Worry no more

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.–Matthew 6:25-34

Who adds a day to their life by worrying.

Worry accomplishes nothing but wasting time, aging you and ruining your day. When has worry ever stopped a crisis or improved your perspective?

If God can cloth and feed and take care of his creation then. Why do we think he won’t take care of us? He created us didn’t he. So aren’t we his creation too?

I have never regretted trusting God, but I have regretted worrying about something. It never solves anything and makes me edgy and irritable to others. So why worry.

We need to give our concerns over to God and let him take care of them. And trust that he will provide all we need and more.


Photo by Andrea Reiman on Unsplash

Choose your thoughts

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. –Philippians 4:8-9

Your surroundings affect you.

If you surround yourself with negativity, anger, hate, and immorality, it will be hard to be happy and positive.

But if you surround yourself with good, positive, pure encouraging things being optimistic will be almost natural.

God is love, and if we want to follow him and live a life for him then we must put ourselves in an environment where we can focus on him.

We all have a choice in what we listen to, read and watch; and in our current society of constant media we are continuously being influenced.

Direct your thoughts by making choices that foster what you want.


Photo by Christopher Sardegna on Unsplash

Peace or anxiety

We often underestimate the impact of resting in Gods presence. When it’s what we need most.

When we are at our most desperate, when we feel lost or unsure. That’s when we need God most.

We don’t need to fix our problems before we go to him. Going to him is how we fix our problems.

Instead of dwelling and worrying. We should be dwelling in his presence and letting him show us his perspective that melts away the worry and anxiety. For nothing is too big for him to handle.

The name of JESUS

Speaking the name of Jesus out loud is powerful. It brings an emotional response from us. Some fear, some worry, some peace, some joy, his name invokes something inside us.

We each have a different response when we hear his name.

But we can only truly know him. And learn to love him and be loved by him. If we develop a relationship with him.

I can tell you all day about how amazing he is, that he’s completely changed my life. I can tell you how hearing his name brings so much peace and joy to my heart that it can be overwhelming at times.

But you can never truly know him, until you know him yourself.

Pain or promise. Which one rules you?

“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.” -Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

We all have moments and times in our lives that we wish hadn’t happened. But we can’t change the past. However we can choose how we react to it and what we do with what we have.

Its easy to say I’ve always been like this or you don’t know what I’ve been through. You’re right. I don’t but God does. And he’s the one that can heal all our wounds.

When we let our past dictate our future. We let our past have all the power. But when we choose to let God heal us from our past. We choose to no longer let it affect us. Instead we can look to the future that God has planed for us.

 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ -Jeremiah 29:10-14

Unexpected blessings

Just because God doesn’t do what you want, when you and how you want. Does not mean he is not there for you.

God’s timing is better then ours.

If my husband and I had met sooner, before we each learned how to be in a healthy relationship, how to love and that God is the one who fulfills us, not the other person. We would have caused each other so much pain.

In the same respect as much as we have wanted kids over the past decade and have not been blessed with them yet. We know that having kids is God’s plan for them not ours. They will be a blessing for more than just us and his has a reason for his timing.

God’s timing is perfect.

He knows what we need, when we need it and when what we want would hurt us more then help us.

I asked God for a husband for seven years, but I wasn’t ready. My heart may have longed for the relationship of marriage, but it was for selfish reasons. And selfishness is never good for marriage.

It wasn’t until I surrendered my desire for spouse to God and asked him to pick my husband, that my husband came into my life. I never would of picked him on my own, but God knew what I needed and I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.

Trust God in his timing and ask him what he wants for you right now, instead of what you want.

I bet you’ll be surprised at his answer.


Photo by Charles 🇵🇭 on Unsplash

Don’t limit your perspective

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. –Philippians 3:17-21

Limiting you perspective to what you know and not being willing to believe or even conceive of something outside your current knowledge, limits your ability to grow.


Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

If we only dealt with what was around us and never looked for a solution outside our current knowledge we would never improve.

By seeking the knowledge and perspective of our creator we allow him to change things that we may have seen as impossible before.

Just because we can’t see the solution doesn’t mean one doesn’t exists.

Trust that God has an eternal view and that his solution is beyond what we could think or imagine.

While We Wait

Just because we don’t have what we asked God for right now. Doesn’t mean God’s not giving it to us.

There is so much to be thankful for in this life. There are the basic needs. Food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, bed to sleep in and a home to keep us protected. But God provides so much more than these. He loves to bring joy into our lives even in the little things. Blessing us with our favorite beverage, a smile from a loved one, the warm sun on our face and so much more if we just appreciate him and what he’s already blessed us with.

If we focus on what we don’t have. We will miss all that God has for us each day.

