Peace beyond comprehension

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. –Colossians 3:15

Peace in our hearts is something we all desire. But how do you get it, when there is always something, to worry about.

Simple. God’s peace surpasses our worldly concerns. It may sound crazy, but he created us and he created this world, so his peace can supersede our worries and concerns.

So how do we get his peace?

We trust him and give our worries and concerns over to him by asking him for his perspective or solution. When we look to him for the answer that’s when he can give us his peace.

His peace, is like shifting the responsibility over to him. You know that feeling when you feel overwhelmed with a task, like it will never end and you have no idea how to accomplish it. Then your boss comes to you and says you were never meant to worry or deal with that task in the first place.

That’s how God’s peace feels, that immediate relief, that lift of tension and stress.

God never meant for us to bear our own burdens, he came so that he could relieve that stress and give us his peace.

Stop living as if you have to do it all on your own, because you were never meant to, we are meant to life live in peace, because we are meant to live life with Jesus 24/7.

Letting Jesus Spill Out

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:14-15, 24

Worship is a choice, to choose to focus our attention on the Holy Spirit and let him spill out from us or to ignore him and let our own thoughts and desires lead us.

It’s letting Him live through us each and every day, all day. It’s choosing to sacrifice our selfish desires the same way Jesus did when he lived on earth and let the Holy Spirit work through him. 

We can easily get wrapped up in who we were before Jesus and let that dictate how we act, think and speak. But that’s not who we are anymore. Jesus makes us new and gives us a new life and that is how we worship. By foregoing our own selfishness and letting him spill out through us.

I’m proud to be a “Jesus Freak”

Jesus Freak by DC Talk was one of my favorite songs when I was in junior high, when I started to make my faith my own.

I was proud then and I’m proud now to be a “Jesus Freak.” Because that means that others see him in me and through me.

We are supposed to be different, we are supposed to stand out for Jesus. People are supposed to see us differently and it’s supposed to be desirable.

That doesn’t mean that we wash down the gospel so that it’s palatable to people in there current point of view, it means that we show them that they can have peace and joy and hope and love through having their own relationship with Jesus.

Being a Jesus Freak should be something we are proud of, not something we are ashamed of.

Depths of despair

One single moment can pull us from the depths of despair.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I love Anne of Green Gables. One of the expressions Anne uses often is that she’s “in the depths of despair.”

I have to be honest, I’ve always thought she was being over dramatic, until one summer when I struggled with depression. I’m generally an optimistic, joyful, happy person, but I could not shake this funk. I tried talking to God but to be honest I was kind of mad at Him. Until one day when when I choose to forgive Him.

Yes forgive God.

It was not that God had done anything wrong, it was that I didn’t like the answer He had given regarding something I was asking for.

That single act pulled me from my depression, when I choose to let go of my expectations and trust God’s timing.

For many people, myself included. We can be angry or dis-enthralled with God because He doesn’t give us what we want, in the timing we expect it to happen. We do this more than I think any of us would like to admit. But the key to freedom is to let go of the things He asks us to let go of. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t want to bless us with the desires He’s placed in our heart. It means He has something better or maybe we aren’t ready for what that blessing entails.

Not giving our dreams over to Jesus is like staying in an old dilapidated house beyond repair because it has memories and nostalgia. When God is saying I have this perfect house over here, and we can build better, happier memories.

That’s the power of forgiveness, it can pull us from the depths of despair in one moment.

What are you holding on to that’s keeping you in the depths of despair?

Trust that God has something better for you, and let go.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

We have to be prepared to reach the top

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. 

Habakkuk 3:19

In order to reach the mountain tops in life we need to be equipped to handle them. Experienced mountain climbers train for month to reach the peak of mountain tops and some make sacrifices to achieve their goals.

God is the same with us. He will led us up the mountain, but he must equip us to handle the conditions at the top first.

Ask him each day what he wants to teach you? And know that even if you don’t always understand it, trust that he’s preparing you for your next mountain top moment.

Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash

Calm in chaos

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:10-13

To know how to be content in any and all circumstances is what Jesus gives us.

He gives us peace that surpasses understanding and joy that abound beyond reason. He gives us strength when we are weak.

He teaches us how to be who he made us to be no matter what.

So that our circumstances don’t change us, we change our circumstances.


