Faith – She Believes 3

Faith November 29, 2024

Are You Willing To Trust And Obey?

John 21:1-14
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. Have you ever felt like Jesus asked you to do something that defied all human logic?

In John chapter 21:1-14 it is quite clear that the disciples probably felt this way. They had been out fishing all night and had caught absolutely nothing. Jesus shows up and instructs them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Well of course this probably made no sense to them, since they had already told Him that they had been fishing all night and they had not caught anything.

You see these were professional fishermen. This was not their first rodeo so to speak. They did this daily for a living. One would think that if something as simple as casting their nets on the other side of the boat, would bring about a successful fishing day they would certainly have enough experience to figure that one out.

What I love about this story is that they did not try to think of all the reasons why it did not make sense to cast their nets on the other side. Two things happened immediately. They heard Jesus’s voice, and they obeyed His voice.

What we must remember is that our blessings are always connected to our obedience to God. Because the disciples were willing to obey and cast their nets on the other side of the boat, the Bible says when their nets were drawn from the water they had caught 153 large fish. God did more in a second than they had achieved all night and possibly even over several days.

Where are you today? When God instructs you to do something, do you obey without question, do procrastinate, or do you try to rationalize and figure out all of the reasons why it does not make sense to you? May I suggest that you respond immediately, trusting that God has always faithfully guided you correctly, and this time will be no different? Let’s make it a point to respond to God’s voice without hesitation. He is a loving kind Father who knows what’s best for us.

Remember He knows where the fish are so

Don’t Miss Out! Trust and Obey!

Faith October 14, 2024

You Are Worthy

This past weekend I was asked to speak at a retreat. The theme of the retreat was Worthy To Win. I thought that this was a great topic, because at some point or another we all have felt unworthy to some degree.

Feeling unworthy comes from believing the lies that Satan tells us. He wants us to doubt the promises, and truths that God’s Word has given us. He wants us to live in doubt, fear and unworthiness. These are the tools that he uses over and over and over again.

Another one of his tools is to accuse us of things that God has already forgiven us for. Although God has forgiven us, Satan’s constant accusations make it hard for us to forgive ourselves. He reminds us of past failures or past experiences and that causes us to feel shameful.

He knows how this eats away at our self-esteem and our sense of self worth, so he keeps the accusations coming. It is difficult to feel worthy when you are constantly reminded of all of the reasons why you should qualify as unworthy. Through this process we are held hostage and we lose our effectiveness to grow and achieve all that God would desire of us. Believing Satan’s lies keeps us from stepping into our purpose.

Be clear, God sent Jesus to sacrifice His life for us, because we were important to Him. That in itself means that we have value and we have worth. God took the time to masterfully create us, and all that he created was good. We are worthy because of what God has done for us, not because of who we are. Because we wear His seal we have worth.

We are worthy to live a joyful life. We are worthy to enjoy the blessings that God has provided for us. We are also worthy to walk in freedom, because we are no longer held captive. We have been set free by Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection. We can only be held captive if we choose to believe Satan’s lies.

How Do We Change Our Thought Process And Start Believing That We Are Worthy?

1. Pray! Since our worth comes from God, we should spend time in His presence. Daily when you pray, ask God to help you believe that you are who He says that you are, and that you can do what He says that you can do. Remember, it is His power that works through you to achieve great things.

2. I encourage you to Journal. Journaling is one of the best ways to process your thoughts and feelings. It also helps you to release the things that you have been holding on to.

3. Forgiveness is key! If you have been hurt or abused in some way, it is crucial that you forgive the person that offended you. This helps you to move forward in believing that you are worthy. Remember you are not what happened to you.

4. Read your Bible daily. I recommend that you read scriptures when you rise each morning and before you fall asleep each night. Keep God’s word on your mind and in your heart at all times. It has transforming power.

5. Take ten to fifteen minutes each day, and just be in total silence. Listen for God’s voice during this time. Remember, total silence!

6. Believe that you are worth the personal work that it will require to change your thought process. Your goal is to get to a place where you are in full agreement with God, that you are worthy of all of the blessings that He has for you.

7. Positive affirmations are important. Look in the mirror and tell yourself five to ten great things about yourself each day.

8. Be grateful! Write down ten things that you are grateful for each day. Gratitude opens the door for more blessings to enter in and it helps you to be appreciative of what God has already provided.

9. Don’t allow people who are consistently negative to occupy your time or space.

10. If you are still struggling after several months of follog these steps, I suggest that you seek a good Christian Therapist, or Counselor to help you work through issues that may be more serious. Don’t be afraid to get the help you need, because you are worthy!

