Through It All

This is the day the Lord has made, Let's rejoice and be glad in it! The showers have been off and on throughout the week refreshing and replenishing the earth and more showers are on their way. Will there be thunder? Will there be lots of rain- or just showers? Will we use umbrellas or just try to run fast enough to avoid getting wet?Will the showers bring on storms? Decisions, concerns, wonders- life is filled with them all and so much more. But knowing God is in it all and working within us through it all, makes it all so amazingly wonderful. 

Life is simply how we perceive it and how we choose to accept each challenge, both good and bad, that grows us into who we are and who we shine forth for His glory sake.The Word of God declares in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God has our future all laid out and He desires not just a good life, but actually, an abundant life for each one of us. Whatever comes and whatever may go, the assurance that God has us all in the palm of His hands brings about the greatest peace in the midst of our storms.

So, whether you are blessed with showers, or an abundance of rainfall, or even have to endure a storm along the way, may you look at each with the assurance that you are not alone. God is right there with you and will guide you through it all. May life treat you kindly and if you encounter roadblocks along life's way, may you always remember God is greater than any thing this world has to offer and certainly greater than anything that may come against you. 
So let's enjoy all the amazing wonders this day has to offer because God loves you and so do I~~~

Do We Really Know In Whom We Trust

While completing work on our Bible Study, I was drawn to a phrase in John 14 where Jesus was talking with the disciples who were questioning about finding the way to where He was going and wanting to know the Father, when Jesus answered them in v.6-7 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. IF you really know me, you will know my Father as well," and I felt to share these questions with you.

Do we Really know Jesus and understand that He is one with the Father? Do we really believe there are three persons in One: Father, Son, Holy Spirit? Do we really believe that each of Them; Yes All 3 of Them are God who works together to fulfill the perfect plan in our life? Do we believe They will never work against the other, but always work Together in Perfect Unity to fulfill the Father's will and bring glory to the kingdom of God?  Well the key is in the first part of v.7 ,"IF YOU REALLY KNOW ME" and our response is LIFE changing.

Jesus' disciples had walked, talked, eaten, slept, witnessed many miracles along side Jesus, and heard Him teach; yet they could not understand where He was going or knowing the Father. Jesus seemed a bit surprised by their questions and not knowing, since they had been with Him now several years in His ministry but He explained that when they look at Him, they see His Father and that everything they saw in Him and the works they had witnessed through Him, was of the Father in Him; one and both the same. Then He went on a bit further through John's writings in the next few chapters 14-17, to explain Holy Spirit in the same manner as explaining the Father; because He saw how difficult it was for His followers to understand the Trinity Godhead at that present time.

And just as back then, in our Present time, many followers still question the Trinity God-head; all Three in One as God; but the truth can only come from knowing in Whom we serve and Whose we are in Christ Jesus, that builds us up in our most Holy Faith in our One and only true GOD the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit!

If you're having doubts and want to learn more from Scripture regarding God and His fullness therein, I urge you to read Jesus' teachings in the chapters of John 14, 15, 16, 17 as Jesus explains how important God is in our lives today. Don't just read a verse or two, take time to take it all in so there is no question left. And don't be in a rush so you can allow time for Holy Spirit to open your understanding and guide you through His life changing Word; I guarantee you will be glad you did. Holy Spirit is an Amazing Teacher and is always available to lead us in All our ways, if only we ask. 

So, I pray you will come to know Him in All His glory; the glory as of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; all Three in One! What a Mighty God we serve! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God loves you, and so do I~~~

Finding Refuge In Him

Today finds me in a state of awe. Many decisions on every hand, and yet realizing that God holds my future in His hands and already has a plan created for me to enjoy my life in Him. So I am very thankful for the life God has given me; for the freedom I find in Christ Jesus; for the wonderful love of family and dear friends; for the freedom of movement within my body; for the immeasurable joy of having His peace deep within; for this time in my life and for every experience I have encountered throughout my life that has brought me this far, both good and bad; because it has all shaped me and molded me into who I am today; a Child of the Most High God in Christ Jesus!

I am more grateful than words can describe for His redeeming blood, His undying love, His amazing grace, and His divine deliverance! I am eternally grateful that I have come to know HOLY SPIRIT, my dearest friend; my comforter, my instructor, my counselor, my guide, my companion, my peace, and so much more. He is the lover of my soul and He completes me.... and I am forever grateful.

