Tag Archives: Laura Story

Fresh Grounded Faith Unshaken Women

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

The beginning of November I attended Jennifer Rothschild’s Fresh Grounded Faith Women’s Conference that included Sheila Walsh and Laura Story. What a marvelous two days. So much wisdom. So much love. So much truth.

If you are unfamiliar with who Jennifer is, let me share how she introduces herself on her blog:

My name is Jennifer Rothschild – with a silent “s”.  I am an author, speaker, Bible study teacher, wife and Mom.

And, I happen to be blind.

I’m just like you. I just do things a little differently.

I write about real life and share what I’m learning from a real God. My goal is to create inspiring, relevant, and practical content that will empower you to live beyond limits.

Did you catch that? It’s like, “Oh. By the way. I’m blind.” This woman is absolutely incredible, as were Sheila and Laura. They do not speak before crowds to bring praise or glory to themselves. They speak before crowds to bring praise and glory to the One True Living God who loves each and every one of us with an everlasting, endearing love.

Each of these women shared from her heart what a Big God can do in our lives despite our circumstances.

I’ll attempt to share some of what I received from Jennifer, Sheila, and Laura with the understanding what God said to me through them may not be what those seated around me received. Isn’t it funny how that works? Also, my notes are not word for word, but my interpretation of what I heard.

 

Jennifer – We get shaken because we’re not where we’re supposed to be. Or we’re right where we’re supposed to be. God wants to use the things that shake us to shape us. When we’re most shaken, we see God more clearly.

 

Sheila – Until we understand Jesus knows the worst about us, we can’t accept the best about us. Your history doesn’t dictate your destiny. Dorothy dreamed of a rainbow, and got hit with a tornado. Sometimes God will take you to a prison to set you free.

Laura – We weren’t designed to be able to function on our own without God. We were designed to need God. We’re created by God. We’re his poem. His masterpiece. When we get knocked off our path, it’s not a detour. It’s a new road.

With that said, if a Fresh Grounded Faith conference comes to your area — go! You will be glad you did.

 

Have you attended a Fresh Grounded Faith conference? If so, what’d you think?

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:6 (NIV)

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

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courtesy pixabayby Sandy Kirby Quandt

God is love. Love keeps no record of wrongs. So, since God is love, he keeps no record of our wrongs; our sins.

That’s similar to the if/then statements mathematicians sometimes use to prove a point. If a+b=c then b+a=c.

I’ve found that although God is love and does not keep a record of our wrongs, we do. And so do others around us. Have you noticed that?

We hang onto the list we keep of moments when we mess up.courtesy pixabay

We forget the fact if we come to God in repentance, the power of Christ’s sacrificial blood takes away those sins.

We forget about mercy.

We forget about grace.

We forget about love.

Instead we hold onto a running list of our failures, and allow that list to torment us and wound our hearts.

God has forgiven us. Why can’t we forgive us?

There are several reasons, I believe, but besides the fact the deceiver, Satan, father of lies, doesn’t want us to remember we’re forgiven, we sometimes have trouble accepting God’s grace; something we didn’t work for or earn or merit.

courtesy pixabayDo you think by holding onto our list of failures we’re saying we don’t trust God to do what he said he’d do? To actually forgive us?

I don’t know why we hold onto our list of failures, but I do know since God is love, he keeps no record of our wrongs, so let’s throw away our list, and rest in God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

 

Love keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Betrayal and Grace

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Ever been betrayed? If you’re a member of the human race, I would assume your answer to be, yes. While I’ve been betrayed multiple times before, this latest betrayal irks me. Especially since I had spoken specifically with said betrayer about the issue beforehand, and asked them not to mention it.

I’m sure if one studied the psychology of betrayal, there would be deep, profound reasons it exists. I’d imagine there would be an equal number of rather superficial reasons, as well. While this latest incidence is of little consequence, when compared with the grand scheme of things, and the devastating betrayals others have suffered, I’m irritated.

So, what to do about it? Pray. I pray for God to soften my heart towards this other person. I pray for the other person. And I keep praying. Because I know I’m not at a place where I should be.

While I pray, I think about Jesus. I think about Judas. I think about the grace and forgiveness Jesus extended to the betrayer. And the grace and forgiveness He daily extends to me. I think about how Judas’ kiss must have stung Jesus, even though He knew it was coming.

As I pray, God whispers, This too, shall pass. I’ll get over this minor breach of trust. I’ll survive this annoyance. I have a choice. Move on, or stay stuck in irritation. I choose to move on.

