How to Find Courage When All You Feel is Fear (Real Life with Lisa)

Last week we posted a video by Lisa Jacobson from Club 31 Women speaking about hope in the new series she is doing called "Real Life with Lisa".  Her topic this week is

How to Find Courage When All You Feel is Fear

 What a blessing and encouragement this video was to me!  I don't know why fear is something we as human's tend to struggle so much with, but I am so thankful that in Christ we can have peace, confidence and courage in the Lord!  I hope you will also be blessed and encouraged to be courageous!

~Breanna

 http://club31women.com/how-to-find-courage-when-all-you-feel-is-fear-real-life-with-lisa/

A Thanksgiving Quote - on Overcoming with Courage

“All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both met and overcome with answerable courage.  It was granted the dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible.  For, many of the things feared might never befall; others by provident care and the use of good means might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome.  True it was that such attempts were not to be undertaken without good ground and reason, rashly or lightly; or, as many had done, for curiosity or hope of gain.  But their condition was not ordinary; their ends were good and honourable; their calling, lawful and urgent; therefore they might expect the blessing of God on their proceedings.  Yea, though they should lose their lives in this action, yet might they have the comfort of knowing that their endeavour was worthy.”

- Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford

~Brittany

Dealing with the Harder Things of Life ~ Faith, Hope, Trust, Purpose, Peace, and Joy

These are just a few things that I've read recently that have been an encouragement to me.  I hope they will be to some of you as well.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, according to the will of God.  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Romans 8: 18, 24-26, 27b, 28, 31, 37b

 

“Today as I sit in my lonely room, this passage of God's Word flies in like a white dove through the window, "And now men see not the sun which is in the clouds; but the wind passes and clears them." Job 37:21. To my weak vision, dimmed with tears, the cloud is exceeding dark, but through it stream some rays from the infinite love which fills the Throne with an exceeding and eternal brightness of glory. By-and-by we may get above and behind that cloud—into the overwhelming light. We shall not need comfort then; but we do need it now. And for our present consolation, God lets through the clouds some clear, strong, distinct rays of love and gladness.

One truth which beams in through the vapors is this—God not only reigns, but He governs His world by a most beautiful law of compensations. He sets one thing over against another. Faith loves to study the illustrations of this law, notes them in her diary, and rears her pillars of praise for every fresh discovery. I have noticed that the deaf often have an unusual quickness of eyesight; the blind are often gifted with an increased capacity for hearing; and sometimes when the eye is darkened and the ear is closed, the sense of touch becomes so exquisite that we are able to converse with the sufferer through that sense alone.

This law explains why God put so many of His people under a sharp regimen of hardship and burden-bearing in order that they may be sinewed into strength; why a Joseph must be shut into a prison in order that he may be trained for a palace and for the premiership of the kingdom.”

Theodore Cuyler

"Those who dive into the sea of affliction, bring up rare pearls!"

Charles Spurgeon

"Afflictions tend to wean us from the world--and to fix our affections on things above."

John Angell James

 

Do you ever wonder what Paul’s thorn in his side was (2 Corinthians 12:8)?

I wonder all the time. Did he have this thorn before he was a believer? And, if so, how long had he had it? Or, did his thorn enter his life after it changed forever on the road to Damascus?

All I know is that Paul does not say what his thorn was. How mysterious of him!

I think we all have thorns that we’ve wished we could pray away. I know I’m guilty of it.

How many times I’ve come before the Lord and asked him why he’s allowed certain things to happen in my life.

While God is more than capable of erasing history, He doesn’t.  Why doesn’t He make exceptions…?

I think it’s because He calls us to be strong and courageous. (Joshua 1:9) He knows that we have His strength to handle whatever life throws our way, even if we don’t think we’re strong enough.

The Courage to Trust

We need to trust His strength, because God wouldn’t have allowed us to endure this pain otherwise. We can stand tall and be courageous…because it takes courage to trust.

While we may not have been given the ability to change our history and rid ourselves of our thorns, we have been given the power to embrace them…which is hard (I know).

It is possible to make lemonade out of those flying life-lemons.

It begins with the trusting choice of saying, “This will not defeat me.” Christ has already won the biggest battle of our lives (Romans 8:37), but the deceiver will do anything he can to convince us that we don’t have the strength to win the smaller ones.

