When God Has A Plan For Our Weakness

Hi Ladies~ Found this in my inbox this morning.  Loved how it spoke into the concept of confronting FEAR. Does it speak to anyone else this week? Let us know!

"Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

“What if God is inviting you to serve out of your weakness instead of your strength?”  We were sitting on a saggy couch surrounded by clamoring kids when my friend posed the question.  Our preschoolers were singing, and our toddlers were shrieking. The baby on my lap was whimpering, and the phone in my purse was ringing. But those words soared above the clatter and landed in my heart with quiet clarity.  I’d been offered an opportunity to serve the Lord in a new way, and I felt completely unqualified for the challenge. The position didn’t line up with my natural gifting or maximize my strengths. It didn’t plant me in my sweet spot or ignite my personal passions.  Yet, after weeks of prayer, I felt like God was asking me to say yes to the assignment. I wanted to walk in obedience, but it didn’t make much sense. I could think of a dozen other people more equipped for the challenge.  Then my friend’s wise words reminded me of a truth I don’t often consider:  God has a script for our strengths, but He also has a plan for our weaknesses.  That thought is uncomfortable, don’t you think?  We’d rather build God’s kingdom through our gifts, not our gaps.  We’d prefer to serve our Savior from our savvy, not our shortcomings.  Yet, in today’s key verse, we’re reminded that when our weaknesses are infused with God’s grace, they don’t foil His plans. Instead, they frame His power.  “Each time he said ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) My friend’s words were running through my mind as we followed the kids to the backyard where a swing set beckoned their play.  My 4-year-old daughter climbed on the swings while her 6-year-old brother climbed to the top of the monkey bars.  We all applauded as he glided across the silver rungs with ease.  My daughter watched with wide eyes, then climbed up the ladder and reached for those monkey bars, too.  She took hold of the first bar and let her slender frame dangle free. She shrieked with delight and stretched to take hold of the next rung. She kicked her legs and wiggled her hips, but the bar exceeded her reach. Instead of gliding across the monkey bars, she merely dangled, stuck.  Soon, her little arms grew tired, and her lips began to tremble. “I guess I can’t do it,” she whimpered.  In an instant, her big brother was at her side. He wrapped his arms around her swaying torso and steadied her flailing frame. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m right here. Try again.”  With her brother’s hands holding her up, my girl crossed the monkey bars with a yelp of joy. When she dropped to the ground, she stepped back and studied her brother with 4-year-old admiration. “I never knew you were so strong!” she declared with a sigh of wonder.  We laughed as my son took a sheepish bow.  My friend caught my eye with a wordless wink, and I returned her gaze with a knowing nod. Right then and there, I gave God my humble yes. Perhaps God was asking me to serve in weakness so I could more fully know His strength.  Maybe He was inviting me out of my comfort zone so I could find my comfort in Him alone.  I didn’t know where my yes would lead, but I knew I’d been called to trust in God’s sufficiency, not mine.  It still felt awkward. And vulnerable. Frightening and risky. But I knew God was asking for my surrender, not my strength. And I knew His arms would hold me every step of the way.  My daughter was climbing back up that silver ladder, her hands reaching for the monkey bars once again. And right below, her brother stood with a giddy grin and arms lifted high. Dear Jesus, thank You for inviting me to partner with the King of Heaven, even when my knees are quaking here on earth. Take all of me — my weaknesses and my strengths — to use for Your story and for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CONFRONTING FEAR: Week One class discussion

Ok ladies! So here is where the blogging begins... this is where we can share what is in our hearts, whatever it is that the Lord is pulling to the forefront of our vision, gently bringing the dark corners of our life into His light, so that HE can help us with whatever needs cleaning, acknowledging, confronting, overcoming...! Share your thoughts in the comments below--or start your own new POST with your own HolySpirit-revelations and new understanding. This IS our safe-haven for sharing!

So--why DID I choose this concept?

