Four years ago today, December 9th, 2009, I heard 3 words no one ever wants to hear - three words that will change your life forever. That day, a doctor looked at me and said, "You have cancer". It confirmed the feeling that this was something God was going to allow to occur in my life. But I knew I wouldn't be alone. God was with me. My awareness of Him and my need for Him was magnified in such a way that I came out better for the experience. He does indeed work all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. I believe that with all heart.
Today, I consider myself blessed. I unashamedly praise God for the grace He has shown me in this journey. My perspective has grown and allowed me to see through more spiritual eyes - eyes dependent on the God who has saved me. I have discovered that life is short and the things that are important should be the things that I am about. For me those important things are God, family, friends, and a world that needs to meet the Jesus who came to save us all.
On this day, I think Jesus wants us to hear 3 different words that will change our lives forever. He said these three words as He hung on a cross, suffering and paying for the sins of the world. The three words? "It is finished"! That means, no matter what we have to go through in this life, He has paved the way for our journey to end up in heaven for eternity. Yes, it is finished, and I am so grateful to hear those three words!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The stuff we "write" isn't always the "right" stuff!
Today's blogosphere and various forms of social media offer any number of valuable, and also not-so-valuable, opinions on everything under the sun. A post can make me elated because it has a feel-good factor to it. Or a post can frustrate me because my opinion is so very contrary to that of some writers. Yet, everyone has a right to their opinion and I guess that means everyone may "write" their opinion. Such is our freedom of speech, to a limited degree, I guess, in this great country. My own posts are proof of that multi-flavored pudding, I suppose.
Yet, when I read, or write, various posts, I'm reminded of what the bible has to say about the attitude we are to have in expressing ourselves. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 says, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will".
Human nature is such that we don't all agree, but godly nature, for those that aspire to have it, dictates that, even when we don't agree, we remain kind with our words. I sometimes see that principal displayed, but, most often, not so much. It even happens in the "Christian" world. People who identify with the person of Jesus Christ as the One they love and follow, can sometimes be difficult to identify by what they do, what they say, or what they write. It's disheartening, but it rings true that people's perceptions vary and their ability to put others before themselves, or to surrender to God's way over their own choices, is a constant challenge. Therein lies the problem of most writings and opinions, as I see it. When it is "my" opinion, it may become so self-focused, according to my likes and dislikes, that it becomes irrelevant to the tastes of others, or even to real truth. In other words, we all tend to have a selfish nature, unless we allow God to keep us in check and reveal those things that tend to glorify ourselves, and the ideas we fancy, instead of pointing people to Jesus and glorifying Him. The nature of selfishness is indeed rampant in our self-serving culture of today. I think we must make God mourn with our little agendas and campaigns.
People, including myself, have opinions on everything from worship preference to social justice, from parenting to personal choices. Our ideas have become our own and it's often difficult to come down off our mountains - even if we proclaim that we will die there! I have found my own stubbornness to be a little silly, really. And I have to inquire of God, "Is this me, or is this You?!" A lot of times, it's been me. Only one Person's sacrificial death on a mountain ever carried enough weight to make an eternal difference - and He arose three days later. I think He should remain the King of the Mountain. All other amateurs should dismount; cease and desist, if you will, from our little pilgrimages of self-proclaimed know-it-all-ness.
So this leaves me in a quagmire. When someone writes about worship, as if it's all about them, and the Holy Spirit, or the heart of God enters nowhere into the equation, will I become frustrated or will I ask God to reveal to them who or what they really worship? After all, it's His job to be God - not mine. When someone is so completely wrapped up in their own version of WWJD "differently"in today's challenging culture and world of injustices, will I carve a path of my own new and revolutionary ideas or will I revert to the path God laid out for us so long ago? After all, He never changes and His ways are not our ways. He is still able to use the truth, love and grace of yesteryear to heal the problems of today. If I take a different path, I'm denouncing that the path of Jesus was always enough. It was enough then and it will always be enough. I think the problem is us recognizing that. We want to play God when we already have one that does His job very well. He doesn't need our little ideas. He just needs our obedience to His wisdom and will. Unfortunately, I think He spends a lot of time in damage control for our follies and for our attempts to wear a crown that only He can wear.
