Where is Your Hope?

IF:Equip

I think this captures the essence of why I continuously come back to God because I know, no matter what life brings, I get the privilege to walk with God forever, even beyond life in this world. Even when it seems like I am alone, God walks with me. That's priceless and precious to me.

Where is your hope today?

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

The Moments We Walk on Water

I feel like Peter walking on water.

I’ve grabbed hold to the promises God has made me but halfway through the journey I let the logic of what I think I know and people have told me talk me out of who God has proven Himself to be and I begin to sink. Matthew 14:22-33

I am pessimistic to my core. It’s an oxymoron to how I should be as a believer but I’ve been taught to view the glass as perpetually half empty. This can keep you expectations tempered but also strangle the life out of your dreams.

Mind you I’m a dreamer. I know, it’s like how can that be? Because I know in my heart that God performs miracles everyday. I just often don’t believe they will come true for me. So I dream.

When in my darkest nights I dream about the house God told me I’d have. Like Peter it energizes me and then I take the step out of the boat. I ride that high. Taking steps toward it. But then something happens that takes my eyes off of Christ (the wind) and I begin to sink. It can be crippling.

But I fight it because when I read God's Word I'm reminded that Jesus is in the boat, He's on the water. All it takes is one outstretched hand from God. All it takes is one touch from God. One Word from His lips and the sinking ceases, the storm calms, everything is alright.

We all have and will have these walk on water moments. Just don't get stuck on the sinking, God won't let you drown. We are victors even in the midst of strife. We just need enough faith to believe, to step out on the water and walk. God will carry us through. Just keep your eyes fixed on Him. Eliminate the distractions. Persevere. Our faith is what makes our dreams come true.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life.

Praise Break: Joyful, Joyful

Feel the Joy of the Season in this beautiful rendition from David Phelps. I've listened to it at least 5 times today already. Lol.

God is good

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day! All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine. Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life. Music video by Bill & Gloria Gaither performing Joyful, Joyful (feat. David Phelps)

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

What Does it Mean to Be Loved?

I have asked this question many times over the course of my 32 years of life. A s a Christian I know the pat answer of 1 Corinthians 13 but the question is what does that look like?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

As a pastor's kid people often say they "love" you but that love can end up being a source of great heartache and pain. I've spoken before of being two people. The good "church approved" girl and the true me, who isn't that much different from the first mind you but definitely falls short of the standard that me church community would deem acceptable.

Which brings me back to, "What does it  mean to be loved?". If you don't truly love me as the "church approved" girl and you don't love me as me did you ever really love me at all?

Love is tricky because the world says that its a feeling which means that its optional and can fade at whim. However, God commands us to love which means its an action and only stops if you stop doing it.

People don't fall out of love, they stop loving.

The way that I love people is not the way they love me back sometimes and that is hurtful and often I have felt unloved. The thing is that I really should have been looking for my source of love from God not from people.

God is always patient with me, always kind. He doesn't envy me. He doesn't big Himself up to make me feel small even though He totally could. His pride doesn't keep Him from loving me unconditionally. He's not loving me for His own personal gain. He's not short-tempered when I mess up and when I mess up He doesn't keep a record of it. He doesn't delight in my misgivings but wants me to succeed. He always watching out me, always believes in me, always keeps loving even when I'm deemed by the world to be unlovable.

When He could say I told you so He doesn't. His dreams for my life surpass the dreams I have for myself. He NEVER stops loving me.

I wish when I was younger I truly understood the depth of God's love the way I understand it now. I was taught that when I do the wrong thing God would stop loving me but that is not true. It is directly contradictory to God saying NOTHING can separate you from my love. That is what people do. We withhold love as punishment.

God is love. He is the ESSENCE of love. So when people hurt us, abuse us and say they love us that's not love because that's not God.

I can't control others and how they love me but I can control myself. I can love the way God loves and I can hold on to His unfailing love and I can find rest in that even in the midst of situations that would seek to destroy me. This isn't easy but being loved by God means He shares our burden (Matthew 11:28-30).

Personally, without God I would have given up already on this life but His love is what saved me.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Observations

Have you ever just sat and observed people?

I've been a very cautious person since I was a little girl. In my cautiousness I have learned to study people.

I have often struggles when people put me on the spot because it takes me time to process things in order to come to the best answer or solution.

God does this too.

He observes us.
He learns us.
He knows us.

And He doesn't act until we are ready because He knows the best path for our lives.

We often get angry at God for not answering our prayers when we want Him to. Its not until God gives us His best that we realize that what we requested pales in comparison to what God's plan is.

In this season of my life I have learned great humility and great strength.

I never knew I was strong until I got evicted from my apartment at 6 months pregnant and decided to live and fight instead of lay down and give up.

It was in this season that I had to evaluate my relationship with God. If I hadn't been forced to evaluate my relationship with God I wouldn't have discovered I was walking around disappointed and bitter at God and realizing that He still loved me anyway.

If I hadn't been challenged to trust God even when I couldn't see it, I wouldn't be launching a business. I wouldn't have come to a place of surrender to God's will.

If He had answered my prayer when I prayed it 4 years ago I would have gotten evicted again, but this time with 2 kids, and my life would be in tatters.

I didn't know but God knew.

And I now count it all joy.

Because while in my mess I was and still am blessed.

I've lost a baby
I've been evicted.
I've been counted out.
Laughed at.
Treated like I didn't know what I was doing or wasn't qualified.

But I am still here because God saw me. And He loved me the same.

I don't care where you are right now. What you are doing. What you are going through.

God sees you and He loves you just the same.

Following God is not the absence of tension, heartache and loss. It means having the strength and support to persevere in spite of. God, Himself, gave up His son for us. Jesus was homeless, and cash poor but He was rich because He understood that in the midst of the struggle God was with Him, God was in control, and God would work it out for His good.

If you became a Christian to not experience pain then someone sold you a raw deal.

When you become a Christian your circumstances may not change but your response to those circumstances will and that is what changes your circumstances.

When I miscarried my first baby I was devastated. When my due date came I cried so much, my husband just held me. All I saw was pain. But the truth is that if I had that baby then I would have been pregnant with a one year old and no home. And I would never want any child of mine to experience that.

Now I have two healthy babies that I don't take for granted and God replaced the one I lost with a joy so that July isn't filled with pain but a birthday celebration.

The Bible is full of imperfect stories that God redeems. Not by changing the circumstances but by changing the heart of those in those circumstances.

God knows best.

We may not understand it all but truthfully we don't really need to. We just need to know that He will work it out.

I'm a numbers girl. i need to know what steps I'm going to take before I move. But God has been teaching me to move in His will, in His steps and footprints. For His way is the best way.

Be blessed.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW