Category Archives: Trust

On Marriage and Being In The Same Boat

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My grandfather stood before John and me the night he married us and spoke of the college degrees we had just earned. While they were good accomplishments, he told us to get ready because we were about to enter the “University of Hard Knocks”, and it would be best, rewarding, and rightly lived staying together.

Surely, these are some of the days to which he was referring.

John and I are living hard days, not because we did anything wrong even though we’ve lived those times together too. The time is hard because of truth, that “In this world you will have trouble.” Because we are one, we are in the same boat.

In the beginning of this particular ride, both of us rose to the task, each grabbing “an oar” to do the next thing we knew. We were strong, believed faith journeys were worth the fight, and pushed off from the bank of one situation to be led to shores of another. We also didn’t think this journey would be this long. Currently we are midway across “this pond”. What we left is far behind us now, but we still can’t see the shores of what is ahead. Ahh yes……the blessed waiting phase.

We are still paddling, sometimes with the vigor we had in the beginning; sometimes not. Sometimes John has to paddle harder because he can see my arms are weary. Sometimes he doesn’t even have to look to see how I am, he can just feel it as our boat tries to move along, and he does what is needed to keep us on track. At other times, those roles are reversed. Our situation is uncomfortable, and everyday I pray for its end.

The other day I had lunch with a friend and she spoke of a marriage that was ending. She said the lady “wasn’t willing to do the hard things to get to the really good stuff”, and my friend rolled her eyes and said it in such a tone as to say, “Is that not crazy? What a waste! She missed out.” My friend said this not because she doesn’t understand hard times, for she certainly does, but more importantly she also knows the joy on the other side.

Our culture has spoken a lie that a spouse is only to be there to provide a sweet life and if it doesn’t look sweet, then bail! It is an easy lie because marriage is hard; it just is. The evil one is prowling to “steal, kill, and destroy”, and this culture lie has stolen many opportunities for people to be shaped into gold and enjoy rewards their minds and hearts cannot imagine.

My marriage to John is rich, but not because we’ve always had it easy. What character does the easy life produce?! It has been because we have had seasons that haven’t gone our way, they’ve been challenging, have emptied us out of our own agendas, and led us to lean harder on the only Rock that is true: The Lord. We have stories together, and they are exciting because they also involve the element of conflict, and don’t the best stories always have conflict? We also have joy and a lot of it. What would become of our treasure of joy if a conflict was allowed to win. Are we willing to throw that overboard too?!

So we paddle on and the ripples in the water could have names: perseverance, patience, grace, mercy, commitment. God is ultimately the one pushing our boat along, but He needs to change us, refine us, teach us in the process so He tells us to stay in the boat and do the work all while resting and trusting in Him. He is in control.

Someday this season of time will be over. I’m excited to see the revelation of God’s plan in this journey. It’s coming. It will be good because God is good. I also want to be with John. We will laugh and celebrate as every finish of a good race deserves. We’ll add the story to our collection and be able to tell the whole adventure together, for it will be lived together. I pray we will be more radiant for each other because we’ve both been in the fire being changed, and we’ll get to enjoy “the really good stuff” because we’ve been through the hard things….together. Glory to God!

John 16:33

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart;I have overcome the world.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Hebrews 12:2

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Truth

The Desert and the Deep

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“…and He led them through the deep as through a desert.”  Psalm 106:9

I suppose you could call this phase I’m in a desert season.  It has been a long journey of waiting and being blind to what is ahead.  It is a time of not belonging having been moved from one home yet not given another to call my own.  I exist and am carried, but not allowed to grow roots.  Yes, I guess I would call it a desert season too.

But in this season, the Giver of Life has been the leader and watching over me.  He knows where He is taking me.  At times I have felt like an Israelite being led out of a country and all I can visibly see is an enemy, that is…lies, chasing me.  The Guide has led me to areas where I don’t see how I can pass, and that is when He has parted “the Sea” and asked me to step into the deep.

The pages of His Word I hold in my hands part and my eyes fall on truth, and this is the walk in “The Deep”.  I read, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,” (Proverbs 3:5), and I drink it down hard and take a step.  I look up and see the Lord’s arm above me raised to keep my path clear…..and I walk on.  Page after page, step after step,  tells me how much He loves me and how He is holding all.  The stories of the ones He led before me are rich and adventurous and declare His character, power, might, beauty, and glory.  Isn’t God the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow? (Hebrews 13:8)  I walk further into the deep with Him, the Spirit testifying to the truth, and I know I want the same kind of story as heroes of faith (Hebrews 11) before me.  The Lord is worthy, and I want to see His glory.

