Because of My Enemies

"Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies;

make Thy way straight before my face."

~Psalm 5:8

King David wrote this verse as he was fleeing for his life from his own son.

King David had a real flesh and blood enemy (in more ways than one).

As I read this verse this morning, the thought came to mind-

"What enemies am I facing?"

Right now, I am seeking the Lord's direction in which way 

I'm to go on a very specific burden He has placed on my heart.

I know that the Lord has called me to this certain thing, 

but what I don't know is the when and where of it all.

So I'm trusting the Lord to show me His way.

But while I'm trusting, I'm continually fighting some 'enemies' of my own.

They are a little different from what King David was facing, but 

they are probably not that much different from what you are facing.

Fear- As much as I would love to say that I am wholly and completely trusting

in the Lord, I must admit, there is a little bit of fear for the unknown.

I'm going into new territory, and there will be lots of change.

But I am reminded -

Isaiah 41:10- "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: 

be not dismayed; for I am thy God: 

I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; 

yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 35:4- "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, 

Be strong, fear not: 

behold, your God will come with vengeance, 

even God with a recompense; He will come and save you."

1 John 4:18- "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: 

because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

What the Lord has called me to do will require love. 

Frankly, love is required in my everyday life, so if I am fearing, 

I'm not able to love like Christ wants me to. 

So my prayer becomes- 

"Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth: 

unite my heart to fear Thy name." (Psalm 86:11)

The only fear I am supposed to have in my life is a fear of the Lord.

Impatience- There is the 'want' to jump the gun, and say "I'm gonna do this!"

and then go do what I think is best, but I know that will get me nowhere,

and will be detrimental to what the Lord is asking me to do.

Psalm 62:5 says- "My soul, wait thou only upon God; 

for my expectation is from Him."

Psalm 130:5- "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, 

and in His Word do I hope."

I must learn to wait, and to wait patiently. 

I believe this is one of the hardest lessons to learn, 

because human nature is naturally impatient.

But, I am trusting in His Word, that He will do what He says.

And through the waiting, may I become a vessel fit for the Master's use.

Worry- over what may come. 

It's a natural thing to worry over possible sickness, 

physical harm, or even death.

But, I find great comfort in Psalm 91:10-13-

"There shall no evil befall thee,

neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For He shall give His angels charge over thee,

to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands,

lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:

the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet."

Also- Romans 8:28- 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them

that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

These verses do not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to me.

What it means is that even WHEN something bad happens,

it will all work out for my good and for the His GLORY! 

Everything, both good and bad, is used by God in our lives to make

us worthy of what He has called us to do for Him.

I cannot explain to you the peace that comes into your life when you

truly grasp the meaning of that!

If I am walking in the Spirit, if I am doing what Christ has called me to do,

then there is absolutely nothing to fear, be impatient over, or worry about.

"But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: 

I said, Thou art my God. 

My times are in Thy hand: 

deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, 

and from them that persecute me."

~Psalm 31:14-15

The journey for each of us is different, yet the same.

We all will face worry, fear, and impatience at some point in our life.

The question is- 

How will you handle it?

Psalm 62:5-8-

My soul, wait thou only upon God; 

for my expectation is from Him.

He only is my ROCK, 

and my SALVATION: 

He is my DEFENSE; 

I shall not be moved.

In God is my SALVATION 

and my GLORY: 

the ROCK of my STRENGTH, 

and my REFUGE, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times; 

ye people, pour out your heart before Him: 

God is a REFUGE for us. 

Selah.

Jehovah is our ROCK, our SALVATION, 

our DEFENSE, our GLORY, our STRENGTH, and our REFUGE!

Trust in His plan for your life. Trust in what He has called you to do.

And when your enemies of fear, impatience, worry, or whatever else, come against you, remember to pour your heart out to HIM!

He desires to hear your heart, to hear you tell Him every fear and worry.

Tell Him when you're impatient.

And then-

Ask for Him to be your defense against the worry.

Ask Him to be your rock in the midst of fear.

Ask Him to be your refuge in a time of impatience.

And most of all, 

Ask Him to get the glory through your life!

Many blessings to you my brothers and sisters!

Beauty in Pressure

This week I was in a beautiful park taking photos of the waterfalls.

The roar of the falls was so loud, I could hardly hear my friend talking to me,

and she was standing just a couple of feet away.

