Finding Good

Well, I am 35 years old, and I believe I have just learned one of the most profound lessons of my life.  I HAVE FOUND GOOD.  I will let you in on a secret, finding good is directly related to obedience to God's will.  God has poured out opportunities in my life and I have found two things that I am good at, and that bring me indescribable joy. ( That is aside from being a wife and mother.)

I have worked at jobs that I have been good at but were not my true passion.  I have prayed for my life to matter.  I have prayed that God would use me to glorify Him.  I have prayed He would grow my faith.  I have prayed He would give me a servants heart.  I have asked God to show me where He wants me in his plan.  However, in MY answer to these requests, I imagined, becoming a speaker for Women of Faith.  I always seem to make myself bigger than Him in my imagined responses to my requests.  Then I catch myself and pray, Lord, please help me not to seek fame or credit, but to make my life honor you.

I blogged once about feeling passionless, in No Pinterest.  I have often felt passionless.  I am not a crafter, I don't have a hobby if you will.  It was like a crisis of identity if you asked me what I like to do.  I find it easy to list the things that I don't like doing, but I could take three days to find the things that I love to do.  My attitude about many things I do is lack luster, and I have a hard time claiming to be good at anything.  I have come to realization that the reason, I feel I have no passion is because up until recently, I was not considering what God wants me to do. What are the gifts He has given me, and am I using them?  Some where between what God puts on my heart and what I do there is a disconnect.  It may be called fear, it may be called insecurity, but it has kept me from following through.  Maybe I have heard God whisper to me before, but I have not actually been brave enough to stop and listen, and accept God's calling in my heart.

"Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

I have been delighting in the Lord.  I have been seeking him.  For a change I decided to listen and follow the tugging on my heart.  I mentioned in my last blog that I am now working with Kindergarten kids part time.  I have to say, I had my reservations.  How was I going to wake up so early?  Was I going to like being in a room full of kids. I've never done anything like this, will I even be good at it?  However, I was certain that God was being clear on this matter, this is what He wanted for me.  I have followed him faithfully, into the scary unknown.  I have been tired, but I have also felt indescribable joy from being with these kids.  I love listening to their silly stories.  I love listening to their prayer requests, and hearing them pray.  I even love the ones that test me!  Kids are the best teachers in life.  They love without bounds, they say what is on their minds, they ask for help when the need it.  They are truly brilliant, created by God to show us adults what we have forgotten.

The Lord has also clearly put me in another situation, also mentioned in a previous blog. I have been attending the Beauty for Ashes bible study/support group.  It is a ministry for abused women.  I took the class with my mother-in-law to see if we would like to be co-teachers/leaders/facilitators.  I was completely blessed by God during this class.  I was blessed to meet some amazing women.  I was blessed by the lessons, the truth of God's word, and how He views abuse.  He desires total healing for all His precious and loved children.  I have a new passion after seeing the freedom found through Jesus that the women experience as a result of speaking God's truth and removing the lies of the world.  It is something that can not be described.  When you see a woman, who has suffered her whole life, let go and accept that she is LOVED by the almighty, it is more than words can describe.  It is not only the presence of Almighty God, it is the complete and total vision of the cross.  After attending the Graduation class,  I feel as though God may be calling me to continue in this ministry.  I don't know when or where I will find the time, BUT if this is God's will, I intend to follow him in faithful obedience.  Just read the passage of scripture the class is based on below:

Isaiah 61:3
to comfort all who mourn,³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Who doesn't want to encourage and share the freedom found in hearing the truth about how God loves you and made you?  Who doesn't want to trade in their ashes for beauty?


 There it is, I have followed God and I have found joy.  I have found good.  It is one of the few times in my life when I have thrown caution to the wind.  I have had no idea what I am doing!  I have stepped out of all my familiar surroundings.  I have left the comfort of "my box."  I have taken a risk, and handed over the control to God.  The craziest thing has happened, I have been equipped by God in ways I could never do myself.  Therefore, being in His will is where I am made good at something!  My conclusion, if you want to find out what you are good at, where your passion is, and what you have true joy in, find out what God is calling you to, and don't be afraid to step out and step in to HIS plan.

2Corinthians 3:5-6

⁵ We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do. ⁶ He makes us worthy to be the servants of his new agreement that comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a written Law. After all, the Law brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

This week I suggest letting God give you what it takes to find GOOD. This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!

a new adventure in LOVE

Well, it has been a while.  I have been busy and the Lord has given me quite a whirlwind of busy weeks, and so many more to come.  I have titled this blog a new adventure in love, because I am indeed in for a new adventure.

