Friday, May 31, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Knowing


Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: knowing

What is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God?

How does knowing God change our perspective on things?

What are some obstacles to knowing God in your life?


Let me know what you think!!


"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him."  (Philippians 3:8-9)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Monday, May 27, 2013

"THE WHY CHILD"


"The Why Child."

That could have been my nickname growing up.

(Well, at least one I would have liked.  We won't discuss "Spoke" or "Railroad Mouth")

I was an intensely curious child.  I wanted to know the "why" about everything.  I know most kids are that way.  But evidently I was more persistent in my questions.  And they were deep questions.

My pondering started early!

For instance, maybe most kids would ask something like, "Why is the sky blue?"

My question might be more like, "Why can't I touch the sky if I can see it?"

And, I would add follow-up questions:

"How far away is the moon?"  ("How" questions are close cousins of "why" questions, by the way).

"Why can't I look at the sun?"

"Why isn't it light all the time?"

"Where does the wind come from?"  ("Where" questions are also on the family tree, by the way).

God bless her, my mom would try to answer my incessant questioning. But, more often than not, I heard this:

"Ask your father when he comes home!"


So, curious and inquisitive - yes I was.

Not entirely bad qualities.

But, as I grew older, my questions started to overflow into my faith.

"Why" questions became problematic sometimes as I tangled with the bigger issues:

"Why does God allow bad things to happen?"

"Why doesn't everybody go to heaven?"

"Why does God feel hidden and silent sometimes?"

I'm not entirely sure that my "why" questions reflected doubt.  I may have walked some miles off the narrow way in my life, but I never turned my back on my faith.

But I wrestled.  I struggled.

I always identified with Job.  I understood his questioning.  His heart-wrenching "why," hurled toward the heavens, could have come from my lips.

And you want to know the truth?

I always kinda thought that God's response was harsh and insensitive.  Maybe even (dare I say it?)...sarcastic?  arrogant?

Job had suffered terribly.  He was still suffering...terribly.  I think his questions were legitimate, understandable - they were human.

And God didn't (wouldn't) answer even one "why" question???

To me, that seemed almost (dare I say it?)...cruel.

Yup.

So, "why" has been my lifelong companion.

But today, something in one of my devotions got me thinking, questioning...

(I know - you caught the irony, right?!)

This devotional book has a question to ponder at the end of the reading for the day (wonder why I picked it?!).

Here was the question for today:

"What are some of the conversations you want to have with Jesus in eternity?"

Huh.

Well, let me tell you, back in the day I would have arrived at those pearly gates with a laundry list of questions.  I would have pushed for a *consultation* with the Lord.

"Um, excuse me, Peter.  I'm happy to be here, but I'd like to schedule an appointment with Jesus.  I have questions!!"

But when I read that question in my devotions today, it stopped me.

Why?  (LOL)

Because I realized that I am not so burdened by my questions anymore.

They're still there, yes.  But they are far less important than they used to be.  And my quest for answers is far less urgent and compelling.

What happened to them, I wondered today...

Lo and behold, my conclusion was this:

MY FAITH HAS GROWN!

I still have questions, sure, but now I can release them easier.  They don't have a stranglehold on me.  They don't consume me like they used to.

Why?  (LOL again)

Because they aren't as important to me as my relationship to 
The Answer.

I have come to know Jesus in a far more personal way.

He is my God - but He is also my Friend.

You know, I think my arrival at the pearly gates is going to be different now. My hands will be empty - no laundry list of questions.  No demands, no agenda.

Only these words:

"Peter, where's Jesus?"

I don't really want answers.  I just want to see His face.


Ah...now I realize something about Job that has always puzzled me.

His response to God's response.

Job wasn't hurt or disappointed or frustrated or angry.  He didn't spit out a snappy retort.

"Yeah, great, God.  I know what You've done.  But I want to know why?"

Nope.

That was never uttered.

No, instead, Job was humbled in his heart.

For him, God had grown bigger and more personal at the same time.