So, in conclusion, let my words and thoughts be kind to those with whom I may not always agree. But may God reveal to us ALL His way of doing things as opposed to us thinking our ideas and opinions will change the world. They just might - if He is at the center of them and we defer to Him. Yes, it's time to come off our mountains if He didn't put us there in the first place. I pray that my opinions honor Him and point people to Jesus. If they don't, they are simply not worth sharing. The stuff I "write" may not always be the "right" stuff. Yet, the stuff God wrote is eternal. I should have a clue as to WHO is right!
Yet, when I read, or write, various posts, I'm reminded of what the bible has to say about the attitude we are to have in expressing ourselves. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 says, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will".
Human nature is such that we don't all agree, but godly nature, for those that aspire to have it, dictates that, even when we don't agree, we remain kind with our words. I sometimes see that principal displayed, but, most often, not so much. It even happens in the "Christian" world. People who identify with the person of Jesus Christ as the One they love and follow, can sometimes be difficult to identify by what they do, what they say, or what they write. It's disheartening, but it rings true that people's perceptions vary and their ability to put others before themselves, or to surrender to God's way over their own choices, is a constant challenge. Therein lies the problem of most writings and opinions, as I see it. When it is "my" opinion, it may become so self-focused, according to my likes and dislikes, that it becomes irrelevant to the tastes of others, or even to real truth. In other words, we all tend to have a selfish nature, unless we allow God to keep us in check and reveal those things that tend to glorify ourselves, and the ideas we fancy, instead of pointing people to Jesus and glorifying Him. The nature of selfishness is indeed rampant in our self-serving culture of today. I think we must make God mourn with our little agendas and campaigns.
People, including myself, have opinions on everything from worship preference to social justice, from parenting to personal choices. Our ideas have become our own and it's often difficult to come down off our mountains - even if we proclaim that we will die there! I have found my own stubbornness to be a little silly, really. And I have to inquire of God, "Is this me, or is this You?!" A lot of times, it's been me. Only one Person's sacrificial death on a mountain ever carried enough weight to make an eternal difference - and He arose three days later. I think He should remain the King of the Mountain. All other amateurs should dismount; cease and desist, if you will, from our little pilgrimages of self-proclaimed know-it-all-ness.
So this leaves me in a quagmire. When someone writes about worship, as if it's all about them, and the Holy Spirit, or the heart of God enters nowhere into the equation, will I become frustrated or will I ask God to reveal to them who or what they really worship? After all, it's His job to be God - not mine. When someone is so completely wrapped up in their own version of WWJD "differently"in today's challenging culture and world of injustices, will I carve a path of my own new and revolutionary ideas or will I revert to the path God laid out for us so long ago? After all, He never changes and His ways are not our ways. He is still able to use the truth, love and grace of yesteryear to heal the problems of today. If I take a different path, I'm denouncing that the path of Jesus was always enough. It was enough then and it will always be enough. I think the problem is us recognizing that. We want to play God when we already have one that does His job very well. He doesn't need our little ideas. He just needs our obedience to His wisdom and will. Unfortunately, I think He spends a lot of time in damage control for our follies and for our attempts to wear a crown that only He can wear.
So, in conclusion, let my words and thoughts be kind to those with whom I may not always agree. But may God reveal to us ALL His way of doing things as opposed to us thinking our ideas and opinions will change the world. They just might - if He is at the center of them and we defer to Him. Yes, it's time to come off our mountains if He didn't put us there in the first place. I pray that my opinions honor Him and point people to Jesus. If they don't, they are simply not worth sharing. The stuff I "write" may not always be the "right" stuff. Yet, the stuff God wrote is eternal. I should have a clue as to WHO is right!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Flying Lessons
A little tongue in cheek today. Believe me, I've learned that my tongue is much better there than given free reign to slash about. It can be sharp and sometimes not so kind. That goes against who I want to be; who God created me to be to represent Him the best that I can. I've picked the topic of kindness for this post. It is one of my greatest assets, yet one of my greatest struggles. God's spirit in me inclines me to be kind to others. I have no problem doing that - when they are facing hardships or when they are kind to me. It is when they are prideful, annoying, or belligerent, that I have a problem exhibiting proper kindness. Who's fault is this? There would have been a day that I would have quickly said, "Their's", and meant it whole-heartedly. Yet through God's ever-loving kindness, He continues to hone my kindness skills and teach me how to overcome my own pride. He says love them anyway - be kind to them. Actually, my reaction to rude or annoying people is my own choice. It becomes as a big of a problem - my problem - as I make of it.
A little history here. I am blonde, but no dummy, by far. I do absent-minded stuff, but I can school most people in a game of Words With Friends and my wit is quicker and sharper than most snake bites. Yeah, that's about what it's like - a snake bite....venomous and poison. If my tongue is not kept in cheek - so to speak - it can quickly take a wrong turn and go completely out of control. Over the years, my struggle has been based on my prideful response to the actions of others. It was much easier to put them in their place with my quick wit and sharp tongue than it was to ask God how I could shine brightly with love and patience as I deferred to allowing His Holy Spirit to direct my response. There were countless times that I failed miserably at turning over the power. I have to admit. I still goof up. But I'm much better at being genuinely kind that I once was.
Just to assure you that I'm no saint, as if you hadn't already surmised the obvious, I will give you an example of something that happened on an airplane today. A disclaimer, albeit only a small one, is that I get many grace challenges on airplanes. Yes, I have pretty regular flying lessons. It's like God takes me to class when I fly. I'm longing for First Class, but I don't think I've graduated yet. But back to my transgression. A guy in front of me reclined his seat - an action that has long been one of my pet peeves, but not the one I am discussing today - this put his head back by the window that was beside my chair. He assumed all window rights at that point and proceeded to pull down the window so it would be dark and he could sleep. How dare he?! Yes, that is what I thought and I did not hesitate to grunt a little and raise up the window. No one messes with my upcoming view of the Rocky Mountains....that would just be sacrilegious - possibly. Now did I have a right to assume my window rights? Of course! Was it beneficial to do so? I think not. My proper response would have been to ask God to give me patience to deal with this person usurping my window rights. He could have had a hard night with no sleep, albeit none of us had much sleep getting to LAX airport through traffic at 5 in the morning. It requires lots of time and patience. Maybe everyone was running short on both. He could have just wanted to close his eyes and relax. He probably thought everyone else wanted to do the same thing. I should have, but I can't sleep on planes. Whose problem is that? Mine of course. I realized mine wasn't a kind response a second after I raised up that window. Not a stellar moment for me. But the proverbial light had already shined on my shortcoming:-(
There have been other instances where I've learned to respond to irritations with more humility and patience. At least I didn't utter a sharp response - thank goodness. But I've asked God to keep me accountable and that can be a dangerous request if you don't want to know the truth. The truth is, I need to be more humble and less prideful. I need to remember to pray when someone bumps into my happy - or my window space. I could have left the window down and glimpsed a little bit, now and then, to see if my beloved Rocky Mountains were in sight. This guy doesn't know how much I love the Rockies. Really, he probably wouldn't even care, but that's not the point. He's not my problem. I am my problem. But, there is still hope. God is ever-faithful to keep me accountable, because it is in my - and others' - best interest, and it represents Him so much better than when I act on my own. You see, in my pride, I may think my attitude or my wit is necessary to bring someone back down to size when I think they've gotten a little too big for their britches. In humility, God can show me that I don't do His job well - EVER. It is not my job to size up someone else or jerk them into what I think is their rightful place. It's my job to size up myself and make sure I'm measuring up to God's best for me so I can be the best example of Him to others.
On today's flying lesson, I definitely missed a few things, but I didn't completely miss the point. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm thankful for these grace challenges God affords me. I no longer want to spit on the head or kick the seat of a person who reclines into my lap - thank goodness:-) Flying may be a luxury and convenience, but it sure can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. Such is life. We're not always in First Class. We seldom are. It's better to check my attitude before I ever hit security. Now, THEY, can mess with my happy - if I let them. As always, the choice is completely mine. Flying can be as pleasant as I allow it to be. I can come off a plane grumpy or I can stay in my happy place, no matter who tries to encroach up into it with me. Maybe that's just where they need to be. I should welcome them on in. After all, it's truly the kindest thing to do.
