trust – Grow Anyway

STOP and ABOUT-TURN

December 14, 2022December 13, 2022by Liz Goss2 Comments

There are 2½ weeks left in 2022 and I have a message for you: stop and about-turn. When you read those words, they probably caught in your throat and you instantly thought of something. We all need to stop and turn around in some area. So let’s look at twenty things we can stop doing and how we can turn them around with truth from scripture.

STOP: taking control

ABOUT-TURN: remember God is in control

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” – Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: worrying

ABOUT-TURN: pray

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: saying “I can’t”

ABOUT-TURN: say “I can”

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: giving into temptation

ABOUT-TURN: escape temptation

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: giving up

ABOUT-TURN: persevere

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” – Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: letting anger control you

ABOUT-TURN: forgive

“Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.” – Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ [‭NLT‬‬]

STOP: letting your mind wander

ABOUT-TURN: control your thought life

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” – ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: filling your mind with garbage

ABOUT-TURN: fill your mind with virtuous things

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: hanging out with people that lead you to sin

ABOUT-TURN: find friends that help you grow

“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭33‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: feeling guilty

ABOUT-TURN: confess and be forgiven

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” – ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: sinning over an over

ABOUT-TURN: confess your sin and stop

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” – Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: doubting

ABOUT-TURN: trust

“But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” – Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: looking everywhere for truth

ABOUT-TURN: look to God’s word

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” – 2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭[NLT]

STOP: asking everyone around you what to do

ABOUT-TURN: ask God

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: blaming other for our wrongdoing

ABOUT-TURN: take responsibility

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” – 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: getting drunk

ABOUT-TURN: take your problems to God

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,” – ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: speaking harshly

ABOUT-TURN: be gentle with your words

“Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.” – Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭15‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: holding people responsible for their wrong doing

ABOUT-TURN: love each other

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” – ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: holding grudges

ABOUT-TURN: forgive

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”” – Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: following whatever ideas you want

ABOUT-TURN: discipline yourself by scripture

“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.” – 1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

Now for the challenge:

Pick one thing to STOP from the list above.
Write down what you need to do to ABOUT-TURN.
Memorize the related scripture verse (or carry it around with you) this week.

liz goss

You Can Experience God Now!

September 21, 2022September 20, 2022by Liz Goss1 Comment

Could it be that God needs to grow us into people who can handle having a deeply personal relationship with Him? It is always easy to point our faces to the sky in exasperation and wonder where God is. After all, we are trying to find Him. We are seeking. Isn’t that our job? To seek?

This my friends is limbo land and we’ve probably all taken up residence here at some point in our lives. Feeling like we are holding up our end of the bargain and begging God to just show up. Seeking. Knocking. Very focused on getting right before God and trying to manage our inevitable disappointment because we just can’t feel Him.

But while we are focused on feeling God’s presence, finding God’s will and knowing what He wants us to do, God is just… here. I know it sounds too good to be true after all our trouble and effort but it’s actually (sorry) not required. Our striving doesn’t earn His notice. He is noticing you right now.

And that’s why I say God may need to grow us to a place where we are able to have a beautiful relationship with Him. Because He is always with us. Jesus’ parting words to His disciples were: “and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew‬ ‭28:20‬)

God is always calling you to see more true reality. He is always looking for your gaze. Never doubt His perpetual protection or wonderful nature. We just need to get better at understanding Him. We need to learn who He is so we recognize Him. Keep our spirits open and sensitive by thinking on holy things. And most of all, we need to believe that God is with us because all too often we find exactly what we are looking for.

Experiencing God isn’t just about doing more – it’s about seeing more clearly.

VERSES TO PONDER:

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalms 91:4)

“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.” (Judges 13:18)

“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but 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 3:12-14)

liz goss

COMMIT TO CHANGE (a how to guide)

August 17, 2022August 16, 2022by Liz Goss2 Comments

Have you ever had something hard to do? Maybe there is an attitude that you want to correct, a habit that’s gotten the better of you or something you know you need to do. But even when you know we need to make a change it can be so difficult. How do we even start?

