December 2024 – She Believes 3

Fruit of the Spirit December 31, 2024

What’s Your Plan?

¹⁸Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,^[a] but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Isaiah 32:8
⁸But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.
Proverbs 16:9
⁹The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

In some households, the Christmas tree comes down the day after Christmas. Typically, at my house the Christmas tree will be up at least until New Year’s Day. In all honesty, there have been some years, that it has been up way past the New Year.

It seems that each year on January 2nd, I start to shift gears mentally and I am excited and ready to focus on what’s ahead, not behind. I want all signs of Christmas decorations and wrappings, and the tree back in a safe place until next year.

Don’t you love that a new year is God’s way of blessing us with a fresh start and a clean slate? It’s a time to hit the reset button and it’s the perfect time for us to contemplate where we want to go, and what we want to achieve in the coming year.

I do want to encourage you to remember while setting your goals, to leave room in your plans for God’s divine interruptions. In other words, don’t have your plan so stuck in concrete that you are devastated when He takes you in a different direction. God’s plans are usually totally different from what we are planning. Be willing to stay open to change, be flexible, and be available to whatever God desires of you. Remember He always knows what’s best for us.

Here are some things to contemplate as you set your goals for the coming year.

1. What was my best achievement in 2024?

2. What happened in 2024 that I am most proud of?

3. What was my biggest disappointment in 2024, and what did I learn from it?

4. As I look forward to 2025 I am most hopeful about?

5. What are the five things that I would like to see happen in 2025?

6. My top priority in 2025 will be?

7. What is my goal for 2025?

8. My spiritual, emotional mental, physical, and financial goals for 2025 are?

9. My word for the year is?

10. Because I am fully aware that God is on my side I will do what this year?

11. What is the one thing that I am afraid to do, but I will choose to feel the fear and do it anyway this year?

12. Write a letter to God expressing your heart’s desires for 2025 as honestly as you know how.

13. Who do I need to forgive so that I can move forward freely in the New Year?

My prayer is that as you take time to sit and contemplate the answers to these questions. I pray that God will bless you with clarity and wisdom for the New Year. I pray that you and your family will be blessed abundantly this year. May you be blessed spiritually, emotionally, and financially. I pray that you will be in great health throughout the year and that you will have the strength and stamina to run the race that God has set before you. I also pray that you will surrender completely to His will for your life and that you will know and experience God’s abundant love every second of every day!

Have a Happy and prosperous New Year.

Proverbs 16:3

3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 17:20

20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”[a]

Proverbs 3:6

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,  and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 21:5

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,  but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

Psalm 20:4

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!

Faith December 26, 2024

Yield Not To Temptation

Have you ever gone through the process of psyching yourself up to start a new diet? Well I have, and it seems that the moment that I decided to start my new food plan, every commercial on TV is about the most mouth-watering cheeseburgers or the best-looking pizza you have ever seen. That also seems to be the time that my husband decides to surprise me with a brand-new carton of my favorite Butter Pecan ice cream.

Temptations are all around us at every turn. Food may not be the thing that gets to you, it may be something else, but what I do know for sure is that we all have weaknesses, and Satan preys on those weaknesses. For some it may be overeating, others may deal with alcohol, drugs, or sexual temptations. There are some that may deal with issues of greed, gossiping, or even lying. Whatever the case, in order to overcome the constant temptation to participate in these sinful acts, and live a life of holiness that God calls us to, we must use the greatest weapon that we have and that weapon is prayer.

Each morning when you arise, ask God to give you the power and strength to resist the wiles of Satan. Also, it’s important that you don’t set yourself up to be tempted. Stay away from people, places, and things that trigger you to fall into temptation. With God’s help, you can overcome any temptation.

Remember, Satan even tried to tempt Jesus, but Jesus resisted his temptation. As Christians, we must do the same. Tap into this power to resist sin by maintaining a healthy prayer life. My sisters get prayed up and stay prayed up. Prayer is the catalyst to transform your life and have the strength to say no to the enemy.

Yield not to temptation!

⁴⁰There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple ⁶and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

⁷Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

¹¹Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

¹⁸For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:1
4 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
¹³No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
James 4:7
⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Faith December 19, 2024

Holiday Stress

Last week a dear friend of mine expressed how stressed out she was about Christmas. My heart went out to her because I know that she is not alone. The hustle and bustle that occurs during this time of year can be overwhelming.

