Cancer, Hope, Words of Endurance

Encouraging Words – Trials

May 31, 2017

Through The Trials

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.

GENESIS 8:20 (NIV)

How did Noah and his family fare as they watched for the sign that their trial was over? What lessons did they review as they stumbled – giving thanks – out of the ark that had confined them for so long?

Thank God for the trials! How would we grow without the shifting and shaping of God’s hand in our lives? How would we learn? How would we ever experience the power of God’s presence if we didn’t get into the valleys? I know I learned more in the valleys than I ever did on the mountaintops.

Although I hope for better health, what I need to rest in is the promise of God that will sustain me in all circumstances, no matter what. I think most of us (including me) spend too much time seeking a way out of a situation rather than pleading with God for a way through it.

I’ve learned to be quite content whatever my circumstances. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

PHILIPPIANS 4:11,13 (THE MESSAGE)

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
JAN DRAVECKY

Cancer, Hope, Words of Endurance

Encouraging Words – Waiting

By connie on

May 31, 2017

- Cancer, Hope, Words of Endurance

Waiting

The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down.

GENESIS 8:3 (NIV)

The waters of the great flood covered the earth for 150 days. It was 40 days after that before Noah opened a window on the ark. How dark, smelly and confining it must have been in the ark for all those days. How difficult (and frightening) that wait must have been.

Waiting is one of the most difficult things we will ever be asked to do. Waiting can prompt us to fret, to stew, to become anxious, even to rebel. Waiting patiently does not come easily to any of us – especially when we are suffering. Yet without developing this trait in our lives, we can never hope to enjoy God’s greatest blessings – nor will we ever become a great blessing to someone in need who finds themselves in God’s waiting room.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

ISAIAH 40:31 (THE MESSAGE)

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
JAN & DAVE DRAVECKY

Hope, Words of Endurance

In the Image of God

By connie on

May 16, 2017

- Hope, Words of Endurance

Worthy of Respect

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,
and with we curse human beings,
who have been made in God’s likeness.
JAMES 3:9 (NIV)

Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden through disobedience. They sinned and dragged all of their descendants (including us) down with them. But they were not “unmade” in God’s image because of their sin. The image was marred but not destroyed or removed.

To this day, all men and women are born into the world with God’s image intact. That’s why, for instance, James tells us we should not curse those who irritate or anger us – they are made in God’s image. They may not act like it; they may not even know it or acknowledge it. But the likeness is still there: They have been made in the image of God and are therefore worthy of respect.

Show proper respect to everyone,
love the family of believers, fear God,
honor the emperor.
1 PETER 2:17(NIV)

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,
and with we curse human beings,
who have been made in God’s likeness.
JAMES 3:9 (NIV)

Hope, Words of Endurance

In the Image of God

By kate on

May 15, 2017

- Hope, Words of Endurance

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
GENESIS 1:27 (NIV)

If you look very carefully through the first chapter of the Bible, you will see that every other creature was created “according to their kinds” (v. 24). But not human beings. They were made “in the image of God” (v. 27).

I will be first to admit that I don’t understand everything this little phrase is supposed to mean. But I do know this: If you have been made “in the image of God,” you’re top-of-the-line merchandise. There is no higher “image” that you could be patterned after.

You may be inspired by the mountains, thrilled by the stars, intrigued by the oceans, or mesmerized by this planet’s wide variety of plants and animals. But none of them can come close to the wonder that is you. You are made in the very image of the magnificent, all-powerful creator God. And He values you very, very highly.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
PSALM 139:14 (NIV)

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
DAVE DRAVECKY

Cancer, Glimpses of Heaven, Grief, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part I

By kate on

April 24, 2017

- Cancer, Glimpses of Heaven, Grief, Hope, Words of Endurance

God my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.
PSALM 23:1-4 (THE MESSAGE)

The familiarity of this oft-quoted Psalm can mask the wondrous truth that God is our loving, faithful Shepherd. Through our personal experience in dealing with cancer and through the experiences of hundreds of others who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, we can testify that the Lord is truly our Shepherd.

He will shepherd us through the darkest hours of life, and His greatest desire is to lead each one of us safely to His eternal home in heaven.

But something deep within us tells us that death is not natural. We fight against it as if it is a foreign enemy and in a sense it is. God has placed eternity into the heart of every person so we long for life to go on. Yet we are so attached to life on earth that we resist heaven, the true home Jesus has prepared for us.

Heaven sometimes seems very far away, sometimes not even quite real. But heaven is real. We can count on it. And when we are in the midst of suffering, the hope of heaven can greatly comfort us.

Our desire is to give you a glimpse of heaven, to lift your focus heavenward, to assure you that those who are God’s children will indeed live in His House forever. So come, discover the Shepherd and the awesome pastures He has prepared for you.