His timing is perfect. He knows what we need and when we need it. Trusting his timing can be hard if we focus on what we don’t have. But if we focus on what he is doing in our life right now. What we are waiting for won’t take as long as we think it will.

What others say

It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts. To become overwhelmed and insecure when we turn to our own opinion of ourselves or others opinions of us.

But the only opinion that should matter is Jesus. What he says is what matters.

He says we are loved, we matter, we belong.

If we depend on getting our value from others we will always feel like we are not enough. But Jesus says we’re priceless.

He paid everything for us, because he loves us.

It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about us. What matters is what Jesus says and he says we are loved.

Take a moment and refocus your thoughts as you listen to this song. Let the words speak to you and let Jesus remind you of who he made you to be.

How do you hear God?

Hearing God is something so many of us are looking for in our lives. What is he saying? Am I really hearing him? What does he sound like? How do I know when or if I’m hearing him?

A few pastor friends of mine produced a great documentary with real life testimony on how people hear God, how to know if it is him and if someone else is really hearing him.

We are all capable of hearing God if we listen, but we need to know what we are listing for.

God speaks in so many ways, through images, nature, others, audible, a still small voice within us, through emotions, feelings, impressions and so many other ways.

He is the creator of the universe and we cannot box him into just one way of speaking, we each hear him in different ways, but one thing is always the same the heart of his expression to us is always love.

God is love and he can never not be loving.

Test what you hear him saying against the bible. Talk to other believers and be willing to be wrong. But know that no matter what he will always be speaking in love.

*The Voice of God documentary is powerful and there is also an Activation Manuel check them both out here.

Find peace in identity

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
—John 14:27

God’s peace is not something you earn, but a gift he freely gives.

Jesus is always looking to bless us, to shower His love on us. We are the ones who hold Him back, by trying to keep control of our lives.

His blessings are peace of mind, peace in our heart and peace in our soul. By finding our confidence and identity in Him. He teaches us to be without fear or worry.

When you know who you are in Jesus, nothing can shake that and no one can take it.

Photo by Tyson Dudley on Unsplash

Forgiveness Change Everything

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:13

I heard a Pastor say once “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

When we hold on to unforgiveness it grows into bitterness and resentment. We think we are hurting the other person because they hurt us, but most of the time the other person doesn’t even know they hurt us.

By holding onto it we just hurt ourselves more.

But by choosing to forgive we extend the same gift God gave us to them. It’s His grace not our ours and who are we to withhold His grace from someone.

Forgiveness is freeing.

Remember how you felt when you accepted Gods forgiveness, it’s the same when we forgive others.

So why would you choose to hold yourself back from that freedom?

We all can worship

Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

1 Chronicles 16:23-24

Worship crosses all boundaries, language and cultural. We all have the capacity to worship God.

It doesn’t matter if we know the words to a song, if we like the style of the music, if we’re rich or poor, what we look like or where we grew up. We all can worship.

Worship is about putting God first in our hearts. It’s about surrendering to Him and giving Him the glory.

It doesn’t matter where we are or who we’re with we can worship God anywhere anytime, with anyone anywhere in the world. Because we are all His children and He loves each of us.

We worship Him because of His who He is, not what He’s done for us. Just as He loves us not for what we’ve done but who we are to Him. His beloved creation.

Photo by Carolina Jacomin on Unsplash

Find Freedom

Rehearsing our mistakes over and over again in our head allows guilt and shame to have control over us. Even rehearsing the wrong doings of others against us gives them power over us. When we allow these things to dictate our decisions we give them control over us.

But when we surrender them over to Jesus and accept His forgiveness for us and for them, we find freedom.

When we die to ourselves and allow God to live through us. His love and his grave cover our mistakes so that we can be free of guilt and shame, because we are dead and the dead can’t be offended, guilty or ashamed.

Instead we can rejoice in the freedom, joy and peace of God’s grace.

Surrender over to God whatever is holding you back, whatever stops you from being who God made you to be.

Free and forgiven.

Warnings are there for a reason

Warnings are there for a reason. They keep us away from danger and help us to go the right direction.

In ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ Aslan warns Mr. Tumnus that he is going the wrong direction by following the orders of The White Witch. Mr. Tumnus had never meet a human before and didn’t know what they were like or if they were safe. But he did know the source of the request to kidnap Lucy.

When we are completely unaware about something we need to look at the source for the answer.

Mr. Tumnus knew the witch was not good and he knew that Aslan was nothing but good, even though he had not meet him yet. Mr. Tumnus knew that Aslan was good.

When we are unsure of things in life, we must look to the source for guidance. The Holy Spirit is that for us. He knows what is good for us and what is not. He keeps us safe from harm and looks to do nothing other than bring us closer to God.

