Updated on June 3, 2015
The Touchstone
I will steady him with my hand;
with my powerful arm I will make him strong. – Psalm 89:21
So I have this thing with my balance… basically, I have none. Sometimes it’s like my head is spinning around and around. Sometimes it’s like I can’t tell where I am in space. Like the floor gets there before I think it’s going to. Most often it’s like being on a boat. A tiny boat. In a storm.
However I describe it, it’s for sure one thing… Scary.
I like hallways. Not just because I don’t have as far to fall, but because I can walk along with my hand touching the wall.
Sometimes that’s all it takes, just that touch, for me to feel less fearful. It doesn’t make the room stop spinning, but it does give me more of a feeling of where I am in the universe. It grounds me and gives me a point of reference for all the other things spinning around me.
Touching that wall steadies me.
The other day as I ambled along with my pinky grazing the wall, I was thinking about how that simple act parallels our faith.
Sometimes our troubles keep us off-balance. It feels like we’re spinning around and around, almost like we’re caught in this whirlpool of stunning news and issues that can’t be pinned down. In the midst of this grief, we can have a hard time knowing where we are in space.
It’s scary, isn’t it?
The touch of Jesus won’t always make the room stop spinning, but putting one foot in front of the other somehow seems more do-able with our hand on that steady wall of His presence. Instantly we can know where we are in the universe. We are right in His arms. God’s touch grounds me. It gives me a solid point of reference for all the spinning things around me.
He’s there. He can steady you. He’s waiting to steady you.
Let your pinky reach right out and I just know you’ll feel it. You’ll know. And it will be enough.
Heavenly Father, You’re always there, aren’t you? Steadying me. I can never thank you enough. Please grant each precious soul reading this an extra measure of Your grace today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on June 1, 2015
Where is God?
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:5-6
I wanted to write this post, Dear Ones. I’ve been wanting to, and the words have flitted around in my mind for a while now but never come into focus in a way that felt right. Not until tonight.
And then, it wasn’t my words.
But I felt such an answer echoing in my soul when I heard this song. This song.
And so, for today, I showcase another’s words, and I know for certain it could never have been said more beautifully… more perfectly. The fact that it’s set to music just reminds me how our God is a God of the details.
Without further ado…
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“Through All of It” by Colton Dixon
There are days of taking more than I can give
And there are choices that I made that I wouldn’t make again
I’ve had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This has been the story of my life
I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
You were there when it all came down on me
When I was blinded by my fear and I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story’s always gone
I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, through all of it
And this is who You are, more constant than the stars
Up in the sky, all these years, all my life
I, I look back and I see You
Right now I still do
And I’m always going to
I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
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Shelly
Updated on May 31, 2015
The Foretaste of Glory
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. – James 1:17
I have so many blessings on this earth. I do not want to take a single one for granted, and I give God all the glory for each precious one that He places into my life.
That said, this life of chronic illness, unrelenting pain, guilt and disability is a difficult thing to endure. I often put on my whiney voice and my angry eyes and beg God for relief. He has been teaching me something about blessing in these past years.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. – Romans 8:23
Blessing has to do with inheritance, not ease or earthly gain. If you are a child of the Most High God, then your inheritance is secure. We are each the firstborn, favored and beloved. We are adopted into an eternal family.
How can we doubt that the loving Abba who did not spare the wounds, humiliation and cruel death of His only Son? He planned and brought about all of that pain for a single reason… to allow for our adoption and secure our blessing, that we would be with Him forever.
I repent of the multitude of times I have questioned Your will for my life, Father. I take back all the doubts that You would meet each need. I renew my faith in Your unabashed love. I believe, Father, help my unbelief!
Thank You for each earthly gift You have lovingly woven into my life. Thank You for securing my eternity through the precious blood of Your only son. Thank You for the amazing honor of crawling up into your lap and calling you Abba. Thank You for caring about each detail, for counting every hair and collecting every tear.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on May 28, 2015
The Truth About What-Ifs
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:32-34
I have some pretty awesome friends. I really do. This post is about a wonderful blessing I received from one a little while back. She taught me a valuable lesson. Actually, her friend taught her, and then she passed it on, so we’re really on a roll now that I’m passing it on to all of you.
