Tag Archives: courage

Favorite Friday… Just Wow!

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True confessions… I’m not a dancer!  Oh, I look like one in my mind!  I enjoy beboppin’ around the house, trying those dance moves that my daughter makes look so easy!  I’ve had my moments of “River Dancing” right along with Michael Flatley and I can do the Cupid Shuffle with the best of them!  But…  I’m probably the only one who thinks that what I’m doing is actually dancing!  (At least I’m having fun, right?!)

 

Regardless, dancing competitions and cool dancing videos are popular around our house.  Miranda showed me this video the other day and I was captivated!  The incredible talent and synchronicity of this group blew my mind!  In fact, I used it in a lesson on teamwork with my students yesterday!  I liked it so much that I decided I had to share it with you!

But… that’s not the only reason this song caught my attention.  After watching the dancing video, we watched the lyric video of the song, Lazarus.  Trip Lee tells a story of coming to life spiritually in such a creative and unique way!  I turned to Miranda and said, “That’ll preach!” Her response: “It already is!”  And she is correct!  The truth of God’s faithfulness, how He rescues us, and restores our spirits can be “preached” in so many ways!  God’s power is at the heart of Trip Lee’s Message:

“Hopped up out the grave, thriller style
They ain’t think that He could do it, but He did it now
I mean the Captain, the almighty Lord
Setting captives free, all aboard, all aboard
Can’t stop Him when He got His mind made up
He don’t like that grave? Sayonara, see you later
He made the blind see and got the lame up
So it’s no surprise He can raise us
Wake them up now
Believers when your life is looking tough now
When you’re at your all time low
Don’t forget that power that He already showed”1

God has shown His sustaining power and His faithfulness to me in so many ways!  I see it in His provision on a daily basis.  I hear it in the voices of those I love.  I feel it in His grace that carries me through the difficult days!  I can’t help but celebrate who He is whenever I get the chance!

 

Our God is amazingly creative and we are just like Him!  How do you share Your Father’s faithfulness with those around you?  Singing, writing, drawing, posting, sculpting, dancing, chatting, giving, loving?  You were designed to paint His reflection on your world! You have a story to share and someone needs to hear it!

Live Loved,

1Lyrics from “Lazarus” by Trip Lee

 

Favorite Friday-Joy!

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Two of the greatest joys in my life are my two children! (I really like their Dad too!) As I engage with them on the adult level, I enjoy them even more!  The love of music is one of the things that Miranda and I share.  This week, we introduced each other to new songs we heard on the radio!

 

Miranda’s pick to share was for King and Country’s Joy.  I love the uniqueness of this song even while it incorporates a childhood favorite!  I choose JOY!

“Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I’m singing to the sky
Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, ’cause this is do or die
The time has come to make a choice
And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move you, let it move you
Yeah, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you1″

My pick to share with Miranda this week was Skillet’s Brave!

No height, no depth, no fear can shake me

Held firm, Your hands will never fail me

I won’t lose strength, for Your strength is mine

You will be my light through the darkest night2

Great music!  Enjoy them this weekend! 

Live Loved,

1Lyrics from Joy by for King and Country

2Lyrics from Brave by Skillet

Walking On Water

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“You need to get out of the boat and start walking on the water!”

Wait…. I need to what?

It was one of those “valley times” in my life.  I was trying so hard to trust that the Lord was at work in my circumstances.  But quite honestly, I really didn’t fully trust He could handle it all for me.  My mouth was saying, “I trust You,” but my hands were gripped tight to the helm still trying to make life work out the way I felt it should.

 

Trusting the Lord explicitly had always been a struggle for me.  I’d known it down deep for a long time, but I’d managed to keep that knowledge tucked away in my heart until the time when I couldn’t anymore.  As security began to be stripped away, the truth surfaced.  And the Lord whispered in my ear, “It’s time to deal with this.”

Over and over in Scripture, we are presented with the understanding that God is a Father1.  Isaiah 9:6 declares that He is our Everlasting Father! For those with a fabulous relationship with their earthly father, this presents a ready connection enabling them to grab ahold of God as an amazing Heavenly Father.   Unfortunately, there are far too many whose earthly father created an unhealthy understanding of what fatherhood is…  and that image is transferred to our Heavenly Father, unfairly.

I loved my dad and I know he loved me.  He loved the Lord too and carried an anointing to teach on his life.  However, he was human and like me, imperfect.  Because he was a diabetic, managing his sugar was an issue.  Many times throughout my growing up years, his sugar imbalances caused mood swings, an explosive temper, and often irrational responses to situations.   Those experiences led me to believe that even though God loved me, He also could be moody, hard to please, and impatient with my failures. Untrustworthy.

I can imagine what you’re thinking…  when I grew in my faith, I should have known that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  I should understand that God was not like my dad. I should’ve grasped that God loves me unconditionally, right?!

