Gratitude – An Underused Attitude

God uses the smallest people in my life to make the biggest impact on my heart.

My kids.

There are so many ways I see their understanding and growth at a younger level mirroring my spiritual growth  at an older level.

And sometimes, their simple statements wipe the dust of ‘life’ off of gospel truths I’ve allowed to become dimmed over time.

For example, last week I was with my youngest daughter, Phoebe. We needed to pick up two quick items from the grocery section of Wal-Mart – time was short and money was tight. As we did a quick tour of the snacks there was a sale rack filled with little girl bathing suits.

Phoebe gasped. Low and behold there was a Little Mermaid bathing suit ON SALE and just her size. She oohed and ahhed over it for a moment and then asked the inevitable question: “Can I have that one, Mommy?”

It was a cute swimsuit. A GREAT price.

We were in a hurry. I had to get to work. She had to get to school. Things at work were tense. Things at home were busy. And the budget was ultra-tight.

I had to say ‘no’.

Her smile faded, but she didn’t say anything until we’d paid for our two items and walked out the door.

As I placed her in her carseat, she looked up at me and said, “Mommy, even if I don’t have that Little Mermaid swimming suit, God has given me a happy heart. Because God gives us happy hearts, doesn’t he?”

I almost melted in a pile of tears on the pavement.

God spoke to me through my daughter and reminded me of a simple, yet profound truth. Joy is a God-given constant – regardless of the circumstances.

Happiness changes based on the circumstances and disappointments. The trials or heartaches.

But joy is from God – and God’s love doesn’t change.

The point is this: Gratitude is wearing God-colored glasses to view our lives.

It doesn’t mean we’ll always be happy with our circumstances, but it does mean that at the heart of who we are there is solid peace and hope beyond our circumstances.

There is a certainty of being loved far greater than our human minds can ever comprehend.

There is knowledge that even though we can’t understand the situation, it had to sift through the fingers of a loving Father before it reached our lives.

I’ll leave you with two fabulous quotes by author Charlotte Bronte, whose life was certainly not what anyone would call ‘happy’ or ‘easy’.
She lost her mother at a young age, suffered from poor health her entire life, and watched all of her siblings die at young ages before her. The only Bronte
to marry, she at the age of 38, along with her unborn child.

Here are two of her quotes:

“Cheerfulness, it would appear, is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as the state of things without and around us.”

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”

Words to remember.

Kisses & Band-Aids

I’m determined to believe there is something magical about ‘Mommy kisses’ and ‘band-aids’.

They are like small, daily miracles God gives moms to make the little traumas of life a bit easier to bear. It’s an amazing thing to watch a crying child with a ‘boo boo’ suddenly smile after one brief kiss to the ‘wounded area’ and a quick slap of a band-aid.

Whether you choose a colorful “Dora” or ‘Cars’ band-aid or just the plain tan kind, either seem to do the trick with the same amount of powerful healing abilities   Why do you think that is? I know there is nothing particularly miraculous about “Plastic comfort-flex bandages”, but a kiss….? Isn’t a ‘kiss just a kiss’?

It seems to me, these little ‘miracles’ fix the minor problems because the child realizes somebody cares about her. That brief moment of love, shared in the tangible form of a kiss, soothes the temporary ache or shock of pain.

So often I forget that God’s little kisses and band-aids come on a daily basis too. Through ‘touches’ from others around me. His hands and feet are made evident in the smiles, hugs, words of encouragement, and laughter of friends and family – to help soothe away the daily cares of life.

Whether it’s a surprise offer of a neighbor to watch your child, an unexpected hug, a listening ear, a call at just the right time…they’re not accidental – those are little bits of Heaven on Earth. God’s ‘handiwork’ in action.

I’m increasingly humbled by His beautiful love made evident through the ‘love” of others – His Body. I’m reminded that He’s always with me…ready to give me His band-aids and kisses through the comfort and love of His hands and feet on this earth.

I Once Was Blind But Now I See

Oh I love how the Bible is one BIG story with lots of little stories inside. It’s kind of like a ‘picture’ of our lives.

