Tag: Trusting God

Faith, Jesus, Christ, Bible, Bible Verses, chronic illness, covid, hope, blessings

Peace; and Freedom in Disguise?

On By PhillippiIn Other2 Comments

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. -Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Well, it happened. Four years of dodging Covid, one of my biggest fears, and all four of us are positive. To many, this fear may feel unfounded, but for a family living with chronic illness, it can be terrifying. It’s not the short-term I’ve been so fearful of, but rather long-covid, because I know what that feels like. That’s my life already-the unbearable daily fatigue and suffering. So yes, a double dose of long-covid symptoms is terrifying.

Not only have I been concerned about myself, but our youngest as well. Yet tonight, after reading the positive home tests in our hotel room, three days after illness struck us, a wave of peace has washed over me and settled-a peace only He can give. Peace is something I’ve experienced some of, but not enough of. I’ve literally been ridden with anxiety ever since this virus reared it’s ugly head in 2019. But, as much as I’ve scrupulously tried to control us not getting Covid, it’s completely out of my hands. It’s absolutely beyond it.

Now, I know we are not supposed to fear, but the truth is, I struggle sometimes with pretty significant anxiety, and it’s been incredibly difficult not to fear. To be completely honest, I have often succumbed to it. Tonight though, with His peace, he’s giving me another opportunity-an opportunity to walk in faith and trust Him, despite these circumstances we find ourselves in.

If I look at this right, maybe this too, is a blessing in disguise-freedom from bondage, because I’ve literally been in bondage to this virus since the first few cases broke out. Maybe this is an opportunity to strengthen my faith and finally walk in peace, knowing all is well, in spite of the trials we are facing.

*and how timely that our weekly memory verse for homeschool this week was this…

do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. -Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

God is always right on time.

Lean in, Hold Tightly, Take the Plunge

On By PhillippiIn Faith and Trusting God, Hope and Strength2 Comments

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. -2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. -John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Have you ever thought that God may be allowing the difficulties in our lives to shape us, strengthen our faith, and learn to trust him in the hard? What if it’s all ultimately for good?

The apostle Paul tells the Philippians that nothing pales in comparison to knowing Christ-that this is what matters. Maybe what we are experiencing right now, as tough as it may be, is there to teach us something, to help our faith mature, and our relationship with God to flourish in ways we wouldn’t be able to learn or grow otherwise. It may not be what we want to hear, but we must ask ourselves this question honestly-if everything in life was easy, and our days went seamlessly smooth, would we be reaching and grasping ahold of God like we are in these incredibly challenging trials? God knows what He’s doing, even when all may feel hopeless.

Let us not give up hope, for the one we seek is faithful to continue His good work in us! Let’s use this time wisely, these especially difficult days, and instead of giving up hope, let’s lean in even more closely and not just take a dip-but dive head first into His Word. He has much to teach us and He wants to give us an abundant and prosperous life.

Remember, even when life is unbelievably tough, He is the Prince of peace and this gift of peace is one only he can give. It’s a peace that can exist even when our circumstances are anything but peaceful. So, lean in, take that plunge into His Word, and hold tightly to the One who’s got you!

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. -Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. -Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk FridayLeave a comment

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, quote or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

Francis Chan said, “But God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.”

Are you comfortable, or are you walking fearlessly with God?

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” -Deuteronomy 31:6

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk FridayLeave a comment

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, quote or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

Anne Graham Lotz said, “Let us firmly fix our eyes on Jesus with a heart of absolute trust.”

Where are your eyes fixed-on your problems and circumstances or on Jesus?

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. –Psalm 16:8

My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. -Psalm 25:5

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk FridayLeave a comment

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, quote or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

Dave Willis said, “Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice to trust God even when the road ahead seems uncertain.”

Are you choosing faith in the uncertainty?

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; -Ephesians 6:16

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. -Mark 11:22

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk FridayLeave a comment

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

Corrie Ten Boom said, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit
still and trust the engineer.”

Are you trusting our Engineer in the darkness, as well as the light?

