God Hugs & Purple Earrings

If you’ve been a follower of my modest and sporadically up-kept blog for a while, you most likely are familiar with my tendency to lose or misplace things. It happens enough that those who know me–most notably my husband and mother–are no longer the least bit surprised when I proclaim, “Oh no! It’ gone!”

When it comes to losing jewelry, I’ve reached the point where if it’s gone, it’s gone; there are others. Too many really cute earrings have slipped away over the years, and it’s just not practical for me to cry over each and every one. My assortment of Chuck Taylors would be abandoned for rubber rain boots as I muddle through puddles of tears.

So I’m sure you can guess the story I am about to tell you now!

Sunday afternoon, two of my sister-in-laws and I went to the big lake to enjoy a day of tanning, swimming, and ukulele-playing. It was beautiful weather with sunny, bright blue skies accompanied by a cooling breeze.

My sis-in-law A and I took to the water, laughing and shrieking as the waves crashed over us. After one particularly large wave swept over us, I blinked the water away and (plot twist) saw that A was missing one of her purple flower studs.

“No, I’m not!” Her hand went to her ear, where she found only the back of the earring.

More waves continued to roll, and the water was murky with sand. We searched for a moment, even walked a few feet toward the shore in hopes that it would be swirling its way to the beach, but to no avail.

A was disappointed. We turned back to the waves and picked up on our abandoned conversation as we bobbed along with water.

Five minutes and many waves later, my right foot landed on something with an edge to it. “I stepped on something.”

A’s eyes went wide. “No, you did not!”

A wave hit me and I struggled to stay in place, lest I lose whatever-it-was. “Yes, I did!”

“Well grab it!”

I dove down as another wave rolled by and grabbed a handful of sand. I opened up my palm and to our shock and utter delight, there in my hand was A’s purple earring!

That made my day.

When I recounted it to my husband that night, my eyes welled with tears. We swam around quite a bit, not always realizing we were drifting further down the shoreline. The waves were nonstop. The sand was swirling around. Yet five minutes after we searched halfheartedly for this earring, I found it by happenstance.

Or was it happenstance? I think that Sunday afternoon, our finding the earring was a little hug from God. There were too many variables; the chances of us finding it were slim to none. It had to be God. A gift to A, whose disappointment was turned to joy. A reminder to me of God’s presence. And while I have not found every piece of jewelry I’ve ever lost, finding that purple earring was God’s whisper to my heart. It’s hard to put it into words. Maybe some think it’s silly to find such deep meaning behind a prodigal earring. All I know is that it made me so happy and reminded me that God sees and cares about the littlest things in our life. So yeah, it was a God hug.

Anyways, that’s me, y’all. Catch ya later. ❤

Much love,

Em xx

Freedom Over Guilt

If I’m being real with y’all here, I struggle with guilt. I’ve been a Christian since I was five years old, so I know and believe Jesus died for my sins. I know I’m forgiven. Yet I’ve found, and I’m willing to bet you’ve discovered too, that even though I know I’m forgiven, it’s hard to feel forgiven when the burden of guilt weighs heavy on my heart.

But here’s the thing. I’ve learned, through past and recent studies, that once my sins are forgiven by Jesus, I don’t need to feel the burden of guilt anymore.

It sounds pretty basic, right? It is. But our enemy Satan doesn’t want us to be freed from guilt and shame. He wants us to wallow in it. When we do, it steals our joy. We lose perspective of God’s great power in our hearts and lives; we forget the reason why Jesus died. We live an ineffective, joyless life because we’re too focused on how bad we are to share how good God is. Or we exhaust ourselves trying to be good enough for God, to make up for our mistakes.

This, my friends, is where we–I–have a choice. We can choose to believe what the our emotions are telling us and/or the lies the devil feeds us, OR we can listen to what the Bible says.

Seeing as how emotions are not dependable and the devil is a liar, I’d much rather hear what the Bible has to say about the subject.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Yes, I’ve sinned and fall short of God’s glory. But it also says I have been justified (which means to be guiltless or innocent) freely by His grace. Freely! He freely bestows the status of innocent upon those who come to Him with a repentant heart. It doesn’t matter how much sin you have in your life–God’s grace will always exceed it. (Romans 5:20) No one can fall so far that God’s arm cannot pull them out.