Job was completely satisfied to give up intellectual knowledge for intimate relationship.

He traded mind contentment (answered questions) for heart communion (fulfilled soul).

And, in many ways, I have too.

I realized that today...and it made me happy.

My "why" child has matured into a "Who" person.

The Who.

The Answer.

My Friend.


I get it now, Job.

I get it now, Lord.

I get it.





Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb...
For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
I said, "This far and not farther you will come.
Here your proud waves must stop!"









Job responds to God:

"You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?'  It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me...

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes."  (Job 42:3, 5)


Are you still asking the questions, or are you seeking The Answer?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Friday, May 24, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Remember


Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: remember

A trip down Memory Lane today:

What is the best thing you remember from your childhood?

Is there anyone special you remember on Memorial Day?

Why is it so important to remember what God has done for us in the past?


Let me know what you think!!


"I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders...

I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.

Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?

You are the God who works wonders..."

(Psalm 77:6, 11-14, NASB)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Monday, May 20, 2013

MY ACHY BREAKY HEART


Remember that silly song by Billy Ray Cyrus?  (Bet you're going to be annoyingly humming it in your head all day now…)

OK, so now I want you to forget that silly song.

Let's talk about aching, breaking hearts.  I know what that feels like.  And I know you do, too.

Sometimes life just hurts – a lot.

And our tender hearts feel like they are breaking into a million pieces.

I'm feeling this way right now.  Oh, so weighed down by the travails and troubles of living.

No pity party – just a heavy dose of reality lately.

My *daughter heart* is aching.  It's been really hard watching my parents in their downhill slide.  Dad is sliding so much faster than Mom.  And it hurts.  It just really hurts.

I am painfully realizing that there's still a little girl inside of me that doesn't want to grow up.  I don't want to be the *top dog*.  I don’t want to "parent" my parents.  It's hard…and it hurts.

I ache to see my parents ache.  To see their bodies grow painful, to watch their minds grow feeble and their steps grow slow.

I hurt for the unresolved issues that haunt me from my childhood.  A good childhood, yes.  But none of us grows up unscathed.

I must forgive my parents for who they weren't, and for who they can't be now. Just as I need to be forgiven for the many things I did to bring heartache to their lives – and the many failings I have had as a mother.

It is time to accept what is…

But, the reality of now is hard…and it hurts.

My *mother heart* is breaking.  It's been really hard learning to let go. To watch my sons as they sometimes struggle to live life.   This is a tough season in each of their lives right now.  Identity-seeking, future-planning, relationship-sorting.

I miss happy faces – and simple problems with simple solutions.

Sometimes I long for the days of scraped knees and spelling tests.  For the "little" anxieties of life the ones that I had some control over.

Now I watch from the sidelines in many ways.

And when either of them aches, my heart breaks.

I've heard it said, "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child."

Oh yes.

My *me heart* is aching, breaking too.  This past year brought many changes to my life.  Leaving a place that I had known for almost 29 years was difficult, to say the least.

Friendships changed, routines got altered, security took a big hit.

Life lessons – and faith lessons – have been learned.

But it’s been hard…and it hurts.


I've been having terrible insomnia lately.  The last two nights have been perfect examples:

Night #1 – asleep at 11:30, up at 1:30 – awake until 4:30.
Night #2 – asleep at 3:00, up at 6:00 – for good.

I'm so tired of staring at the ceiling in a darkened room.  I'm so weary of the quiet that is too quiet.  The silence of being alone, and feeling like everyone in the world is asleep but me.

The more I try to relax, the more tense I get about relaxing.

And then, the thoughts come.  The ruinous ruminations.  The crushing cares.  The aching, the breaking.

Often, all I can muster in the wee hours of the night is a gut-wrenching cry:

"Lord, I hurt!"

Sometimes I wonder – where is God in all of this?

Does He hear?

Oh yes, I know He does.

Does He care?

More than I’ll ever know.


You see, He has a Son's aching heart.  He has a Father's breaking heart.

He has a heart that hurts like mine.