On my next flying lesson, I hope I do much better. I'm kind of looking forward to it:-)
A little history here. I am blonde, but no dummy, by far. I do absent-minded stuff, but I can school most people in a game of Words With Friends and my wit is quicker and sharper than most snake bites. Yeah, that's about what it's like - a snake bite....venomous and poison. If my tongue is not kept in cheek - so to speak - it can quickly take a wrong turn and go completely out of control. Over the years, my struggle has been based on my prideful response to the actions of others. It was much easier to put them in their place with my quick wit and sharp tongue than it was to ask God how I could shine brightly with love and patience as I deferred to allowing His Holy Spirit to direct my response. There were countless times that I failed miserably at turning over the power. I have to admit. I still goof up. But I'm much better at being genuinely kind that I once was.
Just to assure you that I'm no saint, as if you hadn't already surmised the obvious, I will give you an example of something that happened on an airplane today. A disclaimer, albeit only a small one, is that I get many grace challenges on airplanes. Yes, I have pretty regular flying lessons. It's like God takes me to class when I fly. I'm longing for First Class, but I don't think I've graduated yet. But back to my transgression. A guy in front of me reclined his seat - an action that has long been one of my pet peeves, but not the one I am discussing today - this put his head back by the window that was beside my chair. He assumed all window rights at that point and proceeded to pull down the window so it would be dark and he could sleep. How dare he?! Yes, that is what I thought and I did not hesitate to grunt a little and raise up the window. No one messes with my upcoming view of the Rocky Mountains....that would just be sacrilegious - possibly. Now did I have a right to assume my window rights? Of course! Was it beneficial to do so? I think not. My proper response would have been to ask God to give me patience to deal with this person usurping my window rights. He could have had a hard night with no sleep, albeit none of us had much sleep getting to LAX airport through traffic at 5 in the morning. It requires lots of time and patience. Maybe everyone was running short on both. He could have just wanted to close his eyes and relax. He probably thought everyone else wanted to do the same thing. I should have, but I can't sleep on planes. Whose problem is that? Mine of course. I realized mine wasn't a kind response a second after I raised up that window. Not a stellar moment for me. But the proverbial light had already shined on my shortcoming:-(
There have been other instances where I've learned to respond to irritations with more humility and patience. At least I didn't utter a sharp response - thank goodness. But I've asked God to keep me accountable and that can be a dangerous request if you don't want to know the truth. The truth is, I need to be more humble and less prideful. I need to remember to pray when someone bumps into my happy - or my window space. I could have left the window down and glimpsed a little bit, now and then, to see if my beloved Rocky Mountains were in sight. This guy doesn't know how much I love the Rockies. Really, he probably wouldn't even care, but that's not the point. He's not my problem. I am my problem. But, there is still hope. God is ever-faithful to keep me accountable, because it is in my - and others' - best interest, and it represents Him so much better than when I act on my own. You see, in my pride, I may think my attitude or my wit is necessary to bring someone back down to size when I think they've gotten a little too big for their britches. In humility, God can show me that I don't do His job well - EVER. It is not my job to size up someone else or jerk them into what I think is their rightful place. It's my job to size up myself and make sure I'm measuring up to God's best for me so I can be the best example of Him to others.
On today's flying lesson, I definitely missed a few things, but I didn't completely miss the point. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm thankful for these grace challenges God affords me. I no longer want to spit on the head or kick the seat of a person who reclines into my lap - thank goodness:-) Flying may be a luxury and convenience, but it sure can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. Such is life. We're not always in First Class. We seldom are. It's better to check my attitude before I ever hit security. Now, THEY, can mess with my happy - if I let them. As always, the choice is completely mine. Flying can be as pleasant as I allow it to be. I can come off a plane grumpy or I can stay in my happy place, no matter who tries to encroach up into it with me. Maybe that's just where they need to be. I should welcome them on in. After all, it's truly the kindest thing to do.
On my next flying lesson, I hope I do much better. I'm kind of looking forward to it:-)
Thursday, August 22, 2013
THE LORD is my song
Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I wrote a blog post. I actually did write a few, but they didn't make it to press. They are sitting in my drafts box unpublished. Our world has been a bit askew since moving from the Midwest to Southern California. But it has all been good. We are now living in the Santa Clarita area of California, which is northern Los Angeles County. Valencia is within Santa Clarita and our little town is just northwest of there. We are 45 minutes from Ventura, and the beach, and we got to spend a few months in that environment with friends. For living out of a suitcase, we were pretty content with the blessings God provided.
