Tag Archive | Believe

Friday Favorites – Favorite Bible Story

Jul31
https://www.magdala.org/visit/duc-in-altum/encounter-chapel/

My favorite story from the bible is pictured here in the photo I took while in Magdala, Israel.

The story is found in Mark:25-29 (ESV)

25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

This poor woman knew in her heart of hearts, that if she could only touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed.

So she threw away her fear, and bravely pushed her way through to Him.

Can you image how hard that had to be for her in her weakened state?

Can you imagine how WE would be,

if we simply pushed our way through, to touch the hem of His garment?

Until next time …

What Do You Fear?

Jun3

Fear.

The subject of fear keeps popping up.

Fear wants to take over.

We are BLINDED because of fear.

We cannot HEAR because of fear.

We cannot SLEEP because of fear. We OVERSLEEP because of fear.

We get LETHARGIC because of fear. We get HYPERACTIVE because of fear.

We can’t EAT because of fear. We OVEREAT because of fear.

I’m positive that there as many outcomes from holding on to fear, as there are people who do the holding on.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

I spent the first twenty years of my life convincing myself that I was not afraid of anything.

Of anything.

Normal kid stuff like the dark, bee stings or dog bites, to more adultish things like, love, and loss, and pain.

What I found out later in life, (remember I had convinced myself that I was not afraid) was that I was afraid of literally everything.

I spent much of my adult life, learning how to allow Jesus to RELEASE me from fear.

I spent much of my adult life learning how to lean on HIS knowledge of things and not my own.

I spent much of my older adult life LEAVING my fear in HIS care.

I came to realize that we did not BOTH need to be awake at night.

The fear I had possessed all my life, was gone, or, as I’m finding out, effectively quieted down.

In the past several years, since social media anyway, things have changed.

People can put out any thing they want to, true or not, and strike fear into an entire people group, and now, with COVID19, the entire world.

The social media, and the main stream media both spout their ideas as fact to a world that is basically uninformed of history, partnered with a lack of ability to discern right from wrong, swallows it up hook, line, and sinker.

Thereby tossing them even further into the pit of fear and despair.

Even those who are discerning, can get caught up in the trap as well.

Anything that we are told over, and over, and over, tends to become truth to us.

Incrementally. A little at a time.

So we don’t even notice until fear has it’s grip on us yet again.

What I thought I had overcome, keeps trying to come back.

Not the little girl stuff. The grown up stuff.

It seems like the thing that gives me the most FEAR, is loss.

Loss of family, loss of things that were hard fought to have.

Loss of love, health, safety, and most of all freedom.

Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash

My heart is always to encourage.

All of these words, none seem too encouraging.

Let me try to redeem myself here.

Scripture is replete with the message FEAR NOT.

Isaiah 41:10 says “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.”

And in Isaiah 35:4 it says “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Psalm 91:4 says “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

(What is a buckler? https://g.co/kgs/RxKVoF)

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

A couple of keys here; You have to believe it’s true.

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:19

And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Matthew 5:35-36

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

One last thing before I go.

Each morning, I make a post on Face book.

A post to encourage people in their faith, and help the to begin their days with a positive thought.

It is not a post that I have written; it is a word that I copy and paste from another lady.

Over the last several years, I have found her words to be quite timely and accurate.

After writing this yesterday, here is what came up this morning.

 June 3, 2020: You must find rest and peace in My presence. It is the only place of peace that is acquired beyond your thoughts and feelings. It is the peace that comes with divine perception and spiritual truth where goodness is found. But you need to come. Refuse to live in turmoil and confusion and seek Me with all your heart. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND
by Marsha Burns

Only believe.

Until next time …

Playing to Your Strengths

Jan6

Play to your strengths.

Speak what you are/need/believe.

There are a few things that have been on my mind and in my heart for quite some time.

If you’ve been here any time at all, you know that much of what I write about is from things that I have processed in the past.

I’ve spent a goodly amount of time in my own head.

After all, that is what we introverts are known for.

Well occasionally, some of that process actually comes to the front again, and falls out onto the page.

This is one of those occasions.

One of the things I spent a very long time thinking about was the fact that I was always told just how I would turn out, and none of that was good.

Problem? When a kid is told something time and time again, they tend to believe it.

After all, an adult said it, so it must be true, right? (Kind of like Google today)

Back “in the day”, we were taught that we should always listen and obey people who were older than we are.

“Respect your elders.”

That’s a fine thought, when your elders gain that respect.

But excuse me, when you’re constantly demeaned, (by your own adults) told your faults with consistent timing, and doing right or wrong things “Because I said so”; there is no respect for you.

The damage done internally sometimes is so much harder to recover from than you would imagine.

I often said of those times that, “I’d rather take a beating.”

So; that is what I wish to write about here.

A lesson I learned AFTER the fact, as an adult who was tired of believing I was less than.

Less than in my mind, less than in my body, less than in my talents, less than in my “Station in life”, less than anyone who may be in a place of leadership.

I read something once back in the beginning of my process, while I was raising littles of my own, the idea that we should to “Play to your strengths’ and not your weaknesses.”

I tried to do this with them, and realized, I needed to do this with myself as well.

Ever notice it’s always easier to do it for someone else?

I needed to learn to RESPECT my own self!

I noticed recently while talking to some teenagers, how much some of them spoke of themselves highly, while others were speaking in the negative about themselves.

It made me wonder, who was speaking into their lives, and what kind of things they were speaking.

Really, with any thought at all, it was pretty obvious that they were not all being taught to respect themselves in their hearts and minds.

In John 6:63b  the Bible says that “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

In Proverbs 18:21 says that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits”.

I pretty firmly believe that.

So if all you have heard about yourself, or say about yourself is trash talk, then you will begin to believe it.

On the other hand, if you speak life, and joy, and ability to yourself, you’ll begin to believe that, and that will be the kind of fruit that grows in your life. 

Are you a writer? Write more. Avail yourself of those who can teach you to be even better.

Are you good at sports? Get more, involved, learn more about your sport. Be the best you can be at it.

If you clean houses, be the best dang house cleaner in your town.

Maybe math is your thing. How can you help someone who just doesn’t get it? Do that.

Talk to yourself about what you are learning.

Talk to yourself about what you are doing.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.

Don’t tell yourself that you can’t.

Speak life to yourself.

Words of affirmation; words of affirmation are what keep me going.

That is one good reason why people’s negative words over my life were so devastating.

Do AFFIRM others – Don’t devastate!

Don’t let anyone’s words devastate you!

Think Lovely Thoughts about yourself.

Never mind what others think.

Respect yourself.

You will need to DECIDE to help yourself in this way.

And to tell you the truth, you will have to decide over, and over, and over.

But the more you decide, the easier it will get.

If you don’t like the thought you’re having; Have another thought.

It’s the easiest thing in the world to do – I’ve done it a million times! (Ha!)

Keep on deciding and going and changing.

You CAN do it – I’m cheering for you!

Until next time.