Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Scriptures of Encouragement ~ Always

Secure.

Secure?
Yes, secure.

Friday morning I woke to discover the earth cuddled in a downy comforter of fresh snow. Chimney smoke trailed through the mountain hollars, tinging the air with burnt locust and oak. A glorious hush settled upon God's creation as...

"Oh my goodness!" I screeched. "No! Not snow. Not today." Obviously, my hysteria interrupted God's quiet interlude. Friday was the day of my long anticipated trip to the Writer's ADVANCE! Boot Camp at The Cove, Billy Graham's remarkable conference center in Asheville, NC. Traveling through snow-covered mountain passes was, is, and never will be my idea of a romp on the playground.

This beautiful morning quickly morphed into a conflict of the soul.

And then God spoke.

Nan, everywhere you go, you remind people that I am with them. Always. You remind them that my perfect love casts away all fear. Always. And you remind them that my faithfulness never ends. Do you think you are somehow exempt from these promises?

Well, folks. That got my attention. Either I believe God is who He says He is, or I don't. Either I believe I walk in the Presence of the Lord, or I don't. I had a choice to make.

I chose to walk - or drive **grin** - in His Presence.

In Deuteronomy 33:12 Moses says, "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."

Safety. Betach (beh-tahch): Confidently, in peace, trustingly, secure.

I squared my shoulders, kissed my precious husband goodbye, and tackled the snow with betach

Of course, I geared down to second. God did give me a sound mind, don'tcha know?



Father, What a tender, simply amazing God You are. Thank You for being You. Thank You for being constant in the midst of our  roller-coaster fears and doubts. You are Truth. You are not a man that You should lie. What you say You will do...You will do. I praise You for Your faithfulness. I praise You for Your Presence in our lives. Open our eyes that we might see. You are awesome, God. I love you.
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Many of you prayed for me this past weekend as I attended the Writer's ADVANCE! Boot Camp sponsored by Christian Devotions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God did something amazing for me. I submitted a manuscript in a book contest and...I WON! Yay God! I am now an author with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. If you'd like to see a hysterical picture of my first reaction to winning, visit my facebook page. I promise it will crack you up!
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to worship with John Michael Talbot as he sings, "Only in God".


6 comments :

  1. Amazing how God calls us to walk in that light He shines through us to others, isn't it?!! :)Sending Hugs and Congratulations!! <3

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  2. Thank you Mid. You are so precious. Ahava!

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  3. Nan,
    We always get tested in what we teach and write don't we? So glad our gracious God is there to give us courage to step out and take that step of faith. Thanks for sharing. I really needed to hear that song from JMTalbot. Only in God is my soul at rest...my stronghold and my salvation!
    Amen!! Hugs!

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    1. I love John Michael Talbot's music. I discovered him back in the 80's (I think). "Only in God" is one of my favorites. Thank you so much for stopping by. Love you!

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  4. Nan, I loved this post! Yes, you had to walk out what you teach, and you did it so beautifully! And once again, congratulations on the book contract! I was honored to get to be there and share in your joy! Your dream has come true, my ear and I can't wait to see the finished product! You deserved it, sweet friend! Love you!

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    1. Thank you Jamie. I'm so thankful you were with me when it happened too. I love you :)

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