Friday, February 8, 2008
Fearless Friday #24
To be real honest, as I was growing up I never ever worried about report card day.
I was a geek.
I loved school.
I got all A's, just about all the time.
Now I am a mom.
I can't guarantee what my children will do when it comes to regurgitating material for a test or making the right choices in their conduct.
I must admit that these first progress reports after sending my children back into a public school setting had me a bit disconcerted.
No, that wouldn't be quite accurate.
I was fearful.
Fearful of how they would do.
Fearful of what others would think of my homeschooling.
Fearful that they hadn't learned anything with me in the two and a half years at home.
Fearful that I had "messed" up my children for the rest of their educational careers.
God, in His wisdom, had a friend call me last night.
She gently reminded me, and I am paraphrasing here . . . that I am not able to mess up my children. They are cared for and protected by the God of the Universe. How can I possibly have the power to mess them up when He is on board with them every. single. day?
I know I've shared this verse before, but I am reminded of it again this morning as I once again turn my children back over to the Father who loves them more than I could ever hope to love them:
"I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."
Philippians 1:5-6 (The Message)
By the way, each progress report was significantly better than I had anticipated.
This is so true:
FEAR = FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL
I plan to go about the rest of my day listening and reading TRUTH rather than being caught up with falsehoods from the father of lies! That's the first step to walking
WITHOUT FEAR.
Labels: childhood, fearless friday, God's Word, truth
Friday, February 1, 2008
Fearless Friday #23
I love the ocean. I love its majesty. I love that it is ever-changing, yet ever so predictable. The tides rise and fall. The waves crash on the shore and leave it changed. To me, there is no greater example of the presence of God than at the beach.
Peace washes over me when I am in the presence of the ocean.
I've seen the ocean calm and almost placid in nature. Security wraps me in its embrace as my Father calms my soul. I enjoy this time. Yet, this time at the ocean is not necessarily my favorite.
Instead, I've ventured near the ocean in the midst of an oncoming hurricane. Awe-inspiring and wildly engaging, as the hand of God reminds me how small I am in light of His powerful creation. For a moment I could understand those who seek extreme sports in an effort to secure a momentary thrill.
I giggled like a young school girl as the salty spray and whirling sand stung my cheeks and found its way into my open grin. Not real tasty, but certainly unforgettable.
This image is emblazoned in my memory. Should I have been afraid in the face of a near certain disaster that sent many scrambling to batten down the hatches and flee for safety? Surely I should have exercised a bit of caution.
Yet, I am exhilarated, even in recall, as I think of the sheer power our God exudes with the breath of the wind at His command.
I give myself way too much credit if I think I can exercise even one iota of control over my own life. He is at the helm, and in His hands my life is secure. My future is certain, and I need not worry one moment over what will come next.
"Honor the wonderful name
of the LORD,
and worship the LORD
most holy and glorious. The voice of the LORD
echoes over the oceans.
The glorious LORD God
thunders
above the roar
of the raging sea,
and his voice is mighty
and marvelous."
Psalm 29:2-4 (CEV)
FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: fearless friday, God's Word, ocean
Friday, January 11, 2008
Fearless Friday
photo credit -- The Beckwith Gallery
"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby. "
Ruth E. Renkel
"He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings deep shadows into the light."
Job 12:22 (NIV)
Ruth E. Renkel
"He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings deep shadows into the light."
Job 12:22 (NIV)
I feel like I've been taken to a place of shadows for a time, in order that I may more clearly see the face of my Heavenly Father. Sometimes the light of easy and joyous times blinds me to the things God wants me to learn in the quiet shadows.
I pray for both of us today that God will meet us in the shadows and remind us of His light shining nearby. May the time in the shadows prepare us and refine us as we continue this daily walk "Without Fear."
Have a Blessed Weekend!
I pray for both of us today that God will meet us in the shadows and remind us of His light shining nearby. May the time in the shadows prepare us and refine us as we continue this daily walk "Without Fear."
Have a Blessed Weekend!
Labels: blessings, fearless friday, shadows
Friday, November 9, 2007
Fearless Friday #22
No, I'm not actually moving again . . .
at least not any time in the near future . . .
I'm back in the study Overcoming Fear this week,
and the topic of discussion is how we react to moves or transitions in our lives.
