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Tag: Trust

Open Doors

Open Doors

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Well, God did not disappoint this week. Actually, He never does. We just keep trying to do things our own way.

That part.

One of my friends has a radio show, and she invited me to do a couple of segments. I was so excited. I started putting together topics, and lining up a few women to be on the show with me. Then, I remembered that God had put it in my spirit a long time ago to start a podcast…and I never did.

I believe this is my second chance.

I was so happy about the open door that I never even asked God if He was the one opening it for me. Then, I heard a preacher say that sometimes God will open a door…not for you to go through, but for some people to go out. That was so good. I had never thought about that before.

Ughhhh…then I started wondering if this was some kind of test. I know that God wants to take me to a higher level in Him, and that I have been stuck on my current level way too long. I had pretty much convinced myself that it was good here; that I actually liked being here. Then, this happens.

I believe God is reminding me that it’s not too late. Maybe He is saying that open doors are open opportunities to trust Him more. And sometimes He wants us to do the hard thing knowing that He will be there with us every step of the way. That we can’t mess up because His word says that even then, He will work things out for our good.

Trusting Him even when we’re unsure…knowing that He never is.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Trusting The Process

Trusting The Process

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When God made us, He made us unique. He created us so that our gifts and talents would compliment one another…work together. My gift may be different from yours, my process may even be different from yours, but all of our gifts are important in the eyes of God. He designed it that way on purpose so that in whatever we do, we would hopefully remember to give Him the glory. 

I have been in this place of transition lately, and it has not been easy. I feel like I’m in a place where I can’t go back and I can’t move forward. My spirit is yearning to move into that new place…that place where all of my gifts begin to operate on one accord. The problem is…my flesh just hasn’t caught up with that revelation yet.

Transitions can be hard because there is no one that can really talk you through it. Everybody’s experience is different, and what worked for them may not work for you. So, how do we get through this period in our lives? We believe the word of God, we keep moving forward, and we trust the process.

The plan God has for our lives is simple, yet so complex at times. Simple because we have the plan laid out for us in God’s word…we just have to follow it. Complex, because we have free will, and our will is always in conflict with God’s will. 

We spend a crazy amount of time trying to get to the place God is calling us to and yet the word says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Prov. 19:21 NIV). What that says is that all we have to do is wait. We can plan whatever we want. But there is no plan we can come up with that is going to be better for us than the one God put into place before we were even born.

So, today I think I’m just going to trust the process, and know that God is faithful to His promise. 

If He said it, He will do it.

Until next time…

Be blessed

This Joy I Have

This Joy I Have

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I remember not too long ago I went to visit some patients at a local rehab center, and for some reason that night it felt different than it had on previous visits. It seemed like everyone we visited was so full of the love of the Lord that it was almost overwhelming. They couldn’t wait to talk about how much they loved Him and trusted Him. 

The best part was that they didn’t feel like their current circumstances meant that they were being punished for anything. Sometimes we feel like God is not pleased with us so He takes it out on us. That is so far from the truth. And the people in the rehab center that day knew it. They knew that they could still have the joy of the Lord in the midst of what they were going through. They didn’t doubt that God was in control, and that what they were experiencing was His all-encompassing, all-consuming, all-powerful grace.

It brings me joy just thinking about God’s goodness and how His grace is so amazing. And the really awesome part is that we can’t do anything to deserve it, or to get more of it. God just gives it to us brand new every morning. The word says that we are blessed in the city and in the country (Deuteronomy 28:3). We are blessed going out and coming in (Deuteronomy 28:6). God covers us no matter where we are, and He never has, or ever will turn His back on us. Amen.

The joy of the Lord says that even when you have a hard time feeling His presence, you can be assured that He is always there. That’s His promise. I love knowing that because you and I mess up…sometimes big time, we can still have joy knowing that trouble won’t last always. Nothing we do will ever stop how He feels about us. He delights in us, and He looks forward to blessing us. And we will always be the apple of His eye. Praise God!

Until next time…

Be blessed

Making The Most of The Day

Making The Most of The Day

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There is a song that says, When I think about Jesus and what He’s done for me, when I think about Jesus and how He set me free, I can dance, dance, dance all night. I love that song, because it says exactly what I feel inside when I think about Him. Even when things may not go as planned, praising God seems to always work for me.

Sometimes, life can get heavy and it’s hard to maintain a good attitude when your problems are weighing you down. But, there is always a new day just around the bend!

