrastinate?


Just a little?

Even with my firstborn-"type A" tendencies, I put things off sometimes. It's not that big a deal most of the time (especially if you're a mother) because whatever work you may put off today... is gonna be waiting for you tomorrow. We know that, and so we give ourselves a little wiggle room sometimes, and we "put off until tomorrow what we darn sure should have done today." It just isn't an earth-shaking problem most of the time to do so.

But I have found that there is an area where I just can't play that game. In our walk with God, we simply can't put off some things - we must decide today. This day.


What we believe about God is one of those things.

Is He holy?
. . . Is He a good planner? . . . Can He really keep up with everything? . . . Does He really have my best interest at heart? . . . Is He Good? . . . Can I trust Him?. . . Is He safe enough for me to trust even when there is a mountain of "evidence" to the contrary?

It is reeeeaaaallllllyyyyyyy important for us to have made a decision about these things. Now. Today. Before life's "situations" come barreling down upon us. Because then . . . well, then we'll be just a little busy fighting fiery darts or accusations or unpaid bills or wayward children or marriage woes or other such things. In the middle of the battle is not the time to begin looking for our battle gear or trying to remember if we even own any. My friend Lisa said it well a few months ago:</sup>

^{"But, if through a million tears we can hold our faces toward the sky and profess that God is enough . . . That He is Goodness and Love and Truth and that no amount of Satan's torture can cause us not to trust Him . . .}

Then, girls, we will bless Him. Our faith will please Him and bring Him glory. And the devil, and the world will know that we are children of the Most High God. And the world around us will want to know Him.

Decide. Today. Before the storm. . . because, as Lisa reminds us:

^{"If your goal is God's glory, you'd better choose it now!"}

Father, we believe. Help our unbelief. Show us where there is fear or doubt hidden in our hearts and then lead us, please, into truth and victory. Help us to be sure and solid and strong in our knowledge and faith and trust in You, Who is All in All. May we all decide today - this day - Whom we will serve . . .
Before . . .

In Him...

Visit Darnelle at her personal website: All Things Work Together...

The Game of Life

The Game of Life

My husband is a sore loser. Wait. That’s not fair. Let me rephrase that. In college, my husband was a sore loser, at least in Monopoly. One rainy Saturday afternoon, we played Monopoly in the game room of his dorm. As the game progressed, it was apparent I would reign victorious. One roll of the dice landed my not-yet husband on one of my properties with very steep rent. Instead of bowing out gracefully, my normally even-tempered man flipped the Monopoly board sending pieces flying. My man on the horse and his racecar danced amidst the colorful bills as they fluttered to the floor. “Whoops,” he offered, “I guess we won’t know who won.”

Have you ever flipped a Monopoly board? One of my good friends tried flipping her board this week. Except it wasn’t the game of Monopoly, it was the game of Life. She didn’t think she could finish the game and tried to quit before it was over. It breaks my heart to think of the pain one must suffer to choose to quit instead.

Many out there know the kind of pain my friend has endured. You’ve been there. Perhaps you’ve thought about flipping your game board. I don’t know a be-all end-all formula to ensure always winning the game. Sometimes, I’m just hanging on through the next round. I do know a be-all end-all God who will make sure we have what it takes to carry us through.

Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. 
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:3-4 NIV

As a little girl, I sometimes played Monopoly with my brother and cousins. Being the baby, I didn’t always understand the rules. Usually I was the first one out of the game. I’d go bankrupt. But sometimes, my older cousin would have compassion and work a deal to offer me some of his money. Just when I thought the game was over, I was back in again. He rescued me.

God will rescue us when we think the game over. When losing is all we see, He will carry and sustain us. Does it look like you’re going bankrupt? Don't think you'll make it around the board again? God will save you!

O God, thank you for carrying me. Please rescue my friend. Gather the pieces of her soul into your hands and breathe new life into her. Lord, uphold and sustain all those hurting souls who read these words. You know every eye that will read and every heart that has broken. Begin the healing process. Give us strength to continue playing Lord when it appears that we won’t make it through the next round. Thank you, God for loving me. Amen.

