One of a Kind

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While at Wal-Mart one day I picked up some small striped pumpkins, mainly because I thought they looked really neat and would add to my fall décor.  When I took them out of the bag at home, I noticed how vastly different each one was even though they were the same type of pumpkins.  I immediately thought of how different each of us are; how different God makes each of us.  We are all human, we are all made in His image (Genesis 1:27), yet we individually have certain character traits and physical features that set us apart from one another, just like these pumpkins.

Not only did these little pumpkins remind me of God’s creativeness in fearfully (meaning with reverence and awe) and wonderfully designing each and every person that ever was, is and will be, it makes me feel very special and loved to know that I was thought of and known even before my conception- even before the world began we were thought of by our God! It’s so amazing!

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…” Jeremiah 1:5a

“Long before He laid down the earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love…” Ephesians 1:4a

We were made by God and for God.  Ephesians 2:10 states that we are His handiwork, designed for good works He has already determined for us, when we walk in them.  Basically, God has a unique plan for each and every one of us!  When we walk in the way of Him and His design for us according to His Word, He does a mighty work in and through us.  By faith and in our obedience, His artistic process of making us into His image continues.  It’s beautiful, isn’t it!?

You, like these cute pumpkins, are one of a kind; there is no one else like you nor will there be anyone else like you.  Memorize these truths for yourself and let them sink into your being so you never doubt your (or other’s!) beautiful design, uniqueness, purpose or the plan God has for you (or them!)!

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An activity for children:

-Gather two or more pumpkins (other items could work great too- fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, rocks, clouds), have them take note of the differences in each one…if you have older children, they could write them down, maybe making it a fun game of finding ten things that are different between the pumpkins, you could also circle any obvious differences on the pumpkins.

-Talk to your child about how just as God created these pumpkins one of a kind, he made each person one of a kind.  Let them know they were created in their Creator’s image, they are His workmanship, His work of art and that they were thought of by God way before they were even in your belly!  Talk about how awesomely and wonderfully God made them; how unique, beautiful, loved and wanted they are by God and you!

-List the ways they are unique and beautiful.  If they have siblings, celebrate their differences.  Let them know they are one of a kind and there’s no need to try and be like anyone else.  Often we want to compare our children (or ourselves!) to others…this, too, takes away from God’s unique design of your child, try not to do it.

-Grab a Bible and look up the verses together, they are woven all throughout the Bible–you could make this a Bible drill type of game or just use it as an opportunity to get into the Bible together and find the verses together.

  • Genesis 1:27
  • Psalm 139:14
  • Jeremiah 1:5
  • Ephesians 1:4
  • Ephesians 2:10

-For younger children, the verses can be broken down:

  •     (child’s name)    , you were created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27)
  • You are so awesomely and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14)
  • God thought of you long before you were in mommy’s belly, even before He created the world! And He even knew you then! (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 1:4)
  • You are God’s work of art! (Ephesians 2:10)

-If your children can read, write the verses (or fragments) out and have them read them aloud.  Have them practice memorizing the verses in their entirety.

-Remind them that just as they are God’s handiwork, so are others; they should not only treat themselves as such, but others as well.

-Talk about God’s special plan and purpose He has specifically laid out just for them.  Include what God has already done in their life, or any way God has used your child to grow your faith.

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I want my children to know these truths and understand how vastly important and unique they both are.  I couldn’t wait to sit down with them, observe the differences in these sweet pumpkins and discuss the creativeness of our God in each of them…my little pumpkins. 🙂

Think on these things

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“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8

Oh my goodness this verse.  Today and every moment of every day.

So often our thoughts can get the best of us…leading us far away from the thoughts the Lord would want us to have, far away from peace and joy and sometimes straight into temptation and sin.

I know sometimes I will rehash conversations that have already taken place thinking of what I should’ve said or shouldn’t have said…occasionally I might speculate or make assumptions about what others are thinking or question their motives…often I think about future events that more than likely will never even take place which causes unnecessary anxiety, worry, etc…  What a waste of time and energy, right!? These thoughts and those like them are not from God or of God!

It’s important to recognize what’s going on in our minds.  When impure, false, wrong thoughts enter into our brains we must nip them in the bud before they reach our hearts and souls, taking root.  Memorizing and mediating on Philippians 4:8 is an awesome place to start.  It’s also important to remember that God is the God of peace, not chaos; He’s the author and perfector of our faith, not our fears; He is truth and in Him are no lies, assumptions or speculations.  If He is the Lord of our life, is He the Lord of our thoughts?

My daughter went through a time when she would tell me when she was thinking a bad thought (normally having to do with monsters under her bed or things in the dark- oh to be a child again!).  I would ask her if what she was thinking was from God, the answer always being “no”.  We then would shift our focus to the things of God, that which is TRUE and that which brings peace and joy, not fear.  We would talk about His beautiful creation, our thankfulness for the day and we would pray for her thoughts to be from Him.  We would also occasionally sing, this coming from some awesome advice left behind by my Nana.

 “It’s hard to think bad thoughts when you are singing a happy tune.”    ~Virginia K. Sprott

So what’s going on in your head today?  Is it true?  Honorable?  Right?  Pure?  Worthy of your time to even be thinking about?? Is it time to give those thoughts to Jesus and ask Him to renew your mind?  Is it time to start singing??

