#courage #waterwalkinggirls

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Just 3 weeks ago our high school baseball season was kicked off by hosting the IP Classic and my daughter was practicing for her ballet recital. I was gearing up to begin the busiest few months of our family’s lives. Looking at my full calendar was overwhelming. I had begun getting into the mindset needed to meet our schedule by planning meals a week ahead and making all the plans necessary to be sure everyone was where they needed to be at the right times. At work I was looking ahead at the coming weeks and all the standards I would need to be sure to teach. Just 3 weeks ago. My how things have changed in just 3 weeks.

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#renew #waterwalkinggirls

“Elijah challenged the people: ‘How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!’” 1 Kings 18:21 MSG

Today I challenge you to remember your conversion experience. Recall the moment you first accepted Christ into your heart. Then remember how excited and on fire you were in the days to follow. For those of us that grew up in the church and have a more gradual experience, remember when you first fell in love and the excitement you felt. You probably wanted to spend every waking hour with your new love and your enthusiasm drove your actions. I want you to ponder those feelings for a few minutes and really recollect all the emotions you felt.

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#lent2020 #waterwalkinggirls
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
For the last two weeks Julie and I have offered our thoughts and feelings about Lent. Last Friday Julie shared that she has been led to give up coffee which is an item that she loves. I too felt this year I needed to give up something that was big so that I could really sacrifice and be intentional about this time of Lent. I had prayed and had tossed around some possibilities but hadn’t for sure settled on my item until Tuesday morning when I was writing and came across the thoughts about Lent from catholicspirit.com: “When we come forward to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday we are saying that we are sorry for our sins, and that we want to use the season of Lent to correct our faults, purify our hearts, control our desires, and grow in holiness so we will be prepared to celebrate Easter with great joy.”

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#obedience #waterwalkinggirls
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3 NLT
This week as I have studied about Christian obedience and looked for uses of the word obey in the Bible I was drawn to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 NLT “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always even to the end of the age.”

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#christlike #waterwalkinggirls
Jesus embodied human perfection. He was compassionate, loving, forgiving, committed and prayerful. Jesus displayed gentleness, patience, self-control and humility all while modeling how to be a servant. Whew! What a list of characteristics! While Christ embodied all of these characteristics, you and I must strive daily to follow His example. Will we ever display all of these characteristics at once? No, not on this side of Heaven. However, we must try every day! Every day that we are granted here on earth is another chance to work toward being more Christ-like.

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#move #waterwalkinggirls
I have grown accustomed to sitting in the same place every Sunday at church. How about you? I am guessing you do too! Why do we do that? We like familiarity and predictability. Sitting in the same place every week is comfortable and easy. However last Sunday I sat in the balcony in our church and what a blessing it was for me. Not only was my view different but God blessed me with a new perspective. The picture on the cover of today’s blog is a picture of the cross in our church. When I am sitting downstairs at church I am looking up at the cross but in the balcony I had a straight view of the cross. I was able to have a new appreciation for how large and impressive it is. I especially noticed the light than emanates from behind the cross. Most importantly I was able to see firsthand the work of our dedicated media crew. These men consistently show up to serve our church by making sure the sound and video is working properly. They are such an asset and blessing to our church. I would not have had the opportunity to truly appreciate them or the beauty of the cross if I had stayed downstairs. My point is that moving helps change and shape our perspectives.

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#patienceandperseverance #waterwalkinggirls
When I was a little girl there was an older couple in our church that took my family under their wings. They became like family and my brother and I called them Aunt Helen and Uncle Archie. Uncle Archie was a wealth of knowledge and advice. As children do, I would sometimes become frustrated when having to wait on something. On those occasions Uncle Archie would encourage me and quietly say, “Patience and perseverance.” Needless to say, his advice would often frustrate me even more because in my heart I knew he was right.

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