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   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.

I’m a work in progress. Mostly, in progress. 🙂

Philippians 1:6  (NIV) ~ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

For the past several months I have been learning to say “NO” without feeling guilty.

That can be hard for a person who doesn’t want to hurt others feelings. Very hard.

It can be very difficult to change patterns of behavior that you have had for most of your life. That “people pleasing” gene.

I’ve learned that I have to say “NO”  to things that are good…in order to say “YES” to the things that should be my priorities. To obey GOD…and aim to please HIM first.

Like I said before, I’m a work IN PROGRESS. I still fail miserably at times.

At first, changes can cause feathers to ruffle…

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalms 34:18 NLT)

There are things in this world that happen, that I’ll never understand. I won’t claim to understand.

This I know, My Savior.. My Redeemer, is GOOD.

The truth is that this world that we live in is broken and sinful. So much so, that God sent His one and Only Son, Jesus… Immanuel.. To save us.

John 3:16,17 ~ “For 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus means, The Lord Saves.

Immanuel means, God With Us.

When trials come.. And they will…

When circumstances are sometimes awful.. And that’s a guarantee…

Hebrews 12:28,29 (NIV) ~ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Thankful. Worship. Consuming Fire.

Have you ever looked at “Thanking God” as an act of worship?

That’s what it is…

We are to be so consumed with God that HE is in the center and controlling everything!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) ~ Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our feelings and circumstances should never cause us to hold back from worshipping our God with thanksgiving. Feelings are feelings.. They don’t control us. We have the choice to have self-control and not let outside influences dictate our reactions or responses to them.

There will be days that we don’t “feel” like looking…

Welcome back!! The Lord laid something on my heart to blog about yesterday. Yesterday was a busy last day of school for us and then I had a momma/daughter afternoon with my girls. 🙂 Last night I had a chance to write a little..and this morning I was able to finish it. I really hope you are blessed, challenged and encouraged by these posts that Jesus lays upon my heart to write.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) ~ And my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.

The only thing that can truly fill you completely..fill an empty hole or void inside, is Christ and Christ alone. Do you look for someone else to fill a void when you should be looking for Christ Jesus to fill that spot? Most everybody has at one point or another in their life… People will never meet all of…

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…