God’s Plan vs. Our Plan

We all have plans for our lives.  It may be a dream that has not been fulfilled yet.  It may be goals you want to meet within a certain amount of time.  There is nothing wrong with making plans for the future or fulfilling dreams.  We just need to be careful on how we achieve our goals.

The only way to be fully successful is doing life with God.  Our plans and dreams are determined by God’s purpose for our lives.  There are steps to take to make sure we are doing what we need to do according to God’s plan.

First, you need to ask God whether or not your plans and dreams are His will for your life.  According to Jeremiah 29:11, it says God has plans for you, and His “plans [are] to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He not only plans for our future but continues to prosper us.  Sometimes when we get in the way of God’s plan for our lives, we miss the opportunities to grow with Christ.  We miss out on the big plans God has for us when we make things happen on our own.  God’s plan is so much bigger than our plans.

Second, you must trust God with your life, no matter the end result.  During prayer, if God says “no” to you, you must accept His response.  It may be hard to accept, but you are better for it to obey God and allow Him to work in your life.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  We may not understand God’s plan for our lives, but we must trust Him to know what is best for us.

Third, you must be willing to move forward in God’s plan for your life.  It may look different than what you expected or even the total opposite of your desires and dreams.  These are the moments we trust God and believe He is good, no matter what He asks of us.  Proverbs 16:3 instructs us to “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”

Our plans and dreams may change the closer we are to Christ.  When we follow after God, our lives are not our own anymore.  God has full control over decisions and the end result.  We can put our trust in God, because He knows everything about us (Read Psalm 139).  The Psalm tells us God knows everything we do, what we say, and our future.  Why not trust a God who loves us so much that He knows us from the inside out?! 

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God, I’m Tired!

Have you ever been so defeated, you have told God, “I’m tired of ______________!”?  You fill in the blank of what you are tired of doing or being.  Maybe you are tired of running away from God and losing the battle.  Maybe you are tired of fighting your own battle when you need to give it to the Lord to fight for you.  It could simply be just being too busy and never stopping to rest in Jesus’ arms.

We all get exhausted from the demands of this world.  We all have moments when we want to scream, “I quit!”  These are the moments when we need to stop and realize we are doing things under our own power rather than God’s.  We are working in the flesh.  If we were working under God’s power, we would live in victory rather than in defeat.

It comes a time when we can only do so much through our own strength, and we have to say to God, “I need You!”  We have to allow God to be on the front line of the battlefield and take the lead over our situations and emotions.  We must get up and dust ourselves off and try again.  We don’t remain in defeat, but we stand up to the challenge!

Instead of saying, “I’m tired of:
depression
heartache
disappointment
anxiety
worry

We need to say, “I’m tired of:
feeling defeated by satan!
feeling broken and unworthy by satan!
letting my emotions get the best of me!

I encourage you to declare positive and encouraging words over yourself.  You can defeat the devil by telling him he has no room in your life to make you miserable.  Crush the devil’s schemes by empowering yourself with God’s truth.  What does God say about who you are?  What does God say about that situation you cannot seem to have victory in?  Instead of being defeated and depressed, be bold and stand strong on God’s Word!

We Need Jesus!

You don’t realize how much you need God until you don’t have Him in your life!
Do you believe this statement is true?

We all have stepped away from God at some point in our lives.  No matter if we have done it once or several times, we all know what it feels like to be without God.

We may have walked away from God because of a bad situation.  We may have become distant, because life is good, and we think we don’t need Him anymore.  There are many reasons why we walk away from Christ.  I know I am guilty of stepping away from God.  I remember once I was so consumed with life issues that I walked away from God’s presence for a short period of time.  I was in a confused state of mind and decided to do life without God.

I learned something about myself during the season of darkness and confusion.  I need God in every moment of my life.  The truth is, you do too!  God wants the good, the bad, and the ugly in all of us.  In the bad times, we need to press into God more and soak in His presence.  In the good times, we need to thank God for everything He has done and is doing in our lives.  God is a part of every season we walk through in life.  We cannot do life without God in it, no matter how hard we try to run away from Him!

The Bible is full of encouraging Scripture.  The Word tells us that God helps us in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16 says to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”  When we come to God with our problems, He gives us grace to meet our needs.  Philippians 4:19 tells us God cares about us and supplies our every need.

