Steps to Patience

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey

In a world where there are constant tasks, duties and many “hats to wear”, we sometimes miss out on those golden opportunities because we were so focused on crossing off another item on our to do list in life. We’re in a hurry to be in a hurry if that makes any sense whatsoever. Slow down. Listen. Change your pace. It will be the blessing of a lifetime. You won’t want to cross that item off your life. You will want it there forever to savor.


Action Steps: Developing Patience in the Wilderness
- I will make an encouragement card.
- I will change my pace.
- I will meet God outdoors.
- I will pray in a new way.
- I will keep a wilderness record.
- I will develop patience in the wilderness by .

Action Steps: Developing Patience in Relationships
- I will get to know someone.
- I will pray.
- I will listen.
- I will be flexible.
- I will be interruptible.
- I will develop patience in my relationships by .

Action Steps: Developing Everyday Patience
- I will practice waiting.
- I will practice going slower.
- I will practice being there.
- I will be serene.
- I will develop every day patience by .

Patience Prayer

Precious Lord,
I sit before you humbled that you have always been patient with me. After all, you know how often I’ve moved forward spiritually only to take my eyes off you…time and time again. Yet, you always wait patiently for me to look toward you once more. I want you to be my role model in this do-over of my character, especially my patience! I marvel at how patient you were when you were wrongly accused, beaten nearly to death, and sent to the cross to die. Thank you for having such enormous patience, even during the worst of situations. It’s well past time that I ask you for some of your patience to rub off on me. Thank you in advance for continuing to help me.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Parable by Ginny: Fuzzy and Wuzzy

Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.
Psalm 37:7

Two baby caterpillars, Fuzzy and Wuzzy, were inching their way through the green grass of the meadow. As they neared a bright bed of flowers, the brilliant burst of a beautiful flying creature captured their attention. “Look, “squealed Fuzzy, “I wonder what that is.” “ I don’t know,” answered Wuzzy, “but I see hundreds of them up in the sky!” Both caterpillars strained to see the vibrant flashes of color as the creatures darted from blossom to blossom. “I want to be able to do that,” cried Fuzzy. “I bet if I could just climb up on one of those flowers, I would be beautiful too.” “Don’t be foolish, “said Wuzzy. “You are nothing like those fellows. You’ll just hurt yourself.”

But Fuzzy wouldn’t listen to her friend. She moved slowly along the ground until she reached the stem of a flower. As her gaze swept upward, she thought, “I just know that if I can touch the colors, I will be like those beautiful creatures I saw.” Fuzzy began climbing toward the colorful petals. As she climbed, she felt her skin becoming tight so she would push and push until she burst through the old skin. Instead of resting to allow her new soft skin to harden, Fuzzy continued her climb. When she finally reached the top of the flower, she latched onto the colorful petal expecting to transform into a beautiful soaring creature. At that moment, a hungry bird spotted Fuzzy, swooped down, and Fuzzy was no more.

Meanwhile, on the ground Wuzzy continued her slow journey through the meadow. She grew in size as she climbed trees to snack on leaves. Each time she burst through her old skin, she rested as her new soft skin hardened to a protective coat. Eventually, Wuzzy climbed a tree, transformed into a gray-brown chrysalis, and hung like a shriveled leaf from a branch. Time passed as Wuzzy waited. One warm day she awoke to a strange and wonderful sensation. She slowly wiggled out of her shell, clung to the branch with her new long legs, and fluttered her moist gossamer wings. The moistness dried in the breeze and the fluttering motion lifted her high about the garden. As she joyously darted from flower to flower, she briefly thought of her friend, Fuzzy. “I wonder if she is experiencing the joy I am feeling right now. I hope so.” Then she continued her delightful journey through the garden.

Father, Help us to remember that You have a plan for each life and that Your timing is perfect. Teach us not to rush ahead of You because that only leads to disappointment and failure. Slow us down so we do not miss the wonders You have prepared for each of us. Amen.

© 2006 by Ginny Holcombe. All rights reserved.

Flip Side of Patience

Impatience. Just the mention of the word can send me into a frenzy some times. Impatience, the word makes me want to take off like Roadrunner. If ever I hear, "You should be more patient" I take a couple of deep breaths, pray, and remember understanding is the key to Patience. For me to be patient I have to dig down deep, focus on the person, problem, or task at hand. I say a prayer, God help me to understand what's going on here. God give me insight. Help me to surrender everything to you. Then I can relax, and then I am better prepared to live in Patience.