The story began in May.  I was encouraged by my family to look for a part-time job at my daughters Christian school.  I have a part-time job.  So, I was slightly surprised when the conversations began.  However, I prayed about it, and felt as if God was indeed encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone.  I submitted my application and waited.  After all, it was summer and I figured I would probably end up substituting and that is all I really had in mind.  God had very different plans for me.  It was about two weeks ago, that I was called and asked to come in and interview.  The before and after school program, had a couple of openings.  There was both a full time and part time position, one with 4 year olds and one in First/Second grade.  In my mind this was all happening so fast....EEEKKK CHANGE!  I told the director that I would pray about the job opportunity.  She was going on vacation, and I had a week, to pray and settle my heart for what job I would take if I took one.

It is really funny how God speaks.  I agree with one of my favorite Christian musicians, Mandisa, I think God sounds like James Earl Jones!  As I prayed that week, I heard so many things, that I am sure were God.  However, most them didn't actually sound like James Earl Jones.  The strange thing was that I was at peace.  I kept feeling my heart saying, don't worry, I will provide all your needs. This has never happened to me before;  I HAVE NEVER HAD PEACE LIKE THIS DURING CHANGE. (Philippians 4:7 kind of peace.)  The idea of my needs being met reached a new challenge to me, because the job requires early mornings.  I AM NO MORNING PERSON.  This may in fact be an understatement.  This is a huge step in faith, because I am believing that God is going to take this 35 year old, and miraculously turn me into a happy morning person!  I have no choice but to believe it, because well, I heard him say he was going to meet my needs. 

I also randomly talked to people during that week, that encouraged me having no idea that they were doing so.  It is really strange the way God moves.  I have been feeling him move and feeling like he was preparing me for something, I just never imagined it would be this.  When I went in for the interview, God gave me one more thing to make me feel sure.  There was a new part time position available, and it was in Kindergarten!  My daughter is going to start kinder, and I can not think of a better place to be.  Needless to say, I am the new Kinder extended learning session (ELS) teacher!

I am very passionate about my daughter and how I want to raise her. I never want my daughter to feel lonely, because I am too busy for her.  I want her to have a mom to come home to.  I want her to know that I am not only here, but that I am really listening to her.  I want her to know that I am involved and engaged with every part of her life, and that she is important.  I want her to know God loves her, and so do mom and dad.  I have to have a job, but this is like the best of both worlds.  I can be with her after school.  I also have the opportunity to share and give love to 13 other kids on my roster!

During the week, that I spent praying about taking the job, a theme of love emerged.  I was told, that all I had to do was love these kids.  I was told that I was a loving person by people who I least expected to hear it from.  Then even more encouraging, during my week of inservice and orientation, the discussion was often about love.  I have never seen so many people, passionate about Christ, full of love, and genuinely care for one another.  By Wednesday, I came home and cried.  I am not a crier, but I was so moved by the people, by the scriptures, and the presence of God.  The theme for our school year is as follows: Equipped and Empowered to GO!  (Backstory:  The verses supporting this are Ephesians 6:10-20, the Armor of God, and if you read my blog, you know I LOVE these verses!)

I have always heard the saying: God does not call the equipped, but he equips the called.  I find myself in that situation.  I have no classroom experience, save a couple of vacation Bible schools, and a few Sunday school classes.  However, I choose to view that as a good thing.  I have no bad habits, I only have new habits to make.  I am in a unique position, I must surrender to God.  The minute I think I know what I am doing, I am going to be in real trouble!  God has opened this door, and sent out the call.  This is so far outside of my box, I have to set my eyes on him and walk in faith.  Funny, during inservice, one of the pastors that spoke, asked this question:  When is the last time you asked God to grow your faith?  It occurs to me that I prayed that very prayer this summer.  Now I am here with no choice but to go where I asked.  I have to grow deeper and rely on my faith.

My plan for this adventure:  LOVE BIG, PRAY HARD, and live in the REST OF FAITH.

Oh and play this every morning:

Normally, I would say this is my mindset, now let me hear yours... this time I will say it this way: 

This is where God is taking me, and I hope you will pray with me that God's will be done, and that my words and actions honor Him, as I go through this new adventure in love!

