Facing Fear. . .

Abide With Me ~ Arrangement by Joshua Andrews
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Uncertainty, worry and anxiety all result in fear that many people face today. Whether it is due to fear of job loss, fear of failure, fear of financial ruin, fear of loneliness, fear of losing a loved one, fear of rejection, or fear of developing a major illness, like cancer, we will all experience some form of fear during our lifetime. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” For me, knowing how to face my fears during these past few months has been through much prayer, meditation and reading what God’s Word has to say about fear that has me given much inner peace and comfort. For some, fear can be so debilitating and have such a hold on their life that they rob themselves of not only today’s joy, but of God’s promises to help face their fears. We are never promised that we will not experience frightful moments or unexpected troubles in our lives that will not give us times of worry, anxiety or sleeplessness. However, God does give us many promises in His Word that can give us assurance that we do not have to go through these fearful times alone, if we put our faith and trust in Him. For it is only when we study God’s Word can we build our faith so that we are less fearful knowing we are under His wings when we abide with Him for “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Psalm 91:4 NLT).

It has been during the darkest moments in my life, like being diagnosed with cancer, when I have felt God’s assurance the most knowing that He is with me at all times. Rather than choosing to live in fear, I have chosen to live in faith knowing that God will give me the confidence that He will not only be with me, but will give me the strength and help me through my darkest hours. In Isaiah 41:10, I read, “Fear not, I am with you, be not afraid for I am your God, I will give you strength and will help you” and Isaiah 43:1-2, “Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown."

Sometimes the storms in our lives can be so overwhelming that we do not think we will ever survive the turmoil we are in or that it will ever end. Yet, if we put our trust in God, He gives us the hope and assurance that we can endure these troubled times and that He will carry us through these unchartered waters, while He calms the wind and perilous waves in our lives just like He calmed the wind and sea for His disciples who found themselves in troubled waters when He said, “Peace be still, and the wind ceased and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39). For when God is in the boat of life with us, we have the assurance that He will not only get us to the other side of our troubled times, but He will always be with us. How comforting and reassuring it is to know God’s promise that He will “never leave me, or abandon me” when facing my fear so that I can confidently cling to Him and say “the Lord is my helper and I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:5-6). For I have learned, when fear comes knocking on my door, if I send faith to answer it, I will find there is no one there because I have put my trust in God!

By looking fear in the face, 

it is not just the sense of God’s presence, 

but the fact of God’s presence

that gives me strength to persevere.

~ By Bonita ~

Heavenly Hope. . .

Streams of Hope ~ Arrangement by Dan Gibson (Solitudes) 
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Recently, I read that approximately 24,000 new cases of breast cancer, or 1 in 8 women, will be diagnosed this year alone in Canada. I find that to be an astonishing statistic and, sadly, I found myself to be part of that statistic! However, with the tremendous medical improvements in both detection and treatment, there is so much more hope for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before. For this, I am extremely grateful and it is my hope that I will be one of the statistics to be known as a long-term survivor. For each time I have one more form of treatment, whether it be chemotherapy or radiation, it is just another boost of hope to make me well again; although I have no guarantee of long-term survivability, I still have hope on my side! 

Hope is a wonderful coping mechanism in our lives that each one of us is blessed with. If it were not for my faith that brings me my ‘heavenly hope’ every day through my prayers, meditation and reading God’s Word, coping with such a diagnosis can be very distressing and sets you on an emotional roller-coaster that can bring so much grief. “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).

Grief is not immune to any of us and it comes in many forms throughout one’s life. It is our choice, however, how we choose to cope with our grief either with hopelessness or hopefulness. I once read that when we grieve, we will go through at least five stages of grief such as: 1) deniaI, 2) anger, 3) bargaining, 4) depression, and 5) acceptance (Kubler-Ross E. 1970). 

As I can only speak for myself, I can honestly say that of the five stages I chose to immediately ‘accept’ my grieving news when first diagnosed with breast cancer because:

1) If I put my head in the sand, in order to deny my diagnosis due to fear, this would only detach me from my reality and would possibly hinder what the best medical treatment may have been available to me, and time would have been against me rather than in my favour.
“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)

2) If I became angry over my grief this would only alienate me from my faith that God’s peace and strength are with me at all times.
“Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

3) If I tried bargaining with God then I would only betray my trust in Him knowing that He cares for me and will take care of me through these difficult times.
“Casting all your care on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

4) If I became depressed then I would only deprive myself of His promises and blessings of peace that I so desperately need every hour of every day during this challenging journey.
“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)

5) As a result, my acceptance gives me assurance that I do not go through these uncharted waters alone, but His unwavering love, promises, blessings, peace, strength, and heavenly hope are with me.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

My ‘acceptance’ of my initial diagnosis by no means took away all my apprehensions or sadness, BUT it most certainly helped to:

• Heal me mentally, physically, and spiritually by becoming a stronger person through the power and grace of God;
• Make me more Optimistic knowing I am always in God’s hands;
• Make me more Passionate about life and each moment of each day that I wake up to;
• Instill in me to Encourage others as often as I can when they are going through their own hardships and show them compassion by inspiring them to never give up but to always HOPE.

For I have learned, it is only through my adversity have I grown closer to God rather than through prosperity. It is only through my trials have I learned to persevere, and through my perseverance I have become strong, and from my strength can I know HOPE (Romans 5:3-4).

