Apostle?

1 Corinthians 4:12 "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless;  when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 When we are slandered, we answer kindly. "  Paul is talking about apostles of Christ.  Is He talking about you?     No one said it'd be easy to be a Christian.   In fact Jesus said, we'd have trouble and the world would hate us.    Personally I can't imagine trying to live without Jesus in my heart.    I would have no way to endure with Hope.  Today be inspired to let the Peace of Jesus rule your heart in all circumstances.   TRUST!!! 😇🙏♥️💃

On purpose for His purpose!!

Psalm 139:13-14 " For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know full well."   I love these verses.   Each of us are intentionally made, exactly as we are.  If I was God I’d change a few things about me. 😇. Yet, He decided I am as I should be.   Yesterdays post inspired a number of people to talk about how they have been made to feel inadequate by other people.   Colossians 3:23 “What ever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”    God sees us!! He knows us intimately. He designed us on purpose for His purpose.  I can get upset about my shortcomings and care what people think of me, over what God thinks of me. To combat this ; I stop and thank God that I am worthy because of Jesus.  He takes my sin and gives me His righteousness as a gift. God looks at me as the righteousness of Christ not the mistakes of Kimberly.   Praise God!! He loves each of us as we are.   We are each created on purpose for His purpose!!   Let’s praise God today!!!  Lord, let each of us remember we are perfectly designed by you for your purpose and thank you.  Let us care about being pleasing to you  above being pleasing to man.  😇🙏♥️💃Help us be thankful for all you have created us to be, and all we are not.

Making someone be who they aren’t

Psalm 55:12-14 " If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me I could hide from him.  13 But it is you , a man like myself, my companion, my close friend.  14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God."   Yesterday I learned of, someone trying to make someone else, something that person is not.  The person in authority demanded a behavior that the other didn't have a natural talent to do.   Their trusted relationship turn into pain.  In this case the person In authority was trying to help the other grow, but it came across as, you are not good enough as you are.   People hurt us when they make us feel like we are not good enough as we are.    Rejection is one of the hardest things to not internalize. We do help each other when we encourage each other to try new helpful things.  It’s important to get out of our comfort zones and try new things or we get stuck in ruts.  There are many things we have talent for and many things, we simply don't.   God made us each on purpose for His purpose.  Yesterdays event is helping me look at my relationships.  Funny, how we can have such good intentions as we hurt the people around us.    Today, let's each intentionally love people were they are without trying to make them who we think they should be.     God is the one who makes people who they are.   46:10 " Be still and know that I am God."

Pretend conversations?

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 minds set on what the Spirit desires."  Having our minds set on God and His desires for us is true health and wellness.    Have you ever had a pretend conversation with someone?   You have a poor experience with someone then after it's over you have in your head a better conversation.   I am very guilty of that!!  I can rehash conversations with people often during my day.  When I pretend talk to someone it's a huge waste of time.   They can not hear me, they are not God!! This week I was given the epiphany, of how silly my practice of "having a better conversation" is.  Today when I'm tempted to rehash a conversation I will simply turn my conversation into prayer.   God hears our every prayer.   When we pretend talk to anyone else we are talking to the wind.    Why waste our time?   There is power in Prayer.   Take your every request to Jesus.  The one who can actually fix things.😇🙏♥️💃🌸

Good Monday Morning!!😇

James 2:26 " As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."     Good Monday morning!!😇🙏   I really like Mondays.   We have the opportunity to start fresh on our lives by starting fresh on our week.  What is God trying to get you to do?    Monday is a great day to get started!!😇🙏♥️💃🌸

Sincerity of heart?

