Even when…things are falling apart, God is still God. HE remains sovereign. HE is always good, and only capable of LOVE.

Even when…things fall and break into tiny pieces…like one of my favorite coffee mugs did this morning..it’s not the end of the world.

God knows all. HE is in control of ALL. HE is over ALL.

When friendships or any relationships shatter, He is still God.

When tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis occur, He is still God.

When we find ourselves hanging on by a thread financially or emotionally… HE. IS. STILL. GOD.

This earth will pass away. But, with GOD there is the promise of a better place…and it is FOREVER.

The things of this earth are temporary. The problems AND the good things….they are all only for a moment. AND…we cannot get stuck and bogged down with the trivial things. We MUST think on things above (heaven). We MUST be thankful..and we have got to be in The WORD. That is the recipe for true peace. It is really quite simple. It is FAITH. It is TRUSTING GOD and the promises that are found in HIS Word.

 Psalm 119:143,144 ~ As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so that I may live.

Even when you feel like everything is falling apart. And you WILL feel this way at some point or another in your lifetime. If you are really honest…you will feel this way more than once or twice. Even then….you can REALLY LIVE. You can have peace. You can experience joy…even when things break, shatter, and fall apart all around. True peace only comes from Jesus.

 Philippians 4:6,7 ~ Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand, His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Just remember that you aren’t alone..and there is comfort found in The Bible..His Word is alive…

 Even when you don’t feel like it…set your sights on the realities of heaven..

Colossians 3:1-3 ~ Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

That is truth. Rest in that….

Until Next Time,

No spirit of fear here!

Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do everything through HIM who gives me strength.

Isaiah 40:31 ~ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 34:4 ~ I sought The Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

I have something really amazing to share with you today!

I have just returned from an awesome weekend retreat with 60 something women. We feasted on HIS Word and lives were changed! I am so blessed by new friendships made and old friendships being strengthened. GOD is GOOD!

The story that I am sharing today, is not my own. I asked this sweet woman if she would allow me to share it. Why? Because….I want you all to see that there is POWER in prayer and that FEAR has no hold on you when you fully trust God. THIS IS HER TESTIMONY..all glory to GOD. ALL GLORY TO GOD!!

Thank you, Tawanna, for allowing me to share your story…I love you and I am so very proud of you!

In her words:

The Bridge

Every year, our church holds a women’s retreat at Epwroth by the Sea on St. Simon’s island. The retreat has been a blessing to me and my family because every year, I leave something on the island, and bring home something new that I have learned about the goodness and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to this yearly ritual that we have come to have where we spend the weekend in fellowship and worship. We sang, we prayed, we danced, we laughed, we cried. Trying to put the weekend into words is a bit challenging but if I had to chose one word, I would chose the word blessed because that is how I feel every time I am on that island.

The one struggle that I have is crossing that bridge that connects the island to the actual town. The first year that we went, I was riding with 2 of my dearest friends. As we started to near the bridge I looked to my left and at first I didn’t know that it was an actual bridge. From a distance, it looked like a big building, I thought to myself and said out loud, “Hey guys, check out that bridge. The blue is so beautiful it almost looks like the color of the sky. As we got closer to the turn my friend in the back said, “That’s not a building it’s a bridge.” As I burst into laughter, I told my friends that I was so glad that we wouldn’t be going over that contraption. I then started to laugh and make comments about the courageous people that went over it daily and I started to thank God that we were not amongst them. The more I talked the more my friends became quiet. They had no idea that I had a fear of bridges, being over water, and certain high places. As I am talking and laughing and talking and laughing, I realized that the turn that I was making towards the left, led me right towards that bridge. Well I started to yell and scream and panic. I started to drive in the middle two lanes, so the people behind me and the people that were trying to come down on the opposite lane, had to merge into one lane. As they honked their horns and yelled at me, and some made obscene gestures and said obscene things, I panicked even more started yelling back and telling everyone that I am on a retreat and that they cannot yell at me. You see I was like Peter in Matthew 14:29. We were all doing fine as we were driving and God was leading us, but I took my eyes off Jesus and started to let fear abide in me. This caused me to panic and to start driving in the middle of the bridge.

