Worry Wart

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13

Since iron sharpens iron (Pvbs 27:17), I try to surround myself with people who are positive and cause me to grow. However, sometimes I encounter worry warts. (People who are consistently talking about the worst case scenario, live in the worst case scenario, and thrive off feelings of fear, doubt, and anxiety.) As a believer, the unknown is familiar territory, since we live by faith and trust that God has our steps ordered. If you're a worrier, that should free you! We only can control our reactions when we face adversity. What do your words and actions reveal about you? Happy Wednesday!  

Hidden Talents

"For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Matthew 25:29

Many might be familiar with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. The master allotted money of various amounts to 3 different servants. Those who were given more money, invested and grew the amount. The one who was given the least hid the money but eventually lost it. I heard a message last weekend, where the pastor said, "Hiding your talents communicates to God that you are unappreciative". Yikes. It made me reflect... what has God given us that we haven't fully accepted? Are we walking in purpose? A form of worship is using the gifts that God gave us to glorify him. What are you doing with your talents? 

Tried and True

"As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30 

Do you ever find yourself doubting God? Of course you would probably never say that aloud, but the heart tells a different story. Fear, anxiety, worry, and the need to rush God are all signs that we don't trust the God's ways are perfect. God's word has been tried and true. As believers, we have a relationship to the same God who parted the Red Sea, delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale, and raised Jesus from the dead. Just because we don't understand God's timeline, doesn't mean that we should question it. Surrender whatever it is that's holding you back and causing unrest in your spirit. Happy Monday! 

Take Me Back

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7 

Happy Wednesday! There are countless verses in the Bible that tell us to how to maximize our relationship with God. But why are there still times that we don't want to pray, read our Bible or meet with a body of believers? Over the next few days, we'll look at a few things that may be crowding out the voice of God or hindering you from spending quality time with him. So if your fire for God has started to fizzle, pray that He will ignite that flame again. Just like Andrae Crouch said, "take me back to when I first believed."

Your Hearts Desire

"May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!" Psalm 20:4

Being that my birthday weekend has come to a close, I've been able to reflect on God's goodness. He knows the desires of the hearts of his children. He will fulfill every one of them that's in line with his will and his timing. Which means, that we constantly should pray that our hearts look like his  and our lives are pleasing in his sight. I'm continuously blow away by God's faithfulness. He cares about every aspect of our lives. Have you thanked God today? Happy Monday! 

He cares

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15 

Yesterday's message turned out to be so timely for me because I found myself overwhelmed at work as the emails continued to flood my inbox and my to do list grew longer and longer. As I started to stress at my desk, the Holy Spirit reminded me to heed the earlier message. I prayed that God would help me prioritize, be productive, and calm. He delivered. (Duh!) I got more done and was congratulated by my superiors about the great work that I was doing. God is so faithful. He cares about every aspect of your life, just surrender. Happy Thursday! 

Dear Worrier:

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

We are called to cast all of our cares on to God (1 Peter 5:7/ Psalm 55:22). We were not built to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders (Matthew 11:28), but to trust in our Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). He's a provider, comforter, peace giver, protector, healer and anything else that we need. When those feelings of anxiety about the future come, cast down those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) and meditate on His word, His promises, His truth. We can't add a single moment to our life by stressing or worrying! (Matthew 6:27) Happy Wednesday!

Dance Like David

"...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes..." 2 Samuel 6:21-22

This is David's reply when one of Saul's daughters questioned him about dancing for the Lord. David is the ultimate example of praise and worship. He served the Lord willingly and praised Him unabashedly. When God blesses you and keeps you, how do you praise him? Does it shallowly depend on what song is playing at church? Let's honor God by sending up praise offerings often. Happy Monday! 

"Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!" Psalm 150:4

"Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!" Psalm 100:2

Flawless

"As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord's word is flawless; he Shields all who take refuge in him" Psalm 18:30

Faith is defined as reliance, loyalty, or complete trust in God or someone else. Living for God requires us to have unwavering faith in Him-not our bank accounts, degrees, friends, families, or anything else. God promises to provide everything we need and more when we trust in him. Our lives are not meant to be perfectly planned by us. There needs to be a faith gap that only God can fill. Serving a perfect and flawless God means that we shouldn't have a care in this world. (Proverbs 30:5) Let's live like it! Happy Thursday! :) 

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

The temptation to busy ourselves with things of this world is great. Usually, it's with the purest intentions. We're not trying to tell God how to be God, but we'll "help him out a little." You know, running ourselves ragged with work to push us to the next level career wise or in other aspects of life. When our lives become so busy that we're neglecting or shortening our time with God, it's time to reevaluate. Be still. Rest in Him. Happy Thursday!

God like forgiveness

"They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them" Nehemiah 9:17 

In Chapter 9, the Israelites are praying, fasting and confessing their sins. Nehemiah returned to a broken Jerusalem where the people were backsliding, worshiping idols, and forgetting the faithfulness of God. Although God's chosen people had turned their backs on him, God demonstrated grace, patience, love and forgiveness... repeatedly. Since we are made in God's likeness, we too should be quick to forgive, slow to anger and overflowing with love. We also have the gift of the Holy Spirit which allows us to love those who persecute us, who mistreat us, who take advantage of us, who lead us on, who steal from us, who lie to us, and the list goes on. God loves us unconditionally, and we should extend the same grace to others. Forgiveness is a like a  muscle that gets stronger and stronger with each use. The more we practice forgiveness, the easier it comes! Happy Tuesday!