God gave the Israelites some help in this area. He knew that they struggled with their attitudes, habits and to do what’s right. So he began with this advice:

“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT)

The first step is committing ourselves wholeheartedly… which is hard to do. It’s easy to begrudgingly decide to do something. Or make a change even though you don’t want to. Or drag your feet but to it anyway. But God says we need to commit with our WHOLE heart. Need a song to get this idea flowing?

WHOLEHEARTED by: Rend Collective

Next we have to battle our forgetfulness. Have you ever gone to bed with the best intentions to make a change when the alarm goes off the next morning… just to forget why you were planning to get up early? So what does God suggest? Repetition. God tells us to repeat our commitments over and over to others. Talk about them at home and away, morning and evening.

Do you need to commit to making a change? Do you need to stop or start doing something so that you are bringing glory to God with your whole life? We all do!! Keep Deuteronomy 6:6-7 in front of your eyes this week so that you remember what God is prompting you to work on. And then do it with all your heart.

liz goss

Have You Ever Read Numbers?

July 13, 2022July 13, 2022by Liz GossLeave a Comment

In case you are looking at the screen in confusion, Numbers is the fourth book of the Old Testament (right after Leviticus) and it has nothing to do with math. Instead, Numbers showcases the faithfulness of God. Unsettled and weary as the Israelites often were (and tempted to envy everything they left behind or saw surrounding them) they were the most blessed of ALL people. Even in the wilderness, God dwelled in their midst – no other nation had the presence of God.

I love this book because we get to see God intimately interact with people. It’s breathtaking. Scary. Exhilarating. Frightening. And nestled inside of Numbers is a truth I want to shout from the rooftops: God desires to do life with you.

But in order to do life with a holy and just God we will have to wrestle with this verse from Numbers, “The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty.” Numbers 14:18

Interestingly enough the first half that I bolded is usually where people stop the quote. And while it’s a great half – it’s only half. See the Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, but he’s also pure. He cannot live with unexcused sin, which is why we see example after example of God’s punishment of the Israelite people in Numbers.

BUT. You and I are living in a time where God’s presence is even more precious because it is accessible. United through the sacrifice of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit we have become the dwelling place of God. And while the Israelites could not completely escape their guilt… we can through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Reading the Old Testament is a treasure of truth for our souls, helping us appreciate the true gift of a relationship with God. He wants to live with us. He wants to fight for us. He wants to walk beside us and speak with us. But he will not forgive the guilty. Which is why we need Jesus.

Have you thanked Jesus today for restoring you to God? Did you notice the relationship you now have with God? Don’t miss the heart of the one who knows you best and loves you most. In the book of Numbers, an entire generation of Israelites passed away in the wilderness under the guilt of their sin. God has provided a way back for you this very moment.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God know that it isn’t because he’s distant. God loves nothing more than to do life with his people. He made a way to remove our guilt at great personal cost. But we have to want it. We have to choose with our lives. God desires to do life with you. Do you desire to do life with him?

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Trusting His Absolute Goodness

February 23, 2022February 22, 2022by rachelleepallas1 Comment

I know many Christians, myself included, that have asked, “If I am working so hard to honor God, why am I still struggling?” It’s pretty common to wonder why bad things happen to good people. It is important to remember first that we are not the best judges of “good” and “bad.” The Bible gives us many examples of both righteousness and evil, but we still have a very limited view as humans. One thing that God did make perfectly clear is that all people sin and fall short of the glory of God. We might all agree that many people can be “good,” but we must also remember that no one can ever be “good enough” to earn salvation on their own. When asking ourselves, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” there are two crucial things to consider. First, no person ever has been nor ever will be perfect, except for Jesus Christ himself. Secondly, the world we live in is severely broken.

