Category: Bill Sweeney

Running to the Father

Published on by katiesencouragementforyou6 Comments

Month ago, I wrote about going through a time of being shaken.  In case you wondered—that time is still going on, and the shaking grows worse.  Sometimes I wonder if I am going to survive.  I find myself crying often.  I don’t even wear eye makeup anymore.  What is the point?  It will just get cried off.

So, what is to be done?  That’s just the thing—the circumstances are ones that I have no control over.  None.  They involve loved ones and their choices, and their illnesses.  So, I pray, I grieve, I speak truth and love into situations, hoping to comfort and encourage, and bless. I serve, I give, but I have absolutely no control. 

None whatsoever.  I know that I am facing the reality that I will lose people I love here on this earth.  I know that I am facing others ruining and wrecking their lives here on this earth.

So what is to be done?  Do I rail at God—hoping my anger, and my ire will motivate Him to move!!

Do I rail at the circumstances, hoping my anger will change the circumstances?

Do I pray, and pray, and pray, hoping my prayers will change the circumstances?  Yes—this is what I opt to do.  What I am finding, is that my prayers are not changing the circumstances—but I am changing.

I am changing from anger to acceptance.  I am changing from despair to hope.  Not hope that everything will turn out the way I want it to turn out—but hope that God will prevail over the darkness.  It is a hope that persists in spite of the circumstances.  It is a hope that is quiet and deep and stays.

It’s source is from God—so it is an immovable hope—or as Bill Sweeney, fellow blogger said, “An Unshakeable Hope.”   One of the blogs that Bill wrote, that I read this morning, is “One Day At A Time.”  Bill was diagnosed with ALS and had it for over 20 years before he passed away over a year ago.  I find the words of those who have suffered here on this earth and finished their races well—comfort me during my own suffering.   So here is the link to this blog:  https://unshakablehope.com/2013/07/29/one-day-at-a-time-2/          I hope it helps you as it did me.

May you be encouraged!!

A Time of Shaking

Published on by katiesencouragementforyou7 Comments

I have recently come through a time of shaking.   Do you know what I mean by that?  Another blogger, Bill Sweeney, (who has gone home to be with the Lord), has a website called, “Unshakeable Hope”, (His wife has posted some blogs on this site since Bill passed).

In one of his blogs, he wrote about how he was living the dream—a beautiful wife, and daughters, a lovely home, a job he loved—when he was diagnosed with ALS—and given 2 – 5 years to live. (The above picture is one of his family–before his diagnosis.)

Bill stated that he was shaken—and he quoted a verse that talks about shaking—“” .   This….. denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Hebrews 12:27   He said that God uses the bad things that happen to us, (not that God causes the bad things that happen), to shake the things out of our life that can be shaken away, so that only the unshakeable things remain.  The unshakeable things are the eternal things—that will last forever.

I love that—I love that thought—I don’t love the reality of it happening.  It is uncomfortable, often emotionally painful—sometimes physically painful.

The past couple of weeks have been one of those shaking times—and it is not over—no—there promises to be more shaking to come.

So how am I dealing with this shaking time?  Not well.  I haven’t written.  I haven’t thought I had anything worthy to share.  But that is not true.  One of the best things about this time, is that I have learned I have really important things to share. 

What have I learned?   I have learned that I have certain habits, that I go to—to feel loved, and accepted.  God actually made me with these needs—to be loved and accepted.  He made you with those needs as well.   Did you know that babies in orphanages—who are not held and talked to—actually die?  We were all made to be loved and accepted.

We also have ways that we meet these needs—apart from going to God to meet these needs.   For instance—food, and over-indulging in food, has been a huge way for me to comfort myself and try to meet those needs.  If I look at that logically—that seems ridiculous that food could ever fill me up emotionally—in fact—if I looked at this logically—I would see this as the lie it is.  However, I have believed this lie for many, many years.  

Instead, God wants me to believe the truth—the truth is what God sees.  The truth is what God says.

God says, I am loved already. (John 3:16, Jeremiah 31:3, Galatians 2:20); God says I’m accepted already. (Romans 14:3, Romans 15:7); God says I’m forgiven already. (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 2:13, 1 John 2:12)    Jesus died so that I could know God, and receive God’s love, acceptance and forgiveness. When I accepted what Jesus did for me and asked Jesus to come into my life—Jesus came in, (Revelations 3:20) He forgave me, (Ephesians 4:32) He made me a child of God, (John 1:12) He gave me eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13) He made me a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I may not “feel” those things.  That doesn’t matter.  What matters is that what God says is true, and what God sees is true.  I can believe what God says and what God sees, even if I don’t “feel” it, even if I’m not experiencing it.  This is what faith is—choosing to believe what God says and what God sees, even if we don’t “see it”. 

This is what God has been showing me—He is the rock I’m standing on—even when all my hope is gone—He is faithful forever—and I know He’ll never let me go.   (I just quoted the words from this song—which I just love by the way.)

So, yes—I’ve been shaken—and God is the rock!!!

I am praying my story of being shaken—will encourage you!!  Much, much love from the Father to us all!!