Thankfulness

God has been challenging me lately.  I know, story of the life of every Christian, right?  But how appropriate that it be this month.  God has brought to my attention that sometimes I have the tendency to let other's attitudes and words shape how I feel, think and act, which sometimes allows negativity in.  No matter the difficult circumstance, no matter what my life says, and no matter who says what, He has called us to be thankful, and not complain.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" -1 Thess 5:18

Let's get real, God is so good, and he has blessed me immensely beyond what I can fully describe to you.  In fact, when I think about it I am overwhelmed by His goodness, grace and mercy.  There is so much to be thankful for.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. -James 1:17

#1  Jesus and His love.  Without Him, I would not be where I am today, and without Him, my life would be in shambles.  It's because of Him that I have been made new and that I can rest in the comfort of knowing where I will spend eternity.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"  -Ephesians 2:4-10

#2  My family.  Even though there are some of the most ridiculous people I know and they drive me crazy, I love them all to pieces and they have made me who I am today.

#3  My new church and my pastors.  I have never quite felt as at home at a church as I do than at Fellowship.  Plus, the pastors are fantastic and are the voice of wisdom and guidance when needed the most.  God knew how much I would need them in my life.

#4  My coworkers, bosses and my job.  Even though I get frustrated, don't feel like I belong and don't feel like I was made for my choice in career...I couldn't have ended up in a better clinical setting than at KAH.  I am thankful that I ended up where I am now because it's the perfect place to learn alongside some great teachers.

#5  Friendships that have endured the test of time, that don't require us talking every day to stay alive and those that can be picked up where we left off even after months of not talking.  I treasure all of you.

#6  New friendships that God has blessed me with in the last year.  Proof that you don't need to be friends forever to be best friends.  I treasure you all as well.

#7  Sunsets, Sunrises, and the Stars.  I am thankful that God created those things for everyone to enjoy and that it gives me opportunities to see His beauty and experience Him in a different way.

#8  Laughter and joy.  I'm thankful for the ability to laugh and experience true God given joy.  I'm thankful for those that assist in bringing both of these to my life

#9.  Vision.  I'm thankful for the ability to see, lately this has become ever so much more important to me

#10  Peace.  I'm thankful that He has given me peace that surpasses all understanding about my life and my future and that I don't have to fear because He has everything under control.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"  -Phil 4:6-8

"'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'" -Jeremiah 29:11

#11  Technology, specifically cell phones and Skype.  I am especially thankful that I get to Skype with my brother while he's overseas in Turkey today.

#12  My apartment.  I am thankful I have a place to call my own and for the things God has blessed me with inside of it.

#13  My car.  I am thankful for a vehicle to get from place to place that is reliable.  I am especially thankful for my grandparents for helping me pay for it and that I get to owe them money instead of the bank.

#14  My dog.  I am thankful for a happy and furry face to come home to, especially after a long day.

#15 I'm thankful for this promise  

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" -Psalm 37:4

#16  For this promise 

 "The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still" -Exodus 14:14

#17  And also for this promise 

 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way; walk in it" -Isaiah 30:21-22

#18  Deep talks with Laura and Jessie, two of my sweetest and best friends.  I love you both!

#19  The color purple

#20  The night this was taken

#21  New Life Bible Camp.  My most favorite place in the whole world.

#22  Katie Covert.  Without her counsel and without her pouring into my life, I'm not sure I would be the same person I am today.  I am  also thankful for Kristen LeMaster.  She was put into my life at just the perfect time with the best words of wisdom, I'm so blessed to have her to help me in this chapter of my life.

#23  The days I get to sleep in, coffee and time to spend with Jesus

#24  These two.  The one in the middle is like my little sister and the one on the left I get to have a Bible study and love on at least one day a week.  So thankful.

#25  Starbucks, coffee shop dates, and pumpkin spice lattes

#26  Sweet tea, college got me hooked and I don't mind

#27  For this butterfly.  God's promise and love came to me in the form of a butterfly and a soft whisper when I needed it the most. Now it just serves as a simple reminder that He's there and that He loves me, no matter how much I mess up.  

