Journal Entry ~ 10/23/19

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  - Isaiah 40:31

We want to be filled with His strength, so we are learning how to wait for the Lord this week. We know we need to dig down under our impatience for the issue that's driving our difficulty in waiting. When we uncover those heart issues, we need to confess and repent. My personal struggle beneath my impatience is fear and control. 

When I turn to scripture about fear, there is an intentional connection to gratitude. Years ago, when I first realized the depth of fear I had, my life verse was "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6. There is so much strength in that verse for me, I just need to see it and He reminds me of all He has taught me through it. 

We are told to worry about nothing, but to hand everything up to God in prayer - with thanksgiving. It's amazing how developing an attitude of gratitude has changed my level of fear, and in turn, my ability to wait. Whenever I notice my heart or my thoughts fill with fear, I immediately grab a hold of them and shift them to thoughts of gratitude. When I'm in a tailspin fearing the worst for my sons, I shift my thoughts to all that I am thankful for and that He has done in my life, especially with my boys. 

Sometimes it's hard to think of those things when I'm in my emotional mind and fear has a grip. Keeping a gratitude journal has changed that - keep a running list of all the little and big things that God has done in my life that I am thankful for. I keep it right on my phone so it's always with me. I started it years ago by writing down 5 things everyday that I'm thankful for - it's amazing how the little things come back to your memory when you're writing them down, or returning to read them. Those little moments are some of the most precious to me. But the big moments are in there as well - I realized just how much I had to be thankful for once I started writing them all down. 

That's where I found the strength of the Lord - that's where I found His peace in the waiting. We are told in scripture to call to mind His faithfulness - But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  - Lamentations 3:21. Calling to mind all that we have to be thankful for is what brings us that peace and hope on the waiting. That's where we find His strength. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more