The author addresses this concept as follows:
"Even little 'moves' in life, like the move to a new career or promotion at work, the move to a new, deeper level of friendship, or the move to a new responsibility at church can raise the question What's going to happen?So, what happens next? How can we overcome the "what ifs," the unknowns, the transitions in our lives that leave us unnerved and paralyzed at times?
"Any transition -- no matter how big or small -- is usually accompanied by a fear of uncertainty. If left unchecked, that fear can take root in your life and eventually make you want to avoid change. You can become resistant to new things, and worse resistant to the change God wants to do in your life, family, or community."
First, remember that you are not the first person to have ever been called to something new without being given all the details ahead of time.
- Read Genesis 6: 11-22; 8:14-22 for Noah's story
- Read Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-12 for Abraham's story
- Read Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:6-7 for Mary's story
The author wraps up this lesson by referring to the key verse for the week:
"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
She says this, and I so agree, "When fear about the 'what ifs' grips our hearts, God wants to move our focus from what could happen to what He can do.
"What 'move' is God nudging you toward right now in your own life? In your faith? In your family? In your work?" In your home? (italics mine)
I'll be sharing in the next week or so what nudging I've been feeling, but until then -- have a weekend filled by walking Without Fear.
On His Adventure~Pam
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
She says this, and I so agree, "When fear about the 'what ifs' grips our hearts, God wants to move our focus from what could happen to what He can do.
"What 'move' is God nudging you toward right now in your own life? In your faith? In your family? In your work?" In your home? (italics mine)
I'll be sharing in the next week or so what nudging I've been feeling, but until then -- have a weekend filled by walking Without Fear.
On His Adventure~Pam
Labels: brave, faith, fearless friday, freedom
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fearless Friday #21
"Don't be afraid—you're not going to be embarrassed.
Don't hold back—you're not going to come up short.
You'll forget all about the humiliations of your youth . . ."
Isaiah 54:4 (MSG)
This week's Overcoming Fear study is entitled "Letting Go of the Past". I hesitated to even post about any of this because the past is one area that continues to hold me in neutral at times when it comes to my spiritual growth. The engine is revving, but I'm not moving forward.
Let me explain.
We had situation this last Sunday that threw me right back to one of my most painful memories ever.
See, I had a bad experience on the day of my graduation from high school that permanently etched itself in my memory like the brand on the side of cattle is burned into its hide. Unfortunately this memory often is dredged up at inopportune and unsuspecting times that nearly always blindside me.
I was left behind.
On the day of my graduation as an honor student. The culmination of my educational experience up to that point. One of the biggest milestones everyone notes.
I was left behind. Abandoned in a way.
At the very moment my parents and family could have been surrounding me with congratulatory hugs and pats on the back, my mom panicked about the party she was throwing me and insisted my dad take her home to finish preparations for all the people who would be attending.
At the very moment family photos were being taken all around me, I was left waiting for someone to return to retrieve me so I could attend this "all-important" party.
I kept waiting. People asked if I needed a ride home. The administration even offered to let me back in the school to call home. (This was way before cell phones, y'all!)
I waited until I was the very last person out on the sidewalk in front of my high school. The very high school I never entered again until my brother graduated five years later. I haven't been back since.
I waited, and I waited. It was the loneliest 45 minute wait of my life.
My special day became a time that will always remind me of being alone.
I won't bore you with any further details, but not one family member that day understood how deeply that impacted me. Not one family member apologized for leaving me or for anything at all.
Fast forward to last Sunday. I was not alone, but I thought someone had left me standing. That same panic of 22 years ago rose in my throat, and I coached myself by saying "This is not the same." "God has not forgotten you." This truth rang in my ears:
I was not completely unaffected by the incident on Sunday, but I turned to God in the midst of it, and I got over that feeling pretty quickly, remembering that God knows my needs and will provide for me exactly when I need it. Just when I was about to give up, the vehicles parted and my precious DP was visible with a big smile on his handsome face.
The author of the Bible study I am doing mentions this, and I am convinced this is what I need to do with this situation I described:
The truth of this study is helping me to move on in a healthy fashion. The author cites Isaiah 44:6-8, and it is a powerful passage to put God in His rightful place and remind us we can fully rely on Him for everything.
So I close this Fearless Friday a little lighter, knowing that I can choose to build my foundation on the Rock of my Lord Jesus Christ. I can put my fears at the foot of the cross and walk on Without Fear.
***photo credit--dusty davis
Let me explain.
We had situation this last Sunday that threw me right back to one of my most painful memories ever.
