Count it All Joy

I attended a funeral today and found I had a few things on my mind.  I didn't know the deceased very well, but some members of her family are very near and dear to me.  I found myself sitting among those grieving and asking God to just help them. Help them get through this day, help them get through their grief, and to help them heal in every part of their lives.  In asking God to help them it made me take account of just how helpless I was feeling in the situation.  I was among these hurting people and there was nothing I could do to take their pain away, after all there is no real humanly comfort in death.  That kind of comfort is spiritual and it comes from God. I really started to pray and ask God to reveal His Word to me in this and it wasn't until I sat down to share with you all that I caught it real good.  The scripture of James 1:5 keeps coming to my mind, "Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."  The part that really resonates with me is the count it ALL joy.  In other words not just the good times, or happy times, but all times. 

 

As I started to meditate on this I began to ask God how can I find joy in a funeral and people's grief?  Then He began to show me that many things take place during these sad occasions.  Often times funerals and births have a way of healing rifts in the family. They bring people closer.  They also remind us of our humanness.  If we have distorted our focus to the world these occasions serve to put our focus back where it belongs. On GOD.  People rededicate themselves to God , so that they are found ready when their departure comes and some just come to realize that death is not something to fear, but to learn that it too is part of the plan in God's will.    Grief certainly has it's place, but God wants us to lean on Him for strength and healing.  Also lend your ear to what He may be speaking in these types of seasons.  Remember that all things work for the good of those that love God and that are the called to His purpose. 

 

God Bless U

True Love

Is love enough for you???

Take a minute and think about it.  This is a good question to ponder because it forces you to really think about love. As I was thinking about this it forced me to recognize two things:

1. God's love is different from humanly love
2. Love is very complex

What I mean is this, my husband tells me he loves me. He provides for me, and we live together, and we coparent.  But, that's not enough for me. I require compassion, time, kind words, passion, romantic gestures, etc to feel love. This is what it takes for me to believe my husband loves me.

Now, I evaluated my relationship with God and found that I needed the same security to believe He loved me also. God's love is pure, He never fails to complement me, to think of me, and to let me know He cares. His love is so great that He doesn't even let my husband forget to do the same.

John 3:16, tells us that "God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son".  That's  selfless, unashamed, agape love. And that is certainly enough for me.

Many times in this life we are so unsatisfied, but I encourage you to think on the love of Jesus, think about all that He's done and know that that's what true love looks like!!!

God Bless

I Love Him!!!

I often think about what it is I can write to you that will encourage you, console you, and help you stay on the right path.  I often get stuck because I feel like my words are inadequate, that they don't do God the justice He so deserves.  But as I was sitting here getting ready to go to bed, thinking about how I've wrote nothing and I got the overwhelming feeling to share what was in my mind.  I simply wanted to shout how much I love God!!!

So I'm doing just that. See He's working this thing out in me right before all of our very eyes. As much as I want to have it all together, the truth is I don't. I struggle everyday on how I can do more for Christ, on how I can make a difference in the Kingdom.   I'm starting to get the message that  God don't need me to prove anything to anybody. All He requires is that I live each day toward Him and that I put into practice those things He's outlined for us. Things like lovingkindness, gentleness, mercy, grace...  and of course the most important is that I have a relationship with Him.

Back to my reason for writing this post. I do truly love Him. I first loved God at a young age. Then I put that love away for awhile. Then I fell in love with Him again for keeping me, and answering my prayer for children. I later learned to trust Him for my marriage. I think this is where I learned sincere love. The love I had before was child like love. It was about what God did for me.  Later it became what He was to me. Or more to the point who I  was with Him.  I learned to lean on Him, talk to Him, and before long I realized I was in a full fledge relationship with Jesus. And it's been the best thing to ever happen to me. I tried the other way and I'm not gonna lie and say it wasn't fun, free, and invigorating. But... it was empty. It was moment to moment,  and there was nothing behind it.

With God I'm secure, my family is firm, and my faith is strong .  Life still has it's issues, that's life, but there is nothing like having an insurance plan. To know everything is going to be fine, that no matter what may come joy is still waiting on me in the morning!  That kind of security only comes from God!  And not from His hand, but from seeking His face. I love God, because He is for me. And it's just that simple. When no one else was on my side He was. When I was a teenager, going through a world of hurt. When I found out I had no father to claim as my own at the age of 5, God still took care of me. When I was doing everything in my power to help Satan work his plan for me, God still loved me enough not to throw me away.  That's love. And I'm going to do everything in my power to let God know I love Him right back! 