Come visit me at sheep to the right!

The Long Journey

The Long Journey

"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. "

- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

I love The Lord of the Rings stories. They have elements of both fantasy and reality that I think I really respond to. My fiance rolls his eyes at me because I prefer those long, sweeping, epic movies like LOTR, The Chronicles of Narnia, Gladiator, etc as opposed to romantic comedies, horror flicks, or even "chick flicks." :). I just get really sucked into the adventure and the undertones that seem to permeate the story lines and the characters.

Do you remember the epic movies of the 80's? Neverending Story, I believe, was one of the first epic style movie I saw and I just got hooked. I'm like that with books too! I refuse to read those sappy dime store romance novels, and I just can't get my head into self-help books. I like to part of a big adventure! I like to know that my time, whatever it is that I may be doing, is making me a part of the bigger picture!

Isn't that what Christ wants us to realize? - that we are all a part of the big adventure, together, and we all have parts to play and a path to choose. Tolkien says that the road "goes ever on and on down from the door where it began." Where did our road begin? How did we get into our relationship with Christ in the first place? Was it hitting rock bottom? Was it a movie about His sacrifice that inspired you to see His love for you? Were you just raised with Him in your heart? Everyone stepped out of the door at some point and started down the narrow path. And, if you are like me...that narrow path sure has taken some twisty-turns and gone up and down some cliffs and valleys!

But...we know better than to go back now - behind the door that trapped us in our sin. So we see that the path goes on far longer than we can comprehend, but, we "must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet." Eager feet...that's a tough one sometimes, isn't it? We see the rocky path that goes through the underbrush, into perilous twists unknown and unseen by our eyes. So, we look back to see the door...squinting our eyes to see where we once came from...and we remember why we were on this journey in the first place...salvation - eternal adventure!

So we put one foot in front of the other - sometimes not making much headway at all...but we do make progress. Sometimes we trip over a root that has crossed our path and we smack our faces on the ground. And there are wild animals out there, ready to devour us as soon as we take our feet off that path. But we have a secret weapon against the underbrush, tall grasses, wild animals and foes...a sword forged by a King...the Word of God...with that, with His Word, He will make straight the path and He will make our journey doable.

Easy, no, the journey will not be easy. But it will be rewarding. Do you remember at the end of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, the last in the trilogy, Sam gets the girl, Frodo and Bilbo get to go on to eternity, Arwen and Aragorn have their happily-ever-after and Eowyn becomes ruler of Rohan with her fiance at her side. (sorry if you didn't see the series :)) It all worked out! But if you remember, throughout the series, it sure looked like they were going to fail at their mission, didn't it!? All those monsters, battles and internal strife really made you believe that there was just no way Frodo was going to get to Mount Doom to destroy that ring.
But then...there were moments of hope - faith - that allowed you to at least keep watching the story unfold to see what would happen.

Those little moments of hope made you - and the characters! - hold on. And weren't we all relieved at the end! It was all worth it! That is our own adventure we must take. We must cling to those moments of hope and victory that show us that God is faithful and He is right there by our side the whole way. Just like a parent holding onto the back of a "big-kid bike" as their child takes those first few anxious peddles towards adulthood...but then what...we have to let go for awhile. They might ride off on their own for awhile, but, you know that you are always there, watching, carefully letting them test the waters. And yes, they will fall, and then you will be right there to help them back up - taking joy and pride in their rising up again.

That is exactly how the Lord handles us on our adventure that we have been given! But...there's a catch...you have to join the adventure in order to see it be worth wile in the end! No one is going to give away the end of your story...that wouldn't be fair :) But, His Word does tell us,

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

In other words...the end justifies the means FAR beyond what we could ever imagine! So, pack up your trail mix, a bottle of water, and your Sword...and let's hit the path...shall we?

Questions for Reflection:

How are you doing on the path? Any snakes? Stumblings?
What about beautiful scenery and the majestic surroundings that He has put you in - how has He made your path journey worth it?

Until then my friends...journey well!

Allison is the author of, Simple Christian Living, a blog committed to enjoying Christ, simply, every day in every way.