See, I had a bad experience on the day of my graduation from high school that permanently etched itself in my memory like the brand on the side of cattle is burned into its hide. Unfortunately this memory often is dredged up at inopportune and unsuspecting times that nearly always blindside me.
I was left behind.
On the day of my graduation as an honor student. The culmination of my educational experience up to that point. One of the biggest milestones everyone notes.
I was left behind. Abandoned in a way.
At the very moment my parents and family could have been surrounding me with congratulatory hugs and pats on the back, my mom panicked about the party she was throwing me and insisted my dad take her home to finish preparations for all the people who would be attending.
At the very moment family photos were being taken all around me, I was left waiting for someone to return to retrieve me so I could attend this "all-important" party.
I kept waiting. People asked if I needed a ride home. The administration even offered to let me back in the school to call home. (This was way before cell phones, y'all!)
I waited until I was the very last person out on the sidewalk in front of my high school. The very high school I never entered again until my brother graduated five years later. I haven't been back since.
I waited, and I waited. It was the loneliest 45 minute wait of my life.
My special day became a time that will always remind me of being alone.
I won't bore you with any further details, but not one family member that day understood how deeply that impacted me. Not one family member apologized for leaving me or for anything at all.
Fast forward to last Sunday. I was not alone, but I thought someone had left me standing. That same panic of 22 years ago rose in my throat, and I coached myself by saying "This is not the same." "God has not forgotten you." This truth rang in my ears:
"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 13:5b (NIV)
I was not completely unaffected by the incident on Sunday, but I turned to God in the midst of it, and I got over that feeling pretty quickly, remembering that God knows my needs and will provide for me exactly when I need it. Just when I was about to give up, the vehicles parted and my precious DP was visible with a big smile on his handsome face.
The author of the Bible study I am doing mentions this, and I am convinced this is what I need to do with this situation I described:
"Such incidents can open up the doorway to a lifelong struggle with fear. But God in His love and grace wants you to move beyond the fear of the past so you can move into the hope of your future."How do we do this? I've been trying to move on for years, but I know the residue of this long-held fear of abandonment impairs my decision making and cripples me when I least expect it.
The truth of this study is helping me to move on in a healthy fashion. The author cites Isaiah 44:6-8, and it is a powerful passage to put God in His rightful place and remind us we can fully rely on Him for everything.
So I close this Fearless Friday a little lighter, knowing that I can choose to build my foundation on the Rock of my Lord Jesus Christ. I can put my fears at the foot of the cross and walk on Without Fear.
***photo credit--dusty davis
Labels: childhood, fearless friday
Friday, October 19, 2007
Fearless Friday #20
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
I think about fear so often when riding or walking around the local college campus. The acreage is teeming with wildlife, especially deer. I am not fearful, but I watch the reactions of the deer whose home I am attempting to share as I drive or hike past.
Those who have been around for years are docile, calm, and sociable -- if that is a deer characteristic. They do not run when vehicles approach. They do not interrupt their dinner or hurry their young away from the eyes of onlookers. Fawns usually run for cover, but it takes very little time before their skittish behavior becomes one of nonchalance and unwavering boldness.
How too can I become less fearful? Remembering the verse above is a good beginning. That was the theme verse for my study in Overcoming Fear these past two weeks.
Ms. Feinberg encourages the reader to go back and re-visit some fears from childhood as well as identifying some different types of fears found in Scripture. I found this a helpful exercise, especially looking at Psalm 91:5-10.
My God will protect me (and you) and have His angels take charge over (us). He says that no evil will take me down or come near my dwelling. In Him, I am safe.
Margaret says this:
"Not only does fear limit your ability to place your faith in God,
but if left unchecked, fear can also actually cause you to pull back from your relationship with God, choose to sin, and miss out on God's best for your life."
but if left unchecked, fear can also actually cause you to pull back from your relationship with God, choose to sin, and miss out on God's best for your life."
I wholeheartedly agree. I know I've had times in my life in which I have cowered and hidden rather than to stand boldly before God's throne of grace. I was steeped in sin and fear of the unknown. I missed out on His blessing, because I was too worried about what He would think of me and my actions.
What I am continuing to realize in my walk with God is that He is who He says He is. He is unchanging. He is compassionate. He is available to me. He does love me with an everlasting love. The better I get to know Him, the less I find fear guiding and directing my actions.
