Walking In Faith

Movie Review-Courageous

I do not know how to write a movie review. Nor do I know how to say much without spoiling the movie. So with that in mind....I will say this.  Tonight I went to see the movie "Courageous". I give it a 10.  It was as good or better than I was hoping. 

It is directed towards fathers.  The movie portrays 4 guys who rise up to the challenge to become better dads based on what scripture says they should be.  There are very many good, strong messages in the movie.  I liked one message that was clear; it is not how good we are that matters in eternity.

One dad in the movie goes through a particularly hard trial that brings him to the point of realizing his failures as a dad. It is unfortunate but often true that we need a tragic or difficult circumstance to bring us to a place where we are open or willing to surrender and make needed changes. After he reaches this point, he makes a decision to serve God and to allow Jesus to take control of his life and be the dad he is supposed to be. He challenges his friends also, and together they make a "resolution" to be accountable to God and each other as they be what they are supposed to be. This is great.  Accountability is so lacking in our society today.

The movie then takes you through each one's life to see how each one will meet the new challenges that come their way as they walk the path of their new committment. This part is awesome. Any time we make the choice to serve God and live out our faith, we will have challenges. This part of the movie makes the decision they made applicable and brings it right down to real life. The movie very clearly shares the gospel and shows how we can make the right choices because of Who we choose to serve.  One of the men made the resolution and didn't keep it. We are encouraged through this scene that it is never too late to make the right choice. It also very clearly shows that when we make the right choices, God honors that and blesses us accordingly. In the same way, it very clearly shows that if we 'choose' to sin, we choose to suffer.

Courageous is action packed. The movie has solemn moments that will make anyone cry. It also has some very funny parts. There were several times that the entire theatre was in stitches. I will take this moment to say that I waited in line to pick up my pre-purchased tickets from Fandango. (I wanted to make sure I got in!) Everyone around me in line was waiting to see THIS movie.  They even had a holding spot to line people up waiting to get into one of the theatres even after going through the ticket line. My particular movie theatre was packed. We had to sit in the second row because it was filled to capacity. It was really good to see such a quality picture in a FULL house.

Again, the movie is directed towards fathers but the messages of the movie apply to everyone. I would strongly encourage you to see the movie. Go see it THIS WEEKEND. Let's stand together and show hollywood that we want more movies like this. Numbers and money speak at the box office. We want movies that will encourage and motivate us to do what is right and build strong families. 

After you see it....come back here and leave a comment. I would love to know what you thought!

 

Courageous: The Movie

I can't remember when I have shared a movie trailer, but I feel very strongly about this one.  I hope you watch the trailer and will be encouraged to see the movie. Coming to theatres September 30th!

 

Quote from C.S. Lewis

I ran across this quote today on The Rebelution blog. I love it and thought I would share it with you!  It's from C. S. Lewis.

We must train ourselves to feel pleasure, liking, disgust, and hatred at those things which really are pleasant, likeable, disgusting, and hateful. We must constantly ask ourselves whether the things we put before our eyes train us in this way, or just further distort our ability to appreciate good, true, and beautiful.

Psalm 139

Here is an awesome thought to take with you this week!

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.  Psalm 139:17-18

There is a lot of sand in the world!

Have a good week!

Blessings-

Living Waters University, Jamie

Anchor to the Soul

We have a new stamp set in our Serendipity Street called “Anchor to the Soul” which inspired the following thoughts in me. 

Life is very challenging for me right now, and to be truthful, it has been for a long time. The trials of a difficult marriage and the results of that throughout my family are overwhelming to say the least.  I have made a commitment before God that as much as it is possible for me, I will persevere through this time and hold fast to my marriage.  I believe that is what the scripture teaches, that we should honor our marriage for life.

I would not be able to make it another day without Jesus. Without Him, I would not be able to breathe another breath.  He has lifted my head in the midst of the storm so many times that I can’t even begin to tell you, much less number them. When the storms are raging around me, He is my peace, my Jehovah Shalom. I would have given up so long ago, many times over, except that He, His life, perseveres within me.  He is my strength within when I cannot make it another minute. When things are darkest, He is the flicker of light that brings new revelation that keeps me going another day. When there is simply nowhere else to turn, He is my Jehovah Sabaoth.

When my enemies threaten to overcome me, He gives me power to keep me going, sometimes in the face of horrendous opposition.  When the pits of despair and depression threaten to keep me down, never to return again, He slowly, ever so gently by His Spirit reaches for me, ministers to my heart in a way that no one else can.  He brings to my memory the Holy Scripture that I need, and at the precise moment I need it. When everyone else turns against me, He will do just the right thing in my life to let me know that He is with me. He plants the flower in my path when I need that touch of His beauty. He puts the hawk on MY light post, just when I need to see it because He knows that it will touch my heart. He plants that special song in my heart when I need it most. 

He is truly a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. My guide when the way seems dark. His still small voice leads me in the way I should go. He kept me from posting a similar posts as this not too long ago, but because of Him, I knew in my heart it wasn't the right time.  NOW is the right time. He leads. He guides.

I am learning, when all else fails….He is there. It is a hard thing to learn, but something tells me, when I get on the other side, I will be glad that I walked the path. Over and over, He shows Himself strong; TO me and THROUGH  me.  He plants my feet back on the path to keep me walking in the right direction, sometimes when I don’t think I can even lift my foot another step.