#28  Spring time flowers, autumn leaves and snow covered hills

#29  For the ability to graduate from a 4 year school, the opportunity to meet people who would impact my life forever, and the fact that I was able to graduate debt free.

#30  Love.



My life is so fully blessed and no matter what comes my way, I am so thankful for everything He has given me.  What are you thankful for?

 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! -Psalm 107:1

Ugly: Part One

12 years ago, when I was in 7th grade I was probably one of the most awkward kids you have ever met. I had glasses that reminded me of an owl, I had bangs that were cut straight across my forehead and I constantly wore my hair up in a ponytail with my hair slicked back against my head. In the winter I wore knitted sweaters that one would now call "ugly" and you would laugh at them if you found them in Goodwill. At least I didn't have braces yet, but I had a gap between my front teeth that made me look like a beaver. Then there was this boy....I had one of those silly middle school crushes on him. A friend of mine one day told him that I liked him and he said "Ew, she's ugly".

When I was a freshman in high school I got my first pair of contact lenses. I was in color guard and needed them in order to preform at my best. For 3 years I changed practically in public and trying to avoid being seen by boys. I mastered putting on my uniform under the clothes I currently had on, and even now, could change wherever if I needed to. But now there was a new problem. Now there were all of these girls with their small arms, legs and stomachs who were prancing around not caring who saw what. Then there was me, with my bigger build, soccer/gymnastic thighs and my slightly pudgy tummy that has been there since day one. They (for the most part at least) flaunted themselves, flirted shamelessly with boys, and were people magnets, or rather, boy magnets.  They were beautiful. Then there was me: quiet, modest, still very awkward and desiring if a boy who "just lived Jesus". Next to them, I felt ugly.

My freshman year of college I gained weight despite every good intention to eat healthy. I continued to be quiet, modest and I just felt bad about myself as a whole. I didn't have many real friends and felt left out of a lot of things. Usually I chalked it up to their outgoing attitude and how beautiful the girls were. My situation continued, no one wanted me. Even the girls didn't want to be around me. I thought that I must be too ugly for them.

Since then I've had Christian men who have outright told me "you aren't fat now, but if you got fat...I would no longer think you were beautiful". I dated one of these men, and I am embarrassed to say that the following was my thought process. "He must secretly think I'm getting heavy, so he must be lying to me when he says I'm beautiful...and he must want that prettier girl.  I always felt ugly, and never quite good enough.

Since then God has worked on me. I've embraced what I look like and I try to put more effort into my appearance. I no longer feel like I need to hide myself.  I feel more confident in who I am than I ever have before.  Truthfully, it's the joy I find in Him that ultimately makes me feel beautiful in His image.  Nonetheless there are still some days that I look in the mirror and I hate what I see...

I  have been having progressive trouble with my right eye since Friday, and maybe earlier on.  It's red and it burns like crazy.  I went to urgent care and was diagnosed with pink eye. Surprise! Glasses are necessary for the next few days!  So, today that I wore my glasses in public for the first time in years (minus while I worked at camp).  To be honest I was tempted to just not go to church today at all. I didn't want people to see me with these black frames on my face. I didn't want to wonder what people were thinking when they saw me with these things on....worst of all I didn't want to be ugly. 
It's amazing to think that words hurt and can have a lasting impact on someone, even 12 years later.  The great thing is that it's God's touch and truth that heals all wounds, even ones that have cut deep and that have caused long lasting scars.  Today God put me in a place where I had no where to run and I literally had to face myself and my fears head on.  I've always been afraid of being ugly, but today, I'm a whole lot less afraid than I was yesterday.  Thank you Lord for pushing me outside of my comfort zone.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'" -1 Samuel 16:17 

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" -1 Peter 3:3-4 

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" -Genesis 1:27

Overwhelmed By Love

For most of my life I have always dealt with loneliness and simply suffered tirelessly as I was overwhelmed by my own emotions. Typically when one feels lonely and unloved they will search for something to fill that hole in their heart. As a Christian, I have been taught my whole life that I should be filling the hole in my heart with Jesus instead of anything else. Let me tell you from experience that it's one thing to say those words, but to actually live it out is an entirely different story.