There is something about busy-ness that makes it so easy to forget what’s important...and to be able to clearly discern what’s the big stuff vs the little stuff. In the last two years, I have found myself becoming more and more busy such that I left little time for studying, conversing, really listening to the Lord. Many many years ago, I had asked God when I would be able to just, you know, "KNOW" Him well enough to not have to spend “so much time” praying and studying and listening--when I could just, like, shoot a glance heavenward, quickly send Him a query, and then hear and then know what to do. His hard and immediate answer was: “NEVER.”

And now I know why.

I have found that in any relationship, my ability to honestly and truly KNOW someone is directly related to the time I spend with them in REAL togetherness--conversing, truly listening, considering, learning, and most importantly, just resting. The longer I stay away, the more likely that the person can become my own version of what I remember from my imprecise and less-than-perfect memory.
I found that the busier I became, not only was I less attentive to the call in my spirit to rest and inquire of the Lord, but I found myself less willing (and eventually, less able) to spend time, take time, make time to even just rest and truly pray. It’s like I had been away for so long, that I had forgotten what to do, how to do, etc. Before I knew it, I found my soul filled with the concerns and thought-patterns of the world, and eventually, this past year, found myself unable to remember the confidence that I used to KNOW--that peace that transcends all understanding, that fearlessness that comes from surrendering my all to someone who I know knows all--and yet still faithfully and fiercely loves me. I KNEW it in my mind, but it wasn’t enough to convince my soul….it was like my soul had forgotten.
And in its stead, I found my soul filling with fear. Fear about not only the things I couldn’t control, but also the things that I felt that I SHOULD be able to control.
Thankfully, I’ve always known that when I feel fear, it’s not of God. And so, when I called Lorraine and told her that it’s been really really weird lately, cuz, I’ve become so fearful of Michael’s future, his decisions, his, well, life... she literally laughed out loud at me (i.e. Lorraine truly knows Michael, truly knows me, but most importantly, she truly knows God). And I realized that it was time to come back home.

How does this concept impact my ability to walk in absolute Trust in God?

Contemplating “fear” this week was difficult--more so because I didn’t think that I really wanted to dredge up whatever it was that was causing me to fear. It was doubly discomforting because it seemed like the HolySpirit was trying to show me that “fear” was pervasive in many many areas of my life--literally, I would “walk into an arena” and immediately I was pulled in a billion different directions--like taffy. The pullers were invisible, hidden, but strong and immediate. Crazy scary and uncomfortable.

That’s why I decided to take a different tactic--ask instead, what does GOD say about my fear? I presented to Him in prayer, an instance when I was afraid, and He immediately placed into my mind, Jer 29:11. When i wrote it down and started to mull over it, the words “And I will be found by you” says the Lord”, popped out..and all of a sudden I was filled with a great comfort and peace. And I realized that in the knowing that Michael was totally and absolutely in the hands and mind and heart of God, there was little I needed to worry about. Once again, I knew that I knew that I knew...God IS sovereign over all things in Michael's life.

So--for me this week, it’s not so much that FEAR hinders me from trusting in the Lord, but that FEAR is a significant indicator--a warning sign--that I have wandered from the assurance of His friendship, from the comfort of the protection of His wings. That I have stopped communicating with Him, that I have stopped spending time with Him, that I have forgotten what He sounds like, what He looks like, what He feels like, what He smells like--somewhere along the line, I stopped seeking HIS word and HIS mind and HIS heart for my every step and breath and thought. I was beginning to “forget” Him...and who He is, and who I am in Him.

And THAT is what directly impacts my ability to walk in absolute trust in Him. It's all about maintaining true and active relationship.

From this point on, EVERY verse that was shared, that came to me through my inbox, on bumper stickers, in books and on calendars, and through each of you, spoke so powerfully of maintaining my active and honest and dedicated relationship with my Father...so that I do not forget.

