One thing about hiking here- it's rocky!! Yesterday my husband, my brother, and I hiked to the top of a very steep mountain. There was no trail so we found our own way. Footholds are very important with the terrain being so steep, not to mention that it might be a cactus that would stop a fall!

It is such a secure feeling to not only find a good rock to hold onto when needed, but to find a rock that is solidly unmoving when stepping on it! Having solid places to hold onto and solid places to step gave me the ability to move forward ; losing my grip and step....well, that didn't happen thankfully.

God is the same way. Without him, we quickly lose our steps and hold, which leads into a downward, and even dangerous spiral. When we leave the safety and shelter of the Rock, it is just a short matter of time until we start slipping, stumbling, and feeling lost.

God is our Rock. He is unmoving- the same yesterday, today, and forever. He was perfect yesterday, He will be perfect today, and for all the tomorrows yet to come. We can cling to everything that he is and trust His words as we follow him. He is our solid place and stronghold.

Deuteronomy 32:4 says,

"He is the Rock, his work is perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!"

P.S. I have no idea why this blog posted as a link and I can't figure out how to undo it! Ugh! ;)

Coffee-Toffee Frosty

I've walked eleven days in a row now and absolutely love the Cardio Trainer app, by the way!! For one thing, the icon is cute and easy to spot on my phone ;)

It looks like this....

Last time I exercised eleven days in a row, I fell off the wagon on day twelve, day thirteen, and the tens of days afterwards! But, Cardio Trainer is helping me to stay motivated so I'm pretty sure that when day twelve hits tomorrow (Lord willing!), I will be quite happy to go on the planned hike with my brother, which is up the side of a cactus-filled mountain above his neighborhood. Lord, keep us safe, please! :)

Back to Cardio trainer... it keeps a calorie medal on my phone's task bar. It's fun to see a bigger number each time the workout is finished. Right now it's at 1500. It also keeps track of the distance I've walked, which is at 21 miles now!

Which brings me to this Coffee-Toffee Frosty from Wendy's that I'm eating, enjoying, and sa-vor-ing right at this moment.... I DESERVE IT! Twenty-one miles, after all! There- that's my point ;). (I'm a sucker for these Frosties.)

I'm really enjoying the walks. It's a good time to pray, even out loud. It's a good time to listen to God. And, I thoroughly enjoy His creation, whether it be the cool breeze, the woodpeckers pecking high up on the palms, the doves sitting on the cool, wet grass, or even Libby, who has gotten very good about staying beside me even when a rabbit or a cat begs a chase!

Deep Roots

I love seeing truths repeated throughout the Bible. It's one of my favorite things about reading it. This morning I read, in Colossions 2:6-7, these verses about sinking our roots deep into Christ.

"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done."

Usually when I find a verse that speaks to me, I look up cross references to find similar phrasings of the same truth. Ephesians 3:17, 19 says, "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

What a beautiful thing... our roots growing down receiving nourishment from the perfect, rich soil of our Creator's marvelous love. And as our roots reach down, our branches strengthen and blossom with new growth.

This growth doesn't happen on it's own though, and God isn't the one who sinks our roots down. He says, "Let your roots grow down" because in order for us to have a growing relationship with him, we sink our roots into all that He is by seeking him and obeying him. What a place to sink your roots into - a soil that is perfect, the soil where GOD is.

Sink your roots in by trusting. Let them go deep. The deeper you sink them in, the more firmly you will stand.

Do things God's way-

When you are tempted to worry (and thereby ruin your day), trust that God has his eyes on you, that he has a solution in the works. Let that be good enough because it is. Your roots will go deeper and He will work beyond what you could have dreamt up on your own.

When a fear rises up in you and you are tempted to let it stop your forward motion, remember that God has commanded you to be courageous. If he has commanded it, it must mean that there is something great he wants to show you just beyond you being courageous. Don't let fear stop you from sinking your roots in him.

When you face tragedy, count on God to comfort you. Seek him in the pages of your Bible...He will comfort you, and your roots will sink deeper.

When you need daily strength, ask God for it. He will answer, and you will find your roots have gone a little deeper.

Same thing with wisdom for all the situations we face- he just wants us to ask for it, and he will give it.

When you find God nudging you to make the decision that is the obedient one, be obedient. Your roots will go deeper.

Heed the warning God gave in Jeremiah 17:5-6:

"Cursed are ones who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the furture. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives."

And, then in verses 7 & 8, consider the blessing of trusting God.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He 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."

Every day, each moment we get to choose- shallow, poor, deadening soil or the deep, rich soil of God's marvelous love... hmm :)

On Friday, several of the youth in our church went to downtown Phoenix and served six hundred BBQ'd hot dogs to the homeless. They also gave a huge amount of clothes that had been donated. It was awesome in so many ways.

I love seeing the purpose on our students' faces as they set up and served. Their smiles, also, are priceless! They put their faith and love for Christ into action; they back up what James 1:25 says - "The person who continues to study God’s perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what His teachings say."

Several parents helped alongside our teens. I love it when the age groups come together to get a task done. I guess, for me, it makes it feel like a church and not just a single age group...it's about unity! From sorting clothes, to setting up the grill and serving the meal, everyone worked together.

My husband, Jim, brought his little pocket trumpet and played tunes while people waited in line to get their food. A huge highlight for me was seeing this guy's face light up (the one on the left in the picture) when Jim played "Amazing Grace." Immediately after, he requested that Jim play "Jesus, Lover of My Soul". I know that to stand in this line and wait for food must be difficult, but no matter how bad the circumstance is, Jesus can still make a face shine with joy.

We go because we love Jesus. He has done so much for us that our response is to go and do the same. I am beyond thrilled to see our youth rising up to show the world who Jesus is, both in their actions and in their words.

The length of our lives is just a drop in the bucket compared to how long our life in eternity is. Make it worthwhile!