So, with this heavenly hope that is the heartbeat to my soul, I look forward to my tomorrow’s, what new opportunities God has planned for me, and the strength as well as courage to face all circumstances that may come into my life knowing God is always with me and helps me to persevere and press on.

Hope is the heartbeat to one’s soul 

while one’s faith continues to grow. 

~ By Bonita ~

Autumn Splendour. . .

Give Thanks ~ Arrangement by David Baroni

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If asked what my favourite season is, I would most likely say “Spring” with “Fall” being a close second! I love watching nature bring forth new life with the spring flowers sprouting through the ground while the grass turns emerald green and the leaves burst from their buds like a sea of green among the trees all the while the robins cheerily sing. We are fortunate, however, to live in this part of the country where we can truly enjoy all four seasons in each of their splendour. There is no doubt that autumn's beautiful array of colours with its crimson reds, pumpkin orange and golden yellows is absolutely breath-taking. It truly is magical when on an October sunny day, with its deep blue sky and refreshing crisp air, one can hear the delightful sounds of crunching and rustling of fallen leaves on a trampled pathway or listen to the falling leaves while strolling through the woods with the sun’s gentle rays shining through the wind-swept trees.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we read, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” This verse reminds me that just like the four seasons, life is always changing for each of us. Each season in our lives has a distinct purpose and will bring experiences in our lives that we should embrace because life is all about change. Yet, for some, change seems difficult to adjust to and perhaps even frightening. However, if you understand and accept that life is all about change and that each season brings forth its own beauty, along with its own challenges, this will enable you to persevere and become wiser for it. It is all about our attitude in not only how we choose to 'act,' but in how we choose to 'react' to each challenge we are faced with. 

Consider the wise farmer who patiently waits and is steadfast in allowing the fields to be restored of nutrients while lying dormant during the long, cold winter. When spring arrives, the farmer will put in long hours to nurture and properly prepare the ground before planting his seeds of choice. As summer comes along, the diligent farmer will continue to care and cultivate the field so his crop can flourish. Finally, fall arrives and the crop is now ready for harvest allowing the farmer to enjoy the fruits of his hard labour. The apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” 

There truly have been days, while going through chemotherapy as you prepare to enter each new cycle that you really feel like you want to give up. You are mentally, physically and, yes, even spiritually drained at times. However, it is only through my unwavering faith and belief that there is a purpose for all things in my life as I persevere by the grace of God as well as receive the unconditional love and support of my loved ones, who continually uplift me and encourage me. I am comforted when I read Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I believe that God’s divine providence will continue to carry me through these challenging times and He will never abandon me as I draw nearer to Him. For I know this season, too, shall pass.

Although the seasons in our lives will always change, as the lyricist, Bruce Robertson, has beautifully written:

“Praise the Lord, He never changes,
I come to Him He’s always there.
He comforts me on every level,
takes the burden that I bear.
Praise the Lord, He never changes,
He’s never any other way.
And He’ll be the same tomorrow,
as He was and is today!”

What words of encouragement and reassurance that we can hold onto knowing we never go through a season of life without Him!

Spirit of Life

Like autumn in all of its splendour

Gives praise to the Lord above,

May your Spirit of Life dwell in me

So others may see your love.

~ By Bonita ~

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” 

(Galations 5:22)

God's Wireless Connection. . .

My Faith Looks Up to Thee ~ Arrangement Unknown
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It is unbelievable how in the past few years there has been such a tremendous advancement in the world of wireless communication. It does not matter where one goes, someone seems to have a mobile device of some sort in their hands at all times so they are available to connect instantly with someone else. I once read there are approximately two billion users worldwide using some form of wireless device. I find this amazing! It seems if you are not texting, tweeting, instant messaging, or using some other social media network 24/7 then you are definitely not up with the times. I cannot begin to tell you how many times my siblings and nieces have been trying to convince me to get with the times and be part of the text message phenomenon. And yet, I have been unable to convince myself what advantage it is for me, personally, to want to do that.

Fortunately, when I communicate with God, I don’t have to worry about topping up my cell phone’s airtime balance, recharging the battery, locating the misplaced device, wearing a Bluetooth in my ear to talk with Him while travelling in my vehicle, or using a Global Positioning System, aka GPS, to track Him down. No computer server, no satellite dish or transformer required, only the ability to meditate on God’s word as I read in Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” and pray to Him as I read, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand (Philippians 4:6-7). In other words, day or night, I am always linked to God’s wireless connection.

Although prayer and meditation have always been a part of my life, I cannot begin to describe the nearness I have felt with God these past few months more than ever before in my life! By praying and meditating on His Word daily, I am fully able to feel His compassion, loving presence, comfort, strength, and encouragement through these difficult days. As a result, I have a calmness to my soul, contentment and inner peace to my heart, and new hope for my tomorrows. Regardless of where my life’s journey may go or when it may end, I have learned that my true source for answers to any of life’s challenges and hardships is to stay connected to God knowing that as my faith looks up to Him, His strength will He impart on this fainting heart.

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

May faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine;

Now hear me when I pray,

Take all my sin away,

O let me from this day

Be wholly thine!

May thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart,

My zeal inspire;

As Thou has died for me,

O may my love to Thee,

Pure, warm and change-less be

A living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray,

From thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,

When death’s cold sullen stream

Shall o’er me roll.

Blest Saviour, then, in love,

Fear and distrust remove,

O bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul. 

Author ~ Ray Palmer 

Prayer is the key of the morning 

and the bolt of the evening.

~ Mahatma Ghandi ~