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Romans 11:11

I love that verse! When Satan tries to feed you the lie that you can’t be forgiven, this is what you come back at him with: God’s word declares that His grace exceeds my sin! I am guiltless before Him because of Jesus!

Years ago while I was studying this out, I collected several verses and wrote them down on index cards. I went over them whenever I began to feel the weight of guilt trying to bring me down. I read them and believed them, despite what I may have been feeling at the time, because I knew that “the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 33:4) This is it is what Scripture describes as “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Another thing I find helpful when struggling with guilt is remembering my identity in Christ–who I am as a child of God. Ephesians 1 and 2 has a sums it up quite nicely.

• I am a saint in Christ Jesus. (1:1)
• I am chosen (1:4)
• I am holy and blameless (1:4)
• I am loved (1:4)
• I am adopted into His family (1:5)
• I am freely given grace (1:6)
• I am redeemed (1:7)
• I am forgiven (1:7)
• God lavishes me with the riches of His grace (1:7)
• I am marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (1:13)
• I am God’s handiwork (2:10)

THIS is who God has created me to be in Christ Jesus. Not condemned by guilt and shame, but FREED by the blood of Jesus to live a life redeemed and forgiven! Praise God!

As I like to do, I wrote a poem based off of these truths, which I want to share with you below. When I am struggling, I read it and be reminded of all God has said. Of course it doesn’t replace Scripture and my need to study it and meditate on it–but it’s chock full of verses, and I use it as a way to say, “Okay God. This is what You’ve said, and I believe it.”

I hope it helps you, too. ❤ If you have any questions or want more verse references, comment below!

Live in freedom, friends.

Emma xo

Such as I

The glory of the Lord surrounds me every day

With a heart full of praise, I meditate His ways

I marvel at His goodness, for even such as I

That Jesus, my Savior, on behalf of me died

~

I am predestined, adopted; cherished and known

Released from darkness and never alone

And though I may stumble, there is never too far;

No depth unknown to the Lord’s saving arm

~

For He reaches out, pulls me close to His heart

He woos me back, although I’ve drifted apart

Condemned I am not, for He proclaims

“Repentant heart be cleansed; release to Me your shame

~

“My forgiveness envelopes you, My grace surrounds you

Your old self is gone; now redeemed, set free, made new”

By forgetting my past I push on ahead

Forsaking all lies, for God has said

~

I am His child, loved and made new

The past, once forgotten, is gone from His view

I will choose to walk forth in freedom, in light

My identity known, His truths I recite

~

Forgiven, redeemed, and found a delight

Righteous and cleansed in His sight

I raise up my hands and life up my eyes

“Thank you, O God, for loving such as I.”

The Words that Heal

Several years ago, someone hurt me deeply with their words. I was struggling to heal and move on, to forgive.

A few days after this incident occurred, I attended a monthly ladies’ night with women from my church. Each month we would meet in a different home, and the hostess would prepare a snack, occasionally an activity, and have a lesson for us. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the lesson our hostess gave, except that she read this verse:

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

This verse captured exactly how I felt. Their words had pierced, my heart ached…and I longed for healing. As I looked at that verse, pondering what “the tongue of the wise” meant, I realized…who is wiser than God? As it says in Romans 11:33, “Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” In James we are promised that if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it generously.

If the tongue of the wise brings healing, and God has a depth of wisdom we will never be able to comprehend, I can look to the words of God to bring healing to my heart. I gathered verses that spoke to how I felt, and decided to write a poem based off of them that I could recite whenever I struggled. This is what I wrote.

Hold me to Your heart,

while mine feels torn apart

I choose forgiveness, I choose grace

Find healing in Your sweet embrace

You are comfort in my sorrow

God of hope today, tomorrow

I will lift my eyes to You

You say “Child, I will see you through”

I pinned that piece of paper to the bulletin board in my room where I could see it often, and was reminded of these truths each time I read it:

God holds me to His heart. “[God] tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young.” Isaiah 40:11

Just as I have been forgiven by God, so must I forgive others...even if they haven’t asked for it. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

In God I can find healing for my hurting heart. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

God will comfort me in my trouble. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles…” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a

No matter how bad things are, God is a God of hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

God promises to be with me in the good times and the bad. I am never alone. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

It took time for my heart to fully heal, but it did. Not because I wrote or read a poem, but because I chose to believe what God said in those verses about me and my situation. And I chose to act on them. I leaned into God through prayer and Bible reading, where He held me and healed me. I chose to forgive instead of harboring bitterness or resentment. I chose to listen to God’s truth instead of lies.

