Don't Forget The One Perfect Gift...It's Just For You
Hello Family,
With all the chaos going on in the world sometimes it is very hard to focus on the really important things.
If you are reading this post, you have breath in your body, some level of mobility, and depending on where you are you’ll experience the sun setting or rising. Rejoice.
If you don’t feel like it or don’t think you have anything to rejoice over our challenge to you, right now, is make a list of the goodness of God that you have experienced and start by focusing on that.
Whatever you are dealing with right now, whatever chaos is in your life, it will not last.
Keep the faith. If you have accepted Jesus Christ in your heart as your Lord and Savior there is even greater reason to rejoice, one day we won’t have to deal with any chaos. And, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ, it’s not too late to unwrap the One perfect gift that is just for you.
Jesus Christ is our soon coming King and over two thousand years ago, He went away to prepare a place for those who accept His birth, death, and resurrection. This place is Heaven, there’s no more chaos there, there’s no more pain and no more death, hallelujah, amen!
So whether you have little or much, may you experience an abundance of love, joy, and peace that only comes from abiding in Jesus.
“This Christmas season, focus on the birth of Jesus Christ! ”
How do you keep christ in christmas? 🙏🏾
Invitation to Pray
Jannie and I want to remind you of of the power of prayer. We invite you bring your prayer requests and join us beginning this Wednesday for a weekly thirty minute prayer call. Signup Here (Required to join.)
From Chaos to Creating Calm
Are you in chaos? We want to encourage you. Are you looking for calm? Turn to The Comforter to help you.
Dear Family,
Is this a chaotic time for you? Teresa & I, want to encourage you to reach out to others who can help and encourage YOU! It is important during this time that we don’t try to go this alone. This is a time of physical distancing and creative social connecting.
Are you looking for calm? Turn to the Comforter, He can lighten our load. We pray extra patience during this time. May we extend grace and mercy to our children during this time, our spouse, whoever we are shut in with, and to ourselves.
Fathers, Mothers, & caregivers, remember if you are struggling, most likely, so are your children. Ask them. Share, appropriately, your feelings. Here are four things you can do to help them and you:
Together, look for the many blessings that our loving merciful God has given us such as food, shelter, and the love of family and friends.
Count your blessings, make an actual list.
Then, look for creative ways to enjoy your blessings more. But don’t stop there!
Look for more creative ways to reach out and share your blessing with others especially those who don’t have their basic needs met.
Sons and daughters, you are so important during this time. You are young, full of life, and you matter. Be a blessing to your family, look for creative ways to bless others and encourage your peers.
Remember when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, it's up to you how sweet it is! As you come to God ask Him for guidance and direction during this time. God can be trusted, take Him at His Word, His yoke is easy.
What can you do this week to comfort and bless your family and reach out to others?
Ask God to show you. His burden is light, let Him use you to lighten someone else’s load.
““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.””
Choose Joy
Brothers and sisters, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will ENDURE hard trials on this side of glory. We can expect that, but we can also expect the Holy Spirit within us to help us ENDURE just like Jesus did. Remember, no suffering on this side of glory compares to the glory and JOY revealed when we see Jesus. NOTHING:
NO SICKNESS
HEARTACHE
NO DISAPPOINTMENT
NO DEATH
On this side of glory, Jesus said to count it ALL JOY. James 1:2 (ESV) Count it all joy my brothers (and sisters) when you encounter trials of various kinds.
But how do you choose joy when your heart is heavy, you feel broken, and you can't think about tomorrow because today is all you can handle?
Surrender to God. Surrendering to God is an act of humility, it’s admitting that you can’t and acknowledging that He can.
Trust God. Trust that He has a plan for you. Trust that He wants His best for you.
Your weeping may ENDURE for a night, but JOY comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5b.
Remember God's time is not our timing, so your night might seem long. Like being married ten years before God opens your womb to bear fruit. And then you deliver your precious baby six months later, at two pounds three ounces, and with lots of complications. Yes, the night can be very long.
Mighty Savior may your joy be our strength each and every day as we commit to trusting you with ALL our heart. Your way is perfect and when you have tried us we shall come forth as pure gold, amen!!
But joy does come in the morning; there were many moments I was afraid and didn't know what would happen. Still, I held to God's unchanging hand. Now I praise Him, that two pound 3 ounce baby is 26 years old and God is doing great and mighty things in and through her life. I still have to trust Him moment by moment and even when things don't look good or feel good, I remember God is good.
Yes, you may be in a bad place or going through a hard time. Yes, your struggle IS real. But so is God and so are His promises!
To choose Joy, trust that where you are right now is not where God intends to leave you!
Cling to Him, and as you keep moving forward, watch for His blessings in your life. Stay prayerful. Keep Praising.
Family Teresa and I encourage you right this moment, "choose JOY!" Philippians 4:4, says rejoice and again I say rejoice.
Important: If you are battling depression please seek professional help. Never suffer in silence, tell someone, ask for & get help, you are not alone.
BE EQUIPPED:
5 Practical Ways to Choose Joy
Click to view & download the 4x6 printable.
TODAY IS Your Do-over
Lamentations 3: 22-23 [ESV]
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a] his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Sunrise over AFA, CO
Not too long ago, after a very long day, no long week, I was feeling a case of the “would of, could of, should of’s” beginning to take over. I was distracted and wasn’t getting much of anything done. I knew if I stayed on this path too long I’d end up stuck or worse depressed. Sound familiar?
I was wishing I could just start over, I wanted a do-over, when the scripture “His mercies are new every morning,” came to mind. I had to smile because… God is faithful! In that moment, with just part of a verse, here are 3 things He reminded me of:
You have to encourage yourself in the Lord. I used to say (to others and myself) that I could not memorize Bible verses until someone reminded me of the power of my own words over my spirit. So, I stopped saying what I couldn’t do and started praying what I needed.
Be Careful… Don’t let believing you can’t
give you an excuse not to try, and keep trying!
It’s important to hide His Word in your heart. Now, God’s faithfulness pulls the Word that I do know out of my heart when I need it most. And, He continues to provide people, tools, and resources to help me learn, study, fill my heart more with His Word and grow.
Surrender what you have, God will do the rest.
We get a daily do-over. I don’t need to wait for the new year or the new week. What the Lord put on my heart was that today… and every moment I take a breath is an opportunity for a do-over!
No, I can’t change yesterday, last week, or that thing that happened years ago. But God has changed me. And now, whenever I choose to accept His STEADFAST LOVE and His INFINITE MERCY I get a do-over. I choose to walk in faith toward the promises HE has ahead for me.
Family, Today IS your do-over…what will you do with it?
Lord, thank you for your steadfast love and infinite mercy,
thank you for my do-over!
-Amen