Captivate our thoughts Lord!  Own them!  Make them of you, not of what we speculate, don’t know and can’t control.  Our minds are weak, Lord, may we fill them up with You.  May our thoughts be governed by Your Spirit and not by our flesh.  May they be pure and full of grace for others and ourselves.  You know our thoughts and you love us anyway~ and that is something worthy of our praise.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

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~If you are looking for further help with your thoughts, Me, Myself and Lies is an awesome DVD driven bible study by Jennifer Rothschild that is all about what is in our “thought closet.”  It’s full of scripture and Godly wisdom about transforming our thoughts.  I highly recommend it for yourself or a small group study!

SOUL to SOUL with Leith!

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Beautiful interview with one of my most favorite people, Leith Hoggard!!!  Listen and enjoy! 🙂

Verses:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

“Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (MSG)

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (NASB)

SOUL to SOUL with POP! (part I)

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So awesome to have the opportunity to ask my precious daddy a few questions for meet ME in the mornings’ first SOUL to SOUL! (notes below!)

Think of someone in your life that has made an impact on your faith; thank God for them and their role in your life.  Send them a note of thanks or encouragement to let them know the influence they have had in your journey.  Journal or talk to a friend about how this particular person has shaped you into who you are.

I love the decision making points he mentions:

  1. Pray about it
  2. Make sure your spouse is on board
  3. Seek wise counsel
  4. Make the decision and move on

Some verses we discussed:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 1 Timothy 1:7

“The Lord is the one who goes before you, He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 3:18

“Pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I hope you have enjoyed part 1 with POP!  Part II will be available soon!  Have a wonderful day! 🙂

 

 

 

On fear…

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I originally wrote this for My Journey of Faith online magazine in October 2012.  Today I am revisiting it to meditate on these verses and apply them to my life this week.  On Monday, our daughter will start 1st grade at a new school.  I know, it sounds silly to be fearful/anxious about something so normal but there’s just a lot to take in and a lot going through my head.  SO I need to focus on what God tells me about fear and anxiety and that only in Him will I find the peace I need to not only get through life but 1st grade too :).  He goes before us!  He knows.  Ahhh I am feeling better all ready.  Praying these words encourage you in any fear or anxiety you may be experiencing.  He is bigger than our fears and can calm us of all uncertainties. 

“The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed”

Deuteronomy 31:8

What if fear did not exist?? What if there was no such thing as that annoying little word that can do so much?? What would you do?? What would you say?? Who would you become?? How often does fear hold you back??

As I attempt to plan a 10 year anniversary trip with my husband, I have found myself full of fear. Fear of flying over the ocean, fear for our safety in another country, fear of leaving our children, the list goes on and on. I am slightly annoyed with these fearful feelings that keep cropping up, but it has really made me think about fear, how often I let it control me, and how, as a believer, this fear goes directly against what God has taught me in His word. I don’t have to define it, we know what it is. Any anxiety, nervousness, apprehension, anticipation, feelings of being afraid or scared is all the result of an underlying fear from within. There’s fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of change. Fear of dying or losing someone we love. Fear of what others think. The list is endless!!

Fear has stopped me dead in my tracks and kept me from saying something I know the Lord wants me to say. It has kept me from doing things I know God wants me to do, and for a long time, I know it held me back from giving myself completely to Jesus. Ultimately, and if we let it, fear will keep us from being the person God designed us to be.

Throughout the different translations of the Bible, fear in its various forms is mentioned numerous times—well, actually it’s mentioned A LOT. God knows it is in our human nature to fear, but over and over He tells us “Do not fear.” “Do not be afraid.” In His Word (and on our knees in prayer), He equips us with all we need to get through our fears. One of my all time favorite verses of Scripture that I cling to is Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail or forsake you. DO NOT FEAR or be dismayed” (emphasis added). He goes ahead of us. He KNOWS what is going to happen, when it’s going to happen, and why it’s going to happen. We all too often can only see what’s directly in front of us, or whatever we are facing, but He sees the big picture. The whole entire thing. Regularly, I have to remind myself of this because my thoughts can certainly carry me away from the fact that He is all knowing, He loves me and He has a plan—and it’s PERFECT. That is so comforting, and in that, I find peace.

To me, the opposite of fear is faith. Jesus spoke it Himself in Matthew 8:26 “Why are you afraid, you have so little faith?” FAITH is what it’s all about. It’s a core theme throughout Scripture and any fears we have chip away at our faith. We can’t have both, can we? God’s desire is for us to have complete trust in Him, in all we do, no matter how big or small it may be. He wants us to BELIEVE that He will cover our fears with the comfort of His grace, but we have to seek Him first in our fears. We have to turn to Him first when fear starts creeping in. Go to His word, get on our knees, and recognize that those thoughts are NOT from Him. He HAS NOT given us a spirit of fear. But of power. Love. And a sound mind. How awesome and comforting is that? It’s right there in 2 Timothy 1:7. He has not given us a spirit of fear. HE does NOT want us to fear or worry. Philippians 4:6, 7 “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything….then you will experience God’s peace…” May we all turn our fears into prayers and find peace in the fact that God is in control.