Photo by Kyson Dana on Unsplash



Comfort in the arms of Jesus

Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
 For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

 I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 61:1-4

I always know that I can take comfort in the arms of Father God.

That no matter where I am, whether I feel strong or weak that he is always there to protect, love and care for me. I never have to worry because I know that as long as I trust God and give everything over to to him that he will take care of it.

No matter what your facing today. Know that God is always there for you. Give him your worries, your concerns and your cares and let him bear your burdens.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

The Big Picture

Its easy to get wrapped up in ourselves, in our own world and to neglect or take for granted our relationship with God. We know He will always be there for us but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss us. With all the responsibilities of life its easy to push Him off till later to say, let me just take care of this first or do that and then I’ll spend time with God.

But its when we put God first that He helps us to accomplish all we have to do and somehow when we follow His plan there is always extra time left. When we follow His lead and His way He does things faster and better then we ever could have and shows us little surprises along the way.

God sees the big picture. He sees how everything works together and when we trust His leadership He guides us to bigger and grander things then we could of done if we’d done it on our own. When we are wrapped up in what is right in front of us, we miss what’s a few steps ahead.

My husband and I have moved a lot and in one of our searches for a rental home. All I could see was the things that I was looking for instead of what I was looking at. After viewing a few homes I picked one and my husband picked the other. When we returned to view his choice he showed me what I had missed. The beautiful woods that the house backed up to. He saw the big picture while I just focused on what I wasn’t seeing he saw what really mattered.

Trust Jesus leadership. He sees the big picture.

Do you know God?

“Don’t you know me by now?” ~23 Blast

Sometimes God doesn’t answer our question because he already has, we just don’t realize it. Sometimes his answer is in what has done for us, more than in words. Knowing the character of God is crucial to our communication with him.

As I’ve mentioned before we have struggled in our finances before. But every time I bring it up to God he reminds me of his character. That he is our provider and that he doesn’t worry about it so why should we. Logically we should not have made it through those times. But God provided over and over again each month. I’m astonished at how he provides. But he does. Because that is who he is. He is all our providers and we have no reason to doubt him because he always provides when we put our trust in him.

What have you been asking God about? Ask him to show you if he’s already provided the answer in just being who he is.

If you’re not sure you know his character read Galatians 5:22-23 and look for his answer in his character.

Not Above Anyone

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. –Romans 12:3

One of the greatest life lessons I’ve learned was that I’m not above anything or anyone.

Years ago I worked at the church I grew up in, as an administrative assistant. The senior pastor helped me learn this lesson by the way he led.

He always said that he was not above anything, even down to picking up a gum wrapper off of the ground. Yes there were janitorial staff, but he was there so why wouldn’t he.

Photo by Forest Simon on Unsplash

He modeled this everyday. He was always willing to stop whatever he was doing to help someone and he never shied away from helping set-up or tear down, he was always the last to leave and the last to eat.

I’ve applied this lesson everywhere in my life, by seeing myself as there to serve, in the workplace, in my home and in life. When I see an opportunity to help, I help.  This has helped me to not become bitter or resentful more times then I can count.

Jesus considered himself a servant. So how can we consider ourselves above Jesus.

When you see opportunities to serve or help, look at them as opportunities to shine Jesus.

What’s your attitude towards prayer?

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2

Photo by Caique Silva on Unsplash

Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Talking with him, listening to him, enjoying his presence. But our approach to the conversation determines the outcome.

If we come to him with demand after demand without giving him even a moment to respond. How do you think that would go? How would you react, if that was how someone approached you?

Go to God with thankfulness for him, humility and appreciation of who he is. Speak to him as you would to the person you respect and love the most and listen for his answers.

Spirit Lead US

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit can sounds scary and intimidating. But all it really is, is simple small choices that lead to the big ones. Even small choices can have a big impact.

For years I asked the Holy Spirit which way to drive to work as I had a few routes that would get me there. Every time I followed His leading I arrived on time. But when I didn’t I arrived late. Little decisions can make a big difference that we may not see in the moment.

A larger scale example is from a friend of mine that was driving to an event across the state, it was something he attended yearly and never usually needed a restroom break in the two hour drive. But this one time he needed it; completely out of the norm for him. Later he found out that had he not stopped he would have mostly likely been on the highway at the spot where a massive car pileup happened.