Outside of the Box

There is something about change that can make you feel a little insecure.  Well, it can down right make you feel like the dumbest girl in the room.   (A quick plug her for one of my favorite blogs to read: Chance Scoggins: Dumbest Guy in the Room. http://www.chancescoggins.com/the-dumbest-guy-in-the-room )  I have said before that I am usually pretty comfortable in my skin.  I know more or less what I am willing to do or not do, and I certainly know what I believe in.  However, change makes me uneasy, and worse it makes me question. Change is something that makes me feel afraid, and well, just plain old out of sorts. 

Change means making decisions and making choices.  It has never been more apparent to me than how important choices are since having my daughter.   My choices are so much more serious now that I have a child.  It use to be easy to decide things, but now I find myself contemplating things like, is my daughter going to need therapy because I have accidentally made her into a germ a-phobe?  There is nothing like living with a literal child, to make you think before every decision.  It is the flippant decisions and choices I make that get me in trouble.  It was just last night that I was metaphorically slapped in the face when, my 5 year old said, "Oh crap!"  Yep, my choice for a "better" word is still not a better word for a 5 year old.

My life seems to be in the midst of changes.   I am changing as a Christian.  I am changing as a mother.  I am changing my priorities, and considering things that did not use to matter, actually do matter.  Of course, the Lord is sovereign in the examples He gives through His word.  I think it is no coincidence that we are studying Gideon in Sunday school.  I love the story of Gideon, and find him extremely relate-able. ( Is that even a word? Guess not, but I am using it anyway!)  Gideon is the perfect example of how I react when it is time for me to step out of my box.  As the story goes Gideon was basically found hiding in a corner.  He was minding his own business, when an Angel of the Lord came and said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."  I love that Gideon's reaction was skeptical and he basically said,"oh yeah, can you prove it?"

Isn't that how so many of us are when we are confronted with change?  The first reaction: I can't do that; that is way to far out of MY comfy box.  If this is what I am suppose to do then, I need a sign.  I just need to be sure.  The questions come and go and the internal decisions begin to form.  As I think about the decisions that need to be made, I want my choices to be specific.  As I said, it is the flippant decisions that often come back to bite me in the metaphorical butt.

Here are a few things that I want to actively choose:

I choose LOVE.
I choose JOY.
I choose HOPE.
I choose FAITH.
I choose OBEDIENCE.
I choose KINDNESS.

The Bible is riddled with examples of God taking the least likely person, and making them great!  First, Abraham and Sarah, promised children, that they were too old to have.  However, God didn't think they were too old, he thought they were perfect for His plans.  Then there was Moses, called to set His people free, the very one who was once the son and brother of the oppressors.  Who can forget David?  The small child who killed the giant Goliath and gave the Israelites victory over the Philistines.  Then there was Mary, the quiet but obedient virgin mother of Jesus.  I can't leave out Saul who persecuted Christians, but then became Paul, one of the authors of several new Testament books, and a great preacher of the gospel.  These are just a few examples, there are many, many more.  A theme through out the Bible, God likes to take people out of their boxes.  He likes to show that His imagination is beyond our beyond.  The common theme in each example is that each CHOSE Jesus, and they chose to step out of their comfort zone.  It wasn't easy for any of them but God was Faithful.

It is only with Jesus and the gift of the Holy spirit, that I believe it is possible to confidently step outside of the box.  The author of HOPE, wants us to use our FAITH, to OBEDIENTLY follow his calling.  Change is scary, but maybe by making the right choices change can be the more rewarding, more fulfilling, and more meaningful than staying in the same comfy box.  

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!

Becoming Miranda

Tonight I cleaned my kitchen in my underwear.  Yep, you read that right!  It was strangely empowering!  I scrubbed the sink, and began to wonder how it had come to this?  I normally clean fully dressed but, I had given my daughter a bath, and she managed to get one of my legs completely wet.  As I passed the sink with the dinner dishes stacked in it, it only made sense to clean up.  There I stood in the kitchen cleaning in my undies asking myself, how did I become THIS MIRANDA?  What am I becoming?