In this world where new things arise everyday. Trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance and he will lead you to the feet of Jesus.

Don’t Stress

When we have those moments that we don’t want to talk to God. Those are the moments we need him the most.

No matter what we are going though or what we’ve done. We can always surrender it over to God. When we put our trust in him. He will take care of it. We don’t even have to say anything. Just surrender whatever we are dealing with over to him. So we can be a crumbled mess on the floor. His presence is what we need most.

I’ve had those moments where I was such a mess that I couldn’t do anything but cry and I’ve been the crumpled mess on the floor feeling completely unworthy of God. But when I surrendered to him and gave him the mess. He surrounded me with his love and comfort. He will do the same for you.

Take a moment, listen to the song below, surrender whatever it is to Jesus and let him carry your worries away.

Forgiveness trumps consequences

For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. –Colossians 3:25

Its easy to skip over verses like these, but its part of the bible and we can’t pick and choose, but we can read in context. The previous verses talk about servants submitting to masters; then it talks about consequences for actions which is all this verse is talking about, it’s a natural progression.

Many would wonder well what if my master/boss/parent is rude or mean or cruel. Most likely they are that way because someone was like that to them and being rude back only perpetuates the cycle. But when we submit to authority in our lives God bless us, regardless of whether that authority deserves it or not. Maybe that person has never experienced the love and grace of God. We can be that to them. By showing honor and respect.

None of us deserved God’s forgiveness, but he gives it freely. We can’t earn it. That’s why Jesus came to a be sacrifice in our place. Because as hard as we try we can’t earn our salvation. So if we are given a gift that we didn’t and can’t earn how can we hold back that gift from others.

no more fear

We should not be afraid to share our faith in God, we should shout it from the rooftops. There is nothing wrong with it and we should not be afraid to share it. Our faith in Jesus changed our lives and we should share that.

Our fear comes from worry or fear of acceptance, but we are sharing about our God who takes those away from us. He accepts us and that is what defines us and matters most. He came to give us peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and joy. Our confidence comes from him and who he is in us and that’s what we should share.

He holds it all together

God knows what were going through, he knows ever ache and pain, every anguish and he’s in it with us holding our hand, leading us, guiding us, holding us, because he always knows what we need, when we need it.

He’s with us when were having our worst day and our best day. He will comfort us when we need it and rejoice with us in our triumph’s. God does life with us. Because he is our life.

We pour out to others all day, at work, at home or when we’re out. But what are we poring out? We are meant to pour out Jesus. So when someone tests our patience, it’s his patience that shines though. His love, his mercy. But to pour him out we need to be full of him. And when we pour out. We need to refill. Even Jesus sought time to pray and seek the Father so he was ready to pour out to others. And when he had ministered to people he would go back to his Father for more.

Holy Spirit is our constant companion, our best friend and the one who loves us. We need only to focus our attention on him and let him flow through us.

What would you do to avoid pain?

In the Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia series Prince Rillian in pursuit of trying to heal from the lose of his mother. Allows himself to be seduced by the queen of the underworld. He gets so caught up trying to escape his pain that he lets her twist his perspective on the world and feed him lies about who he is.

We can do the same in our lives, if we look for the quick easy fix to cover up, ignore, or push away our pain instead of dealing with it we can be so caught up in the lies of others or even the lies we tell ourselves. That we can allow our whole environment to change right around us, till we begin to believe the lies are the truth.

We as humans will do almost anything to escape pain. But no matter where we are or what we’ve allowed ourselves to get into. Jesus is always there. We can always call on his name and he will be there for us. He will send others to help guide us out of the darkness and into the light. If you feel like you’ve fallen into something and you don’t know how to get out. Seek God and he will reveal the truth to you and set you free.

Don’t stress

Mornings can be hard waking up thinking about all you have to do that day. It makes a lot of us want to go back to bed. What if we let God lead?

What if we let him direct our steps? And give us the energy, stamina, desire and plan for the day. He never intended for us to do life without him. So why do we keep trying?

Ask God his plan for your day? He created the universe. He can plan your day. You may think he doesn’t care about the little things, like brushing my teeth, but I beg to differ. He made you, he made your teeth, he cares about the small stuff too.

So ask him what his plan for your steps are today and let him lead. I think you’ll be surprised at how much more peaceful and productive your day is when you let him lead your steps.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalms 143:8

What fills you up

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,  and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

Colossians 2:8-10

Everyone fills their heart and their head with something.

What we focus on in the morning will be with us all day and what we focus on at night will be with us in our dreams and may even wake us up. Starting our day with God sets the tone for the day. Putting him first gives us the energy, wisdom and stamina to not just get through the day but to thrive.

