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We are God’s Testimony

We are God’s Testimony

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Before the pandemic I used to attend a local Women’s Conference as a participant. But one year, God moved me to set up a vendor table, and I am so glad that I did. 

As you know from my previous posts...then again, maybe you don’t. My book has the same title as this blog, “Let My Life Be A Testimony.” The women who stopped by my table that day to talk to me about my book, began to share their testimonies, which just confirmed that I was doing the right thing.

Their stories ranged from being healed from cancer to being examples of faith for their children. Our stories….our testimonies are so important right now. The people that we influence need to know that we understand what they are going through because we have been there. I believe God is calling us to a higher work. One that will cause us to move out from that comfortable place. We are going to have to represent Him in the earth in a way that we never have before.

God has been preparing many of us. By shaping us and growing us to go outside of the church walls to minister to His people (and we don’t have to wear a collar to do it either). All we have to do is be willing to be used by God, and allow God to do what needs to be done. 

Most of us won’t think we’re up to the challenge, but God does, and He needs us to step up to the plate. We are in a battle, and the enemy is counting on us to be so distracted that we miss God. But don’t worry if you feel unequipped for the assignment, 2 Chronicles 20:15 says, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 

So stay close to Him in this season. Listen for His voice and know that we never walk alone. He is always there to lead us and guide us.

Until next time….

Be blessed

He put it in Writing

He put it in Writing

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What happens when the plan you had doesn’t work out? Who do you turn to when your dream goes up in smoke? 

You turn to the One who always has your back…whether it feels like it or not. 

Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Our Father knows best. We just have to listen. Sometimes that means that our plans won’t line up with His plan. When that happens, we have to know that it really wasn’t meant for us. I know that sounds easier said than done, but we can actually confirm it through God’s word. In Psalm 84:11 it says in part, “…No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

I love that God had the plan for our lives put in writing so that we could go back to it as much as we need to. 

I think one of the best things we can do for ourselves involves listening more…to one another, but especially to God. He has the master plan. So, if what we have been thinking about does not involve checking in with Him first…don’t even bother. Because the Bible says that “only what we do for God will last” (2 Cor. 5:9-10). 

I can only speak for myself, but I don’t want anything that God doesn’t want for me. If He is not in it…I don’t want any part of it. I always want to make God smile. I pray that He knows that my only goal is for my life to be pleasing to Him. The word says that “if we seek His kingdom first, all the other things will be added unto us” (Luke 12:31).

We can have all the material things in the world, and still be miserable…and that is not the kind of life we want.

Here’s the thing…submitting our plans to God also falls under listening. When we keep our ear to His lips, we can be assured that we are making the right decisions. Try reading Psalm 23 out loud, and when you read it really listen to what it says. This Psalm is like a love letter to us.

It is so comforting to know that God continually pursues us, watches over us and looks for ways to bless us. If He took the time to send us a word…the least we can do is listen.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Just Listen.

Just Listen.

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With the war in Ukraine, rumors of war in other parts of the world, and even the violence we are experiencing right here in the United States, we can go to God’s word to find comfort. In Proverbs 1:33 it says, “But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” 

If we stay close to God’s word, listen to what He says, and follow His way, He promises to give us peace. And not only to give us peace, but to comfort our minds and our spirits so that we don’t even have to live in fear of harm. Nothing can harm us. We have eternal life through Jesus Christ. That means that even if they come after our bodies…they can’t have our souls. And I know I’ve said it before, but if God made the heavens and the earth, what is it that He won’t do for those He loves? You can trust, and believe that.

Our God is so faithful. Even in those times when we fall into the enemy’s trap, and we end up doing exactly what he wants us to do. Like when he wants us to doubt our ability, or when he wants us to think that our lives have little meaning, and we begin to believe that no one wants to hear what we have to say anyway…God is there to bring us out, and to show us the truth.

The truth is that we are more than conquerors. We already have the victory. We are God’s masterpiece. His chosen ones. And the love He has for us doesn’t even depend on whether we have sense enough to receive it…He just loves us anyway. Who wouldn’t want to love a God like that? 

Until next time…

Be blessed

Are You Afraid?

Are You Afraid?

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This month has been one of reflection, anticipation and growth. I have been exposed to a whole new level of God’s grace. Learning to stay focused on one thing at a time, one project at a time, one goal at a time is hard for me. I equate everything I do to time, and I sometimes feel that I just don’t have enough of it. 

I thought that I had learned to listen for God’s voice and not to follow where He wasn’t leading, but I have found that is not always the case. Even when we hear God’s voice clearly, we will sometimes doubt what we hear. That reaction is called a lot of different things, but it mainly boils down to being afraid.

Afraid that we waited too long. Afraid that we don’t have what it takes. Afraid that someone else will do it better. And sometimes we’re just afraid of failing. It’s like being caught between wanting to move where God wants us to be and staying where we feel all warm and safe.

I have been focusing on my relationship with God and trying to really grab hold of the things He has for me. It’s an awesome thing to know that God loves us so much that He is willing to wait for us to get it. He keeps showing up in the most unlikely places and sending people to say the exact thing we need to hear. I love that about Him. He lets us know that when we keep our heart focused on Him, He will be there for us.

But more than anything, we have to learn to trust God, trust the process and know that God’s plan is perfect. Things may not go the way we think they should, that doesn’t mean that we’ve failed…it just means that we still have some learning to do.

Until next time…

Be blessed!

Can God Really Use Me?

Can God Really Use Me?

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My last few posts have talked about our destiny, our faith, and God’s grace toward us. Thinking about that has me wondering exactly what God sees in me. Why in the world would He want to use me? I mean, I mess up…a lot. I hardly ever go from point A to point B. I like making turns. So, I usually end up taking much longer to get to places than I’m sure is necessary. I don’t know why I do it. I don’t want to do things over and over, but I find myself having to repeat certain lessons because I only listen to half the instructions, or I don’t listen at all. Pray for me…

I’m just thankful that God uses us just as we are. Even with all of our baggage, He finds value in us. God takes all of our experiences and teaches us how to use them so that He gets the glory, and we get the blessing–for ourselves, and others. God uses everything that we have been through to lead us to our place of healing, and wholeness. The crazy thing is that it happens so gradually sometimes that we barely even notice.

Our lives mean something. We are not defeated; we are not rejected, and we are not mistakes (even though sometimes it feels like it). We are made perfect through Jesus Christ. And because of that, God connects our hearts to His. He does it in a way that allows us to step out of who we are, or who we used to be, and into who He has called us to be. He uses our everyday living to slowly transform us into the image of His Son, which in turn blesses someone else.

So, I guess God can really use me. He uses all of us…even when we don’t realize it. We belong to Him, and He will always have a place for us, and work for us to do.

Until next time…

Be blessed.