I've mentioned before that music helps me to focus - so does it surprise you that I have a song to help me fight my impatience? Who better to help me practice patience, than Axel Rose, and his wise words from Guns-n-Roses song, Patience.

"Said woman take it slow it'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience. Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine. All we need is just a little patience."

Take it slow. Relax. Let it go. I think too many times, when people are impatient, they haven't taken the time to place themselves in another persons shoes. One practice I gleaned from acting is the practice of walking in anothers shoes. In acting it's important to take the time to see where other people are coming from. You can't become a character if you don't research to see what makes them who they are. You can't become a character by thinking you are better than the person you are portraying.

So in real life, taking time to understand others, I think makes it easier to have patience with a person or situation. This does not mean you have to agree with what they do, their beliefs, or how they live and construct their daily life...but it helps you to understand. Understanding helps you to put things in a different perspective, and also helps fight impatience.

"Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." ephesians 4:2

"I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience." 1 Timothy 1:16

Too much to do + not enough time = IMPATIENCE

Maybe you are like me. I have an 18-month-old son, a husband, a home, a full-time job and three part-time jobs ( just FYI ~ I'm doing the PT jobs to get us to the place where I can stay home with my son and two of them I would like to continue once I do that!). I've got a lot on my plate like so many women do these days. So when I was preparing for this teaching and felt led to go in the direction of developing patience by SLOWING DOWN, my first thought was, "Are you KIDDING me?!!?!!" Just for the record, no, God wasn't kidding me! Too much to do + not enough time = IMPATIENCE…with spouse, kids, waiter, clerk, even the gosh-darn computer connection!! Read this excerpt from "Character Makeover" by Dr. Katie Brazelton and see if this sounds like your life:

You leap out of bed, zip in and out of the shower, bolt down your breakfast, gulp down your coffee and rush off to work. Your boss tells you to hustle on that report, get in gear on those changes and step on it to complete that project. You dash out to lunch where you wolf down a sandwich, hurry back to the office, dash off some emails, whip through your voice mails and get cracking on those assignments. At five, you hotfoot it out of there, race home in rush-hour traffic, and dart in the front door. You throw dinner on the table, run through everyone's report about their day, scramble to get the kids to their lessons and fall into bed after doing instant messaging and paying some bills on Quicken. And at night you pray, "Lord, I need patience, and I need it now!"

Sound vaguely familiar? Then read on, my friend!

The tendency of those of us that are DOERS, those that have to make something happen if it isn’t happening fast enough, is to JUMP THE GUN. Our motto is: Don’t just stand there; do something …anything! Perhaps God wants our motto to be:Don’t just do something; Stand there!

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret.

*Let God move in His timing ~ WITHOUT your help

*Trust that where you are is EXACTLY where He wants you to be for now

*Proverbs 16:9 ~ The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps. MacArthur states that “God’s sovereignty overrules the plans of men to fulfill His purposes”

*Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean unto your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

When we trust and acknowledge Him as Lord, He will direct our paths. But we shouldn’t then look up and shout, “Lord, what in the world am I doing HERE????!!!” Trust His Sovereignty and His plan and do not go out and make your own way unless you want a mess!

Feeling antsy about a decision or problem that seems to go unnoticed by God?

Step 1: Stand still ~ you won't get clear instructions when you are moving at a break-neck pace

Step 2: PRAY!

Step 3: Surrender your will to His = peace ~ Hand over the map and the compass to Him and let Him navigate

Step 4: Worship ~ He knows what He's doing and is a big enough God to make a way

Step 5: Relax ~ keep doing what He last told you to do until He tells you to do something different

Step 6: Move when and where He leads

So this is a real challenge to those of us that like to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN! But this is a vital lesson in patience. I pray that those of you who are like me will learn to slow down and then stand still. Pray for me too, won't you?

Steps to Self Control

Self-control. For many, being impulsive can be a positive if we do it for the right reasons. Being impulsive by going the extra mile by helping a friend in need or supporting a cause we think worthy of our attention. Impulsive actions can also be negative if we use our impulsiveness to inflict hurt or pain. That is where we must be brave and exercise self-control. Hurtful words can never be taken back and it is up to us to overcome and conquer our desires against negative impulse.