Our world wasn’t initially created for sin and evil, but it is the unfortunate reality of today. Bad things happen to everyone every day. At times we can pinpoint exactly which of our sins are causing our current suffering. Other times, though, life throws struggles at us for no apparent reason, like when loved ones keep getting sick or when the check engine light goes off for the third time this year. God does not promise us a pain-free life when we become Christians. In fact, many of the greatest heroes of the Bible faced persecution because they were Christians. Just a few of these examples would include John the Baptist, Stephen, and Paul. Even Jesus, the only truly perfect man to walk our earth, faced immense suffering and death while he was here.

Faith is not always easy, nor does it guarantee us an easy life. What God does promise us, though, is that trusting in him is worth it. In his word is where we can always be reminded of his promises. To list just a few examples:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalms 37:5
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” Psalms 9:10
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

Trust is such a fundamental foundation in any relationship, but it is exceptionally important in our relationship with God. Above all else, God has promised that because of His love for us, we will leave this place one day to receive an eternal life of bliss with him. All we need is to simply have faith that our sins have been forgiven because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Trusting our Lord may not always be easy when we face hardships, but we can find our hope in his promise of working all things together for our good.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:3-6

Verses for further study: Romans 8:28; Psalm 28:7; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Acts 6-7

Song: Trust In You by Lauren Daigle

amy oberg

Be a Weeble!

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021by amyoberg1 Comment

Life is quite “interesting” sometimes. I say that a bit sarcastically because I have not found a better word than “interesting” to describe some of the seasons I have been through in the last couple of decades. There are ebbs and flows coming and going all the time. What I learned in 2020 is that everything is only for a season. This means no matter where we are, it will really only be a season of life, even if it feels like it’s never-ending. Days feel like years, and years feel like they pass quickly. So weird because it feels as if the dust does not ever settle. The moment one area of life calms down, three more areas get put in motion, and dust begins to fly again! Every time I feel like I have a handle on life, something changes. The only consistent thing is inconsistency. (eye-rolling) (lol)

During all of this, a piece of me waits for the settling of everything: emotional balance, personal security, calm/rest, peace in all ways, earthly understanding, and boundless confidence. That sounds like a Miss America pageant answer, huh?!?? Lol. I believe God puts in each of us a longing for a relationship with our Creator without the distance between earth and heaven. Our humanity really must be accepted for all that humanity entails. Unfortunately, our world will probably worsen before we meet God, so we may want to settle in. Come quickly, Jesus…but in the meantime, I trust you, Lord!

Recently, I have found heightened angst in our world for God to fix our world, heal our land and mend our hearts…He does promise to do so but not yet. This creates typical human angst we all have to live with. This seems to be a “life question” and one we all have to ask ourselves. How can I accept the inconsistent human life with the goal of eternity with God? The short answer is that the only thing consistent in our world is God. In every situation, up or down, ebb or flow, balance or wobble, security or insecurity, calm or struggle, peace or tragedy, knowing or not knowing, confidence or uncertainty…God is with us! Resilience, coping, and getting back up when you get knocked down for the 100th time is imperative. Do you remember Weebles? If you do, then you are saying or singing this right now… “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.” Be a Weeble! It is okay to wobble around the world of humanity with inconsistency, heartache, drama, etc., etc., etc.… but don’t fall down. God has you! Trust anyway, pray anyway, love always, and serve God nevertheless! Be a Weeble!

Psalm 33:18-22

¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²²May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

If you don’t know what a Weeble is, here is the vintage commercial for Weebles. https://youtu.be/qq0OQBdIhsc

liz goss

Praise God on Mother’s Day

May 5, 2021May 4, 2021by Liz GossLeave a Comment

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given.” – 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (NLT)

Sunday is Mother’s Day and I want to take the first sentence of this post to say: let this day be whatever you need it to be… but remember to be grateful. See, when I asked some friends about this yearly celebration I got feelings all over the map:

Love for my child and so much gratitude for being a mother.
Grief over a mother I am missing.
Struggling with mental health and have mixed feelings about being a mother.
Pain due to the mother daughter relationship I had.
Envy over those picture perfect moments that fill my social media feeds.
Empty ache over a child I lost even as I am grateful for the children I have.
Painful reminder that I’m not a mom yet.

