Spring is in the air, and the hunt for a new home is on! The process is exciting, but it is also nerve-wracking! First, there is the search, with so many things to consider. Is the house conveniently located? Is it large (or small) enough to fit our needs? How does it line up with the criteria that we have decided upon? And most importantly, is it God’s will? There are so many things to think about. However, once a possible choice is made, the really stressful part begins -- The Application.

Filling out the application is not difficult in itself, but waiting for acceptance is. Hopefuls, like us, are put through a gauntlet of questions and each one causes us to try to prove our value. And, as each question is answered, more questions run through our minds. Will they think we are a good risk? Will they think we make enough money? Will they judge our credit fairly? I even ask myself if they care that I love gardening and keeping a home looking nice. But it all boils down to one main question, “Will I be deemed worthy?” That question hurts.

In life there are stepping stones much like those meticulously placed in ponds and streams by landscape architects and gardeners.  They bridge the gap between one piece of solid ground and another.  Recently, I have found myself standing on shaky ground.  Within a very short period of time, death has touched our family twice.  First, a beloved uncle passed away in his winter years, and then more recently, a good friend and co-worker of my husband died suddenly while on vacation with his wife.  When death and tragedy hit so close to home, we come face to face with the fragility of life.  It is in times like these that my stones of faith have been laid.  Each stone represents an experience in life, a lesson learned, and a step of faith.  And each stone has carried me to a place of deeper fellowship with the Lord.

We shouldn’t be surprised when difficulties come our way, but instead, consider them times to better learn to fully depend on Him.  When we realize that each of our trials is an opportunity to see God at work and to be a witness of His greatness for others, our faith is grown and His glory shared.  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  (I Peter 1:6-7)

Our response in times of trouble is crucial.  It is not the time to waiver in our faith.  But instead, to turn to Him for support and direction.  It is easy to try to depend on our own strength, but we will find that by doing so our efforts are fruitless.  We will sink in the stressful moments that are sure to come our way.  But, God offers calm in the midst of the storm and stepping stones in the middle of deep waters.  “Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm.”  (Mark 4:39)  And in those calm moments His loving strength is revealed.  When we focus on Him, He will show us the higher ground which leads us over the water.

Are you going through a situation in your life that you can’t handle on your own?  Then look to the Lord.  He longs to comfort you and bring peace into your life.  He is strong enough for all your burdens!  With each trial you give to Him, He will lay another stepping stone before you upon which to firmly place your feet while you travel through deep water.  I am praising God for the stepping stones of my faith, each lovingly and beautifully placed by the faithful hands of Christ.

Trusting in Him,

“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” (Psalm 105:1-5).

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Welcome to another week of Sharing His Beauty!  It has been a wonderful week, hasn't it? We had the joy of visiting with our "kids" and spending a special weekend with our granddaughter.  It is always bittersweet coming home after such a great visit, but I am so thankful for the time God gave us to spend together.  It is such a blessing! I am looking forward to reading how God has blessed you this week and how His beauty has shined all around you!



I invite you to link up beginning tonight at 6:00 p.m. to share the blessing that God is to you in your life. Simply click on the "You're Next" linky below and enter your blog information.

Or, if you choose, you may leave a comment on my post to tell of the beauty you have found in His hands. Be sure to visit some of the other inspirational sites linked up and be encouraged today!

Living for Him, 

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on’” (Luke 21:1-4). 

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This past week has been an exciting one for me! I began my new job and was blessed by the welcome I received from those I am now serving alongside. Everyone was more than helpful as I learned some of the ins and outs of my new position...including being introduced to the Mac operating system! (Yes, I've been a PC girl since we bought our first computer back in 1991!) So, I have been on a steep learning curve this week, but I love it! Then, as you know, this week we celebrated the most important week on the Christian calendar and its culmination on Easter Sunday. The significance of my job beginning this week was not lost to me as I recognized the parallel between my new area of service and the joy I have in my salvation. Because of the sacrifice Christ made, I am able to live in relationship with Him! Because of His love...I live!  I am honored to serve our risen Lord!  Because of the fullness of the week, rather than writing a new devotional, I am re-posting one I wrote last year. It seemed to fit as I have taken this most recent leap of faith. Blessings to each of you as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord!