I was having a grand time shooting the falls and then, 

I had an interesting thought-

Our lives are just like these falls.

Our lives are Beautiful and Unique.

Think about it- What makes the falls beautiful and unique?

I can think of two specific things-

 Rocks and Pressure.

The bigger the rocks, the prettier the falls.

The more pressure, the greater the effect of both beauty and noise.

In our lives it's the same way. There is pressure coming from what seems like all sides.

The rocks in life can be huge and seemingly insurmountable.

If we aren't careful, we will become completely swamped in the busyness of life, and miss the beauty of the life God has planned for us.

If we are feeling the pressure of the many different things around us, 

if we feel like we are having to do somersaults to avoid the rocks in our path, 

then we need to pay attention.

Take a step back, and look at the big picture-

Look at your life.

Look at the different things the Lord has put before you, 

and see the Beauty!

You are a unique individual, and there are plans for your life that you cannot fathom!

So, embrace the rocks, face the pressure, and let it mold you into a beautiful portrait of God's never ending faithfulness, love, and grace.

The Meditation of My Heart

In my devotions this morning, I noticed a phrase that is only used twice in the entire Bible- "Meditation of my heart".

Psalm 19:14- "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 49:3- "My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding."

This led me to dig a little deeper into the Word of Jehovah today.

The word Meditation is only used a grand total of SIX times in the Bible.

The two times listed above, plus- Psalm 5:1, 104:34, 119:97 and 119:99.

As I read over all of these verses today in their context, the Lord began to reveal to me a transition, or a growing if you will, of the person who is meditating.

Psalm 5:1- 
"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation."

In this verse, the Psalmist is focusing on Himself- "MY words", "MY meditation".  He is asking the Lord to consider him and listen to his pleas.

I know I've done this before. "Lord, please give me       .  I deserve it because I've done             ."

In Psalm 5, the Psalmist is praying a prayer for protection. He starts the prayer by saying "Hear me! Remember the good deeds I've done!".

Psalm 19:14-
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 19 is about the Law of the Lord, here are some of the previous verses- 

v7- The Law of the LORD is perfect,

convicting the soul:

The Testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple.

v8- The Statutes of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart.

v9- The fear of the LORD is clear,

enduring forever:

The judgments of the LORD are true

and righteous altogether.

v10- More to be desired are they than gold,

yea, than fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

v11- Moreover by them is thy servant warned:

and in keeping them there is 

Great REWARD."

There has been a change of attitude here.

He realizes his words matter less and less, and Jehovah's matters more and more.

This Psalm is followed by a prayer for victory. 

Psalm 20:1 says- "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee."

So, even though he is realizing that his opinion matters less, he is still trying to make his voice heard.

Psalm 49:3-

"My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding."

Instead of saying- "Hear me! Hear what I have to say!" (Psalm 5) or "Let me be acceptable" (Psalm 19), the Psalmist is now saying- 

"Lord, I have accepted You! I will speak of Your Wisdom, 

I will meditate on Your Understanding."

That is a powerful change of heart!

But I noticed something even more powerful. The next Psalm, Psalm 50 is titled in my bible as "God is the Judge", here's how it starts-

"The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:" (Psalm 50:1-3a)

So, not only is there becoming a change in how he is meditating and speaking, there is also a change of heart in how he's praying.  

He is no longer demanding, or asking, for the Lord to hear him. 

He is saying- 'God speaks and it is so.'

Psalm 104: 33-34- 

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

Here, he has gone yet a step further! He is no longer speaking, or asking to be heard. He is planning to sing to the LORD as long as he can!

He is now calling his meditation 'sweet'. He is glad whenever he thinks of Jehovah.

And further- Psalm 105:1-6 says- "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy Name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and His strength: seek His face forevermore. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth."

He is now sharing the good news with others. He is telling others the steps he himself has taken to gain a closer walk with the Lord.

Psalm 119:97-104-

v97- O how I love Thy law!

It is my meditation all the day.

v98- Thou through Thy commandments hast

made me wiser than mine enemies:

for they are ever with me.

v99- I have more understanding than all my teachers:

for Thy testimonies are my meditation.

v100- I understand more than the ancients,

because I keep Thy precepts.

v101- I have refrained my feet from every evil way,

that I might keep Thy word.

v102- I have not departed from Thy judgments:

for Thou hast taught me.

v103- How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

v104- Through Thy precepts I get understanding:

therefore I hate every false way.

