Thoughts on Week ONE class discussion: DEFINING HOPE

As I was going through my notes from class, as well as my own preparatory notes for class, I began to realize once again how deeply personal is each of our individual relationship, experiences, life lessons with and in the God who walks each one of us through every moment of our individual lives. All of the beautiful aha! moments and incredible hard testimonies shared during these past many weeks has solidified even more for me how truly ever-present is our God...even when we think He's not there. 

Throughout our many discussions and posts and emails, we have heard how God has worked His hand in our lives and in the lives of the people we know and love most. We have testimonies of God teaching about forgiveness, about perseverance, about communication and community. God teaching about time-outs and about surrender, about what we fear and why, about trust and why we don't, about letting go--shame, guilt, resentment, blame--and when "we" just can't do it anymore, about being transformed and redeemed anyway by His grace, the strength of His all-powerful love and His all-sovereign mercy. 

We even have testimonies about falling away in busy-ness, stomping away in anger, forgetting, distrusting, hurting and being hurtful...and then remembering, coming back again. And now, God is teaching us about hoping in the darkness and in the chaos of our most "hellish" situations, about faith and hope and trust in the confident waiting for God's answer...and about readying ourselves, steadying ourselves with His grace for the "how" and the very hard "no matter what"...about learning to lean upon Him, learning to pray boldly to Him, about giving in to Him fully...and about how, in the weakness of our humanness, the "fullness" of our faith may be no bigger than the size of a mustard seed...and HE says: "no problem...I'm about to do something HUGE with that!"

I think that this is the foundational stone that hit me this week...the beauty of the mere existence of testimonies. As you know, every week I try to identify the "golden thread"--the bottomline teaching, the rhema--that courses through the life-message behind each story, that reaches out from each verse, that connects each shared pearl and that pulls it all together into one huge Truth-lesson. But today, it suddenly occurred to me that the "core teaching" here is not so much in the lessons behind the testimonies themselves: it is in the very fact that there ARE testimonies in the first place.  

Know what I mean?

You see, I realized that despite their incredible diversity and uniqueness, every testimony shouts out to us: God Was There. And, not just then, but even now, He is present. He is active. He is working in every moment that turns that moment into a testimony--a pearl--a paradigm-shifting lesson of love and provision for His beloved child. Another brilliant facet of His nature and His Truth (and trust in that nature and Truth) revealed--given to all of us to consider and remember and learn something new that we could never know before this...

...About Him!

And it is through these testimonies--both personally experienced and secondhandedly witnessed--that we learn to HOPE in His nature and His promises. To know that we know that we know that we CAN HOPE in--depend on, trust in, confidently stand upon and excitedly anticipate--HIM because of ALL of the experiences in which He has revealed Himself to us! What was it that Jesus said? 

Remember Me.

Additionally, as we've talked about in class, it is through these testimonies that we can begin to see that perhaps what I call an obstacle, God calls an opportunity. My struggle is not a punishment, but rather a time of strengthening, preparation, learning, practice, true surrender, trust-building. As Terri alluded to in her blog post, something about that perspective brings on "a spirit of gratitude"--a deep thankfulness for all that God has, is and will be doing in/with/through me...teaching me things that will allow me to discern His hand in ALL of my moments--in all of the "bad" ones and the good ones.

But, perhaps even more importantly for our discussion this week, seeking out and recognizing His hand in all of my moments will allow me to remain fully present, open, and "learning" in every experience that builds the foundations that I will need in order to be able to trust in Him when things look really really really bad...when things look "hopeless"! This experiential foundation will be the key to having my heart ready and willing to take a true "leap of faith" when dire and until-now-never-encountered circumstances call for it. It's the building blocks of that confident HOPE..."No Matter What".

Thank You, God, for every testimony, every pearl, every "opportunity" to experience yet another facet of YOUR love for us!! And THANK YOU, sweet Red Tent sisters, for your open and willing hearts to share your walk...and help us all learn God's definition of HOPE!

Ok, so...what IS HOPE?

Terri beautifully defined "Biblical HOPE" in both her blog posts as well as reiterated it in class this week (in fact, if you haven't already done so, PLEASE revisit her POSTs on 11/14 and 11/15: HOPE and HOPE/Personal):

HOPE is NOT the mere desire for "something good" to happen. HOPE is not "wishing for the best" nor is it "crossing my fingers and hope hope hoping..." In fact, HOPE does NOT imply uncertainty nor lack of assurance.  