Now, fear still rears its ugly head more frequently than I'd like. This verse comes to mind in this area for me:
What I am continuing to realize in my walk with God is that He is who He says He is. He is unchanging. He is compassionate. He is available to me. He does love me with an everlasting love. The better I get to know Him, the less I find fear guiding and directing my actions.
Now, fear still rears its ugly head more frequently than I'd like. This verse comes to mind in this area for me:
"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."
Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)
I'm going to leave you today with a question from the study.
Thinking on the theme verse from this lesson (2 Timothy 1:7), have you ever experienced a moment when God took away a spirit of fear and replaced it with His spirit of "power, of love, and of a sound mind?" How did that experience affect your faith? Your relationships? Your attitude toward God?
Let's all continue to walk each moment, each step of this journey of faith "Without Fear". I am excited to see how God releases us from the bondage that fear brings and encourages us to walk in freedom with Him as we get to know Him better and better.
I welcome all comments and discussion on this topic. Don't hesitate to email me if you'd like to chat further.
FEAR= False Evidence Appearing Real
Thinking on the theme verse from this lesson (2 Timothy 1:7), have you ever experienced a moment when God took away a spirit of fear and replaced it with His spirit of "power, of love, and of a sound mind?" How did that experience affect your faith? Your relationships? Your attitude toward God?
Let's all continue to walk each moment, each step of this journey of faith "Without Fear". I am excited to see how God releases us from the bondage that fear brings and encourages us to walk in freedom with Him as we get to know Him better and better.
I welcome all comments and discussion on this topic. Don't hesitate to email me if you'd like to chat further.
FEAR= False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: discipline, fearless friday, God's Word, truth
Friday, October 5, 2007
Fearless Friday #19
I'm starting a new Bible study. This is just from the introduction, yet I found it powerful for me today:
"Did you know that fear can be good for you? No, really! A healthy amount of fear serves as a reminder to avoid danger. It can help us be more safety-conscious. The awareness that something bad could happen often causes us to do something good . . .
"Unhealthy fear is paralyzing. It prevents us from experiencing and living the life God intended. It limits our potential. Fear can hinder us from enjoying rich relationships, amazing experiences, and a meaningful life.
"Fear can even stop us from fulfilling the call that God has on our lives. Left unchecked, fear can ties us to the past, push us toward sin, and prevent us from embracing our God-ordained future. That's one reason we find the same phrase echoing throughout His Word: 'Fear not!' Through His Son, Jesus, God has set us free from the unhealthy fears that bind us and hold us back." (taken from Overcoming Fear by Margaret Feinberg, Women of Faith Study Guide Series)
This weekend is a busy one with The Hobbit, especially as I keep finding myself in unfamiliar territory -- putting on makeup (on goblins, and other creatures), adjusting costumes in order to avoid wardrobe malfunctions, and anything else that comes along.
I pray for all of you as well as for myself that we will remember to live the life God has intended for us . . . one Without Fear.
FEAR= False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: brave, faith, fearless friday, God's Word, truth
Friday, September 28, 2007
Fearless Friday #18
I thought I'd share with you the following fun fact (taken from The Book of Lists by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace):The top ten human fears, in reverse order, are:
10. Dogs
9. Loneliness
8. Flying
7. Death
6. Sickness
5. Deep water
4. Financial problems
3. Insects and bugs
2. Heights
1. Speaking before a group
I don't have all of these fears. I'm sure many of you don't either. Yet, I nodded and agreed with several of them as I read down this list:
- I have my frequent bouts with fear of bugs, yet never as often as when living on the coast.
- Loneliness has been a continual companion in seasons of my life. I don't fear it in the same way as when I was younger. It drives me to lean on Jesus more.
- Financial issues probably strike a chord of fear in my heart unlike any other. Yet, here, too, I am learning to cast my cares more frequently on Him and watch Him provide for me in ways I often can't comprehend.
- Death has been at the forefront of my mind in the past few weeks, and I have wrestled in the recesses of my own thoughts as to whether it scares me or not. At times I find peace in knowing I will be with my Father in heaven, and at others I quake inside over leaving all I know to be real in the here and now.