So I have a choice. Will I be fearful, afraid, anxious or worried about this trip and while on this trip? Or will I have faith that God is who He says He is: my fortress, my refuge and strength when I am weak, my light, and my helper. Will I listen and seek Him first in my fear? He CAN and will give me what no one else can: Peace. Isaiah 26:3 “You Lord give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.” Truly I can conquer fear by trusting in the Lord. I choose to trust. After all, can all our worries add a single moment to our lives? (Matthew 6:27)

What will you choose??

 

Let your roots grow down

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“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

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About a month ago we had a severe monsoon-like storm that uprooted dozens (hundreds?) of trees.  These weren’t small trees but big, old trees blown over at the roots; beautiful trees no longer shooting upward towards the sky but laying on the earth (and several rooftops I might add).  What was once standing so tall, strong and beautiful was now lifeless with the leaves quickly turning from green to brown as there was no nourishment from below.  A great number of these trees caused moderate to severe damage on surrounding structures; individuals are still picking up the pieces and attempting to correct the destruction from these trees being uprooted.

Seeing all of this made me think of this verse and how we are to be deep-rooted into Jesus.  Picture that…picture your roots growing down into Him and your life being built on Him…it’s beautiful isn’t it!?  And so strong and secure and stable, no matter what monsoon-like storms rage in.

“Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” Ephesians 3:17

It’s interesting how quickly the beautiful green leaves turned to brown once the tree was uprooted.  John 15:4 says, “Remain in Me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.”  Just as the trees withered up quickly once they were severed at the roots, so do we if we choose to sever ourselves from Jesus.  The fruit that His Word promises won’t be there if we aren’t remaining in Him, quickly turning from a luscious green to a dreary brown.  I’ve experienced this in my own walk, when I’m not abiding in Him…the peace isn’t there, the joy is gone and other things creep in…things like anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, worry, etc.  It’s a daily (momently!) surrender to remain in Him, but in doing so, we glorify Him and reap the benefits of His goodness and grace.

Something else to think about is that most of these trees didn’t just fall and land peacefully on the ground, in most cases, they took a few things with them- another tree, fences, houses, cars, power lines, etc… When we aren’t deep-rooted into Jesus, when we uproot ourselves from the One who has saved us, it doesn’t only affect us, it affect those around us, causing damage we may never even see or notice, but it’s there.  Just believe that when you are deep-rooted into Jesus others will flourish too, it’s part of His divine plan; for those who are deep rooted to shine brightly for Him showing others the fruit of getting nourishment from Him- grace, love, joy, peace, kindness, eternity…

Have you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life?  If not, please dig deeper into His Word or contact someone who can counsel you towards a life in Christ.  If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, are your roots growing down into Him or into something or someone else?  Really spend some time thinking about what your life is built on.

Heavenly Father, that our roots would go deep into You, our Creator and Savior, the Author and Perfector of our Faith.  That we would build our lives on You and not the many distractions this world has to offer.  That the fruit You produce in us would carry over into those we love and come into contact with.  That we would glorify you in all that we do and stand firmly on You, Your promises, and who You say we are.  May we humbly surrender daily to You.  We thank you and we praise you for who You are and what You have done for us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’ll leave you with another beautiful scripture to meditate on today…

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it’s roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Just as a tree is deep-rooted into the earth but standing tall towards the heavens, may we be deep-rooted in Christ, standing tall and strong for Him. 🙂

 

Holy Spirit you are welcome here

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“Holy Spirit you are welcome here…come flood this place and fill the atmosphere…your Glory God is what our hearts long for, to be overcome by your presence, Lord” Holy Spirit, Jesus Culture*

We sang this song at church last Sunday and I have been singing it ever since.  It really has me thinking…Is the Holy Spirit welcome in my body?  I know It is there, I am saved, but how do I welcome (or unwelcome) His Spirit inside me?

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to your own…” 1 Corinthians 6:19

I’ve always known that my body is a temple so I should treat it as such, but the other day when I read 1 Corinthians 6:19, it struck a different chord within me. This verse, coupled with the lyrics to “Holy Spirit” constantly in my head and on my heart, led me to believe I needed to dig deeper on this…so here we go. 🙂

If Jesus is Lord and Leader of our lives, when we accepted Him, he gave us not only the gift of eternal life, but the gift of the Holy Spirit to reside in us as we live out our earthly lives.  This Spirit – God’s Spirit – assists in convicting us of our sins and changing us from the inside out to become more like Christ.  When we choose to surrender our lives to Him, he chisels away at who we used to be; He saves us from who we used to be and His Spirit grows within us to change us into the likeness of Him.  The Holy Spirit cleans up our messes -because we are all just messes, especially without Jesus Christ!  John 15:5b says, “For apart from me you can do nothing.”  So that must mean that with Him we can do everything, right?!  According to Philippians 4:13 we sure can (I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength“)!!

I think what struck me differently about my body being a temple is that in the past, I associated the verse more with what goes into or on my body, and not what I am doing with my body or what is coming out of my body- specifically my mouth.  Are my words and actions reflective of the Holy Spirit living inside of me?  Galatians 5:22 and 23 says that the Holy Spirit produces peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (um yes please!?).  Is my tone of voice and my body language producing these fruits??  I can check mark several that I have been struggling with and while it’s disappointing and frustrating, His grace is there to catch me when I fall–full of forgiveness that allows me to move forward, to learn as needed and to not look back.  There is no condemnation or shame in Christ!