As Terri explained:
HOPE is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future.  
Biblical HOPE not only desires something good for the future--it EXPECTS it to happen!
HOPE in God looks away from the limitations of this world (and of man) to the promises of GOD....It is the expectation of GREAT and AMAZING THINGS in His Kingdom willed by God Himself...for us!

I loved it when someone suddenly blurted out (almost as if surprised by the revelation!):
HOPE is a CHOICE and an ACTION upon that choice!

So. Awesome.

I also found it interesting when Terri mentioned that it is impossible to separate Faith and Hope (and Trust) because the verse I had chosen for the week speaks into this:

Now faith is the assurance of things HOPED for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) 
or in the NIV:
Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see.

A commentary I was reading stated:
"Faith includes HOPE but is more than that. Faith is the larger idea. Faith is our confidence in the Word of God (and in whatever HE says is true, including His nature, what has happened, is happening because of His nature); and whenever that word has reference to the future, we can call our confidence in it "HOPE". HOPE is FAITH in the future tense!"

One of my teachers used to distinguish between Faith and HOPE like this:

Faith is strong confidence in the reliability of God's Word (in the things HE states is true, in the totality of His "I AM".).
HOPE is strong confidence in the fulfillment of God's PROMISE (in all that will come from the "I AM" dwelling within me)

When I rely upon what God says--about Himself, about me, about others around me, about Him IN me and Him IN others around me, etc--I can stand upon the FAITH I have in His word (rhema) and in His Word (logos). It is that same confidence of FAITH that allows me to HOPE in HIS fulfillment of the promises I have yet to see but that I know are coming BECAUSE He dwells within me and in my every situation.

Selah on that thought for a while, ladies! Is it as powerful a Truth to anyone as it was to me?

Ok so...with all of this rolling around in my mind, I found that when I re-read the Scripture verses, my perspective of God's promises for me had suddenly, subtly, but surely become redefined, clarified and, well, hard-core powerful and more meaningful:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a HOPE.

(wow...the expansiveness of that "hope" is now somehow...immense...solid...defined! Somehow, it takes on the very shape of...Christ!)

1 Peter 1:34
He has caused us to be born again to a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; to an inheritance that is IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED and UNFADING, KEPT IN HEAVEN FOR YOU.

(whoa. Christ...again!)

Romans 15:13
May the God of HOPE fill you with ALL JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, YOU MAY ABOUND IN HOPE.

(YES!! the abundance of HIS promises...the steadfastness of His Presence...the endurance of His love...it goes on and on and on, right?)

Romans 12:12
REJOICE IN HOPE, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer...

(What natural responses to real live HOPE (of everything that IS Christ dwelling within ME)--I can only respond with great rejoicing, steadfastness and willing perseverance, constant thanksgiving and praise!)

Lamentations 3:21-23
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have HOPE: the steadfast love of the Lord NEVER CEASES; His mercies NEVER COME TO AN END; THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS

(truly, these are ALL sources of great joy--and the foundation of my HOPE...the living Christ within me!)

Ok--enough for tonight! What about anyone else? I KNOW there were lots of thoughts rolling around in your hearts this week! Please share!

Defining HOPE: Week ONE verses and homework

Hello wonderful ladies!!! Welcome back from our TOO long two week break--hoping that everyone is feeling a little less stuffed than was the turkey (lol) and ready to jump (or ok, at least waddle) back into the study again! 

So, first off--THANK YOU to Terri for doing a fantastic job at leading our discussion on Defining Hope. There's something about being the one asked to prepare the verses for in-depth group discussion, something about being the one tasked with actively looking for further HolySpirit clarification, engaged in spending focused, dedicated and often prolonged "One-on-one" alone-time searching for key Truths that lead to deeper paradigm-shifting understanding and truly life-changing application.  As Terri can now testify to, when we actively search and immerse ourselves in His Word (logos) to hear and learn His understanding, His Truth, His word (rhema)...the HolySpirit NEVER fails us!

...I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5, New American Bible version)

Amen to that, ladies!!

