JUST GET OUT OF THE BOAT!

In Matthew 14:22-33 we have a very familiar story of Jesus rescuing the disciples in a storm. What I just LOVE about our omniscient God, I just happened up on this one this past Wed. morning (10/9/13) as I was intending to do some study on the Bread Of Life, which was the devotional in Our Daily Bread Devotional.

If I could just paraphrase; the disciples were in trouble far away from land. 
A STRONG WIND had hit them and they were fighting HEAVY  WINDS!          THIS  IS FOR  ME!   I am in a storm with my precious 40 year old son, who so graciously God has allowed me to care for the past years of his life, & as a single parent!

Last week, I fell into OVERWHELM  as the wind and waves of sickness hit his body!

In verse 26 of this passage,   "in their fear, they cried out, 'it's a ghost!'
We MUST BE so very careful of  WHAT WE SPEAK  when we are in fear of the unknown!
When we don't realize Jesus is ALREADY THERE!  I remember the song, "He was there all the time!"  When sickness hits, you see symptoms & hear such bad reports, that take your eyes off of Jesus and His Word!  Jesus reassured them that HE WAS THERE!

He is as close as His Word!  Rom. 10:8  "The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach!"

It only states that Peter initiated walking on the water by asking Jesus to call him to come.  Now, looking in hindsight, HOW LONG have I been hearing Jesus bidding me to 'come closer?' In Mt. 11:28, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Every morning Sara Young  bids me to come  closer in her devotional, "Jesus Calling."   Diane Stortz has gathered us together in profoundly charging us to memorize 52 scriptures from A to Z.  The 3rd scripture was this very Mt. 11:28.  The 2nd one was Is. 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God!"  I can personally learn much more on the (be still) part; however, God is simply showing me that HE IS GOD!  In living color!

Being still and resting in God is one of my passions of interest!  I want to come closer inspite of distractions. I am perfecting this desire by being accountable to my "Hello Mornings" group who are studying Ephesians.  Started with "Hide His Word" in memorizing Eph. 1, but now with this crisis I may be too behind.  But God knows. 

BACK TO PETER..........when the strong winds and the heavy waves hit him, it practically knocked him out!   SO ME!  As much Word as I do know, as strong of a regimen I try to engage in, one more time, I about  FELL OUT!  I know it is shameful after 40 years of facing quite 118:17 a few crisis with my sons life and I KNOW GOD TO BE FAITHFUL!

Jesus simply stated, " You have so little faith!" "Why did you doubt?"  Verse 32 says "When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped!"  This was the Rhema Word for me, climb back into the boat, don't let the fear paralyze you into not wanting to get back into the saddle!    GUESS WHAT?  It's not all about this we are going through.  God is showing me my real self, and that ugly underlying fear I tend to allow to control me in many areas of my life.  AGAIN I am on the attack of this fear that immobilizes me from blogging, telling our story, declaring God's goodness and AGAIN I rise to the occasion in the name of JESUS!  AND I WILL be posting on the progressive healing of my son. 

                                                                                                                                                                                    

DO YOU REMEMBER ME?

     The little grandmother who didn't get a computer until the age of 60!  The one who found out there was such a thing as a "BLOG!"  I secretly followed so many gifted writers & only God knew that I wanted so badly to write a blog myself!

      This very year, 2013, a little lady over in Fremont, California, Barbie Hernandez Swihart +My Freshly Brewed Life  saw me & felt led of the Lord to help me get started! 

       Remember me?  I was the one who was going to IMPROVE in all the areas of my life.  Then, March7, I realized I had messed up, not seeking God first with my plans.  By April 28th, I got my "want to" back! 

        Throughout all of these three posts and since, I admit, I have had a PARALYZING FEAR!  I can quote to you, "There is (no fear) in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18.
      The question is, a fear of what?  Writing?  Writing comes naturally for me. Wait until I can start taking pictures and finally learn how to post them on my blog!  I was given a new phone today!  Me, with a SmartPhone?  (a shout out to my sweet "Fluttering Sharon!"
          I don't even KNOW what I am afraid of!  It's just a tactic of the enemy! I do know that!  John 10:10  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

               I read a beautiful quote from Denise J. Hughes, blog writer at Allume.com.  "Writers overcome their fears when they do one thing:  BEGIN."

