Angie Smith Quotes

But that's just it; I can either focus on what I have lost, or what I have gained, and I choose the latter.

Sometimes the fear of failure steals the beauty we were meant to create.

Be in constant communication with Him so that when times get hard, you will have relationship instead of requests.

What He has chosen not to reveal to me is inconsequential when compared to what He has promised me.

...what I mean is that we simply may not have the same meaning as God for the word 'failure.' To me, failure means it doesn't turn out the way I wanted it to. To God, it means I didn't pick up the brush.

In a world overrun with choices, He is our choice. Give in to grief or trust Him? Doubt or obey? Escape into the choices or cling to only God?

The true understanding of our own depravity isn’t a punishment—it’s an opportunity to understand the value of the gift.

New Music, I guess, is all those bands Angie listens to. They have names like Depeche Mode and The Smiths and all they sound the same to me - like a bunch of skinny white British nerds on Thorazine. The Stones, when they started, were a bunch of skinny white British nerds too, but they never sounded like they were on Thorazine. Even if they were.

Salvation isn’t about sets of words. It’s an attitude of the heart. The words have no power in and of themselves; it’s not a formula we have to perfect in order to be accepted.

We don’t know when, and we can’t fathom how, but we rest our hope on the unshakeable kingdom that is yet to be.

Churches should be places where people come to hear the story of God and to tell their own. That’s how we find out how the two relate. Tell your story with all of its shadows and fog, so people can understand their own. They want a leader who’s authentic, someone trying to figure out how to follow the Lord Jesus in the joy and wreckage of life. They need you, not Moses,

There will be the IV poles, the divorce papers, the sound of dirt hitting a casket. We will have moments where we can't catch our breath and all the world seems wrong, and we can't help but wonder if He even cares.

Instead of spending your days focusing on your sense of hurt or loss, allow the Lord to bless you with the grace to believe that what lies ahead will glorify Him. It is the closest thing to true worship that we have in this life, and so often we miss it. I miss it.

We don't get to see ourselves the way the Lord sees us, but we can choose to believe what He says about us.

We listen, we praise, we walk in the direction of God’s voice, and we obey. It’s that simple. Sometimes that means we get to unbind and celebrate. Sometimes it means we don’t.

all the while He is just waiting for the time that is right. He hasn’t forgotten, nor has He abandoned us.

Don’t waste your struggle.6 You serve a glorious God, and even in the broken shards of life, He is worth everything we can offer to Him.

We have a very real enemy who thrives on our silence. He doesn’t want us to be in fellowship, sharing our hearts and seeking wisdom on how to live lives that glorify God in spite of the darkness we feel.

If you can just trust Him enough to bring it to Him, He will rejoice in your masterpiece. And if you need to scream a little, know that you have a God who can take that too, as long as your face is tilted (even slightly) toward Him

Sorrow is one of the things that are lent, not given. A thing that is lent may be taken away; a thing that is given is not taken away. Joy is given; sorrow is lent. We are not our own, we are bought with a price . . . [Our sorrow] is lent us for just a little while that we may use it for eternal purposes. Then it will be taken away and everlasting joy will be our Father’s gift to us, and the Lord God will wipe away all the tears from off all faces. —Amy Carmichael

Grief is a winding, nasty road that has no predictable course, and the best thing you can do as a friend is to show up for the ride. You cannot rush grief. Read that again, and let it soak in as you either walk through it or alongside someone who is in the midst of it. One of the best things you can do for friends who are suffering through loss is to remind them of this over and over. Don’t mention how other people have “coped so well” with their losses or how “it seems like so-and-so has come out of this better than you have.” I have heard from people who have heard these exact sentences, and while I have a feeling their friends wanted to encourage them into a place of recovery, they weren’t helped by such remarks. It stings to feel like your grief isn’t normal or that you aren’t recovering the way you should be. There is no normal. There is the loss, and there is the Lord. That balance dictates the season, not the changing leaves or the anniversaries of death. I love the way Gregory Floyd explains the delicate balance of hope and pain, “Our faith gives us the sure hope of seeing him again, but the hope does not take away the pain.”1

This Bible of Mine? It is the breath of God spoken into my weary bones. It is the armor I need to walk the roads He has chosen for me, and it's the confirmation of promises that withstand the test of hours and adversity. It's a love letter, and it has my name on it. It has your name on it.