When I focus my thoughts on Jesus…it does something to my spirit. I can’t keep feeling bad, or sad, or angry. For me, it’s impossible to praise and pout at the same time. When I start singing and praying God’s word back to Him, it changes not only me, but it also changes the atmosphere around me, and that affects everyone that comes in contact with me.

We are not living in this world alone, and sometimes dealing with people can be difficult on our best days. But that’s what makes life so interesting…and unpredictable. I like not knowing how things will go. It just gives us another reason to lean on God. We never know what a day will bring, but we do know who brings the day. God is always in control…even when it doesn’t look like it.

Life holds a lot of surprises for us. It’s not about getting through, or getting by. It’s about making the most of every day. To really embrace it all, knowing that tomorrow always comes. We may not choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose how it is going to affect us.

Until next time…

Be blessed `

In Due Time God Will

In Due Time God Will

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Here is what I know…

I know that our God still sits on the throne.

I know that our God can do anything but fail.

I know that our God would not allow anything that He will not use for our good.

I know that our God loves us and wants to bless us.

I know that our God is always in control.

It may appear that things are upside down right now. Like the things that used to be wrong are right and vice versa, but God’s hand is not shortened that He can’t save (Isa. 59:1). He will make every wrong right. 

We serve an awesome, and mighty God, and the Bible says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). Due time is God’s appointed time. His timing is never off. He knows what you stand in need of, and He is never late. He knows why you were created, and nothing will be able to keep you from it.

When we are going through a trial it may seem like God is never going to show up, but God is always with us, and He knows exactly when to step in.

And this is how much He loved us…He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be the stand in for us on the cross. THAT alone would be enough, but our God didn’t stop there. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left us the Holy Spirit. He is our Comforter, our Protector, our Guide, and our Friend. 

If we let Him, He will lead us and guide us to the place God needs us to be. 

God’s word says He will never leave us nor forsake us, and because of that–He will keep us.

And in due time…He will deliver us.

Until next time…

Be blessed

God And My Stewardship!

God And My Stewardship!

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I’m still working on being a good steward. It’s not that I am frivolous in my spending, or purposely wasteful. But by not consciously thinking about the things I spend my money on I am being careless with the things God is trusting me with. 

When I started looking at how I was “managing” it…I saw how incompetent I was. But I know enough not to dwell on that, because our God always gives us another chance to get it right. And although I know it is not going to be easy, I know God will give me grace enough to make it through. I have to keep reminding myself that everything belongs to God, and He allows us the privilege to manage it for Him. When I think about it that way, it makes me sad that I may be letting God down.  

I don’t know if you guys struggle with maintaining a budget, but I have a hard time keeping my budget straight. I don’t know why. It’s not like I have money to burn. I just can’t seem to stick to it. I have tried the Dave Ramsey method. I have tried to only use cash. I have even tried only going to the store once a week. Nothing works.

But I’m not giving up, because the desire is there, and the Bible says that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. I definitely desire to delight myself in the Lord. So that means that I have to want what He wants more than I want what I want.

I am confident that God is not leading me down this path to a dead end. That’s not who He is. He wants us to be successful. What I do know is that this whole experience is bringing me closer to God…and I am sure that was His purpose all along.

Until next time…

Be blessed

God Puts A Song in my Heart

God Puts A Song in my Heart

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I absolutely love how God speaks to me through song. God will use whatever means necessary to reach his children. Gospel music will often help usher in the Holy Spirit…not that He needs any help, but it helps till the soil so to speak. Lately, God has been speaking to my heart through a particular song, and I’ve been singing it over and over.

In part, the lyrics say, “…there’s a pressing in the spirit…” I love that song. Every time I hear it I’m reminded of how much God loves me. I woke up singing that song the other day, and sang it all the way to work. I know that whenever that happens God has taught my spirit something as I slept. The funny thing is that a lot of times He doesn’t reveal it to me right away. I have grown to trust Him so much that I no longer try to figure it out.

I know that part of it is because I was asked to do something that He didn’t want me to do….yet. I have a tendency to get caught up in someone else’s excitement. God has given them a vision and our spirits will connect…the next thing you know, I’m knee-deep in a place I shouldn’t be. This time, God was saying that I have something for you and it’s not that, and this time I listened.