It’s about worry. I can quote just about every Bible verse there is about worry. I know I’m not to do it, I know each day has enough trouble, I know that God wants to carry my worries. I even know that He’s already got my worries covered before I am aware of them. Still, I can’t seem to stop myself from wandering down the “what-if” path, which leads straight to worry. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
My friend and I were talking about worry when she shared a huge truth her friend had shared with her, one that keeps her from skipping down that path. Here it is:
When you’re dealing with what-ifs,
if it hasn’t happened yet,
it isn’t true.
You are listening to a lie. You are entertaining a lie.
And we all know where those come from:
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44
There is only one Truth-Teller. He’s the only one we should be listening to.
God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. – Hebrews 6:17-19
We don’t have to guess about how to switch these worrisome thoughts. He tells us exactly how to turn of the lies.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. – Philippians 4:6
He tells us what filter to use to ensure that we won’t be tricked again. The filter is this:
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8
This simple truth shared by my friend seems like it should be a no-brainer, but it hit me like a lightning bolt. I was changed, in a wonderful way.
Don’t listen to the lies today, Dear One. If it hasn’t happened yet, it isn’t true.
My new what-if is this:
What if I choose to believe only the Truth-Teller and never the Father of lies? What if I kick worry to the curb in exactly the way the Bible tells me to? What if I allow things to unfold exactly the way they are meant to, and trust that God has me in His heart and my best interests already established?
Are you with me?
Heavenly Father, take these worries I’ve tucked away in my heart. I hand them over freely and ask that you keep me reminded of the truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on May 27, 2015
Life According to Herman: Trails
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2
Hello, all! I suppose my last post must have been acceptable, because Shelly once more is allowing me to share my thoughts with you.
My last post made for quite the sticky keyboard. You may not have noticed, but we snails tend to leave a slime trail wherever we go. It’s not something we choose, it’s just something that happens because we are what we are.
Shelly thought she’d never get the snail trails removed from the keyboard. I didn’t envy her the task, but I did have quite an important insight as I watched her work to remove those glistening pathways.
My insight is this: We all leave trails.
It’s not something you choose, it’s just something that happens because you are a Christian. People notice. Some will follow. And the paths we leave on other’s hearts may be nigh impossible to remove.
Mind your trail.
Dear Lord, help others to see Jesus in us. Help our trail to be full of love and mercy, and may it always lead to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on May 26, 2015
Is Prayer Tangible?
Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. – Luke 5:13
I believe so strongly in the power we have access to through prayer! Prayer moves mountains. Prayer is a vital connection with our God. That just takes my breath away. He wants to walk and talk with me. Me!
But even as highly as I view prayer, when someone comes to me with a problem I still tend to want to fix it. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I pray! Right that moment and all the moments after, I am actively lifting that person in prayer. The other day it dawned on me that I wanted something tangible.
Tangible means “perceptible by touch”. I think I’ve not been thinking accurately about prayer.
Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. – Hebrews 7:25
This great Savior who lives to intercede on our behalf… wow… this Savior is the one who reached out and touched the lepers. He is the one who held the little children and allowed the weeping woman to bathe his feet with her tears. This Christ who is willing and lives forever… He knows the value of touch.
Jesus could have healed from a distance. He could have saved with a whisper on the wind. He could have encouraged with a word. But He didn’t. He touched people. He got down in the dirt with them and put His arms around them and He loved them.
He is the Intermediary, this Toucher of the unwanted. He is how we approach the Throne.
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12
I have to believe, in light of these things, that prayer is tangible. Jesus makes it that way, don’t you think? He reaches out to let us know with a gentle touch that we are not alone in the darkness. He places a strong hand on our quivering shoulder to anchor us when we feel tossed by the storms. He binds our aching spirit wounds and draws us close.
His kind of love could never be distant and vague. No, it’s tangible, all right.
There is nothing more tangible we could do for ourselves or for anyone else, than to reach out through Christ in prayer. It’s touching the hem.
Reach with me, won’t you?
Dear God, we can never thank You enough for the blessing of approaching You in prayer. Thank you for showing us how important touch is to You, through the life of Jesus. Help us to touch others in the way that He did. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on May 21, 2015
Redo Your Room: A Review and a Giveaway!
In partnership with Girls’ Life Magazine, Redo Your Room offers creative ideas to girls to help them with a room makeover.