God is my strength and refuge, a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Where can I hide that He is not there(Jeremiah 23:24)? What can I think about, speak about, or do that He doesn't know about already(Psalm 139:1-5)? His ways are so far above mine(Isaiah 55:8) and I know that He desires to give me only His Best in every situation; so I wonder why would anyone would choose not to have Him in their life? Who can they turn to when they need someone to really listen? Someone who will not be condemning or judgmental of what they have done? God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world; but that through Him everyone who would believe might be saved(John 3:16,17).

He's heard it all, knows it all, seen it all, and still loves each of us in spite of who and what we are. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). and He takes the old person and recreates us into His Child through Christ Jesus. It doesn't get any better than that!

I pray you come to know Him and His power thereof and find comfort and peace as He guides you day by day to eternity! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God loves you and so do I~~~

Thinking More Positively

While reading in Paul's writings to 'God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi', I was drawn to how he continually tries to inspire them to dress their mind with good things and encouraged them to meditate on the best instead of the worst, to think on things that are honest and pure, instead of false and negative reports; things that were worthwhile to be praised and not cursed. He encouraged them to put into practice the things they had learned, whether by sight or speech, as the Spirit had enlightened them!He summed it up by saying, "Finally brethren; whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.Those things which ye have both learned, and received and heard and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."Philippians 4:8-9.
And the same holds true today as we prepare for our day. Let's take time to fill our mind with God's Word so we start our day feeling equipped to accomplish whatever God has planned for our day.
Just as a warm shower refreshes and revives us, coming into God's presence allows His Spirit to flow through us, refreshing and reviving our mind. It not only gives a good start, it instills the assurance of being loved by our Heavenly Father and there's nothing better than knowing you are loved. Filling our minds with positive vibes instead of negative aspects, brings a peace beyond measure while instilling that "I can do all things through Christ Jesus" attitude that empowers us for whatever may lie ahead today.
God continually blesses and empowers us day by day with different gifts and talents, not to store up for ourselves but to share with others; and He wants to be included in our everyday living in thought and deed. He is our proud Papa, our Daddy God (Abba Father) and He desires a personal relationship with us continually! 
So as you go through today, feel the freedom His love brings. Think on the many blessings He has already given and look for good things to happen instead of the bad. Remember that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Think about that and have a great day.
God loves you and so do I~~~

Choosing Wisely

So you awoke to a new day, drew in a breath and opened your eyes to a fresh day filled with fresh mercies God has given; and right off without even realizing, you began to choose how you will look at this new day. Because ultimately, the choice is yours! So you choose to get out of bed-or-maybe you just choose to lie there a little bit longer; the choice is entirely yours. Knowing you have somewhere to be at a certain time, the choice is still yours if you keep that appointment or not. It looks like it may rain today so do I go prepared, or do I just chance it?; the choice is yours. Passing others along your way, someone cuts you off and someone is driving crazy-hopefully it's not you, lol- so do you react with positive thoughts or negative thoughts? the choice is yours; it's up to you. You reach your destination and encounter someone having a 'bad day', so you speak positive words or negative words; the choice is yours....... or is it?

Choices come in everything we do throughout our day; from the smallest choice of what to eat, to the greatest life-altering decision needing to be made; from the time we awake to the time we rest; and the choice to react with a positive or negative responses is totally up to each one of us- It truly is our choice! But I wonder if we could see how our choice would affect the lives of all those involved; how we might choose more wisely.

I have learned that the choices I've made affect not only my life but all those around me, and how my choices even affect those watching my reaction to certain situations that arise. Having lost precious loved ones along my journey in life, it warms my heart to hear others share memories of how my loved one had affected their life and how they regretted not ever telling them; but they had watched our reactions to stressful situations; had listened to our responses as others had demeaned or chosen to be cruel to others, while my loved one had been kind and caring instead, and how their kindness had touched their lives in such a way that it caused them to want to pattern their own life with that same care they knew my loved one had.