Words pierce like a sword and can cause unspeakable pain, but nothing is beyond God’s healing touch. If this is you, be encouraged! You are held close to God’s heart and He will not let you go! God brings us comfort in all our troubles! He healed my heart. Lean into Him, and He can bring healing to yours too. He has the words that heal.

Our Gifts to God

Christmas offers us a chance to reflect on the birth of Jesus. This is largely the focus of our holiday season—praising and thanking God for the gift of His Son. Even outside of Christmas, a lot of the time we focus on what God gives us. Salvation, grace, blessings, favor, provision, faithfulness…the list goes on. All of these things He is worthy to be praised for!

Today, however, I want to explore a different avenue of giving. Instead of looking at what God gives us, I want to share a list of things we can give God, simply by the way we live our lives.  
 
The Gift of Trust
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

When the angel gave word to Mary that she was to become pregnant with Jesus, he said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. … Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:28, 30)

She may not have understood God’s timing or why her? But she answered with faith and trust in the Lord: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)

This kind of absolute trust is a precious gift to God. It’s okay if we don’t understand our situation or what God is calling us to do—we simply have to have faith that He will make our paths straight when we trust in Him. “For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
 
The Gift of Obedience
“If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15

Once Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he had to make a choice: divorce her quietly, or obey the Lord when an angel told him in a dream, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

He could have said no. Although their engagement was legally binding, hence the need for a divorce if he chose to leave, he wasn’t the child’s father. Everyone would view them as scandalous. Yet here was God, telling him that everything would be okay, and to go ahead with their marriage.

Despite his knee-jerk reaction to divorce Mary, Joseph listened to the Lord when He spoke. “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)

Our obedience is evidence of our faith. As James wrote, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18) In other words, we act out our faith and trust in the Lord by obeying what He says. We cannot say we trust Him and yet turn the other way when He directs us. Our obedience is honoring to the Lord, and a gift to Him. It’s a simple way to show the Lord we love Him.
 
The Gift of Praise
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 50:6

On the night of Jesus’ birth, angels announced the good news to a group of shepherds, saying “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. … Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:11, 14)

Immediately the shepherds went in search of Jesus. Their joy overflowed and it says, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen…” (Luke 1:20)

The promised Messiah had arrived; their hope, their Savior, their King. How could they do anything but rejoice? As shepherds, the lowest on the social ladder of that time, they had nothing to offer Jesus but their words of praise and thanks.

In Hosea the Lord says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) More than anything we can give, God wants our hearts. It is the greatest gift we can give to God—our hearts, as well as our praise. 
 
The Gift of Sacrifice
“Therefore, I urge you, bothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

Wise men traveled from the east in search of Jesus, and “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Their gift of praise was accompanied by a gift of sacrifice: they gave him their treasure, which was of great value. Sacrifice doesn’t always mean we give our money, however. For example, another form of sacrifice would be choosing to spend extra time in prayer or volunteering at a church event, instead of scrolling Pinterest or pleasure shopping. While there is nothing wrong with those things, this gift of sacrifice is another way to express our love for God, and another way to worship Him.
 
The Gift of Dedication
“Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

Jesus held nothing back for us. He lived a servant’s life and He died a criminal’s death, despite being sinless. His resurrection defeated death and opened the way for reconciliation and an eternity with God—a priceless gift. In return, God asks us to surrender to Him as King of our lives, and to love Him. After He gave it all for us, how can we do anything but live our lives for Him?

In the mundane and in the everyday, we have an opportunity to live lives dedicated to the Lord. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
           
 
The Gift of Service
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Did you know that God rejoices in doing good to you? The Lord says in Jeremiah, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them; I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” (Jeremiah 32:40-41)

Everyone knows how good it feels to give a gift that is enjoyed and treasured by the recipient. Even God! If we are happy when God gives us good things, imagine how happy He is. Making others happy also has a reverse effect—it makes us happy too. In the same way, when we offer a gift of service to God, we are not only pleasing the Lord but are filled with joy.

