Scared Stiff is My 2011 Goal!

Donna McCrary –

This year we are seeing a drastic change in the familiar and most popular New Year’s Resolution. For the past few decades the number one “I will lose weight” resolution has been dramatically replaced with a new not so popular statement, “I want to be scared, shocked, and amazed each day.” I know it is hard to believe such a radical resolution is the desire of so many people.

OK, not really! But, what if every Christ Follower made this their goal in the upcoming year? In the gospels, there are numerous times when the words scared, shocked, and amazed were used to describe what the disciples were experiencing. Remember when the disciples experienced a horrific storm on the boat while Jesus was sleeping? They frantically woke him up. Jesus responded to them, “Why are you fearful?” (Matthew 8:26). Throughout the gospels, it states when a miracle was performed by Jesus the crowds were “marveled.” They were astonished! They could not believe what they were seeing.

Again, they were scared when Jesus took Peter, James, and John, up high on the mountain. He then transfigured before them. They had the privilege of seeing Jesus transformed into a brilliant beautiful being whose “face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). The excitement didn’t stop there. Then they saw Elijah and Moses appear and speak with Jesus. Scared! I believe I would be shaking in my shoes by this point. To top off the experience a bright cloud came over them and a voice spoke out of the cloud. Scripture says they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid—my modern translation would say they were “scared stiff.” I know I would be.

Step back and put this in perspective. The disciples who walked, talked, ate, slept and lived with Jesus were at times “scared stiff,” astonished and marveled. So, if we are truly walking with Christ today in our lives, meaning we talk with Him, follow Him and truly experience Him each day we should have the same experiences. Is this really our goal? Are we willing to put ourselves in the position to be “scared stiff” in order to be in the presence of Jesus? Do we want our days to be filled with absolute amazement? Will we make this our goal in 2011?

PRAYER: Father, in this upcoming year give me the courage and strength to walk with You each day. Help me to overcome my fears and increase my faith so I can truly experience You and be amazed!

“Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV).

This devotion is by Donna McCrary, a life coach, author, and co-founder of Walk of Purpose Ministries. Her study, DIVAS of the Divine: How to Live as a Designer Original in a Knock-Off World, tackles the tough subject of overcoming fear. Learn more at www.walkofpurpose.com.

Struggles to Snuggles

By Donna McCrary –

Snuggle means to “curl up comfortably.” What a warm, fuzzy word. The picture of the little, cuddly teddy bear from the commercials probably popped into your head. When my 7-year-old son asks me to snuggle with him before bed, I know he wants more from me than just a good night hug. He wants me to climb in his twin bed (they are called single for a reason) and curl up under his blanket to get warm. Then we intertwine as many limbs as physically possible. After all the commotion we both freeze. We stop moving and just lie there quiet and still. No movement. If we say anything during this time it is in a soft whisper. It is one of the most precious times I have with my child.

Struggle means to “make strenuous efforts to overcome an adversary or an obstacle or to proceed with great effort.” A struggle often seems too big to overcome. It requires lots of energy, focus and encouragement to get through. When I think about my own struggles through the years, each one seemed to have a point where I felt utter desperation. The Scriptures are full of people with great struggles. Ruth needed a husband. The woman at the well struggled all her life with broken marriages. David struggled with family issues. Martha struggled with busyness. Peter struggled with taking a stand for whom he believed in. Moses struggled with a disability. The struggles were real for them thousands of years ago, and they are real to you and me today.

God gives us struggles to make us snuggle with Him. Your struggle is His way of asking you to curl up comfortably with Him. Don’t just give Him a quick good night hug; curl up with Him and stay a while. Snuggle up close to Him so you will be warmed by His love. Intertwine all your body parts of life with His and then freeze. Be still and listen to His soft whispers of love, comfort, strength, reassurance as you rest in Him. It is one of the most precious times you will spend with your Father.

Without your struggle you would never go to Him to snuggle. Be thankful He cares and loves you enough to want to draw you near to Him through your struggles.

PRAYER: Father, I surrender all my struggles to You today. Help me find time in my busyness to snuggle up close and discover Your comforting strength and reassurance.

