Journey into Forever

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." -Exodus 14:14 I am a second guesser.  You know the type.  I analyze everything I do....I always am frightened to finish.  Start. Or continue anything.  What if it's not correct?  What if someone takes it wrong?  What if no one wants me to do it?   What if...what if.....  It goes on and on.  The thoughts circle in my head every time I am thinking about doing something, starting to do something, actually doing something. I just know it will not measure up. There are a lot of people in the Bible who experienced this.  Moses comes to mind, when God was directing him to get his people out of slavery.  He felt inferior ...not the man for the job.  Jonah ran away from what God had for him.  And then, today in study I read about Jehosephat. In 2 Chronicles 20, we read the story of  Jehoshaphat being attacked by the Moabites, Ammonities, and 'some' Me...

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God;  my hope comes from Him."     - Psalm 62:5 "Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices, my body also will rest in hope."    - Acts 2:26 My mom has only been gone 8 months, but sometimes it feels like forever.  My granddaughter was with me over the weekend, and she was definitely one of my mom's favorites.  More than once I caught myself thinking I needed to call mom and have her come over to see us.  Mom left a pretty big hole after she was gone.  You never had to guess where you stood with her.  She'd tell you, in no uncertain terms.  Mom never had a filter, so she didn't have one to lose when she got older.  That was just the way she was. I remember a lot of the things mom told me about myself even after I was an adult.  One in particular used to drive me crazy.  She'd try to get me to slow down, to make choices that would give me more rest.  To say n...

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved."                                                -Ephesians 2:4-5 "The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."  Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."                                                  -Luke 10:37 " This is Us".  My new favorite.  I absolutely love this show for a lot of reasons.  The story line is wonderful, and it addresses a lot of stuff.  But my favorite part of this series is how it encourages mercy.  Mercy.  Something I need a lot of. I love the way the story flips back and forth...

" For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."                                                                 - I Corinthians 13:12                                                       I have to be honest here.  Sometimes I could really give Doubting Thomas a run for his money.  I think, like m...

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."                                                  -Colossians 2:2-3 "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."                                               ...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."                         Ephesians 1:3 Long time no see.  That is what my grama used to say to people who had been gone for a long time.  This blog has been gone a long time.  No excuses, really.  Just a long, dry spiritual place.  Plenty of reasons for that, but none I can really say are valid.  Basically, a lack of fervency on my part.  I moved, He didn't.  Anyway, after much prayer for passion, I think I might be back on track.  Ever happen to you?  I suspect it might have.  So much in the news lately.  This morning on the news I listened to them talk about all of the positions the President-elect is trying to fill for his administration.  A ton of them. ...

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."                                    - Romans 5:3-5         Romans 5:3-5 is a verse I have been working with a lot lately.  It was the focal point for a study I just finished entitled "Looking for Lovely" by Annie F. Downs.  If you have not read anything she has written, I recommend you try her.        Suffering.  I don't know about you, but it seems to me there is a tremendous amount of this going on.  Parents with sick children.  Spou...