On the very last day of the retreat, our beautiful pastor’s wife Lanelle Rogers, asked that the ladies of the retreat pray for and with me, that I may conquer my fear and successfully cross that bridge. I crossed it, but I wasn’t trusting God. I allowed my friend to drive while I sat in the backseat sobbing with a huge sweater wrapped around my head. I placed the garment over my head as soon as we left Epworth by the Sea and did not take it off until I was told that we were well across the bridge. I didn’t want to see what was going. That weekend I had learned so much and was filled with so much love for Christ but I still was not trusting in him.

This year I was blessed to go back. I was so excited that I was able to attend. I asked my girlfriend and fellow sister in Christ Kim Wade to drive as I started to speak fear into my life. I told her that I just knew that I wouldn’t not make it on my own and made her drive. We had agreed that I would sleep the entire way there, and I had gotten up at 2am that morning so that I would be tired and would want to sleep. Kim and I have not seen each other in months so we did what ladies do best. We talked, and talked, and talked. Before we knew it, my phone rang and it was the member of the church that we were following, Lisa Colburn. She called and said that we were approaching the bridge and that she wanted to warn me because she knows of my fears.

We were approximately 5 minutes away and I allowed fear to take over my body. As we crossed the bridge I pulled my shirt over my head and started to scream and holler. The more I hollered the more I panicked. I started to hyperventilate and then before I knew it I was unable to breathe. In the midst of me trying to catch my breath, I became nausea. I closed my eyes, open the car door (not knowing that we were going 55 mph) and started to vomit until my stomach was empty.

I then spent the first night of the retreat staying up until 2am trying to find alternate routes off of the island so that I could avoid the bridge on the way home. While staying up I missed the fellowship that was going on downstairs right beneath me and later discovered that there was only one way off of the island, and it was over that bridge.

This weekend we learned how to abide in God and to allow Him to abide in us. I really paid close attention to the messages that were brought, the testimonies that were shared and on the last morning, once again, my sisters in Christ wrapped their hands around me, surrounded me and prayed on me and for me. Prior to leaving God sent an angel in the form of Heather Dawkins. As she hugged me she prayed for me and that I would not only make it over the bridge, but that I would open my eyes and look at the beauty that God has created all around me. As she prayed, I thought to myself, “how could I be afraid of God’s beauty?” It was then that I started to think about the bridge and what it represented. That bridge and my fear of it, represented the chains that had me in bondage. I then wrote down things that had me in bondage on several slips of paper and folded them into little pieces. As my friend and I crossed the bridge, I cracked the window. Although nervous in the beginning, I started to quote the scripture 2 Timothy 1:7, for God did not give us the spirit of fear. And I just kept reciting that scripture as I threw the slips of paper out of the window. When I looked at both sides of the bridge, I became humbled by the beauty that surrounded me, and how awesome God’s works are. That bridge no longer represents my fears, but the relationship that I have with Christ as his daughter. I am set free, no longer bound, no more chains holding me.

2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

WOW!!! Isn’t GOD good!!!!???!!!! So many people were praying for Tawanna…and they never ceased to pray and care… The BODY of Christ lifted her up…and allowed God to use them in her life. Please feel free to comment on this post and tell Tawanna what you thought of her awesome testimony…and share it with others..so that GOD can receive the glory that HE so deserves.

Until Next Time,

I love music.  Always have. From my days as a little kid playing the piano..to my days of my youth when I sang and played the flute. I just love music. It is an escape of sorts. A refuge. A healing balm even.  I am so thankful that God chooses to speak to us through music at times, too.

There is a song that I started my day off with and it has stuck with me all day long. Funny how it is just the song I needed. God knew. I will attach the song at the end of this blog post so that you can listen to it.

During my quiet time with God today, I was drawn to Matthew. God doesn’t make mistakes. The passage of Scripture goes right along with the song that has been with me all day.

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV) ~ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Read that again. I did. Several times.

What is Jesus saying?

He’s saying that HE’S GOT THIS. HE’S GOT ME COVERED.

He’s saying, Child….why in the world don’t you trust me?

