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May Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

May 1—Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

May 2—2 Samuel 24:24

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

May 3—1 Chronicles 23:1

When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

May 4—1 Chronicles 27:32

Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for tracking the king’s sons.

May 5—1 Chronicles 29:9

The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.

May 6—Psalm 4:4

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

May 7—Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

May 8—Psalm 23:4

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

May 9—Psalm 31:24

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

May 10—Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

May 11—Psalm 40:16

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

May 12—Psalm 66:19-20

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love for me.

May 13—Psalm 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

May 14—Psalm 103:12

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

May 15—Psalm 131:3

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.

May 16—Psalm 145:13

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

May 17—Psalm 73:26

My health may fail, and my spirit may group weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

May 18—Psalm 78:7

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

May 19—Psalm 82:3

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute…”

May 20—1 Kings 3:9

“give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

May 21—1 Kings 3:28

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

May 22—1 Kings 7:51

So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

May 23—1 Kings 8:23

…and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.”

May 24—2 Chronicles 7:14

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

May 25—1 Kings 10:9

Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.

May 26—Psalm 72:19

Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!

May 27—Proverbs 1:3

Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair.

May 28—Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who shows discord in a family.

May 29—Proverbs 9:10

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

May 30—Proverbs 12:28

The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.

May 31—Proverbs 15:16

Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.

 

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

April Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  I fell behind again, so for May you’ll get the April scriptures (this post) and then the May scriptures (later post).

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

April 1—Judges 6:14

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

April 2—Judges 8:34

They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them.

April 3—Judges 11:27

Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today which of us is right—Israel or Ammon.

April 4—Judges 13:20

As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground.

April 5—Judges 16:28

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”

April 6—Judges 20:11

So all the Israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.

April 7—Ruth 4:12

“…And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”

April 8—Ruth 4:15

“…May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

April 9—1 Samuel 2:21

And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

April 10—1 Samuel 7:15

Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life.

April 11—1 Samuel 10:1

Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.”

April 12—1 Samuel 13:14

“…But now your kingdom must end for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

April 13—1 Samuel 15:22

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams…”

April 14—1 Samuel 17:50

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

April 15—1 Samuel 20:42

At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

April 16—Psalm 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.

April 17—1 Samuel 24:11

“…Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me…”

April 18—Psalm 56:3

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

April 19—1 Samuel 30:23

But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us…”

April 20—2 Samuel 2:6

And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.

April 21—2 Samuel 3:18

“…Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David saying, ‘By the hand of My Servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’”

April 22—2 Samuel 5:3

So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

April 23—1 Chronicles 15:28

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.

April 24—Psalm 60:12

With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

April 25—2 Samuel 8:15

So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

April 26—Psalm 51:7

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

April 27—2 Samuel 14:14

All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

April 28—2 Samuel 15:30

David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare, as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.

April 29—Psalm 3:3

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

April 30—Psalm 7:17

I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

A Letter to my Dad

First, I want to say how grateful and thankful I am to have a Dad like you!  You’ve taught me so much throughout my life and as an adult I can see how truly blessed my life has been because of you.

You’ve always been there for every event, big or small, in my life!  You have a love of sports and you wanted to share that with me, your oldest daughter, by putting me on teams when I was younger.  You taught me how to play basketball and golf.  Basketball didn’t work out too well for me, though, as I ducked for cover every time the ball came at me…so much for the tall working in my favor for that sport! 🙂  Then, you showed me a hurdle because you knew my long legs could leap over those in a race.  But I just looked at you like you were crazy!!

As it turned out, music was more my speed, so you exchanged exciting basketball games for less exciting band concerts.  But that never stopped you, because you were there for every single one…from junior high to high school and all the way to college. You were there at all the football games and all the concerts.  You came to all of the Parents’ Days at Texas Tech and watched me march the halftime shows during the football games.  You even traveled to watch me play my trumpet at church and in Christmas programs…you’ve been there for it all, Dad.

And you continue to support and encourage me in my adult years.  A couple of years ago, you took all of us to the Texas State Fair in Dallas; something you’d wanted to do for so long. You come to Lubbock when you can to play in golf tournaments with me (mostly with Jim, but I play when I can); you get up early on your vacation to come watch me at my Crossfit class.  And most recently, you went to watch me run a 5K at the Mayor’s Marathon and took me to breakfast to celebrate when I finished.

