Courage and fear. Those two attributes are strange bedmates. It would seem impossible to experience both of them at the same time; yet it seems that's the challenge of the believer's life. Fear tells us that life is unpredictable, anything can happen, but courage replies quietly, "Yes, but God is in control."
If we will stop for a moment during our cluttered lives to reflect, we will realize this is not a rehearsal. This is it!
I sin. I fall far short. I stumble. I listen to Satan's lies too often.
Why do I keep losing my patience with the kids? Why do some people's attitude annoy me so much? I should be more Christlike by now, shouldn't I?
Just the other day, I lost it when a driver cut me off, and I've been asking God to help me stop doing that. But do you know what He showed me? He is using all these unpleasant irritations to bring my hidden attitudes to the surface so He can deal with them. He will continue to change me, but it is a slow process.
As gold is refined in fire, likewise our attitudes are brought to the surface in trials.
Each moment of this life I long to look more like my Jesus and less like one of the Pharisees!
I pray that God challenges me to fall ever more before the throne of God begging for more of Him to show in my life and less of me!
In Him,
Dalinda
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It's A Shakedown
Shakedown: to shake something in order to find a hidden treasure.
Sometimes we are shaken so that something better can be revealed.
Some ways we can be shaken are: our health, our relationships, our hopes, and our souls.
We cannot choose whether or not we should be shaken, but we can choose what we are standing on when we are shaken.
Never cast an anchor in shifting sand!
Sometimes our relationships are shaken so that we can see that Jesus is the only relationship we can truly count on. When everything seems to be falling apart that's when God is putting things together just the way He wants it.
To our heart-wrenched cries of Why? God's ultimate answer is, "Jesus," as He is glorified and magnified in our lives through our suffering. Trust Him. When guilt takes the edge off every joy....When there are no answers to our questions...Trust Him when you don't understand. Trust His heart. Trust His purpose. Trust Him when it is your heart that's broken. Trust His goodness. Trust Him beyond the grave. Trust Him to know best. Trust His plan to be bigger than yours. Trust Him to be on time. Trust Him to be enough. Trust Him to set you free. Trust Him, and Him alone!
The times when we can't trace His hand of purpose, we must trust His heart of love! Trust HIM!
For His praise and glory,
Dalinda
Sometimes we are shaken so that something better can be revealed.
Some ways we can be shaken are: our health, our relationships, our hopes, and our souls.
We cannot choose whether or not we should be shaken, but we can choose what we are standing on when we are shaken.
Never cast an anchor in shifting sand!
Sometimes our relationships are shaken so that we can see that Jesus is the only relationship we can truly count on. When everything seems to be falling apart that's when God is putting things together just the way He wants it.
To our heart-wrenched cries of Why? God's ultimate answer is, "Jesus," as He is glorified and magnified in our lives through our suffering. Trust Him. When guilt takes the edge off every joy....When there are no answers to our questions...Trust Him when you don't understand. Trust His heart. Trust His purpose. Trust Him when it is your heart that's broken. Trust His goodness. Trust Him beyond the grave. Trust Him to know best. Trust His plan to be bigger than yours. Trust Him to be on time. Trust Him to be enough. Trust Him to set you free. Trust Him, and Him alone!
The times when we can't trace His hand of purpose, we must trust His heart of love! Trust HIM!
For His praise and glory,
Dalinda
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Life's An Ocean, Sail It!
We should give meaning to life, not wait for life to give us meaning.
You miss a lot of good things in life if you have the wrong attitude. If you look for the bad in life, you'll find it. Things turn out the best for people who make the best of the way things turn out. You are only a victim if you allow yourself to be.
Pessimism is more harmful than optimism is helpful.
Life is a struggle that must be accepted. Each stage of life has a learning curve, but what pains us, trains us.
Everyone gets the same twenty-four hours in a day, the difference is how you use it. Each individual has the choice to make their life either complicated or simple. It is up to us to take the lemons life hands us and make lemonade out of them. We can choose to let circumstances rule us or we can choose to rule the circumstances. God created us with a free-will. Part of that free-will is the ability to make choices. Lemonade is much sweeter and tastier than plain lemons, don't you think?
For His Glory,
Dalinda
You miss a lot of good things in life if you have the wrong attitude. If you look for the bad in life, you'll find it. Things turn out the best for people who make the best of the way things turn out. You are only a victim if you allow yourself to be.
Pessimism is more harmful than optimism is helpful.
Life is a struggle that must be accepted. Each stage of life has a learning curve, but what pains us, trains us.
Everyone gets the same twenty-four hours in a day, the difference is how you use it. Each individual has the choice to make their life either complicated or simple. It is up to us to take the lemons life hands us and make lemonade out of them. We can choose to let circumstances rule us or we can choose to rule the circumstances. God created us with a free-will. Part of that free-will is the ability to make choices. Lemonade is much sweeter and tastier than plain lemons, don't you think?
For His Glory,
Dalinda
Monday, October 17, 2011
Lessons Hard To Learn Are Sweet To Know
All things are difficult before they are easy.
Something is lost whenever something is gained. But sometimes when you lose, you still win in the long run. (Luke 9:23-26)
Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.
You will never be completely happy on earth, simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have your moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments of even days of peace. But they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead.
Many in life don't grow wiser simply because they lived a righteous life, many grow wiser because the older they get the more they recognize how many times they've fallen short.
He who suffers most has most to give.
God has a greater purpose than our immediate comfort, than getting what we want, when we want it, is not always best or gloryifying to God.
