Why can we not just rest in that? Do we think we can do a better job of figuring it out on our own? Do we think we can fix the problems better than He can? Or do we just prefer to wallow in our misery and seek pity from others? These are all the Devil’s ploys to keep us from being the peace-filled, powerful, and productive Christians God wants us to be.
Read MoreHave you ever been in a storm? A bad storm? A storm that sends you running to the basement. A storm that you can feel the house shaking. There is no doubt those storms are terrifying. You have a healthy fear of those storms, as you ought.
Read MoreThis was the foundation of their protection. Without girdling up the long garments they wore, they were not able to effectively fight. This thought brought out so much truth about making sure we are standing on the right foundation so that we can effectively fight this spiritual warfare we are in. We must make the Word of God our sure foundation if we are going to be strong and stand against the tactics of Satan.The Christians armor can not be their own sincerity and truthfulness but wholly governed by truth through the words of Jesus. The truth is a settled conviction that we know who we believe and what we believe. Jesus and His Word must be our sure foundation.Satan has created so much uncertainty and confusion, making it so hard to distinguish truths and untruths.
Read MoreWhen my son Jack was 3 yrs old and my daughter Katelynn was 4 yrs old , I really started wanting a tiny breed dog.( That's why I didn't pray for it, because it wasn't anything spiritual or life or death..just a dog) For couple months, my kids picked up on my desire to have a tiny dog. When we had our family devotion and prayer time, we knelt beside our couch, and my kids started praying for their mommy to get a tiny dog. I got tickled that my kids started praying for a tiny dog for ME! We did teach our kids to pray even for the smallest things. Of course, I was thinking if I save enough money, then I'll be ready to buy a tiny dog.
Read MoreLast year, our family went through one of the hardest trials that we’ve ever had to face together as a family. My dad had been in the hospital with some major complications from an everyday procedure he had gotten done weeks prior, and he had to have emergency surgery to have his colon reconstructed. That, in itself- was very scary and very serious, but little did we know in the days following, the storm we would be facing. His emergency surgery had been that Saturday, but by Wednesday, instead of him getting better, he was getting much worse. During this timeframe, our church had a huge outbreak of Covid, and my mom finally convinced the doctor to test my dad for Covid.
Read MoreAs I looked at my broken self I began to see that I couldn’t be fixed. I will never be whole in the way I was before again. But what I did see is that God does not fix us he fills in the cracks and broken pieces of our heart with Himself. Kind of like when you crack or break something like a vase and you fix it with super glue. God fills in those cracks and broken pieces of our heart with Himself just like super glue. But its better its God Glue!
Read MoreNow, I know there are unforeseen, horrible, and despicable things that can happen to a precious teenage girl that are beyond her control, resulting in a teen pregnancy that is in NO WAY what I am referring to. My heart breaks for girls in situations like that. However, in my story, this was a "let's try it once to see what happens" kind of thing. I'm going to be completely honest with you: these ones always sting a little more than the others. To know that soon their arms will have a wonderful bundle of joy to love, while my arms remain empty, is gut-wrenching.
Read MoreThe anchor is viewed as a symbol that represents "safety"... The anchor holds the ship in place, representing strength and security. The anchor is a symbol of our hope in Jesus!
Read MoreIf we have learned anything through this year, I hope we have learned to hold the things of this world very loosely. Our world is a mess, and it has seemed to spiral down so quickly this year alone. We need to learn to live with Heaven in view every single day. This is difficult with so many things screaming for our time, as ladies. The kids have outgrown their shoes. You know they need to go to the dentist. It is time to pay the school bill. The list is endless. The little (less important) things clamor for our time. Our Bibles never scream, “Hey read me!” The dishes…yes! The dishes they scream, “Hey look at this mess.” I truly believe if we can train our minds and our thoughts to ask if this is going to matter in light of eternity, then we will major on the things that matter. Our hurt feelings, that rude comment…will it really matter? Can I overlook it? Maybe there are things we are chasing and spending more time on than we should. It is time for Christians to focus on Heaven. Focus on relationships and people. First, are they going to Heaven? Can I give them the Gospel? Can I mend a relationship? I mean, we are going to Heaven together if they are believers. Can I focus on my current ministry or maybe I need to jump into a ministry? I challenge you to take a minute to list your priorities in light of eternity. Heaven is real! We are headed there, my friend.
