Ecclesiastes 3:11

God says in Ecclesiastes that “He has made everything beautiful in it’s own time” (vs. 11 NIV).  We all have dreams and desires that are not yet fulfilled, and we sometimes wonder if God forgot about us.  We begin to get anxious and weary in the wait.  We lose focus on God and start focusing on what we lack.  We stop believing in miracles and blessings.  In those moments, satan has a hold of our heart and mind.  He wants us to doubt God and to question who God is in our lives.  The devil “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV).  This Scripture warns us to “be alert and of sober mind.”

While we are waiting for God to answer our prayers, we must not be anxious because His timing is perfect every time.  Philippians 4:6 says, “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (NLT).  We need to remind ourselves every day of God’s blessings and miracles He has already done in our lives.  Let us not focus on what we lack and focus on what God has for us today.  I encourage you to not let the past dictate your today and do not let the unknowns of the future hinder your every day blessings.

The wait can be difficult and discouraging at times, but as long as we keep our eye on Jesus, we find comfort in Him.  In Matthew 11:28-30, “Jesus  said, ^‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” (NLT).  We do not bear our burdens alone.  Jesus told us to give Him our anxiety, worry, and doubt and, in return, we find rest in Him. 

Galatians 6:9 encourages us to “not grow weary” and not to give up prematurely because “in due season we will reap” (ESV).  God honors us while we wait on Him.  Today, be encouraged that God has a plan for your future, and it is filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  Trust God with your heart’s desires and your future!  God’s timing is perfect, and today, I have proof God still answers prayers.  This week, He answered a three year prayer, and it is much bigger than I could ever imagine.  I am so blessed and thankful for God’s promises to be fulfilled in His timing!  I give Him all the glory and praise for what He is doing in my life.  The wait is over, and I’m seeing who God is in a powerful way!

If you are still waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, praise Him through this season and trust His timing.

Advertisement

Dying Dreams and Dead Queens

My Weekly Featured Blog is from Pure Devotion called, “Dying Dreams and Dead Queens.” This is a long post but worth reading!

Pure Devotion

Proverbs 24:13-14(NKJV) My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off.

 

I have friends who are beekeepers. They have several hives hidden out in a bee yard. The hives are not doing well. The queens currently ruling the hives are not doing their job. The queen is the most important bee in the entire colony. She lays the eggs. She determines the overall health and productivity of the colony as well. She influences how hygienic her daughters are toward mites and disease. The queen is the real beekeeper in the organization. A queen only lives a few years. Over time her productivity decreases. It is time to re-queen the hives in order to repopulate the hives with a new generation of good bees that…

View original post 2,952 more words

The “Question Mark” of Life

Today, I will be writing about hardship.  We all face uncertainty when we do not know where God is taking us.  We begin to feel like the ground we stand on is crumbling underneath us right before our eyes.  We are unstable and fearful of the unknowns for our future.  Sometimes this can happen when a decision we make has consequences or someone in our lives made a decision that makes us question our Christian journey.

Recently, I have been told the head pastors in my church are leaving out-of-state to be head pastors for another church.  These pastors have been my mentor and friend.  They are like family to me, and the news was devastating.  It broke me when I realized the people who have been a part of my life for over three years will no longer be there.  This Sunday will be their last day at the church.  This big event left a gigantic “question mark” in my life.  In the past few weeks, I have asked myself: “How can I find unexplainable joy in the midst of chaos and hurt?”  To tell you the truth, I have not answered this question.  I do know God is a part of every journey we walk through and this is no different.  Some people stay in your life forever and some are only there for a season.  God has a purpose and a reason for everything, and I trust Him to do His will, whatever that may be.

In the midst hardships, we must continue to stay focused on God and not waver from His will for our lives.  He will give us the strength to walk out difficult situations and/or seasons.  God will walk us through these valleys one step at a time with Him by our side.  Sometimes we will walk beside Him, and other times He will carry us when we are too weak to walk.  God does not allow these things to happen to tear us down.  He is strengthening our faith through these difficult times.

If you are currently facing a difficult situation or season, put your trust in God and take one step forward towards Christ!  Do not lose sight of His plan for your life because of loss or heartache.  You are stronger than you think when God is on your side!  He is your cheerleader through the valleys, and He can bring you out of any situation!

What do you need from God today?  Do you need comfort?  Do you need understanding?  Do you need to be held by the Father who will never let you go?  Come to God and let Him be whoever you need Him to be!  I encourage you to find comfort in His presence and by His Word!

Thoughts to Ponder

“Sin is what a person does when he [or she] is not satisfied with God” (A Man Worth Waiting For by Jackie Kendall).

