Your Puzzle, Your Life

Psalm 18:20-24
God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways;
I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Don't you love that we get a fresh start with God. What a beautiful thing to be forgiven. We are like a puzzle that we ourselves can't quite figure out but when we place our pieces before Him, He completes the puzzle for us, giving us a clean slate.
Watch the way He works, and watch your steps, because He gives the new pieces of our life puzzzle to us. When we watch His ways and learn, we can place these new pieces of our lives in the right place. Let God put your life back together. He will "[rewrite] the text of your life when [you open] the book of [your] heart to His eyes."

John 4:26
"I am he," said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look any further."

Isaiah 45: 18-24
God, Creator of the heavens—
he is, remember, God.
Maker of earth—
he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch.
He didn't go to all that trouble
to just leave it empty, nothing in it.
He made it to be lived in.

This God says:

"I am God,
the one and only.
I don't just talk to myself
or mumble under my breath.
I never told Jacob,
'Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.'
I am God. I work out in the open,
saying what's right, setting things right.
So gather around, come on in,
all you refugees and castoffs.
They don't seem to know much, do they—
those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood,
praying for help to a dead stick?
So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence.
Put your heads together. Make your case.
Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here?
Who made sense of things for you?
Wasn't I the one? God?
It had to be me. I'm the only God there is—
The only God who does things right
and knows how to help.
So turn to me and be helped—saved!—
everyone, whoever and wherever you are.
I am God,
the only God there is, the one and only.
I promise in my own name:
Every word out of my mouth does what it says.
I never take back what I say.
Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me.
Everyone is going to end up saying of me,
'Yes! Salvation and strength are in God!'"

Isaiah 44:6-8
God, King of Israel,
your Redeemer, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, says:
"I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between.
I'm the only God there is.
Who compares with me?
Speak up. See if you measure up.
From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming?
So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try?
Don't be afraid, and don't worry:
Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on?
You're my eyewitnesses:
Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me?
There's no Rock like me that I know of."

Isaiah 45:18-24
God, Creator of the heavens—
he is, remember, God.
Maker of earth—
he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch.
He didn't go to all that trouble
to just leave it empty, nothing in it.
He made it to be lived in.

Isaiah 45 :1-7

God's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand
To give the task of taming the nations,
of terrifying their kings—
He gave him free rein,
no restrictions:
"I'll go ahead of you,
clearing and paving the road.
I'll break down bronze city gates,
smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances.
I'll lead you to buried treasures,
secret caches of valuables—
Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God,
the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
It's because of my dear servant Jacob,
Israel my chosen,
That I've singled you out, called you by name,
and given you this privileged work.
And you don't even know me!
I am God, the only God there is.
Besides me there are no real gods.
I'm the one who armed you for this work,
though you don't even know me,
So that everyone, from east to west, will know
that I have no god-rivals.
I am God, the only God there is.
I form light and create darkness,
I make harmonies and create discords.
I, God, do all these things.
8-10"Open up, heavens, and rain.
Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness!
Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation;
sprout right living.
I, God, generate all this.
But doom to you who fight your Maker—
you're a pot at odds with the potter!
Does clay talk back to the potter:
'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!'
Would a sperm say to a father,
'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?'
Or a fetus to a mother,
'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'"

11-13Thus God, The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says:
"Do you question who or what I'm making?
Are you telling me what I can or cannot do?
I made earth,
and I created man and woman to live on it.
I handcrafted the skies
and direct all the constellations in their turnings.

Isaiah 44:
25-28
He makes the magicians look ridiculous
and turns fortunetellers into jokes.
He makes the experts look trivial
and their latest knowledge look silly.
But he backs the word of his servant
and confirms the counsel of his messengers.
He says to Jerusalem, "Be inhabited,"
and to the cities of Judah, "Be rebuilt,"
and to the ruins, "I raise you up."
He says to Ocean, "Dry up.
I'm drying up your rivers."
He says to Cyrus, "My shepherd—
everything I want, you'll do it."
He says to Jerusalem, "Be built,"
and to the Temple, "Be established."

