You’ve heard the statement Faith over Fear, or maybe you’ve seen the tshirt, but what does it really mean?
To embrace faith, do you truly let go of fear?
To hold onto strength while pushing away intrepidation?
Or do you simply grasp fear by the throat with one hand and link arms with faith with the other and walk boldly forward through the raging fire and burning flames?
I say truth faith is the latter.
True faith is when the pain takes your breath away, and you have no idea what brings tomorrow or if it will even come, but you square your shoulders and take the step onward.
That’s real faith.
And I’ve seen it in living color…
And it’s all together inspiring and beautiful.
And oh. So very rare.
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
I have a friend whose husband has just had his leg amputated this past week because of diabetic neuropathy. He was cracking pirate jokes the day after, and she was back in church worshipping on Sunday.
I have a friend whose husband travels extensively throughout the year as a lawyer who defends faith rights as she stays home with her littles, and she still offers a friendly hand, makes a phone call to the hurting, reaches out to the lonely.
I have a friend whose husband was shot in the line of duty, and she works hard to raise their fifth child while also sharing with others about her faith and the peace Jesus can bring in spite of pain, and she’s also working vigorously on her own degree in the study of law.
I have a friend whose wife died tragically in a car wreck, and the very week following her funeral, with tears still to shed, he got on a plane to fly to her hometown to preach the gospel and tell people about the Jesus that she desperately loved.
Each of these friends have heart wrenching stories with details that might break the next person. But each them stand in their faith and keep loving, keep reaching, keep grieving, and keep worshipping their Creator. I’ve watched some go through much less and blame God, walk away from Him and even curse Him.
And you might wonder what’s the difference. Or maybe look at them with criticism and scoff at their faith. Or maybe you gaze upon their path and wonder how in the world you could do the same.
But I’ll tell you what I admire most: their admiration of their King and their ability to do the hard with the deepest of grace.
Their adoration inspires me.
Their vigor admonishes me.
Their dedication and determination encourages me.
It’s not your circumstances that make you.
It’s what you do with those circumstances that makes the difference.
Choosing grace over anger creates an atmosphere of strength and fortitude that cannot be easily silenced.
Choosing faith over despair creates a contagious courage that cannot be ignored.
It doesn’t mean pain is not felt, and it doesn’t mean fear is not faced, but it is the warrior within who brings a peace to those following which cannot be shaken by what’s to come and is sought after as if for fine gold.
This is what ignites my admiration.
This is what sparks the flames of my praise.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
What you chase after, you’ll find in one form or another.
So, be careful what you wish for.
Dreams can become reality if only given moment to live.
You’ll either fan the flame or squelch the embers.
The choose is yours.
And today is the telling hour.
What is your dream?
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
What you seek, you will find, when you seek it with all your heart.
What you seek, you will find, when you seek it with no bounds.
If it’s religion, you’ll find tradition and law.
If it’s fame and fortune, you’ll find self gratification and temporary pleasures.
If it’s academics, you’ll find knowledge and affluence.
If it’s philosophy, you’ll find a wisdom and deeper meanings.
Yet, in all of these things, you will still find an emptiness, a void, a vast domain within your soul that cannot be filled.
But if you’ll seek a relationship with the One who created it all,
You will be filled.
…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.
Although, I don’t follow the teachings of Gandhi, there is truth in those words.
Scripture tells us this in a much simpler form,
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Thanksgiving isn’t a date on the calendar or a time of year, it’s an attitude of the heart that should be lived out every single day.
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
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