I just want to share a few quotes with you from my new Bible study on Overcoming Fear:
" I once read that fear is a darkroom where negatives are developed. Don't let yourself live in that room! Move into the light and allow the overcoming truth of God's Word to give you the faith you need to enjoy a life of freedom." p. vi
"A healthy dose of fear keeps us safe, but unhealthy fear is paralyzing." p.vii
"The truth is that there is no fear from which God cannot set you free!" p.13
And some scripture:
2 Timothy 1:7: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Isaiah 54:4
Isaiah 43:2
John 14:27
And as always please feel free to add your own! I will continue sharing wisdom from my study as I attempt to go from fearful to faith-filled. Which of course, will be a a continuing journey long after I complete this little Bible study if mine.
But this is a start.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
My Rubber Band Man
He never takes it off.
Never.
For the last week my husband has been wearing a rubber band around his wrist - to remind him to pray for me. It was all his idea and it touches me so. A couple of weeks ago I got some frustrating news from my doctor. While my situation could be much worse, I took it kind of hard. It is a wait and see kind of situation. But that is not all we are doing. We are waiting, seeing, and PRAYING.
Because we believe there is lots of power in that.
My husband knows me like no one else. He knows the good, the bad, and unfortunately the down right ugly. And he loves me anyway. But since he knows me so well - he knows that I will have a tendency to worry and fret about my issue. He knows how much I want it reversed and healed completely.
So he has taken it upon himself to become my prayer warrior. And a warrior he is, indeed.
Thank you, Babe.
Never.
For the last week my husband has been wearing a rubber band around his wrist - to remind him to pray for me. It was all his idea and it touches me so. A couple of weeks ago I got some frustrating news from my doctor. While my situation could be much worse, I took it kind of hard. It is a wait and see kind of situation. But that is not all we are doing. We are waiting, seeing, and PRAYING.
Because we believe there is lots of power in that.
My husband knows me like no one else. He knows the good, the bad, and unfortunately the down right ugly. And he loves me anyway. But since he knows me so well - he knows that I will have a tendency to worry and fret about my issue. He knows how much I want it reversed and healed completely.
So he has taken it upon himself to become my prayer warrior. And a warrior he is, indeed.
Thank you, Babe.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Some Apple Orchard Goodness
We woke up early, put on our boots and jeans, and headed to the hill country.
It had been over twenty years since I visited an apple orchard. The last time I went apple pickin' I was a 4 year old Texas misfit living in Massachusetts. I liked it then.....but I totally LOVED it today!
It was like a scene from Green Acres, y'all.
We strolled through row after row of apple trees. Golden Delicious. Red Delicious. Imperial. McIntosh. Cortland. And so on. They were beautiful - so pretty that I almost felt too guilty to pluck them off the branches. But only almost - I bagged up about 30 apples. I ate a few along the way too. They taste so much better right off the tree, don't they?
After we sacked up the prettiest and roundest apples we could find - we got an apple cider slush, shopped in the country store, and sat on a square hay bale. Lassy was the only thing missing.
Even though there were miniature horses, carriage rides, goats, a pumpkin patch, and food - the entire day our son was infatuated with the John Deer tractor. He wanted to take it home with him. (As did his country to the core father.)
Apparently, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree".
But in all seriousness, being out in the country - on a centennial farm - with other autumn lovers - and my 2 handsome boys - I just felt blessed. At peace. Settled. Content, even.
So what did I do? I came home and fixed a Honey Dutch Apple Pie. Uh-huh - you know it was good. So good in fact, that I just might go back for thirds here in a second. If you want the recipe, just give me a good old fashioned holler.
Happy apple pickin' to ya :)
It had been over twenty years since I visited an apple orchard. The last time I went apple pickin' I was a 4 year old Texas misfit living in Massachusetts. I liked it then.....but I totally LOVED it today!
It was like a scene from Green Acres, y'all.
We strolled through row after row of apple trees. Golden Delicious. Red Delicious. Imperial. McIntosh. Cortland. And so on. They were beautiful - so pretty that I almost felt too guilty to pluck them off the branches. But only almost - I bagged up about 30 apples. I ate a few along the way too. They taste so much better right off the tree, don't they?