So…we have God’s spirit inside of us as believers.  WOW.  How awesome is that!?  Inside of me is the capability to be peace, love, joy, etc…, no matter my circumstances; but I don’t always choose to do it Jesus’ way.  How often I give into my own selfish, pride-filled desires, thinking I have the right to.  What does that do to His Spirit inside of me??  I’d say it pushes it aside or squashes it.  So I push my God, the One who made me, the One who saved me, aside so I can have my way.  It may feel good at the time, it may feel right at the time, but eventually His precious Spirit inside of me wells up and lets me know it wasn’t the right thing to do (thank you Jesus for this conviction!).  It’s not always easy but it’s needed in order to grow and to change, and without it we wouldn’t always know where we need Jesus.

God’s Spirit takes up residence inside of our bodies at salvation; sanctification is the process when we choose to let Him thrive, let His fruits grow and take over who we are and what we do.  So today, let’s make that choice and welcome His spirit to rise up and fill our hearts, souls and minds.  Everyday (every moment!!), let’s say yes to Him and let His Spirit influence us to do what He wants us to do and live how He wants us to live.  We cannot be like Christ without allowing Him to flourish over our flesh and worldly desires.

Oh Holy Spirit you are welcome here! Flood us today!

*Click here to listen to “Holy Spirit” 🙂

Clouds

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You know what makes each sunset or sunrise one of a kind?  The clouds surrounding it.  Every morning and every night it’s something different…and I LOVE it.  I look forward to it.  Each rise and set portrays God’s glory.  It demonstrates His consistency, His sovereignty over the earth, His creativity and His great love for us.

While a sunrise or sunset with just the sun is certainly beautiful, when clouds are present, it brings about a uniqueness and makes each one original.  The colors, contrast and rays of light the clouds produce are breathtaking!

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It’s neat to think that the clouds, which so often produce rain can add such beauty to a sky.  These clouds have the potential, and sometimes succeed, to stop the sun from visibly shining, but never do we see a rainbow without clouds…never do we see such magnificent pinks, purples, oranges and yellows without the clouds there, reflecting the light.

“When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds.”  Genesis 9:14

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Now apply this to life–the very “clouds” that have produced rain or had the capability to stop us from shining also have the power to make us all the more vibrant and unique.  Do we see the true beauty in these clouds?  Can we hold onto God’s promises of a rainbow?

Tonight, look at the sunset and remember how special and unique you are and don’t ever doubt what God can bring out of the “clouds” in your life.  And as a dear friend put it today…shine on. 🙂

 

 

 

oh how He loves us!*

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When I think about how much God loves us I sometimes can’t wrap my head around it all.  It’s so big, so overwhelming…but I find rest in knowing it to be true and so amazing!

God is our Creator; we were in His care even before we were born (Isaiah 44:2). He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27) and we are His cherished personal treasures. He knows (and cares about!) every single detail of our lives. NOTHING is too big or too small for God. I love the analogy Beth Moore uses in the study The Law of Love of a baby tied into its mother’s womb, and how He is “tied into” and bound into our very being. Think of how bound we are to our own children…as our creator He is even more bound into us. Matthew 10:30 states that “even the very hairs on our head are numbered,” which is astounding because if your hair is anything like mine that number changes daily! Oh how He loves us!

God is love (I John 4:8). No human will ever be able to meet our deepest needs; only God can fill that hole inside each of us with His unconditional love. It’s a love that knows no end. A love that knows exactly what we need. No matter what has happened, what we have done, or how far we have run from him, His love is always there with open arms full of security and forgiveness. He has even given us a book about His love, so we would know and abide in it. It is a precious book full of abounding love from the Father that we must all keep close to our hearts. Oh how He loves us!

This world is not easy; God never said it would be. In fact the Bible tells us that we WILL suffer and have pain and difficulty in this world, but it also says this world is not our home. When we look at things happening around us, we can’t possibly begin to understand why…but the God who loves us knows why. He knows how, He knows when, and He promises better things to come for those who live for Him. His wisdom and understanding are above all else and we have to TRUST that He loves us individually, knows us individually and created us individually. He has a perfect plan for each of our lives. This plan, however imperfect it may seem to us, is perfect to Him. Oh how He loves us!

Two words: Jesus Christ (have I mentioned that He loves us!?). Oh that He would send a Savior; oh that He would send His Son, a man who knew no sin, for you and me. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” And that is certainly what Jesus Christ did for us. As many years removed as we are from the day Jesus died, we still have to know and believe that the God who loves us sent His one and only son to die on a wooden cross to take on the sin and bad choices of the world. So WE could be free. So WE can receive HIS never-ending forgiveness and grace. WOW. What a sacrifice. Oh how he loves us!

To sum it up, God loves us. And the God who loves us wants us. He has no greater desire than to fill each of us with His Spirit. He wants us to reach out to Him, accept His love, and love Him in return. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5).

He chose us as His cherished personal treasure…is He our treasure?

