Living Life for Christ Alone

I so easily try to muscle my way through seasons of weakness and don't recognize God calling out to me in it. Do you resonate? Often, my season of weakness is something as simple as not feeling joyful about the mundane things I have to do. Other times, the challenges are more intense, like a parenting challenge that I don't have an easy answer to or a trip to Urgent Care because I cut my finger on the lid of a can and possibly cut through a tendon. (Yes, you're right... I'm talking about actual events here!) But either way, it is super easy to try to ignore those feelings of weakness and try to mask them by reaching for the wrong things.  I look for help in the temporary.  I try to console myself that something better is coming. I slip into survival mode, or completely shut down.  I hide in the kitchen and grab some chocolate to snack on.  I scroll on social media. But all the while, Jesus is calling to me, "Sandie... I'm here for you in this  too...."  I

I often write to my soul in psalm-style, acknowledging the feelings and struggles that are there, but then proceeding to counsel my soul with truth. It is he or she who "speaks the truth in his [or her] heart" that is given a clearer glimpse of God. (Psalm 15).  With that being said, I will be posting on here some examples of what that looks like for me in hopes that they will encourage you that it is indeed possible to have a soul-full of feelings and a day-full of less-than-ideal circumstances and still walk victoriously because of who we are in Christ and where we stand before God.  I penned the one below this morning as I was processing through some challenges that I am going through lately.... Hope it lifts your gaze upward as it did mine!  “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” -Isaiah 45: 3   Oh soul, why do you struggle against being lifted wit

“God is our Refuge and Strength; a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) “For what great Nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” Deut 4:7   Is there anyone outside the people of God who has Him so near as we do? What Godless, Christless person has God so near as the child of God? This is what makes followers of Christ stand out from the rest of the world –God is available to us for the most minute of need. God is as near to us as each breath of air we breathe.   "Why," You ask? Have you never thought of the fact that a true, loving earthly father cannot forsake his children? How much more then can a heavenly, perfect Father who is better than the best father we can imagine or know on this earth be unshakably faithful to those He has bought and adopted as His own? He bought us with a high price, and He did not buy us in order to throw us away or forsake us.   Oh soul, He is always closer tha

 "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name." -Acts 5:41 Suffering is not something we typically rejoice in. It's not something that makes us humans happy or that causes us to thrive. And if someone were to say we were entirely deserving of our sufferings that would be an insult. "Excuse me? I deserve better!" But the apostles were looking at it from a different vantage point, and how they saw it caused much joy and made them thrive. Thriving implies that you are fully experiencing what you were made for. Was I made for suffering? Thankfully, no. BUT. I was made for the treasure that is found IN the suffering. There is treasure in darkness that won't be found in the light. When all you have is a deep dark cave to mine, gold, silver and precious stones can be found. For all that distracted you from the search has been stripped away. You can throw yourself fully into digging for the