Ok so, as usual, I will give out the new verses for WEEK TWO's contemplation and study right away so that we can get started on our consideration of where God may be speaking into our lives through this topic.  I will post a brief summary of today's class discussion as soon as I can.  In the meantime:

Remember to:
(1) WRITE down each of the verses in your journal. (If you feel that a certain passage is just way too long for you to copy, then just write down the specific phrases or words that the HolySpirit seems to be highlighting for you. But remember: you might actually "get more" from writing every verse down anyway!! We've already learned how often the HolySpirit brings to light new revelation through things we might otherwise dismiss as tedious or mundane...) Oh, and btw, if you are finding that "journalling" into files on your computer is easier for organization than writing by hand in your journal, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE type them out fully into your document rather than cutting and pasting from online sources!! Remember, we are trying to absorb as much of His words as deeply as we can through our eyes and hands into our brains and onto our hearts--no place for superficial stuff in this scripture study!!

(2) Prayerfully consider WHICH of these VERSES spoke into you this week and HOW? Circle or star the verse(s) in your journal and jot down why/how they spoke into you.

(3) Consider if your understanding of Defining Hope has CHANGED...DEEPENED...been CLARIFIED and then answer the following questions in your journal:

  (a) How has this impacted my faith perspective and my ability to walk with more confidence in Christ through any or all circumstances?

  (b) How and where in my life might the HolySpirt be asking me to journey into deeper trust in God?

So, ready? Here we go!

Isaiah 40:31
Romans 5:5 (but better understanding may be gained if read along with Romans 4:25-5:11)
Jeremiah 29:11
Isaiah 54:4-5, 9-10
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Hebrews 6:18-19
1 Timothy 1:1
Romans 15:3
1 John 3:3
Numbers 23:19
Joshua 1:5
Joshua 1:9
Psalm 31:24

I know that's lot of verses (ya...i think we all missed having our discussion sessions to vocalize our pearls!!!) so, pull them up as you can and note the phrases/words/verses that jump out at you.  IF you were not able to join us today, or if you didn't have a chance to share your verse, please feel free to add yours in the comment section and share what hit you about your verse of choice.

That's it for now. Let's start early on our readings, ladies, so that we can give the HolySpirit a chance to speak into our lives through our study this week. Let's let HIM "define HOPE" for us!

love
maggie

The King and His Friend: A Story About Trust

Just a quick story from my Arlington Bible Study about "Trust" that I wanted to share.  Yes, it's predictable and there's the part that always bothers me coz I always think hey, what about the rest of the "entourage" that got eaten??  But, nonetheless, it is sweet and short and reminds me of the story of Joseph and his brothers.  Enjoy!

A King and His Friend: A Story About Trust

A King and his best friend were busy at something and the King’s finger was amputated.  His best friend told him “It is good.”

The King was VERY upset and distraught this his friend would say such a thing and he imprisoned his friend in the dungeon.

The King and his entourage were out exploring and were captured by cannibals.  As the cannibals surveyed their catch, they rejected the King because he wasn’t “whole food”, his finger was missing. The King was released while the rest of his entourage perished at the hands of the cannibals.

The King remembered his friend and released him from the dungeon.  Upon doing so he reminded him why he imprisoned him and exclaiming that his friend was right, cutting off his finger was good, it saved his life.  He apologized to his friend who said “It is good, if I had been with you I would have perished.”

It is hard to trust. It is hard to believe “It is good” when there is so much pain associated with it.  And yet, “It is good”.

How We Can Face the Hard Things by Ruth Schwenk

Ok, so a wonderful commentary showed up in my inbox this morning. I feel like it really spoke "volumes in a nutshell" to me about "defining hope"--and the process that it takes to walk in that Hope.  Let me know what you think!

PS--happy travels to everyone for thanksgiving! I am SO thankful for EACH AND EVERYONE of my Red Tent Sisters!! See you all after the holidays :)

How We Can Face the Hard Things
By Ruth Schwenk

November 19, 2018

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

I couldn’t see all the words my husband was scribbling on a scrap of paper because I was driving, but I knew it wasn’t good. We’d just picked up our son when my husband received a phone call from a doctor. It was a call that would change our lives.

