His Encouragement #28

Good morning, and welcome to His Encouragement Thursday! I don’t know about you, but Thursdays are my struggle day of the week. By Thursday, I have already been working hard at school and at home, and I just wish it would hurry up and be Friday already. LOL! I definitely need a little extra Jesus time on Thursdays.

Trisha, my blogger friend at Joy of Reading, and I decided on calling this post “His Encouragement” because our real source of peace, strength, and security can only come from Jesus Christ. He, and He alone, is our constant! We pray and hope that these Thursday posts become a real encouragement to you and help you end your week strong in God’s love and purpose for you. God bless!

Today’s Thursday Encouragement comes from:

Psalm 62:2 (ESV)

He alone in my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

I love this verse. The part that struck me today is “I shall not be greatly shaken.” It doesn’t say I won’t be shaken. It says I won’t be greatly shaken. That’s an interesting distinction. It actually reminds me of John 16:33 when Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” So, in this world we will have moments that shake us, but these moments won’t destroy us IF we remember that Jesus has overcome this world. And, IF we recognize that Jesus is our rock and salvation.

A lot is happening in my life right now.

• We moved into our new home this past weekend. It’s a great change, but quite overwhelming. Being a homeowner is stressful! Because of this new move, my daughter has to go to a new school next year. She is a little sad to leave her current school, so navigating six-year old emotions is a little stressful but we’ll get through it!
• Bugs. Our new house comes with a few crawly “friends.” We have a call out to the exterminator to come spray, but he can’t get there until next week! It apparently really bugs me (LOL!) because my dreams the other day were awful. Bugs everywhere and I couldn’t get them to leave me alone. And, I’m famous for being a bug’s favorite meal. I have bug bites everywhere.
• It’s time for AP exams. My students and I have been prepping for the AP Lit exam since August. I am so nervous, and the kids are super stressed. I’m praying they all do well and are successful, but kids these days give up easily. The last couple of years has seen kids fail this exam because when it gets too hard or boring they give up and choose not to finish. I pray that’s none of my kids this year.
• This weekend is the Fiction Reader’s Summit in Grand Rapids, MI. I leave today, actually, and I am a little nervous. I’ve never traveled on my own before. I hope I can navigate things properly!

These are just the immediate highlights. A lot more is going on, but these are the things that stand out to me right now. None of these things are bad. It’s just that when things pile up — even the good — they can get a bit overwhelming and then I feel a little shaken. But then I remember Psalm 62:2, and I remember that Jesus is my rock. I can get through anything — the good, the bad, the ugly — because I have Jesus on my side. He is my fortress! Thank You, Jesus, for being my stronghold!

NOW, IT’S YOUR TURN!

WHAT BIBLICAL VERSE IS ENCOURAGING YOU TODAY?

And, check out more Thursday Encouragement from my fellow blogger friends:

Trisha @ Joy of Reading

Jacquelyn @ A Heavenly Home

Jessica @ A Baker’s Perspective

Becca @ The Becca Files

If you would like to join us: please contact Trisha or Nicole