God Is Able

 ^{Source:InTouch Ministries}


 Read | Ephesians 3:20-21

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Jesus knew firsthand what it meant to live with limited financial resources, to have others--including family members--question His actions (Mark 3:21), and to suffer rejection by those He sought to serve (John 6:66). Yet, in spite of such opposition, Jesus never let circumstances control His emotions or dictate His actions. Instead, He chose to trust that the Father was able to carry out His Word.
We are called to follow the example of Christ by believing that God is able to do what He has promised. For instance, the Bible pledges eternal salvation for everyone who asks for forgiveness in Jesus' name (Heb. 7:25). The Son's death on the cross satisfied the demands of divine justice for all our sins--from "white lies" to unspeakably vile acts. When we have true faith in Jesus, God will forgive us and make each of us a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). No matter what trouble we may have caused, He invites us to draw near in faith and receive the gift of everlasting life.
God promises to save whoever trusts in Him, and also to establish believers in truth (Rom. 16:25). He gives us a firm foundation in Christ and then builds us up in righteousness. Through His Spirit and the Word, we start to see things as our Father does and then can understand what pleases Him.
By believing God keeps His promises, we grow stronger in our faith and gain peace. Hardships that would have thrown us off course lose their power to shake us. Hope replaces discouragement, and trust overcomes doubt. When trouble comes, focus on God's ability to care for you.

Seeing Adversity from God's Viewpoint

 From InTouch Ministries

Read | Isaiah 55:8-9

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 
 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
  

When adversity hits you like a ton of bricks, it could easily throw you into a pit of discouragement and despair. Although you may consider difficulties as setbacks, the Lord sees them as times for great advancement. His purpose for allowing them is not to destroy you but to stimulate your spiritual growth. In His great wisdom, the Lord knows how to take an awful situation and use it to transform you into the image of Christ and equip you to carry out His will.
Every adversity that comes into your life is sifted through God's permissive will. That doesn't mean the difficulty itself is His perfect will, but He's allowed the trial to touch you so that He can use it to accomplish His wonderful purposes for your life. Although some of the suffering we see and experience seems senseless or blatantly evil, we must recognize that we have a very limited perspective and cannot always understand what the Lord is doing.
Our heavenly Father sees every aspect of life, but our view is restricted to what is right before us. His plans include not only you but all of His creation, and they reach from the beginning of time to eternity future. Though we'll never grasp the infinite mind of God, we can know His faithfulness and love.
When you can't understand God's ways, focus on His perfect knowledge, wisdom, and power rather than the magnitude of your sorrow. Remember, He sees the entire picture and loves you more than you can imagine. This is a time to walk by faith, as perfect understanding comes only in heaven.




It is so difficult to see God during our trials.  This devotion reminds us that God's hand is in everything we experience.  Everything happens for a reason and it is comforting to know that God can see the big picture even though we can't.

Waiting in Faith

I wanted to share a devotion with you from yesterday. It is definitely something I need to be reminded of on a daily basis. So many times we get caught up in what we want that we try to 'hurry' God along and even sometimes provide Him with a solution. HA! That is funny to think about. It is hard to wait on the Lord and have faith that everything will work together for good (Romans 8:28).

Psalm 33:18-22 (New Living Translation)

¹⁸ But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
¹⁹ He rescues them from death
and keeps them alive in times of famine.

²⁰ We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
²² Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.

Our culture is not one that teaches patience. Just watch the frustration of drivers behind a car that doesn't start moving the instant the traffic light turns green. Because of a two-second delay, tempers flare and horns honk. Living in a fast-paced culture programs us to expect everything instantly, and that includes answers to our prayers.

At times, I have been very impatient and frustrated with the Lord when He hasn't operated according to my schedule. I've even tried to manipulate the circumstances so I could present Him with the solution and ask for His blessing. But delayed timing from my perspective is perfect timing from His viewpoint. An omniscient God who is the Creator and Ruler of time can never be late.