While I couldn’t see the words clearly, or understand it all at the time, there was one word my husband wrote I did understand: Cancer.

My husband had been struggling with an injured hip from playing basketball, and the doctors had been running tests. Through a series of MRIs, they discovered a tumor in his hip. The call reported the source of his tumor, a type of blood cancer. With my son and his friend in the car, we drove the rest of the way home in silence. It felt like a horrible nightmare.

Over the next few weeks, uncertainty loomed, and I struggled to even function. How could this happen? How could my young, healthy husband, have cancer? No amount of T.V. could dull the pain and fear. Food wouldn’t do it. Positive thoughts weren’t enough. The only thing that would bring relief was God’s Word. God’s unchanging, reliable and faithful Word.

I searched Scripture, almost frantically, looking for encouragement. God’s Word was no longer just something I read; it became something I devoured. Something I clung to, offering strength and hope to press on when everything felt like it was falling apart.

One verse I came to over and over again was Psalm 9:10: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

To “know” is to have experience of and with the living God. It is to understand God in an intimate way, with a firm conviction of who He is and what He’s done. It’s a knowledge we only come to possess by being with Him, letting Him shape our hearts as we learn from Him. Oh, what a comfort! Because I spent time with Him, I could KNOW who God was, even in the midst of heartache.

Through that experience, I learned two important lessons:

Growth in the past enables us to face hardship in the future.

Hard things in our lives have a way of calling into question what we know to be true. And sometimes this even includes what we know to be true about God. Knowing God sustains us when we don’t know or understand everything else going on around us. This illuminates our need to cultivate our relationship with God, setting aside time to be with Him in prayer, listening to His voice and learning who He is through His Word.

Making time with God a priority now prepares us for what’s ahead.

Furthermore, the psalmist tells us in Psalm 9:10 that knowing God’s name leads to trusting Him. What does it mean to know God’s name? It means we know who He is — His unchanging character. The Bible explains He is trustworthy, omnipotent (all powerful), faithful and sovereign. We all need this knowledge of who God is, no matter what we’re going through.

God invites us to come to Him. Know His name. And trust Him. You see, it’s easy to follow God in the good times, but when the hard times come...will we know Him enough to trust Him? 

The months have passed, treatments have gone well, and my husband is headed toward complete remission. Praise God! Last year at this time, I had no idea the hard things we would face, with my husband’s diagnosis lurking right around the corner. But thankfully I already knew His name. Who God is, and who He will always be. He is merciful, sovereign, trustworthy and good. He is my loving Father who will take care of me... 

No matter what happens or what the outcome, I want to know Him enough to trust Him.

Heavenly Father, as I face the unexpected trials of life, I want to know Your name. Draw close to me as I draw close to You. Shape my heart and guide me in Your truth. Strengthen me with Your promises. My life is in Your hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hope/Personal

Isaiah 40:31
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

Romans 15:3
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit".

Romans 8: 24-25
"For in this hope we  were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if you hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently."

Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

I have read these verses over and over again. As most of you know, I am a cradle Catholic. I am the product of 20 plus years of Catholic School Education.
Most of you also know that I have undergone some tough times. I would like to stay that through these rough patches in my journey, my faith, trust and hope in God remained steadfast and true. Unfortunately, I can't. I have doubted. I have sobbed uncontrollably. I have screamed in anger at God. I have faltered and fallen so many times. I have fallen into the depths of depression many times.
I was married for 16 years. During that time I gave birth to my 3 children. I also gave birth to a stillborn daughter and an aneacephalic daughter.  She died early on 12/24. I also had 3 miscarriages. As I stated I was married to a cruel abusive narcissist sociopath. I can't go into the unspeakable and horrible things that he did to me. I was broken and my faith shaky. My mind was unstable. I did not hold up well.  I struggled and stumbled and made so many mistakes.

