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Month: November 2021

A Heart Full of Thanksgiving

A Heart Full of Thanksgiving

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It’s hard to believe that this past Thursday was Thanksgiving. In some ways it seems like this year has gone by so quickly, and in other ways it seems like the longest year ever.

Navigating this new life has not been easy. There have been so many trials and times of testing that I have actually lost count. So many times I felt like I wanted to give up. In the past I have always been able to praise my way through any situation, but not this time. Many days I found myself struggling to get out of that dark place. Some days, I would be so low that I couldn’t even pray, and God would have someone send me a text or an email that would give me enough strength to make it one more day. And I thank Him from the bottom of my heart for that.

God saw that I was sinking fast, and He reached down and held on to me until I could get my footing. The Bible says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. And this is what I know…He will always stand by His word. He not only held onto me, He gave me a new purpose, and I am so grateful.

So, in this season of thanksgiving, with all of its ups and downs, ins and outs…I wanted to take time to just thank God for being so good, so kind, and so loving. I thank Him for being my help in times of trouble. I thank Him for giving me a test so that I could have a testimony. I thank Him for sending people who spoke life into my life. 

“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth…” (Psalm 34:1).

Until next time…

Be blessed 

You Don’t Have to Struggle

You Don’t Have to Struggle

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We are right at the cusp of a new day….a new year…a new season, and I am so grateful…not for the end—but for the new beginning…

I remember writing my first blog post in 2009 after the publication of my book, “Let My Life Be A Testimony.”  I was so excited and amazed at how God had held my hand through that whole process. He gave me each word, and then held my hand when I set those words free. I was so afraid of rejection that it was almost paralyzing—but God. He never left me…not once. That act of faithfulness changed my life, because now I know that no matter what happens…He will always be by my side. He did not have to prove Himself to me, but He did, and He did for no other reason than His love for me.  

Over the last twelve years I have been stretched in ways I never thought possible. I have made mistakes, and learned that those mistakes don’t define me…instead…they have empowered me.  Through these “lessons,” I have learned that the only enemy that can stop me from pursuing all that God has for me is…me.

If you are struggling to be all that God is calling you to be…stop struggling. Nothing will keep you from the blessings God has for you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that “God goes before you.” That means that we do not have to fear loss of any kind. All we have to do is stay close, and listen for His voice. It’s so much easier to follow His plan anyway.

To close this post today, I want to leave you with this prayer from Ephesians 1:18-20, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.“

Let that scripture strengthen you.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Be Encouraged

Be Encouraged

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I know I’ve said it before, but our God never leaves anything undone. He is in the smallest detail. There is nothing that He will not do for us. He loves us in a way that is hard to put into words, and when you feel like you cannot go any further, He sends someone or something to let you know you can.

As I go through life, I make it a practice to encourage somebody every day, and it never fails that when I do that, someone will always bless me. I had a conversation with a young woman in a store who said that she was so upset that God had not heard her prayers. She had been praying, but things were not getting any better, and that they actually appeared to be getting worse. God allowed me to say some things to her that prayerfully encouraged her. He always seems to show up in places where we least expect. Like when we are at our lowest…He will give us a reason to take our minds off of ourselves, and be a blessing to someone else.

Like the time I met this woman who was in a wheelchair because of a stroke. I was feeling some kind of way about something that probably didn’t matter that much. When I asked her how she was doing, she said, “Blessed and highly favored.” That just made my day. It turned my whole attitude around. If she could feel like that in the midst of her current situation, so could I.

Know that whatever situation you are facing today…whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, our God is able. He knows everything that is going on, and either He is allowing it to purify your faith, or let your faith encourage someone else. Either way, there is always purpose in everything. And we can trust that at the right time He will make it all better.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Sustained

Sustained

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I was reading some of God’s promises, and I came across this one in Isaiah that says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4). Wow! There is no way we can read that and not believe that we have the victory in every stage of our lives. Nothing can stand in the way of what God has purposed for us. He is the Great I AM, and nothing is too hard for Him. The more I meditate on that word, the stronger it makes me feel. There is no mistake so big that God can’t forgive, and this scripture proves it.

For years, I have tried to make things happen. I really felt like I had to be somebody for God, that He couldn’t possibly be pleased with me…not as much as I messed up. But I had it all wrong. I didn’t have to be somebody FOR God…I am already somebody TO God. God loves all of us even as crazy as we sometimes can be. 

The promise I want to focus on this week is the promise that says God will strengthen us. We may feel like our problems or situations are going to overtake us, but if we don’t give up…if we hold on to God’s promise that He will sustain us…that He will rescue us….then God will use those times to grow us through whatever it is we have to face. God uses every opportunity to show us who we can be in Him. We can trust The Creator who created us. He will never relax His hold on us, and I am so grateful about it.

Let me tell you…praying and focusing on God’s promises is a powerful weapon against the enemy. I pray that you embrace God’s promises, and claim them as your own. 

Until next time…

Be blessed