For He remembers what He created.  He misses the happy faces of Eden.  He longs for the restoration of His perfect world.

He has a heart – much bigger than mine.  Filled with an unfathomable love that I doubt I'll ever fully understand.

Yes, He provided the ultimate cure for the aching, breaking heart.  (Thank goodness for that!)  But hearts are still broken while we live out our lives.

And sometimes, my achy breaky heart wonders:

God, where are You in all of this?

Let me tell you – HE. IS. RIGHT. HERE.

Right next to me, through it all.

I honestly don't know how I could live a day of my life without the sure knowledge of His unchanging character and His constant Presence.


Life is hard…and it hurts.

But God is bigger.






I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.




"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."  

(Ephesians 3:18-20)



What is breaking your heart right now?  What is causing you heartache?  How do you need to feel God's love?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Friday, May 17, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Humble


Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: humble

What do you think it means to be humble?

What is the difference between being humble and having low self-esteem?

In what area of your life is it hard to be humble?

Why is it impossible to be a disciple of God without being humble?


Let me know what you think!!


"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."  (James 4:6, NLT)

"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."  (Matthew 23:12, NIV)

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."  (1 Peter 5:6, NLT)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Monday, May 13, 2013

SPRING IS IN THE AIR?


Spring is in the air...

…and on the ground.

I am enjoying watching Spring unfold up here in the mountains.

I've welcomed some of my favorite creatures back – the playful chipmunks and squirrels, the friendly deer, the chirping birds…

"The Hub" was delighted to see his first snake of the seasona huge gopher snake – crossing the road.  Remember, he is The Great Reptile Wrangler.  And though he didn't catch this one, his tongs are ready, and his tongue is wagging at the prospect.

I prefer the cute creatures.

But, of course, there are the "other" guys.

This Spring we have been inundated with creepy, crawly things that I call *snizards*.  Snizards are these girthy lizards that actually look like snakes with arms and legs.  They are gross.

Unless you're a Kimodo Dragon – then you might think they were adorable babies.

As a rule, lizards don't bother me much.  I'm much more unnerved by jumping things like frogs.  (Chalk that up to a traumatic incident when I was a child – and had to walk across a dry creek bed while billions of little frogs jumped up all over my legs and feet).

These snizards are more than mere lizards.

They are HUGE.  Even "The Hub" admits it.  (Steroids in the off season?) And, they're pretty fearless.  They don't run away like the little guys do.  And they're kinda slimy too.  But, they’re not salamanders – (which are amphibians – and frogs are amphibians – so you understand my abhorrence of slimy things).

I'd do some research on them, and try to figure out what they are – but that would require me looking at endless pictures of lizards on my laptop – and that might be traumatic.

Oh, did I mention?  

These guys are also pretty cocky.  I see them outside all the time, basking in the sun on top of a boulder, doing their little "push-ups."  It's like my backyard has turned into a reptilian Muscle Beach.

This is not my idea of Spring.

I picture Easter bonnets, and flowers in bloom, and pretty things.  Cute mammals and birds – fur and feathers – no scales.

But, here is the truth of the season.

EVERYBODY comes out of hiding.

The birds, and deer, the chipmunks and squirrels – and the snakes and snizards.  The cute and cuddly – and the creepy.

It got me thinking.

We talk about the seasons of life.  We talk about spiritual *seasons*, too. Seasons of winter when we are in a stark and lonely place in our souls.  Or summer, when the warm blessings of God and His bright sun seems to shine on everything.  Or maybe even autumn, when we are in a season of waiting, perhaps.  

But, springtime…well, I always think of spiritual Spring as a time of new beginnings.  Of the excitement of new growth, and new opportunities, new adventures, and new goals.  A time to have sleeping dreams come alive.

I think of it as a happy time.

However, as I contemplate the snizards, I think of something else…

A season of spiritual rebirth might not be all flowers and sunshine.

It might not be all about fur and feathers.

It might involve some scales.

In fact, it might involve God tearing some scales off of my crusty and previously-hibernating self.