Better to limp along the right road than to speed on the wrong one.
There is a heavenly reason for everything in life; may we always learn and grow from our experiences.
I am honored that the Creator of all, chose this beautifully crazy life for me!
Humbled and undeserving,
Dalinda
Something is lost whenever something is gained. But sometimes when you lose, you still win in the long run. (Luke 9:23-26)
Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.
You will never be completely happy on earth, simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have your moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments of even days of peace. But they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead.
Many in life don't grow wiser simply because they lived a righteous life, many grow wiser because the older they get the more they recognize how many times they've fallen short.
He who suffers most has most to give.
God has a greater purpose than our immediate comfort, than getting what we want, when we want it, is not always best or gloryifying to God.
Better to limp along the right road than to speed on the wrong one.
There is a heavenly reason for everything in life; may we always learn and grow from our experiences.
I am honored that the Creator of all, chose this beautifully crazy life for me!
Humbled and undeserving,
Dalinda
Friday, October 14, 2011
Keep The Faith, Tides Change
God will never leave you empty handed. If something is taken away, He will replace it with something better, if He denies your request in a certain area, it is because he wishes to give you what is best, if He asks you to put something down, it is so you can pick up something greater.
God will either give you what you ask, or something far better!
When you put Christ first in your life, tides change.
The cross is "I" crossed out. He is first. I am second.
I found this poem somewhere and thought it was good:
Doubt see obstacles
Faith sees the way;
Doubt sees the blackest night
Faith sees the day;
Doubt dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high;
Doubt questions, "Who believes?"
Faith answers, "I"
Let's sail away on God's boat! The seas might get rough, but the Captain knows the way!
Blessings,
Dalinda
God will either give you what you ask, or something far better!
When you put Christ first in your life, tides change.
The cross is "I" crossed out. He is first. I am second.
I found this poem somewhere and thought it was good:
Doubt see obstacles
Faith sees the way;
Doubt sees the blackest night
Faith sees the day;
Doubt dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high;
Doubt questions, "Who believes?"
Faith answers, "I"
Let's sail away on God's boat! The seas might get rough, but the Captain knows the way!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Let God Be God
We can worry about hundreds of different things, from what people think of us to what will happen to us as we age. Quite often, worry does not even have a basis or nugget of truth to it. There is no known reason to even think about the things that worry and then frighten us. Worry can become a bad habit. It is just what we do!
Some people say children are gullible, meaning they believe anything, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. But children are not gullible; they are trusting. It is children's nature to trust unless they have experienced something that teaches them otherwise. And another thing we all know about children is that they can enjoy just about anything, even turning work into games.
God wants us to know that we are His precious little children and put our complete faith in Him to care for us. He wants us to take His hand and lean on Him, continually asking for His help. But we must come humbly as little children - sincere, unpretentious, honest, open,-knowing that without Him, we can do nothing.
God has given us life, and our goal should be to enjoy it. As God's children we were never intended to live in bondage of any kind. Seek to become and remain childlike in faith with all the simplicity of a child and experience freedom to enjoy all that God has given us in Christ.
In His Love,
Dalinda
Some people say children are gullible, meaning they believe anything, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. But children are not gullible; they are trusting. It is children's nature to trust unless they have experienced something that teaches them otherwise. And another thing we all know about children is that they can enjoy just about anything, even turning work into games.
God wants us to know that we are His precious little children and put our complete faith in Him to care for us. He wants us to take His hand and lean on Him, continually asking for His help. But we must come humbly as little children - sincere, unpretentious, honest, open,-knowing that without Him, we can do nothing.
God has given us life, and our goal should be to enjoy it. As God's children we were never intended to live in bondage of any kind. Seek to become and remain childlike in faith with all the simplicity of a child and experience freedom to enjoy all that God has given us in Christ.
In His Love,
Dalinda
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Are You In Over Your Head?
At various points in our lives, all of us feel we're getting "out of our depth" or " in over our heads." But the reality is that without God we're always in over our heads.
There are problems all around in this life: a job lost, someone dies, there is strife in the family, or a bad report comes from the doctor. When these things happen, our temptation is to panic, because we feel we've lost control.
I appreciate all the wonderful people God has placed in my life. My husband and my children are amazing. It was because of my parents' love for one another and love for God that I am the woman I am today. They taught me much ... not with lessons, but by example. They lived a life in front of me that permeates my being today. They were a kind, loving example of a family committed to God.
I depend on many people in my life to help me accomplish what I am called to do. However, we see constant change. People who we thought would be with us forever leave.
Every individual needs to believe that God is all you have to have. God is the only presence we can never do without.
God without man is still God. Man without God is nothing.
Don't venture out of your depth till you can swim, with God as your lifeguard.
In His Mighty Hand,
Dalinda
There are problems all around in this life: a job lost, someone dies, there is strife in the family, or a bad report comes from the doctor. When these things happen, our temptation is to panic, because we feel we've lost control.
I appreciate all the wonderful people God has placed in my life. My husband and my children are amazing. It was because of my parents' love for one another and love for God that I am the woman I am today. They taught me much ... not with lessons, but by example. They lived a life in front of me that permeates my being today. They were a kind, loving example of a family committed to God.
I depend on many people in my life to help me accomplish what I am called to do. However, we see constant change. People who we thought would be with us forever leave.
Every individual needs to believe that God is all you have to have. God is the only presence we can never do without.
God without man is still God. Man without God is nothing.
Don't venture out of your depth till you can swim, with God as your lifeguard.
In His Mighty Hand,
Dalinda
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