Be Strong in His Mighty Power

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:0-11 

It's only through Jesus that we can be strong in the Lord.

And God calls us to be strong in His mighty power.

Easier said than done!

But when we clothe ourselves with God's armor, we can take our stand against the devil.

And against the devil's schemes.

Jesus paid the price for my sins.

The ultimate sacrifice.

And I am grateful.

Wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14

I'm naturally impatient.

So it's not easy to wait.

Moses had to wait for 40 years tending sheep before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Sometimes God asks me to wait, too.

It's not always easy to be strong when I'm waiting.

But God encourages me to take heart.

And to wait for Him.

Not to plow ahead with my own agenda.

Help me, Lord, to wait on You.

Be Strong in the Lord

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:10-11 

God wants to give us His strength to meet all of the challenges of each day.

When I remember to put on the full armor of God, He equips me to face those challenges.

The full armor of God includes the shoes of the gospel of peace.

Giving me the ability to move nimbly to promote God's deep peace, even in the midst of anxiety.

Letting me help others find peace, too.

Last month we were in Iowa for the funeral of Roger Jones.

Two weeks ago his brother Shelby passed away.

We had a chance to meet Shelby's daughter Susan and her husband and our hearts go out to them.

God's deep peace passes our understanding and covers us, even in the midst of death and sorrow.

God's mightdy power equips me to stand strong again any schemes Satan might throw my way.

Thank you, Lord!

Be Strong

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 

God has commanded us to be strong.

Just as He commanded Joshua.

To be strong and courageous.

Not to be afraid or discouraged.

God was with Joshua wherever he went.

And God is with me.

What a huge relief.

Here we are at Mean Girls last night.

They offered us signature cocktails that were created to go with the musical theme.

Very fun.

Wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14 

Today I went for a swim before work.

I was able to swim much more quickly and strongly than I could swim last week.

But I kept it to just 30 minutes of side strokes.

And after my swim, I ran into Judy Palm, one of my church friends.

I was in the chilly competition pool, and Judy was in the rec pool.

Great way to start the day.

God calls us to wait for Him.

To be strong and take heart.

And wait for the Lord.

I tend to be impatient.

It's not always easy to wait patiently.

Help me, Lord, to wait on You.

Be Strong in the Lord

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. — Ephesians 6:10

Today I went to the dermatologist so he could see if I have any other strange moles.

He didn't find any others, but let me know to come back in six months to check again.

The mole they removed a few weeks ago from my knee was melanoma in situe.

So I'll get a call this week to schedule a surgery appointment to take about an inch more.

Just to make sure they got it all.

It will be outpatient, and I'll have stitches.

I won't be able to swim or hike until the stitches come out.

Just to make sure it won't leave a scar.

So Abby and I will go swimming tomorrow.

And as often as we can until the surgery happens.

Be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power.

Be Strong and Courageous

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9

God has commanded us to be strong.

And courageous.

Just as He commanded Joshua.

God also told him not to be afraid.

I'm no always good a listening to His Word.

The Lord tells me not to be afraid.

And not to be discouraged.

But I often get discouraged, which doesn't say much for my trust in God.

He reassures me that He will be with me wherever I go.

Here we are at Carmines in Las Vegas for an Italian dinner with friends two weeks ago.

Now we are praying that God will be with the citizens of Ukraine, protecting them from the bombs and warfare in their cities and towns.

The Child Grew

When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.  And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. — Luke 2:39-40

Joseph and Mary did everything required by the law of God.

Then they returned home.

Jesus grew and became strong.

That's what we hope for our children, too.

That they will grow in the Lord and be filled with wisdom.

May the grace of God be on them in this new year.

Be Strong and Take Heart

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14

It's easier for me  to get impatient than to wait.

But God's timing is not mine.

That's actually a good thing.

God's timing is the best; mine usually is not.

Over the years, He has helped me to develop patience.