*This topic was requested, so if you have something that you would like me to discuss, let me know :)

Gratitude

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" Psalm 105:1

I've heard the saying "Gratitude turns what we have into enough." Everyday, we strive for set goals. We work towards more responsibility, more money, more things, and even more friends. However, if we have a mindset of gratitude, what we have is enough. We are grateful for our current state, and we realize that God is still faithful, if we don't receive anything else. Gratitude is counter cultural, but so are most Christian principals. Are you grateful for your portion or are you constantly grinding for more and never being satisfied? Have a marvelous Monday! :)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Matthew 12

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit." Matthew 12:33 

And we're back to the tree analogy :) A healthy tree grows because of a a strong foundation. It's roots are healthy and grounded in good soil. There are enough nutrients to circulate throughout the entire tree, no parts are lacking. The environment is one where the tree can flourish and thrive. The exact opposite is true for a wimpy, dry tree with unsavory fruit.

Take a moment to view yourself as the tree. What are you rooted in? Is your foundation the Word of God or the word of man? Are you getting your nutrients from junk-gossip, negative media, people's opinions?  Or are you getting your nutrients from good, sustainable food- healthy relationships, wise counsel, prayer, fasting, uplifting media? Based on what you're taking in, is your fruit savory or rancid? #heartcheck

Challenge yourself to cut off the infected branches that are holding you back from walking in your God-ordained purpose. Seek the Lord for guidance in how to do so.

"Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart" Psalm 97:11

Happy Wednesday! :)

Noah Type Faith

"It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith." Hebrews 11:7

How many people thought Noah was crazy for building an ark when not a drop of rain had fallen? When God calls us to do something, everyone will not understand. Why? Because family members, "friends", and peers were not given the vision/ instruction that you were. Don't allow naysayers and negative people determine your faith walk with Christ! 

Speaking of preparedness, let's come together to pray for those who are greatly affected by the snow/ice storm. I can't imagine being forced to sleep in schools, department stores, or on the side of the road! Stay warm!

My friend posted this picture of the bread aisle in South Carolina when the forecast called for snow, even though the current temp was 60 degrees! 

How To: Quiet Time

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

If we want God's word to lead us on a daily basis, we have to know what the Bible says. This is where quiet time comes in. This is a time where distractions are eliminated and quality time is spent with God. This time varies from person to person but I've included some ideas for you to use. I tend to do a combo of this list 1) listen to praise and worship music 2) prayer (for yourself and others) 3) reading the Bible 4) working through a devotional 5) listening to sermons 6) reading biblically based books 7) journaling. In all of those, the goal is to gain a deeper understanding of His word. God can speak to you when you're seeking Him. Can you hear from him if you're constantly surrounded by people, social media, cell phones, and TV? What does your quiet time consist of? Let me know if you have some suggestions to add to the list. Happy Thursday! 

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

Proverbs 9- Understanding the Word

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, & years will be added to your life." Proverbs 9:10-11

I hear many people say how difficult it can be to understand the Bible. Proverbs says that the first step is to fear The Lord. That's not a natural, Saw IV type fear, but it's understand how powerful He is and showing reverence for Him. God is conscious of our hearts. So, when he sees that's we have really taken steps to a deeper understanding, He will begin to reveal things that we've never seen. All in all, if you're having trouble understanding the Bible: get a great Bible/ version that you understand, spend time with God everyday, and pray to Him on a daily basis.

(Original post: December 9)

Thanksgiving and Testimonies

"...my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Psalm 30:12

This time of year offers the platform to share things that we are grateful for. Why not use this time to share the goodness of God and what He has been doing in our lives? Each person has been blessed with experiences to create a unique testimony. You never know who may need an  encouraging word that God placed on your heart. 

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

(Original Post: November 28)

Boasting in The Lord

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'” Jeremiah 9:23-24

Jesus tells us in the book of John that the only way to eternal life is through Him. It doesn't matter how "good deeds" a person does, how much money they do or don't have, or their level of education; a personal relationship with Christ is needed. We are nothing without Him, so let's share the light with the world. 

(Original post: November 21)

A way out of no way

"But The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" 2 Thessalonians 3:3 

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, The Lord will protect us. Though at times things seem impossible (see yesterday's post), The Lord will make a way out of no way. He will make things occur that were out of the question or not an option. Daily, I am blown away by his faithfulness! Even if there's a little doubt mixed in with faith; He always provides for his children. Worried about something? Give it to God and rest. 

"Blessed be The Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation." Psalm 68:19

(Original Post: November 19)

A Red Sea Experience

Exodus 14 is the story of Moses parting the Red Sea at the Lord's will. (Go back and read the deets, it's powerful). This story is an example of how God will put us in positions that give us the ability to truly see his glory. He will allow us to get to the Red Sea with enemy army on our tails; there's no escape but through prayer and faith in Him. Reflect on a time where only God was able to make that happen. What can you learn from the situation? Has your faith been strengthened since?

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 you can endure" 1 Corinthians 10:13

(Original post: November 18)