As our prayer focus for greater self-control, pray that God will give you the power to control your words and actions. Seek his word on topics of self control. Both the books of Galatians and Corinthians have ways to practice our own self discipline.

Action Steps: Developing Self-Control Over My Mouth

- I will give a blessing.
- I will stop and think.
- I will stop gossiping.
- I will be gentle.
- I will be thankful.
- I will guard my mind.
- I will work on developing control over my mouth by .

Action Steps: Developing Self-Discipline

- I will start exercising.
- I will eat a balanced diet.
- I will take a Sabbath.
- I will be punctual.
- I will stop procrastinating.
- I will work on developing self-discipline by .

Action Steps: Developing Good Habits

- I will keep a journal.
- I will find a mentor.
- I will worship.
- I will have a daily mini-Sabbath.
- I will find an accountability partner.
- I will work on developing good habits by .

Self-Control Prayer

Precious Lord,
I’m not doing so well with my self-control. It seems like every time I turn around, I’m “blowing it” again. When I lose control, sin is evident or close on its heels. Help me pay special attention to the action steps I marked, concentrating on them not only this week for homework, but for a lifetime. Hear my request. Send me an accountability partner who will check in with me regularly for prayer and discussion about how I am doing. I need an extra measure of grace to help me implement this character trait into my life, and I am grateful you have already made that deposit in my spiritual bank account. Thank you.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Stress: Trying to be a Martha When You’re a Mary

For most of my adult life, I was made to feel like I was lazy. I had to be “busy” every waking moment. If I sat down to read, watch TV, or just to sit I was wasting time. I didn’t dare spend a quiet day in my robe and pj’s. When I was a child one of the good things about being sick was lying on the couch and having Mom take care of me. However, as an adult, if I wasn’t sick enough to stay in bed, I was well enough to work. Working was the most important thing in life. I wondered what was wrong with me. My life was filled with the stress of trying to be what I wasn’t. Instead of my self-control allowing myself to be the person God created me to be, I allowed another person to control me.

In the five years since my divorce, God has used many resources to show me that I am not lazy. The following scripture passage became God’s personal message to me as I rediscovered the Ginny He created.

38-40As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."

41-42The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." Luke 10: 38-42, MSG.

I am not a Martha. I have some Martha’s in my life and I am very thankful for them. We need Martha’s in our world. I do enjoy the events Martha’s create. I welcome people into my home but I am not a Martha Stewart hostess. I don’t always think to offer people something to drink but I have no problem with them helping themselves. I don’t enjoy fixing a formal meal or setting a fancy table. I do enjoy sharing a meal from Panera Bread or a having a pizza delivered.

I am a Mary. I love to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship. I love to meet friends at a restaurant and talk about what God is doing in our lives. I love to share with anyone who will listen all that God has done for and in me. I am decluttering my life of things that tie me down or take time I would rather spend in other ways. I do work. And I do experience stress. Life is stressful! When I do feel stressed, I whisper a prayer and God always hears. The cause of the stress may not disappear but I always sense God’s calming presence. And now I let myself be me. I have learned to say no. I don’t commit to things because someone thinks I should. I am discovering my passions and focusing on them.

What about you? Who or what controls your life? Whether you are a Martha or a Mary or a little of both, allow your self-control to keep your eyes and heart tuned to Jesus so that when you do experience life’s stress, His presence will calm you. When you do this, much of the stress you feel will disappear. Jesus does care.

Choose Each Day ~ Flesh or Spirit?

Self- control is something that we as women dread talking about. I know I do! But it is an important character trait (as exhibited by the fruit of the Spirit) that must be allowed to develop in our lives.

Proverbs 25:28

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.

There are several concepts inherent in self-control:

Moderation

Self-discipline

Willpower

Restraint

The flipside (or lack of self-control) looks like this: overindulgent, impulsive, over-reactive or lazy

As is written in Character Makeover “The strongest self-control is not self-control at all, but God-control. In and of ourselves, we don’t have the willpower, strength, or virtue to exercise consistent self-control. But when we put ourselves under God’s control, then we will find the power we need to exercise self-control.”

