Author: cheriswalwell

^“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” Phil. 3:14 (NIV).

Throughout my childhood and growing up, I never considered myself “normal.” According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, normal is defined as “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern.” I’ve lived in numerous states throughout the Country, in many different geographical locations, and have figured out what’s normal for one person isn’t necessarily normal for another. Some states have pronounced accents, some areas are more laidback, and some locations are very sports-minded while others focus on creative arts.

I have the advantage of being eclectic. My accent is becoming more Midwestern, but it’s still a plethora of different regions of the Country. At times, I have to deliberately think about certain words or force myself to slow down so people can understand what I’m trying to communicate. I grew up in both urban and rural areas, and find I’m drawn to the rural lifestyle. We grow a big garden every summer, plan to raise chickens in our future, and have two plus acres on a quiet street with lots of wildlife. Sometimes I enjoy sitting quietly reading a book while other times I can be nosier than my kids, letting my excitement spill forth singing at the top of my lungs.

However, the one area of my life where I wish to always be declared “abnormal” is in how I choose to live my life. I want my abnormality to spill forth into every crevice. From the books I choose to read, the shows I watch on TV, the hobbies I participate in, to the way I dress, the way I talk, and the way I express my feelings. I don’t want to be considered “normal” according to worldly standards. I want to stand out.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

 

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world”  John 16:33 (The Message).

During the period between August 8th and the present, I’ve continued to work at my medical transcribing job to a lesser extent while pursuing freelance writing as a stepping stone to becoming an author or whatever avenue of writing/speaking God ultimately has planned.  I’ve been enjoying more time with my family, who inspire my writing, as well as using this time to minister to my husband and my children, during a very busy season for them. God has opened the door to some freelance opportunities for me to hone my writing skills in Christ-honoring ways.

I’m still not earning that supplemental income yet through writing endeavors, but God grants me peace each day as I ask for it along with asking for the strength needed for whatever our family will be facing that day.  I’ve learned to say thank You to God as soon as He provides something financially for us during this transition phase.  I couldn’t show it to you on paper, but He’s paying the bills.  I don’t know how long I’ll be here or where exactly God is leading, but I’m learning to rest in the assurance which is God knows the plan.  I have confidence He’ll show me exactly what I need to see when it needs to be revealed.  Until then, I’ve been blessed with God reassuring me countless of times, sometimes in very creative ways, without my having to ask.

The best part of this journey?  God gets all the glory.  He’s the One providing, He’s the One who knows where I’m going, and He’s the One with the map.  I’m willingly submitting to His will while enjoying the journey.  I never thought I could say how peaceful it is to live a life of faith instead of fear.

What God’s willing to do for me, He’s waiting to do for you.  Is there an area of your life that appears out of your control?  Have you given it to God, trusting Him to protect and guide you to safety without knowing the details?  I would like to encourage you today.  The first few steps are scary, and fear will try to creep up from time to time along the way, but the peace God gives following faith in action is like nothing I’ve experienced before.  That same peace is waiting for you as well, my Friend.

If you would like to talk more about this, feel free to comment below or email me at clSwalwell99@gmail.com.  I’m always willing to connect.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

 

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands” Psalm 119:10 (NIV).

When we last talked, I explained how God lovingly gave me four reassurances on August 8th while I walked the path He had chosen for our family.  The reason I knew these were from God and not random occurrences were because they were completely unexpected and very personal.

The first way He reassured me was through His Word.  When I thought about it later that afternoon, I had to smile.  God used His very own words, first, to shower me with reassurance I was heading in the right direction.  He gave me the verse, Romans 8:28 twice within a ten-minute timeframe, from two sources that were unrelated.  Whenever God gives me the same book, phrase, or Bible verse twice, I know from past experience to perk up and take notice.  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).  I’d memorized this verse as a child, but never really thought it applied to me.  I’m not sure why, but it took on a whole new meaning for me on August 8th.  It was as though God was saying, “These words are directly from Me to you. Believe them.”

