Facing the day like a SPARTAN.

In Joshua chapter one, the phrase "be strong and courageous" is repeated 3 times within the span of 2 verses. Throughout literature, the repetition of a word or phrase 3 times is used for emphasis.

Websters defines courage as:

–noun

1.

the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person toface difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

2.

Obsolete . the heart as the source of emotion.

—Idiom

3.

have the courage of one's convictions, to act in accordancewith one's beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism.

Strong is defined as:

having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscularpower; physically vigorous or robust: a strong boy.

2.

accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc.,power or force: a strong handshake; With one strong blowthe machine stamped out a fender.

3.

mentally powerful or vigorous: He may be old, but his mind isstill strong.

4.

especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field orrespect: She's very strong in mathematics. He's weak atbat, but he's a strong fielder.

5.

of great moral power, firmness, or courage: strong undertemptation.

6.

powerful in influence, authority, resources, or means ofprevailing or succeeding: a strong nation.

7.

aggressive; willful: a strong personality.

8.

of great force, effectiveness, potency, or cogency;compelling: strong reasons; strong arguments.

9.

clear and firm; loud: He has a strong voice.

10.

solid or stable; healthy; thriving: The banker predicted astrong economy.

11.

well-supplied or rich in something specific: a strong hand intrumps.

12.

having powerful means to resist attack, assault, oraggression: a strong fortress; a strong defense.

13.

able to resist strain, force, wear, etc.: strong walls; strongcloth.

14.

decisively unyielding; firm or uncompromising: She has strongviews about the United Nations. He has a strong sense ofduty.

15.

fervent; zealous; thoroughgoing: He's a strong Democrat.

16.

strenuous or energetic; vigorous: strong efforts.

17.

moving or acting with force or vigor: strong winds.

18.

distinct or marked; vivid, as impressions, resemblance orcontrast: He bears a strong resemblance to his grandfather.

19.

intense, as light or color.

be strong and courageous as you lead those around you,

be strong and courageous to continue to see the word of God even when it's neither fun nor easy,

be strong and courageous , don't be afraid or discouraged. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

(Joshua 1:6-9 the marycatherinewells translation)

I ask you today, how are the following going to be visible in your life today:

you maintain convictions

you have power in influence and authority

you are willful

you are clear and firm

you are solid

you are stable

you are healthy

you are thriving

you resist attack, assault and aggression

you are able to resist strain

you are decisively unyielding 

you are uncompromising

you are fervent

you are zealous

you make every move or action with force and purpose

you are distinct, you are marked.

it would be so much easier to live a safe life,

 but then what would be the fun and adventure in that?

" This day we rescue a world from

 mysticism and tyranny 

and usher in a future brighter than anything we can imagine. "

(300, the film)

throwing a temper tantrum with an invisible Man.

sometimes I get frustrated, practically on the verge of a temper tantrum with God and in those moments I would like nothing more than to sit him down over coffee and have at it.


but God is invisible. We hear His voice, we see evidence of who He is, we see His work in our lives but He doesn't sit in a chair across from us in Starbucks.
(but if He did, I wonder what He would order from Starbucks??)


do I truly trust a man that is invisible? I was talking with my small group girls last week about dating God vs. marrying God. A TON of people date God; dating is when you take aspects of God that you like and scriptures that you like and you live by that. You don't take God in the good times and bad, you take what is convenient. I find myself dating God a lot. 


marrying God  is when you are committed to having an active relationship with Him that isn't always fun, isn't always easy and isn't always accepted by those around you. It's in these times, I just want to throw a temper tantrum with God.


I don't have anything profound to bring to you today; I've yet to come to the end of myself and find resolution with this idea of trusting an invisible Man during the times when it isn't fun.

Maybe you are dating the Lord?

Maybe you are angry with the Lord?

Maybe you are picking and choosing what aspects of Christ you want to follow?

Maybe you want to throw a temper tantrum?

Maybe you (like myself!) just want to slugg God in the face sometimes?

"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue."
 [proverbs 16:1]


the Hebrew word for heart is Lev = לב, which when translated means:

inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding inner part, midst midst (of things) heart (of man) soul, heart (of man) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory inclination, resolution, determination (of will) conscience heart (of moral character) as seat of appetites as seat of emotions and passions  as seat of courage so here's the deal, a relationship with Christ is not easy . it's beneficial. and quite frankly, when you live in relationship with Him and you submit your heart to Him, you are saying with great courage, that you trust your everything to a Man who you can't see right now. this is a lot to digest. i need to make the choice to man-up and stop dating Christ on and off.

in case you forgot how much you are loved.

regardless of whether or not your parents planned for you, you are in no way a mistake.

 in fact, you are the furthest thing from it.

when a potter is forming a new work,the first step would be for the potter to establish the shape of his new work.  but what if he stopped there? then every pot and dish would be without personality and detail. 

after the shape and purpose has been established, the potter then uses his fingertips to delicately add detail, personality and uniqueness to his work.

I believe this is the same concept to Isaiah 43,

the Lord creates us and then He forms us..

"He who created you, O Jacob,

He who formed you, O Israel"

(verse 1)

"everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made"

(verse 7)

these two words are not meant to be synonyms of one another within this passage, but rather to show the great detail in which each one of us was created;the Creator of the Universe  not only spoke us into being, 

though He could have stopped there,

He didn't.

 He then sat with each of us individually 

and used His fingers to

add every freckle,

 every curvature of our bodies,

to place every single hair (even that one that goes the wrong way every day),

to design each fingerprint on our hands.

we are covered with the fingerprints of the God of the Universe.

He  sat down with YOU and used His own hands to form every part of you.

We are His masterpiece, His greatest work. 

we didn't each have to be different from one another,

we could have been exactly the same but we aren't.

so why do we act like we aren't something that is special and has great purpose?

sometimes I forget I'm precious, purposed and perfect in the sight of the Lord.

"... since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you,

I will give men in exchange for you,

and people in exchange for your life.

do not be afraid,

for I am with you."

isaiah 43:4-5