Posts Tagged 'strength'

something to encourage you :)

Published April 27, 2012 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual 4 Comments
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Here are a few thoughts that I really hope will be helpful & encouraging:

If you’re going through:

  • a season of lack – be sure to be open to the variety of ways that Jesus provides in our lives (time, wisdom, creative ideas, unexpected supply, etc)
  • loneliness – don’t underestimate the continually abiding presence of Jesus with you in every moment & situation
  • a time of confusion – listen for the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth & consider reading the verses about Who the Holy Spirit is in John 14
  • some heightened insecurity – you are nothing less than wholly & genuinely loved by your Creator, Who finds you to be nothing less than tantalizing & delightful
  • failure – celebrate because you’ve crossed off an option that doesn’t lead to success!
  • frustration – sometimes the best reward to frustration is the strength that only comes through endurance

I hope you’re well encouraged today!! :D

Some antidotes for worry

Published March 22, 2012 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 3 Comments
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Worry seems to be a common ailment. Lots of people worry about lots of things- the economy, health issues, family challenges, school frustrations & lots more! Some worries seem to be justified & some are almost nonsense. Worry is common, but there are a few things you can do to overcome worry:
*pray the answer (God’s Word) more than the problem
*worship – exalting Jesus always makes my problems look smaller & smaller
*be careful about your conversations – complaining can be fuel for worry
*read a Psalm at breakfast, lunch, dinner & bedtime

Don’t let worry be bigger than Jesus in your life!!

some encouragement for adversity

Published March 14, 2012 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 2 Comments
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Lately, there have been some rather large difficulties that I’m having to face and I find myself having regularly make choices about where my mind will settle.  If I’m not careful, my thoughts can go down some very dark alleys and they can become very discouraging.  What I’ve found to be really helpful is to give my mind something constructive to chew on.  So here are some verses that have been super helpful of late – may they be encouraging to you as well!

  • Rom 8:37, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us”
  • Rom 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?”
  • 1 Cor 15:57, “but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • 2 Cor 2:14, “But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph is Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
  • 1 John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has over the world – our faith.”

Some thoughts about hardships

Published March 4, 2012 Cambodia , Holy Spirit , living , missions , prayer , relationships , spiritual 3 Comments
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I’ve been thinking a little bit about going through difficulties & hardships – I’m not so keen on these seasons. However, if we keep our hearts & thoughts right there can be some magnificent outcomes. Consider the following benefits of hardships & difficulties:
*endurance – James 1:2
*Jesus’ power – 2Cor 12:9
*perseverance – Rom 5:3
*reliance in Jesus – 2Cor 1:8-9
*weight of glory – 2Cor 4:17

So there are many reasons for celebrating challenges & difficulties :)

encouraging news!

Published December 14, 2011 Christmas , enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual Leave a Comment
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This morning I was reading the 2nd half of Romans 8 & it was SUPER encouraging!  I am continually astounded at how God gives us exactly what we need when we need it – so I figure that you also may need some encouragement as well.  With that in mind, here are some things to think about:

  • if God is for you, who can be against you?
  • there is nothing that can separate you from God’s love – not the present, future, people, situations, etc.  God’s love for you is permanently sticky
  • the Holy Spirit & Jesus intercede / pray for you (and they know exactly what & how to pray for you)
  • you are fearfully & wonderfully made
  • God has plans, hope & a good future for you
  • you are highly valuable & super important to God

With these thoughts in mind & many more, keep your head up, your eyes on Jesus, revel in & spread God’s intense & immense love for you today!

Here’s an amazing video that is totally unrelated :)   football

dealing with discouragement

Published December 6, 2011 Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual Leave a Comment
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We all have things & times that are discouraging – a job that falls through, a relationship that goes sour, a poor grade at school, etc.  I don’t think that anyone is immune from having some discouraging moments in life.  But the key is what we do with those times & situations.  Here are some things that have been helpful to me with the discouragement topic:

  • just because I failed at something, that doesn’t make me a failure
  • keeping my eyes on God & His promises are more helpful than fixating on the discouragement (we can’t ignore problems, but we can’t let them own us either)
  • keep going – if I’m not careful, discouragement can get pretty heavy & bog me down, so I tell myself to take one step at a time, even if they’re baby steps
  • working out – physical exercise is a great way to burn off some discouragement
  • laugh – sometimes it helps me to be goofy, it lightens me up which is helpful because I tend to be pretty serious in my normal living
  • listen deeply – I find that God’s voice can really help speak light & truth to the discouragement that can try to reside in my thoughts