One BIG life with lots of little stories sprinkled throughout. A compilation, I guess

Today, the sermon was about Jesus healing the man born blind (John 9) – but SOOOO many things were going on inside of this one little story.
I won’t go into them all, but I wanted to mention The Blind Man’s Story.

He was born blind. That was his beginning.
Jesus said he was born blind so that God could be glorified in his blindness (boy, did he mean that at so many levels)

In one day, this blind man has two miracles occur in his life.
Jesus gives him sight. Wow. For the first time in his life, he can see. His eyes are opened to the beauties of the world around him. The faces of his mother and father, the blue of the sky, the food he’d eaten all his life. His entire place in society has changed too. He doesn’t have to be a beggar anymore – no longer lead a shameful existence as a nonproductive member of society. He has hope.
Jesus gives him sight. Wait, did I just say that? I meant it. Jesus gave the man sight twice. First physically, then spiritually.
We watch the man’s progression toward faith.

1. 1. Jesus initiated the healing. He put the putty on the man’s eyes and sent him to wash. He’s healed. When asked about his healing, the blind man says “The man they call Jesus” healed him.
   2. Later when asked, the man tells the Pharisees a ‘prophet’ healed him.
   3. When interrogated by the Pharisees a secondvtime, then cast out of the synagogue as a liar, Jesus comes to find the man. I LOVE that. Jesus had compassion on this man AGAIN, and seeks him out. Here is where the most amazing part of the story happens. The climax! Jesus reveals
      himself as the “Son of Man” to this blind man. In fact, Jesus says it like this:
      – “You have seen him.” Then the man falls at Jesus feet and calls him, “Lord”, because Jesus opened his spiritual eyes to the truth.

Isn’t that amazing? A full and beautiful short story.
Beginning, middle, end. Conflict. Characters. Villains. And all summed up in a
few words.

But what’s at the heart of the blind man’s story?

It’s the same truth that is at the heart of all of us who call Jesus “Lord”. It’s the same faith statement we all cling to. The same heart’s cry we all give.

It’s what spurned John Newton to pen the words to his classic hymn Amazing Grace.

Your story.

My story.

The blind man’s story.

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

********************************************************************

photo courtesy of http://www.gerhardy.id.au/lent4_08.htm

What to forget from 2010?

So, 2010 has been quite a year. Amazing, challenging, disheartening, and exhausting in many ways.

Here are a few words of 2010:

Wikileaks

Health Care Reform

Chilean Miners

The Duggers

Haiti earthquake

Oprah

Silly bands

Facebook

Personally, there are probably things you’d really like to remember from 2010. For me, it was summer vacation with my family and attending the ACFW conference in Indianapolis. I want to remember watching my graduate students get their diplomas, my oldest child starting middle school, and family hikes to the top of Roan Mountain. I want to keep the last conversation I had with my grandmother as clear in my memory as I can.

And though vampires seem to drink up all the good publicity at the movies, some of the top ranked films of 2010 don’t have one toothy undead among the lot. Toy Story 3 and Inception were at the top of many lists.

But there are things from this year that became annoying:

Lindsay Lohan

Teen mom fiasco

Kate Gosselin

Bieber hair

Reality T.V.

Personally, the greatest hurt of 2010 was the death of my beloved grandmother. I just miss her.

There are lots of things to remember, but what I really want to know is –

What will you choose to forget in 2010?

One of the greatest hindrances to truly living your life in 2011 is holding on to hurts and anger from 2010. God calls us to something MUCH bigger than that. Something that goes against the fibers of our selfish natures.

He calls us to forgive. To start with clean slates. To be the ones who do the unthinkable – FORGIVE!

Psalm 90 is a fabulous chapter to help us start off a new year with the PROPER perspective. Today and Wednesday, I want to talk a little about it, but here is something to remember.

This Psalm reminds us of who God is and what He’s done.

It reminds us of who WE are and what we’ve done.

Verse 12 says “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Becoming aware of the frailty of humanity , of the fleeting moments, of the wasted anger, self-pity, and worry and placing those things under the light of God’s eternity is a powerful thing.

They are so small – and we make them soooo big.

With God’s help, what will we choose to FORGIVE and FORGET from 2010? We have the choice and God gives the ability.

