He is mighty to save!!

Zephaniah 3:17 " The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love."    He is mighty to save!!!   He will quiet you with His love.   Jesus said, take my yoke upon you, 

Matthew 11:30 " My yoke is easy my burden is light."    If I'm really stressed doing something then it dawns on me...... His yoke is easy , His burden is light.  If I'm super stressed or heavy ladened then I'm not letting God help me or trusting Him in it all.   Hope your day is for Him and with Him as your burdens are placed at His feet!!😇🙏🦅❤️🌸 

What is Advent for?

1 Timothy 2:1-6 "I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- 2 For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time.  "    Our true health and wellness starts in our hearts.  If we have unforgiveness  in our hearts toward any one (even if they were horrible)  we are the one left sick.   Paul's says "request, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone".    Jesus said, "Love others as I have loved you".  If we spend time with people we can get offended or opinionated it's human.  We are to shine in people lives to do this we first have to have a pure heart toward all people regardless of their political or religious opinions.  For me to do that I have to pray and ask Jesus to give me a pure heart.   It's not by my strength it's His that helps me do this.  Today.   I hope your requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving can be made for everyone.😇🙏🦅❤️🌸.  Isn't that want Advent is about?  Knowing God so we can be His love?

Self seeking? God honoring?

Hebrews 12:28 “ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God Acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire”.   We can not be shaken!   Today, I'm beating myself up for a couple things I've recently done that I wish I wouldn't have.  Rehearsing decisions I've already made, wishing I did something different is absolutely worthless.  We can't would have should have or could have anything.    What helps me move forward is knowing God sees all my decisions good and bad and is with me always working my life choices out for His glory and my sanctification.    I don't like the discipline of poor decisions but I do like knowing God loves me enough to do so.     Today.  I hope you only make good decisions and they are blessed by God.  But is you find yourself in regret simply repent and move forward   His ❤️ love for us cannot be shaken!!!😇🙏🌸🦅. Many of my poor decisions are based on people pleasing over taking time and being a God pleaser.  I hope this helps you today too.

Thanks Living

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, weather in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."    This is one of my favorite verses what ever we think say or do ... do it to honor God with thanksgiving.   Our Pastors sermon was on Thanks Living yesterday.  How perfect!!! Thanksgiving is not just a table prayer once a year but a constant lifestyle of remembering everything we have is for Him and by Him.   We are called to be good stewards of our lives all areas. Today many of us have family get togethers we are to be good stewards of our relationships too loving others as Jesus loves us!!!  No person is perfect… love them where they are at, that is how Jesus loves us.   Happy Thanks giving may you stay in Thanks Living!!!😇🍁🦃🙏🦅🌸❤️

Thankful “IN” it all. Not always for it all

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus".    Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  29 For those God for knew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."   30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called He also justified, those He justified, He also glorified.  ".  Be thankful "IN" all things!!!   We don't have to be thankful FOR all things but in them. Is how I read this.  In all things I can TRUST God is working.   I might not like it and often I don't.   But if I truly TRUST, I know; He has His reasons and in the big picture all things work for His Glory and our sanctification.     Today I will chose to be thankful in all things seeing what right and Thanking HIM for it all.   Trusting His ways are greater then I can think!!😇🍁🙏🦃🦅❤️🌸

Love eachother deeply

1 Peter 4:8 "Above all love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.  9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully, administering God's grace in various forms."   Offer hospitality without complaining!!   This is great!    Thanksgiving week is a great time to BE thankful.  Thankful for whatever we have.   Many times holidays are difficult.   Families don't love perfectly and we all have hard.    Thankful in all things without complaining.   Attitude of gratitude is a beautiful way of life.    Ultimately when we look up and TRUST God even our worst case scenario has His peace in it.    😇🦅🙏🌸❤️

Alive in Christ!

Ephesians 2:4 "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by Grace you have been saved."   Today, my theme is "Alive in Christ!!!". Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."    When intentionally invest in even a small act of good works or a simple "random act of kindness" it helps me feel alive!!  Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus today!!!     Be careful, personally If I take on too much, then in my good works I can have a poor attitude which negates the good.   We are to go and do good with a "happy to help" attitude.  If you find yourself feeling burdened, it'll show.    Get you strength and direction from Jesus!   😇🦅🙏❤️🌸♥️ 

Clean the inside so the outside shines

Matthew 23:26 "Thou  blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."    Clean the inside so the outside can be clean also!!  This speaks to me..... I have to let Jesus purify my heart so I can be His Son's Shine inside and out.  If we as Christians simple superficially smile and  inside we grumble and complain we will not BE spreading His Love.   We can all spot insincerity in others, we don't get away with it either.   Today ask Jesus to fill you with His Holy Spirit that you can truly BE cleansed from the inside as you give all your sin, shame and guilt to Him and take on His intense Beauty, Love and sincerity of heart ♥️ 😇🙏🦅🌸

Where are you God? I am with you!!

