The Spirit of Stress

Greetings!

Friday, I went to my first Joyce Meyers meeting. It was awesome. I actually took my husband with me, and he had an awesome time too. She was teaching on stress. I looked at my husband and told him that she must have known I was coming.

For the last couple of years, I have been struggling with overcoming, defeating, casting down, and everything else I could think of to get that spirit of stress off me. And, don’t be fooled…it is definitely a spirit. That thing did not want to let me go, but I was determined that stress was not going to take me out.

When I heard Joyce Meyer speak on stress, something clicked into place. The one thing she said that really stuck with me was that much of the stress we feel is from “choice overload.” We have an abundance of decisions we have to make…sometimes daily. The thing that we need to remember is that we can only do our best when we are focusing on one thing at a time. There will always be stressors in our lives, but we have to know how to handle them. The first thing we need to do is “cast our care.” Let God help us bear the load. He is standing by waiting for us to realize that we can’t do it alone. Ask for His help, and then let Him.

It was nice just to sit and be ministered to without feeling like there was something I should be doing. His favor on our lives is sometimes hard to understand. We don’t deserve anything, but He loves us so much that He looks for ways to bless us. When we acknowledge Him first, He will show up…and show out. Know that it is not about us, but all about Him.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Anchors

Greetings!

For the month of August, my pastor has been doing a series entitled, "Are you anchored in the storms." Fighting through our storms is not a new topic. I’m sure it has been preached many times. But, for some reason it has touched my spirit at just the right time.

God has a way of doing that. Just when you think you can't go any further, He sends you a message to let you know that He is aware of what you are going through. Those "storms"are just perfecting your faith in the God who is more than enough. He can take that little “seed” of faith, and bless you like you never even thought possible. Our God is never far away.

Our anchor scripture came from the Book of Acts, Chapter 27. The chapter says that the men had to throw over four anchors (v 29) to keep the boat from running aground. The storm was so strong that they couldn’t see, so they dropped anchor and prayed for daylight. Our series was based on these four anchors: prayer, fellowship, faith and hope. Each one builds on the other, and if you hold onto these anchors...your "storm" will lose its power. Don’t pull away from your source of power. Our power is in unity. 

The Bible says that one can chase a thousand, but two can chase ten thousand. That’s supernatural multiplication. Even though God is always present, we need each other. The enemy will trick us into believing that people are tired of hearing about our problems. That is a trick. And, because we are hurting we feel like we're being a burden, so we suffer in silence...praying for daylight. Drop anchor. God will line up people just for you. He loves you and wants you healed and whole.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Born Again

Greetings!

I saw a message posted recently that asked a simple question. It said that if you loved the Lord, then respond by praising Him in two words. I looked at some of the responses, and most people could not do it. Some even had whole paragraphs. I thought that was funny, because either they did not care what the person had asked them to do, or they really could not praise God in just two words.

The first thing that came to my mind was my gratefulness to God for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is my praise. But, that wasn't my response. When I went to post my response what I actually typed was...Born Again, because I am so grateful to God for a second chance.

God, through Jesus Christ, has given us the perfect gift, and with this gift we have been born again. God gives us brand new grace and mercy every single day. The Bible says that old things have passed away. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV). Every day we get a brand new opportunity to get it right, but there is only one way to receive that free gift. We have to first believe, then we have to ask...

If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior…pray this prayer of faith…

“I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was raised from the dead, and now sits on the right hand of God. Lord, I repent, and ask that you forgive me for my sins. I submit my life to You, and ask that you save me, and make me whole. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”  

It is that simple. You are now born again…welcome to the family!      

Until next time…

Be blessed

Greetings!

There comes a time in everyone’s life when we have to choose which road to take. We can take the easy road, which in my opinion is the best road, or we can take the road less traveled. I like tried and true. Why should I have to reinvent the wheel? If someone has already gone ahead and provided the roadmap, who am I to go against the grain. Maybe it’s not the right time though. What if I made a mistake? I know that if it were for me, then God would have made it happen, right?

Those of us who love our comfort zones commonly use the statements listed above. I have used them…many times. I can say I trust God to make a way…as long as it is comfortable or familiar. I think God is calling us to go to a whole new level in Him…to step out and do something we have always wanted to do, but could never find the guts. Maybe not. That decision is between you and God.

For me, I know it is time. I feel it in that deep part of me that never lies…the part of me that says that I can trust God to be there. We have all made mistakes and most likely will again. We just need to remember that God uses everything…especially our mistakes to either teach us or reach us.  If we make a mistake, it is not the end of the world. We can make one little mistake and still think about it for months—sometimes even years. Instead, we have to learn to let our mistakes activate our faith, and then have confidence that if we take that step, God will be there with us…every step of the way.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Pursuing God

Greetings!

I remember watching the television show, The Wire. One of the things I noticed was how talented and intelligent some of the drug dealers actually were. I know it sounds crazy, but I admired their “stick-to-itiveness.” They never gave up…they believed in what they were doing…as wrong as it was…they were loyal to it. And here’s the thing…they used the same structure and strategies as some of the most successful corporations and business-people...they just chose the wrong path.

Some of us are the same way. We will work overtime, double-time, and all the time, because there is something we want, and we need extra money for it. Maybe it’s a new outfit or a vacation or a new car…something that motivates us to go above and beyond. My question today is…what if we pursued God the same way? What if we gave God the same amount of time we give to focusing on ourselves? I know that I am always trying to figure out how to take a “mental health” day. Why can’t we make God our passion, and have a “God health” day. A day dedicated to loving on God.

Our relationship with God is so important to our overall health. I love that He allows us the ability to choose. It took me a long time, but I finally get it. Choosing is done on purpose. You have to actively think about it, and then take action on it. When we choose to pursue God, we are actively saying, “God, I want you.” Just like it makes us feel good when someone chooses us, it makes God feel good too. He wants us to want Him…not because we have to, but because we want to.

Pursue God. Make Him your passion…it will change your life.

Until next time…

Be blessed