*This article was originally published in My Journey of Faith online magazine in February 2013.  Click here to read the original and other stories of God’s goodness and grace!

All things for good…

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“And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

This verse.  I couldn’t get it out of my head last week.  In light of the recent catastrophic and devastating tornadoes that ripped through our state and through conversations with others who are hurting because life is just hard, I have needed something to hold on to.  I’ve needed something to remind myself that nothing goes without purpose, nothing is ever wasted and that God is sovereign and knows the good He has prepared for those who love Him.

I once wrestled with this verse and didn’t know if I really believed it or not; it was in 2006.  My heart wasn’t necessarily in the best place to begin with, nor was my relationship with the Lord. That May I experienced our first miscarriage, the unexpected death of my brother in October, and a second miscarriage in early 2007.  I will be honest, I was a mess, nothing was well with my soul and I didn’t know how God could do this to our family.  I grieved a lot, ended up angry and stayed there for a little too long (ever been there?).  I focused on all the bad that had happened, questioned God and lost faith for a while.  But, I got to such a point in that pit that all I had were His promises, the hope of Him and His Word so I turned to Him and let Him pull me out of the pit.

I can now look back at that time and see God’s hand weaving things together for my good; using pain and loss to refine me, bring me good and bring me closer to Him.  And I can praise Him.

I can also look back and know that leaning on my own understanding is a sure-fire way to end up in a pit.  Trusting in Him and the Truths He has given us in scripture is the only way to hang onto His anchor of Hope while walking through life’s deepest depths.

The world we live in now is not our forever home.  Although beautiful and full of blessings from God, it is also full of sin, sadness, loss and injustice.  I think that helps us long for Heaven but I also know that God can take these things, the things that break us, and use them for good while we are here; for His glory, His purposes and our good.  Sometimes we bring things on ourselves, and other times, the Lord allows things to happen.  We have to believe that He loves us, wants us and can see the whole picture, from beginning to end.  Our sight is so limited but He knows the good that can come from things.  All we have to do is love and trust Him in the process; it’s His design to do good for us in the end.  Don’t ever doubt this (I’m talking to myself here too!)!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Write it on a sticky note, memorize it, meditate on it, believe it to your core.  In the big things and the small things, He is able to work them together for good; He wastes nothing.

I would love to hear how you have seen God work things together for your good!

If you want to study this more, look up the following! 🙂

  • Genesis 50:20
  • Deuteronomy 8:16
  • Ephesians 1:11
  • Ephesians 3:11

Running on Empty…

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Literally.  This happened this weekend.

I was driving home from an amazing weekend in Little Rock (more on that later, I’m still trying to process it all!) and should have run out of gas…but by the grace of God, I didn’t.

I was listening to music, singing and worshipping in the car while my daughter slept.  I’m grateful she was so tired and so asleep that the volume of the music (or my singing) didn’t affect her :).  I looked down and noticed I had 8 miles until empty.  Oh my.  I had no clue where we were but knew we had already gone through most of the major towns with gas stations. Agh.

All of a sudden I hear the words to the song that had just started playing:

“We will say of you Oh Lord when it seems there’s nothing left

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness…

We won’t doubt, we won’t fear, we know our God is near.

We will stand, we will say, “Our God alone is great.”

So I turned it up and prayed.  And trusted and believed we would make it.

And continued to watch as the number went down…

And then this happened.

gass

But we were still going.  And I was still praying and trusting and believing (and had woken up my daughter but was happy to have her praying too!).

I repeated the song about His faithfulness- several times.

I’m not sure how far we went on 0, maybe 5-10 miles?  But we made it.  Oh I am so grateful because I’m not sure what I would’ve done had we not.

After we filled up the tank and got some gas station bubble gum, we were on the road again.  I couldn’t quit thinking of the words to the song* that came at the perfect time…How applicable they can be in any situation in our lives– literally running out of gas in a vehicle or running out of gas in our own lives.

I wrote this quote down from John Piper months ago; I can’t find the article or sermon I read/heard it in but wanted to share:

The fact that you run out of gas everyday puts you in the station…makes us fill up everyday at His pump. Lest we forget where the gas comes from.

I LOVE that!  Just as a vehicle requires gas or energy to function effectively, we require Him to function effectively; the way we were made to function.

When I was running out of gas in my car, I had NO clue where the next gas station was I just prayed and hoped and trusted we would make it.

In life, I think we sometimes forget where the gas comes from and sometimes I think it takes us driving on empty for a while before we realize we even need gas.  Lord, everyday, please fill us up!  Help us not wait until we are past empty to pull into Your station!  And may we never forget that we need You in all area of our lives!

I learned a few things through this experience…

~Watch the gas gauge in my van 🙂

~Watch the gas gauge in my soul, never forget where the gas comes from, and never stop getting filled up

~His timing is so awesome, even in the timing of a song with words to help me trust and believe we would make it to a gas station

~When we trust and believe God with the small, minor details and we notice His faithfulness in the things we think may not even matter, it helps us trust Him with the really big things.

Great is His faithfulness, even running on empty 🙂

*”Nothing Less” by Charles Billingsley is on his newest album, Only Jesus, set to release in September.  I was able to get an advanced copy at the Women of Joy conference I attended a few weeks ago.  Click here to listen!

