Tag: spirituality

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Deeply Distressed and Troubled

Mark 14:12 (NIV)

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Do you hear that?  Yep, it is my knees knocking AGAIN!  I have been in the education field for going on 18 years.  However, when I have to stand up in front of a group of people I still get the proverbial butterflies (seems more like bats) in my tummy.  My hands get all sweaty, my stomach turns, my heart races and then there is the shaking all over.

Have you ever been there?  Do you ever get a case of the nerves?  Maybe it isn’t public speaking that makes you want to run.  Maybe there is something else that can rock your world in a matter of 2.2 seconds.  Whatever it is, I want you to know…it is normal!  You are not going to die of a heart attack, you probably won’t even throw up or faint or anything. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t promise the last two, although I did say probably;0)

Can I tell you a little secret?  Did you know that Jesus got a case of the nerves? No, really!  It says right in Mark 14:33-34.

He (Jesus) took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch (NIV).

If that doesn’t sound like a case of the nerves, I don’t know what does. Jesus knew his time was coming to an end.  He knew what he was going to face next.

Now, I realize what he was about to face: his betrayal, arrest, conviction, punishment, and death would certainly make anyone deeply distressed and troubled.  What I want you to realize is he didn’t stay that way.  He knew exactly where to turn.

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” Mark 14:12 (NIV).

When Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled he turned to the one person that he knew would pull him through, his Father, God!

I want to challenge you today.  No matter what impossible nerve racking, knee knocking deeply distressed and troubled problem you are facing, turn to the one who will walk you through it.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalms 55:22 (NIV)


Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Parts of the Whole

Deuteronomy 4:9 (NIV)
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

When I look into the past I see many wonderful memories. I also see some not so wonderful memories. Things that I would rather forget. Like the time I was in the movie theater and my mom leaned over to ask me what time it was. I quickly glanced at my watch only to remember too late that was the hand I had my drink in. OK, now that I am giggling, maybe I do want to keep that one. But I guarantee there a lot more filled with pain, heartache, and tears that I would rather pull out of my head and throw in a bowl and lock away in a cupboard like Professor Dumbledore.

I also have a bunch of mixed memories. After 10 years of marriage, we called it quits. He had moved on to someone else and there was no fixing things. Now there are many moments right there I would rather forget, but what about all those pleasant memories I still carry of our marriage. I mean we did love each once. We also had three wonderful children together. I have many fond memories of birthdays, Christmases, vacations, and family fun nights, do I just throw them away too?

It becomes very tangled when you add to the story that I now have remarried and he brought with him two more children and a past life with another woman. We have made a bunch of new memories together. Do we just cut out our previous lives? Full confession moment, sometimes when I think of an old memory, I feel like I am cheating on my husband.

You may have not gotten a divorce, but you may have been a child of divorce. Or, you may have had other relationships like previous boyfriends or girlfriends, maybe even just an old friendship that ended. The point is we all have previous lives. No matter how embarrassing or hurtful these memories are, they are making you who you are right now.

These wonderful, beautiful pieces of history are teachable moments.

My father always taught me when you walk into a room full of people you will learn something from the smartest person and the dumbest. Well, I am telling you today do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. We can all learn from the most favorable and even the not so favorable.
Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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God’s Argument Against Us!

Isaiah 1:2 (MSG)
Heaven and earth, you’re the jury.
Listen to GOD’s case:
“I had children and raised them well,
and they turned on me.”

I read chapter 1 of Isaiah today. I started reading it just like it is laid out, a message of judgment on Israel. Quickly my brain switched gears and America started filling the verses. It got worse. God got personal and I started filing those verses.

Now this wasn’t an ouch in a bad way. OK, maybe a little at first. I mean it did hurt. However, God came across pleading to me not chastising me.  I read it like a lawyer pleading His defense trying to convince the jury of His point. But I also read it as a plea to turn around! Come back to me. I am here waiting for you. You have it in you. You know what is right.  You haven’t traveled so far away that I can’t get you, but you must turn around.