But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him. ~ C. S. Lewis

The one thing that is specifically forbidden is vengeance, the very human longing to get back at someone. Perhaps you know the expression, “I want him to pay for what he did.” How much passion there can be in those words! But getting even, paying back—vengeance—is territory that God expressly reserves for himself. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” he says. To try to get even is a dangerous business. We are playing God—stepping into a place that he claims as his own.

Hagar sat in full anticipation of her son’s death, and instead of looking to what God had given her, she surrendered to the fear. Is it possible that the well is right beside you but you haven’t seen it because your head is hung in grief? Are you so focused on what you think is missing that you don’t see what is present? Maybe you need to ask the Lord to illuminate what it is He wants you to see. It’s possible that what you have seen as the end of the road is actually an opportunity to open your eyes and see something you haven’t.

And how long will your fingers be so tangled in the law that you can't live out of My grace?

I wasn’t there alongside Simon that day, but I know what happened. He saw the light of the world extinguished and he knew he was the reason. And some time later, he saw the light come back. And he knew that God was the reason.

But He has given us what we need to rest and we should not be nearly as unsettled in the mystery as we are settled in the promises. Here are three words you are going to have to get used to saying if you’re going to follow Jesus: I don’t know.

Our actions should always come from what we know is true, not what we are struggling to fully embrace in that truth.

I’ve been in a hundred million social circles in my life, but Christianity proved to be the hardest cultural adjustment. It wasn’t because people weren’t kind and patient with me. I just didn’t know the lingo. I didn’t know the drill. I was trying to blend in, but even the word believer sort of sounded like a creepy pretense for beginning a relationship.

At the end of the day, my desire to take apart the process of prayer boiled down to this: What are my “rights”? It was more about wanting to control an outcome than it was about wanting God. Bad idea.

Forgiveness is looking the pain straight in the eye and saying, ‘God is bigger than this.’”14

Have you ever read the Bible and chuckled to yourself? I assure you, there is humor there if you allow yourself to imagine it. God is the author of humor, and I believe He snuck in a few good one-liners for all of us who appreciate wit and timing (hand raised; Gold star, Angie).

Finally the 40 days ended. And they jumped off the boat and lived their best lives. Untrue. It was just the dysfunctional party that kept on giving. They had to wait another 150 days for the water to recede. Do you know what the number 150 means in the Bible? Actually, I don’t think it means anything, except QUALITY FAMILY TIME ON THE LIDO DECK. And even after that, when it came time to disembark, imagine the stark reality of discovering that all the family therapists had been wiped off the face of the earth too. This was less than optimal, because it had been a hard season and all.

Scripture tells us that there are distinct blessings associated with fearing God. Among other things, He promises that those who fear will receive His blessing (Psalm 128:1), that they will have their desires met (Psalm 145:19), they will have strong confidence and a place of refuge (Proverbs 14:26–27), happiness (Proverbs 28:14), praise (Proverbs 31:30), and mercy (Luke 1:50).

because the words were breathtaking. Here is an excerpt from The Jesus Storybook Bible: They nailed Jesus to the cross. “Father, forgive them,” Jesus gasped. “They don’t understand what they are doing.” “You say you have come to rescue us!” people shouted. “But you can’t even rescue yourself!” But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side—if he’d called. “If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!” they said. And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed the little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5000 people. But Jesus stayed. You see, they didn’t understand. It wasn’t the nails that kept Jesus there. It was love.1 For some reason, I hadn’t quite thought it through in those terms, and I was rendered speechless by the infinite power that was denied for the sake of love. This is, for me, one of the simplest and most powerful ways to present the gospel, even stretching into our lives today.