         One thing I would love to show you, is a picture of my many binders!  I have one for (every cause) that comes to my mind.  My newest one is my "WRITING BINDER."  This has posts I have collected from many bloggers who have merely spoken into my life with their words! 
              Today is just my day to BEGIN AGAIN!  This is a familiar word to me.  God and I use it quite too many times in my journal.
BEGIN:  To do the first part of an action.  To arise, to have a starting point.  To take the first step.  Starting implies to first actions, steps or stages taken.

          In  REV. 2:5a  "REMEMBER THEREFORE FROM WHENCE THOU ART FALLEN, AND REPENT, AND (DO THE FIRST WORKS)...........
A good formula given here:  1) Acknowledge where you are really at.  2) Repent.  3) Begin again.

               I think I will just take God at His Word.  Is. 41:13, He tells me, "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'do not fear, I will help you.' "

          In June 2013 Mandy Scarr wrote a wonderful post on "Kicking Fear To The Curb."  She said, " I'M NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE ENEMY OF THIS LIFE PARALYZE ME FROM STEPPING OUT, FROM MOVING FORWARD, FROM TRULY LIVING."       
          ME TOO MANDY!

             Hope I haven't rambled on too much here.  This is just an attempt to make straight paths for my feet, to acknowledge where I am really at.  I have a strong conviction about honesty and being for real.  I have a story to share. My heart goes out to young mothers of small children in overwhelming conditions.  I've been there, done that! I can testify that God will see us through anything!  He is no respector of persons.

                    In closing, would you pray with me?  Heavenly Father, would you touch and use (this vessel) to write to reach someone who may be discouraged or going through a difficult time.  May my words bring them hope in knowing that YOU are always with us, and you love us just like we are; fragile, sometimes literally broken, under much pressure with responsibilities. But YOU, OH GOD!  You are able to make us over again, for YOU are the Potter and we are the clay!  (Jer. 18:3-6)

GOT MY "WANT TO!"

         
          This year is the SIXTH TIME I have attempted to read/study/digest Lysa Terkeurst's book, MADE TO CRAVE since buying it in 2011.  I so relate with her words in the first chapter, "It's not the "how to" I am missing. It's the "want to....really wanting to make changes and deciding that the results of those changes are worth the sacrifice."
          
          I found that this was scriptural!   "Not in your own strength, for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire) both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight." (Phil. 2:13)

            Some weeks ago I started to notice a real "want to" to make so many right choices.  The same week this was noticeable to me I received an appointment to have an ultra sound taken of my arteries, which they had been wanting to check since 5 years ago, when they saw a narrowing occurring.  They immediately saw that placque had built up, but unable to see the extent without taking further testing.  Ever since then, we have had insurance obstacles.

             As soon as these negative results came I went through an escalation of emotions.  The worst was the fear I had to immediately fight.  When fear grips you, it is just like the Bible says, in 1John 4:18 "......fear hath torment!"  The greatest description  I have always experienced with fear is the feeling of paralyzation.  I am not worried about my condition of my heart. I have simply been worried about the care of my precious son whom I take care of.

                      ENOUGH   ABOUT   THAT!

                     What I want to share with you is how God has just been so loving & concerned about me!  My Hello Morning group has been studying on hope and for one entire week we had scriptures on fear, just what I needed!  It seemed like every other blog was dealing with the issue of fear.  All my church programs on tv were preaching or teaching on how to fear not!  My Hiding His Word Group has been memorizing Psalms 71 which has many comforting verses directly to my situation. And my Pastor Lawrence Montgomery speaks right into my life with a Rhema Word! 

                 RIGHT HERE is where I would interject a picture of my binder I made.  I am a visual person.  The cover says, MY BELIEF  SYSTEM.   The verse underneath this title is  "we having the same spirit of faith according as it is written, 'I believed and therefore have I spoken'  we also believe and therefore speak."  (2 Cor. 4:13)

                          I have dividers with sections for scriptures, confessions,  prayers, my identity in Christ, articles that edify. 

                           Earlier in the year I thought I knew where I was going, wanted to go in all the areas of my life.  But I have so learned that life just happens and we have to make a detour.  As far as my health, I am already making necessary changes, but because of this, more intensely!  And that is a good thing!  I am "WANTING TO" because of the great mercy God has had upon me and my foolishness!   My trust is in God! I just know "HE'S  GOT  THIS!"