But quite the opposite is true. God is in the business of making beautiful things . . . and every rose has its thorn.

~ Chels {Catz in the Kitchen}

http://club31women.com/

~Brittany

Advance on Your Knees ~ Faith & Courage for This Year's Journey

And the Lord shall guide thee continually...

Isaiah 58:11

...and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

Habakkuk 3:19

Advance into this new year on your knees.  Faith doesn ot concern itself with the entire journey.  One step is enough.  That first step is all that is needed.  Breathe a prayer for courage to fill your legs as well as your heart as you face the unknown, the unexpected.  What matters that you know not your destination?  Put your hand into the hand of God.  He gives the calmness and serenity of heart and soul.  As He endures, you too, can endure the climb over sharp rocks and crags.  Climb with Him to the end of the year - yea, even to the end of life's trail.  "The peak that is nearest the storm-cloud is nearer the stars fo light."  He gives the courage for which you pray to rise above the valley.  Heed the Master's voice adn press bravely on to the fulfillment of your task.  You have a whole year to scale.

"A Voice said 'CLIMB.'  And he said, 'How shall I climb?

The mountains are so steep that I cannot climb.'

"The Voice said, 'CLIMB or DIE.'

"He said, 'But how?  I see no way up those steep ascents.

This that is asked of me is too hard for me.'

"The Voice said, 'CLIMB or PERISH, soul and body of thee, mind and spirit of thee.  There is no second choice for any son of man.  CLIMB or DIE.'"

Some of the bravest of mountaineers have related incredible tales concerning their climbs up the hills of earth.  Sometimes they were aware fo the presence of a Companion who was not among the earthly party of climbers on the mountains.
How much more positive is the presence fo the Heavenly Guide as God's mountaineers climb the high places fo the Spirit!
God's mountain climbers are created to walk in precarious places, not on the easy levels of life.
Do not limit the Limitless God!  With Him face the new trail and follow on unafraid, for you walk not alone!
- Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Streams in the Dessert, Volume 2, January 2nd
~Brittany

Victory Little by Little ~ Acquiring Perseverance

The Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little. (Deuteronomy 7:22)

We are not to expect to win victories for the Lord Jesus by a single blow. Evil principles and practices die hard. In some places it takes years of labor to drive out even one of the many vices which defile the inhabitants. We must carry on the war with all our might, even when favored with little manifest success.
Our business in this world is to conquer it for Jesus. We are not to make compromises but to exterminate evils. We are not to seek popularity but to wage unceasing war with iniquity. Infidelity, popery, drink, impurity, oppression, worldliness, error; these are all to be "put out."
The Lord our God can alone accomplish this. He works by His faithful servants, and blessed be His name. He promises that He will so work. "Jehovah thy God will put out those nations before thee." This He will do by degrees that we may learn perseverance, may increase in faith, may earnestly watch, and may avoid carnal security. Let us thank God for a little success and pray for more. Let us never sheathe the sword till the whole land is won for Jesus.
Courage, my heart! Go on little by little, for many littles will make a great whole.
- Charles Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook, for November 23rd
~Brittany

In their Christian graces

no one virtue should usurp the sphere of another,

or eat out the vitals of the rest for its own support.

Affection must not smother honesty,

courage must not elbow weakness out of the field,

modesty must not jostle energy,

and patience must not slaughter resolution.

So also with our duties,

one must not interfere with another;

public usefulness must not injure private piety;

church work must not push family worship into a corner.

It is ill to offer God one duty

stained with the blood of another.

Each thing is beautiful in its season, but not otherwise.

-Charles Spurgeon-

~Brittany

Courage

"Courage is not the absence of fear

but the willingness to do the thing we fear.

There's a big difference between fearing and willing."

~Elisabeth Elliot, Keep A Quiet Heart~

~Brittany

The Courage to Change the Things I Can

I was blessed and encouraged when I read this article.  The Lord has been teaching me a lot about keeping my mind stayed on Him in faith so that I can have His "perfect peace".  (Isaiah 26:3)  One thing that really stood out to me as I read this was, "Courage is born to those who exercise it through faith."  I hope that some of you are encouraged by it as well.
~Brittany

The Courage to Change the Things I Can

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
- Maya Angelou

Picking up the phone, I heard Michael’s voice on the other end, “I got an interesting call,” he said. “I just got off the phone with your doctor.”