You and I have a choice in everything we do. Choice is rooted in our desires ~ either to satisfy/glorify the flesh (body, emotions, will) or to glorify God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So evaluate yourself (I know....OUCH!). Which desire is stronger: Flesh or spirit? Who is in control? Someone always is ~ you and me or God. When we choose to give into what the flesh wants (that sarcastic remark or gossipping about co-worker or eating the second piece of cake) that is un-Godly self-control. That’s why God-control is mentioned above. Let God be in control of your self, that way your self-control will truly be Godly.

Romans 8:

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) Skip to verse 12.

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Just because we struggle with God-controlled self-control doesn’t mean that we aren’t children of God. It means that we must allow His Spirit to grow in us by reading the Word and spending time with Him. What we feed is what will grow whether it be our fleshly desires or the Holy Spirit in us. As we starve our fleshly desires, there is more room for the Spirit to take over and fill us with God’s desires.

It doesn’t take any effort at all to be ruled by the flesh. That’s our natural bent. Giving in to the flesh and not practicing self-control fulfills a desire in us: to do what we want, to feel good in some way, to exercise fleshly self-control, i.e. if I want it, I’m going to have it. But it takes more than our own willpower to be ruled by the Spirit.

Here’s the exciting thing:

Philippians 2:13

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

When we lack of Godly self-control the evidence can be outward (such as obesity, gossip, outward expressions of anger) or inward (such as negative self-talk, pride, worry/anxiety) but the root is always inward and based in how we think about God in relation to ourselves. We base the way we think about God on something He did or didn’t do or hasn’t done, something He allowed to happen, our lack of trust in Him to take care of us or a situation, not knowing who we are in Christ plus so much more.

What is your main area that is out of God-controlled self-control? What would it look like if you surrendered that to God instead of being controlled by the flesh? How would your life be different? Is your desire to bring glory to God stronger than your desire to give into the flesh and/or being passively controlled by the flesh because it is “easier”? Are you at least willing to be made willing?

Again ~ go to Philippians 2:13: For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Each one of us can make the choice to allow that work and follow where it leads or take the easy road of fleshly control and its consequences. I know it's a struggle but when we CHOOSE to walk in the Spirit instead of our flesh, we have victory. Let's pray for each other this week in this area. If you are comfortable doing so, please post and share your struggles with self-control so we can be praying for you specifically.

Love to my sisters!

Tara

Courage to Take Risks

Opening Scene: A simple house in Capernaum in the 1st century AD.

What a day this has been. I awoke to another day of pain with no idea of the miracle God had planned for me. For twelve years I had sought healing from doctors, priests, any one who offered a ray of hope. I was still bleeding. I heard rumors of a Man who had healed people of all sorts of diseases and infirmities. He had raised people from the dead. I didn’t know what to think. Could this be true?

I crawled out of bed and dressed. My desire for healing gave me a determination I had never felt before. I left my house and blended into a group of people in the center of town. People began pushing toward a Man in the center of the mob. He looked like an ordinary man but I needed to believe He could heal me so I inched my way through the crowd. I hoped I could go unnoticed as I reached out and gently touched the fringe of His garment. A burst of sunshine exploded inside of me and I knew the bleeding had ceased. I quickly turned to escape the pressing throng.

Suddenly the Rabbi turned and said, “Who touched Me?” His friends were all saying, “But, Master, the people are pressing in on You. What do You mean, ‘Who touched Me?’” I begin to tremble. What would He think of me? Would He rebuke me for disturbing Him? I fell down before Him and admitted I was the one who had touched Him. And I exclaimed, “And Master, I am healed!” Jesus looked at me with a tenderness I had never seen before and spoke in a quiet voice.

"Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.” (Matthew 5:34; MSG, emphasis mine).

This short scripture passage relating one woman’s story has become my testimony. I didn’t experience an actual blood loss but an innocent comment I misunderstood when I was twelve years old inflicted a small emotional wound. I kept breathing but my lifeblood, my passions, my joy, began to seep out of my body. As my life continued other wounds caused the tiny hemorrhage that began that day became a major blood loss.

Forty years later I found myself divorced and alone. My identity was gone. I was no longer a wife and my children were grown and on their own. All I had were my job and my faith. Just like the women with the issue of blood, I was seeking healing. Daily, hourly, by the minute I cried out to God for healing. One day I found myself face down on the floor in complete hopelessness, just wanting the pain to stop. In the darkest moment, I lifted up my eyes and cried out to my Father. He was there. His presence filled the room and embraced me with a love unlike any I had ever felt. This is when I took my risk of faith and reached out to touch the fringe of His garment. The bleeding ceased and the restoration of my lifeblood began.