This is what I think I am becoming:

A mother.  The supreme master of the word NO.  The teacher of good decisions.  The encourager and cheer leader to all accomplishments.  The dictator of the house mood.  The chef to healthy and not so healthy meals.  I am the heart of the household.  The funny thing about mommying is that it changes everyday.  Your child may go to sleep as a precious angel, but wake up with the sarcastic and sly humor of her father.  Or all of the sudden she may be exhibiting my very bossy and loud mouth.  While I like myself, I am not sure I like myself as a 5 year old. Each day poses a new adventure, that sometimes I am prepared for, and other times I am left to "punt."  Some days all that is left is a half dressed mom, cleaning a sink full of dirty dishes!

A finisher.  I have to confess, I like to procrastinate.  I do my laundry and fill the basket until it over flows before I will fold.  Then I spend way to much time folding that I don't have enough time to vacuum. I don't iron anything until I absolutely must.  I even procrastinate the start of my day.  I snooze at least twice.  Then I check my email and blood sugar, watch a little news then get up.  While I finish things, I admit particularly when it comes to house chores, it is always last minute.  The thing about finishing is it is something incredibly important to teach your kid.  I don't want to look down the road and ask myself why I didn't make it important to teach my daughter to finish.  I guess sometimes finishing means washing the dishes half dressed.

A Christian.  I am becoming a Christian.  It is more than just saying I believe in Jesus.  It is changing my life, from the inside out.  It is as scripture says, " taking off the old, and putting on the new."  There are days, that I don't want to love others.  Other people sometimes down right hack me off.  There are days I don't want to forgive, and days when I want life to be only about me.  However, as I progress in my walk as a Christian, I find it easier.  There is no greater freedom than that found in forgiveness.  To be forgiven and to give forgiveness may be the only way to find real joy.  I found the Lord whispering in my ear the other day, that life is not about the people who don't love you, but it is about how much I (God) love you.  It was a profound moment.   The days can sometimes be filled with haters, echos of all the things wrong with the world, and reasons why success is impossible.  As a Christian, the real truth is how much God loves us.  It is proven each day by the many miracles that are taken for granted and over looked.  God loves all the time, even the sin marred and broken.  I love that I am becoming closer, more faithful, and more complete in the hands of God.

My life is becoming........it is not perfect, it is not finished, it is an everyday adventure.  I feel as though I am embarking on changes now.  What is the change?  Well, I don't know.  I just feel as though God is working on me, and His will be done.  I hope I am up for the challenge of becoming Miranda, God style!

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!

Freedom in TRUTH

I love this country.  I love our soldiers.  I think the United States is the best country in the whole world.  There is no other place where you can have life, like that in the United States.  There is no other country in the world that loves life, and freedom as much as we do.  However, we are in strange times.  We are at a place where all of the sudden our freedoms are being taken from us, and the love of life is slowly slipping away.  I believe we need truth, and in truth we can find freedom, that will in turn set our country back on track.

What is this truth I speak of?  It is God's word.  After all, God is the maker of real freedom.  He is the creator and sustainer of all things good and righteous.  If we embrace God's truth, I think we will better understand freedom and how we should embrace it as a country.

Recently, I have been participating in a Bible Study of sorts.  It is a group designated to help women who have been abused.  Along with my mother-in-law we have been attending the class to determine if this is something that we want to lead in the future.  The class focuses on sharing God's TRUTH, not the lies we tell ourselves, and definitely not the lies that others/the world tell us.  I am learning so much about people and truth.  Our world is full of people who are hurting.  We are a country of lost people.  Many of my blogs have been about love, and how God commands us to love one another.  After being in this class it occurs to me that I don't think I have given enough thought to the role of TRUTH in our lives and in our freedom.

The class is called Beauty For Ashes.  It is based on the scripture Isaiah 61:3, but I am including verses 1&2 because I think it speaks great truth for our hurting world.


Isaiah 61: 1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

This is truth.  I love what it says in these verses, by proclaiming the good news, otherwise known as TRUTH, hearts can be healed, FREEDOM can be found and comfort will be given.  It says a crown of beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair.  What this means is that people need to know about the TRUTH found in Jesus Christ.  If they know and believe, they can walk FREE of guilt and shame with healed hearts, comforted from their sorrows.  Don't you think our country and our world could use more of this FREEDOM in TRUTH?

I love the imagery of FREEDOM that is given here.  I love the description of a crown of beauty.  When we walk in truth, and share it with others real freedom exists. You too can be free, just exchange your ashes for beauty.  All you have to do is accept Jesus as your savior and ask for forgiveness. You are so dearly loved by God the Father.  You no longer have to wear those ashes of worry, guilt, or shame.  You are freed by the truth found only in Jesus.

