Tag: Confidence

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

God with us:in the Future

Therefore the Lord himself will give  a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

1. I can face the future with courage

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:1‭-‬9

2. I can face the future with Hope

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

3. I can face my future with Anticipation

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:1‭-‬3

Memory Verse

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

What’s in a Name? Jehovah Rohi

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalms 23:1‭-‬6

Jehovah Rohi Reveals

1. He provides

  • Everything we need
  • Restoration
  • For His Glory

2. God as shepherd means he protects.

3. God as our Shepherd means we can trust him.

  • The Lord has our Shepard is perfectly displayed in Jesus.

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:33‭-‬37

Memory Verse

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalms 20:7

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Developing A Heart for God: Finding the Courage to face giants

1 Samuel 17:1-51

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
1 Samuel 17:1‭-‬4 NIV

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
1 Samuel 17:8‭-‬11

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:32‭-‬37

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
1 Samuel 17:48‭-‬51

Facing Fear With confidence

Find out the facts

Eliminate defeatist thinking

Apply the tools God has given me

Remember God’s help in the past

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalms 20:7

Finding the courage to face Giants

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Personal invitation

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:1‭-‬5

Four ways we judge

  • By appearance – how do I look?
  • By achievement -what have I accomplished
  • By approval – How well am I liked
  • By affluence-How much do I. Own

The greatest changes in our lives take place when we see ourselves the way that God sees us.

How much do I matter to God?


  • No matter how small I feel, Jesus sees me
  • No matter what others say, Jesus values me
  • No matter what I’ve done, Jesus transforms me.
  • No matter how far I’ve gone Jesus seeks me.

How should I respond

So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Luke 19:6

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
Luke 19:9

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Three Keys to greatness

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. 24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles Lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:14‭-‬27

Three Keys to greatness

  • Start by calling sin sin
  • Commit to outserving your friends, family, and others
  • Don’t try to be the greatest you; you can be. Try to be the best Jesus you can be.

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:1‭-‬17

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 5:13

3 keys to.greatness

inspiration, Uncategorized

Meals with Jesus: Free Lunch

10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” 13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Luke 9:10‭-‬17

Three Lessons from this free Lunch

  • Jesus has compassion for people in need.
  • Jesus uses people to accomplish his plan. Key phrase: You feed them
  • Where God guides, he provides

Three questions for personal application

1. What do I think is too big for God to handle?

2. What do I think is too little for God to use?

3. What will I do because I believe God will provide?

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

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advocacy

A change of Heart and a full explanation

Has this pandemic made you think about life differently? Did you once see things one way, then see the other side and realize that you would still be you, even if you had not changed yourself because you believed that someone else expected you to change or  “get better”?

     If you have followed me for a while, you know that I have cerebral palsy.

  For the longest time, I believed that getting stronger and being independent meant that I needed to get rid of my chair for good.  

With all of the downtime that I’ve had, I realize that I’ve been wrong. 

       I’m not saying that I believe that I should not be walking; I’m saying that I should not be so quick to feel ashamed of using a wheelchair.  I was a wheelchair and walker user from the ages of four to twenty-six.

If you’ve been following me, you already know this, but lately, I’ve been wondering what life would be like if I had kept my wheels in my life.  I am starting to see that there are many pros to using more than one piece of equipment. 

If I used a chair, I would be able to speed around without waiting for anyone. 

The advantage of using a walker is that it’s only of a piece of metal, so it’s easy to transport without thinking of where it fits. Even though I struggle with a stubborn streak, I’ve recently thought that wearing the brace I never wear anymore might be a good idea for long walks. 

          With all the realizations that I have had there is one thing that still bugs me and makes me feel yucky, why do people that use equipment to get around in life call people that do not  ” able-bodied  

I think that is one of the weirdest and meanest things that I’ve ever heard, and I was born with my condition that could be considered a disability.  I’m not someone who was injured later in life or can be regarded as newly injured. 
I would never want to be around someone who referred to me as their disabled friend or family member, nor would I ever refer to anyone of my friends as able-bodied; I think deep in my heart that is why I never wanted to do much with other people who are or were part of the community that I should be closely tired to. 

inspiration, Uncategorized

Seven Words that change your life: Enough

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1‭-‬10

What happens when I learn to live with enough?

  • My resources can flow to bless others
  • My relationships are restored
  • I reflect the heart of the Father

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inspiration

I Finally can see myself:My Review of a chance to fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy davidowitz

The reality that.there are people that use equipment to get around in their daily life needs to become the norm in media, so much so that the person using the equipment is seeing as a person, and the equipment fades into the background.

Marie Nicole Zimmerle

I connected with a chance to Fly right away; it had my attention when Nat Beacon goes to her first wheelchair racing team practice because I used to participate in an event called The exceptional games.

I also know the feeling of having to stick up for yourself when told you can’t participate in something simply because of perception. This point in the book took me back to being exactly 13 years old, the age that Nat was when she joined the Broadway bounders.

Furthermore, I know what it feels like to show up somewhere and not be provided proper accessibility. In those instances, there is camaraderie and brainstorming that quickly needs to happen.

I also know the hopeful side of things where people that have helped me before want to help me so I won’t miss out, or they want to rethink the current routine of an Activity so that I can continue to participate.

At the heart of this book is the lesson that we should not judge anybody by their outside appearance that people that are quote-unquote different should not be afraid to speak up and ask for help I’m so glad that this book is out into the world, congratulations Ali and Stacy

Continue reading “I Finally can see myself:My Review of a chance to fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy davidowitz” →