¹³For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Luke 12:7
⁷Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Psalm 8:4
⁴what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?[a]
Isaiah 53:5
⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
John 3:16
¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:1
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Faith August 28, 2024

Are Your Words Seasoned With Love?

Are Your Words Seasoned With Love?

Have you ever said something and instantly wished that you could take it back? Unfortunately, once our words escape our tongues, they hurl into the universe, never to be recaptured again. I must confess that there have been many times that I have said things without thinking, that I later regretted.

As we all know words are powerful. We have the power to bless or curse with our tongues. Our words can build others up or tear them down. They can encourage or discourage others. Hurtful words can literally stick with a person their entire lifetime and words of encouragement can do the same.

We have all been on the receiving end of both the positive and the negative use of words. Do you remember how both felt? When someone uses their words to encourage you, you feel energized, I am sure. But, when they use words that discourage you, it deflates you and sucks the energy from you. It can also make you feel inferior as well as angry.

Let’s make a commitment to think before we speak. Even when we know that we may have to have a tough conversation, let’s pray before we speak. We can ask God to give us the perfect words for that particular situation. We should try to think of the most loving way that we can communicate what we are feeling, Let’s season our words with love.
Let’s speak life!

²⁹Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Proverbs 15:4
⁴A gentle[a] tongue is a tree of life,  but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 25:11
¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Proverbs 18:21
²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue,  and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 15:1
15 A soft answer turns away wrath,  but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Luke 6:45
⁴⁵The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Colossians 4:6
⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Faith August 15, 2024

Are You Running Your Best Race?

For the last two weeks my family and I have been watching the Olympics. Both my husband and my daughter were athletes at one time. So, they really have a healthy respect for what the athletes are going through as they compete to bring gold medals back to their country. Most of them have worked their entire lives for this big win.

The track and field events are especially captivating to me. To see the athlete’s strain and push themselves beyond what they could have even imagined in some cases, is really something to witness. Talking about leaving it all on the field, nothing could be truer for these athletes. At the end of the races that we have been watching, most of these elite athletes collapse from sheer exhaustion. They truly exert everything within themselves to win.

My question for you today is are you giving it your all? Are you using every bit of your strength and energy to achieve what God has called you to do? Are you taking your assignment as seriously as these athletes are taking their assignments? When God calls you home, will you cross the finish line all used up from faithfully pursuing the work that He has placed you on this earth to do, or will you cross over rested because you chose to be a spectator instead of a participant?

Today I want to challenge you to run the race that God has placed before you purposefully with passion and fervor. Choose to honor God by using up every drop of all that He has poured into you. There will be no gold medal when you cross the finish line, but there will be a jeweled crown and the words well done my good and faithful servant, and that my friend is worth more than the gold of a million medals.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Hebrews 12:1
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,2 Timothy 4:7
⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Faith July 28, 2024

Squash The Negativity

If you are one that is paying attention to politics right now, you know that this past week has been a political roller coaster. My purpose in writing the blog on this topic today, is not to encourage you as to whom you should vote for. You will come to that conclusion on your own. Also, I believe that who we choose to vote for is a very personal decision. However, what I would like to do is encourage you to remember who you represent at all times, and that is Jesus Christ.

Let’s be the change that we want to see in our political climate right now. Let’s not add to the current negativity that is brewing in politics each and every day as we get closer to the election.

As Christians we are called to a much higher standard. A standard that calls us to love and respect others even when we don’t necessarily agree with their viewpoint. We are called to use wise judgement and to choose our words wisely. We are called to love and not hate. Let’s not spread this evil poison called negativity.

We know that negativity is another tactic that Satan uses to destroy what is good. Don’t fall prey to his antics.

Choose to be a part of our country’s solution, not its problem. Choose to take the high road when you see something ridiculous posted on social media. Just simply choose not to comment. Not all things are worthy to be dignified with a comment. Let it go and move on. Win by making your statement in the voting booth. Continue to let your light shine and remember God is still the One in control and He will ultimately have the final say. it is His will that will supersede everything. May God bless us all, as we navigate through this political season.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

²⁰and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
²¹He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

¹³Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
Proverbs 10:19
¹⁹Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 12:18
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Matthew 12:36
³⁶But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Ephesians 4:32
³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Faith July 21, 2024

GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

This past week I read several chapters in the book of Romans and I just wanted to read more and more. This is such a rich book and my heart was so blessed.
I hope that by reading a few excerpts from it in today’s lesson, that you too will be encouraged to read more. I know that you will be just as blessed as I was by doing so.

