Category: Trust

Christmas, Faith, Gratitude, Holidays, Trust

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts

by hcfwomenLeave a Comment on Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts

December is an exciting time of year. The anticipation of Christmas morning: opening gifts, fellowship with family, singing carols…When I was a little girl, I knew Christmas was coming soon the day that the Sears catalog arrived in the mail! I would sit for hours checking the items that I wanted to add to my Christmas wish list:

  • A new baby doll ✅
  • A new pair of skates ✅
  • A new bicycle ✅
  • A new pair of pajamas ✅

Spiritual Gifts

Fast forward many years later and my wishes have changed. 

What I’ve been thinking about lately are spiritual gifts. I find myself “checking off” my wish list in the Bible just like I did as a little girl with the Sears catalog:

  • The gift of wisdom  ✅
  • The gift of prophesy ✅
  • The gift of healing ✅
  • The gift of tongues ✅

Lessons learned

To begin with, all gifts that I check are not gifts that I receive. As a little girl, I had a long list of wishes, but didn’t always get what I had on my list. My parents loved me so much and wanted to give me good gifts. My parents would’ve never given me a gift that I wasn’t ready to receive. For example, they would’ve never given me a bicycle if I hadn’t learned to ride a tricycle. Or they would not give me a new car until I was responsible enough to use it correctly.

Each child in my family received different gifts. My parents didn’t give me the same gifts as they gave to my brother and sister. They were older than me and had different desires than me. My parents knew that I didn’t want a football and they knew my brother wouldn’t appreciate a Barbie. They were good, good parents and gave us appropriate gifts because they loved us. They got to decide what was best for each of their children!

Just like my parents, God loves me and wants to give me good gifts. He knows when I’m ready to receive certain gifts and even though I have them “checked”, He decides when I am ready to receive them. Maybe I’m ready to receive the gift of wisdom, but maybe I’m not ready to receive the gift of prophecy. Does He love me any less because He doesn’t give me the gift of prophecy? Absolutely not! I have a friend who has received the gift of tongues. Does he love her more? Is she a “better Christian” than me because she received that gift and I didn’t? NO! God is a good, good Father who knows what gifts we need in order to grow His kingdom.

1 Corinthians 12:11 says that “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.” God gets to decide when I’m ready to receive an extra gift!

Be content in all things

As a little girl, I don’t remember a time when I woke up on Christmas morning and was disappointed because I didn’t receive a certain gift that I had checked off in the catalog. I was content with the gifts that I was blessed with.

I am content with the gifts that God has given me through the Holy Spirit. Do I want more? YES! However, I trust Him to give me the gifts when He says I’m ready for them!  Psalm 37:3-4 says to “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Using my gifts for others

I remember one particular Christmas, I received an Easy-Bake Oven. I was so excited to use that gift to “bless” others. My dad ate lots of tiny brownies that I made using this amazing Christmas gift! It was a gift that kept on giving!

God gives us spiritual gifts, but they are not meant to be consumed on ourselves. As we receive, we give it away and then more is given to us. When I feel like I’m not doing enough with my gift, I need to step back and reflect on how God is using my gifts to grow His kingdom.

Trusting that your gifts are good

I never doubted that my parents would give me good gifts! Although they threatened telling Santa to put coal in my stocking when I misbehaved, deep down I knew that I would get good gifts for Christmas. You can trust God to give you good gifts as well!

Luke 11:11-13 says, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Merry CHRISTmas!

You can trust God, our good, good Father, to give you gifts that you need to receive in His time. I pray that during this holiday season, you unwrap your gifts and receive your spiritual blessings with the same kind of excitement as receiving the Sears Christmas catalog in the mail!

Be Blessed.

We would like to thank Vickie Young for writing this post!