I believe the effects our choice of character has on others is why Paul encourages us in Galatians 5:22-23 to allow the fruits of the Spirit to shine forth in our lives and to choose to show God's Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control to those we encounter along life's way in all we do and all we say. Our choices do make a difference in our life as well as in the lives of others around us. So as you go through today, I ask you to join me and let's choose to be mindful of one another and choose to be positive role models that lead others to Jesus Christ. Let's choose to Love others because He Chose to Love us and sacrifice His life for us so we could life free from all sin and shame. Let's Choose to be examples of His Great Love in word and deed, and bless others as He has blessed us. Have a wonderfully blessed and safe weekend, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~~

Getting To Know Him And His Power Thereof

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you". 
Jesus knew there would be times when we would need a true friend, a divine counselor, a shoulder to lean on, and someone to help us understand what to do next to get through the devastation that life throws at us so He sent us Holy Spirit to dwell within us so we would never be left to walk alone!
With Holy Spirit dwelling within us, working within us, walking alongside with us, guiding us, and instilling a comfort and peace as only He does best, we have the promise that we can make it through those tough times we face. He will never leave us to walk alone. We just have to acknowledge Him, talk with Him, and listen as He directs our paths. 
The wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths;" and today these words are still sound advice. Getting to know Holy Spirit and allowing Him to be part of our every day lives is crucial for our victorious outcomes throughout this world. I pray you come to know Holy Spirit personally and allow him to fill you with His wisdom, His peace, and His comfort, so you can find rest unto your soul and come out victorious over every battle. He is waiting for you to acknowledge Him during the big as well as the little encounters you face every day so He can bring you the best life possible. 
He wants us to enjoy an abundant life in Him, filled with His mercy and grace with blessings beyond measure. As Children of the Most High God, Redeemed by Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit desires to work within us every thing that is needed to give us that abundant life with joy beyond measure! Getting to know Him and His power thereof, empowers us to become more than conquerors in all our ways.
So I pray as you come to know Him better and include Him in your daily life, that your witness is portrayed before others in such a way that they will want the same, and come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord as well. 
Remember that very often we are the only Bible some people read so the manner we treat them and others is witness to God's Love. Jesus knew this so He taught His followers to love others regardless of situations as noted in John 13:35. "By this shall all men know you are my disciples, By the Love you have one to another." Getting to know Him and His power thereof instills His Divine Love deep within that allows us to love others even tho they seem to be unlovable; just as He loved us back when.....
Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God loves you and so do I~~~

Trusting His Love To Guide Us

Went walking early this morning then sat on my patio for a while, just feeling grateful to be in His presence and feel Him beside me, working within me, all that is needed for this moment in time. Nice to know He is pleased with me just being me. No pretense; just who I am and all that I am, I give to Him. Every breath I take, every movement I make, every thought I process is in His hands and I choose to leave them there! It's my choice to surrender my all to Him and I am so proud to make such a wise choice after all the foolish things I have done in my earlier life. It's surreal to leave my life in the hands of the Master!

I have come to know that whatever I face today and in the future, He desires to handle because He has me in the palm of His hands and I choose to stay there! Oftentimes waiting upon His answer makes me restless, but then I hear His still small voice reassuring me that He is with me and He's got this; and I know He does! It's wonderful to know God never leaves me and is ever present to lead me in all my ways as my mind is stayed upon Him!

I find in life that waiting is very difficult for us as humans! We tend to want answers right away and as we pray we expect God to answer quickly when He already knows our need; but because He sees what is out there before us, He may withhold the answer due to needing to prepare the end results (whether it be circumstance, timing, or the need to prepare the other person's heart); and God seeing the whole picture will not answer until every thing is Best for me; all in His time, His way, and in His perfect Will.

Psalm 27:14 states, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." David encourages us to let our hearts be fixed, trusting in God until our mind is stayed on the Lord as we submit our whole heart, with clean hands and a pure heart before the Lord! David learned this lesson and became so submissive that God called David, "A man after God's Own Heart"; and this title still accompanies David today!

So whatever you may be waiting upon to be answered today, learn from David and also the Word in Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Years of learning from trial and error and humbly kneeling in God's grace has brought me assurance that He will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me! Whatever I need, He supplies; wherever I go, He leads; and whatever He tells me to do, He empowers and equips me to do! He never leaves nor forsakes me, because I am His and He is mine; forever and ever throughout eternity!

I pray you draw strength from His Word today and that you too, learn to wait upon His timing as you allow His Will to guide you in all you say and do! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend; God loves you and so do I~~~