Matthew 17: 14-20
"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ' move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

My faith was the size of a mustard seed. In spite of everything, I kept trying. I kept turning to God. I was hospitalized 3 times for depression. I was so broken within that when a therapist asked me what I would like to become. My answer was a person. I didn't think that I was a person. I didn't think that I had any value as a woman. I was a mess but I had one thing in my favor. That was  a faith the size of a mustard seed. It was not very strong but it was there. I fell frequently but the mustard seed faith hung in there and so did I. I was an RN before marriage. I went back to work. I raised  my Lisa, Cathy and John by myself. I went back to work. I earned a BSN, BS in Psychology, a BA in Religious Studies. I graduated Magnum Cum Laude. I went from a staff RN to a DON. During this time frame, my son made a serious suicide attempt. My mustard seed faith was getting stronger. I was certain that he would survive. ( BTW his father didn't come to see him)  Through the grace of God, I still have my son with me on earth. I received a miracle. He took enough pills to kill 5 people. That was 24 years ago.
I and my mustard seed faith, kept going. I earned an MSN and a MA in Counseling graduating Summa Cum Laude.  I continued because of the mustard seed faith within me and became an APRN.
Then my back gave out completely. A combination of working hard as a nurse and a single parent, remote childbirth injuries and abuse. This is where the Red Tent Sisters came into my life. God is amazing! The three surgeries were difficult. All of you know that. Anne Mackie spoke to Maggie and I was surrounded by love.
The two years it took to recover and gave me a lot of time to think. The Bible Study took me to a deeper place in my faith journey. Thinking made me realize that I was lonely. Yes I had my children,my grandchildren
 and my friends and my two fur babies. Yet I knew I was lonely.
My doctor as most of you know kept trying to convince me to get out and meet someone. On my own I wouldn't have done so, even though I wanted to! God knew that too!  And in God's  perfect timing in my journey I did! God blessed me with a wonderful man. Richard is a Methodist but comes to Mass with me so I can serve as a Eucharistic Minister. He has taught me what love really is!
I just wanted everyone to hear my story. I wanted to give testimony that God is always with us, not just on the sunny days but even on the days that seem as dark as night. I have journeyed through very dark times with faith the size of a mustard seed. Never give up hope. It is ok to falter, to fall, to struggle and to yell at God. Why? God made us and understands each one of us better then we understand ourselves!  Because God promised to never leave us. Never leave us! How awesome is that! God never lies!  How extra awesome is that!
All things to work together for those who love the Lord. Even if your faith and hope and trust in the Lord is the size of a tiny mustard seed.

JESUS IS OUR HOPE! ALWAYS AND FOREVER. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains!

Hope

 Hope is a critical concept because it is needed for us to walk in absolute trust in God. Hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness. We need hope in order to experience the joy of knowing and trusting God.

Hope: definition of Biblical Hope. It isn't a hope so but a know so! It isn't wishing for the best, it isn't an emotion or a feeling. It isn't wishful thinking. Biblical Hope is the knowledge of facts. Hope is to have a secure anchor of the soul. Human Hope pales in comparison to Biblical Hope.
A believer knows that their hope is solid, concrete evidence because it is grounded in the word of God! We know that God cannot lie! (Hebrews 6: 18-19 " in which it is impossible for God to lie ... We may have the strongest solace, we who have fled together so as to hold fast to hope set before us. This we have as an anchor of soul, safe and sound.") (Numbers 23: 19 " God is not like man so that he would lie nor is He like the son of man so that He would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act. Had He never spoken and not fulfilled.")

We have hope that is " the assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1)

Biblical Hope is a Hope that is like Faith. A faith that cannot be moved by circumstances or what the eyes see because an unseen God is seen in His Faithfulness.

Paul gives us the best example of hope in Romans 8: 24-25. "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is not seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." And in Romans 8:34. "If God is for us, who can be against us." God is on our side, how sure is that hope!

Hope is powerful! When someone has hope discouragement does not become the psychological cancer of hopelessness. Hope allows us to see our struggles and sufferings as opportunities for personal growth. It can allow us to reach out to others to help them. Hopelessness and helplessness can be transformed into a belief that things that can be changed. Transformation starts with me then overflows into other lives. Hope can be introduced and fostered through fellowship.

Hope is having a vision for how to move forward. We only have to go to God's word in the Bible.

Thankfulness promotes Hope. It fosters an awareness of our available resources. Remember that in all things We care to give thanks and praise to God. Hope in God promotes security and safety.

Everyone, at some point in there lives, goes through a dark night of the soul. Deep doubts and fears flare up. Extinguishing these flares can be done by staying close to God's word in the bible each and every day! Hope can be found in God's word.