Faith, Trust

He Never Left Me

by hcfwomen3 Comments on He Never Left Me

In 1993, I committed adultery with my boys’ biological father. I’m here to tell y’all ladies, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

One incident out of many, the boys’ father abused me and my oldest son, D’Angelo. He was never home. He would come home one every three days or so for a couple of hours. I had gone to the doctor for my yearly exam, and the doctor informed me that I has an STD – HPV (Human papilloma virus), which has caused and will continue to cause very bad outbreaks that I would have for the rest of my life. No cure. It would break down my immune system. And it’s the number one cause of cervical cancer. Wow. Talk about feeling ashamed and dirty. I was thinking, “how could this be?” The doctor asked me, “Have you had more than one sexual partner?” I replied, “No,” which only meant that someone else did have more than one partner. That day I had gotten a treatment in the office to get rid of the clusters of outbreaks I was having. Driving home, I was furious. When I arrived, he was home, and his mother was there. At this point D’Angelo was only 5 years old and was there too. 

I confronted him, and he said he had been working, not cheating. Nope, I wasn’t stupid. Not after my doctor visit. I continued asking him. I was doing laundry at the time, and he picked up a hanger and began to choke me. He weighed about 300 pounds.

I was losing air; I couldn’t breathe. I was trying to grasp anything I could to hit him or get him off of me.

His mother tried to intervene, and he pushed her to the side. When he did this, I had a chance to catch my breath. I got up and ran to my son who was screaming and crying at the top of the stairs. He caught me again. D’Angelo jumped on his back, trying to protect mommy, and he proceeded to throw D’Angelo off. Finally, he left and didn’t return for days. I never called the police. He told me if I did, he would kill me and that they wouldn’t believe me anyways. People were outside that day, saw what happened, and never said or did anything. I guess the people were as scared as us, or they thought it was none of their business, which made me sad.

Who really cares about women and children being abused? 

Did anyone care? 

Why didn’t I leave? 

Because I loved him and thought he could change. He would continue on abusing me and my son for a while. My life spiraled out of control, and I became addicted to drugs. Then one day, he called his mother and I and told us he was on his break and on his way home, and he was going to kill me this time. His mother and I and others at the apartment packed my car with my boys and a few necessities in record time, and I left. Eight years it took. As I was exiting Lubbock to come back home to Plainview, I passed him. He was on the service road driving fast. I was on the interstate driving faster. I never looked back. The abuse ended that day.

God was watching over me and my boys. I was supposed to die that day, but God had a better plan for me and my boys, and it wasn’t that life. 

I quit cold turkey and have been clean and free from meth since 2005. I was diagnosed with the first stages of cervical cancer caused by HPV in 2006 and had the option to do a hysterectomy. I did, and there was no cancer! 

I was raised in church, but I left God when I was 13. I was busy. Busy doing my own things, which weren’t good things. I don’t remember praying or even attending church. But God never left me. He never leaves us, ladies. We all have a story, and we are called by God to have a plan of action.

I’ve been at CVS pharmacy going on 13 years, selling legal drugs… ironic, I know. Some of my co-workers are just there for the paycheck, but I’m there for the people. That’s my ministry, that’s my way of witnessing to people on a daily basis. I’m able to serve and help others. Sick people, depressed people, recovering people. All at a place where I have been in my life. Mrs. Sherry Wall helped me in my ministry. She prints me up cards with different scriptures on them, so I can pass than out. I always write on the back, telling them that I’m praying for them or to say how awesome they are, or how much I love them. They always appreciate that word from God, plus it’s sharing the news of the gospel. 

I always do my job with a smile on my face. That smile goes a long way. God has me at CVS for a reason. I’ve been through some things in my life; we all have. I’m not perfect, but I love people. God gave me that gift from Him. I know the wait at the drive-thru gets long sometimes at CVS. Maybe people just come to see what color my hair is that month, or to see if I’ve gotten any new tattoos… either way, God gets to shine through me, and I believe that’s why people come to CVS. 

Ladies, keep smiling and praying and telling others you love ‘em. That’s sharing the gospel. Thank you, Abba! 

A merry heart does good like medicine. ~Proverbs 17:22

We would like to thank Leslie Wall for writing this blog post!

