Category Archives: To Rest in Christ

Give Up!

Christ's rest, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, Surrender, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, , , , , , , , , , ,

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I had to Give Up!

I have told a number of “storm stories” due to the fact that: a.) we’ve lost our home twice to storms b.) there are great analogies about storms and life, c.) everyone experiences them at one time or another.

That being said, spring has sprung and with it those lovely spring storms, (note my sarcasm ). We have a funny story from our 25th Wedding Anniversary, and I hope we don’t have one from our 35th coming up, but I do have one from last Thursday!

 It was our son’s birthday and we were at his home celebrating. We had to drive from his home in another town, to ours.  We had kept track of the storm system, or so we thought, and knew we were in the clear.

Well, we weren’t in the clear.  We drove down back country roads with water covering them and the rain was falling so hard my husband couldn’t see 2 feet in front of him.  I know, we should have turned around, or pulled over…but we were concerned that with the rain falling as hard as it was we had better keep going!

Now, people who love us are understanding of my apprehension in storms, so my text messages began to arrive in the midst of it all!  Basically to ask how I was…only to find out rather than taking refuge in our closet,  we were driving in the area where a “rain wrapped” tornado was aloft.  And since all the power was off in this area…the only light we had was the horrible lighting and our headlights.

So what do all good storm watchers do?  I scanned the sky for that rain wrapped tornado!  And of course, with every flash of lightning I saw one!!( not really) Although we both appeared and acted very calm, my heart was sending me another message.

“Give Up” was what I heard in my spirit, and what I said out loud.  We began to laugh and figured that “third time might be a charm” and there was not a whole lot we could do about it anyway.  We just kept driving through it and gave it up.  

A peace fell over us like I cannot describe.  It had not stopped, but our fears were surrendered.  We laughed.  We got home safely, only to see our poor pup at the window of a very dark house. He seemed no worse for the wear.  

But we gave up….I gave up.  I surrendered.  

All was well, but even if something had happened…it would have been ok.  It always has been, no matter what the storm brought before, it was always ok.  I didn’t say it was easy, pleasant or that I wanted to experience it again…but it was ok.

 Ecclesiastes 3:1-4: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..”

So what do you need to give up?  What do you need to surrender?  Might as well do it, it might be the season for laughing!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Want to be a Princess?

Christ's rest, Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Who I am in Christ, , , , , , ,

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I wonder if every little girl wants to be a princess at some point in her life?

 

I know I did.  I did not want to be an ordinary princess though.  I wanted to be a “tough as nails princess”  The kind that rode horses, participated in sword fights, and really didn’t need a prince to save her from anything.  I wanted to be the type of princess that was beautiful, yet didn’t really care if all her gowns sparkled.  I wanted to be that type of princess that people liked because she was kind and helpful, not just because she was a princess.

I think my vision of “princess-hood” came from my experiences as a child.  My parents divorced when I was young and I was the oldest, thus the “caretaker” of my brother and sister (or so I thought).  I had a tendency to protect and hover over those I loved….and no one, I mean no one could mess with me.  Not that I was mean….I just didn’t take any junk from anyone!

As I grew up I realized that I wasn’t a princess at all.  I feel like I fought for a lot in my life.  I am not complaining, it made me who I am today…but princess, naw….no need.  I was my own woman.  I did not need anyone, or so I thought.

Once I got married, I didn’t really act like I needed my husband either.  I did not have a good relationship with my dad, thus the tough exterior.  Well, that did not work so well.  I did not know who I was….nor how much God really loved me. Then I found out I was treasured…I was a princess.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Isaiah 62:3 “You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”

I needed to know that then, and I need to know that now.  I love God with all my heart, and He loves me. And I am still a princess!

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

 

*google image, NIV Bible*

Stove Knobs-Part 2

Christ's rest, Discouraged Christian, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, Who I am in Christ, , , , , , , , , , ,

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Stove Knobs- Part 2

I know that you have been waiting with anticipation to find out the rest of the stove knob story! But I promise there is a point.

Remember the toolbox that was in my reach the whole time? Well…

Ephesians 4:11-15 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

We are already “equipped” with all we need as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ!We don’t have to be a pastor, missionary or music leader! We are all equipped to build the body of Christ. To work toward unity of the faith and of the knowledge. This knowledge means “an intense knowledge because of thorough participation in the object of that knowledge” (Strongs). In other words, not just a head knowledge of who Christ is, but a Heart knowledge of who He is to you.

The verse goes on to talk about the “perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..” Of course the perfect man is full grown as opposed to little children. Fullness in Christ means that Christ has filled us with all kinds of gifts and dwells and walks in it, the body. God was in his fullness and not simply a manifestation, Jesus was fully God and fully man. This means more than just being filled with food. You know, how you eat and eat and say that you are full and two hours later you are eating again. You weren’t really full. THIS fullness means there is no room for anything else!! God alone is enough to fill us!

We have been given a “toolbox” but sometimes don’t even know we have it..we don’t know how to access it, or we just ignore that we have everything we need! God has given us what we need to get through all that swirls around us, and to help others as well.

Of course there are times when we don’t feel “full” of Christ, or totally immersed in Him. There are times when we don’t think that we can get through the hurts we are experiencing…and then God sends someone our way to say the right thing, pray the right prayer, or give the right amount of money we need. When there are those times that nothing seems to be happening, be must believe what He taught us was true! We must retrain our brain to rest in Him.

So get out that tool box and see what kind of tools the Father has equipped you with…see what tools need to be used. Don’t let it lay on the floor! Who knows, you might have the right tools to help someone fix the knobs on someone’s stove!!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV Bible