I don’t know if things will ever be what I want them to be in my heart. I don’t know if I am an example to others. I don’t know if my life gives off any fruit at all for the kingdom. I don’t know if others can see Christ in me. I don’t know if my life serves a purpose in anyone else. I don’t know if my life is drawing anyone to Christ. All of those things would be my desire.  I do know this: Jesus is the one solitary thing in my life that will never change. He is the one solitary being that I can count on.  He is the One person who will never give up on me. Jesus simply has changed my life forever. He truly is the “Anchor to the Soul”.

What about Romans 8:29?

Most people who recognize themselves as believers will tell you one of their favorite verses in scripture is Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose".  I include myself in this.  What a wonderful verse to hold onto in times of trouble.  But what about when we go through a season, a long season, of trials and upsets?  A season that doesn't seem to end?
Those of you who know me personally also know that I have been in one of these seasons for quite some time. Several years in fact.  I have to be honest when I say....when a trial(s) never seems to end, it gets quite challenging to my faith to hold on to the promise in Romans 8:28. When I look "at my circumstances" and don't see much good coming out of what I'm holding onto, then it gets more challenging.

Recently, in one of my quiet times with the Lord, I was reviewing Romans 8:28.  I asked the Lord in no uncertain terms "Where is the truth in Romans 8:28?  How can this be for my good (I was thinking of a specific incident) and how can that be for my good (another incident) and how was that.....? On and on I reminded Him of things that happened that I didn't think He had made good on. Yes, I know this is very selfish thinking and the root is seated in unbelief!! However, one must be honest as they walk their faith and sometimes this is where I find myself. What better place to take my questions than to the One who can answer them.

In that still small voice I heard Him point me to Romans 8:29. What about Romans 8:29? So I read the verse: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."After reading the verse, the revelation began to dawn on me. In my earthly selfish brain I had been thinking the good would be things like, if I were robbed, He would replace the money, or if my house burned down He would some how get me a new house. In other words, what 'I' wanted. No, that's not what it means. It means that He,  in His awesome miraculous way, will take the things that come into our lives, bad or good, and use them to conform us into the image of His Son.

I began to see how the circumstances/trials that I didn't like and that in some of them I was not very happy about would be the very things that He would use to make me more like Him. That answers the very cry of my heart i.e. to be more like Him.  Only God can take things that come into our life, or orchestrate things on purpose that will change my inner being into what will be pleasing to Him so that I will be a vessel He can use to bring others to Him.

Now THAT is a good thing!This Christmas season....come...sit as His feet. Bring your doubts and fears to the One (the only One) who can answer you and show you the way.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."-2 Corinthians 9:15

Merry CHRIST-mas!

By His Stripes We Are Healed

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed-Isaiah 53:5

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls-1 Peter 2:24-25

Circumstances

The other day when I woke up and looked at my schedule, I was so overwhelmed I almost went into shock. I was overwhelmed by what needed to be done and thinking about it ALL day, that I did nothing. My thinking of what needed to be done immobilized me to the point that I got nothing done! So it wasn't surprising that when I met with my small group bible study that I shared with my group that I was just feeling overwhelmed with EVERYTHING.  I am trying to organize, redo, paint, fix, throw away junk, as I work my way through our entire home. The rains two years ago March left our basement wet throughout so we had to pull up carpet and move everything to safety. Right about when we quickly moved it back, already looking like a tornado, the sewer backed up so we had to quickly move it again.  After we moved it back, it has pretty much sat that way. No time to go through, reorganize etc. Soooo, there is that to deal with.  Yes, I am overwhelmed.  But TODAY...as I was having my quiet time this morning...I got an answer to my dilemma.  Funny, I was actually praying for someone else when the thought hit me.  "You are overwhelmed with your circumstances because You are looking at the circumstance and not at God!" Humbly....I must admit...Yes, I wasn't thinking about how God would see me through til the end or how far I had come. I was thinking about how much MORE I had to do, and I wasn't getting anywhere and.... Well, you get the point.  I have said enough.  Off to accomplish more great things today! Vickie

God IS in Control

Received this in my inbox today.  It comes from "The Weekly Walk" at WalkintheWord.com
It was so good, I thought I would share it with you! 

(Copied and used by permission from Walk in the Word)

History According to God

The Weekly Walk

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
-Isaiah 40:21-24

Worried about world powers? World War 3? Terrorists? Market crashes? Biological warfare? Understand this from Isaiah : "[God] reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless."

What ever happened to Napoleon? Didn’t he die in exile on an island somewhere? Or Alexander, the not-so Great? Hitler? Or the maniac leaders of our generation—Osama bin Laden or what was his name, Sadam Hussein? Their influence is hardly a blip on God’s monitor. They may cause us to bite our nails and worry, but God isn’t pacing, or wringing His hands; just as soon as He’s ready He will reduce those leaders to nothing and He will do it with His feet up.

Isaiah says in effect, 'Don’t you get it?' God doesn’t read the New York Times. If He did, it wouldn’t make any difference. Nothing stops God's unalterable purposes in this world!

I can’t wait for that day in heaven when we get to hear history’s real story—when we read God’s script and realize all He was doing behind the scenes. Just imagine the drama of God’s continuous all-wise intervention in the sinful machinations of human armies and governments. To think that not one of His purposes is ever delayed or frustrated—not even for a moment. We will be amazed, stunned, and captured by God’s awesome control of human affairs.

Verse 24 says of world rulers, "Scarcely have they been planted. Scarcely have they been sown. Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth.” God just blows on them and they’re gone. "But He merely blows on them and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble." When will we embrace the reality of God’s awesome control over history? History is and always has been God’s ballgame. He decides who gets on base, who pitches, who scores. He calls one man out and advances another runner. (Don’t try to figure it out.)