Go Higher!

 Go Higher!

I want to go higher- I want to grow more. I do not want many of the things I wanted last year. I simply want to go higher in my walk with the Lord. I want to increase my confidence and strength as a follower of Christ. I want to control my thinking and my speaking. I want to control my seeing and my hearing. I want to have greater discernment. 

I want the same things that the Lord wants for me. I want a new mindset and a new perspective on life. I want to go higher this year. My prayer is, Lord, take me higher in 2025!

Life is very different than it was just a few months ago. I view life differently than I did a few years ago, and even a few months ago. Change is inevitable; it is certain to happen; nothing stays the same. 

As I contemplate change and my desire to go higher, I am so glad the Lord does not change. Hebrews 13:8 says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. This is the reason I trust Him; He is the solid rock in which I stand. 

Many people want to live better, and have more fulfilled lives. I am intentional and I am working to grow spiritually. I will have confidence and trust in God, not in myself. My mind is renewed; my eyes are open. My hope in the Lord is stronger! 

I believe this year is going to be a blessed and prosperous year for many of us, especially if we trust in the Lord more than we trust in man. When we make the shift. we elevate our minds and can only go higher.

We can finish strong! 

My Faith in God

I have much to boast about in the Lord. My life has traveled down many roads of despair and dissatisfaction. I will not get into it all right now, there is not enough time or space. 

I have learned to put my trust in the Lord’s hands. I have learned to lean and depend on Jesus. Life can be cruel and difficult. It can wear at your soul and tear at your emotions, especially if you are not connected to the one and only power source that never leaves you to deal with life alone. 

I have been connected to this one and only power source most of my life. I feel secure, comforted, and loved. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I am never doing life alone, and I am never fighting battles alone. 

My faith works very well for me. The more I exercise it, the stronger and more confident I become. This next year coming up, try to build your faith life up and see what a wonderful blessing it is to believe in Someone greater than yourself. Sit back and notice what faith in God can do for you. 

God is My Deliverer

Psalms 91:14 says, "Because he loves me," says, the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

I was reading my morning devotion and the scripture of focus is Psalms 91:14a. The writer says that a promise of deliverance is the first of the seven promises made to the one who loves God. She decided to make the scripture personal by saying, "Because I love You, Lord I thank You that You have promised to deliver me."  

The writer shared a personal story about being tormented with fear and  how her happy life was changed to a nightmare that lasted eight years. She said she turned to one verse in scripture that walked her out of that living mental hell. The scripture shared is "All who call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered (Joel 2:32).  I agree with the her that many of us desperately need God's promise of deliverance. The writer said the Word worked for her and it will work for us.

The writer says there are other types of deliverance that are internal and external. "The writer said God will deliver us from all of the following:"

"Lion problems- are life threatening attacks, Young Lions problems- are constant harassment, Cobra problems- are sneaky attacks which seem to come out of nowhere, Dragon problems- are imaginary fears, past fears, vain imaginations, Terror by night problems- are evils that come through man like war, terror, or violence, enemy assignments sent to wound, Pestilence problems- are plagues, deadly diseases, fatal epidemics, Destruction problems- are evils over which man has no control."  

All problems imaginable God mentions in Psalms 91:14 and more importantly, scripture says that those  who love Him, He will deliver us from them all. The writer says God wants to deliver us from every evil known to mankind. I give credit of this devotion to Peggy Joyce Ruth a contributing writer for the Bible app. I agree with her by thanking God that He is the God of deliverance."

We are living in evil days; get protected; get Psalms 91 equipped.

Pray: "Lord thank You for being my Deliverer and for providing a means of escape from all the threats of violence and harassment, the sneaky problems and the evil schemes of the enemy. I am so grateful for Your Word and the authority You have given me as a believer. In Jesus' name. Amen

             

 

I Choose God!

I Choose God!

Joshua 24:15 (NIV) says, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve."

The scripture says, that we are to make a decision without delay to “choose ye this day who we’re going to serve.” I believe the time has gotten urgent for people to choose God or Satan. I decided a long time ago to choose God; nothing else makes sense to me. Everything else is a lie and a deceptive scheme, but I did not fall for it; I have made my choice. "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." We’re living in some crazy and dangerous times. Evil is running rampant on every level of life.