He’s saying, Put GOD FIRST and SEEK God’s will..not our own..and then everything will fall into place. Maybe not into the place we expected or even thought we wanted. But it will fall into the place He meant for it to. When we seek HIM and put HIM in FIRST place, it is ALL going to work out the way it is supposed to. HIS way..not ours.

There is some really good advice in those ten verses. That is Jesus speaking.

He isn’t saying that your day is going to be trouble-free when you trust HIM. He IS saying that God knows what we need and HE will and does provide. Daily.

He is NOT saying that you shouldn’t plan for your future. Planning and Worrying are two entirely different things. A plan is good. BUT..Worry is bad. Reminds me of a little card that has been in my car every day for the past almost five years straight. My husband gave it to me. I keep it on my dash where I see it daily. It says : ( Worry:BAD Prayer:GOOD  Got it ? ) and has a verse on it..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. 

Pretty awesome card.

Straight…Simple..Truth.

Quit worrying. Trust God. Put HIM first. Have faith. Pray. Be thankful. AND again…stop all that worrying. Remember what HE said in Matthew 6:27…”And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

Basically, being anxious or worrying doesn’t do any good at all. It is a waste of time. That is the difference in planning for the future versus worrying about the future. One is preparing and the other is wasting.

We have all been guilty of worrying. Even if we don’t show it to the outside world. We all worry at times. Worry causes stress. Stress causes sickness. It just doesn’t do a bit of good.

We all hurt at times…Things fall apart sometimes. Who do you run to at those times? Where do you turn? I hope you’ll choose to turn to THE ONLY ONE who will never leave or forsake you.

Trusting God  just lifts that weight off of your chest. HE knows best. All He asks is that we put HIM first and trust HIM.

I hope you’ll take the time to listen to this song that I have had on my heart all day. It is beautiful..

Steady My Heart by Kari Jobe..1-01 Steady My Heart

Until Next Time,

P.S. Here are some quotes about worrying that I like.

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

So…lately, a certain word keeps popping up. Like all the time. In my quiet time. In my “digging deeper” study time in HIS Word. In life in general.

Have you ever had this happen? You probably have. Do you try to ignore it..just a little bit? I know that I do sometimes. Why? Because, that means I can put off making a change.

Well, I’m sure you are wondering what the “word” is.

Drum roll please: OBEDIENCE

This word is popping up everywhere. Making me question myself and search to see what I need to change so that I can be completely obedient to God.

Obedience doesn’t always come naturally. To be even more blatantly honest, it hardly ever comes natural. Who doesn’t want it “my way”.. ? Who wants to be obedient when it’s hard? Who wants to ruffle feathers (that’s a southern slang).. ?

I’ve been studying a lot in the Old Testament lately. It kills me when people say that the Old Testament is boring, etc.. Even though I once didn’t think it was really interesting. Then, I began really reading it. Really studying it. Really “getting” it. Folks, there ain’t (yes, I said “ain’t”) nothing boring about the OT!

In my studying, I’ve come across a ton of things that have to do with obedience and disobedience.
Point blank, OBEDIENCE to God leads to blessing and DISOBEDIENCE to God leads to desolation, despair, and turmoil. From Genesis to Jeremiah… (because that’s where I’m at with my “reading through the whole Bible” plan right now) there is true story after story of God’s grace and mercy and patience. AND story after story of the people just completely choosing sin and refusing to repent and turn to God.

I can’t help but think of the world we live in today in comparison to ancient times that were before Christ! I can’t help but think of myself..and the times that I have let HIM down. I can’t help but think of this one word: OBEDIENCE.

Verse after verse in HIS WORD is referring to being obedient to God. In everything. Not just the big things. Not just the things that seem do-able. But. In. Everything.

So, after putting off writing for a few weeks, I picked up my iPad and said “Here goes”. I know that this blog is not “mine”… It’s His. I must write.

So, after putting off the hard questions that I must ask myself… I began to look within. I asked myself.. What is it that I need to do or not do in order to be completely obedient to HIM? AND… Why is it so hard sometimes?

