The Not-so-Super-Mom

The Not-so-Super-Mom

Last night I was laying in bed trying to sleep, but I was so wide a wake.  My mind was running 100 miles per hour...thinking of all the stuff I did, or didn't do, and what I should have gotten done, during the day.  In the the midst of my mind's running through the day, I started to think about what type of parent I am, and what my girls will turn out like.  I know how I want them to turn out, but I also know that I in and of myself am in no way able to get them to the place where I want to see them.  I make mistakes, huge ones, over and over again.  How am I, in the craziness of this world, supposed to somehow keep my girls on the right path, and protect them from all the evil that surrounds us?  As I lay there pondering all these things, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I'd like to share it with you today.

Daughter, you aren't good enough, you can't protect them from the evil in this world.  You are not all knowing, ever-present, or all powerful.  You, daughter, are not perfect, you are human, you make mistakes.

But, I know your limits, I know your heart and your love for your children; and I love them more than you are even capable of, and I love you.  Don't fret that you can't be with them everyday to protect them and guide them, because I Am!   I Am able!  I Am all knowing! I Am ever-present! I Am all powerful!  I will uphold you and help you to be the best parent you can be, and when you can't go any further, where you stop, I will make up the distance.  In your weakness I Am strong...trust your little children to Me.  I will be with them, I will guide them and protect them.   Trust them to Me!

As I laid there and these words washed over me, I felt a sweet sense of peace and hope.  

The pressure is off. 

I don't have to be super-mom! 

I can just trust in the Lord...He has got this.  

Let these words sink in... 

Think about it for a few minutes... 

God. has. got. this.

You don't have to do it on your own, in fact it is pretty much impossible to do it on your own...

Trust Him. 

God is so good! 

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save; 

He will rejoice over you with gladness, 

He will quiet you with His love, 

He will rejoice over you with singing. 

Zephaniah 3:17

1. God will be in with you, in your midst!

  

2. God (the Mighty One) will save you!

  

3. God will rejoice over you with gladness!

  

4. God will bring you peace, He will quiet you with His amazing, never changing, all encompassing, love!

  

5. God will rejoice over you with singing! Some versions say "with loud singing" just imagine that - God singing loudly, His heart full of gladness and love all over YOU! 

I hope no matter the circumstances you are faced with in the coming year, you will lift your cries, your songs, your heart, your everything, up to God.  Welcome Him into your life; to be your Savior, Redeemer, friend, comforter, help, guide, and joy...He is waiting for you to simply ask Him to come! 

God is good!!! I am so thankful for all He's done in 2013, and can't wait to see all He has planned for us in 2014!!  

Be abundantly blessed my friends!!

Happy New Years!  

The Desires of the Heart

The Desires of the Heart

As I was talking to the Lord about a situation we are dealing with, where plans just aren't going the way we'd hoped, the Holy Spirit showed me some things that just really hit me right where I needed it. So I thought I'd share them with you...

When we delight ourselves in the Lord...not only does He give us the desires of our heart, but the desires of our heart come from our delight in the Lord. Or to say it another way... When we delight in the Lord, God creates in us the "desires of our heart" - the very desires of our heart stem from our delight in HIM...then God grants us the desire of our heart, because they not only are our desires, they are God's desires...they align with His heart!!  

"Delight yourself also in the Lord,

 And He shall give you the desires of your heart."  

(Psalm 36:4) 

The desires of our hearts, guides us as we make plans for the future (these are big picture plans).  However, it is required that we truly lean on and depend on the Lord, staying close to God...because not only do our desires come from our delight in Him, but we can't be lead by Him (in the fine details) if we are far from Him. We must delight in Him and then continually remain close to Him to allow Him to lead us in each and every step we take.  

"A man’s heart plans his way, 

But the Lord directs his steps"

(Proverbs 16:9)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct[ your paths."

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our God is more than able.  There is nothing impossible with God. But He requires that we are dependent on Him.  Sometimes things look impossible for one reason,  that reason is that God wants to step in and do the impossible,  so that we will see how great and powerful He truly is.  

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,

 according to the power that works in us," 

(Ephesians 3:20)

"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 

'With men this is impossible, 

but with God all things are possible.'”

(Matthew 19:26)

When things look impossible...that is when God says, 

"With man, this is impossible, but for the great I AM, all things are possible!"   

 GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!

There are times when my dear hubby has to travel for work.  I do not, DO NOT do well when he is gone.  Last time he was gone for just one night, I ended up sleeping in the recliner, with a couple lights on throughout the house.  I've always struggled with fear, and it seems to quadruple when JC is gone.  I have many stories of times when JC was gone (I'll save them for another post!), and how God settled my fears and showed me that my protection and shelter is in Him and Him alone.  Every time, God has been faithful, but in my human weakness, I tend to fear over and over again.  Here in the next couple months my hubby will be traveling once again for just a few nights, and once again God has shown Himself to be so faithful!!  As I've been spending time in my daily devotions, over last few days, reading the Word and praying...God has lead me to read many different scriptures that all speak of our safety and shelter being in God and God alone, but more than that, He has lead me to scriptures that specifically speak of sleeping in peace and protection, without fear.  

I wrote down a list of these scriptures for me to reference when those fears try to come in...and I thought I'd share it with you. I am so thankful for these scriptures, that give us promises of peace, protection, and safety.

Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34:7

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Proverbs 3:24

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

God is sooooo good!! 

He's Pleading For You!

Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

 

 Here are the definitions I found for t

he word intersession:

1. an act or instance of interceding. 

2. an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person. 

3. a prayer to God on behalf of another.

Jesus Christ 

the only begotten Son of God, who died and then rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of God...this same Jesus intercedes for us!   What an amazing thought!  No matter what is going on in this world we live in, no matter the situations we face...there is hope because we have the very Son of God pleading on our behalf!   WOW!   

God is so good!! 

Keep The Faith!!

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

As we go through life we all go through rough places or times...Habakkuk was going through one of those rough times, when he wrote these verses.  Israel was under attack...and when he cried out to the Lord for help, God informed him that the Chaldeans, "A bitter and hasty nation" would come and overtake Israel.  As you might imagine, this was not what Habakkuk was wanting to hear...but the Lord told him to write out the vision and wait for it's fulfillment, for "the just shall live by his faith".  In other words, God is saying, though it may be a long time before you see these things come about, keep watching, keep believing, keep your faith, because "the just shall live by his faith" - If you lose your faith, you surely won't make it!!    

Habakkuk's was afraid when he heard all that God was telling him.  Chapter 3:2 "O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;"  But in the following verses Habakkuk reminds himself of the glory and power of God.  After 15 verses of remembering the greatness and fullness of God...Habakkuk suddenly is filled with "A Hymn of Faith" And wrote out verses 17-19.   

What can we learn from this? 

God always has a plan, and though we may not always like it, God will get us through the rough places if we keep our faith!!

When the circumstances around us cause fear to rise in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves, of the God we serve, and turn fear into faith.

When we turn fear into faith...we will find the Joy of the Lord, and God will be our strength to get us through the rough spots in life.  

I am so glad we serve a living, powerful, merciful and loving God!!

God is good!! 

Life Lessons

Life Lessons

Here I am about to turn the big 3 0 in a few months, and though I realize I still have much to learn, and many things left in my to do list...I also realize that there are so many lessons I have already learned.  

So here is a list:

• Banging your head on the counter from a hard sneeze, hurts really bad.
• Breaking your toe while doing the chicken dance, also hurts really bad.
• Being made fun of, hurts worse than either of the previous two things.
• The pain of loss, never quite goes away.
• Life is hard!
• When we hurt, God brings us comfort.
• When we are broken, God is our healer.
• When we are down and out, God lifts us up and draws us close.
• When we deal with loss, God becomes our strength, carrying us when we can't walk.
• When life is hard, God is our shield, our protection in every storm.
• God is good! 
• God's love is so amazing, unfathomable, bigger and better than anything we know. 
• God is the creator of the universe, He holds everything together; Yet He also knows the very number of hairs on our heads. 
• God wants to have an everyday, every situation, walking together, personal relationship - with us.
• We were created to love and praise God.
• When we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into place.
• No matter where we are, what we've done, how good or bad life seems...We all need Jesus!  

I am sure I could put many more things down on this list, however, you don't really want to read that long of a post, and I think I've covered most of the important things already!  :) 

God Is So Good!!