That was odd since I had just been to their office that afternoon. Did they forget to tell me something? Did I leave something behind?

“Uh huh?” I replied. “What did they want?”

“They said that they spoke with you this afternoon, and the doctor didn’t feel like you had a grasp on the situation. They thought that perhaps you didn’t realize the gravity of your condition.”

The heat rose in my face as I listened to his words. Clearly Michael agreed with the choices I had made, so why couldn’t they?

“Your baby,” the doctor said, “if he makes it to term–will likely have Down’s Syndrome.”

I was okay with that. But by the time I talked to Michael, Spina Bifida had also been discussed as a strong possibility.

“Spina Bifida?” I gasped with one hand over my mouth. I wasn’t prepared for that. Life hadn’t prepared me for any of this…

Even so, the choices were clear-cut for us. Children are a blessing from God. Period.

And so we refused to entertain the idea of termination. And we refused to undergo any further testing that could potentially harm our child.

This boy was a gift from the Lord and was to be treated as one.

Several months later Graham was born, kicking and screaming his way into this world. Sure he had his fair share of health problems, but nothing compared to what could have been. In fact other than an allergy to nuts every health problem he had is behind us.

Life doesn’t prepare us for moments like that, which is why we must prepare ourselves for the journey. Courage is born to those who exercise it through faith.

It starts with seeking God’s will for our lives and is exercised through the choices we make.

As parents, we’re constantly faced with choices that call us to exercise courage. We started homeschooling when it wasn’t so cool to do so. It was the early nineties, which brought one of two responses from people. Either they were absolutely confused by the notion and suggested we were breaking the law, or they assumed we were religious fanatics out of touch with reality.

The words of Reinhold Niebuhr come to mind where they nest in my soul:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Courage is the backbone of  faith. Without it we can’t be a light on a hill that shines through the darkness. With it we step out alone serving unpopular truth in a world that can’t grasp who we are.

Back in the day my dad often sang the popular hymn to us, “Tho none go with me still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back…”

And by his example we learned that being different is a natural part of who we are in Christ.

We’re not called peculiar people because we wear distinctive clothing or keep our hair a certain way. We’re different because we don’t conform to pop culture that stands in the way of our faith.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; – 1 Peter 2:9

If it hasn’t happened already, the day will come when you and your husband have strong choices to make. When your only options are to either stand true to your faith or to give in to opinions around you.

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9

Stand strong in your faith and get ready to take on the world!

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene Schacht

Wait for the Lord!

The Lord is always faithful and gracious.  In my discouragement this morning, the Lord showed me this verse during my Bible reading.

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!"

~Psalm 31:24

Sometimes it seems the only place of relief and refuge we can find is on our knees crying out to the Lord in prayer.  But that is a good thing; that's right where He wants us to be.  And it is there that we get courage, faith, and strength to keep pressing.  Our Lord is faithful, and will work all things out for the good of His children.  We must wait for Him.  He will renew our strength and lift us up.
I was also reminded of this favorite song of mine.  We must wait on the Lord wherever we find ourselves.  Often waiting is hard, but we know and must trust that He will work things out and use it for His glory.

~Posted by: Brittany

Hope ~ Romans 5:2-5

In interesting word study from my personal reading this morning. :-)

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  -Romans 5:2-5

This list of steps in the growth of our Christian walk is sandwiched with hope.

Hope is:

(to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope.

Anticipate:

To foretaste or foresee; to have a previous view or impression of something future.

Expectation:

The act of expecting or looking forward to a future event with at least some reason to believe the event will happen. Expectation differs from hope. Hope originates in desire,and may exist with little or no ground of belief that the desired event will arrive. Expectation is founded on some reasons which render the event probably. Hope is directed to some good; expectation is directed to good or evil.

Confidence:

A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.

Safety, or assurance of safety; security.

Boldness; courage.

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”  -Michael Lederman

“Hope is a gift of God's grace, and is implanted in regeneration, but abounds, increases, and becomes more strong and lively by experience of the love, grace, mercy, power, and faithfulness of God.”  - John Gill’s Commentary