Stay Clear

2 Timothy 3:1-5
Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.

Be warned. The Bible says to stay clear of these kind of people. If you look at this list we are all guilty of some of these sins. I think he is saying to stay clear of the ones that are closed in their heart, the ones that are not searching for anything better. Their walls are up and their walls are thick. They have closed off their hearts and minds to what God wants for them. Notice here, they are allergic to God, but make a show of religion. In this country many peolpe confuse religiousness with holiness, but they are not the same. So watch for those that call themselves "holy" but are "animals".

Isaiah 44:23-24
High heavens, sing!
God has done it.
Deep earth, shout!
And you mountains, sing!
A forest choir of oaks and pines and cedars!
God has redeemed Jacob.
God's glory is on display in Israel.

God, your Redeemer,
who shaped your life in your mother's womb, says:
"I am God. I made all that is.
With no help from you I spread out the skies
and laid out the earth."

Forgiving

Matthew 6:14-15
"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

Matthew 18:21-22
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?"
Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.

Hosea 13:4-6
"I'm still your God,
the God who saved you out of Egypt.
I'm the only real God you've ever known.
I'm the one and only God who delivers.
I took care of you during the wilderness hard times,
those years when you had nothing.
I took care of you, took care of all your needs,
gave you everything you needed.
You were spoiled. You thought you didn't need me.
You forgot me.

Micah6:8-9
But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.
Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what's good for you, you'll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.

Love Freely

Eph 5:1-2
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Love freely and unguarded. You can't get hurt if you love expecting nothing in return.

Control Your Tongue

Eph 4:29- 32
Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Watch your tongue and bite your tongue. These two things will get you far. You will be a blessing and not a curse. Others will like you more, and also, you will notice that you like yourself more.

God Can Do Anything

Eph 3:20-21
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.


The workings of the Holy Spirit, firm but gentle. We don't always like it when He corrects us, but He always does it with love, patience and His grace that helps us along.

Good News

Romans 6:10 (The Message)

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did.

That's How Much He Loves You

Isaiah 43:1-4
But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.

He has redeemed you, called you by name. You're His. When you are in trouble, He is there with you. He is your personal God, your Savior. He paid a huge price for you; that's how much He loves you. He'd sell off the whole world and trade creation just to get you back!

He Answers

Psalm 3:3
But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.

Trust Him. We can't always see what is going on behind the scenes. If we allow God to work, miracles happen.

God is Bigger

Psalm 145:8
God is all mercy and grace— not quick to anger, is rich in love.

When you're feeling down-and-out or defeated, remember Psalm 145:8. God is bigger than you're situation. Whether it's financial, situational, physical or emotional, God has the answer for you. And speaking from experience, it's not always the answer you want or the one you expect, but it is always the best.

Psalm 113:1
Hallelujah! You who serve God, praise God! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing— now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God!

Power, Love and Self-Discipline

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

So get out there! Don't be afraid. Remember who's 'got your back'!

God is:

Psalm 111

Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got—
Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.
God's works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;
His generosity never gives out.
His miracles are his memorial—
This God of Grace, this God of Love.
He gave food to those who fear him,
He remembered to keep his ancient promise.
He proved to his people that he could do what he said:
Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!
He manufactures truth and justice;
All his products are guaranteed to last—
Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.
All that he makes and does is honest and true:
He paid the ransom for his people,
He ordered his Covenant kept forever.
He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.
The good life begins in the fear of God—
Do that and you'll know the blessing of God.
His Hallelujah lasts forever!

Praise God! Isn't He just so good. This verse says it all. His works are great, worth a lifetime of study, enless enjoyment. Splendor and beauty, generosity, miracles, grace, and love are of Him. He gives. He keeps His promises. He proves Himself to His people. He is truth, justice, honesty. He paid our ransom. He kept His convenant. He's personal, holy, and worthy. Respect God and know the blessing of God.