My brothers and sisters…know that when God has something for you not even your procrastination can stop it. We will oftentimes prolong our journey by taking turns we shouldn’t take. God is so patient with us. He loves us and wants to bless us…so, He waits for us to realize our place and then He moves us into it.  For me, that means that He waits until I sleep, because that is when my heart is open to Him. His way of letting me know everything is going to be alright is He will wake me with a song. That lets me know that He heard…He knows…and He is still in control. I love when He does that….

Until next time…

Be blessed

When The Unexpected Happens

When The Unexpected Happens

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I came into this year so excited about what God would be doing. This year, I had plans to move forward into my purpose; claiming all the promises of God. I was thinking that if God could take time to breathe the word of life into His prophets for me…the least I could do is walk in them. I still think that’s true, but God didn’t do it the way I thought He would. 

Last week, my sister went home to be with the Lord. I didn’t see that coming. Nobody saw that coming. It knocked the wind out of me. There was no warning. God didn’t check in with me to see if that was part of my plan. What He did was what He had planned even before He breathed life into her lungs. He already knew when He would come to claim that same breath back. 

I thought the last few years were the worst, but I didn’t know about this. I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t know that having to endure the passing of my sister would be part of what I would be doing this year. But here’s the thing, God didn’t have to ask my permission. He is God. And even though I don’t like it; even though I would rather be doing just about anything else…I trust His plan. 

One of my favorite scriptures is from the Book of Romans, and it says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

I know that whenever the unexpected happens, whatever we have to go through, God has already worked it out. This scripture says that nothing…no problem, no situation, not even death can come between the relationship that we have with the Lord. He has to be number one, because when He has first place in our lives, we never have to worry about the outcome, because God holds the outcome in His hands.  

Until next time…

Be blessed

The God of Second Chances

The God of Second Chances

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Lately, I have been thinking about a retreat that I attended a few years ago. The thing is that even though things have been different this year, I still find myself just as stressed out and tired as I was before. How can that be? I’m not working full-time in the office anymore. There is no pressure to participate in any of the activities I am usually a part of. So why do I feel like I am running at top speed, and not getting anywhere?

As I reflected on my time at the retreat, I realized that not once during that time did I stress about all the things I needed to do, or those things I had left undone. I was really able to get away from it all, and I actually had time to reflect on those things that I had been praying to God about. Those things that scare me a little just thinking about them.  

Grateful doesn’t seem to cover what I’m feeling right now. I thank God for His loving-kindness and His many blessings; for His faithfulness; and for His peace that really does surpass all understanding. Our world is a little upside down right now, but this I know…in the midst of it all, God is still good. And He loves us so much that we can’t even comprehend it.

Thankfully, we serve a God of second chances. He has given me a renewed sense of purpose…even in the middle of a pandemic. And this time, I don’t want to waste a minute of it. I want to do the things God is calling me to do, and not worry about the things I can’t do. And I am learning how to trust God’s sovereignty. Knowing that if He wants me to do something, He will provide everything I need to accomplish it.

Until next time…

Be blessed!

Take the limits off God

Take the limits off God

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So, last week I talked about how we can sometimes short-circuit our destiny, and it made me think about a time when that happened to me. I was at a Women’s Ministry meeting at my church and at a certain point in the meeting, the Director asked us to share our testimonies, words of encouragement, etc. Well, if anyone should have a testimony it should have been me. I was the brand new author of a book entitled, “Let My Life Be A Testimony.” I should definitely have had something to share, right?

I sat there feeling like I was going to burst, because God had been so good to me that I didn’t even know where to start, but that night, I didn’t share–almost no one did. The Director had to go around the room and just point out the different ways that she knew we had been blessed. That was so embarrassing. I will never forget that. The sad thing is that I spent many years after that doing the same thing.

That experience taught me that walking in my destiny was going to take some work on my part. First, I needed to believe that I deserved a better life. That God saw me, and had a plan just for me. Then, I had to stop working against myself. What I mean by that is that I had to be bold enough to walk in the path God was laying out for me. When God moved me to share, I had to stop second guessing Him and just do it. I have learned to trust that God will never lead me down a dead end. If He moves me to do something…someone, somewhere, needs it.

We have to stop trying to figure it all out by ourselves, and take the limits off God, He will show us things that we never even imagined and take us to places that we never thought we would go. And guess what? That’s only the beginning. He has so much to show us if we let Him. 

Until next time…

Be blessed!