God Bless U

The Perfect Time

I just got home from my daughters' recital and was in my room finally exhaling from all that's on my to do list. No, it's not Friday, it's actually Monday. I know what you're thinking... it's the beginning of the week why am I exhaling like it's over! Right???  Well anyone who has kids, knows that when they finish a big event, in my case the recital, it's like finishing a marathon it doesn't matter what day it is!

Anyway as I was exhaling from being exhausted it dawned on me that it's  Holy Week. Yesterday was the day Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I immediately felt a shift in my spirit. A reference for this time period. This is the week Jesus decided to die for me. And you too. I think about all that Jesus went through this week, all that He had yet to endure on this Monday so long ago. It brings me to a mind of worship. Worship is all we have to give for a debt we can never repay. Sometimes thinking about Jesus on His last week on Earth makes me sad. I hate what He endured for man. For people that won't love Him back the way He loves us. But thrn, it makes me love Him even harder, press a little longer, and try even more in my walk. 

One of the main things that comes to my mind, is that I imagine there were probably a thousand more things that Jesus could have done before enduring the Cross. More people to heal, more to deliver and set free, another Mary and Martha to visit, another Zachheus in need of guidance. There was definitely more to do. But Jesus went to do the ultimate thing that would save, heal, deliver, and help all of us!  He paid the price for our sins! Jesus accomplished so much in His time on this Earth. He never put off a visit, He never denied His service to those that were sincere. He was a man with the ultimate to do list and that didn't stop Him from taking care of the Father's business.

My point is... don't put off til tomorrow what can be accomplished today. Jesus is the only man on this Earth that never ran out of time. Ever hour and minute of His life was appointed by God. But we in our humaness can and do lose time. We can get so busy with so much stuff that what needs to be done goes undone. Keep the main thing, the main thing. Jesus gave us priority, we should surely do the same. Take this week to meditate on the Word, talk to God. Tell Him thank you for His Son and the price that was paid on Calvary just for you.

God Bless U

***the beginning of Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday.  You can read the account starting at Matthew 21:1

Faith in Action

Struggles come to wear us down and to make us feel like all hope is gone.  Whether your struggle is with your family, on your job, bills, school, health, physical challenges, or anything else. I want to encourage you that your breakthrough has to be steeped in hope!

Hope is faith in action.  Think about this... have you been out in public and watched a kid get excited about something, then run over to their parent jumping up and down asking can they have whatever it is?  That's the concept of faith in action. Hope!  The kid believes the parent will get them what they want, so they are actively anticipating receiving it. That's HOPE!

The key to overcoming those struggles that come to weigh you down, throw you off course, and remove you from your destiny is your faith in action. The Word tells us Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy. That's true, he comes to kill your dreams, steal your joy, and destroy your hope. Don't let him!  You have the power to overcome every obstacle that gets in your way!  Just don't lose hope!

In this world we are taught to be critical and doubt everything. That is the enemy's biggest trick. Unbelief will, can, and tries to take everything from its victim.  Have you ever met a person that just didn't believe anything. Couldn't take your word for nothing. You could say " it's such a nice day outside". But before you can form your next sentence they replied " I don't know, it looks like rain to me"! Unbelief is miserable.  And it keeps the company of hurt, pain, and deceit.

But Hope!  Hope opens doors. Hope brings life. It brings fullness of joy. With hope you are an overcomer! You're more than a conquer! 

Now don't just hope for anything!  And hope isn't about wants. You can hope for a fancy red car, but that won't bring you life. Lol. No, what you hope for is Jesus. Everything is found in Him! When we have faith in God, and we put that faith into action and place our hope in all that He is, all that He has for us, and who we can become in Him our situations start to change. Our struggles don't have the same hold on us as before.  We come to understand that He supplies everything that we need and we can turn that struggle over to Him. After all there is nothing too big for God. Unbelief binds, but Jesus frees!

I dare you to hope. I dare you to try God at His Word. I promise if you do, you'll never be the same again. All it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed, and God will respond with a whole orchard worth of love and power!  Put your faith in action, and let the hope flow!  He's waiting.

~God Bless U