There has now been a complete transformation.

He meditates on the Law and the Testimonies of Jehovah daily, and it has completely changed his life.

The Law is the Word of God, the Testimonies are the acts of God.

So, by meditating on what the Lord says He will do, and meditating on what the Lord has already done, - it creates in the heart-

• a love for the Law
• wisdom greater than your enemies have
• more understanding than your teachers
• more understanding than the ancients
• a desire to refrain from doing evil
• not departing from the judgments of the Lord
• a desire for the words of the Lord above honey ("good" things of this life)
• a hatred for the false ways of the world.

I think back to Psalm 19:11- "...and in keeping them (the Law of the Lord) there is GREAT REWARD."

The eight things above are just some of the rewards of following the Lord.

Oh, Heavenly Father! Help me to meditate on Your words and testimonies above all other things in my life!

Are you meditating on the Word of the Lord? Do you think on the testimonies of His faithfulness in your life and the lives of others? 

If you do, it could result in some heart-changing, mind-blowing, life-altering times with the Lord!  

But- 

What should we desire more than that?

Delight In the Lord

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."

Psalm 37:4-5

I have heard Psalm 37:4 several times in my life. I have even quoted it many times.
Which is why I am ashamed to admit- I don't quote verse 5 very often, if ever.

The question I ask myself is-
Why don't I quote verse 5?
Verse 5 is where the secret lies for getting the desires of our heart!

So- the question arises- How do we get the desires of our heart?

Let's take a moment and look at some definitions-

Delight:
(From Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
A High degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy.
That which gives great pleasure; that which affords delight

Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, 
and not dependent on sudden excitement.

Based on the above definition, Do I delight in the Lord?
Does my greatest joy and satisfaction come from Jehovah?

If the answer is no, then I need to do some serious soul searching!

I really like the second part- Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy.
If the Lord is truly my delight, than it will not matter what is going on around me.
I will still find delight in my Heavenly Father.


Commit:
(From Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
Literally, to send to or upon; to throw, put or lay upon.
To give in trust; to put into the hands or power of another; to entrust

Have I committed my way to the Lord? 
According to the definition, to commit my way to the Lord means to completely 
give Him control. To place it in His hands and entrust the outcome to Him!

Trust:
(From Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, 
justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person.

Read the above definition a couple times. Let the words sink in.
The verse says- Trust also in Him.
Let's replace the word trust- 
Rest your mind on the justice of the Lord.
Or how about this one-
Place your Confidence in Him.

Once you commit your way to the Lord, you must keep it there.
How do you do that? 
By trusting that the Lord will do what is best for your life!

So how do we get the desires of our heart?
Delight in the Lord.
Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in the Lord.

What I find so absolutely fascinating about these verses, is the fact that even 
though "He will give thee the desires of thine heart" is in the middle of the verses, 
the two verses in their entirety are the road map to complete joy!

Delight.
Commit.
Trust.

When we continually seek to delight in the Lord, commit our way to Him, 
and trust in Him, He is faithful to give us our desires.

That doesn't mean we are going to get a Lamborghini, a mansion in Beverly Hills,
or anything else materialistic that we might 'desire' in this life.

What it means is that the Lord will change our desires to fit what He has 
in store for our lives.  

So, my brothers and sisters, may we all learn to more fully
Delight,
Commit,
and
Trust
in the plans that our Heavenly Father has in store for our future!

The Greatest Valentine

The Greatest Valentine Ever Given

For God- The Greatest Being in the Universe

So Loved- The Greatest Affection

The World- The Greatest Object

That He Gave- The Greatest Action

His Only Begotten Son- The Greatest Gift

That Whosoever- The Greatest Invitation

Believeth in Him- The Greatest Method

Should not Perish- The Greatest Promise

But have Everlasting Life- The Greatest of all

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,

but have everlasting life."

~ John 3:16

Happy Valentine's Day!

So, in case you've missed the big pink and red hearts in all the stores, and all of the TV commercials...

News Flash!!!

Valentine's Day is TOMORROW. 

For some of you, you are getting ready to celebrate with the man or woman you love.

For the rest of us, we are getting ready to celebrate S.A.D. (single awareness day) instead.