Serving the Lord can look different for everyone—leading a Bible study, offering encouragement and prayers, helping a friend in need. Yet the result is the same: our service is a gift to God, and giving this gift will produce joy in our hearts as well.
         
         

Midnight Musings

At some point or another in our lives, I think we’ve all felt the same way as King David of old: “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” (Psalm 55:6) The desire to fly away from our problems and simply rest. I know I have! Don’t get me wrong: I love my life, I love where God has me right now, but there are days and months and seasons of life where it’s just hard. And yeah, sometimes I wish I had wings so I could fly away from the chaos and trouble, and return when everything is sunshine and rainbows. Everyone does, at one point or another. (Right?)

If I had to choose one word to sum up this year and what God has been teaching me, it would be focus. What will I choose to focus on?

Years ago I memorized Philippians 4:4-9. It’s a great passage to turn anxious thoughts to the Lord. In summary verse nine says, set your mind on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. What we choose to dwell on has a great impact on our emotional and mental health. I notice the difference in my attitude and my heart if I am thinking about how sucky life is, versus if I am thanking God for His faithfulness and setting my heart on things above, not on earthly things.

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2

There are many times where I catch myself slipping into a fog of sadness because I’m going “down the rabbit hole” of If Only. If only this were different. If only I could change this. If only I had the wings of a dove, and I could escape. Same as King David, right?

Psalm 55 is a great passage, and you should give it a read. David is crying out to God because he’s in trouble. He knows he can’t fix it on his own, and his thoughts are troubling and distressing; his heart in anguish. (I have definitely felt this way in the last year!) He wants to run, to try and escape.

You know what he does instead?

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. … Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:16, 22

He shifts his focus from his turmoil, away from the anxiety wracking his heart and body, and calls to Jesus. And there, in verse 16, it says the Lord saves him.

How encouraged my heart was by this! I don’t need to fly away because my Savior is here, ready to rescue me when I turn my eyes to Him and call upon His name. And then I remind myself of Who my God is: faithful, loving, merciful, counselor, companion, friend, gracious. I call to attention the blessings and works of the Lord: a job I love, a wonderful circle of friends, a beautiful sunset. I trust that the hardships I am experiencing now will grow me as a person and closer to the Lord, and that it will be to His glory. The list goes on.

Over time it gets easier to shift the negative thinking into a positive mindset. An attitude determined to rejoice in the Lord and find joy in the journey. To find that heavenly hope, an expectancy that God will fulfill His promises to me. That His plan for my life is good.

My heart still struggles to understand, but…I think I’m learning that that’s okay. It doesn’t matter if I understand what God is doing in my life. What matters is my focus. Will I dwell on what I don’t understand? Or will I call to the Lord, set my mind on things above, and trust in His love for me?

Anyways, those are my thoughts at this very late–or very early–hour. I hope it encourages you.

xo Emma

O Phone, Wherefore Art Thou?

Losing or misplacing things seems to be a common occurrence in my life. Rings, pens, gloves, phones, scarves, my mother in the produce section of the grocery store…nothing is exempt. In fact, a few of my posts over the years have been about these mishaps, although in most cases I lose things when I’m trying to keep them safe. Figure that one out!

I would say that I am a responsible person and do my best to take care of my possessions. Although I would also say that I tend to be a bit…accident prone. You can be a responsible human being and accident prone at the same time, can’t you? (Please don’t answer that question if your answer is no.)

Well at any rate, I’m sure y’all can guess what this post is about, judging from the title and the first two paragraphs themselves. On Friday I lost something.

I lost my phone.

While my phone is no iPhone 12 Pro, it is nice enough that I worried someone would steal it rather than return it to me. And seeing as how I’d just purchased this phone in August, I really, really, really did not want to buy a new one.

My friend and I had been shopping at the local mall, then gotten food at a fast-casual restaurant. Since I have a propensity to misplace things (and remembering how I’d “lost” my mask that morning, only to find it in my pocket several minutes later), I double checked the table before we left. There was nothing on it but our dishes.

We pulled into the parking lot where we’d left my car hours before and began our goodbyes. I gathered my purse and bag from the mall, then checked my pocket for my phone. Of course it wasn’t there, and we tore apart her car looking for it. I dumped everything out of my purse and turned my pockets inside out.

Bupkis.

