Perhaps This is the Moment for Which We Were Created

I almost bought this metal wall hanging, shown here, because it spoke to me. I took a photo instead. It spoke to me because I remember at the birth of my children – I knew I was created to bring them into this world. It spoke to me because there have been times when I encouraged someone to carry on and not give up. Maybe I was the one that helped save their life. Right now, I am gently and intentionally encouraging a friend toward a relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m not force-feeding them and I’m seeing a difference in their “tone” and softening of their heart. I keep thinking about this sign as I pray for them. I believe, in all of us, God placed potential and purpose for moments that assure us why we were created.

I love the story of Queen Esther. She risked death by her boldness as she spoke out for her people, Israel. I often quote from her story when I, or my friends, may be experiencing turmoil, chaos, and even loss. I'm reminded -- that just like Esther, “I may have come here for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) As children of God, every day we can suit up for our royal positions too! We belong to our King. We have been set apart. Christ died on the cross for us. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. Immersed in His truth, there should be no doubt in our minds that there is a purpose for us.

The story of how God worked in Esther's life encourages me to move forward in faith. With all the negativity and dreadful "stuff" that's in our world today, it's quite easy to pull the cover over our heads, ignore it all, and hope it goes away. We think "That's not my responsibility to get involved. Leave that to politicians or missionaries or other people that are 'called' to do that." We even close our eyes to our neighbors who need a word of encouragement or a gesture that says "I care".

You and I are here on this earth right now, during these times, and it's not by accident that we ARE here for a greater purpose than "our four and no more". What if we are supposed to be part of the solution in turning the tide of a crisis in someone's life, in our community's need for change, and in our world's need for hope. I know this....God's master plan for our lives includes us being a conduit of hope and peace to others.

We should feel honored that God purposed and planned us to be here RIGHT NOW, for a reason that's bigger than ourselves. What if He put us HERE to be His light in the darkness, to be the "chosen ones" to positively impact and make a difference in this world -- that so needs life and light? Are we realizing that God has us here ""FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS" to be that life and light?

Be Fearless

Fearless in these days and times? Get real, girl! Who can be fearless when from the smallest fear (like a snake in a flowerbed -- that was me yesterday) to my friend's upcoming major surgery or another friend's livelihood being challenged after a hard fall that fractured some bones? I get it. There are plenty of reasons to be in fear about what tomorrow holds. But God has solutions for us to squash those fears. We can be fearless. It's not a suggestion from God -- it's an actual command! Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God..." God Almighty is our back-up and our back-up plan for being FEAR-less.

Clearly, God's solution for annihilating fear is Himself. He shows us how to be fearless. It is by trusting in His sovereignty and power which keeps us in peace when everything else in the world screams out for us to FEAR. My husband identified FEAR in an acrostic -- "False Evidence Appearing Real". Reality tells us that so much of what we spend our time worrying about never even happens. Living under the weight of the "what if's" is a mighty heavy blanket to live under.

My younger self struggled with fear and worry for years, so much so that I developed acute colitis. My amazing Christian doctor coached me to healing by giving me the prescription of taking God's Word into my heart and meditating on it as soon as anxiety showed up. I took that prescription, faithfully. I learned to call on the Prince of Peace (Jesus) to give me peace and I found it as I relied implicitly on what He promises in His Word. In time, I began to find that the things that I once feared, no longer affected me. Change happened. Anxious thoughts disappeared. Worry released its constant grip. God's words became "life" words, soothing to my soul, calming my spirit, giving power to my days. It wasn't always easy, and it often came down to a choice. Choosing not to allow fear and anxiety to control my life. Choosing to guard my heart. Choosing to focus my mind on what is truth in the midst of uncertainty.

If you're relating to what I'm speaking about today, and FEAR has you in its grip, I urge you to take the same prescription that Dr. Gregory gave me. As many times a day as you can -- take God's Word in, speak it, pray it, meditate on it and be healed. Our Master Physician is on call 24/7. Find Him in His Word that is full of His promises. Be assured that He is a promise keeper!

