Time to Stand Tall

Is it weird that I'm finding inspiration today by one of my own songs? :) I find that it's challenging me in ways I didn't expect-as if it's someone else's song. But I'm being gently reminded that it's not a song I wrote-instead, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and ultimately written by Him. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm being challenged & inspired by it!

If you're anything like me, sometimes life's "stuff" comes to a head and you realize you've been trying to handle things in your own strength. And you know what? It's tiring! Cleaning house, raising kids, trying to keep your marriage strong, friendships, family, church...you see what I'm getting at! Life is full-and I often find myself acting on my own strength (as though I can accomplish things much more effectively than the Lord-ha, I'm SO human, right?!)

So today, I take a deep breath and ask the Lord to take my burdens and "give life to these dry, dry bones" (a line from the song, if you're not familiar with it). Let's stand tall and firm today-relying on God's strength, not our own. If we stand tall through the every day stuff, I believe He gives us even more strength to stand firm on the foundation of our salvation through even the toughest of trials!

May Jesus encourage you today as you strive to stand tall on His firm foundation! Wanna listen to the song, Stand Tall? Click here... (you will want to pause the music player that's at the bottom of my blog) :)

Love,

Emily

Fresh Inspiration

When I first started this blog, I chose to base it on my favorite verse, James 1:2 & 3. Little did I know, I would be challenged by it stronger than ever before. Once I made that verse a public personal motto, it was like a big red bulls-eye was right on my forehead. Here's how the verse is interpreted by Eugene Peterson in, The Message:

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows it's true colors. So don't try and get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it's work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way."

Ahhh, just writing it challenges me! I read it over and over again and have to force myself to say, "Yes, this is possible...but only in Christ. Cause on my own, I fall seriously short!"

But as I ponder each verse, I come up with this equation:

TRIALS+PERSEVERING=MATURITY IN CHRIST

When I break it down, I realize, I can do that! The Lord wants to see us come out on top. He loves us enough to make good out of bad. That's our God! The One who doesn't leave us hanging, stranded or alone. Instead, He give us the strength to make it through the hardest of hard times, and then gives us a beautiful gift of spiritual maturity that we didn't have before the trial. Gee, thanks God...you ROCK!

Hey, I know it's hard to think of a rough patch in life as a gift from God. Been there too! And am still there sometimes! I know that as soon as I post this entry, the spiritual warfare will begin. As soon as we declare joy or strength in our weakness, Satan wants nothing more than to tear that down, little by little, till we find ourselves doubting and wallowing in our despair. Well, let's declare together that Satan has no place to speak over our lives (especially our trials!)...cause those trials belong to Christ!

Let Him help you surrender your trials and heartache to Him so you can come out on TOP, "mature and well developed"!