Be strong in the joy of the Lord!!

Nehemiah 8:10 "......For the joy of the Lord is your strength."   Today I'm skiing the full Birkie     God has been with me thus far and I know He will continue to be.  One of my friends said, "God didn't bring me this far to drop me now."  Where does my strength come from? My strength come from the Lord creator of Heaven and Earth!!   He is with us always!!! Let His Joy and strength fill your heart and mind today and always😇🙏🌸♥️🦅. Also Mark 5:41 “ Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

Strength

Starting my Birkie week with my first race today the Korte.   Habakkuk 3:18-19 " Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like a deer, He enables me to go on the heights."   I love this verse for strength!!! I hope you like it too😇🙏🌸♥️🦅

Greater

1John 4:4 " You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you, is greater then the one who is in the world."  Greater....He is greater.   When our hope is in Him and Him alone we can rest in strength, His strength.   He is greater! Yet, He knows and loves each of us intimately with a love much bigger ( greater) then we can ever understand.    😇🙏♥️🌸🦅   Keep on keeping on...forward in Christ!

You are loved no matter what!!

I printed out the chart this morning and tweeked it for myself a bit also! I have goals of 1) being honest with myself, the Lord, and those around me about "right now" sins in the moment-- recognizing them in the moment or hoping others call me out and having grace with myself to see it and ask for forgiveness in that moment/change it; 2) Set aside intentional time with the Lord to simply enjoy His presence if for nothing else/more intentionally listen for His thoughts/words throughout the day, and be more intentional about sitting in stillness in order to truly hear him and wait on his words. 

I also like the phone idea-- putting it away during time with my husband and spending less time on it in general; and more intentional exercise. There's a laundry list of changes that God wants for me ahaha...

Here's my verse of encouragement today: Romans 8:38-39 "38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I like this passage today as a reminder that our sin can't separate us from God's love, and the shame we feel is a stumbling block for simply bringing it to the Lord so He can work in us and change us. Nothing is too shameful or too difficult for the Lord to clean and love you through it.

Lent challenge anyone? Be a good steward 😇

 Today is Ash Wednesday the first day of Lent.   Later today my pastor will put a cross on our foreheads to remind us from dust we came and from dust we will return.   I have a plaque in my room that says" Life on Earth is soon to pass, only what's done for Christ will last."  Hebrews 13:20 " May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepard of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may He work in us what ever is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever Amen.”   I hope these verses help you to want to put on love today and each day of Lent and beyond to go spread His good news!  😇🙏♥️🌸🦅.  Be inspired to be a good steward of all He has given you.   I’m doing a special Lent stewardship thing.  Forming a small group we will all try to follow the 21 day fitness challenge, each person will tweak their chart for their own needs. Our goal is to help each other Shine in Christ 

While  being good stewards of all he has given us    Let me know if you want to join this challenge

Sing a new song for Lent

 2 Corinthians 5:17 " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!"  18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."   The old is gone the new is here!!!!    Sometimes I slip back into my old ways the Holy Spirit nudges me to turn and keep on keeping on with Jesus.    But sometimes it hard to do what we know God is calling us to do.    We are saved by grace not by works.  Yet for our testimony to be the most powerful we need to walk in our new life.   Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent.    I will be intentionally trying harder to honor God in all I think, say and do.    In order for me to do this I will be putting my " plan " down on paper and will continue daily to monitor my behaviors to keep them in line with my plan.   Do you have a behavior that looks like the old you that you might want to fast for Jesus this Lent season?  Be inspired to put on your try, one day at a time.     We are saved by grace not by works.  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!!!  Break every chain that takes your attention off the prize of Jesus😇🙏♥️🌸🦅🎶. Sing a new song!

Lent is coming? Let’s get our hearts right

Psalm 37:3-4 "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."   Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of our hearts ......   so ?  I ask myself if I don't have my longed for desires is it because I'm not truly delighting myself in the Lord? Or perhaps my desires are not part of the good God has for me?  Lent starts Wednesday, I like to use this season to deepen my faith walk.   My goal is to truly delight myself in Him.   It's easy to say ... but in my flesh not sure how well I really do it.   Have a great day and be inspired to " Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"( Matthew 6:33) today and always 😇♥️🙏🌸🦅

Peace for Valentine’s

 John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.   Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."   Peace and Love go hand in hand.  When I was in Megjugoria I heard a quite that I had never heard before.    It was a peace,  a love of Devine nature.    I still feel that peace.  It's amazing how God keeps giving us more and more peace as we continue to look up and TRUST Him,  in all things.  With His peace we can truly have patience and kindness to Love others as He loves us(John 13:34). Happy Valentine's Day😇🙏♥️🌸🦅

All is one... be love

 Galatians 3:26 " You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise."   All is one, there are many parts of a body eyes, hands, feet....each part is a valuable part of the whole even our broken parts  are a valuable part of the whole.  My broken arm is a fun example. The rest of my body is getting better as it nurtures my broken arm.  My one arm skiing, is most likely making me a better Skiier.  All is one.  We are one family in Jesus.   I hope these verses help you live in loving others as they are your brother and sister, your fellow heir, part of your whole....😇🙏🌸♥️🦅 perfect love casts out fear!