Why? Because of grace. Unmerited favor. Something I do not deserve, but which God freely pours down on me, and you. Grace comes to us through the gift of God’s son, Jesus Christ. The Messiah who paid our debt on the cruel cross of Calvary. We’re called to be like Jesus, and that means we’re called to extend forgiveness and grace, even if we don’t feel like it. Especially when we don’t feel like it. Because greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.

Anyone you need to extend grace and forgiveness to? Need grace and forgiveness extended to you? Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift, that makes it all possible.

Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (TLB)

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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One of my devotions will appear on Christian Devotions May 5, 2014. Please stop by.

Ill-fitting Shoes

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A pair of shoes arrived in the mail. Brand new. The original owner bought them, but didn’t like them once she got home. (No…it wasn’t Sissy.) This isn’t the first time this has happened.

Now while these shoes cost waaaay more than what I’d pay for shoes, and especially for these shoes, they now belonged to me. I was faced with a dilemma. Be true to myself, or not. Be me, or someone else. Keep shoes which I would never have purchased in the first place, because they are extremely expensive, or see if someone else would like to have them, because I really don’t like these shoes.

How often do we find ourselves putting on shoes that aren’t us, because someone gives them to us?

You know…we take on a ministry someone else no longer wants, or worse, no one will take on to begin with, even though we know we’ll be miserable with it. Someone says we’ll  be great at it, when we’re really not so sure that’s true. We get blindsided, or talked into it, and we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, though we know this is really not what God gifted us to do.

Ill-fitting shoes. I believe it’d be safe to say many of us have been there. The shoes pinch. They’re flat-out ugly, to our way of thinking. We can’t wait to get home and kick them off.

Maybe it’s time we take inventory of what God has gifted us with, think about what’s us, and what isn’t. What our strengths are, and what they aren’t. And use that as a measuring rod before we say yes, when offered someone else’s pair of shoes.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the country. Matthew 25:14-15 (CEV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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What’s Your Story?

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Pilot and I recently attended the Steven Curtis Chapman concert, The Glorious Unfolding. Laura Story and Jason Gray were also on stage. If you have an opportunity to see this concert, I strongly suggest you go. Here’s Steven’s website link, with all the upcoming dates and venues.

During the concert Jason, Laura, and Steven told some of their story, and how God has worked, and is working, in their lives.

Most importantly, each told how God has taken their broken places, and used them to strengthen their faith, and help them minister to others.

Jason mentioned his speech impediment which causes him to stutter. Laura mentioned her husband’s brain tumor, and how, when he came out of surgery, he knew who she was, but didn’t remember they were married. Steven spoke about the loss of his young daughter, and how he and his wife are advocates for Show Hope. A movement to care for orphans.

Each of us has broken places in our lives. Pain. Sorrow. Suffering. Rejection. No exceptions. The difference is how we handle those hard things life throws at us. God is there to give comfort. All we have to do is reach out to him.

Nothing in our lives is wasted. Even the hard, difficult, why-did-this-have-to-happen-to-me? stuff. If we let him, Jesus can take our brokenness, heal, and restore those broken places, so we are able to use them to comfort someone who may be going through the same things.

So, what’s your story? How are you allowing God to take your brokenness, and use it to comfort others?

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TLB

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Blessings

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Blessings.

Who doesn’t want them? Who doesn’t pray for them? Who hasn’t prayed for them and received either a no, or a wait? Who hasn’t missed those blessings that were disguised?

I’ve heard of an incidence where a couple was on the verge of signing for a new home, but had second thoughts, and backed out of the deal. Within a month, the husband was killed in an accident. The young widow was grateful she was not saddled with a home she could not afford on her own.

People who prayed for the release from suffering of an aged relative, were grateful for the prolonged life, which gave them the opportunity to restore a broken relationship before it was too late.

Prayers for a certain dream job went unfulfilled, only to be presented with an even better job later on.

Right now I am in a holding pattern. I know God’s timing is perfect. I know His ways are not my ways. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I understand that. I know God’s will for my life is perfect. No argument there. But because I’m on this side of the end result, I feel a little off kilter. Has God given me a definite no, or has He given me a wait? I don’t know. What I do know is God is not bound by time, and He has already gone before me and worked this issue out according to his perfect will and timing.

So I wait. And I pray. And I look for those blessings that may be disguised.

Are you in a place where God has given you a no, or a wait? Don’t despair. God has not forgotten you.

Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior. The Sovereign Lord gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer and keeps me safe on the mountains.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 Good News Translation

In this video Mark Jones sings Laura Story’s song, Blessings

I wish you well.

Sandy

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