Tag Archives: Courage

May26

DAY 145 (2014)

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Many times because we are not the ones paying the bill, we forget FREEDOM has a PRICE. Remember and honor those who are paying on our behalf.

Many times because we are not the ones paying the bill, we forget FREEDOM has a PRICE. Remember and honor those who are paying on our behalf. -(Lisa R.)

It’s Memorial Day 2014. A day we set aside to honor those who live everyday fighting, so that we can enjoy the comforts of freedom. This quote by Robert Reich sums it up pretty well, “True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.” To the veterans and current military I want to say a sincere THANK YOU, for taking MORE than your fair share, to keep our country safe for the this generation and those to come. God bless you. Today in honor of memorial day I decided to clean, (yeah, not sure how that merger came about either). For those who have read my previous posts you know my stance on cleaning, it is of the devil… 😉 . Okay, it’s not, but I dislike it immensely, which is why I believe God blessed me with a dust allergy it was His way of ensuring I would keep my surroundings clean. In my home we are currently consolidating getting rid of unwanted and unnecessary clutter (yeah, waaaay un-fun). I have been pretty lazy for the majority of this 4 day weekend that I have been blessed with, and with the impending doom of returning to work tomorrow. I thought to myself, “today is the day to tackle my closet”! I pulled everything from the top shelf and started to go through things one by one. Creating “keep it” and “thrash it” piles. Admittedly (at first) the idea of cleaning my closet sent chills and a feeling of impending doom down my spine. I started complaining about all my junk, and wondering how I’d manage to accumulate all this stuff, that’s when I found it, THE BOX (actual name… uhm I was ten when I named it, don’t judge). In THE BOX I have kept everything and I mean EVERYTHING that I deem special. I pulled out cards, and poems, and pictures and suddenly cleaning wasn’t cleaning. Cleaning had become a MEMORIAL. I remembered people, places, and events that I had pushed aside. I started crying when I found all the cards my best friend Linda had sent me, I knew she was awesome, but sitting now and reading the words of encouragement, and giggling as her hilarious personality shone through, I realized how blessed my life is.  I realized that every step of the way, God had placed people in my path to gently guide, and sometimes NOT so gently remind me of WHOSE I was. Today is a day to remember. Remember those who live every day in battle greens so that we can wear Marc Jacobs and fuzzy socks. Remember those who are way from their families, so that we can live comfortably with ours. Freedom has a price, and sometimes because we are not the ones paying it we forget. Today remember the COST, make it a MEMORIAL. 

“And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a MEMORIAL between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:9).

So what’s the plan? To remember.

May18

DAY 138 (2014)

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Sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

Sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

Today during service, I kept hearing this phrase in my mind, “For such a time as this”. The statement comes from the book Esther, when Mordecai, reminds Esther that for this very reason God had brought her to the King’s house. Today as I watch Pastor Doug preach I realized he was created for such a time as this. Five weeks ago our pastor stepped down due to a moral indiscretion (it was painful and devastating, but also a wake up call that sin is ever present). Our church family had lost it’s spiritual dad. We are  in a sense, orphans. Pastor Doug is not only one of our associate pastors, he is also the president of 4Kids of Florida, a church based organization with one goal, “A Home For Every Child”. He has a heart for the orphaned and the fatherless. Doug within the last week was chosen by the church leaders to be our new senior pastor. The man with a heart for the orphaned and fatherless…Starting to see a correlation? This however, is NOT what my post is about today. Today I wanted to ask a simple question: What is YOUR ‘for such a time as this’? We all have one (though we don’t all obey), a call. Many times we miss or ignore our call. Why? Because it requires us to exhibit “20 seconds of insane courage”. It requires us to step out in reckless faith. Let’s be honest, insane courage even just 20 seconds of it is really, really scary. But the reward is GREAT. Esther saved a nation. Pastor Doug helped heal a church. So today I want to encourage all of you who are reading, who have a call. Something you know you should do, but are being held back by fear. Step out… it only requires 20 seconds of courage, and you’ll accomplish your, “such a time as this.”

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

So what’s the plan? 20 seconds of courage.