Timothy 1:1 " Jesus Christ is our hope."

Hope needs to be practiced! The more you practice, the stronger hope becomes.

What struck me, as I explored the concept of hope in God's word, the verses I found can be used to foster not just hope but faith and trust as well!

I liked the point that Maggie made re trust and the well known statement "God never gives you more then you can handle!" It connects to trust, faith and hope. It isn't just me dealing with hardship and heartache. It is God and me! God is with me every step of the way. Hope like faith, trust and forgiveness is a process! Me and God walking together day by day! It is ok if I had times get a little shaky. God understands human frailty. God will not abandon us. Jesus is walking the road of life with us. God the Father will send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit will give us strength and wisdom. The Holy Spirit will increase our faith, our trust and hope in God!

"What Can 'I' Handle" and Being "Suspicious of God"

Wow ladies--your comments this weekend have really made me think! But, of course, what i've been thinking is waaay too long for a comment--so here's a new POST!!! Keep it all up, ladies!! This is the discussion that makes us consider and mull and grow ever deeper in our journey of faith!! 

I’ve thought for a very long time about the saying “God never gives us more than we can handle”, not because I did or didn’t believe it, but because many years ago I once had a sister-friend SO adamantly and angrily refute it after someone in the room had just spoken those very words over a hard testimony. Strangely, in my surprise and embarrassment, and in the crazy awkward silence that followed her outburst, I never really took in what she was trying so hard to tell us. After all, that saying had been one of my most self-empowering mantras, too...and til now, I hadn’t really wanted to think about it. Didn't really think I needed to think about it.

But this weekend, as I read and re-read the article and then mulled over and over all of the many thoughts and comments now rolling around very loudly in my head, I think I finally began to understand what my friend--and what this article--was declaring so boldly.

God doesn’t give me what I can handle. He helps me handle what I am given.

(Or, tweaking the original saying to better reflect the active partnership of God with me):

God never gives me more than WE (i.e. God and me!) can handle.

Partnership in relationship. Relationship in Trust. Trust in partnership. With and in God...in the God in me, in the others HE places around me, in everything and everyone that HE works within to help me.

"No, God doesn’t expect us to handle this. He wants us to hand this over to Him.

He doesn’t want us to rally more of our own strength. He wants us to rely solely on His strength."

Wow--I found this to be powerful stuff...somehow takes the dependency in any situation and moves it from self-reliance and self-focus to God-reliance and God-focus.  Whether I am dealing with a simple quick “hey--i got this one” situation or even as I am barely managing, barely keeping my head above water, giving over every ounce of my energy to just remembering to breathe and stay alive and somehow not drowning or being crushed under the unbelievable, seemingly unfair and undeserved weight of my circumstances, I have to KNOW that I can rely upon His love and mercy and provision and protection and absolute LOVE-infused sovereignty over me and the ones I call beloved...no matter what it looks like now. I have to know that no matter if “I” am not good enough, or strong enough, or able enough...God always IS.

Which, from that perspective, kinda makes the next sentence Terkeurst wrote a little more interesting:

"If we keep walking around, thinking God won’t give us more than we can handle, we set ourselves up to be suspicious of God. We know we’re facing things that are too much for us."

I think one of the problems I saw in this part is what Lorraine alluded to--it’s that whole issue of using the open testimonial ‘i’ vs affronting listeners/readers with the preach-y ‘you’ or, as in this case, the presumptuous all-sweeping ‘we’ and ‘us’.. Not only is there a generalization that somehow makes me feel forced into a declaration that I may not have experienced or that feels offensive, but it is speaking something over and “from me” that I may not feel, nor want to feel or declare...even if it is true. Ugh. Well, at the least, this is a great reminder of why we in our group have always strived to remember to practice using our "i's" and "me's". Surely a timely facilitator’s lesson now that we are beginning to share and take on leadership roles...so, ok, Amen for small albeit uncomfortable blessings! Ah!  