The second blessing was through a complete stranger whom I feel blessed to now call friend.  I loosely belong to the social network Linkedin.  I don’t completely know what to do on there, but I’m happy to accept anyone who wants to be my friend, endorse others, and for the most part if you ask me to do something for you, I will.  A man asked me to be his friend a few days prior and I was happy to accept.  On August 8th, I received a personal message from him and his wife.  Part of the message said this: “You are more than ‘aspiring author’ for the last two years… you took the step.  God Bless you.  Our prayer is that God will use your talent in ways you have not yet dreamed.”  Those words felt as though God was standing in front of me and verbally speaking.

The third blessing was through another email, this time from my blog.  A psychologist had linked an article I had written a year prior to the article he wrote for a psychology magazine.  The fourth blessing was again from my blog, through a comment I received, again regarding my writing.

Now, it’s no coincidence God gave me four blessings on the very day I asked for reassurance. It’s also no coincidence He first comforted my soul with words from His Word, before using complete strangers to reaffirm my path as well.  You see, during the six-week transition period to less income, I questioned if writing was really a calling from God or if I needed to pursue a different ministry.  I was willing to continue the writing journey or I was willing to obey Him through another direction.  I just wanted tangible proof I was resting in His will.  These four blessings represented to me a special message from God that I was right where He wanted me.

Have you heard God speak to you in a personal way before? If not, don’t worry.  He wants to.  Just ask Him and then wait.  Sometimes His message comes immediately and sometimes it comes days or weeks later…but rest assured, He will speak when we ask.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

 

“That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” Romans 8:28 (The Message).

 

Within the last month, we’ve talked about what submission to God looks like.  When we submit, we’re agreeing to obey Him according to His plan and lay our own agenda down.  Sometimes the initial laying down is painful, but once we take that action step and choose to trust God before seeing the end result, something remarkable occurs.  We’re filled with a peace that can’t be explained as well as joy and excitement to see how God’s going to work.

We’ve also talked about how the strength we gain from battles won in the past isn’t enough to face the trials we face today.  In order to be strong enough to win today’s battles, we need to continually seek God’s strength on a daily basis, asking for just enough for what is ahead today.  Then tomorrow we need to ask for strength enough for that day.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s always a smooth transition from fear of the unknown to faith in God’s plan.  I’m still a work in progress and fear creeps in from time to time.  In “The Only Way – Part IV,” I talked about how the deadline of August 8th approached and I still had no supplemental income to replace what I was losing.  I truly believed God was in control and had a plan in place for our family, but I also wanted to make sure I was doing my part and not being lazy. Various employment opportunities had presented themselves, but each one didn’t seem like a good fit with our particular family’s needs.

So, on August 8th, I continued to pursue freelance writing, the direction I felt God was opening up.  However, fear had crept in again and I truly wanted to make sure I was still on the path He was taking me down.  Just like a loving earthly parent, God was right there, patiently showing me in four different ways on that particular day how I was safe inside His will.  I touched on those in What Faith Looks Like – Part III, but next time I’d love to share those in more detail to make an important point.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” Matthew 6:34 (The Message).

Last time we were together I admitted how I was frustrated with myself for being less like the centurion with his rock-solid faith and more…human.

Then it hit me. I was forgetting a very valuable lesson found in Matthew 6:34, and I love the way The Message Bible states it so clearly: “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

God promises to supply whatever we need for today. I was trying to take the strength (and faith) God gave me this summer and get a few more uses out of it. However, each day’s strength has an expiration date. I need to renew my strength, God’s strength really, every day for the particular trials I’ll face that specific day. Then and only then will I build up my faith.

It’s similar to a new lifestyle of eating or exercising. I can’t work hard at changing my body and then expect that hard work for six months or a year to last my lifetime. No, after I’ve met my goal, I need to make the choice to eat healthy and move my body every day.

That’s what God wants me to do regarding all areas of my life. He designed us to need to continue to draw close to Him – whether for job circumstances, health crises, personal and/or family situations, or financial trouble. All areas of our life.