It is definitely a time for recognizing where you are and whose you are without fear, apology or hesitation. The Bible says that Satan wants to crush us like wheat. If he thinks we’re walking alone, unprepared and not protected, he will most definitely make an assassination attempt on our life to destroy everything about us. 

I know I’m loved. I know I’m covered. I know I’m not alone. I know I’m connected and protected. I know my purpose, and I know I’m still growing in it. I know I need Jesus. I know Jesus loves me and He chose me first.  I know I love Him in return and I have chosen this day whom I will serve and I know I will forever serve Him.We have to get serious, pay attention, and make a choice. We can not be inconsistent in our faith. We can not let our guards down. The time is now! The time is crucial! It's time to make a choice!

What Ecclesiastes Says

Ecclesiastes 1:2-5
What is the main message of Ecclesiastes? I read the book a couple of times and always feel a sense of peace and godly perspective afterwards. 

According to BibleGateway.com, Ecclesiastes shows us in stunning ways that the key to life is not in life itself. Pleasure, materialism, wisdom, and money are all futile and folly. True happiness comes from centering our lives on God, not ourselves. In chapter one verses 1-5 below, King David's son explores the true meaning of life and looks over his life for lasting value. He then concludes, that everything is meaningless. Ecclesiastes is a book about wisdom and to have wisdom, one must have an understanding about the cycle of life as we know it and experience it. 

Everything Is Meaningless

Eccl. 1:1-5

These are the words of the Teacher, King David's son who ruled in Jerusalem. "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!  What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises then the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 

The fact that all is vanity should drive us closer to God and his plan for our lives. Honestly, what Ecclesiastes says is true. We already know everything we work hard for on earth has no place in heaven, only our eternal perspective is what lasts forever.

 

The Power of Yet

 The Power of Yet

By Brent Rinehart

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength” - Habakkuk 3:17-19b)

I decided to share this article by Brent Rinehart because it is very relevant. After you read it, you will see what I mean.

Have you experienced times in your life where you can’t feel God’s presence? When the worst happens in our lives, while we do our best to cling to our faith, it’s easy to question God. Where is He when a loved one dies far too young? Where is God in divorce, disease and death? Where is He when war rages? These are age-old questions humans have struggled with for centuries, and questions we can easily ask today. It seems as if the world is on the brink of disaster, so we are left searching for God through all of it.

Habakkuk wrote his prophecy at time when he and God’s people were asking the same questions. The Babylonians were preparing to invade Judah where the remnant of God’s people remained. This was a direct judgment from the Lord, for they had experienced rapid moral and spiritually decline. Habakkuk complains against God, not understanding how he could use a downright wicked nation in Babylon to judge a less wicked one in Judah. But, we know that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

The book of Habakkuk can easily be an unnoticed little book of the 12 minor prophets of the Bible. Habakkuk like many of us, wants God to show up and deal with the human evil they are experiencing. God reminds Habakkuk that He will deal with evil in every generation and God will deal with evil in our generation today.  Although it seems that evildoers are getting away with what they are doing, God says they are not. "Yet, I will trust Him." There is this word, "Yet" meaning, "Nevertheless" I see the evil and darkness all around me, I will trust my God to deal with it. I will trust Him to protect me.

It may look like the fig tree is not blooming and many other disappointments are present, "yet, I will rejoice and trust in the Lord." There is power in the word,"yet."

                                      

     https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-bible-verse/your-daily-bible-verse-may-29.html

This is the Day!

This is the Day!

"This is the day which the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it," Psalms 118:24.

Today, I am beyond happy to be alive and healthy.  Actually, I am exceedingly glad about it. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful that I get to see the beauty in another day, and I am thankful that I "choose" to focus on my blessings today and not on my problems.

I am glad that the Lord gives me choices for each day that He blesses me with. I can freely choose to embrace my day with a positive attitude or I can do the opposite. I choose to smile today and to love today and I choose joy with gladness today. 