"Help Me Find It"

"Help Me Find It"

There are times in life when you know what you want, you have an idea of how things will probably go, but you don't know the whens, wheres, whats, and hows, of it all.  It is in times like these when we tend to try to figure things out and make things happen on our own.  

I have trouble with this! Especially when I know what the end goal is, but do not know how everything is going to go. More often than not, it is because half of the things that need to take place for the goal to happen, are completely out of my hands.  

But one thing I've come to know, is that the best thing we can do, when we don't know what to do, is call on Jesus! 

God has a plan for us! 

God will work everything out for our good if we are loving and serving Him. 

That is a promise, and God is always faithful to uphold His end of the deal, when we uphold ours! 

So where does that leave us?  

It leaves us with one important job.  

Loving, serving, trusting, and leaning on Jesus.   

As I was driving down the road the other day, praying for guidance and wisdom, I heard this song.  While I am sure I've heard it before, I'm not sure that I've paid much attention to the lyrics.  But I found that this song echoed the cry of my heart, giving me words for the thoughts and feeling I held inside.  

If you find yourself searching, trying to figure things out, I hope you will listen to these words, and make them  a prayer over your life for today, tomorrow and everyday to come! 

Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Psalms 91

Psalms 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

I love this chapter! God is mighty to save us, protect us, and provide for us.  Not only is He more than able, He wants to do all of this for us.  

Today, I am so thankful that when we place our trust, and hope in God, choosing to take refuge in Him and Him alone, dwelling daily in His presence...all of the promises in this chapter become ours!  

God is so good!! 

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

Life can be rough. We don't always know how we will make it. Things don't always make sense.  But I am so thankful that God is our source, our help, our shelter, our provider, and our healer.  Whatever we need, we can trust God to come through.  I love this portion of scripture, Israel is at it's lowest low...there didn't seem to be any hope, and in the midst of listing out all of the bad things going on, the prophet just had to share the hope that comes from trusting in God.  Whatever is going on in your life, remember "It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God".

Lamentations 3:19-36

It’s a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

19-21 I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,

the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.

I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—

the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there’s one other thing I remember,

and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,

his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.

They’re created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He’s all I’ve got left.

25-27 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

to the woman who diligently seeks.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.

It’s a good thing when you’re young

to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30 When life is heavy and hard to take,

go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:

Wait for hope to appear.

Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.

The “worst” is never the worst.

31-33 Why? Because the Master won’t ever

walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.

His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.

He takes no pleasure in making life hard,

in throwing roadblocks in the way:

34-36 Stomping down hard

on luckless prisoners,

Refusing justice to victims

in the court of High God,

Tampering with evidence—

the Master does not approve of such things.

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 2

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 2 - From Jaffa to the Ends of the Earth

1.Do you talk with the Lord in your prayers as if He was a good friend who stopped by? Practice spontaneous and open prayer right now.

It may seem odd at first, talking out loud to someone you can't see...but I have found that the times when I speak to Jesus as if He is right there, like a friend who came to visit, these are some of the most wonderful times of communion and closeness.  I encourage you to try it!

2. Do you need to suffer for God to take you seriously? Why, or why not?

No! I believe that there are times of suffering, and those times help us to draw on our faith in Jesus, and when we walk through the hard times leaning on Him, we come out stronger than we were before. But even in the good times when we call on the Lord He hears us, and is right there with us.  We should always lean on the Lord and trust Him, and stay in close communion with Him whether in good or bad times.

3. How do you interpret the author's dream about being a prisoner in chains and led down endless stairs?

I believe that the Lord was showing Benny, that he was slowly being pulled and lead down into the evil and darkness of sin.  It was showing Benny that he had a need for a Savior.  

4. In the same dream, what is the symbolism of the angel's appearance and the shackles falling from the author's hands and feet?

The Angel in the dream represented Salvation through Jesus, when we accept this amazing gift, His sacrifice on the cross pays the price for our sins and we are set freed from our chains and burdens and He brings us out of the darkness into His glorious light.  

5. Does God use dreams and visions to send messages to "ordinary" men and women? describe a dream that seemed to carry a message for you.

Absolutely! God has given me many dreams in my lifetime, and though I have not always understood them right away, in God's time He reveals what they mean.  Just this last December God gave me a dream, it would take too long to tell the whole thing, but the gist is this...