After we sacked up the prettiest and roundest apples we could find - we got an apple cider slush, shopped in the country store, and sat on a square hay bale. Lassy was the only thing missing.
Even though there were miniature horses, carriage rides, goats, a pumpkin patch, and food - the entire day our son was infatuated with the John Deer tractor. He wanted to take it home with him. (As did his country to the core father.)
Apparently, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree".
But in all seriousness, being out in the country - on a centennial farm - with other autumn lovers - and my 2 handsome boys - I just felt blessed. At peace. Settled. Content, even.
So what did I do? I came home and fixed a Honey Dutch Apple Pie. Uh-huh - you know it was good. So good in fact, that I just might go back for thirds here in a second. If you want the recipe, just give me a good old fashioned holler.
Happy apple pickin' to ya :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Campus Cravings
I don't really want it back, but I have my moments.
As we drove around looking at all of the new buildings being erected on our old campus last night - I couldn't help but get a tad envious of the kids moving in. It took me right back to my first few days on campus myself.
I remember it perfectly. As I unloaded my leopard print bedding and posters from my trunk I felt such a sense of newness and expectation. I was full of dreams and void of worry. I was naive and knew it. My journal was filled to the brim with goals all neatly written out and categorized. My biggest worries were math class and picking a major. My thoughts were occupied by boys, bands, and the buckeyes. As classes began and I got settled in - it felt as if I had all of the time in the world to enjoy that particular season in my life.
And then I blinked and it was over.
My biggest worry went from a math class to a mortgage. Who are the boys I think about these days? The one I'm married to and the one that calls me "Mama". Barney songs replaced rock bands. And while the buckeyes will always be held dear to my heart - the one I wake up to every morning is where my passion resides. I don't have leopard print bedding anymore because my husband would not go for that (but don't think I didn't try) and my posters have been replaced by framed pictures of family.
Don't get me wrong. All of those changes are fabulous and I have been blessed beyond measure.
But yes, I have found myself occasionally missing my youth. Maybe it is because I have been dealing with some pretty hefty life situations here lately. I definitely feel like a grown up now - that's for sure.
But ya know, even though I didn't check off all of those goals in my journal, and even though I haven't seen a decent band perform in years, and even though I have been faced with real world challenges in recent months - I have to believe the best is yet to come.
So instead of dwelling I will keep dreaming. And instead of longing for a time that has passed -I will relish the lovely gifts I have in the present. And instead of fearfully facing the future - I will stand firm and have faith.
.............All while listening to Barney.
Won't you join me?
As we drove around looking at all of the new buildings being erected on our old campus last night - I couldn't help but get a tad envious of the kids moving in. It took me right back to my first few days on campus myself.
I remember it perfectly. As I unloaded my leopard print bedding and posters from my trunk I felt such a sense of newness and expectation. I was full of dreams and void of worry. I was naive and knew it. My journal was filled to the brim with goals all neatly written out and categorized. My biggest worries were math class and picking a major. My thoughts were occupied by boys, bands, and the buckeyes. As classes began and I got settled in - it felt as if I had all of the time in the world to enjoy that particular season in my life.
And then I blinked and it was over.
My biggest worry went from a math class to a mortgage. Who are the boys I think about these days? The one I'm married to and the one that calls me "Mama". Barney songs replaced rock bands. And while the buckeyes will always be held dear to my heart - the one I wake up to every morning is where my passion resides. I don't have leopard print bedding anymore because my husband would not go for that (but don't think I didn't try) and my posters have been replaced by framed pictures of family.
Don't get me wrong. All of those changes are fabulous and I have been blessed beyond measure.
But yes, I have found myself occasionally missing my youth. Maybe it is because I have been dealing with some pretty hefty life situations here lately. I definitely feel like a grown up now - that's for sure.
But ya know, even though I didn't check off all of those goals in my journal, and even though I haven't seen a decent band perform in years, and even though I have been faced with real world challenges in recent months - I have to believe the best is yet to come.