Any best and/or worst memories of 2010?

Any you need to forget?

Romancing the Wicked Witch of the West – The Gospel

Oh come on, isn’t she lovely? With skin the color of sweet peas, a voice to scrape paint off the walls, and a nose with enough hook to catch a fish. She’s sweet too. Oh so sweet. Really. Who cares about a girl and her little dog too?

The Wicked Witch of the West is a fantastic heroine, right? Definite romance novel material.

Oh – and what about Senator Palpatine (aka The Emperor) off of Star Wars, especially after his electrifying facial. Mmmhmmm…can we say beautiful. Skin the texture of old leather, eyes the color of dried blood, and what teeth he does have hold a pale yellow candescence. Hunky!

I’ve got it! The Joker. What a great sense of humor, right? Sure, it gets a little out of hand, but that chalky white complexion and pasted grin can sure make my heart flip. And the eye makeup, or the redness around his mouth. Sooo complimentary.  And the laugh? Or the clothes? What’s not to love.

Would it sound very weird if I said – we are all villains?

Yep. Just as beautiful…probably worse, than the three I’ve just discussed. Even at our best, we’re pretty atrocious. We don’t want to admit it about ourselves. We want to believe (or make other people believe) we’re pretty good people – but at the core of who we are, we are irrecovably broken, flawed,…’our righteousness is as filthy rags”.

And yet – we are loved by the most beautiful being in all eternity.

God sees us as we are, in all our disgust, and romances us. Who would EVER read a book like that? Really? When there is nothing loveable AT ALL. What hero would seek out a woman like The Wicked Witch of the West? None in the books I read…unless, the books are trying to point to the greatest HERO of all.

John 3:16 should SHOCK us to our souls. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God! Loved us THAT much. Loved US. US – those villains with breath to wilt apples, or enough evil to slay people’s thoughts with a glance. US.

God came down from Heaven and romanced the villains. And we weren’t even LOOKING for a love.

 John 3, as Nicodemus visits Jesus by night, talks about how the ‘world’ wasn’t even looking for Jesus. Didn’t even want to see him. Verse 19 says, “men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Evil. Villains. The World. Us.

The people for whom Christ died.

And now for Him We LIVE, because a love like THAT transforms us.

No longer beasts, but because of love – beauty. His love changes our sin-cloaked hearts and shapes them into magnificent vessels overflowing with the possiblities of our Lover.

He inspires, even enables, us to become Heroes in this story he’s writing with our lives.

Oh what a Prince, Savior, Lover of our Souls.

An Anchor For Your Soul

Life is always changing, isn’t it? Seasons change into other seasons, babies grow to adults, fashions move from one extreme to the next – even the way books are written change. Friends come and go, perspectives switch, jobs dissolve or advance.

Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the fog of unpredictability and worry.

Where is the foundation in the winds of change? An anchor for the storm-tossed soul?

Hebrews 6:13-20 gives us an answer here.

 ¹³When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, ¹⁴saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.“^{[c] 15}And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

 ¹⁶Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.

Basically, God was saying, “Abraham, I will keep my promise to you, PLUS I’ll keep your part of the promise too. I’m THAT trustworthy, Abraham. You can be THAT secure in my love for you…in my promise to you.”

So when Abraham (or his descendents) broke their promise to God, God took the wrath for that broken promise…in the person of Christ. As verse 18 states, “it is impossible for God to lie”.

We have a SURE hope. A SOLID anchor.

This picture is of my daughter. We toured a museum about the Titanic and there is a replication of the anchor for the Titanic. See how big it is. Looks pretty solid, doesn’t it? But not even something the size of THAT anchor could save the Titanic.

Okay – now multiply the  anchor by infinity and you get the security of God’s love and faithfulness. Nothing can set us adrift when he is our security…because HE’S the anchor. It is HIS strength that keeps us firm through the storm, not our attempts at maneuvering our little boats.

When we start getting nervous or scared about the many changes and unexpected dangers of life, may we remember His love is a sure anchor for our souls, “firm and secure”.

Little Interruptions and Detours

Okay….I just ended a semester of work and will start back again in two weeks. Sigh. Two weeks.