Beauty, Faith, General, Scripture, Trust

What If… God Surrounded

by hcfwomenLeave a Comment on What If… God Surrounded

Editor’s Note: We truly are surrounded by a host of women who are living lives of faith. What’s even more amazing is that we are surrounded by Christ himself who is cheering us on to victory. Our stories are as different as the characters in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, yet each one of us is running a race that requires faith. This semester women have read Hebrews 12:1-2 and shared what God placed on their heart. We are cheering you on in your journey of faith in Christ!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12: 1-2

We all have had times when we’ve asked God, “Really? Me?” while laughing in uncertainty. Sharing my experience balancing family and career is one of those times for me. Family is a blessing, but challenging with all it consists of. To top that off-career-another story in itself. I have to laugh and just go along with God’s plan for me.

I heard God speaking to me through songs I will reference. This one is by Blanca.

What If……

I don’t have what it takes

Things don’t ever change

I don’t leave room for Jesus

Then the truth of Your love shines through—

What If……

You hold me up

Your love is enough

The power in Your name can do anything

You’re making me strong

You were here all along

I’m right where You want me

You were right there fulfilling Your promises

Life’s an ever challenging and changing whirlwind, so be surrounded with God’s promise to fill our hearts with peace and thanksgiving. God’s blessings are abundant:  Love, happiness, provisions and good health shared with our wonderful husbands, beautiful children, friends and co-workers. Think of how many souls we reach just by being where God leads us. God has great plans for us as we run with perseverance the race He marked out for us.

This song by Josh Wilson is easy to relate to:

Carry me…..

Father hold on to me, You’re all I’ve got

Carry me from my sinking sand to Your solid ground

Jesus calm my heart, come near to me

Lord don’t let these worries get the best of me

Remember the ‘Spiral Art’ and how it worked well only if the pencil was kept flush leaning to the inner circle as it spun? If the rhythm changed, imperfections were created amongst the beautiful pattern immerging. In the same way, keep God and all His ways in the center of your life so that Heaven on Earth is revealed with all its beauty intended for each one of us.

Trust the Holy Spirit surrounds, strengthens, guides, even carries us daily. We’re never alone.

Balancing family and career can only be done by the grace of God. Let us not forget the promises God gave us. His love endures forever. What if….we live our lives counting our blessings, keeping our eyes on Jesus and letting His light shine from within our hearts!

We would like to thank Wendy Baker for sharing this post with us!

Faith, General, Trust

Keeping The Faith

by hcfwomen2 Comments on Keeping The Faith

At the age of 26, I’m finally realizing that keeping the faith and trusting in God’s timing will be a part of my life for years to come. Faith is my strongest spiritual gift, but patience in God’s timing usually isn’t.

I grew up in a Christian home and attended a small church. It almost felt like trusting in the Lord was supposed to be easy. We didn’t talk about what trusting in the Lord was supposed to look like during trials and suffering. It was always broadened into, “Trust in the Lord always.” As you can imagine, when I started dealing with different struggles as a young adult, I didn’t understand why those things were so hard for me to deal with. That there had to be faith in action to believe that in all things the Lord is my strong fortress.

I want to share with you an experience where the Lord gently reminded me He alone has my every day planned. I am a momma to a sweet, sassy, nearly three-year-old girl. She made me a momma in October of 2015, a time when I didn’t think I was ready to be a mother. My husband and I had already made plans to further our education, but when we found out we were expecting a baby, all our plans changed. The Lord grew me in ways through that season (and still is) that I didn’t know were necessary. But He knew. And I had to surrender control.

Fast forward to the fall of 2017. I felt baby fever coming on and wanted to start trying for another baby. Once my husband was in agreement, I took control.  My trust was no longer in the Lord, but in our ability to conceive. “Well, we need to get pregnant by this month because I want Raelyn to be this old when we have the baby. I want to announce it to our families here,” blah blah blah. I think God chuckled, like I often imagine Him doing when I start thinking I am in control of it all. In March of 2018 I bought a tiny onesie. I prayed, telling the Lord the desire of my heart and again, surrendering control.

