Hi, I'm Cherinda.

Hi, I'm Cherinda. Valencia invited me to share on her blog, so I thought I'd better introduce myself first.

I met V when we were in college at ORU and we were both placed on the summer missions team to Spain in 1993. It was obvious she had (has) zest for life and zeal for the Lord (two z words you can't use very often, but are so V). She was (is) also very compassionate and caring and just loved (loves) people. We clicked right away. (Incidentally, Terri D was also our teammate and my future husband was also on our team--we've been married almost thirteen years now.) It was a life changing summer for me and V and the members of that team hold a special place in my heart.

What I like to do to start off a New Year is to spend some time with God and ask him to give me a scripture for the year. I write it down in my journal and can go back and read it when I need some encouragement and I can also say it like an affirmation; that I am who He says I am and have what he says I have. I like to get in agreement with God.

Too often, we believe what we see and too often, it is not the truth. The truth is there and to get it from unseen to seen, we have to believe that it is. Simple, yet profound. It's no wonder so many people can't wrap their minds around it. To them, it is a paradox. To Jesus, he is simply speaking how it is. How beautifully profound, how beautifully simple. I love it!

I guess I mispoke when I said I only ask him for a scripture for the year. That's what I did four years ago. The past two, I've just let him keep giving me scriptures for my year until he is done (not that he can't give you scriptures to stand on during the year, but these are specifically from him for the year). I figure the more he gives me, the more I can stand on. More, for me, is better. (Same with communion, I take the largest piece of bread or cracker or whatever because I want as much of Him as I can get. I don't just want a little of Him, I want all that he is and all that he has.)

So here are the scriptures he gave me for this year (and boy, do they sure look good):

Psalm 18:30-36
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn."

Psalm 121 (I have changed a few "yours" to personalize it.)
"I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip--he who watches over me will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Cherinda will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over me--the Lord is my shade at my right hand; the sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep me from all harm--he will watch over my life; the Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore."

These are such beautiful scriptures of help and encouragement for me (us) and I sure needed it after such a hard year last year. I love it that he will broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn (important) and that he watches over me, now and forever. It lets me know just how much he cares and how important I am (we are) to him.

There you have it. I want to leave you with a blessing (because I like to bless and speak healing and wholeness): May God show you the depth of his love and concern for you, may he heal the dry, broken, barren places in your heart, may his blessings overtake you so that you do not even have room enough to contain them, and may you walk in health and peace and joy in 2009.