After all, God has made this day and allowed me to see it. I am going to rejoice in this day and live this day in contentment with myself, my flaws and all. And I am going to be exceedingly glad in today- I can not worry about tomorrow; it is not here yet.

Affirmations to Start Your Day!

Affirmations to Start Your Day! 

Deuteronomy 14:2 tells me that I am treasured. This scriptures says,  "You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure." 

I am treasured. I am holy. I am chosen. I have been set apart. I am favored! I affirm myself in the Lord because I am Loved by God!

Crosswalk is one of my favorite publications. I find myself reading an article or two almost daily. Sometimes I just browse through the articles until I find something I need for the moment. I usually do this after I have read the Bible, or something I read in Crosswalk will lead me to God's word. Either way, there are many encouraging articles for Christians no matter what you need in your daily walk. 

 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/-biblical-affirmation-to-start-your-day.html 

I am Blessed!

Aways Have Hope!

Always Have Hope!

Psalms 39:7 says, “And now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.”

What sticks out to me the most in this scripture is where it says, "My hope is in you."

The scripture reminds me of where my hope is not. It is not in myself, my husband, my family, my friends, or money. My hope is in the Lord- only! Everything else is sinking sand. Everything else can fall through and let me down. People and things can disappoint, deceive, and hurt me. Nothing or no one else can support me, or bless me like the Lord. My hope has to be in Him and Him alone. This is why I cling to this scripture. This is why I remind myself that I have one real solid option in my life who I can always depend on no matter what the circumstance is at any given moment in my life.

It is easy to run out of worldly options; when things happen- "What’s next, or now what?" These are the questions I used to ask myself. My questions to you are: Do you look to man for your answer, or do you take a hard look at yourself? Do you wait on outside help, or are you on your own? What do you wait for? Who do you wait for? Who do you lean on? 

Life can turn on you at any given moment. Life can drain you physically, emotionally, financially, and even spiritually. Life can literally make you or break you. When life presses hard on you and causes you to question yourself and your life, I say turn to the Lord. You must realize there is always room in your life for hope. Scripture says in Psalms 46:1 that God is an ever present help in times of trouble. 

Billy Graham Library has more encouragement to say about this topic. Click the link below.

https://billygrahamlibrary.org/blog-5-things-the-bible-says-about-hope/#:~:text=Hope%20is%20Never%20Lost&text=But%2C%20the%20Bible%20says%20that,It's%20just%20that%20simple!

A glimmer of hope is all the strength you need to pick yourself up and put one foot in front of the other. Hope is God’s Grace! Hope is God’s Love! Hope is God’s Peace! Our hope lies strictly in the Lord. There is no one else who can give us hope like He can. Only God can give us the hope, faith, and  energy we need to turn the course of our life around. Join me in saying and believing this, "My hope is and will forever be in the Lord!"

I Belong to God!

I Belong to God!

My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world." 

As I read more- 1John 4: 4-6, I realize there are two kinds of spirits in the world. There is the Spirit of Truth, which we as Christians have and the spirit of lies, which is of the world. The Bible says that the spirit of lies belong to the Christ-denying world that talks the world's language and the world eats it up.  

However, the truth says, "But we come from God and belong to God." Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. Yet, the person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us." 

I affirm loudly and proudly today that I belong to God! This is why I write and share what the Lord says and what He puts on my heart. I know everyone is not interested in the posts which are messages inspired by the Spirit of Truth.  I now realize that people have a choice and they choose what they want and what they believe. Nevertheless, I will not let anything discourage me from sharing God's word. I will shed light on the Spirit of Truth.

All of us who know the Lord and spend time in His word have something to share no matter how small it may seem. One scripture can do a mighty work because it is the living breathing word of God. His Spirit is so much more greater and powerful than the spirit in the world. The Truth is 'my truth' and it tells me that I am victorious and I win! Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ-you win; you are not ever defeated!

      

Because He Lives!

Because He Lives!  

Because our Savior lives, we live. Because our Savior died, we live. Because our Savior loves, we live. Because of our Savior’s sacrifice, we live. Because our Savior gave the ultimate gift, we live.