Praise GOD for vacations. Life can get so busy sometimes, it passes in hyperspeed. I dont’ like that. It messes with your brain

My granny raised six kids by herself after her husband died of cancer. At the time, social security benefits weren’t an option, so she worked 2-3 jobs to keep all the bills paid. She’s a remarkable lady and all of her kids are Christians. As a mom of five, I wanted to glean from her obvious wisdom so I asked her, “Granny, how did you get through all of those years?”

She thought a moment and then a humorous grin slid across her face. “I can’t remember.”

LOL. I bet not. Talk about life going at lightspeed! 6 kids  + 3 jobs = memory loss. Yep.

Ever felt that way? Overwhelmed? Too busy? Cup filled and overflowing?

It’s so easy to get bogged down in the middle of all the ‘doing’ that we forget God is in control of every day down to the second. Each and every one of YOUR seconds…and MINE.

In the middle of all of His other ‘things’…like rotating planets, navigating millions of automobiles, making sure the sun rises and sets, He dips His finger into the story of our lives and gets involved. He actually sets our lives in motion and creates personalized detours along the way.

What an amazing thought. The God of the universe allows things to come into our lives to ‘interrupt’ our routine. He breaks the montony and gives us pause to think.

The interruption could be the means to recognize His handiwork in our lives, shock us into considering our mortality, or be something as simple as a way to remind us He cares.

God does have hands and feet you know. US.

 

His hands and feet are displayed through the love of His kids.

A gentle word

a random act of kindness,

 a hug from a friend,

a song of thanksgiving,

a listening ear

These are ways God uses His people to show His love to others.

Once, when I was overwhelmed in all the hustle of 5 kids, work, school, ministry….etc, I walked into the bathroom and locked the door. I sat in there, seeking a small bit of quiet in the day – wondering where God was and asking for strength – or something to help give me perspective in my moment.

Suddenly, I heard the voice of my six year old outside the door…and my four year old…and my two year old…all calling my name “Mommy”.

As bad as it sounds, I didn’t answer right away.

I hoped they might go play for a little longer, so I could have that one minute of quiet. Just me.

Then, a piece of paper slid under the door. I picked it up and read in my six-year old’s print:

We know you’re in there.

 

I grinned. A few seconds later, another sheet of paper appeared. We luv yu. My grin grew. One last paper slid under the door. Are yu stuk?

 

Well that was enough to remind me of my blessings…and my calling. I needed a quiet time, but I also needed a perspective switch. God used my ‘little interruptions’ to remind me of his active work in my life – even in the little (bathroom) moments. (I’m SO glad God has a sense of humor too.)

No moment is too small and no task to menial – God sees and knows and gives us what we need to finish the work He’s started in us…

And those detours in life? Sometimes God steers us down roads we’d never travel without His guidance because He wants us to be greater people than we could ever dreamto become on our own.

How Do You Get To Heaven?

I was having one of those high anxiety nights where sleep seemed as possible as crossing the ocean on a bicycle. My head spinned, tangled and twisted by hundreds of unrelated thoughts. My heart pulsed and my stomach boiled. I wanted to crawl outside my skin for ten seconds just to find a break from the internal chaos.In the middle of my emotional tornado my eight year old daughter stumbled into my room, weeping. Another bad dream. I pulled her into my arms and she sniffed against my shoulder, mumbling something about grenades and bad guys – she has two older brothers, so I guess that explains it.

Within five minutes, she was breathing the peaceful breath of deep sleep…and I was suddenly sobered by the irony. Here I was struggling internally with my own nightmares of sorts, drowning in a whirlpool of nervous thoughts and fears, and trying to work through it all by myself.

Just like my daughter, I needed to run to the One person who could give me the peace of mind I needed…the rest for my soul…Someone I could trust completely.

What happens to us when we grow up and become adults? With kids, there is simple trust…simple belief. We take our parents at their words and trust them to do exactly what they say they’ll do.

In Matthew 18:1-6, Jesus brings a child before his disciples and says, ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest int he kingdom of heaven.’

Now, of course Jesus didn’t mean we’d transform into children…and he didn’t mean we’d become ‘innocent’ as a child either. Jesus referred to the complete trust and dependence a child has.