But, as this post from VisionaryDaughters.com says- don't wallow in the pool 

of self-pity because you don't have a Knight in Shining Armor or a Maiden Fair, 

use this time to really look at yourself and say- 

"Hey- Am I ready for my Knight in Shining Armor/Maiden Fair?"

If the answer is no, then lets make the decision today to get ready!

Valentine’s Day may be a happy time for couples, but it’s often a painful reminder for single Christian women of what they’re still praying for, hoping for, and – sigh – waiting for. Many of us don’t have a valentine this year because we’ve been holding out for someone special. We have high standards, and we’ve stuck to them, and now we’re having to eat the fruits of this resolve (instead of Godiva chocolates).

High standards and faithful perseverance are noble things. But sometimes we need to re-examine the honesty of our standards, and the whole spirit in which we devise them. Some of us, whether we know it or not, have made lists of suitor-requirements that look like this:

Dear God,

I have been very good this year, and I would really like it if you would bring me a husband who:

Is working to become just like Christ

Will love me just the way I am

Speaks several languages and plays several instruments

Will look past my inadequacies to see only my inner qualities

Is handsome

Will not be so carnally minded that he will care about the way I look

Isn’t interested in money

Can support me in the style I would like to be accustomed to

Is completely sold out for God

Will let me be myself

I know these are very righteous things to desire, and I have been patiently waiting and have not compromised my standards, so can you please reward my faithfulness now? Thank you.

Love, Janey

It’s good to develop noble standards for the kind of man we want to marry, but simply having a preference for good men doesn’t make us worthy of them. We often have lofty demands for suitors (well, not that lofty – just that they have Jim Elliot’s heart, C. S. Lewis’s mind, William Wallace’s courage, Clark Gable’s face, Cary Grant’s clothes, Josh Groban’s voice…), but we want them to love us just the way we are. So the men we want to marry often don’t really exist – and if they did… well… why would they want to marry us?

Janey apparently hopes that her paragon of glowing character and accomplishments won’t mind that she is (apparently) shallow and materialistic, has qualities buried so deep there’s no danger of anyone ever finding them, is not-quite-sold-out for Christ herself… and is not interested in changing. But then, we don’t really want what we deserve, do we?

So, we make our wish lists and pray that we get Missionary Martyr Malibu Ken for Christmas. But what will we have to offer him? How are we preparing to be what hemight need in a wife? How long are our lists of standards and requirements for ourselves?

Our aspirations to be married to fine husbands are good; but then, that’s an aspiration that the Cinderellas and the ugly stepsisters of the world have always had in common. We need to step outside of our imaginary roles as the heroines of our own personal fairy tales, and ask ourselves: Which one am I? Why would the prince choose me?

The bad news is, none of us are naturally likeable, desirable, or eligible. Because of sin, we all start out as ugly stepsisters, and we don’t automatically become Cinderella upon reaching marriageable age. The good news is, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Pet. 2:24) And the rest of the good news is, if you find yourself Valentine-less this Valentine’s Day, that means the Lord is giving you more time to die to sin and live to righteousness, more time to make yourself ready, more time to become a better gift.

Ladies, let’s decide to do our (future) husbands good on this day (Prov. 31:12), instead of moping about the good they’re not here to do for us. On a day when women all over the world will be thinking about what they want to get from a man, let’s think instead about we’re preparing to give to one.

(With excerpts from It’s (Not That) Complicated)

Going for Christ- Part 2

It's not a question of "Do I GO?" it's a question of "How Do I GO?"

Please read Going for Christ- Part 1 first. Thank you.

I always thought that to be a missionary, you had to go to the "jungles of Africa" or some other exotic place. But, this past year I attended a conference in Ohio, and the focus was on "Going for the Lord".  I realized at that conference that going has many different faces.

You can be going by serving in your local church, ministering to homeless at your local soup kitchen, leading after school Bible clubs, going on mission trips, or just by giving a smile to someone. 

As Christians, we are all missionaries for Christ. We have been given the commission to "Go into all the World and preach the Gospel". 

The problem some Christians have (myself included), is that we forget we're all missionaries, and we tend to brush off "going into all the world". We get so caught up in Jerusalem, that we forget about ALL of Judea, much less the uttermost parts of the earth. And Samaria? It's at the very back of our minds, if it's even in our minds at all.

I have been challenged through the seminars I've attended and the books I have read this past year, to get my "Global Focus" back. 