My friend called the restaurant we’d just left and asked about it, but they reported that no phones had been found by employees or customers. She went to work, I went home, and prayed that I’d find it. Although buying a new one wouldn’t be the end of the world, unexpected bills are ~ n o t ~ f u n ~ and I like to avoid them whenever possible. I had contemplated going back up to the restaurant myself to have a look-see, but decided against it since I’d be without any means of communication should anything happen.

I tried to figure out how I could’ve lost it. I was almost 100% positive it’d been in my coat pocket, since I had specifically checked the table. It must have fallen out, probably in the parking lot when I dropped into my friend’s black sedan.

Just over an hour later, my friend called me via my brother’s phone with the exciting news: “Guess what! The manager of the restaurant called and someone turned your phone in! It was found in the parking lot.”

Hallelujah! My boyfriend and I drove up to retrieve it. I was so excited–and disheartened when the girl behind the counter handed it over to me. The bottom right corner of the screen protector was seriously cracked, looking as though it’d been run over while lounging on the asphalt. It wouldn’t turn on, though I felt it vibrate when I took multiple screenshots (to test if it was still awake under the black screen).

My boyfriend was optimistic it could be fixed, I was ~ e x t r e m e l y ~ discouraged. Pop, however, shared my boyfriend’s optimism, and both advised me to bring it somewhere to be looked at before I bought another. To top it off, the top I’d bought at the mall (and wanted to wear that night) was too large and I had to return it for another. Talk about an off night.

The next morning I dragged my brother with me to a smartphone repair shop (and made him do the talking, don’t judge). The guy behind the counter plugged it in, then told us he thought it was only a broken screen. He didn’t think the motherboard was smashed, which, if that were the case, would mean bye-bye-phone. We left it in their authorized service provider hands and ran around on errands, as long as we were in town.

Three hours and a phone call later, we were back at the shop. My phone had awakened from its pressure-induced coma and was happily broadcasting all the messages I’d received in the last twenty-four hours. I swiped my debit card, a receipt was signed, and we were on our way home.

A screen repair at a fraction of the cost of a new phone. I couldn’t help but think of stories Mum has told me from when she was growing up. Payphones were on many a corner, while cell phones were a thing of the future. Now we don’t leave home without them!

My, how things change.

Casting Your Burdens

I was once told that if someone wants to open up to me about a problem, and this problem didn’t directly involve me, it is sometimes better to turn away. Otherwise I could become emotionally burdened over something that isn’t my responsibility to worry about. I should take a step back and not discuss it, rather than run the risk of worrying or growing bitter.

Within the context of how our family works, this didn’t make sense to me. I have a tight knit family and we are all very open and honest with each other. At that time, my parents were seeking God for direction and their decision would effect our whole family. Rather than keep us in the dark about present circumstances, they chose to open up to us.  This is how our family has always worked, and it’s something I’ve always been appreciative and thankful for. It shows me how I can pray for my family. It brings us closer together. And as I watch my parents delve deep into the Bible and draw closer to God in hard times, seeking Him for all they do, it teaches me to do the same.

And yet someone was telling me it wasn’t my responsibility to even know about these things. It wasn’t sitting right in my spirit. In general terms, how could it be better to pretend someone’s problem didn’t exist, because I was afraid of worrying?

The next morning as I was journaling, I  decided to ask God what He thought about it. God, I wrote, do You bury Your head in the sand and ignore a problem because You don’t want to be burdened by it? As soon as I finished the sentence, Jesus’ words from Matthew 11 popped into my mind: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus invites us to bring all our burdens to God. When we do, He will ease our weary hearts and give us rest.

I don’t want to live my life afraid of people’s problems. Everyone has problems, it comes with being human and it’s a fact of life. Ignoring them won’t make them disappear. I don’t want to turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to people who are so desperate for someone to hear them, to listen, to care. Yes, it is true that you can easily become burdened down by the problems of others. But God spoke to me that morning and said Daughter, you don’t have to be.

Crowds of people sought Jesus out for healing. Imagine the stories He must have heard, people with lifelong ailments, people who had been in pain for years…how it must have broken His heart to see these people He loved in such pain and brokenness! Yet instead of shrinking away, Jesus embraced it. Jesus responded in love. With compassion. He prayed.