 We are the righteousness of God, because of who we are connected to. Because of our Savior, we have the opportunity to live an abundant life on this side. He freely gives us his Grace, Love, and Hope. Because our Savior lives, we can face all of our tomorrows, no matter how difficult our days get. Because our Savior lives, we have an Advocate who sits next to the Father and speaks on our behalf day and night! Because He lives, we live.

Do not be misguided or deceived! Today is the acknowledgment of our Resurrected Savior and everything He accomplished for the whole world when He laid down His life for all of us. I am blessed because Jesus is Lord over my life and He loves me unconditionally, and so are you.
I proudly profess that He is Lord over my life and will always be my risen Savior not just on Easter Sunday. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior a long time ago and I am so happy and fortunate to Have Him as my Risen King!

Happy Blessed Resurrection Sunday everyone! 

I Am a Witness!

 I Am a Witness!

John 1 6-8 "There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."

What was John's main message? John's theme of life- eternal life, comes up again and again. One could argue this is his main purpose to demonstrate Jesus as the source of eternal life. 
I wanted to know more about John the Baptist, so I read a little more about his background to find out he was the cousin of Jesus and he was around before Jesus. He was sent by God to be a witness to testify concerning the Light (Jesus) so that through the Light, man might be saved.  My question to myself is this. Am I supposed to be a witness to the Light? The Light is Jesus, the one and only Savior of the world. The light of my life, Jesus Christ, the one who saved me and gave me eternal life. I can definitely testify to who the Light is to me.
I realize that my testimony about the Light of my life might help someone searching and looking for light, or someone who is ready to come out of darkness to embrace real change. Someone whose willing to believe there is Someone greater than humanity, someone who can make a difference in their life, someone who can shed or dispel all the darkness and help give meaning and purpose to their life. 
There is Someone who is pure Light and pure Love. Jesus has made a difference in my life and He has kept me sane when I felt I was going insane. He has been my Comforter when I needed to feel comforted and consoled. He has been my Friend when so many times in my life I have felt friendless and alone. 
I too, am a witness to the Light. My Light, my Savior is like no one I have ever seen or encountered before. I have come to depend on Him more than anyone or anything else in this world. There will never be anyone greater than the Light- the Savior whose name is Jesus! For those of us who will believe in Him, He gives us the right to become children of God. I suggest you read the book of John in the New Testament and get to know the Savior for yourself; do it while you still have time. 

Embrace the Letting Go!

Embrace the Letting Go! 

 I woke up early for this one. It is 3:20 a. m. on March 10, 2023. I’m wide awake, but would certainly love to go back to sleep for a couple of hours. But nooo, God has a message for me to hear about my purpose and His calling on my life. 

Pastor, Artist, Singer Cece Winans says something so profound and God inspired that blessed me this morning and it will certainly blessed you too. Take a listen and be blessed! 

https://youtu.be/wcdzzbZYaEk

Psalms 1

 PSALMS 1

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

1 Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk 

    in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],

    Nor stand in the path of sinners,

    Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

    And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,

    Which yields its fruit in its season;

    Its leaf does not wither;

    And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

4 The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,

    But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,

    Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6  For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous,

     But the way of the wicked shall perish.

                                                        

       We have two ways to walk or travel in our lifetime. Depending on our choice, we are either blessed or we are not blessed by God. One way is the right way which it leads to happiness and the other way is the wrong way which leads to misery. The important thing is we have choices and a free will to decide for ourselves. Choosing the right pathway doesn't mean we won't make mistakes or sin. We aren't choosing independence from God, but we are relying on God to help us in our daily walk. (https://today.bju.edu). 

       

       Psalms 1 is saying we are given two ways to live our life, by the Word of God with His help, or by the way of the world and by man's philosophy. It is clear to us what will happen in our lives depending on the way we choose to walk. 

When to Let Go?

 When to Let Go?

Jesus said this, in Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

R.J. Thesman, a Contributing Writer for Crosswalk.com writes, "We can’t know everything that happens after death – and truthfully – we probably don’t want to know everything. Yet I believe God is so loving, he sometimes allows us to “see” or “feel” into another realm to remind us he is omnipresent and always caring.  Years ago, I read an anonymous quote that still encourages me today: “Since God is with us, and our loved ones are with Him – then they’re not very far away.