Stumbling

Stumbling

In order to win their souls "[God] relies on the troughs even more than the peaks;...He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles."
C.S.Lewis "The Screwtape Letters"

I dislike the troughs of life, don't you? The times of fervent prayer, of desire to do God's will no matter what, the zeal for early morning devotions eventually give way to dryness and valleys and spiritual emptiness. Even in the midst of mountaintop experiences there lives the faint knowledge that they can't last, mustn't last, if we are to learn and grow. How else would we share our radiance?

I have had times in my life, more in my thirties than my twenties, when I have felt God has let go of my hand. I flounder about, wobble a bit and fall over.

"Why did you let go?" I shout, "I need you!"

"I'm here," He says quietly from behind me, "but you must take a step on your own."

Again, I reach out and try to balance myself within the storms life throws at me, and again I stumble, disappointing myself; I'm certain God must be disappointed too. I look back to see his reaction, and He is smiling gently, forgivingly, as I push myself back up. I get strength from that smile. I know I'll fall yet again, but this time it doesn't feel quite so hopeless...

Zachary, our one-year-old, is learning to walk. He took his first tentative steps a month ago but still preferred to crawl or be carried. It took him a couple of weeks to decide to practice a bit more and this week has really caught on. A couple of days ago he spent twenty minutes taking steps around the room from me to the table, to the couch, to the window, to the chair and back to me. Each time he fell (which was quite often), instead of getting up where he was, he would put his head down, cry out in frustration, and crawl back to me before starting again.

I'm the place he wants to start from. He needs to have me at his back to begin, I thought as he crawled to me for the fifth time. To be that safe place for him showed me how God feels about my stumbles and mistakes.

He wants to be the origin of our every journey.

Yet how often do I start somewhere else? How often do I, the memory of a recent sin fresh in my mind, dust myself off and get back up without checking to see if He's at my back? For Zachary, it is second nature to begin at his source of confidence- me. Oh, how I want to see God as that source for me, not just in theory but in practice!

For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.
Psalm 71:5

Do you have sins you fall into on a regular basis? Do you have trouble believing God can forgive them yet again?

Are you frustrated by the times when it feels like God has let go of you? How have you grown in those times?

Christine can be found daily at her personal blog:

Jesus, My Personal Trainer

Jesus, My Personal Trainer

June. It’s the month that takes Summer by the hand, gives her a Popsicle and a beach towel, and says, “Come on outside and play.”

It is also the month which hosts something most dear to me.

~Vacation Bible School~

You mix Jesus, orange drink, cheap crafts, music and fun decorations and it just doesn’t get any better.

Over the years, I’ve helped out in VBS, teaching, directing and decorating. I’ve painted life-sized postcards, murals, and t-shirts. One year a kid even painted me.

Last week, with large sheets of bulletin board paper spread out across the living room floor, I painted ocean waves for this year's Hawaiian theme. I’ve done a lot of shading and apparently, a lot of bending and stretching; the backs of my legs are sore.

It appears that I have used muscles that have not been used in quite some time.

I was walking through the grocery store with achy legs, wondering if I should go ahead and look for the aisle with Ben Gay, when I thought to myself, “It hurts a little now,but these muscles will be stronger. They’ve been stretched.”

~No pain, no gain~

Our family is going through some trying times right now, too. My heart knows that God is always faithful, but one could say I am having to stretch some faith muscles that have not been used in a while. When I feel the “burn,” I am to be joyful. That achy faith muscle means my relationship with God is growing.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:2

God is in the training business. He allows trials to enter our lives so we can stretch and strengthen our faith in Him. Unlike physical training, our personal faith training cannot be done alone. Only with God and through God are we able to build a personal faith “program.”

Through Jesus Christ, our strength, we can endure any race, any faith work-out and we are assured of a prize at the finish line.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12: 1-2

In Christ,

Questions for Reflection:

When have your faith muscles been stretched?
How was your relationship with God strengthened?
Are there areas in your life where you feel the stretch more than others?

I keep a file of quotes, actually several files. They inspire me and I'm amazed how the right ones surface at just the right time. God IS Good!!