Following Jesus’ example, we shouldn’t shrink away from the problems of others. We may not be able to offer any help or much advice, but we can be a listening ear. We can pray. We can point people to Christ, remind them of the truth of God’s Word. In turn, we need to follow Matthew 11:28 and hand everything over to God.

How?

We read in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise and foolish builders. The wise man built his house upon the rock and when the rain came, his house stood firm. The foolish man’s house, which he had built on the sand, was swept away. Why? Because the foolish man hadn’t built his foundation on the solid rock.

Christ is our solid Rock. He needs to be our foundation for everything in life, the One we run to with every trouble and need, the One we praise for every joy. We need to trust Him for every single aspect of our lives, and when we do, we will have peace.

Isaiah 26:3-4 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

It is the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds, that protects us from being overwhelmed with worry. We don’t need to try to guard ourselves, because God promises to do it for us…when we keep our eyes on Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but instead by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Not only does prayer and thanksgiving activate peace as it says above, but we also find peace when we are obedient to God’s commands and do what He says.

Isaiah 48:18 – “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”

Our hearts are burdened and in turmoil when we are not trusting God and trying to figure life out on our own. He is bigger than anything that may come our way. When we pay attention to His commands, our peace will be like a river. Ever-flowing, ever constant. A result of God’s goodness to us, and not our own efforts by trying to find peace in things of this world.

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

We also shouldn’t forget that Jesus Himself said, “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) Jesus is our peace in a world overflowing with trouble. And we do not have to be afraid.

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Imagine the possibilities—if we relied on the strength and power and might of our God to face the giants in our lives. If we opened ourselves up to God and let Him use these experiences to teach us more about His character and His ways. When we exchange our worries for His peace and our strength for His, it won’t matter what happens. Whatever trouble befalls us, our family, or a friend, we can stand on Psalm 46:1-2a: “God is our strength, our ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”

As a Christian we are a part of a family—God’s family. Other believers, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are instructed in Galatians 6:2 to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.” We were never meant to carry our burdens alone; we need the help of our family. We need them to pray for us and remind us of the goodness of our God, because Satan wants us to forget. The enemy wants us to feel alone.

But together, a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Together, we can lift our burdens to the King of Kings, our Almighty God. As a family, we can learn what it means to walk by faith and not by sight. We draw on the strength of each other and bring praise to God. We take heart, not living in fear but peace, because Jesus has overcome the world.

Eyes on Him

I’m not sure what my voice will add to the many others seeking to encourage and uplift during this time in our country. I just know I want to say something. If anything, this will serve as a reminder for me!

I want to encourage you to persevere. The struggles are real. People are laid off from work, bills need to be paid, stores are empty. And right now, we can’t see an end. Life is hard but God is greater. Press on and fight the good fight of the faith.

“I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Of course it’s not going to be easy! Just yesterday I was frustrated to pieces…and this morning, too. 🤷‍♀️ It happens. Emotions in and of themselves aren’t BAD, but am I going to control my emotions, or am I going to allow my emotions to control me?

This is something I had to train myself to do. When my emotions threatened to get the better of me, I had to follow Paul’s instructions in 2 Corinthians:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension [lie, claim, and barrier] that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

I will encourage you to make the fear-inducing, paralyzing worries obedient to Christ. Combat the problems with the TRUTH of Scripture. THIS is the time to dig DEEP into the Bible and find out what God would have us do in times of trouble.

It is just as Jehoshaphat prayed before the Israelites were attacked in 2 Chronicles 20, verse 12. “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

I just finished reading a novel where the main character was learning to live by faith. She compared faith to a muscle that needed to be stretched and exercised in order to grow stronger. It goes without saying that exercising isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be difficult as you train and strengthen your muscles. What if we embraced this trial as an opportunity for our faith to grow greater in the goodness and faithfulness of our God?

Paul, in Romans, tells us about the snowball effect sufferings can bring into our lives when put in the hands of God.

Sufferings → Perseverance → Character → Hope → Joy → Patience → Faithful in Prayer (Romans 5:3-4; 12:12)

If we believe God can work all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), then let’s believe that for our lives, today.

Like I said, this is an encouragement for me, too. I want to look back on this time and know that I leaned on God’s strength, relied on His promises, and had hope in the future He has for me. Let’s be a light in the darkness, and the reason someone asks us how we can have hope at such a trying time.