In the book of Romans Paul explains so beautifully why we needed to be saved from our sins. He also explains our sinful nature which is always waging war against the spirit within us. Constantly our flesh wants to rule over our spirit, and resist obedience to God’s commands. Because Paul has so eloquently written this book of Romans, I thought it would be best that you learned directly from him today.

Before you start reading, pray and ask God to help you process and receive every bit of what He would desire for you to receive from Paul’s teaching. By doing so I know that the Holy Spirit will reveal more to you than you would receive otherwise. Read and be blessed my sisters!
ADAM’S SIN OUR SIN
Romans 5:14
¹⁴Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
GOD’S AMAZING GRACE
Romans 5:6-11
⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:15-21
¹⁵But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
¹⁸Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
²⁰The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
HOW WE ARE COUNTED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD
Romans 4:25
²⁵He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Romans 5:1-2
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.
YOU MUST BELIEVE AND CONFESS
Romans 10:9
⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
BURIED WITH CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM
Romans 6:1-14
6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ²By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
OUR SINFUL NATURE AND GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION
Romans 7:14-25
¹⁴We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[b] a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-8
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
⁵Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Faith May 5, 2024

The Gift Of Peace

The Gift Of Peace
In my younger years, I spent a lot of sleepless nights tossing and turning in bed, worrying over one thing or another. Whether it was how I was going to pay my bills or something else, it seemed that there was always something to worry about.
As I have grown older and closer to God, I have noticed that the things that I used to spend countless hours worrying about, don’t even register on my worry radar anymore.

I have decided, that there is absolutely no need to stress or worry over anything. Our Father is the God of the entire universe. What is it that He cannot do for us? When we worry we forfeit God’s precious gift of peace.

Prayer and patience is what is required instead of worry. We must also have absolute trust in God and be fully aware that he will not abandon us. He told us that he would never leave or forsake us, and we must trust that His words are true.

God has always provided for me and He has always been there for me through every circumstance that I have ever encountered. He has proven His love for me over and over again without fail. How can I not trust Him? He has even been there when others have walked away.
So you see my friends, to live in perfect peace we must put total confidence in the One who holds our future. To live free of worry is to live in peace.

You may ask, how does one start this journey? One way to start on this journey of peace is to have gratitude. When we focus on all that God has already done for us, we become more and more confident that He will continue to bless us according to His will. Even when very hard or difficult things happen, trust that He will give you a peace that will pass all understanding, and the strength to carry on. Trust that one way or another, He will get you through your hard season.

The gift of peace is always there for us to experience and enjoy. We simply have to accept it.

Isaiah 26:3
³You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.
Psalm 29:11
¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
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.
1 Peter 5:7
⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Psalm 119:165
¹⁶⁵Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Philippians 4:7
⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 26:12
¹²Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
Matthew 11:28
²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
John 16:33
³³“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 4:8
⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Faith April 29, 2024

IN THE MIDST OF FEAR

Have you ever been consumed with fear? I certainly have and what I have come to realize, is that only our God can quail the anxiety that comes with this level of fear.

In 2020 I was not only dealing with the fear of Covid like the rest of the world, but I was also dealing with a very scary diagnosis regarding my health. Had it not been for God so graciously leading me to the best of doctors and blessing me with the support of my family and church I probably would not be here today.

As I read my Bible each morning during that year, I started to notice that every day I was being led to a passage of scripture that had the words ” Don’t Be Afraid ” in it. I know that only God could orchestrate the timing of this.

While on this journey, one day I went into a medical facility for some testing. My anxiety level was really high to say the least. As I was about to get into the testing machine, God whispered “Don’t Be Afraid”. It immediately calmed all of my anxieties. It reminded me of a child who needs to hear a soothing word from their parents when they are afraid.

It just so happened that before all of this took place, I was already in the process of reading through the Bible in a year. For years I had made it a habit to read a few scriptures each morning before I started my day, and each night before I went to bed. I had never read completely through the entire Bible cover to cover though. In all of the reading that I have done, I have seen Don’t Be Afraid many times over the years, but not consecutively every day. At least I was not as aware of it as I was during this time. It was as though God revealed it to me when I needed to see it most.
I found it so comforting to come across these passages of scriptures that said “Don’t Be Afraid”.

I am sharing this today to encourage you to just trust God, if you are currently living in the midst of fear. Remember as a child of God we are covered by His love, His blood, His grace and mercy and most importantly His strong protective hand. His timing is perfect, and He always has a plan for our lives that is rooted in kingdom purpose. Only what God allows can ever penetrate and enter the walls of your life. So if something not so good is happening in your life today, Don’t Be Afraid. God can work good from the worst of disasters. Whatever you are going through may just be happening for you instead of to you so again, Don’t Be Afraid!