In the deep the ground I walk still feels like desert, but I have seen walls of life and treasures I might not have grasped otherwise.  The deep, His rich Word,  washes over my enemies destroying all lies yet keeps my path clear, and I breathe life. His Word is once again a miracle to me. 

Am I in a desert?  I suppose.  But I’m living walking in the deep and will reach the other side of this season not parched but full to give all glory and praise to the One who leads.

I know this.  I can feel it already!

See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
160 All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.   Psalm 119: 159-160

Who among the gods is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—    majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory, working wonders?  Exodus 15:11

(The Song of Moses of Miriam)

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
    he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.  Psalm 106:9-12

Truth

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Green Pastures

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The phrase “green pastures” is kinda special to me.  Oh, I love its reference in the Word and the visual imagery it brings. But, there has been something about the way this phrase has been repeatedly given to me that has my heart pricked.  I could go a step further and tell you that every time I look at a clock and it reads 10:23 I pray a “green pastures” dream that means something to me……..but then you would know I was weird.

Anyway…….

I remember sitting in a chair on Oct. 1, 2008 while my mother was in surgery for breast cancer.  Not knowing what to do with myself while I waited, I picked up Psalms and turned to the 23rd chapter.  What leaped off the page that day was verse 2:

“He makes me lie down in green pastures………”

He makes me…..

He MAKES me……

When my heart and mind run wild……..He MAKES me lie down.

Knowing that the phrase “green pastures” is special to me, you can imagine how my ears perked yesterday during my Bible study led by Priscilla Shirer titled He Speaks to Me…….Preparing to Hear From God.  She referenced “Green Pastures” through the story in John 6 when Jesus fed 5000 people.

“Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’  There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about 5000 of them.”  John 6:10

A green pasture is where they sat, and it was there and in that position where they were fed.  Priscilla goes on to explain what our “green pastures” are…….places of rest and stillness where there is also life.  They are places of knowing His Word, His works, and His faithful history.  It is dwelling on what we know of Him and leaning on trust.  Green pastures are places to sit and remember.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures…..”

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So today as He makes me lie in my green pasture, what am I remembering?

  • I’m remembering various times of God’s provision in seasons I didn’t know where else it was going to come from.
  • I’m remembering how clear He made big decisions that John and I have had to make and the overwhelming peace that followed His clarity.
  • I’m remembering the verses I’m meditating on regarding trust.
  • I’m remembering God who created all, who parted the Red Sea for Moses, who brought down walls of Jericho, and so much more is the same God of today and tomorrow.
  • I’m remembering……..

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.   Psalm 23:1-3

Truth

 

Holding Mud

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mud in hand

 

 

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When “the mud” (a.k.a. our current transition situation) was first handed to me, I looked expectantly like it was clay instead of mud.  What was my Potter going to make with this clay?  I was nervous…….yet excited too. In the beginning His hand was so evident, moving quickly, preparing and positioning us.  God thought of every little detail…….even the ones that hadn’t crossed my mind yet.  After a lot of activity, He stepped away telling me He’ll be back and to just hold on.

Hold the mud and wait.

It’s uncomfortable.  It is starting to ooze through my fingers.  Surely I’m dropping pieces on the floor.  It’s a mess.  There is no form!  What good is this?  Am I really supposed to keep holding this slop?   I listen for His footsteps and try to peer around corners.  Can I hear him?  Can I just catch a glimpse?

Nothing

Our children have been full of questions just as we have been: “When will we move?  Where will we live?  What school will we go to? What will we do during this school break?  Will we see home again?”.  I have not had answers, but I do have truth.  “THIS, Sons, is what it looks like to walk by faith and not by sight.  I. Don’t. Know.”  And there has been nothing more to discuss.

When the waiting is long and answers don’t seem anywhere near in sight the temptation is to think that it is now up to me to take control.  I confess to saying in prayer, “So…. is this it, Lord?  Are you finished?  Am I just supposed to figure out how to handle things from here?”.  Surely this is how Sarah felt when still not holding her promised child (Genesis 16).

“This, Abby, is what it is to walk by faith and not by sight”,  and I do hear my Father speak.  There is nothing more really to discuss…….even though I do try.

