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Testimonies That Are A Blessing

Testimonies That Are A Blessing

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I woke up so grateful this morning, and I knew that God was going to show up big time…and He did.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for every day that God wakes me. I once heard the testimony of a young man that really blessed me. He stood there telling us that he had suffered not one, but two, massive strokes. Did you miss the part where I said he “stood” there? To look at him you would never have known what he had been through. 

Our God is amazing. He knows exactly what we need when we need it. We were actually attending a service at a local rehab facility, and his testimony gave those patients hope…it gave me hope. We all left that service believing that God could do anything. The patients believed that if they put in the work, it could happen for them too. When one of the patients was on the way back to his room, I offered to push him, and he said, “No, I have to do the work!” Praise God! That’s how a testimony should make you feel.

That’s what it’s all about…encouraging and motivating one another to go a little further, and push a little harder. 

Sometimes, God will place us together to help one another do what we think is impossible. Sitting in a wheelchair, you may feel like it will never get any better, but keep doing the work. Having to go to a job you don’t like may seem like punishment at times, but keep doing the work. Watching others succeed while you continue to struggle may seem unfair, but keep doing the work. 

God has a blessing with your name on it. If you stay faithful, and keep believing…anything is possible.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Make The Most of Every Day

Make The Most of Every Day

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I cannot believe that this is the first weekend of July already. I don’t know about you guys, but it seems like time is moving extra fast. It feels like we just celebrated New Years…and before you know it, we’ll be gathering together for Thanksgiving. I’m not complaining though. Whether time is moving fast or slow, I am still here, and for that…I am grateful. 

I think I notice how fast time is going when I realize how much time I’m wasting. I know that God will not bring us home until our work here is done. But the thing is…none of us knows when that is. So, we go about life a little haphazardly thinking that everything will magically fall into place. And though God doesn’t need us to agree with the plan He has for our lives, I think we still have a big part to play in how soon it happens.

I believe all of our “left” turns sometimes can delay our destinies. It won’t stop it, but it can definitely make it take a little longer than it has to. God does use those left turns though. During those times, He teaches us how to hear His voice. How to move when He says move, or stay when He says stand still. Nothing with God is ever wasted. The Bible talks about redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:15-18). To live in a way that brings eternal rewards. What that means is that we make the most out of every day doing what pleases the Lord. 

So, let’s begin every day by turning our day over to the Lord, and asking Him to order our steps. In that way we won’t worry so much about how many days we have left, we can just make the most out of every day we are given.

Until next time…

Be blessed

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 

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

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

Do It Again God!

Do It Again God!

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I think it must be the seasons changing that has me feeling so expectant. It happens every year at this time, and I always look forward to it. There is something about shedding winter that just feels so good. Everything is new again. Leaves are beginning to sprout. Birds are singing more. And because I know that whatever happens in the natural world also happens in the spirit, I know that God is resurrecting everything that was old…and making it new again.  

Grateful can’t even begin to express how I feel about the Lord. He has been so good that words don’t seem to be enough. And even though things  are not ideal right now, I know that He is still good. I love Him fully, wholly, completely…and because I know that He loves me…I know that if I keep my mind fixed on Him–everything will be alright.

I have learned that life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs. I also know that God has built us to handle it, and when it gets to be too much—He covers us until we can get our footing again. I have had those times when I have wanted to give up, but the Spirit of the Lord is so strong within me that I couldn’t quit even if I wanted to. I thank God for never giving up on me…or on you. He will never abandon us, or leave us to our own devices; not after we connect to His Son, Jesus Christ. Praise God!

So know that God is making everything new again. Go ahead. Dream big (It’s impossible to dream too big with God). Give more. Bless someone just for the sake of blessing them. The word says that He can do exceedingly and abundantly above what we can even ask or think…that is HUGE. Just imagine, when you let your mind go and you think of the greatest thing imaginable…He can beat it. That’s the kind of God we serve…

This week, think big…dream big…and believe big!

Until next time…

Be blessed!

This year, I’m celebrating!

This year, I’m celebrating!

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The word for today is…Grateful.

With so many ways to communicate, it is sometimes hard to keep up. It’s an all day event to read your emails, update your blog, check in with Facebook, try to stay LinkedIn and write something Tweet worthy. I was speaking with a friend recently and we were talking about how many different ways there are of communicating. The funny thing is…with so many ways you would think that families would be closer and we’d talk to friends more often, but sadly that’s not the case. One of my missions this year is to love more and to not spend so much time trying to keep up with technology. I don’t want to become so technically inclined that I forget how to have a real conversation. The other thing I want to do this year is to learn to celebrate. I’m not talking about just the big things—I want to celebrate everything. I want to celebrate when God opens a door, but I also want to celebrate when He closes one. I want to celebrate the special occasions, but I also want to celebrate the little things like being able to eat ice cream on a warm summer day. I want to celebrate having a great day, but I also want to celebrate the not so great days, because He made it and that’s enough for me. Simply put…I want to live purposefully. I want my life to reflect how grateful I am to God for everything. Even the things I don’t like so much, because I know they teach me lessons I may not have learned any other way. Our God is a keeper. He has kept me through some really rough times and He is still keeping me now. So this year I’m going to honor Him by being grateful, loving more and celebrating often. How about you?

Until next time…

Be blessed