The answer to the second question is: It’s hard to be completely OBEDIENT if I am being selfish in ANY area of my life. Just being real with y’all. Obedience isn’t just about saying “Yes sir and Yes mam”.

Obedience is about being completely… COMPLETELY… willing. No matter the cost. No matter the sacrifice.

Don’t get me wrong, I have come a long way. I’ve got a long way to go still, though. How about you? If you have ever read one of my posts, you know that I will ask you questions and make you think. So, how about it? Maybe “obedience” isn’t your word. Maybe another word keeps popping up for you. But, let’s stick with my word. Is there any area in your life that could be better if you were more obedient to God?

God didn’t “play” when it came to disobedience back in the Old Testament times. God never changes. He is always the same. So what makes you (and me) think that He feels any different about obedience today?

In the book of Jeremiah, Jerusalem was destroyed because of sin. (see Jeremiah 39)

Take a look at 2 Chronicles 31:20,21… You’ll see why Hezekiah prospered.

Just look in the book of Isaiah…glance there and see… all of the times God warned the people.

Then.. Take a look at Deuteronomy. Especially chapter 28.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NIV)~ See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

What do you see in these books of the Bible? Do you see the truths that I see? Obedience is a must for those of us who profess to be authentic followers of Christ!

Striving to be obedient!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

HEATHER

I woke up really early this morning. If you know me very well, then you know that 4:45 a.m. is very very early for me. My dog woke me up first…she’s a 6 year old toy poodle that occasionally likes to wake me up so that she can go out and graze like a horse.

Usually I go take her out, but being that my husband was going to be getting up shortly to go play basketball, I asked him nicely to take her. I thought I was going to go back to sleep. God had other plans.

My heart began to just ache for those who are going through different trials in their lives. There are so many that I know personally, who are facing difficult times. I can’t just forget about it…my heart actually gets burdened for their sorrow. I think…NO..I KNOW that is how God wants us to be. He wants us to love on the hurting. He uses us to comfort those who are hurting or uneasy.

I know that when I have suffered. When I have been hurting. When I have cried out to God in my lowest times..those times when I felt like I couldn’t go on… God heard my cry. He heard me! AND…He used people to comfort me.

People. Like YOU and ME. Ordinary people to do HIS work.

Back to this morning….

Names were placed on my heart. I began to pray. As I prayed, I weeped. As I weeped, I was overcome with HIS GOODNESS. (those of you who know me..also know that I am not a big “weeper“) Not that there is anything wrong with crying.. It’s just that I am the girl who when my Daddy was walking me down the aisle..and He was crying..I got tears in my eyes too..but I wouldn’t let them fall. Guess I have a problem with trying to be strong. That is another topic, for another day though.

Words to a song also came to my mind. So, I did what most of us do…I Googled some of the words. The song, by Matt Redman…”O This God” is the song that I know God put in my head. See…HE knew that many of you needed it. Songs are a great way to Worship our Savior God. They have a way of just running through our head all day, don’t they?

Then, two passages of Scripture were put on my heart. Read them..Study them. Let them soak into your soul. Believe them. Rest in these words. May they bring comfort to you..whoever you are…

Matthew 28:20 (NLT) ~ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

   Psalm 34:19 (NLT) ~ The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

   I don’t know if you will think that I am sharing too much with you about my time with God this morning. I write. That is what I do. When my heart is heavy or when GOD gives me a “word” ….I write. I share. Because I feel that HE wants me to. So, when I share these personal times with you..It is ONLY to bring glory to my GOD.

Before I attempted going back to sleep, I told HIM that I wanted MORE of HIM and LESS of ME. That even though it hurts sometimes, that I WANT my heart to ALWAYS break for what breaks HIS heart.

   When trouble comes, I pray…I plead with you…Please.. TRUST HIM. Rest in God. HE really does hear your cry.

Here is the song. Listen and enjoy!

10 O This God

   Until Next Time,

There’s just something about sharing the deepest parts of yourself with others. The ugly parts that God has turned into something beautiful. It’s a vulnerable place to be in. An out of your comfort zone place. Yet, it’s a place that God is glorified in.

