Connie Greenwood
Encouragement for the long haul! Join me in articles and news about staying the course.
It Could Be Worse
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #22 I recently read a story about Snoopy at Thanksgiving. He was lying on top of his doghouse and grumbling to himself about eating dogfood while the humans in the house gorged on turkey, dressing, and desserts galore. Then he thought to himself, "It could be worse. I could be a turkey!" As we go through life in a decaying body, surrounded by all sorts of evil, we can take a lesson from Snoopy. It could be worse. We could live in Ukraine in...
What Do You Have Left?
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #21 In his book, When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back Into the Box, John Ortberg writes about a professor at Vanderbilt University who developed Lou Gehrig's disease. This disease slowly takes away all use of your body while leaving your mind intact. Rather than giving up, this professor, Dr. David Rabin, found out about a computer that could be operated by a single switch. It could be operated by anyone, no matter how handicapped, who...
Standing on the Promises of Christ Our King
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #20 Standing on the Promises Some of the old hymns burst with hope. One of those hymns is Standing on the Promises of Christ Our King. The second stanza reads: Standing on the promises that cannot fail!When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,by the living Word of God I shall prevail,standing on the promises of God. God has blessed us with an abundance of promises in His Word. How often do we truly take them to heart? Here are just a...
Renewing Our Minds
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #19 Renewing Our Minds “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 Ephesians 4:23 “to be made new in the attitude of your minds;” – Ephesians 4:23 Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2 Philippians 4:8 “Finally,...
Humility
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #18 Humility "This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word." Isaiah 66:2 When I asked my pastor, John Brown, about a book on humility, he immediately recommended Humility - True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney. His recommendation became a treasured book in my library. I love Mahaney's definition of humility: "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our...
Dependence
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #17 What do you think of when you hear the word dependence? Weakness, needy, helpless? Paul David Tripp writes the following: "We tend to hate weakness because we hate being dependent....The problem is that God did not create us for independent, self-sufficient living. He created us to be dependent on Him and on the human tools He places in our lives." The Everyday Gospel Bible, p. 1495. Through many trials God has taught me to be dependent...
Sabbatical
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Hello, everyone! I had surgery on my right hand on June 27th. I have a splint halfway up my arm; therefore I'm typing with one finger on my left hand. Sooo, no newsletter for a couple of weeks. Praising God for a great doctor, for my sweet husband Gene taking care of me, and for the prayers of friends and family. I look forward to sharing what I'm learning through this experience. May God bless you as you fix your eyes on Jesus and rejoice in our...
Forgiveness
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #16 Forgiveness “The difference between holding on to a hurt or releasing it with forgiveness is like the difference between laying your head down at night on a pillow filled with thorns or a pillow filled with rose petals.” Loren Fischer,More Stories for the Heart. Compiled by Alice Gray, Multnomah Publishers, Inc. 1997, p. 102. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 I...
Nuggets From "Waiting on God" Conference
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #15 Nuggets From "Waiting on God" Conference I returned last night from an inspiring and deep-thinking conference taught by Dr. Wayne Stiles, author of the book, Waiting on God1. The book is based on the life of Joseph and showcases how God uses pain, trials, and hardships in life for His purposes. Joseph spent much time waiting on God after he had been sold into slavery in Egypt. God had incredible plans for Joseph’s life. But first he...
Running Our Race
Worth It All! Encouragement for the Long Haul Issue #14 Running Our Race Running Our Race Prior to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania was just another marathon runner. An Olympic caliber runner, yes. He had won marathons in Africa, running with times under 2 ½ hours. He easily qualified for the Olympics. But in Mexico City, Akhwari encountered an obstacle he had never faced before: the altitude, which caused his legs to cramp severely. Still, he kept running....
Encouragement for the long haul! Join me in articles and news about staying the course.