All my friends and family were gathered together at my house, and before we had time to realize all of what was going on, I mean by the time we heard, saw, and recognized it for what it really was, a huge bomber dropped two huge missiles on either side of the house.  Everything for miles around was gone, Everyone was in a panic trying to figure out what to do, Flames were lapping the side of the house and coming through the windows...I ran to get my girls out of their beds, and as I returned to the living room I woke up.

At first I focused on the panic, terror and horror of seeing great destruction all around, and living through such a terrible experience, because it was as real as a dream can get...Real!!  But for the next two weeks the Lord faithfully showed me through sermons I heard, scriptures I read, devotionals I read, even songs I heard on the radio, over and over again God showed me that this dream may have been a warning of something terrible coming, but that is not what God wanted me to focus on.  He wanted me to know that no matter the terror, or the fear, He is here, protecting us.  Not even huge missiles landing right outside our house can get through God's covering of protection.  I believe this dream is more a promise of protection from whatever may come, than a warning of things to come, and I am so thankful that God loves me enough to give me this promise personally, not just for me but for my friends and family as well. Thank you Jesus! You are so Good!!

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 1

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 1: "Can I Really Know You?"

1. Has the Holy spirit been a distant third person of the Trinity to you? What must you do to bring Him into your life?

No! As I've grown in my walk with the Lord, each day the Holy Spirit is here with me, teaching me, leading and guiding me.  I've had dreams and visions, and I've had him speak clearly to me.  He is so gentle and kind, patient and loving, His presence is so wonderful! I am thankful everyday for my closest friend.  The truth is, the Holy Spirit is with me, and fills me, He knows my thoughts, my hopes and dream, and He knows all the bad things, just as He knows all the good things about me.  But He loves me anyways!  I love spending time in His presence, and learning more and more each day!

If you do not have a personal and daily relationship with the Holy Spirit, all you have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus' gift on the cross, and then confess your a sinner and ask the Holy Spirit to come, teach, lead, guide, and fill you, He will come if you invite Him!

2. What do people filled with the Holy Spirit look like? Are they somehow different? How would you recognize them?

I believe that some people who are filled with the Holy Spirit may at times have a glow like Benny Hinn describes in this chapter, but more often than not, they look normal on the outside, but you will find that they are peaceful, they have wisdom, they have power in their prayers, and they consider God their best friend...these people stand out because of the fruit of the spirit permeating their life.

3.Have you ever witnessed a healing, or other miracle, attributed to the Holy Spirit? What is your definition of a miracle?

A miracle is when something that is physically and scientifically impossible, becomes possible.  Examples of this include, physical healing, financial provisions, sometimes it even can be something like a change in the weather.  I have seen the Holy Spirit change the weather because of a prayer of faith, I've seen God provide when there was just no other way, and I've seen Him heal people...the husband of a dear friend at church, was on his death bed just a few weeks ago, with the doctors giving him no hope to live, but God had other plans, and the doctors and nurses are now calling him Lazarus Man.  

The dead walk, the bind see, the deaf hear...So amazing!!

4. What is the mission of the Holy Spirit among us?

I believe the mission of the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide us, and comfort and protect us, as He is teaching us to be like Jesus!

5. If you want the Bible to come alive for you, what must you do?

If you want the Bible to come alive, you must ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher...He will open your eyes to see things you've never seen before.  You may have read the Bible in it's entirety, but if the Holy Spirit was not teaching you and guiding you, you missed a lot! As you read with the Holy Spirit as your guide, the scriptures suddenly leap off the page and you find yourself with a deeper understanding of what God is saying in His Word.

Unshakable Faith - Day 50: From Babylon To Abraham

Unshakable Faith

Day 50: From Babylon To Abraham

1.  Like Abraham, are you willing to leave everything you have to seek the Lord's will in unknown places?

Yes, It is not an easy road to travel.  Trusting God and obeying Him when you are scared to death,  the road long and the future seems unclear.  I have learned over time, that no matter how scary it is to step out in faith, trusting God for His guidance and provisions...it is far scarier to try to do your own thing, outside of the will of God.