 

 

 

Praise Him through the Storms*

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New iphone 3024

In April of 2012 my family experienced some major storms. I am in awe of that time and can never forget how great and big and faithful our God was during it all. And how great and big and faithful He is in the sunshine as well…although it is often the storms that grow us the most (just look at how green the rain makes the grass!) I pray these words and verses bring you encouragement today whether you are facing sun or storms.

I once thought that God didn’t give us more than we could handle but I now believe the opposite to be true…He gives us more than we can handle on our own so we have nothing left to do but cling to Him. We cannot do it without Him. I have learned that He will provide if we just let Him and He will calm us so much during the storms that all we can do is praise Him.

Two years ago this month, my family weathered some storms. The details of those few months will be saved for another day, but they did affect my husband and our two young children. These storms consisted of numerous hospital stays, multiple ER visits, surgery, a 20 foot fall, a lymphoma scare, one health issue we are praying and believing will be outgrown in God’s time, and two diagnoses that God has already healed (He is so good!).

Looking back through journal entries and messages to my prayer warriors, family, etc…I am overwhelmed with emotion at the supernatural strength God gave me during that time; at how strong my faith was during it all. It’s been both an encouragement and a wonderful reminder of how God will provide if I let Him and how if I’m not placing my trust and hope in Him, I will fear and feel the chaos of my surroundings when going through troubling times (which we WILL have in this world, the Bible tells us). Through it all, God was there, and He was BIG. He showed up, He held us up and in the course of it all we grew. I revisit that time and can’t help but praise Him some more! His hand was on everything and everywhere. I couldn’t have done it without Him; everything around me was chaotic and out of control, but I knew that HE was in control. I was on my knees crying out to Him constantly; so many people were praying for us…and He provided. He provided strength and a peace I’ve never experienced before. He carried me, He carried us, and we survived…

I want to share some verses that helped us survive:

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This verse tells us that when we love God, He can turn our circumstances into good to fulfill a greater purpose- His purpose. I assure you that the bad we went through that year resulted in good. We are not who we were before we walked through those storms and for that I am grateful. Our relationships with Jesus and each other were deepened and strengthened; we learned so much and depended on God in a way we hadn’t before. Daily I am reminded of that time and how it is a testament of the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we mediate on Romans 8:28 and know the greater good is for His Glory!

Psalm 121:1-2 says “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Was He ever my Help…as I have mentioned before I couldn’t have done it without Him. His help came in various ways too; amazing family and friends willing to help however they could, phone calls, texts, hospital visits, home cooked dinners, sonic drinks, a song on the radio or in my head, a truck with Philippians 4:13 written on it, a sermon or devotional– everything coming at just the right time, which is more validation that He knows what we need when we need it and that His timing is perfect (why do I forget this sometimes!?).

A verse I couldn’t have done without and prayed daily was Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” I knew that my family was in God’s hands and I had so much peace knowing that He went before us and knew long before we did what was going on and what was going to happen. I tried not to think about the what-if’s and worse case scenarios because I knew we were in the thick of it all and God wanted me to trust in Him. It wasn’t always easy but, I promise you, trusting in Him and knowing He was in control was much more comforting than my other options.

The following verses were also constantly on my heart:

“You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you God are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.” Psalm 59:17 (NIV)

“For you, O LORD have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4 (NASB)

“…Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him for the life of your little ones…” Lamentations 2:19 (NASB)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

“And all things you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” Matthew 21:22 (NASB) (our daughter’s life verse)

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:11a (NASB) (our son’s life verse)

If you are walking through a storm right now, look up. Praise Him through it. Pray without ceasing, stay in His Word, meditate on His truths and have others pray on your behalf. No matter how big or small the storm, He can handle it and He wants us to make our requests known to Him. You’ll be amazed at the strength, guidance, and comfort He can supply. He is enough. I pray this article will serve as encouragement to everyone who reads it. It’s as much for me as it is for you, if not more. To God be the Glory great things He has done!

*I originally wrote this article for the April 2013 edition of My Journey of Faith Online Magazine.  Every April I am reminded of the storms we encountered in 2012 and the goodness and greatness of our God.  Click here to be redirected to the original article and other articles of faith. 

On being perfect…

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I think deep down inside of each of us is the desire to be perfect.  To look perfect, to act perfect, to have no flaws, no sin.  To fit this mold and these crazy high expectations or standards we’ve set for ourselves and even others.  To never mess up.  And we try.  We try so hard to be perfect, at least in the areas we can work hard at and attempt this perfection…but it’s like chasing the wind.  No matter how hard we try, we aren’t going to catch it!

PERFECT (adj) being entirely without fault or defect; corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept; mature, pure, complete

When I read that definition, the One person that comes to mind is Jesus Christ.  He was entirely without fault or defect; He certainly set the standard for us, didn’t He?  He was and is the epitome of completeness, purity and maturity.

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.”   1 Peter 2:22

I wish that once we choose Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we would immediately become just like Him…but that’s not exactly how it works.  We can try and try and try to be good and do good but we will fail, we will mess up and get exhausted in the process!  He knows we aren’t perfect, and He loves us anyway!  I’m sure what He doesn’t love is us trying to be perfect and striving for perfection on our own.

