Strength on the Mountaintop

There have been times in my life where I have felt like I was on top of the world. I have climbed mountains, trekked through forests, swam across rivers, and hiked through canyons. I have taken solo trips across the country and laid peacefully under the stars. I have finished a yoga class and felt proud of my body for its ability to stretch, bend, and move.

In those times, I am reminded how good God is for that blessing. It is in my weakness that His strength is made perfect. It is He who created the mountain, the forest, the river, the and the canyon. It is he who created the earth across which I have travelled and the stars at which I have marveled. And it is He who created this body: these muscles, these bones, and this skin that holds me together. I am honored to be a vessel through which He moves. I am honored to be a participant in His awesome creation.

I know that God moves in me. How is He moving in and through you?

Worthy

None of us are perfect. We are all flawed in all kinds of ways. I look into my heart and I see flaws in the way I feel and react. I look into my head and see flaws in the way I think and process. I look at my body and see flaws in the way I look and move. But you know what? I am still worthy.

I am worthy of respect. I am worthy of love. I am worthy of safety. I am worthy of honesty. I am worthy of compassion. I am worthy of connection.

My life has inherent worth. And so does yours. If you need proof, take a look at the Scriptures that tell of a story of a God who sacrificed his life so that you and I can experience our own life.

So here is a little reminder that yes, you are flawed. But you are also worthy.

Enough

I've been struggling a little bit, over the last four weeks or so, to believe this. I have felt a little too unworthy, a little too broken, a little too tired. When school piles up and my husband is a thousand miles away, it's easy to start to shrink back.

I had come across this idea, that "I am enough," and spent a good deal of time contemplating the meaning of it. I sure don't always feel like "enough," especially when the season is a little too dry and windy for my comfort...

But tonight I was reminded again that I am enough. I am broken enough, tired enough, weak enough, and flawed enough to let God shine through. His power is made perfect in my weakness, after all, right? 

And more than that? HE is enough. And He is reminding me of that tonight. He's telling you, too, "I am enough. I am enough. I am all you need. I am the strength in you. I am the power behind your steps. This is all you need. I am enough."

Trust in Him tonight, dear friends. Trust that when he says, "I am enough," that He is telling you the truth. And trust that you are enough to let God work through.

God, tonight I declare that YOU are enough.

In the Storm

I always forget how hard it is to praise got in the midst of the storm... until I'm standing in the middle of it. When my heart is broken, when I am surrounded by uncertainty, when I can't see past the pain - that's when I remember He is my only hope.

No matter the state of your heart or mind or soul, God knows. He understands. He cares. He is still worthy of your praise even when you are falling apart.

He is always going to be the Savior, the Healer, and the Peacemaker. He is still good, even when life isn't. He is the only true hope for a whole, happy, healthy life.

Thoughts on Psalm 34:18

There is something so sweet in the promise God gives us to be close to the brokenhearted and to save those who are crushed in spirit. When you are hurting, struggling, breaking, and barely holding it together - God is still with you. He is still close to you, mourning with you, and loving you through that. And perhaps even more exciting than that, He says He will save you when your spirit is crushed. It may not be immediate and it may not be the way you plan it, but God is restoring your heart, saving your crushed spirit, and ever-present through it all.

Be encouraged today, dear friends. Be loved and held by your Father who loves you. Rest in his presence. 

I'm praying over all of you today!