Now I know the reason I was struggling today, yesterday, and last week. I was trying to use the strength God gave me two months’ ago to fight the problems I’m facing today. Instead, I’m going to choose to take the skills He taught me last summer and continue to use them on a daily basis. Praising Him for the blessings He gives while we wait, trusting that He’ll make all things good for those who are called according to His purpose, and working hard at the assignments He wants me to pursue as He provides them. Lastly, I’m going to try and enjoy the journey as much as I can while excitement builds regarding what He has planned next.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21 (NIV).

 

Last time I talked about how I asked God to show me if I was walking in His will, or just being stubborn.

God answered with four distinct reassurances. First, He gave me a verse from His word: Romans 8:28. I’ve heard this passage multiple times and many times people have quoted it about their own lives and struggles. Within a ten minute timeframe, God presented me with such sweet words twice: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). Never before had those words caressed my spirit the way they did that particular day. It was as though God was speaking directly to me. The second through the fourth confirmations involved a particular career path God had shown me years ago, but further defined this past spring. I thanked Him, felt reassured, and kept walking/waiting with excitement.

God also reminded me of the various ways this past summer He had taken care of us financially – ways that could only be described as divine intervention, ways I could only give Him all the glory for. I believe in addition to using each circumstance to meet a very real need of our family, He was also using the numerous opportunities to strengthen my faith. If He can supply for BIG expenses like we were facing, wouldn’t He supply enough for the day-to-day, monthly expenses as well?

However, being human, I was used to having some sort of control, some tangible security, some sense of not being lazy, but “earning my keep.” When that was taken away, my struggles began. When the work I was used to doing was at a much lower, more manageable volume, I began to worry. I knew deep down God was rescuing me from overload, yet fear still crept in. He knows my deepest desire is to be a wife and mom first and foremost and for a “career” to take fourth place. (First Him, then my husband, next our children, and finally a job.) He knew better than I would how much my husband and kids would need me during this season of their lives and I wanted to be the one they could depend upon – emotionally, physically, and most of all spiritually. I couldn’t give to them if there was nothing left of me to give at the end of a hectic day, week, or month. I knew firsthand from the past two years I had been running on fumes and not only do they stink, they don’t supply any energy. The peace God gave me all summer was still there, but had dimmed. I was frustrated with myself for being less like the centurion with his rock-solid faith and more…human.

Have you ever struggled, wondering if you are walking in obedience to God’s will or carving out your own path instead?  If so, what has reassured you during those moments of fear?

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

 

“Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well” Luke 7:9-10 (The Message).

 

I’m struggling today. And yesterday. And the day before that. However, I’m determined not to struggle (as much) tomorrow. I’ve shared with you my faith journey for the past two years and how I was stretched this past summer to reveal what true faith looks like. God has brought me and my family through quite a bit, and for that I’m incredibly grateful. However, I’m still struggling and to make matters worse, I’m disappointed in myself for those struggles

I’ll explain more about that shortly, but first I want to talk about a passage that keeps drawing my attention in Luke 7:1-10, about the Centurion. There was a centurion, who was of Roman descent, not Jewish lineage, who had a sick servant. The centurion asked for elders of the Jews to go to Jesus and ask him to come and heal this servant whom he valued very highly. Jesus listened to the elders’ request and agreed. Before Jesus reached the officer’s home, some friends were sent to intercept Jesus. “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (NIV). And you know what Jesus’ response was? Luke 7:9-10 says, “’I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well” (NIV).

I love the centurion’s statement of faith, but even more I love Jesus’ response. I’m struggling in my own life right now because I want to be the centurion. I want to have faith in God so strong that it never waivers, despite circumstances that threaten to scream louder.

As I spoke about last time, this past summer I was warned I’d be losing a significant chunk of my income within six to eight weeks. That should have given me enough time to find something to replace what I’d be losing. Even though I tried many different avenues, and even surrendered my desires completely to God and what He wanted me to do, the doors remained closed. Despite the deadline approaching closer with no real prospects, or at least no prospects that would result in immediate income, God’s peace continued to whisper I was doing what He was asking of me. He had given me Exodus 14:13-14 this past spring and I was daily clinging to the promise of that particular passage, to stand firm and let God deliver our family from these circumstances.