Four days before Easter, we found out we were expecting. Come to find out, we are pregnant with TWINS, a double portion! Only when we fully surrender our plans, our faith, and our trust in God, can he begin to give us what HE desires for us. God reminds me that His timing is perfect, and that the plans He has for me are much better than the ones I could have for myself. And sometimes, His plans turn out later and much differently than we could have ever expected.

Are you waiting on God for the desires of your heart? Here are ways that I keep my faith at all times:

  1. Pray and listen to God (even if it’s just for a couple minutes).
  2. Study the word of God.
  3. Surround myself with others who speak life into me.
  4. Remember that God is always faithful.

We would like to thank Paige Keller for writing this post!

Daughters, Faith, General, Singleness, Trust

Seeking Truth in Your Weakness

by hcfwomenLeave a Comment on Seeking Truth in Your Weakness

Editor’s Note: This semester we’ve focused on Titus 2 and the wisdom God’s word offers us in every season of life. Our prayer is that you will be encouraged by the posts to connect with God where you are now and be obedient to His voice.

It’s that time of year again: when everything that can happen to mess up my plans and screw up everything I thought I knew does happen. Almost as if I was getting a little too cocky, a little too confident, all the plates I was holding up fell and smashed into a million pieces. You know, the time when you throw up your hands and say, “Well, it can’t get any worse”? And yet somehow the world figures out a way to make it worse? That was me. Even though I’ve definitely, completely grown up now that I’ve gone off to school and can totally do everything on my own, my first thought was that I needed to talk to my mom.

I grew up with a mother who is fiercely devoted to whatever she does. She is stubborn, black-and-white, and conversely, one of the most sensitive and discerning people I have ever had the pleasure to be around. She’s also my best friend in the entire world. If there’s one thing I have learned after leaving for college last fall, it’s exactly how much I don’t know, and exactly how much she does. She sticks in her spot and knows what is right. As I was reading through Titus 2 this week, I latched onto that image immediately as one of my mother: wise, pure, honoring, submissive. (Also, a huge dork. It must be genetic.)

Recently, I have been really lucky to have a boyfriend that was my person, my best friend. We liked all the same things, shared the same interests in ministry, in travel, in books and poetry. He was the guy that made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt, who listened when I needed it, and made me look at the world a little differently. And last week, after a hard night of prayer and really dramatic arguments with the Lord (you know, the unbending Master of All Things?) I realized I had to end our relationship.

Friends, I fought that realization violently. And when I finally made myself confront him and confessed where I realized our issues were, he came back a day later and gave me all the reasons to stay together. I felt like a deer cornered by my own emotions, staring at that bright light, unable to move because if I’m honest…

I really didn’t want to.

Meeting my parents for lunch that weekend meant that I had to tell them everything, because I knew that I couldn’t trust my own decision-making. They gave little advice, asked few questions. And then my mom looked me directly in the eyes and said, “I know you’ll make the right decision.” With those words, I got a glimpse of what my mother has demonstrated her entire life: that she seeks the truth, in spite of her weaknesses.

So, I obeyed the Lord even as it cut me open. 2 Corinthians 4 says it better than I can: that we are “afflicted in every way, but not crushed… so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

Lean on His life, friends, and those shattered plates will be put back together.

Leah Jarvis from our Amarillo campus contributed this post.

Faith, Family, Marriage, Trust

The Heart of a Wife

by hcfwomen1 Comment on The Heart of a Wife

man and wifeWhen I was single, I used to dream about being a Proverbs 31 wife. I used to pray and plead with God to bring my husband to me, and in exchange, I promised to strive to be just like her.

I knew how to sew. Check.

I loved to cook. Check.

I feared the Lord. Check.

The problem with my logic was that naively, I was only focusing on the lengthy list of what the P31 wife did, and never really stopped to consider what must have been in her heart. You know, who she really was. When I finally married my husband, Bryan, I quickly realized I wasn’t even close to making good on my promise to God. I identified much more with the contentious woman in Proverbs whose husband preferred to live on the corner of the roof. Can any of you relate?