One of my sisters in Jesus describes "Grace" as God giving us the  good we don't deserve and "Mercy" as God sparing us from the punishment we do deserve.    I love this simple explanation!!  That is the simplicity of the Gospel.  Jesus takes all our sin (Mercy) and in exchange gives us His right standing with God (Grace).   So beautiful!!!   When I am tempted to see what's wrong, the seemingly unanswered prayers, I have to hit STOP!   And go back to this simple saving truth.   Illness, insanity, pain are all just a condition of this world and even if we get 100 years here it's a very short experience that either opens or shuts the door to Heaven.    The simple faith in Salvation through Jesus, opens the door to Heaven. We are called to continually turn from out sin and turn to God in our here and now.    We are saved by Grace,  not by works.  I have the strength to "keep on keeping on"when I keep on remembering I am forgiven I am the righteousness of Jesus.  His strength is made perfect in my weakness.   Romans 8:18 " For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."       Be strong today in His Mercy and Grace!!!

Where are you God?  "I am with you and I know best!"   In our Bible study Tuesday this question and answer came up.  Mathew 28:20 " Lo, I am with your always, even to the end of the age."

Power in the tongue

1 Peter 3:10 "For, " Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."         There is a verse in Proverbs that states; “as a man thinks so shall he be”... Sometimes when I think something it comes out my mouth sometimes that is grumbling, complaining or defeat. The tongue is powerful. Some people who habitually lie start to believe their own lies and people around them start to believe what is said too. Words are powerful. Jesus spoke this world into existence.  There is power in our words good or evil.  Speak life!!! I try to speak Bible verses over my life so I can stay focused on the hope, I have in Jesus.   God’s word helps me conquer the worldly problems I face.    Speaking life, helps my heart be healthy. Today be inspired to keep your tongue in a God honoring fashion.😇🙏🦅❤️🌸

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 "Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared.  This day is sacred to our Lord.   Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."    The Joy of the Lord is our strength!!!!   We've all heard the phrase, " Do you see the glass half full or half empty?"  When I keep my eyes on Jesus and TRUST He loves me and my loved ones more than I can understand.  TRUSTING, His ways are higher then mine.  I keep His joy in my heart and have the strength to “keep on keeping on”, no matter what.    I try to start my every morning with; “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!!”  Today and always let the Joy of the Lord be your strength!!!😇🙏🦅❤️🌸

Restoration and recovery group

I am now leading the Restoration and Recovery group at First Free,  on Thursday nights from 6-8 pm  room 208.   No one was there last week so it felt like a big waste.   This week I’m inviting my friends from this blog it’s a woman’s group that I’m starting.   All of us deal with things that take us away from our true health in Jesus.        I hope you can come this Thursday and or let someone know and invite them.   We will use the Bible to find solutions to our issues.   I think it’ll be very uplifting and extremely empowering!!  Please let me know if you can come.   😇.   Not sure this is what you are looking for but it'll be a dynamic group addresssing each of our own Christian life skills. 

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Don’t let others sin hurt you!

Romans 8:5 "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their mind set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace, 7 the sinful mind is hostile toward God.   It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.   8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."    A friend of mine was talking about someone that can not seem to leave her destructive life choices alone.  This persons addiction is impacting my friends Heath.   We all have sin!!  Not one of us have all good life choices!!!  We stay in our poor choices because we are comfortable in the familiar.   Changing our lives is hard work and even scary.   We can not control other peoples behavior.    We can control how  we let their behaviors affect our lives.   Alanon is a group formed to help loved ones of alcoholics manage life regardless of their very sick loved one.   I mention this group to illustrate that it’s a huge problem for many people dealing with other peoples sinful behavior.   We all have sin!!!  Through Jesus we can let go of our sin and be filled with His righteousness.   We can only control ourselves, be inspired to look at your own sin and ask God for His help, to turn from it and turn to Him.   Ask Him to help your loved ones do the same and simply TRUST He will.   God works in His timing and His ways.   During your waiting may you stay hopeful!!   Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently for it.”😇🙏🦅🌸❤️🏄‍♀️

When upu “ Long” long for Jesus instead and you’ll be filled.

Do you ever long to be in the presence of an other humane being?  Maybe they have passed, maybe they are far away, physically, mentally or spiritually but for whatever reason you long for them?    I think that is how we are to feel about being in Gods presence.  " In your presence Lord is where I long to be".   This prayer keeps me focused on being the woman God created me to be and not one chasing after my lustful desires.   When I find myself longing for anything aside from God. I try to hit the "STOP" button and refocus on His prescence so I am filled from within not looking for something or someone to fill me.   Only when I am full in Jesus can I actually be fully equipped in  my present life.    His word says to seek Him first and He will give us the desires of our hearts. I hope this helps you,  be filled from within, so you can be full to over flowing!!!😇🙏🦅🌸❤️.  Matthew 6:33 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."   John 7:37 "On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me , as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

We are made to Thrive!! Not nearly survive.

