What Are You Running From?

I've been there. Something or a bunch of "somethings" start happening and before you know it all you can think of is "Get ME Out of Here!!!"

Maybe it's a literal move, or just pulling out of a situation. But you just know that you are -SO over- the present situation.

If you're experiencing this right now, let me ask you...what are you running FROM? Or even, what are you afraid of?

The response of "flight" is connected with fear. You've probably heard about the "fight or flight" response that we experience when faced with fear.
Physically our body prepares to flee or run when danger arises.

Emotionally we tend to do the same thing.
We feel threatened emotionally and our heart sets to "checking out!"

That's not to say that sometime you shouldn't back away from certain situations, just check your motives and "fears" before you do.

Are you running from God like Jonah did?
Then stop...get before God and ask for His help and courage with what He's called you to do.

Or are you running because it's just too painful to stay?

If you're in that place, here's some encouragement from God's Word...

Isa 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I
am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand.
NIV

1 Peter 3:14-15
"Do not fear what
they fear; do not be frightened."
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord.
NIV

Fear can also be intimidation. Evaluate the situation in light of these verses and see if God is not wanting you to stand against the fear or intimidation and hold your ground.

Fear (intimidation) has been crippling in my life when I let it be. When I'm feeling intimidated my response is to shrink back. But when I listen to God's Word in the quiet of my heart, I hear "take courage, I'm the lifter of your head" and I realize that I need to lean on Him and His strength in my weakness. I need to gain my confidence in being HIS daughter, nothing more, nothing less.

Flee from sin...but don't flee in fear when God is on your side!

Whatever your situation, remember He is FOR you not against you, stand strong in Him.

Lose the Lies

"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me" - Psalm 139:1

We women are good at lying, aren't we?

We lie to ourselves all the time.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"No, I don't mind helping at all."

"I'm over it, really."

How many times have we repeated these (and so many other) lies to ourselves, just to keep ourselves moving? We quote cliche's to ourselves and others in order to get through a day, to survive, or to plain out avoid the issues that we need to confront in our lives.

I'm reminded of a movie I really enjoy where two knights are fighting each other. One knight cuts off the other knight's arm, but the knight keeps on fighting, convinced he can still win the battle. The knight then cuts off his opponent's other arm, but the obviously defeated knight still wants to fight. Easily the winner of the fight, the knight cut off the other knights legs until he is just a stump on the ground. The now limb-less knight finally gives in and calls the battle"a draw"...taunting the victorious knight as he rides off, calling him a chicken.

How many of us are like that knight?

We lie to ourselves that we're fine, or that we're only slightly injured, perfectly capable of winning the battle and moving forward with our mission to win?

Maybe your war is with your husband, your children, your parents, your best friend...and you are determined to win. Why?

Why do you feel the need to win this battle?

At what cost will you continue to fight?

At what point will you finally raise the white flag and say, "I surrender"?

Why haven't you surrendered already? When I say "surrender", I don't mean give in or let the "other side win", but I do mean fully surrender.

"Well who do you want me to surrender to?"



Scripture tells us that the battle is not ours, but God's, to win for us. He is that white knight ready to step in and take the hits, and make the attacks, for us. He is our champion, we are the Lady in Waiting, ready to swoon as our Hero wins the battle and saves the day for us. There's just one little problem with letting God win our battles - we are prideful people, set on doing things our way, unwilling to wait for results, and ready to either fight or hide...either way - we are hiding from a greater issue - our inability to fully surrender, and fully trust this battle to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Here is some food for thought as you sit in our cafe today...an appetizer...or light entree, if you will...

"The important thing is to stop lying to yourself. A man who lies to
himself and believes his lies becomes unable to recognize the truth either
becomes unable to recognize the truth, either in himself or anyone else, and he
ends up losing respect for himself as well as others. When he has no
respect for anyone, he can no longer love and, in order to divert himself,
having no love in him, to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of
pleasure, and behaves in the end like an animal, in satisfying his vices.
And it all comes from lying - lying to others and to yourself" - The
Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

When we continue to push God out of the picture of the battle we are fighting, we are lying to ourselves that we need God due to our selfish pride. Or, maybe you're thinking, "Well this battle is one that's so big (or so small) there's no use getting God involved. I'll handle it".

There is no battle to big or too small that God will go to war for you over so that you can live a victorious life through Him. We just need to raise the white flag, scream out "I surrender all God", and truly (and I mean truly ) surrender All to Christ so that He can (and He will!) step in and save the day!

I know that He has gone to battle for me on a daily basis - He has been my champion of both big and small things - major life events, and daily life happenings. He took on the world for me - the full weight of sin - so that I might have eternal life. If He is willing to voluntarily take on that punishment for me, then the least I can do is say, "I surrender! I need you!" so that our Hero can rush in and save the day; or, at the very least, pull us out of the situation we are in and point us in the right direction.

Please my friends as we find ourselves standing on the edge of a New Year, stop hiding, stop trying to be brave, stop trying to hide from your problems, thinking that God won't step in and help.

There is no battle too small, or too big, that our Hero can't champion for us. He is our Hero, our Warrior King, our White Knight...ready to blaze into battle for us - for all our battles, great and small, He will fight for His beloved children - and that includes you! You need to simply put away your pride, your disbelief, your lying and tendency to hide from the world when look bleak. Let Him win the battle for you...after all, it's what He does best!

Let's pray:

Lord, I'm sorry for being so prideful. I try to do things for myself when I know I need to trust that You will win this battle for me. Help me to not hide from the world when things get difficult, and help me to stop lying to myself and others that I can face these challenges all alone. Help me to stop pointing the finger at others, myself, or even You, when I'm faced with difficult circumstances. Instead help me to be brave enough to come to You in humble surrender, hands raised high, excited to see how You, my Hero, will win this battle for me. I trust You, Lord...I trust You, my Hero.