A verse caught my attention months before “the mud” was handed to me, and today I am being reminded of it.    I even wrote it on my chalkboard in our house because I loved it so……and it is still there for potential house buyers to read:

Ephesians 1:11

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Everything.  He is working it out.  He didn’t just work half of this out for me to then take the other half.  Everything.  Every detail.  Everything.  Let me say it again……..everything!
He is working it all out, and in this He needs me to be still and wait.
This “mud” I hold…….actually, it is really clay.
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Truth

 

Someday (a peek into one of my dreams)

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{No…..this is not an apron sewn by Si of Duck Dynasty (that show is providing our family much comic relief during this season!).  It was actually made by the Red Threads Movement.…….a ministry that provides a fair trade income for girls rescued from sex trafficking.  You can find out more about this truly amazing work here.}  

One of the desires of my heart is hosting and having ministry in my home.  I love getting the house ready, preparing a little treat (or big one!), creating an environment, sharing life, and talking, talking, and more talking about the Word.  Currently this is a longing not yet fulfilled as we are in the middle of transition, trying to sell our house in Kansas, and currently living 9 hours away in Texas not in our own home but with our dear generous parents.  For years we had a study group for women and also one for men meeting weekly at our house.   It was truly one of my biggest joys and something I miss horribly.  In addition, I loved hosting our small group, having times one on one with another, having big talk sessions with our son’s friends, etc.

John and I both share this passion, but right now all of that is on hold.  We truly have no idea what is ahead of us.  We don’t know really where we will end up living, what we will live in, or when that will be yet this longing in my heart continues to stir.  I have prayed that if my dreams don’t match what God has ahead of me for Him to take them away……knowing that He will be more than faithful to replace what it is He does want.  The flip side is that I have also prayed that if a desire is from Him that He will continue to stir, churn, and grow the dream.  I have prayed for God to take what we enjoyed in our home before and establish it again……even grow it.

This past Christmas, my friend Jamie who knows my heart and all it longs for, gave me a precious gift.  With tears streaming down my face, she handed me a candle and had me listen carefully as she read the Word over me:

Matthew 5:13-16

The Message (MSG)

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

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This longing in my heart continues.  I don’t know what it will look like someday when we get on the other side of this transition.  It could look a number of very different ways, but I rest that God is the one who places desires/passions in each one of us and also is going ahead of us preparing the works. The truth I’m living everyday is He also works on His own time.  I’ve heard it said before He is slow but never late.  Uncomfortable……but so true.  It is in this waiting time though that I am learning what is in the core of my heart, and I’m having time to pray through all of it.  If He is the one putting the desire/dreams in me, won’t He be the one to provide the ministry?

 Someday, I believe I will get to host ministry again wherever I live.  I’ll light the candle from Jamie, don my new apron, celebrate God’s faithfulness, rejoice in opportunity, and know to my core that whatever good comes from it will be only from the Lord and not of my own doing.  This is His work I’m joining Him in.  He knows what He is doing and is already working His handiwork.  Glory!

What about you?  What is a dream/passion placed in you?  Are you living it right now?

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Truth

Test

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It’s halftime of the big game, and my youngest and I break from Beyonce to study math.  He mentioned to me minutes earlier, “Oh yeah, I have a test tomorrow.”  It is math but not so much numbers as it is definitions of shapes, angles, and lines.

To study I mimic the test giving a definition for him to match with a name.  It is a little rough for him, and together we read again and again breaking down definitions into smaller bite-sized pieces.  I come up with gimmicks to spark his mind, and John joins with a tablet to draw and to show him visually what we are saying with our mouths.  He is ready to be quizzed again for the test, and this is right because I know Jayton knows this stuff.

“What are two lines intersecting at a point and forming together a 90 degree angle?”.

He looks at me mouth slowly opening wanting to speak and yet holding back as well.

“Yes, son, you know this.  Just say it.”

“Per……..”

“Yes!  Yes!” and I’m nodding dramatically motioning for him to keep going.

“Per…..pen…….”

“Yes, son!  You are right.  Speak it bold!”

“Perpendic………”

“Yes!  You’ve got this!”

“Perpendicular.”

“Yes!  Son, you know this.  Believe that you do.  You will do well on your test.  You’re ready.”

This morning that boy climbed out of our car and into his school, and I drove away to begin another day of living my test.

It’s been a little rough I must admit.  I question much because I can’t see much.  I actually can not see ANYTHING at all ahead of me.

“Will you trust me?” God speaks to me.

The Word is held open for me and bite sized pieces are handed to me.  I’m reminded of Moses and how he only saw he was between charging Egyptians and a Red Sea.  He trusted….obeyed…..and was saved.  The Israelites saw a rushing Jordan in the way of their Promised Land.  “Step into the rushing water, and then the waters will part” they were told.  They trusted……obeyed…..and were saved.  The progression is given to me time and time again for the rhythm to spark my mind.  Trust…….obey……..be saved.  Trust……obey……be saved.