So instead of dwelling I will keep dreaming. And instead of longing for a time that has passed -I will relish the lovely gifts I have in the present. And instead of fearfully facing the future - I will stand firm and have faith.
.............All while listening to Barney.
Won't you join me?
One More Thing
One of the final thoughts in my last post was:
"Instead of dwelling, I will keep dreaming."
Real quick, I feel like I need to expand on that.
Not only is it destructive to dwell. And not only is it important to keep dreaming instead. But more than anything we should be DOING.
I don't know about you, but I seem to do more dreaming than I do actually doing. It is important for me to remember that while it is healthy to dream and plan - It is vital for me to be active and living NOW. Doing God's will and carrying out good TODAY.
So as I have mentioned before (in the I Dare You blog entry) let's move and do.....
but let's do it together. I'll need the support.
"Instead of dwelling, I will keep dreaming."
Real quick, I feel like I need to expand on that.
Not only is it destructive to dwell. And not only is it important to keep dreaming instead. But more than anything we should be DOING.
I don't know about you, but I seem to do more dreaming than I do actually doing. It is important for me to remember that while it is healthy to dream and plan - It is vital for me to be active and living NOW. Doing God's will and carrying out good TODAY.
So as I have mentioned before (in the I Dare You blog entry) let's move and do.....
but let's do it together. I'll need the support.
Monday, September 15, 2008
My Mellow Monday
To be honest, I should be doing laundry. We are almost out of clean towels. I should also be doing the dishes, picking up my son's toys (that are everywhere), vacuuming, brushing the dog, dusting, and putting dozens of candles away from our power outage last night.
But I'm not.
I tend to be the type that can't rest or have fun until things are done - but today is different. Not only do I seem to be coming down with asthma or bronchitis or something - I'm also uncharacteristically chill. For some reason, I don't really mind that the dishes have piled up in the sink and that I trip over toys in every room of the house.
Maybe it is the loss of oxygen from the asthma or something.
So, since I'm super mellow today - my 2 year old and I are lounging around the house in our softest sweat pants - watching as much TV as we want to - eating left over pizza and Little Debbie snack cakes - actually enjoying the overcast skies, and taking in the fallish breeze that is drifting through our open windows. And blogging a little, too :)
My little buddy will be napping soon. In my rare and relaxed mood today - I just might take a snooze myself......
I could get used to this :)
But I'm not.
I tend to be the type that can't rest or have fun until things are done - but today is different. Not only do I seem to be coming down with asthma or bronchitis or something - I'm also uncharacteristically chill. For some reason, I don't really mind that the dishes have piled up in the sink and that I trip over toys in every room of the house.
Maybe it is the loss of oxygen from the asthma or something.
So, since I'm super mellow today - my 2 year old and I are lounging around the house in our softest sweat pants - watching as much TV as we want to - eating left over pizza and Little Debbie snack cakes - actually enjoying the overcast skies, and taking in the fallish breeze that is drifting through our open windows. And blogging a little, too :)
My little buddy will be napping soon. In my rare and relaxed mood today - I just might take a snooze myself......
I could get used to this :)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Hometown
I love football Friday nights.
We attended a high school football game in my husbands hometown last night. And oh, it just blessed me so. Let me tell you why...
Not only did I enjoy a shredded chicken sandwich and dominance by the hometown team.....but I totally enjoyed the people. We ran into dozens of folks who just totally made my night. People who knew us by name. People who knew not to shake my hand because they know I am a hugger. People who genuinely care about us. Whether they were folks we spent time with just a few weeks ago or people we haven't hung out with in years....they all made us feel so welcomed and so loved. The conversations we had were real and rich. The hugs we got were robust, with meaning behind each embrace. And I just love that.
I needed some sweet hometown goodness last night....and by golly, that's just what I got :)
We attended a high school football game in my husbands hometown last night. And oh, it just blessed me so. Let me tell you why...
Not only did I enjoy a shredded chicken sandwich and dominance by the hometown team.....but I totally enjoyed the people. We ran into dozens of folks who just totally made my night. People who knew us by name. People who knew not to shake my hand because they know I am a hugger. People who genuinely care about us. Whether they were folks we spent time with just a few weeks ago or people we haven't hung out with in years....they all made us feel so welcomed and so loved. The conversations we had were real and rich. The hugs we got were robust, with meaning behind each embrace. And I just love that.