Read MoreThis verse is my life verse, but sometimes our own life verses are hard for us to declare. Last summer the Lord had me carry two precious babies for a very, very short time. I didn't understand why, and it was extremely hard. Shortly after the Lord blessed us once again with a precious baby. I was so scared, I even went to the ER thinking I was going to lose yet another baby. It turned out to be some complications from the previous miscarriages that went away on their own, praise the Lord. But the whole pregnancy I was so nervous. When the time came the Lord gave us our sweet baby girl, the delivery went well but she didn't seem right. She ended up being rushed to the NICU
Read MoreThere’s an “expected end” to loneliness. I had a friend ask me a while ago if it bothered me that all my friends were dating and I was not. Being honest, sometimes there is that insecurity that says there won’t be an end to this season in my life. Then I remember I have a promise from God. Does that mean I will get married? Not necessarily. But the “thing that I long for”? The things that every human being longs for? Belonging and mattering? Oh yes, my friend, it’s coming. If not in my own family, then in the work that God is preparing me to do.
Read MoreMay is a wonderful month because it is when Mother’s Day is celebrated. I have utmost respect for my mother any time of the year, and always strive to honor her. However, during this month of May, I want to reflect on how she taught me the virtues of being a godly woman and mother. As Proverbs 31:26 says, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness”. This verse evokes warm thoughts of her. Mom is wise, sweet, loving and it shows in how she interacts with others.
Read MoreGentleness has many definitions. One definition that I really love is, “Refusal to use harm to anyone.” How true is this of God. Our great, powerful God is so gentle. So many times, His gentleness is something that I have taken for granted. I love to see the powerful God. The God who created the world, the God who will destroy the wicked someday, the God who works miracles and changes lives. Yet, the God full of gentleness is the one who has made me great. Throughout the ages, people have worshiped false gods out of fear that their “god” would harm them if they did not do what he wanted. My God is not a God who wants to make my life miserable. In fact, He says in Matthew 11:29-30, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” He is so gentle to us. He wants us to come to Him so He can help carry us through life.
Read MoreAbout 30 years ago, at a revival an evangelist spoke on prayer. He had an old telephone receiver with the cord still attached. Yes, this was before smart phones. He explained that his phone was a direct line to God. First thing in the morning he picks up the phone and says good morning Lord and they have a chat. He illustrated that during his day he never hangs up on God but leaves the phone on his shoulder so he can keep God on the line. That image has stuck with me through the years. Celeste how are you going to keep God on the line?
Read MoreI suffer from a rare disease – ADOLAS. What is this you ask? It is “Attention Deficit….Oh Look, A Squirrel!” Do you have this disease also? J Sometimes I tend to lose my focus. I see something that pulls my attention away from something else that I’m reading or watching or cleaning. I’ll even get distracted mid-sentence with another thought. My husband always laughs and shakes his head when we are shopping – as I flit from one display to another until he reminds me why we went to the store in the first place.
Read MoreI love salt. I really enjoy it. I love how it makes the flavor of the food become bright and
intensifies it. Salt also makes the food have flavor when there is not much flavor there. Salt
preserves food so that you can enjoy it at a later time. Salt is a mineral that is essential for life in
general and it satisfies one of the basic human tastes. Salt was used in an ancient Hebrew
agreement to seal a covenant with God and they sprinkled their offerings with it to show their
trust in Him. So as you can see salt is important. It is mentioned many times in the word of
God.
Do we have this compassion like Jesus did? We need to have this compassion that takes this thought and then drives us to our knees! There are lost souls we pass by everyday! Lost souls!!! Are we going to our prayer closets ,praying that we might have the power, wisdom, truth, and opportunities to share the good news with others? If we do not have the mind of Christ we will pass by those that truly need the gospel. With the blood of Jesus, He looks past our financial standing, our looks, our failures and just sees lost souls in need of a Saviour.
Read MoreDo you truly trust God to answer your prayer? And are you okay with his answer even if it’s not the one that you expected or the time you expected it to come. We always ask God for healing or answers to questions that go in a direction that makes it easier for us to bear. We forget that God is the one that knows what is best for us.
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