As I’ve gotten older, I know the true value of a dollar and what it means to work hard and those are things you taught me when I was growing up.  You and Mom worked a lot to save for family vacations we took during the summers.  And we didn’t just go camping; we loaded up and went to places like California and Montana.  But they weren’t just trips to get to those places; it was the trips to those places. Because of those vacations, I’ve been to the 4 Corners, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park; I’ve even been to Canada and Disneyland.

When I was younger I wondered (and sometimes complained) about why we had to drive and not fly to all those places and why we always stopped at parks for picnic lunches instead eating in restaurants.  But now I know it was to save money for all the good stuff…the fun stuff; not waste it on expensive restaurant food.  Because of your good work ethic, I not only have great memories from those family vacations, but I also know how to work hard to provide for my family.

You’re always there Dad, for everything!  You’ve taught me so much and I just wanted the opportunity to let you know that I noticed.  Life is short so we need to make the most of the time we have. We need to make the time to tell those we love that we love them. And we need to tell our loved ones why they mean so much to us.

I thank you for my love of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.  We weren’t just fans that watched on TV, we were fans that sat in the stands and cheered on our teams.  And I know now that those tickets weren’t cheap, so I thank you for taking the time and the money to take us to fun games like those.  Like the family vacations, those are priceless memories I will treasure forever

I know my husband thanks you for my love of football, playing golf and watching action movies!  Thanks to you, he never has to go to sappy chick flicks; he gets to watch the good stuff because that’s what I always want to see…the good action movies! 🙂  But I thank you for taking the time for Daddy-Daughter dates, too, to dinner, the movies, to play Putt-Putt or whatever I wanted to do; I treasure those memories to this day.

Thank you, Dad for always working so hard to provide for our family!  You gave us a happy childhood, good work ethic, memorable family vacations and a great role model to follow.  Next to the word “Dad” in the dictionary, should be your picture because to me, you are everything a Dad stands for and was created by God to be.

You’ve been there for me from the beginning…I think there’s a picture of you sleeping in the waiting room when I was born.  And you’ll keep being there for everything I do…as long as God allows.  So until that time comes, we’ll make the most of every opportunity we have to make new memories.

Thanks for E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, Dad!  I love you so very much!!!   

  

The Promise of “And”

The word “and” is generally used as a connector for other words and phrases or to mean that something is being added to something else already existing.

For example, you can say, “For your birthday, we’re having cake and ice cream.”  You were already having the cake (existing) and then added ice cream.  Or, when you think of the word “and” as a connector to other words or phrases, it’s something like this, “Today, we’re going shopping and we plan to shop at the mall, Hobby Lobby and Home Goods.”

I promise, I am going somewhere with this…this isn’t an English lesson! 🙂

But have you ever thought about how the word “and” is used in Scripture?  Let me shed some light on what I mean by this.  I was in a Bible study class the other night and we were talking about scriptures we like.  Most people like verses that “speak” to them or to a certain situation they may be going through.  But we also  like to “cherry pick” the part we like the most, usually leaving out some of the meaning.

Take, for example, Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This is a very popular scripture.  It’s often quoted on journal covers, Facebook pages, tattoos, shirts, jewelry…you get the picture.  It’s used just about anywhere and everywhere. And it’s a great scripture; I like it just as much as anyone else.  But when we focus on just this part and don’t look at what comes before or after it, we’re only getting part of the meaning.

Here’s the full passage, including the before and after:

“10This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.  14I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

See, the Lord told His people that He had a great plan for them and that He was going to do wonderful things for them.  But first, they had to endure the struggle.  And that’s where we get caught up…we want the great and wonderful things, but we don’t want to endure the hardships that lead to the wonderful things.  We want the great plan, the financial blessing, and the hope for a wonderful future.  We don’t want the struggle, the hard times, or the bleak financial picture we’re facing.  We want to take the bad stuff and sweep it under the rug, or hide under our covers until it’s finished. But that isn’t at all what God has planned for us.