Colossians 1:21-3"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you Holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, 23 if indeed you continue in faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under Heaven, and which I, Paul, became a minister."   Stable! Steadfast! Not shifting from Hope of the Gospel!!!   Wow!!! Not shifting from hope, stable, steadfast!!   I love this!!!  That's a lot of explanation points.   It's so powerful.   Our humanity allows us only to see a limited view.   These verses remind me to hold fast unto the Hope we have in Jesus!   He is the way the truth and the light.   He's got this and all things.   Be encouraged to be thankful and hopeful today.   It's not what we see....it's His eyes that see the big picture.    Faith, Hope and Thanksgiving are powerful tools to thrive!!!😇🦅🙏🌸❤️We were made to Thrive!!!!

We are His Chosen ones!!! Praise the Lord!!!

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Power on our knees

I took 1st in my age group.  Lots of tuff paddling.  Much from my knees.  Most people were on their knees.   I kept telling everyone.  There is power in our knees through Jesus!!! 😇🦅🙏🏄‍♀️❤️🌸thanks so much for your prayers.   I felt His power and strength and love for others  in my intense paddle.   I'm so very very thankful!!!😇. Praise the Lord!!!

1 Timothy 2:1-2 " I urge, then first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. "    I passed about five women on the home stretch against heavy winds as d waves on my knees!!  Isn't that just cool?  Be inspired to pray and trust Jesus!! 

Love others, as Jesus loves us

John 15:12 " My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."    This has been on my heart all week.   Today is my race I've decided to do the intercostal race and not the Ocean.   I need to develop a better skill set to tackle the Ocean.  We are predicted to have heavy wind going against it will be almost like standing still.  Sometimes when we love others we don't "see" a difference.  Truly loving others with a pure heart like Jesus would.  Not loving them if they behave correctly but loving them fully in the middle of their mess.  That's what Jesus asks us to do.    I hope that I can show love to others today as I feel like I'm standing still😇🦅🙏🌸🏄‍♀️❤️

Trust. Even in the hardest of hard

TRUST

1.  Scary moments of life,death and the unsure in between.  2.  In the late dark nights of 50% decisions. 3.  In the short breaths of panic.  4 In the waiting, not-peace, not-action time.   This is what our Lovey Erin wrote on the back of her Sunday bulletin three years ago today.   She was a Cardiology PA and had lots of tough choices many times but that day she was dealing with her own, she didn’t know it but she had formed massive pulmonary embolisms.   Which caused her physical passing.   It’s so hard to loose a loved one especially someone so Lovely, young and beautiful.   She just radiated the love of the Lord.   I discribe her as “ lovely”. Not many people can be discribed with that word.     TRUST is the word aside from the name of Jesus that comforts me    In Erin’s diary she wrote Jeremiah 17:7-8.  She said, I want to be like that tree… today be inspired that in your best or worse to be like this tree.   Let your roots grow deep in Jesus.  Trust!!! Jeremiah 17:7-8”But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, who’s confidence is in Him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a  year of draught and never fails to bear fruit.”    TRUST , no worries, let your leaves always be green and continue to bear fruit no matter what your draught may be!!!😇🦅🌸🙏❤️

Count the cost

Psalm89:5 " You rule over the surging sea; when the waves mount up, you still them." .....21"My hand will sustain him;surely my arm will strengthen him."    Today the swells in the ocean and the winds are increasing.  The forecast for my race Saturday is more of the same, plus some.   I am really wanting to do this event since I have put so very much effort into training and traveling. Yet, even though I know God will be with me, I am considering moving to the easier race.   Discernment, we all need to count the costs of what we do and decide if what we do, is worth it.   Do we honor God in what we do? That is what makes things"worth it".      Discernment with  Jesus as our guide.   ".  Here are the words of Jesus:  Luke 14:28 -31 "Suppoe one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he not first sit down and count the cost to see if he had enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, " This fellow began to build and was not able to finish."  ".  Count the cost..... finish what we start   That's the message I'm hearing today.   Discernment for what we start, honor the Lord our God in all we think say and do....He will make our paths clear.    😇🙏🦅🏄‍♀️🌸❤️

My Fathrr, my God, my Rock, my Savior!!

Psalm 89:26 "He will call out to me, " You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior."   Call out to God!!   " Jesus, I need a little help!" Is one of my favorites.   Or simply calling His name, Jesus.    So many things are beyond my abilities but His hand is never too short.   Today, I will try to use this verse; "You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior." To help me remember He is with us always!!! ( Mathew 28:20).   Let's be strong in Jesus today!! Shine!!!😇🙏🦅🌸❤️

Being sure of what we do not see!

Hebrews 11:1-3 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commanded for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."    -----6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."     Faith in what is not seen!   Powerful!! Hebrews Chapter 11 is a great faith chapter.  I'm in NC getting ready for the Carolina Cup.   The race I'm doing is called "The Graveyard" it's called that because the surf can make your board go straight up and down like a tomb stone.    Yikes!!!   I want to try this.   Yet getting into the ocean is a much different experience then paddling lakes and rivers.   For courage I'm remembering that God is with me always.   He has given me a great amount of physical, mental and faith based strength.   Let’s be encouraged to keep the faith, in all our challenges.   In order to conquer any challenge, we have to have Faith with God we can!!!!😇🏄‍♀️🙏🦅🌸❤️ Be strong and courageous in Jesus today and always!!