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Month: July 2021

Extremely Blessed

Extremely Blessed

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Whenever we are doing something for God, we are going to meet some opposition. I thought I was used to his tactics…that I was ready for it, but he has really been stepping up his game lately. And even when you are prepared, he still finds a way to insert his presence.

I was speaking to a friend… telling her about all of the things that were going on, and right in the middle of our conversation she stopped me and prayed for me. I thank God for the power of prayer. Sometimes, we will tell people to pray for us not really knowing if they will or not. I thank God for placing me with some powerful prayer warriors. I know that even when I do not have enough sense to pray for myself…they will pray for me.

I feel extremely blessed…not because of any material things, but because God has given me more than I even imagined. He has given me joy in the midst of my sorrow, peace in times of a storm, and friends that will be my BFFs forever. No amount of money could ever buy that, and I do not take that lightly. I am so grateful.

I don’t think my friend realized that what she did shifted the atmosphere…maybe she did.  For a moment, I was so caught up in the perceived obstacles that I forgot Who was in control. The Book of Proverbs says that when we trust and acknowledge God, He directs our path. Our Father does not give vision without giving provision. 

We just have to stay focused on God, keep moving forward, and allow Him to clear a path.

Until next time…

Be blessed

An Amazing Kind of Love

An Amazing Kind of Love

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Today, I just want to talk about how amazing it is to be loved by God. How totally and perfectly He loves us. His love caused Him to wrap Himself in flesh, come down from His place in heaven and die on an old rugged cross for us. What an amazing Father, and what an amazing kind of love.

And here’s the kicker…we don’t have to do anything to earn it. He loves us whether we even love Him or not. Most of us can’t even fathom that kind of love. Even as followers of Christ, we get so used to doing stuff that we forget that we don’t have to. All we really have to do is rest in God, and trust the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. That’s it. We don’t need to do anything else. 

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, our place in heaven is reserved. We are sealed. We become co-heirs with Christ, and all that He has…we have. We can’t do anything to deserve it, or anything to keep it. It is our gift. That’s love. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t see faults, or mistakes. It just sees the possibilities of a life that was created in love.

God’s word in 1 John 4:16 says, “ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” That statement brings me comfort. It tells me that I can step out on faith, and that I won’t be alone when I do. We never have to feel alone, or left out, or forsaken…God’s promise is that His love is there…always and I believe it.

Begin to live boldly and confidently in God’s love. 

Until next time…

Be blessed

Staying Connected

Staying Connected

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Not too long ago some of my old coworkers, and I got together for an afternoon to just reminisce and catch up on what has been happening with one another. What I found interesting is that whenever we come together, it’s almost like we have never been apart. There are never any awkward moments of silence. Actually, there are usually several conversations going on at once…just like family. The surprising thing is that we all began working together 15 years ago, and we still make getting together a priority. We have all made a conscious effort to come together every so often so that we don’t lose that connection. Someone in the group will send an email, and anyone that can make it…does. No pressure.

Before the pandemic, some of my family members would get together every month or so to just eat a meal together. Some of my nieces and nephews would have a cousin’s day, and some of them even have sister weekends. I have one friend that still texts me everyday just to say good morning…I love you…have a blessed day. I had another friend that would call me every few days, and when I would pick up the phone, she would start singing….lol. I really hope that she starts doing that again. I miss it. 

I am praying that we don’t lose that feeling of connectedness (Is that a word?). Life is so fleeting, and time goes by so quickly that if we don’t grab those moments…they soon disappear. 

So, the goal for the rest of this year is to stay connected. Let people know that you care about them. Don’t think about why they are in your life, just enjoy the fact that they are. That’s my goal, and I hope you make that your goal too.

Maybe I’ll call up my friend and just blast out a song today. 🙂

Until next time…

Be blessed

Putting Our Cares on God

Putting Our Cares on God

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I once saw this preacher give a demonstration using a heavy backpack to illustrate how we walk around weighted down by all of our burdens when Jesus is walking right beside us trying to “lift” those burdens from our shoulders.

It made me think about how we get so used to trying to handle things ourselves, that we don’t know how to really rest in God. And that doesn’t mean that we will never be anxious, or nervous, or afraid. It means that when we do begin to feel those things we can “cast our cares” on Him, and allow Him to carry our burdens. But, I think a lot of us feel that we are not being good stewards when we do that though, right? Surely we must not be managing our lives well, because we shouldn’t still have so many burdens. And besides that…it’s just rude to put your problems on someone else…even God.

But, that doesn’t make sense. God tells us to put our cares on Him. That’s what we’re supposed to do. We can’t go through this life alone, and we shouldn’t feel we have to. That’s a trick of the enemy. Sometimes, as Christians, we make these man-made rules that we can’t even maintain, and that causes us to have a pharisee mindset. Pharisees in the Bible were strict about following the letter of the law, but even they couldn’t keep up with it. Our problem is that we keep trying to relegate God to the same category that we place man. We believe that putting all our cares on God is like “copping out,” or getting God to do the things that we should actually be doing ourselves. But God expects us to bring our burdens to Him. He knows that we need Him, and He loves us enough to wait for us to figure it out.

In Psalm 34:19 it says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” If that is so, then why are we struggling through trying to do something we were never made to do when we can just let God be God in our lives. Then trust Him with all of our “stuff.” 

Remember that He who holds the plan…holds our hand.

Until next time…

Be blessed