I'm giving into something heavenly...

Today's (September 30) God Calling:

"WISDOM

I have promised that for every day you live, the strength shall be given you. Do not fear.

Face each difficulty sure that the wisdom and strength will be give you for it. Claim it.

Rely on Me to keep My Promise about this. In My Universe, for every task I give one of My children, there is set aside all that is necessary for its performance. So why fear? So why doubt?"

So essentially- I never have to go through anything alone.

We do that so often: freak out at the tasks set before us. And why do we do that? Often it's because we're scared of failing and being alone. Lies we let ourselves believe. The fact of the matter is that I can't fail at something God asks me to do if I rely wholly on him to do in me what He said he would do. And if, while He's working in me, and I'm letting Him freely do that work, I'm setting about the work He has for me to do... I can't fail...

I hate failing. I can handle being alone. It's not my favorite, but I can handle it. Failing, though, probably my second biggest fear. (Being misunderstood is #1)

Claiming and owning those promises is pure freedom.

Obviously, though, there's a condition. Because, being human, *I* can fail, but surviving and living completely in His Victory over sin and death and strengthened by the Power of the Holy Spirit:

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

"Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you."

Joshua 1:5b

I will probably ruminate in this all day... then it will settle in and hopefully become one my "defining characteristics".

Bottom line, this life of following Christ is not safe. It requires all of you and more than you thought you possessed, but he knows that we can do anything he asks of us through His strength and wisdom.

I'm convinced that reckless abandon happens when you stare straight into the face of God and say, "I trust you." All the while every fear you have is nagging and begging you to turn and run, but the promise in His eyes gives you all the peace your aching heart needs. You're not on a "spiritual high" and everything is far from perfect, but you take that next step toward God, completely unsure of where the ground to sustain that step will come from.

Can I promise you something? You never sink or fall when you keep your eyes on Him.

Strength in the Pang of Absence

Today, I will spend the mid-day with my brother, Tim. Then I will go the Heritage Days picnic at my church. Then I will go home and spend the evening with my family. All the while trying to ignore this pang of absence. Sometimes when it's this intense I wonder how I'll manage to go about my life, let alone day.

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Struggle well. Wait in Hope.

I found this on my friend April Diaz's blog. I love the invitation of God to be raw and vulnerable with him. I'm learning that's when he's the most open and raw with us.

"God says, 'Never ignore your struggle with how I do things. Ask every question that rises in your heart as you live in this world. But prepare yourself to struggle even more with My response. You must stumble in confusion before you dance with joy.

Know this: those who live by faith will struggle in ways that those who live to make their lives work will never know. It is that struggle, to believe despite desperate pain and confusion that a good plan is unfolding, that will open your eyes to see Me more clearly. Is that what you want? Will you pay the price?

The price is this: you will tremble in agony as you live in a sinful, self-prioritizing world. You will learn to wait in emptiness and frustrated desire for My plan of love to reveal itself. With confidence in Me and hope in My plan, you will not only feel the pain of living in the valley but also see My glory from the mountaintop of faith.

Only those who struggle in confusion and wait in hope will be strengthened to struggle well and to wait with confidence.

Struggle well! Wait in hope!'"

[from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, copyright 2009]

Love Never Fails

This is my favorite blog layout thus far.
I just love to look at it. Kudos to ShabbyBlogs.com.

"And we know
that for those who love God
all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28

I'm pretty sure this verse got me through last week. I've never fought against the will of God more in my life. I've never asked him to not have want he wants to give me before now. I've never asked to have him tell me I'm wrong in what I'm hearing from him with more fervor.

And yet, he continues to guide me toward the future he's shown me, with no timeline or promises other than the promise of his goodness, faithfulness and steadfast love. In the grand scheme of life, how could I ask for more?

Love is ridiculous. I wish it made more sense. It defies common sense and pride, and demands that you get on your knees and wash another's feet- when they love you for it, and when they wish you would go away.

"Love never fails." Have you thought about that? If I love someone, that action can't fail. It may not get me what I think that I want, but it will bring about the righteousness that God requires. Anger won't. (See James 1:20) So, I will love, even if it "kills" me, and it will. However, out of my "death" God will resurrect a more beautiful version of myself that resembles his likeness more than it ever has before.

I think that's worth "dying" for. ;)

Psalms 62:8

"O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge."
~ Psalm 62:8, NLT