What if we looked deeper into the story of this incredible Proverbs 31 woman and asked God to show us her heart? When I read about her without zeroing in on her many accolades, I am able to see a woman that, at her core, trusted God completely and was full of faith for her family.

My husband, Bryan, is a farmer, and when we got married, I couldn’t fathom the measure of faith that I would need to be a farmer’s wife. In the five years we’ve been together, I can’t think of very many things that Bryan has asked of me. He is the most giving and caring man I know and demands little from me as a wife. But, the one thing he does consistently ask of me is to have faith. He asks me to pray, often. For him. For rain. For rest. For peace. For us. He knows and understands that when I choose to trust God and have faith for our family, his heart can trust in me.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. ~ Proverbs 31:11

Sure, I could make my own lengthy list of what I think the heart of a wife should look like.
Submissive.
Loving.
Honoring.
Gives respect.
Selfless.

But, aren’t these qualities that must flow from a heart full of trust and faith?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Submit to Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

I truly believe that the most loving thing I can do for my husband is to trust God and receive faith from Him. I’m kidding myself if I think I can trust and submit to Bryan if I can’t first trust and submit to God.

It’s when I’m spent and exhausted, depleted of peace, even fearful at times, that submission, honor, and respect for Bryan have to be forced and if I’m honest, are a burden. However, when I am full of faith, putting all my trust in God, I find that submission, honor, and respect become a mantle. They flow from the heart of a wife that is full and satisfied.

To me, the heart of a wife embodies many things, but in the deepest parts, I believe it holds a steadfast trust in God and a capacity to receive great faith from Him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

This post was written by Amber Curry. To read more about her, click here. 

Faith, Holidays, Trust

7 Must Wins: Overcoming the Fear of Lack

by hcfwomen2 Comments on 7 Must Wins: Overcoming the Fear of Lack

7 must winsThis week is our final installment of the Must-Win series. If you missed any previous posts, you can start with Part 1 here.
As a reminder during this Christmas season: Jesus came so that you do not have to live in the fear of lack, but out of the abundant life that He gives! 

Overcoming the fear of lack changed my life.

The fear of lack led me to some ugly places. It motivated me to do things of which I am not proud. It made me feel like I was in a constant state of not having enough and not being enough. You know:

Not smart enough.
Not quiet enough.
Not rich enough.
Not skilled enough as a wife/mother/friend.
Not pretty enough.
Not organized enough.
Not serving enough.

It manufactures lies and pain. The lies sound something like my own accent whispering, “Why don’t you try harder? After all God has done for you how can you be so ungrateful? You are a disappointment.”

The fear of lack waits until I am about to accomplish a goal and then it moves the goal line just a little further out of reach.

God says otherwise.

He says I am complete, whole and lacking nothing. Because I performed well enough? No. Because Jesus Christ went the distance. Through His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, He exchanged His righteousness and integrity for my lack.

Now my work is not to grovel. My work is to BELIEVE I am who He says I am.

He bestowed upon me dignity, beauty and worthiness. He says in Christ I am enough and I have enough.

This changes everything. I quit demanding from others what only God can give me. It’s not my husband’s or my kids’ fault I can’t be myself. I choose to show up and be seen because I am enough.

What is at stake if I lose this battle with the fear of lack? Wholeness.

At some point I have to drive a stake in the ground and believe that God is not holding out on me. He truly gave me what I need to do life in this season of life. It’s up to me to engage and take action. Show up. Be seen. Believe that I have something to offer because of who I am in Christ. This is not perfection. This is COURAGE. And it is INSPIRING!

Will I experience failure? Yes. Will I get some sand kicked in my face? Probably.

Am I saying I have to give my life to something I don’t want to and don’t enjoy? No. I’m saying I quit hiding behind excuses for not speaking up and not acting on what God has called me to even when the going gets tough. God extends an invitation for us to come awake. LIVE. Dare greatly in the arena instead of playing it safe as a spectator of my own life.