Thank You for the victorious life that I will lead because of the battles You have, are and will win for me - and because of the strength I will gain because of Your promise to fight for me, despite my prideful ways. I thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us - in an act of ultimate bravery...who rose again from the dead in complete victory over the battle that is death. I know, Lord, that if You can defeat death and take on the sins of the world, You can claim victory in this battle that I am fighting. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

I Hope You Sing

So there I am standing in front of 2,000 people ready to sing my solo at church. It started without a hitch, 1st verse…2nd verse and chorus…all was well until after the 2nd chorus and into the key change. This is when the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir surrounding me would have been just fabulous. But, there was no choir, there was not even a blue-haired Grandma willing to toe the line with me. Nope, not a one.

Oh, those blasted key changes! Key changes always unnerved me, I was just a little unsure about jumping that note up all by myself onto that next ledge of melody. So, I gave it my all and guess what? I slipped right off the ledge of melody into the miry pit of sour notes so bad that they only dreamed of the day they could be harmony. It was not pretty. At that moment, I knew I had a choice…either run sobbing from the platform crying the ugly cry or keep singing. I chose the latter.

In those milliseconds of time that seemed an eternity, I heard in my heart “don’t stop, these words are too important and need to be sung.” So sing I did. I found the right notes and kept on going. I chose not to let fear and humiliation determine the outcome of this moment. I knew the verse “God did not give me a spirit of intimidation” so I knew that God would want me to press on.

After the service one of the pastors told me that a gentleman had come for prayer and gave his heart to Jesus. He said that the words of that song had impacted him and his decision to choose life that day. I can’t begin to tell you how my heart jumped a beat!

That’s what happens when we lay down our pride and let God use us in whatever way He sees fit. I don’t say this to sound like- oh I have it all together ~blah, blah, blah, but I want to encourage you to put away the fears of what other people will think, and do what God calls you to do, no matter how foolish it could make you look. After this incident, I felt that I truly understood what it meant to be a fool for Christ!

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you
were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.
27 Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in
order to shame those who think they are wise. And, He chose those who are
powerless to shame those who are powerful.
28 God chose things despised by
the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing
what the world considers important,
29 so that no one can ever boast in the
presence of God.
NLT

There is was no boasting in my performance, but I am willing to sing off key any day if someone can find the Lord in spite of it. I hope that I inspired you to push past your fears and let Him shine through you any way that He chooses!

I hope you sing.

Be of Good Cheer..

Recently I was listening to a message that totally caught my attention. The message itself was a message to encourage us to have unshakable faith! During the message there was a phrase that just stood out and has been with me ever since.

The phrase was this that was said by our Savior Jesus Christ, "Be of Good Cheer!" Wow! Our Savior said that! I want to just name some of the scriptures I have found with that beautiful and encouraging phrase that I hope will encourage you through out those days when things don't necessarily seem so pleasant.

In Matthew 9:2 we find Jesus with the paralytic and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to him, "Son be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you." Do we realize why we need to be of good cheer? Jesus gave His life for us that we should be joyous because we don't earn our salvation but that He freely gives us the faith to believe in Him! We were chosen!

In Matthew 14:27 the disciples were in the boat in the middle of the sea and they notice someone walking on the sea and they were frightened. Our Savior speaks up and says, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Jesus Christ the beloved never leaves us even in these turbulent times. He is telling us not to be afraid when we don't know the outcome of any of our situations we are confronted with. Don't be afraid He says! What a comfort to us.

In John 16:33 our Savior is kindly reminding the disciples that He has overcome the World. They are being reassured by verse 33 where it says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." What a great reminder to us that when we are being put through the ringer either at work or wherever we are to "be of good cheer, pilgrims!" He overcame the world through His death, and resurrection. He arose victoriously from His stronghold. Jesus reminded the disciples that the world would bring them tribulation but the He would bring them peace. This was an encouraging statement of peace for even us!

In Acts 23 we find Paul being almost mauled and killed by the mob. He is then forced into the barracks where our Savior appears to Him and says these words: " Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem so you must also bear witness at Rome." Can you imagine being in Paul's place? Our Savior is saying to Paul not to worry and not to just look at your circumstances for you are going to be okay! That had to be a pretty scary proposal after everything Paul had suffered. Reading further you find Paul thanking the Lord in every situation!

In Acts 27:22 there is a very terrible storm in where Paul and all the sailors were fearing for their life but an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul again and told him to take heart (be of good cheer) there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. Have you ever been in the midst of a hopeless situation and you hear His small voice that says to be of good cheer I have overcome everything? In the storms of life He reaches out His hand and you hold on to it knowing because of His promises that He will lift you up! What a great and faithful friend!

Disillusionment, pain, and sorrow will always be here on this earth but my phrase to you this month is, "Be of Good Cheer!"

Close and Personal:

1. When have you been afraid? How did you handle it?

2. Have you thanked him for Him rescuing you?

My dear sweet and loving Savior, I just want to tell you thank you for cheering us on! Thank you Lord for letting us know through your precious Word how much You want for us to know that you have overcome everything! We are just passing through and that everything in this world is temporary! We love you Lord and thank you, thank you for loving us this much!

My Old Dealbreaker

"You take one of my babies and the deal's off!"

A few years ago I stood in my shower and through my weeping, I threatened God, or at least I thought I did, that if anything happened to one of my kids I would walk away. Done. Over.

I literally thought that if the worst of my fears actually came true, I would blame Him and never talk to Him again. I was that afraid. I lived in fear; fear that He would take one of my children and if He did, so help me God... because no one else would be able to.

I had the same experience with Him a few years earlier when it came to my husband. I figured that one way for me to be "forced" into getting closer to God and having the "real me" exposed would be if I faced my worst fears. I cried and cried (again in the shower, I figure it's safe there) and said that I didn't want to get any closer to Him if it meant I would lose someone. The results I heard that come from suffering were not ones I was willing to suffer for.

All in all, it was a twisted pattern that stemmed from my grandparents being ripped from our family in a deadly plane crash when I was thirteen. Somehow, those emotions were capitalized on and the Enemy had a hay day with my thought life. Fear set in like cement and put a rock solid belief system in me that took the sledge hammer of truth to set me free.

However, just recently I was on the porch. I had my head leaned back and I was looking up at the clouds rolling by. It was a moment, just between me and Him. That day in the shower came back to mind and I realized at that moment, I didn't think that way anymore. I smiled and realized that I could actually play out my worst fear without being gripped by it. Now, He is my first thought. I think of Him as a refuge and know now that He is the one who would see me through such a terrible thing.