The Holy Spirit gives us little prompting, even something as simple as bathroom break. We may never know the impact, but we need to trust that he has a reason and a purpose for everything, even the small stuff.

What has the Holy Spirit been leading you to do? Take that small step of faith and follow His leading.

God Given Dreams

The song I can only imagine by Mercy Me speaks to me every time I hear it.

One of the most pivotal times was when my husband and I went to a Astros game in Houston. We were living in Louisiana at the time and decided to go to Houston for our anniversary. We found tickets the morning of the game and had no idea that it was the Faith and Family day for the Astros. (If you’ve never been to one you should go most MLB teams have one)

After the game one of the players and his wife shared there testimonies. Following that was a Mercy Me concert. I have always loved them but had never heard them in concert. It was amazing, I think I cried through the whole time just praying and worshiping God as He broke my heart, reminding me that He had a calling on my life to be a writer and that I had been ignoring it at that time.

At the end of the concert the lead singer Bart Millard shared how Mercy Me was his dream and how God had pushed him to it and used the song I Can Only Imagine to do it. A song that had been strung throughout my life and has always driven me to the feet of Jesus.

This experience with God was the catalyst that pushed me to write to start this devotional blog in 2018. It was the push that I needed to follow the dream that God had placed in my heart.

What dream has God placed in your heart? Seek God, ask him what he’s called you to and his plan to accomplish it.

True Perspective

Kindness and seeing people for who they can be. Not for who we judge them to be in a moment. Can change both peoples perspectives for the better.

In the movie the Blind Side the people around Michael see him for who he could be. We all have gifts and talents and many times it just takes that one person to believe in them to help us succeed.

That’s how God looks at us. He sees our full potential to do great things, he created each of us and he knows what we can do and its even more then we can image.

Its his kindness that he sent Jesus and its his kindness that he waits for us to be ready to receive all that he has for us.

Seeing people the way that God sees them changes our perspective of ourselves and of others. Next time you doubt God’s plan for you ask him how he sees you. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t despair

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. 

Psalm 42:5a NASB

God’s presence changes everything.

Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash

We can be in the worst mood with the worst outlook but if we shift our focus to him. He changes the atmosphere. We don’t have to try to change or try to be different, we simply have to let him live through us.

When we surrender everything to him, he show us his plan and his way. Which is always so much better then ours.

Let’s stop striving in life and let the one who created the entire universe direct our steps, our mood and our life.

Through heavens eyes

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.-Colossians 3:1-4

We are meant to think like Jesus, act like Jesus and be Jesus. But we are not meant to play act, we are supposed to let him shine instead of us.

Think of Jesus as your boss in a way, but imagine he is the best boss ever, who only ever wants the very best for you and others. You wouldn’t make decisions without your bosses approval so why would we make decisions without first going to Jesus.

He knows everything and therefore knows the best way, the most efficient way and the funniest way to do things. So why wouldn’t we look to him for guidance.

We are meant to set our mind in heaven where Jesus is and bring heaven to earth to those around us.

Jesus is with us all the time. He is our constant companion. We can talk to him anytime anywhere, in a traffic jam, at work, with our family, anytime he’s like your best friend that you can text anytime but you don’t need a phone to communicate with him.

We have the creator of the universe with us at all times, why wouldn’t we use that to our advantage?

We are meant to see the world through his eyes not him through the worlds eyes.

Let God Love YOU

Love is powerful, it drives us. We seek it out wherever we can, but even when we find it through others it’s not perfect.

I love my husband more then anyone else and he loves me. But our love for each other pales in comparison to the love of God.

Gods love is what drives me, it’s what fills me up, his love is the one thing in life I cannot live without and that I know I can count on one hundred percent. God loved us before we were even born and he sacrificed everything to share his love with us.

His love is unconditional, we can’t earn it, and he will never take it from us.

We are the ones who choose to abandon his love, because we think we don’t need it or we don’t understand it.

His love is untarnished, overflowing and unending. Letting God love you where you are at will be the greatest decision of your life.

When you’re tired

The days when you’re weak and tired are the days we need Jesus more then ever.

When we are at our weakest. He is our strength, our energy, our wisdom, our everything. He provides all we need because He is all we need.

So no matter how tired or exhausted you are, know that He is all you need.

Seek Him and let Him be your everything.