Growing up, I was always that girl that found their identity in people.  I would desire to be filled up with their "love" and the attention that they gave me, especially from the boys. It was so easy to just gravitate to someone who could and would love me that I could actually SEE, and honestly, it was the natural thing to do. It's entirely unnatural to chase after God and to be filled with a love unseen. And let's get real, it can be hard to believe that God could actually fill you more than what you've ever felt before from another human being.

A few months ago I had something happen in my life that left me feeling lonely and my heart shattered.  It has only been through God's mercy and grace that I am where I am today. I have been encouraged and strengthened by some of the greatest friends and mentors that God has placed in my life as well as through the time I have spent with Him. The peace and contentment I feel now can be overwhelming and I love every minute of it. I am daily blessed beyond measure and thank God for where He has brought me through it all. It is a miracle that God has brought my heart to where it is today.

Despite the wonderful and amazing things God has been doing in my heart and in my life, things aren't perfect as one is to expect.  A few days ago I felt a flood of loneliness and dismay that I haven't felt in quite some time. Instead of falling into old habits I chose to cry out to God unlike I ever have before.  I told him about how I felt hurt and lonely.  I literally repeated over and over again that I just wanted to be held and loved.  I was desperate for some sort of relief and it was in that moment that I felt a flood of love overwhelm me from the inside out.  It was then that I felt whole and complete like I never have before.

Never in my life have I felt so overwhelmed by the love of God than I did that night when I decided to cry out to Him instead of sitting around feeling bad for myself.  If you have never taken the time to do so, I want to encourage you to cry out to Him today.  It's so worth it to be filled up by your creator and to be held and loved on by the only one who can truly satisfy.  Instead of running to something that will only fill you up for a moment, try it out for yourself and be overwhelmed by His love.  From experience, it truly is the best thing in the world.

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority" -Colossians 2:9-10

"But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" -Psalm 86:15

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you" -Psalm 63:3 

Forgiving Hurt

I'm beginning to find that one of the hardest things to do with my approaching graduation is to actually face head on all of the hurt and bitterness caused by those I had called friends for 3 years. Their judgmental attitudes, the way they talked behind my back, the way they made up things in their head and gossiped about me, and the way that they wouldn't come talk to me about anything first hand (they went to my roommate for information) all drove pain to my core. I forgot to mention, this is a Christian campus organization. They have no idea how much they have hurt me, and probably never will. The sad thing is, even if they knew they would tell me I was wrong for it.

Leaving the area makes me want to go on a good note and to not take any baggage with me. I would like to sit down with every single one of them and tell them exactly how they made me feel, but that's just not practical. Even though I can't close the door and move on with any of them personally and try to make amends, I do have got someone who can do it for me. His name is Jesus and this is what He says in his word.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" -Ephesian 4:32

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sin" -Mark 11:25

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" -Colossians 3:13

Although it's hard and although I'm hurting I'm tired of feeling that way. The Lord calls me to forgive those who have hurt me, whether they ask for it or not, and whether they know it or not. I will graduate and move away next weekend from these people and I go away in peace and leave nothing left unsettled in my heart.

Dear precious sons and daughters of God, I am sorry I have been harboring anger, bitterness and hurt against you. I have come to realize that even though you hurt me, it's not fair to continue holding it all against you. Jesus died on the cross and forgave me of everything I did for him, and he calls me to offer up that same forgiveness to others. I choose to forgive you even though you haven't asked for it. I hope you can forgive me too, for harboring all those things against you, because that isn't what a Christian should do.

Undeserved Grace

So, today I read Genesis 3 and it totally rocked my world.