This week, this one surfaced....again.

"We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we
have to prove our mettle."
~Oswald Chamber

It's intriguing, so I went 'digging' a little deeper...and found that the sentence that precedes this one in the text by Chamber makes it all VERY clear to me....
he says,

"The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have the power to rise only, something is wrong. It is a great thing to be on the mount with God, but a man only gets there in order that afterwards he may get down among the devil-possessed and lift them up."

The proof of my 'mettle,' (or as Miriam Webster defines it....my 'vigor and strength of spirit,') is going BACK down off of the mountain where I caught a 'glimpse' of heaven and the glory of God.... I am challenged to go BACK down and use what I have seen to lift others on their walk...I think of my own journey with infertility and when our first was born we were on the top of that mountain, to stay there would have been wrong...we NEEDED to descend and spread the word of what had been done for us...a testimony!

I think of the apostle Paul and his conversion, to stay on the mountain would have been complacent, he NEEDED to get out there and DO! He was inspired by what had occurred, now it was time to get off of that mountain and use it!!

Those times on the mountain are where God 'refuels' us! Refreshes our souls and invigorates our spirits! Peter, James and John could not stay on the mountain where the Transfiguration occurred, (LUKE 9:28 ~36) they had to descend to the valley, where the lowly were living and teach them and inspire them with what they saw and knew...we are called to do the same...come down!

The mountain is a lovely place, what a view...but we were not meant to climb to the top and pitch a tent and stay there, ...oh maybe for a bit, to take it all in, but our spirits should want to descend to those valleys of the mundane and the trials of life....WE are the disciples!

We are the ones who are now called to come down and 'share' what we saw...encourage others to climb to the top and experience that 'glimpse.'

I believe that we are disciples sharing what we have learned on our journeys, sharing so that others can begin the ascent...
If we continue to encourage each other, descend from the mountain, passing those on their way up...
we will be involved in a beautiful cycle that God himself ordained...

If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine it, disciples on their way up, and those making the descent...and it continues on until the end of time.....

That mountain top view is lovely, I have seen it, sat in my lawn chair at the top....but I was not meant to LIVE there, that is for eternity...I was meant to live in that valley, walking and encouraging others with what I have witnessed 'up there!' So, I fold my chair and begin to walk down, grateful and praising HIM, for another view from 'up there,' now ready, with sleeves rolled up to do some real work!! The work I was born to do! You know, 'proving my mettle!' Knowing always, that HE has another 'view from the top' waiting for me....to encourage and refuel me on my way....

He is FAITHFUL like that!

You can find me and my lawn chair over here most days....

I Need Thee Every Hour

“The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way.”
Isaiah 8:13

One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, Annie Hawkins was busy with her regular household tasks. Suddenly, she became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, she wrote the words to the famous hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour”.

As I read this verse in Isaiah chapter eight, I was reminded of this incredible hymn. Oh, how we desperately need Him every hour! We need Him so much more than we could ever comprehend. This verse revealed to me just a few of the ways we need Him.
I have always heard, and often times claimed, God as my Rock, my Shelter, my Hiding Place, but I was reminded through this verse that God can also be a Boulder. He is a Hiding Place and a Rock in whom I take refuge, but He is also a Boulder blocking my way. Many times we find ourselves facing difficulties or trials and discover Him to be our Rock in whom we take refuge, but have you ever considered that he is a Boulder blocking your way? Blocking your way from what, you may ask. I found comfort as I was reminded in this verse that, as I am seeking God and finding refuge in Him as my Hiding Place, He will also become the Boulder that keeps me from wickedness. He can prevent me from “presumptuous sins” and foolishness. He can also be the Boulder that prevents evil and harm from getting to me. He will allow trials to befall me, and will be my Hiding Place during such times, but there are even more times that I believe He is, in fact, a Boulder blocking my way. He is my Protector on all fronts. He hides me in the Shadow of His wing when I am hurting or afraid, and He protects me from myself and my own wicked heart, as well as, from that which could bring harm to me.