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. -Psalm 112:7

Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. -Psalm 33:20-22

Peak Mover

On By PhillippiIn PhotographyLeave a comment 
It's Majestic Marvel Monday! Since Mondays can often be one of the tougher days of the week and for many, it means back to the daily grind, what better way to put a smile on your face than to marvel at His majestic wonders! I absolutely love photography! It is both a creative outlet and passion that brings me joy. So, each Monday, I will post at least one photo of God’s majestic marvels I’ve captured. See and be in awe of His creations and beauty!

As beautiful as those snowy peaks are, when they pose obstacles in your life, they aren’t pretty. Maybe you are facing a mountain or two in your life right now and you can’t see any way around them. Those mountains appear so mighty and immovable. But what if your eyes aren’t supposed to be on those obstacles? What if those peaks are there for a higher purpose? What if they are there to help you shift your focus onto the “mountain mover”?

“Get your eyes off the mountain and your eyes on the mountain mover. -Unknown

“The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.” -Psalm 97:5-6

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” -Psalm 46:1-3

“Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. -Job 37:14

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” -Martin Luther

Copyright © 2022 Aimee Phillippi

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk FridayLeave a comment

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

“The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ is written in the bible 365 times. That’s a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless. -Unknown

Will you hold onto fear or trust God and choose to live fearlessly?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. -John 14:27

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. -Isaiah 41:13

Fuel Your Walk Friday

On By PhillippiIn Fuel Your Walk Friday5 Comments

Fuel your walk with some Jesus and Joe.

I love Jesus and I love me an iced cuppa fresh cold brew halved with vanilla almond milk. What better way to combine the two and perk up the beginning of your weekend, than to “Fuel Your Walk” with some Jesus and Joe. Once a week, I will be posting a little snippet, thought, or question to ponder in relation to your walk with Christ. So grab your favorite mug, pour yourself a delicious cuppa Joe and get comfy as you let this question percolate in your mind:

Charles Spurgeon said, “To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark-that is faith.”

How would you measure your faith? Are you trusting Him not only in the light, but on the darkest of days too?

For we live by faith, not by sight. -2 Corinthians 5:7

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8

An Angel and an Opportunity

On By PhillippiIn Faith and Trusting God1 Comment

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19

We hit the road for an early echocardiogram appointment two days before Thanksgiving and low and behold, we found ourselves in the least expected situation. Stranded on an Alaskan highway in 7 degree weather, with snow blowing all around us in the most dangerous intersection of the 142 mile stretch of highway, at 7:30 a.m., was not on my agenda that morning. We had our day planned out, but other plans panned out. And it gave us yet another opportunity to trust our Heavenly Father. What could have turned deadly quickly in those frigid weather conditions, instead was a rescue by an angel.

As we sat there on the side of the road with no heat, trying not to panic, we wondered how soon a tow truck in this small rural town could deliver us to an auto body shop. In full survival mode, trying to figure out what went horribly wrong and how to get out of the elements-something miraculous happened. Lovely people-3 different cars to be exact-began to pull over asking if we were ok. My biggest priority was finding someone who could take us home so we didn’t freeze to death. And we did. A woman on her way to work at the local hospital agreed to drive us 20 minutes in the opposite direction on this dark, snowy morning. And while the day sure didn’t end there, God kept providing.

Shortly after arriving home, my husband, who stayed with the car, was able to get a tow to the auto repair shop about an hour later. Several hours after that, the bad news came that our engine in our only vehicle-a car, with only 36,000 miles on it, mind you, likely blew due to the fault of the auto repair shop who changed our oil recently. And, it didn’t stop there. The owner told us he wasn’t sure there was even a rental car available in town. But again, God provided. With a rental car, my husband was on his way home. Once home, he gave me the news that the auto shop would pay for our rental car through Thanksgiving until the following Monday and then “figure something out”. Once again, our faith muscles were tested, and again, He provided.

And not only did he provide physically, he provided a new perspective: that a disaster can be an opportunity. It’s all about perspective, really. We can look at an extremely trying situation as a nightmare, or we can see the silver lining and what God may be trying to teach us. Maybe a day gone awry is actually a blessing in disguise-a strengthening of our faith-a lesson in learning to trust our Creator more fully. As for our car, we are still waiting for answers. Several events followed leaving us even further in the dark, which I will write about in another post. For now, while we are still unsure when our vehicle will be fixed, we will continue to trust.

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. -Isaiah 41:13