Healthy Love

Proverbs 19:11 " A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."   We are quickly approaching Valentine's Day.    Many people are looking at 1 Corinthians 13.   It is a beautiful chapter on love.    Jesus also told us to love others as He loves us.   Jesus doesn't take offense with us.  He loves us even in the midst of our worse behavior.   Loves us so much, He suffered and died to pay the price of our sins all our sins yesterday's, today's and tomorrow's.  Such love we can not fathom.   We can TRUST in it.   We love others by not being offended by their actions in the first place.  One of my friends from Alanon, says "you do you"    My love acronym is LAFF.  1. Love people for who they are and who they aren't   2 Accept others as they are.   3 Forgive people always 4 Forget the things you forgive them for.  ( don't keep rehashing the past).  Jesus takes our sins and removes them as far as the East is from the West and remembers them No More!   We are most healthy in our love for others, when we do not take offense in the first place.     I hope you like this today.  It's kinda long but felt it was a good topic.  😇🙏🌸♥️🦅

Happy days are here again!!

Proverbs 17:22" A Merry heart does good like a medicine; but a broken spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 16:20 " He that handles a matter wisely shall find good; and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."  I like these cheery verses today.  😇🙏🌸♥️🦅. There is always something going on, we can let steal our joy. Today be inspired to see what’s right and simply be happy and thankful by trusting God fully!!

One day at a time Sweet Jesus

Today's Bible gateway verse is Mathew 6:11 " Give us today, our daily bread."   So simple so profound.    Just today, one day at a time.  Mathew 6:34" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Not an uplifting verse but still a command to stay in our present moment.   One of my friends said she was taught to describe a pineapple 🍍 when she was worried.  It is a technique to bring her back to her present moment.   When I first quit drinking I used the phrase; "one moment at a time",  one day at a time,  seemed to long.   Just one good move toward God, at a time😇.  I also said to myself, " I can make it tell I go to bed tonight" ....sometimes I went to bed early. Jesus said, " in this world you shall have trouble, but fear not!  I have overcome the world."    I hope these verses help you remember to enjoy your present moment .... keep looking up😇🌸🌸♥️🙏🦅. Gods got you!!!

Call me out ...please😇

 Today I'm watching my son and his girlfriends pride and joys their three big dogs.  One is a puppy(five months) Ivy is the instigator of "run off and do what I want" I can control the others if I keep Ivy in check .   I'm horrible on tough love but in this extreme cold I know it's necessary to limit their " Run where and how long I want"  mode  When we love someone we help them, we point out things that can hurt them.   We do this for our children and for those we love if we truly love them.  I find it very hard to bring up tough subjects , but it's important to do this.   I'm very grateful for my friends that are willing to " call me out"  it helps me.  Proverbs 13:24" He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."   Proverbs 1:7 " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."   Today may you be open to loving discipline😇🙏♥️🌸🦅. It's healthy to look at all sides of life from others points of view.  “ do everything in love”

Beam me up Scotty

 Acts 8:38"And he gave orders to stop the chariot.  Then both Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.  39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.  40 Philip, however appeared at Azotus and traveled about preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea."  Yesterday I told a friend of mine that I would like to be able travel like in Star Treck, "beam me up Scotty" Today I am reading Acts 8 and there is an example of this type of travel through the Holy Spirit.   Today I am thinking of the Holy Spirit and how He is our helper  our helper in all things but especially in our ability to believe and trust Jesus as our Lord.    I love that after the Enuch  was baptized he went out rejoicing!   That's how it is with our Triune God, He fills us with His Spirit so we can live in ability to TRUST Him in all things.  HIS Strength not ours.  Often my prayer is, "Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may firmly believe and not wavier."   May His Holy Spirit strengthen and preserve you today and always 😇🙏♥️🌸🦅

Rest in Stress

Rest in Stress.    1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you."  Gods got this!!!    So easy to say, for me to live it I often have to take deep breaths as I intentionally give my concerns to Him. Then I move to simple TRUST.    Yesterday my freind said she lives in assurance.   We live in assurance through Jesus. Not a single concern, in our life goes unnoticed by God.  Be anxious for nothing😇🙏🌸♥️ In all things TRUST God

He makes the little I have something

Mark 6:38 "How many loves do you have?" He asked. " Go and see" When they found out they said, " five and two 🐠 fish".  Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.  41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to Heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basket full of broken pieces of bread and fish  44 the number of men who had eaten were five thousands.  ".  I woke up thinking of this account today.    Jesus gave thanks and  turned nothing into something. That's what He does for me each and everyday.  My nothing His something!   Be inspired to give thanks and let hime turn the little you have into something.  Thanks you Jesus!!! 😇🙏🦅♥️🌸

Soar like an Eagle 🦅

Isaiah 40:28-31. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.   29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope. In the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like Eagles 🦅 ; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." I love these verses!!!    1.  Gods understanding no one can fathom....He understand all we think, say and feel and is loving us through it all.  2.   We will soar on wings like Eagles 🦅.  Through Him we will not be defeated with tired or weary but mount up and soar through His strength!!! Sometimes I forget these things.  I hope these verses help you remember; He is with you, He understands, and He is giving you Strength......Soar🦅😇🙏🌸♥️