~ Psalm 34:4: "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."
~ Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
~ John 14:27 "Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be ~ worried and upset; do not be afraid.”
~ Psalm 118:6-7 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper.”
~ Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

PEACE be with you! Be FEAR-less!

Audacious Living, With Audacious Faith

Big Audacious Living With Audacious Faith
AUDACIOUS -- showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks; daring, fearless, brave, courageous, valiant, venturesome

Brilliant author and speaker, Erwin McManus, was speaking on TV a few days ago. I was immensely inspired. Less than a year ago, he was dying from cancer, and now he is cancer-free and living AUDACIOUSLY. Erwin had simply gone in for an “insurance exam” for a life insurance policy and cancer was found throughout his body. It was then that he realized he had been taking “living” for granted. He said, “I’m dying, but so are you. We live our lives as though there is no end and so we live it as though it has no value. If we understood our life is time-dated and when we took our first breath, we were moving toward our last breath, then maybe we would live our life AUDACIOUSLY. We get so complacent in our lives – so comfortable. We think ‘Don’t rock the boat. Don’t take me out of my comfort zone.’” Then he spoke about how he now looks at each day as one to take on AUDACIOUSLY. First day of surgery, he forced himself to get up and walk. Painful? He said, “Tremendous pain, but pain meant I was alive to feel it.” Three weeks after his cancer surgery, though still in tremendous pain, he played two hours of basketball with his buddies. He said, “Cancer may determine how I die, but it cannot determine how I live. I will live out my life AUDACIOUSLY!”

AUDACIOUSLY living each day. I held a Life Group at my home in Tulsa. It was called the “The 50s+ No Limits Life Group" and we described it this way: “Are you ready to live a life of audacious, “no limits” faith? Are you tired of the bench, and you're ready to play the game? Then "The 50s+ No Limits” Life Group is for you. We are all about believing God for the impossible and helping others do the same. If you’re not dead, you’re not done! We will dream big, take action with passion, make new friends, have extreme fun and fellowship, and be an encouragement and support to each other on this exciting journey of faith!” And, we did. That little band of women recognized that AUDACIOUS faith produced AUDACIOUS results. We witnessed marriages being restored, physical healings, new jobs being given, babies being born, and oh, so many more answers to prayer.

Those big AUDACIOUS prayers are what Jesus had in mind when He gave us the Lord’s Prayer for our model. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” God is for us. If we don't believe that, then we'll pray small timid prayers. If we do believe it, then we'll pray big AUDACIOUS prayers. And one way or another, our small timid prayers, or big AUDACIOUS prayers will change our lives. WOW! I've witnessed it. When I’ve prayed with bold, AUDACIOUS, unwavering faith, I've seen God move enormous mountains. Father knew best, but my complete trust in Him, brought the answer to those prayers in ways I couldn't have even conceived.

To me, AUDACIOUS living means living life with passion, being open to possibilities, and reaching for the stars.....well, at least the top of trees! It’s responding to a grandchild with “YES!” when they ask if we’ll go fishing or shopping or play another game with them, when we sure would rather take a nap. It’s having the freedom to live, laugh, and love. It means deliberately choosing to be inspired and motivated enough to live without limits -- or just getting off the couch and doing something! It means letting go of fear, getting gutsy and getting going. AUDACIOUS living is using our talents, enthusiasm and drive to make a difference in our day and our world. Since “Nothing is impossible with our God”, maybe it’s time for us to get up, get moving, and live every day with AUDACIOUS faith and actions!

Tenacious, Undaunting, Fearless, Unstoppable

Those are words we heard that described competitors, as we watched the reality show, NBC's Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge.