God provides what we need

When we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit we can accomplish things we never would think ourselves capable of. Holy Spirit gives us the confidence, the words and all we need to do what he calls us to.

Esther is a great example of this. She did what God asked of her and saved an entire people through a few dinners.

God calls us to do and be more then we could of ever think possible. In my life God has provided over and over again in ways I never expected. In the few years my husband I have faced the most financial instability we have ever faced since we got married ten years ago. But God has provided over and over again from people and places we never expected. Although we are still facing some challenges. We know that God will continue to provide because he always does.

We all need to trust him to provide what we need to accomplish what he ask of us.

God loves us

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. –Psalm 36:7–9


Photo by Leighann Renee on Unsplash

God’s love is for everyone, rich, poor, sad, happy, angry or calm. You don’t have to fit a certain mold or criteria to be loved by Him. He made us each unique on purpose. He is the creator. You need only to look at the variety of plants or animals to see His love for diversity. What He asks of us is that we love Him back and love others.

That encompasses everything, if we accept His love, He shows us and gives us love overflowing to love ourselves and to love others.

Trust God

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:5-7

Trusting God can seem hard if you have no faith in him, but if you know him and his character. Then you know he more then earns our trust.

When we ask God for things, it’s easy to become discouraged if we don’t get the answer we wanted or in the time we think we should get it. But when he asks us to wait for something or doesn’t answer us the way we wanted he gives us peace beyond our understanding.

Our uneasiness, fear or anxiety about his answer comes from us not trusting him. Not his answer. He knows what’s best for us and when.

Many times when he says “no” or “not yet” it is because he has something better for us, beyond what we could image or what we want in the time we want it, would harm us more then help us.


Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

I’ve used this example many times, but my husband and I both went through a time period where we were lonely and looking for our future spouse and both of us chose people who were not good for us and took advantage of us. They were not the right people for us but we tried to get what we wanted, when we wanted it instead of waiting for God to bring us into each others lives.

Because of our selfish decisions we both had to learn how to be in a healthy relationship and heal from the wounds of those past relationships. In the same respect it took time for those wounds to heal and we were both glad that we had not met sooner as God was working on both of us to be ready to have a healthy relationship, so that we would not bring past hurts into our relationship.

Trust God’s timing and his answer. Know that he has good plans for you.

Trust God in Advance

God doesn’t ask us to go without having planned and provided for us in advance. Walking in faith isn’t about knowing what he has planned for us but trusting that he has already provided for what he asks of us even if we can’t see it.

God goes before us and lays the ground work. We each build on the work of each other and provide for each other. He uses each of us to support the other. Going forward to who and what he calls us to, makes us who he made us to be.

He’s called me to write so I write. He’s called me to preach so I take any opportunity given. He’s called me to encourage and uplift others and I pray I do that for with each of these devotionals. I hope I encourage you to see God working in your life. That you grow closer to him and learn to love and trust him more each day.

Trusting God isn’t about knowing where or what your going to but about who your going with. The God who created the universe. If he has called you to something or someone. Know that he is with you and he will give you the words, the means, the knowledge and the wisdom in what and where he has called you to.

Fear

Fear you’re not welcome here.

The breakup song by Francesca Battistelli is a great anthem for those moments of fear that sneak up on us.

The reminder that we have the power to tell fear to leave.

We don’t have to let it over take us every moment of every day. We have the choice to let ourselves be ruled by fear or to choose our feeling and refuse to let fear control  us.

Listen to the song. Sing along a tell fear to leave.

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. -2 Timothy 1:7

You have to plant to see a harvest

Planting seeds takes a lot of faith. You never know what you’ll get, when they’ll grow or how much the plant will produce, or if it will grow at all. But we still plant seeds.

In the movie Faith Like Potatoes, Angus a farmer finds faith in God and follows the leading of the Holy Spirit to plant potatoes. Planting potatoes takes faith because you cant see what crop you’ve yielded until you’re ready to harvest.

Planting seeds of faith can be like this. We don’t know what will stick and what will not grow but we if we want to see a harvest. We still have to plant.

Sow seeds everywhere in everyone, you never know what will produce a harvest.

 “A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,  but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.  Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” –Matthew 13:3b-9

God can use the mess

Jesus had a habit of taking peoples biggest mistakes and using them to help others. Zacchaeus stole money and when he chose to change for Jesus he gave money away.

