Bring it On!

Bombs.

School shootings.

Thousands upon thousands of babies murdered before they are ever allowed to experience a breath of air.

Yikes!  Maybe turning on the news isn’t the best idea to start my day on a positive note.

So, so many things happening in our world today that are completely senseless.

Sadly, I can’t say all of this tragedy and depravity is only out there in the world.  It also resides in our communities, schools, and yes, even churches.

Making sense of it all is nearly impossible.  You can quickly find yourself losing faith in mankind.  Even those who walk in Christian faith, strong one minute, can quickly collapse as if shifting sand is beneath them.   Satan is a truly a master destroyer…..and his ultimate goal is to destroy as many Christian lives and churches as he can.

Overwhelming, isn’t it?  It almost seems hopeless.

Last night, as I was driving home from a long and completely stressful day, I was having quite the pity party.  My faith in man was at an all time low.  Troubles have invaded my comfort zone all week long and I was ready to throw my hands in the air, fall in the floor, and throw a fit.  I finally turned the radio up to distract my thoughts, as I was quickly spiraling into a ‘woe is me’ attitude.

That’s when it happened.  One of my favorite oldies came on, “How Can I Keep From Singing Your Praise”,  I was quickly reminded that no matter how man might disappoint me…. no matter how depraved and tragic our society becomes, no matter how much I disappoint myself…. one thing remains true and constant.

God is on His throne.  And He is unchanging.  He is the same in the valley as He is on the mountaintop.

Trials and trouble may be ready to devour me and those I love and care about.  But God is on our side.  Though I feel as if I’m on sinking sand, I will find, when the sand has all blown into the wind, that I safely land in the palm of my Father.  He has a firm grip on me and He is NOT letting go.

So what do I have to whine about?  My faith lies in my Savior, my Creator, my Rock.  Man will always disappoint.  I will always disappoint.  We are only human.  We all struggle with temptation and often, we lose the battle.  But we cannot quit.  We cannot let Satan win.  In the book of James, we are told to consider it pure joy when trials are heaped on us.  After all, we are about to be given the chance to grow in faith and perseverance.

So, this morning, as I wake and find my circumstances to remain the same as they were last night in the pit of the most pathetic pity party ever, I will have a cup of coffee with the Lord, put on my big girl panties, and tackle this day knowing He’s got this. Troubles and trials??  Bring it on!!  The world can sink around me, but I am loved by the King.  And it makes my heart wanna sing!!

God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.   – 1 John 3:20, MSG

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   –Hebrews 13:8

Only God knows how it all turns out, and for those who belong to Him, it turns out well.   –Romans 8:28

 

 

Let. It. Go.

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across a scripture I have read many times.  In fact, I went back through four different Bibles and I had highlighted this scripture in each one.  Although I have obviously read the scripture and it apparently stood out to me, this morning….on this day, it was as if I read it for the first time.

 

You see, I’ve had a rough year.  So much has happened this year.  Heartbreaking, life-changing things have happened.  It would be easy for me to look back on all I’ve been through and allow myself to get stuck in the trials.  To throw a big ole pity party.  Nurse those wounds just enough to function, yet keeping them open to the pain, hurt, and anger.

The problem with nursing those wounds, hanging on to hurtful words, clinging for dear life to each and every instance you feel you have been mistreated……….is that it takes over your life.  Your problems and trials aren’t something you are dealing with for a moment.  They become who you are.  They claim your joy and can rob you of peace.  When your spirit is filled with bitterness, anger, and malice, there is no room for love.

And it’s not just the actions and hurts of others that can gain this victory over us.  Often, we inflict these feelings on ourselves.  Maybe we have made poor choices.  In recognizing them, we inflict a punishment of self-loathing and self-condemnation.  We can with-hold forgiveness from ourselves for our poor choices and sin in our life.

No matter the source of your struggle, it’s important to recognize this is not all there is.  Life is about so much more than holding on to hurt.  This verse I stumbled across by chance (I was reading in Psalm and came across it in Isaiah as I was flipping through pages.) tells us not to dwell on the past.  To forget the former things.  I see this as explicit permission, even a command to let it go.  Why?  Because freedom is found in forgiveness.  Freedom for your soul.  It frees you up to move on with your life.  To look forward to a positive, hopeful future.

The scripture then goes on to say that God is doing a NEW thing.  He has something NEW for us waiting.  And I assure you, when God has something for you, it’s something good.  No, something AMAZING.    The key is looking forward, taking a step away from the hurts of the past, and finding hope.  God has something better for you.  Are you ready to receive it?

I urge you to search your heart for those old hurts that hold you back.  Pray for freedom and forgiveness so that you will be ready for the new things God has waiting for you.  Pray for me as I set out on the same endeavor.  Victory is found in following Him.  And I’m ready for it!

 

 

Priority Check!

Life is busy.  Hard.  Chaotic. Frustrating.  Overwhelming.   When I feel get stuck in the busy-ness, I often kick into survival mode.  Just getting through the day, the week, the month.  Before I know it, time has slipped away and I wonder where it went.  During these times, it’s easy to let things go.  Important things.

Many times,the first thing we let go is time with God. Our Bible is little more than a dust catcher on a table.  Our thoughts rarely turn to Him.  Then, we suddenly need Sunday morning to play catch up around the house…. or to finally take a moment to sleep in and rest.  Next thing you know, your relationship with Him consists of hardly more than a verbal acknowledgement that He is Lord.

In order to experience a true relationship with Him, to experience His power in our lives, to feel His presence in our hearts, we must be willing to draw to Him.  And that means spending time with Him, praying with Him, reading His word, and, yes, even serving Him.

Overwhelmed at that thought?  I understand.  But if you can, just for a moment, look past the commitment required, and ponder over the possibilities of living with Him as the center of your life.  Peace.  Comfort.  Contentment.  Joy.  Excitement.  Grace.  Mercy.  Love. Security.  Assurance.  I could go on and on…

Today, take some time to reflect on your life. And your relationship with Him.  The Bible is filled with promises.  Do you believe them?  Do you believe God can and will do what He says?  Where does He truly stand in your list of priorities?  What keeps you from moving Him to the top of the list where He belongs…. and keeping Him there?  Believe it or not, even in the midst of trials and chaos, you can have comfort and peace.  But a real relationship with Him is required.

You must seek Him.

You must be thirsty for Him.

You must long for Him.

Seek Him with your whole heart, your mind, and your spirit.

Commit your time and your life to Him.

He will not let you down.

He is your God.

 

 

 

Hello, World!!

Hello, My name is Robin.  You may or may not remember who I am at this point.  Shoot, I’m not even sure I remember me either.  I’ve been MIA for months now.  But, you see, my life sort of….. fell apart in many ways at the beginning of the year.  And although many things are still floundering a bit, I’ve decided I’m gonna make it. 

I would share some of my stories from the past few months, but it might cause a surge in Prozac prescriptions, maybe even a cry to mainstream it in the water for all to reap the benefits.  I would hate to be the reason you need anti-depressants. 

Although my life has gone through some major changes the past six months, what I know to remain true is this:  God is good.  All the time.  Even when walking through hell on earth.  During the happy times.  Even through the sad and angry times.  I know this because He has never left me.  And for this I’m thankful, because I have learned to lean on Him more than ever.  He is a mighty Savior!

I’m jumping back into the blogosphere!!  Hello, World!