We are conquerors through Christ.  In 1 John 5:4, it declares that “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”   Our needs are met by God whether He is helping us through a difficult time or celebrating a victory in our lives.  He is always there cheering us on to bigger and better things!   

When we are on our knees, we are victors in Christ!
When we are seeking God’s presence over our lives, we will be conquerors through Christ!

To sum up this blog, we need Jesus every second, every minute, every hour, every day for the rest of our lives!  We simply need God to be our everything!

Question About A Publishing Company

Is anyone familiar with Christian Faith Publishing?  They are out of Pennsylvania.  The company is interested in publishing my book, but I am not sure if they are legit.  I have reserached information about the company, and it seems legit. Now I want to see if anyone here knows about them and whether or not they are a good company to go with to publish my book.

And, what are some good questions to ask a publisher before signing a contract with them?  I am new to all this and want to get the best experience and information before committing to a publishing company.

Dream Big

“Never be afraid to dream big! You will always have the what-ifs if you do not try to reach your goals. Believe in yourself, because God believes in you!”

How many of you believe in the statement above?
Do you believe your dreams will come true?
Do you believe that God is a God of impossible?

As God’s creation, we are made to believe in the impossible.  We are to never give up on our dreams.  God put a desire in our hearts to want more than what this world offers.  He wants us to believe in the miracles and in the things that cannot be seen.

I have always believed that if your dream does not scare you, dream bigger!  Dream with boldness, and do not be scared of failure.  The only regret you will have is not trying to make your dreams come true.  You will always have the what-if’s if you never try to go after your dreams!

I encourage you this week to believe in yourself and remember that your dreams matter! Spend some time in prayer and ask for God’s guidance in your life.  It could be an unfulfilled dream or desire.  Pray for wisdom over the matter.  Allow God to lead you towards your dreams.  When your dreams do come true, remember to stand in awe of who God is in your life and thank Him for all He does for you!

The “Thankful Jar” Challenge

We have so much to be thankful for in life.  So many times we only look at the negative instead of the positive.  We complain rather than be thankful for the life we have.  I know I am guilty of this mindset.  I can think of more negative things than positive that has happened in my life.  It is harder to stop and think about the good when life is chaotic and unfair.

BUT here is a challenge for you to change your thoughts to be positive and see the good in your life!  Get a jar and decorate it as you please and call it your “thankful jar”.  Each week write something you are thankful for and date it.  Put the piece of paper in the jar.  At the end of the year, read everything you were thankful for this year.

I encourage you to do this challenge with a friend, spouse, or co-worker.  This will help you be accountable to continue to be thankful each week.  If you feel comfortable, swap your “thankful jar” with the person who is doing the challenge with you and read each other’s encouragements.

Year 2016 focus on the positive in your life rather than the negative!  I encourage you to remember how good God is even when life is not going your way.

 

The Old Mentality Syndrome

We tend to hold on to the old mindsets from our past whether it is physical or emotional.  Our past drains us and hinders us from moving forward in life.  We stay in a place where we still believe we have the same issues because of our insecurities.  Our insecurities may be fear, anxiety, worry, or even disbelief.  The truth is, we are not crippled anymore.  We are whole in Christ.

Recently, I have had surgery to help keep me well from having sinus infections.  The doctor says the surgery was a success, and I am well.  But, I am still living a life of fear.  After being sick for six years, this mentality is all I know.  My immune was low, and I could not be around people who just had the sniffles or I would get sick.  I am living in disbelief that I have my life back.  Even though I heard the doctor say the words, “I am well,” it almost seems to be a dream, not reality.  I am living in an old mindset when God says, “I am healed.”  Through Christ I have to believe I am whole again!  I am not crippled by a disease anymore.  I have to believe I am healed!

What old mentality are you believing today?  Are believing that nothing has changed when God has healed you?  What lie is satan reminding you of every day that keeps you in the past rather than the present?

I challenge you this week to evaluate your life and see where you are still living in the past.  What insecurities get in the way for you to live whole in Christ?  What is holding you back from seeing the truth in your life?

Do not let old mindsets get in the way of living in the present!  You are no longer crippled from the past.  You are whole in Christ!  You are complete in Him!  Let 2016 be a year of celebration and victories!

Year 2015 Challenge

In one word, how would you describe year 2015 and why?