Night before last Ryan & Shawntel made it back home after a few days out of town. After dinner we sat down to catch up on the show. Okay, I'm an avid fan of American Ninja Warrior and this "Spartan" show. The resilience and sheer determination of the competitors has always inspired and motivated me. But, now, even more so, as one of Shawntel's "Bible Study" friends, and her husband, Brandon & Allison Brickley, are in the competition with their team, "Heart of Texas" from Austin.

"Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge" raises the bar on team competitions. It's always a group of friends, families, or co-workers who must work together as they race across specially designed Spartan courses engineered to test their endurance, determination and will. Teams of five compete on one of the most demanding courses ever devised and they have to push through the pain to win $250,000. No team can get through the course and reach the finish line without working together. From rope-burning climbs to crawls through cold, wet mud, the competition culminates with some of the most backbreaking obstacles ever built. It's an adrenaline rush just watching it, but having friends in it, makes it even more exciting.

Yes, we were cheering on the "Heart of Texas" team, not only because of the friendship they have with my kids, but because of the story of the friend's husband. Brandon Brinkley was 17 years old when his home caught on fire and his entire family, except for him, perished. His story is that of rising out of tragedy to a story of grace and gratitude. Brandon's aunt adopted him and raised him with her son, Joey, who is also on the Heart of Texas team. So far, their team has won in their heats round one and two and now they've advanced to the semi final rounds. It will be interesting to see how they do, because Joey dislocated his shoulder during the 2nd round.

There are so many competitor stories of how individuals put aside pain to push through to victory -- for example the former Marine who lost his leg during combat and wears a prosthetic or the one who competed with only one arm. Last night, as I watched those soldiers, I commented "What's our excuse?"

Those words went deep into my spirit as even at this "mature" age, I don't want to have excuses for not giving everything I've got to this life I've been given. I want my story to end with "She was unstoppable!" No, I'm not planning on trying out for some ninja obstacles or apparatuses, but I do plan to continue to be God's Ninja Warrior -- taking on life's obstacles, challenges and pressures with a vengeance. I refuse to give up until I'm taken up. There's a hyphen in between the date of birth and the date of death on gravestones. What does that hyphen represent in our lives? I sure want mine to be "lived life to the fullest, didn't accept quitting, ran her race with gusto, pressed on to the finish line". What does your hyphen represent? What's YOUR excuse?

Nothing to Fear

I've had many tears and sorrows. I've had questions for tomorrow. There have been times I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation, that my trials come to only make me strong.

Those who have heard and sung the songs of Andrae Crouch (we sang many of them), will recognize that first paragraph from his song, “Through It All”. The chorus goes on to say, “Through it all. Through it all. I’ve learned to trust in Jesus. I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all. Through it all. I’ve learned to depend upon His Word."

Actually, those words could be my song and my story, because through everything I’ve encountered in my life, from a young girl to today, I’ve learned, through it all, to trust God and His Word. That is my anchor, my mainstay, my pillar of strength, my shelter from the storms, my strong tower.

I like what George Mueller said to a man who had asked him the best way to have strong faith. 'The only way to learn strong faith is to endure great trials." Whew! Great trials?? That's not what we wanted to hear.

If ever we need to trust God and His Word, it is in these perilous times. There’s plenty going on to make us fearful. In times like these, when our entire world is in turmoil and when nothing seems safe or secure, our God says, "Fear not!"

Isaiah 41:10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

To those, today, who are facing financial challenges, health issues, marriage problems, have children who are off-course, have fear for safety and peace, our Father’s message to us today is the same as the angel’s word to the shepherds “Fear not”, the same words that God spoke to Joshua, “Fear not”, the same words that Jesus said to His disciples in 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."

Knowing that I have a Father who comes to me and says, “Fear not, I am with you” gives me so much hope, encouragement, solace and assurance for all my todays and tomorrows. By the way, He's your Dad, too -- He says the same thing to you!

Dare to be Bold

Yesterday, my post was about the willingness to get out of our comfort zone. In other words...dare to be BOLD!