Anyway, once I was able to move past my bristling hairs, I got to thinking that Terkeurst might be talking about those times when the pain and frustration of my reality don’t quite line up with what I thought were supposed to be the wonder-filled promises of God.  And in my past experiences, the key point is ALWAYS the what “I” thought part. Inevitably, somewhere along the line in my humanness, I somehow begin leaning upon the presumptions of my own understanding instead of the fullness of HIS rhema. And, when this happens, I can pretty much guarantee that in His immense love for me and for the Truth He desires to teach me, at some point down the road He WILL cause me to be faced with a conflict where the things I thought I had down so solidly in my understanding don’t quite align with things that are happening in my life. At that point, IF I do not consider the possibility that perhaps it is “I” that got it wrong...then the one that becomes “suspect” WILL BE the God I thought I knew--ie the God of my mis-understanding.  I will not know who to trust anymore--can I believe in a God I really don’t know? a God that would allow such things to happen to someone he’s supposed to love? A God that says one thing but obviously does another...or maybe nothing at all? Or maybe it’s because...egads...God really doesn’t believe in me--I’m not really worthy, not really called beloved, not one of the blessed or chosen ones, not good enough, not faithful enough, not forgiven enough…?  Et voila, I start to doubt God--to become "suspicious" of him and of all that he says about me! I know too many loved ones who have abandoned God in their refusal to consider that the God they were taught about is not the One they were truly seeking.

BUT!! This terrible mis-perception and grave heart-hardening misunderstanding is why God calls us first and foremost into ongoing, ever-growing experiential and personal relationship so that when I find myself in times of trouble and messy confusion in His name and about His nature or plan, I can call upon all that I know of Him. I can remember to remember HIS true attributes and all that He has already shown me (directly and through others) about Him, the nature of His TRUE love, the steadfastness and faithfulness of HIS promises and provisions...no matter what it looks like now. And from there, I can be able to continue to trust, leaning upon the fullness and mercy of HIS understanding instead of upon the vast and uncertain incompleteness of mine. I can lean into the teachings and Truths of the HolySpirit rather than grit and grind my teeth pushing through the harsh lessons of self-dependency-for-success from the world.

Gosh--suddenly hit me: it’s the whole process we have been following this year! It’s all about developing that relationship of knowing...with and in Him...that allows us to break out of our Fear, to take that "leap of faith" and begin the life-long process of learning to walk in absolute Trust with Him, to stand in confident Hope no matter what it looks like to everyone else...no matter the circumstance!

Just throwing out my thoughts, so...what are yours? Please share--even if they are different! It's how we all grow!!

When God Gives You More Than You Can Handle (by Lisa Terkeurst)

oh my Lord...! Here is another testimony that I found in my inbox: this is one that speaks SO wonderfully into everything we have been talking about from Fear to Trust to Hope...  I hope it finds someone who, like me, constantly needs to be reminded...to remember!! Enjoy!


When God Gives You More Than You Can Handle 

by Lysa TerKeurst

“I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 (ESV)

“Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

I felt sure there had to be some sort of awful mistake. I had no family history of breast cancer. I am young(ish) and healthy. And I was already walking through an incredibly hard season in my marriage that was making life feel impossibly heavy.

Yet there I was, sitting in a pink chair wondering what you’re supposed to do after you get a cancer diagnosis.

I kept thinking about that statement everyone loves to throw out in times like these: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” But that’s not actually in the Bible.

God does say He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He always provides a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13) But that’s not the same as God not giving us more than we can handle.

God didn’t cause this. But He was allowing it. And He sometimes will allow more and more. 

As I type these words, I know I’m not the only one who feels they’ve been given more than they can handle.

The world is filled with people who are dealt more than they can handle. And, surprisingly, so is the Bible.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV).

No, God doesn’t expect us to handle this. He wants us to hand this over to Him.

He doesn’t want us to rally more of our own strength. He wants us to rely solely on His strength. 

If we keep walking around, thinking God won’t give us more than we can handle, we set ourselves up to be suspicious of God. We know we’re facing things that are too much for us.

After my diagnosis, I had some really difficult days. I needed God to show me His perspective so I could set my perspective. But it didn’t come right away. And that frustrated me. I was filled with fear and questions like, Why this? Why now? Why me?

The story I started telling myself was that life would never get any better.

But thinking about everything I didn’t know wasn’t getting me anywhere. So, I started listing things I did know. And the main thing I know? I know God is good. I didn’t know the details of God’s good plan, but I could make His goodness the starting place to renew my perspective.