2. Are you walking in a manner worthy of your calling? Believing God, obeying Him?

I certainly try! And I believe with God's help, grace, forgiveness and love, I am able to continue living for Him, believing Him, and obeying Him.  When I fall or fail, He picks me up, dust me off, and sets my feet back on the right path.  Without God's hand on my life, I could never walk in a manner worthy of my calling, but Jesus paid the price and bridged the gap, so that I can walk each day with the assurance of my salvation!

3. Are you doing all things for the sake of His gospel and letting the love of Christ control you?

The love of God is amazing! When we allow Him to come fill us up with His love it sets us free. Free to love, free to give, free to receive.  A life filled with and controlled by God's love will do everything for the sake of the gospel! Because the gospel is what has made them secure enough to be who God created them to be.  It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that has made their life worth living.  Everything they do becomes a testimony of God's goodness, love and grace...Other's see God working in them and are attracted to it.  The testimony we live out everyday, is the most effective type of testimony!

Unshakable Faith - Day 46:Walking With God

Unshakable Faith

Day 46:Walking With God

1. Have you accepted your invitation to draw near to Him?

Yes, I so long to be close to my Heavenly Father...I hunger for more of His Word and His presence in my life...I spend hours studying, and getting to know Him...I also talk with Him and spend time just listening to Him as He speaks to me...I love the Lord more than anything...He is my everything!

2. Have you sacrificed all of the things that distract you from becoming closer to Him?

I have given up many things that were distractions to me, but I sense the Holy Spirit nudging me telling me that there are other things in my life, that distract me from spending time with Him, and growing in my relationship with Him.  You see, God already knows everything about each one of us.  He made us, and He knows our every thought and even the number of hairs on our heads.  We are the ones who need to learn more about Him, and to draw near to Him...If there is something in our lives that keeps us from doing what we need to, to get to know Him and spend time with Him, we need to sacrifice it, let it go, give it up, the trade off is always worth it.

3. "There is nothing that says we cannot walk with God to the point that He just takes us up like He did Enoch. Could this in fact be what the rapture really is?"

I would love to walk that closely with God! WOW!!  And I agree that there is not anything in God's Word that says it is not possible, if one man could do it, any of us could...but I believe that the rapture of the church is when Jesus returns for His Bride (the whole church,  all Christians)...Not just a few christian's who grow close enough to God that God takes them.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 45:Calling On The Lord

Unshakable Faith

Day 45:Calling On The Lord

1.The Lord knew the end from the beginning, and from the beginning He planned and prepared for our ultimate redemption and restoration from sin. Isn't this amazing?

One of the most humbling and awe inspiring things is sitting down and thinking about all God has made, all He has done to provide, and sustain humankind...His love for us is so great, He is so good.  Here is a song that tells it all so perfectly.

2. Have you been deceived by satan, but realize that the Lord is the author of all good things and repentance is the way back into His mercy?

Absolutely, we all at one time or another fall for a lie of satan, and no matter what the lie, or how great the sin seems to be, Jesus has paid the price, and all we need to do is repent of our sin, and run to God.

3. What are the true riches of the Kingdom?

True riches of the Kingdom are the truth and knowledge of God's ways.  God's ways are so much greater and higher than our ways, we will spend all eternity exploring the riches of His love and mercy!

Unshakable Faith - Day 41: Sin and Depression

Unshakable Faith

Day 41: Sin and Depression

1. Have you suffered from depression?

No, I've never had to deal with depression, though I've had family members and friends who have dealt with it at times.

2. To be delivered from depression is not by having someone accept you the way you are, but by someone loving you enough to correct you so you can do what is right.

Loving someone enough to take a stand and tell them the truth even if it is not what they want to hear is one of the greatest ways you can love someone...Just remember to always speak the truth in love, if it is not said in and with love, it will do more harm than good.

3. Do you know of someone, or the family of someone who committed suicide?

I have heard many stories but I don't know anyone personally who has committed suicide.  It breaks my heart every time I hear about someone who thought the only way to make things better was to end it all...If they only knew that they could turn to Jesus and that God would help them work through the troubles and issues, if they only had the hope that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus, it would have made a huge difference in their life and the lives of their loved ones.  If you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, please tell a loved one, a pastor or a counselor, get into the Word of God, talk to God, tell Him your doubts, your hurts, your troubles, ask God for guidance, healing and provision...start working on making good choices and decisions...There is hope, and it is found in Jesus!!