You've Got All You Need

1 Cor 1:7-9
Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

You've got all you need. All the gifts you need. You even have God along side of you to make sure you make the right decisions, with a promise that He will never give up on you. Go after your dreams and fulfill your purpose.

Freedom

Galatians 5:13
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Thank you soldiers for protecting our freedom in this country.

Good Intentions Alone Don't get us Anywhere

310.Romans 7:17
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

Romans 8:9
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!


Good intentions alone don't get us anywhere. They just make us feel better about our lack of moving forward. They also coddle our emotions and tell us that we are "doing a good job", even if we aren't "doing" anything. The self-sabotaging power of sin has kept me "stuck" for many years. Jesus wants to set us free from all of that and more. Get delivered from that dead life and allow His Spirit to be alive in you!!

Love One Another

John 15:17
"But remember the root command: Love one another.
Eph 5: 22
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Eph 5:25
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.
Eph 5:1-2
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

We tend to put way too much emphasis on how we are "feeling". Our culture is emotion based. Falling in and out of love. Especially as a woman, I would judge everything by "how I felt".
God commands us to love one another. This is not love -the feeling, but loving-the action. Feeling loved is all about you and loving is about the other person. One is selfish and the other selfless! Love one another today no matter how they make you feel.

God is Good

Psalm 67
God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!
The whole country will see how you work,
all the godless nations see how you save.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you.
Let all people thank and enjoy you.
Let all far-flung people become happy
and shout their happiness because
You judge them fair and square,
you tend the far-flung peoples.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you.
Let all people thank and enjoy you.
Earth, display your exuberance!
You mark us with blessing, O God, our God.
You mark us with blessing, O God.
Earth's four corners—honor him!

"God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!"
I Love this. I want God to smile at me, how about you? Thank and enjoy God. Praise You Lord, You are so good to me!! I love You Lord. Your grace is what gets me through and Your blessings abound.

God is Waiting

Isaiah 30:15 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
This is what the Almighty Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
You can be saved by returning to me.
You can have rest.
You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me.

Isaiah 30:18
The Lord is waiting to be kind to you.
He rises to have compassion on you.
The Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all those who wait for him.

God says, "Come back to Me". He waits for you. He wants to give you rest. Get quiet and trust Him. Be open with your heart and He will fix things-hurts, disappointments, misunderstandings. He is waiting!

Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-47 (The Message)

43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

Love your enemies? Depending on what they have done, this could be a really hard thing to do. But if you do, I promise you it will set you free. It may not change your enemy, but it will change you. Hate and bitterness only eat at our insides like cancer. Don't allow them in. Let God avenge for you.

Become Friends with God

2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Become friends with God; He's already a friend with you. How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on Him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

The best decision I ever made was to follow Christ. He is waiting for you. Accept Him, receive Him, embrace Him, believe Him. Come as you are! You are adored by God.

Dont Worry, Be Happy!

Matt 6:34
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Don't worry, Be Happy! Stay focused, stay on track! Worry and fear will pull you to the side and distract you from what God is doing right now. Stay in faith! God works in the present, He will be there to help you when you need it. Act! Faith plus action equals results.

Romans 8:14 (New Living Translation)
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

The Lord was showing me something this morning. I have not felt His presence for awhile so I was asking about it. I know that God is faithful and that it is probably me who had something blocking His Spirit from my life. As I thought about it, I started to realize that I was letting my mind get into fear and worry, and I was trying to "make" things happen. This is how my brain works. But if I was being led by my spirit, I could then "allow" things to happen by faith. The difference for me is, in "making it happen", I get stressed or frustrated or in fear, all of these are in my mind, not my spirit. When I purposely live by my spirit, there is peace and joy as I "allow" God to work by using my faith.

God's your Guardian

Psalm 121:1-8
I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won't let you stumble,
your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God's your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.


"I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth"

Pray

Eph 3:14-19
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Pray for those you love and for those you don't. The power of prayer is what gets us through; it's also what softens our hearts toward others. Praying for those who have hurt us, will help us to forgive and move forward. Emotions will keep us stuck in a place we don't want to be. Live life to the fullest in God!