As a country we seem to be in a grey area when it comes to truth.  We walk covered in ashes, living in despair, brokenhearted, and a prisoner to our debtors.  So many of us claim to be Christian but don't know the first thing about God's character or word.  If we root ourselves in truth, then the many grey areas would not be holding us hostage.  Abortion/murder, homosexuality, lying, cheating, and stealing are just a few areas that we kid ourselves into thinking things like, "Well, maybe it is ok in this case."  Or, we convince ourselves we just need to be more loving.  The reality is we need to take a step back and look at what God has to say about these things.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, I hope that we can celebrate with TRUTH.  The truth is, our constitution was founded by people who were seeking God, and today followed by people who barely know Him.  I hope that each of us will take time to look at God's truth and the beauty that comes from ashes, when we choose to follow him.  I pray this 4th of July you will consider what God's truth is in your life.  I pray you will consider that the Constitution was framed by Christian men seeking God's truth.  Then ask yourself if the men and women who uphold it today are seeking God's truth.  Then I encourage you to pray for our country like never before, and make your voice heard on election day!

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!

10 Years of Marriage

My husband and I are coming up on our 10 years anniversary.  I love that man.  I love him so much, sometimes I just want to smother him while he lays there snoring, LOUDLY very LOUDLY!  When I got married, I didn't know much about being married, and after ten years, it is safe to say I am still learning.  Here are a few things I do know.

Humor is one of the keys to my marriage.  We say it all the time, if we didn't have humor, one of us would be dead.  My mother in law told me that when she asked my hubby why he wanted to marry me, he said, "because she just makes me laugh." She also said she knew we were meant to be when at my bridal shower, I was asked the same thing, and I said,"He just makes me laugh."  We work because we laugh.  We work because there is a time for humor and a time to let go of the things that are sometimes said regretfully.  We use our humor to ease forgiveness for the many moments we speak before thinking.  We jokingly say that we have been married 84 LONG years, but they have been wonderful years!  After all that time we still make each other laugh almost every day.  It is a good way to live, and to build longevity in life and marriage!

I am not going to change that man!  I know where his boots are going to be, and that I am going to trip over them every night!  I know that he likes to drink Maalox out of the bottle solely to gross me out.  (Just an FYI, label my bottle so he won't touch it!)  He also likes to gulp his water on purpose to irritate me.  He often leaves his clothes right next to the dirty clothes basket, and has a tendency to leave doors open.  The medicine cabinet in particular.  I write all this knowing that I have my share of bad habits and idiosyncrasies that drive him crazy.  However, after 10 years, these are things I should not fuss over or try to change.  If I spent all my time harping on the little things, what fun would that be?  After all, we have a daughter to raise, and there are enough differences in opinion there to keep us in "discussion" for a lifetime.

"In your marriage you can't keep score!" This is the best advice we were given and STILL reminded of to this day. (Given by my mother-in-law.)  While it is hard to live like that, I try not  to waste my time complaining about the things that are not going to change.  I often ask myself is this really important in the grand scheme of things?  I believe when change is necessary it should be made first by my attitude.  I find that if I change my attitude from nagging wife, change comes so much easier and nicer.  This works everyday except Sunday.  Sunday is the day when no matter how hard we try, there is an arguement before Church.  The argument usually has to do with who is the root cause of why we are running late, or just how long does it take him to get out of my space!  Either way, the result always ends up in us laughing about Sunday being our designated day to fight!

God is the center of our marriage.  While my husband and I speak two totally different languages, we can agree on one thing.  That is God is the most important part of our lives.  We have to put Him first, act according to His will, and train our daughter to love Jesus and righteousness.  Now if my husband was telling this he would put it like this, "If you don't love Jesus you are stupid." Or He may say, God is in control, we don't have to worry."  He doesn't use "churchy" words or elegant phrases.  As a matter of fact he often can not speak as fast as his mind is moving and therefore, either stumbles over his words or completely omits things speaking in fragmented sentences.  The truth is, when we were married we were united before God and together we try to live and love as God has called us to.  In chapter 8, verse 31 of Romans says, "If God is for us, who then can be against us."   We take our vows seriously.

I hope that the next ten years and beyond will continue to be a blessing.  The Lord has given me someone who is truly my match.  I have loved every minute, good and bad. I hope that when we reach our golden years, that we still laugh as much as we do now!