What we have to remember are the promises God has given us that help us through the tough times to get to the great and wonderful plan.  Here are some examples:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.” (Lamentations 3:31)

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

When we struggle, it doesn’t mean God has forgotten about us or doesn’t like us anymore.  He puts us through trials to teach us, or to show us something we’re not seeing or learning on our own.  When we go through the tough times, we have to remember there is another side to it; there is light at the end of our dark, treacherous and ongoing tunnel.  We might not be able to see what’s coming ahead of us, but God does.  But in order to fully grasp and enjoy the plan, we have to endure the hard stuff.

Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:10-14 once more.

Verse 10: This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

Verse 11: For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Verse 12: Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Verse 13: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.

Verse 14: I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.

God is telling His people EXACTLY what He will do FOR them.  When they do this, He will do that…in each line of that passage.  God is FOR US.  He is not against us…EVER!

Reading, learning and quoting Scripture is a good thing; just remember to read it all, to understand the full context of what God is telling us. God does know the plans He has for us and He will see each and every one of His promises fulfilled in our lives. Rest in that.

Letting Go of My Dream

Over the past couple of days, I’ve come to the realization that I need to let some things…one thing…go.

There’s this dream I have.  I’ve had it for a very long time…probably since I was a young girl.  I’m still holding on to it and I do believe that one day it will happen.  But I’ve come to realize that this dream has started to suffocate me.  I’ve made this dream the very center of my being.  I’ve let it become the one thing I think about day in and day out.  The obsession I’ve cultivated for this dream has been causing me lots of mental anxiety and stress.  And I just don’t know if I can continue like this without a complete breakdown!

But I’ve also noticed that I’ve pulled away from God because of this dream obsession.  Don’t get me wrong, I still go to church and read the Word, but my heart just isn’t in it.  A couple of weeks ago, I stood at the back of the worship service.  I tried to sing, but I just couldn’t.  One of the lines of the song they were singing said, “Your love never fails.”  I started to sing it and then I stopped.  And I thought, “I know Your love never fails, but I just don’t believe it right now.  I don’t see You doing anything for me to prove that Your love never fails.  You’re not moving where I need You to move.  When I call out to You, there’s no answer.  Do You hear me?  Do You even see me, at all!?!” Very Christian of me, I know!!

So, I stood in the back, arms by my side, listening to the song and crying.  And then I stepped out and left the service. I’ve been told I can be a very stubborn person…and right now, with God, I truly believe it!

But being this stubborn with God hasn’t gotten me anywhere!  And the stubbornness is causing me the most stress because I just want to be angry with God. I want to be angry with Him because my dream hasn’t become a reality. The way I see it, people all around me are seeing their dreams fulfilled; people are receiving the dream I so desperately desire. And as I stand there and watch, I become angrier and more stubborn, because God isn’t answering MY dream!

But, I’m really not allowing Him to move or do anything for me either.  My eyes are completely blinded to ANYTHING He might be trying to do.

So the other night in my bible study class, we were watching a video.  I could really relate to this lady telling her story and the Lord allowed me to see a visual on this whole mess I’ve put myself into.  It’s like a rope or an object and I have my hand on it and I’m holding on really tight.  And by really tight, I mean white-knuckle-clenched-fist tight. And this is the conversation I had with God about my really tight grip:

God told me, “Let it go.”

And I said, “No! I can’t!  If I let go, my dream will go away!”

And God said, “Trust Me, Kara.”

And I replied, “I can’t.  If I don’t hold on, how do I know that it’ll happen? What if I never get it back?”

And God said, “I can’t move and do the things you want, until you ‘Let. Go.’”

And then I said, “I don’t know how.  I’ve been holding on tight for so long, I don’t know how to ‘let go.’”

And then God said, “It’s going to be okay. You can trust Me. My Word says that I will give you the desires of your heart. But I have to be able to move to do that and you have to let go, so that I can.”

Have you ever had to let go of something?  Of a dream?  Of something you’ve wanted for so long and didn’t think it was ever going to come?

That’s where I am right now…today…trying to “let go.”  And as I was getting ready this morning, I was thinking about that conversation with God and the visual He showed me.  Then a song came to my mind. A song with words that speak right to the heart of my situation and a gentle reminder of what God asked of me the other night.  The song is “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle.