When my sweetheart passed away, I had to become a take-charge, confident, fearless and BOLD gal. I played the "widow" card for a while and it worked in negotiations for my new home, getting some special treatment for services and getting lots of TLC from friends and family. Before long, that card expired and I had to step up to the plate and be a strong, resilient and capable business woman, entrepreneur and coach to those who faced similar circumstances.

I know boldness can often come across as pushy and even arrogant. And when we "go bold" on our own, it isn't a pretty sight. You know those folks: demanding, overpowering, controlling, domineering. Ugh! I do my best to steer clear of them and I sure don't one to be one of them, either. Those take-over approaches don't honor God and, in fact, they even repel when, we want to draw folks in. We want to lift people up -- not bring them down.

Boldness, in the hands of God, can be such a gift. I love Queen Esther's boldness. She was willing to approach the throne of King Xerxes. She said, "I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish," (Esther 4:16). What a role model for women in every century! But her plan was not her own. Before she put her life on the line to save her people, she wisely asked them to fast and pray, that she might be given favor by the king. And great favor she received.

Boldness can be risky business when we do it on our own. But when God leads the way, we can follow Him without fear, knowing the outcome is always in His capable hands.

I'm thanking God for giving me victory over intimidation and helping me in my quest for boldness. With His nudging and reminding me of His abilities in me, I sold my home and built a new home, I started a business that changed my life and many others, I started a Life Group (Bible Study) in my home, I've joined women's groups where I can raise my hand to volunteer, I've become a leader in other groups, I put down my inhibitions and shyness (yes, I once was shy) and now I publicly speak to many various audiences about God's goodness.

When we let HIS boldness pour through us, we’ll discover, "He crowns the humble with victory," (Psalm 149:4). My crown is not the likes of Queen Esther, but it's one I wear proudly, because it's one that God placed on my head and it's called The Crown of Boldness. I've learned not to hold back from sharing God's love to those who are hurting. Here's God's Word for you and I today: Joshua 1:9 "This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or ... do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." So, let's be bold, be strong, for the Lord our God is with us....and, like Queen Esther...."for such a time as this!"

Take the Leap of Faith

Day 14 of Photo Inspirations.
Today I went to see my little 18-month old great neice who is a "regular" at my mother-in-law's every Monday.  I took this photo of her and her Gamma, my sister-in-law.  This little angel girl loves climbing and using her hands and body to learn all about this world around her.  She is completely unburdened by responsibilities, time and where to get her next meal.   She lives in a world of wonder, awe and joy.  Okay -- so I'm a little biased, but I think this little angel girl is amazing and is super fearless.  You can tell in these photos that she is so secure in knowing that her Gamma will catch her.

She was performing for me today -- yes, she is also quite the entertainer.  When I saw how absolutely confident she was in climbing the stool (apparatus -- LOL) and jumping into her Gamma's arms, I thought about that total confidence she had in the one who loves her so much.

Along the way, it is just expected that she will lose that sense of security and confidence. But, she doesn't have to -- and neither do our children.  It's up to you and me to be truly fearless leaders, because we have total confidence in the ONE Who is always there to lead, guide and protect us.  And, one of the most effective ways of teaching our kids is to lead by example. Our children look up to us and mimic the behaviors they see in us -- their parents and grandparents.  If they see us happy, comfortable and at peace, they will have a sense of security, confidence and peace.

If  we live our lives fearless, our kids will see that and it will serve as a powerful lesson for the people they will become.   It's up to us to be sure we live it wherever we go -- at work, at home, at their school -- and when they see the confidence we exude, they'll follow our lead.

And, by the way, in case you, yourself, aren't that fearless leader today,  at least strive to raise fearless kids, because in the process, you will perfect and refine your own journey toward fearlessness.  This job of parenting is as much about our growth as much as it is for our children.  As we teach, we learn.  And there's no richer or rewarding path than to be fearless ourselves.  So, let's go ahead and mount that apparatus or circumstance or situation.....and TAKE A LEAP of faith.
#LeapOfFaith #Fearless