Picture this, Adam and Eve are hanging out in the Garden of Eden. They are just minding their own business when all of a sudden a serpent comes along which Satan uses to tempt the two of them. (That is normally how it is right? We are just minding our own business on our walk with God when something comes along to deter us away from Him. But that's another subject all together and I digress...). A discussion takes place in which Satan plays upon Eve's doubt. He squeezes into her mind, finally convinces her that she shouldn't listen to what God commanded her and Adam to do and they take a bite from that fruit that just looks so good. After they do so I can just picture them standing there and realizing that they made a huge mistake. After that realization hits them I'm sure it scared them to pieces especially as they heard the one they had just sinned against walking in the garden. God confronts them about what happened, they admit to having wronged God and He proceeds to bring on the consequences. However, here is the really awesome part! After all the cursing takes place and consequences have been received the Bible says this:

"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them"
-Genesis 3:21 (NASB)

I know it sounds like such a simple verse, but really read it again...

"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them"
-Genesis 3:21 (NASB)

Even after Adam and Eve sinned against God, even after they flat out just couldn't obey the one simple rule He had given them, God chooses to show them grace and mercy. Despite the fact that God didn't like how Adam and Eve sinned, He still continued to choose to love and provide for them, just as any loving Father would.

Here is another situation, Genesis Chapter 4.

Here Adam and Eve have just given birth to two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain becomes super jealous of Abel and ends up murdering him. Afterward this is what happens...

"Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?' He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.' Cain said to the LORD, 'My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.' So the LORD said to him, 'Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him"
-Genesis 4:9-15 (NASB)

So Cain pretty much has an attitude with God because he's still angry and probably doesn't really want to talk about all that just went down. However, God calls him out and is like "Dude? Really? Well, because you did this you are going to have to endure consequences..." I can picture Cain at this point basically being hit with the realization that he messed up BIG time. After hearing about the consequences, Cain knows what could happen because of them, so this causes him to basically freak out and cry out to God.

"Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.'" -Genesis 4:14 (NASB)

Vagrant- (n) Homeless wanderer

"Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me." -Genesis 4:14 (ASV)

"Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." -Genesis 4:14 (NIV)

History: Back in those days people who were wanderers were killed. If I were Cain I would be freaking out about those consequences too. BUT the Lord has compassion on Cain.

"'So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him." -Genesis 4:15 (NASB)

"But the LORD said to him, 'Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.' Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him" -Genesis 4:15 (NIV)

So Cain sinned again God, he murdered his brother our of jealousy, yet God still had compassion on him. Cain cried out to God in fear, and I can only imagine, in full knowledge of what he did that was wrong. God heard Cain's cry and although he still had to endure the consequences of his actions, God poured out His grace and His mercy.

God loves His creation. He is an all around loving Father who wants nothing more than pour out His goodness, His grace and His mercy on those who don't deserve it. Whenever we sin against God we break His heart, yet He still continues to hold out His hand to us in assurance that He loves us so very much.

Just as God did then, how much more will He continue to choose to provide and bless us even when we sin and mess up? His love cannot be quenched simply because we sin against Him. God is never angry with anyone for sinning against Him either. There is nothing that you or I could ever do to cause Him to turn His back on us. Ever. Although undeserved, He is abounding in grace And that, my friends, is one of the most amazing things about God. There is no one else who can or who will offer that kind of grace to us. God is good, friends. So very good.

Fear

This is Misty. She's about 11 years old and we have had her for 9 1/2 of those years, adopting her from the shelter when she was about 1 1/2 - 2 years old. She was my first dog and I actually was the one who named her, so this girl holds a special place in my heart. As she has grown older, she has obtained a variety of health problems including cataracts. For someone/an animal with cataracts it's as if there is something blocking their vision directly in front of them. Her condition began to become apparent early last year when she started acting funny, and when she had trouble catching anything or seeing that there was food in front of her. It has progressed to the point where she walks very slowly and on walks she has problems. Since being home from school, I have been taking Misty, my parents other dog Kita, and my dog Cyrus on walks every night this week. Tonight I had to "tug" and gently coax Misty on our walk more than I have had to other days this week, whether it was to cross the street or to just get her the rest of the way to the house. As I was looking back and encouraging her to keep on going, I began to think about the similarities between us and God in comparison to Misty and I.

First, here's a little bit of history. Lately I've been dealing with fear. Like, stop you in your tracks, heart pounding, nauseating, butterflies in the stomach, muscle tensing fear...especially when it comes to the future.