We've also had a new grandson born within the last couple of months and I went back to KY, where they live, for a few weeks to share in that joy. He is so amazing and I love him to the moon and back. Those nights of sitting with him were a pure joy because I got to pray over him and commit him to the Lord. My daughter and son-in-law don't know what to think about my assertion that he could become the next Billy Graham! I have petitioned the Lord to set him aside for His purposes and gift him greatly for the Kingdom:-) What a privilege it was to read scripture over him, sing to him, and ask the Lord to guard him, guide him, keep him, and bless him. I'm reminded of how my mother prayed for me always and I prayed for my own daughter. What a sweet gift God has given us in prayer. The place where we can be with Him in sweet communion and communication, praising Him and bringing our needs to Him, and knowing all the while that He is in control.
Well, I've brought us up to speed on the goings-on of our personal journey. Bill is working at Real Life Church in Valencia and we love it here! We will be launching Celebrate Recovery at the end of September and are relying on God to bring many people to freedom through this ministry. The support of the church is phenomenal and we are so grateful for our lead pastor, Rusty George, and a great staff. They are so helpful. We get to see our ever-beloved, Mike Breaux, occasionally as well, as he teaches out here every so often. We love his family and are so blessed to be able to see them out here on the West Coast.
My thoughts for today are on God's Word. It is always personal and He will direct us to areas wherein He wants to guide us and minister to us. I believe He also uses other God-inspired tools, such as the little Jesus Calling book, to confirm things to us and navigate us through the highs and lows of life. A little daily devotional that never fails to encourage me and remind me that God's Holy Spirit lives within me as a believer in Jesus Christ. With that Power and Wisdom at my disposal, I can process and filter things differently than I otherwise would be able to - much better, I would say.
Today, my Jesus Calling devotion was so spot-on. It's not uncommon for spiritual warfare to try and distract us from accomplishing the work God has set before us. We cannot see this spiritual world, but we experience it and God allows us to recognize it. He teaches us to look to Him to combat such opposition and to use the tools, the armor of God - if you will, that He has given us to stand firm. When you are on the front lines of ministering the grace, truth, and power of Jesus Christ to a world that doesn't know Him, you get used to a few proverbial pebbles, rocks, darts, even bullets, being directed your way. It is important to remember that satan uses people to pull off these distractions, yet they are NOT the enemy; he is. He encourages them to believe misconceptions, to gossip and to think the worst, to become critical and cynical. Emotions will go beyond what Lysa Terkeurst calls indicators and become dictators. Pride will trick us into thinking our way of thinking is superior to that of others. We can become quiet self-focused. It's just our human sin nature and, unfortunately, we all fall prey to this tactic of the enemy. Yet, it hurts when we fall into these traps or see others fall into them. It really hurts when we are the target, and none of us are exempt when we want to follow Jesus and tell others of His great love. But God! God affirms that He is in control and we can rest in His protection and provision.
Jesus Calling reminded me of that today, August 22nd. It read, "TRUST ME, and don't be afraid. I want you to view trials as exercises designed to develop your trust-muscles. You live in the midst of fierce spiritual battles, and fear is one of satan's favorite weapons. When you start to feel afraid, affirm your trust in Me. Speak out loud, if circumstances permit. Resist the devil in My Name, and he will slink away from you. Refresh yourself in My Holy Presence. Speak or sing praises to Me, and My Face will shine upon you. Remember that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me. You have been judged NOT GUILTY for all eternity. Trust Me, and don't be afraid, for I am your Strength, Song, and Salvation."
The accompanying verses for this included Isaiah 12:2. I love this verse: "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." There's a double emphasis on who my strength and song is....THE LORD! And the letters are all Caps! That doesn't go unnoticed by me. I choose to allow Him to be my strength and song and salvation!
I'm singing IN CAPS right now for THE LORD is the great defender! Spending the day with Him and flexing my spiritual trust-muscles is just what I needed. The day has become brighter as His Face shines upon me. It's amazing what a change in focus can bring about. As I focus on worshiping THE LORD, my perspective changes. He is bigger; He is greater; He is my salvation!
