I have not published a post in a week, not because I had nothing to share, but because there is so much I want to share. Sometimes it is like an information overload and I have to slow down and process it.

   What I feel the need to share with you today, is something about a little three-letter word. That little word is something big though…the word is SIN. Do you know what sin is? I don’t mean specific acts..but what sin really is. SIN is anything that separates us from God. Sin breaks the fellowship we have with Him. Just the word…SIN…can make us feel uncomfortable.

   Now the fact is, we all have sinned…and we all fall short. What about those of us who have acknowledged that we are sinners and have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives? Yes, we still  struggle with sin…we are still in need of Him every single minute of every day. 

    Romans 3:23 ~ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

    It is a fact that when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to us..to guide and direct our ways. The Holy Spirit is Jesus in us..the conviction we feel when we do something wrong. However, God has promised us a way out of temptation when we are His children. It is our choice. Fleshly desires or Following after God. If  Jesus is truly the Lord of your life, sin won’t have the same appeal to you as it did before.

     1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

    Romans 6:18 ~ You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

   Once you are God’s child (authentic believer), yes…you will sometimes still struggle with temptations to sin. As long as we live on this earth where Satan is free to roam..you better believe that he will try to entice you and trip you up. I am not saying that when and if you do wrong, that it means you aren’t saved. (If we were perfect then we would be like God..and we wouldn’t need a Savior. We are all sinners and we all need Him everyday.) The difference now is that sin should convict you and repulse you.  The desire to sin should be replaced with the desire to please God.

     Galatians 5:16 ~ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

     The tug in our soul when we feel we should say or do something to help another. The strength we feel when we have no strength. The comfort and peace that overcomes us in the midst of turmoil. Those are all things that the Holy Spirit ( Jesus in us), gives believers.

   I want to , I desire to please my Jesus. I desire to be in fellowship with Jesus..walking with Him..feeling His presence. God cannot be in the presence of sin..Satan can though. When I made the choice to follow Him, I chose LIGHT..not darkness.

    1 John 1:7 ~ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

   I chose eternal life in Heaven. Did it cost me? Of course it did..it costs daily..a daily dying to self..and sometimes even more. Anything worth having costs something.

    Proverbs 4:7 ~ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

    It cost God His only Son…It cost Jesus persecution, pain and death on the cross. We are worth something to our Savior. Is He worth everything to us?  Do we realize that even though it is a free gift, that it did cost? Do we realize that Jesus is so worth the cost of dying to self on a daily and even minute by minute basis?

   Blessings to you all. May you all know my Jesus personally. There is nothing better.

   UNTIL NEXT TIME !

   There have been many times in my life when I have prayed for wisdom and discernment. During times of uncertainty..times when I wasn’t sure what to believe. It is during those times when we tend to seek God more anyways. Do we listen though? Do we wait and really pay attention when He gives us signs or answers? Or,  do we seek Him and then charge on ahead of Him..not really waiting for that discernment that comes from being patient (still)..?

      It can be really easy to take things into our own hands instead of patiently waiting on God to guide our steps. How often does acting before thinking..or not thinking before speaking turn into something good? Not very often. It takes learning to wait on God and desiring to reflect Him in everything for things to change. It takes the desire to be perfectly in His will..desiring His will.

   Proverbs 28:26 ~ Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

  Pay attention to every little thing when you are wanting the discernment that comes from God. Pay attention to others who are on “solid food” and more mature in their walk with Christ. Pay attention to the Word of God..it’s not fiction.

   God wants good for us. He desires for us to want what He wants for us..(also known as ~ His Will). His will is for our good. Never to harm us.

   Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) ~ “For I know the plans I have for you.” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

~   How do we learn how to discern between true and false, right and wrong?

   Hebrews 5:14(NIV) ~ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

   You see, in Hebrews 5:12-14, the writer is talking about how, in order for us to grow from infant Christians to mature Christians, we have to learn discernment. 

   So….to learn how to discern good from bad(or evil), we have to train ourselves to do this. This takes training our minds, our bodies, our senses, and our consciences to discern true from false and good from bad.

   Just as if we were training for a race or whatever. It takes practice and consistency. It takes staying on the solid food. We can’t go back to baby food and expect to learn discernment.

  We can train ourselves by studying God’s Word and then applying it to our lives. Spending special quality time with God without rushing it. It shouldn’t be treated like a duty…it’s a privilege to spend time with Him.

   Proverbs 2:6 ~ For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

   Do you desire that Godly wisdom and Godly discernment? Time to get on and stay on the solid food then. I know that sounds blunt and point-blank, but that’s just the truth.