The future scares me. No, it absolutely TERRIFIES me. I have been super blessed and haven't ever had to pay for anything, and knowing a year from now, that I will have to take care of myself rocks my world in a not to exciting way. God has really been dealing with me on this lately. The word clearly states that there is absolutely no reason to be afraid, yet my spirit and my heart shudder and shake with any talk of the future. I dread the question "so, what are you going to do when you graduate?" I also am currently trying to live in denial of the fact that I graduate from COLLEGE in a year, because in reality it seems like yesterday that I was graduating from high school!

However, one thing that has been really great is that God has slowly been revealing things to me.

.Very.


.Very.


.VERY.


.Very Slowly.



Although I suppose (no...I know) that if it was any other way I would be more freaked out than I currently am. [[gotta let Jesus prepare my heart right?]] Despite the fact that I am pretty sure I know where God wants me for my masters and although doors keep opening up and the right paths seem to be clearer than ever before I find myself in the shoes of Misty, my old Siberian Husky. For one, it takes a whole lot of faith and trust to not be able to see where you're going and yet, still follow your master. Misty trusts me enough to know that I'm not going to lead her anywhere "bad". However, before I ask her to cross the street, she hesitates and I have to convince her that it's OK. Also, when it's light outside she has more confidence in me, walking ahead of me on a loose leash or to my side, but when the sun goes down she walks a whole lot slower and she walks behind me. It's in this moment that I have to try not to drag her down the sidewalk to get her to finish her walk because she's walking so slowly. Instead, I have to convince her that it's OK for her to keep going even though she can't see.

It's the same thing with us and God. Sometimes it's like we have cataracts on our spiritual eyes. The future, whether it be tomorrow, next week, next year, or ten years from now, is super unclear and we have no idea where we're going. In fact, when we look ahead, the future looks so dark and bleak that we don't know where to place our feet next. We're blind, it's dark, it's scary. There's an obstacle blocking our view and we can't see around it even though we try so hard to do so!


When it's lighter outside it's easier to trust when we can't see so well because the light is encouraging. The light helps us to have more faith in our master (God) as Misty has with me. And then when the darkness closes in, suddenly it's so much harder to trust the person who had been helping us get by safely in the light. For some reason when it gets dark and scary, taking the next step blindly is harder than when it's "light".

[[By light I mean having some sort of ability to see where you're going, even with your spiritual cataracts, rather than not being able to see at all when things becomes dark.]]

But here's my question: Shouldn't we be trusting God MORE when the darkness is closing in rather than the other way around? Didn't God already "prove" to us or show us that He is faithful and trustworthy a bazillion other times in our life? So why is it SO hard to trust God and to have faith when everything is dark and scary? When it counts the most, and when all we can do is trust God, why is it just so hard to let go and accept that we cannot see? It's so much easier to trust Him when it comes to things like school...but when it comes to where I'm going to live, who I'm going to marry or where I'm going to get my masters, why is it so hard to trust God?

My answer to this is that if you have to be able to see where you're going in order to trust God, then that's not really trust or faith. As humans, we struggle with letting things go completely and walking blindly. It's our nature to feel as if we have to see something in order to trust in it. Why? Because it provides us with a sense of control. But if you have to be able to know at least a little bit of where you're going...where is your faith in God?

Misty walks better with me in the light because there is more light being allowed to enter into her eyes, allowing for her vision (although clouded in cataracts) to be better than when the sun begins to set which is when she hesitates, because she cannot see. She walks slower to be sure that where she places her foot next is on firm ground. And as I watch her I can hear God saying this to me:

"Come on, Kerry. Trust ME! Don't trust yourself. TRUST ME! *God holds my hand tighter and shows me that he's holding my hand* I've got you. Just follow me and it'll be alright. You don't have anything to worry about. Really, I promise! My dear child, just have faith in me. I know things are uncertain, and taking those steps forward are scary... But I will never leave your side. With Me walking with you, there is absolutely NOTHING to be afraid of! Now take a deep breath and let's keep going."