Matthew 5:48 says to “be perfect because I am perfect” (some versions say Holy).  Woah.  No pressure right?  But what this verse is saying is that Christ set an unattainable standard, which sums up what the law demands.  But HE met this standard on our behalf; so we don’t have to.  Oh dear Jesus thank you!

“In a word, what I am saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:48 (MSG)

The more time we spend with Jesus, in prayer or in His word, the more we will be like Him.  And it is not of ourselves, it is of Him.

“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”  Ephesians 1:13 (ESV)

If we are saved, we are guaranteed the Holy Spirit- Gods Spirit which demonstrates the genuineness of our faith and proves we are God’s children. I think we often underestimate the power that is in us as Believers!  We have HIS Spirit! And it’s the Holy Spirit’s work in us that transforms us into the likeness of Christ, and nothing we can do on our own, aside from choosing to follow Him.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9

What if this need for perfection in ourselves and in our lives is the result of us being built to need Him?  Of our hearts being restless until we rest in Him?  What if it is the fact that He has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and we so greatly desire that completeness and wholeness whether we know we do or not?

I want to be perfect, I’ll admit it.  I want to be the perfect Christian, mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend, but I’m so not nor will I ever be!  I would love it if my house always looked perfect, if there were never any left over fries or apples in my minivan, and if I never had to get onto my children…but that’s never going to happen!  This is life on earth, not heaven!

He set eternity into our hearts and He created us to need Him daily-momently!  This won’t make us perfect but letting Him live through us and resting in His grace is the closest we will come to perfection this side of our eternal home.  And there is so much peace in that.  So much contentment in letting Him fill the void inside with His love, grace and truth.

Nothing else on earth will satisfy.

“He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7

Thank you Lord for sending your perfect son, 100% You 100% man, to be perfect for us.  To die on a cross and our sins, bad choices and imperfections be placed upon Him, the One and Only “perfect” to walk this earth.  Thank you for loving us amidst our imperfections and sins. Help us to choose YOU daily; to grow in your love and rest in your grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can do all things…

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“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

I would have to say that this is my life verse.  The one verse I have repeated in my head, out loud and brought to mind more than any other verse in my entire life.  The one verse that has brought me through a lot.

I can first remember using it when trying out for majorette my 9th grade year of junior high.  You see, I’d tried out the year before and not made it which made me determined to try out again and make it.  Anyone else strong willed like that? 😉

I was a nervous wreck the day of tryouts but clung to my God and my verse.  I’m sure during the 20 or so minutes of me being out there by myself I repeated my verse over 100 times.  What I remember most about those minutes is the joy, calm and confidence that only came through Christ.  I also remember He was there with me the whole time, carrying my little 13 year old self through something very nerve wracking and something I wanted so very badly.

Little did I know how many other tryouts and situations in life that verse would carry me through- and still does.

Bedtime at our house (with a 2.5 and 5.5 year old) is hard more often than not.  It’s probably been the most challenging thing for me as a parent (please tell me I’m not the only one!?).  The last two nights have been especially rough and this morning as I remember my life verse, I’m reminded that I didn’t cling to it either night.  Yes I cried out to God to help me stay calm and get through this without raising my voice at my kids but both nights I ended up reaching a boiling point.  Ugh.

This has reminded me of the importance that Scripture plays in my life.  It’s not just to read and to know, but to be tucked away in my heart and soul so I can know it and live it when I need it (which is daily!).  When we memorize and meditate on Scripture, the Lord will bring it to mind when we most need it.  To help ourselves and also to help others.

So now, before bedtime even starts, I’m going to recite my verse.

Actually, both kids are up and ready to go and I’m reciting my verse.

Through Christ, we can do ALL things if we allow Him to be the One to strengthen us.  No matter what is on the agenda today, big or small, let’s focus on this verse, not on that overwhelming sense of all that needs to be done (because, I’ll be honest, I’m feeling it!).  Write it down on a sticky note and put it on the dash of your car, or on your computer; I promise you will see it just when you need it.

Jesus wants to be our strength.  He wants to carry us through life and rely solely on Him.  Are we relying on His strength or our own?

“My power works best in weakness.”II Corinthians 12:9

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:10

Let’s rest in the verses and know through Him we can do all things.

Have a Happy Friday! 🙂 .

Our Light and our Salvation

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Good morning friends!!  I woke up thinking of Psalm 27:1 and wanted to share!  It’s a beautiful Psalm of King David.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation”

What is the purpose of a light?  To make it to where we can see…to see what we are looking for, to see what we need…I’m loving all of the definitions I’ve found too:

  • the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
  • a source of illumination
  • enlightenment
  • ignite
  • not dark
  • a device that makes something start burning

These are beautiful when thinking of them in reference to God!  Isn’t this just what He is and what He does?

When Saul, a Jesus hater who killed Christ followers, was on his way to Damascus, he literally saw light and saw the Light.  He was blinded by this for 3 days and then, with the help of a friend sent by God, he regained his sight.

“Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight…”    Acts 9:18

After this, he was no longer Saul but Paul- Jesus lover.  The scales were removed from His eyes and for the first time in His life he saw Jesus for who He truly is.  He saw the Light.  He saw the Lord.  He saw and experienced Salvation.  His life did a complete 180 and he was ignited, enlightened and he shined brightly for the Lord and the Lord only.  He wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament and was amazing.

