I thought I would share something certain…something we can count on always. We live in tough and uncertain times, but God’s character is always sure, undeniable, indisputable, and never changes. We can be confident and feel victorious when we are HIS!
This is a collection of God’s character from Bible verses I highlighted in yellow (the color I use to highlight God’s divine character). This is but a small collection, and taken alone, just scrapes the surface of the majesty and love of God. However, by just reviewing this small assemblage of who God is, I find myself being reminded of how blessed beyond measure I am that He is my God!
GOD IS:
Righteous ~ Just~ Compassionate ~ Gracious ~ Slow to anger ~ Faithful in love ~ Good ~ HE performs valiantly~ HIS love endures forever. GOD knows you, searches you, understands you, is aware of all your ways, has extraordinary knowledge, and encircles you!
HE has eternal power and is divine in nature! HE shows no favoritism, and HE gives life to the dead! HIS spirit intercedes for us! GOD is: Wisdom ~ Knowledge ~ HE has unsearchable judgements and untraceable ways! HE gives endurance. HE gives encouragement. All things are from HIM...we exist for HIM!
HE is the Father of all mercies and the GOD of all comfort! Everything is from HIM. HE gave us the ministry of reconciliation in CHRIST (reconciling the world to himself)! HE doesn’t count our trespasses. HIS fruits of HIS SPIRIT are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. HE gives us incalculable riches of CHRIST!
HE is multifaceted wisdom and able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think! GOD is vast strength. HIS power enables HIM to subject everything to HIMSELF! HIS full nature dwells in the body of CHRIST! HIS word is living and effective and sharper than a double edged sword! GOD is a consuming fire. HE is the GOD of all grace!
“I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2
Read Time 3 Minutes
“We’re basically a bunch of backpackers. We are all just travelers. We are all just on a journey, and we’re heading for our Home.” – Kim Jones, July 1999
“Kim was only 23 years old when she went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 15, 1999, as a result of the shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A. ” – www.thelightstillshines.org
I often feel like a sojourner here on earth…never quite at home, always a little out of place. Sometimes when that feeling makes me uncomfortable and a little lost or alone, I remember that those who know the Lord really are just foreigners while living on this earth. This is not my forever home. This is not where I really belong. Peter even refers to Christians as sojourners and exiles (strangers and temporary residents) in 1 Peter 2. My true citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20), and I am just on a journey through this temporary life that God has blessed me with whether I am on a mountaintop or in a valley. Remembering this truth and promise from God redirects my focus and brings comfort. It brings the ability to put things of this world in perspective.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. – 1 Peter 4:12
“…but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.” – Philippians 3:20-21
While backpacking through this life, we can choose to make the most of each step we take just like we might do on an afternoon hike in God’s creation. We can equip ourselves properly for the journey. We can fill our backpack with sustenance (prayer, the Word of God, fellowship on the trail). We can enjoy the beauty (blessings) along the way. We can renew our mind each day. We can choose to be a friendly face with a kind word to another hiker. We can be a light on the path for others.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
In 2016, I prepared for the most extensive and strenuous hike I had ever taken. I prepared to hike Longs Peak at 14,255 feet. Most of the hike would take me above treeline in pretty harsh elements (cold and wind). My sweet husband wrote out a couple of Bible verses for me to put in my hiking shoes so that it would be a reminder that God is with me and my path is prepared by Him.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.- Psalm 119:105
Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! – Habakkuk 3:19
This was certainly a special gesture and did remind me to keep my focus on God, and that it is He that lights my path for a hike and for this journey every day while I am alive on earth. Keep looking up!
Take a Hike
Choose today to take a short hike somewhere soon. Renew your mind and talk with God. This is good for the body and the soul. And don’t forget to pack a snack that will keep you fueled. The following recipe is one of my favorite nutritious snacks that is full of protein and sweet goodness just perfect for a day hike.
Honey Nutters
1 cup of natural peanut butter (I use Adams up here in the PNW) 2/3 cup of local honey 1/2 cup of organic instant nonfat dry milk powder 16 organic graham crackers crushed to make fine crumbs wheat grem
Combine first 4 ingredients (You may want to use your hands to get it well blended). Pour wheat germ into a separate bowl. Scoop out a teaspoonful of the mixture and make it into a little ball. Roll each ball in the wheat germ to coat evenly. Refrigerate.
Enjoy a healthy snack, enjoy a beautiful day, and enjoy communing with our Lord as you take a hike!