A child is helpless, needy, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

They recognize they need help, just like my daughter, and they are quick to seek the one who can help them. Children find acceptance, truth, support and their worldviews from the adults around them.

Jesus says that unless we realize how helpless and needy we are– unless we confess our need our lostness in our sinful states, then we can’t get to heaven. We must rely on Him for everything – and the best part is, He is faithful.

He IS trustworthy. He is the BEST answer for our nightmares and anxious thoughts 

We can trust him as completely as a child.

When our nightmares come, when our hopes quiver under the weight of disappointments, trials, or pain – Jesus is a sure foundation in the storm. His arms of love provide refuge in the storms of life. His promises are secure and his love, everlasting. We can run to him.

Reality Check – Yes, I am a mother

So, I was watching Pride and Prejudice and glorying in the elegance, grace, and romantic interludes. My thoughts drifted through the picturesque landscape along with Keira Knightly or Jennifer Ehle (whichever version you prefer). My neck tingled when Colin Firth spoke, or Matthew McFadgen said “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time,” while in the rain. It was easy to close my eyes and imagine myself dancing in the ballrooms or walking through Pemberley, music tingling a rhythm throughout the room or the fresh scent of roses drifting through an open window…

 when suddenly my three year old said, “Mama, I got a booger.”

Yes, and reality set in.
At some point, dreams of floating castles, ball gowns of silk and elegant coaches were replaced by mountainous piles of laundry, spit-up stained t-shirts, and a juice-stained minivan. (Although, I do seem to find them again at night when the house is silent)

Sometimes I wonder…how can this be real life? I clean out slimy boogers, change diapers with mass amounts of compost, wash dishes that miraculously reappear one hour later, and cycle through an endless pile of laundry. My prayers for the perfect man (since I found someone pretty close) have been replaced with “Lord, please let this pair of panty hose only have a run in the thigh…or maybe in the toe.”

I love my children, yes, all five of them and I wouldn’t give up parenthood for all the full nights of sleep in the world, but it’s funny to look back on life before kids. All the added ‘adventures’ of being a mom are pretty amazing! I love being a mom, almost every aspect of it, but there is one part I could certainly live without: the guilt.

Have you been there? If you are any type of mother, I’m sure you have. In fact, I’ve spoken with four mothers in the past week who know the intense disturbance of ‘mom guilt’ like a constant nagging in the back of their heads. Am I disciplining my children like I should? Are they eating healthy enough? Are they going to love Jesus? Did I let them watch too much t.v.? And for those working moms, we add the continual guilt of…. I’m not spending enough time with my children. Will they grow up to resent me? Will my absence affect their social/emotional development? Will they love me less because I’ve had to work outside the home?

Whoa! I feel an ulcer coming on at the thought!!
Okay, so let’s come to terms about one thing right now. You are not perfect!!! I am not perfect!! and we never will be. Romans states, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All….means……ALL!

So how is this encouraging, you might ask. Well, our children’s salvation and emotional development is in the Lord’s hands. Sure he gives us responsibilities and we should glorify Him my completing those responsibilites to the best of our abilities, but the bulk of the weight is on the Lord.

He created our children for His glory. He numbered their days before they took one breath. He designed the path for them to walk.

He uses us to help them learn to walk, but it is He who directs their paths.

God has called up to ‘teach’ them and to ‘love’ them….and as Keith Green’s old song says, “He’ll take care of the rest.”

A worried mother or a guilty mother isn’t as productive as a mother who is trusting God to use her faulty efforts for His glory. God redeems our efforts and brings our kids to Himself, even if they watched two hours of Veggitales today, or ate a football-sized piece of chocolate cake, or didn’t get a bath for two nights in a row, or didn’t see your smiling face until you got home at 5pm.

The points are:
1. God holds your kids and created them for His glory
2. God loves your kids more than you do and He knows exactly what they need most
3. Just because you work outside the home, or let them watch Star Wars, doesn’t mean that they will become social recluses or mother-hating teens. It is what you do with the time you do have with them and how you see tough moments as well as great moments as opportunities to teach your childre about God’s grace.
4. Worry never added a hair to one’s head (actually it may help with the loss) or a moment to one’s days.

