Henriet's Blog

The anxiety of too much. Fear Not.

Eighth in the series of Fear Not in an age of fear and anxiety.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”  

Mark 4:39-41, NKJV

This is too much!

Good. Everything on my list of things to do is, in some way, good, necessary or normal. Why am I stressed? During waking hours the anxiety of too much to coordinate stays in the shadows. When I get ready to fall asleep, the tyranny of the list whips up distress and my brain starts arranging the things that are left to do or organize. The more I entertain the next day's tasks or engage in figuring out how to make things work, the less I sleep. In fact, it tends to trigger adrenaline and anxiety. Believe me I know it's silly. Experience tells me the issues that keep me awake usually dissolve in the light of morning. Besides…I believe in Jesus. I talk to Him. Nothing is beyond Him. The wind and the waves obey Him…He can handle my list of things to do.

Overwhelmed by good

What am I worrying about? The truth is I have a great family, meaningful work, a worthwhile ministry,  a genuine church community, a great home, fresh eggs from our own chickens, good food to eat, loving friends, a supportive small group, a relationship with Jesus, and much more.

Jesus told His disciples:

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  

Matthew 6:27-34, NKJV

This is my prayer, "Jesus, please teach me to trust you fully and not to worry about anything including tomorrow. Help me to rest in you and to Fear Not. Thank you, Jesus. Amen."

#FearNot

Choosing Trust Not Fear

Fourth in the series on Fear Not in an age of fear and anxiety.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 
In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5,6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Sharing an older but meaningful blog post on Choosing Trust, Not Fear: Choosing Trust and Not Fear. I wrote it when we struggled to survive our complicated situation as a family of a drug addict. Life often seemed hopeless and we were afraid. I was afraid. During the darkest nights, when the current circumstances looked so real, fear was a constant companion, threatening to derail and paralyze us. We chose to reach out to friends and loved ones for prayer. We chose to keep trusting God, believing He would deliver our dear one out of drugs and into freedom. Today we celebrate this freedom but our path involved Choosing Trust and Not Fear Today and every day. We still choose to trust God as He continues His restoration and reconciliation in our life and circumstances.

What's your story? How are you trusting God in your trials?

#FearNot

Superbowl 2015 bound...Go Hawks!

Unbelievable. What an aweful awesome game. Yay Hawks. Impressed by the effort, the persistence and the faith.

Forgive - As I Have Been Forgiven

" ... and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us." Luke 11:4, ESV

Did you forgive?

Recently, a friend asked if I had forgiven one of my former superiors. Though tempted to dismiss her question, I decided to listen carefully. This woman loves me and cares deeply about my spiritual well-being. As she spoke I considered her words. After the conversation, I prayed about what she said and I asked God to reveal the truth about the situation. And, he did.

I had been sure that I forgave my ex-boss. Now I wondered. As I thought about it and prayed for clarity, I realized that I had held on to a piece ... the piece that related to the pain I had experienced in a situation. I had felt hurt. And I feared that letting it go would mean that I might get hurt gain.

Letting go

I realized that this was about relational boundaries for me. Subconsciously, I had equated forgiving this person with the idea that I would open myself up to getting hurt again. You see, I like to restore relationships. And, sometimes I don't know how to reconcile and keep an appropriate guard up.

Once I saw the truth of this situation, and after much prayer, I chose to forgive - really forgive. Not just my ex-boss but others too. As a leader, I believe it is super important to live what we teach. I certainly encourage others to forgive. Now it was my turn. "Thanks friend! You helped me sort it out and let go."

How about you? Do you need to forgive someone? What's holding you back?

Billy Graham: Fruit Grows In Valleys

"Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys." Billy Graham

Scenic views or tough roads?

When I read the Billy Graham quote, it made me think about the last few years of my life. I've longed for scenic views and encouragement. In fact, the idea of enjoying rest and relaxation in the sunshine surrounded by beautiful views sounds wonderful. I can imagine the sun on my skin, a gentle breeze blowing and scents of wildflowers relaxing me as I recline on the mountain admiring the view. It seems like this scenario would make me feel really close to God...and I tell myself that I would be so ready to learn from him. Hmmmm. Is that the ideal growth scenario? Views and inspiration are necessary at times but it's not our everyday life or destination. At least, it has not been my reality.

Over the recent years it seems like my family has dwelt in the valley. Gray days and drizzle would describe the experiences better. Sometimes hurricane force winds and torrential rain threatened to wash us away. Not literal wind and rain but the kind of life circumstances that just knock you over. Some of these experiences definitely relates to the Semper Vita journey. The only way that we survived dwelling in the valley is through the prayer of friends and family. These prayers are the only reason we're still standing. We're not just standing, we're experiencing peace and we're smiling. God has been so good. If you've been praying for us - "Thank you!" Please keep the prayers coming.

Character building

Billy Graham's quote reminds me that the purpose of the valley is to produce much fruit. God allowed us these years in the valley to grow our character and to grow us in our relationship with him. What a privilege. What a journey. I cannot wait to see what fruit he is producing in and through us.

God's word promises us that we will survive the valleys because Jesus is with us. And, if we stay close to him, we will produce much fruit - the kind that will last.

"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. you honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:4-6, New Living Translation

Jesus said:"I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me." John 15: 1-4, New Living Translation.

Semper Vita needs your help!

The dream is becoming a reality. Semper Vita is happening. It is exciting! At the Northwest Ministry Conference it was clear that the idea is timely. Churches are ready to  do good in their communities and would love to connect with others. Semper Vita’s software will help them do just that.


What we need from you
It takes a lot of people, prayers, partners and money to make this happen. Would you join us as we seek to help churches be the church in their communities? Would you commit to one or more of the following:


Pray for Semper Vita:
Pray for the software development. Pray that the right partners will sign up. Pray that God will bring us volunteers. Pray that we would continue to work toward making this dream a reality. Pray for financial provision. Pray that God will bless Semper Vita for His glory.

Finances:
We need money to reach the thousands of people in our communities with the love of Jesus. Whether $5, $500 or $50,00 your donation will help us to finish the software, to reach out to potential partners and to move Semper Vita forward as an organization. Would you support us? To donate please go to our donate page.

People:
We need people to help us make this happen. Are you a videographer? We could use your help. Do you like marketing, administrative support, finance, sales? We could use your help. There’s stuff to do for everyone.  Please join us and help us make this happen. Contact us to volunteer as part of Semper Vita.

Partners:
We need churches and non-profits to partner with us to impact the community for good. Please consider partnering with us to reach our communities with the Good News.