I am reminded in Acts 22…when Paul asks to speak to the crowd that was accusing him and beating him, of how he used those moments to be honest and vulnerable and give his testimony. He didn’t get up and say, “I am perfect and that’s why you shouldn’t throw me in jail.” NO…Paul told of who he was before he knew Christ as his personal Savior and then he told of his transformation after coming to know God. He was transparent. He was vulnerable. He was unashamed.

How willing are we…as followers of Jesus…to be transparent?

Why is it so hard to just “be real” ?

We are called to “BE REAL” friends. We are called to LOVE. We are called to forgive. AND….we are called to be transparent…honest…to bring God glory.

Matthew 6:15 (NIV) ~ But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Luke 17:4 (NIV) ~ If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, “I repent,’ forgive him.”

John 13:34 (NIV) ~ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

1 John 1:8 (NIV) ~ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Why is it so scary to be “transparent” ? Well, one reason, is the fear of being judged by others. Let’s be real…we all fear that at some point or another.

If our transparency brings healing and hope to just ONE person, then it is worth it. When we let God use the mess that we made of things and turn it into HIS message, then who cares what others may think! That, my friends, is being obedient and transparent.

I’ll be completely honest with you. I don’t always WANT to be transparent. It is a lot easier to put a “smile” on my face and pretend things away. That doesn’t bring God glory though. I have to be willing to be obedient in sharing my testimony…when HE wants me to. Same goes for each of you.

Truth is, everybody has garbage. Everybody has made mistakes. It is what we choose to do with the mess or garbage that makes the difference.

So, I leave you with these questions.

Is there something that God has asked you to share with someone…and you haven’t yet because of fear of being judged?

Do you believe that God can turn your MESS into HIS Message?

First, I would advise you to pray diligently over it. Pray for wisdom and discernment. Be sure that your testimony points to God. That it only brings glory to God. Then, write it out. It is always changing…as it should be. Finally, pray some more and if you feel that nudge from God..GO FOR IT! Let Him be glorified!

I will be sharing portions of my testimony as I feel led, in the days to come. Why? Because, I know God wants me to. Because, I have been feeling the nudge to be even “more real” than I already am with you all.

Share more with you soon! Very soon..

Here is a link to listen to Mandisa’s song..What If We Were Real?

ENJOY!

02_what_if_we_were_real___

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

Time goes by so fast. It seems like just yesterday that I was a little girl living at home with my Momma and Daddy. I think about how it seems like yesterday that I was a high school graduate.It seems like yesterday that I was getting engaged and married. It seems like just yesterday that I was holding my daughters in my arms…talking baby talk with them..and watching them learn to crawl and then walk. Seems like yesterday that my husband and I were on our trip in the New England States. Time sure does fly.

There are those days that you wish would fly.. the ones when your kids or students or whoever.. are trying your patience. The days when you can’t seem to do anything right. The days when your kids, etc.. are not listening and obeying. Oh yes…there are those days that we wish away.

Then there are the days that seem like a dream. The days when everything is going smooth. Everyone is getting along nicely, no fussing..no problems. The days when you are on vacation or simply doing what you enjoy.  There are the days when everything seems perfect and we want those days to last and last. We don’t dare wish those days away.

What if today was your last day? What if it wasn’t a perfect day though..but it might still be your last? Would you wish it away..or would you persevere and endure..choosing to find something good in it..what would you do?

I ask myself the same questions.. There are plenty of moments in my day when things (fussing children..bills to pay..unexpected inconveniences, etc..) can try to trip me up. Those are the times when I have to take a step back and breathe and choose to persevere and to count to 10 or 100 if necessary.

Life is not a “bed of roses” all of the time. Our friends..our family..our co-workers..our kids..etc.. are not perfect…none of us are perfect. That’s why we needed a Savior to die for our sins. God is perfect and Holy.

Time flies…and before we know it..it is gone. We can’t get back the moments that have passed. Anyone who has lost a loved one..family member or friend, knows the feeling of wishing for just one more moment here on this earth. Make each moment count..you just never know when it could be the last moment you have.

