Tag Archives: Courage

Be Courageous!

Movie theater

Image by JanneM via Flickr

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” —John Wayne
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Courageous.

That single word, is the title of a movie that just hit the theaters.

No Hollywood schmooze. No pyrotechnics.

Just a good dose of reality, and…

one of the best movies I’ve seen, in a very long time.

Watching got me to thinking…..thinking about parenting. My children. My life.

The father in the story is on a quest to be a man of courage. He wants to be the father that God has called him to be.

That is no small feat, especially in today’s society. Being a father of courage means going against the odds. Going beyond the line of mediocrity, beyond “good enough”, and reaching for the very heart(s) of his children. Our world needs more men of courage. Men that aren’t afraid to tow the line, bear the burden, stand in the gap.

Being a parent is one of the greatest joys and (can be) the deepest of heartaches. It is a privilege that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

God also calls me to a higher standard. To His standard. It’s tough, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’m challenged every day of my life. As a mother, I’ve known, and understood the closest I’ll ever come to unconditional love. I’ve cried tears of pure joy and I’ve been frustrated beyond belief as I look into the face of my child and know that he is JUST LIKE ME.

What does God call me to, as a mother?

Am I willing to take the challenge?

What will my legacy be? The memories I leave behind?

How will I make a mark on my children? On their lives? On the lives of their children?

Yes. The challenge is huge.

But, it is worth it.

Be courageous.

Always.

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For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13  NIV

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 NIV

But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31 NIV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16  NIV

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As a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend… my hope is in the Lord.  Through all of life’s challenges… He teaches me how to be courageous in my walk.

Bring The Rain

Raindrops falling on water

Image via Wikipedia

I woke up this morning to hard rain, beating against the house. A dark, wet Monday.

We need the rain here.

Everything looks clean when rinsed with rain.Lush. Moist. Life giving.

I know there are people in our country that long for a good, hard rain.

Dry cracked ground. Brown. Hot. Dying.

The rain would be a gift. Please rain.

Instead there is fire. Burning. Licking flames. Destroying all they had.

In other parts of the country, not long ago, hurricane rains ravaged.

Swollen creeks and rivers washed away all that was.

And they were left with nothing.

Rain. It’s the same, the world over…

The amount, is what changes things.

“…The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
   may the name of the LORD be praised.”  Job 1:21  NIV

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I’ve been thinking of a blog post that I reread recently. It was written by Sara Frankl, an (in) Courage writer, who died this past Saturday night….from a harsh, and unrelenting disease that robbed her of living a “normal” life.  Her words echo back to me from a post written a couple of years ago. The rain reminds me of it…

“But like Chan pointed out on page 114, people in the Bible who wholeheartedly followed God “were far from perfect, yet they had faith in a God who was able to come through in seemingly dire situations.” I always believed I had that faith… but mine was a faith of conditions. I had faith He would take care of me, but I assumed that meant I would be cared for with good health. I had faith that I would prosper, and assumed that meant my career would follow a good path. I had faith that He wanted the best for me, and assumed that meant my life would unfold in a way I envisioned.

But as the years progressed and I lost more and more of what I thought defined me, as I found myself in the hospital, unemployed and on disability, I realized that being a servant meant all or nothing. A line was drawn in the sand and I had to choose my fear, or I had to choose to completely trust Him. It had to be an all or nothing choice because one cannot exist if the other is true.” —- Sara Frankel (Gitzen Girl)

If you’d like to read her entire blog post (and I recommend it!) you can zip over to it here.

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*I am thankful for Sara. A young woman who knew Jesus, had a servant’s heart, and reached out to others far beyond the confines of her home.

*I am thankful for words that touch me.

*For a God that understands.

*For a life that is not perfect, but is enough.

*For times that bring me to my knees, so all I can do is look up.

*For rain. Glorious rain.

*For water that brings life.

*For friends far and wide, although we may never meet in person, whose words touch my soul.

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Home Is Where The Heart Is

This image shows the twilight just after sunse...

Image via Wikipedia

Take me home, Tuesday. That is what I started calling my Tuesday posts. All things home…..

I “met” a young woman, named Sara through the blog world. She was one of the writers at (in) Courage.

Sara is dying from a disease that robbed her of most things that we, the healthy, take for granted. She doesn’t have much time left here.

She is going home.

Home is where Sara’s heart is.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21  NIV

All of her posts, in the years that she was fighting debilitating disease, pointed others to Jesus.

She understood that she was in this world, but not made for this world.

She didn’t take anything that she had for granted. She realized it was all a gift.

As she grew weaker in her physical body, she grew stronger is spirit…

knowing that she would soon be going home.

A pilgrim on a journey.

A journey that leads straight to Jesus.

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I am including a post that Sara wrote this past May, right around the time of her birthday.

It was Sara’s desire that all would know Him.

Won’t you allow her written words to resonate in your heart?

 

 

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Courage

A friend printed this quote on Facebook:

From Braveheart: William Wallace: “Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles, they follow courage.”

For whatever reason this resonated with me. Courage.
I’ve been thinking about courage a lot lately. Sometimes in life we all are called to be courageous, even when our knees are knocking, and our tongue is tied.
Sometimes we have to step up and speak out. Do the right thing, even if it runs against the grain. Even when you know what you’re saying is right, it can be scary.
Scary to be the voice.

To quote a famous and much loved cowboy, John Wayne, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
Enough said.