I am Christian, a Follower of Christ. His heart is supposed to be my heart. His desires, my desires. I must live my life as if it truly is.

I must not only work in my Jerusalem (where I am at right now), I must also do what I can to help spread the gospel across the country of the United States. I also need to make sure that my Samaria is being reached as well- I must go to those that when I think of them, I cringe (I'm being honest with you, this does happen in my life!). I also need to be thinking about the entire world, but I don't just need to think, I need to do...in ALL aspects.

As an example- My life. The way I'm "Going" right now-

*Author's note- My main calling, and my heart, is to work with children, so most of my "Go's" revolve around kids. Not everyone is called to work with children. Some are called to work with the elderly, some are called to work with teens, others still are called to work with business leaders, etc.. What has the Lord called you to do? What makes your heart burn with a passion to be able to be a part of it?

In my Jerusalem- I lead children's church on Sundays and Vacation Bible School in the Summer. I help with a food pantry at my church.

In all Judea- I lead and help with children's programs in North Carolina and Texas. (Mental note-This is an area I need to work on.)

Samaria- there are some people that are hard to work with in all circles. I am learning to serve them all in the Love of Christ. It makes life much more simple if I do it through Christ's power and not my own. :)

Uttermost parts of the Earth- I LONG for the day when I can go out of the country to serve the Lord. But until the Lord opens the door for me to go, I help support the goal of spreading the Gospel of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world by giving monetarily and prayerfully to "frontline missionaries" (so to speak) and to organizations that are dedicated to sharing the Gospel.

All Glory goes to the Lord for allowing me the privilege of serving Him in a multitude of ways. I am not bragging on myself but on Christ my Savior! I simply want to help give you all an idea of what "GO" looks like for an average 20-something adult.

So- Those are my "Go's". What are your's? What do you feel the Lord directing you to do?
I would love to hear your stories!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource links-

The conference I attended last year has the audios online for you to listen to and download for free- Check them out!
Sermon Audios from Passion4Christ Summit 2012

If you would like to experience Radical, or any of the other books I've listed for yourself- Here are links to each one-
Radical by David Platt
Passion for the Heart of God by John Zumwalt
Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

Enjoy! God Bless you on your Journey!

Going for Christ- Part 1

This month I have been reading a book that was recommended by a friend, and then provided by the Lord. 
The book is called Radical by David Platt--Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream.

It is a wonderful book, and has already changed my thinking and my life drastically! I am taking the book slow and mentally digesting each section I read. Yes, I said section, I can't even read a whole chapter at a time, there's so much to think about!

This past year I also read two other books entitled- Passion for the Heart of God by Zumwalt, and Not a Fan by Idleman. The recurring theme in all three books is that as a Christian, you are commanded to GO into the world and preach the gospel and to make disciples.

The other night as I was reading Radical, I started thinking about Acts 1:8-
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth."

All of my life, this verse has been taught as if it is "or" between the cities/countries, not "and". It's also been taught as if we all have a choice as to which one we're going to 'reach for Christ'. The other thing I noticed is that it is taught a lot of times that Jerusalem is your hometown.

Here's what the Lord revealed to me the other night-
First of all- It is "AND" throughout the whole verse. There is no option to choose one or the other, they are all part of the commandment.

Second- 

• Jerusalem is not the hometown, because the disciples were all men of Galilee, not Jerusalem. (So don't think that just because you've moved cross-country you get out of serving!) I have come to believe Jerusalem is where you're at right now. The men that Jesus was addressing in Acts 1:8 were in Jerusalem. Christ was saying- don't wait until you get home, don't wait until a certain day. Get started NOW! 
• ALL Judea- Judea was the country in which Jerusalem was and is located. I see this as Christ saying- don't stay in one place, spread out. Cover the whole country with the Gospel!
• Samaria- I believe Samaria represents your enemies, and those who you feel to be inferior to you. In other words- those who you don't think deserve the Gospel.  It's the uncomfortable place to go. You see, historically, Samaria was a country full of half-breeds. The Jews would not have anything to do with Samaritans. By Christ saying go to Samaria, He is saying- humble yourself, they need the Gospel as well.
• Uttermost Parts of the Earth- This is plain as can be. Jehovah's heart is for the entire world ("For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16). If we call ourselves Christians, then that means we are to have a renewed mind and heart- the mind and heart of Christ. If Christ's heart is for the whole world, ours should be as well.