Lord, Test Me, Help Me

Psalm 139:23-24
Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I'm about;
See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.

God of mercy and grace, look at my life, help me to see where I miss it, and show me Your ways. Test my character Lord, see what I'm made of. Then help me live by Your Spirit everyday.


22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

Glorious Life

Eph 1:13-14
It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

We are signed, sealed, and delivered! Praise God, He is good and faithful. Hear the truth and believe it. He has a glorious life planned for you.

Revelation 7:2
..."Don't hurt the earth! Don't hurt the sea! Don't so much as hurt a tree until I've sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!"

He delights in you

Psalm 37:23-24
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Hang in there. Life can get very bumpy along the way. Take this verse to heart. Know that God is directing you and is keeping you from falling. He holds you by the hand. It says, that He delights in every detail of your life! Praise God, He is for you not against you!

Spirit Driven Life!

1 Corinthians 14:1
[ Prayer Language ] Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.

Oh how I crave the presence of God. If you do not know Him this way, go after the gifts of the Spirit. Surrender all of you to Him and let Him use your mouth. Praying in tongues has changed my life and my walk with God. Obedience in this area of submission has helped me to submit my whole life over to His will. It opened me up to hear from His Spirit. Joy, Joy, Joy!

18-19
I'm grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him.

Celebrate!

Philippians 4:4
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Today we are celebrating the life of my 4 year old. We will have decorations, food, cake, songs, games, prizes, and joy will abound.
I want to celebrate God, all day every day, with that same feeling of joy and excitement. I bet it would rub off onto others, overflow into their lives if I started my day celebrating God in my heart.
To me this verse says: Love on people, let them know you care. So many people feel like no one cares. As moms our lives are busy and it's easy to get hyper focused on our imediate family's needs. Sometimes my family doesn't even feel loved by me. If we are just doing, not caring, we can act like the people, we care about the most, are just "in the way". Stop worrying about getting the job done and watch the way you are getting it done.

Eph 1:11-12

Eph 1:11-12
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

You were created with a design and a purpose. Everyone and everything is a part of the overall plan. If you look at what you want for your life (and for your kids), the way to get there is to make your choices and decisions based on that end result. Live your life on purpose. Be the example that you want your children to follow.

Matthew 5:13
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Be salty! Be light! I love this. Don't be afraid to stand out and be different. Don't just go along with the crowd. When God asks you to do something, it's usually outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes the truth is salty, not sweet. Convicting, not comforting. But at the same time be light, be hope, be love.
God corrects the ones He loves. Don't be offended if someone needs to correct you. Hopefully they do it in love, but even if they don't, just receive it, change the thing you're doing and count yourself loved by God.

Great Plans

Jeremiah 1:5
This is what God said:
"Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
that's what I had in mind for you."

Never underestimate your life! It comes with a plan. Stay on track, put God first. Get in the Word, let it saturate your life. It's not a coincidence when you are at the right place at the right time. God has holy plans for you.
If your like me, sometimes you may feel too insignificant to have a great plan. All of God's plans are great.
Submit your life to His plan!

Jesus did it!

Isaiah 63:9
So he became their Savior.
In all their troubles,
he was troubled, too.
He didn't send someone else to help them.
He did it himself, in person.
Out of his own love and pity
he redeemed them.
He rescued them and carried them along
for a long, long time.

Praise God, Jesus did it Himself. He became the sacrifice for us. He didn't send someone else or ask us to be a sacrifice. He rescued and redeemed us, in person. He was the perfect sacrifice, the pure and holy one, without blemish. The only One who could wipe away our sin forever by His blood, that was shed for us.
Thank you Lord for your love and pity, thank you for your blood. I plead the blood of Jesus over my family and our relatives. I pray that Your precious Holy Spirit goes out and follows them until they receive Jesus as Their Lord and Savior, Amen.