He is able to move the boulders in my life that I cannot deal with on my own, but He graciously makes Himself a Boulder in my life to prevent me from falling and to protect me from harm. The more I read His Word and uncover all that He reveals of Himself through it, I find He is so much more than we could ever imagine. He is more to us that we can comprehend. He is ever present and all knowing. Even when I do not see what He is doing, I can rest assured that He has my best interest at heart and He is everything that I need. I echo Annie Hawkins and sing,

I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

I need thee every hour,
in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide,
or life is vain.

I need thee every hour,
teach me thy will;
and thy rich promises
in me fulfill.

I need Thee, O I need Thee!
Ev'ry hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Saviour!
I come to Thee.

Lord, thank you for all that you are to me, both that which I recognize and the many things that I don’t even see. Thank you that, whether in joy or pain, You are sufficient. I come to You with all my heart, recognizing my desperate need for you.



You can read more from Tammy by visiting her at Steps In Our Journey

DEALING WITH THE STUFF

My sister, Aimee called me Sunday afternoon and said, "the ladies are so excited that you are coming to speak!"....I said real quick like...."well, they better get over it!---I am nothing to be excited about!" But Jesus is. Actually, I am the one that is excited. I am excited that the Lord has allowed me a voice to share His mercy and goodness to any person with ears! Whether they want to hear it or not....and you know, every now and then you come across someone that "does not want to hear".

This past Sunday, Rylan, our oldest grandson (the one with the autism disorder), was able to spend the day with us and he was doing pretty good that day, so I thought, well, I'll just take him with me in church instead of taking him to nursery (he's 6 but because of his condition, he generally doesn't do well in church with the sounds of the instruments, singing, etc.---too much stimulation). Anyway, we were getting to the "preaching segment" of the service, and he had done well so far, but I was still of holding my breath. As the visiting minister came to the platform and began his welcome, Rylan said in a not so quiet voice, "Is he Jesus?"....I said no, but he is about to tell us about Jesus. And so he did.

This actually brings me to something the Lord has been dealing with me about. Our reflection of Jesus. What are we showing the world? If the world came to our house, could they look inside every closet, drawer and cabinet?...What would they see? If nothing was hidden....what reflection would be seen? Jesus? Or, the world?

The Lord began directing my thoughts in this line during my sister, Wanda's last few months, and even more so just after her passing. What her life reflected. What you saw in her home. What was in her spiritual heart. Not the physical one. For that one was malformed. But her spiritual heart was completely in perfect order with Him. Her Lord.

I was talking with Aimee about this as we were cleaning up before she came home from the hospital in January after the long stay just days after Christmas. Her kitchen counters had "things of life" on them. Music CD's that she listened to "to encourage her heart", medicine, papers, mail, cards, a book or two, many things that had just not been put in it's correct place.

She had become overwhelmed in the days before Christmas with all the functions, activities and cooking that was necessary and had not had a chance to put things that was readily visible in complete order. But, when you opened the cabinet in search of something, the cabinets were in tip-top shape. Bowls stacked according to size, lids all together, glasses clean and without spots, and in their correct place, and her pantry was much the same.

Wanda could tell you exactly where everything was kept. (Which she did once she came home and we began cooking for her.) Everything on the inside was in perfect order. She had more stuff on the outside than she could cope with at times, but she organized and put away as she could to keep things in such condition that she would not be embarrassed for anyone to come in and visit.

I began to think of my own house. Not only my physical house, but my spiritual house. I have too much stuff. More furniture than I know what to do with right now (since we just let the lease on the apartment go). I have had to crowd as many things in a closet as will fit. While most of the time, the dishes, pots and pans are in a passable order, there are the times when my husband may put something away....and not knowing my "system" ---well, you get the picture...or at least once it all falls out you will!

As the Lord began dealing with me about things in my house, as well as things in my heart, I knew it was time to deal with both.

Stuff can overwhelm us. Not only too many things in our home, but too much going on in our lives. Philippians 3:13-14 says "No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." (NLT)

Have you ever noticed how the world makes it all too easy to just "hang on to stuff". Not only do we cram our closets, but we rent "storage rooms" or warehouse units so that we can "keep piling things up". Why? Why would we want to continually flood our lives with things that we need to deal with now?