So, in a nutshell, we are all commanded to "GO" for Christ. So it's not a question of "Do I go?" It's a question of "How do I go?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

New Year's 2013

Wow! Another year has come…and just as quickly…gone.

I have been learning an amazing thing this year- Truly Trusting Christ. I know, I’ve made a couple posts about that this year, so I’ll spare you and not go into a really long speech. :)

I have a feeling I will be learning this even more so this year. Last year, the Lord threw in a couple surprises in what I thought was a year I had well planned. 

This year, there are only a couple of things I actually have planned. Everything else is completely up in the air!

I am a little nervous as to what the year might hold, but I am completely thrilled to find out what the Lord has in store! It’s even more thrilling to know that the majority of it is going to be a complete surprise, and that my year’s story (as well as my life story) is being written by the Maker of Heaven and Earth, my Heavenly Father!

Jeremiah 29:11 says- “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Hebrews 11:1- “Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 8:24-29- “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

What wonderful truths to start the New Year on!

Not only is the Lord planning good things for our lives, but- THROUGH His plans He will build our faith and our hope! By building our faith and hope, He will draw us even closer to Himself!

Oh! What a glorious thought! Every step of this life is predestined by Christ Himself to draw us closer and closer to Him!

How wonderful to know that everything- Every person, every job, every relationship, every ministry, EVERYTHING- is meant to strengthen our relationship with Christ.

As you enter into 2013- be on the lookout. Look around you for the blessings of Christ, and for the ways He is drawing you to Himself! It could be in the most unlikely place!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thanksgiving 2012

Today is the day we, as a nation, have set aside to gather together and give thanks to the Lord for all that He has blessed us with.

Today, I would like to thank the Lord for all of my blessings, but specifically for the following ones from this past year-


1. First and foremost- My salvation through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for continuing to draw me unto Himself!

Pleasant Hill Outdoor Center, Perrysville, OH

October 2012

2. Time with family-

Sim's BBQ Molasses Festival October 2012

Family - Easter 2012 

With cousins in Nashville, TN June 2012

3. Bonding with My sisters :)

Easter 2012 

4. Opportunities to serve the Lord-

Served with these amazing people in Big Sandy, TX 

April 2012

I was blessed to teach these cute kids about the Lord!

So blessed by these little ones!

The Lord opened the door this summer for a VBS at my church.

What a tremendous blessing and opportunity it was to work 

with these adults and teach these children about the 

Masterwork of God in their lives!

July 2012

The Lord abundantly blessed with an awesome team of teachers

for the NC Children's Program this summer!

August 2012

I was also blessed to teach these adorable young ladies

 5. Making New friends- 

With new family friends in Nashville, TN

June 2012

I got to stay in the same cabin with these beautiful ladies for a week!

What a blessing they each were to me!

Perrysville, OH 

October 2012

6. My birthday- I turned 22 this year!

So blessed with another year to serve the Lord, love my family,

and shine the light of Christ to those around me!

7. Wise ladies to disciple me and help lead me in the path of the Lord.

This is one of those special ladies- Mrs. Pam Cavanaugh

of Vision4Living Ministries

 8. Iron-sharpening-Iron friendships

The amazing small group the Lord allowed me to be a part of at

Passion4Christ Summit 2012

Perrysville, OH

October 2012

 9. Awesome sunsets and sunrises to enjoy!

Sunrise in Big Sandy, TX

April 2012

Sunset near my church

March 2012

10. Protection

This picture may not fit with 'protection' for you- but for me it does.

Here's why- 

1. John 3:16- "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 

but have everlasting life."

I am protected from the schemes of the devil, because I have placed my heart, faith, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The ring is my 'promise ring', that my daddy gave me. 

This ring represents that I have placed the responsibility of protecting my heart in the hands of my daddy and my Lord. Until the Lord brings the right man into my life, and even past that- until my wedding day, my heart will rest safely in their hands.  They will help me keep my feet on the ground, my head out of the clouds, 

my eyes on the goal of serving the Lord, 

and my heart focused on the Lord Himself.

What a blessing this truly is, and one that I have come to truly 

appreciate the older I get! 

There are many more things that I could list, but I will keep it at the top 10 today :).  

As you spend time with your family today, take time to count your many blessings!