When we let God fill us up in the morning and ask him to direct our steps through the day, our days go smoother. We have more peace and calm. Because he gives us all we need. He helps us do what we need to better, more effectively and efficiently. And helps us to avoid the pitfalls that can drain us or steer us in the wrong direction.

Let God direct your steps and you’ll be surprised how amazing your day will go.

Photo by Luís Eusébio on Unsplash

Walking on Water

Unknown territory can be scary. When God asks us to venture where we’ve never been or do something new it can be intimidating.

That’s where faith comes in. When we know God, we know His character, we know who He is, we know that we can trust Him.

Jesus asked Peter to get out of the boat and to walk out on the water to Him. Something that we all would have a hard time doing. But he knew Jesus and he knew that if Jesus told him to take that step of faith that Jesus would provide all he needed to do what Jesus asked of him.

It was only when Peter changed his focus from Jesus to the storm around him that he began to sink. Fixing his eyes back on Jesus brought him back upon the water.

What has Jesus asked you to take a step of faith in? Have you taken it and lost your way. Fix your eyes back on Him, and trust that He will provide what you need to walk on the water with Him.

God’s love concurs fear

The love of God transform us. It gives us boldness, strength and confidence in the toughest moments. God’s love not only cancels fear, it removes it. God’s love is all encompassing.

It gave David the strength to face Goliath. Daniel the stamina to face the lion den. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego the confidence to face the fire.

God’s love gives us all we need to face or overcome the trials we face in life. He gives us peace in the storm. If we fix our eyes on Him. Like Peter walking on the water. When his gaze was fixed on Jesus he was able to do what defied logic and understanding. But when Peter took his gaze off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him (his circumstances) he began to sink.

So no matter what your surrounded by, fix your gaze on Jesus and He’ll teach you to walk on the water and find peace that surpasses understanding.

Why do we think we don’t belong in church?

In the movie I Can Only Imagine Bart Millard invites his dad to go to church with him and his dad replies that “he doesn’t belong in church.”

This broke my heart and began to make me think how often this is our reason for not inviting people to church or that we’ve given ourselves.

But this is a misconception. The church is not four walls or an organization. The people are the church. Jesus destroyed the temple and rebuilt it in us. We are the temple. Jesus is inside us.

Saying that we don’t belong in church is true. We don’t deserve to have Jesus live inside us, none of us do. But that is the beauty of his sacrifice we don’t deserve it but he gives us the free gift of having him live inside us. Not by earning it but by accepting nd believing in Jesus sacrifice for us he makes the way for us to be the church.

This means that when we encounter people we are bringing the church to them.

The next time you meet someone and think “I want to bring them to church.” Remember you already have. You’re right there in front of them (you are the church), tell them what Jesus has done for you and ask them if they would like Jesus to do the same for them.

Church is anywhere we are, we don’t have to wait for Sunday or the right service. Jesus is in us all day every day and he wants all his children to know him.

Once you have introduced them to Jesus, then invite them to the gathering of other Christians.

~May all your interactions with others reflect Jesus

Stop Trying and Let God Do It

When we feel inadequate or less than. We need more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself said don’t do anything or go anywhere until you receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t do anything unless the Father did or said so through the Holy Spirit. So how can we expect do anything without the Holy Spirit either.

The Fruit of the Spirit IS…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5)

That means that when we let the Holy Spirit fill us and work through us we have all of these characteristics. We don’t need more patience or more kindness. We need more Holy Spirit. All of the attributes of the Holy Spirit are exuded through him together.

When God asks us to do something he provides what we need. It’s not our works but his. His faith, His power, His love. He is what makes all the difference. We are just the willing vessel for him to work through.

So stop saying ‘I can’t do it,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ ‘I don’t want to.’ Because God will give you the will, the wisdom and the passion to do what he has called you to do. We must simple do one thing.

Seek Him. Spend time with Him, let Him fill us up. Let Him work in and thru us to accomplish what He has called us to.

What influences your decisions?

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. –Colossians 4:18

Paul was imprisoned for his faith in Jesus but that never stopped him from sharing his faith with people. He wrote letters to believers from prison, encouraging them to continue in their faith in God. He shared his faith with those he was imprisoned with. He never stopped or allowed his circumstances to change him, who he was or what God had called him to.

It’s easy to allow our circumstances to dictate our mood, our behavior and our decisions. But when we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he can change our attitude, our perspective and lead us to make better decisions.

We can either choose to let life dictate to us or we can be the change that makes a difference.

Photo by Burst on Unsplash

No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus

No one will ever treasure you more then Jesus.

