I spent many days pouring out my heart to the Lord. We took the leap of faith to enter this adoption plan and I was hoping the understanding would come as to why he said no. Now I can look back at that storm and see how the Lord grew me. How He used this hard time to show me it was Him that I really needed, not that baby boy. He could be my joy, my comfort, and my strength. It changed my view to asking God what He is wanting to do through me instead of why He is doing this to me.
Read MoreDo you ever feel like you are just merely “surviving”? Have you ever heard of the statement “survival of the fittest”? Although I am well aware of the statements origin, and I am in complete dis-agreement with the thought process behind its meaning, the statement has always intrigued me. Years ago I began taking the original meaning of the coined saying and have often used the expression but I added my own “twist” to it. I developed a spiritual application for myself.
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 MoreI've struggled with my weight my entire life! I can remember being overweight at the age of nine. I was teased at school for my weight and my lack of coordination. Throughout my teenage years and as an adult, I eased into a sedentary lifestyle. Combined with my love of food, my lack of physical activity caused my weight to balloon to just over 300 pounds at the age of thirty! My mother passed away at the age of 42 because of her lack of self care and not being a good steward of her temple. However, it still took me almost eleven years after her death to "see the light!"
Read MoreThere are four primary enemies of the heart – four life blocking agents that become lodged in the heart, poisoning our relationships, our faith, and our character. These corrosive forces gain strength from the darkness. Secrecy is their greatest ally! Left to their own, they grow in power and influence.
Read MoreSo, as far back as about 4 yrs old, I remember my mom waking me up on Sunday mornings and putting me on a bus to go to church. She never went with me, but honestly the only adults that I ever saw were my teachers, so I never thought anything about it. But I remember, no matter what, every Sunday, without fail, I’d get up and go to Sunday school. I remember learning all the Old Testament stories. I remember learning about Jesus being God’s Son, and also being God.
Read MoreWhen most people think of broken, they think of something that is unusable, has lost its value and no longer serves a purpose. God, however, is not limited to man’s knowledge and does not view “broken” the same way. In fact, He often places trials and tribulations in our lives to refine us and make us who we need to be to fulfill His purpose. He “breaks” us to make us beautiful.
Read MoreWith the spreading of the coronavirus, it appears that there is trouble on every side. You may have lost a job or temporarily laid off. You or a family member may be sick with this virus or have some other health concern. You may have unexpectedly become a home school mom and feel unprepared or unqualified. At this point, your life may be only mildly inconvenienced, but you are desperately missing your church family, the privilege of assembling together, and are feeling spiritually weak. Though we may feel troubled on every side, God's Word says that we don't need to be distressed.
Read MoreWe have all heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” About five years ago I started a health routine where I drink about 64 oz of lemon water every day. I don’t really care for the bitter, sour taste of lemons, but when you add a bit of sweetener, it’s pretty good!
Isn’t that the way life is? It’s full of disappointments that can cause bitterness, sourness; but if we can learn to add our sweetener, disappointments can become sweet blessings.
Read MoreRead MoreThere are basically two voices in the world today. One is the lying voice of Satan and the other is the voice speaking truth through the Scriptures. In this new year 2020- choose to believe the truths that Jesus spoke about you and not the lies of Satan. We must know the difference between the enemies’ lies and God’s truth! Which leads me to say, we must know God’s Word! We must hide His word in our hearts!! The Bible clearly states that the Truth will set us free but we must have that Truth in our hearts and minds. We must combate lies with Truth. The truth is found in God's holy word....Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
James 1:19-20, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Chances are that at some point in life someone has done or said something to hurt you... When people are "people" AND we all are very "peopley". Things tend to happen or get said that maybe shouldn't have been. And it HURTS! Sometimes it hurts pretty bad. I am pretty sure if we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we have all been there at some point in time. And if we are truthful with our own selves we have also been on the side that has done the hurting as well.
Read MoreWhen it is necessary for us to “go outside and face the storm”, will we tread prayerfully and carefully while remembering that many spiritual accidents occur in the winter time through decisions made in haste? Will we remember that, just as winter blizzards can be blinding, spiritual winter times can leave us temporarily blinded to the direction God would have us take?
Read MoreSome would say, “Are you sure you are supposed to adopt?” So we would pray about it and every time, God would one way or another show us that we were right where He wanted us.
Read MoreI don’t want God to change my circumstances, I want him to change me… to make me different so He can be
glorified by what He does with my life. I pray He uses my life in a special way. Now, going through everything
I’ve gone through, I can minister to those who will go through the same thing. And I give all the glory to God!
Read MoreLately, I have been thinking about Jochebed, the mother of Moses. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about her. Just like all mothers, surely, she had a dream for how she would raise her children. She didn’t have an easy life, but she had a little family and ways of loving and training her children for the Lord. I wonder, did she plan in detail how she would raise them and teach them about the Lord and life. Was she preparing them to have the right attitude about their suffering? Did she have a plan to try to ease their hurts as they grew that would bring them closer to God so they wouldn’t stray away from him in bitterness?
Read More“The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” These were the words that spilled from my lips at what many would say was one of the worst moments of my life. These words came out, not because I am “Super Christian,” but because of a biblical principle that my mom taught me in Jr. Church and lived before me from the time I was young.
Read MoreWhen the most powerful One of all is our protection, we have nothing to lose. We have nothing to fear. God is Almighty. Whatever we are facing is not bigger than our Almighty God. Stay in the place of the Almighty's protection.
Read MoreI remember sitting by my father’s hospital bed thinking, “I can’t even pray, why can’t I pray? I don’t even know what to say; I have no words. Where are you God?”
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