Faithgirlz! and Girls’ Life magazine team up with Redo Your Room, a fun new book girls nine to twelve (and possibly even their older sister!) will love to flip through again and again. Containing tons of fabulous room makeover ideas,Redo Your Room offers step-by-step instructions that help readers create a whole new look for their bedroom without breaking the piggy bank. Girls will be inspired by the creative, stylish, and resourceful tips as they discover their inner designer.
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Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4
Without further ado, here is the expert, Ms. Carissa!
I liked this book because I like changing the style of my room often and this gave me a lot of ideas. I tried them out and they worked really well for me!
This is a great book if you are looking to re-style your room. There was one idea that I really thought was interesting, where you could use old shirts you can’t wear anymore, and turn them into pillowcases. I’m looking forward to trying that one soon!
The pictures are a big part of this book! The ideas are really creative and it helps be able to see what the final product will look like. I think the curtain made of scarves is really cool, and I will try that someday.
The book shows you step-by-step instructions for each craft. It also gives you advice on how to keep your room organized.
Carissa and I are so excited to give this book away to one lucky reader! Please enter to win below. We’ll be giving away one copy next week! 🙂
Redo Your Room
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Shelly
Updated on May 19, 2015
The Time I Starred in “The Hobbit”
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying,“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Matthew 26:39
So last weekend, we rented the latest in the Hobbit movies. I loved it. Really, you should see it.
Imagine my surprise to find myself right there in the middle of the movie! Seriously, I’m a star! I was kicking booty and taking names.
The only reason I recognized myself was the fact that my head topped the Mohs scale of hardness charts. I knew right then that I was looking in a mirror. Tusks and all.
**(I come in at about 1:10 and go till 1:30…. an awesome 20 seconds of screen-time)
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9
There’s no doubt my stubborn will has at times been the only reason I keep going.
And so as I pick up my battle axe and get ready to head-butt, I will pray that my hard-headedness may never be used to stand in the way of the will of the Almighty. May I ever be submissive to my King.
But when the enemy ambles over, all big and awkward, may I knock him to his knees without missing a beat. When ugly is charging me for all he’s worth, may I meet him head-to-head, assured of whose victory is already secured.
Are you hard-headed, too? You probably are, seeing as you’re still here, still kicking, still praising.
From one hard headed dwarf to another, “Fight On!”
Holy God, thank you for a noggin that withstands what the devil throws at me. Thank you for Your strength, so that I never have to rely on my own. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on May 18, 2015
Our Response to the Music
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song” (Judges 5:3)
One of the worst parts about chronic illness is all the medications we have to take every day. Right? I’m always trying to find a way to lessen the amount, and yet the amount increases.
My husband does a great job of keeping my medications straight every week in my AM/PM daily medication box. I bet you probably have one, too. They’re handy, aren’t they?
When we’re running out the door for a doctor appointment or out-of-town occasion, I slip the medication box into my purse, knowing I’ll need to take pills with my next meal.
A few weeks ago was just such an occasion.
This is your official invite to Rest Ministries… join me there to finish this post, won’t you?
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Shelly
Updated on May 17, 2015
The Heart of the Amish – A Review
We have all been hurt and we all have someone we need to forgive. But sometimes it’s hard to let go of our hurt and anger in order to truly forgive and move on.
For the Amish, forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. From daily annoyances to heartbreaking tragedy, they exhibit an incredible capacity for forgiveness that often baffles us. How do they do it? And how can we have the same attitude and ability to forgive?
Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows you how the Amish are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. You’ll learn how to invite God into your story, apply lessons from the Amish to your own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.
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But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. – Matthew 6:15
Every life comes to a point where it seems impossible to forgive. Sometimes that forgiveness is meant for those who have hurt us. Sometimes we have trouble forgiving ourselves. I’ve struggled with both of these.
I really did get a lot out of reading this book. The stories inside range from the seemingly innocuous to the depth of dark pain; stories like honoring and yet protecting ourselves from difficult parental relationships, how refusing to forgive can impact our physical and mental health, and the process of grieving while still forgiving.
Suzanne tells these stories in a way that let you see the real, the humanity, and the honesty of the way the Amish approach life, and forgiveness in particular. I related to each one, even though our lives are very different.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in exploring the meaning and the benefits of the command to forgive.
You can purchase from Baker Publishing or Amazon. I hope you’ll check it out!
***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, in return for an honest review. The opinions given here are my own.
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