Can’t you hear the Perry Mason or Law and Order theme in your head when you read these verses:

Isaiah 1:4-5 (MSG)
Shame! Misguided GOD- dropouts,
staggering under their guilt- baggage,
Gang of miscreants,
band of vandals–
My people have walked out on me, their GOD,
turned their backs on The Holy of Israel,
walked off and never looked back.
5 “Why bother even trying to do anything with you
when you just keep to your bullheaded ways?
You keep beating your heads against brick walls.
Everything within you protests against you.

Then it changes to that scene of a Father lecturing you. That disappointed look in His eyes. No raised voice, just pure disappointment.

Isaiah 1:12-15 (MSG)
When you come before me,
who ever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that–
all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
13 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings–
meetings, meetings, meetings– I can’t stand one more!
14 Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
15 When you put on your next prayer- performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.

Then His love comes out. He can’t help Himself. He still loves you. He gives you sound advice.

Isaiah 1:16-20 (MSG)
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
17 Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down- and- out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.
18 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
This is GOD’s Message:
“If your sins are blood- red,
they’ll be snow- white.
If they’re red like crimson,
they’ll be like wool.
19 If you’ll willingly obey,
you’ll feast like kings.
20 But if you’re willful and stubborn,
you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. GOD says so.

Verses 21-31 really screamed America to me…
Isaiah 1:21-31
Those Who Walk Out on God
21 Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city
has become a whore!
She was once all justice,
everyone living as good neighbors,
And now they’re all
at one another’s throats.
22 Your coins are all counterfeits.
Your wine is watered down.
23 Your leaders are turncoats
who keep company with crooks.
They sell themselves to the highest bidder
and grab anything not nailed down.
They never stand up for the homeless,
never stick up for the defenseless.
24 This Decree, therefore, of the Master, GOD- of- the- Angel- Armies,
the Strong One of Israel:
“This is it! I’ll get my oppressors off my back.
I’ll get back at my enemies.
25 I’ll give you the back of my hand,
purge the junk from your life, clean you up.
26 I’ll set honest judges and wise counselors among you
just like it was back in the beginning.
Then you’ll be renamed
City- That- Treats- People- Right, the True- Blue City.”
27 GOD’s right ways will put Zion right again.
GOD’s right actions will restore her penitents.
28 But it’s curtains for rebels and GOD- traitors,
a dead end for those who walk out on GOD.
29 “Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines
will leave you looking mighty foolish,
All that fooling around in god and goddess gardens
that you thought was the latest thing.
30 You’ll end up like an oak tree
with all its leaves falling off,
Like an unwatered garden,
withered and brown.
31 ‘The Big Man’ will turn out to be dead bark and twigs,
and his ‘work,’ the spark that starts the fire
That exposes man and work both
as nothing but cinders and smoke.”

Verse 31 makes me chuckle. When I read it, I see the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy firsts sees the man behind the curtain. How many little men are standing behind curtains blowing a bunch of smoke? Preaching and teaching, yet not living the truth. How often am I that man?

Lord, I don’t want these verses to be me. I don’t want to be the man behind a curtain saying and doing a bunch of things and yet not living the truth. I want to willingly obey, and feast like kings. Not be willful and stubborn, only to die like dogs (Is 1:19-20).” Thank you for not turning a deaf ear on me. Thank you for loving me enough to provide a detour from my wicked ways. I will go home and wash up and clean my your act. Help me to sweep my life clean of evildoings so You don’t have to look at them any longer. Help me say no to wrong and learn to do good. I want to work for justice. Help the down- and- out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless (Is 1:16-17). Lord, right now I also pray for my nation and its leaders. We have become a country of turn-coats. We have forgotten You and our humble beginnings. Lord, there are a few survivors. I am one. I will stand up for my country. We are not as desolate or doomed as Sodom and Gomorrah. (Is 1:9). Lord please give us the back of Your hand, purge the junk form our lives, clean us up. Do as you promise and set honest judges and wise counselors among us just like it was back in the beginning so we can be renamed County-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue Country. Put us right again. Restore us. Restore me (Is 1:25-26). Amen