  Proverbs 1:5 ~ let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-

   There is no fooling God. He knows our true selves..He knows all. Yet, He still desires a relationship with us. How awesome is that?

    He truly waits patiently for us to turn to Him and say, “God I can’t do this anymore on my own..Father God I need YOU.” Then, He takes us by the hand and He walks with us..sometimes even carrying us. He never leaves us. That’s what happens when we accept Him as Lord and Savior. Then we begin the process of growing in our spiritual maturity. We can’t stay on the milk forever.

   Until Next Time,

  Do you ever feel like everywhere you turn you are hearing the same message? Maybe through a devotion, a song, a friend, a book, or a message at church. Have you ever stopped to think that it could be God speaking to you? More than likely it is.

   Being still with God is a whole lot harder than I thought. I pray and talk to God all the time. I talk. I even listen sometimes. Apparently I have some work to do in the being still part. I wonder what He is thinking as I just talk and won’t hush my mouth and be still. I suppose that is why He has to use other ways to make us “get it”..like books, devotions, blogs, songs and other people. Little things that we can so easily miss or mistake for just coincidence.

   If only we would just be still and let Him be who He is anyways!

   I’m going to be transparent with you. I have a bad habit of interrupting my sweet husband when he is trying to tell a story. This is partly because he is so slow in his storytelling and I tend to want him to hurry up and get to the point. Bless his heart. He probably gets so frustrated with my impatience. Convicted. Ouch. Apparently I do the same thing with my sweet Savior too.  As I sat and tried to just “Be still”, I caught myself trying to start a conversation with God in my head. (like He needed me to initiate the conversation??) I couldn’t even hush in my head! That is when I felt like God was saying..”Heather, be quiet….and just be still..give me a chance to speak.”

   Now, I am by no means saying that I heard an audible voice. I am not saying that I hear voices either! I am saying that when I finally quieted my spirit and my soul..that I could feel His presence more. I even had a random thought that could only be from Him come to my mind. I even thought..”okay..well why did that thought just pop into my head?”

   It’s harder than you think to just be still with Jesus. Especially since we are normally in a state of motion..making plans, running errands, taking care of things. Guess what though?? It is possible! I am a person that has a hard time just sitting ..unless I am doing something else while I am sitting. I am a multi-tasker. If I can do it…you can too! I promise you will be blessed.

   Pay attention to those thoughts that come to mind when you actually give that time to God, and are still and quiet with no distractions. Start with 5 or 10 minutes..and see where it leads. Don’t give up after the first few minutes of noise that is hard to quiet in your head. You can do it!  Time with Jesus is never wasted time.  He will bless you. He will speak to you. You just have to learn how to be still and pay attention to the little things. (by the way, that is what I felt Him say to me in my quiet time today..and I didn’t really know why until now…but the random thought was “pay attention to the little things, that it’s all important“)

   If a recurring theme or message keeps smacking you in the face, pay attention because more than likely there is a reason. It’s up to us to slow down and be still and let Him be God. He IS GOD anyways…He is God of ALL.

   Here are some verses from His word, that relate to the topic of BEING STILL and LISTENING :

   Psalm 37:7a (ESV) ~ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him

   Psalm 46:10a ~ “Be still, and know that I am God.”

   John 10:27 (NIV) ~ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  ( See, Jesus is referred to as our Shepherd and we are referred to as sheep)

   Revelation 3:20 (NIV)~ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  (Jesus desires a relationship with us. He is patient and He is persistent. He tries to talk with us..we have to open up the door though.)

    I leave you with a challenge. Try just being still with Jesus. Don’t give up..because it’s going to be harder than you think..keep trying. I would love to hear back from you of how you have been blessed by this time with Jesus. Leave me a comment if you would like. If you are not signed up (subscribing) to my blog..please do! I promise that you only receive an email when I publish a new post. You can LIKE my Simple Truths Facebook page as well. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Blessings to you all!

   Until Next Time!

   You know how the bathroom mirror gets all foggy and you can’t even see into it when you take a shower? Or how your windows in your car or home get steamy when it is cold outside and warm inside? That’s what it looks like inside of us when we tend to forget that God is in control. Life, stress, financial problems, medical problems. relationship problems all fog or steam up our minds. We get so stressed out, and can’t even see God because we need to wipe a little or quite large spot away. All we see is the fog or the mess, instead of focusing on Him.

  What is fogging up your peace? What is clouding  and steaming up your mind?

   It’s during those times of trouble that we have to begin by wiping away the “steam” a little at the time. Then, we begin to see God more clearly.