He took my mistakes and bad choices and gave me a heart for people who have done the same. He gave me a passion to see people find their worth and value in Jesus. Something I struggled with my whole life until I came to know Jesus personally.

Jesus is in the redemption business. He’s not looking for perfect people. He’s looking to love people right where they are, to pull them up out of their mess so they can help others find that same redemption.

He looks at us and sees our potential and we need to do the same with others and see their potential in him.

Photo by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash

People are Priceless

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. –Philippians 4:1

Jesus saw people as valuable. We all are the joy set before him that he endured the cross. He gave everything to bring us into relationship with Him, Father God and Holy Spirit.

We should be encouraging others to find Jesus so that He can show them their true potential through relationship with Him.

He changed our lives. Why wouldn’t we want Jesus to do the same for others.

Bringing others into the family should be our joy and be the crown that we lay at Jesus feet.

We can’t take money or possessions to heaven with us, but we can take people.

See people as the true value that they are. The value that Jesus placed on humanity is priceless. You are priceless. All of us are priceless in God’s sight. Treat people the way Jesus did; as valuable beyond measure.


Photo by Kevin Delvecchio on Unsplash

God will never stop pursuing you

God will never stop running after us. He will always be there for us when we need him or when we want him. God will always be there with us through everything, if we let him.

God’s will and his plan for us is always for our good. That doesn’t mean we won’t face hard things but that he will be there with us through it. He will be with us through the trials and he will use them to draw us closer to him.

As long as we keep our focus on him in the storm. Like Peter walking on water. Peter only sank when he turned his focus turned off of Jesus and he let the storm surrounding him influence his faith instead of his faith in Jesus influencing his surroundings. It’s when we fix our eyes back on Jesus that he is our strength when we are weak, our joy when we are sad and our peace when we have none.

He is everything we need and more if we let him.

At our weakest

Even when we feel at our weakest and most vulnerable we can look to God. Because he is our strength. Whether we are having the best day of our lives or the worst day ever. He is the same.

His grace for us never changes. We could be at our worst and he will still extend his hand to us and say “Come here child.” Because we can’t earn his grace, because he gives it freely.

It’s easy to get caught up in our troubles, self-pity, anxiety and worry. But only one thing can bring us the peace that surpasses understanding. Jesus!

It’s his sacrifice that brings us into a deep, intimate relationship with him, Father God and the Holy Spirit. And its only that relationship that will sustain us and uplifts us when we need it most.

When I have those moments of feeling like “I’m in the depths of despair” to quote Anne of Green Gables. Instead of indulging those feelings and letting them lead me. I turn to God and simple say “help.” He always does.

When we turn our attention back to Jesus he changes our perspective. Comforting us with his plan and showing us how he see things.

Love Changes Us

Trying to change people by nagging pestering and yelling never works. We may get them to do what we want in the moment but it doesn’t change their heart.  It doesn’t bring about real change.

Prayer is how we fight.  Prayer changes things. Prayer changes our perspective of others and prayer is what can change their hearts. See prayer is simply a conversation with God letting him show us how he sees things.

So often we think we can change someone. Or we’ll love them more if we just get them to be who we think they should be. But if we look to change ourselves instead, to love them no matter what, God’s love through us will change them.

Think back to when you gave your heart to Jesus. Did you do it because he was nagging you or because you came to know his love and forgiveness? When we give our heart to God we repent of our past mistakes and we choose to let God change us. We have to do the same with others. Allow God to bring about the change.

Gods love changed us and the expression of that love will change others.

Let God Lead

For I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
    I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 41:13

I’ve had a few seasons of struggling with finding intimacy with Jesus. As life changes so has my devotional time.

In one of these seasons I realized that the connection I was lacking at that time was because I wasn’t writing like I used to. Writing is part of who God has called me to be and it’s how He teaches me. It’s in that teaching that I grow closer to Him and learn more about Him.

God designed each of us and He has his own special way of connecting with each of us and revealing our identity in Him is the key to that.

We don’t need to fear Him and worry about our past neglect or inadequacies. We simply need to come to Him, hold His hand and let Him lead us.

Surrender vs Self Sufficiency

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. –Matthew 6:25-34

Have you ever thought I can’t worship God right now I need an answer to this thing I’m worried about. I have. I’ve let my worries and concerns deter me from spending time with God. Because I’m trying to fix it on my own.

But what I really need is to spend time with God. It’s in our worship that we fully focus on him. And when we do, he can provide the solution we have been trying to achieve on our own. 

Worship is an act of surrender when we lay down all we are worried about and give it all to God. It’s in that surrender that he can provide. It’s when we trust him despite our concerns that he can move. How do we expect him to fix it if we won’t give it to him.

Listen to this song and lay it all down and let him provide the solution.

Words Matter

What we say about ourselves matters. Be it out loud or in our head. What we let others tell us about ourselves matters. Be it good or bad. Words influence us. But what matters most is what God says about us. And what he says is we are loved, forgiven and made into a new creation 

He sees us as who he made us to be. Not our past or what others tell us about ourselves but who we really are. When we give our lives to Jesus our old self dies and he lives through us. We are not the person we used to be. God doesn’t see us and all our mistakes he sees Jesus and his sacrifice for us. When he makes us a new creation we are forgiven and made new.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! -2 Corinthians 5:17

Not Beyond Redemption

No one is past redemption if even Darth Vader can repents in the end so can anyone else. Yes it’s just a story but many stories resonate in truth. 

Repentance isn’t about our deeds or our life. It’s about Jesus life and his sacrifice in our stead. We simply have to accept his forgiveness and invite him into our heart.

So it doesn’t matter if we are on our death bed or have finally decided to give our life to God. He is always there waiting for you to choose him.

Love conquers fear

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control

2 Timothy 1:7

Fear can control us, if we let it. But God does not desire for us to be ruled by fear.

Fear limits us and confines us to the familiar, fear keeps us locked in our comfort zone and keeps us from experiencing all that God has for us.

He made us to live in his love and his power, but how do we achieve that?

Self-control.

God loves us so much that he gave us choice, the freedom to choose his love or not. In choosing his love he gives us the power to conquer fear, to say that we will not be ruled it, but will choose to let his love define us.

It’s his love that says my God is bigger then my circumstances and I trust God to take care of all I need and more because I know who he is.

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Find new life in death

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,  he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. –Colossians 1:21-23

Life and death reverberate throughout all creation. In creation the dead bring life to the living. Plants draw nutrients from the compost of the creation that has died and gone back into the earth.

If you look and listen God is always teaching us, echoing his message throughout all creation.

Death brings life.

Jesus died to bring us new life. His sacrifice paid for our mistakes and makes us a new creation before God. So that we might have freedom from guilt and shame. So we can have have a pure, loving, deep, intimate connection with him.

Jesus’s death brings life and so does our own. When we die to our selfishness and let him live through us it’s like a light being turned on in dark room, we can finally see and find freedom from the darkness that once surrounded us.

Find freedom in him and let his love and sacrifice lead you to the light of forgiveness.

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Trust God’s Timing

Just because you don’t have what you asked God for right now, doesn’t mean he’s not going to bless you with it later.

His timing is perfect. He know what we need, when we need it.

My husband and I didn’t meet until later in our adult lives. We were both looking for our spouse for years but the right person never came along. When we did meet we realized there were many times in our lives when our lives could have intertwined but they didn’t. During the waiting time we each focused on healing us from past hurts and growing closer to Jesus. If we had met sooner we would of caused each other pain because neither of us was really ready to be in healthy marriage. But because we took the time to heal and come to know that complete dependence on God is what we need. We don’t look to each other to fulfill us. We know that Jesus must be the center of our marriage and only he can fulfill us.

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 and will be better then if we’d had it when we thought we should.

My will or HIS

Everything in life can fail and falter, but the one thing we can always count on and depend on is God, because he doesn’t change. He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is always loving, always there and always dependable.

He’s always on time and always work things out for good.

He is the one thing in life that we can count on 100%.

It’s us that falter or wavier, that grow impatient or try to do things in our own time or our own way. But when we depend on God and follow his lead we will have no regret.

Why do we push people away who try to help us?

In the movie I Can Only Imagine Bart Millard pushes away his high school girlfriend Shannon when she tries to help him. His knee jerk reaction is to push her away.

Our natural reaction when someone tries to help us when we’re hurting is to push back, because it hurts when someone pokes a wound. But we have to find the root cause of the pain if we want to heal and sometimes that means a painful conversation to find that root.