When I start to worry or get anxious, He reminds me that He is in control, not me.

Our marketing manager at work is leaving us after this week.

She is moving on to work at a start-up, and it sounds like a great opportunity for her.

She will be missed.

As part of the reorganization, my boss will supervise more people.

And as a result, I will supervise one more writer than I do now.

She is wonderful, so I am glad to do it, but it will be a lot more work.

Still, God is in control and His timing is best.

So I will take heart and wait for the Lord.

 

God Chose the Foolish

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. — I Corinthians 1:26-27

When God called me, I was a sinner.

I still am. But he is working on me.

He hasn't given up yet.

God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise.

He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He loves me in spite of my flaws.

God Is My Strong Refuge

I will ever praise you. You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. — Psalm 71:6-8

I have been working at home for the past three weeks.

But my hours have been long.

It has been stressful to keep my team motivated and get everything done that we need to accomplish.

Even so, I am blessed to have a good job and a regular paycheck.

When we go outside, we get to look at beautiful roses blooming in our courtyard.

I know many others are not nearly as fortunate.

God has blessed our family, and we are grateful.

My mouth is filled with God's praise.

I declare His splendor all day long in my words and deeds.

Faith in the Name of Jesus

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. — Acts 3:16

We have faith in the name of Jesus.

He made people strong.

He healed many.

He raised the dead back to life.

He healed me of my cancer.

And he healed my brother of his cancer, too.

We are thankful.

Strong in the Lord

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. — Ephesians 6:10

I have had many people praying for me over the last year.

Those prayers have given me strength.

And God has provided healing for my cancer.

I am not strong in and of myself.

But in the Lord and His mighty power, I have strength to get through this.

Thanks to all of my friends, family and neighbors who have been lifting me up in prayer.

I am grateful.

 

 

Strength in Weakness

For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. — 2 Corinthians 12:10

God comforts me in my troubles so I in turn can comfort others with the comfort that comes only from God. 

It's not always easy for me to accept help from others, but God is teaching me how to do it graciously.

Our friends Judy and Yale are bringing us dinner today.

And my friend Chrissy and many other friends have offered to do the same.

This is perfect timing in case I start to get worn out this week.

Just four days of radiation left!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

Today is my brother Steve's birthday. 

When he was born, he was premature so he had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks.

My mom and dad had adopted him, so when he came home to our house, he was my little brother.

He was scowling much of the time so my sister and I were instructed to smile like crazy every time we passed his crib.

From his smile today, it apparently worked!

You would also never guess he was a premi!

He now towers over me.

What a treat to get to sing next to him at church today.

Strength to Keep Going

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9

Mission San Luis Rey Oceanside 2016

This weekend I attended a women's retreat up at Mission San Luis Rey, and it was wonderful.

God really blessed me through the speakers, reading my Bible, praying, connecting with friends, meeting new Christian sisters, celebrating Joy's birthday, singing God's praises, sitting among the flowers, laughing over wine and cheese, doing some crazy skits, trying cupping plus a variety of yoga balls, and eating wonderful food.

I probably gained a couple of pounds, so I'll head out for a hike this afternoon after I do our taxes.

I felt great the whole time until Friday night after dinner, when I headed over to hear the first speaker. I stopped to take a nausea pill and threw up the pill and my coleslaw all over the walkway.

I actually felt much better after that so headed back to the kitchen, borrowed a mop, and cleaned up the mess before heading into the meeting room. I missed the music, but arrived just in time to hear Dawn share the story of God's faithfulness to her during the loss of her first baby.

One of the things she shared was that she bought a pair of awesome really high heels to wear to the baby's funeral service just to help her feel good about herself on the outside as she was struggling on the inside.

She encourage us not to fake it with our relationships with others but to come before God, humbly lay ourselves bare, and admit our need for healing and salvation so God can use our weakness to point to the cross.

God meets us where we are and helps us move beyond ourselves.