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11
Read Time 3 Minutes
Think about walking through a wooded area where the bushes are in full production just ready for the picking of the plumpest juiciest blackberries. It’s a beautiful sunshiny day with just the right cool breeze. With bucket in hand, you plan on picking and filling the bucket with an overflowing amount of blackberries to take home for making pies, jam, and other blackberry treats to delight yourself for days to come. If you allowed yourself to get sidetracked with the sticks and brush in your way and began filling your bucket with the debris along your path, your bucket would not hold the tasty berries. You would go home depleted instead of being refreshed with the ability to be satisfied with delectable treats for the coming days. Think about this picture as you continue reading my blog post.
Times are tough right now! It seems as though our country is turned upside down. For some in America, the Covid-19 is very upfront and real. Some have tested positive, some have sadly died from the virus, and healthcare workers see it all first hand. For others, the issues have been financial struggles…maybe even the loss of a business. I think for all of us, the times have been very mentally and emotionally challenging. From corona-virus, to protests and riots, to demonstrations of love versus hate, to continued deep divisions in our country both politically and personally, it is very hard to be positive!
During my life, I have encountered and navigated through some very difficult and heartbreaking times. These struggles have helped me to grow in my faith and learn to rely whole-heartily on God to supply my every need, my every comfort, and my complete peace. I have even learned how to experience true joy right along with sorrow.
I am desiring to do the same during these trying times, but it seems very hard. I find it a daily struggle to stay positive and grab hold of all the peace and joy available to me through God in the midst of so many negative issues in our country. A couple of nights ago, it became clear to me why I have been struggling with this matter of joy. I have the head knowledge and the experiential knowledge of joy, and I have been praying to feel God’s peace and joy during these tough times; however, I was forgetting a very important action on my part. I was forgetting to actually REJOICE! When I choose to rejoice, then the “joy bucket” in me begins to be filled up. Because each day seems to be filled with so much negativism in the media and in the conversations of so many, the negatives have been the focus and what I have been piling in my bucket. The negatives we are all facing were the big things in my mind that were depleting my “joy bucket”. I needed to adjust my thoughts by beginning with the action of rejoicing.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.Psalm 118:24
I am now consciously taking action each day. I am choosing to REJOICE in who I am in God. Just the simple fact that I am His puts me in an overriding victorious circumstance at all times no matter what is going on in this world. I am His, a child of the one true King. My life will always be abundant because He is always good to me. He promises to get me through anything I face in my life. I am secure in eternity because of my salvation through Jesus Christ. Because He lives, I can face each day with confidence. With this kind of security, why would I not choose to rejoice every day! I hope that you too can choose with full confidence and peace to REJOICE in knowing God, His goodness, and His Son, Jesus! Join me in filling our “joy buckets” with all the fullness of His goodness today!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:4-7
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:11
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23
Read Time 5 Minutes
As a personal trainer, I am concerned for each client’s health and especially for their heart health as it affects all other aspects of their life. As a Christian, I am concerned with the spiritual heart-healthiness for myself and others. In keeping with the purpose and desire of my blog, I want to share what I think is the “Whole” Heart-Healthy Approach to life.
Physically, you can have a super-fit healthy heart and life, but you can still miss out on the the joy and peace that God has for you if you don’t have a spiritually healthy heart. This article focuses on the most important aspect first- the spiritual heart, and then moves onto health and wellness for the physical heart with exercise tips designed with the heart in mind and food choices to accompany a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Our world and our country are in a state of crisis right now with the Covid-19 Pandemic and all that has unraveled with the virus. In addition to the enormous challenges that this present emergency has brought, we have now faced another brutal act of racism in America and are witnessing all the violent riots spawning from the murder of George Floyd.
These extreme issues leave no one untouched and most likely leave all of us with troubled hearts. Depending on how we share in these circumstances, we may have fear in our heart. We may feel skepticism and uneasiness. We may have outright anger in our hearts! How do we stay “heart-healthy” spiritually with so many stirrings on our hearts?
These feelings are natural, but must be taken captive to make sure that our hearts stay pure and on a righteous path, or thoughts and feelings will end up stealing our peace and leaving our hearts depleted.
We must choose to focus on the ONE who does not trouble our hearts, the ONE who is not the author of confusion, the ONE who tells us to “Fear Not”, the ONE who IS TRUTH, the ONE who can calm our heart!