Waiting on the Lord requires faith. Just because we can't see what He's doing does not mean that He is inactive. Our heavenly Father works outside of our visible realm, arranging and orchestrating events to bring about His plan for our lives. His work is like a seed that is planted deep in a garden—we cannot see the underground process. But just as a plant eventually appears, we can likewise trust that in time, the Lord's ordained outcome will become evident.

The solution to whatever problem you are facing is in God's hands. By steadfastly clinging to the truth of His love for you, His knowledge of all things, and His power over every obstacle, you can confidently walk by faith and not by sight. In time, your eyes will see proof of His faithfulness.

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The Sun is Shinin'

Nothing like a little warm[er] weather to put the pep back in your step. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike winter, I actually love the snow and the colder temperatures. Not to mention that I love wearing one of my many coats and bundling up to go outside...oh and I can't forget hot chocolate and cappuccino! But about this time every year, you know what I'm talking about...when you get a little glimpse of spring...the first day that the temp is above 50, I get a little smile on my face. The warmer weather of spring means my birthday is just around the corner!

This year, however, there are a few more things that are helping make that little smile a lot bigger. For those of you who aren't aware (let's face it, that can't be that many...I've pretty much been shouting it from the rooftops!) my nephew, Cooper Alan, will be here in less than 2 months! I. cannot. wait. I've been told that this is going to be quite an experience. It will definitely be the closest thing I have ever felt to having my own child. I already love that little guy SO much! I just know that it will intensify when I see him for the first time and hold him in my arms. His official due date is April 18th. I'm sure his mommy would disagree, but it seems like just yesterday when the proud parents-to-be were sitting across from me reassuring me that YES, in fact, they really were expecting. Now, it's almost time. He will be here so soon! I haven't felt him kick yet, but I'm holding out to feel his little feet before he arrives. Must mean that he is going to be stubborn like his daddy. :)

I have been giving my house some tlc lately. I had all new windows installed and can tell quite a big difference in the draft situation. I am actually a little excited to get my utility bill this month and see how much money these pretty things are going to save me!

God has blessed me more than I would ever have expected this past year. It's amazing to me how much He has done in my life since I gave Him back His rightful spot. I see everything with new eyes; colors seem brighter, flowers smell better, music sounds sweeter...things are great! I have also been spending time with someone who has brought so much joy into my life. I thank God for him and look forward to what is in store in every aspect of my life. I am making myself available to whatever opportunities arise!

Offering

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it’s all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this altar
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours

This is my offering.

How personal is TOO personal?

How much information should you really share on these things? I think it is all in the eye of the blogger (you liked that, huh?). I started my blog back in January 2008 just for fun. I really had NO idea what I was doing or even what I was going to write about. I guess I really just looked at it as a way to keep my family up-to-date on what was going on in my life. Now they all have facebook, so it has a totally different purpose. ;o) (I think I need to write about the facebook topic soon...anyways).

My mother and I were discussing the 'how personal is too personal' topic Sunday...before I go on, let me just preface this by telling you that I don't mind how personal YOU get on your blog, I actually enjoy reading about people's lives (I have nosy in my genes), this is just what I think about writing things on MY blog. Make sense? Anywho, back to the topic at hand...

I don't get really deep into personal topics such as relationships, where I live (LOL), family issues, politics, etc. because I am not too sure how much info any of the people involved in these topics would want me to share. I think too, in my own personal life, if I were to talk about say, a relationship (be it with a boy or about one of my friends), I would probably say TOO much. I tend to talk...a bit...a lot...about things that are going on (If you don't believe me, just ask my mom!). Another reason is because if I were upset about something, I usually say things I regret... 5 minutes later...and while I could delete a blog post, is it worth the time or the effort it would take to write if I'm just going to feel guilty about it later? Instead, I tell God and He makes me feel tons better than writing a blog post ever would.

I haven't ever really thought out boundaries for my blog, but I guess now is a better time than any. I'm all for telling you about my wonderful friends and family and how much they mean to me. No harm, no foul. But it pretty much stops there. When I get married (no, there aren't any prospects, but I have faith that someday there will be!), I won't change my mind then either. I am not against a funny story here and there, but some things just need to be left in the real world and not brought into the blogesphere.

