Tag: trust

Leave Your Fear At The Door And Bring Facts To The Table

- dannalundstrom
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This is the truth.  We have to trade in our comfort for connection otherwise our relationships are superficial at best.  No one wins in a relationship that is not marked by transparency.
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We are all more alike than we are different.  Vulnerability sets captives free, us and the person or individuals sharing.
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Me too.  I understand.  I have been there.  I struggle with that too.  These are some of the most life-giving words, we can extend to others.
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And if we do not identify with their particular struggle, a clear understanding that we ourselves are flawed and in need of a Rescuer allows us to listen to the hurting with humility and lend compassion in the presence of another’s cross.
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I have many battles I face day to day, some old and others new.  Sometimes it is just as simple yet as difficult as staying in the present and managing my mind from straying off to toxic thoughts.  Every time I need to give my obstacles to The Lord, and at points, the sheer weight of their nature requires that I also enlist a trusted friend.
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Again and again, I have sat before a friend, fenced in by fear and stained with shame.  And you know what?  When I choose the right confidant, I always leave a little freer.
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An integral part of being free is leaving fear at the door and bringing facts clothed in faith to the table.
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Dr. Larry Crabb acknowledges that we never arrive in this life, but as followers of Christ, we are inching more and more, day by day towards Him.
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Photo credit to Life Church, Oklahoma.

Remember Who is Driving The Car

- dannalundstrom


When Carter turned two-years-old, I enrolled him in a mother’s day out program at our church two days a week. What I thought would be a short respite for me with a newborn baby quickly became a place of pain. Each Tuesday, Thursday when I loaded him in his car seat, his little face would peak with concern. The very second he saw we were turning down the road to MDO he would begin to cry and say, “no, mommy, no mommy.” “I stay with you, mommy.” It would break my heart! The school assured me shortly after I left that he was happy and playing with the other kids, but my heart would remain so heavy and haunted by his tears and pleas. Ultimately, though, I had to keep reminding myself that it was for his good, despite my grief. He needed the playtime, the socialization, the learning and so much more that the precious program had to offer that he could not get anywhere else.

I was thinking this morning as I was again shedding tears in this time of change and transition, did I mention I do not like an interruption of the predictable, but that experience was such a picture of God, our good, good, Father. Sometimes he allows us to be “driven” down dirt roads that have a lot of potholes and bumps. The journeys can be frightening, and often it feels like our cries for relief go unheard. But it is essential we remember Who is driving the car and that He never leads us anywhere that is not ultimately for our benefit. I know some circumstances look as though they could never prosper us, only persecute us. We are not God, though. Thank goodness for that! His vision is eternal and from a much broader, all-encompassing perspective. We can be assured, however, that He never leaves us alone with our tears. He hears our weeping and holds every sorrow. (Psalm 56:8)

I do not know what road you are maneuvering today, friend. But this I know for sure, if you remain the passenger, and let Abba Father steer the wheel, it may hurt, and it may sting but hang on to the truth that He is ultimately guiding you to a destination that will be for your gain and His glory. It may take a while to realize the results of the pilgrimage you or a loved one are traveling; sometimes it is not in this life. But faith is the conviction of what we do not see, not certainty in what we do. (Hebrews 11:1) Persevering faith is everlasting; present fact is equivocal. Believe in where you are and where you are going, not because you understand it, but because of The One Who does.

Fishers of Men Not Means

- dannalundstrom 1 Comment

Through earnest prayer, I have seen God change so many circumstances in my life and the lives of people I love. More importantly, I have seen him transform me so that I am not bound to begging for a different outcome but rather a divine income.
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For many years I thought the purpose of prayer was to get something from God. Now I understand that the hope of prayer is to get God. Just God, more of Him and less of me. His desires become mine, not vice versa when I sincerely seek Him.
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Praying does not require fancy language. God does not give credit for style. He is looking for surrender.
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Prayer changes everything. The thing is, change just does not always mirror our desires.
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I have heard a couple of renditions of this misconception the last week, “I don’t understand, He didn’t answer my prayers.” He did, friend. He just answered them His way, and we are not called to comprehend but to commit.
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If you are a parent and you make decisions that are best for your children, you know sometimes they are hard, but they are also right. Our kids most often do not understand. Hard and holy go hand in hand, though, and it has been that way since the beginning.
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God understands our difficulty because He, too, is a Father. He is a person to know not a commodity to control.
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Prayer sometimes changes earthly directions, but most importantly it alters eternal destinations, and that is our primary commission.
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We are fishers of men not means.
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If I can pray for you today, please let me know. It is my privilege to petition the Prince of Peace on behalf of my friends.