To know the character of God you need only look at the fruit of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone that exudes all these all the time. God is personal and we get to have a deep intimate relationship with him. He is not far off and distant but close and intimate. My favorite moments with him are listening to songs like the one posted below and just letting his love surround me to feel that deep intimate closeness with him. Neither of us has to say anything its just being in his presence that is enough.

He’s sweet and kind, comforting and peaceful with bouts of joy. He’s everything we need if we just surrender ourselves to him. Many people like to have a prayer closet or close the door to the bedroom. But I love open spaces with him. A walk in the woods or at home I prefer to be in our living room. For me I think its mental I don’t like to limit God or put him in a box so I think the spaces I enjoy with him most don’t have those limits. You can encounter God and have a deep intimate moment with him anywhere (more open areas are just my preference.)

We each need this daily if possible. To have a moment in our day when we forget everything and just be in his presence. No reading requirement, no set time just a moment we steal away and make it all about being in his presence.

Take a moment, listen to the song in the video below and just let the words sink in and open your self up to feel God’s presence.

Why do we doubt

Why do we doubt God’s forgiveness? We say oh, he can’t forgive me, he can’t, you don’t know what I’ve done, I don’t belong.”

I used to think the same thing.

In my late teens till my early twenties I choose to walk away from God and pretty much did whatever I wanted. But when I finally decided to give my life back to God, I was terrified.

The first Sunday I was so scared that I clung to my best friends arm digging my fingernails into her arm as I walked back into the sanctuary of the church I had grown up in.

I truly believed everyone knew exactly what I had been doing during those years and I was convinced that everyone was going to turn, look at me and shoot fiery red darts out of their eyes.

But I was wrong. Everyone greeted me with smiles, hugs and open arms. No judgement, no questions, just people happy to see me.

That is how God sees us. When we choose to invite him into our lives, he greets us with open arms and a huge smile. 

God loves us.

He is always ready and waiting to welcome us into his family.

So what is holding you back? Fear? Worry? Anxiety?

Well good new those thing are not of God so won’t find them in him.

God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful and he has self control.

So what about that scares you?

The song Clean by Natalie Grant reminds me of how God sees us.

God sees us restored and new in him.

He wants to bless us and bless others through us.

He’s not up there waiting to strike us down. He’s right next to us waiting patiently for us to allow him into our lives. He’s constantly there wanting to spend time with us, talk to us and show us who he made us to be.

Trust me, who he made you to be is beyond anything you could ever imagine. When I began writing I knew that it was what I was meant to be doing. God had been telling me for years but it wasn’t until I took the leap of faith to really pursue it that I felt like this is it. This is what I was meant to do.

Ask God who he’s made you to be and trust that he knows what suits you best, he made you.

What has self preservation cost you?

I find so much inspiration through movies. Different scenes and certain lines remind me of what Jesus did for us.

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Eustace is transformed into a dragon because of his greed, but it leaves him in a precarious situation where he can’t interact with others like he used. In the end Eustace tries to remove the scales to return to being human, but he can’t do it on his own. He needs Aslan to do it for him. To shed his tough outer shell created by the decisions that transformed him in the first place.

We all do this in life. We seek to take care of ourselves and in the process build up an armor to protect us from others. But does it really help us or hinder us from having relationships with others.

We may be protected but we are alone.

Even a dragon with his thick armor can fall prey to attack, but when we allow others in, to help us and protect us we aren’t alone anymore. Having a support system is so much better then doing it all on your own.

Jesus like Aslan wants to protect us, but we first have to be willing to let him in. To let him help us shed our old habits that got us where we are in the first place.


Photo by Troy Jarrell on Unsplash

Saul is a great example of this. He tried to achieve salvation through earning it. He followed ever rule but he was callus and hard, not allowing himself to see the truth of who Jesus was, the savior he had been waiting for his whole life. He was too wrapped up in trying to protect himself and others from who he thought was a false savior to see the truth. Until Jesus revealed himself to him. Paul was then humbled by his experience with Jesus as was Eustace, they both shed their old skin to find the truth in Jesus.

What façade have you put on to protect yourself? What has it cost you to keep your outer shell of protection? Are you willing to pay the cost or are you ready to let Jesus to pay the cost for you and be your protector? Are you ready to not be alone anymore?

Willing Vessel

Being a willing vessel is about God’s plan not ours, God’s power not ours, God’s words not ours.

So when he asks us to do something it’s his words, his plan and his power. So we don’t have to worry about our iniquities. Because it’s not about us it’s about him

Moses didn’t part the Red Sea with his own ability. Peter’s shadow didn’t heal people because of his ability. It was God’s work in and through them. That’s why he asks us to be a willing vessel, for him to work through us. Not for us to do the work on our own.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. -2 Corinthians 4:7

Faith is in God’s Ability

If your faith is dependent on your ability or lack of ability it’s not faith. Faith is in God and his ability not our ability.