As for politics and things of the like, I'm going to be honest here. I have morals and values that are extremely important to me. I think that just by reading my blog, you have probably picked up on those. As far as politics go, I am not really interested. Yup, I said it. Now don't get me wrong, I care very much about what goes on in my country, but do I want to have a debate about it or write all about my opinion? No. Politics have never really kept my attention, so I don't want to bore you with them either. I have much more exciting things to tell you about!

Last but certainly not least... Me. How much do I think is too much information about me?

A few months ago, I gave God back the #1 position in my life. That is one relationship I will tell you all about! Anything. you. want. to. know. Promise! This relationship is not off limits. In fact, so much has changed for me in the last little bit I kinda want to shout it from the rooftops. It's amazing if you let go and let GOD, the things he will show you. If you don't believe me, just try it.

I have prayed for specific things and been given answers. One example (and I'm not even sure she knows) is a prayer my grandmother was praying for me. When God first started making changes in my life a few months ago I was a little concerned with turning away from the 'old habits' in my life and finding new ones. Her exact prayer was that these old things would 'become distasteful to me.' So, I started praying this too, and I'm pretty sure my mom did as well, and the bible study group I was in. Can I just tell you how well and FAST this prayer worked?? It was like day and night. Little things like music made my distasteful list. It was crazy! I have shared this prayer with others who were having a tough time too. It worked for me and now I have one more thing to add to my ever growing testimony. I highly recommend it!

Another thing I want to share with you is something someone, who used to hold the #1 spot in my life, said to me today. He told me that one thing he had always wished for me was to have a good job because I deserved it (not just any job, but one I enjoy and makes lots of money at I'm sure is what he was referring to). I contemplated this on my way to work this morning...while I totally agree that an awesome job that I love and make lots and lots of money at would be fabulous, my priorities have changed lately. I am here on this earth to do what God wants me to do and any job he has for me is awesome! I know this because if I am in His will than He will be glorified and NOTHING is better than that! I have an appointment with an elder at my church tomorrow concerning this very thing.

I have felt very strongly that my spiritual gifts are showing mercy and exhortation. Never had I ever thought before that I could use these gifts in a career sense. I have always had a gift for sympathizing with people and caring more than an average person would. I have always been a fixer. Knowing this, I finally realized that what I thought defined me as a person were my spiritual gifts all along! I am meeting with him to discuss lay counseling within the church. I'm super excited to finally use my gifts to serve God!!!

Sometimes We Forget

Everyday for most of us is so hectic. We are running from place to place trying to get everything done. Even though we don't mean to, or consciously think about it, we forget the most important thing in our lives. God.

Thankfully, he is patient and doesn't give up on us like anyone here would. Could you imagine if you put off seeing, talking to, spending time with, or loving a friend or family member and them being OKAY with it? I don't think so...I know I wouldn't be too keen to such an idea. But patiently, loyally, and lovingly God waits for us. How awesome!

We also forget to give God credit sometimes. Do you really think that things are coincidences or that we are just 'lucky'? No, God has a plan for everyone! He allows things to happen for our own good. Sometimes we go through trials, but this will strengthen our faith and trust in Him and be an example to those who haven't given God a shining place in their lives.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

But our gracious God will also bless us beyond belief if we turn our lives over to Him. Through us He can then be glorified!

Remember today that everything happens for a reason. Ask God to show you His will in your life so that He may be glorified and sit back and see what great things He does in your life!

Have a wonderful weekend!

100th post!

I can't think of anything more fitting...



His Wounds Have Paid My Ransom


How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in ANYTHING
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

HIS WOUNDS HAVE PAID MY RANSOM!!!


Written by Stuart Townsend

Tribute to Courage by James Elston

Courage is doing what is right
Without having to be told
Courage is manning up
When you know you've done something wrong
Courage is looking the enemy in the eye
And telling them to just bring it
Courage is having fear
But still staying strong
Courage is facing adversity
But being able to overcome it
Courage is leaving your family behind
To defend the country you love
Courage is being a soldier
In the greatest army in the world
Thank you for this courage
That lets us live free
May God bless you
And come home safely to your families