The Commission is at Hand

- dannalundstrom 2 Comments

Dearest friend,
We are children loved by a good Father without comparison. He has anointed us with a unique mission, in unprecedented times. The Father chose us for this moment in time that can be difficult to reconcile because it is a marriage of both beautiful and brutal. Because of this, it is necessary for us to love fearlessly, believe scandalously and hope without compromise. What mission has He entrusted to you today? May we all be good attendants of His holy assignments. Scandalous belief says that we have all we need to succeed today so do not look ahead for the commission is at hand.

To Believe Or Not Believe, That is the Question

- dannalundstrom

I made a commitment to myself at the end of the primaries not to comment on politics on social media because I did not think it was wise or helpful and I am not well versed enough to be credible.  do feel led to say this, though.  I went to bed last night, and I am pretty sure my blood was boiling.  I was anxious; my soul was very unsettled, and I was angry.  There are things in both candidates that bring out anger in me that I shutter to know is there when stoked.  They both succeeded in different ways at fanning those flames last night.

The hypocrisy and arrogance, from both parties, last night, along with the barrage of social media posts lamenting our choices, sent me to bed a mess of emotions and feeling despair. I was praying and talking to Jesus in an attempt to calm myself.  There in the dark last night, The Lord reminded me of something very critical that I think we all need to remember, myself included!  All my anger, anxiety, lamenting and despair is just a form of UNBELIEF in who God is and the character that He possesses.  

Tim Keller says many of us believe in God, but do not believe God.

Last night I had to ask myself that question.  I believe in Him, but am I going to trust Him? If I am going to choose His word, which I am, then my terms can not be conditional.  Even when things look dreadful, and circumstances appear unredeemable, God is good, faithful, sovereign and working good in the midst of our gaffes.  He has plans for the good and prosperity of his children, and He can do immeasurably more with a mess than any of us can begin to imagine.

Today friends, I pray that if you believe in God, you will choose along with me to fight to believe God.  There is a very critical difference in the two.  When we intentionally make a choice not just to believe in him but believe Him, our lives will reflect that is our posts and our peace.  I love you all!

Selfie Sermon Tuesday

- dannalundstrom

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Hey fretting friend.  Resign from your post today and rest here.

Psalm 119:42~I trust in your word.  

What peaceful lives we would lead if we believed this word every moment of ever day.  It is easy to apply this to parts of our lives, but other areas like our children, our security, our health and our provisions pose a threat to our faith.

God’s word is not meant to be picked and chosen to fit only our comfort zones.  

It is intended to stretch far beyond those seemingly safe spheres and cover every area of occupation.   The degree to which we surrender to an unwavering belief in undesirable places, otherwise known as faith, is directionally proportional to our breadth of peace.  

Do we believe when it is counterintuitive or just when it is convenient? 

It’s ok.  Me, too.  Life is a series of remembering God’s promises, repenting of our unbelief and returning to His shelter.  We are continually under construction, and that is not only ok, but it is also normal! 

#selfiesermon #preachingtoself

Who or What Are You Trusting

- dannalundstrom 1 Comment

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Right now it seems all the world has to offer is unrest, uncertainty, division, fear and anger, but God gives us His word.  It is the balm and the pacifier for all things.  Last night I was reading in the Psalms before I went to bed.  Psalm 112:7-8 says, they do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.  They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.  As I meditated on that, I immediately felt lighter.  I cannot just read God’s word.  That does me no good.  I must believe His word.  Perception without practice is unbelief that only leads us down dirt roads disillusioned by fear.  The degree to which we trust the Lord at His word is directly proportional to our level of peace. We are all trusting in something.  When I find myself anxious, afraid or mingling with any of their cohorts, I know I am trusting in something or someone other than my Savior.  May you find freedom and rest in the Word, not the world today, friends.

Resign and Rest Today

- dannalundstrom

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Hey fretting friend.  Resign from your post today and rest here.

Psalm 119:42~I trust in your word.  

What peaceful lives we would lead if we believed this word every moment of ever day.  It is easy to apply this to parts of our lives, but other areas like our children, our security, our health and our provisions pose a threat to our faith.