The day of the deadline I asked God to give me some reassurance I was truly walking in His direction, not being lazy, and not procrastinating. I needed to know I was obeying His will and pursuing the path He had chosen for our family at this particular time, even though most of what I was hearing was “wait”. Come back next time to hear how God answered.

Have you experienced times in your life when you thought you were obeying God’s voice, but circumstances don’t seem to be changing quickly?

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given” John 1:16 (NIV).

 

August 8th came and I still had no idea how God was going to provide. I just knew He would. It’s been over a month now and God has provided enough to supply our needs. Instead of focusing on how our bills will be paid, God has filled me with peace. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still have times of panic, but they are shorter in duration and don’t rear up as often.

That’s how it works when we submit to God’s authority. Sometimes we have to walk through unpleasant times, but when we submit to our Father, it’s actually fun to see the results. I’m learning to love letting go and giving God full control, knowing His end product is much better than any plan I could devise on my own. But, the first step has to be submitting to His ways, His plans, and His time. And, I’m finding that I usually have to submit before I see any tangible evidence of the outcome.

So, that’s why this summer we chose to tackle the difficult task of teaching submission to our children. Are we still dealing with it? At the time I’m writing this, yes, but we are seeing definite growth. Isn’t that how it is in life? It usually takes lots of practice in order for something to become second nature. Just as I am still learning how to fully submitting to God in all situations, our children have the opportunity to practice submission to us as their parents for quite a few more years.  Our prayer is that by learning to submit to us, they will learn to fully trust God.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!” Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message).

 

Last time we were together we talked about the issue of submission. It’s not a coincidence that during the summer while dealing with this issue as a parent, God asked me submit to Him on a deeper level. I believe God wanted me to grow in the area of trust, and He used my job as a way to cement that teaching. Late June I found out my income would be lessened significantly in six weeks. My first reaction was a panic attack.  However, God had something better in mind for me than that. I’d learned a few months ago to praise God even when things looked bleak, so that’s what I did. After praising Him for an opportunity for something better, without knowing any specifics, I asked for peace while I waited. During the downtime, I still panicked some and had many conversations with my Father about what I was willing and not willing to do. I reminded Him I didn’t want to work outside the home because my desire is to be a stay-at-home mom, but if He wanted me to do Plan A, B, or C, that would work into my schedule fairly well.

However, the more I trusted God had a plan and His plan would be for my good, it was easier to submit and say, “Your will, Lord, not mine.” I remember about two weeks before my “official last day,” putting my hands up and saying, “Whatever You want me to do, Lord, I’m willing. It’s not about what I want. You know my desires better than I do.” The amazing part about my prayer was I became excited to give it all over to Him and watch Him work. I didn’t grudgingly say words I was supposed to; no, with a grateful heart I willingly submitted to God’s plan. That full submission even included peace about employment outside the home. I trusted if that was His plan for our family, He’d work out the details.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you had to submit to God but were afraid? What were the results?

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell

 

 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” Proverbs 16:3 (NIV).

 

Through the long summer of providing opportunities to learn about proper submission, not only to us as parents but ultimately to God, I learned a few lessons myself. I learned to appreciate how God gives us plenty of practice. I learned even as an adult, submission to God and to others continues to be a lifestyle. And I learned the sooner I submit, the easier the path will be (usually) than if I fight to hold onto (perceived) control. I also learned many tears can be involved as our spirit of not wanting to submit is removed and we finally obey God (or others) with a willing heart. Just as with our child, the outcome isn’t a broken spirit, it’s a submissive spirit. There is a difference.

I still want said child to be the terrific person I see in front of me. I’m not trying to squash the independence, energy, or enthusiasm for life. I just want said child to realize when we willingly lay down our agenda and say, “Your will, Lord, not mine,” how much easier life will be. God doesn’t ask us to submit our will to punish us or devise ways to make our life more miserable. On the contrary, when we submit our lives to God and willingly allow Him to guide us where He wants, our lives are better as a result.

Next time I will share how God used the lesson we were trying to instill in our child to help me walk through a trial that was around the corner.

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell