Updated on March 7, 2014
Sunday Scripture: 3/9/14
photo credit: Fadzly @ Shutterhack via photopin cc
Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
– Psalm 65:8
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on March 7, 2014
Recommendation Saturday: Too Big for My Britches
photo credit: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center via photopin cc
Have you no respect for me?
Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline
as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
– Jeremiah 5:22
He set the boundaries of this tide, of this earth, of this universe. The boundaries of the universe.
Is your mind boggled yet?
Do you not think the God capable of such things, the God who is capable of creating orchids, puppy breath, and opposable thumbs, cannot handle what you are struggling with?
Do you really think that?
If so, I challenge you to rethink your logic.
If not, it’s time to remember.
It’s time for all of us to hand it over in trust. Doesn’t matter what it is. Doesn’t matter who you are.
Only matters that He is the Great I AM.
It only matters that He cares about your details enough to die to ensure you could spend eternity
with Him.
Let it blow your mind for a moment.
Then let’s get on with the truth.
We are best when we are community.
I would love to share in some of that community
right here from my website.
You can join in, too!
Share a post from your own blog and then simply click on the
“Add your link” button below and enter your blog information.
Then, please grab my Recommendation Saturday button
below, and place it on your website or post,
so that others can find their way to our little Saturday community!
You can also Tweet your participation with the hashtag
#recommendsat
so that we can all find each other on Twitter!
You may also join in by leaving a comment.
The most important part of our community
is spreading our hope and love to others
by visiting some of the other inspirational sites linked up and leaving comments there.
Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
Loading InLinkz ...If you have been helped by this post and think it could be helpful to someone you know, please share this post on the social network of your choice for me.
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on March 4, 2014
How Shelly Got Her Groove Back
See what I did there? I giggled as I wrote that title. Welcome to my 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 6:18-19
After all of the moves that we have made as a family (trust me, it’s a lot), I have become a pro at tying things down. Once we moved from Dallas to Houston, and several items made the trip on top of the cab of the truck. There just was no other room anywhere else, and I wasn’t leaving those items behind. I’ll spare you the details, but 2 of the items were a rug and a rocking chair.
I know. Trust me, I know.
So here’s a little tip. You can’t tie something down from just one angle. If you do, once the wind catches it from a different direction, it’ll move the object in a way you didn’t foresee, and your whole house of cards is in jeopardy of being spread out like bread crumbs somewhere between Corsicana and Conroe. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard. 😉
Want to know something else about tying things down? The work that those tight ropes do… holding objects steady in a powerful amount of force pushing and determined to move them… creates grooves in that you are tied to. You won’t see it overnight. But little by little, if you keep tightening down those same straps in the same places, the marks will appear.
photo credit: Tristan Higbee via photopin cc
photo credit: lovestruck. via photopin
I want to be so anchored to my Savior that the grooves are there for all to see. Deep, scarring, permanent.
It won’t happen if I’m tied loosely. It won’t happen if I change position before battening down. It won’t happen if I untie the straps every once in a while for relief.
It happens with constricting holds. It happens with commitment to the course. It happens with dedication that overcomes the pain being caused.
I want to be secured from every angle with rope that has just enough give not to break the valuables; but strong enough, new enough, to stand the test of winds and weather and force. Sharp turns and traffic jams. Potholes and speed bumps. Yellow lights and roundabouts.
My anchor can withstand it all. So can yours. Are you tied down? I’ll show you my grooves, if you’ll show me yours.
Dear God, hold us fast to You. Secure us in Your Love. Anchor us in Your Grace. Keep us in Your mercies. Help us to recognize the grooves as proof that we’re holding on to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on March 2, 2014
Taking the Training Wheels Off Your Faith
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When my son was 6, he decided he was finally ready to learn to ride his bike without training wheels. Yes… 6. I don’t know what took him so long. I don’t know why we didn’t push him harder, but I do know that he was 6.
Do you know what happened? I know you’re picturing in your mind that we took those wheels off, ran alongside him, let go at that magical moment, and watching him ride laughing down the sidewalk. Ahem… um, no.
What actually happened is that he started at the top of our slanted driveway, by himself when no one was looking, lost control and rolled downhill, across the street and into a parked car. Yep. It’s like that.
Life is like that sometimes, right? We have an image in our minds of how this great moment of independence is going to go. We’ve preplanned our acceptance speech, ordered the cake, invited all our friends to the party. And the next thing we know we’re careening into a large metal object headlong down a hill. We totally forget there even are brakes, much less how to use them. Then we open our eyes and we’re lying bleeding and crying on the pavement.
I ran out. I saw it happen and I ran out, knowing I would be too late to save him from hurt, cursing every minute that kept me from cradling him in my arms. I patched him up, using the “magic medicine” that stopped the hurts most quickly. I kissed the boo-boos (he was still young enough to take comfort in mama’s kisses), murmuring to him softly as I wiped the tears from his dirty face.
Oh, he got better. But he really didn’t want to get back on that bike. “Put the training wheels back on,” he begged for days.
I’ve felt like that before. I’ve been that bleeding, scared little boy. Have you?
When chronic disease blazes into your life like a destructive inferno, when disability robs you at knife-point of all the things you hold most dear, when pain makes another jab with a malicious smile and a giggle of glee that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up… that’s the moment the training wheels come off.
And they can’t ever go back on. Because it’s time to be a big-boy. It’s time to fly free and learn some new skills.
May I encourage you, as He scoops you up and begins the mending? His Word is all the training wheel we need. That leadership role you were made for, that skill you had honed and wielded like a pro, that calling you were so certain was direct from God… those were smoke and mirrors. Not to be trusted, and definitely not to be leaned on.
Are you willing to get back on that bike? Don’t forget your armor, cause we’re sure to have more falls before we soar, but climb back on. Let’s ride.
Dear God, thank you for racing out to gather us up. Thank you for the training wheels that will never be removed. Help us to trust not in what we see, but in what we know to be true. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on March 5, 2014
A Baker’s Dozen (and Printables)
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. – Proverbs 16:24
So often, my husband says things to me that I know come right from God. He knows me, they both do, and they know that the devil works overtime to keep me discouraged. So I thought I’d share some of what he says, in case you don’t have someone to say it to you. May they be like sweet treats, a baker’s dozen to tempt your palate.
You need to hear it. You need to believe it. Say them out loud.
I’ve made printables of them, so that you can post them in places you’ll see every day. Because you can’t hear them often enough, you really can’t.
*This world is a sweet place because you are in it.
*God is here. He’s so close you can touch Him.
*You are precious, and not just to me.
*This is not in your head.
*I believe you. I believe in you.
*This resting you’re doing is important work.
*You matter, more than you know.
*Please ask for help when you need it.
*Who you are and what you do are more than enough. Period.
*God made you exactly right.
*You inspire me.
*I’m not the only one who loves you.
*God is more constant and sure than whatever you’re afraid of right now.
If you’d like this list as a Printable, click here or on the image below! Heart Hugs <3
Heavenly Father, please bless each person who reads this post, each person that prints these words. Help them to know the truth of them each time they see them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on July 3, 2014
I Am Not a Survivor
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. – Psalm 5:2
I get it. I understand that we all want to feel strong. We feel the need to remind each other that we can get through this. We honor strength and power in this day and age.
But I just want to stand and say, “I am not a survivor. I am a victim.”
There is no way on earth that I can continue to do this day after day.
I remember when I was young, watching old cartoons that always seemed to feature a helpless woman tied up and placed on the train tracks. She always cried, “Help me, oh, help me” in a hideously whiny voice.
Do you want to know a secret? I am that woman.
Pain has me all tied up in knots I didn’t even know were possible. Questions have me flat on my back, shouting at the sky. Fear rumbles my foundation until I can feel it in my teeth. The train is coming.
And I am helpless to escape.
Do you know why I’m so willing to admit this? Because I have a hero. And I need Him. I’m so in love with Him, I just might be willing to tie my own self up and go looking for the nearest railroad tracks, just to have the chance to glimpse Him racing to the scene.
And so I refuse to claim that I’m a survivor, instead of a victim. I will not shout about being a warrior, or fighting like a girl. Because left to my own devices, leaning on my own strength, I am lost. That train will obliterate me.
We have a hero. He will save the day… every day. From right inside of each of us.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:13-14
I’m taking off the boxing gloves. Climbing out of the ring. Putting on my whiniest voice and crying out from my bondage.
