Fear Not

By Cheri Cowell –

This summer we hosted a tour for a few family and friends of one of our favorite national parks—Yellowstone. One brave friend joined us in spite of her very real fear of heights. Even seeing the ledge to a canyon at a distance made her knees buckle. The first few days she stayed several car lengths safely from any railing. But with the reassuring arm of my husband and words of encouragment from everyone, she little-by-little found her way to the railings of even the deepest canyons.

Her fears were still very real and the canyons were still as freightening as they had been at the beginning of the trip. Yet, by the end of the week she was courageously standing near the ledge.

God knows all about conquering fear. He has some advice for those of us facing real fears in the book of Deuteronomy.

Moses, the fearless leader, was stepping down. The Israelites were standing at the entrance to the Promised Land that was filled with enemy nations. They had every reason to fear. The enemy was huge, ruthless, and all logic told them their chances at winning were slim.

What enemies are you facing right now? Your fear might be justified. But the Lord has a word of encouragment for you…Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God goes with you.

PRAYER: Thank You, God, for being bigger and mightier than any enemy I am facing. Give me the strength and courage to stand near the ledge in spite of my fears, and to trust that You are with me.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).

The Best in the World

By Jarrod Spencer –

As the 30th Summer Olympic Games drew to a close, I had some remorse. It is always fun to see the “best in the world” come together to compete in the various sports that make up the Summer Olympic Games. Some sports gain more attention than others; some are iconic.

Through the years there have been Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Edwin Moses, Carl Lewis, the “Dream Team” of 1992, Mark Spitz, Florence Griffith-Joyner to name a few.

One “Cinderella” athlete this year was in women’s gymnastics, Gabby Douglas. She helped lead her team to gold in the team competition and won individual gold in the “all around.” Her story is unique. Four years ago, she mentioned that she wanted to be in the Olympics in 2012. She also wanted to be with the coach of 2008 Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson. Gabby said that it looked like Shawn and her coach were having fun, also stating that Shawn’s coach seemed to push her more than she’s been pushed before.

In order for her to have the coach she wanted, she had to go away from her home in Virginia to West Des Moines, Iowa. This meant leaving her family to go live with a sponsor family. She went through highs and lows during her time of training in a seemingly uncomfortable situation. She even wanted to quit and go back home. I know she’s glad now she didn’t!

I want us to think about how many times we may be put into an uncomfortable situation when it comes to sharing our faith. That doesn’t mean simply inviting someone to church. Maybe someone is struggling in life and we don’t know if we should say “Let’s pray” or “I’ll be praying” because we don’t know how they will respond. Imagine what the outcome might be if you would “go for the gold.” I challenge you to work through any areas of discomfort and follow through with what you might be passing up.

PRAYER: Thank You, Father for how you work in our lives to make us potential “winners” in the Kingdom. May we work through our uncomfortable tendencies and “go for the gold” for You.

“But he said to me, ‘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” (II Corinthians 12:9 NIV).

Treasure or Trash

Rosemary Flaaten –

What do you do when someone says something to you that you don’t like? Do you lash back with harsh words meant to cut them down to size or do you pull away, determined to never let that happen again? Have you ever been guilty of separating yourself from people who do not speak positively to you or about you?

This was the setting in 2 Chronicles 18. King Jehoshaphat enquired of King Ahab as to whether or not there was a prophet who might give advice regarding the pending war. King Ahab affirmed that there was another prophet but because this prophet had never prophesied anything good about the king, Ahab hated him.

When I first read this, I felt affronted that King Ahab would be so judgemental and shallow, until I took time to reflect on my own response to receiving harsh words. When someone compliments or speaks positively to me, I readily accept their words as true. But, when offered criticism or negativity, I quickly dismiss their comments as off base. Am I any more fickle than King Ahab?

So what should we do with negative words or criticism? Let me make a suggestion thorough the metaphor of receiving mail. On the outside, a letter may appear shabby or nothing more than junk mail. However before we throw that letter into the garbage it is always wise to open it to ensure it contains nothing of value.

Likewise, we need to have the emotional maturity to be able to examine negative statements to decipher if there is any truth to them. Perhaps this person sees something in us to which we are blind? Is there is anything of value in their remarks that could benefit or stimulate growth? If so, then we should grab them, holding on to them like a gift. On the other hand, if the comments represent their struggles and are indicative of their issues, then we should treat them as junk mail and simply throw them away. If we hold onto these garbage statements they accumulate and clutter our lives. Examine the words we are given and categorize as treasure or trash.

PRAYER: Lord grant me the courage to accept correction and to toss out foolish barbs and the wisdom to know the difference.

“The fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction show prudence.” (Proverbs 15:5 NIV).

Spirits Can Be Restored

By Susan Dollyhigh –

An empty old Georgian style house with magnificent columns in front sits on my street. Passing by this old house, I think how beautiful it must have been when it was first built and in times past. Neglected for many years, the white paint is fading and peeling. The house has even been vandalized inside and out. Having been empty for so long, it’s hard to know how much damage has actually been done. How much would it cost to restore this old house? I wondered. Can it even be saved?

How I wish someone would move in and fix up that old place! I know it has the potential to be so beautiful. That dilapidated old structure is a lot like many of us. We come into this world so beautifully created by our Maker. Then someone we trust hurts us; emotionally, physically or both. We may shut down emotionally because it hurts too much to feel. We may not care about our appearance. Beautiful spirits broken and sometimes even destroyed. After our “spiritual house” sits empty for so long, others may start to wonder if we can ever be restored. What will it take to restore us? How much will it cost? Can we even be saved?

The answer to this question is simply, “yes.” If we allow Jesus into our hearts, He can heal the scars caused by abuse and repair the broken spirit. And, unlike that old house on my street that would probably cost so much to restore, the cost of Jesus’ restoration is free. And Jesus’ work is always beautiful; after all, He is the Master Carpenter.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for being the Lord who heals us. Help us to feel Your healing touch today.

“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5 NIV).

Leaving a Legacy of Yourself to Yourself

By Jarrod Spencer –

Legacy is defined as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” As a parent, I am conscience of the choices I make with and in front of my children will affect them long-term. I am creating a legacy for how they will operate (act, prioritize, associate, etc.). For example, how I treat their mother, how I walk the Christian walk, how I treat others, or how I raise them.

I think that when we go day to day, as parents, we may forget that compromising on some areas in life may have some detrimental outcomes to our children’s future. But think about how some of the same areas of compromise can have detrimental outcomes to our own future. That reminds me of this quote from Foster C. McClellan, “Create the kind of self you will be happy to live with all your life.”

If you’ve ever played Jenga you know that it is inevitable that the tower will fall. You build and build, but sometimes things happen that causes the tower to fall and you start the game over. Each day is a building process, even adding to others’ lives. Some days we may “tear down” others with a choice we made. Then, other days we are building back up. Hopefully, there is more building than tearing down!

As you are building on your own life, you should look to create a legacy, within you, so that the future will be a good one.

I am not talking just about morals, treating others, the Christian walk, but also our physical health is important. Other choices we make now will reflect on ourselves in the future. One nutrition fact I heard of late, that it takes about 60 minutes of walking to expend a 12 oz. can of soda. So, you can either increase your exercise for the day or decide to cut out that extra and drink water for one meal. That really put it into perspective for me, both from a personal and parenting perspective.

What will the “you” look like in 5, 10, or 30 years? Will you be happy to live with yourself at that time in your life?

PRAYER: Father, thank You for my children. May I always be conscience of the choices I make affecting me, my family, and others.

“Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. A man will reap exactly what he plants” Galatians 6:7 (NIV).

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