James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."  The wrong motives, motives of my pleasure not Gods. This is helping me reflect on the purity of my heart.    As I do, I am once again faced with my deepest desire is likely for my pleasure not Gods.    It's crazy that a women who wants to be pleasing to God can be so off, in her motives of prayer.   I can lie to myself, pretending my motives are pure in heart.  When I read The Bible and deeply reflect my motives are exposed.  I tend to want a physical, worldly fix to my deepest desire.   I long for my deepest desire to be close to God. Yet, I am often chasing other things with much more passion.  I long for the desires of my heart and pretend to love God first.    I can't fool God.    He knows the purity or lack there of in my heart.    Today I pray that I sincerely seek Him and His ways. I pray; I can be humbly submissive to His will, with sincerity of heart in deep joy, trusting Him, in His answer to my prayers.     I hope this helps you to look at your heart and Trust God as He answers your prayers.😇🙏💃♥️🌸

Envy, selfish ambition changes beauty to ugly

James 3:14 "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."    Envy, selfish ambition, both I'm sadly guilty of.   We are to be happy for others in their gain not envious.  Envy, jealousy selfish ambition make a beautiful person ugly.  When I go into the pit of these horrible feelings;  I intentionally fight them by being  thankful for what I have and praise God that His ways are greater than mine.   Praise, thanksgiving and reading His word are good ways to combat the ugly inside us.😇🙏♥️💃🌸Good thing we are seen by God as righteous through Jesus.  Jesus takes our wretchedness and makes us worthy!! Not because of what we do but because of what He Did!!! Believe!!😇🙏♥️💃🌸 Keep turning from sin and to God.  It’s our constant battle!! It’s a fight worth fighting!!

James 4:7-8. "Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts, you double minded."

Wisdom is submissive

James 3:17 "But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peace makers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."  3:17 is radiating heavy with me today.  I think of myself as an intelligent woman. I have good reasoning skills and I try to educate myself everyday.  Yet as I read the word "submissive" I'm realizing I'm not smart at all.   I'm all about seeing things "my way".  True wisdom is looking at things "Gods way". 😇🙏♥️🌸

Tame the tongue!!😇

James 3:8 " But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be."  Tame the tongue!!  Easy to say not so easy to do.  Lashing out at someone or even against ourselves is a pit that is hard to dig out of.  We can get used to speaking negitively about someone or ourselves and we eventually believe what we say even if what we are saying is a lie.   I am guilty of repeating words that hurt me and people I love, even if those words are just in my head.   Today if you find your self going down the pit of poor speaking or thinking, simply STOP!! Stop, ask God for forgiveness and try again to speak blessings and not cursing.   There is tremendous power in our tongues. Be encouraged to speak life!!😇🙏♥️💃

As the snow melts so does our life storms

Saturday and Monday morning pics here is Wisconsin.   Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stead fast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal."   My feet are on the Rock!  Like the weather, things are constantly changing.   We can't understand why the storms come.  We can see His beauty in them if we TRUST.    It's very difficult to see the beauty in the middle of our hardest Stroms. Just as we trust the snow will melt, let’s trust in our difficulties.  His hand is not to short!! 😇🙏♥️💃🌸

Eagerly?

Galatians 2:10 "All they asked was we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."   Eager to remember the poor? Eager, eagerly means with enthusiasm.  As I read this verse I reflected how my heart is one that will help when it works for me, but eagerly help the poor? This cuts like a knife this morning.  There are "poor" all around us; poor in spirit, poor in health, poor in ability, poor in finances, poor in attention, poor in friends.......Today I'm asking myself, "Do I truly help the poor or do just enough to help me feel like I, checked the box?   Sincerity of heart in all we do being God pleasers.   This work is continually upon us.  If I have an attitude about something the only way to change my heart is through prayer and meditation on Gods word.    I hope this helps you today too, examine your heart.😇🙏♥️🌸💃

Quick to promise?

Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in Heaven and you are on Earth, so let your words be few.  3 As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow."   It's easy for me to be hasty in words and promises.  When I was actively drinking I broke many promises , so now I try very hard to do what I say I will do.  Problem is, I'm still hasty with my words. I can be people pleasing above God pleasing.  Then, I loose peace and don't want to fulfill my promises.  Mostly, I fulfill my promises.  Sometimes I do so with many words of complaining.  “Lord help me serve you with a sincere heart and a mouth of praise and thanksgiving.😇🙏♥️🌸 Doing right with the wrong heart is not doing right at all!!!