Help me, oh, help me!
Dear Lord, come into my life, do Your work in me. Rescue me, Father. I am much too weak and lost to go on alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on February 27, 2014
Again and Again…
“The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through His messengers again and again, because He had pity on his people and on His dwelling place.” (2 Chronicles 36:15)
So it happens to me all the time. And I’m sure if it’s happening to me, it’s happening to you, too. Chances are good.
I keep forgetting.
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on February 28, 2014
Sunday Scripture: 3/2/14
photo credit: Will Foster via photopin cc
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
– Romans 6:13
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on February 28, 2014
Recommendation Saturday: Your Own Skin
God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. – 1 Peter 1:2
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You already know that even Christ was made “unbecoming”. (Isaiah 53:2)
You already know that God looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
You already know that your gentle spirit is what gives you beauty. (1 Peter 3:4)
But know this.
We were not made for this world. (2 Corinthians 5:1)
To spend all of our time and efforts here conforming these earthly vessels into an impossible standard of warped beauty is to defy all that God has called us to.
You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are enough.
If you don’t believe me, then please believe Him. He’s the expert on You, after all.
And He did write the book.
We are best when we are community.
I would love to share in some of that community
right here from my website.
You can join in, too!
Share a post from your own blog and then simply click on the
“Add your link” button below and enter your blog information.
Then, please grab my Recommendation Saturday button
below, and place it on your website or post,
so that others can find their way to our little Saturday community!
You can also Tweet your participation with the hashtag
#recommendsat
so that we can all find each other on Twitter!
You may also join in by leaving a comment.
The most important part of our community
is spreading our hope and love to others
by visiting some of the other inspirational sites linked up and leaving comments there.
Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
Loading InLinkz ...If you have been helped by this post and think it could be helpful to someone you know, please share this post on the social network of your choice for me.
All you have to do is click one of the buttons below.
May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on July 3, 2014
Should I Chase After Ease, Or Choose to Go Deeper?
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30
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I found myself blushing. I felt the need to apologize and once again I was ashamed. You see, I was having a visit with a nurse for a new doctor I was seeing, and I had to hand her my list that shows all of my illnesses, surgeries, medications, and allergic reactions. Yes I said list. Otherwise I can’t remember it all. I carry the list everywhere with me, and it’s shorthanded so that it all fits on one page… barely.
I always feel sorry for the nurses that have to input those things into the computer. I feel bad for the doctors that have to try and decipher my enigma. I feel guilty when I walk in carrying my list in my hand, my questions in my mind, my pains in my body, and sometimes my feelings on my sleeve.
I want things to be simple. I want answers to be quick. I want time to be fleeting and help to come soon.
I found myself looking into the twinkling brown eyes of the sweet nurse and saying, “I’m so sorry! I want nothing more than to be an easy patient.”
Do you ever feel that way? Well here is what God said to me on that night….
“Do you want to be the easy patient, or are you comfortable needing a Savior?”
Yep, leave it to God to bring me back to a spiritual perspective.
I’ve always been a Christian. I have never had a time that I remember being without God (even though some days were dark and I questioned this). But until I became ill, did I really recognize my NEED of my Savior?
Of course I knew that I was a sinner and needed saving. But did I know, down to my cells, that I was completely and utterly dependent on Him for my very breath? Did I seek His counsel and aid before each and every precious step?
I was thankful for salvation and for a relationship with my Lord. But was I really in relationship? The kind of relationship that is co-dependent and proud of it… the kind of relationship that feels like you just can’t make it one more moment without some type of contact with your beloved?
In thinking on things from this perspective, I realized that what I want is not to be an easy patient. Not if it means that I will lose this craving, this utter helplessness and dependence, this glorious gratitude.
So how about you?
Do you want to be the easy patient, or are you comfortable needing a Savior?
Beautiful Savior, why You chose to draw me to you is a mystery to me, but I am forever grateful. Thank you for always keeping my mind focused on You, even when it strays to daydream about being the easy patient. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
If you have been helped by this post and think it could be helpful to someone you know, please share this post on the social network of your choice for me.
All you have to do is click one of the buttons below.
May God Bless You,
Shelly