⁷Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Deuteronomy 31:6
⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Psalm 23:4
⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,  for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 91
¹Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High  will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
³Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
⁸You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
⁹If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
¹²they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
¹⁴“Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 46[a]
¹God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

Faith March 25, 2024

What A Spring Break

⁹We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
Psalm 46:10
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God! ……..
Jeremiah 29:11
¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For months my family and I anticipated Spring Break. My husband is a teacher and traditionally I try to take a few days off during Spring Break, so that we can do something together. This year our daughter even arranged her vacation time, around our Spring Break time so we could all be together.

My daughter and I had some things planned that we wanted to do. We wanted to visit some nearby towns that we don’t typically get to visit. We even had shopping included in our activities. As planned, to kick off our Spring Break activities, our family took a quick two-day trip last weekend to visit my mother and my sister. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Little did we know that would pretty much be the end of the fun for our Spring Break.

On Sunday morning of our weekend trip, I remember feeling super tired and just not feeling well at all as I was getting dressed. I pushed through and the next day as we were packing to leave, I really started to feel worse.

The next morning after arriving back in town, I asked my husband if he could drive me to the doctor. My suspicions were correct. I was sick. When the doctor came back into the room, she announced that I had tested positive for Covid. This was not what I wanted to hear at all. I immediately called my daughter and suggested that she get tested, and she received that same news that I did. She had Covid also. What a Spring Break! The good news is that my husband tested negative, so we were thankful for that.

Although this threw some rain on our little parade, and clouds over our plans, I can honestly say that as always, God knew what He was doing. His timing was perfect. There was definitely a silver lining in our failed plans. What better time to get sick than when you have no commitments for the week. We were able to just rest, and my daughter definitely needed some R&R. No one had to feel bad because they were taking off from work due to sickness. We were able to simply rest and take care of ourselves.

Although my husband did not have Covid, he too was overdue for some much-needed rest. So, our God planned Staycation was exactly what we needed, and He knew long before we did that, we would need it.

We still hope at some point to follow through on our initial plans, but clearly it will be in God’s timing not ours.
What I have learned over the years when things haven’t gone as I planned or hoped, is that God is still in control.

Sometimes He is redirecting me. Sometimes He is simply saying rest, and sometimes He is protecting me. And through it all I have learned to be content with His will for my life, because I know that He will only allow and do what’s best for me.

My hope for you, is that you too will also learn to be content even during times of disappointment, knowing that He knows what’s best for you. His blessings far outweigh our disappointments, so hang in there and be ever hopeful something good is always headed your way when you are a child of God!

Faith February 17, 2024

Are You Spiritually Flabby?

²⁴Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Romans 12:2
²Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect
Psalm 1:1-2
¹Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
²But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
¹⁷Never stop praying.
Acts 17:11
¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

For the last four years I have been dealing with a severe illness. Because it has been so debilitating, I have not been able to be as physical as I normally would have been in the past. This has caused my muscles to weaken, and even become what some would call flabby. I am currently in physical therapy to strengthen the areas that have become severely weakened due to a lack of movement and exercise.

Believe it or not, we can also become spiritually flabby. When we miss several days of a good workout of prayer and Bible reading, our spiritual muscles weaken and we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy. We start to walk in fear and doubt, and even in some severe cases disbelief. We may even find ourselves committing sins and getting into situations that we wouldn’t ordinarily get into. And this is simply because we have not been working out spiritually.
Let’s look at what we need to do to get spiritually fit.

Set a time each day that you will meet with God. Respect this appointment as you would any other important appointment. Make it a priority.
Come to your appointment prepared. Bring your Bible and a notebook or journal, to write down the downloads that you will receive from God for your day.
Start with praising God. You may choose to sing or you may want to have some praise music going to prepare your heart to hear from God.
Quietly sit and pray and ask God to help you understand what you are about to read from His Word.
Make sure that you have selected a place and a time where you will not be interrupted. Be sure to silence your phone.
Initially just sit to silence yourself. Let all of the thoughts of what you need to do for the day drift away. If you find it difficult to silence the noise that is going on inside your head, write your thoughts in your notebook to get to a place of silence.
Enjoy reading God’s word and just spending time with Him. Repeat tomorrow and the next day and the next, until it becomes a habit.

I can honestly assure you, that you will never ever regret these spiritual workouts. It will be the best investment of your time ever. You will grow stronger in your faith and your love for God. You will find that with God’s help you can weather the toughest of storms.

From these workouts you will find yourself joyful and hopeful about your life now and in the future. I hope that this blesses you and encourages you to have a spiritual workout each and everyday. And oh, don’t forget it’s important to commit to staying physically fit as well.