Choose Faith Not Fear

Choose Faith Not Fear Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass October 05, 2011

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11- 14 NIV We are seeing what happens when an ocean roars out of control, with the necessity of building of a bridge over newly cut inlets, which will restore traffic between communities again. The fire that has been burning out of control for months west of the Outer Banks is worthy of taking note of. Even with the torrential rains from a hurricane, the dampened fire has continued to burn. Winds that appear to be calm one minute can build in the next and combined with the right atmospheric conditions, begins to circulate and an out of control tornado starts a rampage of destruction. These are all forms of nature, but do you know that we can operate out of control too? My son in law was teaching me how to operate his boat. I respect his guidance and pay close attention to everything he says to do. I don’t want to lose control of the boat and put our family onboard in danger. Exercising discipline and taking advice are good things if we want to grow and go forward. When we begin to walk away from God’s Word, His guidance and His instruction, is when we start walking in the deep end of the water alone. If we cast our cares on God and seek Him and keep our eyes fixed on Him and His teachings, we won’t lose control and veer off course, where lack of self- control exists. Have you ever been so angry that you did something and then regretted it? Have you ever said words to someone in a few short minutes, only to realize later that it would take many lifetimes to repair the damage done? What causes someone to lose control? Usually it is born out fear of some kind. Fear and living in fear can cause a person to react in many ways, all of which reflect an out of control countenance. But if the emotions, heart and mind are rooted in God and His Ways, we can’t have faith and fear at the same time. God says to walk in faith. We face trials sometimes that make us feel like we want to have a temper tantrum at times. But, did you know that trials are often a test to us and reveals to God where we are in our level of faith? Walk away from anything, any behavior or thoughts that don’t line up with God. (Titus 2) Apologies and repenting brings forgiveness and paves the way for new beginnings and a fresh start. Building faith by reading the Word and memorizing scripture now is like putting money in the bank. The strength from a strong faith will be there for us later when we need to call upon it.

The Ocean

The Ocean Reflections by the Sea ©   Betsy Ore Glass September 28, 2011

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. - Psalm 145:3 NIV. The ocean has a hold on me. It is so powerful. I have a large amount of respect for what it can do when unleashed. The waves that pound the shore in rhythmic fashion remind me of a strong heartbeat…some days beating faster than others. Going to sit by the edge of the ocean makes everything better. It is as if the waves wash over me and cleanses my soul in quietude and refreshes my mind at the same time. The ocean breathes its salt air on me and I feel wrapped in a blanket of calm. I can think better and there is clarity. For years I have wondered what was the real secret of the ocean….is it the salt air, the breezes, the serenity, the sound of the waves? I suppose it adds up to all those things. Water has a calming effect on so many of us. To each their own. Some people need to fish, while others surf the waves. Photographers need to capture the perfect sunrise while people like my Mother and I are content to drive to the pier and feed the hungry gulls some pieces of bread. We are all unique but unified in the fact that many of us hunger for the ocean in some way or another. And we all agree on one thing, the ocean is a force that deserves our honor and respect. God is most worthy of our praise, honor and respect as well. Yet, I don’t think He gets His due. The busyness of our schedules and our fast and furious lives leaves little time for Him. Our mind is where our heart is…or is it the other way around? I think both ways apply. God seems to get the leftovers at times. “Oh I’ll get to God after everything else is done and I can relax and really focus”….haven’t we all said that? We can pray or talk to God anywhere….driving in the car, vacuuming the floor, pulling weeds, walking the beach. We are told to pray continually (I Thess. 5: 17). Some times my talking to God turns into prayer and then back to talking again…..I don’t really know the difference. He deserves to be exalted in our lives. And to be appreciated and for us to allow Him to guide us in His Way and His Will. God’s power and mightiness are so much greater than anything we can imagine. While our footprints along the ocean’s edge may get washed away with the tide, our memories of our time with God will be forever written in Heaven and our heart.

Rest

Rest Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass September 21, 2011 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. –Psalm 62:5 NIV A sweet neighbor and I visited this morning on the sidewalk. I have a little flower bed that has been neglected. It is on the top of my “to do” list to bring it back to life this fall. I shared my landscape ideas with my neighbor and she kindly offered to share some of her plants to get me started. The kind lady said that some of the plants would rest over the winter and may go completely dormant. But not to worry, while they are resting, they are developing good roots. The word, “rest” has popped up several times this week. People talking about needing it or not getting enough of it. The definition of rest is the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep, spiritual calm, tranquility, refreshing ease, relief or freedom from anything that troubles or disturbs. Many of us have had challenges we had to rise up to recently. Probably like many of you, I’ve taken time to re-group. To take stock of where I have been, where I am and to pray for direction for what God wants to do with me next. Seems recently there has been a season of change that has swirled around me like autumn leaves falling to the ground on a September day. And sometimes with change comes chaos, too many decisions, turmoil and the like. Followed by rest. Yes, sweet rest. At some point, things start to settle down. The pieces of the puzzle come together to form a beautiful picture. Rest is a good word. It represents that the battle is over, the difficulty has subsided and peace awaits us. But rest is not always physical relief. We can have mental rest and give up a situation that our minds have been obsessing about for too long. We can also find spiritual rest by surrendering everything to God. Resting in Him means to totally trust Him. Whatever the situation is, it isn’t too big for God. His rest will restore us and nurture us so we can pick ourselves back up and head back out on our journey. (I find it interesting that within the word “restore” is “rest”). Like my neighbor’s plants, I like to think our faith is growing deep spiritual roots when we rest in God.