I'll have it no other way.

I've been set free from fear. I can now say that if the worst happened, I believe, in the end, He would still be my God and I would still be His beloved. There is no fear in love. There may be pain, but there is no fear.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. James 4:18

Natalie.

Join Natalie at her personal blog:

and her online Bible Study:

Letter to Graduates from A Mom

Although this devotion is a little off the beaten path for me here at Internet Cafe, these issues are on my mind as the mom of a college graduate as of last Saturday. If you are the mom of a graduate this year, high school or college, I hope this blesses and encourages you in your role as a Christian mom. If you know a graduate who might be feeling uneasy about the future, perhaps you can encourage him or her with some of these thoughts.

Someone once said, “It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear. It’s like being between trapezes.”

That’s where you are right, now, Graduate, letting go of the bar behind you, whether high school or college, anticipating that second swing to take you to your future. Right now, in this split second of your life, you’re precariously suspended in air, hoping all of the preparation you’ve done won’t fail you when your big moment arrives.

Don’t be afraid to grab the new bar and swing away! You’re more capable than you know. When you’re apprehensive, remember that the power of Christ is in you, giving you his wisdom, helping you accomplish his purpose in your life: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). When you surrender your life to Christ, the task ahead of you is never greater than the power in you (1 John 4:4b).

But what if you slip and fall in the future? Just know that there’s a safety net called “family” to help you get up and right back on the ladder. We’ll believe in you when you doubt yourself. We’ll remind you of who you are in Christ when your thinking gets foggy or misguided.

CS Lewis said, “We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Well, no one wants to see you “go bad!” I’m glad you’re not in diapers or braces anymore, although I miss my little girl so much sometimes. But it’s fun to watch you hatch. We’re so excited to see the beautiful, stylish feathers replacing the fuzzy down.

Of course you’ll face obstacles ahead, but I hope that you'll embrace the growth they foster. Washington Irving said, “There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one’s position and be bruised in a new place.”

When you were growing up, I tried to save you every bump and bruise, believing that as long as you were an arm’s length away, nothing could harm you. You didn’t even go to the mailbox unwatched by my loving eye.

Then you developed this whole crazy notion about having play dates and then older friends and then leaving the house and the yard to go down the street and across town and eventually out of town to have fun with those friends. You were driving and filling out college applications. Suddenly, you were farther than my arm’s reach or eye could see.

I was forced to recognize that not only was I not in control of every influence and circumstance around you but that I never was. We only like to think we are in control, which is silly because the truth is that Someone much greater and wiser is in control. As Emerson said, "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen."

And so I learned to let go of you bit by bit, which is what’s supposed to happen in families. I let go of my own trapeze, believing that He would see both of us through to what lay ahead: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

So congratulations to my college graduate—to all graduates. You’re in good hands.

You were born to fly for His glory--swing away!




Please visit Linda Crow at her personal blog:

Greatest Hopes and Greatest Fears—Two Sides of the Same Coin

Scripture Reference: Mark 8: 31-35:

Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life." Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, "Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God."

Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.

“Cosmic irony,” the difference between the outcome of an event versus what was planned or hoped for, is a concept that works great in literature and movies but is not so amusing in real life.

When I was a teenager, I was chosen to wear the back-to-school line in a local style show. I selected three outfits from a trendy store and was told to show up on rehearsal day.

From then on, I daydreamed about “modeling.” I told my family. I told my friends. I practiced walking and turning in front of my bedroom mirror.

On rehearsal day, the director informed us that as we made our way around the stage toward the exit, we would have to stop and dance at three specific spots.

Ah, the moment of cosmic irony: Dancing was not part of the original deal.

Suddenly, there were strings attached to the gift that had so miraculously befallen me. Just as suddenly, the very last thing on the entire face of the earth I wanted to do was the thing I had looked forward to for weeks because dancing, for me, is akin to singing a solo in public. I didn’t just fear that I would look foolish; I knew I would. Thus, my greatest hope at that moment in my young life was ironically tied to my greatest fear.

That’s the way it often goes with human experience:

• We hope for a great career after earning a degree, but we fear not finding a job or the right fit.

• We want to get in shape or get organized, but we fear not completing our goals.

• We want to write a book, but we fear it will never be published.

• We desire a mate, but we fear we’ll make a mistake or be abandoned by that mate.

• We desire children, but we fear dealing with terrible twos and teenagers.

• We long for deep, meaningful friendships, but we fear being fully known.

• We want to serve others, but we fear being burdened with endless needs and demands on our time and resources.

• We desire our faith to grow and be proven, but we fear the life-changing trials.

Peter, who more than anything desired a Messiah, was disheartened when Jesus told him that, “… the Son of Man must suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life.”

Oh, the moment of cosmic irony for Peter: Death of the Messiah was not part of the original deal. In fact, Peter took Jesus aside and told him to “stop talking like that.”

But Jesus fully accepted the strings attached to his messianic mission. And he encouraged his disciples to let go of fear and follow him.

He said to them: “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.”

Forgetting about yourself may mean recognizing that in this life you will have fear, often well-grounded, reasonable fear. The challenge (forgetting about yourself) is to let go of both your hopes and fears. Fear causes us to withhold, to clench things tightly in our fists.

Jesus asks us to loosen our grip on that which holds us back, to offer our hesitations and hopes to him. He encourages us to take heart, for he has overcome our greatest hopes and fears—indeed, he has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Questions:

1. Finish this statement: “I truly, deeply desire ____, but I fear ____.”
2. What is one step that you could take today to loosen your grip on that which holds you back from trusting Christ?

My personal thanks to Pastor Matt who inspired me to write this.




Please visit Linda Crow at her personal blog:

Are you going to freak out or FAITH out?

So I’m writing this on Christmas afternoon. Due to sickness, I was not able to go to the family dinner (which is usually at my own house), so I’m home drinking hot tea with honey and writing.
I’ve been tempted to throw a pity party for myself. Maybe even freak out a little because I am so upset that I can’t enjoy this day. After all, it is Christmas Day and I am all alone. It could be a little or even a lot depressing to be alone at Christmas if I let myself “go there”. (Let me clarify to save Mark’s reputation, he wanted to stay home with me but I didn’t want the kids to miss time with Grandpa, Grandma and family, so I insisted they go without me.)