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
DAVE & JAN DRAVECKY

Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part II

By kate on

April 20, 2017

- Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

“Lets not get too settled in,
too satisfied with the good things down here on earth.
They are only the tinkling sounds
of the orchestra warming up.
The real song is about to break
into a heavenly symphony,
and its prelude is only a few moments away.”
JONI EARECKSON TADA

When I was a young man, I compiled a mental bucket list of things that I hoped would happen before I died. I wanted to get married and have children. When that was checked off, I added grandchildren and other things to the list. All the items on my list of things hoped for before I entered heaven were good things. But how I viewed those things versus eternity showed me that I did not have a good theology of what life after death means. Those things were not just desires. They were very often idols, the “good things that became ultimate things.”

German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died at the hands of the Nazis in World War II for standing up for what he knew was true, was fearless about death.

“Why are we so afraid when we thing about death? …
Death is only dreadful for those who live in dread and
fear of it. Death is not wild and terrible, if only we can
be still and hold fast to God’s Word. Death is not bitter,
if we have not become bitter ourselves. Death is grace,
the greatest gift of grace that God gives to people who
believe in him. Death is mild, death is sweet and gentle;
it beckons to us with heavenly power, if only we realize
that it is the gateway to our homeland, the tabernacle of
joy, the everlasting kingdom of peace. “

Wow. Do I believe that? That was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching indictment of how shallow my faith has been regarding eternity. Death is not the final chapter of our lives; it’s simply the prologue to joy and peace. Have I ever thought of death as God’s greatest gift of grace? Hardly. Yet that is the reality of our faith if we believe the gospel is true.

DAVE BURCHETT STAY-LESSONS MY DOGS TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE, LOSS AND GRACE (PUBLISHED BY TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC. 2015)

The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.
But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 (THE MESSAGE)

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
DAVE & JAN DRAVECKY

Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part III

By kate on

April 6, 2017

- Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

“We are not told in the Scripture
where heaven is.
Nor does it matter.
It will be heaven
and Christ will be there to welcome us home.”
BILLY GRAHAM PEACE WITH GOD (WORD PUBLISHING 1984)

There is a story told of a man close to death who expressed his fear of the end to his doctor. “Please, doctor, tell me what lies on the other side,” the man said.

I don’t know,” the doctor replied quietly.

“You don’t know? But you’re a Christian. How can you not know what is on the other side?”

The doctor’s hand rested on the doorknob of the examination room; on the other side of the door the men could hear scratching and whining. When the doctor opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and nearly knocked him over with boundless happiness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “My dog’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside, except for one thing. He knew that his master was here. When I opened the door, he leaped in without fear. The same is true for us. I don’t know what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing. I know my Master is there and that is enough.”

That is enough for me, too. I will embrace joy on this earth and look forward to endless joy in heaven because I know my Master is on the other side.

DAVE BURCHETT STAY-Lessons My Dogs Taught Me About Life, Loss, and Grace (Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2015)

You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then bless me.
You’re all I want in heaven!
You’re all I want on earth!
PSALM 73:24-25 (THE MESSAGE)

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
DAVE & JAN DRAVECKY

Grace, Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance

CONFIDENCE IN THE VICTORY: Lazarus and Me (The Victory, Not the War)

By kate on

March 10, 2017

- Grace, Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance

EXCERPT FROM MENDED: OUT OF THE RAG PILE, BACK ON THE HANGER
BY DEBBIE WOODS (PUBLISHED BY HIGHERLIFE PUBLISHING)
Available at: Amazon.com/author/debbiewoods

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said,
“Lord if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
JOHN 11:32 (THE MESSAGE)

Some Christians love to retell their life story before Jesus. Whose was more abused, neglected, sad, tragic, and heartbreaking? Or whose was more sinful, wicked, shameful and scandalous? Although I didn’t often speak of my back- story, in my heart I focused more on the “before” than the “after.” I allowed questions, sorrow, and self-pity to dominate my narrative.

Then I met Lazarus (See John 11). I imagined his back-story: “I loved Jesus; I was his friend. My sisters and I served him faithfully. We were braver and more devoted than anyone. We were part of his inner circle. Then I got sick. You can’t imagine how I suffered. My doctor said he had never seen a more agonizing case! My sisters were devastated. When the doctor said it would be fatal, we sent for Jesus, but He didn’t even bother to come! Can you believe it? After all we did for Him? Well, He came later and resurrected me, but have you ever heard of such unnecessary suffering? I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

But Jesus had withheld His blessing to increase it. He did not hurry to restore Lazarus and relieve his sisters’ sorrow. He waited for the glory of God. He had His eye on the eternal spectrum, not on their personal comfort. Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave by name so that others might believe in the One who had sent Him.