Our hearts can filter all the incoming troublesome feelings we have and then produce a pure response to all that is going on around us when we love God first and foremost. When Jesus was asked what commandment is the most important, he answered:
” Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
We can also ask God to purify our heart so that we may be able to respond to all the circumstances in our life with goodness and love:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
When our focus is on the One who is LOVE, and when we allow Him to purify our heart, He produces in us a healthy heart ready to take on each day and all that each day holds!
Heart Action
Cardiorespiratory Fitness– the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen- rich blood to skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity.
There are many reasons people exercise and care about fitness. Whatever the primary goal is for training ones body though, a priority for all who involve themselves in physical fitness should be cardiorespiratory health.
Circuit training can be a very beneficial form of cardiorespiratory training. Not only can it be a lot of fun moving at a quick pace through a series of exercises with minimal rest, it also gets the heart pumping well while building strength.
Going a step further for those individuals whose primary purpose is to improve heart and respiratory health, the variation of circuit training known as Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) can provide added benefits by distributing blood flow between the upper and lower body improving circulation. This can be a training system for anyone to add variety to a program, but it can be an especially great system for anyone who deals with hypertension or respiratory issues.
General circuit training or PHA training includes moving through 5-6 types of exercises with reps of (8-20) for each exercise depending on ability and goal. Take a short (15-60 second) rest when completed and then go through the exercises again completing the cycle (2-3) times. If doing the PHA, make sure exercises alternate between upper and lower body.
Example of PHA circuit training (easy level)
dumbbell bicep curls -> squats -> inclined push-ups ->step up to balance -> dumbbell overhead press -> rest
Example of PHA circuit training (moderate-difficult level)
bench press -> jump squats (soft landing- 5 second hold) -> push-ups or Davies taps -> mountain climbers -> tricep dips -> single leg Romanian deadlift -> rest
Above all have fun and feel good knowing that you are making your heart happy!
Foods for a Happy Heart
Adding some of the following foods to your diet can help increase a happy healthy heart because of the antioxidants, magnesium, folate, potassium, and omega-3s . More of these foods in your diet may help lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, boost good cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels, add fiber, and protect against inflammation in your arteries.
Salmon – olive oil – edamame – oatmeal – blueberries – flax seeds almonds – walnuts – leafy greens – Swiss chard – avocados – tomatoes citrus – legumes – black beans – a variety of nuts, seeds, and berries can also have benefits – tuna – garlic – green tea – apples – cherries
**sources- National Academy of Sports Medicine, healthline.com, WebMD, Health Magazine**
I hope that this article can be encouraging by helping to add some strategies for your life that increase your daily quality of living with a “Whole” Heart Approach! Here’s to a happy heart spiritually and physically!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7
Read Time 3 Minutes
As a personal trainer, one of my passions is to encourage others to feel their best physically and guide them to make those changes happen in their lives. My ability to help clients has been altered recently just like all of our lives have been changed by our present crisis. Our global pandemic caused by Covid-19 has been changing lives daily for about two months now and appears to be extending into what seems like an unknown time-frame. Most of our activities are confined to home and online. While we are doing this to save lives, we may be worried about all of the negative effects that this “shut-in/shut-out” time period may have on our country and our own lives. Of course, we can make the choice to stay positive knowing we are helping others by adhering to these measures and make the most out of this unusual period in our history. We can emerge stronger in mind and in spirit!
I also believe that we can emerge stronger physically. There is so much that we can do with this time at home to increase our physical well-being and strength no matter what our current fitness level may be at the moment. I believe that God wants us to be strong in both aspects of wellness…body and soul with the reminder from His word that the training of the body comes with limited benefits.
“…the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
At first glance, this Bible verse might make us think that God is simply telling us not to think about the physical, but only think about the spiritual. We may take it as a negative spin on taking time for our bodies. However, the word “benefit” is a positive word. The definition of benefit is an advantage or profit gained from something. In some Bible translations of this verse the “limited benefit” is referred to as “of some value”. The point being in 1 Timothy 4:8, is that there is benefit from the training of our bodies while we live on earth in the physical realm. It is not wrong to take care of our bodies physically…there is value in training and being strong in body. God just wants us to have our focus in the right balance. While there is some value in taking care of our bodies during our time on earth, it is limited. Therefore, do not confuse that value with the higher value of godliness. The benefit of growing spiritually far outweighs the physical because of it’s beneficial promise to help us now in the present and for eternity. We should keep the right perspective that God wants us to have, but not deny our physical well being by taking steps to help our body be strong and well. In fact, there are multiple places in the Bible where God makes analogies to the physical training of the body to help make the point that what is good for the physical body while alive on earth has far greater value for us spiritually. Both are good, but only if we heed His instructions for our lives in their entirety.
“Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:11-13
Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. -Thomas Jefferson
Again taking care to be physically strong and well is good and of some benefit as long as we hold to the truth that the pursuit of spiritual growth, righteousness, and sanctification are the ultimate benefit that God desires for our lives. They hold supernatural value for the present and for eternity.
Therefore with the keeping of the right perspective, whether you have been regular at physical fitness or have never been motivated to be physically active, you can capitalize on this time. For those who are naturally motivated to workout and stay fit, it’s just a matter of adjusting to to the limitations for exercise opportunities. Much can be done with very little equipment right in the home. For those who have never been physically active, the “stay home stay safe” order and the stir crazies that have come with it may prompt the desire to begin partaking in activities that can get you moving and feeling better. So get up and get moving and build a strong body. I believe that God lets us know that it is a good thing when put in the right proportion of walking with Him daily!
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. -Proverbs 31:17
“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” Martin Luther
Read Time 3 Minutes
“Why it is she that has got all of Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!” These words were spoken by Tumnus the faun in C.S Lewis’s novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He was referring to the spell that was cast over Narnia by the White Witch.
The Confluence of The Big Thompson River and The Fall River- Estes Park, CO
Lately, it feels like our country…our world has been cast under a spell called the Corona-virus! A spell that has harmed people directly with sickness, taken lives, and affected everyone world-wide with shut downs, lock downs, and economic peril! However, we are not under a spell! This is not Narnia! While we are shut in and shut out, the natural things of this world are waking up around us! Everyday, more is in bloom. Birds are chattering all about. At the confluence of two rivers, you will find such a dancing of waters coming together flooding the banks from the melting snow! It is not winter anymore, it is spring!
Let this bring us joy, whether we are able to take a short walk with our dog, or perhaps only look out our window, or possibly just step outside and hear the birds for a few minutes. Let this beautiful spring remind us that there is still order. Things are actually under control. God knows what is going on. He’s got this. He works all things together for the good of those that love Him (Romans 8:28). For those that know Christ, he is working in each of us right now to draw us more deeply to Him. Hopefully, the circumstances will draw others to Him for the first time as everyone is pondering their needs and their futures during this time. The God who takes care of the birds and makes the flowers bloom will take care of us too (Luke 12:22-31)! It may not be what we think we need, so we must rest in the sovereignty of the One who created the heavens and the earth and whose ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). Let us rest in the refreshment and the tranquility that comes from being renewed each morning by Christ’s love for us. Let the spring that is awakening around us remind us of His love that renews our minds, our spirits, and our strength. Let it wash over us with an endless peace to carry us through each day!
This is not Narnia…always winter and never Christmas. For in our world, even when things can appear to be gloom and doom, we have Christmas EVERY day! We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born. He is our greatest gift…the gift that keeps giving, the gift that fills us, the gift that never stops giving, and the gift that is eternal. We don’t have to have Christmas just once a year. If we ask Jesus to live in our hearts and be our Lord and Savior, we have him 24/7…365 days a year, and for eternity. As spring is blooming all around us, we are nearing the time of year that we celebrate Jesus’s death and resurrection. He died and rose again so that we may have a new life in Him and so that we can live forever with Him in Heaven. With that kind of certainty, we can face the temporary uncertain days with a renewed confidence!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Let’s take notice of the new life budding around us each day in this tumultuous world, and let it serve as a reminder that our Creator has all things under control. Let our spirit be renewed with the abundance of the beauty around us!
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; hey shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Read Time 4 Minutes
In the past few weeks all of our lives across the United States as well as most of the world have been interrupted by Covid-19. Even if we have not personally contracted the virus and hopefully will not, we are all effected by the quarantined environment we are living in daily. Grocery store shelves are empty of basic needs, restaurants, businesses. schools, and churches are closed for now, and new vocabulary and guidelines are developing such as “social distancing” and “working remotely”. It is certainly an unsettling time and pushes our minds to think of scenarios we are not used to thinking about here in America.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ” Luke 12: 22-23
I find myself thinking each day as I eat a meal prepared at home, how thankful I am for that food on my table! Although, I have always been thankful to God for provisions, it is much more heightened in light of the growing reality that even in America our abundant lives we have become so accustomed to can be interrupted!