     Head knowledge rarely becomes heart knowledge without experience opening the door.

During this valley journey, I asked a trusted friend to pray with me.  After our prayer time, she dropped a truth bomb, “You need to get out of the boat and start walking on the water!  You need to let go of trying to control and stand back, trusting God to do His work.”

As my mind processed the idea, I came to the place where I couldn’t shove down the trust struggle anymore.  I laid it all out on the table and looked up at my Heavenly Father… who already knew all about it… and asked Him what He wanted me to do.  In the still of that moment, He showed me where I needed to let go.  I didn’t wait, I didn’t waiver, I did what I knew He was directing me to do that very evening.  I let go of the wheel in the midst of my storm and I stepped out of the boat.

I’d like to say it was easy, but it wasn’t.  I’d like to say that the storm stopped immediately, but it didn’t.  I’d like to say that I felt totally exhilarated, but I didn’t.

However, I learned that when I keep my eyes on Jesus, the storm won’t defeat me!  I learned that He IS trustworthy!  He is not moody, or inconsistent, or grumpy.  He loves me so deeply that there is nothing I can do to change that…  And He never left me, especially in the midst of my storm!

Because I trusted in Him, He brought me victory on the other side of that storm!

Recently, NeedtoBreathe came out with a song called, “Walking on Water.” How this song speaks to me!  It reminds me of my journey learning to trust the Lord, unconditionally.  There’s no turnin’ back!

Live Loved,

Please comment and share!

1Isaiah 63:16, Psalm 68:5, Psalm 89:6, Romans 1:7, Galatians 4:6-7

I Just Can’t… or Can I?

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A humorous moment from the 1998 version of The Parent Trap has Natasha Richardson’s character launching into a stress-induced tirade and declaring, in her beautifully British voice, “I can’t handle this!” (Insert your best British accent here!)  She is about to come face to face with the father of her children whom she hasn’t seen in 11 years.  She follows that comment with the statement, “I’m not mature enough for this!”   As her rant continues, her fussing reflects her insecurities.*  While the scene provides us some chuckles, the reality is that I’ve had a few tirades like this myself!

There have been times in my life when I’ve felt the same exasperation and thrown my hands up declaring, “I just can’t handle this!” I can’t forgive like I should.  I can’t embrace the struggle I face.  I can’t ignore the difficult people I encounter. I can’t meet the demands in my mailbox. I can’t juggle the balls being thrown my way. I just can’t!

And I’m not supposed to… alone!

You see, we weren’t designed to face these challenges alone.  Even Jesus, in His greatest time of need, sought the Father’s help and asked His disciples to pray with Him (Matthew 26:36-39).  In His wisdom, He realized that He didn’t need to face His destiny alone.  So, why do we try to manage life on our own?

In the world, independence is a sign of maturity.  But the Kingdom of God is upside down!  The more we depend on God and His faithfulness, the more maturity is evident in our lives. If you’ve been around Biblical teaching for long, you’ve probably heard of the 10-finger prayer found in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!” The Amplified version brings a deeper clarity to this declaration (but you’ll need more fingers!):

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him Who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”

You and I are ready for anything and equal to anything through Christ because He infuses us with inner strength and confident peace! That’s a revelation that I need to grab and embrace!  We truly can do it!  We can face each day’s challenges because of our confidence in who He is and what He can do!  It’s not us, but Him IN us that enables our “can.”  His grace is sufficient to see us through the challenges each day presents (II Corinthians 12:9).

Through Holy Spirit strength, we can forgive.  Through Him, we can embrace.  In Him, we can ignore, we can meet demands, and we can juggle whatever balls life throws in our direction.

 

Don’t misunderstand, facing our challenges will not be easy, simple, short, or painless.  But it is do-able!  We can do it!

Allow this truth to sink deep in your spirit!  You CAN handle it!  He promised to never leave you… so, whatever you encounter, you are not alone. You CAN handle it because His strength infuses you!

There is an old gospel song by Cristy Lane that said it well,

“One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That’s all I’m asking from You.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday, what I have to do.
Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord, help me today, show me the way
One day at a time”**

 

  • Pause in the midst of your pain.
  • Stop when the stress comes rolling through.
  • Delay when the demands are overwhelming.

Whisper His name and invite Him to come to you in the midst of your challenge.

Look back at the victories, then look forward in faith!

When we focus on His Word, His presence, and His love for us, we find ourselves infused with confidence and peace that will enable us to be equal to whatever our day brings.  You Can Handle It!

Phew… I really needed to be reminded of this truth!  Live Loved,

Please share your thoughts below!

*Her character invites her butler/friend to accompany her for support. Spoiler alert: In the end, she and the father reconnect!

**Enjoy Lynda Tait Randle’s rendition of One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus.