Climbing The Mountain

This summer has been somewhat of a hiatus from writing for me. As it turns out, it has been a good thing for me. I have spent time reevaluating my daily routine and where it is that God has me going. Sometimes we just need to spend some time alone in our walk with God figuring things out.

As the bible says, there is a time for everything. For me, this has been the case; there is a time to write and a time not to write. This summer was a time for me to begin to find the things of God to live out and not just write about them. Don't worry, I will keep writing. It’s just living out of service to others that gives me something to write about. This summer has been a time for God to show me all about how to approach the challenges in life.

In all our lives, we each are set before us challenges or as I like to call them, mountains to climb. What I have found is that it is not the mountain that we trip over in our climb but the pebbles on the way up the path. When a mountain is set before us and we are told to climb to the top we often do several things.

First, we stand and look at the mountain. We see how big it is and how high we will need to climb. Thoughts of discouragement come into our head and we let them enter into our heart. Next thing you know, we've turned around and walked away from the mountain, never to even set one foot on the trail to go up.

That mountain looms over our shoulder now. Instead of a challenge to be overcome, it is a remembrance of disappointment and sadness always sitting in the back of our mind. A constant reminder of our inability to overcome.

Other times we look at the mountain, start up the trail only to stumble a short way up. Maybe we get up once or twice after we stumble, but eventually, we come to the conclusion that the mountain just can not be climbed. It is too high, too hard. Maybe others have the strength to climb this mountain but not us. "Those that make it up the mountain are special. They have something we don't have. ”we tell ourselves. In the end we stand defeated by the mountain, refusing to get up and try again.

Sometimes, we start up the mountain with ease, trip a few times, picking ourselves back up when we fall. Then when we are almost to the top, we begin to doubt. "What does this mean for my life? Can I really overcome?" We tell ourselves. Then instead of pressing on we sit on the side of the mountain for a while looking for the courage to really reach for the top.

Here is what I have found in my journey this summer. If you don't keep climbing the top will always be out of your reach. In other words, stop looking only at the top of the mountain. Look instead to God to walk with you along the path.

As I take my mountains to Him, He tells me this. "This too Sherri, this too. I can give you what you need to climb this one too."

What mountain are you climbing today? God can give you what you need to make it to the top. You only have to ask.

Finding the Father

For many years my relationship with God focused mostly on Jesus and what He did for me on the cross. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it’s a bad thing to focus on or love Jesus for what He did. I love Him dearly myself. What I am saying is I never really gave allot of thought or attention to knowing the Father.

I prayed to Him like most do, starting my prayers addressed to Him and ending them in Jesus name. What I did not do was get to know who He was or understand what He did for me.

You see, like many, I associated my own earthly father’s characteristics to my heavenly Father. In a society where a large majority of children either don't have a father present or have a father that is angry, to busy or disconnected, it really doesn't paint a good picture of who our heavenly Father is. Myself, I had a real father that walked away and left me feeling abandoned and a step father that abused me. Needless to say my view of my heavenly father was of one who was critical, cruel and unavailable. Makes sense that I would ignore that part and focus only on Jesus.

Here's the burn though, we can't truly know God fully without knowing the Father also. It is in the Father that Jesus put all His trust while on this earth. It was the Father's will that Jesus fully submitted to and went to the cross for us. It was the Father that willed it to happen and Jesus who followed through with the act. That act is what brought each of us freedom from condemnation. It was the Fathers will that we be provided a way to be with Him. How could that be a cruel or critical God?

The last several years for me have been an adventure of finding the Father. The Father, MY Father, wanted me to know Him personally, for who He really is. Jesus made a way for me to do that. Now I could approach Him, call Him Dad and see Him for who He really is.

What I have found is He is not critical or cruel but kind and full of mercy. He is not unavailable but ever watchful, waiting to pick me up each time I fall. He then kisses away the hurt and sets me back on my feet again.

Here is the best part, as I found my Father, I also found me. I found the me I was suppose to be. After all the hurt was washed away, there was me. The person I was intended to be from the beginning. I only had to trust my Father to make me that person. As I did, I realized, it was what He had intended all along. To make me into what He had intended me to be even before I was born.

I am my Father's child. Loved. Adored. He even calls me beautiful.

Is God Really Enough

This thought has been rolling around in my head. Is God really enough?

Is He enough when you find the love of your life and loose them. Is He enough when your body is wracked with pain from the past? Is He enough when you’re told there will be no children in your future?

What about when your children leave the nest or when everything you have worked so hard to build slips away? Is God really enough when everything and I mean everything is gone?

In the bible, Job lost everything. He lost his material wealth, all his belongings, his children, his legacy and even his health. Here was a man that did no wrong. He loved God and believed with all that He had. But still, he lost everything. People came to him in his time of deep sorrow and saw no hope. His own wife even told him to "curse God and die." Some how even when all he held dear was gone he knew that God was all he really needed.

So often we seem to get so caught up in what is around us that we lose track of the real thing in our life. I know I myself have done this more often than I care to admit. We lose track of the truth that our relationship with Christ is really the only thing we need. All the rest is just blessing.

Today, I urge you to ask yourself this same question that I have been pondering. Is God really enough? If the answer is no, take it to God and ask him to change you. Ask Him to make your heart right and take you to the place that you know that He is enough.

Don't we all need the assurance to know that He is?

Vlogemotion 3

Here I go again with this emotion thing......

Waiting

Waiting. I am waiting. Waiting to meet the one I love so dearly, to be in His presence.

Longing. I am longing. Longing to look into His eyes of warmth and love. Longing to be in His arms and all the waiting to be over.

Don't get me wrong, I am not miserable here on this earth. I have plenty of joy to fill my days. I have love around me and those that bring a smile to my face. But my heart longs for the day that I can see the Lord and look into His eyes.

Often, I wonder just what it will be like when I meet Him. The more I think on it, the more my heart longs for that day. You see, I love Him so. I love Him so much and the deeper my love grows, the more I long to be united with Him.

He is so much more than my savior. He is my Lord, my love, my partner, my father, my beloved and my everything. I know that it is not my time to go and be with Him, for I have work to do here. So I continue to look up, and wait, until my work here is done.

But I can't help but day dream on what it will sound like to hear Him say my name. Or what it will feel like when His hand touches my face. And what my eyes will see when I finally look upon Him.

What will I say? What will I do? Probably nothing. As always, He has already done everything. It will be Him that does everything and gives me what I need the moment I get there.