So as I hear God whispering this into my ear, I now ask myself: "Why can't I just walk forward even when it's dark and just have FAITH and TRUST in God that where I put my foot will be on firm ground? He's never let me down, and he promises that he won't. So, why am I hesitating each time He asks me to move forward? I know God will never lead me anywhere that is "bad"...and Misty believes the same thing when it comes to me. She is able to push forward on our walks. She has the faith and trust in me that enables her to keep going even when she cannot clearly see what's n front of her. So, just as Misty is with me, I realize I need to be with God. I need to keep on going forward and just hold on tight to my Father's hand, breathe and trust that He won't lead me astray as I follow Him and walk right by His side.

God challenged my faith and trust in Him tonight. He showed me once again that I don't have to see where I'm going in order to take a blind step or leap of faith. It's guaranteed that He'll never let me down and He'll never let me fall. God promises good things and even when things are scary, He promises to take care of us.

What is God asking you to do today? Let Him take you by the hand and lead you to places unknown. His plans are so much better than you could ever imagine!

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" -1 John 4:16b-18

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” -Deuteronomy 31:6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" -Joshua 1:9

"The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident" -Psalm 27:1-3

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you" -Isaiah 41:13

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" -Isaiah 41:10

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" -1 Timothy 1:7

"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" -Hebrews 13:5-6

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" -1 John 4:18

"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" -Jeremiah 29:11

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" -Proverbs 3:5-6

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" -Romans 8:28

Dance with God

"I will trust in You alone
In You alone

Where You go I'll go
Where You stay I'll stay
When You move I'll move
I will follow You

Who You love I'll love
How You serve I'll serve
If this life I loose
I will follow You"

'I Will Follow' -Chris Tomlin

Our walk with Jesus is like a dance. There are certain dances which cannot be done alone because they require a partner. So, our walk with Jesus is a dance, take swing dancing for example.

Usually in swing dancing, the moves aren't planned out. The male guides the female through the dance and through the steps. In order for the dance to be beautifully executed, she needs to keep her eyes on his and let her steps be guided by him. And at the same time, he needs to keep his eyes focused on hers because he's the leader. If he stumbles, so will she. The male partner is what's keeping the dance moving, but it's by her own will and choice to keep her eyes focused on his and be led by him. Every move that is made, they do together with him leading slightly ahead and with her following him in unison. She has to let go of any control she has, loosen up, and be willing to be moved. She has to trust her partner and be willing to follow. When she does this he is able to swing her around and the dance falls into place with each step. When they two of them move in harmony with one another, the dance is absolutely beautiful and not a wrong step is made. But this can only take place just as long as she keeps her eyes on his. Most importantly, she has a deep faith in her partner that he will never loose grip of her hand. Note however, that if she were to loose focus the dance would become disrupted. They'd be off step from one another, if she isn't looking at him, she would have no idea what her partner was leading her to do next. But most importantly, the dance just wouldn't look the way it's supposed to.


In this illustration we are the female partner, and God (our creator, Lord and Savior) is the male partner. The life He wants us to live is like two people swing dancing, because while dancing if you focus on other things besides the moves, the music, the rhythm, and most importantly, your partner, the dance falls apart. The dance as a whole is done a whole lot better when everything is the way it's supposed to be. When you let your partner guide you you are able to move in unison than if you were to focus on something else. This "something else" may include something such as a move in which you want to do or maybe you want to go a separate way than your partner. If this happens, you may just get tangled up and fall.

Just as you cannot swing dance alone, you cannot walk through life without a partner, without someone showing you the way. God should be our partner in this life. He is who we as Christians, are supposed to be looking towards at all times. We should be aiming to be more Christ-like and to walk in the will of our Lord. If we loose our eye contact with God we may go flying and we will get off step. We won't do well in life if our focus is off of God and our steps aren't where they should be.

So, just as in swing dancing where you keep your eyes fixed upon your partner's, keep your eyes fixed on God, move when he moves and do what he does, and you'll be set. You cannot stumble or be moved when your eyes are fixed upon the Rock.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way; walk in it" Isaiah 30:21-22

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" -Proverbs 16:9

"Oh Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You!" -Psalm 84:12

"Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" -Proverbs 19:21

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" -Proverbs 20:24

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight" -Proverbs 3:5-6