So now let me tell the story of the recent events in my life using God’s goodness as the central theme. Had things not blown up in my marriage a few months beforehand, I never would have hit the pause button on life to go get a mammogram. But because I had a mammogram at that exact time, the doctors caught a cancer that needed to be caught. And because they caught a cancer that needed to be caught, I had every fighting chance to beat this cancer.

You see, we’re all living out a story, but then there’s the story we tell ourselves. We just need to make sure we’re telling ourselves the right story. Yes, God will give us more than we can handle. But He always has eventual good in mind.

We don’t have to like it, but maybe knowing this can help us live through it.

Dear Lord, I’m choosing to hand over to You today all the things I don’t understand and that feel too overwhelming. I declare Your goodness over my situation today and believe You are working all things for my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (NIV)

If You've Forgotten Who You Are...(by Alecia Bruxvoort)

Hi ladies!

Finally had some time to go through my many many MANY inbox emails and came across this lovely commentary from back in September.  As we head into our week of contemplation on Defining HOPE, I am realizing how, once again, we have chosen to delve into a topic that is so incredibly multifaceted and so beautifully and complexly multilayered! I found that this article spoke deeply into one of the core foundational stones of faith for me... of why I CAN hope!  Enjoy!

If You’ve Forgotten Who You Are … 

by Alicia Bruxvoort


“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

“What did you learn today?” I asked my daughter Lizzy, as we headed home from her first day of preschool one September afternoon long ago. 

My 4-year-old peered over the top of the lumpy pink backpack on her lap and flashed me a proud smile in the rearview mirror. “I learned where to hang my backpack,” she said. “And how to write the letter A, and what to do when my teacher rings the clean-up bell …” 

She sat up straighter, as if listing all the knowledge she’d gained affirmed her important new status as a schoolgirl. “Oh,” she added with a soft sigh. “I learned how to sit crisscross applesauce on my purple carpet square for a loooong time …” 

I nodded, trying to picture my wiggly girl sitting still for any length of time at all. 

“And, Mom,” Lizzy continued, “I learned something really funny, too!” A sliver of laughter seeped through her lips, and she slapped her knees to accentuate the hilarity of what she was about to share. 

I echoed my daughter’s giggles and wondered what preschool protocol had stirred such amusement. 

“I have to wear a name tag every day at school even though I already know my name!” My daughter blurted with another burst of laughter. 

I pictured the apple-shaped name tag the teacher had tenderly pinned to Lizzy’s chest before class began. And I pondered how I could explain the importance of that little accessory to a 4-year-old. 

But before I could speak, my daughter corralled her laughter and offered an explanation of her own. “I guess my teacher just doesn’t want me to forget who I am,” she said with a shrug of her slender shoulders. 

She exhaled a satisfied sigh as she conceded to her teacher’s wisdom, then leaned her head against the smudgy window as we veered up the road toward home. 

As my little learner grew quiet, her words dangled poignant in the air between us. Suddenly, I felt the chuckles in my throat give way to a lump of tears. Because I know preschoolers aren’t the only ones at risk of forgetting who they are. Every child of God walking the dust of this broken world can suffer from identity amnesia, too — 

The woman who believes her shameful past defines her.
The mother who assumes her children’s mistakes diminish her.
The daughter who suspects her foibles and flaws devalue her.

It’s easy to forget who we are when disappointment declares who we aren’t. 

But Galatians 3:26 reminds us our identity doesn’t change with our circumstances or sway with our confidence. It doesn’t swing with our successes or falter with our failures. 

Our identity is fixed by faith.
Our name is anchored in Christ. 

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Unlike my giggling preschooler, we don’t need a name tag pinned to our chest to remember who we are. We have a Savior who was fastened to the cross to declare whose we are. 

And because of Christ’s great sacrifice and God’s great love (John 3:16), we have been given the best name of all — we are His. Inarguably and forever … His.

May we never forget it! 

Dear Father, thank You for calling me by name and making me Yours. Forgive me for all the times I have forgotten who I am. Help me to place my full confidence in Christ and live as a treasured child of God, confident and cherished, forgiven and free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Isaiah 43:1, “But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.’” (NLT)

Galatians 4:7, “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” (NLT)