Encourage the one out front...

Greetings!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...what a mighty God we serve.

My friend invited me to her pastor's anniversary celebration today, and we had such an awesome time in the Lord. The amazing thing about this church is its ability to bring out those God-given gifts in you. I have done things at this church that I have never done anywhere else, and I think it's because they don't expect perfection. They encourage you to do your best, and they clap, shout, and love you the whole way. I actually feel empowered when I leave there...like I could do anything, and we need that every now and then. 

My pastor's message was on point today too. He came from John 10:10, and the title of his message was, "Flock Support." I love the way he delivers a powerful and life-sustaining message using everyday things. God has really anointed him as a gifted storyteller. This morning he used geese formation to address the issue of supporting and encouraging one another. The thing that really stayed with me was when he said that the geese that are honking at the end of the formation are encouraging the ones up front. 

What he was saying is that when it's your time to move into position everything will be lined up to happen naturally. Just because you are at the end of the line right now, doesn't mean you are going to remain at the end of the line. If you just hold on...your time will come. In the meantime, you have to pray for and encourage the one in the lead position, because one day that could be you.

I love days like this...when God confirms His word to you. It is a reminder that God hears our prayers. He knows exactly what we need, and at the right time—He provides.

Until next time...

Be blessed 

Watch God Provide...

Greetings!

This morning on my way to church I heard this song by Tamela Mann, and it just blessed me so much. At first, I wasn't really paying attention. My mind was focused on getting into that place of worship. When I go to the house of God, I want to go expecting God to move. I believe that miracles will happen, and I believe that we will receive exactly what we ask for. We may not get it in the way we wanted, but He responds because His word says we will...and I believe His word. So, I'm riding along, and at first, it's just noise in the background. Then the Holy Spirit made this line stand our for me, and it said, "Watch God provide."

At that point, it was no longer just words to a song. The Holy Spirit began to minister to me. I felt like that song was written for me. Like she was speaking those words directly to me. We will all go through times in our lives when we can't see God's hand, and it feels like we are all alone, but our God never fails. Everything God allows is not always going to feel good and we are not going to understand everything, but we can trust that He will provide. It may not seem like it, it may not look like it, and it may not feel like it, but He is always working on our behalf. It may not be good to us, but God promises that in the end, it will be good for us.

Know that whatever you are going through, God has given you the victory. Don't trust what you feel, trust what you know about Him. Wait on Him, and watch God provide...He always has, and He always will.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Staying the course...

Greetings!

Today, the preacher spoke from the theme, "You will not get under my skin." That message really stayed with me. One, because I know there have been times in my life when I have let people do just that, and two because doing that means that you have control over me...

What he was saying is that when we allow others to make us angry, we are allowing them to be our idol. I know, right? We don't usually think of it that way, but that is exactly what that means. And, here's the thing...that anger can cause us to delay our blessing, it can cause us to abort our assignment, and it can cause us to live a life beneath the abundant life God has promised us. We cannot allow people to make us so mad that we destroy the assignment God has placed on our lives. When he said those words I understood it in a way that I hadn't thought of before.

My pastor said recently that the enemy does not give up. He is not going to stop because we have had victory in a few areas. No, he just increases or intensifies his attacks. He's not going to stop, not as long as we are followers of Christ. He wants us to stay focused on anything but what God is calling us to do. Our problem is that we keep letting him.

Not anymore...from now on, we are going to stay the course. We are going to stay focused on the One who has put us in position, because if God be for us, who can stand against us. Our God is bigger than anything the enemy can throw at us. The Bible says that greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world. We already have the victory, we just have to start walking it out...

Until next time...

Be blessed

Appreciating God's Glory

Greetings!

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. I love simple things, and I don't like a lot of drama. I can sit by the water for hours...not thinking about anything in particular. Just enjoying the beauty of God's handiwork. How the green trees look against the blue sky. How the ocean knows to stop at the shoreline (most of the time). How a weed can look like flowers, and how sometimes listening to children play makes you think back to when you were young. I am so amazed by God. He is in the smallest details.

My husband is one of those people that enjoys nature. He is always taking pictures of trees, or clouds or water...he has actually given me a new appreciation for the beauty God has created for us. I used to ride to work reading a book or looking at my phone. Now, we try to spot deer near my job. It can be hard this time of year because of all the trees...the deer tend to blend in, and that makes it hard to see them. The crazy thing is that when we do see them it makes us so happy. I don't know how many pictures he has taken of those deer...even the deer probably think we are crazy. But, I love the way he sees things.

Today, I just wanted to take some time to just thank God for the little things. I thank Him for allowing me to have eyes to see, and a heart to appreciate His beauty. The last line of Psalm 8 says, "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" His glory fills the earth, and it is amazing to see. I am so grateful that He loves us so much...

Until next time...

Be blessed