Here are some of the pearls that I caught from Wednesday:

"He has given us a spirit of power, love and self-control" (for me, it was more that HE gives me a truly "sound mind")

"There is no darkness dark enough that HE cannot be there--He IS the light in every part of my life"

"Concentrate on love, not fear.  Cuz perfect love casts out fear."

"God ALWAYS goes before me...so when I am in fear, I'm just not looking in the right direction"

"Invite Him in to light up my corners...'even if I go blind, I wanna see the light""

"Seek Him FIRST and ALWAYS and ONLY...and all these other things will come."

"Ask Him...trust Him...rejoice in Him...and HE will fill you with the peace that transcends all understanding"

"What is biggest obstacle to trust? Pride." (hooboy...that was a biggie for me!)

Ok ladies! Your turn! Write in your comments or thoughts or start a new POST of your musings on this concept of "confronting FEAR"!

FEAR: Week One VERSES and HOMEWORK

Woohoo!! Well, we are in and we are on, ladies! So here we go:
Blog Rules:
-ALL concept-related discussions, summaries and commentaries should be posted here in the blog, so that everyone can access them at their own leisure and all in one place.
-Prayer requests and administrative notifications will continue to be sent via email so that everyone can access them (and share them, if needed) in a timely manner.
-Any member can COMMENT in response to a blogpost--just make sure you are signed in.
-Any member can start a new POST, say, for instance, about a testimony or a different tangent off of the current perspective--just make sure to title it to reflect your new thoughts or musings.
-Please keep all postings/comments to written form--no photos, images or videos (uses too much gigabytes and slows down the page).
-And finally, as with all of our group discussions: be kind, encouraging and edifying. Always use “I” testimonials in lieu of “you should” directives or advice. Keep our blog a safe-haven for honesty, openness, acceptance and confidentiality. (Once we figure out our last few members’ invitation issues, we will go completely PRIVATE). And, as always--pray before posting.
Ok, onward!

Wednesday’s session was awesome--thank you for your patience, willingness and persistence in working through a VERY difficult concept in our faithwalk: confronting FEAR (and all of its many facets and faces). I know we didn’t have as much time for discussion due to first getting through administrative stuff (blog set-up issues, distribution of our pretty study journals, rules for discussion and comments, etc), but what we were able to touch upon was truly eye-and-heart opening for me! So, thank you for your thoughts and your truly precious pearls!
Unfortunately...I have somehow misplaced my own notes from the class (did someone happen to pick up my pile of worksheets and class presentation layouts after I left? Let me know!)
But! I DID write down (in my new journal!) all of the wonderful verses everyone shared. Here we go:

Jeremiah 29:11, 14
2 Tim 1:7
Psalm 23:4
1 John 4:18
Deut 31:8
Matt 6:25-34
Phil 4:6-7
Psalm 37:4
Prov 3:5
Psalm 28:7

As we discovered in class, the readings were diverse and rich, beautifully touching upon so many different ways that the HolySpirit is teaching us to approach, confront and overcome fear in our walk of Trust. So, our assignment for THIS week:

-Jot down each of these verses in our journal (as well any more that you may have of your own).
-Consider how these verses (and the discussions in class, online, etc) have helped/are helping change/deepen/clarify your understanding of “fear”
-Answer in your journal:
How has this impacted my faith perspective and my ability to walk with more confidence in Christ through any or all circumstances?
How and where in my life might the Holy Spirit be asking me to journey into deeper trust in God?

Our discussion on confronting “fear” will continue next week! Happy blogging!

Revving up our blog for our 2018-2019 study season!!

from maggie

HI everyone!! Wow--this is absolutely awesome.  Our blog from many years ago is still up and running and ready for our start-up. God is SO good!! So, I have sent private invitations to everyone who is "new" to the blog, or whose email has changed since 2011.  For anyone who is already a contributor with the same email address, I have sent the link to reconnect.  IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH ACCESSING OUR SITE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Once we are all settled in, let's get blogging!!! Woohoo!!!