I am reminded of my favorite scene from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis.  A rather unpleasant and boorish boy named Eustace finds himself in a bind.  In his selfishness, he has turned into a dragon.  But, finding himself in agonizing pain, he is desperate to shed his "dragonness."

He scratches and claws himself, frantically trying to shed his scales like a snake skin.  He tries it three times, to no avail.  He begins to fear that he will never be rid of the scales.

Finally, Aslan (the great lion who is a figure of Jesus) tells him:

"You will have to let me undress you."

Eustace tells the story:

"I was so afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back and let him do it.  The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart.  And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off."  


This is what I'm thinking re-birth is like sometimes.

Yes, sometimes it happens like a seedling bursting through the dirt into bloom.  Sometimes it's like the fulfilling work of nest-building.

Sometimes, it's joyful and playful.

Sometimes it's pretty.

But sometimes it's not.

Because sometimes I arrive at a Spring *season* in my life and I am not furry or feathery. Sometimes I am not cute and cuddly.

Sometimes I am downright crusty, scaly, and perhaps a bit creepy.

I'm not a beautiful budding flower – I am a snizard.

And that is when God gets to work.

You see, I have come to understand that ALL things that arrive in a Spring *season* in my faith journey are necessary.  They are part of the plan.  

The "oooh" and the "aaah" – AND the "ouch."

This Spring I am feeling a bit snizardly, if I'm honest.  And I feel like I am cold and needing to bask in some SONlight.  (Truth be told, I am also a bit "girthy" too – just sayin'…)

Lord, I need You.

Please help me re-awaken to the beauty of this season.  Help me be re-born into something vibrant and alive.  Bring joy to my soul again.  Revive the spiritual sloth of my hibernating.  

Do what You have to do…

…for I have scales.





"Hey, you talkin' to me?"



"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"  (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)


Do you have some *scales* that need to come off this Spring?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


(Photo by Walter Siegmund, copied from Wikipedia, under the GNU Free Documentation License)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Friday, May 10, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Devoted


Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: devoted

How would you define the word devoted?

Is being devoted to someone different than just loving them?

Does being devoted to someone change your priorities?

In what ways should we be devoted to God?


Let me know what you think!!


"Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God." (Psalm 86:2)

"I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments." (Psalm 119:45)


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!  

As a mom, I am devoted to my children.  And as a daughter, I am devoted to my mom!  Yet, my love and devotion is only possible because God first loved me.

"Her children stand and bless her...
'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!'
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised."  
(Proverbs 31:28-30)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Monday, May 6, 2013

TOO BUSY "DOING" GOD...


…to be like Christ?

It's a question that's been bothering me lately.

After all, my Word for 2013 is DIRECTION.

And that's what I've been seeking – God's direction for my life.

But lately I've been thinking…

What am I really asking?

And what I've really been asking is "Lord, what do You want me to DO?"

It's not a terrible question.  And I do believe it's one that has validity.  A believer who is truly following Jesus ought to have a sincere and compelling desire to do God's will.  They should possess an urge to couple their faith with action.

After all, faith without works is dead.

However, I wonder at this conundrum –

Are we sometimes so busy "doing" God that we forget that we are to be like Christ?

God doesn't need anything from us.  His plan will be accomplished without our cooperation.  His Sovereignty and Omnipotence guarantees that.

I am pondering these words from A. W. Tozer:

"Almighty God, just because He is almighty, needs no support…So lofty is our opinion of ourselves that we find it quite easy, not to say enjoyable, to believe that we are necessary to God. But the truth is that God is not greater for our being, nor would He be less if we did not exist. That we do exist is altogether of God's free determination, not by our [deserving] nor by divine necessity.

Probably the hardest thought of all for our natural egotism to entertain is that God does not need our help. We commonly represent Him as a busy, eager, somewhat frustrated Father hurrying about seeking help to carry out His benevolent plan to bring peace and salvation to the world; but…[the] God who worketh all things surely needs no help and no helpers."

Hmmm.