I needed some sweet hometown goodness last night....and by golly, that's just what I got :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Lessons Learned
Over the past few months I have been through the ringer with God on some things. While there are certainly many areas of my life that I would love some help with - it is the other areas, that I'm actually comfortable with, that God has chosen to change. Go figure.
Isn't it so like a human to feel comfortable in the pit? Sure - there are some pits that we hate, but isn't it true that we can actually become totally okay with certain sins in our lives? They can become companions. Bad ones, but nevertheless, a part of us. And we all too often just come to accept those unacceptable weaknesses. How unfortunate. Here are a few things that I feel like The Big Guy has been teaching me:
(Since I'm not good at being vulnerable, I will spare you the specifics of my sinfulness. Just know though, they are serious and if I were to continue in my nicely decorated pit - it would destroy me. )Let's get on with it:
I have been learning that if I let certain not-so-good things and ideas stick around, I will be missing out on some mighty good blessings from The Almighty. Yep. He has made it clear. If I choose to be stubborn and allow myself to dwell in the pit - I will no doubt be missing out. If I were to opt out of redemption and into condemnation - How could he allow me to experience all of the sweet stuff? Ya know that song by Rascal Flatts - 'Everyday' or something like that? There is a verse in that song that says:
"I drive myself crazy tryin' to stay out of my own way."
That says it perfectly. I need to move aside and let God release me from certain things so that I can move forward and relish in some goodness. If I choose not to (and if you choose not to, too) I'll never know what awesome things I could have been a part of. This brings me to another song. Chris Sligh sings a little diddy that says:
"Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you."
Amen, brother. I can so relate. All too often I allow myself to become someone who gets in her own dang way. And then, when I sit and wonder how I missed out on some really neat God-stuff, all I can do is blame myself. Oh, how I long to be a lady that can steer clear of certain temptations....a lady He can trust.
Lord, empty me of what comes between You and I. Don't let me get in my own way. Some sins are sticky - and I need you to help me scrub them off. And Lord, make me the kind of woman that wants to do right - not because I will be blessed - but because You will. In Jesus, Amen :)
Isn't it so like a human to feel comfortable in the pit? Sure - there are some pits that we hate, but isn't it true that we can actually become totally okay with certain sins in our lives? They can become companions. Bad ones, but nevertheless, a part of us. And we all too often just come to accept those unacceptable weaknesses. How unfortunate. Here are a few things that I feel like The Big Guy has been teaching me:
(Since I'm not good at being vulnerable, I will spare you the specifics of my sinfulness. Just know though, they are serious and if I were to continue in my nicely decorated pit - it would destroy me. )Let's get on with it:
I have been learning that if I let certain not-so-good things and ideas stick around, I will be missing out on some mighty good blessings from The Almighty. Yep. He has made it clear. If I choose to be stubborn and allow myself to dwell in the pit - I will no doubt be missing out. If I were to opt out of redemption and into condemnation - How could he allow me to experience all of the sweet stuff? Ya know that song by Rascal Flatts - 'Everyday' or something like that? There is a verse in that song that says:
"I drive myself crazy tryin' to stay out of my own way."
That says it perfectly. I need to move aside and let God release me from certain things so that I can move forward and relish in some goodness. If I choose not to (and if you choose not to, too) I'll never know what awesome things I could have been a part of. This brings me to another song. Chris Sligh sings a little diddy that says:
"Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you."
Amen, brother. I can so relate. All too often I allow myself to become someone who gets in her own dang way. And then, when I sit and wonder how I missed out on some really neat God-stuff, all I can do is blame myself. Oh, how I long to be a lady that can steer clear of certain temptations....a lady He can trust.
Lord, empty me of what comes between You and I. Don't let me get in my own way. Some sins are sticky - and I need you to help me scrub them off. And Lord, make me the kind of woman that wants to do right - not because I will be blessed - but because You will. In Jesus, Amen :)
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