Determined to Live Life Trusting

I attended our church's Women's Retreat this weekend featuring Rachel Hickson as the speaker. I've been to a lot of retreats and conferences but I think this was probably the best ever.

The theme was "Dealing with God's Contradictions: Determined to Live Life Trusting." She answered the hard questions that we all struggle to understand. Why didn't God answer my prayer? Why does He heal one person and not another? Why do bad things happen to good people? How do I know if I'm hearing the voice of God?

Here are some key thoughts I walked away with:

• God can handle my questions.
• Trial is the environment that reveals who I really am.
• It's hard to move in the will of God if I'm not moving. Fear will paralyze me.
• Learn the art of stillness and worship to hear the voice of God. He's speaking, I'm probably just not listening.
• We let the promise that God gave us get overwhelmed by our circumstances. Stay focused on the promise and his Word.
• Sometimes he has to disconnect me to reconnect me to the next place. Think of them as stepping stones.
• It takes courage to keep talking to God when things don't go right.
• I need eyes of faith for what I do not see. And may never see.
• The season of delay is hardest. Delay will expose your courage and faith.
• It takes raw guts to just believe.
• God does not change, just my life has.
• We allow our circumstances to change our view of God, but God never changes.
• True trust doesn't have to understand, it just has to know.
• Though the miracle does not happen, he is still God.
• The end is not the end until it is the end.
• Death is never the end. It can not destroy the purpose and destiny of God.
• You don't always receive your word or healing on this earth, it could be in heaven.
• Heaven is bigger than my little life.
• Don't asky "why?" ask "What is this for?" "What is going to be revealed?"
• God is good all the time.

And my favorite revelation of the weekend:

• When the poo hits the fan, will I turn it into fertilizer and sow it into my soil (life) for something good, or will I allow it to stink.

If you are struggling with disappointment with God, unanswered prayers, situations where you feel like God let you down, you must get the tapes from this retreat. If you attend CCC, you can order them from the bookstore. If you don't, visit our church's Web site and request the tapes from the Women's Retreat with Rachel Hickson.

tag: Motherhood

Determined to Live Life Trusting

http://momnaction.blogspot.com/2006/09/determined-to-live-life-trusting.html