That’s what brings me to my thought for today.

Life is not just about what happens to us, but also what we do with those
happenings and where we let our thoughts go in light of them. I can choose today
how I will respond to these circumstances.

Have you ever been alone with a thought that spirals out of control and before you know it, your mind has you in a state of sadness, confusion, fear, anger, anxiety or even depression?

It is easy to do. In fact, I can almost guarantee it will automatically happen if you do not make the choice to take control of your thoughts. It is our human (sin) nature to see the cup half empty instead of half full.

Thankfully though, it’s a condition we can change.
We can choose to respond and react in a way that is hopeful instead of dreadful.
We can change out those thoughts for God’s thoughts, but let's call it "faith out" those thoughts.

I am reminded that the first and greatest commandment is this:

Matt 22:37-38
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest
commandment.
NIV

With “all your mind” is a pretty powerful command. That means that in light of all else we may think on, first we are to love the Lord with all our mind. Well, it’s pretty hard to put out the streamers and fill the punch bowl at a pity party when we are loving the Lord with all our mind. I don’t know about you, but when my mind is on Him, it is filled with peace- no matter what is going on around me. And I’m so glad that joy and hope are never far behind that peace!

Maybe that sounds really difficult and far reaching for you. Some of us were raised in a very negative atmosphere and that carries over into our lives today.

However, this next verse shows me that no matter how what our natural tendency, we have a choice.

Look at this:

Rom 12:2
2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God
transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
NLT

Now in the New King James Version:

Rom 12:1-2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
NKJV

The word transformed is to “change.” And the word renew is to “renovate.”

God’s Word would not tell us to do something that was too far reaching for us to achieve.
Therefore, we have a choice.
We can follow the pattern of this negative thinking and responding world, or we can renew our thoughts and thought patterns by surrendering them to God.

I agree with the principle that 10% of life is made up of what happens to you and 90% of life is decided by how you react.

I believe that thankfulness is a key ingredient in a well balanced mind. When we
are thankful instead or regretful or disappointed, it will produce a healthy and
happy attitude towards God and this life He’s given us.

I’m choosing not to freak out today. Not to dwell on the fact that I’m sick and not spending time with my family right now, but instead being thankful for so many incredible blessings in my life. Instead of freak out, I’m going to "faith out" the thoughts.

I love this picture of Job choosing to respond to awful, horrendous circumstances with hope:

Job 19:25-27
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he
will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet
in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes-I,
and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
NIV

Let’s pray,
Father we come to you, with so many reasons to have anxiety, fear, anger and depression, but we know that none of them would be beneficial to us or the people around us, so we lay down these things at Your feet and surrender our thoughts and minds to You.
Lord, help us to see things through Your eyes. Help us to see hope in hopelessness and joy in sorrow. Whether a huge trial or a momentary displeasure, I pray that You help us to change the way we think and compel us to love You with all our heart, soul and minds. Help us to walk by faith and not by our feelings.
Thank you for so many ways that You bless us Lord.
In Jesus name, amen.

Tell Fear to Take a Flying Leap

I'm thinking that there are plenty of us that deal with fear on some level. For instance, I sincerely hate driving or walking over those big drain grates in the road. There is an irrational fear that they'll open right up and I'll fall deep into the waters under the city where rats will be my only company.

A friend of mine doesn't like swimming. She thinks an indoor pool might open up and throw into hell. We all know these things won't happen, but sometimes the fear of what could happen outweighs the truth.

That's the joke with fear. Usually our fear of something is never as bad as what actually could or will happen.

The fear is very real, even if it never comes to a reality.

For me, it's flying.

Now, I have a pretty good reason to be afraid of flying. In 1986 my grandparents were flying to Dallas in their small, six-seater Bonanza plane when disaster hit. They got caught in a storm, the autopilot wouldn't disengage, and my grandparents went down somewhere in north Texas.

It was one of the most horrible days of my life. I remember it clearly. Young, scared, and helpless. So, because of that, I tend to not like flying.

Who really likes to get into a metal cylinder that flies above the ground at 30,000 feet? I'm just not comfortable being in a tube that is only inches thick. You know that step from the jetway to the plane? That moment between on the ground and in the tube? Well, I always look at how thin the plane is and whisper a prayer. I might also throw in a little pat on the plane, kiss the doorway, do the sign of the cross, and anoint the pilots with oil.

Not only that, when I fly Jesus has to talk me through the entire flight. I'm not kidding. Every minute is a prayer. Mind you, I'm not freaking out in those minutes, but I am keenly aware of how much time we have left in any flight. I love those planes with the little T.V. that will show you have far your plane has left to fly, however, I'm sure if you looked at my face you'd want to slap that look of concern and worry right off.

To make matters worse, anytime there is turbulence I get a little white knuckled and it's all I can do not to stand up and yell to those unphased by the terror, "What's wrong with you people?! Didn't you feel that! Did you know we're going to die!"

In contrast, when I hear the captain say we are beginning our descent, I want to jump and shout, "Thank you Jesus!" Then I imagine making my way around the plane to hug complete strangers because we just escaped death together.

One time, when the pilot put the landing gear down, I had a little bit of a moment of "Oh no! What was that!" So much so, that I grabbed the arm of the man next to me and said, "Is that normal?!" He answered, looking at me with a bit of alarm then glancing at his arm, "I think it was the landing gear."

"Oh," I replied, slipping my hand off of the man's arm.

Now, could I die in a plane crash? Maybe, that fear cannot be allowed to paralyze me and steal life and joy from me.

One way to beat the fear came from a dear friend of mine. This wisdom touched my heart and helped me be set free from so much fear. Now when I fly I remember these tender, tender, touching words from the heart of someone who really wanted to ease my fear.

"Natalie, look, if the plane goes down, you die."

Point taken.

Why freak out about what I can't control.

I am now free to move about the country.



What fear rules your life? What is something you let control you even when you cannot control it? How can Christ deliver you from fear?