Everyone either has a list, or is making a list of the things that they need to accomplish by Christmas. Whether it be a list of groceries to purchase for all of the delicious goodies, or a list of toys and other gifts to buy, there is work to be done. And let’s not forget to mention the decorating of the house and the Christmas tree. There is also house cleaning to be done in preparation for the special day. There are Christmas plays to attend, Church Christmas programs and Christmas Parties to attend. Wow there can be a lot going on in the month of December! Just listing these things makes me want to take a nap.

The thought of all that needs to be done from Thanksgiving to Christmas can be quite stressful and absolutely exhausting for some. Obviously this was not God’s intention. This should be a time of joy and it should also be a peaceful time, when we can be in God’s presence full of gratitude and hope for the future that lies ahead of us because of the birth of Christ. Today I would like to share a few tips that can possibly help you to have a calmer Christmas so that you can refocus on the reason for this special season and that would be Jesus!

10 Ways To Calm Your Anxieties During The Christmas Season

Start each day in the presence of God through prayer and by reading your Bible. Just get still.
Play soft Christmas music throughout the day in your home and in your car.
Make a list of all that you need to do, and do things over several days. Stress comes when we try to accomplish too much in a short amount of time.
Maybe this could be the year that you suggest pulling names to your family, instead of trying to purchase gifts for everyone. It saves time, energy and money.
If finances are a bit tight this year and you have the time, you may consider giving baked goods, such as cookies etc. and trust me, they will be well received.
Delegate. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all. Share the load. You don’t want to be totally exhausted on Christmas morning and the day after that too.
Nothing makes us feel better than doing something nice for someone else. Why not take a name from an angel tree this year and bless a stranger with a gift. You will be surprised at how quickly you will forget about yourself and all that you need to do when you focus on someone else’s needs.

Take a moment after one of your long days and sit and watch a cute Christmas movie, preferably a funny one. Laughter is a great stress releaser.
Take a 20-30 minute nap if you need to recharge.
Review your list and determine if everything on it is really necessary. If you see places to cut back, be willing to do so.

I hope that this helps! Have a Merry and Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year!

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John 14:27
²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Matthew 6:34
³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Isaiah 26:3
³You will keep in perfect peace  those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Colossians 3:15
¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
⁷“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,  whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought  and never fails to bear fruit.”

Relationships December 9, 2024

Are You In Alignment?

Have you ever had a season when it seemed that no matter how hard you tried, things were just not working out as you had hoped? Well I certainly have had a season or two in my lifetime, when I have experienced this. As I look back over those years I have come to realize that there have been times when what I wanted was simply not in God’s will for my life at that time. There have been other times when I simply was not in alignment with God.

You may be asking, how exactly does one get out of alignment with God? You see even though we are Christians, there are times when we get off track. We may know in our hearts what God’s will is for us and we selfishly don’t want to surrender to it. He may be leading us in a direction that He desires for us to go and we are pushing back with resistance. Something as simple as a recurring sin may also block our blessing from coming through.

I encourage you today to eliminate the frustrating struggle that you may be experiencing, by simply doing a self evaluation.
Ask yourself the following 10 questions:

1. What am I resisting or running from?

2. What is the one thing that I know that I need to be doing, but I keep putting it off?

3. What are my secret sins?

4. What is it that I keep doing over and over that I know is sinful?

5. Do I have a consistent prayer life?

6. Am I reading my Bible daily?

7. Who am I choosing to be influenced by?

8. Do I have a Christian accountability partner?

9. Do I truly trust God with my life?

10. Am I willing to do whatever God asks of me?

Prayerfully these questions will help you to see if you are in or out of alignment with God. Hopefully you will be able to get back on track if you are not happy with what you conclude. The wonderful thing is that we serve a God that forgives and restores. Repent and ask for forgiveness where you have fallen short.

I hope that you will make a commitment to walk in alignment with God. He is so worthy of our faithful obedience.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33
³²So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. ³³Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ²All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
³You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
⁴The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
⁵Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
⁶You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
⁷The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
⁸The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
⁹The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. ¹⁰Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you.
¹¹The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
¹²The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. ¹³The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. ¹⁴Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
John 14:23
²³Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Psalm 33:18
¹⁸But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
Proverbs 28:14
¹⁴Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
John 15:10
¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
2 Chronicles 16:9
⁹For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him……..