Go and tell

Mark 16:15 "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."   Go and tell!!   It's easy, in todays world to "keep Quiet" about our faith. People say it's politically incorrect to talk religion.   When you know a friend is dying physically or just giving up don't you want them to be saved and have hope?    Go and tell!!! Be encouraged to share the good news we have in Jesus.   Be strong and courageous; Go and Tell!  Even, if you are uncomfortable because you believe the lie, it's politically correct to let people die in their hopelessness.  

Happy Easter

Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."   Easter Sunday service usually includes the Pastor saying, "He is risen!"  And the congregation responds with, "He is risen indeed!!"  I love this!!!  A simple prayer for me is, "Jesus, you are Lord, thank you for paying the price of my sin thank for conquering death, you live Lord!! Keep living in me!!! Help me and all I love, be filled with your Holy Spirit, so we may firmly TRUST Jesus as Lord!!! Through Jesus name I pray,🙏.  Amen.  Happy Easter. What an amazing promise we have in Jesus!!!! 😇🙏♥️🌸

It may be Friday but Sunday’s Comming!!

Yesterday was Good Friday, funny name to acknowledge the physical suffering and death of Jesus.   Good because that day He paid the price of all our sin, on the cross.  We can truly walk in forgiveness without guilt and shame because of His suffering and death.    Praise the Lord!!   Can you imagine how dark that day must have been.  All who had hoped in Jesus must have felt everything was over.   Sometimes it's easy to feel that way in our daily lives.   We mess up and feel like we've wrecked everything, or something horrible happens and we don't think we can survive.   I like the expression:  "It may be Friday, but Sunday's coming!!"   We do have hope in Jesus.  His death on the cross was not the end, it was a new beginning.    A new beginning for each of us!!!   Romans 8:18. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."   2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come."

It may be Friday , but Sunday is coming!!!😇🙏♥️🌸

April showers bring May flowers

Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."   

Today is a rainy day here in Wisconsin.  April showers bring May flowers.   It's so fun to see how God uses rain and lightning to make green grass.    Pretty soon the tulips will be budding.  How do you look at Gods’ rainy days?  Romans 8:28 “ 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 “. Keep a cheerful, hopeful faith filled heart today and always!! Flowers are coming!!!😇🙏♥️🌸🌷 Gods got this!!!

Bitterness can fester if you let it.

Hebrews 12:14-15. "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."         See to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many!!!   Wow!!! Isn't is amazing how loudly the Bible can speak to us?  This verse is loud for me today because I'm harboring a hurt.  When I do this, it festers and becomes ugly.   I call myself a child of God.  I say that I try to love others as Jesus loves me.  Yet, when things don’t go the way I think they should, I pout, feel hurt and go down the rabbit hole of resentment.    This is INSANE, if I truly believe Gods ways are greater than mine!!! Yesterday, a freind of mine reminded me, “God has you exactly where He wants you.”  This simple statement  helped me understand, He is with me. Sometimes God needs to discipline us because we are going down the wrong path.    This discipline can come in the form of hurt.  Is God trying to get your attention in the form of discipline?  Remember, He has you where He wants you.   He will work all things out for His glory, helping you become more like Jesus along the way.  Happy Holy Week!!! Can you imagine if Jesus would have lost heart and not gone to the cross for us? If He would have let bitterness grow instead of love?

Holy Week. …Let’s soar!!

Isaiah 40:31 "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 be faint."   This is Holy Week!!!  Wow!!! Can you imagine what Jesus did for us?    Because of His perfect sacrifice for each of us we are made right with God and we too have heaven to look forward to.   This week let's remember first and foremost the hope we have in Jesus.   What ever we are going through, God is bigger.    He conquered death, He will help us conquer anything.     This week and always let's simply be confident in Christ.   Let’s be thankful we can put all our Hope upon Him.  Let’s soar!! 😇🙏🦅