Happy Mother's Day

My Mom
Faithful and True
Diligent in Seeking
Full of Favor and Grace
Love and Peace
She is Light and Selflessness
Goodness and Unconditional Love
God, Bless her Today and Always
Lift her High Above the Cares of this World
and Hold her in Your arms
Protect her Guide her
Raise her up when she is down
She is my Mother and I am Forever Grateful

Ask God

Luke 11: 9"Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.

Don't be shy with God. He wants to fill your need. Just like you would ask a parent for something you wanted or needed; be like this with God. He waits to hear from you. Be bold when going to His throne; you are His child. He will not push you away. He loves you and wants to bless you.

Psalm 16

Psalm 16:5-6
My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I'll stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go.
9-10 I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that's not my destination!
11 Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.

Intimate Relationship

John 4: 23-24
"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

Be real before God. Nothing is a surprise to Him; He knows all things. Darkness likes to hide, reveal the dark parts of you to God, so that they won't have a hold on you anymore. He is your only true friend with whom you can be truly open. He longs for an intimate relationship with all of us. God's presence inhabits the praise of His people. Be a Worshiper and praise the Lord with all you have.

Psalm 89:5
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits. Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!

Psalm 22:3 (Amplified Bible)
But You are holy, O You Who dwell in the praises of Israel.

Words to live by

Romans 12: 9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."
20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

These are good words from a good God! I know I used to be a people pleaser, a faker. I'd be whatever you needed me to be, but that was not coming from the center of who I was. God does not want a show; He knows your heart and you can't fake it with Him. Your friends do not want a show either. They want the real you. The real you is good enough. You are good enough. When we fake it we never find out who we are.
"Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality". The more you can give out and be the care giver the less you can play the victim role. When we get stuck on being the victim, we drain others and we get depressed.
Be blessed today and be a blessing!

Thank You, Lord!

Psalm 65 (The Message)
1-2 Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all.

2-8 We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt,
Our sins too much for us -but you get rid of them once and for all.
Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place!
We expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly manse.
All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room.

Love you!

Lamentations 1:16
“ For these things I weep; My eye, my eye overflows with water; Because the comforter, who should restore my life, Is far from me. My children are desolate Because the enemy prevailed.”

I bind you, Satan , from trying to steal any more from this family! In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord. You may have prevailed in the moment, but Jesus is the Author of our faith and He has the last say. Eternity is a long time, and though it seems far off, when we get there, we will not recall our hurts or sorrow. I believe I will see my friend again and rejoice over our reunion. I love you, Trace!! I am sorry that I was not there for you at the end. I am sure that your pain was too much to bear. If we only knew then what we know now, we would have tried to help. I pray that God holds your 'babies' in His hands 'til they can reunite with Him and you. We will miss you dearly. I wish you knew how to share your pain, so others could have carried some of your load. Lord, help me to learn from this and to 'see' with open eyes into hurting souls.

Micah 2:12
“ I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.

Oil of Joy for Mourning

Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This prayer goes out to my friends and their family, who just found out that their mother/ex-wife just committed murder/suicide this morning. She was a friend of mine. We had some differences and hadn't talked for over a year, but I am still heart broken.
Lord, please comfort their family right now during this horrific time. I pray that You give them the peace that passes understanding that can only come from You. Jesus we call out to You, please answer their questions by Your precious Holy Spirit and give them joy for mourning.

Care in Time of Need- God Never Quits III

Psalms 136: 23-26
God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot, His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need. His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all! His love never quits!

Trust God during these hard times. He will hold you up above the circumstances, above the situation. Watch Him work on your behalf. God remembers us, rescues us, and takes care of us. Bind fear in the name of Jesus and do not let it steal your joy! We have authority over things that are not of God. Speak to them "in the name of Jesus" and command them to leave. This includes fear, sickness, disease, lack, and strife. Thank God, who gave us this authority!

Night Sky- His love never quits-II

Psalms 136 4-9
Thank the miracle-working God, His love never quits.
The God whose skill formed the cosmos, His love never quits.
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations, His love never quits.
The God who filled the skies with light, His love never quits.
The sun to watch over the day, His love never quits.
Moon and stars as guardians of the night, His love never quits.