Yes, I know it’s easier said than done, but God is a BIG God. Believe me, I’m struggling with guilt as I write this…guilt and worry, but what counteracts against those two enemies? Trust

To learn about some debunked myths, Seekerville (my favorite writing site on the web) has posted some for your viewing pleasure. I’m particularly fond of #1, 4, 5, 9 http://seekerville.blogspot.com

We trust in a God that does not fail, even if we do. We trust in a Savior whose grasp is much tighter than ours could ever be. We may not do everything right, but He’s in the business of fixing our mistakes.

Blessed be the wonderful, beautiful Father God, who not only holds us in his everlasting arms, but brings our children along with us. Trust Him.

If I Really Knew You

I was at a writer’s conference once and started chatting with the person in line behind me. No surprise there. My dad says I could carry on a conversation with a block wall. It’s a family trait

Anyway, this lady and I had a pleasant conversation about life, family, her writing, my writing. Nothing spectacular. I didn’t think anything more of it than a friendly moment in time.

I finished getting my food and sat at a table when one of the other guests touched my arm.

“You looked like you were having a pretty good conversation with Angie Hunt.”

Angie Hunt? Angela Hunt! Award winning author of over one-hundred books!!

(To read more about Angie Hunt, see my post two days ago)

So the pleasant little conversation suddenly changed to one of those shocked moments that you write down in your journal to share with all of your posterity and even devote a blog-post to it

Knowing WHO she was, changed the way I saw the situation.It wasn’t just a sweet little moment in my day. It was momentous. Knowing WHO she was made a BIG difference on my perspective.

There’s a familiar story in the Bible about Jesus calming the sea. (And though Angela Hunt loves Jesus, knowing her and knowing HIM are two very different things

To paraphrase the Gospels, here we go:

The disciples follow Jesus onto a boat and they head out onto the sea. A big storm whips up out of nowhere, so dangerous that the disciples start to freak out. They start crying out for help, and where is Jesus? In the middle of the howling wind, crashing waves, and pelting rain…sleeping!!

The disciples wake him up and say something like, “Don’t you care that we’re all going to die?”So…Jesus tells the storm to hush up. And it does. Then he looks at his disciples and says, “Oh you of little faith. Why are you so afraid?”

Now some Gospels put Jesus’ rebuke before the calming of the storm and some after. Just imagine Jesus waking from his nap to the hurricane-like conditions and screaming through the wind at the disciples. “Why are you afraid?”

I can only imagine the disciples giving him a look like Jesus, have you seen the size of those waves? This is NOT a dream. We’re going to DIE!

When Jesus calms the storm with his words, the disciples start to freak out in a very different way, because they suddenly were struck with the truth about WHO Jesus really was. The external storm on the water suddenly flew inside their hearts. Whoa! Jesus’ words brought calm to the chaos, as God- The Creator’s- words brought order to the chaos of the universe. Proving that he truly was, who he’d said he was. Spectacular.

So, in one respect, Jesus is saying: If you guys really knew who I was, you’d be able to sleep through a storm too.

There are a few poignant truths in this story.

1. The storm wasn’t a shock to Jesus. He knew it was going to happen and went to sleep anyway.

2. Knowing who Jesus really is, helps us see the storms of life from a new perspective.

Jesus leads us into storms sometimes to refine our faith. So the question is, how do we respond in the middle of the storm? It’s easy to view in hindsight, or predict your response in foresight, but what about in the very middle when the hurt, fear, worry, and grief are the greatest?

This was convicting to me, because if I really know Him, worry becomes obsolete and fear melts into a minor obstacle. His peace settles a heart during the most frightening storm or by streams of living water and green pastures. My heart should find rest in either/or.

The great thing is – he wants us to get to know him better, because he wants us to rest in him.

Psalm 62:1 reads: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.”

Psalm 119:1: Blessed are they that keep his statutes and seek him with all their hearts.”

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

When we know WHO holds us, who loves us, who guides us through the storm – then our perspective on the power of the storm changes and our security in the Maker of the storm overcomes our fear.

May we take this verse to heart and find rest in His promises:

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”