Tell It ~ Dispel It

When you find fear choking your heart, when the dark cloud of foreboding hangs heavy overhead, how do you break free? When we are people of faith, exhorted to trust Perfect Love ~1 John 4:18~, and we find the familiar fear-feeling gripping us instead of the peace we are abundantly given ~John 14:27~ how DO we access that peace?


I have had my share of run-ins with, and run-overs by fear. It has crippled me. It has held me back. It has stolen from me. Fear strangles out joy, peace, and light. Fear is darkness. 


"Fear is the darkroom where Satan develops your negatives" ~Francis Frangipane


Understanding that fear is a negative, something related to darkness, it stands to reason that exposing it to the light ~2 Corinthians 4:6~ would  be a good first step in overcoming it. So often I have hidden my fears; kept them to myself, and in doing so have given them power. 


It is humbling to admit fear, but just in the act of telling it, it loses power. Then usually that someone that you trust can give you greater light from a "higher" view, a different perspective, and encourage you. En. Courage. Give you courage. Strengthen your faith. Better still, pray for you and remind you of the truth. That God is bigger, stronger, and loves to bring you good. Reminding you that God is God and He loves you. ~Romans 8:28~


We need that sometimes. Reminders. Peter ~2 Peter 1:12-15~ gives what I call "extreme expression" to the value of reminding and remembering. Because he knows that sometimes... we forget. 


So be free in expressing your fears to a trusted friend and you will find faith coming to light on the other side. 


For more "faith talk" go here:

Home and Happy

I received a call late on Monday night, my brother's daughter Rita had fallen from their hayloft and was being airlifted to the Twin Cities because they may have to do surgery on her brain. Would I please put her on our church's prayer chain?

My brother's facebook status: 

On Monday our daughter Rita Rose fell and hit her head, she was air lifted to Minneapolis where she underwent surgery to remove the blood buildup from inside her skull. I'm happy to report that all seems well at this time and the blood came from the fractured skull and not the brain. God is good!

God has answered several prayers for my family over the past year. A year ago my dad had an artery nearly totally blocked. He had been prayed over a day before, and on our prayer chains after being diagnosed and prepped for surgery. He was, two days later, out of the hospital riding an ATV.  


Then one day late winter this year, my mom's heart had been racing for an hour, I happened to call her on my way home from a Moms In Touch prayer time for Ethan and his college, and I prayed with her over the phone. She was frightened. As I prayed for her, she suddenly said, "It stopped!". 

"Really? It stopped? It's done?" My voice revealed shock {sorry Lord!}. 


"Yes, it stopped!!" 


We started singing together on the phone: "He is Mighty to Save". God moved through prayer again and it was an "auto-response" to overwhelming thanksgiving.

Rita had to have an incision to drain the blood-swelling from her head that night as we prayed. 

My brother's facebook status yesterday:

Rita is coming home. No PE, playground, sports or recess until January at least. All things she loves, this is going to be tough on her! But thank God she will eventually be 100%!

My brother's words off of facebook today:

"My Rita my Rita, I'm so very happy to have her, home, healthy, and healing! her perpetual smile back home where it belongs!"

I have a feeling that God says that very same thing when we turn to Jesus, and He wipes away our tears, heals our heart and receives us home where we belong!

Word Tsunami

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
   it stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119:89

Stand in Awe of God

 ¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

 ² Do not be quick with your mouth,
   do not be hasty in your heart
   to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
   and you are on earth,
   so let your words be few.
³ As a dream comes when there are many cares,
   so the speech of a fool when there are many words. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

In the tsunami of words at our fingertips, it is good to withdraw and dwell on the eternal word that stands in the heavens. :)