“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””
Exodus 33:14 NIV
Faith
Child of God
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1b NIV
Be Still
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.””
Exodus 14:14 NIV
This passage was Moses’ response to the Israelites right before God delivered them from the bondage of slavery. Their imminent future looking grim and impossible, powerless against the advancing Egyptian Army. They felt defeated and wondered why God had led them into the desert only to die at the hands of the Egyptians.
Little did they know that God was at work. He did not forsake them. Moses only needed to raise His staff and by God’s mighty power the impossible happened. The Red Sea parted. The Israelites did not fight the Egyptians, no harm came to them. They only needed to keep moving forward. Remaining fixed on the path that God was setting before them.
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Joy for the Journey
“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16:11 NKJV
My joy is not found in the absence of troubles but in a deep assurance that God is always near.
My joy is found not only on the mountain tops of life but in the mundane, stress filled, weary moments, the dark valleys, the uncertain waiting.
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No Greater Power
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NIV
Today my heart is heavy. Just this morning I found out that one of my closest friends is grieving over the loss of a loved one. Her and her family are entering a deep, dark valley. Words do not seem enough for a time like this. The darkness too deep, the pain insurmountable.
In my darkened room, I sat and cried for all that is to come for her and her family in this valley. It was early morning and my children were awake and energetic as ever. There was a stark contrast between my grieving and their joyful banter. My littlest son’s voice booming loud. He was singing a song He learned at our church’s day camp last week. Over and over he repeated,
“There’s no greater power than the power of our God!”
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Why I am a Pediatric Oncology Nurse
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. Isaiah 41:13 NIV
There is a small yet important part of my life that few know much about. Many times it is only because it is difficult to find the words to express this portion of my life. I tuck it away, compartmentalize it and try my best to live life apart from what I experience, what I see. Even so, this part of me can not fully be pushed aside, placed into a neat and tidy box. Sometimes it spills over and overwhelms me.
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Abide in Me
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:1-4
During this season of waiting God is at work. This work is slow but steady and not so easy to see. He is working from the inside out. More on the internal than anything external.
He is pruning, cutting away the dead, unhealthy ideas and patterns rooted deep in my heart. He is revealing areas in my life, in our family life, that need to be removed in order to make room for new growth and abundant life. He continues to cultivate and bring clarity to who He created me to be. Instructing my heart to lean into Him more and live fully into the gifts and strengths He has given me.
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Stinky Onion
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.
2 Corinthians 12:9
Through our adoption journey God is revealing many areas of weakness in me. I feel like an onion with its many layers. Instead of peeling one layer at a time and revealing a weakness God desires to strengthen, He is slicing me wide open.
Frankly, like slicing an onion, this process is tearfully painful and it stinks. Even so, I know that it is for my benefit. It is essential for my growth. I am being strengthened for the season that is to come.
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