We've also had a new grandson born within the last couple of months and I went back to KY, where they live, for a few weeks to share in that joy. He is so amazing and I love him to the moon and back. Those nights of sitting with him were a pure joy because I got to pray over him and commit him to the Lord. My daughter and son-in-law don't know what to think about my assertion that he could become the next Billy Graham! I have petitioned the Lord to set him aside for His purposes and gift him greatly for the Kingdom:-) What a privilege it was to read scripture over him, sing to him, and ask the Lord to guard him, guide him, keep him, and bless him. I'm reminded of how my mother prayed for me always and I prayed for my own daughter. What a sweet gift God has given us in prayer. The place where we can be with Him in sweet communion and communication, praising Him and bringing our needs to Him, and knowing all the while that He is in control.
Well, I've brought us up to speed on the goings-on of our personal journey. Bill is working at Real Life Church in Valencia and we love it here! We will be launching Celebrate Recovery at the end of September and are relying on God to bring many people to freedom through this ministry. The support of the church is phenomenal and we are so grateful for our lead pastor, Rusty George, and a great staff. They are so helpful. We get to see our ever-beloved, Mike Breaux, occasionally as well, as he teaches out here every so often. We love his family and are so blessed to be able to see them out here on the West Coast.
My thoughts for today are on God's Word. It is always personal and He will direct us to areas wherein He wants to guide us and minister to us. I believe He also uses other God-inspired tools, such as the little Jesus Calling book, to confirm things to us and navigate us through the highs and lows of life. A little daily devotional that never fails to encourage me and remind me that God's Holy Spirit lives within me as a believer in Jesus Christ. With that Power and Wisdom at my disposal, I can process and filter things differently than I otherwise would be able to - much better, I would say.
Today, my Jesus Calling devotion was so spot-on. It's not uncommon for spiritual warfare to try and distract us from accomplishing the work God has set before us. We cannot see this spiritual world, but we experience it and God allows us to recognize it. He teaches us to look to Him to combat such opposition and to use the tools, the armor of God - if you will, that He has given us to stand firm. When you are on the front lines of ministering the grace, truth, and power of Jesus Christ to a world that doesn't know Him, you get used to a few proverbial pebbles, rocks, darts, even bullets, being directed your way. It is important to remember that satan uses people to pull off these distractions, yet they are NOT the enemy; he is. He encourages them to believe misconceptions, to gossip and to think the worst, to become critical and cynical. Emotions will go beyond what Lysa Terkeurst calls indicators and become dictators. Pride will trick us into thinking our way of thinking is superior to that of others. We can become quiet self-focused. It's just our human sin nature and, unfortunately, we all fall prey to this tactic of the enemy. Yet, it hurts when we fall into these traps or see others fall into them. It really hurts when we are the target, and none of us are exempt when we want to follow Jesus and tell others of His great love. But God! God affirms that He is in control and we can rest in His protection and provision.
Jesus Calling reminded me of that today, August 22nd. It read, "TRUST ME, and don't be afraid. I want you to view trials as exercises designed to develop your trust-muscles. You live in the midst of fierce spiritual battles, and fear is one of satan's favorite weapons. When you start to feel afraid, affirm your trust in Me. Speak out loud, if circumstances permit. Resist the devil in My Name, and he will slink away from you. Refresh yourself in My Holy Presence. Speak or sing praises to Me, and My Face will shine upon you. Remember that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me. You have been judged NOT GUILTY for all eternity. Trust Me, and don't be afraid, for I am your Strength, Song, and Salvation."
The accompanying verses for this included Isaiah 12:2. I love this verse: "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." There's a double emphasis on who my strength and song is....THE LORD! And the letters are all Caps! That doesn't go unnoticed by me. I choose to allow Him to be my strength and song and salvation!
I'm singing IN CAPS right now for THE LORD is the great defender! Spending the day with Him and flexing my spiritual trust-muscles is just what I needed. The day has become brighter as His Face shines upon me. It's amazing what a change in focus can bring about. As I focus on worshiping THE LORD, my perspective changes. He is bigger; He is greater; He is my salvation!
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