What are Gods abilities:
He multiples food
He can part the Red Sea
He overflowed two boats with fish
He heals the sick
He raised the dead

What about his record makes you doubt his ability to work through you? Him working through us is about us surrendering and being a willing vessel. Spending time reading the Bible, worshiping God and praying is how we hear him. But we have to be surrendered. Willing to hear him and do as he says.

When I prepare to preach I ask God what scripture he wants me to share. Then I read it over and over for days asking him to reveal it to me. So his word and his message are ingrained in my heart. I pray asking him to speak his heart through me. And I worship surrendering my heart, mind, voice and body to him for him to speak through me.

It’s the same when God asks us to speak to someone in the grocery store or at work. But we often don’t have time to stop pray read and worship first. That’s why prayer, worship and reading the Bible should be part of our lives everyday. So we are prepared when he asks us to do something. Prepared to be a willing vessel.

Worship Anyway

There have been many times I didn’t feel like worshipping because I was worried about something or didn’t understand why. Because I was too much in my head and in my abilities. Not focused on God and his abilities.


When we choose to ignore our feeling, insecurities ad worries and still surrender to God in worship. He gives us peace that surpasses understanding and tells us not to worry because he will provide. So I worship him anyway because by the time I’m done he’s changed my perspective and I have his peace.

Lead By Jesus

Surrendering all to Jesus is about laying down our plans and following his. God created everything. He perfectly placed earth in our solar system so that we would not be too hot or too cold. He designed the seasons to show us what death and resurrection look like. He shows us how seeds can be planted, grow and spread through creation. He provides for us in ways we take for granted every day. So why wouldn’t we trust him to plan our life. When he planned the universe.

It’s about God and his kingdom, not ours. That’s why we die to self. So that he can live through us.

The Secret Place

Our secret place time with God can be anywhere, anytime but it must be personal, intimate and a conversation. Not just meeting a reading requirement or time obligation, but an intimate time with God where we are excited to spend time with him. Where we are asking him questions and actually listening to receive answers.

Think about the person you are closest to. Is spending time with them something on a checklist or a requirement. No you want to spend time with them. It’s a joy and something you look forward to.

God can become our favorite person, if we let him. He’s the creator of the universe, a loving father and he can do anything. How can that be boring. Make time with him daily and I guarantee your day will be better for it.

Don’t despair the journey and it’s trials

There is a story about a servant carrying two pots from the river each day to bring water to his master. One pot is broken and only brings half the water from the river that the other pot carries. But along the path the servant planted wildflowers for the broken pot to water as he carried it.

Jesus does the same in our lives he uses our brokenness to pour out his life giving water. He fills us up so that we can water the seeds in others that he has planted along our path.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ~John 4:13-14

Photo by Kamil Szumotalski on Unsplash

True blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places–Ephesians 1:3

Jesus sacrifice gives us the opportunity to come into right relationship with God. This relationship makes us heirs with him so we can experience his blessings.

But God’s blessings are not all tangible, like we so often look for. Most of them are spiritual. Peace that surpasses understanding, freedom from guilt and shame, being loved more than we can imagine. These things can’t be taken from us.

The next time your looking for God to provide. Seek his kingdom and know that he provides and blesses us with the things that really matter. Love, hope, joy and forgiveness.

No one is beyond

No one is beyond redemption. No one is beyond forgiveness. No one is so lost that God doesn’t want them. None of us are beyond hope. God always want us. He loves us. He always seeks us.

He is constantly in pursuit of each and ever one of us. He pursues us on our best day and at our worst moment, seeking relationship with us in every moment.

God is always with us if we will just let Him in.

The Holy Spirit is a Game Changer

The Holy Spirit is an atmosphere changer.

When we yield ourselves to his leading things change. Our perspective, our attitude, our mood, all change to that of God.

Yielding to the Holy Spirit is a game changer!

That simple decision in each moment of each day. Can change our whole day if we stop for a second and listen. If we take that moment to make the Holy Spirit the most important thing in our lives. We can change how we speak and how we act towards our friends, our family, our co-workers and the world around us. Let the Holy Spirit be your game changer and see what he can do in and through you!

Love is Putting Others Before Yourself

When you think your life is worth more then others, you do not know love. ~Tauriel, The Battle of Five Armies

Jesus expressed his love for us not only by sacrificing his life on the cross but by the sacrifice he showed everyday. He could of come down as a grown man, taken up an earthly governmental throne and demanded praise. But he didn’t. He came humbly, lived humbly and put others before himself. He modeled love by putting others before himself.