Join me at my homes!


and

photo: clipart.com

The Truth Of the Matter

If you speak to any insecure woman long enough then you are bound to get to the root of the cause and likely, it isn't a pleasant situation. You see, lurking in the fast paced, get-it-done, information superhighway known as the internet is a not so hidden evil: pornography.

Unfortunately, I have gone to generic websites only to see a flashing image in the sidebar that screams for attention. For some, the attention can turn into sin. It did for me.

Having never even clicked on the image to see what it was about I did several things that caused me to sin:

1. I judged the woman who's face I saw.
2. I became unsatisfied with my own self and the way God created me because I did not compare in physical appearance to the woman who's image I'd seen.
3. I became enraged at her and other girls like her and the men who continued to obsessively keep them in business.

It put me in bondage. God had to set me free.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James 3:16

I had become envious of what I believed I did not have: my husband's sole desire; a body like I had when I was 20; and answers as to why these girls do what they do. Then God spoke to my heart...

In the midst of angry thoughts towards these women God put images into my head, new ones. I saw an older man and He spoke directly to me. He said, "She is my daughter. I was never there for her. I worked long hours and weekends believing that was what she needed to have a good life. I wasn't there to love her but others were. What have I done?"

Then I saw a woman about my age. She was crying and through her tears she mumbled, "She is my little sister. She was date raped when she was 16. She planned on saving herself for marriage. That all changed after that night. She was never the same again."

I tried to shrug off the things going through my mind at that point but God persisted. A little girl showed up next. She was making cereal for her little brother. After she poured the milk she explained that her daddy left and her mom couldn't pay the bills. They had already lived in their car and they didn't have enough money to get to her grandma's house. One day a nice guy offered her mommy a job taking pictures. Mommy promised she would only take a few and that once she had enough money to get to grandmas then she would stop but after a while that nice man wouldn't let her stop. He would come to get her mom if she tried to stay home. He hit her a lot too. She put the milk back in the refrigerator and my thoughts drifted to another scene.

I saw a casket. A woman and a man knelt beside it. Her screams penetrated every fiber of my being. She cried and wailed. I saw a picture of a beautiful young girl on a table near the head of the box that would forever be her resting place. The father picked up the photo and held it to his close to his heart. Through his tears he said, "My daughter was kidnapped when she was 13 years old. Within days she was sold into sex trafficking and even though we got close to finding her many times they always managed to keep her just out of reach. They eventually killed her for trying to escape but not before they had uploaded her photos to the internet for all the world to see. They left her in a ditch like she was nobody. The papers read, 'Local Prostitute Found Dead.' She isn't a prostitute! She is my little girl!" Tears overcame him as he rejoined his wife.

By this time I was crying too and I knew exactly what God was trying to tell me. I'd never seen these women as real people before. I just always saw them as my enemy. God wanted me to see them through His eyes. They all have a story just like I do. They have reasons for their actions just like I do. God loves them as much as He loves me and He wants them to spend all of eternity in heaven with Him too.

I have a new perspective on this. Though there are some who may not have ever experienced anything like this and still have chosen to live this life, we have to remember they are still God's children. We must pray for them. We must treat them with dignity and respect and we must not judge them.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

If we want to see this foul practice come to an end then we need to intercede on behalf of all of those involved. We must ask God to break the strongholds and we must seek to find security in God and not in what we perceive to be desirable beauty. If we each only focus in prayer for one person then we could most certainly change the world. Won't you join me?

Two great ministries to get information on this subject matter is: Cyrus International and A21.

I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: In Pursuit of Proverbs 31

Fear VS. Faith

We are intrigued by fear, aren’t we? We tune into TV shows like “Fear Factor,” ride the most thrilling roller coasters, and watch scary movies. We cheer the prospect of being victorious in overcoming our fears.

But real life fears can be different, seizing us and consuming our lives. I have a friend who confessed that she is gripped by fear, afraid of making mistakes as a mom and things happening to her children. Although she didn’t like the feelings of fear, it was apparent that she had come to a place of “living in it.” And, as she shared these feelings with a group of women, they drew the conclusion that fear is just a “normal” part of life and something we just have to live with.

Or is it?

What if……

What if it is NOT God’s plan for us to be afraid? What if fear is a ploy of the enemy to keep us in bondage, preventing us from experiencing true faith?

Fear is a choice. Are we going to live in it? Are we going to be in bondage to it?

The Bible tells of people who stood on faith, even when the most “logical” reaction to their circumstances would have been fear. Moses, Esther, Daniel, David, Jesus! Usually, life didn’t improve immediately when they chose faith over fear, but instead got worse! When our circumstances go from “bad to worse,” we need to continue to look to God, trusting in His plan, even if it “looks” different than we expect.

You may be wondering, “How do I CHOOSE faith or fear? I don’t have control over fear. I can’t help what I feel!”

First, we have to understand that God doesn’t want us to fear. He commands us continually to “fear not.” So, if fear isn’t from God, then what IS fear and where does it come from?

Webster’s defines “fear” as “a painful emotion excited by apprehension of impending danger; dread.” Fear is an emotion. We can control our emotions without THEM controlling us. Maybe you doubt that you have any say when it comes to your emotions. But, you control emotions all the time. Have you ever felt like crying in a public place, but you held back the tears? You know, biting your cheeks, breathing deeply until the tears subsided? You restrained the emotional feeling. Or have you ever felt like laughing but it wasn’t an appropriate time, so you pushed away the desire? We “rein in” our emotions all the time in daily life, often without even thinking about it. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit that comes with a relationship with God.

It helps to know where most fear comes from. There is Godly fear that is good if it is keeping us from harm. But, most times fear is a tool used by the enemy to weaken our faith. If you believe that you don’t have any control over your fear, the enemy can keep you in bondage to it. If I believe that I can’t do anything about fear, then I sink deeper into a pit of desperation, feeling like there is no way out. How do I replace fear with faith?

The first step to overcoming fear is to cry out to the Lord for help. “Perfect love casts out fear.” Who is perfect love? God is love! When we put our trust in God, He will help us to break through the fear, doing what He has called us to do. I don’t have the power to overcome my fear on my own, but “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“I sought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all of my fears.”
Psalm 34:4

The next step to conquering fear is take authority over the enemy. Claim the power and authority you have in the name and the blood of Jesus as a child of God. The devil loves to prey on us when we are weak- tired, discouraged, sick, or emotional- imprisoning us to fear. We need to tell him to get lost!