I am guilty of that myself. When we moved to Marianna we had to rent storage until we "repaired" the house we are living in. Then we had to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Right now, we have some things in storage. Some is being stored for future use for Tiffany and Jared, some for April and David. But as for me....I am dealing with and getting rid of all things that are unnecessary in my house and life right now. Lesson learned long ago.

Almost 15 years ago I was in a raw emotional condition due to not dealing with some critical issues in my heart and life. They were painful. It was hard. It was much easier to just tuck it all away in a pretty box and label it "do not open". Trouble came though, when the box lid slipped. I don't remember what caused it...but when it slipped...the stuff came boiling to the top. This is painful even to admit I allowed myself to become so "overtaken by anxiety" that one night---after many nights of sleeplessness, the enemy of my soul crept into my room and whispered into my ear..."What's it all for? Why continue on? Who would miss you? Who would care? They'd all be better off"....and I listened...and cried in my pillow. I will tell you --I am ashamed to say this, hardly anyone knows the depth of my pain from this moment of my life, but even the thought of ending my life entered my head.

Tormented in my heart as I was, I cannot believe now that I could be in such a despondent condition. I hardly remember that girl of anxiety and despair. I know in my heart and mind right now that I would have not followed through with the thoughts of destruction, but I say this to tell you that "anyone" is susceptible to the attack of the enemy.

I look back now and wonder how/why? I had done almost everything in the church from cleaning toilets to teaching Sunday School. Yet, in all of that life of "christian activity", I was not exempt from the evil attack of satan. It was the most horrendous of enemy attacks I believe that exists, because when he tempts you to "take your life", he is telling you that you can "control" your life and God. Friend...you cannot control God. The enemy is trying to succeed in casting you in outer darkness forever. No turning back. When the last breath flows out, there is no putting life back in. I believe you have just physically plucked yourself from God's hand and jumped headlong into eternity---without Him.

Fortunately, I had presence of mind to cry out to Abba Father, and He was in the house---chasing the enemy from the room as I called out to Him in my pain. As I lay on the floor in the bathroom and sobbed out to Him, He reached down and picked me up. I eventually returned to bed---and Jeff was never aware (until days later), of the spiritual battle that had taken place that night while he slept. It was a battle. And I knew that I was not "armed" for this battle as I should have been.

While my house and life had been flooded with "stuff" ...there were some things I had neglected. Daily prayer. Daily reading of God's Word. Intercessory prayer for others. Yes, you can do all the "christian things that are expected of you" and still neglect your own heart and prayer life. Oh, I was still a Christian, but I was running around practically naked (if you will pardon that example). My spiritual clothing was missing. Parts of it was there, but it was ill fitting because I had neglected to keep it in tip-top shape. What to do?

Clean out your closet and drawers. Don't leave anything in. Get it all out. As Aimee, Wanda and I had made plans to help each other in the beginning of this year "clean out the excess stuff"...we had proclaimed that we were going to get "Ruthless" with each other's stuff. No hanging on to things that were unnecessary. Apply that to spiritual things in our lives. Take it all out and examine it for wear and tear. If it's not appropriate....get rid of it.

The closer I get to the Lord, I am finding that things---I'm not necessarily speaking of clothes here, but some things are just not "for me" any longer. Things that might have been okay, in the past few years, aren't any more. Even some --dare I say..."TV shows"....make me uncomfortable the closer I get to the Lord. I have a new determination that I have never experienced....to follow hard after Him. I don't want anything...ANYTHING to stand in the way of my relationship with God. Not any individual...nor any earthly possession. There is nothing...and nobody like my JESUS!

Ephesians 4:10-18 (NLT) "A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere."

The entire wardrobe of holiness must be donned daily. DAILY. In a recent discussion with Aimee, we both shared our need for prayer in the morning. Aimee said, "I don't feel fully dressed if I haven't prayed." Without a doubt, that is the truth.