Jesus didn’t think his life was too valuable to sacrifice, so how can we?

Sharing God’s love with others is when we put others first, show them honor and respect. Show them they are valuable. Next time you encounter someone and you don’t know what to do. Ask ‘What does love look like?’ Loving people isn’t always about our words. Many times it’s in our actions. Love looks like caring groceries for someone, bringing them a meal, giving a shoulder to cry on. Love can be expressed in many ways but true love always puts others before ourselves.

That’s what Jesus did. He put our lives before his own, because we are valuable to Him.

Jesus Gives Us a Clean Slate

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:20-24

How many times have you wished you could have a fresh start, a clean slate?

You can, when you accept Jesus sacrifice you get a clean slate. He wipes away all your past mistakes and starts you fresh and the best part is you an have a fresh start everyday.

From the moment you choose to follow Jesus, you can have a fresh start.

Jesus died so that we would not have to be bogged down by our past mistakes. So that we wouldn’t have to feel guilt, shame and condemnation.

He came to set us free.

Jesus makes us new in him. We die to our old ways, our old habits and our old mindset and take on his mind.

You don’t have to be what you used to be you don’t have to be restrained to your past you can be set free.

If you choose him!

What is dying to self?

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3;10-11

You may have heard some preachers or myself say to die to self. But what does that mean.

Dying to self, is just that dying to self. It’s putting to death your selfish desires, wants and even needs and putting others before yourself.

Sound crazy right, but that is what Jesus did in his life and death. He came to serve not be severed. He paid the price of his own life so that we could have his life in exchange for ours.

When we surrender our lives to Jesus and let him live through us. He provides for all our needs and fulfills many of our desires beyond our wildest dreams.

You may think, I still need to live, to eat, to breathe, to sleep. So don’t I have to be selfish at someone point. No, because when we following the leading of the Holy Spirit he takes care of those needs. I have never regretted putting someone before myself, but I have regretted not putting someone else first.

Marriage is a example of how our relationship with Jesus is supposed to be. We are supposed to put our spouses needs before ourselves. They are supposed to do the same, which brings balance. I can’t tell you how many times I have been doing something for my husband and he surprises me by taking care of the other things I needed to do after I took care of him.

It’s the same with Jesus. When he asks us to do something for someone else he already has something in the works to take care of us.

So dying to self is simple putting God first and trusting him to take care of all that he has promised us.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a?

 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Thy Will

Years ago I made a choice to drastically change my life and gave my life back to Jesus. The one thing that has been consistent since is my heart cry to God “Thy Will be Done.” 

I tried life without God and I screwed it up royally.

But when I made the choice to follow Jesus and made Him Lord of my life. I now ask Him what he wants, instead of what I want.

Every time I choose to trust God and follow His lead. He provides abundantly more than I could of imagined. The path to get there can sometimes feel uncertain, strange or even impossible, but God always provides.

Many times in the past years His way has proved better then what I would’ve chosen.

He has moved my husband and I all over the country, to multiple jobs, unemployment and through some rough financial patches. One constant reminder that God’s will is the better choice is my husband!

That’s right, I let God choose my husband!

My track record with picking boyfriends for myself was terrible, just ask my friends.

But when I choose to let God take the lead, I stopped dating and waited for God to bring me ‘the One’

I know it sounds crazy, but it worked.

My husband is the perfect partner for me and God has truly blessed me with little surprises in him that I didn’t even know I wanted or needed in a spouse.

It’ all because I said to God “Thy Will be done” 

What has God been asking you to take a step of faith in?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Psalms 3:5

No Magic Formula for Prayer

There’s no magic formula to prayer. Its just a conversation between you and God. Meaning you talk and he talks back. When we talk to God we should expect an answer. We are not just throwing our prayers into the air and saying well if he wants to he’ll do something. He wants to be with us, share with us and show us who he is and what he has planned for us. He wants our openness, our vulnerability, our mess, our fears and our worries. He wants to talk to us and let us know that he is all we need.

Why do we feel we have to fix ourselves or have just the right words to talk to him? He loves us and he wants to talk to us.

If we have to be all cleaned up just to talk to him. Then why did Jesus sacrifice himself? If we could achieve perfection, then Jesus sacrifice was in vain. So why do we keep thinking we have to achieve it before we can talk to him.

God is our Heavenly Father and like any good father, he wants to be there for us even when we are at our worst, in fact especially then. That’s when we should depend on him the most, when we are at our worst. Because he is the one that can make it better, he can heal the hurts and the pain, and he has already forgiven us.