As a Christian we can draw on the truths of God’s promises to supply all of our needs and to be our stronghold through uncertain times. However, if you are like me…even when we know these truths, we can find ourselves allowing anxious thoughts to creep into our minds. We fear things our minds imagine that goes beyond the reality. These fears are fed, of course, by all the panic and media coverage going on all around us. The struggle is real to choose the way God wants us to think. We often live in our own strength that wants to feed on fear and anxiety which is not of God. This reminds me that even the Apostle Paul struggled with being pulled in this way. He tells us in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Paul struggled like we do, but he also learned the secret to doing life and living above fear! He shares in Philippians 4: 12-13, “I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Himwho strengthens me.”
In the last few weeks, our lives have drastically been interrupted by Covid-19! It helps me to remember that if we purposefully set our mind on the truths and promises from God’s word, we can begin to realize that He does supply all of our needs. However, those needs may not be what we are used to thinking we need. If everything were stripped away from us, God would still give us what we need to endure all things. He will give us strength and peace for whatever circumstances He allows us to encounter. If you really think about it, HE IS ALL WE NEED! Paul showed us that by praying and singing hymns to God even when he had been beaten and thrown in prison (Acts 16).
Maybe this interruption can be looked at positively as a time to draw near to God in a new and deeper way! A time to praise Him, love others more expressively, and shine a light on a world that needs Him desperately!
When fear and anxiety begins to set in, it helps me to remember to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17.
Remote Exercise
A result for me from the corona-virus outbreak has been the closure of the YMCA where I had just begun building up my clientele. I am thankful that I have been able to put a spin on the remote work environment. Instead of holding training sessions with clients indoors, we have moved outdoors, and I am able to still meet their needs by holding personal training sessions at a local park. We have been using stairs, paths, piers, park benches, and rails to aid us in getting a good physical workout. Not only is it helping each person to stay fit in body, but I believe it is helping them and myself to stay fit in spirit too! The outdoors is refreshing and rejuvenating…a place where you can marvel at God and let Him wash peace and tranquility over you!
I encourage you to take advantage during this restricted time to get outdoors where there is plenty of space to social distance while getting a good workout for your body and soul! Walk at a quick pace along paths, jog up and down stairs, use a park bench to do inclined push-ups and tricep dips. There are many cardio and strength training exercises that can be done with very little equipment. Get creative, get outside, and get moving to beat the Covid-19 blues!
YMCA Mission Statement: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.
Read Time 3 Minutes
Over the last couple of months, I have been adjusting to the big changes of moving from Texas to Washington. One of those changes has been starting up my new personal training business and all that goes with being an independent business owner. God has greatly blessed me in this pursuit! I was able to contract with the YMCA, and now I am working with clients in a beautiful thriving facility. I am once again helping women reach health and fitness goals. However, just as I have begun to build my business, our country has been thrust into a state of emergency with the COVID-19. We are experiencing circumstances like we have never experienced before in our country. Much is shutting down to try and stop the spread of this virus, and that is effecting all of our lives in many ways!
I shared the following post on Facebook in an effort to offer some comfort and assurance during this unprecedented time, and I wanted to add it to my blog to give encouragement to anyone who might read my blog. WE CAN remain calm and even HAVE a PEACE which surpasses all comprehension in our present circumstances:
I know who goes before me I know who stands behind The God of angel armies Is always by my side The one who reigns forever He is a friend of mine The God of angel armies Is always by my side And nothing formed against me shall stand You hold the whole world in your hands I’m holding on to your promises… (Chris Tomlin)
God is bigger than Coronavirus, bigger than any pandemic, bigger than a shortage of toilet paper!In this world though, we will have trouble and there seems to be a lot of it!
Whether you’re trying to remain on the sidelines of the present circumstances using a sense of humor as you look at the frenzy, or you are feeling some anxiety rising in you…our lives are all beginning to be highly effected by the craziness going on! I’m thankful that the Y continues to remain open right now and I am able to work with clients and continue building my business, however, nothing looks very certain over the next few weeks.
In all of this though, we can experience peace!
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
God doesn’t promise us an easy life in this world, but He does promise a peace that surpasses all comprehension. And He does promise us His unfailing help.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
This kind of peace begins with salvation…“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Jesus endured a horrific death on the cross to pay for our sins and make the way for us to be in Heaven for eternity. The moment we ask him to be our Lord and Savior, we instantly can begin to feel the peace and the help to deal with ALL our present circumstances. You can feel that kind of peace for your daily life now because you know for certainty where you will spend your forever!