“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? Though an army besiege me, my
heart will not fear. Though war break out against me, even then will I be
confident.” Psalm 27:1-3

We also need to replace lies with Truth. So often we build up circumstances in our minds until we have blown them up into imaginary monsters. Instead, we need to believe, speak, and live God’s Truth. When Jesus was tested in the wilderness, He battled Satan with the Word, quoting scripture. We need to do the same!

Name the fear. Don’t allow feelings of fear to remain hidden in secret places.
Replace the fear with truth. Speak out loud what God says about you and your circumstances.
Get an arsenal of scripture to meditate on and use to strengthen you. Here are a few:

“I am strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
“He that is in me (Jesus)
is greater than he that is in the world (Satan).”
“I am more than a
conqueror in Christ Jesus.”
“If God is for me, than who dare be against me?”
“No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
“Fear of man will prove to
be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
“In God whose name
I praise, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

If we are going to choose faith over fear, then, as we put off fear, we must put ON faith. Romans tells us that ALL of us, every one has been “given a measure of faith.” All believers have been given faith by God. Romans also tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When we meditate on God’s Word, it increases our faith! Finally, we need to continue to ask God to increase our faith and then to practice putting our trust in Him.

Father God, thank You for the incredible gift of Jesus! Thank You that because You are on m side, I have nothing to fear! Lord, help me to take courage in You. Help me to face all of mu fears, becoming fearless. Forgive m lack of faith. Fill me with more faith. In Christ's Name I pray. Amen.

Questions to Ponder

1. What is it that you fear? Name your fear, asking the Holy Spirit to bring any hidden fears to your mind.

2. Do you believe that God can overcome all of these fears, any obstacle you may be facing in life?

3. What does God's Word say about your personal circumstance? Find at least 2 bible verses that address your fear. If you are battling fears about being a good mother, what are God's promises to you as a parent?

Are you thirsty for more? Please come visit me at my personal blog. I would love to chat more with you there!

Help is on the Way

"What City and State please?" City?? Well I knew the City...and I knew the State. As I spouted the necessary information back to the Emergency Response Operator, I began to wonder at my state. Not my location...but my actual state.

"Was anyone bleeding?" No mam. "Are there any fluids coming from any of the vehicles?" No mam, not that I can tell. "Are you alright?" Yes mam. A few more questions and she informed me that help was on the way. Help is on the way. Help....is on.....the way.

When I disconnected the call on my cell phone that Friday afternoon, the phone made a beeping noise it had never made before, flashed a light and then the front cover said "EMERGENCY MODE". It reminded me every time I looked at it that "help was on the way." I need not worry. Just relax.

God's word does the same thing. It gives us reminders. EVERY single time we pick it up.

God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Psalm 121:1-4 says, "I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."

Sounds to me like He's more reliable than Onstar. More reliable than the 911 operator. Which that reminds me, one of the girls from my office recently witnessed an accident and called 911 from her phone. Guess what? Her phone did the same thing. "Emergency Mode" appeared on the screen followed by strange beeping and her signal was set. Just like mine. Just like yours...every time you pray you send up a signal to the throne, and your position is marked.

Years ago, a minister told the story of a close friend who was going through some severe problems in her marriage. So severe in fact, that they were already at the divorce stage. As she was driving one day, weeping before the Lord, crying out to God of her dire circumstances, with her broken heart laid bare, God gave her a picture in the sky.

Being an amateur photographer, she always had her camera handy. She pulled off the highway, raised the view finder to her eye, to capture the incredible colors in the cloud formation, and snapped the shot. As she continued home, she prayed for the Lord to reveal to her heart what she should do. She had lived in the pain so long that she couldn't see God in it anymore.

When she developed the roll of film, the picture she took by the roadside that day brought surprise and peace to her heart. When she thought she was photographing simply some unusual clouds and colors in the sky, the developed photograph was decidedly different. The picture resembled an angel hovering in the sky, as if to send a message to her heart. "I am here. Help is on the way." Whether there was just an unusual cloud formation or not, God touched her life that day. He gave her the message that "HE was with her in her trouble".

I don't know what is going on in your life today. Maybe the circumstances are so hard to handle, you have not told anyone. The wound may be too fresh. It may be too deep. Whatever it may be, God is not so far off that He can't be reached. Go ahead. Dial His 911 line. It's found in the Word.

Some suggested readings:

Psalm 102:17; Psalm 62:5; Psalm 30:2; Psalm 33:20; Psalm 18 (whole chapter!)

Many times in the Psalms we are instructed to "Sing to the Lord a new song". I encourage you to find some good worship songs on CD. Play those over and over while you work, drive, or rest. Fill the hours of your day with as much "worship" as you possibly can. If you are filling every available space of your heart from encouraging and uplifting sources, the enemy has a harder time trying to find an inroad into your life.

For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7 KJV (emphasis mine)

It's absolute truth. He will be your help. Call on Him. Lean on Him. Seek His face and stay in the WORD. That's where your strength lies.

God bless you all!

I'd love your visit at Knightly News!

Worry Wart

I have a wart.

It's a nasty thing I can't get rid of.

I've tried everything, but it hangs on.

And before I completely gross you out with a photograph, I'm talking figuratively.

Because even I am not comfortable enough to share my growths with you.

Not that I have many, I mean, any.

I am a worry wart.

Always have been.

I worry about my kids and their health. Not that they aren't healthy. They are. But what if . . .

And that's what gets me. Did you know I saw a small bruise on my toddler's spine the other day and said to my hubby, "Let's watch that. If she gets more bruising on her spine, it's a sign of Leukemia."

My hubby was speechless.

I know that because I've googled it. Why? I like to hit my fears head-on.

I've taken my son to the doctor three times for a small fatty lump on his neck he was born with. She has assured me that the cyst is nothing to worry about.

Yeah, tell that to my keen sense of doom.

I worry about money, my hubby's job security, my health and his. I worry about too friendly neighbors and pedophiles moving into my town.