When the human body is severely burned you have to remove the dead tissue to get to the healthy tissue so that it can grow and heal, which is an extremely painful experience but the end result is healed healthy tissue. 

The same is true with our emotional wounds we have to remove the things in our life that are dead in order to allow new growth.

That may mean removing ourselves from certain people or circumstances that continue to hurt us.

But it also means we have to let those that are trying to help us heal, to help. Trust the people that have been there for you in a healthy way and lean on their experience to guide you through the healing process. And yes sometimes the the severest wounds scar but they don’t hurt anymore. Those scars can then be a testament to how God healed us.

Willing vessel

“We may feel small, weak, incapable, ill-equipped, lacking in articulation. None of this matters. Frequently, all the obedience God requires of us is simply showing up. He does the rest. When we see a need, we go to it, reach out a hand and wait. Father comes into that situation. He expresses Himself through us. All we needed to do was be there, because He has no physical hands or feet on the earth except yours and mine.” ~Heidi Baker

A lot of fear about telling people about Jesus is that we don’t know what to say or what to do. The beauty of a relationship with the Holy Spirit is that He tells us what to say, He tells us what to do.

The Holy Spirit knows each of us intimately, He knows what we need when we need it.

We simple need to be willing to be used by God to convey His words and His actions to them. To be a willing vessel.

Cherish those who faithfully serve

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.  For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.  Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.  So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

Philippians 2:25-30

Ministry is so much more then the person with the microphone.

There are always others, working to make events, outreaches and ministries happen.

When was the last time you thanked the person who faithfully makes the coffee each Sunday or the person who cleans your church, how about the person who opens their home up for your small group. Ministry is a group activity, we can reach other on a one on one basis but to reach a multitude is hard without a team that supports each other.

Paul acknowledged that in this passage. He appreciated the work and support of Epaphroditus.

If you are a leader remember to thank those that make it possible for you to do what you do, if you serve encourage and lift up those who serve with you.

A simple thank you can go a long way.


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You can’t surprise God

It’s easy to feel alone and like no one understands, because no one really knows what every moment of your life is like.

But God does…

…He knows because he is there with us whether we realize it or not. God is the only one who can and does understand. But we often feel afraid to go to Him because we’re worried about what He would think. But He already knows it all so there is really nothing we can hide from Him.

Even in knowing everything He loves us still.

We don’t have to be afraid of Him, because He is love. Nothing about God is something that we should ever fear.

Because God is love, He is joy, He is peace, He is patience, He is kind and He is good. So what about that is scary?

He is the one that we can always turn to no matter what.

So no matter what is running through your head or your heart you can’t surprise God. But you can let Him in.

Our stories

Every year I post my story (my testimony) of how God changed my life because I know it reaches people, it shows them they are not alone and that God can change their story too. I want to hear your stories too of how God changed your life.

Because we each have a story and everyone’s is important and can make a difference in the the life of others. Please share your story in the comments or post it on social media and share what God has done in your life.

Jesus Plan for Us is Worth the Wait

It’s easy to be seduced by getting what you want instantly, instead of waiting for it.

In The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmond is drawn in by the witch when she says that she will give him what he wants if he just brings her what she wants.

But if Edmond had waited just a little longer Aslan would have given him everything he had asked for and more.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we want and when we want it that we make compromises and sacrifices we never needed to if we would just wait.

Jesus has so much for us, to bless us, lift us up and love us. But it’s his love for us that makes us wait for the things we want sometimes, because he knows when each blessing is best for us.

If we get everything we want right when we want it, we will over indulge or use it all and still want more, like Edmond with the Turkish Delight the witch gave him. He ate it all quickly and wanted more, but later felt sick because he didn’t appreciate the gift.

Jesus knows what we need and when we need it. We just have to wait for his timing.


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We need light

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. -Ecclesiastes 11:7

Our eyes are naturally drawn to find light. We are meant to find light. If you close your eyes and then open them, your eyes will immediately go to the brightest thing. We seek out light, we add lamps to our homes and extra lights. Any good craftsmen will tell you they need good lighting to make their best product. We live our lives in light. Light helps us see where we are walking, where we are headed and where we’ve been. Light in some aspect is needed to do almost all things in life.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

Why is there so much focus on the dark. We are meant to be creatures of light, not of darkness.