We can tackle anything when we know Jesus, because we know we will be victorious over every struggle, every epidemic, every sadness, and even death!
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
May your day and weeks to come be filled with the PEACE that surpasses comprehension!
Washington cherry blossoms bloom while it’s still winter.
“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” Martin Luther
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Read Time 3 Minutes
In February of 2008, I physically took a leap out of an airplane and experienced an unbelievable thrill as well as a new sense of freedom! This sky diving experience had an emotional side to it too. It ushered in a new phase of life for me as well. I had experienced a great loss, and I knew that I had to brave the world in a new and independent way. However, I also knew that in a way like never before, I would need God’s help and guidance. I would need to draw upon His strength, comfort, mighty power, and love to permeate my whole being moment by moment to navigate life and live it to its fullest. Life here on earth is not safe, but with all trust placed in God, I could travel this new journey with excitement, joy, and a new found freedom! I could be confident even without knowing the next steps because my security was completely placed in our All Mighty God whose love never fails!
Now, 12 years later, that journey has taken me to new places and new levels in my faith walk. Recently, my husband and I took a leap of faith together and moved 2,000 miles out of our comfort zone to follow a plan that we both felt God was calling us to partake in. Before taking that leap, we had much prayer over the decision, much discussion with each other, family and friends, and a lot of back and forth of the pros and cons of the decision. In the end, we felt like God had us in a forward-moving current and the thought of staying in our comfort zone began to feel stifling. Playing it safe actually felt worse than taking the leap into a future of unknowns.
With this reminder from God’s word:
Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! Habakkuk 3:19
we leaped into the new adventure that God had for us ready to take the ups and downs of the journey with Him by our side.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
May you be encouraged in this new year to take a leap of faith if God is calling you to step out with Him in a new adventure!
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13-14
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6: 26-27
Read Time 4 Minutes
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. ” Psalm 56:3
One of the biggest fears most of us have is the fear of what we will lose. Some of us have already lost a lot and are fearful of what we will lose next. Some have not experienced much loss yet, but know that they will by looking all around at what others have lost…loss of jobs, loss of health, loss of loved ones, loss of life. If you are like me, my greatest fear is to lose a close loved one…spouse, child, parent, sibling. How can you look forward with excitement to what will happen in 2020 if you allow yourself to be gripped by fear?
I have lost close loved ones in my life (2 times…one by death and one by being rejected). Yet through those tragedies, I learned to let go of fear. It can creep back at times, but (using my daughter’s recent words), “You’ve got to catch yourself when that begins to happen, and you can’t let yourself spiral”. How do you not spiral? I have learned through experience that when you are stripped of something precious to you, you can still find joy by not just having faith in God, but by clinging to God through faith to sustain you through every moment of every day. If and when the terrible thing happens, you WILL be okay with HIM…the pain, the sadness, the grief will give way to growth, strength, a deeper walk, wisdom, peace, and yes, even JOY when you are are clinging to Him. That is how you do not grow bitter, how you let go of fear, how you live above the sufferings while you are here on earth, and how you remember that the time we have here is just a moment in eternity.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. Psalm 90:10
Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
When I was 7 years old, my mom, sister, and I were waiting at home for my step-dad to get finished at the airport with a flying lesson and come home because we were all going shopping when he came back. Instead, we got a knock at the door. Three strangers entered and announce the tragic news that he and 3 other men had been in a plane crash and all 4 men lost their lives. In one instance what was a happy day turned into a nightmare. At that young age, I had not developed my own faith to understand the truths of how God can sustain you through such times. However, I had a beautiful example that God placed in my life to help teach me and grow me in the way of true living in Him, my mother. She handled herself and my sister and I with gentle love and strength that she not only attributed to God but modeled daily through our sorrow. She could have been angry and bitter. She could have sunk into her grief leaving us to struggle through our own confusion and sorrow with little help, but she did not. She was the extension of God’s sustaining love to us and the beginning to my deepening walk with God.
Your reliance on God during a time of great loss might just be an example and a witness to someone else! Many years later in life, I had another big loss! This time my own faith grew to even deeper levels as I walked hand in hand with God. This time, I got to do for my daughter what my mother did for me years ago!
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22
IF you were to lose “everything” this year, would you be okay? Say, YES, and live abundantly in 2020 free from fear and free to enjoy all daily blessings from above…free to LIVE and free to LOVE unhindered!
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