Five years after this “risk of faith” God continues to restore what was lost in every area of my life. With His guidance and strength I have taken other risks of faith. I sought and obtained a position in a church in another city where I bought a house. I traveled from Kentucky to California to train with Katie Brazelton. My ministry to women through my writing and speaking is making slow but steady progress. In the last year I had two total knee replacements. God is leading me into amore intimate and loving relationship with Him. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically God is allowing me to begin living well and blessed.

What about you? Has life wounded you? Reach out and touch the hem of His garment. Allow Jesus to tenderly heal you and restore to you a life of hope and blessings. Dare to take a risk of faith. Jesus will not fail you.

Joy in Jesus!
Ginny

Keep Walking

Fear

The flip side of courage is fear. Fear is something I am very familiar with. In college I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. This diagnosis seemed very strange to me because I LOVE to be around people. But for some reason in certain social situations I would have panic attacks. I’m not talking about mild attacks – I’m talking serious attacks.

My panic attacks always started with losing the ability to breathe, like my chest was closing in on me. I felt a large amount of adrenaline rushing throughout my entire body – I could not be still. My heart beat increased, I got light headed, and eventually I would throw up. After getting sick, I would just sit on the floor in the bathroom for a few minutes because, I was too weak to do anything else. I loathed this experience. You must understand throwing up is in my top 5 least favorite things to do. I HATE getting sick – thus I dreaded panic attacks even more than normal.

At first I prayed and prayed and asked God to take this away from me. Month after month passed by and nothing changed in my behavior. I continued to experience panic attacks, even while on medication. These attacks were getting to me mentally and emotionally. I began to feel defeated. And then one morning while I was laying in bed, contemplating how to face the day with another attack in my future, my phone rang. I actually answered my phone. This is what I heard on the other end.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans words can not express.”

That was my friend Shelly reading Romans 8:26. Shelly told me she felt that God wanted her to call me and read this verse to me. I am SO thankful that she decided to listen to the Spirit’s prompting, because that is exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. Groans – I was at the point of groans. I could no longer find the words to pray. I was desperate. Fear had taken over, but to know that God was praying for me gave me strength.

I got out of bed with a new attitude. I learned what Geri talks about in her story – that I did not have to conquer fear to experience life. I learned that I have to find courage to walk through my fear. The only way I could walk through my fear was to walk through it with Jesus holding my hand. And I would picture just that in my mind in those hard moments. I too called this fear my thorn in my flesh, and with this new God given insight, my fear began to lose it’s power over me.

Now, year’s later my anxiety is MUCH better. I know a new freedom in life because of Jesus. I cling to the fact that He is praying for me, and that He loves me. And if God is praying for me and loves me – what do I really have to fear? I rarely experience a panic attack these days. But if for some reason my thorn rears its ugly head, I don’t cower. I walk through it.

My prayer for you is that you learn Romans 8:26. I pray that you cling to God’s word. I pray that you trust him. I pray, that you internalize the fact, that THE all powerful God of the universe has YOU in His prayers. Breathe deep His hope. Take in the courage He can give you…and keep walking.

One last note – if you did pick a theme song (reference from my last blog entry) this is another great time to play it in your head.

May the Lord Bless you.

Are You the Cowardly Lion?

Hi Ladies!
How did you do with the study last week? I pray that you have a gained a new perspective on self-confidence with that perspective being a new focus on confidence in God instead of in yourself! That takes such a load off of our shoulders, doesn't it?!
This next week, we will be taking a look at courage. Thinking about courage automatically makes me think of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz. You had to feel sorry for him because he was scared of everything! Poor guy! I just wanted to hug him! But how many of us could say that we have an inward Cowardly Lion? My hand would have to be raised to this question for sure. But let's take a look at what God says about courage vs. fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 (New Living Translation)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