God’s word is not meant to be picked and chosen to fit only our comfort zones.  

It is intended to stretch far beyond those seemingly safe spheres and cover every area of occupation.   The degree to which we surrender to an unwavering belief in undesirable places, otherwise known as faith, is directionally proportional to our breadth of peace.  

Do we believe when it is counterintuitive or just when it is convenient? 

It’s ok.  Me, too.  Life is a series of remembering God’s promises, repenting of our unbelief and returning to His shelter.  We are continually under construction, and that is not only ok, but it is also normal! ‪#‎selfiesermon‬ ‪#‎surrender‬ ‪#‎mychildrenhaveaSavioranditisnotme‬

Happy freedom Friday!

Even If

- dannalundstrom

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I was sitting on my counselor’s couch Thursday, and we were talking.  She has several large picture windows in her office, and it is up high, so I often feel like I am sitting in the trees, so close to the big blue sky that I could reach out and stroke my hand through the white, puffy clouds. This day the sky was particularly beautiful. Like a sea of bright, unadulterated baby blue.  As I talked to her, my attention kept being drawn to the beauty of the sky.

I was explaining to her my need to stay in the moment every day as to prevent events on the horizon from sabotaging my peace.  Taking every thought captive to the obedience of The Lord is imperative for me. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

As I continued talking I told her,”I want to sit here and ask you, what if this happens; or what if this, what if, what if, what if.  At the very moment I finished those words, my mind was interrupted.  There was a pause in my spirit, and The Lord planted a crucial truth in my heart.  The words spilled out of my mouth before even realizing it.  In that moment God said, D’Anna, you are asking the wrong question.  Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?  They never asked what if, they confidently and courageously stated, “Even If.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the three pious, Jewish, youths thrown into a “fiery furnace” by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon because they refused to bow down to the king’s image according to chapter 3 of the book of Daniel.  The three replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us.  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”  As the chapter goes on to relate, the three were bound up and thrown into the fiery furnace.  Much to Nebuchadnezzar’s amazement they were seen walking around unbound with a fourth person who looked like a God in the furnace.  The king ordered the men to come out.  Not a hair on their head had been harmed, and the king exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!”  (Daniel 3)

How often are we letting our minds become battlefields; wandering around asking, “what if?”  When we enter the “furnaces of life”, what questions are we asking, and how are we viewing God; absolute or apathetic?  I am thankful the Lord reminded me of this valuable truth on Thursday.  I pray I never again forget not to ask what if; but with confidence and trust in my Savior to say, “even if.” Even if it does not work out as I see it, I will still stand with faith in my God who works all things for my good because I know He loves me! (Romans 8:28)

Falling At the Feet of Jesus

- dannalundstrom

 

One of the most endearing things about our dog, Paisley, is a ritual she has had since the day we got her. She prances up to you and falls to her back in the most relaxed and vulnerable state of rest.
What we quickly learned is that Paisley does this entirely trusting a belly rub is in store for her. She has no doubt just complete confidence.
For a time, she would do this to everyone who entered our house. It became an idiosyncrasy that we always felt needed explanation. As someone walks in our door, having a puppy garner their attention only to fall at their feet in an utterly defenseless posture waiting for the one thing she desired the most. Well, ok, maybe second to treats, but who doesn’t love sweets!
After time passed and Paisley matured, she no longer greeted guests this way; only us. The people closest to her and that she was sure she could trust. You see, she learned to fear, and she experienced rejection and I would say she learned a bit of wisdom. Warm, welcoming hands are not found everywhere.
Her behavior has taught and continues to teach me a great lesson every day. Do I come humbly, fully expectant, entirely trusting, in a helpless, vulnerable posture and fall at the feet of Jesus every day waiting for the one thing I desire most? The one thing I cannot do for myself. The one thing that satisfies my soul. The one and the only thing that gives rest to my riddled heart. Maybe I do sometimes, but sometimes, even though I have learned fear and rejection, too, I still plant myself in susceptible situations expecting to find what I can only gain through One person-Jesus. The person who knows loves and protects me better than anyone. This is a lesson Paisley renews for me daily.
Sometimes the truth must fracture me before it frees me. I love the faithfulness of my Father to use every medium, even a small puppy, to teach me His character and what it means to be His daughter.