We will not perish!!

 John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and Only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."   This verse has so much promise!    I have recently been hovering on,”shall not perish”.   I can go down the rabbit hole of defeated thinking.   When I go to defeated thinking, it’s as if I am perishing in hopelessness.  We are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ!   We will not eternally perish, and we will not perish in our here and now!!!  Today, TRUST!   Trust that Jesus takes your sins and gives you His righteousness.   TRUST you are the righteousness of Jesus Christ!! We will not perish, not today not ever!!!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!

Enjoy your lot

Ecclesiastes 3:22 "So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"   Enjoy your work!    I have many cleaning jobs over the years. I loved the Fire Department.  But part of that job was cleaning toilets.  I loved my work at the health clubs, but there too, toilets.    Now as a retired person, I choose to treat my day as a work day.   I keep myself scheduled and do many things.  I consider it my "job" to take care of my home, my health and my relationships. I try to honor God in all I think say and do.  Of course I fail miserably.    My point is no matter what your "job" it's important to enjoy it.    I am still not a fan of cleaning toilets.  I am however very thankful I have them to clean.    What ever your lot is, be inspired to enjoy it and do it well for the glory of God."😇🙏❤️

Sing!!

Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."   Speak life, sing life!!! Jesus said," it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man it is what comes out of his mouth that defiles him".   When we intentionally give thanks, speak psalms and sign hymns it helps us.   Today if you are tempted to talk about what's wrong, STOP and sign about what's right.   There is always, always something to be thankful for!!!

Let your sleep be sweet

Psalm 3:8 " I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety."    My son married Saturday, to his brilliant bride!!   I couldn't be happier.    I was so exhausted yesterday I slept almost 14 of the past 24 hours. (which is very very odd for me)   I am a wellness advocate and sleep is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health.  (7-10 hours a day for most adults is recommended).   I'm someone that will push this limit and find myself on 5 hours day for many days in a row.   I don't like to sleep in and I don't like to turn in early.   So it's my personal health obstacle.   Yesterday I was reminded of how important sleep is.   Many people can't sleep because they can't turn off their brain and spend time in worry.   There is no need to worry about anything when you TRUST God.   I too can be tempted to rehash things in my head.  Tonight let your sleep be sweet, lie in peace, trusting Our Lord makes you dwell in safety, and also the ones you love.   Rest in perfect TRUST, let your sleep be sweet!! 😇🙏❤️

My food

John 4:34 "My food", said Jesus, "is to do the will of Him who sen the me and to finish His work."    Thanks giving has become known as a time for feasting, but true fulfillment comes in giving.   Happy Thanksgiving week!😇

Ever lasting Arms

Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."  He who dwells in the shelter  of the Most High, will rest..".   In the shelter of Jesus.    Last weekend, the focus of our retreat was keeping the “Joy of the Lord as our strength” so we could fight fear anxiety and worry.    I think of “Joy”as a “deep peace inside my soul”,  that is not dependent upon my circumstances.    In order for me to get to that place of deep peace.   I have to TRUST God in all things.  I have to be able to "rest" in the shelter of the Most High.    I can go down the rabbit hole of worry or feeling anxious about things I've done or left undone.  When I am tempted to live in this "stinking thinking" I try to imagine cuddling under the Wing of the most High God, in the shelter of His everlasting arms. I hope that visual of being safe under His wing helps you today too.   😇🙏❤️

Full Armor!

Ephesians 6:10 " Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so you can stand against the devils scenes."      Put on the full armor of God so you can stand your ground, so you can stand firm! Stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet firm in the gospel of peace, holding the shield of faith,wearing the helmet of salvation and using the sword of the Spirit which is the "Word of God".   Pray in the Spirit in all occasions.   The Lord your God goes with you wherever you go.   Be strong in Jesus!!

You have the full armor of God!!!

Loved as a bridegroom loves his bride

Isaiah 62:5 "As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."   My oldest son is getting married.  I look at him when he is with his fiancé and his whole soul lights up.  He loves her with every piece of his body.  He loves her through the depths of his soul.   His countenance comes alive when she is around.  That is the way our Heavenly Father loves us.  He loves us each completely.  He thinks of us and He smiles.   He calls each of us His most treasured procession.  (Dt. 26:18) He knit us together in our mothers womb (Paalm139), there is not a hair on our heads He doesn't know.   Gods intimate love for each of us is beyond our ability to understand.    We can TRUST in His Devine love for us and for our children.   Gods arm is not too short.  He knows what He is doing.   Keep your peace today,  by trusting in His sincere over joyed, love for you and your loved ones.  Many times because of my sins I feel unloveable.    God love is unconditional.   While we were yet sinners He sent His only Son to live and die for us, so our sins can be washed away and we be given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are loved by the most high God.  He is excited about you as a bridegroom loves his Bride!

Sluggard?

"Proverbs 13:4 "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."   Monday, Monday....brand new week, will we get our work done?   I'm a procrastinator.   I stay "busy" during the day but I loose focus and go in many different directions so I don't get important work done.   As I read this verse my procrastination is reminding me of being a sluggard.  I have found if I do the things I have to do first, I am much more productive.   If I "Put things off", often they don't get done or when I do them I give it a half hearted attempt.     I long to do things well, when I walk in procrastination or laziness I am not doing things well.   When I don't do things to my best ability I feel embarrassed about my efforts.  Therefore, I don’t want to do things.  It's a vicious circle.  Today is   Monday.   A great day to start fresh for the week.  My goal is to keep a good calendar and be diligent about getting things done, even if I don’t,”feel like it”.  Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Be inspired to give today your best shot, don't let your day shoot you 😇

Every thought captive

2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."   

Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ!! Sometimes I can hear the "Stinking Thinking" inside my head that tells me I am not enough, that I can't do.....Truth is, I am not enough.   With Christ in me, I am more than enough!!! Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."   Don't let the Spirit of fear come upon you today.   Take very thought captive and make it obedient to Christ Jesus!!!! 

Set Free!

 2Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come!"......21 God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."     Theses are great verses in 2 Corinthians!    I remember when I first realized I am forgiven, my sins are forgotten and I am made right with God!!    I am made right through faith in Jesus.  By His grace we are saved! By His grace we stay saved!   When I told my children, "I'm a new mom!" They were skeptical.   "What ever mom, we've heard this before."  They had heard me promise to quit drinking many times before.   Why would this time be any different?   This time was because this time I knew it was the power of Jesus that set me free from the power of sin and death.  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!(John 8:36) Even after all these years,  I am tempted to see what is wrong with me instead of seeing myself as the righteousness of Jesus.   When I hear the voices of inadequacy, shame or guilt and fear I know those thoughts are lies.  I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!(Romans 8:37)Today, don't let the lies of the enemy tell you, you're not enough.   Tell those a voices that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus!   The old is gone and the new is here!!!

He is the Potter We are the clay.

Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the Potter; we are all the work of your hand."   We are the clay, He is the Potter.   This verse is really touching my heart today.   There are many events in my life that I would change, if I could go back in time and change them.   But we can't go back.  We can go forward in Christ Jesus.   Every thing we go through, can lead us closer to God,if we TRUST He is the Potter and we are the clay.   This life can be very difficult and some of the painful events we go through here are devastating.   Romans 8:18 " I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."    Even if we get 100 years here on this Earth, it pails in comparison to eternity in Heaven.    Keep the faith and keep waiting upon the Potter. His work is beyond all compare!!!

Pray first!

"Now, All I can do is pray."   Have you heard this said?    Many people say this.   Truth is, first thing we need to do is PRAY!   I have many testimonies of the power of prayer.  Problem is, often God doesn't answer my prayers in the way I want Him to.   He always hears and answers our prayers!  (When we pray through Jesus name, it is the prayer of a righteous person)1Timothy 2:1 " I urge, the, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-".    Many times I feel powerless, I often am.    Jesus is sovereign over all!!  Be inspired, first pray, do what the Holy Spirit guides you to do, then pray in thanksgiving, God is handling it all.   Simply TRUST He has it all under His Devine control!!! 

Proverbs 15:29 “ The Lord is far from the wicked but He hears the prayers of the righteous.” We are right with God, when we TRUST Jesus as our Savior.

Prayed for what I thought “should be”Gods will

James 4:1"What  causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but you don't get it. You kill and covet,  but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  3. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

Sometimes these verses are hard for me.   I have prayed for a healing that didn’t come.  I was so mad at God, when my beloved went to Heaven.  How could God allow this?  In verse 3 “when you ask you do not receive because you ask with the wrongs motives”. My pride tells me I know more than God.  My pride tells me what I think should happen is true. If I believe the promises of God then I have to TRUST Him in all things.  My beloved has the privilege of living in Heaven.  I should praise God, not curse Him.  Grief here on Earth is very painful and difficult.  When our loved ones,pass in Jesus, they are in pure joy.  If you are mourning someone, who has passed in Jesus, remember where they are.  TRUST  God has them safely, in His ever lasting arms. 😇🙏❤️They are more than Okay, they are awesome!!!   Hold onto "They are doing Awesome!"  We too can go to Heaven when we put our TRUST in Jesus.   We will be reunited!!  When we are, it'll be as if no time has passed, like we haven’t missed a moment.  There is no “time” in Heaven.  Crazy cool huh?   I can hardly wait to be reunited with my beloved!!😇🙏❤️💃

Persevere!!

James 1:9 "A brother, in humble circumstances, ought  to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich, should take pride in his low position because he will pass away like a wildflower….12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those that love Him.”   As I read these verses I am thinking of an old friend that was a very financially successful, wealthy, man.   He told me, he never told people of his successes, he would relate to others by sharing his failures.     He said, “we can all identify with each other’s failures”.  One thing I enjoy about being a member of AA is that we talk about our struggles and more importantly how we persevere in sobriety regardless of the struggles.   “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials.” We all face trials.   Be encouraged to keep looking up, and help others do the same.  Don’t let your failures define you.   Let your perseverance through trials in Christ Jesus, define you!!😇🙏❤️Persevere!!

Busy?

James 4:17 "Anyone then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it sins."        This is tuff stuff!! I often "put off" the good, I know God wants me to do.  I get busy.   If you ask me, “Busy with what?”  I really don't have a good answer. Busy with, this or that, fills my day.   Sometimes God puts a person or a thing to do, upon my heart and I think to myself, "That's a great idea! I'll do that after I do....."and then I forget to do it or loose motivation.  I find if  I do a little something everyday in the right direction, I am more motivated to stay in Gods will.  Today, do you know what “good” you ought to do? Ask God for His help and take a little step, you'll be amazed at how  He will multiply your efforts.😇🙏

How Great Thou Art!

 How Great Thou Art!!  Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.   24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

I'm sitting, reading, watching the sunrise, thinking of how great God is.   I’m sitting in awe of His magnificence.  Last night,  I gazed at the stars and the moon.  He created everything on purpose for his purpose.   How great Thou Art! I used to think of God as being infinitely big,  putting all the planets and stars in the sky.   Infinity goes both ways.   He if also infinitely intimate!   He knows every hair on each one of our heads, our thoughts our words before we speak them.  He loves each of us intimately  we are each His most treasure possession.   How He can know each of us and know every star is beyond me.   He is truly a great God and we can trust him.  

Today, let's try to see how great our God is and thank Him for it.   Let's encourage each other to do the same.