We have all sinned against God, but I have never thought of it this way.  If we do not like God’s answer, and we sin against Him by doing the opposite of what He is telling us to do, we are not satisfied with Him.  When we go against God’s obedience, we are saying we do not trust God enough to have control over our lives.  We begin to live in the flesh rather than living by the Holy Spirit.

To be satisfied with God, we must always stay focused on God’s desires for our lives rather than our own.  To be satisfied with God, we must know God with our heart, soul, and mind.  To be satisfied with God, we must know our weaknesses so we are not tempted to sin in those areas of our lives.

What It Means To Be A Christian

Lately, I have been challenged for being a Christian.  People expect perfection.  Yes, I make mistakes.  I have no problem saying “I’m sorry” when I’m in the wrong.  I have never claimed to be perfect.  I am an imperfect being trying my best to live out my life for God.

JUDGING OTHERS
“Being a Christian doesn’t mean I won’t fall…it means Jesus will catch me when I do…”  People forget being a Christian does not mean that we don’t make mistakes.  Sometimes the standards people put on us are unreachable.  The world or even other Christians are quick to judge.  John 7:24 states that we “do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”  The “righteous judgment” is the standards of God.  This does not mean we judge others by our own opinions or by our own standards.

FORGIVENESS
One of areas I am struggling with as a Christian is forgiveness.  “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”  (C.S. Lewis)  Right now, I have to forgive someone who has hurt me.  I am currently struggling with my thoughts and playing the “he/she is wrong, and I am right” game.  Being a Christian is not always easy.  The Bible tells us we are to forgive others, because God has forgiven us.  Luke 11:4 says “we have forgiveness for our sins, as we make free all those who are in debt to us.”

CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T CHANGE ONCE YOUR A CHRISTIAN
Many people think when you become a Christian, your life gets easier.  You have no stressful issues or circumstances arise in your life.  This mentality could not be any further from the truth.  “Being a Christian doesn’t change what you deal with.  It changes how you deal with it.”  John 16:33 states that “in this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  Jesus conquered the world through the cross.  In this verse, it declares that we may have trouble BUT we are overcomers through Christ.  Being a Christian changes our perspective on how we handle difficult circumstances.  We look towards Jesus for the answer and allow Him to give us peace over the matter.  We do not let our words and actions look like the world.  We are set apart by what we do and what we say.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER
Have you examined your life to see whether or not you are living for God?  Does your life reflect who Jesus is?  “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Re-read through these questions above, and evaluate how you live your life.  Are you living for God or for the world?

 

 

 

Have Tree – Need Swing

My Weekly Featured Blog comes from Sweeter Than Honey Ministry. The post is titled: Have Tree – Need Swing. What is God calling you to do in your life?

Good Morning!

Out on my morning walk the other day, I spotted this sycamore tree with the most amazing branch. I, immediately, thought “what a perfect limb for a swing.” Stuck on the idea of a limb with no swing, my mind continued to wander, which is so often the case as I walk, and landed on a scripture verse from John’s gospel.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

A tree is not a vine but the same principle applies. A tree must have strong roots and proper nourishment in order to support healthy branches. Not all limbs grow straight. This limb must’ve had the right sunlight and nutrients to become the perfect branch for a swing. God and His Word are…

View original post 447 more words

Thoughts to Ponder

We don’t always know God’s plan for our lives or with others, we just have to trust His Will will always guide us back to Him to be even stronger than before.

If you are struggling with hardship, ask God to give you peace over the situation at-hand and trust His Will to be done.  Hardship helps us grow in our faith and makes us stronger by going through it!

The “Thankful Jar” Challenge (Update)

On January 6th, I wrote about the importance of being thankful for what God has done in your life.  I encouraged you to decorate a jar and write down what you are thankful for each week.  Below is the blog I wrote on January 6th:

“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.”

Today, I will be giving you an update on how one simple task changed my perspective.  It has been three months since I have started the “thankful jar,” and I can see change happening in my life.  I have been writing about being thankful for struggle, friends, church, family, job, and the simplest of things.  Some weeks were easy to write down what I was thankful for.  Other weeks I have struggled writing down positive thoughts, because I had a difficult week.  The “thankful jar” challenged me to write down something positive when my mindsets were negative.  It made me think of one thing that was good out of all the bad that may have happened that week.

The Bible tells us in our weakness we are strong through Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says God’s “grace is sufficient for you, for [His] power is made perfect in weakness.  Romans 5:3-5 reminds us to “rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  We are to rejoice in our suffering as we trust God to make us stronger through our circumstances.

The “thankful jar” challenges you to think differently.  It makes you think positive when everything around you is negative.  There has been 16 weeks out of the year to write down a weekly positive thought.  I have written down 32 thankful statements since I have started this challenge.  I average at two written statements a week to put in the jar.  I encourage you if you have not started a “thankful jar”, you should because it changes your perspective to a more positive outlook on life.