(Note: If you don’t appreciate a little humor in the midst of critically important theological issues, you may not have come to the same conclusion I have, which is this: I don’t have to take myself too seriously in order to take God seriously.)

Simply acknowledging that you believe something is not enough. Scripture is clear that even demons believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus (James 2:19).

One of the maintenance crew quickly snipped the tie straps. “These are

When you are doing what I've asked you to do, you don't have to worry about getting to the farm. I'll bring you the farmer instead. And when you think you have lost sight of all your sketches, just know that it's okay. I know where the sketches are, what they need to be, and I will never leave you. Let go of the grief and the sorrow. Release the anger and the plans set in stone. Because I hold your sketch in My hand the way Mr. Gentry did in his. I watch and I draw - even when you don't know. I am concerned with all things that concern you.

Take heart, friend. Drink deep of the faithfulness of God in the hopes that the next time you face insurmountable odds you won’t cower in fear. You will learn to keep your eyes open to what God is doing, always confident that the Lord of Hagar loves you just as He loved her.

I’m afraid. And I know that from experience. We tend to

It was just one of those times in life when you know that God is speaking.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isa. 53:5)

What a funny girl, I thought, and then I realized something. To the three-year-old ye, and maybe even to the thirty year old eye, weeds and grass look very similar. Same color, same feeling, same texture.

Whether or not I protect the weeds isn't a matter of just recognizing the weed for what it is, but possessing the conviction to grab hold of the roots and yank like my life depends on it.

ring him on his mobile, but

Angie Billows. Jill Venable. Greta Smith. Lily Spector. Bobbie Sax. Jessica Moore. Mary Jane Cushing. Patricia Patterson. Ginny Towers.  The nine women I’d murdered. Derek Tice. Zed Billings. Dale Collier. Rog Thurl. Cameron Edding.

We can claim our unique journey as God’s way to mold our hearts to greater conformity to Christ. The cross, the primary symbol of our faith, invites us to see grace where there is pain; to see resurrection where there is death. The call to be grateful is a call to trust that every moment can be claimed as the way of the cross that leads to new life.3

room when she heard a noise outside her window. She saw a small unicorn lost and crying. Angie was very worried and flew down to the unicorn. “What is the matter little unicorn?” asked Angie. “Why are you crying? Are you lost?” The small unicorn looked up at the fairy, stopped crying and stared in surprise. “You can fly? Wow! How I wish I had wings? You have such a nice pair of wings!” Angie laughed and said, “Oh my dear unicorn, do you know it is so much hard work to keep the wings clean and protect them from harm? But tell me your name and why were you crying.” The small unicorn said, “My name is Goldie because I am golden in color and my parents love me a lot. They have gone on a holiday and left me behind with my brothers and sisters at my aunt’s house. All of us have been playing in the morning and while playing I discovered a small pink flower. I went in search of more pink flowers but then I realized I was far away from my brothers and my sisters. I started searching for them but couldn’t find them. I was lost! Then I saw your pink castle and was waiting for them but no one has come in search of me.

The sun was high and bright in the sky as I pulled onto the highway heading north, but it felt like a heavy rain cloud permeated the van. Smith had left a wound, but Angie was right, I couldn’t let myself slink back. I wouldn’t.

me constantly that despite what my mirror, my friends, or my neighbors choose to think about me, I was worth You dreaming me up. May I live a life worthy of the King who spoke me into being, eyes fixed on Him, heart steadfast in love, and always aware of His presence in the times I feel forgotten and discarded. You are the Joy of my life, Jesus. May it always be so…

as a burden carrier is twofold. Show up ready to walk alongside the one who grieves and commit to lifting that person up to the Lord in prayer.

And I love you, my sweet Caroline.