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Footprints

Footprints


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
September 14, 2011

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you; to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul. -Joshua 22:5

Walking in soft sand at the beach can be so strenuous. Sometimes the sand is deep and it can really be a struggle. But the job gets easier if you can find the footprints of one that went before you and then follow their path. As little children, we would try to walk in the footprints left by a grownup, only to stumble to our knees because we couldn’t make the long stride. Some footprints are narrow, others wide, some long, some short. Some people go barefooted on the beach, while others wear shoes with ridged soles. To find another footprint is to know that someone walked ahead of us. Their footprint made the path just a little easier for us. Their weight caused the sand to compress, giving us a place for firmer footing.

Following God is His desire for us. But, the path is not always so easy to walk. Sometimes He leads us into the deeper sand and it is difficult. Other times we can cover a lot of distance in the firmer sand because the walk is smooth and easy. In both cases, He is building our spiritual muscle for our journey in Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5. There may be times of hard work and effort, and then He surely rewards us with rest and restoration. Knowing in advance that tough times are ultimately for our own growth and development, it somehow makes it easier to understand. There is a benefit to every step we take if we let Our Father lead the way on the path before us

Change

Change


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
September 07, 2011

Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help. -Psalm 30:10 NIV

Change seems to be everywhere. Change is one of those words that bring with it a lot of feelings and emotions when it surrounds us. Probably the simplest way to describe change is ‘to pass from one state to another.’ Seasonal changes we tend to welcome and look forward to with anticipation. We know what to expect year after year. The fall colors of this season are about to emerge as the leaves turn from green to golden yellow, deep red and burnt orange. Pumpkins are displayed on front porches, replacing pots of tired geraniums. Gardens are being harvested for the last of the summer vegetables, while firewood gets stacked near the back door before the onset of winter. The transition from season to season is somewhat predictable.

It’s the unexpected, unpredictable turns that come upon us at times that can shift our lives in another direction. How do we cope? That’s when our faith is of utmost importance. Some changes in our life can be devastating such as an illness, divorce, and the death of a loved one. Other changes may not be as impactful, but nevertheless they do affect us. God made us adaptable and flexible. We can face anything that comes to us. God won’t leave us alone to get through these times of difficulty by ourselves. We can count on Him. He made us strong. We can rely on His strength to help us. How we choose to react to change determines how we will be able to manage it. Something to think about. God’s plan is at work in our lives and in our surroundings. We must never forget that. Yes, God is part of everything and every situation. We don’t always know the reason why things happen. He will allow things at times to occur to bring us back closer to Him and to strengthen us. As we are certain to meet change almost daily, we should remember that God does not change. He is always there with His promises to lift us up out of the mire on to high ground again. We can take refuge in Him and He will take our pain and give us strength in its place. It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:21 NIV

Irene

Irene


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 31, 2011

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

Storms at the coast can be fierce, but a hurricane can be life threatening to all in its way. Howling winds and driving rains are to be expected with rising tides, including storm surges that know no boundaries. What makes the barrier islands of the Outer Banks so beautiful is also what makes them so vulnerable. With little or no dunes at all to protect the beaches, homes often lose their footing and wash out to sea in hurricane winds. As quickly as the hurricane comes, it most always departs with the same speed. But that was not the case with Irene. With a span of over 450 miles across, it seemed she would never move on. In her wake, the discovery of broken homes and businesses that littered the sound and beaches are heartbreaking. Historic storm surges flooded areas that have never seen flood waters before. While many were directly affected with losses in this hurricane, there were many that were not. No matter how Irene affected the Outer Banks and surrounding areas, we should count everyone blessed. No doubt, there were fervent prayers to God by his people asking God to provide protection. Many stories will unfold over the next few weeks of people that were touched by God and spared. God put them at the right place at the right time.

As the shock of this hurricane subsides and is replaced with the task of cleaning up, it is important that we give God our anxieties, our fears, our frustrations and ask for a renewing of faith. No matter what the situation is that we may be facing, God promises that we are not alone. He will sustain us and He will show His favor upon us. In Psalm 18:28 it says, “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

Turn to God with prayers for the Outer Banks, the residents of the surrounding areas of North Carolina and the eastern United States that were touched by Irene, that God would turn the darkness into light.

Prayers of Protection

Sending prayers of protection to all with the approach of Irene. Psalm 91 is a wonderful Prayer of Protection. I hope it offers comfort and peace.........

 Psalm 91 (NIV)


Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; hey will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Line in the Sand

Line in the Sand



Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 24, 2011

God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Psalm 145:2-4 (The Message)

I am delighted to find strands of beach that seem untouched, natural and beautiful as far as the eye can see when I walk the beaches and dunes of Pea Island. I especially like to see the shifting sands on the large dunes. The winds sculpt the sand making rows of valleys and ridges. These rows reflect the light beautifully casting shadows on the long, wavy unbroken lines in the sand. These ripples in the sand are a work of nature and become even more beautiful when found with the occasional footprint of a shorebird.

A line in the sand distinquishes one side from another. It can represent a boundary. Are we respectful of boundaries? When limits are set for us do we honor them when in relationships or in the workplace? When crossing boundary lines, there will always be consequences. Sometimes, we have to be the ones that “draw a line in the sand”. We have to be the one that sets limits for ourselves or to those we interact with. When we draw those lines, we should always be guided by God and His Holy Word. His wisdom should be our compass, our guide in all ways. Drawing a line in the sand can mean many things. We can set aside old mindsets, old strongholds and negative thoughts and step over the line to seek out a new path with fresh wisdom from God, filled with positivity and refreshed enthusiasm and energy for our future.