Where Is Your Confidence?

Good morning, everyone! Wow, it is a beautiful day in July with temperatures in the 60's. It's so wonderful to have the cool weather after temperatures soaring into the 100's. Today I just wanted to share something that God has been teaching me lately. I am learning about putting my confidence in Christ in every facet of my life. God has given me certain abilities that I am confident in doing, but sometimes there is no fruit that comes from some of the things in which I invest my time. I know that the reason is that I completely left God out of my planning and doing. God gives us all talents and abilities, it's just how we use them and whether He's a part of it that will cause an impact on another person's life. My prayer and desire is to use these talents and abilities to glorify God and I hope the things I write in this little blog will make the difference in someone's life. Truthfully, most of my life, I have not been a very confident person in the abilities God has given me. My pastor has been encouraging me to express in writing those things that would be a benefit to other people. I am trusting God daily to be able to do this. I looked up the words "confident" and "confidence" and "self-confidence" in the dictionary and found these definitions:

• confident - having strong belief or full assurance; sure: confident of fulfillment.


• confidence - full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.


• self-confidence - 1. realistic confidence in one's own judgment, ability, power, etc. 2. excessive or inflated confidence in one's own judgment, ability, etc.

I must totally trust in God and let Him be my confidence to be successful in anything I do. I know that without a doubt. This way I stay on the right path. "...for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." Proverb 3:26 NIV

There are many who are reading this that believe their life is futile and worth nothing. This is not true. We are all God's creation and He has breathed life into all of us. God created all things beautifully...including YOU! If you have received Jesus Christ into your heart, you have the Spirit of God living inside you. Don't let your heart condemn you and say that you are worth nothing. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL IN THE SITE OF GOD!! He has put His confidence within us. "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God." 1 John 3:21 NIV

In my research, I found this quote by Nelson Mandela who was a Nobel Prize winner and former President of South Africa. This was from his 1994 inaugural speech. In never thought about confidence in this manner:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

We must, with confidence in our God-given abilities, come out of our shells and let our light shine to this generation in which we were born. I encourage each of you to reach down deep within and find that confidence God has given you. Use it to help yourself and others for His glory. ". . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NIV

"And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever." Isaiah 32:17 NASB

Note: Photo taken by my daughter, Karen, at Laguna Beach, California on August 31, 2007

I'd Rather Fly Than Fall - Wouldn't You?

Today has been a good day, I got up early and went outside to water my plants and work in the yard about 6:30 a.m. The locusts were still chirping wildly and the sun was just barely over the horizon. It was nice….warm, but not too hot. I ended up pulling up a bunch of weeds in my flower bed and planting two Rose of Sharon bushes that my sister gave me. There’s a certain sense of accomplishment when you look back and see the results of your labor. Sometimes I feel as if my life is full of weeds and unkempt like my flower bed. This is caused by neglect and not taking care of things regularly. I am so guilty of going through my day and forgetting that the most important thing is spending time with God and letting Him direct my day. I feel better and am doing so many things since my knee replacements that I have not done in years...just being able to walk and do my housework and yard work without pain are good examples...but in all my going and doing I have neglected to read my Bible and talk to God the way that I know I should.

Well, lately I’ve been asking God for direction on some matters in my life, and decided I’d better take time out to listen to Him because He is giving me some answers. Trusting God has never been difficult for me, but sometimes I just don’t listen and jump out there and begin to make things happen for myself...and, of course, they never work out when I do it myself! My pastor preached on this the other day and it really ministered to me. I realized that was exactly what I was doing. I guess my major problem is patience….waiting...oh, my. I’m much better than I used to be, but sometimes I still find myself getting impatient.

I read something this morning that my dear cousin sent me in an email and I thought it was very good on the subject of trusting God. The statement was, “When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only one of two things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!” Sometimes I fall, but I would much rather fly, wouldn’t you? When you fly you see things from a different perspective...you are looking down at issues in your life instead of directly at them. Also, things seem so much smaller from a bird’s eye view!

Note: Photo of my daughter, Karen, on top of Mt. Scott in SW Oklahoma. Taken by Mary in October 2007.

A New Chapter in My Life

My wonderful husband, Ken has been away for almost two years now. It doesn't seem possible that he's gone, at times, but the reality is truly there and I know he is never coming back..that's the hard part. He went home to be in Heaven with God on August 31, 2007. I miss him greatly and, it seems, that I'm missing him more now than at first...I know that seems strange, but true. I miss his being there for me to talk to and bounce my frustrations off of..he was my best friend and I could tell him anything and he would always had a word of wisdom or encouragement for me. Many people have told me how much Ken was an encouragement to them.

Well, life goes on and I want to make the most of these golden years that God has given me. I'm not sure exactly what he wants me to do, but I know I am supposed to write...write what? I don't know for sure. Today I started a personal journal to God, writing to Him my deepest thoughts and asking Him what, where, when, and to whom He wanted me to write. I felt impressed that He want me to start up my blog again. I did and I will write again in this blog space whatever He gives me. I don't know what it is that He will have me write, but I don't feel that He wants the space to be structured into a teaching or ministry-type blog, but I feel I am supposed to just write and He will give me the content. If you glean anything from, that would be terrific. I don't know whether I will be writing every day, but I will write when I feel impressed to do so.

I believe life is a journey..and I look upon my life as a book that holds many chapters. My book of life is really getting thick and there are many chapters in it right now...my birth and childhood; a born-again experience with Jesus Christ at age 12; my first marriage, and the birth of my children; surviving a divorce and being a single mom; meeting and marrying the love of my life, Ken, and receiving three more wonderful children into my life; being healed of cancer; knowing the joy of grandchildren; ministering with my husband; experiencing the death of my Mom, my sister, my brother, and my husband in a four year span; becoming a great grandmother; and life goes on. Most everyone, can identify with some or most of these chapters...depending upon how long you've lived...this is life!

Well, I'm in a new chapter and I don't know where it's taking me, but I'm willing to continue the journey. If you would like to journey along with me, tune in again...maybe I'll be able to say something that will help you along the way. God bless you, and thanks for listening.