Couple of administrative reminders:
-This is a private blog--only invited members will be able to view and comment on our posts.
- All members can contribute to this blog--just start a NEW POST and blog away as the HolySpirit urges you! Just remember to title your new post so we can find them later.
-All members can COMMENT on any post--just hit the COMMENT link and write as little or as much as you would like to say! THIS is where those little "thank you's" and "love it" comments will be greatly appreciated!
-PLEASE keep all posts to WRITTEN words only--NO PHOTOS, VIDEOS or IMAGES please! We are only allowed a limited amount of gigabytes per page and pictures eat that up quickly, effectively slowing down our page downloads and viewing.  Thanks for your understanding!


Ok--here we go, ladies! SO excited!!

God's Perfect Timing

The truck was HUGE.  It was an 18 wheeler semi whose driver had lost his way after diverting from the Rte 80 traffic jam (due to another jack-knifed tractor trailer) and had found himself winding his truck through Hackettstown and up Schooley's Mountain Road at the 8 o'clock morning hour.  Having pulled aside at least twice in attempts to get some bearings and find a way off our small roads that he quickly recognized as unfit for a rig his size, he found himself atop our mountain with no where else to go but down into the Valley.  Creeping along with the middle school buses and rush hour traffic backing up impatiently behind him, he stared ahead at the too-steep decline before him and applied the brakes as best he could to control his 35+ ton load.  As he approached the sharp left-turn curve in the road, he felt the rig give a little too easily, and he knew immediately that the stress on his brakes had been too much...they were about to fail him at the very worst possible moment.  Pulling as hard as he could on the steering wheel, he slammed his foot deeper onto the now non-responsive brake pedal, and entered Dead Man's Curve with very little hope and way too much speed...

Seaver and his brother were surprised to see their 8:23 LVMS bus arrive on time.  Because theirs was the last stop before the school, the bus was usually about 10 or 15 minutes late, having picked up a full load of students as it wound its way up and down through the mountain neighborhoods before heading to the middle school.  But today, it arrived right on time.  Seaver's mom had scolded them more than once to "stand and wait away from the curb" because the road is so busy during pick-up time...but, as usual, the boys were waiting right at the edge to jump on the bus as the yellow flashing lights appeared and all traffic magically stopped for them.  Quickly, they crossed the street, boarded the school bus, and settled into their seats, clicking on their seat belts as they joked with each other about how they might have missed the bus this time because it "came so early!"  But their words were barely out of their mouths when they heard a terrible noise--that horrific sound of metal screeching against unforgiving rock--and felt a huge shadow come over their backs just as the school bus slowly began to pull forward...

At the very moment that the fully loaded 18 wheeler semi tractor trailer overturned and slid out of Dead Man's Curve on its side, the children were stepping onto their bus and all oncoming traffic was stopped.  By the time the semi had skidded down the mountain and was sliding directly toward the bus stop,  the unaware school bus was just pulling away such that the back of the bus was "just clipped" by the front edge of the advancing rig.  As the momentum of its 70,000+ lbs load careened the huge lorry toward the line of homes, the top of the cab hit the only large power-line post in the immediate vicinity, which sliced off the cab's roof and slowed the rig's descent, jamming itself between the overturned cab and its trailer.  The remainder of the truck swung backward and came to rest along the line of trees that protected the homes on that side.

Except for some minor cuts and bruises to his leg, the driver was unhurt.  The bus' involvement was so minor that it made it to the school before I had even left the LVMS parking lot at 8:29am.

By the way, at the last moment, instead of dropping off my son and heading home, we decided to talk a bit in the parking lot--9 minutes to be exact.  Had I dropped him off and left as I had originally planned, I would have been heading up the mountain toward the curve at the same moment that the truck was coming down.

How perfect is the timing of the Lord.