We are not without importance, however – God chose to send His Son to die for us.

So, yes, we play a part – but only because God chooses to use us.

Tozer continues with that thought:

"For the blessed news is that the God who needs no one has in sovereign condescension set Himself to work by and in and through His obedient children…our inner fulfilment lies in loving obedience to the commandments of Christ...

He needs no one, but when faith is present He works through anyone."


More hmmm.

This is what I've been contemplating lately.  We can do a lot of wonderful things for the Lord.  We can serve Him in a multitude of ways.

And this is good - it is part of our calling.

But sometimes I wonder – are we too busy?

Busy, busy, busy.  Sometimes frantic, sometimes exhausted, sometimes burned out.

Sometimes so involved in the "work" that we forget the faces.  Sometimes so caught up in "serving" that we forget to feed the hearts.

And I wonder…

Are we so busy "doing" for Him that we cease to be like Him?

And if so, WHY?

Do we busy ourselves doing the "outside" work because we want to avoid the "inside" work?

Is it because it's easier to be busy serving Him than it is to be sanctified by Him?

(I mean NO judgment or condemnation here - I'm only offering up what's been percolating in my head lately).


God said something powerful to me a couple of weeks ago.

"Right now, Sharon, what I want you to do is to BE with Me."


Life has been challenging lately.  Dealing with new responsibilities with my parents, an illness that refuses to go away, and a general sense of *tired*.

After spending two weeks with my parents, I was really looking forward to coming back to my mountaintop home.  I think I had a greater sense of appreciation for its quiet solitude.

And I am thinking that God wants me to embrace that.

I think He wants me to seek peace.

I think He wants me to find HIM.

To dig deeper…

The other night, sometime in the middle of the night, I found myself in that middle-ground place somewhere between sleep and wake.  And I prayed, something along these lines:

"Lord, I'm tired of trying to figure out what You want me to do. Actually, Lord, I'm just plain tired.  All I want right now is to know You.  That's all.  I. JUST. WANT. TO. KNOW. YOU."

I woke up with that thought reverberating in my spirit.

Yes, I just want HIM.

I went to church, and listened to the message.  And this one statement struck my heart like an arrow:

"When you talk to God about what He wants you to do, He may talk to you. But don’t be surprised if it’s not about what to DO, but about who He wants you to BE."

Yes, Lord.

A holy and timely confirmation of what He was saying to me.


God has a purpose for us, yes.  The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts to accomplish those purposes.

But first and foremost, my dear friends, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are here to glorify God, to become like His Son.

Sometimes that might mean setting aside our busy-ness, and concentrating on who He is.

It might mean setting aside our goals, and setting our minds on getting to know Him.

It might mean stopping the endless urge to compare our "ministries" to the work of others, and seeking His Presence – alone.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to empty ourselves of our selves.

"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)


God may not "need" us – but He loves us.  And perhaps the very best thing we can "do" for Him is to desire to know Him – just for the pleasure of His Presence.

To relish in the wonder and fulfillment of relationship with an Almighty God.

A God who desires our fellowship – not because He needs it – but because He wants it.

He died for it.

Maybe the very best thing we can "do" for Him is to love Him…

…and to be like His Son.


All for His glory.


"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul." (Deuteronomy 10:12)





Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
For apart from me you can do nothing.



Is there something God wants you to be - does it maybe require putting aside something you do?


"I am the true vine.  You never have to worry about fruitlessness if you let Me live in you.  When you rest in Me, fruitfulness will happen.  I will spill out of you and affect those around you.  Trust Me and see.  I am the life that flows through you.

I call you to be before I ever urge you to do."

(From a recent devotional reading - guess God really wants me to hear this!!)


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Friday, May 3, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Rejoice


Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: rejoice

How would you define the word rejoice?  Is it different than being happy?

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?

How can we rejoice in the middle of suffering, trials, and pain?  (And why do you think it matters?)


Let me know what you think!!


"But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me."  (Psalm 13:5)

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."  (Psalm 33:21)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"