“May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant” (Psalm 119:76 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at: www.walkofpurpose.com.

The Cry of a Woman’s Heart

By Donna McCrary –

Look closely men, because you may not be hearing the real cry of your woman’s heart. As women, we are much more independent than our mothers and grandmothers. We are more educated. We take care of the kids and their overwhelmingly busy schedules. We are more than confident in our choices. We have this whole wife, mother, career woman thing figured out and we don’t need anyone telling us otherwise.

Men, open your eyes and see past our facade. It is a mask we wear! It is the defense we hold on to. That is what society expects of us as independent women and we can’t let “them” down.

The real cry is the lyrics from Sanctus Real’s song Lead Me, “Lead me with strong hands, stand up when I can’t, show me you are willing to fight, that I am the love of your life, I don’t want to feel alone.” Deep down we want and need you to be our leader. We were created by God to be your helpmate not independent (alone).

We need you to lead us in the ways of God’s Word, remind us of His promises, teach us His great love and show us His grace and forgiveness.

We need you to stand up and fight. We need you to confront us on our values and our priorities. We need you to challenge us to put aside the ways of this world and to focus on the eternal. We need you to protect us and help us take off the mask that we hold on to so tightly.

You are the only one that can truly love us unconditionally here on this earth and we need that love… oh, how we long for that love.

Let us make this clear and give you a warning. We will not give up our independence easily. It is our comfort, our defense. This is our cry but we have to believe you are willing to go the distance in this fight. We will try to stop you because it makes us vulnerable but we need you to fight for us. We need you to be strong.

Men, hear our cry! Make Sanctus Real’s lyrics your battle song, “Father, give me the strength to be everything I’m called to be. Oh, Father, show me the way to lead them.”

PRAYER: “God, we ask for Your mighty hand to give us the strength to take a stand for our marriages today.”

“So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at: www.walkofpurpose.com

Bravery and Fear

By Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert

“Bravery and fear are the same emotion.” I heard that statement on the radio. Immediately I chuckled. I was thinking of my children’s faces as they walked down the long corridor, snaking through the iron barriers to the entrance of Space Mountain. This was their first trip to the Magic Kingdom! They had a swell of adrenaline and emotions inside them: excited, scared, confused.

My daughter, nine, is the inquisitor. How fast will it go? Will it be fun or scary?  What happens if it breaks?  Mommy, do you like roller coasters?  Daddy, have you even been on Space Mountain before? She was preparing for the unknown. We continued to tell them few details of the ride. We would repeat over and over to her relentless questions, “Trust us! It’s fun. You’ll like it.”

My son, seven, who lives at a speed of mach 3 on normal days, was running around at mach 10! He was bouncing, swinging on the poles, tugging at our arms. He was bopping around so fast he was only hearing half of the answers to his sister’s questions. He would swing into the conversation and hear the question, “Is it safe?” Then he would swing the other direction as we answered. You can imagine our difficulty in reassuring him when the answers he was hearing sounded like: “Will…break…will…hurt…roller coaster… Space Mountain.”

As our space shuttle ride vehicle arrived, it hit them; frozen and silent they stood. This was the moment where bravery and fear were the same emotion; the moment they had to take the step of bravery and experience the thrilling, pitch black ride into the unknown. With panic in my son’s eyes, in all his innocence he whispered, “I’m scared!”

His honest confession was followed by his sister’s, “Me too.”

We reassured them again, “You are supposed to be a little scared—that is part of the thrill.”

Are you frozen by your fear? Are you asking God question after question to prepare for the unknown? Are you bee-bopping through life so fast that you can’t hear God?

Your walk of purpose will be full of fearful moments. God is telling you, “Trust Me. It will be worth the ride.”

AUTHOR QUOTE: Turn your fear into bravery… it is the same emotion. Will you stand frozen or step out in faith?

“In God I will praise His Word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Psalm 56:4, KJV).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at www.walkofpurpose.com.

Heavenly Discussion

By Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert –

Have you ever looked into the sky, thrown up your hands and said, “God, where are you? I’m overloaded! I can’t think straight! I don’t know what to do. Why don’t you help me with this situation? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” This was me a few years ago. Read more

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