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one down at your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what you see

I try to win this war I confess

My hands are weary, I need your rest

Mighty warrior, king of the fight

No matter what I face you’re by my side

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

Truth is you know what tomorrow brings

There’s not a day ahead you have not seen

So let all things be my life and breath

I want what you want Lord and nothing less

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

I will trust in you

You are my strength and comfort

You are my steady hand

You are my firm foundation

The rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher

Your plans are always good

There’s not a place where I’ll go

You’ve not already been

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I’m visualizing loosening my grip and letting the color come back to my hand. I’m trying to remember what it means to trust God and how freeing it feels when I let Him move and do what only He can do.  I’ve done it before; it just seemed easier before…or at least it feels that way now, that it was easier to trust Him in the past.

I need to let go.  I will let go.  And I will put my trust back in God.  The only One that can make ALL my dreams come true!

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

Psalm 18:30 (NKJV) “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

 

 

 

 

Your promise still stands…

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet
Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet

I know the night won’t last
Your Word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again
Jesus, You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love
My heart will sing Your praise again

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed me yet

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ll see You do it again
Oh-oh

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed me yet

And You never failed me yet
I never will forget
You never failed me yet
And I never will forget

We sang this song at our women’s worship night last week.  The song is called, “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship. After last week didn’t go as I had planned and believed it would, this song really spoke to me.  Although my plan is now delayed a little while longer, I’m still standing.  The delay doesn’t mean God’s Promise is any less true or won’t happen, this last week just wasn’t His timing.

He still moves mountains.

His promises still stand.

Great is His faithfulness.

He hasn’t failed me yet.

I’ll see Him “do it again” soon.

https://youtu.be/-6BD2z6ue90

Faith and Star Wars

psalm-119-114My husband and I recently watched the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One.  In the movie there was a man that constantly repeated a phrase over and over.  It didn’t matter if he was just sitting still or doing something, he always repeated the same phrase. (By the way, I’m not giving anything away on the movie, so if you haven’t seen it, it’s okay to continue reading!)

The phrase he repeated over and over was, “The Force is with me. I am one with the Force.”  Whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, you know that “the Force” is what the Jedi use to fight against the Dark Side.  So by this man repeating this phrase over and over, he was basically building faith within himself that no matter what he encountered, the Force would be with him and would help him accomplish his plans.

As I was driving to work this morning, I thought of this phrase and realized how easily I could change the wording to become, “God is with me. I am one with God.”  No matter where I am, what I’m doing or what I might be facing, reminding myself that God is with me and I am one with God is something I should be repeating all the time.  It’s an assurance, a faith booster and a reminder that God is ALWAYS with us.  He never leaves us or forsakes us.  All we have to do is simply call on Him and He is there.

 

I am not inferior

inferiorPreviously posted at https://cherishedministriesfcfc.com/blog-posts/

Last weekend, I completed a 5k race.  I use the word “completed” because I’d be lying if I said I “ran a 5k”.  I don’t like to run!  Ever!  I always used to say that the only way I would run would be if someone were chasing me. 🙂  But, I want to LIKE running.  I’m more of a motivated walker and kind-of-sometime jogger…for limited…very limited amounts of time.

I have a friend that, while I did the 5k, she ran a 10k.  Notice my choice of words…I “did the 5k” and she “ran the 10k”.  Yep…she ran it…all of it!  And beat her last time by over 4 minutes!  I’m really proud of her…and truly impressed.

I could look at her and say, “Wow, she’s so much better than me.” But that’s not really true.  I mean, she is in her own way, but not in a way that makes me inferior as a person.  She trains.  She runs as often as she can and she practices running.  I don’t practice running…or really walking/jogging for that matter.  I’m not as dedicated as she is.  But that doesn’t make me any less of a person, just different.

I started a new work out a while back and I told myself that I was no longer going to engage in negative self-talk.  In my previous workout class, we did a lot of running and I always found myself being the last runner…the slowest runner.  I always equated that to being inferior to everyone else…that they tried harder than me or that they were just better than me.  But that’s not true either.  That’s just what my thoughts would tell me…that because I don’t work out like her or I don’t run like her, that I’m an inferior person.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”  I’ve always liked that quote and it’s true.  No one can.  But, no one was…I was.  I was making myself inferior to everyone around me.  “She does that workout really well…I wish I could be like her.”  Or, “Wow, she runs great…wish I could run like that.”  It goes on and on and on!!

It’s not that anyone is making me feel inferior…I’m doing a pretty outstanding job of doing that on my own.