Things can be hidden in the dark, or misunderstood, but in the light they shine their true nature. Our eyes can be deceived easily in the dark, to see things that are not really there, or misinterpret things to be something other then what they are.

Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. -Ecclesiastes 2:13

Seek God’s light in your life and trust that he will shine the path forward.

Serve like Jesus

Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. –Colossians 3:22-24

Some may think these verses seem archaic, but this passage is really just about work ethic.

We as believers in Jesus are to work as he did; to serve others and give the best of ourselves and let God provide for our needs.

When we work to serve others geniuenly and not out of obligation or what we can get from it, God blesses us.

It’s when we try to work for our needs, our wants, and only for what we can get out of it; that we receive only what we worked for. But when we do our best work for others; God blesses us.

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When your worn out

God is the one we can always count on. We don’t have to do or be anything to come to him.

We can be in our worst state and he is there for us. No matter how tired or exhausted we are, he is not looking for deeds to earn his love and attention, just our hearts surrendered to Him.

Don’t worry about accomplishments. Just go to Him, He’s happy just to spend time with you.

Jesus Friend of Sinners

Jesus friend of sinner by Casting Crowns perfectly describes how we sometimes act towards non-believers and contrasts how we should actually act.

Jesus befriended sinners.

Think about it this way. Has someone pointing fingers at you, teasing you, being told you are wrong, or protesting ever convinced you that you are loved by God. Then why would we think that it would convey that to anyone else.

Did Jesus do any of those things? No.

When people met Jesus, they changed their ways by their own decision. The tax collector gave back the money he stole with interest and Jesus never asked him to. Jesus didn’t throw rocks at the woman who was going to be stoned for adultery, he defended her. He didn’t call them out on what they were doing. They knew what the were doing. He called up to who he made them to be.

Jesus causes people to change their ways just by being love. It’s the love of God that causes people to choose to change, not condemnation. Isn’t that what brought you to God? His love and forgiveness.

We are not meant to be judge and jury. We are meant to show God’s love.

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Listening is Intimacy

Watching the movie Brave the other night reminded me of how important listening is in relationships. If we just talk at each other and never listen, we miss what the other person needs and who they are.

It’s the same with our relationship with God. We can talk at God all day but if we don’t listen for his response we will never know or understand him. Its in the listening that we really learn his character, his love and even his sense of humor. Often we are taught do this or say that and God will be pleased. But what if we just asked him what he wants. It may be simpler then we realize. It may to to smile at someone or had them some water. Or it may even be a simple as him asking us to just stop for a moment and enjoy his presence.

The more I seek God and ask him to share his interpretation of his word with me the simpler it is. Love God, love others. But we can’t skip the first part. Loving God is spending time with him. Even if it’s as simple as sitting in his presence and neither of you saying anything. Listening is the key to intimacy with God. So ask him what he wants and trust that no matter how small it seems it’s what is best for you and that all he wants. For his kids to feel loved and cared for.

Be known

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139:23-24

God knows us. He knows every single thing about us down to the number of hairs on our head.

And he loves us even knowing all our faults.

But that’s not how he sees us, he sees all that we could be, he sees what he intended us to be. He sees our full potential.

There is no reason to fear God knowing you because that is what makes him love you. He sees each of us a unique and special to him and we are all valuable.

So if you want to feel loved, valued, desired, cared for and known then seek God and let him show you all that he made you to be.

You are valued

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),  and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.  For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.  Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.  Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

Colossians 4:10-15

Each believer in Jesus has a part to play, each of us have something to share and to give, everyone of us is valuable. God uses the body as analogy for the body of believers because each part has a unique and different part in a fully functioning body.

We each are a part of Jesus and we each reveal him in different ways, and when we don’t show Jesus through us then we miss a part of him. He is so complex that it takes all of humanity to reveal him.

Whenever I encounter someone who I may not agree with or don’t get along with. I ask God to show me how he sees them, who he made them to be, and he changes my heart for them. He shows me his love for them and how he sees them.

When God started me on this journey of writing, I starting by writing my story and what he had done for me, but then he asked me to write his story. To do this I needed a heart for people which I did not have then. But over time he has developed that in me. To see each person as valuable and having great potential in his body. Because that’s how he sees each of us, valuable.

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