I mull this over and over in my mind and hear my Lord speak over me again, “You know this, Abby.  Do this.”

God shows me again the visual and has my eyes land on what of Him I can see.  I bow, say thanks, and feel Him smiling and nodding His head.  “Yes!  Yes!  I know you see……now keep going.”

“Lord, ……I……do……trust…….”

“Yes!  Yes!” He says to me.  “I’ve taught you.  Walk in this test!.”

“I trust you……..and…. will….. obey.”

“Yes!” He says. “This is about trust, but it is also about obeying.  You know this, Abby!  Live this test!” 

Trust………..obey………..be saved.    Trust……..obey………be saved.

Psalm 31:14

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
Isaiah 25:9

In that day they will say,“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Truth
 

Gift of Truth

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In 2005, my dear friend (that term just doesn’t do her justice!) Kelli faced a move she and her husband had not anticipated.  They knew God was leading, so forward they marched through the transition process.  She made herself a book filled with scriptures about trusting and waiting on God who is most faithful and capable of doing more than we could ask or imagine.  She wrote these promises down on index cards and just placed them in a cheap photo sleeve book.  I saw her holding this book numerous times. It was with her everywhere she went thus anchoring her mind and supplying her with a steady digest of truth.

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Last August, I moved away from this best friend and mentor.  Through tears because our hearts were ripping, she handed me a gift……her 2005 book of trust.  I just doubled over when I unwrapped it knowing not only what it meant to her (and how she had seen the fulfillment of the promises), but also because I knew it would be a way of survival (mind, heart, spirit) for me.

I carry it everywhere I go.

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There have been times I’ve sat with it almost hyperventilating only to slow down and catch my breath again.  At other times I’ve poured over the promises with joy and worship rejoicing in God who is alive.  It is all truth, and yes, it has set me free time and time again. I love these scriptures are in her handwriting.  While we now live apart, I still have a sister’s “voice” encouraging and speaking truth over me.

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Four years ago my mother had surgery for breast cancer.  Her dear friend did something similar with little pink cards tied together with ribbon.  Each card had a verse……a promise….of God’s love and faithfulness.  I still picture the cards beside her bed on her nightstand…..close to her…..feeding her truth when most hungry.  She still holds on to the gift of those promise cards.

Need a gift idea?  Maybe even a gift to yourself?  Let me testify the gift of truth keeps giving and giving and will forever be a cherished favorite. 

(In case you would like to know the verses in the book, I’ll list them for you:  Psalm 37:4, Psalm 37:5 &7, I Thess. 5:24, Proverbs 3:5-6, Luke 1:45, Psalm 22:4-5, Psalm 9:10, Psalm 4:5, Job 39:11-12, II Chronicles 26: 4-5, Psalm 62:8, Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 40:11, Jeremiah 6:16, Romans 15:13, John 14:1, Isaiah 26:4, Isaiah 12:2, Psalm 143:8, Psalm 91:2, Psalm 56:3, Proverbs 15:22, Daniel 10:19, Psalm 115:1, Psalm 31:14, Joshua 23:14, I Peter 1:13, Ephesians 2:10, II Timothy 2:21, I Corinthians 1:8-9, Deut. 31:8, Jeremiah 29:10-11, I Peter 5:10, John 1:16, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 30:20-21.  Whew!  That is a lot of promises, and just think!  There are more where those came from!)

Joshua 21:45

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Truth

Persevering and Needing You

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My son asked how I was doing the other day, and my response was this:

“Son, you know how you lift weights, and sometimes you are asked to lift a heavy amount once to see what you can do. You might exert yourself for a few seconds while you lift the weight then put it down satisfied that you did it even though it was difficult. But, what is it like, Son, when you take the heavy weight and have to hold it in position for an extended period of time? It becomes a different kind of difficult…..a different kind of struggle. THAT is where I am, Son. THAT is what I feel like I’m doing.”

I am trusting the Lord with all my heart, but while I am thankful for this trusting journey, it is about learning perseverance as well.  I’m over 5 months into a sudden disruption in life, and still not understanding much.  I have big questions regarding John’s new job.  I have no clue what community we are to be a part of.  Our house in Kansas is still on the market.  Currently, my family is not living together during the week. Timing of any and all future events is not even for me to have a hint of knowing .  I have no control over anything…..none.  I laid this list with more out before John last night.  He said, “You know you are right where you are supposed to be then, right?”.  Yes, I know God is at work in each of these areas.  He is also doing a work in me that someday I will not trade.

