Greetings!

I cannot believe this Thursday is Thanksgiving. In some ways, it seems like this year has gone by so quickly, and in other ways, it seems like the end of this year cannot come quickly enough. I just want to take a few minutes to give a little testimony.

This has been a year of trials, and testing, like I have never known before. I have to be honest, there were a few times I didn't think I was going to make it. My body and my mind were so tired of struggling and fighting that I wanted to give up. I have been through a lot, but I have never had a season like this. I have always been able to praise my way through any situation. God has always given me a song to get me through...but this time I couldn't seem to hear my song. It was as if I had crossed over to this dark place and I couldn't see my way out. But praise be to God! He saw that I was sinking fast, and He reached down and held on to me until I could get my footing. The word says He will never leave us nor forsake us...He will always stand by His word. He is so awesome, and He loves us so much. 

So, in this season of ups and downs, ins and outs...I wanted to take time to publicly thank Him for being so good, and so kind, and so loving. I thank God for being my help in time of trouble. I thank Him for giving me a test so that I could have a testimony. I thank Him for sending people who spoke life into my life. Some days, I would be so low that I couldn’t even pray, and He would have someone send me a text or an email that would give me enough strength to make it one more day, and I thank Him.

I thank Him for giving me my song back. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth... (Psalm 34:1).

Until next time...

Be blessed 

Greetings!

A new life!

That is what God has promised. It does not matter what you have done or where you have been, God’s promise is that if you give your life to Christ, He will make your life brand new. For just a moment, I lost sight of that promise. Now, don’t get it twisted. I am not talking about my salvation. I know that is sure. What I’m talking about is, every now and then when life gets a little rough…my focus tends to stay on my problem—and not my God.

I believe we are in a season of strengthening faith. I love God, and I know He loves me. I do not doubt for a minute that He will deliver me out of all my troubles. The thing is...we have to go through to get to the other side, and it’s that going through that can sometimes take us to a place.  The awesome thing about God is that He knows the plan. Even when we can’t understand it we can trust that first, there is a purpose for everything, and second…God is in control.

First Peter 1:7 says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Wow! That is so awesome. This scripture is saying that our faith is stronger than gold. Refining by fire is the process used to produce gold. Before the refiner applies pressure, gold is simply a lump of ore. The refiner stirs and skims the gold to remove any impurities, and when it is just right, he lets it cool before sending it out into the world. That is what God does for us. He is the refiner. Our trials are what He uses to purify and strengthen us.

We will go through times of testing, but just know that God has promised to be there…right in the midst of whatever we are going through—good or bad. He never takes His eyes off of us, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Greetings!

Our God is a mighty God. That is all I want to talk about today.

Our God never leaves anything undone. He is in the smallest detail. There is nothing that He will not do for us. He loves us in a way that is hard to put into words, and when you feel like you cannot go any further, He sends someone or something to let you know you can.

I volunteer to pray, and encourage the patients at one of the local rehab hospitals in my area. It never fails that when you do that, someone will always bless you. This time, was no exception. When I arrived, the two young women I had come to see were busy. One young woman was not in her room, and the other was having her bed changed. When I finally went in, the first woman said that she was so upset that God had not heard her prayers. She had been praying, but things were not getting any better, and that they actually appeared to be getting worse. God allowed me to say some things to her that prayerfully encouraged her. He seems to do that. When you are at your lowest…He gives you a reason to take your mind off yourself, and be a blessing to someone else.  I left her a Bible and went in to see the next woman. This woman was in a wheelchair because of a stroke. When I asked her how she was doing, she said, “Blessed and highly favored.” That just made my day. If she could feel like that in the midst of her current situation, so could I.

Know that whatever situation you are facing today…whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, our God is able. He knows everything that is going on, and either He is allowing it to purify your faith, or He needs you to be an example for someone else. Either way, there is a purpose for everything.

We can trust that at the right time He will make it all better.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Greetings!

We are officially moving into the winter months…at least that’s what it feels like. In many parts of the country, they are already seeing snow. The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder. It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas…

I love, love, love, the Christmas season. I even love the tired and frustrated cashiers…because, I know that at the end of the day…they are trying to get it done just like everybody else. As followers of Christ, we have to be able to re-present Him wherever we go…even when we are standing in long lines!

In my last post, I spoke about what it felt like for me to feel like I was letting God down. That has been on my mind a lot lately. My prayer is that I remain available to God. That He can call on me at any time, and that I will respond. I am not so sure, that is always the case, but I am trying.

I had a conversation with one of my sisters recently about being, “out of the box.” Meaning…God has been calling us to do things that are so far out of our comfort zone that we no longer have a comfort zone. That is both comforting and disturbing at the same time. Comforting, because I know God is always with me, guiding me and protecting me. Showing me things about myself that still amaze me, and disturbing because I no longer know what being comfortable feels like.

In Acts 20:24 the Apostle Paul said, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” That is my goal...to glorify my Father, and to run my race--no matter what.

Until next time...

Be blessed