Want to know why she does that work out well?  It’s because she goes to class every day and works really hard.  She wants to be good at it, so she trains and she tries.

Want to know why she runs so well?  It’s because she trains day in and day out; improving herself and working on her skills so she can be better.

I can do all of that, too.  I just have to WANT to do that.  If I don’t want to do that, then I’m not going to have the results that others do.

I have a choice.  I can either keep looking at other people around me, comparing myself to them and think about what I don’t have or can’t do… OR…I can just be me.  Am I perfect? Haha…no!  Could I run more consistently or train in class regularly? Yes. Are there things I want to improve about myself? Yes.

But the sum total of all of that…I can be whoever I want to be and I can do whatever I want to do. The only person standing in my way…is ME!

So I made a deal with myself to stop feeling inferior to other people…to stop making myself feel inferior to other people.  I am not inferior.  I am exactly who God made me to be. I am created in His image (Genesis. 1:27).  I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

If I’m in a group of people and I’m not very talkative, then it’s because I’m more of an introvert.  There’s nothing wrong with being quiet; it’s just who I am.  If I go to my workout class and only do 5 burpees in the same time it takes everyone else to do 10 or more, then that’s what I do.  There’s nothing wrong with that either.  Everyone starts somewhere and I can only do what I can do. If I walk and jog a 5k while someone runs the whole time; that’s okay, too!  They’re a runner and I’m a walker-sometimes jogger. They’re being who they are and I’m being who I am.

I’m proud of what I did last weekend.  I completed a 5k.  I walked and sometimes jogged the 5k.  I did exactly what I was capable of doing and I am proud of myself.

I am not inferior.  I am…ME.

A Reflective Thought…

Proverbs 27.19As I was reading in my quiet time this morning, I came across this scripture.  I’ve had this particular scripture highlighted in my Bible for awhile.  This has always stuck with me as a true representation of who we really are.

Have you ever stopped to think that the very words that come out of your mouth represent what is in your heart?  You may think, “No, the heart doesn’t really reveal who I am. I can control my thoughts and what comes out of my mouth.”  And to an extent, yes you can.

But in the heat of the moment, when you’re really angry or upset or someone cut you off in traffic, the words that come out of your mouth at that moment…those words reflect what is in your heart.

It’s definitely a good indicator of what we may need to work on so that when we do speak in the heat of the moment, God-things can come out of our mouths.

Here’s another scripture that is similar to this one, “For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45, NKJV)

Am I sharing this because I’m perfect?  Heck no! Far, far from it.  I’ve always loved this scripture and it struck a chord with me today when I read it and wanted to share it with you.

 

 

Hello 42

As I sit here and enjoy the last few hours of this age, I think back to how this past year of my life went.  First, I try to remember what happened, as with getting older, my memory isn’t as spry as it once was. 🙂  But with anything, I look back and think of all the things I didn’t do or didn’t accomplish that I thought I would.  But as I do that, I realize that I don’t want to focus on the past, I want to look forward to what’s next.  I can’t fix anything I did wrong; I can’t change anything about the past…the past is the past.  It’s there to look at; to try and do things better this year, but that’s it…the past.  Over. Done with. Unchangeable. Just leave it behind and press onward.

In just a few hours, I’ll be 42 years old.  And as I’ve thought about that today, I find myself pretty excited about it.  I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday, but I’ve never really looked forward to any age…much less when I turned 40.  It’s a cliché, but really, it’s just a number.  It doesn’t define my personality. It doesn’t change who I am as a person.  It doesn’t make me any less of someone because I’m older than I was yesterday.  It’s simply just two numbers put together to become one.  But back to my anticipation of this new year…

Even though it’s technically the middle of the calendar year, I feel like I’m getting a “re-do” for this year…a fresh start.  I’m not really sure why I’m so excited for this coming year, but I just have a peace about it.  I’m excited for the new adventures that are coming.  I’m looking forward to a new season in life. I’m just feeling like it’s going to be a great year…my 42nd year of life.  God has allowed me to be here for this long so I feel He has great plans for this next year.

So I say, “Goodbye 41…it’s been great, it’s been fun and there’s memories I’ll have with me forever.  Thanks for a great year!”  And then I say…

Hello 42..let’s go…I’m ready! 🙂