Faith not Fear

 Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   Yesterday, I was coaching snowboarding.  🏂.   One young man was afraid to go up the T-bar because the year before he  had a bad experience with it.   I told him, “You  have to be courageous!   Don’t let your fear ruin your fun.    He responded, “I hate snow boarding.”   I said, “I’d hate it too, if I had to walk up the hill every time taking my boots in and out of the bindings, while getting a really cold, wet butt.   I promise you, you’ll have a lot more fun if you use the T-bar.  He didn’t try the T-bar immediately.  I kept checking in with him and he eventually did try again.   He mastered the T bar!! He started having fun!    He was bale to board from the top of the mountain!!  He went from asking me, “When can leave?” How many more minutes do I have to stay?”  To one of the last kids on the hill for the night.   I am so proud of of that young man!!  He overcame his fear and was able to enjoy snowboarding.    Fear is paralyzing!!!   We are to be courageous, not afraid, not dismayed.   The Lord our God is with us wherever we go!!   Do you have a fear that is paralyzing you?    Be courageous today!! Choose faith not fear!  The Lord your God is with you wherever you go!!

With a whip or with love?

 1Corinthians 4:12 “We work hard with our own hands.  When we are cursed, we bless, when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly.  Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. …21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

This was Pauls instructions to the Apostles of Christ.   How are you doing in this area?   Do you retaliate when someone wrongs you?   Do you take offense and lash out?   Or do you respond in love?   Hurting people hurt others.   This is a statement that helps me respond in love when someone treats me poorly.  When someone hurts me, I reason,  they must be hurting to treat me that way.  I try not to take their behavior personally.  Everything we go through in life takes us to who we are now. Many people have been treated very poorly. They may feel like they are “caged rats” and sometimes they just lash out.  Sometimes people need to be right, because they’re afraid that if they’re not, you won’t respect them.   They may hold onto being right,  even when they realize they may be wrong. These are the things I’m reminded of what I’m reading Paul’s instructions to the apostles.  Today, may we all bless when we are cursed.  Endure persecution and be kind when we are slandered.  It not worth the fight to hurt hurting people.

Brand new, white as snow! Live loved

 Isaiah 1:18 ““Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!”

We are made brand new!!    We are forgiven for All our sins!   Jesus died once, for All sin!!   I remember the feeling I had the first time I sinned, after my “revelation”,  that I was forgiven.  I felt ashamed and dirty again.   I was identifying with my sin not with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.     I have to continually remind myself who I am in Jesus , so I don’t become self condemning.     When we get to Heaven we will be done with sin.  Praise God!  Until that time we will have to deal with our propensity to sin.    Shake it off!   Repent and try, try, try again.  Accept the forgiveness Jesus died to give you.  We are Made white as snow, we are new creations.   Live that  way!   Live loved!!  

No matter how unloveable you may “ feel”.  Know you are forgiven, made new and deeply loved!!

You look down you go down

 Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”   I take such comfort in this verse.   I have been, “burning the candle at both ends”again lately.   Therefore I am a bit extra tired.  When I get tired,  I  can feel a bit hopeless.     When I feel hopeless I look down.  Looking down never works well for me.  I teach skiing and snowboarding.   I tell my students, “when you look down, you go down!”  Today, let’s look up, get up and stay up.   Let’s trust God with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, acknowledging Him in all our ways to keep looking up, He will make our paths straight!!

When we judge we will be judged

 Romans 2:3 “So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think  you will escape God’s judgment?” 

Judging others often ends with me, being in a similar situation doing a similar thing that I judged someone for.  This week I am babysitting my 3 and 1 year old Grandsons.    It’s wonderful and full.    Very full, when I was a young mom, I somehow was able to mange three boys  two years apart, still keep the house, clean, work full time and get a regular exercise routine in.   Now, as grandma, the house is a mess, they are my main job and I am struggling getting any extra exercise in.  Ine main thing that is different is I am fully present with my grand boys.   I am able to enjoy each and every moment with them without worrying about, getting the not so important done.    I remember, 30plus years ago, a friend of mine babysat my kids for me for one afternoon.   When I returned, the house was a disaster, I was judgy of how she could leave me such a mess.   Today, I realize, that mess ment she was “ all in” with the kiddos.    So cool how God shows us how to see things differently if we just open our eyes.   What is He showing you?

The Lord has plans for you

 Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Sometimes things are absolutely not as I had planned.   Somethings are extremely tough.    Through it all, when I remember, God has plans for me; plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future then I find the courage to and determination to press on.    I have a saying, “Keep looking up yo keep your chin up!” May you press on today too, knowing His plans for you will work for the good.  😇💪🙏

Be careful with your inner circle

 Romans 1:12 “that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith…..,,,,,32 “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”   These two verses make me think of how important choosing friends can be.  I n AA we have a fellowship of people whom desire to quit drinking.   I need that fellowship for many reasons.  I also need the fellowship of my Christian friends. In kindergarten , my boys were taught how to pick friends; good friends are kind, generous, share, and have good citizenship… bad friends are selfish, mean, greedy, and dont share. (This is my memory from a list the kindergarten teacher handed out).  Today let’s realize how important the influence the people we hang out with are.   Many time we think we can change people by hanging with them.  Often it is the opposite.    Today, embrace the friens that are helping you go where you want to be.   Love everyone, but be careful with your inner circle.