Several years ago, during a weekend conference in the beautiful Sierra Mountains outside of Yosemite National Park, I surprised myself by signing up for the high ropes course. I had never done anything remotely like that since the tree climbing days of my childhood. But, I figured that being secured in the safety harness would remove my fear once I was above the ground. So, I boldly joined the other women already on their way to test their courage.

There were several different segments of the course beginning with a climbing wall. I made it to the top and back down without incident. My confidence grew as I traversed the ropes without faltering. But then…I got to the “Poles”. At first glance, they seemed innocent enough – three straight, telephone-like poles standing side by side reaching 35 feet up into the air. The guide strapped me in the harness, gave me instructions and up I went, hand over hand until I reached the top. The idea was that once the climber reached the top of the pole, she was to somehow maneuver herself so she was standing on top of it. Well, that is easier said than done! However, after some creative stretching, twisting and reaching, I managed to hoist myself to the “summit”.

Standing tall, I proudly surveyed the surrounding area. The trees looked beautiful from this vantage point and the cloudless sky seemed almost close enough to touch. I was pleased with my accomplishment. But then, after hearing the cheers from my friends on the ground, I made a mistake and looked down. Anxiety immediately hit me as the realization of my situation grew…My next step was to jump off! The guide encouraged me to simply take a breath, leap out into the air and grab a trapeze that was there for just that purpose. Fear gripped me in a way I had never experienced and I froze. My stomach churned and my arms hung heavily and motionless at my sides. My head told me that it was safe to jump, but my body wouldn’t obey. I knew that the harness and its tether would keep me from crashing to the ground 35 feet below, but in my fear, I couldn’t move.

How often do we experience similar situations in our walk with Christ? As we come to know Him, our excitement and enthusiasm grows. The newness of our understanding of His love for us fills us with joy and our thankfulness for His gift of salvation makes our hearts long to serve Him. But, often, there are barriers that hold us back. We may think we aren’t talented enough, smart enough or young enough. We may compare ourselves to others we see already serving Him and think, “What do I have to offer when that person is so much more equipped than I am?” Sometimes the memory of our life before we were Christians or our failures since hinders us. What is the common thread? Fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, and fear of man. But, we need to remember that when God is with us, we can put aside our fears. “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). God is faithful and we can trust Him to help us as we seek to follow Him.

God created us to serve Him. We may not even be aware of how or where He wants to use us, but when we step out in faith, offering ourselves to Him, He will hold us up. When we look to Christ for our strength, He is our harness, keeping us securely in His grip. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). 

I've kept a picture for many years…40 to be exact. I drew it when I was just a little girl, and for some reason, only made clear to me today, I never threw it away.

When I was a child, I didn’t know much about God. I went to church, but, I never heard about His love for me or the incredible gift of salvation. You may wonder how that could be. I don’t really know, except that I grew up in a time and place where the tradition of attending church far outweighed the importance of being taught the Word. I think that makes where I am now in my relationship with the Lord all the more miraculous. Anyway, this morning God gave me a precious window into my past. I was reading my friend Joan Hall’s post from Reflections of His Grace. She wrote about verse 4 of the 23rd Psalm and I had a light bulb moment. All of a sudden I remembered the picture and how, when I was about 10 or 11 years old, I read about the 23rd Psalm in a book. It wasn’t the bible, but rather, a children’s story that referenced it.

At that tender age, I had never experienced a true valley, but the words of the Psalm so moved me that I set out to memorize it. As I learned the Psalm, His words penetrated my heart.

The children’s book that I read also talked about a loving shepherd who had lost his sheep. He set out to find it and rejoiced when he did. It was then that I first felt the gentle tug from my true Shepherd, though I didn’t understand that until later. And, as children often do, I drew a picture about what was on my mind. It was a simple child’s rendering of the shepherd in the story finding his lost sheep.