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I hear a voice telling me I am a big wimp.  I see what others are enduring, and my journey looks like a walk in the park compared to them.  I want to just keep quiet, really I do.  But I share with you because I need you and someday you might need me. I remember my friend Sarah, and how just a few years ago her prayers were exactly mine of today. I heard her then tell her story, and I watch her today thriving and living her new life in her new community, and it encourages me. I press on. She has told me to “hang in there”…..that a day is coming when I will see the Lord’s divine answers, and His timing will be perfect. I know she is right because I am 45 years old, and the Lord has filled me with stories that declare over and over again “He is faithful! He is worthy to be trusted! He has the whole thing in His hands!”.

I know this truth to the core of my being, but I need other true voices speaking over me too telling me ..reminding me….of God’s perfect ways. I need voices to tell me to keep running….to keep holding on even when it is heavy.

What about you?

The song in my head sings, “Let strength arise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord, yes, we’ll wait upon the Lord.”

“As WE“……..not just as I.

I need you. I want you to need me too. This is why I write: I want to be a voice saying “He is faithful! He is worthy to be trusted! Hold on to Him!”

I want to take a story….a picture of life……and paint it with truth.

Our stories will look different, but the truth is still the same: our God is alive and wants His glory to shine. He wants us to come to Him.  I want to push you toward Him, and I need you to do the same for me.

James 5:11

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Judges 20:22

But the Israelites encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day.

Truth

Good versus Great Story

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John and I recently went to a movie we had been eagerly anticipating only to walk out disappointed.

“Why?” you ask.  ”Was it just a bad movie.”

Well, let me tell you.  The sets of the various scenes were well done and beautiful and filled with a lot of things my artistic eye enjoys.  The work of turning the actors/actresses into the characters portrayed was a masterpiece.  But with all the beautify of the movie, for me, the story itself was boring and fell flat…….a story that actually is one of the best to be told.  I don’t think I’m entirely off in my opinion because we witnessed several leaving the theater and almost everyone continually checked their clock for the time.

Maybe we were just expecting too much.  Quite possibly.

I’m living a story myself, and when I get to the end of it I don’t want to think, “Well, that just fell flat.”  As an artist, I love all things beautiful, but beauty alone will not make a story great.  In fact, the story itself must have depth, richness, plot, conflict, truth, meaning, humor, climax, etc. in order for the beauty to even make sense.

So what am I embracing to live out a great story?

God has written and holds the plans for my life, and that plan is great.  He tells me that in black and white.  But what is the Lord also saying to me?  He tells me not to be surprised because there will be trouble.  He says to be strong and courageous.  Why?  Is that going to be needed in these great plans of His?  He tells me there is an enemy lurking to devour, that there will be darkness, that many will be deceived.  But in all this conflict, He turns to me, the one living my story, and says that He will fight for me, that in darkness light will be all the more bright, to keep my eyes open because it is His glory I will see, that He has given His Son and died for me, and through that He. Has. Overcome. The. World!

The only way I will end my story disappointed is if I don’t expect and believe Him to be all He says He is.  That alone doesn’t just affect the very end of my story, but every single scene along the way.  I cannot expect or believe Him too much.

Now, does that mean my expectations will live and look the way I think they will?

No, not likely.  At least, that hasn’t been the case for me so far.

But isn’t that the difference between a good story ……

…….and one that is great!

Isaiah 49:23
….then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Truth

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The Journey is Good

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From Life is Good:

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 

Someday all the upheaval in my life will settle down again.  Today, I long for that day.  The end will be good, but I know this journey will be the treasure to cherish.

Where is the gift in this season of time?

Will it be new jobs, sold houses, or a place to make a new home?  Yes, I pray for the Lord to give those desires.  But He is holding me now in this trusting place teaching me to lock my gaze on him and not on crashing waves.  He is challenging me to take his Word I declare I love and truly believe what He says over my human logic.  He tells me over and over to trust Him and not my understanding, and He has called me to walk to Him.  He wants me walking on water.

This is my gift.

I’m still unwrapping piece by piece, but I see the form taking shape in my heart, knowledge, passions, and belief.  I can see what God is doing will be good, and someday I won’t trade this time for anything..

I want to journey well.  I want to walk on this water to Him and fall not into waves but into His waiting arms.  I want to see Him smile and hear Him say, “Well done.”

Matthew 14:29
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Isaiah 64:4
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Truth