Friend, your life counts. Your family needs you to engage and quit believing that you’re not enough. Your workplace needs you to show up and let your ideas be seen. Your community needs you to speak up for what is right and decent.

What actions will you take when you believe you are whole, complete and lacking nothing in YOUR life?

This post was written by Jodi Leigh LaFrance. To read more about her, click here.

Giving, Trust

7 Must-Wins: Stewardship

by hcfwomen1 Comment on 7 Must-Wins: Stewardship

7 must winsThis week, we continue our fall blog series, “7 Must-Wins.” With a uniquely personal twist toward us as women, we will address seven topics that must be understood and walked out in order for us to have success in this life. To start with Part 1 of this series, click here.

At some point, we’ve all asked and answered the question. If I had a million dollars, what would I do with it?  And usually it follows with some grand plan to give and help others…right after we go ahead and buy that new car, or boat, or vacation we’ve been dreaming about.  The reality is that most of us will probably never be millionaires. The real question is: what will you do with that with which you’ve been entrusted—no matter the number?

That’s what stewardship is all about. How will you allocate the gifts that God has given you?  It speaks to more than just finances, but since money is mentioned more than almost any other topic in the Bible, I’d say it’s probably a big deal. It’s a big deal because the way we steward our money says a lot about where our hearts are.

Many of us say things like, “Well, I’ll give when__________.” Fill in the blank. When the babies are out of diapers. When we get out of debt. When the kids are out of the house. But the Bible says in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” It seems our logic (myself included!!) can be a little backwards in the economy of God’s Kingdom. We think, “I’ll be generous after I prosper.”  He says be generous and THEN you’ll prosper!

Here’s the key: It’s all His anyway. He didn’t ask us to be good owners. He asked us to be good stewards. And if we truly see Him as our source, it’s not that hard. After all, spending other people’s money is easy! 😉

orangesLet me wrap this up with a picture God gave me a few years back. I was standing next to a solid white picket fence that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Right next to me a tree branch was hanging over the fence with several ripe, juicy oranges on it. I felt like I was supposed to give a couple of these oranges to someone else. But then anxiety set in. “But Lord,” I said, “if I give these two away I’ll only have a couple left, and that’s not going to last long!” At that moment he took me up to a higher perspective. I could see over the fence that this wasn’t just a single branch of an orange tree, but a massive orchard that stretched as far as the eye could see. I realized that all these oranges were available to me, and suddenly, giving away two didn’t seem like a big deal at all. It’s all about perspective.

I know financial hardships are real. And I know that as women, one of the things we crave is security. But we don’t have to live in the fear of lack. When we are faithful to answer the call to give, He is faithful to meet all of our needs.

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV)

This post was written by Becca Wilhite. To read more about her, click here. 

**To read Part 7, click here. 

Faith, Family, Parenting, Trust

Hope for a Happy Ending

by hcfwomenLeave a Comment on Hope for a Happy Ending
Hope for a Happy Ending

happy ending picThis post originally appeared as part of an article on Sheila’s personal blog, Pausing to Praise. She has given us permission to share it here.

I remember when we brought my oldest son, Justin, home from the hospital after he suffered severe brain damage following open-heart surgery. He was a dramatically different child from the happy, energetic five-year-old little boy who went into the hospital several months earlier. My red-headed fireball of energy was no longer able to walk or talk or eat or even hold his head upright without assistance.

I felt as though my whole world had come crashing down around me, and all joy had been swallowed up in deep darkness. But in the midst of my pain, I clung to the hope that someday he would recover. I imagined a day when Justin was again normal and all my children were healthy and happy. My heart hoped for a happy ending that would relieve my suffering by removing it.

How do we envision our happy ending? Most of us have a preconceived idea of what will make us happy, satisfied, and fulfill all our longings.