We need to stop trying to be perfect first and let him perfect us instead. Next time your at your worst or you don’t know what to do. Talk to God about it and listen for the answer.

Seek Jesus, Even in the Simple Things

In the movie Prince Caspian, while Peter, Lucy, Edmond and Susan are making their way through the much changed land of Narnia they become lost. They tried to rely on what they knew, instead of calling on Aslan to help even to the point of ignoring Lucy when she sees him.

We can become like this too. When we’ve done something for a long time or feel we know what we are doing we forget about Jesus. We forget to ask His guidance, help or even just his companionship. But in taking him for granted we can veer off the path he intended us to take.

If we have faith like Lucy and look for his guidance he will show us new things and new ways to accomplish what we are doing even if we have done it time and time again. His guidance should always be where we look first. He may only have the smallest change but it could make the biggest difference. He designed us for dependence on him. Trust his guidance.

You don’t have to clean up first

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. –Colossians 1:12-14

I thank God for what he has done in my life. His sacrifice gave me the opportunity to start over, to build a new life, free from shame and guilt. Free from my past mistakes.

That’s what Jesus did when he came to earth. He lived life as a servant and sacrificed his life for us. He never gave in to temptation but gave his life over willingly to take our place. We are that valuable to him that he gave everything for us, every moment of everyday of his life, even unto a death he didn’t deserve so that he could deliver us from darkness.

See it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, because Jesus forgives you. Don’t worry about thinking you have to clean up your act or change before you come to God. You come to him just as you are so that his sacrifice and his forgiveness can free you from guilt and shame and give you new life.

Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash

Worship is more then singing

 “There is no one holy like the Lord;

    there is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2

Worship is about our hearts, our minds and our focus. Worship is so much more then singing songs. Worship is constant. It’s a choice in every moment to choose to glorify God in our words, our actions and in the attitudes of our hearts.

When you worship through song don’t just repeat the words, read them, mean them, sing them out as a benediction and put your all in it.

When I was in Uganda worship was hard at first, because it was in Swahili or Llungahndan which I don’t speak and they danced (controversial, I know) but they taught me about worship.

We worshiped for hours and I didn’t understand the words and I didn’t know the dances. But that didn’t matter.

Worship is about your heart. So I sang, I sang in English if I recognized the tune of the song or I sang in tongues and I danced, I didn’t know the steps or the movements but I danced. I worshiped with all that was in me. I worshiped with my mouth, with my body and with my heart.

Worship is about appreciation. When you worship God remember it’s about him not you. So if God has done anything for you then jump, dance and shout from the rooftops .

Photo by David Calderón on Unsplash

Sweet life-changing forgiveness

God’s forgiveness makes us feel fresh and new and clean. It’s a new start, a new beginning, no need to dwell on the past, we just focus on who God made us to be.

When God paid for our mistakes he gave us the chance to be born again spiritual, to be made new and clean, to start fresh.

So why do we dell on our past mistakes? All it does is brings us down. Trust me I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life. But dwelling on them does nothing except distract me from what God is doing in me now.

His forgiveness lifts our burdens, guilt and shame. He never meant for us to walk around like that, but to walk free in his presence.

Don’t dwell on who you were even a moment ago. Instead focus on who God made you to be and walk in his freeing forgiveness.

Trusting when you can’t see

Trusting God when you can’t see the end can be scary. But when you trust His leading you never know what you can accomplish.

In the movie Facing the Giants, the coach challenges a player to do a death crawl to the fifty yard line blindfolded. The player couldn’t see where he was but he trusted his coach’s direction and as he made his way across the field as his coach encouraged him to keep going even though he was tired and couldn’t see and wanted to quit. In the end he ended up going double the distance he was supposed to and ended up in the end zone.

When we trust God even though we may not understand. We can do more than we ever thought we could on on our own and can end up further then we ever thought we could go.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6

Expressing Jesus

There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.   We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.  So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Something a friend of mine taught me is that we are all different parts of the body of Jesus.

You may have heard this many times.

But he explained it that since we are all different parts, different aspects of God expressed though all of us. God is so vast that it takes all of humanity to express Him. We each reveal Him in different ways.

Some show God’s relentless love and compassion for humanity. Some show His willingness to stop everything, to show love to the poorest soul on the planet, and some show unrelenting faith by forgiving endlessly.

All you need to do is look at the many varieties of flowers or trees to see just a small glimpse of how complex God is.

All of creation cries out to glorify God and we are part of that creation meant to express Him.

We as Christians are all the body of Jesus and we have all of Him but some characteristics of Him are stronger in you then they are in me. That’s why we need each other. To be the hands and feet of Jesus together!

Photo by Nina Strehl on Unsplash