And so it is with me. Jesus waited, as I was dead in sin. But in the fullness of time, He commanded others to roll the stone away, removing the obstacle between us, called me by name out of death and into life. He commanded others to unbind me from my grave clothes and teach me to walk by faith. Jesus set me at liberty to testify to the miracle and His glory.

Lazarus did not tarry or go back to his putrid bindings, and neither should I. The grave of this world is no place for those whom Christ has quickened. We must come forth laying aside every hindrance. Satan calls me back to focus on old pain, injustice, and unkindness to distract from the mercy and grace of Jesus, saying, “Look at those old bindings and smell them again. Remember what you went through?”

No, God gives us the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. He has rewoven me and put me in working order again.

To all who mourn in Israel,
He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
That the Lord has planted for his own glory.
ISAIAH 61:3 (NLT)

CONFIDENTLY,
ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
JAN DRAVECKY

Fear, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

No Turning Back

By kate on

January 13, 2017

- Fear, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.
Remember the great reward it brings you!
Patient endurance is what you need now,
so that you will continue to do God’s will.
Then you will receive all that he has promised.
HEBREWS 10:35-36 (NLT)

One of my greatest fears is turning back to my old ways and losing my confident trust in the Lord. I know my sinful and controlling flesh. I know how I am “prone to wander” and take back control of my life finding my own solutions to my pain instead of surrendering and trusting the Holy Spirit within me.

But the Scriptures tell me that patient endurance is what I need in order not to turn back or throw away my confident trust in the Lord. Patient endurance is the strength to continue calmly and without complaint despite fatigue, stress and other adverse conditions.

And where do I find this patient strength? From God’s Spirit within me – for patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that dwells within each and every child of God and “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

So this New Year I am intent on believing and knowing that there is no turning back for me because I have known and seen the faithfulness of God. (Lamentations 3:23) I can be confident in the Holy Spirit that dwells within me because I know He will never fail me or abandon me. (Hebrews 13:5) And whenever I am “prone to wander” that He will guide and lead me back to “the God I love.” (John 16:13)

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
BY ROBERT ROBINSON & JOHN WYETH

ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
JAN DRAVECKY

Grace, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

Trusting the Holy Spirit Within Me

By kate on

October 21, 2016

- Grace, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

But I need something more!
For if I know the law but still can’t keep it,
and if the power of sin within me keeps
sabotaging my best intentions,
I obviously need help!
I can will it, but I can’t do it.
ROMANS 7:17-19 (THE MESSAGE)

As I have shared before, these past five years have been one of the most significant seasons of my spiritual journey. I have learned about the power of my words and the hurt they can inflict but I have also learned that I, alone, cannot manage this sin. It is impossible, trust me, I’ve tried it and frustratingly it doesn’t work.

What I have been learning over these past five years is that I can trust the Holy Spirit within me to guide and transform my heart. I can trust that while my flesh is always with me so is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can reflect the person of Jesus in me for the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self control which my flesh is incapable of. The result of trusting the Holy Spirit within me is words spoken that affirm and don’t tear down.

Has this been easy? No! Trusting was really letting go of everything I thought was the way I “should” live and then relying on the Holy Spirit to transform my heart to speak the words that express my love and care, that encourage and build people up instead of tearing them down.

I really don’t know how else to explain it but I’ve discovered that this really does work! Although I haven’t been perfect my words have been more encouraging, more loving, more caring and understanding. I have learned to listen more and speak less. The result is my life looks so different today than it used to. It is more than just the words I speak – it is the way I am living and it has been oh so freeing!

Those who think they can do it on their own
end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle
but never get around to exercising it in real life.
Those who trust God’s action in them
find that God’s Spirit is in them –
living and breathing God!
Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end;
attention to God leads us out into the open,
into a spacious free life.
ROMANS 8:5-7 (THE MESSAGE)

On The Journey With You,
Dave Dravecky

Cancer, Hope, Words of Endurance

Encouraging Words – Trials

Cancer, Hope, Words of Endurance

Encouraging Words – Waiting

Hope, Words of Endurance

In the Image of God

Hope, Words of Endurance

In the Image of God

Cancer, Glimpses of Heaven, Grief, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part I

Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part II

Fear, Glimpses of Heaven, Hope, Words of Endurance

Glimpses of Heaven Part III

Grace, Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance

CONFIDENCE IN THE VICTORY: Lazarus and Me (The Victory, Not the War)

Fear, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

No Turning Back

Grace, Hope, On the Journey Together, Words of Endurance

Trusting the Holy Spirit Within Me

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