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours.

Courageous Prayer

There are days I wake up and I feel like I am living one big blonde moment.  It is like, I hear things being said, but nothing is sinking in.  I find myself at a cross roads.  I have some decisions to make, and while they have been looming around, it is like all the sudden a doorbell went off in my head that said, DING DONG, wake up decide now, not later!

It is a funny thing, when I find myself needing God's direction, I usually don't ask for it.  Or better yet, I ask and then don't wait to see what he says.  I spent my evening praying that I would hear what God is calling me to do, and I spent half the morning not listening.  I had three conversations with three different people and each one of them said the same thing to me.  Then like a light switch I ask, is this one of those times God is using people to get his message across?  Oh but wait!! Change is scary!

I find it NO coincidence that my scripture reading was about being courageous.  In Sunday school, we started the book of Joshua.  I missed class yesterday to snuggle babies in my monthly rotation at the nursery.  I read my homework last night as the rest of my household was sleeping.  I am not sure that I have ever read the complete book of Joshua, but it drew me in right in chapter one. 

It begins with Joshua being God's chosen leader to follow the footsteps of Moses.  WOW, can you imagine?  I certainly can not imagine Joshua and how he must have felt, but according to my conclusion from scripture, he must have been afraid.  This was a huge change for Joshua, and change can be paralyzed by fear. God instructs Joshua four different times to be strong and courageous.

VS 9: "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."

The chapter continues to give instructions on how the Israelites will finally go into the Holy land.  God gave them specific instructions on how and when they would cross into the Holy land, and all Joshua and the other had to do was obey God's instructions.

Fast forward to 2012. VS 9 " 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."   What does that mean to me today?  For me it means, that the Lord will be with me wherever I go, and more importantly, I need to remember to take him with me.  The verses prior to this instruct  Joshua to, "keep the book of  law always on your lips."  This is a reminder to me, that I should be in prayer for God's direction.  I pray all the time for the needs of others, and the concerns of other, but it seems rarely do I have the conversation with God, am I in your will?  Am I doing what you want me to do?  Then even worse, I don't stop to listen.

Clearly there is a message from God for each of us as to how we complete His perfect plan for us as individuals.  I am wondering today, have I been listening?  Have I been too afraid of change or the unknown?  I believe and scripture tells us that God does not give us a spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7).  Interesting, the chosen leader after Moses, Joshua, had to be reminded four times, to be strong and courageous.  In my mind the people from the Bible heard God like the sound of James Earl Jones loudly and all around, and even with that assurance of the voice of God and the presence of the Ark of the covenant, there was still fear.

So, I wonder what are the characteristics of a strong and courageous person?  How do the biblical examples crush their fear?  The first person to pop into my mind is King David.  There is not only a man after God's own heart, but a strong and courageous one at that!  The identifying feature of the great courageous examples of the bible seems to be prayer.  King David as shown in many Psalms, that he called out to Jesus, "Lord hear my cry...."  (I did a keyword search at bible gateway for Lord hear my cry, and there were 17 results.  Keep in mind that each translation uses different terms, so there could be more.)  King David had fear, but he never let it stop him from praying and calling out to God.  He always trusted faithfully that God would answer and he would obey that answer.  Each of the great biblical examples had dedicated prayer lives that were filled will all needs, not just some.

This leads me to conclude that to be strong and courageous means that my prayer life needs to be well rounded.  My prayers need to not only be about others, but also about my own needs and insecurities. I need to call out to the Lord and faithfully wait on His answer and obey His direction. Fear can be crushed by confidence and faith in God.  Confidence comes from the Lord, because it is a result of obediently doing something right, honorable, and righteous.  In other words, doing the will of God.  The Lord clearly promises over and over again, that He is with us wherever we go.  As a result of the new covenant, we have the holy spirit living in us.  This is an incredible power that can be harnessed if we only ask, if we only pray.

I have blogged about prayer before, and I think it is awesome.  However, like I said from the beginning, I find that when I really need prayer or have something going on, I tend to not mention it to God.  There is a part of me that is like, "Oh, he knows!"  Well, I am reminding myself today, that I need to pray fully for all my concerns and ask for my needs, or something better!  (Ephesians 3:17-20)  Prayer is the road to courage.

I love this song and am considering it my new theme song!

"So long status quo, I think I'll just let go.  You make me want to be brave!"

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!