We aren't adequately covered spiritually if we don't get with the Father....and I have to do that in the mornings as well as at the close of my day. My former prayer life was not as fervent. But I have learned. It is the "effectual fervent prayer that will avail much". The Matthew Henry Commentary shares that "the prayer itself must be a fervent, in-wrought, well-wrought prayer. It must be a pouring out of the heart to God; and it must proceed from a faith unfeigned. Such prayer avails much. " To get a clearer understanding of this I looked up avail. Avail means to be of use or value to; profit; advantage; have force or efficacy; or the power or capacity to produce a desired effect.

So, where do we go from here? I tell you where I'm going. I am dealing with everything that comes up....as it comes up. No waiting. No putting it off or in a cute box....It's deal with it now. If you wait, the enemy has a chance to plan a strategy to use it against you.

I am closing with this: After Wanda passed away, Mark asked Aimee and I to meet him at the house to choose her clothes for burial. As we began searching through her closet for a dress, I noticed how neat and orderly her shoes and her clothes were. She did not have a cram packed closet of clothes. Just enough to take her through each season of life. Her shoes were neatly hanging in the shoe bag. Not an extraordinary amount. Shoes were not her obsession. After we chose her dress, I began going through her dresser drawers for other necessary things and found her things in perfect order.

As I rolled this over in my mind---I realized that with Wanda, what you saw on the outside...a neat, petite, orderly sweet woman, was exactly what she was on the inside. Both physically and spiritually. While her physical "heart" was not formed from birth as it should have been, her spiritual heart was in perfect formation. I knew right then I had some things that needed tending to. I am continually cleaning out. Continually removing, rearranging, and getting downright "ruthless" with myself, to be in perfect alignment with my Father.

So...are you ready? Grab those garbage bags girls....let's get to it!

I welcome your visit to my blog!

Shore of Salvation

"Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Me – the very thing you’ve been unwilling to do.”
Isaiah 30: 16-17

Have you ever seen a drowning person being rescued? I remember seeing a young girl flailing around in the water as my dad and a friend jumped in to save her. She fought at first, grabbing at them with all her might and fighting to stay afloat. With fear in her eyes, she wasn’t realizing that she was actually working against those who were there to help her. It wasn’t until she settled down and depended on them to help her, that they were able to pull her to safety.

The Bible says, in the same way, that our “salvation requires us to turn back to God and stop our silly efforts to save ourselves. Our strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Him.” So many times, we fight against all that Christ tells us, thinking that we are going to help ourselves, but this verse tells us this is simply “silly efforts”. We are only saved by “settling down and completely depending on Christ”.

What is tugging at you and trying to pull you under? Perhaps you are still searching and have yet to even find Christ as your Savior. He is waiting to rescue you from your sin and be everything you need. For those of us that have already experienced His salvation, is there something that is pulling us under the waters of life? Are we struggling to stay afloat financially? Is it taking all of our strength to tread the water in a strained relationship? Perhaps we are simply struggling in the undercurrent of our culture and finding ourselves being drug out further than we should go. No matter where we are, the rescue itself will look the same. We must “stop our silly efforts to save ourselves, settle down, and depend completely on Christ to save us. He is able and He is there waiting for us to turn to Him and trust Him to take us to safety.

Stop grapping at everything else around you and looking for another way out, and just surrender to Him. Allow Him to pull you from the water of worry, the sea of sin, and the rivers of regret, and take you to the incredible shore of Salvation.

Lord, thank you that you are my Savior. Thank you that you are always there to rescue me if I will only stop my own silly efforts to save myself, settle down, and depend on you. Thank you that no matter how deep I may find myself, You are always deeper still.