I embrace this perception that my son is with God and God is with me meaning that Austin is not far away from me and neither is your loved one very far away from you. 

I wrote this poem a few months ago in dedication to my son who passed away 3/11/21. I miss him terribly every single day. I think about him every single day. His birthday is today, February 12th. Happy Heavenly Birthday my Beloved Angel. We'll reunite again in heaven. I have to let go of the grief and loneliness I feel without you, but know that I will always love you! 

When To Let Go?

When to let go, I don't exactly know

All I know- I will have to let go,

Because holding onto this pain won't bring no change.

I keep remembering when things were all right.

I keep remembering the things I did right.

When to let go, I don't exactly know.

My mind holds on; my mind don't wanna accept that you're gone.

My heart gets numb from knowing I have to let go.

So I ask myself, when to let go, so I say to myself- I don't exactly know.

There's so much I cherish and I hold on to, 

There's so much I remember and love about you.

I tell myself it's time to let go, I tell myself this, but I don't really know.

Has the  time come for me  to let go?

As I remember the precious time gone by, 

As I remember the day you left, it makes me wanna  cry.

Some peace in my mind, I need to achieve some peace of mind depends on me.

I ask myself when to let go, I tell myself, but I don't exactly know .

But I know I don't have to fully let go-and I know the presence of your spirit brings me Joy! 

When our loved one knows Jesus and leaves this side to be with Him, their spirit lives on as we carry them in our heart. I am learning to live in my space of peace, as I feel Austin's presence around me. I don't have to let him go because I will forever carry my son inside of me. I will embrace his peaceful spirit, because from my understanding of death, God allows our loved ones to look in on us until we see again. 

Perfect Peace!

 Perfect Peace!

 Isaiah 26:3 NIV says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,   because they trust in You.

This scripture says God will keep believers in perfect peace whose minds are steadfast or firm on Him- not wavering.

Why? Because we trust in Him. I am living a blessed life! I am grateful and thankful! My soul is at rest and worries

are few. My peace of mind depends on me and what I do daily to receive it and maintain it. My mind is at peace. 

Daily, I set out to embrace rest for my soul no matter what comes my way. I choose peace, I am deliberate about it.  

At this point in life, I have to seek serenity for my life. I understand where my strength comes from.  I know and 

understand why I am not a basket case considering my life's circumstances over the past few years. 

 
The one thing I know is through it all, Jesus kept my mind at peace. He kept me sane and humble. I will mention briefly 

what the Lord has done for me and how He kept me close to His heart. Please focus on the God we serve. I am only  

sharing my testimony to let you know the heart of God towards the ones He loves. He never left me or forsaken

me. Trust that He will never leave you or ever forsake you either.

 In 2011, we moved my mother-in-law in with us to care for her, as she was stricken with Alzheimer's disease. 
 In 2016, I had a stroke in my classroom in front of my students. Moments later, as I was being checked into 

 ER; I had a second stroke. 
 In 2017, an aneurysm was discovered on the right side of my brain. Emergency surgery was scheduled within two weeks 

 to close it off. 
 In 2019, my mother-in-law got sick after dinner and passed away shortly afterwards in ER. 

 In 2019, my mother had a stroke and had surgery to remove blockage from the main artery in her neck. The next day she coded.

 She is alive and well. Look at our God! 
 In 2021, my son passed away unexpectedly after found unresponsive in my house by his brother. This was two years 

 and two days after his grandmother's death. 
 In 2022, the week of Thanksgiving, my youngest sister passed away the morning after attending Sunday's church service.                                                      

But God keeps me in perfect peace! I can honestly say, I have rest in my soul. God has always heard my prayers 

and granted me the peace and strength I needed. God is a Faithful Father, a Faithful Friend, a Comforter, a Pillar 

of Peace, a Source of Continuous Strength, 

a Strong Tower, Pure Love, All Knowing, All Good, Patient, Peaceful, Understanding, and so much more. He is

everything to me! Just trust Him to be whatever you need when you need it! 

The list of His attributes and character go on and on. It is in Him I live, I move, and I have my being. 