Whatever Mother’s Day is or isn’t for you, it’s all okay. There’s room and space for the joy and the grief. It’s okay to talk about and feel all the sides of Mother’s Day. But because Mother’s Day is a day of celebration I challenge you all to spend some time preparing your heart to glorify God because of the gift of motherhood. We can all bring praise to God because of someone who personified a mother in our lives. There are three great ways (that popped into my brain) to carry out this exercise. So choose one or choose them all, but don’t forget to thank God for some aspect of moms this weekend.

WRITE – Put your thankfulness down in words. Thank your mother. Thank someone else’s mother. Be grateful for the ways you have been able to mother. Praise God for the ways he has mothered you. Pen to paper. Text. Write an email. Comment on this blog post. However you want to write out your thank you… do it.

ADVICE – We learn things from mothers and one amazing way to exalt motherhood is to share the advice we have received. Mom advice is priceless so glorify God by sharing some of it with others.

LAUGH – Being a mom can be… ridiculous. We do dumb things. Our kids do crazy stuff. We witness other mothers being off the wall geniuses. Let’s share some of this treasure trove and praise our good God for the laughs he’s brought along the way.

Sunday is Mother’s Day. If you need to cry today, cry. If you need to celebrate, celebrate. If you want to do both, do both. If you need to hide on Sunday and pretend it’s not Mother’s Day, that’s totally okay. From one woman to another, I give you permission to love yourself enough to ask for what you need from your loved ones for this day. But in the midst of all the things this world throws at us, let’s not forget to praise our God for the blessing of motherhood. Because through it all he is always good.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.” – 1 Chronicles 16:36

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Rebuild Trust

March 10, 2021March 9, 2021by amyoberg5 Comments

Can trust be rebuilt? Trust has been lost over the last year in a host of ways. It is not hard to see systems break down in our society, career paths squashed, and relationships took a huge hit in our world. Families, friends and just about every one of our relationships were challenged in trust…including our relationship with God.

What happens when things are broken in a relationship? How do we rebuild?

Recently, I heard a Ted Talks on this topic and it talked about rebuilding trust taking three things: authenticity, logic and empathy. These three pieces need to be present when working on a broken relationship.

Authenticity: We really need to be authentic in our relationships or then it is not a real relationship. (Psalm 119:73-74)

Empathy: Empathy is required to have a mutual relationship. It is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. (Galatians 6:2-3)

Logic: This part of the triangle fascinated me! Logic is the form of communication necessary to have understanding. (I know this is where people throw their hands up and determine that rebuilding trust requires the other person to be logical…but both parties need understanding). She drew a simple triangle to explain logic. (Proverbs 3:5)

Start with the story? Many of us start with story and maybe, maybe get to the point sometime in the future. When there is no trust or empathy, then the story will probably fog up the logic and create confusion in understanding if we ever get to the point.

Start with the point? Most of us should start with the point so it is not lost in the story. When rebuilding trust, we may have an opportunity to share the story when trust is built by the point.

This is an incredible formula that can be used in every relationship. Think about how you implement this in your life. When I am with people I trust, I tell them the whole story because the all details matter. When I am with someone I don’t trust, I usually get to the point pretty quick (and maybe I should more quickly). I usually try to tell people the story so they have empathy, but I’m learning it doesn’t work that way. Many times when I am telling a story and I see someone mentally check out…I should get to the point and wrap it up.

Hopefully you can take this formula into your life and put it to good use. While human relationships are hard, God does not need a formula. He loves you just the way you are, he is with you in your emotion, and he understands your story. Trust Him while rebuilding trust in other relationships.