In Him~
Tammy…

You can read more from Tammy by visiting her at Steps in Our Journey

a new race to run

This post was previously posted on my site....but with the new year around the corner and 'the race of a lifetime' still to run, it seemed timely to replay it.
Spiritual disciplines are not just something to THINK about, its something we NEED to DO our journey.
~Happy New Year to you all~
Peace,
Running the RACE....a spiritual athlete

I can imagine them, the Ancient Christians, living in North Africa and the Middle East in the third century. As Paul Thigpen writes in an article from Discipleship Journal (sept./oct 2004) these men and women were "athletes of God." When I read the article years ago, I was intrigued and I have kept the magazine in a basket beside my bed ever since....What does it take to be a "spiritual athlete" in this day and age...I am already tired...another race to run sounds exhausting...but what I have come to learn that this type of discipline will help me "run the race marked out for me" (Heb. 12:1). It is not exhausting, it's exhilarating! It's not on piled on top of all of the other things on my "to do" list...these disciplines, when practiced, will help me "lay aside every weight....and let me run with perseverance the race that is set before me....discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time but it yields the fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained." (Heb. 12:1-2, 11-13)That is the goal...righteousness and a race well run when it is all said and done...sounds like I need some discipline!

If I am going to run this race, and run it well, then just as an athlete, I MUST seek to be trained by the Master...Just as an athlete has to decide how best to prepare for a particular event, I too, must seek to prepare my SOUL...Without disciplining my spiritual self, I am in no way ready to endure the race called life...
That requires honesty, a prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and a look at what area I need some "extra training" in...Paul Thigpen writes that "in ancient times the elder in the Christian community would have the brothers and sisters concentrate on one discipline for an entire year and IF they had mastered it by the year's end, they could move on to the next."

We live in such an "immediate gratification" society...we want results now and the thought of "discipline" and "long term commitments" can scare us...but we are in this
race for a lifetime, if we do not seek to evolve into better beings then we really are not running the race that Christ has laid before us....We only become better when we focus on that which needs the most work...for some it is in abstinence, others simplicity, some it's becoming disciplined in stillness, others prayer, and still others worship....at this season in my life, I am focusing on the discipline of meditation.

It's my training session with God...I am seeking a deeper, fuller, relationship with God...trying to understand HIS will and purpose in every area of my life...in a word, wisdom...If I am going to run this race for HIM then I need this discipline...not that there aren't other areas that I need to work on too, this is just the one that speaks to my heart at the moment...Paul told the Romans "not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may discern the will of God - what is good, acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

I NEED this training, especially at this time in my journey...raising a family, being a Godly wife, homeschooling, ministering to others...I will NOT effectively be a "disciple of Christ" without training in the discipline of meditation....If I don't focus on what God's will is, sit and listen for HIS voice, meditate on HIS word, then I will not be the "athlete" that God needs me to be....

This is as Thigpen calls it a discipline of fortitude, without spiritual food, I won't have the energy to compete for the Lord....and if I can't run this race for HIM, then what am I running it for...


Consider then the disciplines that may be lacking in your life, or ones that may need a bit of intensive training to get back on the path...it's not always easy, discipline never is, but our heavenly "personal trainer" is always ready; ready to guide us in this race, wanting more than we can imagine, victory for us at the end of the race....the race HE has laid before us...."

In Him,

He has not forgotten

Have you ever felt like you have been forgotten? It is that feeling (before cell phones) when someone was supposed to pick you up and slowly everyone leaves the building, lights grow dim, each car carefully pulls away and you are left sitting there all alone waiting. It is an awful feeling as you wait there wondering if anyone will remember to come or how much longer before they arrive. Did they grow tired? Did they just forget? Did something happen? We sit, we wait, we wonder.

And yet recently I found myself approaching the Lord in the same way. Does He hear my prayers? Does He know what is happening right now? Has He forgotten me?

Isaiah 40:27-31 speaks to my heart...

Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Now let's read it in The Message...

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,"God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"?Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.

Some days I need those words spoken firmly right in my face, "why would you ever complain?" "Haven't you been listening?" The Everlasting God does not get tired or grow weary...He has not forgotten YOU!

"Those who wait (expect, look for, hope in Him... from the Amplified version) on the Lord shall renew their strength."

We can hold on to the promise and the hope that God has not forgotten us, that He does not grow weary or tired, but rather we can choose to wait on Him in hopeful expectation and He will renew our strength to continue on, but not just any strength...He promises to renew our strength so that we will soar like an eagle, run, and walk never growing weary ourselves.

It is His strength that I need renewed everyday!

In Him...Chris

Join Chris at her personal blog Come to the Table