My prayer for all of us who share these common fears is that we take them to Jesus, leave them at His feet, and walk on throughout each day unencumbered by them. I pray we can live moment by moment "Without Fear" remembering the truth of God's Word:
"Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote,
God is there, ready to help;
I'm fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6 (MSG)
God is there, ready to help;
I'm fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6 (MSG)
FEAR=False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: brave, fearless friday, God's Word, truth
Friday, September 21, 2007
Fearless Friday #17
I love the photo above, because it shows that though the sunrise is visible we must still gaze through the clouds in order to see God's glorious plans for the day. The rolling countryside in front of the fabulous display of color represents the climb we must take in order to reach the pinnacle of what God has for us.At times I can liken the struggles and uncertainties I face to a fear of leaping over the obstacles in my path and reaching out in faith for the beauty God has for me on the other side. He stands waiting. My only requirement is to leave the fear behind.
I have been seeing the sunrise peeking through the clouds lately. The enemy wants nothing more than to obliterate that sign of hope in my life and in yours.
Let us cling to this truth today:
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10 (NKJV)
“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the 'someday I'll' philosophy.”
~~Denis Waitley
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: brave, fearless friday, life
Friday, September 14, 2007
Fearless Friday #16
I'm not feeling very fearless today, so maybe I can ride along on the fearlessness of others . . . what do you do to combat the looming shadow of fear in your life? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Here's to a fearless and fun weekend!
photo credit -- dusty davis
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: fearless friday
Friday, August 31, 2007
Fearless Friday #15
Not that I would ever attempt this, even if I were the most fearless of souls.
I just thought this photo represents the climb we all face each day if we try to attempt it in our own strength.
Daily trials and compounded struggles can seem utterly insurmountable without the Lord.
I watch and read others out here in the land o' Blog, and I am reminded over and over again that it is only in the strength of our precious Lord and Savior that we can face any of the trials that come our way.
I've come to believe that the Lord looks at trials much like He looks at sin. Sin is all the same to Him. It all separates us from Him, a Holy God.
Trials are all the same to Him as well. He knows they all need to drive us to Him. Each and every trial that comes our way, big or small comes through Him first. Each and every trial needs His fingerprint on it for us to survive it and go on to thrive in our walk with Him.
So, whatever you face today, whatever it is that puts fear in your heart, turn it over to Him. He's waiting on you. He's expecting you, and He is ready to relieve you of that burden you carry.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:2-3
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: fearless friday
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fearless Friday #14
"Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it... that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear."
-- Dale Carnegie
"In this world there is always danger for those who are afraid of it."
-- George Bernard Shaw
"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?"
Psalm 27:1
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
Labels: brave, fearless friday
Friday, August 17, 2007
Fearless Friday #13
"Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is a freedom." Marilyn Ferguson
Labels: brave, faith, fearless friday, flowers, freedom
Friday, August 10, 2007
Fearless Friday #12
This came from a devotional I occasionally read:
"When you look at your circumstances until you become afraid it is always a mistake -- yet that is just what many people do.
"The more you focus your eyes and your mouth on the problem, the more fearful you become. Instead you should focus on God who is able to handle anything you will ever have to face. He has promised to strengthen you and to harden you to difficulties.
"No matter how great and important or small and insignificant your fears may be, God is saying to you, 'Fear not; I will help you!'"
Labels: fearless friday
Friday, August 3, 2007
Fearless Friday #11-- It's Easier with a Friend by Your Side
"You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn.
"If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.
" As the saying goes, 'A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.'"Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (CEV)
But oh! The blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearless on any subject;
with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts
come out simply and safely.
Oh, the comfort--the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person--
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
but pouring them all right out, just as they are,
chaff and grain together;
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
Keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away."
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik~~A Life for a Life
I found this passage above in a devotional I am going through by Robin Jones Gunn and her sisterchick friend, Cindy Hannan: A Sisterchicks Devotional, Take Flight!
Also in the devotional, Cindy says, "What encouraging words from a friend still ring in your ears? Is there someone in your life who needs your love and acceptance right now? Wouldn't it be grand if right in the middle of an ordinary day, God surprised that someone with a friendship-touch from you?
He might just wrap up His grace and send it through you."
Who can you touch today with God's grace? How can you be a friend who fearlessly walks alongside another through the trials, through the joys?
Get in touch with an old friend today! Just pick up the phone and do it!
I'm taking up the challenge.
Also in the devotional, Cindy says, "What encouraging words from a friend still ring in your ears? Is there someone in your life who needs your love and acceptance right now? Wouldn't it be grand if right in the middle of an ordinary day, God surprised that someone with a friendship-touch from you?
He might just wrap up His grace and send it through you."