One of the most important things we have to realize is that fear, anxiety and worry do NOT come from God. Fear is not what God wants us to live in. Now, we can experience fear and use that as an exercise in remembering to put our trust in God (and thus gain courage) but He does not want us to live a lifestyle of fear, anxiety and worry. He has given us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Here is what John MacArthur has to say about this (from his study Bible):
"power: Positively, God has already given believers all the spiritual resources they need for every trial and threat . Divine power - effective, productive spiritual energy - belongs to believers (Ephesians 1:18-20 NASB: 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, )
"love: This kind of love centers on pleasing God and seeking others' welfare before one's own.
"discipline: Refers to a self-controlled and properly prioritized mind. This is the opposite of fear and cowardice that causes disorder and confusion. Focusing on the sovereign nature and perfect purposes of our eternal God allows believers to control their lives with godly wisdom and confidence in every situation."
(emphases mine)

I hope you can see the alternatives of confidence and courage that God has given His children as opposed to fear. One woman shared in our on-site Bible study group that God had shown her that constantly nurturing fear and worry was actually a lack of trust in God. That is certainly true. Somehow we think we can control the outcome if we worry and fear and cover all the bases "just in case" something happens. It may startle you to realize that we have no control over what happens in our lives other than to submit to God before His throne and lift up our concerns to Him in prayer and then LEAVE our concerns at His feet to take care of and TRUST HIM to take care of them according to His will and purpose. It's prideful, and frankly silly, to think that by worrying we can affect any difference in a situation.
I vote to leave my concerns at the feet of the One that is all-powerful and all-knowing and whom I have chosen to be Lord of my life. I choose to let Him be Lord and to let my courage come from the knowledge and faith that His qualifications for the job are much more impressive than mine. What about you? Will you cast your ballot for you and your abilities or God's? I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us all into the whole truth about having courage in life's circumstances through trust in Jesus and the Father.
Praying you have a wonderful week in your study and time with the Lord!
In Him,
Tara

Steps to Humility

Submitted by Sandra Harris Frey

We have learned this week that humility is the foundational character quality compared to all others. We must all take a good look at ourselves and discover if we have true humility. Without true humility, we cannot be humble servants of God.

Having a Humility Action Plan in place will improve upon the focus of humility. This action plan will enable us to develop having a better view of God, others, and ourselves. With a focus on prayer, devotion time, and extra perspectives such as books to help you better understand God’s nature, you will be able to successfully take action.

Action Steps: Developing a Right View of God

- I will worship God.
- I will study God.
- I will hunt for God.
- I will develop a right view of God .

Action Steps: Developing a Right View of Yourself
- I will stop trying as hard to be perfect.
- I will not tear myself down.
- I will not boast.
- I will try to learn new things every day.
- I will check my motives.
- I will obey God in an area in which I have been holding back.
- I will develop a right view of myself .

Action Steps: Developing a Right View of Others
- I will be an encourager.
- I will be a helper.
- I will be a servant.
- I will be a receiver.
- I will be a mentor.
- I will develop a right view of others .

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Philippians 2:3

Words!

By: Ginny Holcombe

“Sticks and stones make break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” How many times did we hear or even say this as children? However, as adults we know this is not true. Words can cut more deeply than any other weapon humankind has ever invented.

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. James 3:5-6 (The MSG).

I lived for over thirty years in a situation where I was belittled, ridiculed, and demeaned by words. I know how the wounds words can inflict on a soul. The worst result is when you begin to believe the words that you hear and repeat them to yourself. “Oh, I can’t do anything right.” “I am not worth loving.” “If anyone knew the real me, they wouldn’t have anything to do with me.” I told myself this and so much more for so long that it became who I was. Words do wound and ultimately destroy our very souls. I had no confidence in myself and it kept me from being the person God created me to be.

Words can also encourage, bring healing, and uplift a person who is hurting. They are beautiful expressions of God’s love for each of us.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb:
sweet to the taste and health to the body.
Proverbs 16:24 (HCSB)

After my divorce, God brought so many wonderful people into my life to encourage and heal me. People who used words of love, caring, and encouragement to show me who I am in God’s eyes. Today, whenever those old words of condemnation rear their ugly heads, I whisper a prayer to God and He brings to mind the thoughts He has about me. “I am a child of the King.” “I am His beloved.” “I am unique and created for a purpose.” “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I am becoming a woman of confidence. Not self-confidence, but confident as a daughter of a loving Father who was created for a purpose and who is loved beyond all measure.

What words are you saying to yourself today? If they are words of condemnation or words that belittle you, give them to God. Allow Him to whisper His words of love and encouragement to you. Remember, you are His child and no one can change that. Believe God’s truths not the world’s lies. Allow Him to be your confidence and He will lift you to places you could never imagine.

“Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8 (The MSG).

Theme Song

The other day I was watching an episode of Ally McBeal. In this particular episode Ally had a session with her therapist discussing her troubles, fears, and blunders. Ally's therapist gave some odd suggestions on how to face the challenges in her life. Most of the therapists suggestions I don't recommend, however she did suggest one idea that intrigued me. Ally's therapist told her to get a theme song - a song to help her through life. A theme song that would help her in tough situations. A theme song.

The more I thought about this, the more I liked it. You see, God speaks to me through music. I find that music naturally draws me closer to God. So...what if I found a theme song? What if there was a song I could sing in my head that would help me get through an insecure moment? What if I was having a bad day and there was a song that would help me walk down the street with my head held high and a spring in my step? What if?

So now the art of choosing a song. I want a song that helps me remember who I am in God. I want a song that reminds me its not about me - it's about God. I want a song that will change my focus to Godly things. AND I want a song with a good beat. Right now I have two songs I'm toying with. Hope by India Arie and Pocket full of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield. Why these songs? Hope is simple, it gives me hope. The song Hope takes my thoughts off of my insecurities. Pocket full of Sunshine makes me thing about Jesus - and how he's my love. Pocket Full of Sunshine makes me think about Heaven, about spending time with Jesus. Both songs have a good beat.

So ladies, what is your theme song? I would love to hear what you come up with, please share. Perhaps it will be a song that includes scripture. Maybe your song will be a great Motown song. Whatever you choose, make it a song that helps you keep your focus on God. Make your song one that can bring a smile to your face. Make your song a song that takes your out of the mind trap of insecurities. Make your song a song that encourages you to live life to the fullest. Make your song - your them song.

Confidence in God or myself?

Hi ladies!
How did the week studying pride go for you? Please comment on our posts and let us know what God has been showing you. That is such an encouragement for other women as they are on this journey with you!
This week, you will be studying about confidence. Confidence is such a tricky thing. The world tells us that we should hold our head high, walk purposefully and look everyone right in the eye and this will portray confidence even when we don't feel it. But, I don't think I could ever be confident in myself knowing my shortcomings. Sure, I recognize and praise God for all of the talents, skills and abilities He has given me but I also recognize that they come from Him alone and not of myself so I would not want to ever boast about them (see why the study of pride vs. humility was the foundational starting point of our study?). So to help you get started this week on the topic of confidence, I want to help you refocus. To whom should we look for our confidence ~ ourselves or God?
I'm sure most of you would agree that we should place our confidence in God but we all know that that is easier said than done! Why is it so difficult sometimes? I believe one of the keys is in understanding, and then believing, that God is who He says He is in His Word. We are going to look at some of the astounding character traits of God. Once we can grasp a little bit of who He is, I pray that we will have the courage to trust Him and put our confidence in Him as He is the only one that is worthy of that.

HOLY
I could never start a list of who God is without putting "holy" right at the very top.
Revelation 15:3-5
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
4Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Notice the part "For You alone are holy". We know we are not holy in our fallen flesh. God alone is holy and apart from Jesus Christ, we could never stand in the sight of God. That knowledge and understanding of God's holiness inspires humility, awe and wonder that we could call on Him and He will hear us, every time.

UNCHANGING
James 1:17
17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

1 Samuel 15:29
29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

It's difficult to think that God is not like us ~ he doesn't follow every wind of change or get tossed by circumstances. He is steady, unchanging, the Rock. When we put our confidence in Him, we have someone Rock-solid on whom we can depend.

FAITHFUL
Hebrews 10:23
23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Faithful means unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted. God has a covenant with those who have repented and made Jesus the Lord of their lives. He will not break that covenant. How mind-boggling is that? We have all experienced in the world around us numerous examples of people breaking their word. God does not do that. Doesn't that inspire confidence in God?

GOODNESS
Lamentations 3:25
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Psalm 34:8

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

God truly is good. We as humans struggle with that because we see all of the things going on around us and wonder how a good God could allow these things to take place. But we have to realize that we are NOT God and we do not see the whole picture and we have to let trust and faith fill the gap when we don't understand God's ways. Because He is good, we can be sure our confidence in Him is sure.

LORD OF HOSTS
I Samuel 17
44The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh ^(A)to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field."

45Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, ^(B)but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

David didn't approach Goliath alone. He had the Lord of Hosts with him! The Lord of Hosts signifies the multitude of armies of angels that God has in His command! Now, I ask you, would you rather trust in yourself alone or in the Lord of hosts ~ Jehovah Saboath ~ as your confidence?

Here is an exerpt from an article by Betsy Childs published on rzim.org:

"The image this title [Lord of Hosts] brings to mind is of a mighty military commander, one who can at a mere word summon rank upon rank of protective power. In some Old Testament stories, the use of Lord Sabaoth is particularly apt. When David approached Goliath, he responded to the warrior's taunts, saying, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (1 Sam. 17:45). Although Goliath may have been the superior soldier with better armor and more deadly weapons, David was not fighting alone. He came in the name of the Lord of hosts, the commander not only of the armies of Israel, but of all of heaven as well. The Lord of hosts only had to speak a word to guide David's pebble to Goliath's forehead, giving him over to David.

Not only do the hosts of heaven accomplish God's bidding, they also praise him without ceasing. In Isaiah 6:3, the seraphs call back and forth to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." The hosts are both a manifestation of God's glory (as a king's royal court could be considered his glory) while at the same time they are cognizant of his glory, calling the universe to acknowledge it.

Yet the Lord God's command over all of the hosts of heaven and of men does not keep him from being mindful of the smallest and most fragile of his subjects. The psalmist writes, "Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God" (Ps. 84:3). The Lord of hosts is our fortress, protecting us against the onslaught of our enemies. But He is also a nest for the sparrow, protecting that which the hosts of men would trample underfoot. God sends his heavenly hosts to protect the most vulnerable, just as troops moving into a war-torn region seek out and protect defenseless orphans.

In your hour of need, call upon the Lord of hosts to help you. In your intercession for others, ask the Lord to send his heavenly hosts to dispense his will. Nothing can stop the Lord of hosts, and no one will He overlook. The whole earth is full of his glory."

I have nothing to add to that!! I pray that inspired God-confidence in your heart!

While God has so much to say in His Word about who we are in Him and through Him, we can't let that be our confidence. Our confidence, if it is to be rock-solid, real and unshakeable, must be in who God says HE is. I encourage you to spend some time in the Word, focusing on learning and understanding who God says He is. Here are some key words to use in your study:
Saviour
Just
Gracious
Merciful
Righteous
Father
Eternal
Perfect

I pray God reveals Himself to you in a REAL way this week!
Love in Him,
Tara

Humility: The Oxygen of Christian Living

“Humility is an essential ingredient in the Christian life. Just like the human body needs oxygen … humility is vital for a growing Christian. The … core practices of Christian living are all powerless unless they partner with humility.” (Character Makeover, p. 41).

My recent hospital stay illustrates this. I went in for a knee replacement expecting to wake up on the orthopedic floor. When I returned to consciousness, I was in a room on the cardiac floor. My sister told me that while I was in recovery, my oxygen level dropped causing an erratic heart beat. Oxygen was given to level out my heart rate. When I stabilized, they removed the oxygen and all was well.

Two days later, I awakened to my heart trying to jump out of my chest. My oxygen level had dropped again. After several tests, the doctors believe I have sleep apnea. Apparently, when I am asleep, I forget to breathe!

We know oxygen is essential for life but don’t we take it for granted? How often do we notice each breath? I had knee surgery but the hospital chose to put my heart first. After all, having two good knees really doesn’t matter if my heart isn’t receiving enough oxygen. No oxygen, no life. Everything else is meaningless. The same is true of the Christian life without humility.

What is humility? Is it debasing oneself? Does it mean we become doormats allowing others to walk all over us? Charles Spurgeon said, “Humility is the proper estimate of oneself.” Or as God’s Word says,

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” (Philippians 2: 5-5, MSG).

Jesus is our perfect example of humility. He didn’t have a low opinion of Himself.

Secure in His identity as a Child of God, He didn’t need the acceptance or accolades of others. His only desire was to please His Father.

Humility doesn’t come by our own strength. Humility results when we allow Jesus to live in and through us. We do this by spending time in His Word and prayer.

We tend to resemble the people with whom we hang around. Who do you hang around with?

Father, teach us to spend time with Your Son. We want to be more like Him. Teach us to think of ourselves the way He thought of Himself so that our only desire is to please You. In His Name, Amen.

Submitted By: Ginny Holcombe