Courage is standing when others fall

Courage is doing what’s right despite mockery

Courage is doing something right when you don’t want to

Courage is being brave in the face of danger

Courage is speaking up when others fall silent

Courage is telling the truth

Courage is doing something even though you are scared

Courage is telling others about Christ

Courage is standing firm in Christ during persecution

Courage is risking yourself for God

“So be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.  For the LORD YOUR God will PERSONALLY go ahead of you.  He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

SO—Take COURAGE!!

Written by a Conqueror Girl…Stephanie Quillen

Have you ever looked to the sky and asked that very question? When we don’t understand pain or tragedy… When we have lost something/one dear… When life doesn’t make any sense… When horrible things happen to really great people… When we’ve followed the Lord with our whole heart and things still go wrong… When it seems like Satan is everywhere and God is nowhere… When we know in our minds that God is our Rock, but in our hearts it feels like all we’re standing on is shifting sand… When you sit in a room of hundreds but still feel completely alone…

Where are you God???

Would be nice to have a magical button that would answer that question. But the TRUTH is that God IS there. He’s everywhere. But we don’t always know His presence. In our minds we know that God will never leave us alone; we can read it in His Word, and His Word is His promise. (Hebrews 13:5b, Deuteronomy 31:6)

He can be trusted.

We have to make a conscience effort to remember that He is ALWAYS with us, ALWAYS Sovereign, ALWAYS trustworthy.

No matter where we find ourselves (Psalm 139)

No matter what muck and mire the world piles upon us (Psalm 40)

No matter what others say, do, or think (Psalm 13)

No matter what Satan tries to accomplish (John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3)

And even regardless of what we think of ourselves (John 1:12-13).

Where are you God?

God: Closer than you can ever imagine!

Trust me.

In Explorer Girls we learn songs, scripture memorization, Bible lessons and activities. This year we are learning the books of the Bible by highlighting one significant event, person or topic from the book, to help the girls remember them.

Last week during song time we sang Trust Trust in Lord, from Proverbs 3:5-6. We have also memorized Psalm 118:8, which in some versions is close to the center of the Bible: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

I love the way God teaches, reminds, repeats and reinforces His wisdom through Scripture and music.

Trust, trust in the Lord

Lean not on your own understanding

In all, all of your ways acknowledge Him

He’ll make your path straight.

You’ll be my guide for life

I’ll walk by Your side

With Your hand in mine

I’ll go where You lead me.

Proverbs 3:5-6  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Great wisdom, good reminder.

Thanks for all your prayers this past weekend. We had a wonderful time at Black Rock with 60+ lovely women. Digging into Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25 we learned of the Power, Presence, Promise, and Provision of Jesus.

Thanks to all who taught and shared their talents with us.

We are already looking forward to next year when we can meet again!

Close the refrigerator.

Turn off the light.

Brush your teeth.

Do your homework.

Honey, pick up your dirty socks and put them in the hamper.

Don’t talk with your mouth full.

Be careful!

We repeat these and lots of other things to our family daily. The reason we do is because those things need to be done but we don’t always feel like they are listening.

Have you noticed God repeats Himself a lot!

Do you ever think, ‘didn’t I just read that in the book of ______?’

Are we really listening?

He repeats Himself because we are just like our family.

He does it because we’re not concentrating and Scripture kind of slides through one ear and out the other.

We are listening to the world around us and His Word becomes muted.

So He says it again, and again, and again.

And I’m glad.

Because I forget that He is good.

I forget that He is faithful, that He’s there when I call out or need Him.

In the Old Testament He gave direction and laws in Leviticus and repeated much of it in Deuteronomy.

As you read the story of Creation, Genesis 1, He speaks about all of His creation. And God saw that it was good. That means us! But we forget.

Much of the Psalms are repetition; ”for His steadfast love endures forever”, Psalm 136; Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord.”.

1 John 3:11–24 Love one another

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Go back and reread these and repeat them and remember what God has done.