Do you know if worrying accomplished anything, I'd be very productive.

But it doesn't. As a matter of fact, it is counter-productive.

Plus it makes you feel crummy.

And with the tumor that might be growing in my brain, I don't want to feel crummy.

I'm sure my deep struggle for control fuels my worry gland.

And I know as a Christian when I worry, I'm actually putting my faith in myself rather than God. And that doesn't work so well. Because I'm not God.

It comes down to trust. Do I trust the One who made me? The One who created my children perfectly within me?

We cannot change a thing worrying about it. And so, with God's help, I'm living each day, trusting Him, one day at a time.

The Bible addresses worry. I turn to these passages when my mind turns to worry:

Matthew 6:27-29

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

We have been given the perfect wart-remover. Prayer, it's the cure for worrying.

Prayer:

God thank you for providing an answer to my worrying heart. I know that I cannot add a single moment to my life or change a thing when I worry. Please help me to pray about everything, so that your peace will reign in my heart. I want to trust you with everything.

join Kristen daily at We are THAT family where serves up a dose of humor daily!

Fear and Impatience

The Cafe is thrilled to welcome Carmen Schroeder of Women of the Word
Be sure to check out the Bible Study that Carmen is going to be doing beginning August 4th!
The Way of Cain, based on the life of Cain and Ezekiel 16:49

Today Carmen shares with us this devotional;

Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited). ~ Titus 2:3-5 AMP

FEAR and IMPATIENCE are the two main inhibitors that keep us from a fulfilled life. FEAR holds us down while IMPATIENCE kicks us forward...FEAR causes the Believer to fall far behind while IMPATIENCE causes the same Believer to run ahead and out of the position and favor of God. These two are the antithesis of DISCIPLINE and DEVOTION in our lives. Does that bring back memories of 2 Timothy 1:7?

Both words hail from the combined root word sozo - ‘to heal, deliver and make whole’ and phren - ‘the mind, feelings and understanding’.

2 Timothy 1:7 declares that our LORD has not given us a spirit of fear, but rather the Spirit of Power and Love which ‘MAKES a sound and whole mind’! Powerful wisdom for living!

Now, with that, comes the great responsibility and privilege of TEACHING and TRAINING the younger women of the church ‘making them of a sound mind’ through teaching them to love. Did you notice that the Teacher is a ‘teacher of good things’ both in word and deed? That is where we really learn, isn’t it - through both a woman’s LIPS as well as her LIVING? Here are FIVE beautiful ways to G.R.A.C.E. one another so that the Word of God is not blasphemed, our lives are fruitful, we are completely satisfied, and a lost and perishing world can’t help but notice the difference!

G - GROW in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ - 2 Peter 3:18

R - REMOVE THE OLD - Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:20-23;Colossians 3:8-9

A - ACCEPT THE NEW - Galatians 5:22-23

C- CONTINUE IN STEADFAST PRAYER for one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; Philippians 1:18b-19; Acts 2:42

E - ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER to persevere and grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD - Hebrews 10:24

Father God, You are the One Who is able to bring ORDER and LIGHT from the chaos and darkness in our lives. I thank You that You are faithful to do so and even now, Your Spirit is regenerating our lives
from the inside out. Baruch HaShem ADONAI!

Facing the Giants

FACING THE GIANTS

As I was recently sitting at our local dental school, waiting for my son who was having some work done, I noticed the newspaper sitting on a chair across from me. Since I had lots of time to spare, I walked over, picked it up, and began to read.

It seemed like each article I read was more dreary then the one before. Before I knew it I was meditating on the terrible condition and plight of our world.

· Gas prices continue to rise
· The war in Iraq and Afghanistan
· The failing economy
· College tuition's rising
· The upcoming election
· And of course all the hideous crime stories sandwiched in-between.

OK, I suddenly began to feel like the Israelites might have felt as they stood on the edge of the promise land. I was not seeing the blessings God, but only the GIANTS that were everywhere! I began to sympathize with the Israelites because I could see how all the bad things they were facing, and the things they saw must have overwhelmed their faith to possess the land.

Now if the world conditions all around me were not bad enough, I thought about my own personal giants. For me it’s the giant of fear and unbelief. God instructed the Israelites to simply explore the land. He already knew what was out there and what they would be facing. However, He wanted them to pass the test of “trust and believe”. Simple enough you would think, BUT…

In James 1:2 the Bible says:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

One thing I learned early on in my Christian walk was that when God is up to something really great in our lives it usually begins with difficulties. Somewhere in the midst of impossibilities and problems God is there waiting for us to take those first steps of faith. He will guide us through these times of testing, but it takes courage to make that first step.

James Buckham wrote:


“Trials, temptations, disappointments — all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fiber of a character, but strengthen it.”

I don’t think any of us wants to take 40 years of wandering around in circles of unbelief and fear. I want to experience God’s greatness and His ultimate purpose for my life. I find whenever I measure the obstacles and challenges against God’s awesome provision, the scale always tips in His direction. Once my focus is back on the greatness of God, I begin seeing those giants just as they really are – grasshoppers.

God is always calling us out of our comfort zone and challenging us to go further and deeper than we would in the natural. So today I want to ask you, “Who do you want to be like, one of the two spies who saw how GIANT their God was, or like the other ten who only saw the giants?”

As I finished reading the paper I asked myself, “Whose report will you believe?” I determined that I would put my trust in God’s promises in spite of the obstacles. And like James the apostle wrote, I set my goal to become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Joshua and Caleb took a risk that day as they proclaimed before all the people that they should go over and possess the land. If they could see the victory, so can we! Let’s take our stand, forget the naysayers, and set out to cross that Jordan River. It is a good land, flowing with milk and honey.

Thoughts to ponder:


Have you ever faced a time when you felt the odds were against you and hope was hard to find?

Have you came along side of someone and helped them find something positive in the difficulties they were facing?

Lord I pray for my sisters reading this now. If anyone is in a tough place, where hope seems so unattainable that you would allow them to see how much bigger you are then the circumstances they are facing. Remind them of your faithfulness and your great love for them. Give them eyes to see beyond the giants they face today and courage to keep believing. In Jesus name, amen.