Do you ever feel insignificant when looking into a night sky and knowing that what you can see is such a tiny fraction of the stars that are out there? Are you ever just amazed at how beautiful the world is and all of it's systems. Now think about God's love for you. What an amazing God we have! A God who is limited by nothing and yet His love for us is immense, immeasurable, and boundless, like the night sky!

His love never quits-I

Psalm 136 1-3
Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
His love never quits.
Thank the God of all gods,
His love never quits.
Thank the Lord of all lords.
His love never quits.


People quit! God never quits. Even when we quit on God, He does not quit on us. Thank You , Lord!! Thank you for being the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We all crave stability and security, especially women and mothers. We LOVE to have security, God designed us this way. One Pastor says that women have a 'security organ' that freaks out when their security is threatened. I definitely have one of those, just ask my husband! I found that when I put my trust in the Lord, fully, then nothing and no one can threaten my security. It is a daily battle to fully trust the Lord and to look past the situation, but it is worth it. The greater the battle, the greater the victory!

Self-Sacrifice and Suffering

Mark 8:34-36

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said,
"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am.
Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.
Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.



Self-sacrifice is how we find out what we are made of. What part of us are we willing to lay down for others. We don't have to do a lot of sacrificing in this country. We have all that we need and most of what we want. Self-sacrifice is a choice to put others first and it is God's way.

Embrace suffering. Wow, that doesn't sound good does it? Suffering sounds hard and God wants us to embrace it. I do know that when we go through hard things God gives us victory and we then can show others how to have the same victory.

Romans 8:16-18 (New King James Version)
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
It says if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. That does sound good! Suffer in Christ today and be glorified!

No hoarding

Matthew 6:19-21
"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

God is definately teaching my family how to live on less and to be content with what we have. A lot has changed over the last year and a half with the economy and we sure feel it. But, on the other hand, God fills in the gaps and we are taken care of. We don't go out to eat all the time like we used to but we're OK with that, too. I wish now that we had saved up for a rainy day like God says to do. It would have been easier on us!
God says to 'stockpile treasure in heaven'. Tithe, offerings, and doing good for others, these are the things that we can invest in heaven and know that our investment is safe in god's economy.

All of Me

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list.

Wow, what a verse! It is really making me reflect.
Do we love our God with all our passion and all our intelligence? Do we really give God our all?
I don't think I give anyone or anything my all. Why not? Fear that my all wouldn't be good enough?
If I never give my all then what exactly am I doing in my life?
Is that why I am never satisfied with the result of my efforts and in doing so, never satisfied with me?
What else makes me hold back? Is it laziness, lack of drive, depression, or are these the results of not giving my all?
Why do I feel like 'giving it my all' would cost me too much? Is it just the lie of the Devil to keep me stuck in a place of 'Not'? Not feeling worthy, not fully accomplishing, not succeeding, not living life to the fullest, not completing, Not giving God or anyone else ALL of my passion, ALL of my prayer, ALL of my intelligence or ALL of me!!
Starting today, I resolve to give my ALL, beginning with God and ALL of me!

You are Blessed - VIII

Matthew 5:10
"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

We are blessed, so far, that our country doesn't persecute us for worshiping God, but I know first hand that our families and friends do. It can be hard to stand for your faith when the ones we speak to look at us like we are crazy. They will try to combat our faith with logic, which goes against faith. Not that God and Creation isn't logical, but sometimes the way we respond to things or the way we forgive in areas doesn't make logical sense to someone looking in from the outside. Stay committed and stand the test of faith. To know what we stand for and what we would die for , depicts who we are. Be proud of who you are in Christ and 'count it all joy'. Be Blessed today!

You are Blessed - VII

Matthew 5:9
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

Be a Peace-Maker. God wants us to get along, just like we want our children to get along. With this concept of cooperating, adults can be as hard to teach as children, ask any Pastor.
This is a great verse for marriage. With God it's not a win-lose. If you seek God, He will show you the win-win. Step back, stop looking at everything emotionally, see the situation through the other persons eyes and you'll find a way to come together on the issue.
'Discover who you really are, and your place in God's family', just the thought Blesses me! Be a Peace-Maker and be Blessed today!!

