a thoughtful thursday

take the time to read this. it helped me and is very encouraging. allow it to
inspire you and trust God more fully.

Resolution (perseverance) Armed with Prayer XVIII (18)
‘Wait on the Lord, and let thine heart take courage.’ Psalm xxvii. 14 (27:14)

MERE courage may be very inefficient. It can be little more than high spirits, and subject to the swift changes of the surrounding temperatures. Courage may be only a chivalrous impulsiveness, a brilliantly attractive flare, but speedily relapsing into the cold greyness of the advancing night.
There is the courage of the single act.
There is the higher courage of prolonged action.
There is the still higher courage of waiting, when the relief of action is forbidden.
And therefore must we distinguish between the
[courage which is born and dies in a day],
{and that which stubbornly persists through the long, exacting years.}
One is flightiness (unstable behaviour), the other is fortitude (strength).

definition of fortitude : strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

Now the courage commended in the Christian Scriptures is an evergreen.
It is not brave impulsiveness, but strong endurance.
It is not the exhilarant spirits of a single battle, but the firm, resolute mood of a long campaign. It is not so much the impetuousness (passionate spontaneity) which can take Jericho by assault as the hardihood which can, if need be, tramp round seven times, waiting for the crumbling of its walls. This kind of resoluteness (determined) must itself be armed, or circumstances WILL maim and destroy it.
Courage can lose its blood, not only by disappointment and defeat, but by the lack of suitable food. The noblest courage must be armed by regular and appropriate sustenance (fuel).

Now prayer is the appointed means by which this highest kind of courage is fed.

We are to ‘wait on the Lord,’ and our heart will ‘take courage.’

Through prayer our courage renews its youth like the eagle. The heart is [invigorated] into fresh ambition and endeavour. Its grip upon high ends is established, and it to the dull road with a new song. It is not so much that we acquire good spirits as that we obtain deepened communion with the renewing Spirit of God. The praying soul is the dwelling-place of the Holy Ghost.

Such a soul ‘shall not fear when heat cometh’; its resources shall be equal to the demands of the fiercest drought.

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:8
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. –Psalm 27:13-14

Springs in the Desert by Reverend J.H. Jowett, Studies in the Psalms published in the early 1920’s.

a wordless wednesday

oh there I go again...

Well, it's been a long couple months, but yet so short. Since I have graduated, life has actually flown by. At times brutally frustrating and at other times incredibly fulfilling, however as always God has been graciously faithful.

As per a very typical me, I have been anything but. In the good times, often easier times, praising God and acting as if He deserves my time and attention. Considering, in my limited human brain it seems He's acting in my favour. And in those times of unemployment, environments changing, friends being far away well, I did it again.

What did I do? I decided that this amazing God who has planted opportunities, dreams, supportive friends and family in my life, that this God who continually proves faithful, provides blessings, and encouragement in my life isn't quite worth it.

How ridiculous. Absolutely pathetic. Verging on edge of apathy.

ISAIAH 26 3:-4

You will guard him and keep him
in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its
character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You,
and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him,
lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an
everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

{commit and trust them wholly to Him;

He will cause your thoughts to become
agreeable to His will, and}

He will establish your plans and steps

:: proverbs16

You see it is easy to become comfortable and content when life seems to be acting in your favour. Easy to think that all of a sudden, you can do this journey on your own. This is anything but the case. Life is wayy more enriching and fulfilling when you keep God a significant part of your life. He has got you no matter where you are in the world or what you are doing. You gotta stick it out, even when the going gets tough. Persevere. Don't ditch out cause plans don't go your way. Try your best, be willing to be faithful and continue if you make mistakes or obstacles arise. Cause God is gonna be right there to catch you at any point. Being faithful is tremendously easier said then done. Ultimately what my real point is, is that when God gives you a dream, a passion you have to chase after it.

Discover that passion and explore the opportunities that accompany it. Never let it go!

So what have I done recently? I discovered a dream, Africa and I networked and explored and found an organization, Baby Watoto Child Care Ministry ( http://www.watoto.com/babywatoto ), and chased it.

And I have applied. Sent in all the necessary papers. Applied to work in a home, caring and providing for babies in Uganda, Africa for a few months in the new year. And ... I. am. Thrilled! :) Now it is all down to trusting. They are going to review, and assess all my documents, then get back to be with a YES or NO. Either way, trust trust trust.

A big shout out to gramps and gran who blessed me on my 16th birthday with a $100 bill. It paid for my application fee for Africa. I love you both :)