Of course there are some very real hurts and difficulties in this broken world, but most of us are unhappy because we’re chasing earthly things, and all the while our hearts long for something more. But when we don’t understand our heart’s cry for God, then we have a misconception of both suffering and happiness.
So we keep hoping for our ‘happy ending.’

But hope is a ‘maybe’ word, while faith trusts in a sure thing. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). I love what Matthew Henry had to say in his commentary on this verse. “Faith and hope go together; and the same things that are the object of our hope are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion that God will perform all that he has promised to us in Christ.”

If He is the object of our faith, then He is the substance of our hope. But we don’t often exchange our hope for faith overnight or with the sheer force of our will. Sanctification is a slow process, fed by devotion to prayer and God’s Word. Some lessons don’t ever seem to take a permanent hold in our thoughts—we have to keep preaching them to ourselves—reminding ourselves about the truth of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. Often it is suffering that forces us to surrender our imperfect desires and our feeble hopes, and brings us to our knees and to God’s Word.

The day when Justin fully recovered from his brain injury never came, but I found true joy and the real source of my ‘happily ever after’ did not rely on material possessions, earthly relationships, or circumstances that relieved my difficulties. And today I remind myself that when I surrender my hopes for happiness for faith in a sovereign Savior, he becomes both the source and substance of my joy–today and tomorrow and ‘happily ever after.’

This post was written by Sheila Campbell. To read more about her, click here. 

Fruitfulness, Trust

New Year, New Thoughts

by hcfwomen2 Comments on New Year, New Thoughts
New Year, New Thoughts

trust pictureNew Year’s Resolutions. I don’t  keep them very well. However, at the beginning of the year, I was spending time with the Lord, and he gave me a word of this being a year of new confidence and boldness. He confirmed this continuously over the next couple of weeks through people in my life group, his Word, and just daily occurrences that used to make me insecure or anxious; I was now confident and relaxed. So, I am choosing daily to trust him; and I have been continuously blessed by this. This new season is not a result of a new year’s resolution; it is the result of the Lord’s faithfulness and hand in my life. This fact helps me know that this time, it is not changing; this time, I am changed, and am now seeing true freedom.

I wish that I could take the past  few years of my life and have a “re-do.” I wish I would have been able to walk with confidence in who I was, and find myself secure enough to let people get to know me—flaws and all. I wish I could have been able to say, “This is who I am,” and welcome people into my life, instead of walking in with guards up and walls up.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a group recently where I work. We were talking about life: what we go through and the importance of community. In that conversation, the point was brought up that God is in fact the author of our lives and stories, but he wants us to take an active role in those stories. I wish things would have been different, but the truth is, I could not have gotten to where I am now if it weren’t for my story. I do not like where I have been, but I would not change it because it’s how I can now prove the Lord’s sovereign grace and faithfulness. I believe I have come a long way; and this journey I have with the Lord only gets better.

Does this mean that I have reached perfection? Absolutely not! In fact, more growth will happen. It does mean that I know what it feels like to be in a place of internal captivity, brought on by not trusting or believing the Lord, and I do not want to go back there. Will I have moments where my flesh fails? Yes. But I trust in those moments that the Lord is faithful to his Word.

All of this to say: I am grateful for the journey, and for the valuable people He uses to speak to our hearts. I am also grateful for those people who are kingdom-minded and want to see us reach our potential in the Holy Spirit, and create environments to thrive in the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. I would not go back, but would not change my story, because it’s how the Lord works specifically in my life. It is good.

“I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT)

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bio picRachael Montgomery is from Slaton, Texas. She is currently at Lubbock Christian University getting her Masters in Counseling. She wants to get her LPC (License of Professional Counseling) and work with children and adolescents. Rachael has a twin sister, and she loves coffee.

What kind of ministry are you most passionate about?
I have a passion for worship. I have a heart for seeing kids experience the Lord at a young age, and getting to know him early in life. Also, I have a heart to help facilitate children in learning who they are and their role in the kingdom early in life.

What is one quirky fact about you?
My wreck count is up to 6 with only 2 of them being my fault. 😉