You are Blessed - VI

Matthew 5:8
"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

Get our hearts right with God, first, and God will open our eyes, to see, and our ears, to hear. Then we will see God working in our everyday life. Some of us open our hearts. but have a harder time with our minds. Others open their minds, and have a hard time with their hearts. God wants your heart and your mind, so you can fully receive His Love and His Blessings. There is freedom in trusting the Lord.

You are Blessed - V

Matthew 5:7
"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

God taught me an important lesson a year ago. I watched someone who was irrate and upset, turn completely around when she saw a friend in need, and filled the need. She went from being self-consumed to outreaching; from Victim to Care-giver. It was amazing how the shift was immediate. You can not be the Victim and the Care-giver at the same time. Have you ever been around someone that is so draining that you feel drained from just talking to them? They are focusing on being the Victim and on being negative and can steal someone else's joy for the moment.
Focus on being the Care-giver not the Victim and you will be Blessed!

You are Blessed - IV

Matthew 5:6 "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

Don't we all just love food, especially when we are hungry? The Word of God is like that! The more we get a taste of His truth the more we want. Begin to stir up a Spiritual hunger and let God fill you up until you're stuffed. The more and more Spiritually full we become, the more we will spill over on to others. Be Blessed, be a Blessing!!

You are Blessed - III

Matthew5:5
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

Let's face it we all would like to improve on the things we do. We strive to be more like others everyday. Today let's focus on who we are not what we do. Be content with who you are. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Be careful not to compare yourself to others. We can never measure up to what we think others are. We look at their strengths against our weaknesses when we compare our lives to theirs. Be proud of who you are in Christ and continually grow in the excellence of honesty, integrity, character, forgiveness, kindness, generosity and selflessness. Know that you are at the right level, right now and God will help you grow. True riches can not be bought. You are Blessed!

You are Blessed - II

Matthew 5:4
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

This verse is so very real to me . My children are most dear to me and a little over a year ago my baby girl was stillborn at 31 weeks. I could not have survived it emotionally if God had not held me through all of it. Now I can see it as a beautiful thing to have a child born straight into the loving hands of God. Don't be afraid to give God all of your hurts and cares. He is there for you. He loves you. He cherishes you. You are Blessed!

You are Blessed - I

Matthew 5:3
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

How many of us have felt at the end of our rope? Especially when we focus on the world and what it has to offer. Last year has opened our eyes to how engolfed we have become in the world's system. If it fails we fail; but only if we get too dependant. God would have us be debt-free and separated from the world's economy. That way if it fails we remain strong and our faith is not covered in fear. Believe and ask God to show you a way to be debt-free then praise Him and thank Him daily until it manifests in your life and then praise Him some more. God is faithful!

Great God

Job 36:26 (The Message)
"Take a long, hard look. See how great He is—infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!

Let God be God in your life. Let Him be the first one you speak to in the morning and the last one at night. He is the only one who has perfect and pure insight into your life. Trust Him, He is not human. He does not have ulterior motives. He wants a close, intimate relationship with His children. Even when His love doesn't make sense, follow Him. If we could see the end from the beginning, we'd all make better choices. Let Him be that shining light into the future, your direction, your guidance.

God-ready Woman

Psalms 14:2 (Message Bible)
God sticks His head out of heaven.
He looks around.
He's looking for someone not stupid--
one man, even, God-expectant,
just one God-ready woman.

Are you a God-ready woman? I want God to find me when He looks around. Don't let me get too preoccupied, Lord. I want to have enough flexibility in my life and in my schedule that I can say "yes, Lord" , when you call on me to do Your work.

Daily Dose

"What would You have me read today, Lord?" I love to ask the Lord to help me open my Bible to the exact spot from which He wants to minister to me. Then I ask Him to confirm His Word, and open the Bible again to where I feel lead. God is faithful. He wants us to seek Him and to read His Word daily.