Isaiah 43:1 says, He is an ever present help in times of trouble (of any kind). He loves me and He cares 

about what I go through. He never left my side. He is with me to the end through thick and thin. I only 

have to keep on trusting Him.  

                                                                    

 

This promise is one I depend on; it got me through some tough times. 

Life is not easy, but having God's peace of mind is an easy choice. 

ReplyForward

A Fresh Start to Stay Focused!

2023 Start Fresh to Stay Focused!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight” (NIV).

I was reading the article in the link below today after looking into Proverbs 3:5-6. The article is packed full of good practical information to help grow my trust and faith in God. I thought I would share the link and write from my personal thoughts, reflections, and meditation about Proverbs 3:5-6, which by the way, is my one of my favorite scriptures to govern my life by.

 https://deepspirituality.com/really-trust-in-god

Everyone knows life is uncertain; unexpected things happens all the time. I try to figure stuff out and make sense of things on my own, in my own mind, heart, and soul. I try to be accurate and appropriate in my responses and reactions when crazy things happens. I try to figure people out and why they act the way they do. I can’t!

For me, some things are just the right thing to do despite the feelings I feel. I don’t always like choosing the right thing over my feelings. Sometimes, my feelings feel right to me and sometimes they feel wrong. Then, I am left with a choice. Sometimes, I want to roll around in my feelings and go with my feelings. The human side of me want to be led by my flesh and not by my faith. I am being honest. I know there are consequences to every choice or decision I make. I want good consequences not bad ones. Realistically, this is why I have to fight everyday to make the right decisions and choices. I don’t know everything, so I lean and depend on Someone who does.

                                                            

                                                     A Fresh Start in 2023!

Everyday I try to trust in the Lord with all of my heart and not to lean on my own limited understanding. I am mere human with flaws and limitations. God is everything- I am not; He is Perfect and Knows things I do not know. In 2023, I want to completely govern my life by Proverbs 3:5-6. I don’t know what 2023 holds, but I do know who holds the new year.; the God I trust with all of me holds 2023!

I believe I will be blessed with a fresh start. I will push myself to stay focused on important things and important people in my life. I will stay focused on my personal and spiritual goals.  I will stay focused on gaining strength in His power. I will elevate my mind and not feel unworthy of his blessings, because His promises are for me. 

I want the new year to be a new and fresh year for us. I want it to be a season of empowerment and enablement for me and you. I want to see us progress spiritually, relationally, health-ally, and financially. I know God has so much more in store for me and you in 2023.

I look  forward to 2023 and our fresh start!  

Happy "Blessed" New Year Family & Friends!

                                      

Have You Ever?

 

Have you Ever?

Romans 8:26 (MSG) says, “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.”

Have you ever felt like you desperately needed to pray about something going on in your life and really wanted to pray, but the truth is, you could not find the words to express your truth? Have you ever felt like there were no utterance to express the hurt, pain and and disappointment you felt deep in your heart and soul? 

Have you ever felt like prayer was too formal and you just needed someone you could look at to talk to? Have you ever felt like God was much too big to care about or pay attention to someone like you? Have you ever felt like no one could possibly understand what you were going through? Have you ever wanted to understand your life better, so you could be prepared to deal with your life better? 

Have you ever wanted to surrender it all to God and not have to worry about anything or anyone? Have you ever wanted to know for certain “God’s got you?” Have you ever wanted to ask Him to reverse time so you --could have more time? Have you ever wanted a "Do Over" for many decisions made in life?

There are so many, “Have you Ever” questions running through my mind right now which can cause anxiousness. Yet, His word says in Deuteronomy 31:8 to be strong and courageous and to not be afraid and it says in I Kings 8:57, the Lord our God goes with us wherever we go. I understand that I am never alone. He said, “Never will I leave you or forsaken you.” I know this is true. I may feel lonely sometimes, but I am "never alone."

I believe God is whatever or whoever I need Him to be. He is my Counselor, my Friend and my Advisor; He is absolutely my Everything! Some years ago, I wanted a personal relationship with the Lord to know Him for myself and to feel comfortable talking to Him anytime about anything. So, I prayed more, read the Bible more, I meditated on scriptures more. and listened to godly messages more. There are so many late nights when I wake up and pray to get to a place of rest in my soul.  I pour out my heart because there are no secrets.

Because I am close to Him, I feel comfortable calling on Him for help with my life's circumstances no matter how hard things get and no matter the hour.  The “Have you Ever” questions can get real. They remind me that I am not strong on my on, but my strength comes from my connection to the Father who left the Holy Spirt to live in me. If the Holy Spirit lives in me, so does God. He is close to me and I am close to Him. He carries me and I carry Him with me- everyday of my life- all day long- we are forever connected.

I love that I can encourage myself in the Lord when I can not be consoled by anyone else. His presence reminds me that I am not forgotten. I have access to prayer and real conversation anytime I need to connect to someone who truly cares about me and who knows me and will not judge me. Honestly, life gets hard sometimes, but when I am weak- He is strong. 

I have been promised that if I ever get tired and feel I cannot go on, "God's Holy Spirit is right alongside me helping me along the way." My relationship with the Father is real, so much so that the "Holy Spirit translates my wordless sighs and groans" to the Father for me. I am comforted; I am taken care of, and my mind is secure in peace and rest from the cares of life- every time I turn my attention to the Father. I know "He knows me far better than I know myself."

Please check out my collection of inspirational poems composed be my family and me.

Together We Flow 

   

Tis the Season to be Thankful!

 Tis the Season to be Thankful!

Psalms 100:4 says, “Enter his gate with thanksgiving and his court with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

The next scripture goes on to say, "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." There are so many reason for me to show thanksgiving and gratitude from the generation before me, to my generation, to the generation coming after me. This season of celebrating the holiday, Thanksgiving, is everyday for me.   

Truthfully, every single day is the season to be thankful. When I look back over my life, I have to say, "Thank you Lord," every single day. My life is a gift and a blessing. I do not even know where to begin. As I write this piece, I feel joy and gratitude overtaking me. My heart is grateful- my eyes are tearful, as I think about the mountains God has gotten me over, and the valleys He has seen me through. I have been through a lot, and without Him I would not be here today. I am nothing without the Lord-He is my everything 

My personal relationship with the Lord goes something like this-He is my Father and my Friend. He is my Healer and my Hero. He is my Doctor and my Deliverer. He is my Provider and my daily Provision. He is my Peace and my Pacification. He is my Restorer and my Restoration. He is my Life and my Lifeline. God is the whole world to me. I can not help but enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His court with praise. He is faithful to me. I have not always known, nor understood how a God like this could love me so much. 

I was raised up in the church and have always been an active in the church. Not knowing any better, I felt I had to do things in church to earn God’s love and approval, so I volunteered for many years. I learned later in life that I did not have to work for His love or my blessings. God made a commitment to me and gave me His Grace; grace is free. 

When my babies were a few weeks old, and I could take them to church I knew I would need to leave them in the daycare for a couple of hours. I signed up to work daycare. There was a need for mothers to help care for all the babies, and I could not just leave them Sunday after Sunday without doing my part.

At my home church in Florence, Alabama, I song in the youth choir when I was not ushering. As a teenager, I only volunteered because I had to. My mom made that clear. But as a mother, I wanted to help in daycare and in children's' church to be there with my sons. After all, I was dropping them off in both departments. As the years passed, volunteering in church made me feel good and worthy of God’s love and faithfulness. I believed it was the main way to get something from Him. 

When I got older, I learned better and my motives changed. Today, I am thankful for all of those experiences and for God being with me in every area and phase of my life. I  had to experience life so I could learn, and grow in the different levels of  my life experiences. I am so happy that He is a patient and understanding Father, and also a Friend.

God is my Spiritual Teacher- I owe Him everything. I know I could never ever repay Him, but I can give Him thanksgiving more than once a year. I will give Him thanks and praise every single day. For everything, and so much more, I am forever thankful! 

Thanksgiving comes everyday. 

                                               

I want to share another one of my favorite songs, by: Cece Winans; it is an exhortation of praise and thanksgiving. I love this song! If this blog blessed you and you agree with it, please share it. 

https://youtu.be/9sE5kEnitqE