Who can you touch today with God's grace? How can you be a friend who fearlessly walks alongside another through the trials, through the joys?
Get in touch with an old friend today! Just pick up the phone and do it!
I'm taking up the challenge.
Labels: fearless friday, friends, God's Word
Friday, July 27, 2007
Fearless Friday
***Doggy Days of Summer Participants***: Scroll down for the first two winners. All other winners will be announced by 9pm today Eastern time.
“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.”
Mary Manin Morrissey“Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.” Anonymous
" And you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life." Deuteronomy 6:2 (NLT)I pray for myself today for all of you who read that we would be more likely to follow the truth of God's Word than "what we learn here."
Walk forth without fear today, for as Jesus told His disciples:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)
Labels: brave, faith, fearless friday
Friday, July 20, 2007
Fearless Friday -- Stepping Out
I don't know about you, but I get really comfortable with sameness.I go to the same stores to shop.
I travel the same roads just about every time I have somewhere to go in my town.
I rarely step out of the norm or my comfort zone to do anything wild and fearless.
Yet, my heart longs for it. I am wired for adventure.
I think that is why God throws me a curve ball or two, here and there. He wants to remind me regularly that I am "On His Adventure" ~ not just as some cutesy signature, but for real, for life.
I've been re-reading Captivating over the past couple of days, and what the Eldredge's so eloquently communicate is this:
Every woman in her heart longs for three things: to be romanced, *to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty. That's what makes a woman come alive.I am one of those women. You (with the exception of the two guys that read this blog) are one of those women, too.
*emphasis mine.
So, how do we become more like that in our everyday lives? How do we "play that irreplaceable role?"
The detailed answers to those questions are for another post indeed, but I think the following verse gives us a place to start:
"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God . . . For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1: 6,7 (NIV)
God did not give the gifts mentioned above only to some believers. He gave them to all of us. The version of His Word that I usually read replaces "self-discipline" with a "sound mind", but I like this version better for this particular illustration.
If we discipline ourselves to "stepping out" fearlessly, regardless of the size of the task or its seeming magnitude in our lives -- how much more will we be relying on God's spirit of power, and of love. We can make a difference in our days and our ability to access that adventure we so long to be a part of, if we follow the Word of our Heavenly Father -- who sets an adventure before us each and every day.
The question is: "Am I ready to join Him in the adventure?"
Are you?
Labels: adventure, brave, fearless friday, stepping out
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fearless Friday
Sometimes it takes an extra measure of fearlessness to be different in the midst of a field of sameness.
I am the dandelion in the midst of all these daisies.
I am fearless and a bit impulsive.
I am the strong and tough "weed" that keeps coming back after being pulled and re-moved over and over again.
I am hearty.
I am resilient.
My roots grow deep, when I find where I want to be.
Yet, my fluff can be blown carelessly by the wind when I am all used up.
I have learned that many are put off by the presence of a dandelion, but many are also drawn to its brightness.
Children pluck me and carry me around in sweaty, grimy fists. They present me like a trophy to their waiting mamas.
Mamas can't refuse me, for I am the symbol of all that is pure and innocent and summery.
I am fearless. I am wild. I am sunshiny bright and ever-present.
I am who He made me to be.
"But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1
Labels: brave, fearless friday, unafraid
Friday, July 6, 2007
Fearless Friday
In my mind, I've always associated feats like the one at left with fearlessness. I've even made a list at different times in my life with all kinds of wild and "fearless" acts I'd like to perform: skydiving, deep sea diving, hang gliding, etc.
You know, the kinds of things you want to do before you die.
Well, as I get older (and boy, am I feeling it today, chalk it up to Tony Horton and the Ab Ripper 100), I have begun to think of fearlessness in a whole different realm.
Ways I find myself more fearless now than in years past:
1. I trust God with the lives of my children.
2. I believe God is Who He says He is.
3. I worry far less about how others perceive me.
4. I let go and let God far more frequently.
5. I no longer feel like I need to do heroic acts in order to appear fearless.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”
Mark TwainLabels: fearless friday
Friday, June 29, 2007
Fearless Friday
If there were two things that I could hand the readers of my blog each day as they leave this place, they would be these:
1. A day without fear.
2. A reason to be intentionally thankful.
“Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” Unknown
- "Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt." George Sewell
I will leave you with the truth that is emblazoned on my heart and mind this day:
Freedom in Christ
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
May we both walk in freedom today. That's why Christ came . . .
Labels: fearless friday
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