May you be strongly encouraged today that you are deeply loved & highly treasured!

aid for charades

Published November 16, 2011 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual Leave a Comment
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Charades is a fun game to act out lots of different things.  If you’ve played this game in a group, you know that you’re supposed to act something out & help your team guess your word(s) based on your acting.  This game can be lots of fun, but unfortunately, I think we play this game in our life, from time to time.  Here are a few examples:

  • Sometimes I think we pretend to be humble, when the reality is that we’re merely insecure.
  • Sometimes I think we pretend to be confident when the reality is that we’re arrogant
  • Sometimes I think we pretend to be peaceful when the reality is that we’re apathetic
  • Sometimes I think we pretend to be strong when the reality is that we’re scared
There are lots of other ways we live the charade game & ultimately, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to be humble, confident, peaceful, strong, etc.  But my sense is that we can’t really have these things well integrated into our lives as a normal reality without God’s help.  Just some food for thought :)

be strong!

Published November 3, 2011 Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual Leave a Comment
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When I think about the word “strong“, I automatically think about muscles, weight lifting, eating protein, endurance, some pain & my gym.  It’s interesting that I don’t immediately associate strength with teamwork, honesty, growing, change or time.  But when I think about it, these words are also essential ingredients for the word “strong”.

On a somewhat deeper level, I think it’s critical to consider where strength comes from.  Where does endurance, discipline, cooperation, patience & the like come from?  For me, the short & ultimate answer is God.

  • Without God in my life, my endurance is like exercising with Halloween candy for fuel.
  • Without God in my life, the strength of my will power is like trying to swim a lap in a 50m pool without taking a breath – the effort burns my lungs & obscures my thinking
  • Without God in my life, cooperation & teamwork becomes disguised dysfunction (abusive, neglectful, manipulative & selfish acedia)
When I look to God for His strength in my life, the contrast of His strength versus my strength, helps me appreciate how truly weak I am without Him.  Be strong!! :)

Heartache Doesn’t Have to be Heartbreak

Published September 26, 2011 Angola , family , Holy Spirit , living , missions , prayer , saving moses 1 Comment
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I met a woman here in Angola today that has experienced unbelievable heartache & yet she is still full of love. Meet Celestina. Celestina has had 10 babies & all but 1 died before they reached their 4th birthday. The sole survivor is her daughter, Manushe, who has 2 babies – grandchildren for Celestina. Despite such tremendous heartache with her children, as well as a failed marriage, Celestina remains beautiful in her heart & brimming over w love. I asked her what advice she would give to come through hardship without heartbreak. She said that a person must be strong.
In my mind, it seems that there’s a difference between being strong & being brittle. Strength without love can easily become brittle, but maybe love is what gives strength its fuel & resilience. Genuine love is such an essential necessity to live as a strong person.

its fun to encourage

Published August 31, 2011 family , Holy Spirit , living , spiritual 2 Comments
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 I was having coffee w a friend the other day & this lady walked into the coffee shop w some very loud shoes – her shoes were the 1st thing to catch anyone’s attention.  Right away my friend commended to this lady on her super cool shoes, encouraging her that she looked cool wearing those shoes.  I was really proud of my friend for being so encouraging & made a mental note to myself that I want to be that way, even if something isn’t my personal style or preference.

Here’s my line of thinking:  our planet needs some encouragement because it seems to me that we are living in a time when there’s a fair amount of negativity.  With this in mind, a great way to counter-act any general negativity is to be encouraging to people & even creatively encouraging.  So here are just a few ideas you might consider & please feel free to leave more suggestions so we can all help each other :)

  • consider telling a co-worker that you think they’re an incredible person, without the intent of trying to get something from them ,)
  • wave & smile at your neighbor when you drive by them
  • look at the cashier & ask them if they’re having a nice day, with sincere interest
  • send a kind email to someone & thank them for who they are as a person (consider telling them what characteristic you like the most about them)
  • tell your mate that you think they’re great
  • let a friend, neighbor or co-worker know that you appreciate them with a quick text message
  • drop a note in the mail (snail mail) to let someone know that they are special to you
Those are just a few ideas, but the principle of being encouraging is super powerful, even though it may seem rather small :)
What are some more ideas that you would suggest?

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