Here is the good news, you are guaranteed an eternity together… as long as you believe in Jesus and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. That is the only way…

So, I leave you  with two questions. Are you going to make your moments count? AND Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Ok, maybe I have one or two more to ask. Do you know that you know that you know that you are going to Heaven? What are you doing to bring God glory? Are your moments counting for Jesus?

Mark 13:32-33 ~ No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

1 Samuel 12:24 ~ But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things  he has done for you.

Romans 10:10 ~ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

You probably are wondering why in the world I chose the title above. Truth is, I didn’t. In fact, I woke up around 3 A.M. and God gave me this title. So, here we go.

Never say never. The “objects” that you are seeing occur in other people’s lives can very easily occur in yours as well. I had a vision of a mirror with many different words written on it. Picture it with me:

SIN. LOSS. BETRAYAL. HURT. FEAR.

SIN…ADDICTION…IDOLATRY…GREED..GOSSIP…HATRED…SLANDER

ADDICTION…LUST, EXCESSIVE SPENDING, OVEREATING, ALCOHOL ADDICTION, DRUG ADDICTION, PORNOGRAPHY, ADULTERY and the list goes on and on.

The objects in the mirror can be closer than they appear.

Closer than they appear to you. Closer than they appear to others.

They all are a part of the battle we are in..against Flesh. SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Satan wants us to fail. He wants us to be separated from God.

Ephesians 6:11 ~ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Never say never my friends. Always be on guard against the Devil and his schemes. Your mirror may appear to be clean..but is it really?

If there is SIN in your life that you think is “HIDDEN”, you are mistaken. Forgive me for speaking so boldly. It isn’t meant to sound judgemental in any way, shape, or form. I say these things because I truly care. I know what it is to be truly surrendered to God. AND… I know what it is to not be surrendered.

You can say, “Oh, I HAVE surrendered to GOD.” Your actions will prove it though. You know. God knows.

James 2:17 (NIV) ~ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

When you face a trial, do you have true and complete peace in knowing that God really is enough? Do you truly feel that you are filled with Joy that can’t be explained any other way? Are you able to smile when the “world” would tell you to hide and fall apart?

There is a difference. In the way you handle life’s awful storms. When you finally…truly…SURRENDER ALL.

There’s a peace…an Anchor, if you will. To be able to smile and have hope…when before you might have done the opposite. It’s the result of full Surrender.

“  Oh, nobody knows about my “little” sin. ” “It doesn’t hurt anybody but me.” “ I still love God.” “ I am saved, so I can do it and just ask Him to forgive me..I mean..it says He forgives when I ask.”  AND here’s a huge one.. ” I am just too weak.”

Those are all lies. Satan wants you and me to believe those things. The fact is, SIN is anything that separates us from God. Separated.

Separated…think about it. To be apart from…cut off…

I don’t ever want that. I need my Father God. Every minute of every single day.

It is a conscious CHOICE. There is that word again that I seem to use a lot in my posts.

The moment you decide to follow God, the Holy Spirit comes to guide you. Sin that you don’t get rid of is like a wall of heavy stones. The stones are stacked one on top of the other. With each stone the wall gets higher and higher. Each time you CHOOSE sin over righteousness, picture that wall being built that separates you from God. Leaving you miserable and ineffective for His calling on your life. Ineffective only until you SURRENDER to God fully. When you do, you’ll be able to resist the temptations and even laugh at them.. Not because YOU are resisting, but because YOU are allowing God to finally fight your battles!

Ephesians 5:11 (NIV) ~ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of the darkness, but rather expose them.

Honestly, I would like to write out the entire portion of Ephesians 5…but, instead…just read it if you will..

If you want to truly follow God, you have to make a choice to pick Him over that temptation. God knows we aren’t perfect…and He knows we can’t do life alone. We need HIM. He doesn’t NEED us.

It’s a DAILY CHOICE…minute by minute…second by second… A Daily Walk.

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

   I leave you with this last passage of Scripture. Read it …soak on it..and believe it. His Word is Truth..His Word is Alive.

1 Peter 5:7-11 ~ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

   Standing Firm!

   Until Next Time,

    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 !

   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,