The answer is simple. It’s a name. It’s Jesus.

How NOT to Identify an Ash Tree

Today the Bro and I went on a hike with a friend. Twenty percent of our hike was through the woods–what I consider actual hiking–and eighty percent was walking on the side of a road as we circled back to where we parked our vehicles. (We don’t believe in backtracking.)  I wondered if the people driving past us thought we were on the hunt for a gas station after our vehicle ran out of gas. 😉

As we walked we exchanged stories, and I debated about sharing one particular story from when my brother Ethan and I went hiking last May. I decided to go ahead, after all, it is rather funny, even if it is only a little embarrassing to me.

Ethan and I were in a state park, bushwhacking through trees and brush to find some land previously unexplored to us. We were on the edge of a swamp when Ethan stopped and evaluated the tree in front of him. He broke a small branch off and looked at it. “This is an ash tree,” he said.

I knew Ethan knew what an ash tree looked like–that information came from working with an arborist who knew his stuff.

“You know how you can tell if this is an ash tree? When you lick it, it tastes like ash from a smoldering fire.” He raised the twig to his lips and it looked to me like he tasted the branch, just as he’d said.

“Really?” I asked, unbelieving yet at the same time trusting, because why would my dear, sweet brother ever steer me wrong?

Ethan tossed another twig my way. It landed on the ground. I picked it up, gave him one last glance of trepidation, and then I licked it.

It tasted like wood. Like I was licking a pencil, or in my case, a plain, old, ordinary stick. Nothing like ash at all.

The look on Ethan’s face was one of unbelief and endless amusement. He doubled over in laughter.

“You’re such a liar!” I attempted to throw the stick back at him, but of course being the tiny twig that it was, didn’t go very far. “I can’t believe I trusted you!”

Ethan, between bursts of laughter, said, “You just licked a stick!”

By this point, our friend who I was telling the story too, was definitely amused. “Everyone does stuff like that when they’re young.” Obviously trying to make me feel better. And under the misconception that I was a little girl when this happened.

I was happy to let him assume this happened years ago, but Ethan was quick to chime in, “This happened last year!”

Of course this made the story all that much better, and we all laughed about it. I’ve learned my lesson however–brothers with a reputation for being mischievous are not to be trusted. And wood from an ash tree does not taste like ash! 😉

 

 

A Prayer for the New Year

Seeing as how I kind of already did an end-of-the-year wrap up post, today’s post will be a little bit shorter. At least that’s the game plan, y’all know how I am once I get started talking. Or, in this case, writing.

Sometimes at work I have a hard time focusing. There can be a variety of reasons for this. I could have a lot on my mind, irritating customers, unresolved issues with friends or family… The list goes on, and I’m sure you can fill in the blank with your own answers to the question, “What are things that make you have a hard time focusing?”

And sometimes, to get my mind back away from whatever downward spiral I’m on, I need to stop a quick second and breathe. I need to write something down to get my focus off the problem and back onto God. Written word helps orient me better than if I’d merely pray in my head. I’m not saying that silent prayer is ineffective by any means, but I’ve personally found that if I want to get my head on straight again, it is most effective for me to write because that’s one of the best ways I focus.

I am a writer, after all. 😉

What do I write in these moments of struggle? Many things. Sometimes I write one of God’s names, like Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace) or Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There). Sometimes it’s a Bible verse, like Philippians 4:6 or John 14:27.

And sometimes, it’s a prayer. I saved one prayer I’d scribbled down at work and taped it to my bedroom wall. I reread it every now and again, and this is the prayer that I’ve decided to take into 2020 with me. It’s a prayer of focus, a prayer of submission, a prayer of open hands.

I don’t know what 2020 brings, but I’m going to hold tight to my Savior’s hand and settle my focus on Him every step of the way.

May my eyes be focused on You as my feet travel Your way and my hands accomplish Your will. For you are my strength and my portion forever, who enables me to rise up on wings like eagles. I pray for Your love to fill me and that I would share the hope we have in Your name. Bind up the brokenhearted, Lord, and anoint them with joy instead of mourning. In Your Name there is freedom. In Your Name there is love. In Your Name alone is there saving grace. May I demonstrate and share these things everyday, loving not only in words or speech but with actions and in truth. Amen.