 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Thought I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light Micah 7:8 NIV Logan's Flipping FailureMy oldest son Logan has an impressive talent, he can stand flat on his feet and do a full back flip. He began learning this flipping ability at age seven. I was inside the house while he was playing on the swing-set outside, I heard him call out, “Mom come watch me”. I stuck my head out the screen door as he climbed to the top of the swing-set. I thought he was going to show me how he could cross the monkey bars. Instead, before I could stop him, he did a front flip about 5 feet off the ground landing flat on his back. I ran over to discover he had knocked the wind out of himself. This was a new experience for him, and he looked at me with wide eyed terror as he squeaked out, “Am I going to die?”. Logan’s flipping failure, and his ability now reminds me of Micah 7:8 (NIV) “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." When we trust Jesus as our Savior we become children of God (1John 3:1). We can never be bad enough to lose our status, or good enough to earn it. It is by God’s grace and mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus that we belong to Him for eternity (John 3:16, Romans 6:4-5). But learning to follow Jesus can be painful and there are times when our sin will stagger us and leave us feeling like we got the wind knocked out of us so to speak. Honestly, as women, wives and/or mothers there are things we do that bring guilt and shame. Things like losing my temper with my kids because we are running late for an appointment because I was on FaceBook and lost track of time. Or treating my husband with disrespect when he is standing with the fridge door open and asks “where is the mustard?”, as I spot it from 10 feet away. Or when I am driving down the road with my kids in the backseat, singing my favorite praise song at the top of my lungs and a guy pulls out in front of me and I yell “watch what your doing jerk” as I speed past and cut him off. Yup there I am flat on my back! Micah 7:9 goes on to say that “because I have sinned against the Lord I will endure his wrath.” But this is great news because Romans 8:1 says “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The enemy wants to fool us into believing that because of our sin we are doomed to be failures. He whispers all kinds of things like “you’re a terrible mother”, or “I can’t believe you call yourself a follower of Christ when you act like that." He does this to keep us flat on our backs. Yes, God does not take sin lightly, He hates it and He wants His children to live free from sin, so He will discipline us. But even this is good because Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us “the Lord disciplines those he loves” because we are his children and He wants to teach us to avoid the sin that weighs us down. As a 7 year old boy, Logan laid on the ground barely able to breath after his failure. But he did not stay there, he got up and kept trying (although it was many years later before he tried it from that height again). Today it is one of his favorite tricks! I think that is what the Lord wants us to do in our failure, he wants us to get up and say, because of Jesus “Do not gloat over me my enemy, for though I have fallen” all praise and glory to God, “I Will Rise!” **Here is a video of Logan flipping, as a disclaimer I do not condone this activity and no animals were harmed in the making of this video!  Weekly Memory Verse Micah 7:8 (NIV) Do not gloat over me my enemy! Though I have fallen I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Click here for tips and tools to help you memorize God's Word Comments are closed.
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Kim White
My precious husband, Bill, and I have been planted in Fort Myers, Florida for almost 35 years. As a newly married couple, God most graciously had placed people in both of our jobs to share Christ with us. Its hard to believe it has been almost 34 years since we asked Jesus into our hearts! Bill and I have been blessed with four children, 3 daughters, then a son. These blessings came quickly, all within 6 years!! During these years I'm so thankful I was able to be part of women's ministry classes at our church, helping me to grow in my walk with Him. Then came the day when I was asked that question that stretched me way outside of my comfort zone...will you teach a class? Its hard to believe that I have now been teaching more than 20 years. Bill and I love to travel, most of the time going to visit our 9 grandchildren, oh ya, and their parents! I also love reading, walking and hanging out with some very special young moms in Beloved that bless my socks off!
Julie Fuller
Julie is a Kansas girl who resides in sunny Southwest Florida. She's been married to her husband Sean for 23 years and they share two boys ages 21 & 17. She enjoys baking and biking, but her absolute favorite thing is snow skiing which is a little difficult to do in a sandy 80 degree land.
She became a follower of Christ at age 10. She loves studying and teaching God's Word. She has a passion for encouraging moms to love and follow Jesus. 
Beth Calhoun
Beth grew up in a loving home; however, in her early 20s she faced a very lonely time. During that time, she cried out to God and asked “If You are real, please show yourself to me!” God met her where she was and she trusted in the Lord Jesus at that time. Her life verse and desire is “no matter what happens, to conduct herself in a manner worthy of the gospel.” Philippians 1:27
Beth now resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband Larry. The Lord has blessed them by blending their family of five children. They currently have eight grandchildren and are hoping that there will be more grandchildren in the future. 
Donna Brown
Donna accepted Jesus as her Savior at the age of nine and has been amazed at God’s goodness and faithfulness throughout her life. She has been blessed to have had many mentors through each season of life, who have shown her what trusting God looks like. Donna and her husband, Bryan, make their home in central Arkansas. They have five grown children and are grandparents to wonderful grandchildren. Donna enjoys spending time with her family, laughing with friends (usually over coffee), going for long walks with her husband, and reading a good book (which may also be accompanied by a cup of coffee).
Sarah Spencer
Sarah is a true Florida Cracker. She was born and raised in Southwest Florida. At the age of 6, Sarah accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and she hasn't looked back since. Hebrews 13:8 is one of her favorite verses, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Eating delicious desserts, spending time with her family and friends, and teaching people about Jesus are a few of the things she enjoys to do in her spare time.
Sarah has been married to her best friend and husband, Brandon, for 7 years. They have been blessed with one beautiful, determined son, Asher, who keeps them on their toes. Sarah and her family live in the Tampa area. They love exploring their community together, family hugs, and eating pizza whenever possible. 
Katie Flint
Katie Flint just recently moved back home to Fort Myers, Florida with her husband, Ryan and two children, Collins and Madden. At the age of 5, Katie accepted Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of her life, after attending Vacation Bible School. Through each phase of her life, God has shown her that He alone is trustworthy. The verse that has been her life source is Psalm 46:10- “Be still and know that I am God.”
She is a stay-at-home mom and enjoys exercising and baking. She has been married to her husband Ryan for almost 9 years, who is her high school sweetheart. They enjoy trying new restaurants, family trips to the beach, and relaxing at home. 
Marsha Sommer
Marsha grew up in a small rural town in upstate New York. In 2006, after finishing college, she moved to sunny SW Florida where she met her, now husband, Shawn. Together they enjoy spending family time with their two fun-loving toddler boys Zachariah and Kairos.
Marsha enjoys living an active lifestyle, which is helpful, considering that her favorite hobby is baking. Though she attended church as a child, Marsha was not saved until adulthood when her eyes were finally opened to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. Since being saved, God has placed a loving burden on her heart to share the truth about God’s healing grace with those who may feel like forgiveness is not possible for them. Archives
December 2021
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