Now not everyone’s story is as extreme and radical as Paul’s, but if we are Believers, we were once blind and through Christ, our Light and our Salvation, we are able to see.  Are we allowing Him to illuminate, enlighten and ignite us?

One thing I find interesting is that the use over time of the word light has remained constant…just as our God is constant. 🙂

 

On worry…

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I couldn’t go to sleep last night…my (amazing) husband was out of town on business and every little noise I heard startled me.  You know, right??  I used to lay in bed awake for hours when he was gone but have (thank you Lord) been so much better about it, until last night.

“Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” Phillipians 4:6 (NASB)

Oh worry…how many hours do we spend worrying?  As women, our brains rarely shut off.  We are always thinking of something and oh my how our thoughts can take us to places we don’t want to be!  And once there, it’s hard to get back to reality.  Anyone else know what I’m talking about?  I would say 99.9% (maybe more!) of the things we worry about never even happen.  What a waste of thoughts and precious time!

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Luke 12:25 (NLT)

Worry kills our joy; it steals our faith and makes us weak.  So what do we do?  We pray.  We trust.  We seek.  I promise you God answers prayer on worry.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

The second you start to worry I pray the Holy Spirit reminds you of what God’s Word says on worry.  Use your worry as an opportunity to turn to Him.  Turn that wasteless time of worry into a time of prayer.  He is listening and is always there!

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (ESV)

Memorize these verses and they will be hidden in your heart the next time worry comes.  Another great thing to do is look in the index of your Bible on “worry” or “anxiety” and write down every single verse pertaining to it.  I did this when I was experiencing a season of doubt (looking up the word “doubt” in the index) and I cannot tell you the peace and faith that came out of searching for these scriptures, writing them down and memorizing some.  It was amazing.  It purged me of my doubt and really helped get me past that awful season.

Here’s to trusting God with everything.  Every fear, every worry, every doubt and concern!  He loves us so very much and wants us to trust Him.  Have a wonderful day friends! 🙂

PS~The Rizers, a kids Christian band that sings Scripture, has a beautiful song on this verse…it’s one of my favorites that they sing.  Click here to hear it!

Happy Sunday!

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I love Sundays! For my family, it’s church and family day and a day I cherish and look forward to all week!

This morning I am reminded of Hebrews 10:24-25:

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”

How busy life can get sometimes and often the first thing to go is church…sometimes it’s so much easier just to sleep in on Sunday mornings.  For us, it’s my (amazing) husband’s only day off of work so I am very tempted from time to time to just stay in our PJ’s all day and hang out but I know how much God desires His children to meet together.

The main definition of church is “a building used for public and especially Christian worship.”  Wow it is so much greater than that right!?  In researching more, I finally found a definition worthy of more (Merriam-Webster):

church: a body or organization of religious believers; the body of Christians

Oh how church is more than just a building we enter once or twice a week for worship!  It is the body of Christ.  WE, as Jesus followers, are the body of Christ. His hands and feet.  It’s not just for us (although there is so much to drink from the well of a Bible believing, Bible preaching church!); it’s about joining together with other believers and worshiping our Maker.  This brings Him so much glory!  It’s about encouraging other believers in their walk with Christ, growing in our own walk and strengthening our faith which also brings Him great joy!

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

I hope you are encouraged on this beautiful morning!  There’s so much more to our meeting together and being one body, I’ll have to save that for another post so we aren’t late for church 🙂

Happy Sunday friends 🙂

 

 

 

Good Morning!!!!

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OK wow this is my first post and I’m a little nervous! But so excited about this journey!  I hope you will join along! 🙂

A verse I want to focus on this morning is 2 Timothy 3:16:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (NIV)

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach is what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (NLT)

I love both of these translations of this verse…The Bible is a book completely inspired by God; breathed into by God.  It’s not a book of stories or myths, nor is it a book of strictly law (because Jesus fulfilled the law), but a book of GRACE and Love.  There’s an amazing love story throughout the pages of this Book- the best one ever written!

If God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, surely His Word is too??  But do we treat it as such?  There are so many awesome books out there about the Bible, so many great Bible studies and devotionals- and not that there is anything wrong with these- but when they take the place of our reading the actual Bible, we are missing out!  There is nothing like turning these pages of Scripture for ourselves and unfolding God’s great love for us.  It is so beautiful!  He uses it to not only speak to us but to teach us how to live.  Verse 17 says:

“God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” 2Timothy 3:17

We can’t forget the purpose of the Bible– to equip us to do good, to do Christ’s work in the world and to strengthen our faith.

The Bible, like God, is solid.  It, like God, is as firm as a rock with it’s words lasting through all of time.  This is so amazing if you think about it!  There is no one greater than our God; there is no book greater than God’s Word. There is no one like our God; there is no book like His Word.  If God is good and God is love, this Book is too!

There are so many beautiful, amazing words in this one-of-a-kind book!  The only standard of truth, it’s a wealth of knowledge and a sea of unfailing love, mercy, hope and strength.  I hope you will join me as we journey through it together! 🙂