   How do we do this? By being intentional about carving out at the very least..10 minutes of our day. Ten minutes…what’s 10 minutes?? Take those minutes and just stop, slow down, and just BE with Jesus.

   It can be difficult at first to quiet your mind. I know. I struggle sometimes too.

   It is so vital…so important to seek HIM. Seek His Word. Study it, don’t just skim over it and expect to get it. Give Him some of the time back that He has given to you. I am right there with you…I have to choose to spend time with Him too!

   Psalm 105:4 (ESV) ~ Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

   Truth is, when we spend time with our Creator..God…He blesses us. The Word of God is powerful..and The Word of God is Truth!

   Hebrews 4:12 ~ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

   You’ll find wisdom, clarity, and peace when you seek Him. You have to make that choice though. He’s waiting to clear up the foggy mess that we often try to handle ourselves. We don’t have to handle the messes in our lives alone or in our own strength. If you are God’s child, He gives you the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you. He is your strength when you put your trust in Him.

   Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

   Will you trust Him? Will you spend some special time with Him? Will you be still and quiet and just listen? He speaks to us through His Word, through other believers, through messages we hear from authentic believers… He speaks to us and we can hear Him ..if we stop trying to be in control and just LET HIM.

   I can’t stress enough, the importance of seeking Him first. I can’t stress enough, the importance of being careful of who you seek advice from. If it doesn’t line up with Scripture….if it leads you against God’s teaching and God’s character (Galatians 5:22,23)..it is leading you wrong.

   Matthew 6:33 ~ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

   Until Next Time!

   When I was a little girl, I loved to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The only problem was, when I opened the cheese and removed it from the plastic it would sometimes break. Well, for some reason, I would throw the cheese away if it broke. I suppose I thought that it wasn’t any good if it was broken.

   My parents were youth directors at one time and we regularly had teens at the house. One was in the kitchen when I was throwing away my “no good” cheese,  and couldn’t believe what I was doing. My mom had to explain to me that the cheese was okay. Being broken, didn’t make it “no good”. Being broken, didn’t make it unusable.

   This leads me to share with you: Just because we may be broken or defective, doesn’t mean that we are unable to be used by God.

   In fact, God used some of the MOST broken and defective people to do His work and to help others. God doesn’t see us as throw-aways or no good. He sees individuals that He created and can use to bring Him glory if we are obedient to Him.

   It is in the broken places that He can fill in the cracks with more of Him and less of us, making us stronger because of Him. Because of His strength.

   God took the time to make each and every one of us..the easy to love people and the not so easy to love people. He is not going to give up on something that He created. It’s us who give up on ourselves and others, not God.

   Psalm 147:3 (NIV) ~ He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

   The broken places in us…they are part of what makes us unique and useable. The broken places can be used to help others who may be broken also.

     We can choose to allow God to mend us back together. As a little girl, I didn’t “get” the fact that when I put the broken piece of cheese on the bread and grilled it, that it melted back together. God does that for us..if we let Him. He fills in the empty places and makes us whole again.

   Proverbs 8:17 ~ I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

   Psalm 32:7 ~ You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

   Just look at how Moses, David, Saul, Matthew, Peter and Jephthah were used by God.

   Moses – insecure, talked with a stutter, shepherd, murderer –> He led Israel out of bondage and into the Promised Land. (Exodus 3)

   David – shepherd boy, last-born, adulterer, friend-betrayer, disobedient –> God called him a “man after His own heart”..because he was repentant and had a heart change..and was obedient. He is also known for slaying Goliath and as Israel’s greatest King. (1 Samuel 16)

   Saul – impulsive, jealous, plotted to kill David because of his jealousy, father to Jonathan (David’s friend) –> He was 1st God-appointed King of Israel

   Jephthah – son of a prostitute –> God chose him to deliver Israel from the Ammonites. (Judges 11)

   Matthew – tax collector –> chosen by God to be an apostle and a Gospel writer. (Matthew 9:9)

   Peter – fisherman –> chosen by God to be an apostle and a leader in the early church. He wrote 2 of the New Testament letters.

   What about Hannah? (1 Samuel 1) She was a homemaker whom God chose to be the mother of Samuel.

   These were all imperfect, regular people. People that by the world’s standards were useless or nobody special. Yet, because of who God is, and because of their obedience and faith…God did use them for good!

   Don’t doubt God…with Him ALL things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

   Only God can heal you in the broken places. He can use you to bring others to Him. He can use you…just like he did Moses, David, Hannah and all the others.

   Until Next Time,

spending time together

I sit here, just completely overwhelmed by God’s love for me. I want to share with you how He has blessed me this week. It’s all due to the fact of spending more time with my Jesus. Being Intentional about that time. In addition to my regular time of studying His word, I recently began going on a “prayer walk”.