Unshakable Faith - Day 38: The Covering

Unshakable Faith

Day 38: The Covering

1. Had you before considered that when the Lord made a covering for Adam and Eve by shedding the blood of an innocent animal, that it was a prophecy of the atonement that Jesus would make by shedding His blood for our sins?

I have read that portion of scripture multiple times, but I never made the connection...what a beautiful way for the Lord to show us His plans and provisions generations before it was to come.  This is a great reminder to me, that God is in control, and He is working in every situation to bring us all to the place of close communion and fellowship with Himself, He loves us enough to go the distance and do the hard work on our behalf, because He wants to be with us for eternity...What a wonder God's Love is!!

2. Have you ever refused to go to the cross and tried to carry the guilt of sin yourself? If so, you are saying that the cross was not enough.

Accepting the gift of forgiveness and salvation through the cross of Jesus, at times can seem almost to easy.  The office supply store known as Staples, has the red "easy button" in all their commercials, in fact you can buy little toy "easy buttons" to put on your desk as paper weights.  But the idea is that when some task seems like too much, or you don't have the time, you just hit the "easy button" and the task is done for you.  Many times in life we think it would be nice to have a real "easy button", but we don't realize that Jesus has given us the best "easy button" ever...all we have to do is call on the name of Jesus...He is enough, He will cleanse us, restore us, heal us, provide for us, and protect us.  I encourage you to accept the gift He has given to you...and stop struggling and trying to do it on your own...We can never do enough, all our good will never out weigh all our bad...We need Jesus!

3. You can have confidence to enter into the very presence of the Lord, not because of anything you can do, but because of the blood of Jesus.

It is only through the blood of Jesus that we find restoration, and redemption...Allow Jesus to cleanse your heart of sin, you will never be the same, those burdens that weigh you down, the cares and worries, the sickness and pain, give it all to Jesus, and let Him make you whole today!

Unshakable Faith - Day 33: The Voices

Unshakable Faith

Day 33: The Voices

1. Have you countered satan's tactics by developing your own ability to hear the Lord, understanding what He is saying, and obeying His voice?

Yes! It is so important for us not only to be able to hear His voice, but to distinguish the difference between His voice and the voices of those whose only goal is to lead us away from Him.  One way to develop your ability to hear Him and know His voice, is by spending time in His Word, in His presence and with other mature believers who can help lead and guide and teach you.

2. Can you quickly and easily distinguish His voice from all of the other voices in the world?

Yes, over the years, I have come to know God's voice and to cherish the words God speaks to me.  It is such an amazing experience to have a close personal loving relationship with the King of all Kings!  I am so thankful that He loves me and wants to spend time with me, not only that but He provides for me, and protects me...I am awed by the care and love He gives everyday!

3. Have you ever attended or are you attending a "dead" church?

Thankfully, I can answer this question with a resounding, "No!" I have been blessed to be a part of some wonderful churches...churches that are very much alive and living empowered lives through the inner-working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of not just the Pastors, but in the hearts and lives of the congregation as well.

Unshakable Faith - Day 31: The Delusion

Unshakable Faith

Day 31: The Delusion

1.  Are you seeking to know Him with the understanding that He will always be greater than your natural mind can comprehend?

In all we do, our goal and purpose should be to know and be like Jesus.  We can never fully understand or comprehend all there is to know about God, but when we humbly search and seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us.  God knows just what we need, and just what we are going through, and He is faithful to reveal things about Himself that apply to us...when we are walking through a dark time, He reveals himself as the Light of the World, When we are dealing with sadness, He reveals Himself as the Joy of the Lord...When we need healing He is our healer...He know and He is all we need.

2. Do you sleep peacefully because you are not worried about something hidden being revealed about you?

When we have things hidden, secretive sins, the fear of them being found out is a terrible thing...I've known people who have said that once they came to Christ and found forgiveness and were set free from all the baggage and bondage that comes with a sinful life, they had their first peaceful, restful night of sleep ever in over 40 some years...I am so thankful that we can come to Jesus and He is our peace!! 

3. Have you drawn near to God with confidence so that you will receive mercy and grace in time of need?

God wants us to draw nearer to Him...He is so willing to give us mercy and grace when we need it.  All we have to do is humble ourselves, and earnestly seek Him.