Join Susan daily at her personal blog,

Let your hair down

There was a very famous newscaster in Houston who was on the air for years and years. If you grew up here you knew him from your earliest childhood. He was a very kind man and did great things for the community until his recent death. He was a local character. So much so that I saw him once on the sidewalk outside Walgreens and I just froze in awe. It was as surreal as if I had seen Bugs Bunny picking out produce at the grocery store. He always wore loud suits and ties, blue tinted glasses, and a very white, very luxurious wig.

Well, we are in Texas, y'all.

Recently I heard an interesting story about him: When he first started appearing on the air, he had a phobia that is common to man. He feared that he would go bald, and the entire city would watch the eventual demise of his glorious mane. So, to avoid that humiliation, he began wearing a wig, so that no one would be able to tell whenever it happened.

Guess what? It never happened. He never lost his hair. For decades, he awoke every morning and put a hot, sweaty, piece of synthetic on top of his real, perfectly nice hair, in a city where 100 degree temperatures are the norm. All because of fear. Crazy, huh? So irrational.

Aren't most fears just that? So irrational?

In this country, we all love a good scare. If you believed the media hype, California should have fallen into the sea long ago while the rest of us were chased by killer bees who stung our flesh-eating bacteria ridden arms. The only reason that we haven't all starved from the Population Explosion is because of SARS or Bird Flu. And I would have thought that Y2K or the Second Ice Age would have wiped us all out before we even had a chance to worry about Global Warming.

Those of us who become mothers face another onslaught. If the coffee I drank when I was pregnant didn't ruin my children surely all those toxic plastic bottles and pacifiers will. And what about that bacteria they consumed when I gave them baby food from a jar they had eaten from previously? And don't get me started on the future calamity I inflicted upon them because I couldn't breastfeed.

We just love a good scare.

And then there are the more personal scares: fears of death; fears of cancer; fears of losing our children, our husbands, our jobs, and our material wealth; abductions; failure; shame; not being a good mother; what other people think; insert your's here - I know you have a list like I do.

How much time do we waste on fear and worry?

I am not saying that we should be irresponsible and just stop wearing our seat belts or eating our green leafy vegetables - no. Not at all. It is our duty to prevent as much evil from happening as we have the power to do. I do believe that the majority of our fears, however, have a minute chance of happening - regardless of how much we worry about them.

Chances are we will never lose our proverbial hair. Yet, we walk around sweating under big stinky wigs because of the "it could happens."

Personally, I have dealt with paralyzing fear of losing one of my children. Could it happen? Of course it could. Have the hours I have spent lying in the dark worrying prevented it from happening, even one tiny bit? Nope. All it did was rob me of my much needed sleep.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who saw the majority of her worst fears realized in Nazi Germany, had this to say about worry:

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.
It empties today of its strength.

and

Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts
whirling around a center of fear.

Oh, what a waste of time!

What does the the Lord say about it?

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31-34

I could go on and on. Phrases such as "fear not", "do not be afraid" and "do not fear" are mentioned more than 100 times in the bible. We are commanded not to fear even more than we are commanded to love!

I think we begin to fear when we forget to trust. I must remind myself - daily - that God is sovereign over all, that not a hair falls from my head without his will, that he is in control of and has ordained every single detail of my life, and will use any trial that does come my way for my sanctification and for his glory.

I can choose to meditate on my worries or I can meditate on the goodness and strength of a Father who loved me so much, he sent his only son to face the worst fears imaginable.

Only then can I take off my hot, stinky wig and rejoice as I shake my hair in freedom.

As Ms. Ten Boom said,

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Reflection:

1. Make a list of your fears, either irrational or reasonable.
2. Confess your lack of trust and pray for forgiveness and the ability to repent.
3. One by one, ask the Father to send you a spirit of peace, power, love and self-control.
4. Find some verses to commit to memory that you can speak to your spirit when the worry begins to sneak in.

With thanks to Gary Thomas for his inspirational thoughts on fear.

Visit Missy at her blog

Worry and Fear

Worry and Fear.

These two words have incredible power in our lives.

Since I live in a foreign country, my fears might look different than yours, but I think that it is safe to say that we all are faced with worry and fear.

We all have our own fears to face on a daily basis. If you're a mom, that gives you built in fear right there!! If your kids are in the toddler/preschool phase, we have the fears of our children's safety, and the constantly wondering if our less-than-perfect mothering is going to mess these kids up for life (er, maybe that's just me).

If your kids are a little older, you've got puberty, drivers licenses, college, the opposite sex, and probably even future sons or daughters-in-law. Yikes!!

There are still other fears in our lives, it could be fears about our children's health, financial fears, or depression. It could be fear for your marriage, or the fear of failure in your work or life. We have fears and insecurities bombarding us every single day. It's not a matter of if we will have them, but it's a matter of what we will choose to do with them.

I don't know about you, but I find it easy to trust in things other than God, sometimes without even realizing it. Things like our spouse, a close friend, our mom, maybe even the Almighty Dr.Phil, or whoever is popular in America these days. I'm no different than the next girl...I find myself trusting in these things more often than I should. Is God and His Word the first thing we run to in hard times? It sounds so cliche', but He should be.

It isn't always easy to trust Him. In fact, it can be down right hard!! But, if you think about it, each time you actively choose to trust God, instead of relying on your own strength, you are bringing God glory!!

Yes, there are plenty of things for me to worry about here!!! I worry about lots of things. My husband is a pilot, I worry about his safety every day as he flies. I worry about my mom who is very ill. I worry that my children will turn out to be strange "3rd culture kids", not fitting here, or there. And, yes, I worry about snakes (spitting cobras to be exact)!

However, I think it is the best place I could be. Why? Because when I am fearful, I can run to my Heavenly Father's arms and know that His grace is sufficient for me. And as the verse says,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God's power is perfected in our human weakness. The weaker we are the more glory He gets through our trusting in Him!! This way, our lives, even in our weaknesses can be for His glory.

How about you?
What do you find yourself running to in times of fear and worry?

What could you do to remind yourself to run to the Heavenly Father first in times like these?

In Him.....Joy

come visit me here...

photos courtesy of allposters.com