Originally, I was going to just go walking so that I could get in better physical shape. Then, after hearing a couple of different women talk about going on a “prayer walk”, I decided to do the same. I set out a few days ago on a nice walk in my neighborhood. As I walked I began just talking to my Savior. I talk with Him all day anyways, but something about just setting aside this time for just me and Him, made it more special. It feels kind of like a “date” with my Jesus.

During this time of walking, I thank Him and I also make my requests known to Him. It seems lately that I am spending more time just thanking Him though. For the big things and the little things, for the things that I seem to take for granted a lot.

It’s hard to put into words the feeling of peace and encouragement that this time (special time) with Him leaves me with. I am actually getting in better “spiritual shape” because of this time with Jesus.

Normally, I would walk and think about things and possibly try to work out things in my head. This “prayer walk” thing is awesome! I highly recommend it in addition to your regular quiet time. It is food for the soul! I feel so much closer this week to Him because of the extra time I am getting to spend with Him.

Think about this: Can you honestly say that you have ever come away from time spent with Jesus discouraged? It isn’t possible. So, I leave you with this challenge. Go on a prayer walk with Jesus. Thank Him as you walk..and also pour your heart out to Him. I promise you that you will not come back unchanged. Jesus took time to pray too.

Luke 11:1 (ESV) ~ Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Luke 5:16 ~ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Matthew 14:23 ~ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

There is a quote that says :

“It is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed. ~Joanna Weaver

James 4:8a ~ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Prayer Walking With Jesus!

Until Next Time,

   2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV) ~ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

   As I was driving home this morning, I was talking to God and thinking. I was thinking on the topics of fear and anxiety and trust. On a daily basis I remind myself and my children that we are to SHINE for Jesus at all times.

   Now, just because I hammer this in to us doesn’t mean it always comes easy. There are times when it is so much harder to SHINE than others. That is just the way it is. There are times when I know I am so clouded up and I have to refocus. There are times when I definitely do not shine.

   Here’s a question that came to me today as I was seeking God : How are we supposed to SHINE for God if we are clouding ourselves up with worry?

   Think about it. Worry, Anxiety, Fear, Lack of Trust in God…what do these things accomplish? Nada. Nothing. Not one thing! Well, maybe an ulcer or a nervous stomach or headaches. Nothing good though.

   How do we combat these negative things? How do we keep these thoughts that cause fear and anxiety out of our minds?

   God’s Word, that’s how.

   Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) ~ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

   My Life Application Study Bible explains the above scripture in this way :

   “The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, a vehicle for communicating ideas; it is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife, God’s Word reveals who we are and who we are not. ………. The demands of God’s Word require decisions. We must not only listen to the Word; we must also let it shape our lives.”

   There you have it. Plain and simple. I want to share a few more verses with you all. I truly believe in speaking God’s Word over my life. When one of my children is hurting or afraid or anxious, the first thing I do is comfort them with God’s Word. Teaching them verses that proves that God is enough. I know for a fact that when my kids or husband or myself are struggling, that quoting scripture (while believing it) truly does bring comfort.

   Think about how you can tell yourself that it is going to be a GREAT DAY! How does your attitude and outlook change? When you speak negativity over your life, instead of truths from the Bible, you are inevitably going to have a BAD DAY, because your attitude can make a huge difference.

   Here are the verses I have shared recently with family and friends..and verses that I have spoken over my life recently. I believe that with God ALL things are possible and that what we think on and focus on really makes a huge difference in our life. We can’t shine for Jesus if we are clouded up with junk and gunk.

   Verses About Fear and Anxiety Due to Life’s Circumstances and       Trusting God  :

   1 John 1:4 (ESV) ~ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

   Deuteronomy 3:22 (ESV) ~ You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.

   Matthew 6:34 ~ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

   Luke 12:25 ~ “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

   Philippians 4:6 ~ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

   Psalm 127:2 ~ It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

   Isaiah 35:4 ~ Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not!”

   1 Peter 5:7 ~ casting all your cares on him, because he cares for you.

   Psalm 56:11 ~ in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

   Jeremiah 17:7 ~ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

   Proverbs 3:5 ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

   Proverbs 3:6 ~ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

   I know that is ALOT of scripture! Soak on it..Read it…Speak it…and Apply it! What have you got to lose? Fear, Anxiety, Worry ??? I’d say that those are things that need to go. Let’s get rid of some of the junk that is clouding our minds and replace it with God’s Word so we can SHINE for Jesus.

   Praying you all find comfort in His Word.

   Until Next Time,